Patriots dynasty- good or bad for football?

[c9777666]

New England’s pigskin monarchy is seen as polarizing. Maybe not quite of the visceral level of the Broad Street Bullies, but perhaps that of another “no in between feelings” level of royalty- the many incarnations of the NY Yankees championship eras (if you like them, you Ike then. If you don’t, you do not. No in between, no tweener spot.

Is having a gold standard for others to shoot for and raise the game good, a true hurdle for others to measure up and try to clear?

Or is it not good for those that cry out for new blood and something different that don’t want to see the same thing again?

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[WeThreeKings]

It's good for people who love conspiracy theories and need something to cry about and suspend reality.

 

[John Price]

good

if you want to beat them step up and beat them. This isn't the NBA where one team dominates the league and you don't have a chance. The Patriots are beatable. The Chiefs could have beaten them but didn't. The Chargers could have but chose to play zone instead of man. You can beat them.

 

[GKJ]

Teams had chances to put away the Patriots this year and they blew it. They were an awful road team this year.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

good.

they whether positive or negative, they get an emotional reaction out of everyone. You get people watching to see them win, and you get people watching to see them lose.

also, all of the greatness they've had have made every big game they're in feel bigger. The stakes feel bigger vs when they aren't in it.

 

[member 157595]

good

if you want to beat them step up and beat them. This isn't the NBA where one team dominates the league and you don't have a chance. The Patriots are beatable. The Chiefs could have beaten them but didn't. The Chargers could have but chose to play zone instead of man. You can beat them.

Very well said. This isn't the National Participation-Trophy League. This is the NFL. Sack up and get it done.

 

[c9777666]

all of the greatness they've had have made every big game they're in feel bigger. The stakes feel bigger vs when they aren't in it.

Part of me thinks opposite, that their greatness makes big games they’re actually not involved in bigger for it feels NE is in like 100+ big games that the rare big games without them are like a breath of fresh air

 

[tony d]

It'd be nice to see more teams win but with Brady, you're witnessing the GOAT so that's good.

 

[kingsholygrail]

There's definitely Patriots fatigue. Must suck being an AFC fan.

 

[DangleCity]

Part of me thinks opposite, that their greatness makes big games they’re actually not involved in bigger for it feels NE is in like 100+ big games that the rare big games without them are like a breath of fresh air

That may be true, but that is the Patriots indirectly affecting other games in a positive manner which is obviously good for the NFL.

Plus like you said in the OP, people have strong feelings one way or the other about the Patriots which means people care, which is again good for the NFL.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Dynasties are never bad, but the NFL is so big that it would be just as successful if every team won a SB in the next 32 years.

 

[Big Phil]

We complain if one team wins too much, then we complain when there aren't enough dominant teams and no one sustains their greatness. Which is it? I remember when the Ravens won 6 years ago there was an article written about where were "all the great teams?" Personally I think having a flagship team that everyone can hate or love is a good thing. The 49ers had this, the Cowboys of the 1990s had this, heck even the Bills were a polarizing team with all of those Super Bowl appearances. Everyone had an opinion and that makes the game better.

In 50 years people will still know about the Patriots and Tom Brady. They won't be asking about the 2012 Ravens or the 2015 Broncos. The Patriots are a legendary team.

Steve Young said it best in the post-game show for the Super Bowl. I am a sucker for watching the post-game highlights until I fall asleep after the Super Bowl, but Young said something along the lines of if we are unable to check our biases at the door and realize what we are witnessing with this great team and player and coach from a historical perspective than shame on us.

So yeah, good for the game. 10 years ago I hated everything about the Patriots, but I just can't sustain that anymore. I have to tip my hat to them. Heck if I did it to the Yankees of all teams I can do it to them.

 

[DanielPlainview]

What makes the Patriots unique is the length of their dominance.
70s Steelers: 74-79.
80s 49ers: 81-89.
90s Cowboys: 92-95.
Patriots: 2001-TBD

Belichick has done what he's done with a high rate of roster turnover, the only constant being Brady. That's crazy. It's extremely unlikely anyone will ever match what Belichick has done. I think we've seen the ceiling of what a great coach can be and that will take some of the mystique out pro football once he retires.

 

[Boeser Fan]

I understand the Patriots fatigue factor, but it's not like the NFL has the silliness of the NBA salary structure. All 32 teams have an equal chance with the NFL hard-cap and the draft order reflecting the standings.

 

[alko]

How much is this franchise worth now?

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Honestly, this has gotten to "oh look, the Blackhawks are in yet another Winter Classic / outdoor game" or "oh look, ESPN is talking about the Red Sox-Yankees / Duke-UNC rivalry again" level of annoyance. I don't know where the ratings for this year's Super Bowl finally came in, but I know a lot of people who saw the Patriots win the AFC title and said "nope, I've had enough of watching them, I'm gonna find something else to do this year."

Do I get the Patriots have been as dominant as any team in the NFL's history? Yeah.
Do I get the Brady GOAT talk and all the hoopla around it? Yeah.
Am I done seeing and hearing it at practically the opening of every door, though? f*** yeah. And I think Patriots/Brady fatigue has set in on a lot of fans. And while I agree that if you don't want to hear about it, go out and beat them I think people don't give a shit; they just want them to go away one way or another.

 

[Big Phil]

Honestly, this has gotten to "oh look, the Blackhawks are in yet another Winter Classic / outdoor game" or "oh look, ESPN is talking about the Red Sox-Yankees / Duke-UNC rivalry again" level of annoyance. I don't know where the ratings for this year's Super Bowl finally came in, but I know a lot of people who saw the Patriots win the AFC title and said "nope, I've had enough of watching them, I'm gonna find something else to do this year."

Do I get the Patriots have been as dominant as any team in the NFL's history? Yeah.
Do I get the Brady GOAT talk and all the hoopla around it? Yeah.
Am I done seeing and hearing it at practically the opening of every door, though? **** yeah. And I think Patriots/Brady fatigue has set in on a lot of fans. And while I agree that if you don't want to hear about it, go out and beat them I think people don't give a ****; they just want them to go away one way or another.

I can't recall right off the top of my head but wasn't either the Pats/Falcons Super Bowl or last year's Pats/Eagles Super Bowl insanely high from a ratings standpoint? Like it or not, I think the Patriots are a draw.

 

[SouthGeorge]

They single-handedly ruined the best league in sports. Tainted and disgraced the Shield.

 

[member 157595]

I understand the Patriots fatigue factor, but it's not like the NFL has the silliness of the NBA salary structure. All 32 teams have an equal chance with the NFL hard-cap and the draft order reflecting the standings.

Yup. It's not NE's fault that the rest of the AFC East (and many other teams elsewhere) is a developmental graveyard.

All teams have the same CBA to play under and all teams have the same salary Cap. Winners win and losers complain about how the world isn't fair and everyone is out to get them. The Patriots are the former.

 

[Reality Check]

Seems like yesterday when the Patriots were the joke of the NFL.

Their fanbase better appreciate the run of success they've had for nearly 20 years when it officially ends. Dallas hasn't reached the NFC title game in about 25 years. Same goes for San Francisco in terms of another Super Bowl championship.

Or they could be like the Lions by winning just one playoff game for the next 40+ years

 

[Troy McClure]

The Patriots being awesome is horrible for the league because so many bad teams have hurt themselves by wasting several years signing guys off of Belichick's staff hoping they could capture some of the magic. Think about how many teams threw away multiple seasons by hiring Mangini, Crennel, McDaniels, or O’Brien (not as bad as the others, but not good). Patricia isn't off to a good start, but he also didn't step into a good situation.

Did I miss any? Even if I didn't, that's several teams wasting several seasons.

 

[Trap Jesus]

I dunno, wasn't this the lowest rated Super Bowl in years despite a team from LA being in it? I think there's definitely fatigue setting in for the Patriots. This Super Bowl ultimately meant nothing for Brady or Belichick's legacy, they're already at the top.

NFL seems to be a finely tuned machine though, I don't think one team dominating means all that much.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Yup. It's not NE's fault that the rest of the AFC East (and many other teams elsewhere) is a developmental graveyard.

All teams have the same CBA to play under and all teams have the same salary Cap. Winners win and losers complain about how the world isn't fair and everyone is out to get them. The Patriots are the former.

plus, its not like they dont beat up on everyone outside the AFC East. The only team that really gives him problems is Denver

 

[YEM]

I think there's definitely fatigue setting in for the Patriots.

there's no doubt about it
I think a lot of that is the Pats being so unlikeable [all the cheating, etc]
I imagine every fanbase in the AFC despises them [yeah, because the Pats have doused their dreams so many times for a lot of them] and there's some of that from the NFC as well [except for Eagles and Giants fans]

 

[DangleCity]

The Patriots being awesome is horrible for the league because so many bad teams have hurt themselves by wasting several years signing guys off of Belichick's staff hoping they could capture some of the magic. Think about how many teams threw away multiple seasons by hiring Mangini, Crennel, McDaniels, or O’Brien (not as bad as the others, but not good). Patricia isn't off to a good start, but he also didn't step into a good situation.

Did I miss any? Even if I didn't, that's several teams wasting several seasons.

Hindsight is 20/20, but you are over simplifying it. Outside of BB though how many good coaches are there that you would want to have?