My latest on the Patriots. With 18 free agents, including three starters, I break down why the Patriots should attempt to re-sign right tackle Sebastian Vollmer first before dealing with Wes Welker and Aqib Talib. Thoughts, comments, critiques welcome. (via For Patriots offseason, Vollmer should come first - Extra Points - Boston.com)
Source: Boston.com
I never would have thought we would be talking about a non-call in the Super Bowl again. At least not so soon. But in a season that began with replacement referees and ended on a 4th and 5 hold — and yes, it was a hold — one has to seriously be concerned with the state of officiating. The San Francisco 49ers fan base was sent into a tailspin after an infraction on Michael Crabtree’s possible game-winning touchdown went uncalled. It was one in a series of bad no-calls in Super Bowl XLVII. There’s this whole thing about the genie in the bottle when it comes to losses after the fact, but there is also a cold, hard truth here: The 49ers didn’t deserve to win. The Baltimore Ravens, finishing on top 34-31, took the game from San Francisco in the first quarter and were on the verge of giving the ballgame up before getting a little help. But make no mistake about it, the Ravens played for 60 minutes, something the 49ers failed to do. And when the game was on the line, and the comeback was in its full throes, the Ravens got one in a series of bad calls to go their way. It doesn’t make the call right, but it was equally distributed between the two teams. (via Bad no-call sours Super Bowl loss for 49ers - Extra Points - Boston.com)
Source: Boston.com
My picks for this week and thoughts on the Patriots-49ers game. (via Week 16 NFL picks: 49ers find themselves as the team to beat | Zuri Berry)
Source: zuriberry.com
In my second projection of the Patriots’ 53-man roster, there are a few slight changes for the team in key position groups. But what’s more, there is a conscious consideration of injuries and how they are already affecting the team through the first preseason game. See who’s up and who’s down since last week.
Thoughts and storylines on the Patriots before training camp. (via 53 burning questions for the Patriots headed into training camp - Extra Points - Boston.com)
Source: Boston.com
How interested are you in the best baseball player “you have never heard of”? That’s one of the tie-ins for the Museum of African American History in Boston’s new exhibit, “The Color of Baseball in Boston.”
Riding the fanfare of Fenway Park’s 100th anniversary, the museum has put together a collection of rare photographs and articles of clothing of black baseball players in Massachusetts from the 19th and early 20th century. One of the main draws will be the more than 20 articles of clothing, including a full uniform, of William “Cannonball” Jackman, a negro league player for the Boston Royal Giants who was regarded as the best black pitcher from Boston from 1920 through the 1940s. He played for 30 years, before integration, and was otherwise known as the “best ball player you have never heard of.”
Source: Boston.com
Before considering whether or not the Patriots will trade away either of their two picks (Nos. 27 and 31) in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, which is in the “likely” column, one first has to consider whether or not there is any value in staying put. The key word, as it always is for coach Bill Belichick and company, is value. Do the Patriots envision any more value in multiplying the picks they have in the second round (two, 48 and 62), or the third (93) and fourth rounds (126)? Doing so changes the board for the Pats dramatically. So when considering the Patriots draft prospects, one has to consider the positioning, the projected talent, and then begin throwing darts at a board. Here’s where our darts landed. (via Patriots draft prospectus - Boston.com)
Source: Boston.com
So in my mind’s eye, I’m not properly documenting my public activities online. It’s not a matter of posting everything that I read or everything I think, but more of an issue on posting the public pieces of content I share on social networking sites. (via Re-thinking the social media, blogging dynamic)
Source: zuriberry.com
It’s spring. That’s been the official word for more than a week now. But don’t let that stop the weather here in Boston from messing things up. Did you know it actually snowed in some parts of Massachusetts this past week? True story. In Boston we’ve had to deal with rain while the weather has hovered around 40 degrees. My heat is still on.
But besides my gripes with the weather, my focus currently is shifting from the basketball and hockey seasons to spring sports. I’m turning my attention to high school baseball, softball and lacrosse. And as always, my mind will be on the Patriots. I’ll likely be working the NFL draft again from Gillette Stadium and I know everybody wants to know what kind of move Bill Belichick will make now that the free agency boom is over. (Just a thought: The Pats probably won’t draft a receiver.) And then there’s the opening of the MLB season. The Red Sox begin their quest for another World Series title on April 5. There’s also the Bruins and Celtics getting ready for the playoffs.
All things considered, there’s a lot to think about and mentally prepare for.
Source: zuriberry.com
I’ve been absent from this space for the past month for the same reason I write sparsely in the month of March every year in Boston — high school tournament season. A large part of my responsibilities remain the Boston Globe’s coverage of high school sports and I take pride in making sure we’re represented properly online. So much so that I clocked a whopping 72 hours two weeks ago before taking this last week off on vacation following the state basketball and hockey championships.
Just grinding. Or as I like to term on Twitter, #grindmode.
Unfortunately for me, in the time I have been away from writing on this site, NFL free agency has bloomed and the San Francisco 49ers’ weird, twisted quarterback journey has been right in the thick of it.
