Hunter S. Thompson on the beating absorbed by the Indianapolis Colts

[WilliamPitt]

Note to self
By Hunter S. Thompson
Page 2 columnist

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/thompson/040119.html

(snip)

All bets are off when you go into Foxboro to play the Patriots on their own turf. They are different from most football teams -- in that they will attack your STRENGTH more often than they will methodically probe your Weakness. Most teams try to find a weakness and exploit it repeatedly. That is the prevailing theory for winning teams. Attack the WEAKEST link in your chain until it breaks, and victory will surely be yours.

Maybe so, but that is where Bill Belichick is different from most NFL coaches. He will savagely attack the strongest link in your chain. That is how the Patriots confuse people, and that is how they beat the brains out of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

They blitzed Peyton Manning into hamburger, and they smothered the league's best receiver, Marvin Harrison, into a coma. WHACK, WHACK, WHACK, JUST LIKE THAT. Without their passing game, the Colts were helpless. Their previously unstoppable passing attack was the strongest link in their chain.

Ho ho ho. That game was over in the first five minutes, when the supercool QB Tom Brady took New England the length of the field for a quick 7-0 lead on the first drive -- and after that, it was only a question of how much punishment Manning could stand.

...more...

[GOPisEvil]

1. He didn't have a good week of prognosticating.

Picking Dean in Iowa...ouch.

[supernova]

9. My thoughts exactly

Poor Hunter.

I wish he would get to politics now that sports is slowing down, but he is a sportswriter, afterall.

[PVnRT]

2. Two words sum up the Colts loss

No defense

[kmla]

6. Actually, it was no offense that did them in...

Despite 5 turnovers, they still only allowed 24 points, and 3 of those were due to giving the ball up late on a 4th down desperation deal.

Their defense only allowed 1 touchdown....

Not to say the defense was great, though. They couldn't stop alot of 3rd and long or 4th and shorts to force a punt - they just got stiff enough to keep them from scoring a touchdown is all.

Alas, they did lose.

Dammit.

[xray s]

3. Hmmm....

And Bush's "strength" would be "the war on terrorism" and "national defense". :think:

[HFishbine]

4. Having proven my excellent prognostication skill for Iowa

I know predict the Panthers by 3.

[Paragon]

5. Is that something from "Fear and Loathing"?

Once, after some bad mushrooms, I was turned into a sponge by the Toledo Mudhens.

[VelmaD]

7. The thing is...

the score of that game shouldn't have been as close as it was. The Patriots kicked entirely too many field goals in that game where there should have been touchdowns. I remember thinking they were letting Indy stick around too long and damned if they didn't at least try to give it away at the end.

[Redneck Socialist]

8. My favorite line...

...in the article is the Patriots "will cripple the QB whip on the Carolina receivers like a pack of vicious hyenas on a wounded lion." Very true, very true. Go Pats.

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

10. Indianapolis Colts.....feh!

If the cat drops a litter of kittens in the oven, that doesn't make 'em biscuits.

[bloom]

11. The only trouble is that now

I have no reason to watch the Super Bowl. Except for the commercials. :shrug:

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. GOOOO PANTHERS!!!!

Win it for the NFC!!!