This is our Moment

This Super Bowl will redefine the Patriots era. The decade from 2001-2011 will be seen differently based on 60 minutes of football on the greatest stage against our old nemesis. How fitting.

2007 was the zenith, the high point of the Patriots era. We had redefined success, won three Super Bowls, made the playoffs almost every year, and that was going into the season. The season itself became a lightning rod. We won every game. We blew teams out, destroyed the record books, and were embroiled in a constant controversy over cheating. All of it led to one game. Against a Cinderella team. A team that has gone into history thanks to at least three lucky plays. The Catch. The missed interception. The Plaxico Burress touchdown.

The Aftermath? The Patriots are now the Cheatriots. The moral of the story? Cheating never pays. Blowing out teams never pays. Shiny offenses don't win championships. The team didn't have enthusiasm. They didn't have heart. At least not the Giant hearts on the other side. We've had to endure all of this crap. The lost 2008 season. The retirement of the dynasty warriors. The talk about the Patriots losing grip of their status as the best team of the decade. We've seen a Steelers renaissance. Three Super Bowls. Two rings for them. The idea that the Patriots dynasty is over. I remember that everyone was upset about that.

But, you know what? It is over. The Patriots dynasty is over. A new one is beginning. And this game will define the last decade as well as the current one. We have the chance to add a disclaimer, an addendum, an epilogue to the last decade. A win in this Super Bowl would avenge the 2007 team. It would say once and for all, "We are the team of the decade. We are the best. The class. The rulers of the NFL."

But it would also begin a new dynasty. We didn't notice because the Patriots have done it while winning, but the team has rebuilt. Sure, Brady and Belichick are still there. But they have marshalled a new army around them. They've raised up new warriors. New heroes. New legends. If we win this game, ten years from now, Moore, Wilfork, Mayo, McCourty, Gronkowski, Hernandez - these will be the Super Bowl legends. They will be the honorary captains.

This game defines our past and sets the course for our future. Are we a flawed team that stumbled through luck into a big game? On paper, we are weaker than 2007. We're not as efficient. We're not as flashy. We have ONE receiver who is truly elite. And he's shorter than many running backs. But do we have the grit, the heart, that maybe, the 2007 team didn't? Is this our destiny?

As Yoda said, "Do or Do Not. There is no Try." The consequences of losing are inconceivable. The results of winning are unsurpassed. This is our moment.

Poll

How's my second post?

37%

Awesome. Just what I want to hear! You should become a Pats Pulpit regular writer!

20 votes

50%

Pretty solid.

27 votes

5%

ehh..decent...needs work

3 votes

7%

Your post sucks (I'm a Giants fan trolling)

4 votes

54 votes | Poll has closed