There are many dangers in sports. Never run, skate or dribble with your head down. Don't make desperate trades when you think you are one piece away from the Super Bowl (copyright Herschel Walker trade, 20th anniversary edition). Tread with caution when someone tries to tell you the whole truth can be found inside numbers. And be careful when judging the opinions of fans on talk radio, team message boards and story comment sections. They might not speak for the whole group; in fact, they might just shout the loudest.
That said, we took an educational trip through the comments on ESPN's coach rating (by fans) of the Patriots' Bill Belichick. After a close loss to the Broncos that leaves three-time Super Bowl champion New England at 3-2 on the season, Belichick's approval rating stands at 50 percent for this week. Yes, half of the people who took the time to vote are dissatisfied with the job Belichick is doing. Obviously, there could be some New York wise guys in there voting against him.
But seriously: 50 percent? IS THIS YOUR HOMEWORK, LARRY? Is this what happens when a fan base becomes so spoiled that they forget about how much they've won and can't even appreciate a modest start to a season that will probably wind up at 11-5 or something like that? Really, tell us. We don't know. We don't know what it's like to be spoiled by success. We don't know what it's like to have teams we root for win three Super Bowls, two World Series and an NBA title in the same decade. But if the byproduct is fans like these, then we will know to steer clear of the clowns if the "problem" ever arises.
