January 2007 Archives

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

Are the Hanson Brothers available? Because something needs to be done with the lack of protection and passion the Bs have been showing as of late.

The Bruins that were on the ice last night must not care about their teammates very much...

First, David Krecji received a cheap hit from Adam Mair, which resulted in a charging call, but not one Bruin went after Mair.

Then Paul Gaustad laid out Marc Savard with boarding penalty and again no retaliation.

Noone, not Captain Zdeno Chara, not Brad Stuart (who's play of late says "get me outta here"), not Paul Mara, not any of the forwards looked to settle the score - and I don't mean on the scoreboard.

That's what was embarrassing about the Black and Gold last night, not that they lost 7-1 to the Sabres, but the fact that there was no passion and no protection of those that wear the spoked-B on their chest.

Wayne Primeau finally stepped up to the task, but it was too little, too late by the time he dropped the gloves; he waited until less than 10 minutes to play in the game when the cheap shots came in the first and second periods.

No offense, but when your best player, Savard, takes a cheap shot from an opposing player - you - Chara, Stuart, Mara etc.. make your presence known and drop the gloves, who cares what the penalties are that you recieve show your teammates that you have their back.

I'm sure there were guys and gals in the bars last night looking at their buddies saying, "I hope you make a better wingman than that."

It makes fans say, "I miss PJ Stock."

I was willing to accept a three-game losing streak as long as they bounced back like they had previously done this year, but this is getting down right disgusting to watch. The team seems to be skating with no passion, no drive; no pride and that is completely unacceptable.

But how do they fix it? If GM Peter Chiarelli does make a trade, without giving up too much, who do the Bruins get in return? If the rumors are true and defensemen Stuart and Milan Jurcina are whose heads seem to be on the trading block - then what would they get in return?

If I were Chiarelli I would be looking for a goaltender. Seriously, either send Hannu Toivonen back down to Providence and then showcase him at the end of the season - if he ever gets his confidence back or trade him now and allow Tim Thomas to be what he is - a back-up goaltender.

If you go back and look at my posts at the beginning of the season; I have said all along, the tandem the Bruins have in net is not going to get them far and guess what - it hasn't.

Can someone please explain to me why the owners, GM and coach all feel the team is fine with the goaltending? And yes, I know I have asked that question before, just waiting for the answer.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Usually, when Red Sox fans talk about Manny needing to come through, they’re talking about Manny Ramirez. But with the Todd Helton trade talks apparently dead, the pressure on Manny Delcarmen to be a bullpen stud just increased ten-fold.

By most accounts, the Red Sox unwillingness to part with a top-level prospect is what killed the deal. As we were told by the Denver Post’s Troy Renck last night on SportsTalk Live, the Rockies insisted on one player from the group of Delcarmen, Craig Hansen, Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury to make the deal happen. The Sox wouldn’t do that unless Colorado was willing to pick up more of Helton’s contract.

I am absolutely apoplectic (how’s that for a big word?) over this right now. With what the Rockies agreed to pay, Boston would have owed the sweet-swinging first baseman $55-million over 5-years. In this market place where J.D. Drew gets $14-million a year, that’s a bargain. Hell, they were going to take Mike Lowell and Julian Tavarez off our hands, too.

And why did Theo Epstein not pull the trigger? Because of Manny Delcarmen, a soon to be (on February 16th) 25-year old middle reliever. Awful…just awful!

I’m willing to buy drawing a line in the sand about Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz. Heck, I’ll even give you that Craig Hansen could still become the stud closer we thought he’d be. But Manny Delcarmen? I don’t get it. I simply don’t get it.

The only thing that would make sense to me, and it is pure speculation, is that the Red Sox believe Helton is done or that he has some kind of steroid history. But if that’s the case, why explore a trade in the first place?

Let’s face it; Theo Epstein, who’s had a very good offseason in my eyes, blew this one big time. And the person who’s going to feel the wrath of the Fenway faithful if he flops, is Manny Delcarmen. I’d hate to be in the kid’s shoes right now.

What do you think of the deal falling apart? Would you have pulled the trigger? Is there a chance this one gets re-visited later on?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

If you missed last night’s SunTalk Live, you missed out on a lot. Besides a visit from Troy Renck, the Denver Post writer who broke the Todd Helton trade rumors, we unveiled a bit of big news about the future of the show.

SportsTalk Live has a new home base, at least for the first Monday of every month. Hookslide Kelly’s, Lowell’s newest and best sports bar, is now the official sponsor of the program. As part of the partnership, we’ll be doing our show from Hookslide Kelly’s once a month, beginning next Monday night. The webcam is coming along, too, and we’re working on ways of synching it up with a few of the 22-TV’s that surround the room.

You’re invited to stop on by and visit the Merrimack Street location in Downtown Lowell. Besides callers, we’ll be taking questions and comments from guests at the bar. We’ll also give away a pair of tickets to the following night’s Golden Gloves boxing card at Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

So come down to Hookslide Kelly’s this coming Monday night. Lowell’s hottest place to watch the game just got a whole lot hotter!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

No...we don't mean the Aussie rock band. We're talking about the computer and internet folks working hard to update TheSunBlog site and the machinery behind it. That's why you've been getting error messages from time to time while you try to post comments.

As mentioned last week, we're also having a few issues on our end as we try to bring you the latest and greatest sports news. The problems should be ironed out by mid-February. In the meantime, keep plugging away and your comments will eventually get through to us.

We appreciate your patronage. Thank you for shopping TheSunBlog.com!

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

The Bruins dropped their third straight last night for the fourth time in this year's campaign, but the Black and Gold have not had a losing streak extend farther than that. Can they turn it around against Buffalo tonight?

The last time the Rangers handed the Bs their third straight loss, the Bs came out and beat the Sabres in a shootout - maybe it can happen again tonight.

What needs to change? Who needs to step up? The answers are simple, everything and everyone.

Offensively the Bruins have had one player to be the most consistent: Marc Savard; Defensively the Bruins have had one player to be the most consistent: Zdeno Chara; On the power play the Bruins have had one unit which has been the most consistent: Savard, Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Glen Murray and Marco Sturm. In fact, out of the 47 ppg the Bs have Savvy, Muzz and Bergy have 9 apiece, Chara has 7 and Sturm 4 - that's 38 of the 47.

Goaltending still seems to be a major question in hand - ironically Hannu Toivonen had one of his best games of the season in the 3-0 loss to Ottawa the Saturday before the All Star break and Tim Thomas has been shakey lately and I have to agree with Dale Arnold, one thing that is completely annoying with Thomas' game is that one shot on goal becomes three shots on goal- "He is horrible at controling rebounds."

Brad Boyes has been basically non-existant this season, Paul Mara has also had a disappointing season... who else is on that list - trust me it goes on and on...

One thing is for sure GM Peter Chiarelli is not sitting still, the Bruins have recalled David Krecji from Providence and waived Jeff Hoggan ; wonder if he's done or if the new GM wants to make a move. But a move for who and who is he willing to give up?

With Sturm, Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart all free agents at the end of the season, will one of them be the one to be moved? Is there a package in the works?

From what I've heard and read, Stuart is not happy in Boston and has said he will test the free agency market at the end of the season anyways, so why wait and get nothing for him.

Who would you put on the trading block? Is there a player you would try and go after? Chiarelli said he's looking for depth on defense and a gritty forward... can they get one of the two or both? Why does the club seem happy with the goaltending?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Need a quick fix to help overcome Patriots withdrawal? Here are a couple of items we’ve been kicking around TheSunBlog and SportsTalk Live the last few days, plus a few more sure to become habit for you sports junkies;

Sure didn’t take long after the Patriots demise for the Red Sox to jump back into the spotlight, did it? More Fenway expansion…finally reaching the finish line of the J.D. Drew marathon negotiations…Todd Helton trade talks…Curt Schilling’s non-retirement announcement; is it any wonder Bob Kraft and company feel like the Jan Brady of Boston pro sports? Red Sox, Red Sox, Red Sox!

Let me get this straight; The Rockies are willing to pay almost half Helton’s salary, and all they want in return is Mike Lowell, Julian Tavarez, and either Manny Delcarmen or Craig Hansen? There has to be a catch, right? Otherwise, Theo Epstein himself would be riding them out to Denver on a moped, a la Lloyd and Harry in Dumb & Dumber.

Middle relievers, a level I’m not sure Hansen or Delcarmen will ever rise above, are less reliable than online shopping deliveries around the holidays.

I’m happy for Adam Vinatieri. It’s nice to see good things happen to good people. Besides being a Hall of Fame kicker, Vinatieri is nothing if not good people. Quick prediction; Colts in a romp!

I hear Kevin Federline is appearing in a Super Bowl commercial where he plays a fast-food worker, and that the National Restaurant Association is livid because they say the ad belittles restaurant employees. You know your career has hit rock bottom when even Johnny from Burger King doesn’t want to be associated with you.

Hang tough, K-Fed. Keith Foulke feels your pain.

As if football season winding down isn’t bad enough, try this one on for size; Coming Sunday, February 18, 2007, the Daytona 500.

Gentlemen, crash your engines!

Trade Al Jefferson for Pau Gasol? Play to win or play for the top of the lottery? One gets the sense the next five months will determine Danny Ainge’s front office legacy.

I still think the C’s are on the right track. But if a brief stop along the way brings Greg Oden or Kevin Durant aboard the train, this conductor is willing to delay the journey another few months.

Yes, I remember the Tim Duncan disaster. But I also remember the sight of Kevin Durant dropping 34-points on Baylor this weekend. 26 of them came in the second half. It was the fourth time this year the Texas freshman has topped the 30-point mark in Big-12 play. We don’t have to win the lottery. A place showing works just fine, too.

It’s bad enough the NHL All-Star Game was televised by a network most of America doesn’t know exists, but did they have to schedule it on a Wednesday night opposite American Idol? What up with that Commissioner Bettman…Super Bowl Sunday wasn’t available?

Tiger Woods’ and Roger Federer’s dominance of their respective sports is breathtaking. Serena Williams took my breath away for another reason. That girl scares me! Here’s hoping Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli check out the women’s tennis tour when scouting linebackers.

Who would have thought a racehorse’s fight for survival and ultimate demise would be both the most courageous and touching sports story of the past 8-months? Even a cold-hearted jerk like me felt like a friend was lost Monday. Rest in peace, Barbaro.

That’s my take…what’s yours?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series will be making it's home in the Kimberly, Wisconsin, according a story posted on the NPF website this past week.

Cardinal Youth Softball, Inc., has reportedly reached an agreement to host the NPF in 2007, 2008 and 2009. This year's championship series, which features the top four teams in the league, will be played on Aug. 24-26 at Sunset Park.

The 2006 NPF Championship Series was held at DeLuca Field in Stratford, Connecticut, with the Lowell-based New England Riptide bringing home the Cawles Cup thanks in large part to a pair of seven-inning shutouts from series MVP Jocelyn Forest.

More information may come out today as a press conference has been scheduled in Wisconsin for this afternoon.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Curt Schilling is not the retiring type…at least not yet.

The Red Sox righty told WEEI this morning he’s negotiating an extension for 2008 with Boston. Curt on the Car Phone had originally indicated 2007, his final contract year, would also be his final year, period. Schilling said his first choice is to stay in Beantown, though he would search for a new home if a deal isn’t worked out by the end of spring training.

Schilling also says the Yankees would not be an option. Yeah, right! Don’t get me wrong…I believe an agreement will be reached to keep him in Boston. However, if and when he gets to free agency, you can bet the 40-year old would go to the highest bidder with a chance to compete for a World Series, a category the Evil Empire always falls into.

Remember, Schilling’s first choice was to go to the Yankees from Arizona, but the Diamondbacks wouldn’t deal with George Steinbrenner because he stole David Wells from them after they’d reached agreement with the lefty. In fact, there was a funny scene during the Sox on-field World Series celebration. Curt’s wife Shonda was being interviewed live with her husband by one of the local TV stations and let it slip that they originally wanted to go to New York, prompting her hubby to shush her and laugh it off.

Bottom line; Curt Schilling wants to pitch beyond 2007. I say it would be great to let him finish out his career here, and an agreement will most likely be worked out soon. But if he does get to free agency, all bets are off!

That’s my take…what’s yours? Are you glad Schilling wants to pitch another year or should he ride off into the sunset before father time catches up to him?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The Patriots season may be over, but there’s no shortage of topics for us to discuss during this week’s SunTalk Live program.

Dennis Whitton and David Pevear join me Monday night from 7-8pm for an open forum SportsTalk. With the rumor mill floating names like Todd Helton and Pau Gasol, you can be sure Red Sox and Celtics will be part of the dialogue. But no subject is off limits; Patriots, Bruins, Spinners, Devils, Lowell High…any and all sports news is on the table. The number to participate; (978)364-TALK (8255)

Also, stay with us till the end of the program for an exciting announcement about the future of SportsTalk. The only hint I’ll give right now is it will open up a whole new avenue for you to be a part of the show.

Talk to you soon!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

A day after reporting the Todd Helton-to-the-Red Sox talks, the Denver Post says the Celtics are the leading contenders in the Pau Gasol trade derby. The news appears as a brief snippet in Mark Spears’ NBA Report.

In return, Boston would send Al Jefferson and a package of draft picks to Memphis. There isn’t any word on which big contract player the C’s would have to include to make the number work under the salary cap, but Theo Ratliff’s name is sure to pop up should such a deal be consummated.

I’m torn about this one. I’ve always liked Al Jefferson. I’ve liked him even more since Doc Rivers was forced to play him 35+ minutes after the injury bug destroyed the C’s. The kid is a guaranteed double-double, with a career as a 20-10 contributor a distinct possibility. He’s only 21-years old and just finding himself as a player in this, his 3rd NBA season out of high school.

I’ve always been of the opinion Jefferson should be untouchable unless Kevin Garnett could be had for him. I wouldn’t have traded him straight up for Allen Iverson, Shawn Marion, or any of the other names mentioned as likely trade bait over the last year. Gasol was always someone I flip-flopped about.

The Grizzlies forward was huge during Spain’s World Championship over the summer, even though he missed the title game with a broken foot that’s held him to only 22-games this season. The 7-footer’s career averages of 18.6-points, 8.4-rebounds, and nearly 2-blocks per game are impressive enough, without factoring in the 3-point range and more than 3-assists per game. And he’s only 26-years old. A lineup featuring Pierce and Gasol would instantly vault Boston into the Eastern Conference’s upper echelon, with a legit shot at the Finals.

My bottom line; I think I do the trade if it involves Jefferson, Ratliff and draft picks in 2008 or beyond. I don’t do it if would cost Danny Ainge the 2007 first-rounder. Here’s why;

Even with Gasol and a healthy Pierce, that 2007 pick will still likely be in the mid-teens, an area Ainge has had decent success with. Give those two a full season together, and the C’s first rounders for 2008 and the foreseeable future aren’t likely to produce major impact players, so the damage isn’t as great. But if Pierce’s stress fracture and Gasol’s foot injury cause them to miss any more time in ’07, you could be looking at a lineup next year featuring Pierce, Gasol and either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant.

Then again, a lineup of Pierce, the rapidly improving Jefferson and one of the college studs wouldn’t look bad either. Plus, Jefferson’s game is exclusively in the post, whereas Gasol is more of an outside threat. Let’s not forget the presence of Gerald Green, another perimeter player. Is there enough space on the outside for all three of them? Think Memphis would settle for Green instead of Jefferson? If they did, I’d definitely give them the 2007 first-rounder. The possibilities are making me downright dizzy!

So as you can see, I’m still very torn about the potential trade, even though I think I’d do it. But as Bill Parcells famously said; I reserve the right to change my mind!

That’s my fence-sitting take…what’s yours? What would you trade for Pau Gasol? Is Al Jefferson becoming an untouchable? Can you believe I wrote this many words and still sound indecisive?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Well, it's past time for us in this particular blogger to delve a little more into the world of basketball. The Patriots tapped out early, and pitchers and catchers haven't even reported yet.

After all, basketball was invented in Massachusetts. We've got the Hall of Fame. Boston still has more NBA titles than any other franchise. Plus, a group of youngsters got basketball officially recognized as the state sport this past summer. So it is definitely time to start busting out the basketball notes. We'll start with those fellas streaking through the NBA like Will Ferrell in Old School.

How good are those runnin’ and gunnin’ Phoenix Suns this year?

Well, a franchise record 16-game win streak does wonders for a team’s standings. In the case of the Phoenix Suns, it has catapulted them to the best record in the NBA (35-8 coming into Sunday‘s game with the Cleveland Cavaliers), their winning percentage slightly better than the Dallas Mavericks.

Two separate 15-game win streaks is the sort of thing you expected from the Celtics during the Bill Russell era or the Bulls during the Jordan years, but Phoenix?

At the end of last year the Suns were only the third best team in the Western Conference. They reached the conference finals, but they were taken to game seven in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

So far this season they appear determined to show the doubters that their free wheeling and up-tempo style can make a run at the NBA championship.

Steve Nash told reporters in Phoenix last Monday that while streaks are “meaningless� to the guys on the court, he hopes it is a sign that the Suns are building something special.

“I hope it’s fun for the fans and the media, but for us it’s all about trying to prepare and get ready for the playoffs,� he said (the video of his comments can be viewed via the Suns website).

He also reiterated his belief that this squad is the best he has ever played on because of the talent, depth, versatility and chemistry.

This year the Suns are benefiting from the return of big man Amare Stoudemire after microfracture surgery on his left knee in October of 2005 and arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last April.

By the numbers
Stoudemire is one of six Phoenix players averaging 10 points per game or more this season. Two-time defending MVP Steve Nash leads the way with 19.5 points per game. Shawn Marion and Stoudemire both toss in 18.7 per game, followed by Leandro Barbosa (16.1), Raja Bell (15.2) and Boris Diaw (10.3).

Stoudemire (9.1 rpg) and Shawn Marion (10.1 rpg) are both among the top 25 in the NBA in rebounding and both also rank in the top 30 in blocked shots. Meanwhile Nash’s 11.7 assists per game are a full two assists per game higher than the next man on the list, Utah’s Deron Williams (9.2).

As a team the Suns lead the league in scoring, averaging 111.5 points per game, which is no surprise considering their offensive approach. However, they’re also holding opponent to just 45 percent shooting from the field (tenth-best in the NBA).

They’ve got Company at the top
While they haven’t put together the same sort of streaks, the Mavericks (36-9) have been on a ridiculous run. Head coach Avery Johnson’s team has won 36 of 41 games since losing their first four of the season.

The Lakers currently trail the Suns by 8.0 games in the Pacific Division ,while Dallas’ edge over the San Antonio Spurs in 5.0 games.

The way the Suns and Mavs are rolling towards the All-Star break will keep the pressure on everyone else in the West.

“I think it reflects more on them than it does on us,� Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said on Monday when his team visited the TD Banknorth Garden. “People seem sometimes reticent to give credit. They would rather decide this player is playing better or that player is playing badly. I kind of turn it the other way. Phoenix and Dallas are doing a great job and just kicking butt.�

Now, I pose the question to you the legions of basketball fans who I know are out there. Do the Suns have a chance at the title? Who does have the best chance from what you've seen this far? As always, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on those struggling Celtics.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The Denver Post (a sister paper to the Lowell Sun) reports the Colorado Rockies are discussing a deal that would send Todd Helton to the Red Sox.

It’s still not known exactly what the Rockies are seeking in return, but the names Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen are mentioned in the article, which you can read here. It’s also believed Colorado is willing to eat a portion of the 6-years, $91-million remaining on the 33-year old 1st Baseman’s contract, and that Helton would consider waiving his no-trade clause. Reports out of Boston have Sox management downplaying the possibility of a deal.

Initially, thought of the sweet-swinging Helton added to a lineup already featuring David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew is intriguing. In a perfect world, I’d do the deal in a heartbeat. (Hey…it’s not my money!) However, the career .333-hitter has struggled with injuries the last few seasons, particularly a bad back that has caused a major decline in production.

If the price is Delcarmen and Hansen, with the Rockies willing to pay a good chunk of the tab, I say; go for it! If it’s one of those guys with another top minor league prospect not named Jacoby Ellsbury, I say; go for it again! Throw in Kevin Youkilis as well who, though not mentioned, I’m willing to bet is already part of the discussion.

In my mind, the dialogue ends when the names Papelbon and Lester are brought up. Not that I wouldn’t trade Lester for an established player in his prime, but not for a 33-year old 1^st baseman with a history of back issues.

What do you think of a prospective Helton trade? You as intrigued as I am by the possibility, especially if the price is a couple of unproven middle-relievers? Who would you consider including in the deal? Would Helton’s acquisition make the Red Sox clear-cut favorites to win the World Series?

Let’s hear from you Red Sox nation…less than a month till spring training!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Thursday, The National Basketball Association announced the starters for the league all-star game in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, Feb. 18.

Eastern Conference starters will be LeBron Games (F) from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chris Bosh (F) of the Toronto Raptors, Gilbert Arenas (G) of the Washington Wizards, Shaquille O’Neal (C) and Dwyane Wade (G) of the Miami Heat.

Western Conference starters will be Kevin Garnett (F) from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tim Duncan (F) of the San Antonio Spurs, Kobe Bryant (G) of the Los Angeles Lakers, Tracy McGrady (G) and Yao Ming (C) of the Houston Rockets.

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni will coach the Western Conference team. The Eastern Conference coach has yet to be determined.

James’ 2,516,049 votes is the second-highest largest total ever, second only to Yao Ming’s 2,558,278 in 2005.

Eastern Conference voting breakdown
Forwards: LeBron James (Clev) 2,516,049; Chris Bosh (Tor) 1,091,263; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 934,749; Grant Hill (Orl) 677,423; Paul Pierce (Bos) 615,911; Rasheed Wallace (Det) 549,693; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 459,139; Tayshaun Prince (Det) 408,936; Caron Butler (Was) 404,489; Emeka Okafor (Char) 388,170.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 2,029,591; Gilbert Arenas (Wash) 1,454,166; Vince Carter (NJ) 1,451,156; Jason Kidd (NJ) 838,486; Chauncey Billups (Det) 499,670; Stephon Marbury (NY) 458,181; Michael Redd (Mil) 351,277; Ben Gordon (Chi) 316,428; Steve Francis (NY) 307,287; Richard Hamilton (Det) 306,547.

Centers: Shaquille O'Neal (Mia) 1,622,446; Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,464,613; Ben Wallace (Chi) 788,950; Alonzo Mourning (Mia) 338,904; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 256,579; Zaza Pachulia (Atl) 244,507; Nazr Mohammed (Det) 217,067; Eddy Curry (NY) 202,010; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Clev) 196,000; Primoz Brezec (Char) 164,734.

Western Conference voting breakdown
Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Minn) 1,616,575; Tim Duncan (SA) 1,436,584; Carmelo Anthony (Den) 1,309,945; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 1,276,304; Shane Battier (Hou) 1,025,643; Shawn Marion (Pho) 551,173; Lamar Odom (LAL) 438,824; Josh Howard (Dal) 412,102; Pau Gasol (Mem) 237,828; Carlos Boozer (Utah) 359,882.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 2,138,777; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 1,942,796; Allen Iverson (Den) 1,813,638; Steve Nash (Pho) 1,504,826; Manu Ginobili (SA) 541,341; Tony Parker (SA) 501,429; Chris Paul (NOK) 462,206; Ray Allen (Sea) 444,443; Jason Terry (Dal) 421,924; Baron Davis (GS) 354,412.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 2,451,718; Amaré Stoudemire (Pho) 1,209,333; Erick Dampier (Dal) 385,179; Marcus Camby (Den) 373,382; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 339,247; Francisco Elson (SA) 252,622; Tyson Chandler (NOK) 202,531; Brad Miller (Sac) 186,230; Mark Blount (Minn) 175,322; Chris Kaman (LAC) 160,234.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

After reading all the comments added to Teddy's post, I had to change what I was going to write and by the way Teddy, my foot still hurts, LOL.

OK, first of all Bettman is not the only problem, what most people forget is there is a Board of Governors that vote on every change that happens in the NHL.

But, anyway, the problem with the NHL is not the game itself, it truly is the worst marketable sport for TV and the only reason for it is the speed.

Whenever I talk to anyone about hockey they say, "I love watching the game live in person, but I can't follow it on TV."

And even though I watch every game I can on TV, I agree. Even when the games were televised on ESPN the cameras could not follow the puck and the action of the game and even when they could they always seem to switch to the worst camera angle at the wrong time.

Most of the time fans were denied seeing the big hit or the great poke check because the camera was somewhere else. There were many occassions I've even seen them miss the great pass that led to a goal - very frustrating. And the casual fan can not handle that.

Networks tried to fix it by adding streaking colors to follow the puck and that was just plain and simply annoying.

The only good thing about ESPN covering the NHL was NHL Tonight, I still have the theme as a ring tone on my phone.

In keeping with dboisver comments on Teddy's post ... I agree the NHL could drop eight teams and the league would be better for it. I'd start with Atlanta, Columbus, Carolina, Florida, Nashville, Phoenix, Tampa Bay and LA.

As far as attendance goes, I can only speak for the hockey fans I know in and around New England.

The problem with the Bruins is the owners - they were not putting the product on the ice to compete at the level of some of the other teams and that caused a drop in attendance. They made a step in the right direction by firing MOC and hiring Peter Chiarelli and then signing Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard on the first day of free agency.

New England has the most fair weather - band wagon fans and please try and disagree.

When the Patriots weren't winning - prior to Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcels - the stadium was constantly not sold out and more than half of the home games weren't even televised. Once the team put a good product on the field people started buying tickets and low and behold they have a tremendous fan base. I would like to see what would happen if the team started dropping games left and right.

The Bruins owned the city of Boston in the 70s, 80s, all the way up into the early 90s and then they just weren't winning - so people stopped paying attention - it's funny how since the Patriots have won 3 Super Bowls they all of a sudden have the most news coverage but prior to the drafting of Bledsoe they weren't even on the map, much like the Bruins and Celtics now.

Time for you guys to tell me what you think about my thoughts...

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

I’m going to step on Gayle’s toes a little here and delve into a subject I’ve been wondering about for a couple of years now; Is the current Commissioner of the National Hockey League the best man for the job?

“Dale and Holleyâ€? got a discussion going on WEEI this morning, using a column that blasted Gary Bettman for the state of the NHL as the jumping off point. (I missed the beginning of the segment, so I don’t know where the article they were talking about is…if you know, please pass that info along). The gist of it; when Chicago is sometimes drawing only 6,000,  Boston often gets only 9,000 and hockey crazed Philadelphia has more no-shows a nun’s hemline, perhaps it’s time for a change at the top.

I couldn’t agree more! The fact the All-Star game is on a Wednesday night on a network most of America doesn’t even know exists (another topic of discussion on ‘EEI) is a sad indictment of where Bettman has led the league. You can debate style of play or lack of fighting all you want. Bottom line is the business decisions made by the people getting paid good money to make them have been atrocious.

Taking games off ESPN was a disastrous move. Doing it the year following a season-killing strike was suicide. Sports owners in the 50’s and 60’s mistakenly thought television would hurt the live gate. On the contrary, they found television exposure was the greatest advertisement any league or franchise could get.

It’s a basic rule of any sport, and yet the Commissioner of the NHL, a man who learned at the feet of David Stern, thought it was a great idea to take miniscule money from a no-name network instead of getting whatever he could from the most visible cable sports outlet in the world. He should have known better. After 13-years in charge, the league he runs should be in much better shape.

It’s time for Gary Bettman to step aside for the good of a great sport!

What do you think? Should Bettman hand the reins over to someone else? Is there even anything that can be done to save the NHL? Notice, I said the NHL, not hockey?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

You may have noticed some technical difficulties while trying to post your comments lately. You may have even noticed more sporadic postings on our part. Well, do not adjust your settings…the problem is not in your computer.

We’ve been undergoing some system upgrades the past few weeks, upgrades which should be finished in the near future. The construction makes it difficult for us to get our “hard� work posted at times. And since we all have lives (well, not lives…but other jobs), we aren’t always free to upload our work when the system comes back online.

So please pardon our appearance while we fix these issues. Your continued understanding and loyalty is much appreciated. Thank you for using TheSunBlog.com.

This is a recording!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Looking for a clue as to where Roger Clemens will pitch next year? (I think we’re all smart enough to realize he’s not going away anytime soon, right?)

Well, Yankees 2nd baseman Robinson Cano has changed his uniform number to 24. Cano’s old number? 22…the same digits worn by Clemens in his previous stint with the Yankees.

I’m sure we’ll be subjected to weeks of breathless speculation about where The Rocket will touch down in 2007. And no doubt, a few Red Sox fans will get all giddy and nostalgic after the Texas Con Man waxes poetic about how much he loves the Sox and how serious he is about returning to his first major league home, while Boston management does the obligatory P.R. gesture of fawning over the former icon. Of course, he’ll either end up back in Houston (where he can get away with anything he wants) or New York (where he’ll make the most money and shower next to Andy Pettitte).

Me? I pray he signs with the Yanks. I’d love nothing better than for the Evil Empire to tie up a ridiculous sum of money on a guy who wasn’t that good his first go-around in Gotham. There was nothing more satisfying than watching the Red Sox slap that has-been around in the 2003 playoffs. Too bad he jumped to the safety net of the National League before they could get another crack at him in 2004.

Please Roger, come back…to the Yankees!

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

It may not mean anything and it may not matter to anyone other than a hockey fan, but watching the SuperSkills competition last night was fun.

Sidney Crosby, who is 0-for-5 in shootouts on the season, beat Roberto Luongo twice to give the East the 15-11 victory. (For the record Crosby also scored against Mikka Kiprusoff earlier in the 2nd round of the Shootout.

Anytime you can see Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Eric Staal, Joe Thornton, Daniel Briere, Jonathan Cheechoo, Martin Havlat, Martin St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier and so many others - it's just fun, plain and simple fun.

It is amazing to watch these guys and see their individual skills during the Puck Control Relay and In the Zone (where three players must make at least two passes before shooting), along with Shot Accuracy and obviously the shootout.

I don't think anyone was shocked when Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara registered 100.4 MPH in the Hardest Shot and won the event for the East.

Before the SuperSkills took the ice in Dallas, the YoungStars played their game, where another Bruin shined through.

Phil Kessel scored a hat trick and ironically Evgeni Malkin did not even register a sinlge point in the East's 9-8 victory.
Again the game does not matter and neither do the points, but it sure was nice to see Kessel participate after returning from testicular cancer.

On a side note it was absolutely hilarious to see Chara standing next to Cristobal Huet during the player introductions. Chara really is a monster compared to everyone.

The All Stars take the ice tonight, and even though it doesn't count and it doesn't mean anything - I'm thinking with the line combinations available for both sides, the game is simply going to be fun to watch.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

UMass Lowell guard Dashon Harper, a junior from Columbus, OH (Bishop Ready H.S.), was named the Northeast-10 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, the Conference announced Monday.

In a 1-1 week, Harper averaged 30.5 points while shooting .528 from the field (19 for 36), .579 from 3-point range (11 for 19) and .857 from the free throw line (12 for 14).

Harper opened the week with a career-high 33 points in last Wednesday’s 69-68 victory at Assumption as he converted 9 of 16 field goals – 6 of 10 from 3-point territory – and 9 of 11 free throws. He scored seven of his points in a key 13-2 run midway through the second half.

In Saturday’s 69-65 loss to Saint Michael’s, Harper scored 28 points, hitting 10 of 20 field goals – 5 of 9 from 3-point range – and all three free throw attempts.

For the season, Harper leads all UML scorers with 17.5 points and 2.44 three-pointers per game.

Also notable last week was the play of junior F Jerreh Saidybah (Montreal, QUE), who posted averages of 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting .500 from the field (8 for 16) and .750 from the free throw line (9 for 12).

The UMass Lowell men's and women's teams host American International tonight, Assumption Thursday and visit Bryant Saturday.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

It was October 19, 2004. Alert Red Sox fans recognize the date as Game-6 of the 2004 ALCS.

I was working in television, having just sat in front of a tape deck and video monitor to scan the post-game reaction. That’s when I got my first look at him…him being the biggest loser I’d ever seen. (No, I wasn’t looking at my own reflection!)

He called himself “The Sheff,� in honor of Gary Sheffield. He wore a white chef coat and hat. (Probably a dishwasher who’d borrowed the uniform from work, I thought) It was kind of a clever schtick, to tell the truth. At least until he opened his mouth.

In TV news, one of the cardinal rules of reporting is; turn on the camera, and seemingly normal people evolve into complete lunatics. Think of it as American Idol auditions, only worse.

“The Sheff� didn’t disappoint. You had to see it to believe it, really. Picture a ‘roided up wrestling villain, flailing his arms and spitting as he spoke into the camera, with his New York nincompoops egging him on.

“The Sox are going down! Tomorrow night, we’re gonna eat you up and spit you out! Take it from The Sheff! Take it from The Sheeeeefffff!� he screamed, in a voice reminiscent of the Seinfeld episode where Puddy goes crazy after a Devils victory.

Never mind that Boston had just erased a 3-nothing series lead. Never mind that every reasonable observer knew what was going to happen the next night. Deep down, even the Yankees players themselves knew they’d blown the series.

Still, this clown raged on. “The Sheff,� intoxicated by years of Yankees dominance (if not a little too much cooking wine), had convinced himself the Red Sox were dead meat because…well, because they’d always been dead meat when entering New York’s kitchen.

Why am I telling you this story? Because I witnessed a few too many “Sheffsâ€? last week, only the ones I saw were wearing Patriots blue instead of chef whites.  

“You’re out of your mind! Brady and Belichick don’t lose in the playoffs� was the common refrain. “Manning is a choker, and he’ll never beat the Pats or win a Super Bowl.�

Never mind that the Colts QB had shredded the Pats defense the last two times they met, in Foxboro no less. Never mind that Rodney Harrison was out. Never mind that these Patriots weren’t the back-to-back, 14-2 title winners. If you picked Indy, you were in for it. “I’ll see you online. Better yet, I’ll be sure to call you Sunday night.�

Needless to say, the phone stopped ringing sometime after 8:30pm.

The point isn’t to gloat. (Well, maybe just a little) I’d much rather be making travel plans to Miami. Like most of Patriots Nation, I didn’t sleep very much Sunday night, the pulse still racing hours after a heartbreaking finish to a classic game.

But as mentioned in the past, the day eventually came when Larry Bird stopped making buzzer-beaters, when Red Auerbach was no longer a step ahead of everyone in identifying talent and creating a team. The good news: I don’t think Brady and Belichick are quite there yet. The bad news: they’re going to get there. It’s the nature of dynasties. Eventually, they all come to an end.

In the meantime, Patriots fans would be wise to take a long look in the mirror. Many of you have come dangerously close to resembling those obnoxious Yankees fans, taking winning for granted and refusing to be gracious about it. A heaping helping of humble pie is exactly what’s needed.

Perhaps “The Sheff� can cook you up some.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The day after Bill Belichick bowed out of the playoffs, the man he earned his stripes under as a coordinator has announced his retirement. Former New England Patriots, New York Jets and New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells will not be back for another season with the Dallas Cowboys.

"I am retiring from coaching football. I want to thank Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones for their tremendous support over the last four years," Parcells, 65, said in a statement. "Also, the players, my coaching staff and others in the support group who have done so much to help. Dallas is a great city and the Cowboys are an integral part of it. I am hopeful that they are able to go forward from here."

Dallas, who finished the regular season second in the NFC East with a 9-7 record, was knocked out of the playoffs by the Seattle Seahawks in the opening round.

Parcells was 34-30 in four years with the Cowboys. In 19 NFL season he compiled a record of 183-137-1 and won two Super Bowls with the Giants and took the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI.

He and former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe were reunited in Dallas in 2005, but Bledsoe was benched this season in favor of Tony Romo.

"I am in good health and feel lucky to have been able to coach in the NFL for an extended period of time," Parcells said. "I leave the game and the NFL with nothing but good feelings and gratitude to all the players, coaches and other people that have assisted me in that regard."

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Tell me you’re not suffering a hangover from that football game. I feel like I tied on a good one and am now paying the consequences the morning after. Come to think of it, I bet a lot of you are suffering both types of hangovers.

Well, snap out of it. It’s time to put yesterday’s game and the 2006 season in perspective, which is exactly what we’ll be doing on tonight’s SunTalk Live program. Joining me in studio this week are Lowell Sun Sports Editor Dennis Whitton and columnist Barry Scanlon. But the big star of the show will be Garin Veris. The former Patriots defensive end won’t be with us in person, but he will be on the phone lines to give us his take on the AFC Championship as well as to discuss his new role as an athletic fundraiser for the University of New Hampshire.

The number is (978)364-TALK. Be sure to dial in early…showtime is 7pm. And if you have a computer handy, check out the SunTalk Live webcam at LowellSun.com.

Talk to you soon!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

5:55 Wanted to check in a little early as this NFC Championship winds down and the clock ticks toward the game we really care about.

I’m watching Reggie Bush catch a dump pass and then turtle before Brian Urlacher can get to him in the 4th quarter of a game his team trails 32-14. You see, a bit earlier, Mr. Bush-League thought he was the cat’s meow when he scored a touchdown that ended with him taunting the pursuing Urlacher, somersaulting into the endzone and doing a little dance he'd no doubt rehearsed just for a special occassion like this one. You’d think he’d save the stupid stunts for when he scored a game-winning TD, not when his team is still trailing in a game they’re eventually going to get blown out of. But hey, I don’t know much about being a star athlete.

What I do know is I’m hoping Urlacher or someone on the Bears “D� gets one more shot at Bush.

 
6:28 Boomer Esiason looks even worse in that gray hoodie than Bill Belichick does. Plus, you gotta cut off the sleeves, Norman.

6:32 Yolanda Adams starts, stops, then starts the national anthem again. Is this the singing equivalent of Drew Bledsoe patting the ball before throwing it?

6:50 Oh-oh! Richard Seymour is already hurt on the Colts first play from scrimmage.

7:02 First big-play of the game…Corey Dillon busts a 4th and inches for a 35-yd gain giving New England 1st down on the Indy 13-yard line.

7:05 Sometimes, ‘tis better to be lucky than good.

Laurence Maroney fumble a handoff...the ball squirts into a pile of about 37-Colts defenders…and somehow, none of them recover it…it rolls into the endzone where Logan Mankins falls on it for a touchdown. 7-0 Pats

My first opportunity to post a Gisele Bundchen picture (you know I couldn't pass it up)…they’ve been kissed by an angel!

7:20 Know how you can tell this is a different Colts team? 3rd and 19, and they hand it off, content to settle for a field goal. Nice to have Mr. Reliable on your side, isn’t it? 7-3 Pats

7:33 4th and 6 just inside the Colts 35…New England is going for it instead of attempting a 52-yard field goal…they call timeout to discuss it.

This seems like as good a time as any to see what Stephen Gostkowski’s got today, doesn’t it?

7:36 They’re going for it! Bad decision I say.

Great decision it turns out…Brady finds a wide open Troy Brown…1st and goal at the Indy 7.

7:37 Dillon knows how to find the endzone, doesn’t he? 11-plays, 72-yards…14-3 Pats

Looks good, don’t you think?

7:42 Cha-Ching!

Ring up another couple of million for Asante Samuel. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning looks like the same old Peyton Manning against the Patriots in the playoffs…21-3

What kind of a moron would pick against Belichick and Brady? (Don’t answer that!)

7:46 The crowd’s already booing the Colts offense…LOL!

7:56 Tony Dungy accepts an illegal motion penalty even though it would have been 4th and 11. To me, it’s a dumb decision because the way things are going for the Colts so far, New England is likely to get the 1st down on 3rd and 21 anyway. As it turns out, Brady gets sacked, taking the Patriots completely out of field goal range.

Again, I’m wrong. Perhaps I should hold off from second-guessing strategy.

8:09 Manning finally gets the ball moving. The Colts really need a touchdown here before the half to have any chance (they get the ball back to start the 2nd half).

8:12 Wow! The refs just take back a flag on what looked like an obvious pass interference call. They say Reggie Wayne and Ellis Hobbs got their feet tangled. Sure enough, replay shows Wayne tripped over his own feet.

Good call, but how many times do you see that happen? Let the crying begin from the Indy front office!

8:14 Automatic Adam strikes again, but a big hold for New England…21-6 Pats

8:21 Let me just make this quick halftime observation:

A lot of people (including the CBS studio crew) point to the Maroney fumble/Mankins TD recovery and talk about how “lucky� the Patriots are. Here’s the thing, though:

There were three Colts all over the ball, and you can clearly see one of them on his knees trying to stand up. I still haven’t seen a good replay, but my hunch is he had the ball, tried to get up and run with it, and one of his teammates knocked it out accidentally, leading to the touchdown.

That, my friends, might be luck on the Patriots part, but its bad football on the Colts part. And more often than not, that’s the kind of stuff you see the opposition do. Notice how the Pats don’t do those kinds of things? Can you say C-O-A-C-H-I-N-G?

8:37 You know what? These aren’t the same old Colts. They aren’t folding. They’re hanging tough...running the ball…being patient…and converting 3rd downs.

8:41 Manning QB sneak for a TD…21-13 Pats

We have a game again.

8:56 Face guarding on Ellis Hobbs. 1st and goal for Indianapolis at the one.

8:57 There’s a play…and a player…from the Patriots old playbook. Manning play-action TD pass to Dan Klecko...throw in an answered prayer of a 2-pt. conversion to Marvin Harrison…and we have a brand new game…21-21

More troubling…the Colts are really controlling this thing now. Time for some Brady magic.

9:02 Forget Brady magic. How about Ellis Hobbs magic…conjuring up the ghost of Bethel Johnson on the kickoff return. How’s that for answering the call!

9:04 A wide open Reche Caldwell drops a ball that hit him right in the bread basket in the endzone. OUCH!

9:05 Jabar Gaffney TD…refs rule he was pushed out of bounds, but an initial replay shows the Patriots receiver might have already stepped out of bounds before he caught it. Haven’t seen a clean look at it yet.

9:07 Just did…he’s inbounds all the way. This better not be overturned!

9:09 TOUCHDOWN NEW ENGLAND! 28-21 Pats

I'm already emotionally exhausted...and this one isn't even in the 4th quarter yet!

9:20 Back come the Colts. Pats defense looks exhausted right now.

9:22 Dominic Rhodes fumbles at the goal line. Jeff Saturday recovers in the end zone…touchdown Indy…28-28

OK…we’re all even now in the freak play department. 3 Offensive Lineman have scored touchdowns. This is really turning into a fantastic game, but I don't know how much more of it I can take!

9:26 The broadcast crew keeps telling us about tired Patriots and showing guys getting treatment on the sidelines. If ever we needed a long drive, the time is now.

9:28 Three and out. The defense must come back on the field right away.

Right now, the Pats remind me of those ’87 Celtics…beaten up and running on fumes.

9:32 Manning trips and falls with nobody around him. Who conjured up the leprechauns?

9:40 Brady makes a rare error…never recognizing an uncovered Reche Caldwell. By the time he did, Caldwell’s sure TD turned into a nice gain…EXCEPT HE DROPS THE BALL AGAIN!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!

9:43 Gostkowski is true from 31-yards out…31-28 Pats

This is like watching a tennis match…back and forth, back and forth. Let’s see what kind of shape Manning’s thumb is in.

9:46 Peyton’s thumb is apparently OK…long completion to Dallas Clark (the tight end is really starting to bug me!) has Indy back in scoring range.

9:48 Vinatieri time…good from 36-yards out, despite another shaky snap. 31-31

Folks, we are watching a classic! I don’t know the ending, but I know they’ll be talking about this game decades from now!

9:50 Ellis Hobbs another big kickoff return. Throw in a completion to Ben Watson, and New England’s back in scoring range.

9:53 Gostkowski trots back out…43-yd attempt this time…again, the rookie hits. 34-31 Pats

Pressure? What pressure! I love this kid!

9:58 The Pats defense holds with 3:34 remaining. Indy only has 2-timeouts remaining. One first down could end this thing.

10:02 New England dodges a bullet. Bob Sanders jumps in front of Troy Brown and almost has a TD going the other way. Luckily, Brady had enough mustard on the ball to make it a tough play, and Sanders couldn’t come up with it.

The Colts and Peyton Manning will get one more chance to prove they’re champions.

10:05 Fletcher is wide open…1st down in Pats territory.

10:06 Wayne coughs it up in mid-air, but it comes back into his arms and he somehow holds on. Throw in a roughing the passer penalty and Indy is in serious business.

Suddenly, the Colts are the team getting all the breaks. Is the magic ride done?

10:10 Indy is content to run the ball, hoping for either a TD or a game-tying FG with no time left for New England to answer. Smart strategy, which forces the Pats to use a timeout.

10:11 Addai walks in untouched from 3-yards out. Colts have the lead for the first time all day. Vinatieri tacks on the extra point…38-34 Colts…the Pats are going to need a touchdown to win.

10:14 Brady has to take them 81-yards in under a minute, with 2-timeouts left. Not impossible.

10:15 Brady to Watson for 19-yards…Brady to Evans for another 14…1st down at the Indy 45 with 24-seconds to go, but they let too much time run off the clock after the Watson pass, opting to take the timeout after the second reception. It’s gonna take a miracle to go 45-yards in 24-seconds.

10:16 Not today. Marlin Jackson interception…learning from the Chargers, he just goes down, content to have the ball and the victory.

All the monkeys are now officially off Peyton Manning’s back. He engineered the largest comeback in Championship game history against his chief tormentors. The Colts are AFC Champions, and soon to be Super Bowl Champions.

The Patriots have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about. They played their hearts out just a week after leaving it all on the field in San Diego. They had their chances to win, but ultimately lost to a better team on the road. Next year, they’ll have to make sure these games are played in Foxboro.

They’re young enough, and good enough, to make that happen.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Tick...tick…tick…

6:30 can’t come soon enough. Don’t know about you, but this Bears-Saints game isn’t doing it for me. I’m ready for Patriots-Colts and I’m ready now. Let’s just skip this entire game and the Super Bowl all-together and just award the Lombardi Trophy at the RCA Dome sometime around 9:30. What do you say?

For those who are interested, I’ll be attempting a live blog of the AFC Championship. I say attempting, because as we found out last week, technology sometimes gets in the way of best intentions. Even if it doesn’t work, I promise to jot down my thoughts as they happen and post-it in “tape delay� form as soon as possible.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

What does the picture have to do with a gambling entry, you ask?

Absolutely nothing! But would you rather look at another photo of a guy with a paper bag on his head or Gisele Bundchen one more time? I thought so!

Now then…3-games remaining in the NFL gambling season (4 if you count the Pro Bowl, but that’s for the serious addicts only!)…The Victim rebounded from a rough first week of post-season prognostication to post a 75% winning percentage last weekend, putting him back at even money for the playoffs.

How will the chips fall from here on out? Let’s gaze into the crystal ball:

Chicago (-2 ½) over New Orleans
New England (+3) over Indianapolis

***As an added bonus for you over/under and money line players, The Victim has even gone so far as to predict a final score and comfortable victory for the Patriots…35-17

Last week: 3-1
Playoff record: 4-4
Regular season record: 54-35
Overall record: 58-39

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

One of the best things about covering the Patriots at this time of year (besides free access to Conference Championships, Super Bowls, and food…LOL!) is how the same old boring routines change a bit.

First of all, only during the national press conference before the AFC title game or the Super Bowl does Bill Belichick discard the frumpy sweats and break out the business suits. Remember how during the 2001 playoffs, Lawyer Milloy kept referring to the trip to Pittsburgh for the Conference Championship as "a business trip." Well, you can bet that started from the top, and the attitude continues to this day.

The coach also speaks differently than he does to the regular media horde that covers the team in Foxboro. The tone is different, the responses even more humble than usual, and you almost get a sense of accomplishment at his team even being there.

Not that the coach gives out any more info than at other times, but with more national writers there that aren’t familiar with what he’ll talk about and what he’ll deflect, you often times get interesting questions and funny exchanges. Like this one:

Q: Coach, if you were preparing a defense to oppose Tom Brady, what would you most be concerned about?
COACH BILL BELICHICK: "You think I want to answer that question? (Laughter) I'm glad I don't have to play against Tom Brady."

Amen! I think we're all with the coach on that one!

Then there was this discovery by Tom Brady in the midst of a question about Colts safety Bob Sanders, which led to the surprised look in the picture:

TOM BRADY: "Yes, I think he's one of their best play makers. I just found a few bucks in my pocket, isn't that nice (chuckling). That's a good feeling, isn't it? About 40 bucks."
Q. It might not be your suit? (Laughter)
TOM BRADY: "Might not be. Lucky day."

When you’re Tom Brady, it seems like every day’s a lucky day, doesn’t it?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Well…time for my Conference Championship predictions. The Victim’s picks will follow sometime tomorrow, and judging by his success rate this year, you’d be wise to pay attention. But allow a brief moment of back-patting on this end.

You’ll notice I didn’t post any predictions last week. No need to…a 4-for-4 opening round left the Divisional Playoff matchups intact. Why mess with success? A 3-1 mark followed, with only the Colts upset of the Ravens (who happened to be my Super Bowl pick) keeping playoff perfection out of reach. The good news is, it made my pre-season selection of a New England @ Indianapolis AFC title tilt a reality. (Amazing how I can always spin things my way, isn’t it?)

Anyway, I’m going to pull a “Kerry� here, flip-flopping the NFC pick. I originally had the Bears beating the Saints, but after what I’ve seen the first two weeks of the playoffs, I’m going to go with the national darlings from New Orleans to make their first ever trip to the Super Bowl, despite the fact the city has hosted more than any other. I simply have no faith in Rex Grossman, and that banged-up Chicago defense is not the same unit that terrorized the league in September and October.

Which brings us to the real Super Bowl…Patriots vs. Colts. I can see an argument either way. I won’t keel over in shock if Indy wins, and I damn well won’t be stunned by another Belichick-Brady playoff conquest. (How’s that for straddling the fence!) But if you point a gun to my head (please don’t)…

27-24 Colts in a nail-biter…my September guess comes true. They’ve been the better team twice in a row, and the fear factor is gone. Give Adam Vinatieri the winning points and Peyton Manning his first trip to the big game.

O.K…Let me have it! Tell me I’m not loyal. Tell me I’m stupid for picking against the Killer-B’s! But do me a favor…give me your final score. If this monkey is going out on that limb, it wants some company!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

News Flash: ESPN reports Trot Nixon has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Cleveland Indians. The 10-year veteran, whose entire career was spent in the Red Sox organization, will be paid $3-million dollars.

Teddy’s Take: I can’t think of a single reason why the Red Sox should have brought Nixon back. And yet, it’s going to be very strange watching him in any uniform other than Boston’s

Nixon’s career stats aren’t overly impressive, especially when you consider how well he’s been paid the last few years. His production, most notably in the power department, dropped off considerably, and he was always a nagging injury waiting to happen.

But boy, did the former high school quarterback give it his all every time he wore that uniform. Nixon was the ultimate “Dirt Dog,� the first to jump into a skirmish, and the last to demand the spotlight. My favorite memory of the right-fielder was how he owned Roger Clemens.

Nixon used to tattoo the Texas con man, especially after Clemens tried busting him inside a couple of times in that memorable Sunday Night Baseball pitching duel against Pedro Martinez. Trot belted the two-run home run that won the game for the Sox at Yankees Stadium. He also blasted a homer during Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS to help chase Rocket from the mound early. And let’s not forget that .357 average in the World Series. As with every member of that magical team, Nixon will always hold a special place in this Red Sox fan's heart.

So long Trot and thanks for the memories!

With the price tag so low, should the Sox have brought Nixon back? Won’t it be weird seeing him wear and Indians cap? And what are they going to do with that disgusting batting helmet of his?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

No, we didn’t get John Travolta or Kirstie Alley, but SunTalk Live’s guest list continues to impress.

Former Patriots Defensive End, Garin Veris, joins us this coming Monday to discuss the Patriots-Colts matchup and hopefully preview a New England Super Bowl appearance. Veris, a member of the ’86 Patriots who took it on the chin against Chicago, is rooting hard for a Pats-Bears rematch in Miami. Veris currently works at the University of New Hampshire as Co-Director of Athletic Fundraising for the Wildcats Athletic Council.

To listen in on the program or to participate, dial (978)364-TALK between 7-8pm. I suggest you call in a few minutes early so as not to miss anything. You can also peek in on the festivities by visiting SunTalk Live at LowellSun.com. Our webcam made its debut last Monday and was a smashing hit, despite the fact my face was featured prominently in the video.

Talk to you soon…and GO PATS!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Much is made of the Patriots-Colts rivalry. As fans, we like to think our team works up the same hatred of the opposition that we do. You can hear it in the way most New Englanders detest the Colts and root against them at every opportunity.

Perhaps this is true with some of the position players, the guys who are banging heads for 60-minutes. But when it comes to the two quarterbacks, you won’t find a bigger mutual admiration society than the one created by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

At this point, the friendship between the two is pretty well apparent, the complete opposite to Pats fans, who tend to look upon Manning as the devil in a horseshoe helmet. Even worse, he’s widely regarded as a terrible field general and a choker.

Q: What’s your relationship with Peyton [Manning], and is it fun for you to go up against a quarterback of that caliber?

TB: Yeah. We have a great relationship. We talked the other day. I think very highly of him as a player, as a person. [He’s a] tremendous quarterback [and] tremendous leader. I see him play, he’s always looking at other quarterbacks and how they play and I respect the way that he prepares and how he leads his team. He’s a terrific competitor. He always gives that team a chance to win. It’s always fun to go up against him.

Q: Do you feel like you have to be at your best when you’re playing a quarterback like Manning?

TB: Of course, yeah. You know that you have to go in there and play your best game because you believe Peyton is going to, as he [has] the last few times we’ve played him. He’s played great.

Now, while you can be sure Brady would say nice things about any opponent, the level of our QB’s respect for his Indianapolis counterpart might come as a surprise to those who view him negatively.

What is your opinion of Peyton Manning? Will he ever win the Super Bowl like John Elway eventually did, or is he doomed to a career of big game defeats like Dan Marino?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The Wednesday Patriots injury report is out, and Rodney Harrison isn’t…at least not yet.

Harrison, who missed New England's previous two playoff games, is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s AFC Championship showdown against the Colts. The safety wasn’t present for the media access portion of today’s workout, but neither were Ryan O’Callahan, Troy Brown, Mike Wright and Ty Warren.

Warren isn’t listed on the injury report. O’Callahan, Brown and Wright are questionable with the flu (Yeah right! Like a little woof-woof is going to keep Troy off the field). The only other player listed is Tom Brady as probable with that nagging “shoulder injury� he’s had every week for what seems like the last decade.

Harrison, who attended last night’s Boston College basketball game, was coy about whether he’d play this week or not. But the simple fact he was upgraded (where as he was listed as “out� very early in the process the last two weeks) is a positive step, if for no other reason than it gives hope that he can play this week and possibly two weeks from now should the Pats advance to the Super Bowl.

We’ll keep you posted as the week goes on. You can also catch all the latest Patriots news by visiting LowellSun.com to read David Pevear’s updates on the AFC Championship.

Am I reading too much into the Harrison upgrade? Will he play this week? Can the Patriots beat the Colts without him?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The UMass Lowell men’s and women’s hoops teams play at Assumption College this evening in a pair of Northeast-10 Conference games.

UML Women
The UMass Lowell women’s basketball team travels to Worcester after a 54-47 loss at Pace over the weekend. Freshman Megan Berry carried the River Hawks offensively with a season-high 20 points. She knocked down 6 of 11 shots from behind the three-point line.

The Greyhounds, winners of four of their last five games, welcome the River Hawks to town after handing St. Michael’s a 57-52 defeat in Vermont last Thursday. Sophomore guard Beth Plasski led the way with 23 points in the win.

Plasski and junior forward Charde Floyd enter tonight’s game as Assumptions top two scorers averaging 12.7 points and 11.8 points, respectively. Floyd also hauls in a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game and leads the team with 42 steals.

Last February the UML women dropped Assumption at Costello Gymnasium, 59-48, behind the play of senior Emily Kordas (15 points, nine rebounds).

Game time is 5:30 p.m. at Laska Gym.

UML Men
The UMass Lowell men’s basketball team will arrive at Assumption tonight with a six-game losing streak after Saturday’s 75-65 loss at Pace.

Freshman forward Victor Colon had 17 points in that game, while juniors Dashon Harper (14 points, six rebounds and four assists) and Peter Monfort (10 points on 5 of 10 shooting) also had solid days for the River Hawks. Monfort had missed the previous four games with an injury.

Assumption has lost four of its last five games, losing 87-76 at St. Michael’s on Thursday. Groton’s Greg Twomey led the Greyhounds with 21 points and six rebounds. Twomey, the Greyhounds junior captain, is also Groton-Dunstable High School’s all-time leading scorer and a former multiple-winner Lowell Sun Player of the Year honors.

Twomey was the hero in the Greyhounds 82-79 overtime victory against UML at Costello Gymnasium hitting the game-winner in the final seconds to finish with 16 points, three assists, and four rebounds.

The men's game is slated to start at 7:30 p.m. at Laska Gym.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

On the heels of Tom Brady’s latest score, we have our annual offseason picture of a plastered Ben Roethlisberger.

This photo comes courtesy of Mondesi’s House, a Pittsburgh fan blog. And yes, that is Carson Daley next to the Steelers party-animal quarterback. At least Big Ben is hanging out with better company during his more recent drunken stupors, especially when compared to the bimbos in his “Drink like a champion� escapade we witnessed last February.

While there’s nothing wrong with a young athlete having a good time, especially when he’s not at work, it’s interesting to compare the Steelers poster-boy with our own. Despite meeting the pope, golfing with Presidents, attending State of the Union Addresses, cavorting with Hollywood actresses and world famous supermodels, and generally being famous enough to do whatever the hell he wants with whoever he wants, we’ve yet to see one photo of a drunken Brady.

Not to insinuate Tom Terrific is an angel (though he’s apparently been kissed by one), but perhaps this is why the Patriots star followed up his first Super Bowl victory by actually improving as a QB, while the Steelers signal-caller followed his up by crashing a motorcycle and being stupid enough to get drunk in public where every fellow drinker has a digital camera or cell phone!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

During Sunday’s live blog of the Pats-Chargers-Anchorman playoff contest, I made a passing remark about Tom Brady being “kissed by the angels.�

The line was in reference to Brady throwing his 3rd interception of the day, yet the Pats forcing a fumble to retain possession. What I didn’t realize at the time was just how accurate the comment was!

The Boston Herald (how do they always seem to get this stuff?) is reporting supermodel Gisele Bundchen was seen waiting for the Patriots pretty-boy outside the team’s locker room in San Diego. For those living in a cocoon the last few years, the stunning Brazilian is probably the wealthiest and most famous model in the world, serving as the spokesperson for over 20-corporate brands worldwide, according to Wikipedia.

Previously, Bundchen was romantically involved with Leonardo DiCaprio, proving once again that New England’s favorite QB is playing in a different league than 99.99% of the world’s male population. Let’s just hope the potential relationship doesn’t distract Brady from the important things in life…beating the Colts and securing the Patriots 4th Super Bowl title in six years!

Allright…I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again; is it right for one man to have as many gifts as Tom Brady has gotten in life? Rich, handsome, phenomenal athlete, a winner and seemingly able to grab any chick he wants…how can life be so unfair to the rest of us?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

How about them Bruins and Celtics, huh? Did you see when...

Aw, never mind. You already know I’m not serious. There’s only one topic of conversation today, tomorrow, and every day till at least Sunday. Not even the publicity hungry Red Sox are crazy enough to try stealing the spotlight from where it belongs.

Around these parts, the New England Patriots are the end all-be all for the foreseeable future.

Watch your local TV newscasts as long as Bill Belichick and company are alive and well in the playoffs. If even one station goes five minutes without a Patriots mention, it’ll be a bigger upset than Tyson-Douglas. Ditto for your hometown papers and radio stations.

Deval Patrick’s plans to make New Hampshire kids pay higher college tuition than undocumented (see, I can be PC) students? Toss that on the back burner. The only immigration issue we care about this week, Governor, is how to make travel arrangements to Indianapolis and Miami.

Brittney Spears’ latest commando-style drunkfest? Sorry Mrs. Federline. You’re not that innocent…or talented. For now, the most sought after celebrity is the former Mrs. Brady in waiting. Tell us Bridget Moynahan; how could you allow Tom Terrific to get away?

Debate over Bernie Lynch’s handling of tow contracts? Save that for another day oh BackTalk beatniks. What I want from my City Manager and Councilors is pressure on Comcast to deliver free digital boxes to every cable subscriber in the Merrimack Valley. Immediately. I want to see Peyton Manning’s tears in high-definition.

Is this a great ride or what? Nothing will ever beat the joy of the 2004 Red Sox triumph, but for sustained excellence, what our New England footballers are doing ranks up there with the 80’s Celtics. They may not win the whole enchilada every year, but whoever does better keep one eye firmly focused on Route 1 in Foxboro.

Lest there be any doubt, Tom Brady is our gridiron Larry Bird. No matter how many shots he bricked in quarters one through three, you knew the final 12-minutes belonged to Larry Legend. If you were on the other side, you did not want to see the ball in Bird’s hands come crunch time. Same goes for #12 in the Flying Elvis helmet.

Now, with all due respect to what the Pats accomplished in San Diego, none of it was possible without Marty Schottenheimer. When they present the case for why Schottenheimer should be fired, I’d love to be lead attorney. It’s a bigger slam-dunk than Saddam Hussein’s trial. Even Marcia Clark couldn’t screw it up.

“Ladies and gentleman of the jury, we’ve proven beyond reasonable doubt that Marty Schottenheimer is guilty of aggravated incompetence, one count of wasting a valuable timeout challenging a play more obvious than Barry Bonds’ cheating, and multiple negligence offenses involving the only player the Patriots couldn’t stop, LaDainian Tomlinson.�

“23-carries for LT while Phillip “44% Completion Percentage� Rivers gets to toss the pigskin 32-times? The prosecution rests!�

But enough of that. Time to look ahead. We should have known it would come to this. No two teams, no two quarterbacks, are intertwined like Pats-Colts and Brady-Manning. And this year, there’s an added twist; the field goal kickers.

You know it’ll come down to an Adam Vinatieri or Stephen Gostkowski kick, don’t you? It’ll probably be Adam, the man who jump-started New England’s dynasty in the middle of a blizzard. It’s almost pre-ordained. Destiny’s Child vs. Destiny’s Team.

Sunday night can’t come soon enough. Where’s my cable box?

Let’s hear those predictions gang! Who’s going to the Super Bowl…Pats or Colts? Give me a score, too…go out on a limb for once!

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

The AHL announced today that David Clarkson of the Lowell Devils was named CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for his 8-point effort in just two games this past weekend.

Clarkson had 3 assists to go along with his 5 goals in the two games against the Philadelphia Phantoms.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Remember how I told you this week’s SunTalk Live show would bring a surprise or two?

Well, it’s not enough we have a scintillating Patriots playoff victory to talk about. It’s not enough we have an AFC Championship Game to preview. It’s not enough we’re going to discuss Golden Gloves boxing. It’s not enough we’re going to award free Lowell Devils tickets. It’s not enough we’re also giving away a pair of great seats to The Gloves. It’s not enough we have 5-guests joining us. It’s not even enough one of those guests is Lowell boxing legend “Irish‿ Micky Ward.

Nope, not enough, because tonight marks the debut of SunTalk Live’s webcam! That’s right…now you can see the proceedings by clicking on the webcam link on the SunTalk Live page at LowellSun.com. You’ll still have to dial in to listen to the program or participate, but we are working on adding audio streaming to the video in the near future, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, enjoy seeing my handsome mug on your computer screen, as well as the faces of all our guests. (Hey, I even shaved and showered for the occasion)

The number to call in is (978)364-TALK. The program runs from 7-8pm, but we strongly encourage you to dial in a few minutes early so you won’t miss a minute of excitement!

Talk to you, and see you, soon!

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

The Lowell Devils swept their weekend series with the Philadelphia Phantoms this weekend, mostly because of the play of David Clarkson.

On Friday night, the right wing netted four goals and assisted on one in the Devils 5-3 victory over the Phantoms. On Sunday, well Clarkson had what many hockey fans know as the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick." - Actually Clarkson had a bit more than the well known term - he had the goal, the fight and two helpers - not just one, to help lead the Devils to their 6-3 routing over Philly.

"That fight just kind of happened," Clarkson said. "The guy (Nate Guenin) was pushing me, I didn't even know what was going on until we were already going. It was just one of those things that sometimes happens."

Clarkson, however, is being modest about his offensive success over the weekend - 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists).

"Last couple of nights the pucks been going in luckily for me," Clarkson said. "I don't know know what's going on; it's jsut being in the right place at the right time and guys shooting the pucks at the net."

The Devils were down 2-1 heading into the second period when Lowell exploded for 5 goals in the middle frame.

"I think we just came in here (the locker room) and got ourselves together and played hard," Clarkson said. "The other night we went in (to intermission) by two and they came back and we didn't want to let that happen again. So, we just played hard as a team and every guy went out there and did what he had to do and that's why we won the game."

Clarkson had a hand in every single goal scored on Friday, but on Sunday the offense was a bit more spread out among the team.

Lowell had seven players, including Clarkson, register multiple points in the win:
Aaron Voros - 2 goals; Dan McGillis and Petr Vrana each had a goal and an assist; Patrick Davis, Mike Mottau and Barry Tallackson each added 2 helpers for an 18 point night for the Devils.

Jordan Parise was solid in net for the Devils earning his seventh win of the season.

Parise had a contreversial goal allowed in the first period and even though he pleaded his case; the referee, Chris Brown, allowed the goal to stand and the Phantoms had the 2-1 advantage.

"First off, I said it went under the net and neither of them saw what happened," Parise said of the referee and linesman. "He came back and said, 'I understand why you're frustrated but I wasn't in position to see the puck go in, I only saw the puck in the back of the net.' It's the way it goes.
"You would have thought, I mean you look at the net and the net's off and I'm telling him right away that it went under the back of the net, you would think that he would put two and two together and say, 'hey, maybe the kid's not lying and maybe he has a point here.' It just seemed like he made up pretty quickly and it stood. That's the way it goes and there's no changing it."

Parise obviously didn't let the goal affect his game - he made 25 saves in the win.

The Devils don't have much time to rest.
They look to extend their winning streak at home when they host the Worcester Sharks in a rare Monday matinee.

Head coach Kurt Kleinendorst said Frank Doyle would get the start in net for the Devils.

(photos courtesy of Ken Babbitt of the Lowell Devils)

Anyone have the holiday off and planning to attend the Devils game? Should be a good one considering it's a divisional match-up and the Devils are chasing the Sharks in the standings.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

"I'm proud of you fellas. You kept your head on a swivel, and that's what you gotta do when you find yourself in a vicious cock fight."

Other than beating the Rams, the 24-21 win over the Chargers is the biggest upset in Patriots playoff history. They were outplayed by a more talented, more skilled team, yet still found a way to win on the road, with their leader and one true star having one of the worst, if not the worst, post-season game of his brilliant career.

The only way to explain it; sometimes when you're in a street fight, it's not the biggest dog that wins, but the toughest. Make no mistake...the Patriots are the toughest dog in the NFL.

(Editor’s note: Due to technical difficulties, we were not able to post this entry live. However, the comments are exactly as entered at the time the plays and thoughts occurred)

3:58 I was going to wait till 4:30 to start posting my thoughts on the Patriots-Chargers-Anchorman contest, but I can’t contain myself any longer.

What the hell is wrong with some of these supposed genius coaches? I swear someone ought to give them clock management courses. I have never seen more incompetence in the final minutes of a game in my life.

Andy Reid punts the ball on 4th and 15, trailing by 3-points with under 2-minutes to go? Predictably, the Eagles never get the ball back. Mike Holmgren goes for it on 4th and 1 with under 2-minutes to play in a tie ballgame? Of course, they get stuffed, giving the Bears the ball only 20-25 yards out of field goal range. Lovie Smith calls timeout with 2-seconds left and Seattle having the ball near midfield? Sure, the Seahawks fail to connect on the Hail Mary, but why give them the chance?

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the football Gods for Bill Belichick!

4:31 The phone rings at the restauarant. It’s a guy wanting to book a function sometime in late March. I ask myself; what kind of a man calls right when a Patriots playoff game is supposed to start? I expect it from women, but a guy? I’m getting aggravated!

Turns out the gentleman is from Ohio. Now I understand. For them, football season always ends before January.

4:45 First play from scrimmage…big hole for LaDainian Tomlinson…11-yard run…hopefully not a sign of things to come.

5:07 2-posssessions…2-punts for each team. And yet Patriots fans should be happy. If not for a case of the dropsies by San Diego (defensive back and receiver), we’d already be in a hole.

5:15 Remember what I said about coaches and idiotic decisions? Add Marty “He Should Be� Schottenheimer to the list. Thanks for going for it on 4th and 11 from the 31 there Marty. Much appreciated!

5:23 4th and 2 for the Pats at the San Diego 32…Out comes Stephen Gostkowski for a 50-yard attempt…smack dab in the middle…a new team playoff record….3-0 Pats. Adam who?

Brian Fantana: I think I was in love once.
Ron Burgundy: Really? What was her name?
Brian: I don’t remember!

5:46 Chargers answer with a very impressive drive, culminating in an LT TD run (where’ve I heard that before?)…9-plays, 48-yards, in 4:31…7-3 San Diego.

The scoreboard shows a tight game. The eyes tell me the Chargers are dominating.

5:53 Brady intercepted by Donnie Edwards…a very un-Brady-like play. It’s his first pick in 169-throws.

6:02 Tomlinson just showed why he’s the best back in football, turning an innocent looking screen pass into a 58-yard gain. Artrell Hawkins is still reaching for him after that juke. I have only one thing to say to LT:

“You are a smelly pirate hooker!
Why don’t you go back to your home on Whore Island!�

6:03 Michael Turner adds the exclamation point with an all-too easy 6-yd TD run…14-3 Chargers.

Boomer Esiason is right. The Patriots are completely overmatched physically. Chargers are simply too fast and too strong, and no amount of coaching is going to change that. I hope I’m reading it wrong, but I don’t like where this is heading right now.

6:18 And just like that, Brady leads the 2-minute offense right downfield, tossing a 6-yd score to Jabar Gaffney. We’re going to the half down 14-10, and very lucky to be that close.

This game isn't over after all. Not by a longshot!

6:47 The only time the Pats have had success moving the ball is when they went to the hurry-up at the end of the half. Two 2nd half possessions lead to a punt and a pick.

Why aren’t they running the hurry-up permanently?

7:02 Is this the game-changing play? Eric Parker fumbles a punt and instead of pouncing on it, tries to pick it up and run, only to lose the ball again…David Thomas recovers. 1st and 10 on the San Diego 31.

7:07 Brady gets drilled…coughs it up…Matt Light recovers…But the Chargers Drayton Florence tries to headbutt Daniel Graham, drawing a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. First down Pats.

What an idiot! A total lack of control. Even Florence's teammates are disgusted. Get him some anger management counseling!

“I will smash your face into a car windshield and then take your mother, Dorothy Mantooth out for a nice seafood dinner and never call her again!�

7:13 Gostkowski tacks on another FG making this a 1-point game.

Buckle up those seat belts. It’s going to be a wild ride from here on out.

7:20 Great play by Roosevelt Colvin to pick off a dump pass intended for Tomlinson. Pats have the ball and a chance to take the lead.

New England hasn’t been able to stop Tomlinson all day, yet the Chargers keep trying to throw the ball. Remind me again why Schottenheimer teams are 5-12 in the post-season? And yes, I know the Offensive Coordinator is calling the plays, but Marty’s hands should be around Cam Cameron’s throat right now telling him to knock it off.

Ron: "I'm gonna punch you right in the ovary.That's what I'm gonna do. A straight shot right to the babymaker."
Veronica: "Jazz flute is for little fairy boys."
Ron: "OK you know what. That's uncalled for. I can't work with this woman."

7:37 After a 31-yard completion to Vincent Jackson, San Diego has 1st and goal at the 3. Anyone care to guess who’s going to get the ball next?

21-13 Chargers…8:35 remaining…a TD and 2-point conversion are now required or the season’s over.

7:45 Pats go for it on 4th and five…Brady is intercepted again, but San Diego fumbles…New England recovers. Its official…Brady has been kissed by the angels.

Replay shows Troy Brown stripping the ball. Great play by Troy. And of course, Schottenheimer compounds the error by challenging the play, even though the defensive back wasn’t even close to being down on the play. It’s clearly a fumble.

Thanx for wasting the timeout Marty. You probably won’t need it later in the game…nah, not at all!

7:52 I’m developing a man crush on Jabar Gaffney.

“I wanna say something. I’m gonna put it out there. If you like it, you can take it. If you don’t, send it right back. I wanna be on you.�

.
7:53 TD Reche Caldwell

7:54 2-pt. attempt. Direct snap to Kevin Faulk as Brady fakes the bad snap. Everyone knew it was coming (I swear I called it as soon as Faulk shifted back next to Brady), yet the play works every single time.

21-21 with 4:36 remaining

8:00 Chargers punt. After Tomlinson gains 6-yards on first down, San Diego calls two pass plays.

Like taking candy from a baby! Start making viewing plans for next week's AFC Championship game!

Brick: "Cough! Look over here! Excuse me, Veronica."
Veronica: "Yes, what is it, Brick?"
Brick: "I would like to extend to you an invitatian to the pants party."
Veronica: "Excuse me?"
Brick: "The party. The pants-- with the pants. Party with pants?"
Veronica: "Brick, are you saying that there's a party in your pants and I'm invited?"
Brick: "That's it."

8:02 Remember how I said Gostkowski hasn’t been called on to win a game all year? You know it’s coming, don’t you?

8:06 Long completion to Caldwell. He’d have scored, but he couldn’t stay inbounds.

I say good! There’ll be less time on the clock after the field goal!

8:07 The Chargers bench knows exactly how this is going to end. You can see it in their faces.

This game was there for San Diego to take. They dominated. Brady was awful, throwing 3-interceptions. And yet a combination of bad coaching and poorly timed mistakes conspired to keep the Patriots in the game long enough to steal it. That’s what winning teams do. It’s also what losing teams do.

8:12 Gostkowski has his first game-winner. It’s not official yet, but it will be in 1:10.

8:14 Nate Kaeding is buckling his helmet and preparing to warm up for a possible FG.

Don’t bother kid…you’ll never get the chance! Had your coach not wasted a timeout on that ridiculous challenge, you might have.

8:17 Oops. Kaeding gets a chance after all, but it’s going to be from 54-yards out.

8:17 Wide right and short.

Patriots @ Colts for the AFC (and Super Bowl) Championship next week. You heard it here back in September. Of course, we’ll forget my Pats-Ravens prediction two weeks ago.

Ron: “Oh, I’m storming your castle on my steed, milady.�
Veronica: “Take me to pleasure town.�

Make that; "Take me to Titletown" and you have a deal Ms. Corningstone!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

I can honestly say I haven’t been this excited about a playoff game since the Patriots-Colts AFC Championship game in 2004, the one where Ty Law made Peyton Manning his personal Bee-atch.

Not only does Pats-Chargers shape up as a classic, but the game is being held in San Diego, the same setting for my favorite movie of this century…Anchorman, which coincidentally, was also released in 2004.

“It’s the greatest city in the history of mankind. Discovered by the Germans in 1904. They named it San Diago, which in German means a whale’s vagina.�

It’s a perfect storm for this blogger; a playoff game with potential for big play after big play meets a movie with classic line after classic line! If you get a shot, follow my live blog of the game, complete with commentary and references to the movie. I’ll even provide links to audio clips of classic lines like the one above.

O.K. I’m off to deal with a restaurant packed with patrons trying to satisfy family obligations before kickoff. See you at 4:30!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Tony Allen had successful anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery along with cartilage repair to his left knee. The surgery was performed this morning at New England Baptist Hospital by Celtics Team Physician, Dr. Brian McKeon and assisted by Dr. Paul Weitzel. Allen is out indefinitely with no timetable set for his return. Allen appeared in 33 games this season, averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.48 steals in 24.4 minutes per game. The 6’4� guard had set or tied career-highs in 12 statistical categories this season.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

I was thinking about writing a blog complaining about the picks for the Eastern Conference but to be honest with you - they are pretty solid picks.

So, instead I will just praise Bruins center Marc Savard.
Savvy is having a solid season thus far and is one of the bright spots on the Bruins.

Let us look at the stats (not including today's Ranger game):
Savvy is 9th in the league in scoring with 55 points;
Savvy is 4th in the league in assists with 40 helpers;
Savvy is 3rd for centers behind just Sidney Crosby (65 points) and Vinny Lacavalier (59 points).

Savvy leads the Bruins in points, Patrice Bergeron is 10 points behind him with 45;
Savvy is tied for 2nd on the team with 15 goals; behind Glen Murray who has 20;
Savvy is tied with Muzz and Bergy for leading the team in power play goals with 8 - not to mention the Bs have 43 ppg and Savvy has figured into 28 of them (8 goals, 20 assists);
Savvy is 3rd on the team for Game Winners (3) behind Bergy (5) and Muzz (4)

Savvy has 24 points in his last 15 games - NOT TOO SHABBY.

Savard, in his first season as a Bruin, has been the most consistant player on the club and while I agree with most of the picks for the All-Star team, I think Savard should have been included - but maybe I'm wearing "black and gold" colored glasses.

As it stands, Zdeno Chara was the only Bruin to earn a spot on the All-Star squad.

OK, I think we have all figured out by now that I am a Marc Savard fan, but can anyone disagree with the facts above? And by the way, Savvy has more points than Joe Thornton.

When I listed my top fantasy players I left off Ilya Kovalchuk as one of the top 5 wingers because I said he lost the person to feed him the puck - Savard. Kovalchuk sits at 22nd in the league with 46 points.

Anyone else on the Bruins deserve as much praise? Did you see the All-Star picks? Who do you think deserves a spot? Anyone you would take off?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Perhaps it’s time for The Victim to ditch the paper bag disguise and investigate new methods of looking into the future. Because if the NFL playoffs are gambling’s Super Bowl, our fearless forecaster is trailing badly at the break and in need of some major halftime adjustments.

Perhaps it’s too early to compare our pigskin prognosticator to Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, but there is some evidence to suggest the collar gets a bit tighter when it comes to playoff predictions. Despite a sterling regular season, the Wild-Card round wasn’t kind to The Victim. Throw in a 3-4 mark in last year’s post-season (the blog didn’t get going until the Divisional Round), and our fine friend has something to prove to the oddsmakers and his loyal audience.

Either that, or this lovable loser is finally living down to his reputation. On with the picks:

Indianapolis (+4) over Baltimore
New Orleans (-4) over Philadelphia
Seattle (+8 ½) over Chicago
New England (+5) over San Diego

Last week’s record: 1-3
Regular Season record: 54-35
Overall Record: 55-38

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

SunTalk Live steps it up a notch this coming Monday, with a show featuring two-fisted action.

Dave Pevear and Dennis Whitton join us for the first half-hour to recap the Patriots-Chargers Divisional Playoff game. Hopefully, we’ll also get to preview an AFC Championship contest featuring the Pats.

The second half hour, we’ll duke it out with Lowell boxing legend Micky Ward and New England Gold Gloves Tournament Director Bill Hoar. The Gloves ring in the 2007 edition Tuesday night at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, and I can’t think of two more knowledgeable people to talk to about what the event means to boxing and the city of Lowell.

(Update: Lowell Sun writer Carmine Frongillo will also join us for the boxing segment. 5-guests in one night...The Big Show has nothing on us!)

Not enough incentive for you to call in? How’s this; One lucky caller will win a pair of tickets to an upcoming night of boxing at the Gloves, and yet another dialer will win two center-ice tickets to the Lowell Devils Saturday January 20th face off against the Hartford Wolf Pack. One catch…you actually have to contribute something to the program. We love those of you who just call in to listen, but we love those who offer their opinions even more.

We're working on a couple of additional surprises as well, so be sure to dial in Monday night from 7-8pm to get in on the fun. The number is (978)364-TALK. To hear any past shows you missed or to get a taste of what we’re all about, visit the SunTalk Live link at LowellSun.com.

AAAHHH LET’S GET READY TO RUMBBBBBLLLLEEEEEE!!!!!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

There’s been a little stir created this week by Chargers muscleman and resident loudmouth Shawne Merriman.

On the heels of Merriman’s expert commentary during the Pats-Jets halftime show, he was reported to have said something to the effect of; “all we need is one point and we win.� I found the comment, and it seems to have been completely taken out of context. Here’s the exact quote:

Q:  Do you have a prediction for this week?

SM:  To come out with a W.  That is it.  One point, we win.  A field goal or a safety or anything we get, one point we win but obviously we want to come in and we want to play 60 minutes of football and that is it.

I think what Merriman was basically trying to say was he’d take any type of win, be it by one point, field goal, safety, whatever. Of course, he won’t be chairing any Mensa meetings, so it didn’t exactly come out that way. But if you want an idea how he really feels, here’s what the Chargers loudmouth has to say about Tom Brady:

Q:  What do you remember about your trip up to Foxboro last year and is there anything you can take from that game right now?

SM:  That [Tom] Brady was very smart and is good at looking guys off.  That was really my first experience.  That was the best quarterback I’d seen in my early career, so when I saw it, it was amazing to see what he was able to do.

Q:  When you look at Tom Brady, what separates him?  You say he is the best.

SM:  When you are in the National Football League and come straight from college, you don’t expect to see talent and see some of the things that he did, even the time that we did beat them and we had to get pressure on him and the whole time we got pressure he never got rattled. 

Q:  Do you at all regret the comments you made at halftime this past week saying you thought the Jets were going to win?

SM:  You know what, I thought if the Jets were going to win, it was going to be close in the first half and it was, so I thought the Jets had a chance to win it.  Little did I know that [Tom] Brady has three Super Bowl rings and doesn’t lose against the Jets.

Just setting the record straight here. When push comes to shove, Sunday’s game won’t be decided by any signs of disrespect or motivational tools. As Bill Belichick and his well-trained band of brothers likes to say, the game will be decided by whichever team plays best on that given day.

Did anyone else hear Merriman's comments being used to rile Patriots Nation today? If so, tell me where you heard it, because honestly, I’m going senile and can’t remember where it was…LOL!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Tony Allen was finally getting comfortable. Now, it appears he’ll be out the rest of the season and may be looking at six months or more of recovery.

According to Peter Stringer of Celtics.com, Celtics trainer Ed Lacerte suffered a torn ACL, torn Meniscus and torn lateral meniscus in his left knee after coming down from a dunk during Wednesday night’s game at the TD Banknorth Garden.

The 6’4� 213-pound third-year swing man had been leading the injury-stricken Celtics for the better part of the last month due to the absence of captain Paul Pierce and the ankle problems of Wally Szczerbiak.

Along with being the best man-to-man defender on the team, Allen was also beginning to develop into the offensive threat he showed flashes of being in his rookie season (2004-05).

Last season Allen had been working his way back from a right knee injury that required surgery. He’d said that the effects of that injury still lingered with into portions of this season, though to spectators it did appear that his leaping ability and quickness appeared to have returned.

Allen was averaging 11.3 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game and 1.5 steals per game for the season. Since Dec. 1 his playing time increased and he responded by scoring 16.1 points, pulling down 5.2 rebounds and snatching 2.15 steals since that time.

Back in November Allen admitted he was probably too anxious on the court and trying to hard to show the improvements he made in the off-season, saying "The stuff I worked on over the summer, I just be ready to broadcast it so much that I sometime find myself doing it at the wrong time and kind of throwing me off track."

His performance in recent weeks was particularly encouraging because it could’ve signaled another one of the inexperienced Celtics players beginning to come into his own and help taking pressure off of Pierce and Szczerbiak.

“I think about that all the time, when Paul gets back,� Allen said before last week’s game against Cleveland. “When Paul gets back it’s another post player to really feed off of. I don’t think nothing will really change. He demands the ball just as much as Al (Jefferson) do. I feed off of the inside out. He’s a much better passer and a floor general at that. So I think that’s going to help me.�

Celtics fans don't get the chance to find out this season if he was right or not.

Coming into last night the Celtics were also without Delonte West (back problems), Szczerbiak (ankles), and Brian Scalabrine (knee).

The Green host Division rival the Toronto Raptors Friday night at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

News Flash: David Beckham agrees to a deal worth 5-year, $250-million to play soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. The majority of money on the contract will come from endorsements. Beckham, the husband of former Spice Girl Posh (Victoria), is the most recognizable player in the world.

Teddy’s Take: Regardless of how much soccer’s powers that be genuflect for the international sensation, soccer will remain a minor league sport in the U.S. And there’s a good chance this deal will completely kill Major League Soccer, period.

We’ve been down this path before. In the 70’s, the North American Soccer League (NASL) lured an over-the-hill Pele and Franz Beckenbauer to New York. The league folded, partly due to escalating salaries from trying to attract recognizable foreign stars. Sound familiar?

I don’t care how popular Beckham is in every other part of the world, this won’t work. . Sure, a few Europeans might tune in. So might a handful of Latin and South Americans. But they already have high quality futbol in their countries, featuring players and teams they are passionate about. Why on earth would they watch the Los Angeles Galaxy? Would you tune in to watch LeBron James play for an Italian league team?

As for the people who could care less about soccer in this country, I don’t see them suddenly saying; “Hey honey, click away from that Colts-Giants game for a minute. I wanna see how Beckham’s bending it today.� Unless Posh is going to be running around the field in a bikini, there’s not enough action for your average American sports fan.

Bob Kraft seems like too smart of a businessman to go along with this. To pay this much money for an import, when homegrown stars don’t get that kind of cash seems absurd. To me, the move smells of desperation, like a stagnant league that realizes it’s reached its potential and must either do something dramatic or fold the tent.

Don’t be surprised if five years from now, when Beckham’s deal expires, so too does MLS.

That's my take...what's yours? Are you more likely to watch American soccer now? What, if anything, can they do to make the sport more popular in the U.S.? Who's hotter...Victoria or Eva Longoria? Am I the only one who sees a resemblance?

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

BOSTON - In the world of professional sports, fans rarely get the opportunity to interact with their favorite players.
That's not the case for area Bruins fans.
On Jan. 7, while the New England Patriots were locked in the an NFL playoff struggle with the New York Jets, the Boston Bruins hosted their 17th annual Bruins Wives Carnival at the TD Banknorth Garden.
Fans had the chance to interact with the players, whether it be just to get an autograph and picture or to play their favorite players in a game of Ping Pong, Air Hockey or even match steps in the Dance Dance Revolution.
Bruins head coach Dave Lewis, who hosted the locker-room tour, said he didn't know about the carnival until he signed with the team in July, but was impressed nonetheless by what he saw.
"I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't quite sure how the fans would interact with the players," Lewis said. "Once I've seen it, I think it's a great idea because you can get up close and personal with the guys. You can see that they're real people; they're nice guys and everything is done for a purpose and the purpose is to raise money for a good cause. It's been great. I'm really impressed with the amount of people coming through - little kids, families, fans - and for such a good cause."
The event raised more than $180 thousand for the Boston Bruins Foundation and Bridge Over Troubled Waters.
"We serve over 4,000 youth every year," said Sheila Moore, executive director of Bridge Over Troubled Waters. "We offer everything from meals to a place to live to counseling and education. The goal is to help them become self-sufficient. We want to produce healthy, self-sufficient adults."
Bridge Over Troubled Waters helps at-risk and homeless youth ages 14 to 24.
Siw Axelsson, wife of winger PJ Axelsson, has been involved in the carnival for eight years. She said each year it gets better and better.
"It's a big deal here for us," Axelsson said. "We get involved as wives and visit the charity. This year is absolutely amazing to meet those kids we are helping."

First-year Bruin Zdeno Chara said his former club, the Ottawa Senators, were involved with local charities, but never held an event of this caliber.
"We were involved with some different appearances, but nothing like this one," the Bruins captain said. "There are so many different things you can do. You can easily spend two to three hours playing around, getting some signatures and talking to the players. We're raising money for charity and that's always something we (the players) like to be apart of."

PJ Axelsson, who has been a Bruin for 10 years, looks forward to the event each season.
"I think it's awesome," Axelsson said. "It's actually fun to meet the fans; it's awesome to see them here. There's a lot of them that come year after year; I enjoy it."
Katie Murray, wife of Glen Murray, said while the wives plan the carnival, it wouldn't be much with out the support of the players.
"This wouldn't work if the players weren't on board with it," Murray said. "It's a complete family affair, not just another day. It feels good to do this as a family; for both the fans and the players."

More than 4,000 fans showed up for the event and Marc Savard wasn't surprised with the turn out.
"I expected it to be crowded and it was," Savard said. "It goes to a good cause; I'm really proud of (the turn out)."
Savard, who signed with Boston as a free agent in July, said Boston is a great place to play hockey - even as an opposing player.
"I've always loved playing here, it's a great atmosphere," Savard said. "The fans understand the game and it's exciting to play here."

This is an extended version of an article written for the Sun - it has yet to run though and the Broadcaster. Check out the Broadcaster web-site for a video of Wayne Primeau doing Dance Dance Revolution with 10-year-old Krystal Dion.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Not much of a surprise, but Bill Belichick again took all the suspense out of this early.

The Patriots released their injury report minutes ago, and Rodney Harrison was again listed as out. Harrison and Heath Evans were the only two players not present for the media access portion of practice today.

The safety injured his knee during the final regular season game in Tennessee and hasn’t played since. Early reports had him missing between 2-4 weeks, but if the swiftness of declaring him out is any indication, the latter time frame looks like an accurate assessment.

The injury report is actually smaller than it’s been in a while, with only Evans, Ben Watson and Bam Childress listed as questionable. Ellis Hobbs, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel and Tom Brady (as he always is) are listed as probable.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Hockey fans, do I have a deal for you!

The Lowell Devils are in town this holiday weekend for games Friday night (7:05pm) and Sunday afternoon (2:05pm) against the Philadelphia Phantoms and Monday (2:05pm Martin Luther King Day matinee) against the Worcester Ice Sharks.

Luckily for you, someone is unable to use their pair of tickets to each game. These are great seats, center ice, back row. The best part…they’re FREE to anyone who wants them. And yes, I know Sunday is the Patriots game, but that's not till 4:30 and the hockey game will be over right around then. Plus, you can always leave a period early if you don't want to miss any of the football game.

All you have to do is drop a note to tpanos@lowellsun.com and let me know which game/games you’d like to attend. Then, just come on down to my place of business and pick them up. It’s that simple! Take one game or take them all.

First come, first served!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The UMass Lowell men’s and women’s hoops teams travel up the road to take on Merrimack this evening in North Andover.

The Warriors visited Costello Gymnasium earlier in the season, with the women coming away with a 61-58 victory.

UML took a 33-21 lead into the half behind a hot start from freshman guard Megan Berry who led the River Hawks with 11 points in 10 minutes during the first half. UML shot 71 percent clip from behind the arc in the first half.

The Warriors came back strong, cutting their deficit to three points within the first five minutes of the half. The two sides went back and forth in the final five minutes, but the River Hawks were held scoreless for the last final 1:50 of the game.

On the men’s side, the young River Hawks had their best offensive performance of the season in an 89-83 win. UML shot 55 percentage from the field and scored 34 points in the paint with four players score in double digits.

The River Hawks also pulled down 43 rebounds to the Warriors' 20. On top of that, the River Hawks shared the ball better than they have all season. Of their 31 field goals, 24 of them were assisted.

Dashon Harper had 25 points and six assists for the River Hawks, whiel junior forward Jerreh Saidybah (14 points, seven rebounds), Victory Colon (18 points) and Peter Monfort (10 points, nine rebounds) also had significant contributions on the offensive end. Point guard Mike Watson also had six points and six assists.

We'll give you the skinny on how the River Hawks fair in tomorrow's edition of The Sun.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

"I am very honored to be granted the opportunity to discuss a potential position with the New York Giants.  I have tremendous respect for the Kraft family, the Mara family, the Tisch family and the Giants organization. After careful consideration, and for personal reasons, I am continuing in my current role with the New England Patriots."—Scott Pioli, Patriots V.P. of Player Personnel

And with that statement, Scott Pioli said thanks, but no thanks, to the New York football Giants.

Whatever the personal reasons, I think it’s a nice signal to the team and any potential free agents out there who want to consider joining the team. When you ask players to sacrifice personal wealth for the good of the team, it’s nice to see the people making decisions follow the same philosophy.

Scott Pioli could at any time jump to another franchise, name his price and take all the glory for building a winner instead of sharing it with Bill Belichick or others. Instead, twice in the last 3-years (Cleveland offered, too) he elected to continue with what he’s helped build in Foxboro.

Perhaps circumstances will change some day and Pioli will head elsewhere in search of greener pastures or new challenges. But for now, it’s nice to have to have people like that on our side!

What did you think of Pioli's decision to stay with the Patriots? Was it out of loyalty to the cause or because the Giants just weren't the right situation?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Here’s a suggestion for the folks who run college football;

In the future, you go ahead and celebrate your stupid rankings and your bowl system. Crown your BCS champion and give them that snazzy looking crystal trophy amidst the confetti falling from the sky. The rest of us; we’ll know the real college football champion is the team that wins the SEC Tournament. Absent a true playoff system, the best team from the best conference should be universally regarded as the number one team in the land, because right now, SEC teams are in a league of their own.

Did you catch that destruction last night? Those two teams didn’t even belong in the same sport, never mind the same field. Ohio State had 51-days to prepare for their coronation, and that’s the best they could come up with? Absolutely ridiculous!

Even more ridiculous is the fact Florida almost didn’t get a chance to play that game. Were it not for some manipulation by the voters in the final poll, Michigan would have gotten a rematch with the Buckeyes. And the NCAA would have been glad to go along with calling the winner of that Big-10 rematch “National Champion.� Give me a break!

Every person with a brain knows the SEC is the dominant conference, top to bottom, in the land. It’s almost impossible for a team to emerge from those battles undefeated. And yet, a large number of so-called experts questioned why a one loss team with victories over Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State and Arkansas deserved a chance at the national title. What they should have been questioning was why Ohio State deserved a slot in that game!

I’m willing to bet LSU and Auburn (the only team to beat the Gators) would crush the Buckeyes as well. I also think given the right circumstances (namely, neutral field), Georgia, Arkansas and even South Carolina would have a 50-50 chance to beat any team in the Big-10, even “The� Ohio State University. The Big-10 can’t even dream of the speed and skill SEC teams face on a weekly basis, never mind figure out how to cope with it.

Congratulations to the national champion Florida Gators…sorry you almost didn’t get a chance to prove it!

What did you think of the BCS Championship game? Is Florida the best team in the nation? Can we ever really know without a playoff system?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Exactly one year ago yesterday (January 8, 2006), Lowell Sun readers awoke to a terrifying sight.

Nestled down at the bottom right hand corner of their Sunday paper was a picture of this dork wearing a Red Sox hat, a Steve Young jersey (he’s a lefty, too), a Super Bowl XXXVI press credential and a goofy smile. Sports banners adorned the background, in front stood a Micky Ward bobblehead, a dancing Patriots doll and a laptop. Unsuspecting readers didn’t know it at the time, but that laptop would bring them inside the mind of a madman.

Thus was born TheSunBlog.

We’ve grown a lot during our first year. For one, the fact people can read this post in the newspaper means there’s another forum for my thoughts. Sun staffers Lynn Worthy and Gayle Simone hopped aboard the blog bus, helping provide fresh content daily. From a small core of loyal readers, we’ve evolved into a site that generates thousands of hits per month. We’ve even spawned off sister SunBlogs covering news and politics (Community Forum), entertainment (Ravin’ w/Ravens) and pop culture (The Frosting).

Along with providing instant sports news and opinions, we’ve broken a story or two, given away free tickets, conducted an auction to raise money for charity and generated discussion. Boy have we generated discussion!

Your opinions are what drive this. Sure, we pour a little fuel on the fire with our reports and commentary, but the real action takes place when you get involved. As far as good old-fashioned sports arguments go, we’ve had our share of doozies.

In fact, the only real regret is not getting more of you to chime in. My proudest moment was generating a letter to the editor ripping my narrow-minded and immature views on auto racing. It was vintage blog commentary by the gentleman from Chelmsford, complete with personal insults and demands for an apology. It was exactly the response I hoped to generate.

Only one problem; he chose the wrong forum.

Letters to the editor are as old school as black Converse high tops. He should have posted his commentary online. We could have gone back and forth, others would have joined in and who knows, his passionate and articulate argument might have won me over. It’s not the first time I’d admit to being wrong. (Check the idiotic “Kobe will win a title before Shaq does� post for proof!)

Otherwise, I couldn’t be happier with where we are…or where we’re going. Unless you’ve been far away, you’ve heard of this thing we call SunTalk Live. We do SportsTalk every Monday and Jim Campanini’s NewsTalk moves to Thursdays.

For you, this means a chance to talk with Sun staffers and guests over the phone. We’ve already had Sports Editor Dennis Whitton, David Pevear, Chaz Scoggins and others join us. In the not-too-distant future, you’ll be able to see the show online.

Trust me when I tell you; in the newspaper business, this is pretty innovative stuff. And whether it’s internet, blogs, or talk forums, your local paper is leading the charge.

Anyway, thanks for putting up with me this past year. I hope you enjoy the blog and column as much as I enjoy writing them. So stop by and visit more often. While here, be sure to leave your comments.

If you don’t, they’ll just keep finding more and more forums to put my picture in!

Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for how we can improve this blog? What would you like to see us do that we don't already do? What about the other formats? Have you dialed into SunTalk Live? If not, how come?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Just a quick reminder to join us on SunTalk Live tonight between 7-8pm.

Joining me in-studio are Sun Sports Editor, Dennis Whitton and Patriots beat writer David Pevear. Coming on the heels of the Pats big win over the Jets, this promises to be an exciting show. We’ll also take a look ahead at next Sunday’s playoff matchup against San Diego.

To join in on the fun, call (978)364-TALK. Be sure to dial in a few minutes early so as not to miss anything. And as always, we encourage you to not only listen, but to make your voice heard.

Talk to you soon!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

We’re going to break format a bit here and do something we experimented with last year; Live blogging.

Rather than summarize the game with Shining Stars and Quality Quotes, I’m going to do a minute-by-minute Teddy’s Take of the Pats-Jets game, much like I did for the Broncos playoff contest last year. Remember, the thoughts and observations are as I see them at the time, so you can be sure in retrospect, you’ll see plenty of ridiculous comments.

1:06 Opening kickoff. Unlike November, the weather this time around is beautiful and the field won’t be a factor.

1:07 The chess match is already underway. New England is in a hurry-up offense. New York responds by constantly shifting defensive alignments, using only two down lineman and having 5 or 6 guys wander around behind them, never setting themselves. Shades of when the Patriots did it to befuddle Drew Bledsoe and the Bills a few years back. One thing to keep in mind; Tom Brady is not Drew Bledsoe.

1:09 Jabar Gaffney already has three receptions, all of them good for first down yardage. Where’s he been all year?

1:11 Corey Dillon rumbles home from 11-yards out. 10-plays, 65-yards in 3:07…can’t ask for a better start.

1:23 Gaffney has another reception good for a 1st down. Then, for no apparent reason, he takes a few steps back, slips and falls and is tackled short of the yard marker. Now I know where he’s been all year!

Let’s hope this isn’t a momentum killer.

1:39 Dillon fumbles on his own 15. Jets recover. Has the turnover bug returned?

1:43 Pats defense is dominating right now, holding the Jets to a field goal. 7-3 Patriots

1:53 2nd quarter now, and just like that, we have a lead change. After amassing only 32-yards of offense in the 1st quarter, the Jets strike on a 77-yard TD pass from Chad Pennington to Jericho Cotchery. The completion was to a wide open middle of the field, after which Cotchery outmaneuvered and outran the Patriots secondary.

I can’t help but think this play doesn’t happen if Rodney Harrison is playing.

2:03 A pass interference gives New England first and goal at the three. This time, it’s New York’s “D� holding to a field goal. After 19:03 of action, we have a brand new ballgame…10-10.

2:35 The Pats regain the lead on a 1-yd TD pass from Brady to Daniel Graham. The 80-yard drive chews up nearly 7-minutes and leaves just 11-ticks on the first half clock. We’re going to the break with New England holding a 17-10 advantage.

2:44 The folks from the CBS halftime show thought it would be a good idea to have Shawne Merriman speak on behalf of the Chargers, who get to player the winner of this game. I guess league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson wasn’t available. Neither was QB Phillip Rivers, head coach Marty Schottenheimer or any other member of the team with the NFL’s best record. Nope. We had to hear from the steroid cheat who was suspended for 4-games. Way to promote the product.

Apparently, “juice� affects one’s ability to speak intelligently. When asked which team will win this one, Merriman says he thinks the Jets because they’re playing well. Forget for a minute the seven point Pats lead. Why on earth would anyone even answer this question with anything other than the stock “they’re both good teams…we don’t care who wins…we’ll just prepare the best we can� answer?

Merriman's nickname is "Lights Out," perhaps a referrence to his brain activity?

3:06 New York takes the opening kick of the 2nd half and marches right down field, but the Pats hold in the red zone to force a FG. 13-plays, 73-yards...impressive drive, but if I’m Eric Mangini, I think I go for it on 4th down there.

3:16 Stephen Gostkowski connects from 40-yards out, pushing the cushion back to a touchdown, 20-13. Actually, a Jets defender flew right by the rookie kicker as he booted it. I’d love to see a good replay because I’m not sure how he missed blocking it. Whatever, Gostkowski is 2-for-2 on the day.

By the way, is it possible to go an entire year without having to make at least one game-winning kick? I’m really curious how this kid will respond.

3:25 Game changing play?

Roosevelt Colvin bats down a Pennington pass, then jumps in frustration at not picking the ball off. While he’s beating himself up, the Patriots bench alertly screams for them to pick the ball up because it’s a lateral. Vince Wilfork does and rumbles down to the Jets 15. New York challenges the call, but the replay shows the obvious…it wasn’t a forward pass. Patriots ball. Chance to put this one away.

We’re going to sweat this one out a while longer, aren’t we?

3:42 The field goal fest continues. This time it’s Mike Nugent, pulling NY back within a touchdown with 11 ½ minutes remaining in the game.

What I like however is how the Pats defense is able to keep the Jets out of the end zone. They’re bending, but not breaking, other than that mistake on the long TD. As the clock ticks down, I think this will ultimately prove to be the difference. Barring another turnover or big play, I can’t see the visitors punching another one home.

3:57 Game over!

Another example of why Brady is so great. 3rd and goal from the 7…the Jets show blitz…Brady points and barks a few commands…Kevin Faulk sneaks out of the backfield and is wide open for the catch and waltz to paydirt.

I’m not sure exactly how this works or what’s really involved. I just know the Pats QB is better at this type of stuff than anyone else in the league.

4:04 Cha-Ching! Asante Samuel adds another couple of million to the piggy bank with an interception return for a TD. The price for this soon-to-be free agent keeps rising.

A replay shows great recognition by Samuel to leave his man and turn around to pick off an unsuspecting Pennington. Credit to Asante? Sure, but my hunch is the coaching staff had him well-prepared for that exact play.

The only remaining drama is what kind of post-game handshake we'll see!

4:17 The human victory cigar has been lit. Vinnie Testaverde (the Terry Deurod of the NFL) replaces Brady to take the final knee.

4:18 Belichick pushes a camera man out of the way and gives his former protégé a hug. Very reminiscent of the night Parcells and Belichick embraced at midfield to publicly end their feud a few years back.

Of course, it’s always easier to bury the hatchet when you’ve just kicked some ass, but a very nice gesture by Belichick nonetheless. Now, after the obligatory post-game questions about it, we can finally put this matter to rest.

Final Score: Patriots 37, Jets 16. Bring on the Chargers!!!

That's how I saw it...what did you see?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

We’re about an hour away from the 2007 NFL playoffs opening kickoff. The Chiefs and Colts get things underway in the first of four Wild Card round games.

Of course, the game we most care about is set for a 1:00 start Sunday. The Lowell Sun’s David Pevear has been all over the Patriots beat this week, posting fine features on Asante Samuel and the successful combo of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Be sure to watch for Dave’s game preview and prediction in Sunday’s Sun (also available on LowellSun.com) and don’t forget to dial into Monday’s SunTalk Live program at 7pm when Pevear will join Sun Sports Editor Dennis Whitton and me to talk about the Jets game.

As for my pick; I see a hard fought, low scoring affair, with the Patriots experience ultimately proving too much for the upstart New Yorkers to overcome. Final score; a closer than it appears 24-13 New England victory.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Last season, the UMass Lowell women swept a pair of games with St. Anselm with Shaina Berry carrying the load in the first game (16 points, 12 rebounds) and a narrow three-point victory in their second meeting.

St. Anselm (4-9, 1-7 NE-10) comes in having dropped a 78-51 game at Stonehill on Wednesday. Much like the UML, the Hawks have a young team with eight freshmen and just two seniors on the roster. Senior forward Jessica Morgan leads the squad in scoring with 10.8 points per game and has been a monster on the boards, grabbing 8.3 rebounds per game (fourth in the NE-10).

Morgan was the Hawks' leading scorer with 16 points in 27 minutes against Stonehill. Junior Cassaundra Thorpe also finished in double figures with 10 points.

The River Hawks will face the second-worst offensive team in the Northeast-10 Conference after falling to the conference’s top scoring team, Saint Rose, earlier in the week.

UML started the week coming off of back-to-back victories for the first time all season, but ran into the 24th-ranked Saint Rose team and fell 65-48. Sophomore forward Antonnea Robinson has continued where she left off last week when she averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Robinson had 16 points and nine rebounds against The Golden Knights, while Tonya Perry added 12 points of her own.

Game time today is 2 p.m. at Costello Gymnasium.

Men vs. St. Anselm
Last season, St. Anselm earned its second-straight Northeast-10 Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament thought the Hawks did graduate 1,000-point scorer Jim Holsworth from last year’s team.

The UML men split a pair of games with the Hawks last year, taking a two-point victory at home in January before St. Anselm captured a three-point win at their place.

St. Anselm (8-5, 4-4 NE-10) enters today‘s game after getting beat by Stonehill, 90-81, early in the week. Chris Vetrano is the top scoring threat for the Hawks with 15.6 points per game. The junior guard who transferred from UNH, is currently shooting 42 percent from behind the three-point line.

The UML men lost to No. 20 Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., on Wednesday to fall to 5-8 and 2-6 in the NE-10. Jerreh Saidybah led the way with 15 points and Victory Colon had 10 points, but Saint Rose converted 17 UML turnovers into 26 points. Dashon Harper, who started the week sixth overall in the conference in scoring, was held to five points.

Game time today is 4 p.m. at Costello Gymnasium.

Live stats will be available for both games via the UMass Lowell Athletics website.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

NFL players and coaches are fond of saying the playoffs reveal a team’s true flaws. Weaknesses are exposed and exploited, strengths dissected and diminished, until only the most complete unit is left hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in early February.

If the world of wagering had a championship, our peerless pigskin prognosticator would enter the tournament as a top seed, albeit a shaky one. Much like the Chicago Bears, The Victim boasts a sterling regular season record. Yet those who’ve followed the ride wonder exactly how this was accomplished. As the football fandom wonders how a team with Rex Grossman at quarterback can ever hope to win a playoff contest despite that 13-3 finish, so too does the betting brotherhood wonder if a lifetime lovable loser can parlay his amazing regular season record into playoff success.

Will The Victim’s true colors shine through when it matters most? Or is this the 1985 Bears all over again…an entity catching lightning in a bottle, destined to ride the wave all the way to a glorious ending for him and his followers?

Let the prognosticating playoffs begin!

Kansas City (+7) over Indianapolis
Seattle (-3) over Dallas
New England (-8 ½) over NY Jets
Philadelphia (-7) over NY Giants

Last week’s record: 3-2
Season record: 54-35

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

No, it’s not a horror movie (not unless you take the sound of my voice into account!), but the return of our live sports call-in show.

After a two week holiday break, SunTalk Live returns this coming Monday with not one, but two guests joining me in studio to talk…what else…Patriots playoffs! Lowell Sun Sports Editor, Dennis Whitton, makes his inaugural appearance on our show. He’ll be joined by The Sun’s Patriots writer (and show veteran) David Pevear, who will be in Foxboro covering the Pats-Jets contest.

For those who don’t remember the number, it’s (978)364-TALK. You can choose to just listen in or better yet, make your opinion known by joining the discussion. Win or lose, I imagine there’ll be plenty to talk about with the NFL playoffs in high gear.

I’ll also leave you with this; in the coming weeks, we’re going to be adding new features to the SunTalk Live broadcasts. I can’t tell you exactly what they are yet (if I did, they’d have to kill me), but the additions promise to take this innovative format to a new level.

Talk to you soon!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The field for Super Bowl XLI has been narrowed to twelve teams. Wiseguys might tell you the field really only consists of the six AFC squads, but far be it for me to make any disparaging comments about an NFC that features the 8-8 Giants and the 9-7 division winning Seahawks.

Before filling out my brackets, I thought I’d take a look back at my preseason picks. The AFC choices don’t look so bad in retrospect. I had 4-of-6 playoff teams (New England, Baltimore, Indianapolis & San Diego), though I thought the Ravens and Chargers would be wild-card entrants instead of division winners. Over on the other side, only Dallas and Seattle made it from my list. Ironically, I had the Cowboys beating the Seahawks in the conference championship. Instead, the duo of underachieving squads will meet in a first round matchup while the Bears and Saints (did anyone have New Orleans in the playoffs?) enjoy the bye.

So what do I see up ahead? Murkiness. Nothing but murkiness.

I’ve played the scenarios over and over in my head, and I can make a decent case for any number of outcomes, from the Chargers, to the Ravens, and yes, the Patriots. About the only thing I’m willing to say for certain is the AFC survivor will be your next Super Bowl champion. And that includes the Chiefs or Jets should they somehow get there.

However, since I’m in the business of predicting things (and making a fool of myself), here’s how I see it unfolding:

Wild-Card Round
Colts over Chiefs
Seahawks over Cowboys
Patriots over Jets
Eagles over Giants

Divisional Playoffs
Patriots over Chargers
Ravens over Colts
Bears over Seahawks
Saints over Eagles

Conference Championships
Ravens over Patriots
Bears over Saints

Super Bowl XLI
Ravens over Bears

Got that? Good! Now go bet the other way on every game and you’ll make a killing!

What are your picks? How do you see the post-season shaking out?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Hi! My name is Joel Pineiro, and there's a very good chance I'm going to be your closer this season!

Unless there’s a Chad Cordero trade in the works or the Red Sox plan on returning to the infamous “closer by committee,� smart money is on the recently acquired Pineiro entering the 2007 season as the team’s top fireman.

On the surface, it seems ridiculous Boston would consider a career underachiever with a 6.36 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and .331 Batting Average Against in 2006 to pitch the most important inning of a ballgame. Yet a closer look shows the former Mariners righty could not only be the Sox new closer, but could also thrive in the role.

First, look at the contract, which calls for $4-million with incentives based on whether Pineiro finishes 35-games. It’s not that far off from the $6-million guaranteed the Rangers paid Eric Gagne to close, a figure the Red Sox didn’t want to match. And you don’t think the free agent would agree to such an incentive unless given some assurance he’d at least get a chance to finish those 35-games, do you?

Then look at the 28-year old’s stats during a brief relief stint last season, where he allowed only 19-hits and struck out 20-batters in 24 1/3 innings. Has the look of a guy opposing hitters didn’t fare well against when they only got one chance a game to look at him, doesn’t it?

Now, by no means am I comfortable with this arrangement, nor do I think the Sox are. You don’t compile a roster like Theo Epstein has only to entrust an unproven commodity with protecting leads. My best guess is efforts will continue to land Cordero, Mike Gonzalez, or some other experienced 9th inning hurler. However, if those efforts fail, Pineiro is a decent gamble until Craig Hansen can step into the role…or until a better option is found through trade.

Do you like the signing? Will Joel Pineiro be the Red Sox closer in 2007? Or is he just another arm for a deep corps of middle relievers?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said the latest news on captain Paul Pierce is that he’ll likely be out at least until January 19. Pierce, who has been sidelined for the last six games with a stress reaction in his left foot. Rivers said Pierce is no longer using crutches to get around, but still must wear a boot.

Pierce, who did not travel with the team on the west coast road trip, is expected may be around more in coming weeks, Rivers said. The hope is to get him involved in as many ways as possible, including Pierce possibly sitting in on coaches meetings.

Szczerbiak will continue to start
Rivers also said the Celtics intend to start Wally Szczerbiak until the return of Paul Pierce, utilizing Gerald Green off the bench.

Szczerbiak has shot 14 of 51 (27 percent) from the field in the previous four games since returning from the second of two recent ankle injuries. He has scored in double digits in his last two games with 13 points against Seattle and 15 against Portland on Monday. Szczerbiak has shot 16 of 19 from the foul line during the last four game.

“They're not perfect, but at the same time I’m able to do some things on the floor to help the team,� he said prior to tonight’s game against the Cavs. “I’m just doing what I can, trying to do my job and help us win ball games.

The eighth-year man who relies on his jump shot for a large portion of his points, didn’t want to spend much time talking about the way the injury has been effecting his performance, saying, its up to the coach do decide if he is playing well enough to help the team.

All about the D tonight
While Cleveland is struggling mightily with a 4-9 road record, they’ve managed to set themselves apart in one of the major areas in which the Celtics are still struggling, defense.

The Cavaliers come into tonight’s game with the best defense in the Eastern Conference, both in terms of shooting percentage and fewest points allowed.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Tell me you didn’t see this coming? The only surprise is Mike Tyson wasn’t involved somehow!

Kevin Federline “wrestled��? WWE champion John Cena during a Monday Night Raw show New Year’s Day. In fact, K-Fed defeated the champ…thanks to a little outside interference, of course. Federline didn’t win the belt, as it was a non-title match (Vince McMahon isn’t that crazy), and actually got his butt kicked by Cena later in the card

So let’s get this straight; Federline goes from backup dancer, to Mr. Britney Spears, to father of two, to rapper, to divorcee, to wrestler, all the while remaining one of the biggest losers to walk the earth and earning good money in the process.

What was it Don King said; only in America?

What’s next for K-Fed? His own talk show? Monday night football analyst? Guest spot on Dr. 90210? Death by crack overdose? Marriage to Rosie O’Donnell?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

There’s no suspense about the Rodney Harrison situation…the Patriots safety is OUT of this week’s playoff game against the Jets.

Now I know yesterday’s Boston Herald reported he’d miss 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee, but it was a little shocking to see the just released Patriots injury report listing him as out. Local papers have issued injury news about other players in the past, but it’s generally Bill Belichick’s philosophy to neither confirm nor deny anything. The standard practice, especially come playoff time, is to list anyone without an amputated limb as “Questionable,‿ whether that player is going to miss one game or a month.

Obviously, this isn’t a good sign for Harrison’s long-term prognosis. It sounds like the Herald’s report was right on, which means if the Patriots are to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Foxboro, they’ll have to do it without the heart and soul of their secondary.

What do you think? Is the news about Harrison as dire as I think? Can the Patriots survive the wide open AFC without this guy?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The UMass Lowell men's and women's basketball teams play tonight out in Albany, N.Y., against the two nationally-ranked squads from the College of Saint Rose.

The Saint Rose women (10-3) are the 24th-ranked team in the latest USAToday/ESPN Division II Coaches’ Poll. The Golden Knights entered the 2006-07 season coming off an appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference title game and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2005-06. They lost four letter-winners from that team, but return four starters including a senior backcourt that includes point guard Mary Lewis who earned second-team All-Conference honors after averaging a team-leading 11.9 points in 2005-06.

Lewis was named the Co-Player of the Week in the latest Northeast-10 Conference release this week, averaging16.3 points, five rebounds and 3.6 assists in wins against Saint Michael's and Florida Southern as well as a loss to Northern Kentucky. Lauren Revesz, a junior center, scored 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds during the same two-week span.

The Golden Knights also come into today’s game as the conference’s top scoring team with 72.2 points per game. UMass Lowell currently sits at the bottom of the NE-10 with 53.6 points per game.

The River Hawks are coming off of back-to-back victories for the first time this season (they’ve won three of their last four). UMass Lowell defeated Post and New Haven over the weekend in the Valley Cup Classic at Costello Gymnasium. Sophomore forward Antonnea Robinson averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the two Valley Cup games. Robinson is the team’s leading rebounded with 6.1 per game and she is also the second-leading scorer with 9.0 points per game. Junior guard Tonya Perry continues to pace the River Hawks with 10.5 points per game.

Men vs. Saint Rose
Last season, UMass Lowell split the season series with St. Rose, 1-1, with each team winning on its home court. The River Hawks defeated the Golden Knights, 72-57, at Costello Gymnasium. The second meeting took place in Albany, New York, with the UMass Lowell falling 84-56.

Saint Rose, No. 20 in this week’s NABC Division II Coaches’ Poll, comes in with a record of 9-2 (7-1 NE-10) and 5-0 at home. They also feature the conferences second-stingiest scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, allowing 64.7 points per game with opponents shooting 42 percent from the field. Taking care of the ball will also be a primary concern for the River Hawks. The Golden Knights lead the NE-10 with an average of 9.7 steals per game.

The Golden Knights graduated guards Brad Shove and Terrance King from last year’s team. Shove was a two-time All-Conference pick and the club’s top scorer for the last three seasons. King was a four-year starter who made 99 consecutive starts.

Still, they managed to fill the position pretty adequately. Junior guard Steve Dagostino enters today’s game as the fourth-leading scorer in the Notheast-10 Conference with 17.5 points per game. Senior forward Clayton Longmire is the team’s second leading scorer with 13.7 points per game and the leading rebounded as he pulls down 7.1 boards per game.

UML (5-7, 2-5 NE-10) comes in with Dashon Harper among the league leaders in scoring (16.7 ppg, sixth overall), while freshman Victor Colon and Jerreh Saidybah are both averaging 11 points and Saidybah and Peter Monfort are each getting more than four rebounds per game.

Both the men's and women's games can be heard via Saint Rose's Teamline broadcast or watched on NE-10 TV

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Celtics fans will remember the news from the NBA Developmental League as being, at best, mildly encouraging while Gerald Green and Dwayne Jones spent stints there last year.

The Chicago Bulls can only wish they had such uneventful news over the holidays.

Martynas Andriuskevicius, a 7-foot-2 center assigned to the Dakota Wizards of the NBDL, suffered a fractured skull and concussion on Thursday, Dec. 21, after Wizards teammate and New Jersey Nets designee Awvee Storey punched him during a practice. The incident will reportedly be investigated by the NBA.

Andriuskevicius, 20, was said to have been knocked unconscious and gone into convulsions on the court.

In his first public comments since this incident, Andriuskevicius told the Chicago Tribune, "I just started to speak three days ago, And I'm still speaking badly. I'm about 80 percent right now. I wasn't able to talk for a while. But now I feel a lot better. My headache is gone. I'm not taking medicine anymore. My hearing is just off.

"I've heard a lot of things [from doctors]. They say I'm not going to play at all. Then they say I'm not going to play this year. Then they say I'm not going to speak for two months. But everything is changing. I hope in two months I'll be back playing basketball."

A native of Lithuania, Andriuskevicius was the 44th pick overall in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Storey has been suspended indefinitely.

Déjà vu isn’t always a kind thing. John Feinstein wrote a book titled “The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever.� It chronicles the 1977 incident in which a punch from and Kermit Washington dislodged Tomjanovich's skull.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

In “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,� Sting resolves “to call her up, a thousand times a day, and ask her if she’ll marry me in some old fashioned way.�

My New Year’s resolutions for 2007 are nowhere near as romantic, and much less likely to be kept;

I resolve to not pick against the Patriots in the playoffs. Sure, winning three consecutive games against quality opposition is a tall task, especially for this year’s edition. But as Bill Belichick and the boys love to remind us, the only game that matters is the next one.

So, can I see the Patriots winning the next one against the Jets? Of course I can. After that, can I see them shutting down LaDainian Tomlinson and forcing the struggling Phillip Rivers to beat them and the Marty Schottenheimer curse in the next “only game that matters?� It’s a good possibility. And in the “only game that matters� after that, can they survive a heavyweight slugfest against the Ravens? I don’t see why not.

See…this one game at a time stuff really does work.

I resolve to consider February 4th in Miami the real NFL title tilt, even though we all know the AFC Championship is where the Super Bowl XLI winner will be decided. The “other� conference is in worse shape than the Massachusetts Republican party.

Other than the BCS Championship, I resolve to never watch another college bowl game scheduled after January 1st. Its bad enough we have to wait until the 8th to see Florida and Ohio State go at it, but who’s the genius who decided to give us Western Michigan vs. Cincinnati next Saturday and Ohio vs. Southern Mississippi Sunday? Probably the same creative mind who thought “Deal or No Deal� was quality television.

Speaking of the boob tube, I resolve to watch at least one episode of “The Apprentice.� Not that I’m suddenly a fan of “reality� shows, but I simply must honor Donald Trump for saying exactly what I’ve been thinking ever since “A League of their Own� thrust Rosie O’Donnell into our nation’s consciousness.

From April through September, I resolve to eat sushi roughly every fifth day, or whenever Daisuke Matsuzaka takes the mound for the Red Sox. Not only will this help me get into the spirit of Dice-K mania, but it might also help with that weight loss resolution I’ve broken eleven years in a row.

I resolve to root long and hard for Barry Bonds’ career to end before he gets anywhere near Hank Aaron’s home run record. Is there a less deserving person to break the most sacred record in all of sports?

I resolve to abstain from any more auto racing jokes. On a related note, am I the only one who thinks Beyonce’s song “Irreplaceable� is really an instruction manual telling NASCAR drivers which way to turn? To the left to the left. To the left to the left. (Kiss that resolution goodbye already!)

Finally, I resolve to lower my handicap, eat healthy, exercise more, spend money wisely, be a better person, and turn my blog into a kindler, gentler discourse on the important sports topics of the day.

Ahh, who am I kidding? Where’s the nearest indoor driving range?

What are your New Year's resolutions?