When I'm 100 years old, I can envision my great-great-grandson coming to me and saying: “Grandpa, who won the Super Bowl in 2008?”
I’m sure I’ll think for a while and then reply, “You know, I really can’t remember, Eli. But I know the New England Patriots lost!”
Yes, it was that big. Normally nobody ever remembers who loses Super Bowl games, although I know the Cleveland Browns have never lost one. But everyone will remember the Patriots losing.
New England came so close to immortality. A win would have given them a perfect 19-0 record and vaulted them into the status of one of the elite teams of all-time. Man, I can hardly hold back the tears.
Instead, the Miami Dolphins are still the only NFL team in modern times to go undefeated. Then again, don’t forget that the Browns went undefeated (15-0) in winning the All-America Conference in 1948. And that league wasn’t too bad. The two leagues merged in 1950 and the Browns played in the NFL championship game for 6 straight years, winning 3.
How bad was losing for the Patriots? It was so bad that coach Bill Belichick didn’t even wait for the end of the game, leaving with 1 second left. Then again, maybe he had to beat everyone else to the locker room to destroy some tapes.
The Giants deserve all the credit for that win. Their defensive line was phenomenal and didn’t give Tom Brady time to get off a good pass. And Eli Manning did everything he needed to do to pull out the victory. Of course when seldom-used receivers are catching balls with their helmets, you know that fate has a hand in it.
It has to go down as one of the most exciting Super Bowls of all time. I love defense, so I don’t care about those high-scoring fiascoes. That game was very special.
The only problem now is that not only will we see Peyton Manning in almost half the ads on TV, we’ll also see his little brother. To the victor go the spoils, as they say.
Meanwhile, you can bet there will be a drop-off on sales of gray hoodies. (I still say part of the loss was because Belichick broke tradition and wore that red hoodie in the Super Bowl. All of a sudden the guy got fancy.)
Fans are taking the loss hard. I don’t know if it’s true, but I hear that Red Lobster has taking New England Clam Chowder off the menu and is only serving the Manhattan variety. I prefer the red stuff anyhow!
How bad is it? Boston fans have forgotten who Bill Buckner was! Stephen King is going to write a horror story where aliens devour a villain named Bill Belichoke! Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft has raised the price of cheese!
Then again for most of us who don’t like coaches who cheat, it’s a case of “all’s well that end’s well.”
Lynn Saternow is sports editor of The Herald
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It was a Super ending to season when the Pats fell short
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PIAA Track: Hickory's Bell, Lubarski, Regginello grab gold
SHIPPENSBURG — There’s a big difference between being seeded 1st and finishing 1st — Matt Bell can attest to that.
After settling for silver last year, the Hickory High senior put the shot 59 feet, 6 3/4 inches Friday afternoon to garner gold at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
WM to play for D-10 baseball title; GC, Sharon, Sharpsville lose
Four area baseball teams were in action on Friday in the District 10 semifinals as the squads battled to compete for District 10 championships on Monday.
West Middlesex rolled past error-prone Linesville, 8-0, in Class A action at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
In Class AA, both Sharon and Sharpsville suffered 2-1 losses. The Tigers fell to Saegertown at Ainsworth Field in Erie while the Blue Devils lost to Titusville at SRU.
In Class AAA, the Grove City Eagles were denied the chance to defend their D-10 crown after suffering a 6-3 loss to Warren at SRU. -
Farrell volleyball falls in D-10 semifinals
The Farrell High boys volleyball team suffered a 2-0 (25-15, 25-12) loss to Saegertown on Thursday night in the District 10 semifinals at Meadville Area High’s “House of Thrills.”
“This was the first year we made it out of the first day (pool play) of the playoffs,” said Steelers’ coach Dan Dragicevic. “I’d like to cite my seniors (Eric Demus, Anthony Perkins, Jaylen Chambers and Lawrence Hughes). -
Locals ready to go for gold at Shippensburg
Now that Mercer County is on the map, it’s incumbent upon the area aggregation to chart a course for the ultimate destination — Seth Grove Stadium’s medals stand — during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Led by West Middlesex High sprinter Clay Allen, many Mercer Countians are seeded at or near the top of their respective events for the annual 2-day marathon at Shippensburg University, which commences 9 a.m. Friday. It will continue beginning 9 a.m. Saturday. -
D-10 Playoffs: Local teams go 6-for-6
ä Grove City 1, Harbor Creek 0 — At Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, what the Grove City Eagles couldn’t accomplish themselves, the Harbor Creek Huskies unwittingly did for them.
Unable to plate runs themselves, Torin Smith scored the Eagles’ only run when teammate Tyler Devine’s seeming inning-ending pop-up to left field was dropped by Harbor Creek’s Chris Merritt in the bottom of the 7th inning of Tuesday’s tourney opener. -
Great year for WM track; local qualifiers listed
It’s been a big year for the Big Reds.
Though there’s no official documentation, the 2011-12 academic year may be the most successful in West Middlesex High’s athletic annals. -
SPORTVIEW: Local names Kroko, Lutz, Kareklas in news elsewhere
IT’S ALWAYS GOOD to hear of former area people who have gone on to athletic success in other areas, or the family of former area residents. Following are a few of those stories:
ä Bob and Betty Kroko of Sharon are avid followers of professional baseball. No, not necessarily the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians like many local fans.
The Krokos keep a close eye on the Austria Major League! -
Petty an all-around great athlete in track and gymnastics
When Mercer County’s contingent convenes at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships this weekend, it will be well represented
Clay Allen, Matt Bell, John Yohman, Johnathan Jacoway, Jeremy Jansco, Nico Zahniser, DeShawn Coleman, Dan Jaskowak, et all, should haul home some hardware. But with all due respect, the aforementioned young men may or may not be best athletes in the area’s aggregation that will assemble this weekend at Shippensburg University. -
Lubarski, Richards, Petty, Allen shine at D-10 Track Championships; Hickory girls, WM boys team champs
Hickory High’s high-jump state champion Lauren Lubarski suffered a severe blow to open her competion at the annual District 10 Class AA Track & Field Championships Saturday at Hickory HIgh Stadium.
She failed to qualify for state in the event she had won the previous year. -
Baseball, softball D-10 playoff pairings
The District 10 pairings for the baseball and softball playoffs have been released. Five area baseball teams and four (possibly 5) softball squads have qualified.
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