Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Breakdown in New England

Well, what used to be a tremendous team is looking passive at best. Unfortunately, for you NEW New England Patriots fans, you don't know just how bad the Patriots were. Let's go through a history of what they really are.

The Patriots started in the old days of the AFL... an actual original AFL Team (along with their opponents from last night, the Denver Broncos). Their name then... the Boston Patriots.

From Quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe to Scott Zolak, the team has had many quarterbacks. Let's name the only 3 worth mentioning. Steve Grogan, Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady. Forget all the other names, although Hugh Millen and Jim Plunkett (who went on to be better with the Oakland Raiders) can be mentioned for all the wrong reasons.

The Patriots started football operations in November of 1959. Their first draft pick was Ron Burton from Northwestern University. Their first Territorial pick in the draft was Gerhardt Schwedes.

The Patriots have been around since 1959... they won their first title in 2001. The team had made it to one Super Bowl, and that was Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears, who dominated to a 46-10 victory. It would be a long tireless drought in the Super Bowl until Super Bowl XXXI, and a date with the Green Bay Packers. The result was the same... a loss. This time, it was with "The Tuna" Bill Parcells and a good quarterback with Drew Bledsoe. This team was destined to win it... the final score 35-21.

As a twist of fate would have it, in Week 2 of the 2000-2001 season, Drew Bledsoe was hit and subsequently taken out by a New York Jets Linebacker. In stepped unknown and unproven Tom Brady. The team procedes to win, and win, and go to the Super Bowl to take on the St. Louis Rams. Tom Brady leads them to a last-second win. Thanks to the leg of star kicker Adam Vinitieri. Then there was 2002-2003 versus the Carolina Panthers, another Patriots Super Bowl victory, another one off of Adam Vinitieri's leg. The final win was in 2003-2004, against the Philadelphia Eagles, another win, another Vinitieri field goal. They then made it back to the Super Bowl in 2006-2007, where they lost their perfect season at the hands of the New York Giants.

They are now a dominant team, but if you knew them before that. You'd be even happier they are dominant now.

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