How ecstatic am I tonite?

[RichardSeymour]

Did we "let" BB go or did he opt out of Parcells shadow?

You have a talent for using certain words (accurate or not) or phrases to degrade the Jets or stroke your ego.

You traded his rights to us for a first.

Sure, Belichick wanted out--- but had the Jets refused to give his rights to New England, and offered BB the option of full GM power and a hefty contract or being left to rot....

Unlikely? Sure. But since you guys DID trade him, I think "let go" is at least somewhat accurate, even if it does leave out a part of the picture.

Belichick was sure as heck pressuring you guys to let him go.... but in the end your team signed on the dotted line and accepted a bunch of picks for him. Their decision, and potentially an avoidable one had things been handled differently.

You have a way of whining when I say something you don't like. Give me the old haters like Pope and JonE fer chrissakes, not the new breed of tampon-wearing gripers....

[GimmeShelter]

You traded his rights to us for a first.

Sure, Belichick wanted out--- but had the Jets refused to give his rights to New England, and offered BB the option of full GM power and a hefty contract or being left to rot....

Unlikely? Sure. But since you guys did trade him, I think "let go" is at least somewhat accurate, even if it does leave out a part of the picture.

You have a way of whining when I say something you don't like. Give me the old haters like Pope and JonE fer chrissakes, not the new breed of tampon-wearing gripers....

Not whining, just would like to see a little less "somewhat accurate" posts written as if Gospel.

But then again I don't aspire to live on a PATS board either.

[stormshadow19]

Stormshadow (I feel like I should call myself Snake Eyes or something) I agree.... I don't think god does get involved.

And I realize it was Ham's affable hyperbole....

but I just have this kneejerk reaction when people refer to their sports team getting "help from above" or suggesting divine favor---- paticularly when said franchise hasn't even been to a superbowl since before the microprocesser was invented.

If any team gets help from above it's mine, and I don't think it does---- I just think we were extraordinarily blessed to acquire the best head coach since Lombardi and the best quarterback of this generation in the space of 5 months. Everything else has flowed from that (superb FO decisions, acquisitions, player development, and gameplanning by Belichick, clutch play and dominance from Brady).

I think god had better things to do.

Though each February he was probably smiling while he did them.

Like I said, damn lucky. And it's always better to be lucky than good.

And, if Stormshadow is a problem, call me Jason.

[RichardSeymour]

Not whining, just would like to see a little less "somewhat accurate" posts written as if Gospel.

But then again I don't aspire to live on a PATS board either.

My apologies.

How's this?

"Where was that divine favor when the New York Jets pulled what would prove to be the stupidest blunder so far of any team in any league in this young sports century by not giving Belichick complete authority leading to his resignation and then agreeing to trade his rights to a division rival for a handful of draft picks rather than wooing him back into the fold."

Hey, I understand how it happened--- I thought we paid too much for a retread head coach in 2000 and was ticked at the move. I don't think many, if any, realized he would be this good...

Doesn't change how awful it was for your team (cue defense of how well the Jets have done these past few years.... yawn...), or that if you needed divine intervention, it was then and there....

[RichardSeymour]

Like I said, damn lucky. And it's always better to be lucky than good.

And, if Stormshadow is a problem, call me Jason.

Moderately lucky on Belichick--- remember, Kraft identified BB as THE GUY, and traded a fair sum of picks to make it happen. That's shrewdness, not luck....

.... though I doubt he expected THIS.

Incredibly lucky on Brady. Stupid-lucky. Oh-my-god-I-just-won-powerball-and-Laetitia-Casta-wants-to-have-my-babies kind of lucky.

Though again, not just luck either---- they DID pick him after all, albeit at a late juncture, and moreover they DEVELOPED and USED him properly--- no small task with any QB.

[stormshadow19]

Moderately lucky on Belichick--- remember, Kraft identified BB as THE GUY, and traded a fair sum of picks to make it happen. That's shrewdness, not luck....

.... though I doubt he expected THIS.

Incredibly lucky on Brady. Stupid-lucky. Oh-my-god-I-just-won-powerball-and-Laetitia-Casta-wants-to-have-my-babies kind of lucky.

Though again, not just luck either---- they DID pick him after all, albeit at a late juncture, and moreover they DEVELOPED and USED him properly--- no small task with any QB.

It's all luck. Brady was pure luck. Right place at the right time. It's always better to be lucky than good. I mean, it's luck that they've played the Colts so much. A team that can't beat the Pats if their lives depended on it. You know that they can't do a damn thing against the Pats. If you, Ham, Tx, TS, Max, and I all lined up in the Pats backfield, I'd have no doubt we could beat the Colts.

But hey, there's alot that goes into that luck, coaching and all that. But it's luck that the player produces. It's not dumb luck, it's educated luck. Just for the record. I'll give credit, it's very educated luck.

[RichardSeymour]

It's all luck. Brady was pure luck. Right place at the right time. It's always better to be lucky than good. I mean, it's luck that they've played the Colts so much. A team that can't beat the Pats if their lives depended on it. You know that they can't do a damn thing against the Pats. If you, Ham, Tx, TS, Max, and I all lined up in the Pats backfield, I'd have no doubt we could beat the Colts.

But hey, there's alot that goes into that luck, coaching and all that. But it's luck that the player produces. It's not dumb luck, it's educated luck. Just for the record. I'll give credit, it's very educated luck.

Sigh. Here's where otherwise reasonable people start going harebrained.

It's not luck that the Pats keep beating the Colts anymore than it is luck that the Celtics beat the Lakers year after year in the 60s, or luck that the Oilers kept stomping the Bruins a decade and a half ago....

The reason the Colts can't beat the Pats if their lives depend on it is that the Pats are a BETTER TEAM that outmuscles and outhustles the Colts, and while they're trying to "get in rhythm" the Patriots have already kicked their ass up between their frigging ears.

Besides, we've played the Colts twice in nine playoff games. We've played the Steelers just as many times--- both on the road I might note, and both times in years where they had the #1 defense in the NFL--- and whipped them soundly as well.

Don't get me wrong--- the Colts are chokers. If they had an ounce of physical toughness and heart they'd have at least made a game of it this year rather than wallowing in their own patheticness. They have enough talent that they shouldn't be putting up 3 points against ANY defense....

... but believe me, the Patriots are the better team by a healthy margin.

This is one of the "victors dilemmas"

Imagine the Patriots don't go on this run the past few years: when he goes up to New England, Belichick has a bad bowl of clam chowder, gets ill, and decides to retire from the pro sport and coach college football at Navy.

A few years later while everyone is in awe of three time BCS champion Annapolis, and while Tom Brady is leading a resurgent Redskins team deep into the playoffs each year despite an FO that can't find it's ass with a trail map and an everchanging cast of oldtimers and mercenaries, the Patriots are shambling to 8-8, 7-9, 9-7 year after year.

Meanwhile people are still talking about the St Louis Rams, debating whether their two superbowl wins--- the second a decisive blowout over Pittsburgh--- put them up there with Elways broncos. Most people think the Rams were even better.

Personally I think the Panthers and Steeler also have rings, and are hailed as two of the guttier, grittier, more likable teams to win in some time.

Others might argue that the budding Colts dynasty, coming off back to back superbowl wins, is getting ready to stamp its mark as an all-time great team, up there with the 9ers and Cowboys.

Either way, nobody questions that these teams were pretty darn good...

Unfortunately for them it didn't work out that way---- very good teams were blocked by a better one.

But please, don't make like the Pats are "lucky" to have faced the Colts. The Pats have faced a pretty darn good team in most peoples eyes twice--- and the questionable defense has done decently on both occasions, while the Pats have stonewalled the teams strength.

Luck....

What was it Mark Twain said? "Funny thing about luck is, I find that the harder I work the more of it I have."

Funny thing.... the better the Patriots are, the luckier they are to just crush quality opponents.

[RichardSeymour]

Tell you what, point me to one superbowl winner that's been LESS "lucky" than the Patriots in the last 15 years.

Should be a ton of 'em, right?

[stormshadow19]

Tell you what, point me to one superbowl winner that's been LESS "lucky" than the Patriots in the last 15 years.

Should be a ton of 'em, right?

Walked into my point. Each one of em have been lucky. That's my whole thing. It's not just a Pats thing. It's an everyone thing. Every Super Bowl champ has been lucky. The Ravens? They didn't have an offense. They got lucky that they only had to play the Giants. Broncos? They got more calls their way than the Pats ever have. The Cowboys? Uh, yeah! Super lucky. Niners? Luck. Doesn't stop at football. The Red Wings, Avalanche, Pistons, Yankees, Red Sox, Spurs, and so on... they're all lucky. Lack of major injuries, the right place at the right time, right chemistry, right coaching. It's all chance and luck.

And the Colts... yeah, they're scared of anyone in a Pats jersey. But that's part of the luck. It's not a bad thing, and it's not discrediting anything. Besides, besides the AFC East, I'd be willing to bet the Pats have played the Colts the most out of any team. And the Colts haven't beat the Pats. I'd be more willing to bet that the Colts have the Patriots on the brain and are almost afraid of anyone in a Pats jersey. But, once again, it's not a bad thing. It's a great thing, if you're a Pats fan. But, like I'm saying, I'd rather have a mental advantage over an opponent than not.