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

[Observer]

I'm claiming that he couldn't honestly accept the wording of the statement without first having read the reports, because he wouldn't know the accuracy of the statement without doing so.

I haven't read the article either but I pretty much know all the claims from the radio and patsfans.

 

[Deus Irae]

I haven't read the article either but I pretty much know all the claims from the radio and patsfans.

"Pretty much" doesn't cut it for that statement.

I'm not sure why people feel the need to make bad arguments in order to defend something that's not even problematic. BB, like every other head coach in the NFL, sometimes doesn't tell the full truth to the media. If this is news to you, welcome to day one of your Patriots fandom.

 

[Kdo5]

Too many jealous people out there that would do anything to stop us.

And ironically every time they try it only fuels the fire for Brady, Belichick and the entire team. Hell even if there was some unspoken tension the fact that BSPN and the media have blown it out of proportion with fabrications and half truths probably brought all parties closer together.

They all hate the media, they can certainly rally behind that.

 

[Ross12]

He can't know the details article if the article is not read. No matter how you try to spin that, the truth is always going to remain the same. Your argument now is that someone else reading him the article passages doesn't count. How the hell you think that's a strong argument is something you'll have to reconcile with yourself, but it tell me that this line of discussion is over. BB was being shady. It's not the first time. It won't be the last. You can carry his water blindly, or you can accept that BB sometimes doesn't tell the whole truth. I don't care what you choose to do.

IMO - Bill has not read the article himself but was briefed on the contents. I highly doubt Bill would take the time to read an ESPN article about stuff that he personally already knows is not true. He's focused on Tennessee.

Yeah, that technically means that he's not completely honest by being part of the "unified" statement since he put his name to a statement saying things he hadn't personally read are false, but I'm certainly willing to give him a pass on that since he's obviously worried about more important things right now and trusted that his PR folks were giving him good intel.

 

[Deus Irae]

Yeah, that technically means that he's not completely honest by being part of the "unified" statement since he put his name to a statement saying things he hadn't personally read are false,

That's all I was saying. It's not a tough one to figure, but some seem to think I'm accusing BB of having committed some unspeakable act that must be defended at all costs.

but I'm certainly willing to give him a pass on that since he's obviously worried about more important things right now and trusted that his PR folks were giving him good intel.

I have no problem with him fudging the lines about what he's read. It's a pretty standard attempt to avoid discussion. He's a football coach. He shouldn't have to be dealing with this sort of soap opera.

Nobody believes players who say "I never read or watch the news", either, but we understand why they say it to us.

 

[Ross12]

That's all I was saying. It's not a tough one to figure, but some seem to think I'm accusing BB of having committed some unspeakable act that must be defended at all costs.



I have no problem with him fudging the lines about what he's read. It's a pretty standard attempt to avoid discussion. He's a football coach. He shouldn't have to be dealing with this sort of soap opera.

Nobody believes players who say "I never read or watch the news", either, but we understand why they say it to us.

Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. People are just defensive of Bill, but like you said, who really cares if he isn't 100% honest with the media? They sure as hell aren't 100% honest with him.

 

[jimnance]

For the record, Flowers also said it was possible that some rookies (he was referring to those from the south) might have used "sir" out of politeness to Brady being an older man newly met. That's not a surprise to me, as calling newly met men "sir" and newly met women "ma'am" is something I do.

Me too. I might've grown up on the streets of Dorchester and JP,but I married a southern girl and have lived in the South for 26th years. It's just reflex now and that includes calling much younger dudes "sir" as well. A little politeness never hurt anybody.
But I always had good manners,even going back to when I was a rowdy teenager in Boston. I NEVER took a seat on the T,which I rode a lot to work unless it was late night and almost empty. I would stare down young dudes-(some college students) who sat on the T while women and children struggled to keep their balance. It was an evil glare and it almost always worked- I never said a word, but they'd usually get up and offer the seats. My intent was unmistakeable. Then I usually nodded at them when they finally got off their asses. I wasn't really big, but I used to box and did some acting,lol,so I could make someone uncomfortable.
Anyway, I don't buy that Southerners have any better manners than us Yankees,as they call us. After all, don't think you can have worse manners than enslaving and terrorizing people,then instituting Jim Crow. A lot is how you're raised and I was raised right.
But the simple"ma'am" and "sir" down here is a nice thing. Could surely use more of it up there.

 

[Deus Irae]

Me too. I might've grown up on the streets of Dorchester and JP,but I married a southern girl and have lived in the South for 26th years. It's just reflex now and that includes calling much younger dudes "sir" as well. A little politeness never hurt anybody.
But I always had good manners,even going back to when I was a rowdy teenager in Boston. I NEVER took a seat on the T,which I rode a lot to work unless it was late night and almost empty. I would stare down young dudes-(some college students) who sat on the T while women and children struggled to keep their balance. It was an evil glare and it almost always worked- I never said a word, but they'd usually get up and offer the seats. My intent was unmistakeable. Then I usually nodded at them when they finally got off their asses. I wasn't really big, but I used to box and did some acting,lol,so I could make someone uncomfortable.
Anyway, I don't buy that Southerners have any better manners than us Yankees,as they call us. After all, don't think you can have worse manners than enslaving and terrorizing people,then instituting Jim Crow. A lot is how you're raised and I was raised right.
But the simple"ma'am" and "sir" down here is a nice thing. Could surely use more of it up there.

I'm with you for all but the bold. In my experience, true Southerners (not northern transplants or southern Floridians, and I acknowledge having always avoided Atlanta like the plague) are much more polite.

 

[TB_Helmet]

Is he saying that 30% of the black players are not proud of their African heritage?

 

[jri37]

No, it doesn't. But the existence of the award has been established by a player, on the record, and the saying of sir out of general politeness is certainly credible to me, since it's something I, myself, do.

Just to add... Danny Amendola was on OMF/EEI today and basically said that it was an organizational award and insinuated that award could go to non football personnel. He joked that the person shoveling snow could get it I guess as a way to say it isn't exclusive to players, I guess.

 

[TB_Helmet]

The “Patriot of the Week” and Brady being called “Sir” was a nice touch. Bet they could not believe Wickersham actually went with that stuff. Someone just scored the prank of the decade.

A lot of people on here are posting like Wickersham just made up the whole piece, didn't actually interview anyone, just wrote pure fiction and made up stories, etc.

I think there might be some of that, but I think other parts might be that his sources lied to him, either to prank (like you say) but maybe because they have an agenda.

For example, I could see a trainer hating Guerrero for infringing on their job and then making stuff up to Wickersham that he ran with. Guerrero comes off pretty bad in the article so that trainer's pretty happy right now.

Haven't seen too many people with that theory so, just speculation on my part, but certainly within the realm of possibility.

 

[Tunescribe]

Here's what the Patriots COULD have done:

* Trade Brady this coming off-season for first-rounder plus.
* Sign Garoppolo long-term.
* Trade BB to the Giants for two first-rounders and two second-rounders.
* Sign McDaniels as head coach and give Patricia/Caserio big $$$ to stay.

Solid franchise reboot for next 10 years complete.

 

[Ring 6]

That's all I was saying. It's not a tough one to figure, but some seem to think I'm accusing BB of having committed some unspeakable act that must be defended at all costs.



I have no problem with him fudging the lines about what he's read. It's a pretty standard attempt to avoid discussion. He's a football coach. He shouldn't have to be dealing with this sort of soap opera.

Nobody believes players who say "I never read or watch the news", either, but we understand why they say it to us.

I am quite sure that if belichick spent the weekend studying, highlighting, dissecting and sleeping with the article, he would have said he didn’t read it.
For anyone in his position that us the logical, sensible thing to do.
Otherwise you start an incessant string of questions about the minutiae in the article that he has no interest in discussing in a playoff week.
It’s a shorthand version of “were on to Cincinnati” but serves the additional purpose that despite all the hysteria it created to him it’s not worth a ten minute read on the ****ter.

Adding I wouldn’t know Wickersham if he was sitting in that chair was a classic touch.

 

[Huckleberry1]

This is the greatest quote. Not only does Bill rip Wickersham's story to shreds but it kind of shuts down the "Guerrero-Gate" nonsense. He went out of his way to mention "oh, by the way, because you guys won't stop asking me - I'm fine with him." He even used his first name, showing they are at least somewhat cordial with one another.

Lmao

 

[Kdo5]

A lot of people on here are posting like Wickersham just made up the whole piece, didn't actually interview anyone, just wrote pure fiction and made up stories, etc.

I think there might be some of that, but I think other parts might be that his sources lied to him, either to prank (like you say) but maybe because they have an agenda.

For example, I could see a trainer hating Guerrero for infringing on their job and then making stuff up to Wickersham that he ran with. Guerrero comes off pretty bad in the article so that trainer's pretty happy right now.

Haven't seen too many people with that theory so, just speculation on my part, but certainly within the realm of possibility.

I could see that. I think that there may well have been some tension regarding Guerrero but not as badly as people have made it out to be.

Honestly it felt like Wickersham gathered all of the floating speculation from local media this season and packaged it with stories from some anonymous sources (perhaps like you said a trainer or others who could have made up stories or embellished them) and boom "bombshell article".

 

[Ring 6]

A lot of people on here are posting like Wickersham just made up the whole piece, didn't actually interview anyone, just wrote pure fiction and made up stories, etc.

I think there might be some of that, but I think other parts might be that his sources lied to him, either to prank (like you say) but maybe because they have an agenda.

For example, I could see a trainer hating Guerrero for infringing on their job and then making stuff up to Wickersham that he ran with. Guerrero comes off pretty bad in the article so that trainer's pretty happy right now.

Haven't seen too many people with that theory so, just speculation on my part, but certainly within the realm of possibility.

What he did was talk to some people and then totally distort and alter the context of what he was told.
It’s important to realize how this stuff works.

The comments he puts in the article are not direct responses to the question he implies he asked. They are kernels pulled out of a non threatening conversation that are obviously twisted into meaning something they do not.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Is he saying that 30% of the black players are not proud of their African heritage?

Lol .... no

 

[Ross12]

What he did was talk to some people and then totally distort and alter the context of what he was told.
It’s important to realize how this stuff works.

The comments he puts in the article are not direct responses to the question he implies he asked. They are kernels pulled out of a non threatening conversation that are obviously twisted into meaning something they do not.

Precisely. He could casually ask several trainers how the season has gone and they might overall say “pretty good, it’s been a little more tense this year adjusting to Guerrero’s presence but we’ve adapted”... Wickersham then takes that answer and turns it into “trainers described a palpable tension this season due to Guerrero’s presence.”

 

[TB_Helmet]

Precisely. He could casually ask several trainers how the season has gone and they might overall say “pretty good, it’s been a little more tense this year adjusting to Guerrero’s presence but we’ve adapted”... Wickersham then takes that answer and turns it into “trainers described a palpable tension this season due to Guerrero’s presence.”

Yup I can totally see that happening too. And the other good example is Brady jokingly complaining about not being the (still not sure if real) Patriot of the week and then Wickersham reporting that but leaving out how he was joking.

Also, I don't really know what this guy's real name is but I just automatically write Wickersham now.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

I am quite sure that if belichick spent the weekend studying, highlighting, dissecting and sleeping with the article, he would have said he didn’t read it.
For anyone in his position that us the logical, sensible thing to do.
Otherwise you start an incessant string of questions about the minutiae in the article that he has no interest in discussing in a playoff week.
It’s a shorthand version of “were on to Cincinnati” but serves the additional purpose that despite all the hysteria it created to him it’s not worth a ten minute read on the ****ter.

Adding I wouldn’t know Wickersham if he was sitting in that chair was a classic touch.

I don't think that would stop anything since people would just say "the article says this, how do you respond?"

BB would also say he didn't read it if he didn't read it so his response doesn't show he read it.