LT (the Charger)...sour grapes?

[horn17]

totally agree. I was using this as an example of how the Patriots have NOT been the top story this year at all. The myth that the Pats are media darlings is simply not true.

Then you obviously didnt watch the game, nor count the shots of Tom Brady on the sidelines, Tom Brady picking his nose, Tom Brady talking to the coaches, Tom Brady drinking water, Tom Brady warming up, Tom Brady blowing into his hand, Tom Brady laughing, Tom Brady....Tom Brady...Tom Brady......

Do you get my point, in the final two minutes of that game - prior to the field goal, we count 32 different screen shots of TB in 2 minutes....

They arent the media darlings huh? You need to tune out Al Michaels, and - cant believe im saying this - listen to Madden once when he calls a Pats game....

[Adam Gamradt]

And I thought my political discussions got people all worked up.

As a recovering Vikings addict, er fan, I have little to say about football in January.

I think Tom Brady is Brett Farve's illegitimate love child, from his short lived but passionate romance with Fran Tarkenton in the late 1970's.

Ok, I feel better now.

[Dan Warren]

ineedmorecowbell,

there were no amazing belichek adjustments, or golden boy heroics.

let me help you out here..

no adjustments? The Pats started the game out with multiple TE sets for extra blitz protection. It did nothing for their offensive production, so they switched it up numerous times, until they found what worked. That was three receiver sets, and more passing plays. This actually should have opened up space for "lights out" merriman, but Matt Light completely man-handled him all game.

no "golden-boy" heroics?

how about a 10 play, 72 TD drive just before halftime to cut the lead to 14-10, with the Pats getting the ball to start the second half?

or Brady leading his team to 11 points in 3:26 late in the game?..that included a 72 drive in which Brady hit Reche Caldwell for 49 yards to set up the game winning field goal?

I think those things are pretty heroic, don't you?

As for the "taunting" after the game...I don't like it, but Tomlinson acted like a baby. That stuff is par for the course in the NFL, unfortunately, and he knows it. There is really no excuse, but if you want one, you could say the Pats were fed up with all the crap they had to listen to all week, and all game. When LT scored to put them up 8, the charger sideline was celebrating like they had it wrapped up. "LT" says that is a bad example for kids? I think he should worry about his own team of criminals first.

[Jolly Roger]

Dan Warren
Wrentham, MA

Calling the objectivity police, calling all cars....

[horn17]

nice call jolly...is it me, or is everyone from NE supporting these actions, and LT is just a baby?????

Gosh, I knew I would never want to live in Boston after a business trip, now I know the whole state water supply is tainted....

[StrykerFSU]

Gregg Easterbrook is not from Boston, just a Brookings Institute Fellow who uses his sharp intellect to pick apart Marty Schottenheimers pathetic game plan. I thought he used strong examples to demonstrate how the Patriots and their coaching staff made timely adjustments to have a better chance at victory while contrasting them sharply with the dunderhead moves by the Chargers. Love 'em or hate 'em, the Patriots won that game and deserve to be praised for it. They also deserve to be chided for their behavior afterwards, something that all of the columns I have posted in this thread have done.

So what's the problem here? Is it jealousy over the success of a group of professionals who stress TEAM? Remember, this is the same organization that everyone was praising when they were introduced as a team before the Super Bowl against the Rams. Is it that Belichik is the only grown man I know who can look like a homeless person at work while making millions of dollars? Is it that everyone's girlfriend secretly (or not so secretly) pines for the impossibly handsome Tom Brady? Do you guys just hate on winners?

Let's be real here, what the Patriots have done in the salary cap era is nearly unprecedented in sport and is something to be respected. My Redskins choose to go the other route and waste countless millions on individuals rather than build a real team and I suffer for it. I wish their management had an ounce of what the Patriots have. Of course they also don't go for it on 4th and 11 in the first half so I guess I don't have it as bad as Charger fans.

[FaceKid44]

Wow, it is amazing that on a website that advocates for a team sport like lacrosse, people hate the Patriots. They exemplify, like Stryker said, how to win in the NFL today. They do it as a TEAM!

Wow....do all New Englanders have to always stick up for their teams like this???? Cant you be happy with your one Red Sox championship (in the past 100yrs) and go away

Yeah I guess that after your team wins a championship you should forget all about them. God it will be sad to go to Jacksonville this year and see a half empty stadium when Gator fans don't show up. I can't wait as a UGA alum to be done rooting for the Dawgs if and when they win the BCS.

but Joey Porter does the same thing everyweek - and you sure dont see the Browns acting like a bunch of idiots after the game (for example).....

Oh I forgot that every team other, than the Pats, who won an NFL game this year walked single file off the field with their mouths shut.

If you've won championships, act like you've done it before....

The Patriots win championships because they do the exact opposite. Every year is a new year. And the fact is that even though players on the Pats may have rings, they were still underdogs going into SD as they are this week going into Indy.

I will never root nor purchase anything from the Patriots ever again, I used to be huge Nuggets fan - and jumped ship after their actions this year...grow up and start being the role models that you should be

I thought that the actions were just from a few Patriots? So shouldn't you not buy those specific players stuff? If you are not going too root or purchase anything from a team for their actions, then you are going to have quite a long blacklist of team...All NHL and MLB teams because of on ice fights and basebrawls. There have been consistent NBA flights over the past decade, and ofcourse all those technical fouls. Nascar drivers have talked trash and gotten into fights. So looks like you'll be limited to the PGA.

And really, a Nuggets fan?

By the way - if you've watched football at all this year, LT always skips into the endzone......

Again the skipping comment was meant in jest. BUT, some people in the media are trying to differentiate between celebrating and taunting. Isn't slowing down and staring down the D and you walk into the endzone minor taunting? I am just being the devil's advocate on this point. "One Man's Celebrating is another's Taunting."

Then you obviously didnt watch the game, nor count the shots of Tom Brady on the sidelines, Tom Brady picking his nose, Tom Brady talking to the coaches, Tom Brady drinking water, Tom Brady warming up, Tom Brady blowing into his hand, Tom Brady laughing, Tom Brady....Tom Brady...Tom Brady......
Do you get my point, in the final two minutes of that game - prior to the field goal, we count 32 different screen shots of TB in 2 minutes....

I love that Pats fans like myself are branded as irrational. You really went back and counted the number of Brady shots in the last two minutes?
I hope that you are not planning on being a TV producer or director. Showing Brady DURING THE GAME does not make the team a media darling. I mean that would be crazy to show players on the team that is playing in the game you are covering.

And for any Charger apologists out there who believe their team stays classy read this from by Peter King from SI

I have read the dredged-up postgame comments from last year's 41-17 thrashing of the Pats by the Chargers in New England, the ones where defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was quoted as calling it "an ass-kicking'' and defensive back Drayton Florence said, "[Bleep] New England and their team. Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/w ... ml?cnn=yes

Chargers were saying after the game they would never do anything like the Pats did...How soon we forget?

[sohotrightnow]

Wow, you are one hell of an investigative journalist. You completely forgot to add the next paragraph in King's column:

Funny. I was at that game, covering it for Sports Illustrated. I bet I talked to eight Chargers after the game and none of them trash-talked the Patriots. I remember walking out of Gillette that day thinking the players were almost honored to beat the Patriots and break their long home-field win streak. "I'll probably believe it when I wake up in the morning,'' tackle Roman Oben said. "I wish I could have watched this game from the stands. We give up no sacks, rush for 183, against the Patriots. Amazing.'' LaDainian Tomlinson said: "I'm on the sideline in the fourth quarter looking up at the scoreboard and I see '31-17,' and I think to myself, 'This is really happening. We're beating New England at their place, really beating them.' ''

or Marty's post-game comments in 2005:

Even Marty Schottenheimer knew something wasn't right with the defending Super Bowl champions.

After his Chargers beat New England 41-17 Sunday, the San Diego coach suggested the win may have had as much to do with who wasn't playing for New England as the superior performances of Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates.


"What they've done is remarkable,'' he said of the Patriots, who had their 21-game home winning streak ended. "But at what point in time do you keep responding when you have to keep putting in new players? They've done it wonderfully over the last four years, but there comes a time where it has to catch up with you, even with a team as great as this one.''

Let me just add one more thing about Boston fans. Please stay on your own damn coast. Stop invading the west coast, especially San Diego. The accent makes me want to vomit.

[ineedmorecowbell]

man. people are pissed. dan, i'm not saying that bellicheck didn't make adjustments. all i'm saying is that it was more the chargers' mistakes, and not the adjustments, that won new england the game. i don't feel like looking up statistics, but some pats scoring drives shouldn't have even happened had san diego not given the ball back on (dumb) fumbles.

i for the most part agree with easterbrook in his column. (i like bill simmons too, except when he talks about the pats, though he's gotten better as of late.) i feel that LT is being a baby, but the pats acted childish as well. i commend the pats for coming out as a team against the rams in that superbowl. i have no gripe against team. i loved how the pistons won a couple years ago with teamwork (even though backstabber larry brown was coaching.) i just feel it's played up a bit now with the patriots.

you shouldn't forget about your team after they win. however, you should stop whining about being disrespected. the patriots are probably THE most respected franchise in sports right now.

i have no problem with boston fans. i had no problem with whiney boston fans five or six years ago. i have a problem with whiney boston fans now. but hey, i'm a whiney philly fan with an annoying accent too. i just wish i had some trophies to help my tears.

[StrykerFSU]

Let me just add one more thing about Boston fans. Please stay on your own damn coast. Stop invading the west coast, especially San Diego. The accent makes me want to vomit.

As always, the Voice of Reason wraps up another intellectual victory in high rhetorical fashion. Must have been on the debate team.

[FaceKid44]

Wow, you are one hell of an investigative journalist. You completely forgot to add the next paragraph in King's column:

So even though King's premise did not reflect the paragraph I quoted, does that negate the fact that a Charger coach and player "disrespected" the Patriots at their stadium. Those were direct quotes, to which the Patriots did not respond to or cry about after a game.

Okay, the Pats should have and I wish they had carried themselves better. But why is celebrating or taunting, if you want to take it that far, now an issue. Teams trash talk, celebrate and dance all the time. LT's whinning is as simple as the pot calling the kettle black. All I am trying to say is that if you are going to put one team under the microscope, put them all, including your players.

Obviously you can't throw your teammates under the bus, but it would be nice to see LT address his teammates comments after last year's game or Merriman's dance, before talking about another team. You can not be selective in your critisisim.

[Beta]

This is quite the in-depth over-analyzation of one player not liking something and saying something. Can't we just agree that something happened, and someone said something because they didnt like it?

[Brent Burns]

517 views of this post resulting in 27 replies. Wow! Most of us are quite passionate about this topic, and we could go on ad nauseum on this issue. Can we just move on to the other thread about who would be going to Super Bowl 41 where we can discuss who may win the game?

New England at Indianapolis

New Orleans at Chicago

[Dan Warren]

Patriots 79
Colts 6

[sohotrightnow]

As always, the Voice of Reason wraps up another intellectual victory in high rhetorical fashion. Must have been on the debate team.

Oh geez. Lighten up Francis.