ESPN hitpiece on Patriots (Rift with Brady/Belichick/Kraft) - Merged

[captain insano]

That statement alone shows you have zero confidence in BB the GM.

you are just upset it might be true. and you don't want to hear about it. I don't blame you. it would really suck.

 

[Ivan]

you are just upset it might be true. and you don't want to hear about it. I don't blame you. it would really suck.

Absolutely. Just like that story about deflating footballs so Brady would be a good player. That was wicked true.

 

[Betterthanmost]

you are just upset it might be true. and you don't want to hear about it. I don't blame you. it would really suck.

Of course it is true, I mean the rift between the organization has translated onto the field. We are only able to win 13 games instead of going undefeated.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Bedard SI Merry Xmas piece
(Note Hat tip of thanks to Friendly Boston Globe, and the Lovely Mz Felger.)

538
538 As promoted by Bleacher report
Included inBR daily email/stories.
*
I did not think my opinion of modern media could get any lower.
Vega$ Calling.

What else could it be?

This feels as orchestrated as a the now common modern political hits.

There’s nothing wrong with the piece on Brady’s and Guerrero’s snake oil.

 

[FCB02062]

I'm not sure he was "hated". Once he started using stopwatches at draft tryouts, moving to Hartford and throwing back gin n tonics I was done w him.

In my circle, guys all now in early to mid 40s, we HATED kraft for not letting Tuna pick the groceries...all season ticket holders too...and to add salt to the wound, the Pats and Bobby Grier got absolutely garbage for the multitude of picks they got for tuna

 

[Bella*chick]

If Garoppolo doesn’t play well in SF, is this story even written?

I somehow doubt it.

 

[jri37]

Okay, I set the under/over at 7 for unnamed sources and people commenting off the record in the work of fiction tomorrow.

 

[borg]

As a back seat GM and water cooler gossip monger….lets toss out some crap for digestion:

-No doubt in my mind Guerrero is the Pats snitch. The guy is an opportunist extraordinaire / snake oil salesmen who has never passed up a chance to operate in dark zones. He's Brady's BFF /confidant….he's been recently scorned by the organization…and all of a sudden we're learning about Brady's maneuvering? Surprise surprise.

-I absolutely believe Brady went to Bob Kraft to make sure his place in the organization is secure for the foreseeable future. At some point we all need to accept that even TB12 doesn't believe he should be treated like every other player. He understands his special status and used it to his advantage. Whether BB was actually considering dumping Brady after the season will likely be never known, but Brady no doubt remembers that Bill sought out his replacement four years ago.

-Who knows what the BB / Brady relationship is really like. Bill doesn't seem like the type of guy players confide in with intimate details and I have never heard of anything more than a coach/player relationship between the two. But we know Brady sees Kraft as a father figure and that is a meaningful relationship in Brady's world….someone he could easily confide in. I think so.

-BB is a pragmatist. He is only sentimental in the offseason when he talks about former players. He prefers to live in the now. And now, he has a 40 yr old QB who has been the only 40 yr old QB to defy mother nature. The pragmatist cannot believe this anomaly will continue much longer…..especially if the creator of Brady's road to eternal youth happens to be a snake oil salesman who he just tossed out of the building. I also believe Bill prefers certainty. Brady could walk away at any time, Brady could age over night. Brady's special status could become too much of a distraction. Garappolo offered none of these uncertainties.

-I have also wondered how long BB could tolerate Kraft. Working for anyone for almost two decades has to wear on the parties involved. BB is grinding out the sausage every day securing an unprecedented level of success while helping boost Kraft's net worth in multiples never seen before. I'm surprised this board has never tossed around the subject: Does BB deserve an ownership stake in NE? Has Brady been promised an ownership stake after retirement?

-Which gets me to Jonathan….aka……lucky sperm club member who is likely chomping at the bit to take control sooner rather than later….God help us. Though I speculate about giving away pieces of equity to coach and QB, I doubt the Kraft spawn would be eager to divy up crumbs from their inevitable slices.
Regarding who is demanding credit for the Pats success, I can easily see Jonathan puffing his chest out proclaiming the Krafts stir this drink.

One topic I've never read about is the succession plan when Bob leaves us. Typically the tax burden is too severe for families to retain their teams, especially at current valuations.


We'll see what the hit piece says. Without any real idea what is going on, I can only comment on human nature and survival instincts. Money, power, status…….all that is missing is some steamy……..

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I know Jimmy looks good but people are losing perspective. I suspect it's because he is a BB program product who trained under TB. His pedigree is noteworthy. But even as good as he looked with SF, in his NFL career he has 5 or 6 regular season game wins, no losses, no playoff experience, very very solid numbers. But 5 or 6 games career ain't much when speaking of a 20 million per year cost.

So let's say next year in his first full/almost full season Jimmy G amasses these numbers: 66% completion ratio, 8+ yards per attempt, 20 passing TDs, 1.3% INT ratio, averages 250 passing a game, 102+ QB rating for the season, and scrambles for 4 or 5 TDs too. Congratulations Jimmy G, you have equaled Robert Griffin III (those are RG3's general numbers in his first full season).
So let's say Jimmy G has the following numbers next year in his first full year: 64% comp ratio, 18 TD, 3% int ratio, 6.9 yards per attempt, averages 250 yards per game, 86 QB rating, no scramble TDs or noteworthy yards.
Congratulations Jimmy G, you now are officially the next Tom Brady (that's TB first full/nearly full year as a starter in the NFL).

New QB's lighting it up isn't unheard of. I forget the kid's name in Houston but this guy looks like 24 karat lightning in a bottle. He has looked phenomenal, raised 'Houston the team' to a potent level, brought them 5 out of 5 wins, and that was his first span of playing time (utterly crappy luck he got injured). I assume he is also the next can't miss Tom Brady who is about to get up to 20 million a year too?

 

[Ian]

Nothing in that clip says what Bruce Allen claimed. Allen made it sound like the article explicitly said Brady demanded they trade Jimmy G. All this reads is that Brady and Kraft are tight and Kraft told BB Jimmy had to go. That really hasn't been anything we didn't already hear. As far as "He (brady) Won!; well, yeah. He's still here.

This is more an indictment on Bruce Allen than anyone else.

As far as Bruce goes - the initial report came from someone who told him - not him throwing anything out there to stir the pot. He posted the snippet regarding the article, which omitted the original bit he mentioned, which he found curious but it didn't show up in his timeline because it was a reply to someone else:

Someone asked him:

"Let me see if I got this right.. Initially ESPN said that the article WOULD say that Brady went and asked for Jimmy to be traded. Now they’ve retracted that and are now saying the article will NOT say Brady went and asked for Jimmy to be traded?"



I've known Bruce a long, long time and believe me, he isn't a fan of ESPN and disagrees with any of these premises. He's one of the good ones

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Anything to distract the pats. Man I hope they used this run as motivation even if it could be the last time but I doubt it. Go pats!!

Anything to distract the Pats?? The HC traded 2 quarterbacks and threw Brady's twisted binky off the team plane all within weeks of each other IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON and the Lollipop Guild on this board denies anything is amiss.

These replies on this thread......you can't make this stuff up!!!!!

 

[Jackson 2]

Anything to distract the Pats?? The HC traded 2 quarterbacks and threw Brady's twisted binky off the team plane all within weeks of each other IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON and the Lollipop Guild on this board denies anything is amiss.

These replies on this thread......you can't make this stuff up!!!!!

Au contraire...if anyone can make **** up, it's you. Undisputed World Champion in that department, hands down.

 

[AtomicDawg]

 

[Pats2000]

I hope this doesn't happen and I don't think it will, but if there's Any truth to this, which I doubt. BB would probably go to the 49ers next year. We'd also probably get a couple of picks out of it. Small consolation for losing ghee best coach ever tho

 

[n6249c]

point about Guerrero is very good. I think you've nailed it. Plus he's not just in a position to hear what Brady tells him about conversations with Kraft and BB, he is in a position to sway Brady's attitudes towards them, or even suggest what Brady might say to them.

Also keep in mind that he has a strong motivation to drive a wedge between Brady and Belichick, because his gravy train depends on his being tight with Brady and Belichick is a threat to that.

Machiavellian.

As a back seat GM and water cooler gossip monger….lets toss out some crap for digestion:

-No doubt in my mind Guerrero is the Pats snitch. The guy is an opportunist extraordinaire / snake oil salesmen who has never passed up a chance to operate in dark zones. He's Brady's BFF /confidant….he's been recently scorned by the organization…and all of a sudden we're learning about Brady's maneuvering? Surprise surprise.

-I absolutely believe Brady went to Bob Kraft to make sure his place in the organization is secure for the foreseeable future. At some point we all need to accept that even TB12 doesn't believe he should be treated like every other player. He understands his special status and used it to his advantage. Whether BB was actually considering dumping Brady after the season will likely be never known, but Brady no doubt remembers that Bill sought out his replacement four years ago.

-Who knows what the BB / Brady relationship is really like. Bill doesn't seem like the type of guy players confide in with intimate details and I have never heard of anything more than a coach/player relationship between the two. But we know Brady sees Kraft as a father figure and that is a meaningful relationship in Brady's world….someone he could easily confide in. I think so.

-BB is a pragmatist. He is only sentimental in the offseason when he talks about former players. He prefers to live in the now. And now, he has a 40 yr old QB who has been the only 40 yr old QB to defy mother nature. The pragmatist cannot believe this anomaly will continue much longer…..especially if the creator of Brady's road to eternal youth happens to be a snake oil salesman who he just tossed out of the building. I also believe Bill prefers certainty. Brady could walk away at any time, Brady could age over night. Brady's special status could become too much of a distraction. Garappolo offered none of these uncertainties.

-I have also wondered how long BB could tolerate Kraft. Working for anyone for almost two decades has to wear on the parties involved. BB is grinding out the sausage every day securing an unprecedented level of success while helping boost Kraft's net worth in multiples never seen before. I'm surprised this board has never tossed around the subject: Does BB deserve an ownership stake in NE? Has Brady been promised an ownership stake after retirement?

-Which gets me to Jonathan….aka……lucky sperm club member who is likely chomping at the bit to take control sooner rather than later….God help us. Though I speculate about giving away pieces of equity to coach and QB, I doubt the Kraft spawn would be eager to divy up crumbs from their inevitable slices.
Regarding who is demanding credit for the Pats success, I can easily see Jonathan puffing his chest out proclaiming the Krafts stir this drink.

One topic I've never read about is the succession plan when Bob leaves us. Typically the tax burden is too severe for families to retain their teams, especially at current valuations.


We'll see what the hit piece says. Without any real idea what is going on, I can only comment on human nature and survival instincts. Money, power, status…….all that is missing is some steamy……..

 

[hornetfb85]

Look at me, look at me!!!!!!

 

[RhodyPatriot]

From Bedard's twitter:

Greg A. Bedard‏Verified account @GregABedard
Replying to @crow6729
Not in those words. More like constantly being in Kraft's ear about why Jimmy was still there, where Brady's extension was and how about some loyalty.

Remember when Brady's old man was telling the media that Tommy's time here in Foxborough would end badly?? Where do you think that came from?? Tommy has always been very insecure about Belichick's reputation for getting rid of aging veterans. Bill then drafts Garapollo, cites Tommy's age and contract status when doing so, Bill meets with the backup QB on a weekly basis, Adam Shafter is tweeting at draft time that Garapollo is off the table and BB won't trade him for 3 1st round picks.......and then in the middle of the season, after Jacoby Brissette was traded for a bag of footballs Belichick decides now is a really good time to trade my other backup QB and I won't shop him around to other teams and get the best deal possible I'll just call up my buddy John Lynch and take a 2nd round pick for him and he trades Jimmy Garappolo. Greg Bedard has it right. Tommy was crying to Kraft and Kraft forced the issue.
I don't believe Belichick is walking away this year. I do believe he will retire years earlier than he was planning to.

 

[Dr Pain]

Okay, I set the under/over at 7 for unnamed sources and people commenting off the record in the work of fiction tomorrow.

11 of 12 unnamed sources

 

[TBR]

I'll just say it: I hope Garoppolo is a major bust.

 

[Ian]

Make no mistake, I'm sure the majority of the article will be conjecture and a lot of insinuations to situations that are greatly exaggerated. However, judging by the recent column Curran wrote and some things that have been hinted at by other reporters, there's probably some smoke to go with the fire that several seem to be trying to start.

Local writers are tip-toeing around it, but won't really say anything of any detail (probably for the sake of trying to avoid any issues with the team), national guys are trying to overblow it and tomorrow will probably include some outrageous stuff, which we'll have to see how well it matches up with some of the things we've heard locally. So there's probably something going on that falls somewhere in the middle - but unfortunately, we probably won't really ever find out the facts until long after these two are gone. Either way, it's frustrating that it's being discussed leading up into another playoff run but given what we've dealt with over the years, we should be used to it I guess