In chatting with folks about the Super Bowl, it’s very interesting to see how the one loss is coloring the season for the Patriots.
Had they won, their close games down the stretch would have been an example of their greatness: they “found a way to win” when they needed to. Now that they’ve lost to the Giants, those same close games show that the “rest of the league figured them out”.
I wonder which will be known as the more spectacular collapse, this or the 2004 Yankees blowing a 3-0 lead in the ALCS.
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Joe Casabona adds this Comment:
As a Yankees fan and a Giants Fan, I have to say that I was much more excited about this win than I was disappointed about the Yankees loss.
Boston was always a serious threat against the Yankees. But the Giants- They were counted out of the playoffs in Week 3 and they went on to beat arguably the best team in football for the title of World Champs. Not because they got lucky, but because they out played them.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Brett adds this Comment:
The Patriots will be viewed as a much greater collapse I think, because of how much it took just to get to that point. Heck, you could take a 3 game lead in an LCS after having won less than 80 games in the season. The Patriots had an entire seasons worth of hype, hope, and frustration in their loss.
And don’t worry, ESPN will surely have a top X collapses list in no time, to help you decide.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Geof F. Morris adds this Comment:
The Yankees’ collapse is far worse, because it happened over multiple days and any single win could’ve stopped the bleeding.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Chris G. adds this Comment:
Even though I am a Patriots and Red Sox fan (so I have seen both sides of these memorable/awful moments), I am trying to be objective here.
I think in the great scheme of things, the Red Sox comeback over the Yankees is bigger. The reason for this is you have the 86 years between championships for the Red Sox, a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees that there was no evidence could ever be overcome (remember in game 3, the red sox where destroyed and the Sox had no idea if Curt Schilling could put weight on his ankle, nevermind pitch), and they were playing their arch rival who had an amazing history of winning. I don’t care who you spoke with, NO ONE thought the Red Sox would come back. Maybe win a game or 2, but not all 4. And then to sweep the world series against the cardinals was unthinkable to us.
The Patriots did have the perfect season on the line, but this result wasn’t completely unexpected. Many Patriots fans (including myself) knew that the Giants were quite capable of giving a good fight, given how well the played in the week 17 game. There were people picking the Giants to win this game. Yes most people thought the Pats would win (and could potentially blow out the Giants) to wrap up the perfect season, but I won’t couldn’t call this a choke.
The Giants just flat out played better. How the heck did Eli avoid that sack and how the heck did that Giants player hold onto that football?
It is a huge loss, don’t get me wrong. But the Yankees had 4 opportunities to win 1 game and couldn’t. The Patriots had 1 opportunity to win the big game and couldn’t. Big difference.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:10 am
stephen o'grady adds this Comment:
you know what my answer would be
February 5th, 2008 at 11:57 am