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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Eagles Can't Finish Upset Over FSU

Losers of three straight and starting a true freshman at quarterback, the BC Eagles strolled into Tallahassee this afternoon with little to lose against a Florida State team sitting atop the ACC's Atlantic division with plenty of explosive weapons on both sides of the ball. Ranked 16th in the country, the Seminoles were favored by some three touchdowns against a Boston College team in a clear rebuilding stage. Before the game, BC coach Frank Spaziani said that their goal was to make it to the fourth quarter and still be in a close ball game, giving themselves a chance to win it. If nothing else, the Eagles certainly accomplished that goal.

Thanks to an eye-popping 168 rushing yards in the first half from running back Montel Harris, the Eagles found themselves trailing the Seminoles by just 8 points at the break. With an encore of big plays by their defense -- who forced 4 turnovers in the game -- BC found themselves with a 19-17 lead heading into the fourth and final frame. All it took, though, was one big reverse play by Florida State to re-seize the lead for good. With 10:50 remaining, Bert Reed took a toss-reverse around the edge and scurried 42 yards for what would amount to the dagger in the heart of a BC upset attempt. After converting on a fourth-and-inches late in the game, the Seminoles were able to run the clock out and leave Eagles fans disappointed once again.

O'Neal and O'Neal, At Your Service

If this Celtics preseason is a sign of things to come, the C’s will be taking their talents to LA against Phil and Kobe next June.
This is the deepest Celtics team in recent memory. Deeper than 2007 (in some ways), and we know how that worked out...
And what’s even better is that by come mid-season, when the Celtics (knock on wood) return to full strength, they will have two All-Star centers…on the bench. Life is good.

Friday, October 15, 2010

The New Technical Foul Rule: Fair or Foolish?


There’s been a lot of talk about the NBA’s new policy on technical fouls, furthered by Kevin Garnett’s ejection in a preseason game against the Knicks.
Basically, the new rule is that NBA officials can give technical fouls if they complain about calls/no-calls. While this may seem like a fair enough rule, I hate it, for two main reasons.
The first reason I hate it is because NBA officials are the most crooked referees in the business, and they always make horrible calls. The players, coaches, etc. have a right to state their case to the referees if they don’t agree with a call. It’s a facet of sports to have disagreements with officials. Seeing that NBA officials are terrible, the players should be able to complain about bad calls and let the referees know that they were wrong. It’s human nature to disagree with something they feel is wrong, so naturally the players will complain after what they feel is a bad call. This rule, in turn, will hurt player morale and player’s will stop caring because they know they can’t do anything about it.

Heat Index: Absurd?

If you haven't taken a look at the Heat Index, you might as well do so now. Because I'm going to go on a rant about ESPN and their pathetic approach to things like this.

Seriously? An entire page of ESPN devoted to the day-by-day happenings of the Miami Heat? Can we get real for a second? There's ESPN Boston, New York, Chicago, Dallas, LA... why don't you make an ESPN Miami? I'd be fine with that. Include the Miami Dolphins. Include the Miami Hurricanes. Whatever -- making an ESPN website for every city would be a great and very expansive idea on the part of ESPN. But devoting a page to LeBron and his Heat squad is just plain embarrassing, and it completely supports every bash anyone makes against ESPN. It's the LeBron and Favre show.

Brandon Spikes: Man, Myth, or Legend?

The New England Patriots haven't always been known as Tom Brady's team. It wasn't always "Brady to Moss for the touchdown." There was a time when, above all, defense was what other teams feared when facing the Pats. Their depth. Their flexibility. Most importantly, their consistency. The Pats defense ran like a car engine, with each part simultaneously doing it's precise job to make sure the entire play ran perfectly. In the recent years, it would seem that the Pats have strayed from that formula, but this year may mark the beginning of a second era.

Although the days of Bruschi and Vrabel are long gone, the Patriots have found new hope in second round pick Brandon Spikes. Like fellow rookie Aaron Hernandez, the middle linebacker caught the Pats attention by breaking a record while playing for the Florida Gators. He has a school career record with six interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns. In '07 and '08, Spikes led the Gators in tackles, becoming only the sixth Gator to do so back-to-back.

In his senior season, Spikes was a finalist for the Butkus Award (top linebacker), as well as the Bednarik Award (the nation's top defender). In his entire career, Spikes totaled 178 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks (for -42 yards), and 31.5 stops for losses (totaling 89 yards). He also caused two fumbles and recovered four others. What do you think so far?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Beantown Breakdown at 9 PM!

Derek Robinson and John Griffin bring you the Beantown Breakdown tonight, LIVE at 9 PM ET on Boston College's AM Radio branch of WZBC Sports. Click here to access the site where you can download the live stream of our show. We'll be breaking down everything going on in the Boston sports world, diving into numerous stories around the NFL, and giving all the advice you'll need from a Fantasy Football standpoint. Visit the Beantown Breakdown page on our site to use our form to submit your questions to be talked about over the air, tonight!

Ed B.'s Look at the NBA's Atlantic Division


As the NFL season is on a roll, the MLB season winding down, and the NHL season just starting, there is just one more of the “four major” sports to look forward to. Basketball. And seeing how this is UB, and Boston is in the Atlantic Division, we will be taking a team-by-team look at that division here.
Boston Celtics- Defying most trends in sports right now, the Celtics have seemingly gotten older. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, for now, however. The influx of veteran players seems to work for and against the Celtics. In the case for, a veteran presence is good for the locker room and mostly for the younger players. The playoff experience is a nice bonus if they get that far. That brings me to the case against; can the veterans stay healthy and hold up over the 82-game season. This is the ultimate question for the Celtics. If the veterans can stay healthy and not lose too much steam over the regular season, they should easily make it to the playoffs with the squad they have. However, if injuries plague the veteran squad and they begin getting tired as the season progresses, the playoffs may not be in the cards.
Celtics Prediction: First in the Atlantic Division.

Brady > Bieber. Period.

Okay, so if you haven't heard the rage yet by some crazy circumstance, I'll lay out the cards for you. Justin Bieber mocks Tom Brady's hairstyle, like the rest of the world is doing, in his most recent song. I don't know what the song is called and, personally, I literally couldn't care any less than I do. I have no intentions of listening to the song or any song by Justin Bieber. But here's the quote from the song:

"Sacked like a sacker. Call up Mr. Brady. Tell him to leave his hair to the guy who sings 'Baby.'"

Josh the Intern's HockeyEast Weekend Watch

As we head into the weekend, let's take a quick look at HockeyEast. BC leads both the conference and the nation after last weekend's win against Northeastern. Maine, UNH, and BU all made it into the USCHO Div. I poll at #8,#9, and #10, respectively. Maine and Providence also got wins within the conference.


Game of the Week: BU v. Massachusetts
This week's Game of the Week was easy. There's only one HockeyEast matchup until the schedule picks up next weekend. Neither team has played a conference game yet and each is hoping to pick up a win and even up with BC, Maine, and Providence. Massachusetts didn't win either of their games last weekend and is looking to inch toward .500 this weekend. Meanwhile, a win for BU would make them 3-0 overall and could push them a few spots ahead in USCHO rankings. BU's David Warsofsky is tied (with fellow Terrier Sahir Gill) for the league lead in points with 5.
Players to watch: Sahir Gill, BU (Fr) and Michael Pereira, Mass (Fr)

National Game of the Week - #1 Boston College at #6 Denver
BC is coming off a close win with Northeastern. Look for Denver to come out swinging hopefully to make a push toward the #1 spot in the nation. And what's more, they'll have two chances to do it in back-to-back matchups.

Elsewhere in College Hockey
#3 Michigan at #9 UNH - Like Denver, UNH is looking to jump up in the rankings against a tough Michigan squad, especially with HockeyEast foe BU hot on their heels.
#8 Maine at #20 Michigan State - Mich. State hasn't been tested yet this year, and Maine is looking to hold their spot atop UNH and BU in the USCHO rankings.
Providence at #7 Minnesota-Duluth - After winning last weekend against Northeastern, Providence has been given a big chance to prove themselves as a tough member of HockeyEast.

Rodgers Back to Practice

After suffering a concussion on a crushing hit during Sunday's loss to the Washington Redskins, Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers was back on the practice field today. Fantasy owners, you can probably breathe a sigh of relief -- but only a small one. Rodgers is still questionable for this weekend's game against the Miami Dolphins. The practice environment is really nothing like the game environment. And after all the injuries Green Bay has suffered this year -- which I'll get to in a moment -- the last thing they need to do is rush back Rodgers and lose him for a longer period of time. It still wouldn't surprise me to see the Pack play this one safe and go with the inexperienced Matt Flynn against the Miami Dolphins if Rodgers' status doesn't improve over the next few days.

Rodgers, though, is just the latest edition of the Green Bay Packers decimation via injury this season. They're the NFL's version of the Boston Red Sox for this year. Starting running back Ryan Grant is gone for the season. Linebacker Nick Barnett is likely gone for the season. Linebacker Clay Matthews is out. Tight end Jermichael Finley has a torn meniscus and will miss 8-10 weeks, if not the rest of the season. Hell, I might be shopping Jennings and Driver just because they'll probably get hit with the injury bug too. It's been an incredibly unfortunate turn of events for the guys who I picked to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season. I still think they're good enough to do so, but with these injuries, they're going to need guys to step up big just to get into the playoff picture.

Anyway, fantasy owners -- stay tuned on Rodgers' status. If you need to splash the waiver wire for a backup QB, I'm looking at Chad Henne against this hobbled Packers defense or Vince Young against the Jags on Monday night. If both guys are taken, I'd be giving serious consideration to the likes of Alex Smith against a subpar Oakland pass defense and even Matt Cassel against the Texans, who don't seem capable of stopping anyone who passes the football on them.

ALCS/NLCS Predictions


The Divisional series are already over?

Yup, and nothing really happened..

Two expected sweeps, a nice pitching oriented Braves/Giants series, and a kind of unexpected (not that I'm complaining) victory for the Rangers over Joe Maddon's Tampa Bay Rays (we'll address that later..). I don't know about you, but I'm bored.

But I REALLY like these match-ups.

A Texas team that slumped their way to the playoffs knocks off the team with the best record in baseball. And they looked good doing it! I like their chances better than the Rays chances against New York. Better offensive studs (Josh Hamilton, Vlad I'm-back-from-the-dead Guerrero), two LEFTY Aces (Lee and Wilson). They match up very well.

On that note, Yankees in 7.

I do this because I thought the Twins might had a chance in the first series. They were the hottest team in the MLB at the time. And in the blink of an eye they were ousted. It's not that I wouldn't like the Rangers to win, or the fact my unconditional support is going toward the Rangers winning. But realistically, I see it being a hard-fought, blood and tears series, with the Yankees coming out on top.

The National League is going to be filled with a clinic of good pitching. Incredible. If you do not watch Game 1 of the NLCS (you're welcome, FOX), you'll probably be disappointed. The new Scooby-Doo episode on Cartoon Network will be on another time. I checked.

The Doctor against the Freak. The (most likely) new Cy Young versus the old Cy Young. If it's not a duel, the Phillies will be winning. I don't know about you, but something about Ryan Howard and Chase Utley is a little, tad bit more intimidating than Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez. Just a hunch.

Phillies in 5.

As for Tampa Bay, I think this picture allows them to re-locate? The most dedicated sports fans in the world.

Jenn Sterger is Dumb

I don't know what else to say at this point. In my opinion, the Brett Favre scandal has been blown way out of proportion. So he sexted some hot cheerleader? So what? Sixteen year-olds all over the country are doing it every day. Give the guy a break, he already sucks this year. Jenn is just looking for fifteen more minutes of fame and then she'll move on. She made it to college, I guess we can give her that. But did she even graduate? Has anyone seen her show on Versus (ESPN's wannabe little sister)? Please comment if you have. In 2009, Jenn had her breast implants removed, stating that they served their purpose and she was tired of being stereotyped. What? Is she serious? Maybe she should go put them back in, because without them, her only purpose in life is to rip off the fame of other people.

Read this:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/39650664/ns/sports-nfl/?ns=sports-nfl

One Word: Cordless


That's brutal right there. But the question has to be presented. Why is this reporter stuck in 1984 using a microphone with a cord? Like this reporter didn't foresee the giant yellow cord presenting a problem to a giant Jenga tower. I would be making positive there was no way I could be remembered for being the guy to ruin the biggest Jenga tower ever, my first precaution being making sure I had a cordless microphone.

So I ask you, the readers, what do you do if you're the guy who has spent the last month in the depths of a basement planning and building this tower? Do you punch this reporter in the face, or do you rebuild? I think I've played Jenga once in my life, and building that foot-tall tower is a task in itself, let alone this masterpiece. I'm sure this guy didn't have human contact for weeks to make this, and I sure as hell wouldn't go through that again.

Would you pickup the pieces (quite literally) and make the tower again? Or would you for sock this reporter with archaic technology in the face?

Make-or-Break Game for BC

The Boston College Eagles will face another ACC rival on Saturday, squaring off with #16 Florida State at noontime from Tallahassee. Freshman quarterback Chase Rettig is expected to take the field in front of 82,000 strong in the FSU crowd in an effort to right this ship that has been so awfully wrong thus far.

When you boil it down to the cold, hard facts, this is the make-or-break game of the Eagles' season, from a number of different perspectives. Let's start with the standings. At 0-2 in the ACC, Boston College simply cannot afford to lose another one while maintaining a realistic chance at winning the conference championship. As lofty a goal as that may seem, there are still enough games to be played that the Eagles have a shot to get on a roll and make a run. All of that, consequently, is going to fall on the shoulders of Chase Rettig.

Anyone who has watched BC play without Rettig in the lineup knows that this team cannot compete for anything in the ACC without him. He's standing as the only hope right now. That's where the "make" comes from in this game. Even though the season may feel like a lost cause, Rettig is an exciting prospect that is appearing to not only be the future of this program -- he's the present, as well. If he can put on an impressive performance en route to a huge upset over Florida State, this team and this community could be reinvigorated for the second half of the season. If not -- well, hockey starts soon.

Aaron Hernandez: Man, Myth, or Legend?

Many Pats fans have been pleasantly suprised by the play of fourth round pick Aaron Hernandez in the 2010 season. I know I definitely have. A quick look at the depth chart shows that Hernandez didn't walk into a team in need of receivers either. Between Welker, Tate, Moss, Edelman, Crumpler, Slater, and now Deion Branch, Hernandez didn't exactly walk on. To make matters tougher, fellow rookie Rob Gronkowski was also fighting for a position at tight end.

Hernandez began his career in high school by establishing the national record for yards receiving per game (180.7). He also set multiple Connecticut state records. Hernandez continued his success at Florida, setting the career-record for receptions by a tight end (111), as well as the single game record (9) for a Gator tight end in the 2010 Sugar Bowl vs. Cincinnati. Aaron averaged almost 12.5 yards per catch and posted 12 touchdowns in his college career. Hernandez made 68 of his 111 career catches in his final season and set another record for single-season receptions by a Gator.

So far this season, Hernandez has the second most receptions (18) behind Wes Welker and leads the team in receiving yards with 240. He also has the longest reception of current players with a 46 yard catch. Despite this success, Hernandez still has not caught a touchdown in the NFL.

So what's your take? Man, myth, or legend? Like Devin McCourty, I'm going to call Aaron Hernandez a legend. He's outdone fellow rookie Rob Gronkowski and is a leader by example, even as a rookie. Hernandez could quickly become Brady's #1, pending the play of Deion Branch. But more importantly, Hernandez looks to simply provide Brady with another strong option, another reason why the Patriots (even without Moss) are more and more looking like the Super Bowl contenders we love.

Josh the Intern's Halloween Costume Ideas

Halloween is approaching fast and it's important to get your gear early and make sure you're ready come Halloween weekend. Whether you're 4 or 45, anyone can look like their favorite sports idols! Here's a few suggestions:

1. Barry Bonds - Make sure you're black and slightly overweight to give the impression of muscle. Carry around a bat and a needle. No jersey required, everyone will get it. 
2. Ben Roethlisberger/Kobe Bryant - This one's trickier. First, buy jersey of said player. Since its illegal to actually sexually assault people, just walk around saying "It wasn't me." 
3. Josh Luchs - Easy. Buy a nice suit. Walk around carrying a football and wads of money. Try to hand them out to anyone that looks athletic.
4. Brett Favre - First, buy a Brett Favre jersey, preferably a Jets one if you can find it. Carry around a cell phone all the time and ask random hot girls if they'd like to fornicate with you. Easy, right? 
5. Tiger Woods - This one is better if you have a girlfriend. That way, she can dress up as Elin Nordegren. Wear a polo and a Nike hat and try to fornicate with as many other women as possible, but not your girlfriend.



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Report: Mankins Will Report to Pats

According to Chris Mortensen, big-name holdouts Logan Mankings of the Patriots and Vincent Jackson of the Chargers will report to their respective teams this season. According to the report, Jackson will report to San Diego before October 31st while Mankins will report to New England prior to November 16th. If each player does so, they will ensure themselves unrestricted free agency in 2011. The deadline for Mankins to report is November 24th, which would then make him eligible to be paid for and participate in the Patriots' final seven games of the season.

This motivation and the treatment Bill Belichick will give him are certainly in question, but this has the potential to be a big addition for the Pats moving forward. In an offense that may increasingly turn to the running game to control the clock and wear defenses down, getting their pro-bowl guard would help the cause quite a bit. If he ultimately comes back happy and willing to play, there's no way that this offensive line wouldn't improve. And let me tell you -- the offensive line is the most underrated aspect of any offense. If they give Tom Brady time, if they clear holes for running backs -- the sky is the limit for what this team can do. Logan Mankins, even though you haven't acted in an admirable way this season, I'd welcome you back with open arms if it means success for this offensive unit.

Dirty Hit Yields Suspension

Niklas Hjalmarsson was suspended two games. Sabres aren't too happy, but I don't blame them. Unfortunately, Hjalmarsson won't be able to escape the game on Saturday against Buffalo. Better keep his head up! And how is this relevant to Boston? Well, the Sabres are in the same division as us. Oh and p.s. I'm liking the Pauly D look on Ryan Miller.



Fantasy Hockey Special: Goalie Watch


My name's Tim Wirzburger, and I'm the new Fantasy Hockey Specialist for UB. This is my first of hopefully many blogs about the subject, so feedback and criticism are much appreciated!


Perhaps more than any other position in fantasy hockey, goalies can make or break your season. Draft the right ones, and you'll be on the fast track to winning the championship. Draft the wrong one, however, and your fantasy aspirations will dissapear faster than you can say "Gary Bettman." It's important to keep an eye on those NHL teams that have questionable situations in net. Goalie is a dynamic position and some teams change theirs several times throughout the season. Every year, goalies breakout from no-names to fantasy stars; just ask Steve Mason, Craig Anderson, and Jimmy Howard. It's also important to recognize which goalies might lose their jobs. Here are a couple goalie situations that are worth watching this season:


Boston: Last year, the Bruins made the long-awaited shift to the future-superstar Tuukka Rask, acquired from Toronto via trade in 2005. Tim Thomas, coming off a Vezina-winning season, immediately felt pressure from Rask's stellar performance. Thomas did not lose the job as much as Rask won it. Coming into the 2010 season, Rask is expected to make the majority of the starts, but 2 games into the season, Rask stands 0-1 with a 4.00 GAA and Thomas boasts a 1-0 record with his 18th career shutout. Not to say Rask won't be the number 1 starter, but the two goalies might be closer than you think and it's worth keeping an eye on this fantasy season.


Chicago: The Stanley Cup champions suprised a lot of people by letting playoff hero Antti Niemi walk this offseason and bringing in veteran Marty Turco. Though the Blackhawks are not quite the same team they were last year with the loss of many key pieces to trade and free agency, they are still among the best in the league and whoever their starter is should get a good amount of wins in front of their impressive defensive corps. Turco, if he plays at the elite level he once did, could be one of the fantasy steals of the year as he is typically available much later in the draft. However, he is getting up there in age and the young and talented Corey Crawford is waiting in the wings should Turco falter. Many expect Crawford to be starting for the Hawks by December, but only time will tell.

Washington: Washington has the best offense in the league. Period. As a result, the netminder for the Capitals will likewise get a lot of wins behind that offensive cog. Young phenom Semyon Varlamov won the starting job last year when Jose Theodore struggled with injuries. Upon his return, Theodore managed to win back some playing time down the stretch but Varlamov won out come playoff time. Now Theodore is gone and Varlamov is backed by the even younger and even more talented Michael Neuvirth. Neuvirth won the MVP in leading his AHL team, the Hershey Bears, to the Calder cup in 2009. He now hopes to make some noise in the NHL by being the tender for the early favorites to lead the East. With Varlamov already on the IR due to a nagging groin injury, Neuvirth is a great short-term solution for your fantasy goalies. If Varlamov continues to battle injuries, Neuvirth will take over the starting job and making him a fantasy stud. Get him on your team and see what happens.

Philadelphia: The Flyers have had a sticky situation in net for several years now, and have not had a legitimate number one goalie for quite some time. They came into the season expecting Michael Leighton to play with Brian Boucher as back-up. However, Leighton wasted no time landing himself on the injured reserve, and instead of playing Boucher, the Flyers threw young Russia Sergei Bobrovsky into the fire against the Penguins in game 1 of the season. Bobrovsky responded brilliantly by stopping 29 of 31 shots for the win. It's still unsure what the future holds for the Flyers when Leighton returns, but for now Bobrovsky continues to play well so ride his hot streak for as long as you can.


Los Angeles: Jonathon Quick broke out last year, along with the rest of the Kings. He quickly (pun intended) became one of the better fantasy goalies in the league and a fantasy ace. Coming into the new season, the Kings hope to continue their success and Quick intends to reap the benefits. Except for one thing: Jonathon Bernier. Bernier started for Team Canada in the 2010 AHL All-Star game and won the Outstanding AHL Goalie award for the season. Similar to the Boston situation, this might not be a case of Quick losing the starting job, but Bernier winning it. Bernier is their goalie of the future and if he plays well early, Quick might become expendable and a possible trade candidate. Keep a close eye on Bernier.

Florida: Simply put, Thomas Vokoun is one of the best goalies in the league and Florida is not very good. Vokoun's contract expires this year, so if Florida falls out of contention by the deadline then you might see Vokoun dealt to a contender (Philadelphia?). Count on him to produce great stats now but slightly low on wins, but if he gets dealt to a good team he becomes fantasy gold.

Assessing the 2010 Red Sox


Well, here we are. The American League Championship Series is upon us. And our Local 9, sadly, are not partaking. But why? What went wrong?

Too much. WAY too much

If you looked at the 2010 Red Sox batting ranks amongst the league, 20 years from now, without knowing what players were on the team, you might think, "This is a pretty good offensive team." And you would be right, they were pretty good. They ranked in the top 5 in the MLB in Average (.268 - T5th), Slugging (.451 - 2nd), OBP (.339 - T3rd), Runs (818 - 2nd), and HR (211 - 2nd). This was supposed to be the weakness of the team. Needless to say, they far surpassed their expectations.

But in baseball, as Sox fans are rediscovering this year, hitting the ball will not solely get you to the playoffs. Something The Nation does know something about, though, is things not going the way we planned (Aaron Boone, Bill Buckner, can I stop now?). This year, there were 3. Let us take a painful look at where it all went sour.

Subject numero uno: Injuries spreading like the 1918 flu epidemic.

I would rather not list every player who visited the disabled list this season. It's rather sickening (flu epidemic...get it?). But come on! FIVE starting position players missed significant amount of time this season. Beltre then decided one outfielder wasn't enough, as we said goodbye to Jeremy Hermida (broken ribs and all). Not to mention Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek also falling victim to injury. That's 8 (is this a dream?) position players, out of 13, from the opening day roster who went on the DL.

That in itself is enough for any team to have some issues, so I'll shorten the pitchers disabled list by saying 3 of the 6 (we love you, Knucklehead) starters went on the DL. The bullpen had bigger problems than that.

Which is a great segue into topic two: The bullpen.

Papelbon was good when he made saves, and terrible when he blew them. Bard was great. But the trio of holdovers from '09, Okajima, Ramirez, and Delcarmen, failed us all. Scrapping for relievers in the minor leagues, though some were productive, is not a recipe for success for a team in the American League East.

And our third issue of 2010 was the story line of this past offseason: run prevention defense.

...it never happened.

Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro were, for lack of a better term, a train wreck on the left side of the infield. A combined 37 errors doesn't exactly correlate to Gold Glove stature. Sure, there were plays where we said, "Wow, Nick Green would not have made that play". But sometimes, we had to just shake our heads and look away; we couldn't be terribly aggravated with them; their bats were producing.

Not to mention our projected left and center fielders (wherever they were going to play..) opted not to come play with us this year.

With all that said, we should still thank this team. In some miraculous way, they managed to contend right until the end (still pissing us off, nonetheless). Kudos, 2010 Red Sox. Now, Theo, please make this an exciting winter.

Fantasy Notes: Week 6

After a dry week of football without our hometown Patriots playing (and I guess it might have had to do with my excruciating 3-point fantasy loss thanks to 2 Frank Gore fumbles and an egg by the Chargers), we're ready to jump back into the action for Week 6 of the NFL season. Shamefully, I even forgot to make my NFL winners picks this past week, so I'm going to make them right now at the end of my fantasy advice. Get your popcorn ready.

Patriot Football is Back in Foxboro.
Okay, we all know this. So what's the fantasy impact? Start with the bad news and work our way up. Randy Moss is gone and Tom Brady is no longer poised to be the statistical golden boy he once was. Having said that, there are a few guys who are now prominent options as flex and fill-in players on your fantasy squads. I told you to grab Brandon Tate over a week ago, and I still stand by that advice. Tate is, for what it's worth, the "replacement" for Randy Moss. He's the primary deep threat, he's a kick return threat, and he's an explosive young talent in an aerial Tom Brady offense. That's worth something. Additionally, Deion Branch might be worth a pick-up in deeper leagues. Don't start him this week, but if his chemistry with Brady pays off the way it used to, he'll become a big factor. Perhaps the most exciting side of the story, though, comes from the "tight end" position. Aaron Hernandez is quite the hybrid of a wide receiver and a tight end, and he will look to have an increasingly expanded role in this new-look Patriots offense. Grab him if your tight end isn't Antonio Gates.


If You Didn't Listen Before... Get Amendola.
Danny Amendola. Rams wide receiver. Guess how many times he was targeted by Sam Bradford last week? 19. 19 times, catching 12 for 95 yards. Once this guy starts getting touchdowns, he's going to be an impact fantasy player. With Mark Clayton down for the season, Bradford may not have many more options other than to throw the ball to Amendola.
Grab BJGE and Torain If They're Out There.
In my league, both are taken. But BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Ryan Torain are still available in about 20% of fantasy leagues. Grab one if you can. With the status of Clinton Portis uncertain and Torain running the ball well, he has become a legitimate option. As for Green-Ellis -- he just might continue to thrive in what is a developing transition back to hard-nosed Patriot football.

Mike Williams. For the Future.
Williams is legit. He's freakily athletic and he's showing his stuff this season. Double-digit performances in 3 out of 4 weeks this season has earned him ... a 43% owning rate in fantasy leagues? 10% starting rate? Those will improve once people catch on. I'm telling you to catch on now. Grab Williams, even if he won't be productive this week against the best fantasy pass defense in the league in New Orleans.

So.. Brandon Lloyd's a Monster, Huh?
Brandon Lloyd has emerged in a big way this year, suddenly owned in 94% of fantasy leagues. If your league is among that minority and he's available, I'll politely ask you to wake up and smell the roses. Lloyd is legit, and his quarterback is leading the NFL in passing yardage. No fluke, people. But even Lloyd owners are shying away from giving him the start this week against that killer Jets defense. Let's have a news flash here. The Jets rank 29th out of 32 NFL teams in stopping opposing fantasy wide receivers. After getting completely toasted by the wide outs of Miami and Minnesota, what makes you think Lloyd can't come up big once again?

Get Off The Hill Wagon Before It Throws You Down.
Shaun Hill registered a huge week against the Rams. I get that. But Calvin Johnson is injured, and they're going up against the Giants this week -- ranked 2nd in the NFL against opposing fantasy QBs. Also, don't forget that Matthew Stafford is going to come back eventually. Hill's own-percentage rose nearly 10% since last week, and nearly that same percentage is actually starting him this week. Hey, it's your death bed. Not mine.


Okay, that's it for fantasy. Ask me questions if you wish. Need to know who to start? Ask. Visit the Beantown Breakdown page listed up top, too. You can submit your questions there, as well. Without further delay, though, here are your Week 6 Winners.

Bears 20, Seahawks 10.
Dolphins 24, Packers 21.
Chargers 30, Rams 23
Patriots 24, Ravens 20.
Giants 21, Lions 17.
Falcons 28, Eagles 26.
Steelers 23, Browns 3.
Saints 34, Buccaneers 13.
Chiefs 29, Texans 22.
Broncos 20, Jets 17.
49ers 27, Raiders 14.
Vikings 30, Cowboys 27.
Redskins 23, Colts 17.
Titans 30, Jaguars 29.


Tune in to the Beantown Breakdown on Thursday at 9 PM to hear more, as usual.

Meet Shaquille O'Neal

One look at his career highlights and awards and you can tell that at one point, Shaquille O'Neal may have been the best center in the game. He was the #1 overall pick in 1992. He's a four-time NBA champ and a three-time MVP. He's been the NBA's MVP and Rookie of the Year. He's a 15-time NBA all-star and three-time all-star game MVP. To top it off, O'Neal has led the league in scoring twice. You could also mention that O'Neal became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to be named an all-star starter. The list is, in fact, nearly endless. Shaq has career averages of 24.1 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. His stats certainly speak for themselves.

A couple more fun facts: O'Neal is 7 ft. 1 in. and weighs 325 pounds. He wears a size 23 shoe. He has a bachelor's degree in general studies,  an MBA, and is working on his PhD in leadership and education at Barry University. He's been a reserve police officer in the L.A. Port Police Department and the Miami Beach PD. He also holds the title of honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal. Shaq has pursued careers in rapping and acting, as well as appeared in reality television and video games. 

At age 38, Shaq may not lead the league in scoring anymore, and the all-star game might not happen this year, but  his presence will certainly be felt as a member of the Celtics. If nothing else, perhaps he can have a "Moss Effect," opening the floor for the rest of the Celts by attracting coverage. But then again, maybe he can have a breakout year and set some records with the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Or maybe Rajon Rondo can jump on his back and we can have another Shrek and Donkey.


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Deion Isn't Randy. So What?

As Deion Branch checked in with the New England Patriots today for his first Belichick practice since 2006, the receiver was all smiles and clearly very excited to be back in Foxboro again. Donning the number 84, Branch is ready to contribute whatever he can to the team this time around, calling himself "a piece to the puzzle" and nothing more.

Oh, and one more thing. Branch managed to explain, "I'm not here to replace Randy [Moss]."

Can you all understand that? Cram that into your skulls somehow? There was a segment on PTI today during which Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser made fools of themselves debating this topic. Both guys agreed that Branch is nowhere near the caliber of Randy Moss and that he doesn't come close to replacing him. This is true, but let me go on. Wilbon claimed that the acquisition of Branch was simply appeasement to keep Tom Brady happy until the Patriots figure out who their next big star receiver will be.

Hello? Are you totally blind to the messages being sent by Bill Belichick and the Patriots? They don't care about big stars. They don't necessarily want a true replacement for Randy Moss. The Patriots want winners, clutch performers, characters. Veteran leaders. Deion Branch, despite lacking the tremendous physical talent that Randy Moss has, edges Moss in each of the categories I just named. It's easy to write off Branch as a washed up receiver who can't help this team. But let's make sure we take in all the evidence. You can't undervalue the fact that he's one of Tom Brady's favorite targets. He's a guy who was here during our Super Bowl runs, and the number of guys like that on this team has diminished over the years. He's a guy with a lot of character, heart, and soul -- and he just wants to win. Branch is likely more motivated than ever having been given this second chance. After brutal years in Seattle without true winning football, he clearly can't wait to jump back into Patriot football. And it seems that Bill Belichick also wants to get back to Patriot football. Despite the phenomenal talent he is, Randy Moss doesn't embody Patriot football. So please, ESPN -- spare me the comparisons between Deion Branch and Randy Moss. Branch isn't Moss. He never has been, and he never will be. But like I said before -- Randy Moss never won us a Super Bowl. Deion Branch was a Super Bowl MVP.

He was a Super Bowl MVP. Having said that, we can only wait and see not whether Branch is the answer -- that isn't the question -- but rather, whether or not he can be a fitting piece to a championship puzzle.

"Calvin Johnson" Rule to be Reviewed

Hopefully you've seen this play by now. You can see that Calvin Johnson leaps and makes a spectacular catch, but it's ruled incomplete because he doesn't maintain possession upon falling to the ground. Johnson's touchdown would have meant a win for the Lions. The rule is set to be reviewed in the offseason by the NFL's competition committee. Co-chairman of the competition committee and Falcons president Rich McKay commented, saying, "I think we need to go back and look at the rule and make sure we haven't extended it too far."

Along with the "Calvin Johnson" rule, as it's being called now, the NFL and NFL players association are also scheduled to review the rules on ball carriers losing their helmets, a possible lockout, and financial aid for retired players who need it. 

Ultimate Boston wants to know what you think about these topics! Let us know in our comment section!

Bitter Departure? Nonsense.

Charley Casserly of CBS Sports, who has a history of disagreements and controversies with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, has seemingly goofed up again in what I believe might be simply a total fabrication of a news story. Casserly reported that New England quarterback Tom Brady and ex-Patriot Randy Moss had a heated encounter during the week leading up to the Miami game, and that they needed to be separated. After Bill Belichick displayed no knowledge of these events, Peter King called them "absolutely false," and the players themselves chuckled at the idea -- Casserly's report is looking pretty weak and unfounded.

If you watched last night's game between the Vikings and Jets -- and if you were strong enough to keep the TV on for the post game praising of gang green -- you would have seen Randy Moss's interview with the media in the locker room. When asked about the alleged fight with his former QB, Moss just laughed under his breath as if to imply that the idea was totally outrageous. He explained that Brady had texted him earlier that day, and then he looked straight into the camera. "Tom, I know you're watching, buddy. I appreciate that text. Sorry we didn't bring it home buddy, but I appreciate the text."

Does that sound like a wide receiver who wants to rip his old QB's head off? Does it sound like a guy who would have had a heated confrontation with Tom Brady in the week leading up to a huge divisional game, unbeknownst to all coaches and media? I said it when he was traded and I stand by it now. There is no bad blood between Moss and the Patriots, nor should there be. Everyone knew that Randy Moss wouldn't be getting an extension from New England. And everyone knew that wouldn't fly with Moss. It wasn't a matter of if, but rather, it was a matter of when. We should appreciate the excitement and accomplishments he brought to this football team (I can safely say that not a single fan will forget our 2007 campaign for the rest of their lifetime). What is there to be upset about? The players themselves say it all the time. This is a business. From Moss to the Patriots and to the Vikings, there were major business considerations in this trade. He wasn't run out of town with hostility and anger. Brady and Moss were an historic duo, they will always be friends, and now they'll get to be opposing competitors. Sometimes the world of the media forgets the reality of sports. You know, these guys are human beings just like the rest of us. And just because Moss is wearing purple and gold now, that doesn't bear any resemblance to the idea that Brady and Moss have personal issues. It's a business, and we just have to hope that this particular business decision was one that will help New England get back to its dynastically elite status in the National Football League.

Devin McCourty: Man, Myth, or Legend?

Devin McCourty has certainly impressed Pats' fans across New England this season, perhaps not because of his out-of-this-world stats, but his consistent play and proven ability to shut down some of the best receivers in the league. The rookie corner has already been asked to cover the likes of Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall. And he's done a pretty good job.

So what was McCourty like pre-NFL? In 39 games with Rutgers, McCourty recorded 238 tackles, 6 interceptions (two for touchdowns), and averaged 25.4 yards on kick returns (returning one for a 98-yard touchdown, third longest in school history). He was also the first corner in Rutgers history to lead the team in tackles during his senior year. Man, myth, or legend?

So what does he look like now? Well, in four games, McCourty's made 19 tackles. Aside from that, he held Terrell Owens to 7 receptions for 53 yards and held Brandon Marshall to only 5 receptions for 50 yards. In the eight preseason and regular season games he's suited up for, McCourty's averaged over 4 combined tackles per game, almost 5 in the regular season.

So how will McCourty look for the rest of the season? Hands down, he's already proved himself to be the best cornerback we have. I'm going to go with legend on this one. McCourty's the real deal. As he matures, he'll prove himself to be a leader in the Pats' secondary by example. McCourty was exactly what we needed this year to start to rebuild our "secondary," if that's what you could have called it.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Branch Back in Patriots Uniform

Even though your #83 Deion Branch jerseys won't be totally valid anymore, the Branch part will be valid come this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. According to numerous reports, the New England Patriots have traded a fourth round draft pick to re-acquire former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch from the Seattle Seahawks.

Coming into this season, Branch had spent the previous four years in Seattle. In his last season with New England (2005-06), he hauled in 78 grabs for a career-high 998 yards and 5 touchdowns. That was also the only season of Branch's career in which he has played all 16 games. He had developed a close relationship with Tom Brady over the years, and supported by reports that Brady and Branch were texting last week, it seems that their relationship is still strong.

For me, I'm in love with this move. Everything that's going on right now just reminds me of the Patriots of old. The system over the ego. The heart and soul day in and day out. Having one goal and one goal only -- to win football games. To win championships. I can't say whether or not the Patriots' new formula will work or whether Branch will be a major contributor, but at least it's something to be excited to find out.

It's Not Really a Question... Is It?

To better understand this post, you should click the picture and read what the headline is for ESPN Boston this afternoon. I felt the need to write about this, because truthfully, I am quite befuddled by it. But it's just raising a question. Who are Patriots fans rooting for tonight? I didn't think there could even possibly be any doubt -- we want the Vikings, right?

Isn't this a no-brainer? Look, I don't know if anyone is still holding a grudge against Randy Moss or not, but quite frankly, it's absurd to do so. When we traded for Randy Moss back before the '07 season, he was the egotistical big-headed wash-up that Oakland was hardly able to get off their hands. The expectations weren't all that high, and we never really expected he would become a class-act here in New England. Well, needless to say, Randy Moss went above and beyond (and then some) the expectations during his time here in Foxboro. He set the NFL record for receiving touchdowns in a season, and he was an absolute blast to watch each week. For the first time in a long time, the Patriots had an absolute game-changer at wide receiver. Be honest with yourself though. Everyone has already made the comparisons. Moss and the Patriots clearly weren't meant for marriage. It wasn't in the plans. Be appreciative for the ride, because it was fun while it lasted. There should be no bad blood -- Randy Moss is still Randy Moss. He has been all the while.

So back to my point. Why on earth would any Patriots fan be rooting for the Jets tonight? Forget records and standings and everything for a moment. Brett Favre is probably the only reason you might not want the Vikings to win. I hate seeing Favre succeed myself. But we're talking about the Jets here folks. It's just in your blood if you're a Patriots fan. You never root for the Jets unless you absolutely have to (a la 2008-09 season when we needed Favre and the Jets to win... and they failed). If you hate Randy Moss more than you hate the New York Jets, then I hate to break this to you -- but you really aren't a Patriots fan. You're just a football fan, or a Jets fan, or something else that I can't really pinpoint. Patriots fans don't root for the New York Jets.

But alright, fine. Now let's ignore the emotional factors, the allegiance and rivalry factors. As a fan of an AFC team, you are watching a Monday Night game between a 1-2 NFC team and a 3-1 AFC team that is in your own division. What reason is there to root against the divisional opponent? The team who is currently standing in your way of first place? Even as a fan of football, you generally want a balance of power. So for that argument, you're still rooting for the Vikes to beat the Jets. I don't care what team you root for, if you're in a situation like this as far as the divisional placements and standings of the teams -- there's simply no two ways about it.

That's the way I see it, anyway. I ask you, though -- am I missing something? Is there a factor I'm not including here that would be so immense that it would sway the decision? Maybe you can find something, but if you ask me, there's no chance in hell that I'm rooting for the New York Jets tonight.

Meet Nathan Horton

You may have recognized the name Nathan Horton when the Bruins announced that he would be joining the black and gold for the '10-'11 season. Maybe you have an extensive knowledge of every player in the National Hockey League, or maybe you spent too many hours of your childhood playing NHL on XBox. Either way, you may have known that Horton started his career as a Florida Panther, but is now looking at a very productive season with Boston.

After only one season with the Panthers, the NHL lockout forced Horton to play for their AHL affiliate, but only for 21 games. In his second season with Florida (71 games), Horton accumulated 28 goals and 19 assists for 47 total points. In the following two years, he proved himself a valuable goal-scorer with 31 and 27 goals, respectively. Horton played only 67 games in '08-'09 due to a deep leg cut, and only played 65 games last year due to a fractured leg. Despite these setbacks, Horton amassed 57 points in 65 games, proving himself to be a valuable playmaker with 37 assists.

Horton has definitely shown the NHL that he can be both a playmaker and goal-scorer and he's already netted 4 points in two games for the B's. Horton's coming off his best season yet with Florida, and, provided he stays healthy, is poised to outdo himself this season with the B's.

49ers: Please Read.

There's like a 0.01% chance that a prominent figure in the San Francisco 49ers franchise actually reads this post, but I figured I'd give it a shot. Think we can make it work? Like that whole six degrees of separation thing, where everyone's connected? If everyone showed this to everyone they knew, and they all followed in turn, and so on -- the 'Niners would eventually see it right? Because I have a few very important messages for them after watching last night's loss to Philadelphia that dropped them to 0-5 on the season.

You need to make some changes. Regardless of whether or not Mike Singletary is the reason for their woes, he needs to be relieved of his duties. You already toasted your offensive coordinator and replaced him. Is it time to replace your defensive coordinator? For the love of God, stop putting your faith in Alex Smith -- he's going to stay this way forever. He'll show you just enough to give you hope, but he will never fail to let you down in the end. I said it last night and I'll repeat it right now. I'm so glad I'm not a 'Niners fan, because this team is by far the biggest headache in the National Football League.

They've got the talent. They have a pretty talented defense anchored by Patrick Willis, arguably the best linebacker in the league. They have a top-5 running back who competes with Peterson and Johnson when it comes to a pure talent standpoint. They have one of the most physically dominant pass-catching tight ends in the game. They have a young, strong, promising offensive line thanks to this year's draft. They have a few talented wide receivers. Their secondary is pretty good, with big name guys like Nate Clements. So why the hell are they in the same boat as the Panthers and the Bills at 0-5?

I'll tell you why. Because they straight up beat themselves. They could be facing the '72 Dolphins or the '07 Patriots and their loss wouldn't even be entirely because of how good their opponent was. The 'Niners would hang themselves out to dry before the domination would even begin. And that's why this is just one of those situations where the change is inevitable. It may not be Singletary's fault, but you have to trace the problem to a common source. Would Bill Belichick ever let a team just shoot itself in the foot week in and week out? Mental errors and bone-headed mistakes don't cut it with most championship coaches. Singletary may have shown some good signs at the end of the game -- sticking with Alex Smith and nearly mounting a comeback -- but let's get real here. That's what the 'Niners have been doing. It's what Alex Smith does. They keep giving reasons to believe. But in the end, where are they? Oh... they're 0-5. Right. When you're trying to compete for Super Bowls, there simply are no moral victories that come from an 0-5 start. Period.

So my goal is to get the 'Niners to read this and have a crazy epiphany and turn their season around starting with personnel changes. All of that happening in succession amounts to about a 0.0001% chance, but I'll take a chance over nothing at all, right? Let's start the degrees of separation right now. Share this thing until you can't share it any more.

TD Bank Garden Time Lapse

Cool video of the Bruins and Celtics playing at the Garden. Found it after seeing a time lapse of the Meadowlands. (Below)


Sunday, October 10, 2010

T.O. Busted for Tweeting



Yahoo.com The NFL forbids players from posting on Twitter within 90 minutes before a game, and Owens posted a tweet during the forbidden time. It was a nice tweet, but ... even nice tweets get you fined if they're within 90 minutes of kickoff.

Not to sound like DRob here, but is this real life? A player fined for tweeting? I'm all for Rodger Goodell cracking down and being stricter with players (my fingers are crossed for a Favre suspension) but a fine for tweeting? Tweeting something takes all of four seconds, and it's not like Owens tweeted anything bad. It was actually a really "nice" as the article states (the original article displays it.) Besides, players have given television interviews before games in the past, but they haven't been fined. I don't see much of a difference.

So I ask you, the UB fans, is there a line that needs to be drawn with Twitter and other internet frivolities when it comes to pre-game, or is Goodell grasping for straws here?

Ed B. can be reached at his own Twitter account from this link.

Tyler Seguin: Man, Myth, or Legend?

As the month of September came to a close, Bruins fans everywhere were impressed by the timely play of rookie Tyler Seguin. But now since October 9th, all of his preseason play just doesn't matter. So I'd like to start off a series of player analysis and predictions with Seguin.

First off, let's take a look at some stats from the last couple years. First off, he's 18 years old. Do some math and you will discover that he's actually a year younger than me, and already 1,000,00 times more successful. Anyway, in his final season with the OHL, Seguin tied this years first-round pick Taylor Hall in points, but did so in six more games. In fact, if you look back to the '07-'09, Seguin doesn't make the top 20 in scoring at all, as opposed to Taylor Hall who made it each of the last three years. Man, myth or legend?

Now, let's check out Seguin's progress in the NHL so far. He's amassed a -1 plus/minus rating and one goal. This puts him above "perfect teammate" Patrice Bergeron and Blake Wheeler, another Bruin's "standout." Of course, it's definitely too early in the year to say for sure what kind of impact he'll be making to the team.

So what's your thought? Man, myth, or legend? As for me, I'm going to go with man on this one. I'm predicting Seguin to record at least 30 points this year, making a sound impact on the Bruins season. I'm also predicting a low, but positive, plus/minus rating. But with no disrespect, Seguin won't be the next Evgeni Malkin.

Are Divisional Series Too Short?

Bring yourself back to opening night for your favorite Major League Baseball team this season. Where were you? How was your life looking? I'll give you my situation. I remember exactly where I was, because I was waiting all day long for that night game against the New York Yankees. I was in my dorm room at the University of Rhode Island when this baseball season started. On that night, chances are I had absolutely no idea where I'd be going to school the following year. I'd still never owned a pet my entire life. The Boston Bruins were in the midst of a playoff push. Adalius Thomas and Randy Moss were Patriots. Rasheed Wallace was still hated league-wide, but he was helping the Celtics make a run at another NBA title. I don't know about your life and your perspective, but things have changed a hell of a lot since opening night. It's a long season each year for an MLB team. 162 games, never more than one day off at a time. Think about all the things you've done since that night. You may have even had different jobs. You may have introduced a new person to the world, or God forbid, you may have lost someone. But every one of those days that has passed since then, these players have maintained the same task of winning ball games. If you ask me, that's a pretty large investment of time, effort, and passion.

Tonight, the Minnesota Twins opened their eyes and saw their season end. Over four days -- barely enough time to blink an eye on the scale of the entire season -- their magical, promising, meant-to-be journey once again shattered to pieces. 3-0 sweep by the Yankees, and they're on to the ALCS. Now, let's understand one thing first. I obviously hate the Yankees and I obviously wanted the Twins to win. You can bet that I wouldn't be writing this article if the Yankees had been the ones getting swept. But still, I've always kind of wondered this in the back of my mind. Why are the divisional series in the MLB playoffs only a best-of-five format?

Only four teams make the playoffs in each league. Every other sport that uses a series format in the postseason goes with best-of-sevens throughout. Those sports have even more teams competing in that playoff tourney. Why can't baseball just step up to the standard? To me, it's nonsensical to decide a series so quickly after such a long, hard-fought season. Think about 162 games. What does it all mean if your season is ended with the equivalent of a weekend sweep during the regular season? I'm not even saying the better team gets robbed very often. The Yankees would have won this series even if it were a seven-game series. But at least there would be that ray of hope. And most of all -- there's no reason not to. Two extra games in baseball is an additional three days, maximum. Hell, your season is already 162 games long. Why can't you at least give the four teams lucky enough to qualify for the playoffs the luxury of having 7 games to fight it out?

There are a lot of things wrong with Major League Baseball in comparison to the other major sports corporations, but messing up your playoffs (don't even get me started with the missed calls so far this year) is the cardinal sin of any league. The playoffs are your bread and butter. They're the ultimate stage of every season. It's about time the MLB rightens their path.

 

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