Patriots Preseason Game #2

So I haven't posted in a while. I've been away and am starting my own football preseason, but I was able to catch some of the Pats and Bucs game. Some of my observations:
-Welcome to Foxboro Danny Amendola
-You too Zach Sudfeld
-The first string defense looked great. They were getting pressure the whole time they were in. This will be an exciting and young group to watch.
-The run game looked great as well. This really should be an integral part of the Pats offense this year.
-Brady is clicking on all cylinders and looks ready to go already.
-Sudfeld and Jake Ballard were the two top tight ends. Both tall, lanky, great hands. They will push for playing time.
-Second stringers still need work.
-Same for the special teams.
-Logan Ryan had a great jump on his interception in the 3rd quarter. That may just be memory from practice this week but it looked nice.
-Tebow was Tebow.
-Tavon Wilson had a HUGE hit on a long pass in the 3rd that ended up being incomplete.
-Jamie Collins is freakishly athletic
-LeGarrette Blount is a beast
-Tebow was Tebow was Tebow.
-Tim Tebow

Nice win by the Patriots here. We have to wait to see if it will carry over over the next two preseason games and the regular season. Patriot recaps are something I am hoping to do all season to.

Jake Peavy Dealt to Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have traded for Chicago White Sox righty Jake Peavy. The Red Sox sends Jose Iglesias and a slew of other prospects to Detroit and get Brayan Villareal from Detroit and Peavy from Chicago. I predicted back in March when the Iglesias debates were at their peak that those calling for Iglesias to be with the big league club would be calling for his head when he hits poorly in August. Never did I think he would be traded. I bought into the ideology that the future of the Red Sox infield was Dustin Pedroia at 2^nd, will Middlebrooks at 1^st, Iglesias at short and Xander Bogaerts at 3^rd. It now appears Bogaerts could be primed to stay at short with a good crew of young and promising 3^rd basemen in the minors and the MLB. I love this trade. Jake Peavy is a gamer, something Clay Bucholz is not. He wants to be out there, and he wants to win. He spent the start of his career with the San Diego Padres and more recently with the Chicago white Sox. He wants a chance to win the World Series before his lengthy career comes to a close. Welcome to Boston, Jake.

PS-A hilarious prank was played on Twitter last night. A kid tweeted at Hunter Pence, outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, that he was happy he had been traded to the Red Sox. Twitter absolutely blew up about Pence, who later dispelled the rumors. 

What Happened on the Daniel Nava Play?

Ryan Dempster and Jonny Gomes try to fix the destroyed dugout phone.
Photo by Jenny Dell (@JennyDellNESN)

Interesting few days for the Boston Red Sox, wouldn’t you say? Saturday night saw David Ortiz bashing the dugout phone with the war club he calls a bat, nearly hitting Dustin Pedroia in the process. He then FREAKED out after getting ejected for his actions towards the home plate umpire.

Last night, in a make-up game that also saw rain showers delay the game, the Red Sox lost a heartbreaker 2 to 1 and fell to 2^nd place behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Of course, the game had its fair share of drama. It all started when Ryan Lavarnway doubled in the 8^th inning. Manager John Farrell sent Daniel Nava out to pinch-run for him, while he still had speedy shortstop Jose Iglesias on the bench. Farrell later said he wanted to preserve a lefty batter after Jonny Gomes in the lineup should the game go to extras. Stephen Drew then doubled to right field over Wil Myers’ head. But Nava didn’t score. He went halfway but retreated to second thinking Myers had the ball sized up. When the ball went over the fielder’s head and careened off the bullpen wall, Nava scurried to third and made the turn, only to be held up by third base coach Brian Butterfield. Butterfield knew that with the bad jump Nava got, the young outfielder had no chance of scoring on the play. Still, there was only 1 out in the inning.

That turned to 3 very quickly.

Brandon Snyder (who should not have been hitting in that spot anyway. Different discussion) hit a fly ball to left field, and when Rays left fielder Sam Fuld caught it, Nava took off. Fuld fired a strike to catcher Jose Molina who went to put the tag on Nava. But Nava was safe, right Home Plate Umpire Jerry Meals? No. Meals called Nava out. Farrell came out, argued, got ejected, and the sox lost when Mike Napoli struck out with 2 on base in the bottom of the 9^th. Farrell was livid after the game, saying the call was botched. Meals himself said he missed it, and that he had a bad angle to make it. This game may come back to bite Boston in the butt when it gets down to the very end of the season. It shouldn't have come down to a judgment call by an umpire in the first place. Many in the Boston media are now calling for instant replay in the already sluggish game that is Major League baseball. Time to move on though. Abrupt end of blog post.

Daniel Nava slides into home against the Rays. Nava was called out on a blown call.

Mariano Rivera: A Touching All-Star Tribute

Last night at the MLB All-Star Game at the New York Met’s home of Citi Field, a tune familiar to Yankees fans all over the United States began to blare over the loudspeakers after a somewhat weird rendition of “Sweet Caroline” by the name formerly known as Neil Diamond, and now known as the guy who kid of resembles him but may be 100% psychotic. Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” brought the crowd to it’s feet as the last remaining #42 in the MLB came jogging out of the bullpen the same way he always does; glove in his right hand and his head down. The field stayed completely devoid of any other players for a few moments as the crowed saluted Rivera at his final All-Star Game. Rivera pitched a scoreless, 1-2-3 inning…in the 8^th. That was my issue with what happened last night. I understand the reasoning behind the move by Jim Leyland, I really do. What happens if the National League scores four runs in the bottom of the 8^th and finishes it off in the top of the 9^th? Mariano doesn’t get to pitch, that’s what. But that’s a chance you have to take, in my opinion. It made the end of the game anti-climactic. Joe Nathan in the 9^th? No disrespect to Nathan, but he should have gone in the 8^th. And while some fans, like Barstools KFC, want to absolutely puke after what happened last night and what’s happening with this whole Mariano Rivera Final Tour, a la Ray Lewis and Chipper Jones, I think it is well deserved. Even as a Red Sox fan, Mo is one of the few Yankees I really respect and can envision rooting for, not to mention we share a birthdate. I will say that getting a rocking chair made of broken bats is a bit odd, but I digress. Did he deserve MVP for that game last night? Probably not. But who did? Now stop telling yourself who should have won and marvel at Mariano’s excellence. Also, thanks Mariano for a few chokejobs against the Sox. Greatly Appreciated. 

PS-Was the best part of the game last night Tim McCarver saying lines from “Enter Sandman”? I think it was? No, it was the best part, FOR SURE. And then trying to back it up with Mariano anecdotes after the awkward silence was icing on the cake. Good luck in retirement McCarver. 

The MLB All-Star Game

Tonight, the best (ahem, Yasiel Puig, ahem) the MLB has to offer will showcase their skills at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. Detroit’s Max Scherzer (13-1, 3.19 ERA) and his different colored eyes (no, seriously, if you haven’t seen this, his eyes are different colors) will start for the American League against the Mets very own superstar, Matt Harvey (7-2, 2.35 ERA). This is one of the best games of the summer, partially because there isn’t much going on this time of year. Yet, all I hear on the radio and in papers is how the game is a joke and should mean less than it does. Yes, while any All-Star Game has it’s fallacies and laziness (looking at you NBA and NFL) at least the MLB version has meaning that impacts the Championship. The winning League in the MLB Midsummer Classic gains home field advantage in the World Series. This should be enough for every player to go all out. Yet, we still see some sluggish play from players who are not on contenders. This, however, does not discredit the validity of the game. I will never forget in 2007 when Ichiro Suzuki blasted a ball off the right field wall at AT&T Park in San Francisco and made a trip all the way around the bases. IF he did not hustle, he could have simply stopped at third and not have sweated or not have been short of breath. But Ichiro proved the game meant something to the players, that something makes them go all out for this game that happens annually.

But, what happens when not all the best players make their teams? Exhibit A: Yasiel Puig. What happens if the National League loses by a run? People will say that Yasiel Puig would have been the difference. Do I believe that? In a word: YES. The game is for the best players of the season up to that point. Yasiel Puig, although he did not have as many games played as say, Freddie Freeman or Bryce Harper, has been the best player up to this point and the most electrifying, captivating player in the league right now. A mysterious kid form Cuba who defected to Mexico is most of what we know about Puig. He is a great player, but is not playing a game for great players. And so, should the National League fall to the American League tonight in the Big Apple, let the doubters of Puig’s validity say whether or not he would make a difference. All I will say is that he could be the difference between winning and losing. It’s just too hard to stop a speeding train. 

Analyzing the Tyler Seguin Trade

July 4th was somewhat soured in Boston by the shocking trade of 21-year old Tyler Seguin. You could almost hear the sobs of girls throughout New England. Citing reasons both on and off the ice, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Seguin, Rich Peverley and prospect Ryan Button to the Dallas Stars  in return for Loui Eriksson and 3 prospects (Matt Fraser, Joe Morrow and Reilly Smith). I'll break down the pieces of this trade, then give some opinions.

What Dallas Gets:
The Stars build for the future adding what could be a potential All-Star and Hall of Famer in Seguin. Peverley and Button were most likely add-ons that Boston made Dallas include. Dallas can move Seguin to his natural position of center on one of it's top two lines. Seguin will provide a spark for the Dallas Stars. They also get a defensive prospect in Button and a versatile forward in Peverley, who can play wing and center. Peverley also gives them some scoring when he's on his game.

What Boston Gets:
Loui Eriksson is the big name here for the Bruins. He is a two-way player that can skate on either the left or right wing, although he prefers the right side. Eriksson puts up solid numbers every year and also plays a good defensive game. Many have compared his style to Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, one of the best two-way players in the league right now. They also get pieces for the future in the 3 prospects they received.

I will admit I was not crazy about the deal at first. I thought, and still think, the Bruins gave up on the 21 year old Seguin too early. At least give him another year to see if he shows any progress. I do, however, like the player they got back in Eriksson. He is essentially the winger version of Bergeron, and those two on a Penalty Kill together will be a nightmare for the opposition. Eriksson is productive, plays defense far better than Seguin, and fits the Bruins system and style of play. Seguin really didn't fit in the Bruins system; he was too much flash for a grind-it-out type of team. Eriksson is a big body (6'2" 193 lbs.) and is 27 years old. He is nearing the end of his prime around the same time players like Zdeno Chara (36) and Dennis Seidenberg (31) are starting to get up there in age. The Bruins want to win now. Adding players like Eriksson and Jarome Iginla will give them a great shot at doing so. We will have to wait and see if these moves pay off.

Celtics Hire Brad Stevens As New Head Coach

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics announced today that they have come to an agreement with Brad Stevens to be the 17th head coach of the team. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. Stevens, age 36, has served for the past six years as the head coach of Butler University, never winning fewer than 22 games and leading the Bulldogs to two national championship games against Duke and Connecticut. He was the youngest coach to reach the Final Four since Bob Knight in 1973.

Love it. Winning mentality and a young son named Brady. What rebuild?

Happy 4th. America. Yes.

Barstool Sports Story of the Day

Kind of a new feature here. Taking a story blogged on Barstoolsports.com and putting a new spin on it.  Today's post comes from BarstoolU's TallOne:

"Clemson Fan Arrested For Vandalizing Howard's Rock- WBTV- Campus police announced that Micah Rogers, of Pisgah Forest, was arrested and charged with malicious injury to real property and unlawful entry to enclosed places. Capt. Eric Hendricks said Rogers jumped the fence to gain access to the rock, which sits atop the hill in Memorial Stadium. The football team rubs the rock before running down the hill at every home game. Hendricks said as far as they know, Rogers has no affiliation with the university though his truck, determined to be a 1993 Ford F-250, had a Clemson sticker on it.

Well this is awkward. All the Clemson fans calling for the head of a Gamecock (in a totally not gay way) when this happened last month must be on suicide watch. There’s more denial in that state right now than an Suzie Orman taking phone calls from a bunch of Nigerians. It makes sense when you think about it: a Clemson fan wants a piece of his favorite team’s tradition, so he took it. Open and shut case. But there’s no chance people are going to accept the official explanation for this. I’m giving it two days max until the conspiracy theories start rolling in. “He wasn’t even officially affiliated with the university. Anyone can buy a sticker and put it on their window. Why won’t they release the tapes? What are they trying to hide? The truck was actually a missile! Howard’s Rock was an inside job!""

TallOne basically summed that up pretty well. Not a great look here for Clemson fans calling for the head of the idiot South Carolina fan that defaced their rock when it was one of their own the whole time. And you know they'll do whatever they can to mask this. Like, "Oh, guess what! We just interrogated him and he was an undercover Gamecocks fan! He is in no way affiliated with Clemson!". On the likely chance that happens, I can't do anything but respect Clemson fans. Pure hustle on their part to try and stay squeaky clean. Now go get another rock, and try and make sure someone form your own fanbase doesn't deface it.

PS-If the rock meant that much to them, why not have someone watching it? As absurd as that sounds, there has to be a security guard that does sweeps of the stadium every couple of hours at night, right? Like, this is a university, surely you can fix up a camera to watch it. Maybe put it in a safe until games or something? Use your basic knowledge, Clemson.

A Farewell to the Past

What a week it has been for Boston sports, huh? Hernandez, Bruins losing the Cup, all the roster decisions to be had by the B's, and the continuing Celtics saga. Last night at the NBA Draft, we saw rumor come to fruition. The Boston Celtics will be sending Jason Terry and two future Hall of Famers in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in return for Gerald Wallace, Kris Kardashian, I mean Humphries, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, one-time Celtic rookie Kris Joseph and 3 first-round draft picks (2014, 2016, 2018). This is a major overhaul signaling the end of an era and the start of the rebuilding period. Doc Rivers is gone. Kevin Garnett is gone. Paul Pierce is gone. Now the longest tenured Boston athlete is, you guessed it, Tom Brady. I, like countless others, wanted Pierce and Garnett to just retire in green and see the jerseys go up to the raters. Now the Celtics are without a Captain, the role Pierce played so well in his time in the Garden. No one on the current roster should be named Captain. In fact, I think it will be years before we see anyone who could possibly be thought of as Captain material. This trade was for the best; the Nets can win now and the Celtics can set up for the future. Without a doubt it will be weird seeing our three veterans go to the Nets and be COACHED by recently retired Jason Kidd. I can barely come to terms with this trade as it is. But, life goes on. Farewell to Celtics forever: "NUMBER FIVE, KG! KEEVINNN GAAARNETT! and, THE CAPTAIN AND THE TRUTH, NUMBER THIRTY FOUR, PAAAAUUUUUULLL PIIEEEEEEEERCE!"

Good night, sweet princes...

                                                        An Emotional End of an Era

Who's Up Next for Patriots?

Well, if you haven't been sleeping under a rock you know that Aaron Hernandez has been arrested and charged with murder, or as I like to say, Hernandez has been Cunceled (phrase courtesy of KFC-@KFCBarstool). With Hernandez released and the possibility of Rob Gronkowski starting the season on PUP, the Patriots have to go to other options. My guess is they will go run-heavy with a strong stable of backs lining up behind Tom Brady. So here's a list of the Patriots best options with no Gronk or Hernandez:

Stevan Ridley

1. Running Backs
Putting this one as a collective group. The Patriots have their work-horse in Stevan Ridley, but he is being pressured by Shane Vereen for playing time. Behind them you have the bulls of the bunch in Brandon Bolden and LeGarrette Blount, two heavier backs with a lot of leg power and short yardage ability. I can also see Return Specialist Leon Washington working into the rotation, possibly sharing some snaps with projected 3rd down back Vereen. This looks to be a VERY promising group.

2. Julian Edelman, WR
Edelman is now the target with whom Brady has the longest track record, so the chemistry between the two is greater than any of the other options. He's a shifty receiver who can get open quick. Edelman has suffered some injury setbacks as of late, but he should be ready to go from the start of camp. He has an added bonus in that he can play special teams as well. If he can stay healthy, he can have a career year.

3. Danny Amendola, WR
Been waiting for this one? Amendola has been touted as Welker 2.0 from the get-go. Theres no denying the similarities that I won't get into here as they've been beaten into the ground already. The interesting similarities for Amendola happen to be with Edelman. Both play the slot, utilize speed and agility and are always compared to Welker. Amendola is 5'11" and 188 lbs. Edelman is 5'10" and 200 lbs. Starting to catch my drift?

Jake Ballard

4. Jake Ballard, TE
Many Pats fans may remember Ballard form his days with the Giants when they beat New England twice in one season, once for the Super Bowl. One thing I have noticed about Ballard is he has a similar build to Gronkowski: each is 6'6" and Ballard weighs 10 pounds more, 275 compared to Gronk's 265.We've seen that Ballard is more than capable of catching the ball, and also can take quite the hit, as seen two years ago when he was leveled by Brandon Spikes in Foxboro. He may not have the speed that Hernandez had to make the Boston TE Party the Thunder and Lightning attack we once saw, but when #87 returns, we may be seeing double with this duo on the field at the same time.

5. Rookie Receivers

Rookie Aaron Dobson

I am of course referring to Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce, from Marshall and TCU respectively, who were both drafted this year by the Patriots. Boyce is more of a burner, running a 4.38 40-Yard Dash at the Combine, good enough for 4th among wideouts. He also did 22 reps on the bench, which gave him 2nd among receivers. He measures 5'11" and 203 lbs. Dobson was unable to participate at the Combine due to injury, but at his Pro Day he ran a 4.43 average 40 and did 16 reps on the bench. He measures 6'3" and 203 lbs. Each man is a physical specimen, and even though Dobson has been knocked for his small hands (9 inches), Pats fans need not worry about his ability to catch. This could be another dynamic tandem, especially in the future.

And finally...
6. Tim Tebow, Utility Man(?)











Couldn't keep a straight face typing that...

6. The Rest of the Bunch
More options include Tight Ends Daniel Fells and Michael Hoomanawanui, as well as veteran receivers Donald Jones and Michael Jenkins. Fells and Hooman are more blocking tight ends than the pass catching breed we have become accustomed to. Jenkins is the tallest receiver the Pats have on the roster heading into camp at 6'4". This makes him a good red-zone target. Jones has big play potential, which can be brought out with Tom Brady throwing to him rather than Ryan Fitzpatrick.

There you have it. Remember, it's still early and many more moves are yet to be made. The Hernandez release could potentially see Brandon Lloyd re-sign or possibly have the team sign David Thomas and/or Dallas Clark to fill the Hernandez role. Thomas is familiar with the Patriots system as he was drafted by the team in 2006. Each man has played with intelligent quarter backs as well (Thomas with Brady and Drew Brees, Clark with Peyton Manning). Any way you want to spin it, this season will  be an interesting one for New England.

Patrice Bergeron: Ultimate Warrior?

The more that starts to come out about what Boston Bruins center and alternate captain Patrice Bergeron battled with throughout the playoffs, and specifically the Stanley Cup Finals, the more you have to wonder: What am I complaining about? During Game 5 in Chicago, Bergeron was injured; injured enough that he did not play the rest of the game after going down the tunnel to the dressing room. It was later reported that he had left the United Center in an ambulance. I, like the rest of the Bruins fan base, began worrying. After the game, however, it was reported he had left the hospital and was on the team flight back to Boston, while coach Claude Julien was optimistic he would play in Game 6, a do-or-die scenario for the B's. Bergeron gave a valiant effort, throwing his weight around with reckless abandon. But he did not look like himself, registering no points and dipping below 50% on faceoff wins during the Bruins collapse that led to the Blackhawks 2nd Stanley Cup in 4 years. Today, as Bruins players clean out their lockers, Bergeron is still in the hospital under watch, the same place he has been since the conclusion of the clinching game. What's ailing Bergy? A broken rib, a separated shoulder (suffered DURING the game), torn cartilage and now, as heard on "Gresh & Zolak" on Boston's 98.5 The Sports Hub radio show, a small hole in his lung, presumably from the rib. Oh, he also froze his nerve so he could play through pain. No biggie. Just shutting down normal bodily functions to play hockey. Another day at the office for #37. Fred Toucher (@FredToucher) form 98.5 has been saying it all along: Bergeron's number will be in the Garden rafters someday. It's just a matter of when he decides to call it quits. Although that day probably won't come for a long time.

Welcome

Welcome to the Suburb Sports Blog. Yes. Another sports blog by another regular person. Posting will consist of sports, some pop culture, and some stories that can be seen on BarstoolSports.com, one of the best reads on the Web.