Kyle Love released

[Koma]

Great. More of the same quality journalism. Interview one individual, someone with a huge conflict of interest regarding the truth, and the run the story as if what he says is all the investigation necessary to develop the final story: that there was unfair discrimination.

There's no objective evidence anywhere that this happened. None.

Don't forget - a member of Florio's family agrees with him too.

I can't wait for him to solicit Amnesty International to take action on this human rights violation.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Speaking of Deus on hiatus, what about MoLewisRocks missing for 3 months?

I really miss BoxORocks.

Glad to see Oswlek posting again.

hmmmm...Can Deus and Mo be the same person posting in here?

Has anyone ever really seen Deus and Mo get into a big dispute before?

The Investigation begins.... :beatingcoming:

 

[PatsFanSince74]

By this logic every player who ever tore up a knee and lost that half step of speed would have a case against the league. Or Pennington should have sued NY when they cut him because his arm was nearly falling off.

Virtually every NFL player is released because they become "disabled" by something or another. The fact that this is a disease instead of an injury is hardly relevant.

i'm amazed at the certainty with which people are responding to my question when all I'm doing is saying that there are unknowns here that need to be addressed.

You state with a high degree of confidence that a disability related to play on the field is to be treated in the same way as a disability resulting from a disease unrelated to play on the field. However, you make no specific reference to the CBA to support that statement. I am simply saying that I just don't know about that and that I think it's a question worth asking.

Nothing in your statement leads me to change my mind in this regard.

I don't prejudge the answer, but I still think it's a valid question to ask.

I continue to stand by my statement.

 

[Oswlek]

i'm amazed at the certainty with which people are responding to my question when all I'm doing is saying that there are unknowns here that need to be addressed.

You state with a high degree of confidence that a disability related to play on the field is to be treated in the same way as a disability resulting from a disease unrelated to play on the field. However, you make no specific reference to the CBA to support that statement. I am simply saying that I just don't know about that and that I think it's a question worth asking.

Nothing in your statement leads me to change my mind in this regard.

I don't prejudge the answer, but I still think it's a valid question to ask.

I continue to stand by my statement.

Players get waived for reasons related to non-football injuries all the time.

If Love had been afflicted by an illness that would erode his eyesight over the next 8 months, should the league be required to adapt to his newfound blindness?

No, I didn't read the CBA cover to cover, but it seems incredibly unlikely that the league would leave themselves open to that. Or, as someone on another site put it with sarcasm:

Dude, that is just harsh. Cutting a player because he showed up to camp too fat to play? Bill Belichick clearly likes his nose tackles svelte, just look at VinceWillfork’s hydrodynamic physique.

Still, he is immensely fat, therefor he is not “fat”, he is “disabled”. The Patriots should be required to start him, buy him a Rascal, and build him an access ramp to the A gap. This is still America, right?

 

[SVN]

As usual, the pats are not saying anything so they will take a beating in the media. Everyone will forget they drafted cannon and had tedy play after a stroke.Same stuff they did during the spygate time, say nothing and get killed in the media.

More to Pats' release of Love than meets the eye | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com

 

[Kontradiction]

When Mayo is in the midst of one of the worst games he's had and Tracy White is another starting LB, 30-40 with only 13 points allowed before the offense craps the bed is decent performance.

Certainly nothing that a godawful Meriweather or OK Sanders could have improved on.

Actually, given the awful field postion the offense was given throughout the entire game and the fact that they were pretty much not playing with Gronk, it's a relative miracle that the offense was still able to keep us in that game. Further, they handed the defense the keys to the championship with the lead. One long completion to Manningham, which Chung was late on, later and the Giants are on the game-winning drive.

As for Meriweather or Sanders, both would have been definite upgrades to Ihedigbo or Brown. Sanders much more so. Sanders was solid during his time here, for all the grief he got. In the end, Belichick has recently admitted that he's made his fair share of mistakes. I'm sure this is one he would love to have back because I'm pretty certain that he would have had his 4th ring with the Pats after that game if he hadn't let one of those two go.

Speaking of Deus on hiatus, what about MoLewisRocks missing for 3 months?

I really miss BoxORocks.

Glad to see Oswlek posting again.

Me and Ian have actually been talking about that. Unfortunately, Mo was up there. I hope it's not bad news.

 

[Oswlek]

As for Meriweather or Sanders, both would have been definite upgrades to Ihedigbo or Brown. Sanders much more so. Sanders was solid during his time here, for all the grief he got. In the end, Belichick has recently admitted that he's made his fair share of mistakes. I'm sure this is one he would love to have back because I'm pretty certain that he would have had his 4th ring with the Pats after that game if he hadn't let one of those two go.

We're just going to have to disagree on this one. Believe me, I know full well what the team had in Sanders and that he would have been an asset for most of the year.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Every year Belichick gets hammered by fans who don't yet know of his playing plans for the season. If he stayed the same year after year our division foes would have an easier time game planning for us in the off season. All this change is in the best interest of the team and the fans who want another Super Bowl.

Even scrubs make a few hundred thousands playing a few years ... why feel bad for these guys?

 

[Oswlek]

Just to end on a high note for my boy James:

"That's a Champion Right There" - YouTube

 

[Reckedtrek]

Some comments on the comments:

4.I am also a victim of type 2 diabetes. For the past 6 years I have been taking an insulin shot every day and have the kind of neuropathy to my feet that when I am in my bare feet, it feels like have socks on. I'm lucky that its not painful (to this point) and not debilitating (though my athletic life is limited to scuba, golf and walking these days)

Ken, with all due respect, "victim" is a mindset. I hear you about what the results of having diabetes can do to your body, but considering yourself a victim is not one of them. What I have experienced far exceeds neuropathy, but I REFUSE to be a victim of anything. I don't mean this to sound condescending, so please don't take it that way. For what it's worth I often look forward to your posts and think you are very likely a great guy. I hate the thought of you (or anyone) being a victim when they don't have to be. Peace and good will (and good health) to you, Ken!

Sorry about the temp hijack everyone.

 

[Reckedtrek]

Sorry for being so deep on a football forum. To lighten the mood from my previous post...

The Pats will endure without Love. BB will just have to do what he did before Love came to town!

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

Fanene was an excellent player, he was hardly a reach if NE had reason to believe his knee was fine. If they knew about it and signed him anyway I can see that. I also don't see why Kelly is a reach, NE has had a lot of success squeezing a few viable years out of aging vets. It isn't like they invested a ton into him.

I don't disagree at all that NE's DL is in need of repair. If the recent moves are any indication, Bill agrees with us. I just don't see why you give much blame to "the misses". On a group of players that you'd expect to bat about 10% on, NE found 3 NFL caliber players in 7 tries. That is very good. You can't win them all.

Now, if they were investing loads of draft capital and still getting nothing in return? Then I could see a reason for the dig.

Again, your missing my point. The lack of draft capital invested at the DT position is what I have a problem with. They have basically ignored the position which has forced them to rely on washed up veterans and a guy with a heart problem from Canada.

It's a stretch to use the whole "they found 3 NFL caliber players in 7 tries" line. Since 2004, they missed on 5 of the 6 players they drafted at DT (Pryor being the one "hit" given where he was drafted, even though he can't really stay on the field). I guess you are including Wright and Love as the other 2 hits, but it's impossible to add up all of the other UDFA DT's they probably had in camp over those years so saying they hit on 3 out of 7 is false.

 

[Oswlek]

Again, your missing my point. The lack of draft capital invested at the DT position is what I have a problem with. They have basically ignored the position which has forced them to rely on washed up veterans and guy's with heart problems from Canada.

It's a stretch to use the whole "they found 3 NFL caliber players in 7 tries" line. Since 2004, they missed on 5 of the 6 players they drafted at DT (Pryor being the one "hit" given where he was drafted, even though he can't really stay on the field). I guess you are including Wright and Love as the other 2 hits, but it's impossible to add up all of the other UDFA DT's they probably had in camp over those years so saying they hit on 3 out of 7 is false.

I don't think I'm missing your point at all, nor am I including Love and Wright in my comment. LeKevin Smith and Deaderick are hits as far as the 6th/7th round is concerned.

We don't disagree about the draft capital invested.

 

[jmt57]

The lack of draft capital invested at the DT position is what I have a problem with. They have basically ignored the position which has forced them to rely on washed up veterans and a guy with a heart problem from Canada.

There are 22 starting positions on an NFL team, and each club is only allocated seven draft picks per year.

How many draft picks should the Pats have utilized on this position, considering that until very recently they were running a 3-4, and they had Vince Wilfork?

 

[Yesares]

June 1st cuts are a thing of the past. You can cut guys before that date and designate them as post-June 1st cuts nowadays. Most cuts will come in camp. I think Pouha is the guy to look at - surprised he hasn't been signed yet. Maybe his back is just too screwed up.

With respect to June 1st cuts, teams only can use two such designations in accordancce whith new CBA, so there will some June 1st cuts also this year, probably less than before, true, but still there will be.

 

[mgteich]

OK, but the June 1st date is irrelevant. The determinations can be made at the time of the cut, which can be before or after June 1. For example, the patriots chose NOT to designate Lloyd as a June 1 cut. BTW, the only advantage is to push cap costs into 2014.

With respect to June 1st cuts, teams only can use two such designations in accordancce whith new CBA, so there will some June 1st cuts also this year, probably less than before, true, but still there will be.

 

[Metaphors]

I have a number of family members affected by type 2 diabetes. My dad died after suffering complications for a number of years from diabetes. I can absolutely tell you all one thing...a person carrying a lot of weight with type 2 diabetes is a ticking time bomb. Managing the disease with medication is not a solution. The only way to give your body its best shot at a full and healthy life is to get to a healthy weight, adjust your diet and live an active lifestyle.

While Love is certainly active, he is way overweight by any standard and playing professional football effectively on a diabetes-friendly diet would be difficult. While cutting Love was obviously a football decision, I don't think it was as cold and calculating as people have made it out to be. I think Belichick genuinely cares about Love and wants him to get his health situation in order first before considering football. I think Belichick would have a hard time putting Love on a reserve list against his will (the union would have a field day with that) so that left the retire for 1 year (keep the signing bonus) vs. cut decision.

If Love wants to play football at his current weight with this condition, that is his right. Doesn't mean Belichick has to hand him the keys to the car that drives his health off a cliff.

 

[primetime]

Every year Belichick gets hammered by fans who don't yet know of his playing plans for the season. If he stayed the same year after year our division foes would have an easier time game planning for us in the off season. All this change is in the best interest of the team and the fans who want another Super Bowl.

Lots of cushion with Tom Brady

Even scrubs make a few hundred thousands playing a few years ... why feel bad for these guys?

This was the Real Dumb argument that people levied against the players during the labor negotiations. Workers are entitled to certain rights, and just because these workers have exceedingly rare talent and are compensated accordingly (well, given the profits the owners make on these players' backs - sometimes literally - not nearly accordingly enough) does not mean they should be denied their rights.

 

[DaBruinz]

Again, your missing my point. The lack of draft capital invested at the DT position is what I have a problem with. They have basically ignored the position which has forced them to rely on washed up veterans and a guy with a heart problem from Canada.

It's a stretch to use the whole "they found 3 NFL caliber players in 7 tries" line. Since 2004, they missed on 5 of the 6 players they drafted at DT (Pryor being the one "hit" given where he was drafted, even though he can't really stay on the field). I guess you are including Wright and Love as the other 2 hits, but it's impossible to add up all of the other UDFA DT's they probably had in camp over those years so saying they hit on 3 out of 7 is false.

If you are going to comment, the lease you could do is have your facts straight instead of proving you just don't know what you are talking about...

1) Armstead doesn't have a heart problem. He had a heart related health issue due to being improperly given pain medication while at USC. Issue stopped when the pain medication stopped.

2) Tommy Kelly isn't a washed up veteran. Neither is Marcus Forston. Neither is Cory Grissom or Dwayne Cherington.

3) Since 2004 (funny how you just arbitrarily pick that), they have drafted LeKevan Smith (6th round), Kareem Brown (4th round), Darryl Richard (7th round), Myron Pryor (6th round), Ron Brace (2nd round). That's it. Now, why have they put so little "draft capitol" into the position? Probably the same reason they put so little into the LB position for all those years. They didn't like what they saw and felt they had bigger needs. Which, low and behold, they did.

So, get over yourself. Do better research and realize that the picture isn't nearly as bleak for the DT position as you'd like everyone to believe.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Love just picked up by the JAGUARS