Deion Branch catches a touchdown pass, woofs at the camera, and KJR, with known Branch hater Hugh Millen in studio,  is accusing him of lobbying for a ticket out of town and should be cut today.

WOW.

Guy can't make a good play without getting hammered in this town. Millen is even killing him about "not getting seperation" on the # whatever cornerback. That "# whatever cornerback" is Orlando Scandrick, a guy who was starting until Mike Jenkins began playing like a Pro Bowler when they split time, a situation Jenkins did nothing to earn, aside from get drafted in the first round.

I know the trade hasn't worked out, but some members of the Seattle media--mainly Millen--are making asses of themselves by continually beating this dead horse, who was arguably the only receiver to actually show up and play on Sunday.

Branch is a total douche. He threatened to hold out in NE trying to get a huge contract out of one game and NE was smart enough to tell him to pound sand. Only Tim Ruskell was dumb enough to trade for him and give him a giant contract that he had neither earned with his play or his potential.

Seems to me that Branch is lucky to even be being paid this year, and is only here becasue Ruskell is trying to hold onto his last gasp that this trade might actually look bad instead of horrible. Taking it in that light, I have ZERO sympathy for a player that has earned nothing in his time in Seattle.

Branch is the ass in this case, not Millen. Branch is the last guy who should ever open his mouth at this point and deserves every bit of criticism that he is earning. The only thing he has ever earned in Seattle.

Octavio206 wrote:

Branch is a total douche. He threatened to hold out in NE trying to get a huge contract out of one game and NE was smart enough to tell him to pound sand. Only Tim Ruskell was dumb enough to trade for him and give him a giant contract that he had neither earned with his play or his potential.

 

Seems to me that Branch is lucky to even be being paid this year, and is only here becasue Ruskell is trying to hold onto his last gasp that this trade might actually look bad instead of horrible. Taking it in that light, I have ZERO sympathy for a player that has earned nothing in his time in Seattle.

 

Branch is the ass in this case, not Millen. Branch is the last guy who should ever open his mouth at this point and deserves every bit of criticism that he is earning. The only thing he has ever earned in Seattle.

 

 

 

I completely agree that the time to cut bait on Branch was before this season, beffore his $4.94M salary was guaranteed, and that he hasn't come anywhere near to earning his contract, however:

1. Branch led the Patriots in receiving in two of three years before his holdout, so he didn't get that deal because of just one game. New England didn't tell him "to pound sand", they underestimated Eric Mangini's willingness to screw over Bill Belichick. They NEVER wanted to trade Branch--they were offering him a 5-year, $31M contract w/$8M guaranteed-- but made the mistake of allowing his agent to seek a trade.

Don't think for one second that the Patriots going out and trading for Wes Welker and Randy Moss wasn't due in large part to them having a Branch-sized hole in the passing offense in 2006. Hell, fullback Patrick Pass was in tears when they traded him, and Tom Brady sent Hasselbeck text messages asking him "to take care of my guy" after that deal went down, which brings me to point #2.

2. Branch has always been a superb locker room guy. He was a model teammate in New England and has done nothing in Seattle to warrant Millen and Levy assailing his character like this. The comment could've been construed any number of ways, it's just that this is Millen and Levy's default setting.

Part of signing that fat contract and cashing the signing bonus check is that you are going to get called out by the media when you don't deliver relative to your contract. Too bad for Branch. The fact is that almost any other player could have done the same thing and would not have gotten called out, certainly true. But when you don't produce or can't stay on the field for 3 years, you are going to potentially take unnecessary shots. Too bad.

I've never understood the absolute disdain some people (Millen included) have for Branch. I'm not a big fan of Branch and wish he wasn't on the team, but some of the stuff I've seen people say or write about him sure seems over the top.

That's just my $.02.

Maybe he had unrealiastic expectations put on him, in reality he doesn't have top WR talent, and really never did. But reality says when you give up a 1st rounder and get the kind of money he got, the expecations follow. he'll get cut if a new GM comes in. Who's to say that Ruskell will even be fired, Allen has held onto bad front office guys for longer than this.

Again, I have zero problems with people ripping Branch for not living up to the contract, both in terms of his lack of production and for his injuries.

That's fair game.

But to invent a controversy after the guy scores a touchdown that keeps the team in a road game, to me anyway, goes beyond what's acceptable criticism of a player. Branch's comment--in the heat of the battle--could've been construed one of two ways, and many fans, along with Millen and Levy, have a default setting that portrays Branch in the most negative light possible

I think it's idiotic to create this kind of story and I don't think you can seriously take it as anything other than a mano a mano challenge to the oppositon.

The one thing those buffoons said that was at all interesting(if it wasn't a flat out lie) was that deion was so sure that he wouldn't be here past the week 6 trade deadline that he shipped his collection of cars back to his offseason home and is now driving around in a rental malibu...is that true?

I also thought Millens comment that Hass shouldn't have made a higher throw to Housh because Terrance Newman could beat housh in a footrace was idiotic...Housh has superior ball skills is taller and was breaking past newman so we should throw the ball low to protect against the interception??????These guys deserve as much airtime as TJs temper tantrums