Welcome to the Other Side

BY IAN TASSO
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP IMAGES

Take yourself back nine years.

The date is February 2, 2002. The place is the Louisiana Superdome.

Outside, it’s quiet. Warm. Damp. Humid.

Inside, it’s equally as quiet. Warmer. Damper. Sweatier. 73,000 fans collectively holding their breath as fabled kicker Adam Vinatieri lines up to cement his name in the NFL history books.

Kurt Warner meanwhile, sat on the bench, bloodied, looking on helplessly. Marshall Faulk sat there too, just as his quarterback, every bone in his body aching. Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, there all the same, mimicking their general -- their quarterback -- who had been knocked around and smacked in the face more than those kids at the end of Step Brothers.

Seconds later, Vinatieri’s arms shot through the air like red and blue fireworks, igniting a Patriot celebration. They had toppled the Goliath. They had beaten the giant.

The Greatest Show on Turf however, was over. They had hit the wall, and were upset by a team that had no business being there, and no business winning. The most powerful team in the NFL -- the Super Bowl favorite -- a team that had all the marbles, all the cards, and all the tricks, had come up short.

It’s a tale as old as time. It’s a tragic storyline. And it’s also the way sports are.

Because nine years later, the Patriots are on that sideline. Wounded. Bullied. Beaten. And Braylon Edwards and the Jets are doing backflips on the field.

I’m not saying it’s a direct parallel, but it’s pretty damn close. One year you’re writing the history and ten years later you’re drowning in it, unable to get out of your own way. Three straight playoff losses will do that to you as a fan, and suddenly, you don’t feel so high and mighty anymore.

AFC Playoff Picture

BY IAN TASSO
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

The temperatures are dropping - fast.

And that can only mean one thing: playoff football.

With the postseason quickly approaching, certain teams are vying for position, others are fighting for their playoff lives, and the rest are trying to prove they have what it takes. Where does your team sit?

On a whole different level:

New England Patriots:

Not only do they have what it takes, they are what it takes; the prototype for success. Is there one quarterback you'd rather have in a playoff matchup than Tom Brady? And at home, too? Locking up home-field advantage might have been the worst thing for the AFC. Not good news unless you hail from somewhere between Boston and Maine.

Still, there are a few questions. Can they win sloppy? The game against the Browns showed a distinct weakness with this team – if Brady is off, this team sheds a little skin.

Also, second half defense. The past two games, New England has shown they can close out games – but early on this year, they had trouble slamming the door shut. Which Patriots’ defense will we see down the stretch?

In the clear:

Jets Have Tools to Take Down Pats

BY JESSE LIEBMAN

EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

The legendary Bill Parcells once said, “you are what your record says you are.”

And while on the surface that saying might be brain-numbingly obvious, and as empty as Al Davis' heart, Tuna just may have been on to something. As of their Thanksgiving Day performance, the New York Jets boast a record of 9-2, good for first place in the AFC East.

Following last season’s run to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets have been the media darlings of the National Football League. Rex Ryan is always good for a quote (or two), and the team’s antics constantly have even members of the media in stitches. And then there was their appearance on HBO’s Hard Knocks series -- talk about exposure.

Living in Boston, it’s not rocket science to see that the New England Patriots have entrenched themselves as the toast of the town.

The numbers speak for themselves. Three Super Bowls in a four-year span. Four appearances in the big dance in the past decade. If we flash forward to the present, New England has put up more than respectable numbers this year, carrying an identical win-loss record as New York.

Patriots fans -- and while we’re at it, a lot of the media -- will be inclined to remind outsiders that New England’s record is identical to the Jets; even going so far as to imply that Rex Ryan’s team has gotten by on dumb luck.

Let’s face it: the Jets are not a perfect team; then again, no one else is either.

Last Call On-Air: Donaldson Returns

November 12, 2010
Tasso, Barker, Liebman, Souza 
   Special Guest: Proidence Journal, Sports Writer
      Jim Donaldson

Don't Look Now...

Editor's Note: This article was originally featured in Emerson College's The Berkeley Beacon: http://www.berkeleybeacon.com/

BY GABE SOUZA
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

It was second and goal on the three-yard line, midway through the third quarter, with the Patriots cruising 17-3.

But New England's quarterback doesn't settle for cruising.

In recent years he might have lobbed a few spirals in the direction of Randy Moss -- who may, or may not have caught them.

But this was not the time for that. This was time for No. 12 to take back his team, to do what he would've done in the Super Bowl-winning years of 2001-04.

Tom Brady rushed to the line of scrimmage, gave center Dan Koppen a quick pat, took the snap, and used every inch of his 6-foot-4 frame to pile-drive his way into the end zone.

The touchdown gave the Patriots a commanding 20-point lead over Pittsburgh, a team many deemed the best in the NFL.

Almost immediately, over 64,000 Terrible Towel-waving fans fell silent.

Big Bad Tom, with his golden locks and growing scruff, leapt up, raised the ball, and with one giant scream, spiked it to the ground in celebration, instantly refreshing memories of the historic Snow-Bowl win nine long years ago.

And when that pigskin pounded the turf Sunday night, it sent a shock wave through Heinz Field, the repercussions of which were felt throughout the NFL.

The message was clear: Tom Brady is back.

Well, That was Embarrassing

BY TOM NIERADKA
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

Sunday night, as I was watching the Dallas Cowboys get rocked by the Packers, I thought to myself…I'm almost embarrassed for the Cowboys right now.

Nothing went right for them, and I just couldn't stop laughing at their misfortune.

So I thought to myself that so far this year, there have been quite a few really odd things that have happened, more so than usual even. Looking back week nine, after much deliberation I was able to compile a list of the top five most embarrassing and ridiculous moments from the games this past week.

5. Hapless Vikings rally from 14-point deficit to beat the hapless Cardinals, accidently   make Brad Childress look good.

There has been a lot of press about the Vikings this week, mostly related to everyone wanting Brad Childress to be fired, including the players who have had enough of his “BS”. Percy Harvin apparently almost came to blows with Childress during an argument where Childress suggested that Harvin wasn't trying hard enough at practice.

All I can say about that fight is that Childress is lucky he checked himself before he wrecked himself.

Back to the game, up until the last five minutes everything was going according to plan. The Vikes were about to lose to the woeful Derek Anderson and the Cardinals, and seal the fate of their perennially terrible coach.

However even the best laid plans can often go bad, and in this case Brett Favre actually decided to avoid throwing interceptions, and instead hit Visanthe Shiancoe for a 25 yard TD in regulation to tie the game, then setting up the game winning field goal in overtime.

But wait, winning is good right?

Week 8: NFL Power Rankings

BY DARREN GROVE
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

These New Patriots Of Old

Editor's Note: This article was originally featured in Emerson College's The Berkeley Beacon: http://www.berkeleybeacon.com/

BY IAN TASSO
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

There’s a new team on top in the NFL.

Five straight wins – four of them within the conference – and the New England Patriots are back on top, boasting an NFL best 6-1 record seven games into the season.

It’s been a while since New England has been there – five long seasons to be exact. A city once atop the football world has taken a seat on the bus of “above-average mediocrity” that seemingly has reached its final destination: 2010.

With instinctive and aggressive athletes like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes ravaging the middle of the field, thoughts of 2004’s Homeland Defense flicker through my head.

With a versatile, “get just as many points as we need and nothing more” offense stomping up and down the field, it feels like I stepped in a Time Machine and punched 2001 into the dashboard.

But it’s been a long time coming – and a process that was far from easy.

Let’s be honest: the 2009-10 season wasn’t an easy one for our New England Patriots.

Beloved stars Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison were turned away in the offseason, defensive stalwarts Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour were shipped off just before the season began, and Wes Welker limped away just before it ended.

Last Call On-Air - Heath Evans

October 29, 2010
Tasso, Barker 
  Special Guest: New Orleans Saint's Fullback, Ex-Patriot
  Heath Evans

Bye Bye Beantown

BY GABE SOUZA
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS.

It hurts. It stings deep down in my blue-and-white-wearing, musket-carrying, super bowl ring-brandishing, chip-on-my-shoulder Patriot heart.

Randy Moss’ departure from New England is an open wound that won’t heal for a long time. It pains more than long time leading tackler Mike Vrabel’s departure to the Kansas City Chiefs a few years ago. It throbs worse than pro-bowler Richard Seymour’s departure for the bottomless pit of Al Davis-guarded black and silver.

Like the true Boston sports fan I am, I could mourn this loss for days, be vulgar to Patriots management and swear to never support them again. (Only to relent and watch next Sunday when the take on the Ravens.)

And while it took much self-persuasion to not do the above, I will not. I will not repeatedly bash Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick for their thick-headedness in letting a Hall of Famer leave to inevitably suffer with attention-whoring quarterback Brett Favre. I’m better than that. (Or at least I’m going to try to be for this piece, although I think trading Moss is probably the most bone-headed decision they’ve ever made. My In-Belichick-We-Trust is wearing thin.)

Running Out of Style

BY PHIL SHORE
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS.

Throughout the New England Patriots’ dynasty that encompassed the first ten years of the new millennium, one thing that was never stable was the running back situation.

The team got production from the position, whether it be Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, or Kevin Faulk.

However, it was also the most inconsistent position. And now, in 2010, that hasn’t changed one bit.

There always has been, and continues to be a rotating door of running backs due to spotty performances and an unbelievable amount of injuries.

Between the uneven play of the running backs and the star-studded quarterback the team has, the Patriots have evolved into a very pass-happy team - but the fans and coaches would like to add a little more balance to the attack.

Coming into the new decade, the team has found no complete answer.

Certain players have shown flashes of brilliance, but then wound up benched because of turnovers or injuries.

Who will the Patriots be able to depend on in 2010, an extremely pivotal season for the franchise?

Here is a look at the running backs on the roster.

Tale of Two Gators

by Phil Shore
Editorial. Photos by AP News 

Two players will forever be tied together in their NFL careers as two teammates in college playing the same position were selected back-to-back in April’s NFL Draft.

Their link may not be as popular as Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf (though not teammates in college they were two heralded quarterbacks that went first and second in the draft and are constantly compared) but Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap will now forever be linked together in terms of their football experiences.

Cunningham, a senior, and Dunlap, a junior, were both members of the Florida Gators defensive line from 2007-2009. Both are naturally gifted athletes and were big pieces on a National Championship team. Both also have checkered pasts that have come into question.

While they will answer many questions throughout their rookie year, the New England Patriots will have one big question to answer: which of these two was actually the better pick?

The Patriots took Cunningham with the 21st pick in the second round (53rd overall), while the Cincinnati Bengals made Dunlap the very next selection.

New England’s biggest need was pass rushing, from both the outside linebacker and defensive end positions. Many outsiders wonder if Cunningham will make the impact they hoped for from a second round pick.

According to Cunningham and Dunlap’s Gator bios they each totaled 19.5 sacks in college, with Cunningham needing one more year than Dunlap to reach that number.

AFC East Draft Breakdown

by Tom Nieradka

Editorial. Photos by AP News

Almost more than any other division so far, the AFC East has been very active this offseason, adding big-time free agents and instant impact draft picks. But, how is this all going to play out, and is anyone going to be able to topple the Patriots from the top of the division this year?

Let's take a look.

4. Buffalo Bills:

I was not a fan of the Bills draft style this season.

They used their first pick, nine overall, to go out and grab the best running back in the draft in CJ Spiller. No question this guy is a playmaker, but the problem here lies in the fact that the Bills already have two effective running backs. Fred Jackson ran for 1,000 yards last season, and Marshawn Lynch is only one year removed from doing the same thing. 

There was no reason for the Bills to grab this running back when they had such huge needs, primarily at quarterback and on the offensive line.

Dead and Gone: The Dawning of a New Era

by Ian Tasso
Editorial. Photos by AP News

It was the worst loss in Patriots’ history – at least, from what I can remember.

As far as the NFL goes, all I’ve known my entire life is winning. All the Patriots have done since I’ve been involved is win. And not only did they win – they did it with a swagger. They were going to win how they wanted to win, when they wanted to win, punch you in the mouth when they did it, and have each other’s backs if it went wrong.

But not that Sunday. Not against the Ravens. One play, one touchdown, and it was over.

Not only were they down in the box score, but on the field, they hung their heads – for the first time in a long time.

These were not my Patriots. Or at least, not the ones I had grown up to know, love, and appreciate.

Long gone were the Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrable head buts, the emotional pre-game, in-game, in-huddle speeches – the “I live for this shit man, I’d die for you” Rodney Harrison, Ty Law and Willie McGinnest halftime pump-ups.

Gone.

On the field? Yeah, they may be better without those guys. Great football decisions to let go of them. But in the huddle? In the locker room? The Patriots still haven’t recovered.

Who’s the locker room presence now? Randy Moss? I sure hope not. I love the guy, he’s a great talent, but I don’t want him leading the huddle. Brady has enough to worry about. Welker? He’s only one guy. Meriweather? Not yet.

Hell, the highest paid guy on defense isn’t even the most vocal. He’s the biggest – but not the most vocal.

From the Experts: 2010 NFL Draft

April 22, 2010
Ian Tasso, Nick Coit
Special Guests: Patriots' Draft Experts
Curran,Tappen, Reiss, Lee, Borges, Breer, Belichick and McCourty

You've read the live-blog. You've seen all the picks. Now here's what all the experts had to say during the night of the draft, including reaction from the head coach himself, and the #27 overall pick.

It's interesting to follow their train of thought as the night went on.

So here is a compilation of all the interviews collected on Thursday night. The objective? For you to feel the confusion and excitement that was the 2010 NFL Draft.

Enjoy:

Spikes is a Patriot

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

Finally - a Patriot pick I can be proud of.

I'm no longer at Gillette. I know, it's unfortunate, and it sucks. And while New England has had a relatively nice second round, grabbing a tight end and an outside backer - Spikes was someone I'd been eyeing all draft.

I love Spikes. I love how he plays, I love his passion, I love his emotion, and I love him on the Patriots. New England needed a guy like this - they don't have it anymore in Bruschi, they lost it when Rodney left, and now they have it back.

Check it out. This guy is out of his mind:

Live from Gillette: 2010 NFL Draft

by Ian Tasso
Editorial. Photos by AP News

LAST CALL'S HOST, IAN TASSO, TRAVELED TO GILLETTE STADIUM TO CHECK OUT THE 2010 NFL DRAFT. BELOW IS A LIVE-BLOG OF THE DRAFT, COMPLETE WITH MINUTE-BY-MINUTE ANALYSIS OF THE PICKS, EXPERT OPINION ON THE EVENTS AT HAND, AS WELL AS INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH BILL BELICHICK AND DEVIN MCCOURTY, NEW ENGLAND'S FIRST ROUND PICK. ENJOY:

12:10 pm - Wrapping Up:

All in all, a pretty exciting day. From an NFL standpoint that is. As far as the Patriots go? It's debatable.

The selection of Devin McCourty seems to be a surprising one around the room. Most of the people I talked to, including Rob Lee, were a bit taken aback by the selection, especially considering who was left on the board.

But a select few, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston included, weren't as shocked. I guess the fact is, everywhere on defense needed help - and the Patriots addressed the best value they thought was available. In exchange, they also grabbed a third and fourth rounder to use in the coming days, and can hopefully patch some of the remaining holes with those.

As for tomorrow? Look for New England to attack the defensive front. They need help there, more-so than anywhere else on the field. Interestingly though, New England seems to have grown attatched to Ricky Sapp, Clemson University defensive end.

The thing about Sapp though, is he's ranked in about the third or fourth round. So if he's New England's guy, they might select someone like Sergio Kindle tomorrow if he's still around.

Either way, it looks like the bulk of tomorrow's picks are going to be defensively centered for the Patriots.

But don't be surprised if they send them away either.

Bottom line? When it comes to Bill and drafting, you just never know. No matter who you are, where you live, what you do for a living - Belichick always has something up his sleeve.

We'll just have to wait and see what that is.

From Gillette Stadium, I'm Ian Tasso. And it's time for bed.

To Tebow Or Not to Tebow? Part II; Yes, Please

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

I wish I could say I make good decisions all the time.

In fact, I wish I could say I make them most of the time.

But that’s just not the case. I’m only human after all.

But at Logan Aiport this January - I know, of all places - that all changed. At least for one day. Because it was there that I decided to purchase a book called Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything, by Charles Pierce.

Now, it’s not every day you make a good choice involving the city of Las Vegas, and I wish I could say it was a string of similar decisions to be made that weekend.

But, it wasn’t. Just ask my wallet.

Anyway, I blew through the book, and finished it on the return flight; it was just one of those books you couldn’t put down. Now keep in mind, I'm very stingy when it comes to books. But not only was this one tremendously well written, I learned a lot from it as well - a lot about the game of football, what it takes to succeed in it and why a guy like Tom Brady has done so well.

The bottom line is football’s a tough game to understand. And fifteen long years ago, a young man named Tom Brady felt he had a pretty good grip on it. That was until he went to the University of Michigan, where his abilities were overlooked, his talents brushed under the carpet, and his collegiate career wasted in the worst coaching moves of the past 20 years; that was until Jim Zorn wittingly called this play in a game last year:

Four years after Michigan decided to wash away Brady’s talent, he found himself picked in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Why? Because he was slow, had an even slower release, didn’t have a sharp throwing motion, and to be quite honest, wasn’t even a sure thing to play quarterback in the NFL.

Sound familiar?