Tony Collins said:
Do Patriot fans realize they lost ?
Let me help you try to understand Tony.
As Patriots fans the next best thing we enjoy next to winning Super Bowls (and its a great feeling - trust me on that Tony!) is watching Peyton Manning and the Colts choke.
In that respect, while we lament that all our 2nd and 3rd stringers fell short of embarrassing the rest of the league and experiencing another SB win, the Colts really provided a great public service for all in this region by providing the entertainment of yet another choke.
Better yet - they found a whole NEW WAY of choking this year!
First they teased you with the spectre of the "perfect season" - and I was pulling for them to go 16-0 because even though Colts fans disagreed, I knew the pressure of the playoffs would relegate them to football trivia when they eventually did choke.
Next the Colts no longer had their ready made excuses this season (of having to play on the road, in the cold, against teams that were better than them etc.)
If ever the Colts had all the cards in their favor, this was it - all key players were healthy, playing at home, well rested etc. etc. etc.
Then of course Manning and the team come out flat against the Steelers.
Oh sure, not as flat as say, 3 points against the Patriots, but still pretty flat.
Still, they teased their fans, keeping it close, until just under 2 minutes left when Manning was unable to complete a few passes to help his team win.
Then, miraculously, as all the loyal Colts fans were leaving the stadium in disgust, the unthinkable happened. A fumble on the goal line! Recovered by the Colts ... all they had to do was sidestep a slow footed QB and a comeback of historic proportions would have been in the books!
But alas NO! A shoestring tackle places the game back in your beloved Peyton Manning's hands.
Not to worry - as Colts fans have maintained all along, Peyton is unaffected by pressure and is much more of a clutch QB than anyone - he's just never had a chance to prove it... until now.
Do I need to continue or do you recall how that game ended.
A fabulous choke ending that Hollywood couldn't have written any better (unless your selfless QB decided to blame others, like his offensive line for the fact that he choked again... but that would be just too much to hope for!)
So you see Tony, in a sense, New England Patriots fans ARE winners. Not winners in the sense that we have yet another Super Bowl trophy - but winners in the sense that we so much enjoy watching all the new and creative ways that the Colts and Peyton Manning find to choke year after year after year after year.
Is that a little more clear for you now?
Cheers! Enjoy the offseason!