TMQ = complete trash

[letekro]

This thread proves at least two things -

1) Members here are capable of insisting any piece of writing is trash

2) The very obvious point that virtually any argument made (including those by the folks protesting in this thread) can be undermined by some other fact or theory

Amongst the knee-jerk hatred its hardly surprising none of the posters in this thread mention TMQ quotes from the same column they lambaste like-

the New England defense is much better than appreciated

For two seasons, Mike Vrabel has been the league's best linebacker

For XLII consecutive years, the passing yardage leader has not been the quarterback to hoist the trophy as the Super Bowl concludes. Never. Maybe this year's Patriots will be the exception.

Brady, the Patriots receivers and especially the New England offensive line are all such good players -- and because Wes Welker blocks better than some offensive linemen on other teams

It's not that New England cannot rush, the Patriots finished 13th in the league in rushing yards

Yup, real Patriot-hating trash there. The guy is offering up something to think about in this column, not declaring that he has found the end all, be all. I feel sad for the angry dudes who posted here - your missing out on some fun free thinking.

It has nothing to do with any perceived bias against the Pats, it has EVERYTHING to do with him being a pompous a** who, while claiming to be some kind of progressive, outside-of-the-box thinker, spews forth hysterically fallacious arguments that don't stand up to the most superficial of counterarguments.

Like someone else said, you're missing the point.

 

[captain stone]

I disagree, I officiate college football, I thought this one was an easy call, the one on Hobbs I thought was no contact. I really look at the officiating unobjectively, despite being a fan.

I'll take your word for it, GNR. I've only seen the replay a couple of times, and I didn't see any PI-type contact, either.

What Moss should have done to ensure the obviousness of the PI call was to take a step or two toward the ball; the DB would have knocked him flat to the ground.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

I used to read TMQ and get a good laugh now and then. But something snapped in Easterbrook this year. Like most Patriot fans, when the team got caught with the videotape, we (as fans) took our lumps from the media and acknowledged the Patriots wrong doing. But there came a turning point for 90% of the media when the team got on such a crazy roll, that you had to take notice that something special was brewing here in New England.

Not Easterbrook. This guy kept the pounding on us all year and has become so obsessed with the Patriots that he appears to be the official flag-bearer for the obsessed few who still think we won 16 consecutive games this year because we videotaped. Not because the Patriots are a collection of intelligent, dedicated, ass-kicking great football players who at the peak of pressure, play thier best football.

This tuesday mornings TMQ was my last column I'll ever read by Easterbrook. He didn't lose me because he's not a Patriot fan (we still have Bill Simmons), but because he's lost his focus as a sports writer and has lowered himself to the point that he can no longer write objectively.

 

[Fixit]

If there's one thing I will try to get across to you... one thing I will try to accomplish... one thing I will hope to achieve... is communicating how absolutely AMAZED and BLOWN AWAY I am that a PATRIOTS FAN could ever actually complain about OTHER teams BENEFITTING from REFEREE GENEROSITY.

Do you have ANY IDEA how MIND BLOWING this is? Do you have a clue how absolutely shocked I am at the VERY IDEA that a fan of a team that has thrived on REFEREE CALLS could have the NERVE to complain about OTHER TEAMS getting the benefit? I pray that one day you understand how BLOWN AWAY I am by the VERY CONCEPT.

Each day I sit here and beg that one day you will begin to COMPREHEND what an absolutely MIND BLOWING thing you have done... the likes of which temporarily short-circuits my own mind, so that I am temporarily in shock and unable to function. It simply boggles the mind of any rational thinking person!

Oh how I hope you understand this one day... please. Oh please!

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE SHOCK OF HEARING A PATRIOTS FAN COMPLAIN ABOUT OTHER TEAMS GETTING THE BENEFIT OF BAD AND BIASED REFEREEING! FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, I PRAY YOU DO!

There... puff puff... let me calm down now. Thank you.

Let me put forth this challenge for the 10th time: give some examples.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

Let me put forth this challenge for the 10th time: give some examples.

I'd be interested in the examples as well.

 

[njpatsfan]

If there's one thing I will try to get across to you... one thing I will try to accomplish... one thing I will hope to achieve... is communicating how absolutely AMAZED and BLOWN AWAY I am that a PATRIOTS FAN could ever actually complain about OTHER teams BENEFITTING from REFEREE GENEROSITY.

Do you have ANY IDEA how MIND BLOWING this is? Do you have a clue how absolutely shocked I am at the VERY IDEA that a fan of a team that has thrived on REFEREE CALLS could have the NERVE to complain about OTHER TEAMS getting the benefit? I pray that one day you understand how BLOWN AWAY I am by the VERY CONCEPT.

Each day I sit here and beg that one day you will begin to COMPREHEND what an absolutely MIND BLOWING thing you have done... the likes of which temporarily short-circuits my own mind, so that I am temporarily in shock and unable to function. It simply boggles the mind of any rational thinking person!

Oh how I hope you understand this one day... please. Oh please!

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE SHOCK OF HEARING A PATRIOTS FAN COMPLAIN ABOUT OTHER TEAMS GETTING THE BENEFIT OF BAD AND BIASED REFEREEING! FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, I PRAY YOU DO!

There... puff puff... let me calm down now. Thank you.

"Yes! Yesss!! Oh, let me taste your tears ! Mmm, your tears are so yummy and sweet!

It's yet another bonus of the absolute domination of the New England Patriots this year .... all the unhinged fans of other teams ...... they will never get over it.

R

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

If there's one thing I will try to get across to you... one thing I will try to accomplish... one thing I will hope to achieve... is communicating how absolutely AMAZED and BLOWN AWAY I am that a PATRIOTS FAN could ever actually complain about OTHER teams BENEFITTING from REFEREE GENEROSITY.

Do you have ANY IDEA how MIND BLOWING this is? Do you have a clue how absolutely shocked I am at the VERY IDEA that a fan of a team that has thrived on REFEREE CALLS could have the NERVE to complain about OTHER TEAMS getting the benefit? I pray that one day you understand how BLOWN AWAY I am by the VERY CONCEPT.

Each day I sit here and beg that one day you will begin to COMPREHEND what an absolutely MIND BLOWING thing you have done... the likes of which temporarily short-circuits my own mind, so that I am temporarily in shock and unable to function. It simply boggles the mind of any rational thinking person!

Oh how I hope you understand this one day... please. Oh please!

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE SHOCK OF HEARING A PATRIOTS FAN COMPLAIN ABOUT OTHER TEAMS GETTING THE BENEFIT OF BAD AND BIASED REFEREEING! FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, I PRAY YOU DO!

There... puff puff... let me calm down now. Thank you.

Say this if you want, but you're ignoring your own bias. Calls that go against your own team always stand out as impossibly egregious to the point that there must be a conspiracy or at least a bias on the part of the officials to ensure that your team loses and your rival wins. Its this way in every stadium across the NFL. Stop with the holier-than-thou act that is trying to make it seem that the Colts, Ravens or any other NFL team has never had calls go in their favor that delivered an apparant inequity in fairness, it happens all the time.

Teams are coached on the officiating tendencies of each week's crew, so both clubs go out there with the same knowledge base and understanding of what will likely earn them a penalty and what won't. The team that can implement their game plan the best, which includes how to play within the boundaries of the rules set by the refs, is likely the team to take away the W at the end of the day.

But anyways, like the other posters said, go ahead and try to offer up specific examples as to why its so mind bending for you that a Patriots fan could complain about calls. Don't bother listing any calls that were overturned/confirmed by instant replay though, NFL officials are a much more reliable source of authority on the validity of those calls than you are.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

Cute pic and all... but I don't think you get the point.

No crying here... in fact I am merely expressing my SHOCK that Patriots fans in fact have actually WHINED over other teams supposedly getting ref gifts.

If anyone's doing the crying, it's Pats fans, as they have in the past when both the Colts and Steelers won (instead of their own team).

Hope you get it now.

Excellent job of avoiding the two requests for you to provide examples. Thanks again for playing.

 

[Deus Irae]

Are you kidding? Like it would be hard to find examples for such a ref-aided team like New England.

Geez let's just go back to the last game, for starters:

Giants 28, Patriots 16 -- LB Gerris Wilkinson called for pass interference against Randy Moss in the end zone. NO pass interference on this play by a long shot: Wilkinson ran in front of Moss and held his hands up, facing away from the ball, but NEVER TOUCHED Moss. Pass interference my sweet butt! Pats were in REAL danger of losing til this call bails them out... CRAP call of the year. Now it's 28-23, whole game changed.

Actually, it was clear that contact was made. The argument against the call is that the contact wasn't enough to warrant the flag. That, however, is a judgment call. You may have noticed that a similar situation minus that sort of contact happened earlier and was not called a penalty.

Specific enough for ya, Chief? That call was CRAP and you know it. Same as the phantom downfield hold that bailed out Brady on third down just before the first half. Getting the Patsies a field goal they never should've had (hmmm the margin of victory was 3, what a coincidence!).

Actually, again, there was clearly a penalty here. The question, again, was whether or not it would be called. It was.

Speaking of non-calls, I guess Wilfork didn't poke Jacobs in the eye, right in front of the refs too. Nah, it was an accident right?

You do realize that there was a 'scrum' of sorts going on at the time, right? It was a play that wasn't seen by the officials as they were handling the other parts of the problem. That happens in life, as even a troll should know.

Go back to the Colts playoff game a few years ago, and count how many times Harrison and Law clutch and grab WRs beyond the 5-yard line. Never called.

Same with Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Rams -- most non-calls EVER.

Actually, that's the way the rule was called back then, and not any favoritism towards the Patriots. But, then again, you already know that. As a matter of fact, a call against McGinest almost changed the outcome of that Rams/Patriots Super Bowl by negating an interception returned for a touchdown. Choosing that game as an example was just stupidity on your part.

Yeah, never happened right? Yeah, that's why the league finally said enough and started enforcing, thanks to the charity given New England.

And let's get it clear, you DEMANDED these from me, so don't give me any "whining" crap. Point is, for a fan base that's gotten away with SO MUCH, you're all pretty quick to cry about OTHER teams getting the calls.

You still haven't made even a single accurate claim, although the Wilfork non-call was at least an actual penalty.

THAT'S the whole point. To this day I am shocked when a hear a Patsie fan (whose whole "dynasty" was built on a lame rule) cry about OTHER teams enjoying ref gifts.

You're not shocked. You're a troll looking to annoy, but I enjoyed exposing you for the fraud you are. Now, back under the bridge.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

Are you kidding? Like it would be hard to find examples for such a ref-aided team like New England.

Geez let's just go back to the last game, for starters:

Giants 28, Patriots 16 -- LB Gerris Wilkinson called for pass interference against Randy Moss in the end zone. NO pass interference on this play by a long shot: Wilkinson ran in front of Moss and held his hands up, facing away from the ball, but 1. NEVER TOUCHED Moss. Pass interference my sweet butt! Pats were in REAL danger of losing til this call bails them out... CRAP call of the year. Now it's 28-23, whole game changed.

Specific enough for ya, Chief? That call was CRAP and you know it. Same as the 2. phantom downfield hold that bailed out Brady on third down just before the first half. Getting the Patsies a field goal they never should've had (hmmm the margin of victory was 3, what a coincidence!).

Speaking of non-calls, I guess 3. Wilfork didn't poke Jacobs in the eye, right in front of the refs too. Nah, it was an accident right?

Go back to the Colts playoff game 4. a few years ago, and count how many times Harrison and Law clutch and grab WRs beyond the 5-yard line. Never called.

Same with Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Rams -- 5. most non-calls EVER.

Yeah, never happened right? Yeah, that's why the league finally said enough and started enforcing, thanks to the charity given New England.

And let's get it clear, you DEMANDED these from me, so don't give me any "whining" crap. Point is, for a fan base that's gotten away with SO MUCH, you're all pretty quick to cry about OTHER teams getting the calls.

THAT'S the whole point. To this day I am shocked when a hear a Patsie fan (whose whole "dynasty" was built on a lame rule) cry about OTHER teams enjoying ref gifts.

1. I disagree that there was no contact, there was, and it was an EASY DPI.
2. How can you say it was phantom? Because it wasn't shown? That doesn't mean it didn't happen.
3. Wilfork absolutely ATTEMPTED to poke him in the eye, which in and of itself should have been a penalty, but I don't know how you can say the ref saw it. In a close group like that sometimes the hardest thing to see is right in front of you.
4. Too vague
5. Too vague

Please recognize the accomplishments of one of the great, if not the greatest, professional football team ever. Deal with it.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

THAT'S the whole point. To this day I am shocked when a hear a Patsie fan (whose whole "dynasty" was built on a lame rule that turned a game-ending fumble into a cheesy second chance) cry about OTHER teams enjoying ref gifts.
I tell ya, it's MIND BOGGLING!

The rule, lame or not, was correctly enforced

 

[Deus Irae]

WRONG! The announcers themselves remarked that there was none, and that the only issue was whether or not the defender should be called for faceguarding. They, like you, should learn the rules, because in fact faceguarding is no longer flagged in this NFL of ours.

See, that's what gets me about you jokers -- instead of quietly just accepting what you get with a sheepish grin, you can't. No, you have to insist to the bitter end that you don't get the benefit of bad calls, not EVER.
See, only the OTHER guys get that, so we'll whine all about it, like we all did after Super Bowl XL (which made us the very jealous bitter "haters" we all like to accuse others of being here.)

Right off the bat, you're wrong, which pretty much negates the rest of what you have to say, I'm afraid. And as for living under bridges, considering I bring the facts, maybe that's where YOU should take up residence? Just a humble lil' suggestion, trolley boy.

There WAS no P.I. on the play -- the defender had his back turned, that's it. Of course, that's all the ref needed to donate the charity, and the rest is NFL History. Served with yet another asterisk.

Let's try this again.... there were 2 incidents involving the linebacker. One was a penalty and one wasn't. Not surprisingly, one had contact and the other didn't.

Ahhh... the wonders of replay.


Now, run along troll.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

WRONG! The announcers themselves remarked that there was none, and that the only issue was whether or not the defender should be called for faceguarding. They, like you, should learn the rules, because in fact faceguarding is no longer flagged in this NFL of ours.

See, that's what gets me about you jokers -- instead of quietly just accepting what you get with a sheepish grin, you can't. No, you have to insist to the bitter end that you don't get the benefit of bad calls, not EVER.
See, only the OTHER guys get that, so we'll whine all about it, like we all did after Super Bowl XL (which made us the very jealous bitter "haters" we all like to accuse others of being here.)

Right off the bat, you're wrong, which pretty much negates the rest of what you have to say, I'm afraid. And as for living under bridges, considering I bring the facts, maybe that's where YOU should take up residence? Just a humble lil' suggestion, trolley boy.

There WAS no P.I. on the play -- the defender had his back turned, that's it. Of course, that's all the ref needed to donate the charity, and the rest is NFL History. Served with yet another asterisk.

Stick your fingers in your ears, close your eyes, and keep telling yourself that it's not happening....


SIXTEEN AND OHHHHHH!

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

See, that's what gets me about you jokers -- instead of quietly just accepting what you get with a sheepish grin, you can't. No, you have to insist to the bitter end that you don't get the benefit of bad calls, not EVER.
See, only the OTHER guys get that, so we'll whine all about it, like we all did after Super Bowl XL (which made us the very jealous bitter "haters" we all like to accuse others of being here.)

Right off the bat, you're wrong, which pretty much negates the rest of what you have to say, I'm afraid. And as for living under bridges, considering I bring the facts, maybe that's where YOU should take up residence? Just a humble lil' suggestion, trolley boy.

I was referring to the whining above, not your attempted citing of examples of uncalled penalties, carry on.

 

[Deus Irae]

Hey, you guys asked -- no DEMANDED -- I give you some examples. Now you want to turn it into a typical "oh look at him whine" kind of trip. Sorry, no sale.

You're missing the point as usual... which again, is for a group of fans whose team gets ref charity like the Pats hae, you sure do WHINE about what OTHER teams supposedly get.

Let's stay on topic people.

You still haven't given any accurate examples, and that's pathetic because every team gets the benefit of bad calls. The issue isn't the occasional missed flag that doesn't impact a game, it's the blown P.I. calls in the endzone during a playoff game, for example.

Now run away and troll elsewhere.

 

[Deus Irae]

No what's pathetic is your selective memory. Yes, every team gets a call now and then, but what the Pats got away with vs. the Colts in that playoff game was nothing short of mugging murder. Funny how you fail to remember the FACT that the league announced it would enforce the 5-yard rule as a DIRECT RESULT of that game. (Something, ironically enough, that the '07 Pats are benefitting from now.)

That's not just a blown call, that's a WHOLE LOAD OF CHARITY made during a playoff game (which you recognize as the bigger pic yourself).

And yes, I provided several "accurate" examples, including even the Wilfork non-call which the whole country witnessed. Or are you going to have the nerve to even try and deny that one? Then I'll know how far you have your head buried up... I mean, uh, in the sand.

The point -- again -- is that Pats fans have NO business whining about how the Colts or the Steelers won their rings. NO business whatsoever.

Keep living the fantasy.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

No what's pathetic is your selective memory. Yes, every team gets a call now and then, but what the Pats got away with vs. the Colts in that playoff game was nothing short of mugging murder. Funny how you fail to remember the FACT that the league announced it would enforce the 5-yard rule as a DIRECT RESULT of that game. (Something, ironically enough, that the '07 Pats are benefitting from now.)

That's not just a blown call, that's a WHOLE LOAD OF CHARITY made during a playoff game (which you recognize as the bigger pic yourself).

And yes, I provided several "accurate" examples, including even the Wilfork non-call which the whole country witnessed. Or are you going to have the nerve to even try and deny that one? Then I'll know how far you have your head buried up... I mean, uh, in the sand.

The point -- again -- is that Pats fans have NO business whining about how the Colts or the Steelers won their rings. NO business whatsoever.

I love how upset you are, please, please, please continue to post here.

 

[MassPats38]

Let JakeLaMotta vent. His team is looking like a bit worn this year and may not see playoff air after facing the Chargers, so let him vent before his team is placed on the shelf. And understand the Colts were supposed to be the stars as world champions - it is a travesty that the Pats stole their thunder despite runner up status in 2006. He has likely been crying himself to sleep on a blue horshoe pillow over the injustice of it all.

As for "the mystery" of the Pats' response to the Spygate nonsense, it is really no mystery at all. When you speed driving to work, you violate a rule, when you ignore a yellow flag in racing and speed, you cheat. The difference between the two is the purpose of violating the rule. Competitive advantage in sideline taping? None could be articulated (the NFL was satisfied the tapes were not used in games and signals change every game - as for Belichick's halftime adjustments post-Spygate-ask the Colts, Cowboys, etc. who lost with a lead at half). So the Pats dealt with all the accusations and attacks for some baseless cheating flag.

The intelligent man/woman who cheats does not do so on national television, and for all the branding of the Pats as "cheaters", the same mediots who called Belichick a cheater agreed he was the smartest coach in the NFL (yes, even smarter than St. Dungee). As this explanation can't be written in crayon to likely resolve "the mystery", I will expect more of this "cheater, cheater, never beater" reasoning.

And this is a Patriots fan board, so anticipate a little bias in favor of the Patriots. For the same reason we attack recent officiating, you defend the officiating in favor of the Colts.

 

[godef]

I too use to enjoy reading TMQ...

That said, I just re-watched the game last night. Whereas TMQ said that there was no contact and that Collinsworth incorrectly indicated the penalty was due to the face guarding (which is fact is not illegal anymore), in fact CC said specifically that the face guarding was NOT the cause for the flag, it was the contact.

So it seems the complaints in this thread are legitimate.