Being a Boston native is hard enough in regards to mockery. A Boston accent, a constant need for Dunkin Donuts, and lots more. Boston sports has always been the backbone of the city, but lately this has become less of a fun activity and more of a constant issue. Front page news should be disasters, politics, global accomplishments. It should most definitely not be about the New England Patriots and their deflated footballs.
Flashback to February 1, 2015. People across America and even the rest of the world are on the edge of their seats. It’s game day: the New England Patriots are facing the Seattle Seahawks in Superbowl XLIX. Chicken wings are in the oven and beers are being cracked open as nerves are at an extreme high. This day turned into something more than just a championship game, but a controversial victory for the Patriots.
After winning the Super Bowl, Boston fans were ecstatic. The whole city was feeling a high like no other, but the rest of the country was not. With the controversy of footballs being deflated and the Patriots having a lasting reputation for cheating, it has not been a great time to be a Patriots fan. Going to college outside of New England allows for me to see just how seriously some people take this. Wearing a Patriots sweatshirt to class, I get glares. Hearing my Psychology professor discuss his hatred for Patriot quarterback Tom Brady is a common occurrence. This controversy is taken extremely seriously, and there is so much wrong with it.
Sure, I have some bias. I’ve grown to love and adore all Boston sports teams, having lived in the area since I was born. This, however, is more than just a love for a sport. This has caused the extremely talented and accomplished quarterback to suffer. Whether he was involved or not, although it appears not according to the judge on the case, this has affected him. It is hard to find an athlete that is talented in the game as well as an upstanding citizen, but Brady is both. He has led the Patriots to four Super Bowl championships, three of which he was the MVP for. He has a wife, kids, and has often contributed to charities. Overall, he’s a pretty great guy. Since this controversy has blown up, the public generally views him negatively. Ignoring all he has done right and focusing in on this one issue allows them to feel badly about his character.
No matter what team you root for, where you are from, or if you even like sports, it’s time to give the Patriots a break. Focus in on some more important events happening in the world right now, such as political races or supporting third world countries. Come on, America, it’s time to move on.
Photo courtesy of Frankie Leon on Flickr:https://www.flickr.com/photos/armydre2008/16350680255/in/photolist-xXkwG-8bzXd6-6LiErh-bsrvc9-7PCcTw-qURvAg-8bDdC9-8bzZxp-8bA1TB-8bDfTG-8bDiJb-7tnFSP-qYEkDQ-wgDNny-sT548a-ctvmWW-r1UDHB-id3os-7b2d2s-H9HY9-aBVHGs-aBT2H4-4Zoa1u-dFkMMy-dFfmni-rUpD9h-6hCXwV-o2RUW-bpKiMh-o2RL3-5paL5c-qCHbUY-5dery1-91og1p-8fGAsH-d8UHGj-cHgqdf-qYpqN5