IN THE LARGER WORLD, despite the expectations of numerous political scientists and pundits, unipolarity still rules. America stands head and shoulders above all other nations, with no real competitor in sight, not Russia or China or Japan or Europe. In the world of professional football, by contrast, despite the expectations of numerous sports commentators and pundits, multipolarity is the order of the day.
The Rams dynasty, widely prophesied ever since their Super Bowl win after the 1999 season, has crumbled faster than the House of Habsburg. The St. Louis squad actually wound up with a losing record this year, and by the grim end the only surprise was that it won as many as seven games. No other potentate has emerged to lord it over the NFL’s peons. Instead we have seen the emergence of a vast middle class–a plethora of competitive teams clustered around the .500 mark. Parity may mean general mediocrity, as grizzled league vets grumble, but, if so, I’ve concluded that excellence is overrated.
