A Positive Thought, If You Want It

A positive thought or two, I should say. On a day of so much misery, what the hell.

Football is a great game. It’s wonderful entertainment, and Patriots’ football has given us all a tremendous amount of joy for a long time. The game is still great, and when the weather turns cool this fall, it’ll be great to have back, the evil of the league and the cowardice of Bob Kraft aside.

Today sucks. Losing a first round pick sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. Brady will play this season, and the Pats will be ready to raise hell come playoff time (they’ll figure out the secondary). Don’t worry about a lingering effect on the players from this. Trust in Bill on that.

To those saying the team is tarnished, now we’re officially cheaters, and other nonsense? Stop. Other fans hated us before. They hate us now. They’re rejoicing in our misery. Suck it up. We know what we know. Kraft caving doesn’t change that. And you know what? 99% of other fans’ teams suck. Why do you think they’re obsessed with us? With you? I never even think of them.

Listen: time heals. The current owner let us down. But this pain will fade. There will be other owners. Who is the team to you? Is it Robert Kraft? No. It’s those 53 guys in the uniforms, led by the best QB to ever play the game, and that one guy in a hoodie. Through the dark days over many years to the glory days of the past 15. That’s why we watch.

So take a day, or two, to be pissed, depressed, whatever. If you spent money on the Pats and don’t want to do that for awhile, fair enough.

But not be a fan? Sorry, not an option for me. It’s in my blood. Brady. Belichick. Super Bowl champions. They ain’t taking that away from me. Four Super Bowls. And counting.

I’m here to stay.

Nice post. I really do mean that. It's well written.

I just honestly don't care anymore.

Bella*chick said:

Nice post. I really do mean that. It's well written.

I just honestly don't care anymore.

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What *chick said............

Come guys, was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!!!

Very well said. Glad there are some level headed people here still.


GO PATS

The only silver lining in today is the loss of the draft pick with help assure the Pats ****ing suck after Brady and Belichick retire together.

Bella*chick said:

Nice post. I really do mean that. It's well written.

I just honestly don't care anymore.

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I feel the same way, but I doubt I will feel that way in July.

PedroMac said:

Come guys, was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!!!

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Kraft pulled the rug out from under Bluto today . . .

Screw Kraft. As long as he allows BB to run the team the way it needs to be run, I'm in! Only when BB and Brady are no longer here will "Gutless" realize who really buttered his bread. Until then I will root as I always did.

I'm disappointed because I actually like Mr. Kraft.

I think he's one of the best team owners in New England in generations, and his ownership of the Pats has been marked by wisdom, generosity, restraint, and unbelievable success.

I'm not really angry that he chose to trim his sails against the NFL wind. He may have had tactical reasons for doing this we're not aware of.

I'm furious that he's trying to be "conciliatory." You're conciliatory when you've done something wrong. To my mind, apologizing for something you haven't done is one of the most unseemly, unmanly and misguided things you can possibly do. He won't win any friends by doing this, and the few friends he has among the owners will see him as diminished and weak.

I'm not going so far to push my former Kraft-luv or give him the benefit of the doubt. Watching that was painful. I'll believe there's something in this for us if and when I see it, and frankly, I don't think we'll see crap. That's it, he gives up. Done.

But he laser-focused on hiring BB. He kept the team in Mass - I don't know why that's important to me since I haven't lived there since childhood, but it is - and he's impressed me right up to today. Now - ugh. Yes, it looks like one more billionaire in the billionaire club, nothing in common with him, blah blah blah. True dat. But then Brady and Gronk aren't calling me on weekends to grab a beer either.

But I'm a Pats fan forever. This is what it is - whatever the hell it is. It's not 11 guys against 11 guys gutting it out for 60 minutes, give or take a couple hours.

This board has had a total melt down. I pray that things settle down in the not so distant future, sometimes it's almost as unbearable to read some of the threads as it is to read the articles the media has written. I keep coming back though just to see the latest updates (and for my lovely 'adult friend').

It sucks what happened, but the Patriots were already labeled cheaters by haters, so literally nothing has changed. Losing a 1st round is tough, but is it any different then drafting a late first round that ends up being an unusable bust, or gets injured and can't play? It's not like the team will tank so bad that we're getting a top 10 first round anyway, so we lose a bottom 1st round pick. Same with losing a 4th round pick the following year. And as I understand it the NFL gives the fine to a charity, so it will go to good use.

Does anyone think BB can't game plan around this? I'm literally not worried about it, or the opinions of haters. The Patriots will continue to have the success they always have, haters will continue label them cheaters, and the upside is that Brady and BB will use this as motivation in the upcoming season. Plus we get the satisfaction of seeing the haters wine and complain after every Patriots win, and maybe, just maybe Goodell will have to present the Lombardi to the Patriots again. And I couldn't imagine a sweeter way to end all the crap then that.

PatsFanInVa said:

I'm not going so far to push my former Kraft-luv or give him the benefit of the doubt. Watching that was painful. I'll believe there's something in this for us if and when I see it, and frankly, I don't think we'll see crap. That's it, he gives up. Done.

But he laser-focused on hiring BB. He kept the team in Mass - I don't know why that's important to me since I haven't lived there since childhood, but it is - and he's impressed me right up to today. Now - ugh. Yes, it looks like one more billionaire in the billionaire club, nothing in common with him, blah blah blah. True dat. But then Brady and Gronk aren't calling me on weekends to grab a beer either.

But I'm a Pats fan forever. This is what it is - whatever the hell it is. It's not 11 guys against 11 guys gutting it out for 60 minutes, give or take a couple hours.

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FWIW, and it's really not worth much, Tony Kornheiser thinks this is Kraft's first step in getting rid of Goodell. He's gonna say "I took a bullet for this guy, now let's get rid of him."

I'm trying really, really hard to see an upside on this. I'm not there yet.

aluminum seats said:

To those saying the team is tarnished, now we’re officially cheaters, and other nonsense? Stop. Other fans hated us before. They hate us now. They’re rejoicing in our misery. Suck it up. We know what we know. Kraft caving doesn’t change that. And you know what? 99% of other fans’ teams suck. Why do you think they’re obsessed with us? With you? I never even think of them.

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It's not the haters I care about -- it's knowing that somehow, the Pats will never be able to control how they are remembered. From now on, there are certain things that we're going to have to accept - things that Robert Kraft allowed to happen, and that we fans will have to live with. (1) There's the shame of knowing that the Pats have (as an organization) pled guilty to two "cheating" scandals; (2) and accepted the loss of first-round draft picks on two occasions, including the largest fine in NFL history. That's not something that's easily forgotten!

It's too bad, because we've obviously done nothing to deserve any of this. But when you live in a world that despises winners, and have an owner as weak as Bob Kraft, these things become part of your reality.

But like you said, we'll just have to learn to deal with it

Mr. Plow said:

FWIW, and it's really not worth much, Tony Kornheiser thinks this is Kraft's first step in getting rid of Goodell. He's gonna say "I took a bullet for this guy, now let's get rid of him."

I'm trying really, really hard to see an upside on this. I'm not there yet.

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I think it's more white noise. I think it's over. But again, sticking it on my "fun to hope for" pile.

brap999 said:

This board has had a total melt down. I pray that things settle down in the not so distant future, sometimes it's almost as unbearable to read some of the threads as it is to read the articles the media has written. I keep coming back though just to see the latest updates (and for my lovely 'adult friend').

It sucks what happened, but the Patriots were already labeled cheaters by haters, so literally nothing has changed. Losing a 1st round it tough, but is it any different then drafting a late first round that ends up being an unusable bust, or gets injured and can't play? It's not like the team will tank so bad that we're getting a top 10 first round anyway, so we lose a bottom 1st round pick. Same with losing a 4th round pick the following year. And as I understand it the NFL gives the fine to a charity, so it will go to good use.

Does anyone think BB can't game plan around this? I'm literally not worried about it, or the opinions of haters. The Patriots will continue to have the success they always have, haters will continue label them cheaters, and the upside is that Brady and BB will use this as motivation in the upcoming season. Plus we get the satisfaction of seeing the haters wine and complain after every Patriots win, and maybe, just maybe Goodell will have to present the Lombardi to the Patriots again. And I couldn't imagine a sweeter way to end all the crap then that.

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Okay, fair enough.

But when Goodell hands the Lombardi to Kraft next time, he'll smile and say something about how the Pats have "turned things around."

He'll forgive the Pats. Isn't that nice of him? That may be the most nauseating aspect of this whole mess.

Chiuba E. Obele said:

It's not the haters I care about -- it's knowing that somehow, the Pats will never be able to control how they are remembered. From now on, there are certain things that we're going to have to accept - things that Robert Kraft allowed to happen, and that we fans will have to live with. (1) There's the shame of knowing that the Pats have (as an organization) pled guilty to two "cheating" scandals; (2) and that accepted the loss of first-round draft picks on two occasions, including the largest fine in NFL history. That's not something that's easily forgotten!

It's too bad, because we've obviously done nothing to deserve any of this. But when you live in a world that despises winners, and have an owner as weak as Bob Kraft, these things become part of your reality.

But like you said, we'll just have to learn to deal with it

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Passive voice is the source of no end of mischief. "How they are remembered."
By whom?

Active voice: How I remember them. How we remember them. How they remember them. Etc.

That's the reality. You control how you remember them. F*(K how "THEY" remember them.

Feel bad about having to "explain" 4 rings? Oh I'm gonna feel FU(KIN TERRIBLE about explaining 5 or 6. Ohhhhhh that'll be terrible. Unbearable.

You control your enjoyment of this team, past, present, and future. I controlled my enjoyment of the team when Ben Dreith gave the game to the Raiders, when we were 1-15, etc. Even in the worst days, I knew that these days were coming. And we're still in these days. And if 1-15 comes back, We've still got a dynasty -- most NFL fans would give their eye teeth to be hated like we are, and they probably say exactly that to each other grumbling in their hay-bale themed Indy bars.

I understand that Kraft was in a no win situation.

I understand that his devotion is to the Patriots (the brand).

I understand that he understands that with time (years) this will be but a footnote.

With that being said, the Patriots are Tom Brady and Bill Bellichick. There is no ifs ands or buts. The success and failures of the franchise are essentially tied to those two, and the legacy that is left behind is because of those two. The Patriot history is undoubtedly longer, but will however be always defined by Brady and Bellichick in the future. It would be ignorant to think that this team or any team in the future will accomplish what they have done these last 14 years. It has been unprecedented.

An owner that is willing to let these people who define the Patriots be the brunt of ridicule, false accusations, and lies will be also the one who will lose the unconditional loyalty they have shown over these last many years. This loss of loyalty will haunt the Patriots for as long as Kraft is in charge. Ever wonder why some teams are successful and some are not? Sure luck plays a role, but loyalty and devotion between players, coaches and owners is what builds dynasties.

By not sticking up for Brady and Bellichick (and the fan base), it’s essentially a slap in the face. It is not the same as trading Milloy or releasing Wilfork, as some may say it’s just business, but he forgot the personnel being affected, and that is what hurts the most.

If Kraft had any conviction he should give Brady and Belichick their unconditional release and move on. But of course he will not do that. There is more money to be made, more tickets to sell, more paraphernalia to sell, so why should he give up his cash cow and risk exposing his league, and by definition himself to anti-trust issues. I understand that and I am disappointed in that.

My love for football took a hit in January when these stupid accusations came out, and it has slowly been sucked out of me. Kraft’s decision just sealed it for me. I will watch the legend that is Brady and Bellichick, but that is it. There is much choice for my entertainment dollars, and it will no longer go to the Pats or the NFL.

PatsFanInVa said:

Passive voice is the source of no end of mischief. "How they are remembered."
By whom?

Active voice: How I remember them. How we remember them. How they remember them. Etc.

That's the reality. You control how you remember them. F*(K how "THEY" remember them.

Feel bad about having to "explain" 4 rings? Oh I'm gonna feel FU(KIN TERRIBLE about explaining 5 or 6. Ohhhhhh that'll be terrible. Unbearable.

You control your enjoyment of this team, past, present, and future. I controlled my enjoyment of the team when Ben Dreith gave the game to the Raiders, when we were 1-15, etc. Even in the worst days, I knew that these days were coming. And we're still in these days. And if 1-15 comes back, We've still got a dynasty -- most NFL fans would give their eye teeth to be hated like we are, and they probably say exactly that to each other grumbling in their hay-bale themed Indy bars.

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I'm just saying, this team deserves a much better reputation than what it's gotten... Tom Brady especially deserves a much better reputation ... there was no need for it to get this bad...I think there were many opportunities for Kraft to defend the honor of his team and the fans, and he simply chose not to.

I won't let his mistakes overshadow the greatness of this team, or all the special memories we've enjoyed over the years - but I can't pretend as though his choices did not have any impact. Today, he basically betrayed us all. He let this franchise down. He let the fans down. And now we are going to have to pay the price. Plain and simple.

Chiuba E. Obele said:

I'm just saying, this team deserves a much better reputation than what it's gotten... Tom Brady especially deserves a much better reputation ... there was no need for it to get this bad...I think there were many opportunities for Kraft to defend the honor of his team and the fans, and he simply chose not to.

I won't let his mistakes overshadow the greatness of this team, or all the special memories we've enjoyed over the years - but I can't pretend as though his choices did not have any consequences. Today, he basically betrayed us all. He let this franchise down. He let the fans down. And now we are going to have to pay the price. Plain and simple.

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Yes I suppose so - if Kraft could magically make us all win all our bar arguments, that would be nice.

If Kraft makes us all magically lose every bar argument, that will be annoying.

Now then... remember... you could be a Jaguars fan. I mean it's numerically unlikely, given that there are something like 5 of them in the country... but you could.