Patrick Chung fired a shot Sunday during the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII send-off rally.
“We’re gonna go down there and kick their ass, baby,” the Patriots safety said of the Los Angeles Rams, drawing a huge ovation from the New England fans gathered at Gillette Stadium.
This obviously caught the Rams’ attention, with wide receiver Brandin Cooks — who spent last season with the Patriots — firing back during Los Angeles’ own rally across the country.
But just how significant was Chung’s comment? After all, Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman already is doing a whole bunch of chirping, as well.
The ESPN “First Take” crew tackled the topic Monday, debating whether Chung’s trash talk was an even bigger story than Tom Brady declaring over the weekend he still wants to play until age 45. Stephen A. Smith explained why he believes the Chung story is far more “riveting,” especially since it’s different than what we’re accustomed to seeing from the Patriots’ typically tight-lipped culture.
The truth is neither Chung’s comment nor Brady’s declaration is much of a story. Chung simply wanted to pump up the crowd before the Patriots boarded their flight to Atlanta, where New England will play Los Angeles this Sunday with the Lombardi Trophy hanging in the balance. And Brady, who indicated there’s a “zero” percent chance of him retiring after the Super Bowl, just reiterated what he’s said before.
But hey, we’re all hungry for storylines as we kick off the second week between championship weekend and Super Bowl LIII. Why not sink our teeth into some smack talk, however harmless it may be?
