Scott Zolak said it best after the AFC championship: America’s worst nightmare is back.
The New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl, again. For the third straight season, fourth out of the last five and ninth overall since 2002, the world will tune in and see Tom Brady on Super Bowl Sunday when the Patriots play the Los Angeles Rams in Atlanta.
Shannon Sharpe said it best after the AFC championship: I’m sick of all this winning.
Zolak and Sharpe represent each side of the coin. There isn’t a third side. There are Patriots fans, and there is everyone else. It’s been like this for about 15 years. Ever since the scandals (i.e. Spygate, Deflategate) began emanating from Foxborough, fans, pundits, members of the media, players and coaches have not allowed a moment to pass to fan the flames and add a “but” at end of every Patriot compliment. Everything has been and will continue to be said to discredit the success: Tom Brady is great, but he deflated balls. Tom Brady is great, but Joe Montana went 4-0 in Super Bowls. Bill Belichick has a great football mind, but he can’t win without cheating.
In this age of social media, as soon as the comments are made, the videos are posted and sensitive Patriots fans come to their defense in droves. It’s obvious why: Patriots fans still haven’t gotten used to winning.
Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, the Patriots have had 17 seasons with a .500 or worse record. The team has 24 seasons of nine wins or less, including a 5-4 record during the 1982 strike-shortened season. The fans who stuck through those seasons, sitting on the cold, aluminum bleachers at Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium, take the attacks personally.
Fans should take a cue from the Patriots and ignore the noise. Take a cue from Yankee fans and point to the number of rings the team has. Trolls will be trolls. The negativity will never go away. Don’t waste time trying to change a troll’s opinion. Ignore them. Smile and walk away. Just enjoy the season. Enjoy the team. Enjoy another Super Bowl run.
What the Patriots have going is unprecedented. It will never happen again. Brady’s sacrifice of taking less money throughout his career in order for the team to stay competitive is too often overlooked. At any point he could have demanded, and rightfully so, to be the highest paid QB in the league. He has taken team-friendly deals, and the Patriots use the money elsewhere. It’s worked. Take a look at the team’s with high-priced quarterbacks. The six highest-paid signal callers all missed the playoffs.
Tom Brady is 41. Bill Belichick is 66. There is no doubt they are approaching the 18th hole. The run will end soon, and in all likelihood so too will the consistent success.
While they are still here and still successful, take advantage and enjoy the ride. Don’t give the other side of the coin the attention it thinks it deserves. The current Patriots may just be America’s worst nightmare, but they have been a dream come true for the fans.