BrianPat

Explanation to date concerning the hatred towards the Patriots and Belichick. Too bad the Peter Kings of the world can't seem to grasp what this guy has.

Why We Really Don't Like Belichick and the Patriots

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/194177

BradfordPatsFan

Well put. Very well put.

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PatsFanJess

"Life is a double-edged sword. You know what they say: "Great men have great flaws." At least this was said of JFK in reference to all his womanizing. And sometimes geniuses can't see the hand in front of their face, which is what I think happened with this particular rule. I have known unique intelligences in my life who didn't always read all the department memos or read them the same way, and I remember how their colleagues would marvel at their stupidity, unconventional thinking, and penchant for self-sabotage. Some of these individuals lose their careers and some move on despite their individual psychology to become the greatest minds of their field."

This is a GREAT point and so true.

upstater1

I believe that this is basically it. Lots of NFL types don't like Belichick. Tom jackson. Jim Kelly. Countless others. Look at LaDainian Tomlinson and what he said about the Patriots' lack of class coming from their head coach.

So much of all this hot air reminds me of Pro Wrestling when the good guy with a long run of winning suddenly--according to script--becomes on of the bad guys.

Even players such as Lawyer Milloy despise the "Take Less $$ and Win" attitude. Other coaches hate the fact that some of their players WANT to play for the Patriots at a cut-rate. Others like Jeff Fisher and Bill Polian and Tony Dungy just can't stand getting beat constantly by the Patriots.

Then ESPN has an adversarial role to play for more media coverage, people like King and Ryan play the Borges card because they feel affronted, having been denied access.

All these people think the fans are stupid and can't see through their pathetic games.

JoeSixPat

Belichick is a master of gaining every possible advantage within the rules of the game. He does this in just about every aspect of the game - from the injury report to even the most obscure rule if it can help him in something like post game analysis.

That's exactly what was at play for Spygate - postgame analysis of situational signal calling by opposing coaches. This was a practice engaged in by many coaches - as independently confirmed by Jimmy Johnson. The NFL admitted the pre-2006 rule was unclear when the recognized the need to clarify it.

Other teams push the rules as well and sometimes step over, just as the Broncos did when violating the salary cap in their Super Bowl years and being fined more than twice as much as the Patriots.

The rest of the NFL likely doesn't appreciate how good Belichick is in pushing rules to their limit - possibly because they don't think of it first.

In the end there's no question Belichick violated a rule by continuing that practice in 2006 and beyond. But there can also be no question that the NFL rule before 2006 was unclear and therefore there is no blemish on the Patriots Super Bowls.

A team like the Broncos cannot make the same claim, as their $2 million fine for spending more than the cap limits took place in their Super Bowl seasons. Not even the 72 Dolphins can make that same claim as if not for tampering to get Coach Shula in the first place - a violation which cost them a 1st round pick - it is doubtful they'd have gone undefeated.

The irony here is that the truth about "cheating" among other teams have come out, it seems more likely that the Broncos and Dolphins should have an asterisk, rather than the Patriots.

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Sicilian

This a great description of the mind of a genius. I've known people who could perform complex mathematical equations with perfect accuracy, but never remembered to send out their cable bill on time.

I've known people who could scribble down an epic poem off the top of their head, but couldn't complete a sentence in conversation without misusing a word or freezing up.

Sometimes being a genius in one area means you lack in another. Do I think BB "misinterpreted" the rule? Probably early on, but probably not after the memo. But still, most sports fans are casual. They don't live and breathe the sport, it's just a hobby. BB's life IS football. There's nothing else, and it wouldn't surprise me if he let that passion get in the way by tossing a seemingly unimportant memo and not realizing that the repercussions would be as large as they have become.

I think this more than anything is why the Patriots have reorganized their franchise to run all these things by the lawyers. They know BB doesn't have the time or energy to worry about them, so they've made sure someone else can do it for them. Now all he has to worry about is putting the best players on the field and putting them in positions to succeed.

willdeespats

Steve was an Assistant Coach at USNAy. Coached mainly JV, Lightweight and Plebe teams. Also did some scouting work. No video tapes in those days and film dissecting was truly a primative art. Nonetheless, there is not a Navy player who came in contact with Steve that does not truly respect the opportunity for that association. He was a true coach in every sense of the word. I think BB learn from his father at the Naval Academy what it takes to be a good coach - a never ending quest for knowledge, never being satisfied with the status quo, and the ability to translate that onto the playing field.

I remember hearing Admiral Rickover respond to a national correspondent on TV when asked: 'Do you always follow the law?' He said to the effect: 'If it's a good law.' Makes me wonder if BB was influenced by Rickover sometime in the past.

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upstater1

That's an interesting comment by Rickover.

The whole Spygate thing reminds me of this case in Georgia in which a guy's ex-wife (not yet divorced) set him up to make it seem like their sexual encounter was a rape. The guy's ex (very Mangini like) ratted out the cops on him. In his defense, the man said that the woman asked him to tie her. Her sister came forward and told the cops that her sister had plotted the hoax ahead of time. Nonetheless, his ex-wife got off, and he was sent to jail for oral sex. Why? Because it's against the law to have oral with your wife in Georgia. He went to jail for ten years. I found a snippet about the case in a London UK newspaper.

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And this my friend's is what happens when you have enemies (Mangini and the wife), unclear and ridiculous laws exist (Spygate rule) and the judge is a complete freakin' moron (Goodell).

I can't think of a better comparison in cases.

BradyFTW!

Great read, and imo perfectly sums up Spygate.

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Leave No Doubt

" I see those who want to stick a dagger in Belichick as shameless opportunists and exploiters of unremarkable character. There will never be anything special about them or about the way they understand our world. They are all just errand boys sent by grocery clerks to collect a Bill."

Great blog. He definitely gets it, especially about Belichick. BB really doesn't "fit in", yet he's set the bar at the same time. I remember some coach or player commenting on being introduced as a team, saying how the Patriots have now "guilted" everybody into doing it. Guilted was an interesting choice of words.

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