Charles Barkley says Patriot fans takes team for granted

[Cman]

I think Barkley talks too much, in general.

But, I do think there is an element of truth to what he is saying, that goes beyond the Pats: New England/Boston teams have had a remarkable run the past decade and a half.

Since 2000, the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots have each won at least one championship, and been contenders in many other years. The Patriots more so than the other three. This isn't something to do with the fanbase, but rather the fact that all four teams have good things going for them at roughly the same time. It is a rare, rare thing.

It does have to do with the fan base. The Pats were horrid. The team was bought by a fan. Now it's the best team in the league and everyone knows it. Celts were bought by a fan. I think John Henry is essentially a fan.

You cannot say that New England fans aren't exceptionally supportive and demanding. It absolutely makes a difference. Players don't just show up here to collect a check and if they do they aren't here long.  They know what the expectations are here and if they don't they get told fast.

(1) I agree that the prior owners of the Celtics (Gastons) were absolutely horrid. But that's not to say you can't have non-homegrown fans do a good job (Yawkey, Henry for the Red Sox).

(2) Yes, I agree that the fans are exceptionally demanding. I totally agree with that. It just means we as fans will be miserable for a long time after this current crop of success is over. It doesn't guarantee success though.  Success comes to teams in places with cruddy fans all the time (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and there a places with great, dedicated fans who lose repeated Super Bowls (Buffalo Bills).

[Donoghus]

Some of them certainly do.  Especially much of the younger generation who don't really know any better (25 & younger) and don't remember the tv blackouts, Rod Rust era, Lisa Olsen, etc.  Also, the pink hat crowd but they'll be gone with this run ends anyways.

Certainly try to savor it while you can.  The past 12 years has been special and to be savored.  You have 2 people (Brady/Belichick) who are top 5 all time at their craft as part of the same team.  Do you know how many fanbases who die to just have one?

[Eja117]

I love Barkley. He's the man.

Can't say he's wrong either. When Bill and Brady leave, people aren't going to know what to do with themselves.

I'll just watch the next great coach/QB combo.  Maybe Bill O'Brien and Christian Hackenberg

There was life in Pittsburgh after the 1970s. There was life in San Fran after Montana. There was life after Red stopped coaching. There was life after Schilling and Francona and Theo Epstein. 

[paidthecost2betheboss]

I grew up in Boston from 75 to 88. I went to about 100 Red Sox games and they won about 20 of em. Let me tell you the biggest memories for Boston fans for 20 years were Bobby Orr, Carlton Fisk....who hit a Homer in a series we lost...think about that for a sec. The Fisk homer was a highlight for an entire baseball generation. The Pats? Steve Grogan. We had a All Pro offensive lineman but the Pats were so ugly it was unbelievable for so long. The Celtics had seats filled with Sox and bruins and Pats fans who had nothing else to cheer besides Larry and Co.

I think a lot of folks have lost their memory or were to young. I transplanted to Hawaii (my home) and live in Japan right now but Barkley is not wrong. The poster who had a friend ask how Boston was such a winning city.....man if I had heard that such a thing would be uttered in the future back in ...oh....85 I woulda thought that's a joke. I think a lot of you are lucky to have missed or forgotten how bad it sucked to watch a catcher (Fisk) be the poster child for grit and glory. We lost that series. We knew it. We sucked. We had nothing else to hold onto.

These are good times.

Enjoy it.

[Eja117]

I grew up in Boston from 75 to 88. I went to about 100 Red Sox games and they won about 20 of em. Let me tell you the biggest memories for Boston fans for 20 years were Bobby Orr, Carlton Fisk....who hit a Homer in a series we lost...think about that for a sec. The Fisk homer was a highlight for an entire baseball generation. The Pats? Steve Grogan. We had a All Pro offensive lineman but the Pats were so ugly it was unbelievable for so long. The Celtics had seats filled with Sox and bruins and Pats fans who had nothing else to cheer besides Larry and Co.

I think a lot of folks have lost their memory or were to young. I transplanted to Hawaii (my home) and live in Japan right now but Barkley is not wrong. The poster who had a friend ask how Boston was such a winning city.....man if I had heard that such a thing would be uttered in the future back in ...oh....85 I woulda thought that's a joke. I think a lot of you are lucky to have missed or forgotten how bad it sucked to watch a catcher (Fisk) be the poster child for grit and glory. We lost that series. We knew it. We sucked. We had nothing else to hold onto.

These are good times.

Enjoy it.

Interesting you chose 85 because the very next year the Celts won a championship and every other team went to the finals. If you're gonna remember the bad times you also have to remember the good times.

In fact....I think you are sorta proving Barkley's point that we take our awesomeness for granted. You just said we were in the World Series and we sucked. Yup. That is  a New England fan type statement. Definitely.

[Boris Badenov]

Boston fans are different, but Barkley's missing a key point.

One of the reasons Boston teams have had so much success may be precisely *because* our fans are dedicated, knowledgable and have high expectations. One feeds into the other.

At this point, when one of our teams (like the Celts) hits the skids, there is constant demand from fans and media to get back to the top. Even from a purely financial perspective this is a huge benefit. Demand creates supply.

I've lived in many other cities, and in a lot of them - not coincidentally the ones that are in constant mediocrity - that pressure is just not there.

I think the high expectations we all have are in fact a contributor to Boston's being such a successful sports town.

Also, I think Barkley's confusing two related issues. I think you can both have high expectations and appreciate what you have. I know a lot of us on this board feel that way, from reading comments over the years.

[Eja117]

Barkley is confusing sports with a movie. I go to a movie to enjoy it. I go to a sports game to see my team win. One is a competitive thing and the other isn't. New England fans get that.

His whole "Hey man. Enjoy it. You're privileged to be watching us" type thing doesn't go over here. No Charles. You're privileged that we're watching you. Now go win or go somewhere else. We're New England and we don't tolerate non competitiveness. You can go hang out with Josh Becket and Vin Baker and all the other guys that ate  and drank themselves out of competitiveness. And when you're eating just enjoy it and appreciate it.

[Cman]

Also, I think Barkley's confusing two related issues. I think you can both have high expectations and appreciate what you have. I know a lot of us on this board feel that way, from reading comments over the years.

^^Agreed.

His whole "Hey man. Enjoy it. You're privileged to be watching us" type thing doesn't go over here. No Charles. You're privileged that we're watching you.

^^^Hahaha. Agreed on the Barkley point.

"New England fans say Charles Barkley takes his media opportunities for granted."
Live it up while you can Barkley -- cuz it aint gonna last!

[kozlodoev]

Barkley is a yapper who is paid to stir stuff. I guess it trickles over in his regular activity.

I think one of the main reasons Pats fans take recent losses so hard is because they realize full well Brady's football mortality. I don't see how this is related to expecting to win every game, though.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I have seen quite the opposite this year, in my opinion.  This team has been a joy to watch and I've seen and heard a lot of people saying just that.  We're going to the AFC title game with 5 starters we signed off the street like we're filming the 4th sequel to that Marky Mark movie

[D.o.s.]

Barkley is confusing sports with a movie. I go to a movie to enjoy it. I go to a sports game to see my team win. One is a competitive thing and the other isn't. New England fans get that.

His whole "Hey man. Enjoy it. You're privileged to be watching us" type thing doesn't go over here. No Charles. You're privileged that we're watching you. Now go win or go somewhere else. We're New England and we don't tolerate non competitiveness. You can go hang out with Josh Becket and Vin Baker and all the other guys that ate  and drank themselves out of competitiveness. And when you're eating just enjoy it and appreciate it.

New England fans are more obnoxious about their teams, for sure--and I'll paint myself in that category.

But this whole "Title town" thing is really only a byproduct of the last ten years of success across all the sports teams.

[paidthecost2betheboss]

I grew up in Boston from 75 to 88. I went to about 100 Red Sox games and they won about 20 of em. Let me tell you the biggest memories for Boston fans for 20 years were Bobby Orr, Carlton Fisk....who hit a Homer in a series we lost...think about that for a sec. The Fisk homer was a highlight for an entire baseball generation. The Pats? Steve Grogan. We had a All Pro offensive lineman but the Pats were so ugly it was unbelievable for so long. The Celtics had seats filled with Sox and bruins and Pats fans who had nothing else to cheer besides Larry and Co.

I think a lot of folks have lost their memory or were to young. I transplanted to Hawaii (my home) and live in Japan right now but Barkley is not wrong. The poster who had a friend ask how Boston was such a winning city.....man if I had heard that such a thing would be uttered in the future back in ...oh....85 I woulda thought that's a joke. I think a lot of you are lucky to have missed or forgotten how bad it sucked to watch a catcher (Fisk) be the poster child for grit and glory. We lost that series. We knew it. We sucked. We had nothing else to hold onto.

These are good times.

Enjoy it.

Interesting you chose 85 because the very next year the Celts won a championship and every other team went to the finals. If you're gonna remember the bad times you also have to remember the good times.

In fact....I think you are sorta proving Barkley's point that we take our awesomeness for granted. You just said we were in the World Series and we sucked. Yup. That is  a New England fan type statement. Definitely.

Buckner.
The Pats lost.

BTW
I saw a Celts 76ers game. Stood on the floor behind Danny DeVito who's autograph I got and was given a better pen by his wife who I thought was just his castmate Carla. Carla gave me the pen and I asked Larry Bird for an autograph and he yelled, not whispered...he yelled "___ OFF!!" as he went into the tunnel. Danny was appropriately blown watching an 11 year old get that kinda venom. it was 1983 and I was 11. Larry Bird was a ...I met a lot of sports folks in Boston but Larry took the cake. I never followed the Celts again until K.G. came.   

Did you watch the Buckner game? I did. It was so unreal.
Like our curse "The curse of the Bambino" how often do folks hear that now? Do kids remember?

I'm a diehard Eagles fan. The Pats? My friend wore their Jacket in 1982ish....I felt sorry for him. It musta been a gift? He knew nothing of football. The Celts? Larry Legend screamed a word at me I hadn't heard much and never got in that manner from anyone. The Bruins? Not too much of a Hockey fan. The Sox? I was at that game in an obstructed view seat because even with my dads connects that's what i got. i moved later but we all thought it was about to happen. That 2004 euphoria? I was IN BOSTON and we were counting down the outs. It was a long at bat and I was on the 1st base side. Everybody jumped and then froze. It's hard to explain. Was anybody else on these boards there? I feel sick just remembering. I felt bad for Stanley steamer for being in there when it happened. Put your glove on the ground. They teach us that in t-ball.

I am not arguing. I was there. It was a slow torture being anything besides a Celts fan and Larry Legend soured me for 20 years.

[sed522002]

I grew up in Boston from 75 to 88. I went to about 100 Red Sox games and they won about 20 of em. Let me tell you the biggest memories for Boston fans for 20 years were Bobby Orr, Carlton Fisk....who hit a Homer in a series we lost...think about that for a sec. The Fisk homer was a highlight for an entire baseball generation. The Pats? Steve Grogan. We had a All Pro offensive lineman but the Pats were so ugly it was unbelievable for so long. The Celtics had seats filled with Sox and bruins and Pats fans who had nothing else to cheer besides Larry and Co.

I think a lot of folks have lost their memory or were to young. I transplanted to Hawaii (my home) and live in Japan right now but Barkley is not wrong. The poster who had a friend ask how Boston was such a winning city.....man if I had heard that such a thing would be uttered in the future back in ...oh....85 I woulda thought that's a joke. I think a lot of you are lucky to have missed or forgotten how bad it sucked to watch a catcher (Fisk) be the poster child for grit and glory. We lost that series. We knew it. We sucked. We had nothing else to hold onto.

These are good times.

Enjoy it.

Interesting you chose 85 because the very next year the Celts won a championship and every other team went to the finals. If you're gonna remember the bad times you also have to remember the good times.

In fact....I think you are sorta proving Barkley's point that we take our awesomeness for granted. You just said we were in the World Series and we sucked. Yup. That is  a New England fan type statement. Definitely.

Buckner.
The Pats lost.

BTW
I saw a Celts 76ers game. Stood on the floor behind Danny DeVito who's autograph I got and was given a better pen by his wife who I thought was just his castmate Carla. Carla gave me the pen and I asked Larry Bird for an autograph and he yelled, not whispered...he yelled "___ OFF!!" as he went into the tunnel. Danny was appropriately blown watching an 11 year old get that kinda venom. it was 1983 and I was 11. Larry Bird was a ...I met a lot of sports folks in Boston but Larry took the cake. I never followed the Celts again until K.G. came.   

Did you watch the Buckner game? I did. It was so unreal.
Like our curse "The curse of the Bambino" how often do folks hear that now? Do kids remember?

I'm a diehard Eagles fan. The Pats? My friend wore their Jacket in 1982ish....I felt sorry for him. It musta been a gift? He knew nothing of football. The Celts? Larry Legend screamed a word at me I hadn't heard much and never got in that manner from anyone. The Bruins? Not too much of a Hockey fan. The Sox? I was at that game in an obstructed view seat because even with my dads connects that's what i got. i moved later but we all thought it was about to happen. That 2004 euphoria? I was IN BOSTON and we were counting down the outs. It was a long at bat and I was on the 1st base side. Everybody jumped and then froze. It's hard to explain. Was anybody else on these boards there? I feel sick just remembering. I felt bad for Stanley steamer for being in there when it happened. Put your glove on the ground. They teach us that in t-ball.

I am not arguing. I was there. It was a slow torture being anything besides a Celts fan and Larry Legend soured me for 20 years.

Oh wow..I can only imagine how you felt as a kid. Did the C's lose that game that night?

[paidthecost2betheboss]

I grew up in Boston from 75 to 88. I went to about 100 Red Sox games and they won about 20 of em. Let me tell you the biggest memories for Boston fans for 20 years were Bobby Orr, Carlton Fisk....who hit a Homer in a series we lost...think about that for a sec. The Fisk homer was a highlight for an entire baseball generation. The Pats? Steve Grogan. We had a All Pro offensive lineman but the Pats were so ugly it was unbelievable for so long. The Celtics had seats filled with Sox and bruins and Pats fans who had nothing else to cheer besides Larry and Co.

I think a lot of folks have lost their memory or were to young. I transplanted to Hawaii (my home) and live in Japan right now but Barkley is not wrong. The poster who had a friend ask how Boston was such a winning city.....man if I had heard that such a thing would be uttered in the future back in ...oh....85 I woulda thought that's a joke. I think a lot of you are lucky to have missed or forgotten how bad it sucked to watch a catcher (Fisk) be the poster child for grit and glory. We lost that series. We knew it. We sucked. We had nothing else to hold onto.

These are good times.

Enjoy it.

Interesting you chose 85 because the very next year the Celts won a championship and every other team went to the finals. If you're gonna remember the bad times you also have to remember the good times.

In fact....I think you are sorta proving Barkley's point that we take our awesomeness for granted. You just said we were in the World Series and we sucked. Yup. That is  a New England fan type statement. Definitely.

Buckner.
The Pats lost.

BTW
I saw a Celts 76ers game. Stood on the floor behind Danny DeVito who's autograph I got and was given a better pen by his wife who I thought was just his castmate Carla. Carla gave me the pen and I asked Larry Bird for an autograph and he yelled, not whispered...he yelled "___ OFF!!" as he went into the tunnel. Danny was appropriately blown watching an 11 year old get that kinda venom. it was 1983 and I was 11. Larry Bird was a ...I met a lot of sports folks in Boston but Larry took the cake. I never followed the Celts again until K.G. came.   

Did you watch the Buckner game? I did. It was so unreal.
Like our curse "The curse of the Bambino" how often do folks hear that now? Do kids remember?

I'm a diehard Eagles fan. The Pats? My friend wore their Jacket in 1982ish....I felt sorry for him. It musta been a gift? He knew nothing of football. The Celts? Larry Legend screamed a word at me I hadn't heard much and never got in that manner from anyone. The Bruins? Not too much of a Hockey fan. The Sox? I was at that game in an obstructed view seat because even with my dads connects that's what i got. i moved later but we all thought it was about to happen. That 2004 euphoria? I was IN BOSTON and we were counting down the outs. It was a long at bat and I was on the 1st base side. Everybody jumped and then froze. It's hard to explain. Was anybody else on these boards there? I feel sick just remembering. I felt bad for Stanley steamer for being in there when it happened. Put your glove on the ground. They teach us that in t-ball.

I am not arguing. I was there. It was a slow torture being anything besides a Celts fan and Larry Legend soured me for 20 years.

Oh wow..I can only imagine how you felt as a kid. Did the C's lose that game that night?

The "highlight" of this era of the rivalry was a 1983 exhibition game that featured 3 separate fights- Moses Malone/Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird/Marc Iavaroni, and Gerald Henderson/Sedale Threatt. During Bird/Iavaroni, Bird ripped 76ers coach Billy Cunningham's sportsjacket in half. The fight was reaching a peak when 66-year-old Red Auerbach came down from the stands to restore order.

Found this while trying to pin the date. I played football and emotions run high but Larry was a lunatic and he scared the crap outta me. 11. I was still playing with Star Wars toys and maybe realized the truth behind Santa just a few years prior. The dude was a loon and it took K.G. to get me over my butt hurt and come back into the fold. Larry is a loon and I can vouche for that.

[sed522002]

I grew up in Boston from 75 to 88. I went to about 100 Red Sox games and they won about 20 of em. Let me tell you the biggest memories for Boston fans for 20 years were Bobby Orr, Carlton Fisk....who hit a Homer in a series we lost...think about that for a sec. The Fisk homer was a highlight for an entire baseball generation. The Pats? Steve Grogan. We had a All Pro offensive lineman but the Pats were so ugly it was unbelievable for so long. The Celtics had seats filled with Sox and bruins and Pats fans who had nothing else to cheer besides Larry and Co.

I think a lot of folks have lost their memory or were to young. I transplanted to Hawaii (my home) and live in Japan right now but Barkley is not wrong. The poster who had a friend ask how Boston was such a winning city.....man if I had heard that such a thing would be uttered in the future back in ...oh....85 I woulda thought that's a joke. I think a lot of you are lucky to have missed or forgotten how bad it sucked to watch a catcher (Fisk) be the poster child for grit and glory. We lost that series. We knew it. We sucked. We had nothing else to hold onto.

These are good times.

Enjoy it.

Interesting you chose 85 because the very next year the Celts won a championship and every other team went to the finals. If you're gonna remember the bad times you also have to remember the good times.

In fact....I think you are sorta proving Barkley's point that we take our awesomeness for granted. You just said we were in the World Series and we sucked. Yup. That is  a New England fan type statement. Definitely.

Buckner.
The Pats lost.

BTW
I saw a Celts 76ers game. Stood on the floor behind Danny DeVito who's autograph I got and was given a better pen by his wife who I thought was just his castmate Carla. Carla gave me the pen and I asked Larry Bird for an autograph and he yelled, not whispered...he yelled "___ OFF!!" as he went into the tunnel. Danny was appropriately blown watching an 11 year old get that kinda venom. it was 1983 and I was 11. Larry Bird was a ...I met a lot of sports folks in Boston but Larry took the cake. I never followed the Celts again until K.G. came.   

Did you watch the Buckner game? I did. It was so unreal.
Like our curse "The curse of the Bambino" how often do folks hear that now? Do kids remember?

I'm a diehard Eagles fan. The Pats? My friend wore their Jacket in 1982ish....I felt sorry for him. It musta been a gift? He knew nothing of football. The Celts? Larry Legend screamed a word at me I hadn't heard much and never got in that manner from anyone. The Bruins? Not too much of a Hockey fan. The Sox? I was at that game in an obstructed view seat because even with my dads connects that's what i got. i moved later but we all thought it was about to happen. That 2004 euphoria? I was IN BOSTON and we were counting down the outs. It was a long at bat and I was on the 1st base side. Everybody jumped and then froze. It's hard to explain. Was anybody else on these boards there? I feel sick just remembering. I felt bad for Stanley steamer for being in there when it happened. Put your glove on the ground. They teach us that in t-ball.

I am not arguing. I was there. It was a slow torture being anything besides a Celts fan and Larry Legend soured me for 20 years.

Oh wow..I can only imagine how you felt as a kid. Did the C's lose that game that night?

The "highlight" of this era of the rivalry was a 1983 exhibition game that featured 3 separate fights- Moses Malone/Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird/Marc Iavaroni, and Gerald Henderson/Sedale Threatt. During Bird/Iavaroni, Bird ripped 76ers coach Billy Cunningham's sportsjacket in half. The fight was reaching a peak when 66-year-old Red Auerbach came down from the stands to restore order.

Found this while trying to pin the date. I played football and emotions run high but Larry was a lunatic and he scared the crap outta me. 11. I was still playing with Star Wars toys and maybe realized the truth behind Santa just a few years prior. The dude was a loon and it took K.G. to get me over my butt hurt and come back into the fold. Larry is a loon and I can vouche for that.


Well at least you have a personal memory..that counts for something..LOL.