If we get past Atlanta, should fans be talking about "it"?

[PatriotSeven]

You know what what I'm talking about, and I'm only bringing this up as a pre-emptive in case it does happen before the talk can really start.

Should we? Is there more pressure? Or should we never mention it by name? Pretend it's no big deal, we forgot? Just ignore it? I mean we can think it, but should we say it?

What's the proper way of handling that in terms of football fan superstition in order not to upset the football Gods? Should we just handle any talk about that as "no big deal, done it before, we just want a ring"?

Just brush it off the shoulder? Or do we confidently go out and buy bottles of shampagne and ride the train until it crashes if it crashes? Pop a cork every Sunday kind of deal?

I don't know how I should feel about this and starting to fall apart. I need a Snickers.

Edit: Or maybe we should pull for the Giants to go 0-16 instead? Pop two corks? Cause, I mean, right now that's a possibility too...they got beat the Carolina 38-0. That would make up for it a little bit.

 

[Wax Frog]

I admire your courage (or is it recklessness?)

 

[DocHoliday]

I don't know about you, but I pray and hope for 23-0 every year. When we lose a preseason game it's 19-0.

I don't buy the 'burden of being perfect' or the idea that you should lose a few times to get it out of your system.

 

[fnordcircle]

Nope.10 characters

 

[pherein]

Brilliant post, kill the edit
In a way we pitty NE fans. So many SB's, so much success.
We went threw a microcosm of it. 43 years, emotions I expressed here, and the win. Later it made us expect more, for no reason, and be disapointed, when in the past we would have understood. We kind of lost our innocence, and then the media came.
Before we knew it, we were defending everything and lost what we really loved.
We love our team, football, and the fans.
This year thats changed. Same old Saints we cant win a thing but love the boys.
Everyone is nervious about every game, its turned.

Yes, you should talk about it, get excited, make stupid banners before the game, paint your face, hope, prey, get emotionally involed, Yell we will win in forum.
Because the Patriots are back, and we can feel it.

scream for your boys to give you a SB! be naive and love the game. You never know, it might come true
Its so much better than not, is what we learned.

ps. talking about the SB at 4-0 is ridicules

 

[PatriotSeven]

I don't know about you, but I pray and hope for 23-0 every year. When we lose a preseason game it's 19-0.

I don't buy the 'burden of being perfect' or the idea that you should lose a few times to get it out of your system.

He said it!

I sense feelings of being unsure in you too. When you say you "don't buy it"....it feels like shaky acknowledgment that it exists.

 

[supafly]

I think that the reality is that expectations are always going to be that the team makes a deep postseason run just about every year.

That said, I personally will be taking one game at a time--at least until the post-Thanksgiving run. It's way too early to think about anything like a SB run at this point in time (week 4), even if they start off 4-0.

Just like every year, it's first the division, then the possibility of HFA with a 1 or 2 seed.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Second time I've seen this topic pop up in the past week. I don't know why anyone would even want to go 16-0. It doesn't guarantee a SB victory as we all know, and a SB victory is what's important.



It's only week 4. Calm the **** down.

 

[Claremonster]

What was the question?

 

[supafly]

Second time I've seen this topic pop up in the past week. I don't know why anyone would even want to go 16-0. It doesn't guarantee a SB victory as we all know, and a SB victory is what's important.



It's only week 4. Calm the **** down.

This team isn't going 16-0, so any talk is kind of pointless in my opinion. I misunderstood the OP and thought he was talking about going to the SB; and even that is way too early to put much stock into. We got off to the start that most of us expected with wins against BUF, NYJ, and TB. Nothing more.

What was the question?

I think the question is in regards to a perfect season, which is utterly ridiculous in my opinion (no disrespect to the OP).

 

[PatriotSeven]

Second time I've seen this topic pop up in the past week. I don't know why anyone would even want to go 16-0. It doesn't guarantee a SB victory as we all know, and a SB victory is what's important.



It's only week 4. Calm the **** down.

Why would I be talking about 16-0? That's nothing.

 

[pherein]

Why would I be talking about 16-0? That's nothing.

no reason why you shouldnt be, its a game, and fun. Love the hope im seeing

 

[YearbookCurfew]

Aw helllll nawww! WE still have to beat a CRAP LOAD of other teams to even think about that. Plus, we've got to beat the Ravens, Steelers, Bengals, Saints, and Broncos to prove that we are the best.

 

[DaBruinz]

You know what what I'm talking about, and I'm only bringing this up as a pre-emptive in case it does happen before the talk can really start.

Should we? Is there more pressure? Or should we never mention it by name? Pretend it's no big deal, we forgot? Just ignore it? I mean we can think it, but should we say it?

What's the proper way of handling that in terms of football fan superstition in order not to upset the football Gods? Should we just handle any talk about that as "no big deal, done it before, we just want a ring"?

Just brush it off the shoulder? Or do we confidently go out and buy bottles of shampagne and ride the train until it crashes if it crashes? Pop a cork every Sunday kind of deal?

I don't know how I should feel about this and starting to fall apart. I need a Snickers.

Edit: Or maybe we should pull for the Giants to go 0-16 instead? Pop two corks? Cause, I mean, right now that's a possibility too...they got beat the Carolina 38-0. That would make up for it a little bit.

No. You don't start thinking about IT until week 11 or so. That's when things really start to shake out..

 

[PatriotSeven]

No. You don't start thinking about IT until week 11 or so. That's when things really start to shake out..

I'm sorry.

But I did look up the last time when we were 3-0, and it was 2007. I couldn't stop the thought. It came.

 

[supafly]

No. You don't start thinking about IT until week 11 or so. That's when things really start to shake out..

I agree with DaBruinz. All they can strive for is the ability to put their best foot forward every week in practice, film study, training, and on the field production. That will always be the #1 goal.

If they somehow get the right combination of luck, hard work, and production and the record shows a nice 11-0 or 12-0 in front of it, then the focus will start to creep in everyone's mind.

Until then, it's going to be all about taking one game at a time and staying within the present. As we've seen in the past, at least this team isn't afraid to go for it should it come down to that.

I think as fans though, we need to temper our expectations to following the team's lead with one game at a time, and hoping for nothing more than a successful season with a shot at a playoff run. The reality is that most of us assume a "deep" playoff run, and that's just being truthful. It's almost unfair in some ways to expect another SB appearance every single year, so any thought after week #3 about a perfect season is going to do nothing more than heighten expectations that are already sky high as it is.

I'm sorry.

But I did look up the last time when we were 3-0, and it was 2007. I couldn't stop the thought. It came.

No need to feel apologetic at all. It's a fair enough question.

The reality is that we already have super high expectations though, which is one of the reasons why so many tend to overreact when the team loses a regular season game---which is almost guaranteed to happen at least several times this year.

For what it's worth, you're right about the last two 3-0 starts.

2007 led to a 3-0 start and the SB loss vs the NYG

2004 led to a 3-0 start and the SB win vs PHI


Also keep in mind though, that if you'd go back to the THIRD 3-0 start which took place in 2002, the team then went 6-7 and completely failed to even make the playoffs.

There's not really much we can take from the start this year aside from the fact that the defense has improved, the offense seems to be focused in overcoming the challenges and will likely improve with time, and that they haven't faced much high level competition as of yet. We'll have a much better feel at the halfway point, or even after the next 3 games.

 

[PatriotSeven]

I agree with DaBruinz. All they can strive for is the ability to put their best foot forward every week in practice, film study, training, and on the field production. That will always be the #1 goal.

If they somehow get the right combination of luck, hard work, and production and the record shows a nice 11-0 or 12-0 in front of it, then the focus will start to creep in everyone's mind.

Until then, it's going to be all about taking one game at a time and staying within the present. As we've seen in the past, at least this team isn't afraid to go for it should it come down to that.

I think as fans though, we need to temper our expectations to following the team's lead with one game at a time, and hoping for nothing more than a successful season with a shot at a playoff run. The reality is that most of us assume a "deep" playoff run, and that's just being truthful. It's almost unfair in some ways to expect another SB appearance every single year, so any thought after week #3 about a perfect season is going to do nothing more than heighten expectations that are already sky high as it is.



No need to feel apologetic at all. It's a fair enough question.

The reality is that we already have super high expectations though, which is one of the reasons why so many tend to overreact when the team loses a regular season game---which is almost guaranteed to happen at least several times this year.

For what it's worth, you're right about the last two 3-0 starts.

2007 led to a 3-0 start and the SB loss vs the NYG

2004 led to a 3-0 start and the SB win vs PHI


Also keep in mind though, that if you'd go back to the THIRD 3-0 start which took place in 2002, the team then went 6-7 and completely failed to even make the playoffs.

There's not really much we can take from the start this year aside from the fact that the defense has improved, the offense seems to be focused in overcoming the challenges and will likely improve with time, and that they haven't faced much high level competition as of yet. We'll have a much better feel at the halfway point, or even after the next 3 games.

Thanks. I'm usually very reasonable, grounded, and not superstitious...except when it comes to this. It's like that one thing that just kind of makes you throw all that out the window and use any kind of crazy fan "logic" to support it.

To me, even though it's not something I like to admit, I've always felt like even a SB win wouldn't be enough. You gotta finish what you started. And I always wonder if Tom and Bill think like that. Maybe deep down? And I know, I know....that's crazy, insane expectations, impractical, improbable, highly unlikely, no chance in hell, .....if it wasn't for the fact we were 1 freaking pass from doing it. And if it wasn't for the fact that at this point, the greatest Superbowl for us seems to be the one we lost. And will be remembered that way.

That bothers me. So there, I'm being honest. It does.

 

[dales804]

I'm sorry.

But I did look up the last time when we were 3-0, and it was 2007. I couldn't stop the thought. It came.

I think "it" moved, Jerry.

Really though, I think it's fine to think about at 4-0 but not all that worthwhile until 10- or 11-0. And wouldn't that be something?

 

[Sparetire]

About what? i dont get it!

 

[thenepatsrule]