Why I hate the New England Patriots

Tonight (Feb. 5, 2012), the AFC Champion New England Patriots will take on the NFC Champion New York Giants at Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis, Indiana to determine who is the best football team in all the land.

I will be cheering for the Giants, and it's not because I'm a Giants fan.

Nay, I don't worship at the throne of Eli Manning or kneel before the always scowling Tom Coughlin. I don't dislike either of them, but I'd be being disingenuous if I pretend to be a New York Giants die-hard.

I'm a Raiders fan. Always have been. Through thick and thin (mostly thin). So, as you might expect, this time of year doesn't usually give me much to cheer for, from an NFL perspective.

My team never makes it, so I don't really have anyone else to cheer for. Luckily, the New England Patriots seem to make it every year. This is useful, because I may not have a team to cheer for, but I do have a team to cheer against.

Why would I cheer against the "Pats?" The answer is simple:

I hate them.

It all started on Jan. 19, 2002.

As previously stated, I'm a Raiders fan. The Raiders are never good. Mediocre at best. But that year, we were able to win our division (somehow, after losing the final three games of the season).

In the first round of the playoffs, we took on the New York Jets, who we soundly defeated by a score of 38 to 24. Things were looking up. This was going to be our year!

Next up? The New England Patriots. They had a bye in the first round. It was only Tom Brady's second season as an NFL starting quarterback. He was still somewhat unproven, after taking over for the fan-favorite Drew Bledsoe. (Believe it or not, it was a move that a lot of Patriots fans questioned and were upset about. Suffice it to say, they're pretty okay with the decision nowadays.)

The Raiders were ahead by three points. The clock was expiring and the Patriots had the ball and were in the middle of one last drive. Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson blitzed. He went almost totally unblocked. He came in on Brady's blindside and hit him like a tackling dummy. Brady never saw him coming. He went down like a sack of potatoes.

So did the football.

We recovered and it looked like the game was over. We would win by a narrow margin, escaping to face another day and play in the AFC championship game opposite the

Pittsburgh Steelers for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

Then the whistle blew. The flag was thrown. The play was under review.

Most football fans have, by now, already picked up on the fact that I'm talking about the famed "Tuck Rule Game." Those of you who know this are aware of what comes next.

The officials ruled that Brady's arm was going forward in a "throwing motion." They ruled that it was not a fumble, but an incomplete pass. It let the Patriots keep the ball, kick a field goal as the final seconds of regulation time ticked off the clock and to go to overtime where they beat the Raiders and sent them home, once and for all.

Look, I know the Raiders had a hand in their own demise. They could have handled business in overtime and they didn't. That said, it was a super lucky break for the Patriots, and it's what started the snowball that led to the mountainous dynasty we now see before us.

It just seems like those kind of things never stopped happening. A team misses a chip shot field goal -- New England wins. A team fumbles in their own end zone when they're punting the ball away. The Patriots are victorious. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it's all luck. Lots of teams have fortune smile on them and are still unable to capitalize. 

If I'm being honest, I admit that Bill Bellichick is the best coach in the NFL and one of the greatest coaches of all time. I'll also admit that Tom Brady is right up there with some of the best quarterbacks to ever live.

But I hate admitting both things. It hurts my fingers to type it. I detest Bellichick. I loathe Tom Brady. I hate them. I feel nauseous when I see them on TV. When I see a car in front of me with that stupid Patriot mascot in the 4-point stance as a bumper sticker on its fender, I want to rev my engine and send them spiraling into a ditch.

I'm not proud of this, but I'm being honest.

So, tonight, I will be cheering for the New York Giants. If they win, it won't fix what happened 10 years ago. Nothing will. But will it make me feel better?

You betcha!

Go Giants!

What team are you rooting for and why?