Hey, Bob from Quincy! Put a Sock in It

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." – Teddy Roosevelt

It is times like now when I truly appreciate Teddy Roosevelt’s quote. In the days since the Super Bowl we have all been bombarded with negativity and whining about the Patriots performance in the game. Whether it is the media, talk show callers or your friends and neighbors, I am sure you have heard your share of Monday morning quarterbacking and bashing of the Patriots. A team that went 13-3 and came within 3 minutes of winning the Super Bowl are now supposedly a bunch of losers.

According to the know-it-alls, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick just aren't that good. Wes Welker? Oh he went from being the best wide receiver in football to a choker in the time it takes to drop a football. And Giselle Bundchen? How dare she be human and say what she feels, while being heckled by a Giants fan, minutes after the loss. I'm surprised no one has taken a shot at Myra Kraft, but it's still early.

The fact is, the Patriots had a great season and came up short, but it sure wasn’t for lack of trying or caring. And as far as Giselle goes – Good for her. Everyone has a right to be human, even rich super models who love their husbands.

The real losers are the whiners and crybabies who would rather attack the Patriots than be thankful for the great season they gave us.

Thank you Patriots and good luck next year.