Tag Archives: Roger Goodell

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: Looking Forward

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One of the great things about being a fan of the New England Patriots is, when one season ends you always know that next season will be exciting, with  another legitimate chance for the Lombardi Trophy. It’s really a thrill to look forward to what will happen next and have confidence that it all will work out fine.

Just think about it. How many fans of other teams in the NFL can legitimately make that statement? The answer is – zero!

  • The current Super Bowl Champion Bronco’s? Who is the QB again?
  • The runner-up Carolina Panthers? Hell, their fans are thrilled to just make the play-offs. Although they are the favorites going into the year (the Patriots are #2), they have to show they can perform year in and year out.
  • The Green Bay Packers? Close, but no cigar. Last year the were vulnerable all season and are rapidly deteriorating.
  • How about the Pittsburgh Steelers? The fans and former players are still griping about how they were
    Steeler fans are stunned by NE distruction of the Patriots in the 2004 AFC Championship Game - photo sixteensundayscom
    Steeler fans leave the game stunned after Patriots 41-27 blow-out win in 2014 AFC Championship Game (Photo: sixteensundays.com)

    cheated out of a Super Bowl by….the Patriots…in the AFC Championship Game (No, not the Super Bowl)! That was 12 years ago, the Steelers lost 41-27 at home, and they are still crying about it. No looking forward there!

  • Seattle? With Pete Carroll making the final call 2 years ago the fans of the Seahawks were deflated (sorry, had to get that in). Carroll vs Belichick = a no brainer!

There are plenty of other teams that could be part of the conversation, Arizona, KC to name just a couple, but year-after-year, they haven’t proven good enough to carry the banner.

Another Year With The Two B’s

As we look ahead to the 2016 season we are, once again,

New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady celebr
Tom Brady celebrates with Bill Belichick (Photo:  JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)

concerned that the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady combination may not be available to start the season thanks to the continued obsession of the NFL and Commissioner Roger “Integrity of the game” Goodell, to punish Brady for a “crime” they haven’t proven ever occurred. I refuse to get into that again other than to say “so what.”

Belichick will be there to start things and Brady will, at some point early in the season, return. With a growing, young defense the team should be just fine and maybe Tom will be better off starting the season a little later (I know that’s heresy), so by the play-offs he won’t be so banged up.

Facts:

  • The offensive line will be better. Hell, it couldn’t be any worse. With the return of Dante Scarnecchia you know they’ll be better prepared. Rookies Tre’ Jackson and Shaq Mason will be in their second year and know their roll and the speed of the NFL better. Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder should be healthy. The addition of former 1st round pick Jonathan Cooper adds depth they lacked in 2015 when injuries destroyed any chance for consistency.
  • The two TE offense is back! Martellus Bennett is not Scott Chandler in any way, so please stop the comparisons. Provided he doesn’t tick off Belichick with his mouth, Bennett and Rob Gronkowski will ease the pressure on Brady (or Jimmy Garoppolo) and the red-zone offense with those two, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola (maybe), Nate Washington and Chris Hogan will be almost unstoppable.
  • Donta’ Hightower and Jamie Collins (both 26) are just coming into their prime years and are the key cogs in a defense that should be strong despite the loss of Chandler Jones.

2016 Schedule

HOME: BUF, MIA., NYJ, BAL, CIN, LA, SEA, HOU
AWAY: BUF, MIA., NYJ, CLE, PIT, ARI, SF, DEN

Although game dates have not yet been released, there is no reason to believe the Pats won’t have another run at the ring in 2016.. Along with in-conference games against teams that did not make the play-offs last year (J-E-T-S, Dolphins & Bills) they  play the clueless Browns, befuddled 49ers, sliding Ravens and homeless (???) Rams. That leaves Seattle, Houston, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Super Bowl Champion, but QB challenged, Denver as threats to a chance for ring #5 for Tom Brady, the oldest active non-kicker in the NFL.

So, no matter what, the best Head Coach/QB combo in the NFL and the New England Patriots are once again positioning the team for a run at the Lombardi Trophy and fans are having fun analyzing every move they make.

Follow me on twitter @SnowdonBob

 

 

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL: Where’s The “Integrity Of The Game” Speech From Roger Goodell

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After watching the first round of the 2015 Season Play-Offs, one thing resonates loud and clear…bitter rivals  will do anything they can get away with to win!

So, why are we hearing absolutely nothing from the Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell? After the blatant issues that occurred in Cincinnati Saturday you would expect some sort of investigation announcement first thing Monday morning…but the silence is deafening.

Let me just get a piece of your hair
Pittsburgh Coach Mike Munchack: “Let me just get a piece of your hair”

The only thing the NFL has announced is Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended without pay for the first three games of the 2016 regular season. Meanwhile, there has been no mention of a coach pulling a players hair and another going on the field for no reason other than to incite players.

Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and The Officials Guilty

This was a case where everyone at the game left with a smell that wasn’t very pleasant…including the fans.

  • Both Head Coaches Should Be Fined/Suspended

In the world of professional sports the buck stops at the top. In an NFL game that is the Head Coach, who is responsible for the actions of his underlings  AND the NFL Commissioner, who is responsible for being certain the officials enforce the rules equitably in all games. In Saturday’s game they all fell down on the job.

  1. Cincinnati continues to ignore the fact that they put players on
    Vontaze Burfit is out of control and Head Coach Marvin Lewis can't control him (Photo: Cincinnati.com}
    Vontaze Burfict is out of control and Head Coach Marvin Lewis can’t handle him (Photo: Cincinnati.com}

    their roster who will not control their emotions and have no realization of how their actions affect the game. On top of that, the Bengals Head Coach, Marvin Lewis won’t take control of the situation.

According to NFL Media Columnist Michael Silver several players inside the Bengals‘ locker room — none of whom wanted his name used, for obvious reasons — felt that Lewis deserved the criticism, citing a season-long lack of discipline among some defensive players in games, practices and meetings.

“Eventually,” one player said, “this (expletive) catches up to you.”

Lewis’ reaction: “once they go across that line, there’s not much I can do from there, unless I go out on the field, which I’m not allowed to.”

2. Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin set the example for his coaches in 2013 when he stepped on the field right in the way of Jacoby Jones of the Baltimore Ravens as he ran up the sidelines on a kick-off return. For the infraction Tomlin was fined $100,000 Mike Tomlin Tripping Jacoby Jones of the Ravens
So, why would a member of his coaching staff refrain from going on the field of a highly volatile game and inflame things to a higher degree? Joey Porter did just that…and got away with it. He may ultimately be fined, but his actions resulted in a 15 yard penalty against Adam Jones (deserved) and nothing against the Steelers. The result, a chip-shot field goal giving the Steelers an improbably win.
What was Joey Porter doing on the field in the middle of Cincinnati's players?(Photo: tagthebird.com)
What was Joey Porter doing on the field in the middle of Cincinnati’s players?(Photo: tagthebird.com)
If the officials had enforced the rule properly there would have been a 15 yard penalty against Porter and a 15 yarder against Jones, offsetting each other and resulting in a 50 yard Field Goal attempt.
In case  you are questioning whether Porter did anything wrong, here’s the rule:
  • Article I, section 8: Non-player personnel of a club (e.g., management personnel, coaches, trainers, equipment men) are prohibited from making unnecessary physical contact with or directing abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures at opponents, game officials, or representatives of the League. The penalty: 15 yards.

No One Was Surprised

The game came as advertised, with the bitter rivalry continuing to effect the emotions on both sides.  The officials tried to keep the game under control, but it was an impossible task. You have to wonder if Commissioner Goodell had talked to both owners prior to the game with a warning of strong consequences for misbehavior, whether things could have kept under control.

Catch Of The Day

 

I Got It Coach - Pittsburghs Martavis Bryant traps the ball against his rear end for a TD
“I Got It Coach” – Pittsburgh’s Martavis Bryant traps the ball against his rear end for a TD
 Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob
Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: Break Out The Lifeboats?

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The question is: Did the Patriots stink-up the joint in their last 2 games. The answer is, without a doubt, YES. But it’s not time to jump ship.

Entering the stadium you didn't see the usual fire in Tom Brady's eyes (Photo: AP Lynne Sladky)
Entering the stadium you didn’t see the usual fire in Tom Brady’s eyes (Photo: AP Lynne Sladky)

So, what has been the reaction from fans all over the world? If you read social media after the game Sunday (Facebook or Twitter) a full-blown panic had set in. It was time to get the lifeboats out, because, the number of fans jumping from a “sinking” ship was astounding…and relatively short lived.

How Soon We Forget

It’s hard to believe this is the team that started the season 10-0. Well, maybe not the same team, as injuries have decimated what looked like a sure Super Bowl 50 contender. Key players fell in every game, yet somehow the “genius” of the coaching staff, from Bill Belichick on down, was being lauded, as the “next man up” philosophy seemed to be working beyond belief.

Hell, even ESPN, the propaganda arm of the NFL, caved in and finally acknowledged what the Patriots and Tom Brady were doing was miraculous.  People who always picked against New England were actually debating whether this team could go undefeated.

New England’s fan base increased as the wins continued to pile up despite the off-season slander of deflategate. Commissioner Roger Goodell was noticeably quiet when it was announced Tom Brady jerseys had become the hottest product in the NFL.

Then Was Then…And Now Is Now

Steven Jackson scored his first TD as a Patriot (Photo AP - Lynne Sladky)
Steven Jackson scored his first TD as a Patriot (Photo AP – Lynne Sladky)

So, what happened to suddenly make this team draw these and many other negative comments from fans:

 

 

  • “couldn’t beat my high school team”
  • “I was embarrassed”
  • “The team was 10-0 because of the schedule, not because they were any good”
  • “Injuries aren’t an excuse”

Thank goodness Monday rolled around and the emotions of Sunday’s loss to a terrible Miami team had calmed down. Reality set in. People started to look forward and they had some legitimate concerns.

So, now that a little time has passed since the loss (and 4 of their last 6), let’s look at 10 somewhat hard to take facts:

  1. Bill Belichick had the team playing “safe” once they clinched everything but the #1 seed. They didn’t seem to care about the regular season and started preparing for the play-offs.  Winning would have been nice, but not critical. Was this a good strategy? We’ll know in a few weeks.
  2. The team that lost to the Eagles, J-E-T-S and Dolphins will not
    Linebacker Geneo Grissom (92) sacks Ryan Tannehill (17) (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
    Linebacker Geneo Grissom (92) sacks Ryan Tannehill (17) (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

    win many play-off games with those units. Game planning seemed almost non-existent and players were not playing to their strength, but being plugged in to cover for losses. Coaching was a big reason in all three losses, but even then the team had opportunities to win…right up until Miami.

  3. Young fans under 30 have never seen this team look so inept and not seem to care. It was the first time this had occurred during the Belichick-Brady years.
  4. There is legitimate reason for concern (not panic).  The belief that all will be well when Julian Edelman, Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower, Sebastion Vollmer and the rest of the walking (or limping) wounded return is optimistic at best.
  5. Let’s face it, the offensive line scares the bejesus out of every Patriot fan… on every play.  Brady threw just 5 passes in the 1st half Sunday and still got crushed when he dropped back. The OL could well be the Achilles Heel that ultimately brings this team down.
  6. The 10-0 start was a little deceptive considering the weak schedule, but, that said, it is still difficult to go 10-0 if you are not very good. The Patriots that started the season had outstanding weapons to confuse defenses along with a young, solid defense of its own. Dion Lewis was far better than Shane Vereen, who he replaced. Brady, Edelman and Gronkowski had established a trust that takes years to develop. The defense was young and aggressive, despite the loss of Darrelle Revis.
  7. Injuries are part of the game. They are not an excuse, they are a fact. It’s a game of attrition and, eventually, if you lose enough quality players you just aren’t as good.
  8. The Patriots aren’t built for trick plays, yet they continuously outsmarted themselves and it cost them. C’mon guys, a drop kick on a kick-off!
  9. Even Tom Brady looked disinterested toward the end. The fire in his eyes wasn’t there when he came on the field the last few weeks. The number of hits he took this year had an impact as the season wore down. We like to call him “Super Tom,” but must be real…it hurts to keep getting hit.
  10. The special teams were below Patriot standards. Yes, the loss of
    Stephen Gostkowski (3) gestures after missing just his 3rd field goal of the season in the 20-10 loss (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
    Stephen Gostkowski (3) gestures after missing just his 3rd field goal of the season in the 20-10 loss (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

    Edelman (the most effective punt returner in the NFL) hurt, but it was more than that. Players took bad routes and missed tackles resulting in teams getting better field position. The kicking game remained strong, but other areas seemed to suffer.

 

What’s-Up, Doc?

An almost two-week lay-off between games is a Godsend. It may not be a cure-all, but no one can deny it is desperately needed. The early bye-week was a long time ago and many players are playing tired.

New England’s next game will be Saturday, January at 4:35PM (CBS)at Gillette Stadium. There are 3 teams they could face: Cincinnati, Houston or Kansas City.

Quotes after Sunday’s loss:

  • Bill Belichick: “Right now we have one game that we have to win. The next game, we don’t even know who it’s against yet. All our attention, focus and energy will be on that…”
  • Tom Brady on his leg: “pretty sore, but I’ll be alright”
  • Steven Jackson on his TD run: “Inside zone, I bounced the play outside and had a [defensive back] there, so I just had to lower my pads to get in the end zone.”
  • Devin McCourty: “hit the reset button”
  • Tom Brady again: “…Nothing over the last six weeks is going to matter. Nothing over the last 16 weeks is going to matter. What’s going to matter is how well we play in two weeks.”

And that Brady comment, my friends, says it all.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

 

 

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL Week Eight Power Rankings

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There is no secret sauce when it comes to winning football games in the NFL. A solid quarterback, a coach who halfway knows what he is doing, and players that don’t puke on themselves when the situation is at its biggest. I’m completely astounded by the dysfunction I witness on a weekly basis around the league. Whether it is keeping your emotions in check, protecting the football, or just basic clock management, you’ll see teams that resemble the Little Giants more than a professional football team. Thankfully, I’m from New England and we aren’t susceptible to such idiocrasy. Somehow, we make teams outthink themselves and completely unravel during the biggest moments. Todd Bowles decided to NOT call timeout when the clock was running with New England deep in their territory, blitzed everyone in the Tri-State area but Hillary Clinton, and leave Gronk uncovered for the game winning touchdown. It was a ho hum, keep it moving, one step closer to hat & t-shirt day for the Patriots. Next up, we have the Southeast Sashimi on short rest.

1) New England Patriots – Tom Brady told everyone he barely washes his jeans. So, that new bottle of laundry detergent I got is getting dumped down the drain immediately.

2) Green Bay Packers – Coming off a Bye week.

3) Cincinnati Bengals – Coming off a Bye week.

4) Carolina Panthers – The Panthers are for real it seems, and Sage Rosenfels doesn’t like Cam Newton. I feel your pain Sage.

5) Denver Broncos – Coming off a Bye week.

6) Arizona Cardinals – Arizona SHOULD have blown the doors off of a struggling Baltimore team, but didn’t.

7) New Jersey Jets – Brandon Marshall had a chance to make Sunday’s game a lot more interesting, and I hope Phil Simms and Boomer emasculate him on Inside the NFL this week.

8) Atlanta Falcons – Atlanta’s defense won them a game in Music City. They beat the Selfie King, so measure that how you will.

9) New Jersey Giants – If the Giants can get any sort of running game going, they are going to be tough to beat come January. Their defense is starting to really come together.

10) Seattle Seahawks – Has Petey and Russell recovered to what Malcom Butler did to them in February? I am not too sure they have.

11) Minnesota Vikings – Minnesota is winning football games without Adrian Peterson playing like Adrian Peterson. They should be a playoff team when the time comes.

12) Miami Dolphins – OK Sashimi, we’ll see if you are for real come Thursday in Foxboro.

13) Philadelphia Eagles – How many times can you run a delayed hand off and throw the ball into the flat? My Lord, are the Eagles painful to watch. I can only imagine how it looks to a Philly fan.

14) Pittsburgh Steelers – It is clear as day the Steelers need Big Ben back to make any kind of noise in the AFC. After the undefeated teams in the conference and the Jets, it is a complete dumpster fire.

15) Oakland Raiders – Don’t look now, the Raiders won a road game! Amari Cooper all but has the AFC ROY on his mantle already.

16) Buffalo Bills – Buffalo lost to Gus Bradley’s Jaguars in London. This was the team that Rex said nobody is going to want to play and he was building a bully. I assume he meant a litter of French bulldogs?

17) San Diego Chargers– Outside of Indianapolis, they may be the most disappointing team in the AFC. Danny Woodhead and Philip Rivers fantasy points won some folks a good chunk of change over the weekend I assume.

18) St. Louis Rams – Todd Gurley may already be the best running back in his conference. I’m a million, billion percent serious.

19) Indianapolis Colts– Chuck Pagano was happy how his team played in the 2nd half? My Lord are they delusional. For the record, I think me calling Irsay a drug addict was why he blocked me on social media.

20) Dallas Cowboys – Greg Hardy belongs in a jail cell, not on an NFL field.

21) New Orleans Saints – The Saints won a game not played under the lights of primetime. Someone sound the alarm. Who Dat Nation!

22) Kansas City Chiefs – Eric Berry should clear some space for Comeback Player of the Year award on his mantle. This dude is an inspiration to all.

23) Cleveland Browns – That Cleveland offense we saw the week before was nowhere to be found. The Browns run defense looks like some sort of Swiss cheese you’d see on a cheap appetizer platter.

24) Chicago Bears – Coming off a Bye week.

25) Washington Redskins – Kirk Cousins made some Fan Duel players very happy campers with the onslaught of offense he threw on the Bucs.

26) Jacksonville Jaguars – I really wish the Jags brought the white trash pools with them over to London. Either way, they left Harry Potter’s homeland with a victory.

27) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs defense let them down and Lovie Smith is searching for answers.

28) Detroit Lions – The Lions went back to being the Lions again. Fat Face really didn’t do himself any favors for the millionth time in a row.

29) San Francisco 49ers – The Niners are just about at rock bottom, and need to rebuild from the ground up. It starts with the quarterback.

30) Houston Texans – Someone needs to get Ryan Mallett a functioning alarm clock.

31) Baltimore Ravens – Harbaugh using “deception” and failing at it, makes everything a little sweeter today.

32) Tennessee Titans – It is amazing the Titans are still alive in the race for the putrid AFC South.

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: And The Winner Is….

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Sunday night the New England Patriots continued the “2015 Tom Brady Revenge Tour” against the Indianapolis Colts, the team that jump started the worst off-season for a player and team since…since….oh yeah, that other tight end decided that life was too dull to just play football (Hint: He’s in jail for murder).

The Patriots won with relative ease, 34-27, and had opportunities to run the score up, but refrained from doing so. So, let’s take a quick look at who the “Deflategate” winners and losers were after week 6 of the 2015 season.

Surprise Winners

New England Patriots mascot Pat Patriot, and fans cheer during an NFL football send-off rally at City Hall in Boston (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots mascot Pat Patriot, and fans cheer during an NFL football send-off rally at City Hall in Boston (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
  • New England Patriot Fans

We all want to be martyrs because “our” team got beat-up soooooo bad in the off-season. But how can fans be losers when New England is 5-0 and remains as the favorite to win their 5th Super Bowl and second straight.  It is easy to feel everyone hates us, but c’mon, it’s not everyone.  The Patriots are now getting the respect they deserve with no one (except Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin) thinking they would be dumb enough to be cheating this year.

Should they go all-the-way even the biggest, most avid haters will be forced to admit it is legit. Just think, the silence will be deafening from all those losers who want to blame the Patriots for all their team’s ills.

  • The NFL

The NFL may be losers and buffoons in court, but all the off-season publicity, more bad than good, kept them in front of the media and the sport on the front page year-long. No other sport came close to the coverage Roger Goodell and his band of pirates got. Ratings up, attendance remains outstanding and the $$$$$ keeps rolling in.

Are you ready for this?????

  • Tom Brady

All right, wait a minute. Don’t bring in the guys with the strait-jackets…think about it. Tom Brady is probably the most self-motivated player in the NFL, but really, after winning his 4th ring do you legitimately think he would have had the fire-in-the-eyes he has this year .? He had nothing more to prove until the NFL lit his fire (cue up the late Jim Morrison and the Doors. If you don’t get the musical reference, ask someone over 40).

Hell, at this time last year many were calling him old and feeble. This year he’s been rejuvenated. Is it his guru? His diet? Or, could it be, he wants to make Commissioner Roger Goodell look like the pompous ass he is as he hands Brady the MVP and Super Bowl Trophies again…while the greatest QB in the NFL smirks and walks away?

Big Losers

  • Indianapolis Colts (3-3)
Andrew Luck's offensive line has been bad again (Photo: Getty Images)
Andrew Luck’s offensive line has been bad again (Photo: Getty Images)

Instead of Super Bowl contenders, as predicted by NFL experts, the Colts have become a shell of what they were in 2014. Injuries to Andrew Luck, ILB Jarrell Freeman, RB Tyler Varga. DT Arthur Jones & on & on have lowered expectations. Luck played Sunday, but it didn’t help. Prior to Sundays performance, he had been hexed with a poor offensive line, a 56% completion rate, more interceptions (7) than TDs (5) and a QBR of 65.1 Yes, they are 3-3, but their three wins are by a total of 12 points against Tennessee, Jacksonville and Houston. They played the Patriots tougher than expected, but other than their final drive they were shut out in the second half after leading at halftime (sound familiar).

  • Baltimore Ravens (1-5)

This time its Queen’s turn as “Another One Bites The Dust.” Baltimore was also among the Super Bowl contenders that has fallen apart early in the season. What goes around, comes around. Most football fans in New England believe the Ravens urged the Colts to “check their balls” in last years playoffs. That was after Head Coach John Harbaugh complained the Patriots used an illegal formation (not true), confusing the poor Raven players and coaches in their loss the week before the Colts went down. Despite confirmation by officials that the Patriots formation was within the rules, the Ravens whined so much the rules committee tweaked the rule for 2015.

Bottom line: The Ravens Head Coach did not know the rules and Bill Belichick did. Oh, by the way, Baltimore used a similar formation this year!

  • Robert Kraft/ New England Patriots

In a naïve move Mr. Kraft felt that Commissioner Goodell would see the error of his ways and drop the persecution/prosecution of his adopted son, Tom Brady and, without a fight, gave-up draft picks and $1M dollars to “make Deflategate go away.” ‘Nuff said!.

It will take the full year before a complete evaluation of “Deflategate” winners and losers can be analyzed, but so far the results sure are promising.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: Top Excuses For Losing To The Patriots

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Let’s face it, no team likes to lose (breaking news – how’s that for a major announcement)…but most teams seem to hate it more when they lose to the despised New England Patriots. It seems every time someone loses to the Pats, and it happens pretty often, there is an excuse other than they just got beat by a better team.

Hightower sacks Weeden in Patriots 30-6 blowout of Dallas (Photo: USA/Today)
Hightower sacks Weeden in Patriots 30-6 blowout of Dallas (Photo: USA/Today)

After Sunday’s blowout in Dallas (yeah, I know, everyone in Texas is hurt or the Cowboys would have won) I got to wondering about the top excuses teams have used, and, some that we may hear before the season ends. So here goes:

Top Excuses For Losing To The Patriots

  1. Number one is obvious (Used by the Colts/Ravens) – The Patriots played with their balls. By now we know this to be a fact because, hell, the NFL said so and they wouldn’t lie…it must be true if Commissioner Roger Goodell says it is. The only reason Tom Brady keeps winning is because of this. After all, he’s an “old” man now, so he just can’t be this good without some help. Oh yeah, almost forgot this one, they don’t fumble enough because of this.
  2. They didn’t give us time to adjust to a formation that, although legal, shouldn’t be (This one belongs to the Steelers/Ravens). The league needs to revise the rules (and has) so we are playing on a level playing field.
  3. The officials picked on us by calling too many penalties against our players just because we weren’t intimidated by Bill Belichick’s team. (Welcome aboard Rex Ryan and the Bills). To quote Rex, the Patriots are no Saints ya know (Thank God, the Saints are really bad this year).
  4. The Patriots knew what we were going to call before the plays were run. Their coaching and preparation just couldn’t be that good, (Rams/Eagles) – therefore they MUST have cheated.
  5. New England’s defense was too physical (I love this one) and our poor receivers were being beat up so they couldn’t get open (St. Louis again). After all, we were (Rams) the greatest show on turf and it just isn’t right. Result: Rules change.

    Ty Law with his
    Ty Law with his “too physical” play against the Rams (Photo: WEEI)
  6. They picked on us because we had so many players injured…but we showed them by keeping it close for a quarter (Dallas). It was a moral victory for us, not a true win by that team from back east.
  7. They didn’t win, we played better and “gave” them the game (too many teams to list).

Still To Come

  • Pat Patriot took our mascot out drinking the night before the game and got some “insider” information. This will be reported to the league for further investigation. Heck, they even went to the bathroom together…and you know that’s suspicious.
    Who, me????
    Who, me????
  • The 3rd string offensive guard went to high school with the Head Linesman’s wife’s 3rd cousin and therefore wasn’t called for holding when New England scored their 6th touchdown in the 4th quarter, costing us the game.
  • Our fans weren’t loud enough, so our players were not motivated. On top of that the media had them favored to win despite the fact we were playing at home…so it just wasn’t fair.

So, there you have it – 10 excuses to start you thinking. I’ll bet you can come up with more, so let’s hear them in the comments section. Odds are we’ll hear one of the above or something unique thought up by the Colts ownership after Sunday’s revenge game in Indy.

Remember, the game is supposed to be fun…so enjoy it, no matter what excuse the opposing team gives for losing. Hey, the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots are your team, and it has been a great ride.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL

NFL Week Five Power Rankings

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It was the bye week here in New England, and a few things became crystal clear that were a bit hazy previously. The gap in the AFC East was supposed to be closed and the division was going to be competitive again. Sadly, the gap now resembles a washed up porn star waiting to be “back on top again”, no pun intended. The Dolphins fired their coach, the Bills have committed half a billion penalties and jumped back into the mediocre pool, and the jury is still out on the Jets. It is a week into October, but they are still 3-1. Time will tell how this will all shake out, but the AFC East could be clinched by Thanksgiving again. Another mind blowing situation over the weekend was the lack of quality in kicking, punting, or special teams in general. People want to crucify Papa Bill on franchising his kicker, and then giving him “crazy money”. Our squad has had two kickers in two decades. And both of them have nuts of steel. The Scorched Earth tour continues this weekend against Plastic Face’s Reverse Cowgirls and then off to the league mandated pharmacists’ Indianapolis Colts. I won’t look past Dallas, but I’ve had 10/18 circled on my calendar since the schedule came out this spring.

1) New England Patriots – Even Brady’s kid is setting new fashion trends. Did you see the photos from his sister’s wedding?

TB12 still on top, unless Super G wants to take control.
TB12 still on top, unless Super G wants to take control.

2) Green Bay Packers – The Denim King is playing at an MVP type level, but what was more surprising is how well his defense played on the road.

3) Denver Broncos – 75% of The Forehead’s passes look like they are going to be picked off. Regardless, the Broncos are 4-0.

4) Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals still don’t have me buying what they are selling. However, they have my interest.

5) Atlanta Falcons – Overrated. The Falcons have beaten up on teams that have either been decimated by injury or just terrible to begin with.

6) Carolina Panthers – Carolina is on the same overrated train with the Falcons. One of them will have to win the piss poor NFC South.

7) Arizona Cardinals – Well so much for Arizona being the most complete team in the conference. The defense got lambasted by Nick F’ing Foles.

8) Seattle Seahawks – The offensive line better improve in Seattle, or Mr. Ciara is going to be carried out on a stretcher.

9) Dallas Cowboys – Amy Schumer’s twin brother has to beat Tom Brady on two weeks rest. Good luck.

10) New Jersey Jets – I give credit where credit is due. The Jets won a big bounce back game across the pond in London. Granted it was against a team that just fired its coach. But they are 3-1.

11) San Diego Chargers – We are four weeks into the season and have seen Good Phillip and Bad Phillip twice. Do the math.

12) Buffalo Bills – A loud mouth coach, a team that commits a billion and one penalties, and a defensive backfield with zero stones. This is your #BillsMafia

"We will be the most penalized team on the planet." - Rex Ryan
“We will be the most penalized team on the planet.” – Rex Ryan

13) Pittsburgh Steelers – I was in Pittsburgh this past week, and the loyalty and excitement of their fan base puts anything else I’ve seen in my travels to shame. However, that doesn’t win you football games.

14) Indianapolis Colts – Indianapolis have squeaked by the Titans and Jaguars in consecutive weeks. 10/8 Colts fans. 10/18.

15) New Jersey Giants – I didn’t give the G-Strings a shot in Orchard Park. Eli went back to being Eli late in the fourth quarter with the bonehead interception, but the Giants look solid.

16) Kansas City Chiefs – The Chiefs better get their offensive line fixed and in a hurry.

17) St. Louis Rams – St. Louis beats Seattle and Arizona, and will most likely lose to every crap team in the league going forward.

18) Oakland Raiders – Oakland had the Bears on the ropes while looking to win three straight. They have a date with The Forehead on Sunday at home.

19) Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings played a hell of a game in Denver. If Bridgewater had a ¼ of a brain, they most likely win that game.

20) Philadelphia Eagles – My good friend Darren probably had four and a half heart attacks watching that dumpster fire on Sunday.

21) Baltimore Ravens – Baltimore went ahead and used the “illegal formations” the Patriots finger blasted them with in the AFC divisional round. God, do I hate Baltimore.

22) Jacksonville Jaguars – Gus had his shot at taking over first place in the AFC South. His kicker single handedly blew that.

23) Cleveland Browns – Cleveland fans are probably itching for Johnny Manziel to get some playing time. However, McCown played a damn good football game in a loss.

24) New Orleans Saints – A week off may have been what Drew Brees needed. The Saints won a must win game in primetime. However, the run defense is still suspect.

25) Miami Dolphins – Trouble in South Beach.

"I hope you enjoy your practice squad checks."
“I hope you enjoy your practice squad checks.”

26) Chicago Bears – I’m not sure if the Bears were supposed to win that game on Sunday, but hey Foxy got his first win as the Bears head coach.

27) Washington Redskins – The Skins found a way to win on Sunday. However, Chip Kelly made that pretty easy on them.

28) Houston Texans – The Texans got their doors blown off by Matt Ryan. They may be facing the neck beard at home on short rest come Thursday night.

29) Tennessee Titans – It was a bye week for Mr. Personality.

30) Detroit Lions – The Lions were on the short end of the stick in Seattle. Maybe Fat Face can turn it around at home against Arizona this week.

31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – I said Winston was going to be brutal, and he has been every bit of it since his first snap.

32) San Francisco 49ers – San Francisco is slowing melting back into that puddle of mess they were before Harbaugh came long.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Goodell Open to Changing Discipline System

<> on August 12, 2015 in New York City.

Roger Goodell was on ESPN’s Mike & Mike in the Morning on Tuesday, and as you might’ve guessed, much of the interview centered on his role in Deflategate. Goodell said that he is, “open to changing [his] role,” as essentially the NFL’s discipline czar. After four years of the current CBA, Goodell has finally realized what everyone else has; it’s not a good system.

Goodell said his role has been, “extremely time-consuming” and that he has to be “focused on other issues.” Basically, Goodell came up with a good excuse to step aside. The commissioner has been embarrassed as of late. A year ago, they lost the Adrian Peterson case in court. They completely botched the Ray Rice situation. After suspending the running back a measly two games for knocking his wife unconscious, Goodell happened to find the full video tape many months later, once it was released to the public, and changed it to an indefinite suspension that lasted most of the year, and to this point has essentially ended Rice’s career. If you want to go back even earlier, Goodell quickly laid the hammer down on several Saints players in the wake of Bountygate, and later had the man he succeeded, Paul Tagliabue, come clean up his mess as best he could.

The commissioner’s track record on discipline isn’t necessarily the issue here; everyone knows it’s terrible. Roger Goodell himself has now come to realize that it’s terrible. But, the ego-driven commissioner won’t come out and say he’s done a bad job, instead he’s coming out and making excuses. It’s too time-consuming. I can’t do it on my own. Obviously you can’t do it on your own, you’ve displayed that multiple times. Yet, you wanted that absolute power when negotiating the current CBA. Instead of implementing a system of checks and balances, like we have in every other industry in America including the U.S. government, Goodell made himself the discipline czar of the NFL. And believe it or not, it hasn’t worked.

The most Goodell was willing to concede is that the NFL needs a “better discipline system.” Handing out punishments in the NFL, a league where there are plenty of punishable crimes committed, is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and if it isn’t done with great care, it is done horrendously. Goodell’s way of doing his job has basically been to make it up as he goes along. That works with some jobs, not with his. The NFL desperately needs a new discipline system, because right now it’s spiraling out of control, and the longer they continue with it, the worse it’s going to get.

The NFL is appealing Judge Berman’s decision to vacate Tom Brady’s suspension. Most people believe this is part of unwillingness by the league, and Goodell especially, to accept defeat and admit their wrongs. While that might be part of the reason, it’s a small component. There’s a much larger issue the league is afraid of. The fact that Brady fought his suspension in court, and won, opens up a nightmarish Pandora’s box for the NFL. Now every single player who is suspended, appeals, and does not win his appeal with the league will take the league to court. This isn’t in anyone’s best interest, but right now it’s the only way to provide checks and balances on an industry that has none.

Roger Goodell doesn’t want to let go of his power, but the thing he can’t stand to lose is his ego, and he’ll fight for that as hard as Tom Brady fought for his legacy.

New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: ESPN, The NFL’s Propoganda Machine, Strikes Again

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Just when there was an opportunity for things to quiet down and NFL fans could start concentrating on the actual games, the right arm of the NFL, ESPN, struck again. This time it is an article in ESPN The Magazine titled “Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart” and it’s intent is to, as REO Speedwagon sang in 1982, keep the fire burning.

Like the Wells report, it is filled with innuendo and will be read by millions as the “Gospel” according to ESPN, just as the 11 of 12 footballs being 2 lbs underinflated was taken as fact, despite being completely false.

The article, written by Don Van Natta Jr. (author of “First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush”) and Seth Wickersham, Senior Writer for ESPN.com and ESPN is intentionally inflammatory with a multitude of objectives:

  1. Increase the readership of the magazine (understandable)
  2. Sensationalize “old” news
  3. Re-enforce the linking of Spygate and DeflateGate
  4. Show how the Patriots are different, in a bad way, from the other teams in the NFL.

Number four, the Patriots are different, is a fact…but not in the way as highlighted in this piece of “sensationalistic” journalism. The reason the article gives is New England has to cheat to do it. Let’s face it haters, they must have cheated in this day of free agency to become one of the most feared franchises in the history of the NFL. Forget the fact they have arguable the best QB (Tom Brady for those who don’t know) in NFL History and a coach that any other owner (ignore what they say, you know this is true) would love to have as Head Coach or their franchise.

There are no “sore losers” used in this article…except this gem:

 “Goodell didn’t want anybody to know that his gold franchise had won Super Bowls by cheating,” a senior executive whose team lost to the Patriots in a Super Bowl now says. “If that gets out, that hurts your business.”

Needless to say the always reliable N. Y. Post jumped on the bandwagon with this headline Spygate much worse than Belichick, Goodell divulged and Deadspin was even more definitive with Bombshell ESPN Report: The Patriots Were Huge Cheaters And Roger Goodell Covered It Up.  Once again the storm is brewing.

The Magazine, includes these “findings” to get readers interest and reignite the linking of Spygate and DeflateGate for those who like to believe the Patriots are different, in a bad way, from the other teams in the NFL.

  • From 2000 to 2007, the Patriots videotaped the signals of opposing coaches in 40 games
  • Goodell’s handling of Deflategate turned around owners still simmering over Spygate; some say he is now more secure in his job.
  • Deflategate is seen by some owners as a “makeup call” over Spygate.

ESPN’S Findings Are Nothing New

Let’s take the “findings” as just what they are…a hashed over repeat of what everyone already knew, but with a slant to add some sensationalism, enhance a now tarnished NFL image and put the New England Patriots back in the spotlight as the NFL bad boys (cheaters to quote the article: “Patriots’ coach, Bill Belichick, the cheating program’s mastermind”)

  • What they fail to mention is Spyhate (oops) was about where the Patriots were filming, not what they were filming.

I’m not going to rehash Spygate (which they did repeatedly in the article), but, will clarify a few misconceptions.

Fact: Videotaping opposing coaches is not illegal in the NFL but there are designated areas allowed by the league to do such taping. The Patriots were videotaping the Jets’ coaches from their own sideline which is not allowed. There is no question from anyone (including Patriot Nation) what they did was wrong, but stretching the facts to “imply” it was illegal to videotape opposing coaches at all is just flat wrong.

According to CSNNE’s Tom Curran’s article it wasn’t until a 2006 memo was put out by the league that anything in writing regarding sideline videotaping was specifically addressed

Ray Anderson, the league’s executive vice president of football operations to NFL sent a memo to head coaches and general managers. In it, he wrote: “Videotaping 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.” 

Belichick obviously ignored that memo and Goodell imposed the biggest fine ever on a coach and took away a first-round draft pick as a penalty for the first time in NFL history.

Owners “Make-Up” Call Inference

When the fines and draft pick were announced it was felt by all, including the owners, to be a stiff penalty. In fact, the stiffest ever in NFL history.  Revisionist history is the punishment is now being mentioned as a “favor” to Patriot’s owner Robert Kraft because of his friendship with the Commissioner. The integrity of Mr. Goodell was questioned (my goodness, not by the owners) because he ordered the destruction of the tapes and notes regarding Spygate…supposedly, because of his friendship with Kraft.

Question: If the owners felt strongly about his (Goodell’s) integrity then, why is he still commissioner now?

There’s a lot of discussion in the article about the owner’s emergency meeting on April 1, 2008 where Robert Kraft spoke (“witnesses would later say Kraft’s remarks were heartfelt, his demeanor chastened”), without naming any source (you know, that old first amendment protect your source reason that writers/publishers always use) describing the meeting as if the writers were there. Where’s the source? What great memories they all must have!

Love This One

It was, one owner says, time for “a makeup call.” Have to wonder who that one owner was and if that is what the one quote that lead to the “deflategate is seen by some owners (plural) as the make-up call for spyhate.

I could go on and on, as the ESPN-The Magazine article does, but then I would be doing just what I accuse them of….rehashing and sensationalizing “old news”

Disclosure: I am not an attorney and have been a follower of the New England Patriots since their inception in 1960.

Follow me on twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

With Brady freed, Goodell and NFL are exposed and need change

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It's been a headache for both Roger Goodell & Tom Brady
It’s been a headache for both Roger Goodell & Tom Brady

The biggest news to come out of the NFL today was not a roster cut, a trade, or that the NFL is moving back to Los Angeles. No, it was Judge Robert Berman ruling in favor of Tom Brady and nullified his four-game suspension.  Meaning, He’s playing when the New England Patriots open up the season versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the other three games Brady would have missed because of the suspension.

Everyone in the New England area, and Patriots fans everywhere rejoiced as the greatest player to ever play for their franchise was free.  As great it is to celebrate this victory over the NFL, many fans and spectators of the situation learned something. Goodell and the NFL have been beaten again and truly exposed.

This is not the first time Goodell and the NFL lost appeal cases. He’s lost the cases against Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and now this. This time around, Roger Goodell was exposed for being unfair in the appeal process, as well showing bias. There were even reports that it was the NFL who were the ones who leaked the false information to ESPN when the scandal initially erupted. And throughout this court case, Judge Berman completely hammered Goodell and the NFL for it.

Judge Berman felt that Goodell “dispense[d] his own brand of industrial justice.” Heck, he called bullcrap on the “independent” investigation by Ted Wells.  Berman also believed that throughout the whole “independent” investigation by Wells and the NFL, that it was unfair the whole entire time.

With this huge win for Brady and the Patriots, means a huge blow and a loss to the already big pile of losses for the NFL. Even if Goodell has “universal support” from the owners, said owners want a complete overhaul of the discipline system and not want the NFL appeal this decision. Well, Goodell did not listen, and has confirmed an appeal.

Agreeing with the owners and NFLPA, There should be changes, this sort of hoopla can not happen again. This was by far the stupidest thing Goodell could have made an issue about.

There has to be changes, because Goodell is lying right out in the open, exposed.