http://blogs.nfl.com/2013/02/28/31-reasons-why-nfl-teams-hate-the-patriots/
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31 Reasons why NFL teams hate the Patriots
By NFL.com Staff |
Published: February 28th, 2013
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If you didn’t know any better, you’d believe Terrell Suggs doesn’t care for the Patriots. Suggs has called the Patriots “arrogant pricks” in the past and on Thursday, he told Boston radio station
WEEI the Patriots don’t “respect anybody,” and he “guarantees the other 31 teams hate the New England Patriots.”
All 31 teams Terrell? Hyperbole much? But when you think about it, Suggs does have a point.
So with the help of the intrepid Alex Gellhar and Adam Rank we looked for 31 reasons why every team hates the New England Patriots.
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AFC:
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1. Buffalo Bills
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The Patriots had a
surplus of quarterbacks after the 2001 season, so of course the Bills ended up with Drew Bledsoe and not Tom Brady.
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2. Miami Dolphins
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The obvious rivalry aside, to find the true root of the Dolphins’ fans hatred, you have to go back to the 1985 AFC Championship Game. The Patriots took apart the Dolphins in Miami, 31-14. The Patriots would go on to lose in Super Bowl XX to the Chicago Bears. You know; the team the Dolphins beat in the regular season and would have had a good chance of beating again in the rematch.
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3. New York Jets
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Outside of the recent beatings, Bill Belichick was the coach of the Jets, for like a day. And then he ended up with the New England Patriots. I’m not saying the Jets would have ended up with Tom Brady and three Super Bowls but, oh wait, that’s exactly what I’m saying.
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4. Baltimore Ravens
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You know, for a team that just won the Super Bowl, guys like Terrell Suggs sure are talking a lot about a team they beat in the playoffs. Apparently Brady and Co. still has space rented out between Suggs’ ears.
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5. Cincinnati Bengals
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The Bengals have no real reason to hate the Patriots, but much like how your younger siblings like the things you like and hate the things you hate, the Bengals likely hate the Patriots because the big brothers of the AFC North do. If anything, the Bengals might actually like the Patriots. If not for the Patriots, the Bengals would have the universally recognized worst uniform in the NFL. So they have that going for them.
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6. Cleveland Browns
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Belichick coached the Browns and was poised for a big 1995 season (the team started 3-1) until rumors of an impending move surfaced to ruin the team. Now, I’m not trying to say the Browns would have ended up with Tom Brady and three Super Bowl titles, but wait, that’s exactly what I’m saying.
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7. Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Patriots won two AFC Championship Games in Pittsburgh during the Brady-Belichick era. Bledsoe came off the bench to lead the Patriots over the Steelers in the 2001 AFC Championship Game (please don’t bring up the spot, Steelers fan). Brady engineered a blowout in the 2004 AFC Championship Game, with a 41-27 romp at Heinz Field.
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8. Houston Texans
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Somebody convinced the Texans it would be a cool idea to wear letterman’s jackets for a huge showdown in New England on Monday night football in Week 14. And then the Patriots made them look like a freshman squad in a 42-14 beat down. Now those jackets live in infamy in the darken closets of those Texans players or on the shelves of the Sugar Land, Texas Goodwill center.
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9. Indianapolis Colts
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Whenever the debate for best quarterback of the era heats up, Patriots fans will point out Brady has three more rings to Manning’s single Super Bowl win. The Colts did exercise a matter of revenge in the 2006 AFC Championship Game, but you still get the sense Indy fans are still smarting from the dismissiveness of the Patriots fans. And judging by the number of Manning jerseys still in Indianapolis, this one isn’t going away any time soon.
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10. Jacksonville Jaguars
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The Jaguars have made the playoffs just twice since the year 2000, and both times they were eliminated by the Patriots. New England got Jacksonville, 28-3, in the 2005 wild card playoffs. But the Jags were a little more competitive in the 2007 divisional round, but still lost, 31-20.
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11. Tennessee Titans
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The Titans had a pretty good squad in 2003 but travel to New England for the playoffs. The Titans hung tough and were tied late into the fourth quarter. But then the Brady magic led the Patriots to a field goal with just over four minutes remaining to give New England a 17-14 lead.
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12. Denver Broncos
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Now the Broncos fans have jumped into the great debate about who is better, Brady or Manning. And while a lot of the Patriots fans will laugh at Manning’s playoff failures, well, the Broncos loss to the Ravens won’t help that argument for Manning. So even though the Broncos lost to the Ravens, the Broncos fans are even more upset with the Patriots and their snickering.
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13. Kansas City Chiefs
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The Patriots sent Scott Pioli, Romeo Crennel and Matt Cassel to the Chiefs. Geeze Patriots, what did the Chiefs ever do to you?
Oh, right. Moving on.
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14. Oakland Raiders
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Really? Do we have to talk about this one? I’ve got one word for you: Tuck Rule. Even more than a decade removed from the infamous “tuck rule” game, the Raiders and their fans are still bitter over it. Which seems totally weird because the Raiders fans are the kind of people who seem to be able to seamlessly let go of the past.
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15. San Diego Chargers
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The Patriots mimicked Shawne Merriman’s dance during the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoffs at the Q. Of course, all Chargers fans remember Marlon McCree fumbling after he intercepted Tom Brady’s pass late in the game which would have sealed the win.
-Adam Rank
LOL. NFC reasons at link.