Borowski. Polish for "Not Good"

Scintillating comeback win for the Sox last night in Cleveland. They trailed 4-1 at one point, and ended up winning 6-4 on a huge Manny Ramirez home run in the top of the 9th off Indians "closer" Joe Borowski. The Sox tied it at 4 thanks to a Julio Lugo double down the line, a sacrifice bunt by Coco Crisp that moved Lugo to third, and a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia. After that, Big Papi got his second hit of the game, Tito pinch-ran Jacoby Ellsbury for him, and then Manny smashed his 493rd career homer off Borowski, who may be looking for work soon. The only sour note was Jon Lester's lackluster performance.

In other news, as you know already, the Yankees unearthed the David Ortiz shirt that would have cursed the organization and the new ballpark into eternity. Wouldn't you have loved to have been a fly on the well when the braintrust was discussing what to do? Absolutely beautiful. And maybe it will be a reverse curse, as Big Papi had two hits last night.

Topping it Off

Putting a cherry on a jam-packed sports Sunday here in the Hub...

- Someone in MLB's corporate offices needs to take a look at the length of these damn ballgames. Last night's Sox-Yanks series finale was a four-hour affair, which, combined with Dice-K's maddening tendency to be too fine with mediocre hitters, made for a long, drawn-out night. Add to that the fact that we had to listen to Joe Morgan's "analysis" and it was downright excruciating. MLB needs to get at the root cause of these long games. Let the home plate ump call a ball if a pitcher's taking too long, or a strike if a batter is stepping out of the box repeatedly. Do something.

- At least the wait was worth it. The Sox took the series from the Spanks with an 8-5 win, despite having Big Papi on the bench for a mental health day, and a less-than-stellar Dice-K. We'll take it. The boys are on to Cleveland tonight for a three-game set.

- One last thing on Sox-Yanks. It didn't take very long for the Yankees braintrust (and I use that term lightly) to excavate the David Ortiz shirt that was buried underneath the new stadium. While I expected them to do this, it still blows me away that a) they believed it might lead to a curse, and b) they paid a construction crew overtime to dig it out of several feet of concrete. Here's hoping it's a reverse curse of sorts, and Big Papi starts swinging the lumber the way we've all become accustomed to.

- How 'bout those Bruins?? Struggling to get some good pub in this sports-crazed town, the Bruins came up big last night against the Canadiens in a must-win game at the Garden. For a while, it looked like a great effort was going to be wasted yet again. But the B's came through in overtime on a sweet feed from Dennis Wideman to Marc Savard, and they're right back in it. Say what you want about the state of the NHL, but it's become a more exciting game and there's nothing quite like playoff hockey.

- As much as I can't stand them, I have to give props to the Boston College men's hockey team. They were struggling at the mid-year point, but as usual, Jerry York had them flying when it matters most. All they did at the Frozen Four was outscore their opponents by a 10-2 margin. Makes me believe even more that the coach at my alma mater - UNH - needs to be scrutizined a bit. Someone else agrees with me.

- And of course, it was Masters weekend. Not the most riveting tournament, but still a treat to watch. South African Trevor Immelman took advantage of Tiger's putting woes to win.

Sports Sensory Overload

Thank you, Mr. Remote Control inventor, whoever you are. Thank you Sony. Thank you Verizon high-def. Thank you Captain Morgan. Thank you sister-in-law, for inviting my wife and kids up to Portland tonight for a play date. I'm here at home having my own little play date.

Holy crap, what a sports day! A quick rundown: Red Sox vs. Yankees at Fenway kicked it off. The game started at 4 and is actually in a rain delay right now. Situation was Sox up 4-3 in the top of the 8th... Yanks have men on first and second... Papelbon facing A-Rod. So, um, it kind of was stopped at a crucial time. We'll see what happens.

Next, the venerable Masters. Nothing like watching Augusta National in high definition. Tiger's 4 shots back, I believe, after doing some nice catch-up work today. Trevor Immelman is in the lead. Tonight, you've got the Bruins playing Montreal in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. B's lost Game 1 and are trailing 2-0 right now. I want to get behind the Bruins, but it's so hard not to be a cynic about this team. The Celtics are also in action tonight, playing the Hawks in a meaningless game. And you've got the NCAA hockey championship going on between BC and Notre Dame. BC, which incredibly has been in the last three title games (0-2) is in command so far with a 3-1 lead.

The post-Super Bowl sports dead zone is so dead.

I'll end on this note, since the Sox and Yanks are playing this weekend. It's uncanny how the karma between the two franchises has shifted since Grady Little's brain fart in the 2003 ALCS. Of course, the most obvious evidence is that the Sox have won two titles this decade, while the Yankees have won zero. But consider these other forces at work: Roger and Andy were fingered in the Mitchell Report. A red hawk that lives at Fenway attacked a schoolgirl named Alexa Rodriguez last week. Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are injured. They paid Randy Johnson millions and decided not to pay the price for Johan Santana. George is old and frail and hopefully about to die (kidding, Lord). And just when you think that's it, there's this beauty. Evidently, when the new Yankee Stadium was being built, a Red Sox fan on the construction crew buried a David Ortiz shirt in the foundation to cast a spell on the Yankees. Because the story came out in the New York Post, there was some back and forth over whether it was true or not. The stupid Yankees actually came out and said that it was a late April Fool's joke. Today, the Post (three reporters no less!) followed up with a story quoting the guy who buried the shirt, some mid-40 worker named Gino who's been a lifelong Red Sox fan. I think he may have been lurking somewhere in the picture above, looking for a shovel. Something tells me Gino might want to move to the woods of Idaho pretty quickly, or he may be swimming with the fishies.

And how's this for a finish to the post - the Sox and Yanks just resumed play, and Papelbon struck out all four guys he faced for the victory.

Okay, back to my play date.

Home Cooking

Well, we'll see if an extra day of sleep and relaxation helps our tired bunch of Sox today. The home opener is on tap today at Fenway for a 2:05 start, with Dice-K going against Kenny Rogers. You've got a jet-lagged team going against a shockingly winless team in the Tigers, who many predict will be in the Fall Classic.

It's hard to put into words, but Opening Day here in Boston always feels good. Everyone's a little happier, people are playing hooky from school and work to be at the game, there's a buzz in the streets of Back Bay, and - as an added gift from Mother Nature - it's actually going to be a pretty nice day weather-wise for some ball.

Oh - and there's this little banner and ring ceremony before the game to get you completely in the mood. As far as I'm concerned, the 2008 season begins today.
*****
I'd be remiss if I didn't expend a few words on last night's classic college hoops championship game. First, though, a quick disclaimer: I'm not a college hoop afficionado even in the slightest; I don't watch the sport at all until March Madness, but always make sure to watch the championship game (mostly because CBS lets me get caught up on the whole tournament with "One Shining Moment"). Last night's game was just a pure treat to watch, with two extraordinarily talented teams going at each other for a full game and then an overtime. Memphis and coach John Calipari will be kicking themselves for eternity after squandering a 9-point lead with 2 minutes to go in regulation. The contributing factors to their demise? Turnovers, good Kansas D, a timeout that wasn't called, and - what everyone kept saying would ultimately be the Tigers' downfall - missed free throws, especially in the clutch. As soon as Jayhawk junior Mario Chalmers hit that epic three to tie it and send it to overtime, you just knew Memphis was all done.

Bring Us Home, Josh

I come today to pay homage to the months of April and October. If you're a sports fan, these two months bear the greatest gifts by far. April is awesome because baseball is just starting up, you've got the NBA and NHL playoffs, NCAA hoops, the Masters, college hockey, the NFL draft. In fact, did you know that the word 'April' is derived from the Latin 'aperiere' - meaning 'to open?' Consider yourself educated. In October, you've got playoff baseball, the NFL in full gear, basketball and hockey seasons starting up, college football. Oh, and yours truly was born in October, which was obviously a historic moment in the world.

But enough of that gobbledygook. There's a hell of a lot going on so let's get to it...

* At this very moment, Josh Beckett and the Sox are playing their weekend finale against the Blue Jays in Toronto. It's Beckett's debut this year, and his stuff so far looks unhittable. Looks like he's picking up right where left off, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The Sox need him to be a stopper today after losing the first two, including yesterday in embarrassing (10-2) fashion. Win today, day off tomorrow, rings and banner on Tuesday. Incredibly, they've been on the road since March 19. Jacoby Ellsbury just went deep to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.

* As for the on-field performance so far, it's way too early to call anything a trend. The middle-relief has looked shaky. Dice-K and Lester have each submitted a bad and good outing. Manny and Papi aren't stroking it the way they will. And to be perfectly honest, the opposing teams so far this year have gotten more of the little bounces that can collectively decide a game.

* The big surprise in the league so far is the loaded but winless Detroit Tigers, who are 0-5 heading into today's games. The big-name offense hasn't delivered, and the same could be said for the Yankees so far as well.

* In the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" department - I guess there are a couple of hawks that nest in and around Fenway Park. Last week during a school tour, one of the hawks swooped in on a young girl and did a little bit of damage to her forehead. The girl's name? Alexa Rodriguez, aka A-Rod.

* As for the Celtics, they hit the 60-win mark this week and clinched home court throughout the playoffs. It's officially the single greatest one-year turnaround in NBA history, and a lot of people around here - right or wrong - are thinking this is the year for banner number 17. At the very least, they have to get to the Eastern Conference finals to justify this season as a success, and I think that will happen and more. I'm calling for a rematch of that tremendous 1976 Finals between the Celtics and Suns.

* By the way, someone in the media needs to do one of those rambling, fawning profiles on Celtics GM Danny Ainge. Danny had a plan and stuck with it, got some luck along the way, and he's proven himself to be a pretty damn good evaluator of talent. Apart from the Big Three, the complementary pieces he's added through free agency and the draft (Posey, House, Rondo, Powe, Big Baby, etc.) have been very impressive.

* As for the Pats, nothing too big. Still no word from our little golf pro friend out in Hawaii. The latest news reports literally have Roger Goodell calling Walsh out to come forward with whatever "evidence" he has, which seems like a possible indicator that nothing else will be coming out. As I've said before, it's not good enough for this story to just die down and fade away, if that's indeed what happens. Someone needs to be held accountable for dragging the Pats' name in the mud, and it will be fascinating to see what Kraft's legal moves might be, if any. Does he want to keep the story alive and go after someone or just let it die?

* With the draft coming up (April 25-27), talk will start to heat up over what the Pats will do. Keep the #7 pick or trade up or down? I like this Gholston kid from Ohio State, but you just know Mangina will swoop in and tweak us by grabbing him. We shall see.

* One last note - you may remember my fondness and frustration for the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team. UNH always has a good team, but the knock on them through the years has been that they don't play well when it counts. Last year, I started to mention that the coach, Dick Umile, needs to be put under the microsocope a little more. I mean, I realize that it's college hockey we're talking about, but this guy signed a monster contract a few years back and he hasn't come close to delivering the goods. It's now the University of No Hardware. Anyway, an enterprising soul put together this site dedicated to putting Umile's feet to the fire. It gives you the year-by-year disappointments and it ain't pretty. Since 2000, they've played in 8 postseason games and have scored 11 goals. And they've been one and done each of the last three years. I'm working on my letter to the AD as we speak.

* Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Kansas-Memphis tomorrow night should be a pretty good one.

Bob Kraft: Model Owner

In case you needed any more evidence that Pats owner Bob Kraft is one of the best owners in all of sports. SI's Don Banks reports on a surprise Spygate address both Kraft and Bill Belichick delivered to their fellow coaches and owners in Florida yesterday.

Opening Day, Part Deux

Hopefully the boys have caught up on their sleep since returning from Tokyo. Tonight - in a bit of deja vu - it's Dice-K against Joe Blanton in Oakland in the domestic regular season opener. I actually saw ESPN refer to yesterday's game as the domestic opening day for baseball. Has a nice ring to it, eh?

As for yesterday's games, let's just say if you're a closer it wasn't safe to come out of the bullpen. I think my favorite image - which I saw just as my eyelids were closing last night - was Eric Gagne giving up a huge 9th-inning bomb to the Cubs' Kosuke Fukudome. Some things never change. It's still unfathomable to me that Gagne's getting $10 million this year to throw gopher balls. What a country.

Anyway - nothing hugely exciting yesterday. The Yankees couldn't play their historic last opener in Yankee Stadium due to the rain. The Mets - behind Johan Santana - easily dispatched the weak Florida Marlins. The Indians and White Sox tangled in a barn-burner, and if you have Jim Thome on your fantasy team you're a happy camper. And the Tigers - a lot of peoples' pre-season World Series champ pick - went down to the Royals in extra innings.

A lighter schedule today, but we're jacked for some real Sox baseball.

Fort Myers to Japan to LA to Oakland to Toronto...

Well, this certainly goes down as the most bizarre start to a baseball season, eh? The Sox played two games that count in Japan, then flew to LA to play three games this weekend that don't count, and then they start up again for real this week in Oakland. For a sport where the players are known to be highly superstitious about their routines, this has to be killing them.

The Sox ended up splitting against the A's in Tokyo, as Rich Harden showed he's back to form with a strong performance in Game 2. This weekend, they play the Dodgers - who are celebrating their 50-year anniversary of the move from Brooklyn to LA - and the second game is being played in the LA Memorial Coliseum, a venue that is more linked with famous football games. Think USC Trojans, O.J. Simpson, circa 1968 or so.

The game in the Coliseum could have a circus-like atmosphere. The Dodgers are hoping to attract more than 100,000 fans to the game and there will be a 60-foot high wall in left field only 200 feet from home plate. Can you imagine Manny playing the caroms?

Let's see - what else is going on...

Oh yeah, remember how I said the two teams I'd be following during the sports dead zone were the Celtics and the UNH Wildcat men's hockey team? Well, one of those teams is flying high, and the other is flying home. The Celtics have been on an amazing run lately, pretty much having their way with any good team in the league. Their magic number for clinching first in the East is now at 4 games. UNH, meanwhile, not so good. They lost a heartbreaker to BC in the Hockey East playoffs, got sent to Denver as the No. 1 see in that region for the NCAA tournament, and promptly went out and laid a gigantic egg, losing in embarrassing fashion to Notre Dame, 7-3.

As for March Madness - the surprise team so far has been Davidson and their star shooter Stephen Curry, who's averaging more than 30 a game. They've taken down Georgetown and Wisconsin in their last two games. The #1 seeds - North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis, and UCLA - are all still breathing. Of those four, I think UCLA's got the best chance to be in the championship game. Two other teams that flew under the radar but have impressed thus far are Louisville and Texas. The Longhorns may actually be better in the post-Kevin Durant era.

Land of the Rising Sun, Indeed

Merry Christmas, Sox fans. The boys opened up the 2008 campaign in Tokyo this morning with a rousing 6-5 victory in extra innings over the A's. Brandon Moss of all people hit a huge game-tying homer in the top of the 9th and then Manny broke a 4-4 tie in the 10th with a 2-run double. Some nervousness in the bottom of the 10th but Papelbon squeezed out his first save.

All in all, a pretty interesting event, this Opening Day in Tokyo stuff. The Sox - for all their jet-lag kvetching and the threatened boycott over coaches' pay - seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves in Japan, at least from the TV footage I've seen. The fans go nuts of course whenever Dice-K or Hideki Okajima are involved. The Tokyo Dome has beer girls who walk around the park with little kegs strapped to their backs, and the PA inexplicably plays the theme song to The Jetsons on every foul ball. "His boy Elroy..."

Dice-K turned in his usual inconsistent performance, struggling early but then finding his groove in his last three innings. He left with a 3-2 lead after five, giving up 5 walks and striking out 6. Maybe he got a case of the homeland jitters.

In any event, the Sox are perfect on the young season and we'll do this crazy Japan thing all over again tomorrow morning. After that, it's off to Los Angeles (weirdly) for three exhibition games this weekend before the real games come back for good on April 1 against these same A's.

No Country for Poor Men

Lots of things kicking around today. The Sox made news over the last 24 hours with their "boycott" on the Japan trip to start the season. Evidently, each player is getting a $40,000 stipend for the trip, and the coaches, trainers, equipment guys, etc., were supposed to get the same. At the last minute, though, MLB - that cash-starved organization - took the extra stipends off the table. This prompted the Sox to issue a public threat that unless MLB paid up, they weren't going to Japan. They even delayed their last Florida game today with Toronto until the issue was resolved. Of course, Bud Selig, not wanting to anger bazillions of Japanese baseball fans, caved in. As he should have. Has to make the Sox coaches feel good that the players have their backs.

Switching over to hoops, how about those Celtics?!? They're down 22 Monday night to San Antonio and they come back to win. Then last night they're in Houston, playing against a team that has won 22 straight games, and they hand out a thorough beatdown. Final score, Boston 94, Houston 74.

I'm trying not to get too excited about the prospects for banner 17, but when you see performances like this against the iron of the league, it's hard not to have confidence. The defense this team is playing - led by KG - is just stifling. We've reached the point where if the C's aren't in the Eastern Conference finals, it'll be a major letdown. Celtics-Lakers, anyone? How friggin' fun would that be?

It Ain't Easy Being Green

Happy St. Pat's Day. Haven't posted for a while, so thought I'd do a little around the horn update on the four pro teams in town.

RED SOX: Josh Beckett and his ailing back are getting better, but the ace (wisely, it says here) will not be making the trek to Japan with his teammates. Instead, the Opening Day starter on March 25 against the A's will be Daisuke Matsuzaka (whose wife delivered their second child early) and Jon Lester will throw Game 2. It's a week from tomorrow, kids.

In other Sox news, the team cut the cord with Doug Mirabelli last week, opting to keep Kevin Cash around instead for less money and a similar pathetic batting average. Jason Varitek was none too pleased, but something tells me he'll get over it. The lasting memory of Dougie will always be his celebrated police escort to Fenway in May 2006 right before a Tim Wakefield start against the Yankees. That was also the night, incidentally, that Johnny Damon returned to Boston in pinstripes. Don't cry for Dougie, though - the man should kiss the ground every day for how long he's lasted with so little.

It's been pretty tranquil in Fort Myers otherwise. Something tells me the Dynamic Duo is going to be in full force this year - with Big Papi feeling healthy after knee surgery and Manny playing for another four-year contract.

CELTICS: Lucky the Leprechaun's team encounters its toughest four-game stretch of the season beginning tonight, with road games against the iron of the West: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and that team from the Old Wild West, New Orleans. The Rockets have incredibly won 22 straight ballgames, including 10 since Yao Ming's season-ending injury. These games should be fun - and they're a good measuring stick to see what the C's postseason chances might be. Ray Allen (ankle) will be a game-time decision tonight.

PATRIOTS: All's quiet on the Foxborough front. Every other couple days, a Spygate story pops up, they're getting closer to a deal, blah, blah, blah. This thing's going to die a slow, painful (for ESPN) death, and I can't wait to see how the mainstream sports media handles it. Been thinking some about Coach Bill, and how a guy is defined by the types of friends he has. Bill's got some pretty slimy pals - starting with Nick Saban and Tony La Russa, who's currently hosting BB at Cardinals camp in Jupiter, Florida.

BRUINS: As expected, the UCLA Bruins will be the first seed in the West Region of the NCAA men's tournament, which begins in all its glory this week. No update available on the Brown University (RI) Bruins.

Hump Day

It's a bit of a quiet time on the sports front right now, what with March Madness starting to percolate and spring training baseball underway. We don't typically veer much off the sports map here at HH, but I've just got to add my two cents on this stunning Eliot Spitzer saga.

I mean, how stupid can you be? For a guy who went to Princeton and Harvard, his idiocy (Belichickian arrogance?) is absolutely breathtaking. Evidently, Spitzer hasn't seen the best show on TV, which is all about using wiretaps to put criminals behind bars. Don't know if he's headed there, but he is all done politically for the rest of his living years. Will be interesting to see what his wife's next steps are too. She's a pretty good looking lady, who looked awfully friggin' pissed off at today's news conference. I mean, can you imagine the embarassment - on a national and world level?!? There's no way she stays with him.

Getting back to sports, the big, beat-it-thoroughly-into-the-ground non-story of the week has been the status of Josh Beckett's back. Supposedly, it's not a major thing but it may be enough to keep Beckett stateside when the team travels to Japan in a couple of weeks to open up the season against the A's. Long flights are not good for sore bones, and most would agree that it's best to leave the ace home. Daisuke Matsuzaka is also iffy for the trip (which would no doubt disappoint his legion of Japanese fans) because his wife is due to deliver a child around that time. What are the odds Manny gets on the plane to Japan?

After much deliberation, I've decided to hold onto Tulowitzki ($1), Hart ($1) and Bedard ($10 in my auction draft. I knew you'd want to know. The decision to keep Tulo was made a little easier by the fact that he's the best available SS after others that are being kept on other teams (Reyes, Rollins, Hanley). Still, I hear that Magglio's on fire this spring and I'm tempted. (By the way, is Boston-Detroit in the ALCS too easy a prediction? How about my yearly wish for a rematch of the '86 World Series?

And finally, how about a little CZJ? Can't believe she's married to that old wrinkle-bag Michael Douglas. Viva la Catherine!

Sunday Odds & Ends

Didn't want to let too much more time pass before I posted this awesome shot of Big Papi riding in a police sidecar during the team's visit to DC a couple weeks ago. Classic.

Incredible story of the golfer who hit an endangered hawk. Guy was annoyed with the constant chirping, took a swing, and got (un)lucky. Reminds me of a story from way back, when Bobby Jam saw a plump little gopher crossing the fairway, took out a low iron, and whoommmmmmmppp. Will never forget that sound. I think the gopher lived to laugh about it.

As usual, Bob Ryan is dead on with his column today about the over-the-top reaction to Brett Favre's retirement. Favre's Hall-bound, but he's never been a candidate for the Mount Rushmore of QB's.

Speaking of the Hall of Fame, Tom Verducci explores whether a certain sidecar-riding DH will be Cooperstown material some day.

Roger Goodell's announced intention to crack down on league-wide cheating/spying will add fuel to the fire of those of us who've been saying all along that a lot of teams are involved in this activity. Not saying it's right, but it is what it is. If 'Spygate' goes nowhere - and it's been pretty quiet for a while, much to the irritation of ESPN the Tabloid - I hope Bob Kraft files a massive defamation/libel lawsuit.

I need your help. I'm in a three-keeper fantasy baseball league and my candidates for keeping are Ichiro ($29), Corey Hart ($1), Magglio Ordonez ($8), Troy Tulowitzki ($1), and Erik Bedard ($10).. Which three would you hold on to? Right now, I'm thinking Maggs, Bedard and Hart, but I'm waffling...

Oh, and one more thing. I love me some Scarlett, but I've always been partial to Cherize. Look at those teeth.

Where's Johnny Most When You Need Him?

They're not exactly the bad boy Pistons of Chuck Daly, Rick Mahorn, and Bill Laimbeer (otherwise known as McFilthy and McNasty to Johnny), but last night's much-anticipated game between the Celtics and Detroit brought those sweet memories flooding back. If you listened to the games on the radio back then, good ol' Johnny had you convinced that Mahorn and Laimbeer should be locked up for first-degree murder.

But onto the current state of affairs. In case you hadn't noticed, our Boston Celtics are very much for real, and look like the odds-on favorite to be top dog in the East as they continue to battle it out with the Pistons.

Last night's game at the Garden was a close one throughout, with the C's pulling away in the fourth quarter thanks to some tenacious D and Mr. Garnett simply taking over. Final score was 90-78, and believe it or not the Celts are the first team to clinch a playoff spot. My, how things have changed.

Moss Back in the Fold - Can He Play Corner?

Well, I'll be damned. A professional athlete - one with a somewhat checkered past no less - actually kept his word. After a record-breaking year, after all the praise for the Patriots organization and especially Tom Brady, after repeatedly saying that he wants to retire a Patriot - Randy Moss had an open window where he was free to leave for bigger bucks. And he chose to stay.

This despite the breathless reports on ESPN the Tabloid that Moss had talked with former teammate Daunte Culpepper about offering themselves as a dual package for some team. Or that Moss might be headed to Dallas. Once again, ESPN was wrong. Moss and the Pats finally reached a deal on Monday that will pay the receiver $27 million over three years. In the end, not only did Moss stay in Foxborough, he solidified himself as a Team First guy by taking less dough than he could have gotten in these crazy days of free agency. I also like how the first thing he said about re-signing was 'We've got some unfinished business to take care of." His most prominent suitor was the Philadelphia Eagles...

... who also just happened to pluck Asante Samuel away from New England for a tidy 6-year, $57 million deal. I knew Asante was gone the day I read a story that said he had a tattoo that said 'Get Paid.' Really, isn't that all you need to know? I don't begrudge the man one iota for getting paid, but I'm also not heartbroken over the loss. Maybe it's the blind faith that I have in the Belichick/Pioli machine, but I think they'll be fine. Moss was the guy they absolutely, positively had to re-sign and they got it done, albeit with a little nail-biting.

The question now is who the hell is going to play cornerback. Not only did the Pats lose Samuel, they also parted ways with Randall Gay, who signed a rich deal with New Orleans. They'll probably sign a few serviceable veterans over the next month or so, and then the NFL Draft will be here in April. Some pundits like this kid Talib from Kansas, but I'm hoping they grab Vernon Gholston, the linebacker from Ohio State. They need to get younger at that position, and fellow Buckeye alum Mike Vrabel would no doubt be a great mentor.

Come to think of it, this is why the NFL has so much money to pay these guys. We're talking football when spring training is going on.

TGIF

Yeah okay, she's had a couple of tough years. Half the pictures on Google either have her bombed off her ass, eyelids shut, with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, or they're mug shots. But I don't care - I still say she is very beautiful.

NY Times: Bush Makes Fun of Ballplayer's Dying Grandmother

Well, the Sox flew from Fort Myers to the nation's capital today to be recognized at the White House, and I must say - President Bush was on his game. In between praising Big Papi, his Texas homeboys Mike Timlin and Josh Beckett, and manager Terry Francona, Bush managed to get a nice zinger in on Manny, who was a no-show at the proceedings. "I guess Manny's grandmother died again," said Bush, drawing a good hearty guffaw from the team. (Love the word 'guffaw' - see, that's what you get here at our low-cost operation: vocabulary) After the White House ceremony, the team - as it did in 2005 stopped by Walter Reed hospital to visit with injured veterans.

On a completely unrelated note, a funny thing I read in the newest issue of Sports Illustrated under "They Said It." UC-Irvine basketball coach Mike Gillespie, on complaints that the school's anteater mascot isn't ferocious enough: "If you're an ant, then an anteater is ferocious." The man has a point. Still, an anteater?

(Boston.com photo)

Sox Make Some News

The Red Sox have made some news in the last 48 hours, first with the announcement of skipper Terry Francona's long overdue contract extension, and then second with the news that the team has signed Bartolo Colon to a minor league/incentive-laden deal.

First on Francona - the man belongs here, and wants to be here, and I'm very glad they got this done. You can't put enough value on his ability to handle his guys in this cauldron that is truly unlike any other cauldron. It's a perfect marriage.

As for Colon, what's not to like? It's a low-risk move for a guy less than three years removed from dominance. If he contributes anything, it's gravy. That said, he was positively putrid last year and he may never toe the slab (love that phrase) in the big leagues again. His one-time 95-98 fastball has dipped into the high-80s, occasional low-90s.

ESPN: Frauds

More proof that ESPN has a total anti-Patriots bias in terms of the Spygate story. At 10 p.m. on Friday night, the lead story on ESPN.com - the No. 1 story on the most-read sports website in the world - was a headline that read 'Specter says Patriots "stonewalling" Spygate probe.' Written, ahem, by Mike Fish, which I'm becoming more and more convinced is really Ron Borges' new pseudonym. The Specter "story" is nowhere to be found on the front pages of SI.com or CBS Sportsline or FoxSports.com. The Worldwide Leader is rapidly becoming a worldwide joke.

Making Our Way through the Dead Zone with Hoops, Pucks & Babes

Good story by SI's Tom Verducci on the Clemens steroids hearing fiasco. Verducci's good at organizing the chaos into coherency, even if he does go a little overboard sometimes, like with the groin liniment and what have you. Yeah, enough said on that. Still, a good look into Roger's brain from a guy who has spent some time with him. The only conclusion you can draw is that Clemens is a first-rate liar, and a first-rate mental midget.

~~

I'm still not over the Patriots' loss - my latest whine is with the bomb Brady threw to Moss on the second to last play; all Moss had to do was stretch his arms out a little bit... (easy for me to say watching on DVR with a cocktail in my hand...)

Speaking of Moss, news out of Foxborough today was that the team didn't franchise tag him, which most seem to think means that they're close to agreeing on a multi-year deal.

~~

I've decided that besides looking at hot chicks during the sports dead zone, I'm throwing my sports allegiance mostly to two places: the Celtics and the UNH Wildcat men's hockey team. The Celtics are again a treat to watch, and have a legitimate chance of getting to the Finals. Garnett is more amazing on D than I ever thought. I'm on board, even though they're 0-2 (losses to Denver and Golden State) since I started watching. The game against the Warriors set an attendance record for most fans to see a basketball game (more than 20,000) in California state history. And yes, the other team is a college hockey team that I know you don't give a rat's ass about. But do me a favor over the next month - if you see a college hockey game as you're flipping through the channels, give it a shot. It's good stuff. And UNH - my alma mater - may finally have a team that can do some damage in the postseason. They're currently ranked 3rd in the country, behind No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 North Dakota.

And here's the best part - if you just so happen to be a huge Celtics/UNH Wildcat fan like I am, tomorrow night is a huge night. UNH plays No. 7 BC in a big game on NESN, and then at 10:30 it's Garnett and the C's against the Suns and the Big Aristotle.

~~

Oh, alright... here's another babe for you to identify. Hint: she's got something in common with a player from the last and only NFL team to have a perfect season.

Lovely Miss Erin

No guessing game needed here. ESPN's Erin Andrews is one of the hardest-working sideline reporters in the business, and easily one of the most attractive. She goes into a college football or basketball Saturday knowing full well that she's going to be fawned over by drunk frat boys, and yet she handles it all so well. Oh, and to my pal who requested a picture of Erin? I know she's a Gator backer. You Gators are all alike.

The Dark Side of the Sports Moon

I was talking with a fellow sports-crazed buddy the other night, and the conversation inevitably turned to the "good old days of sports," when we were growing up back in the 1970s and 80s. We debated whether sports back then was really more pure, or if we were just so naive we couldn't see the warts - and more importantly, the media wasn't hellbent on exposing them. You know what - I don't want to know the answer to that.

I think that's the problem with sports right now. We know too much. And, like the age-old chicken and the egg question, I can't decide if we fans are driving the need to know or if the out-of-control media just loves to stir the pot. It's most likely a little of both.

We've certainly had a couple of high-profile case studies in the past 12 months: Mike Vick and dogfighting, Roger Clemens and steroids, and the Patriots and their videotaping habits. There's been no shortage of topics for Bob Ley's "Between the Lines" specials and we've seen more than our fair share of interviews with ESPN legal blowhard Roger Cossack. It's all so different now, with so many people trying to turn success into tainted accomplishments. As fans, are we simply paying more attention to the "bad" stuff because we're smarter adults now - you know, because we like, watch the news more often?

I don't know, but I do know that the landscape of sports media coverage has become about so much more than just the games. With all the noise we've been subjected to, it takes some work to remember that the Red Sox are World Series champs for the second time in four years, that the Celtics are an incredible 41-9, and that the Patriots went 18-1 in what can only be described as a disappointing season. We've got it so damn good around here, but the cynics and skeptics in the media are winning out.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that controversy is like sex in that it sells newspapers and generates TV ratings. People are clicking on the gossip sites, calling the sports talk shows, commenting on the blogs. I'm willing to bet that the most-clicked item on ESPN.com the morning of the Super Bowl was the Mike Fish story with the new twist on former Patriots employee Matt Walsh. I know I was one of the clickees.

Let's talk about ESPN for a moment, shall we? When the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network was first introduced, it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Today, in my opinion, the network has gotten a little too big for itself (gee, ya think?), and has shown a strong anti-Patriots bias during this whole videotaping joke. Whenever there's a chance to lead with a Pats/Spygate-related story, the network jumps like a rabid dog on meat. It's so obvious that an internal memo was sent around encouraging the TV and radio personalities to slam the Pats at every turn. Why else would a seemingly calm and rational guy like Mike Greenberg suddenly flip a switch and become a big-time Patriot hater (unlike his colleague Mike Golic, who has been far more reasonable)?

I guess my point in all of this is that yes, there are going to be dark episodes in sports that warrant withering media critique. Vick was charged with a crime, the Feds proved it in court, Vick admitted guilt, and he's doing his time. Unfortunately, though, the media in this country (gasp!) all too often makes judgments in print before having a firm handle on the facts. In fact, it's a fact that facts simply don't matter much anymore. If you've got one source telling you that a rogue videographer from 10 years ago may have incriminating evidence, hell, let's run it as the lead story under the blaring headline of "Breaking News."

My question is this - when Bill Belichick and the Patriots are rightly exonerated in this debacle, who's going to hold the media zealots accountable? Are we going to see mea culpas on ESPN.com from their little investigative unit? Will there be some sort of on-air apology? Will the Boston Herald, another ringleader in the Belichick bashing, publish a front-page apology? Who will be the first person to file a lawsuit on behalf of the Patriots, claiming that they would have won SB 42 without the distractions? In the spirit of obscure former Ram Willie Gary, maybe Ray Ventrone will file suit claiming that without the Spygate talk, the Pats would have won, he would have collected a winners' share, and his star teammates lost out on many lucrative endorsement opportunities. Will Senator Sphincter the Eagles Fan invite Roger Goodell back to D.C. to apologize? These we know the answers to.

Like it or not, the Pats are going to occupy a sizeable piece of real estate on the dark side of the sports moon for the forseeable future. They are going to be super-good again next year. Tom Brady will the quarterback of the winning team in SB 43, and unlike in this year's game, his ankle will be just fine. The haters, meanwhile, will multiply, and you know what, that's really okay. These are the emotions that the Celtics, Canadiens, Yankees and Cowboys elicit, and it means you've made it to the top of the heap. The people who think the Pats' dynasty is dead - yup, more judgment before assessing the facts.

As for the allegations of videotape and cheating, let's all calm down and see what happens. If Senator Sphincter really wants to, he can open up a can of worms that will get very ugly very quickly. And I just loooove all the asinine New Yorkers crying about the Pats' cheating ways. Can we say 2003 ALCS? That Yankee team was friggin' littered with steroid-abusing frauds, and God knows how long that had been going on. Could it have tainted those great '98, '99 and '00 Yankee teams? If I'm the sports editor at the Herald, I'm thinking maybe we put an asterisk in front of the Yankees in the AL East standings all season long. You know, just to be fair.

Injection, 'jection, what's your question?

I always knew Roger Clemens was extremely deficient in the gray matter department, but my goodness, this takes the cake. He walked his stubborn, egotistical ass right into a potential perjury trap this week on Capitol Hill, and while I sincerely doubt anything will ever stick on Teflon Con Man Roger, you can bet the Feds are going to try their damndest.

What a tangled web he wove. In between "misremembering" details and answering some of the committee's more difficult questions (curiously all posed by Democrats), Clemens had time to tell us about his patriotism, the good deeds he does for children, his momma, how he was given nothing in life, how hard he works, that he's won 7 Cy Youngs, that Red Sox GM Dan Duquette's "twilight" comment inspired him, that he went through a period where he was "locating" the ball better, that he cried when Brian Piccolo died in the movie, that he and Deb enjoy long walks on the beach, and hot fudge sundaes with their K kids after their ballgames. I mean, COME ON. To quote the embarrassing Dan Burton, "Gee whiz, are you kidding me?"

It was both a sad commentary on our political system and high theater at the same time. By now, you've read the accounts in the newspapers, and listened to the radio blowhards opine. And while the Congressional panel was split along party lines (ala Gore/Bush, 2000), the American public seems to agree that Clemens is guilty, and McNamee - for all his seediness - was telling the truth. Some believe that the next step will indeed be a criminal investigation by the Justice Department. Whether the smoking gun is Andy Pettitte's damning deposition, or potential witness tampering with The Nanny (Rog said he was doing a 'favor to y'all'), it certainly seems possible.

The other reprehensible aspect to this is Clemens' close relationship with the Republican Party, including President Bush the elder. When the poop was hitting the fan, Roger said during the hearings, Bush called him in a deer blind to offer support. What do you think the chances are that ol' George called a few friends in DC prior to the hearings? Certainly seemed like Burton got a call or two. And Tom Davis, who absolutely skewered Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, et al, in 2005. When the hearing was over, Clemens made a beeline for the exit behind where the Congressmen were sitting, waited for Davis - who patted Rog on the shoulder - and the two men walked down the hall, presumably to have a cocktail in Tom's office, which is no doubt decorated with a Fathead of the fathead.

One last takeway is just the incredible arrogance of Clemens, which reached its highest level this week. When this all began, he squealed to Mike Wallace about the lack of respect he's been shown after all he's done for the game of baseball. He spent much of the hearing talking about personal matters, took the liberty to read a letter written by his loser druggie wife, and incredulously interrupted Committee chairman Henry Waxman during his closing statement, to which Waxman banged his gavel down angrily. As someone else on the web o' sphere noted, too bad the gavel didn't splinter so Roger could have thrown it back at Waxman. No doubt he would have claimed that he thought it was a glass of water.

Abcesses of the Butt

Well, we're almost ready to deliver a Patriots post-mortem, but in the meantime we have today's positively fascinating Congressional steroid hearings pitting arguably the greatest pitcher in baseball history against a trainer. We're talking about ass abcesses, bloody pants, rogue MRIs, mentions of 'lynching'... damn, this is much more fun than I thought it was going to be. One thing so far that is clearly a put-off - it is so obvious that some members of the Committee (no doubt the ones that took photos with Roger and got his autograph earlier in the week) are on Roger's side, and some are on McNamee's side. Our politicians are a complete joke. Will the jackass who made the comment about lynching be subjected to the same scorn the golf broadcaster did? Of course not. Not in Double Standard America. More to come later. Work hours, you know?

Women's Beach Volleyball - What's Not To Like?

Still Not There Yet

So we're now three days past the apocalypse, and I still can't bring myself to read the sports page or re-watch the game. I actually started to watch the game again tonight on the DVR, enjoyed Jordin Sparks' anthem, watched the coin flip, and then I went into convulsions. No, just kidding - but I'm still obviously not ready to get past this.

Anyway, we're now officially in the famous dead zone of sports - that period after the Super Bowl and before spring training. Yeah, there's pro and college hoops and hockey, and I guess the Celtics are now worth watching. But it still feels boring compared to the annual hysteria that is the Red Sox and Patriots. Maybe this is best for all of us -- a sort of enforced cooling down period. You know, go on vacation somewhere warm, spend more time with family and friends... look at beautiful women. My gift to you, my loyal readership of 2, is that I pledge to post at least one picture of a lovely lady on the site per week. Your job is to identify who it is. Have at it. A clue: this babe and the Patriots have a four-letter word in common - and no, it's not an expletive.

Uncomfortably Numb

It still feels like a raw, gaping wound, so it's hard to write much about it. Whether you think the Patriots just didn't show up on the offensive side of the ball, or the Giants front-four was just not to be denied, the answer lies somewhere in the middle and the Giants clearly deserved to win.

So many thoughts that need to be sorted out, and they will in the coming days. Writing, talking about it, reading about it... it'll all be therapeutic soon. Just not quite yet.

Last Call

We're six hours away and counting to the start of Super Bowl XLII. Finally, some football. Figured I'd throw up one more post before I start pouring booze down my gullet.

All the TV shows are wire to wire right now, which is pretty cool. I'll probably stick with Fox for most of the day, over the Spygate-obsessed ESPN - that beacon of journalism. Anyway, the Pats are favored by around 12, and that will probably go up as people think the Pats will be extra-motivated to show just how f'ing good they are. Tough call. I could see a blowout; I could see a field goal game.

I'll go with Patriots 33, Giants 19. I think Laurence Maroney does some special things today, and I'm predicting a pick by a Patriot d-back for a touchdown. In the end, the Pats' performance today gives the haters one gigantic middle finger.

Four Score and Exactly Six Years Ago

Some good things happened on this date in 2002. A good omen, perhaps?

Tippett is Canton-Bound

He's been the football version of Jim Rice around here - a guy who was a complete force during his prime, but who never quite got his due. In Rice's case, he was just a plain a-hole, and that certainly hasn't helped his Hall of Fame cause among media voters. He may also have been just a Vern Ruhle fastball away from getting in. As for Tippett, he was on some truly putrid Patriot teams, and he was always confused with another former No. 56, a certain coke-snorting defensive demon who just happened to play for... the team that we're going to annihilate tomorrow.

Rice came up short once again in Hall voting last year, and his fate is now in the hands of the Veterans Committee. Tippett, meanwhile, finally got his due today when it was announced at Super Bowl XLII that he was in. A very cool moment in a 2-week period that has brought us the Boot, the Plax Prediction, and a "resurrection" of Spygate.

It was also a good day for the Redskins, who saw former players Art Monk and Darrell Green inducted. Others included Fred Dean, Gary Zimmerman and Emmitt Thomas. An interesting omission: Paul Tagliabue.

We're 20 hours away.

Hater Nation

Boy, they're trying like hell to derail this express aren't they? The 2007 New England Patriots are on the verge of making sports history, and yet it feels like the whole country is trying to knock them down. Mercury Morris we can understand, but why the widespread hatred? Was it like this when the Dolphins were marching in 1972? Were the ink-stained wretches across the country filled with venom when Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott & Co. were trampling the league? Does Tiger Woods get this type of treatment?

Like it or not, the Patriots, should they win on Sunday, will join a most elite pantheon of sports history. They will be inarguably the greatest single-season football team of all-time, mentioned in the same breath as the 60's Packers, the 70's Steelers, and the 80's 49ers. Tom Brady will join Terry Bradshaw and Montana as the only quarterback to have four rings. History and greatness has always appealed to true sports fans. It's part of the whole experience.

So what's going on here? I know that fans with non-rooting interests tend to root for the underdog. Perfectly understandable. If the Giants can pull this off, they will also make their own history. But think about what the Patriots are doing here. It is positively, absolutely AMAZING, a fact drilled home this week by many people who have played the game. Is it the general disdain for Bill Belichick? Jealousy over the perfect life Tom Brady leads? Is it the ridiculously overblown Spygate issue?

Whatever it is, the animals don't need much red meat to get into a froth. National media outlets and fans across the country are actually buying into the absurd comments by Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Sphincter (above left, and anatomic version at right). Sphincter came out on the Friday before the Super Bowl with the declaration that he wants to speak to Commish Roger Goodell about the Patriots' videotapes, which were destroyed some five months ago. He actually compared the video situation to CIA tactics, which alone should subject him to impeachment. Have we mentioned that Sphincter is a diehard Eagles fan, who regularly calls into the all-sports radio station in Philly? And then there's a story on ESPN this morning about a golf pro in Hawaii who used to be a videographer for the Pats. He may be a smoking gun in Spygate, or so they say, but he doesn't want to talk about it, that is unless Sphincter's committee issues a subpoena. Oh, the story was written in part by Gregg Easterbook, that clown who writes about shit that nobody cares about, and who has had it in for the Patriots all year long. So much for unbiased journalism.

Regardless, the story is all over the place as we approach the most-anticipated football game ever. Just what Patriot Haters want. And you know what? Just what the Patriots want, too. As if they didn't have enough motivation going into the game. They will use Sphincter's asinine comments to their advantage, and if you're into betting on the game, you might want to take the Pats straight.

Yesterday, Mercury Morris and a few of his '72 Dolphins mates posed in front of a huge banner that read: "Perfectville, Population: 1". The population is about to double.

Enough Already

58 hours to go until kickoff, but who's counting? I've had quite enough of the analysis (did you know that the Giants need to get pressure on Brady), the stupid questions, the inane banter on sports radio. For the mother of God.

Fortunately, the NFL Network has filled the void nicely. Just this past week, I was able to catch the pulsating Pats-Rams Super Bowl, the Bills and Giants in the Scott Norwood game in 1990, and the Pats-Eagles last night. People keep talking about the parallels between the Pats-Rams game and this one, but I tellya, that Giants/Bills game had some striking similarities too. Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and the K-Gun offense against the Parcells/Belichick Giants. I still can't believe they won with Jeff Hostetler piloting the ship. And Norwood's kick? Anything but a chip shot at 47 yards. Unfortunately, this year's Giants team doesn't have a Lawrence Taylor or a Carl Banks. And Belichick will be on the other sideline.
Anyway, here's a couple of cool items I caught on the web o' sphere this week: a story from Lee Jenkins on the improbable rise of Tom Brady, a good NY Times story on Belichick's Giant lineage, and a nice piece from Jackie MacMullan on Pats coach Dante Scarnecchia, who is a vastly underrated component of this soon-to-be dynasty. Good stuff all. And Parcells should have left the shorts in his locker.

Bill Smith, You're Fired

The Twins indeed finally pulled the trigger today, and Johan Santana is a... Met. Eee. I'm not upset that he's not a Red Sox by any means - I didn't want to part with Jacoby Ellsbury. And I'm happy that he's not a New York Spankee, because then he'd start doing steroids. But to see what the Mets gave up for a perennial Cy Young candidate is just plain ridiculous. They didn't have to trade a) their best everyday prospect or b) their best pitching prospect. Twins GM Bill Smith - the man who could have had some combo of Ellsbury/Lester from Boston, or Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera from the Yankees - instead chose to make a deal for four no-names. If I'm a Twins fan tonight, I'm steaming.

You'll never guess what channel I'm watching right now. Yup, the NFL Network. They're replaying the 2001-02 Super Bowl win over the Rams, and I must say the goosebump moments are happening fast and furiously. The first came before the game, when the Rams starters were introduced individually and Pat Summerall announces to the Superdome crowd, "Choosing to be introduced as a team, the AFC Champion New England Patriots..." It was all over right there. The halftime show featuring U2 - and the scroll with the victims from 9/11 - was also emotional to watch again. U2 was absolutely on with their performance that night, and it was perfect to have the 9/11 names behind them. Very powerful.

As for this year's Super Bowl, you may have heard that the Patriots are in it again. The bad news is that it's only Tuesday, for crying out loud. We've got a long ways to go, but damn, this never gets old.

The Longest Trade Negotation Ever...

... could be coming to a close soon. We speak, of course, of the ongoing trade talks surrounding ace Twins lefty Johan Santana. ESPN and other news outlets are reporting that Minnesota is very close to making a final decision, and as such, have asked at least two of the suitors (the Red Sox and the Mets) to make their final, best offers.

There are conflicting reports that the Sox have scaled back their offer, but supposedly Jon Lester and Coco Crisp are still the centerpieces. Not sure what the Mets are offering, and rumor has it the Yankees aren't participating much at all. I still say they need him the most, and wouldn't be at all surprised if they re-enter the equation.

Can you imagine if the Red Sox get Santana this week, when the eyes of the sporting world are focused on Arizona?

A Day for Silliness

Finally, it's going to feel like Super Bowl week today as the media gets its chance to ask every stupid question under the sun. For all the good questions, there's always something completely off the wall, and I truly can't wait to find out what it is. Should also be interesting to see how many questions Coach Bill gets regarding the Week 1 chaos, and how many Tom Brady gets regarding his bodacious girlfriend. Either way, the fun begins today. The Pats will be grilled at noontime, the Giants at 2.

Couple of notes from yesterday:

The Giants arrived in Phoenix, and the big news is that several players have severe cases of the flu. Supposedly, cornerback Aaron Ross blew chunks all over the plane as the Giants were boarding, and the flight was delayed an hour so cleaning crews could, um, get rid of the mess. They should immediately give those employees free tickets to the game.

Elsewhere, in the will-they-ever-learn department, Giants all-world WR Plaxico Burress predicted a 23-17 New York victory on Sunday. Too bad he doesn't play defense, so Brady can rain bombs over his skull like he did with Steeler CB Anthony Smith. Predictions and guarantees are just plain stupid. Think Tom Coughlin will be talking to his loquacious receiver today?

Only two Patriots have played in all five of the team's Super Bowl appearances: Tedy Bruschi and Troy Brown. Nine Pats have played in four SB's.

Finally, on a lighter note, my daughter's kindergarten class is having a Patriots Day at school on Friday, so being the dutiful Dad, I'm hunting for a Pats jersey for her to wear to school. When I asked her if she wanted a player's jersey, she quickly responded: Der, Dad, Tom Brady... she's 5.

Unleash the Hype

Finally, the national press is starting to come around to the notion that this two-week break thing really hurts the Giants' momentum. I've said all along that this team is on an incredible roll - ala the 2001 Super Bowl champ Patriots - and unlike that Pats team, the Giants have to take a week off and then rev up the engine again. In 2001, remember (actually, February 2002), it was only a one-week break between the championship games and the Super Bowl due to scheduling changes from the September 11 tragedy, and the Patriots just kept humming along. I'm not saying it's the sole factor why the Pats will win, but I do think it's a worthy one. Sports Illustrated's Don Banks - who makes a good case for why the Pats will go 19-0 - agrees.

Speaking of SI, which is a sad skeleton of what it once was back in the day, the increasingly irrelevant Dr. Z made his Super Bowl pick last week and went with the Giants in an upset. First of all, having Eli Manning on the cover of SI with Dr. Z's latest prediction should put smiles on all Pats' fans faces. What's not mentioned is that Dr. Z took every chance he could this year to rub it in Belichick's face about the camera thing, even though it became clear as the year went on that it was a stupid, minor infraction that many coaches commit. Just another media member with an axe to grind.

Speaking of Eli, I truly think his carriage turns back into a pumpkin next Sunday. I fully respect what he's done, and I think he may get to a few more Super Bowls, but the lights will be shining bright for this one and he's never been under that kind of glare before. Nothing - absolutely nothing - he's encountered in New York is even close. That said, it is pretty amazing to think that two brothers will be the starting QB in two consecutive Super Bowls. Not too bad, Archie. And mom, of course. But where were you when they agreed to do that ridiculously queer Oreo-licking commercial?

I understand that Junior Seau is the motivational speaker in the Pats' locker room, but he really shouldn't be allowed near a microphone. He led the fans in some sort of chant today at the Pats' Gillette Stadium send-off, and it was, ah, a little awkward.

All eyes were on Tom Brady at the send-off. He showed up looking like his typical GQ self, without the ankle boot. He looked like he was walking okay. No worries whatsoever.

I'm starting to think that Bob Kraft just sounds like he's always drunk.

Chuck Klosterman's a talented writer, but he lost me on this one... huh?

Have I mentioned how much I absolutely looove the NFL Network? Saw little highlight packages of all the Super Bowls over the past couple of days, and earlier today, they replayed the Pats-Giants season finale in its entirety. The kick return for a TD by the Giants was an anomaly, and the Brady to Moss recordbreaking pass gave me goosebumps all over again. I love how Brady went right back to Moss after he had underthrown him on the prior play. And the image of his o-linemen jumping around with Brady was pretty cool.

I know this is always a week of big hype, but something tells me this is going to be bigger than ever before. History is on the line, after all, and it's Boston vs. New York once again.

Wouldn't you love to have been a fly on the wall when Belichick was reviewing the film from the Giants' game, and formulating his strategy for the second time around? One thing's for sure - they're going to attack the weakass Giants secondary again and again.

As we do each year around this time, it's only fitting that we give thanks to Mo Lewis.

Check back for daily updates during what promises to be a fun week around here. Time for me to go see what's on the NFL Network. Hey, it's been a few hours... I'm getting twitchy.

Where's No. 12?

So this is what it's come to. The Patriots got back to practice on Thursday, and their tabloid star QB was nowhere to be found. So what's an enterprising photographer to do? Why, take a photo of the pants and sneakers lying in front of Tom Brady's locker, of course. Un. Bee. Leevable.

We've got eight and a half days to go until Super Bowl 42 (I'm boycotting the Roman numerals) and the hype machine is already in overdrive. It's gonna be one hell of a fun week. And no, we're not going to see Matt Cassel or Matt Gutierrez on the field anytime soon. They'll put Brady's uniform pants and cleats out there before that happens.

Lots of talk this week about how this game is interesting because the Pats and Giants played each other less than a month ago. Probably helps both teams a little bit in terms of prep time, but one thing to remember: the Patriots played that game without the starting right side of their offensive line, as both Stephen Neal and Nick Kaczur were both out. On the flip side, one of the most impressive Giants in the postseason - backup RB Ahmad Bradshaw - didn't see much action. One thing no one seems to be asking - what does the 2-week break do to the Giants' momentum?

Also kinda cool that both Belichick and Tom Coughlin grew up together on Bill Parcells' staff in New York in the mid-1980s. At least we know there'll be a heartfelt handshake at the end of the game, regardless of who wins.

I must admit - after initially hoping for a Pats-Packers SB, I'm liking the fact that we can continue to assert our sporting dominance this decade at the expense of another New York team.

Das Boot

The tabloids and the airwaves are all atwitter over the fact that Tom Brady was spotted in NYC yesterday wearing a walking cast on his foot. The hooded, bespectacled one was seen getting out of a Cadillac Escalade in front of Giselle's $15M apartment with a bouquet of flowers and a duffel bag. He had a couple of other pals helping him carry the rest of his bags. While it's true that he was noticeably limping, he was carrying stuff up a flight of stairs, and reports said that he was out on the town last night having a good time. So I doubt it's anything serious. I do remember him falling kind of awkwardly on a play towards the end of the game, so maybe that's what did it. Either way, he's got 2 weeks to feel better so I'm not concerned. Of course, that ain't gonna stop the speculatin'. People are just dying for some sort of negative to derail this train.

If you're interested, you can see the Brady/Zapruder film here.

Faulkaroney, the Arizona Treat

After some anxious moments, mostly due to a surprisingly subpar Tom Brady performance, the Patriots took control behind their two running backs and secured themselves a date in the desert in 2 weeks for Super Bowl 42. Final score: Pats 21, LT-less Chargers 12.

Until Brady hit Wes Welker with the winning touchdown on a short slant, it was very much a nailbiter. Brady had been picked off three times (he was picked 8 times all year long), but the Pats still led because of their outstanding red-zone defense. San Diego drove the ball fairly well all day (credit goes to Philip Rivers, playing on a torn ACL) but in the end - with their all-world running back on the sidelines - the Chargers couldn't find paydirt all day long.

Ironically, the star of the game was the running back on the Patriots - the two-headed monster known as Faulkaroney. Kevin Faulk - easily the unsung hero on this historic squad - made big catch after big catch (some on bad throws from Brady), and Maroney's hard-running ways showed up in the second half. Faulk finished the game with 8 grabs for 82 yards, and Maroney rushed for 122.

Their opponent on February 3 in Glendale, Arizona, will be...

The New York Football Giants, who sent Brett Favre and the Packers fishing for the offseason. Great, great football game to watch, and the better team won as Lawrence Tynes connected on a 47-yard FG in overtime in the bitter cold of Lambeau Field. Giants win 23-20, setting up a rematch of that tremendous Week 17 game.

Now comes the hard part. Waiting for two weeks. Beats the hell out of the alternative though, right Charger and Packer fans? There is nothing like having your horse in the Big Game. Early line: Pats by 14.

Catching Up

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Not much going on in the world of sports so I've been laying low.

Not much, unless you count the Pats getting ready to play San Diego in the AFC Championship game, the Packers hosting the upstart Giants at Lambeau in the NFC game, Randy Moss and ConsensualhorseplayGate, and Roger Clemens hiring Bill Clinton's impeachment lawyer to help defend himself against steroid charges. Pretty hum-drum.

I'm going with the favored Patriots (-14) and Packers (-7) this weekend, but what scares me a little bit is that every single "expert" in the land is going with the favorites. It's definitely the most compelling matchup of all the possible scenarios, for the obvious reasons (Brady vs. Favre) and it would be nice to get a little revenge for the Pats' Super Bowl loss to Green Bay. I still have Desmond Howard nightmares.

Anyway, I'm going with Patriots 37, Chargers 20. This team has literally dealt with major distractions from day one, and they're friggin' 17-0. They handle it by simply winning. And they'll continue this weekend. Of course, the big story line for the Chargers is the health status of their Big Three on offense: LT, Philip Rivers, and Antonio Gates. Word came down tonight that Rivers - one of the biggest jackasses in football - has a partial ACL tear and is a game-time decision. I really hope he plays because I want to see him on his derriere as much as possible. Mouth. This guy talks on the field like he's won multiple championships. Shut up and play, pussy boy.

Man, not sure where that came from. As for LT and Gates, LT has a minor knee issue and will be in there and Gates has a problematic toe.

In Green Bay - and by the way, was the snow last week not the best thing ever in big-screen HD? Felt like I was in the middle of a damn snow globe - it's going to be Packers 23, Giants 17. I truly believe the Giants give the Pack a game, but in the end Eli makes a mistake or two with the bird-hawking Packers' secondary and Green Bay heads to the desert.

The Coaching Carousel, and Some Weekend Picks

Just after the news came out on Thursday that Bill Belichick had won the AP's Coach of the Year award, another news item came on about a high-profile assistant coach going to a new team. It got me to thinking about one of the more undertalked-about aspects of a thoroughly overanalyzed coach - which is Belichick's ability to identify young, talented coaches and coordinators, and groom them into potential head coaches. We've all heard about the Bill Walsh coaching tree, and we know about the Bill Parcells coaching tree. Belichick is now branching off on his own, with coaching prodigies like Eric Mangini and Josh McDaniels developing under his wing. It's all about who you hire, and Walsh, Parcells, and Belichick all know exactly what they're looking for. That's why it will be fascinating to see what Parcells does in Miami. He's already got his sights set on Tony Sparano (that's not a typo) - the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys - to be his head coach, and reports say the two are actually meeting today to discuss the job.

In terms of coaching arrivals and departures, you knew Cam Cameron was walking the plank as soon as Tuna chum Chris Mortensen broke the news that Parcells was heading to the Dolphins. Poor Cameron. He was literally given Lemons and was asked to make lemonade. Parcells' second order of business - after securing a head coach - is to find a quarterback. Oh, how different things would be in South Beach if Nick Saban had pushed for Drew Brees over Daunte Culpepper when both were free agents.

The Baltimore Ravens also fired Brian Billick earlier this week. Oh, how things might have been different if Rex Ryan hadn't called that timeout, and if Bart Scott didn't have a complete meltdown.

McDaniels had been mentioned as a candidate in both Atlanta and Baltimore, but he came out with a statement this week saying he was pulling his name out of the hat for consideration for any other job and focusing on the task at hand. Whether BB counseled this move or not, it's a wise one. McDaniels is obviously talented, but he's young (31) and no doubt knows he could use a little more seasoning before taking the inevitable step up.

There had been some debate over whether Belichick would win Coach of the Year due to the team's videotaping transgression in Week 1, but in the end, the AP writers did the right thing. 16-0 is a monumental achievement, and as Tom E. Curran from MSNBC articulately put it: I don't want to pick up a sports almanac 20 years from now, see 2007, see the 16-0, and then see that some other coach won the award. We'll see which way UPI goes, but of course none of it matters a lick to the subject himself.

Other than that, January 12th - the date of the first Pats playoff game - can't come soon enough. In the meantime, we've got Wild Card weekend to sit back and enjoy. Three of the games, in my humble opinion, could go either way - while the other should be an easy win for the favorite. Some thoroughly from-the-gut picks:

Seattle 27, Washington 20 - I will never put a dime on the Seahawks for as long as I breathe air (long story), and the 'Skins are the sentimental favorites, but I just think Hasselbeck, Alexander, and the raucous Seattle crowd prove too much for them. Sorry to be a party-pooper.

Jacksonville 24, Pittsburgh 21- Everyone loves the Jaguars, which is always a scary thing, but add me to the bandwagon. I think this team is ready to make the next step, even if it means winning two big games in the span of a month at Heinz Field. This should be pretty entertaining, and for Pats fans we get a chance to watch our likely opponent next week close up. Garrard and the RB's get it done for Jacksonville.

Tampa Bay 21, NY Giants 16 - I give Tom Coughlin a ton of credit for keeping his foot on the accelerator Saturday night against the Patriots. But once the game got into crunch time, and the Pats unleashed their defense on Eli, it was a different story. I'm thinking a fresh Bucs D makes some big plays to help them get to the next round, and Garcia & Co. make just enough plays on offense.

San Diego 30, Tenneessee 20 - I admire the Titans' overall pugnacity - led by feisty, underrated coach Jeff FisherThe Titans and underrated coach Jeff Fisher. I just think the Chargers and LT will emerge victorious from a vicious junkyard battle.