Everybody happy?
Don’t worry. I know the answer is yes.
It’s a unique feeling to know that your loss is everyone else’s happiness, but I know no one cares. And I know I’ve done the same when it’s come to other teams I’ve disliked, so I can’t say much when the tables are turned.
In fact, I also know that most people coming over to this blog aren’t even going to read this post, much less take it seriously. Most of you are probably here merely to vent your vindicated anti-Patriots spleen in the comments thread, and hey, more power to you.
But here’s another question, for anyone still reading: can we stop now? With the sour grapes? And SpyGate? And searching, hunting, digging for ways to prove the Patriots’ run over these last few years has been unfair in any way? Can we stop trotting out the pathetic former Eagles players who want to tell us it was the Patriots’ videotapes, and not their puking quarterback, that cost them the Super Bowl three years ago? Can we stop with the Congressional inquests, the unnamed sources, the obnoxious asterisks? Can we stop looking for ways to denigrate what the Patriots accomplished in the regular season?
Suddenly, at 18-1, with as many postseason defeats as victories over the last seven years, the Patriots’ “dynasty” doesn’t look so impressive. So maybe we can stop with the envy, and the asinine things it has been making people say?
Because now we see: the Patriots can be beaten. Actually, the Patriots have been beaten the last three years in a row: once in the divisional playoff against the Broncos; once in the AFC playoff against the Colts, and once again tonight in the Super Bowl against the Giants.
So let me ask this: if the Patriots were truly a bunch of cheaters, if Bill Belichick’s video tapes were what won games and not just the determined, dedicated effort of a very good football team, why would they have been beaten when it mattered most the last three years in a row?
The fact of the matter is that the Giants were successful this time around with getting relentless pressure on Brady. They sacked him four times in the first half alone, and knocked him down 10 times just after he released the ball. They played a tough, intense, physical and determined game. They figured out the right strategy, and they followed through with it against the Patriots for 60 minutes. And they won. Simple as that.
If we’re to believe the Patriots are inveterate cheaters, that all their past accomplishments have been built on dishonesty and unfair advantage, why would they have picked tonight to stop? If there was ever a time to break out the videotapes, the top-secret signals, the spies and moles on the opposing sideline, it was in the fourth quarter of XLII.
And yet, here we are.
Slowly, the Giants ground down the Patriots–they did what no other team has done yet this season, and lasted with them through 60 minutes. Their defense was a match for a high-flying offense. I’m sure if I were to suggest, as a Patriots fan, that the Giants cheated, it would be dismissed as sour grapes.
So why isn’t it identified as such when it comes from every other fan base in the league when the Patriots were winning? Why hasn’t the inherent ugliness of casting about to find ways to discount a team’s accomplishments been acknowledged in that case? Is it because this time the sour grapes have been shared by a majority?
Now, in a way, there’s a silver lining to the Patriots’ defeat: the haters find themselves in a difficult position. Doesn’t it take away from the Giants’ victory, if the Patriots have been built on sand the whole time? Is it truly the greatest accomplishment in the history of football to knock off the Patriots if the Patriots have never been that good in the first place?
So pick one. If you believe the Patriots are cheaters, then this victory must not have been that big a deal–just the inevitable exposure of a team without a legal means of sustaining its dominance. If you believe the Giants have just pulled off the greatest accomplishment in NFL history, then you must believe they did it entirely above-board.
Pick one.
If you ask me, I believe that the Patriots have been genuine, and I believe the Giants are genuine. They won a hard-fought game and put together quite possibly the most miraculous run of any team in postseason history. Give them credit, and give the Patriots credit, too; today, you can call them losers, but let’s stop calling the Patriots cheaters.
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Shameful performance from Brady – he was like a rabbit caught in headlights. The guy’s supposed to be the best in the business. He’s taken the plaudits all season, but he was truly awful tonight – clueless.
But huge congratulations to the Giants – they out fought and out thought the Patriots offence. I excuse the Patriots defence of any blame – they held the Giants to a reasonable total.
yeah, andrew, i saw the rabbit / headlights thing the first time you left it in the comments thread for the last post. btw it’s deer in the headlights, not rabbit.
In England it’s rabbits, dear.
well, look, i know you’re not the biggest brady fan and it’s not like his performance was great tonight, that i’ll concede. but it’s not like he went out there all by himself and fell on his face. the giants pass rush had a lot to do with it, to say nothing of the offensive line, which got its ass handed to it all night long.
The O-line looked like absolute crap. I’m not sure how else the QB is supposed to look when his protection is getting overrun on nearly every down. Brady made the most of the opportunities he was given, and wasn’t given enough of them. He doesn’t escape blame, but I think it’s hard to come down on him about his play if you’re a person who even attempts to be fair about those sorts of things.
Beth – excellent stuff, as always.
I can’t say that I am disappointed by the outcome, but it was a hell of a game.
And Beth, you neglected to mention the reason that I was ecstaticed to the Pats go down. That blatant bad call in the snow, January 2002.
“Shameful performance from Brady – he was like a rabbit caught in headlights. The guy
I know you don’t like to see people delivering home truths about your beloved quarterback, young beth, but I’m sure you’ll recall that I said quite a while back that complacency could kill Patriot hopes.
Those whom the Gods would destroy they first make complacent.
Brady’s fannied around for the best part of half of the season and just got away with it. Last night his luck ran out.
While the Lesser Manning fought tooth and nail to win the game, Brady went down like a sack of spuds everytime a Giant got near him.
The only offensive player worthy of praise is Welker.
andrew, you’ve been responded to on this count not once, and not just by me, but three times, by three different people. i don’t know what else to say to you at this point.
Well, you could start by acknowledging that I was right and everyone who disagreed with me was wrong.
LOL are you for real? yeah, that would make life a lot easier around here, wouldn’t it? if i would just acknowledge that you’re right about everything, and that the multiple people, including myself, who gave cogent arguments that disagree with you are wrong? “yes, andrew, suddenly and for no reason, i see that you’ve been right the whole time! tom brady totally sucks! thank you for helping me see the light!” that’s hilarious.
Unlike you, I don’t believe in sacred cows.
I said if Brady continued to fanny around New England wouldn’t win the Super Bowl. Now, forgive me if I’m wrong, but when I went to bed New England had lost the Super Bowl. And the reason for that? Brady, pure and simple. He was complacent and hardly put in any effort. His throwing was by and large terrible and he went down like a sack of spuds as soon as anyone touched him.
you can keep repeating your argument, and keep putting words in my mouth about why i disagree, and i’m still gonna disagree. sorry.
That’s because you lack objectivity. As far as you’re concerned “your” quarterback is a sacred cow above reproach.
to answer your question “But here
Thats what you guys get for running up the score all year long!!!
No, that’s what New England get for not continuing to run up the score – there’s nothing wrong with scoring as many points as you can.
alex, your incoherent comment proves my point. you seriously believe that the giants won because they had better police protection at their practices? is that all it took? give me a break.
belichick went out to midfield and pushed security people aside so he could HUG tom coughlin. the referees had this ridiculous fixation on running out the single second on the clock, and having already congratulated the opposing coaches, bill belichick left the field. that’s all that happened. but apparently it’s not enough for you to gloat about the win, you’ve got to find some ridiculous paranoid interpretation of bill belichick’s actions after the game to fixate on? why? what’s the point? why is it even important?
btw, the pats are not the biggest choke artists in the history of professional sports–that title still belongs to the new york yankees.
hahaha my comments were “incoherent” because i just woke up after a night of drinking so cut me some slack. Also come on its not the refs fault for having to play out the final second of the game the commish would’ve came down on them hard for not playing out the final second. I didnt say bill was wrong for not shaking coughlins hand cuz he did i am saying hes wrong for walking off the field.
And hey the one game we were all guaranteed the pats didnt cheat they lost hmmmmmmm. As far as the yankees choking who cares im a mets fan and we have santana so we will see you in the world series (if the sox make it).
and andrew,
Its messed up to keep your best players in throwing down the field to the best receiver in football when you’re up 42-10 in the 4th quarter come on man. Even if i were a pats fan i wouldn’t think that would be right.
Alex
Who;s making excuses fro losing. I read nothing in Beth’s article to suggest otherwise, and to say th eonly way the Pats won was by cheating shows that you know nothing about the game of football. Until the facts come out about the new allegations, you or I really shouldn’t have much to say on the matter.
Andrew
The loss, as I have said, was a team loss. Both sides of the ball had their chances to step up and BOTH faltered. The offensive line is partly to blame for not giving Brady the time to throw the football. The coaching staff also should bear a significant amount of blame because I saw NO gameplan adjustments to deal with the pressure. They didn’t keep in extra TE’s, the RB’s rarely stayed in to block, the wide receiver screen was used sparingly, the 3-step drop wasn’t utilized, no draw play, I could go on and on.
The Patriots’ cheating is not really an issue; the NFL is almost certainly full lof such things. The reasons it is treated as a big deal are:
They were caught
They almost went 19-0
They have long been held up as a model, classy franchise by an adoring media.
So, it will “stop” at the same time that Brady is not held up as a hero by the media and Belichick as a genius–that is to say, never.
In terms of fan culture, if a lot of people are hating your team, that means you are winning a lot, so you might want to let Patriothaters have the moment, realizing that it is simply part of the price you pay for rooting for a great dynasty.
As a Charger fan, I had mixed emotions about the game–I sort of wanted to see Seau get a ring as opposed to Manning, but great upsets are exciting, unless one is rooting hard for the favorite. The Giants’ defense deservess enormous credit and the Manning-Tyree play was one of the greatest clutch plays I have ever seen. I still cannot believe Tyree held onto the ball.
jaime
do you really need new allegations to prove the pats are cheaters?!?!?!?! how come they were already fined and docked a 1st round pick!!! THAT MEANS THEY ARE GUILTY OF CHEATING IF THEY WERE INNOCENT THEY WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN PUNISHED!!!!!
I disagree, jamie. The defence held New York to just 17 points – you’d have taken that ahead of the game. Okay, they didn’t put the Lesser Manning down on that last drive when they had him in their grasp, but that was super determination from the young fellow – like the rest of the Giants he wanted it more.
But if the defence had set him down on his backside, they’d just have been getting the complacent offence of Brady off the hook.
//So, it will
beth,
(As a fellow mvn writer for the knicks i understand that these comments might seem as an attack on you and they are not so don’t take it personal i am simply venting and happy to gloat that boston finally lost). I am not a giants fan i am a jets fan so that’s why i am still bringing that up. This super bowl feels like a new york super bowl win not just a giant super bowl. I am not the only one bringing it up listen to talk radio or read other blogs and you will see this. I know you Pats fans are upset that you just had a heartbreaking loss I understand how it is being a Jet fan ive dealt with plenty. But I mean if any team deserved to lose on the biggest stage as the biggest choke artists in the history of sports it is bill and brady hands down, that’s my point.
Well maybe not brady i take that back i respect the hell out of him. But def belichick deserved this loss.
No, silly fellow, Belichick is the greatest living American and definitely didn’t deserve to lose.
hahahahahahahahah the greatest living American oh man and you wonder why everybody makes fun of boston. What about all the people who died in 9/11 risking their lives? They are the “Greatest Living Americans” hands down.
i meant to say all the people who risked their lives on 9/11 are the greatest living americans like i said im hung over give me a break lol i know if you are dead you are not in the class of greatest living americans
Why does everyone make fun of Boston?
CRY CRY CRY —- You lost and you cheated at the same time. Karma caught up with you guys. Can’t wait to find out about how you cheated for your other three rings!!!!!!
“the biggest choke artists in the history of sports”
sorry, that will always and forever be the 04 yanks. no comparison.
Come on Evan undefeated and u lose in the championship. You might not agree with me but to say there is “no comparison” is just crazy.
The Yankees lost a best of 7 to a Boston team that was every bit as good as them and faced Curt Shilling and Pedro Martinez (the two best pitchers in the AL) in Games 5 and 6. The Giants beat a “dynasty” on their road to a perfect season, not having lost a single game all season and having set all sorts of records on offense. DING DING DING… we *do* have a new winner for the biggest choke of all time.
Don’t be silly.
The biggest chokers in professional sports aren’t even American, they’re Newcastle United from the English Premiership and they managed to throw away a huge lead in the league in 1996. And I support them as well.
This is only the beginning of the end for the Patriots. In the coming weeks/months more information will be brought to the fore front regarding spygate.
There is too much smoke here…
alex, andrew’s a brit, not a bostonian, so try again.
fact check, this is a matter of some opinion, of course, and i’m sure this debate will go on. but there have been three other teams to have an undefeated regular pro football season, and two of them (other than the ’72 dolphins) actually lost in the playoffs–in the league championships, not even the SB. so actually, the patriots stack up pretty well against former undefeated regular-season teams in terms of overall outcome.
meanwhile, what happened to the yankees in 04 had never happened in the history of baseball. it was the biggest upset in the history of the sport, and in fact, had only happened twice in any other sport that has 7-game playoff series.
Did you know that a NFL leading offence has never won the super bowl, apparently, according to Mike Carlson on the BBC last evening?
Andrew, if you think Belechick is the greatest living American you have a pathetic existence. IT IS A GAME!!!! I love the Giants but whether they won or lost, we have an energy crisis, economic crisis, global warming, potential widespread war around the world, and you think a drone football coach is the greatest living American. WOW. Maybe you need to go to college and learn about real Americans. I have never heard anything so rediculous. Maybe if he was so great he would have been paying attention to the offense and made some adjustments as Tom Brady was losing his splean. Instead his arrogance resulted in them buying into their own hype. He was sitting with the defense when the offense desperately needed adjustments. NO CHARLIE WEISS perhaps? Greatest American? Hardly. You can tell he even despises himself and would not even stay on the field for the final second (likely so he could throw a challenge flag or file a motion that the game ended incorrectly) GO TO COLLGE. LEARN STUFF.
Oh dear, a colonial who can’t spell advising me to go to college.
Now, if you want to discuss the other matters you mention, which mostly begin and end with the worst living American (he’s currently residing in your White House) then fair enough.
Whoa, I just came on here to read what Beth had to say, as I’m a regular reader of her blog. What a bunch of pathetic arguments and pissy comments directed at her. Being born and raised in Massachusetts, I am still shellshocked at the moment, especially since the game ended at 3.10am for me (here in London), and I had less than 3 hours sleep.
But biggest choke artists? Greatest upset ever? Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t the Giants leading the Pats by 12 points with 19 minutes remaining in a game only 5 weeks ago? No one on the Pats went into this underestimating them. And my Dad is a lifelong Giants fan, they’ve always been my second team, so I’m certainly not bitter about any of it. Hats off to them, they played out of their skins, and our O-line certainly did us no favors.
And then back to this whole running up the score business: I am no fan of Dan Dierdorf, who I consider quite an idiot, but in a game earlier this season he commented on the whole uproar about the Pats running up the score. He said something along the lines that the fans who come to the games are paying to see the first-stringers, the stars: Brady, Moss, etc…and that these guys are paid to play and score. If anything, the opposing defenses should be embarrassed for not being able to stop them. I can’t remember the game, but late on they had a 4th and goal, leading by a lot. They went for the TD and scored it, and Dierdorf said (rightfully) that it would’ve been a lot more insulting had they kicked a FG (they were leading by 20-something at that point). At least by going for it on 4th they were saying to the D, ‘here’s your chance — stop us.’
As others said, yes, they illegally taped the Jets, but yes, they were punished, get over it ffs. They were beaten by a team that wanted it more (as Randy Moss) on the day, they were gracious in defeat, and move on.
I’m still depressed though.
sam, thanks for your support–at least i’ll have this thread to refer to when some new yorker brings out the tired old “NY fans are classier than boston fans” chestnut.
haha beth come on ive heard stories about the things fans in fenway and in foxborough say. Come on you boston fans have been on top of the world talking so much crap about how this is the greatest team ever blah blah blah and it was all shoved back in your face so deal with it. You’ve had a good couple years in baseball and football congrats. Before that it was about 90 years before the last championship in either sport so take it easy over there
o yea and im sorry i couldnt tell if he was a brit or a bostonian lol it doesnt really say it when you leave comments
typical NY fan. “yeah, well, i’ve heard stories about boston fans!” the time-honored “i’m rubber and you’re glue” defense. you know what, we’re not dealing with stories we may or may not have heard about boston fans here. right now, we’re dealing with the way you and other giants fans have documentably acted on this website, today.
and don’t give me that “take it easy” baloney like you’re suddenly the voice of reason after posting like 15 times with your all caps and exclamation points on this thread. if you’re having a change of heart, or don’t like the reactions you’ve gotten, think about why that is instead of telling *me* how to “deal with it”.
“….but let
Okay then, let’s hear the 500,000 reasons, if it’s not too much trouble.
hahaha beth ive posted so much cuz i took the day off from work today first of all second of all im sorry you are upset the patriots lost honestly well honestly im not you guys/girls had it coming and if there was ever a day to gloat for new yorkers its today so deal with it honestly it wouldnt have made a difference if i posted LIKE THIS or like this.
ps bolgne not baloney
I don’t understand how discussing a run that was 2 minutes away from ending 19-0 is shoving “the greatest team ever” in anybody’s face. Plain and simple, if the Patriots hang on to win that game, they would have been known as the greatest ever. No shoving or pushing, just fact. But, it didn’t happen. C’est la vie.
“i don
Pats O-line were up late the night before watching Hannah Montana videos….by the way “the golden boy” Brady looks like your average joe when tuck’s helmet is in his chest. Giants D-line played a “perfect” game and humanized the machine.
Hey guys….from the giants side
Great game, you are clearly an amazing team. From a giants point a view this is what I saw from the patsies that got me confused.
The usual energetic brady did not smile, nor show any emotion on the sidelines or before the game. Eli went to shake his hand and brady just starred and looked the other way before the game. The whole team was stone cold and ready for Business as the giants were smiling and full of energy. Im from RI so Im forced to watch most pats games and I always see them crazy with passion and laughing and joking even when things went “almost” south. But they were too flat today. My giants came out very very fast and physical ready for a dog fight and the pats looked content with keep 5 guys blocking, not dropping back Watson or Faulk to block.
I was stunned with the non field goal try…seemed to be arrogant in a way. Its the Superbowl you take all the pts you can get. Esp when a team is hitting you as much as they are. Pts are hard to come by
All in all…amazing game, congrats on a memorable season. Gluck in the future, hope we can see an Eli Brady Superbowl again
Andrew Farrar
But surely that fine was levied against the great Bill Belichick and not the Patriot organisation, therefore your logic is flawed.
read the whole blog post…not sure what the point you were trying to make at the end was…still think you suck.
enlightening feedback, matt, thanks.
The Pats got caught cheating, they are therefore, cheaters.
We can bitch and moan all we want about what the rest of the country says but Belichick and the videographers made their own bed on this one.
Andrew “therefore your logic is flawed”. What are
you going on about you silly wanker?
The Patriots organization (a/k/a “organisation”) was
fined $250,000 dollars for taping opposing teams.
Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for the same
charming episode. As he did not commit this
act (or cause it to be committed) as a private
citizen but as the head coach of the New England
Patriots,I think my logic is just fine.
//The Pats got caught cheating, they are therefore, cheaters.//
the Pats got caught cheating six months ago in the first quarter of one game. all the rest of it–all the character judgments on belichick in the press, the latest rams b.s., the blather from the greg easterbrooks of the world, the freakin’ congressional hearing–is the unnecessary crap i was talking about. the patriots cheated, past tense. saying they’re cheaters–in other words, by habit, inherently, and continually–is a completely different thing and at this point not supported by anything other than rumor and speculation.
i made no attempt to defend the patriots’ behavior against the jets, at the time or since. but bill belichick has been fined and the team has been penalized. when people start talking about coming after past super bowl trophies based on anonymously single-sourced news stories and obsessing over that last single second of the super bowl like it was a crime against humanity when belichick HUGGED the opposing coach before leaving the field, oh, and lumping patriots fans in with this villainous picture that’s been painted of the team coach, it’s a ridiculous, sanctimonious overreaction.
Just your maths isn’t – since surely it should be 750,001 reasons, if you include the lost draft pick.
A lost draft pick is worth considerably more that a
dollar Andrew.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary,
the term “math” has been in usage in London and the United States since 1890. The first usage of “maths” first occurred as a colloquialism 21 years later. Probably to ditinguish mathematics
from ‘math’ meaning a Hindu convert.
You haven’t seen India as a colony since August
1947,you can drop the “s” now.