The 15

Hey, big news, everyone!

After 12.5 years covering the Patriots, I've been promoted to @TheAthletic's NFL National Insider, and I'm so excited to expand my coverage across the entire league.

Look! I've even got a professional photo to accompany my new job. Here we go! pic.twitter.com/Ab8Tnpk40B

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) September 9, 2021

On Monday, September 9, 2021, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe announced his promotion to National NFL Insider, leaving an opening for the The Athletic to fill for Patriots beat coverage. As you might expect, Boston Globe media critic Chad Finn was all over this, having inside details of Howe’s promotion and search for a replacement nailed cold. (Just kidding. Charred Finn was folding Felger’s warming napkins before heading to Market Basket to fetch ketchup for Big Gym and chloroform-laced kitty litter for Jimmy Stewart.)

In a coordinated fashion, Howe tweeted his promotion and his replacement revealed himself. Matthew Fairburn is the new beat writer covering the Patriots for The Athletic:

Today starts a new chapter in my career. My family and I are moving east as I begin a new role covering the Patriots for @TheAthletic. To say we’ll miss Buffalo is an understatement. But I’m excited for the challenge and ready to get going this weekend. https://t.co/333dzMM8kV

— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 9, 2021

Per usual, colleagues tripped over each other scrambling to tweet congratulations at Fairburn for his new role at The Athletic in nauseating numbers. Inside the headquarters of The 15, there was more skepticism. Unlike Charred Finn, we went to work and some gems were unearthed.

Why did you delete this and other tweets, @MatthewFairburn ? pic.twitter.com/ZEZCM95gda

— JoeyJoJoJuniorShabadoo (@cpaul512) September 9, 2021

Is The Athletic Boston turning into The Unathletic Medway? I’m Just Asking The Question, reader. I would make a suggestion to Fairburn: Never go full Bedard. At all.

Fairburn is off to a rollicking start. He’s checking all the mediot boxes. Belichick cheats? Check. Brady about to go off a cliff? Yup. Reheated conventional wisdom passed off as insight? Bing. Intellectual dishonesty? You decide.

Hi Joey. Deleted that to spare my friends from an onslaught of Twitter nonsense. Don’t know what else you’re referring to, but happy to address any other old Patriots tweets I’ve had. Looking forward to covering the team and always open to feedback on my work.

— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 9, 2021

He deleted his tweets to spare his friends from an onslaught of Twitter nonsense. One might suggest his uninformed, trolling nonsense started this. Framing himself in the most unselfish and gallant of lights, Fairburn wanted to spare his friends from nonsense. But who is Fairburn sparing from an onslaught of Twitter nonsense in this since-deleted tweet?

Fairburn has spent the past week deleting tweets at a greater rate than Tom Brady destroys cell phones.

Meet the new beat writer for The Athletic Boston’s coverage of the Patriots: A Belichick hating, Brady cliff-diving, Cheating Cheatriots Spygate Enthusiast and DeflateGate Truther conspiracy theorist who will dedicate himself to providing unbiased, quality coverage of Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots. Is Fairburn writing for his audience? In Buffalo, he was catering to folding table murderers and dildo tossers. In New England, will he cater to the mouth-breathing Felger worshippers and angle for the weekend fill-in radio hottakez dollars?

The only question I need answered about Fairburn going forward is if he prefers mittens, Splenda, or a thesaurus.

Members of #The15 and Entitled Town contributed to this column.