The Sociology of Defeat: Demographics and Playoff Losses

Before venturing back into the hostile territory of prognostication, I wished to point out a final observation, not about Denver and New England's defeat at the hands of the Ravens, but how differing demographic groups view the games in retrospect.

As you know, my feeling on the matter (Rahim Moore’s catastrophic nincompoopery notwithstanding) , is that timidity was largely responsible for the Denver loss.

Yesterday, I saw the normally aggressive Bill Belicheck punt from the opponent's 34 yard line twice and neglect to go for it on 4th and 2 at Baltimore's 45.  Guess what?  They lost, and deservedly so.

However, it has been my experience that older fans, generally, seem far more forgiving of extreme offensive conservatism.  I have been admonished strongly by more seasoned football viewers that plunging feebly into stacked 8-man fronts in an attempt to run the clock, punting for an extra dozen yards of field position and/or taking the knee at the end of the 2^nd and 4^th quarters with plenty of time and multiple time outs left was not only understandable but right and proper.

No amount of logic and even recent evidence could dissuade them from this belief.  In lieu of ripping my beard out in frustration, I decided to ponder this obstinacy for a while and that is when I noticed the generation gap. 

 In my father’s time, games were won with steadfast defense and “3 yards and a cloud of dust.”   The very thought of being aggressive when not coerced into being so under the duress of panicked necessity is an abomination to these folks.

Conceding these possessions as the Patriots and Broncos did in their losses is exactly what Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Bear Bryant, and Ground Chuck (Knoll) would have done, and that, my friends, is why baby boomers and children of the late 50's/early 60's are not only comfortable with this type of outdated play calling, but why they fight so vociferously to defend it.  Aggressiveness and risk taking is is not only frowned upon on the gridiron, but to champion it is to impugn an era and lifestyle that brings comfort and happiness to the stodgy.

 Most people, when faced with change, develop a strange sickness of the soul.  Far better to look back after a loss and say, “well, I didn’t do anything that might be considered hasty” than to say “I took calculated risks that would really piss off Paul Brown and brought the fight to my foe”.  This type of CYA is poison to the very type of innovation and excitement that is needed to create a champion in the modern game.

Much like the buggy-whip, the outhouse, and the avocado-green kitchen, these outdated ideas must be tossed into the trash-heap of distant memory if we expect to be hoisting the crystal trophy any time soon here in Denver.

The right to play for the title now rests in the hands of the insufferable Brothers Harbaugh; 2 men who made balsy but unpopular/unorthodox decisions both before and during their playoff runs that have earned their teams the right to battle for the name of "Champion." 

As both an American and as a proponent of truth, justice, and honor, I am duty bound to revel in the collapse of the cheating, arrogant Patriots but am equally obligated to find the Harbaughs distasteful.  In the absense of any true rooting interest in the upcoming game, I can only say that I am pleased that cowardice and conservatism did not carry the day in the 2013 NFL playoffs.