Posts Tagged ‘patriots’

A Boston Sports Thought, Brady and the Celtics

Posted: June 12, 2024 by datechguy in Uncategorized
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As you might know yesterday was a very good day for Boston Sports. The Red Sox came back from a deficit to defeat the 1st place Phillies to get their record back to .500 2 games behind the Twins for the last wild card spot. The Boston Celtics held on against a furious 4th quarter attack by the Mavericks to go up 3-0 against Dallas and put then one win away from a title.

And finally Tom Brady’s number was retired by the Patriots in a big event which competed with game 3.

The Brady event is very significant. Before the coming of Brady no Boston team had won a title since the days of Larry Bird. After Brady won that first title everything changed. Brady won six titles in Boston and in between those six titles the Celtics and Bruins both won titles when they had not won since the 1980’s and 1970’s respectively and the Red Sox who had not won a title since 1918 won four titles three of them on the back of David Ortiz who is the closest thing to Brady we’ve seen in Boston since Bird and Russell.

Brady won his last title in Boston (but not HIS last title) on February 19th 2019. That was the last title any Boston team has won in any major sport.

While some in Boston sports complained about the clash of this event with game 3 I think it’s very appropriate that it takes place when it did. As I noted Brady brought titles back to Boston and he furthermore won the last title that Boston has seen. It’s great to celebrate him as a team in on the verge of winning the first post Brady title for a team in Boston in the 21st century.

Although in fairness Dallas will have a say on if this happens or not.

Sports Under the Fedora: A Must win for Who, Who lets the Goalies Out?, Loaded DL No problem, Who was that 6th Round QB the Pats Pickup up and the Good times are rolling for my 1972 & 1997 Dynasty teams & 2023 looks promising too

Posted: April 29, 2024 by datechguy in baseball, gaming, nba, nfl, nhl, online gaming, Sable Baseball, Sports
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Tonight is game three of the series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat which is a rematch of the Eastern Conference Final.

The Celtics were widely expected to sweep but after an embarrassing loss at home in game 2 they shut down the depleted heat in a defensive clinic that was a sight to behold. One might thing this would make tonight’s game a must win for Miami but I’m thinking it’s a must win for Boston.

On paper these two teams aren’t on the same planet but the Heat are one of the best coached teams in the game and have a never say die attitude. If they manage to steal game 4 at home all those old questions about the Celtics heart will return and it will mean that the Celtics will need to win at least one more at home where the Heat dominated them last year in the playoffs.

As they say, that’s why they play the games.

Speaking of playing the game the Boston Bruins are in almost every measurable sense worse than last year. Last year they set a record for regular season points, this year they finished 2nd in their division two Bruins greats retired.

Yet they now have a 3-1 advantage going into game 5 on Tuesday.

It would be quite an irony if their lesser team made the greater run this season. The real question however is will they return to their rotation at Goalie or will Swayman who has played in all of Boston’s wins get the call and Ullmark who lost game 2 remain on bench?

The media have a whole day to discuss it.

To say this young Boston Red Sox team has been a surprise is a understatement and a half

Despite trouble vs a good Cleveland team they managed to not only sweep a decent Pirates team in Pittsburgh but take two of three from a first place Cubs team even going so far as to put a 17-0 drubbing on them.

And this from a team whose disabled list is a who’s who of their opening day roster.

The young kids have delivered and now sit in 3rd place just 3 out of first and a 1/2 game behind in the wild card. All without spending tens of millions on free agents

Off in St. Louis I suspect Chaim Bloom is watching the team he built win and smiling.

There is a ton of talk about the Patriots drafting Drake May with the 3rd pick of the draft, and a lot will be written about him, but did you know the Pats picked up a second QB in round 6?

New England picked up QB Joe Milton III from Tennessee with the 193rd pick of the draft which they picked up from the Jaguars.

Jordan Schultz says this about the pick:

Milton checks in at an impressive 6-5, 235 pounds with an incredibly strong arm. Big time sleeper for me in this draft.

It may be insurance with their current crop of QB (except May) all free agents after this year, he may be converted to another position by the time he hits the field but historically New England has had a lot of luck with 6th round quarterbacks who had six or more QB’s picked ahead of him.

Finally my Dynasty face to face league opens up this weekend.

I should be more excited by this team. I have both Othani & Acuna Jr and more importantly an infield of Christian Walker, Jose Altuve, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez not only all returning from last season but all with A ratings for durability meaning that none can be injured for more than 3 games at a shot.

Yet for some reason I’m ambivalent about them.

I have no such qualms about my online squads. My 1997 Reds who just missed a playoff spot last year are running wild on the bases, which is to be expected on a team with Rickey Henderson and Lance Johnson in the outfield and despite Wade Boggs spending three series on the DL are tied for 1st place.

Meanwhile in 1972 my judicious trades for both draft picks and prospects has paid off big. Doug Rader my 1st pick in round one may have been my third choice to fill my 3B slot but he leads the team in HR & RBI and is fielding up a storm. Much to my shock my late first round picks turned into last year’s Cy Young winner Don Wilson (15th pick) and Blue Moon Odem (18th pick) and together with Ken Holtzman, Al Downing and Mike Torrez who retuned from last year have been putting up numbers to be proud of. Meanwhile Ken Berry is catching anything near him in center with 2nd year man Caesar Geronimo doing the same in right while Pete Rose is hitting anything that comes near him and old friend Ron Fairly his playing like there is someone out to take his job (Mike Jorgenson). All that adds up to first place.

A seven game lead with 123 games to go doesn’t mean a lot but it beats trailing the pack.

Five More Sports Thoughts Under the Fedora: Pete Rose must be Laughing his Ass off, The Best team that’s not ready for Prime Time, It’s why you actually play the games, NE who?, How DARE you be so White Straight & Good Ms Clark!

Posted: March 26, 2024 by datechguy in baseball, nba, nfl, nhl, Sports, under the fedora
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I’m sorry but I can’t be the only person in the world who can’t handle the irony of watching and listing to the folks of sports radio and talk all beating their breasts over the Ohtani story just before they reveal their bets sponsored by the official sports book of whatever sport they’re covering at the moment.

I think Pete Rose nailed it

I wonder if draft kings is the official site for Baseball fans to place a bet on how all this ends?

The coach of the Bruins has come out hard against his team’s laxity after a loss against Philly saying bluntly that they aren’t ready for the playoffs.

Mind you this is a Bruins team that is tied for the most points in the NHL, then again last year they had a record setting regular season only to lose their first round series in seven.

I must confess that it has reached the point that if they have a one goal lead or are tied with under two minutes to go I expect them to give up a goal.

I find it one of the oddest things I’ve ever seen in sports

Yesterday the Celtics put their 10 game winning streak on the line against an Atlanta Hawks team that had a dozen players injured and quickly built up a 30 point lead on the Hawk’s home court.

Then managed to squander that lead by the 4th quarter and lose a game that they were favored to win by 12. It’s why you actually play the games.

Now in fairness games like this are going to happen occasionally particularly after a long winning streak and when facing a team with absolutely nothing to lose, but it highlights the problem with sports gambling because ask yourself how many people who lost what seemed a really safe bet are asking themselves if the fix was in?

Am I the only person in the world who appreciates the irony of after letting Brady go and dumping Belichick the first move for the Pats at QB is to sign a guy who was drafted by Bill and Backed up Brady?

In fairness nobody seems to be talking about the Jacoby Brissette signing because they’ve been too busy commenting on a documentary that seems to be all about hitting Belichick.

It’s as if 2001-2018 never happened and the Krafts want to blame Bill for all that’s ever been wrong in the world even though he was the guy who drafted Brady, who kept four QB’s to keep him on the roster, who designated him as the backup and decided to go with him when Bledsoe had healed up. No Bill, no Brady.

But I understand the sports boys wanted to talk about the old stuff, because the new product is likely not going to be all that interesting to watch.

Finally there seems to be a lot of fuss coming about the impending coming of Caitlin Clark to the WNBA. Clark has been filling arenas all over the country and give the possibility that the WNBA team that has he and their opponents might actually draw enough fans to create a team that could be solvent without NBA subsidies.

It appears however that Clark might not be all that welcome as she is guilty of the twin crimes of being both white and straight in a league that is “98% gay” and the idea that she might draw a bunch straight white fans who might swamp the microscopic numbers that the league currently draws seems to horrify the league as well.

It will be interesting to see what she does to the TV numbers because if they shoot up enough the powers that be might decide to lay down the law to the league that currently only exists on the charity and guilt of others.

Finally off to a 7-2 start for my 1972 league. There is a long way to go but as long as Al Downing (0-2) doesn’t pitch ever day for me it’s looking good.

Equal Time , Belichick Letter & Son, Biden’s phony strike, Texas Shows how it’s done and my Keeper List: Under the Fedora

Posted: February 4, 2024 by datechguy in crime, Dynasty, dynasty baseball, election 2024, elections, gaming, middle east, nfl, online gaming, Sports
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The most interesting thing about Nikki Haley’s appearance on Saturday Night Live is this statement from sources concerning NBC via the Hollywood reporter:

NBC declined to comment, but sources told The Hollywood Reporter that NBC will comply with any equal time obligations for other presidential candidates across both parties.

If I’m Trump I jump all over this.

Bill Belichick took out of full page ad in the Sunday Boston Globe to thank Patriots fans for their support an excerpt:

“Nowhere in America are pro sports fans as passionate as in New England and for 24 years, I was blessed to feel your passion and power,” Belichick’s letter read. “The Patriots are the only NFL team representing SIX states but in reality, Patriots Nation knows no borders.

“You were undaunted by weather, attended scorching hot training camp practices and braved Foxborough’s coldest, wettest, snowiest, and windiest days.… Your thoughtful letters offered support, critique and creative play suggestions. You watched on TV, the internet and from your stadium seats.

It was a nice gesture that’s made easier by his lack of a coaching job.

It’s worth noting his son is still employed as a defensive coach on the Patriots but I suspect Kraft was just waiting for Bill to get hired but as he was not it will be interesting to see how much longer he lasts.

The telegraphing of the Biden administration of counterstrikes against Iran giving the enemy time to evacuate and remove any important material is a function of a person who needs to seem to do something when actually he is not.

It reminds me of the old movie the American President. Michael Douglas’ characters insists on hitting back at the command center at night to decrease causalities and cries over the janitor who will be killed instead of hitting at the time when the actual people who were in charge of the attack where there.

Basically that janitor dies so he can feel better about himself. The Biden admin is all about false appearances.

Speaking of appearances new figures from the Border are demonstrating that Texas’ approach to you know actually enforcing the law has results:

A key stat:

Notably, the numbers in TX’s Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, have fallen off a cliff. In December, the sector saw days of 3,000-4,000 illegal crossings per day. Over the last week, it has averaged around just 200.

I know that California has no intention of enforcing the law the real question is what direction will New Mexico & Arizona go?

Finally while we still have one opening in our 1972 Dynasty League (Chicago Cubs if interested comment here) I have submitted my keeper list for our 1972 season. They are:

  1. LHSP Ken Holtzman
  2. LHSP Al Downing
  3. RHSP Mike Torrez
  4. RHRP Jerry Bell
  5. CF Ken Berry
  6. RF Pete Rose
  7. LF Gene Giles
  8. 1b Ron Fairly
  9. 2B/3B Ron Hunt

There were some really tough calls. Darryl Porter will be a monster in 1973 and Jim Slanton has a huge future ahead of him but they are only part time this year, Likewise Dave Conception is a killer defensive outfielder that I carried for two years but I’m heavy in the OF so he’s the odd man out, Bob Miller is a solid reliever and Bill Parsons eats up innings as a starter but I can’t justify them over any of the keepers. Finally Mike Jorgenson was picked up in a trade because he has a long and solid future ahead of him and while he is a better first baseman than Fairly this year and will soon be one of the best defensive 1B available by 1973, Fairly is going to have a monster year next season and except against lefties is still solid.

Maybe these guys will be available later in the draft but what I need to pick up is:

  • 3 RHSP at least one of Ace qualify
  • A solid power hitter (3B or C)
  • A starting shortstop
  • A Closer
  • 2 Catchers
  • Middle Relief

Fortunately thanks to trades with the Mets (Daytraders), Orioles, and Royals I have 3 1st round picks and two picks in the 3rd, 5th and 6th rounds so filling those spots should be a tad easier.

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