Nathan Shrader’s Official, Unbiased NFL Preview: Belichick for the Gold

Face it folks. Nobody likes a winner, especially a perennial winner.

Back in 1993 during his triumphant return to World Championship Wrestling, all-time great Ric Flair appeared in a series of segments called “Flair for the Gold,” showcasing the former mutli-time world champion training and preparing for another run at the title. Flair, always a champion, was despised in the scripts by his competitors and generally jeered by fans not just because of his provocative nature, but also because he always found a way to win.

The New York Yankees, known by some as the Bronx Bombers and the rest of us as the Evil Empire have collected a record 26 World Series Championships, 39 American League Pennants, 15 Eastern Division Titles, and three Wild Card berths. The Pinstripers have retired so many numbers—17 to be exact—their current players are nearing the point of wearing fractions on their jerseys. Successful, yes. Beloved, no.

The same can be said of other flourishing, triumphant industrialists like Donald Trump, Andrew Carnegie, and Andrew Mellon: they always won, and they were usually despised while doing it. Same with certain politicians like Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon—they were either always winning or winning and then disgracing themselves only to become winners (and forgiven) all over again.

What does this have to do with the NFL in 2008 and why is this called an NFL preview? Perhaps because it leads to a logical explanation of the one and only item to bank on this football season: another season of dominance by the New England Patriots.

Perhaps the 2008 New England Patriots training camp should have been called “Belichick for the Gold,” tracing the off-season planning of the NFL’s finest coach.

Capitalizing on their status as the most successful NFL dynasty of the decade, the team of the millennium, and a perfect regular 2007 season, the Patriots are everyone’s favorite team to hate. However, just like Ric Flair, the Yankees, Trump, Carnegie, and Nixon, hating them until you are blue in the face will not cause them to yield. It will only make their resolve to pummel your favorite team into the ground that much stronger (remember that awesome 52-7 beat down they furnished the Redskins last October?).

And as with Flair and company, Belichick and the Patriots will bring home the gold again this year.

The addition of Brett Favre to the AFC East has posed some questions as to whether New England’s dominance of their conference and division will continue. While the sports world teemed with excitement over Favre’s leap from the frigid, desolate tundra of Green Bay to the slimy, desolate wasteland of New York/North Jersey, some Favre fans such as I were left disappointed knowing that the legendary Number 4 will have to suffer two regular season divisional losses to New England not to mention play under the chronic complainer himself, Eric Mangini.

And now without further delay…

Shrader Official/Exclusive 2008 Season Predictions:

AFC Championship Game: Patriots vs. Browns

NFC Championship Game: Cowboys vs. Packers

SuperBowl Champion: Patriots over Cowboys

New Jersey Giants Record: 4 wins, 12 losses

New Jersey Jets Record: 6 wins, 10 losses (2 against New England)

Number of excuses for McNabb’s weak first half performance: 47

Number of times Madden calls Favre a “legend:” 1,355

Number of times Browns defeat Steelers: 2 of 2

Number of starts before Bears bench Kyle Orton: 4

Pounds gained by Eagles coach Andy Reid: 32 (regular season only)

Convictions of Andy Reid’s 2 offspring: 2 for 2 (again)

Chance of Ravens and their fans continuing to denigrate institution of football: 100%

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