Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

[TheBostonStraggler]

You can do one of two things.

Believe BB had legitimate football reasons (scheme plus Malcolm's lack of readiness)

Believe BB was on crack.

Crack?? Puhlease. BB is old school down to the very fiber of his being. Which means he'd have been 'free basing'...not "smoking crack". (anyone who gets that joke, please call your parents immediately and apologize for what you put them through when you were a teenager [picking up my cell phone right now] )

 

[Boomer B]

You can do one of two things.

Believe BB had legitimate football reasons (scheme plus Malcolm's lack of readiness)

Believe BB was on crack.

The one thing that you're not mentioning is ...... the plan can change!!!!!

I have no problem with "BB had legitimate football reasons..." That's fine. It's when his plan went to **** and he didn't adapt the plan that left me scratching my head. Butler dressed. He took up a roster spot and played special teams. If BB dressed him he should have played him when the original plan went to sh*t. There is nothing in this world that would convince me Chung covering Agholor was a better option then Butler covering him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The one thing that you're not mentioning is ...... the plan can change!!!!!

I have no problem with "BB had legitimate football reasons..." That's fine. It's when his plan went to **** and he didn't adapt the plan that left me scratching my head. Butler dressed. He took up a roster spot and played special teams. If BB dressed him he should have played him when the original plan went to sh*t. There is nothing in this world that would convince me Chung covering Agholor was a better option then Butler covering him.

The logical explanation is because had the flu he was not in all the packages but was going to play. Once he was told he was not going to start before the game (he was dressed already) he freaked and was an emotional wreck. At that point it was too late to deactivate him but BB determined the Malcolm melt- down made him mentally checked out in that game.

 

[Tunescribe]

 

[bormio]

You can do one of two things.

Believe BB had legitimate football reasons (scheme plus Malcolm's lack of readiness)

Believe BB was on crack.

They should have drug tested Bill.

 

[bormio]

Blame Amendola

 

[Lee144]

Once he was told he was not going to start before the game (he was dressed already) he freaked and was an emotional wreck. At that point it was too late to deactivate him but BB determined the Malcolm melt- down made him mentally checked out in that game.

So crying during the national anthem before the biggest game of the season equals “an emotional wreck” ?

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Blame Amendola

I blame Amendola, Solder, Lewis, Cooks, Butler.

 

[TB_Helmet]

The last few pages have been the same argument as the first 200+. There are two schools of thought on the issue that are mostly irreconcilable.

I do think it’s really interesting that Amendola had comments that fell squarely on one of those two sides.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

They should have drug tested Bill.

Waste of time. BB's number one maxim is "be prepared". He surely would have this at the ready:

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

 

[RobertWeathers]

So crying during the national anthem before the biggest game of the season equals “an emotional wreck” ?

Please.

 

[Lee144]

Please.

Please what? The dude was crying during the national anthem. Did you see when he threw his helmet at little Bill? How about when he had to be separated from Marty P? Did he fight a teammate or club a baby seal? No? Then calm down with this emotional wreck crap!

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

The last few pages have been the same argument as the first 200+. There are two schools of thought on the issue that are mostly irreconcilable.

I do think it’s really interesting that Amendola had comments that fell squarely on one of those two sides.

But is it all truly irreconcilable if broken down into the basics?

Reason(s) for BB's decision? Decided on what he felt was best for the team (Is there anyone with even a modicum of seriousness arguing BB made a decision for reasons other than what he thought was 'best for the team'?)

The reasons? Unknown (the certain reason/s for the decision still rest within the integrated circuit boards between and above the two bolts protruding from the neck of BB).

The consequence of BB's decision? Unknown. It's a hypothetical. Anyone saying the Patriots would have given up less points is estimating (seems likely to me but it is still an estimate).

Can BB make a mistake -- even a major mistake? Yes (IMHO this was one of them).

What is irreconcilable is the whys and the coulda-shoulda-woulda hypotheticals. And by their very nature they usually are irreconcilable. And you can add to the 'what if Butler plays': what if Philly doesn't get that friggin extremely fortuitous strip sack against an otherwise unstoppable Patriot offense? Patriots score a TD, win the SB, and the Butler argument becomes just an aside.

Continue to argue away ad nauseum if it is what one enjoys -- but the Patriots lost the SB and Butler didn't play. Nothing is gonna change that. At some point, much like a certain Feb 2008 game that dare not be spoken, moving on is a really good option (much like eating a plate of kale: foul and bitter to digest but great for a healthy bursa sac and islets of Langerhans).

 

[chasa]

Top 5 scoring defense with butler playing at least 1 defensive snap.

Gave up over 40 points with butler on the bench.

 

[catent]

Of course not.

I believe the issues are he did not think Malcolm was ready for the game thus not having confidence he would help the team. Add to that Malcolm said he wasnt not locked in and that confirms the reason why Bill sat him.

Bill is not going to bench a player who played 98% of the snaps without a legit reason.

Clearly fans have a problem with whatever the reason was and I get that.

I don't think fans have an issue with the rationale for Butler's benching. The reasonable ones among us understand (or at least hope) that Belichick had (a) legitimate reason(s) for the Butler decision.

I think where fans have a problem is not with the reasoning, but rather, with the outcome. Specifically that Belichick's decision, as well intended as it may have been, did not in fact give the team the best chance to win.

 

[supafly]

Waste of time. BB's number one maxim is "be prepared". He surely would have this at the ready:

You should have seen the lengths that I used to go through 20 yrs ago in an attempt to beat my weekly probation tests, back when I was still smoking weed. Sadly for me, I didn’t have this technology at my disposal, but there’s a market for some new ideas—I’m telling ya.

 

[supafly]

I don't think fans have an issue with the rationale for Butler's benching. The reasonable ones among us understand (or at least hope) that Belichick had (a) legitimate reason(s) for the Butler decision.

I think where fans have a problem is not with the reasoning, but rather, with the outcome. Specifically that Belichick's decision, as well intended as it may have been, did not in fact give the team the best chance to win.

This statement wraps up 225+ pages of nothing.

It was a decision that Belichick felt was right, but it backfired and due to a couple/few close calls, factored greatly in the fact that our team lost. It sucks, but I really see no reason to revisit the subject on an almost daily/weekly basis. We’re all disappointed. Belichick is still an incredible coach and I don’t think there’s anyone out there who would want anyone else.

I feel like some here are just rehashing the 2018 version of the helmet catch. As we all know, there are plenty of other aspects that contributed to the loss, and even then, they were leading with 5 min left in the game with PHI in a 4th down situation in their own territory. The loss stings, but losing is part of the game, and as unfortunate as it is, there’s really not much more that can be said aside from some major news coming to light.

Basically, Amendola said the obvious—that he was disappointed and that others felt the same, bad for Malcolm, etc. He also said that he wanted an explanation but never got one. Not exactly much of a “new” story, in my opinion.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Please what? The dude was crying during the national anthem. Did you see when he threw his helmet at little Bill? How about when he had to be separated from Marty P? Did he fight a teammate or club a baby seal? No? Then calm down with this emotional wreck crap!

No because I think that is what happened.

Malcolm was part of the game plan all week even if he was behind in game prep. Then suddenly he wasn't.

Explain.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

this thread is bigger than the SB thread