Fitz's Harvard Degree

[finknottle]

Football has always been, and probably always will be, a primarily blue collar game for both the participants as well as the fans (pansy indoor corporate boxes aside). Lets face it, you aren't going to find too many doctors, lawyers, or CEOs face down in their own vomit at the Ralph on any given Sunday. Chris brown epitomizes that and is acknowledging, in his own way, that there is room in football for someone with more than a "paper or plastic" level IQ ... just as long as he doesn't act superior to the others.

 

As an historical aside, the situation around the world used to be the opposite. Prior to the rising sports salaries of the past few decades, soccer was generally considered a blue collar game while rugby was considered elitist. Why? Because the last thing that the working class wanted after a hard week of work were the demands of a contact sport. But if you were a professional or part of the leisure class, a weekend spent knocking heads while playing rugby scratched that physical itch. They could *afford* some heavy lifting, bruising and an occasional broken bone.

 

Even today, if you look at club-level rugby in the US you will find them disproportionately populated by doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. Partly because club players are usually college graduates to begin with, but also because a genuine 'weekend warrior' lifestyle is a luxury better afforded by professionals who have the week to rest up.

Edited December 21, 2010 by finknottle

[agardin]

I follow the advice of the playwright when it comes to intelligence..."Show me, don't tell me". Don't go about insipidly reminding people of how smart you are. Rather, let it bring something to the table.

 

 

Fitzpatrick, according to this article, approaches things the right way. He uses his intelligence to help the team without constantly talking about "Well, back at Harvard...".

 

Geddy Lee was a playwright as well?

 

[Astrojanitor]

Here is what Chris Brown says in a recent report about Fitz:

 

"Perhaps most important is even though Fitzpatrick comes with a Harvard pedigree, he doesn’t wear it like a badge of superiority."

 

Just curious: why is this what is "most important?" Why is it more important than any other qualities? Why isn't it ok for him to be proud of his degree?

 

What bothers me is that this country is so bloody egalitarian and anti-intellectual that we don't appreciate anyone's intellectual achievements. God forbid Fitz should let it be known that he has a Harvard degree (as if that is something he should strut around with for the rest of his life anyhow). No, he must act like a normal dummy because that is what is important. Getting along with the guys. Being one of the crowd.

 

Stupid.

 

+100000

Graduating from Harvard is a huge intellectual accomplishment and he can't even wear it with pride. That economics degree is more impressive than his ability to throw a ball

[Dirtbag]

Here is what Chris Brown says in a recent report about Fitz:

 

"Perhaps most important is even though Fitzpatrick comes with a Harvard pedigree, he doesn’t wear it like a badge of superiority."

 

Just curious: why is this what is "most important?" Why is it more important than any other qualities? Why isn't it ok for him to be proud of his degree?

 

What bothers me is that this country is so bloody egalitarian and anti-intellectual that we don't appreciate anyone's intellectual achievements. God forbid Fitz should let it be known that he has a Harvard degree (as if that is something he should strut around with for the rest of his life anyhow). No, he must act like a normal dummy because that is what is important. Getting along with the guys. Being one of the crowd.

 

Stupid.

 

i've long maintained that the best thing about trae williams was that he doesn't wear his south florida degree like a badge of superiority.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Dirtbag

[The Senator]

In the future, you should try to insult Olbermann without insulting the hundreds of thousands of non-A-holes who graduated from Cornell.

Please do Cornellians everywhere a favor when you're crappin' gravy and fouling up the atmosphere with your lentil-farts - tell folks you went to Hobart!

 

.

Edited December 21, 2010 by The Senator

[1billsfan]

+100000

Graduating from Harvard is a huge intellectual accomplishment and he can't even wear it with pride. That economics degree is more impressive than his ability to throw a ball

 

Do you really think that Stevie Johnson gives a rats ass about how much smarter Fitzpatrick is than him?

 

NO player in ANY nfl locker room gives a rats ass about his Harvard degree. In fact, If Fitzpatrick were to talk act superior in any way to the other players he'd lose the locker room. You'd eventually have guys more interested in knocking him off his arrogant high horse than winning a game. That's easy to do in the NFL. They can make him look real good and they can make him look reeeeaaaallll bad.

 

If you want to act cerebral, then go be a baseball player. I'm betting that NFL locker rooms don't take a shine to the cerebral types. They're more impressed if you can smash a beer can on your face.

[Kelly the Dog]

Do you really think that Stevie Johnson gives a rats ass about how much smarter Fitzpatrick is than him?

 

NO player in ANY nfl locker room gives a rats ass about his Harvard degree. In fact, If Fitzpatrick were to talk act superior in any way to the other players he'd lose the locker room. You'd eventually have guys more interested in knocking him off his arrogant high horse than winning a game. That's easy to do in the NFL. They can make him look real good and they can make him look reeeeaaaallll bad.

 

If you want to act cerebral, then go be a baseball player. I'm betting that NFL locker rooms don't take a shine to the cerebral types. They're more impressed if you can smash a beer can on your face.

Nonsense. I would bet the Bills players love the fact he's from Harvard and it helps them think they can win with him thinking he's the smartest quarterback in the league. They may not take a shine to holier than thou cerebral types but from every account, and watching him talk, Fitz isn't at all like that.

 

Fitz stayed after practice with the young WR to watch extra film study and they loved watching him break down the game. Steve Johnson, after the game, said that Fitz saw something that the Dolphins did on film, and told Steve that they are going to cover you a certain way, so when we call X play, don't run your normal route, cut it short. That was the TD pass he threw to him.

 

Here is one comment about that from SJ. I saw a couple others...

"We've been working on that the whole season," Johnson said. "We knew how they were gonna play. All I had to do was come flat. It was Sean Smith. He still kind of made a play on it, but I stayed flat like Fitz told me to and we connected. If we had run it the way we usually run it, it may have been intercepted or knocked down. That's from film study right there."

Edited December 21, 2010 by Kelly the Fair and Balanced Dog

[1billsfan]

Nonsense. I would bet the Bills players love the fact he's from Harvard and it helps them think they can win with him thinking he's the smartest quarterback in the league. They may not take a shine to holier than thou cerebral types but from every account, and watching him talk, Fitz isn't at all like that.

 

Fitz stayed after practice with the young WR to watch extra film study and they loved watching him break down the game. Steve Johnson, after the game, said that Fitz saw something that the Dolphins did on film, and told Steve that they are going to cover you a certain way, so when we call X play, don't run your normal route, cut it short. That was the TD pass he threw to him.

 

Here is one comment about that from SJ. I saw a couple others...

 

 

Huh? I never said Fitzpatrick was like that. I was disagreeing with the people who think that there's no reason why he shouldn't flaunt his Harvard degree.

[Lurker]

Anyway, Fitz does not come of as some pompous blueblood Bostonian with a Hav-ahd Diploma who would shove it in your face.

Show of hands. How many TSW posters actually know/work with/have met a Harvard grad?

 

The more than a few I know all seem to follow the Fitz example...which makes this whole thread a hoot.

[Kelly the Dog]

Huh? I never said Fitzpatrick was like that. I was disagreeing with the people who think that there's no reason why he shouldn't flaunt his Harvard degree.

I was simply refuting your statement that no one in the Bills locker room gives a rat's ass about his Harvard degree. IMO, they probably love it and think it gives them an advantage on the field.

[1billsfan]

I was simply refuting your statement that no one in the Bills locker room gives a rat's ass about his Harvard degree. IMO, they probably love it and think it gives them an advantage on the field.

 

 

 

The question was whether it was a positive thing for him to flaunt it (badge of superiority). The reason that the other players like him is that he connects to them at eye level. So that endears him to them so much so that they can say he's the "smart guy"...that's his "cool" thing. But if he ever tried to pull the Harvard "listen to me because I'm smarter than you" card on them they would push him against the locker so fast his head would spin. You almost need to have a psych degree just to understand an NFL locker room.

[Kelly the Dog]

The question was whether it was a positive thing for him to flaunt it (badge of superiority). The reason that the other players like him is that he connects to them at eye level. So that endears him to them so much so that they can say he's the "smart guy"...that's his "cool" thing. But if he ever tried to pull the Harvard "listen to me because I'm smarter than you" card on them they would push him against the locker so fast his head would spin. You almost need to have a psych degree just to understand an NFL locker room.

Oh, I agree with that. But that's not really what you said.

[purple haze]

I have family members that are alumni and that wasn't a slam on Cornell at all, but rather on Olbermann, who wasn't admitted to the private prestigious Ivy League Cornell that has very strict admissions standards, yet he tries to act as if he is.

 

My understanding is that Olbermann was admitted to the agricultural school of Cornell, which is not exactly the school of engineering, and has much more leniant admission standards. I don't claim to understand exactly how the two schools are separated, but I think it's like having played for the Cincinatti Swords farm team while claiming to have been a player for the Sabres 1975 Stanley Cup team.

 

Anyway, Fitz does not come of as some pompous blueblood Bostonian with a Hav-ahd Diploma who would shove it in your face. He seems to be well liked and respected by his teammates, and shows it by throwing his body in harms way as a blocker to help gain a few extra yards. He is a blue collar kind of guy who just happens to be pretty damn smart and got the education to go along with it.

 

 

If he went to Cornell he went to Cornell. It doesn't matter what Department he was admitted to. If the school offers that program they see value in it. Because it's not something you might consider the "school of engineering" does not mean it wasn't a rigorous program. I'm sure it was. Ivy League schools don't trade in half-assed programs. No matter what the field of study. It would be bad for their brand and that brand is extremely important to all of the Ivies.

 

That being said attendance at Harvard does not necessarily make Fitz any more intelligent than the next guy or girl. There are all types of ways for people to learn and gain knowledge. I find, in my experience, that folks who don't have an Ivy League degree make a bigger deal out of it than the actual graduates of Ivy League institutions.

Edited December 21, 2010 by purple haze

[TheLynchTrain]

Here is what Chris Brown says in a recent report about Fitz:

 

"Perhaps most important is even though Fitzpatrick comes with a Harvard pedigree, he doesn’t wear it like a badge of superiority."

 

Just curious: why is this what is "most important?" Why is it more important than any other qualities? Why isn't it ok for him to be proud of his degree?

 

What bothers me is that this country is so bloody egalitarian and anti-intellectual that we don't appreciate anyone's intellectual achievements. God forbid Fitz should let it be known that he has a Harvard degree (as if that is something he should strut around with for the rest of his life anyhow). No, he must act like a normal dummy because that is what is important. Getting along with the guys. Being one of the crowd.

 

Stupid.

 

I agree. Joel Stein of Time wrote a column recently on this type of behavior. Its pretty funny. My favorite part is Matt Lauer's comment on the Supreme Court and Stein's response:

 

"Here's how the current bench will look. Five of the current Justices will be graduates of Harvard Law School. Three will be graduates of Yale Law School. Another will have gone to Yale Law School but graduated from Columbia ... Doesn't it sound a little elitist to you?" Undoubtedly, spell-check sounds a little elitist to you when an hour of your news program is anchored by Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford.

 

I had assumed the Supreme Court was one of the places that needed to be elitist. Being a Supreme Court Justice isn't like being a community-college student or a Huffington Post columnist. The court is one of the few institutions in which people have to do some elite thinking. Have you ever read the Constitution? Of course you haven't: it's boring as hell. It's for nerds. It contains sentences like "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed." Now try to use that sentence to explain why gays should or shouldn't get married. You can see why you'd have to go to Yale Law for this.

 

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2010191,00.html

[1billsfan]

Oh, I agree with that. But that's not really what you said.

 

 

Imagine if Ryan had said to Stevie one day, "Hey man, I'm sorry but this part's just a tad above your pay grade. Don't worry though buddy, I'll break it down and let you know what to do."

 

You think that Stevie would be talking up Ryan's smartness after something like that? That's the dynamic I was talking about regarding him not giving a rats ass.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Please do Cornellians everywhere a favor when you're crappin' gravy and fouling up the atmosphere with your lentil-farts - tell folks you went to Hobart!

 

.

 

lentil farts!?! LMFAO!!

[Gugny]

Football has always been, and probably always will be, a primarily blue collar game for both the participants as well as the fans (pansy indoor corporate boxes aside). Lets face it, you aren't going to find too many doctors, lawyers, or CEOs face down in their own vomit at the Ralph on any given Sunday. Chris brown epitomizes that and is acknowledging, in his own way, that there is room in football for someone with more than a "paper or plastic" level IQ ... just as long as he doesn't act superior to the others.

Perfectly stated.

[Spiderweb]

I think you're reading too much into it. Brown is saying that Fitzpatrick isn't one of those guys who throws his superior intellectual abilities in your face. Much like his demeanor on the field, it shows in his quiet confidence. I think Brown's point is more about a personality trait than any other issue. I am sure we have all met people in all walks of life who we would describe as arrogant a$holes. Good that Fitz isn't in that category.

 

Btw, did you catch Gailey's PC yesterday? Funny response when asked, Does Fitz let's you know how smart he is? Gailey: "Not in public."

 

To take it a step further, and frankly a bit more honestly, it's as if the initial post was made with some bias that ultimately twisted the facts. One thing Chan said a few weeks back was that there are two kinds of people, those that are humble, and those that will be (humbled). It simply seems that Fitz has understood this long ago and carries himself as such.

 

Or....maybe the initial post was merely practice in becoming a politician.

[Fan in San Diego]

+1. He shouldn't rub it in anyone's face, because on the field no one cares if you're from Coe College or a Rhodes Scholar (well, except if you're that kid from Florida State...). But there's a world of difference between condescension and pride. Nothing wrong with expressing the latter for such a fine achievement.

 

Is that even a legit word?

[machinegun12]

Is that even a legit word?

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condescension

 

Ummm...yes it is apparently.

 

Obviously you are not a Harvard graduate.

 

...nor am I.

Edited December 21, 2010 by machinegun12