Boston Sports Then and Now

Price's 2010 Binky: Brandon Graham

Chris Price from WEEI has returned from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and answered some of my questions regarding the Patriots and the draft!

Be sure to check out Chris’ blog, It Is What It Is on weei.com.

BST&N: What players got the most buzz at the combine? I heard Tebow broke numerous combine records for QB’s.

CP: Even though he didn’t throw, Tebow definitely got a big bump in the eyes of many because of how he performed. On Sunday, he had an excellent workout — he didn’t throw, but he finished first among all quarterbacks in the three-cone drill (6.66 seconds), the 20-yard shuffle (4.17 seconds) and the 60-yard shuffle (11.27 seconds). In addition, he tied Josh McCown for the best vertical leap (38.5 inches) in combine history for a QB, had the second-best broad jump (9 feet, 7 inches) and recorded the fourth-best 40-yard dash time (4.72 seconds) at his position. Also, several people reported that he did extremely well in the interview process with teams. He did a great job in the face of a sizable national media contingent, answering every question posed to him in a well-articulated manner. He was also helped by the fact that some of the more well-regarded quarterbacks like Sam Bradford didn’t participate, and some of those who did like Dan LeFevour performed poorly. Not saying he turned everything around in one weekend, but he was certainly someone who got a boost over the weekend.

I’d also point to Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell, who likely vaulted into the upper reaches of the first round with an awesome performance in many of the drills. He has a limited body of work, but his combine performance made him a blue-chip prospect in the eyes of many. Also South Florida pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, who had an impressive outing and is likely now a Top 10 pick as a result.

CP: If it means taking him in the first two rounds, no. I think he would certainly be an intriguing piece of the puzzle in Foxboro, but they have too many other needs to address instead of using one of those first four picks in the top 60 (and I think Tebow will be gone by the end of the second round to someone) on someone who is still going to be a bit of a project for the next year or two on the NFL level. I really respect the opinion of NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock, and he believes if Tebow gets to the right environment and has a couple of years to develop, he could become a good NFL quarterback. Now, if you’re the Patriots and you’ve filled all your needs by the sixth round and he’s still there, that might be a different story.

Mosi was the proto typical Patriot.

New England Patriots fan favorite and special teams All-Pro, Mosi Tatupu, died yesterday according to reports from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

The cause of Tatupu’s death is not known at this time though he reportedly suffers from high blood pressure and other ailments.

Tatupu, who made the NFL All-pro team as a special teams player in 1986, was a Patriots fan favorite while playing for the team from 1978-1990. He finished his career playing one season for the Los Angeles Rams.

Tatupu graduated high school in 1974 from Punahou School in Honolulu, HI where he held many high school rushing records.

He was later drafted out of USC in the eighth round of the 1978 draft. He rushed for 2,415 yards, scored twenty career touchdowns and actually ended his career with a perfect pass completion percentage (two completions in two attempts).

His coach at USC, John Robinson, referred to Tatupu as “the best blocking back at USC since (fellow Patriot) Sam Cunningham.” Read the rest of this entry →

Patriots Off Season Observations with Weei's Chris Price

Chris Price from WEEI, was nice enough to answer some of my Patriots off season questions.  We touch upon Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Patriots, Colts, and off season moves.

Be sure to check out Chris’ blog, It Is What It Is on weei.com.

BST& N: With the Colts’ loss in the Super Bowl do you feel the Patriots are the team of the decade?

Chris Price: I think the Patriots barely squeak past the Steelers and Colts for the honor. You can argue total wins and playoff spots and consecutive victories (and I’m sure Bill Polian will do that), and there might have been a question if the Colts had beaten the Saints–or if the Steelers had won it all this year. But I don’t see how you can’t give New England the honor now. We have short-term memory problems a lot of the time, and we tend to take whatever we just say and say, “That’s the best ever,” so I can understand why some fans in other cities may have forgotten about those New England teams in the earlier part of the decade, but those 2003 and 2004 teams were awesome, particularly on defense, just up and down the roster. Plus–and I don’t care who you are–it’s awful tough to argue with three titles in four years and a 16-0 regular season.

Chris Price: I hate to have one play or a single moment defines a players’ legacy, but I think that right now, Brady still has a narrow edge because the Colts loss. Again, if Manning had seized the moment and orchestrated a game-tying drive there and a game-winner in overtime, he would have had his signature moment, and you could make an argument that Manning’s resume (two SB titles, four MVPs) was the equal or better of Brady (three SB titles, one MVP). But it didn’t happen. Ultimately, Brady’s playoff winning percentage gives him the slight edge.

(On a related note, as Super Bowl XLII was winding down, I was writing on deadline and had to produce two game stories–one of the Patriots won and completed the perfect season, and one if they had lost. I still have the “Patriots win” game story on my laptop. I look at it from time to time and wonder about Brady’s legacy if the New England defense had stopped the Giants in the fourth quarter. I’d argue that four Super Bowl rings, at that age, he’s every bit the equal of Montana or Unitas.)

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After the 2001 Super Bowl Victory, the Patriots were Tom Brady's team.

In 2002, the Patriots were coming off their first championship in team history.

They were about to open a state of the art stadium in Foxboro.

New England traded franchise quarterback, Drew Bledsoe to the division rival Buffalo.

The team was now Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady’s.

Everything was looking up for a franchise that was a laughing stock in the early 90’s.

In their history the Patriots have had difficulties in stringing together winning seasons.

Would 2002 break this trend?

New England came out like gangbusters with three straight wins over the Steelers, Jets, and Chiefs by a combined score of 115-51. Unlike Patriots teams in the past, New England started fast, really fast out of the gate.

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The Patriots victory over the Rams began their decade of dominance.

Well the last decade ended like it began, with a lot of unanswered questions for the New England Patriots.

But damn the middle was great!

Let’s take a look back at professional football’s most recent dynasty.

There isn’t much debate on what NFL franchise was the most dominate over the first decade of this millennium.

Sorry Colts fans, your lone Super Bowl Title doesn’t cut the mustard.

Pittsburgh, you had a shot. However, missing the playoffs after your ’05 and ’08 titles cost you in the end.

Philly, if there was an award for losing the most NFC championship games you would have it locked up.

That leaves us with the obvious choice, the New England Patriots.

The team everyone hates and roots against.

The Patriots are despised for their success.

They are now the NY Yankees of football.

Let me throw some staggering numbers and stats at you.

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Everyone outside New England thinks we are a bunch of greedy, spoiled cry babies.

Ok this is year two without a championship, yes this is NOT a typo!

It’s year TWO without a championship in Boston perhaps the Bruins or probably the Celtics can end this “drought.”

After the Red Sox and Patriots took an early exit out of the playoffs this year, Boston sports fans are saying, “Whoa is me!”

Are you kidding me?

I am a HUGE Boston sports fan. I eat, breathe, and sleep the Bruins and Patriots. I am a casual fan of the Celtics and Red Sox. I may not watch every Sox and C’s game but I keep tabs on ALL four major sports teams.

But folks we are GREEDY!

After 2001, we packed up the U-Haul and moved from the run down shack in Loserville. The Patriots(x3), Red Sox(x2), and the Celtics(x1) hired the moving vans and bought us property in the “City of Champions.” Now in 2010, we have a fat swanky mansion in Spoiled Rottenville.

People, the Patriots and Sox realistically can not win it EVERY single year!

As Americans and especially Bostonians/New Englanders, we all have  SHORT TERM MEMORIES (don’t even get me going about the American flags after 9/11)!

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