- Joined
- Jul 21, 2007
- Messages
- 28,161
- Reaction score
- 7,435
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Awesome truth: ask 100 people if they are smarter than average and 80% will will say they are (and will say their kids are of course) yet that 100 people still fit a bell curve of intelligence like any population.
I stated in another thread that the mental stress "deflategate" (and similar contentious nonsense) brings to a hobby/diversion I've relied upon all these years to escape stress ruins whatever joy is left. I'm not sure it's worth hearing and reading "Cheaters!" "Liars!" at every turn, especially when I know it's not true. You need a thick skin and most of it I can tune out, but real life and death is grim enough without putting football on the same level.
This is exactly how I feel. I think this is why I am so upset about this whole thing. I use the Pats to escape stress and bring me joy, not wallow in stress and anger. The news gets worse every day. It's incredible and I don't know how to fix it in my own little world.
The Superbowl made me forget about it for a while too, but now that the hanging of the banner and/or opening night of the 2015 season without Tom Brady are threatened, and apparently a real possibility (surreal as that may seem), it brings it all front & center, 24/7. As Tune said, you wonder if this is all worth it (and I wonder too, if Brady is thinking the same thing).I haven't had the same reaction to Framegate. At first, before the SB, it bothered me. But now that they won the SB on the greatest defensive play in NFL history, it makes me laugh my ass off to think about the assorted nutjobs in the NFL coming after us. It's the New England Patriots vs the World and the World is going to get their ass kicked again.
It's great to be King.
The Superbowl made me forget about it for a while too, but now that the hanging of the banner and/or opening night of the 2015 season without Tom Brady are threatened, and apparently a real possibility (surreal as that may seem), it brings it all front & center, 24/7. As Tune said, you wonder if this is all worth it (and I wonder too, if Brady is thinking the same thing).
I stated in another thread that the mental stress "deflategate" (and similar contentious nonsense) brings to a hobby/diversion I've relied upon all these years to escape stress ruins whatever joy is left. I'm not sure it's worth hearing and reading "Cheaters!" "Liars!" at every turn, especially when I know it's not true. You need a thick skin and most of it I can tune out, but real life and death is grim enough without putting football on the same level.
This is exactly how I feel. I think this is why I am so upset about this whole thing. I use the Pats to escape stress and bring me joy, not wallow in stress and anger. The news gets worse every day. It's incredible and I don't know how to fix it in my own little world.
What I've come to realized as an avid sports fan is that I often struggle to keep things in perspective. No sports fan should allow their lives to be heavily effected by their team. No obsession can be a good thing. So I can not...or should not allow "sports" to bring me too far up or too far down. It's pretty much that simple...but certainly not that easy.
I was driving to play golf with my 85 year old dad yesterday and he was talking about the Patriots getting screwed and he had so much anger in his voice it made me realize I don't want to be that angry....nor should I allow myself to be that angry. I love the Patriots and Tom Brady...and yes, probably too much. But whatever happens should never make or break my days. Because no matter how I "feel", in the grand scheme of things, they are not THAT important.
My head can accept that as fact...but my emotions struggle with it.
Just the fact that you're playing golf with your 85 year old dad trumps anything the Pats have done.
For me it was when I was young that I would get carried away with sports. I can still feel the anger I had back in 1976 for Ben Dreith and that theft, and the hurt before that of being looked down upon by the old NFLers. I also remember getting real fired up for hockey games during the big bad Bruins days. I was up and cheering when Pie Mackenzie turned Forbes Kennedy's face into a bloody mess.
Now? I just try to ignore all the happy horse crap and enjoy the athletic events, but there's more horse crap now than ever.
Just look at our board! It seems there are people looking at this board hours per day and some think they're part of the fight. We are not part of the fight unless some fans hire lawyers and take the NFL to court.
We're by-standers...end of story. We're by-standers during the games and we cheer our Patriots on. Same thing applies in this mess...all we can do is support our team.
The American sports fan nation is DEEPLY fugged up! It's all about "my side against your side" and don't insult my side. It is exactly like partisan politics and it's WRONG.
Having said that, I see more wrong with the level of hatred and venom from opposing fans that I do here. But our level of obsession is a bit frightening lately.
I have a nephew playing quarterback for his high school team and my dad and I attend every game. Our level of excitement for his games FAR exceeds any emotion we feel for our Patriots. If he had a game on Super Bowl Sunday, we'd just tape it so we could watch him play. Because family is far more important than watching Tom Brady lead the Patriots.
If it wasn't, the end would certainly be near 60!
Tom Brady has been a model employee and face of the league for 15 years or so now. Never has he been in trouble or fined, this farce happens and he is instantly number one on the NFLs most wanted list. A dirtbag. A cheater. A horrible person.
I really wouldnt blame him if he retired, he doesnt deserve this and it is downright shameful the way he is being treated.
....The higher ideals of athletic competition were something we aspired to, valued and learned from in hopes of becoming people of stronger character. It was "fun" that we took seriously as a way of measuring ourselves, physically, mentally and emotionally.
I think we are just taking sports too seriously - win at all costs mentality.
Back 50 years ago, sports was more entertainment, and you accepted whatever happened to your team and came back next Sunday. Now fans act as though it's life-and-death, view teams as either pure good or pure evil. Add to that going from coverage 1-2 a week to 24/7. I mean, in the 70's the Patriots might have had shows on game day and the day after, then you wait until the next game (correct me if wrong.) Of course we can post here anytime and other places today.
I also think this nation is becoming less sportsmanlike.
Human beings are always ready to take down their heroes. Heroes make them feel inferior. If they can convince themselves Tom cheated, they don't feel quite so bad about themselves. It's sad, really.
I have a nephew playing quarterback for his high school team and my dad and I attend every game. Our level of excitement for his games FAR exceeds any emotion we feel for our Patriots. If he had a game on Super Bowl Sunday, we'd just tape it so we could watch him play. Because family is far more important than watching Tom Brady lead the Patriots.