Not Going Anywhere

11.27.2008 1:37AM

To Trade Brady, or Not To Trade Brady
Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon, ESPN commentators think Pats should trade Brady
Written by: Boston Sports SID

Before reading this blog please take a minute to partake in brief game of Jeopardy. Please answer in the form of a question: (The answer will be at the end of the post.)
The single, stupid, idiotic, dumbest idea ever proposed by a national media conglomerate.

Bill Belichick has made bold moves in the past, such as trading Drew Bledsoe, releasing Lawyer Milloy as well as letting Ty Law, Adam Vinatieri and Asante Samuel walk when they reached their free agent years. But there is one thing that Belichick does not do. He does not make moves based on whim. Every decision the Patriots make is carefully calculated and bounced off other members of the Patriots staff to assure himself it is what is best for the football team. So to think Belichick would even consider the option of trading Tom Brady, as a big time media conglomerate brought up, is ridiculous.

Many national football commentators and fans outside New England will point to Bledsoe’s week two injury against the Jets in 2001 is what led to the emergence of Brady. Now after Brady went down with his ACL tear in week one, this might be the emergence of Matt Cassel?

Well here is the flaw in their argument. How did the Patriots do with Bledsoe at quarterback? They made it to the Super Bowl in 1996-97 against the Green Bay Packers and lost. With the Brady, the Pats became the first dynasty of the new millennium winning three championships in four years and were minutes away from winning their fourth last year. Plus Bledsoe was at the tail end of his career whereas Brady is still in the prime of his and at least five years left in his career.

To think that Belichick is going change his M.O. just so he can sooth his ego, as some commentators think, is absolutely absurd. Belichick is a CEO and like any CEO of a highly successful multi-national, million dollar corporation, he is going to do what is best for the company. Does he think he can win without Brady? Probably but does that mean he is going to drop the guy who brought him three championship rings and has potential for more?

Yes Brady is coming off a nasty ACL injury but people are making it sound like he contracted gangrene and had his left leg amputated. As of today, there has been a recent report from the quarterback himself telling Boston’s ABC affiliate on Tuesday, he is doing well in his recovery from surgery as well as a staph infection. The television station also noted that Brady appeared to be walking without a limp. This is all fans and media have to go because we know the Patriots treat injuries like state secrets. (Maybe the CIA should hire Belichick for their covert operations?)

What is getting the fans and commentators worked up, is the uncertainty of the future and the question of where is Brady going to be in eight months. But you know what? Brady does not have report to training camp until the end of July. It is not like July is going to come tomorrow. It is eight months away. Eight months is a long time in the sporting world. Eight months is two months short of many internships. Eight months is a baseball season that includes both Spring Training and the post-season. Many things can and will happen between now and the time Brady reports to camp. The future is always uncertain. When it is certain, people tend to call it the past.

Things always have a way of working out. Remember back to Spring Training 2006? The Red Sox had seven starters on their roster heading into Spring Training and they figured seven was too much so they traded Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati for what they thought was young power hitter in Wily Mo Pena. Well as the season progressed and Matt Clement landed on the disabled list, Josh Beckett was having a hard time adjusting to the American League and David Wells was David Wells. They ended up finishing the season in third place behind the Yankees and Blue Jays with four-A guys making the starts in August and September. The Sox could have definitely used Arroyo at the tail end of 2006. But they learned that you can never have enough pitching because even if you have 20 starting pitchers in spring training, things always have a way of working out.

It is no different than what the Patriots are going through right now. What we need right now is a Rosevelt Colvin “calm down.” The Pats will have bigger questions in the off-season, mainly improving the secondary by stacking the deck with the defensive backs as well as re-signing nose tackle Vince Wilfork. The quarterback comes in third when it comes to the needs of the team.

Eight months is along way away and things have ways of working themselves out.

-- BOSTON SPORTS SID

ANSWER TO THE JEOPARDY QUESTION is:
Should the Patriots trade star quarterback Tom Brady?

Contenders v. Pretenders

11.23.2008 10:50:30pm

"Well Done Is Better Than Well Said"
Pats show they are contenders, exploit pretenders
Written By: Boston Sports SID

In a must-win game for both teams to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Patriots proved they are the contenders and the Miami Dolphins are the pretenders in a 48-28 victory Sunday afternoon. Hats off to the Dolphins, after finishing the season last year at 1-15, they had a marvelous 2008 season but are no where near the caliber of the Pats or Jets.

Joey Porter just does not know when to shut his yap. He got away with calling out the Patriots, then, inexperienced quarterback in Week Three so he thought he would run his mouth again before Week 12’s re-match in Miami. Unfortunately, Porter was not so lucky this time.

Late in the fourth quarter when the game was almost sign, sealed and delivered, Porter committed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Matched with another Miami penalty on the play, it culminated with a BenJarvus Green-Ellis two-yard touchdown run to put the Pats up by 20 and really seal the deal. Thanks to Porter’s actions, the Patriots returned the favor of spanking the Dolphins at home in southeast Florida.

Not to long before that play after Stephen Gostkowski put the Pats up two scores with a 30-yard field goal, Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder went after offensive lineman Matt Light. After Light got in a few punches of his own, both he and Crowder were ejected and will be heavily fined or, worst case scenario, suspended.

This game just goes to show you that even though Miami has improved from last year, they are a young and undisciplined team. When they play teams such as the Patriots, Colts, Jets or any team who is rigorously disciplined, their fatal flaws are going to show. Or maybe it can be deduced that Porter is a cancer to any team he is on.

The guy is still running his mouth about how the Steelers should have been the dynasty of the 21^st Century because the Patriots cheated. Sounds like the sour grapes talking. Now this the reason the media relations staff likes to give players and coaches a 10 minute “cool down” time post-game, to prevent stuff like this. Hey Porter: It was seven years ago. Get over it. The day Joey Porter retires is the day the NFL will be better.

But you know who will not be retiring soon, Cassel. No longer an inexperienced quarterback, Cassel continues to impress and is sure to command a high price tag come free agency. You know that $50 million for four year price tag, Scott Boras is commanding for Jason Varitek? Well Cassel deserves that money more than the former Sox catcher catcher.

As devastating as last week’s loss to the Jets was, remember it Cassel who, in Brady-like fashion, drove the Patriots down-field and threw to Randy Moss, who made an extraordinary catch, to send the game to OT. Against the Jets, Cassel had his best game of the year, completing 30 of his 51 passing attempts for 400-yards including three touchdowns. It was hard to imagine that he could top last week’s performance this week. But it is exactly what he did.

The one time back up quarterback can but something on his resume that the legendary Tom Brady can not. For the second consecutive game, Cassel threw for over 400-yards including throwing three touchdowns one of his favorite targets, Randy Moss. Completing 30 of his 43 attempts, Cassel averaged nearly a first down every time (9.7) while finishing with 415 passing yards overall and a 114.0 passer rating. On the receiving end, Moss also had his best game of the season. He caught eight balls for 125 yards with his longest being a 29-yard reception for one of his three touchdowns in the second quarter.

Through all the trash-talking thrown the Patriots way this past week, the Pats showed once again that they do all their talking on the field because “well done is better than well said.” They could care less what you say in the week leading up to the game. All that matters is how the team plays for 60 minutes on Sunday.

-- BOSTON SPORTS SID

Never judge a book by its cover

11.13.08 11:10PM

Things are never as they appear to be
Unnamed Jets player cowardly calls out Pats defense

A member of the New York Jets offensive unit told New York Post columnist Mark Cannizzaro, in today’s newspaper, the Patriots defense was “vulnerable.” In addition to saying they were vulnerable, he added the Pats were “slow and old.” The player did not want to go on the record because he was afraid of giving New England bulletin board material.

Now I will agree the Patriots are vulnerable in the defensive secondary but some of the other things I have been hearing about the Patriots defense is malarkey and this takes the cake. Once I heard the nonsense the same nonsense, referred to by the national commentators about the Pats defense, come out of a Jets player’s mouth, I knew I had to comment.

First off, this is stupid on the Jets player's part. Just because you did not put a name to the comment does not mean it is not going be going on the Patriots locker room bulletin board? Where is that logic? The Pats will use any verbal threat against them no matter who said. All you did Mr. Anonymous Jet was throw your entire team under the bus because the Patriots will just go for the jugular and step on the throats of the entire Jets team than go after one play like they did to Anthony Smith of Pittsburgh last year.

And secondly, the myth of the Patriots defense is old is nothing more than a fallacy. Many national commentators and fans like to believe this myth because for the last five years, the five corps members of the Patriot defense have played together for the last five straight years. But in reality does that make the defense older? Like Jamie Hyneman, from the TV show Mythbusters, I was set out to dispel the notion New England was an aging defense and succeeded.

Much like the Red Sox have been doing recently of incorporating the younger guys with the veterans, the Patriots patented the trend. They started on the defensive line because every defense starts with the front line. If there are holes, the size a tractor trailer can pass through in the front line, then the opposition’s artillery will easily run right through. In 2001 Bill Belichick drafted a young 22-year old defensive end out of a Georgia, Richard Seymour and inserted him into a line of veterans. Two years later, Belichick did the same with 2003 first round pick, Ty Warren and the next year with Vince Wilfork. Now here we are five years later, with the same front three still all under the age of 30.

Sure Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel are getting up there in age but this past off-season Belichick made it a point to get young on defense. With the 10^th overall pick in this year’s draft, Patriots selected the 22-year-old out of Tennessee, Jerod Mayo, who is currently leading the team in tackles through nine games. In one sense the Patriots are slow; they are slowly incorporating youth with the veterans. It is the only way to re-build their franchise without looking like they are re-building

It is the M.O. of a championship team. They are constantly rebuilding their system like at the college level. Did the Red Sox look old this past year? Yes. They had an aging and diminishing catcher, third baseman and designated hitter that are the face of the franchise. But after incorporating Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Masterson and Jed Lowrie with the good group of veterans each of the last four years, they have two World Championships to show for it. Belichick is no different.

When it comes to football, Belichick’s heartless. He knows there is no room for loyalties when winning is at stake. It is a cruel "what have you done for me lately" business. He released Lawyer Milloy, a player who Belichick liked so much, back before the season in 2003 when he thought the safety no longer could help the team. He let Ty Law, now with the hated Jets, and Willie McGinnest walk when their skills were diminishing. And every time he let a player go, either on defense, offense or special teams, more times than not, Belichick has made the right move.

It may appear to the casual football fan the Patriots are getting older on the defensive side of the ball but you have too look a little closer and go deep into the endzone to see the truth. The average age of the Patriots defense, at 27.6 years of age, is not just younger than the offense (28.1) but they are younger than the Jets defense (27.7) on the other side of the field. So I sign off once again digging through the memory bank to the days of elementary school to “never judge a book by its cover” because on the inside things are not always as they appear to be on the outside.

Been There, Done That, Bought the Tee-Shirt

10.24.2008

Been There, Done That, Bought the Tee-Shirt
Brady Recovering Nicely from Antibiotics; rehab not compromised

Remember in Spring Training when it was discovered Curt Schilling had a degenerative right shoulder condition and his doctor told the All-Star pitcher that surgery was his best option? If Schilling had the surgery, his season would have been over but the Red Sox team and their doctors decided on a different approach. Instead of having their star pitcher undergo surgery and be lost for the season, the Sox thought rest and rehab would be best. The situation exploded into a front-line war between Schilling and the Red Sox management. In the end Schilling abided by the Sox wishes and ended up having the surgery anyway a month into the season, thus ending his season.

So New England fans, we have seen this before. For Tom Brady, it is a no win situation. He went to the surgeon his family wanted him to go to and wound up with an infection. We like to think things would be different he went with the Patriots doctors but, fans, we have seen this play out just eight months ago. Say he went to doctors the Pats wanted him to have the surgery and still got an infection, we would all be saying the same thing.

Brady going to a different physician does not change the fact he contracted an infection in his left knee. I’m not a doctor nor do I pretend to be one but I do know that infections from surgery are not all that rare. Because it happened like this, you ask the question would it have been any different if Brady stayed in Boston and had the surgery here? It might have but infections are always possibly when it comes to going under the knife.

Like in the Schilling situation, there is no use crying over spilled milk. What is done is done. It is what it is. Now Brady and the Patriots have to move forward instead of dwelling on the past. Brady should fly back to Boston to let team doctors have a look at his knee to decide the next course of action. The Patriots have invested a lot of money into this guy and they want to know what they are up against and which direction they need to turn to.

One doctor out of Cincinnati, Dr. Tim Kremcheck, told WEEI’s Dale and Holley yesterday “that’s not good” upon hearing the reports of Brady’s staph infection in his knee following surgery. He went on to say next season is questionable for the Pats franchise player and possibly, worst case scenario, the start quarterback’s career might be in jeopardy.

“What will probably have to happen is that they will have to go in, remove everything–including the screws, everything—because everything has to be sterile and clean for (the repair) to take,” Kremchek, whose specialized ranges from arthroscopic shoulder scopes to total knee joint reconstructions and replacements, told WEEI.

It may sound grim but the famous orthopedic surgeon, Dr. James Andrews of was consulting on the case with Brady’s surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Andrews confirmed what Kremchek told WEEI yesterday that saving the ligament graft from the infection was the most important piece of the puzzle. The renowned Alabama doctor told the Los Angeles Times that from what he heard from ElAttrache, Brady was “winning the battle” and responding nicely to antibiotics and should not compromise his recovery from the injury that occurred in Week One of the NFL season.

Hopefully rehab will go well and he will be back for the 2009 season but if there is a slight blip in the recovery process you know the Patriots and their fans will re-hash the fact Brady went outside the organization for his surgery; thus, will re-create the “Schilling Controversy” all over again. So for right now Pats fans sit back let Brady continue on his road to recovery and root for Matt Cassel to lead the Patriots this season

Don't they ever learn?

What’s this? More material for the Patriots to put on their locker room bulletin board?

Miami Dolphins linebacker and representative loudmouth, Joey Porter finds himself on the Pats bulletin board once again. It seems as if we can not go one year without Porter opening up his big mouth. The Pats are all too familiar with the linebacker’s antics while with the Steelers in the playoffs and after last year’s asterisk’s comment regarding SpyGate. Doesn’t this guy ever learn?

Four days before the Pats host the last-place Dolphins at Gillette, Porter took some time out of practice to take a few cheap shots at quarterback Matt Cassel. He told ESPN blogger Tim Graham, “I just know he’s not Tom Brady. So if it’s not Tom Brady, it shouldn’t be that hard.”

Where to begin? That is the ultimate question. First, where is the logic in Porter’s statement? Secondly, thanks Joey I did not know Cassel was not Brady. Thank you very much for clearing that up for me. I would be lost without you. (Note the hint of sarcasm.)

And third, tell that to the Jets. New York fans were salivating at the idea of facing the sans-Brady Patriots would be a walk in the park and it would be their shot at redemption from last year, but they were harshly snapped back to reality by Adalius Thomas and the defense. If Porter thinks this Sunday’s game is going to be a cake walk, let me remind him that his Dolphins lost to the same Jets in their first game of the year.

According to Porter, the Dolphins are going to “treat [Cassel] like you treat a back-up.” This is their first mistake: thinking of Cassel as a back-up instead of a starter. Bill Belichick did not become a successful head coach treating opposing teams different. In the eyes of Belichick, every team is the Colts, every quarterback is Peyton Manning. Why? Because, it is cliché, “on any given Sunday” anybody can beat anybody.

Miami’s second mistake: letting Porter open his mouth to an ESPN reporter.

The Pats are the best team at playing the “Us vs. Them” card and using these one-liners as motivation. When the entire league accused them of cheating last year, the Pats only became the first undefeated team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins and were one win away from eternal glorification. Now, with Brady lost for the rest of the year, the national media called the Jets the team to beat in the AFC East, thus putting the chip was right back on the beast shoulder.

For the second consecutive year, Belichick does not have to re-create a “Disrespect” straw man like he has done in past years. Already feeling slighted why would a player from a winless team, come out and hurl more insults towards a team that handles it by doing all their talking on the field on Sunday? It makes no sense. So I end this blog with a Brady quote: “Well done is better than well said.”