Polls

We got two polls going over to the left. Haven't done them in awhile because the votes dropped from like 40-50 to like 15. Coool. With like a few hundred peeps checking this every day, figured we'd get a little more.

Maybe people don't see them or care for them, but I figured we could do a lil post to bring it to your attention. You can vote on the two questions, one about Kanye, one about the Pats and if you want to chip in your 2 cents, leave a comment below. Because of the general apathy of people our age, I'm not too sure if anyone will. But, what the F, right?

I've posted enough about Kanye, but here are my thoughts about the Pats last night:

The O is better than that. The offense sputtered along for the first three quarters. Part of it was Brady, he looked a little out of sorts at times, throwing off his back foot, as they pointed out 45 times in the booth. Another part was the rustiness of Wes Welker -- couple drops and miscommunications with Brady, you never see that really. You could tell he hadn't practiced much. The offense showed it's muscle in the last 5 minutes though, when it drove down the field for the first score and took care of business with the second one.

-Matt Light saacckkks. The biggest anomaly to me. I used to think it was because I didn't know enough about trench football, but now I think he was a great product of a good offense. How was this guy an ALL-PRO?? That means he was the best LT in the game. Get out of here. "Oh, he's good, but he struggles against speed rushers." Oh you mean he sucks against all the good ones?? Guy was a turnstile last night, Schobel just ran around him every time. And that's what you do with Matt Light, just run around him. I was surprised the Pats' extended Nick Kazur, with Sebastian Vollmer around, but with the reps Vollmer got for Light last night, I'm thinking they'll switch Vollmer to LT, keep Kazur at RT and let Light walk when his deals up.

-I think Brandon Merriweather is poised for a big year. I know, not exactly a stunning prediction, but he made the biggest play of the night and another year in the system will go a long way for this guy. He has all the tools, it's just the mental aspect now: being in the right spot, not taking stupid penalties, etc. And I know Jake hates him, so it makes it all the better. Bahahaha.

-The running game didn't impress me. Fred Taylor scored, but he looked his age most of the game. Maroney drives me mental at this point. I actually like him catching passes out of the backfield because he already has his feet going, but he just doesn't hit the hole aggressively enough. I like the 3rd-down offense with Faulk as the lone RB and 4 WRs spread is the most effective offense we have. Just toss screens to Faulk and Wes when you need to "run" it.

-The D might be risky. Trent Edwards looked pretty good last night. And in my mind, that's never a good sign. Buffalo cut their 2nd string RB, peaced their coordinator and had a pretty makeshift, young line and they were able to move the ball pretty effectively at points. Just the first game with a bunch of young guys who will take a couple games to get in a groove? Or will we miss Seymour (2 sacks against SD) and Vrabel (7 tackles Sunday)?

---Nick

The Wait is Over

We've waited over a year for this moment. Well, 373 days to be exact. But it felt even longer.

We've gone through a harsh winter, a hopeful spring and a rainy summer. In that time we've seen the death of the King of Pop, the passing of a Kennedy legend, the nation's first black president and a recession that will go down as second worst in American history after the Great Depression.

New England has been depressed. We were bounced from the NBA and NHL playoffs, squashing hopes of a parquet-to-ice same day switch in mid June. The local baseball team made a valiant effort last October, but an undermanned and ultimately tired ball club sputtered out in the 7th game of the ALCS.

A lot has gone down since Tom Brady left the 2008 season opener with a torn knee. Now the wait is over. No. 12 is back and with him dreams of a championship, the fourth of the decade and one that would firmly establish the Patriots as THE team of the 2000s.

Last year, we had Matt Cassell, the man who just made himself $63 million with his solid performance last season. We had 11-5. But it wasn't enough. Something was missing in out lives. And that something just happens to have a cannon arm, uncanny confidence, blue eyes and a cute lil bum chin.

From P-Town to Pawtucket, Bangor to Boston, New England is rejoicing. Brady means more to us than any QB to any other fan base. Guys love him. Chicks dig him. Little kids idolize him. Everyone sweats him. His revered. Already, a spot sits for him in the pantheon of Boston Greats, right next to Williams, Bird, Yaz, Russell, Orr and Bourque.

He's ours. And he's back.

7 p.m. EST. Getcha' popcorn ready...

--Nick

A Tribute to...Tedy Bruschi

One of Boston's most popular athletes, Tedy Bruschi today went out with the same class and personality that made him so revered in New England.

Bruschi's retirement press conference just wrapped up and the man who made so many plays for the Patriots over the years left with grace and on his terms. There will be no Brett Favre saga, here.

Bruschi -- or Bruuuuuu as he become known in Foxboro -- had an illustrious 13 years in the NFL, all with the Patriots. During that time he was a free agent twice. Only once did he ever visit stadiums outside of Foxboro. But he never left. He visited Green Bay, but once he came in and saw the Packers' Lombardi trophy from 1996, he knew were he belonged.

Bill Belichick loved this man. He nearly broke down in today's press conference, his voice cracking as he referred to Bruschi as a "perfect player." Whenever you can make Billy B, the autotron, the ruthless prick robot, nearly shed a tear, you must be pretty special.

And Bruschi was. He slowed so noticeably over the past couple years, that you almost forget how good he was in his prime. Back when the Patriots were winning Super Bowls every year they were known for defense. Different players stood out from year to year, whether it was Rodney Harrison, Ty Law, Richard Seymour or Willie McGinest, but one player remained at the forefront of the D for the entire span of the dynasty: Bruschi.

This was back when the Pats defense, not offense, was perennially in the top 5 of the league, when you could plead for a turnover at a critical juncture in the game and more often than not, someone would deliver. Many times it was Bruschi. The unquestioned leader of the defense, he spent the majority of his time closing the gaps or in coverage, a far cry from his pass-rushing duties at the University of Arizona. But no matter where he was on the field, he constantly made plays:



Plus he was a good guy off the field. Parents loved the guy. An actual pro athlete role model. He did charity work. He was a family man. He worked hard. He came back from a stroke to excel for another season or two before age and miles on the football odometer eventually caught up.

He did become sort of a gimmick the last few years, just because as the Pats' defense slipped and become a step slower, so did Bruschi. He was beloved by the overweight white dad slugging Miller Lites and it was always a little humorous to hear that he was still someone's favorite player.

But with retirement comes perspective. And looking back on his 13 years with the Patriots, a run that included one Pro Bowl but more impressively five Super Bowl appearances and three titles, you cannot help but realize the role that #54 played in your lives for three hours each and every Sunday.

So here's to you, Tedy Bruschi, the Brumeister, WKFTB remains grateful for what you brought to the table. We salute you -- and so does the rest of New England.

--Nick

Goosebumps video

Chicago -- NHL All-Star game right after US went to war with Iraq in 1991. We are never ill like this anymore:



And, while we're at it. What the deal:




--Nick

Titletown, USA

(WARNING: It's about to get real obnoxious for anyone not from New England. But F it, like Khaled says, "We daa besssttt.)

Nice little feature from John Powers in today's Globe talking about how Boston has the chance to go for four titles this year, considering the Celts and B's are top contenders and the perenial compeitivness of the Pats and Sox.

It reminded be of a convo I had with the vote-rigging Blogfather Jake about a month ago. Over a few frosty brew treats, Jake and I were discussiong which of the four major teams had the best shot to win a title this year. And it's not any of the answers that make it memorable, but just the fact that we were entertaining the idea of such a scenerio shows you just how good things are right now.

The 2004 season was great when the Sox and Pats won it all. But there really hasn't been a time since both the Celts and Bruins competed in the same year since maybe 1986. With the Bruins mammouth series with Montreal set to begin Thursday night at the Garden and the Celts set to tip off Staurday against any one of a number a teams (also, mind you, at the Garden) now is as good as it gets in terms of playoff atmosphere. I don't know about you, but spending my spring nights alternating between Celts and Bs playoff games is possibly the best thing I could ask for; my liver on the other hand, not so much.

In conjunction with that Globe article, they also did a photo shoot. The one at the top of the post was my fav. Here is a short video from the shoot. Pretty sure Ortiz just walked in with that outfit:

Also in anticipation of the Bruins playoff series -- since it is only 2 days away against their most storied of rivals -- here are two sweet commercials for those who haven't seen 'em. How ill the bear?:

Pretty sure the guy in this one is like my uncle:




--Nick

Western Round-Up

TUCSON, AZ -- Sorry for being the invisible man. Just got caught up with the blog this morning and kudos to everyone else for churning out good material while I've been slacking.

It's not 9 yet over here so sorry if I'm a little groggy. It his, however, already 60 degrees.

-I'm a big fan of Southwest Airlines, I think. The seats are comfy, you get more leg room then most carriers, plus there's no baggage fee, they still give out snacks, drinks are free, and, as Kate's post below shows, they always are a little different on the mic. The laid-back atmosphere makes you feel chill about flying. And I haven't even mentioned the main reason you fly them yet: it's probably the cheapest rate around. Seriously how can you compete? They're moving into Logan in a few months, and I honestly can't imagine me flying anyone else.

-That new Mac commercial about the 8-hour battery is crazy. I got an 8-minute one right now. Comp is about a year and half old and the battery is toast. Nice lil $80 slap in the face every few years. Might be scopping a MacBook.

-How weird is it that Arizona doesn't even abide by Daylight Savings? Just doesn't do it. Thing switched from being 2 to 3 hours behind EST depending on the time of year. TV schedules? Forget it. So hard to figure out. Because you can't go by central time or pacific either. Mountain? Don't even know what's in that time zone. Missed the first hour of Idol last night because it started at 7. Let's see if it starts at 8 EST and it's "live" you'd figure 5 over here. Only that would be way to early, so maybe they just wait until 8 and show it taped. Nope, throw it on at 7 for some reason.

-Last night's US-PR game was incred. Anyone who still doubts that these dudes do care about this....well I don't even need to explain it. I love how the media gets one idea in its head and everyone collectively runs with it. "The WBC is at the wrong time." "The players don't care." "They want to go back to spring training." Really? Why don't you try and watch again. It's good baseball and I see dudes fist pumping, breaking up double plays, celebrating and making diving grabs. Oh, yea I'd much rather have spring training...give me a break.

-The B's have certainly come back down to earth. I guess I team with young studs (Krejic, Wheeler, Kessel, etc.) has to hit a wall at some point. Kessel has picked it back up, but it's the performance of the other two (along with linemate Michael Ryder) that should dictate how far Boston goes in the playoffs.

-Love the Julius Peppers rumors. An underrated move that went under the radar this weekend was the signing of Joey Galloway. Guy was still a beast two years ago, but struggled through injuries last year. Should be a good outside threat with Greg Lewis. You gotta like Moss, Welker, Galloway, Lewis. Read this Tony Mazz piece if you want to get pumped about the Pats; or if you are a Pats hater, see how far you can read until you back-body drop your computer.

-Sox cut Josh Bard today. Guy was having a good spring, hitting over .400 with a homer, but face it: dude saaaccckks. Is it Kottaras who will step into the backup role? Most likely. The Sox like his power from the left side and considering that's the side where 'Tek struggles, they would seem to be better complements. Still, with a surplus of young arms (Bucholtz, Bowden, Daniel Bard) you can never rule out a trade.

-Not even gonna mention the Celts. So mad at all the losses. KG...come baccckkkk brrooooo.

-Seacrest, out..

NFL Gone Wild

A little follow-up to Wolfie’s NFL post below:

Wow what day in the NFL and it’s only 3:30 EST. The first day of free agency has brought some huge contracts, big signings and three key trades.

First, the New England angle:
-Pats signed Fred Taylor. You know where you heard it first.
-Long-time long snapper Lonnie Paxton said it would take a substantial deal to get him to leave New England. Well how about the richest deal given to long snapper in the NFL?
-Pats traded Mike Vrabel to Kansas City. What the…did they owe Scott Pioli something? This was a bit of a head scratcher at first, but looking into his numbers he wasn’t nearly as productive in 2008 as in years past (4 sacks, 1 FF, 1 INT in ’08 compared to 12.5, 5, 0 in ’07). Still, he was a team leader and only 33. I read today that if the Pats keep Matt Cassell, they’ll have something like $2.3 million left under the cap. This move clears $3.35 million in cap room, so it may be more financial than anything. Does this mean they’re keeping Cassell? Or is it paving the way for someone like Julius Peppers? Who knows? It is a draft heavy with outside linebackers.

And around the rest of the league:
-The Redskins and Daniel Synder are going nuts again. After Wolfeman bro the news of Dangelo Hall signing for big money ($22.5 million guaranteed), the Skins went out and signed Albert Haynesworth to a FAT deal. Like $100 million with $41 mill guaranteed fat.
-Meanwhile, the Jets offer Ravens’ LB Bart Scott $40 million to come play for Gang Green. Look at this money! I’m convinced baseball owners are guilty of collusion. After all the whining about the economy and the crawling pace of free agency, it looks a little silly now that we see what the NFL is up to.

The other two trades after Vrabel:
-Sage Rosenfels to the Vikings. I dunno, he was a dece stopgap in fantasy.
-Speaking of fantasy, team killer Kellen Winslow was shipped to the Bucs for draft picks.

Wow what a day. And think, there’s still Kurt Warner, Hoosh, Ray Lewis, Laverenous Coles, and dozens of other big names out there. Just when I think I’m in baseball mode, the NFL lures me back in.

End with this sweet video. WARNING: Don't watch if you don't want to be amazed:

Veteran Presence for Pats?

Some interesting NFL veterans being cut or requesting trades these days. Here’s a few I could see with the Pats:

Fred Taylor

Taylor is someone who could replace Lamont Jordan as a bruising downhill runner to compliment Laurence Maroney. And as we saw the last two years, the health of Maroney and Sammy Morris is always questionable. One more running back can never hurt, especially one who admittedly wants to play for a contender.

Could he take a lesser role in New England? Well, he didn’t have much of a role with Jacksonville in 2008, with 143 carries for 556 yards. The 3.9 yards per carry is nothing spectacular, but part of that onus is on the Jaguars’ line, which only gave Maurice Jones-Drew enough room for 4.2 ypc and had David Garrard on behind most of the season.

A one-year deal in the $2-3 million range doesn’t seem out of the question.

Chris McAlister

McAlister spent most of last season rehabbing a knee injury away from his team, a fact that no doubt irked coach John Harbaugh and contributed to his release.

The Ravens’ decision to cut McAlister had more to do with money -- they saved $8 million by cutting him loose – and less with his play. McAlister is only 31 and he still has it. The three-time Pro Bowler recorded three interceptions in just five games last season before suffering his season-ending knee injury in the sixth game against the Colts.

He’s tall for Pats’ corner standards (6-foot-1) and he can bump the receiver or run with some of the best. There are injury concerns, as McAlister has missed 18 games the past two years, but that’s what I hope would bring him at a discount.

Is there anything the Pats need more than an affordable, physical veteran corner? I think not.

Tony Gonzalez

People always laugh when I say this one, but he wants out of Kansas City, the Chiefs need a QB, the Pats have a QB, the Chiefs have the No. 3 pick in the draft, Pats don’t want a Top 5 pick. A logical trade scenario would involve Cassel for Tony G and the early 2nd-round pick.

Could this work? Why not? A good-receiving tight end would do wonders for the Pats’ passing attack. Plus he’s a Madden and fantasy favorite of mine.

--Nick

Tom Brady Follow-Up

Wow what a week to write about Tom Brady.

In the two days since I posted about him we’ve had pictures come out of him and Gisele in New Mexico (on the front page of the Herald, no less), news from the Globe that he’ll be ready for the start of the season and a column from Dan Shaughnessy basically going through all the stuff in our post. Just remember: you heard it at WKFTB first.

The first order of business: Brady is going to be ready for the start of the season, at least according to a medical source “familiar” with his procedure. I have no clue what that means, but the good news is encouraging.

And just to clear things up, Brady did have an infection:

“The surgery went well and my doctor described my knee as ‘rock solid.’ Unfortunately, in the week following the surgery, I developed an infection. The infection is very treatable and, through a course of antibiotics, it will be knocked out of my system.”

--From a press release from Tom that you can still find on his official website, http://www.tombrady.com/.

The news a few month ago from NBC that said his 2009 season was in jeopardy was based on him having more procedures to clear that infection up. Apparently he doesn’t need to.

As for the Shaughnessy column, here are a few tidbits:

“We were OK when Tom posed wearing the Stetson, holding the baby lamb. We didn't call him elitist when he endorsed Movado high-end watches and private jets (working-class fans certainly can't relate to that). We applauded when he met the pope and went to the State of the Union Address. We agreed it was none of our business when he broke up with Bridget Moynahan and it turned out she was having their baby.

“Tom and Gisele buying half of California? Why not? Interested in a painting by Eugenio Lucas y Padilla, a follower of Goya? All good. We would never suggest that Tom was forgetting his roots and becoming a man of only the finest tastes.

“We didn't raise questions when he lost the Gillette Stadium parking space awarded to the guy who arrives earliest, leaves latest, and practices hardest. We didn't hammer him for not sticking around on crutches to help from the sideline. We bought the company line that Tom did not want to create a distraction. We gave him a pass when he failed to grant a single interview about his condition. We didn't rip him when he finally did an interview - a radio spot in Toronto - and it turned out he was just promoting a new sports cream.”

And this:

“Yesterday was the last straw. You know what I'm talking about. You opened your newspaper (or perhaps viewed online) and saw the photograph of Gisele Bundchen feeding Brady at poolside in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. That did it. The tipping point. The coup de grace. The shark jumped. She was feeding him. Our quarterback, one of the five most decorated athletes to play in Boston, is looking like a wimp in front of the whole world.”

Is Tom Brady too big of a celebrity?

Is Tom Brady too big of a celebrity?

It’s an interesting question for sure. The Patriots’ QB has seldom been heard from since suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Chiefs in the first game of the regular season.

In fact, outside of a brief charity appearance in Foxboro around Thanksgiving, we haven’t heard a single thing from Tom Terrific all year until his brief interview with a Toronto radio station last week.

So what gives? Why can’t Brady just do an interview or two, address his millions of fans and legions of New England followers and give us an update on how he’s doing? I understand the Patriots’ clandestine approach to injuries, but c’mon, as the face of the franchise you have some type of obligation to the masses. Right?

Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so. So much attention is paid to Tom and Gisele and the ongoing are they engaged, are they not engaged saga. TMZ and Access Hollywood follow him in the streets of New York and in grocery store parking lots in California. We know every time he visits his son, or goes to Costa Rica, but we can’t find out about his infection in his surgically repaired knee.

I can rationalize his lack of appearances during the season. It would be hard for him to be seen in the locker room, most likely drawing all the questions away for his teammates who actually are playing. And appearing on the sidelines during games would probably be a distraction too. The last thing the Krafts and the Patriots’ brass want is the camera glued on one player for the entire game. But after the season is different. At least it should be.

It’s just a little tiresome, to be honest. The line between quarterback and celebrity is blurred to begin with, but this takes it to an entire new level. Tony Romo is accountable, even when he’s whisking Jessica and Witten to Cabo. Brett Favre, say what you want but at least you can pin him down. As for Brady…good luck. Osama bin Laden is easier to find. Is he in New England? New York? California? Who knows…

Will he play this season? Is his knee OK? Again, it’s like tossing darts blindfolded – you just have no idea. So is Brady too big of a celeb?

The signs were there last season, when he was seen shaking hands with Pat O’Brien (former host of The Insider and Access Hollywood) before the Super Bowl against the Giants, and again at the beginning of this season when he was mysteriously prevented from playing a down of preseason football.

Still, this is our Tom Brady. The 6th-round draft pick, humble no-name working-class wonderboy, unheralded out of Michigan. Where is he???

Find that man.

---Nick