An emotion that is created solely by wins and losses. Whatever minor advantage there is to be gained creates a better chance of winning, and therefore keeps us fans happy. Frankly, I could care less if Belichick came on TV and called us all out of shape fan boys who are disgusting losers in love with athletes like we were 8 year old boys as long as he kept winning and put an entertaining product on the field. The only things fans are entitled to is the desire to see the team win. Other than that, we really have no right pressuring the greatest coach in NFL history to placate our absurd "feelings".
I wouldn't say "solely" created by wins and losses, though I do think that wins and losses is by far the most important factor. If I were convinced that there were no way of toning down the reticence on injuries without giving up whatever competitive advantage we get from our relative caginess, I'd be one hundred percent in lockstep.
But I can't help but feel that the degree to which BB takes it goes a bit too far.
No, as for "pressuring the greatest coach in NFL history to placate our absurd "feelings," well, to that I'll say this: if you check my post history, you'll find that there are few more Belichick-defferential than I. If BB wants to trade Seymour a week before the season, I figure hey, he knows more about the needs of this team than I do. He makes a trade, signing or pick that doesn't work out? I figure it was the smart move at the time, and that he's got game tape, not a crystal ball.
But the one area where I won't give BB the benefit of the doubt it knowing when enough is enough when it comes to pushing for that competitive edge. Don't get me wrong -- I'm GLAD that BB doesn't have this sense of perspective, because it's this type of monomania that makes him the great coach that he is. But, after '07, it's hard not to deny that it can have a downside.
Do you think the advantage we got from taping defensive signals was worth incuring the wrath of the league, after having been warned against doing it by the new, clearly authoritarian commissioner?
Furthermore, do you think that BB's cavalier attitude about stymieing and snubbing the press didn't play a big roll in the huge fiasco that spygate became? If St. Dungy had been caught doing the same thing, it would've been swept under the rug, with no loss of a 1st rounder, and no big pre-Super-Bowl distraction.
Now, of course, I'll take dour, sardonic BB over santimonious Dungy any day of the week, and four quarters on sunday -- but in the case of spygate, it was a matter of chickens coming home to roost.