Sit Back and Enjoy It

Bob Knight once said of losing, "If rape is inevitable, why not sit back and enjoy it?" Raven probably feels like it has been fisted after Monday night. There are two ways that you can look at this.

First, you can moan about the officiating. The Patriots were the beneficiary of some favorable calls, no doubt. Ironic, seeing that New England became a power by water skiing opposing receivers. But on the other hand, the officials didn't throw that interception or fumble an interception return. So while it's fun to lay the blame on the officials, there is so much Raven could have done to win the game so they might as well blame themselves. Sorry Raven, that one is on you.

Although, we are getting dangerously close to having a player maim an official on the field. And it's hard to tell if that would be a good thing or a bad thing.

Still, this was a great game. If for nothing else, because it made me care. And to be honest, it has been hard to care about regular season NFL games in recent years. But there was hooting and screaming like it was a Super Bowl in the Cowboys vs. Packers game, and Monday's night -- mostly from impartial observers. The best thing for the NFL would be to have the Cowboys and the Patriots in the Super Bowl. (Bain had better reconsider if that happens.) And if the NFL has to fix games in favor of the Patriots, then so be it.