NEW ARTICLE: Another ESPN Patriots Spygate Report is a Reminder of How Ridiculous that Story Remains

[Actual Pats Fan]

I think it means they don't expect the Patriots to repeat being 7-9 again. What would be the purpose of running a hit piece on a losing team otherwise?

Brady praise as the GOAT has poured in since he left, including absurd statements that the last Super Bowl 'seals his legacy' which is nonsense; he already had nothing to prove.

Denigration and the assault of attempted - and now several successful - attempts to baselessly penalize the Patriots have and will continue indefinitely, although on field success always increases their intensity.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

That's the worst part. Talk to any non-Patriots fan and ask them what it was really about and they'll mention all the falsehoods not realizing (or caring) that none of what they're saying is accurate.

Japanese-Americans posed a legitimate threat to the security of the United States in 1942.

People absolutely, 100% take the propaganda as fact.

 

[neuronet]

Such bs of a story I don't buy it it doesn't add up. Basically, combine two things that people hate: trump and the Patriots, and get clicks. BSPN you just reminded me why you can suck it

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I just don't understand the point of this piece, aside from trying to tarnish Robert Kraft/the Patriots.

Constant as the Northern Star.

In our history, I'm trying to remember a Super Bowl leadup which did not include at least one stupid, idiotic, irrelevant, derogatory issue taken up by the media, or something blown astronomically out of proportion with a negative connotation against the Patriots, and we've been in 11 of them. Had Dreith not been successful, I guarantee you that leading up to the game in Super Bowl XI the media would refer more than once to him as 'controversial' Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks (reference to Oklahoma). Besides anti-Patriots bias, there would have been extreme bitterness that we kept the sainted Raiders from finally undeservedly winning one, they would have expected the ratings to be lower (although I believe they would have been higher - the novelty of a different, previously unsuccessful team in the game would have attracted viewers). But it would also have sent Boston sports resentment into the stratosphere because the Celtics were defending champs, the Red Sox were in the World Series the year before and the Bruins were still in the upper echelon.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Can't blame ESPN

Oh BSPN has the anti-Patriots agenda. They run with any and every thing they can sniff which will make us look bad.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I was waiting for the Patriots/Trump crossover "news" story.

Trump's been our friend for a long time. He tried to buy the team in '88 but the debts were just too large.

He is the only person in the U.S. to give Doug Flutie a starting job (before he hit retirement age) without pulling the rug out from under him.

And he defended Brady and Belichick.

I get that no politics; but Trump does not get the credit he deserves for the good decisions and actions he's taken.

 

[jimnance]

Wickersham is garbage.
ESPN is garbage.
Arlen Specter was garbage.
Trump is garbage.

 

[jimnance]

Hopefully I killed this thread with my previous post.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

I have really bad news for you. He has a book about the Patriots coming out in October. Not joking.

lol...another book about warm gatorade, giant tv's in the parking lot deciphering signals that only bb can see, fuzzy communications in the woods of foxboro, russian spies masquerading as cheerleaders. wickersham's a hoot.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I have really bad news for you. He has a book about the Patriots coming out in October. Not joking.

The book is called “It’s better to be feared.” Which in all actuality is a great title which I’m sad to admit. Bill Simmons signs off on the book which I found surprising. As does King who I am not surprised by.

However, I’ve never signed off on the work Wickersham does because his sources are unnamed way more times than not. Without sources and knowing what I know as a fan of the Patriots it mind as well read as a fairy tale. Sorry but that was a huge wake up call for pretty much the rest of my life regarding bad media in the wrong hands. Thank you Goodell, Ted Wells, Exponent, Troy Vincent, Arlen Specter and all the many haters for showing me that not everything is black and white once its put to news. Think for yourself and don’t be a sheep is the big lesson I’ve learned.

As it was during his last inquisition, I doubt he shows any type of proof. I just dont think he had that type of access to Brady, Kraft and Belichicks world to know the facts. So to me, its just speculative reporting as usual which I’m not a big fan of. I don’t feel the shock and awe the writer is looking for because as a Patriot fan, we’ve seen it all before from a very evil end of the spectrum.

While I’m at it today, I’ll just remind everyone what they already know. RLK2G’s. To what end we will never know because the police let him off the hook because he played football really good or he ratted out his accomplices. White suit never found. Lots of clousion with his own mother and some lady named King. Hall of fame and a statue, espn job 3 years 20-25 million later. It’s almost poetic that he was hired by them and it just further sharpens the axe of my hatred for that network.

You can call me whatever you want, but when guys like Tyreek Hill, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis and Adrian Peterson are less revolting to A fair sum of America than the Patriots than something is wrong. It’s a broken wheel but come on. Goodell should be on trial for a lot of things, number 1 is the blind eye he took to Rice which took public outcry when a video came out. I’d be willing to bet my house that wasn’t going anywhere accept the domestic abuse waste can. Anyway, hust rattling off bs on this slow Wednesday.

 

[VectorPrime]

If Bill Simmons liked the book I’m a lot less worried about it. Dude is such a homer.

 

[jimnance]

Hopefully I killed this thread with my previous post.

Ian- plze disregard this post^. It was meant for another thread. This thread is good

 

[sb1]

Bill officially broke the rules for one game after he ignored the league wide memo to stop filming on the sidelines because all teams were doing it. But Bill decided for some ungodly reason to still do it even though allegedly Mangini outright told him prior to the game “don’t do it Bill.”

But anyway before that memo filming from the sideline wasn’t illegal and filming in general never was and STILL ISNT illegal.

Yeah. He didn't ignore it he just tried to wordsmith and play lawyer with the wording of the instructions in the memo to all teams. Don't know why he figured that would work and that wasn't his job anyway. That was the biggest blunder of his coaching career and even he admits it was a mistake and will never happen again.

Probably costs him votes for induction to Canton on the first ballot and that sucks.

 

[sb1]

I have really bad news for you. He has a book about the Patriots coming out in October. Not joking.

It's Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness: Wickersham, Seth: 9781631498237: Amazon.com: Books

“Seth Wickersham has managed to do the impossible: he has pulled off the definitive document of the Belichick/Brady dynasty.”
―Bill Simmons, The Ringer

“A tour de force work befitting the American sports franchise of this century. Wickersham’s terrific prose and story-telling is buttressed by his tireless and insightful reporting, going back to revealing stories of Tom Brady’s pre-dynasty life (he really should have been a San Diego Charger) and chronicling inner-inner workings showing Bill Belichick’s ruthless greatness. There’s so much more. You think you know everything, or almost everything about the Patriots’ dynasty? You don’t, and you won’t, until you read It’s Better to be Feared.”
―Peter King, NBC Sports

“Seth Wickersham’s prose soars in this fascinating study of two of the most iconic figures in sports history, and the New England Patriots dynasty they helped build. It’s Better to Be Feared will leave you with new insights into Brady and Belichick, their motivations and their vulnerabilities.”
―Kevin Merida, executive editor of the Los Angeles Times and former editor-in-chief of ESPN’s The Undefeated

“I thought there was nothing more I needed―or wanted―to know about Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, or the New England Patriots. But Seth Wickersham has proved me wrong. And how. This deeply informed and fluent book is about what it takes to succeed in the ruthless, cruel, often euphoric world of the NFL―all the things you must be and all the things you can’t be as a human being, and how for the first two decades of the twenty-first century the Patriots―behind an unathletic quarterback nobody wanted―did it best. From brilliant, ice-cold head coach Belichick’s ‘emotionless pursuit of victory’ to the hot-blooded, ‘earnestly graceful’ Brady’s massive desire, we see the price these champions had to pay. Yes, this is about football, about two unusual men who still compete at the highest level, even though finally separated. But above all it’s about personalities and mindsets and the confluence of striving, skill, and luck in the making of success. And that makes it about life, generally. What a terrific, fascinating read.”
―Rick Telander, Chicago Sun-Times

“That the New England Patriots were not only the greatest team of all time but also the luckiest is once again demonstrated by the fact that Seth Wickersham has become their biographer. And I do mean biographer, for Wickersham has told the story of their quest for greatness not just on an epic scale but also on a human one. You still might not like Brady and Belichick after reading this book―after all, they weren’t trying to be liked. But you will admire them, and most amazingly of all, you will see glimpses of yourself.”
―Tom Junod, two-time National Magazine Award winner

 

[Kontradiction]

Wickersham is garbage.
ESPN is garbage.
Arlen Specter was garbage.
Trump is garbage.

Actually, Arlen Specter is dust now.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Wickersham didn't actually publish anything proven to be false with this story. The next time a Patriots claim he makes is factualy debunked will the first that I can recall. I'll probably read his book. I don't really like him, but there's no question he well connected and has a lot of information unavailable to beat writers.

The real issue here is the way these stories are marketing, which is at best misleading. I don't know if that's really on Wickersham or on ESPN, but I'd certainly guess ESPN. This is just a re-hashed story with literally close to zero new information, with Donald Trump's name dropped as the donor. Frankly, few actually gave a crap about the campaign donation aspect of the story to begin with; this is merely generating clicks by using the two massive click generators in Trump and the Patriots. It wouldn't even surprise me if Trump requested the story be dropped for his publicity/Patriots ties after threatening litigation last time. There is truly nothing new here except a publisher's decision to use Trump's name this time around.

Many of the stories about the Patriots that people get defensive about are not actually inaccurate but are just portrayed in ridiculous ways. The story about the rest of the league mistrusting them (warm gatorade, digging through trash cans) was true...except that the only thing true was that unnamed sources went on record saying they were afraid of these things. There was no actual factual evidence to support that the Patriots actually did those things, nor any attempt made to do so. People ultimatley just associate the allegations - some not even allegations but just irrational paranoia - with the Patriots actually doing it. Which is what makes that story such garbage journalism.

 

[jmt57]

Wickersham didn't actually publish anything proven to be false with this story. The next time a Patriots claim he makes is factualy debunked will the first that I can recall. I'll probably read his book. I don't really like him, but there's no question he well connected and has a lot of information unavailable to beat writers.

The real issue here is the way these stories are marketing, which is at best misleading. I don't know if that's really on Wickersham or on ESPN, but I'd certainly guess ESPN. This is just a re-hashed story with literally close to zero new information, with Donald Trump's name dropped as the donor. Frankly, few actually gave a crap about the campaign donation aspect of the story to begin with; this is merely generating clicks by using the two massive click generators in Trump and the Patriots. It wouldn't even surprise me if Trump requested the story be dropped for his publicity/Patriots ties after threatening litigation last time. There is truly nothing new here except a publisher's decision to use Trump's name this time around.

Many of the stories about the Patriots that people get defensive about are not actually inaccurate but are just portrayed in ridiculous ways. The story about the rest of the league mistrusting them (warm gatorade, digging through trash cans) was true...except that the only thing true was that unnamed sources went on record saying they were afraid of these things. There was no actual factual evidence to support that the Patriots actually did those things, nor any attempt made to do so. People ultimatley just associate the allegations - some not even allegations but just irrational paranoia - with the Patriots actually doing it. Which is what makes that story such garbage journalism.

This is the part that baffles me.

How can a writer like Wickersham be well connected to the Patriots? Perhaps he has nurtured relationships with agents and relies on them to be truthful? Gets information from beat writers that don't want to write things that would reduce their access to the team?

It just seems to be very odd that he of all people is able to acquire details and intel that nobody else can.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

This is the part that baffles me.

How can a writer like Wickersham be well connected to the Patriots? Perhaps he has nurtured relationships with agents and relies on them to be truthful? Gets information from beat writers that don't want to write things that would reduce their access to the team?

It just seems to be very odd that he of all people is able to acquire details and intel that nobody else can.

That's the million dollar question.

 

[Joker]

Arlen Spector...RIH (sorry, no RIP for this colossal bag of flatulence)

 

[StanleyGrogan]

Seems like a load of spiteful, misinformed nonsense.