2007 Patriots...Best Team Ever???

All the talk lately seems to be... If the Patriots win the Super Bowl next week will they be the best team ever? The two teams most commonly referenced have been the 1972 Dolphins and the 1985 Bears; so, let's look at the numbers and the reasons that I believe that this is a no brainer.

1. First off, let me point out that the 72' Dolphins opponents had a combined winning percentage of under .400.
2. The Patriots have already broken the 1972 Dolphins record of 17-0 which makes them the only team in NFL history to go 18-0 in a single season. Win or lose in the Super Bowl this will be true.
3. Dolphin's combined for 385 total points. Patriots scored 589 points in the REGULAR season. The 1985 Bears scored 456 points.
4. Multiple choice question.... You're team is in the Super Bowl and you have your choice of starting quarterbacks. Who would you choose... Tom Brady, Jim McMahon, Earl Morrall, or Bob Griese? Yeah, I thought so.
5. Patriots have to deal with the Salary Cap and Free Agency. Something neither other team had to consider.
6. The Patriots outscored their opponents by 315 points. The Bears outscored their opponents by 258 points and the Dolphins outscored their opponents by only 214.
7. With all the advances in sports medicine and training regimens the Patriots are by default a bigger, faster, and stronger team than both the 72' Dolphins, and the 85' Bears.

I'm sure I could continue to dig for more obscure reasons but to me the seven above do an adequate job of proving my point. Maybe you disagree; and that's fine, because at the end of the day that's half of what makes sports so much fun to talk about.

The Belichick Show

Is anyone besides me getting a real kick out of this whole Tom Brady boot thing? Just looking at the smirk on Belichick's face during his last press conference as he said to the media....

"I don't have any comment on it. The injury report will be out next Wednesday and we're excited to give that to you. That form will be filled out completely and I can't wait to give that to everybody."

Hell, the media even laughed with him! Who knew that Bill had jokes? I mean he's handling himself pretty well considering he's planning on starting Donte Stallworth at QB next week isn't he? I mean that's what Stallworth said wasn't it? The fact that the whole team is getting in on the fun is just great. This whole thing is just another example of Belichick being the "puppet master". I sometimes get the feeling that everyone in the NFL this season are unknowing participants of the Truman Show and that Belichick is both director and producer.

As for what's really going on, who knows? All I do know is that come February 3rd Tom Brady will take his place behind the center and do what he does best, and that's win. Boot, no boot, it doesn't matter.

Worst Red Sox Moments

With the popularity of "Top 10 Greatest..." lists and "Best of..." lists being what they are, I wanted to take a slightly different approach today. For that reason, I give you:

"The 5 WORST moments in Red Sox History"

I know it's painful but with all the success that Boston sports are experiencing right now, I think it's important to remember our humble and tortured beginnings.


(These are in no particular order and are all equally painful to remember.)

1. 1919...Babe Ruth is traded to the Yankee's to (allegedly) finance a Broadway production. This move signals the beginning of a long and torturous run of heartbreak and pain.


2. 1986...Bill Buckner forgets how to field a ground ball in game 6 of the World Series. With one more shot to win in game 7, the Red Sox lose and send their fan's to bed sucking their thumbs and wanting to cry.


3. October 2nd, 1978...Earl Russel Dent (AKA Bucky Dent), who is hitting a solid .243 for the season, steps up to the plate with the Red Sox leading 2-0 and hits a three run home run to put the Yanks in the lead. The Sox lose the game and a shot at the post season. Bucky Dent becomes Bucky "F***N" Dent to all Red Sox Fans.


4. October 16th, 2003, 11th inning ALCS...Aaron Boone steps to the plate in a tied ball game and proceeds to hit a solo home run off of Tim Wakefield to send the Yankees to the World Series. Again. Red Sox fans now affectionately refer to him as Aaron "F***N" Boone.


5. 2007...Pretty much any game that Eric Gagne took the mound.

Think I left one off? Let me know what your most painful Red Sox memory is.

Some Classic Rants and Meltdowns

With this two week break before Super Bowl Sunday I am already thinking about the gaping sports hole that exists between the end of football season and the beginning of baseball. With that in mind I've chosen to focus on some humor today. With the clip of Denny Green proudly displayed this week it got me thinking about some other great rants. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Casey Kasem losing it about a dedication to "snuggles" while coming out of an up-tempo song.
2. Bob Knight giving some words of encouragement to his team.
3. Hal McRae answering some of the media's questions involving his line-up.
4. Mississippi Braves AA coach Phillip Wellman experiences a Vietnam flashback. (not really a rant but it is damn funny)
5. Last but not certainly not least is Earl Weaver of the Baltimore Orioles answering callers questions and giving some dating advice as well.

I hope you enjoy them. Let me know which one is your favorite.

LT....A Leader?

After enjoying yesterdays AFC and NFC Championship games, I awoke this morning with a strange feeling of indecisiveness about LT's non performance. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting for a minute that the guy should go out there and play if he really can't make a go of it. But, if that is the case, and he can't play, shouldn't he at least get off his ass and be a part of the game from the sideline? I've heard the arguments from San Diegans today that "he's just not that type of guy" and "he was too upset about not being able to play". To me, neither one of those excuses is going to cut it.

The fact is that LT can't have it both ways. You're either a leader or you're not. You can't be a leader some of the time or just when it's convenient. LT should have been up and down that Charger sideline rooting on his team and voicing words of encouragement to his teammates. What kind of effect does it have on morale when you see your star player sitting there on the bench hiding behind his Darth Vader visor with a posture that would lead you to believe that his dog just died? (I personally think they switched him out with a body double and that's why the Vader helmet never came off). Listen, I understand if he was upset about not being able to help his team on the field, but that doesn't give him a free pass from helping his team from the sideline by way of his leadership. If he was really that interested in supporting the team, I don't think he would have sat like a statue for three quarters of football.

Could this be a case of LT showing his true colors? Could it be that he is a "me first" kind of guy, and that he just puts on a good face for the public? I just can't seem to make up my mind here. Some here in San Diego have even called for him to be traded because, as so many of them have said, "he isn't a warrior". Can any one of you reading this possibly imagine a guy like Rodney Harrison, Teddy Bruschi, Junior Seau, or even a Philip Rivers, sitting and looking so disinterested during such a crucial game?

After a loss to the Bears, Denny Green once said, actually, make that screamed, "They are who we thought they were!" and right about now I do believe there are a lot of Charger fans who must be wondering "Is LT who we think he is?"

Patriots defeat the Chargers

Well, it's in the books. The New England Patriots have advanced to the Super Bowl. On a night when Tom Brady just couldn't seem to get into a groove, Laurence Maroney stepped up HUGE, put the Patriots on his back, and carried them to victory. The Patriots defense also turned in a great performance. The job they did in the red zone today was nothing short of spectacular. As for Philip Rivers and the Chargers, they proved that they can talk a better game than they can play. Rivers showed a lot of heart with his performance today but in the end showed us why so many people have taken issue with all his jawing on the field. Once again, I say, if you want to run your mouth you had better be able to back it up. With not once getting the ball into the end zone from the red zone Philip Rivers proved that he still has work to do before he can run with the big dogs. Then there is Igor Olshansky, with 1/2 a sack today all I can say is "He knows what's up"and now so do we, and that is, another patriots victory and another opportunity to make history in the Super Bowl. We'll see you there!