I Witnessed Patriots Fans Bawling in their Beer

Yes, Yes. I watched the Broncos/Patriots Divisional Playoff game at a Bar full of Patriots fans. So I had to root for the Broncos. Well, I didn't really cheer for them to win as much as celebrated when they scored or made a play. I must admit, it felt a little weird celebrating a Broncos touchdown or interception, but I was in the same dilemma most Raiders fans were in during the game. Who should we want to see win the game? I finally decided on the Broncos as the lesser of the two evils because of what else, the Tuck Game of course.

For as often as I've cursed and booed the Broncos, that Tuck game in New England has given me reason to cheer against the Patriots every time, ever since. I wasn't quite sure going into the bar if I'd stick with backing the Broncos or not, but when I came in at half-time and saw the bar full of quiet Pats fans watching the game I just had to become a Bronco Booster for a night. I couldn't believe that their wasn't one Broncos fan in the bar. These folks were in a stunned mode and here I come with my Raiders gear celebrating a Tom Brady interception.

I only wish I'd video taped the faces of those fans when Champ Bailey intercepted that Brady pass in the endzone and returned it down to the one yard line. I swear those fans looked like they had to take a dump. That moment for me, and I'm sure for the Broncos, was truly Priceless. All the bad calls, fumbles and interceptions that went against the Patriots didn't make up for the Tuck game, but I can now replace some of that bitterness I still feel from that game with priceless memories of shocked Patriots fans faces as they suffered through their team's playoff game debaucle. I even got to see the Patriots fans empty out of the bar as if someone had died. I guess someone did die, all 53 of them in shoulder pads, cleats and a sobbing minuteman on the side of their helmets. And they'll be flying the corpses back to New England after the autopsy to figure out the cause of death on the field. What I saw was a collapse of the team's nervous system. They lost their nerve to fight back.

At some point during the night I overheard one Pats fan talking about the Raiders but he didn't dare speak out loud. They knew that their ten game playoff winning streak was over and it seemed that they'd lost a bit of that team spirit that has personified their play over the past few years. It was the Pats who were arguing with each other on the sidelines and falling apart when things weren't looking good. Tom Brady may have had one of his worse games in years. It was definitely his worse playoff game. And those Pats fans were hoping for Brady to turn into a Joe Montana and bring his team back, Not.

I think what will hurt the Patriots tomorrow is not so much that they lost but how they lost. They didn't go down fighting but went down in a cloud of mistakes and bad luck. The ball just didn't bounce their way in this game. I guess that's why they call it Homefield Advantage, because they didn't get the calls, the crowd noise was off the hook and in this case, the higher altitude may have been a factor.

So now all those football analysts can stop talking about Tom Brady and the Patriots as if their an invincible dynasty. If anything the analysts better start talking about the cracks and crevices that are causing the once proud dynasty to crumble and fall. Because when you really look at it, the Broncos did not dominate that game. I didn't even pick the Broncos to win this game thinking that Jake "The Snake" Plummer would revert back to his old interception throwing ways. The Broncos simply took advantage of the Patriots mistakes and the homefield advantage. Sorry New England Patriots Fans but tonight.........Your Team Sucked!

final score
Denver 27
New England 13