The Fall Back To Mediocrity

[drew4008]

With it being the slow part of the year and all, I've been thinking of something and thought I'd get you all to chime in on the topic.

With the Patriots being so great the last decade, and the expectations so high, how will the fan base react when the time comes that we fall back to mediocrity or worse? Who knows when it will happen, and I don't want to predict it or jinx this year or anything, but I'm just saying, when Brady and Belichick move on from the game or we just start to lose the pieces and can't compete at such a high level... how will all of us react? Will you able to handle it?

 

[bbabin]

I'll continue to be a fan. One way that I look at it is this: will I stay on the season ticket waitlist if the Patriots suck? My answer is definitely. I can't guarantee that I will spend as much energy as I do (posting here, reading every article, etc.), but I certainly won't root for another team.

 

[Fixit]

I think I'll be fine with it. They've given us a lifetime's worth of great sports memories. They're not even close to done, but when this cycle of awesome is over, I'll still be cheering.

 

[Wildo7]

I don't think it will be as drastic a transition as you make it out to be. It'll be a slow deterioration, but every year the Pats will still be on the bubble, and then one day we'll realize that they aren't what they used to be but the resume they'll have built up in the process will be enough comfort. Barring a catstrophic Brady injury, or Belichick resigning or something, they'll suddenly be 10-6 one year and not recover the next year and then be a Steelers type team that's always right there, a little short of elite. I hate this analogy obviously, but like the Yankees did. They were great enough that it makes their mediocrity now tolerable to their fans.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

With it being the slow part of the year and all, I've been thinking of something and thought I'd get you all to chime in on the topic.

With the Patriots being so great the last decade, and the expectations so high, how will the fan base react when the time comes that we fall back to mediocrity or worse? Who knows when it will happen, and I don't want to predict it or jinx this year or anything, but I'm just saying, when Brady and Belichick move on from the game or we just start to lose the pieces and can't compete at such a high level... how will all of us react? Will you able to handle it?

Personally, I'll always be a die-hard Cowboys fan. However-sadly, among my fanbase, when things go badly for a period, is also when DFW starts to see a sharp increase in Colts fans. It really drives me nuts how my fanbase has alot of bandwagoners.

Pt being that through thick and thin, you should stick behind your team.

 

[xmarkd400x]

It will happen when Brady retires/leaves.

Hopefully we will have our incarnation of Steve Young waiting in the wings.

 

[pats1]

I think Wildo has is right. It's not like they're going to go from winning a Super Bowl one year to going 4-12 and failing to fill the stadium the next. It just doesn't work that way. They might go from being 14-2 in 2004 to 10-6 in 2005, but like they went from 10-6 in 2005 to 16-0 in 2007, it will cycle around again. As long as the general systems that are in place now stay in place (between the Krafts, the stadium, the team building philosophies), there really won't be this prognosticated "fall from greatness."

I wouldn't worry about Rod Rust and Victor Kiam walking through that door tomorrow.

 

[RussFrancis]

I look at it like this. Say youre an old race car driver. And you won the Daytona 500 3 or 4 times with the sweetest rod on the beach. But after a few years, the old rod isnt quite what it used to be, and you start losin'. Are you gonna throw the old rod away to the junk pile? Or ride that thing around as proud as can be, knowing that in its prime, it was the best there was? Im goin' with plan B! We'll decline gracefully with our squad, if or when that time ever comes.

 

[BradyManny]

With it being the slow part of the year and all, I've been thinking of something and thought I'd get you all to chime in on the topic.

With the Patriots being so great the last decade, and the expectations so high, how will the fan base react when the time comes that we fall back to mediocrity or worse? Who knows when it will happen, and I don't want to predict it or jinx this year or anything, but I'm just saying, when Brady and Belichick move on from the game or we just start to lose the pieces and can't compete at such a high level... how will all of us react? Will you able to handle it?

We'll likely be competitive as long as Brady is around. Once Brady hangs them up, I think I'll about be ready to accept the inevitable decline. I expect a rebuilding period once Brady leaves - and I think it will be fitting and almost welcome. What I mean is that this is an amazing team to watch and we may never see such a team in any local sport anytime soon - but competing year in and year out and having such high expectations is also emotionally exhausting. Not that I'd ever get tired of that, but in some weird way, sucking for a while once Brady leaves will probably feel about right.

 

[N0vice33]

Will never happen

 

[BelizePats]

You get what you get. Enjoy the ride and don't worry about 5 years from now. And if BB and SP are still around, along with Bob Kraft, it won't be long before we bounce back again.
If I'm still a fan after watching Bobby Greir do his damndest to ruin this franchise, I will always be a fan.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I am not sure that the "inevitable decline" will happen to this organization. I base that on the following:

Greatest owner in sports history

BB doesn't look anywhere near "burned out". I remember last year Troy Aikman talking about how amazed he was that BB was even more energized. What exactly will BB "retire to"? Is McDaniels being groomed?

Scott Pioli is in his early 40's.

Continual buildup of draft picks.

About 7 years ago, Tom Brady wasn't exactly a household name.

The week 1 loss 2003 in Buffalo was the low point of the decade.

What is interesting to note is the Pats have won in the playoffs the last 3 years without a ring. The Dolts/Giants/Squeelers have won SB's without any playoff wins the other 2 years.

Maybe the occasional playoff miss might not be bad. It didn't hurt after 2002.

 

[LuthierJr]

we lived through it before, and we'll make it again. How many fans can say they have seen their team win 3 super bowls? I won't like it, but I'll still love my Pats!!!

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Hopefully, in 7-8 years we will be discussing if KOC can win as many SB's as TB!!!!!!!!

 

[edzo44]

Personally I don't think a little mediocrity would bother me much after going through decade after decade of plain old suckiness. It sure as hell wouldn't dim the memories of watching this team climb from the bottom to the top and stay at or near that top for the last seven years with more years realistically expected.

All you have to do is look at the 22 years of mediocrity we went through with the Celtics - - - it was painful after all the greatness previous but still thrilling when they returned to the top this year with the hope of more.

It's sports. Comes and goes in cycles. Enjoy the peaks when you're at a peak because he's right - - - there IS a trough coming somewhere in the future but we'll survive it on the memories we're living right now as we await the next peak.

Just the usual life of a bonafide team's fanbase I guess.

 

[rabthepat]

With it being the slow part of the year and all, I've been thinking of something and thought I'd get you all to chime in on the topic.

With the Patriots being so great the last decade, and the expectations so high, how will the fan base react when the time comes that we fall back to mediocrity or worse? Who knows when it will happen, and I don't want to predict it or jinx this year or anything, but I'm just saying, when Brady and Belichick move on from the game or we just start to lose the pieces and can't compete at such a high level... how will all of us react? Will you able to handle it?

99% will head for the door...even in good times the current gang of Patriot fans is average at best...listen to a Pat's game on TV and the fans are dead wood...

 

[upstater1]

This concern is so far off my list of concerns right now that I won't even bother to give a second to think about it.

When I'm having fun, I'm having fun, not thinking about the time to come when I'm not having fun.

 

[Double G]

I just don't see it happening, a fish rots from the head down and this team is solid in that department. Ownership/front office/coaching are the keys, players come and go.

I've been to the bottom of the valley (sat through not one, but two 1-15 seasons in the old armpit of a stadium) to the top of the mountain (3 Super Bowl wins in 4 years, a 16-0 season, the team of the decade), the ride has been well worth it with more good things to come..............

 

[Kontradiction]

You'll see PatsFans' hits take an immediate nosedive. I'll still root for the team but, as someone else already said, I won't spend as much energy on it as I do now.

 

[RayClay]

The Pats have rarely been mediocre. They have usually been good, great or gawdawful.