The Story of the 2004 Patriots

The Story of the 2003 Patriots

The Story of the 2001 Patriots

Protecting The Legacy

Being a Patriots fan is a bittersweet endeavor. We have three historic Super Bowl victories, but none since 2004. We have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but he’s still overshadowed by Joe Montana. We have one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, but he’s still overshadowed by Paul Brown, Chuck Noll and Vince Lombardi. And in 2007 we had the opportunity to become the greatest team in sports history, but a crushing loss to the Giants unraveled the dream.

Most teams would kill for this resume, but Boston fans expect more. We have Bobby Orr, Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Larry Bird and Teddy Ballgame. We want Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on that list. And in a way, they already are. But until the Patriots get another ring, there will always be questions.

The questions won’t come from us, of course, they’ll come from the millions of people who despise Brady and Belichick. Even the most adamant detractors are forced to acknowledge the greatness of Orr and the other guys I just mentioned. But when it comes to the two fellas from New England, the critics are unrelenting in their protest.

It isn’t the presence of Brady and Belichick in the halls of greatness that people will question. It’s their rank. It’s how they’ll stack up against the legends who are already there.

Last year, around this time, Tom Brady was the first unanimous MVP in NFL history, and the whole world was still on the fence about whether or not Aaron Rodgers was an elite quarterback. I knew Rodgers was elite, but most NFL analysts remained skeptical until he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Now, only one year later, Rodgers is widely regarded as the best quarterback in the game.

I love and respect Aaron Rodgers, but this goes to show how quickly people want to slide Tom Brady out of the top spot. Most critics still bring up “Spy-Gate” when they hear Belichick’s name mentioned. Clips from Super Bowl XLII run on a near-daily basis on ESPN and NFL Network, and the legend of the Patriots is further sunk by the fact that their titles came so soon and so bunched together. The greatest players win at different times, and Tom Brady has thus far only won in the earliest phase of his career.

It should also be noted that the Green Bay Packers stand to do immeasurable damage to the Patriots’ legacy. If the Packers go undefeated and win the Super Bowl this season, it will immediately tie Rodgers and Brady in the history books. It wouldn’t matter that Brady would have three rings to Rodgers’ two, because Rodgers would have the bonus of completing the dream season that Brady couldn’t. For many critics, a tie wouldn’t be enough, and Rodgers would jump past Brady in the ranks of greatness.

I’m of the belief that one more Super Bowl victory for the Patriots would put an end to all the critics and all the questions. But if not now, when? The Packers and the Saints have the potential to exert dominance for the next decade, and the Lions and the 49’ers have enough talent on their rosters to intimidate anybody.

The good news for New England is those four teams are in the NFC. All the Patriots have to do this season is cut through the AFC, and then play sixty minutes of excellent football against one of those NFC squads. It’s possible.

But then again, we haven’t won a playoff game in three years. One year was understandable because Brady didn’t play. Another was slightly acceptable because the Ravens were (and still are) a fantastic team. But last year was devastating. The Jets. Not only was that loss entirely unacceptable, but it’s fodder for further anxiety. That loss tells me we can just as easily lose this season to the Texans, the Broncos, the Steelers, the Bengals, the Ravens, and of course again to the Jets.

There’s also an issue of momentum. Or more specifically, the importance of having it. Right now, the Patriots have none. It’s all being swallowed up by the Packers. Last season, the Packers had a slight momentum edge on the Steelers, but it was far from a stranglehold. The Saints had it in 2010, and the Steelers had it 2009. But the Giants most definitely did not have it in 2008.

If momentum is crucial, then the Packers are unstoppable. But if heart is as significant a quality as momentum, then all bets are off. The Patriots have a shot. Not a great one, but a good one. And if the Giants proved anything, it’s that momentum can be decapitated.

Yeah, it’s slightly important for the Patriots to finish the season on a strong note, but it’s not my biggest concern. We went 16-0 in ‘07, 11-5 in ‘08, 10-6 in ‘09, 14-2 last year, and we got zip. So having a stellar regular season record hasn’t exactly proved to be a magic spell for us in recent years. I’m less concerned with their final tally and more concerned with their spirit in the post-season, with or without a bye, and with or without home field advantage.

Can the Patriots play desperate? I’m thinking about the St. Louis Cardinals being one swing away from losing the World Series. Twice. I’m thinking about an old and courageous Dallas Mavericks team overpowering a young and red hot Miami Heat team. I’m thinking about the Boston Bruins’ improbable leap from misfit status to total NHL dominance.

Can the Patriots play like their entire legacy depends on it? Because, in way, it does.

Why Patriots Fans Hate Rex Ryan

Sure, there are teams I dislike more than others. Would I ever wear a Lakers hat? Of course not. Would I ever wear a Canadiens jersey? Of course not. But really, as long as the Celtics and the Bruins win against any team, I’m happy. Sometimes I’ll get a rush from watching Tom Brady beat Peyton Manning or Joe Flacco or Big Ben, but it’s only a fleeting moment of bliss and then I’m right back to focusing on the bigger picture. I’ve just never been a big rivalry guy.

But then Mark Sanchez waltzed into my life. Now I’m left here wondering how a quarterback who can barely complete a pass managed to become our Magic Johnson. Well, it all traces back to the guy who once said “As much as I respect and admire Bill Belichick, I came here to kick his ass.”

The Jets have competed in the last two AFC Championships while the Patriots followed a bludgeoning in Super Bowl XLII with three straight seasons without a playoff win. This isn’t exactly the recipe for a monumental rivalry. So why is Rex keeping this fire burning? Well, as Rex himself put it: “This is about Bill Belichick versus Rex Ryan. There’s no question, it’s personal.”

Rex’s least attractive quality is his psychotic obsession with the Patriots. He says he cares about winning, but it’s painfully obvious he cares more about beating Belichick. That’s not respect. Respect is the mutual admiration between great icons like Russell and Chamberlain or Federer and Nadal. To qualify for a rivalry with one of the best, you have to be one of the best. Did I sleep through the part where Rex Ryan became a great coach? Did I miss the wildly long string of achievements that placed him on Belichick’s level? When exactly did this become “personal?”

If Bill Belichick were to have one great rival, Rex Ryan wouldn’t be it. But Rex has gone ahead and crowned himself with that title anyway, and that’s why we hate him. He doesn’t deserve to have Belichick as a rival. Rex has one Super Bowl ring as defensive coordinator. Belichick has five Super Bowl rings, two as a defensive coordinator and three as a head coach. So until the day we rewrite the book on mathematics and 1 becomes greater than 5, this rivalry will continue to be nothing more than a ruse created by Rex Ryan to spread his own false legend. The distance between these two coaches is vast and shouldn’t be allowed to even-out because of an unfounded grudge fueled by media hype.

Without the press building them up as New England’s archenemy, the Jets would just be another squad of scrubs making people groan and change the channel on Sunday nights. Did I overlook the Jets dynasty that qualified them to enter this rivalry with the Patriots? By my calculations, Gang Green has one Super Bowl title. The year? 1969. If the Jets and the Patriots were boxers, they’d never be allowed to fight in the same weight class.

Just who entitles the Jets to share this spotlight with the Patriots? I don’t see Reggie Wayne or Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis on this Jets team. I don’t see Mike Tomlin or Troy Polamalu or Hines Ward. I don’t see Ray Lewis or Ed Reed or Ray Rice. I see the great Darrelle Revis surrounded by a bunch of other guys pretending to play football. I’m offended that the Jets became a “somebody” in this league by attaching themselves to the Patriots like a virus.

They didn’t earn this conflict. Rex, especially, didn’t earn this. The Jets made their reputation by pretending to be the Habs to our B’s, and Rex made his name by masquerading as the mastermind who could outwit Bill Belichick. It’s demeaning, disrespectful, and sad.

And there’s another insulting element of Rex’s personality worth mentioning. It’s the way he prepares his guys to play so passionately against the Patriots and so poorly against every other team in the league. I have a similar gripe with Tom Coughlin and the G-Men.

When you watch the Jets and the Giants play, you notice a pattern. Week after week you see the flaws, you see the holes, you see the mental mistakes. And then, miraculously, the flaws and the holes and the mental mistakes vanish when they play against the Patriots. When a team only plays at an elite level against one specific opponent, it reflects the true colors of the players and of the coach.

Rivalries can make certain games pretty interesting to watch, but guys like Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady really don’t care who they play against. And they definitely don’t adjust the levels of their greatness to suit any specific opponent. Beating the Celtics in 2010 was probably sweet revenge for Kobe Bryant, but he didn’t seem to play with any less intensity when he brutally took down the Magic in 2009. Great players play great against everybody.

One of Rex’s greatest miscalculations is his belief that beating Belichick can only be accomplished on those rare days when the Jets and the Patriots clash. Rex treats every New England game like a playoff game, but Belichick treats every game like a playoff game. That means Rex gives himself 2 or 3 games a year to prove his worth, and Belichick gets close to 20.

Is it any wonder why one of these guys has 5 rings and the other doesn’t?

The Mess

There’s merit to the argument that acquiring Chris Paul would put the C’s in a better position to win a title this year. It saddens me, though, that #9 would be the newest in a long line of great Celtics that I would be forced to say goodbye to; Posey, House, Tony, Leon, Perk...Rondo? With that unit held in tact, we’d already have an eighteenth banner. But instead we stripped the team down to the bloody bone, and we got zip in return for the pieces we gave up. So, here we are in this mess.

I’m angry with Celtics management for putting us in the position of having to potentially part ways with another player who not only hasn’t had a dip in productivity, but has actually gotten better from season-to-season and emerged as the reason why the Celtics have achieved the success they have in recent years. We haven’t won a title in three years, but Rajon Rondo is not the reason why we keep coming up short. The reason is our depleted team, our insane salary payouts, a history of bad decision-making, and desperately holding on to a quickly-aging Big 3. We’ve gotten as far as we have in the playoffs over the last few years because of #9. That’s why it’s so tragic that his head is the one on the chopping block.

Chris Paul would absolutely help us win a title, but it’s tragic that Rondo would have to take the bullet to make this happen. Forget the fact that they’re both Point Guards; there’s a ton of players at various positions that could help us win just as much as CP3 -- especially at the Center and Power Forward positions. But Danny Ainge is really fixated on this deal, and so are a lot of Boston fans and a whole slew of ESPN analysts. Again, I’m not saying CP3 wouldn’t help. Of course he would. I’m not blind to the basketball genius of CP3. He’s a Golden God. But it doesn’t change the fact that this trade would be painful and profound for me, and I hope for most of Celtics Nation.

I just don’t want to have to say goodbye to the youngest, freshest, most productive guy on our team before he even hits the prime of his career. Not to mention the fact that we’d only be acquiring CP3 for one year, after which he could (and probably would) decide to go somewhere else. So, really, we’d be trading our long-term relationship with Rondo for one year with CP3. That’s sort of like having an awesomely hot wife who’s totally committed to you, and then breaking up with her to pursue a life with a gorgeous but somewhat flighty model. Yeah, I want the fling as much as you do, and yeah, it could work out nicely. But there’s serious doubt there, as well as an issue of loyalty.

Analysts will say it’s not personal, it’s business. But ask yourself this: If that Godfather mentality is indeed at play here, then why isn’t KG on the chopping block? While Rondo’s stock has gone up over the years, and Ray’s and Pierce’s have remained steady, KG’s has plummeted like a bucket in a well. Right now, we’re shelling-out massive dough for KG’s heart, but for not his body or his productivity. He can’t even out-muscle Pau Gasol anymore. So if this truly is a business where decisions are made without the burden of emotion, then why is KG’s spot so sacred in Boston? Could it be because there is, indeed, an emotional attachment to him? Pierce, I can understand; he’s a Celtic till the end. Ray was mentioned as a potential trade last season, but that didn’t make sense to me because his shot is as sweet as it’s ever been. And despite all the “this is a business” chatter, the truth is people are making this personal and their emotions are loyal to #5. Call it the respect of seniority or the advantage of being a part of the Big 3. Any way you slice it, Rondo’s unfairly on the hot seat -- and the prize for his head is a good one. Now, both Boston and New Orleans have star players who know they’re not wanted.

What a mess.

Winter Is Coming

Paul Perillo made an interesting observation today on PFW In Progress. He cited Coach Belichick’s stone-cold demeanor in approaching the Colts game, and then he contrasted that intensity to the events of the actual game in which Belichick experimented with his roster and tinkered with his chess pieces like it was a pre-season contest. Fred Kirsch added an interesting follow-up point; week-to-week, it’s like “community auditions” with New England’s defensive backfield, and it’s becoming clear that this Patriots roster is still in a fluid state of change. I’d prefer to call it “evolution,” but I’m not certain whether we’re moving forwards or backwards. Only the playoffs will tell.

Perillo and Kirsch always spark ideas in me, and today was no different. Their whole concept of a coach incessantly adjusting his roster got me thinking about another Boston coach who likes to tinker with his toys -- Doc Rivers. Doc is known for his ability to squeeze productivity out of every single player on his team. Back when the Celtics were deep into the ‘08 season and making their run at the crown, they rather suddenly acquired Sam Cassell and PJ Brown to help complete their title quest. On the surface, the addition of Cassell and Brown really didn’t seem all that important to anyone, let alone to Celtics fans. Neither guy was really anybody’s idea of a “missing piece.” This was especially true of PJ Brown; he was already retired at the time, but that didn’t stop Paul Pierce from using the All-Star break as a business trip to lure him off the proverbial golf course and bring him to Boston as a metaphorical closer. Brown and Cassell both proved to be vital pick-ups; they made small but tremendously important plays when their numbers were called. What Cassell lacked physically he made up for in the emotional and mental leadership he provided for the team, and Brown nailed two or three shots that completely altered the course of significant playoff games in Boston’s favor.

And that’s what Doc Rivers does; he plays with his toys, he puts everyone on the court, and he extracts the maximum amount of mojo possible from every player he has -- no matter what their particular skill set might be. Here’s proof positive of that: Doc made Brian Scalabrine a star in Boston, and you and I both know that Brian Scalabrine is not a good basketball player. But Doc didn’t care about Scal’s unlimited shortcomings, because he was able to exploit the one or two things Scal did well -- he provided a spark of energy off the bench, his presence on the court invigorated the home crowd which contagiously rejuvenated the rest of the team, and he semi-routinely hit timely 3’s. Boom, maximized potential. That’s the magic of Doc; he plays his players in different schemes and rotations, he mixes and matches five-man units on the floor, he shifts his guys in-and-out of positions they may or may not be accustomed to playing, and he finds ways to make everybody contribute. That’s the Doc Rivers way. That’s sort of the Bill Belichick way too -- but with a far more ominous tone. With Doc, it’s “You’re a Celtic, therefore you will contribute.” With Bill, it’s “You’re a Patriot, therefore you will contribute, or else one of three things will happen: 1) you won’t play, 2) you’ll play just infrequently enough to keep you from getting into a rhythm and establishing yourself, or 3) you’ll get cut from the team.”

Yes, both coaches play with their toys, but while Doc simply changes the batteries when a few of ‘em aren’t working properly, Bill just smashes them with a mallet. Or, perhaps that’s too harsh. Let’s just say he donates them to charity. And that’s really where the philosophies of these two great Boston icons reaches the proverbial fork in the road. Is one philosophy better than the other? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it doesn’t matter at all, or maybe it means everything. They’re both phenomenal coaches, so let’s chalk it up to a matter of varying approach. As long as there’s a trophy at the end of the journey, I suppose it doesn’t matter which route you take to get there. But then again, Coach Belichick has a fistful of rings to his name.

Advantage Belichick.

Ruthless Efficiency

Never before, in my opinion, have two defending champions defended their titles quite so stylishly as the Packers and Bruins. And while any team can be beaten on any day, there exists that rare crown jewel of indestructibility; it starts with a championship ring and excels with a growing myth made true, a reputation that wins battles before they are ever fought, and a ruthless team that refuses to flinch in the face of making history. And when it comes to football in Wisconsin and hockey in Massachusetts, no winning streak is too long, and no dream is too audacious to accomplish. And there’s another similarity; when you look at the rosters of these two teams, there’s a feeling that you’re looking at a slew of future legends. The collection of names is simply outstanding; Rodgers, Woodson, Starks, Driver, Jones, Nelson, Matthews, Jennings, Bergeron, Horton, Krejci, Lucic, Marchand, Chara, Thomas. These are names you would expect to find spread out amongst six or seven teams. We’re talking about two teams here. This is amazing. This is history unfolding right in front of us.

When you look past the mouth of Rex Ryan and the hoopla of the Harbaughs, you being to realize there’s only a few great teams in the NFL -- the Patriots, the Packers, the Saints, and the Steelers -- and only one of them is on their way to a perfect season and a legitimate shot at repeating. And when you look past the hysteria of Crosby, you begin to realize that the Bruins -- despite not having an MVP on their roster since 1973-‘74 -- has rather quietly assembled a squad of the most dangerous hockey players in the world. For the next decade, when other teams build their rosters to compete for championships in the NFL and the NHL, these two teams will have to be factors in every decision they make and in every analysis they make of their own progress; “Yes, Player X is good and we’re interested in him...but can he help us beat the Bruins?” “Yes, we’re having a terrific season and we’re in contention...but can we beat the Bruins?”

Only time will tell, of course, but the ingredients are there for both teams. To win a title is wonderful, but to win them as frequently as the Chicago Bulls or the Boston Celtics is a totally different matter. At that point, you’re talking about overachieving to a virtually psychotic degree. You’re talking about that sliver of a realm where being great isn’t enough. I look at the Packers and the Bruins and I see a decade of dominance for both teams. I envision the next ten years of my life as a time in which I’ll witness the emergence of Tyler Seguin as one of the greatest to play the game. I envision the next ten years of my life with Aaron Rodgers being a steady topic of the conversations I intend to have. I envision a decade in which every single NFL analyst on the planet concludes every last rant, opinion and critique with “Yes, but can they beat the Packers?”

The Friends of Eddie Coyle

If you love the Boston Bruins, and if you love Robert Mitchum, then you need to watch “The Friends of Eddie Coyle.” Great underground Boston crime flick from the 70’s. Same director as “Bullitt” with Steve McQueen. Here’s a clip from the movie guaranteed to attract anyone who loves Bobby Orr and the Bruins.

The Evolution of Rajon Rondo

Not much has changed for Rajon Rondo since 2007. Well, except for becoming an All-Star, earning a spot on three All-Defensive teams and winning a championship ring. Also, his jersey is the third bestseller behind James and Bryant. So maybe a lot has changed in the literal sense. But in terms of those pesky invisible things, such as the perception of him and the degree to which he’s valued amongst other Point Guards in the league, he hasn’t made much progress. When ranking Point Guards in the NBA, analysts always seem to feel obligated against their will to fit him into the top tier. You name the NBA expert, and you can bet that he or she considers Rondo an afterthought to the likes of Derrick Rose, Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Nowhere in recent memory can I recall a player who has been so clinically underrated. There was even a time not too long ago, 2008-ish, when professional basketball analysts placed a higher value on Mo Williams. Unbelievably ridiculous.

Many believe that Rondo’s inconsistent jumper renders him more of a liability than an asset, therefore knocking him down in the Point Guard ranks. But it should be noted that lump scoring and flawless shooting isn’t necessarily characteristic of the Point Guard position. John Stockton -- generally considered the gold standard of the 1 Spot -- averaged 13.1 points per game. Rondo’s already at 10.7 and he’s maybe 25% into his career, and getting better each season. Alternately, Michael Jordan was by far the most skilled ball handler on the Chicago Bulls and could easily have played Point Guard, yet he played Shooting Guard. Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant are phenomenal ball-handlers who could easily qualify as the Point Guards for any team in the NBA, but they’re best-suited for the 2 Spot because of their uncanny shooting abilities. Point Guards distribute first and score when they have to, and Shooting Guards score first and distribute when they have to. Rondo fits into the Point Guard category, and he is indeed a Point Guard, but he gets blamed for not having the skill set of a Shooting Guard. Does this seem logical?

At times I think we mistake as the aberration of Magic Johnson as the norm. We also tend to consider guys like Derrick Rose and Deron Williams as heirs to the Magic Johnson throne, but that’s completely inaccurate. Not only was Magic great at everything, he also managed to be a great scorer while being surrounded by other great scorers. He was a rarity, a talent amongst talents. Yes, Derrick Rose and Deron Williams are great scorers, but they have to be great scorers. They have nobody else on their teams to carry the offensive load. Same thing with Chris Paul. If these guys don’t bank 30 points a night, their teams lose. So, despite being Point Guards, Rose and Williams and Paul are also expected to perform like Shooting Guards because of the deficiencies of their teams.

To hold Rondo’s lack of scoring prowess against him is, in effect, to blame him for being on a good team that includes three Hall of Fame players. I’ve seen every game Rajon Rondo has ever played, and I can say with certainty that he’s more than capable of nabbing 20 points a game. I’ve seen him score 25+ without breaking a sweat and with no more than one or two jumpers nailed. The field isn’t where he collects his point totals. Nearly all his points come in the paint, and at the tail ends of the shot clock on broken plays that force him to hoist-up shots which he usually makes. Scoring isn’t difficult for Rondo. Free-throw shooting is, but scoring isn’t. The basic fact is that he just doesn’t need to have 25 or 30 points to win ballgames. The Celtics win all the time with Rondo having 15+ assists and anywhere from a few to 15 points. He scores what’s needed from him to win games -- and a championship. Why on earth would he go out and score 30 every night? That’s what Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and KG are there for. Rondo’s not looking to score, but Rose and Williams and Paul are always looking to score. From the opening tip, they’re looking to collect points for their team so they have a chance to win.

So while everyone gets on Rondo’s case for his inconsistent jumper, I’m looking at all the things he does consistently -- like his dominant numbers in steals and assists and his double-doubles in the regular season and his triple-doubles in the playoffs. Not to mention the fact that he’s the best rebounding guard in the league. Also, he’s the leader of a team with three Hall of Famers on the roster. I’ll repeat -- he’s the leader. So again, while everyone’s questioning his jumper, I’m wondering why Paul wants to go to the Knicks. Could it be that he wants to distribute the ball to Amar’e and Melo, and that he doesn’t want the burden of having to score 30 a night? Why do you think Williams wants to get out of Jersey? Why do you think the Bulls aren’t winning titles? Rondo’s in a position all these other guards envy -- he’s on a winning team with other players who can score. So when are we gonna stop holding this jump-shot stuff against him?

It would be nice if he could hit his free-throws, but I won’t split hairs.

The Psychology of Belichick, Coughlin and Ryan

When it comes to the perception of Bill Belichick, there’s no middleground. You love him or you hate him. Me, I love him. And I love that so many people hate him. Kinda makes me love him more. Better to be feared and respected than loved and adored. Today during his press conference, Coach Belichick completely illustrated why those who love him, well, love him. When confronted with a foolish question by a foolish reporter about this Sunday’s match-up with the winless Colts, Coach Belichick unleashed his wrath on her. It went something like this...

Reporter: You think going into these games that the record doesn’t matter -- but obviously you can gauge your team’s performance better against a team that’s more competitive or has a better record, and you certainly seem more proud of your team --

Belichick: I don’t agree with that, so you can go on with your soliloquy, but I just don’t agree with that. You don’t think you can gauge your team based upon how a player blocks Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis? I mean, who else would you gauge it against? I mean, are you kidding me? Covering Reggie Wayne and Collie and Garcon -- you don’t think you can gauge your coverage based on covering those players? I don’t care what their record is. You think there’s a better receiver around than them? Better pass rushers than Freeney and Mathis? I mean, I’m not sure what games you’re watching here.

I don’t know who that reporter was, but I would wager there’s a spot open at her paper. Tom Brady received similar questions all day, and his answers most certainly invoked the spirit of his coach. It went something like this...

Reporter: Do you talk [to Peyton Manning], do you still communicate?

Brady: Yeah.

Reporter: I know you don’t mind not playing against him, but do you miss him? Does the league miss a guy like that?

Brady: I don’t know.

Reporter: Can you talk about [the Colts’] defense? People talk a lot about Manning being out, but can you talk about what you’ve seen from them defensively so far?

Brady: I’ve played Dwight Freeney a lot. I wish he was out, but he’s in there again and he’s a phenomenal player. If I could be a defensive end, I’d be like him. And Robert Mathis on the other side, both those guys can really wreak havoc. Coach said this morning that Freeney’s got like 99 career sacks and 43 forced fumbles, so almost half the time he sacks you he strips the ball from you.

I really like how the Patriots are handling this match-up with the Colts. They understand that a winless team is a dangerous team because their pride is on the line, and getting that first win against a team like the Patriots is everything to them at this point in the season. When you’re the worst team in the NFL, all you can play for is self-respect. So when a team like that plays the Patriots, it’s practically their Super Bowl. Belichick understands this. And it’s clear that his players understand this too. They’re not talking up the Colts too much, they’re doing it just right. I would expect other teams to say similar things, but not necessarily to mean them. The Patriots mean these things. They’re programmed by their Coach to anticipate everything. They’re mentally preparing for what I think will be a tough fight. Matthew Slater said it best in the locker room: “This is the National Football League, any team is capable of beating any other team on any given Sunday, so I think the biggest thing for us this week is to prepare for our opponent just as if they were 11-0.”

Another game to pay attention to is Packers/Giants. Part of what irritates me so much about New York football teams is that they so clearly get jacked-up to play against certain teams -- and against certain teams only. The reason the Jets are so inconsistent is because they don’t play against the Patriots all 16 games of the season. If they did, they’d be the most laser-focused team in the NFL. The Giants too. If you asked Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin if they could play against Belichick 16 times, or if they’d prefer to play against a variety coaches, they’d both pick 16 consecutive Belichick games.

The question is: Why? Why do the Jets and the Giants get so amped to play against the Patriots, and get so tepid when playing against anyone else? Take the Giants; this season they’ve lost to the Redskins, the Seahawks, the 49’ers, the Eagles, and the Saints. One could argue that all of those teams are physically tougher than the Pats -- or at least, more consistently tougher in the physical department. So why did the Giants maul the Pats but lose to all those other teams? If you recall the season when the Giants won the Super Bowl, they were not a great team. People in New York hated them. They wanted Eli’s head on the chopping block. It’s my belief that the Giants only won that Super Bowl game because they were so amped to be playing against an undefeated Boston team. If they played against any other team, or if the Patriots hadn’t looked so damn indestructible that season, the Giants would’ve lost Super Bowl 42.

The basic fact is this: the Giants cannot win a contest unless drama is at play. They feed off it for strength. Same with the Jets. The Jets feed off Rex Ryan’s obsession with Belichick, it’s how and why they get psyched to play the Pats. Every time the Jets or the Giants play the Patriots, it feels like a Super Bowl game. It feels like the world’s gonna implode from the Armageddon-type drama surrounding the game. Neither of the New York teams really have that with anyone else. The Jets don’t have a grudge with the Broncos, and Rex Ryan doesn’t have a lifelong dream to upstage John Fox -- and that’s why the Jets lost a few weeks ago to Tebow. Winning the game isn’t enough for the Jets or the Giants, they have to be playing against a team that they WANT to beat. Otherwise, they’re sort of awful.

So, knowing that much about the Giants, their match-up with the Packers looks pretty damn interesting. Another perfect season to destroy. This is the kind of thing the Giants live for. Not banners or Super Bowl rings, but drama. Spotlight. An opportunity to ruin someone else’s day. That’s all they care about. I’m not saying they’re gonna win on Sunday, but I certainly think they’re gonna burst out of the gate with the most energy we’ve seen from them since Week 9 against the Patriots. I expect the Giants to treat this game against the Packers like it’s their Super Bowl and play their hearts out, and then I expect them to completely revert back to their mediocre ways next week against the Cowboys.

NFL MVP

There’s no definitive answer to the MVP question this year, which is great for football fans and a drag for football writers. I love Aaron Rodgers, and obviously I think Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Truth be told, this MVP trophy could easily go to either of those two guys, and I’d be just fine with it. My guess is Aaron will win it, simply based on the total domination of the Packers. The greatness of Rodgers is unquestionable.

In terms of my Quarterback MVP, I’m giving my vote to Drew Brees. My favorite trait in great athletes is the will to win, and something about Drew Brees touched that nerve in me this season. When a Saints game is nationally televised, Brees makes sure to maul the other team to scraps of bones and tears. It’s not enough for Brees to win, but he really has to make the opposing team look like a junior high school football team -- and I love that about him. That’s my kind of quarterback. He makes other teams (like the Giants) understand that they’re not qualified to be on the same field as the Saints.

There is something I should mention, however, which no one else has really talked about yet. Tom Brady has a big plus in his MVP column -- out of the Pats, Packers, and Saints, Brady’s team has had the most difficult schedule so far. Both the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints have had easy schedules in comparison to the New England Patriots. Consider the first 12 Weeks of opponents:

Green Bay: Saints, Panthers, Bears, Broncos, Falcons, Rams, Vikings, Chargers, Vikings, Bucs, Lions.

New Orleans: Packers, Bears, Texans, Jags, Panthers, Bucs, Colts, Rams, Bucs, Falcons, Giants.

New England: Dolphins, Chargers, Bills, Raiders, Jets, Cowboys, Steelers, Giants, Jets, Chiefs, Eagles.

If New England had Green Bay’s schedule, we’d probably be 10-1 instead of 8-3. And if Green Bay had New England’s schedule, they’d probably be 9-2 instead of 11-0. New Orleans would probably be the same, at 8-3, with New England’s schedule. None of this takes anything away from the greatness of these three teams, but the varying difficulties of their schedules is worth noting.

When it comes to bloodthirsty quarterbacks, you can’t go wrong with Brady, Brees, and Rodgers. If a three-way quarterback tie was possible, this would be the occasion to award such a thing. These are, quite simply, three perfect quarterbacks. One of them has a perfect record, which is big. One of them has three Super Bowl rings, which is even bigger. And one of them has a Vicks commercial. I kid, I kid.

Drew Brees, Quarterback MVP.

But for my league MVP, I’m going with Wes Welker. Through 11 games, he’s first in receiving yards with 1,143. In context, that’s 120 more yards than Calvin “Megatron” Johnson.

When discussing “the most dangerous man in the NFL,” we’re always very quick to name Brady, Brees, or Rodgers. Acceptable, of course, and understandable. But take a moment to really think about the concept of danger. Is there really anyone more dangerous this year than Wes Welker? I won’t put up a fight with Rodgers or Brady or Brees -- but in my mind, it just doesn’t get more dangerous than Wes.

Three Easy Pieces

Once again, as a newly-minted NBA season approaches, the Celtics are overlooking the weaknesses in their team and trying to sign players that won’t help them win a championship. In other words, another season without a banner -- and another chance for the Lakers to tie the title record. On the chance that someone in Celtics management or somebody high-up in the ranks of Boston media gets a hold of this brief article, I’d like to introduce three steps that would bring the trophy back to Boston this season...

First, you get Jamal Crawford as our 6th Man. That plugs the gap left by James Posey. Crawford comes off the bench with grace and he does everything; he keeps leads, he extends leads, and he leads comebacks. His specialty is butchering the hearts of teams with daggers, usually in the form of three-pointers from way beyond the arc with very little time left on the clock. A paid assassin. Get that man in a green jersey.

Second step, you get Marc Gasol as our starting Center. Offensively more productive than Perk and just as tough, and with more energy and personality to his game than anyone else we have on the roster, Gasol would be an instant smash hit in Boston. He would cause pandemonium at the Garden. My first choice for the 5 Spot. A future champion. We need this man.

The third step is where it gets dicey. I propose we get Brandon Jennings. But unlike Crawford and Gasol, Jennings is not a free agent. A trade would have to occur, but it can be done. He’s floundering in Milwaukee. I love the Bucks, but he just doesn’t fit in that system. The Celtics lack a fresh young star who can play multiple positions and bring match-up problems for other teams. Jennings is a one-man blizzard with a high IQ and raw skill that has yet to be molded. Is it possible to get him? I don’t know. But he is a player of the future. As Theo Epstein might say, invest in future performance and not past performance. Put Celtics management and Bucks management in a room, and make a deal.
                                                         

1969-‘70: Big and Bad

There are many reasons why I wish I was around during the 60’s -- the music was daring and soaked with raw energy, comics and baseball cards were works of art, movies were fresh and outstanding, sports were shot on grainy film and fans dressed to the nines as they cheered with unflinching loyalty, and the Big Bad Bruins were simply the most perfect team in any sport.

Young, elegant, dynamic, rich, strange, violent, emotional, entertaining, and totally committed to winning -- they didn’t dominate the NHL for as long as the Celtics did in the NBA, but the ‘69-‘70 Bruins were special almost beyond the description of words.

Boston drank the Bruins like champagne, and television brought the magic of the Garden into the living room; “TV38 Sports Presents ‘The Road to the Stanley Cup;’” Orr, Esposito, Hodge, Stanfield, Ace, Turk, Chief, Swoop, Shadow, Elbows, Pie, Cheesey -- they were a Dick Tracy comic strip on ice. They were a snapshot from a moment in time, frozen in gold. Black and Gold, to be exact. And so, today, as the defending Stanley Cup champs went 12-0-1 in the month of November, we should take a moment to consider the possibility that we could be in the midst of a another golden era. The talent and the personalities are there, the fans are there, and most importantly -- the Cup is there.

Sleeping Dogs

It’s a major mistake to think the disgust with James begins and ends in Cleveland. I’ve never been to Cleveland myself, so his decision to leave didn’t smack me upside the head with any sort of betrayal whatsoever. As a diehard Celtics fan, the only other team I always have my attention on are the Lakers. When Los Angeles makes a move, I’m required by New England law to take notice. No other team is on our ass with title wins, so LeBron’s “Decision” was initially pretty irrelevant to me.

But in the thick of that gloomy summer, “The Decision” became relevant to everyone. It was forced down all of our throats. It didn’t even matter if you cared or not, LeBron’s indecision was a phenomenon larger than Team Edward, Team Jacob, Health Care, Paris Hilton, and the Kardashian chick all combined. Like the great Tim Tebow debate, it became a situation that you were forced to take a side on. LeBron made so many miscalculations, it’s truly unbelievable. You almost have to believe he purposely tanked this thing to properly explain his actions. I’m not a PR person, but my guess is he had such a person. What exactly was that person getting paid for? He must have had a manager, an agent, a this, a that, and they all get paid millions of dollars -- but for what? The Summer of LeBron was such an extraordinary debacle, it remains the source of immense hatred for people in all states of the country -- not just Ohio.

Cleveland is a place that doesn’t have a lot. Similar to New Orleans and Detroit and Oklahoma City, Cleveland is a struggling part of America that just seems constantly weighed down with bad luck. That’s partially why Drew Brees and Justin Verlander and Kevin Durant are such national heroes -- they give purpose, prestige, and esteem to those cities. New Orleans may not have the glitz and glamour of New York City, and they may not have the legacy and championship banners of Boston, but they have Who Dat, and that makes them just as relevant. Well, for a while, that’s what LeBron James did for Cleveland. As long as LeBron played for the Cavs, every team in the league had to mentally prepare for a game against Cleveland. You couldn’t just show up and play. You had to walk through the tunnel knowing that a lion was waiting on the other side. It didn’t scare Paul Pierce and the Celtics, but it sure did scare everyone else. And although I know next to nothing about Cleveland, I know the people of Cleveland loved that. They loved being feared and respected. They loved being a somebody. Outside of the Celtics, every team feared playing at “the Q,” and the city soaked that up like a big fat piece of sourdough bread in a bath of sloppy turkey gravy. And you know what? The rest of us were sorta ok with that. Let Cleveland have a big-time player. Every city needs to feel proud of something, and LeBron was a great talent to have. I felt good knowing that LeBron was holding up a city on his shoulders. It gave James a purpose that went a lot deeper than basketball. He was their mascot, their mayor, their King, their representative, their spokesman, their heart, their soul, their everything.

And then he left. Ok, he’s allowed to leave. He’s a grown-man, he can do what he wants. But the way he left was simply unbelievable. Even for someone like me who couldn’t possibly care less about the Cavaliers, I was shocked. I didn’t know LeBron was capable of that sort of malevolent indifference. I really didn’t. He always seemed like a gentleman who valued pride over all other things. To draw out the decision, to do it so publicly, to phrase it the inane way he did, and the “villain commercial” he did for Nike, it was all so incredibly unlike the guy everyone thought they knew. Could you envision Kevin Durant doing a “villain” commercial? Of course not. Durant’s not a villain, he’s a role model. I was never a fan of LeBron, but I sorta saw him as a similar type to a lot of other people. So when he dropped the bomb of taking his talents to South Beach, it was shocking.

LeBron could’ve left Cleveland AND averted a PR disaster with a few simple steps. First of all, he should’ve held a press conference exclusively with the Cleveland newspapers and Cleveland reporters, and the citizens of Cleveland. It would’ve taken 20 friggin’ minutes to make it more personal, and to speak to the people directly. Be straight with them -- “Look, this is my home, I played my best for you, I love you, but it’s time to move on, blah blah blah.” Boom. Crisis averted. Sure, they would’ve been sad, but they wouldn’t have been hurt. Everyone gets broken-up with at some point, but it’s another thing to get dumped. By dragging the whole nation through it with “The Decision,” he basically stripped Cleveland naked and told them to wait in the bedroom. He put the city under a spotlight that they really didn’t need to be put under. It was the utter indifference to his home, to his roots, and the unbelievable excess of his ego that startled me, and continues to startle every basketball fan outside of Miami.

There was another way to avert the entire crisis. LeBron had multiple teams to choose from: the New York Knicks, the New Jersey Nets, the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Chicago Bulls. It doesn’t take a genius to see that Miami is the tackiest choice on the menu. For one thing, Miami sucks. It really, really sucks. It’s sludgy, gaudy, garish, and ostentatious. It’s the home of house music, drunks, douchebags, and people who wear Ed Hardy. It’s like playing for a team called The Las Vegas Prostitutes. And in addition to those scientific reasons, it should also be noted that Miami isn’t a historically significant basketball city. Their fans care little to nothing about the sport, and basketball fans generally repay them the favor. If anything, it’s a mutual dislike. So there was simply no honorable reason for LeBron to choose Miami. And when he finally did choose Miami, he made it even worse by claiming it was because they have a good school system. Things like this add up, and eventually you find yourself the most hated man in sports.

LeBron could’ve easily gone to the Knicks and been fine. The Knicks are a legendary team in a legendary city with a legendary arena, but they are historically awful. They have everything except championships. Plus, New York is a basketball city. Hands down, they’re the most basketball-adoring city in America. Every kid from New York knows how to play basketball. It’s Mecca for basketball lovers. So, had LeBron chosen the Knicks, it would’ve made sense. He would’ve been the Savior of a team that really, truly, badly wants to win for the fans. He could’ve held the press conference in Cleveland with his hometown fans and reporters, given them the news personally, then gone to the Knicks, and he would’ve been on easy street. No problems. And you know what? He probably could’ve had a similar situation by choosing the Bulls. In essence, he would’ve been choosing to play with a great point guard in another legendary basketball town. He also could’ve averted disaster by choosing the Clippers, who are even more historically awful than the Knicks, and he could’ve signed-on as the guy to leap that team past the Lakers. He could’ve even been ok with the Nets, because they’re the Mets of New York and he easily could’ve lifted that struggling club to prominence. And people would’ve rooted for him in all these situations.

He said it wasn’t about the money. In some sense, I actually believe him because he took a bit of a paycut to go to Miami. But if it truly wasn’t about the money but about championships, then why not Memphis? Or Golden State? Or Dallas? Or Boston? Or New Orleans? Or Philly? Or San Antonio? Or Milwaukee? If money wasn’t of real value in the decision, he could’ve gone to any of those ball clubs I just mentioned and won a championship last year. Those are all teams that were “one LeBron away” from winning it all. He could’ve said, “Pay me a hundred bucks,” and won a ring. Problem solved. But instead of taking a hundred dollars and a championship ring, he took millions and hooked-up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh -- a slap in the face to the very word “teamwork.” It was a lesson to kids everywhere that shortcuts exist, and you should most definitely take them. So when the Heat lost to an actual team, it felt pretty good. I was still disappointed because it wasn’t the Celtics, but at least Dallas was a real team. It was a reminder to kids everywhere that even though some professional athletes tower up to almost seven feet in the air, they’re not all necessarily people to look up to.