Thursday, February 7, 2008

The Patriots Get Philosophical

Well, this is one way to look at it, and they should be commended for their introspection
from The Onion "Patriots: 'Better A Diamond With A Flaw Than A Pebble Without'

PHOENIX—The self-reflective New England Patriots issued a brief but enlightening statement concerning their nearly perfect season Monday, claiming that it is better to be a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without, and that greatness is measured not in successes but in failures. "What is perfection without fault? Nothing. How can one be perfect without the knowledge and experience that comes with failure? One cannot," the statement read in part. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. So basically, we won." The Patriots added that it is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness


That last quote is one of my all time personal favorites.
And I hadn't thought about it to this second, but the Pats new philosophy reminded me of an amazing column by the even more amazing Chuck Klosterman where he explained why "losing the Super Bowl would make the Pats Immortal" which concluded with:
The Patriots are the best team. It would be a shame if they did not win.

Yet we would care so much more if they lost.

If the Patriots win, they will just become this thing that scorched the earth for five months before capturing a trophy that was never in doubt. Future historians will describe this New England team as if it were a machine. Everyone will concede the Pats' superlative greatness, but the 19 wins will be just a collection of numbers. But if they lose -- especially if they lose late -- the New England Patriots will be the most memorable collection of individuals in the history of pro football. They will prove that nothing in this world is guaranteed, that past returns do not guarantee future results, that failure is what ultimately defines us and that Gisele will probably date a bunch of other dudes in her life, because man is eternally fallible.

Losing isn't everything. It's the only thing."

Those word must give Mitt some comfort today. Well, that and his millions upon millions of dollars.

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