PATRIOT64

I think we have a solid game performing kicker in Gostkowski and think he is doing fine as a rookie but I don't think we should disrespect Vinatieri despite the fact he went to play for the enemy and for more money.

Remember we might only be talking about the possibility of winning our first super bowl this year if we had a kicker in the past 5 years who did not perform well under extreme stress and importance like Adam did in his days here and it is very unlikely that too many kickers make that long FG in the snow bowl game to start up the 'dynasty' and make Brady a star in the making,We may never see a veteran clutch kicker like that again here for a long time,Lets hope Gostkowski is that man for now and in years to come to dispute this statement.

Adam was our best kicker ever in Patriots history and we should respect what he did for us in the past,True he might have been a traitor as some have called him but most NFL players or even everyday people would jump ship for more money with few exceptions like Bruschi and Brady do here.

Adam was great for us and we would not have traded him for any previous kicker in NFL history when he was making clutch FGs game after game.

So for all of you calling him names now just because he is the enemy,remember 1 thing ...When you were watching the ball go thru the uprights at the end of SB 36 to win our first championship and against Carolina in SB 38 you just wanted to jump onto the field and hold up Adam and give hugs and some fan love like the other players did that day.

Don't be a hypocrite and hate him now and hope he dies or breaks a leg like some have posted in the past,You can hope he misses every kick come next sunday and as a diehard Patriots fan I do as well,but I will always have a deep respect and admiration in my heart for what Adam did for us in 10 years and no Vinatieri in a Colts uniform will take that away,take that Colts uniform off and he is still the same guy who was a big part of the reason we have 3 Lombardi Trophies sitting in a case display at Gillette - Don't ever forget that.

Just hoping we have no major Adam bashing this week on here,Would hate to see that - All we should do is wish he has a rotten day on sunday,Thats what being a fan of the Patriots is really about,hoping the other team messes up .

Bobs My Uncle

The traitor is the enemy right now. I wish nothing but bad things for him now.

BelichickFan

Ditto. Adam is dead to me. Gotti lives.

Kasmir

You can worship Vinatieri, but to me he's just a kicker. The tying snowbowl kick was probably the greatest clutch kick ever, and that plus the subsequent much easier superbowl winner made his reputation. But his performance after that has been nothing extraordinary. He missed two kicks in the Carolina game. I remember thinking that if he'd missed the game winner, he would have extinguished his legend. He missed again in the Denver playoff game, and was not good in his game against us this year. His kickoffs have awful lately.

Despite all that, he had it made for life in Boston, yet decided in his arrogance to take his legend on the road. The Colts will never celebrate his Pats kicks, and he's now a dead man to many of us here. It was a big career gamble for Viniatieri to throw away his celebrity status in Boston for the marginal extra money and whatever else he's trying to prove in Indy. He spit on the city when he left, letting us know he didn't value the lifetime of adulation he had secured.

There's actually more pressure on Vinatieri in this coming game than on Gost. If Viniatieri blows a kick that could be a game winner, his reputation will never recover. With Gost, nobody expects much, so it's all upside.

PATRIOT64

I don't see where I used the term 'Worship',I said respect.
I worship God,not a kicker,I just respect for what he did for us,Don't get extreme.

Kasmir

Sometimes it's hard to tell fanatic adulation from worship.

PUKingPumpkin

Well, to be fair to Kasmir, you did say "deep respect and admiration in my heart"-- that sure sounds emotional and a more than pure cold rationality.. Maybe not worship, but perhaps a little fawning (don't get me wrong, I can't separate my emotions either from pure analytics when I think of that lousy rat b*stard).

hwc

Who is Adam?

Halifax_Pats_Fan

I agree with your post, I respect AV and I appreciate him for what he did for our team, no matter what anyone else says around here. He produced some great memories for us as fans and he was a great kicker for NE. Mind you he is the enemy now and I will not cheer for him, obviously, this weekend. It's really that simple. He was great when he was with us, he is not with us anymore, so he gets treated like all other members of the opposing team....

upstater1

He talked some trash at one point. I guess it's hard not to when you've had testy negotiations.