Add another entry to the lexicon of sports cliches. The word is "closure." Along with terms like "red zone," and "in the paint," closure is one of those terms used too often by the wannabe hip and perpetually clueless. At this year's Super Bowl, it was used to put a positive spin on Ray Lewis.

Sad thing is, the media didn't recognize real closure even though it stood right there in front of them at Podium No. 1. Trent Dilfer had just led his team to the title on the very field where his critics labeled him a flat-out bust. After six years of throwing picks, hearing boos, and racking up L's, he had become -- for lack of a better term -- "the man." But the sawed-off, self-righteous pundits were frantically searching for something else.

"Ray Lewis should've dedicated his MVP trophy to the families of the murder victims," grumbled one of my colleagues. "That way they could have closure." Closure for whom? Closure for football fans? Closure for reporters who are tired of discussing it? Sure, it would have been a nice gesture for Lewis to use his MVP moment to express sympathy for the families of Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker. But would that have stopped their grief? No.

Those of us who have seen death -- those of us who have helplessly stared into the lifeless eyes of someone we love, know that closure does not arrive via lip service. Over time, the initial searing pain may give way to a constant dull ache, but there are no neat and tidy conclusions. If that's what you're looking for, go to the movies.

Which brings us back to Dilfer. Beaming from atop the podium, the throng of media positioned symbolically beneath him, Dilfer offered his version of the C word. "Everyone has been saying how great this feels," he said. "What's better is waking up every morning and knowing life can be difficult, but if you face adversity head-on, this is what comes out the other end."

If you were looking for closure, too bad you missed it. It was at Podium No. 1.

Alan Grant, a former NFL defensive back, is a writer/reporter for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at alan.grant@espnmag.com.