Media spin on Pats qualifies as fawning

I feel compelled to present the other side to Andrew Neff’s drippy article (BDN, Jan. 9): “Willingness to do any job.” Patriot fans up here are a very nice bunch who love their team, (rightly so!) but this official pabulum served up every day now in the press truly qualifies as fawning.

The Patriots’ front office and staff are playing a sick game, not the fun, lighthearted thing football should be. Does the writer know of the official “spin doctors” in Foxborough, whose only job is to make sure the press reports the “dire” injury status, week by week? That they report on how virtuous and closed-mouthed the players are?

Coach Bill Belichick’s players aren’t “allowed” to answer any questions about their injuries. They aren’t “allowed” to ever speak their minds or answer any but the most carefully scripted questions with scripted answers. It’s ugly to see.

The press is fed stories about how decimated the Patriots team is, but every other team in the league plays with exactly the same injuries. These Patriots have never had to play one down without their MVP quarterback. Everyone agrees their quarterback is the best in the league, but every week he screams about being disrespected, even insulting and chastising another team’s head coach for saying anything nice about the Pats.

The press has “discovered” how unselfish the Pats are for playing different positions: Well, all around the league quarterbacks block sometimes, defensive players catch passes sometimes, but this is official Patriot spin: The Patriots are more self-sacrificing than you.

The official policy is “win at all costs,” which may not sound bad, but it is. The exact reasons that make the Red Sox such a loveable bunch of knuckleheads makes what the Patriots are doing so ugly. The Sox play the game hard, but they are a colorful, “human” bunch of characters.

Sure, the Pats have three Super Bowls, but when football’s not about having “fun,” what’s the point? We “destroyed” the enemy? We “humiliated” them? We forced them to “respect” us? Come on, don’t play into this PR. They’re the best team, that’s all. As they say, just “leave it on the field.”

John Picone

Bangor

Note to readers: The NEWS reserves the right to edit submissions for libel, taste, clarity, and to fit available space. Letters should include a signature, full name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters may be mailed to: P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402, or e-mailed: bdnsports@bangordailynews.net