I Could Listen to Newest Patriots Legends Drake Maye and Ja'Lynn Polk Bro-ing Out Together and Embracing Masshole Culture All Day Long
In these uncertain times, the good people of New England need something to believe in. Dare I say, deserve something to believe in. Better still, deserve someone to believe in. The past few months have been all too much about the past. Tributes, farewells, countdowns of great moments, documentaries, podcast interviews, celebrity roasts. All focused on where we used to be, not where we're headed and who's going to get us there.
And so, it should give us all great comfort to witness perhaps the two most important figures in this Brave New World in which we find ourselves not only forming a friendship, but becoming part of the fabric of our community. This was Drake Maye and Ja'Lynn Polk two days ago:
And here's the mic'd up video that was released a day later:
A North Carolina guy and a guy from Washington state, already aware that the truly great ones who live, survive and thrive here grapple their souls to Masshole culture with hoops of steel. That the fastest way for a Patriots player to become assimilated to life here is to get your ass in a seat at the Garden and Fenway. That there is a proud tradition in this region of everyone turning out at each other's games. A cross-pollination among the four teams that won't end just because certain legendary coaches aren't working in the area any more or because Red Sox owner John Henry is a dick. This is bigger than any one man.
Granted, it would've been nice for the presence of Maye and Polk to inspire the Bruins to a win. But a couple of future football greats in their very early 20s can only sit in the stands and make noise. They can't force anyone to take more than 18 shots on goal or prevent the NHL from letting the Panthers club the Bruins goalie over the head with a defenseman and then score while he's trying to get back into position. The best we can hope for is they got their first taste of what it's like here. How much these games matter to Massholes. And dedicate themselves to doing better when they inevitably get into their own postseason.
To that point, there's reason to feel great about how Maye and Polk are already working on that quarterback/wide receiver chemistry that is impossible to define, but you know it when you see it. That psychic connection of mutual trust and respect that is so crucial because it translates to success on the field. Two guys, one from NC the other from Texas, who played their final college seasons a continent apart, brought together by the common bond that is football. The draft was just a couple of weeks ago, rookie camp was just past, and already these guys are like Woody and Buzz. Red and Andy Dufresne. Butch and Sundance. Riggs and Murtaugh. Those two guys from Scrubs who I guess had a bromance because they're now on every TV timeout singing about cellphones but I'm not sure because I never watched Scrubs because I'm not a chick.
So now the pressure's on the Bruins to win tonight and get this series back to Boston. The Celtics are taking care of their business, but they're about to close out yet another series in five, and we need all the playoff games we can get. We're already seeing the next great QB/WR hookup working on their own shorthand. Talking about "tuddies" and "hit sticks" and guys going airborne, and this time they're spending together is precious. So we need a Bruins comeback in this series not just for them, but for our future. For more than just a Stanley Cup, but for the much loftier goal of bringing another Lombardi to Foxboro. And the journey may have begun at the draft last month. But in continues with each trip these two make to the Garden. Godspeed tonight, Bs. There's more at stake than you can possibly imagine.