Do we take for granted how precious these AFC Championships are?

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

As the Belichick and Brady era get older each year I have come to realize how precious these moments and games are.

Who knows how much longer we will be able to cherish having a game that with a win takes you to the Super Bowl?

Every year 16 teams in the conference try to get there...only 2 teams do.

Cherish today.....who knows how many more in your lifetime you will see happen.

Win or lose....grab ahold the opportunity that 14 teams do not every year and hold these moments close to your heart as a fan and a lover of this team.....they don't come around very often.

 

[Mack Herron]

 

[Dutchmaster617]

I do, SB or bust, no moral victories.

 

[PatriotDynasty_12]

Well, I mean...considering that a lot of us feel every season that we should be winning the S.B, i'd say yeah. Gotta love the standards Brady and Belichick set here, haha.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I find it staggering that it's been 26 years since we squished the fish. Blink of an eye.

To be playing in our eighth one of these in that time is unbelievable. Nearly once every three years, we've been one of the last two standing on the road to the Super Bowl. We are lucky fans.

Funny, though, I still want this one as bad as I wanted that one.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

this is a special day... they have a chance to right alot of wrongs from 4 years ago... last year was a fluke... 09 wes welker inj was a huge factor but the team was not a team... this is a strong mentally tough team and around 6 30 should prove fruitful

 

[TheComeback]

No, playing in the AFC Championship never gets old for me. I feel very lucky to be rooting for this team.

 

[DarrylS]

I never take any of this for granted, and am privileged to be a Patriots Fan..

I go back to the 60's, and have waited for a run like this forever.. we are very lucky to be fans of this team.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The last decade has proven a number of things to me:

(1) That it is not at all easy to win the Super Bowl. Even when everything seems to be going for you, all it takes is one piece of bad luck.

(2) That the best team on paper doesn't always win. After all, remember BB's remark after SB36? "Can you believe we won the Super Bowl with this ****ing team?"

(3) All of that said, that BB and Brady are among the best ever to grace the game, and that we all should be lucky we have them.

I don't see it as SB-or-bust. I see it thusly: if it were completely random, the Pats would reach the playoffs 3 years out of 8. Instead, they haven't been out of playoff contention since the last week of the 2000 season.

Every playoff game the Pats give us fans is an extra gift for which I am grateful.

 

[DarrylS]

some comments and advice of Jackie Slater to Matthew Slater, do not take these moments for granted..

It Is What It Is

Matthew Slater acknowledged Friday that his dad did offer some advice this week
“I got almost an email every day from him this week, just telling me to really not take this opportunity for granted,” Slater said. “He played 20 years and he only played in one Super Bowl. You realize that this is why we all play the game. Everybody has been brought here for games like this, to win games like this. He just keeps telling me, ‘You can’t let anything come between you and what you have to do on the field on Sunday. You have to be extremely focused.’

 

[pwes]

No. Making it this far is amazing. I'll be estatic if they win and Bring home the Lombardi but there is no way I can be disappointed right now. There are 28 other teams who wish they had an opportunity to play in this game. How could anyone just brush that off?