Hey Pats fans - I have another question for you guys...

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Something just occured to me - with the turn of a new decade just a few decades ago, it was only 10 years ago from a few days ago that the 21st century arrived.

Of course, it was around this time last year when Wade Phillips was forced to bench Doug Flutie, and then had to go through that "Music City Miracle".

Just curious - when Pete Carroll was fired like a week before the Music City Miracle, what were your thoughts when Belichick was hired, a #1 pick had to be forked over to the Jets, and the state of the franchise going forward? Did any of you in the back of your minds think you would pick up an elite QB from a late round, win 3 Super Bowls, and become the team of the decade fast forward 10 years later?

Funny how we're entering this weekend with Wade Phillips coaching a hot team, but with a 500 pd gorilla on his and his team's backs, while the Patriots has become the team of the 1st decade of the 21st century, and is making another SB run.

 

[Patjew]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I assumed we would pick up an elite QB from a late round, win 3 Super Bowls, and become the team of the decade fast forward 10 years later.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I was 14 years old and didn't know much about Bill Belichick. So this is, essentially, a +1 post for me.

 

[italia44]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I assumed we would pick up an elite QB from a late round, win 3 Super Bowls, and become the team of the decade fast forward 10 years later.

The soothsayer Balaam has spoken...............I bow at your feet,"O Holy One"

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

The people I knew within the organization were telling me what a disaster Carroll had been, so I had no problem with him getting fired. I'd always felt that Belichick had gotten hosed in Cleveland, so I was actually happy about the hiring.

The press conference was certainly interesting.

 

[bradydaman29]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I would have bet my house that the Pats would not have won 3 Super Bowls in the next 5 years. Even though I was very happy to get rid of Carroll, it seemed like another bonehead Patriot move to get snookered for a 1st round pick for a head coach. Then when they gave cement feet a 10 year deal it assured the Pats of 10 years of mediocrity. This was on my mind! Mo Lewis Rules. But it also took Belichick to have the guts to stick with Brady. And it also took miraculous dedication by Brady to do what had to be done to start winning. The Pats being arguably the team of the decade was as unlikely as the Raiders being the team of the next decade. Glad I was wrong. So all you fans of hopeless teams out there, your time will come. If the Patriots can do it, any team can.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I assumed we would pick up an elite QB from a late round, win 3 Super Bowls, and become the team of the decade fast forward 10 years later.

Can I get some lottery numbers off ya?

 

[Nikolai]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I didn't have high hopes. I was glad to see Carroll gone, and was optimistic about Belichick coming in (recalling his days as an excellent DC for the Giants). But Bledsoe, for as well as he could sling the ball, had a lot of weaknesses, and the team seemed to be settling into a losing mentality. I expected mediocrity; a bunch of 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 type years with maybe a lucky trip to the playoffs here and there.

 

[MassPats38]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I was happy to see Belichick join the team even with the lost pick, more because of his earlier affiliation with Parcells and the success the Pats enjoyed during his time. It was also great seeing the Jets response when he bailed on that organization, well worth the pick. I thought he was a good coach with the Browns, but not a great one. I remembered him bouncing the Pats from the playoffs in 1994 when all the Pats seemed to have was Bledsoe and Ben Coates.

As for the rest of that story, I was a Bledsoe fan and cringed in 2001 when he got knocked out of the Jets game and Brady replaced him. By the end of the season, I was elated when Bledsoe threw the TD pass in the playoffs against the Steelers but cringed when he started improvising again, remembering his penchant for mental errors on the field and appreciating Brady.

At the time I was just happy to see the Pats compete for a title, and 1996 was the best season I could recall given the chance to win the game in an era dominated by the NFC. I would never have dreamed of 3 titles. The 2000 Belichick Pats were still not far removed from the Patsies.

 

[woolster22]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I was 11 and knew petey was no good. that was about all i knew though. i am lucky to be witnessing this as my first decade of cognitive years of football fandom.

 

[RayClay]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

Carroll had the wrong personality for the east coast and Grier was also undermining him by letting disgruntled players go around Carroll to him. Of course Grier was comically awful at drafting, a dartboard literally would have been better. He had extra high round picks through Parcells and Curtis Martin compensation too, that he mostly wasted.

I was aware what an awesome defensive coach Belichick ewas considered with the Giants. He really had a reputation even in the general public, was mentioned by announcers etc.

I was happy Kraft gave him control, as taking away control from Parcells and giving it to what must have been the ultimate boot licking backstabber in Grier (sorry, but there has to be a reason such a total incompetent rose in the organization. Let's face it, poor match or not, Carroll can coach and Grier has shown nocompetence at anything).

Anyway, BB's personality deficits were known and his own mixed record at personnel too. I was fairly psyched, though, because he was abrilliant guy and disciplined and Kraft giving him control was a relief.

Revisionist historians note, the robert Kraft of today was not evident until that point. Sure,he and Parcells had a personality clash. Parcells was not is guy either, he was inherited. Nevertheless, taking power from Parcells to Grier and running around with a stop watch timing our 1st round "press cornerback" Tebucky Jones, made him look like a dork and a possible meddlesome owner. His giving BB total control is what saved the franchise, IMO.

The total incompetence of grier is mind boggling. He spent a mid 1st round pick on a center. Though talented, Woody tended to fat and lazy if you didn't watch him constantly and he couldn't shotgun snap. Talented, yes but he was replaced with a fifth round pick who's already had a better career.

What's a "press cornerback"? Apparently, it's an imaginary projection for a player without a position who was a running back, then played some safety. Grier spent a first round pick for a guy who could hardly play safety, so they could move him to cornerback. You can't make this stuff up. I'd always thought CB was the harder position to fill, with cornerbacks sometimes converted to safeties. I never heard it the other way around, but figured they knew more than me. Apparently not.

Most Grier picks just quickly faded into obscurity, but if there was an athletically gifted player that had no guts or instincts for football, Grier would find him.

Canty was an attitude problem, small, not real fast and not higly regarded (we passed on Sam Madison. All Grier needed to do was read any sports mag, but he knew better).
You see, he was going to be smart and draft a nickel CB insread of the best CB. Who specifically drafts for a nickel in the 1st round?

Tony Simmons had all the speed and size you could want at wide receiver. Apparently, though he didn't like to play football, or understand the fundamental concept of the game. His signature play was the 8 yard square out on third and ten. He would execute this flawlessly, stepping out of bounds with or without defenders. With one simple rule change, the 8 yard first down would likely have allowed Simmons to challenge Jerry Rice for receiving milestones.

 

[Patjew]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

Tony Simmons had all the speed and size you could want at wide receiver. Apparently, though he didn't like to play football, or understand the fundamental concept of the game. His signature play was the 8 yard square out on third and ten. He would execute this flawlessly, stepping out of bounds with or without defenders. With one simple rule change, the 8 yard first down would likely have allowed Simmons to challenge Jerry Rice for receiving milestones.

That was a great post. Good read!

 

[Patjew]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

can i get some lottery numbers off ya?

6
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

 

[RayClay]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

That was a great post. Good read!

I swear it's a fact. I saw him elsewhere on TV, maybe it was NFL Europe.

Anyway, they say the name, so I perk up wondering if it's our Tony. Next play after, it's a short out, Simmons caught it in front of the defender and stepped out untouched, just short of the first down. I almost fell off my chair.

 

[Patjew]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I swear it's a fact. I saw him elsewhere on TV, maybe it was NFL Europe.

Anyway, they say the name, so I perk up wondering if it's our Tony. Next play after, it's a short out, Simmons caught it in front of the defender and stepped out untouched, just short of the first down. I almost fell off my chair.

LOFL. Ah, the bad old days.

 

[shmessy]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

Just curious - when Pete Carroll was fired like a week before the Music City Miracle, what were your thoughts when Belichick was hired, a #1 pick had to be forked over to the Jets, and the state of the franchise going forward?

My thoughts (through gritted teeth) were "Krafty better know what he's doing, or else."

After the debacle in Cleveland and the hammer job the press did on him as someone who couldn't manage human beings (from afar, I wasn't that knowledgeable about him then and took at face value what the press was painting about him).

I'm sure there will be alot of posters here who will claim back in January, 2000 that they said "Yes!!!! BB's a genius and we're now on our way! With Belichick here, we will now have FA's breaking down the door to play for us".

I only wish someone could post a video link of the BB presser in NY where he resigned as "HC of the NYJ". I have read reports of it that it was the single most weird press conference many of those writers had ever witnessed and ended with the NYJ GM publicly stating that he feared Belichick was mentally unstable.

It was a huge risk Kraft took - - and he paid alot for it at the time. Kudos.

 

[JSn]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

The soothsayer Balaam has spoken...............I bow at your feet,"O Holy One"

From my recollection, all the smart words in that story came out of Balaam's ass.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I remember exactly how I felt back then....

I remember wanting the Tom Donahoe/Dom Capers combo actually and after seeing that BB press-conference meltdown in NY, I was VERY POed that Kraft was in the process of hiring BB. I thought he was brutal in Cleveland and had zero interest in BB coming to NE. I thought BB was the classic "great coordinator, crappy HC". I had very little confidence in Kraft as an owner back then. He did a great job keeping the team around, but in terms of picking the right people to run a franchise, I thought he was an uneducated, jock-sniffer. At least Donahoe had great success in Pitt and Capers took Carolina to the NFCCG in 96.

All that said, shows how little we all know what it takes to be successful in the NFL.

 

[lurker1965]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

Something just occured to me - with the turn of a new decade just a few decades ago, it was only 10 years ago from a few days ago that the 21st century arrived.

Of course, it was around this time last year when Wade Phillips was forced to bench Doug Flutie, and then had to go through that "Music City Miracle".

Just curious - when Pete Carroll was fired like a week before the Music City Miracle, what were your thoughts when Belichick was hired, a #1 pick had to be forked over to the Jets, and the state of the franchise going forward? Did any of you in the back of your minds think you would pick up an elite QB from a late round, win 3 Super Bowls, and become the team of the decade fast forward 10 years later?

Funny how we're entering this weekend with Wade Phillips coaching a hot team, but with a 500 pd gorilla on his and his team's backs, while the Patriots has become the team of the 1st decade of the 21st century, and is making another SB run.

I figured he was the mini-Bill Parcells and would make Drew Bledsoe good again. His mental state worried me. I mean, "I resign as HC of the NYJ," and all that.

Even then I knew the Cleveland thing was over blown. He had rebuilt them into a good team when Modell announced the move and they tanked.

 

[shmessy]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

BTW, this two weeks BEFORE from Belichick's own future-insider (if anyone wants to pay for the full archived version, I'm sure it's a hoot):

Boston Globe Historic Archives

"FOXBOROUGH - There were several cameras staked outside of Foxboro Stadium yesterday. I still can't believe one of them was not from the "E!" network. Really, it wasn't clear what exactly was happening here. Was this Pete Carroll's dismissal or was it his former players' re-creation of the arrival scene at the Academy Awards?

Why? Because the Patriots are in trouble. It's one thing to have problems and know you have them. It's quite different to be descending toward the belly of a canyon without realizing it. That's where Robert Kraft and his team are this morning. In the past 48 hours, they have actually flirted with becoming worse without Carroll. I say flirted because Kraft might have completed the disaster if Bill Parcells hadn't done him a huge favor by resigning as head coach of the Jets yesterday.

If Parcells hadn't resigned, Kraft would have tried to hire his top assistant, Bill Belichick. Instead, Belichick is the No. 1 football man for the New York Jets, an organization he will destroy if Parcells doesn't hold his hand - especially when it's time to draft players."

(the rest can be purchased for $4.95 at the link, but you get the picture - - color me a shade suspicious of anyone here claiming they were 100% ecstatic back then).