Is Patrick Chung Overrated?

When people hear the name Patrick Chung they probably think great New England Patriots safety.  I think overrated.  To me, Chung is no different than Patriot cast-off Brandon Meriweather.  In fact, I think Meriweather was a better player than Chung is.  When people think of Meriweather, they think of bad routes and big hits.  What is different about Chung?  He doesn’t have the reputation of bad routes, but he always seems to be a step slow on everything.  Primarily, tight ends get covered by safeties, and like usual Scott Chandler lit the Pats D up yesterday for two easy scores.

Let’s put up the stats of the two recent safeties for the Pats.

Player A:

Player B:

Just looking at those stats alone, don’t you want Player A every time.  Well, player A is Meriweather.  When you think of great safeties, you think of playmakers that can cause turnovers.  That’s what Ed Reed does, that’s what Rodney Harrison used to do.  Let’s face it - that is also what Meriweather did better than Chung.  Chung also has a knack for getting hurt (has played in one full season so far) while Meriweather never missed a game for the Pats.  The tackle numbers are pretty equal, and any advantage Chung has in that department over Meriweather is strictly due to being on a worse defense and being on the field longer.

I know it’s not a popular opinion in New England, but Patrick Chung isn’t very good.  Maybe the young safety will figure it out this year, but if yesterday was any indication with Scott Chandler, it may be time to go a different route next year.

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What to Think About This 2012 Pats Team

This might be the most confused I have ever been about a Patriots team since the Matt Cassell days.  Are they a power running team with good defense?  Are they a fast paced team with a porous pass defense?  So far, we have seen both.  Yesterday, they actually showed both of those teams off.  The first half the Pats made Ryan Fitzpatrick (and his Aaron Rodgers celebrations) look like Joe Montana.  Brady wasn’t the Tom Brady we are accustomed to (has he really looked like Tom Brady this year yet).  Even Bill was being a lot more conservative than he had in the past.  Since when do the Patriots not go for it on 4^th and inches at the opponent’s 30 yard line?

But then the second half rolled around yesterday and boy did they look good.  It all started in the trenches.  The O-line started opening holes that I could have ran through.  Bolden and Ridley were awesome.  Then the d-line and linebackers started punishing every Bills ball carrier (even an unlucky Donald Jones).  Brandon Spikes started popping balls out of everyone and the lethargic first half was gone.  The offense started clicking when believe it or not; they got Wes Welker the ball.  Tell me why anyone thought Edleman was a better choice please?  Gronk was back to himself too, with over 100 yards and a TD.  Order was restored again in the AFC East.  No more Aaron Rodgers imitators, just “F*** you b******”.

Is this the Pats team we are going to see the rest of the way?  It’s hard to say.  If the offense continues to use Woodhead less in goal line situations and decides Welker is a good choice to throw the ball to, then the offense will be the same.  But what about that defense?  I think some weeks, you will get what you got against the Ravens, and some weeks you will see that 3-INT performance from yesterday (yes – Devin McCourtey can catch the ball sometimes).  You will see plays like Scott Chandler going up the middle for 6 without anyone near him, but you will also see shut down rush defenses like yesterday – shutting down the NFL’s leading rusher and a stud from last year (yes, two different guys).

All I know, this year’s team will be fun and frustrating at the same time.  But for at least the time being, order was restored in the AFC East.

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Bob's Preseason Rankings of WWFL

Team Hate –

                The good:  You did not pass on Andre Johnson and because of that you have 2 stud receivers (we won’t get into how you got 1 of them) and an OK to good QB (Rivers), which is a good start for 18 teams.  You also have a great back up QB (Locker, but anyone but Tebow really).  Great TE (Olsen) too, so underutilized in his career so far but I think that changes this year in a big way.

                The bad:  Well you took a shot at Ridley in the 4^th and I don’t mind that, but wasting the next 4 picks I do.  You picked back to back TE’s (Olsen & Davis) who after Gronk and Jimmer not much of an advantage, a back-up level talent RB (Royster) and ANOTHER RB (Vereen) on a proven team to lead the league is passing attempts, not rushing.  And I have Indy’s future starting RB, not you.(Ballard)

 Draft Grade – D

My Dixie’s Wrecked –

                The good:  Very strong at WR, (Lane-o edit: but isn’t everyone?)  Marshall/Nelson/Garcon will all be top 25 wr’s and I like Steve Smith West - because who knows who is starting in St. Louis.  Jay Cutler should prove a good value in that spot (Lane-o edit: unless he throws another 55 picks) and if Rudolph meets any of the hype, you could be alright.

                The bad:  We all know McFadden is not playing a full season and you don’t have any good back- ups.  Ringer has practice squad talent and Mendenhall isn’t doing much until after playoffs are figured out.  Oh and Collie has a soft head and won’t play much.

Draft Grade – C-

Yes I CAM –

                The good:  Love the stealing of Dez from My Dixie’s Wrecked.  He is what they consider a special talent.  Also really like Welker once Lloyd starts opening up the middle and he’s playing for a new contract.  Andddd stud kicker (my best player last year) (Lane-o edit: I think that sentence is an oxymoron).

                The bad:  The important thing when drafting Cardinals on your fantasy team, make sure it’s only 1 (and try like hell to make it Fitzy).  You blew 3 picks on them!! (Beanie, Williams, and Floyd) THREE.  Anyway, DeAngelo is getting shipped out after this year and will be worked out of the offense so don’t like that either.  And you waited too long to get a TE (Chandler), which is proving to be a big difference maker.   

Draft Grade – F+

Burnt Ham -

                The good:  Gronk. Gronk. Gronk.  Your 2 young WR’s (Torrey and Titus) should both have breakout seasons with only aging vets in front of them.  Since you have Vick, I think its genius to back him up with Luck.  He should have a really solid year or better if you needed him.  This may sound crazy, but I think Fasano has a breakout season under Philbin.  Great pick. 

                The bad:  RB’s are extremely weak.  I mean BenJarvus made his fantasy living on TD’s, which don’t come around to often in Cincy.  And Turner may have the biggest lower half of all football players, besides maybe Gates.  The Burner?!?!  The only thing he burns through is fast food.  Robinson is an overpaid deep threat and the rest of your team isn’t that good.  I think this may be the first time “best available” may have failed you.  But I am sure you will find someone on waivers from your insider.

Draft Grade – D-

Team POWERS -

                The good:  Doug Martin could be the next Ray Rice, but you better hope so cause you reached badly to get him.  I also like the Antonio Brown and David Wilson pickups.  Getting Brown late in the 3^rd is a steal and Wilson should prove too explosive for the Giants to keep him on the bench.   

                The bad:  You want to know how bad picking Eli Manning with the 2^nd pick in the 2^nd round was?  Well it was so bad that it made my wife go “Eli Manning in the 2^nd?  Eww”.  Well said babe.  Meachem isn’t doing anything this year because Rivers can’t throw the deep ball anymore.  And you picked Tebow.

Draft Grade –B-

Team Defibrillators -

                The good:  Well, ummm……. Maclin is a good pick in the 3^rd I guess and backing up Trent was smart.  Also, like your last 2 picks and the fact that RG3 will get a lot of rushing points.

                The bad:  Oh boy here we go again.  I feel like Defib’s has an infatuation for old fantasy players and defenses like Al Davis did with players running a 4.3 forty.  I mean I really think you could drop every person on your roster after San Fran’s D and get better players on waivers.  Mark Sanchez should have gone undrafted or at least in the last 2 rounds, and Felix and Hightower were both wastes.  Boom Roasted.

Draft Grade – F-

Owner of the Year –

                The good:  Your keeper was not Ryan Grant.  Good start.  Stafford I think is a very safe pick because no Lions RB’s are going to do anything again, so he will probably throw another 700 times this year.  If Colston stays healthy, he should get more targets with Graham taking focus as top target with Meachem in Cali.  Really like Jared Cook too because Locker loves him and Kendall Wright (spoiler alert, I have him). 

                The bad:  I am up in the air on Gore.  Extremely talented and they love to run, butttt he’s getting old and they added a ton of RB’s this offseason for a reason I’m guessing.  I liked the Denarius Moore pick before his hammy’s started acting up again.  He needs to be healthy because Washington is going to the bench once Britt is done with his suspension and that leaves you only 1 good WR.

Draft Grade – C+

Team Dan Mac-

                 The good:  You missed the draft, so anything I say you can blame on your bro.  You have 2 great starting Wide-outs in Steve Smith East and Bowe.  I am not huge on either 1 of your QB’s (Freeman & Bradford) but with the pair you should be able to play matchups and be OK.  Also, love the Martellus Bennet and Kendall Hunter picks.  Eli loves TE’s and Kendall Hunter might end up as the best RB on San Fran this year.

                The bad:  MJD and AP look great on paper but they are both huge question marks right now.  Best case scenario is that MJD gets traded to the Colts and AP proves he is a freak by coming back strong after ACL, MCL and meniscus tears.  I think Redman will prove to be a wasted pick and TO may be the earliest pick on a person who gets cut.  However, if you biggest problem is AP and MJD in an 18 man league, you came out alright.

Draft Grade – B+

Team Predators-

                The good:  Love Fred Jackson falling to you in the first.  He is still so undervalued after leading the NFL in most categories before his injury last year and Buff loves to run.  Mike Wallace is good value in the 2^nd as long as he reports soon and you have solid starters in (Bush, Money Sandwiches, and Lance Moore).  Very good starters.

                The bad:  Ronnie Brown.  He is just not good anymore (not like he ever was that good and once Mathews comes back, he won’t see the field beyond practices) (Lane-o edit: HEY! Watch what you say about my Auburn Boys).  Other than that though, I really like this draft.

Draft Grade – A-

COME GET SOME –

                 The good:  2 Stud WR’s (Fitz & Roddy), even if Roddy is playing second fiddle to JULIOOOO (another spoiler alert, my team).  Love your RB’s as well (McGahee, Ingram, Benson).  They all play on what should be high scoring offenses (DEN, NO, GB) and all seem to be the goal-line options on those teams.  Also, really like the upside on the bench with Leshoure and Sidney Rice for later picks.  It’s almost like you did 20 mock drafts at work of something.

                The bad:  Another team that waited too long on the TE position.  Not like you aren’t going to trade for one, but after the draft it’s not looking too good.  And Sidney Rice may have upside, but if he gets injured AGAIN, you have no back up WR’s.

Draft Grade – A-

4^th and 20 –

                The good:  You actually have running back’s this year, and plenty of them.   I really like Lynch this year as he has looked faster and quicker so far.  I like Stewart a lot (Lane-o edit: We differ here, I hate anyone in Carolina’s backfield not named Cam), but a little too early for me considering Carolina has the most talented backfield in the NFL.  Blackmon is your best value and will be a target monster.  Think a younger Brandon Marshall.  He just needs to stay out of jail (seems simple enough, but not for NFL players).

                The bad:  Outside of Blackmon, your next best WR was your last pick (Stokley).  Not good, especially with the NFL becoming so pass heavy.  Then you not only picked a kicker in round 9, but you picked another in round 15.  And even though you picked a TE in the 3^rd and 7^th rounds, I am not a fan of either one this year. (Witten & Winslow)

Draft Grade – C+

Pull N’ Pray –

                The good:  CJ2K and Murray create a very talented duo for you.  I would have liked Malcolm Floyd more if you waited another round or 2 but with Brown going down, he should act as their #1(besides Tubby TE).  Carson Palmer was a great pick in the 7^th and I like Golden Tate and Chris Rainey as late picks. 

                The bad:  Vernon was a reach but ALEX SMITH in the 5^th is just absurd.  If I didn’t know better, I would think you have never played fantasy football before.  I mean, you picked a much better QB  (Palmer) 2 rounds later so that should tell you how bad it was.  Then you picked Santonio Holmes, who I don’t know if you knew, still needs someone to throw him the ball (which you or I could do better than what they have currently).  A lot of mid to higher picks wasted.

Draft Grade – D-

Doin’ Thangs –

                The good:  Welp, your 1^st year in the league and you get to keep the best RB in football (McCoy) and get the 5^th pick (Jimmy Graham).  Good start.  It went downhill quick after that though so onto the bad.

The bad:  You picked a 38 year old QB with 4 neck surgeries (Lane-o edit: who can’t even throw to his right) before Matt Ryan?  Peyton is a huge upgrade for Denver, but that’s not saying much from what they had last year.  Then you picked Desean Jackson, who I like this year but not better than Maclin and followed that up with Shonn Greene.  Shonn Greene.  I don’t know if I should make a fat joke or an I suck at football joke (Lane-o edit: Definitely a fat joke – like can you tell the difference between Sexy Rexy and Shonn if you threw a jersey on both?).  Reggie Wayne is OK but belongs on Team Defibs and Gerhart is back to the bench by week 4 or 5 for good.  I will say, you drafted much better in the later rounds than early on.

Draft Grade – D-

Team Sillynannies –

                The good:  Steven Jackson.  Yes he is an old 29, but if the Rams improve their offense at all, he will be great value as an unquestioned starter who gets the ball 25 plus times a game.  Paired with Forte you have one of the best combo’s of a position becoming more and more diluted.  You also have potential with Jonathan Dwyer and Bernard Scott.  Dwyer will play a huge early season role with Pitt, which could lead to bigger things (think about undrafted Fast Willie Parker). 

                The bad:  Is this the year for Finley to finally break out?  Probably not.  I think you backed up Forte too early with Bush (never listen to Mac) and I don’t like any of your WR (Manningham, Mike William, James Jones) outside Lloyd really.  And I think besides the Def and K, you wasted your last 5 picks. 

Draft Grade – C

Team Screaming Emu’s –

                The great:  Arian Foster is the first pick after 18 keepers.  WOW.

The good:  Amazing running backs (Foster, R. Mathews).  They alone should carry (pun intended) you to the playoffs at the very least.  Love Matty Ice to have a monster season.  Great WR’s if Austin can get over his leg issue he’s had the past couple years (Lane-o edit: Is that a joke?).  Britt will be a beast once he’s back (Lane-o edit: if he’s not drinking and driving); you just have to hope his suspension isn’t long.  Great depth as well.  Pierre Thomas is such an effective football player when healthy and on a great offense.  Greg Little had 120 targets last year and now has a better QB to play with. 

                The bad:  I would have picked a lot of these guys. (I don’t have a good history of winning, but that has to be because of pure luck).

Draft Grade – A

Team Willie Beamen –

                The good:  Cruz and Jennings are 2 explosive WR and could score a TD on any given play.  Pettigrew will put up top 7 TE numbers, and if Mike Wallace reports soon then Big Ben should have plenty of weapons to perform well.  Add the fact that all of Pitts’ RBs are hurt and they could air it out more this year.

                The bad:  Darren Sproles will never live up to last year’s performance and therefore will be overdrafted.  Same with Helu, since Shanny loves to destroy fantasy teams by playing musical RBs.  You have OK starters but very weak bench that includes James Starks, Tolbert, and Snelling.  Oh and you drafted Plaxico Burress.

Draft Grade – D-

Team Air McNairicides –

                The good:  You got an absolute steal by snagging Hernandez in the 3^rd.  And considering KC said they want to run it 500 times this year, Jamaal is looking like he is going to have a huge year (Lane-o Edit: Ya know, unless he gets hurt…).  I like Flacco to outperform this draft spot by a lot as well.

                The bad:  You picked Ben Tate before about 15 RB’s I would rather have.  He’s a great player, he just plays behind an even better player and will see his 5 – 7 carries a game.  Not good enough for 4^th round.  Reaching for Randy was a huuuge mistake.  San Fran does not throw, and when they do it’s to Vernon or their running backs.  The rest of your team is very blah.  I could take them or leave them. 

Draft Grade – C- 

Team D-X –

                The good:  This is the perennial best drafting owner (Lane-o edit: so you must have missed the playoffs last year due to lousy trading??).  He has 3 top 20 WRs (that’s not including Kendall Wright, who is a spry young WR with loads of potential), the best QB in football (besides Tommy of course), and sooo much more.  Jaquizz is probably the biggest steal of the draft (could change to Rashard Jennings once MJD is traded or never reports) and we haven’t even got to the 10^th round yet.  Giants D, Powell (eventual starter for Jets cause Greene is just plain bad) and Ballard just really put the icing on this team’s draft.

                The bad:  This game is mostly luck and the best team doesn’t always win.  (Lane-o edit: He conveniently leaves out his running back situation and the fact that Bilal Powell has a career rushing average of under 2 yard per carry…hmmm)

Draft Grade – A+ (Lane-o grade: C-)

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My Breakdown of The League

So with the controversy that Bob created yesterday with his terrible rankings.  I figured I would give my unbiased rankings soley on stats and my projected points.  These power rankings include only starters in the rankings.  However the pictures below that show all the breakdown of every player's projected points for each team.

First, let's explain.  I have included starters (based on where they were drafted), team, bye week, positional ranking and projected fantasy points.  I then average the positional ranking among starters and total the projected fantasy points.  This leads to the below rankings.  Let the hating begin.

Below is the breakdown of each individual team.  I know you will all have issues with this, but these are totally unbiased rankings and stats.

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Bob's Preseason Rankings Fantasy Football

So I know it has been a while since anyone has blogged.  One of my buddies, Bob recently assessed my current fantasy league I am in giving his unbiased opinion on everyone's team.  Don't take any of this personal, as he didn't make the playoffs in his league last year.  Without further ado, I present Bob's Preseason Rankings.

LANE-O -     

            As a fan of the Pats and winning, I would have to say I love your first pick.  It’s a safe, very high upside pick that will make all Pats games more enjoyable.  However, your 2^nd pick is terrible.  Not only did you pass on the likes of Jamaal Charles or Demarco Murray, but you picked a rookie RB who plays with a 48 year old Rookie QB and their best WR is a rookie out of the Supplemental Draft.  If you think MJD saw stacked boxes last year, you ain’t seen nothing yet.  After that, you followed it up with 2 walking injuries (Matthews and Colston) and then picked the worst RB playing organized football, and that includes high school teams.  Oh wait it gets better, you picked back to back WR on the same team next.  I mean good team but it could have been soo much better.

Draft Grade – C-

Skinny –

            Rodgers, Fitz, and Cruz are all studs and will produce for you every week.  The Lynch pick was wayyy to early though.  I mean do you really trust Marshawn Lynch to keep running for skittles???  Ya, me neither.  He just got paid and can buy as many skittles as he wants now.  I would have picked any RB that was picked in the next 2 rounds over him, except the offensive tackle named Michael Turner but we will get to him later.  And then you added even more risk by taking Beanie and Reggie.  I like to pick running backs on teams that actually know who their starting QB is but that’s just me.  Your best 3 picks were probably your last 3. 

Draft Grade – D-

Mike V -        

            Like this owners draft the most so far.  (Just remember, you are going against a C- and a D- so far)  You have 2 of the top 5 RB’s (AP could play with a prosthetic leg and be top 10).  Andre Johnson is in for a rebound year and your next 4 picks (Jordy, Hernandez, Austin, Peyton) are all solid picks with upside.  Greg Little that late is even a great value.  But you picked a Defense in the 9^th round.  The only way they live up to that draft spot is if they play the Jets every single game.

Draft Grade – B

Orrico –

            Best RB combo out there.  Rice is so dependable and McFadden probably has the highest ceiling of all players.  Frank was too early there considering the talent he has behind him and the miles he has on his tires.  I am a fan of the double dip (Rivers and Gates) but think you could have got a QB that will finish with similar #’s at least 2 or 3 rounds later (Vick round 7 is just 1 example).  Love the WR’s you got so late because they all have the possibility to be #1’s on their teams (Antonio Brown, and Torrey Smith).  Buttttt Plax really?  I want to give you an F just for that 1 pick but will be nice.

Draft Grade – B+

Quinn –

            Quinn Quinn Quinn.  I love the fact that you picked 7 RB’s, great ambition.  The only problem I have is that none are any good.  You picked Bradshaw before Mathews and Mathews would have to miss the first 8 games for me to do that, not just 2.  Then you picked Roy Helu, Law Firm, and Ben Tate all before your best running back Stevan Ridley.  You do have the best TE out there but you only have 3 WR’s.  Roddy will be solid (even if he is the #2 on his own team), Wallace isn’t even playing yet, and Meachem has caught 1 pass so far from Rivers in 2 preseason games.  Not the rapport I would be banking on with only 3 wide outs.  Start thinking about the first pick for next year.

Draft Grade – F

Scaf –

            WOW!  Talk about a great draft.  Like having the best RB fall to you at 6^th wasn’t good enough, but Jamaal Charles in the 3^rd.  Are you serious??  Incredible!  Then to lock up 2 proven starting WR’s in Welker and Marshall is just fantastic.  Oh and it gets better.  You should be arrested for getting Vick (who was the unquestioned #1 pick last year) in the 7^th.   That’s Bernie Madoff type stuff.  Decker, Spiller, and Romo just round out a great overall draft.  Well done.

Draft Grade – A+

Mike R –

            You have an OK team, and by OK I mean not that good.  Calvin is, well Calvin but Matt Ice with your 2^nd??  Yikes.  I mean I play in an 18 team league and he lasted until the 3^rd round.  I mean if you could have got Tony Romo in the 11^th, you could have had Matt Forte /Tony Romo instead of Matt Ryan / Mario Manningham.  I would much rather have the first.  Like Murray but HATE HATE HATE Turner.  I think he will either be cut or moved to the O-line at some point this year.  And if one of those guys gets hurt (or cut) you are screwed.  And Reggie Wayne and Boldin are both on the backside cliff of their careers.  Love Lloyd but I also loved Ocho last year.  Best pick on this team was Cutler in the 12^th.

Draft Grade – D-

Dan-o –

              Dan-o the man-o put forth arguably the best draft (sorry but my vote goes the team with McCoy, Forte ANDDDDDD Jamaal Charles….. that just shouldn’t happen unless you are in a 4 man league).  But CJ2K, Old reliable Steven Jackson, and Doug Martin isn’t too bad either.  Add to that you have 2 of my favorite WR’s in Julio (he will be the #2 wr this year behind only Calvin) and Percy “I do everything” Harvin.  Like that you waited on a TE and stole Pettigrew late.  And you waited on a Defense and Kicker til the last 2 rounds.  Great draft.

Draft Grade – A

Matty V –

            I am going to try to be as nice as possible since I’ve heard you are a UNC fan and I have a soft spot.  I am not as big a fantasy fan of Cam Newton as others are.  Listen, I know he is a stud in the making (Lane edit: War Eagle); however his fantasy points were inflated from rushing TD’s that will never be repeated.  Why?  Well if I own the Panthers, and saw the QB play before Newton, I am def not letting him take goal line carries to risk injury and going back to Jimmy Clausen.  Not happening.  Add that he only threw for over 200 yards once in the last 4 games last year and avg only 28 attempts over the last 8 games compared to 36 from the first 8 games.  Well you get my point, rant over.  Gronk is a beast but will never live up to that draft spot with all the other mouths to feed in New England now.  The rest of your guys I like but don’t love any, except Nicks, but with him he is always hurt.  You have a bubble team as of right now, sorry bud.  Go Tarheels tho.

Draft Grade – B-

Jon –

            Hopefully you missed the draft because that would give you an excuse of having such a bad team.  First, MJD isn’t that bad a pick right there, but not backing up him with Rashard Jennings and instead choosing GB defense, Danny Woodhead and Santana Moss is realllly bad.  You could have made up for it by taking a sure thing RB next round but instead you picked a QB that throws 25 interceptions a year and has lost some valuable weapons in his arsenal.  I do like Jennings and Dez, but not enough to call your team good.  Hope that Green Bay defense really holds it down for you. 

Draft Grade - D

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Despite Patriots Loss, Super Bowl XLVI Still Winning Experience

They say time heals everything. No matter how extreme a situation, giving emotions chances to settle and thoughts opportunities to collect allow individuals to reflect and draw meaningful conclusions. This goes for all facets of life, including sports.

Enter Super Bowl XLVI, the National Football League’s title match between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. The game watched around the globe, with the Feb. 5 spectacle boasting a world record as the most watched TV show in U.S. history when 111.3 million viewers cast their eyes on professional sports’ biggest stage.

As a Patriots fanatic whose family had season tickets to the cherished team for more than a decade, I—along with my family—traveled to Indianapolis hoping to see the Patriots capture its fourth championship. But once the game clock expired, celebrations erupted and confetti strewed—for the Giants. Instead of leaving Lucas Oil Stadium with feelings of elation, I left with feelings of dejection, anger and resentment as Boston fell victim to another New York victory.

No Patriots fans need recapping of the game that began with the Giants securing a safety and ended with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady throwing an incomplete Hail-Mary bomb to the end zone. Of course there were highlights of running back Danny Woodhead and tight end Aaron Hernandez scoring touchdowns that—at one point—looked to capture the Vince Lombardi trophy. Like a Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees battle, the Giants seized and sent the Patriots and their fans packing.

A season that began with heartache for Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who lost his beloved wife Myra, ended with heartache for Boston sports nation as a victory literally slipped out of the hands of the AFC championship team.

That’s when time heals everything. Five days later and more than 900 miles away from Indianapolis, I reflect. My Super Bowl trip had been a whirlwind of exhilaration from the moment arriving in downtown Indianapolis. Super Bowl banners hung at every street corner, fans decked out in their hometown colors poured the streets and celebrities such as actors Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg attended the event and ushered past screaming fans who aligned barriers.

And then seeing Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time sent tingles up my spine. Stepping inside the stadium transformed those prickles into anticipation and awaiting kickoff propelled that anticipation into euphoria. I was at the Super Bowl, hungry for the Patriots to win and ready to see the biggest game of my life—no matter the outcome.

This had been a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. While 111 million viewers witnessed the game via TV, only about 70,000 watched it live inside the stadium. Seventy thousand fans cheered from the stands for their favorite team. Seventy thousand fans had been given an experience that would last well after the victor’s crowning. I was one of them. I was lucky enough to be part of the crowd and that alone was pretty sweet.

I’m determined to not let the loss sack my overall experience. No matter how hard a loss, time heals everything.

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Yo Soy Fiesta

The game is finally here! After a week off and some jabs back and forth...mostly by the Giants since Brady's comment was nothing more than the truth. Anyways, it all comes down to Sunday. Brady vs. the other Manning on Peyton's home field. Is it Sunday 6:30 yet?

This is going to be one of the better Super Bowls in recent history. You have the "favorite" in the Pats who are on a 10 game win streak and have a new found, motivated defense vs. the typical New York team, talking before the game has even started. Everybody is comparing this game to Super Bowl 42 and how the Pats are out to get revenge. This game has a totally different feel to me. 4 years ago, there was so much pressure on the Pats to go 19-0. We all know that didn't happen. This year, everybody is going against the Pats because they think the defense is weak and the Giants pass rush will put too much pressure on Brady. The Pats are being written off by all the writers and already giving the trophy to the Giants. Remember the last time this happened?

2001 season. Nobody was giving the Pats a chance because the Rams had too much firepower. They had a MVP caliber QB in Kurt Warner (Eli Manning), dynamic wide receivers in Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt (Hakeen Nicks and Victor Cruz), and a good running back in Marshall Faulk (Ahmad Bradshaw). The Rams came into the game thinking they already won the game and were way over confident. Very similar to what we have seen this week out of the Giants.

Onto the more important topic: Gronk. I'll keep it plain and simple. He will play and he will be effective. You're telling me that an ankle sprain is going to keep this man out of the biggest game of his life? No way. Imagine the pain threshold Gronk must have? My guess is he could break his leg during the game and not even know it. Okay thats an exaggeration but you get the point.

Gronk is the key on offense Sunday, along with Hernandez. If Gronk and get up field with out favoring his ankle, they will be fine. He needs to be able to stretch the field to open up the 5-10 yard passes for Wes and Aaron. The offense will be fine and you won't even know that Gronk is "hurt."

On defense, its big Vince. He needs to play the same way he did against Baltimore. Get pressure on Manning to force a quick pass. You can't let Nicks and Manningham get deep. Pass rush is going to play a huge part in this game if the Pats want to be champs. Get Eli off the spot and force him to make bad decisions. We all know what happens when Eli makes bad decisions...he throws the ball right to Asante Samuel who clinches the game with an INT! Oh wait, Asante didn't catch that? No wonder why he isn't here anymore. The man has a tattoo that reads "Get Paid" but he can't even catch a duck that was thrown right to him with the Super Bowl on the line. Sorry, another topic for another day.

Anyways, enjoy the game. It has the makings to be one of the best Super Bowls ever.

Pats 28 Giants 20. Parade Tuesday.

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Pats Back In The Super Bowl

Boy did I miss this feeling! The Pats are finally back in the big game!

After being at that game yesterday, I am physically and mentally exhausted. I feel like I played in the game. Didnt have a voice at all last night and barely had one today at work. But it was all worth it. The big bad Ravens came into town - fairly quiet leading up to the game - and left like they usually have in the past; losers.

You gotta give the Ravens defense a lot of credit though. This really could have been over pretty earlier - they held the Pats two 3 field goals (all of which came in or very close to the red zone). If the Ravens don't force those field goals, they could have lost this game by 14 points.

On the other hand, the Ravens offense killed them. Plain and simple. The lack of a passing game really hurt them. The Pats took away Ray Rice and that kind of handcuffed them. Yeah, I know they broke some 5 plus yard runs to Rice, but they didnt allow him to break a huge play like he has done to them in the past. Whether it was a run or pass, they did a great job keying on him and knowing where Rice was at all times. Next, the Pats matched up Edelman on Boldin for basically the whole game. When did we start hearing Boldin's name being called? Pretty much the final drive of the game. That's all Flacco's fault. He needs to know that their best receiver is being covered by the Pats 5th receiver. Flacco also missed a wide open Torrey Smith about 3 times. Oh, and he threw a costly INT while they had a great drive going in the 4th quarter. I'm sorry, but Joe Flacco sucks. He is garbage. I don't care how big of an arm he has, the Ravens won't win a Super Bowl with Flacco at QB.

This was a great team game by the Pats. No question about it. Brady played like absolute poop, but the D kept the Pats in the game and made huge plays at the most crucial times. 3 players on defense who deserve the most credit after the AFC Championship win.

1. Big Vince - 75 set his place in Patriot history with his performance yesterday. Yes, he has been great for a while but he became a face of the franchise last night. When the D needed a big stop or needed someone to get pressure on Flacco, Vince was there. He stuffed Rice on a huge 3rd down causing the Ravens to go for it and eventually turn the ball over on downs.

2. Brandon Spikes - This man is an animal. He brings so much energy to the defense when he is out there. Spikes has improved greatly in the past 2 seasons. He took a lot of heat when he was hurt this season about taking so much to come back from the MCL injury when players like Mayo and Hernandez rehabbed much faster than Spikes did. He got absolutely blown up by Vonte Leach leading the Ravens to picking up a huge 1st down, driving into Pats territory in the 4th quarter. What happened next you ask? Well, Spikes made a great read in pass coverage and picked off Flacco, killing the momentum that the Ravens had on that drive. Yes, Brady threw a pick on the next play but he gave the Pats an opportunity go put the nail in and "drop the hammer" and close out the game. You know it's something huge happened when you get a text after a play like that from Dan saying "I'll (expletive) Gator chomp to that."

3. Lastly, Sterling Moore. Who? Exactly. This just shows you that its all about the next guy up on this Patriots team. He got all sorts of turned around on the Lee Evans play but had great instinct to knock the ball away at the last second. Wasn't a catch. Harbaugh said he was surprised that they didn't review it. There was no need. Big time receivers make those catches. There is a reason why the Buffalo Bills traded you, Lee Evans. The next play, Moore batted away a 3rd down pass forcing the Ravens to kick a field goal...well, attempt a field goal.

We all know what happened next. Cundiff went wide left and the Pats went to Indy. There is still one more piece of business to accomplish on February 5th vs. the Giants. People are talking about revenge for the Super Bowl loss in 2007. Yes, it's a revenge game. No, its not about 2007. Its about the when the Giants came into Foxboro earlier this season and beat the Pats on the final drive (thank you Sergio Brown. Btw I hope he doesnt step on the field in the Super Bowl). Expect the Pats to be well prepared for this game. This defense is completely different when they play with confidence. Should be a fun two weeks. How sweet would it be to beat Eli in Peyton's building? Would there be anything better than that?

One last thing in regard to the missed field goal. Now, I'm probably the last person who would believe in spirituality and stuff like that. But you have to be completely out of your skull if you think Myra didn't have anything to do with that kick going wide left. There was no way in hell that Myra was going to let that ball go through the uprights. Absolutely no chance.

Bob Kraft said it best to Ian Rapoport postgame "There were forces at work that's beyond anything we can understand... Someone was smiling. We had an angel."

Go win this for MHK.

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Kill Some Bird

I couldn't be more nervous for the game today, the Ravens defense is still the Ravens defense.  They still have Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and (yeah I'm gonna say it) Bernard Pollard.  Pollard scares me not because he's good but he has a knack for being in games that weird things happen in.  I have a feeling the Ravens are going to really key on the Pats' biggest strengths in Gronk and Welker.  Which is why Deion Branch is my key for the offense today.  On defense, Brandon Spikes is my key, his goal will be shutting down Ray Rice in the running and receiving game.  We all saw Rice light us up a few years ago, this is what scares me.  I am not going to write anymore because I can't even put together a logical sentence right now.  Hopefully the two guys below key our victory today, let's go kill some birds.

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Pats vs Broncos Prediction (Playoff Edition)

I feel like I have written this post before...oh wait, I have.

It was only a few short weeks ago when these two teams met in Denver. As we all know, the Pats struggled early and then took advantage of some key turnovers, mostly fumbles, en route to a 41-23 victory.

As we all know, everybody is talking about Tim Tebow this week. Everybody seems to say he sucks and can't throw the ball, but when he throws a 10 yard pass to Demarius Thomas (who then sprints 70 yards to beat the Steelers) the man all of a sudden becomes the chosen one. Like he can do anything; walk on water, cure the sick, turn water in wine, blah blah blah. Tim Tebow is still Tim Tebow. He struggles in the passing game. Force him to throw the ball. You can let the Broncos run the ball all they want, but Tebow is going to have to make a couple big plays with his arm to win this game.

Lets start on the defensive side. You need to get pressure on Tebow when he drops back to pass and contain him inside the pocket so he can't scramble. Player to watch on D this week is Big Vince/Kyle Love. You need to get pressure up front from these two, force their guards to block them so Mayo and Spikes (both of whom should make a huge impact in stopping the run game Saturday night) are free to make plays. Plain and simple. Yes, McCourty is still going to have to play a whole lot better than he did during the regular season. Now with Eric Decker out, the Broncos really only have once threat at receiver; Thomas.

On offense, I'm not going to get fancy or cute here. Tom Brady needs to be Tom Brady. The Pats have sucked it up in the playoffs for the past two seasons all because of Tom. He has played like crap, which means the offense can't get going, which leads to three and outs, which leads to a tired defense who gives up tons of points, which leads to a 1 and done in the playoffs. I don't care if they double welker, or take away Gronk, or focus on Hernandez. Like Aaron said earlier this week "they have to pick their poison." The Broncos aren't going to take all three out of the game. Brady will find the open man and lead this offense to a crap ton of points Saturday night. They need to score early and often. If they can accomplish that, this game could be over early.

Pats win 38-10. See you next Sunday for the AFC Championship game.

Oh. And by the way, don't think Josh McDaniels isn't going to have an impact on this game. I love that they brought him back. Absolutely love it. The Broncos can all they want that McDaniels doesn't matter. Come on, this guy was the head of the Broncos like 13 months ago. Of course this is going to be in the back of the minds of John Fox, Tim Tebow, and the rest of the team. Josh drafted Tebow and Thomas, both in the first round. He obviously knows these two inside and out. The facts might not come out about how much impact McDaniels had this week, but you better believe that he is lickin his chops ready to stick it to his old team.

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The Best Sports Events of 2011

To say 2011 was an eventful, newsworthy year for sports would be an understatement.  From the disgusting, mind numbing actions at Penn State and Syracuse to the championships of the Bruins, UConn, and Auburn.  We here at The Truth have put together a list of our top 5 sports events of 2011.  Now, these are our favorite events, not necessarily the most newsworthy.  Leave your thoughts and opinions and give your own top 5.  Also, we really appreciate you checking out the blog and will continue to deliver entertaining and informative posts.  Any ideas on posts or guest posts are more than welcome.  Without further ado let’s get to the fun.

Dan: Dan-o starts it up with a mostly video top 5.

5. LeBron Loses

Anytime Lebron loses in the finals after his "Not 1, Not 2, Not 3...." speech it is a great moment.

4. Uconn Wins

Hey, I might not be the biggest UConn fan, but it isn't because I don't like them. They are a New England team and I can respect that. Go Huskies!!

3. Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is one of my favorite sporting events every year. Betting on the winning horse always makes it better but win or lose there probably isn't another sporting event that gives you this type of atmosphere and lets you cheer for who you want year in and year out. Obviously a Boston team playing for their championship like the Bruins in the Cup or the Patriots in the Super Bowl is a different story, but that doesn't happen every year. The Derby does, and every year it is different horses and every year you get to the find the horse you want to root for. Maybe you are a person who actually places bets and you like the horse's pedigree and chance to win or maybe you are just a casual fan and you like his story, you like why it has a certain name, you like who owns it, you like their colors etc. Every person can find a horse they like and every year Churchill Downs brings you the same exact stadium rocking atmosphere. This year we saw Animal Kingdom walk away as the winner, jockey John Velazquez who is one of the most respected jockeys in the sport got his first Derby win, who only got to ride Animal Kingdom because the main jockey Robby Alberado was hurt earlier in the week, a good story.

2. Patriots Continue Their Success and Bobby Kraft Ends the Lockout

Although we haven't won the Super Bowl the last few years the Patriots continue to give us something to cheer for year in and year out and that is something to be thankful for. We have fallen short in the last month of the season the last couple of years but for the other 16-18 weeks of the season the Patriots at least allow us to root for another Super Bowl chance each year and that is a lot more than most teams can say.

However, that isn't the biggest success of the New England Patriot's this year. Robert Kraft the best owner in professional sports who is responsible for the reason we now have 3 Super Bowls and a successful football organization that we can be proud of helped the NFL dig itself out of the darkest days of the league and end the lockout. Because of Robert Kraft, his wife and his influence he has within the league he helped bridge the gap between the owners and players and is the reason we get to witness one of the most exciting week 16's in NFL football history tomorrow on New Year’s Day and why our Patriots are in position for another Super Bowl.  Thank you Robert, thank you Myra and thank you to the entire Kraft family.

1. B's win cup


If this isn't your top moment of 2011 get outta here!! Hit it..

V:  Below are Matty V’s top 5 stories of 2011.

5 - Iona gets upset in MAAC tourney title game:  This wasn’t a big surprise because they were such a young team last season. The bigger surprise was it wasn’t an Iona vs. Fairfield matchup like everyone predicted. Iona did its work in the tourney, but they ran into a hot St. Peter’s team at the time. With another year of experience under their belt and the addition of Momo Jones, 2012 looks promising for the Gaels.

4 - Pats acquire Ochocinco and Hanyesworth:  These types of acquisitions usually benefit the Patriots well.  We saw how Corey Dillon changed when he got here, we saw the Randy Moss of old come out in a Patriots uniform. Ocho and Hanyesworth haven’t panned out; they weren’t loud mouths or distractions like they have been with former teams.  Ocho is my boy. I will never hate on the guy.

Everybody else can hate all they want and say he sucks. He has not contributed a whole lot but he also hasn’t said a word to the media or anyone for that matter. Say what you want, idiots, but he will contribute to this team in the playoffs.

Hanyesworth came here fat and out of shape, plain and simple.  He sucked.  Couldn’t get on the field because Kyle Love was/is more dynamic than fat Albert is.  Once Brandon Deaderick got healthy and Gerard Warren started to contribute, Haynesworth was out the door. The move was a low-risk high-reward moved that just did not work out.

3 -The Red Sox Collapse: Everybody talks about the Yankees blowing the 3-0 lead to the Sox in 2004. I think this was worse. No words can describe this. Disgusting.  Flat out disgusting. This makes me never want to have fried chicken and Bud Light ever again.

2 - Robert Kraft single handedly end the NFL lockout:  This man is by far the most respected owner in the league. The man loses his beloved wife and has hated rivals giving him hugs on national television. The impact the Myra has on this organization makes you think that this was her way of saying “shut up and just play football.” We are extremely lucky to have an owner like Robert Kraft for our hometown team. Let’s go win the Super Bowl for MHK.

1 - Bruins Stanley Cup Victory: 

If you’re from Boston and love Boston sports, you are insane if this isn't #1 on your list. This is big for me to have this as #1 because we all know I’m not the biggest hockey fan. This team was special. I mean, they have to be extremely special to get me to tune in and watch on a nightly basis. From the experience of Recchi, to the excitement of Segs and Marshmont, this team had it all. The scary part is they are even better this year. This isn't a hockey team, it's a gang of brothers. Hockey wasn't like this a few years ago in Boston. Times have certainly changed.

Matt:

This was one of the hardest things to come up with.  My top 2 were easy choices, however I feel like I will make some Bruins fans a little upset with the order of the top 2.  I won’t ramble anymore, here is my top 5:

Honorable Mention:  Butler back in the NCAA championship, Brandon Bass trade, Heat Lose in NBA Finals

5 - Red Sox Collapse:  Before people say “Hey, Hey, Hey, that’s not a positive story for 2011,” let me explain.  This Red Sox team was flawed, even when healthy they were never the best team ever, as the Boston Herald proclaimed.  This team was never going to win a World Series, so this collapse expedited some of the changes that needed to happen. This team got boring to watch and very complacent.  Listen, I loved Francona as much as the next guy but he needed to go, Theo was missing on a lot of free agents of late, and players such as Wakefield and Varitek wore out their welcome.  My view is, after about 10 years, management becomes ineffective and needs new blood, and with this collapse that new blood is now in charge.  Here is to hoping that new blood will help turn around a stale franchise and lead us to really be the best team ever.

4 – Basketball is Back:  Everyone knows, basketball is my favorite sport – both college and the NBA.  I hated the lock out probably more than most; however it turned out to be a positive for both the NBA and NCAA.  First, college basketball had more players return for another year from the likes of Thomas Robinson to Doron Lamb, from Perry Jones III to Harrison Barnes, and from Jared Sullinger to Jeremy Lamb.  When all these guys stay, it leads to a better product for college basketball and you have seen that with so many exciting games already.  Moving on to the NBA, obviously the lockout being lifted means I get to see my beloved Celtics with the Big 4 one more year.  Also, if there was still a lockout you wouldn’t be able to see LeBron take 4^th quarters off like last year.  Besides the Celtics, watching Kevin Durant and the Thunder will be my favorite team to watch this year.  Let’s hope this year’s playoffs are just like 2011’s.

3 – Records Fall:  I’m only going to talk about Ray Allen breaking the career 3 point record and Rob Gronkowski breaking the touchdown record for a tight end, because well, I don’t really care about Drew Brees.  To watch Gronk this year is just amazing.  Gronk cannot be tackled by just one guy, and sometimes two guys aren’t even enough.  He is such a match up nightmare, especially in the red zone where safeties and corners are too small while linebackers are too slow to cover him.  It really is exciting every time he touches the ball.  “Me catch ball, me score touchdown, me spike ball hard.”  Moving on to one of the best pure shooters I have ever seen, Ray Allen.  Watching him shoot the ball is just a thing of beauty, I could not be happier to see him break Reggie Miller’s record especially against the Lakers at home with Reggie Miller in attendance.  You could not have written a better script for that record to fall.

2 – Bruins win the Stanley Cup:  I’m sorry Boston, hockey is just my least favorite sport.  I will admit I was blown away by how exciting playoff hockey was.  Tim Thomas really was unbelievable and single handily kept the Bruins in many games.  Then to watch Krejci, Lucic, Bergeron, Seguin, Chara, Seidenberg, and Marchand step up throughout the playoffs was special.  You can tell this team really loves playing together and should be exciting for years to come.

1 – Auburn wins National Championship:  Let me start by saying this – WAR EAGLE!!  What a season this team had.  From all the controversy and trashing of Cam Newton, it was unbelievable to see this team fight through it all and win the National Championship.  Lots of people were picking the high flying Oregon Ducks to win, but Auburn showed why they were the best team all year.  From the likes of Cam, Michael Dyer, Nick Fairley, Onterio McCalebb, Josh Bynes, and Darvin Adams, this was just an amazing season.  With how good Cam was, you could basically tell the defense what play they were running and they would still get positive yards.  Beating Oregon, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina (twice) really just shows how strong this Auburn team was.  War Eagle all day.

Again, thanks for checking the blog and we hope that 2012 will continue to be a very fun and exciting year.  Check for our bold predictions for 2012 coming Monday or Tuesday. 

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