plasticman
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I have a certain level of sympathy for Patriot fans. It's not a significant amount, but it's the best I can muster.
I remember when the Cowboys dynasty came crumbling down in the late 80's after 20 consecutive winning seasons. Did you know that the Patriots had 19 consecutive winning seasons before 2020?
It was a heart wrenching process for me back then. First, the Super Bowls went. The last one was in 1978. Then the NFC championship games were no more, the Cowboys last was 1982, the third loss in a row. Then the playoffs went, last one in 1985. You never think about when it's going to end, believe me. I am also a Spurs fan.
As a teenager during the glory years I never pondered the outcome. The question was never if, it was by how much.
When your dynasty falls, the wolves, jackals and hyena's begin to show up. The lion has dominated them all their lives and now wounded, these 2nd tier predators are going to have a feast. When your team is a dynasty, the media is populated by former players who suffered under their heal. Now they get to exact their revenge.
Tom Landry had three consecutive losing seasons, the first two barely. They went 7-9 and 7-8 in a shortened strike year. In the final season they went 3-13 as Danny White was injured and lost for most of that season.
The media was brutal. It seemed as though every game in 1988 signaled a new low for the team and the coach. Opponents were merciless, they wouldn't let up no matter the score. The criticisms were easy and they were scathing.
Past glories are forgotten quickly. This is what Patriot fans have come to recognize. The lesson here is to enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the results and never take them for granted.
On a sidenote, in 1970 the Cowboys suffered two early defeats by 38 or more points. They still ended up in the Super bowl. It's a long season and every team is going to experience some issues. For example, Christian McCafferty has only played more than ten games in three of his seven seasons. Success is never guaranteed from one week to the other.
During that same 1970 season the Cowboys were 5-4 with 5 games left to play. The Giants were 6-3 and the Cardinals, a member of our division was 7-2. The Cowboys won the division title that season.
I remember when the Cowboys dynasty came crumbling down in the late 80's after 20 consecutive winning seasons. Did you know that the Patriots had 19 consecutive winning seasons before 2020?
It was a heart wrenching process for me back then. First, the Super Bowls went. The last one was in 1978. Then the NFC championship games were no more, the Cowboys last was 1982, the third loss in a row. Then the playoffs went, last one in 1985. You never think about when it's going to end, believe me. I am also a Spurs fan.
As a teenager during the glory years I never pondered the outcome. The question was never if, it was by how much.
When your dynasty falls, the wolves, jackals and hyena's begin to show up. The lion has dominated them all their lives and now wounded, these 2nd tier predators are going to have a feast. When your team is a dynasty, the media is populated by former players who suffered under their heal. Now they get to exact their revenge.
Tom Landry had three consecutive losing seasons, the first two barely. They went 7-9 and 7-8 in a shortened strike year. In the final season they went 3-13 as Danny White was injured and lost for most of that season.
The media was brutal. It seemed as though every game in 1988 signaled a new low for the team and the coach. Opponents were merciless, they wouldn't let up no matter the score. The criticisms were easy and they were scathing.
Past glories are forgotten quickly. This is what Patriot fans have come to recognize. The lesson here is to enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the results and never take them for granted.
On a sidenote, in 1970 the Cowboys suffered two early defeats by 38 or more points. They still ended up in the Super bowl. It's a long season and every team is going to experience some issues. For example, Christian McCafferty has only played more than ten games in three of his seven seasons. Success is never guaranteed from one week to the other.
During that same 1970 season the Cowboys were 5-4 with 5 games left to play. The Giants were 6-3 and the Cardinals, a member of our division was 7-2. The Cowboys won the division title that season.
