Sunday, January 13, 2013

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

Tonight has been an epic example of the old adage "Don't count your chickens before they hatch".  For the last 6 weeks the media and press of Denver have been on a constant drumbeat of discussing how the Denver Broncos were going to the NFL Superbowl this year.  That dream ended in the bitter cold of Sports Authority Field at Mile High this evening.   All the hype and hoopla concerning how great the Broncos were and how they were a lock to beat the Baltimore Ravens meant exactly nothing.  The Ravens demonstrated on the field that they were the better team today and that the Broncos season was at an end.

Here's a link to an article written by one of Denver's top sports writers that defines the viewpoint of many in Denver going into today's playoff game.  http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_22343829/mark-kiszla-ravens-not-exactly-cloud-nine-against.  After reading this article you can see how many in this city were thinking before the game.

Back in week 14 of the regular season I sat in front of my TV on a Sunday night watching the local newscast and was astounded when the sportscaster started talking about who the Broncos would likely face in the Superbowl.  Really?? I was utterly astounded by this premature line of thought when there were some really good teams in the running for the playoffs.  Denver is a city that seems to live and die by it's football team.  Why stir up such hopes and dreams when there is no reason for it?  You need to demonstrate you can win in the post-season before you should start making such predictions. 

Not being a Broncos fan, I felt that I had somewhat of an objective viewpoint on this game going in to it.  Listening to the sportscasters and media pundits talk about Peyton Manning and the game I realized they were missing one key point - Peyton Manning for all of his star power has been a failure in the post season.  Yes - he has won one Superbowl with Indianapolis at the end of the 2006 season, but in general he has done horrible in the playoffs.  If your team's goal is to win the Superbowl, Peyton Manning is not necessarily the quarterback to accomplish that goal.  In the aftermath of today's game there are articles being written that Manning's legacy in football is not going to be that of a champion but that of a disappointment.  See the following article in Manning's home town newspaper.  http://www.nola.com/superbowl/index.ssf/2013/01/peyton_manning_column.html

The bottom line is though Peyton Manning does great in the regular season he is not a big game super star like Tom Brady, Joe Montana or even his brother Eli.  Just as an example, his brother Eli's post season record is 8 - 3 with 2 Superbowl victories.  Going into today's game, Manning's post-season record was 9 - 10 with only one Superbowl victory which is not a particularly stellar statistic for someone of his star power.

Hopefully if the Broncos do well in the regular season next year this kind of hype and over the top expectations can be avoided.  From my personal perspective I certainly will be glad if I never hear the phrase "United in Orange" again!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Thanks and peace to all! ~J.




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