Again, I can sometimes mix up Hart/Perillo/Kirsch's voices.
3:57, PFW in Progress - 10/11/06:
Kirsch: "Now Tom, do you have something you need to get off your chest?"
Casale: "Yeah, I'm pretty upset."
Kirsch: "What are you upset about?"
Casale: "Because we were attacked on one of those messageboards. PatsPyschos.com or whatever one of those messageboards is."
Kirsch or Hart or whoever [probably a soundbite]: "Look at that douchebag."
Casale: "Patriots Football Weekly, and specifically me. Because I was the one who brought it up. John Tomase wrote a story and mentioned the joke that he said at the [Kickoff] Gala, which was true. However, John Tomase didn't see or hear anything. [Soundbite: "What?!?"] He asked me what happened at that Gala. I told him exactly what I saw. Much like myself, Tomase decided not to put in some of the things I told him, because we see no need to slam Chad Jackson for no reason. OK? There were some things that he did when he walked in. John Tomase was 'nowheres' in site. He was talking to Tedy Bruschi during this whole thing, he admitted it to me, he asked me for everything."
Editor's Note: If Bruschi reportedly pulled aside Jackson, and Tomase was talking to him the entire time, how wouldn't Tomase have known what happened?
Casale: "So, the moderator or someone at PatsPsychos.com or whatever it is where they post 5,000 messages, and don't work, or eat, or have girlfriends of whatever it is they do..."
Kirsch or Hart or whoever [probably a soundbite]: "Look at that douchebag."
Casale: "..said that we should be embarassed for trying to, first of all, bring up our ratings - we have no ratings - ("Bring up our ratings!?!") so that shows you how idiotic that guy is. Second of all, for starting rumors about Chad Jackson. Listen, I'm leaving out this stuff because I don't feel it's appropriate to tell everyone the embarassment that he caused there. Tomase obviously decided to do the same thing. He mentioned the joke that didn't go over well. Yes, that was part of it. It wasn't the whole thing. So, I understand that you guys think you know the team, but you don't. You sit there, you write on your messageboards, and you watch the games on TV. That's all you do. You're not close to the team. What I said happened, and swear to God on my life that it happened!"
Editor's Note: Then why are you the ONLY media member/attendee who has said ANYTHING about the "incident?" And supposedly, the only STORY written about it was by TOMASE, who, by you, got the "scoop" from YOU! What about all the fans who were there? We haven't heard a THING about this from them!
Casale: "So that's the best I can do. If the person at that website would like to set up a lie detector test, I would be willing to take one at any time, and tell you exactly what happened at that Gala. So don't call us out for lying. Why would I want to make Chad Jackson look bad? Doesn't he play for the Patriots, Fred?"
Kirsch: "Absolutely."
Casale: "Don't I work for the Patriots?"
Kirsch: "Absolutely."
Casale: "Do I have a Super Bowl ring yet?"
Kirsch: "No, you don't."
Casale: "No, I don't. I would like to go to Miami and get one. So I wouldn't make up things about Chad Jackson that aren't true for my own personal benefit, because it doesn't benefit me. So, that's all. I just thought that, that was - Tomase reported a small piece on what happened that night. He decided to keep the other stuff out. I think that was a good decision. And I'm not going to tell you what happened, because it's over, it's done with, and it doesn't need to be said."
Kirsch: "Yeah, it was kind of like a private affair."
Casale: "Exactly. [Soundbite: What?!?] I work for the team, and I don't think it's necessary for me to go into specifics about what I saw."
Kirsch: "But these same websites will kill us, and when I say us, I mean PFW, if they think we're looking through rose-colored glasses, you know? You can't please these people.
Casale: "'Alls' I said was [that] there were some things there that he did that were not appropriate. [Soundbite: What?!?] And they were addressed by the veterans on this team. Now, I'll say the same thing on a lie dectector and we'll see if the needle moves. I guarantee it won't.
[Soundbite: ticking clock]
Kirsch: "So what exactly did they say? We're trying to raise our ratings?"
Casale: "They said we're trying to raise our ratings by getting all over a 21-year old kid, like we get our kicks off of doing that. I simply mentioned that there were some issues with that thing."
Kirsch: "How many e-mails do we get on a weekly basis [about] 'What's going on with Chad Jackson, and why isn't he out there'? [Soundbite: "69"]"
Casale: "Right."
Kirsch: "I mean, it's not like we're just, you know, looking for stuff."
Casale: "Yeah, they're criticizing - instead of saying well, 'You don't want to say what happened because we're trying to protect the kid,' they're criticizing us because 'We're not saying what happened, we're just making up rumors.' It's not a rumor. Call the cops. I'll go down anytime you want, I'll put my - whatever that thing is for your finger - [soundbite: police sirens] there in front of everybody and tell you exactly what happened and we'll see if the needle moves."
Perillo or Hart or Kirsch: "And remember what George Costanza said."
Perillo or Hart or Kirsch: "It's not a lie if you believe it!"
Casale: "I just thought that was uncalled for. Saying that we would try to pick on a member of our own organization [soundbite: "Go **** Yourself"] just to drive up ratings on an internet radio show. What kind of sense does that make?"
Kirsch: "That's nuts. Was there any responses to it? Anybody else responding to the post?"
Casale: "Everyone thinks everyone's against Chad Jackson. Because I guess if Borges and Felger say something bad about everybody, I guess that means the entire media other than Mike Reiss."
Kirsch: "Well, you know, it's amazing though, these players - it's amazing to me how the players don't realize sometimes. But Chad Jackson holds one interview, yesterday, where he gets to say kind of what's going one with him, and that, you know, it's simply the injury that's holding him back, and he wishes he was out there, and says all the right things, and he turns all public opinion."
Casale: "Right."
Kirsch: "You know, if the players just understood how, they have the ability to really manipulate the media."
Casale: "Oh yeah."
Kirsch: "You know, they do themselves a big favor, you know, they can use the media if they want to."
Casale: "Corey Dillon felt like if he could own the media."
Kirsch: "They just have to understand how to do that. You know, up to yesterday, everyone was like 'Chad Jackson this, Chad Jackson that,' once you hear him in his own words, the fans are ready to flock to him. Which is fine! I'm happy about that! I want the kid to succeed!"
Casale: "Yeah, even last night on our TV show, I was the one who said 'We need Chad Jackson.' We need him. I don't know how many times I've said that. I don't know why people feel I have a personal vandetta against Chad Jackson."
Editor's Note: The Pats don't "NEED" Chad Jackson. You've been, from Day 1, acting like Chad Jackson being perfect, attending every practice, was the end-all, be-all of the Patriots' season. What about Garrett Mills? Or Mincey and Stevenson, who are gone (Well, D.S. is on the p.s.)? L.K. Smith? Andrews? What have they done?
Casale: "Yeah, I made a couple of jokes, calling him Ms. Jackson and stuff - that's just all in fun. Just having fun. I don't dislike him. I think he looks like a machine. If you saw him in the locker room, the guy is a wrecking crew. He's got unbeliveable speed. As soon as he can get on the field and contribute, we all think he can be the number one receiver for the Patriots. So I don't know how that's being negative. "Kirsch: "Well, OK, so, you know..."
Casale: "I had to set the record straight. And you're also, feel free to e-mail John Tomase and ask him what I just said is the exact way that it happened. Because I told him everything that happened. He did not see it."
Kirsch: "What's the screename of this person who -"
Casale: "It's a moderator there. [Shmessy] I don't know how you get that job. But he's a moderator. And you can e-mail John Tomase, and like I said, I'm giving you specifics, he did not see what was going on because he was talking to Tedy Bruschi. E-mail him, ask him if
that's true."
Kirsch: "You know, so whoever this moderator is, if he's a real fan, he's listening to this show, whether it's live or on the podcast, and let's see what he has to say for himself."
Casale: "Yeah, it was a personal attack that I felt was uncalled for. I read those things because I think they're comical. You know me, I get a kick out of them. And I've been slammed plenty of time on those boards. That's fine. But to say that we're picking on Chad Jackson and starting rumors, that's totally unfounded, that's totally un-true, and at no point - if I went to that Gala, and made up stories, how happy would you be, Fred?"
Kirsch: "Not very happy. That's not what we're looking for."
Casale: "And that's the reason why I'm not mentioning all the things that I saw, because I don't think it's relevant, and it's over, so, that's my rebuttal to what happened."