Oh, Hatriots ... hate-hate Hatriots....

I still can't believe yesterday's AFC championship went down like that. I was dead on certain that the Pats would never, ever give up a 21-3 lead. Wasn't that the trademark of the Brady - Belichick years? Get it done with mostly nothing? They had a lot this time, and they blew it. I even called it on Danno's page, hoping that I would be wrong. And I was... and it was worth it.

See, I was going to write about how the universe has completely collapsed in itself for Boston fans because they now have the Patriots as their own version of the Yankees, the evil ones. How much fun is it to root for a team that just won three recently? But Bill Simmons answered the call before I could sound it out, and even though I like to see parity and thus no dynasties, I understand what he was saying about the life of the franchise B.B.B. (before Brady & Belichick). Many miserable years, with just two Super Bowls in which they had no chance, got blown out by senimentally lovable midwestern teams - two of the most memorable teams of the past 25 years. Think of the Patriots in Tecmo Bowl, drafting Blair Thomas in those dorky red uniforms, nearly leaving town... this indeed was no storied franchise before seven years ago.

Fine, so they're not the Yankees. But then what? I would compare them to a weaker version of the Bulls. Before Jordan and Phil Jackson, the Bulls were nothing. They won a bunch of titles with only two great players and a bunch of scrubs who know their roles. They were far down on the list in Chicago, behind football and two baseball clubs, before Jordan arrived. They won a lot, and people respected them, but they could be beaten now and then. More than that, people expected them to win when they were at their peak. That sounds like the Patriots to me.

Of course, they won six, and Brady is no MJ. It's not perfect. But listen here, Drewber and others: I was going to say, if the Patriots won, "How does it feel to be rooting for the 2001 Yankees?" And that would get me kicked out of Massachusetts for life. But I won't.

And yes, I'm not big on the Colts, and I'm sick of Peyton Manning like you all are. I'm all Bears in this one. But I think one thing is clear : you can't use the Patriots-as-underdog claim anymore. Simmons loves to say that everyone kisses Manning's ass and no one respects Brady. This perceived shortcoming is just that: perceived. Real football experts know that Brady has come through in the clutch a million times more than Manning has. After that big interception, everyone in our little establishment was stunned. They were waiting for the Colts to f*** it up again. It didn't happen. I was shocked. Every real expert was schocked.

You, sons of Sam Adams, are the Man now. You are the hunters. Don't use this loss as an excuse to be forgotten now. You may not be the Yankees, but you're still feared. People were happy (begrudginly, for Manning, I'm sure) to see the Pats lose because they are the gold standard. Not the Tony Eason misfits. Remember that.