It’s time for the Second Annual Boston Blood Sox Awards Post. It’s been a phenomenal year for Boston sports. The Red Sox won the World Series, the Patriots are undefeated, the Celtics are 25-3, the Bruins are in the playoff hunt, the Revolution went to the MLS Cup, and BC football won their 8th straight Bowl game. There’s been no shortage of heroes in Boston, and no shortage of great moments.
I'm going to keep this post at the top of my page until all the Awards are given out, post by post. I thought about doing this all in one posting, but it's extremely long, so I decided to break it up.
Here's the awards I'll be giving out. Next to each Award, in parenthesis, is last year's winner.
Harry Frazee Award for Goat of the Year (Manny Ramirez)
Dan Shaughnessy Award for Worst Sports Writer (Dan Shaughnessy)
Alex Rodriguez Award for Biggest Disappointment/Choke (Boston Red Sox)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Hottest Patriots Cheerleader (Ashleigh van Gerven)
Doug Flutie Award for College Athlete of the Year (Craig Smith)
Bobby Orr Award for Bruins Player of the Year (Patrice Bergeron)
Bill Russell Award for Celtics Player of the Year (Paul Pierce)
Drew Bledsoe Award for Patriots Player of the Year (Asante Samuel)
Ted Williams Award for Red Sox Player of the Year (David Ortiz)
Tom Brady Award for Biggest Surprise Out of Nowhere (Jonathan Papelbon)
Curt Schilling Bloody Sock Award for Toughness (Jon Lester)
Boston Blood Sox Game of the Year Award (3/24, BC men's basketball vs. Villanova)
Red Auerbach Award for Best Executive (none given)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Lifetime Achievement (Red Auerbach)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Athlete of the Year (David Ortiz)
Boston Blood Sox Award for Team of the Year (UMass football)
Now, keep in mind that Awards are purely subjective, and determined completely by me. These are also given for the CALENDAR year of 2007, which sort of cuts winter sports like basketball into two seasons.
So without further ado, the Second Annual Boston Blood Sox Awards!!!
Boston sports blog featuring Patriots propaganda, and opinions on the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
BOSTON BLOOD SOX AWARD FOR TEAM OF THE YEAR
This is the big one. The Lombardi Trophy, the Stanley Cup, the Green Jacket, the Heisman, and every other award pale in comparison to this one. Of course, this Award goes to the most impressive New England team of the calendar year.
Here are the nominees:
The Boston Red Sox
The New England Patriots
It’s obvious that these two are the only possible options. The Celtics may have been considered, but keep in mind that these awards are for the calendar year, and the Celtics sucked from January to March in 2007.
These two teams are the titans of New England, the 1 and 1A of the region. Both seem to one up each other in terms of success. In 2003, the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Then the Red Sox one upped them by winning the World Series. In 2007, the Red Sox won the World Series. Then the Patriots went 16-0.
It’s difficult for me to select this one because although the Patriots are making history, the Red Sox are already in the clubhouse with a title.
The winner is…
…
…
The New England Patriots!
What pushed the Pats over the top was the fact that NO TEAM has done what they have done this year. No team has ever had a 16-0 regular season. Moreover, the Patriots beat some of the best teams in the NFL in order to reach 16-0. Using CBS SportsLine’s Power Rankings, here are the teams the Patriots played, and beat:
#2 Indianapolis Colts, 24-20
#3 Dallas Cowboys, 48-27
#6 San Diego Chargers, 38-14
#7 Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-13
#10 New York Giants, 38-35
#11 Washington Redskins, 52-7
#13 Cleveland Browns, 34-17
#17 Philadelphia Eagles, 31-28
#21 Cincinnati Bengals, 34-17
#22 Baltimore Ravens, 27-24
#24 Buffalo Bills, 38-7, 56-10
#30 New York Jets, 38-14, 20-10
#32 Miami Dolphins, 49-28, 28-7
This team went to Indianapolis and beat the Super Bowl Champion Colts. This team went to Dallas and beat the #1 team in the NFC. This team beat the winners of the AFC North, South, and West divisions. This team cut through the NFC East (all four teams .500 or better) like a hot knife through butter.
This team scored more points than any team in NFL history. The Patriots also allowed the 2nd fewest points in the League.
Within a few games, we may just be able to say that this is the best team in the history of the NFL, New England sports, and maybe even American sports.
Congratulations to all the winners of the Second Annual Boston Blood Sox Awards. 2007 was one of the best years in New England sporting history. The Red Sox won their 6th World Series title. The Patriots went 16-0. The Celtics exploded back onto the scene. Heck, even the Bruins have improved from suck to mediocre. So enjoy it, New England. But let’s be greedy and hope 2008 is even better!
Here are the nominees:
The Boston Red Sox
The New England Patriots
It’s obvious that these two are the only possible options. The Celtics may have been considered, but keep in mind that these awards are for the calendar year, and the Celtics sucked from January to March in 2007.
These two teams are the titans of New England, the 1 and 1A of the region. Both seem to one up each other in terms of success. In 2003, the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Then the Red Sox one upped them by winning the World Series. In 2007, the Red Sox won the World Series. Then the Patriots went 16-0.
It’s difficult for me to select this one because although the Patriots are making history, the Red Sox are already in the clubhouse with a title.
The winner is…
…
…
The New England Patriots!
What pushed the Pats over the top was the fact that NO TEAM has done what they have done this year. No team has ever had a 16-0 regular season. Moreover, the Patriots beat some of the best teams in the NFL in order to reach 16-0. Using CBS SportsLine’s Power Rankings, here are the teams the Patriots played, and beat:
#2 Indianapolis Colts, 24-20
#3 Dallas Cowboys, 48-27
#6 San Diego Chargers, 38-14
#7 Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-13
#10 New York Giants, 38-35
#11 Washington Redskins, 52-7
#13 Cleveland Browns, 34-17
#17 Philadelphia Eagles, 31-28
#21 Cincinnati Bengals, 34-17
#22 Baltimore Ravens, 27-24
#24 Buffalo Bills, 38-7, 56-10
#30 New York Jets, 38-14, 20-10
#32 Miami Dolphins, 49-28, 28-7
This team went to Indianapolis and beat the Super Bowl Champion Colts. This team went to Dallas and beat the #1 team in the NFC. This team beat the winners of the AFC North, South, and West divisions. This team cut through the NFC East (all four teams .500 or better) like a hot knife through butter.
This team scored more points than any team in NFL history. The Patriots also allowed the 2nd fewest points in the League.
Within a few games, we may just be able to say that this is the best team in the history of the NFL, New England sports, and maybe even American sports.
Congratulations to all the winners of the Second Annual Boston Blood Sox Awards. 2007 was one of the best years in New England sporting history. The Red Sox won their 6th World Series title. The Patriots went 16-0. The Celtics exploded back onto the scene. Heck, even the Bruins have improved from suck to mediocre. So enjoy it, New England. But let’s be greedy and hope 2008 is even better!
BOSTON BLOOD SOX AWARD FOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The Boston sports scene saw the addition of a number of new great athletes. Matt Ryan became a Heisman hopeful. Josh Beckett emerged as the best pitcher in baseball. Randy Moss came from Oakland and dazzled us all. Kevin Garnett came from Minnesota and helped turn the Celtics into one of the top teams in the NBA. This may have been the most difficult category for me to select because of the abundance of great performances in 2007.
Here are the nominees:
Matt Ryan - QB, Boston College
Tom Brady - QB, New England Patriots
Randy Moss - WR, New England Patriots
Wes Welker - WR, New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel - LB, New England Patriots
Josh Beckett - SP, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Papelbon - RP, Boston Red Sox
Kevin Garnett - F, Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce - F, Boston Celtics
Patrice Bergeron - C, Boston Bruins
Marc Savard - C, Boston Bruins
Taylor Twellman - F, New England Revolution
And the winner is…
Tom Brady of the Patriots!
Tom Brady has always been a good quarterback for the Pats, never putting up amazing numbers, but consistently doing what it took to win games. But since being armed with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth, he’s become a statistical record holder, which only further demonstrates his greatness.
Critics may argue that without so many potent weapons, Brady wouldn’t be that good. Some will argue that it is Brady’s offensive line that is the reason behind the fantasy football bonanza that was 2007. These people are partially right. Brady’s teammates are a big reason for his success, and he’ll be the first one to say it.
But Randy Moss never caught 23 touchdowns before Tom Brady was his quarterback. His career high was 17 coming into this season. Since 2003, Moss’s numbers were below expectations, as he struggled with mediocre quarterbacks. But he gets to New England and now he’s back to the Pro Bowl.
Wes Welker saw an even more dramatic rebirth in New England. Welker caught 16 more passes in 2007, than he caught in his other two years in the NFL combined. His 1,175 yards this year more than doubled his career total. In 2 seasons in Miami, he had only caught 1 touchdown. In ‘07, he hauled in 8.
Then there’s what happened last year. With Reche Caldwell as his #1 receiver, and an aging Troy Brown as his most reliable option, Brady still managed to lead the Pats to the AFC Championship game. We all forget that the Patriots were underdogs to San Diego the week before, but managed to pull it out. In 2006, Brady managed a solid 87.9 QB rating, impressive considering Ben Watson was his best downfield threat.
Brady is going to the playoffs for the 6th time in his career. He’s also starting the Pro Bowl. He’s the NFL MVP. And, oh yeah, the 16 game winning streak the Patriots are currently riding, is the SECOND longest of Brady’s career.
Here are the nominees:
Matt Ryan - QB, Boston College
Tom Brady - QB, New England Patriots
Randy Moss - WR, New England Patriots
Wes Welker - WR, New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel - LB, New England Patriots
Josh Beckett - SP, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Papelbon - RP, Boston Red Sox
Kevin Garnett - F, Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce - F, Boston Celtics
Patrice Bergeron - C, Boston Bruins
Marc Savard - C, Boston Bruins
Taylor Twellman - F, New England Revolution
And the winner is…
Tom Brady of the Patriots!
Tom Brady has always been a good quarterback for the Pats, never putting up amazing numbers, but consistently doing what it took to win games. But since being armed with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth, he’s become a statistical record holder, which only further demonstrates his greatness.
Critics may argue that without so many potent weapons, Brady wouldn’t be that good. Some will argue that it is Brady’s offensive line that is the reason behind the fantasy football bonanza that was 2007. These people are partially right. Brady’s teammates are a big reason for his success, and he’ll be the first one to say it.
But Randy Moss never caught 23 touchdowns before Tom Brady was his quarterback. His career high was 17 coming into this season. Since 2003, Moss’s numbers were below expectations, as he struggled with mediocre quarterbacks. But he gets to New England and now he’s back to the Pro Bowl.
Wes Welker saw an even more dramatic rebirth in New England. Welker caught 16 more passes in 2007, than he caught in his other two years in the NFL combined. His 1,175 yards this year more than doubled his career total. In 2 seasons in Miami, he had only caught 1 touchdown. In ‘07, he hauled in 8.
Then there’s what happened last year. With Reche Caldwell as his #1 receiver, and an aging Troy Brown as his most reliable option, Brady still managed to lead the Pats to the AFC Championship game. We all forget that the Patriots were underdogs to San Diego the week before, but managed to pull it out. In 2006, Brady managed a solid 87.9 QB rating, impressive considering Ben Watson was his best downfield threat.
Brady is going to the playoffs for the 6th time in his career. He’s also starting the Pro Bowl. He’s the NFL MVP. And, oh yeah, the 16 game winning streak the Patriots are currently riding, is the SECOND longest of Brady’s career.
BOSTON BLOOD SOX LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
This year, the Boston Blood Sox Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Robert Kraft.
Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, saving them from a move to St. Louis. He already owned Foxboro Stadium, which gave him the leverage to buy the team. The purchase price was $175 million. The Patriots’ current value: about $1.2 billion. That’s a spicy meatball.
Then again, making money in the NFL is like getting fat while locked in a McDonald’s: it’s pretty easy to do. The average NFL franchise is worth about $925 million, so a $1.2 billion team doesn’t say much.
So let’s look on the field for what Mr. Kraft has done.
In 1994, the Patriots were a joke. They were coming off of 5 consecutive losing seasons. They had won a meager 4 divisional titles in their history. Being demolished by the Bears in Super Bowl XX was their greatest achievement.
In 1994, the Patriots won the AFC East. In ‘96, the Pats won the division, as well as the AFC title before losing to Brett Favre and the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. But the Pats made the playoffs again in ‘97 and ‘98. Then in 2001, the Patriots went all the way to their first Championship. Then their second in ‘03, and their third in ‘04. Now the club finished the 2007 calendar year with a 16-0 record heading into the post-season. Vegas has put the odds at 5:11 that the Pats will win. That’s not a typo.
Since 1994, the Patriots have made the post-season 10 times. Before 1994, it was only 6 times. Before 1994, the Patriots had a 4-6 record in the playoffs. Since 1994, they’re 15-6 in the post-season. They’ve won 4 AFC titles under Kraft, and three Super Bowls. He’s turned what was once a laughing stock bound for St. Louis into one of the best franchises in American sports.
What makes Kraft a phenomenal owner is that he balances a love of the team with good business sense. He wants nothing more than to see the Patriots win, but he is smart enough not to meddle or overextend himself. Instead, he delegates responsibility to the best people he can find. Men like Scott Pioli, and Bill Belichick. Robert Kraft has also helped secure the future of his sporting empire by involving son Jonathan Kraft. Jonathan currently serves as president of the Patriots, owner of the Revolution, and COO of the Kraft Group.
But Robert Kraft isn’t just the man behind the Patriots. He’s the man who tore down shabby Foxboro Stadium and built the jewel that is Gillette Stadium - with his own money. He’s also the man behind the New England Revolution, who have made it to 4 MLS Cup finals in 6 seasons. The area surrounding Gillette Stadium is being developed into Patriots Place, a shopping and entertainment center that will make Gillette Stadium a destination for millions 365 days a year.
Robert Kraft just might be the best owner in American sports, and that is why he is the winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, saving them from a move to St. Louis. He already owned Foxboro Stadium, which gave him the leverage to buy the team. The purchase price was $175 million. The Patriots’ current value: about $1.2 billion. That’s a spicy meatball.
Then again, making money in the NFL is like getting fat while locked in a McDonald’s: it’s pretty easy to do. The average NFL franchise is worth about $925 million, so a $1.2 billion team doesn’t say much.
So let’s look on the field for what Mr. Kraft has done.
In 1994, the Patriots were a joke. They were coming off of 5 consecutive losing seasons. They had won a meager 4 divisional titles in their history. Being demolished by the Bears in Super Bowl XX was their greatest achievement.
In 1994, the Patriots won the AFC East. In ‘96, the Pats won the division, as well as the AFC title before losing to Brett Favre and the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. But the Pats made the playoffs again in ‘97 and ‘98. Then in 2001, the Patriots went all the way to their first Championship. Then their second in ‘03, and their third in ‘04. Now the club finished the 2007 calendar year with a 16-0 record heading into the post-season. Vegas has put the odds at 5:11 that the Pats will win. That’s not a typo.
Since 1994, the Patriots have made the post-season 10 times. Before 1994, it was only 6 times. Before 1994, the Patriots had a 4-6 record in the playoffs. Since 1994, they’re 15-6 in the post-season. They’ve won 4 AFC titles under Kraft, and three Super Bowls. He’s turned what was once a laughing stock bound for St. Louis into one of the best franchises in American sports.
What makes Kraft a phenomenal owner is that he balances a love of the team with good business sense. He wants nothing more than to see the Patriots win, but he is smart enough not to meddle or overextend himself. Instead, he delegates responsibility to the best people he can find. Men like Scott Pioli, and Bill Belichick. Robert Kraft has also helped secure the future of his sporting empire by involving son Jonathan Kraft. Jonathan currently serves as president of the Patriots, owner of the Revolution, and COO of the Kraft Group.
But Robert Kraft isn’t just the man behind the Patriots. He’s the man who tore down shabby Foxboro Stadium and built the jewel that is Gillette Stadium - with his own money. He’s also the man behind the New England Revolution, who have made it to 4 MLS Cup finals in 6 seasons. The area surrounding Gillette Stadium is being developed into Patriots Place, a shopping and entertainment center that will make Gillette Stadium a destination for millions 365 days a year.
Robert Kraft just might be the best owner in American sports, and that is why he is the winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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