20 Years of Excellence

When I was a freshmen in college, I remember watching the Super Bowl from my dorm room with a few of the new friends I had made.  We watched on a small 20 inch RCA television the New England Patriots - a team who had been to Super Bowls before only to fall short - against the St. Louis Rams and their high-powered offense.  We watched as the Patriots, who chose to be introduced as a team instead as individuals (a trend which has continued ever since) went on to beat the highly favored Rams team for their first Super Bowl victory.

Fast forward to last night.  Yes the story of the Patriots success is well-documented.  Yes, everyone outside of New England might be suffering from Patriots’ fatigue.  But 17 years later, as I sat in my own home with my wife and children, there was the same quarterback of the New England Patriots winning another Super Bowl.

There are few things in life that have consistent longevity over a 20 year span.  As I texted friends on my iPhone last night, the very idea of sending an SMS message was foreign 17 years ago while I played snake on my Nokia 3310.  3 different men have occupied the White Hope during the time that Tom Brady has collected 6 Super Bowl championships.

So while most of the nation is likely tired of seeing another parade in Boston and another championship banner hung in Gillette Stadium, take a minute to at least appreciate the sustained period excellence that Tom Brady and Bill Bellichik have created in two decades.  In a world where so much has changed since 2002, No. 12 leading his team to yet another world championship has remained the same.