OT: Official 2014 Patriots/NFL Thread - III

[Minny Shinny]

I don't think the NFL has to be a beacon of morality for society. They just have to fit in with the values of society.

The team now has no chance of sniffing the post season and a guy like Cassel who could be serviceable with Peterson playing is a clear cut bottom 5 QB without him.

Many fans of the team will only respect the move to cut Peterson if the team had no other choice at all. The Vikings waiting that extra day or two probably made their fanbase less angry at the team and more supportive going forward because most likely did not and still do not want to accept what AP has done. But you aren't a Vikings fan. You are someone who wants a sports team you don't root for to set a precedent and example for society in general. So its easy for you to demand a team flush its season down the drain and at the same time antagonize its fanbase because you made the decision he had to be cut sooner than many.

Remember its fine and dandy you came to your conclusions on this matter quicker than others. Give yourself a pat on the back. But in the upcoming days there will be players and personalities still defending him.

Once it was clear that Petersons conduct was far and away beyond a family and personol problem they made the right choice. The fact that sponsors and fans helped them come to that conclusion really doesn't condemn them in my books.

I am a Viking fan.

You are so, so painfully wrong about this it's not even worth me going into as others have done just fine expressing why you're so, so painfully wrong in everything you just said above.

Myself and the VAST majority of Viking fans I know understood exactly why he needed to be sat down last Sunday and did not understand why he was reinstated considering the fact that nothing about the case changed after the weekend.

As far as most Viking fans not wanting to accept what he did, again, not only factually incorrect, but that has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen written on these boards. Wrong is wrong is wrong, regardless of what jersey the player wears. Just because its of the color of the team I cheer for doesn't change what's wrong.

Perhaps the majority of people are made of weaker moral fiber in your world. Not mine. Not by a long shot.

 

[GarbageGoal]

So then they did the right thing, right? I don't understand your criticism of how the Pats handled Hernandez.

Yeah, yeah....Patriot Way. I'll bow out. Said my piece.

 

[Scotto74]

When you can't beatem with facts................bow out with a snark comment....thats what I always say.

 

[EverettMike]

Yeah, yeah....Patriot Way. I'll bow out. Said my piece.

Wait, what? I don't understand your point. In one post you said, "Don't pat them on the back," but then said "no way Kraft would allow a guy like that to stay on the team."

So what exactly is your criticism? That they did exactly the right thing, but that you think it was only because they had to? Or that because......I don't get it.

Don't get huffy, just explain your point.

 

[BMC]

Exactly. You get one chance to do the right thing, and they didn't. Doing so after partners have exerted pressure isn't you doing the right thing. It's you realizing money is at stake and scrambling to protect your own financial interests. Radisson pulled their sponsorship, Bud threatened to pull theirs. The Vikings doing the right thing after that comes off as hollow.

As our esteemed Gee Wally says "It is all about the $"

And don't you ever forget it.

 

[BMC]

That sentence is exatly what the problem is.

Nailed it Scott

If Adrian Peterson was an unknown & unheralded player the he would have been cut right away.

The stench of hypocrisy here is overwhelming.

 

[Minny Shinny]

Even then they had the league bail them out. If they really felt he should be gone, they would have cut him. They didn't. They waited for the league to suspend him and take them off the hook. It's why I think giving them credit for doing the right thing is absurd in this case.

The NFL never suspended Peterson. The first game suspension came from the Vikings, as did the second indefinite suspension. Unless I'm missing something (and it's possible) all I saw from the league is that they were reviewing the case as to how it applied to their personal conduct policy, but neither suspension came from the league office.

While I'm certain the league office was heavily involved in the discussion in both situations, the decisions came from Minnesota, not New York. I was reading this morning about exactly that; as the league was pretty responsive about the Ray Rice thing unfolding, they'd been conspicuously absent regarding the Peterson case.

They got credit from me being ahead of it all on Saturday when they announced he wouldn't play last Sunday....then undid it all announcing he'd rejoin the team early this week. Everything after that's been clown shoes.

Edit: added link
http://deadspin.com/no-one-in-the-nfl-can-do-anything-right-1635735432?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

The NFL is in crisis, and the commissioner has not been seen or heard from in more than a week, not since he gave CBS News an interview last Tuesday afternoon in which he flatly declared that the NFL has a problem and that he's going to do better.

 

[BMC]

I gotta admit, sad as it is, Shank nails it here IMO.

Amid outrage, NFL keeps counting its money
Anybody out there willing to take a stand by boycotting professional football? No more going to games, no more watching on television, no more fantasy football? Didn’t think so. True change could take place if ratings dipped and/or sponsors pulled out, but we all know that is not going to happen.

The NFL will weather this big storm until the hysteria subsides. The league can do it because that’s what the fans ultimately want. I haven’t heard anyone say they want to give up their weekly professional football fix.


It goes on everywhere. It is a societal problem, not just an NFL problem.

This has been an awful 10 days for the NFL, but let’s not kid ourselves. We love football. We will go to the games and watch the games and interact with everything the league offers. We are the Roman Republic, circa 60 BC, and these are our gladiators.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...g-its-money/1r1teKwWsN7L3WcItzHKkK/story.html

IMO the only reason Anheuser-Busch put the heat on the NFL is because they must be feeling heat from their customers. Otherwise they wouldn't say squat.

 

[EverettMike]

Technically not suspended, not even last Sunday. Not missing a check yet, he was only deactivated against the Pats.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Wait, what? I don't understand your point. In one post you said, "Don't pat them on the back," but then said

So what exactly is your criticism? That they did exactly the right thing, but that you think it was only because they had to? Or that because......I don't get it.

Don't get huffy, just explain your point.

I actually didn't say "no way Kraft would allow a guy like that to stay on the team.", but rather there's no way he wants the media being able to call him a Patriot and an accused murderer. I think there's a nuance there that's important with what's gone on in the last week.

The motto of this league seems to be cover it up until you can't cover it up no more.

I said last week that I wonder how much Goodell has known about other things. This is just me wondering. You aren't just a little curious as to what was going on in those calls to Roger and Bob last August about how to handle it now?

 

[EverettMike]

Okay, so now I understand your point. The Pats did the right thing, but you question their motivation.

Which is pure speculation on your part.

I personally don't care why the **** someone does the right thing, so long as they do the right thing. And the Pats did it with Hernandez and at great cost to Kraft financially and the football team and the salary cap.

 

[Scotto74]

I believe I am yet to see a news report regarding Hernandez that doesn't start with "Former Patriot..."

cutting him did nothing to seperate the Patriot name from from that Dbag. All it did was show that the Pat's did the right thing in that situation regardless of the cap penalty they took.

 

[TP]

So.. is anyone not picking the Pats in their knock out pools this week?

 

[LSCII]

The NFL never suspended Peterson. The first game suspension came from the Vikings, as did the second indefinite suspension. Unless I'm missing something (and it's possible) all I saw from the league is that they were reviewing the case as to how it applied to their personal conduct policy, but neither suspension came from the league office.

While I'm certain the league office was heavily involved in the discussion in both situations, the decisions came from Minnesota, not New York. I was reading this morning about exactly that; as the league was pretty responsive about the Ray Rice thing unfolding, they'd been conspicuously absent regarding the Peterson case.

They got credit from me behind ahead of it all on Saturday when they announced he wouldn't play last Saturday....then undid it all announcing he'd rejoin the team early this week. Everything after that's been clown shoes.

Edit: added link
http://deadspin.com/no-one-in-the-nfl-can-do-anything-right-1635735432?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Sorry, misstated that. They put him on the exempt/commissioner's permission list. While not technically a suspension, the Vikings didn't have to make the decision to play him this week because the league took that off their hands. They also get a roster spot exemption, which is crap, IMO.

 

[EverettMike]

So.. is anyone not picking the Pats in their knock out pools this week?

No. And it's really the only pick for the Pats this year that looks like a 100% guarantee at the moment.

 

[TP]

No. And it's really the only pick for the Pats this year that looks like a 100% guarantee at the moment.

Yep. and to be honest. I am very nervous.

Probably for no reason, but with $7K on the line, I am just going to be nervous every week.

 

[BMC]

I actually didn't say "no way Kraft would allow a guy like that to stay on the team.", but rather there's no way he wants the media being able to call him a Patriot and an accused murderer. I think there's a nuance there that's important with what's gone on in the last week.

The motto of this league seems to be cover it up until you can't cover it up no more.

I said last week that I wonder how much Goodell has known about other things. This is just me wondering. You aren't just a little curious as to what was going on in those calls to Roger and Bob last August about how to handle it now?

IMO this is the motto of organizations everywhere

 

[Minny Shinny]

Sorry, misstated that. They put him on the exempt/commissioner's permission list. While not technically a suspension, the Vikings didn't have to make the decision to play him this week because the league took that off their hands. They also get a roster spot exemption, which is crap, IMO.

Well, everything related to the personal conduct policy is pretty subjective and open to broad interpretation. If this is going to be a regular thing (and it certainly feels that way at least this week and that alone is disgusting) the league needs to take charge and make that policy as black and white as possible. Will they? Who knows. Depends on how much they feel their brand is threatened. I think now is the only time they've really seen the integrity of "The Shield" challenged, so we'll see.

Until then yeah, the league and it's umbrella franchises look completely wishy-washy and lacking any sort of moral compass. I'm fine with the league taking some hits in that area. I'm all about private enterprise making money, but the nature of that business that is purely based on public consumption (and throw in the whole anti-trust exemption) and the NFL should absolutely be standing up to some public accountability.

Sucks though. Favorite player on my favorite team and his jersey hangs in my closet, but there's no amount of monetary or team success he could bring to the franchise that would make it okay what he did to his son. Anyone trying to spin that otherwise is despicable.

 

[Ten Thousand Hours]

I don't give a rat's ass about if they will or will not make the post season. That should have nothing to do with this conversation. The facts are the guy beat his helpless child and is being charged for it and admitted to it. He should be cut on the spot by the NFL if not the Vikings.

I don't care if it was a team I was a fan of or not I would feel the same way regardless. If anyone on the Bruins was to do the same and it came out I would want them cut out of the NHL on the spot period. If that mean't the B's coming in last instead of winning the cup that year I wouldn't give a ****.

When a team only does something because the sponsers and majorty of the fanbase is afor it that shows the true colors of the team GM and ownership.

Beating children is unacceptable period and anyone doing it should lose their job and go to jail. a spanking is one thing but beating a kid bloody is grounds for termination in any professsion and more so in one where you are considered a pubic figure.

Most ownerships of most teams operate that way. Teams don't discipline players so their owners can sleep well at night. They do so for pr. And money. And I guess that money helps the owners sleep at night. But not the moral reasons.

And same with sponorships. Nike isn't distancing itself from Peterson because they can't do business with someone who disciplines children harshly. Hell, their factory workers are probably treated worse than Peterson's kids.

It's all about money. Nobody here is doing things for the "right" reasons, so no need to blame Minnesota for doing things for the "wrong" reasons.

 

[Ten Thousand Hours]

IMO this is the motto of organizations everywhere

That's the job of most CEO's though. What other organizations have a responsibility to their customers to be so transparent? GM and Toyota have literally been (partially) responsible for killing people because of faults in manufacturing and were their CEO's upfront about everything? No. That's not how capitalism works.

 

[EverettMike]

Captain Contrarian is here! Hooray!

All major North American sports leagues either have anti-trust exemptions or are allowed to operate as such. That is why the "draft" is legal amongst other things. A little transparency is the least they could do.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Don't bother. You are talking to the one guy that thinks Aaron Herndandez should still be in the NFL but is simply the victim of racism.

NONE OF THAT IS MADE UP OR EXAGGERATED.

What does Hernandez have to do with AP? This is America pal innocent until proven guilty. Hernandez was an accomplice for certain like Ray Lewis but who knows if he is a murderer the legal system still has yet to determine him a murderer. I think he should be playing like Lewis was and I really miss him as a player how to the Ravens get to keep him and we lose Aaron?

The Vikes made their decision when it became clear it was no longer a personal or family matter. They also didn't let him play after the news came out. They didn't make the correct decision until fan pressure was enormous and wouldn't allow them to do otherwise but it was their best player and the franchises only hope of success I don't blame them for waiting they are now one of the worst teams in the NFL with him they are a borderline playoff team. And the surfacing of another incident involving AP is enough to solidify the notion that it wasn't a mistake or anything on his part and he regularly treats his children like this.

 

[EverettMike]

What does Hernandez have to do with AP? This is America pal innocent until proven guilty. Hernandez was an accomplice for certain like Ray Lewis but who knows if he is a murderer the legal system still has yet to determine him a murderer. I think he should be playing like Lewis was and I really miss him as a player how to the Ravens get to keep him and we lose Aaron?

The Vikes made their decision when it became clear it was no longer a personal or family matter. They also didn't let him play after the news came out. They didn't make the correct decision until fan pressure was enormous and wouldn't allow them to do otherwise but it was their best player and the franchises only hope of success I don't blame them for waiting they are now one of the worst teams in the NFL with him they are a borderline playoff team. And the surfacing of another incident involving AP is enough to solidify the notion that it wasn't a mistake or anything on his part and he regularly treats his children like this.

Admit it, some of you thought I was exaggerating.

And he didn't even mention the part about Hernandez being the victim of racism, so it wasn't even as good as it could have been.

 

[Ten Thousand Hours]

Captain Contrarian is here! Hooray!

All major North American sports leagues either have anti-trust exemptions or are allowed to operate as such. That is why the "draft" is legal amongst other things. A little transparency is the least they could do.

So they shouldn't act in the best financial interest? If you want to exchange transparency for anti-trust agreements you have to find some way to bind that in writing. You can't expect billionaires to act outside their interest because you think it's the least they could do. Again, that's not how the world works.

 

[qc]

Admit it, some of you thought I was exaggerating.

And he didn't even mention the part about Hernandez being the victim of racism, so it wasn't even as good as it could have been.

YA BUT MIKE, Aaron was a good player so he should've been allowed to murder a guy or multiple guys and keep playing.