Jackie MacMullen back to doing what she does best

[Funktopus]

Re: "Man-hands" MacMullen back to doing what she does best

Means nothing except that that last Saturday Seymour's kids were in SC. It does not say the interview took place there or then. It is a writer trick of the trade to make old stuff immediate and therefore more interesting, as in an article about D-DAY:

"It is Wednesday, June 6, 2007, and I am standing in Normandy on a ridge overlooking the beachhead. In a surprise move, Allied ships had unloaded troops in the surf just below me, and the exposed troops faced withering fire from Germans in bunkers located immediately to my left and right. Private Jewell's wife and kids were safe in South Carolina, but Jewell himself was hurt. "Medic," he cried ..."

Yes, Allied ships DID unload troops in the surf when the author was standing, but not on the day he was standing there, and he does not say it was that day.

Seymour may or may not have spoken on Saturday, but you can't tell from her article.

I'm with you on the scepticism 100% Spacecrime. The lead-in to the article is North Attleboro MA. Am I to believe that the Seymour's invited Jackie Mac to their house for an interview the day they were packing up to move to their offseason home?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: "Man-hands" MacMullen back to doing what she does best

I think this is much ado about not necessarily nothing but something that is what it is. Seymour's leadership mentor was actually Lawyer Milloy (Ty was a player, but never a mentor or leader). Lawyer was outspoken about players getting theirs - both contractually and recognition wise - and the system being only as good as the talent playing in it.

Richard was never a vocal leader - just not his comfort zone. He was the strong and silent lead by example type. The team had some concerns about his capacity to be a positive leader (as opposed to Milloy who morphed into something of a clubhouse negative after one ring was in hand) because he began to have issues with his own rookie deal very early on. They even engineered his appearing with Tedy to throw out the first pitch at the Sox opener in 2005, to try to pull him out of his shell and open his eyes to how real leaders on this team are venerated in this town.

His holdout was a sign the plan backfired. He gradually opened up and became more comfortable with the media, but he dug in on the principle that getting yours was job 1. He did beget the Branch holdout.

Along the way the organization realized that whatever he is he has to be 100% to perform at a level commensurate with his salary demands. So they chose to get his post rookie extension deal done early with the caveat it was an incremental deal. Unless he remains healthy AND plays at the level the compensated him for he will be a FA in 2010. This team went 16-0 in a season where he was not on the field through week 8, and didn't play at a salary commensurate level through most of the next several weeks. In a year in which 8 of his teamates made the Pro Bowl and 5 were named all pros. 2008 is a contract season for Seymour for all intents and purposes since his bonus money is all paid out and he's essentially earning nothing but marginal salaries between now and 2009. It's also a contract season of sorts for Jarvis Green, not to mention we have the 7th overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Unfortunately articles like this tend to broaden the gap between players and this FO, not bridge them. If Richard is feeling slightly marginalized and underappreciated in the shadow of impending perfection, perhaps rather than look around for reasons this has happened he might try looking in the mirror... And in case he hasn't noticed, most of his teamates have young families and still manage to reside here in the off season injured or not, with or without family at their discretion. It's part of the leadership mantle.

So I don't doubt this is Richard's backhanded way of saying yo', I'm still here and making big sacrifices...and while it's NBD it's just one more indication that he's still a little to sensitive and self absorbed to be a positive leader in this system except on the field if he's healthy...and whether you continue to pay double digits for that is debateable.

I don't doubt Jackie advance plans for these pieces, but it takes two to tango and apparently there is always at least one player on this team hoping someone will shine a little light on their individual issues before they get lost in the postseason shuffle. So unless she's misquoting her sources or the player never really sat down with her in his now by choice desolate seasonal home, don't shoot the messenger.

 

[aluminum seats]

Sure. And I also disagree with blaming Richard Seymour. My complaint (and as wrote, the majority in this thread's) complaint is not with him.

Well, the bigger point to me is the fact that there would be so much angst about the article anyway. I read it, thought it was fine. I just think the shrieking here makes it much worse than it is, and is the kind of stuff that in the media or talk radio that boomerangs back and starts hurting teams.

 

[RayClay]

Finding another Patriot willing to publicly blame BB for his injuries. Now Seymour denounces BB for lining him up at fullback. I believe this article was long in the making. Figures "Man-hands" would publish it the day before a playoff game. She was waiting for the perfect moment to ambush the man she most hates in NE sports.



Is this "Personal trainer" even qualified to rehab a player from injury? Maybe Seymour's "private rehab", organized by his mouthpiece, damaged the knee again after surgery and the rest of the story is just bull$hi# to cover his tracks.

This offseason, while interviewed by Pete Prisco at DisneyWorld, Seymour said "I have my own priorities, like being at home in SC" instead of going through offseason workouts to rehab his surgically repaired knee with the team. We now learn the surgery appears to have been an arthroscopy to clear out some cartilage, a common procedure from which most players recover in a month. But Seymour pursued his own rehab with his buddy, reinjured it, and showed up to camp out of shape. Did he even inform the Patriots of his problems this spring, when he was "rehabbing" in South Carolina instead of Gillette, like other injured players, or did he surprise them by showing up hobbled?

Seymour's getting paid 10 million dollars a season to perform. If he can't, then he should get off the field and let Jarvis Green play and stop making excuses to the press. He did the same thing last year, with another puff piece from his close friend Ron Borges explaining his elbow injury to the public, against team policy, and how Seymour still was better than Warren.

A finger pointing, excuse making article is not what the team needs from a team leader just prior to the most important playoff in its history. It is another illustration that Seymour is not a team player IMO. His contract extension (which coincides with his subpar play) to this point has been a big blunder. If he contributes meaningfully to a Pats SB this season, then it was well worth it. Otherwise...

His loudmouth trainer did the blaming. Seymour was only explaining why he had trouble rehabbing.

It actually makes his trainer look like an idiot, because that's what a trainer is supposed to do, work around injuries to make programs that strengthen the afflicted area.

She's a jerk, trying to take the Borges mantle and there are really no quotes from Seymour indicating more than natural frustration.

They'll wrap fish in this tomorrow, don't get all upset.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Re: "Man-hands" MacMullen back to doing what she does best

Seymour is friends with Borges. After getting paid 24 million dollars, he still ripped the organization in the press over the Deion Branch situation. We now know he didn't rehab his knee responsibly. He publicly, and IMO inappropriately, blames BB for his injury issues. He breaks team policy by explaining his injuries to the press. He authorizes a Macmullen hit piece the day before a playoff game. Stop defending him.

Brady certainly made his feelings on the Branch situation clear to the media, as well as the Milloy situation. That is what prompted Tom Jackson to say the team hated BB.


The only thing Seymour may have done wrong is the knee re-hab and not being here in the offseason. His on the field effort is the same as it was but he has not been healthy. His hold out was his own business, and I am tired of re-visiting that situation from years ago as well.

Some people just need to hate on Seymour. He is what he is. Maybe using him at fullback was not the brightest idea. I certainly don't think it was.

The Pats chose to re-sign Seymour, knowing what his good points and bad points are. If they want to replace him, they will soon enough. In the meantime, he is back on the field and contributing. Seymour is not going to the HOF or anything like that, but he is a guy that helped us win superbowls. That is the name of the game. Winning. If he turns out to be less than we hoped he would, we still have the win streaks and the rings to go with it. He did what he could, and if it isn't enough he will see the door soon enough.

I don't buy into this notion that Seymour has to be the perfect guy and perfect team leader just to play football. If we find a better team leader and better D-Lineman, Seymour will be released as soon as it is cap friendly to do so. In the meantime, we don't need to hate on him for not being a perfect human being or assume that what some wench of a journalist says was a big set up with Seymour to put herself in the limelight.

 

[shmessy]

Well, the bigger point to me is the fact that there would be so much angst about the article anyway. I read it, thought it was fine. I just think the shrieking here makes it much worse than it is, and is the kind of stuff that in the media or talk radio that boomerangs back and starts hurting teams.

I'm not exactly on board with the notion that what appears on this website has anywhere near the same effect as what appears in the Boston Globe as to how it may hurt the team.

Although it is shrinking the Globe has an infinitely larger readership.

 

[Wildo7]

Labelling Seymour as a malcontent or "blame others type" because of an article that doesn't even quote Seymour himself saying he was mistreated, falls right in line with the "Maroney is made of glass" and "Merriweather is a bust" attitude of speculating the worst case scenario. Coincidentally, I see that most of the people defending the OP's theory are the Maroney/Merriweather haters. After a season in which we've seen the power that the media has in distorting, manipulating and outright fabricating stories to create false controversy, I don't know why you'd choose to go further than Mcmullen even implies with this article.

 

[PonyExpress]

Re: "Man-hands" MacMullen back to doing what she does best

I think this is much ado about not necessarily nothing but something that is what it is. Seymour's leadership mentor was actually Lawyer Milloy (Ty was a player, but never a mentor or leader). Lawyer was outspoken about players getting theirs - both contractually and recognition wise - and the system being only as good as the talent playing in it.

Richard was never a vocal leader - just not his comfort zone. He was the strong and silent lead by example type. The team had some concerns about his capacity to be a positive leader (as opposed to Milloy who morphed into something of a clubhouse negative after one ring was in hand) because he began to have issues with his own rookie deal very early on. They even engineered his appearing with Tedy to throw out the first pitch at the Sox opener in 2005, to try to pull him out of his shell and open his eyes to how real leaders on this team are venerated in this town.

His holdout was a sign the plan backfired. He gradually opened up and became more comfortable with the media, but he dug in on the principle that getting yours was job 1. He did beget the Branch holdout.

Along the way the organization realized that whatever he is he has to be 100% to perform at a level commensurate with his salary demands. So they chose to get his post rookie extension deal done early with the caveat it was an incremental deal. Unless he remains healthy AND plays at the level the compensated him for he will be a FA in 2010. This team went 16-0 in a season where he was not on the field through week 8, and didn't play at a salary commensurate level through most of the next several weeks. In a year in which 8 of his teamates made the Pro Bowl and 5 were named all pros. 2008 is a contract season for Seymour for all intents and purposes since his bonus money is all paid out and he's essentially earning nothing but marginal salaries between now and 2009. It's also a contract season of sorts for Jarvis Green, not to mention we have the 7th overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Unfortunately articles like this tend to broaden the gap between players and this FO, not bridge them. If Richard is feeling slightly marginalized and underappreciated in the shadow of impending perfection, perhaps rather than look around for reasons this has happened he might try looking in the mirror... And in case he hasn't noticed, most of his teamates have young families and still manage to reside here in the off season injured or not, with or without family at their discretion. It's part of the leadership mantle.

So I don't doubt this is Richard's backhanded way of saying yo', I'm still here and making big sacrifices...and while it's NBD it's just one more indication that he's still a little to sensitive and self absorbed to be a positive leader in this system except on the field if he's healthy...and whether you continue to pay double digits for that is debateable.

I don't doubt Jackie advance plans for these pieces, but it takes two to tango and apparently there is always at least one player on this team hoping someone will shine a little light on their individual issues before they get lost in the postseason shuffle. So unless she's misquoting her sources or the player never really sat down with her in his now by choice desolate seasonal home, don't shoot the messenger.

This is the post I wish I could have written.

 

[aluminum seats]

I'm not exactly on board with the notion that what appears on this website has anywhere near the same effect as what appears in the Boston Globe as to how it may hurt the team.

Although it is shrinking the Globe has an infinitely larger readership.

I agree with this, of course. It's just the idea of it, really.....leading to calls to talk radio, leading to moron hosts talking about it, etc. It's the echo chamber effect of Boston sports/media.

 

[Wildo7]

"I don't regret anything I've done," Seymour said. "You never want conflict. But sometimes conflict is inevitable.

"Now I don't want that to be confused as being disrespectful. I've always respected the authority figures in my life, including my coaches.

"I may see a way I want to do something and I understand when you have a team, everybody can't do their own thing. I'm willing to put my own agenda aside to do what's best for the team."

Seymour is a grounded guy, who has been great for the Pats. If his trainer thinks he was placed in the wrong situation I don't see how that reflects badly on Richard.

"The army doesn't want robots, they want killers" - Joker

 

[National Sports Advisors]

I've said it before and I'll say it again........Richard Seymour is arguably the MOST OVERRATED DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Period. The guy has not performed at an ELITE level in quite some time. If a personal trainer was out in the press speaking on my situation without my go ahead, than I would be livid. Apparently Seymour does not care or authorized it. I'm so sick and tired of the Seymour rumpswabs making excuses for this guy.

 

[JR4]

Why does BB get off the hook on this one?

Focus is on Seymour and Trainer.

Never liked using PATs number one Dline man like that.
BB does a lot of very smart things but even very smart people do dumb things
once in awhile.
That is one thing PATs have not done very well at - managing injuries.
Limiting exposure of key people unnecessarily is one way to limit key injuries.

 

[PonyExpress]

"I don't regret anything I've done," Seymour said. "You never want conflict. But sometimes conflict is inevitable.

"Now I don't want that to be confused as being disrespectful. I've always respected the authority figures in my life, including my coaches.

"I may see a way I want to do something and I understand when you have a team, everybody can't do their own thing. I'm willing to put my own agenda aside to do what's best for the team."

Seymour is a grounded guy, who has been great for the Pats. If his trainer thinks he was placed in the wrong situation I don't see how that reflects badly on Richard.

"The army doesn't want robots, they want killers" - Joker

Let's see him play more like a killer and less like a robot on the field. Then all questions will be answered. The time for excuses is over, and the time to dominate is NOW. I really hope he can do it.

 

[Wildo7]

I've said it before and I'll say it again........Richard Seymour is arguably the MOST OVERRATED DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Period. The guy has not performed at an ELITE level in quite some time. If a personal trainer was out in the press speaking on my situation without my go ahead, than I would be livid. Apparently Seymour does not care or authorized it. I'm so sick and tired of the Seymour rumpswabs making excuses for this guy.

I'm so surprised you would take this stance

 

[Wildo7]

Let's see him play more like a killer and less like a robot on the field. Then all questions will be answered. The time for excuses is over, and the time to dominate is NOW. I really hope he can do it.

Again, where does he make excuses?

 

[National Sports Advisors]

I'm so surprised you would take this stance

Why? The guy signed a contract that paid him like he was one of the 5 best d-linemen in the league. Do you think he has played like one of the 5 best the last few years? Not even close.

 

[oldskool138]

They took the "Man-Hands" out of the title? Weak!

At least you didn't say "Butch Hair-do"

 

[Tunescribe]

Limiting exposure of key people unnecessarily is one way to limit key injuries.

Would you take Hobbs off the kickoff return team or Rodney off the kickoff team? Football players play football.

 

[Wildo7]

Why? The guy signed a contract that paid him like he was one of the 5 best d-linemen in the league. Do you think he has played like one of the 5 best the last few years? Not even close.

Is there anything about the Pats you like? Just wondering.

 

[National Sports Advisors]

Is there anything about the Pats you like? Just wondering.

You read what you want to read like 99% of the homers on this site. Did you NOT read my post yesterday about Belichick being the BEST COACH of ALL TIME? Did you NOT read my posts about Tom Brady being the GREATEST QB of ALL TIME? Did you NOT read my posts after the Giants game about how I loved the way Maroney ran? Did you NOT read my posts about how Jacksonville is going to get blown out this saturday? Dude, stop being so sensitive when fans like me have something NEGATIVE to say about a thing or two when it comes to the Pats. Good lord.