03 February 2008: Super Bowl, Super Blues

I unequivocally, emphatically admit that I was wrong. This was not the Patriots' year. There was one team that simply didn't buy into the hype. Unfortunately, it was the New York Giants. I don't particularly like the G-Men. I'm not a big fan of the Manning brothers. The Super Bowl doesn't change that either. However, I will give them my respect and offer my congratulations. The Giants won fair and square. For the second year in a row, a guy named Manning is the Super Bowl MVP. It was a great game, worthy of its namesake. Just like most every other soldier, I stayed up all night to watch. It was 0620 on Monday when I finally went to sleep for a short nap. I know most of my friends at home are going to have the Super Blues all week.

I have some thoughts on the game. First, I saw something very unusual happen. Bill Belichick was outcoached. The Patriots are always the best team at making adjustments throughout a game. They never adjusted to the Giants blitzing schemes. Someone was hitting Tom Brady on every play. It caused him to miss badly downfield on several occasions. That's the first time in the Belichick era I've ever seen a team that seemed one coaching step ahead of the Patriots from start to finish.

Second, are any of you regretting that Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" happened? I am. I like Tom Petty. I really do. That was one tired halftime show though. Ever since the Jackson-Timberlake expose, the halftime show has been a parade of old rockers, way past their prime, singing short renditions of their greatest hits. Let's look at the past four Super Bowls. Last night was Tom Petty, last year was Billy Joel (I think), before that the Rolling Stones brought to life the latest rendition of "Night of the Living Dead", and, last, we had Paul McCartney reminding us that "The Wings" were no substitute for "The Beatles". I'm almost positive that some of the people "rocking" down on the field were Tom Petty's grandkids. Oh well, at least the NFL hasn't reverted back to the old "Up With People" days. Some of you know what I'm talking about.

Third, my favorite part of the Super Bowl was just before kickoff. Fox Sports did a piece where several past and present NFL personalities recited the Declaration of Independence. I really hope all of you turned the TV up and listened to those words. I am not ashamed to say that by the end of the reading I was wiping tears away. It's not just the words that move me. As I listened to the recitation of that absolutely brilliant document I thought of the men who signed. Every single one of them knew they were signing their own death warrant, placing their families and fortunes in jeopardy. They did so in recognition of all of us. It definitely wasn't for fame, fortune, or immortality. They signed to say from that moment forward this new country will provide the right of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" to every generation of its citizens thereafter and for evermore. These were men of faith who believed in one another and in the common vision they shared. Thank God that vision still lives today. That vision is one of the reasons I admire Joe. He wears the uniform proudly. By choosing to serve, he openly accepted the responsibility of something larger than himself. How many men and women in the history of our nation have given the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve that vision? If you missed the Fox presentation prior to the game I implore you to read the Declaration of Independence. Read it completely and then read every single signature. Those men, those truly great men, are the foundation - the very fabric - of what makes our country the light of the free world. May we never lose sight of the vision they shared for all of us. I want to thank Fox Sports for airing that stirring tribute prior to the game. I hope that it becomes a tradition every year prior to the Super Bowl, regardless of network.

The real torture of the Super Bowl will be putting up with AFN the rest of the week. AFN sports will show the game several times a day for the next several days. I won't be able to go to the DFAC, the gym, or even turn on the TV in my hooch without being reminded. The Patriots lost. I wouldn't doubt some of my friends back home are on suicide watch. At least Red Sox Nation still rules the world.