LT just called out Bellichek!

[D-Dogg]

Whatever, the Patriots always show this air of "class" that is very surface deep. They are a PR machine...always complimenting, always talking about how great their opponent is...but then they mock them. They are a reflection of their HC who is a very good HC but quite the *****. They are a very good team, but also aholes. One of my very least favorite teams in the league.

 

[conraddobler]

Whatever, the Patriots always show this air of "class" that is very surface deep. They are a PR machine...always complimenting, always talking about how great their opponent is...but then they mock them. They are a reflection of their HC who is a very good HC but quite the *****. They are a very good team, but also aholes. One of my very least favorite teams in the league.

Which is why we shall set about destroying them....

MUHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAH..

Ok that's a little far ahead of myself but I just boarded the Whisenhut bandwagon.

 

[SeaChicken]

Of course, but I still like the fact that someone called him out. Sure the dance is silly anyways (and I am not even a fan of Merriman) but I am glad he said it. Belichick is a great coach, but he is not a class guy.

But he sure is a snappy dresser, idn't he?

 

[moklerman]

I don't know, guys. This just seems like knitpicking. I have no love whatsoever for BB and the Pat's (SBXXXVI) but I respect the hell out of the guy and what he's accomplished. I mean, we're talking about the stinking Patriots here. They used to be doormats for a looong time and although I've disagreed with some of his methods (no loyalty to his players in my opinion) he has produced. He's never had a dominant team to do it with so I have to admire him using whatever tactics he could get away with to win. If the league and officials aren't going to stop him or his team from doing things that way, then I would criticize him for not taking advantage.

BB may not have the personality to be a celebrity but he knows how to get the most out of a football team and has won three Super Bowls. I don't agree with crucifying the team for getting caught up in the moment of a huge win. They didn't flip anyone off, they didn't go into the stands, they just razzed a guy after beating him. We are talking about football right?

Would anyone honestly say no to BB if he brought similar results to the Cardinals?

 

[Lars the Red]

Bellichek and the Pats have become some of the biggest punks in the league. Their defense in particular is constantly a part of chippy crap throughout the game.

I thought on several occasions their players were the instigators in situations that the Chargers got busted for. The personal foul that gave the Pats the first down and ultimately their TD bringing the score to 14-13 was pure crap. Graham completely blindsides the Charger DB, and unfortunately, the DB reacted with an over enthusiastic grill to grill conversation, at which point Graham jams two hands to the face. The officials incorrectly ignored the reaction which would have amounted to offsetting penalties.

A later incident had a lineman for SD shoving a player off the pile who was mauling one of the Chargers in the stack. This time the officials ignored the cause and penalized the effect...just the opposite of what they'd done earlier.

The Pats are living on their reputation. Their coach is a jackass and has shown those colors more often in recent years.

 

[Boltpower 21]

I'm a Chargers fan and I was at the game.

What happened between LT and the Patriot player (I believe it was Asante Samuel) is that when the game ended and everyone went to shake hands and say 'good game' and what not, this Patriot player went to the middle of the field and mocked the Merriman dance on the Chargers logo. What the CBS cameras caught was LT seeing that and going over to stop him but some other Patriot players got in his way and stopped him first. Obviously, emotions on both ends were running wild at that point and it boiled over.

I'm not big on celebration dances, even our own Merriman's dance but there is a time and place where it's accepted to do that: when you make a big play, when you score a TD, etc. You don't do it when you've won the game and everyone is going to shake hands and you don't do it on the team's logo. Remember the T.O. Dallas star incident? That was a very disrespectful action.

A little bit of history between the two teams as well: Last year when the Chargers traveled to New England and beat them, Brady refused to run to the middle of the field and shake hands with any Chargers players. Instead he ran straight to the locker room. Following the game, Marty Schottenheimer was asked in his press conference about the victory since it was a big victory. The Patriots had their home winning streak of 20 games or so snapped and it was in convincing fashion. Marty mentioned that the Patriots had a lot of injuries to starters going into that game and that may have played a factor. When Brady heard those comments, he blasted Marty and told him not to talk about his team like that.

There's some bad blood brewing between the two teams. This has been building for a little while.

I don't know what to make of the Belichick comment by LT but judging a lot of Belichick's behavior over the years, LT may have a legitimate reason to feel the way he does about him but he probably let his emotions get the better of him there.

 

[SeaChicken]

You know what kills me? All of these guys with their little dances that have the nerve to get mad if someone mocks it. Did it ever occur to Merriman that he's mocking the lineman and the QB that he just sacked when he breaks into his little "lights out" ditty? If your gonna dish it out, you've got to be able to take it.

 

[Redsz]

The Patriots are classless. Just look at the leadership on that team i.e Rodney Harrison. Watching him go for Josh McCowns knees (out of bounds) in 2004 illustrates that.

 

[Boltpower 21]

You know what kills me? All of these guys with their little dances that have the nerve to get mad if someone mocks it. Did it ever occur to Merriman that he's mocking the lineman and the QB that he just sacked when he breaks into his little "lights out" ditty? If your gonna dish it out, you've got to be able to take it.

Players have mocked the dance on several occasions, when they sack Rivers or score a touchdown on our defense. No one really has a problem with that, since that's an accepted thing to do in the NFL these days and basically Merriman does bring that to himself.

However it's taboo to taunt and disrespect the other team when the game is over and everyone is showing good sportmanship to shake hands with the other team.

You won the game. Go shake hands and celebrate in the locker room. Don't pull a T.O. and disrespect the other team by dancing or posing on their logo.

 

[D-Dogg]

However it's taboo to taunt and disrespect the other team when the game is over and everyone is showing good sportmanship to shake hands with the other team.

You won the game. Go shake hands and celebrate in the locker room. Don't pull a T.O. and disrespect the other team by dancing or posing on their logo.

Exactly.

Other than the TO thing...that was during the game, not after. HUGE difference there.

After the game is over, and you are shaking hands and people are out there praying together and all that jazz, to be taunting and disrespecting the team and their players is uncalled for. Belichick was probably giggling with glee at that display.

 

[Redheart]

There was time left on the clock and they ran out on the field like they won the freaking superbowl mocking another player (one that I admittedly don't like but still)

They could have waited until the game was actually over. There is a time and a place to celebrate like animals and that wasn't one of them.

Date and time, please. I don't want to miss that; sounds like a blast!

 

[Redheart]

Which is why we shall set about destroying them....

MUHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAH..

Ok that's a little far ahead of myself but I just boarded the Whisenhut bandwagon.

LOL!

That didn't take long! You were sure were on the darkside yesterday; someone slipped you some Kool-aide?

Welcome on board!

 

[Russ Smith]

Please... there is a such thing as acting like you've been there before. You don't dance around on someone else's field like an idiot.

I like what LDT said, but I also think that Merrmiman looks like an idiot everytime he does that dance so I don't really mind Pats players doing it to show him up? I think Merriman kind of has an "anti-following" right now among veteran players because of the steroid test and the way he acts on the field. Some if it also no doubt jealousy at how good he is.

 

[Renz]

You must be registered for see images

 

[CardinalChris]

I am amazed at how many sided with New England here. Think of how angry we'd be if a team beat us in a playoff game and went to the center of our field and mocked the team. Sorry, but I'd be upset at any Cardinal NOT offended by this.

Yes, NE won and deservedly so, San Diego sucked yesterday. But he's also right that you can win without mocking the team. Coaches and players preach how sacred the home field is, so you can win and do so without the shenanigans. The two are not exclusive. Just because NE won doesn't mean it is sportsman like to do what they did.

Like many on here I am tired of players claiming not to get their due respect, etc. Can't say I have ever heard LT say anything like that. He has always been modest and polite. But this is a little different. This is poor sportsmanship, and I think if we consider that aspect some people may realize it wasn't about LT not getting his respect, it was about NE not winning like I would hope professional athletes would.

 

[CardinalChris]

You know what kills me? All of these guys with their little dances that have the nerve to get mad if someone mocks it. Did it ever occur to Merriman that he's mocking the lineman and the QB that he just sacked when he breaks into his little "lights out" ditty? If your gonna dish it out, you've got to be able to take it.

Ever make you wonder what teammates think when a player invents his own little celebration dance.

 

[ajcardfan]

What goes around, comes around.




CHARGERS HAVE A SHORT MEMORY

Amid complaints from running back LaDainian Tomlinson and other members of the San Diego Chargers that the New England Patriots celebrated too fervently their unlikely victory over the 14-2 Bolts on Sunday, we've been reminded of the Chargers reaction to a similarly unlikely win from a year ago.

In New England.

After thumping the Pats by the score of 41-17 and shattering the team's 21-game home winning streak, the Chargers were not exactly humble.

"That's a [butt]-whipping," said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in an article penned by Tom Curran, who at the time wrote for the Providence Journal and who now works for NBCSports.com.

Cornerback Drayton Florence (or is it Florence Drayton?) was less tactful: "F--k New England and their team," he said, before turning to a "collection of onlookers" and adding: "Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."

So, you know, maybe a few of the Pats were remembering the way that the Chargers handled themselves in 2005.

And if L.T. is going to get bent out of shape because his opponents do this kind of stuff, we'd like to hear what he's been doing to persuade his teammates not to act that way, either.

Frankly, there aren't many NFL teams that can claim to be, top to bottom, the modern-day equivalent of Fred Blassie. So none of them should ever be bitching when another squad does what they've surely done themselves at some point in the not-so-distant past.

 

[D-Dogg]

I am amazed at how many sided with New England here. Think of how angry we'd be if a team beat us in a playoff game and went to the center of our field and mocked the team. Sorry, but I'd be upset at any Cardinal NOT offended by this.

Yes, NE won and deservedly so, San Diego sucked yesterday. But he's also right that you can win without mocking the team. Coaches and players preach how sacred the home field is, so you can win and do so without the shenanigans. The two are not exclusive. Just because NE won doesn't mean it is sportsman like to do what they did.

Like many on here I am tired of players claiming not to get their due respect, etc. Can't say I have ever heard LT say anything like that. He has always been modest and polite. But this is a little different. This is poor sportsmanship, and I think if we consider that aspect some people may realize it wasn't about LT not getting his respect, it was about NE not winning like I would hope professional athletes would.

Very good post.


What really bugs me about this is how people always say how professional and such that the Pats are...but they really aren't. They are classless aholes who say the right things in the media. No team with class would act like that after a game....DURING the game? Sure...I have no issue with it. But the game is over, you shake hands and don't act like a *******.

 

[D-Dogg]

What goes around, comes around.

None of that took place on the pats field after the game while people were shaking hands.

If that made them mad, then go at it in the media...that's what that kind of stuff is for..talk crap in the media.

Different issues.

 

[BirdMan21]

I think LT was probably right in being angry about what NE did....but I think he chose the wrong time to say anything or do something about it. By handling it the way he did, he opened the doors for someone to call him a sore loser and actually side with NE. Had he waited till this summer and said something along the lines of, "the whole team felt disrespected by what the Pats did on our field at the end of last year.....we are going to go out this year and take that anger out on the rest of the league.", everyone would have taken the whole situation differently. Instead of looking like a sore loser, he would look like a man on a mission to set things right for the disrespect that NE showed him and the team.

 

[ajcardfan]

None of that took place on the pats field after the game while people were shaking hands.

If that made them mad, then go at it in the media...that's what that kind of stuff is for..talk crap in the media.

Different issues.

And LT did go after them in the media didn't he? So, he did both.


IMO, some players on both teams looked like jerks. Like I tell my kids, just because someone else does something wrong to you, it's not okay to retaliate in the same way. Of course, sometimes you have to protect yourself, but that was not the situation after the game yesterday.

 

[blindseyed]

I hate the PATS no matter who says what. Billiceks (sp?) a hump and Boston fans are pompous smug fans just like the Pats
Hope they lose big against the Colts

 

[Pariah]

Allowed? Yes. Classy? No.

Anyone who thinks what the Patriots did in celebration is classy needs their head examined, IMO. I don't have any idea how someone might construe that as classy. It was devoiod of class, therefore, classless.

Calling a spade a spade is different from mocking an opponent after an important victory/crushing loss.

 

[CardinalChris]

And LT did go after them in the media didn't he? So, he did both.


IMO, some players on both teams looked like jerks. Like I tell my kids, just because someone else does something wrong to you, it's not okay to retaliate in the same way. Of course, sometimes you have to protect yourself, but that was not the situation after the game yesterday.

I work at a bank. I heard this all the time. "You should reverse my fees because you didn't pay my check" or "I was told this about X, so you should pay for Y"

One fault does not absolve another. Yes, what they did was wrong, but it does not give you license to do something else, which if taken by itself, would also be considered inappropriate.

The only thing wrong with what LT said was dragging the coach in to it. Speaking to the media and saying it was wrong is fine. Saying it came from Billicheck was.

 

[Chopper0080]

I think that you really have to look at WHO is saying that New England is classless not that it was said. LaDainian Tomlinson is a total class act all around. HE doesn't dance around and upstage the other team because he doesn't believe that it is the right thing to. I don't have a problem with teams celebrating after a bog play because I know that football is such an emotional game. BUT, you have to realize that LaDainian dominated the league this year and for all the touchdowns that he scored he handled it as a professional. He gave the ball to the official, hugged his linemen and moved on. This is how he feels success should be handled. If Merriman came out and said this it would be totally hypocritical, but for Tomlinso to say it just shows that he holds others to his higher standards.