Sour Grapes Sportsmanship

As the Patriots take a run at the NFL’s first 19-0 season, they’ve created more enemies than Al Qaeda I can’t tell you how much I’ve heard, “I hate the Patriots!” Even as someone who roots for the Bills, Ravens, and Colts, I can’t share that sentiment.
Despite Spy Gate and Tom Brady dating twice the courtesy quota for hot women, the biggest angst seems to be their large margins of victory early in the season. Some (almost all who root for other NFL teams) called it, “running up the score.” Belichick and Brady explained it as developing their offense. At this juncture in the season, it’s hard to fault them for working out the kinks early to give them the confidence and precision to pull out come-from-behind wins, like the Monday night one I witnessed from the upper deck at M&T Bank Stadium.
That whole game I knew they would win, no matter how many points they trailed. It was fate.
Even if they had run up the score in their September and October blow outs, I applaud them for that. Even if their intent had been straight out embarrassment to another professional franchise, I say more power to them.
Because in November and December—and especially January—they built a 13th man to go with their 12th man stadium advantage.
Intimidation.
This isn’t pee wee football, kids. We’re not talking about David & Goliath high schools or USC versus Pepperdine grid iron, folks. These are powerful millionaires hitting famous millionaires, coached by workaholic millionaires. It’s a chess match with barbarian pieces, and strategy often trumps athleticism.
If you hang 50 on a team or 40-some almost every week, you change your opponent’s strategy from playing their game to stopping (or slowing) yours. You’ve changed their paradigm—and in some ways, yours. You won’t face the same opponent the rest of your division does. So, two or three extra easy touchdowns can make next week’s game or next month’s tilt a little easier.
I think it’s brilliant.
I remember a team in college—okay, they were our nemesis: Sigma Phi Delta. They used to run silently out onto the field for warm ups then lap their half of the boundaries without looking at our side of the field—as if to say, “Our opponent is not worthy of our attention. It doesn’t matter who they are.” It gets in your head, man. Then they’d tell jokes on their way to the line of scrimmage, looking at each other instead of us. “So, my mom went to the grocery store yesterday,” I heard one say. “Oh yeah? What’d she get?” In other words, “We’re not even paying attention to this game; you’re making it too easy on us.”
It works. It’s fair. We’re all grown men, here. It’s your job to fill your own jock strap, not theirs.
But should the Patriots lift the Lombardy trophy this year, look for 31 other owners to discuss a lead cap or disparity penalty in their off-season meetings. It’s hard to pick up domination in free agency, even if you’re Jerry Jones or Daniel Snyder.
[footer]Stock image purchased from iStockPhoto.com[/footer]