It’s a sad day, the day after your team loses in the playoffs and you realize with a sinking feeling in your heart that there won’t be a Superbowl ring in your immediate future. I don’t know why we get so worked up about our teams. It’s like we somehow mesh our identity with our team, and if they lose, then that somehow makes us losers. I don’t know why. Losing doesn’t make us losers. And it’s not as though it’s our career on the line. Really, the games have no real impact on our lives – it’s not going to change our bank balance, it’s not going to get us promoted or fired in our jobs, it’s not going to make us better parents, or get us into heaven. Yet we cry and scream when our team plays badly or loses, and we cheer and shout with joy when they win.
My heart breaks with sadness for my beloved Patriots. I’m sure they’re stunned as well – never having lost to the Colts in the playoffs before. And it’s as though sadness and joy must somehow always temper each other. I like the Colts, have for a long time, and especially admire Coach Dungy. But I imagine that his joy is tempered greatly. I’m sure he’s longed for a long time to take his firstborn to a Superbowl, and now he never can. I’m sure there’s a huge hole in his heart, missing something that fathers and sons do – and not just this but other things too. So doubtless his joy is tempered. But I’m glad that Coach Dungy gets to have a shot at that coveted ring. I really am. The Colts are my 2nd favorite team, I just hate it when they beat the Pats, but it must happen sometimes – that’s just life. Tom Brady has 3 rings already, and while that’s an amazing accomplishment before the age of 30, there’s the part of us Pats fans that want him to have more than any other quarterback in history. Winning the Superbowl isn’t enough – we want him to win at least 6. Are we demanding fans or what?
And I know at least one guy who’s probably sadder than any Pats player or fan today. One guy who’s kicking himself big time, wishing he’d not been so insistent about "show me the money!" For a football player, I believe the ring is more important than the money. Lots of players get paid, and paid well, but very few have a ring, and now it’s probable that Edgerin James will never have one, when he might have had he stayed with the Colts just one more season. His money can buy him lots of things, but it will never get him a Superbowl ring, one he’s earned.
So I keep telling myself it’s just a hobby, a fun thing we do, but it’s not life changing like it is for the players. It really has no impact on me at all. I’ll still watch the Superbowl in 2 weeks, I’ll still root for a team, granted – not with as much enthusiasm but I’ll still root, I’ll still have to change dirty diapers and do laundry and fix meals and all the other fun stuff that needs doing. There is always next year, hopefully. I chose my team and my team they’ll be, whether they’re in the Superbowl ever again or not.
And I can still say, Go Colts!
The "Ness" in DarcNess ;) 
What did you say?