The New England Patriots must be the most hated franchise in sports.
Not like the New York Yankees due to their willingness to spend whatever for winning, or the Los Angeles Lakers or Chicago Blackhawks for their continued success but because they have found a way to find loopholes in the rules, change players, fight off adversity and still manage to stay on top.
Don’t hate the Patriots, hate everyone else for not stopping them.
2015 was to be the year where it all changed, the year where Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were knocked off their pedestal and placed among the NFL mortals but Roger Goodell dropped the ball somewhere and the suspension was overturned meaning the Pats would go from being defensive to an all out attack on the league.
Way to go Roger.
It doesn’t matter who suits up for the Pats, well maybe there would’ve been a difference had Jimmy Garoppolo started those 4 games but other than Brady the Pats lineup has been a who’s who of NFL winners. Remember when Aaron Hernandez was better than Rob Gronkowski, or when Randy Moss was breaking records, then Wes Welker came along and set the bar high for slot receivers? People talk about their lack of a running game but yet somehow the Pats still find success with Corey Dillon, Stevan Ridley and now LeGarrette Blount.
Players may not like the Pats as an organization but they must respect their level of success over the years. We are speaking about a team that has won double-digit games for 13 straight seasons while some teams can’t score in double-digits in 13 straight games. This is why they’re hated, you hate what you don’t understand and no one but the Pats understands the Pats.
They are like the secret service of the NFL. When a player leaves the team how many actually talk about their time there? It’s like they signed some clause that prevents them from uttering anything Patriots-like. How many ex Pats players go on to have success? Is there a level of pride they have that no other team in the league possess?
Do they train in a facility ala the Bat Cave where they’re cut off from the rest of the world? What makes them so different? What makes them so great?
The one thing I do respect about the Pats is the way they handle their business. You’re brought there to win, nothing else. There is no molding you, signing you for public relations situations or heart warming stories. You are there to do a job and that is to help bring a championship to the city. There is no level of loyalty there either, just Brady but other than that, when your time is up, it’s up.
Ask Welker, Vince Wilfork, Darrelle Revis, Moss, hell ask Drew Bledsoe how loyal the organization is.
This is why they have continued to win no matter who suits up. This is a business and no team understands that more than the hated Pats.