Sports Publications

An instant classic? - The Fans Speak Out

Football Digest, August, 2002 by Stacey Baumann

I feel compelled to comment on William Wagner's "Kickoff," titled "An Instant Classic," in the April 2002 issue. First of all, the Patriots are the worst Super Bowl champions of an time. They had a pathetic offense and an average defense, at best. They are extremely lucky to hold that trophy.

You make the following comment: "This team earned everything it received in the 2001 season." You are kidding, right? The Raiders got jobbed (no I am not a Raiders fan), the Steelers were just plain stupid, and the Rams? Do you really believe the Pats are better? Do you believe they earned it? Give us a break! In the Super Bowl, the Kurt Warner interception should have been called back; Mike Vrabel punched Warner in the face. Nice officiating! How about the last drive, in which the darling Tom Brady intentionally grounded a ball before being sacked? More nice officiating! There were countless other officiating mistakes in the playoffs. This was the worst-officiated set of playoff games I have ever seen.

You should have said, "This team took advantage of horrible officiating and Mike Martz getting brain-lock." The Patriots were not as good as the Raiders and Steelers ... and definitely not as good as the Rams! Why are journalists afraid to tell the truth? In the end, the Pats held the Lombardi Trophy, but an instant classic? Pleeeeaaase!