Will Patriots ever be respected again?

[chech1965]

Someone hoping to bait me asked an accidental question. He/She asked if the Patriots will ever be respected again.

Do people not respect the Broncos*? They violated the salary cap and won two SB. They were fined double what the Pats were and lost draft picks.

Why should they regain respect and not the Pats???

The whole thing is full of hypocrisy and whining.

:bricks:

 

[Patriot_dynasty]

The complete show of public hatred shows the respect they have. NOBODY wants their team to play the Pats in a big game...NOBODY.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The question is pretty general.

Respected, "by whom?"

By the cretins who post hate on the Jests and Indy Boards and elsewhere? By the mediots who turned Spygate into a Cottage Industry? No. Never. If they ever were.

By the vast majority of fans outside of New England who used to admire them for winning (even if they were pulling against them, like the old Cowboys or the Yankees) but are now either negative or ambivalent about the Patriots? Yes, but, fairly or unfairly, it will take a while and, fairly or unfairly, I don't think their respect will return as long as BB is coach. The latter is terribly unfair and sad, but I think it is true.

Respected, "for what?" For being an outstanding Football team? Even ESPN has ranked them Number 1 in the pre-Season Power rankings. Yes.

For being a (the!) model NFL Franchise? Eventually, but it will take a few years and, sadly, the departure of the guy who had as much to do with building that franchise as anyone.

 

[coltsfan09]

they were respected in 2001 for beating the Rams, but then came the accusations of cheating. Until Belicheck and Brady leave...no they wont be respected...

 

[NYCPatsFan]

The complete show of public hatred shows the respect they have. NOBODY wants their team to play the Pats in a big game...NOBODY.

Hate to say this but think it is a fair statment IMO: a good % of the players and fans outside the NE region have replaced 'respect' with 'contempt' ever since Cameragate was allowed to become a big slander tsunami.

To them, the Pats have been successful only because of BB's illegal videotaping of the signals for the last 1000 years that gave TB the inside scoop of what the defense is planning to do before the ball is snapped.

Never mind if we show that (a) signal taping was a trivial issue irrespective of the vague guidelines from the league on the subject matter, (b) their teams will also admit doing the same in different manners, (c) TB's not-that-consistent performance against many of the teams whom Pats have taped in the past points out that TB might not have any exclusive info right before the snap (d) all the above.

Their minds are made up that the Pats 'cheated' and hence look at us and our records with contempt.

My mind is also made up and I care a damn about what others think of us.

 

[chech1965]

they were respected in 2001 for beating the Rams, but then came the accusations of cheating. Until Belicheck and Brady leave...no they wont be respected...

<sigh> Another one who doesn't understand. You so easily throw around the word "cheating" without the simplest comprehension of what happened exactly.

The whole thing was blown so completely out of proportion to the rule that was broken. I don't see anyone whining about the Broncos* or 49ers when they broke the rules. What about the Steelers and the steroids? Or Indy and the piped in crowd noise?

Hypocrites, all.

:enranged:

 

[T-Bone]

I always have felt that the media has been totally unfair to the Patriots with Spygate/Walsh. They are feeding this negative BS to the fans of other teams who wish their teams were as successful as the Patriots.

And come on, what team was good enough to go 18 and 1 in the past eight years, only the Patriots. Yet the media feels the need to diminish our team's accomplishments by our Super Bowl loss, which came in the last 2:40 of the game and only occurred due to a fluke play that Manning was lucky to make.

Look at the Red Sox, before 2004 we heard over and over again from Yankee fans "1918". Now we don't hear crap from the Yankee fans as their team is in last place. The Patriots will be back in the Super Bowl this year, and will win and then we too will stop hearing the crap from the rest of the NFL.

 

[godef]

How about a 4th choice: they've never been NOT respected.

I mean, why do you think they try so hard to bring the Patriots down. This is a backhand acknowlegment that in fact they all respect the hell out of the Pats.

Do you think anyone would care if it were the Cardinals who were caught?

 

[NEPatriot]

Pats is always a respected team.

 

[stinkypete]

As long as they keep on playing football in January and February, I could care less if they are respected.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I don't care about respect. The Pats never got it. All I want is another Championship! Give me that, and the media jerkis can take their respect and shove it! I think we all love the Patriots no matter how hard ESPN, Tomase, Specter, or whatnot try to drag their name through the mud.

 

[ivanvamp]

By people who matter, yes.

By idiots, no.

I've seen two power rankings already, and both of them have the Pats at #1. So obviously there's respect.

 

[NEPatriot]

Respected is EARNED with 3 SB rings and 18-0 record and broken records. Pursued of perfection continues.

 

[stlrtruck]

I believe that for awhile the patriots had respect. It showed in the way that fans were piling up against them - just like fans of other teams in the 70's did against the Steelers.

However, once "spygate" was revealed, it tainted that respect (IMHO). And it has left a bad taste that won't go away anytime soon.

Personally, I feel that the patriots won't get much respect from fans until belichick is no longer the head coach. However, the media will be more than willing to hand them another SB trophy come August. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Respected???? Respected by whom??? the media? Fans from other teams?

If you are holding breathe waithing for that you should be turning blue by now. I don't care if they are "respected" by those people. What make anyone think they ever were?

The media and every fan of every team can talk as much as they want now, but until a player or coach refuses to come here to NE because they disrespect the franchise, then and only then will I become concerned.
When any team refuses to take one of our players or coaches because they "disrespect" him or the team he played for, then I'll be concerned. Until that time comes (which is apparently not going to happen anytime soon), it's the media, the fans,and a few whiny players who, in the grander scheme of things, don't matter one iota.
Would Joey Porter back up his fries and refuse to come to NE because of this? Not on your life. He'd crawl here if he thought they'd wanted his sorry azz, but they don't.
The only thing I'd truly hate to see is BB (or any of our players) be denied the HOF because of this.

 

[Rossmci90]

They'll be respected again for sure, this will blow over in a few years time.

 

[PromisedLand]

Time heals all wounds. In a number of years I believe the that the true nature of this minor rule violation will be brought to light and it will become a minor footnote like Denver cheating on the salary cap. I never knew thy did until spy-gate.

You're half right, Schlereth. Denver cheating on the salary cap WAS a big deal.

 

[neuronet]

Will not answer as it doesn't have the correct answer "Trick question: they never lost respect to begin with."

This is known as asking a loaded question, such as 'Have you stopped beating your wife yet?'