Bleacher Report - Articles by Steve Frith

NFL Picks Week 8: New England Patriots Fan Perspective

Steve Frith — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:41:48 -0400

Gotta love that photo—Brady to Welker...a phrase we Pats fans have grown to love. The only thing better might be the phrase Brady to Moss.

This week, the Pats are on a bye and will no doubt be working hard to get back to their 2007 form—something that they and their fans both want. The last few beat downs that the Pats have handed out have been nice, but there's still teams out there that need to be slapped by the Pats—namely the Jets. The Pats have been playing better and better each week, both offensively and defensively.

They've gone from dazed and confused, struggling to keep up with the game, to dominating the opposition defensively. I know what you're saying, "they haven't played anyone good yet."

You might be right, but they've improved weekly and have caught the attention of those around the league. By the time we play some of these decent teams (i.e. the Colts), the Pats defense will be up to par with their young and FAST defense. You heard it here first.

Forth and onward—here we go with the picks, made four of us Pats fans for your reading pleasure! Commenting this week is C. Douglas Baker, Eric Annett, and myself.

Sunday, November 1

Broncos @ Ravens

SF: This will be a good game. Both teams are coming off a bye-the Broncos are looking to keep a perfect record and the Ravens are looking to get above .500. With both teams having two weeks to come up with game plans, this could go either way. I’m going to go with the Ravens, just because the Broncos (and their fans) need to be taken down a notch.

DB: Can the solid, but 3-3 Ravens knock Denver off its 6-0 perch? I think the Ravens tough defense and balanced offense, at home, will do it! Baltimore.

EA: The Ravens should be refreshed playing on their own field coming off the bye week. I predict the Ravens will finally slow this Denver team down by pulling out a hard-fought and close win at home

Texans @ Buffalo

SF: Hmmmm….go Bills? I keep waiting for T.O. to have his breakout game….and I still wait. At least Bills Rookie Jairus Byrd is having a good season, thus far-leading the AFC East in INTs. Unless T.O. has his breakout game, this will be decided by the Bills defensive play. They’ll really have to keep Schaub and Co. grounded to avoid an aerial assault.

DB: Houston has been somewhat inconsistent this year, but Buffalo has been even more inconsistent. Talent wise Houston should win. Houston.

EA: Buffalo has somewhat clicked together as a team as of late, but I don't think they stand much of a chance against the Texans, regardless of the venue. Houston.

Cleveland @ Chicago

SF: Look for Da’ Bears to seek redemption in the eyes of their fans for the two-game road losing streak. Look for the Bears to pull this one out with ease against the 1-6 Browns (HA HA MANGINI!)….Ooops, sorry.

DB: The Bears looked awful against the Bengals last week, but they
are playing the Browns, who are even worse. Chicago.

EA: Even after getting, for lack of better word, raped by the Bengals, there's still no way I'll pick the Bears to drop one at home against the putrid Browns. Jay Cutler and Matt Forte may finally do something right this week.

Seattle @ Dallas

SF: If Miles Austin keeps playing the way he has, I don’t care who is throwing him the ball, the Seahawks don’t stand a chance. Cowboys win this one (unless Romo chokes….again…and again…and again…).

DB: Seattle is a mess with injuries and Dallas is on a roll. If Romo can avoid making mistakes, Dallas should win this one easily. Dallas.

EA: I see two so-so teams going at it here, but the Cowboys will easily be able to outmatch the Seahawks, especially given the fact that it's a home game. Chalk me up with the Cowboys.

NY Jets @ Miami

SF: Both teams suck. Sorry…that was a bit much. How about “I dislike both teams?" I’m hoping that the Fish pull this one out on the road just to help with the beat down that the Jets need. If the Phins do win, I hope that I don’t have to hear Porter's big mouth. Maybe Sanchez can stuff his hot dog with mustard in Porter's mouth to shut him up.

DB: Two division rivals matchup in this one and I see no reason the Jets shouldn’t win. Miami’s defense has been suspect this year and the Jets defense is solid and should slow down the Wildcat enough to win at home. New York Jets.

EA: Ah, the AFC East implications involved with this one. A Jets win is not a good thing with the Patriots taking the week off, and a victory isn't out of the question for Miami even playing this one in New York. Look for Ricky Williams to steal the show and make the difference in this one, I'm going Miami.

San Fransisco @ Indianapolis

SF: Sorry, but I don’t see the 49ers taking this one. Unless their Defense steps up and plays like pro bowlers, then I can’t pick the 49ers to win, despite how much I dislike the Colts.

DB: Satan Manning is playing lights out. Even if Reggie Wayne does not play, Indianapolis will win in a walkover. Indianapolis.

EA: Without question, Colts. Peyton Manning is going to be leading his offensive unit up and down Lucas Oil Field all day.

NY Giants @ Philadelphia

SF: Look for the Eagles to lay the smack down on the Giants in an embarrassing beat down courtesy McNabb and Co. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—Eli isn’t a great quarterback; his receivers make him look that way. Put an accurate quarterback in there—Peyton, McNabb, Brady from the last few games—with the NYG receivers and you’ll find an offense that’s impossible to stop. Eagles will walk all over the Giants leaving Eli wondering what just happened. I’ll be cheering on the Eagles and laughing at the Giants. Yes, I can multitask like that.

DB: These two teams usually play very competitive games, regardless of records. While I think Philadelphia is actually a mediocre team, my gut tells me they will exploit the Giants weak secondary if they can protect McNabb. Their defense should get to
Manning and produce some turnovers. I am going with Philadelphia at
home. Philadelphia.

EA: Should be a great match between two very good teams in the NFC East. While these two teams are pretty even if you ask me, the Giants are in a bit of a funk after dropping consecutive games to New Orleans and Arizona. This road game will not be easily had, but it can be done. I'll pick the Eagles but I'm not ruling out Big Blue in the least.

St. Louis @ Detroit

SF: Look for the Rams to break the cycle of losing and go all out before their bye week to win one against the Lions. The Rams don’t want to tie the record for “Remaining Defeated” in a regular season-and the Lions are the perfect team to get a win against-especially if Matt Stafford is still out (he practiced Tuesday and Wednesday).

DB: Wow, what a game! I think St. Louis is going to win its first one this year, and Steven Jackson will have a big day. St. Louis.

EA: If I have to see this one on television, Fox is going to get a very angry letter from me. Since both teams are just sad, I'll give the decision to the home team...make that two wins on the year for Detroit.

Oakland @ San Diego

SF: Look for the 2-5 Raiders to win against the 3-3 Chargers. Won’t be much of a game, because either team isn’t doing to hot right now…specially the Raiders. Now you know why Seymour took so long to report to Oakland. He needs to get the Raiders to rally behind him-he knows that defense wins games.

DB: This game is intriguing because the Raiders can play in spurts and San Diego collapses in spurts. Overall the Chargers are a better team, especially on offense, so I am going with San Diego. San
Diego.

EA: Can we tally JaMarcus Russel under the "Bust" column yet? He isn't going to be dazzling anybody here, nor are the Raiders. San Diego at home.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee

SF: The Titans are coming off their bye week-so look for them to be well rested and have a game plan that just might work. They’ll win this one against the Jags (who are only 3-3), assuming that their defense holds up against the Jags running game.

DB: Two more lousy teams. Tennessee has looked so bad, even
Jacksonville can beat them. Jacksonville.

EA: Is Vince Young going to be starting yet this week? Either way, Jacksonville should have this one in the bag.

Minnesota @ Green Bay

SF: This will be a good game. Look for the fans at Lambeau Stadium to give Favre a less then hearty welcome. Hell, they’ll boo the piss outta him. They’ll be a few signs about “we love you and miss you” crap, but that’s just idiots trying to get on TV. If GB can force Mr Interception to make bad decisions and poor passes, then the Packers will pull this one out late in the fourth quarter.

DB: Will Green Bay avenge their loss in the dome? No. Minesota.

EA: Is it just me, or does the home team usually win in Vikings-Packers games when neither team is head-and-shoulders above the other? That's my prediction here. Coming off a momentum-slowing loss at Pittsburgh, Fabulous Favre won't have much sunshine, rainbows, or butterflies to pull out of his bag of tricks at Lambeau. Sorry to burst your bubble, Minnesota fans...

Carolina @ Arizona

SF: The Cardinals will use Wells to avoid Peppers-running opposite him. With that said, they’ll also do smart football, using the run to set up the pass. The Panthers won’t want to blitz because of the passing ability of QB Kurt Warner, and if they cover back to stop the pass, then the run game will pick up. The Cards will pick apart the Panthers defense in a sure victory.

DB: Arizona at home against a terrible quarterback. Arizona.

EA: It's going to be a repeat of the Divisional playoffs. Lots of three-and-outs and turnovers for Carolina, lots of all-around domination by Arizona.

Monday, Nov. 2

Atlanta @ New Orleans

SF: This should be a good game. It’s a divisional game, so there’s a lot on the line-the Saints can dominate their division with a win, and the Falcons can start to dethrone the Saints with by handing them their first loss. Look for this to be a stand up-in your face-hard played game with the Saints taking it early in the fourth quarter.

DB: I think the Saints are the best team in the league. New Orleans.

EA: Atlanta is a very, very good team, but their pass defense is marginal at best. Going to the Superdome, they are just begging to get ripped to shreds by Drew Brees. Have fun with that, Atlanta defense. Saints stay shiny after a shootout win.

NFL Picks Week 3: From New England Patriots Fans' Perspectives

Steve Frith — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:47:25 -0400

PHOTO BY STEVE FRITH (yes, that's me!)

Here we are again with our Patriots fans picks for week three of the NFL. No BS...let's get right down to business...

Sunday, September 27

Cleveland @ Baltimore

The Ravens will just dominate this game, period. Anything Joe Flacco doesn’t get in the air, Ray Rice and Willis McGahee will easily get on the ground. Defensively, the Ravens lead the league with 41 yards per game on the ground, and no matter what Brady Quinn does, there is no overcoming that little stat, especially with Cleveland’s Jamal Lewis questionable for this game. Baltimore wins handily.

Look for the Browns to be bullied by the Ravens, with Ray Lewis as the head bully. The Browns are lacking in multiple areas on both offense and defense. Look for the Ravens to take advantage of this—on both offense and defense. Sorry Browns…looks like you’ll be 0-3.

Washington @ Detroit

Poor Detroit. Rookie QB Matthew Stafford is undergoing what I believe is called a “baptism of fire.” With one TD and five interceptions to his name, he is learning his way around the NFL the hard way. Things aren’t any better for the Lions on the other side of the ball. Washington’s defense has stepped up occasionally, holding their opponents to an average of 15 points per game. Unfortunately, opposing defenses have held the ‘Skins to a mere 13 points per game. I don’t think this is Detroit’s week as Washington wins with a baseball score.

This won’t be much of a game. This years No. 1 draft pick hasn’t thrown a TD in 2 games. In his defense, he has managed throw 5 interceptions…oh, wait a minute…and how much is he making this year? Anyway, the good news is that the Redskins offense isn’t much better. They’ve manage a single TD…whoopty-doo. I’m going to give this snoozer of a game to the Skins.

Jacksonville @ Houston

Houston is the most frustratingly inconsistent team in the NFL. I never can get a handle on them, and I know I’m not alone. I pick ‘em to win, they lose, and vice versa. I don’t have much better luck with Jacksonville, so can I use my Get Out of Jail Free card here? No? All right, look, Houston’s run defense is almost non-existent. MJD is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. You do the math, and you will come up with Jacksonville finally gets a win.

I’m giving this one to the Jaguars. I hope Schaub has a great game because he’s my fantasy QB,and Andre Johnson is my main WR, but I just don’t see the Houston Defense containing the Jags running game. On the flip side, the Jags Defense will have to shut down Johnson to take this game. This should be a game decided by defense.

Atlanta @ New England

The popular thing would be to go with the Falcons. Matt Ryan is on a roll, and he has really benefited from the off-season acquisition of Tony Gonzalez. Oh yeah, and then there is Michael Turner. The Pats’ defense is likely to have a long afternoon, but this unit has not been as bad as some doubters would like us to believe. They are ranked third in the league in total yards given up.

I remain convinced that the longer they play together, the more effective they will become. Tom Brady’s woes are well-documented, but Atlanta can be had on the ground, and I’m looking for the Belichick to trot out that running-back-by-committee we have been looking for the past two weeks. Who knows, maybe Law Firm even gets a touch. I look for the Patriots to rebound at home.

POP! Ok, now that the Pats have pulled their head out their collective ass, expect to see a solid game plan from Belichick. Two games into the season and the Pats weakness’ have been made apparent to Belichick…expect him to fix them. The Falcons are no joke—they’ve got a nice passing game, and their running game is nothing to scoff at. The Pats have looked…mediocre at best. I just vomited in my mouth while typing that.

Look for the running game to pick up. Once that is established, there will be less pressure on Brady to make plays when it’s 2nd and 10 or 3rd and 9. Look for the young and speedy Pats defense to be the bright spot for them. This one should be close through the third quarter, but the Pats will take a nice lead in the 4th to coast to a win.

Green Bay @ St. Louis

It is tempting to write off the Rams in this one, but they showed enough improvement last week to catch my eye. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has already been sacked ten times this year, and now comes the news that LT Chad Clifton will be out a couple of weeks with a sprained ankle. Defensively, the Pack is giving up too much on the ground and in the air. St. Louis will win at home.

Upset of the week-Rams take this one. The Rams haven’t looked to shabby lately, and the Packers are looking kinda shabby. This game should be a nail bighter-but I’m telling you right now that errors will cost the Packers the game. Look for Rodgers to get flustered early on and start making those game changing mistakes.

New York Giants @ Tampa Bay

The Bucs are giving up too many big plays and not making nearly enough. They just signed a couple of DFs in Corey Lynch and Marcus Hamilton, but they will not have any immediate impact. Eli Manning has his passing game going, but Brandon Jacobs has yet to hit his stride—this could be Jacobs‘ week. Any way I look at this, Tampa Bay is too weak to contain the G-Men, who will win in a trot.

I hope the Giants lose this one. I’m not bitter about the whole 18-1 thingy. I just hope that the Bucs have what it takes to stop Brandon Jacobs—who hasn’t been none to impressive thus far in the season. You can expect the NYG recievers to make difficult catches to keep the G-men in it.

With any luck the Bucs defense will make stops when it needs to, allowing their offense to take to the field…then to the air. If the Giants can’t stop the Bucs passing game (currently ranked 6th…and you thought I was crazy picking them to win), then the Bucs will run away with the game.

Tennessee @ New York Jets

How times have changed. The Titans were scary last year, and now they can’t buy a win, losing close games to Pittsburgh and to Houston. Offensively, they don’t look bad on paper, but their defense has not worked well at all, other than against the run.

Jets QB Mark Sanchez has been on fire, and now he goes up against the worst team in the league in pass defense. It was the Jets who handed Tennessee their first loss last season, and it will be the Jets who hand them their third loss this season.

This should be an all defense game. I’m hoping that the Titans pull this one out-if they do, it’ll be just barely. They’ll need to contain the Jets running game, and keep Sanchez from making big plays on the 3rd downs. With any luck, the Titans will figure out a plan for Rex Ryans’ rushing schemes. If they do, the Titans will easily take the win…

Kansas City @ Philadelphia

And the winner is… I have no idea. McNabb, Westbrook and Jackson are all banged up for the Eagles, and I don’t know if any of them will even play. Two weeks in a row, the Chiefs have lost close games, lacking firepower in every aspect offensively. Their defense is mediocre at best.

Vick is eligible for Philadelphia, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The only certainty is that the Eagles are at home, so I’m picking them to win this one.

The Chiefs winning this one is somewhat dependant on if Vick plays or not. If Vick does play, then this could go either way. If Vick doesn’t play, then the Chiefs easily take this win. If Vick does play, then you can expect a billion wild cat formations and a ton of Vick running the ball, with very few throws.

He hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2006, but he’s very athletic and very quick on his feet. On the other hand, Cassel is looking for his first victory since being with KC. He’s had a pretty good performance so far, but mistakes have cost him games. He’ll be a good field General this game, showing the KC fans why he’s their new face of the franchise…assuming that he can get some help from the defense.

San Francisco @ Minnesota

Who needs Michael Crabtree? Maybe the Jets, but that’s another story. San Francisco has surprised almost everybody by coming out of the gate to a 2-0 start. It goes without saying that Adrian Peterson knows how to move the ball for the Vikings, but the 49ers are stingy on the ground.

Offensively, they’re not putting up amazing numbers, but the defense has ensured that they don’t have to. If this game comes down to Brett Favre’s arm, we know it could go either way. But it’s early yet, Favre should have the arm strength to keep Minnesota undefeated. Should be a good game.

The Vikings know they have a great running game. They know they have a QB that can lead. What they don’t know is if their new QB is able to avoid adding to his current NFL record of most interceptions thrown. Favre has seemed to calm down a bit this year, relying more on the running game and less on crazy 40 yard passes that usually result in interceptions.

Look for the Vikings to alternate between runs and passes, with no rhyme nor reason, just to keep the 49ers on their toes. If they can keep the 49ers from completely stopping their running game, they should take the win. If the 49ers can hold the running game to a minimum, and if the 49ers have a great running game, then the 49ers could take this one.

New Orleans @ Buffalo

Oh good, an easy one. I think. The Saints have a pretty balanced offensive attack going, and even though the Bills have some halfway decent defensive stats, Brees, Colston and company will be all over them. Defensively, NO will have their hands full with Fred Jackson, but in the end Buffalo will be worn down enough to lose big.

As much as I like the Bills, I don’t think they can fend off the passing attack of the Saints. The Bills will hold them off for a short while with a stout defense, but they’ll find themselves in the hole by half time, spending the rest of the game trying to play catch up. Sorry Bills-but Drew Brees is going to pick you apart.

Chicago @ Seattle

Last I heard, Hasselbeck’s rib injury remains a problem, so the Seahawks will go with Seneca Wallace. He played well in relief against San Francisco last weekend, even though the ‘Hawks lost the game.

Chicago is pumped up after knocking off the defending champion Steelers last game, and I’m guessing that Cutler’s performance did a lot to instill confidence in his teammates. While Matt Forte has yet to find his groove, he will need to step up here because Seattle is much more effective defending the pass than the run. Chicago in a tight one.

Last week, Da Bears surprised many in the NFL world by defeating the SB champs, the Steelers (YIPPY!!!) and they did it without Brian Urlacher. Some would blame the loss on the Steelers missing Troy Palomalu. I could care less. The Steelers lost, that’s all that matters…even if it was a late field goal that cost them the game.

As TR said, Cutler is gaining the confidence of his teammates, so that’ll only help the team as a whole. The Seahawks got chewed up by the 49ers running game last week. You can bet that the Bears will try to run the ball down their throat over and over again. This game might be a close one, but I’m going to side with Da Bears.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

After losing to the Bears last time out, the Steelers will be looking to make a statement. Trouble is, Cincinnati can actually play a little. However, their leading rusher, Cedric Benson has not participated in practice this week because of an ankle injury. His status is not known for this game.

Pittsburgh’s ground game has been woefully lacking, and the Bengals have a pretty good rushing defense. Carson Palmer is improving all the time, but at the end of this one, Steeler pride will carry the day.

The Steelers are coming off a loss, and don’t want another one. The Bengals are looking to improve their record and make a statement letting the rest of the NFL know that they’re on the scene.

If the Bengals defense can have a great game like they did against the Packers, then you can bet that they’ll pull the win. The Steelers are lacking without Palomalu, and you know that Cinci will attempt to exploit the middle. I’m hoping that Cinci pulls this one out and stomps the Steelers.

Denver @ Oakland

Another divisional matchup where almost anything could happen. Oakland is a much improved team from last season, but Denver has improved even more. Statistically, the Broncos should be all over Oakland, but if JaMarcus Russell can keep some poise about him, the Raiders have a shot. Nevertheless, I’m calling this a win for the 2-0 Broncos.

This game should be good-definitely one to watch. The Raiders Defense will be the star of the show, and if they win, it’ll be because of the dominating defense. The Broncos on the other hand, spanked the Browns last week, and are looking to improve their record to 3-0. This may very well be a rugged divisional fight to the end.

Miami @ San Diego

The Dolphins made for an entertaining game while losing to the Colts Monday night, pulling out every trick in the book and dominating the clock. While great teams are seldom deceived by trickery, San Diego at the moment is not a great team.

Injuries have piled up on them, but Philip Rivers has thrown for a league-leading average of 330.5 yards per game. Sproles has performed admirably in place of the injured LT, but it has been nowhere near enough. Bottom line: I’m picking the Bolts at home because Miami’s pass defense is just not good enough.

Chargers. The ‘Phins don’t have what it takes to stop them. Sorry Dolphins—you’re gonna go 0-3. The Chargers have a good passing game, and are hoping to improve their running game. No, I’m not still bitter about last season. Ok, maybe I am. Nonetheless, I don’t see the Fish beating the Chargers on their own turf.

Indianapolis @ Arizona

I see two keys to this game. For one, Arizona has yet to impress anyone with their passing attack, and the Colts lead the league in pass defense. For another, the Cardinals haven’t shown much on the ground either. The Colts’ problem now is that it is a short week, after playing a pretty physical game Monday night. Could go either way, but I’m looking for Indianapolis to win a tight one.

TR summed it up pretty well. I’m going to give the upset victory to the Cards. Look for Manning to choke in the fourth quarter, surendering a small lead to lucky Cardinals offense.

Monday, September 28

Carolina @ Dallas

Both teams are looking to rebound from losses to division rivals. The Panthers looked a lot better in losing to the formidable Falcons than they looked in the beatdown the Eagles put on them in week one. Dallas has some impressive stats on offense, leading the league in rushing, but we don’t really know how healthy Marion Barber is.

Delhomme has those five interceptions, and the Cats’ overall numbers are mediocre at best. Dallas has been vulnerable against the run, and with the Williams-Stewart rushing tandem, Carolina could do some damage. In the end, however, the Cowboys pick up their first win in their new crib.

Look for the Panthers to jump back and forth between the passing game and running game. This will keep the Cowboys defense from getting into any type of rhythm. Romo needs to not make such costly mistakes in order for the cowboys to pull this one out.

I’m giving this to the Cowboys—all those people in that stadium making all that noise…hope the cats brought ear plugs. The 13th player will definitely be a factor.

Don't Be "That Guy"...Jerk

Steve Frith — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:09:23 -0400

Don’t be “that guy," you know who that guy is, we all do. “That guy” is the one that talks so much trash about things that it just irks people. “That guy” is the guy that posts online just to aggravate people, and to “stalk” them. You know that guy, and you despise that guy.

Hell, if that guy were sitting next to you at a bar and ran his mouth off, you’d probably do the same thing I’d do: Smack the taste right outta his mouth! You know you would, it’s OK, just admit it…that’s the first step, isn’t it?

I’m all for some trash talk. Hey, we all do it, and I’m just as guilty as the next guy, I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m going to let you know that my team is going to spank your team. Actually, I’m probably going to let you know that two or three times. And when my team does treat your team like high school junior varsity, you know I’m going to rub it in a bit….just to poor some salt on the wound.

Then, I’ll let it go. I won’t be “that guy” that keeps going and going and going like the Energizer bunny. Nope, I know my team is better than yours, and now you know it, too. You can count on me reminding that of you in the near future, too.

Now, should your team win, then please, by all means, remind me of how I laid claim to the fact that my team was about to grab your team by its pink, lacey jock strap and give it the wedgie of its life…only to have your team treat my team like the red headed step children that you knew they were. Yep, you earned it...let me have it. Your team made my team cry like a little school kid.

Now, it’s done and over with. Let it go, and I’ll do the same…no need for a “last word,” and there’s no need to actually insult another fan. You can insult their team and let them know that their team just set a new record for sucking so badly in a game…just keep it real, and don’t go after another person.

I should guess that this would extend to the individual players on a team…after all, they’re people, too! Case and point: Tom Brady. It’s fine that you’re glad that he’s out for the season, and that the Pats are without their NFL MVP…but it’s wrong if you act like “that guy” and jump up and down and whoop and holler and act as if you’re glad that Tom Brady the person is hurt and hope that he can never play again. I wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone if it meant that it would end their career, and yes, this includes you.

People would appreciate it if you’d return the favor, and even if you are ecstatic that a player is out for the season, just don’t express it in such a way that it’ll be sure to piss others off. Simply put, there’s no need for that.

When Peyton Manning had surgery in the offseason, my initial thought was, “I hope he’s ok!” and not, “I hope they accidentally remove one of his eyes and use it in a failed attempt to fix Eli’s lazy eye which also fails leaving them both blind in one eye and unable to see out of the other thus causing a collapse in the 'pep talk' commercials and starting a new series of eye wear commercials called 'blind leading the blind' which fails miserably because the Manning brothers are stinky underwear heads.”

For the record, I don’t like the Colts, but I like Peyton Manning's commercials. As a Pats fan, don’t even get me going on Eli...stupid lazy eyed physco (joking, or, trash talking rather).

I guess the moral of the story is you don’t see the pros high fiving another player when someone just snapped someone's bone in two. Instead, you see genuine concern coming from the player that just hurt the other player. I don’t care what sport you’re in, that’s how it is. Show me a player that celebrated a season or career ending injury that they just caused and I’ll show you “that guy.”

Don’t do it. Keep it respectful all while letting your fellow fans of other teams know that they’re team does indeed suck, and yours is in fact better. Don’t be “that guy.” It not only shows disrespect to others, but it shows that you don’t respect yourself, either.

When you’re going to post and insult someone, think about what your mom would say…unless your mom is “that guy”…then, I dunno…I don’t suppose that you’ve got an aunt that’s a nun do you? Just post like you’re mom or your aunt the nun is going to read it. You wouldn’t accuse your mom of talking our her a$$, would you?

Take the same pride in your posts that you take in your team.

You can be "that guy" if you choose to. Just don't plan on having people like you.

All in good fun, my friends…all in good fun. Except for the part about Eli! Kidding, of course!

My Thoughts on Spygate

Steve Frith — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:17:24 -0400

I'm about tired of reading about spygate, how the Pats are evil, how they've tainted the NFL as a whole, how Bill Belichick is a lousy, good for nothing, heartless S.O.B., and how everyone that's involved with the Patriots are classless, from the owner, to the coaching staff, to the players down to the personnel that do the team laundry and classless certainly includes the pathetic lying (and probably cheating) fans themselves.

The Pats cheated, point blank, end of discussion....now let's spend more than 6 months beating them up for it (along with beating the list of aforementioned folks, too).

First off, the Pats did not cheat. Yes, I said it, they did not cheat. Ok, so I can't prove that. So, you prove it - prove that the Pats did in fact "cheat".....you can't, and neither can Commissioner Goodell or the NFL's competition committee, or a Senator from PA.

I know what you're thinking, and the answer is NO. The Pats were not fined for cheating. They were fined for violating the following rule: "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.", which was put out in a memo before the '07 season started.

Had the camera operator been in a booth enclosed on 3 sides with a roof overhead out of view of the coaches, spygate would never have been started. Instead, Belichick admits that he told the camera man to stand in plain view, adorned with Pats Staff badges and film the defensive signals....in plain view...let me say that again, in plain view. Why did I say that three times? Do you honestly think that a head coach would put a camera in the hands of an employee and tell them to go over and video tape the opposing teams defensive coach if he didn't think it was OK? Of course not, and if you said yes that Belichick would do that then you're fooling yourself. Coaches have complained for years about cheating, and I mean years. HERE's an article that takes a story out of a 1967 magazine (sport) that talks about cheating in the NFL. Don't think that's enough? I came across this article HERE on Bleacher Report. It's got 5 valid points where the NFL has jumped in and punished teams for "cheating", yet, none of them were as stiff as the punishment that was handed down to the Patriots and their staff. Still not enough? Well, how about when John Madden said stealing signs is nothing new.

The Pats were bad mouthed so much this year simply because they were on fire. They were, arguably, the best team that the NFL has seen in some 35 (or more) years. The 2007 season they went 18-1 which includes a perfect (UNDEFEATED) season, with the only loss being in the Super Bowl. Don't think that the Pats are (arguably) the best team ever? Here's some of the records that the Patriots (and/or Patriot players) broke in ONLY 2007 season:

Set the record for most wins in a regular season

Tom Brady set the single-season record for most touchdowns in a season with 50

Randy Moss broke the record for most touchdown receptions in a season with 23

Highest scoring team ever in a regular season, scoring 589 points

Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss for more touchdowns this season than any other quarterback has to any other receiver in any single season, ever. With 23 touchdowns, they shattered the previous high of 18 held by Dan Marino / Mark Clayton and Brett Favre / Sterling Sharpe.

The Patriots also set a record for most touchdowns scored in a season with 75, breaking Miami's record of 70

Randy Moss became the first receiver in history to get 100 yards in his first 3 games with a new team, then in week 4 with the Pats Moss had 102 yards

Ellis Hobbs returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown setting the NFL record for longest kickoff return.

21 different players scored a touchdown for the Patriots, tying the record also held by the 1987 Rams and the 2000 Broncos.

If you care to dispute these records, you'll have to prove I'm wrong. Yes, I accidently closed the FireFox window I had the links open in.

Enough about the team-what about that loser of a coach Belichick? Here's something that I posted earlier on TSB:

Despite the "Spygate" scandal, BBwas still named NFL 2007 Associated Press Coach of the Year. He's also been named and/or awarded AFC Coach of the Year (Committee of 101), Coach of the Year (Pro Football Writers of America/Pro Football Weekly), Coach of the Year (Dr. Z's All-Pros_), NFL Coach of the Year (FieldTurf), NFL Coach of the Year (Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News), NFL Coach of the Week for Week 17 (NFL.com), NFL Coach of the Year (USA TODAY), The Bill Walsh Award (USA TODAY), Earle 'Greasy' Neale Award: Pro Coach of the Year (Maxwell Football Club) and NFL Coach of the Week for Week 6 (NFL.com). That was just this past year. He's coached his team to 16-0 regular season, 18-1 including the playoffs, helping his team set records, brake records, all while dealing with Spygate, his personal life and the personal lives of his players. I'd say that's pretty special.

With that said, most, if not all teams love their head coaches, specially the ones that help to create dynasties and win 3 Superbowls in 4 years along with 4 AFC titles in 7 years, and making it to the playoffs 6 out of 7 years, and managed to coach successful seasons with winning records from 2001-2007 (all from 2000 to present day).

With all that said, I'm probably missing a few records someplace, but I'm sure that by now you get the idea.

Moving on....

What about those cocky, trash talking players? Hmmmm...I won't deny that there's a TON of smack talk going on in the NFL. I will say that the Pats did, IMHO, the least amount of it. You won't find a Pats player from 2007 saying how they guarantee a victory over an opposing team or talk smack about an opposing team even when an opposing team talked smack about them (Steelers and Chargers). It wasn't Pats fans whom booed a 14 year old girl due to the jersey she was wearing(Note that Robert Kraft, in a show of "class", honored the teen by having her watch the coin toss at center fieldby making her guest captain of the Patriots for the game).

Oh behold! The spygate scandall continues to grow because the "powers that be" deem it so! Nope, wrong there, too. The NFL's competition committee said "It was a thorough, fair process with lots of integrity. We were satisfied with what was done." As of this post, we're still waiting on Matt Walsh to strike a deal with the NFL so that he can show his tapes to the world. To whatever evidence he's got, I'll have to hear Belichick or Kraft on the tapes saying "Ya, go tape that other team, it's ok, it's worth the risk to get caught!"

The point of this post was NOT to bash any other team (sorry to those fans of the teams I did bring up), nor was it to justify the Patriots actions, or the actions of it's employees (including head coach).

The point of this post WAS to shed light on the subject of spygate, bringing up points that the average Joe might not know...to show that the Pats fans aren't classless, nor are the players or staff (I'd like to think the same of all the NFL's teams). That the Pats didn't get fined for what they were video taping, but how they were video taping it. I'd also like to note that Goodell stated that the taping in the Jets game was not a factor in the outcome of the game, and that nothing had been presented that showed that the Pats were using the tapes for in game use or halftime adjustments. Goodell also mentioned that he didn't think that spygate tainted the Pats accomplishments for the 07 season.

The reason why the tapes and notes were destroyed (the tapes and the notes that the Pats gave to the commish) was because Goodell didn't want them leaked out into the public where other teams could get hold of them and use them against the Jets. "We thought we had locked it up, and it got out five days later," Goodell said. "That was one of my concerns."

Here's how I'm looking at the whole spygate thing: We were caught doing something wrong even though we thought it was OK. We were punished, we paid our dues and we moved on. It's been 6 months (SIX MONTHS!!!) and people still carry on about it, saying such things as "they're classless", "they should have their Lombardi trophies taken away", "they're all cheaters", and blah blah blah. I've been a Pats fan since I was a fetus. I was a fan when they were wining one and 2 games a season. I was a fan when they won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. I was a fan in the 2007 season when they went 18-1 and lost in a crushing upset to the NY Giants. I'll be a fan through out the entire spygate scandal. When all the smoke clears, I'll still be a fan of the New England Patriots. Chances are that I'll die a Pats fan.

The Patriots should be proud of what they've done this season. I know I am.

Respectfully,

Steve

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