I mean, as diluted as the entire episode is now with the passage of time and not truly knowing who was telling the truth and who wasn't, there seems to be some players involved, but none of them were the person who wrote emails to the league that implicated the New England Patriots as ball-deflating cheaters, so why would the Patriots have any extra motivation when taking on the Colts this Sunday?
Because that person is Indianapolis Colts' General Manager Ryan Grigson, who has the distinction of being loathed not only by the Patriots and their fans for helping to ignite the so-call "Deflategate" controversy, but also by the Colts coaching staff and fans for his bonehead drafting decisions and his worn out belief in building a team through free agency.
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| Grigson (l) and Irsay run the Colts like a Pop Warner league |
Grigson doesn't play football, though. He did, back in the mid 90's until a back injury ended what lean career opportunities he had in the CFL, but then quickly found himself on the scouting staff for the St. Louis Rams when they lost to New England in Super Bowl 36, then moved on to Philadelphia as a scout for a team that lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl 39...
...remaining with the Eagles until the Colts offered him their general manager position, where he has overseen his charges getting stomped like so many grapes by the Patriots every year since assuming the reigns, a 59-24 pasting at Foxborough in 2012, a 43-22 playoff jobbing at Gillette in 2013, and twice in 2014...
...once in Indianapolis by a score of 42-20 that proved to be enough losing to New England for Grigson, as he had the NFL dogs hastily checking the air pressure in footballs used by the Patriots against the Colts in last seasons AFC Championship Game, where they still got blown out by an even more embarrassing score of 45-7.
Obviously, Grigson had plenty of fuel to stoke his personal vendetta against the team he just couldn't beat, regardless of talent or venue, so instead of concentrating on building a team that could compete with New England, he chose to focus his energy on a Hitler-esque propaganda campaign to take down his enemy through attrition while maintaining a kid gloves approach with his own team, continuing to try and buy a championship through free agency.
And, whatever. The Colts franchise is run like a Pop Warner league in which everyone gets to play regardless of talent level, and at the end of the season are awarded with banners for their accomplishments, a wrong-minded participation trophy that even the Indianapolis media finds embarrassing.
All of which makes no never mind to the Patriots themselves, who are freaky with motivation to take on the Colts in Indianapolis this coming Sunday night, and even more motivated to leave the city and the Colts a smoldering ruin in the wake of another impressive victory.
Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, the central figure in the controversy, has repeatedly said that the matter does not give him any extra motivation to take the Colts behind the woodshed, a sentiment echoed by both offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head ball coach Bill Belichick, the Dark Master back in July saying that seeking retribution against the Colts didn't really interest him.
But they lie.
Even though it was Grigson and his crypt keeper boss who went running to the principal, there is no way that this is not personal for anyone wearing a Patriots' uniform, nor anyone who rocks their gear - human beings are not built like that. They don't just roll over after getting raped, robbed or ransacked and tell their assailant that it's ok and all is forgiven.
Well, maybe the Pope or the Dali Lama would do that, but rare is the person who will truly forgive those who have wronged them. They may say they forgive them, but an episode like that changes a person's life forever - not just because of the irreparable harm done to their reputation, but because it causes a person to lose a certain amount of trust for his fellow beings.
The Patriots are on the fifth week of their "Scorched Earth Tour", but when considered in the grand scheme of things, anything after pulverizing and otherwise embarrassing the Indianapolis Colts shouldn't be as intense. It's like getting up on Christmas morning and tearing open your presents , then realizing that you have nothing else to look forward to until your birthday rolls around.
But don't expect a huge drop off from these Patriots after they annihilate the Colts, as the Jets. Dolphins and Redskins are out in the back yard cutting their own switches for Brady and the rest to whip them with - and all at Gillette Stadium.
There is also a little matter of the Patriots and their fans not being able to fully enjoy their championship as much as they would have without the albatross of the NFL and Roger Goodell hanging around their necks like a necklace made of dog crap, which means that Belichick and his boys are focused on winning another championship, this one with a full celebration.
So even though the New England Patriots are secretly treating this Colts' week as a hot dog with extra Chinese mustard on it, the team is so motivated to get back to the Super Bowl - not to mention being pumped up for their hated division rival, the New York Jets - that any notion of a let down after playing the Colts on Sunday night is absurd.
That said, just how will the Patriots exact their revenge on the Colts?
Next, Part 2: Patriots' offense vs. Colts' defense....
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