J E T S SUCK SUCK SUCK

Yup. Suck it NY.

Fun Fact Friday

Welcome to Fun Fact Friday. The FFF image is a comparison of the last 2 Red Sox records in years they won the World Series to now. As you can see, they are 2 wins better than their '07 squad, but only 2 games up on NY instead of 7.5. This can be attributed to just how elite the AL East is now, especially compared to divisions like the NL and AL Central ones.

Did you know?

• In 2010, former Red Sox first-round pick Matt Murton set the single season record for most hits in Japan's Nipon Professional Baseball League with 214. Murton, who plays in the outfield, was drafted by the Sox in 2003, and played in 155 games for Lowell and Sarasota. He was then included in the trade that sent Nomar to the Cubs and brought Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz to the Sox, helping lead them to their first World Series victory in 86 years. Murton played in 346 games with the Cubs, A's, and Rockies from 2005-2009, hitting .286 with 29 HR and 112 RBI. His 214 hits in 2010 broke Ichiro Suzuki's record of 210, set in 1994, six years before he would come to the US and play for the Mariners.
• Carl Crawford is the MLB's active leader in career triples, with 109. The all-time career record is 309, held by Sam Crawford, who played from 1899 to 1917 with Cincinnati and Detroit. The record will likely never be broken, as Curtis Granderson, Jimmy Rollins, and Christian Guzman are the only players to hit 20 or more triples in a season in the last 15 years.
• Since 2000, Cincinnati Bengals have had 35 arrests, leading the NFL with 2 more than the Minnesota Vikings. In the same time frame, Detroit and St. Louis are at the bottom of the league, with seven arrests each. Click here to see the list of Bengals arrested in the last 11 seasons. It includes all but the three most recent arrests of Adam Jones, Cedric Benson, and Marvin White.
• Recently retired Mark Recchi of the Boston Bruins is the second to last player who appeared in the NHL in the 1980's to retire. Mike Modano of the Red Wings is the only remaining player. Recchi, who scored his first NHL goal 4 YEARS before Tyler Seguin was born, began his career when the NHL had just 21 teams. Four of those teams have since moved or folded, and nine others have been added. Recchi became the oldest player to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Finals this year, at 43 years and 126 days old.
• Mark Reynolds of the Baltimore Orioles in on pace to have his first season since 2007 of NOT ECLIPSING 200 strikeouts at the plate. In 2008, Reynolds set the MLB single-season record with 204, only to break it again in 2009 with 223. In 2010, he rebounded with 211, which is still second all-time. He is the only player to ever strike out 200 times in a season, and he done it three times! The past seven years have had it's fair share of strikeouts, as the top 9 single-season strikeout totals have all occurred in the past seven seasons, by Reynolds, Ryan Howard, Adam Dunn, and Jack Cust.
• The 2010 NFL leading rusher was Houston's Arian Foster, who was an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009. Jamaal Charles of the Chiefs was the second leading rusher, and he was a 2008 third-round pick out of Texas. Third was Michael Turner of Atlanta, who was San Diego's fifth-round pick out of Northern Illinois in 2004. See the trend here? In fact, of the top-ten running backs in 2010, only four were first round picks. Compare this to the top-ten QB's, in which six were first rounders.
• Breakout running back Peyton Hillis of the Browns rushed for 1177 yards in 2010. It was the first time since 1984 that a white running back eclipsed the 1000 yard mark in a season. The last non-Patriot was John Riggins of the Redskins, who ran for 1239 yards and 14 touchdowns at age 35.
• Felix Hernandez pitches against the Sox at Fenway tonight, and he was also on the mound the last time Seattle won a game, which was July 5th. They are riding a 12-game losing streak and challenging the likes of Baltimore and Oakland for the worst record in the AL. Of the players in the Sox lineup, JD Drew actually has the best career numbers against Hernandez, as he has batted .360 (9 for 25) with 2 HR's against him. The last time Felix faced the Sox, he pitched 7 innings, giving up 6 hits and 2 runs, but Carl Crawford hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Sox a 3-2 victory. The Mariners are 5-3 against the Sox in King Felix's starts in the past five seasons.
  

Your 2011 New England Patriots Offense

As of today, the NFL lockout is rumored to be ending within the next few days. The timing couldn't be more perfect, because if the NFL and the Players Association can come to agreement this week, free agency would be set to begin around July 28th (the same few days of the MLB trade deadline). The beginning of free agency will be a lot like opening a dam that is literally spewing over the top, meaning the first hour will be absolute insanity. There is sure to be a scurry of trades, releases, signings, and any type of player movement imaginable. Pro Bowl-caliber players such as DeAngelo Williams, Sidney Rice, Vincent Jackson, Matt Hasselbeck, Logan Mankins, Ray Edwards, Cullen Jenkins, Manny Lawson, Stephen Tulloch, Nnamdi Asmougha, and Michael Huff could all change uniforms at the strike of midnight. The NFL QB-carousel will also be in full swing, with names like Kevin Kolb, Marc Bulger, Kyle Orton, Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, Tavaris Jackson, and Vince Young, to name a few, all finding new homes and potential starting gigs. But in the end, New Englanders really only care about two aspects of free agency: who the Patriots will sign, and who the Jets WON'T sign. Let's take a look at possible Patriot targets, broken down by position. The defensive segment will follow in the coming days.

1. QB - The Patriots have the least to worry about at quarterback of any team in the NFL. A healthy Tom Brady is as solid as the position gets. Behind him, they have a future star (my personal opinion) in Ryan Mallett, and Brian Hoyer is a decent third option with a few seasons under his belt. The Pats aren't likely to sign a QB, but could bring one or two into camp to compete with Hoyer for third-string. Belichick loves to have youth infused into the depth chart, so bringing in former UDel QB Pat Devlin for the practice squad or Drew Stanton to compete with Hoyer isn't out of the question. With the Patriots to be a projected 10-12 million dollars under the cap, look for them to only bring a QB in at the league minimum and nothing more.
   
2. RB - Fred Taylor won't be back, as his contract has run out and he will in all likelihood hang up his cleats. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who eclipsed 1000 yards last season, was tendered with a second round pick as a restricted free agent, and will likely be part of the starting backfield. Danny Woodhead was locked up with a two year contract through 2012, and will again be utilized by the Patriots with his unique skill set. Sammy Morris's latest contract has run out, but he is a key contributor on special teams and on the goal line, and may return on a low-cost, one year deal. Kevin Faulk no longer has a place on the Patriots, with Woodhead as the main pass-catching threat out of the backfield, and will either retire or try to catch on elsewhere. Finally, the Patriots drafted big Shane Vereen out of Cal, who projects to be a large change of pace-type back, and Stevan Ridley, who could be the Patriots version of a fullback with his enormous size and downhill run style. All-in-all, they are looking at a Green-Ellis/Woodhead/Morris/Vereen/Ridley offensive backfield, which is overcrowded to say the least. Look for them to bring in a low-cost speedster in free agency, such as undrafted free agent Noel Devine from West Virginia, or Derrick Locke from Kentucky. They have no need to spend big on the running game, since they are a pass-first offense. They surely will not even make an offer to any of the top-tier free agent backs, as is accustomed to their usual free agency approach.
3. WR - Wes Welker and Deion Branch will both see plenty of targets this season, and Brandon Tate will fill out the depth chart. What the Patriots lack is a true #2 WR option after Welker, because Branch and Welker are both slot receivers. They felt the impact of trading Randy Moss, as hard as it is to admit, and will either await Chad Johnson's release from the Bengals, or uncharacteristically target one of the top free agents. Sidney Rice would be an amazing addition to an already potent offense, but he is likely to command one of the larger contracts handed out, and may be priced out of the Patriots range. Malcolm Floyd and Mike Sims-Walker would be excellent alternative options, as both are coming off down years and may be cheaper options then Rice. Nate Burleson and the Panther's Steve Smith are both trade/release candidates, and it isn't far-fetched to see either end up here. In the end, it seems "Ochocinco" is destined to end up in New England at some point in his career, and the time may be now. I predict he is the most likely to end up a Patriot in 2011, followed by Malcolm Floyd and Steve Smith. Sidney Rice has an outside chance if the Patriots decide to spend their remaining cap space on the offensive side of the ball, but their defensive needs are more dire and thus they are more likely to spend on pass-rushers.
4. TE - The Patriots have two of the best young tight ends in the game with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Both had huge rookie seasons, and filled the Patriots void in their WR depth. Alge Crumpler enters his final year of his contract with the Pats, and will remain their blocking tight end. The team has no need for another tight end, and will fill out their training camp depth with newly drafted Lee Smith from Marshall.
5. OT - Sebastian Vollmer is a lock at starting tackle, and newly drafted Nate Solder could potentially step in and start immediately if the Patriots are willing to rely on a rookie tackle. Matt Light, who has spent his career in NE, is a free agent and all signs point to the Patriots opting to not re-sign him. Gigantic Marcus Cannon, the Pats 5th-round pick out of TCU, was a projected first round pick before it was discovered he has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the combine. The good news is Cannon could completely recover and even play in 2011, and because of his 6'5, 350-pound frame, he can play anywhere on the OL but center. He certainly has a future as a starting NFL offensive lineman, and the Patriots truly got a steal by taking him so late in the draft. But they will approach the season with the notion that he may not be available until week 6 at the earliest. The Patriots asked Nick Kaczur to take a pay-cut from his $3.4 million salary prior to the 2011 season, and they are now fully expected to release him after he declined. Little known Quinn Ojinnaka is a free agent, leaving the Patriots with just Mark LeVoir and Steve Maneri behind Vollmer and Solder. To keep Brady injury-free, the Patriots will need solid play from their tackles, and it is safe to say Solder and Vollmer will need help at some point in the season. The Patriots will either need to sign Matt Light, or bring in a free agent tackle that excels in pass-protection, such as former Seahawk Sean Locklear or often injured former Bronco Ryan Harris.
6. OG - Nine-year inspirational Stephen Neal has retired, Logan Mankins is demanding $10 million or to be granted free agency, and Dan Connolly is left as the only experienced guard on the team. The Patriots have Rich Ohrnberger, Thomas Austin, and Ryan Wendell to fill out their depth, but they are in dire need of starting-caliber guards. If they can convince Mankins to return, their offensive line outlook is much more positive, but Mankins gives the perception that he is all about the money, which is a far-cry from the Patriot mantra. There are a few solid, veteran guards on the market, including Justin Blalock, Derrick Dockery, David Baas, and Robert Gallery, but the Patriots tend to promote from within when it comes to the middle of the OL. They will likely start Connolly and attempt to lock up Mankins, but if Mankins refuses to accept the franchise tag salary or accept a multi-year deal, the Patriots will be forced to move on without him and sign a veteran guard. Belichick surely has a plan in place already for the position, and it is anyone's guess whom he is targeting.
7. C - Dan Koppen will remain the Patriots reliable center. Guard Ryan Wendell is their backup center, and the team has no need to bring in a free agent at the position. Center is seemingly the only position on the Patriots' OL that there is no need to worry about.

Life Without Tiger

On Thursday, September 29th, over 100 professional golfers from the PGA tour will tee-off for the first round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The tournament is held at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, and up until 2004 was a 5-round affair. The past three winners were Johnathan Byrd, Martin Laird, and Marc Turnesa, all of whom are little-known current or former PGA members. The purse, at $4.4 million, is the fifth-lowest of the 46 PGA events in 2011, and is often won by lesser-known players because of the lack of top-golfer attendance, despite the charitable cause.
What is so significant about this event? Back in 1996, it was the first PGA tournament won by Rookie of the Year Tiger Woods. Tiger may be remembered for bursting onto the scene with his 1997 Masters victory, but 1996 was his actual rookie season on the PGA tour, when he finished 22nd as an amateur at the British Open, but eventually would win 2 PGA events, the Las Vegas Invitational (as it was called at the time), and the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic. The LV Invitational was the first of Tiger's now 71-PGA wins, ranking third all-time, but his accomplishments are not the focus of this piece. The 10-time PGA Player of the Year and winner of 14 PGA Majors hasn't won a PGA event since 2009, nor has he won a Major since the 2008 US Open. Amid his marriage scandals, injuries, and becoming trashed in the court of public opinion, the once-heralded Tiger has been through the wringer, and the void of his presence has opened the PGA up for a multitude of lesser-known golfers to step into the spotlight.
Since Padraig Harrington won back-to-back Majors at the end of 2008, no PGA member has more than one Major win. Twelve different golfers have won the last 12 Majors, including 9 first-time Major winners. Many fans of professional golf would argue that Tiger's lack of participation has drastically hurt the sport, as TV ratings have dipped, and the competition has been "diluted". But I believe the Tiger-free hiatus has been good for the game, as well as the plethora of golfers that have won in Tiger's absence.
Take this weekend's British Open into account. 42-year old Darren Clarke, who turned pro in 1990 when Tiger was just 14 years of age, won his first Major in 54 career appearances. Clarke almost skipped the event when ESPN offered him a gig as an on-air commentator, but opted to give the event one more shot. He had finished 44th, 52nd, and was cut in his previous three British Open appearances, yet the Northern-Irish father of two held steady through the final round, and staved off a charging Phil Mickelson to take home his first Major victory. It was an inspirational win for not only Clarke, who lost his wife of 10 years to breast cancer in 2006, but to all golfers on the tour without a Major victory. Clarke put his name in the books on his 20th British Open try, and effectively raised his world ranking from 111th to 30th thanks to his -5 victory at Royal St. George's.

The NFL Supplemental Draft

Since 1977, the NFL has held an annual supplemental draft, which falls between the regular draft and opening of training camp. For those that don't understand the way it works, it is very simple. Any player that did not declare for the regular draft by the deadline, but is either deemed ineligible for the upcoming college season, kicked off the team, or has any other extenuating circumstance, can enter the supplemental draft. The draft order is the same as it was for the regular draft, with a slight hitch. Teams can opt to skip their pick until they feel justified in giving up the next year's pick in the same round. For example, if there is one player in the supplemental draft, and no team deems him worthy to be taken in the first round, every team will pass on the player. In the second round, if a team was to take the player, they would forfeit their regular second round draft pick the next year. When it comes down to it, taking a player with any pick in the top four rounds is essentially a high-risk, low-reward gamble, as history would argue.
In the 34 years of the supplemental draft's existence, only eight players have been taken with a first round pick. To see the complete list, click here. There are quite a few years where no players were taken, whether it was due to no one entering, or no one worth taking in the opinion of the NFL teams. There have been a few players that turned into NFL regulars, a scattering of Super Bowl Champions (Bernie Kosar), and a probable future Hall of Famer in WR Cris Carter. But not since the Packers took Mike Wahle in 1998 has there been a supplemental draft pick that made a Pro Bowl. In fact, between the 40 total players taken in the history of the draft, they have a combined 16 Pro Bowl appearances, 8 of which from Cris Carter and 3 from Jamaal Williams of the Chargers.
Most of the time, supplemental draft prospects go unnoticed, except when they are in the headlines for getting booted from school for shooting a hooker or failing. But its not often a player with the noteriaty of former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor's caliber finds themselves in the supplemental draft. Pryor was recruited by tons of major Division I football programs coming out of high school, and opted to attend Ohio State. In three years as the starting QB, Pryor was electric, throwing for 6177 yards and 57 touchdowns, while gaining 2164 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. He won plenty of awards, including the 2010 MVP of the Rose Bowl, and promptly declared to play his senior season, even with a 6 game suspension stemming from receiving illegal benefits. But after Jim Tressel resigned, Pryor was quick to change his mind, and would enter the supplemental draft. Pryor, along with his teammates, took cars, money, tattoos, and other goods illegally according to NCAA regulations, and cast a dark cloud over a once proud OSU football program, and the highly regarded Tressel's career. Pryor led the way, allegedly collecting over $40,000 for signing autographs.
Pryor's attitude and demeanor can be summed up by a statement made by ESPN analyst Chris Spielman, before Pryor opted to fore-go his senior season;

"I think he’s played his last game … I don’t know if you guys have heard this. I’ve heard through players, former players, that TP (Terrelle Pryor) operated and was allowed to operate by his own set of rules. Being late to meetings. Being late to practice. Not showing up for workouts. I don’t know if that’s true or not true. If it is I’m so disappointed in the leaders of the team that allowed that to go on, that allowed a player, not to show up without either confrontation, physical or verbal first, physical if necessary.
If the coach or coaches would not back you up in allowing this behavior to go on and him operating by his own set of rules then that is the coaches responsibility, so if he is allowed to continue and if I made that decision that yes he should be allowed to come back after five games it would be under a zero tolerance policy. That would mean if he was two seconds late for a meeting bye, bye. That’s how I would operate.”

There is no doubt Pryor is a freakish athlete. At 6'6, 230+ pounds, he has excellent QB size, and runs a Mike Vick-like 4.33 40-yard dash. He also has excellent arm strength, but the rest of his QB intangibles are borderline. He has turned into a Pat White-type projection, with some teams considering using him as a WR or specialty type back. In the end, a team will take a chance on him in the second or third round, and he will spend the season on the bench as the "QB of the future". There are plenty of teams with QB needs, such as Seattle, Oakland, Cincinnati, and Minnesota, and one of them will add Pryor to their collection of sub-par talent. His college stats and skill set compares to former D1 superstars like Nebraska's Jamaal Lord and Eric Crouch, Texas' Vince Young, Florida State's Charlie Ward, and LSU's Jamarcus Russell. The most common trait among those QB's? Zero NFL success. If I were an NFL owner, GM, head coach, or anyone in a position of power, I would forbid my team from taking a chance on Pryor. He helped destroy one of the proudest football traditions in the country, and obviously puts his own leisure ahead of the conformity of the team. He will surely become the most hated newcomer on the team that selects him, by veterans and opposition alike. Pryor will be an interception machine in the NFL, and will have to settle for a career in the CFL or UFL within the next few years. The only fan of Pryor (aside from himself) is Cam Newton, because Pryor actually makes Newton look like a good guy.