SBXLIX - The greatest....?

I almost didn’t write this….but I do have to acknowledge, as was the case seven years ago, that we may bear witness to “greatness” in Super Bowl XLIX.  Not the greatest team of all time, as we ALMOST saw with the 18-1 Patriots, but the greatest Coach/QB tandem of all time:  IF the 3^rd time is indeed the charm for the Pats.

New England has already matched the Cowboys and Steelers for most Super Bowl appearances with eight.  But with a win Sunday, not only will Bill Belichick match Chuck Noll for most SB wins as a head coach, but Tom Brady would also match Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for most SB rings.  Many are sure to suggest that would make them the greatest coach and QB ever.

Although Noll, Bradshaw and Montana went 4-0 in the Super Bowl, I have already heard how “4-2 is better” because the Patriots went more often – thus were more consistent.  I wonder where THAT logic was when the Steelers lost SBXLV?  All I heard then was how it was a “failure” and how it proved Roethlisberger was not “elite,” especially when compared to Brady.  Further, does getting to four rings much sooner than Brady would with another win not count for anything?

Sure, even prior to this Sunday, Brady has won more Super Bowls than any other QB of his era….same for Coach Belichick compared to other coaches.  Then again, they have also LOST more Super Bowls than anyone else from their era.  And with a loss Sunday, they would drop to a pedestrian .500 in the big game.

Does that DQ them from being considered one of the greatest?  No….no more than a camera recording another team’s walkthrough or a few under-inflated footballs should DQ them.  On that note, however, the Patriots may be in a no-win situation:

If they win, all-too-many people will be quick to point out SpyGate and DeflateGate – and suggest that ALL the Patriots’ Super Bowl success be doomed to forever be affixed with an asterisk.  If they lose, that will be “proof” that they cannot win without “cheating.”

The above viewpoints are understandable, but are a bit misplaced.  No one person or team that can win multiple championships can do so relying entirely on luck, cheating, biased officiating, etc.  At some point you have to give credit where it is due – even if you don’t want to.

Speaking of “multiple championships,” the Seahawks could be on the cusp of “greatness,” the first in ten years to win back-to-back.  Winning last year put the “demons,” real or imagined, of SBXL to rest for Seattle.  Winning this time would put them in rarified air enjoyed by only a handful of franchises.

It will be interesting to see how “greatness” manifests itself this Sunday….