Let's keep it together, guys.

[Actual Pats Fan]

Or being a fan in '72 when the Patriots lost 52-0 to Miami, and then 31-0 two weeks later to the Colts.

Or a fan of the 1970 Patriots, who scored more than 14 points just once after week two, including a six game stretch when they failed to score more than ten points.

We used to watch and hope we'd get behind enough that they'd put Brian Dowling in the game.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

The average defense this weekend gave up under 300 yards. The 2nd to worst gave up 408 yards. We gave up 129 more than the next worst team. We gave up 8.4 yards per play. That's Big 12 defense bad.

Years from now Week 1 2017 Pats vs. KC may be regarded as the #1 WTF game of the BB era. Maybe even above the 31-0 shutout to Buff in 2003.

Well, we allowed them to pick up yardage...and allowed them to keep the ball...and allowed them to score.

Besides that, we managed to get only a couple guys hurt.

Could be worse. Let's hope next week we don't get spooked in the French Quarter, so we can focus down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Thats me!

 

[king_ejd]

Ross, thank you! You summarized it perfectly. I have had to school MANY of my

friends/family and coworkers on the harsh realities of the NFL. Most have only

watched football for the past 15 years, to put it into perspective. I have been

essentially been restating the obvious for them to hear

1. All NFL teams are capable of beating each other on any given Sunday.

2. Double digit wins is still a very good season, and always was until the Patriots

started routinely racking up 12+ wins.

3. The Patriots aren't going to score on every damn drive.

4. Most seasons are a mixed bag of close calls, painful losses, ass kickings, etc.

5. It used to just be a "W" to go into an opposing stadium and eeking one out. Now,

it's like the sky is falling because they didn't decimate some opponent.

 

[Oswlek]

Spot on.
I was going to write the exact same response...thanks.
It is absurd mods feel the need to give pep talks and manage opinions.
Supporting a team should not require a pledge to only engage in group think.

Recognizing that some criticisms aren't legitimate - at least, not yet - shouldn't require group think, either.

 

[Ross12]

Thanks for keeping things constructive guys. I appreciate the healthy discussion we were able to have in here.

 

[Tony2046]

Thanks for keeping things constructive guys. I appreciate the healthy discussion we were able to have in here.

Quit censoring us. What if I want an unhealthy discussion? What if I want a little red meat in my diet?

 

[Ross12]

Quit censoring us. What if I want an unhealthy discussion? What if I want a little red meat in my diet?

Sorry, I've mandated that all posters must now follow the TB12 diet and pass bi-annual pliability tests.

 

[AtomicDawg]

If I go to the game day threads it is never to look for rationale or reasoning. hahaha I will mirander in now and then to take a peek at the insanity because sometimes it's just great humor.

Maybe this week I'll go in just to stir the pot a bit. haha Could be fun. Red X's flying in all directions.

This is kind of the point I wanted to make to @StockingAnarchyNumber12.

I think during game threads, for example, fans are right in the moment, so if you say something like "Brady is playing bad"....even though you may be absolutely correct, fans may take that as something different, simple because watching the game as fans, we are so emotionally invested in it (I mean hell we are on PATSFANS.com so we have to be somewhat diehard to visit a site like this on the regular).

For me it's as simple as this.....watching all the other teams play yesterday, I feel a lot better about the Pats not only rebounding from last week but for the season. The play from the other 29 teams were God awful. All they'd needed is a little fixing from BB and the staff, better execution from TB12 and the guys and we'll be all right. I've seen enough games in 17 years to feel confident in that.

(Also, thanks to the Ignore Thread Feature my experience here is 100x better).

 

[fnordcircle]

Here's what I've learned in my 40 some odd years of being an idiot:

In the heat of the moment I am more prone to making emotionally-based evaluations than normal. So I keep my mouth shut and don't go have a temper tantrum on forums when the Patriots aren't playing well because I'm just going to look like a supreme moron.

The cringe and eye-roll factor in GD threads is so bad when the Patriots aren't winning 59-0 it's ridiculous.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Ahhhh the good old days. I would assume if that went on now that the posters here would have a meltdown that would crash the internet. Then again, the posters who act like that probably wouldnt follow teams like that or at least make the effort to join a forum.

The "then again" clause is basically it. Right now there are fans of winners who are therefore Pats fans, and there are Pats fans who are therefore fans of winners. Believe me I would prefer this to be forever a distinction without a difference.

I don't think anybody's "less than" anybody (this is to the one guy who felt long-time-poster-bullied). I also do not hold myself out to be a wicked smaht football guy, and hell, anybody who's a pats fan is okay-ish with me.

I even understand that there may come a day prior to when Brady thinks he sucks, when BB thinks he has a better option. And - omg - that'll be ok too.

Welcome, but don't courageously state your honest and legitimate response to forum bullying or I'll get the strop.

I kid because I love, I haven't the knowledge to bully anybody here. Within reason. Say "this is an 8-8 team" on week 1, on the other hand, and well... my response might go beyond the fact that it's only opening night.