The Hit and Legend of Clay Matthews

Like any legend there's a little fiction, a little fact, and a whole lot of lying involved in the creation of the Great White Linebacker. Yesterday's Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and Steelers only made me believe even more in the purposeful or ignorant will creating the Great White Linebacker star.

I offer you exhibit A, the Mendenhall fumble which Clay is credited with creating. At the start of the fourth quarter the Steelers are driving with momentum on their side. Some nameless unknown brother gets deep penetration and gets his helmet on the ball. Clay comes along and hits him after the ball is coming out of Mendenhall's hands. It's so clear that the first time either Joe Buck or  Troy Aikman even say the nameless brother gets a helmet on the ball. Actually that's Troy Aikman who calls out Picket's name. But by the third replay the fact that the brother created the fumble is gone. Here Joe Buck? Mendenhall fumble, Matthews with a hit to force it.

Pickett's gone. Finished. A part of history. Like the Native Americans who actually lived here before Columbus found America. Like the China Man who drove spikes and lost their lives while Pacific North West built the rail road. Like Kunta picked all the cotton which made the South and America great.

Like... well a Black Beast.#79 could be named Robert Parish, or Gerald Henderson for real. Understand?And Brother, I know you, believe me. Called your name already. But today you're nameless.

Notice how this tight shot edits #79, the brother whose deep penetration and helmet on the ball created this fumble right out of the play and out of history just as the retelling of this play will forever more.

Here is the way the AP presented it so that every one who saw it or didn't see it will see it this way:

Mendenhall took the handoff, but Clay Matthews drove a shoulder right into the runner almost as soon as he got the ball, and massive Ryan Pickett dived in to complete a 595-pound sandwich. The result of that fearsome collision: the ball came flying out, and Bishop swooped in to scoop it up.

Matthews looked as if he knew what was coming, and actually he did.

"I saw the play coming back my way," he said. "Fortunately, through film work, I was able to tell my defensive end what to do and I was able to make the play. It was key at the time. They were driving on us. We were able to get that turnover and turn it into points, which was the difference in the game." 

Wow. He made the play. Not finished it. He made it. These White folk would have you believe that he suddenly became the DT cause of course the Black Beast couldn't do it with out him, then he suddenly became himself again and made the play.

But here at the Black Beast we will tell the truth. Despite the world full of white men denying the Brother's glory. It was a Black Beast who created that fumble with great play and a world full of white men like  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com who created Clay Matthews like they always will and  always have.

But I tell you now the Black Beast will always be there walking down the AP and every other media outlet with the truth.



*Watch the play and you will see the helmet on the ball before Matthews gets there jogging the ball loose and Clay hitting Mendenhall to finish the job. But undoubtedly #79's helmet hits the ball first.