Big Green Cojones

I don’t know how other people feel, but my sports sanity is as volatile as the New England Weather. Now-a-days I coach myself to look short term with a long term perspective, sound crazy? Yea, most definitely, I sometimes feel like a sober Charlie Sheene, fighting a battle that I constantly believe I’m winning, against myself. So like many things I write, say, don’t focus on the sentences, poor punctuation, unstructured paragraphs, I suggest reading it, chewing it, tasting it, spitting it out (thanks Mike Singletary) and by the end hopefully you don’t feel like you wasted valuable time in your life, like the movie “Watchmen.” By the way, if you enjoy watching 2 ½ hours of shitty non sensible plot with tons of flaccid blue radioactive penai, you will love this movie!

The article is about Danny Ainge and the angst he has caused me and my beloved Celtics. The man with the plan has jeopardized the season on a bet that Doc Rivers and the Big 4 can assimilate any big man into a championship Caliber defense in only half a season, while still resting his star players. It has pained me to watch this team play lately as I want them to gel and earn the top seat in the East; I cringe every night to see the minutes the Big 4 are playing. In the end of the day, to loose faith in Danny would be about as cool as being alone in a bathroom with Ben Roethlisberger.

Why in Danny we trust:

After the Celtics traded Perkins I was mouth a-gap searching for an answer. But Ainge is no fool he has a plan. In 2007, after failed attempts to acquire Kevin Garnett, dealing with a disgruntled superstar in Paul Pierce and people yelling for his head on a platter, after one of the worst seasons in Celtics History. Celtic fans fell further into depression when they did not win the Greg Oden/Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Memories of ping pong balls past came flooding back, when Tim Duncan bounced out of our championship grasp. Danny knew drastic changes were necessary, we all know the story, he then drafted Jeff Green, soon after trading him for another aging superstar Ray Allen, which sent most fans for the their torches and picket signs. However as some speculated many of the members from the initial kg trade remained which lead to the big ticket coming to Boston. Danny soon after was very swift and impressive adding integral parts to the team to complete a very competitive roster that would ultimately earn the best record in the NBA and win its League leading 17th Banner.

What won the Celtics that Championship was three fold, their team chemistry was unmatched, team defense relentless and that every position played their role to the full capability accompanied by some unexpected prime time play by PJ Brown and Leon Powe! This February when the Celtics traded Perkins I felt like the team had lost 2 out of the 3 main components that had won Boston their championship three years ago. I have waited to write this article because I wanted to try and fully interpret what I thought Danny Ainge’s full plan of action was. However, the longer I waited; my worst fears seemed to come to fruition, that we will now rely on size by committee to defend some of the lengthier teams in the NBA.

While you might think I’m opposed to the trade, in fact I feel that it was almost a necessary evil. Perkins was going to be an unrestricted free agent next year; by getting Jeff Green who is restricted I believe we were able to spend the money more frugally. With our superstars aging Perkins value would have decreased as the superstars around him became less relevant. Perkins is in my opinion the best defender in the league and is definitely worth a great contract, but if you have been watching Jeff Green you can see how in a league that more than half of the teams are losing millions, he would definitely give your roster more bang for its buck.

Now we can debate value and chit chat with Billy Bean about money ball all we want but in my opinion in Sports it’s all about Championships. A general manager must make decisions that put his team in the best position to win the hardware. Danny Ainge just broke up a championship starting 5 and is gambling that the Big 4 along with Doc to pull it together in just half a season, while teams like the Bulls, and Lakers are hitting their stride.

With Perkins I honestly believe we could have one a championship, Perk would have taken Boozer and Kg would have made Noah his lil nancy boy. All I can hope now is that after rest and surgery the O’Neals can come to play, and KG can stay healthy. Because if Doc can ascertain a full playoff roster, who knows what will happen when you back this team into a corner, they might just win it all. This however I guarantee, Danny Ainge has a plan for this looming lockout and is not done making moves and will most definitely add a big man next year (Marc Gasol?)

Reports of Their Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

I’m a geek when it comes to history. I devour historical knowledge. When I was in fourth grade I once lost a contest to read the most books because I chose to read multi-hundred page account of the World War II war in the desert while my buddy put up Barry Bonds-like numbers crushing the 50 page-a-book Hardy Boys series (I got over it).

So you might imagine my stomach-turning disgust when I logged onto ESPN this morning and saw an article by Mark “I make my career speculating shit to death” Kreidler. It was labeled “Fallen Dynasty” on the ESPN page and was obviously alluding to the Patriots surprisingly playoff loss to the Jets.

Look Mark Kreidler, I realize you have to write shit for ESPN so you can continue to live your enjoyable lifestyle of essentially doing nothing for living (of which I’m slightly jealous), but please don’t try to give the general American public lessons in historical dynasties, because that low-volume din you hear is every sports/history geek laughing at you.

Before I go into my own thoughts on New England’s dynasty, why don’t we review football’s modern dynasties to identify some telltale signs of “decline”?

The 1960’s Packers (1960-1967): Amazing team in its day, sustained by the immortal Vince Lombardi and a core of very intelligent and tough players like Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Jerry Kramer, Willie Wood and Max McGee. They won five titles in that span (including the first two Super Bowls).

Reasons for decline: Lombardi retired after the second Super Bowl, exhausted from his pursuit of the three-peat. He was like Napoleon: no single man (or no 50 men for that matter) could ever replace him. Also, the team’s core turned out to be irreplaceable and their increasing age meant decreased production. The inability to replace them = dynasty toppled.

1970’s Steelers (1972-1979): The “Steel Curtain” is still the most badass nickname of all time. And they established the benchmark for dynasties in the Super Bowl era, winning four during the 70’s.

Reasons for decline: Just like with Green Bay, Pittsburgh simply god old. They never replenished the game-breaking players who were on their roster with younger game-breakers. Their Cover-2 defense didn’t work as well when they couldn’t pressure the quarterback without blitzing. Also, rule changes made it easier for the passing game and the Steelers didn’t adapt like the team shown below.

1980’s 49ers (1981-1994): Joe Montana, Bill Walsh, Ronnie Lott, Steve Young and Jerry Rice. What else do I need to say? You think of any of them and you think not merely of success, but the apex of professionalism. Five Super Bowls in a 15 year stretch was truly remarkable.

Reasons for decline: This one’s tougher, because even after 1994, San Fran enjoyed successful seasons. And they did what the previous dynasties had failed at: succession of quarterbacks. Even after Montana got injured, Steve Young didn’t miss a beat and won their fifth Super Bowl in 1995. Yet the 1994 institution of the salary cap helped to cause their decline more than anything. Roster attrition occurred heavily when they desired to keep the big stars for big contracts. The simply couldn’t keep the team depth.

1990’s Cocaine Cowboys (1991-1999): Say what you want about the Boys from this era (and as a miserable Giants fan I did), but they were f*cking talented. They oozed talent and a ridiculous ability to slaughter the opposition in the most ruthless fashion possible.

Reasons for decline: Well, other than coke, I'd say the salary cap and Jerry Jones’ ability to drive away Jimmie Johnson (triggering a decline in team discipline).

So what can we take away from this as common characteristics of a decline? One has to be the departure of the coach who put them on top (as shown with Green Bay and, to an extent, Dallas.)

Another has to be an inability to replace players as they get older (this is probably the biggest common denominator between the examples).

Also, you’d have to throw in the salary cap and its many consequences (pressuring teams to constantly be rebuilding).

And…cocaine.

What it means in New England (no matter what friggin Greg Easterbrook says)

So how does this apply to the Pats? Well, when I look around their roster, I don’t see a mass of players who look like they’re done. Brady might be 33, but as Brett Farve taught us, the same age rules don’t apply to quarterbacks as they do to running backs (or other positions).

And what about their defense? Only two men on their entire defensive roster are over 30, and while their pass-rush remains a glaring weakness, the young secondary as well as continued solid play from men like Wilfork and Mayo leads me to think they’ll only get better.

The other positive sign? Their ability to replenish the roster. Getting players like McCourty, Chung, Woodhead, Tate, Spikes etc shows they haven’t lost their touch in scouting. The perpetual stockpiling of draft picks leads me to think they’ll be positioned to address any issues they identify (like drafting this dude).

Basically Mr. Kreidler, you seem like the type of man given to hyperbole in a moment of opportunity. You never actually defined what you meant by “dynasty” just the same as you never defined what you meant by saying that the Pats dynasty is over.

And I take issue with the claim that “it’s hard to look at that New York roster without speculating that the Jets could be awfully good for an awfully long time.”

More of the Jets front seven is over 30 than under. And their offensive line is the type of unit that just can’t be held together in a salary cap era (as shown already with the loss of Alan Faneca last year).

As an unbiased observer of the Patriots, I’m not here to say that the Patriots will win another Super Bowl. But without question, the inevitable “their dynasty is over” crap just doesn’t hold water. End of story. So cheer up Pats fans, at least your friggin team didn't win 10 games and NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!

What The World Is Missing

Imagine if you turned on tv tonight just in time to catch the top ten on sportscenter. Filled with spectacular dunks from Blake Griffin and Paul Pierce, sweet soccer finishes and as the #1 play of the night an unconscionable bluff to win the title as best Poker player in the world.

In the world today, popular culture's interest is derived from exclusivity and status. It is everywhere around us and undeniable, whether it is the new cellphone, popular threads or facebook's new IPO, exclusivity drives popular interest. In golf in order to be a member of the PGA, you need an elite tour card. For football you must be selected to be rostered by one of the thirty-two teams who are privileged enough to wear the NFL Logo. Flying under the radar there has been a significant forum that has been left unstructured. A game that is probably more profitable than any other enterprise in the world today.

The Game is poker, I know your first impression is that poker is not a sport. Well I retort, if at the highest level of a sport is predominantly mental then there is no greater mind game then that of the round felt table.

Annie Duke, sister of renown Professional Poker Player Howard Lederer has made a name for herself not only as a women in a male dominated game but now as a pioneer joining together with John Pollack, (a former executive for NASCAR and the NBA) to form a professional poker league. The new Professional Poker league will consist of around 200 players that will be based on a mathematic formula measuring finishes in major events, money earned and recent success.

Now for a first time Poker will actually have a system for ranking the worlds best. A way to separate skill from luck and show who really is the Best Poker Player in the world. Texas Hold 'em is played across the world and each year will be like a World Cup of Poker. I personally think this is pretty cool and am really interested to see what will come of this league and if it will actually catch on to the mainstream media.

As for my predictions, I will put them on hold because my world was rocked. All I got to say is go NFC, and I'm in shock by how terrible that game was. I will admit the Jets played well but they used the defensive game plan they should have used the last time we played them, so we could have better adapted for it in the playoffs. The Pats had not played from behind and won all season and that lack of resilience and minimal mental toughness was disturbing to witness.

While this sucked hard, my fanship has been rocked many a times in the last 5 almost 6 years. So on the brighter side, this was a good stepping stone for a young defense who played pretty well granted the field position that was left to them. We have a lot of draft picks who knows if we'll use them this year or not but this I know for sure for a "re-building year" it wasn't that bad. Maybe now Tom Brady will show up for summer work outs??

J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS

All I have to say is @#%&* Yeeeaaaaahhhhh Muffinsssssssssss! After the December 6^th game, my hopes for the Jets making the Super Bowl were steadily decreasing but my boys have now shown to be battle tested. Peyton Manning was the first NFL great quarterback to go down and then it was Tom Brady’s turn. Back to back stellar performances by our defense lead to major victories and back into the AFC Championship game, hopefully if we get a lead, we can hold onto it this time.

The Patriots are now 0 and 3 in their last 3 playoff games, first game being the undefeated Super Bowl loss and the other 2 coming at home against two great defenses. I think I can ask this question now, is Tom Brady the best quarterback ever? Maybe by the time his career ends but as of right now, he is just a Bieber look alike who has a smoke show for a wife, and yes, I am jealous of the hot wife. Tom Brady was not able to make adjustments to the amazing down field coverage of the Jets secondary and was forced to hold on to the ball so that the 3 or 4-man rush was able to finally get to him. @#%&* all of you who thought burying the game ball from December 6^th was a joke because that shit @#%&*ing worked for us. Brady, you suck and so do the rest of your @#%&*ing fans. What could make this worse is there may actually be a holdout next year so this loss will hurt for 2 years.

Yes, maybe the fake punt at the end of the second quarter was not the best coaching decision but as all Patriots fans know, in Bill they trust. Has he lost any of your trust yet? He has lost 3 playoff games in a row! Also, what about starting with Welker on the bench? Was he trying to prove to the nation that talking crap is not how the Patriots do things? If he wanted his punishment to be a model of the Patriot Franchise, then he would not have come out for that punt. Bill, you are losing your shit and it comes at the expense of the Jets, the team that talked so much crap, that you may have actually been scared to face us and you shit yourself. Oh my how the mighty have fallen. There is always the Red Sox, Bruins, or Celtics but this is a football nation and the Patriots just let the worst fans in football down.

I would have taken my medicine if the Jets lost but they didn’t so enjoy the taste bitches.

Until next week and hopefully aN AFC championship,

TheMeez

Jets about to talk their way out of any chance this W/E...

Gotta love WES WELKER and the PATRIOTS. He peppered in the word "foot" or "feet" about 7 times in a 9 min press conference to make fun of Rex "creepy foot loving" Ryan. Priceless...

The Weekly Pooper

This is the first inaugural edition of the weekly pooper. A blog for all those hardworking sports fans whom sit on their thrones while on their smart-phones and catch up with the world around them.

Now I know that most of you living on Planet Earth know that the Patriots are playing the Jets. But I'm here to tell that you are all FOOLS! This game isn't about the people on the field! It's about Rex Ryan and Bill Belichick! Or is it Tom Brady vs. Antonio Cromartie, or sh*t maybe it was Sean Ellis...or Braylon Edwards...nonono it's just a new Jet every day!

People who are outside of New York and New England have to start agreeing, that Rex Ryan's Media promenade is getting old fast and is to completely to try and shake the mindset of the other team. But while B^2 respects the Ryan family to the extent that he indulges R^2 a little, there is nothing that will shake this teams focus. The patriots are 0-0 and are in a one game season, you can't mind fuck a team that has been brain washed.

Rex Ryan denies that any of his teams trash talking has any effect on the other teams motivation or preparation. I say where was he during the '07 season, where the patriots gave the proverbial finger to the whole NFL. Yes that season has a huge black stain on the memories of all Patriot Nation but the physical force that was that team was fueled off of negativity towards them which created a super focus that was not seen since the days of the 72-10 Bulls, or '72 Dolphins. While a lot of that 07 team is gone, a more recognizable skeleton remains. One with the same focus but a team of balance and role responsibility. With departures of many veterans who caused turmoil in the locker room last year, Belichick has changed the atmosphere and injected new team chemistry that blankets the enigma that was last season.

I feel that the Jets are just the new freshman at school trying so hard to be cool, and the patriots are the 4 time All-American proven stud. For ten years all the patriots have done is let their play do the talking on the field, kept their mouth shut and popped their opponents gaping jaw closed. Antonio Cromartie calling Brady an Ass**le is childish, I guess if I watched the tape of myself getting burned for 60 minutes I would be tired of Watching Brady Celebrate FOR 6 TOUCHDOWNS on NATIONAL TELEVISION as well. Until the Jets win, I take solace in a quote tendered by a one Tom Brady whom he got from his proven head coach: "When you win say little, when you loose say less."


FINALLY SOME SPORTS BETTING & PREDICTIONS!

All I can say is our offense will temper their emotions for the most part, but what my hope is the New England Defense will unleash a fury much like in Week 13, I want no mercy on Sunday and I want the defense to speak for both sides of the ball. This all with the young inexperienced defense that has quietly elected FOUR PRO BOWLERS including a one Devon McCourty. If Mark Sanchez can overthrow as well he did last week I hope to shut up gang green early and often. I want a shut out, I want Brandon Spikes to come back and knock fear into the Jets Running game and force Sanchize to hit his over paid Wide Receivers. I would never trust a +9 spread in a playoff game, but because I would love nothing more than Tom Brady to point and celebrate again, I say take the spread and watch the pats rub Gangreene's nose in the turf again!

Same Logic different game, different pick, Don't be afraid to go for the Seahawks +10 the only win for Seattle outside the NFC West was the Bears (thanks Miles.) Jay Cutler has not proven any consistency to me yet and neither has Matt Forte. While the Bears defense is not even a shade of the Saints I say Matt Hasselback leads one last hoorah in a 20-13 loss.

A good friend of mine (Akeem) told me last week that the winner of the Eagles Packers game would go on to the super bowl. After watching that game I have to believe him. While Matt Ryan has an unbelievable home record I think that the packers have put something special together and Rodgers will put the TEAM ON HIS BACK and lead them and their stellar defense to victory
Packers +2 1/2

I have no opinion on the Ravens Steelers game other than it will be AWESOME! Hopefully they knock the crap out of each other and are banged up for the AFC Championship game because inevitably their road will go through Foxboro and we will have a 1996 Super Bowl Rematch between the Pack Attack and the New England Patriots...Desmond Howard I still don't forgive you.


By the by...the black swan director is legendary and made a pretty sweet movie.

"If you read this blog, flush twice don't clog."

The Red Sox, Liverpool and the question of "style"

(Left to right): Henry, Werner and Dalglish will have to prove they can do more than clap in unison...

From the moment I saw this blog explode onto the scene like 1999 Kurt Warner, I swore that I’d get on here or die trying. (Secretly I hoped it required playing in the NFC West in which case I would actually be able to do a totally shitty job and still qualify with a home game.)

In reality, its founder was more than happy to add one more writer, so here we are.

And since I was recently contributed to a heated facebook argument on this topic, I figure I’ll kick off my contributions to this hallowed blog by talking about soccer…and style (and their relation).

As one of our friends recently put it: “Manchester City = Anti-Futbol.”

Personally I couldn’t agree more, but where’s the fun in even arguing that statement? For a team who bought (and is still buying) so many forwards, they certainly know how to avoid scoring goals.

Instead, I think there’s a more interesting issue to examine here. Namely, how the Premier League’s newest owners will approach soccer’s age-old “substance vs. style” argument.

Culture shock for John Henry and NESV.

Naturally I’m referring to the owners New Englanders are most familiar with, the New England Sports Ventures (NESV) group who now control Liverpool. Having apparently rescued Liverpool from their financial issues (at least for the time being), John Henry and the rest of the brain-trust turn their attention to on-the-field issues.

And nothing wins support like firing an unpopular manager. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Roy Hodgson fan. What he did last year with Fulham was remarkable. Yet more than simply presiding over Liverpool’s worst start to a season in years, his style was, very simply, boring.

Deploying his team in a straight 4-4-2 that was accustomed to sitting deep in its own third, they invited pressure and played on the counter. This was an effective tactic for minnows like Fulham, but it simply eroded pride at a bigger club like Liverpool who are accustomed to constantly playing on the front foot.

With Kenny Dalglish now back in charge, Liverpool have a safe pair of hands. Though King Kenny has been removed from managing for over a decade, he should guide the team to a better conclusion than they seemed headed for under Hodgson.

But Dalglish is only an interim manager. Inevitably, Henry and newly installed chairman Tom Werner will be presented with a managerial quandary soon enough again. And what philosophy will they subscribe to?

It’s a unique issue for the American owners who’re so used to dealing with baseball. When they arrived in Boston to take over the Red Sox in 2002, the legion of faithful fans (soon to be corporately dubbed “Red Sox Nation”) were starving for a championship like few fan bases this side of Cleveland.

That they produced a winner was the only priority. There was never this question regarding the manner of their victory. Style is a non-issue in baseball. In soccer, it’s an eternal debate.

The Beautiful Game or ‘Futbol for the Results’?

Ever since the days of Helenio Herrera and his 1960s Inter Milan teams perfected the cynical and ultra-defensive style, Catenaccio, this debate has been on the forefront of soccer discussion. (And, to be fair, it existed well before.)

Famous clashes on the planet’s biggest sporting stage, the World Cup, have produced epic battles not only of countries but soccer ideologies.

The 1970 World Cup final is probably the most famous of these. Pitting Brazil vs. Italy, it was the ultimate battle of offense vs. defense. Brazilian Joga Bonito vs. Italian Futbol de Resultados. And on that day, Pele, Jairzinho and the samba boys ripped apart the rigid Italians, 4-1 (scoring one of the best goals in World Cup history to cap off their famous win).

John Henry: He didn’t get rich by imitating Nicky Barnes’ style…

The debate continues in soccer to this day. Look at the Champions League semifinal last year. In the second leg, Inter, orchestrated as ever by the “special one”, Jose Mourinho, set out to defend their 3-1 aggregate lead. The Italians “parked the bus” in front of their own goal, playing to stifle the game. Barcelona, as usual, played to dominate possession and attack continuously. Rigid tactical deployment won on that day (Inter just hung on), but it just as easily have seen a different outcome.

Personally, I think John Henry and his top advisors could give a shit about style. They want to win. After all, these are the same people who hired Bill James and started incorporating sabermetrics into their high level decision-making when most of the MLB laughed at what they saw as nonsense (and two World Series later, most of the league has copied them).

Will they pursue Arsenal’s romantic vision of attack-or-bust, subscribing to Arsene Wenger’s declaration that big sides have a “responsibility” to play attractive soccer? Will they play “for the results” as the Italians famously did?

My opinion is that they will take something from Arsenal’s playbook. Henry has already hired former Wenger disciple Damien Comolli to run their personnel decisions. As a proponent of the cost-effective “Wengernomics,” Henry intends to run his club like the Londoners.

As far as on-the-field style though, I’d expect them to zero in on the best formula to win a soccer game and find a method to replicate it on a mass scale. That’s the kind of approach a financial, math-oriented man would take, right? And that’s what they did with the Sox (finding pitching and defense after watching decades of Boston teams built to hit home runs and nothing else).

How exactly they reach the final product remains to be seen. Liverpool fans will surely not tolerate a multi-year rebuilding program, but Henry has clearly said he won’t spend a fortune (notably declaring that he doesn't have “Sheikh” in front of his name).

But you won’t find me questioning the methods of John Henry. I’m a lifetime believer. And for anyone curious about why, you need only remember this.