2018 Patriots begins

[long distance]

to a healthier season !

 

[long distance]

 

[maineman209]

I couldn't care less about Gronk and Brady not attending.

What I'd really like to hear about from the mediots is how the injured players from last season are doing. But, then, that would involve some actual journalism be performed, so, y'know, fat chance.

 

[Bradyking12]

Time to get in the mix for six!

 

[long distance]

I couldn't care less about Gronk and Brady not attending.

What I'd really like to hear about from the mediots is how the injured players from last season are doing. But, then, that would involve some actual journalism be performed, so, y'know, fat chance.

I thought that as well starting the thread. I guess Jules, Hightower, Cannon, Mitchell, Garcia, Rivers, VV, JJ etc are not that important..

 

[supafly]

I thought that as well starting the thread. I guess Jules, Hightower, Cannon, Mitchell, Garcia, Rivers, VV, JJ etc are not that important..

When your two team leaders and two of the greatest players to ever put on a helmet are absent, pissed off and pouting, it’s kind of hard to give a damn about what Malcolm Mitchell and Vincent Valentine are doing in the month of April.

That’s not meaning to disagree with the idea of wanting to hear more about other role players and I’m sure that we will very soon, but how are you going to find bigger stories than what’s occurring right now? For the mediots, this is pure gold.

 

[maineman209]

I thought that as well starting the thread. I guess Jules, Hightower, Cannon, Mitchell, Garcia, Rivers, VV, JJ etc are not that important..

And now comes this - from Curran (augmented and enhanced by Florio).

Is Tom Brady leading a revolt against Bill Belichick?

 

[Deus Irae]

I couldn't care less about Gronk and Brady not attending.

What I'd really like to hear about from the mediots is how the injured players from last season are doing. But, then, that would involve some actual journalism be performed, so, y'know, fat chance.

The team is always very forthcoming about injury reports in the offseason.

 

[long distance]

When your two team leaders and two of the greatest players to ever put on a helmet are absent, pissed off and pouting, it’s kind of hard to give a damn about what Malcolm Mitchell and Vincent Valentine are doing in the month of April.

That’s not meaning to disagree with the idea of wanting to hear more about other role players and I’m sure that we will very soon, but how are you going to find bigger stories than what’s occurring right now? For the mediots, this is pure gold.

Not too hard to give a damn about team. These are core starters/leaders coming back not role players. That's the story for me at the moment. Tom and Gronk are a story in June if not resolved. But that's just me I guess..

 

[supafly]

Not too hard to give a damn about team. These are core starters/leaders coming back not role players. That's the story for me at the moment. Tom and Gronk are a story in June if not resolved. But that's just me I guess..

I’m sure there are plenty of us who want more info about the team as a whole, but nothing is really going on. They’re lifting weights. I don’t think we’ll have much clarity on some of the injuries until at least May/June, when more information comes out once things get ramped up.

As of right now, the big story out of Foxborough is about the perceived culture change, and how two of the best players in the entire league aren’t showing up for voluntary workouts. As we know, for both the team and these leading players, this is something highly irregular.

 

[maineman209]

I’m sure there are plenty of us who want more info about the team as a whole, but nothing is really going on. They’re lifting weights. I don’t think we’ll have much clarity on some of the injuries until at least May/June, when more information comes out once things get ramped up.

As of right now, the big story out of Foxborough is about the perceived culture change, and how two of the best players in the entire league aren’t showing up for voluntary workouts. As we know, for both the team and these leading players, this is something highly irregular.

All this "culture change", "Brady leading a revolt", "Gronk holding out/retiring" is pretty much just overwrought speculative media ******** based on what they've heard from "sources". It brings in advertising revenue for media corporations, but it's totally worthless to me.

Brady (and other older vets) not being "regular participants" in voluntary workouts in the spring is not at all irregular. As BB himself has said, "nothing new there." It's just the media turning it into something it's not.

If these "journalists" would get off their butts and do some real reporting (and/or if their bean-counting, corporate bosses would allow them to), they'd be at these "lifting/running" sessions and taking notes about who's participating in what types of activities and about how they looked. As a fan of football, that would be way more interesting and useful to me than yet another media turd added to the already huge, steaming pile of teen angst, soap opera crap.

Honestly, I'm so sick and tired of all the ******** rumor mill threads taking up space on the thread list that I've started automatically putting them on Ignore Thread. And I'll be taking a break from this forum altogether from shortly after the draft until a few days before Camp because it's pretty clearly destined to turn into nothing but a supermarket tabloid for the duration.

Seriously, sports media has all but destroyed my enjoyment of football. I was so fed up with hearing about nothing but "deflategate" that I stopped following football completely (I didn't even watch the Pats) from shortly after the 2014 Superbowl until about halfway through the 2016 season. Once Belichick retires, I'll be done with football completely and permanently - if I even last that long.

 

[supafly]

Brady (and other older vets) not being "regular participants" in voluntary workouts in the spring is not at all irregular. As BB himself has said, "nothing new there." It's just the media turning it into something it's not.

I suppose that we see this particular subject a bit differently, although I hear you about the media sensationalism on some level. That said, things are not “normal” at the moment, and I think that’s fairly obvious. How much of a role it will play is certainly up for debate and we’ll know soon enough.

According to this article, Brady hasn’t missed in 8 years (aside from maybe the first day, last year, which someone else brought up), so I don’t agree with the thought of it being a regular occurrence :

Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski missing Patriots offseason program is not normal

 

[maineman209]

things are not “normal” at the moment

And the only way we "know" that is because that's all that the media is feeding us while deliberately leaving us ignorant AF about what "normal" is behind closed doors.

Here's how this all works:

In an earlier piece, Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire/USA TODAY) quoted an excerpt from a report by Guregian that appeared in the Herald:

"The source, however, indicated there has been communication with the Patriots and Gronkowski’s camp recently. Some of the discussions have been focused on Gronk’s contract."

That's the entire quote excerpt from McKenna. Note the lack of context.

Note also how Guergian inserts the word "camp" to subtly set this "communication" up as oppositional or even antagonistic, even though it's never mentioned what the subject of this "communication" was. Then, she adds the bit about "SOME of these DISCUSSIONS have been focused on Gronk's contract."

In his lead-off statement in that piece, McKenna baldy recharacterizes this as, "Rob Gronkowski’s contract is back on the negotiating table. He and the New England Patriots have engaged in contract talks..." as if it was a fact.

Then, in his most recent piece, McKenna further re-characterizes this "fact" and creates the link that makes the killer inference: "... reports came out that Gronkowski was going to miss some of the program while negotiating his contract."

And it's now being widely recharacterized by other media schlubs that "Gronk is holding out."

So, we started with ONE somewhat slanted report that was based on "information" from ONE unidentified and unverified source, and added ONE actual fact - that Gronk missed ONE DAY of voluntary OTAs, the very first day (which the Patriots somehow managed to schedule on the same day as the Boston Marathon) - and that now equals "Gronk is holding out."

This is classic Pravda/TASS propaganda technique.

 

[long distance]

All this "culture change", "Brady leading a revolt", "Gronk holding out/retiring" is pretty much just overwrought speculative media ******** based on what they've heard from "sources". It brings in advertising revenue for media corporations, but it's totally worthless to me.

Brady (and other older vets) not being "regular participants" in voluntary workouts in the spring is not at all irregular. As BB himself has said, "nothing new there." It's just the media turning it into something it's not.

If these "journalists" would get off their butts and do some real reporting (and/or if their bean-counting, corporate bosses would allow them to), they'd be at these "lifting/running" sessions and taking notes about who's participating in what types of activities and about how they looked. As a fan of football, that would be way more interesting and useful to me than yet another media turd added to the already huge, steaming pile of teen angst, soap opera crap.

Honestly, I'm so sick and tired of all the ******** rumor mill threads taking up space on the thread list that I've started automatically putting them on Ignore Thread. And I'll be taking a break from this forum altogether from shortly after the draft until a few days before Camp because it's pretty clearly destined to turn into nothing but a supermarket tabloid for the duration.

Seriously, sports media has all but destroyed my enjoyment of football. I was so fed up with hearing about nothing but "deflategate" that I stopped following football completely (I didn't even watch the Pats) from shortly after the 2014 Superbowl until about halfway through the 2016 season. Once Belichick retires, I'll be done with football completely and permanently - if I even last that long.

Just take BB lesson to the core, my mains, ignore the noise (and as I can see from your next post (a good one btw) there is room for improvement). There's still plenty to enjoy here and around and there's too much of everything anyways. Life after BB might be quite interesting to watch to see how Pats/the league transition from the mastermind g.o.a.t.. There will be life lessons there Im sure..
___

To put this (another failed) thread a bit on track though, here's at least a little something of what was expected - from Reiss of course:

Julian Edelman takes first step toward earning $500k workout bonus

 

[DarrylS]

I suppose that we see this particular subject a bit differently, although I hear you about the media sensationalism on some level. That said, things are not “normal” at the moment, and I think that’s fairly obvious. How much of a role it will play is certainly up for debate and we’ll know soon enough.

According to this article, Brady hasn’t missed in 8 years (aside from maybe the first day, last year, which someone else brought up), so I don’t agree with the thought of it being a regular occurrence :

Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski missing Patriots offseason program is not normal

"Normal" troubles me, this aspect of OTA's acc. to Matt Chatham is about "lifting/running sessions, typically by position group"... if Brady and Gronk miss these workouts no big deal... they are not even running routes and catching passes.

As fans we are inundated by the media who want us to believe that this is bigger than it really is.. there is no substantive knowledge if both were excused due to previous commitments.. the only thing we have heard is there is discussion about contract negotiation for Gronk.. if it is about money, as many contend, why not come to OTA's at this phase and show the Pats your dedication???

Most of what we are relying on are vague messages through social media that are being interpreted and reinterpreted by the media..

Complete confidence that BB will right this ship, if this ship needs to be "righted"...

 

[long distance]

I’m sure there are plenty of us who want more info about the team as a whole, but nothing is really going on. They’re lifting weights. I don’t think we’ll have much clarity on some of the injuries until at least May/June, when more information comes out once things get ramped up.

As of right now, the big story out of Foxborough is about the perceived culture change, and how two of the best players in the entire league aren’t showing up for voluntary workouts. As we know, for both the team and these leading players, this is something highly irregular.

I appreciate you joining this chamber party here and of course much of the (media) reality goes with what you are saying.

If I was a young beat reporter though Id schedule a charity photo shoot with Garcia (some charity BB respects and is a sucker for), mask the scale as small podium - and measure him . then report the approx. weight through my “eye test“ not to piss BB off..

There's a Draft coming and people can't do their mocks w OT hangin' like that..!

 

[aluminum seats]

Hard to know exactly what’s going on, but with JG gone you’d like to think Brady would put the team first whatever his issues are with BB.

And I think he’s got an obligation to play (if he can, obviously) at least 2-3 more seasons.

 

[maineman209]

Just take BB lesson to the core, my mains, ignore the noise (and as I can see from your next post (a good one btw) there is room for improvement). There's still plenty to enjoy here and around and there's too much of everything anyways. Life after BB might be quite interesting to watch to see how Pats/the league transition from the mastermind g.o.a.t.. There will be life lessons there Im sure..
___

To put this (another failed) thread a bit on track though, here's at least a little something of what was expected - from Reiss of course:

Julian Edelman takes first step toward earning $500k workout bonus

It often feels like Reiss and Miguel (of course) are the only guys out there who are still actually doing their jobs.

 

[oceansizer]

And the only way we "know" that is because that's all that the media is feeding us while deliberately leaving us ignorant AF about what "normal" is behind closed doors.

Here's how this all works:

In an earlier piece, Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire/USA TODAY) quoted an excerpt from a report by Guregian that appeared in the Herald:

"The source, however, indicated there has been communication with the Patriots and Gronkowski’s camp recently. Some of the discussions have been focused on Gronk’s contract."

That's the entire quote excerpt from McKenna. Note the lack of context.

Note also how Guergian inserts the word "camp" to subtly set this "communication" up as oppositional or even antagonistic, even though it's never mentioned what the subject of this "communication" was. Then, she adds the bit about "SOME of these DISCUSSIONS have been focused on Gronk's contract."

In his lead-off statement in that piece, McKenna baldy recharacterizes this as, "Rob Gronkowski’s contract is back on the negotiating table. He and the New England Patriots have engaged in contract talks..." as if it was a fact.

Then, in his most recent piece, McKenna further re-characterizes this "fact" and creates the link that makes the killer inference: "... reports came out that Gronkowski was going to miss some of the program while negotiating his contract."

And it's now being widely recharacterized by other media schlubs that "Gronk is holding out."

So, we started with ONE somewhat slanted report that was based on "information" from ONE unidentified and unverified source, and added ONE actual fact - that Gronk missed ONE DAY of voluntary OTAs, the very first day (which the Patriots somehow managed to schedule on the same day as the Boston Marathon) - and that now equals "Gronk is holding out."

This is classic Pravda/TASS propaganda technique.

I hope it is only media's rubbish because it is a media technique to sow the seeds of doubt. Ok,one or even another day of absence is nothing,it happens. But if you are surrounded by worrisome news you start thinking maybe there is something in the wind. Infamous master of propaganda Goebbels used to say "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it". Maybe it is not exactly about telling lies by media but about forcing people to be curious,to read articles (and feed journalists) and to discuss,like we do.

 

[maineman209]

Just take BB lesson to the core, my mains, ignore the noise (and as I can see from your next post (a good one btw) there is room for improvement). There's still plenty to enjoy here and around and there's too much of everything anyways. Life after BB might be quite interesting to watch to see how Pats/the league transition from the mastermind g.o.a.t.. There will be life lessons there Im sure..
___

To put this (another failed) thread a bit on track though, here's at least a little something of what was expected - from Reiss of course:

Julian Edelman takes first step toward earning $500k workout bonus

I know it's subtle but you may have noticed that I hold "journalists" in even lower esteem than lawyers now - several rungs lower on that ladder, in fact.

This thing is that, as I've grown older (one month younger than BB, though not nearly as "grown up"), I've gotten crankier and far less tolerant of BS and the widespread, eager consumption thereof. I'd rather spend my time on relatively "real" things.

For me, sunshine is real, soil is real, the scent of jasmine blossoms is real, the taste of my homegrown tomatoes is real, the interplay of the actors in ecosystems is real. I'll just be spending more and more time with those things.