Last Call on Air - Dan Shaughnessy

November 12, 2009

Tasso, Barker, Tam, Liebman

Special Guest: Boston Globe Columnist, Sports Editor

Dan Shaughnessy

Same Divison, Different Level

by Ian Tasso

Photos by AP News

Philadelphia has been teetering with mediocrity all season. The Celtics, regrettably, are fighting with it right now.

At 7:30 pm the 10-4 Boston Celtics will play host to the 5-9 Philadelphia 76’ers in a collision of two teams that have both been struggling of late – though Philly’s struggles stem much deeper than Boston’s do.

Despite the skewed skill levels, records and anything else that might separate a 10^th place Philly team from a playoff bound Boston club, Wednesday night’s game carries a decent amount of intrigue – especially from the Boston perspective.

Of late, the Celtics have seemingly lost some of their championship swagger that led them to a 6-0 start. After dropping two straight to the Hawks and Pacers, Boston seemed to get back on track against Golden State in what was a pretty convincing win. But another slip up against the Magic and an overtime buzzer-beating win against the 3-10 Knicks, and the Celtics appear somewhat lost on the court again.

Center Kendrick Perkins attributed it to a lack of focus. But regardless of what’s been plaguing them, Boston needs to improve if they want to be considered the championship bound team they know they can be – and what better team to straighten it out against then the 76’ers.

Here’s what to expect come Wednesday night:

Recent Performance:

Common Ground – Despite the fact that Boston comes into Wednesday night’s match-up with its pocket full of recent struggles, they are still locked in at third place in the Eastern Conference. After starting the season 6-0, their recent blunders have caused concern, specifically with their focus. Center Kendrick Perkins described the Celtics as playing without determination and focus, citing sloppy practices as part of the reason they have been stumbling.

Still, even with dropping three of their last four, Perkins maintained confidence that Big Green will get back on track. After all, with their immense amount of talent, it’s hard to blame him. Philadelphia meanwhile has had a bumpy season right from the get-go. Recently though, they seem to be getting their feet under them. After narrowly defeating the Bobcats only one week ago, Philly nearly took down Memphis (102-97) and LeBron and the Cavs (97-91) on back-to-back nights. While both still are recorded as losses, they no doubt are improvements over double-digit losses to both Orlando and Boston at the beginning of the season.

Head to Head:

Familiar Faces – They see each-other more than a few times a season. So far in 2009, the division rivals have already crossed paths once, with Boston taking the cake easily, 105-74. Paul Pierce led the green in that game, scoring 21 points along with 8 boards and 4 assists.

Last season, Boston and Philly met up four times, with the Celtics sweeping all four by a combined total of 46 points.

Scouting Report:

Easier Said than Done – The Philadelphia offense is very simple. It runs through the 6-6 guard, Andre Iguodala. Philly goes where Iguodala goes.

That being said, it’s a lot easier to talk about how shutting him down will frustrate the 76’er offense than actually shutting him down. Still, the Celtics are known for their defense, thought it may be slipping of late. If there’s any time where Boston can try to regain their defensive prowess in search of immediate results, it would be Wednesday night, where they have a single goal: limit Iguodala. The recent emergence of first-year starting point-guard Lou Williams will make that a little bit more difficult for Boston, but they’ve shown in years past that they are able to do what needs to be done to take down Iguodala and the 76’ers – we’ll see if that holds true on Wednesday.

Key Statistic:

10/25 – The 40% that Boston shot from beyond the arc in their 107-105 OT victory over the Knicks on Sunday. It was a huge improvement over the 2-19 (11%) they shot in their loss to the Magic last Friday, something that Boston needs to see if they want to continue their success Wednesday night. Look for Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace to get a lot of looks outside early as Philly tries to combat Kevin Garnett down low. But the numbers don’t lie – they better convert on those looks.

4/5 – The amount of major statistical categories that Andre Iguodala leads the 76’ers in – four out of five. He currently sits on top of the team in points per game (18.2), rebounds (6.5), assists (5.7) and steals (1.8). The only category he doesn’t lead? Blocks. He ranks sixth on the team in that. It’s no exaggeration that the Philly offense runs through number 9, which makes it that much more obvious what the Celtics have to do to win. But it also makes it that much more frustrating that it’s one of the hardest things in the game to do.

Health/Injuries:

Well Rested – Neither Philly nor Boston have any injuries that worry fans of either side. Jason Kapono of the 76’ers has been battling an ankle injury, but has only missed one game all season because of it. His minutes have been limited, but he appears to be nearing full strength after contributing six minutes in last nights loss to the Wizards. Also, second year forward Marreese Speights Philly's first round pick out of Florida, is out for the next 6-8 weeks after tearing his MCL against the Bulls on the 15th.

For the Celtics, it’s a very similar story. Aside from Glen Davis, who has been out since the beginning of the season, it’s been a few minor injuries and not much else. Paul Pierce seems to be all but 100% recovered from that minor knee strain he suffered last week, and Marquis Daniels is not at all worried about his wrist, which flared up after last Saturday’s loss to the Pacers.

Also good news on the injury front for Boston, as guard Tony Allen may be cleared to play in Wednesday night’s game, making his 2009-2010 season debut. It’s not yet known for sure if he’ll suit up, but Doc Rivers did say that Allen looked to be “very close, as close that he may play” this Wednesday.

Quotable:

Cause For Concern? – “Each game, one at a time, there’s reason why we lost but once again, I am not overly concerned because we make a shot here and a shot there and we get back into it. The big question for us is that KG is just not himself, I think everybody can see that and when will he? And then when will everybody just start making some shots? I think those are the big questions."

Some hefty words from Mr. Ainge. It appear Garnett’s inability to operate at 100% hasn’t gone unnoticed by the man at the top, and as we all saw last year, this Celtic team tends to only go so far as Kevin can carry them. Yes, the bench is deeper this season than in years past. And yes, Rondo and Perkins are playing much better. But at the same time, the Celtics are built on defense, and Kevin Garnett is their foundation.

It’s still very early in the season, and it’s important to remember that KG has only played competitive basketball for a few weeks now since those long months off, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

But for now, the Celtics just have to keep their eye on Philadelphia. I never thought I’d say this, but hopefully the momentum (?) they got from that overtime victory over the Knicks will help jumpstart a resurgence to greatness for the Green.

article also on WEEI.com

AFC Playoff Picture

by Tom Nieradka

Editorial. Photos by AP News

With only 7 games left in the regular season, now is as good a time as any to make some predictions as to who is going to the playoffs. This week we’ll start off with the AFC (Pitt gets home field advantage as reigning champs is my predictions) and run down each division as well as the wildcard race.

AFC East: Winner: New England Patriots…..Wildcard Contender: Miami Dolphins

The AFC East really isn’t looking all that tough. Starting at the bottom are the Bills (3-7), who despite TO’s best (or worst) efforts have no shot at the playoffs. Moving on up to the Jets (4-6), Mark Sanchez is plagued by turnovers, and though it pains me to say it the Jets are 1-4 in the division and this does not look like a playoff team.

Miami (5-5) has a middle of the road schedule coming up and the losses of Ronnie Brown and Chad Pennington do not bode well (would look for them to stay right around .500). The Pats (7-3) sit at the top of the division, and aside from New Orleans next week have a very winnable schedule.

AFC North: Winner: Cincinnati Bengals….Wildcard Contenders: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens

The North is looking like one of the better divisions in football at the moment. Sitting firmly at the bottom are the Browns (1-9), who I have already wasted too much time on. As for the professional teams, Baltimore (5-5) and Pittsburgh (6-4) look to be gunning for the first place Bengals (7-3). All teams lost this past week and none looked very good.

Baltimore took a tough loss to the Colts when their offence couldn’t score a TD, and they face Pittsburgh twice in the coming weeks in what will be no doubt heated games. Assuming they split those games, Pittsburgh has one more tough game while the Ravens have two, and with the one game lead I’d look for Pittsburgh to end up ahead of Baltimore at the end of the season with a strong record.

As for the Bengals, they showed that they are not yet a team that a lot of people were thinking that they were in their loss to the Raiders. Coming up they have three easy ones, two tough ones against the Chargers and Vikings, then a week 17 showdown with the Jets. The Bengals will end up in first at the end of the season, one game ahead of the Steelers.

AFC South: Winner: Indianapolis Colts….Wildcard Contenders: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars

Here is another good division overall that contains one of the elite teams in football. Let’s just get this out of the way, the Colts (10-0) are making the playoffs and will be the number one seed in the AFC. The race for second is led by Jacksonville (6-4), then followed by Houston (5-4) and then the Titans (3-6).

Though the Titans have been surging recently, barring a miracle they will not make the playoffs. In the last seven games both teams must lose to the Colts and the Pats. The rest of the games are winnable for each team and it will come down not to match-ups but whether or not each team is able to stay healthy and execute on a consistent level.

Though neither team is made for a deep playoff run just yet (both lack a strong defense), the Texans have more talent at both defense (DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing and Mario Williams) and offense (Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub and Steve Slaton) and have a better shot at pulling an upset and winning the games that they should win.

AFC West: Winner: San Diego Chargers…..Wildcard Contender: Denver Broncos

The past few years the AFC West (along with the NFC West) has been one of the crappier divisions in football, and this year is no exception. After a slow start the Chargers sit atop the division (7-3), followed by the fading Broncos (6-4) and then a pair of awfuls in the Raiders (3-7) and Chiefs (3-7) (and yes I used awful as a noun). The Chargers have a relatively simple schedule coming up and should take the division easily.

The Broncos, meanwhile, are a shadow of their former selves, and despite an earlier prediction I’d be shocked if Denver ends up with 10 wins. Their defense has faltered and with the injury to Orton and the tougher defenses that they have been facing the offense is looking more like many predicted that it would (mediocre). As for the other two, despite the wins over Pittsburgh and Cincinnati neither of these teams has even an outside chance at making the playoffs.

The Final Cut:

1. Indianapolis Colts (first round bye, home field throughout)

2. New England Patriots (first round bye)

3. San Diego Chargers

4. Cincinnati Bengals

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

6. Houston Texans

History Made

by Ian Tasso
Editorial. Photos by AP News

Before the Patriots clashed with the Colts on national television Sunday night, it was deemed to be the game of the year.

When all was said and done, it turned out to be exactly that.

But it was no surprise to anyone. Over the years, the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts have met many a time, each game more exciting and more dramatic then the previous. From an exchange of legends to countless playoff collisions, it seems as if the Pats and Colts are always making history as their rivalry continues to grow.

But how does last Sunday’s storybook game stack up against the plethora of memorable Pats-Colts match-ups? Let’s take a look back as we count down the top 10 Rivalry Moments of the Brady-Manning era:

10. November 4, 2007 - Clash of the Undefeateds

Patriots 24, Colts 20 -- In one of the most recent clashes between Brady’s Patriots and Manning’s Colts, both teams rolled into this week nine match up sitting undefeated; New England at 8-0, and Indy at 7-0. Indy jumped out in this one early, leading the Pats 13-3 at halftime. But the Patriots never flinched, as the Golden Boy led the Pats to two straight scoring drives in the fourth quarter, triumphing over the Colts 24-20. New England went on to win the remainder of their 2007 games, posting the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history.

9. November 5, 2006 - Golden Boy Rattled

Colts 27, Patriots 20 -- Up by a touchdown with just under two minutes remaining, Indy sent out famously clutch kicker and ex-Patriot Adam Vinatieri for a 46-yarder that would have iced the game – had he not missed it. Number four shanked the kick wide-right, putting the ball back in the hands of Mr. Comeback himself and giving the Patriots a chance to win the game. But after a 25-yard completion put New England on Indy’s 39, Brady was intercepted by linebacker Cato June after his pass to Kevin Faulk was tipped away, effectively ending the game. Manning and the Colts knelt the clock out on the ensuing drive. Troy Brown, who also played cornerback in this game, broke the Patriot record for receptions with his catch in the second quarter.

8. September 30, 2001 – Brady Makes his Debut

Patriots 44, Colts 13 -- Tom Brady had never before started in an NFL game. But after the injury to Drew Bledsoe the week before, number 12 suited up to take the field for the first time in his career, ironically against the Indianapolis Colts who were 2-0 at the time. The Patriots didn’t rely to heavily on Brady, but still were able to roll up 44 points on the Colts, thanks in part to Antowain Smith’s 94-yard, two touchdown day. Brady’s first step in the rivalry was a good one for New England, who went on to win their first Super Bowl in team history a few months later.

7. March 22, 2006 – Mr. Clutch to Colts

Vinatieri had quite the legacy with New England. But from the two kicks he had in the Snow Bowl all the way to the winner in Super Bowl XXXVI, New Englanders never thought he would add this chapter to his story.
On March 22, 2006, the Patriots-Colts rivalry got an injection to the arm as one the greatest clutch kicker in Patriot history changed franchises. In a Johnny Damon-esque move, Vinatieri shattered the hearts of Patriot faithful everywhere; signing a 5-year $12 million contract .In retrospect, it’s not as if Vinatieri has come back to haunt the Pats just yet, but seeing number 4 in blue and white is about as bad as it can get already.

6. January 16, 2005 – Dillon and Defense smash Colts in Snow

Patriots 20, Colts 3; AFC Divisional Round -- It was smash-mouth football at its finest. For the offense, Corey Dillon pounded the Colts for 144 yards, including a 27-yard scamper that capped off a 14 play/seven-and-a-half minute drive that started on the New England six and ended with a Tom Brady rushing TD. On the defensive side of the ball, Tedy Bruschi and co. forced two fumbles and knocked the Colts in the mouth nearly every chance they got, highlighted by an Asante Samuel hit on Brandon Stokley that sends shivers every time it’s replayed.
Meanwhile, the NFL’s MVP Peyton Manning, who rolled into the game with a record-setting 49 touchdowns at his back, failed to reach the end-zone once, and was picked off on the goal-line by Rodney Harrison to end the game. With the loss, the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of the Patriots for the second year in a row, and Manning’s overall record at Foxboro stadium dropped to 0-7. New England went on to win their second Super Bowl in a row and third in four years.

5. September 3, 2004 – Patriot’s Season opens with a bang

Patriots 27, Colts 24 -- Brady once again led the Pats to victory in the 2004 opener, throwing for 335 yards and three touchdowns - but the biggest play of the day was made on defense. With New England up three and just over a minute left on the clock, the Colts had the ball on the Patriot’s 17 and were threatening to take the lead. But on a third and eight, Patriot linebacker Willie McGinest burst through the line and nailed Peyton Manning for a 12 yard loss, dropping the Colts towards the limit of their field goal range.

Mike Vanderjagt, who had made 42 consecutive field goals to this point, then strolled onto the field with a chance to tie things up. But Vanderjagt, who had been sliding his fingers together making the “money” symbol on the sidelines all throughout the final drive, taunting the New England defense, pushed his kick wide left and the Colts fell to the Pats in the final minute, 27-24. The two teams would meet later in the postseason, and New England would end up winning that game as well.

4. November 15, 2009 – Belichick’s Genius?

Colts 35, Patriots 34 – In a move that surprised and shocked most of the football world, Head Coach Bill Belichick elected to keep his offense on the field for a crucial 4th and two on their own 29 yard line. He risked it all, and in the end it cost him not only the game, but also what might have been a home playoff game.

In a game that was totally dominated by offense, including numerous big plays by Randy Moss, in the end it was Brady and co. that failed to get two yards when the team needed it the most. As a result, New England will most likely end up heading to Indianapolis again in the postseason, should they make it that far. But judging by the caliber of team they have, you can bet they will. Just another page turned in the storied rivalry…

3. January 21, 2007 – Patriots Blow Lead, Fall on Goal Line

Colts 38, Patriots 34; AFC Championship Round – The Patriots took a 21-6 lead into halftime, but it just wasn’t enough. Closing out the half on an Asante Samuel interception return for a touchdown, it seemed as if New England was destined yet again to wipe out the Colts in the postseason. But there’s a first time for everything.

Trailing by 18 at one point, Manning brought his Colts all the way back to a tie game, when Pats’ kicker Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 43-yard field goal to put New England back on top, 34-31. A three-and-out by the Colts immediately after gave the ball back to the Patriots, with a chance to close out the game. But an early false-start penalty cost New England, who was forced to punt the ball back to Indianapolis on a 4th and four with just over two minutes remaining.
That’s when Peyton took charge. Manning and the Colts drove all the way down the field, and punched the ball in on a 3-yard touchdown run from Joseph Addai, giving Indy a 38-34 lead with only a minute remaining on the clock. It wasn’t enough time for Brady and co. to amount any type of threat, as the Patriots fell for the first time to Manning and his Colts in the postseason, and Indianapolis went on to win their first Super Bowl in the Peyton Manning era.

2. January 18, 2004 – Law Picks Three

Patriots 24, Colts 14; AFC Championship Round – For what seemed like the 600th time this decade, Peyton Manning and the high flying Colt offense stormed into New England with Super Bowl aspirations.

But for what again seemed like the 600th time this decade, the Patriot defense turned them away with a tremendous effort. This time it was Ty Law who led the Patriot’s defense, intercepting Manning three times, meanwhile Antowain Smith and the New England offense continued to carve up the Indy defense as they seemingly always do in snowy conditions.
After the Patriot’s first drive resulted in a 7-yard touchdown pass to David Givens, Manning and the Colts looked to swiftly rebound. But New England safety Rodney Harrison intercepted Manning in the end-zone, one of four picks the co-MVP would throw on the day. Meanwhile, Jarvis Green supplied constant and heavy pressure on Manning, recording three sacks on the day.
After the Harrison interception, the Colts wouldn’t threaten again until midway through the third quarter and then again in the fourth – but by then it was much too little far too late, as Adam Vinatieri booted five field goals for the Patriots, who once again ruined Indianapolis’s playoff hopes. The Patriots meanwhile went on to win their second Super Bowl in three years. Thus began the Foxboro curse for Peyton Manning.

1. November 30, 2003 – The Goal Line Stand

Patriots 38, Colts 34 -- To this day it remains, and will most likely always stay, as the greatest Patriots/Colts game of all time. In a game that was dominated by the offense through and through, featuring 650 total yards of combined offense, it all came down to the defense.
Thanks to a Bethel Johnson 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with no time remaining in the first half, and then a 31-yard touchdown pass to Michael Cloud to open the third quarter, New England held a lofty 31-10 lead over the Colts in the RCA Dome. But as we learn time and time again from Manning and company, sometimes that just isn’t enough.
As he’s done in the past, Peyton furiously led the Colts all the way back, trimming that 21-point lead down to four with only three and a half minutes remaining.

An ensuing three-and-out by the Patriots put the ball immediately back in number 18’s hands with just over three minutes left in the game. Manning then drove the Colts the length of the field, and a seven yard rush by Edgerrin James planted the ball on the New England two-yard line with 30 seconds left on the clock and a fresh set of downs for the Colts.
So there it was. First and goal from the two, a half minute left on the clock, and one of the most prolific offenses in football only a couple yards away from completing a 21-point comeback. But not if Willie McGinest had anything to say about it.
After two straight rushes by James led to only one yard gained, Manning elected to go to the air on third and one. Unfortunately Tyrone Poole had Aaron Morehead covered like glue, and the pass fell incomplete.
Then on their fourth and final shot at the end-zone, the Colts elected to return to the ground game, but James was immediately wrapped up by a surging Willie McGinest, who broke through the line like a speeding train, halting ‘The Edge’ in his tracks.

Four straight plays. Only two yards needed. Only one earned. It was the moment the Patriots’ defense put their mark on the Indy/New England rivalry, and it will forever go down in history as the greatest game the two teams have ever played.

That is until the next time they meet, and history is made yet again.
Because any time Peyton Manning and Tom Brady collide on the gridiron, there’s always one guarantee – it’s going to be a very, very special night.

The most recent collision may have resulted in a devastating New England loss. But even so, I can’t wait for the next chapter.

Eagles Take Flight

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

The 2009 season for the Eagles came to a screeching halt with an all too familiar sour taste in the Eagles’ mouths. Yet again, Boston College was ousted early, and perhaps too early, in the NCAA tournament versus an opponent that some thought should have been passable.

Nonetheless, the summer months have passed, and Al Skinner’s squad reports back to the court as young as ever, and with the same starting five as 2009 – minus second team All-ACC guard Tyrese Rice. The loss of Rice leaves an unavoidable hole in the Eagles’ offense, coming off a season during which he lead the entire team in scoring, posting a powerful 16.9 points per game.

Still, even with the loss of Rice’s scoring, Skinner remains confident that the Eagles, who finished 22-12 last season, will be able to rely on their cohesiveness and youth to shine through. The Eagles made an important step last season with key victories over rival UNC and Duke, games that will prove to be building blocks for this season. With a returning core that includes four of their starting five from 2009, the Eagles are in a great position to compete once again for the ACC Title, as well as make an eighth appearance in the NCAA tournament in the past nine years.

The Starting Five

Rakim Sanders, G-F, jr:

Strengths: Very physical and can score/rebound with the best of them. Looks to be a strong breakout candidate this year within the Eagle offense. If BC wants to make up for the loss of Rice – look no further than Rakim Sanders.

Weaknesses: Sanders’ passing leaves something to be desired, as does his outside shot. Those things will need to be improved on if he hopes to lead the Eagles offense to an NCAA berth this year.

This is going to be the guy they’re counting on all year. Without Rice, the Eagles are going to have to make up for scoring somehow – and Sanders is it. He has it all; the ability to do whatever he pleases down low with his physicality, the skills to run around defenders, and the ability to create for not only himself but everyone else around him. If he can brush up on his perimeter shooting as well as his passing in the lanes, Sanders could morph into the elite player the Eagles hope he will.

Joe Trapani, F, jr:

Strengths: 6-8, 218 - this kid’s a tough out down low. Trapani averaged 6.6 rebounds per game last year with a solid 13.4 points to go with it. The junior may even see as much time at his forward position as he does as a rotating guard, allowing Boston College to spread the floor against particular opponents since Trapani features a nice perimeter shot as well.

Weaknesses: At 6-8, some may consider Trapani a little small for his position. He’s going to be matching up against the best the ACC has to offer, and on some nights, it might not work out to well for him. Even so, Skinner doesn’t think there’s a player in the league who can consistently take advantage of Trapani at the 4 – it remains to be seen if the coach is right.

This is the versatile member of the group. His size down low as well as solid perimeter shooting makes him a viable option to be switched around between the guard and forward position. This could come in very handy against some of the stronger opponents on the ACC, especially ones who like to stack down low. The Eagles are going to need big contributions from Trapani as center Josh Southern continues to grow into his own.

Josh Southern, C, jr:

Strengths: He’s a big boy. At 6-9, weighing in at 250, Southern has tremendous size for his position, something that will undoubtedly come in handy against the league’s heavyweights. He’s a great finisher and a dominant rebounding force. As long as he continues to mature, Southern will become a force in the Eagle’s front-court.

Weaknesses: He may have top-100 prospect value, but Southern still has a lot to learn about the position. Something he needs to focus on in 2009 is his low-block scoring, and a post shot. If he can master those two things, Southern will have the looks of a very dominant ACC center.

It seems like Skinner’s main concerns about Southern aren’t his skills, it’s his consistency and his confidence. Southern has to be effective if the Eagles want any hope at a deep NCAA tournament run. Without a solid big man, it will be tough for BC to compete against the UNC’s and Duke’s of the world, teams they will need to be able to beat if they want to have serious title runs. Southern has a lot of work ahead of him, but his big 250 frame is a tool that few players have. Skinner will work something out of him no doubt.

Corey Raji, F, jr:

Strengths: He has the grit and the toughness that you need at his position. Raji also has a passion and intensity that is tough to match on the court. Despite his 6-6 frame, Raji has shown he is able to rebound against some of the tougher defenders in the league.

Weaknesses: Even so, his somewhat small size for his position could prove troublesome for the Eagles. Much like Sanders, Raji lacks a very good perimeter shot, posting a putrid .071% from beyond the arc in 2009.

Raji could prove to be somewhat of a wildcard for the Eagles this year. Skinner even said so himself, Boston College is yet to even draft plays around the 6-6 forward – meaning most teams just aren’t sure how to defend him. He’s got a lot of skills, and a passion to match it, the question is just how much his size will prevent him from competing against some of the more powerful forwards in the ACC.

Biko Paris, PG, jr:

Strengths: He’s been groomed to take over the play-making position by Head Coach Al Skinner, and now he gets his chance. With Tyrese Rice out, Paris steps in at the point position to run the Eagle offense. He’s statistically better at handling the ball than Rice was, and a much better three-point shooter. Also adds better defense than Rice did from his position.

Weaknesses: The scoring. Despite being a better percentage shooter from beyond the arc and arguable a better ball handle, the points BC will miss from the play-making position won’t be made up easily. Paris has a tendency to distribute rather than shoot, something that can be a blessing but also a curse depending on how he uses it.

With all the talk about how to replace Rice and his points, the spotlight falls on Biko Paris’s shoulders. Skinner was quoted as saying that some BC players may even prefer playing with Paris because of his tendency to spread the ball around rather than take control in the scoring department like Tyrese Rice did. Still, no matter how you slice it, Paris just isn’t going to put up the 17 points a game Rice did in any way shape or form. BC’s one hope is that he finds the open guys who will.

Five Calendar Dates to Circle

December 2, @ Michigan – Boston College’s first test against a ranked opponent comes on December 2^nd against the University of Michigan on the Wolverine’s home court. With a few winnable games to start out the season, this will be the Eagles’ first real test in the 2009 season.

January 13, @ Duke/February 6, vs. Duke – Duke. Boston College. Need more be said? The team everybody loves to hate takes on the Eagles and on February 6^th they travel to Chestnut Hill. The two teams collided on February 15^th of last year, and the Eagles took down the mighty 5^th ranked Duke 80-74. With the followings that both teams command, this season’s clashes shouldn’t be any different.

January 26, vs. Clemson – If BC’s earlier matchup against Duke doesn’t go quite the Eagle’s way and it’s looking like the second won’t either, this is a game Boston College will have to win. If they want any hope at an NCAA berth, losing to Duke, NC and Clemson each time through won’t help at all. They take them on their home court, which helps, but make no mistake about it – if BC doesn’t have any luck against Duke and the way they’re playing doesn’t lead anyone to believe they will against North Carolina, this Clemson matchup could have huge implications.

February 20th, vs. North Carolina – Any game against the Tar Heels is worth circling, for obvious reasons. It won’t be BC’s first test against a mighty ACC foe, but it will certainly be their most trying. In recent years though Boston College has had a knack for pulling up nifty upsets – might they have one in store on 2/20?

article also on WEEI.com

We Meet Again...

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

They’re the reason the Green reloaded.

After a Game 7 loss to the Orlando Magic ended the Celtics’ season last year, Boston went into the offseason with a clear objective: get deeper.

The series loss against the Magic exposed a clear weakness within the Celtics team, specifically their lack of depth at the big positions. Boston stormed into the offseason guns-a-blazing, signing guys like Rasheed Wallace and Shelden Williams to give them depth at the bigs, and even grabbing Marquis Daniels to add both scoring and defense off the bench.

The Magic exposed the Celtics’ weaknesses. The Magic played a major role in pushing the Celtics to reload and retool their bench, and now they have to face the beast they helped create.

In a much anticipated rematch, the two teams will return to the court where they met for their decisive Game 7 just four short months ago, and perhaps some will view this as a chance to start settling a score.

That being said, at this point in the season, a lot has changed between the two teams. For Boston, there are the aforementioned changes to the bench and the return to health of Kevin Garnett. Meanwhile in Orlando, Hedo Turkoglu is out, Vince Carter is in, and Jameer Nelson is back on the shelf.

Personnel moves aside, both these teams are proving again in 2010 that they are the class of the East, sitting atop the conference identical 9-3 records. On Thursday night, though, the Celtics will have revenge on their mind.

Here’s how things stack up heading into the game:

Recent Performance:

Clash of the Titans -- Neither team comes into tomorrow night’s game on any type of tear, but if you had to give an edge, you’d certainly give it to the Magic. Orlando rolls into Friday’s match up a winner of three in a row and four of their last five, the most recent victory a 108-94 beating of the Oklahoma City Thunder at home. The Celtics however were finally able to get back to their winning ways just last night, defeating the Warriors 109-95 after dropping two in a row following an 8-1 start. But either way you slice it, both the Celtics and Magic are 9-3 thus far in the season and overall have both come surging out of the gates. Regardless of how each has done in their last handful of games, it’s a collision of two of the East’s bests no matter how you look at it.

Head to Head

Opening Act -- This will be the first meeting between the two teams thus far, but last year they met a total of nine times, with the Magic winning five. The season series was tied at 2-2 before the teams collided head on in the postseason, a series that the Magic won 3-2, dominating Boston 101-82 in the final game seven at the Garden.

Scouting Report

Defense wins Championships -- It’s no secret what makes either team tick. For the Magic, it’s the dominant inside presence of Dwight Howard, followed by the slick shooting of his outside men, though this year Vince Carter has slightly altered that perception. For the Green, it’s the same old big three, perhaps even the big four thanks to Rajon Rondo’s emergence. With either team, the multiple scoring threats they present are devastating to opponents, and the difference is sure to be held on the defensive side of the floor. Whichever team can play better defense inside the paint and outside will win the game.

Key Statistic

Rasheed Wallace – The new acquisition comes into Friday night averaging 10.5 points off the bench, solid scoring from a position that the Celtics lacked contribution from last season. Wallace is a new wrinkle in the Celtic team, something that the Magic will have to account for if they want to take down Big Green once again.

Vince Carter – Exit Hedo Turkoglu. Enter, Vince Carter, who right now is second on the Magic with 17.1 points a game, only one point behind heralded anchor Dwight Howard. Many were concerned with how Carter would fit in the Magic system that seemed to be a dump and launch from beyond the arc. So far though, Vinsanity has gelled to perfection and has become a key part of an Orlando offense that is going to have to be on their “A” game if they want to crack a stout Celtics defense that’s allowing a league second best 88.8 points a game.

Key Match up

Howard vs. Perkins -- It’s the match up we all focused on last year, for obvious reasons. It’s no secret that Dwight Howard is the motor on which the Magic offense runs. Number 12 dominated last postseason through and through, until he reached Boston. The Celtics possess quite possibly the only center in the NBA that has the ability to make Howard earn each and every shot he takes, and by using his sheer size and ability, Kendrick Perkins could be the wrench in the Magic’s gears. His only problem of course is his tendency to drift into foul trouble, which would disrupt the Celtic’s plan of having him bang bodies all night with Howard down low. If he can stay out of trouble however, and limit Howard to anything less than a 20/20 night, Boston will have a much easier time dispatching the Magic.

Health/Injuries

Familiar Territory -- To this point the Celtics have been relatively healthy, aside from losing Big Baby before the season even began. The Magic however are back at square one, losing guard Jameer Nelson yet again, this time to knee surgery. Last season Orlando was without Dwight Howard’s wingman for the better part of the regular season, though Nelson did reappear late in the playoffs. It’s no secret to anyone however that the loss of Nelson severely hurts the Magic, especially in a game like Friday night’s.

Kiss the Rings

Tale of Two Teams – In their history, the Boston Celtics have 17 World Championships to their name. The Orlando Magic have 0.

Quotable

The Truth Comes Out -- Last year’s playoff series was a great one to watch. But that doesn’t mean it sat well with Celtics captain Paul Pierce. After the Magic went on to lose to the Lakers in the 2009 Finals, Pierce had this to say about the Orlando-Los Angeles Final:

“Looked like a German shepherd vs. a poodle. That’s OK the Rottweiler Celtics will b back in 2010.”

The Captain didn’t stop there either. Pierce then went on to exclaim that the Celtics are the best team in the NBA when healthy – something that the defending Eastern Conference Champion Magic aren’t going to take lightly:

“Before the season even started last year, I was asked, ‘What is going to stop y’all from winning it all? The first thing I said was, ‘If we’re healthy, we’re going to win it all.’ And I’m going to say it again: ‘If we are healthy, we are going to win it all. I honestly believe that. I think we’re the best team in the NBA, healthy.”

All talking aside, Friday night’s game is bound to be a great one, simply because of the recent history between the two teams. And while it’s nice to see the confidence that Pierce displays regarding the Eastern Conference foes, it’s important to remember how last season ended up.

But then again, Boston did leave their Big Ticket at home last year.

They’ll be sure to bring it on Friday.

article also on WEEI.com

Last Call on Air - Reiss Returns

November 12, 2009

Tasso, Barker, Tam, Liebman

Special Guest: ESPNBoston.com, Patriots Blog

Mike Reiss

Bustin' Out

by Tom Nieradka

Editorial. Photos by AP News

Everything has its busts. Movies have the Matrix sequels, TV has every new show that has featured an actor from Seinfeld, and Halloween has candy corn.

Football is no different, and every season more and more players and teams surprise us with their awful and underwhelming play. The thing that constitutes a bust, however, is not simply lackluster play. It would not be fair the say the Rams have been a bust because everyone knew that they (Stephen Jackson aside) were going to be terrible.

However it would be fair to levy that criticism against the following list of deceivers and mystics (not really); those who have driven fans to the brink and make being a fan of the Lions look like a great time (can’t go anywhere but up).

Joey Galloway:

Bill Belichick seems to make his teams out of second round picks and aging vets. He took the testy Randy Moss and revived his career after a dismal year with the Raiders, he saw the talent is Wes Welker as he was rotting on Miami and made him into a top level receiver and returner…..and then there was Joey Galloway.

At 37 Galloway was a much older project than Moss or Welker, however Pats fans continued to believe that Bill could do no wrong. Over a somewhat illustrious career Galloway had racked up six 1000 yard receiving seasons, including three from 2005-2007 with the Bucs. Apparently Belichick can make mistakes however, and through three games this season Galloway seven receptions for 67 yards. He was largely ineffective and couldn’t catch the ball. At least the Pats were able to rectify their error though; he was cut after three weeks.

Matt Cassel:

I feel bad putting Matt Cassel here. He went from one of the most high powered offenses in the NFL to one of the worst, one of the best lines in the NFL to one of the worst, and from Randy Moss and Wes Welker to Dwayne Bowe and Dwayne Bowe.

And though its too late to call him a bust for the long haul, so far the he has to be in that category. KC hired him to open up the offense and to put points on the board, and as of yet he has not been able to do that. KC is averaging just under 16 points per game (among the worst in the league) and only has 1293 passing yards on the year (good for 28^th in the NFL).

And unfortunately for Cassel, his fault or not the blame falls on him. Its tough out there for a young QB with a bad O-Line, and Cassel has actually done well throwing only five interceptions. However he is getting beaten up worse than even Aaron Rogers, getting sacked an astounding 27 times so far. Even so, he is the best that KC can put out there right now, and is most likely their best bet going forwards, so until further notice hopefully he can stay healthy and out of Elvis Dumervil’s way (he has 10 sacks in 7 games and KC faces Denver twice).

Tennessee Titans:

Coming off a 13-3 season and a trip to the playoffs, the Titans are sitting 2-6 and in last place in the AFC South. Their “defense” has allowed a league-worst 29.8 points per game, and their “offense” has managed only 18.5 points per game (good for 23^rd in the NFL).

The hopes were so high for the Titans, but they just don’t seem able to stop anyone. Granted that starting cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper have been dealing with injuries, the fact remains that they gave up 59 points to the Pats and managed a grand total of 0 points in return. The one bright spot of the otherwise awful offense has been RB Chris Johnson who leads the league with 959 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Kerry Collins has been benched (probably for the best) and Vince “I’m kinda getting old now” Young is back in.

And so far it has been working as the Titans under Young have won two straight against the Jags and the 49ers. Maybe brighter days are coming, but unless the Titans manage a 8-0 run to end the season it will no doubt be regarded as a disappointing year.

Michael Vick:

One of the biggest and most controversial off-season acquisitions was the former jail-bird Michael Vick by the Eagles following his 18 month prison term. He was supposed to revolutionize the Eagles offense brining speed and mobility that McNabb lacked.

However so far he has only succeeded in throwing off McNabb’s rhythm and in sitting on the bench. Thus far he is 2-6 passing for 6 yards, and has rushed for 27 yards on 12 carries. He seems to do more harm than good when he is playing for the Eagles, and the signing makes less and less sense when they already have a proven quarterback who knows the offense and has run it well in the past. Vick was the wildcard to be used in the wildcat, but thus far he is looking more and more like a wild-waste-of-money.

New York Giants:

Coming off a 12-4 season and a playoff trip in 2008 and a Superbowl win in 2007, the Giants were the early favorite to win the tough NFC East. Eli Manning was coming into his prime, the tandem of the bruising Brandon Jacobs and the explosive Ahmad Bradshaw we said the be the best running back combo in the NFL, and their elite pass rush and great secondary made a brick wall for opposing offenses.

Through the first five games all of the predictions were coming true. The Giants were 5-0 and had the number one defense in the NFL, Eli Manning was on fire, and the Giants could run all over opposing defenses at will. And then reality struck. After victories against the woeful Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs, and Raiders, the Giants ran into the Saints. And 60 minutes and 48 points later the Giants began their four game skid to 5-4, losing to the Cardinals, Eagles, and Chargers.

Eli’s foot injury seems to be nagging and he has been ineffective, throwing six picks over the last four games. Brandon Jacobs has yet to hit 100 yards this season and has only two total touchdowns. Bradshaw remains a change of pace back, and has averaged around 3 yards per carry over the skid, with his explosive runs fading into memory. And perhaps worst of all the once great defense has given up 40 points twice in the last four games, and handed rival QB Phillip Rivers one of the easiest two minute drills of his career and a lob to Vincent Jackson to put the Chargers over the Giants 21-20.

It is sad to see how the mighty Giants have fallen to mediocrity, and the biggest bust of the season.