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SPORTS Saturday 18 February 2023
Column: Take that, all you imaginary haters!

By PAUL NEWBERRY champion, moved to No. celebration, while gobbling 27 opponents, the light- delivered another quip that
AP Sports Columnist 1 in The Associated Press down a dozen hot dogs. He punching Tyson was gifted would ring down through
Forget the U.S. hockey ranking two weeks into the reminded the silly members a shot at the heavyweight the ages, “Y’all kept telling
team knocking off the season, and stayed there of the press that he hit 60 title against fearsome Trev- us how bad we were. And
mighty Soviets at the 1980 the rest of the year while homers during the regular or Berbick. The bookies we kept winning, and kept
Winter Olympics. embarrassing people.”
That shocking upset John Wooden’s UCLA
doesn’t come close to the Bruins. The coach was
Kansas City Chiefs winning known for his “Pyramid of
the Super Bowl against all Success,” which was built
imaginary odds. on traits such as loyalty,
Or the Georgia Bulldogs skill and confidence. But
somehow capturing a Wooden left out his great-
second straight national est building block: motivat-
championship that no one ing a team that was clearly
except everyone saw com- lacking in talent to win 10
ing. national titles in 12 years.
Just listen to Chiefs tight Turning Kareem Abdul-
end Travis Kelce, elegantly Jabbar and Bill Walton into
addressing the supposedly serviceable college play-
staggering mountain his ers, Wooden was able to
team climbed to claim its build a culture that “didn’t
second Super Bowl title in listen to what everybody
four years. was saying about them”
“Not one of y’all said the especially when the pessi-
Chiefs were gonna take mism reached a fever pitch
it home this year,” Kelce those two years they didn’t
barked after the Chiefs win it all.
knocked off the Eagles in -- The 1955-60 Montreal Ca-
what we can only presume nadiens. After winning their
was a Joe Namath-level fifth straight Stanley Cup
upset. “Not a single one! title, the Habs couldn’t re-
Feel that (expletive)! Feel it! sist a poke at all those who
And on top of that, the next Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates with the trophy after the NFL Super Bowl ridiculed a roster with only
57 football game, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. The Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia
time the Chiefs say some- Eagles 38-35. eight future Hall of Fam-
thing, put some respect on Associated Press ers. “Aucun de vous n’a
our name!” dit que les Canadiens al-
We’ll just conveniently ig- posting a 15-0 record. season, which was more made Berbick a massive laient le ramener à la mai-
nore that the Chiefs had “Man, y’all burned us,” than every other TEAM in favorite, while the media son cette année,” Rocket
the third-best odds of Bennett said at Georgia’s the league “The next time pointed out how flawed Richard snorted before
reaching the Super Bowl at championship celebration. you talk about the Yan- the sport of boxing was announcing his retirement.
the beginning of the sea- “Y’all kept telling us how kees, put some respect on for giving a clearly inferior “La prochaine fois que les
son. Or that they went on bad we were, and y’all our name!” Ruth barked challenger a shot at its most Canadiens diront quelque
to earn home-field advan- couldn’t understand it. And before unleashing an enor- prestigious title. In an effort chose, mettez un peu de
tage throughout the AFC we kept winning, and we mous burp. to entertain the crowd, Ber- respect sur notre nom!”
playoffs with a glittering kept embarrassing people. Red Auerbach’s Boston bick intentionally ran into Next up for Kelce: host-
14-3 record. “Screw it, we got two rings.” Celtics. This rag-tag bunch Tyson’s fists for roughly 5 1/2 ing duties on the March 4
Kelce was following the ex- In keeping with the lack-of- managed to silence the minutes, but the strategy episode of “Saturday Night
ample set by the Bulldogs, respect theme, we’d like naysayers with 11 NBA backfired when his legs Live.”
who will go down as one to remember a few other championships in 13 years. stopped working. Having We presume he’ll prep for
of the most unexpected unlikely champions who Auerbach did a masterful barely broken a sweat, Ty- the gig by looking for some-
champions in college foot- bravely overcame their job of motivating a peren- son couldn’t resist a poke one, anyone, who doubts
ball history at least in the make-believe haters. nially overmatched team at his skeptics. “Not one of he’s up to the task.
eyes of coach Kirby Smart The 1927 New York Yan- that occasionally had to y’all said I was gonna take And if he can’t find any-
and quarterback Stetson kees. After losing 44 games send out a lineup featur- home the heavyweight ti- one, he’ll just make ‘em
Bennett. during the regular season ing one or two players who tle. Not a single one!” up.q
“They didn’t listen to what (to go along with 110 victo- WEREN’T future Hall of Fam- The 1960s Green Bay Pack-
everybody said about ries) and capturing a fluky ers. The coach would de- ers. Coach Vince Lombardi ARUBA
them,” Smart said after American League title by a liver the ultimate burn after was famously misquoted as
Georgia squeaked out mere 19 games, the team every unexpected victory saying, “Winning isn’t ev- CLEAN
a 65-7 victory over TCU known as “Murderer’s Row” by firing up his underdog erything, it’s the only thing.”
last month in the national entered the World Series cigar. “Everybody doubted What he actually said was,
title game. “Everybody against the Pittsburgh Pi- us to start the year,” star “Screw it, we got two rings.”
doubted them to start the rates as huge underdogs. player Bill Russell said over Lombardi dropped that
year. And that chip on Somehow, the Yankees and over again through the gem on all the doubters af-
their shoulder was just big managed to pull off a four- 1960s, usually while being ter the Packers won the first
enough to create an edge game sweep that left ev- doused with champagne. two Super Bowls in domi-
for our team.” eryone feeling downright “That chip on our shoulder nating fashion, despite a
Bennett, too, was clearly foolish for calling the Pirates was just big enough to cre- shaky resume that includ-
peeved that no one be- a shoe-in. “No one thought ate an edge for our team.” ed only five NFL titles over a IS MORE
lieved in a team that was we could do it!” Babe Ruth Mike Tyson. After failing seven-year period. Getting DUSHI
the defending national shouted in the post-Series to knock out two of his first the last laugh, Lombardi