As the Boston Red Sox tease their fanbase with the possibility of a playoff appearance, and the possibility of a baseball players’ strike very real, the thought of baseball in the area seems to be receding from the mind. The region has welcomed back the New England Patriots, reigning Super Bowl champions, with open arms.

It seems just like yesterday that kicker Adam Vinatieri boomed a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots the win over the talent laden and “superior” St. Louis Rams. Sweet as that was, wouldn’t back-to-back championships be incredible?

Boston has not had a sports team repeat as champions since the Celtics did it in 1968 and 1969, the last two years of the great Bill Russell’s career. And according to early prognostications from the “experts” and those in the know, the Patriots are not a favorite to win their own division, let alone repeat a trip to the Super Bowl.

That isn’t to say the road to the Super Bowl is a piece of cake or a chip field. After all, the Patriots often caught opponents by surprise last year, with on the field execution and a collective embodiment of teamwork not demonstrating by a team from around here since the Celtics in the mid-80s. This year is much different; every team will see a metaphorical bull’s eye on the Patriots jerseys. Football teams pump themselves up to play even more when the opponent is the reigning king of the hill.

So there is a mass deficiency in respect nation wide for the Patriots. Do you think the champs care? Oh you bet they do. No champion in any sport has been disregarded by the national media as the Patriots have been. It just goes to show that the majority of people think last year was a complete fluke.

The Patriots have no reason to suffer a let down as many other teams have in the recent past. The team managed to compete most of its starters, an unusual accomplishment for a Super Bowl champ. Key players form last year’s run (Tom Brady, Richard Seymour, Matt Light) should only continue to improve.

The coaching remained intact as well. Often an offensive or defensive coordinator of championship team departs for a head coach position. That’s a huge plus.

Now the Patriots aren’t going to go undefeated in the regular season. In today’s National Football League, parity rules and, without a doubt, the Patriots were beneficiaries. There’s no such beast as a powerhouse team anymore, with St. Louis being the closest resemblance. So, there will be one or two teams that will catch the league by surprise, just as the Patriots did last season.

Yes, the Patriots lost to the New York Giants last Saturday. There was some sloppy execution and a visible lack of mental focus in some areas of the game. But truthfully, would you feel all that much better if the Pats had put a whooping on the Giants? Coach Bill Belichik wouldn’t, because it is afterall a preseason contest.

So if there are some bumps along the way, better to have them now than later in the regular season. The point is, the first real measuring stick will come on the evening of September 9, when the Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the newly renamed Gillette Stadium.

Regardless of the team’s overall preseason performance, there is no reason to forecast mediocrity for these gridironers. As long as health is not an issue, the Patriots have more than a fighting chance to capture the Vince Lombardi trophy for a second time.