Peter King on the Pats and Hernandez

[Chin Diesel]

Brings up a few valid and probably obvious points.

Bottom line is that seeing some of the Pats' security staff get walking papers wouldn't be unforeseeable.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nf...dez-monday-morning-quarterback/#ixzz2ZAmsPFSj

1. If I were New England owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick, I'd be asking my security people (and I am sure these questions are being asked now), "Are you telling me you knew nothing about Aaron Hernandez off the field? You're telling me your moles in the Boston Police didn't tell you anything about Hernandez a year ago, when a car Hernandez rented was the car of interest in a double murder in Boston? You're telling me you never heard anything about Hernandez and the people he was associating with -- because he sure wasn't hanging with Tom Brady?'' I know the Patriots can't tail 53 guys. Or one. But the organization seemed to have dropped all suspicion in the last couple of years about a guy so many teams questioned before the 2010 draft -- a guy who had very few close friends on the team, and who always seemed to go his own way when he left the facility. Krafthas to know that if Belichick is going to continue to draft from college football's All-Risk Team, he'd better improve the quality of private eyes he employs.​

 

[Palatine]

Kraft stabbed Connecticut in the back.

How is Hernandez different?

Two peas in a pod.

 

[intlzncster]

No one realistically thought the Pats were coming here. It was clearly a bargaining tactic all along. Boston market too strong, and much more central to the fanbase.

I'm of the opinion that this Hernandez thing isn't really reflective of the Pats at all, nor is it even reflective of the NFL, which lord knows has had its share of troubles.

This one is so far out of the spectrum of reality and of the average person (criminal even) that it stands on its own. I mean, this is just so far from normal or even being human, that it is an out-lier of sorts. I don't think there is one person in the country who isn't shocked beyond belief. It's a big story in this area, without the NFL star angle.

 

[gioff23]

The only problem with those really good PK questions is, what if they were asked or hinted at and they did/should have some insight? His premise is that Kraft, Belichek, etc. were in the dark about the guy. Hard to believe folks running a billion dollar operation are not checking on their key assets from time to time. PK's premise is that the security guys made sure all was safe at the stadium. That's not how it generally works. Sure, i expect some guy we never heard of to take the fall, what else is new.

 

[dsturdy5]

I'm wondering who took the fall for Jovan Belcher in KC.

 

[Jax Husky]

Absolutely no way that Hernandez was drafted without Belichik and Kraft knowing full well of the things he was up to. That is not how that organization works. That is why they took a flier on a local kid in the 4th round. This is ridiculous.

 

[StoweD210]

Apparently, Peter King has no problem with a team having investigators follow players around at all times. Imagine if that story broke absent the Hernandez situation? King would be on his soapbox shaming the team - "This is America and using KGB style tactics isn't going to help you get any premier free agents, Men of Foxboro."

And King has the timeline wrong about the other shooting that Hernandez could be involved in. Prior to June of this year, no one, not even the police who were investigating it, connected it to AH. It was only after the Lloyd murder that the police began to put the pieces together. But Kraft and Belichick were supposed to do that two years ago, on their own.

 

[superjohn]

What is it with guy's named Peter King, not sure who is a bigger moron this guy or the Peter King congressman from NY.

 

[dsturdy5]

Apparently, Peter King has no problem with a team having investigators follow players around at all times. Imagine if that story broke absent the Hernandez situation? King would be on his soapbox shaming the team - "This is America and using KGB style tactics isn't going to help you get any premier free agents, Men of Foxboro."

And King has the timeline wrong about the other shooting that Hernandez could be involved in. Prior to June of this year, no one, not even the police who were investigating it, connected it to AH. It was only after the Lloyd murder that the police began to put the pieces together. But Kraft and Belichick were supposed to do that two years ago, on their own.

Yes but therein lies the problem. You know that, informed people know that. However, not enough people are following the different angles of this story to piece it together. Instead, you get the narrative as explained by King and people will take that as gospel. It will lead to others doing the same and before long, as was done with the spygate reporting and the Nate Miles fiasco, the story is incredibly distorted and the truth is known only by a few who have bothered to piece it together themselves. The vast majority of people will listen to "well regarded" mass media members like King, Florio, etc and their story will become the "truth". It is a sad state.

 

[intlzncster]

Absolutely no way that Hernandez was drafted without Belichik and Kraft knowing full well of the things he was up to. That is not how that organization works. That is why they took a flier on a local kid in the 4th round. This is ridiculous.

Pretty sure they didn't know that he had any involvement in killing a kid. His under 18 record was sealed.

 

[intlzncster]

Yes but therein lies the problem. You know that, informed people know that. However, not enough people are following the different angles of this story to piece it together. Instead, you get the narrative as explained by King and people will take that as gospel. It will lead to others doing the same and before long, as was done with the spygate reporting and the Nate Miles fiasco, the story is incredibly distorted and the truth is known only by a few who have bothered to piece it together themselves. The vast majority of people will listen to "well regarded" mass media members like King, Florio, etc and their story will become the "truth". It is a sad state.

Welcome to modern media. Tain't about news....tis about entertainment. This is why anyone with an average intelligence or better gets their information from trusted/reputable/vetted blogs and forums.

 

[dsturdy5]

Pretty sure they didn't know that he had any involvement in killing a kid. His under 18 record was sealed.

But the Patriots HAD to know. Damn the time frame, the law, and whatever else. Belichick has proven he's some sort of witch/soothsayer or something so he must have known and did not care.

 

[Husky1964]

Don't care for the SI guy but the Congressman is clearly a MORON..!!!!

 

[uconnric]

Disingenuity must be a Boston thing. This is also the franchise that took in Randy Moss and Albert Haynesworth. They are the eastern version of the Oakland Raiders in that respect. There is simply no way that management and ownership didn't know about Hernandez's reputation. The whole NFL knew.

 

[intlzncster]

Disingenuity must be a Boston thing. This is also the franchise that took in Randy Moss and Albert Haynesworth. They are the eastern version of the Oakland Raiders in that respect. There is simply no way that management and ownership didn't know about Hernandez's reputation. The whole NFL knew.

And Randy did fine with the Pats, before becoming just a little petulant. Haynesworth's problem is that he didn't do anything at all. How do these remotely compare to a guy who allegedly murdered three people? Now that is a disingenuous sentiment. They broke no laws; they became clubhouse cancers at absolute worst.

Quite frankly, you sound like a typical Patriots hater, which is fine.

 

[Devland]

Every single NFL team has taken suspect players over the years. The Bill's OJ Simpson, Giants LT, Dave Meggett, Ravens Ray Lewis......

 

[Jax Husky]

Pretty sure they didn't know that he had any involvement in killing a kid. His under 18 record was sealed.

I misinterpreted the point of the article. I thought it was suggesting that the Patriots security folks knew stuff and did not bring it to light for Kraft and Belechik. That is what I was saying was unbelievable. I do agree that there were things unknown to them.

 

[uconnric]

And Randy did fine with the Pats, before becoming just a little petulant. Haynesworth's problem is that he didn't do anything at all. How do these remotely compare to Hernandez? That is a foolish statement/argument. They broke no laws; they became clubhouse cancers at absolute worst.

There is nothing disingenuous about anything here. You sound like a typical Patriots hater, which is fine.

The Patriots have a history of signing players with questionable character. They drafted Hernandez when the entire NFL was staying away from him. Make all the apologies you want.

 

[intlzncster]

The Patriots have a history of signing players with questionable character. They drafted Hernandez when the entire NFL was staying away from him. Make all the apologies you want.

So does every single NFL team. What's the difference? They probably have less legal trouble than most teams. I can think of 4 instances while on the team (Hernandez, Dennard, Fryar, and maybe Ty Law?) while playing for the team. If they sign questionable players, and then have a low incidence rate, what does that say about the program? Clearly, players walk the straight and narrow on the whole, and thus the Patriots system is superior to most.

What players do after leaving the Patriots is not their problem. And everyone deserves a second chance for what they did before they sign, provided they didn't purposefully murder anyone. as is the case with every NFL team (unless you think like Sen Joe McCarthy).

Bill Polian, the goody two shoes of the NFL, who reportedly "didn't want Hernandez on his team", drafted Rae Carruth, who was found guilty of conspiring to murder the woman who at the time was carrying his child and is serving a prison sentence with an expected release date of 2018. Oh, and 'gun-in-the-locker room' and reportedly shooting someone Marvin Harrison.

Every team. Thinking otherwise is disingenuous.

 

[Husky68]

So does every single NFL team. What's the difference? They probably have less legal trouble than most teams. I can think of 4 instances while on the team (Hernandez, Dennard, Fryar, and maybe Ty Law?) while playing for the team. If they sign questionable players, and then have a low incidence rate, what does that say about the program? Clearly, players walk the straight and narrow on the whole, and thus the Patriots system is superior to most.

What players do after leaving the Patriots is not their problem. And everyone deserves a second chance for what they did before they sign, provided they didn't purposefully murder anyone. as is the case with every NFL team (unless you think like Sen Joe McCarthy).

Bill Polian, the goody two shoes of the NFL, who reportedly "didn't want Hernandez on his team", drafted Rae Carruth, who was found guilty of conspiring to murder the woman who at the time was carrying his child and is serving a prison sentence with an expected release date of 2018. Oh, and 'gun-in-the-locker room' and reportedly shooting someone Marvin Harrison.

Every team. Thinking otherwise is disingenuous.

So anything less than "purposefully murder anyone" is ok? Hmmmmm. Pretty low standard I'd say. So you're ok with taking OJ back, he was found not guilty of any crime in the murder trial (before the robbery he had no record, and hey, robbery isn't purposeful murder anyway).

 

[intlzncster]

So anything less than "purposefully murder anyone" is ok? Hmmmmm. Pretty low standard I'd say. So you're ok with taking OJ back, he was found not guilty of any crime in the murder trial (before the robbery he had no record, and hey, robbery isn't purposeful murder anyway).

No. I only threw that caveat in there to account for situations like Dante Stallworth's. I do think someone like Stallworth deserves a second chance. He made a big mistake with the most serious of consequences, with which he, and unfortunately the victims family, will have to live with the rest of his life. But that does not mean it is right to destroy two lives. If he were a repeat offender, then yes, kick him to the curb. I do not believe we are defined by a single mistake in our lives, no matter how grievous the consequences.

Not sure OJ could run much anymore either....

 

[ZooCougar]

I guess the whole Patriot Way spiel was also just a bunch of BS.

 

[len0322]

I'm shocked that a HCRE sucks post hasn't popped up for selecting a Team Captain that was the older brother/mentor to a potential cold blooded killer. Although everyone wants to place pin blame somewhere, it's hard to do. I don't think anyone saw this coming. I don't think any blame can be assigned until all the facts come out.

 

[dsturdy5]

I guess the whole Patriot Way spiel was also just a bunch of BS.

Considering it was made up by the same media who are now tearing them down? Yes. You never heard that phrase from anyone inside the organization.

During their Super Bowl runs from 01-05 they had 8 arrests. They have had 7 since, including two this offseason. But people want to make them out to be the Bengals or Raiders? Ok, have at it.

 

[StoweD210]

The Patriots have a history of signing players with questionable character. They drafted Hernandez when the entire NFL was staying away from him. Make all the apologies you want.

You're saying that Hernandez would have gone undrafted and unsigned if the Patriots didn't take him? And if New England tried to trade him or released him last summer, no other team would have any interest?

If you believe that would have been the case, then how do you explain Janorris Jenkins going in the 2nd round or Tyrann Mathieu going in the 3rd? Both were drafted higher than Hernandez had bigger and more red flags. Both have tattoos, also. Are the Rams and Cardinals both giving implied approval for any future crimes these two may commit?