Colts' XLI Super Bowl win good for Pats' legacy?

[BradyManny]

It sounds weird, but hear me out....

The more I think about it, the more I think this Pats-Colts rivalry is good for BB and the Patriots legacy, and until the Colts won a ring, it wasn't a real rivalry. Having another team that is a perennial Super Bowl contender makes BB/TB's accomplishments thus far look even stronger, and any future accomplishments as well.

And it is quite likely that neither Brady or Manning is done winning championships, and that their legends will grow. But I think the legends feed each other. And the Colts recent Super Bowl victory, while painful to Pats fans at first, will as sports history unfold, help elevate other Patriot accomplishments.

Thoughts?

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

It sounds weird, but hear me out....

The more I think about it, the more I think this Pats-Colts rivalry is good for BB and the Patriots legacy, and until the Colts won a ring, it wasn't a real rivalry. Having another team that is a perennial Super Bowl contender makes BB/TB's accomplishments thus far look even stronger, and any future accomplishments as well.

And it is quite likely that neither Brady or Manning is done winning championships, and that their legends will grow. But I think the legends feed each other. And the Colts recent Super Bowl victory, while painful to Pats fans at first, will as sports history unfold, help elevate other Patriot accomplishments.

Thoughts?

I think that if the Pats had won the last 2 SB's to go with the 3 previous then they'd have all the legend they require. I really don't think they needed the Steelers and Colts to win these last 2 in order to do this

 

[JoePats]

It will look nicer after they beat the defending champs in two weeks and then again in the AFCG.

 

[psychoPat]

Provocative idea!

Slight variant:
I would MUCH rather have Indy there as a strong competitor ... and foil ...
than
the Patriots (conjecturally) lording it all by themselves over a supine league.

This makes for quite an interesting season ... in a novel way.
Rather like two Cold War superpowers, with the rest of the world straggling along behind.

Most importantly ... without the Colts right there with them - ready to exploit any stumble -
not even the Patriots would play up to their full potential.
And vice versa.
Competition only makes the competitors stronger.

 

[RobAllan]

Has anybody else stopped to think if we chase down another Ring this year, Brady will have won a Superbowl ring in 50% of the seasons in which he's played?

That astounds me.

 

[psychoPat]

Dan Snapp this morning, on patriotsdaily, puts it this way:

They Complete Us


I know what you’re thinking: “How good could Peyton Manning be if he had Tom Brady’s weapons?”

It’s gotten that ridiculous.

....
The Patriots and the Colts need each other. With the rest of the league unwilling to offer up some real competition, the two squads are all there is to keep the season from devolving into some bad joke.
....

more:
http://patriotsdaily.com/

 

[Rob0729]

Actually, I think it hurts the Pats' legacy, but not by much. Before Indy challenged the undefeated record one year, Manning breaking the TD record another year, and winning the Super Bowl last year; the Pats were considered unique as the only team that could build a strong Super Bowl contender/winner year after year in an era where no one is supposed to do it. Three years ago, people were talking about how the Pats did the impossible by building a Dynasty in the era of free agency and the salary cap.

Now, Indy is considered in that class. The air of magic of the Belichick and Pioli has been diminished a bit. Now people are putting Polian and Dungy in their category.

I think from an entertainment standpoint, the Pats/Colts rivalry is great. From a legacy standpoint, it doesn't help the Pats. I don't think it hurts it that much because people still think that the Pats and Colts are special and no one have been able to duplicate their success no matter how much they try (Sorry Jets). But I think it does hurt it a bit.