RAY RICE VIDEOTAPE CHANGING A CULTURE

Without the videotape, Ray Rice would be back in the NFL as if nothing ever happened.

Without the videotape, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy, and Jonathan Dwyer would actually be
earning their paychecks instead of collecting them as they prepare to defend themselves in
court

Without the videotape, an entire sports culture would probably still get to hide behind the
entire "due process" curtain and allow their stars to compete while they await try to defend
themselves against acts that are indefensible.

Without it, just about every league, governing body, and college coach in the country would
probably still be coddling and protecting it's players.

That doesn't appear to be happening anymore. This videotape has fallen in line behind
the one of Rodney King getting clubbed by L.A. cops in 1991 in terms of impact on
our society. Ray Rice became a  household name and that videotape has morphed into
a moral compass to which league's now gauge their players by.

The videotape capturing Rice cold-cocking his wife in an elevator is that powerful
and continues to gain strength. As soon as it the shock wore off and the pressure to act
mounted, team's got a little bolder and stood up to their stars. Rice got cut and all eyes
shifted to other team's who had players in trouble with the law. The Vikings suspended
Peterson, the Carolina Panthers did the same with Hardy. The Arizona Cardinals followed
suit and put Dwyer on ice after he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend.

As hard as it was for NFL teams to write monster game checks to players who weren't
playing, they did the right thing. They sent a message that money and winning was
taking a backseat, or sitting on the console at least, to character and good behavior.

The Miami Dolphins suspended defensive end Derrick Shelby after he got arrested
over the weekend and the Denver Broncos cut kicker Matt Prater after he returned
from a four-game suspension for violating the NFL' s substance abuse policy.

We rarely ever heard players "suspended indefinitely" before the Ray Rice videotape
emerged. Heck,even Rice was serving just a two-game suspension before it came out.

The videotape and the outrage that came as a result of it, finally forced other leaders
to open their eyes and get a clue. USA Swimming did nothing when Michael Phelps
was arrested for driving under the influence in 2004, but when the sport's biggest star
became a repeat offender last week, he was suspended for six months.

The governing body of USA is like your high school's sports council, it's there but
doesn't really do much. Whether it was because of the videotape and subsequent
actions of the NFL or their moral compass is just pointing north right now, USA
Swimming did the right thing by sending a message to Phelps and others that no
matter how big of a star you are, you will pay for it if you fail to represent the
sport in a proper way.

Let's face it, college and professional athletes have gotten away with things most
others in society don't. They have long been protected by coaches, colleges, and
even, in some cases, by cops. It has gone on for a long time. But that culture seems
to be changing no matter who you are, and that's a good thing.

The disgusting and reprehensible acts have been tolerated far too long and probably
would've continued if that Ray Rice videotaped hadn't been released.

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FANS, MEDIA PUT THE 'OVER' IN OVERREACTING

The fans and media contingent in New England sure put the 'over' in overreacting, didn't
they? The Patriots get embarrassed on a Monday night and they spew vitriol and anger as
if the team stole their entire life savings instead of losing the fourth game of the regular
season

The Patriots didn't embarrass themselves nearly as bad as the fans and media did for
their reaction to the team's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Funniest headline I read questioned the head coach and architect of the team, "In Bill
We Trust?" Seriously?  Bill Belichick sends the Patriots to the Super Bowl five times
in 12 years, winning three of them, and the media makes like Rich Kotite is running the
program.

Criticizing the Hoodie for one horrific loss is akin to mocking Warren Buffet for an
investment that he totally whiffed on. They both have portfolios with an abundance of
riches and people are going to unleash an avalanche of criticisms because they had a
bad moment? That's laughable.

The so-called 'experts' in the media thought they were going to rip the Hoodie because
he allegedly hasn't provided Tom Brady enough weapons to work with. They say he can't
draft, can't evaluate, and can't coach and construct a team at the same time. Hello?

Who the heck put those teams together that won three Super Bowls and who exactly
has done it better? Bill Polian? Please. He showered Peyton Manning with offensive
gifts like Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, and Edgerrin James and how
many Super Bowls did the Colts win? One. For all his records and stats, Manning
and Polian have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy just once.  How many times have
Belichick and Brady done it? Right, three times.

It's amazing how a fan base that has such long memories who've held onto the
bad memories of the Babe Ruth trade, ball through Buckner's legs, and the Bruins
having too many men on the ice FOREVER!, can't remember what Brady and
Belichick have done for this franchise and region since 2001. It's shocking, really.

Boston fans have seen Brady morph from a sixth-round draft pick to Hall of Famer
right before their very eyes. After the Kansas City game, they made him out to
be the second coming of Geno Smith. Good, grief. He's effin' Tom Brady, one
of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game and the fans and media were
dumping on him like he was Bobby Valentine.

Something I have yet to figure out: What were the fans and media watching over
the last 12 years with this franchise? This is a model franchise that's weathered
adversity and stiff-armed negativity better than any team in sports and has been
wildly successful. And they didn't see Sunday night coming? Thumping the Bengals
was totally expected. That's how Brady and Belichick have always responded after
a heaping of criticism.

And suddenly, that media contingent and fan base who think they can construct
a franchise better than Belichick and play quarterback better than Brady, has gone
radio silent. Who is going to be bold enough to say Brady is in serious decline
and Belichick can't put together a team now? Oh, that's right, EVERYONE can
dump on the Patriots because it's the thing to do, but NOBODY can criticize
the team now because it's not.

Why can't the region appreciate greatness of Belichick and Brady. Why can't they
just take the bad with all the good they've provided the region and say, "It's cool.
We have two of the greatest minds and performers in the history of the game. They
will figure it out. They always have."

Why can't the region just appreciate the talents of two men whose talents will never
be seen again in the NFL or Foxboro again? They are better than Walsh/Montana,
Marino/Shula (Oh, yeah, how many Super Bowls did Marino win? Zero. Which
is not quite as good as three.) and Bradshaw/Noll.

Why can't the region just enjoy the ride and be happy they live in New England
and not Cleveland or Jacksonville where an 8-8 season is considered a miracle.
Would you rather have Johnny Football than Tom Brady? Mike Pettine instead
of Bill Belichick?

I don't know why I ask the questions when I already know the answers. The region
can't be happy with greatness because they want more than that every day of
every year. They expect it, which is fine.  But don't go over-the-top with your
overreaction of the Patriots, Belichick, and Brady. It's silly and makes you look
bad.

It's embarrassing for a fan base and media contingent that prides theirselves 
on being blessed with terrific knowledge, it's just ridiculous. Flat-out ridiculous.

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DEAR NEW ENGLAND PATRIOT FANS.....

Dear New England Patriot Fans:

The only thing more embarrassing than your team's performance in last Monday
night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs was your reaction to it. The vitriol
and  criticism you spewed upon the team was not only stunning, but ridiculous
and classless.

You acted like you've been living in Cleveland and had to painfully endure
watching the Browns instead of riding an incredible wave of success few
franchises have  ever experienced. Since 2001, your team has been to five Super
Bowls and captured the Lombardi Trophy three times.  I realize you haven't been
to the big  game since 2005 but you've played in it twice since then. Imagine if
you lived in Jacksonville and had to watch the Jaguars. 

Tom Brady had a bad performance and you dump on him like he's Geno Smith.
Good, grief. You've had the pleasure of watch him morph from sixth-round draft
pick to Hall of Famer right before your very eyes, yet, those same eyes tell you
that he's finished as an elite quarterback? That's just pathetic. If you think he's
done as an elite quarterback, then you're not the smart and savvy fans I thought
you were.

Derek Jeter showed a noticeable decline in his last few years and his fans still
showed him incredible respect and loyalty. Where is yours for Tom Brady? Don't
you think he deserves it?

It's amazing how you admire Bill Belichick when the team wins, but when it
gets embarrassed like it did against the Chiefs, he turns into the anti-Christ and
a man who gets outcoached and suddenly doesn't  know how to construct a team.
You must've have forgotten about the five he put together that made it all the way
to the Super Bowl. He must've done something right, right?

For all his great moves and football acumen, how many Super Bowls did Bill
Polian win? He showered Peyton Manning with all kinds of greats weapons and
they won the big game how many times? Yes, just once. In all his years building
teams in Buffalo, Carolina, and Indianapolis, Polian only has one Lombardi
Trophy to his credit. Belichick has how many? That's right, three.

Yeah, he can be a sore loser and act like a total jerk in his press conferences,
but so what? He's not getting paid to offer up information or give great quotes
just to make the media happy.

Patriot fans, you should be incredible grateful for the incredible run of great
football the team has given you. 11 straight seasons of 10 or more victories is
an amazing accomplishment. You will never see a coaching/quarterback
combination like Belichick and Brady. They've been better than Walsh/Montana,
Shula/Marino, Noll/Bradshaw, and anybody with John Elway.

And you jump ship and complain after one friggin' loss in September? You think
Brady is done because he looked like Ryan Mallet for a night? Think again. He's
far from done, same goes for the rest of the team. Remember when many of the
so-called experts were picking the Patriots to go to the Super Bowl a month ago?
Sorry, but they didn't all of a sudden become a bottom-feeding team. Give me
a break.

Go ahead and keep criticizing the team if that makes you feel good. You should
feel good about what this team has given you, but I guess in this, what-have-you-done
for-me-lately-world that we live in, the Patriots have done nothing.

I'm just wondering how you're going to feel after the Patriots thump the
undefeated Bengals on Sunday night.

Sincerely,
Paul Devlin

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BIG, RANDOM THOUGHTS

Man, Charlie Weis sure has it figured it out, doesn't he? Oh, he can't coach, but he
sure knows how to collect big-fat buyouts. After getting the boot at Notre Dame,
the Fighting Irish gave him a $19 million check to go away. Weis got canned at Kansas
but walks away with $5 million not coach. Great work if you can get it.

It's rather fitting that Michigan plays Rutgers on Saturday. With all the bumbling and
fumbling of their athletic departments over the last year, this game should be titled the
"PoulanWeedeater Inept Bowl".

Can't wait to hear what Ray Lewis has to say on Sunday's "NFL Countdown". I'm not
sure the best translator at the United Nations can figure out what the hell comes out of
the mouth of the former Ravens linebacker and cover-up expert.

Gotta love the Kansas City Royals. I can't name five guys on the team but they have
great heart and it's fun watching them beat the best and highest-paid team in baseball
in the Angels.

Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants is the best manager in the game, bar none.

I'm wondering how all those Patriots fans who jumped shipped on the team after
they were embarrassed by the Chiefs, are going to feel after Tom Brady and company
smoke the Bengals on Monday night.

Seeing Derek Jeter pimping a website on the "Today" show a couple of days after
his storybook ending of a brilliant ending seemed a little cheap and sleazy to me.
A website? Really?

Josh Brent flew under the radar when he returned to the Dallas Cowboys after spending
nearly five months in prison for getting all drunk and killing a teammate in a car
accident. This guy kills a man and he gets to return to play in the NFL? Nice.

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DEAR PATRIOTS FANS: QUIT CRYING

It's long been said that Boston fans aren't truly happy unless they're miserable. They bitch,
moan, whine, and complain---and that's when their teams are winning. Now that the Patriots
appear to be in decline, the fan base is frothing at the mouth and taking delight in ripping
everything about the team. Yep, they are taking shots at Bill Belichick and Tom Brady as
if they are Rex Ryan and Geno Smith.

Classic.

One miserable game on a Monday night is making the fan base feel like they've been
living in Jacksonsville and rooting for the Jaguars over the last 10 years. An embarrassing
performance by the Patriots and everybody's jumping off a ship that's hauled in a
treasure chest of victories, Super Bowl wins, and more unforgettable moments than
they can count.

These are the same fans who cry about loyalty and commitment when Jacoby Elsbury,
Johnny Damon, and Wade Boggs bolt Boston for greener pastures in New York. Anyone
who leaves town to play somewhere else is a fraud, sell-out, and greedy. Yet, when
the Patriots win just two of their first four games, they get greedy and want more and
want it now. When Brady has a bad game, they forget about how truly great he's been
and start writing his football obituary. Belichick? Yep, he's miserable, rude, and now as
incompetent of a coach as Rich Kotite.

One humiliating loss has turned every columnist and sports radio hack into experts who
think they can coach better than Vince Lombardi, construct a team more efficiently than
Bill Polian, and evaluate talent with the eye of Ernie Accorsi. What was the Patriots
record in September? 2-2? Holy cow, why hasn't Belichick been fired yet?

In the famous words of Bill Parcells, "you are what your record says you are." The
Patriots record is pretty damn good with Belichick steering the ship, right? He's 165-63
with the team. 51-13 over the last four years. He does have a little bit of a clue what
he's doing.

Sure, he's made some big mistakes in his draft and failing to comfort Brady with great
talent like the Colts and Broncos did for Peyton Manning. But how many Super Bowls
have they won with all of it? Oh, just one, really? Wow. Polian and Elway should be
considered failures, too.

We should all know by now that drafting and evaluating talent is an inexact science.
Nobody has figured out a fool-proof way to select or sign the right players. Heck, Boston
fans should know all about this. Theo Epstein signed guys like Carl Crawford, Julio
Lugo, Matt Clement, Edgar Renteria, J.D. Drew, and Dice-K. He didn't exactly hit
home runs with those, did he?

Belichick has missed on a lot of players, too. He's drafted poorly and failed to give
Brady great players around him. It happens.

Blow-outs happen, too. Even to the Patriots. This team doesn't have a wealth of talent
like they did during their dynasty. Bruschi, Vrabel, McGinnest, Law, Seymour, Brown,
and Brady were part of an incredible era of great talent. The Patriots hit it big with
those guys. That's how the draft and free-agency goes. Sometimes you strike oil,
other times you just whiff.

The humiliating game in Kansas City counts as just one loss. Nothing more. It's over
and as Belichick says, the Patriots are "on to Cincinnati." Grade the Patriots on their
full body of work, not just one horrific game.

And for crying out loud, show some loyalty and appreciation for what this team
has given you. You'll never see another quarterback like Brady and a coach like Belichick.
There's also a good chance you won't win three Super Bowls in a four year period.

Fans in New England are smart enough to realize the team doesn't have great talent,
but they should also know and be thankful, they don't live in Jacksonville, Cleveland,
or St. Louis, then they would have something to really complain about.

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THE BEAUTY IN BELICHICK'S UGLINESS

Rude, arrogant, ornery, grumpy, classless, sore loser and a prick. Yep, Bill Belichick
has been called all those and a few other choice words over the years. The head coach
of the New England Patriots has also been referred to as a genius once or twice during
his brilliant career, but when it comes to handling the media, he can get ugly, real ugly.
And sometimes, that can be a beautiful thing.

During Wednesday's press conference the Hoodie emitted some serious repellant to
all those journalists who wanted to re-hash Monday night's massacre,  criticize Tom
Brady, and bury Belichick for giving his franchise quarterback a bunch of receivers
who are has been's, never heard of's, and never will be's.

Nearly every question he received was returned with nearly the same answer
accompanied with the emotion of a mortician.

"We're moving on to Cincinnati."

But Bill, do you think you have given Tom Brady enough offensive weapons to
work with?

"We're moving on to Cincinnati."

It was classic Belichick. Five questions about everything but Cincinnati were
answered with a "we're moving on to Cincinnati." Whether it's SpyGate or the
K.O. in K.C., nobody can stiff arm the media like the Hoodie and he knows it.
He takes as much pride in it as Jim Brown did when he bulldozed opponents
and the media during his amazing career with the Cleveland Browns.

In his 13-plus years in New England, very few members of the media have tried to
challenge Belichick and when they do, they  either get a "it is what it is" or like on
Wednesday, a "we're moving onto Cincinnati" which became the theme of not only
the day, but the week.

Belichick  has the personality of the Grinch after he loses and it's not much
better after a win. He just detests the media. It was that way in Cleveland and it
didn't change much when he got to New England. You get the feeling Belichick
would rather undergo eight hours of waterboarding torture than show up to talk
to the media. He hates it that much, but he certainly knows how to defuse and
use it to his advantage.

I covered the Patriots nearly every day for two years and it became common
knowledge that everything Belichick says in his press conference is received loud
and clear by his players and they usually repeat what the head coach says during
their sessions with the media.

I'm sure if you edited down every interview with the players Wednesday, you
could make quite an  entertaining reel titled, "We're moving on to Cincinnati."

Belichick doesn't care what the media or anyone else thinks. He doesn't care about
the nasty things people say about him. He doesn't care what the media writes about
him, either. He knows he's not getting paid or measured by how he acts with the
media. He doesn't care about popularity contests or "trending" on Twitter.

Belichick is almost always surly but he repels negativity better than any coach in
the game. He knows the way he acted and what he said on Wednesday will be fodder
for all the talk shows, columnists, and social media network. Everybody will be
talking about and criticizing him instead of Brady and the rest of his teammates.
He gave the media absolutely nothing to write and talk about but his surly demeanor
and uncooperative behavior.

That's just another stroke of his genius. There is a method to all of his madness.

Sure, you can talk about his bad draft picks and lack of  offensive weapons for his
franchise quarterbacks. He won't lose sleep over it. Neither should any Patriots fan.
As Bill Parcells famously said, "You are what your record says you are."

11 straight seasons with 10 or more wins, five Super Bowl appearances with three
victories, and a 51-13 record in the last four years. Now, what is wrong with Belichick
again?

All this negativity around the Patriots and Tom Brady is quite comical. One loss and
the sky is falling all around New England. That's in Belichick's rearview mirror and he's
just making sure it's in the player's one, too.

After all, they're "moving on to to Cincinnati."

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TOM BRADY GETTING BUCKET TREATMENT

Everybody is dumping on Tom Brady after Monday night's massacre in Kansas City

Rodney Harrison says his former teammate 'looks scared to death' in the pocket.

Tedy Bruschi explains that Brady is 'no longer an elite quarterback.'

The sports talk radio experts who never threw a pass, played a down, or so much as
broke a sweat, say that Brady is a step slower and has lost some velocity off his fastball.

With everybody dumping on the Patriots quarterback this is starting to look like the Ice
Bucket Challenge all over again. It's like everybody is trying to outdo each other to see
how badly they can drench the golden boy quarterback with the near perfect life.

This is comical.

We really shouldn't be surprised at the attacks on Brady's performance should we? As
Derek Jeter was putting the final touches on a brilliant 20-year masterpiece, all the critics
and the sabrematicians tried to point out that Jeter was overrated and not worthy of
all the attention he was getting. 3,400 hits and five World Series rings is enough for me

When Peyton Manning retires it's inevitable that'll he'll get the same kind of treatment.
The critics will say for all his talent and records, he won only one single Super Bowl.

It's long been said that the media builds athletes up only to tear them down. They are
now obsessed with trying to dent Tom Brady's shining armor.

The three Super Bowl titles, two MVP's, and the best winning percentage among
quarterbacks are in the past now that Brady had one of the worst performances of his
career.

Brady is 37-years old and according to the experts, he is declining right before our
very eyes. Oh, they're not exactly going out on a limb, since most athletes who reach
that age are not as good, not as fast, and not as durable as they once were.

My suggestion is from a page taken out of the book of Aaron Rodgers: R-E-L-A-X.
Packers Nation was on edge after the team started 1-2 and Rodgers was struggling.
The former NFL MVP then went out and torched the Chicago Bears for four touchdowns
and everything is right again in Green Bay.

I realize Brady is longer in the tooth than Rodgers who is still considered to be the
best quarterback in the league despite his slow start. But he is smart, resilient, and
still talented enough to get the job done.

He has always gotten the job done hasn't he? For some reason, Bill Belichick has
never surrounded Brady the same way the Colts and Broncos comforted Manning
with great receivers. yet Brady has always excelled with never heard of's, has been's,
and never will be's. It's nothing short of remarkable, really.

Brady has made Belichick, Josh McDaniels, Bill O'Brien, and Charlie Weis not only
look good, but very, very rich. Brady's also helped Robert Kraft increase the value
of his franchise to over two billion dollars. Yeah, Brady has been that good working
with very little.

Patriots fans should remember that and shouldn't forget how Brady ALWAYS
bounced back from un-Brady-like performances. He is focused, driven, and a man
of tremendous pride. The fire inside of his still burns brightly and one terrible game
won't define him this year. Most of all, he is a great, great leader and that shouldn't
be underestimated.

Manning's had terrible games, too. So did Elway, Montana, Marino, and Bradshaw.
It happens. This is just a blip in Brady's Hall of Fame career. It was a nightmare
game for Brady and the Patriots, but it is just one game.

So, to the Patriots nation and all the experts, do what Aaron Rodgers told everyone
to do: R-E-L-A-X. After all the Patriots quarterback is still Tom Brady and as you
will see on Sunday night against Cincinnati, that will still mean something.

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