The New England Patriots under Belichick are a pleasure to watch. They represent everything that a team should be, from unity and selflessness to depth and raw ability. This team is certainly great, no question about it.
My problem is not with Belichick nor with the Patriots and their “golden boy” quarterback, but with sports writers and broadcasters who need to come up with the big story to follow up the big game. The sports world has begun to consider the recent past as an era that stands by itself, with new standards and new rules for determining excellence. Teams have to pay to compete and, that being the case, the clubs that can win in the ultra competitive environment are touted more highly than the winners that came before them.
Belichick has been blessed by timing as much as he has by his life’s work as a coach, as his genius could neither be realized nor appreciated if he did not have the team to execute his plays. Tom Brady was protected all night by offensive blockers who rank among the league’s best, and worked surrounded by talented running backs and receivers, the team being the vehicle for the realization of his talents. A four-time champion coach, and a two-time Super Bowl MVP, these are transcendent men in their sport, but the Patriots are not about either of these individual men, however outstanding their accomplishments.
There have been so many superstars on the sidelines and on the field, playing at different times when the sport was a different game. They capture attention and make huge, game-deciding plays, but never do it alone. The Patriots team was the great thing about their season and is the great thing about their “dynasty.” Belichick and Brady are the men of the hour, but in five or ten years when the team is gone, we’ll be talking about someone else.
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