The Zen of Defeat

I was remarkably at peace following yesterday's Super Bowl loss by the Patriots. The team could've won - should've won, according to many - but going into the game, I didn't see a compelling reason why we had to be the winners. The Giants had just as much of a claim to the championship based on their season's performance, maybe even more than the Pats.

It's different if you steamroll the entire league like in 2007. This year, the Patriots won most of their games by close scores. Even the Washington Redskins - a team whose fans have to consciously will themselves not to throw a toaster into their own bath water on a weekly basis - gave New England some fits in the regular season. I had a sense of pride just making the big game this year. In 2007, all I felt was relief that our winning streak survived. The appeal of being an underdog (perceived or otherwise) has never been more clear to me than comparing this Super Bowl with their last.

Nearly the most incredible 4th quarter in Super Bowl history.

So I didn't require a championship like before, and because of that the game didn't hurt so much. Sure, it was disappointing, and I hate losing as much as anyone, but I could still smile at our near comeback and not feel that my team was mugged by some cruel, malicious fate.

At the end of the day (season, really), this is a team with a young defense and a lot of players making their first Super Bowl appearance. For that reason, I think the Pats are in a unique position to return to the Super Bowl soon, and I look forward to the coming season.

*exhale*