Chat with Gregg Easterbrook

[mykl]

I'm not going to participate, but if anyone wants an opportunity to rip into Gregg Easterbrook some more, he is having a chat over at ESPN at 2 PM today.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=17854

 

[SVN]

a lot of the chats are filtered. only questiosn which espn wants to put up will be....this chat is being done specially because of last week's column. All this is planned by ESPN to increase their hits and ratings.

 

[BradyFTW!]

" Gregg Easterbrook: (1:59 PM ET ) Does everyone cheat? That is one of the two unanswered questions of the scandal, and I wish sports reporters, or the New York Times, were working to try to answer it.

Rumors -- sorry, we're not allowed to use the word "rumors!" on ESPN -- OK, unconfirmed reports continue to circulate that the Patriots stuff destroyed by the NFL contained evidence Belichick had collected of other clubs cheating too. This may explain why none of the NFL owners has publicly demanded the destruction be explained. "

What a ******* ******. I'm not sure what's worse, that he thinks that ESPN reports facts or that he waffled again.
FWIW, I like this explanation. Even though it's pretty clear that Belichick didn't think that things would ever escalate to where they did, it would be like him to have dirt on all the other teams that do it just as a contingency plan.

 

[shmessy]

" Gregg Easterbrook: (1:59 PM ET ) Does everyone cheat? That is one of the two unanswered questions of the scandal, and I wish sports reporters, or the New York Times, were working to try to answer it.

Rumors -- sorry, we're not allowed to use the word "rumors!" on ESPN -- OK, unconfirmed reports continue to circulate that the Patriots stuff destroyed by the NFL contained evidence Belichick had collected of other clubs cheating too. This may explain why none of the NFL owners has publicly demanded the destruction be explained. "

What a ******* ******. I'm not sure what's worse, that he thinks that ESPN reports facts or that he waffled again.

FINALLY!!!!!!

Someone in the national media has stumbled on the REAL story (ironic that it was this idiot Easterbrooke who mentions it today).

.......and this is why BB is in a burning rage right now. He's been the whipping boy on this and has had his butt spanked, but he has the rest of the league dead to right on the fact that they ALL did it.

Meanwhile Kraft has impressed upon him to keep quiet "for the good of the game" and to help out Kraft's buddy Goodell.

My guess regarding the BB $500,000 fine - - is that it cost Kraft an extra $2 million in payments to BB just for going along.

 

[BradyManny]

.......and this is why BB is in a burning rage right now. He's been the whipping boy on this and has had his butt spanked, but he has the rest of the league dead to right on the fact that they ALL did it.

Meanwhile Kraft has impressed upon him to keep quiet "for the good of the game" and to help out Kraft's buddy Goodell.

My guess regarding the BB $500,000 fine - - is that it cost Kraft an extra $2 million in payments to BB just for going along.

I actually just think BB is that gangsta that he doesn't give a shyt what people think about him, and would rather not rat out other teams. No amount of money or convincing could talk him out of defending himself and ratting out other coaches if he wanted to clear his name. If that was his priority, he'd do it. But he doesn't. And he'd be one hell of a mobster for it. He is putting the NFL, the game and everything else ahead of himself and his name for the sake of principle. Basically, BB is wearing a "stop snitching" shirt 24x7 and throwing it in Mangina's face.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I wonder if ESPN's "no rumors" mandate was in effect when half of the staff there was wildly speculating about the microphone in Pats' d-line shoulderpads? And that's not even getting into Easterbrook's original theories about the destruction of evidence. How was that bull****, which headlined the main page, any less rumor than this?

As big an idiot as Easterbrook is, though, if he manages to "break" this story on a national stage, I'll almost forgive him. Still won't read him, because his column sucks, but it'll be a start.

 

[BradyManny]

As big an idiot as Easterbrook is, though, if he manages to "break" this story on a national stage, I'll almost forgive him. Still won't read him, because his column sucks, but it'll be a start.

I'll forgive him b/c it'll mean that his bias based against the Patriots wasn't just some irrational, inexplicable hatred of BB. It'll just mean he's a whore for sensationalist journalism, the whoriest media whore there could be.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I'll forgive him b/c it'll mean that his bias based against the Patriots wasn't just some irrational, inexplicable hatred of BB. It'll just mean he's a whore for sensationalist journalism, the whoriest media whore there could be.

And that is acceptable... how? Even if true, he's still been out at the front of the mob with his torch and pitchfork for a good while now, and, on account of people generally being idiots who believe the media, has possibly done more to create anti-Patriots sentiment than anyone else.

He's really getting grilled on the Pats though, it's almost respectable that he keeps choosing to answer some tough questions, when at any given moment he could tag one of 20 from any of his fluffers over in Indy. Too bad he's sticking mostly to non-answers (kind of brings one back to his whole non-denial denial speech from a while back).

 

[shmessy]

I actually just think BB is that gangsta that he doesn't give a shyt what people think about him, and would rather not rat out other teams. No amount of money or convincing could talk him out of defending himself and ratting out other coaches if he wanted to clear his name. If that was his priority, he'd do it. But he doesn't. And he'd be one hell of a mobster for it. He is putting the NFL, the game and everything else ahead of himself and his name for the sake of principle. Basically, BB is wearing a "stop snitching" shirt 24x7 and throwing it in Mangina's face.

The great Curran piece today shows again that he doesn't care what the current media says about him NOW. But he DOES have an appreciation and deep love of NFL history - - so his legacy is important to him.

Why do you think he gave keys to the castle to Halberstam? Don't forget, he made sure that Michael Holley was taking a SABBATICAL during the Patriot Reign book project.

He dismisses the current, ink stained wretch media. He has respect and honor for the historical media.

 

[BradyManny]

And that is acceptable... how? Even if true, he's still been out at the front of the mob with his torch and pitchfork for a good while now, and, on account of people generally being idiots who believe the media, has possibly done more to create anti-Patriots sentiment than anyone else.

Oh, it's not acceptable at all. I'll stay hate the guy and stay away from his pieces at all cost. But if he does bring to light cheating that other teams have done, then he'd be just another mediot instead of the biggest Patriot basher out there right now, slight difference is all.

 

[BradyManny]

The great Curran piece today shows again that he doesn't care what the current media says about him NOW. But he DOES have an appreciation and deep love of NFL history - - so his legacy is important to him.

Why do you think he gave keys to the castle to Halberstam? Don't forget, he made sure that Michael Holley was taking a SABBATICAL during the Patriot Reign book project.

He dismisses the current, ink stained wretch media. He has respect and honor for the historical media.

That's a good point, I think this is all very true. This is why I feel Patriot fans have a responsibility to combat the ignorance and the witch-hunt mentality that have tarnished BB's name. BB doesn't have the opportunity to protect his legacy, so his fans should do what they can, as in, when people like Easterbook go off, we have and should make the voice of patsfans heard.

 

[BradyFTW!]

David (Ann Arbor, MI): Which of the following scenarios would you prefer: The Belicheck tapes are made public, exposing blatant cheating, even in the Super Bowl. The NFL is plunged into ignominious scandal and a whole season is branded with an asterisk as the league scrambles to do damage control. or The tapes are destroyed and the Patriots cruise to the Super Bowl yet again. The NFL retains its massive popularity and Roger Goodell continues his campaign to make the NFL a more disciplined and admirable organization.

Gregg Easterbrook: (2:31 PM ET ) I suspect the owners and the management committee may have reasoned exactly along these lines. But history teaches that scandal always comes out in the end, and then seems worse because of the coverup. Better just to state the truth.

And there he goes again. So much for the ESPN-mandated rumor ban. That was short-lived, and coincidentally only lasted just long enough to kill the only potentially favorable thing he's said about the Pats this year.

 

[khayos]

Yay he took my question:

Jim (Hyannis MA): Gregg - if there was widespread proof of "cheating" by other clubs and Belichick, being the student of NFL history that he is, was forced to 'fall on his sword' to protect the overall integrity of the league -- and this is a scenario you yourself seem to advocate -- aren't you being hypocritical to accuse Belichick of being a bad guy when he, in fact, may be sacrificing his legacy for the greater good?

EDIT:
And he subsequently side-stepped it:

Gregg Easterbrook: (2:47 PM ET ) If this is what's happened, then the league must reveal what was in those files.

 

[Oswlek]

Yay he took my question:

Jim (Hyannis MA): Gregg - if there was widespread proof of "cheating" by other clubs and Belichick, being the student of NFL history that he is, was forced to 'fall on his sword' to protect the overall integrity of the league -- and this is a scenario you yourself seem to advocate -- aren't you being hypocritical to accuse Belichick of being a bad guy when he, in fact, may be sacrificing his legacy for the greater good?

EDIT:
And he subsequently side-stepped it:

Gregg Easterbrook: (2:47 PM ET ) If this is what's happened, then the league must reveal what was in those files.

That was a complete non-answer if I've ever seen one.

Edit: So, without seeing the files we can safely conclude that NE was guilty of widespread cheating on nearly every level. But without seeing the files, we can conclude nothing about a plausible scenerio that he himself brought up?

 

[Fixit]

Yay he took my question:

Jim (Hyannis MA): Gregg - if there was widespread proof of "cheating" by other clubs and Belichick, being the student of NFL history that he is, was forced to 'fall on his sword' to protect the overall integrity of the league -- and this is a scenario you yourself seem to advocate -- aren't you being hypocritical to accuse Belichick of being a bad guy when he, in fact, may be sacrificing his legacy for the greater good?

EDIT:
And he subsequently side-stepped it:

Gregg Easterbrook: (2:47 PM ET ) If this is what's happened, then the league must reveal what was in those files.

Damn. I popped in here to post this excellent question. Nicely done. I can't believe he didn't answer it.

 

[SVN]

That was a complete non-answer if I've ever seen one.

yup he ignored my paste of the manning vs houston stats. Maybe someone else needs to post it.

 

[SVN]

says this about kraft

Dave (NOLA): Gregg-- It seems that Kraft is always schemign and tooting his own horns. What say you?

SportsNation Gregg Easterbrook: (2:49 PM ET ) Robert Kraft has done a fabulous job running the Pats. They're successful, profitable, have good community relations. He's a generous donor to many causes, including Columbia University. Kraft is one of the league's good guys.

 

[shmessy]

Yay he took my question:

Jim (Hyannis MA): Gregg - if there was widespread proof of "cheating" by other clubs and Belichick, being the student of NFL history that he is, was forced to 'fall on his sword' to protect the overall integrity of the league -- and this is a scenario you yourself seem to advocate -- aren't you being hypocritical to accuse Belichick of being a bad guy when he, in fact, may be sacrificing his legacy for the greater good?

EDIT:
And he subsequently side-stepped it:

Gregg Easterbrook: (2:47 PM ET ) If this is what's happened, then the league must reveal what was in those files.

I just posted the question: Gregg, did you just sidestep Jim from Hyannis' question?

He prob won't answer it.

 

[SVN]

with all our questions , he has acheived what he wanted. more hits for ESPN

 

[khayos]

I tried one last one:

Gregg, are you concerned your legacy may be as a harsh critic of the man you called 'the greatest coach ever' rather than a satirical sports commentator?