So, how is your recovery going?

[italian pat patriot]

denial.....

 

[belichickaholic]

Acceptance. We just weren't that good. The defense just wasn't able to get off the feild. Went back and watched the Philly and balt games and they killed us on time of posession. In the superbowl we had 8 offensive posessions and a QB with a high ankle sprain. Sydney Crosby had the same injury and he was out 6 Weeks. Brady came back after 2 weeks but he couldn't slide around in the pocket. But overall, the defense wasn't that good and it was a miracle we won as many as we did.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Acceptance ,I am still looking at the fact that NO team in the AFC has beaten the Patriots in games that count since the Colts did in January of 2007and thats cool plus the winning streak in the regular season is something to behold so I am excited to see if the team can continue a bit of AFC dominance in 2008.

 

[stcjones]

Four plus months have passed since that devestating disappointment of a Super Bowl robbed us of immortality. But, time heals all. So, I'm just curious, how is your recovery going? Where do you currently sit on the famous "Five Stages of Grief" scale?

The stages are:

1. Denial:
   • Example - "This can't be happening. That ball hit the ground! And how could the refs have missed that holding call on Seymour!"
2. Anger:
   • Example - "Why me? It's not fair! There should be a rule against catching the ball against your helmet!"
3. Bargaining:
   • Example - "18-1 is still a great accomplishment. Isn't it? We were 35 seconds from Perfection. That's pretty much the same as actual perfection, isn't it?"
4. Depression:
   • Example - "I'm so sad, why bother with anything? I'm going to die . . . What's the point? I may as well go root for the Bruins..."
5. Acceptance:
   • Example - "Wait until next year..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kübler-Ross_model

I'll NEVER get over that loss.....wish I could.....but the clock at 35 seconds with Gomer in the grasp....that was never called.....and then the helmet catch......and ellis blown play.....will NEVER leave my damned memory......

 

[stcjones]

I will never be able to "accept" going 18-0 then losing the final game at the hands off a 86 yard comeback drive led by Eli Manning and ending with a wide open Plaxico Burress in the endzone.

It angers me. It depresses me. It confuses me.

Bottom line is Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were unable to win the biggest game of their lives. I have a hard time accepting that. And the fact we directly led to two back to back Manning championships is sickening.

The last two years of Pats football have ended in historic chokes.

Regardless, maybe #4 will take some of the bad taste out of my mouth. However I will not be one of those sobs who rehashes this subject over and over again, nor will I ever bring up actually. Only reason I'm talking about now is because there's a thread about it.

Overall....agree with you,......IF we could win the SB next year.....it might....with many hours of psychotherapy (Psychiatrist: "Look at this ink blot and tell me what you see.......Me: "Gomer's in the grasp!!!!!!......Gomer's in the grasp!!!!!")................It might help to erase that horrible memory

 

[PromisedLand]

Overall....agree with you,......IF we could win the SB next year.....it might....with many hours of psychotherapy (Psychiatrist: "Look at this ink blot and tell me what you see.......Me: "Gomer's in the grasp!!!!!!......Gomer's in the grasp!!!!!")................It might help to erase that horrible memory

Well, at least you can laugh about it, and your post made me smile too!

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

I agree with that, basically. The only regret for me is not that we lost, because we have had more than our share of glory in the past few seasons, but that we had that once in a lifetime shot to be recognized as the best ever, the only 19-0 team ever, and a dynastic run virtual equal to the 70's Steelers, 4 of 6 or 7. That chance will never come again.

Of course it would have been awesome to go down in history like that but as I said, we've gone down that path before. Besides the 2001 Patriots, I'm a UT fan, and for weeks leading up to the 2005 NC game, all you saw on sports channels was USC being compared to the best teams of all time. A lot of people were calling the Trojans the best ever. All I kept thinking though was: "Don't they have one more game to win?" The result was arguably the greatest college football game ever played and one of the greatest performances all time by Vince Young.

Fast forward to this past season. I'll admit, I was a little uncomfortable hearing reporters go on and on about how great we were and our place in history. I got that uneasy feeling that I had back then: "Don't they have one more game to win?"

I'm certainly not saying I was expecting them to lose but I guess you could say a small part of me saw it coming, or better said, I was prepared for it because of what happened with my Longhorns.

So yeah, for me it was acceptance the following day. I didn't want to see any highlights for a week or so but I was able to talk about it the next day and be ok with it.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

on to nextyear, stuck a fork in last year after the SB, ust getting around now to getting excited for this year, may even watch a game or two of the CFL!

Hockey is over, focus has switched to the Pats!!!

 

[N.Eman]

Im both, anger and acceptance. But more on acceptance, as I am sure this is our year. DAMNIT IT BETTER BE!!!

 

[puffyme]

I may be stuck in anger stage until next season. I don't accept easily

 

[Lifer]

with thanks to the Red Sox and Celtics.

with 6 Boston titles this decade, im going to moan and groan????

 

[Boston Jay]

Under the history of BB/Pioli/Brady my brain draws blank when the years 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007 are mentioned. It feels kinda fuzzy.

 

[Kdo5]

I am concerned for anyone who still is depressed or angry about this. It was months ago. A new season is soon to be upon us. Everyone needs to get the heck over it.

 

[stephens44]

In this offseason as we get ready to start the second to last season of the decade (already?), I came to the conclusion that this IS the NFL team of the decade. They join the Packers, Steelers, 49ers and Cowboys in something far more rare than a single SB trophy. Knowing this was secured last season, the SB loss is more or less a moot footnote in a golden decade. Spygate is actually more annoying than the SB loss (to me anyway).

 

[NJPatsfan26]

In this offseason as we get ready to start the second to last season of the decade (already?), I came to the conclusion that this IS the NFL team of the decade. They join the Packers, Steelers, 49ers and Cowboys in something far more rare than a single SB trophy. Knowing this was secured last season, the SB loss is more or less a moot footnote in a golden decade. Spygate is actually more annoying than the SB loss (to me anyway).

I agree....Spygate had unfortunate outcomes from it....which were none...but made the media and the average joe football fan question alot of things....

Damn them all....

EMBRACE THE HATE IN 08!!

:rocker::rocker:

 

[Relentless649]

Im in denial and acceptance because i still dont accept the fact that anybody won the superbowl last year. I cant believe that the Giants actually beat us, as far as im concerned nobody won the last year. But at the same time i cant wait for next year to prove to all the haters that the Patriots are gonna take it all the way again this year and win it

 

[PromisedLand]

...Spygate is actually more annoying than the SB loss (to me anyway).

Actually, you know that is a really good point. Spygate is more painful to me than the SB loss too. I never really thought about it in those terms before. Whereas the loss of SB42 was a major disappointment, we still have so much to be proud of - 3 SB wins, records galore, 4 SB appearances and AFC Championship appearances over 7 years - despite the failure to close the deal on the Pursuit of Perfection, based on those results we can certainly claim membership in the exclusive club of all-time elite NFL franchises. And for those long-time Patriot fans like me who suffered through the decades of ignonimity which preceded, that is something important. Call it the football fan version of the Napolean Complex.

But Spygate for me threatens all that we have accomplished, not because I believe that the taping had any substantial effect on the outcome of games, not because I believe it was anything other than a minor and insignifcant rules infraction, but because it so greatly has affected the perception of the team's accomplishments in the minds of so many. It has devalued our bragging rights, because to so many, they are tainted. That to me is truly a greater loss than the SB loss.

And it still lingers on; for example there is an article about it in the Sporting News NFL issue now on the newstands, which again starts with the incorrect premise that even after the initial NFL investigation, BB hid the fact that he had been doing the taping since 2000. And of course Senator Comcast is still trying to keep the issue alive.

 

[Free_Pacman]

It was acceptance before the Celtics won, then their championship triggered something in me, and I began to feel an immense amount of anger towards the Patriots. I know Spygate was the most overblown story in the history in sports but, strangely, after the Celtics win, I felt a rush of anger towards BB for putting putting us the position to be caught and having to defend this team against others. I really can't explain why this happened.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I always move on rather quickly ... i just remember all those Red Sox and old Patriot seasons ... recent history has been great.

 

[Gunnails]

I'm over it, just can't wait till the season starts so I can see how much improvement my Jets have made, or not.