Posted on 02/06/2018 9:29:18 AM PST by C19fan
Bill Belichick reportedly made the decision to bench Malcolm Butler after the cornerback struggled in practice and committed a serious rules infraction while in Minneapolis. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Butler was already questionable after he struggled during practice all week. Not helping his lackluster performance on the field was the fact that Butler had twice been admitted to the hospital in the days before the team traveled to Minnesota with flu-like symptoms.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Belichik has shown us over the years, time and time again, that he will do absolutely anything to win. I don’t believe he suddenly became something he isn’t simply to punish Butler for breaking curfew. That’s a fantasy. He went with the person he thought was the better player, and who would help them win. Given the number of Super Bowl rings he possesses, everyone else is unqualified to second guess him.
I’m not buying that we went with the person he thought was the better player. Because he obviously was not. Going with the better player you don’t bench the guy on the way out of the tunnel. Going with the better player when that player gets burned for a 35 yard TD in the first quarter you work the other guy in and see if you were wrong. We don’t know what all he was punishing Butler for, some reports include the weed but they are unsubstantiated, but on some level this was clearly punishment. And most importantly, and this is the thing that really screwed him up, Bill dug his heals in and wouldn’t reverse course. Best case scenario Bill had some sort of weird strategy (Skip Bayless thinks Bill thought putting in the guy he got from trade would throw off the Eagles and make them doubt themselves, of course Skip is an idiot so don’t too much stock in that) and when it was obviously not working he refused to reverse course.
We CAN second guess him because the results are obvious. Whatever Bill thought he was going to accomplish failed, it failed hard, it failed fast, it was obviously not working by the end of the first quarter. And for some reason Bill never backed up. It’s all very odd and out of character, Bill’s the half time adjustment master, and even known for strategy adjustments without the benefit of half time. Whatever reason Bill had for practicing Butler for two weeks and not letting him or anybody else know Butler was out until they were in the tunnel was a mistake. You just don’t handle discipline like that, invalidating your own team’s practices doesn’t help you win. Dressing 3 CBs and benching one doesn’t help you win. And then sticking to his guns when the Butler subs were demonstrably not working was the other big mistake. Bill’s got a long history of throwing out what isn’t working quick, the Eagles figured out the subs weren’t working on their second drive and drove that hole to a parade. From the pressers I’m not sure Bill’s figured it out yet, if he has he’s keeping extra mum.
FREE SPEECH STILL REIGNS HERE AND IF YOU'RE A DU MORON WITH YOUR NOSER UP 0BAMA'S BUTT, GO TO HELL!
I saw a catch, two steps, and then the ball break the plane of the goal line. Only the most biased homer would see that as anything other than a touchdown.
...
He was a ruled a runner when he crossed the line. It was the correct call. Like you said, two steps.
Facts are facts, and the facts are that for 17 years the Pats got the questionable calls. Sunday they didn’t. And there’s still the fact that the idea of Goodell starting a conspiracy to hose the Pats this year rather than their two previous appearances is laughably stupid.
FWIW, that wasn't the sole reason the dumbass was benched. You would have known that had you read the article.......
With that being said, I have to laugh at some guy who considers himself a UnixGeek who has likely never played any sport at either the college level let alone professional who has the guts to criticize Belichick for the way he demands adherence to his rules........
It's a TEAM concept and there is no "I" in TEAM.
And since every other member of that team adhered to Coach Belichick's curfew, why should BUTLER get a pass?
Let me repeat that, WHY SHOULD BUTLER GET A PASS?
WHY SHOULD BUTLER GET A PASS when the rest of the team followed the rules?
That's a pretty straight forward question, so why can't you answer it?
Obnoxious or not, you obviously have never participated on a legitimate sports team and instead are nothing more than a basement keyboard commando.............Right Geek?
This was Bullough's final college game and he comes from a family of Spartan players.........
In your keyboard world, was that fair?
Clearly a runner. I saw 3 steps.
And if it wasn't???
Read the article..........
LOL!!!
Should have tried sports.........LOL!
Goodell is a far lefty, while Kraft, Belichik and Brady supported President Trump. It's not surprising that AHole moron lefties like yourself support Goodell.
Except of course for the last 17 years everybody has insisted that the Pats ARE one of the favorites, which is the spygate tops got deleted unreleased and the Pats get all the calls. Goodell and Kraft have a good relationship, it got strained during deflategate but it seems mended. And he got along well with Jones up until the Eliot suspension. And the Steelers owner got an ambassador gig from Obama, clearly not much political dispute on that front.
We don’t know who Kraft and Belichick supported. They didn’t say. Especially not Belichick who says nothing.
The facts remain: any idea of a conspiracy to hose ANY team is just plain stupid. The league has nothing to gain and everything to lose by picking and choosing winners. It gets especially stupid when you suddenly want Goodell conspiring against the Pats after a decade of supposed conspiring for them.
It is not a "conspiracy" when as Commissioner (dictator) you, by yourself, are able to arbitrarily hand down punishment, suspensions, etc. with no regard to precedent. Ask Ezekiel Elliott. A "conspiracy" takes two or more.
As for Kraft and Belichik, they PUBLICLY endorsed President Trump's campaign. Maybe out there in Juan McLame and Jeff the Fl;ake territory YOU, in your ignorance, didn't know who they supported, but don't project YOUR stupidity on others.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.