Broken Record / Recycling Alert

Shank's back to two of his favorite pastimes - rewriting old columns and stirring the pot mere hours before the Patriots play a divisional round playoff game.

FOXBOROUGH — With turmoil swirling around Route 1 and the heavily favored Patriots preparing to play Tennessee in the NFL divisional round on Saturday night, I thought it would be a good time to hop in the Wayback Machine and revisit a celebrated dustup between Bob Kraft and his future Hall of Fame coach when the Patriots were preparing for their second Super Bowl in early 1997.

That’s right, boys and girls. Welcome to Pigskin Deja Vu in Fort Foxborough. We have been here before.

The banishment of Tom Brady’s training guru and Bill Belichick’s unexplainable dumping of Jimmy Garoppolo don’t represent the first instance of trouble at the top during a Patriots Super Bowl run. And just like today, everybody lied about it then while it was unfolding.

Anyone remember the final days of Bill Parcells’s Patriots tenure in 1997?

And if you don't, Shank's here to eagerly remind you!

Seriously - what is the purpose of this, other than this being yet another battle in Shank's 20 year war against the Patriots? That's right - it's also an attempt to antagonize Patriots fans before a playoff game. It's the dreaded Shank twofer!

Responses on his Twitter feed are about what you'd expect:

No comparison between the 2 city articles today Shank?? Chowder vs Catfish????

— BillyFromManchester (@billyskouteris) January 13, 2018

Just dumb that you think Kraft would confirm a story two days before a Super Bowl and even dumber that you think Parcells deserves to be in Pats Hall of Fame. He quit on his team before a Super Bowl. Other than than that, great piece.

— George Brennan (@gpb227) January 13, 2018

You think the Kraftswill have another breakfast and leave you off f the invite list than you can get butt hurt and go after them for 20 more years

— Rick Ricciardi(@robemjoshreese) January 13, 2018

You are pitiful, inventing turmoil where there is none . Keep stirring the shit storm Shank something should shake out for you. If not , in true Globe tradition make something up.

— Pat (@Paintcan66Pat) January 13, 2018