ESPN hitpiece on Patriots (Rift with Brady/Belichick/Kraft) - Merged

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Just read Bedard. Its 1000 times better than Wickerdick and Currans. Less sensationalism. More matter of fact. Do I believe all of it? Nope.

My Take: Sounds like Tom was paranoid big time when maybe he didn't need to be but I get it if he was. I might be too.

Given your take - this sounds like what Curran's piece was exploring. I'm not really clear why you dislike it so much - maybe you could pull a quote or two?

My view of the Curran piece is it's just him trying to put together recent events to illuminate for readers that maybe Tom really was miffed about how things had unfolded since the Superbowl. The guy who probably still gets pissed off about Drew Henson and being #199 pick - fair to wonder what was in his mind if he felt like Belichick or others didn't really believe in him when he talked about playing for X more seasons beyond age 40, and kept Garoppolo accordingly.

EDIT:

At the same time calling him bitter, disgruntled, scorned and jaded.

I don't think Curran is calling him those things. I think he's walking a line in showing why Brady is justified in feeling slighted by the decisions the Patriots were making and what those decisions indicated about potential future moves they'd make. I don't think Curran is taking the bait into trying to say Brady actually acted out petulantly because he is any of the things you listed out above.

 

[IcyPatriot]

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[RobertWeathers]

How ? He is just reporting what is there.

What exactly did he report. Its a speculation piece.

While Sham was just embellishing and getting fed wrong information. The two are nothing alike even though the attack the same topic. I dont get what the issue with Currans articles has been for many. There is nothing over the top in there and given his deep sources it is more relevant than anything an idiot national media guy could ever come up with.

I think it is pretty obvious that the entire AG thing has stirred some **** up internally and that is pretty much the point of he second paragraph.

My beef with this piece is Curran is speculating TB12 is a volcano who is disgruntled, jaded and taken advantage of....all based on a f-bomb to Josh when he has jack **** supporting it expect for a Brady hissy fit and Wickersham's Quilted Northern

Read Beard's piece. Much less drama. Much more non-emotional which is counter to what Curran is trying to create amongst his readership - and I really like Curran.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I read it to be saying that Brady is rightfully ticked off for how he's been treated after all he's done. In other words, I see it as Curran taking Brady's side against the team. It also lines up with the parts of Bedard's piece where Brady was allegedly peeved about the team possibly moving on from him after all the money he's left on the table. And Kraft's alleged promise that if Brady took the home team discount it would "secure" his place with the team.

It makes Brady to look like a jaded, woe-is-me, diva QB who has an axe to grind with BB and Kraft and all Curran is going on to support this is Wickersham and a f-bomb to Josh.

 

[RobertWeathers]

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LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[IcyPatriot]

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

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So funny to see that list. Warms my heart to see the Jete Suck has the #1 spot. A dignified honor.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Given your take - this sounds like what Curran's piece was exploring. I'm not really clear why you dislike it so much - maybe you could pull a quote or two?

My view of the Curran piece is it's just him trying to put together recent events to illuminate for readers that maybe Tom really was miffed about how things had unfolded since the Superbowl. The guy who probably still gets pissed off about Drew Henson and being #199 pick - fair to wonder what was in his mind if he felt like Belichick or others didn't really believe in him when he talked about playing for X more seasons beyond age 40, and kept Garoppolo accordingly.

I think the piece characterized Tom having internalized a lot of rage based on circumstances and actions that were not intended to be personal but were part of "the business". I believe Tom understands the business side perfectly but we now hear he was paranoid BB was going to trade him and he wanted loyalty from Kraft. Tom has said repeatedly playing for the Patriots for life is what he wants but its not up to him. Now we hear he going back door to Bob asking for loyalty and a new contract when hes sacrificed so much? It makes Tom look gullible and disingenuous and I don't think that is who he is and for Curran to do that in this piece is crap and lazy.

EDIT:
I don't think Curran is calling him those things. I think he's walking a line in showing why Brady is justified in feeling slighted by the decisions the Patriots were making and what those decisions indicated about potential future moves they'd make. I don't think Curran is taking the bait into trying to say Brady actually acted out petulantly because he is any of the things you listed out above.

Based on the article I think that is exactly the rationale Curran is trying to articulate. His rationalization of Tom erupting on Josh is based on frustration, hurt, and disloyalty.

 

[Jackson 2]

I don't think I'm missing anything.

He took the first part of the article to say Wickersham was full of crap.

Then he took the Brady ***** out of Josh and portions of Shams piece to basically say Tom is a disgruntled, ungrateful volcano because for all hes done for the org, BB and Kraft have been treating him like ****.

I'm sure Tom , BB and Kraft really appreciate it.

Curran has a handle on this site. Lets see if he shows up.

If you live in the area you can see him in 15 minutes on Quick Slants on NBCBO. I'm guessing he'll reference it. He previewed the column last night on his 9-12 show saying basically that Brady got screwed royally for all his loyalty over the years. I agree with him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If you live in the area you can see him in 15 minutes on Quick Slants on NBCBO. I'm guessing he'll reference it. He previewed the column last night on his 9-12 show saying basically that Brady got screwed royally for all his loyalty over the years. I agree with him.

That is an insult to Tom's intelligence. He knew the rules. He knew the game when doing his deal. He knows his bosses are cutthroat and shrewd. For Curran cobble together all this gossip and paint Tom as being blindsided and taken advantage of is crap.

 

[rochrist]

So funny to see that list. Warms my heart to see the Jete Suck has the #1 spot. A dignified honor.

About to be lost!

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

About to be lost!

Oh man we're not even half way there! This one's at 2300, the Jete Suck is over 5000!

If this one sets that record, you know this story will have gone completely and utterly off the rails. We may be in the streets rioting too much to post enough to bump it over the finish line.

 

[luuked]

My beef with this piece is Curran is speculating TB12 is a volcano who is disgruntled, jaded and taken advantage of....all based on a f-bomb to Josh when he has jack **** supporting it expect for a Brady hissy fit and Wickersham's Quilted Northern

Read Beard's piece. Much less drama. Much more non-emotional which is counter to what Curran is trying to create amongst his readership - and I really like Curran.

Curran is considerably closer to Brady than Bedard. Whether I like the contents of it or not I trust Curran more to correctly portray Bradys view on it all than any other journalist. I think you are overvaluing the entire Josh McDaniels angle here. He uses it more or less just a framing device to connect to Shams piece and then to wrap a nice bow around the article at the end (i.e. the **** You).

I get the sense that all of this article stemmed out of a couple of conversations Curran had with Brady this year. We both can agree hat he is better than just pulling it totally out of his ass, right ? And this is what really pisses me off about the Sham article. By being so poorly vetted and realized it made it difficult to talk about anything that it mentioned without just assuming it is ********. It was so badly done that it also delegitimizes other articles that deal with a similar (but much more reasonable) angle.

 

[Jackson 2]

That is an insult to Tom's intelligence. He knew the rules. He knew the game when doing his deal. He knows his bosses are cutthroat and shrewd. For Curran cobble together all this gossip and paint Tom as being blindsided and taken advantage of is crap.

I didn't read any of it that way, at all RW. I get into enough pissing contests around here with people with whom I usual!y disagree. I typically like and respect your viewpoints, so I'm gonna pass on this one.

 

[rochrist]

If they make it to the Super Bowl, that will give the story at least three more weeks of legs!

 

[RobertWeathers]

Curran is considerably closer to Brady than Bedard. Whether I like the contents of it or not I trust Curran more to correctly portray Bradys view on it all than any other journalist. I think you are overvaluing the entire Josh McDaniels angle here. He uses it more or less just a framing device to connect to Shams piece and then to wrap a nice bow around the article at the end (i.e. the **** You).

I get the sense that all of this article stemmed out of a couple of conversations Curran had with Brady this year. We both can agree hat he is better than just pulling it totally out of his ass, right ? And this is what really pisses me off about the Sham article. By being so poorly vetted and realized it made it difficult to talk about anything that it mentioned without just assuming it is ********. It was so badly done that it also delegitimizes other articles that deal with a similar (but much more reasonable) angle.

I do agree Curran is closer to Brady than Bedard and I'm not in a position to say who has the better sources. Beard's piece struck me as a much more holistic appraisal of the situation.

I do agree with Bedard that something happened but it's the size of a hill as opposed to a volcano.

My problem with Curran's piece is to me, he made Tom out to be a volcano with a lot of pent-up anger and frustration and I don't think that is who he is.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I didn't read any of it that way, at all RW. I get into enough pissing contests around here with people with whom I usual!y disagree. I typically like and respect your viewpoints, so I'm gonna pass on this one.

I respect your decision. Lets debate tomorrow on something else.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

I think the piece characterized Tom having internalized a lot of rage based on circumstances and actions that were not intended to be personal but were part of "the business". I believe Tom understands the business side perfectly but we now hear he was paranoid BB was going to trade him and he wanted loyalty from Kraft. Tom has said repeatedly playing for the Patriots for life is what he wants but its not up to him. Now we hear he going back door to Bob asking for loyalty and a new contract when hes sacrificed so much? It makes Tom look gullible and disingenuous and I don't think that is who he is and for Curran to do that in this piece is crap and lazy.

Based on the article I think that is exactly the rationale Curran is trying to articulate. His rationalization of Tom erupting on Josh is based on frustration, hurt, and disloyalty.

Thanks for explaining. I mostly agree.

Not to nitpick - just want to point out where our differing interpretations lie. Curran doesn't say in this piece that Tom went back door asking for loyalty and a new contract - he says:

That’s your guy who – as Seth Wickersham’s ESPN piece on Friday unmistakably illustrated – has been the angry lion in winter, arm-twisting teammates to see his body coach and business partner, browbeating the 76-year-old owner about his contract, throwing hospital balls to receivers like Chris Hogan and making sure the decks were cleared of all competition.

That’s BS.

he also writes:

there was no as-promised contract extension to validate your decision to sink roots and raise your family here.

Which I think is more about demonstrating why Brady would be valid in being frustrated - a broken handshake agreement (alleged) with the guy who's a second father figure.

More broadly, I think Curran wrote this piece to show that, even though Brady knows this is a business and people get released and traded almost every week, doesn't also mean that he has to be happy about that becoming his fate too. I don't think that makes Tom look gullible or disingenuous.

 

[Jackson 2]

I respect your decision. Lets debate tomorrow on something else.

Curran just took care of it in the first 5 minutes of Quick Slants, as I thought he might. Took Wickersham and everyone else who suggested Brady is any kind of diva or problem to the proverbial woodshed. Mayo came in at the end and corroborated everything Curran said about Brady.

 

[RedSleevesPinkStripes]

I hate the fact that this discussion even exists, unless Sham/the media plan on doing an expose on the inner workings of every franchise.. Of course that would be insane... But NE gets it up the A and everyone gets to shoot their arrows. That element of sports has become ridiculously tiresome, everyone doing their best TMBSZ act.. Ugh.