tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64046195074979881662024-03-08T12:30:32.370-08:00Boston Bias: The best coverage of Boston's pro sports teams (Sox, B's, C's, Pats) that matter mostI was born and raised in the Bay State: I've been to Fenway too many times to count (before it was trendy), I've seen the Patriots dynasty in person, I've gone to pointless Celtics and Bruins games (pre-2007-08 and pre-2010-11) and I've drunk beers at Sully's Tap with the locals. I am a Masshole and I am damned proud of it.Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.comBlogger3120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-89537293098619274962024-03-08T12:27:00.000-08:002024-03-08T12:30:00.895-08:00It Looks Like Pats TE Hunter Henry Will Be Sticking Around For A Few More Seasons After All<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDc3kxUoAK4uVOylEqzk5oKP_TQKE1Q3g8uMoFP214mP8sZjfjpnUvMtLF1Rhj0261moMJSJphYKn6f6p5UEnhrnZzxwWdk-siDxP0ZJOFKcxrKijcjLLTqDJFJhDzKjuUb588sobzKUFnB-KaeFLpBBsHf6dsxkBgtkL-pMcCktyuvPHflofCdEYKeRY/s2560/Hunter%20Henry.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1931" data-original-width="2560" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDc3kxUoAK4uVOylEqzk5oKP_TQKE1Q3g8uMoFP214mP8sZjfjpnUvMtLF1Rhj0261moMJSJphYKn6f6p5UEnhrnZzxwWdk-siDxP0ZJOFKcxrKijcjLLTqDJFJhDzKjuUb588sobzKUFnB-KaeFLpBBsHf6dsxkBgtkL-pMcCktyuvPHflofCdEYKeRY/w400-h301/Hunter%20Henry.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> You are lying to yourself if you claim to know anything about the Patriots in 2024. They have so many gaping holes to fill on a terrible roster with a rookie head coach (Jerod Mayo) and GM (Eliot Wolf). They do have the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft but what they will do that-besides hopefully selecting a quarterback-is anybody's best guess. I sure am bored to death of mock drafts with still a month and half left to go before the actual draft begins which is why it was refreshing to see some real Patriots related news today: they are re-signing tight end Hunter Henry to a three-year deal with a base value of $27 million that can get up to $30 million with performance-based incentives. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> </span>On paper (and in real life) this is far from the sexiest move possible except that Henry is a solid and dependable veteran on a team that is lacking in guys that can be described with either of those positive characteristics. Sure, he is coming off his worst statistical season out of three in New England-and arguably in his seven-year NFL life-but that is understandable when you remember that he was catching passes from Mac Jones and then Bailey Zappe-arguably the worst QB situation in the league last year. After four nagging injury-filled seasons with the Chargers, Henry actually played in all 17 games in 2021 and 2022 with the Pats before missing three games last season. He has shown a durability and toughness that watching from afar, I did not think that he possessed. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Who knows who will be the Patriots' starting quarterback in Week 1 this September but whomever it is, needs to quickly develop some chemistry with Henry who is a legitimate red zone threat on a team that is severely lacking in those. His best season in Foxborough was in 2021 with rookie Mac Jones: 60 catches, 613 receiving yards and a career-high nine touchdown catches. Those numbers dipped the following year with bozo Matt Patricia as the offensive coordinator: 41 catches, 509 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. In 2023, Henry was limited to 42 catches and 419 yards but he did have six touchdown grabs which seems like a miracle for such a pitiful offense that was totally allergic to the end zone. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> He will never be confused with Ben Coates or Rob Gronkowski-the two best tight ends in team history (and in Gronk's case, maybe NFL history)-but Henry is a professional and worthy of investing in while he is only 29 years old and with (fingers crossed) some productive campaigns still left ahead of him. No matter if the Pats are starting a rookie QB or a stop-gap veteran, either of those guys will desperately need someone that will get open in the middle of the field and not that far away from the line of scrimmage. Enter Henry who has good hands and sneaky athleticism for a white guy from Arkansas. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> Henry's career-high for catches (60 in 2020 with the Chargers) and receiving yards (652 in 2019 with the Chargers) might be unattainable at this point for a variety of reasons with the Patriots but at least they are something to shoot for. Unless they sign a bunch of good wide receivers in free agency, he is likely to be their best pass catcher for at least the near future. It is also nice for once to see them rightfully pay a guy who has been a good soldier throughout some turbulent years (for the team) here. He has played on a bunch of average to bad NFL teams, therefore Henry is deserving of competing for a winner. When the Patriots will return to being a true contender and playoff team again hopefully is not that far away.</span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-73256187164122709532024-03-08T10:56:00.000-08:002024-03-08T11:13:29.679-08:00Brayan Bello-One Of The Few Reasons To Watch The Sox These Days-Signed A Six-Year Extension<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNz7kQriL0RbncPYnX5MX5TyRDjTEyaEr5nnwVNYpTjmMwLx_sm_ZnGRAtLOsjlYEL0XAC-ma-pngzA4ZPrBX00BIGNXox1Trl_A_si7e7H_OF_eb99P0BbPw2IC5PKA748dIQsyOdSrDMIMTKI9WIKvEPOe6eNLFrNSb6b0mfjL1gaw_wNB-oBL5aQ1I/s1024/brayan-bello.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNz7kQriL0RbncPYnX5MX5TyRDjTEyaEr5nnwVNYpTjmMwLx_sm_ZnGRAtLOsjlYEL0XAC-ma-pngzA4ZPrBX00BIGNXox1Trl_A_si7e7H_OF_eb99P0BbPw2IC5PKA748dIQsyOdSrDMIMTKI9WIKvEPOe6eNLFrNSb6b0mfjL1gaw_wNB-oBL5aQ1I/w400-h266/brayan-bello.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> It is hard to fathom how irrelevant the Red Sox have become both across MLB but even in their own home region. Last-place finishes the past two years and three out of the last four campaigns (but who is counting?) will do that to you, even in one of the few great baseball markets left in America. With that said, there is rarely anything to write about this mostly anonymous club. Following their 2018 World Series championship-arguably the greatest team in franchise history-Boston has taken a complete nosedive as their owners have clearly tuned out while the rest of the AL East teams load up year after year. Tell me who they are better than: the Yankees, Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays are all better run and most importantly, they have far superior rosters as well. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> </span>I made a personal rule a few seasons ago: I will not pay for Red Sox tickets until the ownership group (hi John Henry!) proves that they care once again about more than using Fenway Park as their own personal ATM. Sure, I will take a free ticket a few times a season and have a good time on a nice summer night but other than that, who can possibly devote that much energy to this team that is destined to go nowhere anytime soon? </span>Mercifully, there was a welcome bit of good news yesterday as reports came out that Boston's promising young right-handed pitcher Brayan Bello had agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $55 million with a seventh-year club option for $21 million. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> </span>In parts of two Major League seasons, Bello has only made 39 career starts and it is not like his numbers will blow you away: 14-19 with 4.37 ERA in 214.1 IP with 187 strikeouts, 72 walks, a 1.46 WHIP and .283 opponents' batting average. Under former GM Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox were trying (quite unsuccessfully I might add) to be the Tampa Bay Rays. This reminds me of a Rays style deal since it is primarily based on potential instead of production thus far. If you have seen Bello pitch, you do not have to be new Red Sox GM (and former MLB reliever) Craig Breslow to recognize his special talent in terms of outstanding stuff. His size won't blow you away (generously listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds) and he will be 25 years old (in Domincan years so he might be 35) on May 17. Still, Boston has so rarely been able to draft and develop starting pitchers-think about the Patriots and wide receivers-that when they finally might have a real one like this, it is a cause for much celebration. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> With (somewhat) notable free agent signing Lucas Giolito likely headed for yet another Tommy John surgery, the scary part is that Bello might have to be their de facto ace/No. 1 starter from the start of the regular season on March 28 when they kick things off in Seattle. In a perfect world, Bello would only have to be like a third or fourth starter on a good team and not need to feel the pressure right away of being a bad team's stopper from day one. However, maybe part of the thinking for his deal is that it will take some of that stress away from him. Very few guys throw 200+ innings anymore in MLB-somewhere your grandfather rolls over in his grave-so it is notable that Bello logged 157 innings last season across 28 starts. You can bet that even checked out Red Sox manager Alex Cora will be extra cautious with Bello since Boston's rotation is undoubtedly their biggest weakness/question mark heading into this ill-fated season. </span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span>Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz (remember them?) are the most recent quality starting pitchers that the Red Sox drafted and developed through their minor league system, so yeah it has been a minute. Regardless of how Bello performs in 2024, it is unlikely to make that much of a difference in term's of his crappy team's win-loss record. He could be great and an All-Star but that will probably only matter in the bigger picture of all things Red Sox. They are essentially acting like a small market club in the way that most of what they can sell to the fanbase is hope for a brighter future ahead because the present promises to remain rather ugly.</span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-35750040193575396922024-01-13T09:53:00.000-08:002024-01-13T09:53:43.387-08:00After 24 Seasons As The Patriots' Head Coach, Bill Belichick Is Finally Done & Jerod Mayo Takes Over<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlhDcBhv815N8r8n91ou8z8eGR4l6z0lGptSjOB0ZNcP2fZn_AD-7PXXxJ5Y9CxgtWh0QbN8ssfU8uUZ1LLNYEasybTeUwb8ZGUuYkrGspxwwgOldu6cR2g9V6eV8-wADy50ClW59MUiDl1OROBo6hhdFrWEFoQvEFEelHPy7c0fcJdLA8eC74qiwGWY/s1200/pats%20head%20coaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlhDcBhv815N8r8n91ou8z8eGR4l6z0lGptSjOB0ZNcP2fZn_AD-7PXXxJ5Y9CxgtWh0QbN8ssfU8uUZ1LLNYEasybTeUwb8ZGUuYkrGspxwwgOldu6cR2g9V6eV8-wADy50ClW59MUiDl1OROBo6hhdFrWEFoQvEFEelHPy7c0fcJdLA8eC74qiwGWY/w400-h300/pats%20head%20coaches.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> It has been quite a whirlwind week for the New England Patriots. After finishing up 4-13-their worst season since 1992 (!)-on Sunday, we waited around until Thursday morning when reports finally surfaced that arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history (Bill Belichick) was out as the Pats head coach. A few hours later that morning, New England owner Robert Kraft and Belichick had a brief but cordial press conference where they took no questions. They "mutually agreed to part ways" and a few hours after that, Kraft returned for a solo press conference where he talked a little more in depth and actually answered a few questions from the media. Fast forward to yesterday morning when linebackers coach Jerod Mayo was hastily named the new head coach of the Patriots. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Just like when Tom Brady left the Pats-albeit in much different circumstances-no matter who replaces Belichick has impossible shoes to fill. In case you forgot, under Bill's watch (and Brady's unparrelled success), New England went to nine Super Bowls and won six of them. I am confident that we will never see a run like that with any other NFL team for the rest of our lives, no matter how long that we live. With that said, at 71 years old and with no playoff wins since Brady left, it was clear that the Patriots needed a new voice in charge. There is no question that he can still coach at a high level but he had been an awful GM thus undercutting his ability to win on the field. Furthermore, surrounding himself with his kids, friends, friends' kids and other assistant coaches that had been with him forever, it was obvious that Bill did not have to answer to anybody besides Kraft once in a while which is not a good thing. He made it clear at the final press conference that he still wants to coach-it is not like he has any other hobbies or interests in his life-and depending on where he ends up next, he could certainly do well. Gran</span></span>ted, he probably won't win a Super Bowl like Brady in his first season post-Patriots. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> On the surface, there is plenty to like about Mayo (37) who is now the youngest head coach in the NFL. He is also the first black head coach in franchise history, he won a Super Bowl with the Pats and was a captain for seven of his eight years as a middle linebacker on the Patriots-the only NFL team that he ever played or coached for. The scary parts are that he has never been a head coach at any level, how much does he know or care about offense while he automatically got this promotion written into his contract last season. With huge names like Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban all surprisingly available, Kraft didn't have any second thoughts of opening up the process a little bit more? Things change quickly in life, why were they so anchored to Mayo? </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Belichick's greatest gift that he left to the Patriots is the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Like he said in his final words at Gillette Stadium, the NFL is all about players and as their record indicated, the Patriots currently have a million holes to fill on both sides of the ball. However, if they can draft well and spend money in free agency, there is no reason why the team cannot be a fringe playoff contender as soon as next season if many things go right. Still, Buffalo and Miami are not going anywhere anytime soon and even the lowly Jets finished with three more wins than the Patriots this season so it will be an uphill climb to relevance let alone contention for the once model club in football. </span></span><span><span><span></span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> This entire miserable season and basically the four years since Brady left has been a daily reminder that as Patriots fans, we had it so good for so long. Tom having success right away with the Bucs-one of the great loser franchises in sports before then-coupled with Belichick running the Pats into the ground had put an end to any question as to who was more important to the dynasty-Brady or Belchick. It has been easy to kick Bill when he has been down these last few crappy seasons but make no mistake, at his peak he was right there with any other head coach in American sports history. He was the perfect leader for Brady and the Patriots for all those years, until he was not anymore and no doubt it was harder and harder to relate to new generations of players that were so much younger than him. Regardless, we must thank Bill for all the wonderful moments in the past 24 years. There will never be another extended period of dominance like that in any of the major professional sports in the U.S. </span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-268855019804120742023-12-06T01:09:00.000-08:002023-12-06T01:12:27.910-08:00What Rivalry? The Red Sox Traded Alex Verdugo To The Yankees For Three Meh Pitching Prospects<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97WGSwNcWz0bpOkjDxv6pN05Zn6_BTMKFwPuwEAPyzYEHL8OUgLQzPW_BqEoxbbZzsPOjtzTYLqFmERmkXgy6nS4mB8kWTLJgejSRGAcssHcdteHvfzw330RGJO5QRLE8-rc_FG-yJoexIcbmPYT3Om8n_EXgkahGVMqdUiYWHpVuKVKxNTd3EvIHU5A/s1200/Alex-Verdugo.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97WGSwNcWz0bpOkjDxv6pN05Zn6_BTMKFwPuwEAPyzYEHL8OUgLQzPW_BqEoxbbZzsPOjtzTYLqFmERmkXgy6nS4mB8kWTLJgejSRGAcssHcdteHvfzw330RGJO5QRLE8-rc_FG-yJoexIcbmPYT3Om8n_EXgkahGVMqdUiYWHpVuKVKxNTd3EvIHU5A/w400-h225/Alex-Verdugo.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> That Mookie Betts trade to the Dodgers continues to haunt the Red Sox as tonight they gave up the one decent part of that deal-outfielder Alex Verdugo-to the Yankees (of all teams!) for three right-handed pitchers that nobody outside of true baseball nerds has ever heard of before now. After four up and down seasons with Boston, Verdugo was moved no doubt because manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox front office were sick of all his unnecessary drama. He was benched not once but twice last season and for a guy that is 27 years old and has been in MLB for seven seasons but never reached a single All-Star Game, you have to cut your losses at some point. Granted, this is only the eighth ever trade between Boston and New York in the Divisional Era (since 1969) so that tells you that the Sox do not think much of Verdugo at this point. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As always with prospects, I won't sit here and pretend like I know anything about Richard Fitts (NY's #12 prospect according to <i>MLB Pipeline</i>), Greg Weissert or Nicholas Judice. Weissert is 28 and the only one of the three to appear in an MLB game so far: he had a 4.60 ERA over 29 appearances for the Yankees between 2022 and 2023. Fitts who is 23 years old went 18-13 with a 3.57 ERA in 49 career minor league starts over the past two seasons. Judice is only 22 and he was just drafted this past season in the eighth round of the MLB Draft so needless to say, he has not made his MLB debut yet. The way I look at it, these guys are all scratch tickets meaning that there is no way that the Red Sox will hit on all three of them. If they are lucky, two turn out to be serviceable major league arms or one will be really good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> Verdugo had the makings of a guy that could have been a star here (well at least when people still cared about baseball and the Red Sox) but he never made that next step beyond just a good player. He is a decent hitter (.264/.324/.745 last season) but he does not possess much power (13 HRs and 54 RBIs in 140 games). He is a good defender-a Gold Glove finalist in left field in 2023-that is versatile enough to play all three outfield positions well. Finally, he has a fiery personality and unique style-two distinct elements which are quite lacking in most MLB players these days. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Will Verdugo finally grow up and take the next step in his career with the no fun allowed Yankees? Probably not but it would be so Red Sox for them to bungle this trade with him becoming a better and more consistent player while these three pitchers are never heard from again. The scary part is that Verdugo was one of Boston's top MLB players and the last thing they need is more of a talent drain. Hopefully this is just the start (but I doubt it) for the Red Sox when it comes to making some real moves this winter. Like the Patriots, they have so many issues to address before they can even be considered any type of contender next season and beyond. Good luck, Craig Breslow!</span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-34356147820046282532023-10-12T02:07:00.008-07:002023-10-12T02:18:43.252-07:00The Bruins Began Their 2023-24 Regular Season Campaign With A 3-1 Victory Vs. The Blackhawks<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68q54J8Xw76F39x0Svrk0DRQMMKdLKLq0AT6rCEoiRrqV-bHwFfNi-xuWF7aAJECR45AvWEO1ZtXDnaxtQkashYr6apBKLQUn90lzHSrM8mvFc75ckI6zPW5cERUJwbAGM6dj8XV9jDR8XZL4YFjPUWYQhEjbFACSMmsOrs7lnxeud77tfTEoJHATU5M/s1200/Pasta%20and%20Looch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68q54J8Xw76F39x0Svrk0DRQMMKdLKLq0AT6rCEoiRrqV-bHwFfNi-xuWF7aAJECR45AvWEO1ZtXDnaxtQkashYr6apBKLQUn90lzHSrM8mvFc75ckI6zPW5cERUJwbAGM6dj8XV9jDR8XZL4YFjPUWYQhEjbFACSMmsOrs7lnxeud77tfTEoJHATU5M/w400-h225/Pasta%20and%20Looch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> It seems like only yesterday that the Bruins were choking away a 3-1 series lead and losing another excruciating Game 7 on their home ice, this time to the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs last spring. You cannot blame Boston's fans for having even more PTSD after the Bruins made the best regular season in NHL history nothing but a useless footnote. With that said, it is time to move on with our lives and focus on a new season for the Black and Gold. Additionally, with how terrible the Red Sox and Patriots are these days, we need the B's and the Celtics to be the title contenders that we believe them to be. Tonight, the B's hosted the Blackhawks (1-1-0) at TD Garden and they turned in a solid performance that resulted in a satisfying 3-1 win for the home team. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> The league schedule makers did the Bruins a favor since Chicago had played last night (an unexpected 4-2 triumph in Pittsburgh). The Blackhawks received an early boost by their young phenom and the No. 1 overall pick center Connor Bedard who scored his first career goal at 5:37 of the first period with a nifty wraparound. Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (20 saves) was a little slow to react and the baby-faced 18-year-old Canadian corralled a rebound and quickly twisted around the cage to net what will be the first of likely hundreds of goals in the NHL. Former Bruins Taylor Hall-who later left with an upper body injury following a check from B's defenseman Brandon Carlo-and Ryan Donato (the pride of Harvard) provided the assists on Bedard's historic tally. Chicago's lone lead was brief though as Boston tied it up less than six minutes later. Left wing Trent Frederic deftly tipped in Carlo's shot from the point at 11:22. Rookie center Matthew Poitras picked up the second assist, the first career point for a 19-year-old who burst onto the scene at Boston's training camp and earned himself a surprise spot in the opening lineup. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> It was knotted at 1-1 after the first period but the Bruins slowly started to take over against the understandably tired Blackhawks in the second period. They took a 2-1 lead midway through the frame that served as an early dose of Bruins porn for their always thirsty fans. Old friend and left wing Milan Lucic made his triumphant return to the Garden with a nice backhand assist to right wing David Pastrnak who ripped a low shot past Chicago's backup goalie something named Arvid Soderblom (30 saves) at 13:09. After scoring a career-high 61 goals last season, it is unlikely that Pastrnak will reach that lofty height this time around but as long as he can bag 40+ goals, the Bruins will take it. Boston led 2-1 heading into the third and you had a feeling that Chicago was gassed out. <br /></span><span> Each club was 0-for-3 on the power play so the B's had to wait until the Blackhawks pulled Soderblom for an extra skater to finally put this one to bed. In his first official contest as captain Bruins left wing Brad Marchand won a puck battle along the wall and unselfishly gave up the puck to Pastrnak for an easy empty-net goal at 19:04. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy registered the second assist on David's second goal of the night. Overall, it was a fun game for the B's who saw two of their recent draft picks make their NHL debuts: center John Beecher and right wing Jakub Lauko who teamed up with Lucic on the very effective fourth line.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> Boston will practice for a few days before their next matchup-on Saturday night (7, NESN)- Nashville (0-1-0) pays them a visit. Following that matchup with another Western Conference club, the B's are off to California (San Jose, LA then Anaheim) and a return date with Chicago as their first road trip of this season is four games long. We are a few weeks away from Halloween so the weather is still pretty decent in New England and unless you are a hardcore fan, it is hard to focus on the Bruins this early. However, winter will be here soon enough and the Pats could be the worst team in the NFL so local sports fans need a team to put our unrealistic hopes on. Hello Bruins (and Celtics)! Longtime Bruins centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are now retired plus there is a decent amount of new faces on this roster. Last season was a forceful reminder that the regular season in hockey is mostly useless other than qualifying for the playoffs. Regardless, the NHL postseason does not start for a long time so we need entertainment until then and this likeable group should fill that void very well indeed.</span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-66868605501282461282023-10-04T13:39:00.001-07:002023-10-04T13:39:15.900-07:00With Judon & Gonzalez Likely Out For Rest Of The Season, Bill Belichick Brings Back J.C. Jackson <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUBMSlDj0QSAtxr4L_981uYhDbh47LpDwvX0-KlFe3kAQZ0gwczIOlyWqgThEFhj9rgeaR2Luft0iwtm0XnRICNpOzcsYICXAtUFwO5IiJihRuBQXKMBgLjs81um-IrKWGTqZKphChF8PUdcSW0PBCaIjYbpkcQ34amVTftXpurT25YlzvCs99GcX5fE/s607/Judon.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="607" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUBMSlDj0QSAtxr4L_981uYhDbh47LpDwvX0-KlFe3kAQZ0gwczIOlyWqgThEFhj9rgeaR2Luft0iwtm0XnRICNpOzcsYICXAtUFwO5IiJihRuBQXKMBgLjs81um-IrKWGTqZKphChF8PUdcSW0PBCaIjYbpkcQ34amVTftXpurT25YlzvCs99GcX5fE/w400-h231/Judon.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> By any measure, Sunday's game at Dallas (3-1) could not have gone much worse for New England (1-3) as they got embarrassed 38-3-the worst loss of Bill Belichick's head coaching career-in front of a national TV audience. It was so gross that I did not feel like writing about it afterwards since how many different ways can you get the obvious point across that they suck? The pain from that debacle will last for a long time since the two best players on the Patriots-defensive end Matthew Judon (bicep) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder)-each suffered what seem to be season-ending injuries that will both require surgery. Facing a brutal 1-3 start for the third season in a row, Belichick worked the phone lines and came up with a cornerback that we all know very well: J.C. Jackson. This morning, LA traded Jackson to New England along with a seventh-round pick in 2025 for a sixth-round pick in 2025. Sweetening the deal for Bill is the fact that the dopey Chargers are paying almost all of his salary ($9.33 million) for the rest of the season with the Pats only on the hook for $1.5 million. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Back in the good old days when the Patriots were one of the best teams in the NFL every season (you know, because they had Tom Brady), a move like this would be universally lauded. Instead, this is a frustrating move now for a couple reasons: 1) I understand that New England's defense just lost two standout players but Bill spends way too much time and money on that unit to begin with while he completely ignores the offense. 2) If the Chargers did not pay most of Jackson's money, is there any chance that Belichick would pull the trigger on this deal? Nope, because he loves cheap deals more than actual talent which is totally backwards if you want to win championships. Jackson is still only 27 years old and in his sixth season in the league (4 in New England and 2 in Los Angeles) but he has become the latest poster child for a guy that rightfully cashed in on a career season (he was an All-Pro his last season with the Pats and second in the NFL with 8 INTs) but he has done nothing since then.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWhaVEDfqi69sUyIEwluTWLPvIZHRSFMiSAx_q2mOjuBzToK3Nr33IVn4DCr11_lqhudk9ha3AJ59YRIjYaAl-zDbYh5sJMEsPivbq4RocmiBAVs15issVmg5bPbIKgnL_Vkk2aIysn_W4EnnoBkqLRDmAVuDRAHS2JgFMhJMNhvmje1BML1KicDN0vo/s1296/Jackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1296" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWhaVEDfqi69sUyIEwluTWLPvIZHRSFMiSAx_q2mOjuBzToK3Nr33IVn4DCr11_lqhudk9ha3AJ59YRIjYaAl-zDbYh5sJMEsPivbq4RocmiBAVs15issVmg5bPbIKgnL_Vkk2aIysn_W4EnnoBkqLRDmAVuDRAHS2JgFMhJMNhvmje1BML1KicDN0vo/w400-h225/Jackson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> He ended up only playing seven total games with the Chargers after hurting his knee in Week 7 last season and in Week 3 a few weeks ago, things got so bad that he was a healthy scratch. After accumulating 25 interceptions as a Patriot and becoming an unlikely star who was undrafted out of Maryland, he only snagged one pick with LA. His monster deal in free agency-5 years, $82.5 million-runs through 2026 so you can bet that no matter what, New England will not want to pay that so he will probably be gone from Foxborough once again when this miserable season comes to an end. It is also troublesome that Belichick only appears to be interested in hiring coaches (Bill O'Brien) that he has already worked with or getting players that have previously played for him. If you only surround yourself with familiar faces and players that nobody else wants, how are you supposed to grow and gain new knowledge? </span></span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> For this and many other reasons-quarterback Mac Jones had the worst game of his life against the Cowboys-the Pats are clearly at another pivotal moment in their franchise history. They host the Saints (2-2) on Sunday (1, CBS) at Gillette Stadium. New Orleans' quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is banged up so even if he plays or if goofball Jameis Winston is the starter, this should be a winnable game. However, other than the Jets, it is tough to favor New England against anyone else at the moment. They have so many holes on their roster which was mediocre at best to start the year. Judon was a legitimate Pro Bowler and Gonzalez looked like a steal and an early favorite for the Defensive Rookie of The Year. They are in such rough shape that we all hope that Jackson starts on Sunday after only being back here for a few days. Have you seen fellow cornerback Myles Bryant try to play football? Even if the Patriots win a rock fight against the Saints, it is hard to see them getting the requisite nine or ten wins that it will take to reach the playoffs this season.</span></span></span></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnoeVoRoA9PKX6jQoXrjLPAcru7ABABdI4gwGfIB_COW8qRvOnTyR_TGTZhvZb-2IHnRQZaB3q-S9Fh09we03qSr9K3iOsnGHE7cG2n-CMv_sFNQZ8UzzwHnfKbg5zltGsOP-qudtYoZxpsGwAk5qWu2CH3T9QNH7ZC3wf3q6SRvOcaPG5FWERIft0TM/s1200/Ouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnoeVoRoA9PKX6jQoXrjLPAcru7ABABdI4gwGfIB_COW8qRvOnTyR_TGTZhvZb-2IHnRQZaB3q-S9Fh09we03qSr9K3iOsnGHE7cG2n-CMv_sFNQZ8UzzwHnfKbg5zltGsOP-qudtYoZxpsGwAk5qWu2CH3T9QNH7ZC3wf3q6SRvOcaPG5FWERIft0TM/w400-h266/Ouch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-91461811582203016262023-10-02T03:32:00.000-07:002023-10-02T03:32:04.433-07:00Celts Made Another Major Trade: Robert Williams & Malcolm Brogdon To Portland For Jrue Holiday<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5qCljwgZhGs7i_s8Wr17AllIX6QLO9Hp4rD7lqPCazCbgLzvT8gseAGhm4p4kbqhiD0IfHWiGMQTdkhxxAZfrinoUBbR9IDxtX7F-IFPFC-ntFx7719g4WHDWLDVBtKf_WAf0f4zlg61AzMHpXe5aALZVs8ODgmfn0sbgSv6zPxVIHz76SZw2S8XDeg/s896/Jrue-Holiday.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="896" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5qCljwgZhGs7i_s8Wr17AllIX6QLO9Hp4rD7lqPCazCbgLzvT8gseAGhm4p4kbqhiD0IfHWiGMQTdkhxxAZfrinoUBbR9IDxtX7F-IFPFC-ntFx7719g4WHDWLDVBtKf_WAf0f4zlg61AzMHpXe5aALZVs8ODgmfn0sbgSv6zPxVIHz76SZw2S8XDeg/w400-h224/Jrue-Holiday.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> With training camp starting this week, it was nice to see the Celtics finally show some urgency to win their first NBA title since 2008. After seeing the Bucks acquire superstar point guard Damian Lillard last week, Boston responded by trading center Robert Williams and point guard Malcolm Brogdon to Portland (along with a 2024 and 2029 first round pick) for point guard Jrue Holiday. We have always overrated Williams but for many reasons, I truly do not think that you will miss him all that much unless you love alley oop dunks and highlight reel blocked shots in the regular season. I liked Brogdon very much but Holiday is unquestionably better as a two-time NBA All-Star (including last season) and more importantly, an NBA champion with the Bucks in 2021. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> </span>Williams had always been such a tease as a Celtic, often flashing incredible athleticism and talent but his game never really developed offensively and he is one of the most injury prone players in professional sports. Truthfully, he is a bit of a dinosaur in the league since big men that do not shoot 3-pointers are almost totally extinct. Brogdon was only here for one season but he was a true pro and the Sixth Man of the Year but you knew something would happen when the C's tried to trade for him over the summer to the Clippers while they wanted him to get surgery on his elbow (that severely limited him in the playoffs) but he disagreed. I know that he was close with Jaylen Brown so hopefully this move does not piss off Jaylen too much. Likewise, Time Lord was tight with Jayson Tatum so same deal there. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> More than anything, this aggressive move by the C's proves that Brad Stevens understands that they cannot wait around for the next championship to appear out of the mist. For too long, the franchise has acted like they are the Warriors or the Bulls in the 90s in terms of multiple titles in recent history when they truth is that all they have is two bitter losses in the NBA Finals (in 2011 vs. the Lakers and in 2022 vs. the Warriors) since capturing their 17th title 15 long years ago. As long as they have a healthy Tatum and Brown, they will always be in the mix in the Eastern Conference and for the Finals. You don't win championships because of role players and bench guys but Boston clearly needed to upgrade its roster that was way too thin behind their top two players. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> Besides being a very solid player who averaged 19.3 points per game, 7.4 assists per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 1.2 steals per game in 2022-23, Holiday is an adult. He is 33 years old and married to former USWNT star Lauren Holiday who has battled some serious health issues since she was forced to retire early. Jrue is a good but great shooter (38.4% on 3-pointers and 85.9% free throw percentage) who has famously struggled with his shot in the postseason but you can always count on his outstanding defense, leadership and winning mentality. He won't beat himself and force things searching for his points. This is all to say that both on the floor and in the community, I think that he should be an excellent fit (much like Brogdon was) for the Celtics and someone that is very easy to root for. </span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-41298123156386638142023-09-25T03:29:00.006-07:002023-09-25T22:56:39.079-07:00Thanks To Zach Wilson, The Patriots Win Their 15th (!!!) Straight Game Against The Jets 15-10<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1P1V16UMN5r0QYCzvSSJLcZFDgonhyaNI8bpCj9IdT0G34XzKQfZi8oWPdDd4tJFm3P07GvwwZadaisM6PHVtKl87FeSSZdAPW1xIPv0jYr_BAY4vBipP6q2YxKcXCHm7-YBFPMoFF1dx9NJVr8ATGdmrVFEwUtRwFSpmYGgA4VgSb2HKF3_ZzU6UQs/s1200/Pharaoh%20Brown.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1P1V16UMN5r0QYCzvSSJLcZFDgonhyaNI8bpCj9IdT0G34XzKQfZi8oWPdDd4tJFm3P07GvwwZadaisM6PHVtKl87FeSSZdAPW1xIPv0jYr_BAY4vBipP6q2YxKcXCHm7-YBFPMoFF1dx9NJVr8ATGdmrVFEwUtRwFSpmYGgA4VgSb2HKF3_ZzU6UQs/w400-h266/Pharaoh%20Brown.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> The wins for the Patriots (1-2) this season will probably be few and far between so we have to celebrate them-albeit briefly-no matter how ugly they are, including today's 15-10 tractor pull at MetLife Stadium against the hapless Jets (1-2). In the wind and rain, the Jets' offense was non-existent (171 total yards) while the Patriots never made it into the red zone and missed two field goals. Did I mention that the only touchdowns of the game were scored by New England's third tight end-Pharaoh Brown-and New York's fullback-Nick Bawden? Yeah, it was that kind of extremely forgettable and ugly game just as you knew that it would be but at least the Pats are not 0-3 and talks of firing head coach Bill Belichick will calm down for a few days. New England almost gagged it away too as it came down to the final play: Jets quarterback Zach Wilson's (18-of-36 for 157 yards, 3 sacks) hail mary attempt was knocked down at the goal-line but receiver Randall Cobb dropped the ball that was deflected right to him. Yeesh, never in doubt for the Patriots who have now won 15th straight contests against New York-the longest current streak in the NFL-dating back to 2016. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Other than not losing, it is hard to feel that great about this hollow victory for the Pats since if they faced a competent quarterback, let alone an elite one, we realize that this would have surely resulted in another loss. Instead, thanks to Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury in Week 1, they got to face Wilson who appears on the fast track to being one of the great busts of his generation. What a clown, only the Jets would refuse to sign a veteran QB to help them or at least give backup Tim Boyle a shot. Can he really be worse than Wilson who is the worst starting quarterback in the league (and I am sure that many backups are better than him as well)? By comparison Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (15-for-29, 201 yards, TD) who is the definition of average at this level looks like a future Hall of Famer. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> It is scary that this game was not decided until the final play. Pats rookie kicker Chad Ryland hit two long field goals-from 48 yards in the first quarter and from 51 yards in the third quarter-but he also missed two others after a pair of bad snaps from Joe Cardona. New England's lack of explosive players and chunk plays is pathetic. Brown's 58-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter came solely because New York somehow left him wide open down the seam. Ryland's PAT made it 10-0 and the only thing that saved New York from getting shut out in the first half was a 52-yard field goal by veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein late in the second quarter. </span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span>If you thought that the first half was dull (and boy was it ever!), the second half was even more unwatchable as the lone points came from that Ryland field goal, Bawden's one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and then the requisite safety allowed by Wilson who could not get rid of the ball before Patriots defensive end Matthew Judon sacked him in the end zone. The win gets New England out of the basement of the AFC East although Miami (3-0) and Buffalo (2-1) each looked infinitely better than these sorry clubs this afternoon as the Dolphins beat the Broncos (0-3) 70-20 (yes, that is a real NFL score) and the Bills (2-1) nearly shut out the Commanders (2-1) in DC 37-3. Next Sunday's matchup (4:25, Fox) in Dallas (2-1) looks a little less hopeless as the Cowboys clearly did not take the Cardinals (1-2) seriously in Arizona and paid for it by losing 28-16 in a surprising yet very Dallas like choke job.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> Despite what happened today, the Cowboys still have an excellent defense so it is hard to imagine that the Pats will be able to move the ball and more importantly, score many points against them. Perhaps it will be a revenge game for ex-Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott (16 carries, 80 yards)? You will remember that New England has not even topped 20 points so far this season in their first three games which is a recipe for disaster. They should be a double-digit underdog and it feels like a bounce back spot for Dallas (if they are a true contender) after that no-show. The Pats' only real advantage is Belichick vs. the Cowboys' buffoon head coach Mike McCarthy but that can only get you so far when your roster is not in the same area code in terms of depth and talent. An upset in Dallas would be one of New England's best wins in the post-Tom Brady era but I cannot see it happening in real life unless something truly crazy occurs deep in the heart of Texas at Jerry World. </span><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-52527712366447933022023-09-20T13:08:00.004-07:002023-09-20T17:28:47.625-07:00Left Wing Brad Marchand Is Rightfully Named The 27th Captain In The History Of The Boston Bruins<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcy4l9KtNaLf9cuDvpM6i5b9QxUvMJWC-GxMyzBboMg1Gy39IKBYI1XOgogPTZilQMZOTthujWYOgaEUhwQybjGNk5aHBwISZrwTM8on5GBYZYEsu02VaVjaQTTZEKei0kkxrJIxFBi6b9DZHP7dsonQjTXcgi9D7QGT9y-YU9FMC84r2GuAuzXGvxrF4/s1920/Marchy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcy4l9KtNaLf9cuDvpM6i5b9QxUvMJWC-GxMyzBboMg1Gy39IKBYI1XOgogPTZilQMZOTthujWYOgaEUhwQybjGNk5aHBwISZrwTM8on5GBYZYEsu02VaVjaQTTZEKei0kkxrJIxFBi6b9DZHP7dsonQjTXcgi9D7QGT9y-YU9FMC84r2GuAuzXGvxrF4/w400-h225/Marchy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> Ever since longtime Bruins center and captain Patrice Bergeron officially retired earlier this summer, the obvious question for the team was who would be the next captain of the B's? Fittingly, as training camp opened for Boston this morning at the Warrior Ice Arena in Boston, they unveiled their new captain on social media: left wing Brad Marchand aka Bergy's best friend. Looking back, there really should not have been that much debate on this subject since Brad is the right choice for a number of reasons. Additionally, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and right wing David Pastrnak were named alternate captains for the Bruins ahead of their new era in the 2023-24 season. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Most team sports choose captains but I will always subscribe to hockey being the one where it is a more important distinction than any other (with football being second but slightly deluded since teams have a bunch of captains instead of a singular one based on the huge team size). There is a certain honor and prestige about being named the captain of an NHL club that is different from any other. This is not simply about being the best player (cough cough high school) or the oldest/longest tenured (although Marchy does check both of those boxes too), rather it is a combination of leadership, playing ability, a go-to voice for the media (local and national) and overall professionalism in the community. As you would expect for an Original Six team, Boston has been blessed with so many excellent captains over the years with defenseman Zdeno Chara (2006-20) and Bergeron (2021-23) being the recent exemplary guys to fill that lofty position.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> Marchand's growth as a player and a human being has been something to behold. At the age of 35, it is amazing how far he has come in all ways since being drafted by the Bruins in 2006 (3rd Round, 71st overall). It is hard to believe the same maniac that used to lick opponents, who loved nothing more than a good slew foot or cheap shot and always got fined or suspended a few times per season is now this refined person. Everyone grows up at some point (at least you hope so) and just imagine that you had to do so in the public eye. While I am not sure exactly how the Bruins determined the captaincy-I bet it was due to coach and player input-this was a no-brainer. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> Brad has always been hilarious (like stand-up comic level quality) and he does not shy away from talking after a tough loss but this shows how he has come full circle. He is no longer the scrappy underdog that was happy to play in whatever role as he made an unexpected impact on the 2011 Stanley Cup champions. He is a world class player and this shows how his teammates, coaching staff and front office-the most important people that you work with as a professional athlete-truly think of him. Likewise, being an alternate captain does not carry nearly the same cache as being the captain in hockey but for younger players like McAvoy and Pastrnak, this is a good sign that they are doing the right things behind the scenes coupled with their high level performances on the ice that we can all see for ourselves. Lastly, the lack of racial diversity in the NHL is horrible but at least these three guys are from different countries: Canada (Marchand), United States (McAvoy) & Czech Republic (Pastrnak).</span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-14107100977040904862023-09-18T02:29:00.003-07:002023-09-18T02:34:39.134-07:00Tua Tagovailoa Improves To 5-0 Vs. The Patriots As Miami (2-0) Beats New England (0-2) 24-17<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMKYiOseNwxuFPz9ScvwTxV54YssxYnDVXh7jfP6irRkDylSkLIuzcG521uV5yhgLmnSQAZuUqkw9Jr_1euRT0vffAcZKOM4KKX8j1EVMnRZzre1dMVCHql_GL3TR-8UZ74JVFRkAgQX6JrWFT5LW-5u80BDP1yKAQTLMoNHA0TzIJKwOxrmGegb1oDA/s2560/Tua%20&%20Mac.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMKYiOseNwxuFPz9ScvwTxV54YssxYnDVXh7jfP6irRkDylSkLIuzcG521uV5yhgLmnSQAZuUqkw9Jr_1euRT0vffAcZKOM4KKX8j1EVMnRZzre1dMVCHql_GL3TR-8UZ74JVFRkAgQX6JrWFT5LW-5u80BDP1yKAQTLMoNHA0TzIJKwOxrmGegb1oDA/w400-h225/Tua%20&%20Mac.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> The glory days of the Patriots have long since passed by and now, they are just another middling NFL team trying to figure things out year after year. I am not saying that he cannot coach anymore but New England head coach Bill Belichick sure looks and acts his age plus nobody will be mentioning him as one of the top coaches in the league anymore now that Tom Brady is officially retired and never coming back to play for the Pats. The AFC East used to be a cakewalk when the Patriots were on top and now they are struggling to stay out of the basement. They still cannot find a way to beat Miami (2-0) who came to Gillette Stadium this evening for a Sunday Night Football matchup and left with a 24-17 victory that dropped New England to 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Of course, you will remember that they ended up winning the Super Bowl that season-the start of the dynasty-but needless to say, they will not be anywhere close to this year's Super Bowl, only watching it from home like you and I. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (21-of-30 for 249 yards, TD, INT) is far from one of the top signal-callers in the NFL and yet the Patriots have still never beaten him. The former Alabama star bumped his perfect record to 5-0 vs. Belichick which is tied with former Steelers quarterback Neil O'Donnell for the best individual mark against Bill. Just like last week's opening 25-20 loss to the Eagles (2-0), another slow start doomed the home team. Forget about the fake comeback too since they trailed 17-3 going into the fourth quarter before briefly making it interesting. In the post-Brady years here, the Pats have struggled against good teams and also in close games. If you cannot consistently win in either of those scenarios, you are not a playoff team and you have to wonder how much longer Belichick deserves to be the head coach/GM. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> The other Crimson Tide quarterback-Mac Jones (31-for-42 for 231 yards, TD, INT)-in action in his AFC East showdown did not play as well as he did against Philadelphia but that was also a function of New England's running game really struggling. Mac is not good enough on his own to win games when the rest of his team fails to perform at a high level which is why ultimately, they will never win anything of note with him unless they surround him with a 49ers or Eagles style loaded roster. Miami's kicker Jason Sanders had the only points of the dull first quarter-a 23-yard field goal. Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert (18 carries, 121 yards, 2 TDs) was the player of the game and he ran for an eight-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that coupled with a point after from Sanders made it 10-0. The Patriots barely avoided getting shutout on their home field in the first half as rookie kicker Chad Ryland hit a 49-yard field goal (the first of his pro career) to cut it to 10-3 Fins. Miami marched right down the field though and Tua found wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a two-yard touchdown catch with 11 seconds left in the first half. Sanders' PAT made it 17-3 as the Patriots trailed by 14 points at halftime. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> If you thought that the first quarter was a bore (and oh was it ever!), the third quarter was enough to put anyone but a hardcore Dolphins fan to sleep. Neither team scored in that frame but Jones found his tight end Hunter Henry for a six-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that made it 17-10 Miami after Ryland's point after. Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez-one of their only bright spots so far in 2023-added another play to his personal highlight reel as he picked off Tua for his first career interception. Mostert made it a two-score game yet again though with a 41-yard touchdown run where he was untouched while he sped to the end zone. Sanders' PAT increased Miami's lead to 24-10. New England closed it out with a two-yard touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson and a point after by Ryland that made it 24-17 Dolphins late in the fourth quarter. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span> It is silly to call a game in Week 2 or 3 a must-win, however if tonight was not a must-win (and it probably was because only like 10% of NFL teams that start 0-2 ever reach the playoffs), next week's matchup with the Jets (1-1) at Met Life Stadium (1, CBS) is the true test for whether the Patriots should have any sliver of hope for this doomed season or if they need to begin tanking ASAP (which Bill would never allow so close to Don Shula's win record but you catch my drift). New York had Super Bowl aspirations but as you may have heard, Aaron Rodgers tore his Achille's in his fourth play as a Jet, leaving them with Zach Wilson (maybe the worst QB in the NFL) as their starter. He threw three interceptions as New York got blown out 30-10 in Dallas (2-0) this afternoon. The Jets have tons of talent all over the field-unlike the Patriots-but if Belichick and his team cannot beat Wilson then major yikes. </span></span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-87845558401727228432023-09-14T14:11:00.004-07:002023-09-14T14:14:43.663-07:00With Nothing Left To Play For In '23, Red Sox Get A Jump On The Offseason By Firing Chaim Bloom<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm8VsTDPHx_11wCrCfVfTIM0Uxy_r_LTA3Uj-LfgqmpZDtqigSyIS2Pc_xi7SzGrU1kIMN1tTIPq2zpPgiL8rTq9IiLMQWKgPV6j6NQvwLaMe1jrC3mcXfhCWiNV9507WS3LZMws6Rkp0khgOFE4xCgEkFO8F68Z9MeWqqxZzSXPCebW1A2g647-FJV4/s1024/Bloom.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm8VsTDPHx_11wCrCfVfTIM0Uxy_r_LTA3Uj-LfgqmpZDtqigSyIS2Pc_xi7SzGrU1kIMN1tTIPq2zpPgiL8rTq9IiLMQWKgPV6j6NQvwLaMe1jrC3mcXfhCWiNV9507WS3LZMws6Rkp0khgOFE4xCgEkFO8F68Z9MeWqqxZzSXPCebW1A2g647-FJV4/w400-h266/Bloom.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> On the precipice of possibly their third last-place finish in the past four seasons and with playoff baseball only a memory, the Red Sox (74-72) had no other choice this afternoon than to fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. Other than 2021's improbable run to the ALCS (where they fell to Houston in six games), Bloom has done his best to steer this once proud franchise straight into the ground. Of course, this mess was never all his fault since principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Sam Kennedy need to show much more dedication to putting a winning product on the baseball diamond instead of focusing most of their time and efforts (and hefty bank accounts) on other sports ventures. Still, what a disappointment and fraud that Bloom turned out to be: he worked in Tampa Bay for 15 years but never in a huge role so it should not have been a surprise that he was not built for this lofty position.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> We were told that Bloom was one of if not the best nerd in MLB and that could not be further from the truth. Sure, he went to Yale but all he seems to care about is building a farm system while results with the major league team were secondary and not all that important. Ironically, Boston's minor league teams are not in much better shape than they were before Bloom. Did he ever realize that the Red Sox are in one of the biggest markets (and few places that still cares about baseball) and not in Tampa where nobody pays attention or cares so you can be an anonymous robot lurking in the shadows and basically playing fantasy baseball with your dweeby buddies? <i>Baseball America</i> rankings mean nothing in the real world but don't tell that to Bloom and his pals.<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> No matter who is the next nerd to replace Bloom-and get over it, MLB is riddled with dorks in powerful spots-Boston will never get back to being a perennial power without the owners buying in once again. It is empty talk at press conferences when people like Kennedy go on about how winning the World Series is important, the fans deserve this or that, blah blah blah. Sports fans in New England are not stupid and all you needed to see this week were Red Sox-Yankees (73-73) tickets going for $1 as the former best rivalry in baseball is relegated to a complete afterthought. Did I mention that the stands have been mostly empty this week for these games? Nevermind that Monday and Wednesday's contests were both rained out so there were doubleheaders on Tuesday and today but could you have ever imagined that it would come to this? </span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> Looking around MLB, it is quite possible to win at the Major League level and also produce top talent that can both help you win said games while simultaneously helping to acquire the needed pieces to win a World Series title. Just ask the Dodgers (88-57), Braves (96-50) and Astros (83-64) who have been able to do both things at the same time, what a concept! There is no salary cap in MLB so it is imperative that the Red Sox owners remember that and use their financial advantages to get back on top. </span></span></span></span>Ben Cherington, Dave Dombrowski and Bloom all basically got the same amount of time before they were fired from the Red Sox. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> </span>Regardless of who gets this very important job next, the bottom line is that Boston has to have a clear and focused plan starting from the top. Too often in recent years, they appear reactionary instead of trusting their decision makers and most importantly, backing them up with blank checks. Finally, Boston manager Alex Cora won his death match with Bloom and he might actually be the rare guy who survives a regime change. Typically, a new GM or chief baseball officer will handpick their own manager so we will have to wait and see if Cora makes it much longer than his buddy Chaim. </div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-42306130005364980572023-09-11T04:01:00.005-07:002023-09-11T04:01:57.833-07:00Moral Victory Crew (Pats) Lose Third Straight Opener-25-20-To Eagles With TB12 At Gillette<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DrewZ8DVk_CjFqTHeYvvNJvc8KZ6bivlN-651b4BjywSP4_2i535VdAw9Jts_cvw56sGgDERzjb6Y05X_cEC7mGw3bry3wt3snE4Xl4gr4jjBiu4DJDfM3Z_d-JtMCWyp5953ZrjcRoMpx19-IocUKBgfACbtQPE33T7PEL4bPcUeQvGd2NOxMTTj8Y/s1200/KB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DrewZ8DVk_CjFqTHeYvvNJvc8KZ6bivlN-651b4BjywSP4_2i535VdAw9Jts_cvw56sGgDERzjb6Y05X_cEC7mGw3bry3wt3snE4Xl4gr4jjBiu4DJDfM3Z_d-JtMCWyp5953ZrjcRoMpx19-IocUKBgfACbtQPE33T7PEL4bPcUeQvGd2NOxMTTj8Y/w400-h266/KB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> Like any reasonable person, my expectations for the Patriots are very low entering the 2023 season. They look far more destined for last place in the loaded AFC East (the toughest division in football?) instead of a much needed return to the playoffs. This afternoon at rainy Gillette Stadium, they put forth a decent effort but predictably fell short against the more talented and deeper Eagles 25-20. The fact that Tom Brady was in the building for a halftime ceremony only underlined the main point: this team is far away from their glory days and sadly, they do not appear to be getting any closer to the level of say a team like Philadelphia which lost in last season's Super Bowl to Kansas City. Sure, New England's new/old offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is a marked improvement over head coach Bill Belichick's lackey Matt Patricia but it is tough to win when you spot a quality opponent a 16-0 lead in the first quarter. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> It got better from there as the Pats cut it to 16-14 Eagles at halftime and they were down 25-20 late in the fourth quarter with multiple chances to steal a victory but they could not take advantage of Philly actively trying to give the game away to them. Just like in the past few years, New England is better at finding ways to lose and/or beat themselves rather than winning like they used to quite often when Brady was a Patriot. It is undoubtedly a huge season (his 3rd in the NFL) for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (35-of-54 for 316 yards, 3 TDs, INT) as the team can fully assess if he is a true franchise quarterback or just an average player that is inherently replaceable. On paper, his numbers looked very solid but the interception was a pick-6 by Philly's star cornerback Darius Slay that went for 70 yards and gave the Eagles an early 10-0 lead. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> We worry about New England's lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball these days, they have nothing close to Philly's excellent wide receiver duo of A.J. Brown (7 catches, 79 yards) and DeVonta Smith (7 catches, 47 yards, TD). Pats receiver Kendrick Bourne (6 catches, 64 yards, 2 TDs) did flash his ability that was largely stapled to the sideline (for whatever goofy reason) last season. While he is not a true No. 1 WR, he has good chemistry with Jones which should mean something. New England figures to be a solid running team but they are not going to beat many teams when they combine for a pedestrian 76 yards rushing like they did today. In his Patriots debut, Ezekiel Elliott (7 carries, 29 yards; 5 catches, 14 yards) had a costly fumble that directly led to Smith's five-yard TD catch from Eagles star quarterback (and Mac's old buddy from Alabama) Jalen Hurts (22-of-33 for 170 yards, TD; 9 carries, 37 yards rushing) that made it 16-0 Eagles (Jake Elliott missed the PAT after earlier hitting a 32-yard field goal). If New England is going to be any good in 2023, they need another huge campaign from running back Rhamondre Stevenson and his outing today could best be described as uneven: he was completely bottled up running the ball (12 carries, 25 yards rushing) but he somewhat made up for that with six catches for 64 yards which included New England's longest play of the day-a 32-yard catch and run that was all thanks to his elusiveness and speed in the open field.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span>Pats tight end-and newly elected captain-Hunter Henry finally got them some points with his nine-yard touchdown catch from Jones late in the first half. Rookie kicker Chad Ryland added the point after for his first career point in the NFL. New England got the ball back before halftime and cashed in with Jones' best throw of the day: a 19-yard dart to Bourne in the end zone that coupled with Ryland's second PAT cut it to 16-14 Philadelphia at the break. Elliott is one of the best kickers in the league and he showed off that ability with a 56-yard field goal in the third quarter followed by 48 (off the goal post and in) and 51-yard kicks in the fourth quarter which put the Eagles back in front by two scores (25-14). Bourne once again answered the call with another clutch snag-an 11-yard touchdown catch where he got his feet down inbounds in the back of the end zone. The Pats went for two points and appeared to convert it when Mac ran it in but that was of course called back for holding. Their second shot at it obviously ended with an incomplete pass. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> Safety Jabrill Peppers gave the Pats a chance to win it late in the fourth quarter when he forced a fumble by Hurts that was recovered by cornerback Marcus Jones. New England turned it over on downs on that drive but they surprisingly got one final chance to win it after Philly made the stupid decision to throw it (incomplete) on 4th-and-2 from midfield. Mac's arm will never be elite and that really shows up in tight contests like this where he cannot complete throws that top level NFL quarterbacks have to be able to routinely make. He is also not nearly athletic enough like a Hurts to make up for that glaring weakness. Being smart, tough and a a good teammate only gets you so far at the toughest position in sports. On the bright side, New England's first round pick this past spring-cornerback Christian Gonzalez looked very legit in his first NFL game. He had five tackles, two assists, a sack (!!!) and a pass deflected. Most importantly, he bounced back from a few mistakes and did not shy away from competing against some of the best receivers in the league. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span> Things do not get any easier for the Pats though as they host the Dolphins (1-0) back at Gillette Stadium for Sunday Night Football (8:20, NBC). Miami beat the Chargers (0-1) 36-34 in a track meet this afternoon on the West Coast. Mac faces another Crimson Tide pal Tua Tagovailoa (466 passing yards, 3 TDs) who went crazy against LA along with his top target-wide receiver Tyreek Hill (11 catches, 215 yards, 2 TDs) who is still probably the most explosive wideout in the NFL. Tua has missed plenty of time in his young pro career due to injuries but he has never lost to the Patriots and Miami is expected to be a playoff team again-if he can finally stay healthy-this season. Regardless of who they have played, an 0-2 start for New England would be pretty grim since both of those games were at home where you have to find a way to win at least one of them.</span></span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-91787584529828408042023-08-15T10:59:00.003-07:002023-08-15T11:02:16.509-07:00The Pats Finally Signed A Running Back-Former Cowboys Star Ezekiel Elliott-To A One-Year Deal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD6rT6wl5H1gIfubsIFHvSyPypcuCJyJ2Z4EzdSkPa9da7XTq4UkZLbGDmijlkVOHTaqboUCsy2Fn5WgW9jOvB-g5NXv8CC_OItyYLAu9Pbn5WpLVeI0BVWBZiqysXfKnyLOq2stW_Sbsm-a_xj_VqVQmaDga9r6Zzz-g0dwMMSiDEDyENLx-1K2k_U8/s2906/Zeke.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1635" data-original-width="2906" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD6rT6wl5H1gIfubsIFHvSyPypcuCJyJ2Z4EzdSkPa9da7XTq4UkZLbGDmijlkVOHTaqboUCsy2Fn5WgW9jOvB-g5NXv8CC_OItyYLAu9Pbn5WpLVeI0BVWBZiqysXfKnyLOq2stW_Sbsm-a_xj_VqVQmaDga9r6Zzz-g0dwMMSiDEDyENLx-1K2k_U8/w400-h225/Zeke.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> For a team that is desperate to get a little juice heading into what looks like another blah regular season, the Patriots at least made things a little more interesting yesterday as reports surfaced that they were signing former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year deal. After showing some interest earlier this summer in the other veteran free agent running backs worth mentioning-Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette-New England settled on Zeke who can earn up to six million dollars in 2023 ($3 million base salary, $1 million signing bonus and up to $2 million via incentives). The Pats already have many other pressing issues-offensive line, wide receiver, quarterback, cornerbacks, etc-but as a backup running back behind their top offensive weapon-Rhamondre Stevenson-Elliott should prove to be valuable assuming that he is not a clown (which can be a challenge for him). </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> In seven seasons with Dallas, Elliott was very good for the most part after he was drafted fourth overall out of Ohio State in 2016. He made the Pro Bowl three times and was an All-Pro once with four 1000-yard rushing seasons including a career-high 1631 in his rookie season. He has also scored 10+ rushing touchdowns in four seasons which was topped by 15 in that incredible rookie campaign. Ezekiel is known for his excellent pass-blocking (something that figures to be much needed with the Patriots' terrible offensive line) but he has shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well with 32+ catches in five of his seven seasons. We all know that 30-years-old is the magic age when NFL running backs are grounded into dust and Zeke just turned 28 a few weeks ago. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> So why was he available this deep into the preseason? Dallas released him way back in March and he is coming off of easily his worst pro season: 231 carries, 876 rushing yards (3.8 yards per carry), 12 rushing TDs; 17 catches, 92 receiving yards. The Cowboys have running back Tony Pollard who despite the fact that he is coming off a serious knee injury from last season, the fact is that he is younger and better than Elliott at this time in their respective careers. The only other running backs that the Patriots currently employ are the very uninspiring group of Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery and J.J. Taylor. For that reason alone, signing Elliott or one of the other veterans that I noted was a no-brainer. </span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> Fournette was said to be out of shape at his workout with the Pats and you knew that Cook would get the most money since he is the best player of the trio so that is why Elliott signed his contract today and is flying to Green Bay to meet his new team ahead of their joint practices this week and preseason game with the Packers on Saturday night. A few hours after the Elliott news broke yesterday, Cook signed a one-year contract worth up to $8.6 million with the Jets. That seemed like a foregone conclusion from a few weeks ago when Cook made a very public visit to New York's training camp. It is hard not to think that Dalvin chose the Jets over the Patriots since the team in New York is way closer to a championship contender than the one in Foxborough. That is the sad reality of the Elliott signing: it is only a temporary band-aid to make us forget about all the other major holes on this average roster that has all the makings of an 7-10 or 8-9 team. </span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-55988247625856480652023-08-14T14:13:00.001-07:002023-08-14T20:36:30.776-07:00Another Outstanding Bruin Calls It Quits As Center David Krejci Retires After 16 Seasons With Boston<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2THLFSrSmhzmIlPovaDErHYq5yfL-m7BMg4A00N5UvWmwckqmWclJFwoGdkFwI6yTMFDT5ACB_J5pSOnAtBb4bPfodwvEQTs4Cy58M3f585i_JDtRIH-KhtrtwzyT65BXXsZOuWXiLhjb4ztuYPJi270UOaIGudt_59PPYUcXIiHgRZgYH6823HvIDbY/s1400/Krej.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2THLFSrSmhzmIlPovaDErHYq5yfL-m7BMg4A00N5UvWmwckqmWclJFwoGdkFwI6yTMFDT5ACB_J5pSOnAtBb4bPfodwvEQTs4Cy58M3f585i_JDtRIH-KhtrtwzyT65BXXsZOuWXiLhjb4ztuYPJi270UOaIGudt_59PPYUcXIiHgRZgYH6823HvIDbY/w400-h300/Krej.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> For whatever weird reason, it will not get nearly the same amount of fanfare that captain Patrice Bergeron retiring did but the news this morning that fellow Bruins center David Krejci is also hanging up his skates after 16 great seasons with Boston is undoubtedly another big moment in the franchise's long history. Like Bergy, Krech only ever played for the B's in the NHL and he was a 2011 Stanley Cup champion along with a member of the teams that fell just short in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals vs. Chicago and in 2019 vs. St. Louis. Bergeron is a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame and while Krejci probably will not reach that pinnacle, he is a no-brainer to have his number in the rafters at TD Garden which is no small feat given all the excellent players that have competed for the Bruins over the years. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> </span>After going back to his homeland (Czech Republic) for one season during the pandemic to be around his extended family more, Krejci returned last season for one last go-around with the Bruins. Ever reliable, David totaled 786 career points (231 goals, 555 assists) and was plus-166 (!!!!) with 203 power play points (54 goals, 149 assists) in a whopping 1032 regular season games but what separated him in my eyes was the way that he usually seemed to take his game to the next level in the postseason. </span>If you like clutch players in modern Bruins history (and who does not?), the soft-spoken and unassuming Krejci was likely one of your favorites. In 160 career Stanley Cup playoff games, he had 128 points (43 goals, 85 assists) and he was plus-20 with 37 power play points (13 goals, 24 assists). In addition to that, he twice led the NHL in playoff scoring including in 2011 when he put up 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) on the way to the Cup and in 2013 when he was arguably even better with 26 points (9 goals, 17 assists) in three less contests (22). Krejci was never flashy and especially early in his career, he drove Boston fans crazy when he did not shoot the puck enough in their learned eyes but we came to love him very much in due time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> I will remember David for his underrated toughness and dependability as well. He was not the biggest or the most physical guy but he managed to suit up in so many games despite battling the typical injuries that accumulate during a normal NHL season. He twice played in 82 games, once in 81, once in 80 and three other times in 75+ games. That speaks to a person that truly loved his craft and took a certain pride in being available as much as he could. In addition to all that, he is one of the best players in the history of the Czech Republic which is a solid hockey country in Europe. When B's star right wing David Pastrnak came to Boston, getting the opportunity to play with Krejci was a dream come true since Krech had been one of his hockey idols growing up as a young Czech. How cool this past season that those two teamed up with their fellow countryman Pavel Zacha (at left wing) for an All-Czech second forward line. Not just a novelty, it was often Boston's most effective line and it had to have helped that they could all speak another language to each other while they were on the ice together. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> Not to be a downer (however it is my blog so I will say what I want to!) but this is yet another sobering reminder that only a few players remain on the Bruins (or in the NHL for that matter) that were part of their last championship team in 2011: left wing Brad Marchand (who should be Boston's next captain) and left wing Milan Lucic who has been on a bunch of other teams before re-signing here earlier this summer on a cheap one-year deal. To paraphrase former Celtics head coach Rick Pitino, "Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas are not walking through that door fans, and if they do, they will be old and grey." Indeed, 12 years is a long time between titles for a proud Original Six club. Let's hope that the B's do not become a pathetic club like the Canadiens who last won a Cup in 1993 but still hopelessly cling to that since they have done very little that notable since then. Reliving past glory is fine in small doses but it is time for the Black and Gold to add some new positive chapters to their overall spotty resume.</span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-32175312199112235312023-07-25T18:21:00.001-07:002023-07-25T18:21:21.168-07:00Trade Season Starts For The Red Sox As Enrique Hernandez Gets Flipped Back To The Dodgers<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfzrDVXg-Ja0xQKDeZj5xomV_eg4LoVaWB7wjWvFV02l5nLKIVI9j3E1N7WXbnrdweD1TZ3YWJox1uFy6lgRqxQm3cfMySUAiyINpZu7_LhVEE9m_W_amHBJLwFVwSmQdyJkTNT8PjGgPod9e8AklQBfYuQ6JJhfGq9GIr4Ybe4jo5iJJ4uJSh14A600/s1200/Kike.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfzrDVXg-Ja0xQKDeZj5xomV_eg4LoVaWB7wjWvFV02l5nLKIVI9j3E1N7WXbnrdweD1TZ3YWJox1uFy6lgRqxQm3cfMySUAiyINpZu7_LhVEE9m_W_amHBJLwFVwSmQdyJkTNT8PjGgPod9e8AklQBfYuQ6JJhfGq9GIr4Ybe4jo5iJJ4uJSh14A600/w400-h225/Kike.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> There is a week left before the MLB Trade Deadline (August 1) so it was about time that Red Sox chief baseball officer (the nerdiest title of all-time) Chaim Bloom logged off his computer for a minute and made an actual baseball trade. This afternoon's move was not a blockbuster by any means but at least it was something as Boston (53-47 overall) sent utilityman Kike Hernandez back to where he came from-the Dodgers (57-42)-for a pair of minor league pitchers (Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson) and $2.5 million cash considerations. Hernandez played six seasons in LA before playing 2.5 seasons here in Boston. This reunion had been rumored since last week and with infielder Pablo Reyes activated yesterday plus shortstop Trevor Story expected to make his season debut shortly, Hernandez was the odd man out. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> </span>Besides a crazy heater during the 2021 postseason, Kike's Red Sox stay was pretty forgettable. He began this season as Boston's starting shortstop but that was a complete disaster as he made 14 errors and eventually lost the job in mid-June. He is a good defensive outfielder but there was not really a place for him there in this current Red Sox roster and his offense had also gone off of a cliff (.222/.279/.320) with six home runs and 31 RBIs. Red Sox manager and fellow Puerto Rican Alex Cora is a big fan of Hernandez but I am sure that Kike will be happy to return to LA where he still owns a home. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> It is doubtful that he will get a ton of playing time with the loaded Dodgers who are still one of the top teams in baseball but that is where he won a World Series title in 2020 and there are still a bunch of teammates from that time that he is probably close to. Now we wait to see if Bloom will invest further in this up-and-down team with more substantial moves or if he stays with his usual middling trades like this. I certainly do not believe in this group who entered tonight's series opener vs. Atlanta (64-34 overall) 2.5 games behind Toronto (56-45 overall) for the third and final AL Wild Card. However, the third AL Wild Card winner will likely face the AL Central winner which figures to be the Twins (54-48 overall) or Guardians (49-51 overall)-two similarly mediocre teams to the Red Sox. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> The bottom line is that this is a huge MLB Trade Deadline and regular season for Bloom who is in his fourth season here. If the Red Sox do not make the playoffs, he should be fired. Enough of running a big market team like they are the Rays (61-42 overall). The last time I checked, Tampa Bay has never won a World Series title so who cares that they can win a bunch of meaningless regular season games on a tiny budget. Boston should be in the mix for Shohei Ohtani and every other star player that is available via trade this next week or in free agency over the winter. If the past is any indication though, Bloom is too infatuated with his own prospects-many of whom will never amount to anything, that is just a fact in baseball-to make any notable transactions. Boston is one of the few good baseball markets left in the U.S. but with so little star power on the Red Sox, it has been very hard to get into the club for most of Bloom's tenure except for the (lucky?) 2021 campaign. We all deserve a better product on the field than this and a better baseball decisionmaker than him.</span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-84305019242765959222023-07-25T14:30:00.003-07:002023-07-25T17:29:07.031-07:00It Took Way Too Long But The C's & Jaylen Brown Finally Agreed To A Supermax Deal (5 Yrs, $304M)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUGcOhtTeHuTp7BUAtg888o3DBQ8VARVEVszFW3DbpX5AdPF1pau6oocOd9agVUrp980OsuXKGcyGdRtz23Qf2rDD6oqNUZgUD7y7KghXCFOwLbgNBkI11ZoF1xpBJtMjhNVNjHs6uWuz1m9w3Fc259flZe7yTtJtf9MGjkM_jnXeNFPb3oXJjvQfYF0/s1024/Jaylen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUGcOhtTeHuTp7BUAtg888o3DBQ8VARVEVszFW3DbpX5AdPF1pau6oocOd9agVUrp980OsuXKGcyGdRtz23Qf2rDD6oqNUZgUD7y7KghXCFOwLbgNBkI11ZoF1xpBJtMjhNVNjHs6uWuz1m9w3Fc259flZe7yTtJtf9MGjkM_jnXeNFPb3oXJjvQfYF0/w400-h225/Jaylen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> After nearly a month of waiting, the Celtics and their star swingman Jaylen Brown mercifully agreed to a supermax contract extension (5 years, $304 million) through the 2028-2029 season that temporarily makes him the highest paid player in NBA history. Putting aside that absurd amount of money-and keep in mind it's not my money or your money-do not get too hung up on him being the richest guy since it will not last for long. When you are in a market like Boston, free agents in basketball are not exactly falling over themselves to come here anymore so when there is a very talented younger guy on your current roster (warts and all), you have to do your best to retain him. Granted, superstar swingman Jayson Tatum is better than Brown-any argument about that ended in the 2023 playoffs-but they are still one of the best duos in the league, last postseason not withstanding. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Brown is a two-time All-Star and he is coming off the best regular season in his career when he averaged 26.6 points per game which led to him being named to the All-NBA second team for the first time (which enabled him to be eligible for the supermax). Jaylen's awful performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Miami two months ago left a poor taste in all of our mouths but he is still only 26 years old even though he has played seven seasons with the C's (drafted No. 3 overall in 2016 after one season at Cal). Boston will never be Miami or Los Angeles which for many reasons are the preferred type of destinations for most NBA stars these days. It sucks but that is the reality that we are left to deal with. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> Tatum and Brown have an interesting relationship since they are not best friends by any means but they do not seem to hate each other either. More importantly, they play pretty similar positions and styles of games so can Boston win a championship with them as their top two players? That is what we have to bank on since what is the better (and more realistic) option? The Celts have made the playoffs in every year of Brown's career including the NBA Finals in 2022 and three Eastern Conference Finals so an optimist would say that they are knocking on the door of a title while a pessimist worries that they could be basketball's version of the Buffalo Bills in the 90s. </span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> I have always been a major Brown fan for what he stood for off the court and the important work that he does there </span></span></span></span>(minus the wacko Covid beliefs and following Kyrie Irving's madness) so I am happy that at least he will be here for the next few seasons. It would be silly to trade him after one poor postseason since Boston would never get the proper return. If he can just improve his terrible handle a little bit, Brown can be an even better player. There is no doubt that Tatum's ceiling is higher but every great NBA player needs a sidekick (just ask Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray on the Nuggets) and in a perfect world, Brown will smartly accept that role and realize that he and Tatum need each other if a title(s) is what they care about most at the end of the day.</div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-69052288262037021622023-07-25T13:43:00.003-07:002023-07-25T13:51:01.661-07:00After Another Summer Of Uncertainty, Patrice Bergeron Officially Retires From The B's & The NHL<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHczEyf9QfllC5mGXxA5Z0WxyA_2gh-Oxi-EsWPAw_BVJKFTcCwH7iLc6tWx4j-gXcM7Uajw1QSDM6TNXjV1zFcd0A_5ECrJEVQwDAT_DNfyrKwAF6eC2YKhxiB6W3OlX_ImaYoLZhE4zEngHa9CaZOS--pGNYH70-wEEG1urADrW7p3zBd1WzFABfA1Q/s400/Bergy.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHczEyf9QfllC5mGXxA5Z0WxyA_2gh-Oxi-EsWPAw_BVJKFTcCwH7iLc6tWx4j-gXcM7Uajw1QSDM6TNXjV1zFcd0A_5ECrJEVQwDAT_DNfyrKwAF6eC2YKhxiB6W3OlX_ImaYoLZhE4zEngHa9CaZOS--pGNYH70-wEEG1urADrW7p3zBd1WzFABfA1Q/w268-h400/Bergy.webp" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> One of the greatest players in Bruins history and an all but certain future Hockey Hall of Famer retired today. Boston's captain and first line center Patrice Bergeron made it official after 19 seasons wearing the spoked B. He will leave an enormous legacy both in terms of his brilliant play on the ice where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011, two gold medals with Team Canada and six Selke Trophies (given to the league's top defensive forward) and off the ice where he was a consummate pro when it came to charity work and all the things that he did for the community that went above and beyond the norm. In a sport that is filled with selfless, team-first guys, he took it to another level. They say you should not meet your idols because you will be disappointed but it is hard to remember a time when Bergy said or did the wrong thing, in a hockey game or in the real world. For that and many reasons, he is sure to leave a void that is impossible for the B's to ultimately fill. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> If you feel like you grew up with Patrice, you did if you are in a certain age bracket (he turned 38 yesterday). He was a second round draft pick in 2003 (45th overall) who barely played in the minors before he appeared in 71 games with Boston that season. In 1294 career regular season games, he piled up 427 goals, 613 assists and he was plus-289 with 131 power play goals, 195 power play assists, 22 shorthanded goals, 26 shorthanded assists, 81 game-winning goals and nine overtime goals in addition to winning 57.9% of his face-offs. When you look back at his career, you will probably remember his postseason heroics most fondly: 50 goals, 78 assists and plus-42 with 17 power play goals, 21 power play assists, three shorthanded goals, a shorthanded assist, 10 game-winning goals and four overtime goals (including famously in Game 7 vs. Toronto in the 2013 first round) in 170 playoff games.</span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> In both the short term and the long term, there are many issues that the B's will need to resolve. Yes, they have plenty of talent left on the roster that set the NHL record for regular points last season (then choked in the first round of the playoffs vs. Florida) but who will be their next captain? For my money, I hope that Bergy's best friend and left wing Brad Marchand is the next captain of the team based on his winning experience and sneaky leadership ability that has developed over the years. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy would also be a fine pick if they wanted someone younger and that figures to be around for much longer than Marchy. It is doubtful that anybody else on the Bruins garners the same universal respect that Bergeron did from coaches, teammates, support staff, front office, the media and fans along with other players and coaches from around the league. </span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> After Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque, you could argue that Patrice is the third best Bruin of all-time which is something to say since the franchise has such a long and proud history. You better believe that the team will retire his #37 jersey ASAP into the cramped TD Garden rafters. Furthermore, he figures to be a first ballot Hockey Hall of Famer in Toronto. He is one of those rare players that we will remember forever and talk about in a positive light for as long as we are on this Earth. There are very few people let alone superstar pro athletes that are wired like Patrice Bergeron these days. He is a special guy along with a phenomenal player and considering all the scary injuries that he suffered during his career (multiple concussions), I am happy that he got to go out on his own terms. Other than retiring on top with a Cup, that is really all he could ask for after an incredible career spent solely with one Original Six club-another thing that rarely occurs anymore.</span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-26273518673686397892023-07-06T01:11:00.003-07:002023-07-06T01:15:14.066-07:00C's Let Another Big Personality Leave As Grant Williams Goes To Dallas In A Sign-And-Trade<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8YgRvUHxfXk9qctRO7DDPMLA2tndUcVowV6k1tlk-4oJs03lkPjFpr06TKs5xDiWdqCk49xsdqvBcD0V8pWHUuUVhpEyRUr3DbQI1Qz7yiv5EaB4t2Ib4ga5ogE35Zgc0St-CF0qx9rifQKcH5iSWaWwG-YaWZ6JFU_4hQWvv6_sAEGYoERev07W2NM/s4480/Grant%20Williams.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2986" data-original-width="4480" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8YgRvUHxfXk9qctRO7DDPMLA2tndUcVowV6k1tlk-4oJs03lkPjFpr06TKs5xDiWdqCk49xsdqvBcD0V8pWHUuUVhpEyRUr3DbQI1Qz7yiv5EaB4t2Ib4ga5ogE35Zgc0St-CF0qx9rifQKcH5iSWaWwG-YaWZ6JFU_4hQWvv6_sAEGYoERev07W2NM/w400-h266/Grant%20Williams.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> If you watched the Celtics over these past few seasons, the amount of endless talking to the referees, opponents and coaches was frankly exhausting. After shipping Marcus Smart-who was the worst offender of that nonsense-to Memphis a few weeks back, Boston followed that up by having mouthy forward Grant Williams go to the Mavericks in a three-team sign-and-trade deal which will give the restricted free agent what he wanted: a four-year deal worth $53 million. San Antonio receives forward Reggie Bullock from Dallas as well as an unprotected first-round pick swap in 2030 with the Mavericks. Dallas and the Celts will both receive two second-round picks and Boston also gets a $6.2 million trade exception. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> This deal took awhile to come together since from all that we heard-Boston wanting a first-round pick for Williams-never seemed to materialize. The former first-round pick (22nd overall) of the Celtics in 2019 is a solid role player who will likely never be more than that in the NBA. His scoring and rebounding averages went up all four years in Boston though, culminating with 8.1 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game in 2022-23. He is also a good three-point shooter (37.9% for his career with a high of 41.1% in the 2021-22 season). Head coach Joe Mazzulla began this past postseason by burying Grant which was a mistake since he had been a valuable part of head coach Ime Udoka's rotation the previous season when they reached the NBA Finals with Williams averaging 8.6 points per game in the playoffs. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> I appreciated Williams' toughness, he was very dependable-appearing in 77 regular season games then 79 regular season games in the past two seasons-and he was not afraid to take on much bigger guys. He will always be remembered for talking trash to Heat star Jimmy Butler in the Eastern Conference Finals a few months ago which did not end so well but at least he showed a pulse which could not be said for most of his teammates. With that said, like Smart this seemed to be another Celtic who was completely delusional as to how important he truly was to the team. Couple that with the non-stop talking (and you can only imagine what he was like in the locker room, on the planes, buses, etc) and you can see how the Celts were probably ready to move on from him.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> This also shows (as if there was any remaining doubt), that Boston is putting all the onus on its two stars-Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown-to take over the main leadership roles on this team moving forward. Subtracting Smart and Williams from the equation means that there will be two less loud voices and big personalities to have to constantly deal with. Additionally, this frees up some money that can hopefully go towards that infamous supermax extension that Brown is eligible for but has not gotten yet from the C's. We wish Grant well in Dallas, Luka Doncic should be awesome to play with but good luck dealing with Kyrie Irving. </span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-32138142991905797402023-07-03T00:07:00.005-07:002023-07-03T00:18:10.041-07:00The Bruins' Start To Free Agency This Weekend Has Been Underwhelming To Say The Least <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7bn9kBfTMLHpIsvL-0eWTsA3bg77dgspwyEaJmTeZoYoYXGXIPh8n8LXrZ1CJI3I9ONuuwtUVMbJHY6_vLR9bQCVwuia84F2qI3SNTA75ruNDxw8NGS-WqcyGAnBThYxKAH7eUf1r1IYc5SJtk95olW8ErljTMFszmRNgVO0g_l5DLs8ZA7ReCuzvYQ/s800/Looch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7bn9kBfTMLHpIsvL-0eWTsA3bg77dgspwyEaJmTeZoYoYXGXIPh8n8LXrZ1CJI3I9ONuuwtUVMbJHY6_vLR9bQCVwuia84F2qI3SNTA75ruNDxw8NGS-WqcyGAnBThYxKAH7eUf1r1IYc5SJtk95olW8ErljTMFszmRNgVO0g_l5DLs8ZA7ReCuzvYQ/w266-h400/Looch.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> If you were expecting fireworks (sorry for the tired holiday cliche-it is July 3rd you know!) from the Bruins this weekend, you have no doubt been very disappointed as they entered free agency with a whisper rather than a loud pop. We knew that GM Don Sweeney did not have much money to spend-even after the Taylor Hall trade earlier in the week-but it was a tough pill to swallow to see the three valuable guys that they obtained before the trade deadline last season all quickly end up elsewhere. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov (2 years, $7.75 million AAV) signed with Carolina (no surprise since we knew the Russian would go to the highest bidder no questions asked), winger Garnet Hathaway is now a Flyer (2 years, $4.78 million) and the real kick in the teeth came tonight as word came out that winger Tyler Bertuzzi was going to the Maple Leafs on a very affordable one-year deal for $5.5 million. The other notable Bruin to depart was defenseman Connor Clifton who signed a three-year deal worth $10 million with Buffalo. However, for an undrafted guy from Quinnipiac coming off of a career season, we expected that Cliffy would cash in so good for him and his family.</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Losing Bertuzzi to a division rival is especially frustrating since you had to believe that Hall's trade was likely meant to clear some cap space specifically to try to bring back Tyler. I guess not and no matter if Sweeney or Bertuzzi's agent screwed this up, the bottom line is that he obviously panicked and signed a deal that the B's should have been able to offer before. I'm assuming that they had already moved on and committed elsewhere when Bertuzzi's camp might have come crawling back. Ugh. So who has Boston signed to replace these guys? Well get ready to take a time machine back five to ten years and Sweeney would be having a hell of a time. Of the five main players that the Bruins have signed, the three that you have all heard of are former B's left wing Milan Lucic, former BU/Team USA defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and former UNH star winger James van Riemsdyk. Additionally, former BC forward Patrick Brown (2 years, $800,000 AAV which is the veteran minimum) and forward Morgan Geekie (2 years, $2 million AAV) are the other guys that will join the Bruins next season. </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> 35-year-old Looch (who has 3 daughters!) needs no introduction if you are reading this and rumors of him signing with his beloved Boston started to percolate last week. On a one-year deal worth $1 million plus up to $500,000 in performance based incentives, it's hard to dislike Milan's return where he can hopefully anchor the fourth line and bring some toughness along with an edge that the Bruins have sorely lacked in recent years. 34-year-old Shattenkirk-who will make $1.05 million in one season here-used to be one of the best puck-moving defenseman in the league but Boston will be his seventh club after stops in Anaheim, Tampa, NY (Rangers), Washington, St. Louis and Colorado. Still, having him replace Clifton on the third defensive pairing would be ideal for a guy with a boatload of experience (891 career NHL games) not to mention talent-he was the 14th overall pick in the 2007 Draft-and plenty of points (97 goals and 363 assists). Finally, JVR also is here for peanuts (1 year, $1 million) and you will remember him mostly for his successful time as a Flyer, not so much as a Leaf. He is 34 as well and was the second overall pick of that 2007 Draft. He has had a very productive NHL career with 591 points (300 goals, 291 assists) in 940 games. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> It is easy to see Sweeney's thinking with these moves; he could not get any top players without making a real hockey trade so why not fill in any roster and lineup holes with decorated veterans that he and B's head coach Jim Montgomery can trust from Day 1? At least on paper-which is all we have in early July-I do not know how the totality of these additions and subtractions makes Boston a better team. Granted, hockey is the ultimate chemistry sport so maybe bringing back Lucic's mojo will spark his former teammates like left wing Brad Marchand and right wing David Pastrnak. Last week, Cam Neely admitted that the team is operating like both of their ancient centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron won't be coming back next season but would it kill either of those guys just to make a decision ASAP? This is beginning to get those gross Brett Favre in Green Bay vibes as I cannot stomach another summer of waiting to hear what these guys are going to do. Truth be told, Krejci looked pretty cooked in his return to the Bruins last season so if he decides to retire and/or go back to playing in his native Czech Republic, oh well. Bergy is the trickier one because he can still compete at a high level-as evidenced by his record sixth Selke Trophy that he won last week-but this is getting ridiculous. I can only surmise that behind the scenes, the front office, coaches and players already know his decision, otherwise this does everyone a complete disservice. Rant over.</span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-30651553702512991192023-06-27T00:48:00.009-07:002023-06-27T13:01:27.010-07:00Taylor Hall Is Sent To Chicago So Boston Can Get Some Salary Cap Relief Before Free Agency Starts<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslcFc-XpYEe_7AGbmYcVNi2C8gwfKkSqoRcli5jo99SzUbb3w4fbJlPsNgC8LCMC0rVF8yc0keRM5Lbulnq4uxl9_5xTS-PFrPZfrlrL7gPIvhixJl-w5bThXbsU1ZKK2fYsOlFEtrqDqtJdnGujx4wHfETaXPoZRgB0UALjwLTbYVxaB-wggRziQ5Xs/s2828/Hallsy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2121" data-original-width="2828" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslcFc-XpYEe_7AGbmYcVNi2C8gwfKkSqoRcli5jo99SzUbb3w4fbJlPsNgC8LCMC0rVF8yc0keRM5Lbulnq4uxl9_5xTS-PFrPZfrlrL7gPIvhixJl-w5bThXbsU1ZKK2fYsOlFEtrqDqtJdnGujx4wHfETaXPoZRgB0UALjwLTbYVxaB-wggRziQ5Xs/w400-h300/Hallsy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> With very little money left available under the salary cap, the Bruins needed to make some moves to clear some space that they hopefully can use on key free agents like winger Tyler Bertuzzi. Boston got what is sure to be a very busy week started this afternoon-with the NHL Awards show, the NHL Draft and NHL free agency all happening-by trading left wing Taylor Hall along with the rights to impending unrestricted free agent left wing Nick Foligno to the Blackhawks. In exchange, the B's received restricted free agent defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula who I had never heard of before now and truthfully, you have no clue who they are either. This was a good old fashioned salary dump plain and simple and hey maybe one of those guys gives Boston some quality depth in Providence (AHL) which they have lacked for years.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> After playing in Black and Gold for parts of three seasons, it is safe to say that Hall's time here was not all that memorable hence why it is fine to say goodbye to him at this juncture. There is a reason why Chicago will be the former No. 1 overall pick in 2010's sixth NHL club. He perhaps surprisingly proved to be a team-first guy with the Bruins but clearly, wins for the most part have not been a big aspect of his career and save for his random one-off Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) season in 2017-18 with the Devils, he has never really lived up to the hype and the eye-popping skills that show up from time to time. In 158 career regular season games with Boston, Hall had 44 goals, 67 assists and he was plus-37 with 12 power play goals. Those are perfectly respectable numbers but in what should be the prime of his career at age 31, he was relegated to the third line last season with the Bruins which is just not good enough no matter how you spin it. If he had showed more consistency, there is no doubt that they would have kept him since his cap hit for the next two years is only six million dollars for each season. </span></span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> Ironically, Hall was one of Boston's few players that really showed up in their very depressing first round exit vs. Florida a few months ago where they lost in seven games after leading the series 3-1. Taylor had eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) against the Panthers and 17 overall (10 goals, 7 assists) in 25 career playoff games for the Spoked B. Foligno was obviously just a throw in to this deal but he might actually bring a little something to the rebuilding Blackhawks as well if they can sign him. He looked washed up in his first season as a Bruin but bounced back last year with twice as many points (26) on 10 goals and 16 assists. The former Blue Jackets captain is a great leader-at least that is what NESN's "Behind The B" has led us to believe-and if he is still interested in playing, he should be helpful for whatever time he spends in Chicago which will soon have Canadian phenom center Connor Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick on Wednesday. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> One last gut punch for the 2022-23 Bruins occurred tonight in Nashville at the NHL Awards as Boston came away with not one, not two but three major awards as expected. Center Patrice Bergeron extended his league record by winning a sixth Selke Trophy while goaltender Linus Ullmark won his first Vezina Trophy and head coach Jim Montgomery captured the Jack Adams Award in his first year in charge of Boston. Whatever became of their former head coach Bruce Cassidy anyway? Only the Bruins could pull off that nearly impossible feat and yet not advance out of the first round in that particular postseason. Ugh, they will never have a more loaded team than that as Ullmark and right wing David Pastrnak (runner-up to Connor McDavid for the Hart Trophy) were both named to the NHL's First Team while defenseman Hampus Lindholm (remember him?) was on the NHL's Second Team. No matter who is on the roster next season, Boston will still be one of the favorites to win their first Stanley Cup since 2011 but the PTSD caused from last season is sure to last for a very long time with true Bruins fans. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span>UPDATE 6/27/23: This morning, Chicago signed Foligno to a one-year deal worth $4 million dollars. It turns out that being Bedard's babysitter is not such a bad life as you try to hang on in the NHL.</span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-25167028585389136252023-06-23T00:38:00.005-07:002023-06-23T22:12:02.433-07:00C's Trade Marcus Smart To Grizzlies & Get Kristaps Porzingis From Wizards In Three Team Deal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjOf75wvRfWzNw6hovAqjVDnJqr3t7BBLr1gyVYcHht43brPqU67PpeY5rhu5j4y7TGjR6jdonYWPx88K0ic7LRcypKGC30QvlPcsWUiWe4ZG20iKjj8edAXdiOfhQLlY2df82T5y0zxQ_RYVq-KqB-h0KrU7WlJhwpB8Sf0JahWuMhvq23dZ61KsFO4/s960/Marcus%20Smart%20Boston%20Celtics.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjOf75wvRfWzNw6hovAqjVDnJqr3t7BBLr1gyVYcHht43brPqU67PpeY5rhu5j4y7TGjR6jdonYWPx88K0ic7LRcypKGC30QvlPcsWUiWe4ZG20iKjj8edAXdiOfhQLlY2df82T5y0zxQ_RYVq-KqB-h0KrU7WlJhwpB8Sf0JahWuMhvq23dZ61KsFO4/s320/Marcus%20Smart%20Boston%20Celtics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span> <span> It has been a rather bizarre few days for the Boston Celtics but with the 2023 NBA Draft just completed a few hours ago, we can officially say that guard Marcus Smart is now on the Memphis Grizzlies while power forward/center Kristaps Porzingis is a Celtic. I won't bore you with all the details of the three-way (hey now!) deal between Boston, Memphis and Washington but the most important part is that the longest tenured Celtic is out of here, the former Knicks All-Star/savior Porzingis comes to his fourth NBA team (NY, Dallas, Washington & Boston) and then point guard Tyus Jones goes from Memphis to Washington along with forwards Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala who will join him in DC from Boston. </span></span>On Wednesday, it looked like another Celtics guard-Malcolm Brogdon-would be included instead of Smart in a three-way deal involving the Clippers and not the Grizzlies to acquire Porzingis but it fell apart at the last moment (the teams faced a midnight deadline for Kristaps to opt-in to his player option for next season) since Brogdon's forearm apparently is in rough shape. Brad Stevens stuck with it though and ended up making a huge move that his club so desperately needed. </p><p><span> </span>After going to five of the last seven Eastern Conference Finals (but only winning one of them!), it was clear that the C's needed a real shake up in terms of its roster. Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both very good but something always seemed to trip up Boston before they could get that elusive first NBA title since 2008. For his Celtics career, Smart averaged 10.6 points per game, 4.6 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game. Part of why he became so overrated was that certain local announcers and media members would focus on what they called "winning plays," ignoring the fact that he also did a bunch of dumb stuff that constantly hurt his team both on and off the court. Along with being the longest tenured Celtic-he was the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft-Smart was the unofficial captain of the team and easily the most polarizing Boston athlete this side of former Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. </p><p><span> </span>Much like the sad state of politics in the United States these days, Celtics fans either loved Smart or hated him, there was no in between. Always a solid defensive player (he was on the All-Defensive first team three times), Smart was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. For whatever reason (no Ime Udoka?), the Celts lost their way defensively this past season with Joe Mazzulla in his first year as head coach. Additionally, Smart's overinflated sense of self became comical over the last few years as he talked down to both Tatum & Brown publicly along with Mazzulla which while warranted is still a no-no. He also flops incessantly and whines constantly to the refs which really starts to wear on you when you have to watch it over and over again for nine years. Oh and he was never a great 3-point shooter to begin with but somehow the ball would always seem to find him late in games and he has the confidence of Stephen Curry so he did not hesitate to let it fly. </p><p><span> Straight out of Latvia, Porzingis took the league by storm shortly after being drafted fourth overall in 2015 by New York. He was an All-Star in 2018-ironically his last season as a Knick-but not surprisingly for a guy that is 7-foot-3 and only 240 pounds, he has battled numerous injuries since then that have caused him to bounce around to a few other middling clubs. There is no question that coming to Boston should motivate him immensely since he has only appeared in 10 career NBA playoff games (all with Dallas). For his NBA career, Kristaps has averaged 19.6 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocks per game. Especially under Mazzulla, Boston became way too reliant on the 3-pointer and while Porzingis shoots plenty of 3s, at least he makes them at a better clip (36%) than Smart (32%). His health is by far the biggest question mark although he did appear in 65 games last season with the Wizards-his most since his second year as a Knick. He also averaged 23.2 points per game in 2022-23 which was a new career-high. </span></p><p><span><span> The bottom line is that Porzingis gives Tatum and Brown another guy that can carry the load offensively when either of them has a bad game or series (see Tatum in the 2022 NBA Finals or Brown in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals). The term Big 3 is so played out these days in basketball but at least on paper, this is by far the best running mate that they have had since they were too young when Kyrie Irving (yuck!) was here and Kemba Walker was about to go off a cliff when he was a Celtic. Kristaps will turn 28 in August so theoretically, he should be in his prime. After Smart gets over the shock of going to a new team, he will quickly realize that he is lucky to be in Memphis rather than on some rebuilding crap team like Washington. With Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant suspended for the first 25 games of the season, Smart will be their starting point guard to begin the year on what was one of the best teams in the Western Conference last season. </span></span></p><p><span> This could be the rare trade that truly helps both teams. Porzingis gives the Celtics a uniquely skilled player that is much different from their other big guys-the ancient Al Horford and an injury-prone Robert Williams. Smart brings toughness and playoff experience to a Grizzlies team that showed this past postseason that they were not quite ready for prime time yet. Since they lost Game 7 to Miami, Boston had made its coaching staff way stronger by hiring Sam Cassell, Charles Lee, Amile Jefferson (Tatum's buddy from Duke) and former Celtics great Phil Pressey to be assistant coaches. However, those moves mean very little when they are compared to getting Kristaps and saying goodbye to their loudest/most divisive voice in Smart. We wish Marcus well in Memphis but it was time to make a real change and credit to Stevens for having the guts to get it done.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8MUbE7Zog9ldARLrKwRx5yK2anzj78r_nIMZWrPVQNR6zsHqqm0rl95r-cSE1HWdhGnhtxmamC_TrvbibJ45xYB_XQWXAcwCIbVX5OTZky1DaSUlLkGrBdj9JtWa78XOfdv2UVsR7QNg3Ve9zD65H1af6sKSuhsV-HrN39fm0nwrMiKRAcTasz9kHNo/s1200/kristaps-porzingis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8MUbE7Zog9ldARLrKwRx5yK2anzj78r_nIMZWrPVQNR6zsHqqm0rl95r-cSE1HWdhGnhtxmamC_TrvbibJ45xYB_XQWXAcwCIbVX5OTZky1DaSUlLkGrBdj9JtWa78XOfdv2UVsR7QNg3Ve9zD65H1af6sKSuhsV-HrN39fm0nwrMiKRAcTasz9kHNo/s320/kristaps-porzingis.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-31986027934553046982023-05-30T01:34:00.006-07:002023-05-30T01:46:47.940-07:00Now They Are History: C's Laid An Egg In Gm. 7 Of The ECF Vs. The Heat, Losing 103-84 At TD Garden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lqv058ef-62gcnkj9kDDi67uquK3WQpBOuy6_StiQTtbaMkEtR_EeM7_sfj9QAG7nT34Adeo9xEvW0qVu2HSmRyK07gqKavruY5vrJMTOcd5QEBRnoGcR0Xv36IUB-Qz1paUmHdJVPEc9IiuHzQ8FDkmJi2iL3GFpesowhb3Rl7GRBGBiiSI3Y5t/s664/Caleb%20Martin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="664" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lqv058ef-62gcnkj9kDDi67uquK3WQpBOuy6_StiQTtbaMkEtR_EeM7_sfj9QAG7nT34Adeo9xEvW0qVu2HSmRyK07gqKavruY5vrJMTOcd5QEBRnoGcR0Xv36IUB-Qz1paUmHdJVPEc9IiuHzQ8FDkmJi2iL3GFpesowhb3Rl7GRBGBiiSI3Y5t/w400-h279/Caleb%20Martin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> In a season filled with incredible highs and lows, it is only fitting that with everything to play for-namely a spot in the NBA Finals and a place in history as the first team in the league to ever recover from a 3-0 deficit-the Celtics fell right on their faces for the entire world to see. They shot an appalling 21% on 3-pointers (9-for-42) and yet they refused to ever change their gameplan even as it quickly became clear that those shots were not going to fall. Tonight at TD Garden in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, they got off to a terrible start by scoring 15 points in the first quarter (tied for their lowest scoring opening frame of the year) and they never really recovered as the Heat blew them out 103-84 to clinch the series 4-3. Miami became only the second team ever to reach the NBA Finals as an eight seed after the 1998-99 Knicks. They will meet Denver-who has been off for roughly three weeks-in Game 1 on Thursday (8:30, ABC) in the Mile High City. Boston's superstar wing Jayson Tatum (14 points, 11 rebounds) sprained his left ankle on the first possession of Game 7 but that does not excuse the terrible performance by the rest of his teammates namely the Celtics' supposed other star wing Jaylen Brown (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, career-high 8 turnovers) who was dreadful throughout most of this series. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Tatum admirably hobbled around for 42 minutes but with him at clearly less than 100%, the C's desperately needed somebody else to step up. That turned out to be guard Derrick White (18 points) who seemed to be the only Celtic who was not scared of the moment but still he is Derrick White so he can only do so much in this type of high level contest. After Boston (5-1) lost their first elimination game of this postseason and finished under .500 (5-6) at the Garden in the playoffs, I think we have to stop saying that the Celtics are the better and/or more talented team. Throughout this series, the Heat were the more poised, tough, smart and relentless club. In truth, it was not even that close when it came to those important facets of the game. Miami's superstar wing Jimmy Butler (game-high 28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals which in truth should have gone to small forward Caleb Martin (26 points, 10 rebounds) who was the most consistent player on the Heat all series long. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> I am also done saying that Miami's center Bam Adebayo (12 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) is their second best player because he is not. Still, the Heat all know their role so despite his struggles for much of this series, they survived it because of guys like point guard Gabe Vincent (10 points) and forward Duncan Robinson (10 points, 2 steals off the bench) who always seem to make the right play. Meanwhile nobody else on the Celtics cracked double figures in scoring as point guard Marcus Smart (9 points), center Al Horford (8 points, 8 rebounds) and backup center Robert Williams (8 points, 6 rebounds) were all OK but ultimately not good enough. There is also a reason that teams are now 0-151 in NBA history when they trail 3-0 in a playoff series. It is supremely difficult to win four games in a row right after dropping the first three games. Boston was this close to making incredible history but now all that will be remembered is how poorly they played in Game 7 on their home court. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> This was one last wretched performance as the C's trailed by as many as 23 points. Just like I will refuse to solely blame this loss on Tatum's rolled ankle, I also cannot totally pin this on Boston's rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla. However, if the Celts' front office decides to bring this jabroni back next season, I might puke. All you need to do is watch a clip of Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra-arguably the best in the NBA-talking to his team during a huddle or how he explains things in his post-game press conferences to realilze that he is an adult while Mazzulla is a green infant not ready for this spotlight yet. The easiest thing to do in pro sports when things don't go your way is to fire the head coach, however considering that Boston has had three different head coaches in the last three seasons (Brad Stevens, Ime Udoka and Mazzulla), do you really think that Stevens will want to fire another young head coach? </span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span> The more pressing matter is what to do with Brown who is now eligible for a super max deal. Boston cannot simply run it back with the same exact roster and expect things to change for the better. I doubt that they would be bold enough to shop Jaylen but you have to consider anything to make the team better no matter what it takes. This also flipped the narrative from last season's NBA Finals that Jaylen is the gamer while Jayson fades in the clutch moments. All I know is that like the Bruins in 2019-the Celtics could not have dreamed of a more favorable path to a title and yet they puked all over themselves when it counted most. In all likelihood, they would have lost anyway to the Nuggets in the NBA Finals but that is besides the point. They did not even give themselves that opportunity by burying themselves alive (going down 3-0) and coming back from the dead only to epically fail one last time. </span></span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-59172544332653621182023-05-28T02:06:00.003-07:002023-05-28T02:11:08.289-07:00Derrick White's Miracle Putback At The Buzzer Sends C's To Game 7 Of ECF Vs. Stunned Heat<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhp44N_OYQ4Uee1OqBVNMDHaZ__s7PkXDWr5rBUvZUbBWdUyXkYD9mVPhUsaPBDnKh71prU3DSI-rbj4-I8gSL6sfQofjxNKzy-qZODSF32QrPm9b9Gb8brubmxra20VEiYk1PJj2kXuv2ppLdLs8zGsvZAowgHBy3OCWTm6F6B7dJI-iI6QLtiuO/s525/Holy%20shit.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="525" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhp44N_OYQ4Uee1OqBVNMDHaZ__s7PkXDWr5rBUvZUbBWdUyXkYD9mVPhUsaPBDnKh71prU3DSI-rbj4-I8gSL6sfQofjxNKzy-qZODSF32QrPm9b9Gb8brubmxra20VEiYk1PJj2kXuv2ppLdLs8zGsvZAowgHBy3OCWTm6F6B7dJI-iI6QLtiuO/w400-h266/Holy%20shit.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> If the Celtics win the NBA title in a few weeks, the play at the end of tonight's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals will live on in league and franchise history forever. Down 103-102 with only a few seconds potentially left in their bizarre season, guard Derrick White darted to the rim and was able to grab an offensive rebound and quickly put it in right before time expired. Boston won 104-103 at Kaseya Center to even the series 3-3 and send it back to TD Garden on Monday night (8:30, TNT) for what should be an absolutely bonkers atmosphere for Game 7 with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line. The Celtics are down to a short list of now only four teams in NBA history that have forced a Game 7 after trailing in a series 3-0. Of course the previous three all lost as they look to become the first of 150 teams (!!!) to complete this impossible task. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> </span>This was the 2022-23 Celtics at their best and worst as center Al Horford fouled the Heat's struggling superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (team-high 24 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists) taking a 3-pointer with three seconds left in regulation. Butler was a James Harden-esque 5-for-21 from the field but he almost made up for that by going 12-for-14 from the free throw line including calmly draining all three of those gift free throws to put his team up 103-102. At that point, this was a game that Miami should have locked up but weirdly, I would not call this an outright choke since the winning play was so fluky. The Celtics played well enough in the first three quarters-particularly in the first half-that it should not have come down to this. However, like so many other times this season (regular season and postseason), they could not close out a game as they appear to tighten up and simply try to run the clock out which is impossible in basketball against a legitimate, tough-minded opponent. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 31 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) was not much better than Butler in terms of shooting (8-for-22 from the field including 0-for-8 on 3s which seems impossible for him) but he was a perfect 15-for-15 on free throws. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown (26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) had one of his patented fast starts followed by long stretches of foul trouble (4) and ugly turnovers (4). He was 8-for-10 on free throws though which is no small feat for him. Point guard Marcus Smart (21 points) had his second very strong performance in a row while center Robert Williams added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Unless Butler goes crazy in Game 7-which is always a real possibility-Miami will win this series because of their undrafted guys. Small forward Caleb Martin (21 points, 15 rebounds) started and still played great while point guard Gabe Vincent returned with 15 points on his gimpy ankle, shooting guard Max Strus added 10 points and forward Duncan Robinson (who went to Governor's Academy and Phillips Exeter!) continued to impress with 13 points off the bench. Butler's rough outings have rightfully been focused on lately but Miami's center Bam Adebayo (11 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists)-their second best player-has been terrible in his own right. He went 4-for-16 from the field which seems like a misprint since he doesn't shoot 3s or anything from too far away from the basket. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> Boston led 34-29 after the first quarter and Miami responded to cut their halftime lead to only four points (57-53). The third quarter was even more of a rock fight that the C's came out on top of (22-19) giving them a 79-72 lead heading into the fourth quarter. In terms of played out analogies, I will say that the Heat are like cockroaches led by Butler-who might as well be The Undertaker in a casket match-because they are virtually impossible to kill. The Celts had been up by as much as 13 points earlier on and they shot 8.1% better than the Heat from the field (46.7%-43.6%) but they managed to survive a brutal time shooting 3-pointers (Boston hit only 7-of-35 while Miami was a much better 14-of-30 aka 46.7%). The C's hit six more free throws (29-23), they blocked twice as many shots (8-4), scored 10 more points in the paint (42-32), had four more second chance points (16-12) and eight more fast break points (12-4).</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> The stakes could not be any higher in Game 7 for the cardiac Celtics who improved to 5-0 in elimination games this postseason which is an incredible mark. By winning the last three games in a row and given how Game 6 ended, it is not a reach to think that they might have finally broken the Heat's amazing fighting spirit. Still, this is not the Hawks or Sixers that we are talking about. These same teams played in an identical Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year that Boston just squeaked out in Miami so there is no reason to think that this will play out much differently than that did. The C's opened as an eight-point favorite but I am still not comfortable risking any decent amount of money on this bi-polar club. The previous six games do not matter at all, Game 7 is the only thing that anyone will remember from this series; either Boston pulls off the greatest (series) comeback in NBA playoff history or Miami bounces back in the nick of time to save themselves from Yankees and Falcons type infamy. Get some rest these next few days, Memorial Day night should be a truly special atmosphere at the Garden. </span><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-34909731002974443582023-05-26T00:59:00.003-07:002023-05-26T08:55:00.862-07:00We've Got A Series Now (!!!!) As Boston Rolls To A 110-97 Victory In Game 5 Of The ECF Vs. Miami<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZNUE-Gd6rn1TR3CM2wYMlmvJ3aY1YETplTaqUtONTKE7iUQCKyQv4xnNBlTR9UQ0wo9KTH0BKocsMOU9blkdwIAdFu5XlY8ClQgLZI_HOchbQyxbXe3sGvLWf17qPxEefxp3VHAICL8lwu78AQH1p535clvCHnmXSU2B-tyh3WdH5M-uf8q9jUV2/s1080/D%20White.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZNUE-Gd6rn1TR3CM2wYMlmvJ3aY1YETplTaqUtONTKE7iUQCKyQv4xnNBlTR9UQ0wo9KTH0BKocsMOU9blkdwIAdFu5XlY8ClQgLZI_HOchbQyxbXe3sGvLWf17qPxEefxp3VHAICL8lwu78AQH1p535clvCHnmXSU2B-tyh3WdH5M-uf8q9jUV2/w400-h400/D%20White.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> Basketball is a simple game so it is amazing what happens when you can pair great team defense with some fantastic long-range shooting. Tonight at TD Garden, the Celtics continued to claw their way back into the Eastern Conference Finals as they led from start to finish in a complete 110-97 Game 5 win that cut the Heat's lead down to 3-2. Game 6 is in Miami on Saturday night (8:30, TNT) and in many ways, that looks like a must-win for the suddenly reeling (is that too strong?) Heat. Boston improved to 4-0 facing elimination this postseason and for the first time all year, they had four guys score 20+ points: guard Derrick White had a game-high 24 points and two steals, point guard Marcus Smart added 23 points and a playoff-career high five steals, superstar small forward Jayson Tatum had a great all-around game with 21 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and two steals while shooting guard Jaylen Brown added 21 points and three steals. Center Al Horford had 11 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block as he continues to help out even if he isn't scoring much.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> All playoffs long, this is the version of the Celtics that we had been waiting for. Sparked by Tatum going to the hoop at will, they were aggressive from the start and as they showed in the second half of Game 4-when they are on, the Heat have no chance to fully stop them. Miami's point guard Gabe Vincent missed tonight's contest with an ankle injury and his absence was felt all night since that forced the Heat to start old and washed up Kyle Lowry (5 points, 4 turnovers in 30 invisible minutes) in his place. Miami's supposed dynamic duo of small forward Jimmy Butler (14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and center Bam Adebayo (16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) were likewise completely ineffective. All you need to know about how much that Boston locked down Miami in Game 5 (holding them under 100 points for the second straight game) was that New Hampshire native Duncan Robinson led the Heat with 18 points and nine assists off the bench. Not only that but something called Haywood Highsmith-which sounds like a fake name-dropped 15 points off the bench in his first extensive minutes of the series and small forward Caleb Martin notched 14 points and five rebounds off the bench even though he tweaked his knee pretty badly in the first half. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> The C's blitzed the Heat in the first quarter (35-20) and never really let up as they led 61-44 at halftime then 90-72 going into the fourth quarter. There are a few key stats that really illustrate just how much Boston dominated Miami: the Celts shot 16-for-39 (41%) on 3-pointers and they had more than twice as many steals as them (13-6) thanks to seven more turnovers by the visitors (16-9) which gave the home team eight more points off turnovers (27-19). Boston led by as much as 24 points and numerous offensive rebounds especially early on gave them 10 more second chance points (17-7) for the game.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> The Celtics are listed as a three-point favorite for Game 6 and even though you cannot totally trust them just yet, all the signs are there that this historical comeback could actually happen. We all know that no NBA team (out of the 150 that faced this predicament) has ever won a series that they trailed 3-0; Boston is the 14th to make it to a Game 6 and if they can force a Game 7 in Boston (which would be on Memorial Day), they would only be the fourth club in league history to pull that off. The momentum has totally shifted their way now and all the pressure is on Miami since I think most believe that Game 6 is by far their best chance to end this series once and for all. I know my long weekend just got way more exciting and wow, if the Celts can win their third game in a row, they are that close to pulling off something that I thought was nearly impossible to do in the NBA. Celtics in seven? </span><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404619507497988166.post-44057153274563962442023-05-24T01:11:00.008-07:002023-05-26T09:15:03.871-07:00In Game 4 Of The ECF, The Celts Staved Off Elimination With A Complete 116-99 Win At Miami<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7b22cPtDoyOByqi1IzdBpoFmrpaWm35pInhvxuq1FYh8kJWQ4qLkfKTHuhMI9SxNJ3IlZ4PxVYWzRasytFlrUCa7labAON_rC1n1bcWCdzE4k-zF0XOHv6O0wq-wZ1kO-s94Ew81o52cl-sx2u8vXvoctQcL3_ctpRLp7CyEGfgKu7L4UygC_3TH/s1280/Tatum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7b22cPtDoyOByqi1IzdBpoFmrpaWm35pInhvxuq1FYh8kJWQ4qLkfKTHuhMI9SxNJ3IlZ4PxVYWzRasytFlrUCa7labAON_rC1n1bcWCdzE4k-zF0XOHv6O0wq-wZ1kO-s94Ew81o52cl-sx2u8vXvoctQcL3_ctpRLp7CyEGfgKu7L4UygC_3TH/w400-h225/Tatum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> In the grand scheme of things, tonight was likely just a stay of execution for the 2022-23 Celtics but hey, at least they showed up and competed en route to an impressive 116-99 victory at the Kaseya Center in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami still leads the series 3-1 and keep in mind that in addition to no teams ever rallying from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history to win that series, only three have even forced a Game 7. So yeah, the C's still have an insane amount of work to do but at least we can think about them for a few more days and not focus all of our attention on the mediocre Red Sox (26-23). Game 5 is Thursday (8:30, TNT) at TD Garden. Tonight's win was notable for a few reasons besides the obvious of avoiding an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the eight-seeded Heat; Boston improved to 5-3 on the road this postseason while also staying unbeaten (3-0) when they face elimination and furthermore, Miami suffered their first home loss this postseason (5-1).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> What makes this Celtics team so baffling is that results like this should be more of the norm given the talent and depth gap between them and the Heat. It is beyond frustrating that it took them this long to find a way to finally put a little pressure on Miami and show that the Heat are not this unstoppable force that the C's made them seem in this series especially in that pathetic Game 3 performance that is best forgotten ASAP. Boston's superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 33 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks) had his third 30-point game of the series but this was the first time when he truly felt like the best player on the floor. Conversely, his All-NBA cohort shooting guard Jaylen Brown (17 points, 2 steals) continued to struggle but luckily, his teammates were there to pick him up. The other three starters for the Celtics-guard Derrick White (16 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks), center Al Horford (12 points, 7 rebounds) and point guard Marcus Smart (11 points, 6 assists, 2 steals)-all scored in double figures. Additionally, power forward Grant Williams (14 points, 6 rebounds, steal, block)-the same guy who did not play a single minute in Game 1 thanks to head coach Joe Mazzulla's stupidity-proved that he is a very valuable guy off the bench in the right situation. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> Miami's superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (team-high 29 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, steal, block) was not nearly as effective as you might think-save for a strong third quarter-since he shot 9-for-21 from the field. Boston's defense was really good and they completely neutralized center Bam Adebayo (10 points, 5 rebounds, steal) who is undoubtedly Miami's second best player. Point guard Gabe Vincent (17 points) and small forward Caleb Martin (16 points off the bench) were both good but neither of those scrubs went crazy which was a marked improvement for the Celtics from the last few contests. Also, Vincent rolled his ankle in the third quarter and managed to return to action but that is an injury to monitor on Thursday. They say that role players always perform better at home so hopefully both of those guys can come back to Earth even further in Game 5 but we will have to see it to believe it. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> </span>Things certainly did not start out too hot for Boston as they trailed 29-23 after the first quarter and 56-50 at halftime. They were fantastic in the third quarter though (38-23 including a 19-2 run that gave them an 18-point advantage) and that carried over to the fourth quarter (28-20) as Miami went ice cold and had no response for the Celtics' lockdown defense and pinpoint 3-point shooting. For the game, Boston shot nearly eight percent better from the field (51.2%-43.6%), they hit 10 more 3-pointers (18-8), handed out 10 more assists (28-18), they had three more steals (8-5), five less turnovers (15-10), eight more fast break points (18-10) and 13 more points off turnovers (27-14) than Miami. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span> Beware of people (mostly fanboys) trying to talk themselves into a historical comeback by the Celtics being right around the corner these next few days. Remember that this is the same club that is under .500 at the Garden (4-5) this postseason so they will have to win Game 5 before I ever start to take this seriously at all. It is hard to fathom that they could go 0-3 at home in the Eastern Conference Finals so hopefully they show some more pride and find a way to extend this series back to Miami for Game 6. If that happens, then we will have something to talk about as the Heat would have to start feeling a bit uneasy about how things are crumbling apart.</span></span></span></span></span></div><p></p>Richard Slatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03945080233382638702noreply@blogger.com0