- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
- Messages
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Is it really disqualifying to care more about yourself than the team?
Nonsense! A player has to care about himself and his family; who else will? His agent, and his family will.
Let's pick on a player or two. How about Gronk? He certainly loves his brothers in arms, especially Brady and Edelman. BTW, that is not the team; that is two best friends. Gronk didn't wait until he did and then retire because he put the team first.
Hey, Gronk is the best in the game, one the best ever at his position. I have zero criticism. However, Gronk put himself first. And that was not unreasonable.
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Was Flowers thinking about the team when he turned down a very large offer from the patriots? Of course not. No hometown discount for him! And the same for so many others that left for whatever reason that was right for them, sometimes money, sometimes other things.
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Sure, we can point to team-first players like Bruschi, but they are few and far between.
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And what about the GOAT? Does ANYONE think that his retirement decisions aren't about what Brady wants? Of course they are, and of course they should be.
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BROWN IN PITT
We do not know the whole story, or even close. What we do know is that players leaving the organization and others have reported that the situation was awful.
In the NFL, when someone is as good as Brown, one can insist on stuff a lot easier than other with less talent. That was a principle of Coach Walsh. Players are NOT treated equally. I have some land to sell to anyone who thinks that BB treats Brady and Gunner equally.
The PITT situation might have ended in a year-long hold out, as it did for Bell. Was Bell banished? Of course not! Did he have as many issues with PITT as Brown? Probably a bit less. Brown chose to behave differently. He didn't sit out for a year. Brown got PITT to trade him. But they refused a 1st from the patriots, because that's where Brown wanted to go.
BROWN IN OAKLAND
I don't know if Brown wanted out from the beginning. I do know that he got into lots of disagreements with the GM, who it seems took the job of disciplining players away from the coach where it belongs. After the last, worst disagreement, something had to happen. The GM told AB that if he apologized all would be well. Brown apologized, The GM then sent 3 letters: fining him, informing him that the team would no longer guarantee his $30M, and that the team wouldn't even honor the league's termination clause, costing him $15M if he were cut. He would be on a week to week contract with OAK with no upfront money. Anytime the GM chose, Brown would be gone with nothing.
The players always showed support for Brown.
Brown objected! WOW! What an idiot! Really?????? Brown ask to be cut, since the team obviously didn't want him there. The team agreed to cut him. OF COURSE, Brown has ZERO problems getting a contract that could give him the same $15M as he would have gotten to play for OAK, with a $9M instead of zero guarantee.
Brown knew that several teams were interested. His agent spoke to teams only three months ago.
BOTTOM LINE
Brown acted like a child??? Perhaps he just stood up for himself more than Bell. In any case, he believed that the top 10 players in the league should be treated better than he has been treated. His teammates seem to agree. His new teammates will have zero problems with him. He works as hard in practice, game planning and during the game than almost anyone in the NFL. The patriots appreciate such players.
Nonsense! A player has to care about himself and his family; who else will? His agent, and his family will.
Let's pick on a player or two. How about Gronk? He certainly loves his brothers in arms, especially Brady and Edelman. BTW, that is not the team; that is two best friends. Gronk didn't wait until he did and then retire because he put the team first.
Hey, Gronk is the best in the game, one the best ever at his position. I have zero criticism. However, Gronk put himself first. And that was not unreasonable.
===========
Was Flowers thinking about the team when he turned down a very large offer from the patriots? Of course not. No hometown discount for him! And the same for so many others that left for whatever reason that was right for them, sometimes money, sometimes other things.
==========
Sure, we can point to team-first players like Bruschi, but they are few and far between.
===========
And what about the GOAT? Does ANYONE think that his retirement decisions aren't about what Brady wants? Of course they are, and of course they should be.
======
BROWN IN PITT
We do not know the whole story, or even close. What we do know is that players leaving the organization and others have reported that the situation was awful.
In the NFL, when someone is as good as Brown, one can insist on stuff a lot easier than other with less talent. That was a principle of Coach Walsh. Players are NOT treated equally. I have some land to sell to anyone who thinks that BB treats Brady and Gunner equally.
The PITT situation might have ended in a year-long hold out, as it did for Bell. Was Bell banished? Of course not! Did he have as many issues with PITT as Brown? Probably a bit less. Brown chose to behave differently. He didn't sit out for a year. Brown got PITT to trade him. But they refused a 1st from the patriots, because that's where Brown wanted to go.
BROWN IN OAKLAND
I don't know if Brown wanted out from the beginning. I do know that he got into lots of disagreements with the GM, who it seems took the job of disciplining players away from the coach where it belongs. After the last, worst disagreement, something had to happen. The GM told AB that if he apologized all would be well. Brown apologized, The GM then sent 3 letters: fining him, informing him that the team would no longer guarantee his $30M, and that the team wouldn't even honor the league's termination clause, costing him $15M if he were cut. He would be on a week to week contract with OAK with no upfront money. Anytime the GM chose, Brown would be gone with nothing.
The players always showed support for Brown.
Brown objected! WOW! What an idiot! Really?????? Brown ask to be cut, since the team obviously didn't want him there. The team agreed to cut him. OF COURSE, Brown has ZERO problems getting a contract that could give him the same $15M as he would have gotten to play for OAK, with a $9M instead of zero guarantee.
Brown knew that several teams were interested. His agent spoke to teams only three months ago.
BOTTOM LINE
Brown acted like a child??? Perhaps he just stood up for himself more than Bell. In any case, he believed that the top 10 players in the league should be treated better than he has been treated. His teammates seem to agree. His new teammates will have zero problems with him. He works as hard in practice, game planning and during the game than almost anyone in the NFL. The patriots appreciate such players.
