- Joined
- Apr 3, 2006
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- 26,107
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A lot of silent suffering for the last four years here. I didn't think anyone would ever talk about it in this much detail. While I admit, I still haven't been able to watch the game in its entirety, I honestly I could probably do it now.
A few things have changed the way I feel about the game
Several interesting stories have emerged about that game, and it no longer feels like a huge, disgusting mystery any more
-Heath Evans described a tired team that was not very excited and basically felt the weight of history on its shoulders. In addition, he said the team was very tight and had a horrible experience the night before the game at the hotel.
-Troy Brown said on the radio that the practices leading up to that game were "the worst practices I've seen from a professional sports team at any level." Those are some harsh words. It seems like the team was clearly not focused- and it seems to mesh with the declining play for the entire second half of the season.
-I honestly am glad that the Patriots will get a chance to avenge this nightmare. If they lose to the Giants on Sunday, so be it. Obviously, we'll just know that they are a terrible matchup and that game was not a fluke. If we win, I can honestly say that I root for these players more than I rooted for the players in '07. These guys are gritty underdogs.
-The most important thing in all this, which has helped me accept that loss, if the the genuine emotion we've heard from a lot of Patriots players. Brady can't watch replays of it. Belichick seems to implicitly acknowledge mistakes. Basically, we thought the '07 team was superhuman, but they were just a bunch of people- albeit highly skilled- subject to the same problems and emotions that we have. It kind of makes you appreciate what they did even more to get that far. Even had they won, I don't think it would have been fair to call them "immortal"- they would have achieved something that hadn't been done before, but life would have gone on as normal.
-The Giants have now talked and bragged about that game enough to make this a potential redemption game. Coming into this, I didn't think there could ever be a way to avenge that loss, but in 2007 I didn't want to beat the Giants as badly as I do now (wanted to win, but didn't care that it was the Giants.) I really feel like, with their actions, they have now linked these two SBs together, and I believe that if the Pats win, the Giants will always have the reputation as a "chippy" team that couldn't close the deal, and that you won't be able to bring up 42 without 46. They'll be known as the team that beat the 18-0 team and then got ****y and got their dish served cold. No one would ever look at that defensive line the same way. They would serve as an example of random "any given Sunday" rather than "will to win."
The Giants should respect the Patriots, as it was the 18-0 steak that gave so many Giants their legacies, not their SB win. They never could have gotten their "best upset ever" reputation had it not been for the greatness that was on the field against them. But their arrogance doesn't seem to reflect this.
A few things have changed the way I feel about the game
Several interesting stories have emerged about that game, and it no longer feels like a huge, disgusting mystery any more
-Heath Evans described a tired team that was not very excited and basically felt the weight of history on its shoulders. In addition, he said the team was very tight and had a horrible experience the night before the game at the hotel.
-Troy Brown said on the radio that the practices leading up to that game were "the worst practices I've seen from a professional sports team at any level." Those are some harsh words. It seems like the team was clearly not focused- and it seems to mesh with the declining play for the entire second half of the season.
-I honestly am glad that the Patriots will get a chance to avenge this nightmare. If they lose to the Giants on Sunday, so be it. Obviously, we'll just know that they are a terrible matchup and that game was not a fluke. If we win, I can honestly say that I root for these players more than I rooted for the players in '07. These guys are gritty underdogs.
-The most important thing in all this, which has helped me accept that loss, if the the genuine emotion we've heard from a lot of Patriots players. Brady can't watch replays of it. Belichick seems to implicitly acknowledge mistakes. Basically, we thought the '07 team was superhuman, but they were just a bunch of people- albeit highly skilled- subject to the same problems and emotions that we have. It kind of makes you appreciate what they did even more to get that far. Even had they won, I don't think it would have been fair to call them "immortal"- they would have achieved something that hadn't been done before, but life would have gone on as normal.
-The Giants have now talked and bragged about that game enough to make this a potential redemption game. Coming into this, I didn't think there could ever be a way to avenge that loss, but in 2007 I didn't want to beat the Giants as badly as I do now (wanted to win, but didn't care that it was the Giants.) I really feel like, with their actions, they have now linked these two SBs together, and I believe that if the Pats win, the Giants will always have the reputation as a "chippy" team that couldn't close the deal, and that you won't be able to bring up 42 without 46. They'll be known as the team that beat the 18-0 team and then got ****y and got their dish served cold. No one would ever look at that defensive line the same way. They would serve as an example of random "any given Sunday" rather than "will to win."
The Giants should respect the Patriots, as it was the 18-0 steak that gave so many Giants their legacies, not their SB win. They never could have gotten their "best upset ever" reputation had it not been for the greatness that was on the field against them. But their arrogance doesn't seem to reflect this.