Super Bowl 2012: Why This Game Should End the New England Patriots' Dynasty

All things, good or bad, come to an end. Could a loss to the New York Giants end a run by the New England Patriots that saw the AFC team win three Super Bowls in four opportunities over a 10-year span?

It is by far the most dominant performance by an NFL franchise since the days of the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in the 1990s.

If the Giants are able to take down the Patriots and their high-powered offense, could this be the end of their long run of success?

If Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and two young tight ends have something to say about it, the answer is a resounding no.

Losses have a way of affecting athletic franchises. Maybe not in the same vein as, say, the Chicago Cubs or the Cleveland Browns, but it can affect them with a hangover that does not go away. Age creeps up on them, players leave for better offers and other teams on the rise step up and take the place of their predecessor.

Bill Belichick has built his teams over the years with free agents and shrewd draft picks, but at some point the ride has to come to an end.

Maybe the idea of one of Belichick's cohorts from his days with Bill Parcells getting the best of him could get to him. Highly unlikely, but it tends to wear on a coach whether or not he can take down a colleague or rival.

Although this team looks youthful at the receiver spots, in the secondary and in the middle of the defense, Brady will be 35 years old when the 2012 season starts. Sooner or later, age will creep up on him.

Can he sustain the same high velocity that he did this season? Can Belichick get the most out of the cast of characters he has assembled? Can Belichick continue to preach the same kind of style to players who are changing year after year in the wake of larger paydays and better perks from sponsors?

Every year it remains to be seen if the losing Super Bowl team can keep up a high rate of success and challenge again the next season. In many cases, the answer is no, but the Patriots have remained a hot team through loses and transition. It just means they did it better than most.

All things being equal and with the sports times changing, the run will end at some point. And because it is a former colleague of Belichick's, the odds on the ride ending sooner or later becomes that much greater.