Fans seek safety

Page 3 of 19 -- Megan Berry of Cambridge: "I'm now a very disillusioned fan who is sick and tired of seeing good players treated badly and having it all chalked up to "another good guy falling victim to the system. What kind of system are we promoting then -- as coaches, fans and the media who cover it all? Tell me why I should still care about the Patriots."

ADVERTISEMENT

Mike Zinkus of Framingham is also upset. "I don't even want to watch the Pats this season. I just changed the wallpaper on my computer to the Bills. Seriously though, do you think the Pats can overcome this? I feel they easily went from 11-5 to 8-8. Not even so much for his on field play, but because of his leadership and the negative psychological effect it will have on the team. What do you think? Of course, Lawyer could have renegotiated and his cap hit for a safety was huge, but am I wrong in assuming Mr. Belichick wanted to set an example? Weren't there other avenues to pursue, like Willie McGinest or even Ty Law? Carry the guy for a year. It's not like the team is saving any money, his cap hit just gets spread out over two years, right? Mark my words, big mistake!"

Paul J. from Natick takes a different point of view: "I am questioning why you and some of the other sports columnists around town seem so eager to take the side of Lawyer in this situation. Some seem very willing to come down on the Pats management and imply that they made a big mistake by cutting Milloy, yet you overlook one big issue and one that I would of thought you guys would be more aware of and pick up on. Milloy was going to make $4.4 million dollars this year. And he was not willing to take a cut in pay to help the team stay under the cap? With a pay cut, as reported by some of you guys, Lawyer would still have been making close to $3 million a year! I don't know what leads you to take the side of a player who is making $3 million a year (after his pay cut) and label that as a raw deal but I have a hard time thinking that many Pats fans see any injustice in this either. Especially since some of them might be out of work as well as others who might make a respectable salary but in reality it's still peanuts in comparison to the players. How can you overlook this and stick up for Milloy? Don't get me wrong, I was shocked when they released him and I think it will certainly hurt the team. He was and is a great player and I am sure Belichick was sincere in his comments yesterday. He was part of the reason this team has been so successful and popular the past decade. But when these guys are making millions of dollars and are not willing to adjust their salaries for the good of the team and organization, while their fans are shelling out thousands and thousands of their own hard earned money, I don't see where there is a point where you can really back Milloy here. And let me make a point here, when I say hard earned money, I am not talking about playing football. I know some Patriots have restructured their contracts many times (Ted Johnson), and to me that is the most impressive quality of a player. Sacrificing financial gain for the good of the team and also being able to put their lives in perspective with their fans. People in the real world make those sacrifices and even harder ones every day. And they make peanuts next to Lawyer Milloy. If he was truly the heart of this organization and was truly connected to it I think a sacrifice on his part could have and should have been made. Now inevitably he will move on to another team and make $4 or 5 million or however much he wants, but he will leave behind a team that was as much a part of him as he was to it, leave all of his teammates, sacrifice a possible second championship with that team, and most importantly leave a fan base that truly adored him for what amounts to be $1.5 million in a career that will earn him close to $50 million. Raw deal? I don't think so. The only people who are getting the raw deal are the fans and it's discouraging that you and your colleagues overlooked that."   Continued...