In case you haven't guessed it, I thought the hype leading up to the Colts v. Pats game was ridiculous. While it is good to see two undefeated teams playing mid-way through the season, it is still mid-way through the season. Both teams really wanted to win and the game had some playoff-like intensity to it...but the playoffs it was not. One thing I really like and have liked about this series of games is how this is a true rivalry, and both sides seem to not like the other too much. There's note enough of that in sports, in my opinion.
Before I knew of the four starters that would be out for the Colts, I predicted a Colts loss...but losing four important parts of both the offense and defense did hurt the Colts, specifically their offense. To add insult to injury, Harrison's backup, Gonzalez was out for big chunks of the game (I'm not sure why). That left Aaron Moorehead taking the place of the future HOFer...quite a drop-off. All that said, the Colts can only blame themselves for losing. The defense that had been stout all day collapsed a bit in the end when given a chance to close it out and the usually clutch Manning coughed up the ball for his first fumble in Indianapolis since 2005.
I really do wish the Colts would have won because I hate the Patriots...but the cheating genius had clearly circled this game as he reacted as if he had earned his fifth Super Bowl ring as the clock hit 0:00. Harrison, Colvin & Brady all reacted similarly. I honestly didn't expect a team of former champions to react in such a way.
Congrats Patriots and her fans on this mid-season victory.
Here are the reasons I hate the Patriots:
-I lived in the Boston area for 2.5 years. That soured me greatly on the Pats. Ironically, that period of time really made me a Red Sox fan...probably because the Sox were pretty bad and their fans weren't horrible to deal with. Plus, as I've alluded to before, I've been a Colts fan since they moved to Indy...I didn't really have a baseball team to follow in Indy.
-Bad Winner, Worse LoserBelichick is not only a proven cheater, he's also a complete ass. When he wins, he's smug, when he loses, he bristles and scowls. Plus, like most teams, the Patriots reflect their coach's attitude and outlook...much like the Manatee still exhibits Belichick-esque traits, his system roots itself in the team. All that said, I do think he might be one of the true geniuses of his sport...and you can't really argue with his teams' results (unless you're a Browns fan). [addendum: Belichick showed his class and furthered my argument by accusing Indianapolis and the Colts organization of cheating...following their victory at the RCA dome.]
-El Debarge
The Drama Queen (I'm retiring a Charger...Look at me...oh wait, I just wanted the party, I'm a Patriot), Junior Seau, his circa 1984 jerry curl do along with his talk-well, play-OK antics seem to be a perfect fit for the Pats.
-Super-Fertile QBTom Brady, in my opinion, is the best quarterback in the league. I usually don't have any problem with him off of the field. I do though, have a problem with the fact that he's one of the faces of the league, seems to be ambiguously gay and at the same time impregnated two women last summer. ESPN keeps telling me he's a classy guy, I see it completely different.
-Second or Third-Chance HoodlumRandy Moss is a freakishly-good athlete and an amazingly talented receiver. But, he's a degenerate whose calling cards are running into meter maids and bitching on the sideline. I know, I know, he's been a great team mate and all-around great guy since coming to NE. Pats fan, keep believing that he's never going to go back to what he really is. All the Patriots have to do to avoid a tirade or meltdown is never lose again...seems easy enough.
I could go on, but I'm tired and a bubble bath, frosty Zima and Danielle Steele novel are calling my name. I'll close by saying, my hope is that the Pats win out and become the second NFL team to go undefeated...Then, I'd like to see the Colts come into Foxborough and silence the Chowds when the game is very important. One can dream. Until then, congrats Belichick, Brady et al on your Super Bowl 41.5 victory...Hope to see you in January!
11 comments:
I think that this proved that if the Colts were healthy, they can compete with the Patriots, no matter how good they are. Of course, the Pats are pretty much assured homefield in the playoffs now, so thats bad news.
I wonder though, with all the passing the Pats do, aren't they built to play in a dome? I wonder how they'll do in January without a rushing game.
Also, since when is Matt Light a dirty player? A leg whip and a personal foul? Geez Matt!
I think the Pats are clearly built as a finesse team; seems funny to me since Pats fans and much of ESPN used to ride the Colts about being just that. Now the Colts can run the ball and hit like a mother on the defensive side of the ball.
Regarding Light leg-whipping, it's sad. But, it's also sad for Colvin to make sure he gets over the Colts helmet to spike the ball as if he was making a point. Like I point to in my blog, players reflect their coach a la J. Tiller.
As much as I wanted the colts to win, I think the deck was stacked against them with their injuries. I think Dungey made the right call in sitting Harrison out. As much as this felt like a playoff game, it wasn't.
I'm looking forward to the post season, I'd love to see a rematch swing the other way.
I watched the first half of the Broncos game and then went to work (since NFL football became meaningless all of the sudden), but I did see the SportsCenter coverage. If one had been living in a place without TV and then saw the coverage of this game, they would have thought that the SuperBowl just happened and the season was over.
What I saw made me believe that the Colts and Pats are on another level and the Colts made Brady look human. Kind of wish I had watched the game, with mute on.
The Colts and Pats are both very good...But much can happen with injuries and player issues in the next 8 weeks. As always, ESPN made the game into something bigger than it was.
Lotta venom in that post -- and that's good, because as you said bdowd, it means it's a good rivalry. And I think that's what Colvin's antics on the logo are as well... and that's what the Pats excitement was as well. I know your loyalty to the Colts blinds you to that -- and I am not saying Belichick isn't a douche because he clearly is -- but it WAS a huge win for the Pats, on the road, beating the champs, etc. And it's okay that they were amped for it. Classy? Questionable, I agree.
Good points on the Colts injuries -- and nobody used that as an excuse. They still should have held on, as you stated.
I think this just makes the plot thicker (like my hair) for the rematch in January, because you know it's coming.
I am also intrigued that you were soured on Pats fans and you felt Sox fans were "not horrible to deal with." Maybe it's all my Yanks-Sox games in the Bronx, but I find Sox fans to be the most obnoxious dolts in all of sports. And with their newfound legitimacy for being arrogant, they're going to be insufferable.
Pats fans, on the other hand, I've never been AS annoyed by. Yes, they can be just as obnoxious, arrogant and entitled, but I see the Pats like everyone else sees the Yankees of the late 90s -- they ARE that good and HAVE won three titles so it's hard to say much until you shut 'em up. The Colts did that last January and it was terrific.
One more comment, on Brady. I know you and others are down on Brady being "classy" because he knocked up his ex-girlfriend (not sure where you're getting two -- the other one isn't preggo, I don't think). Sometimes, the young lady in question deserves some of the responsibility. She may have told ole Tom Terrific that she had the birth control issue covered, etc. I realize that doesn't change the outcome but we can't fault a handsome young man for having sex. I mean, we can, but I don't think that's reason to dislike somebody.
When the "classy" tag is used, I think it's because he's never the way Belichick is. When he wins or loses he's polite, answers questions and remains laser-focused. I have to admit, I find him and Peyton both quite likable because they never seem satisfied and they both clearly take losing SO personally. We need more of that sports.
Okay, this was a long comment.
Giselle Bunchen (sp?) was pregnant via Mr. Class...and then she wasn't. How's that happen?
Also, the Sox fans were probably easy to deal with because they weren't winning. I don't know which Pats fans you've dealt with, but they're typical Northeast (ref. Philly, NY & Boston) loud-mouthed fans...they just grate on you. I know not all Pats fans are that bad...just like all Yank fans are that bad, but most stink.
We're not all "typical, loud-mouth fans" in the Northeast.
RyRy,
A couple of points.
First, in that time period you were in the Boston area, both the Pats and Sox were average to above average. Pats fans had no sense of entitlement as we were coming out of the Parcell's era into the Carroll era, bad times. Sox fans, myself included, were whiny "woe is us" complainers because the Sox had decent talent with bad management unwilling to spend money to compete with the Yankees.
Second, J is right. A brazilian news source reported that Brady's super sperm had impregnated Gisele, she and her family denied it. Absent medical records proving otherwise, you have to take the potential mom's word over a tabloid's web site.
Third, your point about the Pats being a finesse team and the Colts being big, bad bruisers is way off. All you need to do is look at the stats. In this game, the Colts had 14 more rushing yards on three more carries, and both teams averaged 3.8 yards per carry. Both QB's had similar stats, and the Pats D had three sacks to the Colts 2.
For the season, the Pats have the number one offense in the NFL, with the number 8 rush offense. The Colts have the number three offense, with the number 7 rush offense. About 5 yards per game separate them. The Pats have the number four defense to the Colts number five, and the Pats give up about 17 yards per game less on the ground.
Finally, I don't want to hear Colts fans and the media, and it started with ESPN right after the game, complaining about missing players. Last year when the Colts came back to win the AFC Championship game, everybody (the media and Colts fans) talked about what a great comeback it was and how it was the defining moment of Manning's career. People seem to forget that the Pats played without four starters on defense in that game, with two of them being DB's. Funny that nobody said, "Oh, the Colts won, but it would have been different if the Pats were healthy." That's not true, Pats fans said that. However, as you so wisely pointed out, injuries are part of the game.
With regard to your comments about "typical Northeast loud-mouthed fans", I have to agree, begrudgingly with J on this one. It's not typical of the Northeast, it's typical of all fans. When a team wins, the fans get loud and brag about it like they had something to do with it. When the team loses, they keep quiet. You have this grudge against the East Coast, as does most of the country because of the media's bias. Do you think Cowboy fans aren't obnoxious? How about Suns fans? How about Colts fans? Do I need to dig up your "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" post/email? You were pretty loud last year when to Colts finally beat the Pats. Fans are the same in any town.
Long, long post. That's what she said.
Whatever the hell nationality you're claiming this week-
I like Maroney, but I don't think he's the back that Addai is. It's pretty easy to run when the opposition is dropping 10 into coverage because they're worried that their opponent is going to lay their 25th TD on them...in that half. I think I will continue to believe that the Pats are a finesse team. They looked great in the dome (at times)...but their three best receivers Moss (Minnesota & Oakland), Welker (San Diego & Miami) and Stalworth (NO & Philly) have spent the majority of their careers in either warm weather or domes. Same thing for the Colts receivers (but they've been called a finesse team since Harbaugh & Faulk left town)...but the Colts defense was hitting hard all day and I'm not talking about illegal contact a la Harrison, I'm talking after a player caught the ball they'd get smacked in the mouth.
While the Red Sox might have been "average" their fan base told me they stunk. I walked up and bought tickets almost everytime I went and even had box seats (see Christmas card '98) for a game. I guess they were pretty loveable because they seemed to simply believe that they were never going to see an AL Champ...Growing up a Purdue, Colts and Pacers fan I probably felt pretty comfortable around their type.
Justin made it obvious what many think about Indianapolis fans in his post about the alleged noise incident- that Indianapolis fans don't cheer. I think it's actually a pretty fair assessment. The upper dome has a lot of good fans...the lower dome (especially between the 40s) is filled with corporate tickets and people who have #1 Colt fan on their car (since last February) and would rather be reading than watching the game. I've been told by Eagle fans and Jet fans that the Hoosier dome is no where near as intense as the their venues on a game day. I said all NE fans aren't loud-mouthed...but most are. I ama loud-mouthed fan; I've never fit in here...and I wasn't mean enough in the Boston area to fit in. Maybe I should try to find another city.
I didn't put any asterisk next to the Patriots win despite the Colts injuries. I was pretty sure the Colts would lose before the Injured list came out...But did you see Moorehead? He's hardly better than Standeford.
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