Tears Aside, New England Moves On

From rural Tennessee, my brother called just after 10 p.m., the sadness more tangible in his voice than when he lost his first championship Little League game.

Eventually, the call broke up and I occupied myself with a pile of dirty dishes. The Patriots not only didn't win, they truly lost.

As macho as football players are, it is undeniable that there most certainly is crying in football.

As a devout New Englander, my excitement for this year's Super Bowl only grew as I recalled images of the many times we have seen Eli Manning cry, as a first round draft pick, drafted by "the wrong team", for example.

There is nothing I have enjoyed more in the past few years than the signature lip puckering of the Manning brothers as the likes of Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi rumble forward. Last night, however, Vrabel and Brushi rumbled not. Instead, Osi Umenyiora seemed to do enough sacking for the both of them. David Tyree looked utterly Moss-like. Logan Mankins, Matt Light and Nick Kaczur missed so many tackles, even Wes Welker couldn't get himself open. At first, even the men in the room could not pin the 3-and-outs on Tom Brady, until the Golden Boy seemingly went blind.

Nearly 24 hours later, the drunken tears have dried. Parties have dispersed.  Jerseys have been washed. Players have returned home, though it will be a short trip for the many headed to Hawaii next week. The front page of every newspaper, undoubtedly, has been stuffed in the trash. No one will watch Sportscenter for the next three weeks.

It may appear that New England is still crying. But, I assure you, every Dunkin' Donuts, every office water bubbler, every high school hallway is still ablaze with conversation.

This is not stereotypical Boston post-loss consolation talk, either. There is no talk of "curses". There was no Bill Buckner moment this year. Instead, Boston is glorifying the return of the Celtics and dwelling on the victories of October. The collective spirit of the area has not died.

As we speak, my mother is watching the 2007 World Series on DVD. All of Boston is pulling out their Red Sox jerseys for every player who ever stepped to the plate at Fenway. Sox tickets are already selling for thousands on eBay. After all, there are only 12 days until pitchers and catchers report.