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Last Call
Mr. Perfect
This column is taken from the (post-Super Bowl) March 2008 issue of The American Spectator.
A few days before last month's Giants-Patriots Super Bowl, Rush Limbaugh's football pal "Hutch" told a not so funny joke on Rush's show. Seems three top quarterbacks dropped in on God. He asked them, "What do you believe?" Peyton Manning and Brett Favre each replied they believe in family, winning, and making the best of their opportunities. God rewarded them by inviting the former to take the seat on His right, the latter the seat on His left. That's when Tom Brady gave God his answer: "I believe you're in my seat."
A laughing Rush reacted, "So you think he's big-headed going into this game?"
Unfortunately, it seems a great many Americans seriously did think just that, a view of a piece with the unprecedented loathing directed at Brady's New England Patriots this past season. The closer they came to perfection, the more contempt they inspired. Their coach is already regarded as creepier and more indictable than the late Richard Nixon. By the eve of Super Bowl Sunday, most every part of the U.S. outside of New England was pulling hard for the New York Giants. The Patriots would end their season 18-1. But America was quite content to prefer the team that finished 14-6.
I'm not saying the Giants don't deserve unabashed praise for accomplishing what they did. Anyone who's followed my local (and lately woeful) Washington Redskins knows very well that the Giants franchise is as formidable as any when it comes to hard-nosed, clutch play. But I am saying that it's disheartening that a team as focused and successful as Tom Brady's should be treated so dismissively at the pinnacle of its achievement. And once a golden boy like Brady himself becomes the subject of disdain, all bets are off.
Not long ago he was rising from obscurity to become a three-time Super Bowl winner in his first five seasons. What's more, besides being the consummate team player, he looked great on the field, a quarterback sculpted by Michelangelo. Had he been a major league pitcher, he would have displayed all the style and form of Jim Palmer. Had he been in the NBA, he would have shown the floor command and intelligence of Larry Bird. He's that good. Even in his non-Super Bowl years, he kept his teams in playoff contention, knocking off superior opponents such as San Diego last year in memorable performances.
Then came this past season, in which he found himself with more receiving talent than he'd ever enjoyed. He carved up opponents with an unstoppable passing game, and by midseason it was clear he was in position to break many records and his team a good bet to go undefeated. Now the fun really began, as the Patriots, having clinched its number one seed for the playoffs, became the prey, hunted week after week by opponents with nothing to lose.
This later part of the season revealed the team's Achilles' heel: a defense, however well schooled, that was hardly as physically dominant as the offense. Yet week after final week Brady always found ways to outscore the other guys. That is, until the Super Bowl, when the Giants' defense went on the offensive. Though even then, Brady managed one last time to put his team ahead in the final minutes. He came that close to a perfect season. Hard to imagine anyone will ever again come closer.
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JFP612| 1.14.09 @ 7:32AM
I'm old enough to remember when James Orthwein bought the Pats so I'm glad the New England and not St. Louis Patriots finished 18-1. It's a long way from the 2-14 & 1-15 days. It would have been great if they went 19-0, but the Giants were better that day. People can heap scorn on the Pats as much as they like I'm just going to enjoy the good times while they last.
Gary | 1.14.09 @ 8:02AM
I thought a large portion of the disdain came from revelations about the creepier-than-Nixon coach you mentioned. The news about taping opponents signals and the "its only wrong if you get caught" attitude by Belicheck can take the shine off anyone's achievements, even a golden boy like Brady. It also didn't help matters when the powers-that-be in the NFL rushed out prematurely to state that the impact of this flagrant rule-breaking was minimal then destroyed the evidence. Kind of raises the stink factor somewhat.
JFP612| 1.14.09 @ 8:41AM
Gary,
I was going to write a post defending Belichick, but just can't be bothered anymore.
I do agree that the league really messed up by destroying those tapes. They should used it to their advantage and with an exclusive special "Release of the Pats Videotape" show on the NFL Network.
Of course maybe this story discouraged that.
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/confiscated_patriots_videotapes
Gerard E.| 1.14.09 @ 10:30AM
The Fall of the House of Belichick may be underway. Scott Pioli, long the backroom personnel partner to Coach Bill Belichick, is on his way to the Kansas City Chiefs as their very visible President/Head Football Guy. John McDaniels, the latest bright young thing in the Belichick coaching staff, has become the very visible top guy for the Denver Broncos. At this writing, no one sane or honest knows how long Tom Brady will need to rehab from two torn knee ligaments, courtesy of the Chiefs' Bernard Pollard during game 1. All empires crumble from within.
Bill Rawlings| 1.14.09 @ 12:13PM
I think all the talk about " THE BEST EVER " Quarterback , Coach , Team , you name it ! Maybe best ever water boy !
Left fans like me with a bad taste in their mouth .
I'm a Coyboys fan and hate the Giants but I'm ever so glad they won.
Jack Hughes| 1.14.09 @ 12:59PM
Gerard E states that the Fall of the House of Belichick may be underway...c'mon Gerard, the team started falling apart when Charlie Weis left - how's that for a laugh?
Joe| 1.14.09 @ 7:33PM
Oh, Wlady, please. The Cheatriot organization came off like a bunch of arrogrant jerks in 2007. They tried to rub the noses of every team they faced into the dirt, passing the ball and running up the score when the game was already decided.
Well, this year, Mr. Wonderful missed the season, and the Patriots had a much tougher division to deal with, and some of the teams they showed up last year beat 'em this year - the Steelers win in Foxboro was quite gratifying.
I'm sure the Charger and Dolphin fans quite enjoyed seeing their teams smack the Patiots sill, too.
You want to feel sorry for Brady and the Patriots? Go ahead. it will be a lonely feeling outside of New England...you know, that football factory, that area that has so many players in the Hall of Fame....oh, wait...no, they don't.
Watch a real team this weekend, with real fans. That would be the Pittsburgh Steelers.
charliebravo| 1.14.09 @ 8:06PM
As a Pats fan I remember all those lousy blacked out seasons in the 1970s and 1980s. You could buy a ticket at the door in Foxboro and sit anywhere. NFL dynasties don't last forever and someday the Patriots will be 2 and 14 again and some other team in some other city will be the "evil empire". Although the Patriots lost that Super Bowl because their defense didn't play well. I must say I enjoyed watching the Eagles win last week. No repeats for the Giants.
DaveS| 1.14.09 @ 8:58PM
After watching Eli this past weekend, it's apparent that THE play (to Tyree) involved two-plus miracles (the escape and the catch). Even then, there were yards to go. Brady, when healthy (he wasn't), has no peer. He's not perfect, but he's THE palyer of the last 25 years.
I was a Giants fan when YA and Alex played, and a Pats fan when Babe and Gino played. They were markedly different leagues. When they met in the SB I was torn up. I wanted NE to win to shut the '72 Dolphins and the Spygate critics completely up. Too bad, as was said, the defense didn't make a play.
If they compete next year, what will the critics be left to say?
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