EDITORIAL

Against winter’s bleak backdrop, a moment of shared jubilation

Posted 2/3/15

According to famed Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, another six weeks of winter lie ahead.

If he’s right, and if the coming weeks are to bear any resemblance to the last one, Rhode …

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EDITORIAL

Against winter’s bleak backdrop, a moment of shared jubilation

Posted

According to famed Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, another six weeks of winter lie ahead.

If he’s right, and if the coming weeks are to bear any resemblance to the last one, Rhode Islanders may want to collectively curl up on their couches and avoid the outdoors until mid-March.

What had been a relatively mild season has now seen a wave of storms drop upwards of three feet of snow on the Ocean State. Districts have canceled several days of school, businesses have closed their doors and plowing operations have been forced into overdrive. Many back roads remain difficult, if not treacherous, to travel. Mounds of snow create inconvenient and sometimes outright dangerous conditions for pedestrians and motorists.

As always, Rhode Islanders have risen to the season’s challenges. That last week’s blizzard passed without any major incidents is a testament to our readiness and resolve.

Yet, we know the daily grind of winter – trudging through slush and snow, clearing off vehicles, keeping sidewalks and walkways clear, even just staying warm – takes its toll, physically and mentally. The gloomy mood can be hard to shake when the warmth of spring seems so far away.

For many, Sunday’s Super Bowl – an instant classic that saw the New England Patriots edge the Seattle Seahawks – provided a welcome respite from the winter doldrums, at least at its conclusion. It was an emotional roller coaster of a game, bringing Patriots fans to the depths of despair moments before one of the most joyous, cathartic finishes ever seen. The media maelstrom that has surrounded the team in the last two weeks made the outcome particularly fitting.

The story is now familiar to virtually every American, let alone every New Englander or Patriots fan. Hours after the 45-7 trouncing of the Indianapolis Colts that earned the Patriots the Super Bowl berth, reports surfaced that the National Football League was investigating the possibility that game balls used by the team had been inflated at a level below what the rules require. Days later, another report indicated that 11 of the 12 balls in question had indeed been found to be underinflated, purportedly by as much as two pounds per square inch of air pressure.

To describe what followed as “frenzied” would be generous. The controversy – “Deflategate,” as it became most commonly known – became an all-consuming, multimedia phenomenon. Critics of the Patriots pounced, eager to tag the team as “cheaters” – and, in some embarrassingly extreme cases, calling for the firing of coach Bill Belichick or the disqualification of New England from the big game.

The intricate details of how NFL game balls are prepared and handled became household knowledge, where the process had before been largely unknown even to veteran players and coaches. Amateur scientists took to the airwaves and Internet, seeking to prove or disprove various explanations for the alleged deflation of the footballs. Serious scientists completed studies on the topic, often with contradictory findings.

The game itself became an afterthought, and the Patriots’ guilt – in some form – was seemingly regarded as a foregone conclusion. Even fans of the team, at one point during the situation, were at a loss to explain or excuse what appeared to have taken place.

Yet, as the days wore on, the case against the Patriots began to crumble. The team and its owner, Robert Kraft, pushed back forcefully against the allegations, putting their credibility on the line. It increasingly appeared that the NFL and many in the media had jumped the gun, misconstrued the facts and badly mishandled the entire situation. It also became clear that no finality would arrive before Feb. 1.

Like the controversy, the game’s incredible storyline is known to most. After the Patriots took an early lead, a Seattle touchdown tied the game just before halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks opened up a 10-point edge, and the Patriots appeared to be on the ropes. Then, in the final quarter, New England and quarterback Tom Brady rallied to take a 28-24 lead.

In the final minute, a miraculous fluke catch by Seahawks receiver Jermaine Kearse placed the ball near the goal line, conjuring painful memories of the infamous “helmet catch” by New York Giants receiver David Tyree in the 2008 Super Bowl and seeming to ensure the Patriots would suffer another heartbreaking title game loss. Moments later, an equally miraculous interception by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler clinched a New England win.

For the Patriots, the victory’s importance in terms of legacy and historical context cannot be understated. For Brady and Belichick, it is their fourth world championship. They are now unquestionably among – and arguably, atop – the list of all-time greats in professional football.

Professional sports are, in the end, simply entertainment. The amount of time and attention and money we collectively devote to watching adults play children’s games is certainly disproportionate. There are many, many more important matters on which to focus, especially in today’s increasingly complex world.

Yet, sports also bind us together. The experience of following and rooting for a team like the Patriots is integral to our sense of local and regional identity, to our broad conception of community.

And so, on the eve of another wintry blast, a game of football provided us a momentary escape from the elements. It gave us a chance to celebrate together and, in light of recent events, a much-needed catharsis after days of mounting glumness and frustration.

Winter may have weeks to go. For now, as we await the signs of spring, we have the joy of victory.

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  • Werebat

    Oh -- this editorial is about the Superbowl! From the title I assumed it was about Gist taking a new job in Tulsa.

    Wednesday, February 4, 2015 Report this