Peter King on BB/Mangini

[Water Boy]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/peter_king/09/19/mailbag/1.html

This is one of the more analytical takes on BBs treatment of Mangini. Most of the NY and national media seems to be killing BB for being an a-hole to Mangini.

MY TOWN CHECKS IN WITH A LOGICAL QUESTION. From Michael Dunn of Montclair, N.J.: "Fellow Montclairian: Why is it that no one will ask Bill Belichick the simple direct questions to get to the bottom of the whole Mangini affair? 'Bill, why are you failing to even acknowledge Eric Mangini, when a year ago you did nothing but praise Nick Saban in Miami and wished him well except when he played the Patriots? Why would you not wish the exact same for Mangini, one of your most loyal foot soldiers for 11 years, who's been nothing but highly complimentary of you since he's taken the job with the Jets?' Why hasn't one journalist asked this very simple question?''

I can't answer that. It's a good question. Want my guess? Here it is: Belichick and Saban have been friends for a long time. They met in the offseason for something like 15 years, except for when they weren't on the same staff, to talk football strategy and, I'm guessing, life. Belichick and Mangini were not friends like that. They were co-workers. Belichick was the boss, Mangini the employee. They didn't do much socializing. It was a business relationship. And now the Patriots think the Jets tampered with Deion Branch.

There is nothing surprising here, really. Neither man is warm and fuzzy. Neither man would logically pick up the phone to say, "How's the family?'' Not in their makeup. In addition, Belichick and Mangini didn't always see eye to eye on how the defense should be called last year with the Patriots. I always felt that when they parted they wouldn't form any kind of personal relationship at all. That's been exacerbated by the tampering allegations. So that's why you saw what you saw last week.

 

[Bella*chick]

Why does the world care so much about this? I mean, really, WHO CARES.

And here I thought women were supposed to be stereotyped as only caring about interpersonal relationships. Clearly not the case.

These reporters need to change out of their Victoria's Secret thongs and start reporting some football.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Golly but folks like to meddle.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Why does the world care so much about this? I mean, really, WHO CARES.

And here I thought women were supposed to be stereotyped as only caring about interpersonal relationships. Clearly not the case.

These reporters need to change out of their Victoria's Secret thongs and start reporting some football.

I can't think of a reply that is better than that.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Seriously, though, Belichick knows how to keep a psychological edge over people. And why not. The guy goes to a division rival, tries to take Patriot players with him and gets involved in tampering.

Why not restore the pecking order? :rocker:

 

[jczxohn1]

Don't forget, BB had such little respect for Mangini last year that he took over coaching the D-line himself after the break. Most of this noise about "lack of respect" from NY is based on the need to see the Jets as having weakened the Pats by "stealing their magic" or some such nonsense. No ex-Pats on the Jets active roster or staff are Curtis Martin level, impact-wise.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Why does the world care so much about this? I mean, really, WHO CARES.

And here I thought women were supposed to be stereotyped as only caring about interpersonal relationships. Clearly not the case.

These reporters need to change out of their Victoria's Secret thongs and start reporting some football.

Well, let's leave aside the fact that if Michael Dunn and Peter King of Montclair, N.J. think that those are "simple, direct questions", I'd hate to see what they would describe as tendentious, leading questions. I have to say that I'm interested in the issue.

I'm interested because it is quite clear that BB has fallen out with Eric M. and there is no good reason apparent why he should have done so. Peter King is, as so often, talking complete rubbish when he makes the contrast between Saban and Mangini. BB made it explicit in the past that Mangini was a friend, not just a co-worker (which, of course, is what Saban, also a former DC for Belichick, was too -- BB corrected a reporter who mentioned that Saban had worked for Belichick and re-phrased it that they had worked with one another).

But what could it have been that set them at odds? What intrigues me is that we have had no good explanation of the grievance that the Patriots brought against the Jets. To summarize, I find it crazy to imagine that the Pats want to make a case against the Jets just for disclosing to Branch/Chayut what compensation they (the Jets) would be prepared to offer New England. Since New England gave Branch/Chayut authority to "seek a trade and negotiate a contract" it's quite implausible to think that they didn't have the right to know what the terms of the trade might be. And yet New England are pursuing a grievance and that, supposedly, is the reason.

I can't help thinking that THERE IS MORE HERE THAN MEETS THE EYE and it intrigues me. Either the grounds for the grievance are elsewhere, or BB and the Patriots have lost their cool to the point where they want to fight the Jets even if they have almost no chance of succeeding. In which case: why?

I really don't think that my curiosity about these questions undermines my manliness, Bella*chick, although you'll have to take my word for it. I'm not going to discuss my underwear on this board ...

 

[flutie2phelan]

Why does the world care so much about this? I mean, really, WHO CARES.

And here I thought women were supposed to be stereotyped as only caring about interpersonal relationships. Clearly not the case.

These reporters need to change out of their Victoria's Secret thongs and start reporting some football.

Clearly written
by a lass who likes her men to be men
... and let the ladies play themselves.

But aren't these reporters so sensitive?
(Could it be helping them with THEIR ladies, who read their stuff?)

 

[124]

Like it or not Patriot fans, Belichick was an ******* to Mangini for not saying anything at all....he couldn't have a sec. or anyone send a card, e-mail, phone call, anything? Couldn't have maybe given him a hug or talked to him for 15 seconds at midfield and said, "Hey, I miss you, best of luck"? Comeon now. Little Bill needs to become a bigger man.

 

[Mosi Moose]

I for one am not on a personal - friends level with my former boss who I consider my mentor. I don't see why they make SUCH a big deal of it in sports. Bella * chick said it the best--WHO CARES? Man, it's a good thing that we don't play the Browns this year--can you imagine if BB hugged Romeo after that game? The NY media would have gone nuts!!

 

[BPF]

Like it or not Patriot fans, Belichick was an ******* to Mangini for not saying anything at all....he couldn't have a sec. or anyone send a card, e-mail, phone call, anything? Couldn't have maybe given him a hug or talked to him for 15 seconds at midfield and said, "Hey, I miss you, best of luck"? Comeon now. Little Bill needs to become a bigger man.

???? This is clearly the stupidest response I have ever seen. BB is here to win games and championships not be warm and fuzzy.

 

[BelichickFan]

Like it or not Patriot fans, Belichick was an ******* to Mangini for not saying anything at all....he couldn't have a sec. or anyone send a card, e-mail, phone call, anything? Couldn't have maybe given him a hug or talked to him for 15 seconds at midfield and said, "Hey, I miss you, best of luck"? Comeon now. Little Bill needs to become a bigger man.

He said "good game". And shook hands. Nothing else was necessary.

 

[Bella*chick]

Well, I have to make it clear that I would expect some interest in the issue, but the level of interest is, IMO, a bit out of control. As if these people should have expected a complete answer anyway! BB doesn't owe any reporter any inside scoop on anything, and that's the end of it. He clearly doesn't wish to discuss it, I haven't seen Mangini doing so either, so why can't they just drop it?

eta: Now I'm almost 7 months pregnant, which means I'm SUPPOSED to be a hormonal mess, and even I can see this whole BB/Mangini drama is just that....drama. It's not that I don't like my men somewhat sensitive to "feelings" and **** like that, but between this and Tom Brady nursing a broken heart over his lost WR, I'm starting to feel like I wandered onto the set of The OC, or something.

 

[DocAdkinsDiet]

I don't know why people expected more from BB. What about his actions in the last... forever would make people expect him to get emotional and do anything more than shake his hand.

Guy probably shook his wife's hand at their weding.

 

[BelichickFan]

I don't know why people expected more from BB. What about his actions in the last... forever would make people expect him to get emotional and do anything more than shake his hand.

Guy probably shook his wife's hand at their weding.

LMAO.

I think the issue is that at least he speaks well of Saban and refers to him as "Nick". Whereas he has yet to say anything whatsoever about Mangini and refers to him constantly as "he" or "him", never once using his name. I think it's funny, but it's a clear difference.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

No question there's SERIOUS bad blood here. Me, I find it intriguing. To fans, this whole football thingy is entertainment and this conflict is high drama exacerbated by the fact that BB wants it kept under wraps.

So, what precisely is the Pats' league grievance against the Jets for meddling in the HeWhoIsDeadToMe affair?

 

[SamBam39]

for those of you with your panties in a bunch cuz you don't understand why bb's being mean to eric, too bad, BB doesn't care if you don't understand.

he, unlike you, is completely focused on football.

he doesn't have to explain himself to anyone, and trying to guess what's going on is a waste of time because you really are not privy to the behind the scenes details.


rest assured, bb's very unhappy with eric about something, and that's fine with me.

it doesn't make bb a bad person to feud with someone, even if you don't know why he's doing it.

 

[Water Boy]

I'm starting to feel like I wandered onto the set of The OC, or something.

Funny sh*t! I don't like to get too wrapped up in the media driven soap opera stuff, but I do want to know if BB acted like an ass unnecessisarily. I don't like to root for a-holes. BB is getting killed in the media nationally over Mangini, Dieon Branch, and the subpoena, so it is nice to hear a different take than what most media hacks are offering.

 

[OldEnglandPatriot]

What is sport, if not soap opera for men?

 

[SamBam39]

Funny sh*t! I don't like to get too wrapped up in the media driven soap opera stuff, but I do want to know if BB acted like an ass unnecessisarily. I don't like to root for a-holes. BB is getting killed in the media nationally over Mangini, Dieon Branch, and the subpoena, so it is nice to hear a different take than what most media hacks are offering.

unnessasarily according to who's judgment?
yours?

please.

if BB's pissed at eric, it's his decision, and he doesn't need yours or the media's agreement.
my god.