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.

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/2019/11/11/deflategate-debunked-again-cold-weather-deflates-tires-duh/ https://www.blackandblondemedia.com/2019/11/11/deflategate-debunked-again-cold-weather-deflates-tires-duh/#respond Mon, 11 Nov 2019 19:19:30 +0000 https://www.blackandblondemedia.com/?p=7807 Over the many years since the New England Patriots #Deflategate controversy (as lifelong team fans), we’ve been approached by haters calling the team and Tom Brady “cheaters”. In response, we’ve always asked these critics if they’ve ever noticed lower tire pressure the morning after a sudden temperature drop? They would almost always respond, “yes” to which our response would be to politely ask, did Tom Brady come by and deflate your tires?

Levity is used to describe something easily relatable as common sense; common sense that was totally lacking during the so-called NFL “deflategate” investigation where the New England quarterback was ultimately suspended for four games; not for deflating footballs as alleged but because he refused to hand over a cell phone in question to investigators.

Brady was questioned extensively at his appeal and he asserted that it had always been his practice to have his cell phones destroyed every so often. He explained that there is private information like players contracts, endorsement deals, and photos of his family on his phone that he wanted wiped. That seems like a perfectly reasonable desire.
— Deadspin, 8/5/15

Seriously, we all know Tom Brady’s text messages, pictures, contacts, etc. would be a goldmine leaked to an overzealous media and if we were in his situation, would probably do the same.

So you can imagine the smile on our faces when we heard a local Washington, D.C. radio station this morning repeating cold weather tips issued by AAA….

In fact, these cold weather tips are being widely shared for the simple.

AAA offers timely tips for winter driving
Have tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can be dangerous, and may suffer damage. Tire air pressure decreases 1-2 psi for every 10 degree temperature drop.
— Chicago Now, 11/11/19

Well, duh!

Even a seventh-grader proved the obvious and easily.

Thus began the science project with which 7th grader Ben Goodell won first prize at St. Pius V School in Lynn, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts part may give you a hint regarding why Goodell’s science project was about how weather alone could influence the air pressure in a football.

“I just came up with this project because I wanted to prove Tom Brady was innocent,” Goodell says. “I didn’t think it was fair for them to just call Brady a cheater.”

And as it turned out… “Every time I recorded the football’s PSI after being outside for two hours, the PSI read two PSI under proper inflation,” Ben Goodell says.
— WBUR, 3/12/16

Sad how so many can relate to a simple concept of physics via experience yet suspend the concept when it can feed into the justified jealousy of football fans who support inferior teams.

It was simply about bringing footballs from a warm interior onto a cooler field. Tom Brady and the Patriots didn’t cheat and millions of stubborn people (who probably can’t even spell physics) still won’t admit it.

Just ask your tires in the morning.

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 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.

Case in point: ESPN’s elevation of Katie Nolan, a sports commentator who previously hosted a podcast, ironically-named Garbage Time, for Fox Sports Radio.

Recent ESPN hire Katie Nolan blasted President Trump with some pretty disparaging remarks on Wednesday night, and her new employer is not happy. While appearing on Viceland’s talk show “Desus and Mero,” the 30-year-old sports talker called POTUS a “f—ing stupid person.”

A rep for the network told Fox News: “We have looked into the totality of Nolan’s comments, they were inappropriate, and we have addressed it with her.”
— Fox News, 1/6/18

ESPN should not have had to address anything of that nature with Nolan, but that’s what happens when you hire undisciplined children to do a professional’s job.

ESPN is a journalistic organization – not a political organization. We should do nothing to undermine that position. ESPN’s focus is sports. By-and-large we are not experts on politics, healthcare policies, terrorism, commerce – that’s not what we do.

Our audience is not looking for our opinions on the general news of the day.
— Kevin Merida, Senior Vice President, Editor in Chief of The Undefeated

Obviously Katie Nolan must have decided that directive didn’t apply to her.

While ESPN has optioned to publicly (and politically correctly) defend the actions of their employee, we all know the ramifications would be much more harsh had Nolan said something similar against former president Barack Obama, and she certainly wouldn’t have said that he was a “fucking stupid person” while flanked by a couple of bruthas.

Nolan’s relatively thin body of work (prior to this controversy, have YOU heard of her?) displays why she was hired; not for her sports acumen where she questions the intelligence of New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady who has more on-and-off the field accomplishments than Nolan could even imagine.

The whole notion of “professionalism” has been diminished by the juvenile Barstool Sports mentality, T&A is a constant source of giggles, ignorance is excused, and the elevation of an under-qualified, former bartender, selfie-loving, alchie (as evidenced by numerous pics of her consuming adult beverages) who met someone’s objective definition of “cute” gave this narcissist the impression that anything goes. And give her the leeway to interject partisan politics with sports ignorance and you see why the employment cycle will always be in flux.

If this really happened, the NFL protests will have entered that normally humorous, liberal eat-their-own phase.

Why should we believe this actually happened? Because local media was threatened to not talk about this or lose access to the Raiders. So, guess what happened. The Armstrong & Getty Show “exclusive” in question up and went into Internet oblivion.

As we all know, posts are taken down for one of two reasons: 1. items within it were wrong, or 2. it was ordered taken down. Interesting.

And here’s another part of this story that may be bubbling beneath the surface….

Do you think a few people in and around Las Vegas could be just a little pissed that an Oakland Raiders team that everyone knew should have had their way with the Washington Redskins lost convincingly?

The Raiders are due to move to Las Vegas in 2020. It will be interesting to see if this game will be an impetus for the city to find a way to entice a more mature team to come that won’t mess with their money. And how could this potentially affect the sports books in the future because who will touch a game where black players may be doggin’ it?

Could this also be why Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers suddenly announced their “unity” very publicly as to assure their black linemen they were down with the struggle and didn’t want to be Carred and feathered?

UPDATE:

Wow, that didn’t take long.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was again repeatedly sacked by the Broncos, suffered a broken back, is out for almost half of the season and guess what the talk is around Raider nation? Bringing in Colin Kaepernick!

With Derek Carr lost for up to six weeks with a fracture in his back, that planet is now blocking the sun in Oakland.

It’s obvious at this point NFL owners have been staying away from Colin Kaepernick because of the fear of the media circus and/or fan backlash due to his having originated kneeling during the National Anthem in protest of police brutality and racial profiling.

All this is to say, Kaepernick’s presence on a team wouldn’t be quite as controversial as it once was — not that the Raiders have ever really cared about such things. It inevitably leads back to the question of his on-field talents and whether he would be a good addition to a team, like the Raiders, who have playoff aspirations and are now facing as many as 6 weeks with EJ Manuel and Connor Cook as the team’s starter and backup respectively.

So, I pose the question to you…
— Silver & Black Pride, 10/2/17

Something had to happen to get the half-black quarterback back into the League.

Now, what will all those say if Colin Kaepernick is still as bad as when he was last benched and how long will activists demand he remain on the field despite performance?

So, I pose the question to you…

“Integrity of the game”… THIS from the league that’s changed the way defenses play in order to favor the offense. Why? To enhance the experience of fans involved in what amounts to online betting (fantasy football). The NFL changed their on-the-field rules to promote BETTING!

Gimme a break: “integrity of the game”. But back to “cheating”, which just happens to be a tradition carried out since the early days of the NFL….

The National Football League has kept many instances of “cheating” low key, because to be honest, they concerned teams (and/or players) few really care about in the grand scheme of things. But while the League and the media’s decided to make an example of the New England Patriots, the NFL’s integrity is shit and there are many examples that have occurred south and west of Connecticut and Rhode Island….

New York Giants, Ben McAdoo fined $200K total for walkie-talkies
Okay, it’s 2016. Who uses “walkie talkies” anymore? Your average young person is probably Googling as we speak to find out just what we’re talking about here. Sorry, but a “walkie talkie” isn’t something we bring with us wherever we go, let alone just happen to have a set ready during an NFL playoff game.

Or maybe some teams do…?

Atlanta Falcons lose 2016 pick for pumping fake noise
For those out there who actually know something about the game, increasing crowd noise can adversely affect the play-calling ability of the visiting team’s offense and special teams, most often resulting in frequent “false start” and/or “delay of game” calls (resulting in negative penalty yards) and a disruption of the team’s rhythm and making scoring more difficult.

Packers’ Aaron Rodgers prefers overinflated footballs, likes to push the limit
Probably not as easy to notice if referees and the League aren’t tipped off.

Chargers fined $20,000 after ‘Stickum’ towel inquiry
In wake of Chargers Stickum accusations, some NFL alums say cheating is part of the game
Talk about a mixed message: the NFL said the use of “stickum towels” wasn’t a violation, fined them anyway, meanwhile former players say cheating is business as usual. A sentiment that doesn’t match the anguish of the sanctimonious.

Speaking of stickum, as mentioned in a previous post….

Jerry Rice on stickum use: ‘All players did it’
Cris Carter: If Jerry Rice used stickum, he cheated
San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice wasn’t just another player. His resume was a no-brainer when it came to voting him into the NFL Hall of Fame. Whether or not he deserves an asterisk next to his name is a discussion that may be coming sooner, rather than later.

And as for holier-than-thou, Mr. Integrity Cris Carter…?

Cris Carter admits to bounties
Whoops.

But while the clueless in the media (who I often point out couldn’t tell you what division the Tennessee Titans are in but yet are experts on the Patriots’ “history” of cheating) point their fingers of guilt at New England, there are teams whose notorious reputations for cheating are quite extensive and documented.

According to the website Your Team Cheats*,

“So you think there’s only one NFL team that cheats? You’re wrong. All 32 NFL teams cheat. Yup, even your favorite team is a dirty cheater, but since they are not that good, nobody really cares.”

Great point.

Its creators rank each team’s documented “cheats” for severity — the Patriots actually fall in the middle of the pack among the NFL’s biggest cheaters at No. 15. Also — and we’re sure this is purely coincidental — here are the top four cheaters in the NFL, again per the site’s arbitrary rankings:

1. Denver Broncos
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. New York Jets
4. Indianapolis Colts

Coincidentally, those four teams probably would be considered the Patriots’ four biggest rivals. Not only that, the New York Giants — who have defeated the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl — come in at No. 6, and New England’s other biggest rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, come in at No. 7.
— NESN, 5/15/15

And one can’t fault the Patriots in not trusting the ability of the League to fairly conduct an investigation when internal, anonymous NFL “sources” arbitrarily release juicy little tidbits to the media for the expressed purpose of leading public opinion in a desired direction.

The investigation found the footballs were inflated 2 pounds per square inch below what’s required by NFL regulations during the Pats’ 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, according to sources.
— ESPN, 1/21/15

The other 10 balls that reportedly were two pounds under may have been, as the source explained it, closer to one pound below 12.5 PSI.
— NBC Sports, 1/25/15

Meanwhile, Fox Sports and NBC Sports have cited unnamed sources who claim that an unidentified attendant who took 24 game balls into a bathroom before the game is being eyed as a person of interest in the scandal.
— MSNBC, 1/28/15

In conversations I’ve had with several key sources who always have a good sense of what goes on at 345 Park Ave., there is little doubt that Goodell considers Brady’s role in DeflateGate a serious violation.
— New York Daily News, 5/8/15

If the NFL is really interested in the public’s perception when it comes to the “integrity of the game”, then they shouldn’t go about making cheating appear to be something isolated to ONE team and then whisper selective, incriminating, albeit circumstantial evidence to manipulate public opinion.

A fish rots from the head and that starts with Roger Goodell on down and when it comes to the “integrity of the game”, also take a look at the half-assed officiating. The Dallas Cowboys would probably agree.