Paul Pierce had 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds Tuesday night, moving into second all-time in Celtics’ scoring as the Celtics coasted to a 94-84 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Kevin Garnett continued his strong play for the Celtics with 22 points and seven rebounds. Reggie Williams led the NBA worst 3-22 Bobcats 21 points and 5 assists.

Going into Tuesday’s game, Pierce trailed Celtics legend Larry Bird by nine points on the franchise’s all-time scoring leader board. Pierce drained a three-pointer with 10:23 to go in the third quarter to pass Bird and become the second leading scorer in Celtics history. The Celtics immediately fouled the Bobcats on the other end of the court to give Pierce a moment to take a bow at center court as the TD Banknorth Garden erupted.

The 10th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Pierce has scored 21,797 points as a member as the Boston Celtics. Pierce now trails only John Havelicek, who scored 26,395 as a Celtic.

Celtics Take Control in Second Half

The Celtics never trailed in the second half of Tuesday’s game en route to their fifth victory in a row. Boston has now won nine of their last 10 contests.  The Bobcats dropped their 12th straight game.

The Celtics had trouble from deep range and shot just 17 percent from beyond the arc. The Celtics’ three-point struggles can be traced back to Pierce, who shot 2-for-10. Ray Allen scored 17 points but shot just 1-for-5 from downtown.

Brandon Bass had 13 points off the Celtics bench a game after sitting out with a swollen knee. Bobcats’ rookie Kemba Walker had 16 points and seven rebounds in another losing effort for the squad.

The Boston Celtics hit the court again Thursday night when they host the Los Angeles Lakers for the lone time this season.

© Nathan for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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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
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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 New York Giants claimed their second Lombardi Trophy in five years, with Eli Manning leading them from behind in a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Ind.

Manning lead a nine-play, 88-yard drive that started with 3:46 remaining, capping it off with an Ahmad Bradshaw six-yard plunge with :57 seconds left to give New York the decisive touchdown. The drive was highlighted by a phenomenal 38-yard reception by Mario Manningham where he was able to maintain possession on a close sideline play.

Brady Struggles in Second Half

New England quarterback Tom Brady was terrific in the first half, tossing for 147 yards and a touchdown on 15-18 passing. He struggled in the second half however, generating just one scoring drive and passing for only 129 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In the offense’s final four possessions, the team had two punts, one interception, and a failed hail mary to end the game.

Brady finished the afternoon with 276 yards, a pair of touchdowns and one interception in his second straight Super Bowl defeat.

The ground game did not fare any better, gaining just 86 yards on the ground throughout the contest. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the team’s leading rusher with 44 yards on 10 carries, but the New England ground game was ineffective throughout.

Gronkowski Limited by Injured Ankle

Sophomore tight end Rob Gronkowski was hampered by his ankle injury all evening, finishing the game with only two receptions for 26 yards. Gronkowski was targeted just three times, and he was in and out of the line up in the second half.

Three Studs

Danny Woodhead
Woodhead was critical on New England’s 14-play, 96-yard drive that put the Patriots up 10-9 at the half. The first time Super Bowl participant accumulated 33 yards on that pivotal drive, and finished the first half with 36 yards.

Middle Linebackers
One of the few positives coming out of the heart breaking defeat was the play of Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes. The young tandem each concluded their evenings with 11 tackles and eight solo takedowns each.

Special Teams
One of the few strengths New England had all night was on special teams. They fielded punts well, committed minimal turnovers, and did not allow big returns to the Giant’ returners.

Three Duds

Offensive Line
The Patriots were unable to generate any rushing game, finishing the night with 83 yards. In additions to that, the line allowed a pair of sacks to stifle Patriot drives. Another key error was on New England’s first play, in which a slight breakdown in protection resulted in an intentional grounding, giving New York a 2-0 lead on the penalty in the end zone.

Discipline
Brady’s blunder on that opening snap, coupled with a critical 12-men-on-the-field penalty which allowed the Giants to score a touchdown put the Patriots in a 9-0 hole. A third penalty was an offsides call on New England LB Rob Ninkovich, which prevented a would be Giants punt. New England finished the first half with five penalties for 28 yards.

Rush Defense
The rush defense did not play great in the first half, surrendering 70 rushing yards on 16 attempts for a 4.4 average. New York finished with 114 yards, an average of 4.1 yards, which helped the Giants’s dominate the time of possession early with a 19:45-10:15 advantage. The Giants continued their possession edge in the second half, ending the night with a 37:05-22:55 edge.

© Taylor for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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The New England Patriots have Announced their inactives for Super Bowl XLVI, with Kevin Faulk headling those out for the big game in Indianapolis, Ind.

Faulk is joined by QB Ryan Mallet, RB Shane Vereen, LB Gary Guyton, OL Donald Thomas, OL Nick McDonald, and DL Ron Brace.

Chad Ochocinco returns to action after missing the AFC Championship against Baltimore, while recently signed DL Alex Silvestro will be active.

New York’s inactives include RB Da’Rel Scott, WR Ramses Barden, OL Jim Cordle, OL James Brewer, DL Jimmy Kennedy, DE Justin Trattou, and Boston College alum Mark Herzlich.

© Taylor for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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On Sunday, Feb. 5, the New England Patriots (15-3) will battle the New York Giants (12-7) for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Patriots have won 10 in a row, outscoring their opponents 359-188 over that time period to advance to their fifth Super Bowl during the Bill Belichick era. New York is on a roll as well with six wins in their past seven outings, including a quartet of road wins at the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers to advance to their second title game in five years.

Path to the Big Game

New York Giants
New York punched their ticket to Indianapolis after winning five straight single-elimination games. Following back-to-back triumphs over the Jets and Cowboys to clinch the NFC East, the Giants dismantled the Atlanta Falcons 27-2 in the Wild Card round.

The Giants’ hot play continued on the road after they upset the heavily favored Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field, knocking off the defending Super Bowl Champions 37-20 to advance to the NFC Championship game in San Francisco. In a defensive struggle, New York capitalized on a pair of special teams fumbles by Kyle Williams, including one in overtime, to top the 49ers 20-17 to advance Super Bowl XLVI.

New England Patriots
Following an impressive 13-3 season, the New England Patriots earned a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs. New England hosted the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional match up, and crushed Tim Tebow and the AFC West champions 45-10 to snap the Patriots’ three-game playoff skid.

Baltimore was next on the chopping block, but Coach Belichick’s team needed all 60-minutes and a little bit of luck to top the Ravens. Tom Brady tossed for zero touchdowns and a pair of interceptions, but his fourth quarter, one-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal proved to be the conference-winning play.

Baltimore had a three more opportunities to tie the contest in New England territory, but a Brandon Spikes interception, a fourth-down stop, and a Lee Evans drop set the stage for one of the worst misses in NFL history. With 15 seconds to play, Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff shanked a 32-yard attempt wide left to send New England to their seventh Super Bowl in franchise history.

Recent History

Despite being in different conferences, this will be the fourth match up between these two teams in the last five years. The last three have been decided by four points or less, and each game has showcased a lead change in the final frame.

In the 2007 regular season finale, the 15-0 Patriots roared back from a 12-point second-half deficit in the Meadowlands to top New York 38-35 to cement a perfect regular season.

The two teams met just five weeks later in Super Bowl XLII, resulting in a Giants 17-14 victory. That game featured a trio of lead changes in the final frame, including Eli Manning’s 13-yard strike to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left to seal the title and bshatter New England’s shot at immortality.

In the most recent match up between these two, both offense and defense were showcased in a 24-20 New York win. The two defenses pitched a first half shutout that resulted in a 0-0 half time tie, but both offenses stepped up in the second half.

After Manning connected with Mario Manningham on a 10-yard touchdown with 3:03 remaining, Brady answered with a touchdown march of his own, converting a fourth-down to Rob Gronkowksi to give the Patriots 20-17 lead with 1:36 left. It was too much time for Manning however, as he surgically dissected New England’s defense, capping it off with a one-yard score to Jake Ballard to give New York a 24-20 win in Foxborough, Mass.

Injury Report

New York

New England

There are three notable injuries to watch in this game. While Rob Gronkowski’s ankle injury has stolen the headlines, the Patriots should see the return of All-Pro offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer to bolster the right side of the line.

For New York, the key injury to keep an eye is Hakeem Nicks’ shoulder injury. If he is limited at all, the ability to cover New York’s receiving core will be a simpler task for Belichick’s secondary.

Key Matchup – Offense

Giants’ Pass Rush vs. Patriots’ Offensive Line
New York’s defensive line is one of, if not the best pass rush in the league. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell can roll out a plethora of pass rushers, including Jason Pierre-Paul (16.5 sacks), Osi Umenyiora (nine sacks in nine games), Justin Tuck (five sacks), and the rest of a unit that ranked third in the league with 48 sacks.

New York’s pressure has pulverized Brady in their previous two meetings. In Super Bowl XLII, the Giants registered five sacks and pummeled New England’s MVP quarterback throughout. In their Week 9 rematch this season, New York tallied a pair of sacks and hit Brady three more times.

On the New England side of the ball, Coach Bill Belichick may finally have the resistance needed to mar the Giants’ pass rush. LT Matt Light is having one of his best seasons in his career, LG Logan Mankins is a rock solid protector, C Dan Connelly has been tremendous as an injury replacement and Brian Waters is experiencing a career resurgence.

Those facts, combined with the quicker-than-expected development of Nate Solder, the possible return of Sebastian Vollmer, and Rob Gronkowski’s blocking ability could mitigate New York’s rush.

If Tom Brady can remain upright and find his targets, the Patriots will have a great chance of capturing the title. If New York’s defensive line can generate pressure, this game will be a nail biter until the very end.

Key Matchup – Defense

Giants’ Running Game vs. Patriots’ Defensive Line
We all know of the phenomenal play of Eli Manning over the past month, and we all know the bevy of options he has at his disposal. Each of his receivers possesses a different match up difficulty for Belichick, but despite their talent, the success ofNew York’s offense will come down to their ground game.

The Giants opened the season 6-2, receiving great play from running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who accumulated 440 yards and five touchdowns during that span. Following a Bradshaw foot injury however, the Giants went on a free fall, going 1-5 over the next six to bottom out at 7-7.

In their nine wins, the Giants averaged nearly 100 yards on the ground while just averaging 76 yards in their seven losses.

A balanced attack poses problems for Belichick, who will have to account for both the run and the pass. If New England can limit the Giants’ ground game, the New York offense will become one dimensional and play right into the Patriots’ hands, possibly providing a few turnovers.

Prediction

Despite a pair of hot, high-flying offenses, Super Bowl XLVI will come down to which team is more focused, disciplined, and plays the most clutch defense and special teams. If you look at the previous two match ups between New York and New England, both were hard-hitting, low scoring contests. Look for that trend to continue on Sunday, with the Patriots making one or two key plays late to insure their fourth title in franchise history.

New England 17, New York 14

© Taylor for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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The Bruins have had a terrific season thus far, entering Saturday afternoon’s matinee with the Pittsburgh Penguins only three points out of first place in the Eastern Conference. But recently their play hasn’t been up to that level, the roar of the seemingly unstoppable Bruins had seemingly hit a wall, they are only 4-4-1 in their last nine games, and were humiliated in a 3-0 loss to the last place Carolina Hurricanes and a stellar Cam Ward. Things didn’t get much better as they lost 2-1 to Pittsburgh.

1st Period

Things started off slow for both sides, Boston and Pittsburgh trying to develop their respective offenses. The B’s managed that first, gaining a few early opportunities which turned into a good amount of pressure against Marc-Andre Fleury in net for the Penguins. In fact the majority of the first period was lackluster until a late penalty shifted any momentum to Pittsburgh.

Rich Peverley was called for slashing, though there may have been a good amount of acting by Evgeni Malkin, either way leaving the Bruins shorthanded at 19:16. Sure enough, the Penguins capitalized on the opportunity, as Malkin scored off of a rebound past Tim Thomas with just 8.1 seconds left in the period.

2nd Period

A trend for the Bruins lately had been sloppy play in the second period, and things didn’t significantly change on Saturday. They played well in the first period despite the late goal, but failed to get on the board in the second either. They had early opportunities again that they wasted though their defense stood strong.

The Penguins got their second power play of the day when Beniot Pouliot was called for hooking a play in which he ended up down on the ice. The Bruins managed to kill off the penalty though, and then gained their own power play when Tyler Seguin was the victim of a high-sticking that spilled blood. The Bruins offensively dominated the four-minute double minor but failed to score, and the period closed with them trailing 1-0.

3rd Period

Old friend Matt Cooke dealt some serious damage to the Bruins, scoring off of a rebound to give the Penguins a commanding 2-0 lead early in the third period. Cooke was infamously involved in landing the hit against Marc Savard that left him seriously concussed in 2010. The Bruins were in trouble, needing a substantial third period rally to escape another defeat.

After six minutes without a shot entering the third period, Joe Corvo took the first for the Bruins and it reached the back of the net. His goal cut the Penguins lead to 2-1, giving Boston some hope. He led another attack moments following the goal but was denied by Fleury who maintained the Pittsburgh lead.

In the final minute, the Bruins missed a chance at the tie when the Penguins gave up the puck in front of their own goal. Fleury stopped a steal by Brad Marchand the Bruins fate was sealed as time expired on another disappointing loss, falling 2-1 to Pittsburgh in a game with a good number of wasted opportunities. On the upside the Bruins did play well enough to win, but they instead continue to struggle as of late.

Boston will waste no time following the loss though, as they travel to Washington where they will face the Capitals tomorrow afternoon.

© Matthew Bond for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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I know its Super Bowl week, but how ’bout a little NBA Power Rankings to hold you over?

1)  Oklahoma City Thunder (18-4) – Oklahoma City stays at number one, and it isn’t even that close at this point. What I find particularly incredible is that they’re the best team in the league while being 29^th in total assists.

2)  Miami Heat (17-6) – The Heat get a slight edge over the Chicago Bulls after defeating them earlier this week. It was actually a pretty bad finish to what was a really good game, but Miami squeaked it out.

3)  Chicago Bulls (19-6) – Not a great week for the Bulls, with losses to both the Heat and the 76ers, but it would be foolish to think they aren’t the first- or second-best team in the eastern conference right now.

4)  Indiana Pacers (16-6) – After the top three, it kind of comes down to who is playing the best basketball at the moment. No team in the NBA had a better week than Indiana. Right when I was starting to back off on my love for them too.

5)  Philadelphia 76ers (16-7) – The lockout has certainly produced some unbalanced schedules this season, and the 76ers are taking advantage. They have currently played about twice as many games at home then on the road, which would be fine if they weren’t a .500 road team. I’m giving them a pass because you can’t help who you play, but it’s something to keep an eye on as their schedule starts to balance out.

6)  Los Angeles Clippers (13-7) – I like what I’m seeing. Their record isn’t spectacular, but they are beating good teams (back-to-back wins over the Nuggets and Thunder earlier in the week). Baby steps.

7)  Denver Nuggets (15-8) – I still consider the Denver Nuggets as the hardest team to figure out, but I do know that 105 PPG is pretty good.

8)  Atlanta Hawks (16-7) – Consistently above average, incredibly boring.

9)  Los Angeles Lakers (14-9) – The last time I thought the Lakers had figured it out, they immediately started playing poorly and made me look dumb. Here’s to hoping the same thing happens.

10)  San Antonio Spurs (15-9) – Look, I know I shouldn’t be surprised with how well the Spurs are playing, but I am. I can’t help it.

11)  Boston Celtics (12-10) – You know what? I’ve really enjoyed watching this team battle the past two weeks. As frustrating as the first month of the season was, and as ‘done and old’ as the Celtics looked … this recent surge has almost made up for it. I’m not crazy. I still don’t think they can beat either Miami or Chicago in the playoffs, but I have to take my imaginary hat off to the oldies. I’m still not totally clear on what Kevin Garnett said to Craig Sager after their comeback win over Orlando last week (“bar fight,” “ball fight,” or both) but I must say, I really like watching (bar fights, ball fights, or both). Good stuff.

12)  Houston Rockets (13-10) – Kyle Lowry is better than I ever could have expected. I can’t put my finger on why I like them, but I like them.

13)  Orlando Magic (14-9) – If you watched the first episode of ‘The Association: Denver Nuggets” then you saw a conversation between George Karl and Doc Rivers right after Denver traded Carmelo Anthony. Karl wouldn’t admit it while he was still on the team, but he told Doc Rivers flat out that the Melo Drama was just killing the team and the trade had to be made. I can’t help but feel like the same thing is happening in Orlando with Dwight Howard.

14)  Portland Trailblazers (13-10) – The Trailblazers 10-1 home record is just as impressive as their 3-9 road record is alarming. I still believe in them.

15)  Dallas Mavericks (14-10) – The best thing I can say about the Dallas Mavericks is that I’m really enjoying the TV show ‘Shark Tank’ with Mark Cuban. The Mavs are decent, though, and that’s about it right now.

16)  Utah Jazz (12-9) – The Jazz haven’t been great lately, but their still holding down a playoff spot in the West … until either Portland or Memphis take it.

17)  Memphis Grizzlies (12-11) – The Memphis Grizzlies are good … until they’re not good. And then they are good again. So the question is, will they be good enough to be good enough to make the playoffs?

18)  Milwaukee Bucks (10-12) – I’ve got to hand it to the Milwaukee Bucks! Sure, the bottom of the East is pretty bad, but they handed out losses to both the Heat and the Lakers this week. Impressive.

19)  Minnesota Timberwolves (11-12) – I was hoping to see the Timberwolves get over .500 this week, but that didn’t happen. I still think they are playing good basketball though, and have an outside shot at making the playoffs. Also, Nikola Pekovic is a bad dude.

20)  New York Knicks (8-15) – On a team with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, I find it simply fantastic that the Knicks went to Steve Novak for the last shot Friday night against the Celtics. That was fun. How much longer will the Knicks stand by Mike D’Antoni?

21)  Cleveland Cavaliers (8-13) – The Cavs aren’t very good, but I’m happy for them. Kyrie Irving is the real deal.

22)  Golden State Warriors (8-12) – Golden State is actually playing pretty decent, but they have a super tough February schedule. Good luck.

23)  New Jersey Nets (8-16) – Guys, Anthony Morrow totally scored 42 points Friday night against the Timberwolves. I know, I know, I didn’t believe it either.

24)  Phoenix Suns (8-14) – Now back to our regularly scheduled Phoenix Suns comment: Trade Steve Nash.

25)  Sacramento Kings (7-15) –Jimmer Fredette earned his first DNP-CD during the Kings impressive win over the Trailblazers Thursday night. Everyone at BYU panic!

26)  Toronto Raptors (8-16) – I have to admit my disappointment in Ed Davis so far this season. I thought he showed flashes towards the end of last season, but it just hasn’t translated into success this year like I thought it might.

27)  Detroit Pistons (5-20) – The Pistons may be last in my heart, but I can’t put them behind the following teams…

28)  New Orleans Hornets (4-19) – How many different ways can I say not having Eric Gordon is killing them?

29)  Washington Wizards (4-19) – Shouldn’t this team be better? I mean, not MUCH better, but they should have more than four wins. If Kyrie Irving can get the Cavaliers to 8 wins, John Wall should be able to get the Wizards to five.

30)  Charlotte Bobcats (3-20) – The Bobcats’ current 10-game losing streak is truly impressive.

© Tony Xypteras for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, NBA, Opinion, Top Story.

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.

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
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Top Story.