JoePats

Eh, it's still bad journalism no matter how you slice it, but to blame the loss on this I think is tremendously unfair to the Giants.

BradyManny

It's not blaming the loss at all. It's saying, that either win or lose, the team had to devote considerable attention to this article and to these accusations.

This really has nothing to do with the outcome of the game, they happened to lose, yes, but the fact that the head coach had to spend time dealing with this two days before the Super Bowl is an issue.

JoePats

We don't know what "good deal of time" is. There were 2 weeks to prepare for the game. They went to Arizona with the gameplan already installed. Say Belichick had 20 things he wanted to do that day (I made up 20, I have no idea what BB wanted to do that day). Say he had to devote 2 hours denying this story to Kraft. You're saying he didn't do these 20 things? Because I don't buy that.

And it is "blaming the loss." You're looking for excuses for why a heavy favorite los the Super Bowl. If you're looking, look at the offensive line for starters, and the defense that gave up TDs on their last two possessions.

NYCPatsFan

My thoughts: just posted this in another thread...

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Irrespective of how professional you are, I doubt if you will remain unaffected (and lose focus slightly) if after battling an entire season of accusations of being 'cheaters', you are suddenly accused - on the eve of a historic final game - of sensational 'cheating' of an even more higher magnitude that calls into question the very integrity of your game, your achievements and your honor.

Whether or not they admit it, the slander-tsunami just before the SB was the last that the Pats expected and IMO, did not give them enough time to recover from the negative media onslaught and turn their attention back to the game and the game planning.

I give full credit for the Giants outstanding play and they deserved that well fought victory on SB. But, I think the stench of this slander was enough to make every Patriot on the field puke a little and not be 100% on the field.
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BradyManny

If he wasted two hours of his time two days before the Super Bowl, then yes, that is important.

And no, I'm not blaming the loss on this. I am simply relaying what Jonathan Kraft said - that this article diverted their attention from game preparation. I did not say that, Jonathan Kraft did. A man who was actually involved in this story and had interaction with members of the front office and the coaching staff as this story transpired. I am going to take his word on it over yours.

hambone1818

There's a similar discussion going on in the Nantz thread, so I'll take a different approach to my stance here. Belichick, like all NFL coaches, works an INSANE schedule--18+ hour days are not rare, especially for one of the more obsessive coaches in the league like Bill. Are you trying to tell me that two hours--and it could be more, because there was a meeting with lawyers, probably a separate meeting with staff, interviews in the morning...we really don't know how much time was spent on all this. The only thing we do know is that the amount of time was more than zero minutes, which is about as much time as Bill has to spare on THE EVE OF THE BIGGEST GAME IN NFL HISTORY.

Again, all together now: it may not have had a negative effect, but we do know one thing: it certainly didn't help matters.

upstater1

I was imagining what it took to deal with the NFL. I'm imagining a lot more than 2 hours. A lot.

Consider, it would take 2 hours just to talk to ALL the coaches, front office, videotape guys about a game in 2002. Then you'd have to try to recall whether it was possible that a tape was made. Pioli would have to get into the specifics of Walsh's employment.

Then you'd bring the PR people and lawyers in about not only the best way to respond, but whether there is any legal responsibility, and of course, after that hour went by, you'd be on the phone to the NFL describing everything you talked about in the last three hours all over again.

In other words, the NFL doesn't call and ask: did it happen?

They call and ask to explore the issue with all the staff members that might know anything. It might have taken half the day to do all this.

We all know that Belichick puts in the final 10% tweaks of the gameplan on Saturday.

I'm not saying that the coaching staff was unprepared, but we saw stuff from them on the sideline that we'd never seen before. We saw a perplexed BB take over the defense and shut out Dean Pees. He had his back on the offense. Meanwhile McDaniels' plays were flubbing so badly on the field that a gopher had to run and get Belichick who was talking to the defense. THEY WERE IN PANIC mode.

It was most likely because they were being outcoached by the Giants. However, it's at least significant to note that the Patriots coaching staff has NEVER looked so bad, and that this awful performance by the staff coincided with having been VERY distracted the day before.

Cartwright

C'mon guys. Just like taping was about 1% of what you do, and had no beneficial effect, so was this distraction, minimal effect. 18-0. Roughshod through most of the season. Playing a previous opponent that no doubt you had plenty of tape on. Two weeks to prepare. If BB was cramming for this final exam, that is his own fault. NE was ready to go, so as far as this affecting preparation, I do not buy it. Maybe it got in their heads, but I doubt Assante was thinking about anything but picking Manning off, he missed it. Tyree made a great play. Burress somehow got by Hobbs, and that was that. Give the G-Men some credit. They brought the pressure big time, and there was nothing BB would have done that Friday or Saturday that he was prevented from doing because of this story. You ought to be happy that this hasn't died. It just provides additioanl fuel to make another run at an undefeated season. Your schedule is favorable, the majority of your team is intact, and you have as much motivation as ever.

BradyManny

Again, we are not blaming the loss on this. Kraft is not blaming the loss on this. Kraft is saying that it was a factor in their preparation. Do you deny that?

Again - REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME, dealing with the repercussions of Tomase's article affected the coaching staff and their preparation for the game. Fact. Straight from Kraft's mouth. Make what you want from it. It's up to you as an individual to decide if you think that the affected preparation affected the game.

hambone1818

Nail ------> Head

Belichick works 18+ hour days in the NFL. I would never say it led to the outcome of the game, but the fact that he had to devote a single minute of those 18 hours he had the day before the biggest game in NFL history to deal with anything but game prep has an effect, no matter how small. And I think that's all any of us are saying.