Circle Your Calendars

No, I'm not talkin' November 21 when the Colts come to Gillette for the first time since 2006.

I am talkin' 'bout August 10th, when the Saints and Pats are holding a joint practice that is at Gillette, and open to the public.  The Saints will be in town in anticipation of the preseason opener two nights later.

Training camp is always open to the public each summer, but this is something really out of the ordinary.  I wanna see Brady and Brees (who I'm keeping in my fantasy league) tossing balls to each other, that'd be sweet.  I know the Giants had a joint practice with the Pats during a recent preseason (I believe it was 2007 actually), but I'm pretty sure that was closed to the public.

Let's knock a few back and get to Gillette, three months is fair enough notice, people...

Top 10 Villains In Patriots' History

With fifty years of Patriots football in the bank and some down time waiting for training camp to open, it seems appropriate for some Top 10 lists.  In this preliminary installment, I've selected the people who have been most detrimental to the Patriots' success.  Although some of them only symbolize the low moments, each have had a negative impact on the Patriots history.  Feel free to disagree, or add another name for discussion; this list should not be considered exhaustive.  Let the debate begin...

10.  WILLIAM "REFRIGERATOR" PERRY

Talk about an embarrassment.  Super Bowl XX started off pretty well for the Pats, but a quick 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the game clearly was not meant to last as the Bears put up 44 unanswered points.  Chicago's defense was legendary, with the Patriots limited to 123 yards on 54 offensive plays (they had negative nineteen yards in the first half) .  "The Fridge" gets the nod as the token villain of this debacle not only for helping anchor the defensive line during this Super shellacking, but he was also called upon to rumble the ball into the end zone from the one to make the score 44-3, the widest margin of the game (Ditka choose him to carry the ball over Walter Payton, who didn't score in his only Super Bowl appearance).  Bears DE Richard Dent may have been named game MVP, but Perry's blast for six was the iconic play in this one.

9.  DESMOND HOWARD

Our next villain is another hero for the opposite side during a Patriots Super Bowl loss.  After Curtis Martin's 18-yard jaunt cut the Packer's lead to six towards the end of the third quarter, the momentum finally seemed to be going New England's way.  That was until the ensuing kickoff.  Fielding it at the one, Howard, the former Heisman Trophy winner, sprinted ninety-nine yards untouched to once again make it a two score game.  With the two-point conversion, it ended up providing the final nail in the coffin, essentially ending the Patriots bid to bring home their first world championship.  Watching as a fifth grader, it appeared to me that rookie kicker Adam Vinatieri was clipped on the ill-fated return, and I still believe it should have been brought back.  A month earlier, Vinatieri had caught Dallas' Herschel Walker from behind to save a touchdown on a kickoff, so it seemed to me that it was not out of the realm of possibility that Adam would have made the play.  Howard was the first special-teamer to be named Super Bowl MVP, and his sprint played a large part in bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Wisconsin.

8.  BERNARD POLLARD

The Patriots entered 2008 with sky-high expectations coming off their failed run at immortality the previous season.  A perfect regular season was little consolation after the loss in Super Bowl XLII, and the explicit goal of the new year was to bring a fourth championship back home to Foxborough.  Tom Brady, regarded as one of the best quarterbacks to ever lace them up, had broken Peyton Manning's TD record in 2007 and many projected him to be in the same ballpark the next year, going in the top five in most fantasy football drafts.  Unfortunately, he was destined to be the first quarterback to throw for fifty less touchdowns than the year before.  Week One against the Chiefs, little known safety Bernard Pollard lunged into Brady's knee as he was being blocked to the ground by RB Sammy Morris, tearing Brady's ACL and ending his season.  Backup QB Matt Cassel led the team to a 11-5 mark, but fell short of the playoffs on a tiebreaker to the Dolphins.  Pollard, while playing for Houston in 2009, again played a role in a season-altering Patriots injury.  In Week 17, he was the player Wes Welker was attempting to avoid as he cut and injured his knee, leaving the Patriots without their biggest receiving threat in the playoffs.  Welker is only expected back sometime in the middle of the 2010 season.

7.  JACK TATUM

Considered by many a villain in general, Jack Tatum terrorized opposing receivers as a hard-hitting safety for the Raiders in the 1970's.  His disregard for his own well-being in his attempt to defend the pass earned him the nickname "The Assassin" and has made him one of the most revered players in all of Raider Nation.  He left an especially painful memory for Patriots fans, as he ended the career of a promising young receiver named Darryl Stringley in a 1978 preseason affair.  Injuries are a part of the game, but Tatum has been vilified for never speaking or apologizing to Stringley after making him a quadriplegic.   Tatum is currently dealing with his own medical issues, as he lost all the toes on his left foot because of diabetes, and needs the assistance of a prosthetic leg.  Stringley passed away in 2007 due to a heart condition and pnemonia further complicating his football injury. 

6.  BILL PARCELLS

"The Tuna" was not always a villain in the eyes of Patriots fans, but his messy divorce from the team and his subsequent positions with divisional rivals has placed Parcells sixth on my list.  Winning two Super Bowls with the Giants in the 80's (with Bill Belichick as defensive coordinator), Parcells became one of football's legendary, tough, disciplinarian coaches, in the Vince Lombardi mold.  Hired by former team owner James Orthwein in 1993, he inherited a 2-14 Patriots team and selected Drew Bledsoe number one overall in the '93 draft.  In 1994, he won Coach of the Year honors by posting a 10-6 record, before falling to Belichick's Cleveland Browns in the wildcard round.  His relationship with the team started to get ugly when he publically feuded with ownership over who to pick with the seventh overall pick in 1996 (Robert Kraft got his way and selected WR Terry Glenn, while Parcells wanted a defensive player).  He led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI (with Belichick on board once again as DC and Glenn setting a rookie record with 90 receptions), but rumors about the coach's future in the weeks preceding the game was cause for distraction and New England subsequently lost the championship.   This falling out led to some shady dealings the following offseason as Parcells attempted to get out of his contract with the Patriots.  Parcells was eventually allowed to coach the rival New York Jets in exchange for a '99 1st round draft selection (used on Ohio State linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer) and some other lesser-valued picks.  Belichick and star RB Curtis Martin then followed Parcells to New York, and the Jets underwent a renaissance, arguably becoming the team to beat in the AFC East.  On top of all this, when Parcells left the Jets after the 1999 season, he tried to force Belichick to replace him as head coach in New York, but Belichick's tenure in New York was shortlived, resigning after one day on the job.  Soon Belichick would be hired by Kraft and lead the Patriots to their dynasty status in the 00's.  After a coaching stint in Dallas, Parcells once again became associated with an AFC East team, becoming the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins, a position he still currently holds.

5.  PEYTON MANNING

The epic Patriots-Colts rivalry of the past decade has been fueled by the exceptional play of each team's quarterback.  Playing in the same division for over thirty years, it has only been since 2001 (the Colts' last year before being realigned to the AFC South) that this matchup has really heated up and taken on a level of national importance.  Considered the two best AFC teams for most of the last decade, their regular season meetings have been circled by many football fans immediately following the annual release of the NFL schedule, and their post-season meetings have been memorialized in NFL lore.  With the Colts riding obscene statistics into the playoffs, the Patriots were still able to best them in both in the '03 AFC Championship and the '04 Divisional round on their way to Super Bowl wins.  Manning was regarded by many as a quarterback that could not get over the hump, and with each visit to Gillette Stadium, Patriots fans would happily remind him of this.  With meaningless gaudy stats and no postseason success to show for it, most Patriots fans hoped he was destined to be just another Dan Marino.  That all changed in 2006, as Peyton finally got the monkey off his back and dispatched the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game (overcoming a 21-3 deficit in the first half) en route to winning Super Bowl XLI.

In 2007, both teams met in November undefeated, with the Patriots coming out on top 28-24, the game being the latest in the season that two undefeateds have faced off against one another.   They have been matched up in the regular season every year since 2003 because of their continued dominance of their respective divisions, and are scheduled to play once again this November in Foxboro.  For being the face of the Colts' franchise and for his rivalry with Brady, Manning has to be considered one of the biggest villains in Patriots history.

4.  DON SHULA, MERCURY MORRIS, AND THE 1972 DOLPHINS

The only perfect season in the history of the NFL belongs to these '72 Dolphins.  Beating the Patriots twice during that season (including a 52-0 win in Miami) isn't why these Dolphins take the fourth spot on my villains list.  During the Patriots' attempt to duplicate the achievement in '07, the Dolphins, through the continued grandstanding of Mercury Morris, made it clear that they didn't believe that the Patriots deserved to go undefeated, publicly stating that the "Spygate" scandal was a blemish no matter what their record may otherwise indicate.  With the Giants' upset in the Super Bowl, we were once again bombarded with images of old men popping champagne bottles and celebrating themselves as they do each year when the last unbeaten falls.  I would say the worst part of the loss was the inability of the Patriots to take that tradition away from them.  Additionally, their opinions on the Patriots' run at perfection were not applied to the Colts and Saints last season, as Shula admitted to wanting to see both undefeated teams in the Super Bowl, and claiming that he wouldn't mind sharing their distinction with such classy organizations.  This obvious lack of respect should place them as villains in the hearts of Patriots fans everywhere.

Looking at their perfect achievement, there were some hurdles that New England had to deal with during their run that the Dolphins of '72 had the luxury of avoiding.  Playing a 14-game regular season obviously helped, but, additionally, the quality of their regular season opponents was anything but spectacular.  Aside from a 20-10 win over the Chiefs in the first week, the Dolphins did not face a single team that finished with a winning record before the playoffs (and the Chiefs finished 8-6).  Analysts were truly surprised when they went on to win the trophy (they were not favored in Super Bowl VII).  But they should be given credit for finishing what they started, especially for going on the road and beating an excellent Pittsburgh team in the AFC Championship game (sound familiar Patriots fans?).  Just contrast that to the Patriots' run, in which they defeated all AFC division winners during the regular season (including the before-mentioned meeting with the 10-0 Indianapolis Colts), and even beat the eventual-champion Giants in week seventeen to secure the second ever perfect regular season.  The league was a much different place in 1972, and even going undefeated, the '72 Dolphins were not one of the best teams in NFL history.  I offer that not as opinion, but as fact.

3.  DAVID TYREE

The unlikeliest of heroes in the unlikeliest of upsets, David Tyree stole the show as the Giants went on to defeat the undefeated.  An unheralded receiver out of Syracuse University, Tyree was a relative unknown for most NFL fans before Super Bowl XLII.  Although we are all aware of his miraculous catch in the waining moments, it was his 5-yard TD reception that put the Giants up with eleven minutes remaining that really cements his place on this list.  I think that is all that really needs to be said about this career special-teamer.  C'mon Rodney, you gotta make that play, baby!!

2.  THE DENVER BRONCOS

Of all the teams in the NFL, the Broncos have been the biggest thorn in the Patriots' side, from the word 'Go' to the present day.  They squared-off in the first ever AFL regular season game with the Broncos squeaking by 13-10 at Boston University Field.  The series was closely contested while they both resided in the AFL, with the Patriots holding a slim 10-8 edge.  But the story quickly changed post-merger.  After Boston's win in Denver in 1968, the next Patriots victory in the mile high city would have to wait until the year 2000, with Bill Belichick's first victory as head coach.  Over the course of those 32 years, New England would go 0-11 in Denver, 3-13 overall, a paltry winning percentage of just under 19 percent.  Winning at home in '80, the Patriots would lose ten straight to the Broncos at either location, finally beating Denver 24-23 at home in 1999.  

The only two playoff meetings between the clubs both occurred in Denver and both ended the Patriots' hopes for a championship.  In '86 the Patriots weren't able to defend their AFC crown, losing 22-17.  This served as retribution for the Broncos, as they were left out of the tournament in 1985, despite tying New England with an 11-5 record (again, sound familiar Pats fans?).   The Patriots' quest for the only three-peat in NFL history ended with a 27-13 loss at Mile High Stadium.  You may remember the Patriots knocking on the door for the lead only for Champ Bailey to return an interception over 100 yards to the Patriots one-yard-line, effectively ending the game.

With former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels now the head coach in Denver, it looks like this rivalry will continue, especially with some pundits calling the new Bronco organizational outfit "Foxboro West."

1.  BRETT FAVRE

Quick disclaimer: I personally have always hated Brett Favre.  Ever since Super Bowl XXXI, I have had an unreasonable disdain for the melodramatic gunslinger, and with the advent of the annual "Favre Retirement Watch", I'm sure many others, from Green Bay to New York, now share my sentiments.  But he holds a special place in the story of the Patriots, as he has played a hand in ending mulitple Patriot campaigns, losing games the Pats needed his team to win.

The first example of this was back in 2002.  A year after their stunning victory over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots were in a dogfight for the AFC East crown.  Needing a victory in their 1pm contest against the Dolphins and a Jets loss to the Packers later that afternoon, the Patriots won with a Vinatieri overtime kick to give themselves a shot.  The Packers, assured of at least a home playoff game but with the first-round bye still up for grabs, had everything to play for but were down 14-10 at the half.  Allowing 21 unanswered in the third, Favre was benched a minute into the fourth quarter.  With the Jet win, the Patriots' season was over.  How did it turn out for Favre and the Pack?  The next week they lost their first ever home playoff game to Micheal Vick and the Falcons, a streak that began in 1933.

The Packers once again changed the course of Patriots history in 2007, as they were unable to defeat the New York Giants in the NFC title game.  A boneheaded Favre interception (there have been a lot of those) in overtime led to a Giants field goal and the NFC crown.  The Giants, who the Patriots barely defeated by 3 in week 17 to clinch the NFL's first perfect regular season since 1972, knew that they could hang with the Patriots, and I believe that it was this extra confidence that kept Super Bowl XLII so tight throughout.  Its easier for me to blame Favre than Laurence Maroney or the offensive line, so that's what I'm gonna do here.  In an alternate reality, the Patriots defeat Green Bay in Glendale, get revenge for 1996, and are forever remembered for going 19-0.

After shedding tears at his retirement press conference prior to the 2008 season, Brett decided to give football another go, and after much ballyhooing, he was dealt to the New York Jets.  Beating the Matt Cassel-led Patriots at Gillette Stadium in overtime Thursday night in week 11, it seemed as if New York was in prime position to make a run to the playoffs.  Losing three of their next five, the Jets would not only need a win in the regular season finale at home versus the Dolphins, but would also need the Patriots to lose at Buffalo earlier that Sunday.  Once the Patriots won, however, it was New England that would need the help of New York, as only the division winner would be playoff-bound, and Miami held the tiebreaker.  Deep into the fourth quarter with the game in the balance, it was again an ill-fated Favre interception that ended the Patriots' year without a playoff appearance despite an 11-5 record.





So what do you think?  Who's ranked too high, and who's too low?  Did I miss someone completely?  Is my personal vendetta against Brett Favre clouding my judgement?  Who do you think is the biggest villain in Patriots' history??

It's The End Of The World!!!

Got two pieces of evidence for you:

1.  Syracuse loses to Army in first round of NCAA Lacrosse Tournament.  Yes, I'm biased, but the back-to-back champions should not have lost with five seconds left in double OT.  They didn't even get a shot off in the first overtime.  Ugly stuff.  Fun fact tho:  In the 39 year history of the College Lax Tourney Championship, only seven schools have brought it home: Syracuse (10), Johns Hopkins (9), Princeton (6), UNC (4), Virginia (4), Cornell (3), Maryland (2).

2.  ESPN has finally unveiled its master plan for 2010.  Both Aaron Boone and Nomar in the booth talkin' the "biggest rivalry in baseball."  Please spare us all.

Second Thoughts

To be clear, I don't think Brady should be traded.  Not unless a number of things out of the Patriots' control go a certain way.  I hope he leads us to the playoffs this year.


Really good win for the C's last night.  Really excited about their chances in Orlando with KG and Rondo playing so well.


Game 7 tonight, first goal's gonna say a lot.

A Little Blasphemy For Ya

File this one under "It'll never happen", but I was thinking, should the Patriots trade Tom Brady? The simple answer is no; he probably has three quality, top-flight years left in him and he gives the Patriots the best chance to win right now. However, there are several factors that must be considered, and I would pull the trigger on a deal in the near future if certain criteria were satisfied.


It is widely assumed that Brady and Peyton Manning are the two greatest quarterbacks of the current era (I would throw Drew Brees in there too, eventually even Aaron Rodgers maybe). The way that he was thrust into the spotlight after Mo Lewis' hit on Bledsoe and rallied the troops to the #2 seed, through the playoffs, and into Super Bowl-winning field goal range, he is more than deserving of his place in NFL lore (we can look forward to him hawking Sketchers Shape-Ups to the public somewhere down the line). However, the Dynasty Patriots were a balanced team, not afraid to pound it on the ground with Antowain Smith or Corey Dillon, hit those intermediate routes to Troy Brown or Deion Branch over the middle, and utilized the tight end efficiently and effectively. They had a suffocating defense that had the ability to make turnovers and take them to the house. They won playing smart, tough Patriots football.

Most importantly about Brady though, he was the epitome of the "Patriot Way". Many seasons he was awarded a prime parking space at Gillette Stadium for his commitment to the off-season conditioning program. The first one in the building and the last to leave, he served as a shining example to all his teammates and his leadership rubbed off on everyone. The Patriots were expected to win each and every Sunday (you remember 2007?), and under Brady's direction, they usually did.

Unfortunately, something has changed, and it is not all Brady's fault. Because of his excellent decision-making and pinpoint accuracy, the spread formation became the norm in Foxborough. Substituting the running game with the short passing game out of 4 to 5 WR sets, the Patriots took the NFL by storm in 2007, as the record books memorialize. But 18-1 should be considered a monumental failure, as the Lombardi Trophy is the true indicator of a successful season, not touchdown or scoring records. Belichick's fundamental shift in philosophy from a clock-controlling, physical offense to a pass happy JD McCoy 'Friday Night Lights' scheme led to so many victories that it has been here to stay. If Brady were to be dealt, this would have to be reversed.

An 11-5 record in 2008 was not good enough to earn a playoff berth, but this was accomplished with Matt Cassel starting for the first time since high school, not the Golden Boy. No longer being able to trust his quarterback to fling it all over the yard, Belichick was forced into a more balanced attack. Still, the Patriots finished '08 fifth in total offense, averaging 223 passing yards (12th in the NFL) and 142 rushing yards (6th) per game. Last year, the Patriots finished third in offensive yardage, but the split was much more lopsided, 120 rushing yards (12th in the NFL) and 277 passing yards (3rd) per. The lead back in '09, Laurence Maroney was limited to just 28 carries in 2008 for less than 100 yards due to injury. Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, LaMont Jordan and (LYM-favorite) BenJarvus Green-Ellis picked up the slack, with the committee totalling 1872 yards on 393 attempts for the year. In '09, with Maroney healthy for the majority of the year, he, Morris, Fred Taylor and Faulk combined for 1680 yards with only one fewer attempt. Stats aside, it clearly was difficult for the Patriots to run the ball in running situations last year, and the majority of the longer runs were made out of the shotgun formation on draw plays anyways. Lining up in multiple receiver sets every down is not how Brady won his Super Bowls, and if he were dealt, maybe the Patriots' coaching staff would return to what worked in the past.

The most distressing aspect of the post-injury Tom Brady is his new attitude toward life and football. Now a 32-year-old father of two, there are new things in his life that take up the time and energy he used to devote solely to football. I cannot blame the man for this, as football is just a game and family matters should always hold precedence. But fashion week in Paris cannot be a priority over the off-season conditioning program if he still is to be considered a 'team first' kind of leader. It seems the drive to be the best quarterback for the best team ever has been overtaken by complacency with past accomplishments. It is in this light that a Brady trade would make some sense.

Although somewhat trivial, there was one event last training camp that truly symbolized this transformation. Instead of wearing a Patriots cap during a post-practice interview, Tom donned a "TB12" lid, in an attempt to market his website and himself. Imagine Drew Bledsoe wearing a "DB11" cap if you can (on second thought, I would have bought a DB hat just 'cause of the comedic irony). Actions can speak louder than words, and the quarterback who was not individually announced prior to Super Bowl XXXVI (his coming out party) now places himself and his needs above the rest of the team. (Nightclubbing with a walking cast on in NYC with his supermodel girlfriend prior to the biggest game of his life also could be considered the beginning of the end of Super Patriot Brady.)

Tom is in the last year of his deal, and we all expect him to sign a lucrative deal sometime before the end of this season. With the labor unrest and the potential for a lockout still looming, I think this should be the last year for Brady in New England if the Patriots do not legitimately contend for the AFC title. Solid game-planning and physicality on both sides of the line are where football games are won and lost (see: the '09 New York Jets), not in ungodly statistics and stagnant one-dimensionalism. I ask the Patriots to rediscover that winning formula sooner rather than later, as Brady would still command a king's ransom in a trade.

Donovan McNabb was traded for a 2nd rounder and is only one year older than Brady, but I believe that there would be a bidding war for Brady's services if he were on the open market. He would bring instant legitimacy to a floundering franchise (think Arizona, Oakland, or San Fransisco) and put people in the seats (think Jacksonville or Cleveland). A needy team would likely give at the minimum a 1st and a 3rd round pick, maybe even more. With the defensive youth movement well underway, the Patriots need to find a legitimate halfback for their future in the draft, and then at that point Brady becomes expendable anyways, especially if 2011 is thrown out due to the labor situation. The best Patriot teams of the last decade (discounting the perfect storm of 2007) had a game manager at QB, and Belichick has had excellent success finding these players and putting them in a position to succeed (from Vinny Testaverde in Cleveland onward).



I say, let the team assembled play out 2010 and see what happens. If the early pronosticators are correct and the Jets and/or Dolphins outplay the Pats, I think the strategy should revert back to what worked, a young gun leading the team to the promised land against all odds. We need a quarterback to sip the Belichick syrup, breathe football, and lead by example. In summation, thanks for the memories Tom, but it worked better when you were more Mr. Patriot and less Mr. Hollywood.

Probably never happens, but it will in my Madden franchise.

It's Tuukka Time Tonight

In case you've been living under a rock (or outside of Boston) and haven't heard the 'It's Tuukka Time' song put out by Toucher and Rich of 98.5 The Sports Hub, here it is. Enjoy!!

I have always been a hockey fan, pretty much from NHL '94 on, but it was hard to really be a devoted Bruins fan. Recently, they have been the odd-team out in these parts, even though Boston has been, is, and always will be a hockey town. New England loves its hockey.

Since it felt as if management wasn't committed to putting together a team that could continually compete for the Cup, it was hard to invest the time and money necessary to be a hardcore fan. But each year the B's made it to the tournament, I was watching. Playoff hockey is a horse of another color, each shift could potentially win or lose a game and the urgency is palpable. Two years ago when the Bruins took the #1 seeded Canadiens to seven, it was awesome and even with elimination, it felt special. With last year's regular season success, the expectations were so high that losing game seven to the Hurricanes in OT stung hard. But the Bruins were back, people were excited about hockey, and we couldn't wait for 2009-10.

This past regular season was tumultuous at best. We traded away our leading goalscorer in the offseason and never found a replacement. Logically enough, we were the lowest scoring team in the NHL. We had injuries all over the place, and inconsistencies with our goaltending revolving door at times. A ten game losing streak had everyone jumping off the bandwagon, and the lofty expectations of the beginning of the year were completely dismissed if not forgotten.

Enter the emergence of Tuukka Rask, the rookie goalie who has everyone believeing again. Solid goaltending can win a series, and he outduelled Ryan Miller, the US Olympic goaltender, in the opening round. With this guy in net, the Bruins are in every game, and at this time of year, that is all you can ask for.

Which leads us to tonight, the closest thing to a must-win game a team up 3-1 can have. We don't want to have to go back to Philly, especially since Pittsburgh also could close out their series against Montreal tonight (they are up 3-2). The crowds at the Garden have been boisterous all postseason, and that seventh man(?) is a big reason why they are undefeated in five home playoff games. Winning with solid defense, opportunistic scoring (some of those redirects have been redonk) and Tuukka being the beautiful butterflyer that he is, they will give whichever team they face in the Eastern Conference championship a run for the Prince of Wales trophy.

But let's make that leap to the final four tonight. And (for the moment), let's go Canadiens...

Welcome To New England, Mr. Holt

Just a little story to pass along...

Since last summer, I have been employed at the restaurant at the Renaissance Hotel at Patriot Place, which is situated in Gillette Stadium's parking lot. I worked as a barback on gamedays last season, which was fine because the restaurant was dead during the games and we got to watch. The most memorable football-related moment of the season was when the whole ESPN booth came down to the bar after the thrilling opening night win against Buffalo. I got to dish about Syracuse football with fellow-alum Mike Tirico (he was real high on Greg Paulus, surprisingly enough) and Ron Jaworski kept calling me 'kiddo' every time he wanted another Mich Ultra. Jon Gruden was harassed by some drunk guys at the bar and Stu Scott had three blond girls around him at all times, who were all taller than him. It was a rather memorable night.

There have been some player sightings, namely Mike Wright, Brian Hoyer, and Brandon McGowen (Alex Smith was in a couple times before he was cut). Kevin Faulk was supposed to have a party with some of his friends and family but cancelled at the last minute (I was not allowed to keep the large banner congratulating him on making the 50th Anniversary team.)

But nothing tops last night, nothing comes close.

Nowadays, I'm the room service runner. And lo-and-behold, someone ordered a turkey club sandwich in one of the suites. I get to the room, give my customary three knocks and announce my presence with a booming "Room Service." The door opens, and standing in front of me is a shirtless Torry Holt. About my height, but the guy is a beast. He had his summer camp binder on the table, but unfortunately it was closed, so I didn't pick up any insider information. I'm pretty sure he didn't think I knew who he was, (ha!) but after standing in his room waiting for him to sign the slip and watching a couple minutes of the Suns game on his TV, I welcomed him to New England and wished him luck on the upcoming season.

Then it happened. Something that seldom happens, at least to me. Torry Holt said, "Thank you, sir." Guy's got a ring, he's now looking for one with the right colors, and he calls me 'sir'? I was smiling the rest of the night.



I have decided to take him in my fantasy draft, case closed (9th-10th Round you'd think, right?). And here's why:
Last year he had 51 catches for just over 700 yards on a Jacksonville team that was ranked in the bottom half of passing offenses (19th). He only caught about half the balls that David Garrard threw his way (103 targets) and none were for touchdowns. All these stats were CAREER LOWS for him. With Golden Boy Tom Brady throwing him the rock (and especially if we keep running the high school spread, even though I hate hate hate it), he will be rejuvenated next year. Hopefully Edelman will develop more consistency, but I look to Holt to fill in the void Wes Welker's knee has left. Torry has been lauded for his football IQ and leadership, and this will be a relief given the ineptitude of 'The Joey Galloway Experiment' in these departments last year.

I know that most things smell like roses at this point in the NFL calendar, but I truly believe that the Holt signing will pay major dividends as the Patriots attempt to right the ship after the embarrassment suffered to end last season. Wideout was considered a need in the draft, and I like what I've heard of this Taylor Price kid out of Ohio, but don't sleep on Torry, he'll make his fair share of noise.

Welcome to the Linebacker Youth Movement

I love sports, I really do. I am writing with this purpose in mind, to disseminate my passion, knowledge, and opinion on sports stories to anyone who wants to read it. I appreciate the overarching national scope of sports, yet most entries will center their attention on aspects relevant to the New England sports fan, as this is where my personal allegiances lie (more on that below). I expect most posts to be concise, dealing with one topic, and pretty linear, although some will undoubtly end up being rather lengthy. I envision the Linebacker Youth Movement to be a place where people can express their thoughts on the topics I bring up in an open forum, much like the Senate of the Roman Republic. I will be your loyal messenger and representative, much like Cicero, bringing things to your attention that you'll probably want to know.



What are my qualifications, you may ask. The next couple paragraphs will fill you in a little...

Born in 1985, (three days before the Patriots' first ever playoff victory (@ the Jets of all places)) I grew up twenty minutes west of Boston in Acton, Massachusetts. My father immigrated from Italy to the United States a year before I was born, so there was not much sports talk (other than 'calcio' of course) in my house while growing up. With the help of my elementary school classmates, however, my obsession over the Patriots developed rapidly, long before the astounding success of the last decade. The 1996 season was my first watching each and every game, of course ending with a surprise Super Bowl appearance (thank you, Jacksonville Jaguars). In tenth grade, my passion for the mediocre hometeam was borderline laughable; all of my history class notes were doodled upon with the Patriots schedule, roster, helmets, what have you, even when they were 0-2 coming off of a distressing 5-11 campaign. Come playoff time, I was writing "Fader the Raiders", "Peel the Steel" and (the oh-so unoriginal) "Slam the Rams" on as many chalkboards throughout my high school as possible. From that Ty Law pick six to that damn David Tyree anti-miracle, the Pats had quite the run. But its a new era looking forward (starting with Jerod and the rest of the Linebacker Youth Movement), and I am even more excited for this upcoming year than any I can remember. With 'Ra-Ra-Ra-Rexy and the Jets' thinking that their fantasy football team will have actual success (I read today that Jet fans polled on ESPN think they are going 15-1, only losing to the Pats at Gillette), the storylines will be fascinating. How is Tomlinson better than Thomas Jones? Oh, he's not. There will be lots of Patriots talk to come.

I was a senior in high school when the Sox lost the '03 ALCS to Aaron Boone and Co. My random quote in the yearbook was still "Ooorrrtttiiiiiizzzz" (what if Grady Little didn't pinch run for him in the 8th? Does he smash one out his next at bat? Does he eat a small child celebratoraly as he circles the bases?) The next year I was a first semester freshman at Syracuse University, and my supposed mancrush on David Ortiz was no longer a laughing matter, as you may remember the events of that October. Seeing the comeback of the millennium on rather neutral Central New York turf, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I know ZooMass had their ludicrous riots and everything on a much larger scale, but there were more than enough instances of reckless behavior in upstate New York to satisfy the large contingent of Sox fans going to school up there. Syracuse is probably 30% Yankees, 30% Sox, 20% Mets, 20% other baseball fanbase-wise. One of my fraternity brothers was even a hardcore fan of both New York baseball teams (yeah, that doesn't make sense to anyone) so the arbitrary numbers I just made up may not be entirely accurate.


That's it for now. Next time we'll delve into the playoff runs for the B's and C's, Syracuse Lacrosse or something like that. Thanks for reading, and leave some feedback if there's ever anything you'd like to say. Peace.