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Debt Collector; New England gets its due

By Twin Cities, Section NFL
Posted on Sat Oct 16 2004 at 2:50 PM EST
More on: (all tags)

Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi can eat more than 53 hot dogs in 12 minutes.

As the Patriots rattle off victory after victory, the rest of the NFL must be thinking along similar lines. It's been a year and two weeks of blowout victories, nail-biting victories, nose-to-the-grindstone victories. Only one consistency remains; they don't lose.

One after another, last year's "Godfather II" is this year's "Godfather III," just another sad sequel. As of last week, the Packers were 1-4, the Titans 2-3 and the Dolphins (even at 93, Dan Marino must throw a tighter spiral than Jay Feeley, A.J. Fielder, Clay Aiken or whatever you call that two-headed monster they call a quarterback in South Florida these days) were 0-5. The Chiefs won nine straight to start last season. This year, they didn't win till week four.

Yet the Patriots and their pretty-boy, Britney Spears-dating quarterback can't lose. The Colts should have beaten them. The Bills should have beaten them. Even the Dolphins should have kept it close. It's unfathomable.

Then I remembered something about New England. Yes, the winters are cold, the lobster is good and the maple trees are tall, but that's not it. Patriot's players may have Dunkin' Donuts coffee running through their veins, but 19 straight victories can't be the result.

Not to take any credit away from Bill Belichick and company, it's got to be the Red Sox. Every Aaron Boone home run, failed A-Rod trade, Pedro Martinez daddy comment or Curt Schilling tendon tear has to be repaid somewhere. It's an eye for an eye.

When the Yankees win, NFL teams outside of New England have to suffer.

A streak of this magnitude goes back to overdue bills Bucky Dent, Babe Ruth and George Steinbrenner forgot to pay.

What else could it be? It's not health. The Patriots led the league in games missed because of injury last year, 231. It's not star players. The Tom Brady to David Patten/Troy Brown/David Givens combination doesn't quite compare with Manning to Harrison or Culpepper to Moss. And it's not domination. Nine of their 19 victories were decided by less than a touchdown.

Their coach has clearly found a formula. Belichick builds around role players and convinces everyone around him to buy into his scheme. But the league has had other great coaches. Bill Parcells, Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry never won 19 straight.

There's something deeper at work, something less tangible.

New England's suffered. Teased and teased, year after year, by countless Red Sox teams that weren't quite good enough.

Chicago Cubs fans were given the Bulls and Michael Jordan plus Sweetness and the Bears. Detroit Tigers fans (1984, plus) have had the Red Wings. Football fans in L.A. have had the Lakers.

Someday, Boston's debt will be paid off. Just as Michael Jordan retired, the Red Wings got old and Shaq and Kobe got divorced, someday the Patriots' success will come to an end. Belichick may depart and Brady's face may fall apart when his chiseled cheekbones rip through his skin. But until that day, Boston can rest easy. According to my unofficial calculations, they still have 60 years of Red Sox failure left to pay back.