A-Rod Award for Biggest Choke/Disappointment of the Year

This is one of the most loosely defined BBS Awards. It can go to a player, a coach, a team. It can go to a game, or just one play. It's awarded to the biggest "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" person/event of the year. But it can also be given to someone or something that just didn't live up to expectations. Here are the nominees...

Patriots vs. Jets in the playoffs
Red Sox in September
Chad Ochocinco

There's really no argument here. The winner is the Red Sox and their epic September swoon.

What happened, on paper, was pretty bad. The Sox just kept losing. Then on the last night of the season, they had a chance to clinch a 163rd game with a win, and clinch the Wild Card with a Tampa Bay loss. The Sox had the lead, then Papelbon blew the game. Then the Rays came from behind and won. The season was over.

That was the heartbreaking, sad part. The blood-pumping, enraging part was how this collapse happened. This team had no character. They spent the year whining about NL rules in interleague play, and official scorers taking hits away from them.

There were a few classes of player in the Sox' clubhouse. There were troublemakers like Beckett and Lackey, who cared only about their paycheck and Popeye's chicken. There were followers like Lester, who went along with the troublemakers. There were introverted types like Ortiz who minded their own business, and Gonzalez who blamed God for anything bad. And there were very few motivated guys like Pedroia, Youkilis, and Papelbon, who were mocked for trying so hard.

The Sox became an out of shape rabble of miscreants who mocked those who actually tried hard. They were painful to watch on the field. And in the dugout, they didn't seem to care that they were failing.

One of the least likeable teams I've ever seen. At least expectations will be low for 2012.

Shaughnessey Award for Worst Sports Media Personality

This goes to the most annoying, condescending, pious, irritating, arrogant, and generally unlikeable sports media personality of the year. It used to just be for sports writers, but there really aren't any "sports writers" anymore. They're all multimedia, multi-platform personalities. And this year, the worst of them was Michael Felger.

I'll admit that I've turned to The Hub for the afternoon show as opposed to WEEI. I'll admit that I think Felger covers hockey very well. I'll admit that I often agree with him. And that's what makes him so irritating. When you find yourself agreeing with Felger, you feel dirty. It just feels wrong.

I think Felger and Tony Massarotti purposely yell dumb things on the radio. I think they know that they make mountains out of mole hills, and that they turn theory into fact, then take an unfounded premise and run with it as far as it will take them. I think they know this. And in a way, that makes it more infuriating to listen.

And when Felger is wrong, he's way wrong. His Tebow loving comes to mind.

He's just an irritant, a nuisance. It's an act. Yet it's still better than listening to Michael Holley ignorantly drone on and on.

Frazee Award for Goat of the Year

This Award is named after former Red Sox owner Harry Frazee, who sold Babe Ruth and many other talented players to the Yankees in order to finance his stupid Broadway plays. Basically, this Award is given to the biggest villain in Boston sports for the year. Here are the nominees:

David Ortiz, DH - Boston Red Sox
Josh Beckett, SP - Boston Red Sox
John Lackey, SP - Boston Red Sox
Jon Lester, SP - Boston Red Sox

Notice a trend?

The winner is...

John Lackey.



Not only does he sound like a drunk Kermit the Frog, he had one of the worst years as a starting pitcher in the history of the game. He was the first player to ever win 12 games with an ERA over 6.00. He allowed 114 earned runs, leading the AL. He also led the AL by hitting 19 batters. his 6.41 ERA and 1.619 WHIPs were jokes.

He was so bad that if the Sox made it to Game #163, there were rumors they'd acquire Bruce Chen to start instead of him. It takes some serious sucking to make Bruce Chen look like a savior.

His true villainy wasn't just on the field. He's a drunk. He, Beckett, and Lester would guzzle beers and devour chicken while their teammates were trying to win ballgames. At least Beckett and Lester weren't as blatantly out of shape as Lackey, though.

Lackey's attitude was obnoxious. He never blamed himself for anything. He called out fielders for missing plays with the bases loaded, seemingly forgetting that he was the one that loaded the bases.

He was one of the least likeable athletes in the world last year, at least among those who didn't commit a crime.

Bruins Too Good

The Bruins played with energy and intensity in the 3rd period in Dallas. They packed that energy up, took it with them to Jersey, and unleashed it on the Devils. The B's demonstrated fully how much better they are than the Devils.

I really don't know how to analyze this game apart from saying that when the Bruins are playing their best, teams like the Devils have no chance. The B's won faceoffs, were more physical than New Jersey, and when the Devils did have opportunities, Tim Thomas shut them down.

The Bruins host the Flames tonight.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Who Do You Want the Patriots to Face?

If Belichick were asked this question, I think he'd say something like "We'll face who we have to face. Whoever it will be will be a good football team. Tom Brady is our quarterback." And that's sensible. But it's hard to passively watch this weekend's Wild Card round without thinking about who you'd prefer the Pats to face on the 14th.

Here are the scenarios:

If Cincinnati beats Houston, then the Patriots face Cincinnati. No matter what else happens.

If Houston beats Cincinnati, the Patriots face the winner of the Denver/Pittsburgh game.

So of the three, who is the best matchup for the Pats?

The answer is Denver. The Broncos are the only AFC playoff team that the Patriots beat. They're also, without much doubt, the worst team in the AFC playoffs. A token 8-8 AFC West team. And they don't matchup well with the Pats.

The Patriots defense can't defend against the pass. The Broncos can't pass the ball. So while the Broncos would be able to run around and accumulate yardage, they wouldn't be able to make significant gains in the air. They'd put up a few points, but it's tough to consistently drive the ball 80 yards and score with just a running game.

Simply put, Denver's biggest offensive weakness makes the Patriots' biggest defensive weakness a non-factor. So then it's a great New England offense facing an inconsistent and exploitable Denver defense. I'll take Brady in that bout.

Unfortunately, the Broncos are so bad that it's unlikely they'll survive against the Steelers. So would you rather see the Pats play Pittsburgh or Cincinnati?

It's easy to answer with Cincinnati. After all, the Steelers beat the Pats. The Bengals are 9-7. We don't see them very often, don't know much about them and, well, they're the Bengals.

They were 0-7 against playoff teams, 9-0 against non-playoff teams. Andy Dalton might not be an MVP candidate, but I'm sure the Pats' secondary can make him look like one. How well would their defense do against Brady? That's the key question.

They had 45 sacks. They have a few guys who can get to the QB. Their passing defense was 9th in the NFL. They only allowed 211.6 yards per game. So they could give trouble to the Patriots' offense.

Still, they can turn the ball over. Andy Dalton is not a proven commodity. I think Brady can beat their defense for enough points to win.

So I'd love to see Tebow and the Broncos come to Foxborough. Failing that, I'd prefer Cincinnati over Pittsburgh. But not by much.

The Pats lost 25-17 in Pittsburgh in October. Ironically, it was perhaps the Pats' defense best game as they repeatedly stood firm in the Red Zone, keeping the Patriots in the game. The Steelers defense didn't let Brady move the ball at all. The Pats had a mere 213 yards of offense. Brady was sacked 3 times and frequently hurried. The Pats were 3/10 on 3rd downs and only made 2 trips to the Red Zone. Pittsburgh dominated time of possession nearly 2 to 1.

Of the three possibilities, Pittsburgh is the least favorable matchup for the Patriots.

But it's still favorable. Roethlisberger has been banged and beaten around all year. The Steelers don't have Mendenhall. And I don't think Brady and the offense played up to their potential when they lost down in Pittsburgh.

No matter what, the Patriots have to execute. No matter who they play, they'll be facing a team that has already won a playoff game.

Bowl Previews: This Week's Bowls*

We're finally in the home stretch of Bowl Season. The last week before the national championship, when we curse the BCS, the bowls, and the Big Ten for preventing us from enjoying a playoff system, then "punish" the bowls by watching them, allowing them to generate ridiculous revenue from TV ratings.

Tonight - 8:30 PM - ESPN
Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, LA
#13 Michigan Wolverines (-3) vs. #11 Virginia Tech Hokies
This game sums up why the BCS is a lousy, rigged, slimy system. Teams like Kansas State and Boise State were ranked higher in the BCS. But Michigan and Va-Tech are established powerhouses with big fanbases that will fill hotel rooms, buy tickets and merchandise, and also watch in huge numbers on TV.

Both these teams have excellent defenses. Then again, neither has faced overly impressive opposition. It might just be wishful thinking, because I hate Michigan, but I think Tech wins this game.

VT +3

Wednesday - 8:30 PM - ESPN
Discover Orange Bowl - Miami, FL
#23 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. #15 Clemson Tigers (-3)
WVU is the best the Big East could muster. More BCS BS as the Big East gets an automatic BCS bid (and an automatic check) no matter how much their conference stinks.

Uncharacteristically, WVU struggled to run the ball, and had a bad defense. Clemson was a pleasant surprise for the ACC. They have some head-shaking losses on their schedule, but also have some impressive wins. They beat Virginia Tech twice. I really can't pick against them. I doubted this Tigers team all year long but they've made me a believer.

Clemson -3

Friday - 8:00 PM - Fox
AT&T Cotton Bowl - Dallas, TX
#8 Kansas State Wildcats vs. #6 Arkansas Razorbacks (-8.5)
And yet another example of BCS shenanigans. The Cotton Bowl is one of the most historic and was once one of the most important bowl games in college football. But somehow a much younger bowl game in Arizona was included in the BCS. The Cotton Bowl gets a small measure of revenge as it's now played in Jerry Jones' mega-stadium, and this year they have one of the most attractive matchups.

K-State lost to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Their biggest win was over Baylor. Arkansas lost to Bama and LSU. Their biggest win was over South Carolina. I think Arkansas is slightly overhyped, and K-State can win this one in Big XII territory. Or at least keep it close.

Wildcats +8.5

Big L in Big D for B's

The Stars came into this game with a mission. They'd been struggling, they wanted to make a statement, and they wanted to do it by being aggressive with their counter-attack and trying to get underneath the Bruins' skin. They accomplished all this.

The Bruins have been making mistakes and playing sloppy periods even when they've been winning games. Saturday night's loss saw more mistakes than usual, a bad bounce, and an opponent that did a good job of taking advantage of those mistakes.

Dallas went up 3-1 in the first. Their second goal came when Milan Lucic drifted too low in the offensive zone, instead of remaining up high while both his linemates were battling for the puck down low. The Stars scored when the puck bounced on Thomas' backside, but they had the opportunity for such good fortune because Lucic made a mistake and a breakaway ensued.

Dallas' third goal came when Chara was sitting in the box after a foolish retaliatory penalty. He did get lightly cross-checked, but there's no way the refs will miss the 6' 9" guy turning around and compressing an opponent in front of the net.

Thomas was also rusty. He hadn't played since the 19th, due mostly to the Bruins playing a very light schedule the last 3 weeks. Thomas' biggest (and perhaps only) limitation is that he's not the type of goalie that can play 75 games in net then be good to go for the playoffs. It's a tough balancing act to keep from getting worn out and also keep him from getting rusty.

One thing I loved about this game, which reminded me why I love this team, is how angrily they played at the end of the 2nd and into the 3rd period. Lucic unleashed two huge hits in the final minutes of the 2nd. Then scored at the start of the 3rd. The Bruins played a strong game in the 3rd, they just dug themselves too big a hole in the 1st and 2nd.

I think they'll be motivated to start their next game off the right way. That game will be Wednesday night in New Jersey.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Buffalo Wild Win

The Patriots have plenty of problems, but one thing you can't accuse them of being is boring. An explosive offense and an easily trampled defense led to a regular season of very exciting games.

When the Bills beat the Patriots, the Pats started with a 21-0 lead then eventually blew it. On Sunday afternoon, the Bills took a 21-0 lead, then blew it. It was a remarkable symmetry, reminiscent of 2003 when the Bills beat the Patriots 31-0 in Week 1, then the Pats beat the Bills 31-0 in Week 17.

I like how well the Patriots offense has adjusted in the middle of games, but I haven't liked how poorly they've started. The Pats can get away with slow offensive starts against the likes of Buffalo and Denver, but against top tier teams like Baltimore or Green Bay, a slow start could lead to a quick end.

The Bills played their part in the Patriots' comeback. There were so many room service interceptions. And good playoff teams will not be turning the ball over so easily.

On the bright side, the Patriots have a week off. They will not have to play a road game in the playoffs. They have a tremendously potent offense with a diverse arsenal of weapons. And all other teams in the playoffs have their own weaknesses. In my opinion, the Patriots have as good a chance as any team, so long as the offense executes.

Patriots host either the Bengals, Steelers, or Broncos on the 14th. Saturday night in Foxborough.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo