How Could New England Patriots Release Tiquan Underwood After Patriotic Haircut?

While the marquee players are getting all the headlines leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, the New England Patriots did shine the spotlight on unknown wide receiver Tiquan Underwood on Saturday. The 24-year-old was released by the team, in what is being called strictly "a football decision."

When the Patriots say something, you just take it with a grain of salt. Bill Belichick says so much, and so little of it actually matters. 

Even though this decision may have been about football, it is also a clear indication that the team does not care one bit about team spirit. 

Of all the players on the Patriots, no one was willing to show their enthusiasm about the organization or this game more than Underwood. All you have to do is look at his haircut to see that. 

It doesn't matter how effective Underwood was when he played, or if he would even see the field in this game. He was willing to humiliate himself by sporting a high-top fade hairdo and then took it a step further by getting the team's logo emblazoned on the back of his head. 

Where is the justice in this world?

Next thing you know, you are going to tell me that the Patriots got rid of Underwood just to put Chad Ochocinco on the active roster for this game.

Wait, they are doing that?

That's a fascinating turn of events, because I had just assumed that Ochocinco was already retired. His career died when he came to New England, so what is left for him to do besides stand on the sideline. 

OK, that's mean spirited, but you have to feel bad for Underwood. He was one day away from being on the field, or at least the sidelines, during the Super Bowl. Now, he is on his way home with nothing to do. 

He had clearly put his mind, body and hair into this game, and now he is just going home. In the scheme of things, Underwood being cut means nothing. He wasn't going to play, and if he did he wasn't going to be a factor. 

But it would have been nice if the Patriots had given him a little more notice than throwing him away 24 hours before the biggest day of his professional life. 

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