Vinatieri ribs BB in his HOF speech

[n1997y]

In Bill's case, there is some extremely suspicious complicity going on. There is unconventionally young life partner who now has millions of dollars in Boston real estate that she didn't have a few years ago, with no obvious funding source except one. There is a football executive who according to another exec was fired from every job he got, who now makes more salary than he ever made before. These people have obvious advantages to keeping the world thinking that BB is still the legendary coaching mind he once was.

Someone introduced Richard Nixon to the conversation above. It's not a bad analogy. Nixon had All The President's Men shielding him from the outside world. BB has Fat Mike and Bunny and presumably a few more who are deeply invested in Bill's tenure at UNC.

Again, it's all a theory, but let's keep seeing how things play out.

There’s a lot of value to having a loyal inner circle who benefit from propping up their principal, even just as a figurehead.

It worked for Ronnie Rayguns, in fact it’s still working given the respect his sleeping through meetings continues to get. Other examples abound. Mitch McConnell? POTUS?

Unfortunately seeing how things play out is really the only evaluation that matters, and if they play out poorly it’s too late by then.

 

[Thelonious]

I retired from high tech in my late 50s which is not bad for that field, but of course some do better than me. I saw many people leave either voluntarily or involuntarily much younger than myself. IMO it does become a challenge for most of us to keep up with the younger, faster brains as we age. You do that by leveraging experience mostly.

Yet since experienced people are the high end of the salary range, you are always a juicy target at layoff time. In hindsight, I'm kinda surprised I survived as many layoffs as I did. When I did get axed from a place where I worked for 15 years, I looked around the room and every other victim was in their 50s.

It's kind of the nature of things, just like the NFL. Management looks around and sees a younger role player and starts wondering if they can/will step up to a bigger role. At the same time they see the salary of the aging vet. It isn't a physical job but as above some drop-off with age IMO is normal. The manager starts to worry that they have too many aging vets and not enough up-and-coming talent on the roster. They know they are compared to other managers.

As above, I feel good that I survived as many layoff cycles as I did. The company was famous for having an annual layoff cycle each year in the late summer (which is when the fiscal year wound down) so everyone stressed about their future each and every late summer. Fun times, eh?



One thing about high tech is I don't think I saw a genuine retirement party in my 35 years in it. Pretty much all end-of-career departures were either due to layoff or due to frustration with the work situation. Not one was hey, I've reached my financial goals and am sailing off into the sunset, thanks for the gold watch.

After the 15-year gig mentioned above, I worked for almost 3 years at a smaller company. I departed due to the frustration of being transferred from a very good manager to a very bad manager. Maybe the younger me would have put up with it, maybe not. I sat down with my financial advisor and said am I ok to retire? He said if you don't acquire any bad spending habits you'll be ok. That was enough for me. So, no vintage airplane for me, LOL!

Overall I'd say the management change is what pushed me, but also, in the end it was my decision to walk. I got lots of advice to just cope with the bad manager but I decided to walk instead. Turns out if I waited a couple weeks I could have gotten a layoff since they whacked the entire new product development part of the company but that was fine, I was already transitioned to retirement.

The first few months of retirement were scary due to the huge change in the financial arrangements. I kept wondering if I should find another job. But I also felt a lot better about life. My inner stress level dropped a lot. Then COVID-19 hit so it was pretty normal to not be working. I think it took me a good year till I felt comfortable with the way things were. I just tracked my investments vs my spending and decided it'd all work out just like my financial advisor said it would.

Since then I have been given job offers and said no thanks. Most of it was because I have adjusted to a low-stress life and don't want to go back to a high-stress life again. Part of it is I do wonder if I could sit at a desk and put in 8+ hours of work that requires high levels of mental focus. My hobbies involve some of the tech I learned at that last gig and can say it's a lot of fun to do what you want to do on your own schedule instead of doing what the boss wants you to do on their schedule.

So, getting back to your situation, I know the inner dialog runs smoother if you can say to yourself you weren't pushed, but in reality, it just doesn't matter much. IMO, whatever inner turbulence gets created by being pushed fades away pretty quickly. Once retired you have lots more time to fill. It's best to spend the time looking forward, and to avoid the trap of spending too much time looking backward.

I think I was fortunate, not perhaps in my income status, but in that I loved my job, which was pretty much discussing stuff I was fascinated with anyway. As I said, I still teach gratis just for the fun of it. It wasn't all a bed of roses, of course: after a few dozen iterations, correcting student papers can get pretty tedious, and every so often some administrator will come up with a bright idea which must be finessed or avoided, or, even worse, some government bureaucrat will show up bearing "help."

So working to 70 wasn't burdensome at all. i was still going strong, enjoying my work, but I could sense the beginnings of decline, so I gave it up. All in all, I'm content with the whole thing.

 

[n1997y]

I took a non-traditional approach: my two best career moves were being laid off.

I got kicked out of jobs too good to leave and landed in places unimaginably better. Being lucky as well as good at what I do seems to be a winning combination. I sincerely hope others have equally good luck and results when they’re laid off.

I’ve sometimes thought of going for the hat trick, but now I’d have to unretire first. That may need to happen to pay for overhauling my airplane engine. We will see how things go.

I retired from high tech in my late 50s which is not bad for that field, but of course some do better than me. I saw many people leave either voluntarily or involuntarily much younger than myself. IMO it does become a challenge for most of us to keep up with the younger, faster brains as we age. You do that by leveraging experience mostly.

Yet since experienced people are the high end of the salary range, you are always a juicy target at layoff time. In hindsight, I'm kinda surprised I survived as many layoffs as I did. When I did get axed from a place where I worked for 15 years, I looked around the room and every other victim was in their 50s.

It's kind of the nature of things, just like the NFL. Management looks around and sees a younger role player and starts wondering if they can/will step up to a bigger role. At the same time they see the salary of the aging vet. It isn't a physical job but as above some drop-off with age IMO is normal. The manager starts to worry that they have too many aging vets and not enough up-and-coming talent on the roster. They know they are compared to other managers.

As above, I feel good that I survived as many layoff cycles as I did. The company was famous for having an annual layoff cycle each year in the late summer (which is when the fiscal year wound down) so everyone stressed about their future each and every late summer. Fun times, eh?



One thing about high tech is I don't think I saw a genuine retirement party in my 35 years in it. Pretty much all end-of-career departures were either due to layoff or due to frustration with the work situation. Not one was hey, I've reached my financial goals and am sailing off into the sunset, thanks for the gold watch.

After the 15-year gig mentioned above, I worked for almost 3 years at a smaller company. I departed due to the frustration of being transferred from a very good manager to a very bad manager. Maybe the younger me would have put up with it, maybe not. I sat down with my financial advisor and said am I ok to retire? He said if you don't acquire any bad spending habits you'll be ok. That was enough for me. So, no vintage airplane for me, LOL!

Overall I'd say the management change is what pushed me, but also, in the end it was my decision to walk. I got lots of advice to just cope with the bad manager but I decided to walk instead. Turns out if I waited a couple weeks I could have gotten a layoff since they whacked the entire new product development part of the company but that was fine, I was already transitioned to retirement.

The first few months of retirement were scary due to the huge change in the financial arrangements. I kept wondering if I should find another job. But I also felt a lot better about life. My inner stress level dropped a lot. Then COVID-19 hit so it was pretty normal to not be working. I think it took me a good year till I felt comfortable with the way things were. I just tracked my investments vs my spending and decided it'd all work out just like my financial advisor said it would.

Since then I have been given job offers and said no thanks. Most of it was because I have adjusted to a low-stress life and don't want to go back to a high-stress life again. Part of it is I do wonder if I could sit at a desk and put in 8+ hours of work that requires high levels of mental focus. My hobbies involve some of the tech I learned at that last gig and can say it's a lot of fun to do what you want to do on your own schedule instead of doing what the boss wants you to do on their schedule.

So, getting back to your situation, I know the inner dialog runs smoother if you can say to yourself you weren't pushed, but in reality, it just doesn't matter much. IMO, whatever inner turbulence gets created by being pushed fades away pretty quickly. Once retired you have lots more time to fill. It's best to spend the time looking forward, and to avoid the trap of spending too much time looking backward.

 

[Spiral]

Ghost is very under rated imo
arguably better than AdamV and played all games outdoors
better on KO's
better % from 50+

Not sure I agree. If Adam had been on the Patriots in the SB against the Giants, BB would never have gone for it on 4th and 11 or whatever. We might have another Lombardi.

 

[Salsalife]

Vinatieri is Colt guy.

 

[ahmed]

Vinatieri also took a shot at Brady. It was all in jest. I don't think Vinatieri harbors any ill will to Belichick, at least not anymore.

I loved Adam when he was here, but I would argue him walking was the best for both sides. He won a Super Bowl with the Colts and I think the Patriots arguably got an upgrade with Gostkowski.

Some things you just don't joke about in public settings, especially important ones like the hall of fame speech. You don't make fun of somebody's relationship. It is basic decency.

 

[Boomer B]

Some things you just don't joke about in public settings, especially important ones like the hall of fame speech. You don't make fun of somebody's relationship. It is basic decency.

He joked about his balls also. It wasn’t a big deal.

 

[Bill Lee]

I think I was fortunate, not perhaps in my income status, but in that I loved my job, which was pretty much discussing stuff I was fascinated with anyway. As I said, I still teach gratis just for the fun of it. It wasn't all a bed of roses, of course: after a few dozen iterations, correcting student papers can get pretty tedious, and every so often some administrator will come up with a bright idea which must be finessed or avoided, or, even worse, some government bureaucrat will show up bearing "help."

So working to 70 wasn't burdensome at all. i was still going strong, enjoying my work, but I could sense the beginnings of decline, so I gave it up. All in all, I'm content with the whole thing.

I would say love is too strong a word for my work relationship. I'd say it was interesting and rewarding so it was easy for me to stay motivated. I was successful at making whatever I was working on interesting or challenging in some way, even if it wasn't always the thing I would have chosen to work on. My current hobby work leverages a lot of things I learned during m working years, so it's even better because I can chose what to work on. It's even OK that no one pays me, because pay almost always comes with strings attached.

 

[Bill Lee]

I took a non-traditional approach: my two best career moves were being laid off.

I got kicked out of jobs too good to leave and landed in places unimaginably better. Being lucky as well as good at what I do seems to be a winning combination. I sincerely hope others have equally good luck and results when they’re laid off.

I’ve sometimes thought of going for the hat trick, but now I’d have to unretire first. That may need to happen to pay for overhauling my airplane engine. We will see how things go.

My unconventional twist was that I divorced my boss.

My then-wife had all kinds of aspirations and she set up a software business that she and I (and occasionally others) worked for over a 10 year period.

It was apparent over time that we wanted different things from life.

Basically, resignation and divorce was a two-for-the-price-of-one kind of thing.

My one and only layoff late in my career led to more interesting work, but at a company that thrived on chaos.

It was OK when I had a good boss shielding me from the madness, but then they put in a new boss that amplified the madness.

I left as if I was shot out of a cannon.

 

[n1997y]

My unconventional twist was that I divorced my boss.

My then-wife had all kinds of aspirations and she set up a software business that she and I (and occasionally others) worked for over a 10 year period.

It was apparent over time that we wanted different things from life.

Basically, resignation and divorce was a two-for-the-price-of-one kind of thing.

My one and only layoff late in my career led to more interesting work, but at a company that thrived on chaos.

It was OK when I had a good boss shielding me from the madness, but then they put in a new boss that amplified the madness.

I left as if I was shot out of a cannon.

Being married to your business partner / boss (or employee) sounds like a tremendous challenge!

I’m impressed that you made it work for 10 years.

Congratulations!

 

[Rob0729]

Some things you just don't joke about in public settings, especially important ones like the hall of fame speech. You don't make fun of somebody's relationship. It is basic decency.

Belichick's girlfriend literally went out to a sporting event wearing a T-Shirt of the massage parlor Kraft was arrested in. I think Belichick can handle Vinatieri making an age gap joke about their relationship.

 

[rkarp1]

Vinatieri is Colt guy.

indeed
he was announced by the owner Irsay (daughter)
he wore the owners tie (Jim Irsay) with the Colts blue and silver, given to him by the daughter
the Colts handled the accommodations of having his family and friends on site
Bill, RK, JK, TB and the none of the boys/teammates were in attendance (Law was in his gold jacket)
AdamV took a poke at Bill, took a poke at the org and the 3 franch designations they put on him, and called all of us Massholes.

yes, I would say he is a Colt

 

[DC Patriots]

Some things you just don't joke about in public settings, especially important ones like the hall of fame speech. You don't make fun of somebody's relationship. It is basic decency.

I read the whole thing, with the effusive praise of Kraft and a strong “you should be in the hall statement,” and then an acknowledgment that BB is the greatest coach of all time paired with a cheap shot as his saying he’s a Kraft guy.

Keep in mind he was here when Myra was still alive. Most of the ride or die Kraft folks (Moss, Wilfork) seem to have been more attached to Myra and are from that era.

But you are right, it’s not a classy move. But I agree with other posters, Bill and Jordan have shown a willingness to go low.

 

[rkarp1]

I read the whole thing, with the effusive praise of Kraft and a strong “you should be in the hall statement,” and then an acknowledgment that BB is the greatest coach of all time paired with a cheap shot as his saying he’s a Kraft guy.

Keep in mind he was here when Myra was still alive. Most of the ride or die Kraft folks (Moss, Wilfork) seem to have been more attached to Myra and are from that era.

But you are right, it’s not a classy move. But I agree with other posters, Bill and Jordan have shown a willingness to go low.

it was spoken by a guy that did not forget, that after winning 3 SB rings, and playing a very big role, was franchised tagged 3 times, rather than the team paying him fair market value, which at that time was top of market for a FG kicker.
in spite of that, he still wanted to resign/extend with the Pats, but they would not offer the fair deal. Green Bay did, and he was going, but the Colts came in at the end and scooped him up. it ended up pretty well for him. another ring. the HOF.
I firmly believe the final say on contracts was Bill's decision, with the possible exception of Brady.
But for AdamV to not have a red jacket is hard to believe.
Not to excuse the Krafts for this, but the red jacket is a fan vote, nominated by a committee (one third), the ownership (one third) and an on line fan vote (one third)

 

[DC Patriots]

it was spoken by a guy that did not forget, that after winning 3 SB rings, and playing a very big role, was franchised tagged 3 times, rather than the team paying him fair market value, which at that time was top of market for a FG kicker.
in spite of that, he still wanted to resign/extend with the Pats, but they would not offer the fair deal. Green Bay did, and he was going, but the Colts came in at the end and scooped him up. it ended up pretty well for him. another ring. the HOF.
I firmly believe the final say on contracts was Bill's decision, with the possible exception of Brady.
But for AdamV to not have a red jacket is hard to believe.
Not to excuse the Krafts for this, but the red jacket is a fan vote, nominated by a committee (one third), the ownership (one third) and an on line fan vote (one third)

The Pats HoF thing is only a snub if he talks himself into it. He was a finalist, that’s all ownership and coaching can do. He’s only been eligible since 2024. Tom, Gronk and Jules went in ahead of him. He would need to be really thin skinned to take that badly.

Only 1 player a year, which is frankly probably for commercial reasons, could be debated as a policy

 

[p8ryts]

The Pats HoF thing is only a snub if he talks himself into it. He was a finalist, that’s all ownership and coaching can do. He’s only been eligible since 2024. Tom, Gronk and Jules went in ahead of him. He would need to be really thin skinned to take that badly.

Only 1 player a year, which is frankly probably for commercial reasons, could be debated as a policy

There are players I would like to see in the Pats HOF but one per year is good enough for me. I don't want it to turn into the NFL Hall of Fame where they have to have a certain number of players and people get in that a not worthy (IMHO).

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Belichick's girlfriend literally went out to a sporting event wearing a T-Shirt of the massage parlor Kraft was arrested in. I think Belichick can handle Vinatieri making an age gap joke about their relationship.

If the selectors had a sense of humor, they'd vote both BB and Kraft in next year. Induction ceremony would be fun to watch...

 

[rkarp1]

what are the odds that Bill snubs the HOF for the rest of his life, regardless if he gets in or not?
next year, he is voted in, and he video tapes his speech, and doesn't show up.
his speech states; "thank you for voting me in"
that's all

 

[Bill Lee]

what are the odds that Bill snubs the HOF for the rest of his life, regardless if he gets in or not?
next year, he is voted in, and he video tapes his speech, and doesn't show up.
his speech states; "thank you for voting me in"
that's all

"Thank you for voting me in, now it's on to Wake Forest!"

 

[rkarp1]

The Pats HoF thing is only a snub if he talks himself into it. He was a finalist, that’s all ownership and coaching can do. He’s only been eligible since 2024. Tom, Gronk and Jules went in ahead of him. He would need to be really thin skinned to take that badly.

Only 1 player a year, which is frankly probably for commercial reasons, could be debated as a policy

I would have voted Adam V in ahead of Julian and Parcells.