For Older Pats Fans, I've NEVER Felt this Low

[PittPatriot]

I also think it is funny that a team formerly owned by people who wanted me to shave with something 'as close as a blade or my money back' plays in a stadium that gives me 'the best a man can get.'

I know it came to me 7 years late...but a revelation it is.

 

[upstater1]

I would say Marcus Williams was their 'top' player at time. Regardless, I apologize for misunderstanding/misinterpreting your original remarks.

No biggee.

Only UConn fans seemed to understand that the suspensions were not handed down by Calhoun. They were handed down by 5 faculty members. Williams' suspension was in line with what 52 other kids caught stealing valuables on campus received in that same year. AJ Price was punished twice as harshly as other students. Price, however, lied to the police about his involvement. Williams didn't. On that basis, he received a harsher punishment. Since then, athletes at other schools have been caught doing the same exact crime (and received even lighter punishments, but it never became a media sensation). In fact, even Clay Bucholz did the same exact crime, and New England loves the guy.

I accept your assessment that Williams was the best player, but that team did have 4 guys on it, all of whom get more playing time in the NBA than Williams, such as Rudy Gay and Josh Boone.

 

[Drewwho]

I felt this way back in September with the original spy gate...that died down and so will this. It is all crap!

Nothing winning can't cure!!!

 

[neuronet]

I'm 37, lifetime Pats fan. I am avoiding all sports shows. The only news I'm getting from sports right now is from this board.

I'm watching Celtics games, which is a nice way to get focused on something else.

 

[glutton79]

No biggee.

Only UConn fans seemed to understand that the suspensions were not handed down by Calhoun. They were handed down by 5 faculty members. Williams' suspension was in line with what 52 other kids caught stealing valuables on campus received in that same year. AJ Price was punished twice as harshly as other students. Price, however, lied to the police about his involvement. Williams didn't. On that basis, he received a harsher punishment. Since then, athletes at other schools have been caught doing the same exact crime (and received even lighter punishments, but it never became a media sensation). In fact, even Clay Bucholz did the same exact crime, and New England loves the guy.

I think part of the issue was that a punishment was not handed down by calhoun. you can't compare these players to other random students, because they represent the university on a national stage, and athletes are routinely punished by their coaches for behavior that wouldn't get other students in much trouble.

personally, I was one of the people advocating a harsher punishment, and I stand by that. anyone's who's been robbed (myself included) knows what those students must've gone through- and then to find out the thief was a member of your school's basketball team, a team you support and cheer for? if that happened at my school, I would want the player gone. I don't care if he's NPOY, stealing from other students is simply not acceptable.

in the interests of full disclosure, I really don't like uconn, so my opinion isn't unbiased. but more improtantly, I also really don't like thieves.

 

[BrianPat]

The team went 18-1 for crying out loud. Do you remember Rod Rust? Joe Kapp? THis is NOTHING.

That's where I'm coming from .... I totally agree, this isn't something that's going to effect the pats longterm, if Bill and Scott are telling the truth, this is over in a month or 2, until then, watch the Celtics if the Haters are getting to ya.

 

[upstater1]

I think part of the issue was that a punishment was not handed down by calhoun. you can't compare these players to other random students, because they represent the university on a national stage, and athletes are routinely punished by their coaches for behavior that wouldn't get other students in much trouble.

personally, I was one of the people advocating a harsher punishment, and I stand by that. anyone's who's been robbed (myself included) knows what those students must've gone through- and then to find out the thief was a member of your school's basketball team, a team you support and cheer for? if that happened at my school, I would want the player gone. I don't care if he's NPOY, stealing from other students is simply not acceptable.

in the interests of full disclosure, I really don't like uconn, so my opinion isn't unbiased. but more improtantly, I also really don't like thieves.

So you think these kids should be held to a higher standard than other students?

Why?

What if a Fulbright Scholar got caught stealing? What if one of the best kids in the Engineering school got caught cheating?

This is a double standard. The punishment was issued by faculty and the punishment delivered in Price's case was twice as heavy as that given other students for the same crime.

 

[glutton79]

So you think these kids should be held to a higher standard than other students?

Why?

yes.
because they represent the school. it's a privilege to play for your school, not a right.

What if a Fulbright Scholar got caught stealing? What if one of the best kids in the Engineering school got caught cheating?

in many cases, conviction of a felony would lead to loss of a prestigious scholarship like a fulbright. and it should.

This is a double standard. The punishment was issued by faculty and the punishment delivered in Price's case was twice as heavy as that given other students for the same crime.

ask any faculty member, and they'll tell you that athletes get all sorts of special treatment. extended deadlines, tutors, "help" on their assignments. faculty members are often pressured into looking the other way when athletes cheat (this has happened to my father).

so no, I'm not going to feel any sympathy for price because he was suspended longer than the average student. athletes get lots of advantages and privileges, they're well-aware of how much attention is focused on them, and they know that when they do something to embarrass themselves, they're embarrassing the entire school.

most importantly, I can't imagine how students could support someone who committed that sort of crime against other students. I guess people have short attention spans when it comes to sports.

 

[hogsrule61]

Don't feel so bad...In 1972 we handed you your worst defeat ever. At least you can say you are a part of OUR history.

Dolfan in PERFECTVILLE

 

[aluminum seats]

All of this spying stuff is temporary.......if things come out about the Pats, or any team, they come out--on this stuff or other things. Bottom line, nothing that's come out so far is anything.

I think the pain of the Super Bowl loss puts the other stuff in perspective--it's losing that sucks. The loss still hurts, but a little less than last week. And next week it will hurt a little less still.

 

[Pats726]

No..this is NOT all that bad...I don't think many fans here have lived through bad teams..in the early 70s..and in the early 80s... and early 90s...I mean the team was 18-1..GEE...so much better than the teams that barely won games along the line..This has been a GREAT run and it is still continuing..feeling a bad moment now is NOTHING like the scandals of drugs or Lisa Olsen..and the terrible run of teams they have had. Live through even one of these "bumps" with a bad coach and bad FO and see how you feel. Calling this the worst now is losing a whole perspective on this team...

 

[PatsFan24]

just another event on the list of bad things to happen to this francise

 

[upstater1]

yes.
because they represent the school. it's a privilege to play for your school, not a right.



in many cases, conviction of a felony would lead to loss of a prestigious scholarship like a fulbright. and it should.



ask any faculty member, and they'll tell you that athletes get all sorts of special treatment. extended deadlines, tutors, "help" on their assignments. faculty members are often pressured into looking the other way when athletes cheat (this has happened to my father).

so no, I'm not going to feel any sympathy for price because he was suspended longer than the average student. athletes get lots of advantages and privileges, they're well-aware of how much attention is focused on them, and they know that when they do something to embarrass themselves, they're embarrassing the entire school.

most importantly, I can't imagine how students could support someone who committed that sort of crime against other students. I guess people have short attention spans when it comes to sports.

I'm a faculty member. I've taught at div. 1 schools, had athletes in my classes. Never was pressured to look the other way. Never.

How do you root for the Patriots, by the way? Do you know what's in their backgrounds? New Englanders love the Red Sox, even the guy who threw a no-hitter AND stole laptops.

 

[upstater1]

Don't feel so bad...In 1972 we handed you your worst defeat ever. At least you can say you are a part of OUR history.

Dolfan in PERFECTVILLE

My god, are you serious. You guys had the inverse season of ours. We went 16-0 and you guys went 1-15, and you're on this board talking about a year in which Nixon was President?

I'm really really sorry your parents beat on you as a child.

 

[glutton79]

I'm a faculty member. I've taught at div. 1 schools, had athletes in my classes. Never was pressured to look the other way. Never.

How do you root for the Patriots, by the way? Do you know what's in their backgrounds? New Englanders love the Red Sox, even the guy who threw a no-hitter AND stole laptops.

I don't watch baseball, so I don't really care about the red sox.

and although I don't do background checks on the football players I watch, I tend to not care for those who have criminal records. and if I found out that an athlete I admired had done something along these lines, I would lose a whole lot of respect for him.

that being said, college and the pros are two very different situations. when you're giving someone a free education, I don't think it's too much to ask that they not commit crimes against the other students.

although I clearly have some gripes with what goodell has done as commissioner, I do respect his stance towards players like vick and pacman. I'm all for limiting the number of felons in the NFL.

 

[upstater1]

I don't watch baseball, so I don't really care about the red sox.

and although I don't do background checks on the football players I watch, I tend to not care for those who have criminal records. and if I found out that an athlete I admired had done something along these lines, I would lose a whole lot of respect for him.

that being said, college and the pros are two very different situations. when you're giving someone a free education, I don't think it's too much to ask that they not commit crimes against the other students.

although I clearly have some gripes with what goodell has done as commissioner, I do respect his stance towards players like vick and pacman. I'm all for limiting the number of felons in the NFL.

So, I guess then that the stories of players turning things around from rough upbringing, becoming family men and role models are lost on you?

Caron Butler is one such story. Out of jail, into UConn, became a family man and a role model. Kids made one mistake. They learned their lesson. And, technically, they were accomplices to stealing laptops. The guy that actually stole them is still wanted on a warrant. He stole them and brought them into the player's rooms. They were like hot potatoes. Williams and Price actually got a football player involved to return the laptops to the women basketball players. That's when the whole thing got busted.

 

[glutton79]

So, I guess then that the stories of players turning things around from rough upbringing, becoming family men and role models are lost on you?

Caron Butler is one such story. Out of jail, into UConn, became a family man and a role model. Kids made one mistake. They learned their lesson. And, technically, they were accomplices to stealing laptops. The guy that actually stole them is still wanted on a warrant. He stole them and brought them into the player's rooms. They were like hot potatoes. Williams and Price actually got a football player involved to return the laptops to the women basketball players. That's when the whole thing got busted.

um, weren't they charged with trying to sell them? at a pawn shop? that's not exactly the same as returning them to their owners.

and no, I'm not sold on the old "rough upbringing" excuse. look, if they can turn their lives around, great. but that doesn't mean they get a free pass when they commit a stupid, selfish crime that hurts their fellow students. if the guy who stole my purse becomes a great family man, good for him. but that doesn't fix what he did, and it doesn't mean I want him representing my school.