New Englanders Hating On Merriman?

Why the hate, New Englanders?

Maybe us San Diegans might be viewed as laid-back, and maybe there is some truth to that. But are New Englanders really that pissed off all the time? I personally know a few guys from that area, and they are all real cool guys. But if you read some newspapers from the east coast, you might get the wrong impression.

Boston Herald writer Gerry Callahan called Merriman a 'steroid cheat' over and over. He did all he could to drag Shawne Merriman's reputation through the dirt:

When Merriman appeared on TV at halftime of the Patriots-Jets game, Shannon Sharpe asked if Merriman, sporting a neat spaghetti-strapped top, would have won the NFL defensive player of the year if he hadn't missed those four games. Ah, Shannon? There is a reason the voters held that four-game absence against Merriman. He didn't sit out with a pulled hammy. He cheated and got caught, and now he's so full of remorse that he showed up on your show looking like he was posing for the cover of Muscle and Fitness magazine.

BURN! No holds barred with mister Callahan, huh? Wow.

Yea Merriman is a confidant guy, and he has good reason to be. He can dominate a football game like few players can. But he shows the proper respect to the game and its great players & coaches. During last week's Jets-Patriots game, Shawne made a half-time prediction on national television. He called a Jets victory:

"First of all, I was badly wrong," Merriman said. "I figured if the Patriots didn't blow them out by first half then the Jets would have had a shot. But Brady once again came back and started firing that ball and made some key plays. It was a bad decision to pick the Jets."

Now don't get it twisted - Merriman has great respect for Tom Brady and company, but thats not going to stop him from trying to get some hits on the QB:

"He's going to get rid of the ball quickly. For a player like myself who likes to make plays in the backfield and likes to get to the quarterback, its going to be frustrating because I can't hit him as often as I want to. He's a smart quarterback and he knows how to get rid of the ball, and thats what I expect from him."

I have a feeling that if the Chargers win and Shawne Merriman has a dominant performance, we wont hear the end of it from the New England writers for quite some time.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

1-11-2007 @ 10:48PM

Bill said...

The way Merriman yaps including saying if the Chargers score even 2 points the game's over cause the Pats won't score demonstrates there's a level of immaturity on this Charger team which may well be their undoing Sunday.
I don't hear Pats players saying anything but respectful things towards San Diego.

1-11-2007 @ 11:10PM

Doc Holliday said...

Patriots, after you lose, have a nice flight home.

1-12-2007 @ 1:55AM

George B Vieto said...

Warning to Shawne Merriman make sure your words are sweet in case of you have eat them. If Tom Brady has a chance to win a game within two minutes or overtime unless he gets heat from the defense it will be the Chargers watching the playoffs on television. About New Englanders they hate the Yankees.

1-12-2007 @ 11:37AM

j said...

I don't think New Englanders have any hate or even dislike for the Chargers. In fact I think we respect their football team to the utmost; especially L.T. and their offense. It was Merriman who fired the first salvos and now he's going to have to live up to his hype. He should have plenty of time to prove himself as Brady and the Pats play ball-control against his team. By game's end I think you will find Merriman exhausted and hiding in the runway.

1-12-2007 @ 11:38AM

Ted said...

The first 34 years of my life were spent in NE and I really don't think anyone hates San Diego at all. I agree with George... We HATE the Yankees and NY in general. There was a little anger at the Lakers in the 80s, The Jets (after Parcells bolted)and Montreal.

I think us older Patriot fans don't have the same swagger as the younger, Brady bunch fans. Even after 3 Super Bowls, I still watch every game with a nervous feeling in my gut. I guess I remember getting clobbered by the Bears and enduring years of crappy teams growing up. Facing L.T., Shawne and the gang doesn't give me warm and fuzzy feeling, believe that.

As far as Shawne, I live in Baltimore now (a Pats fan in Raven Country)my wife is ba Maryland alumni and we saw Shawne play in college more than once. I think his comments were a little confusing and his wardrobe choice didn't scream remorse, but hardly worth writing about...its just the media stirring the soup.

BTW The Herald is a rag!

1-13-2007 @ 9:28AM

Leo Martin said...

I think that it's frustration more than hate. I personaaly feel that the media is in part at fault. WHEN are the Patrots going to get the respect they deserve?
I was reading this morning that San Diego has 5...count them 5 Pro Bowlers this year and what a remarkable feat that was. Let me ask you something....WHO picks the palyers going to Hawaii? RIGHT, it's the writers....the WRITERS??? Something is way wrong with this picture. We're not mad, we are disgusted at the fact that New England has 3 rings in 5 years.
They have made it through a tough year with losing key players and injuries. And you know what, they still are the team that NOBODY wants to play in the playoffs.
It will be great to listen to the play by play and hear them talking up the Chargers, until about 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter when the Patriots are eating up the clock with a 10 point lead.

Oh yea, and then we will start to hear the hype of how the patriots are going to have a much tougher time against the Ravens...It's all hype!

But at the end of the day...we will be there!

1-12-2007 @ 11:39AM

matthew said...

PATS fan for 35 year hate is not in my mind just happy we are where we are gl to both teams

1-12-2007 @ 2:27PM

Irving Smolens said...

When deciding which team I think will win a specific game I rely heavily on most recent performances. All the commentators are focusing on San Diego winning their last 10 games but none have mentioned that they won their next to last game by three points against a mediocre Seattle team and by only five points against an Arizona team with a losing record and that Arizona had held Tomlinson to less than 100 yards rushing.

It has often been said that good teams often play according to the quality of the teams they are facing. That could have been true in the case of the last two games the Chargers played and that they will bring their "A" game to the field on Sunday. On the other hand those last two games could be a true reflection of the actual quality of the Charger team.

Sure, the Chargers have five Pro Bowlers on their team but individuals do not win Super Bowl titles; teams do and that is where the Patriots have the advantage. The team does not have any glaring weaknesses. They have just won three in a row against good AFC teams with strong defenses and two of those wins have been on the road.

In a very close game I believe the Patriots will prevail.

1-12-2007 @ 2:28PM

Bob F said...

I was born and raised New England and I have no hate towards San Diego at all. Its a fun city with friendly people and respectable football team that has some great players. This Sunday's game between our two teams will be the game of the weekend and will be the biggest challenge the Pats has had this year. If you base an opinion about people in a specific region because of what a tabloid style newspaper says you are obviously not that bright.

1-12-2007 @ 2:48PM

Double D said...

Rob,

No hate in New England just a reaction to the San Dieguns (per Ron Burgundy) immature behavior! Give San Dieguns a rope and they will want to be Cowboys! A little taste of the playoffs since the early 90's and they want to hoist the Lombardi Trophy before the first snap. We do not hate San Diego we just are sitting back laughing at your fans who are taunting our talk shows! San Dieguns.....Act like you have been there before! New England has and that is what we are doing! Stay Unclassy San Diego!

1-12-2007 @ 4:11PM

sean said...

I agree with Bob F. Dont hate based on the reports of writers whose job it is to stir things up. It will be a great game to watch! GO CHARGERS!!!!!!!!!!

1-12-2007 @ 5:12PM

JP said...

We HATE the yankees. We HATE the colts and jets. We dislike the dolphins greatly. A lot of us HATE the steelers. And we week by week we have to hate whoever we're playing--it's called being loyal fans!

1-12-2007 @ 5:57PM

Paul said...

merriman has got a raw deal. go after bonds you NE losers! merriman will rawk you like a hurricane. (go terps)

1-12-2007 @ 6:56PM

Mike in Maine said...

I agree with many of the comments above. If you want to see hate in New England, you need to be talking about the Yankees. No disrespect, but the Chargers have done little except win a few regular season games on the back of the most amazing RB I've ever seen. Once you've put a whole team together and proved yourself in the playoffs, then maybe those of us in New England will feel some envy. Maybe if you knock us out of the playoffs four or five years in a row, then we can talk "hate" coming from New Englanders. Until then, be happy they let you play on the same field as the true and tested Championship teams of the NFL.

1-12-2007 @ 6:29PM

Gene said...

Hey, its playoff time and the baseless claims will fly. I live in New England and enjoy the precision that I have seen from a great coach. Having come from Cleveland, I am still in pain with Marty Ball. But come on, don't worry about guys like Callahan, he might be considered a borderline racist anyhow. There is little to worry about if that is what you are worried about. Merriman has run his mouth, and you can expect a response. But don't worry about guys like Callahan, just enjoy the best football of th year, the NFL playoff time!

1-13-2007 @ 1:24AM

Murph said...

Hate San Diego? Why on earth would anyone hate the dolts? We are talking about San Diego here aren�t we? That little town where everyone gets all excited if you wear your powder blue uniforms and go crazy at the mere mention of Air Coreal and Winslow Sr! The chargers aren�t offensive enough to even have a rivalry with anyone in the league. Never mind to be hated by the fans of New England. Raiders fans don�t even sweat you people and they are the worst team in the NFL, we have THREE Super bowl championships. Why would we hate you? You have a good team.. LT is a gem of a back. Merrimen is a great player (when he gets his vitamins) and your team as a whole is the best the league has to offer. But after Sunday you�re all going to be checking the papers to see when pitchers and catchers are reporting to Padre�s camp. Nope we don�t hate you in fact we pity you poor people

Murph

1-13-2007 @ 1:31AM

1-13-2007 @ 3:25PM

joe lafko said...

We New Englander's aren't mad all the time, we're battle hardened. We live in an area known as looserville (thanks to our non championship winning teams) until the PATS broke thru in 2001. The area is full of hard working blue collar fans who love their PATRIOTS. WE live through long cold winter's and enjoy the finer things in life such as a warm spring day, seeing the seasons change and a honest hard working football team. To see a man take a short cut and cheat with steroids and then get awarded a Defensive Player of the Year honor is a joke and unfortunalty that's what you have as you're linebacker. My hope is that on the second play from scrimmage he blows his achille's tendon out and will be out for next year as well as the game. When you cheat and take steroids the muscle gets stronger but the tendons stay the same and if you're too much a steroid freak and get too strong you'll pay the price. Be prepared to see a totally different game plan with little known players playing major roles. The 5-2-4 defense is going to bottle up Tomlinson and make Rivers shake his head trying to get the cobwebs out. We have a solid defense that will play tough and a offense that will contol the ball keeping it away from the Chargers and keeping them out of any offensive cohesiveness.

1-14-2007 @ 2:27PM

Joe, are you on crack? "Looserville"? Do you mean loserville? Wishing an injury on a player is just plain wrong!
Do you really think the Pats are steroid free? Isn't our punter the steroid king?

Also, I commend your faith in the Pats, but think your leading us down the path with your predictions. I am a Pats fan and I want them to win. I think it is going to take a little luck, no turnovers or stupid penalties and a few turnovers and stupid penalties on their side of the ball.

If they play mistake free... I think we are in for a long day on both sides of the ball.

I call 'em as I see 'em.

1-14-2007 @ 10:32PM

steve said...

in response to entry number 12 by paul Merriman needs more than 2 tackles to talk trash.....here peyton we are gunning for you next...enjoy the rest of the play offs

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