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Idle thoughts - The rant edition.


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patfanken

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My superbowl run up has been absolutely ruined by all this media slander, I can't even think. I was going to do a post calling out Kraft (not Mr, not Bob, just Kraft), but was heartened to read that Shnessy had done a great one (great minds think alike ;) ). I figured that would help, but by the end of the first page of comments I was STILL so angry I had to stop.

I had to take a drive this morning and looked forward to some superbowl talk on the radio, That lasted about 2 minutes before "deflate-gate" talk drove me to 105.7 for some 60's and 70's music to calm me down
I want to be talking about how to stop the read option, I don't want the hear my team knowingly slandered, have that slander acknowledged, and STILL get slandered again anyway.

There are close to 1500 posts on the "deflate gate" thread, I haven't read a single one. I know they would make my head explode. There are over 200 posts on Shmessy's "letter to Kraft" thread, of which I basically only read his OP (and it was good) So I ask for your indulgence. I'm sure much of what I will write will be redundant, though I hope I can add some insights that haven't been mentioned. But in the end I really need to put this down on paper, so to speak. Today you are all my therapists, and I thank you in advance.

1. I want to put the full blame for all of this directly where it belongs.....take a bow Bob Kraft. So here is MY open letter to Kraft. The one I was going to write before Shmess, beat me to it.

Mr, Kraft

For the last SEVEN years you have placed a heavy burden on your most important asset, the fan base of the NE Patriots. Because of your inaction, that fan base has been put in a position to have to CONTINUALLY defend, YOUR team's integrity over, and over, and over again. No matter what inequities have been laid at your feet because of your mishandling (in conjunction with Roger Goodell), your faithful fans have had your back. It's now past time that you finally have ours;.because if YOU don't care to defend your team, why should we!."

This is now the 2nd time, you've left us twisting in the wind. So at a time where your fans should be basking in the glow of a long and successful season that is ending in another trip to the superbowl, we instead are hunkered down having to listen and watch the haters and mediot parasites take shots and slander the team we have all given so much emotional and financial capital supporting.

Its time to give more than lip service to the fans you used to belong to. Its time you do the right thing, Bob, and "DO YOUR JOB" as the owner of the New England Patriots.

Sincerely,

2. Well that made me feel a little bit better. Enough so I can go on. So again allow me to write down what I see "deflate gate as being.

a. According to the arch villain Kravitch, this is how it came down. After the Brady pick at the end of the half, the Colt bench got one of the 12 balls designated to the Pats. Supposedly they noticed the ball was "deflated", a bit. Called attention to the officials, and after the game demanded an investigation, which the league willingly obliged them. :rolleyes:

b. The supposed advantage to the Pats would be to have a better grip with the softer ball

c. In the mean time, our own team is complicit with their silence, and allows to the rest of haters and mediot parasites to speculate at will and slander the team and its fan base at will. Let me know if I left anything out, but I think that's the gist. (BTW- I know all about the "chain of command", etc, but left it out.

3. If someone would give ME the opportunity to respond to this nonsense, I would say the following.:

a. I find it curious that Colts bench would find a significant enough discrepancy in how the ball was inflated, when the officials who CONSTANTLY were handling the Patriots balls throughout the entire first half, and had continuous access to them and NEVER noticed anything wrong.

b. Deflating the ball WOULD make it easier to grip, but as Zolack pointed out very early, it also makes it harder to "spin it". In other words harder to throw a crisp spiral.

c. If the ball was supposed to be an advantage to Brady, how come during the first half Brady had a very up and down game, and in the 3rd quarter AFTER the deception was supposedly uncovered, was 8-8 while they were blowing the Colts out of the game, in an almost flawless 2nd half.

d. Unless it was the officials who noticed the problem, for all I know it was the Colts bench that deflated the ball to deflect attention from the horrid game their team played. (BTW-very successfully so far)

4. The damage is done. I wont't matter a jot, if Roger Goodell comes down tomorrow and fully exonerates the Pats. According to Volin, national media believes that Goodell is in Kraft's pocket, even though the NEXT thing the league does that favors the Pats, will be the first one I can remember. (feel free to point out any others I've missed). Nothing that is said fully clears the Pats or changes people's view of the team.

So instead of admiring in amazement the LONG term accomplishments this franchise has achieved, instead there will be an eternal asterisk that will hover over it all.

5. I am furious of the Kraft's team wide policy of treating anything negative by simply pretending it isn't happening and saying as little as possible. When asked whether the Pats deflated the balls, BB feigned ignorance and deflected. When asked whether the Pats had deflated the balls, Brady feigned ignorance and deflected. Its what they do, where I would have hoped they would answer with a simple "yes" or "no" Now regardless of the outcome, the mediot parasites can simply frame their response by commenting, well they didn't deny it, so there must be some semblance of truth there, not matter how small, so I can now feel free to speculate anything I want, and keep a total non-story in the forefront of the news.

6. What I want to see happen:
.
a. I want to see Brady, BB and Kraft flat out deny it. Or if they are guilty admit it.

b. I want to see the Colts issue a public apology to the Pats.

c. I want to see Kravitz issue a public apology. Well actually I'd like to see him pilloried at Patriot Place and spat upon by small children. But I'd take an apology

d. I want to see the Irsay and his franchise fined and punished as a warning to other owners who attempt to unjustly slander one of their competitors.....and their fans

e. I want Goodell, Kraft and BB to finally give the full story of "spygate". If it was as we believe
a simple over reaction to BB's arrogance in ignoring the memo, I want it revealed. If the Pats WERE dong something wrong, I want it told. I FINALLY want a full explanation of what what happened and why., Not only are Pats fans due that, the entire league's fan base is. I am truly tired of trying to disprove a negative,.

f. I want Goodell to announce his retirement after the superbowl (well actually I want him unceremoniously, fired and kicked to the curb.) I want this arrogant and incompetent CEO of the league GONE.

6. And since I'm still in rant mode and anxious to talk about football if only for a minute, let me add this. I am ****ING tired of hearing about the great Seahawk defense. We have seen it become rather ordinary every time they've seen a decent offense and good QB. The quality of the QB's and offenses that they have played up until Sunday's game have been well documented on this site, so I won't repeat it.

But I will give you a stat that I heard this weekend that I found quite telling. I was listening when a mediot who was touting the dominance of the Seahawk defense used this stat. Over the last 6 games and the 2 playoff games, the Seahawks' D has allowed just 13 fourth quarter points....combined!

Believe me, I was impressed because that's an impressive number when you think about it. For EIGHT quarters, when the game is on the line the most, 14 combined points is truly an incredible number, right? UNTIL.....this factoid came out, offered, I have to admit by one of the other mediots.

There IS a team that actually has done BETTER than what the Seahawk D has accomplished. There IS another team, who over the exact same 8 fourth quarters managed to hold their opponents to a combined 13 points. :eek: That team, as you probably have already guessed, is our own NE Patriots. And we didn't accomplish our feat playing against rookies, back ups, back ups to back ups, Colin Kapernick, and Cam Newton. We did it playing Flacco, Luck, Rivers, Rodgers, and Stafford (OK we did play Geno, Orton, and Tannihill too, but you get the point. ;) )

7. So when you are out there this week over the internet and fighting the good fight at your local wathering hole, don't let the meidot parasites try and con you into thinking the "Legion of Doom" is the next coming of the 85 Bears, or that the Seahawks are the more physical team because they played in the NFC. Just calmly point how how the Pats actually had the harder schedule and have already played at least 4 games against DL's that were better than what they will be facing in Feb. (maybe more)

8. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. While am still royally bummed out by all this crap, I DO feel better. Now I know why writers write. It does free the soul. Not better enough to read or participate in any "deflategate" talk or threads (though I will respond to comments in this thread), but better.

I'll try to do a "read option" thread, because I know the Seahawks are definitely going to use it. It really was the only thing that worked for them Sunday. I'll try to explain what THEY will be looking to do, and what could work to control, if not defeat it.

Thanks again
 
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Ken, I've been lurking on this site for years reading your posts because they're insightful and they do, in general, disregard a lot of the emotional, knee-jerk nonsense that comes from the heat of being a fan with a passion for their team. I have to respectfully disagree with you on Kraft's (and Belichick's) handling of this whole scandal.

BB's policy has always been to eliminate distractions for his football team. And from week to week most pundits and fans praise his ability to cut through the noise and nonsense and focus on football. The last time a storm like this happened post Kansas City, he didn't respond to all of the nonsense, and he didn't cave to the public perceptions that "demanded" answers. He simply said that he was "on to Cincinnati", and eventually everyone turned their attention. Now it's a rallying cry for the Patriots this season.

There is nothing that BB could have said, or Kraft could have said, that would have prevented this kind of attention. There needs to be an acceptance of this fan base that there will *always* be people looking to undercut, undermine, and smear the Patriots and their success. Remember, that success came at the expense of a lot of fan bases rooting for extremely good teams. The Colts, the Steelers, the Panthers, the Rams, the Eagles, all of the AFC East teams, the Ravens, etc. - all of our success comes at their expense. Also bear in mind, that same success means the press has to continuously cover a team that is notorious for its contempt for that part of the NFL. How many reporters are constantly belittled by BB? Of course it's going to foster a grudge. There are a lot of people who, quite simply, hate the Patriots, and the fans, for their success.

That's not to dismiss that it doesn't get tiring to hear about Spygate over and over again, or to see people twist themselves into knots to get outraged over the implication that a ball was deflated to give the Patriots a competitive advantage (a ball which, according to reports, was intercepted by the Colts. We can't even cheat right!). It is frustrating, but none of their outrage actually *means* anything. There are just as many people out there dismissing this all as complete and utter nonsense.

In the end, it's just noise. BB should not change his approach in the build up to the most important game of the season just because the fans are feeling insecure because a bunch of trolls, amateur and "professional", are harping over some alleged conspiracy. To do so would delegitimize everything that he preaches to his players. Rather, I'd prefer that he does what he always does - let the product on the field speak for itself.

And it did last week. Media members and forum trolls may lie, but the ball doesn't. The Colts didn't deserve a trip to the Super Bowl, and no accusation of "ball deflation" is going to change it. That being said, I am greatly looking forward to your analysis of the actual football game.
 
I don't understand the hate for Bob on these issues. Does anyone think that Bob replying is going to turn the fervor DOWN? If he gets defensive, he makes it worse. He produces MORE content for another news cycle about BOB'S REACTION. Then you get Wilbon REACTING to Kraft's REACTION. Then you get Skip Bayless REACTING to Wilbons insane REACTION.

It's not like anything Bob does is going to stop the Jets fan in your office from having an opportunity to rib you. He's been waiting for that ever since the fervor over Hernandez died down, because he has NOTHING else.

It's like trying to argue with a creationist, or a 9/11 truther, or someone that believes the pyramids were built by aliens. Once you start arguing, you've already lost. Science, facts, evidence, you can have it all, but you can't win.
 
Bring on the read option analysis. While I agree the Krafts should not ignore the problem, we should and not let it ruin our pre-superbowl celebrations and analysis. I am not posting anything else on the Colt's problem with soft balls and I encourage others to do the same.
 
I don't understand the hate for Bob on these issues. Does anyone think that Bob replying is going to turn the fervor DOWN? If he gets defensive, he makes it worse. He produces MORE content for another news cycle about BOB'S REACTION. Then you get Wilbon REACTING to Kraft's REACTION. Then you get Skip Bayless REACTING to Wilbons insane REACTION.

It's not like anything Bob does is going to stop the Jets fan in your office from having an opportunity to rib you. He's been waiting for that ever since the fervor over Hernandez died down, because he has NOTHING else.

It's like trying to argue with a creationist, or a 9/11 truther, or someone that believes the pyramids were built by aliens. Once you start arguing, you've already lost. Science, facts, evidence, you can have it all, but you can't win.
Kraft SHOULD be on the phone with Goodell demanding he dismiss all this nonsense.
 
BOB is interested only in protecting his billion dollar enterprise. That's why he will not protest, will not speak up - will not do anything that will rock the cash cow that is NFL.
 
for all I know it was the Colts bench that deflated the ball to deflect attention from the horrid game their team played. (BTW-very successfully so far)

My thoughts exactly!!!
 
Kraft SHOULD be on the phone with Goodell demanding he dismiss all this nonsense.
We don't know that's hes not. That stuff is all behind closed doors, and they aren't going to make it public.

If he publicly called on Goodell to squash it? That makes him look like he is hiding something and using his connections to muscle out a fair investigation. It's a terrible idea.
 
Ken,

I am reminded of a famous quote from Winston Churchill that applies in such situations. Churchill said: "Never Complain. Never Explain."

All it does is acknowledge the expostulator and critic.
 
We don't know that's hes not. That stuff is all behind closed doors, and they aren't going to make it public.

If he publicly called on Goodell to squash it? That makes him look like he is hiding something and using his connections to muscle out a fair investigation. It's a terrible idea.
I didn't say it should be public. I only hope he's doing it. I am not so sure.
 
From recent reports, the issue started with D'Qwell Jackson's INT.

OK, so let's start our investigation by examining the chain of custody....
 
Ken,

I am reminded of a famous quote from Winston Churchill that applies in such situations. Churchill said: "Never Complain. Never Explain."

All it does is acknowledge the expostulator and critic.


There was no twitter, myface and 24x7 news cycle in his day.
 
I don't understand the hate for Bob on these issues. Does anyone think that Bob replying is going to turn the fervor DOWN? If he gets defensive, he makes it worse. He produces MORE content for another news cycle about BOB'S REACTION. Then you get Wilbon REACTING to Kraft's REACTION. Then you get Skip Bayless REACTING to Wilbons insane REACTION.

It's not like anything Bob does is going to stop the Jets fan in your office from having an opportunity to rib you. He's been waiting for that ever since the fervor over Hernandez died down, because he has NOTHING else.

It's like trying to argue with a creationist, or a 9/11 truther, or someone that believes the pyramids were built by aliens. Once you start arguing, you've already lost. Science, facts, evidence, you can have it all, but you can't win.
Yes you have a very valid point that in my intellectual side understands quite well. Actually my problems with Kraft stem much more with spygate, than the current non-story. We as fans are still paying for the the lack of transparency back in 2007.

It was ANOTHER disastrous handling of a relatively minor transgression that because of the way it was handled damaged the league in general, and seemingly permanently stained the Pats. It drive me nuts because it was so needless. Goodell k has left the Pats to dangle in the wind for the last 7 years and Bob Kraft let him.

If this had been any other team in the league it would have been a complete non-factor. But because of spygate, even the air of any wrong doing and any team or the mediats can play the spygate card and the story will have legs.

Where was the horror when the Colts were caught red handed pumping in crowd noise. Where was the outrage when the Dolphns were caught recording signals on the line vs the Pats (and who knows how many other teams) Both MUCH bigger examples of cheating and both stories were gone within days, never to be heard from again.

The Niners and Cowbowys where both caught cheating on the cap that put every team at a disadvantage (cheating) and were both heavily fined and forfeited draft choices, and I doubt 1% of the NFL fan base knows it happened. Yet we have to live with spy gate EVERY SINGLE year. ......And I'm ranting again. :D
 
Ken, I've been lurking on this site for years reading your posts because they're insightful and they do, in general, disregard a lot of the emotional, knee-jerk nonsense that comes from the heat of being a fan with a passion for their team. I have to respectfully disagree with you on Kraft's (and Belichick's) handling of this whole scandal.

BB's policy has always been to eliminate distractions for his football team. And from week to week most pundits and fans praise his ability to cut through the noise and nonsense and focus on football. The last time a storm like this happened post Kansas City, he didn't respond to all of the nonsense, and he didn't cave to the public perceptions that "demanded" answers. He simply said that he was "on to Cincinnati", and eventually everyone turned their attention. Now it's a rallying cry for the Patriots this season.

There is nothing that BB could have said, or Kraft could have said, that would have prevented this kind of attention. There needs to be an acceptance of this fan base that there will *always* be people looking to undercut, undermine, and smear the Patriots and their success. Remember, that success came at the expense of a lot of fan bases rooting for extremely good teams. The Colts, the Steelers, the Panthers, the Rams, the Eagles, all of the AFC East teams, the Ravens, etc. - all of our success comes at their expense. Also bear in mind, that same success means the press has to continuously cover a team that is notorious for its contempt for that part of the NFL. How many reporters are constantly belittled by BB? Of course it's going to foster a grudge. There are a lot of people who, quite simply, hate the Patriots, and the fans, for their success.

That's not to dismiss that it doesn't get tiring to hear about Spygate over and over again, or to see people twist themselves into knots to get outraged over the implication that a ball was deflated to give the Patriots a competitive advantage (a ball which, according to reports, was intercepted by the Colts. We can't even cheat right!). It is frustrating, but none of their outrage actually *means* anything. There are just as many people out there dismissing this all as complete and utter nonsense.

In the end, it's just noise. BB should not change his approach in the build up to the most important game of the season just because the fans are feeling insecure because a bunch of trolls, amateur and "professional", are harping over some alleged conspiracy. To do so would delegitimize everything that he preaches to his players. Rather, I'd prefer that he does what he always does - let the product on the field speak for itself.

And it did last week. Media members and forum trolls may lie, but the ball doesn't. The Colts didn't deserve a trip to the Super Bowl, and no accusation of "ball deflation" is going to change it. That being said, I am greatly looking forward to your analysis of the actual football game.
Thanks for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully. As I said in my last reply, my anger with Bob Kraft has more to do with how spygate was handled than this small contretemps.

You see, if this had been any other team in the league, this story would have had the lifespan of Mayffly. See the examples I gave above.

I actually believe you are correct in that BB should stay above the fray and keep his team above it as well, but Bob Kraft should do something to make this right,. Other teams have been caught doing things to gain a competitive advantage far worse than what the Pats did, and those stories come and go, and are forgotten. His is the tumor that keeps on coming back, The scab that never heals.....and its not our fault.
 
Ken,

I am reminded of a famous quote from Winston Churchill that applies in such situations. Churchill said: "Never Complain. Never Explain."

All it does is acknowledge the expostulator and critic.
And its a very wise saying, but wise sayings don't apply to all situations equally. If nothing is done, this will NOT go away. It will be a permanent stain that the team and its fans will have to carry, and it is SO unnecessary.
 
It's gotten bad out there. I could almost believe there was a concerted effort amongst some mediots and reportards to gin up allegations against New England, just to gain clicks on their stories. Some folks are simply rabid gossips, and many others simply so envious of another's success that they will stoop to using any means to tarnish another's reputation, regardless of the consequences.

Just today, I had to block one individual on my own Facebook page for his vapid and adolescent comments about the Patriots. He was right up there with the best of the tinfoil hat conspiracy nutters, like those "chemtrail" folks, the "Black Helicopter" nutters, and those who insist that the 9/11 attacks were done by the US Government. His rabid trolling of me, and of a couple of my friends with anti-Patriot blather about "cheating" finally hit my eject button, and off he went from my friends list.

I see it on other folk's facebook pages as well. No matter how successful this franchise has become, it will always have a certain group wanting to have an asterix by every win, every success. It's disheartening, and like Ken, it really angers me. They are acting like petulant children, adolescent know-nothings, who refuse to let facts get in the way of their storylines.

These media bullies will only stop when they are seriously damaged by legal action, to bring them to their senses, and make them understand the damage they have done. I hope that this franchise finally gets the balls to sue the living crap out of the NFL, and Goodell as an individual, and then turn their sights on the jackwagon journalists and media mouth maggots like Tomase and others of his ilk.

Enough already. The Bear has been poked enough and it's time to strike back and draw some blood.
 
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My superbowl run up has been absolutely ruined by all this media slander, I can't even think. I was going to do a post calling out Kraft (not Mr, not Bob, just Kraft), but was heartened to read that Shnessy had done a great one (great minds think alike ;) ). I figured that would help, but by the end of the first page of comments I was STILL so angry I had to stop.

I had to take a drive this morning and looked forward to some superbowl talk on the radio, That lasted about 2 minutes before "deflate-gate" talk drove me to 105.7 for some 60's and 70's music to calm me down
I want to be talking about how to stop the read option, I don't want the hear my team knowingly slandered, have that slander acknowledged, and STILL get slandered again anyway.

Ken,

I sympathize with your rant, and I had the same basic visceral reaction at first. But realistically, haters gonna hate, and there's not much you can do to stop that. I thought Tedy Bruschi had a good take on it:
The Colts reportedly notified the NFL that they suspected the Patriots of using a deflated football in Sunday’s AFC championship game. Being a former player on the Patriots, Bruschi said a lot of that comes from frustration and being a player on the Patriots when something like this happens is a good feeling.

“It’s a long line of people that want to step up and make an excuse as to why their team lost,” Bruschi said. “Tom [Brady] said it earlier that he’s heard it all and I echo that. I’ve heard it all too in terms of you want to look at the New England Patriots and all the success and you want to wonder why. A part of you thinks if you’re not a fan, not a player, not a coach, it’s like why couldn’t we achieve it. Well, you want to point the finger and make some type of reason. Get in line, it’s a long line.

“But, it feels good to be a player in that locker room knowing that you frustrate someone that much — that you frustrate someone that much that they are talking about some type of ball controversy, or fans or whatever because all they ever do in that locker room and on that team is move on from it. You laugh at it behind the scenes and you joke a little bit about it up there and you really just disregard it. Say however you want to feel about it, but who got the win and that is what is important.”

http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports...knowing-that-you-frustrate-someone-that-much/

I also found this take amusing:

http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/when_in_doubt_blame_it_on_bill.html

Let's face it, the NFL is an intensively competitive league, and most people would sell their mother to get an edge. Aaron Rodgers openly admits to over inflating balls. Pete Carroll's Seahawks got lost 2 OTA days for violating CBA contact rules in 2012, and fined and docked again for violating them in 2014. There are tons of other examples. If this wasn't the Patriots, it wouldn't be a story. But it is the Patriots, and it's SB break time, so it's a free bonanza for the media.

I agree that Bob Kraft could be more forceful about confronting this, but let's face it, people are going to hate on the Pats no matter what. So we should all just let it go, and chuckle that we've got everyone else driven so crazy that they have to resort to this kind of crap.
 
It surprises me how so many care what everyone else thinks. Tune out the noise and enjoy the SB on Sunday. Why bother with the sports shows..they are mostly garbage. On a side note, why are so many so obsessed with how many rings Brady has vs everyone else, dynasty, no dynasty, ect. I watch sports for the enjoyment of the games and the further my team advances, the more exciting it gets. Too many get too involved with the side shows....just sit back and enjoy the games. Do so many really care about and need to have bragging rights? Sounds immature to me.
 
All this stuff about the Patriots...filming, locker room eavesdropping, balls being deflated, mirrors in the stadium...who is this a distraction to? You think maybe our coach puts out some of the rumors himself just to create something extra for opposing coaches and teams to have on their mind?
 
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