It’s the playoffs and if you’re an inquisitive mind like me (and if you’re also looking for a good tip), you have a tendency to ask people who they like this weekend. If you’re not interested in football, you’ve probably stopped reading by now, but if you are, you recognize this weekend as the most exciting of the NFL season. That’s because the winner of the two games this Sunday, a.k.a., the AFC and NFC Championship Games, determine which two teams will go to the Super Bowl. The four teams remaining have arguably been the best four teams all year: the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Rams, the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots. However, when you ask people who they want to win the Super Bowl, you’ll generally get five different answers. How can that be, you ask, when only four teams are playing. The answer, my friends, is simple. When asked who they want to win the Super Bowl, people will choose any one of these four teams they like the most, however, if they have no affiliation whatsoever, the answer you’ll most likely receive is… “Anyone but the Patriots!” Carry on at: http://sportschump.net/2019/01/16/making-sense-hatriots/20666/
Back in the early 90s when I was 9 or 10 years old, decided to root for the Cowboys. Yes, they were winning at the time, but the funny thing is...I wasn't even aware of that. Not until Super Bowl 28, at least, when I learned it was their second one. A few years later, I reached adolescence and also the Internet became a thing. Chat rooms, instant messaging, internet forums...it was so exciting. I didn't have many friends who liked american football, and this was an opportunity to exchange opinions about it with fans like me. What happened next shocked me like you have no idea: Everyone hated the Cowboys. And I just didn't understand it. How can you hate a winner? I found my answer in the middle 2000s when the Patriots became a dinasty: pure and plain envy. I found myself rooting against the Patriots just like everybody rooted against the Cowboys back in the 90s. It's just envy. My team hasn't won anything in 23 years. These guys have won 5 in 18 years, and they're going for their 6th, which, by the way, will surpass us in the all-time super bowl champions rankings. Sure, we make excuses like spygate, deflategate...we assume they're cheating all the time. It's just an excuse. It's envy. Why them and not us? That said...f*ck the Patriots. Sincerely, A very jealous Cowboys fan longing for the days when cell phones were for very rich people.
Envy is definitely is where it starts, but when you keep seeing the same people celebrating all of the time it can come off as arrogance, even when it's not necessarily the case. Belichick has a very hateable face and personality though.
Teej… That's actually a great analogy. I was a quasi-Cowboys fan (at the time) because I went to Florida and wanted to see Emmitt do well. That he did. These days, I'm with you on the "who doesn't want to see greatness" argument. For that same reason, I'm not entirely opposed to the Warriors' run at titles. I also am not opposed to younger teams doing their best to try to topple the champs, i.e., Chiefs. At this point, I just wanna see good ball. Whether or not you like 'em or hate 'em, the Patriots and Warriors are giving us just that.
My problem with the Warriors (and the NBA in general) is that players have way too much power to form super teams with their buddies and just destroy the rest of a league where half the teams are tanking anyway. Durant signing with them never made any sense to me. He could't beat them so he joined them. Do you imagine Michael Jordan joining the Pistons after losing twice to them in the playoffs? Also just shooting 3s is not my favorite version of basketball. Back in the 90s you could actually play defense, attack the rim. That's why I became a Knicks fan, I guess. In a league ruled by Jordan and the Bulls, they seemed to be the only ones who didn't give a crap, and hit him hard...played him hard. The Patriots are exactly the same, but the exact opposite of that. Their only super star in the past 20 years has been Brady. They have managed to build a dinasty with role players and guys who were cut, or undrafted everywhere else. Two starters on defense were with the 1-31 Browns, for crying out loud!! That's pure team building and coaching. Not buddies getting together and forming super teams. It has way, WAY more merit...
