To each his own

I can understand some of this stuff coming from someone uninformed about the New England Patriots team. But if you win 14 consecutive games, you dominate every team you play, you're heading to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, you'd think you'd have some clue about how good this team is.

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I don't mind someone's differing opinion, that's what makes the world go 'round. When Warren Sapp was asked about his prediction for the Super Bowl on Pardon The Interruption, it's OK when he said, Carolina, for the reason "I think this defensive line of Carolina will dominate the front five of New England. I don't even think it's a fair matchup."

If you stop there, that's OK. That's fair.

But now Warren explains, "I don't see how they're getting it done because I think Russ Hochstein started for them in the AFC Championship game and I've seen Russ Hochstein block, and he couldn't block either one of you two fellas. Damien Woody was the best lineman they had, but Russ Hochstein, trust me my friend, he couldn't block either of you two."

Was that really necessary? If you watched Russ Hochstein against the Colts, the first thing you say to yourself is 'This guy didn't do a bad job.' Damien Woody's are huge shoes to fill, no doubt. Sapp is right when he says Woody is the best lineman they have, but do you have to blister Hochstein and an entire offensive line that protected Tom Brady about as well as anyone could ever have hoped not against Indy but throughout the year?

But there's more.

Asked what Sapp would do against the Patriots?

"I've already whupped up on them every time they've seen me, so I say the day they beat me is the day I retire, because I am no longer able to play this game like I should."

If my memory serves me correct, the last time Sapp saw the Patriots for real was in the 2000 season. That's pre-Super Bowl. That's Bill Belichick's first year here. The next time he saw them was pre-season, '01. The Bucs won 20-3. Again, pre-Super Bowl. That's his snapshot? That's what he's basing his comments on?

I'm going to venture a guess. If Sapp went up against the Patriots right now, Woody in or out, I get the feeling he wouldn't "whup" on them now. I have to give Jon Gruden a lot of credit for putting up with this guy.

The Carolina defense is worth praising. That defensive line dominated the Bucs in two games this season, so I'm sure Sapp has a respect for a team that he battles hard in his own division. While I think the "no respect" talk about the Patriots is silly and not very believable, this is a blatant example of no respect. It's one thing if it comes from a national media person, because quite frankly, who cares what a media person says, but when it comes from an All-Pro player, who is, by the way, one of the best, then it makes you scratch your head and sit up and wonder, "What on Earth has this guy been watching."   Continued...