Bill Polian: Hypocrite warning

[Uncle Rico]

Just reading Peter King on the "Lose for Luck" story. Talks about all that's at stake this Sunday for teams at the top of the draft, obviously with Luck as the focus. Some good historical stuff too.

So anyway he talks to Bill Polian about whether he's discussed the merits of losing this week with his coaches or players ("no conversations whatsoever'' ), and I thought these quotes were interesting:

"I am proud to be part of an organization and part of a league where players and coaches give 100 percent effort in every game,'' Polian said. "Maybe that's why we're such a popular sport.''
...
"How can you build an organization with a culture of winning and look players in the eye and tell them to give their best effort every day but this one?'' Polian said.

Ahem. And King doesn't even call him on it.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

King doesn't call him on it because being a media toady is all about accessibility. Confront and confound a source and you're toast. I have SO little respect for the profession and its practitioners.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Maybe i need to read the article. It sounds to me like Polian was saying. We expectthem to give 100% every day, every time. How can we tell them not to give 100% now (or for this last game)?

Doesn't seem to be sayingthe team shouldn't.

Even if he did entertain such thoughts or even have those conversations, he would never admit it in the public.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

He can't admit it, because the league's by-laws, IIRC, require teams to make a good-faith effort to try to win every game.

 

[captain insano]

King doesn't call him on it because being a media toady is all about accessibility. Confront and confound a source and you're toast. I have SO little respect for the profession and its practitioners.

i often dream if i was a famous athlete how much i would endlessly f--k with the media. my god i would drive them nuts. words cant describe how pathetic and unprofessional they are.

 

[PatsFan24]

With the Vikings win last week doesn't that mean the colts have the top pick?

 

[PatsFan24]

King doesn't call him on it because being a media toady is all about accessibility. Confront and confound a source and you're toast. I have SO little respect for the profession and its practitioners.

The media? Or the teams that will boycott them if they face tough questions?

 

[patsfaninpa]

With the Vikings win last week doesn't that mean the colts have the top pick?

No. Indy and St. louis each have 2 wins. An indy win and a Rams loss. Gives St. Louis the top pick. If they both win, or if they both lose. Indy gets the top pick.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Is the hypocrisy from an earlier stance or just this article? I am confused as to what King should have called him on.

 

[tobias funke]

Technically:

Resting starters to get them ready for the playoffs, while starting backups who are giving 100% effort, falls under the categories of 'within the rules' and 'trying to win'.

It's also impossible to prove that any particular personnel decisions (or lack thereof) are made with the intent of sabotaging a team's chances of winning.

So regardless of whether or not everyone in the country knows a team is 'throwing' a game in practice, it doesn't really matter, because it's not done by telling the players to play poorly. It's simply done by making subtle roster decisions that will lower a team's chances of winning.

If we needed a name for it, we'd call it "Starting Curtis Painter for 12 weeks of the season", a.k.a. 'plausible deniability'.

 

[patfanken]

As ;much as I'd like to take the high road here, can anyone really tell me that in a similar situation down the road and the Pats have a chance to take the next Andrew Luck, they'd want them to "win" the game instead? I don't THINK so. I only hope the Colts win the game, though they'd be crazy to do so. Whether they take the player or keep Manning, that pick will have a lot of value for the Colts. or whomever gets it.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

King doesn't call him on it because being a media toady is all about accessibility. Confront and confound a source and you're toast. I have SO little respect for the profession and its practitioners.

Well said. Sports 'journalism' is largely a joke. I sincerely believe any regular poster with a semi command of grammar could replace the 'elite' with little drop off from its current state.

Unfortunately, hard news journalism often falls within the same quality category as sports journalism.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

As ;much as I'd like to take the high road here, can anyone really tell me that in a similar situation down the road and the Pats have a chance to take the next Andrew Luck, they'd want them to "win" the game instead? I don't THINK so. I only hope the Colts win the game, though they'd be crazy to do so. Whether they take the player or keep Manning, that pick will have a lot of value for the Colts. or whomever gets it.

I agree with the pragmatic angle. If we were Brady-less and a cellar dweller, yes I would want to lose the game to land the chance at a franchise QB. Hell, if losing tomorrow meant an easier road to the SB, I'd want their to be an effort by BB to lose the game (albeit subtly). However, that is a different conversation. A journalist should see the inherent contradiction in the interviewee's statements and pursue further statements on the subject.....assuming he wants to do his job.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

where was the peter king of spygate infamy and his hard hitting interview leaving no stone unturned. oh, that's right, it's the colts.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

How awesome would it be to have Adam Vinatieri, the greatest clutch kicker in the NFL, in a position to kick "the Luck" away by hitting the winning FG in today's game?
That would be so funny. Oh to be a fly on Bill PoliON's wall....
Wanna bet some (all) coach on the Indy sideline would instruct the O-line to "let everyone through" once the ball is snapped? Uh huh!
Hmmm, aren't the Jags in the Colts division? Wouldn't it be to the longterm benefit of the Jags if the Colts failed to get to most highly touted QB prospect in years?? Just sayin'....
This could be a 0 - 0 game going to overtime.

Peter is King of the mediot crowd. His opinions are formed by the amount of access and arse kissing he receives.

 

[goheels22002]

No. Indy and St. louis each have 2 wins. An indy win and a Rams loss. Gives St. Louis the top pick. If they both win, or if they both lose. Indy gets the top pick.

Interesting situation. It will be fun for us if they end up tied. The Rams do not need a rookie quarterback. Rookie-of-the-year Sam Bradford is a splendid QB for the future. They need top-shelf linemen on both sides of the ball. The Rams could threaten to take Luck, but why mess around?

Luck would go to Indy at #2 anyway, is my guess.

What a colossal pain in the neck.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Interesting situation. It will be fun for us if they end up tied. The Rams do not need a rookie quarterback. Rookie-of-the-year Sam Bradford is a splendid QB for the future. They need top-shelf linemen on both sides of the ball. The Rams could threaten to take Luck, but why mess around?

Luck would go to Indy at #2 anyway, is my guess.

What a colossal pain in the neck.

As you mentioned, they need help on both sides of the line, why not trade the #1 for a few high draft picks. I doubt Luck would fall to the #2 pick.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

King doesn't call him on it because being a media toady is all about accessibility. Confront and confound a source and you're toast. I have SO little respect for the profession and its practitioners.

what he said...

 

[wizwor]

Do they have to have a meeting for the coaches to understand what a loss means? Once a team is out of the tournament, the remainder of the season is more about 'other things' than the score. Teams at the bottom get to evaluate young talent while improving their situation in the draft. It's the way the system is set up. At the point that the Colts 'lock up' Luck, the fans will be as happy as if they had clinched a playoff berth.

This thread -- and the article -- is much about nothing.

 

[Willie55]

No. Indy and St. louis each have 2 wins. An indy win and a Rams loss. Gives St. Louis the top pick. If they both win, or if they both lose. Indy gets the top pick.

Even if the Rams got the top spot would they take Luck? They just drafted Bradford a couple years ago. And lately there have been questions about how good luck will be in the pros.