Super Bowl XLII was almost a waste of a Sunday.
Even for those who enjoy defensive struggles, it was getting to
be a bit much after three quarters of football.
Super Bowl XLII was almost a waste of a Sunday.
Even for those who enjoy defensive struggles, it was getting to be a bit much after three quarters of football.
New England 7, New York 3?
If it was any other week in the NFL season, I might have changed the channel to see what other games were being played.
A nation of football fans had reason to dismiss loyalties and unify by crossing party lines (hey, it’s Super Tuesday, allow me one political reference) and say: “We went through two weeks of hype for this? Score some *$!^@ points already.”
The fourth quarter didn’t disappoint.
Three lead changes, a game-winning drive completed by Eli Manning (despite his eyes being so big they looked like they were going to pop out of his head) and a rare display of karma bucking the trend of taking its sweet time to come to fruition.
For you loyal readers who read my prediction in Friday’s newspaper – thank you, the check is in the mail – you already know that I picked karma and the Giants to overcome an 18-game unbeaten streak by the Patriots. I picked a team that fought fair-and-square to get to the championship game, and a quarterback that made my prognostication ability look silly weeks before (see: Wild Card game at Tampa Bay … do not see: My Pigskin Picks! record).
I wasn’t about to be fooled again.
I did have my doubts the day before the game, though, when the Boston Herald reported that the Patriots allegedly videotaped the final walk-through of the St. Louis Rams before Super Bowl XXXVI. Belichick, a master of motivation, would surely use this as fuel to the Patriots’ proverbial fire, telling his players that America doubted their honor and ability. I almost considered whether or not Belichick had leaked the story himself to give his team further ammunition. (This, of course, is ridiculous. If the allegation of taping the Rams is true, the Patriots would be just below the level of the Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919, when Chicago players fixed the World Series. No coach wants their legacy to be tarnished by a scandal, especially on this scale.)
But when everyone I talked to, and I mean everyone except Kelsey Jeffries (see the picks), said the Pats were going to crush New York, this actually gave me some confidence. Most people didn’t even expect a close game.
This made a perfect setting for karma to come back in kick a group of cheaters in the teeth. Aside from stealing signals in the first game against the New York Jets, the Patriots actually ran up the score on opponents during the season. The best example being a 52-7 blowout of the Washington Redskins in late October, when Tom Brady was still in the game in the fourth quarter, throwing a touchdown to go ahead 45-0.
Here is what I wrote Friday: “The best example I could ever give you of karma coming back to haunt a team would be a group of people who cheated, ran up the score on opponents and never suffered defeat, only to lose the championship.”
Karma isn’t scared of Tom Brady, Brazilian supermodels, hooded sweatshirts or a 12-point spread. Neither were the Giants.
The result was a fantastic fourth quarter that made history for not allowing the Patriots to make history.
Whether or not people remember the game because New England lost, Eli Manning won or New York receiver David Tyree made a miracle catch to setup the final score is all inconsequential. What does matter is that no one is above karma’s wrath.
And for that, it was worth watching every minute Sunday.
Do you have an example of karma coming back to haunt a team or individual in a sporting event? Call the Green Phone at (408) 842-9069 or e-mail gr********@sv**********.com.
