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Malcolm Butler??? Missed Team Flight

BigBlueDownTheShore : 2/5/2018 11:37 am
is the rumor going around for why he was benched.

He must have done something really bad during the week to get benched the entire game.
He reportedly  
ajr2456 : 2/5/2018 11:42 am : link
practice all week with the first team and nobody knew until right before game time, so that wouldn't make sense.
RE: He reportedly  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 2/5/2018 11:44 am : link
In comment 13821834 ajr2456 said:
Quote:
practice all week with the first team and nobody knew until right before game time, so that wouldn't make sense.


Said he was told he didn't fit into the game plan 15 minutes before the game.

Strange seeing that he played 98% of the team defensive snaps.
I think the whole defense missed the flight  
SLIM_ : 2/5/2018 11:47 am : link
What was that?
Pitchforks coming out for Belichick after this one  
mfsd : 2/5/2018 11:49 am : link
going to be an interesting offseason in New England
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Saw some reports  
jeff57 : 2/5/2018 11:50 am : link
that he may have been the source for some of the stories about team dissension. And that Kraft and Belichick repaid him by cutting their nose off to spite their face.
Very strange,  
Keith : 2/5/2018 11:50 am : link
but BB made it clear that it was a football decision, not disciplinary. Why would he lie?
RE: Very strange,  
jeff57 : 2/5/2018 11:51 am : link
In comment 13821861 Keith said:
Quote:
but BB made it clear that it was a football decision, not disciplinary. Why would he lie?


Why wouldn't he?
If it was purely a football decision  
mfsd : 2/5/2018 11:53 am : link
does anyone really think he’d practice all week, then be told he’s benched minutes before kickoff?
RE: If it was purely a football decision  
jeff57 : 2/5/2018 11:56 am : link
In comment 13821874 mfsd said:
Quote:
does anyone really think he’d practice all week, then be told he’s benched minutes before kickoff?


Exactly. There's something more here. And I don't think it was a missed flight.
Heard on ESPN radio  
Giant John : 2/5/2018 11:58 am : link
He was in the hospital day of travel.
RE: Very strange,  
pjcas18 : 2/5/2018 12:00 pm : link
In comment 13821861 Keith said:
Quote:
but BB made it clear that it was a football decision, not disciplinary. Why would he lie?


to him it's probably all "football decisions."

and he feels like he owes neither the media or fans any explanation for his decisions.

BB Head Scratcher  
clarkie02360 : 2/5/2018 12:01 pm : link
There has to be something to this. Rowe vs Butler not even close talent wise. And when in nickel to have a safety cover the slot was crazy with Butler on the bench. I'm not sure if it would have changed the result but after the secondary being torched in the first half you would think the greatest defensive mind in the history of football would have tried Butler in the nickel at least.
I watched a ton of the Pats this year  
Go Terps : 2/5/2018 12:02 pm : link
Malcolm Butler was pretty poor this year. I don't think his absence made any difference.
One obvious reason  
jvm52106 : 2/5/2018 12:03 pm : link
is if it is disciplinary then he could file a grievance with the Players Union. This way it is a done deal. Can't complain to Union that the team decided you were not the best player for the scheme that night.
Malcolm Butler was pretty poor this year.  
Torrag : 2/5/2018 12:04 pm : link
His replacement was below replacement level. And it cuts the bench bring the next worse player onto the field. Bad decision any way you cut it. If it was based on football.
RE: One obvious reason  
pjcas18 : 2/5/2018 12:06 pm : link
In comment 13821912 jvm52106 said:
Quote:
is if it is disciplinary then he could file a grievance with the Players Union. This way it is a done deal. Can't complain to Union that the team decided you were not the best player for the scheme that night.


He wasn't fined, he just didn't play on defense (he did plat ST's).

Can you really file a grievance to the league for being kept off the field on the defensive side of the ball for disciplinary (or any) reason?

seems like players would file grievances about playing time on a weekly basis.
RE: If it was purely a football decision  
GiantsLaw : 2/5/2018 12:17 pm : link
In comment 13821874 mfsd said:
Quote:
does anyone really think he’d practice all week, then be told he’s benched minutes before kickoff?

100% agree. Even if it was a football decision, why would he practice as a starter all week? If they wanted to run a different scheme as they claim, wouldn't it have made sense to, I don't know, practice the scheme?
Didnt they try to packate him into a  
Rory : 2/5/2018 12:33 pm : link
trade to Saints when trying to attain Brandin Cooks?
Twitter rumors  
Joey from GlenCove : 2/5/2018 1:24 pm : link
1. missed flight
2. got caught caught twice after curfew intoxicated
3. got caught with marijuana.
4. broke down to coaches

RUMORS of course
RE: RE: Very strange,  
bradshaw44 : 2/5/2018 1:49 pm : link
In comment 13821901 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
In comment 13821861 Keith said:


Quote:


but BB made it clear that it was a football decision, not disciplinary. Why would he lie?



to him it's probably all "football decisions."

and he feels like he owes neither the media or fans any explanation for his decisions.


Your rumor from the other thread seems to be looking on point. No other reason coaches don’t go to him the way the D was playing. They literally sacrificed a sixth Lombardi because of it. Crazy.
Seems that Bill made a little slip  
jeff57 : 2/5/2018 1:56 pm : link
Quote:
"I respect Malcolm's competitiveness, and I'm sure that he felt like he could have helped," Belichick said Monday. "I'm sure other players felt the same way. In the end, we have to make the decisions that we feel are best for the football team, and that's what we did, that's what I did."

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RE: RE: Very strange,  
Section331 : 2/5/2018 2:00 pm : link
In comment 13821901 pjcas18 said:
Quote:

to him it's probably all "football decisions."

and he feels like he owes neither the media or fans any explanation for his decisions.


Exactly. And he doesn't owe fans and media an explanation. Let's say it was a disciplinary move, most coaches would prefer to keep that in-house, between the player and his coaches. I think most players respect that.
Patriots may be the first team to lose a super bowl  
jeff57 : 2/5/2018 2:04 pm : link
because of spite.
RE: Seems that Bill made a little slip  
Gatorade Dunk : 2/5/2018 2:43 pm : link
In comment 13822333 jeff57 said:
Quote:


Quote:


"I respect Malcolm's competitiveness, and I'm sure that he felt like he could have helped," Belichick said Monday. "I'm sure other players felt the same way. In the end, we have to make the decisions that we feel are best for the football team, and that's what we did, that's what I did."


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What's the slip?
We did/I did  
jeff57 : 2/5/2018 2:50 pm : link
Kraft was involved in the decision.
This is why he didnt play:  
Dave in Hoboken : 2/5/2018 2:50 pm : link
Click link. Yikes.
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RE: This is why he didnt play:  
BigBlueShock : 2/5/2018 2:55 pm : link
In comment 13822440 Dave in Hoboken said:
Quote:
Click link. Yikes. Link - ( New Window )

Jeezus. That’s a bad week
RE: This is why he didnt play:  
jeff57 : 2/5/2018 2:57 pm : link
In comment 13822440 Dave in Hoboken said:
Quote:
Click link. Yikes. Link - ( New Window )


Could be true, but haven't seen any confirmation.
Ummm, you have to be  
jvm52106 : 2/5/2018 3:43 pm : link
an idiot of the highest order to do that crap before the biggest game of your season/career..
Belicheck is..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 2/5/2018 3:45 pm : link
a guy who consistently takes emotion out of the equation:

Quote:
Patriots may be the first team to lose a super bowl
jeff57 : 2:04 pm : link : reply
because of spite.


A vast majority of his success is owed to not clinging to past actions or legacies. My guess is that if Butler didn't play that spite is one of the last things going on, and it was likely disciplinary in nature, and BB will probably never give you the real story.

That's partially why he's so successful.
RE: Belicheck is..  
ajr2456 : 2/5/2018 4:49 pm : link
In comment 13822541 FatMan in Charlotte said:
Quote:
a guy who consistently takes emotion out of the equation:



Quote:


Patriots may be the first team to lose a super bowl
jeff57 : 2:04 pm : link : reply
because of spite.



A vast majority of his success is owed to not clinging to past actions or legacies. My guess is that if Butler didn't play that spite is one of the last things going on, and it was likely disciplinary in nature, and BB will probably never give you the real story.

That's partially why he's so successful.


Hasn't he traded guys out of spite?
well,  
Les in TO : 2/5/2018 4:50 pm : link
the drunkenness may have explained his emotions during the anthem. I don't think it was because Pink's rendition choked him up.
You guys believe this Chase Anderson?  
Doomster : 2/5/2018 9:21 pm : link
Who the hell is Chase Anderson?
RE: This is why he didnt play:  
Section331 : 2/5/2018 10:25 pm : link
In comment 13822440 Dave in Hoboken said:
Quote:
Click link. Yikes. Link - ( New Window )


OK, but who the fuck is Robot Dave’s?
This caused such a mess.  
St. Jimmy : 2/6/2018 4:39 am : link
Whatever happened threw the two weeks of preparation on defense out the window. It moved guys out of the position and roles they were set up to play. This was a huge break for the Eagles 10 minutes before kickoff.
It was likely disciplinary  
eclipz928 : 2/6/2018 6:48 am : link
if the goal was not to create a distraction for his team right before the game then keeping this under wraps all the way till the last minute would make sense. Announcing a suspension or benching would have created a media frenzy and maybe affected the other players.

That being said, there's other things more important than maintaining a "competitive advantage" - you have to treat players like they're human. Not being upfront with Butler before such a important day is a pretty screwed up thing to do to a person. Not to mention that it may have contributed to the loss.
At the hypothetical grievance meeting  
BigBlue in Keys : 2/6/2018 8:11 am : link

NFLPA: May I ask why you you benched Bulter?

BB: ……..For spite…

NFLPA: Spite?

BB: That’s right. I don’t care for how he prepared this week.

NFLPA: I don’t think you can bench a player for spite.

BB: What do you mean?

NFLPA: Well if there was some problem with the player. If it were unsatisfactory in some way,then we could do it for you, but I’m afraid spite doesn’t fit into any of our conditions for a benching.

BB: That’s ridiculous, I want to bench him. What’s the difference what the reason is.

NFLPA: You can’t bench a player based purely on spite.

BB:. Well So fine then .. it gives our team the best chance to win and then that’s why I benched him

NFLPA: Well you already said spite so……

BB: But I changed my mind..

NFLPA: No…you said spite…Too late.
Missing the last practice pushed B.B. over the edge.  
Ivan15 : 2/6/2018 8:41 am : link
If the other things really bothered B.B., he probably would have held him out of earlier practices too. Maybe he did.

They probably maxed out on fines he could be given this week and maybe they couldn’t or wouldn’t suspend him. No depth replacement available.

Very demoralizing for the rest of the team. I’m sure no one said, “hooray, Butler got benched”.

I no longer wonder why the Pats tried to dump him.
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