Pouncey needs to get his head out of his butt

That's part of it, I'm sure there are guys on his own team think he's a douchebag no?, you think that's good for the team? One of their leaders showed such disgrace, you don't think some might be embarrassed?

 

I didn't just say the Patriots. I said "the rest of the league" too, as Hernandez wasn't picked up by anyone despite "innocent until proven guilty". So what are the other 31 teams' excuses? Perhaps not wanting a player who killed a man in cold blood representing their organization? I think you're the one being naive if you think taking another human's life is akin to Dennard's legal issues or Talib beating a repeat sex offender.

If NE cut Hernandez b/c they woke up and decided he could no longer help them win then it's a pretty big coincidence it happened immediately after he allegedly executed a man in premeditated fashion. I mean, if it were about not helping the Pats win, then why didn't they cut him last year when they were first aware of it?
And there's plenty of good reason to not give Pouncey a free pass about this.

 

The Patriots made the decision to cut Aaron Hernandez before the arrest. Most of the brain trust were out of the country when the arrest and release happened. They decided that they would release him the moment he was arrested and figured that he would probably be arrested for obstruction charges due to his having destroyed his cell phone and the video cameras at his house. They were genuinely surprised when the charges of first degree murder came out.

Robert Kraft has since vowed to take a look at the character aspects of their player vetting process. That sounds like lip service but the fact of the matter is Robert and Myra Kraft are quite infamous for having told Bill Parcells that he had to part ways with DT Christian Peter immediately after Parcells drafted him in the 5th round of the 1996 NFL Draft, because Myra found out about Peter's having been convicted 8 times in 7 years for a number of crimes against various women. It was the first time in NFL history that any drafted player had been waived prior to the start of training camp.

Pro Football Talk has sources inside the Patriots organization saying that the primary reason for an uptick in the acquisition of at-risk players by the Patriots is because Scott Pioli had the stones to stand up to Bill Belichick and argue against him on the occasions when they disagreed, whereas since Pioli left, the whole organization is dominated by Belichick.

Not arguing with anyone, just full disclosure.

 

Again, it's not just about staying loyal to a friend. It's more about the reason WHY they chose to stay loyal to such a POS in the first place. It wasn't forced upon them, and I know for a fact football doesn't require the unconditional love and support of all your teammates like a mother & father for child. I'm sure plenty of UF players recognized Hernandez was a bad apple and stayed away, just as Matt Light wasn't a fan of his in NE and half the NFL wanted nothing to do with him in 2010. The brothers on the other hand made the conscious choice to be closely associated with this douche, and they made the conscious choice to support him. And they aren't just supporting him; they publicly protested his freedom as if he were Nelson f***ing Mandella. Significant difference.

 

If you don't mind, could you explain what any of this has to do with the concept of "freedom of speech"?

I was not aware that there were people proposing the Pouncey brothers should be incarcerated or otherwise have their rights/freedoms curtailed due to this incident. If there are indeed people proposing this, and you wish to hold a rally in favor of Mike Pouncey's right to freedom of speech without fear of incrimination, let me know the details because I'll attend with you and I'll even make a sign. With glitter.

 

What did MP do that was wrong? He wore a hat.

 

So if you were at a sporting event and you saw someone wearing a "Free Dzhokhar" t-shirt, you would make no judgments about that person whatsoever?

 

For me personally, I wouldn't care. IMO, MP is supporting his friend and there's nothing wrong with that. As I said before, I think AH is a thug, but that doesn't mean all his friends are.

 

I would. But two different scenarios.

AH didn't attack America.

With MP's. That's their buddy. What AH did was heinous. But that is still their buddy.

 

My lord the reaction, or overreaction, to some one wearing a hat ........PPPPPLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSS! Only in Dolphin land.

Who cares ........ the sun will come up tomorrow, people are dying and starving all over the world yet people here are roasting to very young guys. Young guys = Young, Dumb, and Full of @#*$. I've seen calls to cut them, Tar and Feather them, run them out on a rail, and so on!!!!! I guess the next thing is to shoot them on sight if they show up at the trial!

Its like we have to have something to rant about, however small, if not Ireland, no QB, no WR corp, or whatever.

THose without sin cast the first stone!!!!!!!!!!

 

I see people all the time that have "Obama" or "Rommey" bumper stickers on their cars/trucks. IMO, those two people are scumbags, but that doesn't mean the people with the bumper stickers are.

 

So you would make no judgments whatsoever about a person wearing a "Free Dzhokhar" or "Free James Holmes" t-shirt?

 

The fact that they consider themselves to still be "buddies" to the point where they're advocating he get away with murder is messed up.

And Dzhokhar Tsarnaev attacked people in America. Just like Aaron Hernandez. In fact there's a possibility Hernandez has killed more people than Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

 

I honestly wouldn't care. If you and I ever met, I'd look you in the eye and tell you that. The only thing I care about is my family and my three dogs, Spook, Storme and Pebbles.

 

Try explaining that to a 10 year old. What does any of what you said have to do with reality? The reality is none of what you just said is true. The reality is kids look up to these players, just as the players at one time looked up to the players when they were kids. I'd like to see a show of hands here of all the posters who did NOT look up to a sports figure growing up. The bottom line is we grow up having dreams of playing in the NFL, MLB, or NBA, and b/c of that simple fact we as kids look up to players because they represent the accomplishment of our dreams. After all, if they could make it then why shouldn't we act just like them? And we do. We copy their swings and pitching deliveries in baseball. Try to run, catch, and tackle like them in football. Dunk, shoot, dribble, and block shots like them in basketball. If our favorite player dipped, we might throw in a mouthful of Big League Chew. We wore their same numbers like it had meaning and purpose. We bought their trading cards and sported their jerseys. And dad being a die-hard fan with dreams of his own kid playing in the NFL only further strengthens his kid's desire to idolize and emulate the players. It's a reality of the NFL and seems like an aspect of human nature dating back to at least gladiator times so it's likely not changing any time soon.



ADDED: They're not just "guys who hit the genetic lottery". That's incredibly disrespectful. These players work harder to achieve their goal and play in the league than most of us have ever worked for something in our entire lives, and in that regard they most certainly SHOULD be modeled after.

 

Now, I may not agree with what they support, but I really wouldnt care about them, it's just their freedom to support what they want.

 

Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize the hats were blank. My apologies.

 

Maybe I'm crazy, but my friendships aren't stronger than my anger at someone who MURDERS people.

Not to mention, the guy he murdered was a friend.

 

And it's everyone in this thread's freedom to think it makes the guy come off like an a-hole that supports murderers and thugs. And it's within the public's freedom to be less interested in the Miami Dolphins (which means less $$$) because of it. And it's within the Miami Dolphins' freedom to care about the incident because of what it does to their image and the value of their brand.

You seem to care a lot about freedom...but then you come onto this thread and complain about the exercising of that freedom.

 

Sounds like the opposite of what makes communities, societies and countries safe, great and admirable. Caring about one another, about the well being of others we know, and others as a general society that we are a part of, enjoying the fact that the society deems to care about us and protect us with laws, cops and services.

What you are espousing is ana anarchists viewpoint and the opposite of good citizen and good samaritan mindset.

It's your prerogative, but it's not really fair for you to be receiving from the society or others around you whom you don't care about all. That's a one way street and shirks responsibility for being part of something you receive benefit from... in my opinion.

This discussion has gotten too personal though. I like you as a poster, and have no issue with you. I just can't reconcile your statement with how one feels okay living in society with others who care about your well-being if you don;t reciprocate.

 

It's a hip hop thing. You don't get it.

Free Ya-Yo. If you get that, then you get it.

That's all.

When I see someone with a Che shirt I don't sit there and go Dr. Phil on them. People will be people.

 

If they are 'good people' why do you think they support 'scumbags' vocally?

My guess is (please correct me if I am wrong, since it's just a guess) that you'd think they were misled/ill-informed. because it's either that, or they knowingly support a guy they know is a scumbag... which doesn;t speak well to that person.

Either way, it's not a flattering thing for the person sporting the sticker.

 

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3emq4uaKM1r4knw2o1_500.gif

 

The Steelers properly cowed Maurkice Pouncey into a public apology.

Mike Pouncey hasn't released one yet but is expected to meet with Joe Philbin who will "strongly discourage" him from ever wearing that hat again.

This per Barry Jackson's latest.

 

Is that Get Shorty? Love that movie.

[video=youtube;kHeohabLjmc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHeohabLjmc[/video]

 

I doubt there are many parents who figure that they can slack off their parenting because society will do it all for them. The ones that don't care, probably wouldn't care regardless of society. The ones that do, are more worried about society intervening itself upon their children than they are that when they slack off and let society raise their kids for them maybe it won't turn out so good.

If you think about it, you send your kids off to school while you work 10 hours a day (traffic included), your kid spends an hour or two a day watching television and playing on the internet, they got cell phones so they're constantly texting other kids all day...and then you come to realize that simply by not trying to be an oppressive control freak as a parent, your kids are being raised 90% by society and only 10% by you.

 

So you're saying you'd never buy your kid a jersey of his favorite player, would reprimand him for wearing the number of his favorite player on his own uniform, would scold him for copying the on field mannerisms and play style of his favorite player, would prohibit him from ever collecting cards & memorabilia, would admonish him for wanting an autograph, would never let him watch a game with you so that he wouldn't see you going nuts excited over big plays and wins? None of that huh? I mean- considering all of that is positive reinforcement toward letting him view his favorite players as a role model and all. That's certainly more powerful on a 10 year old's belief system than sitting him down and trying to get through that he shouldn't view his favorite players as role models even though he sees daddy cheering away for them and treating the team and sport like it's religion. Yeah good luck with that.

What you're suggesting is akin to telling your kid that drugs are bad but then letting him see you go to parties all the time, get excited about going to parties, getting dressed up for those parties, as well as watching party type movies every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. Just by a father being a big Dolphins fan and everything that goes along with it, he's actively enabling his impressionable son to view players as role models, which is more powerful than any adult-like conversation you can have with him that he'll likely not have the mental maturity to comprehend.

 

Yup. This is why (good) parents generally care about what's going on in the society in which their kids live.

 

If you want kids to not treat players like role models then either stop watching sports or become a passive emotionless fan.

Young sons want to be just like dad. If they witness your heavy involvement as a fan and all it entails, then what message does that send a son who wants to be just like you?

 

This isn't even about parenting. Its about the NFL. Mike Pouncey's boss does not want him portraying this type of image. The NFL does not put up with crap like this.

 

Definition of HYPOCRITE: A father prancing around as a massive football fan but then believing it should be a piece of cake to teach his impressionable young son to think it's not ok to idolize players.

 

So it's "do as I say, not as I do". Do you honestly believe young kids can grasp this confusing concept?

 

"but dad, why do you root for them if they're bad people and full of tattoos?"
"why do you buy us their jerseys and give me a card collection?"
"why did we wait an hour for Tannehill's signature?"
"why do you yell at mommy when she disrupts the game?"
"why did you call into work Monday when you weren't sick?"

 

I'd guess 90% of the people wearing a Che shirt know jack squat about him. It's a monkey see monkey do thing for the most part IMO.