Road to Super Bowl LI: Hated By Many But Respected By All
You know the story. A sixth-round pick from the University of Michigan and Bill Parcel’s defensive coordinator from years past came together in some place called New England (good chance the NFL introduced you to the regions name unless you’re from there) and built a football dynasty. Put this in perspective: this organization has thrived for the better part of 15 years. A lot can change in that amount of time. Players leave, coaches get promotions, front office personnel set up their own operations elsewhere and the competition either gets better or worse. The only constants are the quarterback, head coach and the owner. On Sunday Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft and the Patriots organization have a chance to enter an exclusive club. No quarterback has ever won five Super Bowls, only two coaches have ever won five championships and only one owner has won five Super Bowls. So if they win on Sunday, what does that make them?
Even with their success, you always have to talk about the scandals the Patriots have had during their run. Spygate and deflategate are the ones everyone knows the best, but there are others that less well known. The Patriots have allegedly filmed the then St. Louis Rams Super Bowl walkthrough back in 2002, they’ve had five PED related incidents since 2007, there’s the mysterious headset noise that happens to opposing teams that visit New England, a few instances of alleged tampering and a player that was convicted for murder. However, that still doesn’t explain how the Patriots have had all of this success since 2001.
Since the Patriots first Super Bowl win, they’ve only missed the playoffs on two occasions and Tom Brady was injured for one of those seasons. And even when Brady is out, the Patriots still find ways to win. Matt Cassel was able to win 11 games and get a big contract in Kansas City. Just this season, the Patriots got off to a 3-1 season with their second and third string quarterbacks taking snaps for them. They’ve been to 11 AFC championship games and Sunday will mark their seventh Super Bowl appearance in 15 years. This isn’t just a pack of cheaters prospering. A cheat rarely gets caught and continues to prosper without their tools. Most teams would’ve fell apart a long time ago with or without controversy and they’re still here.
So if the Patriots capture their fifth Super Bowl on Sunday, what does that makes them? More specifically, what does it make their quarterback, their head coach and their owner? I believe it makes them each the very best to ever do what they do. What the Patriots have was built on something most teams lack: a strong foundation. And from that foundation, they’ve will have built a dynasty that’s second to none. The ‘Patriot Way’ isn’t really about star power or loud boasting. It’s about buying into a culture and that culture is a winning one. It was before, it is now and it will remain so as long as their foundation is in tact. That is their legacy: Brady, Belichick, Kraft and the fans. They have the hardware. So now it’s time to pay them the proper respect (if you haven't already).
