Why All The Hate Toward The Patriots?

[12thMan]

I really don't get it. I know Bill Belichick and, to some, Tom Brady aren't the most likable guys around, (actually I happen to like Brady but that's neither here nor there) but all they do is compete hard and win games. That's it; they win games. And I don't find them to be smug or ungrateful about it. It's usually the other teams that are talking trash leading up to the games, not the Pats. The media, just to be fair to the Pats, zoom in on every little sideline twitch and post game greeting by Belichick. It's so absurd. If he doesn't smooze with the opposing coach after the game, then he's being an asshole. On the other hand, if he shakes the guy's hand then he's just doing it for the cameras. It's funny, with Brady you have just as many people curious about his post game outfit more than the number of touchdowns he'll throw for during the game. Let's face it, they are in a no win situation.

But the real question is...well, I guess not so much a question as much as commentary, I suppose. How in the hell are they being bad sportsmen and how should they act? To be brutally honest, I think we have this fluffy definition of sportsmanship. I think we want it both ways in our society. We like winners, which is fine, but then we want to feel good about the guys that win. We want them to sign autographs, smile on que, give shout outs to everyone that helped them make it, and shake hands on the way down from the podium. Then on top of that, we tend to unjustly judge their personal lives. Are they good to their wives, good to their kids, and do they do community service work. If the answer is no to any of the three aforementioned, we pile on more as evidence of what douche bags they are. I think as long as one is being professional and playing according to the rules then, hey, it's all good.

Trust me, I'm no fan of the Patriots but I am a fan - a huge fan - of the way they're handling business right now. A lot NFL teams and head coaches, active and retired, would do themselves a great service by taking note of how they play on the field and not giving so much attention to what they're doing off it.

All week leading up to the Steeler's game all you heard about was this punk from the Steelers that was shit talking about how they were going to win and this and that. If the Patriots are guilty of anything, it's winning. And if we don't like them winning and the way they win games, then let's just say that. Tom Brady had a brilliant quote in response to Anthony Smith's guarantee, "well done is better than well said."