Snarf
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2006
- Messages
- 792
- Reaction score
- 11
I see a lot of posts around here knocking Asante, McGinest, Moss, Seymour, Milloy, Law, etc for comments they make about not getting paid, or the Pats being cheap, or the Pats disrespecting vets, etc.
The problem is, it doesn't matter if what they say is true. All that matters is what the perception is. When we hear that players "hate" their coach, it doesn't matter if it's true or not. If you're a vet going to join the Pats and that is what ESPN and Asante are telling you, that is going to be a real consideration.
One of the greatest advantages the Pats had over every other team in the league for the first half of this decade was that it attracted veterans, cheaply, and for the longest time managed to keep a lot of veterans at arguably low salaries. Players were willing to give a little salary-wise to be on the team. That meant we got players for bargains, and players were happy as long as they felt important and felt like winners.
The "winners" part has slipped in recent years, which has probably been a major component of a lot of veteran whining. When you're not pulling in trophies, it's easier for these guys to look for greener pastures (both money-wise and talent wise).
The bigger problem though IMO is that BB has vastly underestimated the damage to the Pats that some of his actions have made around the league. Psychological damage. While being tough with players and conducting business is all part of the game, cutting players at strange times (Milloy, Seymour) reeks of disrespect. So does franchise tagging players who you want to see lead the team. So does making a public example of Moss, AD, etc when they were late. Justified? Probably. Disrespectful? Yes. Something may make good business sense, but you lose a little bit of that veteran respect each time it occurs. Just because you CAN do it doesn't mean you SHOULD do it.
The whines and complaints we increasingly hear out of former and existing Pats players regarding salaries and "it's just a business" and the way the press is spinning it as being a major problem is MAKING it a major problem. It won't be long before we start losing out more and more on FA pickups because vets simply don't want to come here.
There's nothing wrong with running a business, but every good leader requires tact and diplomacy. I think this is BB's greatest weakness, and the one thing that is holding him back from being something even greater than what we have seen. A little tact, please.
The problem is, it doesn't matter if what they say is true. All that matters is what the perception is. When we hear that players "hate" their coach, it doesn't matter if it's true or not. If you're a vet going to join the Pats and that is what ESPN and Asante are telling you, that is going to be a real consideration.
One of the greatest advantages the Pats had over every other team in the league for the first half of this decade was that it attracted veterans, cheaply, and for the longest time managed to keep a lot of veterans at arguably low salaries. Players were willing to give a little salary-wise to be on the team. That meant we got players for bargains, and players were happy as long as they felt important and felt like winners.
The "winners" part has slipped in recent years, which has probably been a major component of a lot of veteran whining. When you're not pulling in trophies, it's easier for these guys to look for greener pastures (both money-wise and talent wise).
The bigger problem though IMO is that BB has vastly underestimated the damage to the Pats that some of his actions have made around the league. Psychological damage. While being tough with players and conducting business is all part of the game, cutting players at strange times (Milloy, Seymour) reeks of disrespect. So does franchise tagging players who you want to see lead the team. So does making a public example of Moss, AD, etc when they were late. Justified? Probably. Disrespectful? Yes. Something may make good business sense, but you lose a little bit of that veteran respect each time it occurs. Just because you CAN do it doesn't mean you SHOULD do it.
The whines and complaints we increasingly hear out of former and existing Pats players regarding salaries and "it's just a business" and the way the press is spinning it as being a major problem is MAKING it a major problem. It won't be long before we start losing out more and more on FA pickups because vets simply don't want to come here.
There's nothing wrong with running a business, but every good leader requires tact and diplomacy. I think this is BB's greatest weakness, and the one thing that is holding him back from being something even greater than what we have seen. A little tact, please.