Philly Writer Lobs Idiot Grenade At Patriots: Opinion

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The Philadelphia Inquirer has fired the first shot in the lead-up to Super Bowl LII. And it appears to have backfired in a big way.

Whatever eye-rolling, forehead-slapping headline Philly.com slapped on the column published Tuesday night by Bob Brookover, you knew it wasn't worth a click. But the beauty of clickbait is clicking against your better judgement.

The story on Philly.com, titled "Lives more important than wins" and tweeted out with the headline "Maybe it's not coincidence the Aaron Hernandez tragedy happened to the Patriots," essentially argued the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick should have known their young star tight end was going to kill people. And that the team was blinded by its soulless pursuit of success.

Brookover writes the one subject the Patriots "want to skirt more than any other is the violent and tragic career of the late Aaron Hernandez. Perhaps that’s because Hernandez’s draft selection, despite bright red flags everywhere, is a reflection of how winning means everything to the Patriots and no cost is too high."

Hernandez was drafted in the fourth round in 2010. He hanged himself last April inside his prison cell, where he was serving a prison sentence for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. In the eyes of the law, Hernandez is an innocent man because of a centuries-old Massachusetts legal principle dismissing his case since he died during appeal. (A bill heard Tuesday is looking to change that principle.)

READ MORE

• Aaron Hernandez Murder Conviction Vacated
• Aaron Hernandez Death Ruled Suicide
• Lloyd Family Wants Patriots to Pay Them Money Owed to Aaron Hernandez
• Aaron Hernandez Suicide Notes: Judge Orders Release to Family
• Aaron Hernandez Suicide: State Police Release Report on Death
• Aaron Hernandez Suicide Note Released

Hernandez hanged himself the morning the Patriots were set to visit President Donald Trump at the White House to celebrate last year's Super Bowl victory against Atlanta. The Patriots have more or less remained mum about his suicide, something Brookover points out with a wink about as subtle as a porcupine.

"At One Patriot Way in Foxborough, Mass., it is as if Aaron Hernandez never existed," he writes.

On a roll now, Brookover makes sure to mention Patriots tight end and one-time Hernandez teammate Rob Gronkowski is playing this Sunday despite suffering a concussion last week. Anything for the win.

Then Brookover takes the gloves off, indicating Belichick just had to know Hernandez was going to kill someone. After all, he "had a troubled past at the University of Florida and in his hometown of Bristol, Conn."

"The Patriots or Urban Meyer, who was the coach at the University of Florida when Hernandez played there, should have done more when they saw the signs of trouble. What Hernandez did was horrible, but you get the feeling the only reason Meyer and the Patriots cared about him in the first place was because he could play football."

Even in a Super Bowl preview week known for stretching content beyond its breaking point, Brookover's story comes across as a bitter attempt to paint the Sith-like Patriots in a villainous role. Go 'Underdog' Eagles.

Brookover hasn't tweeted since promoting the link to his story. We'll help him out: Read the story here, if you have a Philly.com subscription and want to read one of the most shameless Patriots hit pieces in recent memory.

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