MASS. HYSTERIA
Pats, fans drunkenly revel in Super Bowl win
In a stretch that has been tainted and inspired by deflation, New England is pumped up. In snowy Boston, the Patriots soaked up every ounce of cheer Tuesday in a victory parade through the city.
A season that began with dramatics — Tom Brady sitting the first four games in a Deflategate suspension — and ended with dramatics — mounting a comeback from down 28-3 to steal Super Bowl LI from the Falcons, 34-28 in overtime — was given a bow with theatrics.
There was Rob Gronkowski, living up to his image and catching beers that fans threw him — and then chugging and spiking those beers.
There were shirtless boys in near freezing temperature, inspired by their heroes.
There was 39-year-old Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, the winner of five Super Bowl rings and four Super Bowl MVP trophies, who threw for 466 yards and two touchdowns to lead an unthinkable comeback, awkwardly pumping his fist because he didn’t know what else to do.
There was Bill Belichick, contorting his facial structure into what passes as a grin that only appears following Super Bowls, leading chants of “No days off ” to a crowd that gathered midday on a Tuesday.
There were the lesser-known Patriots who emerged from the stars’ shadows. Linebacker Rob Ninkovich skirted around Gronk’s drinking patent, swigging vodka straight from the bottle.
And Chris Long downing beers by the can, preferring a flick to a spike when disposing.
The long summer of the Patriots begins.