tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66186372011-04-21T19:02:10.216-04:00Boston sports notes and commentaryStats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comBlogger2841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1143628544472031742006-03-29T05:34:00.000-05:002006-03-29T05:35:44.483-05:00

A few things about the Red Sox roster...It's too bad that Dustan Mohr is getting stuck in a numbers game with the Red Sox. He's hit well, and played decent defense too. Most likely, they'll hold onto Adam Stern since he was a rule 5 draftee. Tony Graffanino's ability to play all four infield positions will be missed, especially if Mike Lowell struggles at third and J.T. Snow's bat doesn't come

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1143455727917948282006-03-27T05:34:00.000-05:002006-03-27T05:35:27.930-05:00

The Celtics meltdown in the fourth quarter yesterday against Chicago reminded me of a lot of games from the first half of this season, when they lost several close games with poor play down the stretch. Not only did the Celtics fail to gain ground on the free-falling 76ers (who lost again to stay 5 ahead of Boston), but they are now 3 games behind the Bulls in the loss column. Philadelphia and

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1143368367240230362006-03-26T05:18:00.000-05:002006-03-26T05:19:27.563-05:00

Harry Sinden and the Bruins waved the white flag yesterday, firing GM Mike O'Connell. While I agree that it is better to let O'Connell go now instead of letting him continue to sign players to long-term deals, it was a strange signal to send to the team just a few hours before last night's game against Buffalo.Sinden appeared to be emotional at the 6pm press conference, describing O'Connell as a

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1143191986315730532006-03-24T04:19:00.000-05:002006-03-24T04:19:46.326-05:00

The Patriots are keeping Troy Brown in the fold, and have inquired about Eric Moulds and Keyshawn Johnson, which are all positive signs as they try to rebuild their receiver corps. Brown is clearly slowing down, but provides Tom Brady an important safety net. He's certainly more reliable than Reche Caldwell. Now we'll see if they can get Moulds or Johnson to fill the number 2 spot.Mike

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1143020283300369212006-03-22T04:36:00.000-05:002006-03-22T04:38:03.320-05:00

Adam Vinatieri agreed to terms with the Colts yesterday, and Patriots nation is getting nervous. This is the first major defection of the Belichick era, and give Colts GM Bill Polian credit for upgrading his kicker position while sticking it to his arch-rivals at the same time.I have mixed emotions about the move. Now I know how Red Sox fans when Carlton Fisk bolted for the White Sox.

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142934950028487802006-03-21T04:54:00.000-05:002006-03-21T04:55:50.043-05:00

The Red Sox trade of Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena is yet another sign that Theo is building for the future, not 2006. Arroyo may have peaked the last two seasons, and was never going to win 17-20 games, but he would have been valuable as a long reliever and insurance behind an old starting rotation. Now it looks like Matt Clement will be sticking around and Lenny DiNardo will fill the long

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142851137998509332006-03-20T05:37:00.000-05:002006-03-20T05:38:58.010-05:00

Nice win by the Celtics yesterday. The Pacers are decimated by injuries, but it looked like they gave up in the fourth quarter, as the Celtics outscored them 31-17 to turn a close 72-71 game into a 103-88 rout. Doc Rivers missed the game due to the death of his father-in-law, and assistant Tony Brown filled in well. Brown took a chance at the start of the fourth quarter, keeping all of his

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142678173089632002006-03-18T05:35:00.000-05:002006-03-18T05:36:13.090-05:00

WR Reche Caldwell isn't a big name, but for now he's the Patriots number 2 wide receiver. The scary part is that 2005 was Caldwell's first season that you could even consider "decent". Caldwell's first two years in the league were marked by a poor work ethic, and when he started to turn it around in 2004, he tore knee ligaments six weeks into the season. You can check out his career stats at

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142678130906780362006-03-18T05:34:00.000-05:002006-03-18T05:35:30.916-05:00

It's been a dismal season for the Bruins, but their marketing department appears to be working overtime. They have plans for a "speed dating" promotion (gives new meaning to the phrase "shut out"), plus NESN has been advertising for a new reality show called "Be a Bruin" which will give fans a chance to experience life as an NHL player. I wonder if open auditions are next.

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142592143913526402006-03-17T05:40:00.000-05:002006-03-17T05:42:23.926-05:00

Last night's game reminded me of many Celtics games from the early-to-mid 80's, except that back then, it was the Celtics who would start slow and then recover to defeat overmatched opponents. Miami played horrible in the first quarter, looking disinterested and unfocused. In contrast, the Celtics were on fire, making up for their lousy shooting night in Memphis and sprinting to a 16 point lead

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142418142004087322006-03-15T05:21:00.000-05:002006-03-15T05:22:22.006-05:00

The Patriots have had better days. They officially lose David Givens, then Miami trades a second round pick for Duante Culpepper.The loss of Givens was expected, especially since Antwaan Randle-El signed that ridiculous contract with Washington. I doubt the Patriots trust Bethel Johnson to be a top 3 receiver, so they'll need to shop for some veteran help. While Terrell Owens has too much

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142418092473924512006-03-15T05:19:00.000-05:002006-03-15T05:21:32.486-05:00

Is it just me, or is the Memphis PA announcer the most obnoxious and annoying PA announcer in the NBA? While watching the Celtics last night, I kept wanting to turn the sound off. He reminded me of Dave Zinkoff, who spent 40+ years as the Spectrum PA guy in Philadelphia. I swear it used to take him 3 minutes to say "Julius Erving", as he drew out every syllable for as long as possible.

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142329947560125352006-03-14T04:52:00.000-05:002006-03-14T04:52:27.563-05:00

There was a lot of talk in the offseason about the Red Sox treating 2006 as a rebuilding year, and waiting for prospsects such as Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester to lead the way in '07. So far, there is some evidence to support that. This year's starting rotation could include 4 players at or pushing 40: Schilling, Wakefield, Wells, and (still a long-shot) Clemens. The infield includes three

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142329929856718182006-03-14T04:51:00.000-05:002006-03-14T04:52:09.856-05:00

I recently read Danny Ainge quoted saying that he considers Raef LaFrentz a "core player" for the Celtics. LaFrentz has shown flashes, especially while playing center recently, but on a contending team he is strictly a role player who mixes three-point shooting with decent defense. Only Paul Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West have demonstrated enough multi-dimensional ability over the

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1142329882659562202006-03-14T04:50:00.000-05:002006-03-14T04:51:22.673-05:00

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Onside Kicks. Thanks to all who have visited over the past two years. Today also marks the debut of a new look and new focus for this blog. After two years of being exclusively a pro football blog, I'm switching gears and will now be writing about all of Boston's pro sports teams.Over the past few months, I'd grown a little bored with this blog. Last August

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1141899854378346872006-03-09T05:22:00.000-05:002006-03-09T05:24:14.393-05:00

Well, that's finally settled. The NFL owners voted 30-2 to approve the union's latest offer, and the CBA has been extended for 6 years. It was interesting to read how Paul Tagliabue stressed to the owners that labor peace and the cap had rapidly increased the value of their franchises. Businessmen can have a hard time looking at intangibles, and in this case the negotiations were being

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1141553037948218612006-03-05T04:59:00.000-05:002006-03-05T05:03:57.960-05:00

The negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA have descended into absurbity again. Yesterday, the two sides "broke off talks" at 3pm ET, with one representative declaring that the talks were "dead". Yet a few hours later, the two sides apparently agreed to meet again today. Either the media is getting used to spin the discussions, or two sides who can't agree on how to divide millions of dollars

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1141263764808666042006-03-01T20:41:00.000-05:002006-03-01T20:42:44.830-05:00

Are the NFL owners as stupid as their baseball counterparts? We'll find out the answer by the end of the week. The NFL owners are holding the line in negotiations with the players association, even though they are holding a knife to their own throats in the process. If the NFLPA can be believed, once the cap is allowed to expire they will never let it back in, which will dramatically alter the

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1140949023860547792006-02-26T05:16:00.000-05:002006-02-26T05:17:04.526-05:00

The Patriots' handling of Adam Vinatieri's contact is a big story around the league. Unless he re-signs by Friday, he'll be a free agent, and I bet Bill Parcells is already salivating. While the Patriots refuse to pay anyone top dollar, I wonder if Parcells and Jerry Jones will show the same restraint. On the other hand, I doubt that the Patriots will try to give Vinatieri less money per year,

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1140690659186205302006-02-23T05:30:00.000-05:002006-02-23T05:30:59.196-05:00

Even with the NFL CBA negotiations bogged down, teams are moving forward with their plans for 2006. The Jets have been active, restructuring Curtis Martin's contract, franchising John Abraham again, playing hardball with Chad Pennington, and releasing Ty Law. While Abraham will complain, he doesn't have much leverage. And the Jets are definitely doing the right thing with Pennington, who has

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1140343969926273472006-02-19T05:11:00.000-05:002006-02-19T05:12:49.940-05:00

Last week, via Baseball Musings, I found a series of articles in the Boston Herald with Red Sox owner John Henry. The passage that caught my eye was Henry's comments on baseball's luxury tax:"Baseball has to address the disincentives created by large scale transfers of revenue from successful clubs to less successful clubs," Henry said. "At high enough tax levels the incentive is to invest

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1139999031603334832006-02-15T05:23:00.000-05:002006-02-15T05:23:51.620-05:00

The eventful offseason for the New York Jets continued yesterday, as Chad Pennington was reportedly asked to take an $8 million pay cut. Pennington has missed major portions of the last two seasons with injuries, and was never known for a strong arm to begin with. With two desirable QBs available in the draft (Matt Leinart and Vince Young), and the Jets selecting fourth, the handwriting could

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1139653881118860582006-02-11T05:30:00.000-05:002006-02-11T05:31:21.133-05:00

Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt pulled out of the Oakland Raiders job search on Thursday, becoming the latest candidate to turn down Al Davis. Oakland has to be one of the worst jobs in football. With a meddling owner, a monstrosity for a stadium, and a bad team, it is a poor situation for any coach, never mind a first-time coach. Plus, you have to live in the shadow of San

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1139443424499934582006-02-08T19:01:00.000-05:002006-02-08T19:03:44.513-05:00

ESPN announced their new Monday Night Football broadcasting team today, and I think it has a good chance of being a success. The major headline was that Al Michaels is off the crew, something that was rumored even before the Super Bowl. Michaels will likely leave ABC and rejoin John Madden at NBC on Sunday nights. It's a good move for Michaels, who didn't have much to do at ABC anyway, and I

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1139307465807030352006-02-07T05:17:00.000-05:002006-02-07T05:17:45.823-05:00

A few random thoughts on Super Bowl XL...Pittsburgh made two huge plays in the second half, starting with Willie Parker's Super Bowl record 75 yard TD run, and culmunating with WR Antwaan Randle El's 43 yard touchdown pass to MVP Hines Ward with just under 9 minutes to play. Randle El made history as the first WR to throw a TD pass in the Super Bowl, which was even more remarkable since he had

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1139134390249225442006-02-05T05:12:00.000-05:002006-02-05T05:13:10.263-05:00

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle SeahawksI'm rooting for the Seahawks today, primarily because I would like to see them win their first Super Bowl. I'm also partial to Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu, whose fathers played for the Patriots many years ago. For Mike Holmgren, a win would vindicate his decision to trade for Hasselbeck, and elevate his stature as a great coach.On Friday, the Boston

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1138528833450084742006-01-29T04:59:00.000-05:002006-01-29T05:00:33.463-05:00

The NFL made it official yesterday, awarding the NFL Network the late-season "Thurs/Sat" package starting in the 2006 season. It will be an interesting decision for cable and satellite providers whether to put the NFL Network on a basic service tier.This reminds me of the problems that YES had with Cablevision a few years ago. After the Yankees created YES, and moved their games to their new

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1138098825474844552006-01-24T05:32:00.000-05:002006-01-24T05:33:45.486-05:00

I was dead wrong on both conference championship games. The Steelers took control in the second quarter of their game against the Broncos, scoring 21 points, including two TDs in the final 2 minutes after an ill-advised Jake Plummer throw was intercepted. Pittsburgh came out throwing, but ended up rushing the ball 33 times while Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and 2

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1137749518031707682006-01-20T04:30:00.000-05:002006-01-20T04:31:58.046-05:00

This weekend fetures a pair of great coaching matchups. All four head coaches have coached in a Super Bowl, and the two home team coaches (Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren) have both won the big game.A lot has been made of the fact that both road teams are wild card teams who have already won two games on the road during the playoffs. Since the current playoff format was instituted in 1990,

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1137322010507447712006-01-15T05:45:00.000-05:002006-01-15T05:46:50.523-05:00

The Patriots bid for an unprecedented three Super Bowls in a row ended with a thud last night, as that sound you heard was the defending champs falling back to earth. New England had four critical turnovers (five overall) that led to 24 of Denver's points and cost the Patriots at least 3 of their own. But don't be misled - Denver's defense was the reason they won the game. While the turnovers

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1137061654400348272006-01-12T05:26:00.000-05:002006-01-12T05:27:34.416-05:00

In an interesting twist, every game this weekend is a rematch from the regular season, even though none of them feature divisional rivals. With the exception of the Washington-Seattle game, all of the others will even be played at the same stadium. Normally, there is at most 1 upset in this round, given how powerful the bye week is for the home teams. We'll see if the second time is the charm

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1136771189897660462006-01-08T20:45:00.000-05:002006-01-08T20:46:29.906-05:00

A few thoughts on this weekend ...Saturday's games were decided by big plays. The Patriots failed to capitalize on a first-half fumble recovery, and Deion Branch let a Tom Brady pass go through his hands just before halftime. But in an eight minute span starting late in the third quarter, New England cashed in on more Jacksonville mistakes. While Benjamin Watson's fumble and subsequent

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1136542294278347462006-01-06T05:11:00.000-05:002006-01-06T05:11:34.280-05:00

The first week of the playoffs is always exciting, but keep this in mind - in most years, 7 of the 8 teams playing this weekend will be playing golf by January 16. History tells us that the majority of the teams who reach the conference championship games are the teams who have earned byes. So don't get too excited if any of these teams scores a big victory this weekend.SaturdayWashington (10-6

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1136542269253337392006-01-06T05:10:00.000-05:002006-01-06T05:11:09.263-05:00

I was not surprised that Seattle RB Shaun Alexander won the AP MVP award, since he set a new TD record, but Peyton Manning's second-place finish surprised me.Shaun Alexander 19Peyton Manning 13Tom Brady 10Tiki Barber 6Carson Palmer 2Manning is a great player, but I thought that Tiki Barber in particular deserved more votes. Plus, both Brady and Palmer were more valuable to their

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1136199653228452642006-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:002006-01-02T06:00:53.243-05:00

Hope you all had a great holiday. It certainly was for the Steelers and Redskins, who secured the final wild-card spots in their respective conferences with wins. It was also clear that the Bengals and Patriots defintely wanted to play the Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs. Cincinnati treated their game with Kansas City as a glorified practice and got crushed, while New England sat

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1135939791869425812005-12-30T05:48:00.000-05:002005-12-30T05:49:51.880-05:00

We've reached the final weekend of the regular season, and the playoff picture is much clearer this year than in past years. 6 of the divisions are settled, and Jacksonville has already clinched one of the wild cards. But there's still a lot of possibilities, and plenty of mis-information out there. Here's my best shot at clarifying the remaining scenarios.SaturdayDenver (12-3) at San Diego (9

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1135593369311113202005-12-26T05:34:00.000-05:002005-12-26T05:36:09.816-05:00

After a weekend with a few surprises, here's a quick rundown on where the playoff races stand.In the AFC, Denver clinched the second seed behind Indy, while Cincinnati inexplicably lost to Buffalo at home and failed to lock up the third slot. Meanwhile, Jacksonville continued to back into the playoffs with a win over Houston, wrapping up not only a playoff spot, but the fifth seed. The Jaguars

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1135337321258257102005-12-23T06:28:00.000-05:002005-12-23T06:28:41.270-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Maybe Santa will bring me a new PC... There are a lot of playoff possibilities this week, and plenty of good games - most on Saturday as the NFL flip-flops their schedule to accomodate Christmas.SaturdayNY Giants (10-4) at Washington (8-6)Both of these teams won huge games last week. The Redskins have come back from the dead, winning three in a row to put themselves in

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1135157207015843012005-12-21T04:24:00.000-05:002005-12-21T04:26:47.233-05:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, but my PC died and it took over a week to get the problem sorted out. In the meantime, the playoff races have started to settle themselves out. All four divisions in the AFC are settled, and Jacksonville and Pittsburgh remain in the driver's seat for the wild cards. All Jacksonville needs to clinch is a win over Houston. In the NFC, Seattle is in while

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1134296610618336732005-12-11T05:22:00.000-05:002005-12-11T05:25:27.560-05:00

It may be 2 weeks until Christmas, but today is a great day for those lucky folks with DirecTV. With four weeks left, 21 teams are still mathematically alive for the playoffs, and 16 of those clubs are above .500 with a realistic shot at the postseason. So there are plenty of meaningful games this afternoon, while the two night games are not exactly exciting.SundayChicago (9-3) at Pittsburgh (7

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1133951128690890722005-12-07T05:24:00.000-05:002005-12-07T05:25:28.700-05:00

As teams start clinching playoff spots (Colts) and even division titles (Seahawks), the debate begins on how teams will handle the rest of their seasons after they clinch.Last year, the Patriots rested many of their players in the final game of the season, and it certainly didn't hurt their Super Bowl run. In general, I believe that once you clinch the highest possible slot in the playoff

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1133694372486511632005-12-04T06:03:00.000-05:002005-12-04T06:06:12.500-05:00

Today features four great games between divison rivals who are also playoff contenders. With just four weeks left after today, the stakes are high - a two-game swing at this point could mean the difference between winning the division or descending into the depths of the wild-card tiebreakers.SundayDallas (7-4) at NY Giants (7-4)I wonder if Billy Cundiff and Jay Feely will share war stories

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1133345795535072242005-11-30T05:15:00.000-05:002005-11-30T05:16:35.546-05:00

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is normally a reasonable guy. But why is he threatening to bring the Terrell Owens-Eagles dispute to the anti-trust committee? Is he that desperate for media attention, or just pandering to minority football fans? The NFL owners and players collectively bargained for binding arbitration, and in this case, the arbitrator decided against a player. Since

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1133086907541535552005-11-27T05:21:00.000-05:002005-11-27T05:21:47.553-05:00

With the Terrell Owens mess finally settled for this year, it's time to re-focus on the playoff races. Dallas's loss to Denver on Thanksgiving complicated the NFC picture while putting Denver in the driver's seat for the 2 seed in the AFC. Ready for a second helping of football?SundayNew England (6-4) at Kansas City (6-4)Back-to-back wins for the Patriots for the first time this season have

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1132741863731281902005-11-23T05:30:00.000-05:002005-11-23T05:31:03.740-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Tomorrow features two interesting games, and the potential of an "instant classic" as Denver visits Dallas. Let's dive in for a closer look...Atlanta (6-4) at Detroit (4-6), 12:30ET, FOXThe first game of the day could be a turkey, but if you're eating early (and I suggest you do - more time for dessert and seconds) you won't care. The Falcons have lost back-to-back home

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1132652974629732782005-11-22T04:47:00.000-05:002005-11-22T04:49:34.646-05:00

After a few days of ISP trouble, I'm back online. Here's a look back at some of this weekend's games. (Records indicate record entering this weekend.)SundayCarolina (7-2) at Chicago (6-3)This game featured two teams I wasn't not sure I trust. Both teams had easy schedules, with the Panthers slate ranking as the second-easiest behind only the Colts. Carolina's 6 game winning streak was

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1132006558320576912005-11-14T17:14:00.000-05:002005-11-14T17:15:58.336-05:00

Yesterday was a record-setting and memorable day in the NFL.Chicago Bears DB Nathan Vasher returned Joe Nedney's missed 52 yard field goal an NFL record 108 yards for a touchdown. It happened on the final play of the first half, which is probably why Vasher decided to try to bring the ball out of the end zone. Watching replays on TV, the wierdest part was the trajectory of Nedney's kick, which

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1131875644415114312005-11-13T04:53:00.000-05:002005-11-13T04:54:04.430-05:00

As the second half of the season starts, the playoff races begin to take shape. There are plenty of teams in contention, especially with the AFC East and NFC North so weak at the top.SundayKansas City (5-3) at Buffalo (3-5)First of all, I loved Dick Vermeil's decision last week to go for the win against the Raiders. The Chiefs had blown a 20-9 lead in the fourth quarter against a poor Raiders

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1131714409836512292005-11-11T08:05:00.000-05:002005-11-11T08:07:44.353-05:00

I heard Ret. Col. Jack Jacobs on Imus this morning talking about past Medal of Honor recipients, including the youngest man to receive the honor, who had lied about his age to join the Marines at age 13 after Pearl Harbor, became a boot camp instructor at age 14, and won the Medal of Honor at 17. Men like him are our real heroes, and we should all take some time today to remember them.

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1131714287593444182005-11-11T08:03:00.000-05:002005-11-11T08:04:47.606-05:00

The NFC East is one of the best surprises of the year. Last year, there was a lot of publicity about the coaching troika of Bill Parcells, Joe Gibbs, and Tom Coughlin and how they were going to restore the glory days to their teams. Instead, they all crashed to 6-10 finishes, and Andy Reid's Eagles won the division again with a 13-3 mark.But this season is a different story. The Eagles are

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1131531859221123052005-11-09T05:23:00.000-05:002005-11-09T05:24:19.223-05:00

You have to give Terrell Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, a lot of credit for sticking with their story. Their press conference yesterday was bizarre. I heard the entire exchange on the radio during the afternoon, then saw parts of it on ESPNEWS last night, and I got two different (but negative) impressions.From the audio, it seemed like Owens "might" have been sincere, though his

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1131531815426577522005-11-09T05:22:00.000-05:002005-11-09T05:23:35.436-05:00

Now that every team has reached the midpoint of its season, it's a good time to stand back and take a look at the big picture. We'll start with the AFC.Indianapolis and Denver have been the most impressive teams in the conference so far. The Colts defense is still vulnerable against quality offenses (Rams, Patriots) but Tony Dungy is finally starting to receive some dividends from all of his

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1131275339420869592005-11-06T06:08:00.000-05:002005-11-06T06:08:59.443-05:00

If you live in the Northeast, this is the peak of leaf-raking season. The NFL seems to have taken this into account, as this afternoon's slate of games is the weakest so far this season. But the prime time games should be worth the wait.SundayCarolina (5-2) at Tampa Bay (5-2)This is the only game of the weekend featuring two teams with above .500 records, and it should be great. With Atlanta

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1131013521885139932005-11-03T05:24:00.000-05:002005-11-03T05:25:21.896-05:00

It will be better for everyone if Paul Tagliabue and Saints owner Tom Benson stay quiet for a while. The rumors of the Saints moving to Los Angeles are nothing new, and pre-date Hurricane Katrina, but the situation is so politically charged right now that any major entity who decides to leave New Orleans will be seen as "abandoning" the city. What's clear is that the NFL is desperate to have a

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1130666972084455552005-10-30T05:08:00.000-05:002005-10-30T05:09:32.100-05:00

Last week was not a good week for the AFC, which went 0-6 in games against NFC opponents. In particular, Philadelphia and the NY Giants scored late victories over San Diego and Denver, respectively, which allowed them to keep pace with Washington atop the extremely competitive NFC East. Those teams are featured in great matchups again this weekend.SundayWashington (4-2) at NY Giants (4-2)Mark

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1130320182525776772005-10-26T05:46:00.000-04:002005-10-26T05:49:42.530-04:00

The best part of Sunday was watching two QBs decide games: Eli Manning of the Giants winning his, and Drew Bledsoe of the Cowboys losing his. What's surprising is that the veteran QB is supposed to be cool under fire and play it safe, while the youngster is supposed to push the envelope. In this case, Manning was brilliant and played great on the final TD drive, while Bledsoe made a ridiculous

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1130069481605424252005-10-23T08:10:00.000-04:002005-10-23T08:11:21.616-04:00

This week got off to early start with Kansas City defeating Miami on Friday night, but there are several great games this weekend. There's no Sunday night game due to the World Series, and the Monday night game (NY Jets at Atlanta) isn't that interesting, but this afternoon will be a great advertisement for DirectTV's "Sunday Ticket" package.SundayPittsburgh (3-2) at Cincinnati (5-1)This game is

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1129715083612375392005-10-19T05:43:00.000-04:002005-10-19T05:44:43.616-04:00

Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi will be back at practice today, and everyone has an opinion on whether it is a good idea for a recovering stroke victim to come back to the NFL.I'm not a psychologist, but after any traumatic event, we go through certain stages: Denial, Anger, Acceptance, etc. In the big picture, we want to get our lives "back to normal". For Tedy Bruschi, the only way to return to

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1129406171940668292005-10-15T15:55:00.000-04:002005-10-15T15:56:11.946-04:00

Five weeks into the season, and it's clear that 2005 is going to be another wild year in the NFL. For example, there are 7 teams in the NFC at 3-2 or 3-1 across three divisions, while in the NFC North the Detroit Lions are at first place at 2-2 ahead of a pack of also-rans. Need to blog and run today, so I'll keep this short.SundayNY Giants (3-1) at Dallas (3-2)This is a big game for Eli

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1128852711247520612005-10-09T06:11:00.000-04:002005-10-09T06:11:51.256-04:00

As we hit the second quarter of the season, it's time to start separating the contenders from the also-rans. This week's schedule features several high-profile matchups involving division leaders. SundayNew England (2-2) at Atlanta (3-1)Richard Seymour is out today, which makes the Patriots task even harder this afternoon in Atlanta. While Michael Vick was downgraded to questionable, the key to

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1128506468688381242005-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:002005-10-05T06:01:08.696-04:00

Philadelphia's 37-31 comeback win on Sunday over Kansas City was remarkable for many reasons. The Eagles trailed 17-0 midway in the second quarter, cut it to 17-6 on an interception return, then saw Dante Hall return the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to fall behind 24-6. But Philadelphia scored the next 31 points in the game including 3 Donovan McNabb TD passes, as the Eagles defense

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1128300342142167992005-10-02T20:44:00.000-04:002005-10-02T20:45:42.150-04:00

I must admit I did not watch the entire Patriots game today. With the Red Sox game starting at 2, and the Indians game starting at 1, my clicker was working overtime this afternoon.The Patriots defense let the offense down today, as they could not stop the Chargers, particularly in the second half. The 17-17 halftime tie was the result of a great first half by Tom Brady, who threw for over 200

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1128246514469435482005-10-02T05:48:00.000-04:002005-10-02T05:48:34.476-04:00

While most of New England focuses on the Red Sox-Yankees series and the conclusion of the regular season, there's still a few football games worthy of our time this weekend.SundaySan Diego (1-2) at New England (2-1)LaDainian Tomlinson must be looking forward to this game. Even with Rodney Harrison out for most of last week's game, the Patriots still slowed down the Steelers running game. But

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1127983338201849592005-09-29T04:40:00.000-04:002005-09-29T04:42:18.206-04:00

Injuries have been the big story this week in the AFC East. First, the New England Patriots saw S Rodney Harrison and OT Matt Light go down during their win at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Harrison is out for the year with a torn ACL, while Matt Light likely has a broken bone in his leg and is out for a while. A similar diagnosis may also apply to RB Kevin Faulk, who was apparently injuired in the

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1127726878420513832005-09-26T05:27:00.000-04:002005-09-26T05:27:58.430-04:00

Even great teams shouldn't be expected to win games like the Patriots won yesterday. I felt that the Steelers already had a slight edge with the injuries in the Patriots secondary, and the early injury to Rodney Harrison appeared to be a decisive blow. But New England was able to regroup, and controlled the game in the second half en route to a 23-20 win. Both teams made plenty of mistakes, as

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1127641972096114322005-09-25T05:52:00.000-04:002005-09-25T05:52:52.103-04:00

After last week's impressive slate of games, this week is a bit of a downer, with only two games between division rivals (Arizona at Seattle, Kansas City at Denver). Also, bye weeks have begun, as Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, and Washington get an early week off.SundayCincinnati (2-0) at Chicago (1-1)It's a battle of (gulp) first place teams at Soldier Field as the Bengals vist the Bears.

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1127292331643090932005-09-21T04:44:00.000-04:002005-09-21T04:45:31.653-04:00

At least Bill Parcells can look forward to a trip to San Francisco. His Cowboys spent 55 minutes building and protecting a 13-0 lead against the Redskins Monday night, then gave up 2 touchdowns in 71 seconds on a pair of TD passes from Mark Brunell to Santana Moss. The winning score came on a 70 yard bomb with 2:35 remaining, and Dallas couldn't even get into field goal range after that.Jim

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1127122855597034262005-09-19T05:40:00.001-04:002005-09-19T05:40:55.596-04:00

It's been an interesting two weeks for Bill Belichick and his former coordinators. Last week, the Patriots won, as did Nick Saban in Miami and Charlie Weis in Notre Dame, while Romeo Crennel lost his debut for Cleveland. This week, Crennel got his first win as an NFL coach, a very impressive win at Lambeau Field, while the other three all lost.

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1127122838333925472005-09-19T05:40:00.000-04:002005-09-19T05:40:38.970-04:00

In hindsight, it's easy to understand why the Panthers defeated the Patriots yesterday, 27-17. New England has not been sharp in either of its first two games, but Carolina is a tougher opponent than Oakland. However, even with the 12 penalities and the erratic performance of Tom Brady, the Patriots still had the ball, down by only 3, late in the third quarter. Brady's subsequent fumble deep

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1127045197755377482005-09-18T08:05:00.000-04:002005-09-18T08:06:37.763-04:00

The NFL has designated this weeekend as Hurricane Katrina relief weekend. If every NFL fan in the United States donated even a small amount, it could make a huge impact. Please consider giving what you can.SundayNew England (1-0) at Carolina (0-1)We'll start in Carolina as the Panthers play another emotion-filled game at home. Last week, they faced a very determined New Orleans team and lost

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1126604334042542252005-09-13T05:38:00.000-04:002005-09-13T05:38:54.043-04:00

The Falcons defeated the Eagles 14-10 last night, as a pre-game fight between Kevin Mathis and Jeremiah Trotter led to ejections for both players. Trotter was a much bigger loss, as Atlanta rolled up 200 yards on the ground, including 117 for Warrick Dunn and 68 for Michael Vick. Vick also looked sharp in the passing game, going 12-for-23, while Donovan McNabb struggled and completed just 24 of

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1126604298306885572005-09-13T05:37:00.000-04:002005-09-13T05:38:18.313-04:00

The New Orleans Saints won an emotional game over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday on a last-second FG by John Carney. It looked like my prediction of a late win by Carolina was going to come true, but New Orleans held the Panthers to a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter, the second one coming with 1:04 left to tie the game. That gave the Saints plenty of time to drive for the winning

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1126435216826393652005-09-11T06:40:00.000-04:002005-09-11T06:40:16.826-04:00

Welcome back to football season! Thursday night's opener was nice, but there's like a Sunday full of football to look forward to. Unfortunately, the schedule makers didn't cooperate. There are only 3 games this week featuring two teams with above .500 records last season and 2 of them are the prime time games. I think I'll spend part of Sunday watching Red Sox-Yankees instead...SundayNew

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1126435195493542852005-09-11T06:39:00.000-04:002005-09-11T06:39:55.500-04:00

It's been four years since the September 11 attacks, and now we're coping with another national disaster along the Gulf Coast. As a country, we'll be judged by how we respond, and the outpouring of assistance has been extraordinary. Unfortunately, the tug-of-war and finger-pointing between local, state, and federal government officials continues. There is plenty of blame to go around, but the

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1126252646218836062005-09-09T03:56:00.000-04:002005-09-09T03:57:26.223-04:00

It wasn't pretty, but the Patriots pulled away in the fourth quarter last night for a 30-20 win over the Raiders. Corey Dillion struggled in the first half, but Tom Brady responded with 212 yards and 2 TDs on 14-20 passing. But in the second half, Dillion's two TDs helped put the game out of reach. Brady finished with 306 yards but failed to convert on a bunch of third downs that could have

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1126170863516088292005-09-08T05:13:00.000-04:002005-09-08T05:14:23.523-04:00

The Patriots host the Raiders tonight in the NFL's season opener. While New England raises another championship banner, Oakland is trying to rebound from a slide that began after their loss in Super Bowl XXXVII. Since then, their offense has struggled while their defense has fallen over a cliff:NFL Offense DefenseRank Yards Pts Yards Pts2002 2 2 12 22003 25 27

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1125997607615845442005-09-06T05:06:00.000-04:002005-09-06T05:06:47.623-04:00

Jerry Rice retired yesterday, ending his Hall of Fame career after 21 seasons. Rice was one my favorite players when I was younger, partly because of his talent, but also because of his demeanor. His "gunfighter"-esque determination reminded me of Larry Bird. You knew he was getting the ball, and he knew he was going to hit (if they caught him). Rice combined toughness with the speed and

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1125836456053225002005-09-04T08:20:00.000-04:002005-09-04T08:20:56.060-04:00

While some recognizable names were cut yesterday, plenty of players are breathing a sigh of relief this morning. Most of the Patriots 17 cuts were expected, but I was surprised that undrafted free agent Mike Wright made the team over Rodney Bailey. Wright's advantage is that he can play nose tackle, while Bailey seems more suited to the 4-3 and was caught in a glut of linemen on the Patriots

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1125567419338074162005-09-01T05:36:00.000-04:002005-09-01T05:37:15.023-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that I'm expanding the Onside Kicks family and creating a "sister" blog called Extra Points.Even though I haven't been posting as often as I'd like, I have two reasons for starting a second blog:1. I want to write more NFL history-related stuff. I've been working on a project in this area, and was planning to include it in this blog, but I thought it might get confusing.2

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1125444370962537012005-08-30T19:25:00.000-04:002005-08-30T19:26:10.963-04:00

The Bears cut QB Chad Hutchinson today after he failed to beat out rookie Kyle Orton for the starting job. Hutchinson started the last 5 games for Chicago last season, compiling a woeful 1-4 record. After Rex Grossman broke his ankle, Hutchinson was initially thought to be the leading candidate to replace him, but Orton, a fourth round pick out of Purdue, got the nod instead.This is one more

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1125444336397969772005-08-30T19:24:00.000-04:002005-08-30T19:25:36.403-04:00

Two former high-profile WRs were cut today, Peter Warrick of the Bengals and Peerless Price in Atlanta.Price reminds me of Alvin Harper, who was Dallas's #2 receiver behind Michael Irvin in the early 1990's. In his fourth season in 1994, Harper caught 33 passes for 821 yards and 8 TDs while leading the league with 24.9 yards per reception. Tampa Bay signed him as a free agent, but he was a

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1125220243428246142005-08-28T05:06:00.000-04:002005-08-28T05:10:43.430-04:00

The Patriots looked impressive against the Packers Friday night, but you have to wonder how good Green Bay can be this season with that defense. Tom Brady had a steady, but not spectacular game (12 for 21) as the absence of left tackle Matt Light definitely had an impact. But if the Packers didn't pressure Brady, it exposed the holes in their secondary. Second-year TE Ben Watson caught 6 of

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1125219930686292022005-08-28T05:01:00.000-04:002005-08-28T05:05:30.693-04:00

Thanks to Baseball Musings I found a new baseball blog by Eric Orns that looks interesting. It's actually two blogs in one: Baseball Esoterica is the main page, but what's cool is his "historic boxscore" blog at Esoteric Boxscore. He uses the vast RetroSheet database to highlight interesting games, such as cases where a team "hit for the cycle" - on only 4 hits.Check it out. Maybe I should

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1124873933205299092005-08-24T04:51:00.000-04:002005-08-24T04:58:53.206-04:00

The death of San Francisco offensive lineman Thomas Herrion earlier this week is another reminder of how tough the game of football can be. While many are speculating that his weight (310) was a factor, the autopsy results have been inconclusive so far:The Denver coroner's office performed an autopsy, but said no cause of death could be determined until toxicology tests were performed. The tests

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1124494483037120792005-08-19T19:33:00.000-04:002005-08-19T19:34:43.043-04:00

The Patriots had an uneven performance against the Saints last night, losing 37-27 on two late TDs in the final 2 minutes. Tom Brady's first pass was intercepted, but he played well, as did Doug Flutie, who threw New England's only TD pass of the evening. Only a Matt Light holding penalty prevented the Patriots from scoring TDs on their first two drives after the Brady pick. On special teams,

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1124355329578652632005-08-18T04:53:00.000-04:002005-08-18T04:55:29.580-04:00

Terrell Owens certainly has a good agent. While I hate to encourage you to visit his website, the latest "open letter to his fans" is hilarious. A few choice nuggets:Terrell Owens would like to publicly thank his fans for their continued, and unwavering support. Uh, I guess he didn't see some of those signs the other night...Despite all the rumors and innuendo Terrell has shown up to work on

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1124355206380530722005-08-18T04:52:00.000-04:002005-08-18T04:56:59.293-04:00

Chiefs kicker Lawrence Tynes is in trouble after a bar fight.Trying to make light of a grave situation, Lawrence Tynes’ Chiefs teammates have taken to calling him "Killer."When the joking subsided, those familiar with Tynes, a second-year place-kicker, say the felony substantial battery and misdemeanor battery charges filed against him for his role in a bar fight are out of character.Police

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1123925620665072592005-08-13T05:32:00.000-04:002005-08-13T05:33:40.670-04:00

The Patriots opened up the preseason with a 23-13 win in Cincinnati last night. 15 players didn't even make the trip, including defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Ty Warren, second-year running back Cedric Cobbs, wide receiver P.K. Sam, or tight end Ben Watson. Add in the fact that neither Tom Brady nor Doug Flutie played in the game, and there were a lot of fresh faces in those Patriots

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1123406587186427642005-08-07T05:22:00.000-04:002005-08-07T05:23:07.196-04:00

Philadelphia hasn't exactly had a quiet training camp. First, Terrell Owens holds out, comes back, and suffers a groin injury. Then DE Jerome McDougle gets shot. Now WR Todd Pinkston is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles' tendon in his right ankle.Pinkston led the NFC in yards per catch last season (18.8) but has largely been a disapointment in his five year career. The Eagles spent

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1123321890981872072005-08-06T05:51:00.000-04:002005-08-06T05:51:30.986-04:00

I apologize for the light blogging recently. Lots of "real world" stuff getting in the way...I find it ironic that the Boston Bruins are being criticized for their salary cap management by the same media members who praise the Patriots' approach. The Bruins have been traditionally tight-fisted when it comes to paying their players, but they seem to be acquiring good character players at

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1122802297561641922005-07-31T05:30:00.000-04:002005-07-31T05:31:37.566-04:00

Looks like RB Ron Dayne is looking forward to a new start in Denver."Just being out there, getting another opportunity to play - that's what I hoped for because I felt like I didn't get an opportunity to play in New York," Dayne said. "Coming here, it just felt like I was coming out of college again. In New York I maybe got in 12, 13 times last year, and the year before I didn't even dress." Of

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1122422293356735592005-07-26T19:56:00.000-04:002005-07-26T19:58:13.363-04:00

Good story in the Boston Globe today by Jerome Solomon on Eric Mangini, the Patriots new defensive coordinator. Replacing Romeo Crennel will not be an easy task, especially with Tedy Bruschi out of the lineup, but the early reports on Mangini are solid. He also has an interesting first job on his resume. Thirteen years ago, Mangini decided to take a semester off from Wesleyan University and

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1122200245487006132005-07-24T06:15:00.000-04:002005-07-24T06:17:25.493-04:00

It sounds like disgruntled Eagles WR Terrell Owens will show up for training camp, but still wants a new deal or a trade."I mean, the bottom line is that I still believe I deserve a new contract," the star wide receiver said. "I still believe I deserve more than what they've given me. But I'm not stupid. I'm not about to miss training camp, get fined every day, and give them even more reasons to

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1121920541570035782005-07-21T00:34:00.000-04:002005-07-21T00:35:41.576-04:00

The big news Wednesday was that Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi has decided not to play in the upcoming 2005 season. Contrary to a TV report on Tuesday night that stated it was "90 percent sure" Bruschi would be back, the All-Pro linebacker will take a year off to focus on his recovery.I think it's a smart move. He has nothing left to prove to Patriots fans, and his health comes first. No one wants

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1121592804616644552005-07-17T05:32:00.000-04:002005-07-17T05:33:24.623-04:00

The Bills have found a home for Travis Henry, agreeing to trade the disgruntled RB to the Titans for a 2006 3rd round draft choice. Henry had a great season in 2002, rushing for 1438 yards on an average of 4.4 yards per attempt. He also caught 43 passes for 309 yards. Surprisingly, the Bills then drafted Willis McGahee in the first round in 2003, who sat out a year recovering from his injuries

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1121387051682655492005-07-14T20:23:00.000-04:002005-07-14T20:29:01.880-04:00

The NHL labor agreement was summarized pretty well by Kevin Paul Dupont in today's Boston Globe:The deal the sides agreed to yesterday -- pending ratification by both sides -- is an entirely new way of doing business. It will take at least a couple of years to understand all the ramifications, big and small, and what it will mean for the owners, the players, the general managers, the agents, and

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1121043957633213582005-07-10T21:04:00.000-04:002005-07-10T21:05:57.640-04:00

Mike Reiss had an interesting note in today's Metro West Daily News:One agent recently conducted a study of contracts signed by first-round draft choices from 1997-1999, and the results are worthy of note. Of all of the contacts signed by first-rounders in that time, 77 percent of them were renegotiated or restructed with new money before they expired. The 77 percent figure doesn't include

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1120694727923942002005-07-06T20:04:00.000-04:002005-07-06T20:05:27.926-04:00

Now it's official. New York's dream of hosting the 2012 Summer Olympic games is dead. The IOC awarded the Games to London, which must have surprised the supposed front-runners in Paris.So Jets fans can forget about their Manhattan stadium, and the Mets ownership might find the city a bit less enthusiastic about their project.

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1120383973077147932005-07-03T05:45:00.000-04:002005-07-03T05:46:13.083-04:00

I know I'm a day early, but I hope you're having a great Fourth of July weekend. In addition to reminding us of our history, it also means that football season is right around the corner! Training camps will be opening soon, and the first pre-season game is just over a month away. On August 6, Atlanta will play Indianapolis in the "America Bowl" in Toyko. The timing is interesting, since that

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618637.post-1120122029517219622005-06-30T04:57:00.000-04:002005-06-30T05:00:29.516-04:00

Nice cover story about New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft "giving" his Super Bowl ring to Russian president Vladimir Putin. I wish he'd come over my house so I could get "emotional" about the ring and get one for myself.(Note: I think I've got the template issues worked out, though I'm not 100% satisfied yet.)

Stats Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14706421284694834043noreply@blogger.com