That was then: Celebrating what was

Preacher

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I’m probably the 800th person to point this out, but: next week will be the first meaningless, “season is officially already over” game the Pats have played since November 2000.

Thanks for 20+ years of consistent relevance. Amazing.
I was a freshman at University of Illinois in November 2000. I had recently moved from MA to IL. I’m 39 now. I finished college, finished law school, got an LL.M. I’ve gotten married. Since then, I’ve lived in 6 states and 3 non-US countries. It was a truly amazing run of relevance for the Patriots. Tom Brady is still relevant so that’s kind of cool.
 

Rough Carrigan

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I mean, in fairness that wasn't a terrible take at the time. Team coming off a 5-11 season, 0-2 and just lost their franchise QB and handing things over to a 6th round pick with close to zero NFL experience.

I've mentioned this before in this forum but I was in Vegas for Week 1 that year, and watched the Pats lose to the Bengals in the sports book at some casino or another (can't remember which one). I was in line to put $20 on the Pats to win the Super Bowl at 100-1 just for shits and giggles and got out of line and patted myself on the back for not lighting another $20 on fire after a disastrous weekend of gambling. There was just no reason to believe after Week 1 or 2 in 2001 that the Pats were anything other than a garbage football team.
Sure.
But it shows how overrated Drew Bledsoe was.
 

tims4wins

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I was a freshman at University of Illinois in November 2000. I had recently moved from MA to IL. I’m 39 now. I finished college, finished law school, got an LL.M. I’ve gotten married. Since then, I’ve lived in 6 states and 3 non-US countries. It was a truly amazing run of relevance for the Patriots. Tom Brady is still relevant so that’s kind of cool.
Yeah similar I was a sophomore, have lived in many places, married, 3 kids, etc. Brady won 16 playoff games and 3 titles before I had a kid... and 14 playoff games and 3 titles after my first born (June 2012).
 

8slim

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My daughter is 17 and a huge Pats fan. At dinner tonight I reminded her that this will only be the second time IN HER LIFE that the Pats won’t be in the playoffs.
 

Archer1979

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My daughter is 17 and a huge Pats fan. At dinner tonight I reminded her that this will only be the second time IN HER LIFE that the Pats won’t be in the playoffs.

I said something similar to my kids (ages 19 and 22). Next week will be the first week since 2000 that the Patriots will be playing a regular season game that doesn't matter (there may have been some where they already clinched home field etc. but I'm not counting those).
 

m0ckduck

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I’m probably the 800th person to point this out, but: next week will be the first meaningless, “season is officially already over” game the Pats have played since November 2000.

Thanks for 20+ years of consistent relevance. Amazing.
Just to indulge in this thought a bit further: what are the most shocking things a football genie could have told you in fall 2001 about the future Brady-Bellichek era? I would go, in reverse order...

6. That it will span 19 seasons
5. That, by the end, the franchise will be known for rule-bending evil genius, not benign buffoonery
4. 6 SB titles
3. 8 straight AFCCG appearances
2. not a single game played outside playoff contention
1. Brady retiring (at some future point) as consensus GOAT QB, ahead of Montana, Unitas, Staubach, Manning, Favre, Elway, Marino, et all.

Edit: fall 2001, not 2021.
 
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PedroKsBambino

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Just to indulge in this thought a bit further: what are the most shocking things a football genie could have told you in fall 2021 about the future Brady-Bellichek era? I would go, in reverse order...

6. That it will span 19 seasons
5. That, by the end, the franchise will be known for rule-bending evil genius, not benign buffoonery
4. 6 SB titles
3. 8 straight AFCCG appearances
2. not a single game played outside playoff contention
1. Brady retiring (at some future point) as consensus GOAT QB, ahead of Montana, Unitas, Staubach, Manning, Favre, Elway, Marino, et all.
That the better case would end up being that Belichick was the genius and Parcells the 'helper' than the reverse. I remember thinking when BB was hired "what's he without Parcells?" and their subsequent record showed precisely the reverse.
 

lexrageorge

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I can understand the "the Pats are going nowhere" message at the beginning of the 2001 season, as it seemed quite the correct take. When the Pats lost to the Rams, the playoffs still seemed like a pipe dream at 5-5, even as Brady seemed to an interesting get at the bottom of the draft.

I also recall the doom and gloom when the Pats were blown out by Bledsoe and the Bills just a few days after the popular Lawyer Milloy was cut to start the 2003 season. Then some injuries piled up early that season and a second Super Bowl seemed unlikely when the Pats started 2-2 with a loss to Washington one season after missing the playoffs altogether.

The one take that never, ever, ever gets old, however, is the one that Borgy had after the Pats drafted Seymour and Light in 2001.
 

Caspir

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I can understand the "the Pats are going nowhere" message at the beginning of the 2001 season, as it seemed quite the correct take. When the Pats lost to the Rams, the playoffs still seemed like a pipe dream at 5-5, even as Brady seemed to an interesting get at the bottom of the draft.

I also recall the doom and gloom when the Pats were blown out by Bledsoe and the Bills just a few days after the popular Lawyer Milloy was cut to start the 2003 season. Then some injuries piled up early that season and a second Super Bowl seemed unlikely when the Pats started 2-2 with a loss to Washington one season after missing the playoffs altogether.

The one take that never, ever, ever gets old, however, is the one that Borgy had after the Pats drafted Seymour and Light in 2001.
That Buffalo ass kicking was a tough pill for me at 19 years old. I loved Lawyer and the day we cut him I was driving down 93 listening to EEI and thought we were screwed. The symmetry of reversing the shut out and stomping the Bills at the end of the regular season was awesome.
 

LogansDad

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I'm going to be honest, I haven't watched a regular season game in a couple years, not because of fair weather fandom but because I kind of outgrew football, stopped enjoying the sport as much and wanted my Sundays back. But man, am I still thankful for what this team gave me over the last two decades. 20 damn years without a meaningless regular season game is something that might never be done again.
 

DourDoerr

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4,1,3,2,6,5 assuming you meant looking forward in 2001.

If it's 2021, the most shocking things a football genie could tell me in fall 2021 about the future Brady-Bellichek era would be that there's another one - unless Steve Belichick has his eye on one of the Brady brood. If that Manning kid is any good and the Pats were to draft him, my absolute hatred of the Manning brand would take an interesting - and immediate - turn. Peyton will always be scum and that's not debatable, but laundry.
 
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Bowhemian

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4,1,3,2,6,5 assuming you meant looking forward in 2001.

If it's 2021, the most shocking things a football genie could tell me in fall 2021 about the future Brady-Bellichek era would be that there's another one - unless Steve Belichick has his eye on one of the Brady brood. If that Manning kid is any good and the Pats were to draft him, my absolute hatred of the Manning brand would take an interesting - and immediate - turn. Peyton will always be scum and that's not debatable, but laundry.
Re: Pats drafting a Manning, I just threw up in my mouth
 

Van Everyman

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I can understand the "the Pats are going nowhere" message at the beginning of the 2001 season, as it seemed quite the correct take. When the Pats lost to the Rams, the playoffs still seemed like a pipe dream at 5-5, even as Brady seemed to an interesting get at the bottom of the draft.
There was no shortage of speed bumps that season that they just seemed to slough off like they were no big deal. The one I remember was how the shine seemed to come off Brady in a big way in the Denver game where he threw four picks and was outgunned by the likes of Brian Griese. But then the next week was the aforementioned Atlanta game.
 

8slim

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I can understand the "the Pats are going nowhere" message at the beginning of the 2001 season, as it seemed quite the correct take. When the Pats lost to the Rams, the playoffs still seemed like a pipe dream at 5-5, even as Brady seemed to an interesting get at the bottom of the draft.

I also recall the doom and gloom when the Pats were blown out by Bledsoe and the Bills just a few days after the popular Lawyer Milloy was cut to start the 2003 season. Then some injuries piled up early that season and a second Super Bowl seemed unlikely when the Pats started 2-2 with a loss to Washington one season after missing the playoffs altogether.

The one take that never, ever, ever gets old, however, is the one that Borgy had after the Pats drafted Seymour and Light in 2001.
Regarding, I vividly remember hoping that the Pats could just claw their way through the injuries to stay .500 until around week 10-11, when they'd get a lot of the hurt players back, and then maybe make a late run for the playoffs. It's insane that, instead, they reeled off 21 straight wins, and 32 of the next 34, and won 2 titles!
 

tims4wins

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Regarding, I vividly remember hoping that the Pats could just claw their way through the injuries to stay .500 until around week 10-11, when they'd get a lot of the hurt players back, and then maybe make a late run for the playoffs. It's insane that, instead, they reeled off 21 straight wins, and 32 of the next 34, and won 2 titles!
I have a lot of memories of the 2003 season, but one thing that sticks out is that sometime in late October / early November, even though they had won 4-5 straight games, my dad kept saying they suck every week. It was because they were winning these really ugly games - 17-6 over the Giants, 9-3 over the Browns, 19-13 in OT in Miami only because Mare honked a couple field goals. The next week was the MNF win over the Broncos - the intentional safety - and from that point on my dad began to embrace the suck and just enjoy that team for what it was. Good thing he did because the ugly wins weren't over - 12-0 wins over both Dallas and Miami, a 23-20 OT escape in Houston against a bad Texans team. That team was the most emblematic I can remember of doing whatever it took to win. Offense, defense, and special teams all had their moments, but each week was like pulling teeth.
 

Hendu for Kutch

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That Browns win may have been the single ugliest win during Dynasty #1
Funny story about this game. I was living in San Diego at the time and that week there were huge wild fires in the area. Big enough that the sky was sunset orange all day long and it snowed ash for a couple of days. The Chargers had to play a home game in Phoenix that week, it was so bad. I was living next door to Qualcomm Stadium, and the stadium parking lot was being used as an evacuation point for people whose homes were in danger. After the Pats game ended I walked over to the stadium to see if I could help out.

As I was walking around passing out water bottles to people, one guy noticed my Patriots hat and called me over. You could tell by the accent he was obviously a MA/RI transplant. He asked about the game, and I told him the Pats won 9-3. He made this awful face and said "My house may burn down, but at least I didn't have to watch THAT." Gallows humor at its finest, but I'll always remember that game and the exact score.
 

Euclis20

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Just to indulge in this thought a bit further: what are the most shocking things a football genie could have told you in fall 2021 about the future Brady-Bellichek era? I would go, in reverse order...

6. That it will span 19 seasons
5. That, by the end, the franchise will be known for rule-bending evil genius, not benign buffoonery
4. 6 SB titles
3. 8 straight AFCCG appearances
2. not a single game played outside playoff contention
1. Brady retiring (at some future point) as consensus GOAT QB, ahead of Montana, Unitas, Staubach, Manning, Favre, Elway, Marino, et all.
I'd throw in that the 2000s Patriots had the most wins (regular season plus playoffs) in a decade for any franchise in history, with 126. Then, the 2010s Patriots blew past that record with a staggering 141 wins. Just remarkable.
 

Preacher

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I'd throw in that the 2000s Patriots had the most wins (regular season plus playoffs) in a decade for any franchise in history, with 126. Then, the 2010s Patriots blew past that record with a staggering 141 wins. Just remarkable.
Most wins in a decade in back-to-back decades. The 2000 Colts had a pretty good decade of 124 wins. Third most. You almost feel bad for them. Almost.
37254
 

OurF'ingCity

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I'd throw in that the 2000s Patriots had the most wins (regular season plus playoffs) in a decade for any franchise in history, with 126. Then, the 2010s Patriots blew past that record with a staggering 141 wins. Just remarkable.
Yeah this is one of the craziest stats of them all. If someone had come to me in 2010 and said "pretty decent decade for the Pats, right? Well, they'll be considerably better in the next decade" I think I would have laughed them out of the room.
 

Euclis20

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The fun part is that that is counting from 2000-2009 and 2010-2019. If you count from 2001-2010 and 2011-2020, the first half of the dynasty takes the lead: 135-133, with 2 games left in this decade. Some very lovely symmetry potentially incoming.
 

djbayko

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I stopped visting this thread about a year ago until recently. I've stopped in to reminisce about old times, but it isnt't really making me feel any better about stuff. See you in another year.
 

E5 Yaz

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Gilmore, Slater and Bailey named to the Pro Bowl ... which won't be held, but honors anyway
 

Euclis20

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Gilmore, Slater and Bailey named to the Pro Bowl ... which won't be held, but honors anyway
Usually tons of guys drop out (plus anyone playing in the super bowl) and replacements have to be named. The fact that there is no game this year means far fewer actual pro-bowlers this time around, so the honor should be much greater.

*edit - I count 88 pro-bowlers this year, compared with 121 last year, 119 in 2018 and 123 in 2017.
 

lostjumper

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That Browns win may have been the single ugliest win during Dynasty #1
That game is the only pats game I've ever attended in person. It was an awesome experience to be there, but the offensive futility and stupid mistakes were incredible. No one could do anything, not not necessarily because the defenses were special, but because both offenses flat out sucked!
 

Saints Rest

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That game is the only pats game I've ever attended in person. It was an awesome experience to be there, but the offensive futility and stupid mistakes were incredible. No one could do anything, not not necessarily because the defenses were special, but because both offenses flat out sucked!
This just made me realize that I've only seen three Pats' games in person since BB started:
  1. The final meaningless game in 2004 against the 49ers. Pats won 21-7 against a dreadful SF team (2-14). Sat in the first row of Club seats around the 20 yard line.
  2. Veterans Day game against the Bills in 2014. Pats won 37-31 in a game that was much closer than it should have been.
  3. Another win over the Bills, this one in Buffalo. I think it was 2005 when they won 35-7. It was definitely a blowout as the 4th quarter was pretty much nothing but Pats fans left in the stadium. My college roommate's brother was the Buffalo CBS affiliate's sales rep so he was in charge of filling up their luxury box with clients. There were a few extra spots so he invited his brother (my roommate) and me.
 

8slim

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I stopped visting this thread about a year ago until recently. I've stopped in to reminisce about old times, but it isnt't really making me feel any better about stuff. See you in another year.
I'm certainly not calling you out, but I can't really fathom this POV. I know this season has been rough, but we're coming off NINETEEN IN A ROW that were anywhere from good to incredibly-freakin-awesome.
 

8slim

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Yeah this is one of the craziest stats of them all. If someone had come to me in 2010 and said "pretty decent decade for the Pats, right? Well, they'll be considerably better in the next decade" I think I would have laughed them out of the room.
I recall getting our doors blown off by the Ravens in that miserable 2009 playoff game and thinking "well, it's been one helluva run, but it had to end sometime". I mean, Brady was on the other side of 30, and he probably only had a few premiere years left, right?
 

Hendu for Kutch

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I'm in the same boat as 8slim. I think now is a tremendous time to look back and really marvel at all that was accomplished now that's it's over and just how enormous it was. I graduated from college the same year as Tom Brady, and if you had told me they'd take me on a ride like that into my 40's, I'd have thought you mad. Reminisce and drink it all in, I say.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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I'm in the same boat as 8slim. I think now is a tremendous time to look back and really marvel at all that was accomplished now that's it's over and just how enormous it was. I graduated from college the same year as Tom Brady, and if you had told me they'd take me on a ride like that into my 40's, I'd have thought you mad. Reminisce and drink it all in, I say.
We moved to Maine in the summer of 2001. Before leaving Massachusetts the local teams hadn't won anything since '86. Since coming here...well, you see what's happened.
 

djbayko

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I'm certainly not calling you out, but I can't really fathom this POV. I know this season has been rough, but we're coming off NINETEEN IN A ROW that were anywhere from good to incredibly-freakin-awesome.
What I mean is it makes me sad to see what is gone. Mixed emotions really. I watched some of the videos in this thread and it's all obviously amazing.
 

mwonow

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We moved to Maine in the summer of 2001. Before leaving Massachusetts the local teams hadn't won anything since '86. Since coming here...well, you see what's happened.
Yep, I get it. I was literally at the point of rewriting key moments in history. Denny Doyle turns the f'g DP in 1975. Roughing the passer doesn't get called. Lafleur's shot hits the post during the Too Many Men penalty. Hagler doesn't start out lefty against Leonard (or the fight is scheduled for 15 rather than 12). Etc.

Then, 2001 happened, and the floodgates opened.

I still remember walking around the block that night - I watched the game in a local bar, started to come home, got as far as the front steps, said - out loud - "The New England Patriots are the Super Bowl Champions" - and cracked up so much I had to walk around the block, because I would have made way too much noise inside. But after my trip around, the same thing happened at the front door, so off I went around the block again, and then a third time...

There was a time when Boston sports fans were defensive. I remember my doctor - the Blue Jays team doctor, and a guy with his own WS ring - scoffing at the Sox - "what have they won?" And Habs fans, and MFY fans. And then 2001, and the next 19 years.

What IS is, this team set a standard for excellence that was so incredible that it literally pulled the rest of the city/nation - fans, and the other pro teams - along for a ride. Even in this shittiest of years, that's still worth celebrating.
 

streeter88

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So awesome. I got married on Cape Cod on the day that Bledsoe was levelled by Mo Lewis. What a ride.

Thankfully neither of us was ever a free agent, otherwise I probably would be living in Trampa Bay right now.
 

Old Fart Tree

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I recall getting our doors blown off by the Ravens in that miserable 2009 playoff game and thinking "well, it's been one helluva run, but it had to end sometime". I mean, Brady was on the other side of 30, and he probably only had a few premiere years left, right?
i took the second giants SB loss very hard because I thought that was it, the window had closed.
 

BigSoxFan

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i took the second giants SB loss very hard because I thought that was it, the window had closed.
Yup. That combined with the failed revenge against Eli made that loss sting a lot, especially when you knew that they’d almost certainly win with a healthy Gronk. Crazy that 3 SB wins and 4 SB appearances followed.
 

McBride11

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Great day for a binge rewatch of prior great games. Starting with the KC - Pats AFCCG in 2018. Probably to follow with Atlanta and Sea SB. But I am open to suggestions for this very lazy day (watching off you tube).