Superbowl Winners

[BMahoney]

With recent history showing how bad teams can be after playing in the superbowl, whether it be they win or lose.  And with possibly one of the biggest superbowl upsets we will ever see, I pose the question to you guys.  Does the best team in the NFL always win the superbowl?

-I personally do not believe they do, I beleive superbowl winners tend to be in the right place at the right time, much like the Giants of this year.

[Mike Bass]

They certainly earn the right to be called the best team in the NFL after winning the Superbowl

If we wanted to say that the team with the best record is the best team we should have just gave the Pat's the Lombardi trophy at the end of the regular season

The playoff games and the Superbowls are played after eliminating teams that came up short in the regular season, so the cream of the crop can play each other. If you come out on top after playing the cream, then you become the best, not by beating the Miami Dolphins, The Bills and the Jets twice on the way to a good regular season record.

When you win championship games you become the champs, bottom line and I am sure that the Pat's will be gracious enough to say that the best team won the Superbowl this season.

[ldysknzfn]

Case in point...NYG.  They were, IMO, no way the best team in the league.  They weren't shabby obviously...but no one could have predicted NY would win the SB.  They put together a run at the right time and were able to "figure" a way to beat NE, which apparently wasn't that difficult once the formula was put in place.  Take the legs out from under the beast and he will come tumbling down.  The most overused saying is so true in this sport.."ANY GIVEN SUNDAY".  And it's true.

p.s. I'm a JR member!

[BMahoney]

I feel like you look at it too black and white Mike, its not as simple you win the superbowl you are the best team.  For example; had Peyton Manning got injured last season 1st quarter against the Bears, and the Bears went on to win, would that make them the better team?  So you might say best team not barring any serious injury, but the giants have proved that wrong.
-You may say the regular season doesn't matter but here's a stat for you; the so called best team in football went 1-6 against teams with a winning record during the regular season.  You know how they got that 1 win?  Clinton Portis didn't come in goalline.
-You can say they made a good run in the playoffs but here is what I saw, an easy road to a nfl monster the Giants matched up well against.  The first game TB, who was the obvious weak link in the NFC, second game Dal, who can't play to save their own lives in dec/jan, then they have the game against Green Bay and if the third tyne wasn't a charm they never would have won.  Then they got to the superbowl played a beast in the Patriots, but likely for the Giants they matched up extremely well against the Patriots, but still they only won the game due to possibly the best or luckiest catch in the history of the NFL (taking the state into context), and an assante samules missed pick that happens 1 in a 100 times. 
-The New York Giants have earned the right to be called the Champions of the National Football League, but Champions doesn't always equate to being the best team (though it does more often than not, it is not true in EVERY case).  Probably the reason the Giants won't be #1 on anyone's power rankings, but New England probably will be #1 on everyone's, though I'm not saying power rankings are always right either, just that its highly unlikely every single one of them is wrong.

[Mike Bass]

I feel like you look at it too black and white Mike, its not as simple you win the superbowl you are the best team.  For example; had Peyton Manning got injured last season 1st quarter against the Bears, and the Bears went on to win, would that make them the better team?  So you might say best team not barring any serious injury, but the giants have proved that wrong.
-You may say the regular season doesn't matter but here's a stat for you; the so called best team in football went 1-6 against teams with a winning record during the regular season.  You know how they got that 1 win?  Clinton Portis didn't come in goalline.
-You can say they made a good run in the playoffs but here is what I saw, an easy road to a nfl monster the Giants matched up well against.  The first game TB, who was the obvious weak link in the NFC, second game Dal, who can't play to save their own lives in dec/jan, then they have the game against Green Bay and if the third tyne wasn't a charm they never would have won.  Then they got to the superbowl played a beast in the Patriots, but likely for the Giants they matched up extremely well against the Patriots, but still they only won the game due to possibly the best or luckiest catch in the history of the NFL (taking the state into context), and an assante samules missed pick that happens 1 in a 100 times. 
-The New York Giants have earned the right to be called the Champions of the National Football League, but Champions doesn't always equate to being the best team (though it does more often than not, it is not true in EVERY case).  Probably the reason the Giants won't be #1 on anyone's power rankings, but New England probably will be #1 on everyone's, though I'm not saying power rankings are always right either, just that its highly unlikely every single one of them is wrong.

Believe me B-money, I understand exactly what you are trying to say and anyone can make example after example explaining  how to take away from another team's accomplishment but any way you want to slice  it, the Giants were the '07-'08 champs, the tops, the king of the Hill, the best.

I am #1, a Redskin fan but I am also a NFL fan and I understand their process of naming the champs before the season even starts and winning the Superbowl  is what it is all about. The Pat's has no more bragging rights than the Redskins.

Do I think that the Giants will be unseated this year?...yes I do...but I will not take anything away from them until they are no longer the Champs.

[Bzapf]

You have to remember that the Giants almost beat the Pats when they had nothing to play for and NE had everything to play for. So it really wasn't a miracle. I feel if you don't consider the SB winner the best team we might as well turn the NFL into American Idol. At the end of the year we can all call in and vote for the SB champs based on past performance.

[GnarlyT]

hell no.  probably only the best team 75% of the time.

[Mike Bass]

You have to remember that the Giants almost beat the Pats when they had nothing to play for and NE had everything to play for. So it really wasn't a miracle. I feel if you don't consider the SB winner the best team we might as well turn the NFL into American Idol. At the end of the year we can all call in and vote for the SB champs based on past performance.

LOL...I  mean come on now ZAP. You are so right,what in the world is the playoffs and Superbowl even for?

The Pat's fell amongst the other losers last year when the Giants beat them in the big one. The Giants stood alone at the end of last season.

You don't have a Superbowl champ AND a virtual NFL champ.

[BMahoney]

You have to remember that the Giants almost beat the Pats when they had nothing to play for and NE had everything to play for. So it really wasn't a miracle. I feel if you don't consider the SB winner the best team we might as well turn the NFL into American Idol. At the end of the year we can all call in and vote for the SB champs based on past performance.

-Well were not talking about the last game of the season we're talking about the superbowl, and that Tyree catch and Eli scramble was a miracle lets be honest here.  No one is trying to take anything away from the Giants they the superbowl Champs, not the New England Patriots, but have you ever thought that just maybe the better team doesn't always win.  The redskins lost to the bills last season, do you think the Bills are better than the Skins.  The Giants made a good run at the right time not much more, probably why THEY WERE 1-6 AGAINST TEAMS WITH A WINNING RECORD DURING THE REGULAR SEASON, and yup that one win was against the Skins and never should have happened.

-Its simply too black and white to say the won the superbowl so they are the best, they are the superbowl champions and they hardly earned that.

[BMahoney]

You have to remember that the Giants almost beat the Pats when they had nothing to play for and NE had everything to play for. So it really wasn't a miracle. I feel if you don't consider the SB winner the best team we might as well turn the NFL into American Idol. At the end of the year we can all call in and vote for the SB champs based on past performance.

LOL...I am mean come on now ZAP. You are so right,what in the world does the playoffs and Superbowl even for?

The Pat's fell amongst the other losers last year when the Giants beat them in the big one. The Giants stood alone at the end of last season.

You don't have a Superbowl champ AND a virtual NFL champ.

-No one is saying the Patriots are the champ, the Giants are the champions and thats why you have playoffs.  To earn the right to be a champion, have the lombardi trophy, the ring so on, this doesn't mean you are necessarily the best team in football, only that you won that game. 

-Neither one of you anwsered this question for me in the last thread so I will pose the hypothetical situation for you two once again.  Right now what you two are saying is that because the Giants won the superbowl, they are the best team in football.  So in the hypothetical situation where you had to bet all your life savings on a football game with no spread, you would take the Giants over every other team in the NFL?  Because I sure would take the best team in that situation wouldn't you?  Your telling me if the Giant were going to play jax, ind, dal, you would bet all your money on G-Men?

[Mike Bass]

All we have to go on is what happened last year and the Giants turned out to be the best of the '07-'08 season. There have not been a snap in the '08-'09 season so I do not know how any team is going to fare then.

Hopefully the Redskins will be the best team after all is said and done then but who knows?

[Bzapf]

You have to remember that the Giants almost beat the Pats when they had nothing to play for and NE had everything to play for. So it really wasn't a miracle. I feel if you don't consider the SB winner the best team we might as well turn the NFL into American Idol. At the end of the year we can all call in and vote for the SB champs based on past performance.

LOL...I am mean come on now ZAP. You are so right,what in the world does the playoffs and Superbowl even for?

The Pat's fell amongst the other losers last year when the Giants beat them in the big one. The Giants stood alone at the end of last season.

You don't have a Superbowl champ AND a virtual NFL champ.

-No one is saying the Patriots are the champ, the Giants are the champions and thats why you have playoffs.  To earn the right to be a champion, have the lombardi trophy, the ring so on, this doesn't mean you are necessarily the best team in football, only that you won that game. 

-Neither one of you anwsered this question for me in the last thread so I will pose the hypothetical situation for you two once again.  Right now what you two are saying is that because the Giants won the superbowl, they are the best team in football.  So in the hypothetical situation where you had to bet all your life savings on a football game with no spread, you would take the Giants over every other team in the NFL?  Because I sure would take the best team in that situation wouldn't you?  Your telling me if the Giant were going to play jax, ind, dal, you would bet all your money on G-Men?

If it was the Regular Season no I wouldn't bet on the Giants to win every game. Still doesnt mean they aren't the best team league. Are you saying you would bet which ever team you think is the best in the league is going to go 16-0 next year?


By the way it makes me sick saying so many good things about the G-Men.

[BMahoney]

No not saying I would bet that they would go 16-0, but I know that if I was forced into a situation where I had to bet on the Patriots v any other team in the league, their was no spread, and it was my life savings on the line I would go with the Patriots.  Clearly neither of you would go for the Giants, thats why I don't understand how you can consider them the best team in the league, superbowl champions yes, not he best team in the league. 

[Mike Bass]

No not saying I would bet that they would go 16-0, but I know that if I was forced into a situation where I had to bet on the Patriots v any other team in the league, their was no spread, and it was my life savings on the line I would go with the Patriots.  Clearly neither of you would go for the Giants, thats why I don't understand how you can consider them the best team in the league, superbowl champions yes, not he best team in the league. 

The Giants went through last season against 31 other teams, they played the same amount of games, became eligible for the tournament, which  in the NFL is the playoffs, won the NFC tournament which gave them rights to play for the NFL championship, which is the Superbowl, against the AFC Champions, won the Superbowl, becoming the NFL Champs. This is what made them the best of all teams LAST season.

Every team was given the same opportunities to do what the Giants completed LAST season but none did and that is what made the Giants the best of LAST season.

DO I think that they will repeat THIS season?...NOOOO ...and I mentioned that in my poll in which you questioned my thoughts of placing the Giants amongst the  teams that finished with 11-5 records when they only finished 10-6, prompting this poll and thread.

No one said that they were going to beat everybody THIS season but they did ultimately prove themselves to be the best of '07-'08.

[BMahoney]

In a perfect world the superbowl champions would be the best team, the best applicant would get the job, and the right political candidate would be elected.  But this is not a perfect world and though the majority of the time the best team in the NFL wins the superbowl it is not true in all cases, that is most likely what occured last season.  That is why you say no yoou wouldn't put your money down for the Giants against every other team, but I would bet you would say yes for the Patriots, yet because of 1 miracle play in a game you are ready to annoint one of the worst superbowl teams to win, the best team in the NFL.  Especially considering they had to go throug the NFC playoffs not AFC, you think the G-Men would have held up agains the Chargers?  or the Jags?  Lets be realistic

**ANother Hypothetical situation**
-Would you agree that the best team in the NFL would beat the most teams if every of the 32 teams were to play one another?  Most Likely Yes, if not then what do you consider the team that would beat any other in this situation?
-What you are saying is you think the Giants would beat the majority of the teams in the NFL of any other team, though last season they exhibited a 1-6 performance against opponents with a winning record.