Basisphilosophie » whod have thought MLSs 19t

Not so long ago, we came to praise the New England Patriots.Now, its time to bury them.Deflategate and a brazen disregard for the truth should be more than enough for the NFL to order Bill Belichick to stay at home on Super Bowl Sunday. If the Patriots coach wants to wear his hoodie during the biggest game of the season, he can break it out while watching the telecast from his couch.Seriously, this should be an easy one for the NFL, though the leagues response on everything from concussions to Ray Rice leaves plenty of doubt that the suits in New York will do the right thing.Heres what weve learned from various reports: 11 of the 12 footballs the Patriots used on offence in the AFC championship game were significantly deflated.That could have made them easier for quarterback Tom Brady to handle on a cold, windy day. Brady threw three touchdown passes and the Patriots won the game in a rout, 45-7. Then, when the shenanigans were discovered, Belichick — a control freak who has never left even the smallest detail to chance — ludicrously claimed he had no idea what happened.As a repeat offender from Spygate, Belichick should be banned from the Super Bowl.To make sure he really gets the point, bench him for the first four games of next season and put him on permanent probation, leaving no doubt that hes got two strikes against him and the next one would get him thrown out of the league for good. For good measure, take away a couple of first-round picks.A week ago, we wrote that the Patriots should be celebrated for their amazing run under Belichick, despite his general unpleasantness and skirting of the rules.After all, no franchise in the era of salary caps and free agency has come close to their streak of 14 straight winning seasons, 12 playoff appearances, three Super Bowl titles and nine appearances in the conference championship game.Now, some of that success could seem tainted, even dirty.Belichick certainly didnt help his cause with a news conference Thursday, where he spent 8 1-2 minutes trying to convince everyone he didnt know a thing about the rules and procedures for game balls, then refused to give a meaningful answer to 14 questions — all concerning Deflategate — that were thrown his way over the next 3 minutes.I have told you everything I know, Belichick kept repeating, over and over again.Yeah, right.Belichick began his prepared remarks sounding a lot like Sgt. Schultz from the old TV sitcom, Hogans Heroes. You know, the bumbling German prison guard who turned a blind eye to inmates coming and going as they pleased, always insisting, I know nothing. Nothing!As Belichick regaled us with his little tale, the only thing missing was Col. Hogan popping up from a tunnel under the podium.I learned more about this process in the last three days than I knew or talked about in last 40 years coaching in this league, Belichick insisted. I had no knowledge of the various steps involved in the game balls and the process that we went through, what happened between when they were prepared and went to the officials, and went into the game.We kept watching this sham, but only to see if his nose started growing.In my entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player or staff member about football air pressure, Belichick said, somehow managing to keep a straight face. That is not a subject I have ever brought up.Now, if you believe that, wed love to give you membership to the Bill Belichick School of Charm and Integrity.As often happens when someone is trying to pull off a scam, the story gets a bit convoluted. For Belichick, that happened when he talked about the balls that the Patriots use in practice. Apparently, he cares A LOT about how those are prepared.Im sure that any current or past player of mine will tell you the balls we practice with are as bad as they can be, he said. Wet. Sticky. Cold. Slippery. However bad we can make em, I make em. Anytime players complain about the quality of the balls, I make them worse, and that stops the complaining.But on game day, were expected to believe, he doesnt pay a lick of attention to the state of the football.Brady followed Belichick to the podium and issued the same blanket denial, though his remarks were peppered with plenty of what, me worry? grins, like a suspect in the interrogation room who wants you to know he did it — and knows you know he did it — but figures theres no way to pin the crime on him.Everyone wants to know: Why would the Patriots feel the need to cheat when they were playing at home and, judging by the score, clearly had the superior team?Not to put these on the same level of historical significance, but its a reminder of the early 1970s, when President Richard Nixons henchmen launched a totally unnecessary operation that became known as Watergate, not long before Nixon cruised to victory in one of the greatest U.S. presidential election routs.The ensuing coverup was worse than the crime and wound up costing Nixon the presidency.This one should cost Belichick his spot on the Super Bowl sideline.___Paul Newberry is a national writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry@ap.org or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 Cheap Ecco Shoes . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Discount Ecco Shoes Online . And though his comeback night didnt quite go to script, Bryant couldnt help reflecting on the work necessary to get back on that court -- and all the months of steady labour ahead to reclaim his game. Bryant had nine points and eight rebounds in his season debut, but Amir Johnson scored a career-high 32 points in the trade-depleted Toronto Raptors 106-94 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday night. http://www.cheapecco.us/ . Martin Reway and David Griger both recorded four points with a goal and three assists each. Mario Lunter, Daniel Gachulinec and Stanislav Horansky also scored for Slovakia (1-0). Dominik Kahun had both goals for Germany (0-2), who lost its opening match to Canada 7-2 on Thursday. Cheap Ecco Shoes Online . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday. Ecco Shoes Wholesale . Ho-Sang is a highly regarded prospect, as seen in TSNs Midseason Rankings. This was Game 3 of their playoff series and that wasnt the only strange incident in Londons 10-2 win over Windsor.Ninety minutes doesnt make a season. Just ask last seasons Supporters Shield winners, the New York Red Bulls, who were resoundingly defeated last weekend by a rampant Vancouver Whitecaps in a match which produced two contenders for MLS Goal of the Week from Sebastian Fernandez and Pedro Morales. Another of those contenders was a slice of set piece magic from FC Dallas playmaker, Mauro Diaz, which after the final whistle blew, ended up the difference-maker as the Montreal Impact kicked their season off on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller after taking a deserved lead at Toyota Stadium last Saturday night. This for a club which has built its foundation on taking the lead and parking the bus since the time Jose Mourinho was working as a translator for Sir Bobby Robson at Barcelona. Conceding goals in threes, though, was a recurring theme in the preseason for the Impact. For those who believe preseason matches dont really matter, lets not bother having them and, while were at it, please scrap all those preseason tournaments. There was no connection whatsoever with the Columbus Crew putting four past the 2013 MLS Cup champion Sporting KC in the final of the Disney Pro Soccer Classic and taking all that confidence and Orlando momentum into D.C. to start their season last Saturday with a 3-0 rout of United. Growing a cohesive defensive unit and mindset was a significant ingredient as the Impacts training camp progressed. With that in mind, it was rather baffling that in his first match as gaffer, Frank Klopas strayed from that blueprint and morphed into the Tinkerman. Pre-game, I dont suspect that anybody would have predicted that such an unacquainted defence would have taken the pitch in Dallas. Having not played a minute in preseason, it was hardly surprising that Jeb Brovsky didnt display his usual reliable, risk-averse self. And when will the Impact finally realize the liability that is Hassoun Camara in a central role? As its only in adversity or defeat that one learns, the Impact head across the state with plenty learned in Dallas to be applied when the Impact return to the scene of that playoff crime in Houston on Saturday night. As geography plays a significant part in growing rivalries across planet futbol, whod have thought MLSs 19th franchise would have developed a bitter rivalry with a club they dont even share the same time zone with? The origins for which we must thank Dominic Kinnear and Jesse Marsch. The Dynamos head coach for first leaving him unprotected in the Expansion Draft and the Impacts original head coach for having the fortitude to rise to the rostrum at the Impacts downtown offices back on November 23, 2011 and, with his first selecction, utter those infamous words, "Brian Ching.dddddddddddd" Whether Quebec native and Canadian international defender Andre Hainault was the real target is still the stuff of debate, but what is certain is that these two clubs dont much care for each other with last years Halloween Eve playoff horrors merely the icing on the cake. After embarrassing the Dynamo in sticking five past them late last summer at Saputo Stadium, Houston avenged that by first beating the Impact in the return encounter in early October and twisted the knife during the first round of the playoffs. Houston boasts one of the best home records in all of Major League Soccer these recent seasons and it is going to take a supreme team effort for the Impact to get anything from the match. Having spent the entire week down in Texas will have allowed them for the perfect preparation. No club wants to start its season 0-2 and the Impact will not want any additional pressures heading into their Olympic Stadium home opener March 22 against the Seattle Sounders. Nor will Klopas want to be explaining himself as he makes his Montreal bow. Houston has not been kind to the ex-Fire head coach, where he sports a solitary win from seven matches. Klopas will want a repeat performance from Justin Mapp, who was scintillating in Dallas. New DP Hernan Bernadello will have to last the 90 minutes. Splendid early on orchestrating the attacks, the 27-year old Argentine physically and mentally tired as the game wore on. How refreshing it would have been for Impact management and faithful alike that Andrew Wenger finally displayed the type of football through the 90 minutes we all know he is capable of? A well taken goal, following expert delivery from Felipe on the flank, was thoroughly deserved. The 2012 SuperDraft first-overall pick will be brimming with confidence when he hits the pitch Saturday night. It is vital he utilizes that additional injection of adrenaline in a positive manner. Individually and as a team, the Impact cannot allow any tension get to them. Greater concentration and discipline were the key messages to emerge from the time training in Texas. The Impact didnt gain any points in Dallas, but after a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes of football, they certainly gained many new admirers back in La Belle Province as they tuned into the action as an appetizer to the Habs late night west coast encounter. Sanna Nyassi, who was the Impacts best player to emerge from training camp and scored last weeks opener, will be missed. Klopas will tinker with his starting XI. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '