"The Tradition"...Right

[NG Pats Fan]

 

[PP2]

"Executive Record"? Did Robert come up with that on his own? Pretty sure they didn't have it when Walter Brown founded/owned the Celtics. He just loved the city of Boston, and when he helped form the NBA, he felt there should be a pro basketball team here. So, he used his own money to do it. And he wanted a winner, and he went out and did what he could to make it happen, even though he knew nothing about the game. Never heard him refer to them as "his" titles.

So, R.K.'s "E.R." was no better than Billy Sullivan's through 9/23/01. Then, a second year quarterback started the final 14 games of the season and compiled an 11–3 record as a starter, helping the Patriots clinch a spot in the AFC playoffs after finishing last the previous season. His name is Steve Grogan, and it happened in 1976, when he led them to.....oh, that is, Tom Brady, who led them to victory over the Raiders on 1/19/02 on the way to their first Super Bowl title, a quarter century after it should have.

Kraft can piggyback himself on to Tom's on-field accomplishments all he wants - just check the team's media guide, on their website.

It's not erasing his continued undressing of the team's players, promoting an impostor fake logo, creating a stupid, ignorant process for selecting alumni for the franchise's highest honor, apologizing on April Fool's Day 2008 while accepting the NFL's latest fable that his team once again broke rules and damaged the league, and again taking it up the rear seven years later, accepting further unprecedentedly excessive punishments for acts the team did not even commit.

Can you please stand with your feet together, arms outstretched, tip your head back, close your eyes, and touch your nose with the tip of your left index finger, then repeat this procedure with your right index finger?

 

[Boston Boxer]

I was quite sick, quite often as a child, and seeing and thinking about this crap induces intense nausea in me that I anticipate will be comparable if I need chemo in the future. I haven't been to the Sports Museum of Boston, but I will be shocked if I ever do if I see, say, anything about Walter Brown, or Julius Adams, etc. I watched the '86 Celtics, just about every game, and it's a nice story but no, they would not beat their '66, '65, '64 or '63 predecessors, no. And I like Danny Ainge, even had his Blue Jays baseball card, but no, I would not choose him to run my basketball team. I mean, if after losing the lottery for example, he went on an unprecedented King Midas tear over the following six months and built not only a champion, but the foundation for at least three or four titles; he'd immediately revert back to himself ("I know better than Red") before the champagne dried up and tear the team apart, with zero further titles...Oh, that's right, he already did just that.

In case, there are amongst the many Stepford Fans following what should be the Pats who seek freedom, I can try to help point out what's happened. We seem to be adept at identifying miserable, ignorant, malevolent, useless individuals in football and the media who have nothing but contempt for the Patriots and actively, openly denigrate our team at every turn. So, after accepting that they did not suddenly spring up out of nowhere and that they've in fact been around breeding for generations now, how about facing the fact that they dispatched one of their own, James Busch Orthwein, into our midst, and he did their bidding and wound up selling to R. Milquetoast Kraft, who spun a sick story which was bought hook, line and sinker by those blameless, unsuspecting local sports enthusiasts who simply wanted to root for a winner and have fun.

Billy Sullivan wasn't perfect and had some really serious financial problems which extended to his family. However, he did acknowledge, care about, respect, understand and support the fans of his team.

Seizing leverage, acquiring geographic control, paying a record price to purchase and keep the team here, and financing a new stadium on his own dime are accomplishments that put Robert Kraft in the pantheon of great Boston sports leaders. But he's buried himself in several ways, firstly by going right along with a total outsider's quick and trivial and clueless determination to impose a franchise image makeover into clownship, taking a gigantic dump on generations of loyal fans, players and team members and supporters, whose ranks extended around the globe. Then, Kraft declared his reign the "turning point" and ascribed nonsensical credit to an NFL #1 draft pick who was paid accordingly and handed the starting quarterback position, for "changing the culture" of the franchise. Drew Bledsoe absolutely lived up to my draft day evaluation of him: "Big kid, strong arm, will never lead you to a title." After eight-plus nondescript seasons which were not bad, but absolutely nothing superior to previous Patriots eras in the 60's, 70's and 80's, and obviously headed nowhere until he was mercifully replaced, Bledsoe whined like a baby and then gave himself credit for his restraint. Cry me a river. Steve Grogan fought through far worse injuries in the 70's, only to be benched in the 80's in favor of an inferior player, even after demonstrating that he alone elevated the team into contention. Statistics-lovers may rave about Bledsoe and Peyton Manning, Kerry Collins, Vinny Testaverde et al. but they are not in the same class with Unitas, Plunkett, Staubach, Montana, and another guy who's playing for - even if he's not looking like - us right now.

Bill Belichick wanted to come here. Got it? Kraft obliged, having to deal with Jets whining and league resistance. Congratulations.

Then, Belichick's was the only staff that considered and finally drafted you-know-who. That deserves credit; even acclaim. And after the Mo Lewis hit, Belichick hasn't screwed it up. Good job.

Bending over for the league did not create a dynasty this century. It did create a bunch of people locally who might as well be Ravens fans, who treat their own team with the same contempt and malicious disdain as the loudest national and local proclaimers that the "Patriots are cheaters", and who do not know or care who I'm about to refer to.


But, Julius Adams' surviving family members go on with their lives, after his stroke last year and passing this past April, with no immediate plans or reason to visit here, for, for example, a ceremony to honor his immeasurable contribution to the franchise he remained loyal to forever, like, his sickeningly overdue induction into the team's so-called Hall of Fame. You think Tedy Bruschi is a leader and special player? Forget about it. You can escape Kraft's fantasy house of brainwashing: just reach out your hand, don't be afraid...

what was that all about

 

[Gwedd]

250-113. Robert Kraft Football Executive Record | Pro-Football-Reference.com

You put me in the mood to listen to Velvet Underground's "Heroin." And I never do drugs.

I am always in the mood to listen to any of The Velvet Underground's music. No drugs needed, but I wouldn't turn down a nice vodka martini.

Lou Reed did some of his best work with them.

 

[Tunescribe]

As a fan of the Patriots in Australia, I have absolutely no idea what the point of the OP was and I'm not sure what I should do now. Help?

Just be thankful he didn't mention the Pat Patriot logo.

 

[Joker]

is it mushroom season or something?

 

[Off The Grid]

-Crap, I thought you had me blocked...

I'm quite confident that many do, but I ain't one'f'm.

 

[scott99]

Never has a meme ever perfectly match a situation as this one has, bravo sir.

 

[Raymond]

I was quite sick, quite often as a child, and ...................................just reach out your hand, don't be afraid...

Fixed.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I'm quite confident that many do, but I ain't one'f'm.

Someday we need to sit down and figure out how I'm going to make all this up to you, man.

Just enjoy the ride, I believe we'll be there Feb. 5th and when you have time, give more of your analysis, it's excellent

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

what was that all about

That "The Tradition" thing just set me off. Drew Bledsoe did NOT "change the culture" in Foxborough. Jimmy Plunkett, and his teammates, led by Coach Fairbanks, played their butts off and introduced the Patriots as serious contenders in the post-merger NFL. Plunkett and Grogan both got the heck beat out of them here, but both recovered to be championship-level quarterbacks later in their careers. Had the Patriots played in the NFC, they would have made several more playoff appearances. After Berry got fired, the team struggled for almost 2 1/2 years. Several other NFL franchises went through 2 1/2 decades of futility, and to date have not reached title contention. Drew Bledsoe was drafted #1 in the league, was paid a ton of money, was given a starting job with no competition, racked up some decent individual numbers and was absolutely deified by his owner and fans. Boy, does that sound familiar. None of it puts him in the discussion of the greatest, nor does it even make him better than Parilli, Plunkett, Grogan, Flutie, Dave Krieg or many others. Bill Parcells did bring a winning atmosphere along with him, partially from his time right here previously as an assistant. It is completely understandable that Bob Kraft chose not to make waves until his purchase was official; but once it was he endorsed, continued and trumpeted Orthwein's trashing of the team with the same relentless intensity and emotional contrition with which he concurred, accepted and apologized for the league's ridiculous railroading of the team in '07-'08.

Eight years later, he's worked his way up to "The league should apologize", "I hope Patriots fans will forgive me", "I was wrong to put my faith in the league" etc., so yes, progess toward enlightenment is glacial over there. Our friend from Texas says he's be fine with somebody trashing his UT team if it 100% coincidentally, and arguably despite it, suddenly won multiple national championships. Would he feel the same way if the person who did that was in fact from OU, and among the legion who curruptly fought for and had NCAA sanctions imposed on the 'Horns for years for phony, cooked-up violations?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Can you please stand with your feet together, arms outstretched, tip your head back, close your eyes, and touch your nose with the tip of your left index finger, then repeat this procedure with your right index finger?

Well now of course, that's not the first time I've been asked to do that...

Don't remember if they said "please"...

 

[Off The Grid]

Someday we need to sit down and figure out how I'm going to make all this up to you, man.

Just enjoy the ride, I believe we'll be there Feb. 5th and when you have time, give more of your analysis, it's excellent

Thank you...But I must confess that I have no Idea what you're talking about, first thinking that I'd blocked you and then needing to "make all this up to you." I believe you've confused me with someone else.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Thank you...But I must confess that I have no Idea what you're talking about, first thinking that I'd blocked you and then needing to "make all this up to you." I believe you've confused me with someone else.

Cool! Then it's all good.

Sorry about Gronk, but I think he'll be back next year.

I know we don't need to, but would still like to see us put up fifty today against you-know-who

 

[signbabybrady]

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

is he in line to be the 46th President?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Those teams they beat sucked. And I a huge Celtic fan. All Bird's teams would crush them. The 2008 team would annihilate them as well.

A lot of people agree with you, including Bob Ryan, whom I also like and who's considered a basketball expert. You look at it like this: The 1950 NBA Champion Minneapolis Lakers would probably lose to today's 76ers. You see modern development in athleticism, training, and physical superiority over athletes from fifty or sixty years ago. If you took Jim Thorpe and plunked him down on an NFL field today, he might struggle. Maybe. But first, I don't think Bob will agree with you about the Celts' opponents. The Hawks, Warriors, Sixers and Lakers had really, really good teams back then. And, everybody hated us, especially Red, and they wanted to beat us just as bad as everybody in the NFL wants to beat the Pats today.

More importantly, when you're considering a contest between teams of different eras, you need to start with this hypothesis: All things being equal. So, if everybody's playing on an even field or court, the guys from the past are enjoying all of the benefits and advantages of whatever modern culture, society, and physical evolution there is, if they're playing today. Conversely, the players from today get to deal with whatever existed during the time their opponents were playing, if they're going back.

That's how I look at it.

There've been several subsequent teams who've dominated the league in a given season, and they're very impressive. I've been playing and watching basketball all my life, and I've not seen any team better than the Celtics of the sixties. There's one more aspect I should point out. On paper, there is simply no way the US Olympic hockey team belonged on the same sheet of ice as the Soviets, in Squaw Valley or Lake Placid. Yet, they won the gold both times. There is just too much more to competion than statistics and accomplishments on paper, or flashy talent, can measure. It's often referred to as intangibles.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Coaching was nothing like it became either. Doc Rivers in the 2000s was a far greater tactic scheme guy then Auerbach. Auerbach was a great fundamental guy and talent evaluator and motivator, but he really had no one in his way to win all those titles. They just had to be better than a few teams which they were. The fact that they won 8 in a row, and 11 in 13 proves my point. Nobody could something like that today, nor could they back then without simply having a pretty ****ting league.

Or, with all the talent concentrated within fewer teams, it was harder to win, and repeat. It wasn't a bad league at all.

On the other hand, the NBA of the last quarter century is watered down, with the presence of two stars being enough to elevate a team to the top.

 

[signbabybrady]

is he in line to be the 46th President?

My votes for you provided you can affect change. Get the old uni back and I'll follow you anywhere!

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

My votes for you provided you can affect change. Get the old uni back and I'll follow you anywhere!

Well, technically it's reversing a change that never should have occurred.

I think Robert Kraft, by now, is realizing that he established alliances, and make friends with, people (Orthwein, Goodell) who had nothing but ignorant, malicious contempt for the Patriots.

He did not mean to, but insodoing he didn't just hang Patriots fans out to dry; he threw us to the wolves.

The least he can do now is put OUR team back out there on the field.