One of the more popular subjects that has been harped on, twittered about and blogged upon c
ontinually is the state of the 2009 New England Patriots. For those of you who follow me on face
book, I've tried to be short in discussing the matters concerning this team whether it be my premature prediction of a Bills victory in the season opener, the gloating high points of a 59-0 drubbing of Titans squad that looked to have no business on a Madden controller, much less an NFL field, the painful loss that made me eerily think back to how teams who played the Pats in 2007 (except the Giants of course), felt when they were spanked by the Saints and lastly, the disappointing 22-21 loss to the Dolphins (which I predicted, right Brian?) that had me feeling like I was watching the Patriots of 1992. The simple fact of the matter is that the team is in a 'rebuilding on the fly' mode where the best hope is a well coached team, despite its obvious holes in veteran leadership and experience on defense can be buttressed by a very good offense, can grow together as the season wore on and make some noise in the playoffs.
However, it seems as if that plan has gone hung-kung phooey because the team started out fairly well but cannot not finish games early, which leads to late game collapses (which teams with young defenses often are a victim of).
Now with the news about former Pats Defensive Lineman Richard Seymour reportedly receiving texts from his ex-teammates about how he 'is missed' and 'the team could use him', and Defensive End Adalius Thomas popping off in the media about how he was treated after he was sent home after arriving late to a meeting, it looks like the fans of other less celebrated NFL teams smell blood in the water similar to how we all smelled the blood of those declining Dallas Cowboys teams of the 90's. We remember those days right? The cocaine, the hookers, the DUI's and poorly coached teams that barely resembled that dominating ones that won Super Bowls essentially with ease. There are four points that need to be considered when looking at the present state of the Patriots which can provide optimism or worry among the Patriot faithful.
1) With Scott Pioli in Kansas City, will Bill Belichick revert to the Cleveland Browns version of himself?: Let's make one thing clear here. Pioli was the only guy in the organization that could say no to Bill. Period. When Bill thought of impulsive ways to motiv
ate his team or shape it in his philosophic
al image, Pioli could offer counterpoints to those thoughts and use his vested authority to veto certain moves pertaining to the roster. With players sniping him in press, will Belichick turn into the 'your our guy this week, but you will sit for the next five weeks even though your replacement is not as good as you' coach that practically turned the Browns upside down in the latter stages of the team's existence in Cleveland? (that's right people, the Browns we see in the NFL today are not those Browns…that team is in Baltimore.)
2) Can the younger players become championship caliber pieces of a championship team?: Let's be honest.The Pats have screwed up most of their drafts over the past 4-5 years. There are underachievers such as '06 first rounder Laurence Maroney and there are also shining spots such as '07 first rounder Brandon Meriwether and '08 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in Jerod Mayo. However, the team has done poorly in the areas where all good teams make their bread and save money: the middle rounds. So in the '09 Draft, the Patriots wheeled and got four second round players that could provide the bedrock of their defense in the future in Pat Chung, Darius Butler and Ron Brace along with an anchor on the offensive line in Sebastian Vollmer. They also acquired other lower round picks and dealt them into next year's draft.
We also cannot forget their find in the 7th round this year in former University of Toledo quarterback, turned NFL wide receiver, Julian Edelman. In referencing the Richard Seymour trade this off-season, the Pats acquired a 1st round pick in 2011 from the Oakland Raiders for a soon to be free agent defensive lineman that was going to be expensive and is also on the back-end of his career. The 2011 pick is premised around the possibility that there will be a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place between the NFLPA and the NFL owners, which will institute more prohibitive salary controls for newer players in the league. In other words, as long as Oakland keeps disfunctioning, the Pats may have recent Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram in uniform in 2011 (provided there is no owner's lockout). I look at it this way: if a good coach has good players, it makes for a good team. So yes, the Patriots have the tools to develop young talent into championship caliber players.
3) Is Tom Brady still an elite quarterback?: As I sit back and watch Brady eyeball Wes Welker and Randy Moss the same way Drew Bledsoe did Ben Coates and Terry Glenn, I get a little concerned. However, since Brady is not easily rattled as Bledsoe and Welker and Moss are exceptional athletes, I c
an go to bed every night knowing Brady will give my fantasy team crazy points week to week and plus he…wait…sorry. Got into fantasy mode there. I have always stated that it is best to have an ACL injury earlier in a career than later because that type of injury is 2-3 years in terms of recovery time (getting back to normal). At Brady's age, his timing, aptitude and feel for the game may be eroded by the time he fully recovers from this injury, thereby making him a more susceptible to other injuries. Hopefully as a professional, he will not rest on his laurels and continue to get healthier, but the odds are against a consistent pre-injury Brady showing up again. The Pats have also failed to develop a backup before Matt Cassel was traded to Kansas City. Hey, if Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford is on the board when the Pats pick in '09, is it a bad investment?
4) Will the players begin to tune Belichick out?: I would like to say no because he along with other good coaches and administrators have put in place a culture that cultivates hard work and dedication to developing one's craft. However, Seymour made a good point when he alluded to Belichick perhaps relying on schemes over personnel. It is like asking what comes first, the chicken or the egg? If the scheme is designed around exploiting weaknesses in an opposing teams strategy, can anyone be plugged into the scheme and thus keep it successful? Or does a scheme's quality trace back to exceptional cerebral and athletic individuals who can make the scheme more effective based on their football IQ? Athletes can change games, but players make plays in my opinion. And when they feel expendable, it generally does not equate to a good relationship with a coach.
Although I agree with Seymour's assessment, one must take into account the financial ramifications of having superior athletes on the field; is the cost worth what they bring or can a lower profile player with similar traits bring the same thing to the field? It is obvious that Thomas did not turn out to be an adequate replacement for Mike Vrabel and there has been nobody that has even come close to the qualities the since departed Asante Samuel brought to the team at cornerback. With turnover in personnel comes turnover in personalities…it is a way of life. One player would willingly follow the coach over cliff while the next guy would question the logic of doing so. This will be the challenge for the coaching staff and scouting department…finding guys who fit into the culture of the organization seamlessly and will trust in what they are told to do. If this team cannot get more of these types of players, the Patriots will sink into mediocrity in the NFL.
Now to the juicy stuff for all you TMZ'ers and Bossipers…Tiger Woods and the bevy of mistresses who thought he presented too GRRRRR-EAT!!! of an opportunity to pass up and not get rich o
ff of. He did the right thing in taking time out of the public eye to handle his family issues. Many people vilify this man for a human mistake based on what he supposedly represented: a squeaky clean image that made him accountable and held to a higher standard than the rest of us. I believe that is crap…a big, hot, steaming load of it. The kind that looks like chocolate soft serve ice cream. Why? Well, let's just say that his sponsors wanted to portray him in that manner in order to shill their shoddy, overrated cars, razor blades and sugary sports drinks. That's their job…to make him look so good, that an average couch jockey would say "hey, if Tiger uses Gillette Escalade Gator-juice, I guess it is a good product".
At no time did Woods come out and spout the ramblings of a bootleg preacher with a flask of scotch in his jacket pocket and Hustler magazines in the glove box of his car. He played the game. He changed the game. He won. He made a boat-load of money. Maybe all of the acrimony has more to with that than his extra-marital affairs. History tells us anybody who has done any of the above things just mentioned in any realm of society experiences a large share of jealousy and envy. So when they slip up…just like that couch jockey who forgot to pick up his wife from work because he was watching the Spice Channel commonly does, he is exempted from a normal person's status and automatically given a higher standard of conduct. Give me a break.
I just wonder what the sponsors for all those PGA events are going to do now that they have little to no prospects of relying on the spotlight Woods brings to their events. Perhaps a bailout of more than a few after next year may be in the works? I believe they will monitor the next season closely in order to find out what Woods' worth is to the Tour, then make the cut & run decision.
This is my section ca
lled WHY? (Please play Jadakiss' 'Why' when reading this):
1) Why did Iverson go back to the Sixers of all teams? He could have waited until March and signed with a contender, got his ring and retired to his vast Newport News Iverson Compound.
2) Why does the NCAA resemble pro sports more and more every day? With the way things are currently constituted, those players will need to be paid soon. Think of it…a player generates millions for the school and in return is given a $100,000 scholarship. He also goes out in public and sees people wearing jerseys bearing his number and doesn't get a piece of each sale. Someone needs to challenge the NCAA not on the court, but in court.
3) Why is Brian Kelly not coaching the University of Cincinnati football team in the Sugar Bowl after accepting the head coaching gig at Notre Dame? This guy led a group of young men to the cusp of a national title only to abandon them because he wanted to coach one of the most overrated, over-scrutinized, living in the past, hasn't been relevant since I was a child a** school. His former players openly criticized his decision to jump ship even after he told them a week before that he was going nowhere. Hey Coach, good way to teach young men about character, honesty and commitment. Why not accept the job after the game? Show some class. I hope he falls on his face just like his predecessors at that crap program. The New York Yankees of college football. Can a student please bring suit soon against the NCAA in order to prevent this kind of behavior?
4) Why is Shaquille O'Neal on the Cavaliers? The team obviously flows better offensively without him on the floor. Man, if they do not win the 'ship this year, I will lament O'Neal's legacy if he does not grab his '32' Vitamin Water, put Icy Hot on his head and call a press conference to announce his retirement. I am so tired of seeing these past their prime players who used to be great, living off of their legacy in order to stay in the spotlight. They end up hindering their teams because the game has passed them by; just ask James Worthy, Patrick Ewing, Shawn Kemp and even Michael Jordan. Yeah, I said it. Jordan. Stop drinking the media Kool-Aid…did ANYONE think those Jordan-led Washington Wizards were going to contend for a title? 'Nuff Said.
5) Why is Danica Patrick relevant? Win a race in a legit manner and maybe she can be a headliner. Is sports (although I highly question the qualifications of NASCAR as a sport, but oh well) about winning or gender equality? I can get a 6'11'' woman who can run fast and shoot a mean jump shot…does that mean she can play in the NBA? All I am saying is that is sports business, it's about winning and the only reason why Patrick has sponsors is because they want to be on the ground floor if and when she wins a race so they can clean up in profits. It reminds me of insurance…it only matters if I get sick or get into an auto accident. So I just pay and pay…all the while nothing happens. Know what normal people call that? A scam. She's got to win and win soon in order to validate all of the camera time and money she gets as the fraudulent 'barrier breaker' of car racing.
6) Why does anyone think the USA will truly make noise in Soccer's World Cup? There is a clear distinction between the US and most of the other countries who are elite when it comes to soccer (except Canada maybe)…the sport's culture on the national scene. For years the MLS has tried to pry its league into the national consciousness, but to no avail. They tried washed up international stars, too young for primetime stars and the tying up of the league's fortunes to oh yeah, another washed up international soccer star. Sorry. The international players are tougher, faster, more athletic and hungrier than players born and raised in the US…it's obvious. Many of the international players grew up in squalor and used rocks or other apparatus to play the game. They played on dirt and had to work their way up in status through the country's cut-throat training programs. Here, mom drops them off at practice and picks them up. They play on Field Turf spread fields and with regulation equipment. Who would you take to the World Cup? The kid with nothing to lose or the pedigreed kid that has had everything granted to them?
I will be writing again soon, now that I have the time. Once again feel free to leave comments on alphaleticarticles@gmail.com or on this page. Big shouts to Boston College facing USC in the Emerald Bowl. Even though the school is too cheap to send the band out there with you guys, I hope you guys score early and often so the administration feels like chumps for choosing the money they'll get from the bowl over the essence of college football…the band.



























