Rob Gronkowski and Matt Light were caught on camera partying shirtless on stage with LMFAO at the Patriots after-party just hours after losing the Super Bowl on Sunday night/early Monday morning.

Is there anything wrong with this picture?

I have a few different feelings about this…

First, Light is 34 years old and a little long on the waistband. Are you seriously dancing topless on the stage at a LMFAO show?

Second, how the hell is Gronk moving so well on his severely injured ankle??? Yo soy fiesta, indeed.

Finally, I realize that Gronk and Light (and others) have had a very long season and worked like hell to get where they got. But after that loss, this looks pretty bad:

If I (as a fan) am feeling crappy and dejected and not in the mood to party after watching Sunday’s game, does it appear that I care more about the game than they do? It sure does appear that way, but let’s be honest, I have no idea how a loss like that feels for the players. I only know as a fan.

So, I guess it’s their life, and people have their own ways of coping with things.

If we want to look at it a different way… the players had a bad day at work on Sunday, and what do people usually want to do after a bad day of work? They drink. So, they drank.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Opinion, Patriots.

Let’s take Sunday’s excruciating and heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Giants, for example. How can anything good come out of that?

Behold…

Get out of the way, AC Slater! (NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES)

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Now!, Patriots.

Had to sit down and watch the game again without a crowd where men were yelling for a beer and wives yelling for people to be quiet during commercials. They still lost, sorry to say. Some thoughts and observations are below…

1. Biggest Plays of the Game:

1. Wes Welker’s drop – I’m adjusting my blame from 60% on Tom Brady to 50% / 50%
2. Tom Brady missing Deion Branch over the middle on the last drive
3. Twelve men on the field (somewhere Don Cherry is throwing up in his mouth)
4. Rob Ninkovich jumping offsides on the 16 with 13:18 left in the quarter (on what would have been fourth down and Eli starting to short arm the ball). Giants didn’t give up possession until 9:31, adding 40 yards of field position and costing 3:47 of critical time.
5. Crazy catch by Manningham on the last drive

2. Worst Player on the Field:

Though Vince Wilfork was getting knocked off the line and turned, while only being double-teamed a quarter of the time, Logan Mankins was the worst player on the field (easily):

* He was the last line of defense before the Intentional Grounding for the safety
* Got blown up forcing Brady to scramble outside and eventually throw the interception
* Whiffed on the sack on the last drive, forcing Brady to use up the final timeout on third down.
* Whiffs on play before fateful pass to Welker, allowing BJGE to be tackled for three-loss yard loss and then forcing a passing situation on second down and long.

3. Officials:

* On the fumble with 12 men on the field, an official blew his whistle before the Patriots recovered – would have been interesting…
* Still think that the call for intentional grounding was unnecessary considering the situation (see Game 7 – Bruins vs. Tampa Bay)

4. Offense:

* Tom Brady had another intentional grounding in the game when he rolled right (out of pocket) and dumped it into the ground but never back to the line of scrimmage.
* Why wasn’t Tom Brady running the play clock down on the second to last drive
* Patriots scored two touchdowns from 4:00 left in the first half (96 yards) to  3:40 into the second half and then nothing
* Danny Woodhead huge game – big third down conversion / touchdown
* Could Ocho Cinco have stretched the field a little bit?
* In back to back Super Bowls – after two weeks of film study the Patriots came  out with offensive plays that were failures to start the game

5. Defense:

* Kyle Arrington, please work on wrapping up in the offseason
* Kyle Love and Vince Wilfork looked like the Washington Generals against the Harlem Globetrotters
* If you add a stud linebacker with Mayo and Spikes, you might have something there

6. NY Giants:

* Catch by Manningham is the second best catch in Super Bowl history behind Santonio Holmes, and then there’s Lynn Swann’s juggling catch
* NY Giants again pre-game talk trash and live to be champions
* Crazy rush by Tuck to hurt Brady’s shoulder – he was in coverage and came 20 yardsto get the hit and change the game.
* Huge drive after the Patriots scored twice by the Giants to regain momentum and score a field goal.

 7. Bill Belichick:

* Should he have challenged the time out by Eli Manning – don’t know if he signaled before zero on play clock – next play was the Nickovich off sides – ughh
* Great coaching job this year

 8. Giants that were hurt and stopped the clock:

* 47 - Beckham – out for the game
* 90 – Jones – out for one play
* 82 – Manningham – out for one play
* 85 – Ballard – out for the game
* 31 – Artrell Rolle – out for one play

9. Last Drive:

* Can’t believe Brady threw behind Branch – it was wide open for50 yards if he threw ahead – afterwards Branch motioned with his hand that Brady should have thrown it ahead of him
* Hernandez drop was a choke play
* Mankins getting blown up for sack caused Patriots to use last time out
* Amazing fourth and 16 conversion with Brady sliding to his left like in 2002 Super Bowl to Troy Brown
* Catch by Welker and downed the ball but two seconds went off clock after play whistled and not put back
* Too many men on field for Giants costs 9 seconds – NFL rule should be time put back on clock to original time (or shy not put 15 men on the field until the clock runs out)
* Amazing catch by Deion Branch out of bounds
* On the Hail Mary, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker were transfixed watching the play instead of moving in toward the ball just like Phi Slamma Jamma was on the shot by Derrick Wittenberg of North Carolina State caught and dunked by Lorenzo Charles to win the 1983 NCAA Championship:

10. Randomocity:

* I hate to say it – but if I was with the Patriots, WBZ-TV or WEEI – I would not allow Roslindale native, Boston College’s Steve DeOssie, to work for my station after his talking during Super Bowl week to Giant crowd from stage: “I feel like I’ve come home here (to New York)…I struggle sometimes up in New England but I know I got home in New York. I love you guys (Giants fans)”

* Patriots beat one team with a .500 + record
* Giants punter destroyed the Patriots punter (low flat punt allowed Giants to start 4th quarter possession at Pats 48
* On the great break-up by Sterling Moore – Chris Collinsworth literally screamed that’s “interference!” causing Al Michaels to add – “big non call!”
* I agree with Gerry Callahan – Chevy has a nerve putting out that commercial of surviving the Mayan Apocalypse – as he said: “they couldn’t ever survive the recession on their own.”
* Great years for the Mara family – win the Super Bowl and family member nominated for an Oscar in Dragon Tattoo
* Tom Brady and the team has to pull a Larry Bird off-season and demand that they get better.
* Tom Brady the quarterback has to be a man on a mission and will his team to two more Super Bowls and play with a chip on his shoulder. Bill Belichick the GM has to be better. Bob Kraft the Owner has to lock up Bill Belichick for five years (% of ownership).

© Michael for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Patriots, Top Story.

A heartbreaking loss for New England; another well-fought victory for New York. New York won again behind a season eerily similar to four years ago. Tom Coughlin continues to expand his record for most times being fired without actually being fired, and now has another Super Bowl to his credit. And the AFC finally won a coin toss for the first time in 15 years. The last AFC team before the Pats to win one? The Pats.

With most votes going with city lines, the Giants pulled off the upset in our Pick ‘Em contest. Scoring, turnovers and passing were all low, leading to few points across the board. But that doesn’t mean the scoring wasn’t close. In fact, despite double points, the final score came down to four points. And the winner of the 2012 NFL Playoffs Pick ‘Em is…Edward. Given the Super Bowl, I suppose it’s only fitting that the New Yorker of the contest wins. Solid picks throughout the rounds allowed Edward to come out on top.

So with the contest over, check below for the final results and standings. And remember to come back next September for next season’s Pick ‘Em.

Table Legend:

• Four-point picks are boldfaced.
• Two-point picks are italicized.
• Zero-poin picks are crossed out.

Previous Results

• Pro Bowl
• Conference Championships
• Divisional Round
• Wildcard Round

© John for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Now!, Opinion, Patriots.

Everyday we do our best to fight the good fight. We go to work, survive bosses, tolerate traffic, make sincere efforts to parent to the best of our abilities, do our best to appease spouses, pay the bills, go to sleep and then wake up and do the same thing over again. To do more than just subsist, we must be able to attach ourselves to something that distinguishes us from others.

The Patriots and primarily Tom Brady and Bill Belichick up to this point, have given us the ability to feel special and unique. Their successes have allowed us, up to this point, to say that we, in some small way, we are part of something that is extraordinary. But, now we’re just fans of  another really good team. Somewhere, Joe Montana and Vince Lombardi can go to sleep Sunday night with their legacy secure while we replay what could have been and wonder why we’re not fans of the greatest football team ever. Like the groundhog not seeing his shadow – the Patriots losing means our winter will be longer and we’re no longer special!

1. Random Thoughts

* Tom Brady only player that came out without a helmet
* I guess the Red Hoodie wasn’t the difference in the 2007 outcome
* Both QB’s forgot to shave
* Should the Patriots be allowed to pick up a player less than 24 hours before the Super Bowl?
* Tom Coughlin and Tom Brady sang the national anthem (most players, I’m sure, don’t know the words)
* Without question the play to Wes Welker with 4:00 left – is the play of the game
* Three fumbles by the Giants and the Pats recovered NONE!
* Starting to think that Boston sports magic is fading away
* Bad challenge by Belichick costing the team a timeout – I think his record down the stretch was average on challenges
* Square 9-0 came up for the first and second quarter
* Think the intentional grounding is a questionable call in the Super Bowl
* They had to win the turnover battle (they lost) / Brady needed a 100% QB rating – 91% / They couldn’t give up 30 yard plays they gave up one BIG one / Less than 2 sacks – they gave up 2
* First Kraft sighting was third quarter (late)
* Worst thing is that nationally they will say – Patriots never won without SpyGate
* Vegas got killed / local bookies clean up
* Jets fans, Montana, Steeler fans, 49ers fans – and damn Giants fans celebrating
* Four of the five Patriots Super Bowls have been determined in the last minute
* Brady will have surgery on that left shoulder

2. OFFENSE

* Danny Woodhead had a huge game (I didn’t think they should dress him instead of Kevin Faulk) but his first down late on the swing pass could have been the game
* Doesn’t the offensive line want to cut some of those defensive linemen?
* Brady should have taken a timout earlier in the last-second drive of the first half
* If Tom Brady leads Deion Branch with a minute left, it’s a touchdown
* Logan Mankins in back-to-back Super Bowls looking like Max Lane– should be less “tough guy” and better blocker
* Ochocinco had a catch – gives him 16 in 18 games
* Thought some Red Zone play calling was conservative
* Gronkowski can’t allow that interception – and Brady has to throw that deeper
* Patriots didn’t score the last 26:20 of the game (four drives: punt, interception, punt, Hail Mary)

3. DEFENSE:

* I said one play over 30 yards and they lose, and the 38-yard pass to Manningham was it
* Sterling Moore is Dave Henderson – clutch plays in loss that will go forgotten
* Offsides by Rob Nickovich was Bill Buckner-esque on third down and incomplete
* Thought Devin McCourty had a good game and secured the starting safety position
* Twelve men on the field huge play in the game – cost them a fumble and points
* Why did Jerod Mayo have his back to the football on the slant touchdown to Victor Cruz?
* Too bad Vince Wilfork didn’t make the flight

4. NBC Broadcast (including commercials):

* Does Chris Collinsworth dislike the Patriots?
* Best commercials – kid peeing in pool / Camaro commercial for high school graduate
* NFL and NBC and the federal government should make performers sign a contract of conduct to perform with decorum at America’s greatest showcase – M.I.A. should be put in jail for the flipping the bird
* David Beckham commercial looked like a junkie in Fruit of the Looms – go back to the fruit guys

5. New York Giants:

* Tom Coughlin: His team, like expected, was well-prepared. New York media wanted him fired six weeks ago…
* Giants started 2007 with a nine-minute drive / this year a six-minute drive
* Eli Manning – Yet another QB with a QB rating over 100 (103.8) – the pass to Manningham was insane
* Salsa dancer – Pats D did a nice job on Cruz except for the TD
* At one point in the game, Antrel Rolle made a tackle after a Patriot first down and got up and celebrated
* Ahmad Bradshaw would have been the biggest goat in sports history if Patriots came back and won after falling into the end zone

6. Officials:

* They did a fine job – although the intentional grounding was not the time or place.
* Sterling Moore’s tip got Coughlin’s jugular to protrude, but it was a fair call

7. Stats:

* Turnovers: 1 to 0
* QB Rating: Brady needed 100 rating and came up with 91.1
* Time of Possession: Giants 37:05 / Patriots 22:55
* 81 total passes to 47 rushes

8. How proposals worked out:

* Player to win MVP: Eli Manning
* Player to score first touchdown: Victor Cruz
* Eli’s & Brady’s First pass: Reception (started 9 for 9) / Intentional Grounding
* Kelly Clarkson National Anthem1:340/U:1:33for National Anthem
* Will New England convert a fourth down: Once (the pass to Branch on the last drive)
* First missed field goal will be left / right / short: None missed

9. Patriots Final Games:

The Patriots are responsible for easing the arduous frustrations of long winters for over a decade now – below are the dates of last game each year.

• 2012, February 5
• 2011, January 16
• 2010, January 10
• 2009, December 28
• 2008, February 3
• 2007, January 21
• 2006, January 14
• 2005, February 6
• 2004, February 1
• 2003, December 29
• 2002, February 3

10. This spring’s Draft Picks for the Patriots:

Draft from April 26-28…

• 1^st Round – 27^th (From Saints)
• 1^st  Round – 31
• 2^nd Round – 48 (from Raiders)
• 2^nd Round – 63
• 3^rd Round – 93
• 4^th Round – 124
• 7^th Round – 217

Needs – Safety, 2 Wide Receivers, Offensive lineman, Linebacker,

© Michael for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Patriots, Top Story.

The Super Bowl is finally here, and once again, it’s New England vs. New York (if you include the other side of the New Jersey border). The SoB (in red)/SoNY (in green) rivalry is continuing in full swing as well, with the Pats getting the majority of picks to win their fourth ring. (True, most panelists are from Boston, but the Giants swung one of those votes.) Based on our picks, it looks to be a medium-to-high scoring game, though not an absolute shootout.

The passing looks to be in the low-to-mid 300s to top off the day, with a few turnovers thrown in. The MVP depends on who you ask, with only Tom Terrific getting multiple votes.

All categories are the same as last round, with the addition of picking the total combined turnovers of both teams. And also, for the Super Bowl, all point values are doubled! That mean’s it’s worth four points for anyone who guesses the winner of any game, two points if they can guess combined touchdown totals of the two teams to within one (or four points if they guess the total exactly right) and two points if they can guess the total passing yardage of each game’s top passer to within 50 (or four points if they get within 10 and six points if they guess it exactly right [just for the Super Bowl]). Correctly guessing the game’s MVP is worth two points, and guessing the combined turnover total of both teams is worth two points if guessed to within one (or two points if guessed exactly right).

So with all that out of the way, let’s enjoy the Super Bowl. Check below for the picks and check back on Monday for the results.

Previous Results

• Pro Bowl
• Conference Championships
• Divisional Round
• Wildcard Round

© John for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Now!, Opinion, Patriots.

What Did We Learn This Week?
Jan. 29 – Feb. 5

1. The Super Bowl prop bets are much more interesting than the actual Super Bowl. You can bet on anything if you’re desperate enough. As of now, the odds are still even on whether the coin toss will be heads or tails. (Come on tails! Come ON!) Will the first punt of the game be longer or shorter than 44.5 yards? How many times will Gisele Bundchen be shown on TV? Will the call on the first coaches’ challenge of the game be overturned or upheld? What color will the Gatorade be when the players dump it on the winning coach? You can lose money on any of those important issues.

2. Is Fake Tom Brady more interesting than the real Tom Brady? Probably not. But intentionally or not, he made fools of a bunch of reporters, which is always funny. And it must have been him who was playing QB for the Pats against the Ravens in the AFC title game.

3. The Bruins lose to Carolina yet AGAIN. Whatever the Bruins number is, the Canes have it. Will the Bruins ever score off Cam Ward again? He owns them like… some guy who owns something a lot. This season, Ward is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 goals-against average and a surreal .965 save percentage against the Bruins.

4. This is Hype Week, and Hype Week always brings out attention whores: Vanilla Ice’s ex-girlfriend is using the platform of the Super Bowl to get attention for herself again, while the NFL is using her to try to appeal to a demographic that would otherwise have no interest in the game. The national sports media is using Madonna’s attention-grabs to generate interest in their stories during the newsless week before the Super Bowl. Everyone is using everyone for money. Why are we the only ones not getting paid here?

5. Just when you think this Red Sox team couldn’t get any less likable, they manage to find a way. New lousy pitcher Vicente Padilla was busted in Nicaragua for failing to pay child support for his tenth child. And Carl Crawford was accused of stealing. Crawford was caught stealing six times last year, but this is a different kind of stealing: a monetary swindle. Just like his awful contract is a huge swindle of the Red Sox.

6. The Red Sox can’t or won’t pay anything for much-needed starting pitchers, unlike the big-market, big-money… Washington Nationals? One year after handing $140 million to a left fielder who doesn’t get on base, and two years after giving John Lackey $80 million to be as annoying as possible while also being one of the worst pitchers in history, the Sox now “can’t afford” Edwin Jackson or Roy Oswalt on relatively cheap one-year contracts. They suddenly just can’t compete economically with the Natinals.

7. There’s no need to watch the Super Bowl. According to their official website, the Giants have already won Super Bowl XLVI, on February 5 2012. Might as well forget the game and watch Downton Abbey instead.

The Giants have already won the Super Bowl

© Dan Davis for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!.

With Peyton Manning announcing that he has been cleared to play next season, there has been no shortage of coverage on the topic. And it’s not without justification–an NFL with Big Manning is probably a more exciting NFL. Good for him. What is curious, however, is the fact that the news was announced just days before the Super Bowl in which both his rival, Tom Brady, and little brother, Eli Manning, will be duking it out. Shouldn’t the focus be on that?

This type of stunt isn’t new to anyone. In fact, two other names come to mind: Alex Rodriguez and LeBron James. What else do Manning, Rodriguez, and James each have in common? At some point in the past five years or so, each have been considered the best player in their respective league. You know what else they have in common? I don’t particularly like any of them and use opportunities like these to defend my opinion. I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment, but in situations like these, I always seem to wonder if I’m spinning possibly meaningless situations to feed into irrational dislike. Is there another reason I always find myself rooting against the best?

Cries for Attention

The Peyton Manning story is fresh in everyone’s mind. Instead of debating whether Brady or Eli is the superior quarterback or wondering if the Patriot’s defense can manage another half decent performance, it becomes the Peyton show. Will the Colts trade him or cut him? If so, who would be interested in him and what would they give up? Will the Colts draft Andrew Luck regardless? 

In 2007, A-Rod tried to grab the spotlight on the World Series stage. While the Red Sox and Rockies were battling it out, Ken Rosenthal decides to report mid-game that Rodriguez had opted out of his contract to become a new free agent. Yay? What happened next? Despite the fact that Rodriguez had failed to help his team to succeed, this was much more important than the event to decide the MLB champions. The fact that this was about the Red Sox? A non factor. The biggest moment to date in Rockies history? Irreleveant.

For old times’ sake let’s review what happened next. The Red Sox won it all, third base counterpart and World Series MVP Mike Lowell took a team friendly contract, and no one showed much interest in Rodriguez. The Yankees eventually signed him to a ridiculous contract and still have him under contract for like 20 more seasons. Have fun with that, guys.

Then there’s LeBron. The whole 2009-2010 season was a subplot compared to the buzz about James’ impending free agency. The man was on a quest for a ring. Too bad he had meltdown (Thanks, Delonte) and the mean, old Celtics had other plans in mind. Nevertheless, the classic Celtics-Lakers matchup was second fiddle to everyone awaiting “the decision”. Of course, LeBron became a national villain, so I guess everything worked out in the end.

All of these scenarios can be argued one way or another, but the fact of the matter doesn’t change. They are all selfish cries for attention, but can you blame them? At the time of these incidents, the media fawned over every little thing these players did. All of these situations just make Manning, Rodriguez, and James look like poor sports (But somehow they’re still good role models for the kids). If these guys wanted the attention so badly, I say this: If you want the spotlight during the championships, how about you play well enough to get your team there?

Boston Bias

Of course there are other reasons people can point to: the awful Peyton Manning commercials, LeBron’s televised slap in the face to Cleveland or even the steroid accusations. I can twist them to appear arrogant, jealous, and self centered, but all of that is just further fuel for the possibly irrational fire. Being as objective as possible, I can think of only one reason:

Each of these players have come in direct conflict with Boston teams one way or another.

With Peyton it is always the great quarterback debate. I think Patriots’ fans have had enough of it. Brady is going to his fifth Super Bowl while Manning still has a below .500 playoff record. Does anything else matter? I’m sick of hearing about it.

Alex Rodriguez was supposed to come to Boston so maybe my 12 year old self is just bitter about that. Throw in the sissy slap and the lip gloss and what else do we have to say? However, with injuries and steroid accusations, Rodriguez has fortunately seemed to have fallen out of public favor. Nevertheless, I just can’t help but imagining Rodriguez eventually making the Hall of Fame because he’s a “good” guy, while Manny won’t because he’s a “bad” guy. But I’ve been known to make false predictions before.

Then LeBron. With the exception of last year, the Celtic’s have thrown James like a rag doll in the playoffs. But what really put me over the edge was when he refused to watch the Celtic’s raise their championship banner to start the 2008-2009 season after the Celtic’s humiliated him. That was classless. Throw in the fact that the Celtics’ preach Ubuntu, while the media hones in on LeBron (and LeBron only) and his quest for a ring. The Big Three during their prime and LeBron could not be more different.

It’s that simple. I like Boston teams winning championships. If someone gets in the way, I’m going to do what I do best to stop them–Complain really loudly, even though it has no effect whatsoever. In a city as dominant as Boston has been, it’s not that surprising that the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots find themselves at odds with the best athletes of the MLB, NBA, and NFL.

The Pujols Exception

Curiously enough, Albert Pujols, arguably the best player in today’s MLB, doesn’t seem to fire me up. He keeps his mouth shut, won two World Series, and didn’t seem to bask in the free agency spotlight. Of course he was in the National League, so how often did the Red Sox have to deal with him? But the Angels play the Red Sox a lot more than the Cardinals.

Memo to Albert: You’re 0-1 in playoff series against the Red Sox. The Angels haven’t done much better. Play your cards right and you’re well on your way to joining the club.

© Josh Segal for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Top Story.

When Orlando uber-center Dwight Howard recently said that he’s at least open to coming to the Celtics, bells went off at Sports of Boston headquarters. Or at least they would have, if a) we had a headquarters, and b) it bells in it.

Getting Howard would meet many of the team’s most glaring needs. He’s a true center, terrific at rebounding, scoring and blocking. He’s young, veteran enough to know how to succeed in the NBA. And he’s perfectly suited for who the Celtics will have left – Rajon Rondo,  E’Twaun Moore, Avery Bradley and Jeff Green – once the Big 3 leave after this season.

Of course, the Magic will ask quite a price to trade for Howard, and he’ll ask quite a bit himself if he reaches free agency. But how much is too much? Should the Celtics trade now or try to get Howard on the open market? Our writers weighed in:

“Offer 2 unprotected 1st-round picks, Avery Bradley, and a pair of expiring contracts (Allen? Pierce?).” – Taylor Avery

“Boston is better off hoping Howard stays with Orlando for the season and letting Danny Ainge do his magic (pun intended) in the off season.  If he can then bring back Garnett and Allen in reduced roles (for a reduced cost), I think I’ll like what I see.” – Josh Segal

“Let the contracts for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett expire. Then, maybe they can convince KG and Ray to return at a much cheaper rate. Then, if that happens, they can convince Dwight Howard that they will build around him, Rajon Rondo, a returning Jeff Green, Paul Pierce, and others. That team would likely compete for a conference title every year.

If you want to get creative…the Celtics could find a way to deal Paul Pierce for a younger talent that probably wont stay with his current team (maybe Eric Gordon or DeMarcus Cousins?). Then, they could let Ray and KG expire and build around Rondo, Gordon, and Howard.” – K.C. Downey

“My gut says the Dwight Howard sweepstakes will end in free-agency. … Small market teams generally don’t trade superstars in the hope that they can convince them to stay long-term, a la Tim Duncan. Houston, Brooklyn and Boston are the only teams with cap space this summer that Howard would play for. If Howard makes it to free-agency, the Celtics are in an excellent position.” – Nathan Hodge

“I would give anything people wanted.  But realistically Rondo plus draft picks are their only commodities. I think if I were Orlando I would look heavy at the Howard for [Knicks' Tyson] Chandler and [Knick's Amare] Stoudemire.” – George Cain

“I’d be willing to give up Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, both 2012 draft picks, Chad Ochocinco, and John Maine. I’d force them to take John Maine.” – Aryeh Rosenfeld

“I would do just about anything to land Dwight Howard (short of trading Rondo, that is – someone has to throw Howard alley-oops). But since the Celtics don’t have any trade chips to offer Orlando, I feel it’s up to me to persuade Mr. Howard to dress in green this offseason.

First, I would forswear any knowledge of Shaq’s (at least I think that’s what he was called) stint in Boston, permanently erasing him from the Celtics record books. To complete Howard’s instatement as the only Superman in franchise history, I would then burn the $10 T-shirt I bought from Rite-Aid bearing O’Neal’s #36 as part of a gory, fiery ritualistic sacrifice of Greg Stiemsma to the basketball gods. Speaking of deities, the final method of persuasion to complete my offering to Dwight Howard would be to make him my personal Tim Tebow to whom I would pray every night (especially before a big game). I would prove my sincerity and earnestness by tattooing his Clark Kent persona on my upper left chest and his caped appearance on the reverse shoulder blade, so that whenever I turned around he would undergo his phone booth transformation and deliver the Celtics and me from evil (namely losing to the Heat).” – Nick Bohlen

As for me, I’d give up Greg Stiemsma and Jajuan Johnson without hesitation, plus a first rounder in 2012 and a second rounder in 2013. While we’re at it, have Sasha Pavlovic. And since Howard’s coming from Orlando, they get to choose: for either every day for three months or every week for a year, I will favorably mention both Disney World and Waffle House on Facebook.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Now!.

1. Thoughts on Sunday’s Game

* I wish Michael Strahan was dressed so Logan Mankins could crack back on him
* Bob Kraft looking like the head of a crime family on cover of SI
* Bill Belichick has promised not to wear red hoodie
* I loved Gronk in Rocky IV
* What is the over-under for showing Bob Kraft once game starts – I say within first two minutes of second quarter
* How about 85% hurry up?
* If the Patriots don’t give up any plays over 25 yards they win
* Deion Branch needs to make one huge play
* Defense needs one take away
* Enjoy every second

2. Best wins over New York

* 2004 Red Sox over Yankees – 4 games to 3 in playoffs
* 1972 Bruins over Rangers – 4 games to 2 in Stanley Cup Finals – Bobby Orr unveils the 360 move
* 2006 Patriots beat Jets in Wild Card – 37-16
* 1985 Patriots beat Jets in Wild Card – 26-14
* 1929 Bruins beat Rangers 2-0 to win Stanley Cup

3. Some Tom Brady stats and other stuff

* Stats in game after QB rating was under 60%: 8-3 / 292-462 (63%) / avg yards 239 / 26 TD to 7 Int
* Vs. the NY Giants…………………………………..2-2 / 99-154 (64%) /  avg yards 264 / 5 TD to 2 InT
* In Super Bowls……………………………………….3-1 / 100-150 (67%) / avg yards 250  / 5 TD to 1 Int
* In Indy………………………………………………….2-2 / 87 – 128 (68%) / avg yards 266 / 10 TD to 4 Int

4. Bruins are now 8-6-1 over their last 15

5. Best winning streaks with Tom Brady

* 21 Games in 2003 all the way to the Super Bowl six games into 2004
* 18 Games in 2007 lose in Super Bowl
* 12 Games in 2001 all the way to the Super Bowl three games into 2002
* 8 games in 2010 lost to Jets in playoffs
* 10 Games in 2011 up to Super Bowl (hope it continues)

6. This is the time of the year that former Patriots wonder why they ever left Foxboro for money

* Deion Branch (he’s lucky he was invited back)
* Damion Woody
* Randy Moss (shot his way out of town)
* Jabaar Gaffney
* David Givens
* Asante Samuel
* Ty Law
* Terry Glenn
* Larry Izzo
* Matt Chatham

PS – players that chose other programs over the Patriots – Derek Mason, Anquan Boldin

7. Amazing Stats – A Tom Brady video to get you fired up for Sunday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59BJJJdL-Z0

8. Old School – How about great Super Bowl moments

* Jim McMahon flipped upside down early in 1986
* Adam Vinatieri clutch field goals
* Rodney Harrison making a tackle with a broken arm against Carolina
* John Madden suggesting the Patriots take a knee
* Catch by Troy Brown in 2002 and getting out of bounds
* Rodney Harrison interception and Eagle flapping the arms like Freddy Mitchell

9. Just a Little Bit Outside

*Joe Greene commercial over-rated – he gives a shirt that he didn’t pay for to a kid and steals the kids Coke that he paid for?

10. Randomocity

* Chicken Wings can me too much work / Calzones under-rated / a cheese stick is a cheese stick
*At Charlie’s Cafe – he makes a great cocktail meatball with vodka sauce from Trader Joe’s
* Madonna was in Vision Quest
* Could Popeyes be catering Josh Beckett’s Super Bowl party?
* Is Rohan Davey ready to take over yet?
* Brian Cashman goes Steve Phillips?
* Did you see the kid on Mini One-On-One score this week – goalie should have met him between the face-off circles and laid him out
* Could Ken Walter win Punt, Pass and Kick?
* Where are Ty Warren, Ba-randon Meriweather and Albert Haynesworth watching the game
* Bosses get ready to see your voice mail on when you arrive at work Monday – Sick-call-palooza!
* Cherish Sunday – Cherish Tom Brady being our Quarterback – Cherish Bill Belichick being our Coach

© Michael for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments
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