| Randolph Charlotin. 24th December, 2009 - 2:25 pm
 Who dares taunt the Football Gods?
Thy name is Reggie Bush.
Back in October, the New Orleans running back was asked if the Saints could go undefeated. He answered with, "Can we go undefeated? Yes. I do think we have the players, the chemistry, we have the heart and dedication, the coaching staff, we have the players."
Bush said that just six games into the season. The Saints remained perfect until Week 15 brought a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Football Gods don't like "going undefeated" talk. They punish teams for having the gall to publicly express a desire to tie the greatest team record in professional sports.
Who remembers the 1998 Denver Broncos? They deflected the undefeated question for weeks until someone said he believed his team could do it. Soon afterward in Week 15, the Broncos fall to the 8-8 New York Giants.
How about the 2005 Indianapolis Colts? Quarterback Peyton Manning and his teammates held off undefeated talk until someone cracked. Then on the fateful Week 15, San Diego came to the Colts' house and knocked Indy off of their lofty perch. The Chargers finished 9-7.
Reggie made the Football Gods angry. They have a way of dealing with overconfident players and/or teams. They started with Bush when he pulled up lame in the first half.
Bush wasn't alone as other members of the Saints stuck out their chests and confidently declared they would try to go undefeated. Nothing makes The Football Gods happier than wiping smirks off the face of the cocky.
They enjoy messing with teams at just the wrong moments. The 2007 Patriots made it through the regular season undefeated, but after a season of delivering a message by humiliating opponents following the Spygate controversy, New England fell flat on their faces in Super Bowl XLII to the Giants.
The Football Gods especially like making the loss especially poignant by making the upset to a team that really has no business winning the game. The 1990 season was building towards an epic match-up between NFC rivals the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.
It was going to be extra special because both teams were perfect through 10 games. But in Week 12, both teams went down, the Giants to Philadelphia and the Niners to the then-Los Angeles Rams. While the G-Men were knocked off by a playoff-bound Eagles team, the Rams finished 5-11.
The Football Gods have a strong sense of honor and demand respect. They frown upon predictions. Making an in-season undefeated boast is like a slap in the face to the remaining opponents. And the Football Gods make teams pay for that arrogance. Because the Colts have been through this, they will dodge the question like Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu answering post-game questions with the secret to his great-looking hair.
Since the radio interview, the Saints had a handful of close calls. They needed a huge comeback against Miami, barely held off the one-win St. Louis Rams for a five-point win, two tough wins over divisional foes, and a scare from the Washington Redskins. Winning on the edge was bound to catch up to them, and it finally did when Dallas came to town.
Some good comes from this loss. Now the pressure is off of New Orleans to win every regular season game. The Saints now will concern themselves with the playoffs, not an undefeated season.
But how seriously should we take Bush's words? He went on to talk about his future during the interview and said, "Once I do win an NFL MVP, once we do win a Super Bowl, once I am in the Pro Bowl, it's going to be that much more special because of all the criticism that I had to come through and because of the work I've put into it, it'll mean that much more to me and I'll appreciate it more."
NFL MVP? Pro Bowl? Be careful about what you say, Reggie.
The Football Gods are still listening.
Read more by Randolph Charlotin at his New England Patriots blog at . He can be reached at talktome@randolphc.com. |
