JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – This city is ablaze once again.
Until Sunday, the biggest event in Jacksonville history was The Great Fire of 1901. Now, it might well be The Great Empire of 2005.
More than a century ago, the city smoldered after a raging fire destroyed the entire downtown area. Sunday night, the city simmered as a rampaging Patriots dynasty enveloped downtown, suffocated the Philadelphia Eagles and seared its name into NFL history books.
Can we just go ahead and change the name of that big hunk of silver to the Bill Belichick Trophy?
And while we’re at it, let’s go ahead and rewrite and update world history: Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ottoman Empire (1455-1552). Belichick’s Patriots (2002-????).
At the Super Bowl halftime show, the headline act was 62-year-old Paul McCartney, who took the stage at Alltel Stadium and did a retro set including three old Beatles songs. How appropriate, considering Belichick also took the biggest stage in American sports and did a retro act, too. He has remarkably transformed himself into Vince Lombardi.
After Sunday’s 24-21 victory over the Eagles, Belichick is 10-1 in the postseason and has surpassed Lombardi for the NFL’s best career playoff winning percentage with a minimum of 10 games. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is 9-0 in the playoffs, tying Green Bay’s Bart Starr for most consecutive postseason wins with nine.
“I suspect that Coach Lombardi would have great admiration,” NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said before presenting the championship trophy to the Patriots.
Before the Super Bowl, Belichick said he doesn’t deserve to be in Lombardi’s league. He’s absolutely right. He’s not as good as Lombardi-he’s better. Lombardi dominated in an era where you could build one championship team and keep it together forever. Belichick has to build and rebuild, scheme and scam, every year to keep his dynasty alive.
In 1994, the NFL implemented a salary cap, and dynasties supposedly went the way of leather helmets and single-wings. Championships today are supposed to be built with matchsticks, taking years to construct and minutes to collapse. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the perfect example. They won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season and are 12-20 since then.
The Patriots deftly manipulate the salary cap; they finagle free agency. They now have matched the dynastic Dallas Cowboys of 1993-96 as the only franchise to win three Super Bowls in four years.
Except those Cowboys were loaded with superstars – 11 Pro Bowlers in 1993. These Patriots have only four players who were voted to the Pro Bowl team. But somehow, some way, they have managed to bottle what every team in sports crave: unselfishness and togetherness.
Linebacker Tedy Bruschi decided to stay in New England for less money, and he had a crucial fourth-quarter interception Sunday.
Corey Dillon was considered a malcontent in Cincinnati, but was acquired by New England in the offseason and has become the ultimate team player. He scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Brady, the quarterback who never has lost a playoff game, has hinted that when he renegotiates his contract, he will take less to help the Patriots stay within the confines of the salary cap.
The thing is, it doesn’t matter what team they’re playing or what style of play they’re facing, Belichick and the Patriots somehow figure out a way to attack. One week, the Patriots hold the Colts – one of the most potent offenses in NFL history – without a touchdown. The next week, they score 41 points on the Steelers, who had been the top-ranked defense.
Every game, every year, the Patriots’ team concept manages to overcome and overshadow the best players in the game. They did it to Marshall Faulk in the Super Bowl three years ago. They did it Peyton Manning in the playoffs this year. They did it to Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens on Sunday.
Even though McNabb threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns, he was sacked four times and pressured into a season-high three interceptions.
“We play Patriots ball,” said New England cornerback Asante Samuel. “All we do is win.”
A century ago, this city burned itself down.
Now, The Great Empire has burned it up.
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