Pinch me.
The Patriots cried havoc and let slip the dogs of war on the Jets. It was stunning to watch in real time. Should I have looked away in horror? Thought for at least a moment about the children of Jets' players and what going back to school was going to be like for them? Felt a moment's sympathy for the grievous emotional injuries suffered by Jets fans for lo, so many years?
I did not.
Hey, it was the Jets! As a Patriots fan I want to rub that green and black schadenfreude all over my body. Watching the highlight clip of the Butt Fumble game on YouTube is a Thanksgiving tradition in my house. It would be hard living through the Patriots going 2-17-0, but if those two wins were over the Jets, I'd be like, yeah, that was bad, so why am I smiling?
Because it feels so good. (So good, so good. IFYKYK.)
As Patriots fans, we're playing with house money, now.
You were hoping for 8-9 wins?
Here's 13 dubs and counting.
Maybe your glass of Patriots official Wild Blueberry Kool-Aid was half-full and you were wishcasting a Wild Card playoff game.
How about a home game as AFC East Champs?
You told yourself you were going to be happy if Drake Maye could just cut down on the turnovers?
How about rooting for a transcendent talent at QB?
How about those MVP chants on the road?
I don't care if you were throwing against air, a 19/21/256/5/0 slash line is Vezzini-level inconceivable.
Look, I'm not going to lie. If the Patriots lose in the first round of the playoffs, I'm going to be disappointed. It's going to hurt. Because I'm not just rooting for laundry, here; I like these guys. I like the way they play for each other. I like their chaotic blend of grace, beauty and shocking violence.
And I like the fact that even after 13 wins, pigskin pundits and bobbleheads still don't believe the New England Patriots are for real. (Keep in mind that some argued the Patriots wouldn't cover the -13.5 point line against the Jets. The Patriots aren't that good.) They say it's the soft schedule that got them here, but their lack of top end talent, and the lack of depth on the roster - you don't rebuild an NFL roster in just one year, after all - will prove to be fatal flaws in the playoffs: Nice try, kid. Now here's your lollipop.
Wait! I've got a song DJ Amygdala just put on the turntable…
You got no fear of the underdog,
That's why you will not survive...
Belief is a powerful thing.
Mike Vrabel has the New England Patriots believing.
And I get the feeling he absolutely hates lollipops.
Go Pats!
No comments:
Post a Comment