It's Come to This

[shmessy]

Sometimes I just need to step back and realize exactly how far the Patriots have come since the pathetic 1973 season when I began rooting for them as a kid. The Needham IHOP used to give out those little plastic helmets and never had a Pats one on hand. Oh, I got lots of Raiders, Dolphins, Redskins, etc. Those were the "real" teams. There was no respect.

Fast forward to what icon Roger Staubach said recently in this completely unrelated article to a non-football, non-New England audience:

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=222937&FS=NASCAR-CUP


Q: On teamwork

R. Staubach: When we first started putting this team together, we talked about teamwork and the ingredients that it takes to be successful. We have a lot of people from other teams who have come together for the first time. I believe we have a chance of making our organization like a Bob Kraft-type. He came with the New England Patriots and got things turned around real fast. He had the right people doing the right things. There are some teams in the NFL that still haven't figured it out. They've been around 40 - 50 years and they haven't been to a Super Bowl or won many playoff games. So we feel that we have a chance of bringing that commitment, that priority other that one's self -- to the forefront and we're preaching that. We're hoping that is going to help us be more competitive quicker because we feel we understand how important teamwork is. If you look at some of the race teams, and it's not all hunky-dory on those race teams. Golly. It's kind of exciting to me to see them all yelling at each other.

 

[RayClay]

Sometimes I just need to step back and realize exactly how far the Patriots have come since the pathetic 1973 season when I began rooting for them as a kid. The Needham IHOP used to give out those little plastic helmets and never had a Pats one on hand. Oh, I got lots of Raiders, Dolphins, Redskins, etc. Those were the "real" teams. There was no respect.

Fast forward to what icon Roger Staubach said recently in this completely unrelated article to a non-football, non-New England audience:

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=222937&FS=NASCAR-CUP


Q: On teamwork

R. Staubach: When we first started putting this team together, we talked about teamwork and the ingredients that it takes to be successful. We have a lot of people from other teams who have come together for the first time. I believe we have a chance of making our organization like a Bob Kraft-type. He came with the New England Patriots and got things turned around real fast. He had the right people doing the right things. There are some teams in the NFL that still haven't figured it out. They've been around 40 - 50 years and they haven't been to a Super Bowl or won many playoff games. So we feel that we have a chance of bringing that commitment, that priority other that one's self -- to the forefront and we're preaching that. We're hoping that is going to help us be more competitive quicker because we feel we understand how important teamwork is. If you look at some of the race teams, and it's not all hunky-dory on those race teams. Golly. It's kind of exciting to me to see them all yelling at each other.

Nice quote but a little inaccurate. Krafty had some serious growing pains. He inherited Parcells and that was turnaround one.

He didn't cover himself with glory during the Grier/Carol years.

His best move was choosing the right coach and giving him the power despite his Parcell's experience.

I'd say most things Belichick did in a really bad cap environment led to the turnaround.