Congratulations to you all

[oldrover]

I have to ask, does it even still feel exciting? Or is it just another day and nothing new?

It's a very similar feeling to when I hear the unsolicited question out of the blue, "Hey, do you want to fool around tonight?"








...unless it's just @fnordcircle and, while flattered, I must politely decline... again... (j/k dude)

 

[BTTA]

I'm not sure how I'd be if this was just about wins and losses and championships. There's more to it, though, which can't be separated out for me as a fan. The systematic persecution from the League over the years, through rule changes aimed at Patriot coaching staff innovations, and trumped-up rules violations, has affected my attitude. Where I might have just felt lucky and grateful, instead I have a small chip on my shoulder and sense of entitlement. So when the team wins, I expect it; when they lose, it feel like an injustice has occurred, because the team has been unjustly weakened by the League over the years.

From a Ravens fan. Not just for making it this year but since 2001, the Patriots dynasty has to be one of the most dominant runs I've ever seen in sports and it's a lot more impressive doing it in the NFL than in the NBA or MLB where they have a 7 game series and such so one bad game wouldn't be too bad.

I have to ask, does it even still feel exciting? Or is it just another day and nothing new? Hell, a regular season win for me has me giddy for the rest of the day but a trip to the Superbowl and I'm singing all the way to work.

I have to wonder, when the time finally comes that Brady/Belichick finally call it and the Patriots become a regular team again, will it ever feel the same? Maybe Bills son can take over and continue the dynasty but if not, will this dominant standard that may never be met again ruin football a little? Just something I'm curious about because as a Ravens fan, I'd be happy with us accomplishing even just 25% of what your run since 2001 has been.

Also, please beat the Eagles and silence all of those terrible fans again!

 

[Wax Frog]

Wins are still enjoyable and losses still hurt. Many of us are emotionally invested in this team.

Its crazy how it does not get less exciting. The last 2 sb’s left me in tears and probably got the biggest reaction out of me than even the first few.

I have been very emotionally invested in the Patriots, actually too much so when I was younger. Aside from any lurkers, likely no one from the organization will ever know I existed, but every time they've bled from late December '85 onward, I've bled with them.

That last SB healed all the wounds. It was transcendent. For me instead of tears I had a dreamlike feeling that lasted for a week at least. Every so often I'd mentally pinch myself awake - "They actually did it. I used to think one would be enough, but damned if they didn't win FIVE and reach NFL Olympus".

If they could make it 10 I'd enjoy the 10th as much as the first, but if the ride is over I've already witnessed more than I could have reasonably asked, so I'm at peace with that.
My old dreams of Patriots glory have had closure. The former joke franchise of the league that I let myself fall in love with so long ago will now and forever be legend.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Interesting question and one I've pondered for awhile now.

As exciting as the early years? Yes, but different. Early years probably didnt control my emotions as well as I do now. Maybe from seasons of winning or maybe age. I think Belichicks demeanor has transfered to a lot of fans. Block out what you can't control, other team made more plays, 60 minutes, do your job etc. so if i dont look or act excited it doesnt mean I'm not, it just means we see it differently now.

As far as watching Pats after the duo is gone. Im sure I will, but the bar has been set higher than anything we could of imagined. Football will never be the same for me. But will still get excited for playoffs and possible future superbowl with new faces.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Also always enjoyed the draft and team building process. That was way before Brady and BB

 

[Chris Stevenson]

From a Ravens fan. Not just for making it this year but since 2001, the Patriots dynasty has to be one of the most dominant runs I've ever seen in sports and it's a lot more impressive doing it in the NFL than in the NBA or MLB where they have a 7 game series and such so one bad game wouldn't be too bad.

I have to ask, does it even still feel exciting? Or is it just another day and nothing new? Hell, a regular season win for me has me giddy for the rest of the day but a trip to the Superbowl and I'm singing all the way to work.

I have to wonder, when the time finally comes that Brady/Belichick finally call it and the Patriots become a regular team again, will it ever feel the same? Maybe Bills son can take over and continue the dynasty but if not, will this dominant standard that may never be met again ruin football a little? Just something I'm curious about because as a Ravens fan, I'd be happy with us accomplishing even just 25% of what your run since 2001 has been.

Also, please beat the Eagles and silence all of those terrible fans again!

Thanks for the kind words but i have really have never seen a rational ravens fan before, so i guess there is a first time for everything.

Ozzie and harbaugh on the hotseat yet?

 

[aluminum seats]

Billichick's son becoming the "next great coach" is a silly thing to even be pondering. Nepotism at an extreme example. I am sure that HC and DC are coaching his group up quite a bit. It is a pure entitlement job.

It's of course too early to talk about him being a great coach, but I'm not sure what you're basing the rest of it on.

 

[Brewskies]

Since my first game, September 9, 1960, the Boston Patriots, 58 years ago, we lost to Denver 13-10 I love this team. I enjoy winning. I hate to lose a game in regular season never mind the playoffs. The ups and downs this team has given me so much over the years and hopefully more to come. I haven't missed a game. I have seen them either in person or watched on TV. Everyb win is a thrill. Losing BB and Brady will be a big loss but it's still my team. I am proud to wear the cap everyday.

 

[RobertWeathers]

From a Ravens fan. Not just for making it this year but since 2001, the Patriots dynasty has to be one of the most dominant runs I've ever seen in sports and it's a lot more impressive doing it in the NFL than in the NBA or MLB where they have a 7 game series and such so one bad game wouldn't be too bad.

I have to ask, does it even still feel exciting? Or is it just another day and nothing new? Hell, a regular season win for me has me giddy for the rest of the day but a trip to the Superbowl and I'm singing all the way to work.

I have to wonder, when the time finally comes that Brady/Belichick finally call it and the Patriots become a regular team again, will it ever feel the same? Maybe Bills son can take over and continue the dynasty but if not, will this dominant standard that may never be met again ruin football a little? Just something I'm curious about because as a Ravens fan, I'd be happy with us accomplishing even just 25% of what your run since 2001 has been.

Also, please beat the Eagles and silence all of those terrible fans again!

Always appreciated and welcome when classy fans show up to this board.

To answer your question...Yes- it is still exciting. Maybe not as surprising as it was back in 85, 96 or 01 but its still a ****load of fun.

Once BB and Tom are gone it'll start all over again. We may suck. We may have a continuum. Who knows.

Just gotta appreciate the now and enjoy the ride because it will not last forever

 

[p8ryts]

It never gets old. I was asked today if I was confident. I said I worry about every game. I screamed many times during the AFC title game
, especially when Gilmore closed out the game.

 

[Cohle]

Thanks for the kind words but i have really have never seen a rational ravens fan before, so i guess there is a first time for everything.

Ozzie and harbaugh on the hotseat yet?

Ozzie has been around since the beginning so I don't see him getting canned. Harbaugh? Maybe. Bisciotti has been pretty quiet as usual about it all. I think what we really need to do is draft a new QB soon.

 

[Cohle]

Always appreciated and welcome when classy fans show up to this board.

To answer your question...Yes- it is still exciting. Maybe not as surprising as it was back in 85, 96 or 01 but its still a ****load of fun.

Once BB and Tom are gone it'll start all over again. We may suck. We may have a continuum. Who knows.

Just gotta appreciate the now and enjoy the ride because it will not last forever

Thank you for the welcome. It seems like every decade has a different dynasty.

60s - GB
70s - Pitt
80s - SF
90s - Dallas
00s - Pats
10s - Pats

So the Pats are the only team to extend theirs to another decade. I wonder what team it will be in the roaring 20s?

 

[BlueThunder]

I've followed the Pats since their inception many moons ago, through all their losing and down years with a few highlights thrown inbetween.... but the journey from 2001 until now has been like being strapped to a roman candle......I can tell the grandkids and hopefully great grandkids...I watched the Belichick/Brady Dynasty tear thru the NFL......Good Times !!!

 

[Simpelton]

So the regular season wins are not as exciting but the regular season losses are still miserable?

That makes sense and probably the only bad part of being dominant for so long. My suggestion would be to get excited for them as this level of dominance may eventually end.

I doubt Brady plays until he's 50 (that would be nuts) but I think Bill probably has a lot more football left in him. I can see Tom taking up coaching though himself though.

I could see it too, but I actually expect he might join an ownership group for one of the NFL franchises as well. You can raise a lot of capital with that face at the head of your group.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Thank you for the welcome. It seems like every decade has a different dynasty.

60s - GB
70s - Pitt
80s - SF
90s - Dallas
00s - Pats
10s - Pats

So the Pats are the only team to extend theirs to another decade. I wonder what team it will be in the roaring 20s?

Time will tell!

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Welcome great post. We don’t get many fans of other teams wishing us well. We don’t care if you’re our friend as long as you’re our ally this week. We need all the help we can get.

We don’t see the Iggles very often but most of us know their fans are the worst in football. Absolutely can not let them prevail.

 

[mosslost]

It's of course too early to talk about him being a great coach, but I'm not sure what you're basing the rest of it on.

If he were not Belichick's kid there is literally zero percent chance he would be coaching in the NFL right now.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

Ozzie has been around since the beginning so I don't see him getting canned. Harbaugh? Maybe. Bisciotti has been pretty quiet as usual about it all. I think what we really need to do is draft a new QB soon.

Right, but if Ozzie has been absolutely awful for years now, why wouldn't you want an improvement?

He basically drafted Jimmy Smith from 2013 and that LB from the same draft, but other than that, your team has nothing else to show from drafts since 2010.

That's awful.

He put you in cap hell for the irresponsibility of budgeting for Flacco up against the cap in 2012, luckily your team won it all because Kaepernick choked at the goal line on 4 attempts.

How many more chances does he get to understand he's not always going to have Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to build around on that D?

 

[DionGronkHead]

They're just terrible fans. Why destroy parts of your own city and get in fights with each other to celebrate? I know every fanbase has their idiots but man Philly truly takes the cake. I still remember the stuff coming out when the Phillies won the world series.

I've seen Phillies fans act like total douchebags at Nationals Stadium and at OPAC. Trust me they are among us in the DC/Baltimore area. The same thing with Eagles fans and the brand new bandwagon fans with Wentz and Jenkins jerseys.

 

[AGCSBill]

It will be interesting to see how this fan base will react to a Patriots team that will have up and down seasons like most of the NFL. But, considering how this organization has developed and the framework of winning that is in place, I do not see a Cleveland Browns type of scenario of many years of "suck" with out a playoff appearance for years.

I know there are a fair amount of fans who have been fans since the Boston Patriots days and they'll keep rooting for the team, win or lose. It will be something for the younger fans, who took up their support of the Pats when this current run started, to experience a losing season and/or the Pats missing the playoffs for more than one season. They might just wonder how did that happen?