Seattle Comes Up Short

The Seahawks' quest to become repeat Super Bowl champions comes up a yard short.

(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Down 4 with the ball at the 1 yard line, Russell Wilson attempted a pass and was intercepted at the goal line by Patriots* rookie Malcom Butler. It was the first interception of his career. The turnover gave the ball to New England* with 24 seconds to play.

The rest was just formality: Tom Brady* took the field, took a knee, and the game was over.

The play left many in shock, as it seemed extremely likely that the Seahawks-- armed with one timeout and the best running back in the NFL-- would handoff the ball and try to pick up the yard on the ground. Lynch was averaging 4.3 yards per carry and had already broken 100 on the day. Instead, Pete Carroll called a pass play and gave credit to Butler for making a great play on the ball.

"I was so confident we were going to get it done," Carroll said. "Making the call we made was just part of the sequence. We were very confident in the sequence. We had a very clear thought about what was going on.

"We thought about our personnel who were coming in the game after the first play [a 4-yard run to the 1 by Lynch on first down] when we came up short, with three wide receivers in the game [on second down]. We had thought about throwing the ball there. That was part of the reason we sent that group in. When [the Patriots] sent their goal-line guys in, I know we have the advantage on the matchups in the passing game."

Fans and players were quick to lambast the play call on the internet-- even the broadcasters were shocked at the call and subsequent change of events.

(indystar.com)

A miraculous catch by Jermaine Kearse had taken the Seahawks down to the 5 yard line with just over a minute to play, recalling fond memories of the late-game grabs by David Tyree and Mario Manningham that doomed the Patriots* in Super Bowls past.

The Seahawks were set up with first and goal, 1:06 on the clock, and on first down gained 4 yards on the ground, courtesy of Marshawn Lynch. He was tripped up and unable to maintain his balance, or there was a great chance he would have taken the ball into the end zone. Instead, he fell a yard short, and would never see the ball again.

Conspiracy theories circled immediately about the call being changed deliberately in order to prevent media-nightmare Marshawn Lynch the opportunity to win the game and be named MVP. These theories had no substance and were quickly denounced by Seattle's coaches and players.

Meanwhile, allegations about cheating and the Deflategate scandal continue to be investigated by the NFL. It seems that the league was able to push the issue aside and redirect attention toward the game itself, which turned out to be as exciting as a game could be and was close util the very end.

However, the legacy of the Brady*, Belichick* and the Patriots* continues to be questioned, even after emerging victorious and adding another Super Bowl title to their resume.

Debate over the league's handling of the Deflategate issue, specifically the timing and speed of the investigation, will continue to haunt the Patriots* and their fans.

This is little solace for Pete Caroll and the Seahawks, however.

Their nightmares have just begun.

Blount Rolls On

(searchingforakilismith.com)

There is a saying, "Your first impression is the last impression."

Not so for LeGarrette Blount.

Unless you are a fan of the Oregon Ducks, your first impression of the 6'0", 200-lb running back was probably not so great. He had a fantastic season for the Ducks in 2008-- setting the school record for rushing touchdowns (17) and surpassing 1000 yards in his first year with the team. But it was the 2009 season with Oregon-- opening day, to be specific-- that landed LeGarrette Blount in the national spotlight.

And man, was it a disaster!

Oregon, ranked 16 in the nation, opened the season on the road against Boise State, ranked 14. The Broncos had upset the ranked Ducks at home the previous year in a game that featured plenty of late and excessive hits-- at least according to LeGarrette Blount.

"We owed them an ass-whoopin'," said Blount in the offseason. They would have their chance on opening day, the nationally-televised Thursday night showdown.

When the game came, however, it was Boise that had the beat-down for Oregon, and again the defeated the Ducks with a final score of 19-8. Blount finished the game with negative yardage (8 rushes, -5 yards) and first-year coach Chip Kelley and his high-flying offense was held to 152 total yards.

After the game Boise's Byron Hout politely inquired about the whoopin' Blount was to have prepared.

Blount punched him square in the jaw and knocked him out cold.

Nation, meet LeGarrett Blount.

It's a hell of a first impression, if you ask me.

Blount would be suspended by Coach Kelley for the remainder of the 2009 season, his last as a Duck. After completing apologetic phone calls and letters, however, he would be reinstated with three games to go in the season. He did not record a run until the last game of the year, but managed 51 yards and a touchdown over interstate rival Oregon State.

Oregon would earn a Rose Bowl berth-- a loss to Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes-- and then Blount was off to the draft.

2009 Regular Season statistics: 2 games played, 46 rushing yards, 8 games missed with suspension.

(joebucsfan.com)

Blount went undrafted in the 2010 but signed a contract with the Tennessee Titans. He was later cut and picked up by Tampa Bay, where he spent three seasons and rushed for 13 touchdowns. He was traded to the Patriots* for a 7th round draft pick (read: nothing) and would be one of the rotating cast of running back's featured in Belichick's offense in 2013.

His most important contribution to the season in New England* came in the playoffs against the Colts, where he rushed for 166 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Blount then signed a 2-year deal with Pittsburgh, but was arrested in the offseason with fellow running back Le'Veon Bell for possession of marijuana. Neither player was suspended, but that was not the end of Blount's troubles in Pittsburgh.

He averaged 6 carries a game through 11 games as a Steeler and was so frustrated that he left the game against the Titans early. Pittsburgh released him the next day.

Eventually he was claimed off the waivers by New England* and played out the final 5 games of the season with the Patriots*, and again managed to trounce the Colts in the playoffs, finishing the AFC Championship game with 148 yards and 3 touchdowns.

For Blount it has been a strange route to the Super Bowl. His public image and reputation was as bad as it could be, and his short career has featured plenty of questionable behavior. Somehow he managed to overcome (much to the chagrin of the Indianapolis Colts) and on Sunday he will have a chance to win football's greatest prize.

Gronk's World

espn.com

New England Patriots* tight end Rob Gronkowski is well known for his accomplishments on the field. The fifth-year man out of Arizona holds the NFL records for both receiving yards in a season and touchdowns in a season by a tight end. But the 25-year old gets just as much attention off the field, and his antics are as large and as boisterous as his 6' 6" self.

Here are 5 clips to prove that this is Gronk's world, and we are all just living in it.

1. Whose Line is it Anyway?

The NFL star appeared as a guest on the family comedy show and promptly advertised his fondness of breasts and his ability to chug. He did not finish the whole bottle of milk, proving to nay-sayers that he does possess an ability to exercise good judgement... sometimes.

2. "Yo soy fiesta"

Life after the NFL can be tough on former athletes, but rest assured: Rob Gronkowski's post-football resume will highlight a "working proficiency" in Spanish.

3. No Ring, No Problem

Rob Gronkowski's status for Super Bowl XLVI was questionable due to a nagging high-ankle sprain suffered in the AFC Championship. He managed to play through the pain but was a non-factor in the loss to the New York Giants. It was Patriots* second Super Bowl loss to Eli Manning, but some took the blow harder than others. Gronk, well he just had to dance.

Ankle looks fine to me! Liver may have taken a beating though...

4. Gronk Will Spike Anything

Gronkowski has become known for his emphatic spikes after scoring touchdowns, and these too have followed him off the field. The sensation has become known as "Gronking" and the namesake has embraced his legacy and put it on display wherever he goes. He has even been convinced to spike a microphone and abruptly end the interview by chanting fans.

Here he is showing off his enthusiasm on ESPN's SportsNation (note the walking boot).

5. His Offseason Looks Like This

Nuff said.

cbssports.com

Breaking News: Tom Brady's* Feelings Hurt

(imgkid.com)

Stop the presses.

Hold the phone.

Delete that tweet and remove those pictures from your Instagram account.

Tom Brady's feeling are hurt.

Yes, to anyone who has harbored confusion or frustration over the Deflategate controversy, anyone that has accused Brady*, Belichick*, and the New England Patriots* of compromising the integrity of the game by deliberately adjusting the equipment they use to better suit their purposes, just STOP!

It's too much for poor Tom*.

In an interview this morning with a Boston-based radio show, Brady* said, "I personalized a lot of things and thought this was all about me and my feelings got hurt, and then I moved past it because it's not serving me."

News flash, Tom*: It is all about you.

It is about the quarterback that tells his equipment managers how he likes his footballs prepared and then approves them before the game starts.

It is about the player who was thrown under the bus by his own head coach (BostonGlobe).

It is about the person who appeared nervous and shaky in a press conference, who dodged questions, who redirected and deflected, and who took over 30 minutes to express one simple answer: I didn't do it.

But alas, Tom Brady* is able to move past it because "it's not serving" him.

My, how convenient.

Brady* also appeared in an interview with Chris Berman at half time of the Pro Bowl. Again, he was asked if the NFL had contacted him to hear his side of the story. His response:

"No, no. I believe they're going to after the season, so we'll deal with it after this game."

Do me a favor and read that answer again.

Here is the sequence of events:

You are accused of cheating in a conference championship game.

You play for a team that has a history of cheating.

You are the player that comes directly in contact with the equipment in question, and are in charge of specifying how you want that equipment prepared.

You hold a press conference and no former NFL players believe your explanation.

The NFL launches a thorough and complete investigation into the allegations levied directly against you, but delays in speaking with you at all about the issue.

You are allowed to move past it because it is not serving you.

It is clear as day that the NFL is deliberately stalling to defuse the situation and to avoid speaking with the responsible parties in an effort to remain blissfully ignorant to the true sequence of events.

As Conan Doyle famously wrote, "No shit, Sherlock."

And this too may come as news to Tom Brady*, but others see right through it.

Asked to comment on the potential punishment for the Patriots*, Seahawks' cornerback Richard Sherman had this to say:

"Will they be punished? Probably not. Not as long as Robert Kraft and Roger Goodell are still taking pictures at their respective homes. You talk about conflict of interest. As long as that happens, it won't affect them at all. Nothing will stop them."

The comments came on the heels of an interview in which Sherman had the audacity to imply that Tom Brady's* "Golden Boy" image was a charade.

“I think people somehow get a skewed view of Tom Brady that he is just a clean-cut, does-everything-right [guy] and never says a bad word to anyone — and we know him to be otherwise,” Sherman said. “I am sure in those moments of him yelling at the ref he is just saying, ‘Good job. Fantastic job. Keep it up'."

The Deflategate controversy has surely taken a toll on his image and reputation, and personally I could not be happier.

Just a few weeks ago, I wrote a piece in praise of Brady's* performance agains the Baltimore Ravens. As a lifelong Raiders fan, it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done, but I thought Brady was nearing a point of reluctant respect, much like Kobe Bryant.

Both athletes are among the best to play their respective sports. They've won championships, they've broken records, and they are equally loved and despised by fans around the world. They've beaten my teams and I've hated them for it, but as you continue to watch them perform and excel you cannot help but feel respect for what they have accomplished.

But the Deflategate scandal, and the subsequent reaction by the NFL and the Patriots*, has helped me find the major difference between Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady*.

Kobe Bryant tore his achilles, then made his two free throws before walking off the court into the locker room. Just last week, I saw him tear is rotator cuff and continue to play, shooting and dribbling with his left hand until his coach was forced to pull him out.

Nothing will stop Kobe because Kobe will stop at nothing.

Brady*, on the other hand, has nothing but excuses and cushions. The league will resurrect rules to save him, they will create new ones to protect him, and when his guilt is obvious, the league will look the other way entirely.

Nothing will stop Brady* because Brady* has the league in his pocket.

Recently ESPN revealed Kobe's secret dietary staple, one that helps him heal and recover and has enabled his illustrious career: bone-broth soup. Fortunately for Tom Brady*, a new medicine has been discovered to help him with his deflated balls and with his emotional sensitivity.

Feel better, Tom*.

Golden Boy Under Fire

(cnn.com)

Before we begin I would like to clarify one thing:

I in no way believe that the under-inflated balls contributed to the outcome of the AFC Championship game.

The Colts were flat-out crushed, mostly due to their inability to stop the run and their own lack of running game.

That said, we need to take the Deflate-gate scandal for what it is:

Cheating.

@JLAnderson1999

The dictionary tells us the following:

To Cheat:

"To act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage."

Deflated footballs are easier to grip, and easier to catch in cold weather.

That is an advantage.

Was that advantage required to win the game?

@NOTZOMBIES

Absolutely not.

The fact remains that the New England Patriots* used under-inflated balls as a means to gain an unfair advantage over their opponent.

That is cheating.

The media response has been dramatic and widespread. Articles appeared on every major news site as early as Tuesday (with the exception of NFL.com, which has attempted to squash the story from the start).

As Tony Kornheiser pointed out, this was the second-leading story across the country. The first: the President's State of the Union address.

Brady's story featured above Obama, Netanyahu, Boehner and Putin

"This isn't ISIS," accused QB Tom Brady* responded to the media on Thursday. "This isn't... you know, no one's dying."

Correct and incorrect, Mr. Brady*.

This story has nothing to do with ISIS-- an observation I found shocking for its ability to convey both cultural literacy and absolute ignorance.

But there has been one death, Tom*: the death of your public image.

The death of the "Golden Boy*."

The reaction to Tom Brady's* press conference, in which he spoke for over 30 minutes trying to profess his innocence, was universal.

His voice cracked and his persona was so much different than the post-game Tom Brady* we have all grown accustomed to hearing.

He contradicted himself multiple times.

He stumbled over his words and his responses rarely answered the original question, even when the questions were simple.

He did not convey any confidence whatsoever that he was innocent, and therefore inspired none among the millions watching.

Not even the crew of NFL Live believed him.

Former QB Mark Brunell observed, "I did not believe what Tom Brady* had to say. Those balls were deflated. Somebody had to do it. I don't believe there is an equipment manager in the NFL that would-- on his own initiative--  deflate a ball without the starting quarterback's approval."

He also pointed to his experience as a starting quarterback. "That football is out livelihood," he said, insisting that Tom Brady* would have noticed the difference and likely would have requested it.

"I can't believe that," said Jerome Bettis. "I had to take a sip of water. I could not believe what I heard."

"It's clear that the equipment managers are doing what you want them to do."

"It's unbelievable," Brian Dawkins agreed.

Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman pitched in as well:

"It's obvious that Tom Brady* had something to do with this."


Even Tom Brady* seemed unconvinced:

Reporter: This has raised a lot of uncomfortable conversations for people around this country who view you as their idol. The question they're asking themselves is, 'What's up with our hero?' Can you answer right now, is Tom Brady* a cheater?

Tom Brady*: I don't believe so.

Are you kidding me??

During his NFL career Tom Brady* has demonstrated a fantastic ability to run an NFL offense. He is great at throwing a football, he is great at reading a defense, and he is great at staying cool under pressure.

Unless that pressure is from the media.

Unless his integrity and legacy is under assault. Unless no one in your industry or outside your industry believes the words coming out of your mouth.

Unless he does not believe those words either.

Yes, in his fifteen seasons as a professional football player, Tom Brady* has proven that he is great at many aspects of the game.


But Tom Brady* is a terrible liar.

Into the Fire: Colts vs. Pats

(thefadedraider)

Last week Colts' QB Andrew Luck defeated his predecessor in a game that heralded the passing of the torch. This week Luck is faced with an even greater challenge: he will meet Tom Brady in New England with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

The Patriots will be appearing in their ninth conference championship game during the Brady/Belichick Era. Brady is seeking his NFL-record sixth Super Bowl appearance, while Luck has never advanced past the current round.

In three seasons in the NFL, Andrew Luck has managed to advance one round further in each year. In his rookie season he was eliminated in the wildcard round by Baltimore; in his second, he orchestrated a magnificent win against Kansas City before losing to New England. This year, he made it through the Bengals and the Broncos and now faces the Patriots for the second consecutive postseason.

In their last meeting, RB Jonas Gray finished with 37 rushes, 201 yards, 4 TDs
(Joe Robbins / Getty Images)

The pattern suggests that it may be one more year before Andrew Luck and the Colts reach the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Luck, statistical history does not disagree.


In three previous meetings, Andrew Luck has passed for six touchdowns and eight interceptions, but it has been Indianapolis' porous defense that has prevented them from winning any of the match-ups.

The scores tell the story:

59-24, New England.
43-22, Pats.
42-20, Brady.

In the Andrew Luck era, the Colts defense has given up an average of 48 points per game, while the offense manages just 22. Brady has thrown 5 TDs to just 2 INTs, but has not needed to do much to lead his team to victory-- Indianapolis has been horrible against the run.

In their past two match-ups alone, the Colts have allowed 480 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns. Each game saw a different Patriots' running back go for 4 TDs: LeGarrette Blunt and Jonas Gray. Both of those RBs are on the current roster. In the last matchup, Gray alone rushed for over 200 yards.

This year Indianapolis is ranked 22nd against the run in the league, allowing an average of 100.8 yards-per-game in the regular season. Their two postseason performances have been right in line with their average.

(Jim Rogash / Getty Images)

The good news: that is less than half the average amount allowed against the Patriots!

The bad news: Andy Dalton is not Tom Brady.

Neither, we can emphatically conclude, is Peyton Manning.


Stopping the run means forcing the throw, and if there ever was a QB up for the task, it was Brady. In fact, last week against the Ravens, the Patriots threw 51 pass attempts, compared to just 13 rushes (including the kneel-downs), and finished with over 400 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns.


All signs point to the Patriots emerging victorious in the AFC Championship game, but Luck and the Colts have proven to be anything but conventional. They will need their young quarterback, and the quality he represents, to show up in spades if they hope to advance.

Brady Shines as Patriots Advance

(Elsa / Getty Images)

With just over a minute to go in the first half Tom Brady under-threw his tight-end Rob Gronkowski going down the seam. The pass was intercepted and Baltimore would go on to score a touchdown just before the clock ran out to retake the lead.

The Patriots had allowed Baltimore to jump out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and had just erased the deficit. Tom Brady's interception negated that progress and left them trailing again as the went into the locker room down 21-14.

The cameras found Brady's head in his hands just before halftime. Whatever was in his head, however, would prove to be the difference in the ballgame.

In a game that lived up to all the hype, Brady would return in the second half to outgun Joe Flacco on the way to a 35-31 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

Brady's performance was one for the record books, as the go-ahead score put him past Joe Montana for most postseason touchdown passes all-time. But given the history and the build-up leading to this showdown with Joe Flacco-- the cause of two of Brady's playoff exits-- one would imagine it was a game for his personal annals as well.

Brady put the team on his shoulders and kept the ball in his hands for the rest of the game. He was starting in his 27th postseason game, more than any other quarterback in history. No matter what the result of the game would be, he was determined to be the cause of it.

(Jim Rogash / Getty Images)

To start the second half the team called 21 straight passing plays before recording a running play-- a QB sneak by Tom Brady.

He was the only Patriot to record a rushing attempt in the entire second half.

27 of the team's 31 second-half plays were pass attempts. All four rushes were by Brady: 1 QB sneak and 3 kneel-downs. The Patriots finished with just thirteen carries for 14 total yards, but would emerge with the only stat that matters.

Brady would throw for 367 passing yards-- the most in Patriots' postseason history-- and 3 passing touchdowns to go with one rushing score.

The team overcame two separate 14 point deficits-- the only team in postseason history to do so-- and intercepted Joe Flacco twice, including once in the end zone to seal the win with just over a minute remaining.

(AP Photo / Elise Amendola)

The victory earns the Patriots the right to host the AFC Championship, and they will face either Denver or Indianapolis in what is set to be another big game in Foxborough next weekend.

Brady, as always, will be up for the challenge.

"In big games its not the plays, but the players that matter most," Brady said earlier this week.

After watching his performance on Saturday night one thing becomes clear:

He sure as hell meant it.




** The Faded Raider would like to remind the readers that the opinion of the article is not necessarily reflective of the opinion or views of the author, and that, despite the complimentary tone of the piece, it remains common knowledge that Tom Brady's career is the result of a blown call. It was a fumble, Tom. 

Ravens vs. Patriots: Familiar Foes to Face-off Again

sportsmancave.com

\

Last week's surprising upset of the Steelers by the sixth-seeded Ravens set up a playoff matchup that is becoming one of the great postseason rivalries of our era.

Joe Flacco versus Tom Brady.

Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds to place them on equal footing, Flacco has compiled a playoff resume that is better than most current quarterbacks. But is Tom Brady among them?

At first glance the statistics seem to favor Brady:

At 12-4, the Patriots are the top seed in the AFC and will face off against a team that only made the playoffs because San Diego collapsed.

This year Brady threw for over 4,000 yards for the seventh time of his career-- a feat Joe Flacco has yet to perform once-- and finished the season with a passer rating of above 100. He has 160 career wins, good for third most all time.

Together with Coach Bill Belichick, Brady has enjoyed fourteen straight winning seasons (though he sat out one of them with his ACL tear). The two have become one of the most successful pairings in NFL history.

espn.com

Brady has 18 career playoff wins (most all time) to go with three championship rings, two super bowl MVP trophies and two regular season MVP trophies. He also won the comeback player of the year in 2009 after returning from his season-ending ACL injury the year before.

This weekend he will make his sixteenth career playoff start in Foxborough. His record: twelve wins, three losses.

How is there any room for comparison? How can there be any question of superiority?

Don't sleep on Playoff Joe, ladies and gentlemen.

Al Bello / Getty Images

Joe Flacco has a 10-4 career playoff record, including a Superbowl win and MVP. He has thrown just one interception in his past seven playoff starts (posting a record of 6-1) and has an NFL record seven postseason wins on the road.

In that same timespan, Brady has gone 3-2 with six interceptions.

Joe Flacco is 2-1 against the Patriots in the playoffs, and is responsible for two of Brady's three home playoff losses.

His lone defeat came as a result of a missed field goal that would have sent the conference championship into overtime.

Flacco is tied with the Manning brothers for most playoff wins over Brady at two, and has a chance to pass both Peyton and Eli this weekend. (Brady's other two playoff losses: Jake Plummer and Mark Sanchez!)

So although Brady is the more decorated quarterback and will go down as one of the best to ever play the position, recent history favors the underdog in this AFC showdown.

Kickoff is on Saturday at 1:35 PST, and Flacco will try to top Brady once again to spoil the championship aspirations of a team that has not won a Superbowl in ten years. Will the Ravens pull off the upset?

Hope the Patriots: Nevermore.

thefadedraider.com

About That No-Call

By now we've all seen it.

I'm talking, of course, about the final play of Monday's game between the Panthers and Patriots.

With only seconds remaining, Tom Brady had worked the ball down to the Panthers' 18 yard line. Down just 4 points, he needed to throw a touchdown and only had time for one final play. He took the snap, scrambled for a moment, then set up and unleashed toward his favorite target, TE Rob Gronkowski, only to see the pass intercepted in the end zone by Robert Lester.

The crowd went nuts! The Carolina Panthers, a team that started the season ranked 23 of 32, had just upset the New England Patriots, and just a week after upsetting the 49ers in San Francisco. They had defeated legitimate contenders in back-to-back weeks, and had won 6 consecutive games. There could be no question that, for the first time in a long time, the Carolina Panthers were for real.

Then they saw the flag.

From the back of the endzone an official had witnessed an infraction of some sort. Everyone in the stadium knew the consequence: the game could not end on a penalty on the defense. The offense would be allowed one extra play, and a penalty in the endzone meant the ball would be placed on the one yard line.

Tom Brady would have one more chance.

The crowd held its collective breath as the officials gathered to discuss the call. The decision would be HUGE. The game would come down to this. Even Mike Tirico paused his league-sponsored blather as he awaited the announcement from the official. An image came to mind of Jon Gruden staring at him across the booth with a look that said "STFU for a minute and let me hear the call!"

It seemed inevitable that the Patriots, if given a second chance, would punch the ball in for the game-winning score. A defensive stop was out of the question, even for the hometown fans. Across the nation, Raiders fans, Jets fans, Ravens fans-- really all fans of any other team-- were momentarily thinking to themselves "I can't believe it's going to happen again."

Then the announcement came. There was no penalty on the play. The game was over. The Panthers had won.

(AP Photo/Bob Leverone)

Chaos erupted in Bedlam Carolina. In the stands, the people jumped up and down; hats were thrown; beverages were tossed; hugs and kisses and high-fives; and friendly punches fell harder than intended. But no pain was felt, for the Panthers had pulled off the greatest win in recent memory.

On the field, the Panthers rejoiced. Helmets were thrown, gatorade was dumped, and somewhere Steve Smith was yelling joyous obscenities into the midnight air. Cam Newton, with his iconic towel draped over his head, put on a face that he had practiced many times before. As the quarterback and captain, he had to show that he was unfazed, that he had expected to win all along. I think that's unfair-- no one else expected it.

Tom Brady was furious, and immediately chased the referee off the field for an explanation. Millions of people across America heard the "Golden Boy" scream a word that I'm too classy to print here, directed unequivocally at an official-- an offense for which he was not fined.

Bill Belichick, off camera, was no doubt crossing sleeveless arms across his chest and thinking what the rest of the world had been thinking just moments before: "I can't believe it happened again", while his tight-end, Rob Gronkowski (not the murderer) was still in the endzone, merely shrugging.

And that was the strangest part.

In the wake of the call, many sought an explanation for why the penalty was rescinded. The referee had merely announced the result of the play, without any sort of elaboration on the reasoning behind the decision, and had immediately sprinted off the field, leaving millions of baffled Americans to their best guesses.

Former referee Gerry Austin was in the booth with Gruden and Tirico and defended the official, claiming the ball was deemed "uncatchable" and that the right call had been made. Next to him, Jon Gruden struggled to contain himself and bear-hugged/threatened Austin during his enactment of the infraction, concluding, once again, that he would simply never understand the rules surrounding "pass interference" calls.

Patience wearing thin (Ben Koo)

After the game, the MNF crew-- Stuart Scott, Trent Dilfer, Steve Young, and Ray Lewis-- provided perhaps the most entertaining interpretation. They too reenacted the play, demonstrating it down on the field, and still failed to arrive at a reasonable defense for how the game had ended. Dilfer and Young, offensive geniuses in their day (well, one of them was) blasted the call and lambasted the official for waving the penalty off, while Ray Lewis, the eternal defender, could summon no enthusiasm in defense. Instead, he mumbled something vaguely resembling an admission that he did not even know the rules.

It seemed clear as day. Luke Kuechly has his hands wrapped around Gronk well before the ball was intercepted. His head was not turned, and he made no attempt to play the ball. If it wasn't pass interference or holding, it certainly qualified as face-guarding. Yet the penalty had been waived off, and the game declared over. It was a scam, a travesty, and it would be the majority of the talking points on ESPN for days to come.

As I looked on in glee (for I had clinched a fantasy victory on that very play)... (oh yeah, and I hate the Patriots) I tried to explain the call to my roommate. If the ball was tipped, pass interference was invalid, but it seemed no defender touched the pass until Lester made the interception, and by that point, Kuechly and Gronk had already been flamenco dancing for 7-8 yards. Contact began well before the ball was touched. Try as I might, even I failed to justify the no-call.

"If Gronk had sold it better, he would have gotten the call," my roommate concluded, and I agreed.

Then the question hit me: why hadn't he?

(ESPN/NFL)

It was so simple! There was so much immediate talk of conspiracy and controversy; of Newton's game-winning drive, and of Brady's drive that nearly replaced it; that the simplest, most logical explanation eluded even the most astute observers.

Steve Young criticized the call for being subjective: how could an official accurately asses what 6' 6", 265-pound Gronk was capable of? Never before had the league seen a receiver as large and dynamic as Gronk-- in a single season he broke the NFL record for receiving TDs and yardage by a TE. No one could rightly establish that pass as uncatchable, as long as it was within yards of Gronk's seven-foot wingspan. Many would go on to echo his sentiment the next day.

But no one else pointed out the obvious: Gronk never even tried. He simply didn't care.

The position would be unfair if unfounded, as it is an assault on Gronk's attitude, work-ethic, and dedication to his team. But it is actually very founded, and supported by numerous examples from throughout his career.

This season alone, his own teammates even questioned his dedication when he delayed his return from injury earlier this year. And just this past week he was blasted by the media for making racially insensitive remarks during a Q&A session with his own fans!

To me, it seems very feasible that Gronk would have got the call if he had reacted differently. He has 3 inches and 30 pounds on the linebacker that"carried him out of the endzone", and when you watch the replay, you see him make little to no effort to go back toward the ball.

"It's over," he seems to be saying to himself. "Oh well."

It seems like he has better things to do.

Gronk poses with adult film star, Bibi Jones (everywhere)

And, come to think of it, maybe he does.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the sequence: Gronk's Greatest Gaffes. Coming Soon!