A Patriots Fan’s Dilemma

Friday, January 07, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

You’re a Patriots fan in Rhode Island and you have no idea who to root for Saturday night.

Two of the Patriots most hated rivals square off in an AFC Wild Card game Saturday night at 8pm at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Some might say that “hate” is a strong word, but it accurately describes the feelings of most Pats fans toward both the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts.

Let’s start with the Jets. Could there be a more obnoxious team in the NFL or all of sports for that matter? Not really! The Jets are an arrogant bunch. Cocky may be a better word to describe them. Why are they so cocky? Because they follow the lead of their head coach.

Rex Ryan made it clear from the moment he took the job in New York two years ago that humility would not play even a small role in his approach to coaching the Jets. He boldly stated that he “didn’t come here to kiss Belichick’s rings” and also said of President Barak Obama, “I’m looking forward to meeting him soon.” When asked if he was predicting that his team would go to and win the Super Bowl in his first year, he didn’t hesitate before answering “yes!”

After beating the Patriots in week 2, the Jets boldly predicted another victory over New England prior to their week 13 match-up in New England. We all know how that worked out. Final score: Patriots 45 Jets 3. Not that the result humbled the Jets in any way. They are still the same bragadocious bunch they were before the game.

And these are just the Jets of the last two seasons. Remember them stealing Bill Parcells away from the Patriots in 1997? How about the Tuna taking Curtis Martin in free agency? Of course, Belichick turned the tables on the franchise in 2000 leaving the Jets to take the New England job. And who will forget Jets head coach Eric Mangini ratting out his former mentor and boss with the whole “Spygate” thing?

There’s a history between these two franchises and certainly no love lost.

And then there’s the Indianapolis Colts.

While the Patriots have been the premier NFL franchise over the last decade, their chief rival all these years has been the Colts.

Unlike the Jets, it was hard to dislike their head coach Tony Dungee just as it is with Jim Caldwell today. Their general manager, on the other hand, is a different story.

Bill Polian has established himself as one of the best personnel people the league has ever seen. He built the 4-time AFC Champion Buffalo Bills, the expansion Carolina Panthers and this great Colts team of the last decade. But he is an obnoxious cry baby and a pain in the ass of the Patriots and their fans.

It started in 2004 following the AFC Championship game from the previous season. New England defeated Indianapolis 24-14. Peyton Manning threw 4 interceptions in that game, 3 of them to Ty Law.

Polian, the head of the NFL’s competition committee felt that the Patriots defensive backs were too physical with his finesse wide receivers and proposed rule changes that off season to allow receivers to run more freely.

And then there’s Peyton Manning. For the past 10 years the debate over who the greatest quarterback in the NFL has came down to him and Tom Brady. Until this year, most people outside of New England favored Manning.

But we’re smarter than that. For as great a quarterback (and as nice of a person) as Manning is, his ability to perform in the clutch in the postseason pales in comparison to Brady.

Manning has played in 2 Super Bowls and won only 1. In that one loss, Manning threw an interception to the Saints Tracy Porter that was returned 74-yards for a touchdown sealing the fate of his team.

Brady, on the other hand, has played in 4 Super Bowls and won 3. In 2 of the 3 wins, Brady led the team on a last-minute game winning drive to clinch it. In his only loss, he did not make a fatal mistake like Manning did in Super Bowl 44. It was his defense which couldn’t stop Peyton’s brother Eli Manning.

Whether it has been in the playoffs or the regular season, the Patriots and Colts have squared off in hugely important games each year creating the great and heated rivalry that we still have today.

So who do you root for tomorrow night, Pats fans? Do you want to see Manning and the Colts succeed? Or would you prefer to see the loud mouthed Jets win in Indy?

A large part of me would like to see the Jets win for two reasons. First, I don’t fear that team like I do the Baltimore Ravens who, along with Kansas City and the Jets could be the Pats divisional round opponent. Second, nothing would be sweeter than to see the Patriots hammer the loud mouths from the south and permanently shut their yaps for the offseason.

The only good news about Saturday night’s game is that no matter who loses, you'll be happy.