Okay, it’s not quite Joe Namath guaranteeing the New York Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. But any time an athlete on one team says they’re going to win a game, eyebrows are raised.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson is the latest to make such a bold statement, guaranteeing a win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
“Yeah, I said we’re going to win,” Burleson said. "We only have five games left and my goal is to finish 7-9. Like I’ve been saying all year, we don’t have a team on our schedule that we can’t beat.
Never mind that the players, coaches, etc. should feel that way, right? Have we ever heard someone say, “Well, we might win, but I doubt it. We stink, really.” Now that would be worth a blog post (or news article)!
But Burleson wouldn’t say that. He said so:
“I am not saying the Chicago Bears aren’t good,” Burleson said. “They are a very good football team. They can take this as bulletin board material if they want, but we play to win the game. I am not going to tell you I hope we win or that we’re going to lose in a close battle. Whoever steps onto our home field Sunday, we’re going to try and leave with a victory.”
ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert thinks Burleson isn’t naive with the media. He knows exactly what he’s saying and how it will be perceived. Well, this does make things a bit more interesting.
The Bears have beaten the Lions in their last five meetings, by the way. Maybe that makes the Lions due for a victory. But how often has it really worked out that way for Detroit’s Honolulu Blue-clad gridiron heroes?