One of the big stories in the runup to The Most Important Regular Season Game In the History of the National Football League is how the New England Patriots have been handing out beatdowns like Halloween candy. Their closest game this season was a 34-17 “struggle” with the Cleveland Browns. Last week’s tuneup for the main event resulted in a 52-7 thrashing of the Washington Redskins.
These early-season college-style results have prompted some to ask, “Hey, should the Patriots be running up the score?” Some advocates of sportsmanship say, yes, there’s no need for the Patriots to have these insane margins. It’s disrespectful of your opponent, and just not the right thing to do.
I’m down with sportsmanship and all, but these are professional football players. You are getting paid to do a job, and if you’re not doing it by letting Tom Brady and friends frolic into the endzone untouched, then shut up and stop your whining.
That being said, if you can’t beat ‘em, maybe you ought to consider “sending a message”.
Now, am I advocating the deliberate injury of players? No. But maybe there might be a way for someone to make Bill Belichick think twice about leaving his starters in in the fourth quarter. That is, to make it actually risky for the Patriots not to be playing Matt Cassel. Yeah, maybe it’s a late hit here, a knockdown of Wes Welker over the middle there. You don’t have to actually hurt anybody, but just put it into the Pats’ heads that maybe, just maybe, they should not be risking their Super Bowl hopes in order to ring up insane margins of victory.
But in Roger Goodell’s NFL, do you really think one of these coaches, with their jobs constantly on the line, would actually have the stones to order a Code Red? I doubt it. There’s too much at stake in their little worlds to send a message like that. Maybe that’s a good thing.
But please, no more moaning about “running up the score”.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s get to the day in Super Bowl XLI1/2 hype:
Along with the storyline of Patriots’ beatdowns, the other thing that appears to be emerging from today’s stories regarding Super Bowl XLI1/2 is….well, this game will probably happen again this January. “We will see New England twice this season,” said Dwight Freeney in the Indianapolis Star.
What?! Are people trying to bring perspective to this game?
No, it doesn’t work that way, Dwight. Sure, they’ll meet again in the AFC Championship game, a/k/a Super Bowl XLI7/8. But where, exactly will it be played? That’s the importance of this game. The winner will effectively have a two-game edge in the race for home field throughout the AFC playoffs. Many feel that Indy probably needs this game far more than New England. I’m not sure if that’s completely true, but dammit, that’s what’s at stake.
So, away with this “perspective” crap: The championship of the National Football League is hanging in the balance at Sunday at 4:15 on CBS.
Sort of.
Check your local listings!
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