SUPERBOWL 42- "THE WILL TO WIN PREVAILS OVER THE DESIRE TO DEFEAT" 
"I love the Mannings!!!!" (by the way) By now everyone knows the stats....that's not what this article is about. Its about the effects of the Will to Win over the Desire to Defeat. Looking back to the beginning of the football season, the New England Patriots flooded the headlines....not because of their 18 Wins (no we hadn't gotten there yet), but because of their coach cheating. As quickly as those headlines overflowed from the press....just as quickly did they disappear...with barely a trace. Belicheck was slapped with a fine, the Pats lost a draft pick, and had to turn over tapes, but the culprit remained in position...he remained the head coach of what would eventually become a team with a perfect season tarnished not by Spygate…no that was dusted under the rug...instead they were tarnished by something much much worse…by their failure to achieve the crown...the big win...the only win that truly matters....Ironic? I'd say so.
Belicheck finally received his punishment for his improper actions....in fact I think he got the worse punishment anyone could have asked for....He worked all season to win game after game, building on each win toward the next...believing at one point in that phenomenal season that he and his Pats were invincible. He had skirted past the cheating scandal with little pain to show for it. No one even talked about it anymore…was as if it never happened, he was home free...or at least he thought.
Then Sunday February 3, 2008...the day of reckoning....judgment day. The culmination of everything he had worked for this season...in one big day. But it was as though his playbook was stale, perhaps the months of not being able to get behind the scenes information he had always relied upon finally caught up with him..perhaps the info he had stored away on teams finally ran out, perhaps Bill Belicheck had to call plays like the rest of the coaches...with no inside info...perhaps he couldn't do the job, obviously he didn't.
Back to the point now. DESIRE TO DEFEAT. Belicheck's desire to crush and defeat fueled his fire. He is not the motivator...the positive energy coach. Instead he is quite the opposite...surrounded by an aura of negativity. Hey I don't know the guy, he could be the nicest person who walked the face of the earth, but based upon the projection he gives to the fans and others...it appears that I may be right. He seems self -righteous...as though he may be by far the best coach in the league (sure who wouldn't be if they'd gotten away with cheating for years). At any rate he strikes me as an asshole...a rule breaker...a man who considers himself above the law. Not to mention a poor example and poor sport not only for his team but for young kids aspiring to be in the NFL. In the last second, the man leaves the field…For God's sake, his team was in the Superbowl, don't act as though that alone is not quite an amazing accomplishment. However, Belicheck's actions at the end of the game undermined the entire season that his team had worked for.
Life is about winning AND losing…and true character is seen at a person's lowest moment. I believe that was one of Belicheck's lowest points . . . and his true character was seen by millions. But at that point a true winner sucks it up, holds his head high, and faces the world….oh but then again this man was not out to win…remember he was out to defeat. That's the difference here. Then his negative attitude…his poor sportsmanship overflowed to that of his two star players who stepped down from their honor of being chosen to play in the Pro Bowl. WOW… doesn't get any clearer than that. Sure, I know it hurts to lose ( I was first runner up to Miss America) that would mean I was in second place…which would mean I was in a better position that 48 other girls but at the end of the day I LOST. So I know the pain of putting my heart and soul into something and not achieving that crown. But at that point was I gonna just go back to my state of Louisiana where I still had responsibilities as Miss Louisiana and just quit because I was disappointed and upset? No. When you lose…well you lose. At that point it is time to rise to the occasion and fulfill your responsibilities…It's hard to win…lots of time, energy, commitment….but its harder to lose…
The Pats did things no other team has done in many years....but while they were making history they were disrespecting the game, running up scores needlessly, they wanted to defeat every team they played...they wanted to destroy and crush...they didn't have a WILL TO WIN..they played with the DESIRE TO DEFEAT…and the ending tells it all…Will prevails…
Turn to The Giants....
Systematically Eli started to consistently lead his team...win after win after win. The Giants were thrilled...they had this positive energy that was contagious and suddenly people who never were fans of the Giants started to rally behind them...and their WILL TO WIN was strong, sure they have great talent, but no more than the Colts, the Cowboys, the Packers, or the Pats, yet they overcame the unbelievable task of winning each game against Romo, Favre & Brady because the team was driven. They were not trying to destroy, instead of worrying about that, they focused on within. They put the focus on themselves and became the greatest team they could be without regard to anyone else. Then they took their great team and put a winning attitude on it and with positive energy they rolled through and took control as if it were second nature to them....because they had the will to win.
The prime example of that will came in the 4th quarter...where Eli would
not be denied his Superbowl ring. He came out of a "would be sack" with
extreme grace under pressure, he fired that pass off and with that pass he transferred his Will to Win to his receiver, Tyree who caught that ball like his life depended on it. THE WILL TO WIN.
The Giants wanted to WIN...not concerned with defeating the Pats...not concerned with breaking the Pats winning streak...no that was not the Giants focus....they were "willing themselves to win." And they did just that…The history books have been written….a story that none of us would have predicted…Positive v.Negative-- Good v. Bad -- Truth v. Lies---the Will to Win v. the Desire to Defeat has prevailed.
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