"You could apply that same "Patriot Way" to just about any other team"?
I'm sure other teams do try to push professionalism and I never said other teams don't look to achieve some or much of the Patriots' method. But the Patriots take it to the highest degree ergo making it the 'Patriot Way'. It's why Chad Johnson comes to the Patriots and you see none of his famous antics on the field. It's why you don't see Patriot players shooting their mouth of to the press. It's why you hear veterans speak of their time with the Patriots as either 'incredible Professionalism and commitment to winning" or 'They just won't let you be yourself'. Where no advantage is ever too small. Where saying little when you lose and even less when you win is taken to a sometimes frustrating degree. Etc etc
If you don't want to see the significant differences from the Patriots to most other teams in those areas, whether you or even many like it/disagree with it, than I think you have chosen to disregard that which is obvious. Either that or the phrase "Patriot Way" bothers you to a degree you don't like it belonging to the Patriots.
I'm "bothered" by nothing online, and I always give my honest opinion here. So we'll say this: if you don't believe I'm at least being straight up, then don't let's waste both of our time by talking. I'm not stupid, either. That said, I'm not sure that you entirely understood the post that you are responding to here. It's all about talent and how that talent translates into perception IMO.
Would you say that incoming players are more humbled when coming into a perennial contender? Would you say that there are fewer points of contention to spout off about in a team that makes the playoffs every year? Winning solves just about everything in this business, 'cuz that's what it's all about. Bottom line. That's the bottom line. A team like the Pats can AFFORD to keep players in line more than other teams, and it's NATURAL for players to toe the line more in a successful organization.
Like I said, it's all the same deal across the board with every team, only some teams have more talent, which makes the company line easier to sell. Talk about professionalism with a team that was busted breaking the rules... explain THAT and call the "Patriots Way" superior simultaneously. But you probably shouldn't rationalize that, no matter who was busted doing what in the history of the universe. Two wrongs don't make a right. Doesn't matter how much that helped them either. Whatever, but that doesn't mean nothing, and it certainly doesn't point towards integrity. Talk about perception there.
Keep in mind that I personally don't blame the Pats success on any of that controversy. I'm telling you that I think it's all based on talent...that's where your perception comes from...my main point. The "Patriots Way" is based on mainly on Belichick and Brady, who set the general foundation for a winning organization, more or less. People bow down to that, including you perhaps.
""Bill Polian is a football analyst now, and he was asked a direct question. What exactly is there not to understand? He didn't question the integrity of the Patriots""
The implication, potentially, was actually what you say it was not. Hey, you are certainly free to feel that if Buffalo takes a risk on a draft pick, that draft pick then commits cold blooded murder, then afterwards BB or Rex Ryan says 'that guy had problems and I would not have drafted him like the Bills did'......you want to see that as some benevolent, benign, just doing their job and answering a question? Feel free to, I'm not in a position to censor anywone even if they are wrong. Me? When someone comes out after the fact to say "i wouldn't do what they did" there is clear implications to that statement. Then add in the fact that Polian was asked about Patriots drafting methods and performance a full year after drafting AH, and he ballwashed BB/the Patriots, it makes his statement yesterday even lower (though just doing his JOB).
Well, you are entirely fcked up here. Only thing to say. You are taking the whole Bill Polian statement out of context. You should know better. Don't you know that they MAKE these stories to stir up these "controversies" among fanbases online to create these types of conversations in the first place? How many times have you said that such-and-such statement was taken out of context in order to defend one of your boys?
I don't know how many times I fcking have to say it: Polian is DOCUMENTED as saying that if he has certain character issues about a player, he'll take him off his team's board as GM. He said this MONTHS ago. Hernandez had issues, and Polian took the guy off his board? Again, what part of that is not to understand? Sounds to me like a homer reaction on your part, being defensive about another attack that isn't really happening.
Polian tells the truth, and you somehow conclude that he's an ass-munch? The guy is NOT lying, and he's responding to a question. The only problem here is your own misunderstanding. Polain didn't judge anybody except Hernandez on his own. He didn't WANT him on his team because he felt he wasn't worth the risk. He was fcking ASKED about it.
If Polian wants to make the distinction between his team's methods and the Patriots methods (which is exactly what he did), at least have the fortitude -- something he lacked 2 years prior -- to mention that all teams take risks and something like this is so unexpected it could happen at anytime to anyone (convenient facts he left out in the process of doing his JOB).
Good God man, seriously. Bill Polian did nothing other than coordinate his team's draft in 2010. Then he reported about his feelings when asked about Hernandez later...WHEN HE WAS
FCKING ASKED. Do you understand that?
Did you want him to suck your **** too, or what? He didn't like Hernandez as a prospect. For the fifth time, Polain has said in the past that he'll take a player off his board if he sees trouble ahead...not god-damn murder, but trouble. Why won't you believe that he said that and meant it? He didn't friggin' say that he's God and can always tell the difference, for crying out loud...he uses his judgement based on reports. He NEVER judged your team in any way. Believe whatever the hell you want, but this is reality.
"He was asked (as part of his JOB) what he thought of Hernandez coming out, and he answered the question. Should he have lied to placate certain Patriots fans".
Oh, ok. Geez, it's his job. Well then he absolutely must answer it and his answer is not to be examined for/chastised for its content, implication, veracity, hypocrisy. Swell, so if he answers another question with "the bills sucked last year, the year before, and will probably suck this year", you will be right there to do nothing but adamantly defend the man because all he is doing is "his JOB", right? Or, well, maybe you might examine the content of the answer and the motivation of the answer, don't you think? So spare me this weak implication that doing one's job somehow makes you have to answer a question as well as it also gives you immunity from being taken to task for the content/implication of the answer.
The man IS only doing his job. What exactly is the harm, except that he isn't sucking your ****?
Speaking of "hypocrisy," where is it? I don't see it.
His motivation of the answer was only to tell the truth...FROM A DIRECT FREAKIN' QUESTION. Maybe I'll have to walk you though it:
1) Bill Polian is one the most respected GMs in the history of the NFL. He has nothing to prove.
2) He is now a football analyst and talks about football topics
3) Somebody asks him a question
4) He answers that question because he is doing an interview
5) His answer becomes a sound-byte online
6) such and such asswipe calls Polian names based on his honest answer
7) bull-syte ensues from Patriot homer
"As far as the public perception of the Patriots employing Hernandez is concerned, I wouldn't base my opinion on that on what you read over the Internet message boards."
Good anecdotal evidence.....that doesn't prove anything.
Most football fans do not post online IMO. The ratio is probably about one-to-ten in my experience, if I had to make a crazy guess. What's yours?
? 
