Patriots Super Bowl 2012 Rally: Swarm to Support Squad Shows Hunger for Revenge

Bostonians lust for another massacre.

Revenge is in the New England air.  Fans long for their team to redeem themselves against the New York Giants and they showed just how much they want it, packing into Gillette Stadium.

ESPN’s Mike Rodak reported that 25,000 fans were in attendance for the Patriots' send-off rally.

This isn’t just about Boston vs. New York, even though that rivalry, filled with hatred, would be enough to light a fire under both cities.  February 5th will be all about 19-0 and what should’ve, could’ve and would’ve been if it weren’t for those meddling G-Men.

But it isn’t like there’s been a drought of competition between the two franchises since the world was shocked in Super Bowl XLII.  New York dealt the Patriots one of their few regular-season letdowns earlier this year.  Eli Manning led the Giants on a furious comeback in which the go-ahead touchdown was scored with 1:21 left in the fourth quarter en route to a 24-20 win.

What went down before the competition, though, is what truly reignited the rivalry.  According to The Star-Ledger’s Conor Orr, Antrel Rolle pegged the Patriots offense as “nothing spectacular” going into the battle.  And Tom Brady and company didn’t exactly shut him up.

New England not only has an opportunity to rid themselves of their 2008 ghosts, but to put the Rolle and the Giants in their place.  As you can see, Pats fans want redemption just as much as the players that they root for.

Fans up in Boston won’t be able to sleep that Sunday night no matter what the outcome of the game is.  Either they’ll be too excited from the achievement of revenge that will come with a Super Bowl victory or they’ll be too depressed after the Giants drove the dagger into their hearts yet again.

By the looks of that crowd, though, New England’s fanbase will continue to support their franchise, win or lose.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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