October 29, 2009
Tasso, Barker, Tam, Nieradka
Special Guest: Comcast Sports Net, 98.5 The Hub
Gary Tanguay
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Who will be "Picking Up" the Trophy?
by Ben BarkerEditorial, Photos by AP News
New York or Philadelphia?
Whichever power-house goes on to win the World Series will most likely be recognized as the most dominant team of the decade. Whether you want to admit it or not, these two teams match up better than two World Series bound teams have in a long time.
So who has the edge? Who is going to win it all? To determine this, we need to look at a certain stat that has never been recorded in the history of the MLB. This stat is “Picking Each other Up.” Whether it is Pedro Martinez going seven strong when the offense is in a lull, or Nick Swisher adding 29 homeruns to the bottom of a potent Yankee lineup, “Picking Each other Up,” or PEO, has been present in every Championship team that I can remember.
The Phillies will march into New York with flames at their heels. Winners of 18 of their last 23 post-season games, the Phillies seem to “get it” when it comes to the playoffs and the PEO department. Just look at Matt Stairs in game 4 of the 2008 NLCS. You just can’t PEO any better than that. Even during the regular season when a struggling Jimmy Rollins could only manage a .250 batting average, the Phillies bent, but never broke. To pick up the slack, right fielder Jason Werth came through with a huge season, belting 36 homeruns out of the 5 or 6 spot of the lineup all year. Not only that, but Raul Ibanez had a first-half for the ages, batting at a shiny .329 clip with 22 HR and 60 RBI.
PEO - it’s why the Phillies won last year, and it’s why they’re back in 2009.
The Yankees decided to ensure a team with great PEO numbers by once again opening their wallets. Heading into the World Series, the Yankees boast the most powerful lineup in all of baseball. It showed during the regular season when the Yankees seemed to walk-off with a victory at least once a week. Even in the rare cases that the Yankee offense has been caught sleeping, the starting pitching has “picked up” the slack. C.C. Sabathia has been untouchable in the playoffs to this point, and Andy Pettite is looking like his old self. As hot at the Phillies are, the Yankees aren’t far behind. Suffering only 2 losses in the playoffs thus far, New York seems to be focused on getting some bling.
So who will take it all? These two teams match up so perfectly that the winner of the All-Star game might actually mean something this year. Everyone expects this series to go at least 5 or 6 games, so home field advantage weighs pretty heavily on the outcome of the series. Nevertheless, there is a lot on the table for both teams this year, it all comes down to who wants to “pick up” the bill.
My opinion? Phillies win it in 6. Baseball needs another “team to beat” and I think that the Phillies are ready to be that team. Charlie Manuel has the brains, Ryan Howard has the brawn, Cliff Lee has the arm, and pretty soon, they will all have the ring…again.
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Good, the Bad, and the Undefeated
by Tom Nieradka Editorial, Photos by AP News
Its tough to believe that half of the NFL season is almost gone. Heading into week eight, only three undefeated teams remain. The Colts, Broncos, and Saints are each a perfect 6-0 and have run into few issues so far in their quests for dominance. By this point each team seems to be a lock for the playoffs and primed for a deep run, however these teams are not without their flaws. So how will each of these squads fare the rest of the way, and what weaknesses could eventually be exploited?
Its time for a reality check.
Indianapolis Colts
The Good: Peyton Manning is still their quarterback, and as long as he is healthy they are a playoff team. Manning leads the NFL with a quarterback rating of 114, is tied for second in the NFL with 15 touchdowns, and has thrown for over 300 yards in five of the six games the Colts have had so far. Backing up Manning (or rather staying in front of him) is his offensive line, which has only surrendered two sacks all season. Also going for the Colts is the continued dominance of Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, as well as other emerging threats such as Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. Manning always has spread the ball around quite a bit, and as long as he has great receivers to catch it the Colts will remain one of the best offences in football.
Also looking on the plus side this year is the Indianapolis defense, and the tandem of the spin-move expert pass rusher Dwight Freeny and a now healthy (hopefully) hard-hitting safety Bob Sanders. This bodes well for the Colts ‘New-Endland-2007esque’ plan of running up the score and forcing team to pass against their above average secondary.
The Bad: If the Colts have a decent passing defense, their weakness on the non-Peyton side of the ball is their rush defense. They are allowing 112 rush yards per game, which is not stellar but when considering the backs that they have faced so far (Maurice Jones-Drew, Ronnie Brown, Steven Jackson and Chris Johnson) is kind of impressive even.
However if the Colts do ever run into offensive troubles and teams can pound the ball in on them, there could be some trouble brewing; and this is exactly what happened in weeks one and two against Jacksonville and Miami. The Colts were unable to create early leads, and both games came down to the wire. Jones-Drew and Brown generated the ONLY touchdowns for their respective teams, and yet the Colts only won the two games by a combined total of six points. Look out for a loss is the Colts face a strong rushing team with a decent passing offense to back it up.
Prediction: 14-2. The Colts have a relatively cushy schedule with the notable exception of weeks 9-12, where they face Houston twice, the Pats and the Ravens. Look for them to take their only two losses in that span.
Denver Broncos
The Good: The dark horse team of this group, Denver has come out of the off-season drama to be the surprise-undefeated team. And the most surprising part has been their defense, which has allowed only 66 points through six games thus far, good for first in the NFL. Linebacker Elvis Dumervil leads the league with 10 sacks, and the secondary has looked great against potent air attacks such as those of the Patriots, Bengals, Chargers, and Cowboys (who for some reason would not stop throwing at Champ Bailey).
Whatever defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is doing, it’s working. On the other side of the ball the tandem of running backs Correll Buckhalter and rookie Knowshon Moreno continue to impress to a degree, and it is looking more and more like grabbing Moreno in the draft was a good choice.
The Bad: Not that its bad, but the weakness of this team is without a question the offense. Kyle Orton, while serviceable to this point, is a far cry from Jay Cutler. Marshall is a great playmaker, but off-field issues and a bad attitude have hurt him in the past. Orton has also had trouble getting the ball to Denver’s other offensive playmaker Eddie Royal, who after a 980 yard rookie season has only 148 yards so far. He has proven his worth on special teams many times over, but if Denver is going to keep winning, the ball has to go to their playmakers.
What they have been doing is working fine to this point, but unfortunately Denver has yet to face a premier defense. Oddly enough the best that they have gone up against thus far from a statistical look is the Bengals, whom they only managed 12 points against and probably should have lost the game had it not been for a sure Cincy interception that turned into a touchdown for Brandon Stokley.
Prediction: 12-4 The Broncos schedule gets a lot tougher in the weeks ahead. The dominant defenses of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the Giants will pose a big threat to Denver’s shaky offense, and the week 14 and 16 match-ups against the Colts and Eagles will be interesting if all three teams are still in their own playoff races. Still, for a team was ranked 27th in the preseason by ESPN, twelve wins is an amazing feat.
New Orleans Saints
The Good: Much like the Colts in a sense, their offensive is among the best in the league and the defense has stepped up out of nowhere. But first and foremost the Saints are a pass first offense led by one of the best in the business, Drew Brees. Brees excels not because of his size or arm strength, but because his quick thinking and his fast release. Perhaps more than any other quarterback Brees can avoid the blitz by getting rid of the ball moments after it is snapped.
He has pinpoint accuracy and the Saints love to spread the field, a deadly combination for even the best defenses (see their 44 point domination of the Giants #1 pass defense). And unlike some offenses, which rely on a premier giant of a receiver to move the ball, Brees spreads it around to a smattering of different offensive weapons such as Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, and Jeremy Shockey to name a few – all of which demand extra attention by opposing defenses. Also, in a departure from last season the Saints have a, dare I say it, good defense. Anchored by safety Darren Sharper, who has three picks for touchdowns through six games, New Orleans finally has a defense to match (kind of) their offense.
The Bad: The Saints still remain a relatively one-dimensional offense. Between running backs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell, the Saints have only managed just over 600 yards so far. And looking at their Miami game, Miami succeeded at getting to Brees, forcing turnovers throughout the first half. When a defense can sit on either the pass or the run it can get tough for an offense to score. And though the Saints were able to bounce back in the second half, there is still a little cause for concern here.
If we look back at the Jets game in week 4, the Saints only managed to score 10 offensive points because the Jets were pressuring Brees to a ridiculous extent. Also a bit of concern here is the Saints run defense, which despite only allowing 92 yards per game thus far has a bit to be worried about if they can’t get a lead early. The Dolphins couldn’t hold the Saints off, but other more balanced (and more talented) teams might be able to.
Prediction: 15-1. Not sure if this is a 16-0 worthy team, but their schedule is very easy from here on out. They face the Falcons twice and the Patriots once, and if they don’t drop one of those 16-0 is very possible.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
'Tis The Season For Meri Weather
by Ian Tasso
Editorial. Photos by AP News, Getty Images
He read the play. He jumped the route. He looked the ball into his hands. He did everything right
That’s what made it all the more surprising when the pass clunked off his fingertips and fell to the ground. Meriweather blankly stared at his hands in shock. Meanwhile, the clock still read :51, and while the safety’s world stopped, Super bowl XLII went on.
Two plays later, Eli Manning gently lofted a pass high over Ellis Hobbs and right into the hands of a wide open Plaxico Burress. Giants 17, Patriots 14; a shocking end to greatness. A dagger into the heart of perfection.
It could have never happened that way. It should have never happened that way. And for Brandon Meriweather, it almost didn’t.
But for number 31, it was just another small hurdle on the route to greatness – of which he’s faced many.
The hardships started at an early age for Meriweather, whose mother gave birth to him when she was only 13-years old. She then succumbed to the difficulty of raising a son at such a young age, handing over legal guardianship to his high school assistant principle, Mary Bridgeses, and her husband Tom when Meriweather was just 11.
But that’s where Meriweather’s career on the gridiron began. Amidst all the emotional and behind-the-scenes clutter, Meriweather was able to lead Apopka High School to a Florida state championship as a senior in 2001. Back then, the fleet-footed Merriweather, who also lettered in both track and basketball, started as a kick-returner, returning four kicks for touchdowns in his senior year alone.
Because of his tremendous skill set on the field, Meriweather went on to play college ball at the University of Miami. After injuring his ankle after three games his freshman year, he was granted a medical red-shirt and didn’t officially begin his Miami career until 2003. The safety finished his inaugural year with just 22 tackles, five pass break-ups, and one interception.
But Meriweather, nicknamed B-Ware and Hit Stick by his teammates, wasn’t phased by his slow start.
In 2004 Meriweather refined his defensive skills, playing in all 12 games, recording 62 tackles, two picks, and two forced fumbles. In 2005 he was named to the All America team as well as first-team All-ACC. Meriweather then had his best season in 2006, when he contributed 115 tackles, two more forced fumbles, and a career-high three interceptions after spending much of the summer off-season with Baltimore Raven’s All-Pro Ed Reed, who also attended the University of Miami.
But 2006 was also the year the off-the-field troubles began to make their mark.
On July 21, Meriweather was involved in a shooting accident along with teammate Willie Cooper. The senior safety was not faced with any charges as he fired the gun in self defense against the attackers, and also owned the gun legally.
Then in mid-October, Meriweather was suspended from both the ACC as well as U-Miami for his involvement in the infamous Miami-FIU brawl. Meriweather was caught on tape clearly stomping on a FIU player’s face, and his draft-day stock rightfully slipped.
Slipped all the way to the number 24 overall pick in the first round, where Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots took a chance on the 5’11 safety – something that raised more than a few eyebrows.
Everyone knew number 31 could play. The two-time Jim Thorpe Award semi-finalist had even been called by Miami head coach Randy Shannon ‘the hardest hitter he’s ever been around.” Coming from someone who also coached the likes of Ed Reed and Antrelle Rolle (Arizona Cardinals), that’s quite the compliment. Even so, his questionable attitude and off-field record made him a bit of a risk in the first round. But if anyone could afford to take that risk, it was the Patriots.
And it’s finally paying off.
In 2008, Meriweather’s second season, number 31 didn’t even become New England’s starting safety until week eight – but finished with more tackles than Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel, and recorded the same number of sacks as Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren. By the end of the season, Meriweather had recorded 55 solo-tackles, good for second on New England behind AP Defensive Rookie of the year Jerod Mayo. He also grabbed a team-high four interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Meanwhile, he finished as one of only four defensive backs to record at least two interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles. The other three were Adrian Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals, Antoine Winfield of the Minnesota Vikings, and Quintin Mikell of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Similarly, and perhaps more importantly from New England’s standpoint, there has been absolutely no off-field news concerning Meriweather and his reportedly ‘troublesome’ attitude. None.
Not really a surprise when you consider Meriweather was in a locker room featuring the likes of veterans Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Junior Seau and Richard Seymour. New England has always been a franchise built on a ‘team-first’ attitude with a stranglehold on off-field incidents…and Meriweather has proved to be no exception.
As for 2009, the time is now for the dreadlocked safety. Bruschi, Vrabel and Harrison are all long gone, and the torch has been passed to the likes of Meriweather and Mayo. The 25-year old has responded by posting 39 total tackles, good for second on the team, only four behind fellow safety Brandon McGowen. Meriweather is also first in tackles-for-loss (3), interceptions (2), has the lone defensive touchdown for the Patriots, and ranks second in forced fumbles (2) and passes defended (5).
Meanwhile, a reported ‘suspect’ Patriot secondary before the season currently ranks 6th in passing yards allowed per game. And suspect is being generous.
Not bad for a defense that features a bunch of rookies, washed-up veterans and a hot-headed safety.
As for that muffed interception back in February of 2007, you can bet when Meriweather gets a second chance on the big stage, he’ll convert.
And that’s a when, not if; because as he has all his life, Meriweather has seized the opportunity to play for New England and made everything of it. And he doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
So, note to all other opposing players: get out of his way.
And a note to all New England fans: sit back and enjoy the ride as one of the best safeties in the NFL blossoms right before our eyes.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Last Call On Air - Larry Lucchino
October 22, 2009
Tasso, Barker, Tam, Nieradka
Special Guest: Boston Red Sox President, CEO
Larry Lucchino
Desert Dogs Have Some Bite
by Jesse LiebmanEditorial, Photos by AP News
For all of the off-season controversy that has marred the Phoenix Coyotes franchise, it sure didn’t look like there would be much to talk about in Glendale this season.
As the franchise was plunged into bankruptcy court and Wayne Gretzky stepped down from behind the bench – ending for Gretzky what could only be described as a tenuous four years as the Coyotes’ head coach – many wondered just how long it would be before Phoenix would be taken behind the proverbial shed and be put down.
That disregard has helped the Coyotes get off to their fastest start in recent memory, and it hasn’t been easy for them either. Five of their six wins have come against teams that made the playoffs last season, including the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings, last year’s Stanley Cup finalists.
As of Friday, the Coyotes currently boast a 6-2 record, good for first in the Pacific Division.
Just what is the root cause for such a hot start?
For the Coyotes, it all starts in the net. Ilya Bryzgalov has been a dynamic presence between the pipes, turning away shot after shot from the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin and Dany Heatley, good enough for a sterling .949 save percentage. He also boasts two shutouts, putting him among the league leaders in that category.
On the blueline, the Coyotes do not boast any outstanding names, but Ed Jovanovski and Zbynek Michalek have put up respectable numbers and are great at shutting down a play.
While Phoenix’s goal-scoring department could still use a little help, they still benefit from great chemistry and great patience with the puck. This has led to some good scoring chances that players have capitalized on. The all-Czech line of Petr Prucha, Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata look like they have the puck on a string at times; with any luck, they’ll start scoring in buckets soon.
Lastly, the addition of Dave Tippet at the helm has been a welcome addition to Jobing.com Arena. Tippet spent several years as the head coach of the Dallas Stars, where he had some post-season struggles. It remains to be seen whether this Coyotes team will fade in the stretch, but if there’s an individual that can push both the young and veteran players, Tippet is the man to do it.
Some other early NHL surprises:
- Colorado – After finishing in the basement of the Western Conference last season, many expected it would be a long season in the Mile-High City this year. So far, the Avalanche have defied critics by posting the best record in the Western Conference (6-1-2). Off-season acquisition Craig Anderson has been largely responsible for the turnaround.
- Atlanta – The Thrashers have only one playoff appearance to show for their ten years of existence; that looks like it may change this year as Atlanta sits at second in the Southeast, and is 3-1-1 on the road. With captain Ilya Kovalchuk off to a phenomenal start – nine goals through seven games – and heading for unrestricted free agency this year, Atlanta needs to do all it can to lock him up if they hope to build on this early season success.
- Edmonton – Edmonton turned back the clock to the days of the Oilers dynasty in those vintage blue and orange jerseys Thursday night, when Edmonton defeated the Blue Jackets by a 6-4 score. The first line of Dustin Penner, Ales Hemsy and Sam Gagner combined for a whopping 13 points. If they can keep it up and Nikolai Khabibulin maintains the form that earned him his “Bulin Wall” moniker, Edmonton looks to be a Northwest dark horse.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
So This Is What It's Like...
by Ian Tasso
Editorial. Photos by AP News
“They’ll be fine. It’s still early.”
“I’m not worried about it.”
“We’ll come through in the end, we always do.”
Well, we used to.
Watching Jonathan Papelbon in the top of the ninth was like watching the reversal of the past 10-years of Boston sports. We saw it happen with the Patriots when the heavily underdogged Giants upset the undefeateds. We saw it with the Celtics when the Magic, rather than the Boston, ran away with a dominant game seven. And now we finally saw it with the Red Sox, when a team that has been so clutch over the past five years crumbled one out away from forcing a game four.
But hey, at least they didn’t claw back to even the series, and then let us down in overtime…right, Claude Julien?
I’m not ready to completely turn the page here, but for what seems like the past decade, Boston sports have repeatedly found ways to come up big in the most crucial of moments. Whether it was a Willie McGinest sack, a David Ortiz blooper, an Adam Vinateiri 47-yarder or even a Paul Pierce turn-around…it just always seemed like when the game was on the line, someone wearing a Boston jersey would nail the shot, get the hit, or make the save.
But the truth is, it just isn’t always like that. It can’t be.
After years of watching games with my father, who was raised on the sporting foundation of failure, disappointment, and Bill Buckner - I finally think I get it. When the Patriots were tied with St. Louis 17-17 in the fourth, when the Sox roared back and tied New York 3-3 in ’04, and when the Celtics clawed back from down 24 to knot things up in the final quarter against L.A., I heard the same line over and over…“they’ll choke in the end, they always do.”
Now I finally know what he meant.
It originally sounded pessimistic, but now I realize it’s more reality then anything. It’s been fun to expect (and see) comeback after comeback and win after win, but the bottom line is you can’t go on expecting it. You just can’t. Or you’ll continually end up being disappointed.
* [Dissapointed (adj) – see Boston Sports Fan from 1900-2000]
That supreme (over)confidence was at an all-time high in 2009 as the Red Sox trotted onto the field to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (of Los Angeles). Mike Soscia and his ugly red-headed stepchild of a team was supposed to bow at Boston’s feet like they have years past. But as Sox fans know better than anyone else…curses are meant to be reversed.
When the Red Sox faltered in game one, it was upsetting, but it was still only game one. With Ortiz surging in the second half, V-Mart digging in nicely in the middle of that lineup, and Beckett going in game two, you couldn’t help but like Boston’s chances in the series.
Then when they lost game two, it was a bit more surprising. But still, heading back to Fenway where the Red Sox boast a 56-25 record, grabbing game three was a definite possibility. Then you’re looking at Lester and Beckett for the next two – you have to still like Boston’s chances, right.
Wrong. That’s what denial is called. You didn’t honestly think we could do it, did you?
Well, yeah. Because we’re from Boston. And that’s what we do. Or, did.
For Red Sox nation, it’s the beginning of a long summer with a lot of questions. For guys like Jason Bay, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, and Jonathan Papelbon, it’s the beginning of what quite possibly may be the end of tenure in Boston. And for Tito and Theo, its going to be a long few months with a lot of tough decisions.
You have to look back on ’09 with sober eyes for a second. In retrospect, it wasn’t a bad season at all. We saw a Red Sox team without its perennial slugger win over 90 games and finish as one of the top eight teams in the game of baseball. There are 20 other teams out there that would kill to be in our position. But here we sit after five months of baseball and act like it was an awfully painful season.
It wasn’t.
But it was disappointing.
But that’s the beauty of baseball. It forces you through a heart-wrenching 162 regular season games so it can all be ripped away in 27 quick innings. And that’s exactly how 2009 ended for the Red Sox. WorstCaseScenario.com. Just yet another emotional roller-coaster of a season for Boston, ending with a sharp turn and a jerking stop.
But after this ride, I can promise you this: I’m as excited as hell for next year’s. What has it been, three years now since our last World Series win? That’s far too long in my opinion.
Just don’t ask my dad.
Last Call on Air - Kickin' or Stickin' Week Six
October 15, 2009
Tasso, Tam, Nieradka, Barker, Liebman, Austin
Friday, October 16, 2009
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