Dawning of a New Era: Can this Patriots Fan Survive Matt Cassel?

I should start off by saying I’m a Red Sox fan.  Always have been.  Always will be.  Attended my first game in first grade, and it was all downhill from there.  Although the home videos of me talking about “triple-homers” from when I was 3 indicated it started well before my own memories.  Moving away from Boston to Phillies territory and then to Yankees or Mets territory did nothing to deter me, even during Philly’s run at the World Series and the beginning of this supposed Yankees dynasty. 

Growing older and becoming a little more accustomed to team successes, I found myself as an economist and statistician a bit upset to see my Red Sox sort of become Yankees Jr.  Any other fan can deny it all they want, but the fact is we’ve bought our championships.  I was jealous of the Twins success, seeming to groom all their talent from within.  It got worse as we showed some of my favorite players the door out of Boston, saying good-bye to Nomar, Pedro, and Lowe in what seemed like a one week change.  We were spending $40 million just to talk to Dice-K.  I was set to become a fan of the lowly Devil Rays and denounce the Yankees/Red Sox approach to baseball.  Fortunately the child in me returned just in time to embrace the new crop.  Jacoby and Pedroia.  Lowrie.  And who can’t love Papelbon?

The NFL is a slightly different story.  I wasn’t big on football growing up, finding the game incredibly boring.  I know that must sound funny coming from a baseball fan.  It was more that I really didn’t even know football existed until I was out of New England territory.  I always felt there was a connection through the Red Sox, so I occasionally dabbled in the Patriots---choosing to use Bledsoe and his rocket arm in various football video games.  I was a supporter during the improbable Super Bowl run ending with a loss to Favre and the Packers.  But when the Patriots weren’t winning, I did what most kids did, and that was lay claim to being a Cowboys fan.

I’m not sure if there’s a set age on when this bandwagon-hopping becomes illegal.  Thinking back, I just feel dirty doing it.  It’s hard to admit I did so.  If the same were true of my Red Sox allegiance and I ever became a Yankees fan--- I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to say I was a Red Sox fan.  At some point in high school, I stuck with the Patriots, but cared much more about my fantasy football teams than my actual football team.

My senior year, it all sort of clicked.  I was ready to go to college, and was ready to embark on a future where anything was possible.  School in the Boston area. Job afterwards.  Season tickets to Red Sox and Patriots FOREVER! 

It would be too convenient to say that my first memory of the Patriots would be the hit on Bledsoe, but it really feels like it is.  Bledsoe scrambling to get out of bounds….and then for some odd reason stopping before getting out of harm’s way.  Another lost season was on the way.

A funny thing happened though.  The Patriots never fell into a downward spiral, and at one point decided to just stop losing altogether.  A patchwork defense.  Offense premised on smoke and mirrors. Enough has been written that I do not need to elaborate.  But now I have new memories.  Tuck Rule.  Field goals in the snow.  Snow Angels.  Super Bowl victory.  Super Bowl victories.  A run at perfection.

I can’t remember the Patriots being bad.  Tom Brady is my hero.  I’d love to just sit down and talk football all day with Belichick.  With those two, we could be Super Bowl contenders forever.  Recently it’s dawned on me that eventually we’re going to have our own adjustment period.  Just like in Madden, NE coach is going to retire because he doesn’t have any more fingers for all those rings.  Brady can’t play forever.  We can’t just draft a QB to be Tom Brady in his prime.  There’s a steep learning curve for an NFL QB, and we as a franchise could be stuck in QB limbo for years, rolling the dice with future Alex Smith’s and Matt Leinart’s.  Plus, how is the organization going to treat Brady on the way out?  Is he going to play his twilight seasons for another team?  Can’t we just have him retire on top of the world?  How can I be a Patriots fan when we’re putting up 4-12 seasons like the Jets seem to do every other year?

Last week’s injury to Brady has brought a glimpse into the possible end game much earlier than I ever could have expected.  History in the NFL has shown us that Super Bowl losers do not fare well, rarely qualifying for the playoffs.  With this Patriots team, how was that even possible?  How was another 16-0 not able to be mentioned at every turn.  Now I’m looking at the schedules trying to calculate wins and if it will be enough.  Just last year I was arguing with a Browns fan that my team was going to go 16-0 and Brady would throw for 50 TD’s.  Now our bet is which team will finish with the better record.

The star QB of the league and my favorite player is now out for the season.  It’s possible it takes him another season to regain his touch.  2 years during the end of his prime, lost to injury.  I think it’s safe to say, we may never see the old Brady again.  He’s going to want to get rid of the ball quicker, hesitant to wait that split second, always worried about that potential tackler diving at his legs.  The still-patchwork defense is getting older.  Our star offensive draft picks aren’t exactly panning out.

I now turn to a young-er QB in Cassel.  I’m putting my trust in him not to turn me off the Patriots altogether.  I’ve had enough disappointment with the Red Sox—there’s only room for 1 team at a time to rip my heart out and despite recent success, the Red Sox will always stake their claim.  I have to trust Belichick’s judgement in keeping him around.  I know we can win with a Matt Schaub type.  This guy’s been behind some of the best all his life.  He’s got to have something to prove.

And what better time than now?  Complete full circle.  Everyone’s (Bill Simmons that I’ve actually read) been making the obvious parallels about SpyGate.  Well what about Casselstarting off against the Jets, where it all began for Brady after the hit on Bledsoe?  What about Casselgoing against Favre, the QB that was able to keep Bledsoe from Super Bowl glory?  I know it may be a lot to ask for history to repeat, and I don’t even know how that would affect the QB situation for next season.  So I’ll settle for beating the Jets.  At their place.  And then once more at home.  Just to make a point.