Far from over
In October 2003, I truly hated the Yankees. I mean, I felt it. The Aaron Bleepin' Boone loss affected my mood for days afterward. It made me question why I devoted so many hours and so much emotion to a team that inevitably let me down. For the first time since I was 8 years old, I didn't watch the World Series . . . that is, until a Yankee defeat was imminent. Then I watched. I've been enjoying Josh Beckett's work ever since.
So in that sense, I completely get the national venom for the Patriots. I'm not surprised by all the anecdotes we're hearing about fans in bars in New York and Indianapolis and in all the other football cities the Patriots have pillaged the past seven years erupting in gleeful cheers as Tom Brady writhed on the ground Sunday.
And how predictable was it that the ESPN clowns would climb all over each other to declare the wicked witch in the gray hoodie dead? The Hoges and Schlereths can barely repress their smirks as they wait for the Patriots to get their comeuppance, as if the Super Bowl shocker wasn't enough.
They hate the Patriots, for their success, for all they've denied them. They feel it. I know where they're coming from.
But a word of warning to those who are giddily drop-kicking the Patriots while they're supposedly down: In your bloodthirsty, envious desire to see the fatal blow delivered to the wobbling dynasty, you are severely underestimating the remaining 52 men on this team right now.
Let's get this straight: I'm am not in a state of grief as I write this. I am not a basement-dwelling fanboy in denial. I am not looking for hope anywhere I can find it. I simply believe this to be true:
The Patriots, even without the best player in the NFL, are still going to be a tremendous football team this season. They may not light up the scoreboard, and they may not dominate from the first minute to the 60th, but more often than not - much more often than not - they will win.
They will win because of Randy Moss and Wes Welker. They will win because of Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, and Ty Warren. They will win because of Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel . . . Dan Koppen and Logan Mankins . . . Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris . . . Rodney Harrison and Deltha O'Neal . . . Dave Thomas and Ben Watson . . . Jerod Mayo and Tedy Bruschi . . .
They will win because of Matt Cassel. And most of all, they will win because of Bill Belichick.
I came into this season believing that Belichick and the Patriots needed to win the Super Bowl to secure their legacy, or at least the perception of their legacy. It's difficult to admit if you're a fan, but the painful truth is that SpyGate is a stain that will be removed only with a fourth championship.
Suddenly, Belichick has an unexpected way to restore his and his franchise's good name: he can succeed, and greatly exceed expectations, without his superstar quarterback. I'm convinced Belichick is already invigorated by this challenge.
The coach has seemed weird the last couple of days (well, weird-er). You thought he'd be black-cloud gloomy during his weekly appearance on the Big Show; instead, he chuckled at all the sycophants' eighth-grade level jokes. He appeared to even crack a smile while stonewalling the media during Monday's press conference confirming Brady's status.
I'm certain he knows something we don't, probably concerning his new starting quarterback. Maybe Phil Simms is right, and Belichick thinks he has something special in Cassel, who looked more than competent Sunday after an uninspiring preseason. Maybe he likes his team's chances in a league in which a team led by the likes of Tavaris Jackson is considered a Super Bowl contender. Maybe recalls 2001, and the greatest coaching job most of us have ever witnessed, and thinks he just might be capable of a sequel. Maybe he realizes the Patriots' 20-game regular-season winning streak isn't due entirely to the quarterback.
I don't mean to downplay Brady's injury, or to suggest Belichick would prefer anything but having his franchise QB for all 16 games and all the way to Tampa. Of course losing Brady is devastating. Devastating. It's terrible when any great athlete loses a season of his prime, and so much worse when it's one of Your Guys. But there's no sympathy in the NFL. There are 15 games to play, hopefully more. The schedule waits for no one.
It's funny, I've become indifferent to the Yankees now, the euphoria of 2004 and '07 rendering all of the dark history meaningless. I like it this way, just as I suppose all of the Patriot haters would prefer their enemy faded away to mediocrity and irrelevance. But they'd better be cautious. Because right now, it seems the only people giving up on the Patriots are the ones who should have learned their lesson long ago. Their reminder will arrive soon enough. That wicked witch? It ain't dead yet.
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I agree with where you are coming from that they have 52 talented guys remaining on the team, but I can't help but have some skepticism. This feels too much like 2001 when they lost a "great" (I use that loosely to describe Bledsoe) quarterback and we were left with watching an unknown. Perhaps the big difference this year is how much more talented these guys are, at least on the offensive side, than the 2001 team.
Chad,
From the basement-dwelling fan-boy in all of us, thanks. Ironic that when Brady led the team to the first (and even second) Patriots SB wins, he was regarded by the national media as performing within 'the system.' And now with a team that is phenomenally talented, the Cassel-led Pats are 'done.' It ain't over.
Chad
I am in full agreement about the Pats' season. No, we won't be discussing whether or not we will go 19-0. We WILL be discussing whether we will win the division (I vote YES), or chase a wild card berth. I have looked long and hard at this season's schedule and I see no reason to expect less than 10-6 or 11-5 with WHOMEVER is at QB. I believe that QB will be Cassell, whether or not we bring in a vet - at least until Cassell has a chance to prove himself, or not.
10-6 or 11-5 will win this division. Who else in the division will accomplish that? The only team I see having an outside shot at it is Buffalo. The Jets? Please! Yes, they will be better with Favre...TWICE as good, in fact. That makes for 8 wins.
This team will make the playoffs, possibly with a first round bye. We all know what can happen if the Pats just MAKE the playoffs.
I couldn't agree more with this assessment. The Patriots don't have to be 18-0 going into the Superbowl with a bunch of blow outs under their belt. They just need to get into the playoffs and to be well-positioned when they do so. Their "circle the wagons" mentality has served them well in the past, and no coach has ever done a better job in adapting the game plan to make effective use of the personnel he has available to him. It won't be easy, and I wouldn't bet the ranch on the Patriots winning the Superbowl this year, but I look forward to a season that is somehow special in its own right.
I find myself nodding my head. I even stiffled an "Amen Brother!". Expectations have surely been tempered, but this team should still be solid.
Re: Cassel... The kid hadn't thrown a total of 100 passes in game action over the past eight years. There has to be a good reason that he's still around. I'll trust Belichick on this one until he's proven wrong.
The only problem I have with believing the 2008 Pats could do something special, a la the 2001 Pats, is that our defense this year was worrying me well before Brady went down. Well, hell, that 2001 defense worried me too, so I suppose these boys could rise to the occasion. But I did not go into this season thinking an appearance in Tampa was a lock, let alone trophy #4.
But that's life in the NFL - we've all learned the hard way that even a team getting "Greatest Ever?" buzz can come out flat and come up short. This year's team should be able to go 10-6, or even 11-5, and make the playoffs. And as we learned in 2002 (and 2008), once you're in, anything can happen....anything.
I don't care how good the QB is. If the defense doesn't step up and the O-line doesn't block then nothing Brady would have done would matter anyway.
If the young guys on D emerge then look out come December. This team becomes very dangerous.
Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!
Just a post to you boys in New England from a long time Pats fan in NY (raised in NE): they are gloating as if they've already won the Super Bowl in that leper colony known as Jet "fans". I agree with all of your positive comments about the Pats chances. Just remember, the only thing more pathetic than Man-boy-gini is their pathetic franchise (needed to hire a Pats coach) and, most of all, their loser fans and papers, which attack the team they want to become without even a modicum of class ("Yahoo!: Brady out for Season" - sad....). Keep the faith Pats nation and crush the Jets.
I agree 100%. When I saw Brady got hurt, I was afraid but somehting inside of me said not to worry. The Pats are a special team. This could be the last year for many of the players. What better a way to go out then by winning a super bowl when the whole planet thinks your done.
Rob, I agree. I think if Merriweather, Hobbs, and Mayo have great years, plus a return to full health and productivity by Richard Seymour, we will be in darned good shape. I mean Brady was chucking 5 yard passes the whole 2001 season and our defense was pathetic. I love our chances and I like O'Donnell at mid-season if Cassel stumbles -- learned 7 years ago, In Bill I trust!
I will say it...amen, Chad.
I actually think that the Pats WILL surpass all of our expectations because they will play with an unselfishness that will harken back to the franchise's proudest moment, when Pat Summerall announced, "And now, choosing to be introduced as a team..."
Indeed, I have a hunch that this will be their finest hour.
I'll say it...."Amen Brother!"
Despite the major setback, I am still extremely optimistic about the season ahead. Imagine the look on their faces if the Patriots actually go ahead and win the Division or makes the playoffs? This IS a team consisting of 52 other men who want nothing less than to prove all the doubters wrong, and all of us in Patriots Nation are confident they'll pull it off. There has to be a reason why Cassel is still around, and hopefully we find out why over the next 5 months... Bring 'em on.
Given the depth of the team and what appears to be an easy schedule, making the playoffs is a no-brainer -- barring any further catastrophic injuries.
So, a question I asked a friend is, "If we rate all NFL QB's on a scale of 0-100, and say that Brady and Manning are 100's, what do we need Cassell to play at for the Pats to be considered an SB contender? Our conclusion is we need to be pleasantly surprised and discover that Cassell can play at a 70 level. If he can, then the Pats have to be included in the SB discussion.
At the very least, let's say we get lucky and the Pats at least make the AFC Championship. Foxboro is already a destination for free agents, but can you imagine how much more appealing the Patriots would be to a veteran who just wants to win? If Belichick can take Matt Cassell to the AFC Championship, I guarantee that would effectively extend the dynasty another couple of seasons.
Interesting assessment, however, QB is the most IMPORTANT and DIFFICULT position in team sports. Out of the entire gene pool in the U.S., not all 32 NFL teams have their "answer" at the QB position nor will they find one anytime soon.
I don't think Jacksonville's midget QB can lead them to the Superbowl, nor Houston's, nor the Vikings', Oakland (give me a break), Tennessee (their leader may be in the psych ward soon), SF (see Oakland), San Diego (his antics can be a head-scratcher), St Louis (window has closed on Bulger), Arizona (their long term guy would rather party with Paris), Washington (poor guy has had so many changes to OCs in college and pros that his brains are scrambled), Miami (Chad can't make all the throws needed on the field especially on a windy day), Kansas City (c'mon). Need I continue? Counting the QBs that are serviceable but have a history of injuries (Seattle, Philly) and there are not many. Detroit, Cincy and Cleveland have problems way beyond the QB position. Maybe I just made the case for the PATS. They'll be playing a lot of teams who have their own QB problems or other flaws. GO PATS
A view from a GIANTS FAN your sorry pats couldnt do it last season with crybaby
Brady as the QB . Now without her you can can win it all . I guess u pats lovers can only dream so i"ll give that just dream is the only thing left and ur rude awakening starts this sunday agains the JETS score JETS 14 Pats 6 by the way DO I HEAR REPEAT BIG BLUE.
Actually, in 2001 the Pats had a good defense. Seymour was a rookie but there was McGinest, Bruschi 7 years younger, Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, and a very mean dude named Bryan Cox in the middle.
And to the Giants fans, you won the game. Yeah for you. After a season of underachieving and a previous SB appearance where your team wore a dress and FMPs for Ray Lewis and company, you won on a circus catch and a holding call the refs didn't feel like making. When your QB accomplishes what Brady has then feel free to brag about Manning.
Talk about group delusion. The Pats are now just a 9-7 team if that. They have some good players left but so do many, many other teams. The Patriots aren't some miracle team, they are the sum of their parts and now they just lost their most important part. Don't be disrepectful of Brady's accomplishments and think that a team that couldn't win the superbowl last year can win it this year without the league's best QB. The Pats now are a a good team and not an exceptional team. Temper your expectations now Pats fans and hope Brady gets better for next year so that you might get some revenge then. 2008 is done for the Pats.
Cassel in the AFC Championship, @ San Diego... @ Indy... @... ? Jets? Sorry. Just don't see the Pats getting by that one. 10-6 and see ya in April. We do still have a first-round pick next year, don't we?
Great column, again, Chad. The misery over Brady's injury is just, but the collective wailing of "game (season) over" isn't just premature, it's whiny. The soft schedule and the apparent weakness of SD and Indy, along with the true brilliance of Belichick, means that we still have a shot.
As a reminder, the Pats would *never* have drafted O'Connell in the 3rd round if they hadn't seen something special. I think he's the heir apparent.
I don't care how good the QB is. If the defense doesn't step up and the O-line doesn't block then nothing Brady would have done would matter anyway.
If the young guys on D emerge then look out come December. This team becomes very dangerous.
On item 8..Posted by john bluto blutarsky :
Sir Please get your history facts correct sorry you don't know your history ..Gee this makes your theory look lame etc when posting on this site...THE GERMANS DIDN'T BOMB PEARL HARBOR in 1941 dec . 7th ...LOOK IT UP sir .. ..I'm a veteran....
the pats will be fine i feel the playbook made simple like in 2001 ..Hey if the giants can beat the pats in the super bowl THEN anything is possible for 2008..Here we go again us against the world ..circle the wagons...go pats..bill b. we trust
IN BILL WE TRUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND VEEVER SHUT THE HELL UP
Right on as usual, Chad. I particularly agree with your point about Belichick's odd behavior the past couple of days, and really it's been so weird that watching him deliver his post-game presser on Sunday I was almost convinced the injury wasn't that serious -- based solely on how frequently the coach smiled.
It's confusing because he's played the part of 'tough guy" over far more trivial matters, and I'm glad it's not only me who's been wondering if there's something we can read into this. The guess here is that he's excited for the challenge -- and, in a way, excited for the opportunity to be the perceived underdog again.
Let's hope you're right Chad. Or New Englanders will soon learn why Randy Moss is known as the biggest fair-weather player in the history of the NFL.
Thanks for cheering me up for the first time since Sunday. Being German and only in love with the pats for about a year doesn’t make things easier. In fact, they did nothing but make me cry so far … Won’t give up on Bill and the pretty boys anyway!
Cheers from Frankfurt/Germany
@ Bluto (#8)
I am with you, let’s go!!! Even if it wasn’t the Germans bombing Pearl Harbour :)
jovan & Birgit.....
Y'all must be youngsters - lol.
Bluto is a character from the movie ANIMAL HOUSE. It's a joke...it's a line in the movie.
Finally a mainly positive view on the Pats season. I think initially most Pats fans thought "there goes the season." But after you accept that Brady is gone, the season has to be played, this is still a really good team. Capers will help the defense get stronger, Cassel's will "manage" the games, Belichek is good for turning a couple of losses into wins and our field goal kicker is going to have a busy year. I think a lot of games are going to be nailbiters and lower scoring, but the Pats will be fine. Just win the division and take it from there. The Jets and Bills are improved and I think that if the Pats perform well this weekend and have the Fins the following week, things may be fine.
Jovan and the German Dude,
You may want to rent "Animal House", it's a movie in which a character called John "Bluto" Blutarsky says the line, "was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" It's really a funny movie where Bluto plays a not so smart college guy in the Delta Fraternity. After all he has a "0.0 GPA" Ack Ack.
I don't think it was a slight to the veterans Sir.
Now as for the Pats. Of course they will be a winning team by seasons end. It will be an interesting season to say the least.
To the Veteran and dude from Germany. Rent a movie called "Animal House" Bluto is a character that isn't so smart. After all he has a Zero point Zero Grade Point Average. ACK ACK!! I think everyone is aware that the Germans didn't bomb Pearl Harbor. But I am sure some 9/11 conspiracy idiot will be investigating.
Now on to the real $tuff.
The Pats will be a force in the AFC East and the NFL in general. They may start slow, but like many others on here, I like their chances.
A positive outlook from a true fan and that is what it is all about. Rallying around Matt Cassell and showing respect for the TEAM is what makes a true fan. Looking forward to 2008 season with nailbiters included, but it is what makes the adrenaline flow, which is why I love the game. GO PATS!
A positive outlook from a true fan and that is what it is all about. Rallying around Matt Cassell and showing respect for the TEAM is what makes a true fan. Looking forward to 2008 season with nailbiters included, but it is what makes the adrenaline flow, which is why I love the game. GO PATS!
HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH Finally someone who gets it
I feel the same seeing the way Matt stepped up in a pinch its real not pre so I think that had a lot to do with it and the team wont let Tom down they know he wants them to play just as hard for Matt as they did for him and we will show the rest of the NFL Losers that we are the big boys they need to play against. to all the other teams in the NFL Don't feel sorry for us we are going to kick some NFL butt not a perfect season but we will survive and stand PROUD & STRONG!
On Item 23 -- It's a quote from Animal house -- relax junior...
what is a river and a state?
DENIAL.
oh, and poster #23...go rent "animal house" and get 'em to throw in a sense of humor while you're there!
Um...Bridget? "Pretty boys" is not exactly a compliment over here. But hell, we'll take it; we're not worried about our masculinity.
Patriot Nation welcomes our overseas members at a time when the faint of heart are leaping off the bandwagon. Lace 'em up on Sunday and let's frickkin' GO!
Makes me think of a favorite quote of mine...
"Never forget that when they all love you there is something awry. Every scapegoat was once a star, and every star will soon fall. Let us never forget, again, that we all love to celebrate the failure of our heroes. We live in a world of scapegoats because we all want the same things in our evil, evil hearts. Let us never forget that the same crowd that cheers at your triumphant entry will be the ones to crucify you in the end. And in the search for a moral, consider: The very thing that is worth dying for is the very thing they will hate you for."
- A.Schwab
Is it just me or is it depressing that people didn't pick up on the Animal House reference instantly?
The "German" reference was to a movie, you may have heard of it, "Aniaml House."
Jeez, Chad, you must have scraped the bottom for todays commenters.
I do believe it will be better than expected this year. You should have had to listen th Chiefs fans this week, "you guys aren't that good", "we kept it close", etc. I believe there will be many close games this year and people in a lot of NFL cities will be saying the same things. I also believe there is no way the Jets beat us on Sunday. Bill is at his best in these circumstances, poor us, no one believes in the rest of you, etc.
Prediction PATS 21 JETS 10
Keep up the great work Chad.
Ugh. At least Brady's injury will heal.
No surgery will ever help those who didn't get "Senator Blutarsky's" comment.
Doh.....yes, it's depressing...it means we are OLD - lol!!!
The fun part about this (no slight to Tom-the greatest QB ever) would be if they pulled it off...... How sweet a victory for the team and its fans if they go ahead and win the SB anyways. A few things to note, the schedule will allow some "easier" wins. The young players (see Mayo, Crable, Merriweather, Wheatley, etc) will get better as the season moves along. These young players also allow for the veterans to take more plays off, thus keeping them fresh for the stretch run. Cassel can only get better as the season moves along, if not, the rookie QB will have had time learning the system. I am not saying they are favorites, far from it. But think about how they played when the WEREN'T favorites? How big is that chip on the shoulders of guys like Harrison, Seymour, Warren, Wilfork, Thomas and Vrabel. Would you want those guys pissed about the media and talk from other teams?
"The quarterback always gets to much credit when a team wins and to much blame when a team loses."
Time for Casel to start getting to much credit.
Spygate is only a stain to those who don't really understand football...sorry.
Google and then read the "Scouts, Inc." article about it after they reviewed the Matt Walsh tapes back in May. Those guys are actual football scouts and they completely dismissed the tapes as having any impact on the outcome of games.
It always was and always will be a non-story---unless you work for ESPN, come from Pittsburgh, New York, St. Louis, Philly or Indy, and/or simply hate the Patriots.
I guess now we'll see which are the "pink hat" Pats fans.... they'll be the ones not bothering to tune in now that boy wonder Brady is gone. Personally, I think the Pats are more than just one player.
Chad, you are right on, as usual. I can't wait to see what this Pats coach, his staff, and his team are going to show us this season. I expect grace under pressure and more than a few surprises. I got a little bored last season (and then wished for boredom after the Super Bowl). There will be nothing boring about this season.
The smirk that Belichick has on his face "because he knows something we dont" is KEVIN O'CONNELL! He is going to save the season! You heard it here first! BB will unleash him at the perfect time - the playoff push!
Chad,
An avid reader and this might your best article yet! Keep up the great work and GO PATS!!
Chad,
An avid reader and this might your best article yet! Keep up the great work and GO PATS!!
I don't care how good the QB is. If the defense doesn't step up and the O-line doesn't block then nothing Brady would have done would matter anyway.
If the young guys on D emerge then look out come December. This team becomes very dangerous.
Posted by rob September 9, 08 07:31 PM
---------------------------------------------------
I don't care how good the QB is. If the defense doesn't step up and the O-line doesn't block then nothing Brady would have done would matter anyway.
If the young guys on D emerge then look out come December. This team becomes very dangerous.
Posted by rob September 10, 08 12:06 AM
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ah gotta love drunken posters!!
another very good resd chad.
Just wanted to thank all the posters who recognized the reference to Animal House. I have always thought that movie and that quote too, was very funny, and I was actually trying to bring some levity to a subject (Brady's loss) which has me pretty upset.
I didn't think there was anyone who wouldn't have understood the quote/reference. Heck, if "Bluto" didn't give it away, I thought "retired Sen." would've-I assumed that "Senator Blutarsky" would've retired by now!
I guess I better not make any Pulp Fiction or Godfather movie references in subsequent posts, or I'll really cause a stir. Thanks again fellow comedy fans.
Chad, you hit the nail on the head. This is when Belichick shuts up all of his enemies and doubters, from the toadies at ESPN who get all dewey-eyed every time Tony Dungy adjusts his headphones to the suck-ups who actually think that guys like Coughlin and Parcells have another trick up their sleeve. There are a lot of jerk-offs in NYC who will regret their sick cheering when Brady went down; these are the same clowns who believe that 9/11 was a personal attack on New York and not an attack on the USA as a whole. Screw them; they can't see past their noses. Favre will go down in a heap while the Jets spend another year looking up.
This is the year that Belichick shows up his doubters. The Pats won't be 14-2 without Brady this year; nobody can sustain that kind of loss. But they are very capable of going 10-6 at the very least. If 3 Super Bowl rings in 4 years didn't prove it, then this year will show why BB has been underrated as a coach. I'll go so far as this: the Pats will win as many games as the Giants will this year. And when Brady is back next year, we'll see them return to the Super Bowl while the Giants will be lucky to see it again in 5 years. But of course the national sports media just loves to suck up to anything with "NY' on its helmet so don't expect them to sing BB's praises....yet.
Yes, there is a silver lining (however slight) to all this. This season is not lost, so lets hope for a full and speedy recovery for Brady and remember what life was like around here prior to 2001. Belichick is going to have a lot of people in the NFL.....and Arlen Specter....eating crow.
Chad, you hit the nail on the head. This is when Belichick shuts up all of his enemies and doubters, from the toadies at ESPN who get all dewey-eyed every time Tony Dungy adjusts his headphones to the suck-ups who actually think that guys like Coughlin and Parcells have another trick up their sleeve. There are a lot of jerk-offs in NYC who will regret their sick cheering when Brady went down; these are the same clowns who believe that 9/11 was a personal attack on New York and not an attack on the USA as a whole. Screw them; they can't see past their noses. Favre will go down in a heap while the Jets spend another year looking up.
This is the year that Belichick shows up his doubters. The Pats won't be 14-2 without Brady this year; nobody can sustain that kind of loss. But they are very capable of going 10-6 at the very least. If 3 Super Bowl rings in 4 years didn't prove it, then this year will show why BB has been underrated as a coach. I'll go so far as this: the Pats will win as many games as the Giants will this year. And when Brady is back next year, we'll see them return to the Super Bowl while the Giants will be lucky to see it again in 5 years. But of course the national sports media just loves to suck up to anything with "NY' on its helmet so don't expect them to sing BB's praises....yet.
Yes, there is a silver lining (however slight) to all this. This season is not lost, so lets hope for a full and speedy recovery for Brady and remember what life was like around here prior to 2001. Belichick is going to have a lot of people in the NFL.....and Arlen Specter....eating crow.
I'm almost more excited to watch this year because for the first time in a long time WE'RE THE UNDERDOGS AGAIN!!!! No coach in the NFL is better than my boy Bill at firing up his team and making them feel like everyone else is disrespecting them and they have something to prove. Now the other 52 guys on that team actually DO have something to prove!! I'm still confident that Bill will get them ready for every team that they face in this year's "easy" schedule...
Prediction: Pats 24 vs. Eagles 21 in the Super Bowl this January! :)
I'm almost more excited to watch this year because for the first time in a long time WE'RE THE UNDERDOGS AGAIN!!!! No coach in the NFL is better than my boy Bill at firing up his team and making them feel like everyone else is disrespecting them and they have something to prove. Now the other 52 guys on that team actually DO have something to prove!! I'm still confident that Bill will get them ready for every team that they face in this year's "easy" schedule...
Prediction: Pats 24 vs. Eagles 21 in the Super Bowl this January! :)
Do non-pats fans not get this? You think we were arrogant before? Taking Brady away just gave us reason to play the no one respected us card, which we used for about 2 seasons too long. Now it ACTUALLY applies! This team will very quietly make the playoffs. Then anything can...and usually does happen.
if all you non-pats fans out there think we are delusional, well maybe you are correct. However, if you think we are gonna mope around all year with a "woe is me, our season is done" attitude, well I'm sorry but you have us confused with Dolphins and Lions fans.
We will continue to root and support or team, even when they maybe bad or mediocre. Because we are fans! Not bandwagon jumpers, I still remember the getting my heart broken by the 86 pats. It only made the past few years more sweet. I'll continue to proudly wear my Pats colors, even though I now live in a place where that might cause me to get my a$$ kicked...Deep in the heart of Texas. Yes, I'll be wearing my Bruschi jersey in the streets of Dallas all season long. GO PATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh great swammy! You were right-on!
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Irreverence and insight from Chad Finn, a Globe/Boston.com sports writer and lifelong and incurable sports nut. Yes, he realizes how lucky he is. You can e-mail him at chadfinn4@yahoo.com.
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