By Brad Locke
February 11, 2005

(AgapePress) - Some reflections on the Super Bowl…

The Big Game wasn't merely a game, of course. It was, as usual, a spectacle. At least it was for non-football fans who sat through commercials and got up during game action to refill the dip bowl. For those of us who actually appreciate football and what the New England Patriots have accomplished -- which is all the more impressive considering the pervasive parity in the NFL -- it was a fascinating climax to the season. To the real fans, the content of the game is what mattered.

But then, we are a culture starving for the meat of meaning, instead subsisting on the palate-pleasing but soul-decaying saccharine of self-indulgence. I wrote a column a while back titled "ESPN Christianity" that addressed this problem. Lots of churches put on spectacular services with bands and colorful preaching that comfort the congregants and give them their weekly dose of feeling spiritual. Never mind God's truth if it doesn't mollify the conscience.

So congrats to the Pats, and here's hoping that next year people will talk more about the main event than its overrated sideshows.

Say what you will about Terrell Owens -- I certainly have -- but he's one tough booger. Medical precedence meant nothing to him or his broken ankle. Nine catches for 122 yards -- it was an MVP-worthy performance. He proved everybody wrong. Not that I didn't think he wouldn't play, but I don't think even the most positive of us could have imagined him doing what he did.

I wrote last time about T.O.'s proclamation that he'd been "spiritually healed" by God. And kudos to him for mentioning God even in defeat. As always, though, Owens couldn't help but wrinkle some foreheads before exiting.

In the post-game interviews, Owens said of playing through the injury, "If it had been Brett Favre, they would have called him a warrior." He went on to say, "They [the Eagles] used me, and everyone calls me selfish."

Just proved everyone's point, bub. The biggest game of your career -- and of your teammates' careers -- and the first thing you can talk about is how great you were for playing through injury. I don't doubt he did it for his team, and he may have a point with the warrior comment. But his timing was lousy, and he should let someone else say it anyway.

I don't think Owens appreciates what Donovan McNabb and most of his teammates have gone through. Three straight NFC championship losses will wear on a player's psyche. The Eagles truly earned their trip to the Super Bowl. They paid their dues and then some. T.O. means a lot to Philly, but I think he insulted his teammates by not being more sensitive to their pain, which I can bet ran a lot deeper than his. McNabb nearly puked his guts out in the fourth quarter -- so say his teammates, anyway, though McNabb denies it -- so how about lauding his quarterback's toughness and resilience instead of tossing out a bunch of vindictive I-told-you-sos?

I don't like throwing verses at particular people, but Owens is certainly not the only one who could stand hearing this one. Heck, we all could.

" ... Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)

Lawyer Milloy didn't get it 18 months ago, and he doesn't get it now.

In a story by the Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle, Milloy basically called his former teammates stupid for buying into this whole team concept thing. Milloy was cut by New England prior to the 2003 season over a salary dispute and now plays for Buffalo.

"It's always been a team thing getting thrown around there, but if some of those guys would test the market, being a champion that they've been, they could really go out there and make top dollar," Milloy told the paper. "But for some reason, they want to stay. And that's good. But the other part is [making sure] your family is stable after football is all done. You can't feed your family off of Super Bowl rings."

Actually, you can, unless your pockets are sieves. I guess he's been listening to Latrell "I got a family to feed" Sprewell.

Oh, but there's more.

"Everybody is saying this is a team thing [in New England], and it's really taking away from the players and the individual accolades and all of that .... The more they focus on 'We don't have any stars' and all of that, the more you get overlooked as far as individual accolades and contracts."

So according to Milloy, an NFL championship is a means to a selfish end. Funny, I thought winning a Super Bowl was the ultimate goal, not getting a fatter contract. I thought team came first, not individual awards. Guess I'm out of touch.

Thankfully, so are the Patriots.