With rules that amount to nothing more than socialism, sports have become a fabricated parity fairy land. Many people just love the even playing field with the arrival of revenue sharing and salary caps. Not me. I loved watching dynasties rise and fall. Teams were rewarded for being the best and the teams were punished for not making shrewd decisions within strong organizational standards. It's not just in sports we see this.
We have seen the bar lowered in contemporary times. Don't misunderstand me, I do feel athletes are at times overpaid and that owners have not always acted in the best interest in the game they respectively operate in - no system is perfect - however imposing superficial laws and rules leaves a slight distaste in my mouth. Everyone gets a shot at winning. How nice!
That said, an interesting comment caught my attention on the radio the other day. I still can't believe people actually do not think the New England Patriots are not a dynasty - or at the very least a great franchise. In these times where team spirit is rare and where superstar athletes act like brats, the Patriots are an anomaly in pro football. They draft smart and are coached with purpose. They have standards in a time when it is hard to maintain some. To ignore them because they don't have that 'star' power is unfair. Kept in the context of the modern NFL, their accomplishments is outstanding.
They run contrary to the prevailing ethos and they have proven to be champions in the process. Three Super Bowl titles in four years? The New England Patriots easily rank among the greatest teams of all time. And they will continue to be competitive in the foreseeable future.
End of bloody discussion already.
Here, here!
ReplyDeleteIt's a fine line between dynasty and shady. Just ask Eddie DeBartalo.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, prefer the supposed parity in the NFL, with the sad regret of constantly migrating players.
I love the Niners, so of course I love the early 80's through the mid 90's. But at what cost? While York is no great lover of football (as evidenced by his refusal to help his team), SF is still reeling from the decisions that it made through '96. In the sense of "all or nothing", I would agree that it is great to see a genuine dynasty. But from a fan's position, it can become daunting.
See most teams that have played the Yankees in the World Series in the last 100 years. "Dynsasties" are good. "Ridiculously overpowered and overpaid juggernauts" are not.