Only two quarterbacks in the National Football League scare me when they’re behind: Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady. You can throw Aaron Rodgers in there too but unless he’s playing the Raiders, a Green Bay victory matters little to me. I hate the Patriots and I mega loathe the Steelers.
As time ticked on in the second half of Super Bowl LI, I kept waiting for that moment when the Patriots would start creeping back in it. Another score in the second half might have been enough for the Falcons but it never came. As the points started going up for NE, I felt sick with worry. I made a comment to Anthony, my long suffering Cleveland sports fan friend:
This is as bad as Game 7.
But the Cavs had won Game 7 and it was one of the most important sporting events I’ve ever watched in my lifetime. Now I looked on in horror as everything went right for Brady and the Patriots and the Falcons just continuously shot themselves in the foot.
New England won the coin toss and I knew it was the ballgame. Brady marched his team down the field effortlessly and again, Atlanta did nothing to help themselves. The pass interference call sealed it; what could have been a field goal turned into a James White game winning touchdown. The Patriots were champs again. My rage turned into reluctant admiration in about 15 minutes.
As I wound down my tweeting and came down from the excitement of the game, I realized what this is all about. Brady has won 5 Super Bowls; in my lifetime, the Raiders have won 1. Out of all my sports teams, I want that championship feeling for my NFL team. I remember the Bulls’s six titles and I remember the Red Sox’s three titles (yeah, I make no sense) but I was 1 the day the Raiders beat the Redskins for their third Super Bowl win in 1984.
I just want to feel the same way the Patriots and their fans feel right now.