What Now?

To try, at this point to put the recent run of New England sports dominance in perspective is difficult. History widens perspective and as such what is right before us becomes clearer as time goes on. It takes time to decide that eras have come and gone and even more time to determine where they belong in history. Right now we can only compare what we have recently seen with past runs that compare with it, i.e. the Steelers, Cowboys, and 49ers that all won 2 consecutive Super Bowls. We have no idea what will come from the Patriots in the immediate future, and similarly no idea what great dynasties will upstage them further down the road.

A region has rarely seen such a peak period in sports. Two franchises in New England have turned the mindset and the expectations of a rabid sports town on its head. Remember just 5 years ago the Patriots had never won a Super Bowl, the name Tom Brady hardly meant anything to us, the Red Sox were mired in the midst of an 80+ year losing streak, and a playoff berth in either sport was exciting enough. Then one team, one coach, one kick changed it all.

When Adam Vinatieri's 48 yard field goal clinched Super Bowl XXXVI for the Patriots and a shocked and overjoyed fan base, life as we knew it ceased to exist. Winning was expected now, and losing felt not only painful but wrong. 4 years later things have only escalated.

Following the Red Sox curse-breaking championship in 2004 Boston had captured an elusive holy sporting grail, 2 major championships residing in 1 city at the same time. We as fans were on top of the world. Neither our Red Sox or Patriots had been eliminated from a season in what seemed like forever, and the Patriots perpetuated our run into 2005 winning again in last year's Super Bowl. From the Patriots victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII to the Red Sox elimination in October of 2005 Sox and Pats fans celebrated 3 championships and 0 eliminations in 613 days. It simply does not get better than that, as we have learned. On the 614th day the eventual World Champion White Sox eliminated the Red Sox from the ALDS, 3 months and a week later the Broncos paid the Patriots the same discourtesy.

So here we are with our rear view mirrors strapped firmly to our foreheads, hoping to obscure our vision of the frightening future. I think that it's safe, at least at this point to say that the Red Sox run is over. They have made the playoffs, which is by no means a small feat in baseball, in 3 consecutive seasons with essentially a core group of players. That core is gone now, as is the man who assembled them (at least as far as we know). The rest of the division has gotten better as the Red Sox have (not entirely by their own doing) gotten worse. While they have not slid down the entire slippery slope of the mountain it took them nearly 9 decades to climb, they have clearly descended a little. That slight decension will likely delay the next Duck Boat ride for John Henry and his staff through the streets of Boston at least long enough for the team's makeup to change sufficiently so that it will no longer be recognizable as the team that enjoyed the tour in 2004.

The Patriots on the other hand are a different story. They could be back again next year. There are no Johnny Damon's heading out of town on this team, and Scott Pioli is not packing his bags after a power struggle with Bob Kraft. Tom Brady is not demanding to be traded and free agents are not avoiding the organization like the plague. 4 out of 6 Super Bowl victories has never been done, but it is not out of the question and is probably more likely than 3 in a row ever was. We saw this year what chance can do to a team in terms of injury and we saw how hard it is to avoid that cold grasp of chance for 3 straight years. But unlike the Red Sox the core that brought the first 3 Patriots banners home remains in Foxboro and like we always say around here when you have Brady and Belichick you always have a chance. Are the odds good that they will win the Super Bowl again next season? No. The division has vastly improved, especially the Miami Dolphins under Belichick disciple Nick Saban. Another Bill underling will no doubt right the ship in New York at least somewhat, although the problems there will take a bit longer to correct given their very limited talent offensively. And the longer a team plays with the same system the more likely it is that teams will find a way to beat it. The Patriots have been using simple deception to win for half a decade, but a formula may slowly be developing (out of Denver) on how to beat them. But there is still a chance of a return to glory.

While I am not willing to call an end to the era of dominance by the Patriots I think it is important to put into perspective what they have done. It's an over used cliche to blame the absence of dynasties on the free agency era, but as most cliches do it originates from some factual basis. The contract structure of the NFL is set up to create parody, not dominance. Ideally, by the terms of the present CBA each team comes into any given season with the same financial opportunity to win, what they do with it is another story. Given that fact what the Patriots have accomplished is even more amazing. They are not given any greater tools than the other 31 teams in the NFL; they have merely made the best use of them. Their dominance is due to an effective use of available resources not an overabundance of them in comparison to other teams.

The New York Yankees of the late 1990s used the opposite model; they bought and sold their championships. In baseball you can do that, in football you can't. New England has become the model franchise because they have combined great coaching and great personnel management with great talent. For the past 5 years they have gotten water from the perverbial stone while the rest of the league has managed to only create dust.

Of course you need incredible personalities to build what they Patriots have build, and frankly in most places it wouldn't work. A Tom Brady with a bigger ego and hungrier checking account could have brought this franchise to its knees and stopped the dominance on several occasions. Fortunately he is not of the T.O. mold and offered to structure his contract so that the team would be ensured of the ability to field a competitive team under the salary cap each season. Not many professional athletes look at it that way, each Patriot is required to (at least in some measure) or they are shown their walking papers (Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy). It sounds vapid to talk about playing for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back, but that's what happens when players put on the Patriots uniform.

This team first mentality seems to weed out some of the stat and contract oriented players from the Patriots roster and replaces them with players who genuinely want to win. Take Corey Dillon for example. He was mired in mediocrity (and that is being kind) in Cincinnati for the better part of his career. After growing sick of it he talked his was out of town with a reputation as a locker room cancer. Then he took less money and followed Brady's contract structure in order to have a shot at a ring with the Pats. He was not a guy that was sick of being underpaid and underappreciated, he was sick of losing. If you want the huge amount of 0's after your name, go to Oakland; if you want a ring on your finger come to New England. It's been that simple. It's a remarkably simple philosophy, yet one that is so terribly difficult to implement in today's sporting landscape. In order to convince those who want to win that the Patriots had what it took to win they had to accomplish something out of nearly nothing. The credit for that goes to Belichick and Pioli. Before they were able to bring players here (and what veteran does not want to play here now?) they had to take a team that had no shot at a title and win one anyway. Credibility to your system comes with success, not successful thinking. Credbility to the Pats came to them on the foot of Adam Vinatieri almost 6 years ago.

Walking off the field Belichick was quoted as saying (yelling) to an assistant, "Can you believe we won the fucking Super Bowl with this team?"

He knew that by all rights they should not have won it, but they did and what followed after was a direct result of that heroic effort.

But nothing lasts forever. The reality of the game is starting to set in on the Patriots and the financial realities are starting to catch up with even them. You see the nice little scenario I drew up back there only works if everyone is on board with it, including the super stars. While Tom Brady has the humilty of a man who knows what it's like to be an underdog other stars on this roster do not necessarily share that trait. Richard Seymour held out from camp this season, and while he eventually played and starred yet again on the football field his contract dispute showed that even the greatest and most team minded organization has to be congnicent of star power. Some players can be replaced and spotted for, Seymour is not one of them. As players continue to flourish in this system their star power will become evident and the Pats will have to make some tough choices concerning their futures. Eventually some will be let go to protect the integrity of the team, but that will take its toll. The long term effect however will be to keep the mindset of the players who are here on the team aspect of the game. While greatness can never truly be replaced it can be augmented and as we have learned in New England it can be created out of unlikely candidates. They won't win every year, and the tenure of this regime will eventually end but as long as the philosophy remains the same they will continue to head in the right direction, regardless of where they are forced to start from.

Purely from a fan's perspective this recent run of greatness has been sporting validation. For a few years we were immune to the insecurities of being a fan. We did not have to worry about whether or not our team would win, we merely wondered how they would pull it off this time. It was like a sports fantasy land. Losing was odd, unfamiliar, and easily forgotten. Winning became expected, almost mundane, and ordinary.

After last season's Super Bowl I called my dad, as I'm sure so many fans in New England did. Our conversation was probably so different from the one we had after the 2000 Super Bowl that they would be unrecognizable as topically related. In 2000 I think we were both screaming. I remember saying, "I have never been this happy in my life!" (A line that caused me to spend the better part of the night that my team finally won something consoling an hysterical girlfriend who took offense to that concept.) I think I remember my dad telling me that he went into my 15 year old sister's room and picked her up out of bed he was so elated. It was a feeling totally unknown to us. Last year I think we talked for a while about the actual game and about how this whole winning thing was becoming routine. I remember starting the conversation saying, "Ho, hum another Super Bowl, " half sarcastically, half seriously.

It's amazing how easy it is to get used to winning. But now in retrospect it meant so much to this region and to me. It gave us pride and identity. We wore Patriots jerseys, hats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts with pride. That pride was unchallengable because our team (unlike our fans) did their talking on the field, and they spoke loudly. Success was also a interpersonal galvanizing force in this area. It was something that had grown men who don't know each other hugging on a street corner in Brighton after the first Super Bowl victory. It had traffic stopped on Beacon Street in Cleveland Circle horns happily honking as crazed fans celebrated in the streets. It brought us together more than arguing after losses ever drove us apart and hopefully, as we head into our first off season of discontent we will remember that. This organization handled itself with discretion and class at all times, and while fans will never do that I think their behavior (while frustrating) set an example for a region to follow. The team itself didn't care what anyone said about them because they knew that one Sunday's they would more than likely come out on top, that confidence filtered to us. Anyone could say what they wanted about New England, but they couldn't take away our victories or our self assuredness about the victory to come.

This has been a time in Boston sports that I will never forget. When I'm an old man sitting in a rocking chair eulogizing this era to my grandchildren the stories will get magnified and the glories will be exaggerated but my pride in having shared the prime of my life with the prime of Boston sports will remain clear and my gratitude will only grow. Instead of bemoaning the potential end of a dynasty I wish to thank the Patriots organization for providing us with one in the first place and wish them luck in continuing their success (for our benefit and theirs) down the line. Like I said before 4 out of 6 would still be a dynasty.

It's Over

Ding dong the witch is dead.

The Patriots finally ran out of magic on Saturday night and with a whimper the dynasty has come to an end. What a tough way to go out. 5 turnovers, (2 by the previously unflappable Tom Brady, 1 by the normally sure handed Troy Brown, and one caused by a kicker) a missed field goal by the immortal Adam Vinatieri, an absolutely atrocious pass interference call on Asanti Samuel, and a couple of missed receivers was too much for the champs to sprinkle their fairy dust on this time.

It's tough to imagine that such a historical run could be ended by someone with such questionable taste in facial hair like Jake Plummer. I'm not ready to talk about what this run has meant to me and to New England yet, so I'll just stick to Saturday's game for now.

In the end this game did not in any way resemble what I was expecting. Most observers thought that if the Pats could stop Denver's running attack and force Jake Plummer to lose the game with mistakes then it would be another trip to the AFC title game for New England. They did all that. The problem was they didn't hold up their end of the bargain. Tom Brady looked very ordinary all day (despite his stats) frequently missing receivers and looking rattled, they could not establish a run to slow down Denver's blitz, and they did the unthinkable (at least to Belichick) they made mistakes.

The most frustrating thing for me, as a fan is that Denver did not beat them, they beat themselves. I knew that the dynasty was going to end and probably this year, but I never thought that I would be sitting here writing about how the Patriots lost a winnable game in January because of sloppy play (particularly sloppy play by Brady). That simply has not been their M.O. throughout this championship run. If they had played a solid game and lost to a better team that would be one thing. Then again, if they had played a solid game they wouldn't have lost.

3 plays changed the complexion of the game.

1. The pass interference call on Asanti Samuel. This has been widely discussed but I need to throw my 2 cents into the pot. My biggest pet-peeve in sports is bad officiating. There is no excuse for it. Those purists who say that human error is a part of sports have never lost a game because of a horrendous call that could have been avoided with better eyesight or technology or if they have they are just stupid. With the replay technology in place there should never be a missed or blown call. Just get it right, I don't care how long the game takes just do not cost a team their season because of a human mistake. The referees are there to moderate the game, not win or lose it for one side or the other. Ideally they should never be discussed because they should never screw up, and if they do the technology is there to fix it. Use it. This call wasn't even questionable, Ashlie Lelie committed P.I. on Asanti Samuel, not the other way around and everyone from Boston to Denver, including the 2 officials who royally cocked it up, knows that. It was a game changing mistake, and while you can't say that one play cost the Pats the game it certainly put them behind the 8-ball.

2. Tom Brady's interception at the goal line, returned 100 yards by Champ Bailey. Unthinkable. That's just one of many words that start with "un" that could be used to describe this play. Brady doesn't make these mistakes. He doesn't completely blow a read at a crucial time, effectively costing his team the game. It just does not happen. But it happened and everyone in my bar at the time had the same look of shock and bewilderment on their face because no one had ever seen this before. There isn't really anything else to say about it, Brady made a mistake and they payed dearly for it, period. The end of the play was puncuated with another questionable call as Ben Watson put the hit of a lifetime on Bailey on the 1 causing a fumble that may or may not have gone out of the end zone, but unfortunately in this case the replay really was inconclusive. That point is beside the fact because if Brady hadn't made the initial mistake they wouldn't have been there to begin with, hoping to get bailed out by the officals (they did owe us one).

3. Troy Brown's fumbled punt. I love Troy Brown, but this was inexcusable. He's not even fast anymore, he can't juke anyone, he presents no threat to take a kick back for a touchdown. The only reason he would ever field a kick (and he didn't field many this season) would be his sure hands. So much for that theory. It ended up being a killer as Denver took it in for their game clinching score.

You'll notice that I didn't include Kevin Faulk's fumble on this list. 1 reason, without the P.I. call it's probably irrelevant. I also didn't include the Ellis Hobbs' fumble because: a. I refuse to discuss any fumbles caused by a freaking punter, and b. I'm still in shock that he even had the the ball, isn't that just asking for trouble?

As the saying goes, "Dance with the gal that brung ya." The Patriots tried to dance with the "gals" that brought them, i.e. Brady and Brown, but this time they stepped all over our feet.

Now that the season is over we as fans have to admit to ourselves that we always knew it wasn't going to happen this time. We all got excited, myself included, in their late season run against soft competition, as we should have, but at the end of the day we knew that this just wasn't the same team. The injuries and having to play 2 playoff games on the road were too much to overcome for a team that, as Brady put was, "running on fumes." Had they stayed healthy, or even gotten some of the guys who went down back for the playoffs, they very easily could have won the Super Bowl again. I can say that with confidence because they could have won it anyway. If you take out 3 plays from Saturday's game the AFC Championship game is in Foxboro on Sunday (which you have to think they would have won) and then a week later they would be in Detroit to play a team (either one) that would have lost to every AFC team in the playoffs (except maybe Jacksonville). Call me a homer but it could have happened.

The rest of the NFL should be on notice, the Pats will be back next year, and they will be healthy, and they will be very good. I would hold off on sticking that fork in the dynasty just yet...

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Other Divisional Weekend Stuff:

They say that the true measure of a player is revealed, not after a victory but after a loss. Peyton Manning showed his true colors yesterday. In typically post-loss weasel fashion he turned on his offensive line, that had protected him beautifully all season long and promptly threw them under the perverbial bus after Indy's (God affirming) 21-18 loss to the Steelers. The headline in Indy probably reads something like "Colt's overcome Ref's, NFL, Bettis - Still Lose."

Don't tell me that the NFL wasn't dying to get Peyton Manning to the Super Bowl. Don't even try it. The reversal of Troy Polamalu's interception was the worst call of the replay era and revealed an agenda on the part of the referees. There was NO evidence on that tape that could conclusively prove that he did not have control of the ball. He stood up with it for the love of Pete, if that isn't a football move then clearly I am misunderstanding the definition of the term. I was driving to work during that play so I was listening on the radio, and the commentators were having the following discussion during the reveiew.

-Well this certainly is a desperate move by Tony Dungy here. There is no way they can overturn this one.

- You're right absolutely no way. Dungy had to throw the flag here and take a shot but Polamalu clearly had it the whole way.

- They are heading towards the exits here at the RCA Dome, everyone seems to sense that this one is over.

(silence as the ruling is announced)

- Oh that is just highway robbery!

Now that was not on Steelers radio, it was national Westwood One coverage of the game, and he used the term highway robbery. That certainly says something about the validity of the call. It's so shocking because it wasn't one of those bang-bang plays where they made the wrong call on the field and then didn't have a good angle at the play for a review. They made the right call on the field, had perfect visual evidence of it, and then reversed it based on...an NFL mandate that D-Caf has to make it to Detroit maybe?

This just makes me sick. The whole season was set up to force Indy through the regular season with homefield advantage (they played the Bridgewater State J.V. team for the first 8 weeks of the season) so that they wouldn't have to go on the road (ah hem New England) in the playoffs. Oddly enough they get their bye right before their Monday night game at the Pats, after New England has been playing only 10 win teams since week 1. Then this crap yesterday, it's just so transparent and nauseating, I can't (bleeping) stand it. I know I'm completely off the reservation here and am conspiracy theorizing out of my rear end but there is absolutely no denying what the NFL wanted. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit but if that call wasn't an attempt to keep Indy in it how do you explain it? Do you have to take 7 steps and dance a jig before you have possession now? Not to mention the non-P.I. call earlier in the game when Marlon Jackson just mugged Antwan Randle-El 2 steps before the ball arrived when Pittsburgh was threatening to go up 21-0. Either this was the worst officiated game in the history of the NFL or there was a little unspoken thing around the water cooler that it would be a good thing for everyone if D-Caf moved on. (Or I'm just nuts.)

Anyway, it makes me unendingly happy that after all the hype and all the 19-0 talk that the Colts will be watching the Super Bowl at home (and you can bet Peyton won't be invited to too many BBQs at his offensive linemen's houses this offseason). Remember when, earlier in the season, there was talk that this Colt's team might be literally the best professional sports team ever? People were actually saying that. Good looking out guys, they made it exactly was far as the immortal Washington Redskins. Oops. Practice your "Daddy why!?" face with Eli this offseason Peyton, you're going to need it.

Moving on. Wow, the Bears lost! Holy Cow, how did the Monsters of the Midway, the best defense since 1986, the indominable Rex Grossman lose at home in their first playoff game? Oh right, they're just not that good. Their offense still stinks and they won a crappy division. All those crashing noises you hear are the people leaping off the Bears bandwagon. A couple numbers for you on that impenetrable Bears defense: 432 yards of total offense, 218 yards receiving for Steve Smith (ah...Lovie...you had some clue they were going to go to him right...because you probably should have covered him...once...at all), 319 yards for Jake Delhomme, 123 yards rushing for Carolina as a team, and 29 points allowed. That much offensive production surprised even me, who picked against the Bears all season.

On the positive side for the Bears you do have to give Grossman some credit. He was playing in his first playoff game against a ferocious Carolina defense and he played about as well as someone who once rode the bench behind Kyle Orton could. In all seriousness, I was impressed by his poise, too bad he's just one cog in an absolutely stagnant offensive machine.

And finally in the shocker of the week the Seahawks beat the Redskins at home. Yawn...what else is on? I thought Seattle was going to absolutely kill the Redskins. I also thought that Shaun Alexander was going to play so that probably had something to do with the relatively close score. This game contained nothing for me, I was just waiting for the Seahawks to put the hammer on the 'Skins which they finally did with a 6 minute drive for a field goal in the 4th quarter after Washington had pulled within 7. The NFC is just boring isn't it? It's like the NL East, you know the Braves are going to win but you also know that it doesn't matter because they're out in the playoffs anyway.

More Pats dynasty stuff this week and an Championship game preview, even though I don't really care anymore. Maybe I'll start talking about the Celtics, maybe I'll look into the JFK assasination since I seem to like conspiracies right now.

The Real Preview

Okay here we go with the full preview of this week's divisional playoff games.

Patriots at Broncos: Like I said in my earlier "Preview Preview" this game scares me more than it scares a lot of Pats fans. If it were being played in any other city against any other 13-3 team I would be totally on board, but Denver has been as much a nemesis to this dynasty as we have seen in the past 4 years (much more so than their "rival" Indy), especially at home. Invesco field is a incredibly difficult place to play, as evidenced by the Broncos 8-0 record there during the regular season. For some strange reason this is also the one place where Tom Brady tends to look a little confused and a little bit rattled by the crowd. That won't happen tonight, Brady doesn't get rattled in the playoffs, but this homefield advantage is something to look out for and something that is being widely under-discussed.

The Broncos also have one of the best running attacks in football (159 yards per game) and while the Patriots front 7 has been playing great football recently stopping the Denver run game has been something only 1 team has been able to do so far this year. Baltimore held them under 100 rushing yards in their matchup, otherwise they have been over the century mark in every contest. The combination of Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson, and Ron Dayne have accounted for over 2000 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns, and only 4 fumbles. The Patriots chances in this game start and end with stopping the run, not simply because it allows Denver to move the ball and control the clock but also because it dictates the play of Jake the Snake. Jake Plummer relies heavily on the Denver rushing attack to carry the load and allow for minimal pass attempts. In the past when too much emphasis has been put on Plummer's shoulders he has wilted and made crucial mistakes on dumb throws on the run and into coverage. That should be the goal of the Patriots defense this afternoon, stop the run and make Plummer hand you the game.

Defensively the Broncos only allowed 16 points per game, but that being said I like the Patriots chances to put points on the board. Remember, this is the same defense that allowed the Patriots to come within one dropped pass of erasing a 28-3 lead at Invesco field earlier in the season. The key to the Patriots offense is 2-fold. First they must establish some sort of running game with either Corey Dillon or a combination of backs if he is ineffective. The effect of this will obviously be to stop the zone blitzing that the Broncos love to use, particularly on 3rd down, and it will also move the clock which is always crucial on the road in a hostile environment. Second, they absolutely must keep Tom Brady upright. No amount of running game is going to force Denver out of their blitz schemes completely, they are absolutely married to them, so how the Patriots block against the rush will be crucial. If they allow Brady to be sacked 4 times like he was last week it could be a very long evening.

Despite their records this seems like a pretty even matchup of the Patriots' postseason magic against the Broncos' homefield advantage. If this turns into a classic, which it certainly could the advantage immediately goes to the Patriots (Brady and Viniatieri, duh). They don't lose classics. This game worries me, but until proven otherwise I will not pick against the Pats in an elimination game. Pick: Pats by 3.


Redskinds at Seahawks: Last week against a miserable Tampa Bay team Washington put up less than 150 yards of total offense. If they don't have a 150 yards by halftime of this game they are done. Seattle is the class of the NFC and while they have been shaky at best in the playoffs in recent years I see that trend turning around today. Sean Alexander is arguably the best player in football this year and Matt Hasselbeck (though balding at an alarming rate) is the finest QB in the NFC, that alone should be enough to beat a mediocre Redskins team. Throw in some homefield advantage, a bye week, a banged up Clinton Portis, and Mark Brunell at QB and this looks like a blowout. The only chance the Redskins have is to get Portis going to control the clock and then hope for a big play on defense, preferably resulting in a touchdown. Otherwise this is Seattle all the way. Pick: Seattle by 18.


Panthers at Bears: After the 1986 Super Bowl I wish nothing but misery on the Chicago Bears. That being said they have had a fantastic season, especially defensively. Unfortunately most of the keys to playoff victory side with Carolina.

1. Quarterback, I don't like Jake Delhomme much but I like him a heck of a lot better than Rex Grossman who has thrown for 259 yards and 1 touchdown on the season and has never started a playoff game. Delhomme has played in a Super Bowl and will not be rattled by the Chicago crowd.

2. Experience, maybe this should be number 1. In the playoffs experience in playing for your life counts for a lot. The Bears simply don't have any, the Panthers as I said have been to a Super Bowl.

3. Coaching, take nothing away from Lovie Smith but what he did this year in Chicago was partly a product of a lousy division in a lousy conference and a few lucky bounces. John Fox is a defensive genius who almost came up with enough to beat the Pats in the Super Bowl 2 years ago. It won't take a genius to stop Rex Grossman and Thomas Jones.

4 Playmakers, the Panthers have the playmaker of the year in Steve Smith, the Bears have Mushin Muhammed, advantage Smith.

That all adds up to Carolina having the edge. The big factor I'm not considering here is obviously the homefield advantage of the Bears. Soldier Field has always been a tough place to play. I'm not sure what the weather will be like today but if I had to guess I would say it's cold and windy which plays to the Bears advantage. If the Panthers had a distinct edge in 2 or even 3 of the key playoff categories I would say that the homefield balances it out for the Bears, but they won't be able to overcome all 4. Pick: Panthers by 7.


Steelers at Colts: (Sigh...) I just don't know. The Patriots fan in me wants to say that the Steelers can win this game. The logical sports observer (who lives very deeply buried) in me wants to say that they have no chance. Oh hell with it, since when do I listen to that logical voice anyway. Pittsburgh has a chance if 2 things happen, and I'm not exactly going out on a limb here. 1. Indy comes out flat and rusty and is unable to move the ball with the precision that they normally do, i.e. only scoring once in their first 3 possessions. This is a distinct possibility, I don't care how good you are through 13 weeks of the regular season 5 weeks without a meaningful game is an awfully long time. 2. They run run run all day long. They need to keep the ball and keep the clock moving. On the road you always want to play the shortest game possible, on the road in Indy you want a veritable time machine to rush you through the game. Jerome Bettis needs to be that time machine, gashing 4 to 6 yard runs regularly. While the Colts defense is much improved they still are not particularly punishing or physical, Bettis is. If he can hit them right in the mouth from the opening gun and keep D-Caf on the sidelines the Steelers could be able to hang around.

The problem is no matter how long you hold the ball you eventually have to give it back, and if you give it back to the Colts more than 8 times you lose. Their offense is absolutely incredible when it's clicking and the Pittsburgh defense is weak on the corners, which is exactly where Manning loves to attack. I'm rooting with all my might for the Steelers, but I just don't see it. Pick: Colts by 10.

Skippy

It's been a while since we've blasted Skip Bayless here in B-Slant country, but the time has come yet again. Please read this. When finished, please refer to the following reasons why Vince Young is not the greatest thing since sliced bread.

1. Sidearm throwing motion. Skippy discounts it, Dwight Freeny, Richard Seymour, Mike Peterson, Lavar Arrington, and everyone else who ventures to block passes do not. David Carr throws over the top.

2. Vince Young, one great game against great competition. 2.9 years of good games against decent competition. Reggie Bush, 3 years of incomparable games against better competition.

3. UCS is better than Texas, Rose Bowl notwithstanding. Texas is the national champion, USC is better.

4. Reactionary thinking has led to: Vietnam, both Gulf Wars, Kyle Boller's job, Raef LaFrentz's contract, Mo Vaughn's contract, Mike Martz's (until recently) continued employment. Shall I continue?

5. Michael Jordan is the best athlete of my generation, and the best basketball player ever. To even use the word Jordanesque in almost any sense is moronic and insulting to MJ. To use it to refer to a college football player who didn't even win the Heisman is unfair to Young and totally Skip-iffied (my new term for all things related to Skip).

6. Vick was better than Young in college. Cunningham was a running machine. Culpepper has been a Pro-Bowler. McNabb has played in a Super Bowl. They all threw the ball like someone with differing chromosomes, Young does not. Furthermore, he's just not fast enough to pull the drop back, pretend to pass for a split second and then run garbage, that he pulled against USC. Even Vick isn't fast enough to get away with that and he's the fastest man in pro sports.

7. Skip Bayless's endorsement = guaranteed failure.

God I hate Skip Bayless for forcing me into late night, marginally mentally affected blogging!

Preview Preview

I'm going to do a more extensive preview of this weekend's divisional playoff games later, check for it tomorrow morning, but I want to get one quick thought out on the Pats / Denver game right now.

Remember last year at exactly this time when everyone was picking the Colts to go into Gillette and beat the Pats? Everyone lauded the efforts of New England in winning the previous Super Bowl and gaining the 1st round bye but really those statements were just cream filling for their real thoughts: the Patriots have no chance. I'm getting the same sense from a lot of pundits coming into this matchup and it's making me very nervous. They are talking about Denver's running game and the home field advantage at Invesco Field, but after that no one is really saying that Denver can win this game. Believe me, they can.

Remember the odd quiet that always seems to come from Belechick and the Pats before these games? That's exactly what we're hearing from Denver right now, nothing. There is no talk about whether their defensive leader is healthy, there is no talk about their playoff win streak (since they have the opposite, 0 wins since John Elway's departure), there is not a single solitary peep coming from the Mile High city right now. That to me says something. The Patriots are not saying anything either, but last year all of the talk was about the visiting Colts knocking off the champs. Now all the talk is about the visiting champs knocking off the Broncos to extend the dynasty. These things tend to motivate teams, maybe more than we know, and don't think for a second that Mike Shannahan is not using the popular perception that his team is the underdog to his advantage in practice.

If I had a choice I would stick a sock in the mouths of all the analysts that are examining this game, no need to fan the flames of the legitimately under-appreciated Broncos. They were easily the 2nd best team in football and navigated one of the toughest divisions in the league (containing two teams that spanked New England). I think the Pats will win (it's hard to believe that Jake Plummer will end the dynasty) but I think it is going to be a monumental struggle and if they do it will be they who are pulling the upset, not the other way around.

More later after a thrilling Phatt Boys shift.

BC Drops Another

The Boston College men's basketball team continued it's free-fall through the top 25 last night with a 78-60 loss at home to North Carolina State. The loss dropped the Eagles record in the ACC to 0-3 and kept them in the basement of their new league.

While I fully expected that there would be an adjustment period for BC heading into the best basketball conference in the country I did not think that it would be this bad. So far the 3 ACC teams that have beaten them have all been ranked lower than the Eagles, and Georgia Tech who beat them on Sunday was not ranked at all. Heading into their ACC debut at Maryland BC was ranked 6th in the nation, by tip-off last night their ranking had fallen to 15th and with last night's loss to 18th ranked NC State the plummet will surely continue.

Coming in to the season I was cautious about the Eagles' chances on the road in the ACC regardless of the caliber of the opponent. Every road game from Duke to Clemson is a challenge in this league and every fan in those stands is out for blood. However, even I (the biggest BC pessimist to ever attend the institution) thought that they would be able to defend their home floor against teams over whom they have at least a marginal advantage. Apparently I was wrong.

In thinking about last night's game one thing occurred to me. If a team is used to playing their road games at Duke, UNC, and Maryland coming to the Heights must seem like a vacation. Unlike the big time programs the students and fans at Conte Forum are almost entirely removed from the floor, allowing for a very quiet environment. The seats closest to the court are (in typical BC fashion) given to the highest bidders, donors, and VIPs. The majority of students (who don't arrive 2 hours early to sit behind one of the baskets) are relegated to the upper decks, high above the court. The spectators that sit close to the floor are reminiscent of an NBA crowd, hardly involved in the game, rarely loud, and never a factor for the other team. The risers behind the baskets are filled with rowdy fans but they are tiny, holding maybe a few hundred students total, which is a far cry from the entire lower level at Cameron Indoor or the huge walls behind the baskets at Maryland. Also, the older fans at BC games are not there to chant, cheer, heckle, and root for the Eagles, in fact I wonder why they are there at all. The older alumni and fans at other arenas are like an extra student section, and in fact may be more involved than the BC student section. The point is that Conte Forum is almost like a neutral site for visiting teams. It occassionally gets loud but in general the fan base is apathetic and many of the students who would like to go to the games can't get tickets because such a large percentage of the seats are used for BC's political purposes. (Don't forget how badly the administration bungled student ticket sales for this season.)

If the athletic director Gene DeFillipo hopes to build a competitive basketball program in the ACC serious changes need to be made to the atmosphere at Conte Forum to make it advantageous for the home team because right now that area holds no intimidation for visiting opponents whatsoever. Watching the Eagles play at home after watching the Maryland crowd literally take over the game at College Park a few weeks ago is like comparing apples and oranges. In a close game the atmosphere can be the 6th man, but the lack thereof can also add confidence to a road team that should be overmatched. That was the case last night. The crowd wasn't a factor and NC State took advantage. Someone at BC needs to figure this out, and quickly. If they continue to drop home games, and then have to go on the road in the conference to try to save their season it could be a long year for Al Skinner and his squad.

As for this game itself the Eagles created a bevy of problems on their own without help from a nonexistent crowd. On offense they missed 16 of their first 19 shots, their first 8 of the second half and finished the game shooting 32.3% from the field, 33% from 3 point range, and 59% from the free throw line. Defensively they looked lost, allowing NC State to shoot 63.4% from the field and an absurd 58.8% from beyond the arc. As coach Herb Sendek said after the game the Wolfpack were able to score, "in a variety of ways." Chris Simmons created, "matchup problems" (translation: they couldn't stop him) and Tony Bethel was lights out from outside hitting 4 of 6 3's. The normally potent combination of Jared Dudley and Non-American Craig Smith combined to shoot 11-34 and accounted for 30 total points.

After the game Al Skinner said, "As much as I hate to say it this tape goes in the trash. There's nothing in it for us." Ah, Al there's tons in it for you. Start with Sean Williams, remind him to watch for the backdoor play that burned him not once, not twice, but three times in the second half. Isn't he your defensive specialist? Is he not a liability on offense and only gets minutes for his play on the defensive end? Or maybe you could show Craig Smith a tape of himself shooting a 3 and remind him that he is a faux All-American because of his inside game, not his ability to hit from outside, or better yet show him a tape of Chris Simmons lighting him up to show him what effective interior play looks like. In fact point out every player and just about everything they did as an example of what not to do, come on coach this should be running on a constant loop in the locker room until they get this stuff right.

The only positive from this game was that the Eagles mounted a mini-run to pull within 9 on a Sean Marshall 3 with 12:45 to play. During the 2 minutes prior to that basket BC showed its only signs of life, putting on defensive pressure and making shots. A quick dunk on NC State's next possession put a stop to that and the gig was up.

If BC has any hope of competing in this league this year and beyond they need to learn how to play ACC basketball. In this league you need consistent shooters, not just horses inside, and your horses inside need to be more than 6'8" bulldogs that can be stopped and contained by a tall double team. You need these players to construct a more explosive offense that can come back from defecits because every team in this league (except BC) has the ability to make a huge run and get a lead, especially at home. Guard play is at a premium because defensive pressure is a commonality, particularly on the road where you need poised ball handlers to handle the intense environments. Al Skinner has done a great job getting fringe players that were under recruited and turning them into stars at BC, now to compete he needs actual stars. The time for scrappy Sean Marshalls and Tyrese Rices has passed at the Heights, if the team's makeup does not reflect that after this season 0-3 starts will be no rarity.

Wild Card Weekend

For Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Gillette Stadium faithful it was business as usual. The Patriots, by virtue of a dominating second half eliminated the overmatched Jacksonville Jaguars 28-3 on Saturday night to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. The win was an NFL record 10th straight playoff win for the Pats and it ran the unblemished record of the Brady / Belichick duo to 10-0. With the victory (and a Pittsburgh win over Cincinnati) the Patriots earned a trip to Denver next Saturday night to face the Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Coming in to the matchup most experts and fans agreed that the Patriots had the advantage given their playoff history and the home climate conditions in New England in January but few expected that the margin would be this wide. After all the Jaguars were 12-4, 2 games better than the Patriots in what is a tougher division (only given the presence of the Colts). They played Indianapolis tough twice, losing by 7 on both occassions (and they only gave up 10 points in the first meeting). They also beat Seattle, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh in the first 6 weeks of the season. After week 7, however, their schedule weakened remarkably as they played only 1 team with a winning record over their last 10 and in the end their 3 good wins early in the season were their only legitimate victories. (You were wondering where all the terrible teams were while the Patriots were getting manhandled by the entire cast of the NFL playoffs? They were playing the Jags.) They also lost Byron Leftwich on November 27th for the majority of the second half allowing their weak schedule to grant them a few victories they may not have merited with backup David Garrard. Nevertheless they were a 12 win team which is impressive regardless of whom the victories came against. They did not make their own schedule they simply beat all of the teams on it.

That leaves me with a question. Are the Patriots this good or are the Jaguars this bad?

One key to answering that question is the decision by Jack Del Rio to start Byron Leftwich against the Patriots. Frankly, put in the same position I probably would have started Leftwich over David Garrard. The rookie had played well but in a playoff game against Bill Belichick I would not want my chips riding on a player with just over 100 career pass attempts (0 against teams with winning records). The Pats make a living out of confusing quarterbacks and forcing them into mistakes and it is much easier to do so to a player who has never faced a Belichick defense. However since the Jaguars failed to muster a single touchdown an argument could be made that Garrard should have been given a chance. Leftwich was rusty, going 18-31 for 179 yards and no touchdowns. Garrard in limited action was 3-8 for 68 yards (41 of which came on 1 play). Leftwich predictably was immobile and unable to elude the rush of the defensive line, especially that of Willie McGinist who set an NFL playoff record with 4.5 sacks. Maybe the mobility of Garrard would have helped keep him upright, maybe his inexperience would have resulted in more tunrovers. I think in the end it did not really matter. When a team is forced to choose between starting an injured veteran with limited playoff experience or a rookie with none in New England the deck is immediately stacked against them.

Furthermore, this Jaguars team was not the same team that beat 3 top teams early in the season. At that time Fred Taylor was healthy, coming into this game he was not. (Gasp! Fred Taylor injured? He should not have enrolled in that Nomar Garciaparra school of durability.) Leftwich was getting time to throw down the field to a resurgent Jimmy Smith among others. And the defense led by a healthy Mike Peterson was stingy to say the least. After Taylor went down for a while and Leftwich got banged up they were entering the easy part of their schedule and the fortuitous matchups kept their record deceptively high.

In this game they met a New England team with a similar scheduling trend but moving in a totally different direction. Rather than using their easy schedule to fool people into believing they were a threat in the playoffs the Pats used their downtime to actually become one. To conclude either way on the question I posed above is difficult in this type of game. There is no question that the Patriots are good but a 28-3 margin is probably pushing expectations, and while the Jaguars looked totally anemic throughout they certainly are not this bad. However, given Leftwich and Taylor's injuries, the dreadful performance by the defense in the second half, and the fact that Del Rio looked totally overwhelmed all night I tend to lean more towards the Jaguars being this bad than the Pats being this good. I would hate to sound like I am disrespecting Tom Brady (quick duck!) but New England by no means played a perfect game and while the score reflects a blowout I'm not convinced that the margin was due entirely to superiority by the Pats.

Throughout this contest the Patriots made several key mistakes that would have buried them against a better team. 4 first half sacks on Tom Brady is far too many as are 4 fumbles (none of which were lost). They only managed 126 yards of offense over the first 30 minutes, but fortunately the defense held Jacksonville to only 115. At the end of the second quarter they had a chance to bury the hatchet but Deion Branch dropped Brady's long pass that hit him right in stride. Opportunities like that cannot be squandered against a better team like Denver, especially since they will not come out and completely lay down in the second half.

The Pats offense, more specifically Ben Watson, clinched the game late in the 3rd quarter with his incredible 63 yard touchdown reception. At the time the score was 14-3 and while Jacksonville had yet to accomplish anything in the second half the score was close enough to keep the game in doubt. On 3rd and 13 Watson caught a short pass from Brady on the right hash, broke 3 tackles, one of which seemed to narrowly miss bringing him down, and took it all the way to make it 21-3. Just a few plays later the outcome was fully decided when Asanti Samuel took an interception 73 yards to notch the final score of the game.

While I said that I thought this victory was more due to the failures of the Jaguars than the impressiveness of the Patriots there were plenty of positives that the team can carry into this week. Tom Brady was his usual steady self, throwing for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns (1 to David Givens who has caught a TD in his last 6 playoff games) with a passer rating of 116.4. The three headed rushing attack of Dillon, Faulk, and Pass accounted for only 98 yards but helped to manage the clock in the second half when the Pats were sitting on a lead. The defense accounted for 2 turnovers, 6 sacks, and a touchdown. The defensive unit also did not give up a 1st down until the 2nd possession of the 2nd quarter and stopped the Jags on 11 of 12 3rd down chances. Most importantly the Patriots overcame their meager performance in the 1st half and came out firing in the 2nd and were able to put the game away. That is vintage Patriots football. The championship teams of the past few years always seemed to come out of halftime with a renewed energy and a few adjustments that were able to put them over the top, these final 2 quarters were reminiscent of that. The teams that won the Super Bowl did not always play perfect games either, but they always did enough to win. That trait was something that was missing in this team earlier in the season but they seemed to find a little of that old 2nd half magic on Saturday and it distanced them from a mediocre Jacksonville team. If they can carry that momentum further into the playoffs they could be very tough to beat, but if they waffle around in the 1st half in Denver we could see a repeat of the game that took place earlier this season where they nearly dug themselves out of a 28-6 hole built by their inefficiency early in the game.

If the Pats hope to run their NFL record playoff win streak to 11 they will need to build upon this performance, not repeat it. Denver is probably the 2nd best team in the NFL and will be rested coming off of the bye. As Brady always says, "It will be a good test for us." It's a test they need to ace from the beginning, not just from the beginning of the 2nd half if they hope to continue their dynasty.

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Other Wild Card Weekend Notes:

Carolina at Giants: Eli in the playoffs, Eli in the playoffs, freakin' Eli in the playoffs. 3 interceptions (on 3 consecutive possessions), a lost fumble, and a mere 10 completions. Welcome to the big time D-Caf Jr. It seems that you have all the playoff poise that is genetically passed down to you from your big bro who can't win in the post season either. Luckily for the state of his car windows while driving through Manhattan Manning was not the lone Giant to fail to show up on Sunday. Tiki Barber a legitimate regular season MVP candidate managed only 41 yards on 13 carries. The G-Men as a whole put up a whopping 132 yards of total offense, exactly 0 of which were accounted for by Plaxico Burress. Remember when the Giants were considered a Super Bowl contender? Were you on board with that? Don't hang your head in shame, many people forgot that Mannings cannot win under the bright lights, just remember that when setting the line on D-Caf Sr. this weekend. I hate to revel in the failures of an individual but when that individual is so detestable it's just hard not to. We'll miss your "Daddy Why!?" sour puss this off season D-Caf Jr.. Hopefully you and Peyton can watch the Super Bowl together.

Washington at Tampa: In the least shocking road victory in the history of the NFL playoffs the Redskins edged the Bucs 17-10 to earn the right to lose to Seattle this weekend. Should this have been any surprise? It certainly was not to Patriots fans who watched the Bucs get simply demolished 28-0 a few weeks ago in New England. Like I said in my Wild Card weekend preview I can't believe that both of these teams made the playoffs. I would have much rather seen Vick and the Falcons than either of these teams, oh right the Falcons stunk too. Wow the NFC is horrible. Moving on.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: I really wish that Carson Palmer had not gotten hurt on the first play of the game. How telling was it that the play on which he tore his ACL and MCL would end up being the longest play from scrimmage of the day (and in franchise playoff history) for the Bengals? This could have been a classic matchup of speed vs. power, instead Pittsburgh was able to turn it into classic Steelers football with their running attack and their defensive pressure. The rest of the game saw Jon Kitna running for his life and trying not to lose the game for the Bengals, which in fact he did not. He just wasn't good enough to win it for them either. You have to feel bad for the fans of the Bengals, this was their first trip to the playoffs in 15 years and their franchise QB was finally playing the brand of football that was expected when they drafted him a few years ago. Their offense was exciting, their defense led the league in turnover margin, and their coach seemed to be pushing all of the right buttons. Then exactly one play into the game it all came crashing down. Regardless of Palmer's injury it seemed to me that the Bengals were on the down-slide anyway. They probably lost half on purpose to the Chiefs in week 17 but even before that the air was leaking from the balloon. In addition Kitna was one of only a dozen Bengals who had any playoff experience coming in so that advantage (which is huge in the playoffs) was with the Steelers going in. I took the Steelers in this game because I felt that would be the difference, but I certainly wish we had gotten to see how the best matchup of Wild Card Weekend would have played out with the Bengals at full strength.

My Weekend Predictions

Here are my predictions for the upcoming weekend, including tonight's Rose Bowl. I just wanted to get these opinions on the record so that when (if lightning strikes) I'm right you cannot say I did not tell you so.

Rose Bowl: USC by 14. I don't think Texas has much of a chance in this game. It's essentially a home game for the Trojans. Yes there will be a lot of Texas fans there but you cannot discount the fact that the game is being played in friendlier and more familiar confines for USC. They are closer to home, the locals are their fans, and their star(S!) are better than Texas' lone star... Simple math can provide the result: 2 Heisman trophy winners + 1 backup running back superior to all athletes on the opposing team save one - 1 quasi-legitimate Heisman candidate (LOUSY competition in the Big 12) = 2. Multiply the result by 7 (Matt Leinart's number 11 - Reggie Bush's number 5 + the number of times Texas has played in a game this important since 1970 1) and there you have it, a 14 point margin of victory.

EDIT: I am an idiot. 0-1, every USC fan should hold a huge grudge against me because I am the biggest jinx in sports. Or maybe they should look at Pete Carroll and his inexplicable decision not to spy Vince Young for the entire second half (or at least the last freaking drive when everyone in the world knew that the only way they were scoring was on a scramble!), or not to give Reggie Bush the ball on 4th and 2 with the game on the line. Didn't he win the Heisman? Didn't Matt Leinart win one as well? Nah forget all that, give it to that White kid instead, he deserves some time in the spotlight right? In case you forgot why Pete Carroll failed in New England...

Jaguars at Patriots: Pats by 10. The dynasty might end this year but it will not end at the hands of the greatly overrated Jack Del Rio and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Foxboro. Byron Leftwich had horrible mobility before he got hurt and now with a banged up ankle he is going to be a standing target for Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel, regardless of how many teammates are there to carry him down the field after completions. Fred Taylor has also been banged up all season and more or less for his entire career, he says that he is healthy but is he ever really? Corey Dillon on the other hand seems to have benefited from having week 17 off and should be a big factor, complimented by his now healthy backups Kevin Faulk and Patrick Pass. The Jags defense is stingy but not dominating and the Pats offense has moved successfully against better this season. Finally, and most importantly Tom Brady and Bill Belichick just do not lose this game. They are not an intangible they are a hammer that drops of the heads of those who come to Foxboro with dreams of glory. Also don't forget that by the end of the game the temperature will be in the high teens, it doesn't get that cold in Florida during this time of year does it?

Pathers at Giants: Eli in the playoffs. Those four words should be enough to put the fear of God into fans of the G-man everywhere. The only way the Giants win this game is if they keep D-Caf Jr. on his feet and make sure that he hands the ball off more than he drops back with it. It's going to take a steady diet of Tiki to slow the aggressive pass rush of the Panthers and slowing that rush is the only way to keep Eli's head in the game and keep is, "Daddy why!?" sour puss off the television screen. On the other side of the ball the Panthers need to get the ball going down the field. Deshaun Foster is taking this team exactly nowhere against NY's run defense so it's on Jake Delhomme and the absurdly talented Steve Smith to carry the load. I see this game being close but I just can't imagine a scenario where Eli can get through a playoff game without killing the Giants. Well actually I can imagine one, the NFL is just DYING to get as many Mannings into the spotlight in Detroit as possible. The schedule and this entire season has been set up to get Peyton there, to get Eli there to play him would just be gravy for Tagliabue so if New York is losing in the 4th quarter the NFL might order a lighning strike or some other natural disaster to strike down the entire Panther team in order to keep their dream alive. Panthers by 7.

Steelers at Bengals: What was that whistling sound followed by a loud boom that you just heard? Yup, that was the Bengals season going down in flames. Okay, that might be a little dramatic. I actually think that this will be the best game of the weekend. I like Pittsburgh because they are on a roll and Cincy just got throttled in their last playoff tune up and have been sliding. The Steelers beat on you relentlessly and gradually wear you down while the Bengals would prefer to play more of a finesse game and it the playoffs the finesse game often gets smacked around by the harder-nosed team (ask Indy). Also, we're talking about Cincinnati here, is anything good allowed to happen to this franchise? I think it will take a huge day through the air for Palmer, Houshmandzadeh, and Chad Johnson because I don't see Rudi Johnson getting anything going against the Steelers front 7. Early in the season the Bengals were running over people because of their amazing secondary in turnover ratio, now that ratio has come down to earth and their corners won't be able to help much against a Pittsburgh 3-headed running attack. Pittsburgh by 3.

Redskins and Buccaneers: Err...both of these teams made the playoffs? The NFC just stinks doesn't it? The Bucs really have to worry about their entire offense being led by rookies. Yes Carnell Williams has been a very impressive rookie but he's a rookie nonetheless and Chris Simms has yet to convince anyone he will be able to handle the pressure of a big game (see his performance at New England a few weeks ago). Mark Brunell on the other hand has been here and will be unfazed by playing a playoff game on the road and despite his injuries Clinton Portis has been running well. Any discussion about this game is basically a moot point because it's a race to see who gets to lose in the next round anyway. I'll go with the Redskins by 5 because of the same phrase I used in the Giants game: Simms in the playoffs.

One other quick note: the FSU vs. Penn State game was a classic but it brought up one question for me. What the heck are Jo-Pa and Bowden doing during these games? Neither of them are wearing headsets or calling plays, hell I don't think I saw either of them talk to a player other than Jo-Pa's paternal "the cameras are watching" head pat to his kicker after his potentially game clinching miss. I posed this question to a Penn State fan sitting at my bar last night during the game and he said, "Shut up, don't wake Jo-Pa up we're doing fine." Finally, has Happy Valley been in the midst of a heat wave or has a certain someone been hitting the tanning bed lately? The man's face was freezer-burn orange, get Jo-Pa some sunscreen before he gets skin cancer for the love of Pete!

One Liners

* Sorry about the infrequent posts recently. Internet access has been sporadic with the family on the Cape and the holidays have tied me up. Things should get back to normal next week. Since I only have 25 minutes to get this out this morning it's one liners only.

- Tom O'Brien is the worst game day coach in competitive football. He committed the cardinal sin of trying not to lose rather than trying to win in yesterday's MPC Computers Bowl. He and the Eagles had a chance to prove that they did not belong in the Smurf Turf Bowl, they failed and it is his fault. He should be fired.

- WEEI Correspondant on Boise, "The only way I can describe it is to say that it's like Worcester with mountains."

- The Patriots are better off with the 4th seed in the AFC. Pittsburgh is playing better than Jacksonville and the matchup of David Garrard against Tom Brady is a laugher. Also, you want to get to Indy as soon as possible, you do not want to give them a game to pull it together. Dungy's son's death was a tragedy but football is heartless, get to Indy while they are down.

- The end of Monday Night Football on ABC is irrelevant. Everything that is under copyright with ABC is under the same umbrella with ESPN in the Disney Corp.. If you have cable, and almost everyone does the product will look remarkably similar.

- I need a mole in the Patriots organization. "Tedy Bruschi has a leg injury." No kidding, we all saw his leg get tweaked. How bad is the injury? Will he play against Miami / in the playoffs? What the heck is actually hurt down there? Clearly Larry Lucchino is not running the Patriots or every detail would have been leaked to the Globe from the sideline.

- NFL Live basically called Eli Manning a pussy last night. They were pointing out his completion percentage (51%) and saying that his accuracy is affected by his fear of getting hit by the pass rush. Did someone on the Easily the biggest Suckups to Peyton Network (ESPN) say something bad about a Manning? Mark down the date.

- Can we please stop talking about who is playing quarterback for the Bears? Who cares, that offense stinks regardless of who is taking the snaps and the defense is only totally dominant against weak NFC competiton. They will be watching from the couch by mid-January. I can't believe so many hours of my life have been wasted listening to people talk about Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton and an overrated defense.

- Remember when Matt Millen once hit a guy with his helmet after a game? Yeah he's the GM of the Lions. Any questions?

- Millar is literally blaming WEEI for the dismantling of the Red Sox. Ah, Kev for you it's your horrendous batting average and inability to ever get a big hit. For the rest of the team its the axis of arrogance.

- Manny and Clement for Tejada is a TERRIBLE deal. Manny is far better than Tejada and then you throw another player on top of that? Someone should be trading the Red Sox their entire team for Manny not the other way around.

- Can you imagine Gil Mesh and Jeremy Reid patrolling Fenway next season? Get used to it, and also say goodbye to Jon Lester. Now they've allowed their entire team to come unglued and are forced into trading a huge prospect for two bums. Nice work Larry.

- FIRE TOM O'BRIEN! PLEEEEEEAAAASSEEEE! He could give BC an opportunity to lose to Boise State! Oh wait HE ALREADY DID THAT! His inability is unparalleled!

$$$$$$$$$$

I will remain calm. I will not rant and rave. I will not curse. I will not scream. I will not break anything.

On October 27th, 2004 the door was opened by 25 "Idiots" for the Red Sox to assume control of the AL East, and baseball as a whole. The balance of power was shifted, the Yankees had taken a shot on the chin and the aging giant seemed unlikely to rise up again immediately. Steinbrenner wanted blood and the Red Sox covered themselves in champagne and adoration from the masses.

There was more good feeling around Red Sox nation (a perpetually downtrodden group) that day and in the days to follow than there has ever been. We were vindicated, triumphant, champions. This Red Sox ownership was a given a chance to make us all forget about Aaron Boone, Bill Buckner, and "next year" not just for a little while, but forever. 2005 was a wash, a season highlighted by a ring ceremony regardless of wins and losses. Even in defeat we were constantly reminded that the Sox were defending champions. Red Sox management could have transcended the game and become Gods in Boston, perpetuating the good feelings of October 27th far into the future.

Simply, they blew it.

First Pedro went to the Mets. Fine. He hated it here, he was the best Red Sox pitcher of all time but his departure was a foregone conclusion. No hard feelings towards him or the Red Sox on this one, we knew what he was and I will never begrudge him after his immense contributions over the course of 9 years.

Second, they allowed the wildly popular Orlando Cabrera to leave. Not a problem, his value was inflated after his post season performance. But then to fill his void they went out and got Edgar Renterria an even more overvalued shortstop who ended up producing less than Cabrera would have. However, his career numbers were impressive so one bad year under a brighter spotlight than he has ever played in is no cause for panic, more on this later.

Derek Lowe was a hero in the playoffs but a goat for the 6 months before that, his signing with the Dodgers was the only move that made sense for him. His post season performance jacked his value up way beyond reality and he took the money. I will always love D-Lowe for game 7 regardless, but I will remember how bad he was in the summer of '04 everytime I start to miss him. But now the floodgates are open an the '04 team is fleeing the coop quickly.

Then the sky started falling. After the '05 season Larry Lucchino personally robbed Red Sox fans of half of their lingering positive feelings from the previous year by forcing out native son and local hero Theo Epstein with his arrogance and sleaze. The media leaks, the back stabbing, and in-fighting created one of the ugliest scenes imaginable and left the Sox in the lurch for a GM with major business ahead of them. For fans, this was starting to feel familiar.

Skip forward a few weeks and now the Sox and whoever is pulling the strings have made 2 trades. First they traded Hanley Ramirez who has been considered their best prospect for a while now, and others for Josh Beckett (and also Mike Lowell = Bill Mueller to the Dodgers) in a move that was just crying to be approved by Red Sox nation. We took the bait and applauded despite knowing that we were losing Mueller in the process, though we did not know whom we were applauding. Then in a move that reeked of, "We don't need Theo!" they traded Renterria for some 12 year old kid from Iowa and a case of beer, plus sent $11 million to the Braves so they would take him. Now those game 7 memories were starting to seem like a vague dream, one that we had at least 86 times between 1918 and 2004.

So now just as the old feelings of resentment and misery as a Red Sox fan were starting to creep back in hope springs eternal. They will re-sign Johnny Damon, the core of the team will remain in tact: Schilling, Varitek, Manny, Ortiz, Nixon, etc. "Remember game 7? Yeah, Johnny was great in that game, it will be great to have him back."

Ooops.

Just as they did with Epstein the Red Sox arrogantly assumed that there was no way Damon would leave, and they never even considered the Yankees to be a threat in the negotiations. Not a threat eh? When have we known the Yankees to not be a threat in high dollar value negotiations? Lucchino and his shocking ego thought they had the deal by the throat and that eventually Damon would realize that this rock-star status would be diminished anywhere other than Boston and that he would accept whatever they offered. With Lucchino, Ben, and Jed clearly drunk at the wheel Damon packed his bags and made a midnight escape to the enemy.

And here we are December 23rd, 2005 and the Red Sox team of October 27th, 2004 has been blown up. Among others who are now gone: Millar, Bellhorn, and Embree (not that we miss them, but they were all crucial to that '04 team). Those good feelings are eradicated and once again we are reduced to looking angrily and fearfully 200 miles to the south at the Brox as they just get better and better.

We thought that things would be different, we thought they had changed. Thanks to Lucchino's pervasive arrogance, Damon's greed, and our delusions things have changed. The thing is, the changes I was hoping for were for the better, not the worse.

Good riddance Johnny, we would have loved you forever. There is no way you will be the star in New York that you were here, but you were blinded by the $$, your impossibly high-eyed view of yourself, and the stupidity of the Red Sox. I blame you and I think you are a traitorous little rat that has been exposed for what he really is, but I blame Lucchino more and it's his head that I want now.

Oh right, I almost forgot, they still want to trade Manny... maybe they could trade him to the Yankees for Damon and save 7 million. Morons.

Merry Christmas from the B-Slant, sorry I just dropped the ball on the Week 15 post. I would blame it on Christmas shopping but I'm just headed out to start that right now.

What If Weekend

If you are an NFL fan lucky enough to live in a city with a competitive team most likely this is your, "What If Weekend." The formulas involved in calculating what needs to take place for your team to make the playoffs rival the algorithms that are used to break down genetic code, and are far beyond this simple english major's mental capacities.

Instead of going down the, "The Broncos get in if the Steelers and Chiefs both tie at exactly 21.3 points each and their cheerleaders engage in one bathroom sex act in Carolina," path the B-Slant is going to make up it's own "What Ifs" and logic be damned.

What if San Diego shocks the experts and beats Indy?

2 things will happen if the Chargers knock of "D-Caf" and the Colts. 1. My dream scenario where the Colts go undefeated through the rest of the regular season, get the first round bye and have the play the Patriots in the divisional game only to subsequently lay the biggest egg ever on the biggest stage ever cementing once and for all who the team of the decade really is, will be ruined.
2. Sean Salisbury will hang himself with Mark Schlereth's tie. 2a. Not one regular starter will play next week at Seattle on either team if the Seahawks have NFC home field wrapped up. The resulting game will be among the most boring 60 minutes in the history of football, Tony Dungee will actually slip into a coma at one point.

What if Pittsburgh beats Minnesota?

The Brad Johnson School of Scientology will be disbanded after just 6 weeks of practicing religion. To Daunte Culpepper the idea of sitting in court all day on misdemeanor charges won't seem to bad. And the cosmos will be realigned to support rational thought.

What if Minnesota beats Pittsburgh?

Satan himself will emerge from the depths of Hell to take the second of Brad Johnson's souls that are now indebted to him. Vikings fans will say, "Eh, it was worth it." Ben Rothlisberger will be seen with books of dark magic, a 6 pointed star, and Johnson's phone number. If that fails he will charter a boat.

What if Tom Brady does not play against Tampa?

Mass suicide attempts will be reported around Massachusetts. The name Doug Flutie will call a few potential jumpers back from the ledge but then they will remember that he is 104 years old and will then light themselves on fire instead. Corey Dillon will carry the ball 44 times, for 88 yards against the Bucs new "11 on the line" defense. The final score of the game will be Chris Simms 7 Patriots 0. Those who attempted suicide and failed will try again realizing that the Dolphins have still not been eliminated.

What if the 49ers beat the Jaguars and the Lions beat the Bengals?

Almost every playoff scenario you read in the AFC involves these two teams beating their meager NFC competition. If they lose everything gets thrown up in the air for Pittsburgh, San Diego, KC, and Denver. If the Bengals win they clinch the AFC North, if the Jags win and everyone else (except the Bengals) loses they clinch a wild-card spot. What would I make of my balance of power argument (the AFC far ahead of the NFC) if the worst of the AAA conference came in and beat 2 of the alleged class of the AFC? Not much. Just like how much of a chance there is that this will happen. Not much.

What's the only thing that could make Daunte Culpepper's year worse?

The Vikings win the Super Bowl without him, leading all the mid-west racists that have called for his head for years to literally lynch him onto a giant Brad Johnson statue in his front yard. Seriously though, a terrible performance, a year ending injury, a resurgent team in his absence, and now legal charges. I would trade places with most NFL players in a heartbeat. Not Daunte though. This is not really a what if, is it?

What if I basically ran out of steam on this post long before I planned to? Then it would end here. Maybe more later.

Remember the Good Old Days Donovan

I'm confused by what is going on in Philadelphia between J. Whyatt Mondesire (is there a more pompous name this side of J.D. Rockefeller?) head of the local NAACP and Donovan McNabb.

Maybe I'm too white to understand this but I thought the NAACP was supposed to support blacks not call them out as mediocre AND racially improper. This whole thing seems totally counterintuitive.

First off all, why now? McNabb has been out for over a month and the Super Bowl in which Mondesire is alledging that he choked was almost a year ago. What has he been sitting in the NAACP offices everyday stewing on this until he finally decided that he couldn't take it anymore and needed to make a statement? McNabb is done for the year and this Eagles' season is over, was it that slow of a news day in Mondesire's publication and he needed something to boost readership or is he just an idiot?

Secondly, did Mondesire watch the Super Bowl? Has he watched any Eagles games over the last 5 seasons? The Patriots won the Super Bowl last year, Donovan McNabb did not choke it away. Period. Anyone who watched the game could have told you that. If he was sick in the huddle on the last drive that tells me something about the effort he had already put out, and if he was not ill there is no guarantee that the Eagles score anyway. The Patriots would likely not have allowed that game to slip away, sick McNabb or not. Furthermore, Philadelphia never would have reached that position without him, nor would they have reached the previous 3 NFC Championship games. He was the best player on one of the best teams in the conference for 4 consecutive years, what more do you want from him? If that is a failure as a leader I'll take failure every year if I'm an Eagles fan.

Third, how can Mondesire honestly look at the Terrell Owens situation and blame anyone but the perpetrator himself? He contends that the problem could have been resolved if McNabb, "had the courage to offer only a tiny fraction," of his contract bonus to make T.O. and Brian Westbrook happy. Clearly this is Mondesire's first foray into the field of sports. Why should McNabb give up a part of his contract, a deal to which he is abiding, to help placate a blowhart millionaire who is unwilling to abide by his own lucrative deal? The idea that McNabb's unwillingness to pay Owens out of his own pocket contributed to the ultimate suspension etc. is absolutely preposterous and unfair. If that holds water you have to hold all of the 52 other players on the roster accountable in the same way. Blame T.O. for signing a bad contract, blame him for mouthing off in the press about team leaders, heck even blame the media for making it more of a circus, but don't under any circumstances try to blame a player on the team for not ponying up his own millions to a guy that has criticized him from day one. I hope that J. Whyatt isn't holding his breath for that type of behavior around the league, because it certainly is not happening.

Finally, I think the most ridiculous aspect of this story is the idea that by not scrambling as much McNabb has hurt to cause of black athletes. Is he serious? So by that token Byron Leftwich, who moves about as well as Dan Marino, must have set the cause of black athletes back 100 years, right? Quarterbacks get older and as such they realize that scrambling around gives huge 400 pound defensive linemen much more opportunity to try to plant them into the ground than passing from the pocket. That may be hard for Mondesire to understand because the only pocket he is likely familiar with rests on the laurel of his smoking jacket but if he were to follow the careers of some of the greatest running quarterbacks he would see that trend in all of them, black or white. Steve McNair, once a great running quarterback, now passes mostly from the pocket after not being able to practice for the better part of 2 seasons due to hits taken while scrambling around. Steve Young, Brett Favre, Joe Montana, all the same story, runners in the beginning of their careers that turned into pocket passers as their games developed.

Having a quarterback that can run is a weapon, but if I am an Eagles fan (and I am NOT) I do not want McNabb running all over the place. Why? Because very few quarterback runs are designed plays, most of the time when a QB takes off it is because the play did not develop downfield or the protection broke down early. Does any logical fan want a large percentage of their plays to break down and rely on the improvisational skills of your quarterback? Absolutely not.

As for the racial idea in his criticism shouldn't Mondesire want McNabb to be judged on an equal scale with all quarterbacks of all races? It seems completely against the idea of the NAACP for McNabb to be held to a different standard based on different criteria. He says that McNabb's lack of running later in his career belittles the struggles of black athletes who have had to endure "sterotypcasting" (which I'm pretty sure is redundant). But the idea that McNabb should run simply because he is a black quarterback is inherently "typcasting" or "stereotyping" him into a mold that is not best for the team or best for his game at this stage of his career. Playing within a system that is best for his team's success and his health and productivity makes perfect sense and in my mind cannot be construed as belittling to anyone.

I think on some level I just do not understand Mondesire's argument. He claims that McNabb cited the idea that black quarterbacks should run as a reason that he no longer scrambles as much. There is no way that is accurate. Even though I am no fan of McNabb he is without a doubt a fierce competitor as is his coach Andy Reid. If either of them, who know infinitely more about football than Mondesire, thought that having McNabb run the ball more would help the Eagles win you can rest assured that he would. To suggest that it is some type of racial coup by McNabb to stop running is totally ridiculous and frankly shows a lack of sports intelligence that should preclude Mondesire from publishing his musings on the subject in a public forum. The Eagles under McNabb and the current management have had enough success to be beyond this type of reproach from ignorant, agenda laden, and misinformed critics, regardless of their stature within their own organization, be it the NAACP or any other.

There are those that would criticize McNabb's play and sadly in this country there are still those that would criticize his race but those criticisms cannot be piggy-backed together. In fact, the only thing racist about this argument is the fact that Mondesire tried to tie the two together. Any correlation between expected athletic performance and race is discrimination against the athlete regardless of who we are talking about. You would think that the head of an organization charged to fight against discrimination against blacks in all forms would know better and would be able to see the larger picture in what he was saying.

But hey, what can you expect, the man does work for a group that still contains the word "colored" in the name?

Welcome to the ACC

It has not been a banner week for Boston College sports. First an accepted invite to the Smurf Bowl in Boise, then a loss in basketball to highly ranked Michigan State in the Jimmy V. Classic, and finally Sunday night's loss at #21 Maryland to open ACC play.

The status report on Tuesday morning shows the football Eagles still punching tickets to Boise and the hoopers on a free-fall down the rankings from 6th to 13th.

Let's start with Sunday's game. It's as if the schedule makers had a sense of humor when slating BC's first ACC game at probably the toughest place to play in the conference. The Maryland faithful are like nothing the Eagles have seen in the Big East and the Conte Forum fans should take notes on how to impact a basketball game.

That being said the Eagles were considered the better team coming in to the matchup. It just never really played out that way. Maryland consistently led and while the Eagles always came back to pull within a handful the Terps always answered, leading by 3 four times in the early going of the second half.

Maryland's dominance but inability to pull away prompted the NESN's color man to say, "Maryland seems like they should be ahead in this game by a lot, but BC has a way of somehow keeping themselves in it."

After BC briefly took the lead 51-49 the game went back and forth the rest of the way leading to 5 lead changes and ultimately the agonizing conclusion. After BC played "foul game" to extend the clock the game seemd to be in hand for the Terps when they led 73-68 with 8 seconds remaing. Then Tyrese Rice hit a running 3 pointer to pull the Eagles within 2. With the game on the line Maryland inexplicably failed to get the ball in bounds, rolling it across the paint untouched and out of bounds on the other side giving BC renewed life. With 2.2 seconds BC took the ball out of bounds from the left corner of their end needing a basket to force overtime but like Maryland they threw the ball away, sending it down the court untouched all the way to the other baseline before a Maryland player caught up with it.

After the conclusion the Maryland fans stormed the court mistakenly thinking that they had defeated the #6 team in the country when they had really just defeated an overrated team in over its head in the hostile confines that come with ACC road games.

One of the major issues in this game as well as the Michigan State game was free throw shooting. The Eagles shot an abysmal 5-15 (33%) from the line. Jared Dudley went 0-4, mostly down the stretch with the Maryland student section clearly affecting him. After his misses he would pace around and glance up at the raucous students only giving them more fervor. Maryland on the other hand shot 19-29 from the line. A 14 point differential in free throws will be more than enough to bury a team everytime.

BC's first team All-American Craig Smith filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. However, once again he vanished down the stretch, this time because he fouled out with .57 seconds to play, his last foul coming on an out of control drive to the basket where he clearly should have pulled up and shot a jumper. Once again he was unaware of time and score, a player of his alleged caliber knows that his team cannot afford to lose him in a close game with a minute to play and avoids contact, Smith has yet to realize that. All 5 of his fouls came in the second half. As per usual his last basket came with over 6 minutes left to play. On the defensive end he was torched by Ekene Ibekwe for 21 points.

Smith's front court mate Jared Dudley struggled in what was likely the harshest environment he has ever played in scoring only 12 points on 6-15 from the field and the afore mentioned 0-4 from the line. I do not hold Dudley too accountable for his play, watching the game you could see the passion as he threw his body around. He was playing harder than anyone else out there and it was obvious, his shots just were not going down. The only play that I take issue with came when BC was down 71-67 with 11 seconds to play. Dudley launched a 3 from the corner that missed everything by a long margin. He needs to know in that situation that the outside jumper just is not working for him and either pass off to a better shooter or take it to the basket and force contact.

Similarly to Smith time, score, and situation seem to be an issue for Dudley and for the team as a whole. Trailing 70-67 with 30 seconds to play Rice failed to foul D.J. Strawberry, one of Maryland's questionable throw shooters for almost 9 seconds, deciding instead to play straight up defense. Louis Hinnant finally came over from the far side and stopped the clock with 21 seconds remaining. Rice simply was not aware that Maryland no longer had to shoot the ball as the shot clock was off and that every second that ticked off was precious time BC needed to mount a comeback. Al Skinner needs to do a better job of preparing his team for late game situations or his team will continue to struggle in these pressure packed ACC matchups that almost always come down to who executes the best in the clutch.

The next 5 games for the Eagles should all be cupcakes, giving them an opportunity to figure out the missing pieces before their next ACC road game at Georgia Tech on January 8th. Checking on the B-Slant's predictions:

They'll probably start out strong (no worse than 5-1 against Dartmouth,
Shawnee State, Buffalo, Drake, Oklahoma State / TCU, and Sacred Heart) but won't blow any of those teams out. They'll stay in low teens in the rankings. Smith
will be averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds per game. Their defense will be stout
(but not great without Williams) but their offense will be stagnant.Then they'll
play the top 5 worthy Michigan State team and get demolished by 30 on ESPN.
They'll fall after that game to somewhere in the mid to high teens. Then 5 days
later they'll lose to Maryland in a relatively close, boring game at Maryland
and fall in the rankings to the high teens or low twenties. Smith will have one
good and one awful game in those two, keeping his averages the same and showing the country that he was not worthy of the pre-season All American status.

Sure they did not get blown out by Michigan State and there is no way that playing in College Park, Maryland in front of those fans could ever be boring but otherwise I'd say I was pretty close. Smith is averaging 16.4 points and 8 rebounds instead of 16 and 6. Proving yet again that even the worst prognosticators (I am a terrible one) can predict the outcome of major Boston College sports.

Which leads me to my next point. Why are they so predictable? In light of BC's bid to the Potato Bowl a raging debate amongst students, alums, and Bostonians has begun about the reasons BC has ended up in such a disappointing spot for an 8-3 team. Among many opinionated folks the blame is squarely placed on the shoulders of athletic director Gene DeFillipo, an almost cartoonish character in the BC community. I think that ultimately this is accurate but only in a trickle down effect.

The real blame for this bowl bid belongs to Tom O'Brien, but his continued tenure as head coach is DeFillipo's fault. As a fan of any sport there will always be decisions that make you scratch your head and say, "What the heck was he thinking?" However, when something develops, like an obviously necessary change at quarterback from Quinton Porter to Matt Ryan, and every fan seems to know what needs to be done and the coaching staff does not then you have a problem. Fans are fickle, often wrong, and of course know less about the game than the coaches, but this time we were all right and everyone but O'Brien and his staff knew it. That type of shortsightedness is what is holding this program back and has been for the duration of O'Brien and his offensive coordinator Dana Bible's tenure at BC.

You have to give them credit, they have changed the football landscape in Chestnut Hill but their philosophy of conservative play calling and old school football has taken the Eagles as far as they can go. The only way for this team to break out its middle of the pack mold would be to bring in a new coaching philosophy. The academic standards are not getting any easier so the talent will improve only marginally as BC enters the ACC so the only logical thing to change is the archaic and stubborn coaching staff.

In addition to the problems with their philosophy quite possibly O'Brien's greatest failure as a coach is his inability to get his team ready to play every week. Yes, they have had some great wins under his leadership but every year they completely fail to show up against an inferior opponent. The players have changed over several times and the trend continues so the only person to blame is the only person still invovled, the coach. Failure to have your team psychologically ready to play every game is an inexcusable coaching weakness and for the past 2 years it has cost the team and the fans dearly. Instead of a BCS bowl last year and a southern bowl this year the Eagles have received bids to essentially 2 road games in Charlotte against UNC and in Boise against Boise St.. With predictable wins over Syracuse and UNC BC is a different program all together and the inability to make those steps should be enough to see the removal of Tom O'Brien.

While I am no great fan of Gene D.'s, he cut 2 teams that I had personal connections to in my time at BC (water polo and lacrosse) and the feeling was that my team (swimming) was next on the chopping block, you have to give him credit for 2 things. He has courage and vision. He sees the ACC in the big picture and knows that it is a better athletic league and long term it will be beneficial at least to the big time sports to play under brighter lights. He read the writing on the wall and saw that the Big East was heading down in a hurry and made the necessary moves to avoid going down with the sinking ship. This year 8-3 in the ACC is much more impressive than 10-1 in the Big East would have been. Many AD's would have feared the alienation from the league, the press, and all type of nay-sayers. DeFillipo saw through that potential and pulled the trigger on what will be in the end one of the most important moves ever made for BC athletics.

That being said, if his vision is limited to gradeur in the ACC then he will continue to contribute to the problem with the football and basketball programs. The MPC Computers Bowl is not his fault but if he allows Tom O'Brien to continue to strangle this program with his tight fisted conservative attitude the resulting continued mediocrity will be on his head. He needs to look inward to solve this problem and to avoid its recurrance rather than outwardly blaming the southern bowls for passing BC over and the ACC for not forcing their hand.

In addition to DeFillipo the other scapegoat for the Smurf Bowl seems to be BC's apathetic fans. Can you really argue with this? The games are half empty at kickoff, the fans are quiet in comparison to other ACC programs, and the passion simply does not resonate from Alumni Stadium. This problem is 2-fold.

1. Much of a college's fan base is made up of alums. Most of BC's alums attended the school in the days when the football program was hardly the success it is today. They attended the school in an apathetic environment due to the lack of a competitive program and their apathetic attitude persists even now that the team is competitive. They, as much as the students show up late, leave early, and focus on tailgating. These older fans should allegedly be leading the fan base by example, if they fail to do so how do you expect 20 year old kids to lead the way?

2. BC football exists in spite of a repressive environment set upon it by the school and the community. Chestnut Hill hates the BC football program. The town hates the traffic, the noise, the drinking, and everything involved with big time college sports. They actually refuse to issue the school a permit to hold games on campus for the whole season. Each Monday after a game day the school meets with the town and after the meeting they decide whether the town will issue a permit to the school for the next game. Thus, the absurdly short tailgating hours, the excessive pressure on the fans by the police, and the no-tolerance attitude surrounding the whole event. Fans that fight through traffic for hours to park on their $5000 Shea Field parking spaces do not want to be pestered and hustled off the field by mounted police half an hour before game time. The 2 hour pre-game rule is absolutely absurd and is I think the main reason that the stadium stands half empty at kickoff. Fans want to enjoy the whole spectacle of the game which includes tailgating and they want to feel as though they are getting their money's worth for the absurd parking space fees, grills, food, and beer. After sometimes less than an hour after traffic etc. fans begin to be nagged by the unending arrogance of the BCPD but do not feel ready to pack it up and head in. Extend the tailgate to 4 hours and almost surely the stadium will be fuller and rowdier than ever.

That will probably never happen, but it should be something that Gene D. is willing to work on rather than his political maneuverings. There are problems as the Heights for sure, and if Gene D. proves unwilling or unable to fix them then it's time to say, "Thank you, but like Tom O'Brien you can only take us so far," and close the door on this chapter and move forward. Maybe then we will see a less predictable product on the field and on the court.