Blame the Kraft Family

[Pats726]

Bottom line, it was a mistake not to keep Branch.

I think you should follow a team like the Texans..or Frisco..the way they are now.. you MAY appreciate what this team has done.. as for keeping Branch THAt was hardly a mistake to give into a whining classless baby like Branch..I'll take a first rounder any day...over a phony punk..AND he's not even in the top 15 receivers..

 

[BelichickFan]

Its amazing how drunk some of you are on "the kool aid". Bottom line, it was a mistake not to keep Branch. Winning 3 SBs doesn't make you immune from making bad calls.

Perhaps over time, we can "fix" the damage done, but it is obvious our "Plan B" to account for his loss SUCKS. Sign a bunch of #3 recievers and hope someone delivers. I am OK with the loss of Givens, Adam, and Willie, but Branch was a mistake. You grossly underestimate the repore Brady/Branch had going.

Your analysis is too simplistic.

- It was not a mistake to not keep Branch. When our extra #1 is playing a big role as all Belioli #1s have, he will be a much better value than Branch.

- It's not fair to look at the Plan B. They had signed Caldwell and drafted Jackson to account for losing Givens. Although it didn't work out this way, it was fully expected that even if Branch didn't return next year he would eventually play this year. It's not reasonable to expect them to get a top WR, Caldwell and Jackson when they expected Branch to show up at one point.

 

[kolbitr]

Funny, I thought I was a fan of the football team, not Robert Kraft. The Patriots won 3 rings, not Kraft. Kraft just makes money off them (and alot of money might I add), and the fact is he got lucky. He got lucky that he got one of the best QBs of all time by pure stroke of luck, he got lucky that he managed to get one of the best coaches of all time. He's still cheap, and everyone still has to wait in long lines to piss at the stadium. When it was being built, it was promised to have alot more bathrooms than the old stadium, and I don't really notice it. It might be state of the art, but he did skim off the top.

Your constant bashing of the owner of the team makes it clear that you have some personal grudge against him or one of his business concerns. Stop pretending that your resentment is more than petty, biased vindictiveness...and buy some diapers.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

I think you should follow a team like the Texans..or Frisco..the way they are now.. you MAY appreciate what this team has done.. as for keeping Branch THAt was hardly a mistake to give into a whining classless baby like Branch..I'll take a first rounder any day...over a phony punk..AND he's not even in the top 15 receivers..

Look out, "Frisco" has a good young coach, Alex Smith is playing much better and they've won two in a row. Things never stay the same, and we'd better hope NE isn't moving the opposite way of SF.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Your constant bashing of the owner of the team makes it clear that you have some personal grudge against him or one of his business concerns. Stop pretending that your resentment is more than petty, biased vindictiveness...and buy some diapers.

LOL

How many bathrooms at the RCA Dome do you think Colts fans would forego for 1 Lombardi let alone 3 ???

 

[primetime]

Your constant bashing of the owner of the team makes it clear that you have some personal grudge against him or one of his business concerns. Stop pretending that your resentment is more than petty, biased vindictiveness...and buy some diapers.

No, I really just had to piss last weekend and my bladder almost burst while I was waiting in line (maybe the diapers will help? Worth looking into). And the field is a joke, if you heard some of the things people were yelling during the Broncos game in the stands you'd think my criticisms were tame by comparison. I don't know the man (or his business partners) personally, and I have no financial stake in any of it, which is what you seem to be implying (though the team did screw a number of 40+ year season ticket holders over that I know by moving them from the 50 to the corner and jacking up prices, but I have no personal stake in that and can't blame that solely on Kraft).

I appreciate what he has done for the Patriots as a team by saving them from the grasps of owners who would've gladly moved a crappy product out to St. Louis or Los Angeles and keeping them in New England, and clearly I'm a bit upset about the past couple of weeks. But a lot of people defend Kraft like he's the one who won the three Super Bowls. He got lucky by getting the Golden Boy at QB. Without a lucky throwaway 6th round pick and a hit by Mo Lewis, Kraft's not putting the best product in the NFL on the field (like he is now) and relatively minor things like the lack of bathrooms and horrible field conditions look a lot worse in the big picture. That said, he is a fan of the team, but his overall goal is to turn a profit, and he does it very well, all the while putting a good team on the field. I'd rather have Kraft as an owner than, say, Daniel Snyder, who's just awful, or Al Davis or Art Modell or any one of a number of other people (and in fact most people), but he didn't win the 3 Super Bowls. Tom Brady and the Patriots team did, and when turning a profit begins to come before the product on the field (as I fear it is), that's when I get a little worried and start to criticise.

 

[RayClay]

Phun Phact

Doug Gabriel alone equals Deions production repeat

Doug Gabriel alone equals Deions production

both have 24 catches and DB has 344 yards DG has 332 yards

We have to listen to all this crap for 12 freaking yards less production?

What the hell am I missing?

 

[fgssand]

No, I really just had to piss last weekend and my bladder almost burst while I was waiting in line (maybe the diapers will help? Worth looking into). And the field is a joke, if you heard some of the things people were yelling during the Broncos game in the stands you'd think my criticisms were tame by comparison. I don't know the man (or his business partners) personally, and I have no financial stake in any of it, which is what you seem to be implying (though the team did screw a number of 40+ year season ticket holders over that I know by moving them from the 50 to the corner and jacking up prices, but I have no personal stake in that and can't blame that solely on Kraft).

I appreciate what he has done for the Patriots as a team by saving them from the grasps of owners who would've gladly moved a crappy product out to St. Louis or Los Angeles and keeping them in New England, and clearly I'm a bit upset about the past couple of weeks. But a lot of people defend Kraft like he's the one who won the three Super Bowls. He got lucky by getting the Golden Boy at QB. Without a lucky throwaway 6th round pick and a hit by Mo Lewis, Kraft's not putting the best product in the NFL on the field (like he is now) and relatively minor things like the lack of bathrooms and horrible field conditions look a lot worse in the big picture. That said, he is a fan of the team, but his overall goal is to turn a profit, and he does it very well, all the while putting a good team on the field. I'd rather have Kraft as an owner than, say, Daniel Snyder, who's just awful, or Al Davis or Art Modell or any one of a number of other people (and in fact most people), but he didn't win the 3 Super Bowls. Tom Brady and the Patriots team did, and when turning a profit begins to come before the product on the field (as I fear it is), that's when I get a little worried and start to criticise.

I don't know the man either - but I can tell you of my experiences which fly in the face of yours.

I am a 40 year season ticket holder and was treated with respect and class when it was my time to get my seats assigned. Since the new seats were more expensive, I was given a CHOICE to take more expensive lower bowl sidelines or less expensive 200 level corners. After my initial letter, I called the ticket office and they nicely showed me all of my options. I chose the lowers and couldn't be happier. Why don't you ask those that you say got screwed if the even bothered to do any diligence at all or just accepted what they were given. Seems to me one is responsible for what one gets in this life.

I find bathrooms to be plentiful - or do you choose to go when 50,000 out of 60,000 decide it's time? I guess for you there should be a urinal at every seat. I take a proactive approach and go when there is a TV timeout, I can get in and out and back to my seat without missing a play - or are you so out of shape it takes you 20 min to walk a flight of stairs??

The sod problem is a mystery and I think you would find the Kraft's have spent more Than anybody on the field, just poor planning is all and I suppose you can blame them for that.

As for the product - I think the Kraft's can stand on the record since they bought the club as they are second to NO ONE. Luck is the residue of design and there was lots of great planning by ownership to bring us what they have (hiring Belichick alone took guts and strength) not to mention their planning every single move ahead of time to create this tremendous franchise after they were about to be put into receivership. Where is the recognition for anything the Krafts have done from you? I know, they were "lucky" - rigghhhht.

Go ahead - fire some more ridiculous shots at the Kraft's, they hear it from ungrateful fans like you everyday.

 

[shmessy]

Ultimately, they were responsible for letting Branch go, and in my opinion, this is ultimately why Brady is faltering.

Branch and Brady had an intangible element to their game, they were sync'd as players, and a friends. Like Harrison/Manning, and to a lesser degree Pennington/Coles, Big Ben/Ward, Brees/Colston, Vick/Crumpler...that "mojo" is irreplaceable. Having a go to guy on the field adds an element of mental comfort, which I feel adds to Brady's ability to make his reads.

Yeah, he "throws to the open guy", but when you don't know when the next guy is going to be open, you tend to panic, and make mistakes. Regardless of what people can say, BRANCH could SEPARATE from 99% of the CBs in the league. They essentially kicked out Brady's crutch, both on the football field and on a mental level.

I blame the Krafts.

Is your postername "Iron Helmet" because of what the staff makes you wear so as not to hurt yourself in the classroom?

BTW, those 5 combos you envy? A combined 1 (ONE) SB Championship amongst them. The one combo that does have a ring is now 3-6 this year.

Any questions?

 

[shmessy]

Phun Phact

Doug Gabriel alone equals Deions production repeat

Doug Gabriel alone equals Deions production

both have 24 catches and DB has 344 yards DG has 332 yards

We have to listen to all this crap for 12 freaking yards less production?

What the hell am I missing?

It's even better than that.

Let's compare the production next year and beyond when we can justifiably judge Gabriel AND THE FIRST ROUNDER against Branch.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Ultimately, they were responsible for letting Branch go, and in my opinion, this is ultimately why Brady is faltering.

Branch and Brady had an intangible element to their game, they were sync'd as players, and a friends. Like Harrison/Manning, and to a lesser degree Pennington/Coles, Big Ben/Ward, Brees/Colston, Vick/Crumpler...that "mojo" is irreplaceable. Having a go to guy on the field adds an element of mental comfort, which I feel adds to Brady's ability to make his reads.

Yeah, he "throws to the open guy", but when you don't know when the next guy is going to be open, you tend to panic, and make mistakes. Regardless of what people can say, BRANCH could SEPARATE from 99% of the CBs in the league. They essentially kicked out Brady's crutch, both on the football field and on a mental level.

I blame the Krafts.

while i think this criticism is premature and while i also don't think you can "blame the Krafts" without acknowledging that Piolichick shares the responsibility for the Branch decision, i think you do make a valid point about the role that Deion (whatever his claim, or lack thereof, to the status of a "Number 1" NFL WR) played in the offense and in Brady's approach to the game. However, only time will tell the true impact of the decision to let him go on this season (i.e., how Brady adapts in December and January) and on the future (i.e., what we do with that first round draft pick).

 

[Pats726]

"We want Victor..we want victor!!!! We want Victor"..."Not the Krafts They are bad..Victor Kiam in his plaid...Robert, Jonathon Myrha too Victor Kiam is our guru".......
"But he died in 2001..5 years ago!!!!"
"Oh..."
"Victor Kiam ...."

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Add me to those criticizing the Kraft family for a LOUSY playing surface. Despite the fact that both teams played on the same field it was our QB who slipped and fell TWICE on that surface resulting in no gain plays losing downs. Fortunately we have a kicker who can make FGs on a lousy playing field in bad weather.

I sit right on the field and yelled "Nice going Kraft fix your lousy field!" Then two security guys came right over and gave me the evil eye. On reflection I should have continued, got thrown out and missed the rest of the crappy game.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Add me to those criticizing the Kraft family for a LOUSY playing surface. Despite the fact that both teams played on the same field it was our QB who slipped and fell TWICE on that surface resulting in no gain plays losing downs. Fortunately we have a kicker who can make FGs on a lousy playing field in bad weather.

I sit right on the field and yelled "Nice going Kraft fix your lousy field!" Then two security guys came right over and gave me the evil eye. On reflection I should have continued, got thrown out and missed the rest of the crappy game.

Maybe the were giving you the "evil eye" because you were flashing the cheerleaders?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Maybe the were giving you the "evil eye" because you were flashing the cheerleaders?

Nah, too small to be seen from the field.
I have the 'Irish problem'.

 

[vyrago]

As has been repeated ad nauseum, Kraft leaves the football decisions to Belioli, that was part of the deal. It has to do with buying and cooking the groceries as a roundish former coach famously put it.

The coaches, players, and the Krafts wanted real grass, but the shape and parameters of the stadium plus the short grass growing season make that impossible, especially when it's a multiple use stadium. A short-term fix was applied before Sunday's game and a longer term fix is being applied today.

Ticket prices are what they are because the Krafts used their own money, not the taxpayers' to build Gillette.

Noise--yeah. There they are behind that glass where no one can hear them SPEAK UP DAMN YOU!!!!

Actually, I do agree here though. It's the club seats filled with wusses who don't want to get wet or catch a chill or are closing some deal that are the problem, not to mention the shape of the stadium. It doesn't hold noise, much less echo and enhance it.

 

[Iron Helmet]

Mistake not to keep Branch?

I agree. We should have paid Branch like the top 10 WR he is NOT.

Not that I can tell the future, but my guess would be that if Branch was signed, his numbers would be top 15. With the repore he and Brady had, he WAS a top WR in our system.

 

[Iron Helmet]

Helmut is so right. Look what happened to us after Terry Glenn.

We're the worst 6-3 team in history. We should demand the Krafts sell the team to Los Angelas and rid of us of this burden.

Right now Irving Fryer is shaking his head. The shame of it all.

You miss the point, but actually make mine for me. Bledsoe and Glenn had a "repore" together. Someone recognized this...namely Bill Parcells...he reunited them. The value of this QB/WR connection has value. Brady and Branch would only need to look at eachother to change a route. That type of communication comes with years of working together and is extremely valuable in the NFL.

My point is, we are not a sh!tty team, but it was a mistake losing Branch.

 

[Iron Helmet]

I think you should follow a team like the Texans..or Frisco..the way they are now.. you MAY appreciate what this team has done.. as for keeping Branch THAt was hardly a mistake to give into a whining classless baby like Branch..I'll take a first rounder any day...over a phony punk..AND he's not even in the top 15 receivers..

Funny that you smash the guy that was our SB MVP. He is not a phony, and I am sure that Brady would back me up on this (as would the rest of the team). He got fair market value. Just from someone else.

 

[Iron Helmet]

Phun Phact

Doug Gabriel alone equals Deions production repeat

Doug Gabriel alone equals Deions production

both have 24 catches and DB has 344 yards DG has 332 yards

We have to listen to all this crap for 12 freaking yards less production?

What the hell am I missing?

Phun Phact

Your comparison is a joke. Not that you can, but a fair comparison would be what Branch's numbers would be if he were on the field instead of Gabriel, playing with Brady.

Lets see: Senaca Wallace throwing to me on a team I walked onto or a 3 time SB QB that I have worked with for years...who is going to allow me to excel and put up numbers? DUH

Phun Phact