Author Archives

Unknown's avatar

Red

Bruins Do Just What You Thought They’d Do and Blow It to Force Game 7

By on • ( Leave a comment )

This is starting to have a very 2010 feel to it when the Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead to the Flyers and then a 3-0 lead in Game 7 to lose that series. That was one of the most stunning collapses I’ve ever seen. Granted it spurned the B’s on to winning a Stanley Cup the following year, but I’d rather not repeat that type of implosion here.

After dominating the first 2 games it looked like the B’s might actually sweep Toronto. Seriously, they dominated the Maple Leafs beating them 5-1 and 7-3 before splitting the next two. Throw in an incredible 31 save night from Tuukka in Game 4 (did you know you need your goalie to steal a game in the playoffs?), which he immediately followed up with getting pulled in Game 5.

If he has a bad game tomorrow night I fully expect ol’ Milk Crates to come out.

Now the Bruins, who were challenging for the No. 1 seed in the East until the final day of the season, and seemed set to cruise through the first round, are suddenly faced with playing a Game 7 they want no part of. Thank god its at home, but quotes like this from Toronto are what worry me the most:

Thats the problem. The Bruins have allowed Toronto to get comfortable.

Ridiculous plays like this from Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen did not help either, especially with half the fans ready to bench Rask.

The longer this series goes on the worse I feel and last night I started to feel that creeping sense of doubt. These guys might actually blow this thing.

There has also been some questionable officiating, which actually went both ways for the B’s last night. They dodged a bullet when the refs called a goal back after replay showed the Leafs player basically punting Tuukka’s blocker out of the crease. But then they got hosed late in the game after they’d already pulled the goalie to get the extra man and the refs swallowed their whistles on a clear interference. I still don’t understand that.

For a team thats been so good all year long it would be a huge disappointment to bow out in the first round, especially in this fashion. The Bruins are clearly built for the long term as Don Sweeney somehow rebuilt this team on the fly infusing the veteran core with young studs like Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo, and Ryan Donato. But this could be the last serious playoff run with guys like Chara, Krejci, Bergeron, Marchand, and Tuukka all playing together at a high level. Don’t waste that.

Speaking of young studs, I think its time to make some changes Bruce…unleash the baby faced assassin.

Welp for better or for worse we have the most exciting night in sports coming to Boston on Thursday: Game 7.

Tom Brady’s Agent Don Yee Says He Expects Brady to Play in 2018

By on • ( Leave a comment )

ESPN – Despite a certain level of uncertainty within the New England Patriots’ organization, Tom Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said he expects his client Tom Brady to return for the 2018 season. “Tom’s intentions have not changed,” Yee said Monday. “He’s consistently said he’ll play beyond this contract and into his mid 40s, or until he feels he isn’t playing at a championship level. I understand the constant speculation, but this is one point he’s been firm about.”

Hallelujah. For all the snarky folks on Twitter saying Tom Brady is under contract and shouldn’t have to announce he’s going to play, it should be expected. Well, sure I mean technically you’re right, but here in reality we’re dealing with a 41 year old player who has been ominously tight lipped about his employment status for 2018. So while it shouldn’t be required, its definitely helpful for my sanity because if we’ve learned anything this offseason its to expect nothing without confirmation.

I don’t need any kind of tacit, unspoken agreement right now, I need someone to come out and tell me without a shadow of a doubt that Tom Brady will be under center this coming season. And while this isn’t quite that, its without a doubt the closest thing we’ve heard to date. Especially with this little thing called the NFL Draft coming up in 3 days. So yea it helps to know we’ll have a QB this year and the Patriots don’t HAVE to draft a new signal caller on Day 1. They still might, but at least we have Plan A ready to go. The last thing you want is to go from one play away from winning the Super Bowl immediately into the succession plan 7 months later with a rookie QB.

There is only one thing we say to Tom Brady retirement rumors.

Apparently Tom Brady Hasn’t Committed to Playing in 2018. This is My Nightmare

By on • ( Leave a comment )

So after my Patriots blog yesterday telling everyone to RE-LAX, Adam Schefter just told me to go get my shine box.

I’m just going to quickly summarize my emotions in the only way I know how because I’m a socially awkward millennial; using a GIF.

I don’t want to do a full 180 on my take from yesterday because I still believe everything I wrote, but that was also with me assuming the psychotically competitive Tom Brady would compartmentalize whatever bullshit disputes there were going on so he could get back to chasing Super Bowls.

But now Adam Schefter comes in from the clouds to ruin my Wednesday morning commute with a report that Brady hasn’t officially committed to playing in 2018. Does that mean he’s out? Of course not. Does this concern the shit out of me? Absolutely. With all the soap operas surrounding this team for the past 4-5 months, the reported power struggles, the alarmingly open ended finale to Tom vs Time; all of that has been building up and stewing. For a team that has always kept distractions to a minimum (they literally killed Tebow Mania in an afternoon) this, their biggest distraction ever, has only gotten worse. Typically when you keep sparking flint near a powder keg it doesn’t just resolve itself and go away. No, that shit usually blows sky high.

So if Brady comes back and plays then obviously no harm no foul, but the fact that IF he’ll play this season is even a question is a problem. What I really do not want to see this turn into is the modern day Brett Favre saga. That was painful to watch and you know it pissed off everyone involved. But more so, you just know Belichick will shut that shit down like he’s late on the cable bill if Brady waffles on playing. I mean the NFL Draft is next week for christ’s sake. Would it surprise anyone if the Pats said oh you’re not sure if you want to play? Welp we just traded up and drafted a new franchise QB.

Its like Bill Belichick is Arthur Curry

And I’m Bruce Wayne. “Thats not the saying.”

I would hate to see my favorite team and my favorite player break up over this high stakes pissing match just because Bill wouldn’t let Tom’s guru personal trainer into the locker room. This is on everyone by the way, I’m not blaming Brady or Belichick. Together they’re still the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl. We’re all adults here so lets be better. Thats what they’ve done for 18 years.

Is Shohei Ohtani Charmin Soft for Asking Fans to Be Quiet When He Hits?

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Yahoo – USA Today reported that three women who were sitting behind the visitors’ dugout at Kauffman Stadium on Friday night for the Angels game against the Kansas City Royals were asked by stadium security to stop cheering so loudly during Shohei Ohtani’s at-bats. The message reportedly came from the Angels dugout.. The women, who were Japanese exchange students, had no problem quieting down. And they didn’t just quiet down, they fell completely silent during Ohtani’s next at-bat. After the game, a 5-4 for the Angels in which Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a double, Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara shed a little light on the situation to USA Today. “He heard it, he’s thankful for the cheers,’’ said Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s interpreter, “but at the plate, he likes to focus and block out the noise.” Ohtani, as is his way, focused on the effect it had on the team as a whole. “I was aware of that,’’ Ohtani said, “but I wasn’t the one that asked for that. (The Angels) just did it so everyone could focus at the plate. “I was thankful for that.”

If I’m an Angels fan I would be RATTLED by this story. You mean the guy that of all the places he could have signed with he chose the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? The guy that dodged every single big market. That guy is now complaining that fans are CHEERING too loud for him? Ohtani said he didn’t actually request it, but he appreciated it. Ya sure thing buddy. I’m sure Mike Trout knows how tough cheering fans can be so he made security tell these 3 college kids to pipe down.

Now Ohtani has been incredible to start his career so this isn’t really a huge story. Yet. But if and when he hits some turbulence I will be fascinated to see how he responds. Does he block it all out and get back on track without issue? Or does he crumble because everyone is yelling at him?

This was at a home game by the way. Just wait until he plays a big game on the road. Red Sox and Yankees fans are going to have a field day with this. Just imagine trying to tell these boozed up degenerates they need to be quiet so Shohei can concentrate at the plate. Good. Luck.

In These Dark Days for Patriots Fans I Offer a Market Correction

By on • ( 1 Comment )

With all the hysteria surrounding the Patriots after some viral comments from former players like Danny Amendola and the missed OTAs by Gronk and Brady, I think its time for a little market correction. And no this is 100% not an increasingly on edge Patriots fan trying to force some sunshine into your newsfeed…

Obviously with every hot take artist out there all we here is how Amendola called Bill Belichick an asshole, but conveniently leave out the fact that Amendola in the very next sentence goes on to laud the approach because it was what made them successful, which is why he respects Bill.

“It’s not easy, that’s for sure. He’s an asshole sometimes. There were a lot of things I didn’t like about playing for him, but I must say, the things I didn’t like were all in regards to getting the team better, and I respected him,” he said. “I didn’t like practicing in the snow, I didn’t like practicing in the rain, but that was going to make us a better football team and that was going to make me a better football player. It wasn’t easy, and he’d be the first to admit, at the [Super Bowl] ring ceremony, that it wasn’t easy playing for him. The silver lining was that we were at the ring ceremony.“

Now everyone is freaking out because Brady and Gronk missed the start of OTAs leaving out the fact that they’re voluntary workouts. Literally, they’re workouts, not practices:

And while I still don’t love the idea of Brady missing anything, its not entirely unprecedented. He’s missed some time in OTAs in 08, 09, and 2010. Lets not mention the fact that those were some of the leanest years for the franchise in the past 20 years….

MOVING ON

The point of this blog is to offer a market correction. Lets right set exactly what draws players to this horrible place we call New England, even knowing full well how much of a psycho the guy twirling the whistle on his finger is.

Martellus Bennett recently announced his retirement after an injury shortened second stint with the Patriots. When Bennett was healthy he was an absolute stud and a huge factor in the Patriots winning another Super Bowl. Another shining example of a “problem player” coming to NE and somehow just “figuring it out.” That shit is not a coincidence folks. Bennett actually does a great job of illuminating exactly why this approach is so successful, especially for players that have not been in a similar environment previously.

“Bennett played for five teams in his 10 NFL seasons, but he says the Patriots are different, and that his time with the organization helped prepare him to run his own business. “It was the first team I ever went to where I got an employee handbook,” he says. “And I was like, ‘Wait, what? An employee handbook?’ It was the first place where you felt like, they’re running a business, you’re part of a business, this is your role in the business, this is what we expect from you.”

He adds that he observed a policy of transparency around the franchise: “The thing about the Patriots is the honesty around the building, from top to bottom,” he says. “Everyone is honest with everyone. If someone feels a certain way, they’re honest about it, Bill’s honest about it, he tells you exactly what he’s feeling. Some teams like to deal with issues with players in private, but everybody knows what’s going on, but then nobody knows the result of what really happened, so it creates gossip. With the Patriots, there’s not room for that, because everything is upfront.”

So the Patriots expect a ton from you. In return they are honest (if painfully so), transparent, clear in their expectations, and they lay out exactly what is required to do your job. That sounds simplistic, but its really not. Most businesses in this country don’t even run that way. Most businesses have a fundamental crack in one of those pillars, which creates ambiguity, confusion, resentment, and dissension. The Patriots have a rock solid foundation, which is why they are successful.

Then we have free agents who willingly elect to sign with the Patriots. But why? If so many guys hate it then why do they come here? Because they know by playing for the Patriots they will maximize every single ounce of potential they have as a player. For Jordan Matthews that was too good to pass up.

“I think probably the biggest reason [for picking New England] was I knew this was the best opportunity for me to grow as a player,” Matthews told reporters Thursday at Gillette Stadium. “I had some other teams that contacted me that I visited, but I knew just as a player and as a man — I’m recently married, about to have my first child — I don’t think I’m called to be comfortable. And I knew this would be a great place for me to grow, not only as a player but as a man in general.”

Does this guy sound like a Patriot from Day 1 or what? We continue.

“I feel like it’s so easy for us as people to say, ‘OK, what’s the easiest role, and what’s the path of least resistance?’ And then we look up at our lives and we’re 80 years old, and we haven’t done anything great. And so, In my life, in my self, I’m not looking for the easiest route to make myself look great. I want to always do what’s going to make it harder for me to attain any level of success, so that way, anything I can do has meaning.”

God I hope this dude makes the team.

So as I round the corner heading into 1,000 words my point to everyone reading this is just take a deep breath and RE-LAX. Have things been a bit more rocky since the Seth Wickersham article came out? Yes. Have we started hearing more about the TB12 power struggle, Tom vs Time questioning Brady’s future, and Gronk openly waffling on playing in 2018? Yes, yes, yes. Have we had to watch beloved guys like Danny Amendola sign for more money somewhere else? Yup. But this is the way its always been with the Patriots and for good reason.

So while it may be a Patriots homer kind of thing to say, but I’m going to sit back and let the team do its thing because thats whats gotten them 5 Super Bowls. Having Tom Brady lets the team cover A TON of their deficiencies, but reading those quotes from Martellus Bennett and Jordan Matthews just remind me that this organization is built to be more than just a football team. They’re a business operation.

Red Sox vs Yankees III: Porcello Nearly Throws No-Hitter in Another Boston Victory

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t watch a ton of this game since the Bruins started their Cup run at the same time last night. But here are the highlights in case you also decided to watch playoff hockey over April baseball for some reason.

Hanley got beaned in the goddamn wrist in the 1st inning.

Intentional? Hard to say. Does that make me less pissed? Of course not. Because there’s nothing I love seeing more than the Red Sox hottest hitter taking a fastball off the wrist. Worked out great for Nomar.

Not that I would necessarily trust medical reports from Hanley Ramirez, but he himself said late last night that he should be fine so thats a relief.

Frederick Alfred Porcello was DEALING as he carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning. I’m sure the 45 minute rain delay didn’t help his case, but we seem to be getting more Cy Young Rick and less MLB Leader in Losses Rick so thats great to see.

As compensation for shielding Joe Kelly from wild haymakers the night before (Sox third base coach Carlos Febles was not so lucky) Aaron Judge was the one to ruin Porcello’s no-no with a double in the 7th inning.

The Sox piled on Sonny Gray early and often, who hasn’t been able to replicate his early career success in the past 3 years. Going into the game Gray was 1-4 with a 4.93 ERA in six career starts vs. Boston, and 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts at Fenway Park. Sonny had a rough go last night too, getting slapped around for 6 earned runs in 3 innings. Very bad!

The bullpen nearly blew a 6-run lead, but Craig Kimbrel came in and slammed that door shut as the Sox took a 6-3 win. Boston improved to 10-2 and a 2-1 record against the Yankees in the first series of the season. With 16 more games to go it’s going to be awesome watching the bad blood boil over between these two sides as they’re grinding it out for the AL East crown all summer long.

Nazem Kadri Needs to Be Suspended for This Scumbag Hit in Game 1 of Bruins, Maple Leafs Series

By on • ( Leave a comment )

So last night Tommy Wingels was on the wrong end of a completely unnecessary cheap shot from Toronto’s Nazem Kadri. Wingels was chasing a puck and boxing out a Maple Leafs player before he lost his balance and ended up on his knees. Nazem Kadri apparently saw this as a ripe opportunity to tee off on Wingels’ cranium.

Thats not even the worst angle either. The video above makes it look like a cheapshot, which is bad enough. The full view though shows Kadri literally sprinting across the ice to really lay into this hit.

Unbelievable. Granted he received a 5 minute major and was ejected from the game, but come on man that hit goes beyond dangerous. Wingels looked like he was on another planet too once he actually picked himself up off the ice.

Well at least Kadri expressed a little remorse after the game right?

“I was committed to the hit and ended up falling,” Kadri said after the game.

Hey look, man, tell me you don’t like my firm, tell me you don’t like my idea, tell me you don’t like my fuckin neck tie, but don’t tell me you brained Tommy Wingels because you were “falling.”

Now he’s clearly going to get suspended, but this shouldn’t just be a one game slap on the wrist. If Marchand gets suspended 5 games for table topping a guy, Kadri needs to get at least that for targeting a defenseless player’s head while also charging across the ice and leaving his feet. Thats a trifecta of unnecessary.

NHL Player Safety‘s list of what’s taken into account when deciding on discipline (literally the first two) pretty accurately describe the hit on Wingels.

“… In deciding on Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct, the following factors will be taken into account:
(a) The type of conduct involved: conduct in violation of League Playing Rules, and whether the conduct is intentional or reckless, and involves the use of excessive and unnecessary force. Players are responsible for the consequences of their actions.
(b) Injury to the opposing Player(s) involved in the incident.”

Since I don’t really follow Toronto hockey all that closely outside of Auston Matthews goal totals, I’m not super familiar with Kadri’s suspension history. Turns out he’s a habitual line stepper.

  • On November 13, 2013, Kadri delivered an elbow to the head of Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Bäckström. As a result, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed Kadri a three-game suspension
  • He received four games for illegally checking Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Fraser in the head
  • On April 4, 2016, Kadri was again suspended by the NHL after he delivered a cross-check to the head of Detroit Red Wings centre Luke Glendening. Kadri received a four-game suspension for the incident, effectively ending his season, and as a repeat offender under the collective bargaining agreement he was also fined $200,000.

Throw the book at this dickhead.

Belichick Tells Cordarrelle Patterson “We Get the Job Done Here.” SO Cocky and I Love It.

By on • ( Leave a comment )

NESN – Bill Belichick apparently believes he can unlock Cordarrelle Patterson’s full potential. Patterson, who was traded from the Oakland Raiders to the New England Patriots last month, has been a special teams star during his five-year NFL career but only a sporadic offensive contributor, able to break long gains with his speed and athleticism but lacking consistent production as a receiver or ball-carrier. Belichick hopes to change that. During an appearance Wednesday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” Patterson recalled the first conversation he had with the Patriots coach after the trade was completed. “He was just telling me, ‘I don’t know what you’ve been through in the past, but we get the job done here,’ ” Patterson said. “‘We’re going to make you the player that you should be.’ ” …“I got a call from my agent, and he was like, ‘You’re getting traded to the Patriots,’ ” Patterson said on “Good Morning Football.” “I was like, ‘Stop lying.’ He was like, ‘No, I’m serious.’ So I was like, ‘OK, let’s go.’ I was excited. They make it to the Super Bowl almost every year … so it was an exciting feeling to me.”

I was having a chat with Joey B yesterday about the Patriots receiving corp for the 2018 season and he expressed some concern about the team’s lack of a deep threat after the trade of Brandin Cooks. Now we do in fact have Cordarrelle Patterson (4.4 second 40 time) and Philip Dorsett (4.3 second 40 time) on the roster so those are your de facto flag route guys.

But, I honestly don’t think the Pats need a pure deep threat and I think thats something they forgot last year as they tried to force balls to Cook down the field. Tom Brady was forced to stand in the pocket longer so those deep routes had time to develop, which resulted in Brady taking more than twice as many sacks (35) than he did the previous year (15). So thats more hits on Brady than you’d like to see your 40-year-old QB take. Plus with their longtime left tackle gone thats an issue you want to mitigate even further so TB12 isn’t susceptible to unnecessary shots. Plus the Patriots have never needed or relied on a prototypical deep threat as part of a Super Bowl winning offense. Its always been about the short routes, working the slot, timing, quick in and out routes, and Gronk when he’s been healthy.

With all of that being said, how can you not love Belichick? He knows all of this, but he’s so cocky in his ability to put players in a position to succeed he straight up tells the guy all your other coaches have been garbage, but we get the job done here. We tell you to Do Your Job and if you worry about that and only that you’ll have the opportunity to maximize your talents. Just look at guys he’s done this with in the past: Julian Edelman, Danny Woodhead, Troy Brown, Deion Lewis, Wes Welker, Chris Hogan etc. The hoodie knows how to take advantage of a player’s very particular set of skills:

Not to mention these guys are often the same guys that have fallen out of favor with their old teams, which is why their stock is so low to begin with. So its a great marriage of opportunity and timing.

Roll the tape!