Don Shula’s take on New England: "The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished"
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by LastRow
We all knew it would just be a matter of time before this happened…And now it has thanks to the Patriots comeback over the Colts in Super Bowl XLI ½ Sunday. What, you ask? Members of the 1972 Dolphins are coming out of the wood work and shitting themselves in their Depends! Why are they shitting themselves? Realistically this years Pats have the best shot of running the table since the 1985 Bears, (that’s debatable and up for discussion). Sure the Colts came close a few years back at 13-0, but while the "Undefeated Kool-Aid" was in the refrigerator that nobody really wanted to drink, well, besides the media…But what the hell do they know, they just chase stories!
Well, this years version of the "undefeated story" is worth chasing…With a prolific offense that nobody has ever seen, with more weapons than our country has overseas and a stout defense to match it, New England is very much poised to match the 1972 Dolphins as the only team to run the table. As I said a few weeks back after the victory over the Cowboys, the only thing stopping the Pats are the Pats themselves…If they want to run the table, they will! If they don’t, they won’t! If they want to rest their starters towards the end of the season and risk losing a game, well, so be it! The ’72 Dolphins will be living in another wet dream! However, judging how Bill Bellicheat has handled this season after the whole Patriotgate black cloud…Not giving a shit about nothing, well don’t count on that happening! Some may call it foolish, idiotic, and all that mumble jumble, risking injury…But we all saw Matt Cassell get the hook a few weeks back in a blowout of the Dolphins. So clearly this team defies all logic!
So what kind of words of wisdom does Don Shula have about the 2007 version of New England? According to Shula, even if history remembers the 2007 Patriots as the league's second perfect team, it will also remember them as cheaters :
"The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They've got it," Shula told the Daily News yesterday. "Belichick was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,00 and they lost a first-round draft choice. That tells you the seriousness or significance of what they found.
"I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds' home run record. I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a No.1 draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment. The sad thing is Tom Brady looks so good, it doesn't look like he needs any help."
While he’s right about everything that he blew out of his cake hole, we’ve given Patriotgate a colonoscopy the entire year…All I question here is his motive. Why spray this junk now? Is it a coincidence that it comes on the heels of New England winning Super Bowl XLI ½? I’m doubting that! Every time a team comes close to challenging the Dolphins record, members always seem to have a hard on about having to answer questions! Remember these words of wisdom when the Colts were making a run at it… "Don’t call me when they’re in my neighborhood, call me when they’re on my block!" Riiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhtttttttttttttt! Yeah, and how about if I alert you guys when Bill Hoodie Man rings your freaking doorbell! Would you like that, huh?
Shula is right in all regards: The Patriots are a great team with a good chance of going undefeated. Bill Belichick will join Shula in the Hall of Fame some day. But anyone who believes that Patriotgate will be forgotten by then is kidding himself. I just can’t help but wonder, what would’ve been said if the Colts didn’t choke on their grapes Sunday…And they were the ones once again poised to make a run at the Dolphins mark, what would’ve been said then? We know something would’ve tried to down play the likelihood that some team has a chance to reach the undefeated!
Now love them or hate New England, (and most of us hate them…And Patriotgate added more fuel to those fires) personally I hope they do go unbeaten! For this precise reason, to shut the entire 1972 Dolphins pie holes up! So they can stick those champagne corks that they love to pop so much up their old and wrinkly asses once and for all! So the Dolphins will have to move over in their elite company…Although watch out, the cameras will likely be rolling!
