In every sport, there's always an impulse to look at a given season's championship game or series and declare what the matchup or result means for the state of the league. Defense wins championships. No, high-powered offense is the key. You need a great starting rotation. A shut-down bullpen is crucial. Shoot lots of three-pointers. Try to get easy shots inside. Whoever wins becomes the blueprint for every other team chasing a championship.
"The only thing I know for sure," Cubs president Theo Epstein said in 2015, "is that whatever team wins the World Series, their particular style of play will be completely en vogue and trumpeted from the rooftops by the media all offseason—and in front offices—as the way to win."
Epstein went on to say that baseball "is too nuanced and too complicated for there to be any one way."
The same holds true for any sport. There are too many ways to be successful for any one approach to become the formula for a championship. Just look at this year's Super Bowl matchup. What stands out to you about it?
The Patriots and Seahawks are two worthy participants—tied for the best regular-season record in the NFL, with elite units on both sides of the ball. But it's also been a while since we've seen a Super Bowl matchup like this one.
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