Patroit's pointless release....

            Imagine telling your kids on Christmas Eve that Santa Clause isn't coming to the house this year. Perhaps you've had a family vacation scheduled to Disney World all summer long, but the night before your flight, you decide to cancel your tickets without ever giving a hint to your family that this was possible.

            It seems absurd to think about. No parent would ever knowingly do that to their child without a valid excuse, some logical reason for why Santa Clause isn’t coming, some reasonable explanation for why your family isn’t going to Disney World, despite being under the impression that they were. It would be cold-blood, callous, and unthinkable. But if your Bill Belichick, it's simply business.

            On the night before the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots cut wide receiver Tiquan Underwood. It was such a shocking movie that people not only assumed that Underwood violated a team rule, they even hoped that he did. If Underwood broke a rule, it would be easy to accept his sudden release and Belichick wouldn't seem like a heartless coach, but rather a strict disciplinarian.

            However, based on what has been released, Underwood didn't violate any rules. He's not considered a bad guy, a diva wide receiver starved for attention. He was simply let go the night before the Super Bowl because, apparently, The Almighty Belichick thought that defensive linemen Alex Silvestro gave his team the best chance to win. Silvestro played in only one game this season and that wasn't the Super Bowl. He made a cameo appearance against the Miami Dolphins in the regular season; other than that, he's been relegated to the practice squad.

            Any team has the right to cut a player. But to do so before the biggest game of the year shows ignorance for the way things should be done. Any kid playing football dreams of being a part of the Super Bowl, of having an opportunity to slide a gaudy Super Bowl ring onto their finger. It's the same way with baseball players wanting to run out onto the field of a World Series game. Or a hockey player dreaming of one day having the opportunity to hoist Lord Stanley's cup above their head, only to lower it close to their lips to plant a kiss on the giant trophy.

            Underwood had a chance to be part of the Super Bowl. But the Patriots and Belichick in particular decided to take that away.

            The Patriots ended up losing the game. Call it karma. Call it fate. Either way, it seemed like an appropriate ending.

            Underwood wasn't going to be a difference maker in the game, if he even would have stepped onto the field and had a ball thrown his way. He only played in a handful of games all year long, catching a mere three balls. If the Patriots felt that having depth on the defensive line was more important than keeping a bit receiver on the roster, then they could have let Underwood know two weeks ago. They could have informed the player that had the Patriots logo shaved into the back of his hair that his services would not be needed for the Super Bowl.

Before his team arrived in Indianapolis.

Before his team walked the field on media day.

Before his family and friends gathered to watch him play.

            This move would have no impact on the outcome of the game. Whether it was Underwood or Silvestro on the sidelines, it didn’t matter. That's what makes it so shocking. Here's a young player having a chance to fulfill his dream of being part of the Super Bowl, the nation's largest sporting event, and he's given the “Dear John” letter the night before. The Patriots didn't make the Super Bowl because of the 44^th, 45^th, and 46^th players on their roster. They arrived because of Tom Brady, because of their receiving core led by Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski. Letting Underwood go in such a cold manner didn't cause the Patriots to lose – the fact Gronkowski was clearly playing on only one healthy leg played a bigger part in the outcome – but it did make it even easier to root against the team.

            This is all part of the Belichick way. He's won a lot of games and earned a lot of respect. Much of it is deserved. But he is not without his faults. Because of him, “Spy-gate” has entered the American lexicon. When he went for it on 4^th and 2 in Indianapolis, against the Colts, he was criticized for over-analyzing the situation. He even decided to break his practices up this week with a 37 minute break to simulate the halftime show for his players. If the Patriots would have won, no doubt future Super Bowl teams would have copied his tactic. It's the same reason teams constantly raid the Patriot's sidelines for their next head coach. Teams are looking to grab onto the mystic and winning ways of the man in the hoodie.

            Running a football team is like running a business. And in this scenario, Belichick is the CEO, capable of hiring and firing anyone at his whim. While we are quick to dismiss players for holding out, demanding more money (after all, “it's a business”), we rarely hold teams to the same standard.

            Belichick had the right to cut Underwood when he did, but that didn't make it right.

            Underwood could have gone off on Belichick and the Patriots. He could have unleashed his anger and no one would be surprised. Instead, Underwood handled his dismissal with class. He wished the Patriots the best of luck (and I’m sure he may have smirked a bit after the clock ran out and the Giants won).

After he was released, he even tweeted, “There are people in this world w/more serious problems so I can't hang my head.” Despite all the adversary, Underwood handled his unfortunate situation in the best possible way by being gracious and mature. He sounds exactly like the type of player one would want on their team.