You Don't Know What You Don't Know

So, I finally saw the smirk. The haters know what I'm talking about. The Tom Brady smirk. That crooked Mona Lisa smile that greets yet another press conference question asking him what he saw out there. Tell us about [fill in the player's name] and what he meant to the Patriots today/this season. Tom! Tom! Do you think you're the MVP? Tom! Tom! You know I never said you were a cheater; I always had your back! Tom! Over here, Tom! How important was getting that #1 seed?

Yeah, I finally saw the smirk.

And it was awesome.

Turning The Page

The solstice was ten days ago. Spring is months away. The calendar itself is an arbitrary and imperfect schedule defined thousands of years ago by people who thought the sun revolved around the earth. Despite all of this, there's still something special about the start of a New Year. The slate has been cleaned. Resolutions are made that are all basically about making a fresh start. I'm going to lose weight. I'm going to exercise and get in the best shape of my life. I'm going to live in the moment. I'm going to fire the people I told everyone a year or two or three ago was going to bring their football team to the Super Bowl. My bad. Moving on.

Deflategate: The Movie

Count me among those who will be happy to see 2016 go. As Jerry Thornton so eloquently put it (start around the 0:58 mark for full effect), 2016 can eat a dick. That was before 2016 had a fourth quarter for the ages. 2016 can eat a bag of dicks. Any "Best of 2016" list is an oxymoron. Can a year be cursed by gypsies? Did we slip into an alternate, upside down timeline? If so, how do we get back?

Personally, I've been hiding in football since early November (I think you know what I mean) and I have no intention of coming out anytime soon.

What Would Bill Do?

I've wondered in the past why so many NFL franchises struggle. There are only 32 general manager jobs to be had; you'd think in a matter of a few years all of those jobs would be filled with competent employees. Granted, based on performance it appears to be a difficult job but how large is the applicant pool for those 32 jobs? Hundreds? Thousands? I'd say the same about head coaching positions. And yet, that is definitely not a happening thing. How many consistently good NFL franchises are there? I'm going to say six; Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, Broncos, Packers, Seahawks. Maybe you have another franchise or two you'd add to the list. The Chiefs lately? The Giants maybe? The point is that you're not coming anywhere close to naming even half of the league as consistently good.

I've also noted previously that context of relative mediocrity is the key to New England's success on the field. They've won most games - organizationally - before the football leaves the tee.

The Patriots are the blueprint. Eight consecutive divisional crowns, six Super Bowl appearances over fifteen years with four wins. So, why don't other teams just ask, "What would Bill do?"

A Chance To Be Special

Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself. Yes, the Patriots need to win in Miami first. If they do, and it won't be easy, New England will finish 14-2-0 with the #1 seed in the AFC and home field for the playoffs. They will have ended three-game road losing streaks in Denver and Miami and finish the regular season undefeated on the road. They will have accomplished all of this despite having to start the season without Tom Brady and having to finish the season without Rob Gronkowski. This could be one of the best Patriots teams of the Belichick era and that's not a statement that can be made lightly. If Brady throws 3 TD passes without an INT this Sunday, he will own the single season record for TD/INT ratio (he currently holds 3 spots on the Top 10 list). If the defense pitches a shutout, they will become the stingiest Patriots defense of the Belichick era for points allowed.

Still a few questions left to be answered, of course.

Feeling Random

I'm a bit at loose ends today. Random thoughts. Questions without answers. Maybe it's the time of year, as the poet once wrote, or maybe it's the time of man…

Simple Doesn't Mean Easy

It's really simple for the Patriots. Win in Miami and they'll have the #1 seed in the AFC bracket and home field throughout the playoffs.

That doesn't mean it will be easy.

If there's a road venue that rivals Denver for the New England Patriots, it's got to be Miami.