The Eagle has landed
Early on my flight to Phoenix, I faced the first decision of my Super Bowl trip. Watch the appropriately themed in-flight movie, The GamePlan or finish re-reading The Education of a Coach, picked up again this week for something I’m writing on Bill Belichick.
It was almost as if Belichick was beside me, eyebrows-raised, at the thought of choosing “The Rock” over him. I quickly sacked the movie (insert Drew Bledsoe joke here).
Super Bowl week, like the movie, is about everything but football. Reading the book was a good reminder that the “primacy of entertainment” (David Halberstam’s words) can be a real obstacle for both teams.
After New England’s Super Bowl win over Carolina, Belichick said that he did a “crappy job” in the game. He blamed himself for not carrying enough defensive linemen on the active roster because he should have known the the outsized pregame and halftime shows is such a huge drain for everyone involved.
The next year against Philadelphia, Belichick didn’t make the same mistake and even fed the players in the locker room just before the game for energy. I want to ask Belichick what’s on the menu this time, on the off chance he smirks and answers “Humble pie.”
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Phoenix is impressively decked out with “Who wants it more” Super Bowl decals everywhere, although I didn’t see much more than the airport and its surrounding area tonight. (Although I typically managed to get lost on the way to the Phoenix Airport Marriott.) It’s been raining hard, which hopefully won't continue for long. I’ll be back tomorrow with reports on the festivities, although there is no media availability with the teams until 5:30 on the East Coast.
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