It may be the power of suggestion, but I think I remember that too. Tippet was a freak of nature in that era, and remains one of my favorite Patriots of all time. I can only imagine the intoxication involved that affected the judgement of a punter enough to start shit with the man.
I was 18 during their '85 run, and man, was it magical. Surreal even. Even with a stellar regular season, no one dared even imagine a Super Bowl appearance. After beating Cincinatti at home to clinch a playoff berth and an 11-5 mark, the fans ripped down the goalposts, and
several were electrocuted while marching them down the street. At that point, the Pats hadn't won a playoff game since 1963, four years before I was born. When they were in the AFL.
Then came the road warriors. Off to the Meadowlands they went, walking out with a 26-14 triumph. Next up the Raiders, a 27-20 win so improbable that almost 40 years later I am still gobsmacked. Speaking of smacked, the only time I had any respect for Pat Sullivan was watching him trash the Raiders while bleeding from the gash Matt Millen put on his forehead with his helmet. Mosi Tatupu was a beast that day, as I'm sure
@doldmoose34 would attest. Still a top 10 game in Pats history for me. I started to believe New Orleans was in reach.
Next up, the Fish. I will never forget Tippet at the rally they held before heading south promising that they were going down there to "rip their faces off". And rip them off they did. Miami turned the ball over six times, four fumbles and two Marino picks. Tony Eason threw the ball just twelve times, going 10-12 for 71 yards. The ground game was insane, picking up 255 yards on 59 attempts. They just ground the dolphins into the dust. The Fish were squished.
We all know what happened next, but it is still by far the least painful Super Bowl loss I've experienced. What. A. Run.
This all started off thinking about Tippet, but it also reminds me just how unbelievable it is that this once joke of a franchise, whose fans were so excited to even get to the dance that goalposts ended up as an electrical conduit, has now given to us all that it has. It also reminds me that success is fragile and vulnerable. In '85, it was 22 years since a playoff win. After '85. it was over a decade until the next playoff win. I've learned to take nothing for granted.
The Belichick/Brady era is by far the most impressive display of consistent excellence that I've ever witnessed, and my gratitude is almost immeasurable. Yesterday hit me in a way that I didn't expect and that transcended football.
That said, I'll always treasure that first taste of glory, on par with the years they won the Lombardi except for the first.
I mean, the Bears weren't losing that year. I'll also note, they've won nothing since.
As I said, I've learned to take nothing for granted.
https://www.patriots.com/news/the-1985-patriots-historic-journey-to-the-franchise-s-first-ever-super-bo-128196
https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2015/10/28/squish-the-fish-1985-patriots-run-one-of-the-greatest-in-nfl-history/
