Adam Vinatieri Announces Retirement

[tims4wins]

I don't hold any ill will towards AV or BB for doing it, but it's still a damned shame that left the Patriots when he did (and went to the f****** Colts).

Where he promptly won a ring! But this is one of those "worked out best for both sides" situations.

 

[Saints Rest]

Is there any player comparison, in any sport? Longevity at a high level (not the highest) plus multiple highlight reel plays on the biggest stages?
From Wiki:
[TH]Career highlights and awards[/TH]

4× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLI) 3× Pro Bowl (2002, 2004, 2014) 3× First-team All-Pro (2002, 2004, 2014) New England Patriots 50th Anniversary Team NFL 2000s All-Decade Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL records Most consecutive field goals made (44) Most combined regular season and postseason games played (397) Most career field goals made (599) Most career field goals attempted (715) Most career points (2,673)

 

[Van Everyman]

I don't hold any ill will towards AV or BB for doing it, but it's still a damned shame that left the Patriots when he did (and went to the f****** Colts).

Same. Did we ever really get the full story on why he left? I remember he didn’t want to be franchised but did he really make *that* much more money for the Colts than the Pats paid Ghost (after his rookie deal expired)? My memory is that things ended a bit unpleasantly.

 

[Over Guapo Grande]

My recollection was that the Colts locked him in a room and wouldn't let him leave until he signed the contract. Well, perhaps not that harsh, but it was a "take it or leave it" deal, and didn't give AV the chance to shop around.

 

[RG33]

My recollection was that the Colts locked him in a room and wouldn't let him leave until he signed the contract. Well, perhaps not that harsh, but it was a "take it or leave it" deal, and didn't give AV the chance to shop around.

It was quite a coup for the Colts at the time. They had always been so talented and had Peyton, but had always had troubles with their kickers, including their “idiot kicker”. As far as signing a kicker can alter a franchise, that signing will likely never be topped for them.

 

[tims4wins]

It was quite a coup for the Colts at the time. They had always been so talented and had Peyton, but had always had troubles with their kickers, including their “idiot kicker”. As far as signing a kicker can alter a franchise, that signing will likely never be topped for them.

Vanderjact was a great kicker for them - at the time, the most accurate in NFL history, I think. He did honk the week 1 kick in 2004, and he also honked a huge kick in their 2005 divisional round loss to the Steelers. But to say they always had problems with him is vastly overstating the problem.

 

[RG33]

Vanderjact was a great kicker for them - at the time, the most accurate in NFL history, I think. He did honk the week 1 kick in 2004, and he also honked a huge kick in their 2005 divisional round loss to the Steelers. But to say they always had problems with him is vastly overstating the problem.

Yeah, for sure Vanderjerk was a sold kicker, I think it was more that his teammates hated him and didn’t necessarily trust him in the big moments. He missed in OT vs Miami in 2000 playoffs, the kick with time winding down against the Steelers in the playoffs, etc. Getting AV was definitely a stabilizing move for that team and was also intended to hurt the Patriots. Sources say, there was even consideration for a “We Signed Your Kicker” banner to be put up in the rafters at the time.

 

[tims4wins]

Yeah, for sure Vanderjerk was a sold kicker, I think it was more that his teammates hated him and didn’t necessarily trust him in the big moments. He missed in OT vs Miami in 2000 playoffs, the kick with time winding down against the Steelers in the playoffs, etc. Getting AV was definitely a stabilizing move for that team and was also intended to hurt the Patriots. Sources say, there was even consideration for a “We Signed Your Kicker” banner to be put up in the rafters at the time.

That's fair, I agree.

 

[simplyeric]

there was even consideration for a “We Signed Your Kicker” banner to be put up in the rafters at the time.

It's a shame, because in the long run, we would have derived SO much pleasure from that banner.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Is there any player comparison, in any sport?

You mean besides Tom Brady?

 

[Saints Rest]

You mean besides Tom Brady?

I should have been more clear: I was referring to a role player who was the best at his position but never the best overall in his sport. So not a TB12 or a LeBron.
Mariano Rivera is likely the closest to what I meant.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I should have been more clear: I was referring to a role player who was the best at his position but never the best overall in his sport. So not a TB12 or a LeBron.
Mariano Rivera is likely the closest to what I meant.

Matthew Slater? Ray Guy?

 

[Van Everyman]

My recollection was that the Colts locked him in a room and wouldn't let him leave until he signed the contract. Well, perhaps not that harsh, but it was a "take it or leave it" deal, and didn't give AV the chance to shop around.

It was quite a coup for the Colts at the time. They had always been so talented and had Peyton, but had always had troubles with their kickers, including their “idiot kicker”. As far as signing a kicker can alter a franchise, that signing will likely never be topped for them.

Hmm. I don’t remember them ever entertaining that he’d be back. My recollection was that he (like Brady 15 years later) asked not to be franchised again by Bill, had his wish granted and was as good as gone. Am I misremembering?

Edit: Ok, I think we are all remembering this correctly tho it’s still not totally clear to me why Bill and AV couldn’t figure things out – that is, unless Bill just had a price he wasn’t willing to pay for a kicker.

http://archive.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/08/10/vinatieri_shunned_patriots/?page=1

 

[Caspir]

Do the Patriots go undefeated in ‘07 if he stays? BB would definitely trust him to kick a 49 yard FG instead of going for it in fourth down in the biggest game of the year, right?

To be clear, I stabbed myself in the face after typing this.