"The greatest lie a fanbase tells itself is that there is always next year. It is the softest landing spot in sport, a comfort blanket after a crushing defeat. Next year, we'll be healthier. Next year, we'll fix our offensive line. Next year, we'll add that superstar receiver and retain all our guys. Next year. Dan Marino has been here. He lost a Super Bowl in his second season with the Miami Dolphins and spent the rest of his Hall of Fame career chasing a return."
"Joe Burrow was here just a few years ago, a drive away from a ring. The Bengals were confident certain, even a Super Bowl berth was the start of something, not the end. But they quickly evaporated, and Burrow has trudged through disappointing seasons ever since. Look, I told those guys. This may have been our only shot, Lions coach Dan Campbell said after his team's playoff exit last season, sounding like a man who had peeked behind the curtain."
"Only the very best teams get sequels in the NFL the likes of Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs or Tom Brady's version of the Patriots. This version of the Patriots showed on Sunday that they're good, but not special. They were beaten by the Seahawks 29-13, with the final score doing a disservice to Seattle's dominance. The Patriots didn't just come up short; they were flattened."
Fanbases often cling to the idea of "next year" as a remedy for postseason failure, imagining fixes and returns to contention. Historical examples show elite players and teams can spend careers chasing another chance after narrow defeats. Recent instances include a team that evaporated after a Super Bowl appearance and a coach admitting a playoff run may have been the only realistic shot. Only the very best teams routinely reach repeated championship opportunities. A prominent team was dominated 29-13 in a title game, with offensive struggles and a poor quarterback performance under relentless pressure, while the winning coach acknowledged the fragility of peak success.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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