Boston's Boys

The Biggest Snub of Them All

2011-03-15T07:26:00.000-04:00

Coming into Selection Sunday every member of the Colorado Buffaloes Men's Basketball team was 100% confident they would be joining in on the Big Dance in the Round of 64, and they had every right to believe that. The Buffaloes had impressive wins over Texas, seeded number 5 at the time, as well as 3 over Kansas State. They did everything in their power to earn a respectable berth in the tournament, if not at least a final seed.

        Led by phenomenal sophomore guard Alec Burks (above), the Buffaloes looked poised to be a low-end tournament seed who could potentially make some noise in the early rounds. However as the selection process wound down on the Southeast bracket, there was one team who hadn't been included in the festivities. Colorado will be playing in a tournament all right, and they do have a number one seed, but it's the bitterness that comes with that seed that will linger with the Colorado team. The selection committee decided against including Colorado into the field of 68 teams for who knows what reason. Maybe the losses against San Francisco, Harvard, and New Mexico explain it. Whatever the reason, the Buffaloes will be dancing in the NIT tournament instead of as a feel good story of March Madness. This may go down as one of the top snubs of the decade because it surely doesn't make any sense at the moment.
   The head coach as well as his 5 seniors and a host of other people gathered in hopes that they would see the Buffaloes name come up on Selection Sunday, only to be let down by devastating news.
         The only thing I can give to the 5 Colorado seniors who will never make it to the Big Dance is my condolences, and good luck in the NIT tournament, as much of a Boston College fan I am, it would just make me feel better to know these guys win the NIT tournament.

Bruins Moves Make Them A Contender

2011-02-18T19:35:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a busy one for the men high up in management for the Boston Bruins. Peter Chiarelli has finally started to put together the pieces of a championship contender in Beantown. The Bruins front office started earlier this week making moves when the Bruins acquired Chris Kelly, 12 goals 11 assists 23 points, from the Ottawa Senators for a second-round draft pick in the upcoming 2011 NHL Draft. Kelly was well liked in Ottawa and was known as a high character player whom is very skilled in the faceoff circle. Kelly is also a player who has a lot of playoff experience including a cup finals appearance for the Sens in which Kelly had 5 points in the playoff run.

Back at it again as if to signify the front office's drive to win now, the Bruins traded away disappointing young forward Blake Wheeler along with fan favorite defenseman Mark Stuart in exchange for center Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik. Peverley has had a solid season this year with 14 goals 20 assists 34 points after career highs in all 3 categories last season (22G 33A 55PTS). Peverley gives the Bruins more of an offensive punch than did the struggling Wheeler who has slid downhill after setting the bar high during his rookie season. Valabik has struggled to stay in the NHL as he has played his season with Atlanta's AHL affiliate. Valabik as some may remember was involved with his boyhood idol, fellow Slovakian Zdeno Chara, in an in-game tussle after Valabik laid a big hit on former Bruin Phil Kessel, where Chara came charging in to beat on his stunned opponent. Overall the Bruins are coming away as winners in the deal with the Thrashers, that's because as hard as it is to see Stuart leave, Wheeler is a welcome departure as Bruins fans will soon learn Peverley's offense will more than make up for the waste of space Wheeler was creating.

(Valabik vs. Chara)
Lastly is the most important trade in terms of short term contender chances go. After initial talks over 20 months ago didn't have Tomas Kaberle arriving in Boston, the recent talks have him playing in tonight's game against Ottawa in the black and gold. Some experts are saying that the price that the Bruins paid for Kaberle is too high as they traded away 2008 1st round draft pick Joe Colborne, and two future draft picks (2011 first-round pick and 2011 conditional pick). However, the reason that this trade was perfect for the Bruins is because they are playing for the here and now, as well as the fact that the lineup is stacked with young players currently and the draft picks were expendable. The knock on Kabs is that he doesn't play well in his own defensive zone and he doesn't play physical enough. Yet, the reason the Bruins brought him in wasn't to be the big bruising defenseman or to be a stay at home defender. Kaberle's offensive skill outweighs his defensive struggles, as so brought up by the experts. Kaberle is a 4 time all-star who played his entire career, until now, with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is the #2 all-time leading defenseman in terms of points in Leafs history and the #11 all-time player in terms of points. Kaberle is a fantastic puck moving d-man as highlighted by his 35 assists so far this season.

The piece that has been lacking the Bruins for so long may finally be in place and this years team seems that it can make a deep run into the playoffs. This may be the year that the Bruins break the 38 year Stanley Cup drought and finally bring the hardware back to Boston.

Celtics - Heat Showdown

2011-02-13T06:14:00.000-05:00

There are HUGE playoff implications lurking in this regular season game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, which will have the air of a playoff game from the get-go. Bragging rights and playoff seeding are both up for grabs in the East, well after the 2 slot that is. Sure both the Bulls and Magic may have legitimate chances to be a top two team in the East by season's end, but in reality, it seems almost crystal clear that the two best teams in the East will finish 1 and 2.

The only question remaining is which team, the Celtics or the heat will sit atop the conference standings and hold homecourt advantage.

The game on February 13th may be a huge telling point in whether the Celtics can reign supreme in the East or if the tide has turned with a younger Heat team. Age and health is a huge factor that will most likely come into the outcome of the season, and both will easily factor into this game. With the Celtics banged up and wounded, the Heat stand a very good chance of waltzing into Boston and escaping with a win. however, Boston has something called pride and determination and even with the health an issue on the bench as much as anywhere, the Celtics are able to win in a variety of ways.

Now that Ray Allen has his 3pointer record out of the way, the team can get back to focusing to the game itself and rid themselves of the distractions that occurred with the record. The Big 3 will have to step up in a big way starting with KG. Garnett is going to have to shut down Chris Bosh, maybe the most important piece of the Miami big 3. Pierce and Allen have to shoot the ball the way they can and Pierce needs to drive to the hoop and look to kick the ball out to Ray to find him open looks at the 3. Lastly, the Celtics need Rondo to just be himself, if he can dish out 15 assists the W should come easily for the Celtics.

The biggest question of the game for the Celtics may be: Who do you stop, Lebron or DWade? Personally, I believe that stopping DWade will be more of a key factor to a Celtics win than Lebron, however, I'm also just the one writing the blog and there's a reason I'm not behind the bench with Doc.

Whoever wins this game, the best team of the East will take one step closer to securing their spot atop the conference.

Unbeatable?

2011-01-07T03:30:00.001-05:00

I know the word unbeatable has a cocky, conceited tone to it, but with the way that the New England Patriots have played as of late, it's a word that may actually be applicable here. After an embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns in week 9, the Patriots have been on an impressive 8 game winning streak taking out, and dismantling some very good teams along the way.

Having clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Patriots are the current odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. Sure, the last time the Patriots were such heavy favorites going into the playoffs we all remember how that turned out, as I'm sure a certain David Tyree does as well.

But there's just something different about this Patriots team, an air of confidence mixed with an sense of pride and responsibility. Without the big time players, like the Randy Moss' of old, many key role players have been the nucleus of a team that has formed into a major contender. Take for example, Danny Woodhead, released by the New York Jets early in the season, and look at the sparks he has provided with big runs and catches at key moments of big games. Another perfect example is Benjarvus Green-Ellis. One of the best names in football history which in turn has landed him the title of The Law Firm, BJGE has been a surprise story for a resurgent run game which has added another dimension to the Patriots already potent offense. Green-Ellis took all 16 games this season, but finally in the 4th quarter of Week 17, he accomplished what no other New England running back has since the 2004 season. The 1,000 yard milestone, previously only Corey Dillon and Antowain Smith had gained over 1,000 yards for Bill Belicheck's pass first offense. BJGE earned this achievement through hard work and determination this season turning himself into a dangerous threat rushing for 1,008 yards and 13 TDs, while NOT FUMBLING all season, perhaps the most incredible piece of information about the man they call the Law Firm.

The Patriots offense just clicked all season as they put up over 500points this season, where no other team eclipsed the 450 mark. Tom Brady's league leading 111 passer rating, and NFL Record 335 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, showed that even the luscious flowing locks couldn't slow him down this season.

Contributions from rookies this season were a big part of the success that this Patriots team had. There were multiple rookies who stepped up at key times during the season making big plays, however 4 rookies shined the brightest. Aaron Hernandez, the tight end out of the University of Florida, showed why the Patriots selected him even with his health concerns. Hernandez caught 45 passes for a total of 563 yards and 5 touchdowns. A prolific route runner in just his rookie season, Hernandez made many plays with his feet after the catch. Another star rookie playing the same position, Rob Gronkowski broke the previosuly established rookie records as well as overall total TD receptions by a Tight End. Gronkowski recorded 42 catches for 546 yards with 10 TDs. He really stepped his game up in what may have been one of the most important games of the season for the Patriots, in a 39-26 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gronkowski recorded 5 receptions for 72 yards including 3 TD receptions. Looking down the road, it appears that the Patriots are all set at the Tight End position. Flying completely under the radar was punter Zoltan Mesko, out of the University of Michigan. A guy who I believe deserves a lot more credit because when and if the Patriots punted, he did an excellent job of ball control and not giving teams a good chance to return for good yardage. Of course being the punter doesn't exactly come with the same type attention and fame as the skill positions, but I still believe that the job that Zoltan Mesko did in only his rookie season deserves at least some mention. Lastly, the final rookie who stood out is an obvious one. Devin McCourty, the Patriots first round draft selection showed why he was worth the 1st round status and was just recently named to the Pro Bowl roster as a reserve. McCourty ended the season with 7 interceptions and 82 total tackles. The most impressive stat about his interception total is not that it was one shy of the clubs rookie record of eight held by Mike Haynes, but the fact that he didn't have an interception until the 6 game of the season. His 7 interceptions came over the course of 11 games. Having perhaps one of, if not the best second half of the season for cornerbacks in the league, McCourty established himself as a special cover corner shutting down several big play receivers and making big plays in the process. The future looks bright for the Patriots as they hopefully will be able to continue their success with the great drafting done by this organization.

By the looks of it, many people have already decided to crown the Patriots champions and send them off to Disney. I'm not ready to do that just yet however they are my favorite going in to at least make it to the Super Bowl and pull off another one of their wins by a late field goal.

Here are my predictions for how the Patriots playoff run will go:

Divisional Round: Patriots 35 vs Jets 20
Conference Championship: Patriots 28 vs Steelers 17
Super Bowl: Patriots 31 vs Atlanta 28

Welcome Back Randy

2010-11-01T06:35:00.001-04:00

All the anticipation and talk surrounding the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings football game on Sunday, October 31st created major storylines around the NFL this week. With Brett Favre's consecutive starts at QB record dominating the media, the story of Randy Moss's arrival back in the city he left nearly a month ago took a backseat.

Except in New England.

Patriots fans don't forget all the amazing games Randy Moss had for New England, and how could they it was only just a month ago that Moss was making a spectacular one-handed, over the shoulder catch beating Darrelle Revis cleanly.

The schedule makers must have known that Randy was beginning to come into another one of those cycles where he is irritated by nearly everything that happens around him, because they could not have picked a more perfect night for this game to have been played.

The questions surrounding this game, which had floated about all week were quickly answered by the end of the night. Brett Favre being the old, rough n tough, Wrangler jeans wearing, play in the mud kind of guy he is, of course came out to start the game and looked considerably better than he has in his most recent weeks. That is until that grim clip of him being carted off down the sidelines, where it literally looked like we were watching the legend of Brett Favre die right in front of our eyes.

And as much as I want to make that the main story today, I just can't. There's something about Randy and the whole atmosphere of the gameday that makes him the perfect player for the spotlight. His unimpressive return to New England stands at 1 reception for 8 yards. I'm sure that New England fans are upset that he didnt make a catch earlier than the beginning of the second half so that he could have been booed earlier into the game. However, not to be upstaged by his performance on the field, although it didn't take much, Randy's post game interview was comically controversial.

Randy Moss Post-Game Interview
Check out Moss's post game rant.

Of course, it wasn't all hard feelings as was made quite clear first off by the large embrace that Moss shared with his former coach, Bill Belicheck right after the game. Moss also had some touching quotes that show that he still misses New England as he was quoted saying:
"It was hard for me to come here to play, an up-and-down thing. I was on a roller coaster all week"
"I miss every last helmet in that locker room."
"I don't know how many more times I'll be in New England again. But I leave Coach Belichick and those guys with a salute: 'I love you guys. I miss you. I'm out.'"

I say if Randy ever wants to come back to New England he's welcome back, I'm just saying that if he were somehow wearing a Silver and Blue jersey again, the welcome van would grow a few times larger.

I'm Not Randy

2010-10-14T20:59:00.001-04:00

He is not here to replace Randy Moss, nor should anyone expect him to. Deion Branch is merely a piece of the puzzle in which Bob Kraft has put together. Branch has never been the deep threat that Randy Moss is, nor is he of the Hall of Fame caliber which, Moss seems destined to be. But the thing about Deion Branch, is that he has heart and he knows how to be an effective wide receiver in the Patriots passing game. Earlier in this decade as the Patriots were in the midst of their championship years, Branch was selected in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Who would have known that the player drafted out of the University of Louisville would be such a dynamic player in the key years of the Patriots playoff runs. Branch played in 2 of the Patriots 3 Super Bowls, gaining MVP honors in the 2004 Super Bowl XXXIX, the first receiver to gain such an honor since the 89' Super Bowl. However at the end of his tenure, Branch and the Patriots hit a snag in the talks of his contract. So at the beginning of the 2006 season when Branch heldout of training camp, the Patriots made the move to send him to Seattle for a first-round draft pick in the 2007 NFL draft, which subsequently became Brandon Merriweather. When Branch went to Seattle he spoke to Belicheck a few times over the course of the year, he says he didn't leave on a bad note so he never had hostile feelings toward New England. While in Seattle Branch was plagued by injuries which sidelined him for a total of 14 games over his 4 seasons there. He did, however manage to be near the top in receptions, with Seattle each season he was active. Although his totals in Seattle were nowhere near as productive as his totals in New England, he hopes that his move back to the Patriots will be a new spark for his career. Branch hopes to learn the system in time to play this weeks matchup against the Ravens, although he says that it hasn't changed drastically since his years under Charlie Weis' schemes. He hopes that he has shown enough in practice that he will be given the chance to prove himself on the gridiron this Sunday. The Patriots have high hopes that Branch, as a veteran will be wiser and use his acquired knowledge and experience in the league to be successful, that's why they gave the former Super Bowl MVP another chance here in New England, another chance to show his talent, and another chance to be himself: Deion Branch.

Deion Branch, #84 WR New England Patriots

Feels Like 1972?

2010-10-12T04:22:00.003-04:00

Monday the 1972 Dolphins team that finished the season undefeated and won the Super Bowl, breathed a sigh of relief after the last remaining undefeated team, the Kansas City Chiefs, lost to the Indianapolis Colts 19-9. Yes, I said the Kansas City Chiefs that was NOT a typo. After a rather disappointing season at 4-12 last season, the Chiefs were not expected to have any major impact on the league this year. However after week 4 where both the Steelers and Bears, the only other two undefeated teams at the time, were defeated, the Chiefs stood alone at the top of the NFL with the help of the bye week. This game had major implications for the Chiefs if they had any hopes of returning to the playoffs as they did in the '06 season. Facing off against Peyton Manning and the Colts is as good a way as any to prove that you can hang with the best teams in the league. And the Chiefs did just that, even with the loss, the Chiefs played the Colts to a down to the wire game. With the score tied at 9-9 going into the final quarter of the game, the Kansas City Chiefs were for real. Although Indy came out on top, the Chiefs are optimistic that they have come a long way since last season. Playing a team like Indianapolis tough and having a chance to win the game at any level, is purely an accomplishment in itself. The Chiefs currently sit in first place atop the AFC West standings at 3-1 a full game and a half above every other team who all sit at 2-3. The Chiefs of '10 look as though they could be around for the long haul, and that's not something that anyone wants to hear. Although there is a lack of production in the offensive categories with only 77points and 8TD scored through their first 4 games, their defense has looked solid allowing only 57 points thus far, less than 15 a contest. However, with the Chiefs loss, every NFL team now has at least one defeat. Because of that, the '72 Dolphins can break out the champagne and celebrate once more upon being the only undefeated team, including playoffs, of all time. But one thing can be learned from these Chiefs and that is to never take your opponent to lightly or underestimate anyone, you never know which team is going to have a breakout season.

1972 Dolphins

Dexter McCluster, WR/RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Raaaaandddy?

2010-10-06T16:05:00.001-04:00

C'mon Randy, was the record breaking season in receiving TD's, alongside the ability of being a Wide Receiver on the New England Patriots, for Tom Brady not enough for you? Where in the world does it cross your mind that having a 60 year old Brett Favre as Quarterback, as opposed to Brady in his prime, a better scenario for you? Nonetheless, the Vikings have been pitiful this year at 1-2 behind the 3-1 Bears and Packers. Hell, the Vikings are only 1 game better than the Lions right now, that's just bad. Plus the Patriots are 3-1. I wonder if Randy knows that he gets to play the Patriots 4 weeks from now? Maybe by then the Vikings will have 2 more wins than the lowly Lions, maybe. Sure on paper you look at the Vikings and say WOW, I bet they go undefeated. But then look at their record, sure only week 3 but still, you get my point. Randy you had the best situation ever here in New England, a fan base that loved you, a QB who can actually hit you with passes, and a team that can win, giving you an actual shot at your first Super Bowl championship, yeah remember that thing every team plays for at the end of the season where they give out rings and such? Right I didn't think so. But hey, good luck out there in Minnesota, with Brett I'm sure when playoff time comes around and both his knees buckle, Tavaris Jackson will be a great player. Oh wait...

Special Team

2010-10-06T15:12:00.000-04:00

Monday nights' Patriots at Dolphins game was supposed to be a tough game, a battle for a share of first place in the AFC East, and it was for a half. Bill must have said something that lit a fire under the Special Teams of the Patriots, namely Brandon Tate and Patrick Chung. Coming out of the halftime the Patriots lined up for the kick return. The fire inside Brandon Tate exploded as soon as he caught the ball, I think that his 103-yd return can draw comparisons to Flash, this is because he caught the ball took-off, and wasn't touched the entire way down the field. 13-6 Patriots. The momentum shift at this point and time during the game was like day and night from the first half of the game. What can be said about the performance of Patrick Chung? Only word that comes to mind is simply: spectacular. The second year safety had a performance to be remembered for the rest of his professional career. Chung first blocked a punt which set up a New England touchdown. Later in the half, Chung struck again, like lighting striking twice, Chung blocked a field goal attempt, which Kyle Arrington then picked up and took 35 yards to the house. Just when the game reached its pinnacle, and the blowout was confirmed, Chung decided he wasn't done, taking a Chad Henne pass 51 yards to paydirt. Sure the Patriots defense allowed over 400 yards of total offense, but they stepped up at the big moments intercepting 4 Dolphin passes. Another unexpected hero on the defensive side of the ball was Rob Ninkovich, a 5th year linebacker/defensive end out of Purdue. Yeah, Rob Ninkovich, remember the name, after tough knee injuries with the Dolphins and Saints put him out of a job, he has come to New England on a mission. That mission: show he is worth the price of admission. I'd say after the Dolphins game, mission accomplished. Sure it was one game, but how often does the likes of Darelle Revis highly touted as the best cornerback in the game, have 2 interceptions in the game. My prediction is that Ninkovich will become a Vrabel type versatile player for the Patriots who will be reliable for years to come. So the Patriots win and in impressive fashion. Hopefully this will mark the end of the slump the defense has been in the last season and a quarter or so. But like Sam Adams says, "I think we gonna be OK".

Rob Ninkovich

Brandon Tate

Patrick Chung

Spoiler Alert

2010-10-04T15:58:00.000-04:00

So they may not have made the playoffs this year, they may not have even been within 5 games of making them. But i mean can you really make the playoffs in a division against the Yankees and Rays when both of your best two players had their seasons ended by injury and one of the largest disabled lists in team history? But hey, if there was one thing the Red Sox accomplished this season it was in the last series of the year against the dread Yankees. Whenever the Yankees come to town its a bloodbath, they could be separated by 50 games in the standings, and still everything that happened before that series wouldn't matter. So was the case with this series that just happened. The Red Sox, just recently officially eliminated from playoff contention, although their season was over when Pedroia was reinjured, faced off against the Yankees who needed to win to have a chance at the AL East title. Boston hates New York and likewise, it's just a known truth. It even extends beyond sports, into just the actual people. But when Neew York needed those two wins to get that coveted homefield advantage, the BoSox slammed the door. I hope A-Roids has fun playing away from home for those four games it'll take the red hot Twins to knock out the arrogant Spankees. But for now us Boston fans can look forward to the much anticipated seasons of the Patriots, Bruins and Celtics. Man does it feel good to be from Boston.

http://www.overthemonster.com/2010/10/3/1728384/red-sox-spoil-yankees-division-hopes-with-win-in-season-finale