I learned something this weekend. Everybody that knows me knows that I'm a football fan. I love it. Every year, Sunday after Sunday (and Saturday, Monday, and every now and then Thursday), I sit in front of the TV watching not only my Dallas Cowboys, but pretty much every game that I can catch. The team dynamic, the history, the greatness of the athletes that have worked their whole lives to reach the top of their game, every aspect reaches me on a visceral, emotional level.
I have played sports, watched sports, and loved sports my whole life. The great athletes of the past have been my idols and my heroes. I have learned many lessons from them, not the least of which is the value of sportsmanship. I was always told that it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. I also know that you can tell a lot about a man's character, and a team's character, by how they win or lose. And what I saw last night showed me both sides.
Take the Giants. I fucking hate the Giants. As a born and bred, blue and silver bleeding Cowboys fan, there is nothing at all in my heart for the New York Football Giants. Yeah, I respect that they are good players, I acknowledge their ability, but as a team, I just can't make myself like them, even when the Cowboys are eliminated. That said, I'm glad that the Giants won, even though I wasn't for them. Because they played like champions, and more importantly, because they WON like champions.
On the flip side, there's the New England Patriots. Arguably one of the best teams ever to play the game, Tom Brady and Co. went into this contest as 14 point favorites. After their stellar season, it was almost a forgone conclusion that they would take their place as the second perfect team in NFL history with their 4th Super Bowl victory in 6 years...except they didn't. They didn't count on the Giants showing up to play, apparently. And when the Giants didn't lay down, when they fought and clawed and pummeled their way to victory, the Pats showed their true colors. Not red, white, and blue, but yellow and, well, yellow. Bill Belichick, who I have long celebrated as one of the greatest coaches in the game, in a gutless move, left the field of play before the last ball was snapped. I don't care who you are, that's pussy shit. When you lose, even if it means you don't get to make that history that you so desperately desire, you stay your ass out there and take your beating like a man. Even worse, today Belichick, Brady, and Randy Moss all declined their spots in the Pro Bowl. I am sadly disappointed, not in their loss, but in how they have handled it. It is an embarassment to New England, the league, and the game as a whole.
In case you haven't already figured it out, I learned that those who I hate the most can earn my respect, and those who had earned my respect can prove themselves unworthy. I learned that I will never cheer for the Patriots again, and I learned that next year, the Cowboys will have to bring their A game to stand with the defending champions in the NFC East. As much as I hate to say it, the best team prevailed yesterday. I salute them, not only for their performance on the field of battle, but also for their integrity, their graciousness, and their strength of character. But they best look out, because they have a target on their backs now, and Dallas is aiming right for it.
Until next season,
Clay
Monday, September 28, 2009
Gutless on the Gridiron
Posted by Clay Monts at 11:46 PM
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