A note on Brady's example list of high-character guys

[Fencer]

With the Branch trade, Brady said he may have spoken with teammates about it, but “I never had one conversation with Coach Belichick about it. He knows what type of players he wants on this team. That’s pretty much the same type as the Bruschis, the Vrabels, the McGinests, the Ty Laws. That’s the type of character Deion is.”

Five guys. Obviously he counts himself. That makes six.

Two of the six had serious financial disputes with the team. Two others of the six are or were involved in the player-rep role, including Brady himself.

Clearly -- and not at all surprisingly -- Brady doesn't think being concerned about money is a character flaw, in his own eyes or in BB's.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Its only here on Patsfans.com where if a player so much as thinks about asking for a new contract he's a greedy scumbag who puts himself before the team.

 

[Kontradiction]

Its only here on Patsfans.com where if a player so much as thinks about asking for a new contract he's a greedy scumbag who puts himself before the team.

In most cases, yeah. I remember some members here starting to do that with Big Vince in the midst of his contract negotiations with the team. Some people here (they know who they are) take what Branch did far too personally and need to get over it.

 

[BadMoFo]

So what about the Welkers, Wilforks, Ty Warrens or Mayos?

 

[NYCPatsFan]

He didn't include Harrison??

 

[mgcolby]

We need to make thread voting public.

The one star bandit strikes again.

I am torn on this one, because understandibly the player has to concern himself with his future first. Just as anyone of us would do in our lives. But the flip side is our teamwork and value isn't on display in front of millions of screaming people on a weekly basis.

On the business side it is practical for the team and the player to get the most bang for the buck, and sometimes that leads to the player not being part of same team any longer.

On the fandom side that makes the player the anti-christ because he scorned my team.

To remain sane it is best to keep some sort of middling rational.

I think Moss said it best in his press conference "football is a business and the sooner the fans understand the better off we'll all be." (might not be exact).

 

[Tunescribe]

Its only here on Patsfans.com where if a player so much as thinks about asking for a new contract he's a greedy scumbag who puts himself before the team.

Just the same, where else do you get millionaires still under contract publicly stomping their feet and whining about being extended? Or, having their contracts torn up and re-done for many millions more? I know that's the standard course of behavior for NFL players, but it's ridiculous in real-world context. Personally, I don't believe pro athletes deserve many millions of dollars for playing a game, but that's what the marketplace has created. I doubt I'll ever sympathize with any rich athlete, Patriot or not, moaning and crying to the press about being "disrespected" for not being made richer by his boss.

 

[Fencer]

Rodney was a rabble-rouser after Milloy was cut, telling guys they had to watch out and get their money.

(Obviously, Bruschi is cut from a different cloth.)

In a different sample the percentages might be different, but just the inclusion of both Branch and Law suffice to prove the point. Ditto the fact that 3 of the 4 most recent player-rep kinds of guys are unquestioned high-character players (Brady, Light, Vrabel vs. Thomas, and Thomas is the one the guys knew least well when they selected him).

Now, it's possible that Brady is exaggerating, and putting BB in a box by, e.g., including Law. But I doubt it.

 

[emoney_33]

He didn't include Harrison??

He didn't sit down and think of every guy he could. He just threw out a few names off the top of his head. There is nothing to read into except that once again the BUSINESS side of football is understood and not personal at all levels except for the fans.

 

[Teenuh]

Its only here on Patsfans.com where if a player so much as thinks about asking for a new contract he's a greedy scumbag who puts himself before the team.

Yeah, what people don't seem to understand is that its a job for these guys. They aren't just playing for fun, except maybe a rare few like Farve. If anyone here could get a raise at their job, they would ask for it. Some players want crazy amounts of money, sure. But its just part of the business.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Rodney was a rabble-rouser after Milloy was cut, telling guys they had to watch out and get their money.

(Obviously, Bruschi is cut from a different cloth.)

In a different sample the percentages might be different, but just the inclusion of both Branch and Law suffice to prove the point. Ditto the fact that 3 of the 4 most recent player-rep kinds of guys are unquestioned high-character players (Brady, Light, Vrabel vs. Thomas, and Thomas is the one the guys knew least well when they selected him).

Now, it's possible that Brady is exaggerating, and putting BB in a box by, e.g., including Law. But I doubt it.

Your confusing Rodney with Seymour. Rodney was the guy asking them if they were going to spend the rest of the season pouting and crying or if they were gonna get off the pity pot and play some winning football... I doubt Brady was focused on including everyone on the list, and Rodney's indiscretion might call his character into question. The guys he mentioned all gave 100% all the time (Bru was full tilt full time) and played well through injuries and didn't make excuses and did their jobs even when they weren't what they hoped they'd be because they bought into the system. Heck, Bill never wanted to lose Ty, he just wanted to pay him less than his backloaded contract called for because he doesn't overpay for talent. He tried to get him back annually for three or four years after he left...a time during which he didn't make a nickel more than what Bill offered him in that restructure he wouldn't agree to.

The money thing never bothers Bill. Even though he won't give in. I think it bothers some of us as fans because we know they are making a mistake that will cost us and them in the long run.

 

[Seneschal2]

Its only here on Patsfans.com where if a player so much as thinks about asking for a new contract he's a greedy scumbag who puts himself before the team.

Far too many fans find the need to play amateur capologist and dip into Kraft's wallet. Similarly, others want to control Belichick's draft picks and build the team -- their way.

I don't know how these fans can whine and enjoy the Pats at the same time.

 

[Fencer]

Your confusing Rodney with Seymour.

No I'm not. He noisily told the young guys to be sure to get their money.

 

[RayClay]

Five guys. Obviously he counts himself. That makes six.

Two of the six had serious financial disputes with the team. Two others of the six are or were involved in the player-rep role, including Brady himself.

Clearly -- and not at all surprisingly -- Brady doesn't think being concerned about money is a character flaw, in his own eyes or in BB's.

If Ty Law is a high character guy, I guess Branch is.

Could there be a more glaring omission than Troy Brown?

 

[stinkypete]

Moss has some character, his post trade press conference was pure class. Moss' contemporaries would have ripped Brady for failing to deliver a championship, ripped their coaches for not giving them the ball, Moss showed nothing but respect.

This isn't about character, it's about production, and Moss wasn't producing. Sure 33% of his catches delivered touchdowns, but he was catching less than 50% of his targets. Moss no longer fit the offensive system, and he's smart enough to know it, so he started talking. Belichick was also smart enough to know this, not to mention respectful enough to pull the trigger on a trade and let the man find his $$.

 

[ausbacker]

Its only here on Patsfans.com where if a player so much as thinks about asking for a new contract he's a greedy scumbag who puts himself before the team.

In most cases, yeah. I remember some members here starting to do that with Big Vince in the midst of his contract negotiations with the team. Some people here (they know who they are) take what Branch did far too personally and need to get over it.

Yep.

10 char

 

[spacecrime]

Its only here on Patsfans.com where if a player so much as thinks about asking for a new contract he's a greedy scumbag who puts himself before the team.

???? Is this some kind of joke? Fans are behind most players who ask for more money. It is how a very few players go about it that some fans object to. Not all, but I don't recall many supporting Branch or Mangini back then. In fact, I can't think of any. Did you approve of Branch shooting his way out of town? Did you like the way he and Mangini violated the rules in a way that tampering couldn't proven (though BB did charge the Jets). Face it, if Branch spurned the Pats and signed with the Jets for a few dollars more, there would be no love fest for him here. He's been gone for four years and I have yet to see a single thread about what a great character guy Branch is, so let's not pretend we all admire his character now that he is a Patriot.

And you guys need to stop reading so much into the list Brady included and why he included them and why others were not included. If Law was so signifcant an inclusion, I guess leaving off Troy Brown, David Patten, and others means Brady thinks they are not character guys? He rattled off a few names. Don't over-analyze his choices.

You all sound like Mark Shlereth and Merril Hoge, telling us what players are thinking and drawing outlandish conclusions.

 

[Kontradiction]

Just the same, where else do you get millionaires still under contract publicly stomping their feet and whining about being extended? Or, having their contracts torn up and re-done for many millions more? I know that's the standard course of behavior for NFL players, but it's ridiculous in real-world context. Personally, I don't believe pro athletes deserve many millions of dollars for playing a game, but that's what the marketplace has created. I doubt I'll ever sympathize with any rich athlete, Patriot or not, moaning and crying to the press about being "disrespected" for not being made richer by his boss.

What most of these guys put their bodies through earns them the millions of dollars they make quite easily, IMO.

 

[upstater1]

???? Is this some kind of joke? Fans are behind most players who ask for more money. It is how a very few players go about it that some fans object to. Not all, but I don't recall many supporting Branch or Mangini back then. In fact, I can't think of any. Did you approve of Branch shooting his way out of town? Did you like the way he and Mangini violated the rules in a way that tampering couldn't proven (though BB did charge the Jets). Face it, if Branch spurned the Pats and signed with the Jets for a few dollars more, there would be no love fest for him here. He's been gone for four years and I have yet to see a single thread about what a great character guy Branch is, so let's not pretend we all admire his character now that he is a Patriot.

And you guys need to stop reading so much into the list Brady included and why he included them and why others were not included. If Law was so signifcant an inclusion, I guess leaving off Troy Brown, David Patten, and others means Brady thinks they are not character guys? He rattled off a few names. Don't over-analyze his choices.

You all sound like Mark Shlereth and Merril Hoge, telling us what players are thinking and drawing outlandish conclusions.

Yes, I can remember threads in which half the people were on Branch's side and the website was totally split on what was going on.

There are a lot of reasons for this but at the time he was getting paid in the hundreds of thousands (excellent money for anyone) but if I were Deion, with his personal family situation with a kid that had extreme medical needs, I would put family first and go for the money. I didn't blame him.

But I was very happy that the Patriots got a #1 pick for him.

 

[lamafist]

Just the same, where else do you get millionaires still under contract publicly stomping their feet and whining about being extended? Or, having their contracts torn up and re-done for many millions more? I know that's the standard course of behavior for NFL players, but it's ridiculous in real-world context. Personally, I don't believe pro athletes deserve many millions of dollars for playing a game, but that's what the marketplace has created. I doubt I'll ever sympathize with any rich athlete, Patriot or not, moaning and crying to the press about being "disrespected" for not being made richer by his boss.

Where else? How about everywhere else people are making millions of dollars.

You obviously don't get the Wall Street Journal or Variety. I mean, you've got hot shot bankers whining about how they deserve their billions of dollars in bonuses when they're lucky they're not being brought up for fraud, and in Hollywood, any time a movie makes over $100 million, it's a solid bet that there will be at least three law suits as the production company, the movie studio, and the talent all squabble over their piece of the pie. And let's not forget what's number one at the box office -- a movie about a bunch of billionaire computer nerds involved in three intertwining lawsuits about the golden goose that is facebook.

And I guarantee you that no Senior VP at AIG had to worry about getting his knee blown out while he was busy investing people's retirement funds in debt-based derivatives he knew damn well were worthless at the time.