For Once, the Bad Guys Lost

You know the saying, "good guys always finish last."  Well nobody ever consider Bill Belicheck a good guy, and he usually never finished last.  After Belicheck started to act like a brat after the back to back titles, the national spotlight really came down on him in a negative way.  But it all got out of control when the "spy gate" incident happend in the first game of the 2007 season, aptly nicknamed by Bill Simmons the "eff you" season.  The Pats dominated everyone, ran up the score, went on 4th down when they were up by 30 in the 4th quarter, and though they stopped dominating everyone (the Ravens came close, so did the Eagles, and of course the Giants in the infamous last game of the season) they still got to the Super Bowl unscathed; 18-0. 

Ever since that glorious Feb. 3, 2008, the Pats have never been the same; almost as if the football gods came down on Belicheck for all his sins during the seasons.  In 2008 Brady goes down and though they go 11-5, they are not feared and miss the playoffs, and this year they lose a game in which Belicheck tried to outsmarted everyone....and it failed MISERABLY in a game on national T.V vs the best team in the league.  They blew leads of 24-7, 31-14, and 34-21, the ladder two in the 4th quarter.  The Pats never did that, but more importantly Belicheck would never make that type of foolish decision, or at least they would make it.  I disagree with Francesa as I think the Colts would have scored anyone, but whats harder, going 29 yards, or going around 72 yards (the average punt of the night would have landed them on their own 28).  I love every moment of this, I hate Belicheck, every NY fan hates Belicheck, and most of America hates Belicheck.  Its great, he tried to pull the "I am Bill Belicheck and I am smarter than you" card and it backfired.  If this was not Bill Belicheck, lets say it was Dick Jauron, Jauron would be fired on the plane.  But its Belicheck so he gets a pass, as he probably should.  I have said this since the Super Bowl, I think this is the downfall of the Pats, they lost a close game in OT at Denver (Brady's first OT loss) a tough loss at the Jets when the pressure was really, REALLY on the Pats, and now this.  This is another example that the Pats will not be on top for awhile.

Maybe if Coughlin showed a hint of the Belicheck cajones, than MAYBE we would have scored a TD against San Diego and won 24-21.  Yes, I am still bitter.

- Lew