'Curse of the Babe' Hovers Over Patriots
BY JIM ARMSTRONG,
AOL
Posted: 2008-02-03 15:32:50
Sports Commentary
The Super Bowl is almost here and, conveniently enough, I'm almost ready to give you my prediction.
Almost.
John Shearer, WireImage.com
Bewitching
Bombshells
There's an object of affection that might do more harm than good for Tom Brady -- his current love interest, Gisele Bundchen. Take a historical look at other babes connected to sports stars who suffered around the time of their relationships.
Normally, I'd be all over the Patriots. I'd be on them like stupidity on Britney Spears. I'd be ready to carve Bill Belichick’s face on the Mount Rushmore of coaches. I mean, what's there not to like about an 18-0 team that has been-there-done-that three times on Super Sunday?
Frankly, there are dozens of reasons to believe the Boys of Belichick will blow out the Giants, your basic good team pretending to be great. It's the one reason to suspect they won't that has me wondering.
The Curse of the Babe, that is.
No, not the Curse of Babe Ruth. Not the Curse of the Bambino. The Curse of the Babe doesn't have anything to do with an outfielder who, during his day, slugged more home runs and fifths of vodka than any other ballplayer on the planet.
I'm talking about the Curse of the Babe. As in babelicious. As in hotter than Alabama asphalt on the Fourth of July. As in grocery-store tabloid cover girls.
As in Gisele Bundchen, the supermodel in the Victoria's Secret undies ads, a.k.a. Tom Brady's latest love interest.
In case you haven't noticed, bad stuff tends to happen to jocks who run around with Hollywood hotties. Case in point: Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, last spotted doing the L.A. club scene with Jessica Simpson instead of getting ready for Sunday's game.
Wait, there's more, much more. Spurs point guard Tony Parker, a.k.a. Mr. Eva Longoria, went on the injured list this week with bone spurs in his heel. And Brady, whose previous rendezvous with actress Bridget Moynahan produced the latest member of the Brady Bunch, was spotted last week hobbling around New York City in a walking boot, no thanks to a sprained right ankle.
What, you think these are all coincidences? Maybe you're right. I used to think so, too, but not anymore.
Go ahead, fit me for a pin-striped straitjacket, but I wonder about this stuff. I wonder if, when I pass St. Peter's way at the Pearly Gates and ask him about all these curses in sports, he's going to say, "Of course they're real. He laughs about it all the time. You don't think He has a sense of humor? He created humor."
Forget the Giants’ pass rush or Eli Manning’s near-flawless — no interceptions in three games — performance in the playoffs. For all we know, the biggest obstacle in the Pats' path is the Curse of the Babe. It isn't just Brady and Romo and Parker. History is filled with stories of athletes tumbling off their high profiles after hooking up with women who attract packs of paparazzi.
The names Mike Tyson and Robin Givens mean anything to you? Or how about Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow? How did that match work out? Oh, and then you've got David Justice and Halle Berry. The same David Justice who has had to defend himself in recent weeks after his name was erroneously leaked as being in the Mitchell Report.
It all started, of course, with Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, a twosome that lasted about as long as the Rudy Giuliani campaign. In more recent times, you had the Matt Leinart-Paris Hilton McFling. The next thing Leinart knew, he was on injured reserve and watching his second NFL season from the sidelines.
Now comes Brady in quest of his fourth Super Bowl ring. Far as I can tell, he has three things going for him this weekend. No. 1, his name isn't Tony. Now, more than ever, is a bad time to be an athlete named Tony with a Hollywood-hottie love interest.
Second, you’ve got the experience factor. Brady has played in three Super Bowls, three more than the Other Manning Brother. And last, but not least, Brady has more talent surrounding him than at any other point in the Patriots' run of Super Bowls.
With Randy Moss and Wes Welker in his huddle, Brady put together the greatest season ever by a quarterback, throwing for a record 50 touchdowns and leading the league in completion percentage (68.9), passing yardage (4,806) and marriage proposals.
Super Bowl Rings
Through the Years
Super Bowl XLII: N.Y. Giants 17, New England 14 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Eli Manning was MVP.
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