Could TB12 win?..........

[1960Pats]

Bill Russell says hi

I feel lucky to have been able to see Bill play in person. I used to spend a quarter for a train at Everett Station to take me to the Garden where a dollar would get me in. Ah, the good ole days.

 

[1960Pats]

Grogan was on a virtually identical career track to Brady - until the Super Bowl was stolen from him. The Space-time continuum is fluid; we can project how it could have gone otherwise but we don't have proof. Would Sullivan have behaved the same in the Hannah-Gray holdout, I say yes. The second major barrier to Grogan winning again is Stingley, who is as important to that era as Troy Brown is later. That second atrocity was committed at the very same venue against the very same team and coach. There simply is no other opponent who could ever be loathed as much in our history, forever. The consequences were devastating. Conversely, as we saw this century the credibility and pomp associated with being a Super Bowl champion, more than anything else, gives a team an annual objective and standard to pursue that is a known accomplishment. We've been there, and we want to go back.

Grogan responded to adversity primarily with personal character, and determination. He is very, very much like Tom Brady. He is likewise ultra competitive and highly emotional. He did not have the obvious talent of Plunkett, but he had exceptional mental aptitude for the position and off the charts leadership qualities.

Even through all the injuries and front office/management turmoil, Grogan put the Patriots in contention for the Super Bowl title from 1985-87, and then the third member of the Pats' Holy Trinity of modern quarterbacks took the reins in 1988, local boy Doug Flutie.

The parallels between Flutie and Brady are also striking. In his first extended NFL starting opportunity, Doug like Tom took a losing collection of talented players with significant playoff and Super Bowl experience and put them on the doorstep of glory. That coach chose the suicidal route of putting the vastly inferior number 11 losing Super Bowl starter back in with the same results we would have seen if Belichick did that in '01, and Brady would have likewise had to go win somewhere else.

So given all the details, I very easily see Grogan winning at least two or three Super Bowls under Fairbanks. I don't think Chuck leaves if Darryl isn't paralyzed.

I have trouble thinking and talking about Stingley. It hurts too much.

The worst part about the Dreith theft is that it basically cost the Pats their first SB win after Pitt lost both Rocky Blier and Franco Harris earlier the day in their win. The Raiders went on to beat both Pitt and Minnesota easily for the first of their 3 SB wins.

The best part about the Snow Bowl is that we had a crucial call go our way on a pretty simple rule that was seen repeatedly, before and after, and Raider supporters are acting like it's even in the same ballpark as the 1976 theft. All that in spite of the fact that they proudly live by the motto of "if you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin" and act like they're team is tough. The Pats went on to win the first of their 6 SB wins.

The fact that these two events happened 25 years apart led me to put a 25 year curse on the Raiders in 2001. It's working well.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I have trouble thinking and talking about Stingley. It hurts too much.

The worst part about the Dreith theft is that it basically cost the Pats their first SB win after Pitt lost both Rocky Blier and Franco Harris earlier the day in their win. The Raiders went on to beat both Pitt and Minnesota easily for the first of their 3 SB wins.

The best part about the Snow Bowl is that we had a crucial call go our way on a pretty simple rule that was seen repeatedly, before and after, and Raider supporters are acting like it's even in the same ballpark as the 1976 theft. All that in spite of the fact that they proudly live by the motto of "if you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin" and act like they're team is tough. The Pats went on to win the first of their 6 SB wins.

The fact that these two events happened 25 years apart led me to put a 25 year curse on the Raiders in 2001. It's working well.

Also the Raiders might have beaten the Steelers (would have been underdogs) but definitely weren’t beating the Rams. I guess they want, not just the win, but also credit for subsequent Patriots achievements. Should they get the 03 and 04 trophies too?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Also the Raiders might have beaten the Steelers (would have been underdogs) but definitely weren’t beating the Rams. I guess they want, not just the win, but also credit for subsequent Patriots achievements. Should they get the 03 and 04 trophies too?

Al Davis is an important pioneer for the AFL and modern football. His understandable bitterness over Rozelle going behind his back to broker a deal - holding the elder league to zero accountability for their atrocities committed in their stupid war against us - led to a limitless crybaby crusade, leading Raiders fans to believe they should have won seven Super Bowls in the 70's. The fix was definitely in by December 18, 1976. Had the normal rules of football applied, the Patriots would have run out the clock and/or scored insurance points. It took literally a slew of brazenly wrong and biased calls and noncalls down the stretch for the officials to take possession away from the Patriots, and then march the ball down the field for the home team to cash in their stolen gift.

The Tuck rule call is to the Dreith robbery as a parking ticket is to Fred Hampton's murder.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Also the Raiders might have beaten the Steelers (would have been underdogs) but definitely weren’t beating the Rams. I guess they want, not just the win, but also credit for subsequent Patriots achievements. Should they get the 03 and 04 trophies too?

Their defense down the stretch was unable to close out games, and they again had plenty of chances to put the Patriots away beside the reversed fumble.

 

[1960Pats]

The Tuck rule call is to the Dreith robbery as a parking ticket is to Fred Hampton's murder.

That makes the Raider whining more enjoyable to me. I like that they think they got screwed, when in reality the call was correct.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

That makes the Raider whining more enjoyable to me. I like that they think they got screwed, when in reality the call was correct.

Ditto the Immaculate Reception

 

[1960Pats]

Ditto the Immaculate Reception

Yup, that was great too. The team that cherished cheating to win in the 70's, acts as tough as nails and wears the logo of a pirate with a black eye patch, has been crying for decades over correct calls. You gotta love it.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Russell is a basketball player, so who is he saying hi to?

WOOOOooooossshhhh!