SB53: Choose Your Own Adventure

Al Zarilla

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We do need a blowout by the AFC team. I mean, there have been many more blowouts from the NFC side. Not even considering the first 2 by the Packers when the AFL wasn’t “ready”:

VI - Dallas 24, Miami 3

XIX - SF 38, Miami 16

XX - Chicago 46, Somebody 10

XXII - Washington 42, Denver 10

XXIV - SF 56, Denver 10

XXVII - Dallas 52, Buffalo 17

XXIX - SF 49, SD 26

XXXVII - TB 48, Oak 21

XLVIII - Sea 43, Den 8

OK, there have been some blowouts from the AFC side:

XI - Oak 32 MN, 14

XVIII - LA Raiders 38, Wash 9

XXXV - Balt 34, NYG 7

Marginal blowouts could be KC 23, MN 7 in IV, Mia 24, MN 7 in VIII.

What did I miss? Also, the Patriots SB “presence” during the dynasty has, for whatever reason, produced fantastically exciting, close games, and the NFL should be extremely grateful for this. But they aren’t.
 

brandonchristensen

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Feb 4, 2012
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Onside kick by Gost to start the game. Pats recover and score a quick TD.

Then a series of Pats onside kicks, skewing the data that says onside recoveries are impossible now by recovering every one.

Rams offense never sees the field.

Pats win 105-0 with a time of possession of 60:00.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
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California. Duh.
Brady throws a crushing pick-six, the Pats crawl back into it and score with a little over a minute to go to tie it, and Goff drives the Rams down the field, resulting a Zuerlein winning kick that hits the net with a couple of seconds to go, but the clock keeps ticking down to zero anyways.

I have 17 years of frustration I'm working through here.
 

54thMA

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Aug 15, 2012
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So LA has had the Rams, then they moved to Anaheim, then to St. Louis, then back to LA, then the Oakland Raiders moved to LA, then back to Oakland, then the Chargers get thrown into the LA mix.

No wonder why the 47 fans who support the LA/Anaheim/St. Louis/LA (for now) Rams are so passionate.
 

Section30

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Pats up 21-0 at half. Pats drive 80 yards and score again. Suh loses his shit and punches ref. Pats go on to win and Suh never plays in the NFL again.
 

Marbleheader

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So LA has had the Rams, then they moved to Anaheim, then to St. Louis, then back to LA, then the Oakland Raiders moved to LA, then back to Oakland, then the Chargers get thrown into the LA mix.

No wonder why the 47 fans who support the LA/Anaheim/St. Louis/LA (for now) Rams are so passionate.
I've wondered if I would have continued to root for Patriots if they went to St. Louis and there was no NFL team here
 
Onside kick by Gost to start the game. Pats recover and score a quick TD.

Then a series of Pats onside kicks, skewing the data that says onside recoveries are impossible now by recovering every one.

Rams offense never sees the field.

Pats win 105-0 with a time of possession of 60:00.
Ridiculous as it sounds, I actually remember seeing a rugby sevens international in which this scenario happened. New Zealand (utterly dominant) v Japan (pretty new to international rugby at the time). The all blacks won the ball on every single kick-off, scored on every possession, racked up 100+ points (in a game that only lasts about quarter of an hour) and finished the game credited with 100% possession. Every couple of years I search for evidence that my brain didn't just dream this, because it's so implausible, but the internet seems lacking in sevens historical records. So I believe it's true, but I can't prove it.

If we're choosing whatever we like I'm not going to be greedy. I pick a record-breaking win of some significant kind (highest score/margin) with a few additional ancillary records (first 1000 yard passing game, most pick-6s/defensive scores, Rams coaching staff fired at half-time, Pats actually score in the first quarter, that kind of thing) tacked on. But I'm not choosy, anything along those lines will do.
 

SoxFanInCali

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California. Duh.
I've wondered if I would have continued to root for Patriots if they went to St. Louis and there was no NFL team here
Honestly, when the Rams moved to St. Louis I thought about abandoning them. But at that point, I lived in SF, and after having to watch them win 5 Super Bowls as my biggest rival, I sure as hell wasn't going to switch to the Niners. It felt like my choices were to give up the NFL entirely or stick with the Rams. They still came to SF once a year for a game. If I lived in LA it might have been different.
 

Captaincoop

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I've wondered if I would have continued to root for Patriots if they went to St. Louis and there was no NFL team here
I've thought that through extensively. They would be my number 1 most hated team and I would have tried adopting the Giants.

As for choosing my own adventure, my ideal Super Bowl involves Belichick doing some amazingly deceptive and innovative things that leave McVey confused and helpless. So we got our "Hey America, Brady refuses to pass the torch" game in Kansas City, and our "By the way, America, Belichick also refuses to pass the torch" game in Atlanta.
 

Ferm Sheller

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I'd love for the Pats to get out to a big, early lead and absolutely cruise from the get go as much as anyone, but history has taught me that this will go down to the final few plays, with the game ending one way or the other.
 

54thMA

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I've wondered if I would have continued to root for Patriots if they went to St. Louis and there was no NFL team here
Been a fan since 1968, season ticket holder twice (1986-1991, 1998); if they moved to St. Louis, I'd be done, if they moved to Hartford, that's still New England, so I would have still been a fan.

The St. Louis Patriots; no thanks.

And I'm probably the lone wolf in the woods on this one, but if a team moves out of the area, the name stays behind. Why some teams dropped the name (Browns, Oilers) while others kept it (Rams, Raiders, Chargers, Cardinals, Colts) is beyond me.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Dec 4, 2005
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5 TDS and 400 yards for TB; if it really is the end for Gronk, a TD for one last spike and I’d love to see him truck someone one last time; can Hightower catch the ball, we haven’t had a LB at TE in a long time; a kick return; couple of picks. Pats 42-17
 

BlackJack

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Oct 11, 2007
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And I'm probably the lone wolf in the woods on this one, but if a team moves out of the area, the name stays behind. Why some teams dropped the name (Browns, Oilers) while others kept it (Rams, Raiders, Chargers, Cardinals, Colts) is beyond me.
I agree that teams shouldn’t keep the old name if they move, especially when it’s a region specific name (Utah Jazz?!?) but if I recall correctly part of the deal when the Browns moved to Baltimore was that the next expansion team was promised to Cleveland along with the name and club history. From a records standpoint the Baltimore Ravens are a brand new franchise as of 1996.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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Honestly, when the Rams moved to St. Louis I thought about abandoning them. But at that point, I lived in SF, and after having to watch them win 5 Super Bowls as my biggest rival, I sure as hell wasn't going to switch to the Niners. It felt like my choices were to give up the NFL entirely or stick with the Rams. They still came to SF once a year for a game. If I lived in LA it might have been different.
Not a fan of Georgia Rosenbloom Frontiere Schwarzenegger?
 

54thMA

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I agree that teams shouldn’t keep the old name if they move, especially when it’s a region specific name (Utah Jazz?!?) but if I recall correctly part of the deal when the Browns moved to Baltimore was that the next expansion team was promised to Cleveland along with the name and club history. From a records standpoint the Baltimore Ravens are a brand new franchise as of 1996.
Thanks for the information, didn't know that. So Cleveland fans lost a team that went on to win two Super Bowls, but got to keep the name and all the club history.

That's the most Clevelandy thing ever.
 

simplyeric

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Feb 14, 2006
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Been a fan since 1968, season ticket holder twice (1986-1991, 1998); if they moved to St. Louis, I'd be done, if they moved to Hartford, that's still New England, so I would have still been a fan.

The St. Louis Patriots; no thanks.

And I'm probably the lone wolf in the woods on this one, but if a team moves out of the area, the name stays behind. Why some teams dropped the name (Browns, Oilers) while others kept it (Rams, Raiders, Chargers, Cardinals, Colts) is beyond me.
What if they had changed their name to the St. Louis Ribs?
 

Burn Out

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I haven’t been able to listen to Tom Petty since 2008 without a pit forming in my stomach.

I will be OK with any outcome that allows me to listen to Maroon 5 without feeling nauseated. ;)

A Patriots blowout victory would grant me my wish.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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I haven’t been able to listen to Tom Petty since 2008 without a pit forming in my stomach.

I will be OK with any outcome that allows me to listen to Maroon 5 without feeling nauseated. ;)

A Patriots blowout victory would grant me my wish.
Even "Sugar"?
 

reggiecleveland

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I want Brady to go something like 41-43 578-8.

Pats win 77-0
Gronk Retires End of 3rd Q is seen drinking in stands with brothers during 4th quarter.

Jonas Gray scores the last TD wearing sandals.
 

snowmanny

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I want Brady to go something like 41-43 578-8.

Pats win 77-0
Gronk Retires End of 3rd Q is seen drinking in stands with brothers during 4th quarter.

Jonas Gray scores the last TD wearing sandals.
If this happened all of America would be talking about the offsides against the Rams in the second quarter that shouldn't have been called and changed the course of the game.
 

Hoya81

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Feb 3, 2010
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The Patriots would have been the St Louis Stallions. Jersey and helmet mock ups were made.
They have a few of the hats on display at the Hall at Patriot Place IIRC.

I doubt there would even be a team here today if Orthwein had succeeded in relocating. The region probably have ranked at least 4th behind LA/Houston/Baltimore as a possible relocation/expansion target in the mid ‘90s.
 

djbayko

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Jul 18, 2005
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<snip>I think a game that involves another Brady 2 minute masterpiece to go ahead, but this time with only like 6 seconds left would be my choice. That would be nice.</snip>
This isn't how I want my fantasy to play out, but can you imagine the collective brick this nation would shit if the Patriots won the Super Bowl on a Tom Brady Hail Mary? That's just about the only heartache this team hasn't caused its opponents yet...besides the curb stomping everyone here is clamoring for.
 
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djbayko

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Onside kick by Gost to start the game. Pats recover and score a quick TD.

Then a series of Pats onside kicks, skewing the data that says onside recoveries are impossible now by recovering every one.

Rams offense never sees the field.

Pats win 105-0 with a time of possession of 60:00.
If this happened, onside kicks outside of the 2 minute warning would be outlawed by Game 1 next season.
 

Al Zarilla

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I haven’t been able to listen to Tom Petty since 2008 without a pit forming in my stomach.
I was that way with Everybody Wang Chung tonight because every time you turned on a radio in the fall of 1986, you’d be sure to hear it. Turn it off! for 18 years. After Oct. 27, 2004, it was turn that mother up! Let Petty go, man.
 

54thMA

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They have a few of the hats on display at the Hall at Patriot Place IIRC.

I doubt there would even be a team here today if Orthwein had succeeded in relocating. The region probably have ranked at least 4th behind LA/Houston/Baltimore as a possible relocation/expansion target in the mid ‘90s.
Agreed.

His hiring of Parcells and their drafting of Bledsoe saved this franchise.

After Berry got canned, they had two terrible hires in Rush and MacPherson, Rod "cigar store indian" Rust started out 1-0, then proceeded to go 0-15 and was fired, MacPherson was not much better. Then Parcells was brought in, the franchise was turned around and the rest is history.
 

Captaincoop

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They have a few of the hats on display at the Hall at Patriot Place IIRC.

I doubt there would even be a team here today if Orthwein had succeeded in relocating. The region probably have ranked at least 4th behind LA/Houston/Baltimore as a possible relocation/expansion target in the mid ‘90s.
That's an interesting question. LA didn't end up getting any teams until two years ago, they weren't even close to a stadium solution in 1994.

I don't see why Baltimore would be more attractive to anyone than Boston, especially when you consider that the entire New England market would be empty.

I really wonder what would have happened.