The Legacies of the Patriots, Belichick, and Brady Tarnished

Posted on February 05, 2012 by Carl Desberg

After an epic run of three Super Bowls in the early part of the millennium, the Patriots have come up short since their last championship in February of 2005. It’s only been seven seasons, but the organization has had two further Super Bowl appearances to add to the throne and they’ve come up empty. Tonight’s loss slams the door shut for a shot at redemption and correction.

The defeat the Patriots suffered at the hand of the Giants in tonight’s Super Bowl XLVI tarnishes the legacy of the empire Bill Belichick and Tom Brady built with the New England Patriots organization over the past decade. The drought continues despite two amazing chances to add to the line of greatness that was formed. Two chances, against the same team. The New York Giants have knocked the Patriots, Bill, and Tom, off of the mantle of greatness. The Patriots, for now, will be remembered for their shortcomings in big moments. Late leads in championship games — vanished.

It’s harsh criticism in the heat of the moment many may contest, but the difference between a 4-1 mark with this regime, and 3-2 is enormous. A win would have corrected things. There would have been a huge sense of satisfaction in beating the team that ruined a 19-0 campaign just seasons ago. New England Patriots lore would have read much differently had they won tonight. The ship would have been righted.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady may very well be back. It’s too bad getting back to the big game is not enough for fans of the Patriots. There is no consolation in finishing second place. There is no gratification in this whatsoever.

Life goes on, but this bitter taste won’t go away. Not until another championship is won.

Tags: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, new york giants, Super Bowl, super bowl 46, super bowl xlvi, Tom Brady
Category Football, New England Patriots
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BST&N Looks Back....

Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Andy Brickley
April 21, 2012 | 11:06 am

Andy Brickley

Andy Brickley’s voice is familiar throughout New England and to those of us out-of-market fans who get the NESN broadcasts via the NHL’s Center Ice package. Brickley is the top TV analyst for Boston Bruins’ hockey games. Most fans know he was a part of Boston’s 1989-90 teams that reached the Stanley Cup Finals. What many fans may not know is how hard Brickley has had to work for everything in his career. To pay tribute to his effort and to acknowledge his tremendous contributions to the culture of Boston Bruins hockey is why he is BST&N’s Vintage Athlete Of The Month for April.

The need to prove himself to skeptics started right away in college. Brickley went to school at New Hampshire, but had to walk on the hockey team. He made the squad and played all four years, from 1979-82. By the end of his career he had made first-team All-American and led New Hampshire to the Frozen Four in his senior year.

Two years into his college career he was selected in the NHL Entry Draft, but by the skin of his teeth—Brickley was the final player chosen in a 210-player draft, going to the Philadelphia Flyers. He began his pro career there in the fall of 1982, but a year later he was traded to Pittsburgh, as part of a package involving multiple players and draft picks.

By rights, this should have been the point when his career took off. He scored 18 goals in 50 games, the highest goal output of his career and also had 12 assists. But he ended up demoted to the minor leagues for the egregious sin of breaking curfew. To put the early 1980s in perspective, this was a time when frequent reports of players’ cocaine addictions were becoming public—in all sports. Seen in that light, the idea of demoting Brickley because he broke curfew seems absurd beyond belief.

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