The Bruins haven't been able to win back-to-back games since January 12th. That trend was extended last night in a 1-0 loss to Ottawa that probably should have been a 2-0 or 3-0 loss. The Bruins played the first 50 minutes before generating any sustained pressure, they struggled to maintain possession of the puck, and they seemed disjointed, as if this was their first time playing with each other.
It was as if the whole team were Deadline Day new arrivals.
I know there's injuries to key players. During this stretch we're really seeing how valuable Rich Peverley is. But the turnovers, the poor passes, David Krejci trying to carry the puck around opponents like he's in a Bobby Orr highlight video, it's all inexcusable.
It doesn't just hurt the defense, either. It kills the offense. The Bruins are struggling to score goals, which means they need as many opportunities as possible. A sniper only needs one shot to kill a guy, but a bad shooter needs a dozen. The B's turning the puck over at your offensive blue-line is like a bad shooter throwing bullets away.
Hopefully it's just a product of returning home from a long homestand. Then again, this win-lose-win-lose pattern has persisted for a month and a half now.
The playoffs are around the corner. And Ottawa is only a point behind, although the Bruins have 4 games in hand. Winning the division looks like it will be extra important this year as the 2nd place Northeast team might be the 5th or 6th seed in the playoffs. There are a number of Atlantic Division teams that could occupy the 4th, 5th, and maybe even the 6th spots.
The Bruins host one of those Atlantic Division teams on Thursday as the Devils come to town.
Before the race, and the rain delay, and the fire, Danica Patrick was the big story in Daytona. She was making her Sprint Cup debut in the series' biggest race. And it didn't go well. She was involved in an accident on Lap 2, which also collected 5 time series Champion Jimmie Johnson and last year's 500 winner Trevor Bayne. Danica's crew patched her car up and she finished a few dozen laps behind the leaders in 38th place.
She was obviously disappointed with the result, but seemed happy for the 138 laps of experience behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car. She was happy to learn.
And that's the problem. That's why she struggled in the Nationwide Series last year. She's trying to learn how to do it before she does it. And that's not how racing works.
You think when Dale Earnhardt Sr. took his first green flags he was thinking about learning? No. How about Tony Stewart? Kyle Busch? Jeff Gordon? These guys got into their cars, drove as hard and as fast as possible. How else can you know how hard you can push a car until you've pushed it too hard?
You don't learn by not making mistakes. You learn by making them. And she's trying too hard to avoid them.
She needs to remember how to forget to think. Just drive. Racing drivers are missing that certain part of the brain that thinks about the bad things that might happen in a racecar. I'm not questioning Danica's bravery. She's much braver than I to sit in a tub of metal and go 220 MPH. She's not afraid of the danger, she's afraid of not doing well. I think she's so concerned with not being bad that she's preventing herself from being good.
She has the skill set. And she doesn't make the rookie mistakes you'd expect a newcomer to stock car racing would make. But there's no aggressiveness, no assertiveness, no coloring outside the lines. She's like a baseball player that doesn't swing because they're afraid to strike out.
I don't think it's a gender thing. I've seen female drivers with less skills than Danica, but also more conviction. You don't need balls in your pants to have them on the track. She just needs to stop thinking about being a good driver and just drive. She needs to stop being so cautious.
I'm surprised that he waited until now to make this decision. Then again, this is the guy that accepted a gaudy "C" on his jersey when named a Team Captain. This is the same guy who continued to wear that "C" even as he became a part-time player.
Overall, I've liked Jason Varitek's tenure with the Sox. He was an important part to the team's two World Series wins. And he was very good at getting the best out of a pitching staff.
But he was also one of the most overrated, overhyped athletes in Boston. And that's saying something. He was good. Not great. At his best he was very good and he had occasional great moments. 7 RBI in the 2004 ALCS. Three All-Star Games. A Gold Glove. A Silver Slugger.
If the Red Sox had a different catcher in 2004 and 2007, I don't think they win those World Series. Even if they plugged in a "better" catcher.
But great? Sorry. He got too much credit for pitcher's successes, never any blame for their struggles. He got too much credit for being a good Captain, never any blame when teams have disintegrated.
The guy was important to this team. That was the past, though. I'm very glad he's retiring because his prime was 2004 and 2005.
I can't say I'll miss him. He had plenty of time here, and he got plenty of spotlight time too. But if he retired in 2004, I would have missed him then.
You might not recognize the names, except for one, maybe two. The Bruins acquired left wing Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau from the Islanders. They sent AHL Marc Cantin and forward Yannick Riendeau.
They also sent Steve Kampfer to Minnesota for defenseman Greg Zanon.
Rolston played with the Bruins back in the early 2000s. He scored a career high 31 in 2001-02. He's got 4 goals and 5 assists in 49 games with the Islanders this year, so I don't know how much he has left in the tank. He adds depth to the bottom end of the depth chart.
Mottau won the Hobey Baker Award (college hockey's Heisman) his senior year at Boston College in 2000. Greg Zanon is similar to Mottau. Neither of these guys will contribute much on offense. Which I'm happy about. The Bruins need solid defensemen that don't make mistakes. These guys are the anti-Tomas Kaberles.
And with Boychuk down, the Bruins needed depth at the blue-line.
These aren't exciting moves. These moves don't make the Bruins much stronger. They address potential weaknesses. I'll take Rolston over Josh Hennessy. I'll take Zanon or Mottau over Kampfer. And maybe even over Corvo.
His hit on Joe Corvo was potentially dangerous. But that's because it was poorly delivered. It was such an awkward check at an awkward angle in an awkward situation.
It wasn't an intentional targeting of the head. His skates left the ice but he hardly launched himself at Corvo. And he hit Corvo with his shoulder, not an elbow.
It wasn't reckless either. Reckless means that somebody is hitting other players carelessly. Whereas Turris seemed to hit Corvo clumsily.
The NHL considers past history when making these rulings. Turris' history shows that he's not normally a hitter at all. He's 19th on the Senators with 16 hits this season. That's 3 more than Zach Hamill, 5 fewer than Tyler Seguin, and 10 fewer than Jordan Caron.
I understand Jack Edwards' frustration in the moment, but the NHL was correct in not suspending Kyle Turris.
Even though the Bruins lost Friday night, it wasn't a bad performance. Few mistakes. Give credit to Ryan Miller for being a great goalie. And maybe if Thomas were in net for the shooutout, the Bruins take home 2 points instead of 1. Rask was very good during the game, but Thomas is just slightly better.
Beating Ottawa was more important. The Senators are the only team currently within striking distance of the division leading Bruins.
The B's look to be back in business. After it seemed like everyone was slumping, Marchand has gotten hot. Bergeron scored twice Saturday night, and Chara ended a goalless drought in Buffalo.
The fact that the Ottawa game got as close as 4-3 was unfortunate. The Bruins were the superior team for all of the game until they forgot to cover Daniel Alfredsson. He, Jason Spezza, and Erik Karlsson took advantage of bad Bruins defending. The B's collapsed too low in their own zone, giving Spezza and Alfredsson free reign to move the puck around the ice, get Thomas to commit to a shot from Spezza, then pass to Alfredsson and score.
But Bergeron's empty-netter sealed the deal. It was a smart play, as he shot from his own blue line. Either Seguin would receive the shot/pass, or the shot would go in the net, or Seguin would have a good chance to win the race to wave off the icing.
Things turned nasty in the 3rd period. There was Neil's big hit on Boychuk, which was a shattering check, but a clean check. Later Kyle Turris left his feet to hit Joe Corvo in the head. There was a boarding penalty, but the NHL has decided not to discipline Turris further. Boychuk might be out for a few games. Corvo is fine.
These teams meet Tuesday night in what should be an entertaining and physical game.
That's Kyle Busch saving his car from an accident on Saturday. He had a similar incident toward the end of the race. He saved it again. Then won the race. Like a boss.
Carl Crawford is a good teammate. And like so many of his Red Sox teammates, he's found an excuse for his lackluster performance in 2011. Instead of taking responsibility for his lack of success, or maybe looking forward to the opportunities that 2012 presented, Crawford made excuses for why he sucked so badly in 2011.
It was the batting order. He wasn't used to batting in the bottom third of the order, and that somehow affected his swing.
Wow.
You know what, this is baseball. Hitting is something between the batter and the pitcher. The baseball batter picks up his baseball bat, then steps into the baseball batter's box, and tries to hit the baseball thrown by the pitcher. Does it matter that some lineup card taped to the wall of the dugout has you listed as #2 or #7?
Step up to the plate and try to hit the ball!
This is a team of excuse makers. Everybody has an answer for everything. Even the owners blamed Francona. Crawford is just being one of the guys, one of the team.
If Crawford hits .300 in April and the Sox win, then nobody will care about what's been said in this offseason. But right now, before the Sox have even played an exhibition game in 2011, the Sox are still vomiting excuses all over the place. And it's sickening.
Could you imagine a hockey player publicly whining about being on the 3rd line and not the 2nd line? How about a football player moaning about being on special teams?
But baseball is a game conducive to whining and complaints. And if that was what won games, the Red Sox would be World Champions.
Despite putting up 104 points, the Celtics simply could not keep pace with the Thunder last night. Each of the Big Three scored 20+, but it wasn't enough. The Celtics' bench only contributed 9. Meanwhile, OKC's scoring was more concentrated (Westbrook had 31, Durant 28, Harden and Cook each with 17), but also more potent.
The Thunder outrebounded the C's 43 to 32, including 10 offensive rebounds. 50 points in the paint for the Thunder.
If the Celtics had Rondo, I suppose they could have made this game interesting. This was an elite opponent that's been nearly unbeatable at home. So just by itself, this loss shouldn't depress C's fans. But even putting this game aside, there isn't much to be cheerful about either. Five straight losses, 7 of 8, and Cleveland is breathing down the C's necks for 8th place in the East.
If the Celtics lose in Cleveland next Tuesday, they'll be tied with them in the loss column.
This season has been painful to watch. There have been glimpses of possibilities of chances. Their last win in Chicago, for instance. But I don't think the Celtics have shown that they're capable of contending to win a playoff series against a good team.
I think it's time to seriously consider selling some of this team off and building for the future. There's no glory in finishing 6th in the Eastern Conference (which looks quite optimistic at the moment), being eliminated in a 6 game series, and keeping all your aging talent, along with your young but inconsistent talent.
There clearly won't be a chase for banner #18 in 2012-13 with this group of players. So as it becomes clear that there won't be a chase in 2011-12, why cling to them?
The St. Louis Blues hadn't lost a home game in regulation since December 3rd. This was a Step-Up game for the B's. Their key players all needed to Step-Up. Krejci had to play on the wing, Chara had to be a shutdown defenseman, and Thomas had to play well in net. Someone needed to score, too.
All that happened last night. And Marchand stepped-up to be the scorer. But his goals, like so many that these Bruins score, were products of solid play by his teammates. Chara's neutral zone presence, then Bergeron forcing a turnover gave Marchand his first opportunity. And it was Bergeron and Seguin who did likewise for his second.
This team based, decentralized scoring is why the Bruins are so streaky. When Bergeron is playing well, Marchand gets hot. When Bergeron is slumping, Marchand fails to produce. The same goes for Krejci and Lucic, and the rest of the forwards. Entire lines are either red hot or ice cold. There's no middle-ground when one forward slumps but the other two on a line are playing well. The whole line slumps.
Krejci played an uncharacteristically physical game as a winger. He needed a good night on the ice before we should expect to see some good stat nights. He was still +2 with 2 shots on goal and 2 hits.
Chara played defense the way he should. All the Bruins defensemen have to do on any given night is do their job. It's simple to say, sometimes difficult to do.
Thomas was very good. The second goal he allowed saw him slightly out of position. I'm unaccustomed to seeing him over-commit as he seemed to do, leaving 1/3 of the net open. But he atoned for it with the 30 saves he made.
The Bruins are in Buffalo Friday night. It would be nice to remind the Sabres that they are a 12th place team.
It's finally been decided. As compensation for Theo Epstein, the Red Sox will receive 26 year old right-handed reliever Chris Carpenter.
It's an underwhelming acquisition. Many Sox fans, and the Red Sox themselves, thought they'd be getting something exciting. Maybe a top 5 prospect, or maybe the Cubs would assume the salaries of an overpaid player. This optimism was quite stupid. Wishful thinking.
The fact is, the Sox are fortunate to receive any compensation at all. Theo didn't want to be here. While he was still under contract, when players want to leave their teams they're often traded. And traded for less than they'd normally be worth.
Essentially, the Cubs are paying the Red Sox for something they already have and have already used. It's like stealing a car then sending the former owner a $10 gift card to Arby's. It's not going to satisfy car's former owner. Then again, the thief already has the car. The Cubs already have Theo. Possession is 9/10 of the law. Let's go to Arby's.
Carpenter is approaching the stage of his career when he's no longer considered a prospect. He's 26 and has yet to find a role for himself as a Major League player. Last year he was converted to a reliever after struggling as a starter in AAA.
He doesn't throw strikes. And that's a major problem. In 25 games in AAA, his WHIP is 1.83. He's walked 32 batters in 45 innings. And MLB batters are much better at drawing walks than AAA batters. So he walks 3 guys every 4 innings, gives up close to 2 baserunners per inning, and he's thrown 7 wild pitches in AAA. That's once every 6 innings.
He made 10 relief appearances for the Cubs last year. His ERA was a respectable 2.79, but he walked 7 batters in 9.2 innings and allowed 12 hits. His WHIP was 1.97. He threw 2 wild pitches.
He's just not that good.
And the lameness of the Red Sox off-season lingers on.
Boston is a pro sports town. We do have Boston College, who typically field competitive football and basketball teams, but never attain any national glory. But BC also has one of the best hockey coaches in history: Jerry York. On Friday night Jerry York's BC Eagles defeated Merrimack College 4-2, giving York 900 wins as a head coach. BC beat Merrimack again Saturday night for win #901.
York was born in Watertown. He attended BC from 1963 to 1967, playing center on the hockey team. By 1972, he was the head coach at Clarkson in the North Country of New York state. York then coached at Bowling Green in Ohio, winning an NCAA Championship in 1984. In 1994 he returned to BC and revitalized the program. He's won 3 NCAA titles with BC, 5 regular season Hockey East titles, 8 Hockey East tournament titles, and 6 Beanpots.
He's 66 years old, he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and his Eagles are currently ranked #2 in the country, looking to add more hardware to York's already stuffed trophy case.
He's 23 wins short of being the winningest coach of all time. Ron Mason retired with 924 wins. Jerry York actually replaced Ron Mason at Bowling Green.
BU's Jack Parker has 868 wins as a coach. Here in Boston we have two of the best hockey coaches ever.
On Sunday, BC basketball hosted Duke. York was in attendance, and met with Duke's Coach K. I'm not a Duke fan, but I think this is a pretty cool picture of two coaching legends, each with 4 NCAA titles, each with 900+ wins
The Oakland Athletics have signed career controversy maker Manny Ramirez to a 1 year deal worth $500,000. The steroid assisted slugger will have to sit out 50 games before he can play, but I think this is a good signing for all parties involved. The Athletics risk almost nothing to acquire a player with 555 homeruns under his belt. He'll be able to play for over 100 games and if he doesn't work out, then little is lost. And for Manny, he gets an opportunity to earn a larger contract in 2013.
The Athletics' 51st game will be May 30th in Minnesota. The A's host the Red Sox for 3 games starting July 2nd. Sadly, the Athletics will make their only trip to Fenway Park well before Manny's suspension.
Hopefully one of those games gets rained out and a makeup game can be played in August or something.
The English language is a fun and funny thing. There are so many words and phrases that have multiple meanings. Homonyms, homophones, double entendre, et cetera. But ESPN crossed the line with their racist headline.
People should be fired. If it's an "honest mistake," then the writer of the headline has demonstrated a fundamental failure to grasp the English language. If you don't know that this word is a racial slur for Asians, then you shouldn't be in the writing profession.
The word "chink" is only used for two reasons. The first is as part of the expression "chink in the armor," which is rarely used. The second, and much more prominent usage of the word is as a derogatory slur. This cannot be excused as an accident or a mistake. This was intentional.
This person at ESPN gets paid for their proficiency with words. They get paid to fill the site with words. And if they don't know this basic racial slur then they must not be very proficient with words. In which case, they shouldn't be in the Word Business.
The alternative is that the writer did know what they were saying. Which is worse. Someone who knows that what they were writing had serious racial overtones. Did they think it was clever? Did they think it was cute to use such a vile term?
The writer should be fired for either their failure to grasp basic English, or their willingness to use racial slurs. Moreover, the editors should also get the boot for allowing such a headline to appear on the site. And even the lowly web designers who write the codes for the site should be scrutinized. How come nobody at ESPN said "hold on a minute?"
I had intended to write a post about people overreacting to MSG's fortune cookie graphic and how it wasn't racist because fortune cookies are something that's positively associated with Asian-Americans. Sort of like spaghetti being associated with Italian-Americans. I don't think it's racist for Asian-American food to be associated with an Asian-American basketball player.
That graphic was a relatively innocent thing. Utterly innocuous. But ESPN's headline is not innocent. At the very best, it's an example of extreme ignorance of the English language, which is inexcusable for a professional writer. And more likely, it's some jerk who thought they were being clever as they incorporated a racial slur into their headline. In either case, it's wrong, and people need to be fired over it.
The people who love Jeremy Lin most aren't Knick fans, or Harvard alumni, or Asian-Americans, or people who hate Floyd Mayweather. It's people who love puns and plays on words. These fans of lingual (see what I did there) goofiness are gleefully swimming in the sea of possibilities that Jeremy Lin's name provides them.
There's Linfinite possibilities to Lincorporate Lin's name in a play on words. It's just so easy to Lintegrate his name. The term "Linsanity" is now Lingrained in our collective language. And this Lincredible story has Lingratiated itself into the hearts and minds of sports fans from coast to coast.
I really don't know what Linitiated my desire to write this post. But if you really like it, you can Link to it.
Anyway, I think pretty soon I'll get tired of the Lincessant plays on his name. It's becoming ReLintless. Just like every internet meme out there, you laugh your ass off and can't get enough for 48 hours then you cringe every time you see/hear it. So Linjoy it while it lasts.
I was a little puzzled by Claude Julien's decision to start Thomas in back-to-back games. But he was 6-2 in his previous 8 starts before last night. Meanwhile, Rask had lost 4 straight, including that 6-0 Buffalo debacle. Thomas also had a 1.26 GAA against the Canadiens and a .964 SV% this season. So that's probably why he started.
It was how he finished that was most impressive. He's undefeated in shootouts this year, and he was stellar in last night's.
The Canadiens are a team in disarray. 6 points behind Toronto for the last playoff spot, with 3 teams to leapfrog over. They don't have a team identity, they don't seem to have any sense of direction. Are they a finesse power play focused team, or are they defensive and opportunistic? It's a little of both, but not enough of either.
The B's took advantage of Montreal's attempt to copy the Rangers by giving up the points on defense. The Habs collapsed and allowed the Bruins' defensemen plenty of time and space to shoot. Eventually Ference took advantage and scored.
The Bruins got careless and lackadaisical at times. That's how Montreal scored their shorthanded goal.
The 3rd period was especially unfortunate for the B's. They tried to play a prevent defense and run out the clock, and there's just no such thing in hockey. Montreal took advantage. The most painful play was Chara's giveaway a few feet from Thomas.
Chara looked out of sorts all night after taking a puck to the chin. And how about those high and mighty Montreal fans applauding his injury? These are the same rabid jerks that complain about hockey not being played the right way. Stay classy, les scum.
The Bruins dominated overtime, though. Seguin froze Carey Price in the shootout, and Tim Thomas did the rest.
This team is having it's good stretches and bad stretches. They haven't strung together 60 minutes of good hockey for a long, long time. But the capability is there.
Hopefully Thomas can re-find his groove. And Marchand is a few posts and crossbars away from scoring a few goals lately.
I've been talking about Jeremy Lin since he was in college. I was privileged to see him dismantle Boston College twice. What amazed me was hos quick he was with his movements, and how tight his dribble was. He's a smart player, but the athleticism is there. He might not be able to sprint up and down the court with the NBA's fastest players, but in short bursts, he might be the quickest draw in the Association.
A few haters have been saying that Lin is only front-page news because he's Asian-American. But I think his play has spoken louder than the haters' words. You have an undrafted Harvard alum (Harvard, like all Ivy League schools, doesn't offer athletic scholarships) leading the New York Knicks to victory when their so-called stars are out. This story is a story no matter what the ancestry of the main character is. I think this story occurring in New York is a bigger reason for this story's prominence then Lin's race.
Yes, he is Asian-American. But more importantly, he's a really good basketball player.
I've always liked Lin. He plays the game smart, he plays the game fast. He decides what to do, then does it before the defense realizes he'll do it. He is lightning fast. He's just fun to watch. It's a rare combination of fundamental soundness and awareness with sheer athleticism.
Do the Rangers look familiar to you? They remind me of the Bruins. Excellent goaltending, a stalwart and systematic defense, and offense from multiple lines. This is the blueprint that Julien and the Bruins took to the Cup last year, and the Rangers are remarkable similar.
When two similar teams face each other, the difference between winning and losing comes down to a few plays. For instance, on the Rangers' second goal, Brad Marchand just passed the puck out of his zone into space. He didn't pass to a teammate. And the quick-striking Rangers reclaimed the puck, and soon put it past Thomas.
To be blunt, if the Bruins meet the Rangers in a playoff series, I'd have to favor the Rangers. It'd be close. It'd be a 7 game series. With a few going to overtime. But right now the Rangers are executing the Bruins' gameplan better than the Bruins are.
The Bruins set out on a 6 game road-trip. And this is a good time for them to return to their core strengths and string together a few wins. They haven't won consecutive games in over a month.
This is the start of "Trophy Season." The Hockey East tournament starts in just under a month. The NCAA tourney follows shortly thereafter. This is the beginning of the important part of the season. It's when games are must-win. And for the 3rd year in a row and the 17th time ever, BC won the Beanpot. With 6.4 seconds left in the first OT period.
It was a classic game. Six of the last 9 Beanpot finals have gone into OT. And these two teams are likely to meet again in the Hockey East tourney, and could very well go deep in the NCAA tournament. Fun fact: the 9 times a team from Boston has won the NCAA Championship, they won the Beanpot just a few weeks earlier.
BC has finally figured out their goaltending situation. Parker Milner has won 6 straight starts, and allowed only 10 goals in that stretch. BC isn't as explosive as they've been in years past, buy last night we saw their sound defensive play. They make good decisions with the puck and have an excellent Penalty Killing unit. And when their Power Play shows up, they're very tough to beat.
BU, for their part, also looked good. Millan is an excellent, experienced goalie. BU can play physical. They just need to stay out of the penalty box.
I remember when there seemed to be a campaign to run Rajon Rondo out of town. It wasn't that long ago. All his faults were listed, his successes were dismissed, and he was stamped and packaged for export to some other town.
I don't know if Rondo is the key to the Celtics' future, but he is a key to their present. His triple-double yesterday propelled the Celtics past the Bulls 95-91. And his youth will become more and more important as the back-to-back games begin to build up and the season takes its toll on his more seasoned teammates.
The Celtics and Rondo are a perfect fit right now. Other teams didn't seem to find him very valuable. And maybe they're right. He wouldn't be valuable for them. But with the C's, he is valuable. He's a solid point-guard with the ability to explode as he did Sunday afternoon.
The Bruins needed to win this game. They've been struggling for a month now, entering the game on a 5-6-1 slump. They were utterly dominated by the Sabres in their previous game. They needed to skate hard, play physical, and take care of the puck. They needed to win. And they did all that.
The goals they allowed were the result of unfortunate mistakes, not bad habits. Tim Thomas, for instance, could have stopped Nashville's 3rd goal. But he got up out of the butterfly too early and opened up a huge gap for Mike Fisher to score. Other than that, though, Thomas was fine.
Marchand and Bergeron were playing hard, especially in the 1st. And it eventually resulted in a shorthanded goal. Lucic was skating around like a madman all game and it paid off with the game-tying goal scored 67 seconds away from another loss.
Seguin and Bergeron scored nifty goals in the shootout and it was over.
The Bruins outworked and outplayed Nashville. If not for the occasional miscue, they would have won the game in regulation by 2 goals.
We know how good this team can play. They don't need to be lights out for the remaining 29 regular season games. They just have to be good and continue to practice good habits. Then turn it on in the playoffs.
Bruins host the Rangers Tuesday night in a meeting between the two best teams in the East.
It's been a rough year for the few BC basketball fans that bother to show up to the Conte Forum each game. The Eagles were 7-16 coming into last night's game, at the bottom of the ACC standings. But those who did show up were treated with an upset win over Florida State, who were sharing the top of the standings with North Carolina.
To say this has been a rebuilding year might be overly polite to the Eagles. BC is loaded with freshmen, and this season is essentially a lengthy pre-season for the 2012-13 campaign. You can tell that coach Steve Donahue is trying to teach his team how to play the game properly, so once their skills are honed, they can contend to return to the NCAA tournament.
Which means this season's games look more like practices and scrimmages. Except when BC hits 10 of its 22 three-pointers and Florida State turns the ball over 14 times.
I think the Eagles will be respectable in a few years. This wasn't a glimpse of things to come as much as it was a statistical aberration. But it was quite fun to be there and watch it. And the 4,000 or so who showed up got more than their money's worth, and got their loyalty rewarded.
I'm not the biggest basketball fan in the world. But right now I'll grab hold of any positive Boston sports story that I can and hang on for dear life.
Paul Pierce scored 15 points last night in the Celtics' 94-84 win over the lowly Charlotte Bobcats. By doing so, he surpasses Larry Bird as the Celtics' 2nd highest scorer ever. Pierce has now scored 21,797 points in Boston. John Havlicek is the team's highest scorer with 26,395.
Not only was this game a reminder of Paul Pierce's importance to one of the most storied franchises in American sports, but it's made extra special by the current nature of the NBA. Players change teams with the drop of a hat. Free agency, the salary cap, and players wanting to play with their buddies means that stars change jerseys more than Oregon's football team.
Pierce is sort of a throwback. Drafted by the Celtics, he's been a constant presence since 1998. He was a Celtic when the Celtics were a joke. He was the key part of their Eastern Conference playoff run in 2002. He was still there when C's fans were praying for a lottery pick in 2007. He was at the podium a few months later when Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were acquired. And of course he won a ring in 2008. As the Celtics' fortunes have risen and fallen, Pierce has been a constant presence.
That's exceptional in modern sports.
Pierce is also 15 games short of his 1,000th in a Celtics uniform.
I didn't see the Bruins game on Sunday. On Saturday, they played with some bad habits. They turned the puck over, the defense didn't play actively in the 3rd, and all the forwards seem to be slumping. The goalies are cold too.
So while I didn't see the 4-1 win against the Capitals, I think the Bruins have improved some of their bad habits. Certainly Tim Thomas' 35 saves on 36 shots is a good sign. And the forwards have once again decided to get involved on offense. Lucic, Marchand, Seguin, and Peverley scored the goals on Sunday.
The B's are in a mid-season funk. Winning 4-1 is a good way to start getting out of it.
Two plays can sum up this game. One was Mario Manningham's toe-dragging sideline catch in the 4th. The other was Wes Welker's drop, also in the 4th. Manningham was covered well yet brought his toes down, maintained control of the ball, and in one play brought his team from its own 12 yard line to just 15 yards shy of field goal range. Manningham reached his maximum potential in that moment. He made the play.
Welker's drop came with the Pats up 2, with 4:00 on the clock. Had he held on, it would have been 1st & 10 on the Giants' 22 yard line. The Patriots could have drained at least another minute off the clock and would have almost surely scored at least a field goal. And if they'd scored a touchdown, the game would be over. Welker had all 10 fingers on that ball. And it popped out. He didn't make the play.
The Giants made more plays than the Patriots. It's not rocket science, it's fairly simple.
There were plenty of times in this game that the Patriots were just a play or two away from claiming victory. They didn't make the plays. The Giants did.
It's not effort, it's execution. No sane person can question Wes Welker's effort. But when his number came up, he just didn't make the play. Mario Manningham did.
After the Pats scored to start the second half, victory was within reach. They never grabbed it.
17-9 Pats and the defense gives up a field goal. If the Pats respond with a touchdown, they're up 21-12 and in the driver's seat. Instead they went three and out.
The defense gives up another field goal. 17-15 game, Pats get the ball back, move it a bit, then on a 1st down Brady evades pressure, then throws deep to Gronkowski. He underthrows a bit, Gronk can't outmuscle the linebacker covering him and it's an interception. What was Brady thinking? Throwing a jump ball on 1st down? That was a cocky decision.
The Giants eat about 5 minutes of clock and pin the Patriots back on their own 8. That drive ended the play after Welker's drop. Punt, Manningham, a few more plays, touchdown, history.
Victory was out there. The Patriots didn't reach out and take it. The Giants did.
Looking ahead, there's little reason to despair. There is a great deal of talent on this team. There's room to improve, but there's a strong foundation to build on.
I think you'll see significant defensive retooling. As much as I blame the offense's lack of execution for this loss, the Giants did mount an 88 yard game-winning TD drive. It'd be nice to have a better chance to prevent that. A team can't be so dependent on half of its roster to win all its games and right now the Patriots are dependent on the offense to make every single play in order to win.
That needs to change. Safeties that know what they're doing. Cornerbacks that can cover one-on-one without being embarrassed. A consistent pass-rush. Maybe an OLB that can rush the passer.
Here's a weird, almost frightening thought: the Bruins are the clutchest team in Boston sports.
Vegas favors the Patriots by 2.5 to 3. Which seems a little strange. The Pats were 13-3, and were the AFC's #1 seed. The Giants went 9-7, and were the NFC's 4th seed, even though they had the 6th best record. Of course, the Giants beat the Patriots 24-20 at Gillette Stadium in early November.
I don't want to play the underdog card too much here. As I said, Vegas is favoring the Patriots. Which means people are putting their money behind the Patriots. But the fact that questions like "Would you rather have Eli or Brady?" are being asked at all seems a little weird to me.
The Giants appear to match up well against the Patriots. They have a strong 4 man pass rush that can pressure Brady but also leave 7 men in coverage. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots have the 31st passing defense, allowing 293.9 yards per game in the air. The Giants have a good QB, with a bevy of weapons for him to throw to. Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and tight-end Jake Ballard who caught a TD against the Pats in November.
As bad as the Patriots' pass-defense has been, people don't seem to be noticing how bad the Giants are at defending against the pass. The Giants are 29th in yards allowed. Opposing QBs have an 86.1 rating against the Giants. What is the QB rating for Patriots' opponents? 86.1. Isn't that funny.
And since when has Eli Manning become an elite QB? I heard one pundit say that Eli's success is due to his not making mistakes anymore. Really? Doesn't make mistakes anymore? He threw 16 picks this year, 7th most in the NFL. He threw 25 picks last year.
He's been excellent in the postseason so far, with 8 TDs, only 1 INT, and a 103.1 rating. But his whole career has been defined by inconsistency. And he was hardly dazzling back in November against the Pats.
The Patriots lost that game because Brady wasn't as good as he should have been. They lost because they made mistakes like missing a 27 yard field goal. They lost because they turned the ball over 4 times. Brady threw 2 interceptions and fumbled. Edelman muffed a punt. The Giants scored 10 points off turnovers.
Eli Manning is the best QB that the Patriots will face in these playoffs. But he doesn't scare me. The November game was actually one of the better games played by the Pats' defense. People are talking about Ahmad Bradshaw not playing in that game and how much it helps the Giants that he's back. But the Giants were 32nd in the NFL in rushing for a reason. Bradshaw rushed for 3.9 per carry this year, and never once eclipsed 60 yards in a game.
And to be blunt, rushing the ball against the Patriots is doing their defense a huge favor.
This game comes down to one person. And his name is Tom Brady. How he throws, and how he's protected, and how he executes will determine if the Patriots win or lose. I know I've been saying it all year, but it is all about Brady, Brady, Brady.
The Patriots beat the Ravens without a fully effective Tom Brady. They won't be able to pull the same rabbit out of the hat twice. Brady needs to have a good game for the Patriots to win. And if he has a great game, the Patriots will win. No matter what Eli does against the Pats' defense.
One thing that unnerves me is that for the past few years Brady's tried to force the play in big games. He's thrown into double coverage with no margin for error. For example: that deep ball in the Ravens game intended for Slater. No need to try to be that perfect in one throw. He needs to realize that it's better to throw a couple good passes instead of forcing yourself to throw one absolutely perfect one. Because if a good pass is off, it's incomplete. If the attempted perfect pass is off, it's an interception.
I think Brady and the offense will execute on Sunday. At the very least, they won't turn the ball over as easily as they did in November.
Gronkowski's health will play a huge part in the Patriots' offense. He caught 8 passes in that November game. He's Brady's #1 target in the Red Zone, and he's a good receiving option to have if Brady is getting hurried. When Brady needs to press the panic button, he can throw to Gronkowski's general direction and Gronk will haul it in. If he's healthy.
Let's not forget about Wes Welker, though. Welker would have been Super Bowl MVP in 2008 had the Patriots been able to hang on. He caught 11 passes in that game. He caught 9 passes for 136 yards in November. He also had a 13 yard run. He will have a big game on Sunday.
The Giants are vulnerable against the run. They allowed 121.3 yards per game on the ground, 19th in the NFL. In November, BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran well at the start of the game, 52 yards on 12 carries. Then for some reason Ridley and Woodhead got more of the carries. They didn't do as well (combined 10 carries for 36 yards). This might have been due to Ellis' health, or might have simply been a play-calling mistake.
Look for Ellis to get the ball with regularity on Sunday. Not only do the Giants give up chunks of rushing yards, but a strong run can also slow down and wear out a pass-rush. Then of course comes play-action. Ellis can also become an outlet receiver, chipping a lineman then sitting in the middle of the field or the flat for a safe pass. J.R. Redmond style.
Brady will not look at Ochocinco unless he's clearly on the good side of a mismatch.
In the November game, Brady targeted Ochocinco 5 times. This was before we all accepted the fact that Ochocinco is not a significant part of the offense. It was Game #8. In the first 8 games of the season, Brady targeted Ochocinco 21 times. In the 10 games since then, Brady's targeted him 11 times. So from 2.6 targets per game down to 1.1.
Why is that a good thing? Because it demonstrates that the Patriots have adjusted their offense. Ochocinco was thrown to at key moments in that November game. And it didn't go well. Now, he won't be. Brady will be looking for someone else.
One thing this offense has done remarkably well this season is adjust, adapt, and evolve. Adjust to coverages, adjust to pass pass rushes, adjust to Ochocinco's inability to adjust, and so on. The Patriots didn't adjust back in 2007, they simply kept hammering away at the same thing the same way.
They've adjusted since November. The Pats have won 10 straight since that game. The Giants are 6-5 since that game. Yet somehow they've been billed as the red hot team. And give credit to them for their playoff wins. But they are prone to inconsistency.
I think the Patriots' offensive line will man-up and slow down the Giants enough for Brady to find open receivers. We can talk about schemes and strategies all we want, but football usually comes down to one group of guys outplaying another group of guys. It'll be up to the Pats' offensive linemen to protect Brady and make holes for Ellis.
I think BJGE will also slow down the pass rush and set-up a few 2nd & 2 situations. Eli will put up a few TDs, but he'll throw a pick or two. The Giants will score, and will have one or two painfully unstoppable drives. But they won't keep up with the Pats.
It's official. The Bruins are in their mid-season doldrums.
For the first time in the history of the Whalers/Hurricanes, they have swept their season series with the Boston Bruins. And that's unfortunate for the Bruins because the Canes are 14-25-9 against the rest of the NHL and 4-0 against the Bruins.
The B's have allowed 3+ goals in five straight games. They're not doing the little things. And their success is based on their ability to excel at the little things.
They're not playing physical. And I don't mean big hits and fights. I mean going into the corner for a puck and physically earning it from your opponent.
And when they do win battles, there's no puck support. Carolina's 2nd goal was scored after Marchand won a battle in the offensive zone. But it was a Hurricane that got to the loose puck and triggered a breakaway. Ference fumbling around for the puck didn't help much either.
The Bruins are in a 4-4-1 stretch and it's because of basic fundamentals. Turning the puck over. Winning battles. Puck support. Clearing the puck out of the zone. A team with less talent might be 2-7 in this stretch. But by the same token, the Bruins aren't talented enough to just show up and win. They need to execute the fundamentals, do the little things, and physically outmatch their opponents.
They haven't been doing that since that Vancouver game.
There was a story the other day about a Super Bowl being played in London. I think a bit more likely possibility is a Super Bowl being played in New England. And why not?
The reason the Super Bowl has always been played in the South or in domes is the weather. But who cares? Football is the sport that's supposed to be played rain or shine, warm or cold. Wouldn't a well fought, snowy Super Bowl go down as one of the most memorable anyway?
The NFL doesn't seem to care much about climatic complications anymore. They've staged games in cold weather cities like Detroit and now Indianapolis. And in 2 years they'll be playing outdoors in New Jersey. Foxborough is only a few degrees colder.
The NFL obviously divides the money that the Super Bowl takes in among the 32 teams. But what about all the money that gets poured into the economies of cities that host the big game. Why should Tampa Bay, Dallas, Glendale, and Miami rotate the Super Bowl between them and rake in all the cash?
So much money would be made. Hotels would be full. Restaurants and bars would be full from Norwood to Norton. People would go into Boston and take tours of Fenway Park and Faneuil Hall. They'd go to a BC basketball game or a BU hockey game. They'd eat our lobsters and drink our Sam Adams.
It happens every year. Thousands of fans and media descend on a city and spend money. So why not have it here in New England?
As a sports fan, it'd be thrilling to host such an event. And as a Massachusican, it'd be great for the economy.
How Super Bowl XLVI plays out will have a tremendous impact on the legacies of four men: Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick.
If the Giants win, and Manning does well, perhaps even wins another Super Bowl MVP, he'll be regarded as the superior Manning. At least he should be.
While Peyton has always been highly praised, and has been putting up gaudy regular season stats for years, the game of football is about playing your best in the big game. It's about performing in the clutch, capitalizing on the big moment, making that one play. More so than any other sport because other sports have best of 7 series. In the NFL, it's win or lose, live or die, all in one game on one night.
If Eli wins, he's the better big game QB. He'd have 2 rings. One more than Peyton. He'd have an 8-3 playoff record. Peyton is 9-10.
Eli would also have a much better record against the Patriots, a team that most NFL teams have measured themselves against for the last decade. Eli would have 2 playoff wins against New England. Peyton is 1-2. Eli would have a career record of 3-1 against the Patriots. Peyton, when facing the Patriots with both Belichick and Brady, is 4-8 against New England.
So if Eli does well and helps propel the Giants to a Super Bowl win, his legacy will surpass his older brother's.
What about Tom Coughlin's legacy compared to his former boss, Bill Parcells?
If the Giants win, then Coughlin matches the Tuna in the ring category with 2. Parcells won 303 games as a head coach, Coughlin has 256 wins. Parcells' playoff record isn't staggeringly amazing. He's led teams to 3 Super Bowls, won 2 of them, and is 11-8 in the postseason. Coughlin has been two 2 Super Bowls, won 1 of them, and is 8-7 in the playoffs.
I don't see much separation there. If I told you those numbers were some mystery coach, you might say that Coughlin is just a step behind Coach X. But Parcells' name carries the weight of his reputation as a winner. So it seems like Coughlin is further behind than he really is.
Parcells gets praised for producing lots of coaching talent. Like Coughlin, and Belichick. But that also means he's had high quality assistants helping him win. Was Parcells a great teacher? Or did he have genius students? Probably both.
I'm not saying that if the Giants win on Sunday, then Coughlin is better than Parcells. But he's at least in the conversation. Looking at just their bodies of work, there wouldn't be much separating the two.
And as for former Giants assistant Bill Belichick, a win on Sunday would put even more distance between he and Parcells. Belichick would be 96 games over .500 as Patriots head coach. Think about that. Parcells had a .570 winning percentage, and .611 with the Giants. Belichick has a .643 winning percentage, .724 with the Patriots.
Belichick has 272 career wins (31 behind Parcells, 22 behind if you include playoff wins), a 21-6 playoff record, 5 Super Bowl appearances, 3 titles. A win on Sunday would be icing on the already impressive cake of Belichick's legacy.
The same goes for Brady. If the Pats lose then both Brady and Belichick will still be considered among the best at their particular jobs. If they win, they'll be among the best ever in all of sports at anything, not just their specific positions in their specific sports. They're both already great. Winning Sunday could add an -est to the end of that word.
What would make ring #4 so impressive is that this team is completely and utterly different from the previous 3 Super Bowl champions. The Patriots won those with patient passing and a playmaking defense. Now they're trying to win with a playmaking offense and a defense that tests the fans' patience.
For a coach and quarterback to grow and adjust so dramatically over a 10 year span is impressive. Brady has become the poster boy for the passing frenzy that is the NFL. I think Belichick saw Brady's potential being underutilized in 2006, as he was forced to work with Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel.
That's when Belichick went out and acquired Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth.
And for 18 games, the formula worked. It just hasn't won Game #19. Yet. But if the Patriots win on Sunday, Belichick and Brady will have 4 rings, coaching and playing for 2 very different kinds of teams. Brady would have won as a "game manager" and as a "flashy" QB. Belichick would have won as an old-school defensive mastermind, and as an offensive "guru."
It's like a great actor who can do comedy and drama, who can play the hero in one movie, then the villain in another.
That kind of success puts you in the upper upper stratosphere of sports greatness.
Those are the legacies on the line Sunday. A good quarterback and a very good coach who can emerge from some shadows. And a great quarterback and great coach who can start casting even bigger shadows of their own.
Well, technically, I should say this isn't 2008 when Super Bowl XLII was played. Then again, it still isn't 2007 either. It's 2012.
Anyway, this isn't the same Patriots team that lost that Super Bowl to the Giants. Nor is this the same Giants team. Some key figures have returned. Belichick and Coughlin. Brady and Manning. Welker, Tuck, and a few others. But only 7 Patriots from that 18-1 team are still on the roster. Only 15 Giants are still on their roster.
The team's are fundamentally similar to their 2007 versions. The Patriots have a high scoring, high flying, pass heavy offense. They had 5 offensive starters named to the Pro Bowl. The Giants have a ferocious pass rush, and a QB who is now recognized as clutch, if not as flashy as guys like Brees, Rodgers, and Brady.
So will we get the same kind of game? Will Brady have 0.2 seconds to get rid of the ball. Will there be a new David Tyree? Will Devin McCourty see a ball fly just over his fingertips?
I think the game will be just as close as Super Bowl XLII. But the Patriots are different. For one thing, they have BenJarvus Green-Ellis and not Laurence Maroney. Maroney's hesitation and dance moves in the backfield frequently led to negative plays in Super Bowl XLII. BJGE will at least get to the line of scrimmage, maybe a few yards past it, and maybe he can help set-up play-action, maybe force the Giants' line to respect the run, and maybe give Brady some time.
The Patriots' offense is more dynamic than it was in 2007. It isn't just vertical passes to Moss with Welker as the outlet. Now the Patriots throw underneath to their WRs, and deep to their tight-ends. In 2008, Wes Welker caught 11 of Brady's 30 completions. Brady didn't complete a single pass longer than 20 yards, thanks to the Giants' pressure.
The passing game is more diverse now. Brady completed 0 passes to his tight-ends in 2008. That's just slightly different from what the Pats have done in 2012. It's also why Rob Gronkowski's health is such a big story this week. If Gronkowski can help Brady as an outlet, especially if the Giants send all 4 linemen at Brady, and leave Gronk covered by linebackers without chipping him at the line, the Patriots can move the ball at will.
Cartoon by Larry Johnson
But while the Pats offense is now more flexible, their defense has gotten significantly worse since 2007. They were an old crew back then. Now they're young, riddled with injuries, and loaded with subpar talent.
There are playmakers like Wilfork and Spikes. Then there is Julian Edelman playing as a slot corner, and Matthew Slater as a safety. And Devin McCourty getting neck cramps as he watches balls fly over his head to the receiver who has just smoked him. His nickname should be Parliament Light he's smoked so easily.
The Giants are no longer a surprise success story. Eli Manning is being touted as one of the NFL's clutch QBs. And it's hard to argue against that. a 7-3 playoff record is a 7-3 playoff record. And 5 of those wins came on the road. How is it that Eli and the Giants have found such playoff success, while rarely being considered elite during the regular season?
Some might say that they're clutch. I'm going to say that they're inconsistent.
The Giants are capable of brilliant stretches, like their last 5 games (all wins), or their 6-2 start of the 2011 season, or their 2007 playoff run, or their 12-4 record in 2008. But they're also capable of some painfully frustrating stretches. They lost 4 straight this year, and 5 out of 6. They lost their playoff game in 2008, after their 12-4 record. They missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010.
Eli Manning is 7-3 in playoff games. He's had some good ones. Some bad ones. He'll be up against a porous Patriots defense that will let him accumulate yards by the dozen. But I'm not quite convinced that he's Mr. February.
There's a significant psychological difference between this Super Bowl and Super Bowl XLII: The Patriots won't have the pressure of playing for 19-0. And this season they've been playing for something a bit more meaningful, and that's the memory of Myra Kraft.
These are not the same teams that met in 2008. The Patriots' offense is more versatile. But the defense is also more bendable. So maybe the game will be just as close, only with a few more points on the board.
There was some speculation that Thomas wouldn't start last night. This speculation came from the same "experts" who concocted the Thomas trade rumors. They thought that the Bruins were so perturbed at Thomas' snub of Barack Obama that the B's would trade the reigning Vezina and Conny Smythe winner. It's amazing how much power a media fabricated story can think it has.
It would be ludicrous for the Bruins to trade Thomas, and silly of them to not put him in net last night, especially considering his 16-3 record against the Senators. Ottawa haven't beaten the Bruins since November 2010 and Thomas has been a key reason.
Thomas wasn't stellar, but his teammates were in the 3rd period. Once again, the B's stole victory from the jaws of a shootout or defeat, thanks to their unwavering effort in the 3rd period.
The Bruins won battles in the 3rd. They didn't turn the puck over. They once again conquered the final period, and that's been the key difference between them and all the other top Eastern Conference teams.
Bruins host the Hurricanes Thursday night. They're 0-3 against Carolina, so this could be a good test.
