In case you hadn't heard, there is a rather significant football game this Sunday. Maybe you've forgotten about the NFL in its unnecessary absence this past weekend, though it's likely the barrage of tired media hype for the event no doubt pervaded even the most sheltered sports fan's thoughts during the bye week. In any case, this weekend in the Super Bowl the New England Patriots have the opportunity to complete an undefeated season against their unlikely opponent, the New York Giants.
I realize you already knew that and as a result of the aforementioned media blitz, you probably know all of the story lines. Do the Patriots need to win in order to be regarded as the best team ever, despite their perfect regular season? Will the Giants be able to continue their unexpected string of playoff wins? Did a star player go to Mexico with his famous girlfriend during the off week?
In my opinion, the most interesting question regarding the Super Bowl is whether America is rooting for the storybook ending or the underdog upset.
Throughout the season I was definitely intrigued by the prospect of a perfect record, but at the same time I got excited when the team playing the Patriots in a given week seemed to have a good chance of handing them their first loss. I think a lot of other football fans shared this mixed emotion during the season. Once they completed the regular season unblemished, it became clear that the Pats had to finish the postseason undefeated as well. Otherwise, 16-0 without a title would have felt incomplete.
When the Boston Red Sox came back from a three games-to-none Yankees lead in 2004, many wondered if that was the end to the (fictitious) Curse of the Bambino. I definitely felt like they needed to win the World Series, not only to get rid of the all the curse talk, but also because it wouldn't have felt quite as satisfying if they were unable to add a championship to their credit after finally getting past New York.
The Red Sox were a bit of a surprise to get to the championship that year, but nothing compared to how much of shocker it has been for the New York Giants this postseason. There are very few people who thought the Giants would make the playoffs, win in Tampa Bay, win in Dallas and win in Green Bay. Honestly, I'm not sure anyone other than the organization itself really expected them to get to the Super Bowl. For that reason, the Giants are the improbable underdog story, something America also loves. Case in point is the popularity of the NCAA Tournament and its upsets. Remember George Mason's 2006 run to the Final Four? America sopped that up with a biscuit.
Interestingly, the best ending from a sentimental point of view is the one that has no chance to happen: Brett Favre retiring and riding off into the sunset with his Green Bay Packers victorious in the Super Bowl. The quarterback matchup would have been outstanding: the best of right now, Brady going for 19-0 and his fourth ring, against the decorated elder statesman, Favre, potentially in his final ride.
I, like many sports fans I'm sure, am a sucker for the perfect ending to a career. In books and movies, it's not always the happy ending that is the perfect one, but in sports it usually is. For a football player, the ultimate farewell is walking off the field for the last time after winning the Super Bowl. Favre would have had the chance to do the same this year. And that's something America definitely would have rooted for.
One of the best examples of a perfect ending is Michael Jordan's (at least until his second comeback). With less than 30 seconds left in NBA Finals Game 6 and trailing by one point, Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone and casually dribbled up the left side of the court. With the game clock below 10 seconds, Jordan walked his defender Bryon Russell toward the top of the key, crossed back to the left (and pushed Russell aside) then pulled up for the jumper. The ball swished through the net perfectly and "23" was immortalized: the image of Jordan elevated for the shot and Russell on the ground.
Just as there is a perfect conclusion to a career, there is a perfect conclusion to a season, too. When you've won every game so far in a season, the best way to finish is winning your last one. So ordinarily, I would be inclined to say that America is rooting for the Patriots. However, there are definitely reservations because of the camera scandal in Week 1, New England's questionable sportsmanship when dominating games and their recent dynasty that has made the Patriots rather Yankees-esque.
No matter who you're rooting for, Sunday's contest should be a great game. When these two teams met in the last week of the regular season, it took a fourth-quarter comeback for New England to remain perfect. The Giants know they can compete with the Patriots, and at this point they are playing their best football. New England is coming off Tom Brady's worst game and has the added pressure of trying to do what no team has ever done before.
In Week 17, the underdogs gave the team of destiny all it could handle. Will they be able to play spoiler to the perfect ending to a perfect season? That remains to be seen, as does the answer to which team America will root for in the game.
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