There are many intriguing matchups in today's Super Bowl: Brady versus Wilson, Carroll versus Belichick, Sherman versus Gronkowski, obviously among them. But, as someone always interested in the psychological angles, the most interesting issue to me is the question of what will be the impact of Deflategate, which has been the biggest news story in the country for the last two weeks.
Bill Belichick has a reputation of being a superb motivator. He also has a reputation of being a cheater. Will Deflategate be an albatross around his neck and the team's neck? Or will the master motivator use it to motivate his team to play with a chip on their shoulder? Many people in America today love to portray themselves as victims, instead of taking personal responsibility for their mistakes in life. Politicians like Barack Obama are masters at convincing people they are victims, and that they must rely on him to show them the way out of their misery.
Many commentators have judged the Patriots to be guilty of purposely deflating footballs. Is that unfair? If it is true, then hiding the truth and covering their guilt may have been a huge distraction for the team, especially for the coach and quarterback. That would have the effect of getting in the way of their preparations for the Xs and Os of the game. If, on the other hand, they are innocent of wrongdoing, it may be a huge motivator for the team. Remember that old American precept: innocent until proven guilty?
Update: The answer? Motivator!
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