N.E PATRIOTS, HOW to RESPOND to the MEDIA HYPE

And so, the roller coaster ride of being a New England sports fan is still a work in progress. This past week or so is a very good reminder of how fan loyalty is supposed to work, in spite of the constant media pressure. What started out as a small, coincidental story about video taping another team's defensive signals, turned into a national event, complete with Katie Couric's mention of it on the CBS News. As New England sports fan, we shouldn't have been surprised. If a story involves the New England Patriots, or the Boston Red Sox, especially anything detrimental to either franchise, then we expect it to become national news.

In the past several days I have seen more opinions about the major crime of stealing another team's signals, than I have about who is running for President. I saw more athletes eager to share their opinions, than I saw play in an actual sporting event. I think every former and present coach gave us their philosophy on the subject. I saw more Quarterbacks willing to talk to the press about their thoughts, than I saw talking about their upcoming game. Opinions came from everywhere. School kids, parents, former Patriot players, teachers, actors, and politicians were quick to judge our beloved team. When the NFL Commissioner finally handed down the punishment, again with more opinions from around the world. "The punishment wasn't tough enough," "The punishment was way too harsh," "The only reason they got off so easy was because the owner hangs out with the Commissioner," and so on, and so on.