Greg Moore  

THE MASH-UP: SPORTS AND POP CULTURE COLLIDE

‘Super’ rationalization

To be able to learn important lessons from failure is a great skill.

So it might appear I was wrong last Sunday. Not about the Super Bowl — turns out I was right about that all along.

You’re thinking: “No way. Greg, what are you talking about? You said the Patriots would blow the Giants out 42-21.”

And that’s true.

But let me explain. See, my old man has been waiting for a team to go undefeated since 1972. He’s sort of the anti-Mercury Morris. Anyway, since about 1989, I’ve been telling him there’s no way. It’ll never happen.

Every year since ’89, I’ve been right. But this New England squad was so impressive it caused me to doubt myself. So now I’m 18-1. Perfectly imperfect, just like the Patriots (and Cee-Lo Green).

And that was where I went wrong — I doubted myself. A little more self confidence and I’d have even gotten the pick right, too. And word to “Superstar” artists Lupe Fiasco and Matthew Santos, I am what I say I am. So in the future self-doubt won’t be a problem, especially when spotlights and cameras are on. So there are two morals to that story: Believe in yourself. And I’m right 95 percent of the time.

Consider the lessons learned.

Rising

•Bob Knight: TNA wrestling has offered a new job to Knight, who stepped down as Texas Tech’s coach on Monday. The wrasslin’ company on its Web site offered “its first ever head coaching job” to Knight on Wednesday. They say they have plenty of chairs to toss.

There is no way Knight — who in 42 years compiled a record 902 wins, an Olympic gold medal, three NCAA titles and the last perfect college hoops season — would take this job. After all, the General hasn’t thrown a chair in about 20 years, grabbed a player by the throat in about 10 years, or “quickly lifted” a player’s chin in a about a year … he’s mellowing.

But it’s a really creative way for TNA to grab some publicity. Even better than when the company hired “Pacman” Jones.

Slipping

•Rudy Giuliani: Baseball card maker Topps has issued a limited release card featuring Giuliani celebrating on the field with the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox. The digitally altered photo on the card is making fun of Giuliani, the former New York mayor and former presidential hopeful, for saying in October he was rooting for the Red Sox in the Series because he was an American League fan.

This is pretty funny, because with certain rivalries there is no justification for rooting for the other team. Mizzou fans might be fans of the Big 12, but they don’t root for Kansas to win the Big Dance. And vice versa. It seemed as if Giuliani was pandering for votes and being fake.

But Topps is still slipping. Back in the day, if an elementary-school classmate asked you at lunchtime how many homers Andre Dawson hit in 1987, you had better know it was 49 because you had two Dawson cards — one to study, the other to keep in a protective plastic sleeve. Buying a whole set was considered bad form, and not knowing the Beckett estimated value of your collection made you a chump.

Until Topps — and the sport of baseball, for that matter — regains that sort of traction, these publicity stunts will have to suffice.

To reach Greg Moore send e-mail to gmoore@kcstar.com