Celts lose their cool and series lead

After having the best road record in the league this year, the Celtics have dropped two straight in Atlanta to tie their opening playoff series at 2 games a piece. Again, Coach Doc Rivers used peculiar substitution patterns and odd defensive match-ups that allowed the young, spirited Hawks to hang in there and eventually win the game 97-92. If this keeps this up and the Celts lose the series to a team with 30 less wins, then the only bench Doc will be managing next year is of the park variety in the Boston Commons.

Will Doc need malpractice insurance?

To begin, I am not a Doc Rivers basher and actually thought the coach did a great job this season. However, after the Celtics lost to the lowly Atlanta Hawks 102-93 last weekend, one has to question his playoff rotation.

If Doc's plan is to have Sam Cassell play a lot of minutes in an effort to slow down all the greyhounds the Haws have, it's just not working. When you're behind in a play-off game yet keep Eddie House and Tony Allen on the bench, you're losing the athleticism and a 40% 3-point threat that could get you back in the game. When Ray Allen got cold during the season, it was House that would be the spark off the bench to bail the team out of their shooting woes. Now Doc is giving all their minutes to Cassell. Both House and Allen are down from 19 min during the season to 4 min in the playoffs and the Celts' offense and tempo is completely different as a result. On top of that, Doc played the invlauable Leon Powe only 6 min in the last game and kept him on the bench the entire second half. Now if Coach Rivers thought that perhaps Powe did not match-up well with the Hawks, then the 9 point loss on Saturday only proves that he was sadly mistaken.

Finally, Casell's reputation has been that he pressures his coaches for more playing time, so if Doc Rivers is being influenced here (ala John MacNamara & Red Sox vets Jim Rice and Bill Buckner or Grady Little & Pedro) and the substitution pattern that worked so well during the season is now being abandoned in the playoffs, then the season will be a great disappointment and only Doc would be to blame.

Pats don't hold back on Mayo

Obviously the Patriots felt they could not get true value for the near $18 million they would've had to pay out to the #7 pick in the draft, so they traded down. Had RB Darren McFadden still been available there was a chance for the Pats to trade down for the Cowboys two late first round picks, but considering so many teams were looking to trade down this year, it was great that they were able to make a deal at all.

In exchange for the 7th pick and a 5th rounder, the Patriots got the New Orleans Saints 10th pick and their 3rd round pick. With the 10th pick the Pats selected Linebacker Jerod Mayo from Tennessee. Mayo ran a 4.54 in the 40 and is smart enough to play multiple Linebacker positions including ILB which is a pressing need for the Pats. With the Patriot's release of OLB Roosevelt Colvin and the questions surrounding ILB Junior Seau even returning next year, the Pats can now put Mayo inside and keep Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas outside where they excel.

Here is USA Today's ranking of Patriot choices in the 2008 NFL Draft and where the Patriots took them in parentheses:

• LB Jerod Mayo: 35th (10th pick)
• CB Terrence Wheatley: 216th (62nd pick)
• LB Shawn Crable: 77th (78th pick)
• QB Kevin O’Connell: 156th (94th)
• CB Jonathan Wilhite: 314th (129th)
• DB Matthew Slater: Not ranked (153rd)
• LB Bo Rudd: 491st (197th)

Verdict: I do think Jerod Mayo was a solid pick but there are rumors that the Pats thought USC LB Keith Rivers would still be there at #10 which would make Mayo their second choice. At 5'9" both Terrence Wheatly and Jonathan Wilhite are undersized CB's who may have a tough time against big WR's in the AFC. Shawn Crable, Matthew Slater, and Bo Rudd are solid 'football players" with high motors. All are destined for the Special Teams unit but one of the three may get groomed to play Safety. QB Kevin O'Connell was a true value pick for the Pats. However, with the emergence of back-up QB Matt Gutierrez last year, the pick may have been wasted.

Grade = C In the end, the Patriots may have over reached a bit with their picks. Unlike the last two Drafts, the Pats did select more for need but similar to the last two unfruitful years, they drafted many players ahead of their perceived ranking. Then again, Logan Mankins was a huge reach at #32 in the 2005 Draft and he turned out to be an NFL All-Pro.

With the 7th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select...

The experts have weighed-in and there have been endless mock drafts posted, but still no one truly knows who the Patriots will draft in this weekend's NFL Draft. Their needs are obvious, Linebacker and Defensive Back, but is the organization convinced they will get good value for the amount of guaranteed money they would have to spend with the 7th pick? Anyway, instead of predicting who and where the Pats might draft, I decided to put together a list of players that they have either worked out or have had a passing interest in over the last couple of months.

• Antwaun Molden, DB, Eastern Kentucky
• Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
• Terrence Wheatley, DB, Colorado
• Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
• Jack Williams, DB, Kent State
• Jamie Silva, DB, Boston College
• Antoine Cason, DB, Arizona
• Terrell Thomas, CB, USC
• Charles Godfrey, DB, Iowa
• Vernon Gholston, DL, Ohio State
• Sedric Ellis, DL, USC
• Darrell Robertson, DE/LB, Georgia Tech
• Jason Jones, DE/OLB, Eastern Michigan
• Keith Rivers, OLB , USC
• Marc Magro, LB, West Virginia
• Jo-Lonn Dunbar, LB, Boston College
• Ryan Poles, OL, Boston College
• Josh Coffman,OL, East Carolina
• Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
• Justin Beaver, RB, Wisconsin -Whitewater

Notes from the Coast:

The Celtics are 2-0 to start the playoffs, but what happened to Eddie House? Along with James Posey, House was the spark off the bench all year. His energy, defense, and deadly shooting were key to many Celtic victories. He even served as the back-up point guard to Rajon Rondo. When the Celts got Sam Cassell, it was obvious that Sam's energy level and 38 year old legs didn't gel with the up-tempo offense and aggressive defense the Celtics and House had played all year. Yet the playoffs have started and Cassell is getting much more playing time and House is relegated to 'garbage time'. One has to wonder if maybe Eddie has been burried on the bench because he's stuck in Coach Rivers' dog house for some reason.

• Even though the Boston Bruins lost Game 7 to the Canadiens, I am happy to report that the Versus Network and Time Warner Cable decided to show the game in Los Angeles. I think it may have had something to do with all the calls (including mine) flooding their offices that day.
• Why am I happy that the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James have suddenly come alive in their series against the Washington Wizards? Because the Wizards match-up great against the Celtics and already beat them 3 times this year. Also, a hot Cavs team has a better chance to knock off the Detroit Pistons in the next round of the playoffs.
• Looks like UMass is far from the top program John Calipari built in the mid-90's. After taking UMass to the finals of the NIT in his second year, upstart Coach Travis Ford flirted with Providence College before finally accepting the coaching job at Oklahoma State .
• Jed Lowrie's early success this year makes me think that we could be looking at the future middle infield for the Boston Red Sox. Once Julio Lugo's contract ends, you may see Dustin Pedroia move to Shortstop, his position in college, and Jed Lowrie back to his natural position at Second base.
• It appears that the Patriots are still looking into trademarking the phrase "19-0". Considering the Pats finished last year 18-1, I would expect Tom Brady and Randy Moss to have another monster season in 2008.

Not to B for Bruins

They out shot, outplayed, and if you count the fluky deflection on their own goal, even outscored the favorite Canadiens for the first half of the Game 7 showdown. But in the end, the Bruins couldn't capitalize on their opportunities and lost to the Habs 5-0. The good news is that the organization got a taste of the play-offs for the first time in 4 years and with a young nucleus of Milan Lucic (19), Phil Kessel (20), Vladimir Sobotka (21), David Krejci (22), and Finnish goalie Tuuka Rask (21) in the AHL, the Boston Bruins could be back and better next year.

Marathon Sweep for Sox

Game 7 Nightmare?!

So you have the NHL Hockey play-offs, arguably the most exciting time in sports. Then you have a Game 7, probably the most intense moment in sports. On top of that, you have a #8 seed with a chance to upset a #1 seed and advance in the play-offs. But it gets better. The two teams playing in this high-drama game are the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadians. Two storied NHL franchises who have been bitter rivals for half a century. What a perfect stage to show the country how exciting the National Hockey League still is, right?

Not so fast! Some broadcast knuckleheads have decided to show the nation Game 6 of the Washington vs. Philadelphia series instead Game 7 of of Habs' vs. B's. What makes it worse is that after the end of Game 6, the cable channel Versus teased the country saying that the decisive game would be show nationally. Where I live In Los Angeles where, you have a ton of transplanted Bostonians who are die-hard sports fans and then you have the largest population of Canadians outside Canada, yet all these loyal fans may be getting robbed tonight!

Yeah, you know the chant..

Despite another poor pitching performance by Clay Buchholz (6.75 ERA), the Red Sox rallied from behind to take a 9-7 lead only to watch the Yankees post 6 more late runs on their way to a 15-9 victory in the Bronx last night.

Give me a break

New York construction workers spent 5 hours over the weekend at union scale digging up the supposedly 'cursed' David Ortiz jersey from the concrete floor of the new Yankee Stadium. Now that the Red Sox have won the last 2 out of 4 World Series titles and the Yankees haven't won one yet this century, it is amazing how the tables have turned and how paranoid New Yorkers have become now.

BC takes title!

The Boston College men's hockey beat Notre Dame 4-1 Saturday night to win their third NCAA Hockey Championship title. Amazingly, BC has been to the Championship game 6 times in the last 10 years but their only other title during this time came in 2001 when they beat North Dakota. Their only title prior to 2001 came way back in 1949.

Decline of the Empire

If Jimmy Hoffa is truly buried within the concrete of Giants Stadium in New Jersey, then it's only fitting that there be another artifact placed in the concrete of the Yankee's new stadium in the Bronx. Unfortunately, this artifact has upset Yankee fans and New Yorkers alike. It appears a construction worker who is a Red Sox fan from New York poured a Red Sox shirt into the concrete of the new visitor's clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. The new stadium is set to open next year but fans think the Yankee's new home may be cursed now. Take it easy New York. You should probably be worrying more about your starting rotation than a little red shirt. Just be glad the guy didn't bury Ted William's frozen head in the bullpen.

Jesuits On Ice

The Boston College Eagles defeated the North Dakota Fighting Sioux for the third time in 3 years to reach the NCAA Hockey Championship game. BC has lost the last 2 championship games and have not won the Frozen Four title since 2001. The Eagles now their Jesuit counterparts from the Midwest, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, in the championship game Saturday night.

Bring on the Habs!

The Good News:

The Boston Bruins got the necessary points in the final two games of the season to secure the final spot and make the NHL play-offs for the first time in 4 years!

The Bad News:

Because the Bruins lost their final game (and everyone else won), they will now have to face Les Habs, the new 'Beast of the East'. The Montreal Canadiens not only finished first in the Eastern Conference but they also destroyed the Bruins all year. So beginning tonight in Montreal, the B's will have to work overtime to pull the upset over their longtime rival to the North.

Red Sox Ring-In A New Season

Even without Public Relations guru Dr. Charles Steinberg (now with the LA Dodgers), the Red Sox still know how to put on a party at Fenway. The Sox returned home yesterday to recieve their 2007 World Series rings in front of Red Sox Nation and even the weather was great. Where else but opening day at Fenway could you see Boston sports legends Bobby Orr, Johnny Bucyk, John Havlicek, and Bill Russell walking side by side.

Another nice moment came when after two World Series titles, Red Sox Nation forgave Bill Buckner and allowed him to throw out the first pitch. However, the most sincere moment came when David Ortiz helped Johnny Pesky raise the 2007 World Series flag. Two great Red Sox ambassadors, 50 years apart. Afterwards all the players hugged Pesky and you could hear a tearful Johhny saying good-bye as if he knows this could be his last year.

Home Opener "Welcome to Fenway Park!"

This is why Boston fans are great. Last year, on Disabilities Awareness Day at Fenway Park, this man with autism, who was chosen to sing the national anthem, got a case of the giggles half way through. Listen to what the crowd does to support him. Good Stuff!

Mass appeal

UMass lost the NIT title game to Ohio State last week but hopefully they won't lose upstart Coach Travis Ford too.
With the Oklahoma State and LSU coaching jobs still open, Travis Ford may be a hot commodity. A former Rick Pitino pupil, Ford is the best coach UMass has had since John Calipari (another Pitino recommend) resurrected the program and took UMass to the Final Four back in 1996. Now only time will tell if the new Mullins Center and all the campus facilities that Calipari inspired will be enough to make a top coach stay at UMass and not just use the program as a stepping stone to a bigger coaching job.

Who needs a Bartolo?

For all you nay-sayers who thought that giving Bartolo Colon a 1 year contract was a waste of money, consider this...the Red Sox got off a 19 day/3 country road trip where they finished below .500 and were swept in their series in Toronto. Except for Daisuke Matsusaka, the starting pitching has struggled. John Lester is 1-1, Clay Buchholz is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA, Tim Wakefield doesn't have a win yet, and Josh Beckett has a 9.64 ERA.

Curt Schilling is guaranteed to receive $8 mill this year but not guaranteed to return to the starting line-up before the All-Star break, if at all. Bartolo Colon is only getting $1.25 mill in guaranteed money and before tweaking his oblique muscle last week (an injury that should only sideline him for a short time), the 2005 Cy Young winner had command of 4 pitches and topped out at 96 m.p.h with his fastball in a recent start in Triple A.

Considering most of the other pennant contenders including the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox are already searching for pitching help, having Bartolo Colon in your back pocket and possibly the starting line-up is a win-win situation for the Red Sox.

Doctor's orders?

Celts' Coach Doc Rivers has decided to give the PGA tour (Pierce/Garnett/Allen) a rest before the NBA play-offs start. A couple of weeks ago Rivers said the team would practice less as the the grind of the season wore on the team. Then he said he would just alternate the practice routines to keep everyone fresh. Now Doc has decided to give his starters (other than Kendrick Perkins) games off during the last 6 games of the season.

True, chasing the best record all year long has been a grind, but the only player that probably needs the rest is Paul Pierce who has played every game this year. Both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have already missed time due to injury and are averaging less minutes per game than in previous years. Rajon Rondo is young and still needs his playing time to improve his game. At this point, any unnecessary rest could derail the team's momentum heading into the playoffs. Coach Rivers has done very little wrong this year, so let's hope he doesn't start now.

Celts Set the Record Straight

The Celtics have now won 60 games for the first time in 22 years. They also set the record for the greatest turnaround by a franchise in NBA history breaking the previous 36 game record set by the San Antonio Spurs in 1997-98, the year the Spurs stole Tim Duncan away from the Celtics in the NBA Draft. But the most important accomplishment for the Celts this week was to clinch the best record in the league, thus giving them home court throughout the NBA play-offs!

Minutemen in Final!

In a battle between former Rick Pitino point guards and proteges, Coach Travis Ford (Kentucky '94) led his UMass squad over Billy Donovan's (Providence '87) Florida Gators 78-66. The Florida Gators are the defending NCAA Champions but graduated most of the players from last year's championship team. The Minuteman are a senior-laden team and will now face the Ohio State Buckeyes (the team that Florida beat in last year's NCAA final) for the National Invitational Tournament title at Madison Square Garden Thursday night.