* * * OFFICIAL PAYBACK MIKEG FOR GLOATING ALL YEAR THREAD * * *

Congratulations to the Patriots.

I was wrong.


Lay it on, we're all Democrats.

the ACLS :). Good on you man, I am disappointment but hey we did good, did we not?

the dude was 14-1, thats very good.

Anyone who doesn't think Ben will be a star in the future is just kidding themselves. He played well all season but the playoffs are just hard for a rookie to overcome.

The Steelers are still my second favorite team, though. Hopefully Bettis will be back next year; there was a teaser during that game that he was contemplating retirement.

We've got Pittsburgh next year at HOME - We shall see who's the better team!

-DD a Broncos fan...

Still, I'm sorry Pittsburgh lost. PA deserved an all PA Superbowl. Can you imagine the crowd in Jacksonville. There would be no beer left in the South East after that game. Still, you deserve it, sort of...well, not really. BTW, please trade your QB to Oakland.

The refs were not a factor, Pittsburgh's Defense never showed up and then everybody saw how easy it was to strap it all on Big Ben's back when they were down.

The Rookie did a good job for being a Rookie, sure three picks, but two were broken routes by the receivers. The rest of the team, and especially the defense never really showed up except for a few of the marquee players. The Rookie is tuff, he will be back next year but only better.

To a man, the backs never jammed N.E. receivers at the line, and they let an overrated Brady pick them apart. That was Pittsburgh's game to loose and they did what was expected of them

As Raider fan how could you ever cheer for N.E.? :puke:

Although I'm still pissed about that f'ing snow game. OMf'ingG. I wasn't talking about the refs in today's game. I was talking about the refs in every game the Raiders lost to Pittsburgh in the 70's playoffs. Makes me able to say we were the better team then if I concoct a delusion that Mr. Rooney paid off the refs (haha). I do think that the call in the 2nd half where Pittsburgh recovered a fumble but ended up losing the ball plus 15 yards bad sportsmanship totally sucked...bet the Pats paid that ref off! Lock me up, quick. :crazy:

Raider fan. That Snow Bowl Four years ago still makes me angry. Two guys locking down on one dude up holding on to his jersey is the kind of thing that went on in that game that never got called.

That is the kind game the Raiders used to play, but now the Raiders get the whistle even when they are not doing things like that. I keep on saying you have to beat the Refs and the other team also. Pittsburgh didn't and that's why they lost. You can't play a N.E. like that, you have to take their lunch money and still punch them in the mouth if you want to win.

Like to the Raiders - Patriot's championship game in 1976.

1976: In their first playoff game in 13 years the Patriots traveled to Oakland for a showdown with the Raiders. Despite beating them in Week 4 the Pats were heavy underdogs. Just like the first match up the Pats controlled the game early, and had a 21-10 lead after 3 quarters. The Raiders would cut the lead to 4 by scoring early in the 4th. The last 8 minutes of the game was filled with several controversial plays. Facing a 3rd-and-inches situation just inside the Oakland 30-yard line, Brock jumped offside, forcing the Patriots out of their short-yardage offense. On the next play Grogan attempted to hit Ron Francis over the middle for a drive-sustaining first down, but Raider LB Phil Villipiano all but tackled Francis before the ball arrived, but no penalty was called. After PK John Smith missed a 50-yard FG, Raiders QB Ken Stabler maneuvered his team downfield but faced a desperate 3rd-and-18 situation at the New England 27-yard line. Stabler's pass to former Carl Garrett sailed incomplete, but referee Ben Dreith threw a late flag on Ray Hamilton for roughing the passer. The penalty gave the Raiders a 1sst down on the Pats 12. Aided by 2 more penalties on the Patriots for unsportsmanlike conduct, the Raiders scored the game-winning TD on a 1-yard run by Stabler with 10 seconds remaining.


So I guess the breaks eventually even out.

Whine away. The Raiders were the team of destiny that year. I think they won at least five games in the last two minutes. Just remember the Madden - Stabler sideline conferences at the 2:00 minute warnings where they hatched plans for post game revelry. I saw that game (I was living in NYC at the time) and I recall thinking, wow, the refs are actually calling a clean game. All I can say is "You want the truth. Mister, you can't stand the truth!" We beat you fair and square in 1976. The only reason it took until the last two minutes is that our team was out partying until about 5:00am and they were tired, quite understandably.

The snow bowl, however, was a joke and you know it. Please, stay in the way but show some respect for the objective realities of football history.

I do think that this Patriot team is terrific, however. It's the best team for a long time and the best run organization for the last 10 years of so. They'll be up against the 2nd best organization.

I'm in the DC area so the Skins are my #2 team. You can't believe how awful their organization is. It is a disgrace. Enjoy your team and I hope it's a close game and you lose in the last 2 minutes (haha).

truth is in the eyes of the beholder, so to speak.

How many plays are missed/not called/blown in every game? Lots. Please, no crying in the teacups. I'm just pointing out that karma has a way of righting the wrongs of games past.

:-)

All he does is keep winning the big games. Every one of them, in fact. And he's only 26.

He wasnt expected to be anything big if I recall too, and now he has a chance for his third ring.

I see the beginning of a kick-ass rivalry between the Pats and Steelers...and Ben R is still a rookie...will Bettis be back next year?

I think he wants to retire while he can still walk. I hope they can convince him to try one more year. With him working with Staley he won't get over worked like previous seasons.

We'll see though. I'll miss Bettis. He's an amazing rusher.

How much you bet that next season we get another Pats/Steelers rematch.

My bet is that next year it's at Gillete though.

I mean, they (and the Eagles) have to visit the Asshole of the South....Jacksonville. ...Barf!

Another Steelers fan congratulating the Patriots.

They won because they didn't make mistakes. Simple as that. They didn't dominate the game, they simply didn't make a mistake, and capitalized on the Steelers mistakes. That's how you win games.

Did you agree with the FG instead of going for the TD? I don't know, I think that was mistake.

But I would have been OK if the Pats lost. I, too, thought a Pittsburg-Philadelphia final would have been a great Superbowl.

but I'm not a conservative play caller.

When playing Madden Football I'd never punt because punting was for sissies. Real men scored points.

Nicely done.

that the Jets would have beaten the Pats. So this is doubly depressing for me.

Losing to a team we should have beaten, then having that team get creamed the next week.

Life isn't fair. But at least your gracious about it. I didn't even get the luxury of a blowout defeat. I got the worst kind of loss.

baseball all the time.

In a championship game? Got any other good ones?

will be a great QB in the future. His scrambling and vision down the field while running is super. That TD to Ward was outstanding. But he needs more "book" learning.