Asterisk? No Way, Say NFL Players

From Peter King's MMQB column:

• History will judge Bill Belichick more harshly than it judges the Patriots. A shame, really, because it will taint the legacy of one of the great coaches of all time. Walsh said something interesting on HBO that I thought was of value. "Just saying that the rules were misinterpreted isn't enough of an apology or reasoning for what was done,'' he told Andrea Kremer. "We live, you know, in a very forgiving nation. If you come out and you admit a mistake you made or something you did that you shouldn't have done, people are usually very forgiving of that.''

I just don't think most people outside of Patriot Nation buy what Belichick is selling. Now, I've talked to eight opposing players and coaches in the last few days about the story, and most say the Patriots deserve everything they've earned on the field. Said Chargers defensive lineman Luis Castillo: "I'd never, not for one second, put an asterisk next to what they've accomplished. This game can't be planned or orchestrated just because you might know what our defense is going to do on a particular play. Would it help? Of course. But it takes a lot more than that to win any games, and to win a Super Bowl.''

Said Denver quarterback Jay Cutler: "People are going to doubt them, but they're no fluke. Not at all.''

Said Dilfer: "I don't take one thing away from them. Not at all. I'd have zero bitterness toward them as an opposing player. The Patriots have been the best-coached, most-talented team of this era, and they deserve to be thought of that way.''

The only tinge of negativity came from Ronde Barber. "They're still a great football team,'' he told me, "but they're a lot better with an ace up their sleeve.''

The football world -- and certainly, its fans -- would have been far more sympathetic to Belichick had he come clean immediately after the story broke last fall.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/05/16/mmqb/index.html

I'm most surprised by Castillo's remarks. I've come to view the Chargers as the league's biggest whiners and crybabies, and would have expected them to lead the crusade against the Pats. Not only that but he makes the most sense too.

 

that is crazy

 

heck the patriots.

 

Vic Ketchman for President.

arty2:

 

Maybe it's because they're all in the same boat and something like this could happen to them too.
Some kind of corporatism. :redface:

 

Interesting theory. Personally, I just think that they realize that kind of thing can't have a huge effect on the game. Would the games have gone different if they hadn't taped signals? Possibly, but the result would have been the same.

With the recent history between the Patriots and Chargers, I'm surprised Castillo would say that as well.

My view: If Barry Bonds doesn't get an asterisk, NOBODY should get one.

 

I think burnout and DoubleC are both right. it's probably a decent helping of both scenarios.

 

Chargers whine is mostly just their QB, so to be surprised one player of the team would say something is kinda dumb because a player is not his team. Plus, as far as rivalry, its not the begrudging feeling opposing fans have. With the way players bounce around team to team and all coming from a handful of schools, you are just as likely to dislike your team mates than another team.

 

It's NOT restricted to just Rivers. Not by a longshot. LT? Ohlshansky? Merriman? Please. Kleenix should be the official team sponser.

 

Rivers is a homo. I hate him.

 

The whole team whines!

 

back on topic, to the patriots being cheaters:

 

:laughy32:

Way to keep the thread in line bizell!!!

 

and liars.

 

cheaters liars and lowlifes. their legacy is in question forever!!:icon_cry:

 

:yeahthat:

I'll give em an aterisk right here!!! P*Tcheats!!! FREAKING CHEATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cuss:

 

http://www.rodipedia.org/rod.php?title=Tom_Brady

 

Wow. What flaming group of homos decided to come up with "rodapedia?" And you might be just as gay for going and looking for it.

 

Yeah, I went and looked for it. I stumbled it. What's with you, I thought you liked the Vikings?

 

Yup, thanks to one man, Bill Belichick.