In 2001, the Patriots won the Super Bowl and were touted as "America's Team." Remember how everyone cheered when the Patriots were announced as a single team in New Orleans, instead of as individual players? And how entire country celebrated when Vinitieri split the uprights to defeat the "greatest show on turf."
How much has changed in six years.
Now 16-0, the Patriots are the most hated team in football, the evil empire of the NFL.
What the heck happened?
The whole "Spy-Gate" thing causing such an uproar really bugs me. I get it, they did something they weren't supposed to ... but what team doesn't? Every time a player is elbowed at the bottom of a huddle, or when Fox airs a team's audibles (I'm not bitter at all), or when a coach calls a time out as the kicker is about to connect with the ball, or when a certain team pipes in extra noise to their stadium during a game, or when the sound for the visiting quarterback and his coaches is mysteriously not working (yes Indianapolis, I'm talking to you) ... these are all acceptable forms of getting an unfair edge. And yes, even YOUR team does it.
And what about those other "cheaters" such as Shawne Merriman. He has a Nike commercial, and is flown to Honolulu for the All Pro team after being suspended for using steroids (ie CHEATING) , then his teammate, LaDanian "cry baby" Tomlinson can whine and whine about how the Patriots are the cheaters ... well, that just bugs me to no end.
But yeah, I can see how the Patriots are the most hated team in the NFL: really unlikeable players, no work ethic, no competitive spirit, no team unity, and clearly the players can't stand each other or their hated coach.
Oh wait...
I guess Tom Brady is apparently too perfect. I can see how he is annoying -- just completed the most prolific touchdown season of any quarterback; won three Super Bowls before the age of 30; makes millions upon millions of dollars; dates one of the most beautiful women in the entire world. But, deep down he is still a 7th-round draft pick with a chip on his shoulder -- and don't you forget it.
Bill Belichick, admittedly, is pretty much an a-hole, and difficult, if not impossible, to like. But he is also a football genius, and will go down as one of the greatest coaches ever. It's too bad that this incident will taint his reputation, because there is no way that any unallowed activity that he has done with the Patriots has effected any game enough to change the outcome. I honestly believe that.
But look at what the team has done -- they turned Randy Moss, prior to this year, one of the greatest "what could have beens" in the history of the game. Well, with the help of Belichick and Brady, we now know what he is capable of - having one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history (no one will top Rice's 21 TD in 12 games).
The linebacking core is defying nature - and not in the steroid-using, Roger Clemens kind of way - by keeping up with the younger players they are attacking, not by taking illegal supplements, but by using their heads and their hearts to out-think, out-hussle, and out-play their junior opponents. Junior Seau, just two years after nearly retiring, is a starter on the best team in the NFL. Tedy Bruschi came back last season after suffering a stroke in 2005. If those aren't feel-good storys, then what are?
It's a team that every veteran wants to play for; that players take a pay cut to suit up for; that has an owner who spares no expense, on his players and coaches or on their facilities.
Yeah, you really gotta hate these guys.
Instead of hating them because they're so good, perhaps other teams should take a page from their book. Then maybe someone else would win a Super Bowl once-in-a-while.
But not this year.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Professional athletes, when you meet them in person, tend to be a bit disappointing.
We always have high expectations for those we admire, idolize and respect; we expect them to be humble, friendly, intelligent and polite; and let’s be honest, a lot of times, well, they just aren’t.
Sometimes they’re rude, or they won’t give a child an autograph; sometimes they have an attitude, and sometimes they are just plain jerks.
After speaking with Sgt. Maj. Mia Kelly, of 1st Information Operations Command of Fort Belvoir, Va., after her round of golf with none other than Tiger Woods last week, I know that at least one athlete does live up to, may even exceed, the expectations of fans.
After spending a day with the 12-time Major winner, Kelly said she is a convert.
“You can’t spend time with him and not become a fan, especially for those of us in the military,” she said.
Growing up in a military household with a father who was a retired Special Forces lieutenant colonel, Woods was raised on military golf courses and says he holds an affinity to those who serve our country.
“My dad was retired, but I grew up on a military base, and played golf there and that was my home course,” Woods told the thousands of spectators July 4 at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. “For me, all my life, I’ve been part of the military. I’ve always been around (servicemembers); I understand the commitment it takes for men and women to do what they do each and every day. That’s a commitment that I don’t think people truly understand.
“Especially with what’s going on overseas, we need to say ‘Thank you,’ somehow, and this is a small way of doing that.”
Professional athletes are often great donators to causes they support. But, giving your money away is one thing, and giving your time is another.
Woods, after playing in the Pro-Am Wednesday and the tournament Thursday through Sunday, spent the day with injured Soldiers at Walter Reed.
“I think he’s one of the most important sports figures out there because he actually cares about the military, and he’s genuine about it,” Kelly said. “I think it’s awesome.”
I know that I’ve met many professional athletes, and, more often than not, I have been disappointed. Their larger-than-life personas, which draw us to them, are often backed up by larger-than-life egos, which push us away.
In the midst of all of that, we have Tiger Woods, probably the most recognizable athlete in the world, spending time in his busy schedule, just weeks after the birth of his first child, golfing with military servicemembers, spending time with them and befriending them.
Woods didn’t do it for show, or for kudos; he did it because of his father, and because he was raised in the military like so many of those on Belvoir. He, unlike so many others, understands the military lifestyle, the hardships and the sacrifice, and it’s nice to know that someone so much in the public eye, with so much on his plate, can take the time to say two simple words.
Thank you.
We always have high expectations for those we admire, idolize and respect; we expect them to be humble, friendly, intelligent and polite; and let’s be honest, a lot of times, well, they just aren’t.
Sometimes they’re rude, or they won’t give a child an autograph; sometimes they have an attitude, and sometimes they are just plain jerks.
After speaking with Sgt. Maj. Mia Kelly, of 1st Information Operations Command of Fort Belvoir, Va., after her round of golf with none other than Tiger Woods last week, I know that at least one athlete does live up to, may even exceed, the expectations of fans.
After spending a day with the 12-time Major winner, Kelly said she is a convert.
“You can’t spend time with him and not become a fan, especially for those of us in the military,” she said.
Growing up in a military household with a father who was a retired Special Forces lieutenant colonel, Woods was raised on military golf courses and says he holds an affinity to those who serve our country.
“My dad was retired, but I grew up on a military base, and played golf there and that was my home course,” Woods told the thousands of spectators July 4 at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. “For me, all my life, I’ve been part of the military. I’ve always been around (servicemembers); I understand the commitment it takes for men and women to do what they do each and every day. That’s a commitment that I don’t think people truly understand.
“Especially with what’s going on overseas, we need to say ‘Thank you,’ somehow, and this is a small way of doing that.”
Professional athletes are often great donators to causes they support. But, giving your money away is one thing, and giving your time is another.
Woods, after playing in the Pro-Am Wednesday and the tournament Thursday through Sunday, spent the day with injured Soldiers at Walter Reed.
“I think he’s one of the most important sports figures out there because he actually cares about the military, and he’s genuine about it,” Kelly said. “I think it’s awesome.”
I know that I’ve met many professional athletes, and, more often than not, I have been disappointed. Their larger-than-life personas, which draw us to them, are often backed up by larger-than-life egos, which push us away.
In the midst of all of that, we have Tiger Woods, probably the most recognizable athlete in the world, spending time in his busy schedule, just weeks after the birth of his first child, golfing with military servicemembers, spending time with them and befriending them.
Woods didn’t do it for show, or for kudos; he did it because of his father, and because he was raised in the military like so many of those on Belvoir. He, unlike so many others, understands the military lifestyle, the hardships and the sacrifice, and it’s nice to know that someone so much in the public eye, with so much on his plate, can take the time to say two simple words.
Thank you.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Welcome to my world
Sports, sports, sports. My life really does revolve around sports. I mean, I have other stuff going on, I'm not a total stat nerd, but my livelihood does depend on how often I watch ESPN. My favorite sports is, and has always been, football. Unfortunatly, because I have boobs, I was never able to actually experience it first-hand.
So I wonder if I can ever really understand football, seeing as how I’ve never been able to play it.
Sure, I grew up around football: my dad was a Division III All-American quarterback, my younger brother was an All-State quarterback and safety, and is currently playing 1AA ball. But “The Man” wouldn’t let me buckle a chin strap or stand underneath the Friday night lights.
I have a very good couch-potato football background. Since I was little, Saturday afternoons in the fall were all about football. Penn State was the college team of choice in my household, so we all lived by the book of Joe Pa.
Since high school, Friday nights were for high school football games, and even though our team wasn’t any good during any of my wonder years, I still went to all of the games. Actually, saying they weren’t good is being nice. In fact, the team never won more than two games in a row until my senior year, when they won three, their only wins of the season. When they accomplished that feat, it was the only three games they won all year. We celebrated those three wins like they’d won the state Super Bowl. You take what you can get, I guess.
A couple of years ago I got my dream internship -I worked with the New England Patriots, and got to watch all of the home games from the sidelines. It was cool to be on the sidelines, but I wish I knew what it felt like to be wearing the pads and having all of those people scream for ME.
Anyway, the point is that I’ve watched a lot of football. I know what a blitz is, I know what the flat is, and I even know the difference between a cover-two and a cover-three. But I only know all these things from my dad telling me, and from watching. I’ve never stood on the field and seen the spread offense from behind. I’ve never felt the sting of getting pummeled by a 250 pound lineman, and never had to fight for life and limb on the bottom of a pile… some might consider this as a blessing, but still.
After his Thanksgiving football game against his rival high school in 2004, my brother was trying to explain the atmosphere to me. Eight thousand fans screaming when he scored a touchdown, and hundreds of fans rushing the field after they won. The closest I’ve ever come to this feeling was not on Thanksgiving, but the day after – charging into the local mall with 200 of my closest rivals as soon as the doors open.
We talk about what it would be like for him to play in college. One day he was talking about a former teammate of his, who is now a safety at Northwestern, who had played Michigan in Ann Arbor last season.
“Can you imagine that Jen? More than 100,000 fans screaming. I can’t believe how awesome that must be.” I could almost see him shaking his head over the phone.
No, I can’t imagine you jerk. That is one of the hard things about being a female in the sports world, I’ve been a part of teams, sure. But I don’t think anything else is like the camaraderie of a high school or college football team. I have watched plenty of games, and talked to plenty of athletes, but I will always be the spectator.
So I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll never have the first-hand experience of playing football. But I have to say I have about as much second-hand experience as anyone, and have grown up and worked with men who have played at a high level.
Maybe I’ll never catch a pass or break up an interception at “The Big House” during a game, or even stand in the high school locker room after tough Friday night loss … but I have stood on the field as the Patriots beat the Colts in the AFC playoffs, and that’s something most football players can't say. So ha.
So I wonder if I can ever really understand football, seeing as how I’ve never been able to play it.
Sure, I grew up around football: my dad was a Division III All-American quarterback, my younger brother was an All-State quarterback and safety, and is currently playing 1AA ball. But “The Man” wouldn’t let me buckle a chin strap or stand underneath the Friday night lights.
I have a very good couch-potato football background. Since I was little, Saturday afternoons in the fall were all about football. Penn State was the college team of choice in my household, so we all lived by the book of Joe Pa.
Since high school, Friday nights were for high school football games, and even though our team wasn’t any good during any of my wonder years, I still went to all of the games. Actually, saying they weren’t good is being nice. In fact, the team never won more than two games in a row until my senior year, when they won three, their only wins of the season. When they accomplished that feat, it was the only three games they won all year. We celebrated those three wins like they’d won the state Super Bowl. You take what you can get, I guess.
A couple of years ago I got my dream internship -I worked with the New England Patriots, and got to watch all of the home games from the sidelines. It was cool to be on the sidelines, but I wish I knew what it felt like to be wearing the pads and having all of those people scream for ME.
Anyway, the point is that I’ve watched a lot of football. I know what a blitz is, I know what the flat is, and I even know the difference between a cover-two and a cover-three. But I only know all these things from my dad telling me, and from watching. I’ve never stood on the field and seen the spread offense from behind. I’ve never felt the sting of getting pummeled by a 250 pound lineman, and never had to fight for life and limb on the bottom of a pile… some might consider this as a blessing, but still.
After his Thanksgiving football game against his rival high school in 2004, my brother was trying to explain the atmosphere to me. Eight thousand fans screaming when he scored a touchdown, and hundreds of fans rushing the field after they won. The closest I’ve ever come to this feeling was not on Thanksgiving, but the day after – charging into the local mall with 200 of my closest rivals as soon as the doors open.
We talk about what it would be like for him to play in college. One day he was talking about a former teammate of his, who is now a safety at Northwestern, who had played Michigan in Ann Arbor last season.
“Can you imagine that Jen? More than 100,000 fans screaming. I can’t believe how awesome that must be.” I could almost see him shaking his head over the phone.
No, I can’t imagine you jerk. That is one of the hard things about being a female in the sports world, I’ve been a part of teams, sure. But I don’t think anything else is like the camaraderie of a high school or college football team. I have watched plenty of games, and talked to plenty of athletes, but I will always be the spectator.
So I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll never have the first-hand experience of playing football. But I have to say I have about as much second-hand experience as anyone, and have grown up and worked with men who have played at a high level.
Maybe I’ll never catch a pass or break up an interception at “The Big House” during a game, or even stand in the high school locker room after tough Friday night loss … but I have stood on the field as the Patriots beat the Colts in the AFC playoffs, and that’s something most football players can't say. So ha.
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