Yes! Finally one of my football predictions came true! I said a few weeks ago that the Patriots wouldn't win the Super Bowl, and it actually happened!
Why couldn't the Eagles ever prove me right!?!
More important than the block pool I was in or the 12 to 1 odds I had for the Giants (to quote Bill Simmons "You know, if gambling was actually legal") was the fact the Patriots were beaten on the scoreboard, beaten physically, and most importantly, beaten mentally.
And now, I predict, begins the fall of the Patriots dynasty.
Like all dynasties throughout history, over-confidence, corruption, betrayal and age eventually bring down even the mightiest of rulers.
This is the offseason that it all happens to the Patriots. Write this down (or at least remember reading it): the dynasty will crumble.
We just saw the overconfidence stage on Sunday.
During the Super Bowl, several Giants players said that some of the Patriots players weren't even focused on the game, and were talking about which party they were going to after the game ended. They seemed to think that no matter what they did, they would come out on top and didn't have to worry about the game.
Bill Belichick was so over-confident in thinking that the Giants defense couldn't stop his offense, he went for it on fourth and 13 from the 31-yard-line instead of kicking a 48-yard field goal. Naturally, the Giants stopped Brady and the Pats offense and Belichick's boys sputtered the rest of the way.
Next comes corruption: Just before the Super Bowl, Sen. Arlen Specter (RPa.) called out NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for destroying the tapes that showed the Patriots illegally spying on other teams. Specter said that he was concerned about how quickly Goodell destroyed the tapes, and how limited the investigation was when he looked into the matter.
After being spurned in his previous attempts to speak with the commissioner, Specter is now looking to expand his inquiries and question Goodell, Matt Walsh, a former New England employee who may have taped opponents during his years with the Patriots, Bill Belichick, and lastly, Tom Brady, to see if he gained an advantage from any of the videos.
Honestly, I think this is going to be the most devastating blow to the Patriots dynasty. Politicians may look dumb when they are fighting with each other in the House or the Senate, but they certainly don't like being made to look foolish by businesses and normal citizens. Specter, a die-hard Eagles fan, would not have started this fight if he did not believe that he could cause some real damage to the Patriots.
Earlier in the season, Goodell fined Belichick and the Patriots a total of $750,000 and took away the 31st pick in the 2008 NFL draft, but left himself with the ability to further punish New England if more damaging evidence of wrongdoing was discovered.
Considering Goodell didn't investigate anything before 2006 and basically took Belichick at his word that those few tapes were the extent of the cheating, I'm pretty sure that more illegal behavior is bound to be exposed.
After Belichick goes down, New England will be betrayed from the inside.
While obviously not as serious as Brutus' betrayal in Julius Caesar, the Patriots will see several stars jump ship this offseason. Randy Moss and Asante Samuel, both Pro Bowl players, are going to be free agents, and most likely will follow their greed to the highest bidder, leaving the Pats scrambling for a number one cornerback and a number one wide receiver.
Lastly comes age. You can't stay on top forever. The Patriots are an old team. Their linebackers jokingly sit in rocking chairs during position meetings because they are so old. Junior Seau, Teddy Bruschi, and Mike Vrabel - all standout linebackers - could call it quits this offseason or find father time really catching up to them in the coming season. We already saw glimpses of it this year, as those linebackers seemed more vulnerable to the short pass than usual.
Now, I'm not saying that the Patriots aren't going to make the playoffs next year. Any team led by Tom Brady has a chance to contend, but the dynasty is crumbling and they will never be this dominant again.