19-0?

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As a New York sports fan, I loved watching the New England Patriots lose the Super Bowl (and their bid for a perfect season) to the Giants last night. Not only for the victory itself but also because it offered cosmic repercussions — a restoration of the universe’s essential order, a victory by New York over Boston, a reminder of the way things are supposed to be.

The Patriots’ loss also represents its own brand of karmic comeuppance, a reminder not to count your 19th chicken before it’s hatched. As late as this morning, after all, a book called ‘19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England’s Unbeatable Patriots’ by the sports staff of the Boston Globe was burning up the charts at Amazon.com.

Although the book has since been yanked, the Associated Press reports that it was first offered for pre-sale as early as Jan. 29, nearly a week before the Super Bowl. The irony is that, according to a post at America Online’s Fan House, ‘The Patriots famously fired themselves up to beat the Eagles in [the 2005] Super Bowl by listening to [coach] Bill Belichick reading off the plans for the Eagles’ post-Super Bowl parade route.’

Hubris, anyone?

David L. Ulin