2022 Patriots in-season news and moves thread

sezwho

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does patricia get any credit for some of the solid defensive performance they had in the playoffs over his years as DC? Or just blame for the bad ones.

I'm not doing the draft argument but I really don't know what you people expect from the draft year over year, especially when every study basically ever done on it shows that drafting significantly above average for any extensive period of it time is an unrepeatable skill.
I actually give Patricia credit for helping modernize the Patriots defense. I’m struggling to find a link, but I recall reading that he pushed Bill to leverage technology and seemed to help transition them away from the 2 gapping 3-4 into the more multiple sets we see now.

That said, he was absolutely crap in Detroit and I’d never have put him in charge of Macs world.
 

ManicCompression

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I'm not doing the draft argument but I really don't know what you people expect from the draft year over year, especially when every study basically ever done on it shows that drafting significantly above average for any extensive period of it time is an unrepeatable skill.
I think people would have less of an issue over this if there weren't so many head scratching decisions in the draft. It's great when going against the grain works, but it looks much worse when you miss AND you're so far off from consensus. It's just hard to believe there's a working and successful "process" in place when you're draft strategy, that no one else understands or agrees with, sucks.
 

ManicCompression

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I'm not doing the draft argument but I really don't know what you people expect from the draft year over year, especially when every study basically ever done on it shows that drafting significantly above average for any extensive period of it time is an unrepeatable skill.
I think people would have less of an issue over this if there weren't so many head scratching decisions in the draft. It's great when going against the grain works, but it looks much worse when you miss AND you're so far off from consensus. It's just hard to believe there's a working and successful "process" in place when you're draft strategy, that no one else understands or agrees with, sucks.
 

Cellar-Door

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I don't like Patricia, but to me it's the entire decision making process around the offensive staff....

Patricia... never coached offense except 1 season a an assistant O-line coach. You want to make him O-line coach.... fine... but also calling plays as the defacto co-ordinator? He's never shown any indication he has that skill-set, AND it's a weird setup where he can't possibly be giving full attention to both jobs.

Judge....WR coach for a year... QB coach seems a big jump, and a weird one, having someone who has never been a QB coach for a 2nd year QB.

The staff is just too shallow and too many guys are cross-coaching and covering positions they never had before.

I'd be far less worried if they had Judge and Patricia in these roles, but had one more guy who was calling the plays and had a background as a creative offensive coach. But a staff with basically no guys with track records as offensive coaches, particularly play-designers and play-callers, is a bad idea, having the playcaller double as line coach is a bad idea, especially taking over from McDaniels who was experienced and had a long held reputation as a creative designer and caller of plays.
 

rodderick

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does patricia get any credit for some of the solid defensive performance they had in the playoffs over his years as DC? Or just blame for the bad ones.

I'm not doing the draft argument but I really don't know what you people expect from the draft year over year, especially when every study basically ever done on it shows that drafting significantly above average for any extensive period of it time is an unrepeatable skill.
The Patriots ranked 19th in defensive EPA/Play from 2010-2017 (and first in offensive EPA/Play). They had two defenses ranked in the top half by DVOA, not one above 11th in eight seasons of him calling defensive plays. The average Patricia defense ranked 20th in defensive DVOA over that timeframe, and the Patriots allowed 28.5 points per game in the Super Bowl with him as DC (and that's generous considering how much Pete Carroll contributed to bring down that average). He was a thoroughly mediocre coordinator who benefitted greatly from the best offense in the league during his tenure. This is actually one of my main gripes with them bringing back Patricia: he was below adequate with the Pats and then an utter joke in Detroit. It's not like we're calling upon 1986 Bill Belichick to take control of the offense.
 

lexrageorge

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The Patriots ranked 19th in defensive EPA/Play from 2010-2017 (and first in offensive EPA/Play). They had two defenses ranked in the top half by DVOA, not one above 11th in eight seasons of him calling defensive plays. The average Patricia defense ranked 20th in defensive DVOA over that timeframe, and the Patriots allowed 28.5 points per game in the Super Bowl with him as DC (and that's generous considering how much Pete Carroll contributed to bring down that average). He was a thoroughly mediocre coordinator who benefitted greatly from the best offense in the league during his tenure. This is actually one of my main gripes with them bringing back Patricia: he was below adequate with the Pats and then an utter joke in Detroit. It's not like we're calling upon 1986 Bill Belichick to take control of the offense.
The start of that period they had almost no playmakers in defense. Over the next few seasons, they drafted Hightower, McCourty, Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, Trey Flowers, and signed Butler and Revis and Browner. By 2014, the D was quite good, which led to their holding Seattle in check most of the 2nd half.

The D was below average by the end of 2017 as many of those players turned over, but there were injury issues as well.

The personnel still matters a great deal.
 

jsinger121

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The start of that period they had almost no playmakers in defense. Over the next few seasons, they drafted Hightower, McCourty, Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, Trey Flowers, and signed Butler and Revis and Browner. By 2014, the D was quite good, which led to their holding Seattle in check most of the 2nd half.

The D was below average by the end of 2017 as many of those players turned over, but there were injury issues as well.

The personnel still matters a great deal.
Remember the quote Belichick said on the podium after Super Bowl 49 to Edelman and Gronkowski? “It’s a players game.” You can scheme up all you want but if you don’t have the horses the X&O’s don’t even matter.
 

rodderick

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The start of that period they had almost no playmakers in defense. Over the next few seasons, they drafted Hightower, McCourty, Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, Trey Flowers, and signed Butler and Revis and Browner. By 2014, the D was quite good, which led to their holding Seattle in check most of the 2nd half.

The D was below average by the end of 2017 as many of those players turned over, but there were injury issues as well.

The personnel still matters a great deal.
2014 and 2015 were the best defenses the Patriots had under Patricia and they were worse than every single defense they've had since he left by EPA/Play and DVOA. Flores was better and Steve appears to be better as well.
 

BaseballJones

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Just some perspective on the offense. The Pats only put up 7 points. Ugh. Awful.

But the Packers - with Aaron Rodgers, who has won the MVP the last two seasons, and with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, scored just 7 points in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Dallas, with Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and CeeDee Lamb, put up *3* at home against Tampa.

The NFL is bizarre.

By the way, Miami's D last year was ranked #16 in points allowed. Minnesota's was ranked #24. Tampa's was 5th (so really good), but Dallas got them at home.
 

Van Everyman

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This is not meant to be a hot take, and I'm not in anyway advocating for it, but does it feel a little like things are lining up for this to not end well/on his terms for BB? Krafts comments in the off-season about his dissatisfaction with the playoff win drought and bad recent drafts. His questioning of an in-game coaching decision this past week. Whatever tension remains over Brady's departure. The team looking like it's still a ways away from true super bowl contention. I think he's the best coach in the history of the league, and I want him to stay and do the rebuild. But billionaire owners, even the best ones, can be impatient and reactionary. Both Tom Landry and Chuck Knoll were shown the door at younger ages than BB is now. What would've seemed unthinkable to me even a year ago, seems less so now.

Edited for GD fat fingered, mobil posting.
Kraft’s offseason comments were almost 100% hot air. He is not Jerry Jones or any of these bloviating owners. Anything he says related to football is mostly mild PR fluff.

Does he “expect” the Patriots to make it back to the Super Bowl and past playoff glory? Of course he says that publicly. But don’t think for a minute he isn’t 100% aware and bought in to this process or that Bill is somehow going around him.

The “Kraft has Bill on the hot seat!” and absurd “The Pats finances require them to constantly compete at an elite level” takes now circulating are yet another series of narratives the media is pushing because 1) they have nothing better to do and, truth be told, 2) they have been waiting to stick it to Bill for years for his arrogance and now have a chance.

None of which is to suggest that Bill has job security to perpetuity. Everyone has their limits of course. And it can’t be easy to absorb constant incoming criticism – esp. after two decades of mostly glowing takes praising your organizational genius. But the idea that Bob Kraft at 81 has suddenly developed a hair trigger that is ready to pop one game into the franchise QB’s second season flies in the face of virtually everything we know about his ownership tenure and relationship with Belichick.

Of course, once the media realizes this storyline has no juice to speak of, we can expect them to pivot to how Jonathan will be taking over sooner rather than later and doesn’t have the same relationship with Bill that the old man does. At least there, there will be some new developments to process. But until that actually happens we should be wary of all these storylines because they are almost completely speculative.
 

Bowhemian

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Kraft’s offseason comments were almost 100% hot air. He is not Jerry Jones or any of these bloviating owners. Anything he says related to football is mostly mild PR fluff.

Does he “expect” the Patriots to make it back to the Super Bowl and past playoff glory? Of course he says that publicly. But don’t think for a minute he isn’t 100% aware and bought in to this process or that Bill is somehow going around him.

The “Kraft has Bill on the hot seat!” and absurd “The Pats finances require them to constantly compete at an elite level” takes now circulating are yet another series of narratives the media is pushing because 1) they have nothing better to do and, truth be told, 2) they have been waiting to stick it to Bill for years for his arrogance and now have a chance.

None of which is to suggest that Bill has job security to perpetuity. Everyone has their limits of course. And it can’t be easy to absorb constant incoming criticism – esp. after two decades of mostly glowing takes praising your organizational genius. But the idea that Bob Kraft at 81 has suddenly developed a hair trigger that is ready to pop one game into the franchise QB’s second season flies in the face of virtually everything we know about his ownership tenure and relationship with Belichick.

Of course, once the media realizes this storyline has no juice to speak of, we can expect them to pivot to how Jonathan will be taking over sooner rather than later and doesn’t have the same relationship with Bill that the old man does. At least there, there will be some new developments to process. But until that actually happens we should be wary of all these storylines because they are almost completely speculative.
This x100000000
 

cornwalls@6

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Kraft’s offseason comments were almost 100% hot air. He is not Jerry Jones or any of these bloviating owners. Anything he says related to football is mostly mild PR fluff.

Does he “expect” the Patriots to make it back to the Super Bowl and past playoff glory? Of course he says that publicly. But don’t think for a minute he isn’t 100% aware and bought in to this process or that Bill is somehow going around him.

The “Kraft has Bill on the hot seat!” and absurd “The Pats finances require them to constantly compete at an elite level” takes now circulating are yet another series of narratives the media is pushing because 1) they have nothing better to do and, truth be told, 2) they have been waiting to stick it to Bill for years for his arrogance and now have a chance.

None of which is to suggest that Bill has job security to perpetuity. Everyone has their limits of course. And it can’t be easy to absorb constant incoming criticism – esp. after two decades of mostly glowing takes praising your organizational genius. But the idea that Bob Kraft at 81 has suddenly developed a hair trigger that is ready to pop one game into the franchise QB’s second season flies in the face of virtually everything we know about his ownership tenure and relationship with Belichick.

Of course, once the media realizes this storyline has no juice to speak of, we can expect them to pivot to how Jonathan will be taking over sooner rather than later and doesn’t have the same relationship with Bill that the old man does. At least there, there will be some new developments to process. But until that actually happens we should be wary of all these storylines because they are almost completely speculative.
I don’t disagree with any of your points about the media’s agenda in all this, but I’m not as sanguine about the Krafts patience, or the strength of the relationship between Robert and BB. I think it’s always been, mostly, a pure business relationship, and not a particularly close personal one. And one predicated on Bill’s incredible success for most of it. And I was speculating on what might happen to that relationship once that success wanes, which was always inevitable if Bill stayed around long enough. Particularly after Brady’s departure. And just to clarify, under no set of circumstances would I imagine an in-season firing. But if this season ends up being a losing one, I don’t think Kraft moving on from Bill is as unlikely a scenario as it would’ve been until very recently.
 

rodderick

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I do agree with the idea that Kraft was mostly playing "bad cop" to assuage the fan base with his off season comments, but if viewership for the opener was as down as the reports indicate (23.9 rating in Boston, in contrast to a 33.1 rating on last year's Week 1 game), the fact that the team seems to both not be primed to contend for a title in the short term and plays a very unexciting brand of football with few marquee players might start to weigh on his decisions regarding Bill. Of course, this is all speculative and I don't think there's any way Belichick is fired in the coming seasons (or should be on the hot seat for that matter) but still, if interest in the team starts to wane, who knows how that impacts Kraft's feelings on the matter.
 

BigSoxFan

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I do agree with the idea that Kraft was mostly playing "bad cop" to assuage the fan base with his off season comments, but if viewership for the opener was as down as the reports indicate (23.9 rating in Boston, in contrast to a 33.1 rating on last year's Week 1 game), the fact that the team seems to both not be primed to contend for a title in the short term and plays a very unexciting brand of football with few marquee players might start to weigh on his decisions regarding Bill. Of course, this is all speculative and I don't think there's any way Belichick is fired in the coming seasons (or should be on the hot seat for that matter) but still, if interest in the team starts to wane, who knows how that impacts Kraft's feelings on the matter.
I feel like if BB felt things slipping with Kraft, he would be the one to make the first move. Then again, he is coaching NFL football games with his sons, which has to be a joy, so perhaps he's incentivized to string this relationship out as long as possible. No idea what kind of jobs his sons could get outside of NE. Ultimately, I don't see this becoming a Bobby Bowden situation.

During the Pats' run, we often compared them to the NBA's version of the Spurs and it's funny to me that the Spurs are in another similar situation with Popovich.
 

rodderick

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I feel like if BB felt things slipping with Kraft, he would be the one to make the first move. Then again, he is coaching NFL football games with his sons, which has to be a joy, so perhaps he's incentivized to string this relationship out as long as possible. No idea what kind of jobs his sons could get outside of NE. Ultimately, I don't see this becoming a Bobby Bowden situation.

During the Pats' run, we often compared them to the NBA's version of the Spurs and it's funny to me that the Spurs are in another similar situation with Popovich.
Steve has been calling plays for a defense that has been really productive since 2019 (3rd in EPA/Play in that timeframe). I bet he could get a job and have at least reasonable success elsewhere.
 

BigSoxFan

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Steve has been calling plays for a defense that has been really productive since 2019 (3rd in EPA/Play in that timeframe). I bet he could get a job and have at least reasonable success elsewhere.
I'm sure he could get a job but will people be discounting his performance due to the presence of his dad? I mean, there are a million Shanahan's around so wouldn't surprise me to see someone take a shot on him.
 

rodderick

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I'm sure he could get a job but will people be discounting his performance due to the presence of his dad? I mean, there are a million Shanahan's around so wouldn't surprise me to see someone take a shot on him.
I wouldn't. He's been miles better as defensive play caller than a guy like Patricia, and he got a HC job as a reward for his mediocrity while being under BB too. But the difference with Kyle Shannahan was he actively chose to build his career away from dad.
 

BigSoxFan

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I wouldn't. He's been miles better as defensive play caller than a guy like Patricia, and he got a HC job as a reward for his mediocrity while being under BB too. But the difference with Kyle Shannahan was he actively chose to build his career away from dad.
Yup, agreed. At some point, it probably makes sense for Steve to separate from the Pats...unless they have him as part of the post-BB plan, which is probably doubtful but who knows.
 

wonderland

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I wouldn't. He's been miles better as defensive play caller than a guy like Patricia, and he got a HC job as a reward for his mediocrity while being under BB too. But the difference with Kyle Shannahan was he actively chose to build his career away from dad.
Shannahan got a big break when he hooked up with Gary Kubiack in Houston, who played and coached under Mike. Kyle then left to join his dad in Washington. Kyle charted more of his own path after that because his dad was done coaching.
 

Jimbodandy

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Kraft’s offseason comments were almost 100% hot air. He is not Jerry Jones or any of these bloviating owners. Anything he says related to football is mostly mild PR fluff.

Does he “expect” the Patriots to make it back to the Super Bowl and past playoff glory? Of course he says that publicly. But don’t think for a minute he isn’t 100% aware and bought in to this process or that Bill is somehow going around him.

The “Kraft has Bill on the hot seat!” and absurd “The Pats finances require them to constantly compete at an elite level” takes now circulating are yet another series of narratives the media is pushing because 1) they have nothing better to do and, truth be told, 2) they have been waiting to stick it to Bill for years for his arrogance and now have a chance.

None of which is to suggest that Bill has job security to perpetuity. Everyone has their limits of course. And it can’t be easy to absorb constant incoming criticism – esp. after two decades of mostly glowing takes praising your organizational genius. But the idea that Bob Kraft at 81 has suddenly developed a hair trigger that is ready to pop one game into the franchise QB’s second season flies in the face of virtually everything we know about his ownership tenure and relationship with Belichick.

Of course, once the media realizes this storyline has no juice to speak of, we can expect them to pivot to how Jonathan will be taking over sooner rather than later and doesn’t have the same relationship with Bill that the old man does. At least there, there will be some new developments to process. But until that actually happens we should be wary of all these storylines because they are almost completely speculative.
This a great post.

You have no future in sports talk radio, but you'd write a decent book.
 

joe dokes

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Kraft’s offseason comments were almost 100% hot air. He is not Jerry Jones or any of these bloviating owners. Anything he says related to football is mostly mild PR fluff.

Does he “expect” the Patriots to make it back to the Super Bowl and past playoff glory? Of course he says that publicly. But don’t think for a minute he isn’t 100% aware and bought in to this process or that Bill is somehow going around him.

The “Kraft has Bill on the hot seat!” and absurd “The Pats finances require them to constantly compete at an elite level” takes now circulating are yet another series of narratives the media is pushing because 1) they have nothing better to do and, truth be told, 2) they have been waiting to stick it to Bill for years for his arrogance and now have a chance.

None of which is to suggest that Bill has job security to perpetuity. Everyone has their limits of course. And it can’t be easy to absorb constant incoming criticism – esp. after two decades of mostly glowing takes praising your organizational genius. But the idea that Bob Kraft at 81 has suddenly developed a hair trigger that is ready to pop one game into the franchise QB’s second season flies in the face of virtually everything we know about his ownership tenure and relationship with Belichick.

Of course, once the media realizes this storyline has no juice to speak of, we can expect them to pivot to how Jonathan will be taking over sooner rather than later and doesn’t have the same relationship with Bill that the old man does. At least there, there will be some new developments to process. But until that actually happens we should be wary of all these storylines because they are almost completely speculative.
This is excellent.

I do agree with the idea that Kraft was mostly playing "bad cop" to assuage the fan base with his off season comments, but if viewership for the opener was as down as the reports indicate (23.9 rating in Boston, in contrast to a 33.1 rating on last year's Week 1 game), the fact that the team seems to both not be primed to contend for a title in the short term and plays a very unexciting brand of football with few marquee players might start to weigh on his decisions regarding Bill. Of course, this is all speculative and I don't think there's any way Belichick is fired in the coming seasons (or should be on the hot seat for that matter) but still, if interest in the team starts to wane, who knows how that impacts Kraft's feelings on the matter.
How do TV ratings of Patriot games affect Kraft's bottom line? I had always thought that, unlike other sports, the national centralization of NFL TV rights makes something like one team's ratings somewhat irrelevant to that team's bottom line. It certainly may be indicative of the fact that the team sucks, and a shitty team wont sell tickets, beer and shirts, but in and of itself I'm not sure how it matters.
 

rodderick

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This is excellent.


How do TV ratings of Patriot games affect Kraft's bottom line? I had always thought that, unlike other sports, the national centralization of NFL TV rights makes something like one team's ratings somewhat irrelevant to that team's bottom line. It certainly may be indicative of the fact that the team sucks, and a shitty team wont sell tickets, beer and shirts, but in and of itself I'm not sure how it matters.
You just described how it matters. Less people watching on TV is likely a sign the region is losing interest, and less interest on the team leads to all of the things you mentioned which in turn impact the valuation of the franchise. And that ratings fell off for the opener following a season in which they made the playoffs with a rookie QB could potentially light up a warning sign, that's all. It's obviously not a disaster or a harbinger of doom.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Last year’s opener had Mac’s debut, though. That’s a compelling story line, and after all the off-season moves, there certainly seemed to be more interest in the 21 Pats than the 22. Ultimately, though, ratings over a larger sample are going to be driven by how good the Pats are, or not. If they stink, lots of people will lose interest, and it happens pretty fast.
 

joe dokes

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You just described how it matters. Less people watching on TV is likely a sign the region is losing interest, and less interest on the team leads to all of the things you mentioned which in turn impact the valuation of the franchise. And that ratings fell off for the opener following a season in which they made the playoffs with a rookie QB could potentially light up a warning sign, that's all. It's obviously not a disaster or a harbinger of doom.
Isn't this just a fancy way of saying that if they suck no one is gonna watch or go to the game? All that aside, however, I think various posters have described pretty plausible reasons why "Week 1" ratings comparisons are not particularly useful.
 

NortheasternPJ

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Last year’s opener had Mac’s debut, though. That’s a compelling story line, and after all the off-season moves, there certainly seemed to be more interest in the 21 Pats than the 22. Ultimately, though, ratings over a larger sample are going to be driven by how good the Pats are, or not. If they stink, lots of people will lose interest, and it happens pretty fast.
Then you get the added bonus of a Beasley Reece level announcing crew Like it’s 1992 again.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Kraft needs a successful product on the field to make this whole thing work
Does he though? There's little chance the Pats will continue to do anything but grow exponentially more valuable with every new television, almost regardless of the on-field success. That's the beauty of owning an NFL team... you can't lose.

I don't think overseeing a consistently losing franchise suits Kraft's ego, but he's not hardly in any particular peril (or on anything less than incredible upward trajectory) regardless.
 

lexrageorge

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Does he though? There's little chance the Pats will continue to do anything but grow exponentially more valuable with every new television, almost regardless of the on-field success. That's the beauty of owning an NFL team... you can't lose.

I don't think overseeing a consistently losing franchise suits Kraft's ego, but he's not hardly in any particular peril (or on anything less than incredible upward trajectory) regardless.
Kraft bought the team for $175M. Forbes recently valued the Patriots at well over $6B. The team could miss the playoffs for the next 5 seasons and Kraft would still be coming out way ahead of the game financially.
 

axx

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The Stadium is kind of in the middle of nowhere. I could see people being unwilling to drive out to the boonies to go to a game if the team turns real bad.
 

Jimbodandy

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Kraft bought the team for $175M. Forbes recently valued the Patriots at well over $6B. The team could miss the playoffs for the next 5 seasons and Kraft would still be coming out way ahead of the game financially.
Bengals came in last at 3B per Forbes 2022. There are no money concerns here, unless some owner overleverages himself/herself. Kraft owns a bunch of other shit too, and the waiting list is ten miles wrong.

Maybe Kraft tires of Belichick someday, but "but moneyz" won't be the reason.
 

Marciano490

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I get this point - are the Pats really like the Cowboys or Niners or Packers or I guess Steelers - global brands that can withstand longterm downturns and still sell merch and tickets?
 

lexrageorge

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The Stadium is kind of in the middle of nowhere. I could see people being unwilling to drive out to the boonies to go to a game if the team turns real bad.
It’s much less in the middle of nowhere than it was in the 1970’s.
 

lexrageorge

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I get this point - are the Pats really like the Cowboys or Niners or Packers or I guess Steelers - global brands that can withstand longterm downturns and still sell merch and tickets?
Only the Cowboys were rated higher by Forbes. 49’ers do not have better branding than the Pats.
 

54thMA

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Does he though? There's little chance the Pats will continue to do anything but grow exponentially more valuable with every new television, almost regardless of the on-field success. That's the beauty of owning an NFL team... you can't lose.

I don't think overseeing a consistently losing franchise suits Kraft's ego, but he's not hardly in any particular peril (or on anything less than incredible upward trajectory) regardless.
I was expanding on the post by @Shelterdog speaking to the fact that Kraft has a lot of money tied up in the team, the stadium, Patriots place as revenue streams and the flow of money is dependent on them being a playoff team. Who's going to want to go to Patriots place and hang out in the bars there and spend a fortune on booze and food if the team stinks? My youngest sister met up with friends at one such bar down there, she had less than a great time.

That game Sunday was painful to watch, like dry white toast.
 

Super Nomario

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I was expanding on the post by @Shelterdog speaking to the fact that Kraft has a lot of money tied up in the team, the stadium, Patriots place as revenue streams and the flow of money is dependent on them being a playoff team. Who's going to want to go to Patriots place and hang out in the bars there and spend a fortune on booze and food if the team stinks? My youngest sister met up with friends at one such bar down there, she had less than a great time.

That game Sunday was painful to watch, like dry white toast.
Patriot Place is open 350-something days a year when the Patriots aren't playing, too. The businesses can't just be dependent on gameday foot traffic.
 

lexrageorge

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Patriot Place is open 350-something days a year when the Patriots aren't playing, too. The businesses can't just be dependent on gameday foot traffic.
+1. Between concerts, soccer games, and many other events at the stadium itself, and general shopping/dining trips, there is plenty of activity in Foxboro beyond the Patriots' regular season home games and away game telecasts.
 

slamminsammya

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I get this point - are the Pats really like the Cowboys or Niners or Packers or I guess Steelers - global brands that can withstand longterm downturns and still sell merch and tickets?
My impression is they are pretty big in Brazil, to the extent an NFL team can be "big" there. And Tom Brady is probably the only football player anyone has heard of outside of the US.
 

rodderick

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My impression is they are pretty big in Brazil, to the extent an NFL team can be "big" there. And Tom Brady is probably the only football player anyone has heard of outside of the US.
The Patriots are pretty big here in Brazil, but if they keep treading water a whole lot of people will jump ship to a winning team with an exciting young QB or whatever because there aren't deep family/region ties to franchises for most fans. Of course there is a significant number of diehards, but the vast majority of the community isn't comprised of those and honestly Brady is a much, much bigger deal in Brazil than the Pats. Now that they aren't one and the same, who knows how if affects the fandom. And I'm sure it's similar elsewhere globally.
 

slamminsammya

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Jul 31, 2006
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The Patriots are pretty big here in Brazil, but if they keep treading water a whole lot of people will jump ship to a winning team with an exciting young QB or whatever because there aren't deep family/region ties to franchises for most fans. Of course there is a significant number of diehards, but the vast majority of the community isn't comprised of those and honestly Brady is a much, much bigger deal in Brazil than the Pats. Now that they aren't one and the same, who knows how if affects the fandom. And I'm sure it's similar elsewhere globally.
This makes sense, but on the other hand I think the Celtics were also the biggest fanbase in Brazil and that dates back to the NBA first getting on TV there in the 80s. The suckitude of the Celtics for a decade+ didn't seem to hamper their support too much.
 

rodderick

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Apr 24, 2009
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Belo Horizonte - Brazil
This makes sense, but on the other hand I think the Celtics were also the biggest fanbase in Brazil and that dates back to the NBA first getting on TV there in the 80s. The suckitude of the Celtics for a decade+ didn't seem to hamper their support too much.
The Cowboys, Broncos, Packers and 49ers were far and away the biggest NFL fanbases in Brazil in the late 90's/early 2000's and by the latter part of the decade they had easily been supplanted by Patriots and Colts fans, though. It's less that the Brazilian Patriots fans will migrate en mass to another team and more that the Chiefs/Bills/Chargers will likely grow their fanbases at a much faster rate. The Pats are still solidly the team with the biggest following here, no doubt about it.
 

Shelterdog

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Feb 19, 2002
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I gotta be honest, this version of BB worries me. Why is he in a good mood? It just doesn't jive.

View: https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/1570799708330926081
One he's always nicer on Fridays. Always. [Ed: Reiss mentions it but I guess on Friday there are a lot fewer people there, it's really just the more diligent reporters usually, so BB treats them with more respect.]

Two more importantly I think he's being a more positive person for the team on purpose to take off pressure etc in public. I doubt he's actually psyched with the team's performance or not worried about upcoming games.
 
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Over Guapo Grande

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Nov 29, 2005
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All the mediots are going to switch from how “BB is being too mean to them = something is wrong in house” to “BB is being to nice to them = something is wrong in house”
 

Cellar-Door

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Aug 1, 2006
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I think part of it is what this team is.
The teams Bill was famously surly with had Brady, a vet who thrived on being doubted, being pushed, tough love, etc. And a lot of vets who were similar, and guys looking for that last ring, it was also a no doubt SB contender every year and that was the expectation. This team is younger, it has fewer of those last chance guys, it's a team that needs to build confidence and it is not a team anyone reasonably expects to win the SB this year.
 

lexrageorge

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Jul 31, 2007
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There is a book called Fridays with Bill. He’s always been “nicer” on Friday’s. Honestly, what’s not to like about Friday?