For an entire week I've heard nothing but incessant analysis regarding the Patriots using an illegal video camera to record the New York Jets' defensive coordinator. When I first heard the story early on Monday, I though, "Man, we probably just lost a 3rd round draft pick. That was dumb." By Tuesday, the incident that had evoked such an apathetic response from me had become a full-blown scandal that was being compared to the Nixon administration breaking into the Democratic headquarters and stealing files. I was absolutely stunned at the level of response this infraction was receiving.
Well, maybe stunned is a strong word. With the way today's media likes to exaggerate facts and beat a story to death, if Tom Brady gets a hangnail, we'll be hearing reports that his arm may be amputated. Nevertheless, the amount of people who were "outraged" over the whole ordeal was extremely surprising to me. I mean, Belichick was using a video camera to try and record the Jets defensive signals, not bribing referees, distributing steroids, or betting on games. Was this still a clear and blatant violation of NFL rules? Absolutely. But let's put things in perspective before we start comparing this to the Tim Donaghy scandal and Barry Bond's enormous head. Stealing signlas is a common NFL practice and is completely within the rules. Furthermore, these signals are performed out in the open for anyone to see. This didn't involve breaking an entering or tapping phones. Had Belichick given his assistant a pair of binoculars and a pad or even a still-shot camera, this also would have been completely within the rules. It was simply the fact that a video camera was used that caused the signal stealing to be a violation.
But nobody seemed to stop and think about this. The media finally sensed that drop of blood from the Patriots that they'd been waiting so long for, and circled like the bunch of sharks they are. "The Patriots should be banned from the playoffs for two years!" "Bill Belichick should be forced to resign!" "Make them forfeit the game!" "Take away multiple picks!" "Suspend the coach!" These responses were so far beyond the NFL's track record for handling rule violations it was laughable. Teams who had intentionally cheated the salary cap and players who had been caught using street drugs had received lesser penalties. Suddenly using a video camera was worthy of forfeited games and playoff bans? Yet the outcry was so loud and overblown, it likely forced the commissioner's hand to levy the harshest penalty in NFL history: A $500,000 fine to Belichick (largest fine ever), a $250,000 fine to the team, and the loss of a 1st round draft pick (unprecedented). And wouldn't you know, people were still saying this wasn't enough!
You know, if the fans of the other 31 teams wanted to scream and yell for a big penalty in the hopes that it might take a small chip away from the colossus that is the Patriots, and thereby give their team a prayer of competing with us someday, I could handle that. I mean, that was clearly the Jets' intention by alerting the authorities. It's just common sense: if you can't win a game on the field this season, at least try to get one via forfeit! But then everyone had to take things a step farther. They had to cross the line and start taking shots at the dynasty...
Somehow this video camera had suddenly invalidated the Patriots three Super Bowl wins in the warped minds of the masses. Of course, the fact that there is absolutely no proof that the Patriots used a video camera during those seasons didn't give these people one moment of pause before they flung their accusations. Nor did it matter that the video camera would give the Patriots a miniscule advantage at most. And as I mentioned above, no one stopped to consider that it wasn't what Belichick did that was wrong. It was simply the way he did it that was wrong. No one cared about any of that. After six long years of waiting, it was time for everyone to rip apart the Patriots.
What floored me more than anything was the Philadelphia Eagles saying that they deserve retroactive Super Bowl rings in light of the Patriots being caught with a video camera during one solitary game, two years after Super Bowl XXXIX. Donovan McNabb was dead serious as he stated "Maybe we can get our ring back." Yeah Donovan, like that hypothetical tape that would be of your team's defensive signals had anything to do with the fact that you threw three interceptions in Jacksonville. Jerome Bettis and Hines Ward also whined how they felt phantom videotapes cost them two trips to the Super Bowl as Belichick's Patriots defeated the Steelers in the AFC Championship in 2002 and 2005. Again, explain to me how a videotape caused Kordell Steward to throw three picks, or helped Troy Brown pull off a 55-yard punt return touchdown, or aided the Patriots in a 60-yard touchdown off a blocked field goal. Clearly stealing defensive signals played a large role in these events back in 2002. Ben Rothlisberger had the audacity to say "If they cheated during our AFC championship game (in 2005), we should get a Super Bowl ring." We'll get to the part about how you don't get Super Bowl rings from winning AFC Championships in a moment, Ben. But first explain how this videotape had anything to do with you throwing three interceptions as well, or fill us in on how it allowed the Patriots to score 24 points off of turnovers in that game.
I rest my case.
Look, I'm not saying for a moment that the Patriots weren't wrong. I'm personally upset they broke the rules. I agree 100% that they needed to be punished, regardless of whether I agree with the severity of the punishment. So I am not looking at this through Patriots-colored glasses and trying to sugar-coat the situation. What I do feel I have though, is some perspective. Unfortunately I can't say the same for all the talking heads with their self-righteous knee-jerk reactions. But I would expect no less from them, as the unjustified outcry and scorn the franchise is receiving over this incident is just a microcosm of the blatant bias the media has had against the Patriots for years.
Yet at the end of the day, no matter how much whining the Eagles or Steelers do, those Super Bowls are still ours and always will be. But what did initially bother me was the widespread suggestion that reputation of the 2001-2007 New England Patriots had been forever tainted. Notice I said "initially". Because it didn't take me more than another 30 seconds to realize that nobody had ever given these Patriots credit anyway. For six seasons the Patriots were the definition of a "model franchise". They worked hard, played as a team, displayed character, refused to quit, and won every time it mattered. They were everything you could ask for in a professional sports team and more. In a sports scene where egos are extra-large and scandals and crimes run rampant, the New England Patriots were an amazing breath of fresh air. You would think this type of behavior would earn them innumberable accolades and signs of respect from the media, opposing players, and the NFL fanbase. But as every Patriots fan knows, the franchise was consistently treated as a second-class operation by the general public.
Yeah, I know the "no respect" card has been thrown around too many times and has become a tired cliché. But that doesn't change the fact that the lack of respect shown to the Patriots was real and it was appalling. Despite their pristine track record, they were never favored to win the big games. Somebody else always had better stats, a bigger name. Everyone went with Peyton Manning's passing yards over Tom Brady's rings. They wanted to praise Terrell Owens and his big mouth instead of Troy Brown and his big heart. No matter what the Patriots did, no matter how many impossible games they pulled out, or how many championships they won, it was never good enough.
Look, I get the fact that seeing the same team win all the time gets old. I understand that after six years, fans of pretty much every team had gotten their turn to be burned by the Patriots, some multiple times. I'll openly admit that if I were a Colts fan, a Steelers fan, an Eagles fan, a Panthers fan, a Rams fan, a Raiders fan, a Titans fan, a Jaguars fan, a Jets, Dolphins, or Bills fan, I wouldn't like the Patriots either. But I would respect them. And I would appreciate what they stood for.
Yet there was none of that last season. When the Patriots had been battered and beaten down with injuries beyond recognition, when Tom Brady was playing with a cast of fourth-rate receivers, and when they still managed to persevere beyond all odds and become a prime candidate for the Super Bowl, nobody, and I mean nobody, gave them the respect those acts warranted. The fact that last year's Patriots were still standing heading into the conference championship weekend just may be the most improbable accomplishment of their entire run. So after six years of trying to play with honor, character, and dignity only to still feel like the world was against them, the Patriots began to turn. It started off small; a cocky statement, an overly physical game against the Titans. Then it turned into a more-public mockery of Shawn Merriman's "Lights Out" dance after the win in San Diego. As the final run of that season progressed, you could feel that the attitude of this team was changing. Their poise was beginning to unravel. After six season of being torn down, the negativity and the disrespect had finally gotten under their skin. So when the football world rejoiced as the Colts finally undid Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in a big game, when the masses danced around the smoking ruins of the Patriots' dynasty, it was the ending blow to the "model franchise". New England had gone to the dark side.
The team who prided themselves on finding hidden gems in the bargain basement paid out big for the top free-agent, Adalius Thomas. They drafted helmet-stomping Brandon Merriweather with their 1st round pick and followed that move with a trade for the outspoken and malcontented Randy Moss. Rodney Harrison got suspended for using HGH. The team ran up the score against both the Jets and the Chargers with unnecessary late-game touchdowns. And of course, there was the video camera incident.People can call the Patriots "cheaters", "classless", "sell-outs", and whatever else they want. There's likely to be a shred of truth or more behind that slur. But as people take their shots, they should remember that when the Patriots exemplified everything that was good and right, they weren't nearly as quick to heap on the praise.
The jarring truth of that last sentence is what I believe is truly behind the recent "fall" of the Patriots. After playing for six season with dignity, character, respect, and integrity, and never feeling truly appreciated, the Patriots decided it would simply be easier to just be like everyone else. If the media chose to highlight guys like Terrell Owens, Shawn Merriman, and Ray Lewis, then that's who the players would act like. The Pats even made some moves to get a few bad boys on the roster like Moss! The public told the Patriots that the only type of team that matters is one with big names, big stats, big egos, and big mouths. And that is exactly the type of team the Patriots have become.
The part of me that still cherishes the old version of the Patriots wants to cringe at that thought, but the part of me that felt the sting of the constant disrespect knows how necessary this change truly was. The time has come to give the thronging masses exactly what they want, and now make them pay dearly for it. Their attitudes were the driving force behind the creation of this monster, and now they'll have to sit and watch as the angry beast turns and tears them to shreds. They didn't like New England's hard work and humility, so now they'll be crushed effortlessly and arrogantly. The Patriots Nation is tired of beign politically correct and playing things tight to the vest. It's time to bask in the overwhelming flood that is our team and shout loud and proud about our unmatched dominance!
Yes, the New England Patriots have officially become football's "Evil Empire". As someone who has hated on the Yankees and Lakers for years, that should be a tough pill to swallow. But it's not. It reality, the pill tastes delicious and it goes down smooth. Because this wasn't an empire built because the Patriots had more money than everyone else or a bigger name than everyone else. This was an empire created because the Patriots were smarter than everyone else and worked harder than everyone else.This was an empire built because the Patriots dominated everyone else. The only reason people have to hate on it is because the Patriots beat them every time, or because they wish they had a team like this. If the general public doesn't like the team's new air and attitude, tough. They've never liked the Patriots anyway. It's always been "us against the world" for this team, and they're just fine keeping it that way.They've been silencing the doubters for seven years, and I see no reason why this trend won't continue.
Maybe this team for the ages will inexplicably stumble. Maybe its fans will be mocked for their overconfidence and cockiness. Maybe people will look back on this very article in a few months and shake their head. Maybe. But I know I'm personally going to throw caution into the wind and tout this team until I'm blue in the face. I'm going to let everyone know we're on the path to 19-0, and that we're the best team the NFL has ever seen.The way I see it, the Patriots are in a class all to themselves and there isn't a single team who can take them down. If I'm wrong and this team doesn't capture Super Bowl XLII, then you can have your day in the sun at mine and my team's expense .If I'm wrong you can feel free to jeer and throw my words back at me . If I'm wrong about these Patriots, you can point, and mock, and smear our names in the dirt. I'm so confident about where this team is headed that you can do all that and more if I'm wrong. The only thing is...
I'm not wrong.
