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Patriots ready to defend Super Bowl title
Mike Demos / Columnist
On September 9, America’s new pastime (which is the NFL
for those of you who didn’t get the memo) opened its
season with excitement and anticipation. In what was a great
way to kick things off, the defending Super Bowl Champion New
England Patriots hung on to defeat the Indianapolis Colts
27-24 in a thrilling finish worthy of Spielberg.
While the NFL is known to have by far the most parity of any
of the four major sports (well four if you still want to
count the NHL), the Patriots showed fans across the country
why there is not much hope for the other 31 teams this
season.
Most NFL teams over the past several years have enjoyed the
parity and even playing field of the NFL, giving almost every
team from the Browns to the Bengals a chance to be playing
deep into January. Yes, that’s right, I said the
Bengals, not to be confused with their predecessor, the
Cincinnati Bungals. However, the Patriots have won two out of
the last three Vince Lombardi trophies and one more this year
would give the NFL its first dynasty since the mid-90s with
America’s Most Wanted, I mean America’s Team, the
Dallas Cowboys, the last team to win three titles in four
years.
Many people think the prediction of three out of four for the
Pats is ridiculous and even unfathomable by today’s NFL
standards. But the Patriots are NOT your normal champion.
Sure there will be plenty of teams that have as good a shot
as any to be playing deep into the season, but no team will
have as good of a chance as the Patriots to be standing on
the stage with the big silver football in hand in
Jacksonville at the end of the year.
The reason? Simple. No, it’s not talent. There are
probably at least ten teams in the NFL more talented then the
Patriots and perhaps even one or two more talented in their
own division no less. Luck? No, luck will only get you so
far. Just ask Panther fans. What it is that the Patriots DO
have is what former Houston Rockets and current Los Angeles
Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich said when his Rockets won their
second of back to back titles in the mid-90s, “Never
underestimate the heart of a champion”.
Heart is the key word here. In modern day professional
sports, especially the NFL, everything to players is
endorsement deals, shoe deals and how many times they can get
their house on “Cribs”. Sure they all say they
would like that one ring too, and a lot of players get there.
But once they do achieve that climax of their career and get
that ring, they could care less about repeating. They did
their part. They are making their money. They could care less
if they followed up 12-4 or 4-12. Sorry fans, but if you
haven’t noticed, athletes in modern day sports for the
most case operate under that mindset.
But the Patriots are different. Bill Belichick has instilled
an attitude in this team, and a good one at that. They know
they can win and they believe that they can win. They
aren’t the most talented but they play as a team. If
you haven’t noticed it’s that TEAM and not ME
mentality that works best, just ask the Detroit Pistons or
the USA Olympic Men’s basketball team (for opposite
reasons. I mean Argentina? C’mon now…). The best
case of this was their first Super Bowl win against the Rams
three years ago, when they came out as a team instead of
individually.
This camaraderie, teamwork and fire in the heart of the
Patriots the last three years has been the reason for their
success. Now in year four with most of their team intact and
the philosophy firmly in place of Belichick, this team is
more poised then ever to repeat and make it two of three and
thus a dynasty. In the off-season they added innumerous depth
comprised of selfless professionals who will be an integral
part to the team this year. They also added a legitimate
punter to replace ‘Shank’ Walter, added their
first dominant running back since the Curtis Martin era and
will have a healthy Rosie Colvin dominating at linebacker
again this year.
Now yes, crazy things do happen and the Patriots could go in
the tank this season. It’s the NFL, it wouldn’t
be a shock. But it won’t be because they didn’t
try or weren’t good enough. Frankly, unless they suffer
several major injuries it won’t happen.
But expect this to be a repeat for the Pats and perhaps the
last dynasty we will see in modern sports for some time to
come. Unless a team in another sport comes along that gets a
coach like Belichick and a team of selfless players who want
to work as a team and only win, then you most likely
won’t see it for a very long time.
However, it won’t be an easy road. No NFL team has
repeated since all the way back in 1998 when Denver won their
second straight under John Elway, and it’s not like
there haven’t been some good chances since then. Even
last year’s two Super Bowl entrants, Tampa Bay and
Oakland went a combined 11-21 and both missed the playoffs.
The Pats themselves slimly missed the playoffs in their first
attempt to repeat as champs in ’01 getting shut out of
the picture on the last day of the season.
Sorry AFC fans, but the Patriots will again be the
representative of the conference this February in
Jacksonville. As far as the NFC you ask? Yes Eagles fans,
your team WON’T lose in the NFC Championship again.
Actually, they’ll lose in the Divisional Round (And you
Philly fans thought being bridesmaids three times in a row
stunk! Now it’s more like flower girls!). Look for the
Vikings to prevail in the NFC with Daunte Culpepper winning
NFC MVP honors and a surprising up and coming defense to
dominate the Metrodome turf.
As far as the rest of the NFL picture goes, the Lions will
actually be .500 and yes, the Bungals, even the Bungals will
win ten games and the AFC’s North Division. The Falcons
will be much improved under Jim Mora Jr. and yes they WILL be
talking about playoffs this year down in Hot-lanta. Sleeper
pick? Watch out for the Jaguars and Byron Leftwich who is
ready to emerge in his second season.
As for Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville: Patriots 24, Vikings
17. Because like that Spielberg script always ends, the good
guy wins.
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