dcmissle said:It is jealousy bordering on blind rage. We've learned that football probably has become more important than it should be, with far too many people deriving their sense of self worth from their teams' performance. And in an era in which the deck is stacked so heavily in favor of pariity, the success the Pats have earned is unbearable to lots of fans of other teams.
Particularly when it is attributable in large part to being smart. We've learned, sadly, that most football fans are not very smart and that their professed concern for the integrity of the game is a joke. They would happily have their players jacked up on PEDs once commonly given to race horses.
Marciano490 said:
But this doesn't square with how complex football has become and how much that complexity is lauded. I've watched football every Sunday for years, and frankly I don't know hardly anything about the game, various coverages, A gaps, 2 gaps, etc. Announcers constantly go on about complex defense, thick playbooks, Wildcats, adjustments, new wrinkles, Chip Kelly's genius, etc. It's not the overlay of the intelligence to sport, it's specific to us.
I'm going to assume it's to apologize to them. What else could it be?norm from cheers said:This could be interesting... Per Rapoport
"According to sources informed of the situation, Troy Vincent, NFL Executive VP of Football Operations, has formally requested to meet with Patriots equipment staffer John Jastremski and locker room attendant Jim McNally before either is reinstated by the franchise."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000528611/article/troy-vincent-requests-to-meet-with-suspended-patriots-staffers?campaign=Twitter_atn
Edit: Typo
Omar's Wacky Neighbor said:I'm going to assume it's to apologize to them. What else could it be?
Sure why not BUT To borrow from Warren Zevon: send Kessler, guns and videonorm from cheers said:This could be interesting... Per Rapoport
"According to sources informed of the situation, Troy Vincent, NFL Executive VP of Football Operations, has formally requested to meet with Patriots equipment staffer John Jastremski and locker room attendant Jim McNally before either is reinstated by the franchise."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000528611/article/troy-vincent-requests-to-meet-with-suspended-patriots-staffers?campaign=Twitter_atn
Edit: Typo
A young Jim McNally was part of the Red Sox grounds crew in those days and had the unenviable assignment of standing inside Fenway’s center field wall, peering through a tiny hole, and transmitting signals to Carl Yastrzemski in the Sox dugout. Nicknamed “The Deflator” by the other kids on the grounds crew, the portly McNally bragged to his friends, “I love working with guys named Yastrzemski.’’ From his perch in deep center, McNally saw Johnny Bench’s sign and knew Fisk was going to get a sinker down and in. McNally panicked for a moment — he was worried that his headset might not be working — but fortunately, the 1975 Motorola technology was up to speed. McNally sent word to the Sox dugout and a sign was relayed to Fisk. Next thing you know, the ball was clanging off the left field foul pole and a couple of little kids named Damon and Affleck were working on a script.
So now we have the New England Patriots. They win Super Bowls but only because they cheat. It’s been proven. More than 90 sources are willing to go on the record as long as you don’t use their names.
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is on the record. Tomlin got schooled and embarrassed by Belichick and the Patriots on Thursday night. But he reminded us that the Steelers lost only because the Patriots scrambled the signals in the Steelers’ headsets. The Patriots won because they cheated.
Again.
No more excuses. No more apologies.
Did we order the Code Red?
You’re damn right we did.
If I'm Kessler, I'm showing up pro bono, just to see the look on Vincent's facecornwalls@6 said:Making one last stab at coercing a confession out of them? If they have the right to have counsel present I hope they excersise it.
Defamation! Defamation!!!Ed Hillel said:Do you think anyone other than Schefter/Florio will ask why Vincent wants to see these guys if the NFL was not pulling the strings on the suspension? I hope they sue if Vincent suspends them any significant amount of time.
Cold water, fire alarms at the hotel, etc etc. In addition to Russell and Bird they picked Ainge when he wasn't supposed to be available. And the one people really complained about was JoJo White: he was going to be the #3 pick in the draft but for a military commitment - that was mysteriously shortened after Auerbach selected White at #9. There are definitely similarities.Don Buddin's GS said:Having lived thru the Auerbach/Celtic era, the parallels to the Pats envy are many: the gamesmanship, real or imagined, that got into other teams heads; the dead spots on the Garden floor; the moves no one else thought of like trading for the ability to draft Russell or picking Bird a year early and waiting for him to finish up at ISU; the FU victory cigar.
Bottom line: if you can't beat 'em, bitch about 'em.
I hope McNally agrees to meet with him. In a Dunkin Donuts in Manchester with Kessler sitting next to him sharing a box of munchkins.Omar's Wacky Neighbor said:If I'm Kessler, I'm showing up pro bono, just to see the look on Vincent's face
I love the bottom of the piece, where it says "FILED UNDER: CORRUPTION, FIFA, NFL"ALiveH said:I think it's largely geography and all the associated connotations: intellectual elitism, blue state (when the more diehard fans tend to lean red-state), and that New England isn't "supposed to be" a football powerhouse. I think the anti-Semitism attribution is a step too far - the thought never even crossed my mind. There are so many minority owners / coaches of all types, often of fans of the same teams that attack us. I also think that there are a lot of fans out there that are very emotionally involved but don't want to take the time to learn the intricacies of the rule book or different strategies (such as 3-4, 4-3, nickel, dime, zone blitz, etc) so they are hard-wired to refuse to appreciate Belichick.
On another note, I enjoyed this article in NY Post, of all places, that compared the NFL under Goodell to FIFA, IOC & the USSR, citing incompetence, arrogance, etc but without directly mentioning the Patriots at all. I think Goodell's seat is getting warmer.
http://nypost.com/2015/09/11/is-the-nfl-turning-into-an-american-fifa/
TheoShmeo said:I don't think it's in any way fueled by antisemitism and I think for most it is has zero to do with that. But little in life is binary. I suspect for some out there, that Kraft identifies strongly as a Jew, with very public stuff like his post-season trips to Israel, adds to the big mix of reasons why the Pats are disliked.
For most, it comes down to something much less insidious and much more basic: jealousy. Players, fans, other owners and even media can't stand seeing one team on top for so long, so they invent a narrative to deride them. Cheaters, finesse artists, arrogant head coach and pretty boy game manager QB are the usual charges. No doubt, there are a whole variety of other themes that we hear and don't hear.
He also said that, unlike Brady, their involvement was not disputed. Which is baffling since McNally, Jastremski, Brady, Kraft and others all dispute their involvement.Slow Rheal said:Rapaport saying on NFLN that Troy Vincent (besides wanting to be able to look them in the eye) wants to hold them accountable for their actions in DG, and possibly impose fines/suspensions for the Dorito Dinks.
naclone said:He also said that, unlike Brady, their involvement was not disputed. Which is baffling since McNally, Jastremski, Brady, Kraft and others all dispute their involvement.
Rich Eisen had a good followup to Rapaport. He said I don't understand this. What exactly is he doing then, are they just supposed to sit there?Slow Rheal said:Rapaport saying on NFLN that Troy Vincent (besides wanting to be able to look them in the eye) wants to hold them accountable for their actions in DG, and possibly impose fines/suspensions for the Dorito Dinks.
They're already suspended without pay. If the NFL wants to fine these guys after already fining the team 1 million, hopefully it will be seen as piling on.Slow Rheal said:Rapaport saying on NFLN that Troy Vincent (besides wanting to be able to look them in the eye) wants to hold them accountable for their actions in DG, and possibly impose fines/suspensions for the Dorito Dinks.
Gambler7 said:Rich Eisen had a good followup to Rapaport. He said I don't understand this. What exactly is he doing then, are they just supposed to sit there?
This makes zero sense. Didn't NFL security already interview them three times right after the incident? Troy Vincent's letter back in May states:
"Neither of these individuals may be reinstated without the prior approval of NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent. If they are reinstated by the Patriots, Jastremski is prohibited from having any role in the preparation, supervision, or handling of footballs to be used in NFL games during the 2015 season. McNally is barred from serving as a locker room attendant for the game officials, or having any involvement with the preparation, supervision, or handling of footballs or any other equipment on game day."
So they have been suspended since May. the NFL already punished them as described in the letter. Now they want to go back and "hold them accountable" and open it up again?
ElcaballitoMVP said:The NFL just doesn't want this to go away, huh? I guess it's better than talking about concussions and abusing women and children.
norm from cheers said:Well I certainly hope they have representation sitting next to them if/when they appear before Vincent or an NFL investigator. The NFL leak machine will rail road them before the two are on the Acela back to Boston. There needs to be an advocate in the room with them and a voice to the media disputing the BS that "sources" will be putting out to the masses.
I like the fact the McNally lost a lot of weight and can walk into the NFL offices and say he is the Deflator with a straight face.
riboflav said:
This is a PR battle. I'd prefer to have Adam Schefter or Mike Reiss sitting there rather than an attorney.
ElcaballitoMVP said:The NFL just doesn't want this to go away, huh? I guess it's better than talking about concussions and abusing women and children.
If the Dinks get suspended, the NFL continues to shape the "Patriots and Brady are guilty, Brady just got off on a technicality that we still disagree with" narrative.
Oh for Christ's sake. Now Kraft's religion is part of the issue? I didn't even know he was Jewish and I bet most people don't know and/or don't give a shit.wiffleballhero said:Yes, I think this is very much part of it, underscored by Belichick's Wesleyan background.
I also fear that you can go even further with this point and say that part of the hostility to the Pats is coded antisemitism.
No air conditioning at the Garden in the 1984 finals and supposedly 96 degrees in the Lakers locker room. Did Red have anything to do with that?Don Buddin's GS said:Having lived thru the Auerbach/Celtic era, the parallels to the Pats envy are many: the gamesmanship, real or imagined, that got into other teams heads; the dead spots on the Garden floor; the moves no one else thought of like trading for the ability to draft Russell or picking Bird a year early and waiting for him to finish up at ISU; the FU victory cigar.
Bottom line: if you can't beat 'em, bitch about 'em.
( . ) ( . ) and (_!_) said:Pats should have the two guys sit down for a long interview with a media outlet prior to meeting with Vincent. Get their story out on paper before the NFL leak machine gives it a spin.
I vote for Sally Jenkins. Give her a reward for being awesome thru this saga. Sure it might ruffle some feathers at the Globe but screw those guys.
Kraft has been so naive through this whole thing. Let's see if he has finally woken up.
If he is going to deny involvement he could probably sell it for $50. He would need to sell out Brady or BB to get 5-6 figures.AB in DC said:Great idea but would JM want to go along? He'd probably be able to make five or six figures selling his story to a tabloid.
A league source confirmed Monday morning the NFL won’t give any further discipline to Jastremski and McNally, the two Patriots employees accused by the league of intentionally deflating footballs before the AFC Championship Game in January, which ultimately led to a lengthy investigation and the loss of a first-round draft pick for the Patriots.