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January 28, 2004
STEALTHY: New England has stayed under the radar
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
HOUSTON
They enter the room the way they do most things, which is to say together. It's important to note that confetti doesn't fall.
They walk in the same cadence, these New England Patriots. They look the same, they sound the same. When you see them, fireworks don't go off.
There are no Sharpies in their socks. There are no cell phones hidden beneath the podiums. They don't beat their own chests. They don't sing their own songs.
They are the Patriots, and the only thing impressive about them are their accomplishments.
Who are these guys who have taken ownership of the NFL? For the second time in three years, the Patriots are in the Super Bowl, and still they remain a collection of faceless men in gray suits. In the most selfish of times, they are the most selfless of teams.
By the time that most teams make it to the Super Bowl, you know what they have to give, and you know what they have to sell. You've read about the players on their way to the Hall of Fame. You've seen their commercials, their highlights, their scandals. Such is the way we have welcomed John Elway's Broncos, Ray Lewis' Ravens and Warren Sapp's Bucs. You heard them coming, and by the time they arrived, you knew what to think of their presence.
With the Patriots, that isn't the case. Their claim to fame is that, as yet, no one seems to have put in a claim. Are these Super Bowl players? Or are they 53 guys from the Witless Relocation League?
Ask yourself: Can you name more than seven Patriots? And of those, how many are known in Canton? For that matter, how many are known by Campbell's?
Now remind yourself: This is the team that won the Super Bowl two years ago. It's closing in on two out of three, which is one ledge lower than a dynasty. It has won 14 straight. And the average football fan couldn't pick out their team picture from, say, Seattle's.
Remember the no-name Dolphins of the early '70s? Compared to these Patriots, those guys were glory hogs. Those guys chasing Butch and Sundance? They were the Rat Pack.
These are the Patriots.
And, man, do they need name tags at these news conferences.
Ted Johnson sat at a table in front of a few dozen media members, talking about anonymity. As he talked, you could hear the questioners whisper to each other. Which one is he? Oh, he's the linebacker. You know, the guy who has been to three of this name-making events now.
"I don't know what it is," Johnson said. "Boston's kind of a big media town, isn't it? I don't know what it is. It doesn't bother us."
Gee, you ask. Don't you want to sell soup? Doesn't your mom want to sell soup?
Johnson laughs. "She would want to sell tanning oil," he said.
Oh, there are minicelebrities. Adam Vinatieri, the kicker, sells furniture. Tom Brady and Ty Law have signed agreements to sell milk. Still, given the success, there isn't a lot of awareness of this team.
"Well, get on it," linebacker Mike Vrabel said.
It has been a long time since a team did so much to gain celebrity and achieved so little of it. In a way, that helps you appreciate these plucky Patriots. They have not had greatness branded on them, and therefore, they are easier to take.
Even now, the Patriots feel like more than the sum of their parts. They are a great spider's web of a team. They are cerebral, versatile, resilient. Also they're anonymous. It doesn't seem to bother them.
How does such a team find its way back to the Super Bowl?
They managed to get here two years ago with another bunch of well-coached overachievers, and they upset the extremely upsettable St. Louis Rams to win a Super Bowl. But no one accused them of being a budding powerhouse. They were an older team, and when they fell to 9-7 last season it didn't take anyone by surprise.
How did the Patriots rebuild? That's the confusing part. They tried free agency, and they signed linebacker Rosevelt Colvin to a six-year contract. Colvin, however, broke his hip and missed most of the season. They tried the draft. And they did quite well there. But No.1 pick Ty Warren made almost no impact.
There are good players. Rodney Harrison has been a force at strong safety, and Law keeps making plays. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi is one of those bloody-knuckle players every good team has, and Richard Seymour is a force at defensive tackle. There is a lot to like about Tom Brady.
That's the Patriots, a lot of pretty good players doing very good things. As Coach Bill Belichick likes to say, "The strength of the wolf is in the pack."
Ah, but this is the Super Bowl, isn't it? Aren't the players supposed to have made their names before they get here?
Ask yourself: If your house depended on it, could you tell Tedy Bruschi from Mike Vrabel? Deion Branch from David Givens? Roman Phifer from Ty Warren?
Answer: Of course not.
It isn't their fault. All the Patriots are doing is winning. If they keep it up, the rest of the nation will eventually catch on.
Give it four more Super Bowls.
Five, tops.