Donaldson's Blog on Moss/BB

[PushnPencils]

I think alot of folks who were against Moss coming here seem to think those of us (the majority of the fanbase) who are excited at the prospects he brings are blind or unaware of what kind of person Moss is. One such person is Jim Donaldson of ProJo:

http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/sp_fbn_jdcol05_05-05-07_KM5H72J.328549c.html

I dont want to speak for everyone, but as for myself:
I understand that Moss can be an off-the-scale douchebag.
I know he just may be the most evil. self-centered player in the league.
I know about his lengthy history of indiscretions.
I know he is a frontrunner.
I know he doesn't play hard all the time.
I know he doesn't fit the historical Patriot mold.
I know that this union has a good chance of failure.
I know that Belichicks description of Moss is embellished.
I know that current players are painting his arrival with a mostly postive SPIN.

But I also know:

That the Patriots are a business first and foremost.
That the primary goal of that business is to put the most competive product on the field.
The ultimate goal is to win a Superbowl every year.
That if any team can keep Moss in check due to their success and structure, its the Patriots.
That if he reverts to his historic self, he will be cut....quickly.
That Moss is actually a bright person who understands this is potentially his last paycheck in the NFL should he misbehave.
That there are 40+ other players on the team who are men of great character, and it makes more sense judging a teams overall character based on the majority and not the minority.
That Belichick, Pioli and Kraft have proved themselves much smarter than everyone else most of the time.
That most of the critical naysayers are privately relishing seeing what this union will exhibit on the field.
That if by mid-season, Moss has 600+ yards receiving and not a peep has been heard from him, most articles will be titled, " The Moss Miracle", and what a wonderfully changed person he's become.

It's gonna be a wild ride either way.

 

[Sam Malone]

Wow,someone reads Jim Donaldson.

 

[smg93]

Reading poorly written articles like this really makes me miss writers like Alan Greenberg

 

[spacecrime]

Reading poorly written articles like this really makes me miss writers like Alan Greenberg

I would never speak ill of the dead.

 

[smg93]

I would never speak ill of the dead.

I was complimenting Alan Greenberg's writing! I was saying that I miss his articles especially when I read garbage like this article from Donaldson.

 

[Ichiro]

Donaldson seems like a real jerk. He's the one who asked Merriweather the gun question during the conference call. If you listen to the audio on patriots.com he sounds like a real ***hole when asking the question.

Just another writer who hates my team. Par for the course.

 

[zippo59]

I know Moss has had his problems and is certainly not a choir boy, but saying he is evil? Come on.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

"just another writer who hates my team" particularly cracks me up.

Guys, even those of us here who pride ourselves on having a shred of objectivity are fanboy homers. Fact. If you go to a team-oriented website regularly, you are, in objective terms, obsessed.

Journalists are not paid to be obsessed. Now and then, they really are just plain bad at what they do. Borges is everybody's favorite example.

But as the poster noted, there are huge, and quite legitimate question, with Moss (and other questions that come to the objective mind - like, is our run done? Is this desperation?)

I want to be clear... these carry no weight with me either. But that is the point, I am not objective. I'd love to claim I am, but I follow the Pats with a passion. So of course it doesn't look like desperation to me, it looks like dominance. But everything that's being written on that subject, on the Moss-as-cancer subject, etc., has some basis in fact. These are legit questions.

I answer those questions with a hearty and somewhat ignorant "In Bill I Trust." I consider that a luxury most fans don't have.

But the way we go after writers around here is just plain silly. Okay, I will also say, all the other fan sites probably do the same thing - pillory writers who in any way challenge the team as know-nothings.

The "story" right now is the Pats' off season. You can spin it many ways - the first most obvious spin is "Holy crap, just give them the trophy now." Every other spin has to have at least something negative after that.

I want other fans to "get it," if "getting it" means drinking the kool-aid. I don't want the media to, really. Their function is to be skeptical.

PFnV

Edited to say... yes, they are "hating on us" half the time. One of the new spins is to say "oh now we see the Pats' TRUE COLORS, once they start slipping..." I read that as just another kind of "hate the Pats" spin.

Now, if everybody worships at the Pats' altar, how much bulletin board material do we have? Think about it... because of the media, we'll be head and shoulders above the rest of the league, and still be able to play the "respect card."

Swwwweeeeeeet!

 

[DefenseRules]

So what else is new. This stuff is getting really OLD. It's duly noted the Boston media HATES MOSS and DESPISES Merriweather. Can we move along now. We did draft other players last weekend. Jeez, how about telling me something about them? We drafted 7 players on day two of the draft and I only know what you guys have posted about them.

 

[Patjew]

It's good for reporters to not be homers, but Donaldson is just a terrible writer. He's heavy-handed and has nothing interesting to say. I actually think the ProJo has some goood sports writers; I prefer them to most anyone in Boston. Donaldson just happens to be the worst of the bunch. I wish he left instead of Curran.

 

[ChoWZa]

I used to read Donaldson's articles when I was on the ****ter at my old job. He's lucky his stuff was even worth that precious time to me. Donaldson is a joke. Stick to the Herald/Globe.

 

[DarrylS]

It's good for reporters to not be homers, but Donaldson is just a terrible writer. He's heavy-handed and has nothing interesting to say. I actually think the ProJo has some goood sports writers; I prefer them to most anyone in Boston. Donaldson just happens to be the worst of the bunch. I wish he left instead of Curran.

I agree, however not sure who would take Donaldson. Curran was the best writer, not only because he was a homer, but he understood this franchise as well as anyone does. Always look for his new stuff and find it interesting and well written.

 

[fair catch fryar]

Blah! Blah! Blah! That's all I'm hearing when I read articles like Donaldson's. What do these hacks really know? I've heard enough about his character and save my judgements 'til November when I see what Moss really brings to the Pats. I for one am very optomistic about this acquisiton alon gwith the rest of the free agents and rookies! Bring on September!

 

[Brarrell]

Blah! Blah! Blah! That's all I'm hearing when I read articles like Donaldson's. What do these hacks really know? I've heard enough about his character and save my judgements 'til November when I see what Moss really brings to the Pats. I for one am very optomistic about this acquisiton alon gwith the rest of the free agents and rookies! Bring on September!

If you closed your eyes and just listened you know who the Patriot haters are. They don't want to see the Pats win another SB, personally I think they have a few left in them. But lets start with the Globe. Schaungessy let the cat out of the bag when he claimed the Pats loved the fact that they put the sox-yankee series on the secong page last weekend. They just can't stand the fact that this has become just as much a football town. This is not a baseball town its a red sox town if the sox aren't involved forget about it.

 

[fair catch fryar]

If you closed your eyes and just listened you know who the Patriot haters are. They don't want to see the Pats win another SB, personally I think they have a few left in them. But lets start with the Globe. Schaungessy let the cat out of the bag when he claimed the Pats loved the fact that they put the sox-yankee series on the secong page last weekend. They just can't stand the fact that this has become just as much a football town. This is not a baseball town its a red sox town if the sox aren't involved forget about it.

I don't buy the "conspiracy theory", Beoli looked like they were having a good time at spring training this year, probably cooking a good joke to play on Shaugnessey and the rest of the "B" team writers.

 

[stinkypete]

If football is a business, then of course the management loves to push the Red Sox headlines to page 2. The Sox are essentially the Pats biggest business rival. As Boston becomes more of a football town, more dollars get spent on football merchendise. Do you think the Krafts aren't foaming at the mouth thinking about all the "Moss" jerseys that will soon be sold?

Honestly, It's hard to consider that the Pats will ever overtake the Sox, it's been ingrained into the conciousness of the entire country, never mind the reigon.