Burress vandalizes a Patriots Chair for kicks
Category: Sports

andalizes?

If you aren't a fan of Plaxico Burress, and you owned an expensive New England Patriots recliner, then having him write his name over the face of your chair could probably be construed as vandalism.

According to Ralph Vacciano, a host on Sirius NFL Radio, and a New York Daily News reporter, Burress visited the Sirius studio recently.  When he saw the recliner, he did what any New Yorker would do... he defaced it -- um, I mean he autographed it.

I'm sure the fellas at Sirius appreciated having Burress stop by.  It's a safe bet, they would want his autograph.  But his choice of where to sign?  Well that probably didn't go over so well.




Vacchiano, who covers the Giants as well as the Jets as part of his beat, has not hidden the fact that he's a bit of a homer when it comes to his New York teams.  While no one can blame him for enjoying the success of the players he covers, endorsing Burress' decision to deface the Pats chair probably isn't something he should be doing.  Then again, it is the Daily News -- the same paper that traded headline insults on a daily basis with the Boston Herald leading up to Super Bowl XLII.

Enjoy his blog here

Feel free to leave him a few comments when you're there.

For More on Burress, check out THIS THREAD on the Patriots Insider forums about the class (or lack of) Burress has shown recently when it comes to the Patriots.  Looks like Burress' reputation from Michigan State is proving to be more reality than fiction.  Ironically, Burress is claiming the Patriots lack class. 

hhhmmm....

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Is Roethlisberger as good as Brady, Manning or Favre?
Category: Sports

Is Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as good as Tom Brady,  Peyton Manning or Brett Favre?

That's the question (and the claim) Pittsburgh fans have when it comes to their team's signal caller.  With a $100 million contract that pays him more than some of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, Roethlisberger better show that he's worth the money.

Scout.com took a look at Big Ben to see how he stacked up against the best of the best Past and present

 Is Roethlisberger on the Edge of Greatness?

Holding the ball too long is an issue for Big Ben

The Patriots head into 2008 with a number of challengers.  Some of them are  contenders -- able to knock New England out of its assumed place in the AFC Championship game (according to Vegas) --  some of them are pretenders.  The Steelers are reportedly among the first group.  The path to the Championship is likely headed through Foxboro again. 

Is Ben Roethlisberger be able to get that New England playoff monkey off the Steelers' back?

Roethlisberger: Contender or Pretender

your friends at Patriots Insider
www.patriotsinsider.com

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Fact or FIction: Junior Will Return For 1 more Year
Category: Sports

Fact or Fiction?

It's the middle of the dead zone in football coverage.  Over a week to go before camp, and a few weeks after anything meaningful happened in Patriots news.

One fan on Patriots Insider started the Fact of Fiction game to pass the time.  it's turned into a very popular thread.

USER: NEsince92
"I'll present a "fact or fiction" ... you tell me what you think. Offer as much insight as you can. Then, leave another "fact or fiction" for someone else to answer.

Fact or Fiction: Randy Moss will break his own record this year. (TDs in a season)"

See the answers: link

More Fact or Fiction questions and responses:

VinatieriDefinesClutch: "Fact or Fiction: Maroney breaks 1000 yards"

suburbanites: "Fact or fiction: The Giants and Patriots will meet again in the Super Bowl"

NEsince92: "Fiction to both.
Morris might get 1000 yards, but I don't think Maroney will be out there enough. He'll have some really exciting runs, but Morris will be the workhorse this season.
Giants will be lucky to make the playoffs.

Fact or fiction: Junior Seau will play one more season."

Want to play?  It's free and it's fun.

See all Fact or Fiction Entries Here

your friends at Patriots Insider
www.patriotsinsider.com

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Patriots Roundtable: Offseason Issue IV
Category: Sports

Patriots Roundtable: Offseason Issue IV

Patriots Insider contributors debate questions posed by our readers. In this issue of the round table the staff address concerns over the team's offensive line and the running game.

1. With the issue with Matt Light's health, Stephen Neal's recovery from injury and Nick Kaczur's personal problem, do the Patriots have the right backups in place?

LoVell Parkman: In my opinion the Patriots may not have the right starters in place, never mind the back ups. I was hoping that the Patriots would have upgraded the offensive line in the off-season however that didn't happen. The projected backups are Ryan O'Callaghan at Right Tackle, free agent acquisition Oliver Ross at Right Tackle, Gene Mruczkowski at Guard and Center with Billy Yates backing up at guard, with Russ Hochstein being the backup for three spots: Right Guard, Center and left Guard. Wesley Britt is the backup at Left Tackle. I don't expect much if anything at all from Mruczkowski. Once again he will probably make it down to the last round of cuts and get the axe. He will return when some one on the rosters suffers an injury. He will have as much impact on the team as people reading this column.

The most interesting story involves Nick Kaczur. We all have heard about his arrest during the off-season. The Patriots didn't cut him and may keep him around because Right Tackle is a concern. Kaczur is not and has not been the answer at Right Tackle for the Patriots. They have tried O'Callaghan there. Problem is that O'Callaghan can run block good enough for him to see action on the field and in goal line situations or when the Patriots want to run the ball, but he has problems pass blocking. Which is funny considering the program in college that he came from California. If O'Callaghan can somehow fix the problem in pass protection he perhaps can be the right tackle that that Patriots have been looking for. With the Patriots pass happy offense he is going to need to upgrade his pass blocking skills greatly.

The wild card could be Oliver Ross a free agent right tackle. He could come in and win the job in training camp. He has starting experience and can pass and run block more consistently than the other right tackles. His emergence could cause a player like Britt to get cut because Kaczur can also play Left Tackle and that versatility could keep him on the squad for another year. Hochstein is versatile and a valuable member of the offensive line who has seen playing time in pressure games including playoff games.

Jim Poore: I think the Patriots do have the back ups in place, but RIGHT was the key word in the question. I am not sure that they feel they have the right guys. They really wanted to sign Barry Sims, but he chose to go elsewhere. Oliver Ross was a good sign, but he is getting older and might not be as quick on his feet as he used to be. However, as we all know Bill Belichick is tremendous at making adjustments and I think he and Dante Scarnecchia will do so here. Nobody thought much of Logan Mankins when he was drafted a couple of years ago, and now he is a very good lineman. Russ Hochstein and Billy Yates are the key reserves, as well as Ross. Hochstein can also play a couple of different positions, which will help. I think the situation with Nick Kaczur bears watching, because a suspension from the league or some other disciplinary action will cause concern. If there is a suspension, and an injury to a starter, the Patriots might be borderline desperate.

Kevin Saleeba: After protecting Tom Brady and the one of the most prolific passing offenses in NFL history for 18 games, when it counted most, the offense line really let down in the biggest game of the year in one of the worst performances by an offensive line since the '85 Patriots in Super Bowl XX. So with Light and Neal's health in question and with Kaczur being a knucklehead in his personal life, BE AFRAID! Patriots fans! Be very afraid! At least they still have Logan Mankins.

Shane Leketa: This is a really good question because you really and truly just never know. The offensive line is something that has to have many different things happening for it to be effective. The number one thing, as expected, is injuries. If these large 300 plus pounders are healthy on those legs and ankles then that is a definite plus. Second area of need is cohesiveness. Can these guys play together and mesh well protecting the Captain of the ship and open holes for the running game? At first glance I have to say that I truly do feel that they do have the right chips in place but again, if one of them go down for the season or injuries plague them, this will change the offensive scheme of the Patriots and again, they may become a one dimensional team (Much like what happened in the infamous Super Bowl against the Giants)

Jon Scott: Heading into the 2008 season, I felt that the Patriots needed to address the future at offensive line, either through the Draft or via free agency. The current starters are still in place, but the backup situation was sorely tested the past two seasons and could use some attention. After looking through some past rosters (including backups), one thing stood out; the Patriots typically only start rookies (or young players) on the offensive line if they're high Draft picks, and the lower round draft picks (who typically become backups) tend to fall off the roster. The issue for the Patriots is that they only Draft an offensive lineman high if they have a hole - a starter who left or retired, or needs to move on. This team didn't have that from 2007, so they didn't' spend any Draft picks on linemen this season.

The primary backups Russ Hochstein (FA, 8th season), Billy Yates (FA, 5th season), Ryan O'Callaghan (5th round, 3rd season) and Wesley Britt (5th round, 3rd season) have just 21 combined starts over the past two years combined. None of them started regularly as rookies. Hochstein saw most of the action filling in at center and guard for Dan Koppen and Stephen Neal. O'Callaghan saw a fair amount of action when Kaczur was hurt, but Britt and Yates have seen limited duty.

I think the right tackle position is solid with Britt and O'Callaghan, but the interior may be a concern if Neal struggles with injuries again. Hochstein can play, and has proven himself. The team really doesn't have a replacement for Light, though Britt, O'Callaghan and free agent Oliver Ross all have potential to fill in as needed. I'm still not sold on the depth, and I think the team should develop another lineman after losing all three they drafted last season.

Read the rest of the answers...

Fans are encouraged to submit a topic for the staff to debate in the next Roundtable discussion. If we use your questions on the Roundtable, PatriotsInsider.com will send you a free gift*. The latest winner was joshah18, one of our MySpace friends.

Send us your submission: (Submit Roundtable Questions)
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8:38 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Draft Gaffes: Was Maroney the Wrong Choice?
Category: Sports

Draft Gaffes: Was Maroney The Wrong Choice?


By Dan Pieroni
PatriotsInsider.com
Posted Jun 28, 2008

Ever open a present and love what you got only to see something even cooler in the store the next week? It's the same with NFL Draft picks. We tend to wonder what would have been if only we picked that OTHER guy. PI looks at some recent Draft picks to see if year two told us whether it would have been a better move to draft that "other guy."

It's an age old football argument: Why did a certain team take a certain player with their first round pick when they could have drafted someone who has turned out to be a better player instead?

Once a player is drafted, it's easy for football fans to ponder what might have been, especially if the draftee fails to live up to expectations. What is often overlooked, however, is the fact that often times the NFL draft is akin to playing the lottery: sometimes you hit the jackpot, while other times you strike out.

Keeping the aforementioned facts in mind, let us now take into consideration how well the Patriots draftees within the last five years have performed during that period. With the help of the website pro-football-reference.com, we can compare stats of actual players drafted with players of the same position that the Patriots could have selected later.

The question to be answered is whether or not the player made an impact by their second year in the league. Player's rookie seasons have not been taken into consideration because some players take longer to adjust to the rigors of the NFL than others.

Lastly, we need to see when, if ever, that player finally has an impact on the Patriots' success. It may take several years before the player makes an impact, but if he's not producing by the end of his second season, how much value does he bring?

So without any further ado, let's analyze:

9:18 PM - 1 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

Trivia Tuesday: 6/24
Category: Sports

Trivia Tuesday:

Each week we'll test your knowledge of the New England Patriots. Tell us what you think the answers are and get entered into a monthly givaway.  Actual answers will be posted in link at the bottom

.

2) How many rushing touchdowns did Laurence Maroney have in 2006?

A) 4
B) 3
C) 8
D) 6

3) Of the running backs chosen in the 1st round of the 2006 Draft, who had the most touchdowns in their first two seasons?

A) Reggie Bush
B) Joseph Addai
C) Laurence Maroney
D) DeAngelo Williams

4) Who was the Patriots first opponent in the new Gillette Stadium?

A) Miami Dolphins
B) New York Jets
C) Pittsburgh Steelers
D) Oakland Raiders

5) Troy Brown's first career interception came from which quarterback?

A) Chad Pennington
B) Marc Bulger
C) Drew Bledsoe
D) Peyton Manning

6) How many players from the 2006 Patriots Draft remain on the team?

A) 4
B) 6
C) 3
D) 7

7) Who is the only UCLA player on the Patriots current Roster?

A) Wesley Britt
B) Matt Slater
C) Dan Connolly
D) Lewis Sanders

8) What is the last year a player from UCLA was on the Patriots final roster at the end of the season?

A) 2007
B) 2006
C) 2005
D) 2004

9) Who did Bill Parcells replace when he became the Patriots head coach?

A) Dick MacPherson
B) Pete Carroll
C) Rod Rust
D) Ron Erhardt

10) What was the first team Bill Belichick faced after becoming the head coach of the Patriots?

a) Buffalo Bills
b) New York Jets
c) Green Bay Packers
d) Tamp Bay Buccaneers

Think you know the answers?  Then tell us what they are and see how well you did compared to other fans

( Submit Your Answers Here )

MORE:
Triva Tuesday 6/17: Questions -- Answers

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Who Loves The Long Ball?
Category: Sports

Scout.com's Ed Thompson wrote a story we at Patriots Insider have been hoping someone with access to a great stats package would put together.  We knew the Patriots were Top 5, but were surprised by some of the other results.  When we asked Ed to look into it, he really liked the idea and put a ton of work into this piece.  

Great job by Ed.  Be sure to let him know what you think by using the email link in the article



The Best and Worst Against the Deep Pass

By Ed Thompson
Scout.com
Senior NFL Analyst
Posted Jun 23, 2008

Photo: Safety Sean Jones (AP Photo/ Steve Ruark)

Ed Thompson points out the five teams that were the best -- and the five that were the worst -- at defending 20-plus yard passes in 2007. Did the teams at the bottom do anything to improve their secondaries during the offseason? Find out in this Scout.com feature.

During the 2007 season, five teams were stung by passes of 20-plus yards at least 50 times, placing them at the bottom of the league in preventing big plays through the air. The Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns were the teams that opposing offenses were willing to roll the dice against when they wanted a quick strike downfield, because they just weren't able to consistently make the plays defensively.

By comparison, the league's best defense in this category was the Indianapolis Colts. In fact, the Colts not only allowed a league-low 20 passes of at least 20 yards, they were also tops in the NFL in touchdowns allowed off of big passing plays, surrendering just one long-ball touchdown during the entire regular season. Their success was a bit startling when you consider that Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden were first-time starters at the cornerback positions, and free safety Antoine Bethea was only in his second season as a starter — and pro football player — while he worked alongside veteran strong safety Bob Sanders. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished right behind the Colts with 24 long passes allowed, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots yielded 32, and the New York Jets rounded out the top five with just 34. 

While the ability to mount an effective pass rush plays a major role in limiting the opposing quarterback's time to find a man open deep, let's take a look specifically at what the five worst teams in this category have done to improve their secondary as they prepare for the 2008 season.

READ THE REST...

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2008 Playoff Predictions -- fact or fiction?
Category: Sports

New subscribers  to Scout.com get a WhatifSports.com gift certificate when you sign up.  If you like this type of analysis, then check out the other information available at WhatifSports.com.

 2008 WhatIfSports.com NFL Playoff Preview


By Paul Bessire
WhatIfSports.com Editor
Posted Jun 23, 2008

WhatIfSports.com has used its award winning simulation software to predict the 2008 NFL Playoffs.









Today we preview the Playoffs. First, we present playoff results with links to boxscores and play-by-play of each game. All games were simulated 1,000 times with the boxscores coming from example games with a similar result as the average outcome. Final standings, stats leaders and award winners are below.

AFC Wild Card Games
6 Buffalo 17 @ 3 Indianapolis 30 - The Bills have a great season, but it ends here. The Colts are too powerful to allow this to stay close. Lucas Oil Field sees its first playoff victory.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

5 Jacksonville 24 @ 4 Cleveland 28 - Despite the seeding and home-field advantage, this game can still be considered a surprise. Jamal Lewis tops 100 yards and Derek Anderson goes off for 325 yards and three scores.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

NFC Wild Card Games
6 Green Bay 31 @ 3 Carolina 19 - Both NFC Wild Card teams could win the divisions of the teams they are playing in the first round. In this game, Aaron Rodgers is very efficient with his 19 pass attempts and Ryan Grant controls tempo on the ground.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

5 New York 28 @ 4 Seattle 17 - The Giants are defending Super Bowl champs and the Seahawks are lucky to play in the NFC West. Mike Holmgren goes out with another division championship, but that's all.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

AFC Divisional Games
4 Cleveland 24 @ 1 New England 31 - Romeo Crennel just does not have the man-power to overcome his former team. The Patriots roll in a game that looks closer than it actually is.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

3 Indianapolis 23 @ 2 San Diego 20 - The Colts avenge last season's home playoff loss to the Chargers by taking a close one in San Diego.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

NFC Divisional Games
5 Green Bay 24 @ 1 Dallas 35 - Aaron Rodgers cannot find the magic of his 2007 showing in Texas. Young players James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Brandon Jackson score for the Packers, so the future is not so dim. They may be competing with Dallas for a while though, as Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Patrick Crayton and Felix Jones, who also have big games, are not exactly aging veterans.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

3 New York 28 @ 2 Minnesota 31 - Adrian Peterson makes his first playoff game a memorable one. Of his 178 total yards from scrimmage, Peterson gains 38 on the Vikings' game-winning overtime drive. On a neutral field, these teams are dead even. In Minnesota, the Giants' remarkable run of road playoff wins comes to an end.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

Conference Championship Games
3 Indianapolis 24 @ 1 New England 27 - Again? In the regular season, this game was a coin flip with New England on top just 52% of the time. In New England in January, the game is still close, but the Patriots have a little more of the edge.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

2 Minnesota 21 @ 1 Dallas 28 - The Cowboys have to be glad that they do not have to see the Giants for the third time this season and sixth time in two years. Minnesota is putting together a good team, yet they are not on the same level as Dallas. Adrian Peterson tallies 352 total yards from scrimmage in two playoff games. Unfortunately for the Vikings, Tarvaris Jackson throws six interceptions in those games. Neither team is undefeated this year, but the top seeds from each conference (the last two years) will face each other in the Super Bowl in Tampa.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

Super Bowl
New England 33, Dallas 31 - Super Bowl XLIII is quite the exciting nail-biter. The Patriots prevail for the fourth time this decade. Tom Brady earns MVP honors with 209 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Tony Romo matches Brady in TDs, but throws an early interception that leads to the Patriots' second score and swings all of the momentum in New England's favor.
Click to view boxscore with play-by-play.

READ THE REST...

6:17 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

We can’t all have Tom and Gisele’s style
Category: Sports

Roaming around some of my favorite blogosphere places, I happened across a deadspin post that linked up a NY Rant as only those NY papers can manage.




The guy (Eli Manning) goes out and pulls off one of the biggest upsets in NFL historyand the local paper can't stop picking on his choice of attire.

Sheese... no wonder New Yorkers are never happy.  Bash the winning QB a couple months after making history... now that's class.

The photo is from the New York Post where the writer, Jennifer Fermino, obviously has nothing better to do than provide fodder for her readers via the Post's local scene section.


Ms Fermino manages to bait one fashion wonk to chime in on the Super Bowl MVP.

Abby McGrew's dress is "too short, too tight, and doesn't fit well. The zipper doesn't zip and she's bursting out of it," said Linda Mann, head of Mann Media, who was eyeing photos of the beauty yesterday.

As for Super Bowl MVP Eli, Mann said he was a bit underdressed at the trendy happening.

10:36 PM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Trivia Tuesday
Category: Sports

in case you haven't been checking out the site... here's a story that was posted on Patriots Insider today.  If you want to be included in the giveaway, you need to follow the link.  Feel free to answer here though if you want to try your knowledge just for fun.

TRIVIA TUESDAY: 6/17

By Site Staff

Trivia Tuesday:

Each week we'll test your knowledge of the New England Patriots. Tell us what you think the answers are and get entered into a weekly givaway.  Actual answers will be posted on the site next week.

1) In 1993 the Patriots held the first pick in the Draft. They chose Drew Bledsoe. Who was the one other player they were considering?
A: Ryan Leaf
B: Rick Mirer
C: Trent Dilfer
D: Tommy Maddox

2) What year were the Patriots founded?
A: 1950
B: 1959
C: 1968
D: 1970

3) Which player has the most receptions in Franchise history?
A: Troy Brown
B: Stanley Morgan
C: Ben Coates
D: Irving Fryar

4) Who owned the Patriots before the Kraft Family?
A: Victor Kiam
B: Billy Sullivan
C: James Orthwein
D: None of the above

5) The Patriots have Drafted how many quarterbacks in the first round over the last 20 years (since 1988)?
A: 2
B: 3
C: 4
D: none of the above

6) Which Hall of Fame worthy quarterbacks were drafted by the Patriots
A: Fran Tarkenton
B: Jim Plunkett
C: Drew Bledsoe
D: Both B and C
E: All of the above

7) Who scored the first touchdown for the Patriots in the 2007 regular season?
A: Laurence Maroney
B: Sammy Morris
C: Randy Moss
D: Wes Welker

8) What is Laurence Maroney's nickname?
A: "Big Dog"
B: Superman
C: Kool Aid
D: Sweetness

9) How many Super Bowls have the Patriots been in?
A: 3
B: 4
C: 5
D: 6

10) The Patriots had 10 picks headed into in the 2007 NFL Draft. How many of the players they selected are still on the team?
A: 1
B: 2
C: 4
D: 5

Post your answers HERE: The Official Trivia Thread

 Check the thread for the answers as well

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