Where would you place the Pats dynasty all time

[Citizen]

When you're talking about a team anchored by the same coach and same quarterback over a decade-plus span, the Patriots stand alone. The Brown-Graham Browns are probably the closest thing to an antecedent, at least if one counts their AAFC rule.

As mentioned, these Patriots could easily be 3-5 or worse in Super Bowls had they not benefited so often in close games from execution errors and coaching blunders by the opposition. Then again, if a few more miracles go their way, they could be 8-0.

It's folly to compare sports, especially across eras, but just for laughs, here are some other unquestioned dynasties over an arbitrary 17-year span:

New York Yankees, 1927-43: 10 World Series appearances, 9 championships
Montreal Canadiens, 1944-60: 13 Stanley Cup appearances, 8 championships
New York Yankees, 1949-65: 14 World Series appearances, 9 championships
Boston Celtics: 1957-73: 12 NBA finals appearances, 11 championships
UCLA Bruins (NCAA basketball), 1960-76: 13 Final Four appearances, 10 championships
Montreal Canadiens, 1965-81: 11 Stanley Cup appearances, 10 championships

[7DnBrnc53]

and the closest parallel that comes to mind (and I am crossing sports to do so) is the John Wooden UCLA teams, where he was winning every year whilst having to continuously turn over his roster every three or four years. Of course, Wooden had the advantage of being able to recruit the creme of the high school crop. Of course the Patriots aren't winning the Championship every year like UCLA was in the 60's and early 70's, but I've never seen a coach who plugs the gaps better than Belichick, that if there is a weakness with his team you never know it because he has the problem fixed before it becomes a problem.

Both of those teams have something in common: They cheated, and the governing bodies (NCAA, NFL) did very little about it. The Pats are the NFL's darlings (and, their owner is a major power broker in the league), and the NCAA didn't go after UCLA because they wanted that West Coast TV money.

[JohnH19]

and the closest parallel that comes to mind (and I am crossing sports to do so) is the John Wooden UCLA teams, where he was winning every year whilst having to continuously turn over his roster every three or four years. Of course, Wooden had the advantage of being able to recruit the creme of the high school crop. Of course the Patriots aren't winning the Championship every year like UCLA was in the 60's and early 70's, but I've never seen a coach who plugs the gaps better than Belichick, that if there is a weakness with his team you never know it because he has the problem fixed before it becomes a problem.

Both of those teams have something in common: They cheated, and the governing bodies (NCAA, NFL) did very little about it. The Pats are the NFL's darlings (and, their owner is a major power broker in the league), and the NCAA didn't go after UCLA because they wanted that West Coast TV money.

Your hero, Brady, gets a four game suspension a year and a half after supposedly deflating footballs in a game where they scored 17 points in the half with the "illegal" balls and 28 in the second half with regulation balls and you think the league looked the other way? Take off your blinders.

[7DnBrnc53]

Your hero, Brady, gets a four game suspension a year and a half after supposedly deflating footballs in a game where they scored 17 points in the half with the "illegal" balls and 28 in the second half with regulation balls and you think the league looked the other way? Take off your blinders.

I am talking about Spygate. A fine and a loss of a first-round pick wasn't enough.

[JohnH19]

So you're picking and choosing whichever situations suit your opinions best? A first round pick is a pretty stiff penalty for just about anything.

[7DnBrnc53]

So you're picking and choosing whichever situations suit your opinions best? A first round pick is a pretty stiff penalty for just about anything.

It didn't matter. They still had a top-10 pick that they got from SF. And, who knows if Kraft really paid the fine.

[JohnH19]

So you're picking and choosing whichever situations suit your opinions best? A first round pick is a pretty stiff penalty for just about anything.

It didn't matter. They still had a top-10 pick that they got from SF. And, who knows if Kraft really paid the fine.

Did they cheat to get that pick, too? The real reason losing that pick didn't matter is that they kept right on winning...and winning and winning. I wish I was a Pats fan but, no, I suffer endlessly with my close but no cigar Vikings.

I hesitate to ask but what are your thoughts on the Brady suspension?

[JuggernautJ]

I would place the Patriots in the first tier of "modern" dynasties:
Brown's Browns, Lombardi's Packers, Noll's Steelers, Walsh's 49ers.

To pick one out of that group would require a personal preference (longevity vs peak, for example) and comparisons across eras. In other words, opinion.
That said, it would be hard not to put the Patriots at or near the top of even that esteemed list.

[NWebster]

I actually think that for longevity, changing cast and consistent very goodness without having greatest team of all time discussions that the Spurs recent NBA run is the most natural parallel. From Robinson to Duncan to Kawai Leonard, etc.

[rhickok1109]

I actually think that for longevity, changing cast and consistent very goodness without having greatest team of all time discussions that the Spurs recent NBA run is the most natural parallel. From Robinson to Duncan to Kawai Leonard, etc.

Of course, the constant there is Gregg Popovich, who should be in the greatest coach of all time discussion: in the playoffs 20 consecutive years, 5 NBA titles, and 3 Coach of the Year awards.