That's a load of nonsense IMO. There isn't a player alive that would rather get to the SB and lose than never get there at all. Getting there is an accomplishment in and of itself. Disappointment just means you care so your how can it be better to not give a damn?
If you believe in the law of averages then you had to know a dry spell of SB appearances was coming to the Dallas Cowboys after winning 3 SBs in 4 years. Just like the same can be predicted for the Pats once the Belichick/Brady connection expires. Once that connection is broken, the Pats won't see another SB for a few decades.
Note I said "to me", I never said that's the only way to look at it.
As far as there "isn't a player alive" who wouldn't take getting to the SB and lose instead of win, have you or anybody else asked every player who that happened to, like players from the Bills, Vikes, that that's how they feel? Everybody's not the same.
I'm sure most players would love to play in a SB, win or lose, but if I was a player and got there and lost, it would eat at me, at least some, for the rest of my days. I doubt Jim Kelly or Bruce Smith and
all of the other players from the Bills are just thrilled to have lost 4 SBs in a row, and just getting there is fine and dandy, and not winning one doesn't gnaw at their thoughts at least on occasion?
Who knows, but if you don't feel the way I do, that's great, but that's not how I roll. Not to say I agonize over not winning a SB since the 1995 season, but what I said was getting almost here isn't really any BETTER, not a total disappointment. It's a matter of degree...