Bias, Genius, and Plagiarism

As I mentioned in my summary of the Pats vs. Colts, I was pretty sure that some would have questions for Belichick and some of his decisions. In fact, that is addressed in a Boston Globe article by Dan Shaughnessy that provides a rehashing of the game. Shaughnessy concludes that the game plan was inspired: keep the drives long, don't give Peyton the ball, and work in increments rather than leaps. Which was precisely what the Patriots did. However, as Shaughnessy also points out, the execution left something to be desired. There was the obvious Gaffney drop that really shouldn't have happened. The Patriots got to the red zone twice in the first half and had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. I'm not sure what our red zone completion percentage is this season, but I suspect it is pretty low. We are ranked 25th in touchdowns, tying us with Seattle. Shaughnessy also points out that there were some Belichick calls that armchair fans may be questioning this week, such as the use of timeouts and disputing the too many men on the field call. At least, that is what I read from the article.

A featured story this morning on Yahoo (and what a way to wake up at 6am) featured the headline, 'Belichick a genius no more?' It purportedly summarizes Shaughnessy's article, but certainly seems to add a liberal amount of artistic license in getting that headline. Now, I can certainly understand why the term 'Mangenius' may have fallen out of use, but I would have to say that Belichick is doing relatively well on the genius stage (that is, if we insist on continuing to use the term 'genius,' which is a historical construct and possibly a questionable one at that). What seems particularly biased, however, is that at no point did Shaughnessy suggest that Belichick had lost it. Also, as a side note, Belichick was not sporting his grey hoodie during this game, unlike what the photo might lead one to believe.

What irks me even further is that the Yahoo article has sections that are by its writer, then has others which are taken directly from Shaughnessy -- in academia, we would term that 'plagiarism.' I would assume that those parts should be quoted. However, what really grinds my gears is the whole set-up. Certainly it is to get readers to click and as we all know, there is no lack of Patriot detractors. But come on Yahoo. At least present Shaughnessy's views accurately.

Considering what the Pats are doing without Tom Brady (see other situations where the starter is out, such as Dallas), I think a case could be made that Belichick may not be a genius, but he is awfully good at what he does.