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Patriots being petty as NFL investigates Darrelle Revis' return to Jets
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, March 19, 2015, 9:32 PM A A A
Darrelle Revis signed with Jets day after becoming free agent and Pats likely had something to do with NFL visiting Gang during ‘legal tampering’ period.
The NFL’s fight for truth, justice and the American way ventured into the ridiculous two days before Darrelle Revis agreed to a blockbuster deal to return to the Jets.
The league sent an investigator to the Jets facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Sunday, March 8, during the three-day “legal tampering” window before the official start of free agency to interrogate general manager Mike Maccagnan and front office personnel about the pursuit of Revis, according to sources.
Owner Woody Johnson was not interviewed.
The NFL’s attempt to uncover any dirt was an exercise in futility, a witch hunt driven by nonsense from a hypocritical organization with no reason to feel threatened by its competitor.
The Patriots levied a tampering charge against their division foes shortly after Johnson’s public admission on Dec. 29 that he’d “love for Darrelle to come back,” prompting many to wonder how serious the NFL would consider the complaint.
The Patriots, of course, have been the model of fair play (SpyGate), rule-abiding negotiations (landing Revis in record time after the Buccaneers cut him) and trustworthy pre-game equipment management (DeflateGate), so they naturally had every right to be concerned about the integrity of this situation.
Johnson’s comments three months ago in response to a direct question about the perennial Pro Bowler violated the NFL Anti-Tampering policy as written, but the owner’s words had nothing to do with Revis’ ultimate decision to part ways with the Super Bowl champions.
The Jets had the financial resources ($39 million in fully guaranteed money) and the locale (Manhattan > middle of nowhere, Mass.) that appealed to Revis. The Patriots were out of the Revis sweepstakes a full day before the Jets agreed to terms on a 5-year, $70 million deal, according to sources.
It made sense for the cornerback-needy Jets to be so aggressive to land Revis, who will turn 30 this summer.
“Champ (Bailey) was able to play at a very high level well into his 30s,” Maccagnan said in a conference call on Thursday. “I kind of view Darrelle in the same (way). He’s playing at a very high level. We thought he could potentially be able to play at a high level for a number of years going forward, so we thought it was worth the financial investment.”
Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, who didn’t have the cash to keep the cornerstone of the Super Bowl-winning defense, have accomplished too much to use a silly league rule to wage an even sillier war.
Sure, Johnson should have refrained from his public praise for Revis, but Kraft and Belichick have been far from choir boys when it comes to this player.
Jets owner Woody Johnson, who is hit with tampering allegations involving Revis last year, but he is not interviewed by the NFL last week.
Jets owner Woody Johnson, who is hit with tampering allegations involving Revis last year, but he is not interviewed by the NFL last week.
Think about how Revis arrived in Foxborough in the first place.
The Buccaneers officially released Revis at 3:53 p.m. EDT on March 12, 2014. Less than five hours later — 8:23 pm EDT — the Patriots amazingly agreed to terms on a contract with the star cornerback. Who knew that Kraft and Belichick could broker a deal for a player with so many options in warp speed?
Is it possible that they negotiated the parameters of a deal with Team Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Buccaneers? No chance! The Patriots would never engage in such questionable tactics (insert eye roll here).
The annual NFL Scouting Combine has become a haven for league-wide tampering in the run-up to free agency. The NFL has turned a blind eye, because it’s impossible to prove without a paper/email trail that no team is dumb enough to leave.
Kraft is too good of an owner to be so petty. Johnson called Kraft shortly after his comments about Revis to offer a good-faith apology. The matter should have died after that December conversation, but the Patriots ratcheted up the animus between the franchises by complaining to the league.
Meanwhile, Patriots fans, draped in Super Bowl gear for the fourth time in the Brady-Belichick era, are out for blood after Revis’ departure. Like a jilted lover, these people want to exact revenge on an organization that really seems to get under their skin.
The Lions were nabbed for tampering in 2011 after then-defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said he’d like to “catch” any Chiefs players who might shake loose. The NFL stripped Detroit of a seventh-round pick and swapped both team’s fifth-round picks.
In 2008, the 49ers were stripped of a fifth-rounder and swapped third-rounders with the Bears for tampering with linebacker Lance Briggs.
No matter how worked up the Patriots and their fans get, this won’t change: Revis is gone.
Please stop whining.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, March 19, 2015, 9:32 PM A A A
Darrelle Revis signed with Jets day after becoming free agent and Pats likely had something to do with NFL visiting Gang during ‘legal tampering’ period.
The NFL’s fight for truth, justice and the American way ventured into the ridiculous two days before Darrelle Revis agreed to a blockbuster deal to return to the Jets.
The league sent an investigator to the Jets facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Sunday, March 8, during the three-day “legal tampering” window before the official start of free agency to interrogate general manager Mike Maccagnan and front office personnel about the pursuit of Revis, according to sources.
Owner Woody Johnson was not interviewed.
The NFL’s attempt to uncover any dirt was an exercise in futility, a witch hunt driven by nonsense from a hypocritical organization with no reason to feel threatened by its competitor.
The Patriots levied a tampering charge against their division foes shortly after Johnson’s public admission on Dec. 29 that he’d “love for Darrelle to come back,” prompting many to wonder how serious the NFL would consider the complaint.
The Patriots, of course, have been the model of fair play (SpyGate), rule-abiding negotiations (landing Revis in record time after the Buccaneers cut him) and trustworthy pre-game equipment management (DeflateGate), so they naturally had every right to be concerned about the integrity of this situation.
Johnson’s comments three months ago in response to a direct question about the perennial Pro Bowler violated the NFL Anti-Tampering policy as written, but the owner’s words had nothing to do with Revis’ ultimate decision to part ways with the Super Bowl champions.
The Jets had the financial resources ($39 million in fully guaranteed money) and the locale (Manhattan > middle of nowhere, Mass.) that appealed to Revis. The Patriots were out of the Revis sweepstakes a full day before the Jets agreed to terms on a 5-year, $70 million deal, according to sources.
It made sense for the cornerback-needy Jets to be so aggressive to land Revis, who will turn 30 this summer.
“Champ (Bailey) was able to play at a very high level well into his 30s,” Maccagnan said in a conference call on Thursday. “I kind of view Darrelle in the same (way). He’s playing at a very high level. We thought he could potentially be able to play at a high level for a number of years going forward, so we thought it was worth the financial investment.”
Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, who didn’t have the cash to keep the cornerstone of the Super Bowl-winning defense, have accomplished too much to use a silly league rule to wage an even sillier war.
Sure, Johnson should have refrained from his public praise for Revis, but Kraft and Belichick have been far from choir boys when it comes to this player.
Jets owner Woody Johnson, who is hit with tampering allegations involving Revis last year, but he is not interviewed by the NFL last week.
Jets owner Woody Johnson, who is hit with tampering allegations involving Revis last year, but he is not interviewed by the NFL last week.
Think about how Revis arrived in Foxborough in the first place.
The Buccaneers officially released Revis at 3:53 p.m. EDT on March 12, 2014. Less than five hours later — 8:23 pm EDT — the Patriots amazingly agreed to terms on a contract with the star cornerback. Who knew that Kraft and Belichick could broker a deal for a player with so many options in warp speed?
Is it possible that they negotiated the parameters of a deal with Team Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Buccaneers? No chance! The Patriots would never engage in such questionable tactics (insert eye roll here).
The annual NFL Scouting Combine has become a haven for league-wide tampering in the run-up to free agency. The NFL has turned a blind eye, because it’s impossible to prove without a paper/email trail that no team is dumb enough to leave.
Kraft is too good of an owner to be so petty. Johnson called Kraft shortly after his comments about Revis to offer a good-faith apology. The matter should have died after that December conversation, but the Patriots ratcheted up the animus between the franchises by complaining to the league.
Meanwhile, Patriots fans, draped in Super Bowl gear for the fourth time in the Brady-Belichick era, are out for blood after Revis’ departure. Like a jilted lover, these people want to exact revenge on an organization that really seems to get under their skin.
The Lions were nabbed for tampering in 2011 after then-defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said he’d like to “catch” any Chiefs players who might shake loose. The NFL stripped Detroit of a seventh-round pick and swapped both team’s fifth-round picks.
In 2008, the 49ers were stripped of a fifth-rounder and swapped third-rounders with the Bears for tampering with linebacker Lance Briggs.
No matter how worked up the Patriots and their fans get, this won’t change: Revis is gone.
Please stop whining.
Joe Caporoso 
