More inconsistencies in McMullen's TJ article, from bostonsportsmedia.com

[PonyExpress]

Sorry if I'm quoting too extensively. Make sure and click on the web site, it's fantastic for those who haven't been.

http://bostonsportsmedia.com/

'A couple things still strike me about the MacMullan feature. Johnson was upset that he was "forced" to practice that day in August, yet was so irate that when he wasn't going to be active for the first game that he walked out on the team. It doesn't appear that Johnson was practicing much during that time in between, even Borges had a line in a column from that period on the lack of depth at middle linebacker where he asked "Where is Ted Johnson? - Nobody knows."

Another item to consider is how forceful the hit in practice on J.R. Redmond back in 2002 was. This is the description in the MacMullan article:

In the 9-on-7 drill, running back J.R. Redmond barreled up the middle, where Johnson was waiting. Although the two only made mild contact, Johnson said he immediately began experiencing the warm, hazy sensation of a concussion.
But note how Nick Cafardo reported it the day after it happened, on August 14th, 2002:

Ted Johnson suffered a concussion in last Saturday's 22-19 loss to the New York Giants, which is why he wore a red shirt at Monday's practice. Yesterday, he made quite a hit on J.R. Redmond to stuff him in a goal-line situation.Was it "mild contact" or "quite a hit?" Who is exaggerating here?

MacMullan's piece leads you to believe that Johnson was placed in full action the very next practice after the hit he took in the Giants game. The Cafardo piece tells us that Johnson was in the red practice jersey on Monday, and then the Redmond hit was on Tuesday.

I really feel for Johnson and hope for the best for him. He has a tough road ahead of him. I'm more uncomfortable with the slant that is being put on this story all around the country. On any major sports site, you're sure to see a headline along these lines:

Ex-Pats linebacker blames Belichick for depression (ESPN.com and FoxSports.com)

Johnson: Belichick, Pats ignored my concussion (SI.com)


Ex-LB: Belichick made me play with concussion (MSNBC.com)


Report: Ex-Pats LB blames ills on Belichick (NBCSports.com)

Ex-Patriot blames concussions on Belichick (CBS.Sportsline.com)

If Johnson really blames Belichick for all his problems, why in the world would he be wishing for, or expecting a call from the Patriots coach after Junior Seau went down this season? It makes no sense.

Peter King on WEEI with Dale & Holley today when asked for comment on the situation, called it "an extremely disturbing portrait of how the Patriots run their organization." When given the quotes from the Felger article in December where Johnson talked about coming back to the Patriots, King simply said "wow", stammered, and backpeddled.'

 

[NEPat]

Actually I thought Peter King's statements were pretty fair. He didn't know about Johnson's earlier comments until the hosts told him, plus I think he only read the Times article and not the Globe, because he didn't appear aware that Belichick had commented on the story.

Anyway here's the interview. I put it in the other TJ thread, but maybe it's more appropriate here:

PK: My reaction is that if his charges are true, it's a deeply disturbing portrait of life in the NFL and particularly life on the Patriots, without as much regard for a person's health over how much he means to the team at that partuclar point in time.

Having said that, this is the thing I've felt about Belichick a lot of times.
One of the reasons he gets bashed in the side of the head with a baseball bat so often in the press and why a lot of that sticks is because Bill just does not respond (me: did he only read the Times story and not the Globe where Bill does respond?).

Let me tell you this, and I'm not saying this is the right way to do it or the wrong way to do it. Those are incredibly serious allegations being made by Ted Johnson. And to me, if I am the owner of the NE Patriots, if I'm Bob Kraft, I'm saying "I don't care who does or does not want to respond to that, we're going to respond to that and we're going to tell people we are not the kind of organization that does not value human life."

But before we kill the Patriots on this, i think all precincts need to report before we make any final conclusions on this because obviously if this is as one sided as it says, it would be an extremely disturbing portrait of how the Patriots run their business.

I mean call me Pollyanna, but I want to hear the other side of the story before I make any judgement on that.

*Dale reads the Johnson quotes from a month ago saying he wants to play for Bill and the Pats*

Wow. See I didn't know that at all, I had no idea. That does shed light on it, obviously. I think, again, cooler heads need to prevail in this thing, and let's see what happens when all the facts are known.

 

[SVN]

Sorry if I'm quoting too extensively. Make sure and click on the web site, it's fantastic for those who haven't been. Also of interest, at the end, is Peter King, my least favorite football writer, behaving like the unctuous snake he truly is. I can hear his whiny, nasal voice through the print...:

http://bostonsportsmedia.com/

'A couple things still strike me about the MacMullan feature. Johnson was upset that he was "forced" to practice that day in August, yet was so irate that when he wasn't going to be active for the first game that he walked out on the team. It doesn't appear that Johnson was practicing much during that time in between, even Borges had a line in a column from that period on the lack of depth at middle linebacker where he asked "Where is Ted Johnson? - Nobody knows."

Another item to consider is how forceful the hit in practice on J.R. Redmond back in 2002 was. This is the description in the MacMullan article:

In the 9-on-7 drill, running back J.R. Redmond barreled up the middle, where Johnson was waiting. Although the two only made mild contact, Johnson said he immediately began experiencing the warm, hazy sensation of a concussion.
But note how Nick Cafardo reported it the day after it happened, on August 14th, 2002:

Ted Johnson suffered a concussion in last Saturday's 22-19 loss to the New York Giants, which is why he wore a red shirt at Monday's practice. Yesterday, he made quite a hit on J.R. Redmond to stuff him in a goal-line situation.Was it "mild contact" or "quite a hit?" Who is exaggerating here?

MacMullan's piece leads you to believe that Johnson was placed in full action the very next practice after the hit he took in the Giants game. The Cafardo piece tells us that Johnson was in the red practice jersey on Monday, and then the Redmond hit was on Tuesday.

I really feel for Johnson and hope for the best for him. He has a tough road ahead of him. I'm more uncomfortable with the slant that is being put on this story all around the country. On any major sports site, you're sure to see a headline along these lines:

Ex-Pats linebacker blames Belichick for depression (ESPN.com and FoxSports.com)

Johnson: Belichick, Pats ignored my concussion (SI.com)


Ex-LB: Belichick made me play with concussion (MSNBC.com)


Report: Ex-Pats LB blames ills on Belichick (NBCSports.com)

Ex-Patriot blames concussions on Belichick (CBS.Sportsline.com)

If Johnson really blames Belichick for all his problems, why in the world would he be wishing for, or expecting a call from the Patriots coach after Junior Seau went down this season? It makes no sense.

Peter King on WEEI with Dale & Holley today when asked for comment on the situation, called it "an extremely disturbing portrait of how the Patriots run their organization." When given the quotes from the Felger article in December where Johnson talked about coming back to the Patriots, King simply said "wow", stammered, and backpeddled.'

i heard peter king on the weei audio vault , and to be fair he said that BB gets a bad rap all the time because he doesnt respond .He said kraft needs to respond and say that we dont run the pats this way otherwise if this is one sided then "an extremely disturbing portrait of how the Patriots run their organization."

I think BSM missed that complete quote IMO
you can listen here

http://weei.podzinger.com/results.j....xml&feedid=3588%col=en-all-pod_weei-ep&il=en

 

[Brady to Brown]

Coaching an NFL team into the position the Patriots currently find themselves in is no small feat. Romeo, Charlie and Eric have all moved on.

The attack on Belichick may see him retire 10 years to early. That would be a damn shame. Thanks Boston Globe.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Peter King resents the Pats and has throughout their run. He was a big Kurt Warner ball washer. Now he's a Manning ball washer. Sure, he's written some nice things about Brady and the organization in the past, but only because he has to. They won 3 SBs. WHat was he supposed to write?

Anyway, I can't stand him. His column is a mish mash of assorted crapola like the stuff about the coffee his poor wittle life of flying first class and staying in 5 star hotels and that guy serving in Iraq who he has given an unlimited platform to spew his opinions about the Rams and other things I'm not interested in. Guess what, Pete? If I want to read about the Iraq war I'll go to any number of thousands of other outlets. I don't normally click on cnnsi.com for that crap.

His universal condemnation of the organization w/o bothering to consider that 1-It's just one side of the story. 2-The source is a drug addled moron. 3-The source is gearing up for a law$uit is typical of someone who would rather hop on board the group think wagon than actually get off his ass and check into it himself. And speaking of fat asses, I was glad to see the other morning on Mike and Mike (two other morons) that Pete, after losing a ton of weight in the off-season, seems to have put most of it back on.

**** Peter King. End of rant.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Coaching an NFL team into the position the Patriots currently find themselves in is no small feat. Romeo, Charlie and Eric have all moved on.

The attack on Belichick may see him retire 10 years to early. That would be a damn shame. Thanks Boston Globe.

And how exactly would that come about? As I've said before, the Krafts are smart enough to realize that killing the golden goose, so to speak, would not be a good idea. And somehow, I think they already know about this situation, and have dealt with it internally.

Lastly, as I've said before, do you really think, at this point, that Belichick cares--or even needs to care--what the media thinks of him? [This would have to be a media-driven crusade to get a new coach, since any thinking fans willing to call for Belichick to be fired, at this point, need their heads examined.]

 

[pheenix11]

You know I'm completely sick of the media, they are all full of ****.

I remember before the San Diego game they had ESPN "expert" John Clayton on ESPN radio talking about the Pats. They mentioned the Harrison injury and Clayton said that the Pats will be fan as they still had Eugene Wilson.

WTF, this guy is an expert and he doesn't know that Wilson has been on IR for weeks? These guys are ridiculous, I don't think half of them even watch the games. How the hell can you be an alleged expert and cover a sport for a living and not know what is going on? This is their career and they SUCK at it.

Is pathetic.

 

[Kdo5]

Coaching an NFL team into the position the Patriots currently find themselves in is no small feat. Romeo, Charlie and Eric have all moved on.

The attack on Belichick may see him retire 10 years to early. That would be a damn shame. Thanks Boston Globe.

Belichick doesnt let the media bother him. He could care less about these Globe morons(with a few exceptions in the bunch of idiots).

 

[Kdo5]

You know I'm completely sick of the media, they are all full of ****.

I remember before the San Diego game they had ESPN "expert" John Clayton on ESPN radio talking about the Pats. They mentioned the Harrison injury and Clayton said that the Pats will be fan as they still had Eugene Wilson.

WTF, this guy is an expert and he doesn't know that Wilson has been on IR for weeks? These guys are ridiculous, I don't think half of them even watch the games. How the hell can you be an alleged expert and cover a sport for a living and not know what is going on? This is their career and they SUCK at it.

Is pathetic.

Yeah lol. If Clayton ever watched a 2006 Patriots game he might have noticed Artrell Hawkins starting week in and week out at Free Safety. Or at least I believe the Hawk replaced Wilson once he went on IR. Clayton is terrrrrrrible.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

And how exactly would that come about? As I've said before, the Krafts are smart enough to realize that killing the golden goose, so to speak, would not be a good idea. And somehow, I think they already know about this situation, and have dealt with it internally.

Lastly, as I've said before, do you really think, at this point, that Belichick cares--or even needs to care--what the media thinks of him? [This would have to be a media-driven crusade to get a new coach, since any thinking fans willing to call for Belichick to be fired, at this point, need their heads examined.]

Even more to the point, if BB doesn't respond to the media, there likely is a football reason he is not. The guy's laser focus on winning seems to permeate every action he takes. If he is not responding to the media, he is doing that because it, at least to him, puts him in a better position. What that position is, I don't know. Maybe he thinks that the less on the record, the less crap he has to deal with. Maybe he thinks the non responsiveness adds to stature among the team. Maybe he sees it as a distraction from concentrating on 'next week's opponent'. I can't really say why he does it. Again though, I suspect it is calculated. One day, long in the future his epitaph will read "the most calculated (and winningest) football man to ever coach the game'

 

[maverick4]

The Boston Globe started this whole media frenzy, and the national stories basically piggy back on the Globe's work. The Globe needs to be nationally recognized now for their anti-BB slant and shoddy work.

www.petitiononline.com would work nicely.

 

[Dirtywater]

Peter King resents the Pats and has throughout their run.

Wow, I think the complete opposite. He has always written about how much he respects the Pats and how they do such a great job. Maybe I'm crazy, lol.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Wow, I think the complete opposite. He has always written about how much he respects the Pats and how they do such a great job. Maybe I'm crazy, lol.

Actually, considering the amount of success the Pats have had, he's written a lot less about them than you think. Thats one of my specific gripes about him. It's Manning...Manning... Manning...Iraq guy...coffee ****...daughter's lacrosse update...Manning Manning Manning....Eli Eli Eli....NFC flavor of the month....Manning Manning Manning....Saints...Manning Manning Manning.

Ballwasher in chief.

 

[upstater1]

Um, it is completely disturbing regardless of what anyone says. Regardless if Johnson's troubles can also be attributed to other things. The events portrayed did happen (I'm not talking about the aftereffects) and the coach's reactions to Johnson's concussions were improper.

Now, is Belichick to blame? Yes. After all, BB himself said "I effed up Ted. I'm sorry."

Do all coaches in the NFL do the same thing? I'm very certain that they do.

Do we as fans demand human beings bash their heads in like this? Yes. That's what the NFL is about. If people are sitting out because their bells are being rung, then very likely you can't even field a football team.

 

[PonyExpress]

Um, it is completely disturbing regardless of what anyone says. Regardless if Johnson's troubles can also be attributed to other things. The events portrayed did happen (I'm not talking about the aftereffects) and the coach's reactions to Johnson's concussions were improper.

Now, is Belichick to blame? Yes. After all, BB himself said "I effed up Ted. I'm sorry."

Do all coaches in the NFL do the same thing? I'm very certain that they do.

Do we as fans demand human beings bash their heads in like this? Yes. That's what the NFL is about. If people are sitting out because their bells are being rung, then very likely you can't even field a football team.

bostonsportsmedia.com already shows that there are issues with the chronology, the manner in which his 2nd concussion occurred, maybe the reason TJ left the team at that time (over being left off the active roster, NOT because of being upset about concussions). While I have sympathy for Johnson's current struggles, whatever the real diagnosis, I do not find him credible for multiple, obvious reasons. As far as we know, BB did not say,"I effed up on Ted. I'm sorry." That's what TED said BB said. If he did apologize for something, he may have been referring to the way he handled Ted emotionally prior to his leaving camp, and it had nothing to do with concussions.

 

[upstater1]

bostonsportsmedia.com already shows that there are issues with the chronology, the manner in which his 2nd concussion occurred, maybe the reason TJ left the team at that time (over being left off the active roster, NOT because of being upset about concussions). While I have sympathy for Johnson's current struggles, whatever the real diagnosis, I do not find him credible for multiple, obvious reasons. As far as we know, BB did not say,"I effed up on Ted. I'm sorry." That's what TED said BB said. If he did apologize for something, he may have been referring to the way he handled Ted emotionally prior to his leaving camp, and it had nothing to do with concussions.

I thought the article said he got the blue shirt 4 days after the game? Monday isn't 4 days, so...why did he get the red shirt on Monday anyway? Concussion? And he was supposed to be AOK by Thursday?

What about the Tedy Bruschi quote? Bruschi was supposed to be over Johnson's house commiserating over the situation. Is Johnson lying about his friends now?

I simply have no doubt that this sort of thing occurs in football.

 

[PonyExpress]

I thought the article said he got the blue shirt 4 days after the game? Monday isn't 4 days, so...why did he get the red shirt on Monday anyway? Concussion? And he was supposed to be AOK by Thursday?

What about the Tedy Bruschi quote? Bruschi was supposed to be over Johnson's house commiserating over the situation. Is Johnson lying about his friends now?

I simply have no doubt that this sort of thing occurs in football.

I think Johnson is trying to make his life into a morality play. He already has said in the NYTimes he is concealing from his doctors his amphetamine addiction. That information would have been useful when reaching a diagnosis, don't you think? Why would Ted be more truthful to you or me than to his own doctor?

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Peter King resents the Pats and has throughout their run. He was a big Kurt Warner ball washer. Now he's a Manning ball washer. Sure, he's written some nice things about Brady and the organization in the past, but only because he has to. They won 3 SBs. WHat was he supposed to write?

Anyway, I can't stand him. His column is a mish mash of assorted crapola like the stuff about the coffee his poor wittle life of flying first class and staying in 5 star hotels and that guy serving in Iraq who he has given an unlimited platform to spew his opinions about the Rams and other things I'm not interested in. Guess what, Pete? If I want to read about the Iraq war I'll go to any number of thousands of other outlets. I don't normally click on cnnsi.com for that crap.

His universal condemnation of the organization w/o bothering to consider that 1-It's just one side of the story. 2-The source is a drug addled moron. 3-The source is gearing up for a law$uit is typical of someone who would rather hop on board the group think wagon than actually get off his ass and check into it himself. And speaking of fat asses, I was glad to see the other morning on Mike and Mike (two other morons) that Pete, after losing a ton of weight in the off-season, seems to have put most of it back on.

**** Peter King. End of rant.

:rocker: Thank You. As much as I liked TJ and missed him when he retired,I also have to consider the source here. The TJ we know now is NOT the TJ we once knew. This is a man who's not only lost a degree of his cognitive function but he's also severely depressed. Call me crazy but he's in hell right now and looking to place some blame,which is only a natural human reaction but somebody somewhere needs to mention the fact that these accusations he's throwing around may not be exactly accurate due to this?
I hope somebody fires back with a psycological profile or whatever on this poor man.

 

[upstater1]

I think Johnson is trying to make his life into a morality play. He already has said in the NYTimes he is concealing from his doctors his amphetamine addiction. That information would have been useful when reaching a diagnosis, don't you think? Why would Ted be more truthful to you or me than to his own doctor?

I agree with you there. I also strongly suspect his troubles are caused by something other than concussions. BUT the incident here did occur. Too many names are named, trainers that talked to the media, friends like Tedy Bruschi, etc.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Belichick doesnt let the media bother him. He could care less about these Globe morons(with a few exceptions in the bunch of idiots).

I completely disagree in this case. These allegations are serious-very serious. Concussions also happen to be the NFL's latest project,one which concerns them a great deal. There's already one lawsuit pending and most of us sniff another one on the way.
Oh yes-this IS a big deal,believe it,and not just BB. It involves the medical staff as well (more so,but still).