Patriots the Yankees of the NFL?
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by Smmonroe2
The New England Patriots are about to try and do something that only one team before them has done: go undefeated for an entire season and win a Super Bowl. At 15-0 and heading to New Jersey to face the playoff bound New York Giants in week 17, the Patriots are looking like 16-0 is a possibility. Is 19-0?
However, my question is, "Are the Patriots the New York Yankees of the National Football League?" As most of you sports people know, the New York Yankees are probably the most hated team in baseball. They are known for “importing” players, high salaries, great coaches/managers, high expectations and having lots of money. And perhaps why the Yankees are hated so much is because of their over active and snob nosed brat owner.
So are the Patriots like them? Well I believe they are working towards being the most hated NFL team, not a lot of fan basis like them at all. For example, I am from New England and a huge Pats fan. I hate the Jets, because they are our rival. But I don’t mind the Buffalo Bills or the Green By Packers for instance. Well in other football towns they don’t have the slightest like for the Patriots, from what I hear any way (if I am wrong please tell me).
Now the Yankees import a lot (most) of their players, in other words they let the other teams raise them and once they become too expensive, they pounce like a cat onto a mouse. So, do the New England Patriots do that? Tom Brady was a sixth round pick, if someone else wanted him they had chances to take him. Tedy Bruschi was a third round pick in 1996 by the Pats. Troy Brown also started his career as a Patriot and plans to finish it that way. Richard Seymour was also acquired via the draft. Ben Watson, Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Asante Samuel, Chad Jackson, Lonie Paxton, David Thomas, Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson, Randall Gay, and many others were all originally drafted by the New England Patriots. Mike Vrabel was contemplating retirement after four years as a back up Steeler, then the Patriots called. Junior Seau enjoyed a long career before calling it quits and eventually (4 days later) rejoined the NFL to play for the Pats. Then there are the guys like Rodney Harrison and Randy Moss. Harrison was and is still one of the leagues fiercest hitters. The Chargers released him due to his many fines and his high price, they felt his days were done. Then Randy Moss was made available via a trade because the Raiders could no longer stand the “bad boy” receiver. Now that he is in the New England, we realize that he was not a bad guy; he just wanted to win. A fourth round pick is all he cost. And for the other players who were acquired via free agency that is why the league has it, so players can move around. The NFL also has a salary cap unlike the MLB.
The New York Yankees have a history of winning with great coaches. The New England Patriots have a history of losing... until Bill Belichick came along.
Now high expectations is what all owners should have for their teams. Bob Kraft does have a lot of money but he has very carefully invested it in the proper places to make sure his team was winning games and his players had the right equipment and facilities in order to stay healthy. Kraft is not a snobby owner, he just wants to win and he enjoys the game of football. He never threatens a coach due to a miss playoff birth or an early playoff exit. He understands you can not win everything, he just wants to win what he can.
So are the New England Patriots the New York Yankees of the NFL? You decide, and let me know.
