First, I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS to the New York Giants on winning Superbowl XLII with a score of 17 – 14 over the New England Patriots. You played and won like champions even when no one thought you had a chance.
        For those of you who did not watch the Superbowl, the Patriots were leading the entire game until late in the 4th quarter, when the Giants made a touchdown and took the lead. With only seconds left in the game, the Giants gained possession of the football. It was obvious at that point that the Giants would win. Sure, the Giants and their fans were excited, but the game was not yet over. Well, the game was not over to all but Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots. He walked off the field, down the tunnel and into the locker room while there was still 2 seconds left on the game clock. Although there were only 2 seconds left on the clock, the game was not over. Bill Belichick did not have the courage, class, or the respect to honor the Giants and their earned victory.
        Perhaps Belichick was upset that their perfect 18 - 0 season did not end with a Superbowl title. Perhaps Belichick was embarrassed that he couldn’t lead his team to victory. Maybe, Belichick was just tired and wanted to take a nap. Whatever the case, it is clear that Belichick was rude and was a poor example of a leader when he left the game before it ended.
        To be a good winner, one also has to be a good loser. He has to be able to take whatever he dishes out. Although the Patriots had a record, undefeated season, Belichick is not a good winner. If we examine this seasons scores, we notice that Patriots won some of their games be very large margins. For example, on October 28, 2007, the Patriots beat the Washington Redskins by a score of 52-7. On November 18, 2007 the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills by a score of 56-10. We can guess that on both of these occasions, Belichick did not care about the losing teams’ feelings. He probably would have been upset if the losing coaches had walked off the field before the game ended. Belichick expected those coaches to sit through the game, even though it was apparent that they would not win. Those losses were devastating for the Redskins and the Bills, yet their coaches afforded Belichick and the Patriots the common courtesy to stay until the end of the game.
       Not only is Bill Belichick a sore loser, he is a cheater. I’m sure we all remember “Spygate”. On September 9, 2007 in a game against the New York Jets, Belichick authorized his staff to illegally videotape the Jets’ defensive signals. In layman’s terms, he cheated by spying on the opposing team. Consequently, Belichick had to personally pay a fine of $500,000.00, while the Patriots had to pay $250,000.00 and lost their first round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. At the beginning of this 2007 season, Belichick showed that he wants to win at all costs and that losing is not an option.
       Well, it seems that the joke is on Belichick as he lost while the entire world was watching. I must say that the New England Patriots players did honor the New York Giants. The Patriots defensive players returned to the field with 2 seconds remaining on the clock. In this case the Patriot players have more class than their coach. Belichick did a disservice to his team. By walking off of the field, Belichick showed his team that he only cared about their winning games and not about their sportsmanship. That is very unfortunate, for in the end, Belichick is the only loser of Superbowl XLII. Tonight, February 3, 2007, Belichick learned what most people learn in kindergarten. He learned that cheaters never win.