Patriots

The National League West is not a division too many people are getting overly excited about entering the 2009 season. The return of Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles has made the Dodgers the division’s lone true contender for the World Series. Arizona will go as far as its pitching takes it, which could be far, but other than that, there’s not a whole lot to pontificate upon. Yet, somehow, I still managed to write 1,383 words.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's 2009 NL West Preview"

Its not often that I miss a Celtics game, I never miss the Patriots, and I'm even hopping on the B's bandwagon, as disgraceful as that is. So if you want to get in on the ground floor, leave a

Continue reading "Inauguration"

Does that apply to the sports world?

Over the weekend former Patriots owner James Orthwein died. The Red Sox got a scare as Hall of Fame outfield Carl Yastremski went to the hospital with chest pains and underwent triple bypass surgery.

Continue reading "Union Needs a new Upshaw"

Boston boast some bad ballers.

The Patriots have been winning titles recently, but have some great player prior and after the titles. How about Drew Bledsoe? Sure, he choked a few times, had his life and career threatened by an injury, but he still found homes when Tom took over. Tom Brady... not much to say here. Sam Cunningham, Curtis Martin, Marv Cook, Ben Coates (great hands, small feet, and now a Pats H.O.F.er), Irving Fryar, Corey Dillion, Adam-something or rather who kicked some field goals and a turncoat. Vincent Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Andre Tippett. There is a LOAD of players who never broke records, but together caused havoc for the league.

Continue reading "The Legends"

Back in December, I asked the question, “Do the Celtics have what it takes to slow down the Patriots and conquer Red Sox Nation?” Everybody I know scoffed at the idea, and rightfully so. At the time we had an undefeated football team bound for another Super Bowl win, and a baseball team that won the World Series two months prior to the article. Today, the Celtics are about to play game one of the NBA Finals against the longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers. Even with the recent news on the

Continue reading "Celtics NBA Champs? Yes Please."

Bush, he went after the most powerful professional sports franchise, the New England Patriots.

I wish I could say that this is an isolated incident but it is not. ESPN, the supposed on-air and on-line sports mecca, does this on an hourly basis. They have strayed so far from highlights and facts that they have now morphed into the sports world's version of the Enquirer or TMZ. This is being highlighted by the "SpyGate" coverage. These former players, these "professionals" are proving to be anything but. Mark Schlerith and Chris Carter sound like two sour, jealous, couch potatoes arguing over who's hotter Gisele or Heidi. Schlerith completely ignored the fact that he was part of a "mini-dynasty" whose coach, Mike Shanahan, was quoted in a Rick Reilly Sports Illustrated article as saying;

Continue reading "ESPN Should Hire John Tomase"

vites people that actually get picked?)

-Who's the random guy that nobody's heard of that the Patriots end up picking? After trading down like, three times. (Went down perfectly)

-Who are the ESPN analysts going to ridicule for making an absolutely terrible pick? (Usually the Jets)

Continue reading "Maybe I'll Finish This One..."

When the NFL schedule was released I was thrilled to learn that the Jets have a primetime game this year, and a good one at that! They square off on Monday Night Football at San Diego against the Chargers in week 3. However, I have since read an article on newyorkjets.com by Editor-in-Chief Randy Lange, entitled "The '08 Sked's Monday Night Crunch." Lange very carefully articulates the perils of having to play a Monday night game in a different time zone (particularly an east coast team traveling into the pacific time zone) and then having to return home for a 1pm Sunday game the following week. The Jets this year are faced with such a predicament and Lange points out how recent history has not looked kindly on teams dealt such a difficult scheduling constraint. First of all, it hasn't happened very often since 2002 which would suggest that the scheduling gurus are possibly making a conscious effort not to put teams in this bind. (For example, east coast teams should be granted byes after a west coast Monday nighter, or possibly a Sunday night game which would afford them several more hours to adjust and prepare.) And when it has happened, victims of this circumstance have not fared well, losing most games for which they return home.

Continue reading "A Sched-you'll Want to Know About!"

It's been all over the news, both locally and nationally. The Patriots invited Arkansas running back Darren McFadden for a visit later April 10-11. It means one of two things: They are considering the Razorback with the seventh pick overall or they want to entice possible trade partners interested is the top rated ball carrier in this draft.

Continue reading "Interest and Gamesmanship"

As the Patriots continue to do their homework, they will get close looks at three corners expected to be selected outside of the first round. They are Brandon Flowers of Virginia Tech, Charles Godfrey of Iowa and Terrell Thomas from Southern Cal.

Continue reading "Four corners"

In today's Boston Globe, they reported New England worked out Auburn's Quentin Groves. He's a former defensive end that moved to outside linebacker for the Tigers and is rated by The Sporting News as the second best outside linebacker in this year draft and is considered by many as the best pure pass rusher.

Continue reading "Another personal workout"

I've heard of creating competition or adding depth, but this free agency the Patriots are taking it to a new level. The latest addition to the secondary is Fernando Bryant, a former first round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars and most recently from the Detroit Lions.

Continue reading "No shortage of corners"

According to The Boston Globe, the Patriots went to work out Perdue linebacker Stanford Keglar. While it's easy to say that the Patriots are just doing their homework, Keglar is the second LB I heard linked to the Pats. Earlier I heard they are interested in Vanderbilt's Jonathan Goff.

Continue reading "A linebacker workout"

It's a draft guide, but I'm free to make my own opinions.

By the way, they say the Patriots will draft a corner. That would be in agreement with most mock drafts I've seen, but I don't see it that way. The paper trail mock draft is coming soon.

Continue reading "My bible"

The positive for Moss is if he has two highly productive seasons, it puts the Patriots in a bind. Do they negotiate an extension or risk letting Moss play out the third year and cash in on another big payday as a free agent? He will be 34 by the end of the contract, but could still have a couple of good years left in him by that point. He likely will lose a step or two with age, but he won't get shorter, so he will remain a valuable target even when he slows down.

Continue reading "Good News Times Two"

While most fans can continue to be on Randy Moss suicide watch, Patriots followers should take a moment to say thank you and good luck to Donte' Stallworth. Saturday he signed the long-term contract he was hoping for with the Cleveland Browns. He probably arrived highly recommended by NE head coach Bill Belichick since Stallworth now will be coached by Bill's former defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.

Continue reading "Free Agency Day 2"

t our founding fathers had in mind when they devised the legislative branch. 

I despise the Patriots dynasty as much as anyone and I was among the many who questioned how Spygate was laid to rest so quickly and easily back in September 2007. Before the evidence was even confiscated, fines and penalties were levied against Bill Belichick and the team. And then when the tapes and notes were turned over to Roger Goodell, they were all destroyed in Foxborough, rather than being saved and brought to NFL headquarters in New York. But, as much as I resent the organization getting away with anything, and as much as I wish there could be a federal investigation, I know that the NFL is an autonomous organization that has the right and responsibility to govern itself. As long as no federal laws are being broken, the federal government has no right to intervene. I would take great personal satisfaction in Belichick’s legacy being ruined and the

Continue reading "Seperation of Sports and State"

and we all know who those apply to. 

The Patriots and our ego-maniacal leader expected to be competitive with the Giants, that their skill and intelligence would get them what they wanted, but they forgot that you have to go out there and take it. So what if Matt Light made the Pro Bowl, he played that game like he was entitled to stop the G-Men with that small honor and whatever skill set he wielded. That was NOT enough ... Asante Samuel held out in the pre-season, had a strong regular season, but showed nothing in the Super Bowl ... the ball HIT HIM IN THE HANDS!!!! That is a play that, once again, a Pro Bowl player NEEDS to make! I could go on forever with this!! 

Continue reading "What does it all boil down to?"

And thanks to the generous people over at the San Francisco 49ers organization, the New England Patriots have the 7th pick of the draft. It's like Bill Gates receiving welfare checks.

Continue reading "The Biggest Game of the Year That ..."

bsp;Giants team that is best suited to try and play ball control and keep Tom Brady and the vaunted Patriots' offense off the field. But football is unique in that days of gameplanning can be shot to hell almost instantly. The

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII Prediction"

The Super Bowl this year has many people predicting an easy Patriots win, even though there is a general acknowledgement that the Giants will bring a solid game plan and sound execution to the contest. Despite the consensus that the Giants are worthy of being in the game on Sunday after an impressive playoff run, almost every NFL fan and analyst has resigned him or herself to the fact that they are just 100% outmatched. Oh, how wrong they are. 

Continue reading "Giant Upset"

The Patriots’ days are numbered. In the modern NFL, it is impossible for a team to go 19-0 and even though they seem as poised as any team in NFL history to accomplish such a feat, the odds are stacked against them deeper than a trips bunch formation. 

Continue reading "19-0*"

To make matters more painful, we must coincide our forced optimism with a Patriots team that seems to be bound for greatness.

Hopefully, as the combine gets underway and draft day approaches, the Jets management won’t do anything too hasty. I have one big concern for 2008; the quarterback situation. It shouldn't be a concern, but unfortunately it already is because of the pathetic midseason decision to suddenly usher in the Clemens era.

Continue reading "Pennington or Bust"