What Kraft Should Have Done Last Year, re: Deflategate

[Actual Pats Fan]

The last straw:

So the late James Busch Orthwein's beloved Bud keeps its label and now is America's beer. The only image I would NOT find offensive would be the label with "Ferguson" along with video of another unarmed black guy getting shot by a cop.

The fact is that James Orthwein and his friends and associates had total disdain for the Patriots franchise, its history and the people and fans of New England; and was singly interested in getting a team to St. Louis. Orthwein and his cronies are PRECISELY the same people who state that the Patriots are cheaters who deserve asterisks, forfeitures, lifetime bans etc. Thus, anyone in New England who persists in embracing the flying elvis cannot take exception to, or complain about, anything Roger Goodell or the NYJFL has done. Ever.

You can't overstate how other teams that won were such losers...the Dolphins, Cowboys, Steelers, Redskins and worst of all, the Giants (sorry, Bill)...ugh...Meanwhile in New England we had a team and an identity out there on the field, never mind the owner, and Orthwein's destruction of our logo and uniforms was based solely on ignorant, stupid and biased views of morons and is one huge "F*** You" to the people and football fans of New England. Those who accept the flying elvis say, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" Go ahead. Kraft and the league will continue to make money, either way.

But with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick leading us, men of courage and character and leadership on and off the field, the Patriots, far and away, should be America's Team. With Pat Patriot on our helmets, front and center.

You swallow the flying elvis, you swallow the league and all its corruption.

Very simply, we did not root for our hometown Patriots, be homeless for eleven years, endure aluminum seats and bad beer, see our first title stolen in 1976 and two years later see Darryl Stingley paralysed at the same venue, and detest other teams regardless of how many rings they have, just so we could have a new owner in the next century and finally beat those losers and win titles dressed as...spacemen or something, with basically the same ugly thing on our helmets that was booed out of the stadium in 1979.

 

[fpraven88]

This morning, coffee shop, Route 1, 7:21 AM:


Flying Elvis, right?

"Yeah."

...You on the job?

"The usual. Training camp starts today, actually."

You hear about Tom Brady? Won't be playing the first four games of the season. Suspension.

"Yeah, word gets around. Do I know you?"

No, I'm just a fan. As a matter of fact, I've been checking out some things going back to your day, from California. When the NFL sent Orthwein here."

"No kiddin'."

No, you know, I was just looking around and stumbled upon some old news reports. Not for nothing, the past is a funny thing, we all have skeletons in the closet, you just never know when they're gonna pop up and bite you in the ass, huh F.E.?...He sneaked you in just in time, didn't he? Right before Parcells got here. 'Cause if Patriots fans knew what really being ridiculed is, nationally, like today, they would have looked closer. They would've looked at you.

..."What're you lookin' at?"

Stealing your life away. You went down twenty-three years ago, pal. You just don't know it yet.

From the movie Frequency, right?

What do I win?

 

[tuckeverlasting]

This morning, coffee shop, Route 1, 7:21 AM:


Flying Elvis, right?

"Yeah."

...You on the job?

"The usual. Training camp starts today, actually."

You hear about Tom Brady? Won't be playing the first four games of the season. Suspension.

"Yeah, word gets around. Do I know you?"

No, I'm just a fan. As a matter of fact, I've been checking out some things going back to your day, from California. When the NFL sent Orthwein here."

"No kiddin'."

No, you know, I was just looking around and stumbled upon some old news reports. Not for nothing, the past is a funny thing, we all have skeletons in the closet, you just never know when they're gonna pop up and bite you in the ass, huh F.E.?...He sneaked you in just in time, didn't he? Right before Parcells got here. 'Cause if Patriots fans knew what really being ridiculed is, nationally, like today, they would have looked closer. They would've looked at you.

..."What're you lookin' at?"

Stealing your life away. You went down twenty-three years ago, pal. You just don't know it yet.

met caviezel...really cool dude.

told him
'he was good in frequency"

he said "thanks"

this actually happened.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I like both logos. Unlike other newcomers,and non New Englanders, the so-called " Flying Elvis" profile reminds me not of Elvis, but of another hallowed New Englander and our tradition. Ever since before the Mayflower set sail that profile proudly stood as "The Man in the Mountain". Alas no more, due to a rock slide. But I thank the Pats for keeping that stoic and determined Minuteman profile fresh in our memory, even now.

In deference to those who may have somehow become attached to the Flying Elvis (99% of whom only because TB & BB won four times wearing it, instead of the eight they would have with our real uniforms), it may be retained at the stadium entrance, on team stationery and everywhere else it's plastered and marketed, for the sake of convenience and to save the Krafts a penny. Those here who aspire to emulate losers from other cities like Pittsburgh ("We have six rings so it doesn't matter how stupid we are") simply aren't real fans. And, as for those who look up to the Bucs and Broncos ("They only won when they changed their uniforms") well, I don't know what you are, but you're not Patriots fans either.

Perhaps it's wrong to think of Boston as different from any other city in America just because it's us...The NFL-and NBA-are littered with franchises that ruined their logos and uniforms. So those here may continue to wallow in it, and then turn around in the same breath and criticize the commissioner and the league. Don't try to say you're "better" than Canadiens fans.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, and I think it's nice that someone somehow has been able to associate the flying elvis with something positive; but that profile doesn't bring to mind anything about football. It conjures up the image of that and others like it presiding over the burning of young girls at the stake for witchcraft.

 

[Rob0729]

I didn't read this thread. So sorry for being redundant.

Bob Kraft couldn't do an independent study of the footballs. It is against the rules. No way would Goodell allowed it.

 

[IllegalContact]

I am posting only to bump this thread up since it is awesome to

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

In 1979 (again...) the stupid and ignorant decision was made to allow the Bruins' number 7 to be worn by somebody other than Phil...it was years later, with possibly some luck, and apparently some initiative from Ray Bourque, to make things right.

It seems clear that, until the sale was confirmed, Robert Kraft was going to respond to anything and everything Orthwein was up to with "Yes, James...Sure, James...Anything you say, James...Whatever you want, James..." Then, he may have been infected with new owner's syndrome: "I have my very own little team now, I can dress them up any way I please, tee hee hee!"

Kraft has done the important things right, and deserves credit for the team's success...I still maintain that that is not measured in rings, but in doing his best to give the team their best chance to succeed out there on the field, which I think he's done every year. You can argue that what their wearing doesn't matter, and if it were the Ravens for example, you'd be right.

Over the years I've been fortunate to have spoken with lots of former players, coaches and their families, and it doesn't matter if they lost every game, they represented New England with class, and today's players deserve the chance to wear, and fans deserve the opportunity to see, our real uniforms and logo out there competing and winning.

 

[Tunescribe]

Over the years I've been fortunate to have spoken with lots of former players, coaches and their families, and it doesn't matter if they lost every game, they represented New England with class, and today's players deserve the chance to wear, and fans deserve the opportunity to see, our real uniforms and logo out there

Let's see ... traditionally winning in historically correct colonial blue with Flying Elvis vs. traditionally losing in historically inaccurate British red with a dated 1960s cartoon character that from the stands looks like a static tripod ... hmm ... I guess I'll take the former.

 

[aluminum seats]

met caviezel...really cool dude.

told him
'he was good in frequency"

he said "thanks"

this actually happened.

Riveting exchange.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Let's see ... traditionally winning in historically correct colonial blue with Flying Elvis vs. traditionally losing in historically inaccurate British red with a dated 1960s cartoon character that from the stands looks like a static tripod ... hmm ... I guess I'll take the former.

 

[aluminum seats]

Wait, so do you like the patriots new uniforms? It's unclear to me.

 

[Tunescribe]

 

[Joker]

a Cluckanocerous?

 

[Tunescribe]

a Cluckanocerous?

Are you blind? It's a roosteroceros.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Let's see ... traditionally winning in historically correct colonial blue with Flying Elvis vs. traditionally losing in historically inaccurate British red with a dated 1960s cartoon character that from the stands looks like a static tripod ... hmm ... I guess I'll take the former.

Green Bay: 1946-58: The Siberia of football. Then, in 24 seasons including the entire 70's and 80's, the team won one playoff game.

Pittsburgh: After 1979 (again?) 25 years with, "nothing in football"

Dallas: After 1977, nothing in football for 14 years, including the following records after 1985: 7-9, 7-8, 3-13, 1-15, 7-9; 3 playoff wins last 20 years.


So of course, all these franchises should have destroyed their logos and uniforms.

/\ Now, this guy is in a clearly...um, historically, uh...getup. Next!

Speaking of history, what primary color was New England home pro football jersey color from 1960-1992? (33 years):

"______", White and Blue are the USA's colors. >um...Thinking...still thinking...

You need to complain about the color of the jackets Kevin and his teammates were wearing yesterday.

I'll be sure to tell Jon Morris, Pete Brock, Dr. Bill Lenkaitis, Guy Morriss, Lonie Paxton and Bryan Stork that to you, they're tripods.

You may face John Hannah yourself, and tell him he's a loser.

And, the GOP represents...Great Britain?

Your definition of "traditionally" = anything after Mo Lewis hit

 

[Tunescribe]

Green Bay: 1946-58: The Siberia of football. Then, in 24 seasons including the entire 70's and 80's, the team won one playoff game.

Pittsburgh: After 1979 (again?) 25 years with, "nothing in football"

Dallas: After 1977, nothing in football for 14 years, including the following records after 1985: 7-9, 7-8, 3-13, 1-15, 7-9; 3 playoff wins last 20 years.


So of course, all these franchises should have destroyed their logos and uniforms.

/\ Now, this guy is in a clearly...um, historically, uh...getup. Next!

Speaking of history, what primary color was New England home pro football jersey color from 1960-1992? (33 years):

"______", White and Blue are the USA's colors. >um...Thinking...still thinking...

I'll be sure to tell Jon Morris, Pete Brock, Dr. Bill Lenkaitis, Guy Morriss, Lonie Paxton and Bryan Stork that to you, they're tripods.

You may face John Hannah yourself, and tell him he's a loser.

And, the GOP represents...Great Britain?

Your definition of "traditionally" = anything after Mo Lewis hit

This team has been in blue for 24 years -- more than long enough for it to become firmly identified with winning tradition. There is no turning back the clock. Your suggestion that I'm calling those vintage players you named "tripods" is a non-sequitur; I said the LOGO looks like a static tripod from a distance. The Flying Elvis logo, by comparison, visually symbolizes forward motion.

Frankly, I like Pat Patriot as part of the team's history and have shirts/jackets with that logo. But it is a piece of very dated '60s vintage cartoon artwork whose time came and went with the ill-advised red uniforms. If you're going for a historical motif with a sports team you might as well be "correct" about it, which Orthwein reasoned. The British army were the "redcoats," the colonial regulars under Washington wore blue. (This has nothing to do with the GOP.)

Anyway, why not try to enjoy both looks? You always will be able to buy gear in red with Pat on it and wear it proudly.

 

[Joker]

Just go out and get a # 12 hat...if thousands of us started wearing that hat to games, ESPN would commit mass suicide

 

[archstanton543]

In 1979 (again...) the stupid and ignorant decision was made to allow the Bruins' number 7 to be worn by somebody other than Phil...it was years later, with possibly some luck, and apparently some initiative from Ray Bourque, to make things right.

It seems clear that, until the sale was confirmed, Robert Kraft was going to respond to anything and everything Orthwein was up to with "Yes, James...Sure, James...Anything you say, James...Whatever you want, James..." Then, he may have been infected with new owner's syndrome: "I have my very own little team now, I can dress them up any way I please, tee hee hee!"

Kraft has done the important things right, and deserves credit for the team's success...I still maintain that that is not measured in rings, but in doing his best to give the team their best chance to succeed out there on the field, which I think he's done every year. You can argue that what their wearing doesn't matter, and if it were the Ravens for example, you'd be right.

Over the years I've been fortunate to have spoken with lots of former players, coaches and their families, and it doesn't matter if they lost every game, they represented New England with class, and today's players deserve the chance to wear, and fans deserve the opportunity to see, our real uniforms and logo out there competing and winning.

View attachment 13692

Lighten up, Francis.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

This team has been in blue for 24 years -- more than long enough for it to become firmly identified with winning tradition. There is no turning back the clock. Your suggestion that I'm calling those vintage players you named "tripods" is a non-sequitur; I said the LOGO looks like a static tripod from a distance. The Flying Elvis logo, by comparison, visually symbolizes forward motion.

Frankly, I like Pat Patriot as part of the team's history and have shirts/jackets with that logo. But it is a piece of very dated '60s vintage cartoon artwork whose time came and went with the ill-advised red uniforms. If you're going for a historical motif with a sports team you might as well be "correct" about it, which Orthwein reasoned. The British army were the "redcoats," the colonial regulars under Washington wore blue. (This has nothing to do with the GOP.)

Anyway, why not try to enjoy both looks? You always will be able to buy gear in red with Pat on it and wear it proudly.

Thanks for your thoughtful points and advice.

My (Brian's) reaction to the news (from Stewie) that the Patriots were changing their logo and uniforms in 1993: