Amidst increasingly negative press, the New England Patriots are showing the world how to deal with flack: they’re winning. They’re rallying behind a common cause and are looking like the greatest football team to ever grace an NFL field.
Patriots fans drooled during the off-season, waiting patiently to show off their newly revamped roster including Randy Moss, Kyle Brady, Dante Stahlworth, Adalius Thomas, not to mention a fully-recovered Rodney Harrison.
Then we all found out that Harrison had been linked to a human-growth hormone scandal and it seemed like the Pat’s flawless record was beginning to be marred. But Harrison came forward and admitted he was wrong and so the season continued without incident.
Following the Pats embarrassment of the Jets on Sept. 9, allegations were made that the Patriots had been violating an NFL rule by video-taping play signals and using that information to gain an advantage.
Strike two.
But “class” should be Bill Belichick’s middle name: he took full responsibility and suffered the brunt of the punishment, in the end paying $500,000 in fines.
With two strikes against them and calls for their 2005 Super Bowl win to be forfeited, the Patriots could easily have become distracted, taken the field discouraged and been pounded.
Instead of giving in to the media’s ruthless attempt to put them at the level of past scandals like Pete Rose (gambling) or Barry Bonds (steroids), the Patriots have proven why they have won three Super Bowl titles in the last seven years and are poised to win another. They have put all of the media attention behind them, perhaps using it as fuel, and have come out looking better than ever.
This Patriots squad is so good it’s almost unfair. Offensively, they’re the best they’ve ever been and when Richard Seymour and Harrison come back it is likely that the same will be said of the defense. Tom Brady has more options than a Blackberry-something he could never say before-and he’s got his offense running on all cylinders.
And while the Patriots may not go 16-0 like the ’72 Dolphins who many consider to be the greatest team of all time, the sheer dominance that the Patriots have shown over the last couple of weeks gives reason to believe it’s possible.
Barry Bonds has been chased out of San Francisco, Michael Vick is hated worldwide and Mark McGwire has been forced to stay home, but the New England Patriots did something that none of them did.
In immediately admitting their wrongs, the Patriots took the blame and paid their debts. Now they’re out to send a message; a message the rest of the league is hearing loud and clear.