A note on LT/Patriots feud

C.L. Those are good stats, man. From the other thread, that Pats' money line is indeed the best wagering option.
I picked the Saints, but I don't like all that N.O. money. Las Vegas didn't get to be such a big city because the majority of people picked ballgames correctly.

 

Mike - what is strange is that all the money is coming in on the Saints and yet the line hasn't moved. It started at 3 and is still at 3. Either Vegas expects a late surge of money on the Bears or they want you to pick the Saints (the money line has come down though from +$145 to +$110).

I still like the Saints though. I can't help but think that the Saints are much better than Seattle and the Bears needed overtime to beat the Seahawks.

 

So you'd rather the Colts win so then everyone could get oversaturated with Manning on tv... oh wait. I'll freely admit to being a Pats fan, but I definitely don't look at myself as a diehard blind follower. I can totally see why you'd be tired of the no respect card... it was legitimate IMO for a while, but they've driven it into the ground. I don't think Belichick is classy, or even a good person, but then again I don't really care because if the option is a .500 team with lovable Pete Carroll or 3 SB titles with Bill, there's no contest. I know you were going for effect with the Bruschi line, but does he even get that much attention nationally? And what is it about him that really bothers you so much? The guy had a stroke and returned, it was a big story, I don't think he really ever sought out media attention over it. As for Brady, I can relate to your feelings because it's probably the same way I feel about Jeter. And that's why I've always said if Jeter was on my team, I'd love him.

I know the opinion of Simmons on this board, and I'm not saying his column today was some brilliant piece of journalism, but his general premise of: has this society become negative and cynical and knock everything good down, was pretty interesting. I'm not going to rehash his whole column, but I really think he's right in saying that in general, we've all become incredibly negative... just look around to the general tone of this board on a day to day basis for evidence.

 

I read that column, too. To be fair, there's reason to be cynical about the Patriots.

Tom Brady is dreamy and dates supermodels.
Tedy Bruschi nearly died, came back and is a hero.
Bill Belichick is a genius, which is why he can shove cameramen.
Rodney Harrison is a clean player who's above the law.

These are just a few of the stories that get hammered in your head time and and time again. I didn't like the Patriots the first time they won the Super Bowl, and I sure don't like them now. (They did beat the Steelers twice on Heinz Field on their way to Super Bowl rings, that might have something to do with it.) The last thing I want to hear is why we should like the Pats, but that's what everyone tells us every year the moment we get to January. And it gets old quick.

Not Bill Simmons, nor anyone else could ever give me a reason to root for the Pats on Sunday. To me, Peyton's the better story, especially if he could play his father's old team in the Super Bowl. I'll get behind the Colts and Saints, thank you.

 

Oz, I'm not sure if your aim is to bash Brady, defend Merriman or you're just exaggerating your examples to make the point that the Patriots aren't classy. If number 3 is the case, that's one thing, but if it's one of the first two I think your example is pretty weak.

Brady does that signal EVERY time he runs for a first down? What's that once a season? He had that big one when he juked Urlacher earlier this year, but I'd hardly say he's doing it as often as every wide receiver that does it after a 4 yard catch on 3rd-and-3. And your word "emotional" fits. It's definitely an emotional reaction to a big play. I don't think there's anything wrong with being emotional. I have no problem with guys celebrating touchdowns and big plays with their teammates it it's a quick, spontaneous round of high fives or whatever. I don't really think those fall under taunting, and are far less emotional than a trademark dance. I doubt Brady gets up on gameday and says "I'm going to do the first down signal today if I run for one" but I'm sure Merriman knows that anytime he even puts pressure on the QB he'll be dancing.

My whole point on your statement is that the occassional first down signal is far different from a trademark sack dance. If you want to point out the unclassy ways of the Pats, you could find far easier examples than Brady. Hell, have at the DB's who have always had stupid dance celebrations for TDs, interceptions and just about everything else.

My whole point on this whole issue is that I really don't care how classy a team or player is. I'd prefer to see athletes act like they've been there before and don't mind them releasing some emotion, but if a player chooses to not be classy and to taunt his opponents, he forfeits any right to gripe if and when it invariably is thrown back in his face.

 

But they didn't taunt Merriman, who apparently was nowhere near Hobbs at the time. They did it near Tomlinson, who's pissed because he just lost a game, and the last thing he wants to see is someone mocking a teammate.

Taunt during the game, that's fine, especially with how the Chargers showed a lack of class Sunday. But don't do it after the game, when it can only inflame some already intense emotions on the losing side.

 

Again not sure if you're exaggerating, but I don't think the general perception of Harrison is that he's clean or above the law. I also don't think people were ok with what Belichick did to the cameraman, which they shouldn't have been. I have even more of a problem with the hug because you know if he had just lost by 21 he wouldn't have hugged Mangini. As a fanboy I'll have to go along with your points on the first two haha. I don't have any problem with having a great QB who dates beautiful women or a linebacker who survived a stroke and came back to play.

You're missing my point on the Simmons column. I'm not saying people should root for the Pats because of what he said. It really has nothing to do with the Pats, but more to do with this culture and more specifically the media right now, how we are so quick to knock everything and say everything has jumped the shark and finding fault with everything that is good. I was just saying that he raised a good point on that, not saying that is why people don't like the Pats. I just found it to be interesting, and when you read through most of the threads on this board this is a heavy dose of negativity and cynicism.

 

Bill had a very good point. I agree with him, and you know that comes hard for me to say.
On the other hand, Bill's entire career has been built on the premise he denounces, so it's a bit hard to take him seriously.

 

Well this probably hurts the "classy Pats fans" case but its still funny. (NSFW lanuage)

HT CHFF

 

How is that a laugh line? I'm serious about this.

 

Fitzy>JDVillareal

"The only golden globes I care about are in Tom Brady's man sack."
;D

 

Very, very well-said, KC. The Pats hype is completely out of control, and this is coming from a fan of the Cowboys dynasty of the '90's. Go fucking Colts!

You perfectly describe the whole 'class' thing. This is what always killed me about the 'Niners of the '80's and early '90's. Every other team didn't have a BS mantra such as 'Winning with Class.' What a load of crap. Owner who became a felon, serious salary cap circumvention allegations the NFL never investigated, etc. It's the teams that actually cling to such BS facades that people jump on when they fuck up. If there wasn't such a false 'aura' around the Pats, none of this would have had any legs, the whole post-Chargers game stuff. It's just because they and their defenders continue to hold onto such fantasy that people are shoving these antics down their throat. Good, they should. Belichick, the phillandering, TV reporter-seducing, photog-shoving, cut sweatshirt-wearing bunghole is one of the biggest grumps in all of sports. Classy? Give me a freaking break. Brady? I love Brady, but he's as competitive as anyone, and competitive people aren't generally the classiest people you meet; they don't care about being classy, they care about winning.

Over the course of their run, I've seen the Pats do all sorts of minor versions of the post-Chargers game antics. They really didn't bother me at all. They're just like any other team that way. But that's the point, they're just like the rest of the NFL teams. Only their owners cheaper than most (well, all), and they got damn lucky by getting Brady. It's not like they took Tom in the first round or anything, so let's not overstate things here with their 'brilliance' in getting him.

Belichick is a great coach, but he's far from infallible. One of the reasons the Pats were so giddy last Sunday was because those same Chargers obliterated them in NE last year. Revenge is a common motivating factor in the NFL, as it is in the rest of life. Just don't try to sell me that it's classy.