It was a side of pro athletes you don't often see.  Grown men who play a game for a paycheck showing emotion after a bitter loss.

For the longest time it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to pull off the upset of the Patriots in New England in Sunday's AFC Championship game.  The Jags had a 10 point lead with less than nine minutes to play but as they always seem to do, and we've seen it so many times as Buffalo Bills fans, the Patriots figured out a way to rally and beat the Jags.

When the outcome was no longer in doubt I was struck by the tears on the Jacksonville sidelines.  How often does an NFL player get to go to the Super Bowl?  If you're a Patriot it's a pretty common thing, but for the Jaguars it was the culmination of a dream season.  And they almost made it there if not for the unbelievable comeback magic of the Patriots.

As a high school football official I see it often at the end of playoff games.  But it's refreshing to see that pro players play the game for more than just money.  It shows that they're human and actually have a pulse.  That says a lot when you compare it to a certain pro hockey team that calls Buffalo home.

But you also have to feel for the Jaguars fans who enjoyed the best season that franchise has enjoyed in years only to see their dreams end against a juggernaut.  Buffalo Bills fans know the feeling.  How many times have the Bills led the Patriots late in a game only to see an officiating call, a turnover, some unbelievable play turn the game in their favor.  We've been there.  It's after those games I show emotion and most of the time it's anger.

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