I DO have some "Mea Culpas" BUT.....they won't change the score.....
My sources say there was a lot of unrest from the defensive side starting with Co-ordinater Matt Patricia......some said that because he already had a head coaching job his mind was not totally into a proper game plan.......That stupid (wide) running play at the goal line (where the runner tried to jump over the defender, who was not fooled by the play.) PHILADELPHIA KNEW it was a running play because JOSH McDANIELS took out the receivers "package" and put in the running "package." It was the same mistake Pete Carroll made in the super bowl when he called that PASS play that Malcolm Butler intercepted.....Belichick saw the PASS PACKAGE come in (which was why he didn't call a timeout.....Well. the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.....
Speaking of Butler.....He missed the flight to Minneapolis (with the rest of the team) then he missed TWO practices..... (Claimed he had the flu??) Belichick has 4-5 rules, the same as RED AUERBACH and a few other GREAT COACHES.....one is.....you don't miss the TEAM plane when travelling AND.....if you miss practice during the week you can't prepare properly for the game therefore you don't play.....there was no disciplinarian move, it was only TEAM business......MY sources tell me that Belichick felt the Eagles were preparing to attack Butler with their TALLER pass receivers the same way the league was doing during the season.....Remember those TWO losses at the beginning of the season??? Well BUTLER personally gave up FIVE touchdowns in those games as well as FOUR more during the season......He's just TOO SHORT.....BILL compensated by "hiding" him in the schemes, not letting other teams KNOW exactly where he was going to play.....
So much for "sour grapes." We lost....get over it and correct the problems......One thing that bothers me is that BOB KRAFT was the one who sweetened McDaniel's contract, not the GM.....who is Belichick......I'm still waiting for the other show to drop...."nuf said on THAT.
"NON-FOOTBALL PEOPLE CANNOT MAKE FOOTBALL DECISIONS." Most famously uttered by then Patriot's General Manager, Upton Bell.....
Starting with CHUCK FAIRBANKS------Upton Bell wanted to hire him but Billy Sullivan said "NO." He was then persuaded by the board to change his mind......Fairbanks got a great contract that gave him "carte blanche" over all football decisions.....THEN when JOHN HANNAH and Leon Grey wanted their contracts renegotiated Sullivan told Fairbanks to do it......After the settlement SULLIVAN saw the amount and said, "NO WAY.....That's too much." Eventually it got straightened out (Grey was traded) BUT Fairbanks thought, If THAT is how Sullivan keeps his word I'm going to accept the head coaching job in Colorado......and so he did, and the team lost their playoff game to Houston.....
Then came the "BILL PARCELLS blunder" by Bob Kraft. Parcells had the 7th pick in the entire draft and needed a defensive lineman OR pass rushing linebacker......KRAFT wanted Terry Glenn who was a pass receiver.....Parcells reminded Kraft that the #7 pick was too high a price to pay for a receiver......after all Jerry Rice was picked #31, wasn't he? When Parcells reminded Kraft that his contract gave him control of all football decisions Kraft reminded him that HE had not given him the contract, James Orthwein DID......"As far as I'm concerned I'd rather see you gone after THIS year rather than wait another year," said Kraft.......Parcells replied, 'Then do it." THEY made their deal and Kraft stipulated that nobody would breath a word of it until after the season was over.....KRAFT didn't realize the Pats were going to the super bowl.....Two weeks before the bowl game Kraft said, on national television....."He's the greatest coach in the world.....if HE leaves it's because HE wants to go, not because I WANT him to go." The rest is history.....Kraft lucked out when Belichick became available (after Kraft had hired Pete Carroll and the team suffered some horrible years.....
BUT we should learn something from history......."NON FOOTBALL PEOPLE CANNOT MAKE FOOTBALL DECISIONS." Hopefully Kraft will not do something stupid that will chase the greatest coach in the history of the NFL away......Belichick should be a Patriot for the rest of his career......
NOW.....everybody, keep their fingers crossed and lookout for that other show to drop.......