Opinion

Op-Ed: Super Bowl day brings up bad memories for Pats fans

By David Fullerton

Posted on Feb. 11, 2010, at 3:02 a.m.

Have you ever experienced something so awful that it makes you sad on a regular basis? Something so traumatizing that you find yourself staring off into space replaying in your mind? I know I have.

I am, of course, referring to the 2007 collapse of the New England Patriots, the greatest football team ever.

For those of you who are not familiar with the ’07 Patriots, they were 18-0 before the Super Bowl, one victory away from achieving an undefeated season and eternal glory. Tom Brady and friends were destined to ride on the chariots of the gods and bathe in the sweet nectars of victory.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Not only did they lose the big game, they lost it in dramatic fashion as Eli Manning and the New York Giants pulled off some ridiculous plays in the waning minutes to emerge the victor, 17-14. It was heartbreaking to say the least.

I will admit I have admiration and respect for the Giants; they won that game fair and square. The one thing that does not sit well with me is that my fellow loyal New Englanders are often chastised for being Pats fans and unfairly categorized as “bandwagon fans.”

I will not sit idly by as we are ridiculed for cheering for our beloved Patsies, which I have done since the light blue jersey days of the Bledsoe era — my personal favorite Patriot jersey.

Having animosity toward fans is one thing, but to label these devoted fans fair-weather is out of line. I despise Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, of course, and I, as a devoted Red Sox fan too, loathe the New York Yankees, but I hold their die-hard fans in high regard.

I would argue that Patriots fans are some of the most faithful in sports. We experienced one of the greatest upsets in NFL history, and yet there we are, every NFL Sunday, with our awkwardly cut Reebok sweatshirts and baseball caps waiting for our beloved — and fashionable — Tom Brady to lead us to victory.

People seem to forget the 2006 season as well, when another Manning crushed our hopes and dreams in the AFC championship game with a come-from-behind win — not to mention the 2008 season was all but lost when Brady blew out his knee in the first quarter of the first game of the season.

There was also that span of 41 years, before 2001, when the Patriots achieved zero Super Bowl victories and many less-than-satisfying seasons.

This time of year, more than any other, will forever bring Patriots fans pain and suffering. We shall no longer reminisce fond memories as we watch ESPN countdowns of the greatest Super Bowls of all time.

Our grandchildren will no doubt become frustrated from hearing the story of “How in the world did David Tyree catch that football?”

No amount of victories will ever change what happened in the 2007 season. We Patriots fans are destined to carry this heavy burden for all time and are absolutely prepared to do so.

Would you do the same for your team? Or, as former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi so eloquently put it: “Do you have the guts to go for it?”

David Fullerton is a junior history student and a Patriots fan for life.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010, 3:02 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.