{"id":64771,"date":"2026-01-20T11:30:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=64771"},"modified":"2026-01-20T14:19:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:19:21","slug":"patriots-more-than-just-a-football-team-it-gives-us-the-bookmarks-in-our-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2026\/01\/20\/patriots-more-than-just-a-football-team-it-gives-us-the-bookmarks-in-our-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Are More Than Just a Football Team: They Give Us the Bookmarks in Our Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi there.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been about 15 years since we last talked in this space, but do you have a few minutes for us to catch up?<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps you remember me from my weekly column for this website from 2002-2011.\u00a0 Perhaps we have never crossed paths before.\u00a0 Either way, for the first time in a decade and a half, I\u2019m back. I had an idea for a column, so here goes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the time that I wrote the column for this website<\/strong><\/a>, I grew as a writer and a dad to newborn children.\u00a0 I met a lot of wonderful people, developed a creative outlet that I never knew I had, and enjoyed a few incredible life experiences, such as regularly appearing on live television and radio to talk about the Patriots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then one day in 2011, I realized that I had no more writing bullets in the proverbial writing chamber.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I never really believed in writer\u2019s block, but there it was, staring me right in the face.\u00a0 To be fair, how many columns can one write about the bountiful run that the Patriots were on during that time? There\u2019s only so many times that you can write that Tom Brady wasn\u2019t perfect in a playoff game, but he made the play or two that eventually mattered, or that Troy Brown was a human Swiss Army knife.<\/span><\/p>\n

I moved on with my life and, perhaps like you over the last 15 years, life for me went up, down, and sideways.\u00a0 I still enjoyed watching the Patriots, but suddenly, real-world matters put a proper perspective on the fact that the Patriots winning another playoff game or even the Super Bowl was by no means a life or death matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s only so many times that you can write that Tom Brady wasn\u2019t perfect in a playoff game but he made the play or two that eventually mattered.” – Kevin Rousseau <\/span>(PHOTO: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Speaking of life or death matters, that\u2019s where the idea for this column came from.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s a journey and a story worth sharing, and maybe you can relate to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, I came through the last 15 years just fine.\u00a0 I\u2019m in pretty good health, and the people that I love are all doing well.\u00a0 I\u2019m proud to say that my two kids were just entering elementary school when I stopped writing, and have since blossomed into fine young adults.\u00a0 My mom, brother, and dad are all doing fine, and I\u2019m grateful for that.\u00a0 And then there is the matter of stumbling into a relationship a few years ago and then marrying my beautiful wife last August.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best things in life happen when you least expect them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s saying to yourself a few years ago, \u201cThere\u2019s no way she\u2019s single and why in the world would she be interested in me?\u201d or this unexpectedly beautiful, enjoyable Patriots season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which brings me back to how the unexpected joy of this Patriots season has provided yet another bookmark in the story of the relationship between myself and my dad.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you were a regular reader of my column back in the day, you read numerous references about how, as a little boy living within walking distance to the stadium, I would go to the Patriots games with him when the team was bad.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Really bad.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, you read how the Patriots were always a centerpiece in our relationship as I transitioned from a teenager to a young adult and then to a new dad.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward 15 years, and I now have a lot more gray hair, and life has a different perspective.\u00a0 But the Patriots were still always there in the background between the two of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then we nearly lost him a year ago December.\u00a0 As I stared down this unthinkable probability at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, I often circled back to how awful it would be if he left us and not to be able to talk about the Patriots as we have since time and eternity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019ve been there. In that moment, I asked the Good Lord for his grace and for, among other things, just one more Patriots post-game phone call if He could spare it.\u00a0 Just one, and I would be at peace.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t ready to move on, and thanks to the talented providers at that hospital, neither was he.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Mike<\/p>\n

This 2025 Patriots season has been memorable for reasons that go beyond what we’ve seen on the field. – <\/span><\/strong>(PHOTO: \u00a9 Andrew Nelles \/ The Tennessean \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

As 2025 moved along, he gained strength and clarity.\u00a0 He had one of the largest smiles that I had seen in a while back in August when the charter members of the tailgate crew (Mark, Glenn, Bill, Joe, and myself) all Facetimed him after a beautiful reunion dinner at Limoncello\u2019s in the North End.\u00a0 The consensus on the Facetime call among all of us was that an 8-9 or 9-8 season would be just fine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember what I said earlier about the best surprises happen in life when you least expect them?\u00a0 Well, this 2025 edition of the local professional FC has certainly fit the bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

The season started off as expected with the typical post-game phone calls that we had over the last few years, lamenting the current state of affairs and refrains of \u201cWait until next year.\u00a0 They\u2019re developing, Kevin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then they won a Sunday night game in Buffalo and just kept on winning.\u00a0 It started to look less like a fluke and more like a foundation for a new beginning.\u00a0 Drake Maye demonstrated a breathless touch of the ball reminiscent of You Know Who, the free agents and drafted rookies all held their own and the wins against a cr\u00e8me puff schedule started to pile up.<\/span><\/p>\n

And so did the phone calls between my place in Maine and the folks’ place in New Hampshire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDad, this team is going to the playoffs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey definitely have their coach\/quarterback combo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnother win.\u00a0 Can you believe it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA playoff win.\u00a0 This is crazy.\u00a0 Who would have imagined?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few days ago, I said to my wife, \u201cYou know if they win on Sunday, I think I\u2019m going to drive to New Hampshire to watch the AFC Championship game with my folks.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A six-hour round-trip commute is nothing when you\u2019re grateful that your humble request from a year ago last December came through big time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The phone call after the game on Sunday was short and to the point.<\/span><\/p>\n

After dispensing with formalities, I said, \u201cThe game on Sunday starts at 3.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be there around 2:30. I love you both.\u00a0 Bye.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time moves on. Time stands still.\u00a0 Just like it will this coming Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Perhaps you remember me from my weekly column for this website from 2002-2011.\u00a0 Perhaps we have never crossed paths before.\u00a0 Either way, for the first time in a decade and a half, I\u2019m back. I had an idea for a column so here goes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":64775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,23152],"tags":[24061,46,23466,24066,44,746,24067,1909,13,438],"class_list":["post-64771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-commentary","category-pf","tag-afc-championship","tag-buffalo-bills","tag-drake-maye","tag-family","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-playoffs","tag-relationships","tag-super-bowl","tag-tom-brady","tag-troy-brown"],"yoast_head":"\nPatriots Are More Than Just a Football Team: They Give Us the Bookmarks in Our Lives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Perhaps you remember me from my weekly column for this website from 2002-2011.\u00a0 Perhaps we have never crossed paths before.\u00a0 Either way, for the first time in a decade and a half, I\u2019m back. 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