Deflategate Be Damned: Tom Brady Says Those Balls Were Perfect.

When I first heard about this thing called "Deflategate" last Monday morning, my heart sank. I couldn't have felt more disappointed to think that the New England Patriots could have purposely deflated their game balls to gain an advantage in the AFC Championship. I was crushed. This is not the distraction fans in New England needed in the two weeks leading up to Tom Brady's sixth appearance in the Super Bowl.

After the dreaded "spygate" scandal that named my favorite team a bunch of cheaters, my fan psyche was fragile. I despised the fact that many felt the Patriots couldn't win another championship without cheating. This under inflated ball controversy was just one more incident to get those haters up in arms about punishing and penalizing and disciplining this team. Some critics even called for the NFL to ban the Pats from participating in the Super Bowl all for a couple of flat-ish balls.

We've heard every argument in support and against these accusations. And many of the teams' backers have vehemently maintained a football that was deflated less than two psi under the league requirement could not be the reason the Patriots destroyed the Indianapolis Colts by 38 points. Even D'Quell Jackson, who intercepted a Tom Brady pass and was reported to have brought attention to the deflated ball, says he had nothing to do with it. Sounds like a conspiracy to me.

So the Patriots are forced to defend themselves to the media and present technical evidence as to what happened to the balls after they were approved by the officials. Bill Belichick turned into a mad scientific with experiments and facts on the effects of atmospheric conditions on leather balls. Tom Brady is raked over the coals as to why he didn't notice the balls were under inflated because all these moronic reporters actually think once the ball is hiked and the play is happening that Brady has time to squeeze the ball and think to himself, "huh, that feels soft. I should report this to someone." (If anything, these press conferences have been a treasure trove of completely awesome soundbites.)

And then we hear that the balls were presented to the officials not properly inflated but the balls were approved. Or that because of a delay in the starting time of the AFC Championship game, the balls were in the possession of some rogue locker room attendant who spent the next ninety seconds in the bathroom frantically letting the air out of the balls... but only eleven of them because he ran out of time.

It was clear to me that a few days into this whole hullaballoo, it was all just a giant pile of bullshit. Haters are going to hate even when there is no tangible proof that the Patriots were directly responsible for the soft balls. For a brief moment, I thought it might actually dissuade me from caring about the Super Bowl. But then I stopped worrying about the consequences and now have joined the camp that believes this whole ordeal is a non-issue and just a reason for all those idiot former football players who think their opinions are important to bash a team that most likely has pounded on them in the past.

That disappointed me thought the Patriots were going to be damned if they did or damned if they didn't win. The won because they cheated or they lost because they couldn't cheat. But then I snapped out of it. With the mega-watt spotlight shining on this team right now, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that they would or could ever cheat in the Super Bowl. Every commentator, reporter, NFL representative and official will have them under the world's most powerful microscope just waiting for them to slip up. The Patriots will be on their best behavior so if when they win, they win clean.

The Pats are Super Bowl Bound!!

My superstitious sports fan self won't let me say much more than HOLY CRAP, the Patriots are headed to Arizona and the friggin' Super Bowl!!!

Who could've predicted this turn of events after week four and that 41-14 lambasting they suffered at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs? The Pats were 2-2 and sports reporters and talk show hosts were calling for the end of Tom Brady. He was washed up. He sucked. He was too old and he needed to retire.

Bwaaaaaaaaahahahaha!!!

Tom doesn't like to be told he can't do something. So what did he do? Meh, not much. Just a 10-2 record for the rest of the season including seven straight wins after the loss to KC. And the #1 seed in the AFC. Yup. Then there was that thrilling come from behind win to beat the Ravens in the Divisional round. Oh and just a little bit of a trouncing of the Colts for the AFC title.

It's going to be a long two weeks, my Patriots fan friends.

Happy New Year! Now Get Writing... Oh and Football. Yay.

I think I had a case of blog burnout. For over six months, I've been unable to even so much as think about writing a blog post about sports. It used to be that all I wanted to talk about was sports, but after 365 days of all sports, I just couldn't. I needed to purge my mind. Plus, the fact that the Red Sox went from last to World Series champs back to last really took the wind out of my sails.

But then football season happened. I love football season. I love that every week is so crucial to a fan because there's only 17 of them in the regular season. And in the whole scheme of sports playoffs, football's is fleeting. NFL playoffs last less than a month and there are just 11 games so each one, for me, can't be missed. Even the teams I don't care about... which is most of them.

When the New England Patriots are in the mix, that's when it gets dicey. I have butterflies. I have anxiety. I have issues. You would think I was part of the team the way my insides turn to jelly. It's especially nerve wracking when they finish the regular season so weakly — barely beating the lowly Jets and then losing to the Bills in an unspectacular fashion. So basically, I'll be a mess come Saturday evening when the Ravens come to Foxboro!

But I digress... if I love football season so much, why couldn't I get back to writing about it? By the time I thought of it, it was too far into the season to risk jinxing the Patriots' amazing October run with Rah-Rah blog posts about how great they are and how Tom Brady isn't even close to retirement. Plus... I was still dealing with that whole burnout thing.

So it's a new year and new goals and resolutions and all that happy crap so back on the writing train I go. Plus, I'm convinced I'm getting stupider by the day by not writing. Especially after having the last 13 days off where I spent more time in my pajamas than out of them... watching endless hours of television and possibly drooling on myself a little bit.

Happy New Year to all... and I hope you'll visit Balls of All Sizes once in a while!

PS:  If the Patriots lose to the Ravens, I will completely blame this blog post. And myself.

Day 365: Party's Over... Said the Girl.

Opening Day (yay, baseball) is one of my most favorite days of the year—right behind Christmas (oooh, presents) and Thanksgiving (hmmm, food). The beginning of six months and 162 glorious games that will make me happy and sad and angry all in the span of nine innings.

Three hundred and sixty-five days ago, on Opening Day of the 2013 baseball season, I began a quest. That quest was to start a blog and post at least once a day about sports for a whole year. I wasn't sure I would have enough topics to write about. I wasn't sure if my discipline was strong enough to complete the task. And I certainly wasn't sure if people would read what I was putting out there. Well, that quest is now completed and now I sort of feel empty. Please hold me.

The Boston sports scene gave me more subject matter than I knew what to do with. I honestly don't think I could've written about a better year. Even though I started writing a week earlier, it really all started with my very first trip to Opening Day at Fenway Park—a gorgeous, sunshiny Monday afternoon that concluded with a Red Sox win. That day was full of promise and possibility after what had happened the previous disastrous year. And it just steamrolled from there.

There was the Boston Marathon bombing that unsettled an entire city and enlisted the sports community to rally Boston Strong around the tragedy. The Aaron Hernandez arrest for murder and the Patriots' subsequent release of the talented yet brainless tight end. The Boston Bruins incredibly determined run to the Stanley Cup final and heartbreaking loss. Let's not forget the magical World Series Championship season put forth by those lovable, bearded Red Sox—a worst-to-first miracle. And then there was the Patriots making a postseason run even after Wes Welker's departure and a yet again injured Rob Gronkowski—leaving Tom Brady with virtually no targets.

What I loved most about writing every day was the freedom to include whatever I wanted. There were no real rules—just as long as the post was about some type of sport. I loved being able to write about a good deed done by a baseball player, or a killer play made by a tiny person, or a sport that I knew absolutely nothing about, like sailing. I also loved being able to pay tribute to my parents on their birthdays for their part in this obsession and posting videos that made me giggle.

I also wanted to thank everyone who loyally followed Balls of All Sizes and didn't get annoyed that I spammed your Facebook timeline every single day. I know it was quite a commitment and I completely understand if you missed a day here and there. Thanks to those non-sports fans that supported me by reading even when, at times, you had no freaking clue what the hell I was writing about. And, even though he'll never read this post, thanks to my extremely understanding husband who could've gotten really annoyed at the hour plus I spent on putting forth what I hope was a somewhat intelligent blog post every single day for the past year.

Balls of All Sizes isn't going away... it's just taking a little siesta. There will be occasional posts, probably once or twice a week, after a little well-deserved break. I'd be lying if I said some days weren't just a bit stressful. I suffered from writer's block and brain cramps and drunky writing and oops, I almost forgot days. And there was that one time I thought it was over because I was on my way to Fenway for a evening game and I hadn't written anything—thank you iPads with 3G!!

And just like that... game one of 2014 is in the books. Unfortunately, unlike their Opening Day win a year ago, the Sox lose to the O's 2-1, leaving 12 men on base and wasting a perfectly good outing by Jon Lester. I was hoping to maybe end this quest on a high note. I'm trying to be optimistic that this isn't indicative of the season to come, but I'm a Sox fan—glass half empty, remember?

Anyway... the party's over. Elvis has left the building. The fat lady has sung.

PS: Bonus points if you can tell me what movie the title of this post comes from!

Day 361: Vince Wilfork is Staying in New England

There are some players that just belong with the New England Patriots. Some that you can't imagine wearing any other colors... a never donning a helmet that doesn't display the Flying Elvis. Tom Brady is one of those guys. I would probably die of heart failure if I ever saw him in a different uniform. And Vince Wilfork is one of those guys too, having been a huge (literally and figuratively) presence on this team since they drafted him in 2004.

The past few weeks have been tumultuous times between the New England Patriots and Vince Wilfork. A couple weeks ago, under the cloud of contract restructuring rumors, Vince decided he wanted to be released. He wanted no part of that restructuring crap—making less money was not appealing to him. But coming off an injury-shortened 2013 season, the Pats were looking to alleviate some of his $11.6 million due in 2014. And then it got real quiet... there was no word from either side... shit was eerily silent.

Then, earlier this week, there was a rumor that Wilfork cleared out his locker and angrily ripped his nameplate off at Gillette Stadium. Whut? What does that mean?? Sounded like Vince was pissed off at everyone and for fans, it appeared his departure was near.

But then... good news today! Recent reports say that the Patriots and Mr. Wilfork have finally found some common ground and have reached an acceptable restructured deal good for both sides. Although the particulars are not available, initial word says it's a 3-year deal worth $22.5 million. That's a pretty good gig for a big fella who turns 33 in November. Just hope that repaired achilles can hold up!

It just wouldn't have been the same without the hulking nose tackle. I'm glad he'll be back... and I think he is too. Vince issued this statement via Twitter:

Day 350: Patriots Sign Edelman and Two Brandons

Geez, I go away for the weekend and what happens? The Patriots start signing guys left and right. And here I was up in the boonies with no laptop! Oh well... more good news out of Foxboro so I guess that's the important thing.

When I heard that Julian Edelman was meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, I broke out into a cold sweat. I had horrible visions of a repeat of last off-season when Tom Brady's favorite target, Wes Welker, left the New England Patriots for a Rocky Mountain high. Edelman had taken over Welker's role as that pesky slot receiver that Brady just loved to hit over the middle. They couldn't lose Edelman too. He caught 105 passes which was the fourth most in the NFL last season, and led the NFL with 53 catches over the final six games of the regular season.

But fear not, there won't be another Welker drama. The Patriots and Julian Edelman agreed to a new contract on Saturday, but as it stands right now, the details of the deal have not been made public. I thought I saw somewhere that it was a three-year deal but I can't actually confirm that anywhere and I possibly just made that up. Who cares... I'm just happy they got a deal done and we're not faced with another situation.

I reported in Friday's post that there were rumors that the Pats were interested in signing Seattle Seahawks corner, Brandon Browner—a recent member of that Legion of Boom thingy. Those rumors are now the truth. New England signed the former Seahawk on Saturday to a reported three-year, $17.5 million contract. Browner, who just came off a Super Bowl Championship season, will be serving a suspension to start the 2014 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. But all in all, he seems pleased with the opportunity to play in New England.

Today, I am proud to announce that I am a New England Patriot. I am honored that the Patriots are making me part of their legendary organization, and am grateful for the opportunity Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick, Nick Caserio and the entire team have given me. I intend to diligently work with the same passion and dedication that I have displayed since coming into the NFL to uphold the great traditions and qualities that are embodied by the Patriots. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the Seattle Seahawks for giving a CFL player the once in-a-lifetime opportunity to return to the NFL, making a young boy's dream come true. To Coach Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider, John Idzik, Coach Richard, Rocky Seto, the LOB, my teammates, the training staff, the equipment guys the Seahawks organization as a whole and most importantly the 12th Man, I say thank you for everything you have done for myself and my family. I am a truly blessed person.

The Patriots also locked up another target for Tom Brady, signing former Panthers receiver Brandon LaFell. At 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds, LaFell will give the Patriots' receiving core some much-needed size. He caught 49 passes for 627 yards and five touchdowns while starting all 16 games. He caught more passes than Kenbrell Thompkins (32) and Aaron Dobson (37) so I think if he studies that Patriots playbook hard, he could be very successful in New England.

It also doesn't appear that the Patriots are stopping just yet. They're scheduled to meet with former Tennessee Titan wide receiver, Kenny Britt. The 25-year-old Rutgers product caught just 11 passes for 96 yards in 12 games in 2013. Britt was with Tennessee for five seasons and in that time, caught a total of 157 passes for 2,450 yards and he was a first round draft pick in 2009. More importantly, Britt has size—at 6 feet 3 inches and 215 pounds, he would be the biggest wide receiver on the team by about six pounds.

Things are looking good for the Patriots for the upcoming season—now we just need to keep all these guys healthy! And if Gronk comes back in good shape and doesn't get broken again... oh, boy!

Day 348: Hello, Mr. Revis... Good-bye, Mr. Wilfork?

Lots of things happening with the New England Patriots right now—some good, some not so much. So do you want the good news or the bad news? I guess I'll start with the good so you'll be all happy and won't care when I drop the bad news bomb on you. We all know that in the past few years, the Patriots have struggled to field a respectable secondary. Sure, Aqib Talib provided strength on the left side, but in his season and a half with the Pats, he failed to play in every game.

So in an effort to do a better job taking away that deep threat for the opposing teams, the Patriots were able to get at least one big name and they could possibly get two. Darrelle Revis is the good news. I never thought I'd ever be writing those words. When he played for the Jets, I despised him and his Revis Island. I wanted nothing more than for him to disappear. But then he showed up on the radar—a free agent, looking for a home—a home that would give him a chance to win and get his name back in the spotlight. He signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Pats.

There's also a rumor that the Patriots have been in talks with former Seattle Seahawks corner, Brandon Browner. The recent Super Bowl champion had previously been with Seattle for two seasons and played a big role in the Legion of Boom with Richard Sherman. No deal has been reported as of this posting, but Twitter is all a buzz with whispers that he cancelled his trip from Boston to DC to talk to the Redskins. Hmmm... Patriots... Redskins... is there really a question?

Now for some bad (or maybe it's just sad) news. Long-time Patriots' tackle, Vince Wilfork, has asked to be released. Wilfork has been with the Patriots his entire 10-year career and is currently in the last year of his most recent five-year contract and the Pats are asking him to restructure his deal to make room under the salary cap to sign some more big names—essentially some help for him. It's obvious that the Pats are putting forth their best effort to get Tom Brady another Super Bowl victory before he retires but Vince isn't interested in restructuring. So now he just wants to go...

It's understandable that he would feel slighted and wants to see what else is out there for him. He's coming off an injury-shortened season and he's 32 (old for a tackle). He's not at his most marketable right now. But he's been a run-stopping machine before and some other team might value his past performances enough to give him what he wants. We shall see where he lands.

Reports today also say that Patriots' wide receiver (and Bay area native), Julian Edelman, is currently meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. I don't like this. There has been no sign of any free agent receivers making the trip to New England so I'm sure I'm not the only Pats fan a bit nervous right now that we're going to see another Welker-like situation that leaves Brady with very few targets. Both Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks are available, but neither have been seen talking with the Pats. I think one of those guys would make a great addition to the receiving core that also includes Edelman so let's not screw this up, Bill.

So there's still a lot of work to be done and, for the most part, it looks like the Patriots can't and won't make everyone happy. You know what would make me happy? That elusive, fourth Super Bowl win. Let's get that done.

Day 346: NFL Free Agency: It's Not Good for the Blood Pressure

All day my guts have been in a twist. I've been anxious and short with people and just sort of an all-around douche. At first, I couldn't figure out what was eating at me. And then I realized it was the stupid NFL free agency that's got my undies in a bundle. It's just downright nerve wracking.

It's even more of a killer when your favorite team *cough* New England Patriots *cough* has been virtually silent and has only managed to lose players. I was never a real Aqib Talib fan but shit, if they're going to let a guy like that go, they damn well better have someone just as good, if not better in the wings. That did NOT happen last season when Wes Welker jetted off to Denver and Tom Brady was left with a collection of mediocre receivers. So you can totally understand why I'd be a little gun shy.

So with Talib gone and Julian Edelman also hitting the free agent market, I'm definitely shaking in my boots. Despite winning the AFC East (which basically a team of chimps could've done last year), the Patriots are still riddled with holes. Edelman needs to be a priority. He was the only solid, consistent receiver last season with 105 catches. He managed to escape serious injury and provided Brady with a pretty stable (albeit vertically challenged) target. Even if they manage to get him to stay, they could still use another durable receiver to take some pressure off. Why are the Pats not on the radar for Eric Decker? Spend some money, for crying out loud!

But honestly, what's really making me crazy is the Darrelle Revis situation. The Tampa Bay Bucs released Revis today making him the #1 free agent right now and there are a lot of teams looking at him. The Patriots, Eagles, Jets, Giants and Falcons have all expressed interest in the five-time Pro Bowler. I just hope that Revis is taking into consideration which team he'll have the best chance of getting to the playoffs with (hint, hint)—in addition to the money, of course. Can't forget about the cashola!

Please oh please Mr. Belichick and Mr. Kraft... bring Revis Island to New England!!

THIS JUST IN: DARRELLE REVIS TO THE PATRIOTS!! ONE YEAR, $12 MILLION!! They must have heard my pleas!!

Day 332: Aaron Hernandez: Suspected Murderer and Jailhouse Bully

I'm patiently waiting for a male version of Orange is the New Black starring former New England Patriots' wide receiver and current murder suspect and jailhouse bully, Aaron Hernandez. Can someone tell me if that's in the works? It's been a long time since I've written anything about this A#1 dumbass. In case you have forgotten, the 24-year-old former Patriots' rising star with a $41 million contract was arrested in June and charged with murdering his so-called friend, Odin Lloyd. (I'd hate to see how he treats his enemies!)

We haven't heard much about Hernandez since he was incarcerated. Some mumblings here and there about what types of food he eats... if he was allowed to watch the NFL... how he's coping without the interwebs. You know, nothing too gripping. He seemed to be living a pretty uneventful and lonely existence. Hernandez has been kept from the general population and spends his time in the Bristol County Jail's solitary confinement. Booooo-ring. Supposedly it's for his own protection with some of the higher ups feeling like maybe this former NFL star might be seen as a "prize" by some of the other inmates.

So the other day he was allowed a little exercise in the hallway and happened upon a fellow inmate who had evidently been previously harassing Hernandez who took offense and apparently beat the living shit out of the instigator. It was stopped pretty quickly and neither inmate required medical attention although both will face discipline or criminal charges. This is an interesting turn of events considering that only one prisoner is supposed to be out of his cell at a time... so why was this guy out too? Sounds a bit fishy to me.

I know on the scale of prison scuffles, this one registers pretty low on the Richter scale, but my imagination had this ruckus reaching the heart-pounding levels of, say, a Sons-of-Anarchy-gang-Opie-beating so violent it could make you lose your lunch. But then I remembered this isn't television. Although I do wonder if anyone got that melee on video... {{runs to YouTube}} Shoot, no grainy cell phone videos posted.

Here's my feeling on this ordeal... Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Understandable since there still no murder weapon. But if you're truly innocent, wouldn't you do your best to keep your head down and be on your best behavior? But if you're really guilty, what's a measly assault charge on top of murder one? Chew on that for a while...

Day 294: Well... Maybe Next Year, Patriots.

Since the launch of my Balls of All Sizes quest back on April 1, 2013, there has rarely been a shortage of topics on which to reflect. I've been lucky enough to pick a year where lots of newsworthy stuff has happened—some really amazing and some really bad—and I did my best to give attention to all of it. Even when I didn't want to.

From the Boston Marathon bombings, to the Bruins in (but losing) the Stanley Cup Finals, to the Aaron Hernandez murder charges, to the Red Sox winning the World Series, it's been a flood of subject matter. So after what the Bruins and Sox did, naturally I wanted the trifecta—the Patriots at least making it to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Peyton Manning and the Broncos had other plans. Curses!

I'm not here to make excuses for the Patriots. They played a shitty game—it's as simple as that. I don't want to hear about the injuries or their lack of weapons because they've had to deal with those deficiencies nearly all season long and ended up with a 12-4 record and the #2 seed going in to the playoffs. They were just plain outplayed. Unfortunately, there would be no magical comeback today.

While I'm sad about the loss and as much as I hate doing it, I must give props to the Denver Broncos for coming up with a game plan based on the obvious weaknesses of the Patriots and sticking to that plan. Back in November, they exploited the Pats' lack of run defense by rushing for over 250 yards. In the AFC Championship, the Broncos took advantage of New England's weak secondary and Manning picked them apart for 400 yards passing.

That's all I can muster tonight... Now pardon me while I go cry in my mac and cheese. Until next year...

Day 293: Why Do I Have the Pre-Game Jitters?

It's been a long week waiting for AFC Championship Sunday to arrive and now that it's almost here, I find myself a bundle of nerves. Why? I'm not playing in the game, I'm not coaching the team (well...maybe a little from my couch) and I don't own the Patriots either. I'm just a fan...a very nervous (and ridiculously superstitious) fan.

I've been incessantly listening to sports talk radio this whole week. Listening to the Boston stations talk about how much Tom Brady owns Peyton Manning and that we have nothing to worry about. Listening to them talk about the postseason records of each quarterback and using those stats to make an argument for how it's virtually impossible for the Patriots to lose this game.

All I can think is: SHUT UP, YOU'RE GOING TO JINX THEM!!

Yup, that's how I think...but if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know how irrational I can be when it comes to my superstitions. I did notice that the jeans and Pats t-shirt I wore during their win over the Colts still sit in the bedroom unwashed. That's a good thing, right? I didn't wash any good juju out of my outfit.

I'm not going to lie...I was nervous wearing this particular t-shirt last week because the only other time I wore it was during that horrible game against Carolina—and we all know how that one ended. So you probably can imagine my relief when they won. I really like the t-shirt and I would be sad to have to burn it. Although if bad things happen on Sunday, it's curtains for that thing.

But now I'm trying to remember what socks I wore. Mom? Do you remember? And I'm wondering if the change in the viewing location will work against me? Last week we watched the first half at my parents' house and the second half at home. This week we're planning to watch the whole game at home. And what about my dinner choices? Do I have to eat a meatball sub exactly as I did last Saturday night, or can I stick with my previously planned crock pot mac and cheese?

My brain can't handle all the questions and second guesses floating around in it! I guess I shouldn't over think it too much... Go Pats!

Day 292: Twelfth Man Blues for the Broncos

The all-important 12th Man is something most professional football teams count on. Really... what's the sense of home field advantage if your fans can't do their part to help you win? If you're not quite sure what I'm talking about, think about the loudest cheering you've ever heard. That's the 12th Man. It's that extra something that makes it difficult for visiting teams to communicate plays and it generally throws (or is supposed to throw) them off their game.

Some stadiums are louder than others—I'm guessing it depends on the configuration of the field. If a field has overhanging canopies or aluminum bleachers, shit gets real loud, real fast. I've been to Gillette Stadium for a Patriots game and one end of the field is open and I swear, all the sound flies out that end. It never sounds really loud in that place and it kind of bums me out a bit.

But then you have places like CenturyLink Field in Seattle and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. These two arenas lead the way as the two loudest crowds in the NFL and both held the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd noise at some point this past season. And Seattle's rowdy fans actually registered on the Richter scale during one game.

Other teams need to go a step further with their home field advantage because maybe they don't trust their 12th Man to show up. Understandable in Denver where they're probably all stoned. The Broncos organization is so nervous that their fans will be out-cheered, they've limited the ticket sales to exclude certain states—Massachusetts being one. Basically they want Sports Authority Field at Mile High to be a sea of orange with not a Flying Elvis or Tom Brady jersey to be seen.

An article by Mark Kiszla from the Denver Post referenced the 2006 AFC Championship when the Broncos hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. Swarms of Terrible Towel-wielding Steelers fans descended on the stadium, essentially negating home field advantage for the Broncos and shaking up veteran sissies players. In the article, former defensive back, John Lynch recalls walking out for a pre-game warm-up to a sea of yellow and being ruined for the entire game.

Now here's where I call bullshit. Are you telling me that Denver Broncos' psyches are so fragile that they need to limit what fans can attend the game? Sounds like a conspiracy to me. Sounds like Tom Brady and company need to march in there and kick some of that orange ass. Sounds like poor wittle Peyton Manning and Wuss Wes Welker need their blankies to comfort them in the big, bad football world.

Get over yourself, Denver.

Day 288: Julian Edelman: Star Wide Receiver or Smoothie King?

Most know New England Patriots' wide receiver Julian Edelman for his sure hands, quick feet and fearlessness on the football field. With the departure of Wes Welker this past off-season, Edelman was thrust into the spotlight as a main target for Tom Brady. He stepped up to the challenge and had the best year of his career catching 105 balls for 1,056 total yards and six touchdowns.

What you might not know is that he possesses some culinary talents as well. It has come to my attention that Julian Edelman might also be known as the Smoothie King. In the video below, JE11 is seen making a Cake Batter Supreme smoothie—and it looks deeeee-licious! He's also wearing a florescent green fanny pack but I'm going to let that slide because it seemed to be serving as a storage place for some of his ingredients.

I'm not sure of a few things... first, why he felt the need to shed his t-shirt when it was time to add the protein powder? Second, does the sexy, icy stare while blending help make the smoothie taste better? And why, for the love of all that is holy, does he still have that hideous fanny pack on while skateboarding?

 

Care to follow Chef Julian on Twitter? You can... click here. Who knows what flavor smoothie he'll come up with next?

Day 287: Patriots are Headed to the AFC Championship Game!

Well, that was fun! The New England Patriots are going back to the AFC Championship game after beating the Indianapolis Colts 43-22 Saturday night. The Colts put up a pretty good fight for a good portion of the game and at one point were down just six points. But the Patriots were all like, I don't think so, and put a foot to the throat of the Colts early in the fourth quarter and never let up.

If the Colts had been playing anyone else, I would've been rooting for them. I like Andrew Luck. Out of the core of good, young quarterbacks in the NFL right now, he seems to have the best head on his shoulders. He's not as cocky and mouthy as some of the others—like the two who played Sunday afternoon. With Andrew Luck at the helm, Indy is capable of of great things... but the interceptions will get ya every time. And throwing four INTs against the New England Patriots is not advised. They will make you pay.

Tom Brady didn't really factor into this game much—he went 13-for-25 with 198 passing yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He was basically on the field to keep the defense honest and mix in a passing play here and there. He did connect with Julian Edelman six times for 84 yards. The real story here is the running game. After LeGarrette Blount exploded for a career day in the final game of the regular season, I'm sure I wasn't the only one wondering if it was a fluke. Or is this guy really that good?

I think at this point in time we can say Blount is really that good after his second consecutive spectacular game. And this time, it counted just a little more. He rushed 24 times for 166 yards and four touchdowns. FOUR! His longest run was 73 yards which of course, was for one of his TDs. Normally I'm more of a high-flying passing fan but this kid is seriously fun to watch.

There was a bit of sadness over the Patriots' game on Saturday though. Remember that post I did back in October about the Foxboro teenager, Sam Berns? He's the kid battling a rare, rapid-aging disease called Progeria who had befriended Robert Kraft. Well, just a day before Sam was to serve as honorary captain for the Patriots in their playoff game against the Colts, the 17-year-old passed away.

Robert Kraft, who had a special relationship with the young man, issued a statement following Sam's death on Friday night. (Click the link to read the whole thing.)

“I loved Sam Berns and am richer for having known him. He was a special young man whose inspirational story and positive outlook on life touched my heart. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend time with him and to get to know his incredible family.”

I'm glad the Pats won this game for Sam.

Day 286: Nobody Puts Tom Brady in the Corner.

Did you hear about this guy, Vinnie Iyer, from The Sporting News and the article he wrote this past week? He decided to rank the eight remaining NFL quarterbacks left in the playoffs. He based his rankings on different aspects of the game: arm strength, mobility, pocket presence, intangibles, blah blah, and then ranked the QBs within each area and assigned points. His results are a little shocking and kind of stupid.

Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson all scored 28 points to put them tied for first. Drew Brees came in fourth with 22 points and Cam Newton was fifth with 21 points. Phillip Rivers and Colin Kaepernick each scored 19 points to tie for sixth place. And then... in the lonely last place spot (the corner, as I like to call it) is Tom Brady, scoring just a 15 on Iyer's stupid point system. Wait... did I call it stupid already?

So the fact that Tom Brady has more Super Bowl wins than the other seven quarterbacks combined means nothing? Or that the Patriots have had to deal with both major personnel changes AND major losses to injuries means nothing? What about the NFL-leading five fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives this season? Nothing?

Sure, Tom Brady didn't have his best season statistically. He didn't blow the doors off any records or anything like that. Instead, he methodically lead a team of new guys, rookies and replacements to a 12-4 record, good for the second seed in the AFC and a first round bye. Back in December, this article on the Bleacher Report hit the nail on the head with this statement about Brady: "He's reverted back to his pre-2007 ways of squeezing maximum production out of minimum talent."Amen.

I dunno... call me crazy but I'd rather have a proven veteran at the helm going into these high-stress games. Someone who has demonstrated the ability to lead his team in all sorts of weather and all sorts of situations. Someone who never gives up—no matter how many points separate him from his opponent. A two-time Super Bowl MVP, perhaps?

Day 285: Giving Bill Belichick a Reason to Smile

The New England Patriots have made the playoffs again this year—something that has become more expected than hoped for with this team. Since Bill Belichick took over the head coaching duties for the Pats back in 2000, they've missed the post season just three times with only one sub-.500 year. They've made it to the Super Bowl five times, winning it all three. He has a trio of Coach of the Year awards, including one in 2007 when the Patriots finished the regular season 16-0.

A lot of really good stuff has happened to Belichick during his time in New England. He pretty much controls every aspect of the team. He probably makes a bajillion dollars. He gets to coach Tom Brady. He can be really vague and assholish to the media and it's just how he is so he can get away with it. Seriously? I'd be smiling like the cat who ate the canary. But not this guy.

It's no secret that Bill Belichick isn't the most smiley guy on the planet so when he does turn his frown upside down, it's something to be documented. Because his grins are so rare, the Wall Street Journal took to the post-game press conference footage to document each and every time this infrequent occurrence transpired. In case you're wondering, that's 114.5 minutes of footage to comb through to find something about as easy to locate as a needle in a haystack.

For a guy who wins more often than he loses, he has a lot of reasons to smile. But he doesn't. I have to wonder if smiling pains him. Maybe deep down inside, he's ridiculously happy but it's hurts too much to show it. In the end, the Wall Street Journal concluded that Belichick smiled just seven times and even threw in a laugh—but just one of those. Laughing must really hurt him. If so, maybe he should try cartwheels instead.

Of course, all seven previous smiles took place after wins so I'm really hoping the Patriots give him a reason to do it again on Saturday.

Day 281: Saturday Night Matchup: Patriots vs. Colts

The New England Patriots did not face the Indianapolis Colts in the regular season this year, which was a little weird because it seems like they play each other every year. That's ok though, because now they get to host them in an AFC Divisional game on Saturday, January 11th. The Pats are 2-1 against the Colts in the playoffs—beating them in the AFC Championship game in 2004 and the AFC Divisional game in 2005, but then losing a close AFC Championship game in 2007.

This game will be interesting and there will be a lot of factors in place. The Colts are coming to Gillette Stadium. Outside. In January. If the weather this winter so far is any indication of what these two teams are in for, expect nasty or snowy or cold. I can only hope it's all three. Tough for a team like the Colts who plays in a climate-controlled dome half the time.

If the weather is really shitty, it could be a battle of place kickers. Former Patriots kicking hero Adam Vinatieri, who is 35-of-40 with a long of 52 yards this season, will face off against his replacement, Stephen Gostkowski who is having the best season of his career. Gostkowski is 38-of-41 with a long of 54 yards. How will the 41-year-old Vinatieri handle Gillette in January? This time around, let's hope he doesn't.

While the Patriots enjoyed a bye week over Wild Card Weekend, the Colts battled hard against the Chiefs overcoming a 28-point deficit to beat KC by a single point. So how's this going to play out? Will the Pats be rested and strong and ready to rumble? Or will the Colts be pumped up and riding the high of that huge comeback win? Or maybe the Colts be exhausted and sluggish...

In 2012, the only time New England faced then rookie Andrew Luck, they blasted them 59-24, scoring 21 points in the final quarter. But the Pats also had a lot more weapons then. This season, Tom Brady had a slightly better completion percentage than Luck and over 500 more passing yards. When you look at the season stats, both quarterbacks are pretty even. However...Brady has just a tinch more experience in big games than Luck, so we shall see.

The only thing I know for sure is that I'll be parked on my couch, most likely swaddled in my blankie. My nerves will be shot. I might be slightly intoxicated and probably eating piles of junk food. I'm a stress eater. Now where are those good luck jammies?

Day 279: Wild Card Weekend Starts with a Wow!

If the NFL playoffs are going to be anything like the Indianapolis surprise comeback 45-44 win over Kansas City, it's going to be a wild ride! I'm sure there are a lot of Chiefs (and fans) shaking their heads right now wondering what the hell just happened. Well... you blew a 28 point lead early in the third quarter and now you're going home. What happened to that amazing defense I kept hearing about? Amazing defenses don't give up 45 points...

The Chiefs were stung hard by the injury bug often so that didn't help their cause much. The biggest being their star running back, Jamaal Charles. He suffered a head injury during the first quarter and was being evaluated for a possible concussion. He never returned to the game. The Chiefs also lost another running back, Knile Davis, as well as outside linebacker Justin Houston and wide receiver Donnie Avery.

But in the end, it was Andrew Luck who led the Colts to a one point victory, outscoring KC 35-6 after the Chiefs scored an early third quarter touchdown to go up 28. And that's with Luck throwing three interceptions in addition to his four touchdowns. It was the success of his connection with TY Hilton that propelled the Colts to victory. Hilton had 13 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Quite the comeback for the home team!

Patriots fans will need to wait until Sunday to find out who New England will face next Saturday. If San Diego beats Cincinnati, the Pats will play the surging Colts in Foxboro. If Cincinnati wins, the Bengals will make the trip to Gillette Stadium. Not sure who I'm rooting for...

Day 275: 2013 Boston Sports Stories Thrilled and Chilled

What a year, what a year! For us Boston sports fans, 2013 both thrilled us and chilled us. There were things that happened that we'd like to forget... and things we want to hold onto as long as we can. There were things that happened that made us cry, laugh, cheer and cringe. 2013 ran the gamut of emotions—from the darkest of days with the Boston Marathon bombing to the highest of highs with the World Series Championship. 

The year began on a somewhat low note with the New England Patriots losing to those annoying Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game. A low point for sure since there's nothing worse than having to watch that douche bag murderer, Ray Lewis, celebrate. 

The year only got lower when tragedy struck at the Boston Marathon finish line where three were killed and countless others horribly maimed. And then things got even lower as the terrorists responsible for such a grisly act shut down the city of Boston while law enforcement searched for them and subsequently killed one and caught the other surviving monster. I don't remember ever seeing photos are eery as those of empty Boston streets.

And then some more bad news. After the Patriots sadly let Wes Welker go to the Broncos, tight end and key member of the offense, Aaron Hernandez was arrested for murder. Well... shit. DUI is one thing...assault is little more serious...but murder is a whole different ball game. The Patriots promptly released him and he still sits in prison awaiting his trial, most likely in late 2014. I know there's that whole innocent until proven guilty crap, but I'm going out on a limb and saying Hernandez won't know life outside the prison walls for a long, long time...if ever.

Boston was in need of some good news... 

The Boston Bruins were inspiring in 2013. From the thrilling seven game series with the Toronto Maple Leafs that the Bruins won in overtime...to the four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins, many thought they were a team of destiny. But unfortunately, the Chicago Blackhawks had other ideas. Not even the valiant play of Gregory Campbell and Patrice Bergeron, both skating injured, could boost the Bruins to their second Cup in three years. But man...it was a fun ride to watch!

And while the Bruins were skating their asses off, the Boston Red Sox were quietly putting together a respectable season of their own. Not much was expected from a team that had such a disgraceful previous year and then didn't really make any huge off-season moves. They signed a couple of "good clubhouse guys" to short contracts and hoped for the best. And BEST was what they got! That group of bearded men surprised us all with gutsy performances and some clutch hitting to with the World freaking Series! There was a time when I wasn't sure I would ever see my beloved Sox as Champions and now it has happened three times. Yay!

What would the World Series win be without the Duck Boat parade. The season came full circle with the team pausing at the Boston Marathon finish line for a quick moment to remember those who were affected by the bombing with the World Series trophy, the 617 Red Sox jersey and of course, an emotional rendition of God Bless America. A perfect ending to an amazing season that was so deeply impacted by the tragedy back in April.

So long, 2013... and here's hoping that 2014 is filled with more thrills than chills! Happy New Year!!

PS: I now enter the final quarter of my Balls of All Sizes quest—just 90 days left!

Day 273: NFL Week 17... Depressed.

The end of the regular NFL season always depresses me. Sure... the Patriots will have at least one more game in the postseason, but if they screw that up, it's over. Those 17 weeks of football seem to fly by faster than any other sports season out there. Those precious 17 weeks...

Most years (present season included) week 17 can be a crazy collection of if/then scenarios for lots of teams on the postseason bubble. If this team wins and this team loses than this other team will make the playoffs but only if they win too. Or, like with the Pats, the outcome of their final week could mean either a first-round bye or a fourth seed. Thankfully, the Patriots beat the Bills 34-20 on Sunday to take the #2 seed in the AFC and earn that first-round bye.

Normally a Patriots game during the final week is pretty boring. They've usually wrapped up their spot in the playoffs and it's not even worth watching. But today... today was fun. The weather was horrific—torrential rain, puddles on the field, slippery pigskin. You couldn't have paid me enough money to sit in those stands in that weather. I was quite comfy wrapped in my blanket on the couch!

LeGarrette Blount made that last game even more fun by putting on quite a show. He rushed 24 times for an astounding (and career high) 189 yards and two touchdowns. His longest rush of the day was 36 yards. And if that wasn't impressive enough, the 250 pound running back added another 145 yards on kickoff returns. His 334 all-purpose yards set a new franchise record—and put him 12th in NFL history. Bill Belichick even said he was "the best player on the field."

Tom Brady's day was just ok—14-for-24 for 122 yards, one touchdown and a bullshit interception that wasn't his fault. But with the weather like it was, who can blame him for relying on the running game to get the job done. Good thing that running game didn't let him down! And Stephen Gostowski, who is having quite a season himself, made four field goals to add to the scoring.

So now it's on to the playoffs. With all the injuries the Patriots have had to endure this season, I don't have high hopes for much success in January. But that's how I like to handle it... if I get too cocky about the Pats' chances in the postseason (*cough*2008*cough*), I think it's bad luck. If I'm more of a glass-half-empty fan, things tend to work out a little better. Let's see if this theory holds true this time around.

Good Luck, Patriots! Kick some ass...