As a New England sports fan, you get used to losing. We will not even mention the Revolution. And the Red Sox eighty-seven years without a World Series win just about sums that one up. So for a team to win, this is surely a miracle. There were many media moments that went into this story, and one that summed up it all.
The 2001 season for New England Patriots football is best described as a fairytale. As the season began, the Patriots odds of winning it all were about 70:1. On Super Bowl Sunday, they were fourteen point underdogs. When they surpassed all odds and proved every critic wrong, they achieved their dreams. They proved that anything is possible so long as you work for it. They gave us all fresh proof that we can accomplish anything.
The season started out like any other, with two straight losses. In game two, the fans worst fears were realized; their quarterback went down and did not get back up. With internal bleeding and broken ribs, Drew Bledsoe would be out for much of the season. Two games later, the Patriots only had one win. By mid-November, their record was only 5-5. Many believed the season would end with no playoff hopes; no one expected a major turnaround. The team knew that something had to change. .
The turnaround was remarkable. The team found their strengths in one another. They .
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finished the season with six straight wins. After finishing last in the AFC East the previous year, the Patriots were going to be playing in the post-season. The divisional playoff game was against the Oakland Raiders. The brutal weather conditions, along with the scenario, belonged in a nightmare. The Patriots were down by ten in the snowy conditions, a miracle seemed unlikely. It seems that no one told the Patriots that their season should end here. They overcame the deficit and won in overtime. They continued their winning streak by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers and becoming the AFC champions.