Pitfalls of Being a Paper Champion (aka 5 Examples of Why Not to be Too Cocky)

We’ve all seen it – sports figures and teams that thought there was no way they could lose. In the end they couldn’t come through with the title, but instead left eating humble pie. Its great to be confident and believe you will triumph – but be careful! It seems like those who believe in their own dominance sometimes lose their passion and fall to mediocrity…

1. The 2007 New England Patriots: They went 18 games without losing. A remarkable show of athleticism and teamwork, they were seemingly unstoppable. Toward the end of the season a particularly confident air surrounded them, as if the rest of the season was a mere formality. Bill Belichick was so confident about his offense that he didn’t bother to watch them in the first quarter of the Super Bowl and spent all of his time adjusting the defense. Oops! The New York Giants proved everyone wrong and won 17-14.

2. The 1996 Washington Redskins: Losing the first game of the season motivated them to win the next seven. Unfortunately, a 7-1 start does not guarantee a playoff berth! This team finished 9-7 and did not even make it to the post season - in fact they finished 3rd in their division.

3. Lindsey Jacobellis: Finally, snowboarding is a recognized Olympic sport! During the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, Lindsay was on billboards, commercials, and the favorite to bring home the gold. She had SBX won too…until she added a little too much flair on the last jump. She claims that she didn’t show off, but analysts beg to differ. Either way, she took the silver medal.

4. The 2001 New York Yankees: No one gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a chance. The Yanks had been in the last three World Series contests and it seemed like a title was theirs for the taking. Again, the games looked like they were only a formality as most analysts and fans simply assumed that they would take the title again. The D-Backs had different plans and won by one dramatic run in the 7th game.

5. 1991 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (College Basketball): This team put together an impressive 45 win streak over two seasons and went undefeated to the title game. Hubris was in the air as their dreams were crushed by the Duke Blue Devils as they lost a tight 79-77 championship game.

Alright, mediocrity is a bit harsh of a classification to put these athletes into. All very multi-talented, they serve as a warning to the rest of us…and as a reminder to never let our guards down!