despite lose in playoff game , Pats had a great season

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by Mike P

You're as bad as those Yankee fans who kept on with that stupid "26 and counting" routine when they went 10 years between WS wins.

Sure, they won 3 in 4 years too at the end of the last decade---but by 2004 that dynasty was cooked, even though they contended every year in between.

Mike you are a Giants fan aren't cha?! You guys are silly. Believe what you like.

[Saltheart]

I think had the Pats gone undefeated and won that superbowl game , they would have been refered to by most as the Dynasty of the modern era in football. I think you need to look at it that way too. With so many teams now and the draft rules and compensation for players leaving teams , etc , there will never again be a Dynasty as clear cut as Russel's Celtics. It just cannot happen that way anymore. So I don't think the same definition of a "Dynasty" that was used in the formative years of each pro sports league can be used to describe the modern professional sports teams. There will never ever be another team in a well established sport that wins the way those Celtics did. Too many teams diluting the star power of even the best teams. Too much money to lure away perhaps the number2 or 3 guys on a team (they will pay to keep their top star but that means less money for number 2 and 3 and without depth , no superteams anymore). Too much spreading out of new talent by the modern draft systems. etc , etc. Rather than the term Dynasty as it has been viewed in the past , maybe truly great organizations like the Pats over the last 10 years will be called 'Teams of the Decade" or something similar.

Back on topic, How about the good season the Patriots had?

I'm curious as to what next year will bring. Who stays , who goes. What the very good draft positions they have will end up with in terms of starters. All that needs to be considered of course but to me , i think they are real terrors on D next year.

I also think this whole new rules thing about no hitting with the helmet and all the scrutiny about what was always considered a "good hit" has raelly changed the game as we know it. I believe it has taken half a step away from the best , most fierce guys on D. Its totally swung the game around to an Offense Dominant game. Traditionally , football has always been a D dominated game , especially in the big games and championship rounds. I wonder if the new O dominated game will have a big effect on how the coaches will be putting together future teams and if it will have a more immediate effect on what the Pats do with their draft picks this year.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

I think had the Pats gone undefeated and won that superbowl game , they would have been refered to by most as the Dynasty of the modern era in football. I think you need to look at it that way too. With so many teams now and the draft rules and compensation for players leaving teams , etc , there will never again be a Dynasty as clear cut as Russel's Celtics. It just cannot happen that way anymore. So I don't think the same definition of a "Dynasty" that was used in the formative years of each pro sports league can be used to describe the modern professional sports teams. There will never ever be another team in a well established sport that wins the way those Celtics did. Too many teams diluting the star power of even the best teams. Too much money to lure away perhaps the number2 or 3 guys on a team (they will pay to keep their top star but that means less money for number 2 and 3 and without depth , no superteams anymore). Too much spreading out of new talent by the modern draft systems. etc , etc. Rather than the term Dynasty as it has been viewed in the past , maybe truly great organizations like the Pats over the last 10 years will be called 'Teams of the Decade" or something similar.

Back on topic, How about the good season the Patriots had?

I'm curious as to what next year will bring. Who stays , who goes. What the very good draft positions they have will end up with in terms of starters. All that needs to be considered of course but to me , i think they are real terrors on D next year.

I also think this whole new rules thing about no hitting with the helmet and all the scrutiny about what was always considered a "good hit" has raelly changed the game as we know it. I believe it has taken half a step away from the best , most fierce guys on D. Its totally swung the game around to an Offense Dominant game. Traditionally , football has always been a D dominated game , especially in the big games and championship rounds. I wonder if the new O dominated game will have a big effect on how the coaches will be putting together future teams and if it will have a more immediate effect on what the Pats do with their draft picks this year.

I think the new rules are being applied mainly because of new brain technology that shows the destructiveness of concussions and they (NFL) Can no longer turn a Blind eye and SAY

Hey? It's football, they are top athletes and get paid to take hits like that. Because years after they retire suddenly they are in a pre Alzheimer state of brain functionality
long before they should be.