Sweet rings, sweet cover about Boston's winnahs, and sweet distraction from the submerging Red Sox. Or as Kevin Garnett put it in a classic commercial for ESPN Mag back in the day before he was part of the Boston sports scene, it's tastefully done.
While the suspicion here is that this week's all-Boston issue will include more references to "Beantown'' than most true Bostonians would ever actually say -- that would be one or greater -- a glimpse at the table of contents suggests it should be appealing overall even to the most parochial Boston fan.
Hey, anything with an article about Boston sports titled "Decade of Dominance" is off to a good start as far as I'm concerned. Also, Bill Simmons -- Grantland Sports Guy these days -- returns to the magazine to write a back-page piece on why the issue was a bad idea.
I know there's a punch line there, but I'm not finding it. So let's consider five other articles included in the issue, in order of appeal:
The Front Office Diaries -- A look inside the thinking of the Red Sox farm system featuring the scouting reports on some of the team’s best homegrown players, such as Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, and Jonathan Papelbon. Sounds like required reading for those howling without context or a clue that Theo Epstein should be fired.
How to Rob Fenway Park -- Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves” was turned into “The Town,” a well-reviewed and wholly Boston movie directed by and starring Ben Affleck. (Jeremy Renner, a Modesto, California native, had the most accurate Boston accent in the movie, however.) Following the movie’s release, there was a string of copycat bank and armed car robberies utilizing techniques seen in the movie. But no one has tried to copy the film’s heist of Fenway Park -- yet. Other than perhaps John Lackey every fifth day.
Bruins in the Bean -- This photo essay will show why the Stanley Cup champion Bruins are the most Bostonian of all the pro athletes in the Hub, with vignettes of their daily lives and what they love about Boston. No wisecrack here. Could not agree more with the premise.
Debating Boston -- Artie Lange (a Yankees fan) and Denis Leary face off to argue that Boston’s sports teams are awful and amazing, respectively. Then they rip apart the other’s view. Kudos to ESPN for going with two legitimately funny personalities to rep the two fan bases rather than, say, Billy Crystal and Lenny Clarke.
Who Does Tom Brady Think He Is? -- An examination of why Tom Brady is hard to relate to and "insufferable." Presumably co-bylined by Terrell Suggs and Bridget Moynahan.
Regarding that last article, I'm going to do what Brady does so well: pass. But I am looking forward to checking the issue out. It should arrive in subscribers' mail boxes today or tomorrow and is available on the newsstand Friday.
There's no denying that he has been one of the most dynamic talents in the game, while at the same time proving to be a player most football fans love to hate. You love him when he's breaking touchdown records on your team, and hate him when he's embarrassing your defensive backs. You love him when he's giving your team 100 percent, and hate him when you see him take plays, and sometimes games, off when your team needs him the most.
It's hard to deny his talent. His resume reads like that of a first-ballot Hall of Famer -- 948 career receptions, 153 career receiving touchdowns, and nearly 15,000 receiving yards. It's also hard to deny that Moss can be one of the most polarizing figures in the NFL.
Moss is often times known, by the mainstream, more for who or what he is off the field than what he does on it. The amount of memorable YouTube videos of Moss' antics can cause one to get lost in an online maze, clicking on link after link for hours.
Below is what I perceive to be some of the highlights and lowlights of Moss' career, given the time constraints I had permitted myself. Again, it's easy to get lost on YouTube when you get involved in a game of click-through.
YouTube Moments
Interview With Moss About Inta Juice To be fair to Moss, I wanted to start off with one of his more likable moments. It's a little-known fact that Moss is the owner of an Inta Juice franchise in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Back in 2006, Moss did an interview with Sports Action Team while making smoothies. The Sports Action Team are seasoned comedians, so right off the bat it was clear that this was going to be a fun interview.
Moss started by making sure that hosts Kevin Kelly and Al Click didn't get get their suits and ties "nasty" by putting aprons on the duo. This made for what Mr. Click described as a "weird male moment (nothing sexual, on Click's behalf)."
What I loved about Moss' demeanor here is that he almost does exactly what his past and, for that matter, future organizations would probably prefer him to do -- make every answer about juice.
Click: What's the best non-juice related thing to happen to you?
Moss: Making these smoothies.
This was, without a doubt, one of the more amiable moments from Randy Moss. He not only played the role he was supposed to play, but he reveled in that role. Imagine that.
Moss Jokes Around With Masked Fan Another jovial moment from Moss came back in the 2009 season when he joked around with a Patriots fan who was wearing a Moss mask at Gillette Stadium. The Moss look-alike was broadcast on the jumbo screen in the stadium. When Moss was made aware of the projection by one of his teammates, the fan mimicked Moss' famous touchdown celebration as Moss responded in kind.
Moss gestured for the fan to "get outta here" in a friendly way. It's a moment in which he laughs with the crowd and becomes, to put it simply, likable. Whether you were a Patriots fan or a New England hater, you couldn't help but smile when you saw Moss' interaction.
This is the kind of Randy Moss that you loved to see. The guy who knew, as Warren Sapp once told me, he was getting paid a king's ransom to play a kid's game.
Randy Moss Interviews... Himself It's clear that Moss likes to play by his rules. Whether it's answering questions about his on-the-field performance or explaining his off-field conduct. He made it clear in Week 8 that he's going to conduct his own interviews. The media was going to play by his rules, and not the other way around. Maybe he knew he was about to be released by the Vikings, but it sounded to me more like he had product remorse. You don't know what you have 'til it's gone, to use a cliche.
His press conference was more about the love he lost than the love he's found. As much as he'd like to bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota, he acknowledged that he was going to take what he learned in New England and "sprinkle" it among his new teammates. He wasn't going to step in and conform to Brad Childress' system in Minnesota.
This is the side of Randy Moss that is often criticized. He talks about how he's been wronged. How much respect he has for the team he didn't come through for during the 2009 playoffs. In Moss' reality, his words apparently speak louder than his actions. From a superstar athlete that's a bit disconcerting.
Moss Puts the 'W' on Lambeau This next clip from 2008 was taken when Moss was asked about his end zone celebration after the Patriots beat the Packers in Green Bay. Moss may seem like he needs a self-edit here, but I appreciate his earnestness, his passion. Talk about the 'W' and not the individual. What a great concept.
That's perfect advice for Moss, by Moss. Worry about the win.
It's a bit unfortunate that we've gotten to this place with Randy Moss. He was reborn in New England after two underwhelming seasons in Oakland. His 2007-08 season was one for the record books. How long will it be before we see another wide receiver catch 23 touchdowns in a single season? Even in this, a down year, Moss is on pace to catch double-digit touchdowns.
What's happened to the passion? And where did the entitlement come from?
The most cringe-worthy part of the Moss-Minnesota divorce was the way that Moss apparently handled himself during a post-practice team meal just this past weekend. Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver reported on the incident and according to a witness, the whole ordeal was "brutal."
Moss at SB XLII: 'I'm Ready to Go Home' His displeasure for being a part of the scenery has been evident for a while. Looking back at the pregame press conference he conducted prior to the start of Super Bowl XLII, Moss made it clear that he wanted to get the game over with. Why? Because he didn't want to be there. He wanted to go home and be with his family. This before the most important game of a player's career.
"I'm ready to get home. I'm ready to get it over. It's been somewhat of a decent, OK experience. For all the hype, the media days, the practice, the moving around... I wish this Super Bowl could have been in Miami or somewhere like that. From here it's just, 'let's get the game over with, let's get up outta here, I'm ready to go home.'"
He's just ready to go home. This, as you know, is the biggest single moment in a player's career. Or at least what is supposed to be.
I don't dislike Randy Moss. In fact, I've always been a fan of his. I for one am a person who roots for talent. But these kinds of moments are hard to get behind.
One of my favorite quotes about Moss comes from future Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He once said of Moss, "He's like a beautiful woman who can't cook, doesn't want to clean and doesn't want to take care of the kids. You really don't want her, but she's so beautiful, you can't say 'no.'
That's the reason why Moss will eventually find a new home this season, most likely with a Super Bowl contender. His game is too beautiful, but his actions refuse to cook.
How should Moss respond to the criticism going forward? Maybe he can take a page out of the old 2006 Randy Moss interview handbook.
"The way these smoothies are tasting, everything's going good."
Apparently, Kiefer Sutherland is a betting man. I know this because he appeared on the David Letterman show last night wearing a dress. And when Letterman asked him what the hell he was doing/thinking/wearing, Sutherland pointed out that he was so confident that the Patriots would defeat the Ravens that he told one of his friends he'd wear a dress on Letterman if they lost.
Well, obviously, they lost. Which means that instead of talking about the upcoming season of 24, the entire interview was Dave making fun of Kiefer while Kiefer apologized to friends and family. Hysterical stuff, really, especially when he takes a potshot at Jay Leno with an "out of the closet" joke. Enjoy.
HOUSTON -- Initial tests show that New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker tore both the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans, but he is scheduled to undergo more testing Monday, a source close to the situation told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
AP Photo/Dave EinselWes Welker is carted into the locker room after hurting his left knee.
The injury will presumably end Welker's season just as the Patriots' prepare for next Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick indicated Monday that he had no update on Welker, other than to confirm that the injured wide receiver was scheduled to undergo tests Monday morning.
"I felt badly for him," said Belichick. "He had a great year. It's unfortunate to see any player have an injury. Wes is a great competitor and I'm sure that he'll do whatever it is -- he'll work hard as he always does to bounce back."
Welker was injured in the first quarter when he tried to plant his left foot after making a catch. He was helped to the sideline by members of the Patriots' medical staff, then buried his head in a towel while sitting on the bench. Welker was later carted to the locker room.
"You can't replace him, there's no doubt about that," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Monday on WEEI radio. "There's nobody that can substitute in for Wes and think that they're going to be Wes. He is everything you ask for.
"We've got to move on and we've got to go out there and play and everyone I think in different areas has to pick it up. I have to play better, Julian [Edelman] has to play better, Randy [Moss] has to play better, the offensive line, running backs, tight ends, we all have to do more. I think that's the commitment we have to make to one another."
Cornerback Shawn Springs said the likely loss of Welker hurts.
"It's no secret around the whole NFL how important Wes is to us," Springs said. "My prayers are with him, because I know Wes is one of those guys who wants to be out there all the time. We are going to miss him."
Welker caught a pass from Brady on New England's first possession and his knee appeared to buckle as he turned upfield. When Welker went down, a nearby player immediately called for medical help. Brady and receiver Randy Moss kneeled over Welker, and Belichick also walked out from the sideline to check on Welker.
"You're heartbroken for Wes because he's so important to our team, he's probably the heart and soul of our team," Springs said.
The Patriots locker room was somber after the loss in Houston and Brady, who has been as accessible as ever this season, was presumably so frustrated at the turn of events that he declined to answer questions from reporters. A chair was placed in his empty locker and he was long gone by the time reporters entered the room after a lengthy delay.
Welker finished the season with a franchise record 123 catches (despite missing two games), 1,348 yards and four touchdowns.
"We've been going through that all year -- people up, people down," linebacker Adalius Thomas said of the playoff-bound Patriots. "Will we miss [Welker]? Yes we will. But the guys behind him have to step up and make plays."
Rookie receiver Julian Edelman, who projects to take on the bulk of Welker's responsibilities in the playoffs, played well Sunday after Welker was hurt. He set career highs with 10 catches and 103 yards receiving.
"I'm going to have to do a lot of studying and prepare like I have prepared all year," Edelman said. "All I can do is work hard and take the coaching that we have had and go with it."
Edelman, a seventh-round draft choice out of Kent State, has been one of the Patriots' surprise performers this season. He previously filled in for Welker in the second and third weeks of the season, and plays with a similar style.
In 10 games prior to Sunday, he had totaled 27 receptions for 256 yards. Edelman's numbers spiked against the Texans, and the Patriots will need more of the same in the playoffs.
"He's not a rookie any more," Springs said. "He needs to be ready to step up."
Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss and The Associated Press was used in this report.
If you need a quick chuckle on this Hump-Day morning, just picture a future Hall of Fame quarterback needing to be rescued from a kayaking mishap -- while watching his supermodel wife safely scooting down the stream.
Yes, Tom Brady -- the all-everything quarterback of the New England Patriots -- rented a pair of kayaks Sunday with wife Gisele Bundchen so they could ride down the Charles River side-by-side. Whether he was a bit more adventurous or less capable with the kayak, we don't know. What we do know is that Brady cap-sized his ride and needed to be saved by another man.
"He had to be rescued," an unidentified spectator told the Boston Herald. "The launch guy went out and got him and got him back in the kayak. He's been bragging about it ever since. He's telling everyone he rescued Tom Brady."
"It was more embarrassment than real danger," the spectator said.
It's gotta be pretty tough to embarrass someone who has achieved such great feats on the football field. Brady, after all, has only won three Super Bowls, steered a team to an undefeated regular season, won a league MVP, and holds the record for single-season touchdown passes. He's in the argument for the best quarterback in the history of football. It just goes to show we all have our little moments of humility.
I'm guessing Patriots fans are hoping he stays out of the water for the rest of his playing career, because apparently, he doesn't possess quite the same skills when it comes to kayaking.
By Christopher L. Gasper and Shira Springer Globe Staff / January 28, 2009
TAMPA - Tom Brady is progressing on pace in his rehabilitation from reconstructive left knee surgery and is now dropping back and throwing passes, according to a medical source familiar with the Patriots quarterback's case.
No additional surgical procedures are planned, according to NFL and medical sources.
Since Brady suffered a postoperative infection, there was concern that the damaged knee would require more surgery to deal with the buildup of scar tissue and other possible complications that could prevent him from being ready for the 2009 season.
The medical source said Brady is "on track to be fine for the opening game of the season.
"Based on anybody else doing an ACL rehab, he's going right along. He had a shaky start, but he's caught up," said the source.
The source added that Brady, who suffered torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in the Patriots' opener against the Chiefs Sept. 7 and had surgery to repair both ligaments Oct. 6, is throwing, running, doing his skill drills, and getting in shape.
Still, the sources acknowledged that Brady has "laxity" in the MCL and some stiffness in the joint.
Additionally, sources said Brady has not regained full range of motion, though it is not unusual for patients who have undergone ACL reconstruction to have lingering range-of-motion issues, especially in cases of infection.
An infection after Brady's surgery required at least two surgical irrigations of the area and a six-week course of antibiotics that delayed the start of his rehab.
The infection is no longer considered an issue and the rehabilitation schedule has not been significantly compromised.
As the intensity of football-related and other rehab activity increases, all indications are Brady will continue making steady progress.
NFL sources, however, caution that there remains a lot of work before the opener, with months of rigorous rehabilitation remaining.
Brady is continuing to rehab under both Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, who performed his surgery in Los Angeles, and the Patriots medical staff. ElAttrache has flown between Los Angeles and Boston to follow up with Brady.
While the Patriots obviously want Brady, the 2007 MVP, back for the start of the 2009 season, the greater concern is how strong the knee will be when he returns, how long the knee will hold up, and how it will affect his play.
Brady, who turns 32 in August, and the Patriots likely will not have definitive answers to those questions until this summer, when the quarterback can test himself in game-like situations at training camp.
All the more reason for the Patriots to place the franchise tag on backup quarterback Matt Cassel, who proved a more than capable starter while filling in for Brady.
The Patriots can't franchise Cassel, preventing the QB from becoming an unrestricted free agent, until Feb. 5.
Still, the latest reports on Brady's knee seem more encouraging than a month ago, when an NBCSports.com report said both the ACL and MCL were loose and a second reconstructive surgery would be required to repair the problem.
The report said the second surgery could cost Brady the 2009 season.
Now it appears that barring an unanticipated setback, Brady is on track to play in 2009. But whether he'll be the same player he was before the knee injury remains to be seen.
Tom Brady did not provide a timetable for his return at any point during the interview.
TORONTO (AP) -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said in an interview Wednesday that his rehabilitation from season-ending knee surgery was "going really well," but he did not offer any timetable for a return to the football field.
In some of his first public comments since being injured in the first quarter of the regular season opener in September, Brady also told Toronto sports radio station The Fan 590 that he did not think the Patriots would be hurt badly by the defections of key personnel such as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Scott Pioli, the team's former vice president of player personnel.
Brady was not asked during the interview if he expected to be ready for training camp or the start of the 2009 regular season. Nor was he asked about ongoing speculation that his recovery from surgery has been slowed by a post-operative infection in his left knee.
"It's going really well," said Brady of his rehab. "Anyone who's come back from injuries that require surgery knows it's just a process and there are some good days, some bad days and you just have to keep plugging through them."
Brady was operated on Oct. 6 in Los Angeles and confirmed on his Web site a couple of weeks later that he had a second procedure after developing an infection.
In the interview, in which Brady promoted a sports cream, the 2007 NFL MVP described himself as the Patriots "biggest cheerleader" after the injury. He said he watched every game and shared the team's disappointment in missing the playoffs with an 11-5 record.
He also noted that the Patriots defeated the NFC's representative in the Super Bowl, the Arizona Cardinals, by 40 points (47-7 on Dec. 21).
Brady said he was confident the team would make improvements in the offseason to try to get back to the playoffs, and he downplayed the departures of Pioli and McDaniels.
"There's change every year and you have to get used to it," he said, adding that the team's ownership and head coach remain intact.
"As long as we have Robert and Jonathan Kraft and as long as we have coach [Bill] Belichick, we'll be just fine," he said.
Matt Cassel, Brady's backup for the previous three seasons, played well after taking over as starter and reports have indicated that the Patriots are considering placing the franchise tag on Cassel as insurance should Brady not be ready for next season.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BOSTON -- Gisele Bundchen said she and Tom Brady are not, despite several reports to the contrary, engaged to be married.Photos: Tom & Gisele
However, Bundchen told the magazine Caras, in her native Brazil, that she and Brady will marry someday, according to an account of the interview in The Boston Herald.
“I will realize the dream of marriage, to have children and a family, of course. I’m sorry (to) disappoint you, there is no date set yet,” Bundchen said. “I’m in love and you will see my wedding on the right day.”Bundchen told the magazine that she was surprised by two separate stories of the engagement in the past month.“I don’t know how people are so creative,” said Bundchen. “First they said he proposed to me in a plane. Imagine, it was Dec. 24, Christmas, we were flying to Boston, then there was some champagne and we celebrated the date.“Someone deduced I was getting engaged! I received more than 100 e-mails from friends commenting about the proposal," she continued. "Now there’s a new rumor, that he proposed to me on last Friday. I wasn’t even there, how can that be true?”
"I’m in love and you will see my wedding on the right day."
- Gisele Bundchen
Bundchen did say that when she and Brady do marry, they will have a small wedding for just family and close friends.
Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Denver Broncos reached agreement with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on Sunday night to make him their new head coach.
ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen first reported the hiring, which was confirmed by team spokesman Patrick Smyth. The team has called a 7 p.m. ET news conference.
McDaniels, 32, replaces Mike Shanahan, who was fired Dec. 30 after 14 years on the job. The team is expected to announce the deal on Monday.
Cornerback Dre' Bly was one of many Broncos players excited about the team's new head coach. "That's enthusiasm, man," Bly said, according to the Rocky Mountain News. "Coach Shanahan had a lot of respect. Guys looked up to him and had a good relationship. But with a guy like him, it's like with [Broncos assistant] Jeremy Bates -- exciting, enthusiasm. It's like what Mike Tomlin brings to Pittsburgh. He brings excitement to that team. It's good for our team. And I hope we respond to him." McDaniels reportedly already has started filling his staff with the Broncos. NFL.com reported that former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan is expected to join Denver as the team's defensive coordinator. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen sent COO Joe Ellis to Boston Thursday for a lengthy second interview with McDaniels, who, according to sources, was one of two finalists along with Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
McDaniels becomes the third member of Belichick's coaching staff to be named an NFL head coach in recent years, following Romeo Crennel, who took over Cleveland in 2005 and was fired after this past season, and Eric Mangini, who went to the Jets in 2006. Mangini was also fired after this season and has since been named to replace Crennel in Cleveland.
McDaniels has worked in the NFL for eight seasons, all with New England. He joined the Patriots on March 1, 2001 as a personnel assistant in the scouting department and assisted the defensive coaching staff for three seasons. He began serving as the Patriots' quarterbacks coach in 2004 and was named offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach on Jan. 20, 2006. McDaniels began his coaching career in 1999 as a graduate assistant at Michigan State, working under head coach Nick Saban.
The Broncos won it all in 1997 and '98 but have slipped into mediocrity, winning just one playoff game in the decade since John Elway retired.
Under McDaniel's tutelage, Tom Brady threw for a record 50 touchdowns last season and the Patriots came within a whisker of the first 19-0 season in NFL history.
McDaniels' reputation grew ever larger this year when Brady was lost with a knee injury in the opener and Matt Cassel, who hadn't started a game since high school, led the Patriots to an 11-5 record.
McDaniels will inherit an explosive offense that appears to be one healthy running back away from greatness and a dismal defense that needs another overhaul. That led many observers to believe defensive minds such as the Giants' Steve Spagnuolo or Frazier had the inside track for the job in Denver.
Frazier was unaware he was out of the running for the Broncos' job when contacted by the Associated Press on Sunday night. He's in the running for coaching vacancies in St. Louis and Detroit.
"It would mean a lot to have that opportunity," Frazier said. "I'm not going to lose any sleep. It would be a great opportunity, but we're close to doing something special here. We'll see what happens."
The other candidates were Raheem Morris of Tampa Bay, Rick Dennison of Denver, Jason Garrett of Dallas and Todd Bowles of Miami.
Jay Cutler, who broke several passing records this year and was selected for his first Pro Bowl, publicly criticized Bowlen's firing of Shanahan and the owner quickly reached out to his franchise quarterback, telling him he'd keep him in the loop on the search.
"Hopefully we can continue to improve. I'm hoping we can keep some of our offensive coaches, keep some of those guys around," wide receiver Brandon Stokley told AP on Sunday night. "I think we did a good job. Hopefully we can keep getting better and bring new ideas. We have a lot of young talent."
Even Shanahan suggested on his way out the door that his successor should keep the offensive staff intact. Cutler is particularly fond of his position coach, Jeremy Bates, who called the plays last season.
And Bowlen is high on running backs coach Bobby Turner, who helped turn Terrell Davis into an NFL great but whose masterpiece came in 2008, when he helped keep Denver in the playoff hunt despite losing an astonishing seven tailbacks to injured reserve.
McDaniels does have some defensive experience. He helped the defensive staff in New England for three seasons before moving to offense.
Despite an injury epidemic in their backfield, the Broncos' offense ranked second in the NFL in yardage as Cutler set several franchise passing records in his third pro season.
The defense, on the other hand, ranked 29th, allowed an NFL-high 448 points and managed a measly 13 takeaways under Bob Slowik, Denver's third defensive boss in three years.
The result was an 8-8 record and a colossal collapse. They became the first team in NFL history to blow a three-game divisional lead with three weeks left, and Shanahan was fired 48 hours later.
The Broncos are 24-24 in three seasons since losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2005 AFC Championship Game and their three-year playoff drought is their longest since 1980-82.
NEW YORK (AP) -- NFL receiving leader Wes Welker has been fined $10,000 for making a "snow angel" after scoring a touchdown for the New England Patriots last Sunday.
Welker, who leads the league with 109 receptions, fell to the ground on his back just behind the end zone and brushed both arms and legs back and forth in the snow after catching an 11-yard pass from Matt Cassel in the second quarter. That gave New England a 28-0 lead in its 47-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The NFL imposed the penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, specifically for participating in an illegal demonstration by going to the ground after his touchdown, league spokesman Corry Rush said.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has fallen behind in his recovery efforts from knee surgery and could risk missing next season if another operation is needed, NBCSports.com has reported.
AFC East
ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog.
Brady, who underwent surgery Oct. 6 after tearing the ACL and MCL ligaments in his left knee in the first quarter of the team's first game of the season, had subsequent operations on the knee after it became infected.
That infection resulted in a buildup of scar tissue, which may require surgery on the knee, the Web site reported, citing an anonymous NFL source.
The scar tissue also has affected Brady's ability to begin fully rehabilitating his leg, the report said, and the repaired ligaments remain loose. Another surgery also could be needed for that condition, the Web site reported.
NFL.com Video
Watch highlights from the New England Patriots' 13-0 win over the Buffalo Bills.
The Boston Globe cited league sources and sources close to Brady that dismissed the report. According to the newspaper, the infection appears to have cleared and Brady's rehab is progressing as expected.
Backup quarterback Matt Cassel replaced Brady as the starter and has helped lead the Patriots to an 11-win season, but New England fell short of the playoffs when Miami beat the Jets on Sunday to win the AFC East.
Patriots react to missing playoffs(Boston Globe) Running backs Sammy Morris and Heath Evans react to missing the playoffs as the team returns to Gillette Stadium Sunday. (By Chris Forsberg, Boston.com)
By Christopher L. Gasper Globe Staff / December 29, 2008
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Last season, the Patriots made history in their regular-season finale, becoming the first team to go 16-0. Yesterday, they made history once again with a regular-season-closing conquest, only this time it was of the unfortunate and disappointing kind.
The Patriots are out of the playoffs despite an 11-5 season, becoming the first team since the NFL switched to a six-playoff-spot-per-conference setup in 1990 to miss the postseason with 11 wins and only the second team since the advent of the 16-game schedule in 1978 to get 11 wins and miss the playoffs, joining the 1985 Denver Broncos, who coincidentally lost out that year to the Patriots.
The Patriots may have played like a playoff team this season, but they won't be one.
"Yeah, I mean any time you go 11-5 you think you've played well enough to have the opportunity to play in the postseason," said safety James Sanders. "Unfortunately for us this year, it's kind of different and we [did] not get that chance."
In a season filled with bad breaks, starting with the loss of franchise quarterback Tom Brady just 15 offensive plays into the season, the Patriots just couldn't catch one on its final day.
Needing a victory and a loss by either the Miami Dolphins to win a sixth straight AFC East title or a loss by the Baltimore Ravens to slip in as the final wild card, the Patriots got neither after doing their part with a wind-whipped 13-0 victory over the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Patriots players could only watch helplessly as the Dolphins defeated the New York Jets, 24-17, at the Meadowlands and the Ravens routed the Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-7, in the 4 o'clock games to also finish at 11-5 and knock New England out of the postseason for the first time since 2002. (The Patriots lost the conference record playoff tiebreaker to both teams, finishing with a 7-5 AFC mark while Miami and Baltimore finished at 8-4.)
"We were all watching. The plane has those little TV screens on it, so we saw our lovely Jets not helping us out," said fullback Heath Evans.
Despite missing out on the postseason, the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick could end a cursed campaign with their heads held high, winning the final four games of the season.
"You know, like Bill said when he called us up at the end, in some years 11 wins will get you homefield advantage," said cornerback Ellis Hobbs. "That wasn't the case this year. As much as we downplayed things this year the way this team handled adversity from every aspect, to just stay focused and be professionals about everything and just staying focused and doing what we needed to do, my hat is off to every single one of us in here."
The Patriots' playoff plans are now gone with the wind, which played a major part in their season-ending win over the Bills.
Before the game, the wild wind blew out windows in the Bills' fieldhouse, uplifted portable toilets in the parking lot, and had the goal posts inside the stadium listing at near 45 degree angles.
The official tally at kickoff was winds out of the southwest at 30-40 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 m.p.h. The wind was blowing from west to east and any kick or punt into the west end of the stadium was an adventure, as Stephen Gostkowski found out in the second quarter.
With the Patriots facing fourth and 4 at the Buffalo 8-yard line, there was a delay to steady the goal post at the west end, which was leaning right harder than Rush Limbaugh.
Gostkowski, who had hit a 33-yarder in the first quarter with the wind, then attempted a 26-yard field goal. The ball hit a wall of wind, coming to a stop in mid-air, and then was whipped wide right.
"It was nuts. It's almost laughable," said Gostkowski. "I'm just glad it didn't have any impact on the game. I got to come back and make another one after that. Any field goal in those conditions is tough, even extra points are tough. There is no chip shot out there."
In the first half, the teams combined to run 26 offense plays into the wind and all 26 were runs. Even when pass plays were called, Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel thought better of it and ran with the ball.
"I guess they had to be up to 50 miles per hour, and so to throw into that you just had no accuracy," said Cassel (6 of 8 for 78 yards). "So, we didn't want to take a chance in possibly turning the ball over."
The first points into the wind came right after the first completed pass.
With the Patriots, who led, 3-0, at halftime, facing fourth and 5 at the Buffalo 14 in the third quarter, Cassel hit Wes Welker for a 12-yard gain. On the next play LaMont Jordan (20 rushes for 64 yards) barreled in from the 2 to cap an 11-play, 43-yard drive that was set up by a strip-sack by Jarvis Green, the first sack of the season for Green, who started in place of the injured Richard Seymour (back). Gostkowski's extra point fluttered in the wind before clearing the crossbar to give the Patriots a 10-0 lead with 4:39 left in the third quarter.
With Buffalo playing into the wind in the fourth quarter, that lead was insurmountable and the Patriots had beaten the Bills for the 11th straight time and won their 12th straight game in December. But that earned them nothing but a plane ride home and the praise of their coach.
"I think the players gave us all they have," said Belichick. "I respect this group of guys immensely. They've worked hard. They've put up with me all year, and they fought through a lot of adversity. We lost three tough games - Indianapolis, New York, and Pittsburgh. They battled through that stretch, then came back and won the next four, in a lot of different conditions. They proved mentally and physically that they're a tough football team."
Just not a playoff-bound one.
Chris Forsberg of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
FOXBOROUGH - National Football League playoff scenarios create some unusual allies, but no alliance is more awkward and unexpected than the Patriots and their fans having to root for their most reviled rival, the New York Jets.
The Patriots' road to a sixth straight division title goes indirectly through the Meadowlands, where the Jets host the Miami Dolphins Sunday at 4:15 p.m. The Patriots (10-5) close the season at Buffalo (1 p.m.) and need to win and get to 11-5 to have any type of playoff shot. If the 9-6 Jets, who need to win to keep their fading playoff hopes alive, beat the 10-5 Dolphins, and the Patriots shuffle out of Buffalo with a win then the Patriots are division champions.
If the Dolphins beat the Jets, then the only way the Patriots can get in is via the second wild-card spot - Indianapolis already has clinched one of the berths - and that would require Baltimore to lose at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jets are really the Patriots' best postseason hope because Jacksonville, which gave Indianapolis a game last Thursday, has nothing to play for as it finishes a disappointing season on the road.
So, the Patriots will have to take a break from the Border War and do the unimaginable - cheer for Eric Mangini and the Jets. Suddenly the Patriots and Jets are football frenemies. In this season of the unforeseen, even the Patriots couldn't have imagined that the latest plot twist has them having to pull for the Jets.
"No, never," said tight end Benjamin Watson with a hearty laugh inside the Reebok Store in Foxborough, where he was signing autographs. "Of all teams, right? We can control what we can control. If we'd have done better earlier we might not have been in this position, but we are where we are, and the only thing we can do now is try to win our last game. We win our last game and then see where the chips fall. If they're favorable, great. If not, we did the best we could with what we had."
Perhaps looking to avoid any conspiracy theories involving two teams who struggle to contain their contempt for each other and uphold the competitive integrity of the league, yesterday the NFL moved the time of the Jets-Dolphins game to 4:15 p.m. and did the same with the Ravens-Jaguars game, an unusual occurrence in that both games are on CBS, which carries the AFC, and both are being played on the East Coast.
By doing so, the league avoided a possible scenario in which Mangini and the Jets, knowing that the Patriots and Baltimore already have won, eliminating New York from the playoffs, spite the Patriots by not going all out against the Dolphins and thus knocking an 11-5 New England team out of the playoffs. With wins, both Miami and the Ravens would have 11-5 records, but they would have better conference records (8-4) than the Patriots, who can finish no better than 7-5 in the AFC.
Now, when the Jets kick off at 4:15, they know a win won't be just for the Patriots' sake. They're playing for themselves because if the Jets win and the Ravens lose, then New York makes the playoffs.
The NFL would rather air the "Spygate" tapes it confiscated from the Patriots on the NFL Network than admit such a scenario even could take place, never mind having to alter the schedule to avoid it.
"There are many factors that go into scheduling decisions, including this weekend's games," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "We make decisions that create the best overall situation for the NFL. We're not going to get into details on each game, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to do so. The schedule worked out the way it worked out. We made a decision that we think presents the best and most attractive television arrangement for this weekend's games."
When pressed about maintaining competitive integrity in the Jets-Dolphins game, Aiello channeled Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
"The schedule is what it is, and we think it's a very attractive Week 17 schedule with a lot of games with playoff implications," Aiello said.
The Jets have already done the Patriots a big favor by losing, 13-3, to the Seahawks Sunday. That opened the door for the Patriots to even have a shot at the division title.
While the Patriots have picked the perfect time to get hot, winning three straight games in December and four of their last five, New York has folded like a lawn chair, losing three of four to drop from 8-3 to 9-6. The one win required a boneheaded Buffalo fumble in the fourth quarter.
Belichick doesn't like to dabble in playoff scenarios to begin with, so he wasn't about to touch anything regarding help from the Jets, although he did reference the Jets' loss to Seattle, saying he was happy for outgoing Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren.
"Our major focus is just to get ready to play in Buffalo," said Belichick. "Again, based on what Buffalo did [Sunday] on the road in Denver, I think that right there tells you how they're going to play. They are a good football team. We have a lot of respect for them.
"We are always happy to see teams in our division lose. I was really happy for Mike Holmgren. Mike's had a tremendous career. He is one of the real greats in our profession. I have a lot of respect for Mike, so I was happy that it worked out for him in his last home game.
"I think, rather than being a fan here and a cheerleader, the best thing we can do is go out there and play good football on Sunday in Buffalo. Without that, nothing else will matter."
An internet report Thursday quoting unnamed sources portended an end to the career of New England Patriots QB Tom Brady, the reigning NFL MVP, because of complications linked to infections that followed his October knee reconstruction.
A source with intimate knowledge of Brady's condition told Sporting News on Thursday afternoon that "nothing could be further from the truth." The source said Brady is "right on track" to recover in time for the 2009 season, adding his rehab is going "perfectly."
Brady tore his ACL and MCL in the club's Sept. 7 opener against Kansas City and had the reconstructive surgery on his left knee Oct. 6. A post-surgery infection prompted doctors to perform three follow-up procedures on the knee to contain the infection.
Sporting News sources say the infection was successfully contained, and Brady was able to start the rehabilitation process like any other athlete with such an injury.
In October, Dr. James Gladstone, chief of medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, told Sporting News that, "If (the treatment for the infection) works like it's supposed to work, he's got every chance to do as well as anyone with his rehab."
The report of a major, career-threatening setback that surfaced Thursday morning quoted an unnamed orthopedic surgeon with knowledge of Brady's injury as saying, "(His career) is dead. It's over -- plain and simple."
Sporting News' source called that diagnosis "ridiculous."
Staff writer Albert Breer covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at abreer@sportingnews.com.
Linebacker Rosevelt Colvin inked a one-year contract with the Patriots this morning, according to a league source.
Colvin, who played for the Patriots from 2003-2007, has been out of football this season after being cut by the Houston Texans at the end of training camp. He addresses a need at outside linebacker, where the Patriots have been without Adalius Thomas (forearm) and also had Pierre Woods leave Sunday's loss to the Steelers in the third quarter with a mouth injury.
Mike Vrabel and Woods have been starting at outside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment in recent weeks. The top backups are rookies Gary Guyton and Vince Redd.
The Patriots had an open roster spot after placing cornerback Jason Webster on injured reserve Tuesday, and thus did not have to make a move to create room for Colvin.
The Patriots have also contacted veteran linebacker Victor Hobson in recent days, according to a league source. Hobson was with the Patriots in training camp, and like Colvin, has not played this season.
If the Patriots are further looking to bolster their linebacker ranks, Hobson could be a top option. He has experience at both inside and outside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment, but is probably more suited for the inside spot.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)—Junior Seau is going from the surf to the turf—again.
Seau signed with the New England Patriots on Friday, coming out of retirement for the second time to help bolster his former team’s injury-depleted defense.
“What it took was a coach that you respect made a call, come out and help guys that you have a lot of love for,” Seau said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of history here with us and it wasn’t a hard decision. You just care for the guys in this locker room and you care for the coach and organization and that’s the only reason I’m here.”
The 39-year-old linebacker takes the roster spot of Adalius Thomas, who was placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season after breaking his left forearm Nov. 9 against Buffalo. The Patriots, 7-5 but with a shot at the AFC East title or a wild-card playoff berth, also are without injured linebackers Eric Alexander and Pierre Woods.
Seau rejoined New England two days after linebacker Rosevelt Colvin also came back to the team. Neither has played this season. Colvin, a nine-year veteran, spent five seasons with the Patriots before being released in February. He signed with the Houston Texans, but was released in August.
Seau, a 12-time Pro Bowl player and avid surfer, will suit up Sunday when the Patriots visit Seattle.
“He went from the surfboard back to the football field,” Belichick said Friday. “He can probably make that transition better than any player that’s ever played.”
Seau retired after last season following two years with the Patriots, who had lured him out of a brief retirement in August 2006. He had 76 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks and a career-high three interceptions in 19 games last season.
Seau was living in San Diego, spending time with his wife and family, when Belichick called Wednesday. Seau visited Foxborough on Thursday, attended a team walkthrough and was signed.
“I have no time to get all drama, I just don’t. I don’t want to go ‘Oprah’ on you,” Seau said. “It is what it is. I was cutting up oranges for a cooler for (daughter) Cindy Seau and now I’m here putting on cleats. That’s life. You have to make adjustments and make them quick.”
Belichick said he always has had a deep appreciation of Seau’s skill and dedication.
“He’s ready to play football,” Belichick said. “He’s a football player. You look football player up in the dictionary, Junior Seau, Troy Brown, those are the guys. They just define it in every sense of the word.”
Should the Patriots bank on Tom Brady returning to full health or should they invest in a young quarterback on the rise?
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
An innocent question to stimulate conversation ignited outrage.
One reader demanded I resign from ESPN.com. Another implored my bosses to terminate my blog completely. They wrote in to ridicule my intelligence, mock my background and question my journalism ethics.
All for asking a question to which I didn't give my opinion.
What I dared to do was broach the subject of what's going on with the New England Patriots quarterback situation and the uncertainty clouding it.
Sporting icon Tom Brady is rehabbing his surgically rebuilt, infection-prone left knee. Information has been scarce. So much is unknown.
Matt Cassel has developed into a bona fide NFL starter before our eyes, but he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
This is the exact question I posed before opening the floor to comments:
Do you bank on the superstar maintaining his elite status, or invest in the rising prospect, who years from now still should be in his prime when the veteran retires?
That line didn't seem inflammatory when I typed it, but after the backlash from incensed readers, I decided to check with some professionals to see whether they thought I had raised a legitimate issue or I was nuts.
Charley Armey
Background: Former St. Louis Rams general manager, New England Patriots assistant director of player operations.
Note: As Rams director of player personnel, Armey dealt with Trent Green's season-ending knee injury and emergence of unheralded Kurt Warner en route to a Super Bowl title.
The risk is too great not to move forward with the quarterback you have right now. You have to get him signed and give your team stability at the position. There's no absolute. That's the problem. You've got to protect yourself and the organization.
I would do whatever I had to do to sign him. I would try to structure the contract so that at some point in time I could deal the player if it's convenient but keep him around until Brady is back and 100 percent.
After Brady is back, you address what you do with both quarterbacks. You have to proceed as though Cassel will be your quarterback until proven otherwise. There are no other options for the Patriots. They have to get the guy signed.
This kid [Cassel] has proven that his arm is getting better and better. They've invested the money and the time to get him to this point. He's a commodity now. You can't let him get away for nothing. I would figure out how to get it done. I would not let him out of there, period.
But the deal can be done. [Cassel] ought to feel a strong sense of loyalty for to the organization for drafting him when they did, showing faith in him and investing in him the way they did.
You know who the quarterback is when he's healthy, but it sure is a nice problem when you have two. Otherwise, you're looking for a free-agent quarterback who's 105 years old to come in and be the backup.
It took Trent Green almost two years and maybe three years until he was comfortable on that knee. Some guys come back and are comfortable on it right away.
You don't know how [Brady's knee] is going to react until you start working out in game mode. He has to step up, take a hit, pivot on it, slide to the left, slide to the right, plant it, come off it. You won't know until you get in a game situation regardless of how the off-field rehab goes.
BOSTON -- A New England Patriots cheerleader was kicked off the squad on Tuesday after pictures posted online showed her with a drunken friend covered in profane words, pictures and swastikas, according to the Boston Herald.Caitlin Davis and another person appeared to be writing on the passed-out person in pictures posted on Facebook, the newspaper reported.The photos later appeared on a number of other Web sites, including TMZ.com.New England Patriots Spokesman Stacey James told the Herald that Davis was "no longer with the squad."Even though the team said that she was removed from the squad, photos of Davis remained on the Patriots' Web site, including some from the team's Oct. 26 game against the Rams when she dressed up as an angel.In April of this year, Davis told the Sun Chronicle during cheerleader tryouts that part of why she was drawn to the squad was that it would require a number of community service appearances."In addition to spreading a good image for the Patriots, you do some good things for others," she told the Chronicle.Click here to view the controversial photo.
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All you art collectors out there. Here is a chance to get a Giclee copy of some of Ian M Sherwin work. Ian is planning on doing a whole series of Marblehead, Massachusetts paintings. His work is amazing.
If you need a quick chuckle on this Hump-Day morning, just picture a future Hall of Fame quarterback needing to be rescued from a kayaking mishap -- while watching his supermodel wife safely scooting down the stream.
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