lessons learned

I have to begin with a disclaimer. I was glad that the Saints won the Superbowl. Now, I don't have a particular commitment to the Saints. I'm a Steelers fan through and through. And in general, I don't dislike the Colts, but this year they really got under my skin. There they were, well on the way to a perfect season and they threw it away. They saw themselves as unbeatable and weighed the risks of a key player getting hurt while chasing after a perfect season vs. winning the Superbowl. They chose to win the Superbowl... only they didn't.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I have always been a Steelers fan but I have never seen them play. Tickets are virtually impossible to get and if you can get one from a scalper, they are prohibitively expensive. I found myself imagining the die-hard Colts fan fantasizing about the perfect season, finding a scalper with a seat for sale way up in the nosebleed section for $500. She buys the ticket thinking she will see history... and the team decides not to play. The best players all sit on the bench and the game is way less exciting than the high school game she watched on Friday night. Indeed, the cynicism of the Colts' management removed any joy there might have been. Multiply that lone fan by hundreds or thousands of others and you can begin to see why I'm disgusted at the Colts. I understand the strategy... but it didn't work. You don't play it safe in football. Players get injured. It is part of the game. So, either play football or don't. Do what you can to make the game as safe as possible but either play or don't. And if you aren't going to play, don't charge the fans to watch it.

Then look at the Saints. Nobody expected them to win. Manning's offense is just too good. They went in though and let loose. They took chances - going for a touchdown from the 4 yard line and not getting it when a field goal was a given; kicking an on-side kick to begin the second half which did work. They took chances and went for it all while the Colts had characterized themselves as a team that took the safe and easy path. The Colts lost.

Growing up in the Steelers Nation, the football metaphor is as natural as breathing. This one is clear. Take the chance, go for it all, and you may just get it. The Saints did. Play it safe, allow what is in your grasp to fall away while looking to something that may not materialize, and you end up with nothing. The Colts did.

I'm not entirely sure how to apply that metaphor to my life or to my church's life, but it sure feels important to wrestle with it. I know it easily could have gone the other way and folk would be talking about foolish risks vs. sound strategy. I prefer the outcome we have.

Superbowl

I'm not a HUGE a football fan, but I grew up in Pittsburgh where football is religion so it is next to impossible to not at least be a little fan. Well... I'm more than a little fan. I'm a big fan at least of the Steelers. I began this past season that they would make it to the superbowl. Inconsistent play and an offensive line that allowed far too many sacks kept that from being anything more than a fantasy.

There is no question that the New England Patriots are a talented team. They won every game through the season. They made very few mistakes and broke lots of records. Somehow, I could not like them and every week I hoped they would lose.

Early in the season, the New England Patriots were caught cheating. They were filming the defensive play calls of an opposing team. In effect, they stole the other teams playbook. I immediately thought about what would happen if a grad student cheated on a test by stealing the questions before hand. Of course, they would be thrown out of school with no hope of being admitted into any school for a graduate program ever again. Even in High School if you're caught cheating on a test, you fail the test and perhaps the term. Well, the Patriots kept the win and were given a fine - chump change in NFL terms.

As the season went on, they ran up scores on some of the teams that they beat. Their arrogance was disgusting. When it came to the superbowl, they were picked to win by 2 touchdowns and in reality, it seemed to be a reasonable prediction. Reports came out that during the week prior to the game, their players sent invitations to players from the opposing team to come to their victory parties. They even tried to trademark "19-0."

And then the game took place and the Giants did everything right... they pressured Tom Brady, they hit the receivers, they won in the trenches on both sides of the ball and they did the one thing that no other team had been able to pull off against the Patriots, they made the big plays when they were needed. They won. And how the mighty are fallen.

I've watched every superbowl including the ones that were won by the Steelers but I don't think any win has satisfied me more than the Giants beating the Patriots.

There were a few great commercials (I really liked the e-trade commercials) and Tom Petty didn't have any wardrobe malfunctions... but best of all, the Patriots LOST!!!!!