By: Jared Piliero
I grew up in New England, where sports have always been taken as seriously as religion. You were either a fan of all Boston teams or you were a traitor to the region.
Being a New England Patriots fan during the 2010s was one of the greatest experiences a kid could have. We won our division almost every year and even played in the Super Bowl more times than some teams made it to the playoffs.
The first Super Bowl that I can clearly remember was Super Bowl XLIX, the New England Patriots versus the Seattle Seahawks. With two minutes left in the game, the Patriots were leading 28-24, but the Seahawks had possession of the ball and worked their way down the field quite efficiently.
I remember watching Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks’ star running back, carry the ball and get tackled at the one-yard line. With 26 seconds left, arguably the most shocking play in Super Bowl history occurred. Instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch, who almost definitely would have scored the winning touchdown, Russell Wilson, the Seahawks’ quarterback, attempted to throw the ball. I heard commentator Al Michaels shout, “Pass is INTERCEPTED AT THE GOAL LINE BY MALCOLM BUTLER!” I was shocked! We had stopped Seattle and won the Super Bowl!
That was truly the start of the Patriots dynasty of the 2010s. After that Super Bowl, we ended up winning two more, Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII. However, after the 2019 Super Bowl, I sensed a feeling in the air that the end was coming.
I was partially correct, as New England was eliminated in the Wild Card round of playoffs the following year by the Tennessee Titans, an astonishing defeat for Tom Brady and the Patriots. After that season ended, Brady announced he was not re-signing with New England, a heartbreaking loss for the Patriots and all of us fans.
After that, it went downhill. We missed the playoffs in the last four out of five seasons and ended up fourth in our division for the last two years. Our legendary coach, Bill Belichick, left at the end of the 2023 season.
As a football fan, it was such an awesome experience to watch the Patriots dominate the NFL for 20-plus years, but I know that dynasties can’t last forever. It’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing we were at the top of the game for so long but now have to deal with poor staffing choices and underdeveloped players.
I sometimes feel resentment toward the Kansas City Chiefs while seeing them create a dynasty of their own in recent years, but I stop myself from feeling that way by thinking about the kids who are growing up like I did, with their team being the best.
Growing up with Tom Brady leading the Patriots truly was a magical experience, and I’m excited to see who could be next.