Actually, I don't think it's necessarily a "big market" thing, but a Patriot thing, to be honest. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but what I suspect is much more team-specific. It's clear that your team will do whatever it takes to win (Spygate (and the other allegations thereafter like headsets not working at Gillette at critical times in a game, miking D-linemen, etc.), HGH use by Harrison who was dumb enough to use his own name in ordering the stuff--perhaps some of his other big-headed teammates (Bruschi, Vrabel, Seau anyone?), which is a known sign of HGH, were a bit smarter than that), picking up players cut by your opponent the week before the game, only to cut them again shortly thereafter, etc.)--that starts from the top, and who knows how far that goes? On Spygate in particular, once again, why is it that you think the materials were destroyed without any description of what was turned over? Even Pats homers like Peter King admit that smells pretty bad. There are just a heckuva lot of dots that connect here is what I'm saying and fans of other teams feel the same way, as I've been saying all along, again rightly or wrongly--I'm just saying what I suspect here after all, as none of us are in a position to actually know the truth on this stuff.
What to me is sort of odd about all this is that you all admittedly have a great team. Although it pains me to say it, Tom Brady is probably the best QB to ever play the game. Why would someone need to go to the lengths that this team seemingly has gone to to win at all costs, except that they have that desire to do whatever it takes, in an almost psychotic way. Ever read interviews with Kraft? One of my favorites was in the NYT a few years ago and it went on to describe how that year Bob couldn't believe that America was sick of seeing his team there (they didn't go that year) to the point that his wife (you know, the one that had the money) had to pipe in with a "get over yourself, Bob." Taking your SB ring to Vladimir Putin, a man who controls a nuclear arsenal that could destroy mankind, and waiving it under his nose? Talk about arrogant. The comments he made after Spygate first broke about how it would all come to nothing because it was all just jealous haters basically and there was nothing to the allegations? Just odd....
Notwithstanding all of the past two days and the above guys, I come in peace. I enjoy talking football with fans of other teams to get their views, and to challenge those held by others where I think they're wrong as well. Getting banned for defending myself yesterday after simply pointing out a few facts was one of the stranger experiences I've had on other team's boards I must admit.
Before I forget, on the Commish point above, I guess what I meant was serious candidates, not some local homeboy put up there for PR reasons without a real chance to get the job. At the time, the folks up for it were Goodell and a couple of other internal folks (the COO and General Counsel, who's names are escaping me). It was clear that Goodell was the choice of the big market owners, including Kraft, who was on the selection committee, as my cites yesterday showed. Goodell ain't exactly Mr. Little Guy, being the son of a senator and being married to a Fox News anchor, although I have agreed with some things he's done he still knows who his "base" in the League is and won't do much to cross them.
As one of you noted above, I fear we're at the point of talking past each other, so I'll say adieu for now and good luck.....
