Super Bowl XLII Follow-up

A few weeks ago, I made my first visit to Las Vegas. Big Balla, Rhino, Kev, Czar, Mean Steve, Ragin', and I descended upon Sin City ready to win some scrilla. Many of my posse were dead-set on winning money on card games or traditional gambling games like roulette or craps. I had my eye on the sports book. I follow sports a bit and am intrigued by the gambling side of it. I cannot bet on sports because of my job in collegiate athletics, but that didn't stop me from observing and dreaming.

Sunday night showed me, yet again, why I would lose a lot of money betting on sports. Why to never bet on the NFL. Why the "sure thing" is never sure in football. The 2007-2009 season was not kind to the two famous Patriots teams attempting to go undefeated: the Independence Patriots of Charlotte, North Carolina (109 game winning streak snapped, eventually lost in NC Football State Finals for first time since my senior year of high school in 2000) and of course, the New England Patriots who were trying to be the first team to go 19-0. Instead, the New Bern Tigers and New York Giants are each champions. I hate the way that sounds, btw. Both of those.

I'm not going to analyze the game, as you can go to any major newspaper or sports website and get all the analysis you'd ever want. But I will tell you that I am very surprised that New England played scared. The Pats never do that. The Giants "let it all hang out" and won because of it.

I will tell you from a personal standpoint that I got home from a Super Bowl party, got ready for bed, and said aloud, "man, I'm just so disappointed right now." I'm not a New England fan, not by a longshot. I'm not a Pats apologist either, although Rodney Harrison is one of my favorite players to watch (yes, he's dirty. But man, is he good or what?). But, I was definitely hoping to see history last night. I wanted to see a team go 19-0 and be the best team ever. And I didn't want a 14-10 win either. I wanted a blowout, an undeniable performance for the best team of all-time. I wanted to tell Lil' Kyle all about the 2007 New England Patriots, the champions of Super Bowl XLII when he asks me in fifteen years or so. He'd be a wee little eight year-old kid, sifting through the NFL record books online, and come wandering in to say, "Dad, how did the Patriots go 19-0?!?!? Were they the best team ever?"

Instead, Lil' Kyle will look through the record books at age eight and miss the Pats all-together. Then, at age sixteen or so, he'll be watching an NFL Films documentary about the best teams to not win a title and see something about New England in 2007. So, he'll wander out in the backyard where Dad is raining threes in the driveway and say, "yo, Dad, dude, I didn't know the Patriots almost went undefeated, then choked in the Super Bowl. That sucks. So, when do I get to borrow your car, there's this fly honey I want to take to Bojangles?"

And now, K-Trey (that's Kyle the third, Kyle III, "Trey", or "K-Trey" for short...or long...whatever), my unrivaled grandson will wander into my room in forty years and say, "Big Poppa, tell me about the 2007 New England Patriots. They were 18-1." And I'll say, "they were? Really? Hmmm...oh yeah, they lost in the Super Bowl. What a shame. K-Trey, let's go work on your batting stance." If New England had won last night and gone down as the greatest team I'd ever seen, there's no way I'd forget them in forty years. Now? Who knows. So that's why I am disappointed.


A couple quick UNC-related notes. First of all, let me say that five years ago, I'd have punched a hole in the wall during yesterday's game. As late as theMaryland road game in 2005, I've had meltdowns in-game that led to something being thrown, punched, kicked, cussed, or otherwise broken (in case you're wondering, we won that game after breaking down defensively multiple times late, then digging in a getting a stop, all without Rashad McCants). Now? I just watched it all unfold, calmly. Of course I wanted the Heels to win. I did pop the side of my grandfather's recliner after Ryan Reid hit the first three-pointer of his college career to send it to OT. But then I went in my bedroom and laughed for thirty seconds or so, took a leak, and returned to watch us lock it down in overtime. No need to get upset. Remember, there's a bigger picture to the basketball season (national championship) and, thankfully, a bigger picture to life (Jesus).

Second, Ty Lawson is not playing Wednesday night. No way. That ankle injury does not look like something he can play on this week, or maybe even next. Carolina will most likely lose, but not solely as a result of Lawson being out. However, once Frasor went down for the season, Lawson immediately became the most indespinsible player on the team. He might have been even with Frasor. Quintin Thomas will play, and play pretty well I think. But the Tar Heels are incredibly different without Lawson.

Third, do not fret about the short-term for the Tar Heels. As I mentioned above, the goal is to win the last game of the season (and don't worry, the Heels ain't NIT-bound, not this year). So getting Lawson back in time to get ready for the home-stretch and the drive through March is more important than beating Duke. And yes, I honestly believe this. Any Carolina fan who truly "gets it" should as well.

Not much else to say right now. Hopefully The Blue Team will return later this week with a National Signing Day breakdown (also on Wednesday, how great is that??) and analysis of the Duke/Carolina matchup. Until then...

bye bye bye.