SAN FRANCISCO -- Jerry Rice, the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXIII, says the local media has denied him the recognition he deserves after his record-setting performance helped the San Francisco 49ers win the NFL championship.
Rice indicated in a copyrighted interview on San Francisco television station KRON-TV Wednesday night that he thought there might be a racial bias on the part of the local media.
Rice tied a Super Bowl record Sunday with 11 catches and broke another by gaining 215 yards on those receptions. Quarterback Joe Montana, meanwhile, completed eight passes during a 92-yard drive in the closing minutes of the game to give the 49ers a 20-16 victory over Cincinnati.
Many local observers commented that Montana should have been awarded his third Super Bowl MVP award. But Rice caught three passes in the final drive, and was the overwhelming choice among 11 MVP voters from the media.
KRON said it followed up the story when Rice's wife, Jackie, said her husband's emotional state was low upon his return to the Bay Area.
When he received his MVP award in Miami, Rice said, 'I'm a modest guy. I don't like to take credit. Joe played excellent today and like I stated, he should have been MVP.
Sportscaster Pete Liebengood asked if the fact Bay Area media seemed to agree with him by stressing Montana's exploits had diminished his MVP status.
'I would say so,' Rice said. 'Jackie keeps asking me -- she says, 'What's wrong? You're not happy. You seem like you are not happy about winning the Super Bowl.' But that is not true. I am happy about winning the Super Bowl. It is just the recognition of the Bay Area that I am really disappointed about.
'I feel I went out, I gave it my all. And everytime I go out there on the football field, it is for the fans. I really get a kick out of pleasing the fans. And, right now, I am just not happy with the situation.
'I would say it is the media's fault because they are not getting my name out there. I don't know if I'll get any recognition in commercials or anything, but right now, the way things are looking, I'm not going to get anything out of being MVP. Just the name, the MVP, and that is it.'
Asked if this would affect his future play, he said he was sure he could 'block out' his feelings while he was on the football field, but off the field, 'I just felt like I had to come forth to say something ... not just holding, holding everything in.'
Asked about possible racial reasons for what he felt was lack of recognition, Rice said, 'You look at Doug Williams (the black quarterback of the Washington Redskins). He was the MVP last year and I feel like he did not really get the recognition that he deserved.'
Liebengood noted that Rice stressed he had no complaint about Montana, for whom he has nothing but respect.
The television station also interviewed several local sports writers.
Dave Newhouse of the Oakland Tribune conceded that while sports writers try to be objective, 'Maybe we are, in some sense, conditioned by past habits. I mean, we are more used to Joe Montana than we are to Jerry Rice, because Joe has been doing these miracles longer and Jerry is somewhat new on the scene.'
Other sports writers denied any bias against Rice, called him a great player and offered him space in their newspapers.
Glenn Swartz of the San Francisco Examiner said that part of the problem could be that the 49ers' victory had to share the spotlight with the future of Bill Walsh, who has hinted he may step down as head coach this week.
