Super Bowl Wrap Up: Same Old Story
Joe Johnson
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It’s taken me a few days to digest Sunday’s Super Bowl and now that I have, I thought I’d chime in while the iron is at least sort of hot (it’s cooling, but still above room temperature). To think that just a week ago everybody was talking about whether or not the young gun, Jared Goff, could outduel the old gunslinger Tom Brady. This was supposed to be a shootout in Atlanta between two of the most prolific offenses in the league. Even those who read the 5Dimes review over at Sportsbook Review, the one site that shows what all the best online books are dealing for NFL odds and anything else under the sun, realized that 5Dimes is not only one of the premier sportsbooks in the industry but was also offering the Patriots as two-point favorites with a total in the upper 50’s.
In hindsight, it all looks so easy, particularly the total as these Super Bowl clubs combined for a paltry 16 points as the Patriots gutted their way to a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Tom Brady now has more Super Bowl rings than he has fingers on one hand and the Patriots rule once again. It’s becoming more repetitive than a wristwatch yet it is oddly fascinating how one team can reign so long. Every other franchise in the NFL has had its ups and downs over the course of these past 18 seasons yet New England keeps on plugging along, even when the naysayers this season said Brady was too old and the Patriots were too slow.
Tom Terrific had, perhaps, one of the treacliest answers when asked what he thought about those that cannot stand the New England Patriots. “What do we do about the haters? We love ‘em,” said Brady. “We love them back because we don’t hate back. We appreciate it, we love them, and we wish them the best in their life.”
Ugh! Are you kidding? He loves the haters, the doubters, the naysayers, and jealous Vikings fans like us?! It’s the worst possible response he could have given because it enrages fans from every other team that just want him to feel the hate as much as we do. There’s more than a bit of schadenfreude steeped in his saccharine response and the smug pleasure he, and the rest of Belichick’s boys, takes in our anguish is almost too much to bear. Fortunately, we as Vikings fans are not alone as every other fanbase from every other jurisdiction, but the six New England states, share in our misery.
But let’s stop agonizing over the embarrassment of riches that the Patriots have wrought over the past two decades and read a few quotes from LA Rams’ head coach Sean McVay and a few of his players after their Super Bowl loss.
“If you can’t handle getting gut-punched and responding, then this business probably isn’t for you and that’s the only way that I know how to respond as a coach.” – Sean McVay
“I wish I would have done my job better and I can promise next time if we get that opportunity I will.” – Jared Goff
“You say you’re going to play in the Super Bowl and hold the New England Patriots to 13 points, but you guys aren’t going to win — it’s like, how?” – Jared Goff
“You got a taste of it — it’s motivation if anything it’s motivation knowing that you fell short.” – Aaron Donald
There was nothing inflammatory stated by either the young coach or his two best players. It’s a good step forward for the LA Rams and if taking responsibility means anything, then these Rams may be back again very soon. Perhaps they needed to get schooled at the foot of the masters and learn from their mistakes before they succeed in bringing the Lombardi Trophy home to Los Angeles. We could very well be seeing the Rams sooner than later but hopefully, the Vikings will be the team taking them out before they reach the Super Bowl again.