Dear Bill - Thanks for Giving Away the Super Bowl.

[PatsDeb]

I am loathe to agree with Skip Bayless, but I have to get this rant off my chest.

Bill Belichick cost us the Super Bowl with his lame, stupid, petty, ridiculous benching of Malcolm Butler. There are two other "coaching decisions" in BB's tenure that I thought he was dead wrong on that cost us games - not going for a make-able indoor FG in the 2007 SB with a young Gost as kicker who he didn't trust, and going for it on 4th and 2 in Indy up by 5 and in our own territory (where Faulk actually made the 1st down, but we got a terrible spot and Peyton Manning shortly took the ball the other way and scored a TD). This one is by far the worst decision, because he had about 40 chances to correct it and never did.

Did Malcolm screw up and piss you off? Yep, sounds like he did, but for God's sake use your head coach instead of your friggin ego. Throw him off the team plane on the way home! Ban him from the victory party! Announce in front of everyone that he'd better clear out his locker the second you get back to Foxboro! Tell him and his agent there is no amount of a discount that would let you sign him again, and leak all his immature antics to the press to make sure he doesn't get big money elsewhere. These are just some of the ways you could have punished Malcolm Butler, and Malcolm Butler ALONE for what he did.

Instead you intentionally (yes, intentionally - how can it be anything else if you didn't put him in for the 2nd half?) LOST THE SUPER BOWL and screwed your ENTIRE TEAM and your 40 year old QB who gave the Super Bowl performance of his career just to prove your point, whatever that was. And then you have the audacity to tell all of us, including your SCREWED PLAYERS that you were doing the best thing for your team, packages, and all that CRAP. Then you make your one statement, go on vacation, and leave your SCREWED PLAYERS to repeat to the press IN BILL WE TRUST, even though none of them believe it. Did you see their faces on the sideline during the game? You really screwed this up. You are lucky I am not Bob Kraft because I would have considered firing YOU and banning YOU from the team plane on the way home.

I can't tell you how maddening it was to be at the game and see completion after completion on 3rd & long to Butler's side of the field. It was shocking how bad our defense was. I assumed Butler was injured or sick and that's way Eric "Revolving Door" Rowe was playing in his place. I couldn't believe the reports after the game that Malcolm Butler was intentionally benched, apparently right before the game. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME?! YOU ARE AN IDIOT. Not only did that give Philly a choice spot to pick on for the entire game, it screwed with the rest of the defense's heads. Philly was giddy. You could see it in their faces on the Jumbotron after all of those huge 3rd down conversions. Now we know why - the greatest coach ever left his brain at home and sacrificed the good of his team to show that nobody gets to piss off the teacher. Wow. No wonder Brady couldn't shake anyone's hand and Gronk is considering retirement. I am sure they are both thinking, what the hell am I doing here? We play all year to get to and win the Super Bowl and coach throws it all away on us as we are running out of the tunnel. AND sticks to it when he sees how bad the D is playing without Butler. Moronic $h!+ that usually happens to other coaches in the Super Bowl, not BB.

Flame away. I know BB is a great coach and he usually makes great, calculated decisions. But this Super Bowl loss is 100% on him.

 

[Jangles]

Couldn’t agree more

 

[RobertWeathers]

I am loathe to agree with Skip Bayless, but I have to get this rant off my chest.

Bill Belichick cost us the Super Bowl with his lame, stupid, petty, ridiculous benching of Malcolm Butler. There are two other "coaching decisions" in BB's tenure that I thought he was dead wrong on that cost us games - not going for a make-able indoor FG in the 2007 SB with a young Gost as kicker who he didn't trust, and going for it on 4th and 2 in Indy up by 5 and in our own territory (where Faulk actually made the 1st down, but we got a terrible spot and Peyton Manning shortly took the ball the other way and scored a TD). This one is by far the worst decision, because he had about 40 chances to correct it and never did.

Did Malcolm screw up and piss you off? Yep, sounds like he did, but for God's sake use your head coach instead of your friggin ego. Throw him off the team plane on the way home! Ban him from the victory party! Announce in front of everyone that he'd better clear out his locker the second you get back to Foxboro! Tell him and his agent there is no amount of a discount that would let you sign him again, and leak all his immature antics to the press to make sure he doesn't get big money elsewhere. These are just some of the ways you could have punished Malcolm Butler, and Malcolm Butler ALONE for what he did.

Instead you intentionally (yes, intentionally - how can it be anything else if you didn't put him in for the 2nd half?) LOST THE SUPER BOWL and screwed your ENTIRE TEAM and your 40 year old QB who gave the Super Bowl performance of his career just to prove your point, whatever that was. And then you have the audacity to tell all of us, including your SCREWED PLAYERS that you were doing the best thing for your team, packages, and all that CRAP. Then you make your one statement, go on vacation, and leave your SCREWED PLAYERS to repeat to the press IN BILL WE TRUST, even though none of them believe it. Did you see their faces on the sideline during the game? You really screwed this up. You are lucky I am not Bob Kraft because I would have considered firing YOU and banning YOU from the team plane on the way home.

I can't tell you how maddening it was to be at the game and see completion after completion on 3rd & long to Butler's side of the field. It was shocking how bad our defense was. I assumed Butler was injured or sick and that's way Eric "Revolving Door" Rowe was playing in his place. I couldn't believe the reports after the game that Malcolm Butler was intentionally benched, apparently right before the game. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME?! YOU ARE AN IDIOT. Not only did that give Philly a choice spot to pick on for the entire game, it screwed with the rest of the defense's heads. Philly was giddy. You could see it in their faces on the Jumbotron after all of those huge 3rd down conversions. Now we know why - the greatest coach ever left his brain at home and sacrificed the good of his team to show that nobody gets to piss off the teacher. Wow. No wonder Brady couldn't shake anyone's hand and Gronk is considering retirement. I am sure they are both thinking, what the hell am I doing here? We play all year to get to and win the Super Bowl and coach throws it all away on us as we are running out of the tunnel. AND sticks to it when he sees how bad the D is playing without Butler. Moronic $h!+ that usually happens to other coaches in the Super Bowl, not BB.

Flame away. I know BB is a great coach and he usually makes great, calculated decisions. But this Super Bowl loss is 100% on him.

Sure lets let Malcolm completely off the hook. Let's not make him accountable for his actions when the other 51 players and the entire organization are doing eveything they can to win the Super Bowl.

If you want a team in which the coach is selective and arbitrary pertaining which rules to follow and behavior is appropriate go root for the Steelers, Bengals or Ravens.

 

[BelichickFan]

I love Bill but how he let the Butler thing deteriorate from where it was 3 years ago to now is inexplicable.

(Deb, you missed the early game benching of Welker for the "foot incident", that was bad and set a poor tone also). That's worse than "4th and 2" for me.

 

[Triumph]

I heard on Sirius that Butler was caught trying to sneek weed into the Pats hotel.

Perhaps it all lies, but something very bad had to have happened for BB to go to this extreme. If it winds up being true, I am 100% with BB for his benching.

 

[Jangles]

Sure lets let Malcolm completely off the hook. Let's not make him accountable for his actions when the other 51 players and the entire organization.

If you want a team in which the coach is selective and arbitrary pertaining which rules to follow and behavior is appropriate go root for the Steelers, Bengals or Ravens.

You’re right

Maybe on opening day we can hang a morals banner next to the super bowl one

 

[Uptown]

 

[Jangles]

I heard on Sirius that Butler was caught trying to sneek weed into the Pats hotel.

Perhaps it all lies, but something very bad had to have happened for BB to go to this extreme. If it winds up being true, I am 100% with BB for his benching.

Who gives a ****? It’s a little weed.

 

[signbabybrady]

Without knowing what went down why does everyone immediately blame Belichick. Butler knows BB is no nonsense and how is BB supposed to let someone who is about to leave run wild on his rules?

It would be easier to feel as I do if we knew what Butler did. But I think that is Bill trying to be the bigger man and not scapegoat someone.

I mean it would be easy for Bill to put this all at the feet of Butler if he just threw him under the bus. But Bill is a better man than us and we roast him for it because of some media driven agenda about ego. This shouldn't be about his ego it should be about accountability.

Bill didn't do this to us, Butler did.

 

[RobertWeathers]

You’re right

Maybe on opening day we can hang a morals banner next to the super bowl one

BB made the decision Malcolm's preparation would not put him a position to be successful in the game and thus hurt the team.

You can dislike that all you want.

What is clear is how BB runs the organization is suddenly inconvenient for you

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I am loathe to agree with Skip Bayless, but I have to get this rant off my chest.

Bill Belichick cost us the Super Bowl with his lame, stupid, petty, ridiculous benching of Malcolm Butler. There are two other "coaching decisions" in BB's tenure that I thought he was dead wrong on that cost us games - not going for a make-able indoor FG in the 2007 SB with a young Gost as kicker who he didn't trust, and going for it on 4th and 2 in Indy up by 5 and in our own territory (where Faulk actually made the 1st down, but we got a terrible spot and Peyton Manning shortly took the ball the other way and scored a TD). This one is by far the worst decision, because he had about 40 chances to correct it and never did.

Did Malcolm screw up and piss you off? Yep, sounds like he did, but for God's sake use your head coach instead of your friggin ego. Throw him off the team plane on the way home! Ban him from the victory party! Announce in front of everyone that he'd better clear out his locker the second you get back to Foxboro! Tell him and his agent there is no amount of a discount that would let you sign him again, and leak all his immature antics to the press to make sure he doesn't get big money elsewhere. These are just some of the ways you could have punished Malcolm Butler, and Malcolm Butler ALONE for what he did.

Instead you intentionally (yes, intentionally - how can it be anything else if you didn't put him in for the 2nd half?) LOST THE SUPER BOWL and screwed your ENTIRE TEAM and your 40 year old QB who gave the Super Bowl performance of his career just to prove your point, whatever that was. And then you have the audacity to tell all of us, including your SCREWED PLAYERS that you were doing the best thing for your team, packages, and all that CRAP. Then you make your one statement, go on vacation, and leave your SCREWED PLAYERS to repeat to the press IN BILL WE TRUST, even though none of them believe it. Did you see their faces on the sideline during the game? You really screwed this up. You are lucky I am not Bob Kraft because I would have considered firing YOU and banning YOU from the team plane on the way home.

I can't tell you how maddening it was to be at the game and see completion after completion on 3rd & long to Butler's side of the field. It was shocking how bad our defense was. I assumed Butler was injured or sick and that's way Eric "Revolving Door" Rowe was playing in his place. I couldn't believe the reports after the game that Malcolm Butler was intentionally benched, apparently right before the game. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME?! YOU ARE AN IDIOT. Not only did that give Philly a choice spot to pick on for the entire game, it screwed with the rest of the defense's heads. Philly was giddy. You could see it in their faces on the Jumbotron after all of those huge 3rd down conversions. Now we know why - the greatest coach ever left his brain at home and sacrificed the good of his team to show that nobody gets to piss off the teacher. Wow. No wonder Brady couldn't shake anyone's hand and Gronk is considering retirement. I am sure they are both thinking, what the hell am I doing here? We play all year to get to and win the Super Bowl and coach throws it all away on us as we are running out of the tunnel. AND sticks to it when he sees how bad the D is playing without Butler. Moronic $h!+ that usually happens to other coaches in the Super Bowl, not BB.

Flame away. I know BB is a great coach and he usually makes great, calculated decisions. But this Super Bowl loss is 100% on him.

Faulk never made the first down. He bobbled the ball mid air. Can't give forward progress when he isn't able to secure the pass, so they spotted the ball where he came down. It was the correct call, and consistent with the possession rules that created the ASJ touchback instead of touchdown.

 

[primetime]

The weed thing is based off some no name Twitter account's fantasies. I don't know why this is a thing. Even if it wasn't, who gives a ****? It's 2018, everybody acknowledges weed is far less dangerous than alcohol at this point and there's a goddamn minibar in every hotel room.

Rapaport, a legitimate reporter with real sources, suggested a mix of illness, poor practice, and missing curfew. Even with that, he still should have played, no question.

I mostly agree with the OP, though I thought Eric Rowe played pretty well. The issue was Jordan Richards and Johnson Bademosi, neither of whom would have played had Butler been in the game.

 

[PatsDeb]

Sure lets let Malcolm completely off the hook. Let's not make him accountable for his actions when the other 51 players and the entire organization.

If you want a team in which the coach is selective and arbitrary pertaining which rules to follow and behavior is appropriate go root for the Steelers, Bengals or Ravens.

Oh, so you think BB did the right thing?! Why don't you ask Gronk & Brady if they think BB handled this correctly, right before the Super Bowl? Don't tell me who to root for. I live & die for the Pats and wanted to cry for Tom Brady after that game.

 

[Triumph]

Who gives a ****? It’s a little weed.

Im still trying to confirm that its true before I can answer your question.

Dont go anywhere.

 

[moosekill]

Every single bit of this is on Butler. He was an immature jerk. He played below his potential all season because he was pissed he didn't get traded or get a huge contract. Then when it came to the biggest game of the season he decided he was more important then the team. He put the coaching staff in a no win position. There are team rules, there are consequences if you break them. He broke them, he was punished, end of story.

Go cry somewhere else about BB following rules and benching a player that didn't care, until he got on camera and could cry for national tv. Hopefully he will grow up, probably he won't.

 

[primetime]

Every single bit of this is on Butler. He was an immature jerk. He played below his potential all season because he was pissed he didn't get traded or get a huge contract. Then when it came to the biggest game of the season he decided he was more important then the team. He put the coaching staff in a no win position. There are team rules, there are consequences if you break them. He broke them, he was punished, end of story.

Go cry somewhere else about BB following rules and benching a player that didn't care, until he got on camera and could cry for national tv. Hopefully he will grow up, probably he won't.

What team rules did he break

 

[fair catch fryar]

I heard on Sirius that Butler was caught trying to sneek weed into the Pats hotel.

Perhaps it all lies, but something very bad had to have happened for BB to go to this extreme. If it winds up being true, I am 100% with BB for his benching.

If this is true then I wouldn't say I'm 100% with BB, but it's funny how no one is holding Malcolm Butler accountable. If true, he let his team down in the biggest moment.

 

[Triumph]

The weed thing is based off some no name Twitter account's fantasies. I don't know why this is a thing. Even if it wasn't, who gives a ****? It's 2018, everybody acknowledges weed is far less dangerous than alcohol at this point and there's a goddamn minibar in every hotel room.

Rapaport, a legitimate reporter with real sources, suggested a mix of illness, poor practice, and missing curfew. Even with that, he still should have played, no question.

I mostly agree with the OP, though I thought Eric Rowe played pretty well. The issue was Jordan Richards and Johnson Bademosi, neither of whom would have played had Butler been in the game.

The Siruis guy said that the weed thing came from the NE players.

We will find out eventually.

 

[#56300ex]

It's a good thing no one is getting hysterical over this....

 

[primetime]

The Siruis guy said that the weed thing came from the NE players.

We will find out eventually.

Brandon Browner made some Instagram rant where he suggested it, but that was based off some Twitter rumor started by a nobody.