The 58 yarder

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Undertaker #59*

Undertaker #59*

Car'a'carn
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I thought there was weird things going on here.....it seemed to me at the time that the Patriots were trying to call consecutive time-outs....pretty funny:

Vrabel knows tricks of the trade
By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff | September 20, 2004

TEMPE, Ariz. -- One of the more interesting moments of the Patriots' 23-12 win over the Cardinals yesterday occurred near the end of the first half when kicker Neil Rackers was about to attempt a 58-yard field goal.

The Patriots called a timeout to freeze Rackers.

As the sides lined up, the official announced that the teams had no more timeouts, but that didn't stop Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel from signaling an exaggerated timeout as the ball was being snapped, appearing to distract Rackers, who misfired on the kick. Rackers had made field goals of 51 and 52 yards earlier in the second quarter, and his career long was 54. But with the wind at his back at Sun Devil Stadium, a 58-yarder was plausible.

The Cardinals complained, but the referees weren't going to call a penalty on Vrabel.

"It's just something to get into the kicker's head," Vrabel said. "Whether it distracted him at all, I don't know. I hope it did. It's just something I've done at times, if the situation is right. Most of the time you don't have that situation. Every little bit helps. Like I said, I have no idea if it helped. It was a long attempt."

It was just another example of some of the little things the Patriots do to win games.
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I thought this was interesting, as I was baffled by Vrabel's motions at the time.

Someone needs to post this on the Colts' message boards, because it's just one more example of the Patriots bending the rules and cheating to win games.
 
I love reading about stuff like that. Stats, as well as the 'Xs and Os' analysis only tell you so much about what really goes on during a game. It's the things that players and coaches do to get a psycological edge on their opponent that really makes the games interesting.

I've always enjoyed following teams that dominate their sport by playing smarter than their opponents. The great Celtics teams, the Canadiens of the 1970's....more and more the Pats remind me of these types of teams. Teams that seldom, if ever, beat themselves with mental mistakes.

Look how many members of those Celtic and Canadien dynasty teams ended up as successful head coaches or GMs in their respective leagues. It sure wouldn't surprise me if some of the current Patriots players eventually end up with similar career paths. Vrabel could be one of them.
 
Good point.

Aside from Vrabel I wouldn't be surprised to see a few other guys on this team end up in the coaching ranks. I'd add Bruschi, McGinest and Harrison to that list.

Brady, too.

Belichick once commented that when he asked Brady what he saw on a particular play, Tom would recount all of the various player movements and situations exactly as if he had total recall of the play.

When BB would go back and check the film it was exactly as Brady had recounted to him.

That kind of information processing doesn't grow on trees and is a very large part of Brady's success. The kid is SMART.
 
thomas144 said:
I thought this was interesting, as I was baffled by Vrabel's motions at the time.

Someone needs to post this on the Colts' message boards, because it's just one more example of the Patriots bending the rules and cheating to win games.
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Completely agree with both points. I kept telling my wife that Vrabel knows they can't call back to back timeouts. At first I said WTF is he doing? Then I realized he was trying to time it with the snap and I knew from that primetime game from a year or two ago between the Steelers and Titans that if a defensive player tries to call consecutive TO's, the officials would just ignore him and there is no penalty. But I am sure this incident will be added to the list of reasons why the Pats cheat LMAO.

Did anyone think it was odd that while all of this was going on the announcers didn't seem to have any clue? I never even heard them mention that a timeout had been called originally. Criqui and his counterpart were awful as usual.
 
PatsFanDan said:
Did anyone think it was odd that while all of this was going on the announcers didn't seem to have any clue? I never even heard them mention that a timeout had been called originally. Criqui and his counterpart were awful as usual. [/B]
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I didn't even know about the Vrabel thing until I read this. I knew we were in for a long day with those guys when Criqui said one of the Cardinals OL was with the Baltimore Colts when they won the 2000 Super Bowl. And didn't he make a "St. Louis Cardinals" reference later on?

Time for him to hang it up...he's almost as bad as Summerall. I'd even rather have Gus Johnson or Ian Eagle calling the games than this guy.

JPK
 
Alcoholic9 said:
Done.....I know, I know I have to leave them alone. Their board is like crack to me though. :D

http://www.indystar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78091
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They're funny:

If you can explain why Vrabel was calling the time out--knowing that the Patsies didn't have one, I'd appreciate it.

At some level, sportsmanship has value. Maybe character isn't as important as winning. All I know is that Vince Lombardi--the man who said winning isn't everything, winning is the only thing--would never have put up with this kind of stunt.

Ken
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The 'Fake" timeout is why the patriost won? Just like the fake injury is why the Patriots beat the Colts last year! And holding is why the beat the Colts again last year.....The Patriots are not a good team they have to cheat to win and cheaters never win, well unless you count 2 Super Bowls as winning!
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Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!
 
If you want a few more laughs, check out this thread they had going during the Pats game yesterday.
:D

Here are a few quotes from my favorite Colts fan, Valoran:
http://www.indystar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77967

Cheap shot b*stards... McCown was scrambling away from the Pat D easily... next play... a sack because of his leg...

And there is Belidick on the sideline ARGUING with the officials!

. . .

The NFL needs to DISBAND the entire Pat's organization... it would make the NFL ALOT more classy just losing that team from the schedule...

. . .

They are an average team that has to cheat and commit penalties to win... nothing more...

The do it on every side of the ball... offensive line... defensive backs/safety/CB's....
________
SH150i
 
PatsFanDan said:
Criqui and his counterpart were awful as usual.
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How about that comment after the fumble that was recovered down field by the Pats.

I can't remember the exact words but it was something like "You've got to hustle, but take your time"

:rolleyes:

Yup, that's great analysis.
 
Alcoholic9 said:
Done.....I know, I know I have to leave them alone. Their board is like crack to me though. :D

http://www.indystar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78091
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benbos
Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: PatriotNation
Posts: 110

Re: Vrabel Cheating?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
The 'Fake" timeout is why the patriost won? Just like the fake injury is why the Patriots beat the Colts last year! And holding is why the beat the Colts again last year.....The Patriots are not a good team they have to cheat to win and cheaters never win, well unless you count 2 Super Bowls as winning!
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:LOL: and plenty more like it! :thumb:
 
OMG!!!

These F*****g Colts fans are so stupid and pathetic that reading all those ridiculous posts have caused a stabbing pain in my brain...and it makes me want to just meet up with a few them and throw 'em beating just like that "dirty, rotten, filthy Rodney Harrison" would do to them.....WOW...what a bunch of inbred c**ksuckers they all are...except for one guy who was trying to bring them back to reality....
 
Bionic, I'm surprised you're not over there considering the work you put in on the Cards board.


Indystar has become known as a Pats board, and the Colt fans can't figure out why. They just refuse to believe that the Pats are the better team. It makes for great comedy.
 
Is there some sort of contest, who is the bigger whiner, Colts fans/players/coaches vs. raider fans/players/coaches?
If there isn't think we should start one up, and share it with them?
 
Then I realized he was trying to time it with the snap and I knew from that primetime game from a year or two ago between the Steelers and Titans that if a defensive player tries to call consecutive TO's, the officials would just ignore him and there is no penalty. But I am sure this incident will be added to the list of reasons why the Pats cheat LMAO.
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Wasn't that a playoff game?? Any way, I was thinking the same thing, with the exception that BB didn't get involved with that little episode, whereas Cowher was all livid and stuffing notes in the refs pockets because they didn't give him the second time out!

There's distracting a player,, then there's being a whine a$$ baby loser like Cowher!
 
Well, the Patriots have caused yet another change in the rules. From Tom Curran in Saturday's Providence Journal :

NFL sacks ploy to irk kickers
01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, September 25, 2004
BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer


Well, that didn't take long.

In an obvious response to Mike Vrabel's ploy for unnerving field goal kickers, the NFL this week decided that calling nonexistent or unallowable timeouts to intentionally disrupt an offense will now draw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Last week against the Cardinals, the Patriots veteran linebacker unnerved Arizona kicker Neil Rackers as he lined up a 58-yard field goal attempt just before half time by signaling for a timeout as Rackers lined up his kick.

The officials didn't grant it because the Patriots had just called timeout and back-to-back timeouts by the same team aren't permitted. But the officials did halt play to say time would not be granted.

When Rackers lined up his kick again, Vrabel again gestured frantically for a timeout. Rackers, who hit 51 and 52-yard field goals in the first half, had that kick partially blocked then carried on to the officials after the play.
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Is it normal for the NFL Officials to just 'decide' two games into the season that something should suddenly be a penalty that wasn't before? Shouldn't that go through some kind of rules committee or something?

It's pretty funny though.
 
This is exactly like when the NBA made rules SPECIFICALLY to combat the great threat of Wilt Chamberlain's enormous ability in the early '60's. Not that his team (the Philadelphia Warriors?) had won a championship with him, but he was deemed too good for the rest of the league, so they instituted a rule or 2 related to his ability to dunk over everyone, if memory serves, and something to do with the 3-second violation. Maybe someone can educate me a bit on that.

But, it sure does seem "conspiracy-like", to make that rule now......after the season starts.

Gee, maybe some of the other coaches could actually COACH, and tell their kickers/field goal conversion teams that there are no time outs left for the other teams, and to disregard any attempt by the opposition to call a time out. THAT would solve the problems of these d-bag coaches (i.e. Denny Green)

Carry on, Patriots, you're doing JUST fine, thank you
 
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