Patriots deserve better

[Bill B.]

I have never seen, in 38 years of watching football, a team so vilified and ridiculed for losing in the Super Bowl. I have yet to hear anyone acknowledge what a special year this was for New England. And the Patriots were the best thing to happen to the NFL in a long time. The ratings were the best they have ever been. Why? Because of the Patriots. The NFL kept messing with the schedule, changing game times and having to play six night games. More than any other team ever has had to do. Changing game times not only messes with the team, but it puts a big burden on the fans to have to change their plans. The Patriots did all this without complaining. And look they are being treated. The players do not deserve this kind of treatment.

A lot of people say the Patriots always play the disrespect card too much. Well, I hope we play it every single game next year and run up the score whenever we can.

 

[upstater1]

I have never seen, in 38 years of watching football, a team so vilified and ridiculed for losing in the Super Bowl. I have yet to hear anyone acknowledge what a special year this was for New England. And the Patriots were the best thing to happen to the NFL in a long time. The ratings were the best they have ever been. Why? Because of the Patriots. The NFL kept messing with the schedule, changing game times and having to play six night games. More than any other team ever has had to do. Changing game times not only messes with the team, but it puts a big burden on the fans to have to change their plans. The Patriots did all this without complaining. And look they are being treated. The players do not deserve this kind of treatment.

A lot of people say the Patriots always play the disrespect card too much. Well, I hope we play it every single game next year and run up the score whenever we can.

I agree with everything except the last part.

The Patriots should establish a complete and utter media blackout next year.

Every Patriot fan across the country should contribute $5 to pay for the NFL fines incurred, and Kraft should match whatever is raised. Say $10 million to pay the NFL fines.

Just go black for 5 months.

 

[sieglo]

The Patriots should establish a complete and utter media blackout next year.

Every Patriot fan across the country should contribute $5 to pay for the NFL fines incurred, and Kraft should match whatever is raised. Say $10 million to pay the NFL fines.

Just go black for 5 months.

Technically, the purpose of talking to the media is to enhance communication with fans and thereby heighten their enjoyment of the sport. This year, the opposite occurred -- the media diminished my love for the game.

The Pats need to find a way to improve communications to the fans. And at the same time, they should figure out how to disintermediate the conventional media in the process. Blogs, live chats with players, direct participation on boards like this one are all mechanisms they might use. Take their message direct to Patriots nation the same way FDR used the fireside chat to take his message direct to all Americans.

 

[3rd & Long]

Welcome to media in the 21st century...if Samuel intercepts on the final drive (or one other big play is made), you're the best team of all time, Belichick is the greatest coach of all time, and Eli's a bum.

 

[VJ11]

I'd like to see the Patriots deal a bit better with some issues brought up by the media. Press releases that make non-statements on an issue don't work, as they are viewed negatively. Either make a short, to-the-point statement that the issue is unfounded and false, and leave it at that. But also disregard it if it is complete nonsense, don't even dignify it with a response.
It's impossible to stop people in the media of having negative opinions on what the Patriots do or don't. However, it's sometimes best to address an issue as soon as possible, in stead of letting it grow into something ugly fed by false rumors and hearsay. BB may be forced to open up a little, even if it is just to put up a face of openness on issues, we don't need to fight the media or give the impression that we are fighting them. Small fires are easier to control than big blazes.

 

[DCSkinsFan]

A lot of people say the Patriots always play the disrespect card too much. Well, I hope we play it every single game next year and run up the score whenever we can.

And that my friend is the reason for the vilification and ridicule.

Everything you said made sense and with those two sentences it all came crashing down.

 

[ALP]

I have never seen, in 38 years of watching football, a team so vilified and ridiculed for losing in the Super Bowl. I have yet to hear anyone acknowledge what a special year this was for New England. And the Patriots were the best thing to happen to the NFL in a long time. The ratings were the best they have ever been. Why? Because of the Patriots. The NFL kept messing with the schedule, changing game times and having to play six night games. More than any other team ever has had to do. Changing game times not only messes with the team, but it puts a big burden on the fans to have to change their plans. The Patriots did all this without complaining. And look they are being treated. The players do not deserve this kind of treatment.

A lot of people say the Patriots always play the disrespect card too much. Well, I hope we play it every single game next year and run up the score whenever we can.

hell, let us ran up te score for 19 games next season...i had much rather have that for whiners to work with then wut they have now...or after the eagles game...

btw...it tells u something when a team just lost the sb after going undefeated, and it is STILL the most hated team in the league....it really does....

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think, unfortunately, at the outset of the season, everybody who'd been spanked came foward for a "Get Out Of Being a Loser Free" card, like D. McNabb, R. Mahe, J. Bettis, blah blah blah. People were, and still are, full of hyperbole about the impact of the extra camera. We did, in fact, break the rules. That's cheating. That's what breaking the rules is.

We did, in fact, pay a steep price.

Now then: were we the Houston Texans, we would move on. But we are the New England Patriots.

We're THE team this decade, despite the fact that it's been 3 years since our last SB victory (grrr.) Just like the 9ers were the team of the 80s, even though they only won 3 out of 10. Other teams dip in and out of super bowl contention... we're never really out of it any year.

So of COURSE people love tearing us down... especially the exact same people who built us up. But also anybody with an ax to grind or a story to sell.

Relax and enjoy it for what it is. All indications are that the Walsh thing is bullcrap. But what will people say? "They did it once, they probably did it again." Come on guys, you should know better. Of course the unsubstantiated allegation counts against us. It will continue to.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED, America?

No, you can't black out the media. You can't insist they say nice things about you. All you can do is realize that at this point, when they stop talking, it means you are losing.

Suuuure Arlen Sphincter is still going at his charges after the SB. But if we'd won, he'd have been on it the next morning.

We have another offseason of bullcrap coming. Grow a pair. The team has. It looks like if we win another SB, or 2, or 3, we'll have to do it with these jackyls on our backs. Cope.

PFnV

 

[Bill B.]

And that my friend is the reason for the vilification and ridicule.

Everything you said made sense and with those two sentences it all came crashing down.

How come no one complained when the Patriots were bad and other teams used to run up the score on them? I've seen it happen too many times in the past. Then in 2003-3004, it was "they just barely win those games, so they can't be that good."

With the way the Patriots are being treated, I see payback coming for whoever gets in their way next year.

 

[SVN]

I agree with everything except the last part.

The Patriots should establish a complete and utter media blackout next year.

Every Patriot fan across the country should contribute $5 to pay for the NFL fines incurred, and Kraft should match whatever is raised. Say $10 million to pay the NFL fines.

Just go black for 5 months.

i have been hoping that too. At the very least they should stop giving one on one interviews to any network other than its required as a rule. unfortunately it wont happen since there will lot of players who will new who wont feel the same way and talk and give interviews.

 

[juny]

Patriots get to play the disrespect card, because they have been the most criticized super bowl winner in my memory. There is always a "yeah-but" excuse for the team to diminish what they have done. And this year when they start winning by a large margin instead of constant close games, people accuse them for running up the score, so they can't win either way.

There was never a "yeah-but" for the last 3 super bowl winners. (some fans say pitt got bad ref calls, but seattle couldn't run a hurry up offense to save their life that game). i just don't remember any negative spin for these last few champions, but i can definitely remember the spin for the pats first two super bowl wins.

 

[upstater1]

We did, in fact, break the rules. That's cheating. That's what breaking the rules is.

PFnV

Many people have corrected this many times, but somehow, the reasoning still sticks around.

Do you know what a syllogism is?

This seems to be your logic:

The Patriots broke the rules.
Breaking the rules is sometimes cheating.
Therefore, the Patriots cheated.

Lost in this syllogism is the fact that sometimes, breaking the rules is not cheating. Dancing in the end zone is breaking the rules. Ripping into a ref in front of the media is breaking the rules. Releasing an inured player is against the rules. Talking to another team about joining them while you're under contract is breaking the rules.

I don't think any of these constitute cheating.

No advantage is gained. But all of these are incidents of breaking the rules.

Of course, sometimes breaking the rules IS cheating. As when the Broncos paid players over the cap.

 

[Patrick]

Welcome to media in the 21st century...if Samuel intercepts on the final drive (or one other big play is made), you're the best team of all time, Belichick is the greatest coach of all time, and Eli's a bum.

Exactly... and Brady is the greatest QB of all time.. he engineered the last drive again... oh, what could have been....*weeps*

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Many people have corrected this many times, but somehow, the reasoning still sticks around.

Do you know what a syllogism is?

This seems to be your logic:

The Patriots broke the rules.
Breaking the rules is sometimes cheating.
Therefore, the Patriots cheated.

Lost in this syllogism is the fact that sometimes, breaking the rules is not cheating. Dancing in the end zone is breaking the rules. Ripping into a ref in front of the media is breaking the rules. Releasing an inured player is against the rules. Talking to another team about joining them while you're under contract is breaking the rules.

I don't think any of these constitute cheating.

No advantage is gained. But all of these are incidents of breaking the rules.

Of course, sometimes breaking the rules IS cheating. As when the Broncos paid players over the cap.

Look, Socrates, I don't think they used extra camera gear in contradiction to the letter of the rule book, to have a worse chance of winning the game.

Don't be a jerk just because we're both among Pats fans. I am willing to take the narrow definition. I am also cognizant that it is likely that a number of other teams were doing the same thing, and it is a stated fact that the Jets did the same thing -- a fact swept aside when a) Mangina said he had the Pats' permission (a statement not corroborated by the Pats,) and subsequently b) Goodell said he was not investigating because the Pats did not bring it forward.

The damn incident was what it was, however. I have no desire to argue semantics with you. We did the deed, we owned up, we paid the fines, we lost the draft pick. But your need to pick the definitional fight, while it will yield you a hometown draw on this bulletin board, will yield you nothing of the sort if you are talking to a fan of any other team, or even a casual fan of no team.

My point is: I don't give a damn anymore about any such clowns' opinions. I have no problem conceding the "cheating" point, because I believe that it is so. I do have a problem with the idea that now every a $ $ hat who wants to make an allegation is given credence, and every Senator with a sore loser constituency and a cable company funding his campaigns, will continue to pick the scab.

But guess what? That's just tough titties for me. You can't always get what you want. And while I want the team to be treated fairly by the media, they won't be. Every loser in the league will call us "dirty" one way or another until we aren't a contender.

My point is, it doesn't matter. I want better from the national press, but it's not going to get better. Sure, it takes a toll, and takes (I am sure) even more of one on the coaches and players.

But don't waste your time and tears. That's the image right now.

There's something freeing about realizing that the image is not in control of the team, the players, the coaches, or even the PR guys. They can control what they put out there. They can not control larger pop culture trends.

Trying to make the Pats "not dirty" in the public mind is like wishing that 50s doo-wop music would come back. You might like 50s doo-wop music, but it is immaterial.

PFnV

 

[Joker]

For the rest of the time the Patriots have BB and Tom Brady on this team, I want the Greg Yeasterinfections completely and utterly shut out of any possible contact with this team. I want this crud to realize that for the foreseeable future there are people....honest, hardworking, fairminded New Englanders, who have taken GREAT OFFENSE at his immature and over the top character assassinations leveled at good men.