USA Today: New book says Tom Brady has ‘had enough’ of Bill Belichick
ESPN: New book says Brady long worried about being ‘pushed out’ by Belichick
Mass Live: Brady-Belichick relationship improved after rumblings of drama
Golf Digest: Things were so bad between Brady and Belichick in 2018 that Belichick was reportedly considering vacancies in Miami, New York, and Washington

Yes, Golf Digest….

New York Post: Belichick wouldn’t meet Brady face-to-face when QB left: book
ESPN: The story behind the split of Brady, Belichick and the Patriots
Boston Herald: Alex Guerrero: Belichick didn’t evolve with Brady in New England
SB Nation: The Patriots’ Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick feud, explained
Sportsnet: Feud between Brady, Belichick, Kraft similar to lover’s quarrel
Sporting News: Souring relationship with Belichick and other signs from the past
Boston Herald: Belichick refused to meet Brady to say goodbye, per report
USA Today: Belichick denies refusing to meet Brady upon exit from Patriots
New York Post: Brady can stick it to Belichick in what will be game for the ages
Musketfire: A history of Belichick’s track record without Brady at quarterback

After his final retirement from the game, the two sat down in an insightful interview that put to rest the false media narrative that their relationship was strained. Turns out, it was anything but that….

The credibility of the media has been reduced to a bad late-night program punchline, especially as they continue to blow off the traditional rule in journalism that forbids the use of anonymous sources. And never forget that attention-seekers in the craft will make shit up and not be banished from the profession.

The Boston Herald sports writer who reported the New England Patriots taped a pre-Super Bowl walkthrough by the St. Louis Rams in 2002 said he will regret the erroneous story for the rest of his life.

“First and foremost, this is about a writer breaking one of the cardinal rules of journalism. I failed to keep challenging what I had been told. I should not have written the story without seeing the tape or getting multiple, firsthand confirmations from members of the organization,” wrote John Tomase in Friday’s editions of the newspaper.
— NFL.com, 5/16/08

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have always had a respectful and professional relationship that has evolved into a great friendship as well.

Something the media can’t diminish no matter how much they tried.

And with the “injury”, the blabbermouths launched into rabid speculation….

There’s 1 Prominent Quarterback Being Mentioned For The New England Patriots
Patriots May Recall Cam Newton To Buy Mac Jones Time In Rehab
Mac Jones sustains agonizing injury, will Cam Newton come back to the Patriots?
Should the Patriots call up Cam Newton?
Should the New England Patriots bring back Cam Newton?
NFL World Reacts To Cam Newton, Patriots Speculation
Is Cam Newton still a viable option for the Patriots following Mac Jones’ injury?
Cam Newton? Should Pats Sign a Free Agent QB Amid Mac Jones’ Injury?
Cam? Again? Oh No!
Cam Newton Is NOT the Answer for New England

Cam Newton knew coming to New England was boom or bust and quickly. He was in the no-win position of having to be the bridge quarterback after the GOAT. Due to the late 2020 contract offer, he missed organized team activities (OTAs), mini camp, and because of COVID protocols, enjoyed much of training camp on Zoom learning the most complicated playbook in the NFL. As expected, the Patriots didn’t make the playoffs but compared to other notable bums, things could have been much worse.

In fact, he exceeded some expectations.

Patriots’ Cam Newton Sets NFL Record With Rushing Touchdown Vs. Chargers

And he did this despite the constant nagging of the Boston sports media who got petty with his rap music and hats. You’d swear by their attire, Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak and Cam shared the same closet. No negativity, ever, about Pastrnak’s wardrobe choices.

No quarterback playing in his first season under Bill Belichick has had a good year. Again, mastering a new playbook every week was a new challenge for most. The second season was, to varying degrees, better.

1991: In Belichick’s first season as head coach with the Cleveland Browns and Bernie Kosar as his starting QB, they finished with a 6-10 record.
1992: Slightly better at 7-9, considering his quarterbacks were Mike Tomczak, Kosar, and Todd Philcox.
2000: Drew Bledsoe was 5-11 during Belichick’s first season as Patriots’ head coach.
2001: Both Bledsoe and backup Tom Brady went 11-5 and took the Patriots to the Super Bowl and won.
2020: The Patriots were 7-9 under Cam Newton.

Every quarterback in the history of the New England Patriots got at least a second season opportunity. Every quarterback except Cam Newton. And the Boston media and fans made it clear he wasn’t going to be given a second year….

Mac Jones gets standing ovation as he arrives at Patriots training camp
Mac Jones gets loud standing ovation from Patriots fans in preseason debut

Despite the clear improvements from his first season with the team, Cam Newton was unceremoniously cut in after the 2021 preseason and Mac Jones was given the keys to the car with very mixed results since.

Why would Newton want to come back to a region that treated him as disrespectfully as some in the media and fans treated him?

Tom Brady left the Patriots (among a myriad of reasons) because they lacked the weapons for him to succeed. Because of salary cap complications, Cam Newton inherited a depleted team in 2020. But the Patriots loaded up in 2021 and it could be argued one reason why the high-priced free agents acquired haven’t found the shine since because they signed lengthy contracts with the understanding they’d be playing for a legendary coach and with a former MVP quarterback.

Hunter Henry, who again said a “good quarterback” was crucial, excited to play with him?
“I am. I am. Very excited,” Henry said regarding Newton.
— NESN, 3/22/21

Jonnu Smith says he has plans to join Hunter Henry in working out with some of his teammates in Southern California in the offseason to help “get on the same page” before training camp and, more importantly, “build brotherhood” off the field. He’s also spoken with New England’s presumptive starting quarterback Cam Newton by phone: “He’s a hell of a guy.”
— Boston.com, 3/23/21

“His work ethic, that’s the main thing that stands out to me. Everything he’s been through these last few years. Just how he works that always takes over everything. He’s earned his opportunities, he’s earned his contract this year. I know he’s going to have an awesome year. I’m just excited to play with him. I told him, ‘I’ve been watching you since I was a young guy. It’s an honor to just play with you, man, pick your brain and get out there with you. And help you get better. I know you’re going to help me get better.'”
— Kendrick Bourne, 3/29/21

“Super Cam (Newton), excited to play with him,” Matt Judon said. “Growing up watching what he did in college to becoming an NFL MVP and leading his team to the Super Bowl. They barely lost. What he meant for QBs at the time, it was just incredible what he did.”
— NESN, 5/18/21

Hunter Henry on Cam Newton: “Great energy. He’s very proven in this league. I think that goes without saying. He’s a great player.”
— Twitter, 5/27/21

Would these players have risked the prime years in their career to play with a rookie? Too many have seen how dismally that usually works out and I wouldn’t doubt there are some players in the Patriots locker room who may feel a little deceived on what initially made them sign and would’ve liked to see Cam get that second chance.

Personally, I didn’t care for Cam Newton prior to his Patriot days. He was an enemy combatant but given his resume, I was more than willing to see how a few years with weapons could have worked out in New England. I, and many supportive Patriots fans with an attention span that didn’t start in 2001, never got that opportunity and just because the team is kinda’ desperate now (as they were in 2020) doesn’t mean Cam should submit himself to sacrificial lamb status again, especially for another insulting contract and the sadistic sports media environment.

“The New England experience was a fucked-up situation. I was still learning the offense seven to eight weeks into the season… It was just brain overload. It was times I was going to the line and I’m still thinking … Did I know it? Yes. To the degree that I needed to know it to show the world that I’m still Cam Newton? No… But I put myself in that situation.”
— Cam Newton, 6/10/22

He didn’t deserve it then and he doesn’t deserve it now.

Among the topics this week: Should Jarrett Stidham get a real chance to prove himself? Can the Patriots continue their dominance over the Chargers? And who’s a potential unsung hero for New England if its to make a playoff push?
— NBC Sports Boston, 12/4/20

Both the New England-departed Tom Brady and his Newton replacement have one thing in common: both have storied careers on only one team (29 combined years) before the start of this season and both are visibly struggling in their new systems. Coronavirus has created a disruption of long-standing offseason routines and good teams always take time to gel. Both quarterbacks are trying to make the best of their current situations.

Cam Newton doesn’t have the total luxury Tom Brady has in Tampa Bay where an offense has been exclusively restructured and players acquired to fit his skill set. Newton’s talents are being molded and exploited into the Patriot Way with the salary cap-limited roster he has to work with. It clearly hasn’t been smooth sailing, too many in the media intelligentsia are quick to second guess greatest-of-all-time coach Bill Belichick and are loudly calling for the second string quarterback to be given the starting role for the rest of the season.

Why the media’s short leash on Newton and essentially throw in the towel on the rest of the season?

Anyone who’s consumed Boston sports media knows they’ve had an issue with Cam Newton from the time he was belatedly signed by the Patriots. Many said he wouldn’t fit in with the system, he was too flamboyant, he wasn’t a team player, and underneath it all they also issued a nuanced condemnation of Patriots Nation: a former league MVP might not be accepted in New England because he’s black.

Take 5 with Chris Gasper: Is Boston ready for Cam Newton to be the face of the New England Patriots?
— WCVB 5 Boston, 7/27/20

Cam Newton: Being an unapologetic Black QB is why media doubted ability to mesh with Bill Belichick
— MassLive, 9/7/20

Cam Newton reflects on his journey to becoming first Black quarterback to start season opener for Patriots
— Boston Globe, 9/10/20

Why Cam Newton Being Patriots’ First Week 1 Black Starting Quarterback Is A Big Deal
— CBS 4 Boston, 9/10/20

Cam Newton will make Patriots history as first Black QB to start Week 1: ‘It’s a really big deal’
— Boston Herald, 9/10/20

Cam Newton Aims To Inspire As First Black QB To Start Week 1 For Patriots
— NESN, 9/10/20

New England Patriots: Cam Newton already making history
— Chowder and Champions, 9/13/20

Cam Newton explains to the Greg Hill Show challenges of living life as a black quarterback in the NFL over the years
— WEEI Boston, 9/28/20

While we’ve never had the honor of meeting Cam Newton, I’m pretty sure he accepted the deal to come and become the quarterback of the New England Patriots; NOT the black quarterback of the New England Patriots. In fact, during his brief tenure in a Patriots uniform, the only comments I’ve heard or read remarking on Newton’s skin color are from those in the local and national sports media.

But in their desire to be heard by the team’s hierarchy, they’ve collectively determined that’s it’s time to forfeit the rest of this season (if not now, going into next year) and move onto a relatively unproven commodity, only buttressed by their superior believe that questions if Cam was ever intellectually capable of grasping a playbook that near-totally evolves from week to week.

It was then.

Cam Newton impresses Patriots coaches with quick pick-up of offense
— Mark Daniels, Providence Journal, 7/21/20

The one of the Boston sports intelligentsia officially made his call on Newton….

OK, that’s enough. You tried. We tried. It’s not working. It’s not you Cam, it’s us. Actually, it is you. And we’re concerned about us watching you play quarterback for the Patriots past the point where you are contractually tied to them. So after January 3, clean break. For one season – a season the likes of which we will never see again (dear God, let that be true) – Cam Newton has been the perfect band-aid.
— Tom Curran, 11/30/20

Seeing how the Patriots organization didn’t acknowledge accordingly, there was a double-down.

Obviously, real Patriots fans didn’t buy this absurd premise.

If Brady was still with the Patriots and the season was playing out with the team battling for playoff relevance going into Week 13, do you really think sports mouths like Tom Curran would be sizing up public opinion for a partial benching of the GOAT in favor of sharing playing time essentially with a rookie? Okay, yes. There have been many times over the last few years where the Patriots got off to rocky starts and there were audibles for the aged Brady to be benched.

Those premature evaluations were ignored by Coach Belichick and the Patriots went on to win a few more Super Bowls.

Not saying that will happen this year, but at least Tom Brady and the team were allowed to get it together. The Boston sports media should give another future Hall of Fame quarterback the same time and opportunity to succeed or fail.

Whether the Patriots will soon make a change at quarterback, and other thoughts
— Boston Globe, 12/5/20

Unless there’s a reason why they won’t….

Yes, there is always that cloud hanging over Boston and the racial undertones that could emerge if it didn’t work out but Cam Newton is not the first black athlete in Boston sports to lead a franchise, albeit he is the first to really lead a Patriots team. Most true Patriots fans were more than excited at the prospects and Cam’s willingness to do everything needed, say everything “Patriot Way”, and conducting himself accordingly would guide him through the “transition” after the Brady dynasty years.

But alas, the season has been rocked through Coronavirus infections, lack of practice time, injuries (that plague all teams), and now that playoff hopes may be slipping through the team’s fingers, one person is looking forward and in a very ugly way.

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton likely isn’t considering the question, the question others are thinking about, the question that involves race, sports and Boston, three components that often combine into a toxic potion.

Newton may not be thinking about it, but others are, and the question goes like this: If Newton’s tenure in New England falters, will Patriots fans see Newton as solely a failed quarterback, or because of Boston’s historically ugly racial dynamics, will he be viewed as a failed Black quarterback?
— Mike Freeman, USA Today

One of the journalist dirty tricks is to pose a question made by “some”, accusing “others” of thinking something that the journalist is really thinking but is too much of a coward to come right out and ask him or herself.

Some of those same people say they are holding their breath now watching Newton, and hoping the extremism other athletes of color faced in Boston doesn’t happen to him as the Patriots may miss the postseason for the first time since 2008.

All you need to know about Mike Freeman is his bio: “USA Today Race and Inequality Editor — Sports“, Fmr. B/R, NYT, Washington Post.

Never heard of a “race and inequality editor” before but it’s clear Mike Freeman’s job is to look for racism whether it’s there or not.

“I think a lot of Black people when it comes to Boston have had ‘the talk,’” said Saida Grundy, an assistant professor of sociology and African American studies at Boston University, and member of the school’s Center for Antiracist Research. “When you’re Black and move to Boston you get ‘the talk’ about where you can go safely, where you can’t, the sundown parts of town. We all get that talk. I’m sure (Newton) got it, too.”

While indicting the Boston area as the somes or others, Freeman didn’t reach out to Patriots fans. He reached out to “academics”.

Coach Belichick just isn’t into off-the-field distractions. If he thought that Newton’s tenure in New England could come down to a toxic race issue, he’d probably never have considered it; not just for what it could do to the atmosphere in the locker room but what it would be setting Cam up for.  But that’s something the probably never crossed his mind when probably talking to owner Robert Kraft and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels about bringing Cam Newton to New England. It was about bringing the best available quarterback to New England, the opportunity to have a dynamic at the position the team hasn’t had in over 20 years.

Race was probably never brought up by “others” or “some” at 1 Patriot Place.

And if the Patriots don’t make the playoffs this season, will Patriots fans start blaming it all on the nigger? I hardly think so as this was never a normal season where there were great players opting out prior to training camp. Cam Newton was acquired after any opportunity for attending OTAs, there was no preseason so he was handicapped from the start and real Patriots fans cut him the appropriate slack.

Yet outside of New England others around the league watch Newton, wondering how he’ll be treated by fans if the team doesn’t make the postseason, with one eye focused on Newton, and the other on Boston’s history.

Because of the pandemic, the Boston area has not had to opportunity to see the well-documented human side of Cam Newton. The Cam that generously donates his time and money to causes off the field; the Cam that gives a little kid a football every time he scores a rushing touchdown (pre-COVID, there are at least 58 little kids with a genuine NFL game ball). You think they’ll recall this years from now with a racial asterisk?

NEWTON BALANCES his life by spending time with kids. Through his foundation and through the Panthers’ charitable efforts, he visits schools and hospitals.

After his football career ends, Newton would like to open day care centers, maybe a whole chain. He wants the centers to be fun and exciting and safe. “My passion is reaching and touching the youth,” Newton says. “I know football can only allow me so much joy; I can only play this game at this level for so long. But forever, I can experience the joy of being around kids and trying to make those guys better.”
— Charlotte Magazine, 10/19/15

The New England region may be a bit caught off guard by the hats and clothes, but Cam Newton has done everything expected of a Patriot under the most unnatural and unpredictable of conditions and to blame any team failure on him and/or his race is a slander at best.

BTW — Freeman and the activists interviewed will never admit that Democrats were the orchestrators of “Boston’s historically ugly racial dynamics“.

Mike Freeman appears to be a certified racebaiter who looks for evil bogeymen whether they’re there or not. Pouring gasoline on a fire not yet ignited is irresponsible but it seems to be what keeps people like him employed and that is what “some” and “others” really dislike about so-called journalists today.

Sadly, there are too many Patriots fans who only jumped on the bandwagon shortly after the team became the new “it” on January 19, 2002. It was that snowy night in Foxborough where that infamous “tuck call” became part of New England legend. A young Tom Brady led his team to a game tying field goal by Adam Vinatieri, and after more than half of the overtime, another field goal to defeat the Oakland Raiders. The Patriots would eventually win their first Super Bowl.

Fair weather, faux Patriots fans have become spoiled, whiny sportswriters have been reduced to petty nitpickers, all because the New England Patriots (led by Tom Brady) have become consistent winners since that cold January night. But what may come as a surprise to the ignorant, things weren’t always so rosy.

PROPER PERSPECTIVE

Prior to the Tom Brady era, the team was (more times than not) affectionately known as the “Patsies” because they were consistently that bad and couldn’t fill Gillette Stadium; thus most home games wouldn’t be aired on local television. It actually became a treat to watch a Patriots road game and witness them finding startling new ways to lose.

   
Some of us initially became Patriots fans at a time when Patriots quarterbacks were more adept at blowing games than winning. Before Coach Bill Parcells changed the consistently pitiful football culture in New England, we endured the likes of Jim Plunkett (who ironically went on to win a Super Bowl with Oakland and Los Angeles AFTER leaving the Patriots); Tony Eason who led an NFL-leading power rushing juggernaut to Super Bowl XX against the ’85 Bears and was told to… pass? We all know how humiliatingly that worked out. Steve Grogan made things more interesting even though he also made facepalms a weekly practice along with his successor Drew Bledsoe who participated in the Super Bowl XXX blowout loss most Patriots fans have long since happily forgotten. While Doug Flutie was the local legend and Vinnie Testaverde was plucked from that all-that-was-available stack, there were also a few in the bum category (including the equally mediocre backups) not worth mentioning.

THE BRADY-PATRIOT WAY

It wasn’t until Bledsoe was nearly killed by Jets’ Mo Lewis and subsequently lost his job to a hungry-and-ready Tom Brady, did the Patriots’ tide finally take that turn. A couple years into the Bill Belichick era and a motivated young quarterback changed how football was viewed in New England and around the nation. The team finally had a quarterback who knew how to win with the support of a head coach in Bill Belichick who knew how to get the best out of his players, year-in year-out.

But was it Tom Brady or Belichick’s coaching? We’ll leave that discussion for another day as cases could be made.

In September of 2008, Tom Brady went down with a torn ACL during the season opener in Kansas City and that talk of doom-and-gloom commenced, given the ugly reality of backup Matt Cassel being handed the monumental task of taking the Brady-less Patriots to even a .500 season.

Under the tutorial guidance of Coach Belichick, Cassel and the Patriots flew to an 11-5 season, making them the only team in NFL history to not make the playoffs with eleven wins (only because the Baltimore Ravens had a better conference record).

In the subsequent years after his return, Tom Brady led the Patriots to five more Super Bowl appearances, winning three. Unlike most teams where “rebuilding” can take years (if not decades), New England normally gels their new personnel within the preseason through Week 4. After that, the Patriots freight train gathers steam and has reached the AFC Conference Championship game every year since 2012. This all, despite the noise from arrogant sports blabbermouths who mostly never played the game.

WASHED UP?

It’s unclear what Tom Brady’s plans are after the season is over, however that metastasizes itself. Will he re-up again with the Patriots? Much has been the mockery that Brady’s not the best of quarterbacks because he’s seldom been near the top of that conversation when it come to the NFL’s highest paid quarterbacks. This year, he ranked a shocking #18. Granted, it didn’t hurt having the lifestyle supplemented by his supermodel wife’s take home pay.

Football is a tough business. It’s a production business.
— New York Times, 8/5/19

But there’s another reason (unrelated to performance) Brady’s paid disproportionately low: he’s restructured his contract so other needed pieces of the team puzzle could be acquired. How many of the higher paid have personally invested in their own team on numerous occasions, putting the team first?

Not many, if any, and that’s just one more thing that makes Tom Brady special.

AND WHAT IF…?

So, what if the football prognosticators are correct and Tom Brady opts out of New England? Not sure if he’d be ready to take lumps in Los Angeles just to be a showcase for the Chargers’ new stadium. Maybe modeling or acting; who knows? But does that mean the New England Patriots will join the majority of the mediocrity that is the NFL? Don’t be so sure.

Belichick has gone 13-6 (.684) in 19 games without Brady at quarterback for the Patriots. To put that in context, no other team in the league besides Belichick’s Patriots has posted a winning percentage higher than .684 since Belichick and Brady joined forces in 2000. Nobody would argue that Belichick doesn’t need his Hall of Fame quarterback, but the Patriots have been extremely good even without Brady at the helm.
— ESPN, 1/29/20

This season was a very poor indicator of Brady’ abilities. Those who’ve been paying attention saw one thing this year that’s been relatively absent during the Brady era: off-the-field drama. Yes, the loss of tight end Rob Gronkowski was obviously huge, but the Patriots have won Super Bowls without key players. The very uncharacteristic personal episodics that infected the Patriots organization via receivers Josh Gordon and Antonio Brown left Brady to play out the last half the season without weapons that had this team anointed Super Bowl champions before their unceremonious exits from New England.

Despite the loss of three of Brady’s weapons (and the NFL’s best defense didn’t hurt), the Patriots finished the season as the AFC East Champions for the 11th straight year and the conference #3 seed. Not bad.

THE FUTURE’S STILL BRIGHT

As long as there is a Bill Belichick, the next QB should be just as consistently prolific (see Cassel and even Jacoby Brissett while a Patriot). Belichick gives quarterbacks the structure to hone their skills in the shortest time possible. The Patriots will be fine. Despite popular ignorance, they didn’t come into existence in 2001 and their dominance as a franchise won’t end in 2020. Whenever the Brady era in New England ends, IF it does this year or is just more media speculation-interruptus, we had a quarterback that made us proud to be Patriots fans.

Thank you, Tom Brady.

‘NEXT MAN UP!’

— @TomBrady, 03/17/20

— @Patriots, 03/17/20

]]> https://www.blackandblondemedia.com/2020/01/04/however-it-goes-thank-you-tom-brady/feed/ 1 https://www.blackandblondemedia.com/2019/12/10/on-any-given-sunday-more-very-costly-bad-nfl-officiating/ https://www.blackandblondemedia.com/2019/12/10/on-any-given-sunday-more-very-costly-bad-nfl-officiating/#respond Tue, 10 Dec 2019 17:15:00 +0000 https://www.blackandblondemedia.com/?p=8926 You feel for that kicker with the clean uniform who misses a last-second field goal and loses a game for players who were beaten and battered for the previous 59-plus minutes. Referees are paid to officiate (to the best of their abilities) games and in the month of December, these are contests that have serious ramifications for the teams on the field.

Yes, they’re human but they’re also supposed to be the best the National Football League has to offer. But as they also say in football, “On any given Sunday”….

Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores ran across the field after his team lost, went to the nearest official and told him with an expletive what he thought of a pass-interference reversal that cost his team a win. And you thought that would be the worst moment for NFL referees on Sunday

If there’s one truth about the NFL, it’s that the officials can always lower the bar. On Sunday they deserved every word Flores said to them, and whatever Bill Belichick said to them too.

Sunday’s New England Patriots loss turned into a fiasco. Fans often believe officials call games to favor the Patriots, but the officials showed Sunday that their mistakes have no bias.
— Yahoo Sports, 12/9/19

…
Some teams are trying to back into the playoffs, thus players and coaches hope to justify their jobs for next season.

“This isn’t about me at all. It’s about those players, the coaches, the cafeteria people and the equipment staff and everybody in this organization. We all put a lot into this. Winning is important to us.”
— Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins head coach

Some teams are vying for playoff seeding. These goals should be determined by said players and coaches and not referees; some who can barely make it up and down the field, let alone see plays unfold mere feet from where they’re standing.

It was a huge loss for the Patriots. They now have almost no chance to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC and could end up losing the No. 2 seed to the Chiefs. Had the officiating been better, they might not have lost.

Instant replay was supposed to make sure referees got the call right, but if everyone in the stadium (not to mention nationally-televised audiences) can see what happened on the field and bad calls are allowed to stand, what good are they?

Full disclosure: We are pre-2001, lifelong New England Patriots fans.

VIDEO: Josh Gordon Traded to Patriots!

Not making excuses for Gordon’s numerous off-the-field issues but his head should turn around in New England. He knows, like many before him, he’s got a golden opportunity to be with a team that consistently wins which is huge compared to where he’s been for all of his career.

“We’ve done all we can do for Josh,” said Cleveland coach Hue Jackson, who didn’t provide any specifics about Gordon’s issues over the weekend. “We tried to provide the right environment. It just didn’t work out. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery and hopefully things work out for Josh.”
— YourErie.com, 9/17/18

They did all they could for Josh. Winning would have helped and let’s also allow holier-than-thou sports writers to pontificate.

Make no mistake – the 27-year-old Gordon is an athletic freak. If he can indeed buy into the Patriot way, he could be just the football answer they’ve been looking for. His production when he’s on the field is ridiculous. Among active players, Gordon’s average of 92 receiving yards a game is fourth only to Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, and Odell Beckham Jr., otherwise known as the three best receivers in the game.

Of course the operative phrase is “when he’s on the field.” Gordon missed all of the 2015 and 2016 seasons because of suspensions and rehab for substance abuse (he has admitted to regular use of marijuana).
— Boston Globe, 9/17/18

Not sure how many football games the Globe’s Tara Sullivan has under her belt, but anyone who’s played any team sport knows how deflating and toxic a consistently losing environment can be, especially when the losing occurs for years.

Imagine being one of the most talented players in the league, playing for a Cleveland Browns team that hasn’t won a regular season game since December 24, 2016, which incidentally ended a 17-game losing streak. The Browns are 1-32-1 since 2016. Which one of us wouldn’t take a toke or two?

When reminiscing over previous troubled players who had their careers turn around in New England, remember that they almost all had one thing in common: they were immensely talented and played for reliably shitty teams. We’re dealing with successful athletes, most of whom are initially drafted into consistently bad organizations. Sometimes a great paycheck isn’t enough, especially when everyone around you, from the top down, are numerically-proven losers.

Josh Gordon isn’t stupid and it would have been illuminating to hear his phone conversation with Coach Belichick prior to the trade being inked in stone. The Patriots seldom make personnel moves out of desperation so they, as usual, see something the rest of us missed.

When Gordon plays, he is one of the NFL’s best players. He just rarely does. But when veterans get to Foxboro, the Patriots tend to bring out the best in them. That has the rest of the league terrified of the possibilities of what Gordon might do as a Patriot.
— 24/7 Sports, 9/17/18

Gordon knows if he’s dumped by the Patriots, his career is as good as done. He’s now walking into the day after years in the night; something he’s never experienced until now and buying-in to a winning, no-bullshit culture should be a refreshing motivator. It’s all up to Josh.

For all the geniuses who said this trade would never happen, imagine Gordon lining up near Rob Gronkowski with Dez Bryant on the other side of the field. I’m not the only one thinking this.

Tom Brady barks out signals from the shotgun. Rob Gronkowski is on the line of scrimmage as an in-line tight end. Julian Edelman is in motion. Chris Hogan is already wide on Gronkowski’s side of the formation. Dez Bryant is on the opposite side of the field on an island. If Bryant is doubled, that would make life difficult for any defense that wants an extra set of eyes on Gronkowski or Edelman. If he isn’t, then Bryant has an opportunity to feast in one-on-one coverage.
— NBC Sports

The Patriots are not done yet. They have a workout planned with Dez Bryant this week.
— Adam Schefter Tweet, 9/17/18

Josh Gordon proved the doubters wrong and his skills were a noticeable contribution to the team, while he was allowed to play.

VIDEO: “Josh Gordon – Every Catch as a New England Patriot”

UPDATE

It looks like there could be good news for Patriots Nation and Josh Gordon.

Brady posted a GIF of himself throwing to Gordon on Instagram Wednesday with this caption alongside it: “Practice makes perfect.”
— Boston.com, 6/19/19

And seeing how little with the New England Patriots happens randomly, the following news story makes a lot of potential sense.

It’s unclear when receiver Josh Gordon will be cleared to return to the NFL. It is clear that Gordon is trying to get back in. Charean Williams of PFT reports that Gordon has applied for reinstatement.
— Pro Football Talk, 8/3/19

Josh appears to have gotten his mind right and Tom Brady wouldn’t be devoting valuable off-time with him if he wasn’t someone who’d be a target in a few weeks.

UPDATE

What a coincidence…

New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon has been reinstated to the National Football League on a conditional basis. Effective Sunday, Gordon may rejoin the Patriots to attend meetings and engage in conditioning work and individual workouts.

Gordon will be permitted to participate in team activities, including practice, as long as he makes the appropriate progress on clinical care and other arrangements. However, he will not be allowed to play in the Patriots’ Aug. 22 preseason game against the Carolina Panthers because he will not have had sufficient conditioning and practice time, the NFL said. Gordon will be allowed to attend the game at Gillette Stadium.
— WCVB Boston, 8/16/19

How many covering the National Football League have suddenly had to reassess the whole thing about Tom Brady not having any reliable wide receivers to throw to in 2019?

The Detroit Lions’ Monday Night debut with new head coach Matt Patricia was an epic debacle exposed on a national stage. His problem in accepting the job was not that he was going to turn things around in the Motor City but that he obviously believed he could do something former Patriots’ coordinators-turned-head coaches couldn’t: win.

Patricia should have made some phone calls and/or sat down with those before him and inquired why things what looked so good could go so wrong.

Bill Belichick
Special assistant, assistant special teams coach, receivers coach, assistant special teams coach/defensive assistant, special teams coach/defensive assistant, linebackers coach/special teams coach, defensive coordinator: 1975-1990
Pre-Patriots head coaching record: 36-44

Bill Parcells
Defensive coordinator, linebackers coach, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, head coach: 1979-1990
New England Patriots head coach: 1997-2006
Post-Patriots head coaching record: 63-49

The Tuna doesn’t count (for obvious reasons)

Romeo Crennell
New England Patriots defensive coordinator: 1993–1996, 2001–2004
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record: 28-55

Charlie Weis
New England Patriots offensive coordinator: 2000-2004
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record (college): 41-49

Eric Mangini
New England Patriots offensive assistant, defensive assistant, defensive backs coach, defensive coordinator
See: #Spygate
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record: 33-47

Josh McDaniels
New England Patriots personnel assistant, defensive assistant, quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator: 2001-2008
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record: 11-17

Bill O’Brien
New England Patriots offensive assistant, wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator: 2007-2011
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record (as of 9/9/18): 31-34

and…

Matt Patricia
New England Patriots offensive assistant, assistant offensive line coach, linebackers coach, safeties coach, defensive coordinator: 2004-2017
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record (2018): 6-10

Yes, it’s way too early to declare the Matt Patricia era a failure, but it should be fairly obvious at this point that the insertion of one person won’t convert a losing franchise into a mirror image of One Patriot Place.

Will Mike Vrabel be different in Nashville?

Mike Vrabel
Houston Texans linebackers coach: 2015-2017
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record: 9-7

Former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores should have known that Miami was going to be quite the project.

The Dolphins went into halftime down 42-10 to the Baltimore Ravens in an absolutely brutal first two quarters for new head coach Brian Flores. Things didn’t get better, either.

The Ravens scored a franchise best for points in the 59-10 destruction.
— Yahoo Sports, 9/8/19

When Bill Parcells (a proven genius) was hired as the New England Patriots’ head coach in 1993, he obviously did his homework and understood the culture of mediocrity he had assumed command over; a culture that needed more than the ordinary change. The Big Tuna not only brought in his own assistant coaches, but he also radically changed the team uniforms. He erased the “Patsies” legacy and everyone, from the front office down, was on notice and that his way (now known as the Patriot Way) was going to be the only way. In less than four years, he took a perennial laughingstock to the 1996 Super Bowl. Yes, the Patriots lost in part because of meddling by the New York Jets and internal differences with the team owner (differences Robert Kraft learned not to repeat with Bill Belichick) but a page was allowed to be turned.

Aside from Parcells, there is ONE exception and it’s a little complicated.

Pete Carroll
Defensive backs coach, defensive coordinator, head coach: 33-31
Post-Patriots’ head coaching record (college): 97-19, (NFL) 79-48

Carroll inherited Parcells’ foundation in New England and in three years managed to take them from finishing first in the AFC East to fourth, twice. He fled the Patriots for USC and retooled his approach before returning to the NFL in 2010. It’s always a tad easier to win with a decent team and owner with a healthy checkbook.

The one thing almost all of the former New England Patriots assistants failed to do as they assumed the helm of bad teams was to change the culture from the top down. Firing front office people, assistant coaches, toxic players, and visual cosmetic changes are valuable options that for the most part wasn’t done. These former Patriots’ coordinators obviously believed their mere presence was all it took to turn things around.

The success of the New England Patriots was a process that was proceeded with a jolt, not a tinkering around the edges of a losing culture. When Parcells took over the Patriots, we were more than optimistic because of his bull-in-the-china shop approach. There was no such internal destruction when Weis, Crennel, McDaniels, O’Brien and now Patricia took over their new teams.

I made the argument years ago after #Spygate when so many were calling the Patriots cheaters, that had Robert Kraft fired Bill Belichick, there would 31 cities of New England-hating football fans who’d enthusiastically embrace him in a heartbeat if he were to be hired to transform their team. Then again, notice how Coach Belichick is still in New England. Who needs to leave and try to clean up, in some cases, decades worth of caked-on dysfunction?

Matt Patricia is just the latest Patriots’ former coordinator to have found out the hard way that a losing team needs to be blown up during the offeseason so it won’t be blown up for the football world to see on national television on Week One.

Note: The Tennessee Titans’ new head coach Mike Vrabel doesn’t count as he didn’t vacate a Patriots coordinator job for unknown pastures. He retired as a linebacker in 2010, coached in college and coordinated in the NFL before landing a head coaching gig (as of 9/9/18, 0-1).

The National Football League has made the game’s objective very simple for those who have any doubts as to the possibly antiquated motivations of those who started playing professionally as early as 1892.

The team that scores the greater number of points during the entire game is the winner.
— NFL Operations: The Rules

If total yardage were an overall determining factor during the 2017 season, the Philadelphia Eagles would not even be eligible to compete for the Super Bowl.

Given their dominance during the regular season through the playoffs, the New England Patriots should have been declared the winner of Super Bowl LII because they won the total yardage tally in a record-breaking effort.

Despite the effort, the Philadelphia Eagles were awarded the Lombardi trophy because they scored more total points than the Patriots and as total points was the formally accepted determining factor on who wins football games, the final score was accepted by both teams and the New England region is not in full #resist mode, contesting the outcome of a Super Bowl and trying to undo the results.

Going into the 2016 presidential election, the Clinton and Trump campaigns understood and ran on the established rules that determine who wins the presidency: which campaign won the Electoral College (total points) and NOT who received more popular votes (total yardage).

Overview of the Presidential Election Process
During the general election, Americans head to the polls to cast their vote for President. But the tally of those votes—the popular vote—does not determine the winner. Instead, Presidential elections use the Electoral College. To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes.

This was simply explained as logical by liberal Democrats for Democrats in 2008….

The New England Patriots organization and their fans nationwide would be roundly (and justifiably) ridiculed had they taken to the mics during the post-game press conference and whined that they really won the game because they broke the all-time Super Bowl record for total yardage. It would be even more damning to their reputation if they mobilized fans across the country to #resist the results and question the legitimacy of the Philadelphia Eagles as the duly victorious on the field.

The sanity of Patriots nation would also be questioned, especially if the sports media also went along with the sore-loser narrative, attempted to create a divide between Philadelphia and the rest of the nation, and even repeated an unproven storyline that the Patriots cheated because they somehow colluded with the Canadian Football League in rigging the game.

During the last couple of weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump observed the established rules and campaigned heavily in states needed to win the game. Unlike Hillary who maybe had one or two appearances every day or so, Trump appeared in four to six events per day. At the end of November 8, 2016, Donald Trump scored more points than Hillary, yet her supporters are still trying to make the case they really won because they got more yards.

If short sighted Democrats manage to get their way and change our election process to the popular vote, both sides know the new rules and if the Democrat loses the popular vote, suddenly discovers the wisdom of the Founders and their reasoning for creating the Electoral College process, they’ll DEMAND we go back to that very well thought out (albeit “antiquated”) system.

That’ll be as logical as the National Football League changing the rules so total points are no longer the determining factor on who wins a game.