Dear Senator Warren

Dear Senator Warren,

     The other day I watched your impassioned speech on the Senate floor in defense of Planned Parenthood. Admittedly, it was a very good speech, as speeches go. I have come to expect this from you; you are a very gifted orator and politician. However, your speech on August 3rd, 2015, was so riff with fallacies, lies, and misinformation that I could not let it go without a response. Unfortunately, since I am unable to stand up on the Senate floor and reply, this will have to do for the time being. I would like to address your speech point by point, so please bear with me. (Your speech is in bold, and my responses are immediately following each of your points.)

   

"Madam President, I come to the Senate floor to ask my Republican colleagues a question: Do you have any idea what year it is? Did you fall down and hit your head and think you woke up in the 1950s or the 1890s? Should we call for a doctor?"

      Ok, right off the bat this strikes a discordant note. Your tone here is incredibly condescending and dripping with sarcasm. Not the best way to start a dialogue on a tough issue. Yes, Republicans know what year it is, and no, they didn't fall down and bash their heads on the Capitol steps. If you wanted me to listen to your point of view this was not the way to begin. Rather than opening up a respectful discussion or respectfully voicing your opinions in the world's most powerful lawmaking body, you resorted to outdated, ad hominem attacks on your fellow legislators. Not the most powerful argument.

"Because I simply cannot believe that in the year 2015, the U.S. Senate would be spending its time trying to defund women’s health care centers. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. The Republicans have had a plan for years to strip away women’s rights to make choices about their own bodies."

      Senator, I am quite familiar with your speeches and so I know that this is not the first time you have used this line of reasoning. Whenever the issue of abortion or women's health comes up you or one of your fellow Democrats gets up and starts decrying the "Republican war on women." This is not about abortion you always say. This is about old-fashioned white men clinging to their guns and  Please don't insult our intelligence, as MSNBC's Joe Scarborough put it the other morning. Nobody is interested in taking away women's access to affordable health care. What advantage would that provide to Republicans? If Republicans are so set on discriminating against women, then why are there so many women Republicans and conservatives? My mom is Republican. Ask her if she thinks Rand Paul wants to deny her health care. Many of my female friends are Republican. Ask them if they believe Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz or Scott Walker wants to deprive them of health care. Why don't you talk to Senators Deb Fischer, Kelly Ayotte and Joni Ernst, or Governors Nikki Haley and Susana Martinez and ask them if they are trying to deal a blow to women's rights? If your reasoning is correct then all Republicans would be men.
religion and desperately trying to keep women in the kitchen where they belong. Or so you would have us believe.

"Just look at the recent facts. In 2013, Republicans threatened to shut down the government unless they could change the law to let employers deny women access to birth control. In March of this year, Republicans held up a noncontroversial, bipartisan bill to stop human trafficking. Why? Because they demanded new anti-abortion restrictions to cover private funding meant to help the victims of human trafficking."

      Here's where things really go south, Senator. This is not just wrong; it is a flat out dishonest misrepresentation of the facts. The only ones disrupting the government's proceedings have been the Democrats, who have shown an obstinate refusal to compromise. The human trafficking bill you speak of was certainly an admirable cause, one that had little to no controversy surrounding it. However, when pro-life senators, acting in accordance with the desires of their constituents placed an amendment in the bill that merely assured that none of the bill's funding would go towards abortion services, Democrats let out a blood curdling (metaphorical) howl, dug in their heels, and blocked the bill, thereby causing its failure. Time and time again Democrats have proven that they expect Republicans to bow to their every whim, while they themselves will not give one inch. When the Dems were in the majority they whined and complained that the GOP should give in and compromise since they were the minority party. Now, when the GOP controls both houses, Democrats won't budge, and still manage to blame it on the Republicans. The fact of the matter is that the amendment Republicans proposed had very little effect on this bill and was not reason enough for you to oppose it.

"Let’s be clear. It is not just Congress. Over the past 5 years Republican State legislators have passed nearly 300 new restrictions on abortion access. This year alone Republican State legislators have passed more than 50 new restrictions on women’s access to legal health care."

     I find it odd that in a speech about Planned Parenthood you are just now mentioning abortion. In regards to the nearly 300 abortion restrictions, you're darn right we did, and we're proud of it, too! And don't talk to me about health care. Abortion is not health care. When I think about health care I think about a doctor caring for someone, with caring being the key word. Not ripping them apart, limb from limb. That is what abortion does. When I go to the doctor I want him to cure me, not kill me and sell my arms and legs.

"Let’s be really clear about something. The Republican scheme to defund Planned Parenthood is not some sort of surprised response to a highly edited video. Nope. The Republican vote to defund Planned Parenthood is just one more piece of a deliberate, methodical, orchestrated, rightwing attack on women’s rights, and I am sick and tired of it. Women everywhere are sick and tired of it. The American people are sick and tired of it."

      First of all, these videos were only edited to make them shorter. The full length videos can be seen on YouTube and are several hours long. The full length versions are just as horrifying, if not more so, than the shorter versions. They were edited for practicality, not to falsify information.  Secondly, your claim that Americans are sick and tired of this "scheme to defund Planned Parenthood" is somewhat dubious. According to the latest data, a large majority of Americans favor at least some restrictions to abortion. I see what you're doing here. You're trying to turn this around on us. You completely ignore the disgusting content of the videos and the disturbing illegal activity going on within Planned Parenthood and try and make this about women's rights. Well, this is not about women's rights. This is about alleged illegal activity. According to United States law, human tissue trafficking is punishable by up to ten years in prison and/or a $500,000 fine. Aren't these allegations worth at least some sort of investigation? If you truly had good will, you would call for a thorough investigation of this issue. Instead, you "stand with Planned Parenthood" no matter what. How far does your loyalty go? What has PP done for you that makes you so fiercely loyal to their interests? It seems to me that as a multi-million dollar company, Planned Parenthood is capable of defending itself. It is your job, as a member of Congress, to ensure that organizations which you fund are in compliance with U.S. law. It is not your job to be their lawyer or spokeswoman. Do you know what I am sick and tired of? I am sick and tired of politicians like you feigning outrage over "women's rights," while turning a blind eye to the millions of women being murdered before they are even born. I am sick and tired of the utter hypocrisy of those who will overlook any wrongdoing as long as it suits their agenda. I am sick and tired of the left screaming "oppression" at every turn, except when it concerns the unborn.

"Scheduling this vote during the week of a big FOX News Presidential primary debate, days before candidates take trips to Iowa or New Hampshire isn’t just some clever gimmick. This is an all-out effort to build support to take away a woman’s right to control her own body and access to medical care she may need."

      You are right; these videos were released in a very calculated manner and at a very specific time. And do you know why? Because it is the only way this type of thing would get any coverage. Time and time again we have seen the mainstream media cover up for Planned Parenthood (and other people/organizations they adore). Even in this case, despite the pro-life movement's best efforts, these videos have received minimal news coverage in comparison to some of the other things ABC, MSNBC, and CNN deem newsworthy. The makers of these videos wanted to ensure that they would not and could not be ignored. And don't tell me you wouldn't do the same in their situation. It is merely the nature of politics, so don't pretend that you are somehow above such a move.

"This affects all of us, whatever your age, wherever you live. I guarantee that you know someone who has used Planned Parenthood health care centers. No one may mention it at Thanksgiving dinner or post it on Facebook for the whole world to know, but just look at the facts. One in five women in America is a Planned Parenthood patient at least once in her life. Every single year nearly 2.7 million women and men show up for help at Planned Parenthood. Why do so many people use Planned Parenthood? Because they are nonprofit and they are open. More than half of Planned Parenthood centers are located in areas without ready access to health care. Women who can't get appointments anywhere else go to Planned Parenthood for pap tests and cancer screenings. Couples go to Planned Parenthood for STD treatments or pregnancy tests. Young people go to Planned Parenthood for birth control. And, yes, 3 percent of patients visit Planned Parenthood for a safe and legal abortion with a doctor who will show compassion and care for a woman who is making one of the most difficult decisions of her entire life."

      You know, Mrs. Warren, it is not very becoming of a United States Senator to repeatedly use false facts and statistics. And it is especially unbecoming of you to consistently skew the truth and feed lies to the American people. What am I talking about?  Let me explain. If 2.7 million men and women utilize Planned Parenthood's services each year and Planned Parenthood does roughly 330,000 abortions each year, where exactly do you get your 3% figure? If you divide 330,000 by 2,700,000 you get about 12%. This repeatedly cited, but still false, 3% statistic is one which Planned Parenthood has invented in order to mask the true purpose of their organization. Here's how they get to this number: "By Planned Parenthood’s math, a woman who gets an abortion but also a pregnancy test, an STD test, and some contraceptives has received four services, and only 25 percent of them are abortion. This is a little like performing an abortion and giving a woman an aspirin, and saying only half of what you do is abortion. Such cracked reasoning could be used to obscure the purpose of any organization. The sponsors of the New York City Marathon could count each small cup of water they hand out (some 2 million cups, compared with 45,000 runners) and say they are mainly in the hydration business." (National Review) The fact of the matter is that 12.6% of all women who go to Planned Parenthood go there to obtain an abortion. These abortions account for a huge portion of Planned Parenthood's annual revenue. If we say that an average abortion costs $450, then PP would gross $148,000,000 per year on abortions.

      So, when you say that 3% of women go to Planned Parenthood for an abortion, you are just plain wrong. It doesn't take a genius to see that there are some serious discrepancies in Planned Parenthood's figures.

"To be clear, even though the abortions performed at Planned Parenthood are safe and legal, the Federal Government is not paying for any of them— not one dime. For almost 40 years the Federal Government has prohibited Federal funding for abortions except in the cases of rape, incest or life endangerment. Most of the money Planned Parenthood receives from the government comes in the form of Medicaid payments for medical care provided to low-income patients, the same payments any other doctor or clinic receives for providing cancer screenings or other medical exams. The rest of Planned Parenthood’s Federal funding comes from title X that provides birth control to low-income and uninsured people, the same program the House Republicans voted to cut in June. The government doesn’t fund abortions, period."

      It was safe and legal for Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Mao Zedong to kill tens of millions of their own people. It was safe and legal for American plantation owners to own, beat, and kill their slaves. History has proven that legality does not equal morality.

      As to your claim that the government does not fund abortions, well, you're distorting the truth yet again. As anyone with half an understanding of economics or finance could tell you, money is fungible. If a dad gives his kid ten bucks and says, "Son, I'm giving you this $10 as long as you don't spend it on candy." No one in their right mind would really think this will hurt the boy's ability to purchase candy. While he might not use that exact ten dollar bill, he can use one of his own to the same effect. Every year Planned Parenthood receives their $528 million government subsidy. While they are legally prohibited from using that specific money for abortions, they are now free to use $500 million of their own money for abortion.

"A vote today to defund Planned Parenthood is not a vote to defund abortions. It is a vote to defund cancer screenings, birth control, and basic health care for millions of women. I say to my Republican colleagues: The year is 2015, not 1955 and not 1895. Women have lived through a world where backward-looking ideologues tried to interfere with the basic health decisions made by a woman and her doctor, and we are not going back—not now, not ever. The Republican plan to defund Planned Parenthood is a Republican plan to defund women’s health care. For my daughter, for my granddaughters, for people all across Massachusetts, and all across this country, I stand with Planned Parenthood, and I hope my colleagues will do the same."

      What you forget to mention is that this bill does not actually take money away from women's health care. It merely redistributes it. And it redistributes it to the more than 9,000 community health care centers around America. Community Health Centers are actually a much larger women's health provider than Planned Parenthood could ever hope to be. Planned Parenthood has 700 locations and serves 2.7 million patients. Community Health Centers are in 9000 locations and serve over 21 million people. Planned Parenthood does 378,000 Pap tests. Community Health Centers do 1,787,000. The only thing Planned Parenthood does better than CHC is abortions, to the tune of about 330,000 a year. If Planned Parenthood lost its government funding, it would not collapse. It would not go bankrupt. And to claim that every single one of its 2.7 million patients would have no other way of receiving health care is simply ludicrous. And I'm not talking about the rapper. Your argument that this bill's purpose is to restrict access to health care doesn't have a leg to stand on.

      Since you did not see fit to address the crux of the matter, the exposé videos, I will do it for you. And if you haven't seen the videos, which I strongly suspect is the case, you can watch all of them right here, in their edited and unedited versions. I challenge you to watch them. I challenge you to watch them and remain unmoved by their callous and brutal nature. Planned Parenthood has been exposed for what it really is, a huge money-making corporation that will do anything to increase its profits. In these videos Planned Parenthood admitted to charging $100 per "specimen," (i.e. arm, leg, lung, heart, etc.) totaling hundreds and hundreds of dollars per baby. They claim this is merely to cover the costs of shipping and handling, and that this is merely tissue donation. Newsflash: shipping and handling does not cost that much money. In addition, you cannot have tissue donation without a donor's consent. And I guarantee the baby did not consent to donate his limbs. This is profit; profit that happens to be illegal. Fetal tissue trafficking is a federal felony punishable by enormous fines and years in prison. Planned Parenthood also admitted to deviating from the agreed on procedure without the woman's permission in order to obtain a more intact fetus. And yes, this is also illegal. As I pointed out in my last blog post, this is just the latest incidence in a long line of corruption at Planned Parenthood. Many good deeds do not cancel out a few bad ones. That is not how the justice system works. If you commit an illegal act you must pay for it, even if you are the world's greatest philanthropist. And Planned Parenthood hasn't just done a few bad things. They have done a multitude of bad things, and it is time for them to face the consequences. It is too bad that they will always have disingenuous politicians like yourself to defend them at all costs and no matter what misdeeds they are accused of. But I forgot; it’s all the Republicans fault. This is the GOP's fault, because we hate women.

       Senator Warren, if you keep ignoring the problem, keep attacking pro-lifers, and keep pouring on the accusations, eventually the world will see all your words for what they really are. Soon you will realize you are no longer in the majority. It is happening already. A majority of Americans agree that there should be restrictions on abortions. One day you will wake up to find that a majority of Americans despise your defense of a corrupt and evil organization. Until that day, I and my fellow pro-lifers will do our utmost to make America realize its mistake. Until that day, while you defend the murder of millions of babies, I will do my best to save their lives. And no, that does not mean I will do nothing for their mothers. I am pro-life, not pro-birth. Every life, born and unborn, is equally important. May you someday realize this yourself.

Another Day at Planned Parenthood

      Several days ago I was made aware of a video which depicted a Planned Parenthood executive discussing in great detail the trafficking of fetal body parts for profit. Yesterday, a second video was released, showing the same thing. (Warning: these videos contain disturbing content.) To say that I was shocked would be a gross understatement. To say that I was surprised...well, hardly anything Planned Parenthood does surprises me anymore. These videos are just another incident in a long line of abuses by America's primary abortion provider. First there were Live Action's undercover stings that revealed that Planned Parenthood clinics had been aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of minors by allowing their abusers to cover their tracks by obtaining them secret abortions. Then we were horrified to learn that when asked, PP would accept donations specifically to fund the extermination of minority babies. Now this. In two separate cases (in order to ensure people couldn't claim this to be an isolated incident), Planned Parenthood employees openly discussed, in a matter of fact way that leads one to believe that this is not all that uncommon, the harvesting and sale of aborted babies limbs, organs, and tissue. How long before America realizes that this is not the exception, but the rule? How long before we realize that Planned Parenthood is a corrupt, greedy organization that cares little about anything except its own massive profits, all the while claiming a deep, abiding concern for women. If they care so much about women, then why are they so good at lying about all the botched abortion injuries and deaths that occur on their watch? Ironically, while Planned Parenthood claims nearly one billion dollars in net assets, and millions in annual revenue, it is still classified as a not-for-profit organization by the IRS, and receives over $500 million per year in government assistance. They claim that none of that money goes directly towards abortion, but any highschooler with half an understanding of accounting or economics could tell you that that's not how things work. In reality, our hard earned tax dollars are helping Planned Parenthood to end the lives of over 300,000 unborn children every year.
      As to be expected, the media is denouncing these videos as fake, or "cleverly edited." Not so fast. The Center for Medical Progress (the organization responsible for both videos) has subsequently released the full footage of both videos, which you can find here and here. Unbelievably, while Republicans have soundly denounced these actions and called for a thorough investigation, all that Democrats have done is to ask for an investigation of the organization responsible for the videos! It is confounding how far the media, and liberals as a whole, will go to defend and cover up for an organization that is so obviously corrupt. But then again, they have to defend their own agenda.
      Today, as I was holding my new baby brother, it hit me that organizations like Planned Parenthood are killing children not much smaller than him, and then selling their bodies. This new little life has only strengthened my conviction that abortion is the greatest evil this world has ever seen, and is the number one issue we must concentrate our efforts on.
      If you have not seen these videos, I strongly encourage you to watch them. If you are pro-life, they will only serve to strengthen your conviction of the evils of the abortion industry. If you are pro-choice, maybe these videos will open your mind to what is really going on. I can only hope that this latest revelation will make America realize the true nature of the abortion industry. The reality that abortion providers care little about women, and everything about money. Planned Parenthood's motto is "Care. No matter what." Perhaps they should reconsider and change it to "Money. No matter what." Because, honestly, the only ones they care about are themselves and their pocketbooks. Money is the only motivation behind something as disgusting as this. Hopefully this latest incident will not just be forgotten as depravities sometimes are in today's 24 hour news cycle. Hopefully something will finally be accomplished.

A Call to Action from Rick Santorum

     As my family and friends already know, I have had a very eventful last few weeks.  I haven't had the chance to tell everyone about everything that has happened, so I thought I'd put it all down in writing.

Mission Accomplished

     About two years ago I decided I wanted former United States Senator Rick Santorum to come and speak at my school, Benedictine College.  This was shortly after he withdrew from the 2012 Presidential race, after winning 11 states and over 4 million votes.  I have long been an admirer of the Senator.  As a Catholic and as an aspiring politician myself, I have been inspired by his dedication to his faith and to his country.  In particular, I appreciated his unwavering defense of the unborn.  During his four years in the House of Representatives and twelve years in the Senate, Rick Santorum became known as the foremost defender of life in Congress.  Thanks to his tireless efforts Congress passed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.  He boldly stood up against the likes of Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, who were and are bent on preserving the so-called "right to choose."  In addition to his principled pro-life stances, Sen. Santorum proved himself as a friend of the American worker.  He styled himself as a "Blue Collar Conservative" and he has lived up to that title.  Pennsylvanians evidently agreed, as they elected him to two terms in the Senate, despite Pennsylvania being a mostly liberal state.  His fellow Republicans could learn a lot from his common-sense economic views and from his ability to reach out to blue-collar Democratic voters.  Anyway, after briefly meeting him at the March for Life in 2013, I thought I'd make an effort to get him to speak at Benedictine, and in particular speak to the Benedictine College Republicans.  I started emailing his staff without much success at first.  However, several months ago I was contacted by a regional director of Patriot Voices (Santorum's organization) who asked me if I'd like to volunteer.  After agreeing to do so I mentioned my desire to bring the Senator to BC.  Within a few days the wheels had been set in motion and soon a visit had been set up.  Needless to say, I was stunned.  After all, how often is it that a Presidential candidate visits a tiny private college, at the request of a student, no less?  I am extremely grateful to everyone at Patriot Voices who were so willing to help; his visit would not have been possible without the hard work and cooperation of his staff (who incidentally had to put up with me bugging them on and off for a year and a half).

The Future Leaders of America

     February 21, 2015 was the day set for Senator Santorum's visit to Benedictine College.  The rest of the Republican club and myself were lucky enough to have the full cooperation of President Minnis and the college administration to help make the event a success.  And a success it was!  Over 200 students and faculty showed up to hear the Senator's impassioned talk on religious liberty in America. Members of the Republican club had the exclusive opportunity to meet and speak with him before his talk, and he even signed a copy of his book for me.  It was almost surreal that he was finally here.

     As the Benedictine's newspaper, The Circuit, noted, Santorum "urged BC students to 'wake up' and fight or religious liberty in America before it is too late." And it really was a wake-up call.  He pleaded with us to not take our freedom for granted, and pointed to the German Christians who remained silent in the face of Nazism in the early 1930s as an example of just what can happen when good people don't stand up for what is right.  He said, "You could say, 'Well, that can't happen here.'  Oh really?  How many thought Jews would be leaving France after the holocaust?  How many thought Jews would have to leave France today because of anti-Semitism?  Disabuse yourself of that! That it can’t happen in America, or it can’t happen in this day and age. People are being crucified [by ISIS]! People are being beheaded! Wake up! It can only happen here if you let it happen here.”  Santorum's talk was a breath of fresh air.  I am constantly frustrated by my generation's lack of interest in politics and the governing of our country, and in particular, the lack of interest among young Catholics and Christians.  If the younger generations have no interest in these things, who is going to be running the country in twenty years?  Not conservatives, that's for sure.  And definitely not Christians.  As the Senator said, the other side is winning because they "want it more." "The other side wins because they don't give up. They fight. They fight every inch--they don't back away. They have the passion, and we’re complacent, because we’re defending turf—they want to take it. Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says the gates of hell will not prevail against us. That means we’re on offense, not defense."  Well, we have to want it more than they do.  We have to go on the offensive; on the attack.  Our religious liberties are being torn down not by a majority of Americans.  No, most Americans want the freedom to worship as they please.  They are being destroyed by a very vocal and active minority.  A minority that is hell-bent on the complete erosion of religious liberty in America.  It is up to you and me to stop them.  And stop them we can.  But it has to start with each individual.  You can't just think someone else will do the dirty work for you.  No, that someone is you and me.  We have to wake up, and get to work!

Pretty cool, right?

     Later that night, I was privileged to be invited to a private event with the Senator for Patriot Voices' volunteers.  I got to sit in a room with 10 to 15 other people and listen to Rick Santorum talk all about the 2012 election and about what the GOP needs to do to win in 2016.  And this, most definitely, was a surreal experience.  Here I was, sitting in a chair right next to a man I had spent the last 3 years watching on TV and admiring from afar.  Now, he was literally two feet away from me giving us an inside glimpse of his campaign.  I'd like to say it was a dream come true, but I can't say that I'd ever thought something like this would ever happen.
     I have been incredibly blessed in my life, and especially in this last year.  I am beyond thankful to everyone who has contributed in any way to my successes.  My family, friends, and professors have been nothing but supportive and for that I owe them my thanks.  Obviously, the greatest gratitude goes to God.  It has become increasingly clear to me that someone is looking out for me.  God has blessed me far more than I deserve and I can only hope to live up to his expectations.  Ad majorem Dei gloriam.
     God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America.

P.S. Hopefully I will get a chance to write a post about my trip to CPAC soon!!!

Super Bowl XLIX: A Game of Greats

     As you all know, Super Bowl XLIX was a few weeks ago, featuring the perennially dominant New England Patriots and the defending champions, the Seattle Seahawks.  But this wasn't just any ordinary Super Bowl.  This might have been one of the best games in Super Bowl history.  Let's break down this game.

     First off, I'd just like to say that before the playoffs started, I predicted that New England would beat Seattle in the Super Bowl 27-24.  Turns out, I was only one point off.  Not bad.

     Secondly, let's look at the historical significance of this game.  It was relatively unique in the fact that it featured the two #1 seeds of the playoffs.  Since the seeding format was introduced in 1975, there have only been 10 Super Bowls to feature both top seeds. Interestingly enough, two of these times were the last two Super Bowls.  This game was also a matchup of two of the most successful postseason quarterbacks of all time.  Tom Brady has more playoff wins (21) than any other QB in NFL history, as well as more playoff touchdowns (53) and yards (7,345) than anyone else.  Oh, and he is also now tied with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for most Super Bowl wins of all time.  His opponent, Russell Wilson, has only been in the league for 3 years, but has already made a name for himself.  He has won 6 of his 8 playoff appearances, dazzling fans and opponents with his ability to extend and make plays, both on the ground and through the air, his never-say-die attitude, and his upbeat playing style.  He has firmly entrenched himself as the league's best dual-threat QB.  In a way, this game was a contest between the old and the new; the established veteran vs. the up and coming star.

     Another intriguing matchup this year was between the head coaches.  On one side was Bill Belichick, one of the greatest coaches in history.  On the other side was Pete Carroll, one of the NFL's most popular coaches, and one of the smartest football minds out there.  Interestingly enough, Carroll was New England's last head coach.  Again, this was a case of establishment vs. new comer (this is only Carroll's 4th year in the league, albeit in his second NFL stint).

     Last year Seattle's defense, the best in the league, and perhaps the best defense in modern NFL history, took on the Denver Broncos, a historically proficient offense.  While many people expected Seattle to prevail, no one could have imagined that they would put on one of the largest Super Bowl beat-downs in history, winning 43-8, over Peyton Manning.  This year, however, the Seahawks went up against a much more balanced team.  New England put together one of the NFL's best defenses this season, anchored by Darrelle Revis and their secondary.  Combining Revis with Brandon Browner, Dont'a Hightower, Devin McCourty, and rising star Jamie Collins, gave the Patriots one of the most formidable back sevens in the league.  This took some of the pressure off their somewhat suspect run defense.  As we all know, defense wins championships, and this year was no different.  Unlike in 2007 and 2010, this year New England was able to get key stops when it mattered.  And, as it turned out, it was a defensive play that determined the outcome of this game.

The Moment of Truth

     While defense wins championships, offense wins games, as the saying goes.  As amazing as Malcolm Butler's last-second, game-saving, miracle interception was, he never would have had the chance to save that game had Thomas Edward Patrick Brady not engineered the largest 4th quarter comeback in Super Bowl history.  Prior to this year, no team had ever come back from more than an 8 point 4th Qtr. deficit...until the Patriots came back from down 10.  And Brady didn't just come back and beat any old team.  He threw two TD passes in the final 8 minutes of the game against one of the most dominant defenses the NFL has seen since perhaps the 2000 Baltimore Ravens (and maybe even the 1985 Chicago Bears).  He completed more passes in the 4th quarter than Russell Wilson did in the entire game.  In my opinion the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XLIX will go down as the greatest moment in Brady's illustrious career.  Before the game I heard several members of the media say that Brady lacked that signature moment that many of the great QBs before him had.  Well, he got his signature moment, his coup de grâce, two weeks ago, when he went 8-for-8 on the final drive, culminated with the game winning touchdown to Julian Edelman.  Oh, and while he was at it, he thought he might as well just go ahead and set a Super Bowl record for most passes (37) completed.

     So, we know the Patriots played a great game, but how did they do it?  Coaching.  Great, unbelievable coaching, and play-calling.  Without a doubt, Bill Belichick is an absolute football genius, who is able to get the absolute most out of his players each and every year.  Along with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, he drew up the perfect game plan to take down the Seahawks.  Seattle's defense had been almost perfect during the last half of the season.  During the last 7 games of the year, the Legion of Boom had allowed a mind-blowingly low 8 points per game.  So, how was New England going to score enough points to win?  Well, they did it by having Brady blanket the field with what seemed like a billion short, accurate throws.  As they did all season, the Patriots used the short passing game (in particular the screen passes to Shane Vereen) as their version of a running game.  And boy was it deadly.  Brady completed nearly every one of his passes of less than 5 yards.  Oftentimes, his receivers turned these short passes into long gains.  Julian Edelman was a huge difference maker in this area.  Seattle simply couldn't contain his speed and elusiveness going over the middle.  McDaniels and Belichick sent their bigger receivers (LaFell and Gronkowski) deep to occupy Sherman and Earl Thomas, which cleared out the middle of the field.  Edelman, Vereen, and Amendola made the absolute best of the opportunity, and shredded Seattle's defense for a combined 25 catches, 222 yards, and 2 touchdowns.  This was the "dink and dunk" approach that made the Patriots offense so deadly this year.  Opposing defenses were forced to send extra pass rushers because they couldn't get to the QB in the two seconds it took him to get rid of the football. Brady's methodical dissection of opposing secondaries all season (and especially in this game) was a thing of beauty.
     This post wouldn't be complete without a discussion of the Seahawks' final play call.  For the past few weeks, the majority of Americans have been heartily bashing Pete Carroll and Darrell Bevell for calling a pass play instead of handing it to the most physical running back in the league to smash it in from the 1 yard line.  While it did seem pretty stupid not to run the ball, there was a good reason not to.  If you listened to Carroll's explanation, it actually makes a lot of sense.  Seattle had the ball 2nd and goal with one timeout and only 26 seconds left.  That being the case, they had three tries to get in the endzone, but only enough time for two running plays.  Carroll reasoned that they would basically burn one play to stop the clock on a low risk/high reward pass play (on similar plays this season teams passed for 66 TDs and 0 INTs).  He figured, best case scenario, Russell Wilson throws or runs for a TD, like he's been doing for the past three years, or, worst case scenario, he throws an incompletion to stop the clock.  Then they would have two shots at the endzone with the NFL's most bruising back (and remember, they didn't want to leave the Patriots any time to score afterwards).  Unfortunately for Seattle, that's not what happened.  Instead, as Seahawks fans everywhere looked on in open-mouthed horror, an undrafted rookie made an incredible play on the ball and came away with the most important interception in Super Bowl history.  On the Patriots' sideline Brady and Co. were going absolutely nuts.  Just seconds earlier, Brady was sitting on the bench with a look of disbelief on his face after Jermaine Kearse made one of the most improbable catches you'll ever see (David Tyree anyone?).  Then he was jumping up and down and screaming like a little kid.  That was this entire game in a nutshell--massive let downs, followed by unreal celebrations.  Definitely one of the most back-and-forth Super Bowl games I've ever seen.  And man was it great fun to watch.

A true football bromance

     Lastly, there is the topic of legacies.  Namely, Tom Brady's and Bill Belichick's legacies.  Get used to it football fans, whether we like it or not, all we're going to hear about for the next few months is people debating the legacies of Brady and Belichick.  I guess that's what happens when you win four Super Bowls.  The detractors will say that their Championships are tainted, first by spygate, and now by the so called "Deflategate."  That argument might never be settled.  However, what we do know is that the Belichick/Brady team is the winningest coach/QB combo in NFL history.  Their success, both in the regular season and in the postseason, is nearly unparalleled.  With his latest Super Bowl win, Belichick has certainly cemented his legacy as one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history (in all but the integrity category, perhaps).  His ability to take marginally talented teams and turn them into perennial contenders is mind-boggling.  This year Belichick put on a clinic.  Teams never knew what to expect from New England.  One week they were a power running game, using unheard of players like Jonas Gray to pound the rock, and the next week they would air it out, hardly running the ball at all.  A perfect example is their playoff games against the Ravens and the Colts.  The Ravens did a good job of stuffing the run, so the Patriots came out during the second half and didn't call a single running play. Not even one.  The next week in the AFC Championship game Legarrette Blount shredded the Colts defense for 148 yards and 3 TDs.  That was the beauty of the Patriot's offense: it was never the same, and so teams didn't know what to prepare for.
     Brady is done. Brady isn't clutch anymore.  Brady has lost two straight Super Bowls....to Eli Manning!  He can't win the big ones anymore.  This is an example of many peoples' opinions on Tom Brady lately.  There was a feeling that Brady got his rings thanks to his dominant defense and that he was merely a "game manager" during those years.  His detractors pointed to his failures in his two Super Bowls against New York as proof of this.  What they ignored was that those losses came down to the second luckiest catch in Super Bowl history (thanks Jermaine Kearse) and a Wes Welker-dropped pass.  Brady could just as easily have been sitting pretty with 5 rings going into this year's game.  For the past several years I have been saying that Brady is one ring away from challenging Joe Montana as the game's best quarterback.  While it is difficult, maybe even impossible, to compare players from different eras, I think a darn good case can be made for Brady as the G.O.A.T.  Yes, he does play in a much more QB-friendly league than Montana did, but Montana also benefitted from throwing one of the greatest athletes the NFL has ever seen (Jerry Rice) as well as the very underrated John Taylor.  Who has Brady been throwing to his entire career?  Try Deion Branch, David Givens, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, and Troy Brown.  Take away the couple years with Randy Moss and the last few with Gronkowski and Brady has basically been throwing passes to a bunch of nobodies.  Peyton Manning gets a lot of attention due to his incredible knowledge and his gaudy stats, but remember that Manning has almost always been surrounded by an abundance of all-star receivers.  Brady has been a personification of the term "more with less."  And look what he did statistically when he did have a legitimate deep threat: 2007 stats - 4,806 yds, 50 tds, 8 ints.  Not to forget, Brady was the 199th pick of the 2000 draft. I don't think anyone can make a good argument as to why Joe Montana is not the greatest ever, but there is now plenty of good reasons to consider Brady as the G.O.A.T.  Like I said, this is one debate that will probably never be decided.  Unless Brady goes and wins another Super Bowl....

     All in all, Super Bowl XLIX was one of the most exciting games I've ever seen.  Going into the game I predicted just that.  And it truly was a game for the ages.  It's games like these that keep us NFL fans coming back for more, year after year.  It's games like this one that make American Football the world's greatest sport.