Seahawks got SB advice from source with conflict of interest

[Guts]

No shame?

Why the **** should someone feel shame for expressing an opinion on a player?

Yay great tom won a lot of football here. He's the greatest player in the league history. . Does that mean we are beholden to feel eternally grateful to him for forcing his way out of New England?.

**** that.

Just my opinion like yours obviously
and only speaking for myself here
he gave me the greatest fan experience any professional athlete has.
for that ill always be grateful
6 chips and countless of memories

 

[Guts]

The quote you're responding to was from Mike Florio, not moi. But it might help if you could provide the statement from Macdonald that you are citing as conflicting accounts or interpretations abound.

Among them: Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stated that an unnamed source with a "conflict of interest" gave him vital information to help prepare for their Super Bowl matchup. He cryptically hinted that this person provided specific "tells" and insights into the opposing team's tendencies, but he declined to reveal the advisor's identity.

Mike Macdonald got Super Bowl advice from someone with a "conflict of interest"

Remember when Tom Brady said before the Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl that he didn't have a "dog in the fight"?

www.nbcsports.com

And: Mike Macdonald did not explain the specific nature of the help, meaning he never stated whether it was strategic, tactical, or strictly football-related. During his appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Macdonald only dropped a vague, cryptic teaser.



And, FWIW, Scott Zolak said on 98.5 today he has no doubt Brady is the unnamed "conflict of interest" source who helped Seattle.

Zolak or Patrick/MacDonald who you believe?
Of course you have made up your mind already

 

[Tunescribe]

Zolak or Patrick/MacDonald who you believe?
Of course you have made up your mind already

No, I have not "made up my mind already." It very well might not be Brady and I'm totally fine with that. Unlike some here I have a completely open mind about things like this.

 

[Guts]

No, I have not "made up my mind already." It very well might not be Brady and I'm totally fine with that. Unlike some here I have a completely open mind about things like this.

Fair

 

[Ross12]

The quote you're responding to was from Mike Florio, not moi. But it might help if you could provide the statement from Macdonald that you are citing as conflicting accounts or interpretations abound.

Among them: Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stated that an unnamed source with a "conflict of interest" gave him vital information to help prepare for their Super Bowl matchup. He cryptically hinted that this person provided specific "tells" and insights into the opposing team's tendencies, but he declined to reveal the advisor's identity.

Mike Macdonald got Super Bowl advice from someone with a "conflict of interest"

Remember when Tom Brady said before the Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl that he didn't have a "dog in the fight"?

www.nbcsports.com

And: Mike Macdonald did not explain the specific nature of the help, meaning he never stated whether it was strategic, tactical, or strictly football-related. During his appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Macdonald only dropped a vague, cryptic teaser.



And, FWIW, Scott Zolak said on 98.5 today he has no doubt Brady is the unnamed "conflict of interest" source who helped Seattle.

I literally already quoted the entire interview word for word in this thread. Check page 7. What more do you want me to do? I have no idea where Florio is pulling the idea of “tells” from. Probably his ass.

 

[Sect140]

That's because "believe all coaches" is a philosophy even more idiotic than "believe all women".

So if you don’t believe Macdonald who do you believe? Is it the reporters that just assumed it was Brady or the members here that just assumed it was Brady.

 

[ViperGTS]

So if you don’t believe Macdonald who do you believe? Is it the reporters that just assumed it was Brady or the members here that just assumed it was Brady.

I tend to think McDonald is covering for TB12. There isn't going to be an investigation etc so who cares. However it was assuredly a call between 2 people and only those 2 people know about it. So McD let the cat out of the bag and Brady is probably like WTF dude...I'm the no horse in the race guy. STFU.

So yeah it was Brady and thats the only person that makes sense. The coverup is always worse than the action though.

 

[Tunescribe]

I literally already quoted the entire interview word for word in this thread. Check page 7. What more do you want me to do? I have no idea where Florio is pulling the idea of “tells” from. Probably his ass.

Yes, I saw that. It's pretty vague -- he starts out, "But a lot of it was like hey, there was a lot of like ... " I can see how you would conclude that managing big-game logistics was all there was to it. By the same token, Macdonald certainly would not publicly admit receiving strategic/tactical intel from an outsider and didn't explicitly dismiss that possibility.

What leaves this open to speculation, at least in my opinion, are accounts from Seattle defenders of pre-snap tells Macdonald gave them plus noting his unnamed source had "a conflict of interest."

One would think a top OC like Josh McDaniels has self-scouting down to a science, especially before a Super Bowl. Lending intrigue was Scott Zolak yesterday on 98.5 offering examples of esoteric LOS adjustments/verbal signals in McDaniels' offense an opponent's film study wouldn't discern. Zolak pointed the finger at Brady, Macdonald absolved Brady.

This very well could be a big nothing burger the media/social media blew up into a witch hunt. In the end, though, it probably doesn't matter either way as Seattle was the superior team.

 

[XLIX]

So if you don’t believe Macdonald who do you believe?

We know Tom Brady flew to Seattle to interview Klint Kubiak (it was the Raiders' 2nd interview of Kubiak).
We know that interview took place on Saturday, January 31, which was 8 days before the Super Bowl.

I believe my own theory, which is that Tom Brady would likely have spoken to Macdonald during this trip for a recommendation and his thoughts on Kubiak. At this time, it would have been very easy for Brady to give some "hey, here is what I have found works when preparing for a Super Bowl" advice.

I gladly admit there is no proof my theory is correct. I gladly admit reasonable minds may disagree with my theory. But you asked me what I believe and that's what I believe. Mike Macdonald denying his "source" was Tom Brady did nothing to change my belief in my theory because I know coaches sometimes lie.

 

[Ross12]

This very well could be a big nothing burger the media/social media blew up into a witch hunt.

Now you've got it.

 

[Sect140]

We know Tom Brady flew to Seattle to interview Klint Kubiak (it was the Raiders' 2nd interview of Kubiak).
We know that interview took place on Saturday, January 31, which was 8 days before the Super Bowl.

I believe my own theory, which is that Tom Brady would likely have spoken to Macdonald during this trip for a recommendation and his thoughts on Kubiak. At this time, it would have been very easy for Brady to give some "hey, here is what I have found works when preparing for a Super Bowl" advice.

I gladly admit there is no proof my theory is correct. I gladly admit reasonable minds may disagree with my theory. But you asked me what I believe and that's what I believe. Mike Macdonald denying his "source" was Tom Brady did nothing to change my belief in my theory because I know coaches sometimes lie.

Thanks, I was hoping you knew I was asking a serious question and not being a wise-ass.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

If we remove the fact it's Tom Brady and look at this without emotion...

Macdonald said it was a conflict of interest. In order to be a conflict of interest, there has to be some level of inside knowledge of the Patriots.

Okay, so, that narrows the list down to any coach, exec, player who has been employed by the Patriots.

From this point, we then can start to think about what makes the most logical sense. From there, the list can be narrowed down.

Fairly safe to assume it's not anybody that was then employed by the team. This leaves coaches, execs, players who were employed by the Patriots, but not any longer.

Another fairly safe assumption would be that this is a person currently employed somewhere in the NFL. If they were no longer in the league, there isn't as much cause to call it a conflict of interest. Willie McGinest is a great former Patriot, but I don't think he'd qualify.

Another logical assumption would probably be that this person is in some way familiar with the then-current Patriot coaching staff. Again, Willie McGinest is a great former Patriot, but I don't think he'd qualify.

When you narrow it down that far, you're left with a much smaller list.

Now, ask yourself what former Patriot exec, coach, or player would have the most to gain from a Seahawk win?

It it out of line to suggest that it might be a current NFL executive and former Patriot player who was looking to hire a Seahawk coach? A former Patriot player with a long-standing working relationship with the Patriots offensive coordinator? If this guy was Matt Cassel, would you be as quick to deny the possibility?

 

[Clonamery]

If we remove the fact it's Tom Brady and look at this without emotion...

Macdonald said it was a conflict of interest. In order to be a conflict of interest, there has to be some level of inside knowledge of the Patriots.

Okay, so, that narrows the list down to any coach, exec, player who has been employed by the Patriots.

From this point, we then can start to think about what makes the most logical sense. From there, the list can be narrowed down.

Fairly safe to assume it's not anybody that was then employed by the team. This leaves coaches, execs, players who were employed by the Patriots, but not any longer.

Another fairly safe assumption would be that this is a person currently employed somewhere in the NFL. If they were no longer in the league, there isn't as much cause to call it a conflict of interest. Willie McGinest is a great former Patriot, but I don't think he'd qualify.

Another logical assumption would probably be that this person is in some way familiar with the then-current Patriot coaching staff. Again, Willie McGinest is a great former Patriot, but I don't think he'd qualify.

When you narrow it down that far, you're left with a much smaller list.

Now, ask yourself what former Patriot exec, coach, or player would have the most to gain from a Seahawk win?

It it out of line to suggest that it might be a current NFL executive and former Patriot player who was looking to hire a Seahawk coach? A former Patriot player with a long-standing working relationship with the Patriots offensive coordinator? If this guy was Matt Cassel, would you be as quick to deny the possibility?

What's Mike Macdonald's definition of conflict of interest?

 

[rkarp1]

Mayo knows as much about prepping a team for a Super Bowl as I do.

If it was just generic coach-to-coach speak on how to get ready for the Super Bowl and how prepping for the Super Bowl is different from other games, it leads one to theorize it could have been Belichick.

Yes I know that has been denied but that doesn’t mean I have to buy the denials.

Post Script: Theorizing Dianna Russini, which some people are, doesn’t make sense. At the time, she and Vrabel were happily banging each other. She had no axe to grind as their **** was still yet to hit the fan.

regardless of how things ended here with Mayo, while he was under the BB umbrella, he was a respected defensive coach, and a highly respected defensive player.
along with Steve B, did anyone see more of McD's offense than those 2? (other than Bill)

 

[rkarp1]

If it was Tom, I don't see a conflict of interest with the Pats per se. he is no longer with the Pats.
I do see a conflict of interest for Fox. If I am a team that believes Tom has loose lips, am I letting him into Saturday meetings with coaches and players to talk about the upcoming game? To discuss the game, yet perhaps interview those coaches for potential Raider openings? to get a feel for those players that may be upcoming free agents that the Raiders could have interest in?
until Tom is 1000% cleared, I wouldn't allow him into the facility on behalf of Fox

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

And, FWIW, Scott Zolak said on 98.5 today he has no doubt Brady is the unnamed "conflict of interest" source who helped Seattle.

Then the mystery is solved. Zolak talked to Mike Macdonald. No-one has a greater conflict of interest than an ex-player that presently works for the Patriots, and Zo is throwing Brady under the bus to divert attention away from himself. "It was Brady" - look over there, don't look at me. It was definitely Zo.

I win the prize.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

I'm just assuming Macdonald's using the standard definition of conflict of interest. It is a very particular phrase. One that I would think would hardly be open to too much leeway in interpretation.

 

[Clonamery]

I'm just assuming Macdonald's using the standard definition of conflict of interest. It is a very particular phrase. One that I would think would hardly be open to too much leeway in interpretation.

What did this so called person of conflicted interest give to him?

 

[rkarp1]

What did this so called person of conflicted interest give to him?

the Seahawks defenders were pretty vocal after the game that they knew what the Pats were going to run predicated on specific "tells" from the Pats offense.
my assumption is that neither team did much advance scouting on each other. seems reasonable they each had some help from their contacts that were more familiar with the opponent than they were

 

[Gumby]

That's 100% on Belichick. Kraft would have given Brady a 5 year deal had Belichick wanted it.

Daring to respond to the Off-Thread nonsense….

Kraft is the owner, IMHO it’s 50-50%. If Kraft had said: “Bill, Tom is a Patriot for life. I don’t give a **** if I eat 4 years of salary cap with him as the 53d player on roster who can’t even be fit enough to practice. I don’t care if I go in cap hell after he retires. YOU figure it out how to keep him here.” It would have been done.

I am not sure tom would have played along, the outlook for that TBay ring was nowhere near the same as in NE. But they could have got it done before they gave him the no-franchise contract. After that they were on a one-way ALLEY (with no turns).