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

[JetFan79]

Fire and Fury 2?

 

[ANGR89]

Wow they see everything looking really good for the Patriots heading into the playoffs so time to make a distraction! And people wonder why Bill is the way he is with the media!

 

[TB_Helmet]

Unquestionably exaggerated, but they were going to be at a crossroads with Garropolo/Brady no matter what - and even if Jimmy winds up being THE next Brady, Brady has done enough for this organization to be able to run out his final years on HIS terms

That certainly flies in the face of Belichick making all "football" decisions but this transcends "football" and it seems plausible to me that Kraft may have asserted himself in backing Brady, who may have been insulted that despite playing at MVP level at age 40 was still having to fend off the young QB with "potential" in the wings

Long term was it the right decision? We shall see. But Kraft likely saw the fan reaction to benching Eli Manning and wanted to avoid such strife among the fan base and in the locker room

If you ask me that's an appropriate role for the owner, to look at the true "Big" picture beyond the Xs and Os of football.

My gut says Belichick might have wanted a few more years post Brady to show that he could win with another QB however - so yeah, he might retire sooner than later now - and I won't rule him out going to another team to show he can be a success with another team as well.

It's what Parcells always said - a good coach can take his and beat yours, but a truly great coach can take yours and beat his! Belichick may want to prove that.

Still the right call by Kraft - the GOAT gets to finish his career with the Patriots - period.

Jimmy G was traded before Eli was benched so there's at least one gaping hole in this massive speculative theory.

 

[bormio]

Wild card week - the one week the Patriots should be irrelevant. But the media has to have a Patriots story - no one gives a rat’s ass about the Jags, Rams, Titans, Vikings etc. So here we go again. Harrison, the snow, Tom hates Bill - gotta talk about the Pats.

 

[Franchise12]

Every year, without fail, these journalist sons of *****es attempt to drum up distractions.

 

[Marko]

I just love the inferences that people cone up with. In regards to Jimmy G it would be in the Kraft's best interest to keep Jimmy and have the potential for another 10 year run, where realistically BB would probably be more interested in winning now with Brady, and not risking rookie mistakes ending a season. But everyone infers this father son relationship with Kraft and Brady, when Kraft has a real son who would probably best be served by planning for the future. I don't know why the media likes to take a few incidents and weave a fairy tale full if complete conjecture. It truly feels like they are trying to create problems sometimes.

 

[SVN]

i dont know what his source is or if he is joking after reading the volin column or making a true statement.

 

[AtomicDawg]

and its always conveniently released when the Patriots are in a playoff run or about to play in the Super Bowl

They probably plan on hammering this story the entire off-season to keep their ratings up during the dreaded NFL Blackout period... Deflategate had the NFL, ESPN and everyone else in the news cycle 24/7.. from the build up to the Superbowl, through the entire off-season, training camp and into the regular season

I feel like I live in a fantasy world sometimes.. these pieces are just so obvious, TMZ level ******** and they just recycle the same methods/tactics every single time... like the walking dead plotline...

People saying "should be a fascinating article" lolol.. are you ****ing serious? Anyone who thinks that will be or is a fascinating article must be one of the dumbest carbon lifeforms on planet earth

When I first read the tweet, I thought it was supposed to be sarcastic, sort of like theonion.com.. then I quickly realized that he was 100% serious and all the media slugs are peeing their panties over the thought of being able to open that hole in their face and make noises about the Patriots to get attention/ratings.. as if the media slugs worthless existence has any meaning or value whatsoever... Hint: They dont.



Its just getting so old.. its so crazy that this is the norm now, and its because the drooling masses eat it up by the gallon.. which makes it that much more frustrating that these CLOWNS are actually getting people's attention and making lots of money doing it.

Total twilight zone level stuff at play here.. dont worry ESPN, Brady's fame and publicity will keep your **** hole company afloat for 1 more off-season

I'm just gonna pop in my 3 Games to Glory DVDs 1-5 This weekend and not give a **** what ESPN or any other hating organization feels the need to publish this week. On to the Bye week.

 

[farn]

It’s ridiculous. You don’t trade the GOAT playing at an MVP level to turn your team over to an unproven hopeful.

I agree. But don’t forget : turning to an unproven hopeful is how this whole awesome ride started. (Yes, it was precipitated by an injury and Bledsoe was hardly Brady)

 

[AtomicDawg]

i dont know what his source is or if he is joking after reading the volin column or making a true statement.

It seems like it's a true statement since K&C have picked up on it. Although YMMV on that one.

 

[CutiePie]

Given BB's track record, there's no doubt in my mind that BB was planning on option A & that if he got Kraft's support, the Patriot dynasty would have run another 10 years and Tom Brady's teenage fangirls would have completely gotten over it within two years.

this

i'm not saying its true

i'm saying is definitely plausible

and the way so many people throw a tantrum about it being possible is funny

 

[JarOfMayo51]

I know everyone wants to totally dismiss this, and normally I'd be inclined to agree. But when Curran and Reiss, both of whom are among the most trustworthy and well-connected reporters to the team, haven't totally dismissed the rift around Guerrero or Kraft's influence in the Jimmy G trade, I wonder. Because it's Wickersham, I expect it to be like the article from earlier in the year--a lot of sentences written to sound more flammable than they really are, some distorted stuff and fuel for Pats haters, but perhaps some truth too (As was the case with Guerrero).

Even if it were true, it literally doesn't matter... They're the #1 seed preparing for a playoff run and a potential 6th SB title

Anyone that thinks Brady, Kraft and BB are having little cat fights in Gilette Stadium as they prepare for this potentially record setting title run because of some "rift" is literally someone who's opinion is 100% worthless.

These are grown men at the highest level of their craft and are ultra competitive.... the pencil pushing weasels in the media don't matter... and they continue to do crap like this because they actually think they matter. Its so pathetic how desperate and obvious they are about stuff now, but they have no shame... they will make sure to have their TMZ talkshows and make a few bucks... even if it means being a slimy little creton

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Prepare yourself for some ********.

We're on to the bye week

 

[AtomicDawg]

Fire and Fury 2?

Unlike the Jets special.....

 

[Uncle Rico]

...

Meanwhile there will be four big playoff games this weekend and, as always, all anyone will want to talk about will be the Patriots.

Point proven: The top headline on the nfl.com “news” column right now is “Patriots practice indoors. ...”

 

[Ring 6]

I agree. But don’t forget : turning to an unproven hopeful is how this whole awesome ride started. (Yes, it was precipitated by an injury and Bledsoe was hardly Brady)

And how many unproven hopefuls became tom Brady?
The bar was drew freaking Bledsoe.

Jimmy G could be a top 10 QBs for the next 15 years and brady from 2017 forward would still be worth more to the patriots

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Great! Every time Brady gets criticized, he plays even better. Just what we needed.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

did someone say espn ? pfffffft....they should worry about their own backyard. besides they haven't been credible in 25 yrs. shocking that guy has the word sham in his name.

 

[bormio]

I agree. But don’t forget : turning to an unproven hopeful is how this whole awesome ride started. (Yes, it was precipitated by an injury and Bledsoe was hardly Brady)

And the Pats had not won 2 of last 3 SB.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

We'll find out if this is a hit piece or not, as soon as the seasons over, because if the trio is breaking up, we know Kraft & Brady aren't going anywhere. Honestly, I've been losing sleep over this exact scenario since the minute JG was traded because the only logical explanation for the trade was that Kraft forced BB to make it.

How big of a disaster would it be if BB leaves after Matty P & McDaniels depart? It'll be 1997 all over again...

The only logical explanation is that Kraft forced BB to trade Jimmy G? I think you need to double-check Webster's definitions of "only" and "logical." What's too hard to believe about:

- BB loved Jimmy G and wanted to keep him as long as possible in case Brady declined or got injured, which included turning down trade offers in the offseason.

- By this year's trade deadline, he learned that Brady is still the GOAT with no decline to date, and that Jimmy G didn't want to resign here because he wanted a chance to start.

- Belichick thought it would be a detriment to the team to tag Jimmy G and spend $50m (30% of the salary cap) at the QB position in 2018, and he also thought tagging and trading like he did with Cassel was too risky and messed up with his team building process during the offseason taking up too much time (remember the 2009 team was the worst Pats team this past decade)

- Kraft told BB that if you trade Brady and keep Jimmy G, you better damn well be sure of it. Meanwhile Brady is still the best QB in the NFL currently.

- Belichick then works out the best deal he could with someone outside the conference, but someone he knows will help Jimmy because yes, Belichick does actually care about his players personally.
He then signs a reasonable backup in Hoyer who will carry the torch while BB looks for another successor.

I mean, the above may not be accurate and may paint too rosy of a picture, but it's a heck of a lot more logical to me than Kraft forcing Belichick to make it, and shows it's not the only logical option.

Anyway, let's see what's actually in the article so we have a basis to accept/question the accusations.