Anyone who works for or supports the Patriots organization is excited about the team's latest Super Bowl appearance.
One* Boston Globe* columnist, however, is having a hard time getting excited about New England’s opponent, the Atlanta Falcons.
"When it comes to Atlanta and its sports fans, we feel nothing. Maybe a little pity," he writes. "The Patriots are going to the Super Bowl in Houston Feb. 5, and they are going to play the Atlanta Falcons, and that takes a little fun out of the experience."
A colleague from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution fired back with a column of his own to counter the anti-Atlanta sentiment from the Globe.
In the Boston Herald, you'll find an editorial declaring that most of America hates the Patriots.
"And now that the Pats are back in the Super Bowl, their opponent, Atlanta, is going to emerge as America's Team. The Falcons! Nobody has ever, ever, ever cared about the Falcons, except for now, because now they are gearing up for a Super Bowl showdown against America's Most Hated Team," he states.
A Providence Journal writer offers a more palatable piece for New England fans: a retrospective of the Patriots from laughingstock to NFL paragon.
The Super Bowl-bound Patriots have earned their head coach’s respect – no easy feat, as an ESPN blog post points out.
"These guys, they work hard. They put up with a lot from me, and they put up with a lot of significant demands and requirements here, but it's done with the intent to try and produce a good product and a good team. They buy into it."
Down in Atlanta, the Falcons' head coach is also paying the Patriots a good amount of respect, as the Globe found out.
"They are difficult to defend," Dan Quinn said in part. "They use a variety of formations, personnel groups, they've got a huge playbook from the pass game into the run game, gap schemes, trap schemes in the run game, quick game. It's an offense that is well-versed. They have different ways to attack you."
The Boston Herald, meantime, examines Falcons QB Matt Ryan’s New England connection as a Boston College alumnus.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has assembled five Patriots facts that should worry Falcons fans.
CSNNE.com focuses on Atlanta’s front office team, which has its roots here in New England.
Elsewhere, a MassLive blog post examines whether former Patriot Jamie Collins' huge contract with Cleveland will impact upcoming negotiations with Dont'a Hightower.
