What The New England Patriots Mean To Football

January 27, 2012   Blog Smash, New England Patriots, NFL SMASH   3 Comments
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Sure they have won 3 titles in the last decade and can be considered a dynasty, but the New England Patriots mean much more to the game of football.  They represent more than great athletes, wins, touchdowns or Super Bowl rings.  The Patriots embody a social impact far greater than any football game can tell the tale of.  They embody what it means to be an example or a role model.

As with any organization you must begin to look at it from the top down, starting with the coach.  Bill Belichick is the definition of tenacity.  He went to tiny Wesleyan University where he played center and tight end. In addition to being a member of the football team, he played lacrosse and squash and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1975.  He loved football so much that he took a $25-per-week job as an assistant to Baltimore Colts head coach Ted Marchibroda in 1975.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Belichick is a no-nonsense guy who respects hard work and hard play.  Though he may dress like a lazy teenager on the sidelines, he is a true throw-back to the old days of coaching.  He does not allow celebrations or taunting and maintains a level of integrity within the team that is unmatched in professional sports.  He has created the image that we place with this team – tough, smart and silent assassins that show the utmost respect for their opponents and go about their jobs like true professionals.

Then, of course, we look at the leader of the team, Tom Brady.  Again, tenacity could describe him in perfect fashion.  You may look at him now and see a guy married to a super model with a ton of hardware on his mantle, but it was not always that way for him.

Before he attended the University of Michigan, Brady was drafted as a catcher by the Montreal Expos and had a tough time growing up in a family made up of great athletes.

When he did enroll at Michigan, Brady was seventh on the depth chart and had an intense struggle to get playing time.  Brady hired a sports psychologist to help him cope with frustration and anxiety and even considered transferring to Cal.   Brady battled for the starting job with Drew Henson, ultimately starting every game in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. During his first full year as starter, he set Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season.  The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when he started and shared the Big Ten Conference title in 1998.

After being drafted #199, in the 6th round, he simply wanted to make a team – the thought of being a starter in the Super Bowl was furthest from his mind.  He could not have landed in a better town, with a better franchise or a better coach in 2000.  Brady was named the starter a year later, after Drew Bledsoe went on the IR list with internal bleeding.  Again, the rest is history and the Hall of Fame will tell the tale far better than we can.

Then you have to look at the rest of the players that have come from the team and are widely known as Patriots, no matter where else they played in their careers.  Guys like Tedy Bruschi (3rd round draft choice) who wore it all on his shelve and was forced to leave the game by illness.  Rodney Harrison (5th round pick from Western Illinois) who laid the wood on running backs for the last half of his career as a Pat.   Players like our very own Willie McGinest who holds the all-time record for post season sacks and sacks in a post season game.  The number 55 will never be worn the same in Bean Town.  The list can go on and on; Adam Vinitieri (undrafted), Ty Law, Mike Vrabel and so on and so on.  These are the type of payers that this organization has drafted, acquired and groomed to be true professionals.  These are the players that represent the franchise, for the rest of their lives.  Even if you don’t like the Patriots, you have to respect them.

The Patriots have a long standing record of avoiding drama and simply playing football.  They have been the one constant over the last decade that we can look back on and compare to the 80-90’s 49ers teams with confidence.  They play the game hard, they live solid lives, they stay out of trouble and most importantly, they make plays and go back to the huddle like they have done it 10,000 times.  They do not celebrate or taunt, they play the game and win with class.

The Patriots bring more than great football to the NFL, they bring class to a league that, at times, has needed it more than any other.   They represent the essence of what football players used to be before drug charges, domestic abuse and gang affiliations.  There are no end zone dances and silly tirades by players in that organization; the players are bred to respect the game more than anything.  The Patriots, more than any other team in sports, are an example of class in sports.

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