Remember the Patriots 'QB Controversy'? Yeah, That Was Fun While it Lasted.

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Now that Mac Jones stands majestically as the lone quarterback on the Patriots active, 53-man roster, both Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham are on the practice squad, and parts of the Boston sports media have predictably pivoted to the "Zappe is So Terrible He Cleared Waivers! Now EVERYBODY PANIC!!!" section of their never-ending Wagner's "Ring Cycle" of negative coverage:

… it seems as good a time as any to take a walk down memory lane.  Specifically, a stroll along that tree-lined, sun-dappled boulevard, QB Controversy Avenue. Population: The entire media landscape and a disturbing number of Patriots fans. 

Looking back, I find that I enjoyed every second of that ridiculous ride, just for the pure madness of it all. The utter ridiculousness of the idea that Zappe was going to dethrone Jones on the basis of his Western Kentucky career and 10 reasonably acceptable quarters in the NFL.

Our cultural GPS first turned us down this street 10 1/2 months ago. And let the record show I wasn't buying in:

[T]here are already people trying to get in on the ground floor of claiming that, not only is there a quarterback controversy brewing between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, but that Belichick is intentionally being non-committal on the question of Jones return, just to lay the groundwork for Zappe remaining his starter. Or something. 

I cited more examples, but you get the point. And here's what I had to say about that:

I love it. Lord help me, how I love it so. The pure clickbaity insanity of it. And I'm convinced Belichick does as well, because he's been feeding oxygen to these flames. First, by setting his Deflector Shields to maximum when asked if Jones was going to start against Cleveland answering, “We’ll see where he is today. I don’t know.” …

It's masterful. It's theater. Performance art. And yet the world is going along with the fiction. Everyone knows damned well that Mac Jones will be under center as soon as Mac Jones' ankle allows him to be under center. In fact, everyone knows that they know it. But they still willingly participate in getting played. It's like going to see a magician or a psychic medium. We're all in on the ruse, but still can't grasp that it's a trick.

But by no means did it stop with Jones actually returning to the job as soon as his ankle would allow. The flame reignited in February. And again, I wasn't buying it for a hot second, but was all in for the wild ride:

Amazing. And yet, all too familiar. Any of 31 other franchises would have the best rookie QB in a generational class of rookie QBs fall in their lap in the middle of Round 1, the fifth quarterback off the board, who played circles around the four who went before him, and feel set for the next decade, at least. …

Personally, I think it's all nonsense. Pure speculation. Opinions pulled right out of people's prison wallets, with no basis in fact. … I give more weight to Jones dominating the SEC and throwing for 450 yards in the National Championship game over all those TDs [by Zappe] against Charlotte and UT Martin, but that's just one man's opinion. 

What is not my opinion, but is undeniable fact, is that the Pats have done everything since the season ended with a singular purpose: To build around Mac Jones. Starting with the only place they've been able to make changes, the coaching staff. If Belichick was truly disgusted by Jones screaming at Matt Patricia, Patricia would still be in charge of the offense, not Bill O'Brien, fresh off the plane from Alabama.

It takes a big person to admit when they're wrong. Which is why no one ever does. But to my way of thinking, it takes an even bigger person to admit when someone else had a total grasp of a situation all along. So who wants to say it?

Thanks. I appreciate that. It couldn't have been easy. 

It's episodes like these and moments like this when you can look back and realize just how hilarious mass hysteria can be. Of course I don't mean the bad, dangerous, harmful kind. People marching in the streets of Berlin in the 1930s and all that. But the fun kind. Where everyone convinces themselves of some preposterous narrative, even with the obvious reality staring them right in the face. In this case, I'm talking about all the crackpots who booed Mac Jones and cheered every Bailey Zappe checkdown to the running back and every off target throw to a wide open target:

… like he's 1999 Kurt Warner. 

So going forward, all I'm asking is for a little perspective. To take a deep breath in the future, and not automatically fall in love with the shiny new thing. Mostly for the rest of you to do better next time. Because I'm doing as well as anyone possibly could.