Post by mylungswereaching on Feb 2, 2015 12:41:48 GMT -5
I watched the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks to win their fourth Superbowl title in eight tries with my son. He and I have very different memories of the Patriots. His Patriots are always one of the best team in football with one of the best if not the best quarterbacks that ever lived. My memories of the Patsies are much more mixed.
My experience of the Patriots for many years was a team that cycled from good to bad. They were very good once in a while but something strange always came up to destroy their chances of winning it all.
In the mid 1970's, the Patriots, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts were fighting for the division title. The Patriots played the Dolphins and then the Colts the last week of the season so I thought that the patriots had their fate in their own hands. The next to the last week of the season, the Patriots played the Dolphins in Foxborough in the early game and the Colts played a weak NFC team in the late game. The Patriots won an exciting game over the dolphins which they almost never did in those years. Then the Colts lost. I thought that the Patriots had a chance at the playoffs. But I was wrong. Under the rules at that time, the Colts losing eliminated the Patriots. If they had won they would have eliminated the Dolphins. Win or lose, the game had no impact on the Colts chance at making the playoffs. If they won next week they were in and if they lost they were out. So, you're the Colts and you've found out the Patriots won. If you win today, you play next week in a winner take all game. If you lose this week, you eliminate the team you play next week and a win will still put you in the playoffs. By the NFL rules at the time, the Colts best chance to make the playoff was losing. It felt like a giant conspiracy against the Pats.
A few years later the Patriots made the playoffs and they were playing the Oakland Raiders. They were very good that year. They had the most rushing yards as a team in NFL history that year even thought they didn't have a 1000 yard rusher. Mike Haynes was the best defensive back the Patriots ever had at that time. He slipped on a play and was badly burned by the guy he was covering. There was a 3 or 4 foot and growing gap between them. The quarterback threw a perfect long ball to him and by a miracle the player dropped it. Then the yellow flag came out. Pass interference. A 40 or 50 yard penalty. But when they showed the replay, there was a clear four foot gap between them. Mike Haynes couldn't have interfered with him. He wasn't close enough to touch him. But that didn't matter. Oakland scored and the Patriots lost. I've never seen the play again and it was a long time ago but that's how I remember it.
A few years later and the Patriots made their first Superbowl. First they had to squish the fish. They had to beat Miami in Miami for the first time in 20 years to do it. Then on to the Bears. The Bears were clearly the better team but I thought that the Patriots had a chance. The Patriots first offensive play from scrimmage, they threw a short pass to their best receiver. He caught the ball for a 5 to 7 yard game and ran untouched out of bounds. As he ran out of bounds he fell to the ground holding his leg. He broke his leg simply running out of bounds. No one touched him. This was not a good sign. The Patriots were crushed in one of the most lopsided Superbowl games ever.
A few years later, I watched the Patsies go 2 and 14. I watched every game and when people made fun of me for wearing a Patriots sweater, I told them that I was not a fair weather fan.
Then they made the Superbowl a second time. Just a few days before the game, a news story broke. The Patriots coach, Bill Parcells had put in his resignation and was going to coach the rival Jets the next year. It was a huge distraction. The Patriots played well but the Packers pulled away and won at the end of the game.
A few years later and the Patriots played the Rams in the Superbowl with a second year Quarterback, first year starter, at the helm, and an established 1st pick in the draft quarterback, on the bench. The Patriots dominated the superior Rams team by playing very physical ball. They had a lead until late in the game the Rams came roaring back to tie it. Then the legend begins. The Patriots had the ball on the twenty with a minute and a half left. John Madden suggested that they should just take a knee and try to win in overtime. But no. Tom Brady methodically drives the Patriots downfield. Five yards and out of bounds. Fifteen yards, out of bounds. Another two yards. Finally a field goal attempt. I'll always remember the radio call of the play. It still sends chills down my back. The TV call sounded almost board that the Patriots won. But the radio call:
“Is it Adam Vinatieri or Scott Norwood? Placement down by Walters. Vinatieri's field goal try for the win. IT'S GOOD, IT'S GOOD, IT'S GOOD and the New England Patriots have won Superbowl 36.”
I watched the game with friends and when we watched the ball sail through the uprights everybody froze. The room was silent for about 3 seconds. Everyone was looking for the flag. This can't be right. The Patriot...The Patriots can't have just won the Superbowl. But it was true. Espn showed reactions from bars all around New England and the reaction was exactly the same. The ball goes through. The ref signals good. Stunned silence for about 2 seconds. Then wild celebration.
One thing I was always happy about was the Drew Bledsoe had played a lot in the AFC Championship game because of a Tom Brady injury. They would not have been in the Superbowl without him. So even though he didn't play a down in the Superbowl, he can wear the ring proudly because he was a very important reason that they won it.
The Patriots won two more in the next few years but I've always found it difficult to think of the Patsies as the best team in football. I'm always looking for something to go wrong. It wasn't until they won it again this time that I truly fell, that yes, they really are that good.
My experience of the Patriots for many years was a team that cycled from good to bad. They were very good once in a while but something strange always came up to destroy their chances of winning it all.
In the mid 1970's, the Patriots, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts were fighting for the division title. The Patriots played the Dolphins and then the Colts the last week of the season so I thought that the patriots had their fate in their own hands. The next to the last week of the season, the Patriots played the Dolphins in Foxborough in the early game and the Colts played a weak NFC team in the late game. The Patriots won an exciting game over the dolphins which they almost never did in those years. Then the Colts lost. I thought that the Patriots had a chance at the playoffs. But I was wrong. Under the rules at that time, the Colts losing eliminated the Patriots. If they had won they would have eliminated the Dolphins. Win or lose, the game had no impact on the Colts chance at making the playoffs. If they won next week they were in and if they lost they were out. So, you're the Colts and you've found out the Patriots won. If you win today, you play next week in a winner take all game. If you lose this week, you eliminate the team you play next week and a win will still put you in the playoffs. By the NFL rules at the time, the Colts best chance to make the playoff was losing. It felt like a giant conspiracy against the Pats.
A few years later the Patriots made the playoffs and they were playing the Oakland Raiders. They were very good that year. They had the most rushing yards as a team in NFL history that year even thought they didn't have a 1000 yard rusher. Mike Haynes was the best defensive back the Patriots ever had at that time. He slipped on a play and was badly burned by the guy he was covering. There was a 3 or 4 foot and growing gap between them. The quarterback threw a perfect long ball to him and by a miracle the player dropped it. Then the yellow flag came out. Pass interference. A 40 or 50 yard penalty. But when they showed the replay, there was a clear four foot gap between them. Mike Haynes couldn't have interfered with him. He wasn't close enough to touch him. But that didn't matter. Oakland scored and the Patriots lost. I've never seen the play again and it was a long time ago but that's how I remember it.
A few years later and the Patriots made their first Superbowl. First they had to squish the fish. They had to beat Miami in Miami for the first time in 20 years to do it. Then on to the Bears. The Bears were clearly the better team but I thought that the Patriots had a chance. The Patriots first offensive play from scrimmage, they threw a short pass to their best receiver. He caught the ball for a 5 to 7 yard game and ran untouched out of bounds. As he ran out of bounds he fell to the ground holding his leg. He broke his leg simply running out of bounds. No one touched him. This was not a good sign. The Patriots were crushed in one of the most lopsided Superbowl games ever.
A few years later, I watched the Patsies go 2 and 14. I watched every game and when people made fun of me for wearing a Patriots sweater, I told them that I was not a fair weather fan.
Then they made the Superbowl a second time. Just a few days before the game, a news story broke. The Patriots coach, Bill Parcells had put in his resignation and was going to coach the rival Jets the next year. It was a huge distraction. The Patriots played well but the Packers pulled away and won at the end of the game.
A few years later and the Patriots played the Rams in the Superbowl with a second year Quarterback, first year starter, at the helm, and an established 1st pick in the draft quarterback, on the bench. The Patriots dominated the superior Rams team by playing very physical ball. They had a lead until late in the game the Rams came roaring back to tie it. Then the legend begins. The Patriots had the ball on the twenty with a minute and a half left. John Madden suggested that they should just take a knee and try to win in overtime. But no. Tom Brady methodically drives the Patriots downfield. Five yards and out of bounds. Fifteen yards, out of bounds. Another two yards. Finally a field goal attempt. I'll always remember the radio call of the play. It still sends chills down my back. The TV call sounded almost board that the Patriots won. But the radio call:
“Is it Adam Vinatieri or Scott Norwood? Placement down by Walters. Vinatieri's field goal try for the win. IT'S GOOD, IT'S GOOD, IT'S GOOD and the New England Patriots have won Superbowl 36.”
I watched the game with friends and when we watched the ball sail through the uprights everybody froze. The room was silent for about 3 seconds. Everyone was looking for the flag. This can't be right. The Patriot...The Patriots can't have just won the Superbowl. But it was true. Espn showed reactions from bars all around New England and the reaction was exactly the same. The ball goes through. The ref signals good. Stunned silence for about 2 seconds. Then wild celebration.
One thing I was always happy about was the Drew Bledsoe had played a lot in the AFC Championship game because of a Tom Brady injury. They would not have been in the Superbowl without him. So even though he didn't play a down in the Superbowl, he can wear the ring proudly because he was a very important reason that they won it.
The Patriots won two more in the next few years but I've always found it difficult to think of the Patsies as the best team in football. I'm always looking for something to go wrong. It wasn't until they won it again this time that I truly fell, that yes, they really are that good.
