Super Bowl and the lessons learned…

The Super Bowl took a while to get going, but when it did, what a game it turned out to be. I must admit, I was disappointed that Tom Brady and the Patriots didn’t break the record, and finish off a season where they were the best team over the course of the year. But they failed to put the game away, and a few great plays later, the Giants came out victorious. Congratulations to Eli Manning and the Giants. On the day, they were the better team and deserved their victory, overcoming adversity throughout the playoffs and the lead up to the Super Bowl. They traveled away and won each of their playoff games, and defied all of the pundits who never gave them a chance. Well Done….

I was talking a few weeks ago of my experience with strong records and winning streaks. In 2000, when playing at UNC, we had gone on a 19 game or so winning streak, seeded NO 1 in the NCAA’s, but lost in the elite eight. We out shot Indiana 25-6 or so, and lost 1-0. We were shell-shocked and couldn’t comprehend the result. We expected to win, we were used to winning. The problem was that we had to lose at some point, our focus was maybe not fully there, and there was a slight air of over-confidence. Did we look beyond the game? I don’t think so, but our luck did run out that day.

The next year was different. We lost to Wake Forest heavily at the end of the season, 4-1, and that result woke us up. It made us realize that we weren’t impenetrable. We saw that each game has it’s up and downs, and we had to prepare for every case scenario. It hardened our resolve and refocused our game. We won the national championship that year through a mixture of skill, personality, and team spirit. We beat Indiana in the final 2-0. Sweet revenge…..

I believe that NE needed to lose in the regular season, and have a sense of being the one who is chasing down the leader, rather than the one that is out there alone. NY had a sense that others were supporting them, wanting NE to lose. They were fueled by this and hammered Tom Brady from the first snap to the last.

Losing is not a bad thing, as long as it teaches you to be successful and victorious in the end.

I predict that Brady and the Patriots will come back next year, bigger and stronger than ever. The time between now and the first game of the 2008 season will seem an eternity, and they will be biting at the bit to get back out there. Good luck to the team that the Patriots play in the first game…