Thank you Chicago Tribune

And NYC and all those around our world who have stood with Boston - Thank You. 

Boston will be what it has always been, a beacon of Freedom to all.

These cowards have messed with the wrong city.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS shoot down the NY JETS 49-19 on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day feasting didn't end with a fabulous meal - It extended onto the playing field as the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS roasted the NY JETS 49-19.

Rex Ryan has been the "turkey" of the AFC East for quite some time. 

His mouth has been writing checks his arse can't cash.

Seeing the NY Jets get thrashed like this was the perfect end to a Thanksgiving Day to be remembered.


Patriots erupt in second quarter to blow out Jets 49-19
By Shalise Manza Young
Boston Globe Staff /  November 22, 2012

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Just when it seemed the blend of Thanksgiving dinner Tryptophan and a boring opening 15 minutes of football in the Patriots-Jets rematch would lull even the most diehard fan into an early slumber, one team woke up at MetLife Stadium.
 
Unfortunately for most of the assembled fans, it wasn’t the Jets. Though by halftime the team and its fans probably wished what they’d experienced during the second quarter was a nightmare and not reality.
 
After holding the Patriots scoreless in the first quarter — the first time that’s happened this season to New England — the Jets then saw the game, and their season, implode.
 
Embarrassed at home, 49-14, New York fell to 4-7 while New England is now 8-3, 4-0 in the AFC East.
 
It was Bill Belichick’s 200th career win, and though he would never say it, it was likely a bit sweeter that it came against the Jets given all of the personal and professional history he has with the organization.
 
The Patriots went into halftime with a 35-3 lead on a series of plays that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous.
 
It was so embarrassing for Jets fans that some began heading home before intermission. Those who remained began chanting for quarterback Tim Tebow to get into the game.
 
The Patriots had a chance to score in the first quarter but Stephen Gostkowski missed a 39-yard field goal wide left.
 
On the Jets’ possession following the miss, Steve Gregory intercepted Mark Sanchez when the Jets quarterback threw into double coverage.
 
New England started well inside its territory, but Tom Brady methodically led the offense on a six-minute scoring drive. Three Jets penalties aided the cause, including a 15-yard facemask at the end of a 13-yard Shane Vereen run that gave the Patriots first and goal.
 
New England’s TD came on the first play of the second quarter, when Brady found a wide-open Wes Welker in the front right corner of the end zone.
 
Brady had all sorts of time, a credit to an offensive line that was without Logan Mankins and Sebastian Vollmer. Donald Thomas was at left guard again, as he has been since Mankins has been out with several injuries, and Marcus Cannon started for Vollmer at right tackle.
 
The defense stuffed running back Shonn Greene on fourth and 1; Brandon Spikes stripped the ball at the end of the play, and Gregory recovered it.
 
One play led to New England going up, 14-0. Brady hit Vereen, all alone to his left, and the second-year running back was off to the races, an 83-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
 
That was a crack in the dam.
 
In less than 60 seconds of game time, it burst open.
 
On the second play of the Jets’ ensuing possession, there was a botched play — it looked as if Sanchez wanted to hand off to Lex Hilliard but Hilliard ran right past him.

Rather than try to look for a receiver, Sanchez tucked the ball and promptly ran smack into the ample behind of right guard Brandon Moore, fumbling the ball.
 
Again it was Gregory who was in the right place. He scooped up the loose ball and ran it back 32 yards to give New England a 21-0 lead.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Joe McKnight got out to the 25, but Devin McCourty popped the ball out.
 
Julian Edelman plucked the ball out of the air and ran it back into the end zone. Patriots, 28-0.
 
And they weren’t done.

After the defense forced a punt, Brady and Edelman turned a third-and-5 play into a 56-yard TD catch.
 
The 35 tied the team record for points in a quarter.

The boos from Jets fans only intensified when they kicked a 32-yard field goal just before halftime instead of trying for the end zone.
 
Shalise Manza Young can be reached at syoung@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @shalisemyoung.

The New England Patriots honor our Veterans

The New England Patriots are the Class Act in the NFL....They demonstrate it each and every day, especially when it comes to showing appreciation for our Veterans.

Pretty cool gesture by the Patriots, setting up this empty seat to honor the sacrifices of those in our military ... twitter.com/AlbertBreer/st…
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 11, 2012

Week One of Vacation done....Wedding in Salem, MA

Got to enjoy a great weekend in Salem, MA with the wedding of my Sister-In-Law to her longtime Beau.  Great weather and a fun time was had by all.  One week left on this break and going to try to maximize "Liberty" as we used to say in the Navy.

Looking forward to watching the VP debate on Wednesday.  Prediction is that Ryan will chew up Biden.  We will see...I'll post more later this week as time allows....Watching the New England Patriots take on the Denver Broncos this afternoon.....good stuff.

Start your day off with a big bowl of GRONK FLAKES

It's Gronk's World - We're all just living in it....He is a character and beloved by all New England Patriots Fans. It just seems odd to sit down to a big bowl of GRONK FLAKES but what the heck??

Gronk Flakes hitting New England shelves September, 22, 2012 By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com

If you don't want to start your day with Wheaties, maybe you want a bowl full of Gronk.Gronk Flakes are made by the same company that produced Flutie Flakes. Gronk Flakes, a frosted corn flakes cereal endorsed by New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, is hitting Stop & Shop supermarkets in the New England area this week.

"His dad Gordy came to us about a year and a half ago, wanting to do all three Gronkowski boys on a product," said Ty Ballou, president and CEO of PLB Sports, which has made a business out of selling athlete-endorsed food products. "But we really just focus on selling in one area, so we couldn't figure out how to do it. When Rob emerged in the way he did, things changed."

Ballou said the company's first run will be 64,800 boxes at $3.99 each, but he has high hopes for Gronkowski's marketability.

The company recently sold 155,000 boxes of Justin Verlander's Fastball Flakes in the Detroit area. Ballou said Gronkowski's cereal, which benefits the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, should sell more.

The record for a PLB Sports product? Ballou's company sold 2.5 million boxes of Flutie Flakes from 1998 to 2001.

Despite his carefree and sometimes controversial partying ways, Gronkowski has endeared himself with many.

He has 328,000 followers on Twitter and recently signed endorsement deals with Dunkin' Donuts and BodyArmor Superdrink

Patriots owner Rober Kraft wins 2012 PFWA Halas Award

All great Teams start with great leadership.  This is the type of leadership that makes the New England Patriots the "class" of the league.

Bravo Zulu Bob Kraft......well deserved and just awesome.

WEEI.com Blog Network
It Is What It Is» Patriots owner Rober Kraft wins 2012 PFWA Halas Award

06.18.12

By Christopher Price

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been selected as the 2012 Halas Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America, it was announced on Monday. Here’s a portion of the announcement from the PFWA:

New England Patriots Chairman & CEO Robert Kraft, who played an instrumental role in last summer’s collective bargaining negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association during his late wife Myra’s battle with cancer, has been selected as the 2012 George Halas Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).

Kraft, the 43rd Halas Award winner, is the first NFL owner and first member of the Patriots franchise to receive the honor from the PFWA.

The Halas Award is given to a NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. The award is named for Halas, a charter member (1963) of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was associated with the Chicago Bears and NFL from their inception in 1920 until his death in 1983 as an owner, manager, player and promoter. Halas won 324 games and six NFL titles in 40 seasons as a coach.

While Kraft’s wife was battling cancer during the spring and summer of 2012, he shuttled back and forth between his wife’s hospital bed and the NFL’s labor negotiations with her encouragement. Myra Kraft passed away on July 20, 2011, and five days later, a grieving Robert Kraft stood outside the NFLPA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., as the 10-year CBA agreement was announced.

During the announcement, Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday embraced an emotional Kraft, and said, “A special thanks to Myra Kraft, who even in her weakest moment, allowed Mr. Kraft to come and fight this out, and without him this deal does not get done. I don’t want to be climactic in any way, but he is a man who helped us save football, and we are so gracious for that. We’re gracious for his family and for the opportunity he presented to get this deal done.”

Time for talking is over.....the NE PATRIOTS will win the Super Bowl

The two weeks of analyzing and such has been overdone ( as usual ). The PATRIOTS have endured the "pro-Giants" attitude of the media and others who want to see the PATRIOTS fall like they did in 2007.

NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN. The PATRIOTS are going to take NY down.

The Patriots were not favored to be here but earned a spot by being dominant. They earned the spot. NY got lucky. They were 9-7 this season and got to be here becuase other teams made serious mistakes.

The PATRIOTS dedicated their season to Myra Kraft as she was a very giving person and made other's lives better. Her role was to be the one who shared the Karft's success with those who needed help. Thanks Mrs. Kraft for all you did for those less fortunate.

Time to let the game be the measure of success. GO PATS ! We know you will bring the Lombardi Trophy home to FOXBORO.

Prediction is PATRIOTS 27 - NY 13.

Gronkowski loses the boot off his left foot for good

NY was hoping & praying Gronkowski was sidelined but you can't keep a guy like Gronk down.....not when it means this much to him and the team...NY better look out.

Go Gronkowski....show'em how it's done. Although he has not been stamped " A-OK" for Sunday, the likelihood of him sitting out the big day is nil.


Gronkowski loses the boot
January, 31, 2012
Jan 3110:54AM
By Mike Reiss / Yahoo Sports

INDIANAPOLIS -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski showed up at Super Bowl XLVI media day Tuesday without a walking boot on his sprained left ankle, but took a Belichickian approach to questions surrounding his availability for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

Rob Gronkowski said Tuesday the walking boot was off his left foot for good. “I don’t know yet (if I’ll be able to play Sunday),” Gronkowski told a throng of reporters at Lucas Oil Stadium. "We’re going day by day. Making new steps every day, feeling better every day. That’s a positive sign and you just want to keep going in the right direction. I want to be out there with the team obviously. I want to help out the team obviously. Just taking it step by step, getting better every single day.”

Earlier this week, Patriots coach Bill Belichick dubbed Gronkowski “day to day” as well.

Gronkowski said the walking boot was gone for good (“It’s off. No more boot.”) and said he would spend Tuesday’s non-practice day with trainers.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady took Gronkowski losing the boot as a positive sign.

"Well he's obviously making progress, he's out of his boot today, which is making me feel better,” Brady said. “I told him to write ‘Hi Mom’ on his sock, because there will be a lot of pictures today. ... No one is as tough as him, he makes our offense go. Hopefully we have him out there."

Can Gronkowski imagine not playing in the Super Bowl?

“Yeah, but I’m not really worried about whether I’m playing or not yet,” Gronkowski said. “That’s on Sunday. The only thing I’m worried about is Tuesday, which is today, to get better today. Keep on improving today. Keep on getting stronger today, keep on progressing today. Just keep on moving forward, going in a positive direction. That’s what counts.”

The 22-year-old tight end hasn’t practiced since suffering a high ankle sprain in the AFC Championship Game and wasn’t sure whether he would practice this week, either. When asked if he thought he could be effective against the Giants without having practice, Gronkowski said he trusted the team to do whatever was best.

“I’m not sure (if I could be effective without having practiced). That’s why I’m with the training staff,” Gronkowski said. “I trust in the organization here. I trust in the coaches. I trust in all the trainers to get me ready for whatever I gotta do. When Sunday comes aloig, they’ll have me at my best, where I need to be.”

Gronkowski called the high ankle sprain “nagging, sore” and added he didn’t “want to look back and say you didn’t try everything to get on the field.”

Gronkowski has dominated headlines at Super Bowl XLVI, in part because of his importance to the Patriots' offense. He totaled 90 receptions for 1,327 yards and a tight-end record 17 touchdowns in the regular season and at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds is a dominant presence in the red zone. He started all 16 games and seldom, if ever, comes off the field.

Considering the Patriots don't have a backup for Gronkowski on the roster and that they run more than 80 percent of their snaps with two or more tight ends on the field, it's no wonder his status is being monitored so closely.

All indications point to Gronkowski suiting up for the Super Bowl, the bigger question is how effective he will be and how much the Patriots will have to alter their game plan.

"There is a difference between hurt, sore and banged up,” Gronkowski said. "In the NFL you definitely have to play hurt."

Gronkowski also joked about his father revealing the nature of his injury to a New York television station, telling reporters to give his father a call if they wanted information.

"He'll give it up," Gronkowski said

New England Patriots focus on the Game

THIS is part of what makes NEW ENGLAND the team to beat...many others would rehash the past...Not Belichick, not Brady. They have only one focus - WINNING on Super Bowl Sunday.

NY best understand that the other games mean little to New England. The Patriots will do their talking on the field.

Patriots not interested in past meetings
January, 30, 2012
James Walker - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS -- The AFC champion New England Patriots made one thing clear in their first two days at Super Bowl XLVI: They have little interest in rehashing past meetings against the New York Giants.

New England suffered recent losses to the Giants in big games -- both this past regular season and in Super Bowl XLII. Giants quarterback Eli Manning provided a pair of dramatic, fourth-quarter drives to seal it for New York.

Naturally, there will be a ton of questions for the Patriots this week whether the Giants have momentum, or have their number. The Patriots just won’t entertain them.

"This team doesn't talk, not about the past," Patriots veteran receiver Deion Branch said.

New England head coach Bill Belichick is leading the charge in not reflecting on previous games against New York.

"This team is this team," Belichick said. "I think our team is different than what it was at midseason, different than what it was in December. I think the Giants are a different team from when we played them in November."

Regardless, New York comes in very confident after being one of three teams to beat the Patriots this year. The Giants also had the tougher road through the playoffs, beating the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.

Both teams have improved as the season has gone on, leading to Sunday's big matchup with everything on the line.

"You could take a little bit as far as the personnel, but as far as our game plan is concerned, you really can't take too much," Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo said. "They've had an extra week to prepare, so have we, and I'm sure we’ll have a lot of different looks for them."

The Calm Before the Storm

One week from today,things will be different. Parties will be in full swing by early afternoon and many will be looking forward to an evening filled with Football and overpriced commercials that have become part of the festivities.

Today, we are still bombarded with lots of hype, talking heads and speculation.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the way the ball bounces and who makes a mistake at the wrong time. The New England Patriots and the NY Giants are equally matched, both possess good players and have the ability to get inside the red zone to score.

In the end, all the talk in the world won't matter more than what happens when one team gets the ball and the other team screws up. It is as simple as that and the game comes down to those key plays when the momentum shifts.

I'm with New England on this one as they have the right stuff and NY has been running on a streak of luck that is about to come to an end.

A closer game than most but I see it at New England 27 - NY 13.

Until next week, when we will see it play out, we will just have to wait.

PATRIOTS WIN UGLY......And get a return trip to the SUPER BOWL

Talk about winning Ugly.....Damn.

Even our star QB summed it up (and touched on how bad we were)
Brady: 'I sucked pretty bad, but our defense saved us'

All that matters is the PATS win, RAVENS lose and we are going to the SUPER BOWL. Awesome......

Patriots headed back to Super Bowl
Trip sealed when Ravens kicker misses game-tying field goal attempt
By Shalise Manza Young
Boston Globe Staff / January 22, 2012

FOXBOROUGH – The New England Patriots are headed to the seventh Super Bowl in franchise history after a hard-fought, edge-of-your-seat, 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game that was only sealed when Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff pulled a potentially game-tying 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds to play wide left.

The miss was jaw-dropping for Baltimore players, who stood on the sideline in disbelief and set off a wild celebration at Gillette Stadium. Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who had a huge role in the game, took off his helmet, his arms outstretched, steam coming off his bald head and bare arms.

After being battered all season, the New England defense forced the Ravens’ field goal on the game's final possession. Rookie Sterling Moore, who earlier missed a tackle on Torrey Smith that led to a touchdown, bounced back mightily, breaking up two end zone pass attempts from Joe Flacco on the Ravens' final possession.

The snap and hold looked good for Cundiff’s kick, but he simply misfired from a manageable distance.

As the Patriots waited to receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy given to the AFC Champions, signs honoring team owner Robert Kraft’s wife Myra, who died on July 20, were everywhere, from the patches on players’ jerseys, to the signs in the stands from fans who waved giant “MHK” and “Win it for Myra” posters.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady plunged one yard over the goal line on fourth-and-goal in the fourth quarter to put New England on top, 23-20. Brady completed only 22 of 36 passes for 239 yards and no touchdowns, and harshly criticized his performance in a television interview afterward.

"I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved us," Brady said.

Flacco had pulled the Ravens ahead, 20-16, when he hit Smith on a 29-yard pass play that Smith ended by diving for the pylon. Flacco was 22-for-36 for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

In the first half, the game was as tight as it was expected it would be, though New England may have squandered some early chances. The Patriots went into the locker room up 13-10 – they had the ball with just under a minute to play and with two timeouts in hand, but opted to take two knees rather than try to get more points.

The early opportunities came on the Pats’ first three possessions: New England started at their own 40, own 39 and own 40, but was only able to score three points despite the short fields.

In the opening minutes, the Patriots’ defense was the story, as it came out strong. Baltimore lost the coin toss but the Patriots, as is their custom, elected to defer, and forced a three-and-out, with Mark Anderson bringing Flacco down from behind when he tucked the ball on third down and tried to run for it.

On Baltimore’s second possession, it faced a third-and-3, but Vince Wilfork pressured Flacco and Anderson took him down for a seven-yard sack.

Wilfork came up huge the next time the Ravens had the ball, bringing Ricky Williams down by his jersey – while Wilfork himself was on the ground – for a five-yard loss, and then abused center Matt Birk on third-and-long, getting a five-yard sack of Flacco and forcing another punt.

After a quick three-and-out, the first time they got the ball, the Patriots offense was more effective the second time out, getting some luck along the way. On second-and-9 from the Baltimore 27, Brady looked for Wes Welker. The ball was high, and Welker batted it up; Bernard Pollard grabbed the ball out of the air, but the interception came off the board because cornerback Lardarius Webb was flagged for illegal contact. New England kept the ball and got a first down.

Six plays later – after Brady overthrew tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was wide-open, in the seam for what would have been a touchdown -- Stephen Gostkowski put a 29-yard field goal through the uprights for the first points of the game.

While the first potential interception was wiped out by a penalty, the Patriots weren’t so lucky the second time. After Wilfork’s sack led to a Ravens punt, Brady’s pass for Julian Edelman ended up in the hands of Webb, who made a great catch falling backward, similar to an interception think Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty made in San Diego last season.

Baltimore tied the score off the turnover, with a 42-yard pass from Flacco to rookie Smith on the first play putting the offense into New England territory quickly. When a third-down dumpoff to Anquan Boldin was just short of a first down, the Ravens took a short field goal.

The Patriots responded with something and someone we haven’t seen much of recently: the ground game and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The running back picked up 24 yards on the first two plays from scrimmage, then later in the drive saw his helmet yanked off while he was running by linebacker Dennell Ellerbe.

The penalty gave the Pats first-and-goal from the 7; on the next play, Brady went right back to Green-Ellis, who got some nice blocks from Logan Mankins and Welker on his way to the touchdown.

The Ravens once again tied the game, getting two big plays: on first down, old foe Lee Evans, who is in his first season with Baltimore after beginning his career with the Bills, had a 20-yard gain; two plays later, Boldin broke through the tackle of Kyle Arrington and ended up gaining 37 yards.

Flacco hit tight end Dennis Pitta in the front of the end zone for the score.

The Patriots added a 35-yard field goal before halftime, then upped their lead to six points just off the half on another short field goal.

Two key plays on the drive came when Brady picked up four yards on second-and-1, getting up and barking at linebacker Ray Lewis, and on third-and-6, when Aaron Hernandez caught a screen behind the line of scrimmage and put a nice move on Pollard for a 12-yard gain.

But the Ravens answered right back, going 78 yards in 11 plays for their first lead of the game, then getting the ball right back when Danny Woodhead was stripped on the ensuing kickoff return. The New England defense made a big stop, with McCourty breaking up a pass in the end zone and James Ihedigbo sacking Flacco on third down to force a field goal

The New England Patriots are on the hunt for Ravens

The New England Patriots are going to wring the necks of these dirty Baltimore Birds when they come to Foxboro on Sunday....and then on to the Super Bowl !!

Rough Week....On to the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro

What a week - Last week was one of those week's that I wouldn't wish on someone I don't like. It was a tough week and one that sidelined me from my normal activities. Luckily, it was something that was easily resolved but required extra effort. This week should go better.

In the meantime, the world moves on and issues still occur elsewhere.

4 US Marines were photographed urinating on dead Taliban. Yep, not how "professional" warriors behave but not something that upsets me very much. After the crap the Taliban has done to people, this rates very low on the upset level for me.

If I know there were 10 Taliban in a house across the rise on the battlefield, I would call in an air strike, obliterating what is left of them. 4 Marines should know better than to act this way and to document themselves doing so. Again, not something that will work me up but something that should not occur. Move along.

The New England Patriots took Tebow & the Broncos to task, as expected. Now, we face the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens are not to be feared. They are ugly mutts, and not as good as the hype they espouse. They can be beaten and the Patriots will not let these guys get in their way.

Look at their team colors. Purple - Really ? Like Oprah purple. Like squashed grape purple. It is a losing color. Red, White & Blue are the Patriot's colors. Nuff said.

New England will ring the necks of these foul birds in Foxboro. Take it to the bank.

TOM BRADY is going to school Tim Tebow and the BRONCOS on playoff games in the NFL - AFC Playoff game will be a PATRIOTS Win

Sorry Tim, this is isn't your year. Maybe next year.

This year belongs to Tom Brady & the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS.

The HYPE Meter is off the scale in this match-up made from heaven (no pun intended)

While Timmy is a nice guy and all around good kid, he & the Broncos don't have the "legs" as they say....basically, they don't have the skills to hang in there for 60 minutes of playoff football against the World Champion Patriots, QB'ed by Tom, Coached by Bill.

We all see what " hope & hype" gets you ( it causes the election of incompetent Presidents)

Tom Brady and the Patriots don't need " hype " as they are the REAL DEAL.

For ratings, this will be a big game - for actual play, The Patriots demonstrated the outcome of this kind of one sided contest about a month ago when the PATRIOTS spanked Tebow in the regular season.

It's good Tebow prays because it is a sign that he has faith. He will need it against the Patriots.

My prediction - PATRIOTS 35 - Broncos 21

It will be a good game but Brady and Belichik will prevail.

Tom Brady vs. Tim Tebow: Clash of biblical proportions
By John Zaremba Thursday, January 12, 2012
Boston Herald

When God-fearing Tim Tebow and Golden Boy Tom Brady [stats] square off in what experts predict will be a ratings-busting rematch of December’s Patriots [team stats] beatdown of the Broncos, we’ll see more than Tebow’s scrambling leather helmet-era quarterback vs. Brady’s disciplined, omniscient power passing.

We’re talking a matchup between two sports deities that could dwarf the whopping 42 million who watched the Broncos’ heart-stopping overtime win over bad-boy Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers Sunday night.

“It’s Jesus vs. the Prophet,” said Henry Schafer of the celebrity-pollster firm Marketing Evaluations, referring to Brady’s Dec. 18 postgame prophecy that the two would meet again. “Given Brady’s success and Tebow’s attraction right now, coming from a lot of different angles, I would not be surprised if this becomes the highest-ever rated playoff game.”

Tom and Tim rank among the most popular, polarizing and appealing players in the game. Marketing Evaluations’ Q rating, which measures the public’s awareness and opinion of celebrities, lists Tebow as the NFL’s sixth-most-appealing player, and Brady as the 13th.

“Two out of three Americans age 6 years and older knew who Tom Brady was, and two out of five knew who Tim Tebow was,” Schafer said. “That’s crazy. That’s telling me (Tebow) is more of a national personality than

Pats crush Bills 49-21, earn top AFC seed and home field advantage

Pats crush Bills, earn top AFC seed
By SPORTS NETWORK
FOXBORO, MASS. - Tom Brady and the New England Patriots scored 49 unanswered points to beat the Buffalo Bills, 49-21, and claim the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Brady completed 23-of-35 passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for the Patriots (13-3), who will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason for the second year in a row. New England finished the regular season with a 7-1 mark at Gillette Stadium.

Brady became the third player in NFL history with 5,000 passing yards in a season. He also set a franchise record for completions in a season with 401, topping Drew Bledsoe's 400 in 1994. A first-round bye will allow the two-time league MVP to rest his sore left shoulder.

Aaron Hernandez caught seven passes for 138 yards and a touchdown for New England, which heads into the playoffs on an eight-game winning streak. Rob Gronkowski capped his record-setting season with eight catches for 108 yards and two scores.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis carried the ball seven times for 22 yards and two touchdowns for the Patriots, who avenged a Week 3 loss to the Bills.


And The NY JETS ?? Not so much....REX RYAN's team ended the season 8-8 and have been proven to be losers....JETS ( JUST END THE SEASON) - See ya New York.

Happy 2012.....we all hope for a better year

2012 arrived with the expected fanfare and hopes for the new year. Today is also my daughter's 16th Birthday, and another reason to celebrate.

Enclosed is a picture taken of the early dawn outside my home and the words from " Morning Has Broken ", a song perfromed by Cat Stevens that my Dad has always loved.

Hope all enjoy a good year and that we all are better off as the year progresses. Patriots Football is on today also and our hopes for another run at the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots !!

Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens

Morning has broken
Like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird

Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing
Fresh from the world

Sweet, the rain's new fall
Sunlit from heaven
Like the first dew fall
On the first grass

Praise for the sweetness
Of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness
Where His feet pass

Mine is the sunlight
Mine is the morning
Born of the one light
Eden say play

Praise with elation
Praise ev'ry morning
God's recreation of the new day

Morning has broken
Like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird

Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing
Fresh from the world

The New England Patriots are on a tear heading towards the end of the season

The Denver Broncos were strong but not strong enough to withstand Brady & the boys from New England. Tebow would have needed a miracle to get past the Patriots and it looks like he learned that prayer alone won't win all the games he plays. I pray also when I need HIS help but I know that he also wants me to work hard to solve the issue myself. Tebow mania and all the hype with it is just a distraction.

Clinching the AFC East title is a good place to be especially with the NY JETS and their feckless coach going down in flames. This weekend will be Christmas and New England will be in the best position as home field advantage will be all but assured going forward.

Football in Foxboro in January....That is something to look forward to as the New England Patriots make another run towards the Super Bowl. In Tom & Bill we trust...

Holidays come early for RED SOX fans

Valentine's Day came early for Boston Red Sox fans....Training camp will be opening in about 75 days or so....Like most years, 2012 will be an interesting year for the faithful fans of Fenway. Red Sox baseball can wait a few months as the team needs to do some rebuilding with the fans...Like any other season, high hopes are on the horizon.

For now, let's cheer on the New England Patriots and the Boston Bruins...They deserve their time in the sun, and Baseball will be back in Spring.

New England Patriots take down Philly

Sunday was a good day for football. The Patriots rolled over the Eagles like they were playing a Junior Varisty team. Philadelphia gave up any credibility when they hired Michael Vick, and while he didn't play yesterday, I was glad that New England ripped Philly apart to demonstrate who is the best in the league.

Philly fans were all over their team and staff....Boos were heard early and often. Rightly so. Philly is a tough town and they expect better from their team. For my part, I was glad to see Tom Brady do his best to embarrass Philadelphia at home.

Next week, the 0-11 Indianapolis Colts come to Foxboro. May be the UN will step in to stop the slaughter before game time....we shall see.


Patriots 38, Eagles 20
Brady (three TDs) and Patriots soar against Young and Eagles
By Shalise Manza Young
Boston Globe / November 28, 2011

PHILADELPHIA - Early on yesterday - very early on - it looked as if the Patriots would be challenged by the backs-against-the-wall Eagles.

But then Vince Young showed why he’s been relegated to backup status, Philadelphia showed the type of undisciplined play that’s led to a talented roster being now a near-certainty to miss the playoffs, Tom Brady showed that he is still the reigning NFL MVP, and the Patriots rolled to a 38-20 win at Lincoln Financial Field.

New England is 8-3 and remains tied with Houston, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh for the best record in the AFC. The Patriots even got some help yesterday from their nemeses, the Jets, when New York pulled out a home win over the Bills. New England already has swept the Jets, with one of their three losses coming in Buffalo in September.

“It was a tough week, definitely it was a tough week,’’ a chatty coach Bill Belichick said. “The Eagles are a hard team to get ready for, they have a lot of good players. And the players had a short week [because of a Monday night game against the Chiefs], we were banged up.

“So I give the players a lot of credit for sucking it up and not just physically being out there, but mentally . . . all the preparation and film work and the studying that they did, the extra meetings that they did to really prepare for this game.’’

Eagles fans grew so frustrated by the ineptitude of their team - the squad Young called a “dream team’’ in the preseason thanks to the high-profile free agent signings and trades it made - that they began chanting “Fire Andy!’’ in the third quarter, calling for longtime coach Andy Reid to go.

Reid is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, having been at the helm in Philadelphia since 1999.

“The way we played, I can understand,’’ said Reid.

The Eagles (4-7) took a 7-0 lead just 2:17 into the game.

Young hit Riley Cooper on a 58-yard bomb on the third play of the game. Cooper, a 6-foot-3-inch second-year wideout, was on the field because Philly’s top receiver, Jeremy Maclin, was injured and unable to play.

Cooper was brought down at the 4, and after two handoffs to NFL leading rusher LeSean McCoy, the Eagles were in the end zone.

The Patriots did little on their first drive, and the Eagles went ahead, 10-0, on their second possession after another long play.

This time Young hit DeSean Jackson for 44 yards over the middle, which put Philadelphia well into Patriots territory. The Eagles got to the 25 before the drive stalled with a tipped pass and two drops. Rookie Alex Henery converted a 43-yard field goal at 8:19 of the first.

“The Eagles, they’re a great team despite their record,’’ defensive lineman Andre Carter said. “We knew they were blessed with offensive weapons. Unfortunately they got us on a deep ball; that’s something we have to eliminate. That will be key for us, as well as stopping the run and getting off the field on third down.’’

They did that yesterday, as Philadelphia didn’t convert a third-down opportunity until the third quarter and finished 4 for 13.

The Patriots settled in during their second chance on offense. Aided by two third-down penalties on Philly - one for 12 men on the field and the other for offsides - that gave them a fresh set of downs in each case, Brady was 4 for 4 on the 12-play drive. BenJarvus Green-Ellis also got the ball six times, the final one for a 4-yard touchdown with 1:27 left in the first.

“We have a lot of veteran-type guys that understand it’s a long game,’’ receiver Wes Welker said. “Even though we were down, 10-0, we put a touchdown on the board and put pressure on them. I think it’s guys stepping up and knowing we have to stay resilient no matter what happens in the game.’’

Brady finished with his seventh 300-yard game of the season, completing 24 of 34 passes for 361 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was sacked once and took a few early hits.

Logan Mankins said it took time for the Patriots’ offensive line to adjust to the speed of Philadelphia’s defensive linemen. He tipped his cap to Cullen Jenkins, whom he was tasked with containing; Jenkins got the first hit on Brady, during New England’s opening possession.

New England took the lead early in the second quarter and never looked back.

Deion Branch, who was questionable for the game with a hip injury, had a pretty 63-yard catch-and-run, by far his longest play of the season. Just before he would have been forced out of bounds, Branch stopped and cut back toward the middle of the field, gaining 15 more yards before being brought down at the 1. He lowered his shoulder to try to get the touchdown.

“I tried to run over the tackler, but I didn’t get in,’’ Branch said. “I didn’t make the play myself; all credit goes to the front line and Tom. When Tom scrambles, everybody wants the ball. We work on that in practice all the time.’’

Green-Ellis got the touchdown from a yard out with 13:12 to go in the second, with reserve offensive lineman Donald Thomas acting as fullback.

The play before Branch’s catch, on-the-roster-again Tiquan Underwood missed his chance to announce himself to New England fans. Underwood, a long, fast receiver, received snaps ahead of Taylor Price, who was active but essentially glued to the bench.

Brady hit a wide-open Underwood streaking down the left numbers with an on-the-money pass - and it went off his hands. By his reaction, he may have lost the ball in the lights.

A couple of plays after the Patriots touchdown, Antwaun Molden may have gotten away with pass interference, but he made a nice play on a ball intended for Jackson and returned it to the Philadelphia 34. But the turnover went for naught when Stephen Gostkowski missed a 39-yard field goal attempt wide right.

Still, the Patriots went into the half with a 24-13 lead after a broken coverage led to Welker finding himself wide open near the goal line for a 41-yard touchdown and Gostkowski hit from 45 yards out with 51 seconds to go before the half. In between, the Eagles couldn’t get into the end zone despite having a goal-to-go at the 5 and settled for a chip-shot field goal.

Welker said of his touchdown that the Patriots had run the same play earlier in the game and he noticed that safety Nate Allen bit hard on the play fake. If they called the play again, Welker told Brady he’d run a stutter-go.

It unfolded exactly as the receiver thought it would - Brady ran play-action to Danny Woodhead, Allen bit, and Welker blew past him.

New England got the ball back to start the second half and stayed in the no-huddle it had used with such efficacy late in the first half. Welker scored again, this time on a 9-yard pass, diving over the goal line at the left pylon (he was close enough to being out of bounds that the play was reviewed but upheld) to give the Patriots a 31-13 lead.

It was the eighth touchdown of the season for Welker, tying the career high he set in 2007, his first season with New England.

Rob Gronkowski caught a 24-yard pass from Brady at 8:35 of the fourth quarter to close out the Patriots’ scoring.

“He’s a great player,’’ Philadelphia cornerback Asante Samuel said of Brady. “They had the running game working and they had the passing game working. They were working on all cylinders. We couldn’t figure anything out.’’

PATS 37 - JETS 16 - This win was sweeeeeeeeet

The PATS - JETS games have become one of the main "reasons for the season" as New England has had to deal with the Jets and their foot-fetish loud mouth coach Rex Ryan who have become their main rival in the league.

Ryan and his team are not pushovers but they are also not on the level of New England. The team has a bombastic leader, ex-con players like Plaxico Burress (who names their kid "Plaxico" ?) and other assorted miscreants like LT and Cromartie. NY has no class, it is as simple as that.

Well if you paid attention to the talking heads on the talk shows, you would have heard many predict the demise of the PATS - WRONG ! New England took the Jets to task and the critics too. And rightly so. New England will now have home field advantage if the JETS survive to the end of the season.

PATS 37- JETS 16. AWESOME. That should shut up the Jets fans and their coach for a while.


Sweet sounds of silence
By Bob Ryan
Globe Columnist / November 14, 2011
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - This is not why they play. We know that. No professional sports team plays in order to shut up the loud-mouth coach of some other team.

But let’s be realistic. Winning this game, at this particular time, in this particular place . . . C’mon, this had to be sweeeeeeeeet!

And, my Lord. What loyal fans! The crowd of 79,088 was down to a gathering that could have been squeezed into Rex Ryan’s basement by game’s end.

“You’re not going to beat New England - you’re not going to beat many teams - when you make the mistakes we made,’’ the Jets coach confessed. “We’ve been down this road before. I apologize to our fans. They were ready for the game, just like I thought we were ready. Disappointing.’’

The long-term ramifications of this exquisite 37-16 Patriots triumph include control of the AFC East, which, combined with Buffalo’s implosion in Dallas - their third straight loss - is now New England’s to win or lose.

But let’s dwell on the short term, because this Patriots’ performance deserves to be saluted. There is no way to exaggerate the hype leading up to this game down here. This was going to be the Armageddon of all Armageddons, the night when the balance of power in the northeast quadrant of the American Football Conference was going to shift in favor of the New York Jets, once and for all.

It wasn’t just the media cranking it up. They were armed with ample verbal ammunition supplied by both the Jets coaching staff and many of the Jets players. There didn’t seem to be the slightest doubt in anyone’s mind that the Jets would win, and win convincingly.

But the Jets laid a pretty good-sized Brontosaurus egg, starting with Nick Folk missing a 24-yard field goal on the first possession of the game, and continuing with some awful turnovers. There was a muffed punt by Joe McKnight that led to a Patriots field goal, and there were two Mark Sanchez interceptions, the first setting up a third-quarter touchdown and the second being what you call a pick-six.

Oops, almost forgot. The man winding up in possession of both INTs was linebacker Rob Ninkovich. He was a somewhat lucky beneficiary of good fortune on the first, which was deflected from intended receiver Shonn Greene to Jerod Mayo and then to Ninko, who returned it 18 yards.

But Ninko made his own luck on the second one, jumping LaDainian Tomlinson’s route and taking it 12 yards to the house to put the game out of reach at that 37-16 juncture with 7:45 remaining, at which point the great fan exodus to the MetLife Stadium parking lots began.

Tom Brady did have his little moments of mortality in the first quarter and a half with some weirdly off-target throws, but, starting with the final possession of the half, he reminded the boisterous mentor of the Jets that one of the significant gaps between his team and Ryan’s team remains the experience and skill level of the respective quarterbacks.

For while Mark Sanchez was little better than NFL average from start to finish, Tom Brady (26 for 39, 329 yards, three TDs, zero INTs) performed at his eventual Canton level when it most mattered.

After the Jets had scored to take a 9-6 lead with 1:20 remaining in the half, he took the Patriots 80 yards in six plays in an elapsed time of 1:11, capping the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to the indispensable Rob Gronkowski (eight catches, 113 yards). That play, on which The Gronkster went high in the back corner of the end zone against Jets cornerback Donald Strickland, was a simple matter of 6 feet 6 inches, 265 pounds vs. 5-10, 185. More than that, it was an unfair battle between great athlete 6-6, 265 against great athlete 5-10, 185.

And when Plaxico Burress hauled in a 7-yard quasi-fade from Sanchez to cut New England’s lead to 23-16 on the first play of the fourth quarter, you knew that if the Patriots didn’t respond right then and there, the rest of the game was going to be very dicey.

Taking over on his 16, Brady orchestrated a 13-play drive that chewed up 6:51. The drive ended when Brady hit Deion Branch on about the 2 or 3 and the little guy spun into the end zone, whereupon he did a mock J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets routine right in front of famed Jets fan Fireman Ed. A bit over the top, maybe even a bit classless? Well, sure. But that tells you the Patriots knew very well what had been going on down here all week.

One of the things Brady did to bother the Jets was go into hurry-up mode on that scoring drive at the end of the half. The Jets acted as if this was an absolutely novel concept, something never before seen in the history of the National Football League.

“We had to be alert for it,’’ Ryan said. “We never could get the matchups we wanted. You have to give them credit.’’

The Patriots should get credit for a lot, including five sacks, 4 1/2 being credited to Andre Carter, and one-half to Mark Anderson. The defense, which has been showing incremental improvement in the last two games, was, well, professional. Hey, this year we’ll take anything under 400 yards.

It was just too bad the return trip was so short. The Patriots deserved a better shot at celebrating after this one.