Open Letter: SB49

Dear "Hate the Patriots" Nation,

Your judgement is being skewed by fandom and your intelligence insulted by the media.

#Spygate wasn't about the Patriots cheating, it was about the commissioner's dented ego. #Deflategate wasn't about the Patriots cheating, it was about the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts over-inflated sense of worth. (It was also about distracting the entire The New England Patriots organization during their preparation for the most important game of the year.)

Talk about cheating.

Bill Belichick & Tom Brady are arguably the best ever at what they do. You're simply upset because they're not part of YOUR favorite team. Admit it.

More importantly: own it. Own it, understand it and try to reflect more on how your team can improve instead of wishing for another to fail. That mindset of "misery loves company" is as unproductive as your thinking. It's childish, silly and -- worse yet -- makes you appear really quite foolish.

[SIDE NOTE: START]

And, you know what, during said rumination you'll probably realize you shouldn't be wasting your time hoping the Patriots lose. And you certainly shouldn't be wasting your time listening to news who's primary goal is to continue a news cycle of negativity. That's not productive for anyone.

Especially your favorite team.

[SIDE NOTE: END]

Greatness is typically underappreciated in "real time", y'all. The majority of us need distance to acknowledge events void of any bias. Especially when it comes to sport.

I promise you, in 20 years when NFL's "greatest of all time" debates are filled with new faces, new dynasties and new scandals, today's New England Patriots will be revered as one of the untarnished best. Too many wins doesn't mean the New England Patriots must be cheating, it means they're better than most teams today. Today. Not forever. Just today.

So stop trying to knock them down and just try to enjoy it. Because, who knows, the next dynasty the NFL sees might be yours.

And imagine what people will say about them.

Sincerely,

sports + thoughts
Unofficial Patriots Nation spokesman