PatsPropaganda

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Bill Simmons

Bill Simmons: Greed is good in NFL labor talks

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Must read alert!!! I know I give Simmons a hard time because he has to pretend like he knows as much about football as he does about basketball, but this article is an outstanding read. If you want have the NFL CBA negotiations boiled down into the simplest form, this is the place.

It’s hard to read this and not find yourself even more on the side of the players. The practices of the NFL and the owners are sadly much like many businesses are run today. Without any concern for the people, the environment, or anything else that is not the bottom line. 

The ironic part is that it will be this greed that eventually knocks the NFL off it’s lofty pedestal. It might not be this time with the CBA, but whenever you have an organization that has been so committed to “growth” as Roger Goodell’s NFL has been it will inevitably hit a ceiling at some point. Especially when this growth is being manufactured at the expense of the players and fans who made it what it was.

Some Patriots nuggets from The BS Report with Dilfer

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Couple interesting things to pass along after listening to yesterday’s BS Report with guest Trent Dilfer. Of course talk turned to the Patriots playoff loss to the Jets, and Dilfer was pretty harsh on Brady’s performance. Dilfer said that in grading Brady for the game he had him with 14 minuses, the most he had ever given Brady before that was 4.

He said at times Branch and Welker were wide open but that Brady just couldn’t find them. They speculated that maybe Brady’s foot was really bothering him, or maybe he was sick, or maybe he was just spooked from how the game started, but Dilfer thought it was a shockingly bad performance from Brady. I’d argue for or against it but I haven’t seen a single lowlight of the game since it ended. Maybe someday this spring I’ll finally be able to check it out and confirm or deny these reports.

Another interesting thing was that it seems like everyone who watched the game are still completely divided as to whether or not Chung would’ve gotten the first down had he not botched the snap. Dilfer seemed assured that he would’ve gotten the first down and a “huge gain”. Merrill “Factorback” Hoge thought Eric Smith would’ve stopped him. They even called in a bunch of PAs to see what they thought and they were divided too. I guess it will remain one of the great mysteries of Patriots lore.

Bill Simmons Sets Twitter Afire with Randy Moss Trade Rumor

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So today Bill Simmons was trying to send a DM (direct message) to someone on twitter saying simply “Moss Vikings”. When he realized his mistake he followed up with this tweet:

sportsguy33   Sorry that last tweet was supposed to be a DM. Rumors swirling about a Pats-Minny trade for Randy Moss.

And thus a million Patriots fans began losing their minds. Yes, times have changed when it comes to the old rumor mill, which can now churn out baseless speculation to millions of people instantly.

I have to think that Minnesota maybe inquired about Moss and that started the rumors swirling. But who knows, Moss himself said it’s likely he won’t be back with the Patriots in 2011, and if the Pats could get a young impact player I don’t think it’s totally out of the realm of possibility.

Ask yourself this, are the Patriots still a top 10 offense without Moss? Maybe. Would the addition of a pass rusher like Ray Edwards or Jared Allen change the entire complexion of the Pats defense. Probably.

I’m not saying I’m for trading Randy Moss, but if it was the right player in return (impact defensive front seven player) it could possibly make the Patriots into a more well-rounded Super Bowl contender.

We all know the impact Moss has on and off the field. And I mean that in positive ways for both. I’ve enjoyed every second of rooting for an athlete as skilled as Moss, but I know the Patriots, and I know what they lack on defense and what Minnesota could offer. 

Let’s just say stranger things have happened. Never a dull moment with this team. And let’s not forget Minnesota visits Foxboro on Halloween. Oooooh, scary…

BTW – I just have to note that I have very little respect for Simmons’ football insight (as I’ve stated many times), so if/when this rumor is proven false I’ll have even more reason to not listen to anything football related he says.

This Week In Dumb Patriots Commentary

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It’s one thing when you get your occasional clueless Patriots messageboard posts or tweets stating something that is completely and utterly false about the team, but it’s another thing all together when it’s one of the so-called “pundits” whose voices are heard by millions start spreading misinformation and false insight.

Of course based on how the Patriots defense has played the last two weeks we should expect more of it. This week I’d like to point out two pundits whose cluelessness can’t go unrecognized.

Bill Simmons

First let me say that I’m a Simmons fan whenever he’s talking about anything other than basketball (because I just don’t care) or the Patriots. As far as I’m concerned the guy is a genius. How many people get paid millions of dollars to record phone conversations with their college buddies? He’s really the grandfather of sports blogging and is ripped off for both style and content by a lot of people.

Simmons knows gambling, television, baseball and obviously basketball. I respect his opinions on all those topics, but when he tries to talk about the Patriots with the same conviction I go off the deep end. When it comes to the Pats he epitomizes the casual fan who thinks they have all the answers. Just because you can write an encyclopedia about one sport doesn’t make you an expert in all of them. Just because you have weekly conversations with Mike Lombardi doesn’t mean his insight is transferred to you via osmosis. Just because you know how to gamble on football doesn’t mean you are qualified to tell anyone how defensive schemes work, or what the Patriots must do.

Here are two examples from this week’s BS Report podcasts which provide a little insight to what kind of Patriots knowledge Simmons has. While discussing the weekly NFL lines with “Cousin Sal”, Simmons made this observations about the Pats (and I’m paraphrasing): “The secondary’s okay but they’ll give up plays, the defensive line is pretty good, but the linebackers are awful.” What? 

I’m not sure if he’s solely blaming the outside linebackers here or if he’s including defensive captain Jerod Mayo, all around solid Gary Guyton, or promising rookie Brandon Spikes who has singlehandedly improved the Pats rush defense. At least go to the well of anti-Patriots comments, “they can’t rush the passer”. But ‘the linebackers are awful’? That’s the most bland, uninsightful comment you can make. And he’s getting paid millions to make. Awesome.

Simmons followed this up with his podcast with Michael Lombardi when he said that after Danny Woodhead scored his touchdown last weekend that he and his Dad looked at eachother and had no idea who Woodhead was. Granted Woodhead was just picked up a week prior and Simmons is a busy guy, but come on, grabbing a running back from the vaunted Jets is at least marginally interesting news that someone who calls themself the Boston Sports Guy should know, right?

As I said, I enjoy Simmons podcasts and writing, and as a fellow Holy Cross Crusader we do share a common bond. I just wish he’d stop talking about the Patriots like he speaks for our entire fan base. His comments on PTI that Boston fans are growing tired of Brady’s act were really annoying. Just because your pals don’t like his hair doesn’t mean that Patriots Nation is sick of Brady.

Cris Collinsworth

Collinsworth runs more hot and cold for me than Brandon Meriweather. This week on Inside the NFL, Collinsworth acted like the entire NFL nation had it wrong saying the Patriots have a young secondary and that’s the reason for their problems. Instead he blamed the lack of outside linebackers like Mike Vrabel and Willie McGinest, who were big, long and physical enough to dominate the line of scrimmage. 

That’s fine, but Cris the Patriots won the AFC East last year without those guys at linebacker. Yes, he’s right to an extent that the Pats need better OLB play, but that isn’t any more the reason for the Pats struggles than subpar play at any other position on defense. So stop acting like we’re all idiots and you’re the only one who has it figured out.