First the humor: I've done a few in the past of God and St. Peter mulling things over in heaven and this is the latest"---Picture it...Al Davis, famed Oakland Raiders leader for years, has passed away. As God greets him at the pearly gates he says to Al, "You've been a little bit of a "rapscallion" on Earth but you have been good to many charities so I'll welcome you here. Follow me and I'll show you where you'll reside." God takes him to a nice little 3 bedroom ranch with a Raider's flag flying from the porch and a little Volkswagon in the driveway with a raiders emblem on the side. Al thanks him as God proceeds to show him around. As they turn a corner and proceed up a hill Al sees a beautiful three story mansion painted in New England Patriots colors with a HUGE patriots flag flying from the rooftop and an equally huge Patriots logo on the front. In the driveway is a double long stretch limo with Patriots flags and logos all over it. Al isn't very happy about this and says to God, "I truly appreciate the little house you gave me but why does Bob Kraft get to live in such a fantastic mansion and drive that luxurious limo?" God smiles at him and replies," But Al,...Bob Kraft doesn't live here....I DO."
NOTE:---several people (not Pat's fans) have said, "Well that explains it." Before you jump to incorrect conclusions read on and see some other "God-St. Peter" stories. You older fans will get a kick out of the first one---the "Snow Bowl," and the latest explaining how God always tries to correct injustices brought on when people make a deal with the Devil for SPECIAL intercessions.
Picture it---1976 playoffs---Pats VS Raiders played in Oakland. Pats had one of the most powerful teams in their history and were leading 21-17 with barely a minute left to play. With 4th down and 18 to go for a first down (from the Pats 28) Stabler's pass falls incomplete BUT...referee Ben Dreighth,
a name that will live in infamy among Pat's fans, calls NT Ray (Sugar bear) Hamilton for roughing the passer. A photo ON THE COVER of Life magazine clearly showed Hamilton flying through the air while Stabler still had the ball in his hand. a few plays later Stabler ran around end for the winning score then went on to win the super bowl. (The Pats were favored).
Now, fast forward to the year of the Pat's first super bowl title-----
It's a slow day in Heaven and God asks St. Peter if there is any more "make-ups" he has to take care of due to events that the Devil conjured up for those sinners willing to make a deal with him for a particular outcome. "Well, there is that Al Davis deal back in 1976 when he sold his soul to the Devil who made Ben Dreighth make that horrible "roughing the passer" call that caused the Pats to lose the game they had pretty much wrapped up," said St. Peter. "I thought I had made up for that with the "Immaculate reception" pass against Pittsburgh, said God. Well, yes, but we never made it up to the Patriots and those two teams are meeting again in the playoffs...and this time they're playing in New England." said Pete, with much excitement. (Yes, Pete's a Patriot's fan.)
"Hmmm," thought God as he mulled over a few options. "OK, Pete, I've got it...we have the Raiders about to win the game with only seconds left when the referees ROB THEM, just like Ben Dreighth
did to the Patriots back in 1976." "Wow, how are you going to do that?" Pete queried. "Well, Pete, I think we'll dust of that old "Tuck rule," said God. "The WHAT?" said Pete. "Trust me," said God "and, by the way, did you say they were playing in New England in the dead of winter? "Yes, they are and their loyal fans have sold out the stadium. "Tell you what, Pete.....LET IT SNOW."
There's another one coming up in my next Patriot's Super Bowl story.....stay tuned
Some idle thoughts---Everybody I watched the game with felt the ref's calls were biased against
the Pats and so did I. We all felt that the Pats were so much better than Seattle that the only thing we had to fear was the referees one sided calls. After all, we Pats fans have been victims of that sort of refereeing before. If you've ever play football you know how that can demoralize a team. Here's a few of my (our) observations---
1)---On the Pats first punt: the kicker was clearly "roughed" by the Seattle rusher but the referee only called it "running into" the kicker which is a 5 yard penalty. (Not enough for a first down) "Roughing" would have been 15 yards and given the Pats a first down. The rule book implicitly states: hitting the punters "planted leg" is an automatic 15 yards. That thwarted a Pats drive which could have resulted in a score. Think what THAT would have meant to the outcome of the game.
2)---two different defensive holding calls went against the Pats but were not called against Seattle
for the same infraction.
3)---Seattle had already said, before the game, that they were out to hurt the Pats. (No warnings were ever issued to Seattle. Every chance they got a defender would "hurl" himself at Gronkowski's knees becoming a missile instead of a tackler. No penalties for "roughing." The worst was on Julian Edelman when Seattle took every shot they could at his head. (Remember his concussion issue?) One of them was most clearly a blind side smash that fell into the "defenseless player" category. Edelman got up slowly but later admitted he was momentarily stunned. You football players know what that means. And NO PENALTY!! (Aren't refs, AND the commissioner's office, supposed to protect the players from that stuff.
4)---Tom Brady was "BOMBED" by pass rushers AFTER throwing the pass. Both times he was hit right on the chin with a Seattle helmet. THAT'S supposed to be a penalty.
5)---(this one doesn't make any difference) On the pass play that Butler intercepted to win the game, a Seattle receiver was blocking our cornerback (I think it was Revis) but NO FLAG. He wasn't worried about a flag because the refs had been overlooking that all game long.
There are a few others, one that stalled a Pats drive in the third period when the ref negated a
20 odd yard Pat's pass with a phantom hold on the Pats, BUT, hey, we won anyway.
ANOTHER idle thought---wouldn't it be nice if the TV people featured several of the Pat's players of the past in their super bowl victory celebrations? I'm not talking about Tedy Bruschi or guys from 5-10 years ago. I'm talking about guys like Gino Cappelletti, (who belongs in the NFL hall of fame) Larry Eisenhauer, Steve Grogan, Steve Nelson, even WBZ's Steve Burton. representing his father, Ron Burton, the BOSTON PATRIOT's very first #1 pick in the college draft. Ron Burton meant more to the Pats franchise back then than has ever been written and our younger fans should know that. All those players I've mentioned, and many more, paid their dues and made the franchise what it has become today. I hope you younger fans will ask Bob Kraft to recognize those teams. HE was a fan since the very beginning and knows what I'm talking about. If not for THEM the team could have been moved years ago. It's happened before. Did you know the Washington Redskins used to reside here in Boston as the BOSTON REDSKINS? Also, in the 40's there was THE BOSTON YANKEES!! Look it up.
I WILL write about those great Pats teams and players soon and you'll see.....Stay tuned