Patriots fans have come to believe that any season not ending in a Super Bowl appearance is nothing short of an off-script botch job by the National Football League.
Somehow -- bravely -- they wage on with their lives, especially Burke O'Connell.
After all, it was O'Connell who went out and had his friend, a tattoo artist by name of "Milktatz," litter his calf with art trumpeting New England as the Super Bowl 50 champions.
Not accurate, but permanent.
"I don't regret it at all," O'Connell told WCVB-TV, per the Boston Globe, after the Patriots were dropped by the Broncos in last Sunday's AFC Championship Game.
"Honestly, I just had a bad feeling right in the beginning, right when they started losing and I was like, 'Oh, Milk, this better work out, dude,'" O'Connell said.
In a rare trial for victory-drenched Patriots fans, it didn't work out, leaving O'Connell to wax philosophically about the ink still drying on his lower leg.
"They're champs anyway. We got four rings," said O'Connell. "We're the best anyway regardless if we win or lose."
