The Patriots are the biggest "Evil Empire" in sports, according to Twitter

[FCB02062]

Impressed W the we don't want to get sued generic team logos

 

[Doctor DDS]

The Pats did not really become "evil" until the Spygate nonsense where the National media decided to subjugate facts for ratings. Their 2007 infraction somehow became retroactive to all of their prior accomplishments and a common league practice somehow became nefarious behavior. The Patriots "cheat" became a ratings bonanza and has remained in vogue for 10 years now. No reason to let facts or reason get in the way of a good story so the Pats are reviled instead of celebrated. It used to bother me but now I revel in it.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Warriors - Elite team for three years
Yankees - Haven't been a dynasty for 16 years
Patriots - Dynasty running for 17 years

I don't see how it's even a question the Patriots would have more hate.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

The Pats did not really become "evil" until the Spygate nonsense where the National media decided to subjugate facts for ratings. Their 2007 infraction somehow became retroactive to all of their prior accomplishments and a common league practice somehow became nefarious behavior. The Patriots "cheat" became a ratings bonanza and has remained in vogue for 10 years now. No reason to let facts or reason get in the way of a good story so the Pats are reviled instead of celebrated. It used to bother me but now I revel in it.

It intensified the hate. In 2005/06, a lot of hate was brewing.

 

[RobertWeathers]

It intensified the hate. In 2005/06, a lot of hate was brewing.

I don't recall "hate" brewing in 2005 and 2006. From a team standpoint, I'd classify it more as fatigue with all the winning the team did early in the 2000s.

From a personality standpoint, the Brady "Golden, pretty boy" and BB "dark, gruff, sinister and obstinate" personas were maturing with the Spygate and Deflategate nonsense became full blown

With that said, I do think with this most recent Super Bowl, while "hated", this team, BB and Tom are being appreciated more and recognized as being the greatest in league history.

Haters are gonna hate.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

it's mostly media framing

Congratulations, you have hit it out of the park.

So-called Patriot "fans" above have referenced certain things in the past, disregarding the fact that nearly all the other franchises in the league have participated in the "Stupor Bowl" or "Toilet Bowl" if they prefer, but somehow the Patriots are the only or the most humiliating of all; nevermind that the Patriots were in the playoffs the season following '81 and in the Super Bowl three years later. And, those losing seasons were vastly outnumbered by winning ones in those decades, and during the AFC's dominance from 1972-1983.

The "laughing stock" label is, like the present cheating fallacy, media-created locally, and enthusiastically aped nationally, conveniently ignoring all those years we beat most other teams and had better records than them. League hatred, denigration and contempt of the Patriots was born from the merger. Fueled entirely by ignorance and stupidity, the one single reality to support all of it is Billy Sullivan's financial ineptitude. Period.

Finally, the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics have each experienced embarrassing, humiliating, and regrettable events, on- and off-field behavior by athletes and ownership at one time or another over their existences. Focusing entirely on those negative things, some of which were avoidable and some not, and completely ignoring their successes and the good people and players that sacrificed for them who vastly outnumber the bad ones, is any person's right, but I wouldn't call such people "fans" of that team.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Patriots - Dynasty running for 17 years

The Patriots are not some stupid expansion team conjured up in the 90's.

They are an AFL original, playing in the same state and local market since their inception, with a long, colorful and [yes] successful tradition and history, and despite what's seen in most posts here, with a loyal fan base going back generations.

That is something to account for other cities' and team fans' jealousy, along with this century's success.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

The Pats did not really become "evil" until the Spygate nonsense where the National media decided to subjugate facts for ratings. Their 2007 infraction somehow became retroactive to all of their prior accomplishments and a common league practice somehow became nefarious behavior. The Patriots "cheat" became a ratings bonanza and has remained in vogue for 10 years now. No reason to let facts or reason get in the way of a good story so the Pats are reviled instead of celebrated. It used to bother me but now I revel in it.

The Pats were denigrated, as usual, in 2002 with the Tuck Rule, later "they hate their coach" and the one that permanently turned me off of BSPN, when in the January 2006 playoffs the defending champion Patriots had "no chance whatsoever" to win. Perhaps they had some prior knowledge of Champ Bailey's fake touchdown or whatever. Anyway, there was plenty already in the tank before September 2007.

 

[maineman209]

The Pats were denigrated, as usual, in 2002 with the Tuck Rule, later "they hate their coach" and the one that permanently turned me off of BSPN, when in the January 2006 playoffs the defending champion Patriots had "no chance whatsoever" to win. Perhaps they had some prior knowledge of Champ Bailey's fake touchdown or whatever. Anyway, there was plenty already in the tank before September 2007.

Several years ago, I read a recollection by an older sportswriter concerning the time when Kraft was actively seeking to hire Belichick as his head coach. The gist of the story was that a group of TV execs and mid-level League officials vigorously lobbied Kraft against doing so because, they reportedly said, "Belichick isn't media-friendly."

One of those League officials was apparently Roger Goodell, who was Lamar Hunt's executive assistant at the time. This was before Goodell was appointed COO of the NFL in December 2001, responsible for strategic planning, marketing and sales. And overseeing officiating.

So Goodell was stirring this particular cauldron long before he became Commish.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

No. 1 baby.

No. 1.

We love to love 'em and everybody else loves to hate 'em...I wouldn't have it any other way.

Embrace the Hate!

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Warriors - Elite team for three years
Yankees - Haven't been a dynasty for 16 years
Patriots - Dynasty running for 17 years

I don't see how it's even a question the Patriots would have more hate.

They should have more...vote now! Drive up those hate numbers!

 

[lurker1965]

aaah, someone who remembers the Toilet Bowl, when the patriots and colts played for the right to make the first draft choice.

Which they promptly wasted on Kenneth Sims 0f 17 sacks in 74 games.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Which they promptly wasted on Kenneth Sims 0f 17 sacks in 74 games.

Was that the year they could have had Jerry "Cheater" Rice?

 

[Tunescribe]

let's embrace it (if you haven't already)

No, screw that. The Patriots ARE NOT the freaking "evil empire." The evil empire is Goodell and his minions. The Patriots are righteous, just, and simply too good for others who now are calling them "evil" out of jealousy and spite.

 

[sb1]

Unfortunately, it looks like they've struck gold again in Judge.

The kid admittedly looks good now but I've seen guys like him come and go just as quickly. I bet he gets figured out sooner than later.

The Yankees have not developed a legit major league prospect that they felt worth keeping in more than 10 years, the last one being Cano and the one before that Andy Pettitte 10 years before that. So as a rule of thumb all Yankee prospects/rookies to me are overhyped and overrated until I see it proven otherwise.

 

[sb1]

I agree SB LI is a turning point into how this team is viewed by the public.

Even PFT comment sentiment has turned from this team is only good because they cheat to grudging acceptance that this is an all time team.

 

[sb1]

The Pats did not really become "evil" until the Spygate nonsense where the National media decided to subjugate facts for ratings. Their 2007 infraction somehow became retroactive to all of their prior accomplishments and a common league practice somehow became nefarious behavior. The Patriots "cheat" became a ratings bonanza and has remained in vogue for 10 years now. No reason to let facts or reason get in the way of a good story so the Pats are reviled instead of celebrated. It used to bother me but now I revel in it.

Remember this? A lot of that probably started from our good friend Gregg Easterbrook.

link:
TMQ: Good vs. Evil - ESPN Page 2

 

[fourhour]

Remember this? A lot of that probably started from our good friend Gregg Easterbrook.

link:
TMQ: Good vs. Evil - ESPN Page 2

From that article:

The Colts are the defending champions, so they obviously play well on the field. Yet after winning the Super Bowl, they have remained humble and appealing. Through prior years of postseason frustration, they never complained or pointed the finger outside their team.

Wonder what changed them?

And to add to the story of hate, I think that most of the hate comes from teenage, acne-faced kids in the bedrooms/basements with nothing to do but play internet warrior, etc.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Remember this? A lot of that probably started from our good friend Gregg Easterbrook.

link:
TMQ: Good vs. Evil - ESPN Page 2

I just read that thing. Now, I must burn the clothes I'm wearing, brush my teeth, gargle with mouthwash, rinse with ACT, take a long shower, dry off and rest for a couple days, drinking lots and lots of water.

But is does exactly reflect where everything went then in '07. And what people still mostly believe today. ("Goodell is a complete boob; EXCEPT for his depiction of the Patriots as cheaters...and the Patriots 'got off lightly' too") And Robert "my name and reputation are really important to me" Kraft still stood and tearfully apologized to his fellow owners and their coaches on April 1, 2008.

Anyway, the gist of it is that Superman is the anti-Christ, and Lex Luthor is in fact, Captain America.

Everthing backwards. It didn't help for Kraft to accept changing the Man of Steel's cape from red to blue, his insignia from the coolest to the ugliest, and his getup from the sharpest to something that appears to have crawled out from the sewer.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Remember this? A lot of that probably started from our good friend Gregg Easterbrook.

link:
TMQ: Good vs. Evil - ESPN Page 2

Thanks, I'm gonna hang onto this and refer to it anytime I'm instructed to "induce vomiting"