Everybody hates the Patriots.
Exaggeration? Perhaps a very slight one.
I guess if you're from New England, love dynasties, or are a
raging Donald Trump enthusiast, or Trump himself, there's a good chance that you
ride or die with Belichick, Brady and company.
However, come Super Bowl LI on Sunday in Houston, the rest
of us will likely be rooting for a team that we just realized existed. Yes, the
Atlanta Falcons may lack much National Football League significance whatsoever,
but they will suddenly have enough fans to pack at least 32 Georgia Domes.
Fitting, since this is the Dome’s last season housing the Dirty Birds.
But, I digress. This article is not about the Atlanta
Falcons (don't worry, they're used to it), it's about New England Patriots hate
and why it exists. Of course, there are some obvious reasons.
First, they win a lot. Since 2001, the Patriots have won 14
AFC East championships, including eight in a row since 2009. They have also won
seven AFC championships and four Super Bowls since 2001, as well. Unless the
Patriots are your team, you can't like that. Fans aren't fans of other team’s
dynasties. The more you win, the more people start to root against you. That's
just the way it is.
The same logic could apply to people’s dislike of Tom Brady
and coach Bill Belichick, they win too much. Sure, Brady is perceived as a
pretty boy who gets protected by the league and the referees and Belichick, as
being smug and a ruthless competitor. But,86 if they had say, three less Super
Bowls wins, most people would likely not have such strong feelings about them
either way.
Recently, however, another factor may be contributing to the
dislike of these two future Hall of Famers: Donald Trump.
Both Belichick and Brady have been linked to Trump (often by
Trump, himself), insofar as their support for his presidential campaign, though
neither has been willing to publicly admit as much. But, evidence suggests that
the two men have a relationship with and supported Trump as a candidate and because
of this, their unfavorable ratings have increased.
Tom Brady and Donald Trump enjoying a laugh. |
A recent poll conducted by the group, Public Policy Polling, found some amusing, if not overly significant trends among football fans. While
39% of those polled viewed Tom Brady unfavorably, 41% of those who voted for
Hillary Clinton viewed Brady unfavorably, compared to 34% of those who voted
for Donald Trump. To be fair, 49% of Clinton voters viewed Brady favorably,
compared to 44% of Trump voters.
When it came to Belichick, the numbers were a bit more
suggestive. While 40% of those polled had a favorable view of Belichick, 46%
were Trump voters, compared to only 31% Clinton voters. Belichick had a 36%
unfavorable rating among Clinton voters, compared to 34% among Trump voters.
The divide exists, even if slightly in Brady’s case.
Anecdotally, I have joked that Belichick is trying to “Make the
WR Position Great Again,” because of his penchant for white wide receivers. Of
course, there are and have always been very good white wide receivers that no
doubt belong and hold their own against the best. But, it is interesting – at
least to me – that in a league where 92% of starting wide receivers were black
in 2008 (the most recent relevant statistics), Belichick and the Patriots always seem to have one or two good white
receivers in their lineup.
You can't say it hasn't worked, however.
One final reason for New England Patriots hate is that whole
Deflate Gate/cheating thing. The Patriots and Belichick were rumored to have been
(and actually caught) cheating since the beginning of their winning ways in
2001. But, Deflate Gate added a whole new dimension.
This time it was Brady who was the culprit and not only was
he caught red handed trying to destroy evidence, the resulting saga stained the
entire league, no matter who you chose to blame. Even those who remained
neutral or blamed Roger Goodell for his handling of the scandal, grew weary of
Brady, Belichick and the Patriots for some obvious wrong doing and contributing
to the never ending distraction that lives on even as a subplot to Super Bowl
LI. The mental fatigue that Deflate Gate has wreaked upon the fans has surely
contributed to fatigue towards the Patriots in general.
All of this has seeped into fans’ rooting interests in Super
Bowl LI. Public Policy Polling found that 53% of fans will be rooting for the
Falcons to win, while only 27% will be rooting for the Patriots.
So, there are many reasons to hate the Patriots. Some are
rooted in pure jealousy, some are politically motivated, some may even be
justified. Regardless, the cup will runneth over with, of all things, Atlanta
Falcons fans on Sunday.
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