—
On sports’ biggest stage, Karma proved that it’s a sports fan.
With 1:14 left in Super Bowl XLII, New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning escaped the clutches of an almost certain sack, moved to his right and threw up a Hail Mary. While most relate the monicker to a last second ditch effort to heave the ball into the end zone with no time on the clock to either win the game or tie it, this one was no doubt a prayer to the heavens for a miracle.
And it was answered.
What would later be called the “Helmet Catch,” Giants Wide Receiver, David Tyree, somehow was able to pin the football against his helmet while falling to the ground with New England Patriot Safety Rodney Harrison on his back like a three year old climbing on his dad. It would lead to a game winning touchdown for the Giants and a spoiler to a perfect season for the Patriots.
Ask any New England fan, and they are liable to throw up in their mouth or sock you in the face if you utter those two words, “Helmet Catch.”
Nine years removed from one of the Giants’ most celebrated plays and New England’s most hated, “Sports Karma” payed the Patriots a visit.
Trailing 28-20 with under three minutes to play, Tom Brady dropped back to pass from the New England 36-yard line.
The Patriots had already come back from the dead down 25 points in the third quarter. A deficit never erased by Tom Brady nor in any Super Bowl played before.
Brady threw a pass up the seam intended for Edelman, but Falcons corner Robert Alford tipped the pass into the air over his own head. The ball fluttered to the turf as most in the audience both in the stadium and at home expected it to fall helplessly through the turf. Edelman, who was the intended receiver on the play, never gave up on the play, and as three Falcon defenders converged on the live ball, Edelman followed as it ricocheted from one leg to one arm and inches from the ground before he pulled it in despite the efforts of Alford and Falcons safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen bearing down from behind.
Immediately, I tweeted, “I’m not saying it’s retribution for the “Helmet Catch”…but I’m not not saying it’s not retribution for the “Helmet Catch.”
Sports fans and reason rarely go hand in hand. In the sports world, cognitive dissonance are at its truest self. The greatest athletes often have the strongest confidence in their abilities, yet you will rarely find one who is without a superstition.
The Playoff Beard, the lucky shirt, the pre-game routine.
Michael Jordan was so superstition he wore the same college basketball shorts under his uniform for every game.
When Edelman caught that pass, there were many who saw the writing on the wall, but not one of them would say it out loud.
Just as strong is the superstitious athlete, is the superstitious fan.
Us as sports fans find these truths to be self evident, We dare not speak of the no hitter during the said no hitter. When fans across the world cheer for the same team we will not congratulate each other on a win until the final whistle blows. One will not hold it against you if you choose to wear the same underwear/tshirt, hat or any item of clothing during a win streak. These are just a few of the myriad of rules that a sports fan must abide by to be included in the sacred circle of sports fandom.
Yet at the start of the second half, we witnessed Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank breaking one of those most hollowed vows.
95% of the Super Bowl viewing audience, both novice and experienced fans figured the end result was already written. Atlanta was up 21-3 at the half and looked unstoppable. They were averaging almost a first down per play and the Patriots defense had no answer for the high powered offense led by NFL MVP Matt Ryan.
But when Blank left the owners booth to start the second half and join the team on the sideline a collective gasp shook the world.
Every sports fan knew one of the main commandments of sports fandom, thou shall not celebrate before the final whistle, regardless of the score.
The reality didn’t set in right away. The Falcons tacked on another TD to start the third quarter to a commanding 28-3. Even when the Patriots did score they couldn’t even do that right with Stephen Gostkowski missing the extra point. Down 28-9 entering the fourth, spirits were still high, because deep down a sports fan knew with Blank on the sideline the Falcons could not be rewarded…so it was written.
Then Brady went to work. The 4-time Super Bowl MVP would finish with 196 yards in the fourth quarter leading to 19 unanswered fourth quarter points. Brady, completing the biggest comeback in his career and the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl broadcast cuts to Blank were left with empty stares as one could only assume he wished he had not started celebrating so soon and stayed in the box (New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was still in his).
The Patriots would receive the ball to start overtime and march down the field before James White plunged into the end zone form 2 yards out to give Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick their fifth Super Bowl victory, a record.
♦◊♦
A lot was made of the season for the Patriots. They started the year with Brady serving a four game suspension as part of a witch hunt by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that was never substantiated nor proved. Goodell avoided the Patriots all year, refusing to attend any of their home games and electing to witness Atlanta win both its divisional playoff game against Seattle, followed but its conference championship victory over Green Bay. As he took over the microphone on top of the championship podium at the culmination of the biggest comeback victory of the Super Bowl, former ally Kraft stood next to him, Belichick behind him and Brady in the crowd of revelers.
Red and blue confetti rained down from the rafters as Goodell began to speak. A rain of boos echoed through the stadium and clearly rattled the commissioner as he tried to save face in an obvious uncomfortable position for him. The boos were so loud, you could barely hear the commissioner. He hurriedly left the stage, head down, as Kraft lifted the Lombardi trophy over his head to celebrate.
Sports Karma had been served again.
—
Image Credit: (PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP)
“Sports Karma had been served again”
…and how sweet the taste.