By now, unless you live under a bridge, you have heard that the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Even if you do live under a bridge you probably overheard on a sports talk station from a car radio passing by that they did. Because it is all anyone is talking about. Well that's not true. Some aren't saying that. Some say that the Seahawks lost the game instead.
Of course I am referring to Pete Carroll's questionable call to pass from the one yard line instead of giving the ball to the best running back in the game - Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks opted to try to hit Ricardo Lockette with a short pass at the top of the end zone and take the lead leaving only seconds left on the clock. But the best laid plans of hawks and men didn't factor in the will of undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler. "Because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know." - Donald Rumsfeld
But here is what I find interesting. If Lockette had caught that ball for the touchdown and the defense had held New England we would be calling Pete Carroll a tactical genius. Right up there with Paul Brown himself (Hey, I'm from Cleveland.) I mean you got to admit it. NOBODY saw that pass coming. That fills probably the number one criteria for a successful trick play no? But it wasn't properly executed and left the Seahawks, well, deflated.
It doesn't seem fair to me. But sometimes the difference between right decisions and wrong ones all comes down to the consequences. I can tell a crappy joke and pepper in a couple dozen F-bombs and have them rolling in the aisles. Does that mean I had a great set? What makes a great set? Or a great anything for that matter? The integrity of it? Or the fact that it works?
Conversely isn't a wonderful performer one that thinks outside the box fail or not? Or is it only the one that can bring in 120 million at the box office opening weekend serving up the same crap as the last guy?
These are all good questions to ponder. I know Pete Carroll will be thinking about them for the rest of his life. Hey Budweiser. At least give him a Real Men of Genius commercial.
Blog Author
Michelle Tomko's comedy is a fervent blend of tomboy sensibilities courtesy of the older brothers she grew up with in the Midwest and the barrage of perimenopausal chaos the East Coast world has heaped upon her. She pulls her humor from everyday observations and classic stories of family, travel, pets, and adversity. With razor-sharp crowd work and improvisational skills to the rock-solid timing of a veteran performer, Michelle’s act is not to be missed!