Day 221: Ever Wonder What Bill Belichick Says on the Sidelines?

With everything that is said about New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick in the media, I would imagine him to be a monster on the sidelines. I imagine him berating players for the littlest of mistakes. I imagine him with a torture room hidden behind a bookcase in his office reserved for the biggest screw ups. Truthfully, this man scares me.

I'm always floored by how he treats the media in press conferences and interviews. But then again, some of those questions are really stupid and I don't blame him for his two-word answers. And do these people not learn? Why would you ask him about the status of a player that has been out for a few weeks when you know he won't give you a straight answer? Honestly, they deserve the short, glib answers. But he still scares me.

So it's always nice to hear him in his natural environment, pacing the sidelines with his headset and hoodie, doing what he does best: coaching. Maybe Belichick doesn't enjoy his time with the media—who can blame him. That's not his passion. His passion is coaching. His passion is winning.

After seeing him recently miked up for the Pittsburgh game last weekend, you realize he's not so scary after all. You see that he's happiest when he's on the sideline and his team is ahead on the scoreboard. He's happiest when his defense is keeping that pesky opposing quarterback in the pocket. Or sacking his ass for a big loss. He's happiest when the offense is pumping on all cylinders and making plays and scoring touchdowns.

NFL.com posted this video that you just have to watch. The best part is the whole video happens at the beginning when he's discussing the stature of some of the Red Sox players... I have a whole new love for Bill Belichick... he doesn't scare me at all anymore.

Day 220: More Talk Shows...Gomes Says, "Everyone in Boston Deserves a Ring!"

If there's one talk show host I just can't stomach, it's Conan O'Brien. I'm not sure what it is about that guy, but he just makes me want to throw things at the television. But when I heard Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino visited Conan, I knew I had to bite the bullet and watch. Conan was annoying as usual... but it was Gomes that stole the show.

Once again, Jonny was sporting his brand new World Series LL Bean boots and he even took one off so the camera could get a better view. Seriously, these boots are one of my most favorite thing that came from this World Series win... and I just love that Jonny can't seem to stop wearing his.

They talked about the usual: beard tugging, team chemistry, Boston Strong, parades and duck boats. They talked about how special the season was to them after the Boston Marathon tragedy... and what it meant to put the World Series trophy at the finish line. They talked about what it was like to play for the city in a time when people were looking for something positive after a brutal act of terrorism.

Even if you can't stand Conan, this interview is totally worth the pain. Gomes is very entertaining and such a natural in front of the camera. Victorino is a little awkward, but so genuine and maybe just a little nervous to be on a talk show. But in the end, they come across like a couple of regular guys... a couple of regular guys that just won the World freaking Series!!

 

Be sure to click on the link at the end of the video to see parts two and three... I promise it's worth it.

Day 219: Big Papi on the Talk Show Circuit

Less than a week ago, the Red Sox won the World freaking Series. Less than a week ago, David Ortiz emerged as the hero of that World freaking Series with a staggering .688 batting average to secure the MVP Award. Perfect for the one guy who has been in Boston for the last three titles.

Since that jubilant night, Ortiz has been a busy guy. First, there was the celebratory parade—because who doesn't love a parade? Especially when you get to ride on the Dropkick Murphy's flatbed. And then the Gillette beard shaving event that raised $100,000 for the One Fund with Shane Victorino... not all of the facial came off, but a good portion.

On Monday night, a very dapper looking Big Papi swung by Late Night with David Letterman for some laughs. Papi's got a great laugh! Letterman brought up the chicken and beer scandal of 2011 which got some laughs from the MVP, and of course the beards. And Ortiz opened up about the impromptu game four pep talk where he told his teammates, "You don't come to the World Series every day..."

 

On Tuesday morning, Ortiz made another stop, this time to visit Live with Kelly and Michael. I'm not sure what the hell happened to all the videos of his appearance I saw on YouTube earlier today, but they've all vanished. Really, Kelly and Michael? Some of us work during the day—how the hell do you expect to increase your fan base if you don't provide some clips? Harumph! Well, the Boston Herald has a recap. And Big Papi, once again, looked pretty spiffy!

All I can think every time I see Big Papi and his great big toothy smile is... I bet he gives the best hugs!

PS: Did anyone get a load of that watch? Fancy schmancy!!

Day 218: Bullying: It's Not Just for Kids Anymore

When I look back at the World Series Champion Red Sox team, I see a team. I see a group of guys that enjoyed not only playing on the field with each other, but also hanging out off the field. From what I hear, there wasn't a bad apple in the bunch. It was a breath of fresh air after some of the whiny bitches that plagued the clubhouses of past years. So naturally, I figured every professional sports team was all Kumbaya and just nice to each other.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Just this morning I heard a story about a Miami Dolphin tackle, Jonathan Martin. He's a 23-year-old, second year, 304 pound offensive tackle, and he's currently on a leave of absence from football. He's not injured... instead, Martin has been the victim of bullying by a few of his teammates. Huh? Bullying your own teammate? Sounds more asshole-ish than team-ish to me.

According to NFL.com, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported that Martin shared texts and voicemails with his parents this past weekend that he received from one particular teammate. They then turned them over on Sunday to the Dolphins and the league. The evidence implicates guard Richie Incognito, as well as center Mike Pouncey. (Pouncey was recently served a grand jury subpoena relating to the Aaron Hernandez case so clearly he's just a trouble magnet.) Incognito left a voicemail for Martin that used a racial slur and threatened violence. Both the NFL and the Dolphins have heard that message and Incognito was promptly suspended indefinitely pending an investigation.

The disturbing voicemail went a little something like this—I think we can all easily fill in those (expletive) blanks:

"Hey, wassup, you half (expletive) piece of (expletive)," according to a transcript obtained by Breer of an Incognito voice mail to Martin. "I saw you on Twitter, you been training 10 weeks. I'll (expletive) in your (expletive) mouth. I'm gonna slap your (expletive) mouth, I'm gonna slap your real mother across the face (laughter). (Expletive) you, you're still a rookie. I'll kill you."

If that isn't bad enough, there are also reports from the Miami Herald that Incognito threatened and pressured Martin into paying $15,000 for a him and a few teammates to party in Las Vegas. Sadly, it's the part of the Dolphins' locker room "culture" to make rookies and young players to pay for things for the veterans. It's one thing to engage in some light hazing... make the rookies dress up like girls on a road trip or something equally as silly, but forcing players that might not be making the big bucks, to pay for this crap sounds just ridiculous. And for the coaching staff to allow this to happen makes them just as much of the problem.

Here's what I have to say to Richie Incognito... I'm sorry that your penis must be so small that tormenting the younger players is the only way you can feel like a man. Maybe if you stopped acting like a 10-year-old, you're penis would too.

Day 217: There are the Patriots I Know and Love

So it may have taken nine weeks, but the New England Patriots that we know and love finally showed up to play on Sunday. And play and play and play. They did something to the Pittsburgh Steelers that's never been done before: they scored 55 points—the most ever scored against the black and gold.

The game was close after three quarters and the Patriots held a slim 27-24 lead as the fourth quarter began. But the Pats exploded for 28 points to the Steelers seven in the fourth to put the game out of reach, winning 55-31. It was a fun game to watch. And it was fun to watch some of these guys break out with big numbers. And it's especially fun to have Rob Gronkowski back on the field.

There has been speculation since last week's game against Miami that Tom Brady was battling some sort of hand injury. If he is, that makes today's performance that much more impressive. Brady was 23-for-33 for 432 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. It was Brady's 3rd career 400-yard game and now with a career total of 47,062 passing yards, his passes Fran Tarkenton for 7th in NFL history. It was also his 37th career game with 3+ TD passes and no interceptions, passing Brett Favre for second most all-time and trailing only Peyton Manning (41). And it was Brady's 15th career game with 4+ TD passes and no interceptions—most all-time. [All stats from NFL.com.]

The Patriots collected 610 net total yards against the Steelers—413 passing and 197 rushing. It was a well-balanced, well-played game where Stevan Ridley gained 115 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns, his first +100 yard game of this season. And Gronk showed why he was missed so much catching nine balls for 143 yards and one touchdown.

Aaron Dobson, the 22-year-old rookie was rather impressive today also. He caught five passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. One of those TDs came on a magnificent 81-yard TD pass from Brady in the fourth quarter. Danny Amendola also had a touchdown and hauled in four passes for 122 yards—his longest was 57 yards.

Even though the Steelers haven't been very good this season, there's no doubt in my mind that, given the way the Pats have played at times over the first eight games, this game could've been ugly... and not in a way that benefited New England. But it didn't and Tom Brady and the rest of the team really stepped up and took the bull by the horns. If I had one complaint it would be the number of points they gave up those pesky Steelers.

Next Sunday is a bye week for the Patriots and I'm sure this banged up team is happy for the break. Although I'm not happy I won't get to watch them. Next up is a Monday Night Football matchup @Carolina on the 18th.

Day 216: I Love a Parade: Red Sox Rolling Rally

Saying this 2013 Boston Red Sox season has been an emotional one would be an understatement. With the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings happening just two weeks into the season, the Sox have rode the emotional "Boston Strong" battle cry throughout the regular season and postseason. The Red Sox played each game with the 617 jersey in their dugout as a reminder of what they were working towards... to put a smile on the faces of Bostonians and New Englanders everywhere by winning it all.

Just days into spring training, Jonny Gomes had no doubt that he would be a World Series Champion as a member of the Red Sox. Ryan Dempster remembers a conversation he had with Jonny early in the preseason. Dempster asked Gomes how he was doing. He replied, "Hey, we're one day closer to the parade."

Well, Jonny... you got your parade.

This gorgeous fall morning, millions crowded the streets of Boston as the Red Sox boarded the now famous duck boat (some bearded) convoy and celebrated their World Series victory with their fans. Unfortunately, I'm too lazy and never made it down to Beantown for the festivities, but I did watch the NESN coverage which included a completely awesome poem by the Red Sox PA announcer, Dick Flavin. In case you missed it, click here! It was pretty friggin' amazing.

As the motorcade of duck boats approached the Boston Marathon finish line, they came to a stop. Jonny Gomes (clad in his brand new, custom-made LL Bean World Series Champs boots) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia got off the boats and set the World Series trophy on the finish line with the 617 Boston Strong jersey. It was an emotional scene for all involved, which included a group picture with some of those affected by the bombing, and also a tear-jerking rendition of God Bless America. This scene at the finish line made me cry... (surprise, surprise!)

Did you see Jonny's boots? Pretty awesome, eh?

Other than the tears at the finish line, I basically sat on my couch and smiled like a damn fool watching this parade. It was a much deserved end to an amazing season for a bunch of extraordinary baseball players. Pedey said it best...

"We played for a lot more this year, obviously," said second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "It's important the way the Red Sox play the game, but this year we were playing for other things, and it was pretty special the way we ended it. Hopefully we made a lot of people happy."

Phenomenal season... incredible team... World Series Champs... and lots of really happy fans. How many days until pitchers and catchers report? I'm having withdrawals already!!

Day 215: What Comes Next for the Red Sox?

Before the official start to the Red Sox off-season begins, they have one more World Series celebration on the docket—this time celebrating with the city of Boston in the much loved Duck Boat Rolling Rally. If you find yourself in Boston Saturday morning around 10am, find a spot on Boylston, Tremont or along the Charles to try for a glimpse of the new World Series champions. It's supposed to be a beautiful November day... I'm sorry I'll miss it.

After the parade, the players' season might end, but the front office presses on with making sure Boston fields a team in 2014 that rivals these bearded champions. The off-season will be busy dealing with a number of would-be free agents.

The first order of business: Jon Lester. The Sox have exercised their $13 million option on the lefty, keeping him with the team through the 2014 season. Lester was 15-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 33 starts and in the playoffs, he was even better going 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA and 29 strikeouts in five starts. That's one they can cross off the list.

Jacoby Ellsbury is also a concern. He hits the free agent market coming off a season where he batted .298 and led the team with 52 stolen bases. The problem with Ellsbury is that mouth-breathing agent of his. Scott Boras is not a friend to the Red Sox. After the high of winning a World Series title, you might hope that Ellbury would like the winning more than a long-term, big-money contract. I'm going to guess Boras won't let that happen...

If Ellsbury doesn't get paid the big bucks, neither does Bor-ass. It's too bad, really. I mean Ells has had his ups and downs over his time in Boston—some might even question his physical toughness, but he's a speedy center fielder who can cover a lot of ground and shred pitchers' and catchers' nerves while on base. If he does go, will the Sox place their stock in Jackie Bradley, Jr. as a replacement in center? In his limited time in Boston this season, he really didn't make much of a splash.

In addition to Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Stephen Drew and Mike Napoli are all free agents and the Red Sox have until 5pm on Monday to make $14 million qualifying offers to all three. If the Sox do so, the players then have one week to accept the offer or decline and sign with another team. The qualifying offer isn't required, and the Sox can still make deals with those free agents.

If the team opts not to put forth the qualifying offers, they could be on the hunt for another catcher, a first baseman and possibly another infielder. If Drew doesn't return, there's always Xander Bogaerts waiting patiently in the wings to talk over at short. He more than proved himself and his ability to perform on the big stage in the postseason.

We'll see how it goes... the front office won't get much of a break heading into the holidays. This season's success will be a hard act to follow.