Your argument would hold up better Andy if BB had put Butler in for the 2nd half and we got the same results.
Actually my IMPRESSION (because it’s not an argument) would be changed if B.B. had put butler in because my impression is that there is a big reason he didn’t but we don’t realky know that reason.
I’m not going to guess but it was obviously such a big thing that belicichk felt he had to sit a starter and never put him in the game.
Unlike others here I do not believe that Bill Belichick just whimsically decided on Sb Sunday for no very good reason to not play a guy who was in the field almost every snap all year. I do not believe belichick thought that a NORMAL butler wouldn’t guve the team a better chance to win and I do not believe belichick just didn’t care about winning or threw the fame.
If there were no legitimate reason why would belichick pick the Sb of his 42nd year as an NFL coach to do something totally out of character with anything he has ever done before in order to reduce his teams chance of winning.
If you are going to dismiss that the was a Malcolm problem then you will have to explain why belichick acted like anti belichick.
The fact that he didn't even try, when the defense as a whole (not Butler individually necessarily) was playing well down the stretch (not sure where you are getting "we played just as bad maybe worse with him in there," unless you are talking about the first game of the year, which even you have to admit, I hope is a stretch),
I am using the first game of the year, against a remarkably similar offense, not to say it proves we wold have done better but to debunk the concept that if butler played we guaranteed would win.
but suddenly went to God awful with the benching of Butler, shows a collosal coaching blunder (or hubris, however you want to term it) on the part of BB.
My point remains that you can’t judge the decision without knowing the reasoning. We have heard from captains through Reiss that butler was struggling and demoted. I would agree struggling probably didn’t lead to zero snaps but it’s entirely possible his reaction which resulted in him crying through the national anthem may have caused belichick to lose any remaining confidence in him.
I don’t know.
But I do know Malcolm issues causing B.B. to feel he had to sit him are a much more likely explanation than B.B. forgot football.
It was the Super Bowl for God's sakes! Why aren't you going for broke?
Why aren't you putting one of your best (statistically speaking) players out there when the guys you have out there are lost and not getting it done?
That’s exactly the point. Why? You seem to want to think belichick just doesn’t understand how to coach. He has shown me a long run of success that tells me he does.
What is more likely belichick makes a rookie mistake for absolutely no reason and gives away a super bowl or you are not aware of the reason for it, and if you knew that reason you would have a different perspective?
Even if you're pissed at Butler or think "he can't help the team" (A "c'mon man!" statement for me every time I see someone type it)? What you put out there certainly wasn't helping the team, and that's on BB too - telling Rowe 5 minutes before the game he's starting in place of Butler and playing his position? Another "C'mon man!" moment. Every time I think about it I feel the steam coming out of the top of my head.
Rowe practiced with the 1s all week. He was ready.
Here is my take.
If B.B. just said for no reason f it lets just sit butler play lesser players and if we lose oh well then you would be right.
But there is just no chance that happened and your reaction is wrong at least to a number of degrees because of the readings behind it which you do not know, but also are pretending don’t exist.
