When Brady Retires, are you done?

A Defiant Goose said:

The way I see it is if you're not "done" with the NFL now, you won't be when Brady and BB are gone. If you were that pissed (and I know we all are) you wouldn't need the qualifier of Brady or BB leaving to stop following. To me, and this isn't to paint all of you with a broad brush, that is just an excuse for being a bandwagon fan. You're pissed at the league so much that you're done following the NFL--but only when the greatest head coach and quarterback in league history are gone and it's all downhill from there for us? Meh.

Click to expand...

Perfection08 said:

This is crazy. I can't believe how many are responding yes to this question. I guess what other fanbases say about most Pats fans only coming on board in 2001 is the truth.

Everyone who says yes to this question: are you telling me if the Pats are Superbowl contenders in 2022 you'll go fishing on Sundays instead? Please.

This to me is proof of how spoiled we've all become. ....

Click to expand...

Several folks here are castigating fans who have been fans since 1960 as "bandwagon fans".
I don't think the phrase means what you think it means.

The reason many of us can walk away post Brady is that the NFL used to be an entertaining, fun hobby but seems that way no longer. We enjoy Brady & BB's success against the odds but the interest in the league has waned to near zero. Kraft's Vichy ownership has sadly destroyed prior allegiance to the laundry. No interest whatsoever in suffering through whatever follows even if it's the Glorious Garapollo years.
Rooting for the folks on the 53 now but will walk away from 5+ decades of fandom interest in the team just like I did with MLB once Brady & BB are gone. Goodell & the owners have killed the goose.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Several folks here are castigating fans who have been fans since 1960 as "bandwagon fans".
I don't think the phrase means what you think it means.

The reason many of us can walk away post Brady is that the NFL used to be an entertaining, fun hobby but seems that way no longer. We enjoy Brady & BB's success against the odds but the interest in the league has waned to near zero. Kraft's Vichy ownership has sadly destroyed prior allegiance to the laundry. No interest whatsoever in suffering through whatever follows even if it's the Glorious Garapollo years.
Rooting for the folks on the 53 now but will walk away from 5+ decades of fandom interest in the team just like I did with MLB once Brady & BB are gone. Goodell & the owners have killed the goose.

Click to expand...

It's never too late to fall off the wagon

AzorianPats said:

Futbol is a great sport, but its also a billion times more corrupt than the NFL believe it or not.

Click to expand...

I agree, although the corruption there is more on the side of lining pockets vs literally trying to fix the playing field. I think whats going on in Qatar is disgraceful and heads ought to roll but outside of UEFAlona and some lower league match fixing, I don't think the competitive balance has been altered to the extent that the NFL is trying to do with us.

After learning of the structure of the Bundesliga in particular and learning about the fan culture around Europe I have to say that I think sports there are much 'purer' from a fan perspective when compared to American sports and the NFL in particular.

For example, consider this.

The NFL has "franchises" where futbol federations have local clubs. Franchises can move hundreds of miles and what you hear about is "poor fans in X city who lose their team". Thats something that literally wouldn't work in futbal because no city/locality would support a team that was just dropped down from above. People would much rather support a local 3rd tier side than a 1st tier one with no cultural capital.


also I can get a season ticket ( I can't because im not on any waiting list) for Bayern at £104.48 or $152. Thats a season ticket to one of the 3 best teams in the world for the price of decent ticket to a pre-season game.

I was a Patriots fan long before Tom Brady came along and I was fully expecting to be long after BB and TB had gone on to other things.

Now I'm not so sure and it's not about the Patriots at all, it's about the NFL as a whole and basically about Goodell and the hierarchy. They have moved too much towards the forefront for me and I dislike them a lot. I'm not watching the draft and I won't be watching any games for the first four weeks of the season, if Brady is banned, on a point of principle. I don't think those guys should be getting one red cent of my money because I despise them so much.

It's hard to walk away from something you have loved for so long but when it's starting to upset you them maybe it's time to walk away.

That is the decision I face at the moment and as much as I love the Patriots the hate I have for Roger Goodell may force me away from the game.