Dr. Z Right, GGAS Wrong

Well so much for the new “predictions” label. I’m guessing most people out there enjoyed the Super Bowl.

The play that made the game was Eli Manning evading a certain sack late in the 4th quarter on 3rd and 5 to find David Tyree, who made an unreal catch under pressure by pretty much pinning the ball against his helmet while Rodney Harrison was on top of him. That one play changed NFL history. Maybe the Giants pull out a first down after that, but that play also picked up over 30 yards.

Without that play I think it’s extremely likely that the Giants lose, the Patriots are 19-0, and there’s no talk of choke and talks of the Greatest Team Ever are rampant again. It’s funny how one play can do so much. That’s what makes sports so great. One play. Without the play the Patriots are fielding questions about being the best ever.

I still go back to the Ravens game, the one that the Patriots lost, twice, but were bailed out by a timeout call and a false start. Without that luck, they are likely 17-1 heading into the game and we escape weeks and weeks of undefeated, 19-0 and ’72 Dolphins talk. But again, two plays….neither of them actually “plays”. A timeout and a false start on that Monday night, and here we are, talking about how they blew the chance at 19-0.

Personally, I wanted the Patriots to win, but I’m pretty unemotional that they lost since I’ve invested so little emotion into the team over the years. Fans that I’ve run into are disappointed, but not distraught. I think there’s been too much winning lately to really cause the kind of disappointment that Boston fans used to feel after, say, the Red Sox would collapse in the playoffs. Three Super Bowl wins and the Red Sox winning the World Series (so recently) will do that. I should also note that I don’t hang out with rabid Patriots fans though. I’m also very happy that the Belichick/Brady worshippers, particularly some of the guys on WEEI who shouted down any argument that the Patriots would lose now must deal with the reality that they did. That’s a great thing.

The only thing that makes this loss more dramatic than any other championship loss was the angle of going undefeated. They can win the Super Bowl next year or the year after because someone has to win it, but they aren’t going undefeated.

Now let’s hope that Jemele Hill writes so more crazy NBA shit in the near future, I’m bored.