There is something about the power of photographs that capture a moment in time for all of us. A spontaneous sporting image can encapsulate a crucial play that goes beyond any accompanying words. Elite athletes are performing at high skill in extreme circumstances. The edge-of-the-seat stuff is why audiences lean in to the NFL. To have that recorded on film for eternity creates endless memories
The NFL has many such iconic images that have been distributed around photo libraries for decades. The essence of a great photo in sports – and especially within the epic time frame of an American football game – is to bring home something that can resonate with spectators. It’s human endeavor with the most competitive prizes at stake. The agony and ecstasy at professional level is a pain that everybody recognizes in some ways.
Take the aftermath of the 2015 Super Bowl when New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks in a classic Super Bowl. The relationship between Patriot quarterback hero Tom Brady and Seattle’s cornerback Richard Sherman was cool to say the least. It stemmed from a throwaway “ You mad bro?”comment Sherman had made to the same opponent three years in an equally close game. The two clearly didn’t see eye to eye even if the media loved to inflate the situation.
The photo of Sherman offering his hand post-match while Brady was trying to take in his fourth Super Bowl success was open to interpretation. The picture illustrated sportsmanship and the stillness and shock of winning such a showpiece game. It also proved that what’s said on the pitch stays on the pitch and that respect is due between combatants. A similar theme, although a warmer moment, was captured when quarterback legends Steve Young and Brett Favre walked arm in arm after the Green Bay Packers beat the San Francisco 49ers in 1998.
The best shots must also include the action on the field too. Sports photography illustrates a sense of rationale in a sea of bodies and arms. It helps when it is a defining moment in the game. A still frame of an exceptional play is as focused as a perfectly written paragraph.
Witness New York Giants receiver David Tyree catching a 32-yard-pass against his helmet in the 2008 Super Bowl. This was a pressure play for all kinds of reasons. His team were losing against an unbeaten New York Patriots and with just 75 seconds left on the clock. The Giants scored a touchdown four plays later and won by three, denying the Patriots a perfect 19-0 record for the season. Tyree’s catch came third on NFL.com’s 100 Greatest Plays. That stays in the memory as well as in the stock library.
The modern age of the NFL is truly a whole new ball game. There is the massive viewing figures, but also an uptick in the power and athleticism of the sport. Every sport has a superstar and Patrick Mahomes, who is pushing Kansas again with favorable NFL playoff odds, looks like he enjoys it all too.
Mahomes is the dream quarterback for the 2020s and his golden arm has collected three Super Bowls already. The iconic shot of him about to launch at the 2020 showpiece against San Francisco 49ers was a great player beginning to strut on the biggest stage. Another shot of him during 2024 is a man who is in control of everything as he seems to relish fending off Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill during the Chiefs’ 26-25 victory last September.
With every victory there has to be some despair but the photo needs to elaborate on the mess of emotions that are revolving inside the helmet. Think of the emptiness and the isolation of missing a last penalty kick in soccer and the shot of Super Bowl XXV comes into play. Scott Norwood was the man who kicked the “wide right” 47-yard field goal that would have clinched the 1991 Lombardi trophy for the Buffalo Bills against the Giants.
There were eight seconds remaining. It was death or glory. Norwood’s hanging head and hand to to the helmet were there for all to see as the background of individual despair and unbridled joy are partially visible behind him. The referee whistles the end of the game in the same shot. Time stood still.
The twists and turns of the NFL can generate eye-popping freeze frames from some of the most elastic bodies in sport. There are so many wow images out there that they are too numerous to mention. What really connects with the fan is the moments that show the skill and the human nature of the players. Sporting photographs hit the emotions more when they are within touching distance. The NFL beings it home.
