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It's been a week and this issue festers. The explanations really don't make much sense. Here's two questions that destroy most of the scheme-based excuses: 1. In the history of the Super Bowl, when has a player like Butler not played a snap? A player who: a. Is healthy. b. Is not...

You might be right, but you might be wrong. We just don't know all the facts. One thing we do know and that I think nearly anyone can agree on: this was a year unlike any other in the Belichick-Brady era. From the high-priced off-season signings, to the earthquake comments, to the Brady...

I've been thinking more about this. I see two cases. Case 1. There is in fact a perfectly logical explanation for not playing Butler. Nobody outside Patricia and Belichick know what that explanation actually is, but it exists. Case 2. The decision not to play Butler was in fact strategically...

Not sure what you mean by "operationalize" here. BTW it’s "bated", pet peeve. All this dubious “matchups” talk while Butler is crying in the anthem isn’t a classy look. And it’s off putting to me that so many posters don’t get it, or even see there's anything to get. Looks like I was factually...

I've seen several of these complicated schematic "proofs" that show that it made perfect sense for the Patriots to sit Butler for football reasons. What makes me angry about these analyses is they miss the point. The point is not about whether there is or is not some microscopic potential...

The Eagles RPO was obviously effective versus the Patriots and Vikings, among others. Can the Pats adopt it? If not, why not?

This is how I felt at the last preseason, that the resolution would wind up being bad for all parties: Butler, the Patriots, and Butler's agent. One of the worst player negotiations I've seen in a long time.

Hightower liked Browner's posts, which defended Butler and criticized BB. That team employees didn’t criticize BB on the record isn’t evidence for their knowing relevant addition; it could equally likely be a realization that criticism of the coach would be unhelpful to the team to themselves.

This is an exceptionally well written article. Apart from the analysis, the prose is terrific.

One key to all this is: what was the exact offer that the Patriots made to Butler to retain him during the last off-season? We know in the press there are two stories: Butler seems to think the offer was unreasonable; and the Patriots have been quoted as saying Butler was "asking for the...

All other controversial SB decisions I remember always had some explanation. Falcons were aggressive to be true to their character. Carroll threw because of the D look. This one has nobody giving a credible explanation.

I always thought there was an implicit understanding between players and coaches that coaches would try to allow players who helped get them to the Super Bowl to play in the Super Bowl. I thought this was considered a kind of reward for hard work during the regular season, even if the player...

Maybe he was "healthy" in the sense of being physically healthy and able to participate, but lost some quickness due to recuperation. Maybe special teams doesn’t require a 100% Butler like corner does. If Butler was really healthy in the sense of being 100% then yes an odd decision.

Maybe Butler was still recovering from the flu, maybe he was weak. If not, your analysis is understandable

There’s just something about Blount's personality, at least as it comes across to us, that feels like he’s the kind of player who makes his teammates play better. He just feels like a winner. Combination of confidence, humility, humor, combined with a fierce competitive drive. I said this...

Concerned still by the hand situation. A few days ago Brady said the hand was still bothering him. I've basically never heard Brady say any injury bothers him no matter what in 17 years, except I guess for the ACL. And he's still wearing the gloves to the press conferences. What if scar tissue...

@luuked What someone could do is, for each year since say '78, figure out how many games the MVP would have to win after the regular season to win the Super Bowl. We'd expect the MVP to win roughly 1/2^k of these where k is the number of games, assuming (unrealistically) that each team was...

The allusion to that movie is inapposite, since the person to whom the Wilder character was speaking in your attached picture did not get nothing: he got everything.

I think this board is sometimes too critical of Kraft. He comes across as an open, honest guy who also helps keep things in perspective by not buying into the ultra-secrecy if not paranoia that surrounds some of the Patriots. I think it's a healthy counterpoint to Belichick frankly. Like when he...

Simpson's paradox.