New England first got to the Super Bowl in 1986, five years before the Golden Age of the Buffalo Bills began, and were soundly beaten by the Chicago Bears of Coach Mike Ditka 46-10. It wasn't that close.

Prior to that season, all the Patriots had on their resume was an American Football League East Division title, with a 7-6-1 record in 1963. They lost the AFL championship game to San Diego 51-10. It wasn't that close.

Back before anyone heard of Bill Belichick or Tom Brady, the Patriots were one of the two most clearly inept franchises in the NFL. Their best franchise player was a guard, John Hannah.

Only the Cardinals were worse. Among the original NFL franchises, they represented Racine, Chicago, St. Louis and Phoenix over a 94 year span, and represented them all poorly. The last time the Cardinals won an NFL title was in 1947. That was five years before Belichick was born.

Then in 2000, Bill was named head coach of the Patriots. The following season, on September 23, 2001, New York Jets' linebacker Mo Lewis drilled New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe, knocking him out of the lineup. Little known understudy Tom Brady took over. The football world as we knew it, changed that day.

The Patriots won the Super Bowl that season for the very first time. They played the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. Coming from 14 points down in the fourth quarter, the Rams tied the game 17-17 with just 1:30 left. Broadcast analyst John Madden famously remarked that New England should just run out the clock and hope for the best in overtime. Brady instead directed a 53 yard scoring drive. Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48 yard field goal to win it at the gun.

I remember watching that game with my kids and telling them as Vinatieri lined up the kick, that this was a moment they'd never forget. Perhaps not, but each deserted the team of my upbringing for the Buffalo Bills. I tried to warn them. They wouldn't listen.

These days, even as the Pats attempt to galvanize their place in history with a fourth Super Bowl title, it seems a joyless existence. This whole football deflation issue has sucked the life out of the fan base too.

Perhaps the team will rally together. Maybe it really is a case of us against the world. It might well happen. New England is still a slight favorite.

But if the Patriots beat Seattle Sunday, it will be an empty celebration for those of us who grew up cheering them. We'll have to sneak around. Develop some kind of underground network of support.

Everybody loves a winner. Just don't win too much. Far more than rule-breakers, the New England Patriots are a victim of their own success. Outside of the six states in the Northeast corner of America, few will recognize it. Fewer still will celebrate.

It wasn't always like this.