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.

Poor baby.

Patriots’ preseason announcer and former quarterback Scott Zolak broke his silence on 98.5 The Sports Hub Sunday afternoon at 5:16pm just before he had to go on the air for the team’s final preseason game against the New York Giants.

It’s a sickeningly overused comparison, but if Zolak was a conservative Republican and commented about an NFL player dancing to rap music “distraction” on the field, we can only imagine the severity of the fallout. Black Lives Matter would be clogging the streets and expressway, State Police would be protecting Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s home as he’s Zolak’s employer, news coverage would be national (if not international), black players around the league would’ve been pressed for comments, and Zolak would’ve probably been fired within hours.

For starters….

But as we’re talking uber-liberal Boston, it must be assumed Scott Zolak is a Democrat and Virginia governor Ralph Northam is a premiere example that racism is ignored when it comes from a Democrat.

In scouring the local Boston news sites since last Thursday, there was no mention of Zolak’s comments, it would be naive to think they didn’t know about it, so it must be concluded they were/are covering for one of their own.

It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.

UPDATE

If you’re white, a male and in the media, there’s not much you can do to lose your ability to earn an income.

A black plagiarist gets fired while a white plagiarist gets promoted to national television. A white anchor fabricated stories, when caught was granted a time out and later given a late night, lower profile gig that still pays in the millions annually. A white sports announcer sexually assaulted, later got a new job and was allowed to retire with grace decades later. There are many other examples and we’re not even talking anymore about the white governor who wore blackface, “apologized” for it, rescinded the apology, and continues to keep his job to this day with no further pressure.

Yes, the double standard pattern remains intact.

98.5 The Sports Hub’s Scott Zolak was also allowed to dodge the bullet as he made statements that clearly contained racist “dog whistles”, received scant local and/or national media coverage, made a half-assed apology, and yet Cam Newton (the object of his racial comments) was ultimately the one who lost his job. Zolak did say he talked with Cam and it was all good. But what was Newton supposed to do in the midst of a quarterback competition: make a big deal about it and risk creating a distraction detrimental to himself and the team?

I’m not saying there was any direct connection between Zolak’s comments and Newton’s release from the New England Patriots but the irony of it all is striking.

The sanctimonious, liberal media loves to tear down “stories” in their cross hairs. Private citizens, politicians and celebrities are all fair game should they do something considered controversial or bad. But when members of the media fuck up, they’re the first to demand privacy, understanding, and are allowed to move on to the next well-paying job with a clean slate. If the aggrieved is a minority, he or she will be diminished and eventually shown the door.

Again, there is no connection with the Zolak absolution and the Newton dismissal.

The coincidental timing fits a pattern that won’t end any time soon.

While Massachusetts is home to many fine people, Metropolitan Boston has a history thus reputation. It’s an ugly one, a racist one, a liberal Democrat one, and seeing how the sports media is predominantly liberal, this comes as no surprise.

New England Patriots fans got a whole heaping serving of Cam Newton hate last season from the Boston sports media; in particular the New England Patriots’ own post game show hosted by a conglomeration of out-of-shape blabbah-mouths you’d most likely hear commiserating in a Southie bar during the 70’s and whose comments are almost always preceded with “I think” or “I want to see…”.

Despite all of the challenges Cam Newton absorbed last season, the criticism was merciless. With the addition of 2021 first round draft choice Mac Jones, all knives are really out for Cam as the media sees an heir apparent who looks like them on the horizon; a horizon they can’t get to fast enough considering all they need do is run over a black man to get there.

This time on 98.5 “The Sports Hub (where Cam hate is the ongoing norm), former Patriots QB Scott Zolak may have finally gone too far….

With co-host Marc Bertrand off-air on Thursday, Zolak was broadcasting live from Patriots training camp, while Adam Jones and Rob “Hardy” Poole were in studio. Commenting on the highly scrutinized quarterback battle between Cam Newton and Mac Jones, Zolak offered a curious suggestion.
— Mediaite, 8/27/21

Many Patriots fans live by the slogan, “In Belichick We Trust” and if the coach believed rap music was a distraction, it would have been nixed years ago.

It’s sad that the sports media is populated by (with a few exceptions) the clearly un-athletic and their need for attention has rendered them reckless and looking the fool.

The 53-year-old former signal-caller then said it’s a stark difference when compared to Patriots backup QB Mac Jones, who he said “looks like he came to work again.” But, Cam has noted Jones has a similar love for the music … explaining last month he was “surprised” by Mac’s knowledge of rap.

“You catch him in the locker room every time quoting some Future, some Baby,” Cam said.
— TMZ Sports, 8/27/21

Let’s hope Scott doesn’t react like one of his daughters just brought home a black boyfriend.

While Coach Belichick is evaluating both Newton and Jones to see which player gives the team the best opportunity to win, Zolak may have just backed him into a corner with what was clearly a racist comment meant to justify his personal opinion.

Boston’s reputation for liberal racism means this is an event that was inevitable.

Scott Zolak’s ugly criticisms of Cam Newton for listening to rap music during practice are downright absurd. They also reinforce the age-old notion that Boston is an unwelcoming place for Black athletes.

Episodes like these are why Boston can’t shed its label as a racist sports town, even as we insist the landscape has changed. This is not ancient history. Within the last five years alone, we’ve had Adam Jones, DeMarcus Cousins and scores of Black baseball players talk about their encounters with racism at Fenway. CC Sabathia says it’s the only place he’s ever been called the N-word; Torii Hunter says he requested a no-trade clause to the Red Sox because of his experiences. When Kyrie Irving suggested he may face racial taunts in Boston, what happened when Irving came to Boston? A fan threw a water bottle in his direction. We can argue how one dumb teenager doesn’t represent an entire city, or explain that Celtics fans loathe Irving because he quit on the team — and not his skin color.

But the other side always has a viable counter. Now, they have another one: Scott Zolak.
— WEEI, 8/28/21

Zolak will get the exact type of reaction a local host of such a style desires. While there will be a bunch of public criticism, the commentary will be appreciated by a very specific audience. There tends to be a method to the madness.
— MSN, 8/27/21

That “very specific audience” showed up for the Patriots’ first preseason game.

Whether it was the planned longshots of fans giving Mac Jones a standing ovation when he took the field during his first NFL preseason game and the cameras panned the stadium, or now this, it’s also unfortunate the position Jones has been thrust into. Zolak’s big mouth may have inadvertently cost him any chance to be the starting quarterback on Week 1 because of unnecessary public relations fallout. Despite that. if you consume any Boston sports media, the Mac Jones lobbying continues unabated.

Should Cam Newton be named the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots and he performs well, the bloated may actually start rooting for the team to lose so Mac Jones will get the job and they can boast they were right all along. That appears to be what’s most important despite the fact that while the Patriots were loading up with high-priced talent during the off season, almost all chose to come to New England to play for Coach Belichick and with Newton as QB.

Not sure how many players ever publicly stated they wanted to come to a team to play with Scott Zolak.

As far as his comments, the world outside Boston is taking notice and it’s not pretty.

Others suggested that maybe Zolak’s career stats would have been better if he’d listened to rap music.
— Atlanta Black Star, 8/27/21

In all seriousness, Zolak, as a high-profile analyst and at least secondary member of the team’s official media staff, needs to pull his head out, realize the weight of what he’s insinuating here, and make a very quick backpedal and apology. I’m not advocating that Zolak lose any jobs or responsibilities over this. This is not “cancel culture.” The Patriots’ organization, and the other organizations that pay Zolak to provide analysis will or will not continue to make that call based on a number of factors. But this entire sequence is wrong, and it’s dangerously bad “analysis” at a time when we’re all supposed to be a lot smarter about these things.
— USA Today Sports, 8/27/21

I’m not a mathematician, but we don’t need to be to see that Newton’s single-season totals dwarf what Zolak produced his entire career. It’s not that an inferior player has no place criticizing one who is more gifted and accomplished, but if you are going to go that route, you’ve got to come with something better than this, Scott.
— Heavy, 8/27/21

Valid point.

You know Scott Zolak? Pittsburgh guy. Former Patriots quarterback from the 1990s. He does the color commentary for the New England radio broadcasts and two years ago accused the Eagles of pumping in fake crowd noise at Lincoln Financial Field. Keep in mind, the New England radio dudes don’t seem to like Newton very much. In the past, they’ve complained about him dabbing, and one guy was close to tears when they brought him back this season. Zolak’s take seems to fall in line with Felger, Mazz, and the other doofuses up there.
— Crossing Board, 8/27/21

It wasn’t the first time Zolak melted down over Newton. He called him “absolutely putrid” and openly called for his benching during a game broadcast last year.

He did not appear on “Zolak & Bertrand” on Friday.
— New Hampshire Union Leader, 8/27/21

Scott’s a recognized, shit talking coward.

Former Patriots QB (!!) Scott Zolak, a man who is prone to sticking his foot in his mouth on almost a daily basis, claimed that Newton is not the right man for the job because of his … love for hip hop?

Zolak has never been a fan of Newton, and he’s clearly trying to stir up even more interest for ditching him in favor of Jones. Newton has been dealing with doubters mocking his flashy style of play and penchant for celebrating in elaborate fashion for years now, and Zolak is just another hater to add to the pile. It’s hard to fathom Belichick considering taste in tunes as one of the factors that help him pick a starting quarterback. Newton may very well lose this competition to Jones, but Zolak insisting that some dancing in between plays is the reason why Newton is unqualified to start is … asinine.
— Fansided, 8/27/21

So a 53-year-old white man in Boston has a problem with a local team’s most prominent Black player picking tunes that he likes. The point is that we need to stop giving oxygen to stuff like this. In addition to the not-subtle racial overtones, it’s flatly stupid.

Do you think that Zolak would have any problem with it if Newton wanted to hear some classic rock during practice? Zolak, after all, is the guy who got the Patriots to start playing “Your Love” by The Outfield during the fourth quarter of games in Foxboro. No, the problem isn’t “the music,” the problem is “the rap music.” And also the man doing the dancing, because, yeah, Tom Brady was a dancer himself.
— Deadspin, 8/27/21

Rap/R&B playing over a loudspeaker during a Patriots’ practice obviously was routine and it didn’t appear to bother Scott Zolak then.

Newton has been criticized for celebrating in the end zones and the way he handled the Carolina Panthers’ Super Bowl 50 loss to the Denver Broncos, but his choice of music appears to be a first. Newton and Jones are in the midst of a quarterback competition. It probably won’t come down to who listens to the least rap music.
— WCSI, 8/27/21

We’ve seen plenty of awful football takes in the past, but the latest remarks from Scott Zolak might just take the cake. At the end of the day, Newton’s taste in music has no effect on whether or not he plays well. As for Zolak, he’ll eventually have to explain why he felt the need to make this comment about Newton.
— The Spun, 8/27/21

With the shift, every Black quarterback is watched under a microscope and criticized for just about anything. One QB who has always dealt with the repercussions of this is Cam Newton. No matter what Cam does, it upsets people and rubs them the wrong way. From the way he dresses to his victory dances, it just makes the racism flare-up.

According to TMZ, recently, former New England QB Scott Zolak decided to publicly offer his opinion on Cam with just enough dog whistles to show us we still have a ways to go.
— Bossip, 8/27/21

“We”?

I’m not calling for Scott Zolak to be fired because I really don’t think it will happen. As of the late night hours of August 27th and you go to any of Boston’s local news channel’s websites, the Scott Zolak story is nowhere to be seen and 98.5 The Sports Hub (where this whole episode began) is all-in on pro-Mac, anti-Cam. What does that tell ya? They can’t blame it on a Fenway drunk or Celtic fan with a water bottle. Zolak is one of them, one of the media, and they probably feel they same way he does but would never say it on the air.

It can’t be fun having the “Patriots All Access” television program now having to scramble to find a temp co-host for the show, having to address Zolak’s commentary, and decide if he’ll be back after an adequate time out because you know the Patriots’ players are well aware of this.

So, stand by for Scott’s “That’s not who I am” liberal standard punchline when they get publicly busted and a career may be on the line.

Then again, a white man losing his job for racially insulting a black man in Boston… seriously?

BTW — ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky is pushed as this knowledgeable pundit, consistently dissing Cam Newton in favor of Jimmy G. and now Mac Jones. Like Zolak, Orlovsky is no one to judge anyone considering how mediocre a QB he was as well.

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.

I can’t recall one time when I’ve heard a local or national sports reporter praise him for how much he’s given back to the community. That’s not to say Tom didn’t have a foundation or charities he chose to donate his time and money to. I just don’t remember hearing of that and most of the questions asked to him during press conferences were about the last or upcoming game.

Nor do I remember Tom Brady being expected to be a role model to young people in his community.

Now that the Patriots have Cam Newton, some of the very stereotypical questions and expectations of the black quarterback are now easing into the routine availability.

During a November 19th question-and-answer, sports columnist Matt Vautour asked Cam about his being a “role model”….

Listen to these condescending questions, not to pick solely on Vautour, because almost any Sunday pregame interview with a black football star revolves around his upbringing, how much he “gives back” to the community, and if he’s in that superstar stratus, being a “role model”.

I certainly don’t remember Tom Brady being asked about how he “carried” himself off the field.

Granted, we have players like Houston’s J.J. Watt who donated his name, time and money to help during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. He chose, out of the goodness of his heart, to help where there was clearly a dire need. It wasn’t expected and it wasn’t specifically expected to come solely out of his own pocket.

Could it be that deep down inside, sports liberals have a real problem with exceptional black athletes making obscene amounts of money while most of these “journalists” will never be offered a contract? Could it be that deep down inside, sports liberals have expectations so low of inner city kids with no fathers that professional football players need not just be father figures but also passive sugar daddies?

I am not a role model. I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.
— Charles Barkley, Nike Air Commercial

No such low expectations are ever implied of white kids so white athletes aren’t expected to be “role models” and give chunks of hard-earned dollars to their communities. If they do, great and it’s featured as a feel good, public interest story. But it’s not expected.

Cam Newton should be left alone to concentrate on doing his job which is playing quarterback for the New England Patriots. The money he’s being paid is money he’s earning for himself and his family. He shouldn’t be expected to give away a portion to a myriad of top-heavy nonprofits who hit up teams and players. Cam should be the best player he can be so his team can succeed. It’s not his responsibility to be an example to just younger blacks, as if without such mentoring, we all know they’ll go astray.

Cam shouldn’t have to prove himself as a person more than Tom.

It’s sad we still have to remind some people of that.

This may be a very hard concept for most of the #woke to absorb but the National Football League is not a progressive nonprofit that doesn’t need to show positive results. The NFL is a business, and in keeping this as simple as possible, it’s a league of 32 teams and only one can attain the ultimate goal which is winning a Super Bowl.

Then again, that may change. Stand by….

There has been much dismay by the activist left that no team, since the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, has offered Colin Kaepernick an opportunity. It’s not solely because of his Black Lives Matter activism, but because of his on-the-field numbers just prior to his being cut from the San Francisco 49ers; numbers probably few (if any) supporters of Kaepernick could tell you off hand.

There is also a major issue with any team that even makes mention of possibly acquiring Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick was supposed to work out for NFL teams at the Falcons’ facility earlier this year, but after disagreements over various aspects of the session, Kaepernick moved the workout to an Atlanta-area high school.

Despite looking good in the session, Kaepernick wasn’t offered a contract by any NFL team.
— Yahoo Sports, 6/28/20

For shits and giggles, let’s just say the Atlanta Falcons signed Kaepernick. Do you really think he’d be expected to sit on the bench behind Matt Ryan? No way, José. The team would be pressured into starting Kaepernick which means Matt Ryan would be looking for a new home, and there would be teams who’d offer him tasty contracts within days.

Two weeks ago, Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said Kaepernick is on the team’s workout list. With team facilities shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s unclear when the Chargers might be able to bring in Kaepernick.

“Unclear” as this is not the greatest of situations seeing how the Chargers picked Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft to replace Philip Rivers, and also have a proven starter in Tyrod Taylor.

“I haven’t spoken with Colin, not sure where he’s at as far in his career, what he wants to do, but Colin definitely fits the style of quarterback for the system that we’re going to be running. I’m very confident and happy with the three quarterbacks that I have but you can never have too many people waiting on the runway,” Lynn said, via ESPN. The Chargers currently have Tyrod Taylor, No. 6 overall pick Justin Herbert and Easton Stick in their quarterback room.
— NBC Sports, 6/17/20

A very safe way of Coach Lynn’s saying the safe thing: he wouldn’t mind having another option… (but he doesn’t really need Kaepernick).

First round picks are seldom told they’re going to be benched when they get that call on Draft Day. If Kaepernick started and is moderately successful, Herbert may wish to look elsewhere for playing time resulting in a wasted first round pick by Los Angeles. Tyrod Taylor would be the most logical starter for Los Angeles while Herbert learned and wasn’t thrown into that infamous rookie trial-by-fire that’s maimed many careers.

And again, if Kaepernick doesn’t play well, Coach Lynn would be well aware of the social activist backlash if he did what most teams tend to do to a player who’s not performing: sit him down on the bench and replace him with someone who may do better.

Kaepernick visited the Seattle Seahawks in the spring of 2017 after he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers, making him a free agent. Head coach Pete Carroll’s reasoning for not signing him at the time was that the Seahawks felt he was a starter and they already had one in Russell Wilson.
— ESPN, 6/11/20

Here’s the reality of any Colin Kaepernick situation in the NFL

Most teams already have a starting quarterback, and yes, some are better than others. But if a team signs Kaepernick, it’ll be demanded by forces outside of a team front office, that he be the starting quarterback for Week 1 and the head coach’s ability to choose his quarterback will be circumvented by the sports-ignorant in social media.

But bored sports writers with no sports to report are just left to their musings and speculation.

Colin Kaepernick could help five NFL teams if they’d give him contract

Pittsburgh Steelers
Franchise staple Ben Roethlisberger turned 38 in March, and likely doesn’t have many starter-quality years left in the NFL. Kaepernick is six years younger — and with Big Ben coming off an injury — the ex-49er could help keep the offense afloat for Pittsburgh in case Roethlisberger can’t return to his previous form.

New England Patriots
This likely would provide Kaepernick the best opportunity to be a starter right away. Franchise icon and proverbial GOAT QB Tom Brady departed this offseason in free agency, and many expect coach Bill Belichick to hand the keys over to untested young quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Kaepernick at the very least could give Stidham some stiff competition in training camp, if not win the starting job outright.

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have dealt with ineptitude at the quarterback position for many years. Gardner Minshew didn’t exactly set the NFL on fire in his rookie season, but 21 touchdowns with just six interceptions over 14 games did inspire some hope in Jacksonville.

Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford only played eight games in 2019 after breaking bones in his back. Stafford reportedly is 100 percent recovered from the injury, but has taken plenty of shots over his 11-year career. Trade rumors swirled around Stafford early last season, and he even put his $6.5 million Michigan home on the market in May. Kaepernick would be a nice insurance policy for Stafford, and even has a similarly powerful throwing arm.

Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan did win the NFL MVP just four years ago, but he hasn’t returned to near that level since offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan departed for the 49ers. Ryan’s numbers have declined, and he led the NFL after being sacked 48 times in 2019. Although Matt Schaub has been a serviceable backup, including throwing for 460 yards in his lone start last season, he’s 38 years old and likely isn’t much of an upgrade over Kap, if at all.

Kaepernick’s added athletic ability also could bring a different element to Atlanta’s offense in case of Ryan’s absence.
— NBC Sports, 6/6/20

Neither Pittsburgh nor New England, especially with their respective exposure to drama queen Antonio Brown, are going to want to bring off-the-field issues into their cultures. Both do have quarterback issues but both franchises also tend to land on their feet, not initially on a knee. Detroit is oh-so-slowly becoming New England West, so again, paying for drama unrelated to the field won’t be easily considered. Atlanta won’t bench Matt Ryan for the unknown Kaepernick is today.

Jacksonville is used to mediocrity so they may be a possibility. The problem is most of those pushing for Kaepernick’s return couldn’t tell you what conference Jacksonville is in, don’t buy game tickets, and wouldn’t know if the Sunday games are on CBS or Fox Sports. From a business standpoint, there’ll be as much monetary return if Kaepernick plays poorly as if he plays well and that’s not a good reason for giving any player a respectable contract.

Then there’s another reality, borne by facts: very few players who’ve missed three or more consecutive seasons have returned to the field with any modicum of success. There are, of course, exceptions but that number is very small, those players were elite, and none of them returned commanding what Colin Kaepernick and outside forces will want today for him to put on an NFL uniform.

Keeping it simple (again), very NFL team enters the season with one goal and only one goal: to win the Super Bowl. They hope to focus on that goal like a laser. Distractions are the last thing wanted in a locker room, and very few bring on a player who’ll bring off-the-field drama with them. Of course, there ARE players whose skills make them tolerable exceptions.

Colin Kaepernick is NOT one of them.

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.