Ames Progressive

Our collective thirst for sports history, for something remarkable that will endure for the rest of our lifetimes, began in early November following one of the most anticipated regular season football games in recent memory. The Patriots proved they could humiliate grown men hauling in seven figures a year by showing Stalinesque brutality on the field in running up the score on a weekly basis. Yet entering Week 9 the Pats were not alone in the undefeated sphere of the NFL, as last year’s champion, the Indianapolis Colts, remained unblemished despite winning in a more forgiving style.

After two Tom Brady fourth-quarter touchdowns and a quick glimpse of the Pats remaining schedule, the talk about perfection rose from a murmured afterthought to a celebratory holler following the win in Indy. History, however, needs more than a one sentence elaboration. History requires back story that creates the drama, that emboldens us with a feeling of importance because we witnessed something worth penning in the annals.

A mark of 19-0 would only build interest from future students of the league. A halfhearted inquisition could open up the retelling of what was: the victory that almost wasn’t on an unexpected Monday night in Baltimore, the bomb to Randy Moss that capped the season and handed the indomitable quarterback and the misunderstood receiver their personal records, the defensive battles in the postseason and then the exclamation achieved during the most watched sporting even of the year, proclaiming the impossible feat in an age of parity for the league.

What do we do after preserving space for history only to behold something a notch above ordinary? What if Brutus flaked and didn’t kill Caesar? What if the United States pulled out early in Vietnam? I veer from predetermined perspectives that claim history cannot be changed. We tend to harp on the past and utilize the crux of the story for entertainment rather than extracting intrinsic value. We blur the line between history and Hollywood because the idea of seeing history appears more feasible than partaking in history. So we wrote the story of the perfect Patriots season for glamour, for grandiosity, for meaning.

I fully grasp the nature of the mega-media, instant information, competitive time of the early 21st century. The headline factory delivers packaged angles for the talking heads to analyze and pass down to the viewing public. The pursuit of perfection drove the engine for months but quickly flickered into the ether as the Manning saga jumped back into the fray. The Kennedys of the football world and its marketing tentacles will own space in our houses for months. With one methodical drive highlighted by a unfathomable play, a new face emerges and sideswipes the anticipated historical figure of our time.

The drive home from my friend’s house here in the New York City area resembled a typical trek home on a Sunday night as the weekend slipped away with appreciative delight. A Super Bowl popping off chatter and a parade to drape the players with ticker tape in the coming days to mark brilliance accomplished. I have seen this before with the Rangers in ’94 and the Yankees several times a decade ago, but what is going on up in Boston? How can one possibly react when history u-turns? I know of one religious Patriots fan but I don’t dare call him until the commotion over Super Bowl XLII has died down. My friend adopted the Pats as his team despite growing up in Syracuse. I cannot imagine the mindset of a Beantown blowhard still smirking from the World Series after Bill Belichick dashed off the field like a fanatic father seeing his kid strike out to end the game in Little League.

The headlines and the fanfare leading up to the Super Bowl live forever on the Net on in our minds as you cannot unmark history. My inclination tends to believe we will not learn from this little escapade, as the media expands like an amorphous blob churning out sizzling stories on the assembly line. The definition of history seems to distort with each year because of the limitless and seemingly subjective information we consume. As the outlets multiple I tend to view history as more of a personal endeavor, especially when you live through the time. I could not share stories of the turbulent 60s and their impact on society, as I am mostly confined to books and stories from people who grew of age during that generation. As I live through the American Empire I might need some future literature to clarify the situation on all that is going on, however, for me history will be what I saw or what I experienced.

The Patriots’ misstep rips their name under the title - Super Bowl XLII Champs, yet to believe their well-publicized run failed to make history would be to deny the truth. See it through your own eyes if you wish, for the personal pursuit of truth cannot be documented on pages.