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Came across this article, this AM, interesting synopsis of how the Globe sensationalized this article and some of the fallacies contained therein. May help divert us from the Indy lovefest..
http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/gameday/
As noted above, if Belichick forced Johnson to the field against the advice of his medical staff, it was wrong and a serious error in judgement by the coach. The sort of judgement that - if it persisted for any length of time - would be grounds for recrimination. But it's hard to make the judgment - based on what we see publicly - that Belichick willfully disregards the health of his players. If anything, fans wonder what takes certain Pats so long to get back in the lineup. One BSMW message board poster wondered on Friday if the Pats reticence in this area was in part inspired by the Johnson incident. Perhaps it was. But the idea that Bill Belichick and Bill Belichick alone is responsible for the misery that is Ted Johnson's life today is simply ridiculous, and should be viewed as such.
Clearly, that's not going to happen at the Boston Globe, or in other corners of the football intelligencia. MacMullen reported Johnson's comments as he made them, and I don't doubt that she reported them accurately. But is that as far as it goes for the media? As another board poster asked on Friday, what about running through the strainer that source material which simply confirms your own biases? Isn't that what reliable journalists are to do? Did MacMullen wonder about the 87 NFL games (and high school and college career) that preceeded the incident? Did she wonder why Johnson returned willingly to Belichick's supervision when the linebacker apparently mistrusted him so? Did she wonder about Johnson's expressed desire to return AGAIN to the Pats a little more than a month ago
Speaking of blowing wind, later on Friday, Globe columnist Ron Borges told a BSMW friend of mine (through a radio call-in to Michael Felger's program) with all certainty that all 30 concussions occurred under Belichick's watch. Now, I know that Ron usually plays it right down the middle when it comes to the Patriots head coach, but that seems a little biased to me.
Enough is enough. The media is persecuting a public lynching of the Patriots coach, from their gleeful acceptance of every utterance of a spurned New Jersey husband, from their disclosure of home addresses, from their wild exaggeration of his every football move, real and imagined, and now, Bill Belichick gave Ted Johnson Alzhiemers. For the first time since he came to New England, Bill Belichick has gone two consecutive seasons without winning the Super Bowl, and in their mind, the armor that comes with being the best in the world at your profession is gone. In their mind, Bill Belichick is adequately vulnerable for the first time, and it's payback time. Payback for not kissing their ring. Payback for putting them in their place. The opportunity for settling the score is there, and the most entitled, self-important members of the media know exactly what to do with that opportunity when they see it.
http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/gameday/
As noted above, if Belichick forced Johnson to the field against the advice of his medical staff, it was wrong and a serious error in judgement by the coach. The sort of judgement that - if it persisted for any length of time - would be grounds for recrimination. But it's hard to make the judgment - based on what we see publicly - that Belichick willfully disregards the health of his players. If anything, fans wonder what takes certain Pats so long to get back in the lineup. One BSMW message board poster wondered on Friday if the Pats reticence in this area was in part inspired by the Johnson incident. Perhaps it was. But the idea that Bill Belichick and Bill Belichick alone is responsible for the misery that is Ted Johnson's life today is simply ridiculous, and should be viewed as such.
Clearly, that's not going to happen at the Boston Globe, or in other corners of the football intelligencia. MacMullen reported Johnson's comments as he made them, and I don't doubt that she reported them accurately. But is that as far as it goes for the media? As another board poster asked on Friday, what about running through the strainer that source material which simply confirms your own biases? Isn't that what reliable journalists are to do? Did MacMullen wonder about the 87 NFL games (and high school and college career) that preceeded the incident? Did she wonder why Johnson returned willingly to Belichick's supervision when the linebacker apparently mistrusted him so? Did she wonder about Johnson's expressed desire to return AGAIN to the Pats a little more than a month ago
Speaking of blowing wind, later on Friday, Globe columnist Ron Borges told a BSMW friend of mine (through a radio call-in to Michael Felger's program) with all certainty that all 30 concussions occurred under Belichick's watch. Now, I know that Ron usually plays it right down the middle when it comes to the Patriots head coach, but that seems a little biased to me.
Enough is enough. The media is persecuting a public lynching of the Patriots coach, from their gleeful acceptance of every utterance of a spurned New Jersey husband, from their disclosure of home addresses, from their wild exaggeration of his every football move, real and imagined, and now, Bill Belichick gave Ted Johnson Alzhiemers. For the first time since he came to New England, Bill Belichick has gone two consecutive seasons without winning the Super Bowl, and in their mind, the armor that comes with being the best in the world at your profession is gone. In their mind, Bill Belichick is adequately vulnerable for the first time, and it's payback time. Payback for not kissing their ring. Payback for putting them in their place. The opportunity for settling the score is there, and the most entitled, self-important members of the media know exactly what to do with that opportunity when they see it.
