The Disrespect Card......

[ExpatPack]

All this Giants love is really confusing me. Yes they crushed Atlanta. Yes they beat a Packers team whose offense played uncharacteristically bad, dropping tons of passes, fumbling the ball more than they had all season, and some bad throws by Rodgers. Yes they beat a SF team just barely, a game that was SF's to win.

And now they're unbeatable? /shrug

 

[mgteich]

Apparently folks here think that only they have a right to criticize the patriots. How many hundred posts in the past couple of months have called our defense the worst in the league, and even the worst ever. I guess the media is not allowed to say the same thing.

The media have consistently considered us a top team this year. That is more than I can say for many posters here.

 

[TomPatriot]

Funny thing, I have talked to about a dozen Giants fans in the past week and none disrespects the Pats and all think it will be a close, tough game.

 

[oldskool138]

How many hundred posts in the past couple of months have called our defense the worst in the league, and even the worst ever.

Um, when you're D is ranked 31st in the league you get stuff like people calling your defense bad.

They have been playing better down the stretch but let's not kid ourselves.

 

[reflexblue]

Embrace the Hate, for it is Born of Jealousy and Ultimately a Sign of Respect.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I feel that you're disrespecting the disrespect card.

So, I guess it wins.

 

[MassPats38]

Apparently folks here think that only they have a right to criticize the patriots. How many hundred posts in the past couple of months have called our defense the worst in the league, and even the worst ever. I guess the media is not allowed to say the same thing.

The media have consistently considered us a top team this year. That is more than I can say for many posters here.

That's the "little brother" psychology at work. It is okay for me to smack my little brother around, but if anyone else does it . . . .

Turn to the season predicition threads, the posts after the Bills loss, or any of the "defense wins championships" discussions here. More than a few of our own fan base has predicted "one and done," so a media prediction of a loss now is not exactly earth-shattering or ridiculous. The Pats have obvious flaws on defense and in the last game Flacco threw for 300 yards with a 95 QBR, and would have had higher but for Sterling Moore's timely defense to save the game. Combine that with a freak field goal shank, and you can argue the Pats right now are more lucky than good. I don't buy the argument, but it's not invalid. The same could be said of the Giants in beating the Niners and playing a Packers team that was still resting after clinching a playoff spot, but the plays that favored the Giants were not as freaky as the ones in the Ravens game.

I actually like the negative predicitions as I tend to get uncomfortable when everyone in the media is picking the Pats to win. The Pats have the team to win this and are not plainly outmatched, so it all turns on planning and execution a week from today. That is the way it should be.

 

[Betterthanmost]

I am happy with a lot of people not picking us. If we lose, well it was coming.
This team has so much good karma behind it. Watch Sergio Brown redeem himself with a forced fumble, fumble recovery for a TD on kick off. I predict we win the toss, elect to kick off.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

They should invite Rodney in for a pre game speech. Someone could tell him he was a HoF player and he'd find a way to make that a sign of disrepect. Nobody was better at playing that card.

Now, if only we had someone hitting like him.

 

[PatsBoy12]

They should invite Rodney in for a pre game speech. Someone could tell him he was a HoF player and he'd find a way to make that a sign of disrepect. Nobody was better at playing that card.

Now, if only we had someone hitting like him.

Chung is getting there. He can become a more athletic Rodney Harrison if he stays on his path and, more importantly, STAYS ON THE FIELD.

 

[BigHoss28]

The disrespect card is the most overused cliche in sports these days. EVERYBODY plays it, even the NE Patriots. There was a time when NE used it, particularly Rodney, and it was legitimate. People really weren't giving the Patriots any respect. And just like being introduced as a team has become the model, so has the disrespect card.

I just don't buy into it anymore. It will be a hard-fought game that will go back-and-forth until someone either makes a big play, a crucial turnover, or both. These teams are pretty evenly matched in my view. Where one is strong, the other is not so strong. Where one has an advantage in one area, the other has an advantage in another area. Who feels disrespected is going to be irrelevant.

It's about as far from irrelevant as possible.

Will it be the sole driving force behind the Pats in the SB? No... But to say that being slighted by literally everyone and their brother doesn't effect how motivated a team - or more importantly an individual - is in a given game is just not true.

 

[PatsBoy12]

It's about as far from irrelevant as possible.

Will it be the sole driving force behind the Pats in the SB? No... But to say that being slighted by literally everyone and their brother doesn't effect how motivated a team - or more importantly an individual - is in a given game is just not true.

Perhaps I should have been clearer, BigHoss. Notice, I never said it was irrelevant to motivating a team or a player. What it IS ABSOLUTELY irrelevant to is the outcome of the game. I have been an athlete my whole life (though obviously not at a professional level) and I can tell you with absolutely NO DOUBT that none of the things you hear before the game matter when you're actually playing the game. All that you're trying to do at that point is execute your game plan. Also, the trash talk during the game replaces anything and everything that was said leading up to the game. Unless the players are saying all the same things during the game, what has been said so far will be forgotten once the ball is kicked. It will only be about executing and trying to win the game at that point.