Holley asked him about it.
"I don't think these guys are the 49ers who went 13 seasons...there are certain defeats that take a lot out of a group, or individuals. I think Federer is going down early at Wimbledon. I think they will be good, but not great. I think they will win the division. I think they will be good but we go through this all the time with teams...Winning 3 qualifies them as a dynasty. But they are not a 'real dynasty' that was the old Celtics. I see a lot of holes on defense. A soft defense. They were unmasked, teams do not fear them anymore. Once the Bears were unmasked, people did not fear them anymore. The populace is drinking the Kool-aid...I said they weren't going to go undefeated, it's too hard. It's too hard to do this year after year. They could get into the playoffs and make a run, but not 14-2."
Paraphrased...
Where to begin to address all this?
Well, first off, we'll find out soon enough about Federer (who, it appears,
is on the downside of his career)....
There are very few teams that can be lumped with the old Celtics (Montreal Canadians and New York Yankees), so we can sweep that gratuitous remark aside....
He says he sees "a lot of holes", "a soft defense". I recommend that Mr. Wilbon review the Patriots' off season following the '02 season, and what transpired for the team in subsequent years.
In their "problem areas", such as they are, they've gotten younger, stronger and more athletic. They addressed the needs of the team as they percieved them, just as they did in '02.
This past season saw a Pats' defense that was top 5 in the league - and they've gotten better. I'd be more than willing to pit this D against his Washington Generals - opps! I meant Washington Redskins! Whew!
The Pats were "unmasked"? When did that happen? They lost a game in the last minute, to a team that got hot at the right time, and literally had to pull a rabbit from their hat to do it.
The Bears were "unmasked" the moment they took the field with those QBs they have....
That is why no one "fears" them!
Funny, his comment about the Kool Aid....he's been drinking it for quite a while now...
He didn't merely say they weren't going undefeated - he said they were going 9-7! He thinks it's too hard to do this year after year, yet every year, year after year, there are the Pats at the top, challenging at the highest levels for the Grand Prize -
year after year!
If this guy wrote for the Podunk Herald rather than the Washington Post, no one in the Universe would be aware of him.
No team in history did what the Patriots did last year, especially given the amount of negative scrutiny the team faced all season long. They were the most focused team ever, supported by the strongest organization in professional football, and the estimable Mr. Wilbon seems to think that's been lost by a single game.
He's a poor observer of reality, and a poor student of history.
He might want to spike his Kool Aid with a little something, to at least make it a little easier to enjoy while going down.
Clown....
