Wednesday, May 2, 2012

WEEK TWENTY-TWO SUPER BOWL VS. NEW YORK GIANTS L 21 - 17


hey kids-
 
well, the patriots lost the super bowl. three months later, it still sucks to say that, but i think i’m ready to let it go.
 
i took this loss way too personally, even though i know it had nothing to do with me. after four years of un/underemployment and working my ass off to keep my head above water, watching mediocrity and momentum triumph over teamsmanship, talent, and good old fashioned hard work felt an awful lot like a statement about the way america operates. still, as bill belichick would say, it is what is it. come september, the george w. bush of football will go back to playing the same way he has since his daddy threw a fit on draft day and pulled strings for that plum job in new york, and tom brady will go back to playing like one of the best quarterbacks the game has ever seen. at least there’s that.
 
speaking of our fearless quarterback, he broke yet another record during this super bowl, throwing 16 consecutive completed passes in the third quarter. maybe that should make me feel better, but it’s cold comfort – as is knowing he looked like this while i was crying under the couch.


in i heart wes welker news, i do, in spite of a downright lackluster game and several dropped passes that are old news by now. it’s more concerning that this is the second super bowl in which the team has appeared with wes on the roster – and the second we’ve lost! still, the pats put the franchise tag on wes, so it looks like i’ll be hearting him for at least another season. i’m not feeling it so much right now, but something tells me i’ll come around. this will help.

 
i’m not sadistic enough to rewatch this game, and the box score backs up no memorable stand-out performance to claim the final totw of the season. it doesn’t seem right to award the tommy of the super bowl to its namesake by default, and i won’t. some time around march, mom bumped into another pats fan in portland and asked him if he was still heartbroken. she said he just shrugged and said, “nah. roll on, tommy!” the great thing about being a patriots fan, even with a broken heart, is knowing he will. so the final tommy of the season is awarded to tom brady – for rolling into the fifth super bowl of his career with one of the worst defenses in the nfl – and for playing with the leadership, competitiveness, and general roguish charm that defines him right down to the last second. it;s been one hell of a ride, tommy. roll on.
 

and that caps off 2011, kids. the good thing about a stupidly-late final tommy of the season is that you only have to wait four more months for your next one! that also gives you lots of time to practice your happy patriots thoughts. see ya in september – and go pats!
 
love dav