Bleacher Report - Articles by andy miller

Kiss The Rings? Rex Ryan Fails To Follow The Rules

andy miller — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:00:36 -0400

Doesn’t Rex Ryan know better? You are not supposed to say anything entertaining. You are supposed to use clichés. Do not say anything other than “We respect our opponent. They are a great team. We will have to play our best to beat them.”

Having a personality and saying outlandish things! This is terrible. Let’s get back to boredom!

Look, I am a Patriots fan. I knew I hated the Jets before I knew how to tie my shoes. And there is no more boring coach in the NFL than Bill Belichick. He says nothing, he gives nothing. He is painfully boring in front of a microphone. There is also no one I would rather have coaching my team on Sunday than him.

Rex Ryan is different. And different is OK. He has a charismatic personality. Last time I checked, there is nothing wrong with that. But the media sees that and smells blood. Here is this new kid on the block. He does not know the rules. He talks different, he looks different. Let’s swarm and make mountains out of molehills.

Let’s hearken back to what Rex Ryan said on June 3. I mean, it was only 3 months ago he said it, I see why the media likes to bring it up.

"I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's, you know, rings," Ryan said. "I came to win. Let's just put it that way. So we'll see what happens. I'm certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else."

OK, I read it. What is wrong with what he said? Should he be here to kiss someone’s rings? He never said this guy stinks, or we are going to kick their rear end, or I hate them, or anything like that. He came to win and he is not going to be intimidated. I do not see anything wrong with that.

Sure it makes for great theatre. It makes a lively rivalry even better. But here is what I know (and it is only week one): the Patriots respond to their coach. They embrace him and they love playing for him (despite what Tom Jackson might think).

And so far, the Jets players love playing for Ryan. He is exciting, and he has loosened the reins from the Eric Mangini era. Some Ravens players (Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard) have migrated to New Jersey because they enjoy playing for Ryan so much. Again, it was only one week, but to win on the road handily in the NFL, as the Jets did at Houston, is impressive. The players have taken to Ryan’s techniques.

Will it work this Sunday? I am not sure, but I cannot wait to watch. I just hope and pray that Rex Ryan does not say anything with any personality or humor after the game. I do not think the talking heads will be able to stand much more of it.

Erin Andrews Saga a Reflection of the Sad State of Society Today

andy miller — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:21:03 -0400

I never thought the world would see a day where the thought of a beautiful, naked, blond woman on the Internet would make me sick.

But we have. Every time I think of the Erin Andrews situation, it makes me question the world in which we live.

What is wrong with people? Sticking a camera into someone’s hotel room to catch a shot of the unknowing Andrews naked? I am not the world’s biggest Erin Andrews fan, but if she was to willingly pose for Playboy or something, trust me, I would be online to check it out before you could say, “sideline reporter."

But does anyone get any joy in seeing someone who is not aware of the fact that she is being filmed? It is against her will. Who gets any pleasure out of looking at that?

I pray they catch the piece of trash who did this and penalize him (or her, but I will assume it is a him) to the fullest extent of the law. Every state but Iowa now has some law on the books dealing with video voyeurism, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime.

This person did not even do this because he was obsessed with Erin Andrews. As sick and disturbing as that would be, this is worse. He did it so he could run to the Internet, post it, and be the buzz of the world for a few days. Congratulations, your parents must be so proud.

I am not sure if he has profited from this, or plans to down the line, but the person should be ashamed of himself. The only halfway decent thing he could do here would be to turn himself in to the authorities.

But cowards like this will not do that. People like this like to hide. They hide behind walls and hide behind cameras, and if he is caught, he will hide behind a scumbag defense attorney.

But you know what else has happened here? Erin Andrews will be changed forever. She will no longer wave and smile to the student section at a football game. She will no longer give playful interviews with the guys at Extra Mustard on SI.com. She will no longer relish being so popular among college fans.

Some people may have been turned off by the perceived lack of professionalism by Andrews, but she was just having fun and being herself.

Those days are now done—and that is a shame, whether you think she is this generation’s Marilyn Monroe or if you thought she was vastly overrated. She was not a rape victim, but she was violated, and she will be forever changed through absolutely no fault of her own.

I do not know where we went wrong as a society. Maybe it is just a few bad apples that spoil the bunch. Maybe it is the Internet and the fact that people can now become famous for doing something idiotic on YouTube.

But when something like this goes down, it sickens me that it happens, but what is worse is to know that there is someone out there giggling by himself, or with some other loser friends, thinking he is something special.

Hopefully the powers that be can reach out and take that smile right off his face.

Sorry Hoosiers, Losing Is No Longer Acceptable

andy miller — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:42:29 -0500

I tried to be patient. In fact, I was patient all year long. The losses did not bother me (ok they bothered me a little bit), but I knew the program was going to get better. I knew these were good kids, learning under a top notch coach.

Tonight, against Northwestern, I reached my boiling point.

IU led early on, allowed Northwestern to get back into the game, and watched as a mediocre Northwestern team raced by them and eventually beat IU by 22 points. Sorry IU fans, this is not acceptable.

Everyone knew IU would struggle this year. I was prepared for that, and was, in a weird way, enjoying this team earlier in the season. Yes they committed an amazing amount of unforced turnovers. Yes they committed silly fouls, constantly putting teams in the bonus early in the half. But they worked their tails off and were proud to wear the Crimson and Cream.

IU, by all accounts, was lucky to have a young successful coach willing (albeit for a boatload of money) to take over the train wreck of a program left behind by one of the sport's all time weasels, Kelvin Sampson.

Losing at home to Northeastern was upsetting. Allowing Michigan and something called Lipscomb to rally from 20 points down to steal road wins was infuriating, but understandable. Watching Penn State win at IU for the first time caused me to bite my lip, but I could deal with it.

Not tonight. This was a game the Hoosiers had a chance to win. They played well in the first half, leading throughout much of it. They started to wilt, and when Northwestern continued to hit shots, IU decided it was better to cave in then to fight to possibly win a second Big Ten game.

Coming off a decent performance against a tough Purdue team, I truly believed IU could play spoiler, and defeat a Northwestern team looking for a rare NCAA tourney birth. Instead, I watch IU concede defeat to a team they played tooth and nail a few weeks back in a one point loss.

This game followed a similar pattern to the Wisconsin game last week; IU plays a good first half, comes out slow in the second half, and watches another undistinguished team race by them as if they were the mid 90's UNLV Rebels. Again, a second tier player (Luka Mirkovic) had the night of his life, following in the footsteps of Wisconsin's Joe Krabbenhoft and Purdue's E’Twaun Moore.

How can IU play Northwestern down to the wire and lose by one on the road, only to come back home and get destroyed? How can they play Wisconsin tight for a half, then get humiliated in the second half.

Look, we all knew this season was not going to end in the NCAA tourney, but all IU fans (as faithful a bunch as there is in sports) wanted to see this team hustle, work hard, and improve. Well, they do hustle. They are likeable. They work hard. You want to root for this team and this coach.

But they are not improving. They give the ball up as easily as any team I have ever seen at any level of basketball. They make stupid mistake after stupid mistake. I know they are historically young, but this is now the end of February, and this team is not showing any development.

Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, but I would like to see Tom Crean get upset after one of his players decides to simply throw the ball to the other team for the sixth time that night. I would like to see some repercussions after another guard simply dribbles off his leg for his fifth turnover of the night.

By all accounts, Crean is a good man and a good coach who will be able to show his stuff at a higher level when these current players get more experience, and when some more talented players arrive next year. I do believe in him, and think in time, the Hoosiers will be back where they belong, at the top of the Big Ten.

But as for this year, the record is about what I thought it would be, but I have to say I am disappointed in the lack of progress shown by these players and the team as a whole. I know I will get some flak, and some will say I am not a true fan, but other than senior Kyle Taber, who on this team could you honestly say is getting better as the season has rolled along?

Sure, some of that could be attributed to hitting the freshman wall, but this team should be coming out with a chip on their shoulder. Instead, it seems as if they are rolling over, content to play their pre-ordained role as Big Ten doormat.

It is a role they seemed to have perfected as the season has gone on. Hopefully, they can salvage some measure of respect over the last few games and perhaps in the Big Ten tourney. But from what I have seen, this season has been a disaster far beyond what the pathetic record will indicate.

Alex Rodriguez and the PR Game

andy miller — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:39:28 -0500

I have to admit I was a little surprised to hear Arod was a steroid abuser. He is such a great athlete, and he makes it look so effortless. And I have to admit I was a little surprised for him to go on TV, admit what he did, and try to move forward.

But, with Arod, you know he is being coached and told what to say. And all he said yesterday was from a Yankees perspective. Basically, the person I was with the Rangers was a steroid abuser, but Arod the Yankee does nothing but play baseball and, as Newman would say, head up to Westchester every Tuesday to "do charity for the blind in my spare time for the Lighthouse."

He wants us to believe that Arod the Ranger did steroids between 2001-2003, but when he want to the Yankees, coming off an MVP season he decided to stop using steroids because he got hurt in spring training?

Don't guys turn to performance enhancing drugs because of injuries? And I am sure he did feel pressure trying to justify the $250 million he was making in Texas, but I think everyone would agree that is nothing compared to the pressure he must feel playing for the Yankees.

Look, I am not here to bury Arod. He did steroids, which makes him one of a million baseball players who did it, including players on my favorite team, your favorite team, and every team. I get the feeling that like Barry Bonds, he would have been a damn good player with or without the steroids. I hate the Yankees as much, if not more than anyone on this planet.

But this is not about that. But when someone gets caught doing something, the oldest trick in the book is to say, OK, I may have done X, but I did not do Y and Z.

He is trying to distance Arod the Ranger from Arod the Yankee, and I am sorry, I do not buy it. In my humble opinion, there is no way someone who experienced the kind of success, wealth, and fame Arod did from 2001-2003 decides to stop what he was doing because he wanted to do the right thing.

People seem to forgive when the guilty party is willing to come forward and accept the blame. I give Arod credit for doing that here (although his slandering of reporter Selena Roberts is appalling). However, it is more PR-101 from the David Acevada of the sports world.

People are willing to give guys like Pettite and Arod the benefit of the doubt because they came forward (not on their own, mind you) and because, unlike Barry Bonds, their entire body did not morph right before our Topps cards.

The Ultimate Popularity Contest

andy miller — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:21:49 -0500

I am normally the last guy to get upset about All-Star Game appearances. However, there was an injustice done this past week that really drove me mad. I felt so badly for the young man in question because I know he desperately wants to be recognized for his solid play, night in and night out.

It is pathetic and appalling that Al Jefferson will be home for All-Star weekend. Let's compare Pau Gasol to Al Jefferson. Big Al puts in 22.7 PPG, Gasol 17.3. Big Al gets 10.5 boards per game, Gasol 9.0.

Gasol beats him 3.4 to 1.5 in assists, while Jefferson almost doubles Gasol up in blocks (1.6 to .9). And I do not want to hear about who plays on the better team. Jefferson's T'wolves have been as good as anyone since the start of 2009.

And this is not a team reward, this is about trying to get the 12 best players from each conference onto one roster. Al Jefferson deserves to be one of those 12 players. He probably deserved it last year, too.

Just as bad is Shaquille O'Neal's inclusion to the All-Star Game over Jefferson. Shaq is getting 18 and 9, while Jefferson gets 22.7 and 10.5. Blocks and assists are roughly equal. One guy plays with Steve Nash; the other plays with Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair.

It is bad enough that the a lot of fans on the NBA (and other sports) have made the All Star voting a joke. Get on line and vote for your favorite player, these leagues will tell you, never mentioning that you should actually vote for the most deserving players.

It is pathetic that the NBA now allows one guy onto the team because he happens to play on arguably the most visible franchise in the game, and another guy because he is extremely recognizable himself. Pau Gasol, despite being an excellent player, was not widely known to casual fans a few years back.

Since his trade to the Lakers last season, he is now the No. 6 jersey seller in the NBA. Apparently, that is more important to the powers that be than who is actually the better player.

Greg Oden Learns Quickly: Flop Or Be Flopped

andy miller — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:03:32 -0500

I read an article in the Sporting News. It was written by center Greg Oden of the Trail Blazers. He talked about adjusting to the NBA, specifically the fact that he has been so foul prone so far this season. In it, he states the following:

“Imagine this. You’re me, 7', 285, and your job is to protect the basket at all costs. Now you look up and some skinny little guard is coming into the lane.

"Ok, you slide over-you have to keep him away from the basket. You set your feet outside the restricted area, you put your arms up. And the little guy lowers his shoulder and throws himself into you. He bounces off and goes sprawling to the floor like you were Mike Tyson or something.

Whistle. Foul on 52.”

Oden sounds frustrated, but anyone who has seen Oden knows this is a good kid. He is not bitter, he is not complaining, he is simply talking about his adjustment into the NBA. He continues on the topic.

“Foul trouble has been my biggest problem this year. It’s not just guards jumping into me; it’s also some of the big guys. I am bigger than most guys in the league, so what happens a lot is, once I lean on someone a little, boom, they flop. And they get the call. Veterans always get the calls.”

Again, Oden is not upset, and he goes on to say he will learn the tricks of the trade as he gains experience. He will figure out what he can get away with and what he cannot.

But Oden is acknowledging something that is scary.

In the NBA today, you either flop, or you are the victim of the flop. It has only taken Oden half a season to realize that because the NBA is officiated so poorly, and flopping is so accepted, he is going to learn to do it because he is sick of being the victim of it. He talks more about the flopping.

“That’s tough for me because it’s not my game. I have to learn to not be as aggressive because people are flopping and fouling the heck out of me all the time. I have to learn to flop a little too or else I am playing at a disadvantage.

"I would like to just go in and say, ‘Let’s both be as strong as we can and see who wins’, but unfortunately, people don’t play like that. In the end, you have to flop a little or you don’t get the calls.”

I read this and was outraged.

Not at Oden.

I was outraged at a league where a kid comes in, wants to be aggressive, wants to play the game the right way, but within half a season, he has learned that aggressiveness is not the key, flopping is the best way to get ahead.

What kind of league is this?

If I was the commissioner, I would read this and realize there is a problem.

Flopping is bad. In fact, anything other than passing, shooting, defense, and hoops IQ causing a team to win or lose is a huge detriment to the game.

A foul is a foul, but when a young kid comes into this league and sees quickly that learning to flop is a key to getting ahead, there is a problem.

The officiating in the NBA is a disgrace, and shame on a league that encourages and rewards flopping.

Oden concludes his article by saying “What I would most like would be for the league to make some rules against flopping and enforce them. As a guy who gets flopped against, actually, I would love to see that.”

I am not 7' tall, cannot impact an NBA game, but I am a longtime fan, and I could not concur with Oden’s last paragraph more.

It would be great if talent and brains were the sole reason a team won and lost in the NBA.

Despite Shaky Sunday, Randy Moss Continues to Shine for Patriots

andy miller — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:42:10 -0500

When I was a young kid, my friends and I used to laugh at the commentators doing wrestling. We would notice the unbelievable bias of all the commentators. When Ray 'Big Bossman' Traylor was a bad guy, the commentators would get all upset if he beat up an opponent with a night stick.

But if he was a good guy, the announcers would laugh and say that he was just bringing a little law and order to the ring. If Jake 'The Snake' Roberts whipped out his snake after applying the DDT to someone, it was either appalling or something to be applauded, depending on which role Roberts was currently playing.

Now fast-forward to 2008, and you will see the same kind of brilliant analysis from many in the sports media. The media either labels you as a good guy or a bad guy. If you are a good guy and a patron of your bar is suing you because he was shot while attending your bar, it is OK because the story will not get any publicity.

Who cares if it was your gun that was used in this shooting? You play for quiet and reserved Tony Dungy, and you are soft spoken; this story will get as much publicity as Phil Donahue’s return to TV a few years back.

Now if that was Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson, ESPN would have everyone from Rachel Nichols to Roger Cossack to Dr. Joyce Brothers camped outside that bar, with updates, analysis FBI profilers and opinions and legal angles and anything else you can think of. But it is not the case, since this is Marvin Harrison and he is one of the good guys.

This, of course, brings me to Randy Moss.

We all know Randy Moss is one of the awful people in the NFL. He is what the media likes to call a 'lightning rod.' When Moss accepted less money to stay in New England this offseason, there were no stories from the 'experts' about what loyalty Moss was displaying to his team.

After last season’s disappointing finish, Moss felt there was unfinished business for the Patriots, and Moss wanted to be part of another run at a title. The national media can be forgiven for missing this story because while this was going down, Ultimate Good Guy Brett Favre was holding the Packers organization hostage for the third straight year and trying to dictate to management how they should run their team.

ESPN did everything short of creating another network to follow this story.

We all know what happened on opening day of this season. Tom Brady went down with a season-ending injury and most 'experts' agreed it was only a matter of time before Randy Moss imploded and caused a megadistraction on this year’s team.

He was going to mail in the season and create huge distractions in the usually harmonious Patriots locker room. He was going to be a huge problem for Head Coach Bill Belichick.

Well, here we are in Week 13, and Randy Moss has been a model citizen. He has publicly supported the new QB. He has had some huge games (three TDs against Miami). When he has only had a few balls thrown his way, he has not complained about lack of touches.

He has been seen on the sidelines, being the head cheerleader for the defense. When No. 3 Wideout Jabar Gaffney dropped a potential game-changing touchdown pass against the Colts a few weeks back, Randy Moss publicly supported him, told him to go home, kiss his family, and come back ready to play the following week.

When seldom used Sam Aiken caught a wide receiver screen a few weeks back, No. 81 ran past the ball carrier to throw a key block to spring a huge gain (I have tried to find the footage of this play, but cannot...trust me, if Good Guy Hines Ward had done it, they would have stopped the game and had an on-field ceremony).

In a key game against the Steelers, the Patriots, after an encouraging first half, played perhaps their worst half of football all year long and got blasted by the Steelers in a messy Foxborough Stadium.

Moss had a few uncharacteristic drops in this game, including one in the end zone. Surely, this is where Moss was going to snap and show his evil side. Let’s see what he had to say after the game:

“Speaking for myself, I’m very disappointed in my play,” said Moss. “(Coach) Bill (Belichick) says time and time again to do your job. As a wide receiver, your job is to get open, catch the ball and score touchdowns. I didn’t have a good game and I put a lot of the blame on myself.

"The team really looks to me to do my job week in and week out. I don’t want to blame it on the rain or the weather. The balls were there and they weren’t caught. It’s something that is going to bother me until Sunday. It does hurt, it’s a bad taste.”

What a selfish jerk! Here is what else he had to say:

“Once you start catching, you get into a rhythm, you start feeling good,” said Moss, who was limited to two catches for one yard in the second half. “But once you drop one ball, you drop another, it starts to affect you mentally. But that’s why they call us professionals because we’re supposed to let the bad go and get back to playing football. A couple of bad things happened and it just trickled on down,” he said.

“There was some bad football out there and a lot of the blame for it, I’m putting on myself.”

Oh My Goodness, can we get rid of this guy! What a typical selfish athlete! His teammates must all hate him!

Look, I am not saying Randy Moss is a saint. I am not saying he has not made mistakes. Some of those mistakes were overblown (Joe Buck thought a fake mooning of the Green Bay fans was justification for permanent banishment from the league, and perhaps from the planet altogether).

All I am saying is that it is time that the media covers the games, and not try to paint labels on the players, good guy, bad guy, selfish guy, team guy. Everything is not black and white. Randy Moss may have done some immature things in Minnesota.

He may have acted out in Oakland in an effort to get traded; I do not think Gandhi would have been able to play wide receiver with patience with what was going on in Oakland during that period.

All I know is that his prior acts have been overblown, and since being in New England, he has been a great player and a great teammate. It would be nice if the national media realized that he has changed. Perhaps they could write an article praising his maturity and his leadership skills. Maybe he has matured.

Maybe he has just found a coach and a QB he respects. Maybe he thinks he has found his ideal situation in New England. I know going against the norm may require some independent thinking, but c’mon media, I know you can do it. Open your eyes and see what is happening.

Randy Moss has always been a great player, but now it looks like he is also a great teammate. He is not all bad. Heck, even Jake 'The Snake' got to fluctuate between good and bad throughout his career.

Boston Fans' Memories Too Short

andy miller — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:44:20 -0400

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Boston fan, through and through. I have loved the Red Sox since I was a little tyke. I stayed up late to watch the Celts win the title in 1981 (I was eight). I used to get mocked growing up in Massachusetts for being a die-hard Patriots fan, but I did not care.

There is nowhere I would rather live, and there are no teams I would rather pull for. I love Boston fans. I love the passion, I love the opinions, and I love the rivalries we have with the assorted teams in the three major sports.

However, one thing that always bothered me about my fellow Boston fans is the lack of loyalty toward players who leave here. I do not know why it is, but so many Boston fans cannot let go, and then act like jilted lovers. As Tom Cruise said in Cocktail, “Everything ends badly; otherwise, it would never end.”

Drew Bledsoe takes a 1-15 team to the Super Bowl in four years, yet he is seen by many as Ryan Leaf, Part Two around here.

Nomar Garciaparra gets traded in 2004 and people forget that this guy was The Franchise for the better part of eight years. He was an amazing five-tool player for a franchise that had seen so few. A friend of mine who moved to California in 2002 and came back in 2005 summed it up best when he said “When I left, everyone wore a Nomar jersey; I come back and he is the Devil.”

Last night, there were people wearing “Manny Who?” shirts all around Fenway.

Manny Who?! Manny Ramirez, the best right-handed hitter who has ever played for the Red Sox!

I am sure the people wearing these shirts were just trying to be funny, but it still gets under my skin. I know things went poorly in 2008 with Manny and the Red Sox. People would be foolish to turn a blind eye to some of the stunts Manny pulled this season.

But Red Sox fans, for the most part, always embraced Manny’s goofy ways. But now he is gone, and people paint him as the villain. Do Red Sox fans remember life prior to 2004? Do people realize that without Manny, we might be talking about a 90-year World Series drought right now?

I wonder if people feel that, in this day and age, they have to take one strong opinion or the other. There can be no middle ground. There is no time to say “Well Manny did upset me with some of his antics, and I get mad when he says he never enjoyed himself here, but he was such a great player. I will always think of him fondly and think about what an amazing hitter he was for the Sox.”

That would never fly on talk radio. You either have to say Manny is a scumbag and I wish he never had the honor of playing for the Red Sox (stupid), or you have to say he is a saint, and the Red Sox are idiots for trading him (equally stupid).

People around here are so obsessed with Manny Ramirez (probably because he is a lightning rod for the media and talk radio), that they all overlook one thing. The Red Sox are better off, record-wise, with him gone (61-48 before the trade, 34-19 after the trade). The Dodgers were happy to get their hands on him for a few months, as he helped push them to a division crown and an NLCS appearance. I am sure they will make an effort to re-sign him in the offseason. Manny is happy. Jason Bay has been great from day one and is happy. Why can’t everyone smile and be content that this was a win-win?

Is it like this everywhere? Do Twins fans sit and talk about David Ortiz all the time? Do Bengals fans wonder why Corey Dillon was such a solid team player here, but could not do it in Cincinnati? Do Sonics fans grab Celtics box scores every morning to see what Ray Allen did the night before?

I think these fans probably are sad to see great players like these move on, but realize it is part of sports and focus on the team they currently have on their roster. No one likes to see bad management spell the end for great players on their teams, but I would wager no one drones on and on about it like a Boston fan.

I will never forget the one day I was in a golf store, and the Red Sox game was on the radio there. The announcer was reading the out of town scoreboard. It was probably 2000 or so. The announcer said that the Expos had won behind the solid pitching of Carl Pavano. A guy near me lamented that the Red Sox let Pavano go, and that the Red Sox never held on to their young pitchers, and that is why they never win.

I felt compelled to interject and remind this nitwit that Carl Pavano was used to acquire some guy named Pedro Martinez, who was at the time the best pitcher on the planet. He still insisted it was a bad move and a sign that then-GM Dan Duquette did not know what he was doing. I had to stop, realizing that I was not going to get anywhere with this person.

Boston fans have so many great qualities, and I truly believe we are among the best professional sports fans in the nation. But the obsession with the former players is ridiculous. Sometimes, you have to let it go and move on. This is professional sports, and sometimes people leave as free agents, and sometimes people get traded. It is just part of the business.

There is nothing wrong with discussing these moves, and wondering who got the best of it, but when it turns into obsession, and it clouds your vision of the great things some of these athletes did when they were here. To me, that is where the problem starts.

Pass Interference Needs To Be Added to Reviewable Plays

andy miller — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:10:27 -0400

We see it every week in the NFL. A pass interference call ruins a game, hands a team a victory when it did not deserve it, and deprives another team of a possible win.

Sometimes the offense gets away with a call, sometimes it is the defense. Most of the time, it is a very pivotal call. Yesterday was no exception.

In Minnesota, the Vikings stole a win from the Lions when cornerback Leigh Bodden got called for a pass interference penalty late in the Lions' 12-10 heartbreaking loss.

Detroit led, 10-9, against their rivals, and had the Vikings in a 2nd-and-20 situation at the Minnesota 32. Vikings QB Gus Frerotte threw a bomb down the right sideline for wide receiver Aundrae Allison.

Bodden contested the play, made the absolute slightest of touch on Allison’s shoulder, never gaining anything close to an illegal advantage, and out came the flag. Not only did it bail the Vikings out of 2nd-and-20, it put the Vikings into FG range.

Moments later, they converted, and the Lions were deprived of their first win of the year.

"I did everything right," Bodden said. "They just called it the way they called it."

Earlier in the game, Calvin Johnson was charged with a fumble that should have been called down, but even after reviewing the call on replay, the refs managed to somehow still get it wrong.

This must have been upsetting to Lions fans, but I will say at least they tried to get it right. The call was made on the field (incorrectly), they replayed it, got it wrong, but at least replay gave the fans comfort in that everything possible was done to get it right.

With pass interference, it does not matter if everyone in the stadium knows the right call, one nitwit ref throws a flag, and there is a penalty.

And not just any old penalty. A devastating penalty.

An automatic first down (in this case, getting the Vikes out of 2nd-and-20 in a game where 20 yards seemed like 200 yards) or 30, 40, or 50 yards, or putting the ball at the one for 1st-and-1, basically giving the offense a touchdown.

“Don’t bother calling us with an apology,” a visibly upset Bodden said after the game. “I don’t want to hear it. It won’t change anything. If they can’t call us and say that they’re giving us back a win that was taken away, then they shouldn’t even bother with it.”

Some fans might still be upset that Denver was given a win in the “Hochuli” game a few weeks back. On Sunday, they were on the short end of the stick. It was not quite as bad as the Bodden play, and did not hand Jacksonville the win the way the refs handed it to the Vikings, but it sure did help the Jags.

Broncos safety Marlon McCree was whistled for a pass interference call that was clearly not valid. And it effectively ended the game, giving the Jags a first down, and allowed them to run out the clock in Bronco territory in their seven-point win.

When asked if he felt it was the right call, Denver coach Mike Shanahan said, "I'd bet a dollar to doughnuts that it wasn't."

Broncos linebacker Jamie Winborn was a little more forthcoming.

"That call killed us, which was a terrible, terrible call."

The Broncos may have also been frustrated by an equally brutal pass interference call on Dre Bly earlier in the game.

Would Denver have won without these calls? Maybe. Without this brutal call, Jacksonville would have been facing 3rd-and-8 at its own 41 with a crazed Denver crowd screaming their lungs out.

Garrard may have made a play and converted the first down. Denver may have forced a turnover. It sounds like it would have been a fun play to watch, but NFL fans did not get to see it. Instead, we got to see a 60-year-old man throw a yellow flag.

These are huge calls—game changers. They need to be reviewable, and they need to be reviewable now. They are way too important. They are devastating calls. The only reason they would not be reviewable is to coddle the refs on the field and not undermine their authority.

You know what?

I don’t give a crap about them. And I don’t give a crap about NFL Head of Officials, Mike Pereira, and his weekly spin-segment on the NFL Network.

I care about the players, and I care about the fans. And frankly, I did not have a rooting interest in either one of these games mentioned above. I just like football, and like every fan, want the game decided on the field, not by some random yellow flag that comes out at an inopportune time.

I think every fan would be willing to add a possible 5-10 minutes of game time if it meant allowing a referee in the booth to review a potentially game-changing call.

These calls were not questionable, they were dead wrong. Why not do all we can to fix it?

Why not do all we can to insure that every Sunday, teams win and lose based on what is done by the players?

Top 10 Things Overheard At The Trop Last Night

andy miller — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:49:10 -0400

10: So this guy manages our team and announces Monday Night Football?

9: I think it is a dumb rule. I say, if the guys playing catch over on the sidelines catch the ball, it should count as an out.

8: Hey Tampa Bay Rays...that kinda rhymes!

7: Even though this Pena guy grew up in Boston, they still allow him to play for our team? I bet Boston is ticked off about that one!

6: How come it does not make that pingy sound like the bats do at little Timmy's Pee Wee games?

5: Even though we lost, it is amazing we made the playoffs in our first year!

4: What are those big, long yellow poles way out there on that fence for? They could get in the way of one of those long hits.

3: If I only have worn this hat for a few hours, do you think that vendor guy will let me return it?

2: Do you think this cowbell would get anything on eBay?

1: C'mon, you have to be joking. That guy's name cannot be Evan Longoria!

Red Sox-Angels: Boston Headed to Tampa Bay for the ALCS

andy miller — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:32:18 -0400

Where do I start…..I have no idea. What an exciting night at Fenway.

*As always, some controversy as to should Lester have been taken out after seven innings. I think he should have been left in there, but you know what? I am not in the dugout (I should be, but am not).

Tito and John Farrell talked to him, and they have better insight into it than any fan watching on TV or at Fenway.

*It will get lost in the fact the Red Sox won, but what the hell is wrong with Oki and Masterson? Oki comes in, gets two quiet groundballs, then, with two outs, and a two-run lead, walks Mark Teixeira on four pitches. Oki, I am not sure how well you know math, but if you throw it down the middle, and Tex hits it out of the yard, it is only 2-1.

Then Masterson comes in, gets two strikes on Vladdy, then throws four straight pitches way out of the strike zone to the 6'3" power hitter. Then an amazing cross-up between Tek and Masterson (I know he is the captain, and he handles a pitching staff better than anyone ever has in the history of baseball, but Tek and his staff seem to get crossed up more than any other team in MLB), a single to right, and we have a tie game. The eighth inning is a problem for the Sox right now.

*I know the media loves Mike Scioscia. I will grant anyone that he is a good manager. But the Angels lost last night because of his ego. A speedy man on third (Reggie Willits), one out. Erick Aybar (only 45 K’s in 346 ABs) is at the plate. No reason to squeeze there. But Scioscia has to be the hero, has to be the story. Delcarmen falls behind 2-0. There is a decent chance for a walk, which would bring the extremely tough to double-up Chone Figgins to the plate, although he does strike out more often (80 K’s in 453 AB’s).

Remember, at this moment, with the Angles scoring two gift runs in the eighth; all the momentum was on the Halo's side, and Fenway had a pre-2004 feel to it. You know why the media loves Scioscia? Because he bunts, and he runs, the baserunners take chances, they hit and run, and he does not always play by the book, and old-time media guys love all that stuff.

I hope everyone watched when bad baserunning cost the Angles Game One, and the ego of Mike Scioscia took away Game Four for them. Oh, and his venom towards the third base ump after Tek tagged Willits out? Pathetic and laughable. He was embarrassed because he knew he had screwed up, and he directed his anger towards the third base ump.

I am all for arguing when the situation calls for it, but that was a joke. The guy cries so much, he should manage with a rattle in his right hand. Tito makes some strange pitching moves (letting Oki face Vlad in Game Two was a headscratcher), but he does not try to be the story and does not try to put himself on the front page. And that is why he is a better manager than Scioscia.

*Well, at least he did not sell out one of his players after the game. “Erick’s a terrific bunter,” Scioscia said afterward. “He feels obviously badly he didn’t get it down. It was a great count for it. Delcarmen throws hard, which is a challenge, but I think it was, you know, a buntable ball. Erick just didn’t get it done, and that happens.” Sorry, I guess he did.

*Memo to TBS: When someone is warming up in the bullpen, SHOW HIM! Tell the viewing audience about it. They come back from commercial for the either inning, and I see some fan waving a Korean flag; that is how I found out that Lester was done and Oki was coming into the game.

*Chip Carey did everything short of making out with a rally monkey to root for the Angels. Pathetic!

*People who will be rooting for the Red Sox against the Rays-Red Sox fans.

*People who will be rooting for the Rays-Everyone Else in the Free World.

*John Lackey is a very good pitcher that performed well in Games One and Four, but he is a meathead. I know anyone can be frustrated after a very tough loss, but he sold out his teammates for not hitting after Game One, then had more to say after Game Four. "[On Sunday] they scored on a pop fly they called a hit, which is a joke," said Lackey, referring to a popup that was misplayed into three runs. "[On Monday], they score on a broken-bat ground ball and a flyball anywhere else in America [except in Fenway Park]. And [Pedroia's] fist-pumping on second like he did something great."

Umm, John, Pedroia's "fly ball" was probably a HR in any other park in America. Fenway parked helped you there. And if you are upset about the popup they called a hit, what you are really doing is throwing your fielders under the bus.

*I may be wearing red-colored glasses, but I think the three days off helps the Red Sox recuperate a little bit, while it only slows the Rays down a little bit. I could be 100 percent wrong on that one,

*It looks like Dice-K is going to pitch Game One. While that thought has me keeling over in pain, if the Sox can somehow get out of Game One with a win (they will have, and in all likelihood need, a rested bullpen with three days off), Lester and Beckett will be pitching four of the final six games of the series. Nothing official has been announced as of yet, regarding the pitching rotation.

*It is amazing how far the Red Sox have come, keeping in mind they lost their starting shortstop. I mean, Julio Lugo has been out since mid-July, and the Red Sox, showing amazing resiliency, have stayed in the race and managed to get to the ALCS. Yes, this last point was sarcasm.

*Gotta think Jeff Bailey makes the ALCS roster and may even get a start against the LH Scott Kazmir. Sorry Gil Velazquez, no ALCS for you.

*I was very upset that Sean Casey was on the bench and Mark Kotsay got the start at 1B. I was more upset when Kotsay grounded into a double play in the second. But Kotsay more than redeemed himself with a leadoff single in the fifth (he came around to score the first run). He also hit a bullet in the ninth that would have won the game for the Sox if it were not by a great play by Mark Teixeira. He also made a few great plays on popups in the field.

*Reggie Willits is very lucky that Jason Bay’s double in the ninth hopped into the stands. If that gets by him, and stays in the field of play, it may be a walk-off inside the park HR for Jason Bay.

*I am not big into the Manny vs. Bay comparisons, but when Lowrie singled to right, weren’t you glad it was Bay trying to score, not Ramirez? And by the way, Jason, do not ever slide head first into home plate again. That is a great way to get injured.

Just Jacoby Being Jacoby? Where's the Media Frenzy?

andy miller — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:18:56 -0400

There was an interesting play that took place in the second inning of the Red Sox 7-2 win over the Orioles Tuesday night.

Jacoby Ellsbury swung and hit a bill that lingered behind home plate. Ellsbury stood there, while Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez alertly waited to see if the spin would cause the ball to go fair. It did, and Hernandez tagged out Ellsbury who was still standing in the batter's box.

A mistake by Ellsbury, one from which I am sure he will learn.

I will go out on a limb and say the Boston papers and WEEI (Boston Sports Radio) nitwits will spend zero time talking about this play today. It was fairly irrelevant in the Red Sox 7-2 on Tuesday night.

But if Manny Ramirez had done the same thing, it would be wall to wall coverage. Non-stop talk about Manny, and how he is a cancer on the team, and he never hustles, and how much he is paid.

But Ellsbury did it, and it will not be mentioned. Why? Because of the money Manny makes? Maybe. Because of his history of doing quirky things? Maybe. I have no idea.

All I know is that whether it is Ellsbury not running out this play, or JD Drew missing a few games because of a minor tweak, or Trot Nixon tossing the ball into the stands when there were two outs, there seemed to be two sets of rules for the Boston media—One set for the Red Sox team, one set for Manny.

Look, I am not a Manny apologist. I loved him when he was here, but it was time for him to go. The Red Sox overpaid to get rid of him (figuratively and literally) but they did well to bring back an All Star caliber player like Jason Bay.

If the Sox played the Dodgers tomorrow, I would cheer for Manny when he was announced as the batter. I would think most Red Sox fans, appreciative, of his role in two World Series wins would do the same.

But it just seems to me that Manny was a lightning rod, and the Boston media pounced on him for every little thing. Sometimes, it was justified, like if Manny loafed when running out a ground ball. Other times, it was exaggerated, like when Manny would have a day off in the middle of July.

But what I am getting it is that the Red Sox have seen a lot of great players end their career elsewhere, and leave on less than ideal terms. Manny is just the latest, but when he left, he alluded to Nomar Garciaparra.

There is a lot of scrutiny on every Red Sox player, but it just seems that if you play nice with WEEI and the Globe, the spotlight might just be a little less bright when you make a bonehead play.

Drew Bledsoe: Where It Went Right and Where It Went Wrong

andy miller — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:15:41 -0400

I have always said that I have never been more nervous as a sports fan than the moments leading up to the 1993 draft. My beloved—and at the time woefully inept—New England patriots had the No. 1 pick, thanks to their 2-14 record the previous season.

The Patriots needed everything, but like a lot of terrible NFL teams, they needed a QB. There were two Q's thought to be head and shoulders above the rest. There was Drew Bledsoe, the strong armed, 6'5" gunslinger from Washington State, and Rick Mirer, the heady, and more polished, more recognized QB from Notre Dame.

I wanted Bledsoe. I hated Notre Dame (I still do), and was no fan of Mirer. I thought he was overrated and was way worse then Bledsoe, who had an amazing arm. I had seen Bledsoe at Washington State lead his team to victory in snow games, and I knew he could do the same here.

I was so glad that the Patriots, after years of terrible management, were now led by Bill Parcells, who came out of his first retirement to lead the Patriots. Parcells was one of the most respected figures in football, and Pats fans were lucky that, after turning down other opportunities, Parcells decided to come back and run the pathetic Pats.

Leading up to the draft, Parcells would not reveal his hand. I cannot find the quote anywhere online, but Parcells said something like 65% of the league would take Bledsoe at No. 1, 35% would go with Mirer.

When the No. 1 pick rolled around, and the Pats took Drew Bledsoe, I was thrilled beyond belief. I was in college and had no money, but somehow, I scraped together $180, as did my roommate, and we had season tickets (yes, season tickets in the end zone were once $18 per game; I was livid that I was forced to buy two pre-season games, making the total $180). We had the best coach, we had the best young QB, and we were on our way.

I went to the pre-season games, and everyone, and I mean everyone, was wearing a No. 11 jersey (including me and my roomate). There was some debate in training camp and throughout pre-season that year as to who would start at QB, but eventually Parcells, never scared to take a gamble, started Bledsoe over the more experienced Scott Secules.

The Patriots had a rough 1993, but fans did not care. There was now hope, in the form of the mastermind coach and the young QB. The Pats were 1-11, and like a lot of young teams, seemed to lose every week because of one play. Then, something amazing happened.

The Pats beat the equally woeful Bengals, 7-2 (yes, 7-2). Pats fans celebrated like they had made the playoffs. Then they went into Cleveland and beat a decent Browns team. A road win! Then back home and a spanking of the Colts and Jeff George, 38-0. Then the ultimate test. A showdown with AFC East rival, the Miami Dolphins. A win got the Dolphins into the playoffs. A win would only hurt the Patriots draft position, but no one cared.

Pats fans wanted this game to prove that their team was for real, despite the 4-11 record. (The No. 1 pick turned out to be Dan Wilkinson; the Pats “settled” for Willie McGinnest at No. 4). The game had a lot of back and forth, but the Patriots ended up winning 33-27 in overtime on a Bledsoe to Michael Timpson bomb. The place went nuts, Timspon ran right by me and blew off my high-five attempt, and Bledsoe was the hero.

Patriot’s fans, worried that owner James Orthwein might move the team in the off-season, did not want to leave the stadium. Strangers hugged, replays were watched, and fans high-fived jubilant players as they left the field.

The next year, the Pats, under new ownership, made the playoffs (winning their last seven regular season games), and lost in the Wild Card round. Bledsoe threw the ball 691 times (43 times per game), including an amazing 70 times in a comeback win against the Vikings. The young QB was so good that he made Parcels, who had the reputation of being a run-first coach (some of that is true, some is not), bypass the running game and throw it non-stop. Their leading rusher, Marion Butts, had an anemic 703 yards (44 yards per game).

At the age of 22, Bledsoe became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to play in the Pro Bowl. After a curious 6-10 in 1995, the Pats rebounded big time in 1996, and rode an 11-5 record through the playoffs and right into the Super Bowl. The Pats lost to the Packers, contributing largely to me breaking up with my girlfriend at the time (long story), but the future was bright.

Our young QB was a bona-fide, record breaking stud, we had a great coach, we had the best tight end in the un-guardable Ben Coates, we now had a running game with Curtis Martin, and the AFC was going to be ours for a long, long time.

It did not work out that way. Parcells, in a feud with owner Bob Kraft, left the Patriots to join the rival Jets, and Bledsoe’s career was never the same.

Patriots’ players loved Pete Carroll when he replaced Bill Parcells in 1997. He was more laid-back and they could enjoy themselves. They liked him more, but they won fewer games. Sure there were some good years, AFC East crowns, riveting comebacks, and great moments, but Carroll never truly got out of Parcells' shadow, and whispers started to become louder concerning the QB.

He could not move, he does not feel the pressure, he holds the ball too long, we need a guy who can scramble like Michael Bishop (yes, lots of brilliant Patriot fans wanted Michael Bishop to play over Bledsoe), we need someone else.

Carroll left, and Bill Belichick came in, but things got worse for the Patriots. The Pats went 5-11 in 2000, and now Patriots fans, who had become used to winning, were livid. As with a lot of NFL teams, the spotlight fell, fairly or not, on the QB. Then, in week two of the 2001 season, Bledsoe got hurt, and in comes Tom Brady. The rest is history.

Bledsoe was shipped off to Buffalo for a first round pick following the 2001 season. He had a great season in 2002, passing for 4,359 yards and 24 touchdowns and making his fourth trip to the Pro Bowl. 2003 was tough because of many injuries to key Bills offensive players, but the Bills improved in 2004, winning nine of their last 12, and six of the last seven (finishing 9-7), but there were no playoff appearances in Drew’s three seasons with the Bills.

He was let go following the 2004 season to make room for a younger, more mobile JP Losman. The Bills were happy with Bledsoe’s play for the most part, but felt he was not the guy who could beat the new kings of the AFC East, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

In 2005, Bledsoe reunited with old friend Bill Parcells and put up a very good season (3600 yards, 23 touchdowns, 17 picks) with the Dallas Cowboys. Like 2004, Drew’s squad went a respectable 9-7, but like 2004, his team was home for the playoffs.

In 2006, a young hot-shot named Tony Romo impressed in training camp, and when Drew got off to a slow start, Bledsoe was again benched for a younger, more agile option. His last throw as a pro was a terrible interception on Monday night in the red zone against the Giants. He was replaced by Romo at halftime, and that, in effect, the career of Drew Bledsoe ended.

It is safe to say that the Patriots and Cowboys made the right call in cutting ties with Bledsoe in favor of Brady and Romo respectively, but in retrospect, I firmly believe his career should have ended in Buffalo.

J.P. Losman has not panned out, and the Bills, in my opinion, took for granted their stellar play at the end of 2004 for granted. The Bills had carved out a tough, conservative offense behind Bledsoe and power back Willis McGahee. But the Bills had invested a first round pick in J.P. Losman in the 2004 draft, and they felt he was the better option. It has not worked out for the Bills or Losman yet, but when Losman was drafted, the writing was on the wall for Bledsoe.

A few aspects of Drew’s career absolutely amaze me. The first is the lack of respect he is given in the New England area. He helped turn the Patriots franchise, one of the biggest jokes in sports in the early 90’s, around. He took a ton of hits (some the fault of poor line play, some his own), never complained, never asked for a trade when the Pats could not run the ball, and never pointed any fingers.

In this regard, I equate Drew Bledsoe to former Red Sox relief pitcher Keith Foulke. The former Red Sox closer had a great 2004, and an even better 2004 post-season. There is no 2004 World Series without Foulke, yet because of poor performance and injuries in 2005 and 2006, Foulke is disliked by a lot of fans in this area (to be fair, Foulke also made some comments that did not endear him to fans).

Bledsoe did not win a title like Foulke did, but he made the Patriots relevant again, and he deserves a lot of the credit for turning this team around. Not only that, he played a key role in the AFC Title Game in 2001, coming in to relieve a hobbled Brady and helping get the Pats into Super Bowl 36.

I truly believe Boston fans are among the best fans in the world, but sometimes, fans, including yours truly, can have short memories. Bledsoe brought the Pats several playoff appearances and a trip to the Super Bowl, yet because of the brilliance of Brady, he is viewed by many Boston fans as a cross between Heath Shuler and Ryan Leaf. It is not fair, but I guess that is life as a QB, arguably the most scrutinized position in all of sports.

The second is how fast it happens, and how so much of what happens to you is out of your control. Drew still looks like the young kid out of Walla Walla, Washington with the weight of a franchise on his shoulders. Bledsoe was never going to be a speed demon, and his pocket presence did leave something to be desired, but I think so many things happened to him that started the downward spiral.

If Parcells had stayed. If the Patriots, knowing they had an immobile QB, built a better offensive line. If Tom Brady did not turn out to be one of the best QBs of all time. If the Bills decided to stick with him after 2004. But some things happen, you have a few bad years, and soon enough, this former No. 1 pick, once destined to end up in Canton, left the NFL this past season with such a whimper.

NFL: Top Ten Reasons to Embrace the Patriots

andy miller — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:10:19 -0400

As I look around Bleacher Report and read people’s bios and comments, something dawns on me.

There are some of you out there who do not like the New England Patriots. Some of you may have even been happy when the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII.

This is shocking to me, a lifelong Bostonian. So I am here to give you 10 reasons to embrace the Patriots.

If you see a Patriots fan, give him or her a hug. You may laugh now, but after reading this article, you will understand and see things in a different light. Okay, probably not, but here goes.

Troy Brown

Does anyone personify class and dignity better than Troy Brown? A former eighth round pick out of Marshall, Brown’s career almost ended before it got started. He was cut and brought back so many times, you would have thought he was Bill Parcells’ personal Yo-Yo.

But rumors kept floating about Troy Brown. Drew Bledsoe said he had the best hands on the team.

Little by little, the little dude who was almost out of football began to contribute, first on special teams, then as a wide receiver, and then amazingly as a defensive back on a Super Bowl-winning team.

This guy has never been in trouble, and he does not showboat. He is the epitome of a professional.

Out of loyalty to the franchise that once cut him, he has accepted less money on more than one occasion to remain a Patriot. Who would not respect that kind of loyalty?

Knowing the Rules

Come on, who knew about the tuck rule before the 2002 Patriots? Who knew where to draw the line on what kind of spying you can and cannot do on your opponent? Without the Patriots, you would not be as knowledgeable a fan as you are today.

One Week at a Time

Every team says it, one team goes out there and does it better than the rest.

How else do you explain going 16-0? How else do you explain winning 18 straight regular season games over two seasons?

The Pats may lose games, but it is not because they look ahead.

You want proof? The Pats lost in Super Bowl XLII to a huge underdog. Has anyone, even the biggest Patriots hater you know, ever suggested it was because the Patriots took the Giants too lightly?

In 2001, there were stories of the Steelers taking the Patriots lightly for the AFC Title Game, then rumors of the Rams doing the same for the Super Bowl.

The Patriots lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII because the Giants were better than the Patriots that day.

Spygate

You may have heard about this Spygate story. It has been in the news from time to time over the last few months.

But to paraphrase Colonel Jessup from A Few Good Men, deep down inside, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you know this was an overblown story.

The Pats did wrong, it was not that big a deal, and if any other team had done it, it would have meant the loss of the sixth round pick and a $25,000 fine.

But it was the Patriots, so Roger Goodell came down hard, and the Patriots have not complained about their punishment at all. Think about this: If it were your favorite NFL team in that scenario, how mad would you have been about it?

If The Pats Can “Make It,” So Can Your Team

Look, I am 34 years old. I have seen some bad pro teams in Boston. I've seen some bad Red Sox teams, some bad Celtics teams (as recently as last year).

But none was ever the model of incompetence like the Patriots used to be. Ask any long time Patriots fan about Dick MacPherson or Rod Rust or James Orthwein.

If you are a fan of the Atlanta Falcons, the L.A. Clippers, or the Tampa Bay Rays, look no further than the Patriots for inspiration. If the Patriots can do it, and become a dynasty, trust me. Any team can do it.

Tom Brady

I grew up hating Joe Montana. If pressed for a valid reason, I would have said something stupid such as, “He is only good because of his system,” or “he just dinks and dunks,” or, “Jerry Rice made him a great QB.”

I was just jealous. So many times, I would see the scores on the 10-minute ticker, San Francisco would be losing by four late in the game, and then a few minutes later, you would see that final score, San Francisco 38, New Orleans 35.

It was not fair! If my beloved Patriots were losing by three late in a game, they would end up losing by 17. I missed out on all the fun of one of the great QBs of all time because I was so mad that my team could not come close to their efficiency.

Now, you hear similar criticisms of Tom Brady. Don’t make the same mistake of a young Andy Miller. Enjoy watching one of the best QBs of all time in the prime of his career.

The Pats Have Given You What You Wanted

Okay, you hate the Patriots. But without them, the league might be boring. It used to be the Raiders, it used to be the Cowboys, now it is the Patriots.

They are hated partially because of their success. Okay, that is fine. What have they done the last two years?

They have filled you with happiness, drama, and in your world, a happy ending the last two years. The Pats have gone 28-4 over the last two regular seasons, yet have not been able to win a Super Bowl.

They have lost two heartbreaking games each time to end their season. This is what you want.

Now if the Pats did not get a 12-man-in-the-huddle penalty late in the 2006 AFC Title Game, or if a couple of 300-pound linemen could have brought down Eli Manning, you might be talking about the five-time World Champs, and I would understand your hatred.

But I will defy you to find a team that lost in a more crushing manner two years in a row than these Patriots have. I have not looked it up, but I will pretty much guarantee it has never happened.

Bob Kraft

As a sports fan, what do you want from an owner?

Shut up, sign the checks, and stay out of the way.

Bob Kraft does just that. He lets his people make the decisions; he stays out of the way.

But he also saved the Patriots when they were in trouble of being re-located. In 1992, Kraft, a lifelong Patriots fan and season ticket holder, went above and beyond, paying $175 million to buy the Patriots and save them from re-location.

Now, $175 million seems minimal for a pro sports franchise, but in 1992, the Patriots were one of the worst franchises in sports, and many in the business world laughed at Kraft.

As fans, we loved him because he kept our team from moving. Sonics fans would love for some Robert Kraft-type person to come in and save the team.

(On a side note, I am hoping that something like that does happen.)

Making the World A Better Place

If you are a fan of the NFL, you love the rumors, the trades, the drafts, and the games.

But unfortunately, we have to put up with a whole lot of other crap, like Michael Vick, Chris Henry, Pac Man Jones, and numerous others.

With a few rare exceptions, like Willie Andres, the Patriots stay out of trouble. Not only that, but the Patriots have taken in supposed “bad-seeds” and have seen no incidents.

Randy Moss did have an issue with a former girlfriend, but Moss vehemently denied any problems, and the charges were dropped. Other than that, Moss has been a model citizen and model teammate.

Corey Dillon came in with a bad reputation, and had a successful, incident-free tenure with the Patriots.

Don Tomasso

Bleacher Report writers Stew Winkel and Kevin Ryder know Don very well. The rest of you probably don't know him at all.

Let me give a small background. Don Tomasso is a lifetime New Englander, who, like so many of us, grew up loving the Red Sox and Celtics.

His primary sports love, however, is the New England Patriots. Don can recall plays from games that happened 15 years ago, and other than his family, Patriot games were the most important thing in his life.

Don is your classic “life of the party” guy, and he brightens every room which he enters (a cliché, but with the man they call DT, it is very true). He is completely stuck in the 80s like no one I have ever met, and he can amaze anyone with his memory of events from the 80s.

Don had some pain on his side recently, and even though he hates going to the doctor, he told his wife to call an ambulance. They went in for what was believed to be a relatively routine appendix removal; they discovered during this procedure Don actually has cancer.

He has significant internal bleeding, and has been on a respirator for several days. The situation has gotten worse, and Don has been in and out while the doctors prepare to remove one kidney.

On top of all this, Don’s wife is nine months pregnant and could give birth to their second child at any moment.

If this was a Lifetime movie, you would ask your girlfriend or wife to change the channel.

But for Don, his friends, and family, this is very real, and we all spend every waking moment praying for the best.

My point is that at the end of the day, we all love sports, we are all very passionate and loyal to our teams. But once in a while, step back and remember what is truly important in this world and what is just a hobby that we all enjoy on the side.

No one is guiltier of forgetting this than me, but whoever your favorite team is, send some kind wishes to Don and his family in this unbelievably trying time.

1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers Gather to Root Against Houston Rockets

andy miller — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:09:43 -0400

We see it every season. Some NBA team goes on a long winning streak, and the 1971-1972 LA Lakers get together to try and put the jinx on the current team.

The current streak by the Houston Rockets has some worried, but not former Laker great Gail Goodrich, who said “This has me more nervous than some of the other 10 game streaks, 12 game streaks. They are playing well, but I do not know if they can do it. Yeah, I sit at home with my Rockets voodoo doll in one hand, and a bottle of champagne in the other. The minute they lose, we are popping that champagne, Baby! I hope no one breaks our streak. I sit up at night, worrying about it.”

Former Lakers Head Coach Bill Sharman will sit in with the TNT broadcast team tonight to root on the Celtics against the Rockets. “I make no bones about it. I do not want our streak broken. We were the only ones to win 33 straight, and I root against anyone who approaches it. I think it is the mature, adult thing to do. Some people say it is time to move on and grow up; I say no way. It is our record and no one should touch it.”

Flynn Robinson, a reserve guard on the 1971-1972 Lakers, says he cannot bear to watch. “I just sit in my garage, and stare blankly into the sky. It means too much to me. I mean, we won 33 straight games. I hope no one breaks it. If the Rockets get past 30 games, I do not know if I could handle the pressure.” Robinson says he thinks it is very sophisticated of him to ignore friends and family, and simply focus on his team’s accomplishment from over 30 years ago.

When reached for comment, former Laker reserve Keith Erickson tried to diminish any current record, fearful that some team might in fact one day beat the Lakers record. “When we played, it was so much harder. Look at these Rockets. I mean, they charter planes, ride first class. We had to walk from city to city with luggage on our back. We were not allowed to play with clean uniforms. If we wanted clean uniforms, we had to stop by a motel, and rob the tiny soap off the cleaning lady’s cart. Do you know how small those soaps are? Well, try washing Wilt Chamberlain's uniform with that. It was impossible! The man was 7 foot one, and there we are, scrubbing his shorts in a rest stop outside of Newark.

“These guys today are so pampered. Even if the Rockets defeat our record, and I spend every single, solitary waking moment praying they do not, it means nothing, and I am still a very special person, a very important part of sports lore. I want people to understand this. Man, I hope the Rockets lose.”

Perhaps it was put best by Jim McMillian, who scored 19 points per game during the 1972 playoffs. “We had a special group. Me, Wilt, Pat (Riley), Jimmy (Cleamons), Gail, Trapper (John Trapp), so many moments, so much fun. Even if they break the record, and I pray they do not, they still have to win the title. People forget that. It is not like we won 33 straight then decided to pack it in. We won 33 straight and won the title. Let’s see the Rockets do that. I just bought this NBA League pass thing just so I could keep an eye on them.

“Do I root against them? Yeah, I do. I know where I will be Tuesday night, getting together with the guys, rooting for the Celtics. If the Celtics win, we will all look up to Wilt, knowing he is up there watching, and we will do a toast, knowing that we are still better than them. It just seems like the mature, adult thing to do. Go Celtics!”

Some Random Thoughts During a Busy Sports Weekend

andy miller — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:27:28 -0400

Boise State vs New Mexico State was one of the best college basketball games I have ever seen. It is amazing how these kids react to pressure. I thought each team had the game won about 6 times, only to have the other team make a comeback. Before Saturday night, I knew nothing about Boise State basketball. Now I have to wonder if their home court is blue. Boise State ended up winning in triple OT, despite losing some of their best players to fouling out.
Coppin State becomes the first 20 (16-20) loss team to get an NCAA bid. My question: how does Coppin State play 36 games in a season?
Hey Utah Jazz, congrats on getting all fired up to play the Celtics Friday night. I give them credit for admitting how much that game meant to them; too bad they could not sustain that and lost to the 28-38 Nets the following night.
Tyler Hansbrough, great shot, need to work on that celebration dance. That was tough to watch.
Congrats to Clemson on beating Duke for the first time in 23 tries. I am sure it disappointed some who wanted to see UNC-Duke, part III (I can hear Dickie V crying now), but that was great to watch.I wish I could bet on Duke games 2 minutes into the game. I need to know, is the other team intimidated by Duke, and are the refs going to severely kiss Duke's behind, or just mildly kiss Duke's behind. I knew early on Clemson had a good shot to win that game. I for one am glad they did and hope they beat UNC on Sunday.
Amazing to see Pittsburgh win 4 games in 4 days to win the Big East title. They tried to give it away down the stretch with some horrid free throw shooting (22-44), but held it together. Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr showed glimpses of his Dad in the clutch; with all the momentum in the world behind his team, Ewing drove to the hoop, and dribbled off his face for a turnover. He then fouled a Pittsburgh player, yelled at the ref for a no-call on his turnover (replays showed no one touched him), and that was about all she wrote for Georgetown. All that was missing was a guarantee for victory that never came to fruition, and Jr could have been just like his Dad.
Georgia winning two games in a day is an amazing story. Good for them. I have not seen that kind of endurance since Chet Ripley polished off the old 96er in The Great Outdoors
The Indiana Hoosiers were headed towards a probable 4-5 seed until a season ending loss at Penn State, and a tourney loss to Minnesota. It will be interesting to see where the committee puts them on Sunday. I think they lose in Round One of the tourney; they have not played well in about a month (which means they can probably book their ticket for the Final Four).
I have no idea how a team that starts Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, the corpse of Dikembe Mutumbo, Tracy McGrady, and Luis Scola wins 4 straight games, let alone 21. Simply amazing.
Just when it looked like the Tampa Bay Rays might be able to make a step forward this year, the one guy they cannot afford to lose is lost. Hopefully, Scott Kazmir makes a quick recovery and never looks back, but I do not like to see the words "#1 starter" and "elbow concerns" in the same sentence.
In the "you learn something new every day" department, before she dated Jerry Seinfeld and Chuck Finley, Tawny Kitaen dated OJ Simpson.
The Red Sox announced Josh Beckett will not make the Sox opening trip to Japan. The next step is abolishing these foolish trips altogether. The teams hate it, the players hate it, the fans hate it. The NFL game between the Giants and Dolphins in England was a disaster, and these two games between the A's and Red Sox should be as well. Always a terrible idea.
I am a Patriots fan, so feel free to berate me, but I cannot imagine a less credible person than Matt Walsh. I felt this way before the Boston Globe ran their story about him (http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2008/03/10/to_some_a_vindictive_videotaper/). I feel more strongly about it now. That being said, I think all fans, pro and anti-Patriots want movement on this story, or simply want it to go away.
I am convinced the Oakland Raiders are the most dysfunctional team in sports.
It is amazing to think that a team from the West will be 10-15 games over .500 and miss the NBA Playoffs.
No one is noticing because the Memphis Grizzlies stink, but Rudy Gay is having a fantastic season. 20 PPG, 6 RPG, 2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game would put him on All Star teams if people saw him play. The same holds true for Josh Smith from the Hawks, 17.3 PPG, 8.3RPG, 3.5 assists per game, and he blocks 3 shots per game. Now that they have Mike Bibby on board, the Hawks could (and I emphasize could) rattle some cages in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Bill Simmons was right in his recent column; what is happening in Seattle is criminal. I am still praying for a miracle that allows the Sonics to stay in Seattle, but it does look bleak.

Boston Celtics: Can They Survive the Second Half?

andy miller — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:40:56 -0500

The first half could not have realistically went any better for the Boston Celtics.

Three major preseason questions were:

Can Rajon Rondo handle the starting point guard duties?

(So far, so good.)

Will the Big Three be able to get along with each other and play as a team?

(Fine from day one.)

Can the bench contribute enough to make this team a winner?

(Tony Allen, James Posey, Eddie House, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Co. have been up to the challenge).

But a lot of work remains for the Celtics in the second half. Danny Ainge sold out the future of this team in order to try and win a title, which was his stated goal from the day he got here. He was not interested in Eastern Conference Finals, or winning 50 games.

He put this team together with the hopes of winning a title.

Ainge took a lot of grief for the first three years of his tenure, but this is year, he has been able to sit back with a wry smile, confident that he knew what he was doing all along.

With all this being said, we look ahead to the second half of this season, and examine what needs to be done to get ready for a title run come summer time.

Can the C’s keep Kevin Garnett healthy? By all indications, Kevin Garnett will return to the C’s lineup Tuesday in Denver. Strained abdominal muscle injuries can be tricky, and other athletes have missed a lot more time than nine games missed by Garnett.

The C’s played very well without Garnett (7-2, five straight wins). There is no need to rush him back at all, and the C’s would be wise to only play him on Tuesday if he is 100 precent ready. Most C’s fans would sacrifice a few wins if we could guarantee that The Big Ticket is healthy down the stretch.

How important is it to be the No. 1 seed in the East? In my mind, very important.

Anything can happen between now and then, but conventional wisdom says it will be the Pistons and Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals this year. Getting the No. 1 seed may get you LeBron James (who we saw last year, can win a series almost by himself) in the second round, but it also gives you homecourt advantage throughout.

The Pistons and Celtics have played two games, with the road team winning by two points and seven points. It is safe to say these two teams are pretty even. The two teams play again March 5th in Boston, which could end up being a potential tie breaker.

The C’s are currently 41-9, while Detroit is 39-13. The C’s have 18 road games left, and will have to play very well in order to hold on to that No. 1 seed in the East.

Should Danny Ainge tweak the roster? Most of the attention surrounding roster help has been centered on point guards. Two possible additions have went elsewhere (Damon Stoudamire to San Antonio, Earl Boykins to Charlotte). Point guards who may be moved include Jason Williams, Sam Cassell, Kyle Lowry or Earl Watson.

Cassell or Lowry would be the most likely, if any, as Watson or Williams would be virtually impossible given the salary cap. But if Cassell gets bought out by the Clippers, which he was pining for while in Boston a few weeks back, look for the C’s to make a move.

He is past his prime and was never a great defender, but Cassell is a true floor general who has always played his best on the biggest stage.

Why does Brian Scalabrine play? I really have no idea. Look, I am not a Scal basher. He is what he is. If injuries or foul trouble force you to call his number, Scal can knock down a three (a decent 30 percent for this season), make a nice pass here or there, and play some pesky defense. Doc Rivers likes to say he does the little things, and he will occasionally do that, but he is just not as good as Leon Powe or Glen Davis.

If Garnett is healthy and playing his typical 35+ minutes per game, there is no need for Scal to see the court over either of those two guys.

Can the bench continue its great play? I think they can, and perhaps get even better. Tony Allen is the key. Lately, he has regained a lot of his vertical leap and explosion to the basket. He was not doing that early in this year, as he was slowly making his way back from ACL surgery.

Eddie House is susceptible when pressed, but is an adequate backup and we all knew what a great shooter he is. Leon Powe and Glen Davis have both played key roles and cemented themselves as nice role players since Garnett went down—Davis was superb against Duncan and the Spurs on national TV, while Powe had perhaps the hustle play of the year, as his putback hoop at the buzzer gave the C’s a win in Minnesota.

James Posey is a great defender and continues to punish defenses when left open from long range (39.6 percent). The bench is probably better than initially thought and I think can even get better in these last 32 games.

A year ago, all C’s fans could do is root for losses and pray for ping pong balls. This year, the end of the year promises to be a lot more exciting.

The Celtics are back.

Key Second Half Questions For the Boston Celtics

andy miller — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:37:17 -0500

The first half could not have gone any better for the Boston Celtics. Pre-season questions were:

Can Rajon Rondo handle the starting point guard duties? (So far, so good.)

Will the Big Three be able to get along with each other and play as a team? (Fine from Day One.)

And can the bench contribute enough to make this team a winner? (Tony Allen, James Posey, Eddie House, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and company have been up to the challenge.)

But a lot of work remains to be done for the Celtics in the second half. Danny Ainge sold out the future of this team in order to try and win a title, which was his stated goal from the day he got here. He was not interested in Eastern Conference Finals, or winning 50 games. He put this team together with the hopes of winning a title. Ainge took a lot of grief for the first three years of his tenure, but this is the year, he has been able to sit back with a wry smile, confident that he knew what he was doing all along.

With all this being said, we look ahead to the second half of this season, and examine what needs to be done to get ready for a title run come summer time.

Can the C’s keep Kevin Garnett healthy? By all indications, Kevin Garnett will return to the C’s lineup Tuesday in Denver. Strained abdominal muscle injuries can be tricky, and other athletes have missed a lot more time than nine games missed by Garnett. The C’s played very well without Garnett (7-2, five straight wins). There is no need to rush him back at all, and the C’s would be wise to only play him on Tuesday if he is 100 percent ready. Most C’s fans would sacrifice a few wins if we could guarantee that The Big Ticket is healthy down the stretch.

How important is it to be the #1 seed in the East? In my mind, very important. Anything can happen between now and then, but conventional wisdom says it will be the Pistons and Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals this year. Getting the #1 seed may get you Lebron James (who we saw last year, can win a series almost by himself) in Round Two, but it also gives you homecourt advantage throughout. The Pistons and Celtics have played 2 games, with the road team winning by 2 points, and 7 points. It is safe to say these two teams are pretty even. The two teams play again March 5^th in Boston, and could be a potential tie breaker. The C’s are currently 41-9, while Detroit is 39-13. The C’s have 18 road games left, and will have to play very well in order to hold on to that #1 seed in the East.

Should Danny Ainge tweak the roster? Most of the attention surrounding roster help has been centered on point guards. Two possible additions have went elsewhere (Damon Stoudamire to San Antonio, Earl Boykins to Charlotte). Point Guards who may be moved include Jason Williams, Sam Cassell, Kyle Lowry, or Earl Watson. Cassell or Lowry would be the most likely, if any, as Watson or Williams would be virtually impossible given the salary cap. But if Cassell gets bought out by the Clippers, which he was pining for while in Boston a few weeks back, look for the C’s to make a move. He is past his prime and was never a great defender, but Cassell is a true floor general who has always played his best on the biggest stage.

Why does Brian Scalabrine play? I really have no idea. Look, I am not a Scal basher. He is what he is. If injuries or foul trouble force you to call his number, Scal can knock down a three (a decent 30% for this season), make a nice pass here or there, and play some pesky defense. Doc Rivers likes to say he does the little things, and he will occasionally do that, but he is just not as good as Leon Powe or Glen Davis. If Garnett is healthy and playing his typical 35+ minutes per game, there is no need for Scal to see the court over either of those two guys.

Can the bench continue their great play? I think they can, and perhaps get even better. Tony Allen is the key. Lately, he has regained a lot of his vertical leap and explosion to the basket. He was not doing that early in this year, as he was slowly making his way back from ACL surgery. Eddie House is susceptible when pressed, but is an adequate backup and we all knew what a great shooter he is. Leon Powe and Glen Davis have both played key roles and cemented themselves as nice role players since Garnett went down; Davis was superb against Duncan and the Spurs on national TV, while Powe had perhaps the hustle play of the year, as his putback hoop at the buzzer gave the C’s a win in Minnesota. James Posey is a great defender and continues to punish defenses when left open from long range (39.6%). The bench is probably better than initially thought and I think can even get better in these last 32 games.

A year ago, all C’s fans could do is root for losses and pray for ping pong balls. This year, the end of the year promises to be a lot more exciting. The Celtics are back.

A Very Early Look at the Patriots' 2008 Draft

andy miller — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:43:34 -0500

As the sting of Super Bowl XLII wears off for Patriot fans, we join the other 30 teams that ended 2007-2008 on a sad note and look forward to the off-season.

Free agency and possible retirements are obviously key, with question marks surrounding the return of Asante Samuel, Randy Moss, Randall Gay, Tedy Bruschi, Junior Seau, Dante Stallworth, and many more.

But for now, let's focus on my favorite sports day of the year, the NFL Draft.

The Patriots have the seventh pick in this year's draft via a trade last year with the 49ers.

San Francisco was expected to contend for a playoff spot this season, but the season started poorly for San Francisco, and never got much better, especially after Alex Smith went down with an injury.

As a result, the Patriots are in a rare position of being a top tier team with a top-10 pick.

Unfortunately, as you may have heard by now, there was this little incident with a camera back in week one, and the Patriots have forfeited their own pick (No. 31), and, barring a trade, will only have one first-round pick this year.

Before we can focus on what the Pats will do, we must first look at the six teams drafting ahead of them.

For the sake of argument, we will assume that each of these teams is going to keep their pick and stay right where they are.

The Dolphins were a Matt Stover missed field goal away from an 0-16 season, and basically need everything, especially after cutting several veterans for salary-cap purposes.

Bill Parcells is calling the shots in Miami now, and will resist the temptation to take a potential franchise QB like BC's Matt Ryan or Louisville's Brian Brohm; Tuna will not want to wait around for a young QB to take his lumps and then improve.

The Dolphins will keep it simple and take the most talented player in the draft, LSU's stud DT, Glenn Dorsey.

Parcells likes big guys in his front seven, and at 6-2, 300 lbs, Dorsey fits the bill.

At No. 2, we have the Rams.

Once known as "The Greatest Show on Turf", the Rams struggled mightily on offense last season.

They have thrown their support to QB Marc Bulger in the form of a $60 million contract; they are going to want to protect that investment.

At one time, Orlando Pace was the best in the game, but he is no spring chicken. The Rams will grab their left tackle for the next decade in Jake Long of Michigan.

The Raiders are now on the clock and shown a slight improvement from last season, up two wins to four in 2007.

They found an unlikely 1,000 yard rusher in Justin Fargas, but will be tempted by RB Darren McFadden.

They will resist that temptation and take the lesser known, but very talented Sedrick Ellis, defensive tackle from down the street at USC.

Some have compared him to Warren Sapp, and Ellis may very well become his replacement on the defensive line.

Following the Raiders at No. 4 is their arch rival Kansas City, who need help all over.

The Chiefs are desperate for playmakers on offense, and will tab the best quarterback in this year's draft, BC's Matt Ryan.

Like the Raiders, Darren McFadden looks appealing, but the Chiefs will bank on a return to form from Larry Johnson.

Brody Croyle showed some flashes last season, but not enough for the Chiefs to turn down Ryan, whose leadership skills will endear him to all of the Chiefs' fans for years to come.

There may not have been a bigger mess in sports lass year than the Atlanta Falcons.

From the Michael Vick saga, to the Bobby Petrino disaster, the Falcons were humiliated on and off the field.

I have never felt as bad for a guy with millions of dollars as the way I did for Arthur Blank last season.

The Falcons get back to what got them to the NFC Championship in 2004; running the football.

Atlanta needs good players, but they need a PR win, and choosing Darren McFadden right in SEC country does just that. Warrick Dunn is now 33, and on his last legs.

McFadden will team with Jurius Norwood to form a 1-2 punch that will scare defenses for a long time.

The fans in attendance will perk up at No. 6, as the "host" NY Jets are on the clock.

Eric Mangini got the Jets into the playoffs in 2006, but fell back to 4-12 last season, while their neighbors, the NY Giants took home the Lombardi trophy.

Head Coach Eric Mangini is a defensive guy at heart and cannot believe that Chris Long, defensive end from Virginia has fallen into his lap at No. 6.

Some analysts have him as the best player on the board, and Mangini gets Long, a perfect fit for a 3-4 defense, to terrorize quarterbacks in the AFC East.

That brings us to the Patriots.

It seems like every year the fans yell for a linebacker to help out their aging corps.

And every year, the Pats go in a different direction. There are many good linebackers here (Dan Connor and Keith Rivers to name two).

However, the Patriots value two things in their linebackers: size and experience.

Neither guy can offer that, and the Pats are going to want to win now, especially after their heartbreaking loss in Super Bowl XLII.

Asante Samuel will be gone, and the Pats will look to Mike Jenkins of South Florida to take his place (no pressure, kid).

The Pats have already signed T.J. Slaughter to add depth at linebacker, and Adalius Thomas played perhaps his best game as a Patriot at the Super Bowl.

They may try to get some LB help through free agency or later in the draft, but at No. 7, they get a playmaker with good size (6-0, 200 lbs) who can play man-to-man as well as any CB in this draft.

Along with Brandon Meriweather, who came on strong towards the end of 2007, Jenkins will help the Patriots get younger and faster in the secondary.

With two months to go before the draft, so much can happen.

And I, like any fan, reserve the right to change my mind (and I am sure I will do just that).

But for now, the Pats address the LB needs in other ways and grab some much needed help for their secondary.

In later rounds, the Pats will address needs on the offensive line (incredible for much of the season, but exposed in the Super Bowl by the power and speed of the New York Giants), wide receiver (depending on what happens to Gaffney, Moss, and Stallworth), and running back (Sammy Morris is coming off injury, and Kevin Faulk will be 32).