Another gem by Tom Curran.

[Deus Irae]

I'll jump in to defend Greg Bedard here. He writes excellent pieces, he's gone to the effort of learning about how NFL football is taught & coached, especially when he was at SI, and his new Boston Sports Journal site is excellent (I'm a subscriber).

The others....yeah, they're all the worst kind of hacks. But I like Greg Bedard a lot, and I'm glad he's back covering the Patriots full-time.

Bedard's all kinds of hit or miss.

 

[XLIX]

That's sports media in the Northeast. It's not just Boston.

I disagree. When a NY team wins a championship, the NY media is nothing but “we’re great!” homers. If they had this Patriots dynasty, it would be a 24/7 *********** down there.

 

[IcyPatriot]

CHB is an azzhole ... not even worthy of debate he's so bad.
Curran and Reiss are fine ... I think some expect too much of these guys ... everybody needs to eat.
As for some of the others - they serve a great purpose as they help the team stay focused with the sh!t that they write.

 

[RIpats88]

I like Toms point about fans trying to find a boogeyman in every opponent as well. You see it already with fans talking up how Blake Bortles is somehow Eli manning. and their defense is the 85 bears we wont be able to score on.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

That's sports media in the Northeast. It's not just Boston.

True, but it's clearly the worst in Boston. Sports bubble, TONS of success, which means more lies and attacking to play contrarian to try to get clicks or listeners.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

No Curran did exactly what I said on his podcast and in a few of his post-expose articles. In them he touted Wishersham's "professionalism" and the fact he works hard and had sources. I know at the same time Tom question (as we all did) a number of his more ridiculous premises, but he never came out and flat out said, this was BSPN hit piece design to create a firestorm over nothing and thus generate well needed interest toward BSPN.

Instead, Curran, to some extent, climbed on board that firestorm and an is still riding it as are most of the mediots, even as it dwindles down to the "well if there's smoke there MUST be fire." stage. Remember even though Deflategate was disproven over and over again, even some local guys, and most national guys, will agree, but add, "where there's smoke there must have been something going on". IIRC, I once heard Curran himself say something like, Brady wasn't totally innocent.

Florio consistently takes this take on deflategate. (and I paraphrase). "Clearly the NFL got deflategate wrong. They never proved CONCLUSIVELY that the Pats did anything wrong". See, he loudly IMPLIES that there was something going on, just that the NFL didn't "prove it".

I see the same crap going on with this story. Sure there will be some who question one part of it or another, but no one will question whether the entire story was made out of pure speculation, and was put together SPECIFICALLY to put the Pats in a bad light and generate the benefits of "Patriot hate" and draw interest to their dying business.

You cannot deny that the SPECULATIVE narrative that Wickersham put out there is now being reported as fact in all the rebound stories other write. Christ, didn't some mediot speculate that it was Bill or one of his circle who gave Wickersham the "story" in order to light a fire under Brady?

See what you've done, Luuked. This was supposed to be a quick response to your response, and you got me on a rant, and now I'm late for a lunch date.

Exactly. And, I think he and Reiss selling out on that story was a direct order from their bosses, because these broadcast companies are losing tv revenue left and right.

Heck, ESPN and the Herald just had massive layoffs.

 

[goheels22002]

Patriots don't need to apologize for anything

Great dig at shank with the referece of the '67 Sox.

I really, really hate that piece by Tom E. Curran. He jumped the shark and became Dan Shaughnessy. It's smug and devoid of any recognition of what Jacksonville did yesterday. They did what the 2001 Patriots did. That Pats team scored points when they need to score points with their young QB and they shut teams down defensively when they had to go that route to win.

Don't fall for it. Don't fall for the notion that a team reaches the conference championship game without the ability to beat any team in the Final Four.

The Jaguars completely shut down the Bills 10-3 and then played shootout with the Steelers 45-42. They will come into Foxborough believing in themselves. You've all seen the smashmouth games the Patriots had with Buffalo and Pittsburgh this year. Well, kids, the Jags beat them too. This thing will not be a walk in the park.

I do not blame the Steelers offense (over 500 yards passing) nor do I question the terribly executed on-side kick. I do blame the Stellers defense for being completely unprepared and lacking in aggression. I do not believe for one second that will happen with the Patriots, although I do wonder about Matt Patricia's ability to focus. He is human, I think.

The Jags defense will be ready. Don't forget that Tom Coughlin is sitting with the coaches doing his Vulcan mind-meld thing with Belichick. They sat in adjoining offices with the Giants for goodness sakes.

This AFCC scares the hell out of me unlike any ever played at home.

 

[Koma]

Brady infection stories?

After Brady had surgery to repair his ACL in 2008, Curran had a story that Brady was dealing with a serious infection in his knee that put his recovery significantly behind schedule. He also stated that the infection could lead to a second surgery, which would have wiped out Brady's 2009 season.

 

[mosslost]

the fans can now communicate with each other and they are irrelevant

it is funny how this statement is really true. Like for instance I generally find Felger and Mazz somewhat funny, but I won't listen to them talk bad about the Pats. I just go on fan sites (of all cities) and like comments on articles usually more than the articles themselves anyway. Comment sections are my favorite part of the internet anyway because you can sort of scan them...

 

[mosslost]

This is not a great Patriots team yet here we are

I think this is a great Patriot team. Plus so many posters on this board judge the team only by whether they get the Lombardi (I don't however). So if this teams wins it they are better than the 2007 Pats . (They are not.. even if they win the Lombardi)

 

[mosslost]

I used to like Curran more, but ever since he got that show and the hair plugs, he comes off a bit too big for his britches. And, honestly, he will be sneaky and take some shots to stir the pot in a very indirect way, like just recently with the fake "there is turmoil in New England w/Kraft/BB/Brady", so he's not innocent taking his cues from NBC management when he is forced to do so.

the story has some truth to it.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

That's sports media in the Northeast. It's not just Boston.

Mike Schmidt Philies Hall of Fame third basemen put it best when describing Philly media ( which could apply to Boston as well) " Only in Philly can you experience the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day"

 

[Chris Stevenson]

the story has some truth to it.

No, it doesn't. The only truths are that Guerrero was asked to keep to himself and JimmyG was dealt, each situation happening months ago.

Everything else is sensationalized garbage and speculation.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

I really, really hate that piece by Tom E. Curran. He jumped the shark and became Dan Shaughnessy. It's smug and devoid of any recognition of what Jacksonville did yesterday. They did what the 2001 Patriots did. That Pats team scored points when they need to score points with their young QB and they shut teams down defensively when they had to go that route to win.

Don't fall for it. Don't fall for the notion that a team reaches the conference championship game without the ability to beat any team in the Final Four.

The Jaguars completely shut down the Bills 10-3 and then played shootout with the Steelers 45-42. They will come into Foxborough believing in themselves. You've all seen the smashmouth games the Patriots had with Buffalo and Pittsburgh this year. Well, kids, the Jags beat them too. This thing will not be a walk in the park.

I do not blame the Steelers offense (over 500 yards passing) nor do I question the terribly executed on-side kick. I do blame the Stellers defense for being completely unprepared and lacking in aggression. I do not believe for one second that will happen with the Patriots, although I do wonder about Matt Patricia's ability to focus. He is human, I think.

The Jags defense will be ready. Don't forget that Tom Coughlin is sitting with the coaches doing his Vulcan mind-meld thing with Belichick. They sat in adjoining offices with the Giants for goodness sakes.

This AFCC scares the hell out of me unlike any ever played at home.

The Tom Coughlin garbage is wildly overrated. If Samuel holds on, Welker holds on or Brady has a better SB 46 in terms of basic decision making, Coughlin is not given this ridiculous title he really has no business earning.

The 2012 Ravens were in much better position to pull that upset than Jax is here.

 

[Joey007]

After Brady had surgery to repair his ACL in 2008, Curran had a story that Brady was dealing with a serious infection in his knee that put his recovery significantly behind schedule. He also stated that the infection could lead to a second surgery, which would have wiped out Brady's 2009 season.

Huh, I had actually heard people say back in that time that they heard rumors that Brady was maybe going to have to miss another year. But I never knew there was an actual reported story behind it from Curran, I thought it was just talk.

 

[patchick]

I can't believe that everybody is ignoring the one really significant item in Curran's article, which is the description of Danny Amendola:

"wiry, aging rabid ferret"

I am completely on board with it. Ferret all the way.

 

[Deus Irae]

I can't believe that everybody is ignoring the one really significant item in Curran's article, which is the description of Danny Amendola:

"wiry, aging rabid ferret"

I am completely on board with it. Ferret all the way.

With McDaniels reportedly heading to the Colts, I wonder if Amendola will be in Indianapolis next year.

 

[mosslost]

No, it doesn't. The only truths are that Guerrero was asked to keep to himself and JimmyG was dealt, each situation happening months ago.

Everything else is sensationalized garbage and speculation.

homer. Definitely truth in that piece.

 

[mosslost]

I disagree. When a NY team wins a championship, the NY media is nothing but “we’re great!” homers. If they had this Patriots dynasty, it would be a 24/7 *********** down there.

I concur. I think Boston is a bit more unique when it comes to trashing its GOOD teams. The Globe people all loved Parcells so essentially hate Belichick by proxy. They also were the "you are disrespecting Bledsoe group" as if that even matters. And to a man they carried Parcell's water in their attacks upon Belichick, and when Belichick went off like a missile of success, bringing MULTIPLE SUPER BOWL titles to town, their lives went to ****. (Borges, Shank, and their Ilk)

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

homer. Definitely truth in that piece.

How could you possibly know this outside of basic facts like Jimmy G was traded, and Tom Brady is on the team. None of the speculations that made it a story have any proof whatsoever, and several facts are probably false like BB's Goodell meeting.