Peter King-Contrived controversy

[Patriotic Fervor]

I'd take King way more seriously if Lady T had kept it to one day of whining.... but then he went back and amplified on a second day. I'd just say "*** the Chargers, and *** their fans," but that's so... well, you know... heartless.

I think "round two" of Lady T's comments point to something King alluded to: however ugly Florence got in New England, this is a team that modeled itself after us, and to an extent idolized us. We and the Pats players might look at them as opponents and adversaries, but they were kind of looking at us like their daddy.

So we're reading Florence's exuberance as what it sounds like -- but look at him as the ill-mannered kid that just beat the old man for the first time at some game. Yeah I could imagine you could make exuberance sound real ugly, if that's how you're raised... or it was just plain taunting. But from the gap in the Chargers' self-perception, and how they perceived our guys' actions, the implication is clear: If we do it, we're just kids having fun. You guys are supposed to be adults (the "classy team.") You're supposed to be better than that.

You know what? Maybe we should apologize to them, and maybe some Pats should strike up endearing new friendships with the Chargers. Let them keep thinking of us as their daddy. We're so sorry, Bolt Boys... daddy just got a little excited and danced on your logo. We'll be extra-careful next time.

I think Lady Tom is more than anything put out that his idols are crashing to the ground, by virtue of having beaten his team and enjoyed it, instead of riding off into the sunset to be replaced by the new ascendent Chargers dynasty. I'm sure he had it all planned, how classy he'd be, how he'd talk about how the Chargers admired the hell out of us and looked to us as the model.

Well ya know what? I'm okay with players being role models for kids. But we don't need to be Lady T's role model.

Just Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking,

PFnV

Well, here's the thing. In fashioning themselves after us, they seemingly do not grasp the import of intangibles. Without them, the whole process is bastardized, creating a kind of Frankenstein monster.

They may get it right eventually.

Then again, they may not.

 

[rainmaker]

I don't know what is meant by "contrived controversy", but I have done some soul-searching the past 24 hours and my conclusion is that if anybody had come to Gilette and beaten the Pats in a super-charged playoff game where the Pats were the over-whelming favorites, and THEN that team who defeated the Pats would whoop it up on the Pats' team logo at mid-field, I'd want somebody to go and knock down those offending mocking triumphalists. I'd be damned pissed to see that.

So, if I'm feeling that way about the Pats I can understand how LT would feel about the Pats who war-danced on the Bolts' sig in their house. We shouldn't have done that. No matter what the Chargers did or did not do last time they came to Foxboro and beat up on us, they did NOT dance on our logo. Even if they did, we should not do it to them.

It *is* disrespectful to their team and the people who support them. It *is* insensitive to the fact that they were so hopeful that THIS was their year. Again, I can imagine if Brady had a career year, both Dillon and Maroney made the Pro-Bowl, along with Troy Brown, Chad Jax, Mankins, Light (bear with me), Bruschi, Sey, Wilfork, Samuel, and Jarvis Green, and then a team with only one Pro-Bowler came and knocked us off, then DANCED on the Pats' logo, I'm sure there would be some serious fireworks.

The guys who did that dance should write a letter of apology to the Chargers, and should congratulate them on being such worthy opponents. After all, it was the Bolts' worthiness that makes this victory so sweet. We should not spoil that by being disrespectful of them after we beat them. Winners must be gracious and humble. Otherwise they become resented and hated.

There is a link posted in another thread that had highlights from the nose bleeds including this ending celebration. It was ONE Patriot (Hobbs?) who did it. Not a team celebration. Wasn't planned, just excited. LT should apologize to accuse the whole team and BB, then move on. BB should talk to Hobbs and it's over.

 

[lander]

The one thing I really take issue with in that article is King's suggestion that somehow the stories about what Florence and Wade Phillips said after LAST year's game were somehow...what? MADE UP? "Well I was there, and all I heard was..." Well, Peter, maybe you didn't HEAR those comments. Does that mean they didn't occur?

Now I'm as big a critic of the Boston media as anyone, but I can't imagine MULTIPLE writers got together and decided to make up stuff that Charger players said in the aftermath of 41-17 in Foxboro. Why would they do that?

Too bad the comments of a couple guys got dragged out so much.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Well, here's the thing. In fashioning themselves after us, they seemingly do not grasp the import of intangibles. Without them, the whole process is bastardized, creating a kind of Frankenstein monster.

They may get it right eventually.

Then again, they may not.

The sequel's never as good as the original :rocker:

But seriously folks... maybe they just scratched the part about making every player lock down and focus on the game. I can count on one hand the times I've seen the Pats say or do anything other than (if anything,) overestimate a team, and every time it was after they won. Just got done watching some YouTube of Merriman at their pep rally - nah, I don't think that would happen even if the Pats did do one.

So yep, the intangibles are sort of line-itemed out of the role-model thing.

Oh by the way... one team is trying to stir up trouble because we're classless, and fans across the league are p.o.'d because we're "boring..."? Let's stop fooling around. This is jealousy wearing different disguises. LT just took it so hard because we're what he wants to become, and he's just been reminded in no uncertain terms that there's not a vacancy for "new dynasty" at the moment (at least not for SD.) We're not just "wow, those great guys in NE," we're a real football team which kicked your butt when it counted.

PFnV

 

[patsacolachick]

Oh by the way... one team is trying to stir up trouble because we're classless, and fans across the league are p.o.'d because we're "boring..."? Let's stop fooling around. This is jealousy wearing different disguises. LT just took it so hard because we're what he wants to become, and he's just been reminded in no uncertain terms that there's not a vacancy for "new dynasty" at the moment (at least not for SD.) We're not just "wow, those great guys in NE," we're a real football team which kicked your butt when it counted.

PFnV

Awesome post, that is exactly what I have been thinking.