Originally Posted by Ilow

Couple of thoughts.
1) In typical jealous cocksucker fashion this poster is simply looking for an insignificant reason to bash the Patriots. Brady is injured and out for the season, why do you care which ligaments are injured, except to gloat? Some people are still convinced that if they blow someone else’s candle out that theirs will burn brighter. Apparently, being a 49ers fan must be like having a small penis--your life sucks and there’s little hope that it will get better anytime soon, so might as well lash out at the world.
2) This is the first time that the reigning NFL MVP has been injured in the first quarter of the first game of the season. This is one of the rare times that one of the top players in the NFL, who plays for one of the best teams suffers a season ending injury. If Shawn Merriman had been instrumental in San Diego winning 3 Super Bowls, and he had had the greatest season ever by an NFL linebacker last year, his injury would attract nearly the same kind of attention. No one for any major network is acting like the NFL is going to crumble, don’t say that they are. In fact, commentators who are at all competent are unanimous in saying that the NFL season just got a whole lot more interesting, both in the AFC East, and across the league. The Patriots are one of the best teams in the league and have been for most of the decade. They are also in one of the largest and most influential media markets in the country. It is not surprising that this is a national story, and just because certain people do not care for the organization will not make it any less so.

Fantasy Football is a huge and growing deal in this country, but I do not believe that this is the most significant reason that the national media is making this a big story. It is by far a secondary reason. This would be a major story if Fantasy Football did not exist at all. This is a huge deal for the gambling industry (which, of course is somewhat linked to Fantasy Football) but the real significance is about the actual football games on the field.

As far as the Patriots go, they are certainly somewhat diminished, however they are still a good team on both sides of the ball. They do not have the guaranteed, “just give me the ball and 90 seconds” in the 4th quarter leader, but they have several good backs, several good wide receivers, on offense. Even with an average QB, the Patriots appear to be every bit as good as other competitive teams in the league, but are just not head an shoulders above most of the teams they will play. I expect that every game will be a fight, and that they will lose several games during the course of this season. They should still have a good chance to make the playoffs, but are no longer a mortal lock. I am looking forward to seeing them play as legitimate underdogs again, as they seem to relish this role and rise to the occasion.