A Football Life: Cleveland '95

[NEPatriots]

I just finished watching it.
Didn't want to continue discussing it in the Presidential Debate thread and thought it could potentially get messy.

Blast Furnace.

I was only 15 years old at the time and while my buddies and I watched the NFL pretty religiously I just don't remember the Browns for some reason being on the verge of a Superbowl, but I suppose teams that `might` make it are forgotten as the years go by.

But I learned a lot.

I had no idea the extent to which the Baltimore Ravens were essentially Bill Belichick's bastard child. That gives me sort of an uneasy feeling. According to everyone who was a part of the Ravens organization the year they won the Superbowl, it sounds like Belichick may as well have been awarded a defacto Superbowl ring for their team winning.

That.... really.... sucks.

The entire success of the Ravens organization belongs to Bill Belichick.
"Bastard child" seems about as accurate a term as you can get to describe the situation. I hate the Ravens even more now than I did two hours ago and I didn't know that was possible.

And to think... the Dynasty, the Superbowls, the wins, the organization, the lasting legacy of success that will now guarantee the Patriots continue for years and years as one of the most competitive football teams in the NFL, taking its seat at the table with all the classic teams with a lasting tradition of success...

...That could have all been for the Browns had Art not ripped the heart out of Cleveland.

This was probably the best episode of A Football Life i've ever seen.

I was expecting a sympathy story for Art to try and lay the groundwork for snaking him into the Hall of Fame but it was more about a Cleveland and the genius of Bill Belichick.

[NEPatriots]

This also made me despise Mangini even more.
What a lowly back stabber.

If there was such a thing as football hell, this worm would have to spend all eternity slithering on his fat belly through it for all eternity.

[tony hipchest]

i think you feign disgust in a veiled attempt to flatter yourself.

there arent any belichick fingerprints on that 2000 lombardi.

however the ravens didnt do jack shit before or after marvin lewis and rod woodson, so lets just call it the steelers bastard ring.

neither of those 2 had anything to do with belichick.

truth be told, brian billick was regarded as one of the brightest offensive minds in football when he was hired. while his offense sucked, he proved what he could do in minnesota.

ozzie newsome deserves most of the credit for the ravens success. he is the one who has assembled that team and kept them relevant. shannon sharpe deserves credit for keeping that offense afloat. ray lewis deserves it for single handedly defeating the titans and leading that team for many years after.

none of those people have anything to do with 'chick.

another 60 minute NFL films flick ball washing belichick cant erase 16+ years of history us AFC central?north fans have witnessed and lived.

thats all the latest installment of "a football life" was. roger goodell trying to shove bills dick even further down his throat.

[NEPatriots]

I think with the sudden glaring weaknesses of Rex Ryan, last year Andy Reid, others, and now Tomlin, you can't deny Belichick. You see there's a big difference between someone who knows some football who gets a job and a true first ballot Hall of Famer.

There are few real football visionaries in the league. Some coaches (Rex and perhaps Tomlin) ride the creations of others, knowing something about X's and O's, but fizzle out when their chickens come home to roast.

The Patriots have been a sure bet Superbowl contenders for OVER a decade now. This hasn't been just one year or a short run of years - this has been multiple teams and multiple systems over the course of 13 years. This isn't falling into 9-7 seasons and squeeking into the play offs with no hope. This is real, sustained dominance.

Belichick with ten complete seasons with Brady as a starter quarterback has five Superbowl appearances in ten seasons.

This is with a team he constantly reinvents, has a constantly changing roster for, a constantly changing offense and defensive system and play style.

New England is blessed to have him. Those coaches don't come along often..

[tony hipchest]

tomlin has more superbowl appearances and victorys at this stage of his life in head coaching career than belichick did his.

through 8 years as a HEAD COACH belichick had 1 sb appearance and 1 victory. through 5 years tomlin has 2 superbowl appearances and 1 victory.

going by the standards you set in your own post, marv levy is just as good, being able to send a great team to the champ game more than 2 years in a row (lets see chick do that with frank reich) and joe gibbs is even better being able to win 3 champs with 3 different qb's (lets see 'chick do that with jay schroeder or mark rypien).

none of the aforementioned coaches needed the "tuck rule" or "spygate" to help them out.

try again, pattycake.

(nice win in seattle... "Chokeless in Seattle")

i must "deny" your boy bill. 3 losses in 6 games seems like a sudden glaring weaknesses (thats even with your main weapon hernandez back. what gives?

[Bayz101]

What's that? Smells like somethings burning....OH! It's the Pats fans ASS!

[MACH1]

Originally Posted by Bayz101

What's that? Smells like somethings burning....OH! It's the Pats fans ASS!

I thought it was their secondary.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by MACH1

I thought it was their secondary.

CB richard sherman is clowning brady on twitter. i guess brady told them to come see him after the game when he defeated them....

https://twitter.com/RSherman_25/stat...004161/photo/1

the pics are hilarious.

Richard Sherman‏@RSherman_25

Patriots fans mad lol... Talking bout Super Bowl rings.... What have u done lately? Oh ur 3-3 lol

[NEPatriots]

Well, the Seahawks won their Superbowl. Gatorade baths for everyone.

I'm not going to say that that wasn't a really demoralizing loss.

Anyone who watched the game saw that it was perfectly within the Patriots power to leave Seattle with 40 points wrapped around the best defense in the league. It could have been a great statement.

Instead we got some of the worst situational football I've ever seen in the Belichick era.

We've now lost 3 games by a grand total of 4 points.
2 point loss to Arizona. 1 point loss to Baltimore. 1 point loss to Seattle.

I could say a lot about yesterday's game but I said my peace on patsfans.com yesterday and now i'm mentally drained of it.

All I know is it could be worse. I still believe in this Patriots 2012 team. We still have the most dynamic, best performing offense in the league. We have play makers on defense despite our atrocious secondary that honestly disgusts me.

We can still turn this around and take the AFC Championship.

[NEPatriots]

Despite being 3-3, I just dont see any reason why I should be trembling at the thought of seeing Houston or Baltimore in the post season.

Baltimore lost to the Eagles, barely beat the 1-5 Browns, couldn't score a single TD against Kansas City, needed a punt return and a Dallas implosion to beat the Cowgirls, and now lost two of their most important defensive players.

Houston sucked against the Jets and got smoked by the very mediocre Packers.

It could be worse for New England. I don't like where we're at.

But i'm not scared by it either.