The Patriots 'Character Coach' Quits, Apparently in Disgust Over The Tug Rule Charges

Source - The Patriots coaching staff has suffered another substantial loss this offseason as Jack Easterby, the team’s “character coach’’ and one of Bill Belichick’s closest confidants, is leaving after six seasons, multiple league sources confirmed. …

Easterby helped navigate the Patriots through significant highs and lows over six years — the Aaron Hernandez ordeal and Deflategate fiasco, plus four Super Bowl runs. Last season, Easterby’s foremost assignment was mentoring and keeping close tabs on troubled receiver Josh Gordon. …

Easterby felt his time with the team had run its course, and the Kraft situation does not sit well with him, according to league sources. Easterby retweeted a message from Saints tight end Ben Watson last Friday about the “entrenched evil’’ of human trafficking.

I’m not going to minimize Jack Easterby’s work with the Patriots. Before he decided to leave the Patriots in disgust, I was vaguely aware of his existence. From the team’s official website, in an article subtitled “The Most Influential Patriot You’ve Never Heard Of:”

He’s on the team plane, on the road whenever the team travels, and on almost every Patriot’s Favorite-Person-They’ve-Ever-Met List.

“What makes Jack so special,” punter Ryan Allen observes, “is the way he is able to connect and communicate with a large array of different people.”

“Man,” longtime special teams co-captain Matthew Slater exclaims, “I can only hope and pray to be half the man that [Jack]’s been and impact lives the way he has.”

Just what does Jack Easterby do for the Patriots?

“Lots of things… Teacher, listener, someone you can lean on,” right tackle Marcus Cannon explains.

To me he always sounded like their Morality Coordinator. A sort of combination life coach/team chaplain. Like Alex Guerrero, only dispensing advice and Scripture instead of kale smoothies and Pliability.

And so now he’s quit over … what exactly? In protest over the fact the aging, unmarried widower who signs the front of his paychecks may or may not have received hand pleasure from a consenting, 58-year-old professional sex worker who runs her own business? Is that what we’re being led to believe?

Look, I’d love to admire the man for having the courage of his convictions. I’d like to appreciate the work he did here based on the nice things the players say about him. Though, if we’re looking at his full record, Belichick hired him in 2012 and Aaron Hernandez went all Dexter in 2013. So that’s on his watch. And he gets about a C- on Josh Gordon. But I’m getting off topic.

Is this what you do when one of the flock you are shepherding through this wicked world goes astray? You just cut and run? Doesn’t a man in Jack Easterby’s position have an obligation to try and save the soul of anyone in his ministry sins? Pardon me for going straight to the wristband cliche, but What Would Jesus Do? He befriended Mary Magdalene, a professional prostitute, and defended her against any who spoke ill of her because we are all sinners. Does Easterby think that if Mr. Kraft bought a Rub, a Tug and a Hug ffom her, Jesus would’ve just cleaned out his desk and went to work in some other town?

I don’t claim to know the Word of God as well as professional character coach Jack Easterby. But I do know what the Bible says about forgiving people:

It’s against it. Jack Easterby is disappointed in Mr. Kraft? I’m disappointed in Jack Easterby.

P.S. I can’t wait to hear the anti-Patriots jihadists in the Boston media spin the loss of the team chaplain as the one thing that’s finally going to bring this Dynasty crashing to the ground. It’s coming. Mark my words.