Thursday, August 21, 2008

Olympic TV viewing

by: Frank Carpano

Very little of Television viewing in my house reminds me of my childhood. Back then, there was only one TV in the house. And we often gathered around the set to watch shows as a family. And pickins were slim. In the New York City area, we had one of 5 channels to choose from.

Now, in the age of the digital, high definition, video on demand 200 channels universe, family togetherness doesn’t happen as often as it used to.

But I’m here to report that the Olympics has given me the warm and fuzzy’s. And that’s because my wife and kids (ages 8+11) are very much into watching the Summer Games. And we watch together. True to form, the women in my life love gymnastics. But they have also been captivated by the swimmers. Obviously Michael Phelps, but they also love North Kingstown’s Elizabeth Beisel. I took my family along to one of the Beisel’s viewing Olympic party’s. I think that helped get them hooked. It doesn’t hurt that Elizabeth Beisel is only a few years older than they are.

Let the Games continue!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Brady Interview at Training Camp

Courtesy of The New England Patriots

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY
2008 Training Camp
August 13, 2008

Q: What was the cheering for at the end of practice? Did it mean no practice tomorrow?

TB: No, I wish. We have nothing tonight so everybody gets to go home and sleep in a little bit. Everybody is very excited now. Vince [Wilfork] has been our go-to-guy on that for a few years. He had to catch ball while he had two balls in his hand, which is a little more challenging. Coach threw us a bone and it doesn’t happen too often.

Q: Are you excited to finally get some game action?

TB: Yeah, I am. I think the whole team is looking to improve. It will be nice to be out there and play a little bit and see if we can make some improvements from last week. Coach has been pretty tough on us and wants us to make these improvements quickly. Tampa Bay is a great test too because they are very well coached. They present different challenges as a team. We have our work cut out for us.

Q: What is your reaction to Brett Farve being traded to the New York Jets?

TB: The Jets have made a lot of moves. They are a tough team. Miami has made improvements. Buffalo has made improvements. Anytime you add a guy like Brett Farve to a team it defiantly never hurts. We are looking forward to playing Tampa Bay this week and when the Jets come up I am sure they will present plenty of their own challenges.

Q: Are you concerned at all with the number of injuries on the offensive line?

TB: No, I don’t have any concerns. I know they are working hard to get back. The guys that are in now I have a lot of confidence in. They are guys who have played. Billy [Yates] has played. Wes [Britt] has played. [Nick] Kaczur has played. They are going to be fine.

Q: How has this training camp gone compared to other years?

TB: I think situational football has been important for us this camp. Coach has really been stressing that to us. Towards the end of every practice we are working on two-minute drill, four-minute drill and situational plays that we really need to be on so when they come up in a game it is not the first time they have come up. Coach has been really harping on that and I think the team has responded to it. The new guys are picking it up quickly. Some days are better than others. We are still eating that ‘humble pie’ around here. Coach has been on us pretty good.

Q: When you see a young quarterback like Kevin O’Connell carrying shoulder pads, do you ever think ‘That was me a long time ago’?

TB: Yeah, when I was his age I was carrying three pads - Drew’s [Bledsoe], [John] Friesz’s and [Michael] Bishop’s. He is getting off easy with one pad.

Q: When you see O’Connell, do you feel that you have come a long way?

TB: No, I think every year it is a little something different. I think each year your role changes a bit. My role continues to evolve on this team. I am going on my ninth year. There are only four of us that have been here that long [Bruschi, Faulk, Paxton]. I was a rookie one of those days being a new kid on the block and now I am the fourth oldest. It has been a great time and hopefully this year will be one of our best seasons.

Q: Did you feel any sympathy for the quarterbacks when you were watching them against the Ravens last Thursday as they kind of struggled? 

TB: No, I don’t feel sympathy at all. I think they know what they are doing. They work extremely hard. You just go out there as a quarterback and do the best that you can do. That is what they do and I am proud of them for that. They have to have confidence that things happen and you have to bounce back and do well on the next play. It is not like as a quarterback you have good play after good play. Sometimes things don’t go right and you have to rebound and make the next play a good play. Those guys work extremely hard and I think we have a good quarterback group.

Q: When you see the new generation of quarterbacks coming in that are getting paid a lot of money does it make you feel underpaid?

TB: Ha, no. I don’t ever feel underpaid - not at all.

Q: So you are happy with your arrangement here?

TB: Yeah, I love being here and I love being a part of this team. It is a great situation. I have a great head coach, great coaches, great ownership and it is a great place to be - great media. Doesn’t get any better than this does it?

Q: Haircut day for the rookies is coming up here pretty soon…

TB: Yeah, I don’t know how we missed it.

Q: Usually it is before the first preseason game right?

TB: Yeah, it is. Usually it is on the road so we have that day before we leave where everybody is showing up to leave and that is when it happens. We are going to get them. I am looking forward to getting [Shawn] Crable.

Q: Is it different this camp since you know Randy Moss and you know Wes Welker so you have more familiarity with the receivers?

TB: Sure, and I think in ways we are very far ahead of where we were last year. We know what we can do. It’s not about getting lined up in the formation and running the play, now it’s about getting into a better play if the play we called in the huddle isn’t the one we like the best when we line up on the field. Those guys can adjust because they know the signals and routes. They know how we want to run. They know the techniques of the defensive backs. I feel like from day one we were way ahead of last year. I hope that shows up when we start playing the regular season.

Q: How has wide receiver Randy Moss been doing in training camp?

TB: He is great. We have a great relationship. He loves playing football. That is what he loves to do and that is what he focuses his attention on.

Q: Can you talk about what corrections the team is trying to make at this point?

TB: A lot of things need to be corrected. We have high expectations from what we accomplished last year. It is not like you want to come out and throw incomplete passes. We want to be very efficient when we run and throw no matter who is in there. It is so early in camp and we still have three preseason games. We need to get better because you look around the league and teams like the Jets and Chiefs, the first two teams we play, they are all getting better. That is who you compare yourself to.

Q: Is it tough to be compared to last year’s team with all the success you had last year?

TB: We haven’t played a game yet. So we will wait and see.

Q: You had a walkie talkie at practice today. Is that because of the quarterback communication system during games?

TB: Yeah, we use it quite a bit, especially in the two-minute situations and four-minute offense. Coach tries to simulate situational stuff that [offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels] has to look at on his call sheet and be able to call the plays. You just don’t get him to run over and call the play. You have to listen through the helmet and communicate it to the team.

Q: Any particular reason for the timing of changing from red to white jerseys for the quarterbacks?

TB: No, I don’t think so. The quarterbacks were just tired of the red jerseys. We asked coach [Bill] Belichick and he agreed.

Q: You got in the league the same time Chad Pennington did. What is your reaction to him joining the Miami Dolphins?

TB: He is great player. He is going into his ninth year too. He has been a starting quarterback for a long time. I know he works extremely hard and he is a great player. Those kinds of guys help your team.

Q: Can you talk about how the tight ends have done so far in camp?

TB: They have done well. Ben [Watson] was limited for a little bit coming out. Marcus [Pollard] is getting use to the offense. Dave [Thomas] has been in and out. I think the longer we go then the better it will be for all of us. The more we can get out there and practice the better. They are doing well.

Q: Wide receiver Chad Jackson has struggled a little bit so far. Is there anything he can do to help get him on the same page as the quarterback?

TB: I think any young player always has to get on the same page. He works hard and he comes out every day with things he wants to work on. Coaches are coaching him hard. Some days it clicks and some days it doesn’t click and you go back and try something new. We have all been through that. We had Jeff Hostetler out here yesterday telling us that he didn’t play quarterback for his first six and half years. When you hear stories like that I think it inspires a lot of people.

Q: Any surprises in camp so far?

TB: Well tonight is our first night off so that is a surprise. I don’t think anybody was expecting that. It hasn’t been very hot and there has been a lot of rain. Not much else.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Patriots Open Camp - Tom Brady Comments

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY
2008 TRAINING CAMP DAY ONE
July 24, 2008

Q: How was the first day?

TB: I think everybody is excited to be back. We realize that we have a pretty good team and I am anxious to start the games. We have five tough weeks of practice and I think we are going to need it. The ’08 season has begun and I hope the rain isn’t a forecast of things to come. Everybody is just excited to be back.

Q: With how last season ended, did it make the off-season longer?

TB: It was a short off-season because we played all the way to the end. We were all disappointed with the way it ended - there’s no doubt about that. That is part of competition. You can’t always control the outcome. You control how much you put into it and I know this team put everything it could into it. I think that is part of what helps you move forward is to say ‘OK we did the best we could do and it didn’t turn out the way we would have liked but sometimes that happens.’ We are moving forward with just as much energy and excitement as we always have. Hopefully we can go out there and compete as hard as we can and put ourselves in the best position possible every week.

Q: Is it very noticeable with guys like Asante Samuel, Rosevelt Colvin and Junior Seau not out here?

TB: We miss every guy we have ever lost, especially from the very successful seasons. Dating all the way back to guys like Lawyer Milloy, Drew Bledsoe and Ty Law. We always miss those guys. I think every year there will be changes and it is hard to make comparisons every year because we never have the same team intact. There are new coaches here, new opponents and a new schedule. It always starts fresh for us and it starts today.

Q: There is a long history of teams that lose the Super Bowl and don’t have success the following year. What have you learned from those teams to help make sure this a positive year?

TB: We start by taking leadership from our head coach [Bill Belichick] and the example that he sets. I don’t think he is too concerned with what anybody did last year, including us. He is concerned with what we did today and what we do tomorrow. That is where is all starts. I don’t think what any team has done in the history of the NFL will have any effect on what we do this year. We are going to do the best we can do. We are going to try and do the best we can do everyday in practice. Hopefully that leads to a lot of wins.

Q: Have you watched film from the Super Bowl last year or do the coaches keep it away from you?

TB: We watch film from it and learn form it. We learn about some things we didn’t do so well and learn about the things we did well. It wasn’t all bad but it wasn’t all good. I think like most games it comes down to a few certain plays. We didn’t make enough plays in that game and that is why the outcome turned out the way it did. We will learn from it and learn from the games we won. We are always trying to improve and learn from the previous week.

Q: Does watching film from last year’s Super Bowl help put it behind you?

TB: You always have emotions when watching it because you remember the disappointment you felt after the game. Just like when you watch games you have won you remember the excitement you felt. It was one game last season that we all felt we could have played a little better. You can’t change what happened; as hard as you want to, you can’t. So what can you do? You can move forward with the awareness that you can improve. We are going to try to improve in all phases. There are a lot of improvements we need to make as a team to be able to compete as hard as we can. This is a tough league with a tough schedule and a tough conference. Those teams are always trying to beat us and it has been like that since I have been here.

Q: How was your off-season? Did you travel more?

TB: It was great and every year it seems to get better. I really enjoy it. It is a time to spend with family and friends but I am also anxious to be back. I love playing and I love competing. In March and April you are not too excited about football but once June and July come you are anxious to get back, be around your teammates and start working.

Q: What did you like about watching the Celtics in the Finals since you were at a couple of games?

TB: It was fun to watch. It is exciting for this city because of the Celtics’ history. I really respect and admire those guys. Their players, coaches, management and ownership have always been so supportive of what we do. It is cool to have all the Boston and New England community come together and be able to watch those guys. I was especially excited for those guys who hadn’t won a championship. You know how it feels so you get excited for guys like Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul [Pierce] that have played for so long and haven’t experienced it and now they are world champs.

Q: Do you feel you guys have anything to prove because of how last year ended?

TB: I don’t think about that. I don’t think about proving anything to anybody except proving that we can work hard. You don’t focus on proving people wrong. You just focus on doing the best you can do. You control how much effort you put in when you are on the practice field or in the meeting room. You control the effort you put out. We focus on that. No matter what anybody thinks or says - it doesn’t matter. As much as I want to think it matters or you guys [media] think it matters, it really doesn’t. We are going to control what we can control and that is the attitude we take with our preparation, effort and attitude.

Q: With how much of a grind last year was, physically and mentally, do you have to pace yourself early this year?

TB: Yeah. Each year I learn something different. The goal this year isn’t to see how sore my arm can get. For our team the goal is still the same - to be ready to play in September. Whatever we need to do to get to that point, our coach is going to put us through. It is a veteran team. We pretty much have everybody back on offense. I don’t think it is going to take what it took to cover last year. Hopefully we can build on stuff we did last year.

Q: Last year you had to get acclimated to a bunch of new receivers. How will it be different this year?

TB: We now know what everybody can do. We know what everybody is capable of. Last year when we broke the huddle, guys were running to the right or the left because that is where they had to go. They are trying to figure out how to run the routes and find out what I am looking for. Now when we get in the huddle, I tell Randy [Moss] what to do and he knows exactly what you are going to do. It is the same with Wes [Welker] and Jab [Gaffney]. It is pretty much everybody. That leads to better execution and if you can execute more consistently than that will help over the long term. There are a lot of guys who can do it really good for one play but it goes back for one play. You want to do it well and right as often as possible so nothing inhibits you from scoring.

Q: You guys had huge numbers last year. Can you equal or better that this year?

TB: I don’t know what this year is going to call for. Hopefully if the other team scores 40 points we can score more than 40. Each game is going to be different. How ever many points we need to win, I hope that is what we score.

Q: Last year you said you felt 22 years old. How old do you feel this year?

TB: I feel 21. I feel like I am getting younger. My body feels really good and in great shape. My arm feels good. My mind feels good most importantly. We are ready to attack this season and see what we can make of it.

Q: Are you going to take some practices off and not throw like you did today?

TB: Yeah, because we have another practice this afternoon. For me, I don’t think it is important to throw twice a day. I want to make sure the reps I take are good reps. Two practices today is good for arm soreness. Some guys do it but for me over the long term it would be beneficial to pace it.

Q: On the first day of training camp what are you focused on most?

TB: I think it is whatever the drill calls for. If coach scripts the practice to work on the run game then we will work on the run game. If it is a conditioning drill then we will work on conditioning. Whatever coach asks us to do that is what we are going to do and do our best at it.

Q: You said your arm feels good but how does your ankle feel?

TB: Yeah it feels great. The ankle is great.

Q: How much fun was surfing?

TB: I am a terrible surfer. I swim and avoid waves. I don’t think I surf much.

Q: Did you get your parking spot?

TB: No, I gave it up. I didn’t compete for it this year. I am sure if I would have competed I would have won but I chose not to compete.

Q: Do you feel you needed a bigger vacation this year?

TB: No, I think there are other things that have come up in my life that I had to make choices on. One of the choices was to spend time away with things that I don’t get the opportunity to do in the off-season. It was not all vacation though.

Q: You don’t have to face your buddy Jason Taylor as often this season. How happy are you about that?

TB: Yeah. I think [Matt] Light and I popped a cold beer when I saw that transaction. We were the two most excited players in the NFL. I appreciate that very much and I let him know it as well.

Q: Would Matt Light admit that?

TB: Oh yeah. We were hugging each other. It was awesome.

Pats return to camp - Belichick comments

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
2008 TRAINING CAMP DAY ONE
July 24, 2008

BB: Stacey [James] just said that on the release that Rodney [Harrison] was not on the PUP List and he should have been so you can add him to that.

Anyway, it’s good to be out on the field and start training camp. We had the guys in yesterday and did some preliminary work; physicals, running tests and got some of that out of the way. Today is the first day we are really out on the field in pads going through drills, having contact work and starting a long road of building the base to get ready for the opener against Kansas City and the 16 game regular season schedule. As usual the emphasis on training camp will be on fundamentals and a lot of individual techniques. We spent a large amount of time in the spring going over game stuff, a lot of group things and a lot of non-contact work that we felt we could get done. [Work] that we thought would be very beneficial to the team and it was. I think the team has responded to that well. Now what we need to do is go through a lot of the individual stuff. The contact work, the hand placement, the feet, the leverage and a lot of one on one things like that so we can improve on those techniques and get those fundamentals down. Hopefully, those will carry us through the season. This is our time to work on them so that is where the real emphasis will be. We are in the training camp mode here. We have two practices today and we will just keep rolling here for a while and try to concentrate on one day at a time, one meeting a time. Put one foot in front of the other and just try to keep getting better on an individual technique fundamental basis. Then gradually blend things together from a team standpoint to get to the point where we can go out there and compete with some kind of efficiency in a couple weeks when we open up against Baltimore [Ravens]. That is where we are at. We have a long way to go. One step at a time and that’s the mode we are in right now.

Q: What goals have you set for yourself this year and for the team?

BB: The goal right now is to correct the mistakes we made this morning, talk about the stuff we are going to install this afternoon and go out there and work on that. We are going to try to have another good practice and string them together. Our focus right now is very short term.

Q: What does Dom Capers bring to this team?

BB: Dom brings a wealth of experience and on the defensive side of the ball. Also, as a head coach he has worked with a lot of young players through the course of his career and especially in the two expansion franchises he was with at the beginning of their operations. He has been in several different [3-4] schemes, Pittsburgh scheme, Miami scheme with Nick [Saban] and of course what he ran at Houston the past few years.  Dom is very experienced in secondary and all around on defense. He has certainly made a lot of the head coaching and coordinator type decisions. He is a big asset from all those standpoints. I don’t know how everything will work going forward but certainly he has a lot of knowledge and experience to draw from. We have done that already and I’m sure we will continue to do that as we go forward through the course of the year.

Q: What did you see in Victor Hobson in how he would fit here?

BB: I think Victor is a good football player. We have played against him a lot when he has played with the [N.Y.] Jets. He has been an 80 percent playtime player the last couple of years although he played outside in that system. In Herman [Edwards] system before that he played in the [4-3] but he played more of an off the line type of position. That is more where he will play for us as an inside linebacker - more off the line of scrimmage than on it, where he played for the last couple of years. He is a smart kid, he’s fast, he’s tough and has been a very productive player. I feel like he can compete with some of the other players we have at that position and we will see out it all works out.

Q: You’re a student to the game…What have you learned about teams that have not been successful after a year in the Super Bowl and how will you apply what you’ve learned?

We have spent more time trying to look at ourselves like we do every year. What we did last year and how we can improve on that. Whether it be coaching, strategy, player acquisitions, scheme, whatever happens today. That is what we have done all the other years and that’s what we’ve done this year. We will try to build on some of the things we did last year, try to improve on some of the things we didn’t do as well and make adjustments from one season to the next, both from a scheme standpoint and from a personnel standpoint.

Q:  Have you seen pitfalls in other teams who have been in your position coming off from a year like last year?

BB: I really haven’t focused on too much of that. I really don’t know what the specifics were for each one of those teams, what the dynamics were, what they were dealing with and so forth. After the ’96 season we weren’t here. We were in New York in ’97 so I can’t comment on that. Right now it’s really not about last year, it’s about this year and that is what we are going to concentrate on.

Q: What’s Ben Watson’s status?

BB: Watson’s status? There were several players that weren’t out there today. He is not on PUP. So what does that make him? Normal, I don’t know.

Q: How committed are you to the run game and making it a more balanced attack for this year?

BB: We’re are committed to scoring and trying to win games and whatever we can do to do that, that is what I am all for. I’m sure our offensive game plans will reflect that based on the teams we are playing and how we match up against them and what we feel like is best for that particular game plan. It is important to have balance in your offense with both running and passing, inside and outside, long and deep and to be able to attack the defense on a lot of different fronts. Sometimes it is better to do one thing or another depending on the match-ups you have against that team. That is all game-to-game, week-to-week decisions. As far as training camp goes, we work on everything. We want to be prepared to use all of our weapons and assets on offense. How we use them and when we use them that will be determined by game planning and game time decisions.

Q: What are you most excited about this season?

BB: As usual we put a lot of work into the off-season. We studied last year; we have made a lot of personnel adjustments, being in the draft, free agency - as you always do. Now it’s time to put it together, go to camp, put on the pads and start running plays. We will see how they look, make some adjustments, see if we can get them better and try to be competitive.

Q: Talk about the importance of getting Jerod Mayo on the field.

BB: We would like to have all the players on the field working as soon as possible. Whenever that is, then we will work with them.

Q: I saw Tank Williams filling in his [Mayo] position [line backer]. Is it because you are short players?

BB: We work with our players in a lot of different roles and different positions. That builds their depth and depth for our team. It builds depth for the player, versatility for each player and value to the team. We will do that with a lot of different guys. Certainly, Tank is a very versatile player. He has played in the secondary, he has played close to the line of scrimmage, he’s been productive in the kicking game, he can blitz and he can cover. How that will all work out, we will just have to see, but he can do a number of different things and we will work with him in those different roles.

Q: Richard Seymour said he’s been playing with one arm and one leg year to year. What does it mean for your defense to have him at 100 percent?

BB: Well, it is good to have all of our players and it is good to have them all 100 percent healthy.
That is the goal of every player, every coach and every team. Unfortunately, that is usually not the case. There are usually some issues that you are working around one way or another or an individual has to work around. That is part of the game too. We hope everyone is out there 100 percent ready to go without any restrictions or hindrances at all. We hope that for every player and I know that’s what every player hopes for too. That’s the point we are all trying to get to. As many as we can have in that situation the better off we will be.

Q: You have been pretty consistent about putting last year behind you. Is there anything at all…

BB: I don’t know. I am not really worried about last year anymore. We are just trying to have a good practice this morning, make the corrections this afternoon, put in some new stuff and go out and practice it tonight. So that is where we are.

Q: Who did you learn that philosophy from? To take things day to day and not look ahead at the big picture as a whole?

BB: What else would you do?

Q: Well, some people worry about what is going to happen 3 months down the road.

BB: What, are we going to sit here and talk about November? We don’t even know who is going to be playing in November. For us or them, whoever it is. I am just saying, I don’t know. Our deal is what is in front of us and what is behind us we can’t do anything about. What is in front of us, we will get to it eventually but right now we have a lot of other stuff we need to tackle and deal with. I guess if I learned that from anybody it would probably be my Dad.

Q: Nick Kaczur wasn’t out there today. Are you happy with the result of the legal matter?

BB: Well, it is a legal matter that we don’t have any control over. Whatever it is, that is a matter between a player and whatever part of the legal procedure that player is involved with at that time. Sometimes it changes. If it affects us than we will deal with it and if it doesn’t than the player deals with it. If there is any discipline than all that is handles internally between the player and the club like it always is.

Q: Is that why he was not out there today?

BB: No. I didn’t say that. I’m just telling you that is the procedure that we have. Any discipline between a player and a club is handled internally between the player and the club regardless of what player it is. That is the way we do it.

Q: Personally is this a special day to you?

Actually, yesterday was the first day of camp. It was the first day everyone came in but it’s good to get out on the field. We had our practices in the spring and it was good to see the team start to formulate, come together and work together. I understand for you it is the first day of the football season. For us the first day of the season was probably the Monday after the Super Bowl when you start making personnel decisions, then head into free agency, start getting ready for the draft and then start getting ready for Spring camps. For me the 2008 season started back in February and it’s an on going process. Training camp is an important part of the process but there has been a lot of work done leading up to yesterday and today by myself, by the staff, by the players, by strength and conditioning, trainers, rehab and so forth. We are pretty well into the year. I don’t mean to be disrespectful but it’s not like we rolled out the ball today and were like okay let’s start-playing football. We have been at it for a while and this is just another step in the process. An important one but another one.

Q: It didn’t seem like Tom [Brady] threw the ball all that much. Is there a reason for that or is it just the way it worked out?

BB: We have a long training camp and we will have players doing different things on different days. They will work on different positions and have different workloads. Some of that is managed as you go and some of that is the way you start camp. Each player is in their own individual situation, whatever that happens to be. Some guys do more than others, some guys do less, some guys are practicing some guys aren’t, some guys are practicing at different positions and so forth and so on. The composite of it is trying to get the team ready for the pre-season games, evaluate certain things in pre-season and try to get the team ready for the season opener against Kansas City and our 16 game regular season schedule. It is all part of a mosaic. What is best for the team, what is best for the player and all the situations are handled pretty independently.

Q: Is Tom [Brady] at a point in his career where he doesn’t need to be here?

BB: I think it is important for every player to do everything they can to be ready for the season. I think Tom did everything he can to be ready for the season. I’d like to think that everyone else did that as well. There is probably some that could have done a little bit more than they did but that is always the case. I think Tom is well prepared for the season. I think he will be ready to go but he still has a long way to go too just like everyone else.

Q: Can you clarify the situation with Nick [Kaczur]?

BB: He is on PUP. I don’t know how it could be any clearer than that. We can all read the PUP rules and all that. Basically, ready to practice is ready to practice and that encompasses a lot of different things. When they are ready to practice they are out there and when they are not ready to practice then at the beginning of camp they are on PUP and if they are not on PUP then they are not ready to practice and they are doing something else than the rest of the team practice.

There is some reason why those players on that list [PUP] are not participating, some physical reason why they are not participating.

Q: Is [Mayo] going to be ready to play this evening?
BB: We just got off the field. It sounds like they are getting pretty close but until they are done; to me they are not done. So when they are done, we will let you know. At this point, they are not done. When it is done we will let you know.

Q: Will signing [Jerod] Mayo put the roster at 80?

BB: In order to add him, we will have to create a roster spot. 

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Bits and Pieces 7-9-08

by: Frank Carpano

• Interesting debate going on on sportstalk radio. Should the Red Sox pursue signing Barry Bonds. The discussion, sparked rumors and ultimately a denial by Sox manager Terry Francona who admitted yesterday on the Rome is Buring TV Show that it was just a rumor

• I can’t imagine Bonds in a Red Sox uniform. This ownership group impresses me as always trying to do things in a politically correct way. Signing Bonds would be controversial. And the Boston media would feast on it.

• The other interesting topic being discussed on sportstalk radio; Would you trade Manny Ramirez? Manny has 2 club option years after this season. Each year is worth 20 million dollars to Ramirez. He is obviously not having the kind of year that deserves a 20 million dollar salary. But who do you get to replace him?

• Lasalle Academy’s 14 year old golfing sensation Juliet Vongphoumy got to tee it up this week at the Rhode Island Amateur. Unlike the high school boys state championship she won, Juliet will not be able to play from the women’s tees. She finished the 2-day 36 hole stroke play portion of the event at 19 over par. Not great, but better than 36 other men who competed with her!

• It always amazes me how this small state of Rhode Island produces more than its share of world class athletes. North Kingstown’s Elizabeth Beisel is the latest example. This 15 year old qualified for 2 Olympic swim events at the recent US Trials. She’ll be in Beijing next month.

• If you’re headed to the Summer Olympics and looking for accomodations...you may want to try to land one of the more than one-thousand households providing rooms for foreign visitors during the Olympic Games.  “olympic Families” must offer a spare bedroom, basic toilet and shower facilities and at least one English-speaking family member.  Guests get 3 meals a day...their host will take them to see tourist sites like the Great Wall free of charge....The nightly rate for room and board....100 yaun or 14 dollars and 50 cents. What a deal. But beware, a quick check of roundtrip airfare on US Airways (Boston to Beijing) will set you back 7500.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Manny being Manny?

by: Frank Carpano

There has been a lot of talk this week about the incident involving Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox traveling secretary. The Providence Journal’s Sean McAdam was first to report that Manny shoved XXXX, (a man in his mid 60’s) to the floor when XXXX couldn’t produce the number of game tickets Manny requested. All involved said the politically correct thing after the fact. The Red Sox have led us to believe that’s the end of it. We’ll probably never know if the Red Sox disciplined Ramirez (financially or otherwise).

I wonder…what if Manny had been a role player on the team, instead of its star. Would the Red Sox have handled this differently? Are there different rules for different players?
Absolutely! Management in any business is more tolerant of star performers than they are of bit players. Is it fair? No. But it is the way of the world.

By comparison is the way the Patriots handled the Willie Andrews situation. Andrews is a backup cornerback and kick returner who has been arrested twice this offseason. Most recently he was arrested for allegedly pointing a handgun at his girlfriend’s head. In February Andrews was arrested for Marijuana possession.
One day after his arraignment on the gun charges, the Patriots cut its ties with Andrews.
Admittedly, the Andrews offenses are a lot more serious than Manny’s 2 shoving incidents. And again, we are left to wonder; did the Patriots drop Andrews because he wasn’t worth the trouble or because the poor light he cast on the organization? If he had been a star player would he still be a member of the team?

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

CVS update

by: Frank Carpano

Here’s the latest statement from the CVS Organizers

“we are planning to wait for the next storm cell tggo come through, and will make our final decision regarding continuation of the tournament after it passes.

Our first priority is to finish the tournament, and all 20 professionals are on-sit and available to do so. If a complete-finish is not an option, our next step would be to initiate a playoff between the 4 teams tied for the lead through 28 holes.

Teams at 15-under par through 28 holes:

Billy Andrade/David Love III
Rocco meidatge/Brandt Snedeker
Bubba Watson/Camilo Villagas
Paul Goydos/Tim Herron

CVS Statement

by:P Frank Carpano

We are currently in a rain delay

There were thousands of fans on the course when the delay was called

Here’s CVS/Caremark’s official statement.....

“Safety is our first priority, for both our guests and the playersw, and our well-established weather safety plan is being put into action.

We are monitoring the weather and, should it be needed, transportation is ready and available for all attendees. We are working closely with our on-site

PGA Tour rules official to make a final decision regarding continuation of play.”

Complicating matters is the fact that the players are all scheduled to leave town today. Most on commercial flights that depart mid to late afternoon

rain delay at CVS

by: Frank Carpano

The second round of the CVS Caremark Charity Classic is currently in a rain delay. It began at 12:04

There are currently 5 teams tied for the lead.

All at 15 under par

Watson-Vellegas
Andrade-Love
Mediate Snedeker
Quigley-Quigley
Goydos-Herron

Monday, June 23, 2008

CVS/Caremark Charity Classic

by: Frank Carpano

The 10th annual CVS/Caremark Charity Classic is underway. And despite forecasts to the contrary, the weather today is great. A little overcast, but there is no rain.

They switched up the opening ceremony this year. There was no skills competition and no Peter Jacobsen imitations. Jacobsen served as the emcee and introduced each golfer. He asked some of the golfers questions and told some funny story’s. It was a nice change of pace.

Unquestionably the biggest applause today was reserved for Rocco Mediate. The runner-up at the recent US Open has become a cult figure for his battle with Tiger Woods.
He has that everyman quality that really relates to the fans out here this week.

There was a minor controversy during the Open when NBC commentator Johnny Miller said on the air that Mediate looked like the guy who cleans Tiger’s pool. He also said thast guy’s named Rocco don’t get their name on the US Open winner Cup. Italian-Americans didn’t take too kindly to the remark. Miller quickly apologized and Rocco
Helped diffuse the brewing controversy by saying it was no big deal.
But Tournament co-host Billy Andrade had the best line at the opening ceremony. Andrade joked; “The Rhode Island legislator has voted to ban Johnny Miller from the state.”

Despite the dire weather warnings, it has been very crowded. And it never ceases to amaze me how many people it takes to run this event. Literally thousands of volunteers, many of them representing local charities that will benefit from the monies raised at this event.

The golf is underway, we’ll have results later.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Congratulations Celtics

By: Frank Carpano

Did you ever believe as bad as things got in the past 2 decades, that you’d ever see another Boston NBA title

My first thought when Danny Ainge brought the big 3 together, wasn’t we’re NBA title bound….I wondered how the heck the 3 were going to play together. And that was debated everywhere after the deal was done.

How were these 3 big shots going to decide who was going to get the ball for the final shot. Could they all get along on the court.

Despite their protests to the contrary, I had to see it to believe it.

And they were true to their word


A couple of things got me choked up as I watched these guys complete the greatest worst to first move in NBA History.

All the suffering that a guy like Paul Pierce has done the past few years…to see him hugging Doc Rivers was truly special.
For all the money these guys make….they finally got something all their millions can’t buy…..the championship trophy

Watching Kevin Garnett hug Bill Russell. You could hear Garnett say, referring to the championship “I got Mine”
And then saying to Russell “ I hope we made you proud”
In an age when too many young people don’t have an appreciation for the past….it was a great bridge of 2 generations.

How did they do it…..How about Ray Allen. His game left for dead early in the playoffs, he hits 22 3’s in the Finals!

How did they do it? D-E-F-E-N-S-E

Monday, June 16, 2008

Tiger clinches - Celtics zero in

By: Frank Carpano

+++Pardon me while I gush. I have never seen a more riveting, entertaining golf match than Tiger Woods versus Rocco Mediate in the US Open playoff.
I watch my fair share of golf on television. Mainly to see how the ball is supposed to be hit and as a sleep inducer. But there was no napping while this was on.
It was truly like two heavyweights battling. Perhaps the best analogy is the Rocky movie (the first one). Tiger is Apolo Creed, Rocco is Rocky. The guy who few gave any shot of winning. But he battled, held his own and almost stole the championship from golf’s best ever.

There are alot of people who are already calling this the best Open ever. How do you guage that? Here’s how I do it. It’s when I can’t peel myself away from the television. It’s also when I keep hearing from people who have never watched golf on television. And they say they can’t peel themselves away from the television!

+++How have the Celtics gotten this far? Defense! And that’s what will carry them to their 17th NBA Championship in Game 6 against the Lakers. But they must get off to a better start than the games in LA. There are only so many deep holes they can dig out of. Ray Allen who left the team after game 5 to take care of a family issue is expected back for Game 6. 

Thursday, June 05, 2008

NBA Finals

by: Frank Carpano

Tonight is game 1 of the NBA Finals. And the dream matchup is about to be renewed. As if the Celtics and Lakers didn’t have enough to worry about, they must not only battle each other but the ghosts of playoffs past.

Maybe it’s not something they need to worry about. But it is something everyone else (over the age of 30) will endlessly debate.

And why not? Those Lakers-Celtics teams of the 1980’s were the cornerstones of the NBA’s popularity in that decade. It jump-started the league marketing machine that was then humming along by the time Michael Jordan arrived.

As this series unfolds, it will be interesting to see if the fans, media and teams muster the same passion we had in the 1980’s. It was before we had the Red Sox winning World Series and the Patriots winning Super Bowls. I think there is a certain amount of detachment now because New England sports fans are spoiled. Add to that the fact that there are now so many more entertainment options to grab your attention.

But if the games are good, how can you avoid watching.

So, what will this series come down to? Defense….Something the Celtics excel at. And something I think will carry them to the NBA title.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Weekend in Baltimore

By: Frank Carpano

If you’re a Red Sox fan I’d like to recommend that you make the pilgrimage to Baltimore’s Orioles Park at Camden Yard to see the Red Sox play.

I took my family there this past weekend and it was an incredible experience.
It began with a Southwest flight from Providence to Baltimore.  It felt like a Red Sox charter. It seemed like everybody onboard was headed to Baltimore to see the games. And everybody was wearing Red Sox gear.

Camden Yard sits on the edge of Baltimore’s inner harbor. It was a short walk from our hotel. I bought our tickets on-line and paid face value, $40 for a seat on the first baseline about 30 rows up. Try to find that at Fenway Park!

If you’re worried about venturing into enemy territory, worry not. By my unofficial estimate, Red Sox fans outnumbered Oriole fans at Camden Yard by 5 to 1.

By far the most exciting moment at Friday’s game was each time Manny Ramirez came to the plate. He was one homerun shy of 500 for his career, and the crowd was hungry to see history. Each time Manny came to the plate, there was a light show around the Park as everyone, it seemed, snapped a picture hoping to capture a frame from a historic homerun.

It was also interesting to see former Red Sox Kevin Millar. He plays first base now for the Orioles. It’s a perfect position for him. First base is the most social position on a baseball field. And Millar, a very social guy, is ideally suited for that spot. I enjoyed watching him every time a Red Sox player landed on first. Millar had something to say to each one.

I was also amazed at Jacoby Ellsbury. I’ve always known that he was fast. But this weekend I came away with an entirely new appreciation of his base running skills.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Bits and Pieces

by: Frank Carpano

Bits and Pieces

· I can’t offer much insight into why the Celtics have failed to win a road game in the postseason. They seem like 2 different teams; the Garden team and the “other” team that wears their shirts on the road. But I guess if I had to pinpoint one thing that’s different about their performance, it’s their intensity. That said, their futility on the road helped produce a game 7 against the Cavs that was the most entertaining, sit on the edge of your seat game in the last 20 years of Celtic basketball.

· Matt Walsh holds so little credibility, even if he said he filmed the Rams walkthrough prior to the Super Bowl in 2002, I would have had reservations about believing him. Unless he produced something in writing or recorded evidence that someone in the Patriots organization in a position of power ordered him to do it. Otherwise, who is to say that Walsh just acted on his own.

· I love Manny Ramirez. He just seems like a big kid out there. I know he frustrates a lot of hardcore Red Sox fans with his casual attitude, but how can you not love some of his antics. If for no other reason, you watch just to see what crazy thing he is going to do next. The high five he gave a fan after making a catch in Baltimore was hilarious. But the most amazing thing was that he still had time to get the ball back into the infield to complete a double play!

· I recently emceed a dinner for the Verrazano organization. They honored Pawsox President Mike Tamburro. If you’ve never attended a Pawsox game at McCoy, you’ve deprived yourself of experiencing one of the true gems in professional baseball. The baseball aside (which is great) , the Pawsox (under Tamburro) raise the bar in the area of customer service and value for your dollar. And Tamburro’s work in the community is also legendary. They may play in the so-called “Minor” league, but the way they do business is “Major” league.

· I have to admit I am a Johnny come lately to horse racing. My recent visit to the Kentucky Derby has made me a fan. I was amazed to see Big Brown’s performance at the Preakness. It seems like in the most important part of the race, that that horse has another gear. The way he pulled ahead after the final turn was unbelievably impressive. In fact, the jockey said after the race that he was holding him back until then. The video backs him up on that. Your not going to make any real money, but to bet against Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes is like throwing your money away