Things to keep your eyes on this March

Finally March is here, and March may be one of my favorite months of the sporting year because we have Spring Training games in full swing, the NBA playoff picture begins to take final shape, the NCAA tournament gets rolling, Mel Kiper's hair will be out in all of its glory, and this year there is interest around the Bruins and hope that in April they may get out of the first round of the playoffs.

But here is what I am keeping my eyes on this spring in each of Boston's Big 4:

1. As far as the Celtics are concerned, the focus right now is Marbury. I am really interested to see how the tatooed cranium is going to be able to fit in down the stretch as the C's fight for the best record in the East. There is a lot of concern on a national level that if the Celtics don't get the number 1 seed they are not going to be able to go into Cleveland and beat the Cavs to advance to the finals. There is certainly some credence to that line of thought, and that is where Marbury comes in. Marbury very well could be the difference maker in that series. It is interesting to note Doc Rivers said he is more concerned with the team's health moreso than securing the first seed. When I look at the two teams I think about night and day. The Celtics are a more buisness like team they let their game do their talking whereas the Cavs strike me as the more cocky arrogant team, and that could play into the Celtics favor if the C's don't get the best record. Again, I think Marbury is going to be critical to how this all plays out over the next 2o something games. Marbury was a great signing, low risk high reward. He is saying the right things so far...so far.
2. Can the Bruins find their winning way again and set themselves up for the playoffs as the number one seed? Granted there have been some injuries over that past several weeks, and that reflects in their February record of 6-4-3. Despite this, the Bruins are still tied for the best record in the NHL with 93 points. I think it is going to be crucial for the Bruins to come out strong in March and play the way they have most of the season, but keep your eyes on the fast approaching trade deadline it is going to be interesting to see what moves they make...but keep in mind sometimes the best moves are the moves you don't make.
3. The Red Sox are in an unfamiliar territory...a drama free Spring Training. This is a good thing, because it allows us to focus on the right things Baseball. I am keeping my eyes on the health of certain players which if healthy could March the Sox to their third World Series title since 2004. Josh Beckett was hindered in 2008 by a nagging oblique issue which hindered him throughout the season, and seemed to work itself out until a start in September against the Yankees...of course. He found a way to work through the playoffs but not up to his typical Beckett standards. So far so good this spring as Beckett showed up to camp in great shape, and seems to have good control as well velocity. This is a good sign for the Sox. The other Big Horse, or Papi if you will, is fresh off of an injury plagued campaign in 2008. David Ortiz had a nagging wrist injury all season which impacted his ability to hit the long ball. The doctors said at the end of last season Ortiz need only time and the injury should heal...that is just what Ortiz has had since October. Ortiz showed up in camp looking slender and ready to go, but is he going to be able to get back to the Ortiz we have known and loved in years past? Of course there is the rest of the rotation...keep your eyes on the health of Brad Penny and John Smoltz. With these two healthy at the back end of the rotation, this starting 5 could be as formidable a rotation there ever was in baseball. Finally how is Mike Lowell going to bounce back after hip surgery last fall? Every report so far has been encouraging, but what I am concerned about is his age, and his mental state. Early on Lowell gave an interview where he talked about how he was indeed disappointed over the potential free agent signing of Mark Teixiera which almost certainly would have been Lowell's ticket out of town. I think Lowell is of exceptional character, and a solid understanding of how the business of baseball works and should be able to bounce back...but how is his 34 year old body going to hold up after his surgery?
4. How are the Patriots going to address the situation in the secondary? How are they going to address the aging linebacking core? Who is going to be the 3rd recveiver? How Healthy is Tom Brady, really? These are the questions that could put the Patriots in a spot to reclaim the top of the NFL mountain, but as much as it could put them back on top these questions could also see them have a repeat 11-5 season and miss the post-season again. As we have grown accustomed to in New England, "In Bill We Trust."

This is one of the best times to be a New Englander in recent years, and once we get the answers to my four questions, times could only get better. Let's wait and see.

Chief of the Cassel

The New England Patriots traded QB Matt Cassel Saturday afternoon, to the Kansas City Chiefs. This move comes 24 hours after the Patriots traded veteran LB Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs as well, in a move that is now being confirmed as a package deal. But what makes this more interesting is the man on the KC side of the table, is none other than former Patriots GM Scott Pioli. Pioli spent nine seasons as the architect of the New England dynasty before leavin in January to assume the healm in Kansas City. I am sure it won't be long before Jets fans will be talking about collusion and the two teams being in cahoots, but that is not the case. This trade was born more out of necessity than anything else for both sides.

It is going to be easy to look at this deal and say the Patriots gave up too much, only to get the 34th pick in the draft, which is the recently confirmed compensation for both Cassel and Vrabel. But this sets the Patriots up as the early winner in this chess match. The Patriots have been notorious for making the right moves at the right time, and are at the head of the class in terms of making decisions based on the needs of the business and not from a weak standpoint of sentimentality. Trading Mike Vrabel may have been an add in to the Cassel deal, but keep in mind Vrabel is on the downside of his career and was going to be a free agent next season making sense for the Pats to get some value for Vrabel now. So taking a look at the business side of this deal, it is easy to see where the Patriots line of sight was.

New England had Cassel on the books for over $14m for the 2009 season, making more than Tom Brady (whose health plays a large part in this move), hurting their cap number for this season. Mike Vrabel was set to make in the vicinity of $2m for the 2009 season. You take those two salaries off the books, it frees up $16m and gives the team more room under the cap. The Patriots are not know for giving their players overly lavish contracts. Plus the Patriots have had good second round success in recent drafts, and more than likely where they are trying to clear money off of the books wouldn't want to tie themselves to a big rookie contract. The Patriots have proven again, they want the right people for the team and they look for players who will fit into the New England Patriots system not players who have inflated stats and inflated egos. Humble pie.

Does this mean the Pats are going on a spending spree this off season? I would be surprised. I think you are going to see the Pats try and tie up some of their younger players and some of their free agents such as Vince Wilfork. In recent years the Pats have been sucessful in coming to terms with their free agents a year before they are eligible to hit free agency, and I look for this year to be much of the same with the guys who fit in the Patriots plans.

Vrable leaves and obvious gap in the line backing core, the once strength of the Pats D has been an area of concern over the past few seasons as these guys(Bruschi, Colvin, Seau, et al) get older and more injury prone. I look for Jerrod Mayo to continue to develop into one of the leagues best up and coming LB in his sophomore season, but there needs to be more depth. The Pats have some younger guys in terms of Pierre Woods and Shawn Krable who showed some promise in the pre season of 2008, before suffering a season ending leg injury. Another notable in this linebacker core is the return of Tully Banta-Cain who played the last two seasons with the San Fransico 49ers. But is that going to be enough? Probably not, and that is lucky for the Pats who seem to have a master plan in place, and it could be to trade some of their second round picks, where they now have 3, and there will be some quality linebackers who have 3-4 experience in the second round. Of course don't rule out the Pats making a play at a veteran linebacker free agent like...um...Ray Lewis.

The silver lining in this situation all but confirms Tom Terrific will be back in 2009, and I am predicting here and now the Patriots will be your Super Bowl Champions next season, as Brady will be back with a vengeance!

Hi-Tek talks

This Jason Varitek situation is a fascinating one, and one which should still get a bit more fascinating each day that passes by and The Red Sox captain is still unsigned. What makes it fascinating is the 3 month long game of chicken the Sox and Varitek have been playing, while the puppet master, Varitek's agent Scott Boras, seems to be tugging the wrong strings in this scenario.

Boras and Varitek (Boratek) thought they were in for a winter of being courted by potential suitors, that didn't happen, especially after Boratek declined arbitration. Now in order for Varitek to sign with any other team, that team would have to ship two draft picks to Boston (something Varitek claims he did not know, something an agent should ensure the player knows when presented with arbitration). That, apparently, has the rest of MLB thinking, "a little to rich for my blood boys." So now in lieu of several suitors, there is one...and there really was only one suitor, the Boston Red Sox.

Here is where we stand now. Varitek wants to be a member of the Red Sox and the Red Sox still want to have Varitek work their pitching staff. However, at this point I think Boratek need the Red Sox more than the Red Sox need Boratek, not to say Tek is dispensible, but the truth of the matter remains Varitek will be 37 in April, and the Sox need to get younger at that position, and Varitek's skills are steadily diminishing.

Given the lack of viable options at the catcher position, the Sox still need to (and I am confident they will) sign Jason Varitek, if it is a guaranteed second year that is holding up this deal, get it done. The second year around the ballpark of $8 million isn't going to hinder the Sox during the 2010 season, and even should Varitek go down with an injury or his bat continues to slow down (I hope it doesn't slow down to below the .220 he batted in '08) who better to tutor the two catching prospects in the Sox organization, George Kottaras or Dusty Brown, than Tek?

The fact Varitek is closer to 40 than 30 presents the very real scenario of needing to get younger behind the dish, and there is a feeling that Kottaras, Brown, or returning backstop Josh Bard are not every day catchers, so what is the next move? Easy, sign Tek for 2 years. This gives the Sox some time for a couple of things to happen, trade for a young catcher or continue to develop Kotarras or Brown. Either way, the Sox need to sign Tek, there is nothing else out there. Sure there has been talk of trading for some younger guys such as Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden from Texas or Miguel Montero from Arizona, which regardless of what happens with Tek, they Sox should still make one of those moves if the asking price makes sense, but other than that there isn't much else out there.

What we have here is a win, win, lose situation if the Sox sign Tek. Tek comes back, he gets at least a 2 year deal (in my opinion it will be 2 yrs) and the Sox get their captain back, win/win. The loss comes for Boras, who already lost some face in the wake of these negotiations when Varitek and Sox owner John Henry had a 90 minute face to face meeting to try to get the ball rolling again without Boras present. Not that I have ever met any of the parties involved in these negotiations, but you have to think Varitek feels a bit baited and switched, it is telling to me that Tek didn't know if he declined arbitration the Sox would get two draft picks, even Tek has to know he's not worth that much. Boras and the Red Sox had a solid working relationship which began to sour with the antics of former Left Fielder, Manny Ramirez. Manny wanted out of his contract with Boston so he could hit the Free Agent market this offseason and secure at least a 4 year deal as opposed to the two options at $20 million the Sox held, Manny threw the quintessential "take my ball and go home" fit. This forced the Sox to trade Manny to LA at the 2008 trading deadline (where they got Jason Bay who filled in nicely in Left). My feeling is the Boras over calculated what teams would be willing to sign Ramirez for and overplayed his hand in that situation as well as the Tek scenario. Point of interest, Manny is still on the market in late January, who would have thunk it?. The relationship continued to hit a sour note with the Mark Teixira negotiations when the Sox were the front runners to land the slugging first baseman, until he signed with the Sox primary rivals, the New York Yankees. Boras cut off his nose to spite his face, had Boras worked with the Sox to get Tex, he could have gotten Tek signed at a higher price in an unofficial package, and then the Yanks would have been desperate and signed Manny to a better deal than what he is going to get now.

This has to be a tough situation for Varitek who is one of the most loyal people in the game, loyal to the team where he caught 4 no hitters, and won two World Series, and loyal to the agent who 4 years ago got him a 4 year $40 million contract at the age of 33. Tek wants to retire in Boston, and I am confident he is going to retire in Boston, but all parties involved need to take a step back and take off their rose colored glasses and be able to call a spade and get this deal done.

DeFillippo Jagged Off

You interview, you're fired. That was the basic premise coming out of the Athletic Department of Boston College over the past few days as the story was leaked indicating BC Head Football Coach, Jeff Jagodzinski, was going to be fired if he interviewed for the vacant New York Jets Head Coach position in the NFL. Apparently Coach Jags interviewed yesterday, and was subsequently fired today. Hats off to BC Athletic Director Gene DeFillippo.
DeFillippo has something rare in organized sports today...integrity. Integrity for himself, the people he hires, but more importantly for his Athletic Program. DeFillippo held a press conference today to talk about the events of the day, more at a high level not drilling down to the details, but did it in a way that left both parties with their dignity. DeFillippo referenced his personal relationship with Coach Jags, saying he was a good friend before Jags came to BC and expects that friendship to continue. He would not discuss specifics or a time line of the events which transpired, but handled himself in a manner which suggested he was taken by surpise, hurt, but ready to move on as well. DeFillippo, at one point in the press conference, actually read a statement Coach Jags had prepared, again showing the class and integrity of BC's AD. This is the first time I have ever witnessed anything like this, where a situation which could have turned ugly, I mean Willie McGhee ugly, seems to have worked out amicably for both parties. I have used my reading between the lines ability to conclude there must be an agreement in place where neither party is going to publicly discuss, timelines, details, or financial restitution (which you have to assume there is).
I have no issue with coaches looking for better opportunities,and realistically Coach Jags may not have like the whole NCAA thing (recruiting, dealing with Alumni, and oh yeah running a Major Conference Football Program) and that is fine, but I feel Coach Jags didn't do the right thing here. If this was year four of a five year contract, and he pulled DeFillippo aside and said "Hey Geno, I don't know this college thing is working out, and I want to return to the NFL, I think there may be a few things I may look into, is that cool?" It may or may not be cool, but it would have been the right thing to do. To Manny out of a contract to get back to the NFL after only two years, leaves the program between scared and screwed. This give the perception to potential recruits of an unstable program, this leaves the AD to find a new head coach in the fat of recruiting season, and what about the players who came because of Coach Jags? Do they think themselves lied to and taken advantage of? What about the coaching staff, granted a majority of the coaches are left over from the last regime, but now they have to be thinking about their future. How is the program to begin to move on from the 2 game losing streak they are on, and now add this drama to it, I do not envy Mr. DeFillippo right now, but I do respect him.
Coaching changes in College Football where a coach leaves for a better opportunity is not rare occurence in this day and age, but what makes this one different is the way DeFillippo handled the aftermath. A case could be made the fact it was so public wasn't handled correctly by either party, but the way it was dealt with in the end, ultimately was the right thing for both DeFillippo and Coach Jags, but I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg of what is to come.

Wild Card Weekend

I still have a hard time swallowing the "Patriots ended the 2008 season with an 11-5 record and didn't make the playoffs, but also lost the division to the friggin' Dolphins" pill. But something happened around 10:30 am on January 4, 2008 as I was watching the Saturday Wild Card games on DVR...I can watch the games and route against the teams I hate! Pissah!
I was with the majority of Patriots fans who hated Peyton Manning, until their Super Bowl season, when my Mom asked me why I hated Manning. I had to sit back and just as I was about to say "he's over-rated, and he is in too many commercials," my Mom hit me off with on of the best follow up questions I have ever seen in my experience in the media, "How would you feel about Manning if you weren't a Patriots fan?" I thought about it, and actually Peyton Manning is everything I believe a pro athlete should be. So I have been able to appreciate Manning ever since then, that being said this morning I got to watch the Colts take on the San Diego Chargers. Now the Chargers are the franchise I hate more than any other in Pro Sports, yes that includes the Yankees. I always have despised the attitude of the Chargers, and especially after the recent contests between the Pats and Chargers. I hate their higher than tho attitude, and Philip Rivers is the quintessential spoiled brat. When those two masses meet, it was easy and fun for me to route for the Colts...until Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning forgot how to connect on the long ball. The fact the Colts lost to the Chargers is a similar feeling, to a lesser degree, as if the Pats had lost to the Chargers in a playoff game.
Of course before that game, I was watching the NFC Wild Card game between the Falcons and the Cardinals. This was a great game for me because I was able to sit back without any real care as to the outcome of the game, and watch two all-time great skill players in Kurt Warner and Edgerrin James do what they did back in their heyday. On the other side of the ball it was great to see Boston College's own Matty "Heisman (even though he didn't win the Heisman)" Ryan continue his story like rookie season into the Playoffs. Ultimately the Falcons had to play from a position they hadn't had to play from all season, behind. Atlanta did alright, but ultimately lost to the home town Cardinals, but it was certainly an entertaining game, and was a better game than what most of us Man-Town experts thought it would be.
Then just a few minutes ago, I had another unique experience...I was a Ravens fan. Yeah, a Ravens fan. I hate Baltimore fans, as they are more arrogant and less knowledgeable than Boston fans, and here I am cheering like a fool alongside of them, and yes it is because of a hatred I have cultivated toward Miami since 1986 and the "Squish the Fish" game. I have long felt Chad Pennington ins the epotime of an over rated quarterback. He just annoys me, usually I can give you some facts and legitimate in-sight, but truth be told he just friggin' annoys me, so to see him throw 3 interceptions was fabulous, superb, nifty, wicked awesome, fantabulous! I loved it. I don't get Yankees Fans in Boston, and on that same note, I don't get Dolphin fans in Patriot territory either. To be quite ignorantly honest with you that is a major part of my disdain for the Dolphins as well, and the best thing about sports, is sometimes that is all you need to wish for misery to a franchise.
There is still the Philly/Minnesotta game, but you know what...I couldn't care less about that game. I really couldn't. So instead of watching that, I am watching some MLB network shows I have on my DVR. I will probably watch the second half of that game, but maybe I will go to the gym, or make my Chicken Salad for my lunches for the week, who knows. I have already had my fun this weekend. Another plus for this weekend, with all of the games, it gives us the opportunity to move on from all the nonsensical Brett Favre drama.
Of course, the only thing which would have made this weekend better for me is having the Pats in the playoffs beating the Ravens in Foxboro, but as Mick Jagger said "You don't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find, you get what you need."

Athletes and Guns

The self inflicted gunshot wound of New York Giants Wide Reciever, Plaxico Burress, has brought the issue of guns and professional athletes to the forefront of the media. This is certainly an interesting dynamic in the world of pro sports in 2008, and raises the question "Why do athletes need to carry a gun?" As far as I am concerned, I feel pro athletes in many cases do indeed need to carry a firearm for their protection. The key word is protection. Not as an accessory...protection. Pro athletes are targets, that is a fact, and why shouldn't they protect themselves? For those who don't feel comfortable handling a firearm, they hire bodyguards who will handle the firearm for them. Many pro athletes have guns, and they have them registered. Whoa, there is a noble concept, register your gun. The reason they have gun, is they understand they are a target. There have been several incidents of Pro Athletes being victims of violent crimes over the years, some fatal, some non-fatal, and some walk away and continue their careers.
Boston Celtics Forward, Paul Pierce, was stabbed as many as 11 times around the neck in 2000 during a night club altercation. Pierce miraculously somehow someway, did not suffer life threatening injuries and was able to recover both his health and his career. Pierce's former teammate in Boston, Antoine Walker, twice has been a victim of a robbery at gunpoint. Both happened in Chicago, Walker's hometown. The first happened in July 2000 when Walker and fellow NBA baller Nazr Mohammed were held up at gunpoint while waiting for a restaurant to open. The second may have been a bit more scary for Walker who was held up and bound at gunpoint at his home in Chicago. I think the common thread is the most obvious one, they are pro athletes with absurd payrolls compared to the common man.
Pierce and Walker were lucky to get out of those situations with their life, and careers, not all athletes can say that. Last season, Washington Redskins Safety Sean Taylor was fatally shot in his Miami home where Taylor was the victim of a burglary. The trial in the death of Taylor has been suspended until early next year.
September 2, 2008, Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Tackle Richard Collier was shot and critically wounded while sitting in a Cadillac Escalade. Luckily Collier survived, but his career didn't. Collier is now paralyzed from the waist down, and had his left leg amputated. Granted this is a retaliation for an altercation which had taken place earlier in a club.
These are situations where firearms are warranted, and who knows how different the outcomes may have been. There have been too many situations where other athletes carry pieces to remain true to their roots, maintain their street cred. Who cares about street cred. These guys are getting paid millions of dollars to play, what are in most American's eyes, a kids game, when these same Americans are concerned about losing their jobs, and these guys are out dropping G-notes at clubs, blinding people with their obnoxious bling, up at the DJ booths spinning the wax, but in case that isn't enough we see a handufl of them waiving their Smith and Wesson from side to side (some actually keep it in their belt just some people can see it)?
I have a simple solution and words of wisdom for the Plaxico Burress' of the world...DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN THESE FRIGGIN SITUATIONS!! Look, as an athlete you are going to always be a mark. Have we learned nothing from Pacman Jones, Sebastian Telfair, and now Plaxico Burress? If you feel you are a mark(which again as a pro athlete you always will be), and you feel you are going to be in danger, the US Constitution allows you the right to bear arms...it doesn't allow you the right to arm yourself and act like an ass. As fans we need to understand these guys are people first, Fathers, Sons, Brothers, Uncles, and Friends, and they should protect themselves, but enough is enough. The rest of these guys who carry a gun for the solidiciation of their testicular fortitude, ENOUGH!

Franchise Cassel?

Matt Cassel's performances over the past 2 games have been historic, well to the Patriots at the very least. Two consecutive games of over 400 yards passing, and people are already talking about a QB controversy in New England. Gone and forgotten is Tom Brady. Yes folks, the same Tom Brady who led this team to 3 Super Bowl Championships in 4 tries, a perfect regular season, and who led the Patriots from obscurity. Remember him kids? Remember Giselle and the little dog? Remember the Saturday Night Live performance? Or more importantly the Tuck Rule Game? The battles with the Colts? His MVP season last season? How the heck have we forgotten Tom Brady already?
Now with Cassel's success of late and the uncertainty of Brady's rehab from knee surgery, the Patriots fellowship is already named Matt Cassel the successor to Brady, please allow me to point out the flaws in this line of thought.

1. Financially: The only way the Pats are keeping Cassel is to franchise him, and in order to do that they are going to have pay him a salary equal to the average of the top 5 QB's in the NFL. The Pats typically do not shell out that kind of moolah for superstars, let alone at a position to potentially back up one of the best QB's of all-time...again
2. Logically: Have we seen or heard anything to believe Brady is done for next season? And please don't start in on the Bledsoe/Brady argument. Two different scenarios. Granted Bledsoe put this franchise back on the map, but isn't close to the QB Brady IS. See what I did there? I said IS and specifically didn't say was. Brady is going to be back, and just as good as he was when he left. Will he have a season like he did in 2007? Not likely. But I like him throwing to the likes of Welker, Moss, and...well anyone in a Patriots uniform.
3. Idiots: The people who are talking about franchising Cassel are the same idiots who were trying to run him out of town from the first pre-season game until the second half of the first quarter of the first game of the season. Typical fair weather, uneducated New England sports fans, who have taken over the majority from us...the people who lived and died with the Red Sox, Pats, and Celtics during the championship drought from 1986 until 2002 when the Pats won their first Super Bowl. Granted, the way Cassel played in that span, those sentiments were warranted, but don't sit there and tell me Cassel is the QB you want running your franchise.
4. Really: Do you really think Cassel wants to be here next year? He knows what is going on. As much as every completion gets the Patriots one step closer to the Playoffs, it is also adding another zero to his next contract, which is going to be bigger than he ever imagined. There is already talk and rumblings of a McDaniel/Cassel package where both youngsters are in for a considerable pay raise.
   

Look, I like the job Cassel has done thus far, and it is great to see Cassel mature in role. He seems to be improving each week, but if you can sit there and say that every time Cassel starts to run out of the pocket or throws that ball deep down field and you don't still cringe just a little bit..you are a better man than I. Granted, those cringes tend to be coming less and less, but they are still there. Don't mistake where I am coming from right now, this is not a Cassel bash, but more of a reminder that somewhere in a hot tub is "Tom Terrific," and there is no controversy, the starting Quarterback of the New England Patriots IS Tom Brady, and will be Tom Brady for the foreseeable future.