I read an article online this week with the headline, Is It Time You Stopped Hating the Patriots? My answer was a definite, “no.”

The column was written by Dan Roberts for Front Office Sports. Roberts is a Massachusetts native and self-proclaimed New England Patriots fan. I’m a native of Western New York and a huge Buffalo Bills fan. Bills fans hate the Patriots, in fact, most fans of every other NFL team also hate the Patriots.

I know, I’m not supposed to hate anyone, and I don’t, but hating the team or organization is different. I don’t hate any individual players, it’s just that like most NFL fans, I got sick and tired of the Patriots winning year after year under former head coach Bill Belichick and former quarterback Tom Brady. Especially since it meant my Bills were always finishing behind New England in the AFC East Division standings and not making the playoffs.

Roberts points out in his column that when news came out last week that Bill Belichick did not get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot, many in the sports community reacted with shock and outrage.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Roberts wrote. “People really, really, really hate the Patriots. As a Massachusetts kid who has lived in the New York City area since 2009, I know that as well as anyone. My Giants-fan and Jets-fan friends virulently hate the Pats; so do nearly all NFL fans who aren’t from New England, right?”

Yeah, my point exactly. However, there are legitimate reasons why I, and other NFL fans, despise the Patriots.

“Patriots hate runs deep,” Robers wrote. “Admittedly, there are a lot of data points in that stew.”

Roberts then goes on to list a few of the reasons, and yes, I would concur with his list, including, Spygate, Deflategate, Malcolm Butler’s end-zone interception, Julian Edelman’s bobble catch, Belichick’s accidental Brian Flores text, Bob Kraft at the massage parlor, plus sheer exhaustion from all the winning.

The Patriots dominated the NFL for almost 20 years, reaching the Super Bowl 12 times, the most in NFL history. They won six Super Bowls, all within a span of 17 seasons, which is unheard of. From 2001 to 2017, New England won a Super Bowl 35% of the time. They won the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Has your favorite team had such a winning stretch as that? Mine hasn’t, and please don’t mention how the Bills made four straight trips to the Super Bowl in the early 1990s and lost all four.

While the Patriots were dominating the NFL for two decades, the Buffalo Bills missed the playoffs 17 straight seasons: 2000–2016. I used to joke, well, maybe it wasn’t a joke, that the Bills didn’t like playing in January. It was difficult to stomach, that while the Bills couldn’t make the playoffs every year, their divisional rivals were not just making the playoffs but finding great success in the postseason.

So, to say I’m tired of the Patriots might be an understatement and should explain why I am rooting for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

ORU DIAMOND DINNER

The Oral Roberts baseball team is gearing up for the 2026 season with the annual Diamond Dinner this Friday at the Glenpool Convention Center. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m.

ORU alumnus Page Odle will serve as this year’s keynote speaker. Odle played for the Golden Eagles during the 1984 and 1985 seasons. In 1984 he led ORU in stolen bases, runs scored, walks, and was a member of the 1985 Midwest Regional team ranked #12 in the nation.

Odle founded PSI Sports Management and has spent more than 30 years negotiating over $1 billion in Major League Baseball contracts. Notably, Odle represents seven-time All-Star and three-time MVP Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. He has represented numerous first round draft picks and has become one of the most respected professional sports agents in the country.

The Diamond Dinner will feature both live and silent auctions, with all proceeds benefiting the Oral Roberts baseball program. To register, visit www.oruathletics.com/dd26 or contact Debbie Gimlin, Director of Executive Operations and Donor Relations, at 918-495-6424 for more information.

ORU will open the 2026 season at Chapman Park, hosting Southern Illinois in a three-game series beginning Friday, Feb. 13.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. This week, my guests will be Travis Jones, Tulsa Beacon columnist and CEO of Career Development Partners, and Tulsa City Councilor Anthony Archie. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.