Are you ashamed of 18-1?

[bostonbuzz]

FWIW: I wouldn't have had this take a month ago. I have just recently learned to live with the loss, and that has helped me appreciate the true value of last season from a fan perspective.[/QUOTE]

I am proud of the team for their 16-0 regular season run but last year's 18-1 record and SB loss actually took a little chunk of my NFL heart and soul and forever vanquished it to places unknown. It's hard to explain. It's 'almost' like what they managed to accomplish meant little. They squandered, quite possibly, the only real chance any team will ever have of completing the perfect post 14 game regular and championship season. I don't in anyway mean to diminish the hard work or effort believe me but the bottom line is they laid an egg in the biggest game in the history of the franchise...period. Say what you want about the Dolphins perfect season but...they didn't.

To live and breath the Patriots and NFL Football as a fan these last 40 plus years has been a thrill ride with many rewards worth waiting for. I doubt I'll ever again be able to or want to put quite as much effort into a football season after this flirt with perfection. I have come to realize that no matter what it's the ultimate prize at the end of the season that is the only thing that really matters to me as a fan...as I'm sure it does to the Patriots' Organization top to bottom.

Even if they make it to the SB this season undefeated I just can't have the same feelings about the team that I've had. Close maybe but not the same. It's like when you lose money in your 401k account you can never really make it back because it's money 'lost'. Even if the market goes back up and once again you start making money it's still money lost and you're not making money on top of that money. Once lost it's lost forever.

Harder to explain the way I feel than I thought...I think I'm becoming my own 'Shrink'...

 

[Mogamedogz]

FWIW: I wouldn't have had this take a month ago. I have just recently learned to live with the loss, and that has helped me appreciate the true value of last season from a fan perspective.

I am proud of the team for their 16-0 regular season run but last year's 18-1 record and SB loss actually took a little chunk of my NFL heart and soul and forever vanquished it to places unknown. It's hard to explain. It's 'almost' like what they managed to accomplish meant little. They squandered, quite possibly, the only real chance any team will ever have of completing the perfect post 14 game regular and championship season. I don't in anyway mean to diminish the hard work or effort believe me but the bottom line is they laid an egg in the biggest game in the history of the franchise...period. Say what you want about the Dolphins perfect season but...they didn't.

To live and breath the Patriots and NFL Football as a fan these last 40 plus years has been a thrill ride with many rewards worth waiting for. I doubt I'll ever again be able to or want to put quite as much effort into a football season after this flirt with perfection. I have come to realize that no matter what it's the ultimate prize at the end of the season that is the only thing that really matters to me as a fan...as I'm sure it does to the Patriots' Organization top to bottom.

Even if they make it to the SB this season undefeated I just can't have the same feelings about the team that I've had. Close maybe but not the same. It's like when you lose money in your 401k account you can never really make it back because it's money 'lost'. Even if the market goes back up and once again you start making money it's still money lost and you're not making money on top of that money. Once lost it's lost forever.

Harder to explain the way I feel than I thought...I think I'm becoming my own 'Shrink'...

Time heals all bro. Even this wound will mend eventually. I felt really bad in 86', 96, '03 (sox), and '06... but that didn't take away any of the joy I felt from the championship seasons. The pain of '07 will fade. If the boys get it together this season and add another Lombardi to the cabinet, 2007 will just be another dramatic chapter in our book. Good, bad, highs, lows...it's all relevant.

BTW: Don't worry about the football therapy!! That's what we all come here for!!

 

[bostonbuzz]

Time heals all bro. Even this wound will mend eventually. I felt really bad in 86', 96, '03 (sox), and '06... but that didn't take away any of the joy I felt from the championship seasons. The pain of '07 will fade. If the boys get it together this season and add another Lombardi to the cabinet, 2007 will just be another dramatic chapter in our book. Good, bad, highs, lows...it's all relevant.

BTW: Don't worry about the football therapy!! That's what we all come here for!!

Starting to feel all 'warm and fuzzy...'

 

[Wildo7]

I don't get it at all. Other teams fans seem to think that saying "18-1" is a really good comeback. I'll admit that I get sort of pissed at the "cheaters" label, but "18-1" just sounds so insanely stupid to use as an insult. It's like saying, "yeah, well your team had one of the best records in football history last year" ummmm ok.......

 

[PatsFan24]

question should be would you rather be 14-6?

 

[PatsFan24]

I don't get it at all. Other teams fans seem to think that saying "18-1" is a really good comeback. I'll admit that I get sort of pissed at the "cheaters" label, but "18-1" just sounds so insanely stupid to use as an insult. It's like saying, "yeah, well your team had one of the best records in football history last year" ummmm ok.......

i can accept the 18-1 taunt, but the cheating talk is just bull----

 

[mac]

Re: Are you ashamed of 18-1 ?

16-0 is still one of the greatest accomplishments in [regular season] sports. The mere fact that we can even talk about the possibility of going 19-0 going into this season without laughing is a testament to what this team achieved last season. I never thought a team would run the table, and for the regular season - we did. It is most certainly something to be proud of as a fan.

So true. The recent struggles of the Celtics to put forth consistent effort and focus
shows how remarkable the 18 game wiinning streak of the Pats was.

 

[NEPatriot]

Until some team goes 19-0, no other team's fans can talk **** to Pats' fans about 18-1.

It's untrue because we still hear other players /coaches from other teams talking trash about Pats. Of course, the arsholes at ESPN are there to make it worse.

19-0 in this season will shut them up for good. It'll make me feel good when they have to say the words 19-0 Pats in this season for 99999999999 times when they don't want to.


it's going to be a sweet vengence.

 

[HSanders]

Re: Are you ashamed of 18-1 ?

It was weird for me to see a Browns fan say that - his team has never even been to the SB - and hasn't won an NFL championship since 1964 - he would kill to go to the SB and lose - never mind going 18-1.

To the Browns fan, I would simply respond "Answer: 11-5 and your last playoff win, Bill Belichick. Question: What is the Browns best season in the last 20 or so years, and who was the HC?"

 

[PonyExpress]

Not only am I not "ashamed" of 18-1, I want the DVD. Hopefully it will be part of next year's championship edition as the perfect companion piece:

35: 35 consecutive regular season wins

 

[PatsFan24]

not ashamed but i tend to find myself thinking "Burress..alone....touchdown new york."

 

[richpats]

Jeez, what are some people going to do if we win the SB and not go undefeated?

 

[VJ11]

Jeez, what are some people going to do if we win the SB and not go undefeated?

I'm one of the people who voted for "who cares..." simply because I think it is time to move on. We can go through the full spectrum of emotions and it wouldn't change a single thing about the final result. I was disappointed that the Patriots weren't able to finish the season on a high note by winning the championship, more because I felt they didn't play their best game when they should have, or somehow didn't play better than the Giants. But I am moving on and to all the fans from other teams I say:"It's about now, come and beat us in 2008, then you can talk smack all you want", and "You can only dream of going 18-1, you would give an arm and a leg to have your team go where the Patriots went, admit it".
And as a true Patriots fan, I want them to go undefeated again, beat every opponent on their way to a SB win. And if they don't go undefeated, I want them to win the SB anyway, regardless of the resulting record: don't care if it's 18-1, 17-2, or whatever.