Circus Clown's Juggling Act

Shank attempts to create a new angle on the upcoming Super Bowl:

Patriot Monday started with a pep rally just before noon in City Hall Plaza. The Patriots were madly cheered by frozen, storm-scared fans, all of whom had been energized and emboldened by Belichick’s Mona Lisa Vito deflation manifesto at Gillette on Saturday.

With that, the Patriots’ swagger was back. They are better and badder than ever. And they don’t care what anybody thinks, says, or writes. Flipping the bird at the league and a nation of skeptics, the Patriots trotted out Super Bowl champ Jermaine Wiggins for Monday’s send-off, and Wiggy whipped the loyal legions into a frenzy, telling them, “They hate us ’cause they ain’t us!’’

So, a press conference by Bill Belichick and a rally at Boston's City Hall seems to, in Shank's mind, mean everything's hunky dory?

The defiant Patriots have emerged as perhaps the most polarizing team in the history of American sports. They are loved and revered at home; perceived as cheaters almost everywhere else.

Mike already shot this notion down a few days ago, like a Zero over Midway. Might want to lay off this line of hyperbole for the rest of the week.

Weak alliteration, anyone?

A lot of trembling trepidation.

But wait - what's this?

Truly amazing. Only the Patriots could work in a world in which a portion of folks think New England is unfairly targeted by folks jealous of the Patriot success . . . while other critics believe the unholy alliance between Kraft and Goodell will produce a bag job investigation on par with the much-mocked Mueller Report.

Sorry, Patriots fans, but what was true Thursday is true today. Locally, this could wind up being the favorite Patriot team of all time, but nationally their legacy is tarnished . . . because of Spygate and this new investigation. If you want to make the case that they are the most unfairly maligned champions in history, knock yourself out. Perhaps the Patriots and their fans can use the hate to their advantage on Sunday.

This is simply Shank offering up two different notions in the same column and once again straddling the fence so he can change his opinion in subsequent columns to suit his agenda.