Stirring The Pot, Fanning The Flames - II

You just knew Shank would not be content just to tweet about Friday's ESPN column by Seth Wickersham, right?

We may never know who ordered the Code Red (a.k.a. the trading of Jimmy Garoppolo), but fallout from two days of blockbuster stories is sure to shake the holy trinity of Patriot Nation.

On Friday, ESPN released an exhaustive report of trouble in Patriot Land, reporting that Bob Kraft mandated the Garoppolo trade and detailing hard feelings between Bill Belichick, Kraft, and Tom Brady, much of it owed to the Jimmy G. trade and treatment of Brady’s personal training guru, Alex Guerrero. The story largely made Belichick look good, made Brady look bad, and made Kraft look like a meddling owner.

This part of the story, of course, completely ignores the joint statement by Brady, Belichick & Kraft that Wickersham's story is Grade A bullshit. Also of note - Wickersham's story does not identify a single source by name. Does this tactic sound familiar to you?

I hope you're sitting down - behold as Shank tries to take at least partial credit for all of this:

This is what happens when ESPN shines a light on the egos and strained relationships inside the walls of Fort Foxborough.

If you’ve been paying attention, it’s no surprise really. We’ve been telling you all along that Kraft ordered the trading of Jimmy G. against the wishes of Belichick. We’ve exposed the fraudulence of Guerrero. Thumbing through Brady’s fitness book, or listening to the quarterback talk about Guerrero, suggests that Tom has been kidnapped by aliens. It’s more cult than sports culture. Belichick restricting Guerrero’s access and availability to other Patriot players at team facilities this season has agitated Brady and divided the organization. Tossing a little more tension on the pile, we have the beloved/needy owner who thinks of Brady as a fifth son.

Although I think Guerrero is a shady character, I have one simple question / retort for Shank and other Guerrero critics - how, then, can you explain Brady's MVP-worthy performance at 40 years old?

Eventually, Shank's hard-on wore off and he returns to earth:

It might be as simple as this: Belichick had a quarterback succession plan, but Brady’s level of performance outlived Bill’s plan.

Still, the vaunted Patriot Way for 18 years has been to get rid of a guy too early rather than too late. For some reason, that time-tested logic went out the window when it came to Brady. Now Kraft is asking us to believe it was all Bill. So, here we are.

Yes, it could be as simple as that, but Shanks wants to make Mt. Everest out of a molehill, again.