I am in an argument with Michael Silver and need help

[Seven Nation Army]

Hey guys, I am having an e-mail exchange with Michael Silver of SI over his recent article about the Patriots trade for Randy Moss. I need your help over a factual dispute.

In his article from May 2, 2007 he blames the 2001 Patriots for shaming every subsequent team into doing group introductions at the Super Bowl.

In the meantime, let's take a closer look at the franchise that ruined Super Bowl introductions for the foreseeable future (as we saw in Miami last February, apparently everyone must now emulate the 2001 Pats and run onto the field as a team, lest they risk being labeled as narcissistic heathens).
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/michael_silver/05/02/patriots/index.html

I e-mailed him when I saw the article. I'd read somewhere that the NFL itself actually changed the way introductions are done at the Super Bowl. Every team for the last four years has been introduced as a team rather than individual starters.

I eventually found my source. Unfortunately it is Wikipedia:

Ever since the Patriots' now-famous "team introduction" in Super Bowl XXXVI, the NFL decided to forgo individual player introductions for the Super Bowl ; every subsequent Super Bowl (except XXXVII) has had "team introductions" on both sides.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVI

Silver was dismissive when he wrote back:

Dude, now I'm laughing -- Wikipedia as a respected journalism source? It sounds like ONE OF THE READERS WHO POSTS THE INFORMATION may have made a leap in logic. That's a good one.

Mike

Now I need your help. I seriously doubt that shame over the way the 2001 Patriots introduced themselves has caused every subsequent team to voluntarily give up individual introductions. It's more likely the NFL simply changed the way introductions are done at the Super Bowl. Is there someone on this board who knows the answer and can prove it? Silver has already opened his mouth, we just need to help him stick his foot in it.

 

[Kdo5]

Team intros are how it should be done. It IS a team sport. Stop crying Silver. What a loser.

 

[sarge]

Dude, now I'm laughing -- Wikipedia as a respected journalism source? It sounds like ONE OF THE READERS WHO POSTS THE INFORMATION may have made a leap in logic. That's a good one.

Tell him you could insert CNN in place of what I have bolded and it would make more sense!

 

[Danny Boy®]

Every team for the last four years has been introduced as a team rather than individual starters.

I dont think so...Are you sure about that?

 

[Commander Shears]

No offense, but of all the things to argue about, this is a pretty lame one. Even if the League changed the rule, it is cleary a result of the Pats' team intro - which will forever be awesome. Anyway, you may very well be right on this issue but Wikipedia has zero credibility.

I like the fact that Silver begins his email with 'Dude', though.

 

[zippo59]

Why is it a bad thing that teams decide to be introduced as a team?

 

[pats1]

Ask Silver why he has a problem with the Patriots. Then dissect whatever response he gives.

 

[sarge]

No offense, but of all the things to argue about, this is a pretty lame one. Even if the League changed the rule, it is cleary a result of the Pats' team intro - which will forever be awesome.

I agree.

Even if it was a rule change, never would have happened without the Pats.

I think it's great as well.

 

[Kdo5]

2001 season was a great story. After the Rams introduce Faulk, Warner and their stars, the Pats come out as a team and pull off one of the greatest upsets in sports history. It was the perfect script.

 

[SoCal Bong]

Didn't Jerome Bettis run out by himself? Not sure if his name was announced though.

 

[TomBradyWoot]

Michael Silver? Sounds like someone fitzy would give a big GFY shout out to.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

No offense, but of all the things to argue about, this is a pretty lame one. Even if the League changed the rule, it is cleary a result of the Pats' team intro - which will forever be awesome. Anyway, you may very well be right on this issue but Wikipedia has zero credibility.

Pretty much agreed on that but as far as this "journalist" is concerned, I fail to understand why being intoduced as a team would be shameful in any form regardless of how it came about.
But this can also be spun: By him saying other teams have been "shamed" by the Patriots into appearing on the field as a unit he essentially just endowed the New England Patriots with some interesting power lol. And for other teams to be "shamed" into doing what the Pats have done,that must mean teams hold us to a higher standard. Now had he simply said teams "copied" us-different story- but he didn't.He used the word "shamed".

"Your New England Patriots-transforming the league,one ego at a time.Apparently transforming sinners into saints one ego at a time."
Awesome. Just think if we succeed with Moss,Meriweather and Stallworth... Foxboro, The Mecca to the entire NFL.
What's not to like about this:cool3:

 

[primetime]

He sounds like a real *******. Frick him.

 

[He Ban Me]

Please ask him to refer to New England as the AWESOMES.

Why not e-mail the NFL, or the Pats front office? Maybe Bill Polian knows? He IS on the competition committee!

 

[carolinatony]

I don't remember him playing; what team was he on?

 

[BrianPat]

Your wrong, for the 2004 Superbowl, it was AGAINST NFL policy to do team introductions. Granted I'm citing from a Globe story the day of the game.

"Violating NFL policy, the Patriots have pledged to forgo individual pregame introductions and run onto the field as one. The group introduction was a big hit two years ago, and Patriot veterans say nothing has changed."

http://www.boston.com/sports/footba.../02/01/the_super_bowl_kickoff_is_here/?page=2

I searched high and low to prove your right, only to prove you wrong.

I'm still data mining too see if it's changed since

Sorry Dude

 

[BrianPat]

In the Steelers - Seahawks games, player introductions took a back seat to Past Super Bowl MVP Introductions

"What I didn't like about the Super Bowl MVP part of the program was that it took away from the player introductions. Usually in Super Bowls, each player is introduced from the starting lineups of both squads individually. Who can forget Ray Lewis 6 years ago setting the Super Bowl grass on fire with his hooka dance? It was one of the things that made this year's Super Bowl less spectacular, but the replacement compensated for its absence somewhat."

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/21057/a_spectacular_super_bowl_xl.html

 

[BrianPat]

all done, everything I've found indicates the NFL still perfers individual intro's

"It was cool when the Patriots first came out as a team in 2001. It was original. Since then, slowly teams have become afraid to not come out as a team, as if introductions would prove the players are just mercenaries in it for themselves.

Both the Bears and Colts came out as a team tonight. I wonder what the NFL thinks of this. One well-known story from the Rams-Patriots Super Bowl is that Bill Belichick openly defied the league when he refused to have player introductions. The Patriots have reportedly battled over the issue since.

It looks like Belichick won."

In his blog, titled " Copycats "
http://blogs.rotoworld.com/Fantasy_Football/super_bowl/

 

[R_T26]

im almost positive that tampa oakland came out individually. And isnt Silver Brady's friend?

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Yeah, all the meglomaniac athletes appearing in SBs thought the Pats coming out as a team was really geeky but were compelled to tow the Pats line because Bob Kraft, BB and an army of marsupials held their wives and kids hostage!

What a ******ed arguement. Actually, if I were a member of a SB team that came out as a team, I'd be offended by Silver's ridiculous point. To Silver, they're nothing more than Pats wanna-be lemmings.