Patriot games

Have you ever come across someone who is so arrogant and full of himself that you just want to beat the shit out of him on the spot - if only to bring him back down to Earth? That's what the New England Patriots have become.

Consider the entire franchise equivalent to a meathead fratboy who thinks that his looks and bank account make him untouchable. None of the rules apply to him - he's just heaven's gift to mankind. Quarterback Tom Brady even played the part after New England was eliminated by the Denver Broncos 27-13 from the playoffs last season when he said that even though his team lost, they were still the better team. Nevermind his team's five turnovers, as far as he was concerned, the Pats were better.

I'll be honest with you - I never really cared about the Patriots one way or the other. They didn't have a roster full of players getting arrested (like the Cowboys in the 90's or the Bengals this year) and they didn't have a bunch of mouthy prima donnas (like Joey Porter in Pittsburgh or T.O. wherever he manages to find employment). No, by in large the Patriots were a classy organization that knew how to build a winning team.

So what's changed, you ask? Why have I turned on the most dominant team in the NFL over the last decade? Well, my opinion of them has changed because ... well ... their own opinion of themselves has changed, if that makes sense. The "powers that be" seemingly love to flex their proverbial muscle whenever possible these days - just like that old meathead staring at himself half naked in front of a mirror.

Take the entire Deion Branch situation, for example. When he was drafted, New England convinced Branch to sign a five-year deal instead of the normal four-year deal second rounders typically sign. Since then, Branch has been Brady's go-to target on Sundays, and even earned himself Super Bowl MVP honors two years ago after hauling in 11 catches for 133 yards. With one year left on his rookie deal (meaning he should have been a free agent), Branch wanted to sign a long-term deal to remain in New England. But every contract the penny-pinching Patriots presented to him was so back loaded; he knew chances were the team would cut him before he ever saw most of the money.

Branch wasn't looking to be the highest-paid wide out in football; he just wanted what the market dictated he was worth. So when receivers like Reggie Wayne, Antwaan Randle El and others began cashing in via free agency this past offseason, Branch became even more disgruntled. None of these guys were any better than him, but they sure were getting fatter paychecks. That sent things to another level.

And here's the reason why - the Pats are the second most-valuable franchise in the NFL (worth a cool $1.176 billion) and yet, are $13.8 million under the salary cap this season. Owner Robert Kraft is making a shitload of money, but he's not sharing the wealth (well, unless you count the time he gave his Super Bowl ring to Russian president Vladimir Putin, but that's another story).

When a player knows his team has roughly $14 million in the bank and yet, continues to low ball him, it'll leave a pretty bad taste in his mouth. Branch would gladly run across the middle where safeties hand out concussion-caliber blows like Halloween candy if it helped the Pats win a game, so why can't the team show him the same kind of loyalty and respect?

It's one thing to have a plan and a system, but it's another thing entirely where you run out talented player after talented player just to prove a point. As best anyone can tell the only three people who truly matter at the end of the day in New England are Kraft, Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots braintrust feel that as long as Belichick and Brady are calling the shots, everyone else is interchangeable. So why pay anyone else?

For those non-believers, I present Exhibit A, a proverbial laundry-list of talent New England has run out of town:

Of course, there's Branch, who was finally traded to Seattle, where he promptly signed a new six-year, $39 million deal. But before him there was also wide receiver David Patten and tight end Christian Fauria who headed to Washington. Wide receiver David Givens signed in Tennessee. On defense, safeties Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy and linebacker Willie McGinest were all shown the door. And none of those losses were as big as kicker Adam Vinatieri, who just so happens to be the most clutch kicker in the history of the game. He's now a member of the Patriots biggest rival, the Indianapolis Colts. That's not very smart.

Even coaches, like Charlie Weis (Notre Dame), Romeo Crennel (Cleveland) and Eric Mangini (Jets) were allowed to leave for other paydays. On the bright side, the Pats don't discriminate when it comes to stiffing any employees looking for a pay day. They blow off everyone equally.

But if they were smart, they'd at least take a page from one of the teams they beat in the Super Bowl. You see, the Philadelphia Eagles also enjoy saving a buck or two whenever possible on player salaries, but they've always been aggressive when it comes to retaining their coaches. That's why defensive guru Jim Johnson has a contract through 2010 that makes him one of the three highest-paid defensive coordinators in the game. With Andy Reid running the offense and Johnson handling the defense, they feel they can take lesser skilled players and make them great - which is why wide out Donte Stallworth can replace Terrell Owens and the Eagles still win.

The Patriots allowing this many quality individuals at such key positions to leave screams of either arrogance or greed. Or maybe both. And it's only a matter of time before this fratboy gets knocked on his ass.

Brian Murphy is the 2005 Defense Department's sportswriter of the year. And he still doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Contact him at murf@the5holes.com.