Look, I understand teams do what it takes to win and that many of the things the Pats do would be applauded if it were the Jets doing them, but when is enough, enough? If the NFL really wants to be a league for the fans, at some point they need to take a stand and tell Belichick/the Pats to just play the game. Running onto the field when the home team is getting introduced isn't "gamesmanship" in my opinion, it is just rude. Let the Chargers and their fans have their due...they had a great season and deservie it. (Yes, I know the Chargers restricted tix sales to SoCal addresses, but I don't agree with that either.) _______________- From John Clayton's blog on ESPN.com Patriots games: Patriots coach Bill Belichick used a little bit of gamesmanship with the Chargers crowd prior to the AFC playoff game in San Diego. The game was delayed about 15 minutes because the Bears and Seahawks went into overtime. The Patriots were announced, but they didn't show. Instead, the Patriots ran onto the field the second the Chargers were announced. The large contingent of Patriots players ran the length of the field while the Chargers defense was being announced. It seems to get them extra fired up.
... So THAT'S why the Chargers lost. And I here I was thinking it was because they had less points on the scoreboard at the end of the game.
Ever watch Law & Order? What often happens is that the cops want to arrest someone but they don't have enough to go on. So they get a search warrant and show up at the suspect's house. They walk around, touching all their stuff, and making really inflammatory comments like "Is this a picture of your wife? Man, she looks good here. She looks like she's about to cheat on you or something." Then the guy flips out and hits the cop and they can then arrest him for assault on an officer. That's the kind of mind game Bellzibub loves to play. He torments the other team's players within the rules and then waits for the unnecessary roughness penalties to roll in (which they did).
It doesn't sound like something that would really have that much affect on the game itself. But it does sound incredibly rude and disrespectful.
I wasn't implying that it had anything to do with the Chargers losing. Rather it ruins a great part of the game for the fans of the HOME team.
--Belichick uses the rules against opponents. He knows every conceivable detail, with in the rules, of how to win.
In a league where players are fined for having their socks to high, I find it hard to believe that running across the field during another team's introductions is within the rules. However, it could just be a case that it isn't expressly forbidden so Belichick would do it. Which all goes back to my first point that if the NFL is really concerned about the fan experience than they should make a point to ensure this type of thing doesn't happen. (By the way, if the Jets did the same thing, I wouldn't condone it or call it gamesmanship, I would be disappointed in Mangini)
NO, Peyton will take care of that personally. We, as Jets fans really really really need Peyton to win this one. Look at this site. It's overrun with Pats posters and Pats subjects. As all message board posters know, should the Pats lose almost every one of them will disappear. Only the ones that were here before will remain. Nothing personal, IBWT. Think of it as a Red Sox fan after the 2000 World Series. That's kinda where the Jets fan is right now. We're in Patriot hell and we need Peyton and Co. to come through for us. Two more weeks of this and in the words of Martin Luther King.."We may not make it there with you"
I completely understand that. I was responding to the poster who made it seem like the NFL needs to establish rules to ensure the Patriots don't win. They already tried to do that when the Colts cried about the contact that was made within the rulebook in 03.
No one said that. The point was that the NFL needs to implement rules to make the fan experience better. If the Pats can't win without storming on the field during the opposing team's introductions, then they don't deserve to win.
Fair enough. But the introductions aren't really under "jurisdiction" of the NFL. That is more the stadium's business.
Jurisdiction? If the NFL wants to make rules about pre-game introductions, it is well within its "jurisdiction" to do so.
You are making zero sense. I already stated that the Pats actions didn't affect the game, so are you implying that it did and if the couldn't run out when the wanted to they wouldn't win the game?
Huh? I don't follow you there. Where did I imply the Pats wouldn't win the game if they couldnt run out when they did?
I'm not so sure about that. I mean what is there in the NFL rulebook these days about pre game introductions?
Nothing. So, because there is no current rule that means the NFL can't make one? Gimme a break. The NFL could definitely make a pre-game introduction rule if it wanted to.
It is part of an NFL-sanctioned event, they can make whatever rule about it they want. There just isn't one in place because I guess they never envisioned something so ridiculous as an opposing team doing something like that. But Belichick would garotte his own mother to win a few more rings, so I am not surprised.
