Patriots Twist Knife On Falcons With Diamond Count In Super Bowl Rings
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots' comeback from a 28-3 deficit in the second half of Super Bowl LI has at this point jumped to the point of being such a commonly used punchline that it's lost a lot of its meaning. So, as a reminder ... the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit late in the third quarter to stun the Atlanta Falcons and win Super Bowl LI.
It was ridiculous. And so, as a way to commemorate that historic comeback, the Patriots got a bit cheeky with the design of their Super Bowl rings.
The original press release from Jostens merely noted that this year's ring included "to more than 280 diamonds." But ESPN's Darren Rovell uncovered a detail that's just delicious for Patriots fans and inexplicably painful for anyone associated with the Falcons: the exact number of diamonds is 283.
As in, 28-3.
Ouch.
The creative detail was met with different reactions online. Patriots fans, of course, largely loved it, while many others considered the move to be a "troll job" of sorts on the poor Falcons. Fox Sports asked if it was trolling, Uproxx stated definitively that it was trolling, and a website called Total Pro Sports said the Patriots "SAVAGELY" trolled the Falcons. The corny fellow in the video attached to this very post said this "SAVAGE" move is "why people hate the New England Patriots."
(We've got to cut it out with the word "savage," folks. It's lost its oomph.)
Really, it shouldn't be considered "trolling" for the Patriots to commemorate their historic accomplishment. Of course, in the process of celebrating that comeback, the reminder is painful for the Falcons. But the Falcons could have maybe made a stop or not called for a five-step drop while in field-goal range or not taken a holding penalty on the following play or not called a passing play on third-and-1 to allow a Dont'a Hightower strip sack if they were concerned about another team offending their sensibilities. You know?
So it's not necessarily "rude" for the Patriots to celebrate a ridiculous, impossible comeback in the freaking Super Bowl. But it's no doubt a painful reminder for the entire Falcons organization. That kind of sting doesn't fade away very quickly.
But trolling? Please. Not even close.
For the Patriots to really troll the Falcons, they'd have to go so far as to hire Atlanta native Gucci Mane to perform at the ring ceremony.
Oh ... oh yeah. That's a troll job right there.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
