So we all know how the Patriots are steamrolling the NFL, decimating opponents without breaking a sweat and so on. Sure, the Colts hung with them last week, but if you watched the final 10 minutes, you know it felt like the Patriots were just playing around with them. The Colts looked completely overmatched by the end.

Given A) That no one likes a juggernaut, especially one that seems to have run up the score on more than one occasion; and B) the cheating allegations from Week 1, everyone seems to have a bit of a hate on for the Pats. Hey, they’re the best, and everyone likes an underdog, right?

Well I think it’s OK to cheer for the Pats. In fact, as a sports fan - unless you have a real interest in another NFL team - I think you kinda have to cheer for them.

They have a very real chance to make history. They could 16-0, even 19-0, which has never been done; as we all know, the Miami Dolphins complete the only undefeated season in history in 1972, going 14-0 followed by 3-0 in the playoffs. 19? Unprecedented, especially in the era of free agency and parity.

As a sports fan… don’t you want to see history being made? Whether you like the Pats or not, one day in the distant when your grandkids are watching a team that’s 9-0 and they’re showing classic footage of the Patriots, don’t you want to be able to say, “yep, I was there, I saw those guys play, and man, they were good.”

That’s why I wanted the Red Sox to win in 2004, even though I have no love of baseball - I wanted to be able to say, yep, I watched the Red Sox complete one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports, and win their first World Series in 86 years.

That’s why I always want Tiger Woods to win, even though I have no love for golf. Yes, go on breaking records, so I can tell someone someday that I was around when that happened. Same with Wayne Gretzky breaking every record in hockey. Same with the Bulls winning six rings in eight years and Michael Jordan dominating any and all challengers. This is why I want Roger Federer to win the French Open… get that Slam already, for God’s sake!

Even with Barry Bonds… I mean, tainted record or not, asterisk or not… one day someone’s gonna ask and I’m gonna be able to say, yep, what a circus that was…

History doesn’t get made all that often. Don’t you wanna be there when it does? Don’t you wanna read it about one day or see a TV special on it, and remember what it felt like to experience that? I do.

On top of all that, you also have to agree that, even though the Patriots have a huge payroll, they play in a major market in a new stadium - all benefits that everyone hates the typical juggernauts for having - they have built their team the right way. They drafted well (Brady in the sixth round). They’ve developed good, solid players over the long haul (Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Kevin Faulk); signed under-the-radar guys (Wes Welker, Sammy Morris); they’ve signed players that other teams thought were old and washed up (Rodney Harrison, Junior Seau) or were problematic (Corey Dillon, Randy Moss), and didn’t overspend on any of them.  They also haven’t been afraid to let guys go when they wanted too much money (Ty Law, Deion Branch).  It’s not like they’re just throwing money at the biggest names every year… they’ve handled free agency and the salary cap amazingly well, and it’s paying off.

So that’s why I’m cheering for the Patriots, until they either lose, or win it all. Here’s to 19-0! Go Pats!