SubscribeCutting a player the night before the Super Bowl: Fair or Foul?
Pardon the Interruption rotates segments, one of which is called “Fair or Foul?” The latest one concerns the NE Patriots’ wide receiver Tiquan Underwood.
Underwood was removed from the roster the night before the Super Bowl. Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon opined about this, about how unfair it was to do this last minute, with the athlete’s family there.
Why would the team make this decision so late? They come across not looking very good (yeh, yeh, I know. This is a business). It has to be kind of embarrassing and takes a strong person to be gracious about it. Underwood was a good sport, saying all the right things, wishing his teammates well and hoping for a victory to honor the memory of Myra Kraft.
The upside is that he has been re-signed by the team for next season. And he’ll get all the Patriots’ losing share.
(By the way, if you look at the ESPN link above, be sure to take a few minutes to watch Rachel Nichol’s bittersweet story about the relationship between the NY Giants’ Justin Tuck and Evan Sullivano, a young man dying from cancer.)
I think it boiled down to a technicality in that they had to clear a roster spot for depth at another position. I’m guessing had they won he would have received a ring nonetheless.
Yes, he would have received a ring and will receive a full (loser’s) share. My compliant was the timing. The Patriots couldn’t tell until that last minute what their needs would be? For an organization and head coach that pride themselves on considering every detail, it just seems poorly handled.
Just sayin’.
Got you, Ron.