First off, I should probably say I don't "hate" the Patriots. At least, I don't hate them in the traditional sense. I, like most football fans am simply tired of seeing them winning year in and year out; yet, at the same time, I can also appreciate what they're doing in this current run of almost two decades (despite some questionable means).
So, let's get the "hate" out of the way first. I'm a lifelong Steelers fan. I was born (but not raised) in Pennsylvania. My blood bleeds black and gold. It's been incredibly frustrating watching the Steelers have a Super Bowl-capable team year in and year out that loses to the Patriots - and not only loses, but normally gets dominated. At the end of the day, though, I have to look at the reason why the Steelers don't penetrate that elite status every year like the Patriots do, and the simple reason is this - culture.
Here's where my hypocrisy and understanding creep in. I'm also a lifelong Alabama Crimson Tide fan in the college ranks. It's my alma mater, and before you judge me too harshly, just know I had to live through the Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price, and Mike Shula debacles; so, I do know what it's like to lose - a lot. I'm digressing - the point is, if you know anything about Alabama's coach Nick Saban, then you'd know he's a protege of Patriot's coach Bill Bellicheck, and while the two carry different personalities on the field, they have very similar cultures in their locker rooms.
That culture has two major tenants: "next man up" and "all for the team." As cliche as those sound, it's kind of a rarity to find, not only in today's locker rooms, but today's culture in general. This is especially important in the NFL, where the trend is going more towards players caring more about getting large contracts rather than the pursuit of a championship. Granted, all players still want to win a Super Bowl, I'm just saying that for most of them it's becoming increasingly less their priority goal. I'm also not saying that desiring or earning those large contracts is bad, too, it's just a real observation; however, as a fan who is in it to watch my team win, obviously I don't care about the contracts - I just want my team to win or, at worst, I want to see competition and parody at the top.
Let me give you some numbers of the highest paid Quarterbacks in the league and their annual salaries:
Matthew Stafford - 27 million
Derek Carr - 25 million
Andrew Luck - 24.5 million
Joe Flacco - 24 million
Do you know how much Tom Brady makes?
14 million! The just announced MVP only makes 14 million compared to these other guys, and he's the highest paid player on his team. In a salary-cap league this is so important to the signing of other players because, at the end of the day, this still is a team game. So, basically the Patriots are made up of a bunch of budget, but high-producing players who are only their to win a ring. When you sign with the Patriots as a free agent, you know why you're there. You're not there to make the most money - you're there to win a Super Bowl.
And by having so many budget players, it makes their roster very deep; so, they can withstand the onslaught of injuries that plagues every team. This is where the "next man up" comes into play. When someone gets hurt, they just have another high-production guy just waiting on the bench. It's amazing to me that in a league full of stars, it's hard for the average fan to name players from the Patriots that aren't Brady or Gronk.
So, don't get me wrong, I'm not gushing over the Patriots. I hate that they'll probably win tonight, and you better believe I'll be pulling for the Eagles, but I can admit they've outsmarted the league by creating a locker room that doesn't let their players dictate management or the playbook.
Go Eagles!
- Jay