Two whole decades, lol. You do not remember 2-14 and 1-13 or even 14 game seasons.
I started really connecting with football in my teens. I wasn't interested earlier than that; I played baseball and liked the Red Sox better. If you'd asked me as a kid which football team I followed, I would have said the Patriots, but I wasn't as as emotionally invested. Later on I grew bored with baseball and fell in love with the physicality and intricacies of football. I became a fanatic. But really, I can't control when I was born.
Two decades is a pretty good chunk of time, I'd say. I saw some low points and I've reveled in our historic run.
And, yes, I would find losing seasons unacceptable, and would expect the front office and coaching staff to improve if they want to retain their jobs. Sometimes age gives valuable perspective. Other times, it just entrenches views, regardless of whether or not they're correct. I will always root for this team, win or lose, but I also expect a Super Bowl ever year -- why else do we play the games, if not to win? That's why even a season as great as 07 will always be regarded as, ultimately, a failure. It may have been the most magnificent failure in NFL history, but we still fell short of the goal.
Remember, we make fun of the AFC championship participation banner for good reason.
I DO realize how hard winning is in the NFL. Life and work brought me out of Boston, and into Western NY 15 years ago (help me; I'm in exile!). My neighbors try to convert my son into a Bills fan. These long suffering fans are so desperate and so accustomed to losing that they were ready to annoint Fitzpatrick as the savior of the franchise (let's take a moment to savor his 6 interceptions). I sympathize with their passion and pain, but I also disavow the kind of thinking that 9-7 is a winning season and an encouraging sign just because it's technically over .500. That's still a failure! Super Bowl or bust is a tough perspective to maintain, though, without losing sight of day to day responsibilities.
That's what makes Belichick so impressive. He peaches one game at a time, and he usually wins that one game. His ability to hone in on a single week, a single day of practice, a single play, a single nuance of technique, is absolutely unparalleled. Yet I believe he is focused on championships as his motivation. He is the greatest coach in history, and we will probably never fill his shoes. That shouldn't deter us from striving to match -- or exceed -- his greatness. Why aim low?
So, yes, we'll lose games here and there, although I dream of finishing the job of 19&0, but this week should not be one of the losses. We're playing a dysfunctional team with a crazy coach. If the team can't come out prepared after a long weekend, against a division rival, then I'd be extremely disappointed. Shouldn't we all?
