NFL: Top Ten Reasons to Embrace the Patriots

As I look around Bleacher Report and read people’s bios and comments, something dawns on me.

There are some of you out there who do not like the New England Patriots. Some of you may have even been happy when the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII.

This is shocking to me, a lifelong Bostonian. So I am here to give you 10 reasons to embrace the Patriots.

If you see a Patriots fan, give him or her a hug. You may laugh now, but after reading this article, you will understand and see things in a different light. Okay, probably not, but here goes.

Troy Brown 

Does anyone personify class and dignity better than Troy Brown? A former eighth round pick out of Marshall, Brown’s career almost ended before it got started. He was cut and brought back so many times, you would have thought he was Bill Parcells’ personal Yo-Yo.

But rumors kept floating about Troy Brown. Drew Bledsoe said he had the best hands on the team.

Little by little, the little dude who was almost out of football began to contribute, first on special teams, then as a wide receiver, and then amazingly as a defensive back on a Super Bowl-winning team.

This guy has never been in trouble, and he does not showboat. He is the epitome of a professional.

Out of loyalty to the franchise that once cut him, he has accepted less money on more than one occasion to remain a Patriot. Who would not respect that kind of loyalty?

Knowing the Rules

Come on, who knew about the tuck rule before the 2002 Patriots? Who knew where to draw the line on what kind of spying you can and cannot do on your opponent? Without the Patriots, you would not be as knowledgeable a fan as you are today.

One Week at a Time

Every team says it, one team goes out there and does it better than the rest.

How else do you explain going 16-0? How else do you explain winning 18 straight regular season games over two seasons?

The Pats may lose games, but it is not because they look ahead.

You want proof? The Pats lost in Super Bowl XLII to a huge underdog. Has anyone, even the biggest Patriots hater you know, ever suggested it was because the Patriots took the Giants too lightly?

In 2001, there were stories of the Steelers taking the Patriots lightly for the AFC Title Game, then rumors of the Rams doing the same for the Super Bowl.

The Patriots lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII because the Giants were better than the Patriots that day.

Spygate

You may have heard about this Spygate story. It has been in the news from time to time over the last few months.

But to paraphrase Colonel Jessup from A Few Good Men, deep down inside, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you know this was an overblown story.

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