Bill Polian offers his 2cents about Hernandez.

[Batman]

Polian on Hernandez

What a high and mighty douche it's not like he ever drafted a murders, *cough* Rae Carruth *cough*

 

[Brady6]

Polian on Hernandez

What a high and mighty douche it's not like he ever drafted a murders, *cough* Rae Carruth *cough*

Aaron Hernandez was a key contributor to 3 division titles and 1 AFC championship which is substantial for a 4th round draft pick. Did it end badly? Without a doubt. Was the 2nd contract a poor decision? Arguably yes. But was the decision to draft Aaron Hernandez in the 4th round a bad decision? Absolutely not.

All these GM's and HC's are speaking in retrospect which is extremely easy to do. The fact is if you asked these coaches for a 2nd rounder for Hernandez at the end of the 2011 season 99% of them would of given it.

 

[situational_awareness]

Regardless of the concerns about Ahern, nobody predicted this. It's so easy to say, "I told you so." If they were so sure about him, then why weren't they jumping up and down warning the world that Ahern was going to be an alleged murderer? Whatever, Polian. Three weeks ago, any team besides possibly the NO Saints would have taken Aaron Hernandez from the Patriots if they could have.

 

[JMC00]

I'm taking anyone who comes out and says they had him completely off their board with a fat grain of salt.

The only way they get to say it is if the Patriots selected Hernandez as Mr. Irrelevant or he went undrafted. There was still 3 and half rounds of the draft left after he was taken. They can't honestly tell me they wouldn't have used a 6th or 7th round pick if he was sitting there.

It's funny who has publicly said it. Polian, known Patriots hater. Brown, of course he is going to take the opportunity to say they had him off their board because they are basically Raiders east.

But media people will eat it up like felger who took Brown's word as gospel and gave his reasoning that Brown has to be telling the truth because Bengals if they had him on their board they would have taken him in the 2nd.

Yet what mr. contrainian fails to tell the less informed people is they took Jermaine Gresham in the 1st and didn't take another TE in the draft. So it is entirely possible they took every other TE off their board when they drafted Gresham.

But had Hernandez been there in Round 6 when they took WR Dezmon Briscoe, you expect me to not have a little doubt that they wouldn't have taken Hernandez instead?

As for Polian they didn't take an offense skill player until round 5 which was Brody Eldridge. You expect me to believe had Hernandez been available they wouldn't have taken him?

Jimmy Graham was taken the pick after they selected CB Kevin Thomas. I think it was more of the Colts weren't in the TE business during the 2010 draft.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm not sure why people act as if Polian's coming out of left field here. It's clear that Hernandez was taken lower than his talent would have indicated. Hernandez lasted until the 4th round, and a lot of teams use a scouting group that had a negative take on Hernandez.

 

[Claremonster]

Polio is a losing hypocrite...who drafted Rae Carruth again?

 

[Uncle Meat]

First of all, Polian is now a football analyst and does interviews. I'm sure that they asked him a direct question on THE current hot topic, and he answered it. Being a Bills fan, I've heard this guy talk quite a bit. Even before all this Hernandez business went down, I've heard Polian recently say that if a college player shows certain character issues, he'd take them completely off his board, regardless of talent. I don't think he's lying. I don't see how telling the truth when asked a question is being "high and mighty."

I also don't think that he's saying that he had foreseen the kind of trouble Hernandez would eventually get into. I don't think he's going out of his way to say "I told you so." Why are some of you taking what Polian said personally AND out of context? He was a GREAT GM. Everybody makes mistakes, and it's hard to judge what people are really like when nobody's looking. I don't think Ray Carruth was ever in trouble before he had his pregnant girlfriend shot, so that's a whole different story. There weren't any red flags that I know of when Carruth entered the draft. Contrarily, the Pats basically KNEW they were taking a risk by drafting Hernandez, from what I understand...that's why he fell to the 4th round. Can't blame the Patriots for taking a risk, either (at least I don't)...although, I still don't understand why they extended him when they did.

The only bad guy in this is Hernandez.

 

[DarrylS]

32 teams shared the same concerns in the first three rounds as the Colts, but when it came to pick #113, Hernandez was probably viewed as risky, but even higher reward...

No one could have predicted this... not even Polian.

 

[Gumby]

I'm not sure why people act as if Polian's coming out of left field here. It's clear that Hernandez was taken lower than his talent would have indicated. Hernandez lasted until the 4th round, and a lot of teams use a scouting group that had a negative take on Hernandez.

Agree with you as far as you state above; Polian just essentially stated: " He fell because of character issues" DUHHHHHHH BB could have said that too:
"We didnt draft him in rounds 1 - 3 because of character issues".

The part to object in the whole continuing HYPOCRISY-20/20 HINDSIGHT saga is (as always) THE MEDIA They are out there asking questions trying to drum up another guy to make the above-type Polian answer and then insert it into their PRE-WRITTEN STORY SCRIPT. Then proceed to bash the Patriots as stupid idiots for buying designer-wear on mark-down clearance at Marshalls.

Polian just fell into the media trap because he likes hearing his own voice and he likes sucking up to the other media members ---- Hell that sucking up got him his new job as an analyst --- so you might say he was smart doing it for all those years in Indy and isnt just character flawed and self-promoting (although I prefer the latter explanation).

 

[Tyler.Durden]

Aaron Hernandez's time in new england was virtually spotless. Was not a distraction, produced, a little injury but for the most part a great team mate.

It blew up, but all indications were he was doing fine.

EVERYONE was happy with the contract extension, there were no indication that this was coming.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Polian's statement is pretty clear. He says the Colts, like many teams, decided the risks were too great and the red flags too high to take what those many teams regarded as too high a risk by drafting Hernandez.

He doesn't make any statements to the effect that he thinks the Colts' draft process is superior to the Patriots or any other team. He just states what the Colts did that year about that player. In that case, it turns out he was right.

Let's not read our own dislike of Polian (which I generally share) into what he said.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Aaron Hernandez was a key contributor to 3 division titles and 1 AFC championship which is substantial for a 4th round draft pick. Did it end badly? Without a doubt. Was the 2nd contract a poor decision? Arguably yes. But was the decision to draft Aaron Hernandez in the 4th round a bad decision? Absolutely not.

All these GM's and HC's are speaking in retrospect which is extremely easy to do. The fact is if you asked these coaches for a 2nd rounder for Hernandez at the end of the 2011 season 99% of them would of given it.

I just don't think you can say it was "Absolutely not" a bad decision. I think you can say something like, "In retrospect it was not an irrational decision but the red flags were significant enough that it should never have been made." To my way of thinking, that makes it a "bad decision."

To my way of thinking, also, his contributions "to 3 division titles and 1 AFC championship" are trivial in comparison to the damage he has done to Sport in general and the Patriots in particular.

This is a game. A game to which we take our kids. Hernandez' actions mean that, for the last several years, I've held up to my kids a team that gave haven to a guy who likely committed one murder and may have committed three. My history as a fan of the team is long enough and my admiration of the Krafts is deep enough that they will overcome this situation, but it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

 

[TomPatriot]

Four years of Hernandez has more value than ten years of either Jacques Mclendon, who Polian took in the 4th Round, or Brody Eldridge, who Polian took in the 5th.

It's not like Polian had a great 2010 draft. Angerer, Connell and bust.

 

[Brady6]

I just don't think you can say it was "Absolutely not" a bad decision. I think you can say something like, "In retrospect it was not an irrational decision but the red flags were significant enough that it should never have been made." To my way of thinking, that makes it a "bad decision."

To my way of thinking, also, his contributions "to 3 division titles and 1 AFC championship" are trivial in comparison to the damage he has done to Sport in general and the Patriots in particular.

This is a game. A game to which we take our kids. Hernandez' actions mean that, for the last several years, I've held up to my kids a team that gave haven to a guy who likely committed one murder and may have committed three. My history as a fan of the team is long enough and my admiration of the Krafts is deep enough that they will overcome this situation, but it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

You made good points in his impact on the sport and the damage caused. I may of been simplifying the situation to much in what I've written.

In defense of the team I think Hernandez had a lot of people fooled, maybe even himself. I think the money of the second contract brought back old habits and old friends. I do think he was in a different place when he arrived and revert backwards unfortunately.

One thing that a lot of people don't understand is gangs don't just let you walk away. That double homicide last year very well could of been their way of forcing Hernandez back in.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

You made good points in his impact on the sport and the damage caused. I may of been simplifying the situation to much in what I've written.

In defense of the team I think Hernandez had a lot of people fooled, maybe even himself. I think the money of the second contract brought back old habits and old friends. I do think he was in a different place when he arrived and revert backwards unfortunately.

One thing that a lot of people don't understand is gangs don't just let you walk away. That double homicide last year very well could of been their way of forcing Hernandez back in.

Thanks for the reasonable response. Your point about the money of the second contract bringing back "old habits and old friends" is an angle that I haven't seen in the national media.

 

[PatsWSB47]

These hypocrites make me laugh. Somehow they think that waiting to draft a bad character guy in say in the 6th round is morally superior to drafting him in the 1st or 2nd. How the heck is putting the same bad guy on your team in a the later rounds more virtuous than putting him on it earlier?....unless to them spending less money for bad people makes everything okay.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Four years of Hernandez has more value than ten years of either Jacques Mclendon, who Polian took in the 4th Round, or Brody Eldridge, who Polian took in the 5th.

It's not like Polian had a great 2010 draft. Angerer, Connell and bust.

We see this very differently.

He is likely a one time murderer and possibly a three time murderer. Whatever he did on the field pales in comparison to the damage he has done.

So, in my view, "Four years of Hernandez" have absolutely no value for the Patriots.

Zero. Zip. Zilch.

If anything, he has destroyed value and now must be regarded as a negative.

Suiting up the Gatorade dude would bring more value than Hernandez.

 

[borg]

We see this very differently.

He is likely a one time murderer and possibly a three time murderer. Whatever he did on the field pales in comparison to the damage he has done.

So, in my view, "Four years of Hernandez" have absolutely no value for the Patriots.

Zero. Zip. Zilch.

If anything, he has destroyed value and now must be regarded as a negative.

Suiting up the Gatorade dude would bring more value than Hernandez.

Outside of the local Foam Fingers Unite fandom, the perception of Bob Kraft's "Patriot Way" consists of tainted SBs and now thuggery. With Dennard and Talib on the roster, recent flirtations with Fat Albert and Stinko, and lets not forget the PEDs fuled fellow classmates of AHern....Bobby Kraft and a few diehards here are the only ones left that continue to buy into the Patriot Way myth.

But I do love the premise of this thread....Shoot the Messenger first, ask questions later....some things never change

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Outside of the local Foam Fingers Unite fandom, the perception of Bob Kraft's "Patriot Way" consists of tainted SBs and now thuggery. With Dennard and Talib on the roster, recent flirtations with Fat Albert and Stinko, and lets not forget the PEDs fuled fellow classmates of AHern....Bobby Kraft and a few diehards here are the only ones left that continue to buy into the Patriot Way myth.

But I do love the premise of this thread....Shoot the Messenger first, ask questions later....some things never change

I'd quibble that the "Patriot Way" has not always been a myth, but otherwise I can't disagree with what you say, noting that you are careful to use the words "the perception of..." in your first sentence.

Unfortunately, this is a lose-lose debate for Patriots fans.

Murder (and possibly triple murder) trump all the DUI's, Barroom misadventures, PED and domestic violence allegations that pump up the statistics of other teams' mistakes and that we've always loved to hold over many of those teams.

The sooner we let go of this, the better.

All Polian said in that interview was that, like many teams, the Colts thought that drafting AH was too great a risk. It turns out that he and those teams were right. Let's just acknowledge that and move on.

 

[Kontradiction]

Outside of the local Foam Fingers Unite fandom, the perception of Bob Kraft's "Patriot Way" consists of tainted SBs and now thuggery. With Dennard and Talib on the roster, recent flirtations with Fat Albert and Stinko, and lets not forget the PEDs fuled fellow classmates of AHern....Bobby Kraft and a few diehards here are the only ones left that continue to buy into the Patriot Way myth.

And, as we all know, perception is usually correct.

But I do love the premise of this thread....Shoot the Messenger first, ask questions later....some things never change

Agree here.