Chris Long question (real reason for his departure)

[rochrist]

Actually, I thought he was playing more in Philadelphia than in NE. Last night he was in on almost 60% of the snaps. I thought with the Pats, he was in for like 10-15% of snaps but in looking at the data, he averaged almost 60% of snaps with the Pats. So you are right, he is actually doing the same thing in Philly that he did with the Pats.

They're rotating all those DLmen. I think he's about as full time as they have.

 

[rochrist]

Whoa, New England is whiter than Green Bay? I, um, I, ah, WHAT? Have you been to Wisconsin?
And backwater? WTF is more backwater than Green Bay. Indianapolis is an Athens Paris love child in comparison.

Yes. Bad take.

 

[Joker]

New England IS whiter than those hick humptowns. Predominantly 90% white trash....

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

His dad thought he was nuts for leaving NE.

My take is that there are daddy issues at the bottom of it, which is a shame, as his dad was gifted with physical gifts that weren’t quite replicated in his progeny. His brother seems wrapped a lot tighter.

Bennett is simple - he has a plan for what he is going to do post-NFL, and to him New England is too backwater / too white for those plans.

So Bennett moved to the whitest, most backwater market in the league? That's a strange assertion, and it's the second strangest one you make. The Daddy Issues theory makes no sense at all.

 

[Joker]

NE is backwater...until some noam sain nitwit NEEDS cancer treatments, or MIT know how, or a Harvard attorney, or a vacation on the best beaches,with delicious seafood, or the pristine beauty of the White Mountains ad nauseum. Then these goddamned gangsta Atlanteans and Cleveland-ites suddenly become gushing equivalents of the proto-Japanese tourist caricature. Believe it...I've been all over the country and the world and THIS is the place they say in Australia "welcome mate! Love Newport!" like it's a second home. Ever wonder why there's so much ridiculous, sub-moronic hatred always aimed at us who live here? JEALOUSY...plain, simple ,ignorant jealousy. Why do you thing Roger Goodell, THE MOST HATED HUMAN BEING IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY, refuses to divest himself of his summer residence? He KNOWS.

 

[DarrylS]

Bennett's agent overestimated the market for him, while his contract looks attractive it is really a one year deal and the Packers can move on next year if they want to.

32 year old Chris Long is a role player, after 10 years in the league he is making less every year, and actually making less as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles than he did with the Pats.. his deal also looks a lot like it could be for one year.. as there is a minimal cap hit if the Eagles opt out next year.

 

[luuked]

Having said that, on a side note, is there anyone else who is a little tired of millionaire so giving money and it becoming headline news ? I know people who dedicate time and effort to help young people. Perhaps Long does that too. BUT, to glorify him because he is "giving his entire game check away to charity", while honorable, doesn't need to be mentioned time and again.

Why ?

 

[luuked]

The Patriots have a problem with players leaving for no good reason, but this year was the worst. Bennett leaves for what rumors say is the same amount we offered. Ryan leaves for a fraction of what we're paying his infinitely worse replacement. Long leaves for reasons that are preposterous. He want to play four steps to the right and is willing to quit the whole team over it? Right after he had some key plays in one of the best football games ever played in the history of the sport? It's aggravating.

If a player leaves for more money, I can understand. Or because he hates the team. Or wants to be on a winning team. But the reason some of our best players left last summer are just the lamest reasons I have ever heard from a football team.

Thats because you just made up reasons.

Bennett wanted a 2-3 year deal in the neighborhood of 9m according to our beat guys and the Pats were a) not entirely convinced he would keep grinding if he would get that and b) 9m was vastly too much. They moved on when it was clear that there was no way to get an agreement with Bennett before FA started. In the end they were right about his market but it was the right decision to not expose themselves to the risk of standing there emptyhanded or get into a bidding war with other teams.

Gilmore is not Ryans replacement. Gilmore is a classic outside corner, Ryan was an inside corner. This is like comparing a FS with a SS - those are totally different positions. Ryan was supposed to be replaced by one out of Cyrus Jones or Jonathan Jones but after all is said or done it might end up being Bademosi who will get the classic Logan Ryan snaps.

And the reasons why you have an issue with Long leaving because he didnt enjoy his role here totally blow my mind. What better reason is there in life to change anything than to increase your happyness ? **** money, **** success.. if you can change something that makes you happier overall than this is all that counts. You only live so long..

 

[1960Pats]

The Patriots have a problem with players leaving for no good reason, but this year was the worst. Bennett leaves for what rumors say is the same amount we offered. Ryan leaves for a fraction of what we're paying his infinitely worse replacement. Long leaves for reasons that are preposterous. He want to play four steps to the right and is willing to quit the whole team over it? Right after he had some key plays in one of the best football games ever played in the history of the sport? It's aggravating.

If a player leaves for more money, I can understand. Or because he hates the team. Or wants to be on a winning team. But the reason some of our best players left last summer are just the lamest reasons I have ever heard from a football team.

Bennett left to advance his off-the-field career. There's a reason he has played in 6 cities in 5 years, or whatever it is so far.

The much smaller 'fraction' between Ryan and Gilmore's contracts is the difference between the two. Both are being overpaid.

Long left to play somewhere else. As it turns out he went to Philly, alongside Blount. Wouldn't a NE-Philly SB be a blast?

I don't care why a player leaves as long as he's respectful on the way out, and I have no qualms with any of those players.

 

[farn]

Why ?

Because, despite the fact that it seems that I am alone on this, I don't think it needs to be glorified when very wealthy people give up a fraction of their riches. Nor do I believe that money is even close to time given - and if he is also volunteering, I think that has a bigger impact on young people.

Our society glorifies large sums of money, but ultimately - though money is helpful - time spent is more useful. For instance : I'd much rather have a solid community member coach a youth sports team for 20 years than a multi-millionaire give a portion of his/her money.

And why does it need to be reported ? Give your money. Don't have interviews to make yourself look great. Do it for the kids and keep it quiet. You are a professional athlete with plenty of adulation. You don't need to make yourself look better by advertising it.

 

[luuked]

Because, despite the fact that it seems that I am alone on this, I don't think it needs to be glorified when very wealthy people give up a fraction of their riches. Nor do I believe that money is even close to time given - and if he is also volunteering, I think that has a bigger impact on young people.

Our society glorifies large sums of money, but ultimately - though money is helpful - time spent is more useful. For instance : I'd much rather have a solid community member coach a youth sports team for 20 years than a multi-millionaire give a portion of his/her money.

And why does it need to be reported ? Give your money. Don't have interviews to make yourself look great. Do it for the kids and keep it quiet. You are a professional athlete with plenty of adulation. You don't need to make yourself look better by advertising it.

He has been doing his Waterboys thingy (creating sustainable water wells in Africa) for years without much coverage. He is definitely not someone who does it for PR reasons.

But apart from that I just can say that while what you are saying sounds nice and everything it is incredibly naive especially in times when more and more money is saved on educational initiatives which especially impacts people in the lower income brackets. He used his first six game checks to fund scholarships in Charlotteville and now another 10 game checks to support further educational initiatives.

He is going to affect the live of at least a dozen young adults who will be able to afford an education who otherwise could not. I fail to see how volunteering for anything could have a bigger impact than this for those affected. This is not someone sending money to some generic charities to generate PR.

 

[primetime]

Bennett left to advance his off-the-field career. There's a reason he has played in 6 cities in 5 years, or whatever it is so far.

He likes to get paid. I don't know what his off-the-field career is, but everything about his career suggests to me he moves to advance his on-field career. He cares about money. That's really fine. The Patriots could have and should have paid him instead of Dwayne Allen. They didn't.

 

[farn]

He has been doing his Waterboys thingy (creating sustainable water wells in Africa) for years without much coverage. He is definitely not someone who does it for PR reasons.

But apart from that I just can say that while what you are saying sounds nice and everything it is incredibly naive especially in times when more and more money is saved on educational initiatives which especially impacts people in the lower income brackets. He used his first six game checks to fund scholarships in Charlotteville and now another 10 game checks to support further educational initiatives.

He is going to affect the live of at least a dozen young adults who will be able to afford an education who otherwise could not. I fail to see how volunteering for anything could have a bigger impact than this for those affected. This is not someone sending money to some generic charities to generate PR.

I saw two special features on those waterboys (a great cause, of course).

He is helping. He is getting the press and the props.

I still maintain a solid community coach changes the lives more significantly than cash. Much more.

 

[JayNM]

I saw two special features on those waterboys (a great cause, of course).

He is helping. He is getting the press and the props.

I still maintain a solid community coach changes the lives more significantly than cash. Much more.

I dont think i can disagree more with your opinion on this Farn.

The world is so void of overall care and love that every good action should be over-appreciated.

Bad news are constantly on replay on any given news channel and you want to show LESS good stuff, because the guy is rich and/or already has midia? Absurd. Those examples should be put on repeat, over and over.

Also, and this is in a more cynical level, but it's still true: money might not "change lives" like a community coach, but a millions of dollars in donations have a MUCH larger outreach than one person with only his personal time

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Long just did what many thoughtful people do with their career. Maximize expected personal satisfaction once basic necessities are met. The marginal return of an extra million (thousands) or so is nothing compared to maximizing your enjoyment of your job. I'm retired but I'm still glad that I was fortunate enough to be able to choose satisfying job alternatives over just more $.

Kudos to Long for his sincere lifetime charity efforts. Makes me feel shamed.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Giving away your income for 1 year when you won’t play more than 10 total years is about as generous an act as I can imagine.

To play minor demon's advocate (can't say Devil's here, because it is a really noteworthy thing), remember that he had already made something like $100M before he signed with NE; he joined the league before the insane rookie contracts were reined in.

 

[1960Pats]

He likes to get paid. I don't know what his off-the-field career is, but everything about his career suggests to me he moves to advance his on-field career. He cares about money. That's really fine. The Patriots could have and should have paid him instead of Dwayne Allen. They didn't.

I suppose he could be a mini (in money only) Revis, playing one year at a time.

Off the field he's selling kid's books or something along that line.

The Pats definitely should have paid him.

 

[PatsDeb]

Bennet wanted to be the No. 1 TE and to be paid like it. Not happening with No. 87 here.
Chris Long wanted to play full time and BB (right or wrong) thought he was just a role player.
I didn't get the sense that either of these players left here because of a problem with the team or the area. They just wanted different things career-wise than the Pats were willing to give. End of story.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

NESN had a pretty comprehensive article on it at the time, can't recall seeing one that went into more detail.

Chris Long Opens Up About Leaving Patriots, Reveals Future NFL Plans