Brady will be playing week one.

Yeah. It was so legal that every other team did it too. It's good, sound strategy and all teams employed those methods since it was ok to do and rather commonplace.

Oh, wait, no other team did that.

Huh. Odd, no?

 

Hmm, then why did Ray Anderson send out this memo in 2006?

"Video taping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent's offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches' booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game."

Right. It was so legal that they had their employees be impostor NFL Films crews.

The Patriots and many of their fans really get under my skin. There is this common thread of arrogance they share that really gets to me.

 

Oh yeah, it's unreal. The most asinine thing to me is how so many of them play the victim/martyr. All the jealous haters are trying to pick on the innocent winners.

 

That's a good point. I visit RI, eastern Mass and the Boston area fairly often since my mother's side of the family lives there, and it's been that way for as long as I can recall. I love going there, but I pretty much hate interacting with obnoxious Pats fans (including some extended family members).

 

Apparently dead horse can be tasty if prepared properly, though.

 

What's actually hilarious to me is the Patriots team and fans, reactions today and the past few weeks.

Make no mistake, the 2 absolute BIGGEST accomplices, apologists, and general genital polishers for everything New England Patriot for YEARS has been Roger Goodell and ESPN. Roger wanted the Spygate scandal killed in its crib, and ESPN eagerly and willingly went along with his wishes. Their talking points sounded like something out of a Boston sports bar. It's not a big deal. It's only a minor infraction. It had nothing to do with their "dynasty" run. There's no proof. Every team bends rules. (And my favorite) it doesn't really even give them that big an advantage anyway.

And Roger said "move along. Nothing to see here." before promptly destroying all evidence.

Years after the fact, and ESPN was STILL downplaying Spygate. To the point that they'd openly mock anyone still talking about it.

Both Roger and ESPN propped up New England ad nauseum. GOAT talk and all. ESPN needed knee pads and a gag reflex suppressor (I'm assuming something like that exists) as often as they were servicing Brady, Bellicheck, the Patriots in general, and even Roger himself.

The cracks in the facade started last year when Roger Goodell bungled the Ray Rice incident. Suddenly, ESPN wasn't buying what he was selling. That lasted, what, 2 days? And then they were back on board with the program (I'm sure the powers that be cracked the whip) and began towing the party line... again.

Look, I understand that ESPN NEEDS the NFL. But that's no excuse for their complicity in all of Goodell's nonsense. Nor does it excuse their constant, unabashed Patriot worship in the face of what they surely knew all along.

I'm not sure what changed. Did they finally realize the Emperor had no clothes? Did they see the rift forming between Goodell and New England and think "now's as good a time as any to take it to both of them?" I really don't care. But this dumpster fire is a glorious thing to behold.

And now Patriots fans are all wailing and gnashing their teeth. Screaming to the heavens about how biased ESPN is against them? About how Goodell has ALWAYS had it out for them? Seriously??? Tom Brady is pouting and claiming he'll not talk to ESPN?

Hey, Massholes, the world is onto you now. You had a good run. Now crawl back under that rock you were hiding under before 2001.

 

Try living in the heart of Pats country. I'm in Connecticut now, But from 03 - 07 I lived a few miles from the stadium - actually a short walk from where Bruschi, Seymour and Vinatieri lived (and from where Hernandez would later sanitize evidence of homicide). It was absolutely disgusting to live there through 2 Pats super bowls, and especially the AFCCG from 04-05.

 

Ouch. That sounds like hell. I can barely stand short visits. It was fun to listen to local sports radio when Brady went down and Cassel stepped in, though. The lines were long at the Long Island bridge.