I thought about writing this last night, but then it would have just been an angry rant about how the Patriots really should have won the game. But as much as it pains me to say this, the Jets deserved this one, and strangely enough, the blame goes to the Pats offense. Simply put, any time the 2009 Patriots hold their opponents to a total in the teens, we need to win. Period. Repeatedly settling for field goals just isn't going to cut it, and yesterday was a prime example of that. So what was the problem? There were two, really.
1. Play calling. When the Patriots are lighting the scoreboard up like a Christmas tree, they often do it with an exotic array of formations and play calling, and yet they went a hard 180 degrees the other way against the Jets. Former Boston Globe and new ESPN Boston Pats beat man Mike Reiss does an excellent job of breaking down specific play participation information after each game, and he noted that the Pats used the one back, one tight end, three receiver alignment on 76 of 77 offensive snaps yesterday. This is partially due to injuries...but it's still insane. When you know that an opponent is going to blitz as often as the Jets, you have to make their job harder by throwing different looks at them. People will be quick to say that missing Wes Welker was the biggest problem for the offense, but his rookie replacement, Julian Edelman, had eight catches for 98 yards, and everyone would have been satisfied with that same stat line from Welker, had he played. Granted, there were a few times where Edelman had to be told where to line up pre-snap, but overall he had a very solid game and looked every bit like the Welker 2.0 everyone hopes he will turn out to be.
The other thing that mystifies me about the game plan was the lack of opportunity given to Kevin Faulk. He is universally viewed as the Pats best receiving running back, and he also has a reputation as a great blitz pick-up blocker. He was only on the field for 24 offensive snaps. I don't get it. I don't remember a single screen pass thrown his way, which seems like an ideal weapon against a blitzing defense. Faulk caught one ball for three yards all day. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I also don't understand why Fred Taylor wasn't utilized more, as he looked powerful in eating up yards on the few carries he had.
2. Tom Brady. Yup, I said it, because right now he's part of the problem. I thought his second half performance against Buffalo was evidence that he had knocked the rust off, but it's clearly not the case. He just doesn't look like himself. He seems skittish in the pocket, he's more reluctant than ever to scramble or tuck it away and run, and his lack of accuracy on his mid range and deep throws is remarkably bad. Sure, a lot of that is due to the defense that he faced yesterday. And despite all that pressure, he wasn't sacked once, and he deserves credit for that. But there was no rhythm in the passing game at all, especially any time he targeted Joey Galloway, who looked pretty lost most of the time.
It was a discouraging defeat, especially given how well our defense played in the first half. If the Pats had converted just a single one of those first half field goals into a touchdown, it might have been an entirely different result. I think the team can adjust, and I do think the offense will find its stride eventually. There were some positives to take out of the loss, notably Edelman's breakout game and Fred Taylor racking up 5.8 yards per carry. But the offensive play calling was atrocious, and that needs to change for this team to step up and move forward. I also think Tom Brady will be fine, but the reality is that he hasn't played in a year and it takes quarterbacks time to get their mojo back. I have confidence that he will, and when he does, this offense will begin to look like its old self again.
Showing posts with label Patriots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patriots. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Patriots preview
I am as keyed up for the upcoming Patriots season as any previous one I can remember. It doesn't mean my expectations are the highest, because we have had teams that were stronger top to bottom, with fewer question marks in important areas. So let's talk about those:
1. Brady's health. Obviously this is key, although as the team proved last year, it isn't the be all, end all of how the season will go, as evidenced by racking up an 11-5 record with a quarterback who had essentially never played before. It really sucks that the Pats missed the playoffs, because this was one of the greatest regular season achievements ever, and it got glossed over because we lost a tiebreaker. But for us to get back to the juggernaut of 2007, we need Tom's knee to hold up. All signs indicate that he is fine, and I relish the thought of watching him play with a chip on his shoulder and the idea, real or perceived, of having something to prove.
2. A big transition year for the defense. Core veterans Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Richard Seymour are all gone. Outside linebacker is the position that concerns me most, but it doesn't seem like Coach Belichick feels the same way, as the Pats didn't do much to strengthen the area on draft day or through trades, aside from picking up hybrid end Derrick Burgess from Oakland. Trading away Seymour makes a lot of sense, as the 2011 first round pick could turn into absolute gold, while we were almost undoubtedly going to let Big Sey walk at season's end anyway. Jarvis Green has done a great job for us before, and I expect him and the two rookie defensive tackles to fill that spot by committee. The bottom line is that we need to generate a pass rush, and I have faith that The Hoodie will find a way to get it done. I also look forward to Defensive Rookie of the Year Jerod Mayo improving, which is a great thought because he's already one of the best linebackers in the game.
3. Can the offense match 2007? Wes Welker made some comments early in camp alluding to the fact that he thought this year's offense might be better than 2007's, which seems absurd since that was the best offensive team in the history of the sport. But he might be onto something, as the team has more depth and talent at running back, tight end, and possibly even wide receiver. They also have added some young depth to the offensive line. It's hard to predict that the Pats can match the sum output of that undefeated regular season, but the pieces are definitely in place to make a run at it. And that makes me really, really happy. Bring back the cries of the Patriots running it up--a charge that I think is absolutely asinine in a professional football league. Bring back the late game "eff you" touchdown. Bring back Tom Brady and company shredding the record books en route to an amazing season. I'm ready for all of it. Let's kick it off already!
Monday, January 05, 2009
28 awesome things from 2008
There are always tons of "best of" lists right around New Year's Day. Here is one more. Instead of a Top 10, or a Top 100, or anything so rigid and structured, here are just 28 things from 2008 that were awesome. They are not comprehensive, and they are not in any order. But they are awesome.
- Season four of Lost, especially on Blu-Ray.
- The 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics.
- The Dark Knight, especially Heath Ledger's brilliant performance.
- Season three of Dexter.
- Metallica: Death Magnetic and LIVE at Alltel Arena.
- Dustin Pedroia: Sun Devil, Red Sock, and AL MVP.
- Iron Man.
- Tropic Thunder.
- The Robert Downey Jr. resurgence in general.
- Rock Band 2.
- My second straight Chatham Bluefish Diamond Mind baseball championship.
- Scream Queens on VH1.
- Terra Naomi's acoustic hair band covers.
- The fact that a new GNR album actually came out, and it's good.
- Friday Night Lights, and the fact that it is still on TV at all.
- Survivor and The Amazing Race still being fairly entertaining.
- Pretty much everything AJ McC does, including his hilarious exploding vocabulary.
- Sierra Mist Free Cranberry Splash. Try some with vodka and thank me later.
- ZaZa pizza in Little Rock. The huge high heat woodburning oven is the key.
- The fact that a new movie theatre (with an Imax screen) opened right down the street, even if I don't get to go there as often as I'd like.
- That a guy who kind of rocks won American Idol.
- The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly.
- Tina Fey, both on 30 Rock and SNL.
- Van Halen LIVE at Alltel Arena.
- Catching my first Red Sox game in way too long, with a rooftop table under the Budwesier sign.
- Two Vegas trips, an AZ fire up, and a Cape Cod vacation (with the Boston trip in the middle of it).
- Lots of cool shows on the Food Network. Seriously.
- WiiFit.
- 18-1. Still pisses me off.
- The ASU football season. An entirely different kind of letdown.
- The Sox losing game 7 of the ALCS when they clearly could have been champs again if just a couple of guys stayed healthy.
- Watching shitty teams flounder in the 2008 NFL playoffs while the superior Patriots sit at home. Sickening.
- The economy, including our old house still being on the market.
- The disgusting New York Yankees offseason spending spree.
- Heroes. Season one started great, and since then it's been pretty bad. And yet, I continue to watch.
- The complete tabloidization of the American media. Didn't CNN used to be a respected news outlet? Now they are People magazine with some news thrown in. Go ahead, check the website right now. What's on there? A video of Harrison Ford getting his chest waxed, apparently. And network news shows are just as bad. I cannot do it. I basically hate the news, now. I really do. Thankfully technology exists that lets me consume only what I want, for the most part. Okay. Rant over. I hope everyone has a great 2009.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tough run
Saturday: Sun Devils get shut out by USC.
Saturday night: The Red Sox lose in extra innings, partially due to at least three horrible calls that all went Tampa's way.
Sunday night: The Patriots get crushed in San Diego.
Monday: The Red Sox get blown out at home with their best pitcher on the hill.
Oh, and my money league fantasy team just lost by one point on a meaningless carry on Monday night and my starting QB that has been my best player is out for a month.
This was a particularly brutal stretch. I haven't had many bad runs like this lately and I almost forgot how much it sucks.
Saturday night: The Red Sox lose in extra innings, partially due to at least three horrible calls that all went Tampa's way.
Sunday night: The Patriots get crushed in San Diego.
Monday: The Red Sox get blown out at home with their best pitcher on the hill.
Oh, and my money league fantasy team just lost by one point on a meaningless carry on Monday night and my starting QB that has been my best player is out for a month.
This was a particularly brutal stretch. I haven't had many bad runs like this lately and I almost forgot how much it sucks.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Pats wrap
Nice win for the Patriots on Sunday. So how did they do on the points I stressed?
* Turnover battle: A 1-0 win. I'll take that every week. Cassel did a pretty good job making smart decisions. He took a couple of sacks that looked a little iffy but he took care of the football, which is now job one for him the rest of the way.
* Running game: 33 carries for a tough 104 yards, but because so many came in the crucial second half it felt like more. Lamont Jordan really brought the hammer when he came in: 11 carries for 62 yards, a 5.6 average. I don't know if they plan to continue using him as a late game closer but he really looked explosive and strong.
* Third down defense: once again, they allowed a 50% conversion rate. Favre made a couple of great, vintage Brett Favre plays on third and long. It happens, and overall I was happy with the effort on third down aside from a few plays with missed tackles.
All in all, this was a really great win. We beat a solid football team on the road and our quarterback who hadn't started since 1999 at Chatsworth High did what we asked him to do. Matt Cassel's final line: 16-23, 165dyards, 69.6% completion rate. There will be weeks when we need him to throw downfielf more often, but I think that efforts like this will get the job done a lot this year. Nice work.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Cassel Pats, week one
I'm now genuinely excited to watch Matt Cassel lead the Patriots today. I hate the Jets with a passion and there's not much in life more fun that watching a team from Boston beat one from New York in anything. Here's what needs to happen today to make that happen once again:
* The Pats must win the turnover battle. Luckily, the opposing quarterback has thrown more interceptions than any player in football history. Cassel just needs to make good decisions today, and I think he can do that. I also look for him to make a couple of plays scrambling--which is something we never actively hope or root for with Tom Brady.
* The Pats need to do a better job on the ground. Last week they rushed for just over 120 yards against the Chiefs, with Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris splitting carries and yards equally. Look for more of the same today, with slightly better results.
* The Pats defense needs to get off the field on third down. This was a huge problem last week against the Chiefs, who converted half of their 16 third down plays. That can't happen on the road against Brett Favre.
This will probably be a pretty tight game, and I'm not looking forward to the wild media overreaction no matter what happens. Either it will be "The Pats are done, end of an era, pass the torch to the Jets!" or "Cassel takes over, it's 2001 all over again!" It's neither. We just need Matt Cassel to play well enough for us to win. I think he'll do it.
* The Pats must win the turnover battle. Luckily, the opposing quarterback has thrown more interceptions than any player in football history. Cassel just needs to make good decisions today, and I think he can do that. I also look for him to make a couple of plays scrambling--which is something we never actively hope or root for with Tom Brady.
* The Pats need to do a better job on the ground. Last week they rushed for just over 120 yards against the Chiefs, with Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris splitting carries and yards equally. Look for more of the same today, with slightly better results.
* The Pats defense needs to get off the field on third down. This was a huge problem last week against the Chiefs, who converted half of their 16 third down plays. That can't happen on the road against Brett Favre.
This will probably be a pretty tight game, and I'm not looking forward to the wild media overreaction no matter what happens. Either it will be "The Pats are done, end of an era, pass the torch to the Jets!" or "Cassel takes over, it's 2001 all over again!" It's neither. We just need Matt Cassel to play well enough for us to win. I think he'll do it.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pop Culture Calendar
Fall is a great time of year for new pop culture stuff from every medium. Here's a Top 25 list of what I'm looking forward to:
(25. The Matt Cassel era in Foxboro. Okay, this doesn't really count but I wanted 25 items on the list. And I am genuinely excited about it in a weird way.)
24. The return of "good" reality shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, and The Biggest Loser. Yes, I know the term might seem like an oxymoron, but the summer network TV schedule was downright depressing. America's Top Dog? People jumping on giant rubber balls? Japanese game shows? Really, this is the best we could do in the wake of the strike? I'm telling you, I really should be in network TV programming because I promise I could do better than this.
23. 30 Rock (season 2) on DVD. This show is brilliant. They catch some flak for the crazy number of guest stars, but it really works within the context of the show. Season two had some legendary moments that I'm really looking forward to watching again. Werewolf bar mitzvah, anyone?
22. Rough Weather, a novel by Robert B. Parker. His novels have been hit or miss lately, but I still pick up every Spenser book as soon as it comes out. This will be no exception.
21. Spore PC videogame. This comes from the makers of "The Sims" and could have been titled "SimEverything." You create your own life forms and guide them through various stages of evolution, from the birth of their existence through intergalactic space travel. Yeah, super geeky. Whatever, I'm in.
20. Chuck (season 1) on DVD. This is one of the most enjoyable shows on television. I was hooked right from the pilot and I cannot wait to watch the incredible first season again. The nearly no-name cast is one of the best on TV.
19. Entourage season 5 on HBO. I have an irrational love for this show, and it will be interesting to see the course it takes this year after lead character Vincent Chase suffered a box office bomb to wrap up season four.
18. Just After Sunset, a short story collection from Stephen King. This one is a must for me. Some of his past short stories are classics.
17. Fringe, on FOX. It's Sci-Fi, it's J.J. Abrams, and it's got Pacey from Dawson's Creek. That is not the order of things that makes me interested in this show but I'll be giving it a shot.
16. Lost season four on Blu-Ray (December). It looks absolutely gorgeous in Hi Def and some of last year's plot points practically demand a second viewing. The Constant? The (spoiler alert?) island-moving frozen donkey wheel? Jin going kablooie? Yeah, I need to see everything again.
15. Heroes season three on NBC. I like the fact that the producers outright admitted that they made some major mistakes last year. The writers' strike killed any momentum that they could have generated at the end of the year, so I think shutting it down and starting up this fall was the right call. Everything I've seen and read so far looks promising.
14. and 13. (tie) How I Met Your Mother, seasons three (DVD) and four (CBS). I was a latecomer to this show, which is kind of a problem...because it is absolutely AWESOME. Everything about it is great. The concept is as fresh as could be for a multi-cam sitcom. The cast is incredibly appealing. The writing is sharp and hilarious. I just love this show! Here's my only problem: I'm still catching up via DVD, so I'm a full season behind, and the new season starts over a month earlier than last season's DVD comes out. Who scheduled that?!? Terrible call. But I'll DVR it until I get caught up in October. It will be legen...wait for it...DARY!
12. 30 Rock season three on NBC. This show might be going down but they're going down swinging. Bring on more stunt guest star casting. Whatever it takes to keep it alive!
11. The Brass Verdict, a novel by Michael Connelly. I think he has supplanted Parker as my favorite crime fiction writer going today. Everything he writes is thoroughly enjoyable and engaging, and this new one looks like a crossover title involving his main guy, Harry Bosch, and recently introduced lawyer Mickey Haller. I'm in. If you have never read him and enjoy a good cop/P.I. yarn, just start at the beginning. You'll love them.
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Blu-Ray. This was really clever, funny, and cute. I'm not sure how they are coming up with enough extras to fill up three regular DVDs but I can't wait to find out. Russell Brand was hilarious in this, unlike his trainwreck of a showing hosting the MTV awards on Sunday.
9. The Office season five on NBC. I adore this show. The Supersizing episodes last fall may not have been the best idea, but as a whole they had a great year. I cannot wait to see where and how things pick up this fall.
8. The Force Unleashed videogame on PS3. Kicking ass and using the full array of Force powers as Darth Vader's secret apprentice between episodes three and four? Hell yeah! The video clips look phenomenal. I apologize in advance for all the poor Wookiees I'm going to slaughter playing this game. I still love you, Wookiees. Nothing personal.
7. Iron Man on Blu-Ray. The Dark Knight might be a better film, but Iron Man was probably the most enjoyable movie of the summer. I can't to pop this one in again and watch it in glorious HD.
6. Chuck season two on NBC. I watched a six minute trailer of the upcoming season that they showed at ComiCon and...wow. It looks incredible. Kudos to NBC for giving this show the support it deserves.
5. Quantum of Solace, in theatres in November. Casino Royale rocked and the whole James Bond reboot idea was long overdue. I hear this one picks up ten minutes after the end of the last movie. Cool idea. I'm so there.
4. Downtown Owl, a novel by Chuck Klosterman. Klosterman has become my favorite writer. His pop culture books are instant classics, whether I completely agree with what he is saying or almost laugh out loud at some ridiculous positions he takes. This is his first novel and I'm in, sight unseen. I don't know what it's about, and I don't care. He might be the only author that I can say that about right now: that I will immediately buy whatever he writes without knowing a thing about it: fiction, non-fiction, whatever. He's that entertaining. Okay, the same goes for Bill Simmons, my long lost twin brother. But that's a blog for another day.
3. Zack and Miri Make a Porno, in theatres October 31. Kevin Smith. Seth Rogen. Elizabeth Banks. Justin Long. Amateurs making a porno spoofing Star Wars. Yes, I'll be seeing this one. Also, I guarantee that this is Smith's biggest box office success to date, and it won't even be close.
2. Rock Band 2 videogame for PS3. Rock Band was one of the biggest breakthroughs in the history of videogames, and it is so fun it's ridiculous. From all accounts they've taken everything great and improved it for round two. This cannot come out soon enough for me.
1. DEATH MAGNETIC, a CD by Metallica, available Friday. I've heard a few snippets of several of the songs and it sounds far and away like the best stuff they have done since The Black Album. One review I read said it's like a missing album bridging that and "...And Justice For All." St. Anger was almost impossible to listen to, so my hopes are high for a rebound. So far it sounds amazing.
So that's what I'll be consuming this fall.
(25. The Matt Cassel era in Foxboro. Okay, this doesn't really count but I wanted 25 items on the list. And I am genuinely excited about it in a weird way.)
24. The return of "good" reality shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, and The Biggest Loser. Yes, I know the term might seem like an oxymoron, but the summer network TV schedule was downright depressing. America's Top Dog? People jumping on giant rubber balls? Japanese game shows? Really, this is the best we could do in the wake of the strike? I'm telling you, I really should be in network TV programming because I promise I could do better than this.
23. 30 Rock (season 2) on DVD. This show is brilliant. They catch some flak for the crazy number of guest stars, but it really works within the context of the show. Season two had some legendary moments that I'm really looking forward to watching again. Werewolf bar mitzvah, anyone?
22. Rough Weather, a novel by Robert B. Parker. His novels have been hit or miss lately, but I still pick up every Spenser book as soon as it comes out. This will be no exception.
21. Spore PC videogame. This comes from the makers of "The Sims" and could have been titled "SimEverything." You create your own life forms and guide them through various stages of evolution, from the birth of their existence through intergalactic space travel. Yeah, super geeky. Whatever, I'm in.
20. Chuck (season 1) on DVD. This is one of the most enjoyable shows on television. I was hooked right from the pilot and I cannot wait to watch the incredible first season again. The nearly no-name cast is one of the best on TV.
19. Entourage season 5 on HBO. I have an irrational love for this show, and it will be interesting to see the course it takes this year after lead character Vincent Chase suffered a box office bomb to wrap up season four.
18. Just After Sunset, a short story collection from Stephen King. This one is a must for me. Some of his past short stories are classics.
17. Fringe, on FOX. It's Sci-Fi, it's J.J. Abrams, and it's got Pacey from Dawson's Creek. That is not the order of things that makes me interested in this show but I'll be giving it a shot.
16. Lost season four on Blu-Ray (December). It looks absolutely gorgeous in Hi Def and some of last year's plot points practically demand a second viewing. The Constant? The (spoiler alert?) island-moving frozen donkey wheel? Jin going kablooie? Yeah, I need to see everything again.
15. Heroes season three on NBC. I like the fact that the producers outright admitted that they made some major mistakes last year. The writers' strike killed any momentum that they could have generated at the end of the year, so I think shutting it down and starting up this fall was the right call. Everything I've seen and read so far looks promising.
14. and 13. (tie) How I Met Your Mother, seasons three (DVD) and four (CBS). I was a latecomer to this show, which is kind of a problem...because it is absolutely AWESOME. Everything about it is great. The concept is as fresh as could be for a multi-cam sitcom. The cast is incredibly appealing. The writing is sharp and hilarious. I just love this show! Here's my only problem: I'm still catching up via DVD, so I'm a full season behind, and the new season starts over a month earlier than last season's DVD comes out. Who scheduled that?!? Terrible call. But I'll DVR it until I get caught up in October. It will be legen...wait for it...DARY!
12. 30 Rock season three on NBC. This show might be going down but they're going down swinging. Bring on more stunt guest star casting. Whatever it takes to keep it alive!
11. The Brass Verdict, a novel by Michael Connelly. I think he has supplanted Parker as my favorite crime fiction writer going today. Everything he writes is thoroughly enjoyable and engaging, and this new one looks like a crossover title involving his main guy, Harry Bosch, and recently introduced lawyer Mickey Haller. I'm in. If you have never read him and enjoy a good cop/P.I. yarn, just start at the beginning. You'll love them.
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Blu-Ray. This was really clever, funny, and cute. I'm not sure how they are coming up with enough extras to fill up three regular DVDs but I can't wait to find out. Russell Brand was hilarious in this, unlike his trainwreck of a showing hosting the MTV awards on Sunday.
9. The Office season five on NBC. I adore this show. The Supersizing episodes last fall may not have been the best idea, but as a whole they had a great year. I cannot wait to see where and how things pick up this fall.
8. The Force Unleashed videogame on PS3. Kicking ass and using the full array of Force powers as Darth Vader's secret apprentice between episodes three and four? Hell yeah! The video clips look phenomenal. I apologize in advance for all the poor Wookiees I'm going to slaughter playing this game. I still love you, Wookiees. Nothing personal.
7. Iron Man on Blu-Ray. The Dark Knight might be a better film, but Iron Man was probably the most enjoyable movie of the summer. I can't to pop this one in again and watch it in glorious HD.
6. Chuck season two on NBC. I watched a six minute trailer of the upcoming season that they showed at ComiCon and...wow. It looks incredible. Kudos to NBC for giving this show the support it deserves.
5. Quantum of Solace, in theatres in November. Casino Royale rocked and the whole James Bond reboot idea was long overdue. I hear this one picks up ten minutes after the end of the last movie. Cool idea. I'm so there.
4. Downtown Owl, a novel by Chuck Klosterman. Klosterman has become my favorite writer. His pop culture books are instant classics, whether I completely agree with what he is saying or almost laugh out loud at some ridiculous positions he takes. This is his first novel and I'm in, sight unseen. I don't know what it's about, and I don't care. He might be the only author that I can say that about right now: that I will immediately buy whatever he writes without knowing a thing about it: fiction, non-fiction, whatever. He's that entertaining. Okay, the same goes for Bill Simmons, my long lost twin brother. But that's a blog for another day.
3. Zack and Miri Make a Porno, in theatres October 31. Kevin Smith. Seth Rogen. Elizabeth Banks. Justin Long. Amateurs making a porno spoofing Star Wars. Yes, I'll be seeing this one. Also, I guarantee that this is Smith's biggest box office success to date, and it won't even be close.
2. Rock Band 2 videogame for PS3. Rock Band was one of the biggest breakthroughs in the history of videogames, and it is so fun it's ridiculous. From all accounts they've taken everything great and improved it for round two. This cannot come out soon enough for me.
1. DEATH MAGNETIC, a CD by Metallica, available Friday. I've heard a few snippets of several of the songs and it sounds far and away like the best stuff they have done since The Black Album. One review I read said it's like a missing album bridging that and "...And Justice For All." St. Anger was almost impossible to listen to, so my hopes are high for a rebound. So far it sounds amazing.
So that's what I'll be consuming this fall.
Monday, September 08, 2008
The Silver Lining
Tom Brady is out for the season, in case you haven’t heard.
I would have to brush up on my five stages of grief from freshman psych, but suffice it to say that I have already moved on to “acceptance.” He’s out, he’s down for the season, and there is nothing we can do about that part. I have to stop reading message boards about it, because the anti-Patriot schadenfreude is off the charts. People hate us. I get it. But the sheer glee, the celebration at a man’s debilitating injury is sickening. Look, I hate Peyton Manning with a passion, but I would absolutely not dance a celebratory jig if he blew out his knee. Shawne Merriman is quite possibly my least favorite current NFL player and he almost certainly IS going to (stupidly, by his own choice) blow out his knee at some point this year, and while the Chargers are at least a tangential rival of the Pats, I will take no joy from it. So, to sum up, the internet trolls who spout garbage like “karma is a bitch” or “it couldn’t happen to a better guy/team” can just go die.
Now…on to the rest of the season. Or, as I shall now call it:
LOOKING FOR THE SILVER LINING WHEN THE BEST QB OF ALL-TIME GOES DOWN
First, Matt Cassel actually looked pretty good on Sunday. His pre-season performance was so uninspired that I actively hoped we would cut him loose. But obviously Bill Belichick, as usual, is smarter than everyone else. Cassel knows this system, and the coaches know what he can and cannot do. The people instantly writing this team off are simply misguided. We still have the best receiving tandem in the league, and that’s worth a lot—case in point, the 50 yard gain on a great adjustment by Randy Moss yesterday. There will be plenty more of those, by him, by Wes Welker, and by the rest of our talented pass-catchers. Losing one guy, even an All-World quarterback, is by no means a death sentence for the 2008 season.
We also happen to have four running backs that are pretty good. The offensive line has been pretty suspect since the end of last season, and they clearly need to step it up. We’re not going to be chucking it around the field 40-50 times a game any more. We’re just not. There’s some talent on the line. Enough to win some games by just grinding it out? We’ll see. The schedule is soft enough that we should be able to do exactly that at times.
But the biggest upside of this whole situation is the instant readjustment of expectations. Last year obviously ended on a horrible note, and it’s because that team was so ridiculously good, but all they’ll be remembered for is the final inability to seal the deal. Simply put, that sucks. We re-wrote the record books and had the best 18 game stretch of any team in the history of the sport, and in the end it counted for nothing. The Pats even hung an ill-advised banner to commemorate the regular season—a huge mistake. But really, the days of having a league-wide bullseye on our backs should be over, at least for the remainder of the season.
And that’s actually kind of cool.
What it means is that we don’t have to hang on every single game, with any loss being sickening. Because we had become that good. Don’t get me wrong—I had so much fun with that last season that it was insane, and I really hope to return to that level of dominance as soon as next season. But the Matt Cassel era gives us a different rooting opportunity. Now we can live week to week with dampened hopes. We can be happy with every single win. We can dream about possibly still winning the division. We can aim for the playoffs, with the memory that anything can happen then. We can root for a quarterback that has not started a game since he was in high school. And we can rub it in everyone’s faces when the Patriots continue to play like the Patriots.
Mark my words: this is far from over. The Patriots will make the playoffs. In fact, they will still win the AFC East. They get to truly play the underdog role that they have relished, and get to legitimately flaunt the “no respect” card that they love to play. We’ll see what happens, but I think it’s going to be a fun ride. And for the first time in a long time, it’s okay to view something that ends with less than a Super Bowl victory as a successful season.
I already can't wait for the Jets game Sunday.
I would have to brush up on my five stages of grief from freshman psych, but suffice it to say that I have already moved on to “acceptance.” He’s out, he’s down for the season, and there is nothing we can do about that part. I have to stop reading message boards about it, because the anti-Patriot schadenfreude is off the charts. People hate us. I get it. But the sheer glee, the celebration at a man’s debilitating injury is sickening. Look, I hate Peyton Manning with a passion, but I would absolutely not dance a celebratory jig if he blew out his knee. Shawne Merriman is quite possibly my least favorite current NFL player and he almost certainly IS going to (stupidly, by his own choice) blow out his knee at some point this year, and while the Chargers are at least a tangential rival of the Pats, I will take no joy from it. So, to sum up, the internet trolls who spout garbage like “karma is a bitch” or “it couldn’t happen to a better guy/team” can just go die.
Now…on to the rest of the season. Or, as I shall now call it:
LOOKING FOR THE SILVER LINING WHEN THE BEST QB OF ALL-TIME GOES DOWN
First, Matt Cassel actually looked pretty good on Sunday. His pre-season performance was so uninspired that I actively hoped we would cut him loose. But obviously Bill Belichick, as usual, is smarter than everyone else. Cassel knows this system, and the coaches know what he can and cannot do. The people instantly writing this team off are simply misguided. We still have the best receiving tandem in the league, and that’s worth a lot—case in point, the 50 yard gain on a great adjustment by Randy Moss yesterday. There will be plenty more of those, by him, by Wes Welker, and by the rest of our talented pass-catchers. Losing one guy, even an All-World quarterback, is by no means a death sentence for the 2008 season.
We also happen to have four running backs that are pretty good. The offensive line has been pretty suspect since the end of last season, and they clearly need to step it up. We’re not going to be chucking it around the field 40-50 times a game any more. We’re just not. There’s some talent on the line. Enough to win some games by just grinding it out? We’ll see. The schedule is soft enough that we should be able to do exactly that at times.
But the biggest upside of this whole situation is the instant readjustment of expectations. Last year obviously ended on a horrible note, and it’s because that team was so ridiculously good, but all they’ll be remembered for is the final inability to seal the deal. Simply put, that sucks. We re-wrote the record books and had the best 18 game stretch of any team in the history of the sport, and in the end it counted for nothing. The Pats even hung an ill-advised banner to commemorate the regular season—a huge mistake. But really, the days of having a league-wide bullseye on our backs should be over, at least for the remainder of the season.
And that’s actually kind of cool.
What it means is that we don’t have to hang on every single game, with any loss being sickening. Because we had become that good. Don’t get me wrong—I had so much fun with that last season that it was insane, and I really hope to return to that level of dominance as soon as next season. But the Matt Cassel era gives us a different rooting opportunity. Now we can live week to week with dampened hopes. We can be happy with every single win. We can dream about possibly still winning the division. We can aim for the playoffs, with the memory that anything can happen then. We can root for a quarterback that has not started a game since he was in high school. And we can rub it in everyone’s faces when the Patriots continue to play like the Patriots.
Mark my words: this is far from over. The Patriots will make the playoffs. In fact, they will still win the AFC East. They get to truly play the underdog role that they have relished, and get to legitimately flaunt the “no respect” card that they love to play. We’ll see what happens, but I think it’s going to be a fun ride. And for the first time in a long time, it’s okay to view something that ends with less than a Super Bowl victory as a successful season.
I already can't wait for the Jets game Sunday.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
2007 Lists
The end of the year seems to prompt everyone to write all sorts of different "best of" and "worst of" lists. I figured I'd do the same thing. However, for many of these, I prefer to use the term "my favorite," since that is really all anyone's list is. Who is to say a movie is "better" than another movie? Anyway...
MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2007
I need to preface this by saying that since the little addition to our family came along in March, my movie attendance rate has plummeted a staggering amount. I almost never get to the theatre anymore, which means that I have not seen most of the late-year awards bait flicks that will grace most other "best of" lists. Netflix is now my dear friend. So...
5. Ratatouille. It's smart, it's cute, it's fun, and, as all Pixar movies do, it looks phenomenal. I've only watched it once so far and my only quibble is that it feels about 10-15 minutes too long. However, it's already in the collection and I eagerly look forward to watching this with A.J. in the not-too-distant future.
4. Live Free or Die Hard. Maybe it's because I was able to keep my expectations low, but this flick totally delivered on every level. If you're going to see a Diehard movie in 2007, this is exactly what you're looking for. Sure, some of the action set pieces go ridiculously over the top in the third act (*cough* JET *cough*) but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. Thank you, John McClane.
3. Superbad. And this actually might be #1, but I need to see it a few more times and see how its rewatchability compares to the top choice on my list. But this is a hilarious movie. Absolutely genius. I'm just happy that we live in a world where a movie like this can make $100 million. There's not enough good I can say about Judd Apatow and the movies he is involved with right now. He is making the world a better, funnier, more enjoyable place.
2. The Bourne Ultimatum. This is potentially the only trilogy in which each subsequent movie is better than the last one. Despite not getting to see it in the theatre, my expectations were really high and it came through on all levels. The story is compelling, the direction and editing is flawless, and Matt Damon is just so great it's ridiculous. His Jason Bourne is truly one of the great characters of the new millennium. Bourne would kick Jack Bauer's ass before that CTU flunky had a chance to whip out his uber-PDA and text for help. Bourne would pummel James Bond, to answer a question that apparently was posed to Damon frequently on the press junket circuit. Hell, Bourne could even take Batman. I see him ripping off the Dark Knight's cowl and beating him senseless before he knew what hit him. This is a guy who kicks ass with a rolled-up magazine, for god's sake, and completely makes you buy it. Long live Jason Bourne.
1. Knocked Up. Apatow again, naturally. I love this movie. I love that Seth Rogen can be the leading man in a huge box office success. I love Apatow's entire stable of go-to guys, including Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill. I love Katherine Heigl, although I love her a little bit less after her ridiculous negative comments about her experience on this blockbuster smash movie. I give this one the #1 slot because I think it will hold up and remain a movie that I revisit again and again.
NOT IN MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES:
300. Yeah, it looks cool. That's it. Tepid script, cardboard characters, and terrible acting-slash-horrible direction choices. Thoroughly underwhelming.
Ocean's 13. They're killing me with these sequels. It's not as atrocious as 12, thank god, but it comes nowhere near the perfection of the original. I had high hopes for this--Julia Roberts thankfully gone, Pacino as a baddie, a screenplay by the "Rounders" guys...and yet it falls painfully flat. Either this franchise is done, or 14 will have to be something incredible. I don't know which I want at this point.
Ghost Rider. AWFUL. Yes, I am complaining about the quality of a movie in which Nic Cage plays a comic book character who rides a motorcycle while his head bursts into a flaming skull. Somehow, they managed to cock this up enough to make it boring. This was a Netflix rental and I almost couldn't get through it. I think I watched an "extended" edition, and that only made matters worse. This was my worst movie watching experience of 2007.
MY FIVE FAVORITE HOUR LONG SCRIPTED TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Lost. Season three was a vast improvement over the maddening season two. I just re-watched season three again (thanks, Netflix) and I really enjoyed it the second time around...maybe even more than through the first run. I picked up little bits and pieces I may have missed and it also looks absolutely gorgeous on Blu-Ray. The big twist in the season finale is brilliant and I really can't wait to see what they have in store for season four.
4. The Sopranos. I loved the ending. I also think that Tony survived. I think I'm in the minority on both counts.
3. Chuck. I raved about this show pretty early on and I'm sticking with that call, as it is easily my favorite new show. I love everything about it, actually. I really hope that the strike doesn't do anything to mess this up, as NBC really needs to keep this one around.
2. Dexter. I had my concerns about season two, but the show completely delivered, taking the story in unpredictable directions and making the lead character even more interesting in the process. If you have never watched the show, start with the season one DVD. I hear that CBS is going to run an edited version of season one and I just cannot see how this show has any chance to succeed under those circumstances, on network TV. Clearly the strike is making people desperate, but I see no good coming of this. Don't watch that version, and don't let anyone else do it either. Hold out for the real thing.
1. Studio 60 (RIP). It's still hard for me to come to grips with the fact that this got canned after one season. Look around at some of the stuff that's on right now. And I don't even mean the reality shows, although those are getting more ridiculous than ever, and we're seemingly just weeks away from seeing some of the stuff in "The Running Man" come true. Climbing for Dollars, anyone? But honestly, this show was just too good. It got better in the spring, and ended on a beautiful roll...and NBC still bagged it. Smart writing, an amazing cast, great acting, compelling characters, engrossing stories...I just don't get it. How did this "fail?" I'm pained.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SCRIPTED HALF HOUR TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm. All told, this was probably Curb's weakest season and it still ranks as one of the funniest shows on TV. Larry hosted a family of hurricane survivors (named the Black family, of course) and while I wasn't sure if this was a device that could last a whole season, it worked very well. The season finale was especially solid.
4. Entourage. Once again, not its best season. But still thoroughly entertaining. The premiere was shot like a behind-the-scenes documentary during the making of Medellin and I really thought that was a cool idea done well. However, there were way too many side plots about Ari's family. Nobody tuning in wants a B story about his kids' private school, sorry.
3. Californication. Wildly entertaining. Duchovny really goes for it and he is incredibly fun to watch. I have no idea what they have planned for a second season, but I'm just happy that there is going to be one.
2. The Office. In hindsight, starting off this fall with a series of super-sized episodes was a terrible choice. First, they could have done regular half hours and had more fresh shows ready with the strike looming. Secondly, and more importantly, the hour-longs were just bloated and not as funny. It's still a brilliant show, but a couple of missteps knock it down to #2.
1. 30 Rock. I didn't watch this from the start, but once I picked up season one on DVD I was absolutely hooked. Tina Fey is great and Alec Baldwin is ridiculously funny. This show is great and it keeps getting better.
MY FIVE FAVORITE UNSCRIPTED SHOWS OF 2007
5. Survivor
4. The Biggest Loser
3. Rock of Love With Bret Michaels (maybe the most ridiculous show on TV)
2. Dinner: Impossible
1. The Amazing Race
honorable mention, since it is a game show: Duel. Loved it.
MY FAVORITE POKER ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2007
I didn't really play a lot of serious poker in 2007, so I only have two even worth mentioning: I won a 90 man No Limit tournament on Full Tilt early in the year, and I made the final table and cashed in the only live tourney I played all year, at the Gold Strike in Tunica.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2007
5. The Chatham Bluefish win the SWBA. Okay, you probably missed this one, since the team and the league aren't actually real. So here's the story (geek alert): it is a computer simulation baseball league that I'm in using software called Diamond Mind, which is an incredibly realistic baseball sim program. I joined the league five years ago, taking over a mediocre team and rebuilding it entirely. This is a hardcore league, with tough rules for bad teams since every team gets to keep their entire roster from one year to the next. So for five years, I have been building this team through the draft, selecting rookies such as Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon. This year it all came to fruition, as my hand-crafted club stormed through the regular season with 110 wins, and then fought through three epic postseason series to claim the crown. It was awesome.
4. ASU football wins ten games under new coach Dennis Erickson. I really think he can take us to the next level, and this was a great first step.
3. The Boston Celtics become relevant again and roar out to the best start in the league.
2. The Red Sox win the World Series. Wow. How can this possibly only be number two?
1. The New England Patriots have the greatest season and the best football team OF ALL TIME. 16 down, three to go.
MY THREE FAVORITE ROAD TRIPS OF 2007
3. Arizona in September for ASU-CU. I was there for about 36 hours but I had a blast.
2. Las Vegas in October for Kev's surprise wedding. A great time with great friends.
1. The Whiffleball shoot in Chatham, May-June. One of the best months of my life.
That's probably enough lists. 2007 was quite a year.
MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2007
I need to preface this by saying that since the little addition to our family came along in March, my movie attendance rate has plummeted a staggering amount. I almost never get to the theatre anymore, which means that I have not seen most of the late-year awards bait flicks that will grace most other "best of" lists. Netflix is now my dear friend. So...
5. Ratatouille. It's smart, it's cute, it's fun, and, as all Pixar movies do, it looks phenomenal. I've only watched it once so far and my only quibble is that it feels about 10-15 minutes too long. However, it's already in the collection and I eagerly look forward to watching this with A.J. in the not-too-distant future.
4. Live Free or Die Hard. Maybe it's because I was able to keep my expectations low, but this flick totally delivered on every level. If you're going to see a Diehard movie in 2007, this is exactly what you're looking for. Sure, some of the action set pieces go ridiculously over the top in the third act (*cough* JET *cough*) but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. Thank you, John McClane.
3. Superbad. And this actually might be #1, but I need to see it a few more times and see how its rewatchability compares to the top choice on my list. But this is a hilarious movie. Absolutely genius. I'm just happy that we live in a world where a movie like this can make $100 million. There's not enough good I can say about Judd Apatow and the movies he is involved with right now. He is making the world a better, funnier, more enjoyable place.
2. The Bourne Ultimatum. This is potentially the only trilogy in which each subsequent movie is better than the last one. Despite not getting to see it in the theatre, my expectations were really high and it came through on all levels. The story is compelling, the direction and editing is flawless, and Matt Damon is just so great it's ridiculous. His Jason Bourne is truly one of the great characters of the new millennium. Bourne would kick Jack Bauer's ass before that CTU flunky had a chance to whip out his uber-PDA and text for help. Bourne would pummel James Bond, to answer a question that apparently was posed to Damon frequently on the press junket circuit. Hell, Bourne could even take Batman. I see him ripping off the Dark Knight's cowl and beating him senseless before he knew what hit him. This is a guy who kicks ass with a rolled-up magazine, for god's sake, and completely makes you buy it. Long live Jason Bourne.
1. Knocked Up. Apatow again, naturally. I love this movie. I love that Seth Rogen can be the leading man in a huge box office success. I love Apatow's entire stable of go-to guys, including Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill. I love Katherine Heigl, although I love her a little bit less after her ridiculous negative comments about her experience on this blockbuster smash movie. I give this one the #1 slot because I think it will hold up and remain a movie that I revisit again and again.
NOT IN MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES:
300. Yeah, it looks cool. That's it. Tepid script, cardboard characters, and terrible acting-slash-horrible direction choices. Thoroughly underwhelming.
Ocean's 13. They're killing me with these sequels. It's not as atrocious as 12, thank god, but it comes nowhere near the perfection of the original. I had high hopes for this--Julia Roberts thankfully gone, Pacino as a baddie, a screenplay by the "Rounders" guys...and yet it falls painfully flat. Either this franchise is done, or 14 will have to be something incredible. I don't know which I want at this point.
Ghost Rider. AWFUL. Yes, I am complaining about the quality of a movie in which Nic Cage plays a comic book character who rides a motorcycle while his head bursts into a flaming skull. Somehow, they managed to cock this up enough to make it boring. This was a Netflix rental and I almost couldn't get through it. I think I watched an "extended" edition, and that only made matters worse. This was my worst movie watching experience of 2007.
MY FIVE FAVORITE HOUR LONG SCRIPTED TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Lost. Season three was a vast improvement over the maddening season two. I just re-watched season three again (thanks, Netflix) and I really enjoyed it the second time around...maybe even more than through the first run. I picked up little bits and pieces I may have missed and it also looks absolutely gorgeous on Blu-Ray. The big twist in the season finale is brilliant and I really can't wait to see what they have in store for season four.
4. The Sopranos. I loved the ending. I also think that Tony survived. I think I'm in the minority on both counts.
3. Chuck. I raved about this show pretty early on and I'm sticking with that call, as it is easily my favorite new show. I love everything about it, actually. I really hope that the strike doesn't do anything to mess this up, as NBC really needs to keep this one around.
2. Dexter. I had my concerns about season two, but the show completely delivered, taking the story in unpredictable directions and making the lead character even more interesting in the process. If you have never watched the show, start with the season one DVD. I hear that CBS is going to run an edited version of season one and I just cannot see how this show has any chance to succeed under those circumstances, on network TV. Clearly the strike is making people desperate, but I see no good coming of this. Don't watch that version, and don't let anyone else do it either. Hold out for the real thing.
1. Studio 60 (RIP). It's still hard for me to come to grips with the fact that this got canned after one season. Look around at some of the stuff that's on right now. And I don't even mean the reality shows, although those are getting more ridiculous than ever, and we're seemingly just weeks away from seeing some of the stuff in "The Running Man" come true. Climbing for Dollars, anyone? But honestly, this show was just too good. It got better in the spring, and ended on a beautiful roll...and NBC still bagged it. Smart writing, an amazing cast, great acting, compelling characters, engrossing stories...I just don't get it. How did this "fail?" I'm pained.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SCRIPTED HALF HOUR TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm. All told, this was probably Curb's weakest season and it still ranks as one of the funniest shows on TV. Larry hosted a family of hurricane survivors (named the Black family, of course) and while I wasn't sure if this was a device that could last a whole season, it worked very well. The season finale was especially solid.
4. Entourage. Once again, not its best season. But still thoroughly entertaining. The premiere was shot like a behind-the-scenes documentary during the making of Medellin and I really thought that was a cool idea done well. However, there were way too many side plots about Ari's family. Nobody tuning in wants a B story about his kids' private school, sorry.
3. Californication. Wildly entertaining. Duchovny really goes for it and he is incredibly fun to watch. I have no idea what they have planned for a second season, but I'm just happy that there is going to be one.
2. The Office. In hindsight, starting off this fall with a series of super-sized episodes was a terrible choice. First, they could have done regular half hours and had more fresh shows ready with the strike looming. Secondly, and more importantly, the hour-longs were just bloated and not as funny. It's still a brilliant show, but a couple of missteps knock it down to #2.
1. 30 Rock. I didn't watch this from the start, but once I picked up season one on DVD I was absolutely hooked. Tina Fey is great and Alec Baldwin is ridiculously funny. This show is great and it keeps getting better.
MY FIVE FAVORITE UNSCRIPTED SHOWS OF 2007
5. Survivor
4. The Biggest Loser
3. Rock of Love With Bret Michaels (maybe the most ridiculous show on TV)
2. Dinner: Impossible
1. The Amazing Race
honorable mention, since it is a game show: Duel. Loved it.
MY FAVORITE POKER ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2007
I didn't really play a lot of serious poker in 2007, so I only have two even worth mentioning: I won a 90 man No Limit tournament on Full Tilt early in the year, and I made the final table and cashed in the only live tourney I played all year, at the Gold Strike in Tunica.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2007
5. The Chatham Bluefish win the SWBA. Okay, you probably missed this one, since the team and the league aren't actually real. So here's the story (geek alert): it is a computer simulation baseball league that I'm in using software called Diamond Mind, which is an incredibly realistic baseball sim program. I joined the league five years ago, taking over a mediocre team and rebuilding it entirely. This is a hardcore league, with tough rules for bad teams since every team gets to keep their entire roster from one year to the next. So for five years, I have been building this team through the draft, selecting rookies such as Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon. This year it all came to fruition, as my hand-crafted club stormed through the regular season with 110 wins, and then fought through three epic postseason series to claim the crown. It was awesome.
4. ASU football wins ten games under new coach Dennis Erickson. I really think he can take us to the next level, and this was a great first step.
3. The Boston Celtics become relevant again and roar out to the best start in the league.
2. The Red Sox win the World Series. Wow. How can this possibly only be number two?
1. The New England Patriots have the greatest season and the best football team OF ALL TIME. 16 down, three to go.
MY THREE FAVORITE ROAD TRIPS OF 2007
3. Arizona in September for ASU-CU. I was there for about 36 hours but I had a blast.
2. Las Vegas in October for Kev's surprise wedding. A great time with great friends.
1. The Whiffleball shoot in Chatham, May-June. One of the best months of my life.
That's probably enough lists. 2007 was quite a year.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Steelers Guarantee...good call!
A second year safety that nobody has ever heard of makes a blowhard guarantee, angering Tom Brady and the best team ever assembled. Nice call, chump!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday schedule
How I think my Sunday will go:
Sleep in.
Get up, put on lucky Red Sox shorts. Itch playoff beard but refuse to do anything about it until after game 7.
Play with A.J.
Eat a bowl of cereal, probably Special K Chocolately Delight.
Catch a little bit of football pre-game shows.
Proceed to watch the Pats crush the Dolphins, normal problems in Miami be damned.
Eat leftovers or a sandwich for lunch, probably at halftime, when the Pats will already have a 21 point lead.
Pace around like a crazy person from roughly 4-7 PM after the Pats have won by 30.
7ish: make a Captain and Diet Coke to take the edge off of having to listen to Buck and McCarver.
7:23: Watch the Red Sox begin to deliver the coup de grace to the Tribe.
This is going to be a defining game for Dice-K. I'm seeing six strong innings, maybe even six scoreless. He could go more but Tito will turn it over to the pen and that's that. Papelbon wraps it up and dances on the field to the delight of the Fenway crowd.
Pretty nice little Sunday schedule.
Sleep in.
Get up, put on lucky Red Sox shorts. Itch playoff beard but refuse to do anything about it until after game 7.
Play with A.J.
Eat a bowl of cereal, probably Special K Chocolately Delight.
Catch a little bit of football pre-game shows.
Proceed to watch the Pats crush the Dolphins, normal problems in Miami be damned.
Eat leftovers or a sandwich for lunch, probably at halftime, when the Pats will already have a 21 point lead.
Pace around like a crazy person from roughly 4-7 PM after the Pats have won by 30.
7ish: make a Captain and Diet Coke to take the edge off of having to listen to Buck and McCarver.
7:23: Watch the Red Sox begin to deliver the coup de grace to the Tribe.
This is going to be a defining game for Dice-K. I'm seeing six strong innings, maybe even six scoreless. He could go more but Tito will turn it over to the pen and that's that. Papelbon wraps it up and dances on the field to the delight of the Fenway crowd.
Pretty nice little Sunday schedule.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Haven't been feeling bloggy
I haven't been feeling too bloggy lately because I've been consumed with editing Whiffleball, planning for a Vegas trip, and watching the Sox and Pats dominate. I plan to write long blogs on each of those topics in the near future, but here are some quick hits until then:
ALCS: Sox will win, and win a lot more easily than most people think.
Pats-Cowboys: I don't know if this is a Super Bowl preview, but I do know that watching Tony Romo toss five picks against Buffalo makes me feel pretty good. Pats by double digits.
Vegas was great. Shocking. I'm still catching up on sleep and piecing together some questionable decision making--thankfully, not by me--but, wow...what a great town.
And last but certainly not least, here is a recent shot of AJ modeling something from his fall collection.
ALCS: Sox will win, and win a lot more easily than most people think.
Pats-Cowboys: I don't know if this is a Super Bowl preview, but I do know that watching Tony Romo toss five picks against Buffalo makes me feel pretty good. Pats by double digits.
Vegas was great. Shocking. I'm still catching up on sleep and piecing together some questionable decision making--thankfully, not by me--but, wow...what a great town.
And last but certainly not least, here is a recent shot of AJ modeling something from his fall collection.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Paradetown?
“Things are changing, and I think that’s an incredibly exciting thing to watch, and witness, and be a part of. This is a town that has a chance to literally have two or three parades a year for the next decade.”
--Curt Schilling on the new face of the Boston pro sports scene
Wow.
The period in Boston sports from 2001-2005 almost seemed like an embarrassment of riches. The Red Sox actually won the World Series before I died and the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Three times. Typing that actually still makes me want to giggle a little bit. The sum total of those long-awaited and hard-earned championships brought me enough joy, satisfaction, and outright happiness that, as Bill Simmons noted, I would have no right to complain about anything for years.
Cut to: 2007. Suddenly not one, not two, but three of my hometown teams have legitimate and simultaneous championship aspirations. The last, and maybe only, time that we came close to achieving the unprecedented "trifecta" was in 1986, when the Celtics had the best team of all time and the Sox and Pats each lost the championship in different yet painful fashion. I even remember proudly wearing a "City Of Champions" t-shirt emblazoned with the logos of all three teams. But that title wasn't thoroughly accurate. Close, but not quite.
It's amazing to think that we could possibly be on the precipice of topping '86. The Patriots have to be the favorites, and naturally I see nothing less than another Lombardi trophy this year. Even during the recent championship seasons, I said that I thought that the Patriots hadn't been as good as they could be, and this season could prove that. They aren't just going to be good, they are going to be ridiculously good. Mark my words: this is the Pats team against which all others will be judged. The Randy Moss acquisition is such a coup that the transaction itself will be looked at with sheer disbelief by future generations. Moss will have a plaque in Canton and a couple of New England Super Bowl rings, and people will wonder how the hell we ever pulled that off. Tom Brady to Randy Moss. Sick!
Kevin Garnett is a Boston Celtic, finalizing a rash of moves that made Celts GM Danny Ainge look like a college freshman with his first credit card. The most amazing thing about the current state of the team is that he has completely shredded the entire team concept and the way that the whole roster had been put together in the span of one summer. We had a nucleus of promising young talent that looked to be 2-3 years away from possibly being a factor in the playoffs. Instead, we now have the best trio this side of Phoenix and we're the odds-on favorites in the Eastern Conference. And if you don't believe that, then just tell me the rest of Cleveland's starting five, aside from LeBron James, that led them to the Finals this year. Heck, name two other starters. Right. The Ray Allen and Garnett trades are a huge dice roll, to some degree. We parted with picks and talented young players that could have helped us with the previous plan. But now there's a new plan: win. Win now. For the first time in five years, the Boston Celtics are relevant again, and for the first time in around fifteen, we're actual contenders. And man, will they be fun to watch.
Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox have the best record in baseball, due in large part to the game's best bullpen (pen ERA of 2.74). So what did they do? They added the game's only active reliever that won a Cy Young award, the nasty Eric Gagne, who will now be tasked with setting up for Jonathan Papelbon...along with Hideki Okajima, who has only put up an eye-popping ERA of 0.87 so far. Our bullpen, as I noted before, was great before. Now, if they all stay healthy, I'm not sure I even know which adjective to use. Filthy? Sick? Disgusting? Unfair? Pick one. It's a pen built for October, and with the way the schedule break the Red Sox could conceivably win the Division Series using only six pitchers: Beckett, Schill, Dice-K, and the lights out relievers.
Naturally I'm looking at all of these scenarios incredibly optimistically. There are still lots of things that could go wrong for each of my favorite teams.
But if a few things go right, we might have three more parades in less than a year.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
A tale of two teams
What a game for the Patriots on Sunday. I almost felt bad for the Chargers, watching them give the game away in such painful fashion...until they started bitching about it like spoiled little children. Get over it. I love that they tried to accuse the Patriots of lacking class for making fun of a stupid sack dance that is absolutely classless in the first place. Merriman is a cheater and a punk and I'm glad that we got to shove it in his face a little bit. Meanwhile, Landanian Tomlinson is getting a pass on the whole thing because he is "a good guy" and "a class act." But is he really? Ladanian, you got beat. Get over it and get over yourself.
So we've got Pats-Colts again, and obviously the Patriots are going to win this one too. I feel a little bit bad for Peyton Mannning because the national media, and maybe even his own fans, are going to really crush the guy if he loses this week. This one should be another tight game, probably going down to the fourth quarter just like last week. I think that Brady will have a better game, the running game will be a little more successful, and the defense will do enough to contain the Colts offense, which just hasn't been as explosive lately. Pats win by six, sealing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
As for the Super Bowl potential match ups, I'm torn. If the Pats were to lose then I definitely want the Saints to win. But if we do take care of business then I'd almost feel bad about having to beat New Orleans in the Super Bowl. We'd be the clear-cut villains in that scenario and it would be a little weird. So I almost hope that the Bears get in so we can just slap them around.
At the other end of the spectrum is the drama around the Arkansas Razorbacks, who lost their offensive coordinator and their freshman QB this week. It's absurd. Mitch Mustain was the best high school player in the country, a prospect so good that Arkansas wisely hired his old high school coach just to secure the guy. And the coach in question, Gus Malzahn, opened things up and finally gave Razorback fans something to get excited about. Mustain was 8-0 as a starter during the great run the Hogs had...and then somehow it all went wrong. Idiot head coach Houston Nutt benched Mustain and reigned in Malzahn's play-calling duties. WHY? I have no idea. Now Malzahn has bolted to Tulsa of all places, with Mustain probably following him out the door. I'm not really a Hogs fan yet but as somebody who has started to go to games and follow the team, this is simply tragic. Does this mean that 2007 will be a return to the completely predicatable offense that drove fans crazy before? My wife, a diehard Razorback fan, now hopes that everything falls apart next season just so the school will have to fire Nutt. It's a sad state of affairs but that might be the best thing that could happen. What a mess.
So we've got Pats-Colts again, and obviously the Patriots are going to win this one too. I feel a little bit bad for Peyton Mannning because the national media, and maybe even his own fans, are going to really crush the guy if he loses this week. This one should be another tight game, probably going down to the fourth quarter just like last week. I think that Brady will have a better game, the running game will be a little more successful, and the defense will do enough to contain the Colts offense, which just hasn't been as explosive lately. Pats win by six, sealing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
As for the Super Bowl potential match ups, I'm torn. If the Pats were to lose then I definitely want the Saints to win. But if we do take care of business then I'd almost feel bad about having to beat New Orleans in the Super Bowl. We'd be the clear-cut villains in that scenario and it would be a little weird. So I almost hope that the Bears get in so we can just slap them around.
At the other end of the spectrum is the drama around the Arkansas Razorbacks, who lost their offensive coordinator and their freshman QB this week. It's absurd. Mitch Mustain was the best high school player in the country, a prospect so good that Arkansas wisely hired his old high school coach just to secure the guy. And the coach in question, Gus Malzahn, opened things up and finally gave Razorback fans something to get excited about. Mustain was 8-0 as a starter during the great run the Hogs had...and then somehow it all went wrong. Idiot head coach Houston Nutt benched Mustain and reigned in Malzahn's play-calling duties. WHY? I have no idea. Now Malzahn has bolted to Tulsa of all places, with Mustain probably following him out the door. I'm not really a Hogs fan yet but as somebody who has started to go to games and follow the team, this is simply tragic. Does this mean that 2007 will be a return to the completely predicatable offense that drove fans crazy before? My wife, a diehard Razorback fan, now hopes that everything falls apart next season just so the school will have to fire Nutt. It's a sad state of affairs but that might be the best thing that could happen. What a mess.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Pats-Bolts
The Patriots game on Sunday should be quite a matchup. All things considered, I think I feel as good about it as I possibly could when going on the road to face a #1 seed with a 14-2 record. Obviously the Chargers have a great team, as their roster is littered with Pro Bowl players on both sides of the ball, but the two reasons I think the Pats will pull it out give us a huge advantage: quarterback and coach. Brady's record clearly speaks for itself, while Phillip Rivers will be playing his first ever playoff game. Meanwhile Bill Belichick is the best head coach in the league, whereas Marty Schottenheimer has an all-time playoff record of 5-12 and hasn't won a big game in over a decade. I have faith that Belichick will find a defensive scheme to get the job done and that Brady will lead the offense to a solid win. Pats by 7.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Holiday leftovers
* Dad's famous baked stuffed shrimp for Christmas Eve dinner were maybe the best ever. He made two kinds, including one with some fancy (read: expensive) Italian bread crumbs. I thought they tasted a little better, but then again I doubt I could have told the difference in a blind taste test. Dessert was a ridiculously good peppermint-chocolate trifle that mom made.
* Christmas dinner: prime rib. Awesome.
* Christmas Day: great fun with the whole family.
Except we picked up some terrible head cold from the kids...which seems to happen a lot. It got worse the following weekend, when we went back up to Memphis and then on to Nashville for the Patriots-Titans game. The morning of the game I was so stuffed up that I literally couldn't sleep--a huge rarity for me--and ended up roaming the streets at 6 AM looking for anything that might help. I got some Sudafed and juice at a nearby Courtyard Marriot mini-store. Luckily I actually felt better at the game, which was a blast. We had seats in a very cool handicap accessible section which gave us extra leg room. Our entire row seemed to be Pats fans.
Back in Little Rock, we went to the doctor on Tuesday and Beth and I have been on antibiotics ever since. Usually when I get a bad cold it sucks for 3-4 days and then it's done but this one is just lingering. Today is the last day of the meds but I'm still not all the way healthy yet. More pills next week? Who knows.
I finally got a PS3...or at least I ordered one. I had to get it at Best Buy, thanks to generous family members that loaded me up with gift cards there for both my birthday and Christmas. I still haven't actually seen a 60 gig version in a store but they had them available to order at Best Buy on-line yesterday so mine should be here next week, probably on Tuesday. Game and Blu-Ray reviews to follow.
I think the Pats will handle the Jets well on Sunday. All they need to do is take away the short passing game and they should roll and I have complete confidence that Belichick will find a way to do so. I think Laurence Maroney is going to have a huge game too.
Beth and I powered through the final season of "Alias" on DVD during our joint sick time. She had actually seen them all already but I went in cold, only knowing that it was the final year. I found it odd that the creator of the show, JJ Abrams, seemingly had almost nothing to do with the last year, not even the final episode. I know he was busy off making MI:3, but still...do you think he just sat down and watched the finale on TV? I wonder what he thought? Kind of strange.
Good TV starts back up in January, including 24. This will be the first time that I watch a whole season on TV during its initial run. I don't know if I'll like that. This shows seems perfect for DVD, but I'll see how it goes.
That's about it from here. I hope everyone is doing well in the new year.
* Christmas dinner: prime rib. Awesome.
* Christmas Day: great fun with the whole family.
Except we picked up some terrible head cold from the kids...which seems to happen a lot. It got worse the following weekend, when we went back up to Memphis and then on to Nashville for the Patriots-Titans game. The morning of the game I was so stuffed up that I literally couldn't sleep--a huge rarity for me--and ended up roaming the streets at 6 AM looking for anything that might help. I got some Sudafed and juice at a nearby Courtyard Marriot mini-store. Luckily I actually felt better at the game, which was a blast. We had seats in a very cool handicap accessible section which gave us extra leg room. Our entire row seemed to be Pats fans.
Back in Little Rock, we went to the doctor on Tuesday and Beth and I have been on antibiotics ever since. Usually when I get a bad cold it sucks for 3-4 days and then it's done but this one is just lingering. Today is the last day of the meds but I'm still not all the way healthy yet. More pills next week? Who knows.
I finally got a PS3...or at least I ordered one. I had to get it at Best Buy, thanks to generous family members that loaded me up with gift cards there for both my birthday and Christmas. I still haven't actually seen a 60 gig version in a store but they had them available to order at Best Buy on-line yesterday so mine should be here next week, probably on Tuesday. Game and Blu-Ray reviews to follow.
I think the Pats will handle the Jets well on Sunday. All they need to do is take away the short passing game and they should roll and I have complete confidence that Belichick will find a way to do so. I think Laurence Maroney is going to have a huge game too.
Beth and I powered through the final season of "Alias" on DVD during our joint sick time. She had actually seen them all already but I went in cold, only knowing that it was the final year. I found it odd that the creator of the show, JJ Abrams, seemingly had almost nothing to do with the last year, not even the final episode. I know he was busy off making MI:3, but still...do you think he just sat down and watched the finale on TV? I wonder what he thought? Kind of strange.
Good TV starts back up in January, including 24. This will be the first time that I watch a whole season on TV during its initial run. I don't know if I'll like that. This shows seems perfect for DVD, but I'll see how it goes.
That's about it from here. I hope everyone is doing well in the new year.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Pats-Colts
I can handle losing, but getting beat like the Patriots did on Sunday night is just painful. First, three of Brady's "interceptions" were on balls that hit receivers in the hands and should have or could have been catches. Secondly, the officiating was downright atrocious. The "taunting" call on Troy Brown was one of the most ridiculous penalties I have ever seen called in any football game, ever, and there were at least 2-3 other huge calls against New England that were just as bad, each of which came at a crucial time to give the Colts a first down. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but if I were I would have a field day with that game.
That being said, Indy really did not impress me at all. They got five turnovers and another five or so gift calls and still only squeaked out a seven point "victory." Let them run the regular season table and get all the accolades the media will undoubtedly shower upon them after this "huge" win, this "statement" game, or whatever they shall call it. Guess what, Indy? For the Patriots, there are no "big wins" in November. Ours come in January and February...something this Colts team has been unable to do. I cannot wait to see the Pats smack the Colts under their own dome in the playoffs.
/end rant
That being said, Indy really did not impress me at all. They got five turnovers and another five or so gift calls and still only squeaked out a seven point "victory." Let them run the regular season table and get all the accolades the media will undoubtedly shower upon them after this "huge" win, this "statement" game, or whatever they shall call it. Guess what, Indy? For the Patriots, there are no "big wins" in November. Ours come in January and February...something this Colts team has been unable to do. I cannot wait to see the Pats smack the Colts under their own dome in the playoffs.
/end rant
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Tom Brady is the man
Here is just another in a long list of reasons why I love Tom Brady. On the first play of the game today, he got absolutely blindsided on a blitz because of a blown blocking scheme in which a Buffalo linebacker reached him completely untouched--nobody even made an effort to block him and the guy had the most free and clear shot he'll ever have on a QB. Here's a question from a Globe writer and Tom's answer:
Q. That first play, you were obviously at an open set and they came on a blitz. Was that something you didn't expect or were you surprised?
TB: Well, like I said, we all could have done a better job and I could have done a better job on that play to recognize what they were doing, and I didn't. And it served me right that I got hit in the back of the head and fumbled. And that is no way to start the season. But we recovered and came back and then we put together a nice drive after that. So it would have been nice to start with the second drive of the game, but you know, just better learning on my part and making sure things like that don't happen.
He blames himself on a play that was absolutely blown by someone else. And he really means it. He's the best.
Q. That first play, you were obviously at an open set and they came on a blitz. Was that something you didn't expect or were you surprised?
TB: Well, like I said, we all could have done a better job and I could have done a better job on that play to recognize what they were doing, and I didn't. And it served me right that I got hit in the back of the head and fumbled. And that is no way to start the season. But we recovered and came back and then we put together a nice drive after that. So it would have been nice to start with the second drive of the game, but you know, just better learning on my part and making sure things like that don't happen.
He blames himself on a play that was absolutely blown by someone else. And he really means it. He's the best.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
I root for the laundry
I know that as a fan of teams that have delivered me four World Championships since 2002 I have no room to complain about anything, but that doesn't change the fact that typing this list below kind of makes me sick.
Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts
Pedro Martinez, New York Mets
Johnny Damon, New York Motherf***ing Yankees
Willie McGinest, Cleveland Browns
David Givens, Tennessee Titans
Ty Law, wherever
Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnatti Reds
I could go on and on. Sure, it's the nature of the game, and everyone on that list brought me so much happiness that I could never thank them enough. But now I can't really root for them. Sure, there are degrees...I still pull for Pedro almost every time out. But Johnny Damon is now deader to me than Fredo Corleone to his brother, and the mere notion of having to openly yell "miss it, Vinatieri, MISS IT!" just turns my stomach.
I don't have a point. I just needed to vent, I guess. It's a sad day for me.
Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts
Pedro Martinez, New York Mets
Johnny Damon, New York Motherf***ing Yankees
Willie McGinest, Cleveland Browns
David Givens, Tennessee Titans
Ty Law, wherever
Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnatti Reds
I could go on and on. Sure, it's the nature of the game, and everyone on that list brought me so much happiness that I could never thank them enough. But now I can't really root for them. Sure, there are degrees...I still pull for Pedro almost every time out. But Johnny Damon is now deader to me than Fredo Corleone to his brother, and the mere notion of having to openly yell "miss it, Vinatieri, MISS IT!" just turns my stomach.
I don't have a point. I just needed to vent, I guess. It's a sad day for me.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Patriots Post Mortem
That was a sickening way to go out for the Pats on Saturday night, but honestly I have no right to be too upset about it. The best analogy I could come up with was feeling like a guy cashing out after losing a couple of big hands at the end of a great run at the blackjack tables--sure, it would have been nice to keep winning, but I'm definitely still "up."
The Patriots won the Super Bowl three times. Occasionally I need to remind myself of this.
And just to get it out of my system once and for all: that pass interference call on Asante Samuel was an absolute joke and the Ben Watson play on Champ Bailey was definitely a touchback, meaning the Patriots would have retained the ball at their own 20. It's almost mind-boggling that despite five turnovers it still took two atrocious calls toknock us off. But it's over. I think Seattle has the best shot to win it all now but I really don't have much enthusiasm for any of the remaining potential match ups the rest of the way. Wagering on games will clearly help me in that area.
So where do the Patriots go from here next season? In my eyes, right back to being dominant like they have been. Aside from the sickening defeat, I'm highly optomistic about the off-season and beyond. Young defensive coordinator Eric Mangini just left to take the head job with the Jets, and that departure hurts, especially since it means we're looking at our third defensive coordinator in as many seasons in 2006. But this is Bill Belichick's defense and I don't expect a lot to change there. He'll name a replacement and keep running the show himself.
The Pats have a lot of personnell decisions to make, with a few high profile free agents, including Adam Vinatieri, David Givens, Troy Brown, Stephen Neal, and Tom Ashworth. Other veterans such as Willie McGinest are looking at being cut or having their deals restructured due to big forthcoming salary cap hits. I think they'll get something done with Vinatieri--we paid him a lot last season as our franchise player and I think that they'll work out an extension reasonable for both parties. I could see Troy Brown return in a role similar to the one he had this year at the right price. Givens might be a tougher signing--some teams desperate for a wide receiver might throw some bucks at him and I could see him as a guy that could be labeled as expendable within the Patriots system, although we'd need to replace him with a comparable player. As for Neal and Ashworth, I'm not sure what will happen there. Neal has really improved over the last two years and I'd love to keep him. As for Ashworth, he is a versatile lineman who will be really attractive on the free agent market. I'd welcome both of them back but the price will need to be right.
One benefit to not winning the Super Bowl is the overlooked fact that our off-season preparations start immediately. Belichick admitted that playing until February the last couple of seasons has made things tougher in the off-season, as we're behind most of the league. This way, we have plenty of time to evaluate the roster and the market. We also have a much higher draft pick than usual thanks to our regular season record: the #21 pick in the first round. This looks like a very strong draft to me and there is no doubt we'll get an impact player if we stay at that spot. I've already seen one mock draft that has us selecting USC running back LenDale White, and that intrigues me. Corey Dillon appeared to have lost a step and White is the kind of tough, between-the-tackles runner that could step right in and fill those shoes. We certainly have other needs, but we've got extra picks too (an extra selection each in the 3rd and 4th rounds from previous trades). So with six picks in the first four rounds, I expect some combination of: running back, corner back, safety, linebacker, offensive line, and wide receiver. The Pats love to wheel and deal and this year nothing would surprise me--moving up, moving down for value, or standing pat and just filling the few holes that we have.
The Patriots will be back in a big way in 2006.
The Patriots won the Super Bowl three times. Occasionally I need to remind myself of this.
And just to get it out of my system once and for all: that pass interference call on Asante Samuel was an absolute joke and the Ben Watson play on Champ Bailey was definitely a touchback, meaning the Patriots would have retained the ball at their own 20. It's almost mind-boggling that despite five turnovers it still took two atrocious calls toknock us off. But it's over. I think Seattle has the best shot to win it all now but I really don't have much enthusiasm for any of the remaining potential match ups the rest of the way. Wagering on games will clearly help me in that area.
So where do the Patriots go from here next season? In my eyes, right back to being dominant like they have been. Aside from the sickening defeat, I'm highly optomistic about the off-season and beyond. Young defensive coordinator Eric Mangini just left to take the head job with the Jets, and that departure hurts, especially since it means we're looking at our third defensive coordinator in as many seasons in 2006. But this is Bill Belichick's defense and I don't expect a lot to change there. He'll name a replacement and keep running the show himself.
The Pats have a lot of personnell decisions to make, with a few high profile free agents, including Adam Vinatieri, David Givens, Troy Brown, Stephen Neal, and Tom Ashworth. Other veterans such as Willie McGinest are looking at being cut or having their deals restructured due to big forthcoming salary cap hits. I think they'll get something done with Vinatieri--we paid him a lot last season as our franchise player and I think that they'll work out an extension reasonable for both parties. I could see Troy Brown return in a role similar to the one he had this year at the right price. Givens might be a tougher signing--some teams desperate for a wide receiver might throw some bucks at him and I could see him as a guy that could be labeled as expendable within the Patriots system, although we'd need to replace him with a comparable player. As for Neal and Ashworth, I'm not sure what will happen there. Neal has really improved over the last two years and I'd love to keep him. As for Ashworth, he is a versatile lineman who will be really attractive on the free agent market. I'd welcome both of them back but the price will need to be right.
One benefit to not winning the Super Bowl is the overlooked fact that our off-season preparations start immediately. Belichick admitted that playing until February the last couple of seasons has made things tougher in the off-season, as we're behind most of the league. This way, we have plenty of time to evaluate the roster and the market. We also have a much higher draft pick than usual thanks to our regular season record: the #21 pick in the first round. This looks like a very strong draft to me and there is no doubt we'll get an impact player if we stay at that spot. I've already seen one mock draft that has us selecting USC running back LenDale White, and that intrigues me. Corey Dillon appeared to have lost a step and White is the kind of tough, between-the-tackles runner that could step right in and fill those shoes. We certainly have other needs, but we've got extra picks too (an extra selection each in the 3rd and 4th rounds from previous trades). So with six picks in the first four rounds, I expect some combination of: running back, corner back, safety, linebacker, offensive line, and wide receiver. The Pats love to wheel and deal and this year nothing would surprise me--moving up, moving down for value, or standing pat and just filling the few holes that we have.
The Patriots will be back in a big way in 2006.
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