Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Super Bowl Crapup

I hate the Giants. With a passion. Living in NYC having to be pummeled with the sheer stupidity of the average Giants fan braying on the radio coupled with years of Tiki, Shockey, Strahan et al mouthing off in the press has made this team impossible to like. The same fans who, of course, about 6 weeks ago wanted Eli traded to the Argonauts for the bones of the Elephant Man and a cup of hot tea. Tuff to like. But, as much as I hate them, I do not begrudge their win. They came out and rang the Pat's' bell. They peaked at the exact perfect time of the season, while the Pats did the exact opposite. Do I think they'd win again in a five game series? No, but they don't have to so it doesn't matter. They won, so that's that.

BUT.

ENOUGH with this "greatest upset in sports history!!" nonsense. It's not even the biggest upset in Super Bowl history for fucks sake - not only were the Jets 17-point underdogs, but they LITERALLY weren't in the same league as the Colts. The NFC is a weaker conference right now, but I doubt the Pats were sipping pina coladas by the pool before the game. The Giants ARE an NFL team, which means by design they can only be so much worse than anyone else. In fact, it's pretty impossible to call a Super Bowl win an "upset" the way the league is structured.

This is not the 1980 Olympic hockey team beating the Russians. Or Milan beating Muncie Central. Or Villanova beating Georgetown. Or the 1988 Essex Trojans beating the 5th-ranked Middlesex Chargers on the gridiron. The NCAA tourney is littered with greater upsets. Baseball and the NBA don't loom as large with upsets for me - winning a whole series means you were probably evenly matched in the first place. There has to be a shocking suddenness to an upset, an oh shit we don't get a do-over tomorrow feeling. Notre Dame beating UVa in '81 is an upset, the Red Sox coming back from three down to beat the Yankees is improbable.

So enjoy the win Jints fans. You won it, you deserve it. But let's not lose perspective and claim it's on par with Bobby Fischer losing to Ray Charles. Camon.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

ahem, chaminade beating uva is an upset, notre dame beating them was a "quality win"

... yes ladies

Xmastime said...

FUCK!!! howd i forget Chaminade. fuckin hell. now THAT was an upset.

Anonymous said...

now i have to write your blog for you?

Rambler said...

I think everyone knows I bleed burgundy and gold. That said, Giants win was bigger upset than Colts-Jets. Not as important an upset, but a bigger upset. The jets were given no chance because they were in the AFL, that was it. Two blowouts by the Packers had everyone convinced that no AFL team could hold their own against an NFL team. Reality is Jets were a great team that year just like the Chiefs were better than the Vikings the next year.

Anonymous said...

i feel like youre kinda making my point here, but i mightve misread you so I will defer. Ramble on! :)

Mostly, I cant BELIEVE i missed the Chaminade game. Christ. unforgivable.