It wasn’t always like this—playoff berths, American Football Conference (AFC) titles, Super Bowl rings. We used to lose, and it was miserable.
My children and others born within the past 18 years are used to the Patriots winning; they expect to win and are shocked when the team falls short (which isn’t all that often). Growing up in the 1980s, my generation didn’t know what victory parades were. We knew what blackouts were, though. That’s when a sports league, in this case the National Football League (NFL), prohibited a game from being televised locally if stadium tickets didn’t sell out. My best friend’s brother owned season tickets back then. He was known as a glutton for punishment.
The author’s daughter, Willow Mahoney, shows her love of the Patriots at a recent game. (Courtesy photo)
Some of us even switched allegiances. So when the Patriots played in their first Super Bowl ever in 1986, I for one, rooted for the Chicago Bears. They had “Refrigerator” Perry, Walter “Sweetness” Payton, and that Super Bowl Shuffle song going for them. What did the Patriots have to offer then and during the years that followed besides almosts and could-have-beens? Quarterbacks Steve Grogan, Tony Eason, and even former Boston College hero Doug Flutie didn’t quite cut the mustard.
Fast forward to 2000 when sixth-round draft pick (199th pick overall) Tom Brady entered the scene as the backup quarterback to Drew Bledsoe. Brady would eventually get his chance to shine and in 2002 led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history. The win would prove to be the foundation for what would become the Patriots dynasty. The glory the Patriots achieved that day came at the expense of the Rams (they were the St. Louis Rams back then), the team they will face this weekend.
In interviews Brady remains humble about his talent. He has said that back in high school he wasn’t even good enough to start on his freshman football team; it was 0-8 at the time. He rode the bench for two years at the University of Michigan before getting his chance to show what he could do. We know how it worked out for Brady, of course—millions of dollars, career accolades, and supermodel wife included—so no tears need be shed for him. But it is inspiring all the same.
Thank you, Tom Brady, for believing in yourself when few others did; for always working to improve your game; for not hanging up the cleats when you turned 40 and “old.” There are so many out there who despise you, clinging to “Spygate” and “Deflategate” as an attempt to tarnish your image. I read a story recently about a young boy from Kentucky who won his school’s science fair with his attempt to prove Tom Brady is a cheater. His father was quoted as saying his son hates Brady. Harsh, indeed.
Another one? Music to our ears
The New England Patriots will face the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII Sunday, Feb. 3, in Atlanta. Brady will be seeking his sixth ring, which sounds redundant to some. To those of us who lived through the lean years of the Patriots organization, however, it’s music to our ears. Making it to the Super Bowl is fun, and coming out on top in it is even better. Even if his throwing arm didn’t get the memo yet, Brady can’t play forever. And we may soon find ourselves on the flip side of all this winning we have grown accustomed to. So let’s enjoy it while it lasts.
