PatsPropaganda

Rick Reilly, fairly likely voice of reason. This is one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had since Sunday. I’ve long since given up trying to convince all fans to be positive and seek out the the silver lining that the Patriots are actually still a good team. Even when they occasionally lose.

Everyone uses sports for their own means and I’d much rather have someone taking out all their anger and negativity on professional athletes/teams than say, their family or friends. I get it. Sports are a release for a lot of people and I learned a long time ago to just let the ignoramuses spout off about whatever they want without trying to interfere.

But at some point you just wish those who are most upset would just get off the bandwagon. Because you know they’ll all be back next year, bitching and moaning about every little thing despite fielding one of the best teams in the NFL.

A little decaf, folks: The Patriots lost the Super Bowl on the last play of the game when a tipped ball failed to stay in the air another quarter second longer so a one-legged Rob Gronkowski could possibly catch it. If it had, all three of these writers would be hailing Brady, Belichick and Welker as just slightly greater than Lincoln. How fickle are you people? “There is no fall as far as when you lose the Super Bowl,” says John Elway, who lost three of them. “The second you lose, you drop all the way back to the bottom, down there with every other team that played that season. It’s like you did nothing. The minute it’s over, they literally start bumping you out of the way to set up the ropes and the award stand. It’s like, ‘Uh, can you move, please? We’ve got some people to celebrate here.’” Elway is lucky he didn’t play in Boston. People would’ve pelted him to death with Starburst and never seen him win his last two.

Well this will make you feel a little bit better…

Once again, New England is in position to be a major player (or trader) in April’s draft. The Patriots have both the No. 27 pick they earned via last April’s first-round trade with New Orleans (which took Alabama running back Mark Ingram with New England’s second first-rounder in 2011, No. 28 overall), and their own No. 31 pick that comes with losing the Super Bowl. In addition, the Patriots own a pair of second-round picks, at No. 48 (obtained from Oakland) and No. 63. Belichick loves to wheel and deal with that much draft capital stored up, but this could be the rare year where he sits tight and picks off four players to help upgrade a defense that was near bottom-of-the-barrel status statistically in 2010. New England’s defense was 31st overall this season in yards allowed, surrendering more than 400 per game. The Patriots need help in the front seven, or at cornerback, so all options appear on the table. If there’s one instant impact defensive star the Patriots have a conviction on in the top half of the first round, having two first-rounders might allow New England to go up and get him. If there’s anything this season illustrated, it’s that the Patriots lack a Von Miller or Aldon Smith-like young playmaker in their front seven.

I think Tom Brady is the best quarterback that’s ever played. He’s played in five Super Bowls in 10 seasons and won three. In the two he lost, he led a go-ahead drive in the closing minutes and – in the other – he was a very good catch away from being in a position to salt away the win. I believe he’s personally done enough to be 5-0 in Super Bowls.