People hate the New England Patriots. Plain and simple, no two ways about it. Heading into Super Bowl 51, it seems like everyone outside of New England is rooting for the Atlanta Falcons. I don’t understand – reasons include Bill Belichick being “a douche,” Tom Brady being a “puss-boy,” they are “cheaters,” or they “want to see someone else win a Super Bowl. The Patriots have won plenty.”
What’s funny is that people seemed to adore Michael Jordan. There’s plenty of New York Yankees fans all over the country. College football fans have likely grown tired of seeing Alabama dominate year in and year out, but still appreciate the greatness involved. Manchester United. The Chicago Blackhawks. John Cena. I could go on and on, but I won’t because I’m a responsible writer who knows when he’s made his point and it’s time to move on.
The point is that people seem to cheer for greatness. They seem to enjoy bearing witness to a player or team in the prime of his/her career. People may roll their eyes at the Yankees or Spurs, but the vitriol that exists for the Patriots is found nowhere else in sports. So, why are they different?
“Well, they’re cheaters.”
Hmmm…..okay, let’s address the elephant in the room. Y’all are talking about Spygate and Deflategate, right? Well, I think there’s a deeper-rooted issue with Belichick and Brady. Brady is goofy, I’ll give you that. He has the life that every man wants – star Super Bowl-winning quarterback, super model wife, featured in Stetson ads…and yeah, he can seem a little brash and over-confident at times. But, shit people – that just comes along with being the G.O.A.T.
Belichick has long had a reputation of being abrasive….like, with everyone. Reporters, players, coaches, anyone he comes into contact with while in football mode. He’s built a process, “The Patriot Way” if you will, and he sticks to it. No shenanigans. You either comply, or you’re out – and look at the success he’s had. He is the greatest head football coach in NFL history. Bar none. No questions surrounding it anymore.
But, because these resentful ideas existed, “scandals” such as Spygate and Deflategate gave people a reason to hold on to their hate and justify it. But, it’s still just that: haters gonna hate.
Spygate
Stealing signals has been around in the NFL for a loooooooooong time. This is something that every team does. In fact, it’s not even against the rules to film your opponent! But, the Patriots did it from an unapproved locations. So, let’s clarify that for all of you out there spitting the rhetoric that the Patriots cheated because they stole signals from the Jets, you’re wrong. They got caught filming from a camera that wasn’t enclosed on all sides with a “roof” above it. Seriously – that’s it.
Deflategate
I’m really tempted to go off on a rant here about what an absolute joke Deflategate was….but, for brevity’s sake, I’ll point you to a solid write-up on YourTeamCheats.com. Read it. I want to see if reasonable people can read this stuff and still conclusively state that the Patriots are horrendous human beings. It just doesn’t add up – reports were discredited, data was corrupted, and the Colts were found to be using deflated footballs, too!
I’m not saying the Patriots never break the rules. They do. But, the fact is that everybody breaks the rules in today’s NFL. Your Team Cheats, the nifty resource that it is, grades the Patriots as “below average NFL cheaters,” with 14 teams ranked ahead of them in terms of who’s cheating the most.
The Patriots are victims here. Luckily for them, they have strong leaders in Belichick and Brady who have parlayed this into a motivational tool. Now, I want to see Roger Goodell have to hand that trophy to Belichick.
The NFL wants parity. If the Patriots win and win and win (with a salary cap in place, mind you), there’s potential for people to lose interest in the product. That’s risking ratings dropping, and advertising dollars dropping, too. So, yeah – Goodell is going to make an example of New England any chance he gets.
Maybe it’s the conspiracy theorist in me, but the NFL has come down way too hard on this franchise, and football fans all across the country have bought it hook, line, and sinker.
Now, go ahead – revoke my Super Bowl press credentials….oh, wait…
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, Contributor to FanSided’s Bama Hammer, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo, @Bama_Hammer
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