My answer to the headline question if I were a United States Senator would be, “I’m the defender of the masses. I am here to stand with my constituents, including all those less advantaged or ill equipped to represent and defend themselves, I’m here to represent their legitimate interests in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of the ramifications to me personally. In short, I’m here to serve the best interests of our country and her citizens.” That being stated I’m afraid the honest answer Pennsylvania’s senior U.S. Senator, Arlen Specter, if he could absolutely be forced to give it, would go something like this; “My primary purpose in this role is to insure my re-election. I can make this happen by best representing the interests of those that are capable of making large donations to my re-election fund. Secondarily, I’m also very interested in representing those that are capable of growing my personal fortune.” With this in mind, it becomes very easy to follow Senator Specter’s rise to positions of power within the U.S. Senate since these positions are based upon seniority. In other words, a Senator doesn’t become the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee without tenure and Specter is the most re-elected U.S. Senator in the history of Pennsylvania having now served 28 years in this capacity. He started his professional career as a Philadelphia lawyer. Initially a Democrat then switching his party affiliation to the Republican side, his career has been marked by one quest for political office after another. He finally reached his level of ineptitude in 1980 when first elected to the U.S. Senate after the Republican incumbent, Richard Schweiker, announced his retirement. Specter then worked hard to follow his job description as he championed every cause that would add contributors to his re-election fund. The funding then led to successful re-election campaigns in every succeeding election up to the latest in 2004. Way to go Arlen, you make us all proud. Characterized as “Republican in name only” it’s my opinion that independent U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut is actually much more conservative than Specter. You see, sitting on the fence allows you to jump off on either side of an issue. It’s just a question of where the funding might be greater!
So how has this discussion found it’s way onto a sports blog in the Fox Sports blogging community? Well, let me tell you. Senator Specter has taken the NFL and it’s Commissioner Roger Goodell to task over it’s handling of the “Spygate” issue. An issue that accused the New England Patriots’ coaching staff of filming their competitors and trying to figure out their coach’s hand signals sent to defensive players on the field. The New York Jets’ head coach, Eric Mangini, a former coach with the Pats made the accusations. Using the moralistic high ground of the effects of cheating on America’s youth, the good Senator publicly questioned Commissioner Goodell when it appeared Goodell, who investigated the accusation and eventually doled out penalties to the Patriots and their head coach Bill Belichick, had adequately addressed the problem and was ready to move on. Specter’s insistence that the NFL continue to probe the issue led him to question the Patriots’ close Super Bowl and playoff victories putting the NFL on notice that this investigation must carry on. The revelations about a person who formerly worked for the Patriots as a cameraman having videos of other teams, rekindled Specter’s interest and more calls for NFL action were forthcoming. Commissioner Goodell was forced to spend his time trying to appease the Senator and finally the NFL was forced to interview the cameraman. This happened earlier this week with the Commissioner stating that nothing new was learned through this process and hoping that the case might finally be put to rest. But Senator Specter had to continue his grandstanding efforts talking to the cameraman himself. This interview brought new calls for further investigation on the NFL’s part, although Specter had to admit he didn’t foresee the Senate becoming involved in an investigation of their own…
Why, you might ask yourself, is this Senator from Pennsylvania so interested? Is he simply the Champion of Youth in America and concerned that they may perceive cheating to be a common and accepted practice? Please remember the job description I believe Senator Specter would give if forced to be honest.
So where’s the money, Arlen? As all you avid NFL fans know, the NFL has started their own cable television channel (the NFL Network) and they have busily been positioning this revenue generating venture on the various cable networks around the country. One of the largest cable television networks, Comcast Cable, has been embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the NFL over the rights to distribute the NFL Network. Like any modern American corporation when things don’t go the way they believe it should, they turn to the good old boys in our government to get the ball rolling their way. Enter Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter… I swear these corporate CEO’s have a rolodex heading “Influence Peddlers” and the first name in that category is the senior Senator from Pennsylvania. It has come to our attention that Comcast is the second largest contributor to Senator Specter’s campaign fund. Who is the largest? Well that would be the law firm that represents Comcast Cable. If you tally up all the various types of contributions made by these two entities, their employees, their Political Action Committees, and their family members, the total would be over $500,000. Now that will keep the good Senator on the NFL’s case for quite some time. The campaign contributions will then be used to keep the wool pulled over the eyes of the citizens of the great state of Pennsylvania!
Isn’t it great?
You don’t get pictures of yourself like this for no reason…
It’s interesting to follow the most active teams in the NFL’s Free Agency market. It should give us an idea of the importance certain teams place in maintaining or rebuilding their player personnel using this sometimes expensive option… Each team goes to their own drummer, some are very successful while others leave a lot to be desired. Some teams have management people who just have a knack for picking off top players, whether it is by way of this market, or through the annual draft of young talent, they just seem to have an inside track, and they are very well compensated for this ability. It’s the very rare personnel manager that can do this consistently. In my opinion, one of these highly paid personnel gurus resides in the New England Patriots’ head office. Scott Pioli is the Pat’s Vice President in charge of Player Personnel and widely accepted as one of the best in the business. Another of these rare birds is actually a tuna! Bill Parcells has taken his talent to Miami and big things are expected from him by the team’s owners, who I’m sure are laying a few bucks on the man…
Here are the most active teams so far in free agency with special emphasis on the top two:
Carolina's Head Coach John Fox and General Manager Marty Hurney
The Carolina Panthers are usually in the free agent market but this year they are very much more active. Here are the new, re-signed and designated Panthers:
The Players They’ve Kept:
Offensive Tackle (OT) Jordan Gross with 5 years in the NFL was due to become an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) but instead the 6’5” 300 pounder out of Utah was given the Franchise Tag by Carolina.
Offensive Guard (OG) Travelle Wharton with 3 years in the league was re-signed by the Panthers rather than allowing the 6’4” 312 pounder from South Carolina to become a UFA.
Fullback (FB) Brad Hoover, an 8 year veteran out of Western Carolina was also re-signed in lieu of becoming a UFA. The 6’ 245 pound blocking back has become an icon with the Panthers…
The Players They’ve Added:
Outside Linebacker (OLB) Landon Johnson, a 4 year veteran playing out of Purdue and the Cincinnati Bengals was signed as a UFA. The 6’2” 232 pounder is considered one of the better OLBs in the game.
Free Safety (FS) Erik Coleman, another 4 year veteran was signed as a UFA from the New York Jets. The 5’10” 200 pound Coleman played his college ball with Washington State.
Wide Receiver (WR) Muhsin Muhammad was brought back to the team of his glory years after playing with the Chicago Bears for the last couple of seasons. Still considered a top receiver, the 6’2” 215 lb. 13 year veteran who was cut by the Bears suffered thanks to their poor passing game and it is hoped some of Muhsin’s old magic can reappear back in Carolina.
WR Dominique Thompson has also been added to the Panther’s potential receiving corps. The 2 year veteran who played for St. Louis and for William and Mary in college, will hopefully add depth.
OG Keydrick Vincent, an 8 year NFL performer, comes to the Panthers from the Arizona Cardinals as a UFA. The 6’5” 325 pounder, who played collegiately for Mississippi, adds experience and depth to the offensive line.
Defensive End (DE) Tyler Brayton was also signed as a UFA. The 6’6” 280 pound 6 year vet comes to Carolina by way of the Oakland Raiders and the University of Colorado. He will add depth to the defensive line.
The Players They’ve Lost:
Defensive Tackle Kris Jenkins was traded to the New York Jets for 3rd and 5th round 2008 draft picks.
Quarterback (QB) David Carr, Running Back (RB) DeShaun Foster, and OG Mike Wahle were all cut.
DE Mike Rucker, WRs Keary Colbert and Drew Carter, Safeties Marquand Manuel and Deke Cooper, DT Kindal Moorehead, Inside Linebacker (ILB) Dan Morgan, and FB Billy Latsko were all released to become UFAs.
These account for 21 Carolina transactions over the past two months. The Panther’s most significant moves were made to preserve the integrity of their offensive line with the Gross and Wharton moves. Secondarily, the trade of Kris Jenkins for a 3rd and a 5th draft pick in the upcoming draft allow them to add more new blood. Finally the release of long time feature back, DeShaun Foster, OG Wahle and QB David Carr are considered a sign of the times as personnel and financial managers are forced to come to agreement in terms of the payroll and the salary cap. As a result of these moves, the Panthers current team needs now are prioritized like this: RB, QB, DE, FS, SS, OG, OT, TE, & CB.
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Miami's New Brain Trust, Head Coach Tony Sparano and Personnel Guru Bill Parcells
The other top active team to date in free agency comes as no surprise. The Miami Dolphins’ Bill Parcells is busily working his magic transforming the team into what their fans all hope will become a team that returns them to their past glory. Here are the new and re-signed Dolphins:
The Players They’ve Kept:
FS Yeremiah Bell a 4 year Dolphin who played college ball for Eastern Kentucky. The 6’ 200 pound back-up re-signed for one make or break year.
Cornerback (CB) Michael Lehan, a 5th year veteran and starter last season for the Dolphins was re-signed to a 4 year contract. Evidently the Tuna liked what he saw of this 6’ 190 lb. defensive back.
The Players They’ve Added:
WR Ernest Wilford was signed as a UFA out of Jacksonville by way of Virginia Tech. A 6’4” 221 lb. possession receiver should be a good compliment to last year’s top draft pick, deep threat Ted Ginn, Jr.
OG Justin Smiley another UFA signing who played for Alabama and then was a 3rd round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers. Smiley is 6’3” and 311 lbs. and should assume a starting guard position next season.
QB Josh McCown came to the Dolphins via the UFA route from the Oakland Raiders where he shared time starting on the Raiders quarterback carousel… The 6’4” and 215 lbs. QB out of Sam Houston State, being a 6 year veteran, McCown becomes the most experienced QB on the team.
TE Sean Ryan was signed to add depth and, at 6’5” and 265 lbs., he’ll be counted on as a blocker in the TE corps. Ryan last was a back-up with the New York Jets and he played his college ball for Boston College.
Parcells then went to work on the defensive side of the line by signing one DT in Randy Starks, a 4th year UFA from Tennessee who played for Maryland in college. Then Parcells traded two 6th round draft picks, one in 2008 and one next year, to his last team, the Dallas Cowboys, for 12 year veteran DT Jason Ferguson. With the exception of their playing experience these two defensive linemen are virtually bookends at 6’3” and 312 pounds.
OLB Reggie Torbor also came from the UFA pool by way of the New York Giants. The 6’2” 250 lb. back-up comes from a strong defensive team and will be counted on to fill holes left by free agency. Reggie is another Southern Boy who played ball for the Auburn Tigers.
Finally, Parcells signed another free agent linebacker, Charlie Anderson, a 5 year veteran from the Houston Texans by way of Mississippi. A big backer at 6’4” and 245 lbs. Anderson will also fill out the linebackers corps.
The Players They’ve Lost:
OG Rex Hadnot was the most accomplished player lost to free agency, followed by order of Scout.com’s player rankings, OT L.J. Shelton, QB Cleo Lemon, OLB Derrick Pope, WR Marty Booker, OG Chris Liwienski, RB Jesse Chatman, SS Lance Schulters and OT Mike Rosenthal. While QB Trent Green and DT Keith Traylor were Parcells cuts.
The Parcells led Dolphins also have made 21 transactions over the past couple of months. These moves represent the opening volleys as Parcells shakes out one type of player in favor of players in the Parcells mold. To date, QB Cleo Lemon (Jacksonville) is the only former Dolphin to find a new home. Only time will tell how productive the team’s additions will become. Up front it appears that WR Wilford and OG Justin Smiley are the best players brought on board.
The Dolphins revised team needs list at this point in time: OT, OG, CB, QB, SS, C, DT & RB.
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Two teams have made a total of 18 transactions since January and what’s interesting is that they both were playoff teams in 2007.
New England's Player Personnel man Scott Pioli and Head Coach Bill Belichick.
Surprisingly the team that almost went undefeated last season, the New England Patriots, is one of the two. The Patriots seem to walk the line blending older, experienced players with their annual draft selections. They re-signed three key performers that were eligible for free agency, WRs Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney, and ILB Tedy Bruschi. To counter the CB losses of Pro Bowler Asante Samuel, Randall ####, Jr., and Chad Scott, they were offset by the signings of CBs Jason Webster (Buffalo) and Lewis Sanders (Atlanta). Considering the Pats lost two other WRs to free agency, Donte Stallworth and Troy Brown, WR Sam Aiken (Buffalo) was also signed. They lost Safety Eugene Wilson and signed a Safety of similar abilities in Tank Williams (Minnesota). Their losses in the linebacker corps of Junior Seau, Rosevelt Colvin and Larry Izzo have not as yet been countered.
New England’s revised team needs list is as follows: OLB, CB, ILB, RB, FS, OG, OT, SS & DT.
I’m sure Scott Pioli will fill the voids…
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Tampa's General Manager George Allen and Head Coach Jon Gruden
The other playoff team from last year that is racking up the transactions is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. General Manager and personnel specialist George Allen, along with Head Coach Jon Gruden made a last place turn around to first in the NFC South last season, but they’re not sitting back on their laurels as they strive to get back to the promised land. One thing that deserves mentioning about the Buc’s turnaround is that they accomplished it with the youngest offensive line in the NFL. The O-line is usually the area where teams strive to maintain continuity at all costs and yet the Tampa offensive line featured one first year performer (OG Aaron Sears out of Tennessee), three second year performers (OG Davin Joseph, Oklahoma, OT Jeremy Trueblood, Boston College, and OT Donald Penn, Utah State) and one grey beard center, 10 year veteran John Wade. So what do they do? They sign center C Jeff Faine a 6 year veteran away from division rival New Orleans. Coach Gruden’s penchant for collecting quarterbacks continues unabated as the Buccaneers traded a conditional 2009 draft pick to the Chicago Bears for QB Brian Griese, this without losing a QB to free agency which brings their total to six QBs if you count Jake Plummer… They signed two TEs with Ben Troupe from Tennessee most likely earmarked to start and John Gilmore from Chicago being a back-up. These two offset the losses of TEs Jerramy Stevens and Anthony Becht to free agency. Other losses to free agency and outright cuts concerned back-up RB Michael Pittman and C Matt Lehr. On the defensive side CB Brian Kelly became a UFA as well as OLB Jeremiah Trotter, while two veteran DTs, Kevin Carter and Greg Spires were cut.
Tampa’s revised team need list is as follows: CB, DT, WR, OLB, FB, OT, RB, DE & TE.
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Other teams taking advantage of the free agent market in a big way include the rebuilding Atlanta Falcons with 17 transactions, another playoff team, the Jacksonville Jaguars who have made 15 transactions over the last couple of months, the San Francisco 49ers with 15 transactions, and the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints, both having made 14 transactions in this same time period.
Of the nine teams mentioned here busily working the free agency market, three were playoff teams last season, three were last place in their divisions, and one complete division is represented, the NFC South.
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There are many ways to build a winner. I think a lot of teams' personnel specialists have paid close attention to how they’re doing it in New England. They try to hold onto and accumulate draft picks while blending in experienced talent via the free agent market, all this while being very conscious of payroll. In the NFL, they adhere to the highest form of praise, they copy a winner...
Congratulations are in order to one of the greatest teams of road warriors ever to grace the National Football League.
The 2007-08 New York Football Giants!
From the outset of Super Bowl XLII the thought kept reoccurring that these were indeed the NEW and IMPROVED New York Giants that had found their way through Raymond James Stadium, Texas Stadium, and Lambeau Field to meet the New England Patriots in Glendale, Arizona. They scored first with a field goal in the first quarter. New England scored early in the second quarter and there it stood, 7-3. The Giants kept the Patriots from scoring and kept the lead within their grasp through the end of the third quarter. Their defensive coordinator used a strong pass rush accentuated with blitzing linebackers or defensive backs, and held the Patriots' rushers to only a few yards at the same time. What success Tom Brady mustered came from the short passing game with none of his trademark deep passes being completed. Tom spent more time than anything else evading rushers and picking himself off the turf after unceremoniously being knocked down time and time again. Then came the fourth quarter and the Giants finally found the endzone to take a 10-7 lead, but eveyone just knew the Patriots' offense, just as they had in four previous games in the regular season when down late, would reconnect and create late heroics to bring them victory. So to no one's surprise things finally started clicking as Brady completed one short pass after another. Then he connected with Randy Moss to retake the lead 14-10. Had they pulled it off again?
With 2 minutes 50 seconds remaining on the game clock, Eli Manning led the Giants offense back onto the field with all 3 second half timeouts in his pocket. 2 minutes and 15 seconds later he found Plaxico Burress in the left corner of the end zone. The extra point put the Giants up 3 with 35 seconds to play.
Was the dragon mortally wounded? Had young Eli driven his sword into a vital spot? The answer was yes... There simply wasn't enough time as Brady and the most prolific passing offense in the history of the NFL (single season) tried in vain to make a miracle happen. Time ran out and one of the most improbable runs in NFL history came to an end.
Congratulations!
I for one think this game ranks right up there with the New York Jets' upset of the mighty Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III...
In conclusion let me say that I truly believed the Patriots were unstoppable, boy was I wrong! Thank goodness nobody wanted to bet straight up!
The New England Patriots verses The New York Giants
I’m going to compare the two head coaches and their teams that will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII. First I want to take a look at Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin, then I’ll go through the pertinent statistics these teams have posted during the 2007 regular season and on their playoff journeys that led each to their Super Bowl berths. I’ll point out which team I believe holds the edge, if any, in each phase of the game.
The Head Coaches
Bill Belichick
The New England Patriots were stung in the playoffs last year. They were in their normal position of holding a good lead in the AFC Championship Game against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts when disaster struck. The Colts erased an 18 point deficit and won going away 38-34 in the biggest comeback victory ever in an NFL conference championship game. Head Coach Bill Belichick had lost in the playoffs for the second year running after his Patriots had won back to back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004. He and the team’s management went right to work trying to upgrade the team’s receiving corps and they literally struck gold as they were able to trade a fourth round draft pick to the hapless Oakland Raiders for one of the premier receivers in the game, Randy Moss. This was just for starters as they also brought in one of the Miami Dolphins’ top receivers, Wes Welker, by way of a trade and then signed another good wideout in free agent Donte’ Stallworth. The Patriots had finally given their quarterback a group of receivers that knew what to do downfield. The Patriot’s continued feeding their mix of veteran players and youthful draft picks while Belichick molded them into a smooth running machine based upon teamwork. They hit the deck running at the start of the 2007 season despite what became known as “Spygate”. The Patriots were found to be following the illegal practice of filming an opposing team’s sideline coach’s hand signals they use to transmit play calls to their players on the field. The Patriots wanted to know what their opposition’s signals meant, giving them a distinct advantage. The opposing New York Jets’ coach, Eric Mangini, a former Patriots assistant, told NFL officials what was going on and as a result, the Patriots along with their head coach were heavily fined by the new league Commissioner, Roger Goodell. This seemed to draw the already closely knit Patriots team even closer together and it was as if they went on a mission to prove to everyone that they didn’t need to use illegal tactics to win in this league and so they did. The supreme schemer of the modern era NFL, Bill Belicheck maneuvered his team with precision. He left his starters on the field when holding large leads and listened to his opponents and their fans rail at him for using such dirty, unsportsmanlike methods, but when the Patriots found themselves behind late in games during the year, Belichick’s well-honed charges rose to the occasion and beat down any attempts to knock them from their undefeated perch. The final regular season game was one such occasion as the Patriots traveled to the New Jersey Meadowlands to play the New York Giants. The Giants nearly defeated Belichick’s boys, but nearly wasn’t good enough as the Patriots ripped the victory away from the Giants. The home field advantage in the playoffs saw the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars enter Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium and leave with their tails tucked. Next came the injured but game San Diego Chargers who played well but couldn’t overcome the juggernaut. Coach Bill Belichick and his staff did a masterful job leading the Patriots once again to the threshold of the Promised Land, and for his work, Coach Belichick was named NFL Coach of the Year.
Tom Coughlin
The New York Giants’ Tom Coughlin is in his 12th season as an NFL head coach. In 7 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars his teams won the AFC South Division twice and placed second twice. Not bad for a first time head coach with a new expansion team. They were the surprise of the league. The Jags played in two AFC title games but lost both while posting a 4 win and 4 loss overall playoff record. Coughlin’s stay in northeast Florida ended after the 2002 season. Tom, who was known for his tough, boot camp approach to coaching, next surfaced in 2004 with the team he coaches today. He was given a mandate to bring discipline to a Giants team that seemingly enjoyed playing to the New York media and sniping among themselves. With Tom Coughlin being a disciple of former Giants head coach and two-time Lombardi Trophy winner Bill Parcells, a task master in his own right, it became obvious that the Parcells tough love approach to coaching was what the Giants’ management craved. The team’s players let it be known they didn’t like this style almost immediately, but Coughlin was able to hold the line while engineering a path that lead the Giants to the NFC East title in 2005 only to lose in the first round of the playoffs. In 2006, the Giants went backwards, but still made the playoffs as an 8-8 wild card team. Once again they lost in the first round. Now there were cries from players and fans alike to bring in a new, player friendly coach. The New York media was whipping up a rebellion as the Giants’ star running back left the team and moved to a bully pulpit where he tore down the Giants and their young quarterback. Through all this, and to their credit, the Giant’s management stood by their coach. During the off season after 2006, Tom Coughlin must have been going through a lot of soul searching because it was a different, more mellow coach that the Giants’ players found when training camp began last summer. There were still a couple of characters on this talented team that apparently would rather freelance than be a true teammate, but by and large the players began to accept the new and improved Coughlin. He guided the team through an up and down season that finally resulted in enough ups to once again land a wild card berth in the playoffs while fighting it out in the tough NFC East. Their last regular season game was played against a team coached by an old friend of Coughlin’s and another Parcells disciple, Bill Belichick and his undefeated New England Patriots. It didn’t matter whether the Giants won or lost that game as their place in the playoffs was secure, but with the knowledge that a nationwide television audience would be tuning in to see if the Patriots could actually run the table and win every game in the regular season for the first time in 34 years, Tom Coughlin started his first team players and stuck with them throughout the game. These ne’er do well Giants hung right with the mighty Patriots and actually held a two touchdown lead in the third quarter before the wheels started rolling on the Patriot offense. The Pats ran off 22 unanswered points to take a 10 point lead, but the Giants weren’t done as they closed the gap only to fall just short. What had happened? It appears that the Giants, to a man, finally bought in to this new/old coach of theirs. Things actually started to click for the G-men and they took the momentum gained from that home loss to the Patriots on the road with them where they ran off three straight playoff victories against the season’s best NFC teams to reach the Super Bowl! Tom Coughlin has led this team on one of the greatest playoff runs in the history of the NFL, there’s no denying it. What do these Giants get for their efforts? They get a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, win the ring that tells the world they are world champions as they drink from the sport’s Holy Grail. All they have to do is defeat that same undefeated New England Patriots team that sent them off on this improbable journey in the first place… Tom Coughlin and these Giants wouldn’t have it any other way!
2008 Postseason – 599 yards on 62.4% completions for 4 TD’s and 0 interceptions – QB Rating – 99.1 – In 3 games.
Experience wins out here despite Eli Manning’s postseason statistics.
Large Quarterback Edge – New England Patriots.
Running Game –
New England Patriots –
Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans, and Tom Brady accounted for 1,997 yards rushing in 463 attempts for an average per carry of 4.31 yards. The Patriots scored 16 rushing TD’s. All running statistics are from both the regular and postseason.
New York Giants –
Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Reuben Droughns, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Eli Manning accounted for 2,469 yards rushing in 556 attempts for an average per carry of 4.44 yards. The Giants scored 19 rushing TD’s. All running statistics are from both the regular and postseason.
Yards per carry average keeps this close.
Slight Running Game Edge – New York Giants
Receiving Game –
New England Patriots –
Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte’ Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney, Benjamin Watson, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney and Kyle Brady accounted for the majority of 5,330 yards receiving in 451 attempts for 11.82 yards per reception and 55 touchdowns or 1 TD for every 8 attempts.
New York Giants –
Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey, Sinorice Moss, Derrick Ward, Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss and Steve Smith accounted for the majority of 3,975 yards receiving in 355 attempts for 11.20 yards per reception and 27 touchdowns or 1 TD for every 13 attempts.
Quality receivers on both sides but the man throwing the ball and the offensive line play tips the scale toward New England.
Receiving Game Edge – New England Patriots
Kicking Game –
New England Patriots –
Stephen Gostkowski – 22 FG’s in 26 attempts with a long of 45 yards (84.62%) & 81 of 81 extra points for 147 points.
New York Giants –
Lawrence Tynes – 27 FG’s in 33 attempts with a long of 48 yards (81.82%) & 48 of 50 extra points for 129 points.
Kicking Game Edge – Even
Return Game –
New England Patriots –
Kickoffs – 23.7 yard average on 66 attempts (2 TD’s).
Punt Returns – 9.5 yard average on 34 attempts (0 TD’s).
New York Giants –
Kickoffs – 23.8 yard average on 78 attempts (1 TD).
Punt Returns – 7.7 yard average on 50 attempts (0 TD’s).
The punt return game favors the Patriots while kick returns are virtually even.
Slight Return Game Edge – New England Patriots
DEFENSE
New England Patriots –
Tackles - Total – 1,006, Solo – 760, Ast – 246, Sack – 47, Tackle for loss – 38.
Yards allowed – 4,880, 1,563 rushing & 3,317 passing (7th in NFL). Points per game allowed – 21.9 (17th in NFL)
Fairly close here. Without the turnover difference and points allowed per game, I’d call this even, but turnovers make the world go around and there’s over a field goal difference in average points allowed.
Defense Edge – New England Patriots
Punting Game –
New England Patriots –
Chris Hanson – 2,011 yards on 49 punts for a 41 yard average with 91 return yards for a net average of 39.2 yards. 14 punts were dead inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
New York Giants –
Jeff Feagles – 3,476 yards on 86 punts for a 40 yard average with 187 return yards for a net average of 38.2 yards. 28 punts were dead inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
Based upon the net averages and inside the 20 numbers, the punting is what it is…
Punting Game Edge – Even
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On paper, the play on the field isn’t really that far apart between these two teams. The quarterback difference is indisputable during the regular season, while I’m sure the Giants’ fans will all point to Manning’s postseason numbers as evidence that their leader has arrived. I guess the question is can Eli maintain that rhythm in the biggest game of his life? There have been other young quarterbacks in the same bright glare of the Super Bowl. Some have performed adequately, some poorly, and a very few have risen to the occasion and led their teams to an improbable victory. In fact, the man playing this position for the Patriots is one of them. Tom Brady has started and won three of these championships, all before the age of 28. In two of them he was named the Most Valuable Player. Will Brady remain as cool and collected as we’ve seen him in the past?
To Summarize:
Coaching - Edge – New England Patriots
Quarterbacks – Large Edge – New England Patriots
Running Game – Slight Edge – New York Giants
Receiving Game – Edge – New England Patriots
Return Game – Slight Edge – New England Patriots
Defense – Edge – New England Patriots
Punting Game – Even
Kicking Game – Even
In a year when, for the first time in decades, an undefeated team enters the Super Bowl, will the obvious take place and a coronation occur after this game? Can the Patriots bring the 2007-08 NFL season to a resounding crescendo and win it all?
We all know that anything can happen in this game. The football has a way of taking funny bounces sometimes. Will one of the greatest storylines in NFL history play out with yet another astounding New York Giants victory?
As part of the National Football League's division playoff game in Indianapolis Indiana, between the Colts and the San Diego Chargers, Pepsi's national Pass, Punt and Kick competition's finalists competed at halftime. Any fan of the game should be familiar with this competition, heck, I competed in it back in the day when Ford sponsered the event.
The winners of the competition were then introduced to the crowd and the national television audience during the break between the third and fourth quarters. Each age group had both a boy and a girl winner. Each winner wore a jersey from the team nearest their home town. One winner, 14 year old Anny Grant from New Hampshire, wore a New England Patriots jersey. When she was introduced she was roundly booed and the Colts mascot, dressed in a horse suit, was seen in the background acting more like an #### than a horse... To her credit, the young lady kept her smile intact as the camera moved away.
Now for the rest of the story. Patriots owner Robert Kraft evidently was watching the contest on television and became irritated at what he saw. Back home from Indianapolis, Anny returned from school last Monday afternoon to find a message on the family's phone recorder from New England's executive director of community affairs and former star player, Andre Tippett, asking her to please call which she did. Mr. Tippett invited Anny and her family to please join Patriot's nation at the game this coming Sunday at Foxborough as the guests of Mr. Kraft. In addition, Miss Grant will be honored during the pre-game coin toss ceremony where her accomplishment will be recognized.
Indianapolis, Mr. Kraft just gave you a lesson in class, are you listening?
All this season we heard one set of fans after another cry bloody murder after their team was "disrespected" when the New England Patriots left their top line players in the game well into the 4th quarter while enjoying a big lead. I heard that it was unsportsmanlike among other uncomplimentary words. I recall Bill Belichick being called all sorts of unflattering things.
Well, in the game that marked the beginning of the final weekend in the 2007 NFL regular season, the undefeated Patriots found themselves down 28-16 late in the 3rd quarter on the road against the New York Giants, a 10-5 NFC playoff team. The Giants, featuring a strong defense, had found their on again off again offense was on for the night. The Patriots were in real trouble and their perfect season was on the line. How did they respond? Just as they had been prepared to respond throughout a season of playing all four quarters. There was no panic, you couldn’t find anyone with their head down or nervously looking away. There was nothing but trust between the teammates, coaches and players alike. You just knew they were poised to make another comeback for the fifth time this season.
The defense did their part, the offense did their part, and, in the final minute, the special teams unit did their part. They held the resurgent Giant offense, and scored 22 points. A last gasp touchdown for the Giants set the stage for the "hands unit" of the kick-off return special teams to handle an on-side kick, and that they did to seal the game, 38-35.
I have to stress, this team was confident in their ability, honed all season long by keeping the front line performers on the field for four quarters.
Kudos to the New York Giants for playing their front line players throughout the game when they really didn’t have to. Kudos to the NFL for allowing us all to enjoy watching this dramatic game. Finally, kudos to the Patriot’s management, coaches, and players. You have three more games in front of you to truly make NFL history!
Bill Belichick, a name that has woven itself into the fabric of America. A man who has become an enigma to many, accused of being a cheater, and yet a great leader of men playing professional football. As the New England Patriots stand at the threshold of NFL history it is appropriate to look at what has influenced their head coach, what has molded Bill Belichick into the person we see today?
Bill Belichick is a second generation American whose Grandparents immigrated from Croatia. His Grandfather made his way to on again off again employment in the mills of Ohio while raising five children during the Great Depression. A son, Steven, learned to play the game of football and was accomplished enough to earn a scholarship to Western Reserve a private school in Northeastern Ohio. He loved the game and made it his life. He spent 33 years as an assistant coach, primarily at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This is where Bill was raised. After winning three Super Bowls, a book was written about Coach Belichick, by Pulitzer Prize winning author David Halberstam. In The Education of a Coach, published in 2006, the author searches for the influences in Belichick’s life that have led to his now legendary ability to coach men in football. Here are some of the things that Halberstam found: At nine years of age, young Belichick was shown how to analyze game film with his father’s tutelage. Steve Belichick imposed his hard earned work ethic, personal discipline, and football strategy on his son and Bill soaked it all in. The older Belichick’s value system, bred when times were hard, were instilled in Bill, things like nothing is to be wasted and hard work has a value in itself. These lessons have served Bill Belichick well throughout his life and career. Belichick played several sports through high school and while attending Weslyan College in Middletown, Connecticut. Upon graduation, he accepted a staff assistant position with the Baltimore Colts in 1975. At 23 years of age, he was named special assistant to Head Coach Ted Marchibroda. Thus began a progression through the NFL’s coaching ranks that included the following teams, positions and head coaches:
1976 – Detroit Lions Assistant Special Teams Coach – HC Rick Forzano
1977 – Detroit Lions Tight Ends and Receivers Coach – Rick Forzano
1978 - Denver Broncos Asst. Special Teams Coach and Assistant to Defensive Coordinator – Red Miller
1979-80 - New York Giants Defensive Assistant and Special Teams Coach – Ray Perkins
1982 – New York Giants Linebackers Coach in addition to previously stated duties – Ray Perkins
1982-85 – New York Giants Linebackers Coach & Special Teams Coach – Bill Parcells
1985-90 – New York Giants Defensive Coordinator & Linebackers Coach - Bill Parcells
1991-95 – Cleveland Browns Head Coach
1996 – New England Patriots Assistant Head Coach Defensive Backs Coach – Bill Parcells
1997-99 – New York Jets Assistant Head Coach Defensive Backs Coach – Bill Parcells
2000-Present – New England Patriots Head Coach
His career highlights prior to becoming the Patriot’s Head Coach included coaching what is considered one of the all-time greatest linebacking units to ever play the game, the New York Giants’ Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Carl Banks. Coach Belichick’s defensive unit made up the heart of the Giants "Big Blue" defense that won the 1986 and 1990 Super Bowls. In 1994 Coach Belichick led the Cleveland Browns to their most recent playoff victory. In 1996 Belichick rejoined his old coaching partner, Bill Parcells, in New England. Bill Belichick’s Patriot defense helped the team get into Super Bowl XXXI only to be defeated by Mike Holmgren’s Brett Favre led Green Bay Packers. In 1997, Parcells jumped to the New York Jets and took most of his coaching staff from the Patriots with him, including Bill Belichick. While with the Jets, Belichick was again responsible for assembling another excellent defense as the 12-4 Jets made it to the 1998 AFC Championship game only to lose to the eventual Super Bowl XXXII winning Denver Broncos.
Bill Belichick had a couple of scrapes along the way. With the Cleveland Browns, after posting a five season 36-44 record he left when owner Art Modell announced that the team would be moving to Baltimore at the end of the 1995 season. Modell and Belichick had a poor working relationship as the owner undermined Belichick’s authoritarian style with a back-slapping, one of the boys type of relationship with the players, thus dividing loyalties on the team. After the 1999 season, Jets Head Coach and General Manager, Bill Parcells announced that he was stepping down as the team’s head coach and would be replaced by Bill Belichick. On the day that Belichick was supposed to accept the position at a press conference, he instead used that press conference to announce his resignation from the Jets organization. It was a last minute decision and a lot of animosity grew out of it between Belichick and both the Jets and Bill Parcells. It turned out that the New England Patriots had been trying to hire Belichick all along and he finally realized it would be a better situation in New England for him.
Since becoming the head coach with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick’s accomplishments include:
Coach Belichick is the only head coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four years (2001-04).
Coach Belichick's 13-3 playoff record is the second best in NFL history. He trails only the legendary Vince Lombardi, for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named.
Coach Belichick's Patriots teams own all of the major winning streaks in NFL history: consecutive overall wins (21 from 2003-04), consecutive regular season wins (18 from 2003-04) and consecutive playoff wins (10 from 2001-05).
Coach Belichick owns victories over 30 other NFL teams in his seven seasons as Patriots head coach, the most for any NFL head coach since 2000.
With 33 years of NFL coaching experience, Coach Belichick is the longest tenured among active NFL head coaches.
So what is it about this man that has brought him to the top of his profession? In an interview, author David Halberstam (The Education of a Coach), who is a worldly man capable of eloquently speaking on many levels, was quoted as saying that even though Bill Belichick has attained what most coaches only dream about, he remains, "About the hardest working person I've ever met." In another vein, Halberstam stated, "It was interesting to me when I interviewed him to find what a born teacher he is, that again and again he would get up in the middle of the interview and try and draw a play or a coverage to explain it to me and I think that that is critical to his success, that he loves to teach and in a way it's not surprising because both of his parents were teachers."
Here is what other people who know the man have to say about him:
Chris Gadomski, Director of Communications, The Frank McGuire Foundation, writes "Although it sounds trite, his reputation precedes him, it is true...he (Belichick) is always prepared." "It is refreshing to find a coach that embraces the concept of the team, preparation and hard work." And "Standing at the podium was not the man the media depicted, nor was he (Belichick) the man that glumly paced the sidelines. He was an entertaining, thoughtful and engaging speaker. He had a sense of humor. His success as a coach was cerebral..."
Judy Battista of the New York Times wrote, "Belichick is different with players than he is in public. They see the joking, passionate side of him. Most of all, players appreciate Belichick for preparing them so meticulously. Part of that preparation is insulating them from the clamor that surrounds them."
Adalius Thomas, Linebacker on the Patriots: "[Coach Belichick is] definitely the leader of the team, so he really sets the tone of what it's going to be or how it's going to be. He does a great job of doing that. I don't know how to describe him, but the way that you guys describe it on TV, after you get to know him, he's nothing like that."
Ernie Accorsi, Former General Manager with the New York Giants: "People who say Belichick doesn't have [humility] don't know him."
Kevin Spencer, former Belichick Assistant Coach with the Cleveland Browns: "It's like when I hear people slam Bill. That (ticks) me off. Because they don't know him … People are just jealous of success. They don't understand people sometimes, so it's easier to make fun of them or ridicule them. I have a problem with that stuff. People take shots at [him] and they don't know who the hell [he is]."
Rodney Harrison, Defensive Back on the Patriots: "You guys will never get the real Belichick. … He's a cool guy. I have no problem with him. He's always treated me fairly and was always respectful to me. I have a great deal of respect for him. But it's not for you all to like him or for him to like you, because it's all about the guys in this locker room, with all due respect. It's about the coaches and the players in this locker room putting something together and not worrying about what the outside people think."
Carl Banks, former NY Giants All-Pro Linebacker coached by Belichick: "I've been around some coaches who are so arrogant it's, 'Just run my defense and shut up.' Some guys are so interested in being a genius, they spend all their time trying to put a square inside of a circle. That's the thing about Bill. He forms a partnership with his players. He listens."
Michael Holley, a Sports Radio Host and former Boston Globe sportswriter: ""Even the guy who hates his guts will tell you he's a great coach," Holley said. "He's not interested in being buddies with them, and they're not interested in being buddies with him. All they expect from him is, 'Give us a chance to win.' I don't think people would say Bill Belichick is a great man. He's a great coach. He's an interesting man."
Former Cleveland Browns and current Baltimore Ravens’ owner, Art Modell: "Like Rex Harrison in 'My Fair Lady,' " trying to get Belichick to clean up his act. "The media coverage was not good," he says. "There was no connection with the fans, and the fans are our customer base. He was a good man, but his off-field personality, his deficiencies -- when it came to running a football team, he did it his way and only his way."
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft: "One of the reasons I like him as a coach and human being is that he is never boastful and self-important," Kraft says. "He's not a phony, and to me, at this stage of my life, that's important. I'll say this: I've never known him to lie to me. He might not tell me something, but he's never told me a lie." He adds, "I'm not saying he's always forthcoming."
Here is some insight into Bill Belichick through his own actions and words:
From an interview with Bella English of the Boston Globe: Sometimes his way has been unorthodox. In October 2001, after the Pats lost 30-10 to the Miami Dolphins and dropped to 1-3 overall, Belichick staged a funeral for the Miami game ball in which the players buried it and kicked dirt over it. That game was over, he told them; focus on the future. Twelve games later the Patriots won the Super Bowl. The night before the 2004 Super Bowl against Philadelphia, Belichick showed the team the parade route the Eagles had planned if they won, every street and turn. The Pats won, 24-21.
As the featured speaker two years ago for the Frank McGuire Foundation, Bill Belichick spoke on the following issues:
TEAMWORK - At New England, we're in a game early in the season and, you know, it's hot out there, you know. Defensive back runs sidelines and says, "Coach, coach, I'm getting gassed out there a little bit. You know, you think you can give me a break on the kickoff team?" He said. "No, that won't be a problem. Sure, we can give you a break." So, I took him off the defense at safety and put another guy in there and said: "Look, we're going to keep you on the kickoff team but, you know, we've got so and so going in for you here at safety." He says, "Coach, I'm okay on defense. It's..." I said, "No, no, no. We can't afford to lose you on the kickoff team. We need you on the kickoff team. I've got other guys that can play safety, so don't worry about it. Okay? We'll give you a break on defense." You know, it hasn't been a problem since. Have not heard about it since. I've never heard that, "I need a break." I've never heard that, because kicking, kick situations are just as important as defensive situations to us. And, if they want to break, no problem. We've got other guys that play offense and defense. We're going to keep those guys on the special teams and those are team jobs. And, everybody does team jobs. Everybody blocks. Everybody tackles. Kickers, quarterbacks on interceptions, all defensive linemen, they all have to do it. There's no way around those things, because those are jobs that everybody does and everybody counts on to do them.
LEADERSHIP - What leadership's about is about attitude. It's about being prepared when you come to work, doing your best, working hard and putting the team first. And, any player that does that, shows maximum leadership, whether it's Teddy Brewsky, whether it's Tom Brady, whether it's Troy Brown, whether it's Mike Grable. They all show that kind of leadership by their attitude, by being prepared, by working hard and by putting the team first. . "Leadership is not about team speeches...it is about attitude. Everyone on our team is a leader." He cited Troy Brown as one of the best leaders in the game, not because he gives good speeches, but because he exemplifies three characteristics of leadership: 1) being prepared when you come to work; 2) working hard; and 3) putting the team first. Another example of team leadership was the Patriot's team decision to be announced as a team for Superbowl XXXVI. Belichick recalls how the players all wanted to come out together as one...they did not want individual recognition. "That was who we were...there is an awesome amount of power that a team can generate when they all care about each other."
ACCOUNTABILITY - "A mistake on the field is the responsibility of the coach. Either the player doesn't care or the coach is letting the player make the mistake." There are degrees of accountability...and each player needs to be accountable and to win they need to elevate their level of play. If a team falls below a certain level of preparedness, accountability or execution, there is no chance of success.
MOTIVATION - Hanging by itself in the Patriot's locker room is a poster quoting Sun-Tzu, the Chinese philosopher famous for writing "The Art of War" hundreds of years ago. Says Sun-Tzu; "Every battle is won before it is fought." According to Belichick, the Sunday NFL game is won "Monday through Saturday...you win during the week." And a team is prepared, he adds, when every player knows what they have to do. "There is no 'I' in team, but there is an 'I' in win...and 'I' stands for individual performance."
In describing Bill Belichick in a historical comparison of personalities and styles with the great coaches of the past, author David Halberstam drew the following account: I don't know that there's a change in the quality of coaching from less to more character, or from more to less character. I think television changes everything. It makes the sport more important, the rewards for winning are greater, and the price of losing is greater. And you are given fewer chances to lose before you are fired. It also emphasizes your face and your personality as a signature, and some coaches who might not be that brilliant as coaches do well because they are good on the media, or look good on the sidelines. I think Belichick is something of an anomaly in the sense that he is almost media immune, the unadorned man. He doesn't dress up, he wears his gray sweatshirt and he looks, as David Letterman once said, like a Sherpa guide. He warns his team about the dangers of ego and of playing for the camera, and he knows that the camera. The coming of television, is an addiction that can destroy the concept of team and so he works against it and tries to discipline himself not to play for the camera and to control his own ego, even as he is asking his players to control their egos. The last player he would have signed on would have been Terrell Owens.
Is it any wonder the media seems to despise this man? Do these portrayals fit the image the media has painted of Bill Belichick?
would go something like this; “My primary purpose in this role is to insure my re-election. I can make this happen by best representing the interests of those that are capable of making large donations to my re-election fund. Secondarily, I’m also very interested in representing those that are capable of growing my personal fortune.” With this in mind, it becomes very easy to follow Senator Specter’s rise to positions of power within the U.S. Senate since these positions are based upon seniority. In other words, a Senator doesn’t become the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee without tenure and Specter is the most re-elected U.S. Senator in the history of Pennsylvania having now served 28 years in this capacity. He started his professional career as a Philadelphia lawyer. Initially a Democrat then switching his party affiliation to the Republican side, his career has been marked by one quest for political office after another. He finally reached his level of ineptitude in 1980 when first elected to the U.S. Senate after the Republican incumbent, Richard Schweiker, announced his retirement. Specter then worked hard to follow his job description as he championed every cause that would add contributors to his re-election fund. The funding then led to successful re-election campaigns in every succeeding election up to the latest in 2004. Way to go Arlen, you make us all proud. Characterized as “Republican in name only” it’s my opinion that independent U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut is actually much more conservative than Specter. You see, sitting on the fence allows you to jump off on either side of an issue. It’s just a question of where the funding might be greater!
handling of the “Spygate” issue. An issue that accused the New England Patriots’ coaching staff of filming their competitors and trying to figure out their coach’s hand signals sent to defensive players on the field. The New York Jets’ head coach, Eric Mangini, a former coach with the Pats made the accusations. Using the moralistic high ground of the effects of cheating on America’s youth, the good Senator publicly questioned Commissioner Goodell when it appeared Goodell, who investigated the accusation and eventually doled out penalties to the Patriots and their head coach Bill Belichick, had adequately addressed the problem and was ready to move on. Specter’s insistence that the NFL continue to probe the issue led him to question the Patriots’ close Super Bowl and playoff victories putting the NFL on notice that this investigation must carry on. The revelations about a person who formerly worked for the Patriots as a cameraman having videos of other teams, rekindled Specter’s interest and more calls for NFL action were forthcoming. Commissioner Goodell was forced to spend his time trying to appease the Senator and finally the NFL was forced to interview the cameraman. This happened earlier this week with the Commissioner stating that nothing new was learned through this process and hoping that the case might finally be put to rest. But Senator Specter had to continue his grandstanding efforts talking to the cameraman himself. This interview brought new calls for further investigation on the NFL’s part, although Specter had to admit he didn’t foresee the Senate becoming involved in an investigation of their own…
ongoing dispute with the NFL over the rights to distribute the NFL Network. Like any modern American corporation when things don’t go the way they believe it should, they turn to the good old boys in our government to get the ball rolling their way. Enter Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter… I swear these corporate CEO’s have a rolodex heading “Influence Peddlers” and the first name in that category is the senior Senator from Pennsylvania. It has come to our attention that Comcast is the second largest contributor to Senator Specter’s campaign fund. Who is the largest? 
Well that would be the law firm that represents Comcast Cable. If you tally up all the various types of contributions made by these two entities, their employees, their Political Action Committees, and their family members, the total would be over $500,000. Now that will keep the good Senator on the NFL’s case for quite some time. The campaign contributions will then be used to keep the wool pulled over the eyes of the citizens of the great state of Pennsylvania!
Super Bowl XLII
Back home from Indianapolis, Anny returned from school last Monday afternoon to find a message on the family's phone recorder from New England's executive director of community affairs and former star player, Andre Tippett, asking her to please call which she did. Mr. Tippett invited Anny and her family to please join Patriot's nation at the game this coming Sunday at Foxborough as the guests of Mr. Kraft. In addition, Miss Grant will be honored during the pre-game coin toss ceremony where her accomplishment will be recognized.
