I hate them because they come off as brash and obnoxious. They're loud. They're annoying. They're ridiculously arrogant for a team that was 9-7 last year, basing their expectations off a rather miraculous AFC Championship Game run (seriously, how could two very-accurate kickers miss all of their field goals against them be considered anything but lucky) that they were given as much as they earned. I dislike New York's "buy your championship's mentality."

But you know what else I hate about them? I hate that they're successful. I hate that they can back up all their smack. I hate that their QB, despite looking so pitiful last season, looks <em>good</em>. I hate that they make a risky move like signing LaDanian Tomlinson suddenly seems so genius given his amazing production this season. I hate their competency. I hate the fact that they have a GM, a competent owner, a smart offensive coordinator that knows what he's doing, an offense that has come together and just got better with Santonio Holmes coming back, and a defense for the ages. I hate that they can somehow make all the large contracts they acquired or made over the offseason work. 

How do they do it? Why does it work? Why is our team not this good, despite having better receivers, a good TE, a good RB, and a good QB? What's wrong? And why is our defense so damn inconsistent? 

I'm sitting here watching a team that's very easily a SuperBowl contender. I'm sitting here watching a crowd of faithful fans fill the stadium with noise every time the Vikings have the ball. I'm sitting here watching competency and faithfulness. Why does our team lack this? <em>What is missing</em>?