In professional sports, the margin between winning and losing is razor thin. Often, it is the team that plays to win versus not to lose, that ends up on top. And it is this characteristic that makes the Superbowl win of the New Orleans Saints so impressive.
Head Coach Sean Payton (shown here) and Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams earned my admiration and respect with the go for it attitude they showed. Payton’s on side kick call to open the 2nd half was the call of the season! And don’t give me any of that lucky bounce nonsense. Luck is the combination of preparation and opportunity arriving at the same time. I may buy into a little bit of karmic intervention as well, but it’s interesting that unprepared and/or bad teams never seem to get the breaks. Payton’s Saints practiced that onsides kick for two weeks before succeeding and Williams’ blitzing defense resulted in the winning pick six only after weeks of watching tendencies in film study. The Saints were supposed to get worn down by Colt perfection, instead they outscored Indy 31-7 in quarters 2, 3 and 4 and are partying on Bourbon Street!
On the flip side, the other Peyton is getting destroyed. What is it with people these days?!? Don’t get me wrong, I took some pleasure in watching the four time MVP, golden boy quarterback throw the interception that sealed the game for the Saints, but don’t blame it all on Manning. Peyton Manning is a GREAT quarterback, will go down as one of the best ever and every team in the NFL (except maybe New England) whether they’re led by Brees, McNabb, Romo or Rivers would trade their QB straight up for Manning. The Colts were undone by being conservative and playing not to lose. They’ll spend the offseason kicking themselves and wondering what might have been.
Play to win folks; there’s a reason they say, “to the aggressor go the spoils!”
Are you ready for some football? Hey, Monday Night Football? Okay, add in a little golf and we’ll have you covered so let’s jump right into today’s SCL’s Fresh Take.
The news out of Dallas these days is getting to be concerning and as usual, it centers around Tony Romo. Last year, after getting lathered by the Eagles in the season finale, Romo stated he would be okay if he never got to a Super Bowl. This year, after hearing he needed to get in better shape from Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett, Romo responded that the meeting never occurred and that the concern with his being in playing shape was “silly”.
The Dallas Cowboys are now Tony Romo’s team. Yes, they have been his team since he signed up as an undrafted free agent years ago, but now the crosshairs are squarely on Number 9. The report on the Terrell Owens Twitter over the weekend has made the City of Dallas atwitter over the “revelation” that it was ”the OC and Romo” that ran him out of town. This is the first season that Romo will not have Owens to throw to, and for Dallas to succeed, he and Garrett better be correct that they are better off without TO.
Stephen McGee, QB, Texas A&M–4th Round, Dallas Cowboys. McGee comes to Dallas as a raw talent but will develop quickly under Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett and with the guidance of Tony Romo and Jon Kitna. He graduated before his junior season and will earn his MBA in May. The prediction here is that McGee will make his presence known well in advance of expectations. McGee will turn out to be the best pick the Cowboys made and could be the consummate leader this team sorely needs. While Romo is jet-setting with Jessica Simpson, McGee will be in the film room.
The question in Dallas in the 80’s was who shot JR; the question for 2009, who shot TO??? While I can’t pipe in the theme music from the late, great primetime soap Dallas, the current goings on in Big D smack of that old drama… Jerry says he loves TO, Romo says he needs TO, Garrett says he wants TO and now TO’s gone. Let’s look at the cast of suspects…
