Tom Brady is done for the year, which means the Patriots are just another team trying to make it to the postseason. The injured New England quarterback still likes the club's chances, but I'm convinced that's the Percocet talking.
And while those New England fans not busily jumping off the bandwagon are understandably despondent over the news, there were plenty of people outside the region celebrating the prospect that the Patriots' window had abruptly slammed shut. Specifically, those classy New Yorkers.
From The New York Times' Fifth Down Blog:
A Times editor who used to work in our department told this tale Sunday night: He was watching N.F.L. games at the ESPN Zone in Midtown Manhattan when Tom Brady was injured. Most of the people in the restaurant roared with delight.Hardly surprising, I think. Particularly since the perception is that the Patriots are a bunch of egotistical cheaters, and their head coach is an arrogant jerk. And, obviously, winning three Super Bowls this decade has a lot to do with it. If this had happened to, say, Peyton Manning or Carson Palmer or Ben Roethlisberger, the schadenfreude-fueled vitriol wouldn't be there. None of those players engender the hatred directed toward Brady, his teammates or his coach.
That's not to condone the behavior, but to just point out why even the idea of the Patriots evokes such visceral reactions from opposing fans. But as you read through the comments, it's amazing to see how many people admitted to cheering Brady's injury as it happened. A sampling after the jump.
At the Forest Hills bar where I watched the game, there was cheering and clapping. No one showed any sympathy for him, myself included. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.For the record, I didn't cheer, and I hate Brady as much as the next guy who didn't suddenly become a Patriots fan in January 2001. Celebrating someone getting hurt just isn't my thing; I'd much rather see them on the field taking their beating with their teammates. See Super Bowl XLII, for example:
- Posted by terrortot
I would've danced on the tables if I had been there.I hate the Patriots sooooo much.It all started with the tuck rule.
- Posted by Beerndrums
Any other team, no way, but you better believe I cheered... I would cheer just about anything that has a chance to take the Patriots down a notch. And now hopefully Randy Moss will go a week without a catch, and implode again, so we can all laugh some more...
Oh, and it was a fumble.
- Posted by Sin44
I saw it on TV as it happened. No, I didn't cheer. I hate Brady and the Pats as much as anyone, but seeing him injured is so much different than seeing Justin Tuck nail him on that last drive in the Super Bowl. Loved it when the G-men beat the snot out of him, but not so much when he got injured. Look at it this way–there's a whole season ahead of us where Brady won't be around for us to hate.Exactly.
- Posted by FTatis
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-09-2008 @ 2:34PM
lk said...
Just goes to show you how screwed up our society is, it is football and Tom is not Hitler, so cheering when someone gets injured to me is unbelievable. I can understand secretly thinking this is better for my team, but when you put such thoughts out there, to me you cross a line of being a decent human being, and you certainly take sports too seriously. And BTW Ryan you clearly do not like tha Pats since every blog you write is negative to them. The real icing on the cake will be if the Pats go on this season to make it to the SB. I hope they do so you and yours can continue your path of hatred.
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9-10-2008 @ 7:52PM
tstier001 said...
No, he aint any Hitler, Hitler never whined or played crybaby NEAR as much as Tom does!!
10-13-2008 @ 1:42PM
Marvin Wahington said...
Listen I'm from New York believe it or not the Giants Fans didnot Cheer when he went down the Pat are not ever in our division . I was mad when he went down because him being there would of show that the Pat time is up there Old..you will see when he come back.
9-09-2008 @ 2:50PM
Dubbz3030 said...
So very true. Im no Brady fan, but i dont think its cool when you lose the most productive offensive player/assault in the entire NFL. I just think everony is sayin "F___ TOM" and "good for him" out of frustration knowing that in either league, FANTASY or real NFL, He was going to blow your team away. As a 49er Fan, i felt that "relief" feeling, knowing that my team wont have to deal with Mr.Brady. but im an allaround sports guy and its never cool when someone gets hurt....... unless you really, really, really, really hate someone. then thats just Bad sportsmanship on your part.
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9-09-2008 @ 3:20PM
Rick said...
Every fan of all the other teams in the NFL are so insanely jealous of the team on top. I see why people are happy our boy is done for this season. But, when the Pats come into your Stadium, or you come to us, you better win, cuz there are no excuses now.
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9-09-2008 @ 3:21PM
Craig said...
You put Steve Grogan on this team and I'm a closet Pats fan...I just detest Brady plain and simple
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9-10-2008 @ 2:43PM
Smilner said...
Why?
9-09-2008 @ 3:24PM
che a brnich said...
hitler??!! path of hatred??!! someone here is definitely taking things too seriously, but i don't think it's the fans cheering when brady went down. how dare you judge someone as a decent or not decent human based on their passion as a fan. brady has obviously put a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths, whether it's because they are "jealous" of brady's on field attributes or genuinely put off by his smug arrogance (07 pats-skins post game interview). fact is, a firefighter who cheers when brady goes down is still going to pull you out of a blaze even if you are wearing a brady jersey. to judge someone's morals is not your job here. shut up and watch the game.
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9-10-2008 @ 7:53PM
tstier said...
VERY WELL SAID!!
9-09-2008 @ 4:00PM
Mark said...
I hate his thug coach so, indirectly, Brady's injury makes me happy.
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9-11-2008 @ 10:55AM
Kris said...
The fact that so many of you take pleasure in Tom Brady's injury - which could be career ending. - You guys are sick!!!
He plays a game, keeps his mouth shut, and tries to stay out of the media. Unbelievable! A sport figure that actually tries to keep his mouth shut and he is condemned for that. He is not busy selling himself like Eli & his brother. What are you going to say next when it is Eli, Peyton, or Favre next time?? You wonder why society is the way it is when people cheer when someone gets hurt!!!
9-09-2008 @ 4:00PM
OptimisticMe said...
What was the meaning the the GU on all the uniforms and football fields last night?
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9-10-2008 @ 12:58AM
Crystal said...
It is to honor Gene Upshaw.
9-09-2008 @ 4:00PM
Docj said...
Hey Rick,
Everybody except the Giants right? I know quite a few NY fans that would much rather have Eli than Brady anyday. Just watch the last superbowl. I think people hate Brady so much because people from Mass.(def. boston and most of new england, but all patriots fans) are such assholes!! How long until the patriots are the laughingstock of the NFL again?
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9-09-2008 @ 5:01PM
DJ said...
Must admit it's been fun having Brady and the Pats kicking everyone's butts for the past few years. Not in the least surprised people would act out when he got hurt. The only saving grace one can give them though is they were obviously not fully aware of the seriousness of the injury. If anyone is still happy he's out for the season, suffering a great deal of pain and may have ultimately lost an opportunity for a long strong career such as Brett Favre then yes indeed they are real sickos. Or maybe just New Yorkers. ;-)
But as Rick says.... no excuses now.
As to GU with the #63, it's in honor of Gene Upshaw who recently passed away from cancer at the age of 63.
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9-09-2008 @ 6:02PM
milton thuroughgood III said...
The same cheering would've happened if Romo's leg snapped.
People hate the good-looking winner who gets the lady and always says the right thing.
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9-09-2008 @ 5:49PM
rowdy said...
After the first Patriots SB victory, fans of all sports had to endure the sanctimonious crap from Robert Kraft, et al. about how the Patriots organization conducted business in a "classy" way implying that the infamous "Patriots Way" was morally superior to the actions of any other NFL organization. Even their Pope-visiting supposed choir-boy of a quarterback got a coating of fool's gold. A few years (and a few dirty plays, a cheating scandal, and a reputation for lying about injury reports) later, their face-of-the-franchise quarterback (who, incidentally, was now being seen all over the world with a lingerie model who does interviews supporting abortion while his ex-girfriend was pregnant) had quite a lot of his shine worn thin. Then the "genius" coach who routinely disrespected the media and the NFL with his joke-of-an-injury report on said quarterback sees him actually get injured on the field. The patriots set themselves up for this reaction from fans. They got quite a lot of mileage out of being the "class of the NFL" for quite a while. Nobody should be surprised at the reactions of the rest of NFL fans.
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9-10-2008 @ 2:47PM
Smilner said...
Yeah, man. Class is for losers only.
So why do we need the injury reports to be so meticulous and public anyway? Oh yeah, for the gamblers. Why do the Pats owe Vegas the courtesy?
9-09-2008 @ 6:08PM
Eddie said...
The guy got hurt because his cheater coach had him playing possum with a very real foot injury he was afraid of aggravating as he twisted his knee to hell. Worth celebrating as far as I'm concerned.
I most certainly would not have been cheering if he'd gotten shot or hit by a bus or was discovered to have cancer (knock on wood), just because that has no bearing on him as a football player. The fact that the team as a unit, which had gotten unanimous praise in the northeast (while the rest of america groaned), failed to protect the pretty boy face of their team.
The only event that would have elicited even louder cheers from me would have been if Der Kommissar had actually penalized the cheaters for Spygate.
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9-12-2008 @ 2:54PM
Joe Blow said...
All the Patriots haters ain't worth a lick. Here's a newsflash, just because Brady is injured, that doesn't mean your team is any better, especially the delusional Jets.
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