Why, and when, did things get so damn nasty?

Pats started dominating the league like no other...Colts fans have always *****ed about everything etc.

Since the NFL turned into the WWE and started caring more about generating publicity good or bad rather than the product on the field.

MuscleCarLover said:

Awesome truth: ask 100 people if they are smarter than average and 80% will will say they are (and will say their kids are of course) yet that 100 people still fit a bell curve of intelligence like any population.

Click to expand...

Funny with your name I would have expected you to reference how some 60% (based off memory) think they're better than average drivers.

I stated in another thread that the mental stress "deflategate" (and similar contentious nonsense) brings to a hobby/diversion I've relied upon all these years to escape stress ruins whatever joy is left. I'm not sure it's worth hearing and reading "Cheaters!" "Liars!" at every turn, especially when I know it's not true. You need a thick skin and most of it I can tune out, but real life and death is grim enough without putting football on the same level.

This is exactly how I feel. I think this is why I am so upset about this whole thing. I use the Pats to escape stress and bring me joy, not wallow in stress and anger. The news gets worse every day. It's incredible and I don't know how to fix it in my own little world.

PatsDeb said:

I stated in another thread that the mental stress "deflategate" (and similar contentious nonsense) brings to a hobby/diversion I've relied upon all these years to escape stress ruins whatever joy is left. I'm not sure it's worth hearing and reading "Cheaters!" "Liars!" at every turn, especially when I know it's not true. You need a thick skin and most of it I can tune out, but real life and death is grim enough without putting football on the same level.

This is exactly how I feel. I think this is why I am so upset about this whole thing. I use the Pats to escape stress and bring me joy, not wallow in stress and anger. The news gets worse every day. It's incredible and I don't know how to fix it in my own little world.

Click to expand...

I haven't had the same reaction to Framegate. At first, before the SB, it bothered me. But now that they won the SB on the greatest defensive play in NFL history, it makes me laugh my ass off to think about the assorted nutjobs in the NFL coming after us. It's the New England Patriots vs the World and the World is going to get their ass kicked again.

It's great to be King.

1960Pats said:

I haven't had the same reaction to Framegate. At first, before the SB, it bothered me. But now that they won the SB on the greatest defensive play in NFL history, it makes me laugh my ass off to think about the assorted nutjobs in the NFL coming after us. It's the New England Patriots vs the World and the World is going to get their ass kicked again.

It's great to be King.

Click to expand...

The Superbowl made me forget about it for a while too, but now that the hanging of the banner and/or opening night of the 2015 season without Tom Brady are threatened, and apparently a real possibility (surreal as that may seem), it brings it all front & center, 24/7. As Tune said, you wonder if this is all worth it (and I wonder too, if Brady is thinking the same thing).

Things became nasty when BB resigned as HC of the NYJ.

PatsDeb said:

The Superbowl made me forget about it for a while too, but now that the hanging of the banner and/or opening night of the 2015 season without Tom Brady are threatened, and apparently a real possibility (surreal as that may seem), it brings it all front & center, 24/7. As Tune said, you wonder if this is all worth it (and I wonder too, if Brady is thinking the same thing).

Click to expand...

I understand how you and some other Pats fans feel, but I just don't share those same feelings. And I definitely don't think that Brady is a quitter.

I just happened to turn on the radio this morning and here we are more than 3 months after the season has ended and a Bills fan is crying to the Jets fan host about the Pats. Normally they would have been done crying by now.

This could become the best off season ever.

PatsDeb said:

I stated in another thread that the mental stress "deflategate" (and similar contentious nonsense) brings to a hobby/diversion I've relied upon all these years to escape stress ruins whatever joy is left. I'm not sure it's worth hearing and reading "Cheaters!" "Liars!" at every turn, especially when I know it's not true. You need a thick skin and most of it I can tune out, but real life and death is grim enough without putting football on the same level.

This is exactly how I feel. I think this is why I am so upset about this whole thing. I use the Pats to escape stress and bring me joy, not wallow in stress and anger. The news gets worse every day. It's incredible and I don't know how to fix it in my own little world.

Click to expand...

What I've come to realized as an avid sports fan is that I often struggle to keep things in perspective. No sports fan should allow their lives to be heavily effected by their team. No obsession can be a good thing. So I can not...or should not allow "sports" to bring me too far up or too far down. It's pretty much that simple...but certainly not that easy.

I was driving to play golf with my 85 year old dad yesterday and he was talking about the Patriots getting screwed and he had so much anger in his voice it made me realize I don't want to be that angry....nor should I allow myself to be that angry. I love the Patriots and Tom Brady...and yes, probably too much. But whatever happens should never make or break my days. Because no matter how I "feel", in the grand scheme of things, they are not THAT important.

My head can accept that as fact...but my emotions struggle with it.

PatriotsReign said:

What I've come to realized as an avid sports fan is that I often struggle to keep things in perspective. No sports fan should allow their lives to be heavily effected by their team. No obsession can be a good thing. So I can not...or should not allow "sports" to bring me too far up or too far down. It's pretty much that simple...but certainly not that easy.

I was driving to play golf with my 85 year old dad yesterday and he was talking about the Patriots getting screwed and he had so much anger in his voice it made me realize I don't want to be that angry....nor should I allow myself to be that angry. I love the Patriots and Tom Brady...and yes, probably too much. But whatever happens should never make or break my days. Because no matter how I "feel", in the grand scheme of things, they are not THAT important.

My head can accept that as fact...but my emotions struggle with it.

Click to expand...

Just the fact that you're playing golf with your 85 year old dad trumps anything the Pats have done.

For me it was when I was young that I would get carried away with sports. I can still feel the anger I had back in 1976 for Ben Dreith and that theft, and the hurt before that of being looked down upon by the old NFLers. I also remember getting real fired up for hockey games during the big bad Bruins days. I was up and cheering when Pie Mackenzie turned Forbes Kennedy's face into a bloody mess.

Now? I just try to ignore all the happy horse crap and enjoy the athletic events, but there's more horse crap now than ever.

1960Pats said:

Just the fact that you're playing golf with your 85 year old dad trumps anything the Pats have done.

For me it was when I was young that I would get carried away with sports. I can still feel the anger I had back in 1976 for Ben Dreith and that theft, and the hurt before that of being looked down upon by the old NFLers. I also remember getting real fired up for hockey games during the big bad Bruins days. I was up and cheering when Pie Mackenzie turned Forbes Kennedy's face into a bloody mess.

Now? I just try to ignore all the happy horse crap and enjoy the athletic events, but there's more horse crap now than ever.

Click to expand...

Just look at our board! It seems there are people looking at this board hours per day and some think they're part of the fight. We are not part of the fight unless some fans hire lawyers and take the NFL to court.

We're by-standers...end of story. We're by-standers during the games and we cheer our Patriots on. Same thing applies in this mess...all we can do is support our team.

The American sports fan nation is DEEPLY fugged up! It's all about "my side against your side" and don't insult my side. It is exactly like partisan politics and it's WRONG.

Having said that, I see more wrong with the level of hatred and venom from opposing fans that I do here. But our level of obsession is a bit frightening lately.

I have a nephew playing quarterback for his high school team and my dad and I attend every game. Our level of excitement for his games FAR exceeds any emotion we feel for our Patriots. If he had a game on Super Bowl Sunday, we'd just tape it so we could watch him play. Because family is far more important than watching Tom Brady lead the Patriots.

If it wasn't, the end would certainly be near 60!

PatriotsReign said:

Just look at our board! It seems there are people looking at this board hours per day and some think they're part of the fight. We are not part of the fight unless some fans hire lawyers and take the NFL to court.

We're by-standers...end of story. We're by-standers during the games and we cheer our Patriots on. Same thing applies in this mess...all we can do is support our team.

The American sports fan nation is DEEPLY fugged up! It's all about "my side against your side" and don't insult my side. It is exactly like partisan politics and it's WRONG.

Having said that, I see more wrong with the level of hatred and venom from opposing fans that I do here. But our level of obsession is a bit frightening lately.

I have a nephew playing quarterback for his high school team and my dad and I attend every game. Our level of excitement for his games FAR exceeds any emotion we feel for our Patriots. If he had a game on Super Bowl Sunday, we'd just tape it so we could watch him play. Because family is far more important than watching Tom Brady lead the Patriots.

If it wasn't, the end would certainly be near 60!

Click to expand...

I feel blessed to have grown up at a time when the game was the story in sports. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat it was called.

I also feel blessed to have seen the days when sportsmanship ruled. Not that they were choir boys or anything back then, but there seemed to be a code of honor, where they didn't show each other up. Now they do a dance on just an average play.

As for the importance of the family, I just happened to have attended an event where Steve DeOssie would usually be in attendance. That led me to tell my wife, youngest son and his wife (none of them sports fans) about the time that DeOssie was "caught" firing up his son's team (the NY Giants) for the SB vs the Pats in 2011. DeOssie took a pretty good beating here for that, but it was pretty much unanimous at our dinner table on Mother's Day what we would do if our oldest ended up playing for a team that met the Pats in the SB. As they say, that one is a no brainer.

You know, the longer this goes on, i find myself getting more and more pissed off about it. Tom Brady has been a model employee and face of the league for 15 years or so now. Never has he been in trouble or fined, this farce happens and he is instantly number one on the NFLs most wanted list. A dirtbag. A cheater. A horrible person.

I really wouldnt blame him if he retired, he doesnt deserve this and it is downright shameful the way he is being treated. 15 years of examplary conduct means nothing.

PatsfanTN said:

Tom Brady has been a model employee and face of the league for 15 years or so now. Never has he been in trouble or fined, this farce happens and he is instantly number one on the NFLs most wanted list. A dirtbag. A cheater. A horrible person.

Click to expand...

TB as the face of evil in America, right? I never thought that would sell. Still believe it has to fail.
Doesn't pass "the eyeball test" to most folks. He really has been a first class gentleman, all the way. Spoken in public maybe 1000 times, never gone out of line, never attacked anyone, always humble. I have watched all of it, listened every Monday on EEI, read Holly's books, Halberstam, I believe he is the real deal.

The criticisms always say more to me about the haters.

PatsfanTN said:

I really wouldnt blame him if he retired, he doesnt deserve this and it is downright shameful the way he is being treated.

Click to expand...

I can't even think that. Some alarm goes off in my head "ALL STOP". Heh.

I agree he should feel profoundly wronged. But quitting is not in his playbook, right?
His character is to bear down, dig in, work harder, fight. It is what made him. This central characteristic, this is the part I admire and respect most of all.
He won't back down. If anything, it will reinforce that eternal chip on his shoulder to prove it again.

Tunescribe said:

....The higher ideals of athletic competition were something we aspired to, valued and learned from in hopes of becoming people of stronger character. It was "fun" that we took seriously as a way of measuring ourselves, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Click to expand...

I think we (as a nation) are just taking sports too seriously - win at all costs mentality.

Back 50 years ago, sports was more entertainment, and you accepted whatever happened to your team and came back next Sunday. Now fans act as though it's life-and-death, view teams as either pure good or pure evil. Add to that going from coverage 1-2 a week to 24/7. I mean, in the 70's the Patriots might have had shows on game day and the day after, then you wait until the next game (correct me if wrong.) Of course we can post here anytime and other places today.

I also think this nation is becoming less sportsmanlike.

RecoveringCowboy said:

I think we are just taking sports too seriously - win at all costs mentality.

Back 50 years ago, sports was more entertainment, and you accepted whatever happened to your team and came back next Sunday. Now fans act as though it's life-and-death, view teams as either pure good or pure evil. Add to that going from coverage 1-2 a week to 24/7. I mean, in the 70's the Patriots might have had shows on game day and the day after, then you wait until the next game (correct me if wrong.) Of course we can post here anytime and other places today.

I also think this nation is becoming less sportsmanlike.

Click to expand...

Follow the money.

Human beings are always ready to take down their heroes. Heroes make them feel inferior. If they can convince themselves Tom cheated, they don't feel quite so bad about themselves. It's sad, really.

It became nasty when the POS became Commissioner and started making mountains out of molehills and vice versa. By ignoring precedent of the previous commissioners and out right favoritism to his favorite teams, he created the atmosphere in which we have witch hunts. I wish that the owner of the Pats recognized the problem earlier.

Mainefan said:

Human beings are always ready to take down their heroes. Heroes make them feel inferior. If they can convince themselves Tom cheated, they don't feel quite so bad about themselves. It's sad, really.

Click to expand...

Mob mentality. Embarrassing.

PatriotsReign said:

I have a nephew playing quarterback for his high school team and my dad and I attend every game. Our level of excitement for his games FAR exceeds any emotion we feel for our Patriots. If he had a game on Super Bowl Sunday, we'd just tape it so we could watch him play. Because family is far more important than watching Tom Brady lead the Patriots.

Click to expand...

JETS FAN!!!!