It's safe to say that the off-season has not got off to a good start in Foxboro. To begin, Asante Samuel signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on the first day of free agency. One must assume the Patriots didn't want the All-Pro back because Samuel didn't even ask the Pats to counter the Eagles' offer. Last year Samuel was given the franchise tag but was promised it would not be given this year, so he was free to leave town and he did so at the first chance. What's more unfortunate is that Lance Briggs and the Chicago Bears were in a similar situation as the Pats and Samuel last year, yet both were able to reconcile and sign a new contract this year.Also, over the weekend Randall Gay, a possible replacement for Samuel, left the Patriots and signed with the New Orleans Saints. On top of that, Eugene Wilson was told by the team that he would not be resigned which leaves the team with more holes in an already weak defensive backfield. Another weak area for the Pats is the Tight End position. After Daniel Graham left for the Broncos last year, the Pats signed Kyle Brady to replace Graham's blocking and when healthy the veteran filled in fine, but now we learn that the Patriots released Brady with another year left on his contract. These all sound like moves for a team desperate to free up salary cap space, yet Kyle Brady was making minimal dollars and the Patriots are projected to be $22 million under the cap. Which leaves us with the Randy Moss saga. If the Pats are choosing to gather money to resign Moss, then why isn't he signed yet? He was brought in last year to give Tom Brady a much needed weapon and there is no one in free agency or the draft with the same impact on a passing game. Donte Stallworth (a possible replacement) was already let go and signed with Cleveland, Moss wants to stay and the Pats need him, so what is the hold-up? Granted all the free agency signings the Patriots made last year didn't bring a fourth Superbowl Championship but it wasn't a failure by any means either. They had a very potent team that was only one play away from the title, so why let everyone go? Why haven't they used their franchise tag on anyone? The Pats do still have the 7th overall pick (and at least one pick in each round) of this year's NFL draft; however, their success in the draft has been limited to Offensive and Defensive Lineman lately, both of which are the current strengths of team. Also, the Pats have learned that drafting specialized positions like Wide-receiver and Defensive backs is hit or miss and seem to prefer picking up seasoned Linebackers from other teams. That said, I'm not sure what Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli have up their sleeve but the window of opportunity is closing fast both on the off-season and on a veteran-laden team seeking another title.
Aside from Duke losing in the ACC Tournament and missing out on a #1 seed, most of the top dance contestants (UCLA, Kansas, Memphis, and North Carolina) who battled in the polls throughout the year got their VIP tickets to the 'Big Dance'. Some teams came to the dance through the back door, while others couldn't get on the floor. Here are some interesting tid-bits going into the tournament.
Just in time for St. Patrick's day, Boston will parade the Celtic green on the road for one of their toughest trips of the year. Beginning tonight, the Celts will play 5 games in 7 days against some of the best teams in the Western Conference and the NBA. 
With Favre's retirement, the Red Sox trip to Japan, Sam Cassells' activation, and the upcoming March Madness, there is much to talk about. 
It looks like Josh Beckett adopted Curt Schilling's off-season work out program and now he is paying the price. Last Spring Schilling showed up at Fort Meyers overweight and later admitted he had spent more time building his new video game company than getting in shape for the last year of his contract. The result for Schilling was an injury riddled 2007 season that now has spilled into the 2008 season.
Call it the new "No Name" defensive. After losing All-Pro Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, and Eugene Wilson, the Patriots are desperately filling big holes in their defensive backfield with journeymen and recycled players.
So much for the nice words in my post earlier this week. After winning 6 games in a row, the Boston Bruins lost their next 3 games by a combined score of 19-4! 
It looks like the Boston Bruins could be peaking at the right time. After winning 6 games in a row and 7 out of their last 10, the B's are in 6th position for the NHL play-off run with less than 15 games left in the season. Plus, there is still a slight chance that Patrice Bergeron and goalie Manny Fernandez may be back for the play-offs.
The Celtics and Danny Ainge came through and signed two players before the March 1st play-off roster deadline. PJ Brown was signed as a free agent and at 6'11" provides some needed rebound and defensive support down low. While Sam Cassel was finally bought out by the Clippers so he could sign with the Celtics before the deadline. 
It's safe to say that the off-season has not got off to a good start in Foxboro. To begin, Asante Samuel signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on the first day of free agency. One must assume the Patriots didn't want the All-Pro back because Samuel didn't even ask the Pats to counter the Eagles' offer. Last year Samuel was given the franchise tag but was promised it would not be given this year, so he was free to leave town and he did so at the first chance. What's more unfortunate is that Lance Briggs and the Chicago Bears were in a similar situation as the Pats and Samuel last year, yet both were able to reconcile and sign a new contract this year.
