That went just about the way I thought it would. I know the Patriots were favored to win the game, but not by much. Ask anyone with whom I would have talked to about this: I didn’t have a good feeling going in to tonight. That photo above? That was the name of the Zipcar we used to shuttle to and from my sister’s house. Not a good omen.
Okay, I never do. I have not been confident going in to any Patriots Super Bowl since Super Bowl XX against the Bears. That game was the type of psychological beat down that changes you. Forever. Seriously. I once fell off a moving car and smacked my head pretty hard against the road. (It’s a long story). You’d think something like that might stop me from future reckless action. Nope. Super Bowl XX is a constant pain in my heart. The kind you feel in Otis Reading’s song. The wound healed but the scar is nasty. Becoming a Cubs fan during my time in Chicago only hardened that scar tissue. Fortunately, there have been some substantive victories to salve the wound: Patriots, Celtics, Cubs, Red Sox.
I will say this: it was a good game. Not as good as last year’s never-to-be-repeated comeback that I’m still enjoying, but still a very good game. As long as there was time on the clock, each team believed it had a legitimate shot to win the game. And that’s what you want, I suppose.
So here’s to you, Philly. Congratulations. You’ve earned and I know you’ll enjoy it. And as the closing bit from this incredibly accurate Saturday Night Live skit asks, please don’t burn down your city.
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