Borges nails it

[patchick]

I know, I probably lost a lot of you with that thread title. But credit where credit's due, today's Borges piece captures the feeling of that game perfectly for me.

It was a taut, well-coached, well-played game all around. Yet somehow you sensed the Pats were always in control. It was a seeming contradiction -- a close game that one team dominated. See dear Ronny's take for yourself:


Yards ahead in game of inches
"The game was even, except whenever it was on the line. Then yesterday was Patriots' Day, as it often is this time of year."
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/08/yards_ahead_in_game_of_inches/

 

[PATSNUTme]

I know, I probably lost a lot of you with that thread title. But credit where credit's due, today's Borges piece captures the feeling of that game perfectly for me.

It was a taut, well-coached, well-played game all around. Yet somehow you sensed the Pats were always in control. It was a seeming contradiction -- a close game that one team dominated. See dear Ronny's take for yourself:


Yards ahead in game of inches
"The game was even, except whenever it was on the line. Then yesterday was Patriots' Day, as it often is this time of year."
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/08/yards_ahead_in_game_of_inches/

I was hoping that your title was correct. That Borges was working on a home project with a nail gun and nailed "it".:singing:

I guess I'll have to read his piece now.

 

[ironwasp]

I know, I probably lost a lot of you with that thread title. But credit where credit's due, today's Borges piece captures the feeling of that game perfectly for me.

It was a taut, well-coached, well-played game all around. Yet somehow you sensed the Pats were always in control. It was a seeming contradiction -- a close game that one team dominated. See dear Ronny's take for yourself:


Yards ahead in game of inches
"The game was even, except whenever it was on the line. Then yesterday was Patriots' Day, as it often is this time of year."
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/08/yards_ahead_in_game_of_inches/

You're right; not for the first time in recent weeks, he's written an exceptional piece about football. I hate the guy's agenda, but I tip my hat to him as a football writer. He knows his stuff and he expresses himself well.

 

[Patfandango]

It is strange, but a few articles by Borges this year have been excellent game analysis. He also got the game analysis of the Pats-Bears game right. I also liked the photo of Brady, the picture of poise, with perfect throwing form on the Graham TD.

 

[Tunescribe]

I was hoping that your title was correct. That Borges was working on a home project with a nail gun and nailed "it".:singing:

I guess I'll have to read his piece now.

I was hoping it meant nailing his own coffin shut. That would be quite a trick from the inside, I suppose ...

 

[PromisedLand]

I actually think Borges is an excellent writer whose fatal flaw is his inability to keep his personal bias out of his writing.

 

[bosfan]

Reality is a strange thing, no matter how much you dislike it or don't want to face it - in the end it will smack you right in the face, nice to see him recognizing it. Anyway, this is what every sport comes down to - FOCUS & EXECUTION and the Pats do that very well most of the time.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

I actually think Borges is an excellent writer whose fatal flaw is his inability to keep his personal bias out of his writing.

I mostly agree... and though I think this article was good for the most part, there is an example of Borges' anti-Brady bias that shines through his reluctant praise.

Late in the column Borges says:

"...a fact emphatically emphasized 22 seconds later when Asante Samuel did what the Jets safety Kerry Rhodes had failed to do earlier when he dropped a sure interception with a wide-open field in front of him."

Now, unless there was another Kerry Rhodes almost-interception that I don't remember, his depiction of that play is incredibly misleading. From the sound of it, Brady hit Rhodes in the chest, and Rhodes dropped it. What I actually remember is Brady throwing another one of those quick outs he killed the Jets with all day, but this time, he was either a bit late w/ his throw, or Watson turned around a bit early, giving Rhodes time to recognize the route, and make a great athletic play, covering a good deal of ground, and diving off his feet to get his arms on the ball, though he was unable to bring it in. And if he had, despite their being wide open field in front of him, Watson would likely have easily been able to touch Rhodes down before he got up.

Maybe I'm nitpicking, but to me this just seems like more evidence of Borges' pathological ability to see things regarding Brady + Belichick in the worst possible light.

 

[patchick]

I mostly agree... and though I think this article was good for the most part, there is an example of Borges' anti-Brady bias that shines through his reluctant praise.

Late in the column Borges says:

Now, unless there was another Kerry Rhodes almost-interception that I don't remember, his depiction of that play is incredibly misleading. From the sound of it, Brady hit Rhodes in the chest, and Rhodes dropped it. What I actually remember is Brady throwing another one of those quick outs he killed the Jets with all day, but this time, he was either a bit late w/ his throw, or Watson turned around a bit early, giving Rhodes time to recognize the route, and make a great athletic play, covering a good deal of ground, and diving off his feet to get his arms on the ball, though he was unable to bring it in. And if he had, despite their being wide open field in front of him, Watson would likely have easily been able to touch Rhodes down before he got up.

Maybe I'm nitpicking, but to me this just seems like more evidence of Borges' pathological ability to see things regarding Brady + Belichick in the worst possible light.

Honestly, I think it's a huge stretch to read that excerpt (which doesn't even mention the QB) as a slam on Brady. Especially in an article that repeatedly lauds Brady's "perfect" passes and execution, with passages like this:

"That was a pretty good throw and catch," Mangini said. "That there wasn't us. It was Tom executing."

Executing not against a defense that broke down and left a man running free, but executing when the margin of error was slim. Executing when the pressure was at its utmost. Executing in the way that has created the Legend of Tom Brady.

 

[Bella*chick]

It was a very good article. I just wonder if Mr. Borges would care to address his assessment of "franchise rot" now.

Because honestly the stupid things he says way overshadow the good things.

 

[Sundayjack]

I know, I probably lost a lot of you with that thread title. But credit where credit's due, today's Borges piece captures the feeling of that game perfectly for me.

I'm saving it for next season.


Or, at least until he starts ripping the Patriots for letting Asante Samuel and Tully Banta Cain walk.

 

[HAMMERMILL]

I think maybe Borges saw what BB did to Jim Davis the photographer from the Globe,and he's fearing for his own safety