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 206: Do You Know Sam Berns?

Today is a special day... not only is it the first game of the World Series, it's the first time the Red Sox have been back to the Fall Classic since 2007. It's the first game of a rematch between Boston and the St. Louis Cardinals with the Cards desperate to avenge the 2004 loss in four straight to the Sox. It's also Sam Berns' 17th birthday.

If you've never heard the name Sam Berns, that's ok. Most people outside of the city of Foxboro, Massachusetts had never heard of Sam until recently. Sam has a rare condition called Progeria—a rare disease affecting approximately 250 children worldwide that causes an accelerated aging process. He was basically born old. Sam was diagnosed at the age of two—his parents were told there is no treatment, no cure. Most kids don't make it much past the age of 13, so the fact that Sam celebrates his 17th birthday today, is pretty freaking special.

Sam is amazing because he doesn't let the fact he's living with a deadly disease stop him from doing just about anything. He's currently a junior in high school—he has plenty of friends, he plays drums in the school band and he loves sports. While he can't play sports, he can certainly be a fan and not a day goes by where he doesn't wear some article of clothing that displays a Boston team logo.

Because this is such a rare disease that strikes so few babies, there is little funding and research done to find a cure. Lucky for Sam, his mom, Dr. Leslie Gordon, has dedicated her life to finding a cure for this cruel illness. And the foundation, The Progeria Research Foundation, might just be getting a pretty big donation from a pretty big name in the Foxboro area very soon. Like maybe today.

So there's a movie about Sam called "Life According to Sam" that premiered on HBO earlier this week. Click here for the heart wrenching story about a boy whose youth was snatched way too early, and the movie about his life, and one pretty high profile businessman by the name of Robert Kraft who saw Sam's story and made a deal with this special kid. The New England Patriots owner has pledged to Sam to donate to the Progeria Research Foundation—in fact, he will match every dollar donated up to $500,000 until today (Sam's birthday), possibly a full one million dollar check.

"I didn't put myself in front of you to have you feel bad for me," Sam says at the start of the film. "I put myself in front of you to let you know you don't need to feel bad for me. I want you to know me. This is my life, and progeria is part of it. It's not a major part of it, but it is a part of it."

Happy Birthday, Sam! Let's see if those Sox can't get you a celebratory win!!