Why All The Hate Toward The Patriots?

I really don't get it. I know Bill Belichick and, to some, Tom Brady aren't the most likable guys around, (actually I happen to like Brady but that's neither here nor there) but all they do is compete hard and win games. That's it; they win games. And I don't find them to be smug or ungrateful about it. It's usually the other teams that are talking trash leading up to the games, not the Pats. The media, just to be fair to the Pats, zoom in on every little sideline twitch and post game greeting by Belichick. It's so absurd. If he doesn't smooze with the opposing coach after the game, then he's being an asshole. On the other hand, if he shakes the guy's hand then he's just doing it for the cameras. It's funny, with Brady you have just as many people curious about his post game outfit more than the number of touchdowns he'll throw for during the game. Let's face it, they are in a no win situation.

But the real question is...well, I guess not so much a question as much as commentary, I suppose. How in the hell are they being bad sportsmen and how should they act? To be brutally honest, I think we have this fluffy definition of sportsmanship. I think we want it both ways in our society. We like winners, which is fine, but then we want to feel good about the guys that win. We want them to sign autographs, smile on que, give shout outs to everyone that helped them make it, and shake hands on the way down from the podium. Then on top of that, we tend to unjustly judge their personal lives. Are they good to their wives, good to their kids, and do they do community service work. If the answer is no to any of the three aforementioned, we pile on more as evidence of what douche bags they are. I think as long as one is being professional and playing according to the rules then, hey, it's all good.

Trust me, I'm no fan of the Patriots but I am a fan - a huge fan - of the way they're handling business right now. A lot NFL teams and head coaches, active and retired, would do themselves a great service by taking note of how they play on the field and not giving so much attention to what they're doing off it.

All week leading up to the Steeler's game all you heard about was this punk from the Steelers that was shit talking about how they were going to win and this and that. If the Patriots are guilty of anything, it's winning. And if we don't like them winning and the way they win games, then let's just say that. Tom Brady had a brilliant quote in response to Anthony Smith's guarantee, "well done is better than well said."

I think Tom Brady is posessed of a kind of indefinable shittiness that is difficult to put your finger on. I think at some point someone was feeding him biddy.

I think it's easy to understand why people hate the Patriots.

For starters they've had a long run of success and people tend to get sick of seeing the same team winning over and over. Society tends to love the underdog but once that dog becomes a dynasty, we can't wait to see them stumble. And the way they are doing it this year by steamrolling teams and running up scores makes them even easier to hate than in previous years.

The single most biggest reason though is probably Belichick. Let's face it he's very easy to hate, in fact he doesn't give you much of a reason to like him at all. That's probably the way he wants it.

I don't think Brady is hated as much as Belichick, but his cocky, pretty boy attitude definitely can rub people the wrong way.

I think it's the fact that "THEY GOT CAUGHT CHEATING". That definitely couldn't be helping.

They might be fine people, but we don't see it. Go watch a press conference. They are so smug and their contempt for everyone outside of the locker room is palpable. I also don't like Tony Romo for much of the same reasons I don't like Tom Brady. Go watch a couple of their press conferences, how could you like those guys? I wouldn't want to hang out with them. They're great players, no question. But unless you're a fan of those teams I really don't know how you can like them honestly. Compare that to Jason Campbell, Chris Cooley, Peyton Manning, or some of the other good guys in the league. A lot of folks don't like Manning (I guess because he has so many commercials) but the that is a guy who just works his butt off plus he has a great personality (IMHO). Maybe it's just because Brady has no personality to speak of (go watch that SNL he hosted, it was brutal). Also look at how the Colts handled being up 44-7 on the Ravens and think about what the Pats would have done.

As with most things I think Gregg Easterbrook nailed it in a column a few months ago and said it more eloquently than I could.

ESPN Page 2 - TMQ: Good vs. Evil (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071023&sportCat=nfl)

I think Tom Brady is posessed of a kind of indefinable shittiness that is difficult to put your finger on. I think at some point someone was feeding him biddy.

I think the fact that Brady is a good looking guy, he's all over GQ, the chicks love him, and he's extremely successful and competitive makes him a convenient target as well.

If Brady looked like, let's say Sam Cassell or someone not so good looking, we probably wouldn't direct so much dislike toward him.

I wonder how much is actually "visual perception" (i just made that up) more than anything else?

They might be fine people, but we don't see it. Go watch a press conference. They are so smug and their contempt for everyone outside of the locker room is palpable. I also don't like Tony Romo for much of the same reasons I don't like Tom Brady. Go watch a couple of their press conferences, how could you like those guys? I wouldn't want to hang out with them. They're great players, no question. But unless you're a fan of those teams I really don't know how you can like them honestly. Compare that to Jason Campbell, Chris Cooley, Peyton Manning, or some of the other good guys in the league. A lot of folks don't like Manning (I guess because he has so many commercials) but the that is a guy who just works his butt off plus he has a great personality (IMHO). Maybe it's just because Brady has no personality to speak of (go watch that SNL he hosted, it was brutal). Also look at how the Colts handled being up 44-7 on the Ravens and think about what the Pats would have done.

As with most things I think Gregg Easterbrook nailed it in a column a few months ago and said it more eloquently than I could.

ESPN Page 2 - TMQ: Good vs. Evil (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071023&sportCat=nfl)

But see that's part of the problem, we're comparing them to other, so called, good guys in the NFL.

Well lets face it, being a little bit humble goes a long way. Yes the coach and the qb are cocky and rude assfaces, but its also the way they have played ball this season, as Matty pointed out. The fact of the matter is the majority likes the 'good guy'. For instance someone who knows they have a great team, but is also greatfull that things are going well. When I think of someone with respect to winning games and superbowls, I like the approach Tony Dungy, Dick Vermeil, and ofcourse Joe Gibbs and countless other winning coaches take during their success, not these current jerkoffs.

But see that's part of the problem, we're comparing them to other, so called, good guys in the NFL.

Well, unfortunately human beings make sense of their world through analogy. I don't see the problem here.

I agree there is nothing wrong with the way they are winning.

I just am emoptionally retared and cant get over a 55ish to 7 asswhipping we took. I dont like the way they ran the score up and quotes like "what did you want us to do - kick a filed goal?" but that doesnt make them bad sports or whatever in general. :) :)

I am being serouis. If the skins were having a run like that I would have loved the way they are handleing themselves. Belichick is a rock and gets all the BS focused on him and not his team. Brady is playing lights out and has liquid oxygen in his veins (way past ice).

Whats not to like other than "Waaaaaa! Mommmy, Tommy hit me" which is where I am emotionally and have been sacraficing chickens, goats and even a few sheep to the football gods every sunday to ensure the Pats lose; alas, I think they are going to run the table.(/ponders....mebbie if can find a cow ...or a horse....) lololol :)

Bottom line is sometimes you are the windshield and some times you are the bug.......