Felger-Chad Jackson sidelined by design

[Hoodie]

Felger is a conspiracy theorist. I'll bet he was a big X-Files fan. In fact the "friend" who reported that Jackson has been practicing all along is probably Mulder.

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

Why wouldn't he do it? Giving teams the impression that WR is a weakened position for the Patriots, when it reality (other than the void from Branch) there isn't anything lacking, could provide a decent advantage going into the first couple of weeks.

There's nothing to lose by doing this. Nothing.

Except that Jackson - who is a rookie that some of you think is going to have a better season than Randy Moss did his frirst year - never got any game experience. Go back and read BB's preseason press conferences. He says practice is one thing but you don't get a real feel for a player until you see him in a game situation. Those are his words, not mine. This is so stupid. I'm shocked Maroney wasn't held out with a "groin" injury so the Bills don't have film on him. How about the Pats don't give a **** about how much film the Bills have and kick the crap out of them anyway because they have way more talent and the Bills couldn't beat them if Belichick gave Buffalo his playbook? How does that sound?

 

[Mike the Brit]

This Felger character was on the Patriots season preview with a new angle: Chad Jackson was "in Belichick's dog house". No evidence or explanation, no reference back to any previous story (which obviously would have meant something completely different).

If someone did that on this board they would have thirty people jumping down their throats for the inconsistency. And Felger is a professional journalist?

 

[flutie2phelan]

This Felger character was on the Patriots season preview with a new angle: ....
If someone did that on this board they would have thirty people jumping down their throats for the inconsistency. And Felger is a professional journalist?

Yes.
In the sense that commercial media cut him paychecks.
Beyond that, he's on his own.

 

[Hoodie]

This Felger character was on the Patriots season preview with a new angle: Chad Jackson was "in Belichick's dog house". No evidence or explanation, no reference back to any previous story (which obviously would have meant something completely different).

If someone did that on this board they would have thirty people jumping down their throats for the inconsistency. And Felger is a professional journalist?

Hey Mike -- how did you see Felger? I thought you were in England.

 

[zippo59]

BS - It would be the dumbest thing in ther world to keep a rookie WR from getting reps in preseason. Now I know BRady has been on the injury report for 39 consecutive games (literally) but no way do you sacrifice a players development in the hopes that teams don't cover the guy.

Many players say that preseason is totally meaningless, that it gives you no in game experience, nor is it even close to a real game. It is simply an excuse for owners to make money from four more games. Even some coaches have said that preseason is useless. If this is true then Jackson is not losing the opportunity to develop by missing preseason. The team spends hours and hours practicing. In practices the defense and offense are actually schemed so it is more like a game situation than preseason.

I'm not saying the rumor is true because it does sound kind of unlikely but I don't think you can point to the experience lost through missing preseason as a definitive reason it isn't true.

 

[QuiGon]

Felger revealed that one his "friends" at the Pats Gala spoke with Chad Jackson who revealed to him that he's been practicing all along.
Staying on the sidelines when the media was on the field and coming out once they were gone.

Felger says its from a personal friend/source.
The coaching staff playing chess with the NFL/media/fans?
Wouldnt put it past them but I highly doubt it.

I might buy it if it was an experienced veteran we were talking about, but they wouldn't deliberately do such a thing with a rookie. The kid would have benefitted from playing preseason games.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Hey Mike -- how did you see Felger? I thought you were in England.

Yes, here I am in Noo England, in time for the football season. I just got a TV hooked up and the first program I switched on was that one. I was going to say it wasted fifty minutes of my life, but it was worth it for the clip of Corey Dillon telling everyone to forget about trying to drive any wedges between him and the team.

Oh, and did anyone see Tom Brady scheming a play on the chalk-board? If I understood it right, he was talking about finding one of the two tight ends in a seam about 15 or 18 yards downfield. Then they showed Grahambo's TD against Atlanta -- which looked like a three yard dump-off (followed by some astonishing running). Not quite the same thing?

You can take the boy out of the Brit, but you can't take the Brit out of the boy!

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Yes, here I am in Noo England, in time for the football season. I just got a TV hooked up and the first program I switched on was that one. I was going to say it wasted fifty minutes of my life, but it was worth it for the clip of Corey Dillon telling everyone to forget about trying to drive any wedges between him and the team.

Oh, and did anyone see Tom Brady scheming a play on the chalk-board? If I understood it right, he was talking about finding one of the two tight ends in a seam about 15 or 18 yards downfield. Then they showed Grahambo's TD against Atlanta -- which looked like a three yard dump-off (followed by some astonishing running). Not quite the same thing?

You can take the boy out of the Brit, but you can't take the Brit out of the boy!

Slumming, or just over for the leaves?

 

[Mike the Brit]

Slumming, or just over for the leaves?

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=37029

Working -- or pretending to ...

 

[sarge]

IT sounds like BS to me. :wha:

Exactly!

This is braindead,

So they kept him out all trainging camp as well so the fans wouldn't see him playing????

This is just stupid!

Felger is an idiot!

How people like that hold down a job and function in society is beyond me!

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=37029

Working -- or pretending to ...

Best wishes on this adventure! Will you make it back in time for Training Camp 2007?

 

[shakadave]

This is what I have been saying for weeks, after I've had one too many!
Jackson and Branch will combine for 200+ receiving yards on Sunday. They've been practicing in secret with Brady at two in the morning!!

.

That image is worth the price of admission to this thread. Good stuff, Mav.

 

[edgecy]

Wow. I can't believe some of you can even believe this crap. Holding a ROOKIE out of preseason games so no team can prepare for him... just stop and listen to that reasoning for a moment, it's so stupid. Nothing substitute for actual gameplay, nothing. If you're talking about Branch or Hines Ward, then that is completely okay, but to a rookie?

Come on, even the koolaid can't be that thick over there can it?

 

[Oswlek]

I have to side with the B.S. guys on this one. I could maybe, just maybe see holding Jackson out of the games in order to do this, but keeping him away from all media practices and making up the whole "hammy" thing? C'mon. Is sneaking up on the Bills so important that you are going to ****** a promising rookie's growth to avoid getting any film? And if avoiding film is what you're trying to do, why hold him out of practice? It isn't like teams get a lot of great footage from 3 second clips of guys catching a ball on the nightly news.

I cannot believe this.

 

[Keegs]

I have to side with the B.S. guys on this one. I could maybe, just maybe see holding Jackson out of the games in order to do this, but keeping him away from all media practices and making up the whole "hammy" thing? C'mon. Is sneaking up on the Bills so important that you are going to ****** a promising rookie's growth to avoid getting any film? And if avoiding film is what you're trying to do, why hold him out of practice? It isn't like teams get a lot of great footage from 3 second clips of guys catching a ball on the nightly news.

I cannot believe this.

Hey, I'm not gonna sit here and let you badmouth ******s. Sorry Chief.

 

[PatsFanDan]

First off, I won't put anything beyond Belichick and company when it comes to gaining the "competitive advantage".

That said, the Pats are not playing the Colts this week, they are playing the Buffalo Bills.

Putting all of this aside, let's assume Felger is right and Chad Jackson comes out and catches 10+ balls this Sunday and looks superhuman. What have the Pats gained? They get one division win and now everyone in the league knows about Jackson. It doesn't make any sense.

Now if you want to argue that he didn't see time in preseason because he's brittle, that would make sense but would scare the hell out of me. Please someone that really pays attention to college football tell me that Jackson is not the second coming of Bethel "Got a Hangnail" Johnson. I'm not saying he is mind you but that's the only legit reason in my mind for him to not see the field in preseason unless he was really injured.

 

[Oswlek]

Hey, I'm not gonna sit here and let you badmouth ******s. Sorry Chief.

I'm not sure if you are joking, but I thought I would reply. Considering that I have a son with Down Syndrome, I would never poke fun at those with mental disabilities, particularly those that others would call "******ed." If you read my post again, you will see that it does no such thing. Here is the statement in question:

Is sneaking up on the Bills so important that you are going to ****** a promising rookie's growth to avoid getting any film?

Per dictionary.com, here is the definition of ******:

–verb (used with object) 1. to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.
–verb (used without object) 2. to be delayed.

All that I said was that you would dealy his learning. My use of the word was no more deragatory than in the term "flame ******ant." If it offended you, I apologize, but I just used proper English.

 

[tailgater]

Felger revealed that one his "friends" at the Pats Gala spoke with Chad Jackson who revealed to him that he's been practicing all along.
Staying on the sidelines when the media was on the field and coming out once they were gone.

Felger says its from a personal friend/source.
The coaching staff playing chess with the NFL/media/fans?
Wouldnt put it past them but I highly doubt it.

What Felger actually said was this source was a chronic emailer to his show, who "had a friend who attended the gala who talked to Jackson".

If it happened, I imagine this was part of the immature behavior Jackson was reported to exhibit at the party, telling stories to gullible people.

 

[1976pats]

What Felger actually said was this source was a chronic emailer to his show, who "had a friend who attended the gala who talked to Jackson".

So Felger trots out the old I heard from a friend who heard from a friend who heard from a friend...

And he gets a 6 page thread out of this. Classic. So who's the idiot here? Felger for reporting it or us (me included!) for giving this 2,900 views and 60 replies? Like Borges, Felger is a bomb-thrower without credible sources within the team. A guy like Reiss for example works his butt off for a story, typically rooted in truth and lazy, un-connected guys like Felger throw this crap against the wall and get 10x the attention a Reiss gets for working sources and breaking stories. :enranged: