It's Always Something With These Guys

It looks like Shank's at the Super Bowl this week, so let's look at some past Patriots Super Bowls and the side themes:

Super Bowl week is seldom about the game when it involves the Patriots

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s always something with the Patriots during Super Bowl week.

Seriously. Can’t New England’s Flying Elvises just show up and play a football game? Can’t they be like every other Super Bowl team and inspire normal grid speak about cover-2, read-option, long snapping, and “contain?”

Nope. When the Patriots come to the Super Bowl, we get a big bowl of distraction. In a record 12 trips to the ultimate game, the Patriots have alternately made the Super Bowl about cocaine, a coach-owner squabble, spying, perfection, ideal gas laws, and revenge.

Now the Patriots are back with a lovable, underdog team that won only four games in each of the last two seasons. Drake Maye, New England’s ah-shucks quarterback, and his wife are America’s Sweethearts and there’s barely been any controversy on the path to Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium.

All of which makes it unfortunate that instead of Patriots-Seahawks, we’re talking about Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former longtime coach Bill Belichick both getting blocked from the Pro Football Hall of Fame . . . and Kraft’s name in the Epstein files . . . and MAGA Bob’s new bestie, the polarizing president of the United States.