The team formerly known as High Road

[FrontSeven]

I read some guy on SI (forget who, and it's all sounding the same now) that ragged on the Pats for having presented themselves as the High Road team a few years ago. Then he enumerated all of the "adventures" that the team has had that "prove" them to be mortal. Mortal equated to being evil, of course. But finally an insight to the genesis of this image problem.

I think we're seeing payback for all of the "we're humble" and "we're better than that" bullshidt over the years. We're getting a dose of what we handed out. Whenever somebody now holds us up to that lofty religious level of good versus evil, it's because we grandstanded our goodness in denial. We started it. Deny it now, and suffer even more. We grandstanded the same way Tony Dungy does, and the same way Don Shula does. If we don't like them doing it, time to shut the hell up and put all that crap away. It's ancient history.

I'm not saying that the moralists are right. That is ludicrous. That is stupid. You are an idiot if you even thought that mildewed thought. You are not hearing what I'm saying: We started it by putting out the same exact message.

I don't think most NFL fans are ready for that truth. I expect to be skewered because I "don't get it" about how wrong the critics are. No, I do know how wrong they are. They are exactly as wrong as we were to start this High Road nonsense in 2001. We were not a patriotic team. That was nonsense. That was Madison Avenue. That was a coincidence with the tragedy. We have nothing to do with mom or apple pie or wars. We were not morally better or better for America than the Rams. We had a better football team on the given day - period. End of bragging rights. This isn't about tears for the country, and who is Ameriica's team and who is lovable because they are on such a moral high road. That was a lie, as much as Don Shula is lying.

My question is: Why the need to lie? Aren't three SB trophies speaking loudly enough that the team is well run?

If the team is actually a leader then they'll stop feeding this asinine myth that they are morally better. They simply are better at executing an organizational plan in the NFL. Period. The team is made up of imperfect people - WOW - big news.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

The Pats did not create the myth. The media did. They saw a team of no names and rallied around the story of teamwork that they created. A little bit is based in truth but they blew it up and turned it into some battle cry like they're trying to do with the Colts representing 'good' now and the Pats representing evil. That's what they do but I'm still amazed that people are dumb enough to buy into it one way or the other. Who cares? Embrace it because the current success won't last forever.
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[Fixit]

I read some guy on SI (forget who, and it's all sounding the same now) that ragged on the Pats for having presented themselves as the High Road team a few years ago.

Never happened. All they did was play. Media started portraying them as such when they were taking problem children like Corey Dillon and Bryan Cox and turning them into angels.

 

[Tommysgirl]

When did the Pats grandstand?

 

[Bostonian1962]

Show me one quote ever, where say Bellichick, or perhaps Brady grandstanded as you suggest. You can't, I say respectfully. Heck, I can't even picture BB saying anything close to "That's not the Patriot way. We're better than that. We just want to win with nice, classy, decent people", or whatever.

The other posters are correct. It's been so completely media driven.

Sometimes Pats players are forced to answer and respond to this crap, but that's much different than "starting it".

Now, the head coach and organization did preach "team first", but that's different too. Surely, you're not blasting the team for coming out in the first Super Bowl AS A TEAM, are you?

I think if you go back and check, you'll find your post is correct, only if attributing more to the talking heads, and less to the team itself. We went through this drill a few months back.

 

[Tunescribe]

The Pats did not create the myth. The media did. They saw a team of no names and rallied around the story of teamwork that they created. A little bit is based in truth but they blew it up and turned it into some battle cry like they're trying to do with the Colts representing 'good' now and the Pats representing evil. That's what they do but I'm still amazed that people are dumb enough to buy into it one way or the other. Who cares? Embrace it because the current success won't last forever.
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Precisely. The Patriots didn't ask to be portrayed the way they were early on and certainly did not "earn" the derision aimed at them currently. It's all a media concoction. Where does this "grandstanding" allegation come from?

 

[stinkypete]

All the Patriots have done since 2001 is play football. They have nothing to do with image. They buy into the system. The system dictates that you keep your mouth shut and you play football.

When you are a team of no names, playing for a long-suffering city, in the wake of a national tragedy, and you knock off a giant to win the nation's biggest championship, you will be portrayed as a hero. That is the way our society and your media is built.

When you are a team that has cought all the breaks, playing for a city that is fat with victory, winning championship after championship, continually rebuilding and somehow morphing into BETTER teams, talking humble after laying waste to every opponent, never satisfied, always searching for the extra edge, always trying to play better, on a crash course with history, you will be portrayed as a villian. That is the way that our society and our media is built.

 

[Patstopia]

The Pats never represented themselves as anything but a TEAM. They did not want the "me first" guys that are on other teams. They never presented themselves as 'saints' and for that that matter, for most of BB's time as HC, the complaints have been about any communication at all.

Mr. Kraft and BB like high character people who love football, and have always tried to have them on the team. That does not mean priests. It means people who were smart and put football first.

Now none of this means that the Pats were presenting themselves as the guardians of truth, justice and the american way. All it has ever meant is that the Pats were dedicated to winning, and trying to do the best they could to accomplish it. And like everything in this world, things happen, you can either move on or be dragged down.

I for one am proud of my team, the coach and the owner for moving forward and taking control of their own destiny.

 

[KoolAidDrinker]

I for one am proud of my team, the coach and the owner for moving forward and taking control of their own destiny.

Hear! Hear!

I am enjoying the bjesus out of this season so far. Absolutely love it!

I am having difficulty getting through the bye week though; replayed the Colts game a couple o' hundred times. Maybe I'll re-watch the Cowboy game.

Sure hope Indy loses in SD this weekend, but I'm not betting on it.

 

[aluminum seats]

I realize I'm adding to it now, but everyone should try and not respond to incoherent posts/threads like this one. Just let them sink quietly to the bottom of the lake.