Tony Massarotti (aka Mr. Negativity) strikes again
Some fans are never happy - and apparently neither are certain writers. Tony Massarotti is a case in point. In Monday's Boston Globe Mazz begins his column by writing about a Bills touchdown - but never mentions a single detail about any of the Patriots' 52 points. He goes on to imply that Sunday's victory was not because the Pats did anything right, but was because the "Bills are hopeless". He continues by opining that the Pats have struggled this year, the secondaty is suspect, the Pats have a "soft schedule", Stephen Gostkowski is "worrisome", implies that anything less than a Super Bowl championship is underachieving, and concludes that the Patriots have plenty of ground to cover.
After a 24-point victory Massarotti was unable to say one single positive thing about the Patriots.
But wait, there's more!
Massarotti goes on to apologize for Denver's record by pointing out that their two losses are to teams that are 8-0 - but makes no mention that the Patriots' two losses are by a combined three points to teams that are 7-1. He reels off impressive looking stats for Peyton Manning by only including numbers from his team's two victories; it's as if he is gleefully rubbing his hands, hoping for a Patriots loss next week. For good measure he even brings up the failed 4th and two play from a few years ago, while neglecting to mention that this Denver offense is not exactly on the same level as that 2009 Colts team.
There is a sports team in Boston for people who are miserable and never satisfied Tony: it's called the Boston Red Sox. If you can't find one single solitary positive to take away from a 24-point victory, then perhaps it is a signal that you don't know much about football and should stick to baseball.
Fortunately at the Globe there is somebody with a polar opposite viewpoint: Chad Finn. Maybe the Globe is playing the good cop, bad cop routine - but I see Masserotti as a cynical person who is never satisfied that would probably complain about being in a higher tax bracket if he hit the lottery, compared to Finn's very rational and balanced perspective. It's an excellent and timely column - and probably should be required reading for every person who considers him or herself to be a fan of the New England Patriots.
How about a little faith in the Patriots?
Of course, I still have my small grievances and recurring complaints. I'm becoming convinced that Patrick Chung, someone I've hoped could be the defense's hard-hitting center fielder since he got here in 2009, is just good enough to be in position to not make a play. But my concerns in watching this extraordinary football team, one that has had an unfathomable run of success in the salary cap era, are based on mounting evidence, not hyperbole, gathered over the span of weeks rather than a lousy half-hour of football.
And that's where I differ from a lot of Patriots fans I've been hearing from lately. I will never understand the rush to be the first to declare that run over, to go over-the-top caterwauling with equal measures of entitlement and ignorance about this team that is still on the short list of Super Bowl favorites.
At the very minimum click on the link to let Finn and the Globe that something other than stir-the-pot negativity attracts an audience.
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October 2, 1949:
An old friend of mine, Richard Myers - better known as Richard Hell - was born in Lexington, Kentucky.
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