The longest 25 days in Patriots history

[Tunescribe]

I don't see it being a thing for too long. Spygate was the perfect story because it could be constantly rehashed and speculated on from different angles since it was a football issue.

Unless they start questioning if other Patriots are murderers, I don't see how this can be talked about and hold viewer interest for a whole football season. And if someone DOES say something like "So, I'll bet Tom Brady has murdered a person or two...I doubt Hernandez did it on his own!" I'm sure they will be sued for libel within an hour.

The difference between us and Baltimore is obvious: one stayed on the team and one was cut before the police were done cuffing him. Even the trolls on PFT's message board see the difference.

Anyone who tries to use Hernandez to deride the Patriots is a fool. Front and center is that he (A) is not with the team and (B) he was cut before the team even knew he was charged with murder.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Hate to be a wet blanket to your wet blanket, but frankly we will never hear the end of it. Ray Lewis had his trial 13 years ago and he and the team is still getting it to this day.

Except Ray Lewis got out and was still playing for the Ravens afterwards. Aaron Hernandez's name is never going to be mentioned ever again from the Patriots organization, he will eventually be forgotten and rightfully so if he is found guilty.. No sense in promoting the name of a murderer by bringing him up constantly.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Dont be fooled. We will be cheaters and murders. It just goes with the territory of a winner. If we diddnt keep winning nobody would care and need to look for alternative ammo. For them, winning games against us dosent work well.

I agree to an extent. When you win way more than your share, you're going to get hate for anything whatsoever that can be remotely connected to you. And while this will be, to far more than a few, an angle to use against the Patriots, it isn't everyone. Fortunately the narrative is somber/serious enough it's in bad form to keep bringing it up......plus there are still plenty of people with a thinking capacity that isn't a perfect match for JI or Gangrene

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Except Ray Lewis got out and was still playing for the Ravens afterwards. Aaron Hernandez's name is never going to be mentioned ever again from the Patriots organization, he will eventually be forgotten and rightfully so if he is found guilty.. No sense in promoting the name of a murderer by bringing him up constantly.

Good point. Lewis remained a major icon of the Ravens because they chose to accept the hit/negative attention by keeping him (of course winning is always the most important thing, even above killing someone ). AH's story will eventually be something that gets little more than the occasional line in a story that says "a former NFL player with the Patriots".

 

[edboc]

I wonder what their next roster moves are going to be, I assume just training camp depth guys.

 

[Off The Grid]

I can't wait to see what this team becomes this year and who breaks out and contributes in the vacuum.

I've "contributed in the vacuum", before.

...Not nearly as good as the real thing. :nooo:

 

[voluntarysaftey]

Hate to be a wet blanket to your wet blanket, but frankly we will never hear the end of it. Ray Lewis had his trial 13 years ago and he and the team is still getting it to this day.

That's because he got off (his punishment wasn't severe enough for someone who pled guilty to covering up a murder); and was still on the field and the fans were celebrating / cheering for him.
In AHern's case, it will be different. Do people make fun of the panthers for Caruth? No, because he's not on the field.

In a way, if it was inevitable that AHern was going to go off the deep end, this is probably a good time for it as it allows the story to calm down a bit before training camp and the players can mentally adjust to it. I think it would be much worse on the players if it happened mid season or even in camp.

 

[Off The Grid]

I'm sure it's something they'll have to hear about all season but it's also something that will keep them acutely focused all season.

The biggest distractions in Patriots history have been Bledsoe/Brady, Milloy being cut, and Spygate. None are murder mind you, but each one of those seasons has something in common.

Good points. They don't have a better coach to navigate them through this off-the-field stuff.

However those were immensely talented veteran teams that were in a good position to handle those situations.

With all due respect, Brother Rob: If you could measure Talent like you can The Force, the 2001 Patriots would've been Hard Put to hold off the 1976 Buccaneers!!

And that, of course, is what most makes them so awesome.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed in this thread about putting this all in the rear view mirror afforded by the start of training camp and a new season.

However, I don't think that's going to be easy to do. This will hang over the franchise for a long time like a dark cloud.

Let's not forget that Aaron Hernandez was one of the brightest stars in the Patriots' firmament over the last couple of seasons and one of the foundations on which the offense was going to be built in Tom Brady's final years. This is a guy who was at the heart of the team for which we all cheered so wildly.

We, or at least I, encouraged our young kids to watch his play with pride...and root for a guy who overcame personal issues to show he belonged among the best of the best. Now, he's not just accused of a crime of passion in a fight at a bar or after a game, but rather of a cold and calculated set of actions that resulted in the death of another human being and, possibly, of being complicit in two more murders. It's apparent that he is an associate of a bunch of low lifes and no better than a thug himself.

For me (and I am only speaking for myself), it's going to be a long time before I think about the NFL and, yes, even the Patriots in the same way again. I have to get my head around the fact that I just wasn't cheering for a hot-blooded guy who lost his cool, but for a thug.

Please note that I am NOT saying this is the only reaction someone could reasonably have to this ugly business and my perception might indeed change with time and perspective, so I'm not asking for a debate, but rather just expressing how this one fan, who has followed the team for almost 40 years, feels. I doubt that I am alone.

 

[BradyManny]

The longest 25 days in Patriots history was February 3rd, 2008 to February 28th, 2008.

And it's not even close.

I used to dream we'd actually won that game and inevitably wake up regretting consciousness.

 

[Bruins29]

In AHern's case, it will be different. Do people make fun of the panthers for Caruth? No, because he's not on the field.
.

People don't need to make fun of the Panthers because of Carruth. They have something that gives them much more ammo - The Panthers.

 

[Bruins29]

The longest 25 days in Patriots history was February 3rd, 2008 to February 28th, 2008.

And it's not even close.

I used to dream we'd actually won that game and inevitably wake up regretting consciousness.

Exactly. That was painful. SB 46 was a close second. The loss to the Bears, Packers, and that AFCCG loss to the Colts are easily the top 5 long days of misery. I would put the 25 days after Bradys injury up there too. I would also put the 25 days before Bradys return season in 2009 as about as impatient has I have ever been for the season to come. Those were some long days. Plus the waiting for TC in 2007 when Brady was getting all his new receivers, Moss, Welker, etc couldnt come quick enough.

These next few weeks? God with all the drama overload I could use a break from this time. TC will be here soon enough. 17 days until rookies report to training camp.

 

[Efstratios]

Exactly. That was painful. SB 46 was a close second. The loss to the Bears, Packers, and that AFCCG loss to the Colts are easily the top 5 long days of misery. I would put the 25 days after Bradys injury up there too. I would also put the 25 days before Bradys return season in 2009 as about as impatient has I have ever been for the season to come. Those were some long days. Plus the waiting for TC in 2007 when Brady was getting all his new receivers, Moss, Welker, etc couldnt come quick enough.

These next few weeks? God with all the drama overload I could use a break from this time. TC will be here soon enough. 17 days until rookies report to training camp.

I'd definitely put the 2010 playoff loss to the Jest somewhere up there. Honestly with the exceptions of 05 and 09 (both years where I didn't really count on the Pats to win), ever playoff loss since 04 has been pretty damn painful.

 

[Mainefan]

If Robert Craft weren't our owner, BB not our coach and Tom Brady not our quarterback, I would be very worried. But no other team has these three rocks, these three paragons of competitiveness, maturity and guts. As a result, I think our season will be a typical one for this era: a great offense, an improving defense and a run for the flag.