Belichick
Here's where I've been: I wrote an entire NFL preview for this page, and it disappeared into the interwebs somewhere. No the nefarious Bill Belichick had something to do with it. Clearly, this is a moustache-twisting villain from the funnybooks come to life in modern NFLmerica.
After all, he CHEATED! Right? I mean, he didn't just "cheat." Or even "cheat." What he did was AN UNFORGIVABLE BLIGHT ON THE GAME!
Really.
The most revealing part about he scandal (and I refuse to use a word with "gate" in it) is the Belichick haters who've outed themselves. These are people who have nursed a terrible dislike for the guy in grey-sweats, based not on his prowess as a fubul corch, but rather because they have a personal or media-inspired axe to grind.
Because at the centre of it, there really is no scandal. Yes, the Pats tried to get away with one. But in the win-at-all-costs NFL, is this really so surprising?
Look: teams have been using technology to gain an edge since the 1970's (at least). And technology has come a long way. What will never change is human nature. In an ultra-competitive business, a guy went outside the rules and got put down hard for it.
But the bleating Mary's out there calling for Belichick's head and asserting the death of his legacy are saying more about themselves than the coach.
Belichick has beaten the league, become its greatest active champion. But he doesn't give them a show. He doesn't say flamboyant things in press conferences. He doesn't give opinions on anything any time no matter what a la Tony Dungy. He isn't just quiet, he's assertively secretive. He's the Dick Cheney of the NFL.
But here's the difference: Belichick doesn't have a responsibility to football fans that in any way resembles the Bush Junta's responsibility to Americans. When Georgie and Cheney keep secrets and cheat, it's often in abrogation of the law. For Belichick, it was league rules. Cheney has a legal and ethical responsibility to tell the American people what he is doing now and what he plans to do in the future. America's game book is public by law. The New England Patriots playbook is a private document owned by private citizens.
But, oddly enough, people are far more agitated about Belichick's spying than they are about Cheney's. Dick illegally wiretapped calls and collected information he was (is?) barred by law from collecting. Belichick videotaped a guy waving his arms in front of 50,000 other people.
Get real.
The people who are losing their bottle about this are defeated opponents and their spokes people, and the people who have been spurned by Belichick. Lots of sports talking heads have been refused time and easy quotes. Reports have to actually work for stories instead of having them handed over.
It's interesting to note that the people saying "no big deal" in the media are those who are real fooball guys like Jimmy Johnson. It's the media types with an axe to grind who are looking for a story are the ones wetting themselves.
Well, wet away ladies. We'll just keep winning.
After all, he CHEATED! Right? I mean, he didn't just "cheat." Or even "cheat." What he did was AN UNFORGIVABLE BLIGHT ON THE GAME!
Really.
The most revealing part about he scandal (and I refuse to use a word with "gate" in it) is the Belichick haters who've outed themselves. These are people who have nursed a terrible dislike for the guy in grey-sweats, based not on his prowess as a fubul corch, but rather because they have a personal or media-inspired axe to grind.
Because at the centre of it, there really is no scandal. Yes, the Pats tried to get away with one. But in the win-at-all-costs NFL, is this really so surprising?
Look: teams have been using technology to gain an edge since the 1970's (at least). And technology has come a long way. What will never change is human nature. In an ultra-competitive business, a guy went outside the rules and got put down hard for it.
But the bleating Mary's out there calling for Belichick's head and asserting the death of his legacy are saying more about themselves than the coach.
Belichick has beaten the league, become its greatest active champion. But he doesn't give them a show. He doesn't say flamboyant things in press conferences. He doesn't give opinions on anything any time no matter what a la Tony Dungy. He isn't just quiet, he's assertively secretive. He's the Dick Cheney of the NFL.
But here's the difference: Belichick doesn't have a responsibility to football fans that in any way resembles the Bush Junta's responsibility to Americans. When Georgie and Cheney keep secrets and cheat, it's often in abrogation of the law. For Belichick, it was league rules. Cheney has a legal and ethical responsibility to tell the American people what he is doing now and what he plans to do in the future. America's game book is public by law. The New England Patriots playbook is a private document owned by private citizens.
But, oddly enough, people are far more agitated about Belichick's spying than they are about Cheney's. Dick illegally wiretapped calls and collected information he was (is?) barred by law from collecting. Belichick videotaped a guy waving his arms in front of 50,000 other people.
Get real.
The people who are losing their bottle about this are defeated opponents and their spokes people, and the people who have been spurned by Belichick. Lots of sports talking heads have been refused time and easy quotes. Reports have to actually work for stories instead of having them handed over.
It's interesting to note that the people saying "no big deal" in the media are those who are real fooball guys like Jimmy Johnson. It's the media types with an axe to grind who are looking for a story are the ones wetting themselves.
Well, wet away ladies. We'll just keep winning.
posted by fiduciary at 12:29 PM
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