Welcome Back!

Brady, Moss, and the rest of the Pats open Training camp and get to work on 2008.

Muchas Gracias Minnesota

As I watched Randy Moss taking in the Celtics victory and rooting on his buddy Kevin Garnett at the Garden the other night, I couldn't help but think how much Moss, KG, and David Ortiz have in common. They all began their professional careers and became famous in Minnesota, yet they are all ending their careers and achieving legendary status in Boston.

David Ortiz was 'David Arias' when he began his career with the Minnesota Twins in 1997. The affable First Baseman was a decent hitter and average fielder but he never could hit for power at the Metrodome, so the Twins released him. The Red Sox quickly claimed him off waivers and with a new name and a power swing suited for Fenway, 'Big Papi' has led the Sox to 2 World Series titles while becoming an ambassador for Boston baseball a long the way.

Kevin Garnett was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves out of High School in 1995 and achieved great personal success by winning the League MVP and numerous All Star appearances but he couldn't bring his team a Championship. He wanted to join a winner before his career was over but had no interest in going to Boston until they traded for Ray Allen. In his first season with Boston, he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award and led the Celtics to the biggest turnaround in NBA history and to the NBA Finals.

Before Randy Moss resurrected his career with the New England Patriots he was a young star drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998. Under the tutelage of fellow Receiver Chris Carter he achieved success early in career only to go astray. He left the Vikings and then had more altercations with the Oakland Raiders before being traded to the Patriots. Now paired with Tom Brady, Moss has become a solid citizen and a team player all while breaking the single season TD record and leading the Patriots to the SuperBowl.

So as New Englanders enjoy the unprecedented success of our local sports teams, we should be thankful to our friends to the North for breaking in KG, Moss, and 'Big Papi'. For without their past growth experience in Minnesota, our sports stars may not be all that super for Boston fans today.

Notes from the Coast:

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.

• Glad to see the Patriots finally came to their senses and resigned Randy Moss. After already losing weapons like Branch, Givens, and Stallworth, who knows how Tom Brady would have reacted had the Pats let Moss walk. Now if they can only fill-in all the holes at Defensive back, Linebacker, and Tight End, we might make it back to the big game.
• Ironic that after the Celtics signed another big man in PJ Brown, Kendrick Perkins went from scoring 8 points and getting only 1 rebound against Cleveland to 19 pts. and 9 rebs. against Charlotte and then a dounble-double against Atlanta.
• It seems every time the Bruins are on National TV they get blown out. After winning 6 games in a row, they finally appeared on the Versus Network again the other night only to lose to the Washington Capitals by a 10-2 score!
• Not sure why the Pats first free agency signing of 2008 was Wide-receiver/Special teamer Sam Aiken. Didn't the Pats resign Kelley Washington for the same role? Besides the money that went to Aiken was basically the same amount they got from cutting blocking Tight End Kyle Brady.
• A new documentary called 'Len Bias' is expected to be out sometime this year. Bias was the Maryland star who suffered a fatal drug overdose less than 48 hours after being the second overall player selected in the 1986 draft by the Celtics. He was once described as a taller, stronger Michael Jordan and Larry Bird claims the Celtics would have been unbeatable had they played together. You can view the upcoming movie's trailer at http://www.len-bias.com/.

Mass Exodus?

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.

Notes from the Coast:

Johan Santana has finally found a new home and it’s in the National League, so now the Red Sox can move on. With Brandon Moss waiting in the wings and the recent signings of Bobby Kielty and Sean Casey, it looks like Coco Crisp’s days in a Sox uniform are numbered. I am still hoping for a deal to the Oakland A’s for reliever Huston Street but don’t expect anything until Spring Training when the Sox brass can make sure that Jacoby Ellbury is their everyday centerfielder.

• Reportedly, Tom Brady and Randy Moss pulled out of the Pro Bowl in Hawaii due to injury. After their disgraceful performance in the Super bowl, Matt Light and Dan Koppen should pull out of the Pro Bowl due to embarrassment.
• Can’t wait until after the NBA All-Star break when Kevin Garnett and Scott Pollard return to the line-up and Sam Cassell may finally be in a Celtics uniform.
• On that note, I got a little excited when I heard Cassell was pulled out of the Celts-Clippers game last night. I thought it was because a trade or buyout had been consummated by the two teams until I heard it was due to a flagrant foul ejection.
• Also, judging by his recent quotes, Cassell doesn’t seem as eager as Damon Stoudamire was to back-up Rajon Rondo saying it’s “who finishes the game not who starts that counts.”
• Finally, Red Sox equipment trucks leave for Fort Myers, Florida this Saturday; a ritual that has become a harbinger of spring more reliable than a Groundhog’s shadow or the appearance of a Red-breasted Robin.

Notes from the Coast:

Word is that the Red Sox plan on signing ageless wonder Jason Varitek to a 2 year extension at $10 million a year. I think it is a great idea and a no-brainer but I can't help but be a bit worried. When Varitek retires in 2 years what will the Red Sox do then? They can’t be all that enamored with the catchers in their minor league system because they just signed Doug Mirabelli to catch Tim Wakefield again next year. Mirabelli is 37 and Varitek will be 36 in April. We all know what happened in 2006 when Varitek got injured during the second half of the season, so let's hope the Red Sox have another back-up plan for the back-up catcher position.

• A Huston Street in Boston, MA? Aside from the never ending Johan Santana saga, the rumor mill for the Red Sox has been slow this off-season. However, the Hot Stove may have a little flicker left. The latest is that Coco Crisp could be dealt to the Oakland A’s for Huston Street. Street is a great young reliever who won the Rookie of the Year award a couple of years ago. If the Red Sox make this deal, they would have a more effective replacement for Eric Gagne and solidify their bullpen for years to come.
  
• There is a post on Rajon Rondo's Yardbarker blog which claims that Celtics second year point guard uses his $300 daily stipend to support his gambling habit. If this is true, I’m sure the Celtics aren’t thrilled but I do think that maybe they should be more concerned with rookie Glen Davis possibly spending all of his $300 allotment on food. Even though 'Big Baby' has been playing and practicing a lot more lately, he also seems to be gaining more a lot weight. Check out this video of him trying out for the Washington Wizards before the NBA draft last summer where Davis looks a lot thinner. Even with a bad hip flexor, he still managed to lose 45 lbs for the draft after crash-dieting and working out. Such dramatic weight fluctuation is not a good sign for a young professional athlete.
• Putting a positive spin on the Randy Moss alleged battery charges. After playing for pennies and having an All-Pro season, Moss may try to break the bank again next year. Whether the allegations are true or not, the bad press may provide the Pats a little leverage in their off-season negotiations with Moss.
• Seeing Chad Jackson return kicks for the Pats during the Jaguars play-off game last week was a bit of a surprise and pretty much confirms that both Troy Brown and Donte Stallworth won’t be back with the Pats next year. This is probably Troy’s last year and when the Pats sign Randy Moss for more money in the off-season, it will make it harder to sign Donte too.
• I thought the Celtics loss to the Washing ton Wizards last Saturday night was bad until the Detroit Pistons got killed by the lowly New York Knicks 89-65 on Sunday.
• No pick-up for the Celtics after the non-guarantee contract deadline of Jan. 10th, so now we'll have to focus on the NBA trade deadline in February for any frontline or point guard help.
• Why are the Atlanta Falcons and Pete Carroll even talking? They just got burned by Bobby Petrino (a college coach who couldn’t handle the NFL) and Carroll’s past success on the professional level is lacking, so why in the world would you even entertain the idea of giving him complete control of your organization? More importantly, what is Pete Carroll thinking? He has rebuilt a great program at USC and already has 'complete control'. Besides, he is one of the highest paid coaches in college and probably makes more than some NFL coaches. If he is just talking, what kind of leverage could he be gaining with USC? If Pete Carroll is smart, he'll stay in college, make millions, and forge a legacy for years to come.
• Again, my AFC and NFC title game predictions for this week: Pats over Bolts 33-10 and the Pack over the G-men 17-14. Go Pats!