Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
Primary sports thoughts on this primary election day (No! You can’t vote me out of this space!):
If Sunday was the blueprint the Patriots are going to follow in Tom Brady’s absence, I think we discovered there’s still enough talent on the roster to construct a winning season. Whether it’s a championship season remains to be seen, but you have to be pleased at how the Pats performed in their star quarterback’s absence. Of course, much of the credit goes to the architect, Bill Belichick, who seems to be at his best when the challenge is greatest. Let’s just say this observer was mighty impressed…and surprised.
I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again: Brett Favre is the most overrated player in the history of the NFL. I hope he has a nice comfortable sofa from which to watch Aaron Rodgers lead the Packers in the playoffs.
Now we know why Ohio State doesn’t like to schedule tough opponents during the regular season. At least Saturday’s 35-3 spanking at USC saved the Buckeyes, and college football fans across the country, from another BCS title game rout at the hands of some as-yet-unknown Southeastern Conference power.
Dracut Athletic Director Tim Woods and former Head Coach Pat Murphy took heat in some quarters for scheduling early season football contests against Brockton and Everett. Turns out they knew a little something about the direction the team was headed in. The positive buzz created by the Middies victory over the Boxers and the upcoming slugfest against the Crimson Tide can only help the current coach, Jeff Moore, in his efforts to build a program and feeder system that will return the Middies to perennial powerhouse status here in the Merrimack Valley.
By the way, if you can’t make the trip to Everett, log onto lowellsun.com Saturday for a live video webcast of the big matchup.
Did you catch that bizarre story out of Congo? Seems a soccer player touched off a riot and stampede in which eleven people were killed when he attempted to put a curse on the opposition by making witchcraft hand gestures. In a related note, I’ve been warning American sports franchises for years about the evils that could be unleashed if they don’t stop encouraging repeated renditions of Y-M-C-A and the Chicken Dance.
I have to give this Red Sox edition a ton of credit. Manny Ramirez is gone. David Ortiz is just a shell of his fearsome self. And yet, minus their two big boppers, the team continues to trudge along and will be a tough out come October. Ironically, it’s the smallest basher in the lineup leading the offensive charge. It says here, Dustin Pedroia is one red-hot playoff season away from becoming the face of this franchise…if he isn’t already.
OK, OK…I get it! NASCAR is a major draw, a place where nearly 100,000 people congregate to watch people turn left for a couple of hours. Answer me this, though: how many of those 100, 000 would show up if you made the asphalt ovals and surrounding parking lots non-alcoholic zones?
I’m pretty sure the Red Sox would bang out Fenway even if coffee was the strongest beverage available. I’d be willing to bet a healthy sum the NFL wouldn’t see much of a decline, if any. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I’m guessing a big part of auto racing’s appeal is the pre and post-race party atmosphere. Take away the beer coolers and you basically end up with a half-empty house.
Then again, that’s probably better than what you’d get at a Bruins game!
I agreed with almost everything you have to say in today's article.However,why did you have to end it with another sarcastic dig against the Bruins.I am 76 and have bee n aports fan all my life.I have played coached and officiated baseball basketball football and even in an emergency field hockey,lacrosse and softball.However,since I was 7 or 8 years old my favorite has been hockey.used to go to bed at night listening to the Bruins and an old "amateur" team called the Boston Olympics on WMEX.I even at one time called in the results of high school football games for the"Sun".I lost my favorite baseball team when the Braves moved to Milwaukee and then at Atlanta but they are still my team as far as baseball is concerned.I even have to pay extra to watch them since WTBS stopped broadcasting them.My favorite team is still the Bruins followed by the Braves,Patriots,Cannons,Celtics, Blazers(lacrosse). I was a huge Celtics fan and still am but I just don't like pro basketball as it is presently played.They hardly ever score a basket without several cases of traveling and palming and to me basketball was never meant to be played above the hoop.I'll continue to read your column but please be a little kinder to my favorite team the Bruins and my favorite sport hockey.Mason King
Teddy here is the link for the LIVE webcast of Dracut vs Everett.
http://extras.lowellsun.com/highschoolfootball/
Teddy......Not that I'm a big NASCAR fan....BUT...will you explain why it's the fasting growing sport watched on television....no beer....no party????
Dracut vs. Everett......I'll be rooting for thr Middies...however.....did Brockton's second loss diminish the Dracut victory the previous week????
I just want to say that I'm a Nascar fan, and guess what I don't drink. I got my start as a race fan when I was a child going to the race track with my sisters, dad &uncles. We all went as a family and enjoyed it. I still do and I'm 47 years old and a female.
You mean people watching auto racing at home aren't drinking beer?
Donna, I'm obviously exaggerating a bit. The point I was trying to prove was that NASCAR people love to talk about drawing 1000,000 people to their events, but a good portion of them show up for the party more so than the actual race itself. If they were going for the sporting event alone, why would there be trailer campgrounds filling up early in the race week? As a woman, I dare you to make that walk down through the parking lot some Saturday night when the barbeque grills are humming and the beer coolers are being emptied. I think you'll quickly realize there's an awful lot of truth to my generalization.
Back to you Gary....it's the fastest growing sport on TV because it's coming from nowhere. What's the competition? Football, Baseball and Basketball have been established for decades....they can't grow. So if your competition is hockey, golf or tennis, then yes, maybe it is the fastest growing. Of course, I'm willing to bet if you include X-Games, NASCAR would lose out.
I think the benefit for Dracut was more in beating the Brockton mystique, even if the Boxers aren't what they once were. It's kind of like a team beating Notre Dame in college footbal....sure, it's not as tough to do as it once was, but the thrill of doing it and the long term benefit from the publicity of doing it is great for the long-term health of the program.
Dear Teddy,I agree on Nascar but PLEASE the X-games.I'm not sure which would get me to my remote faster to chage3 channels.
Ha... that was pretty funny. Loved the photo of the mad with the 3 shaved into his back. Typical nascar loser. I must admit that i was a racing fan before. I used to love to drive fast through the merrimack valley. Till one day i ran over my wife.. i realized what a loser i was ( i was also drunk at the time) and i also realized what losers all other race fans were too. And hockey......congratulations on making it to 76 mason, that's alot longer than i'll ever live..... but hockey still sucks old man