Friday, August 31, 2007

Belichick Interview: On the final exhibition game

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
CONFERENCE CALL

August 31, 2007

BB: I’m just kind of following up from last night.  I was impressed with the way the team played.  We didn’t really play very many players, but we got a good long look at them.  A number of those guys played on a lot of special teams plays as well as their offensive and defensive units.  There were certainly some positive things to see from a lot of players almost throughout the entire duration of the game.  Certainly there are a lot of things that we need to work on and things that were far from perfect, but overall I thought it was a positive effort.  Right now we’re just going to have to go through a lot of personnel decisions here in the next day and a half and figure out exactly what we want to try to do.  There are a number of factors involved, not only just roster decisions, but practice squad spots, some of the physical condition of our players and so forth.  That will be part of it and then, of course, we want to get started on the game preparation for the Jets.  That’s kind of where we are here for the short term.  We’ll let you know when we’ve made any of those personnel moves.  There are a lot of moving parts.

Q: It seems like the quarterbacks might make things a little bit more challenging for you in making those decisions.  All three guys really played well last night.  Can you give us your thoughts if you would be willing to keep four quarterbacks when you make the final roster?

BB: Well, we’ve done it before.  We’ve kept four.  We’ve kept two and we’ve kept three.  We’ll do whatever we think is the best decision for the football team.  We’ll try to take everything into consideration when we make that decision, not just that decision, but the other roster spots that may be influenced or affected by that as well.  I like what the three guys did last night.  I thought they all, at various points, handled themselves well and did some good things.

Q: Can you talk a little about Bam Childress?  He seems like he would be a tough guy to cut if you had to because of his versatility.

BB: I think you said it best.  Bam showed a lot of versatility.  We’ve also used him on defense.  Last year, he played both the running back and receiver spots in the Jacksonville game.  I think that’s one of his biggest strengths, is his versatility, his intelligence and the fact that he has value in more than one spot.

Q: Has he learned a lot from being around some of these good receivers that you’ve had here over the last few years?

BB: Bam is a smart guy and he’s very attentive and works hard.  I’m sure he’s learned from everybody that he’s been around - the quarterbacks, the coaches, the other players, the receivers, guys on defense.  He is a student of the game and he works hard at it.

Q: Do you put any stock in the seven sacks of [Jared] Lorenzen, eight overall?  I know the second and third stringers were doing a lot of that.  Is that a pleasing sign that leaves an impression?

BB: Of course it’s always good to hit the quarterback.  Again, we try to look at the plays maybe a little bit more on an individual basis when you’re evaluating players.  Sometimes you have guys that make a good pass rush move and the coverage isn’t tight enough and they throw the ball because there’s a receiver open, and so it doesn’t show up in the stats.  Then, another time, the coverage is good and the quarterback has to hold the ball and it really isn’t a very good pass rush but the result of the play is that you hit the quarterback because maybe more because of coverage than pass rush.  From a team standpoint, it’s all interrelated and we’ve talked about that a lot, but from an individual evaluation standpoint, sometimes the overall performance of the group skews the production a little bit from what I would say it actually is on an individual basis, in either direction.  Again, we just try to look at that and do the best we can evaluating all of the players and what they did and who they did it against and how often it happened and how consistent they are and so forth.

Q: Do we have any idea of the severity of Oscar Lua’s injury?

BB: Not right now, just looking at him, and all of the players really, from after the game.

Q: How do injuries play into tomorrow’s decisions?  Are there pretty clear rules governing releasing injured players and that type of thing?

BB: Well, not really.  The rules are if you release a player that is injured, then you work out some kind of monetary settlement with that player one way or another and he doesn’t count on your roster.  It’s just like you release any other player, depending on how long the player is going to be out for, that’s governed by the collective bargaining agreement and that’s worked out between the club and the player or eventually it could be arbitrated by a third party if the two sides couldn’t agree, but that’s pretty clear cut.  Part of the decision making that the clubs have to deal with is if you carry a player who is injured or unable to play for a while, then essentially you’re at 52, or 51, however many of those players you have, who can’t play until they’re healthy and depending on the injury, it could be different lengths of time.  So that could factor into the decision too, how long you’d want to carry a player that’s not going to be able to play, how long can you afford to do that?  That’s how it plays a part.  If you release him, you release him, then you just settle with him.  If you don’t release him, how long are you carrying a player that won’t be able to participate?

Q: Is that monetary hit that you guys take for releasing an injured player count against the cap?

BB: Yes, it’s part of the player’s salary.

Q: How has Dante Wesley done?  What have you thought of him since you acquitted him in the trade from Chicago?

BB: I think he has improved.  Our system is a little bit different than the one they ran up there and so he’s had to adjust to some different techniques and different emphasis points in the scheme, but he is a hard-working kid.  He’s been out there every day.  He’s shown up in the kicking game, made some plays on defense.  I think he’s certainly put himself in a competitive position, relative to playing for this team.

Q: With Brandon [Meriweather] playing safety all game, he played a lot at corner and now he’s played a full game at safety.  When you saw him coming into the summer and his position flexibility, and now that you’ve seen it over the course of training camp, are you happy that he’s proficient at both of spots in your system?

BB: Yes, it worked out that way that we were able to give him an opportunity to play, really, all three positions – corner, nickel back and safety.  The way that things fell last night with the players, we had more corners available than safeties, so it was good to be able to get him some playing time at safety.  Going forward, we’ll just have to decide what the best thing for him and the team is in terms of the positions that he plays.  I do feel like he gives us some depth at all of those spots.  We’ll just have to prioritize how it’s going to go and it may change from game to game too.  It may not stay the same every week.  We’ll just have to take it as it comes.  We thought he would have flexibility coming into our system and he’s shown that he does have some and he also has a lot of things to work on and the more positions you give him, then the more things there are for him to learn and get proficient at.  He has a lot of work to do, but he’s shown some versatility and some playmaking ability on the defensive side of the ball, and showed up a little bit in the kicking game last night too, so that was good.

Q: Can you talk briefly about Heath Evans, one of the potential first string guys who was out there a lot last night playing with a bunch of kids?  He’s been a workhorse through camp and maybe doesn’t get a lot of publicity.  What does he bring to the table?

BB: Well, again, last week against Carolina, Heath got a few carries, but we wanted to give him an opportunity to get his hands on the ball a little bit more in this game and make sure that he was ready for the season, as well as some plays in the kicking game.  He got an opportunity to do that and that was good.  I thought he did a pretty good job with it for the most part.  Heath is another guy that gives us some position flexibility offensively.  He’s carried the ball.  He’s picked up the blitz.  He’s played some fullback, not the running back position in our offense, and he’s also participated in some kicking situations.  His versatility, his intelligence, his toughness, he’s been durable and dependable and we’ve all seen him run with power and make some tough yards.  I think he has a lot of things going for him and we wanted to give him an opportunity last night to be able to get some experience in those roles in preseason a little more so than he did in the first couple of games, so I think we did that and that was good.

Q: You don’t see too many quarterbacks on special teams.  Matt Gutierrez was out there last night.  Was that just him trying to make himself more valuable to you?

BB: Sure.  Matt runs fairly well.  Again, we didn’t have that many players participating in the game so we could use all of the bodies we could get there.  Matt runs well enough to be able to participate in some of the special teams plays.  There’ve been other guys in that situation and we’ve all seen that before, so we just wanted to take a look at it and evaluate it and see whether that is worth investing time in or whether it’s a waste of time.

Q: Has there been enough time for Richard Seymour and David Thomas who’ve been on the PUP list to get off of it and be able to practice enough to where they would have a legitimate chance of playing against the Jets? 

BB: I think they’re in the day-to-day category.  Certainly some of that will play into our decisions here over the next day and a half.  I think with those kinds of things, you give the situation as much time as you can and sometimes another day or two can give you a little bit more information to work with.  That’s probably what we’ll do, take as much time as we have and get as much information as we can and then try to make the best decision for the team that we can.

Q: Are you generally encouraged with the overall health of the team at this point moving forward?

BB: I don’t think it really makes any difference whether I am or not.  We have to take our situation and try to make the most of it and that’s really all we’re trying to do.  I’m not trying to grade it, whether it’s better or worse, good, bad or that type of thing.  We’ll just take what is and try to understand it the best that we can and look at all of our options and do what we feel like is the best thing for the team.  That’s really all we can do.

Q: How much leeway do you have in constructing your game day roster?

BB: It goes without saying that if you’re going to be heavy in one area, you’re going to be light somewhere else.  I know we’ve had as many as 11 linebackers active for a game.  My guess is we’ve probably had as many as 11 defensive backs active as well.  I think seven offensive linemen has pretty much been the norm for us, either five or six defensive linemen and a couple of quarterbacks and four or five receivers.  There’s a certain number of people that I’d say it’s relatively fixed.  After that, there are other variables.  If it’s 11 linebackers, it’s going to be not as many defensive backs or tight ends or running backs.  If it’s more balanced, then you’re going to have more of a balanced roster.  I think my first year here, if I’m not mistaken, we carried six backs into a lot of games.  I don’t remember doing that in recent years, very often if at all.  I don’t think we’ve done it in a while.  I’m sure we carried six back in 2000.  It just depends on the makeup of your roster.  Sometimes the game day activations are sometimes more special teams related than they are position related.  So, for example, if you have a fullback, or a running back, who plays on all of your special teams and you have another running back who plays on all of your special teams and another year you have a couple of linebackers that play on all your special teams, but those players really don’t play very many offensive or defensive plays, then to be honest with you, I’m not sure if it makes any difference.  What difference does it make if you carry six backs or four backs?  Those extra backs are your core special teams players.  Defensively, if you carry 10 linebackers instead of eight, but the extra two linebackers are your core special teams players, it doesn’t really matter whether they’re linebackers, backs, tight ends or defensive backs.  If that’s what you need them for and they’re the best you have at it, then it doesn’t really matter what position they play, that’s going to be their primary role.  You know as well as I do that we’ve had a number of players that would fall into that category that were almost exclusively special teams players, whether it be Chris Floyd at fullback back in 2000 or Je’Rod Cherry as a safety, Larry Izzo as a linebacker.  Those guys didn’t get a whole lot of defensive or offensive playing time, they were core special teams players and sometimes the positions that they come from fluctuate a little bit, but you’re looking to get your best team out there.  That’s kind of the way we view it.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Asante Samuel Interview 8/28/07

Courtesy of The New England Patriots

PATRIOTS CORNERBACK ASANTE SAMUEL
Locker Room Quotes

August 28, 2007

Q: Looking back on the whole process, what did you learn?

AS: I just learned to be patient and pray about it and put it in God’s hands and let him take care of everything.

Q: Did you miss two-a-days?

AS: You know, as much as you guys probably think being home and not being in that sun, I really did miss the guys and joking around in the locker room.

Q: Was there a winner and a loser to signing this contract?

AS: Like I said, both sides had to agree to it. There’s no winner and no loser. We got it done and I’m here.

Q: Did you feel it was important to get a week of work under your belt before the season started?

AS: I just thought it would be good to get in as soon as possible, not a week. As soon as I get in, I’m ready to work and I’m ready to get back into my normal playing form.

Q: Were you worried that you would be out for 10 weeks or so?

AS: You know I’m not going to get into that. I already made my statement in the past. That’s the past. I’m ready to go, I’m here and I’m happy.

Q: You said that you’re happy now, but what was the difference between now and four weeks ago?

AS: I’m here. Both sides made an agreement and both sides are happy. So if I’m here, I’m obviously happy.

Q: Yes, but you could have gotten the same agreement weeks ago.

AS: How do you know? I’m not going to go answer that. You can go and find that out through somebody else.

Q: How did the thought of possibly playing on a Super Bowl contender play into your decision making process?

AS: I love my team. It’s always been a great organization. It’s always had great fans, great players, great coaches. We’ve been doing well since I’ve been here so I’m glad to be here and I’d love to be here for the rest of my career.

Q: How many of your teammates did you stay in contact with?

AS: I talked to a lot of guys. I’m not going to name all of them, but I talked to Rodney [Harrison] Rosie [Colvin], Jarvis [Green]. I talked to a lot of guys. We talked about how much fun they were having and how coach was taking it easy on them in Training Camp, things like that. We kept in touch.

Q: With your current deal, do you worry about being in the same situation next year?

AS: It is what it is, you know. I’m happy that we came to an agreement and I’m ready to play ball.

Q: What do you think of this team and its acquisitions heading into this season?

AS: I don’t know. I haven’t been out there with those guys and seen what they can do and what they’re working on. The fact that we’ve kept the main guys here and the offseason moves, obviously they’re here to help the team. Hopefully, we can get it done.

Q: When did you get into town?

AS: I got in Sunday night. Who ratted me out? (Laughs.)

Q: Did Lance Briggs situation at all change the way you looked at your situation?

AS: His situation is his own situation and mine is mine. I don’t look at different situations. I know what makes me happy and we got it done.

Q: When the July 16th deadline passed, what were you thinking?

AS: I can’t worry about that any more, that’s in the past. I have a contract, I’m happy, I’m here to play football.

Q: Is there anything you need to work out as far as field drills or anything like that?

AS: I just went through my normal routine. It’s worked for me at the beginning of training camp so now I hope it works for me at the end of training camp.  I didn’t change anything. I just worked harder.

Q: Have you ever been in a situation that you had to come in during the middle of training camp because of an injury or go without the first couple weeks of the season?

AS: No, I’ve never been in a situation like that. It’s new for me and I’m ready for the challenge. Hopefully, I’ll overcome it and do my best.

Q: Do you have any regrets about the way things played out?

AS: No, I don’t have any regrets. It is what it is. I did what I felt I needed to do and I’m ready to play football.

Q: Will you be practicing today?

AS: I don’t know yet. You’ll have to ask coach about that.

Q: Did you take the conditioning test?

AS: You’ll have to talk to coach about that.

Q: I know last year you said you felt more comfortable playing on the left side, do you still feel that way?

AS: Nah, I’m not going to get into details. Wherever they need me, I’m here to help the team. I’m here to play football like Asante Samuel knows how to play football.

Q: You had a breakout season last year and because of that the perception by some was that you were trying to cash in and get the big deal. Was there any truth to that?

AS: I’m not going to get into any contract talk and things like that. You know, fourth year, fifth year are your prime years. I’m in those years and hopefully I can keep things going. Hopefully I can lead and do what I did last year and that would be great for all of us.

Q: What was your reaction to Ty Warren’s deal?

AS: I’m happy for him. If that makes him happy and that makes the organization happy, I’m happy for them. I’m happy for him. That has nothing to do with me.

Q: Do you feel, yourself, that you’re ready to play opening day?

AS: Like I said, I’m not going to get into that. I haven’t even been on the field yet. You all can ask Coach Belichick tomorrow about how it went and I’m sure he’ll give you an answer.

Q: I know some people might see this as a money thing, tell us about your drive to be a great player in this league.

AS: No doubt about it. I’m a competitor. I’ve been a competitor since I was born. Everything I do I want to be the best at. I want to leave a legacy. I want Asante Samuel to be a stone in the NFL when I leave this game. I’m going to work hard and leave it out on the line and make plays like I know how to make plays.

Q: You hear names like Champ Bailey when people talk about the best corners of this era. Is there anybody in this game that you feel like you’re still chasing?

AS: I mean you guys in the media or whoever ranks cornerbacks, I feel how I feel about myself and that’s all that really matters at the end of the day. I feel that I’m one of the best in the NFL and I’ve just got to play and keep proving it. I’m a fourth-rounder, I come from the bottom of this league. I made my name all on my own. Nothing was given to me, so I’m happy. I’ll let you guys that hold the microphone [decide]. Am I the best?

Q: Technically it wasn’t a holdout, you just didn’t sign a contract, but by not being in camp you were sort of branded. How do you feel about that?

AS: Well yeah, that comes with the territory. A lot people go through these situations where sides don’t agree on things and they hold out for whatever reason. I mean my name was thrown out here and there in a negative way. That doesn’t really matter to me.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Bell Belichick Interview 8/27/07

courtesy of The New England Patriots

Just an FYI,

Tomorrow, Tom Brady is expected to make his first public comments since becoming a father for the first time. Watch this space for updates.

Frank Carpano

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
PRESS CONFERENCE

August 27, 2007

BB: Asante [Samuel] came to the facility this morning.  I spoke to him.  He’s going through the normal process that any player would go through at the beginning of camp in terms of taking the conditioning run and so forth.  That’s basically where we are on that one.  As far as this week goes, I think this is another big week for us in terms of pulling some things together as we finish up our preseason and training camp.  There’s still a lot of things that we need to work on before we get into a weekly game plan situation, starting with the Jets.  This is kind of our last chance on the practice field to get some generic, general things, specific situations, things like that, so that’s what we’re going to try to do.  It’s a combination of finishing up our training camp, getting ready for the Giants and trying to get our last look at some evaluations and at the end of the week, of course, we’ll turn our attention towards opening day.

Q: Do you expect that it will be easier for Asante to work his way back since he’s had five years in this system?

BB: I don’t know we’ll just take it day-to-day just like everything else.

Q: Are you glad this is behind you?  Is it good to have your whole roster here?

BB: Yes, it’s always good to have all of the players available.  Sure.

Q: Have you talked to him about his conditioning?

BB: I told you what the extent of it is.  That’s it.

Q: If he did not report, would you have been okay with the group you had?

BB: He came in today.  He’s here.

Q: I’m aware of that.

BB: Well, the rest of the hypothetical questions, they’re all hypothetical.  I don’t know.  It doesn’t make any difference.  It’s day-to-day and go with the information that is available.

Q: Is it easy for you to let bygones be bygones?

BB: All I do is coach the team.  That’s it.  I just try to make the team better.  I try to give the team the best chance to win and do what I can do to help the football team.  That’s my job.  That’s what it’s been.  That’s what it’s going to be.

Q: Will Asante’s return allow you to work Brandon Meriweather at safety?

BB: We’ll take it day-to-day.

Q: Would you like to see Brandon at safety?

BB: Asante hasn’t been on the practice field yet.  The first thing he’s going to do is take his physical and then go through the normal process.  We’ll take it day-to-day.

Q: Do you have to talk to the guys who have been here working in camp and working at that spot, guys like Randall Gay, about how Asante’s return will affect them?

BB: We’ll take it day-to-day.  I talk to the players everyday.

Q: Are you happy with where the defense is and it’s progression?

BB: I think we have a lot of things we need to work on.  There are some things that we’re doing that are okay and have been okay against certain opponents.  We’ll meet other challenges this week and other challenges next week.  We have a lot of things to work on.  We have a long way to go in every phase of the game and in every aspect of offense, defense and special teams.  We’re nowhere near where we need to be or where we’re capable of being.  There’s a lot left in the season, I hope we can make a lot of improvements between now as we go forward.

Q: With the progress that James Sanders has made, is he a guy who can play both safety spots?

BB: Well, I think everybody in our defense has to play both spots.  If they move the tight end, they formation in different ways, you have to do that anyway.  The linebacker has to play strong and weak - to the tight end, away from the tight end.  Sometimes there are two tight ends.  Sometimes there’s no tight end.  Sometimes they move them.  Stuff like.  I think you have to learn how to play that.  A good offensive team that formations you and shifts and that kind of thing can force you into that situation.  I think everybody has to learn how to play both.  They need to be able to play both.

Q: Are you in a position right now where you know what your roster is going to be? Will there still be roster spots available that players can win in Thursday night’s game?  Where are you right now?

BB: I think there are a number of questions that we can answer as a football team, a lot of different ways things could go.  We have a lot of different roles on our team that need to be filled.  They could come from a lot of different directions.  There are a lot of things that we haven’t decided and a lot of things we haven’t even talked about because it’s still premature.  We’ll see how things turnout after the last game.

Q: How would you compare your rookie linebackers this year compared to the rookie linebackers you had last year?

BB: I think each player is different.  We’ve all seen players that start fast and then don’t maintain that same rate of progress.  We’ve seen other players start at a slower rate and then increase their rate of progress.  I think as long as the player is improving, you keep working with him and you see what point he can get to.  If at some point you have to make a decision, then you make it.  But, as long as they’re improving, then you keep working with them.  The rate of progress is definitely not anything that you know is going to be constant.  It may be constant, but you don’t know that.  We’ve all seen it go at different rates.  So we just have to evaluate that as it happens.

Q: When you look at Richard Seymour’s development as a player, how important was it to guys like Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork for Richard who came in and set the bar so high? What has it meant in their development?

BB: I don’t know.  You’d probably have to ask them that.  It’s a pretty competitive group.  They all work hard.  It’s a good group.  Mike [Wright].  Jarvis [Green].  Vince.  Ty.  Le Kevin [Smith].  Santonio [Thomas].  It’s a hard working group.  How much of that is them, how much of it is somebody else, how much of it is a combination?  I’m not sure about all of that.

Q: Do you feel like Richard has developed into a leader?

BB: Yes, I think he’s a well-respected guy, no question.  He’s a well-respected player on this team.

Q: Would that development be quicker than normal?

BB: I don’t know what normal is.  We have one of the youngest defensive lines in the league.  We’ve had it for several years.  Anthony Pleasant was here.  Bobby Hamilton and those guys.  They gave us great leadership.  In the last couple of years, we’ve had a pretty young group therefore younger players are leaders.  Those players aren’t here anymore.  I don’t know if that’s normal.  It’s probably not like a lot of defensive lines in the league.  Sometimes that’s the way it evolves.

Q: What kind of improvement have you seen in Willie Andrews from last year to this year?

BB: I think he’s made a big jump, both defensively and the kicking game.  He has a full season under his belt and he has a lot more experience in our system, obviously, than he had last year and that was a big jump coming from college, from Baylor, seeing the types of offenses that we see compared to what they saw in their league.  Willie is a hard working guy.  He’s been out there consistently.  He’s missed very little time since he’s been here, so he continues to get better.  He’s a hard working kid.

Q: For a safety, does he play bigger than his size?

BB: I think that’s fair to say.  I would say that.  He’s a tough kid and he plays with, probably, a little better strength than some guys with that size.

Q: Has Oscar Lua done anything to impress you?  Is there anything that he can work in his game?  What else can he work on?

BB: I think he has a lot of things to work on.  He’s a rookie linebacker.  Oscar is a hard working kid too.  He’s smart.  He understands the defense.  He communicates well.  He’s able to, not only do his assignment, but also control the guys in front of him, the front seven, and line calls and adjustments and things like that.  He gets better out there everyday.  He pays attention.  I know he’s very attentive to what the veteran players do in the classroom and on the practice field.  He’s always alert and trying to pick up more information.  I think he’s working hard and he’s getting better.

Q: From an outsiders perspective, it may seem like the guys who are fighting for a roster spot may need to do something in this last preseason game in order to make the team.  Is that necessarily the case?

BB: I think a good performance helps everybody, no matter what they’re doing.  Whether it’s establishing more of a role or a playing time situation, whether it’s making a roster or a practice squad or whatever it is.  I think every opportunity to practice and play is invaluable for everybody – for players that are so called on the team, which certainly there are some who would fall into that category, guys who maybe aren’t as secure in their position, but it’s an opportunity for everybody.  I think that should be something that we’d all want to take advantage of, there aren’t that many of them.  We only play once a week.

Q: Do you start looking at the Jets this week?

BB: I think when you go through training camp, you’re aware of your first few opponents.  There are some things, that depending on how your schedule falls, that you need to do to prepare for those games in the season and take advantage of the little bit of time that you have in training camp to do that.  Certainly there are aspects of the Jets that would fall under that category. We’ve played two 3-4 teams early in the season.  We’re a 3-4 team.  I don’t think we just want our offense to work exclusively against 3-4 fronts the entire camp because that’s not the way it’s going to be during the year.  You have to find a way to balance that out.  We have teams that we play that are two back teams.  We have teams that we play that are more one back teams.  We’re probably more of a one back team than we are a two back team.  We have to find a way to balance that out defensively so that we don’t come out of 30 practices in training camp where we’ve never seen something that we’re going to see during the year, especially if you’re going to see it in let’s say the first month of the season.  I don’t think that would be a good way to prepare your team for the season.  Like I said, as you go through camp, you’re trying to balance off getting ready for the opening game – physically, mentally and schematically, but also trying to prepare your team to play a 16-game regular season schedule and there are things that are going to come up during the year, that if you wait to cover them the day before they happen, you’re probably not going to get it right.  That’s part of the preseason preparation.  Whether it’s a situational thing or whether it’s a schematic thing, you know sooner or later that somebody is going to do.  Somebody is going to max-blitz you.  They’re going to blitz their secondary guys, maybe it doesn’t happen opening day, maybe it does.  If you think you’re going to go through the whole season and not see it and not work on it because you haven’t seen it, and then it happens, we all know how that’s going to go.  Punt rushes.  Have we been rushed a lot in preseason on the punter?  Are the Jets going to do it? I don’t know, but we’re going to get it at some point, so we better work on it.  There’s things that fall into that category.

Q: Do you foresee the cuts being made today?

BB: Well, they’re due tomorrow.  I would say that you could probably expect them tomorrow.  If something happens today, you’ll be the first to know.  We don’t want to keep anything from you.

Q: Are the cuts at 75 easier than the cuts at 53?

BB: Right now it’s only five players.  No, it’s not easier to tell those five players than it is to tell the next, whatever it is, 22 , from 75 to 53.  Is it easier in terms of making decisions to reduce your roster from 80 to 75 than it is from 75 to 53?  Well, you know the answer to that question. But no, I don’t think it makes it any easier to release a player now or Saturday.  Guys that working hard that are putting everything they have into it that have been with you for however long they’ve been with you, whether it’s a year or more than that, all through the spring and so forth, when you have to release a player like that, it’s the worst part of the job, but it’s a necessary part because we have to comply with the roster limit, so that’s the way it goes.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Tom Brady Interview 8/20/07

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY
Locker Room Quotes

August 20, 2007

Q: Does it make you feel that much closer to the regular season doing your interview here?

TB: It definitely does. I think all the players, after about a month of being here for camp, are excited to get into a little bit more of a regular season schedule. There are still two practices today and we’re going to need it. There’s a lot of improvement to make, which is obvious. But I think this team is prepared to work hard and try to go out and a have a better week this week than we had last week.

Q: What were your impressions of Friday’s game?

TB: Just like I said, I think it’s part of the process of building. With the mistakes, hopefully you learn from the mistakes. We’re learning a lot about what we’re capable of and what we’re doing. The good things you try to build on and the bad ones you try to eliminate. Hopefully this is a better week.

Q: You took a couple of good shots during that game, how are you holding up?

TB: I’m doing good. I’m doing pretty good. I just don’t have enough muscles to hurt or anything like that so I’m immune to muscle strains or aches or anything like that.

Q: What do you chalk that up to? Was it mistakes on the line? Or coverage issues?

TB: I think it’s part of the job description. You take hits. It’s just part of playing quarterback. You stand back there and hold the ball and everyone’s coming to attack you. I think it shows that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done by all of us. When it doesn’t go perfect, you come in the coach screams and yells at you, you try to go out there and take it to heart and make improvements. And we’re all going out here today trying to improve and get better.

Q: Do you prepare differently for a third preseason game than the others?

TB: I think you prepare hard for every game because every time you go out there, if you’re not prepared, you’re susceptible to getting hurt. So you try to understand what the defense is going to do and we’re putting together a good game plan. You hate to go out there and not perform well because you really build confidence from the games and you do from practice, but really from the games you can go out there and build those game performances. We’re going to put together a plan and go down there and try to attack what this defense does. It’s a very good defense so it should be a very good test for us.

Q: Is the offense behind where you’d like it to be at this stage?

TB: Are we behind? It’s hard to measure, but I’d say we need to make improvements. I wish that you could always pick up from where you left off last season, but the reality is that doesn’t happen. You come back, you have a new team and you have to develop a new identity. One thing I’ve learned over the last eight years is that it takes time. It takes working together. As long as everyone is ready to work hard and brings an attitude and an energy to get better and to improve then the team ends up being pretty good. But we’re a long way from the end of that process so I’m excited see what kind of work we put in.

Q: How was it having Vinny Testaverde out there with you this morning?

TB: It feels good. It gives my arm a little less wear and tear. He’s such a great guy. I think everybody loves having Vinny around. In the meetings he’s great. He brings a lot of experience and he’s a great guy so he’s fun to have around.

Q: Based on what he brought to the team last year, what do you think he will bring to the team this year?

TB: He adds depth. He adds quality and experience and leadership and attitude and all those things you look for in a New England Patriot. He’s a perfect fit.

Q: How do you feel about the team’s potential now compared to the beginning of camp?

TB: I’m always excited. I’m always excited about our potential, but the potential and the reality is something that’s very different. I’ve heard over the last six months the expectations for this team that we can just go out there and throw the ball on whomever we want and run it and gain 450 yards a game. But it takes a lot. It takes a lot of guys coming together, finding a role and playing with toughness and effort. We haven’t played any regular season games to see where we’re really at. We’ve got two very valuable weeks coming up in order to get ready for our opener. The potential of the team, that’s one thing, but going out there to see what we can accomplish starting Week One is what’s most important.

Q: You mentioned you’d like some time off for the baby. Have you talked to Coach Belichick about that?

TB: Yeah, we’ll see when it happens. Like I said, it’s up to Bill. Bill has a lot to say, so we’ll deal with it when it happens.

Q: Making the shift to more of a regular season schedule this week, does it feel like you’re really getting close to the Jets opener?

TB: Yeah, it does and there’s more urgency after each game because you realize you’re that much closer and you want to make improvements. There’s an urgency to it because all these other teams are gaining and gaining, making improvements just as quickly. If you kind of flatten out in certain ways and you’re not making improvements, then you’re losing ground on everybody else.

Q: You did say on the radio this morning that you’d like some time off when the baby arrives, is that the case?

TB: I hope so. Like I said, I’m sure when it happens it’s a matter of scheduling with what’s going on with the team.

Q: It won’t be a case if the schedule doesn’t break a certain way, that’s tough for the schedule though, would you say?

TB: Yeah, probably. I think that’s safe to assume.

Q: It’s only natural that you have more on your mind now than just football. There’s a lot of excitement in your own mind about being a father, how do you stay focused on what’s at hand?

TB: Sure, I think that’s something that I deal with and it’s a situation that a lot of other players deal with and other situations as well. I’m certainly not the only player that has a family or is going to be a father. There’s a lot guys who bring their kids out there every day. That’s very demanding being a parent and being an athlete as well because you have commitments to your team and certainly a lot of people make sacrifices for their family. A lot of people do. I’m dealing with a certain situation, a very joyous, happy situation and some people have dealt with death in the past and that’s incredibly difficult. A lot of it is you realize when you come here that you try to focus your attention and compartmentalize what you’re doing so you can get this team what it needs because that’s really what you sign up for when you come here. I don’t like to be too distracted by things that are going on, realizing how important all of this is in my life, but still understanding that when I’m here, I’m doing my best to the commitment to these guys and this team because that’s what they really deserve. I’d hate to come in here and have my mind on a hundred different things. That’s not going to help this team at all. And when I leave here, I deal with that and my team takes a step backward.

Q: Whenever you get a call, do you think that it could be The Call?

TB: Um, (laughs).

Q: Or do you already know when that call is coming?

TB: Oh, no. I wish I did. I told you that’s God’s decision. That’s the Good Lord that’s making that call. I think everybody’s anxious. I’ll put it that way.

Q: Is the scheduled due date before the regular season? We’d heard it was supposed to be on the day training camp started.

TB: I know. I realize that. I’d just like to keep that stuff because it just brings up a lot of things that I haven’t discussed in the past and it’s stuff that’s very private to me. I’ve talked to my family and so forth. Like I said, you all know it won’t be hard to figure out when it happens. If I always responded to, you know, every time somebody said something, I’d be talking all the time.

Q: Donté Stallworth said it’s not like a video game playing in real life. In that respect, is it tough not having all the pieces together, like not having Randy Moss out there right now?

TB: Sure, that’s a big part of it. For example, a guy like Donté, he’s really practiced with us for a week and he’s had one game of experience. He gets out there and you’re very excited about what’s going on. You’re trying to do the best you can do. He’s trying to go out there and perform well. And there’s situations that come up, like I say, it’s really a process every time you come into a new season. You’ve got to figure out what to do and then you figure out how to do it and then if it doesn’t go exactly as you’d planned it, you’ve got to figure out how to make adjustments. All of those things that come up, even with a guy like Kevin Faulk that I’ve played with for seven years now; we still make adjustments so we’re much farther along. Kevin and I don’t need to talk about everything because so many situations have come up in the past with Kevin that he’s familiar with what I’m thinking and I can really anticipate what he’s going to do based on previous experience. So you’re talking about a guy that’s been out there one week and Kevin Faulk, who’s been out there for seven years and Troy Brown that I have eight years of experience with. I think with each player, it’s a little bit different. It’s obviously different when you have a veteran receiver like Donté and Randy and Kelley [Washington] and Wes [Welker] because they know the NFL and they know coverages and they know how to set defenders up and so forth. But at the same time, you have to go out there and still, we need to be on the same page. The more that we can be on the same page, the more we look and anticipate where I’m going to throw the ball or how he’s going to come out of a break. That’s how the passing game really starts to click. That’s how teams that have been very successful in the passing game, those are the teams that it’s great to have the consistency and that’s something that we’re going to really search for and we’re going to work hard for. It makes it that much more rewarding in the end when you realize how much effort you put into it and when you look back at it at the end of the year you say, “God, we had a great year, from where we started and where we ended up.” It brings a great sense of, as I’ve felt over the last seven years, the accomplishment you feel is pretty great. So we’re starting at a stage and we’ve got to just build from it and the faster that we can get everybody out there, working together, the faster that I think we can start to make some serious improvements.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Belichick’s thoughts on loss to Titans

courtesy of The New England Patriots

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
CONFERENCE CALL
August 18, 2007

BB: As I said last night, there were a lot of positive things that we did. We scored a few more points on offense. I thought we played competitively at times in the first half on defense and hit the quarterback and played better on third downs. In the kicking game, we got a little bit of production out of our kickoff return game. At times, our coverage on the punts and kickoffs was good. At other times it could have been better and our punt return game obviously could’ve been better. We didn’t play very good run defense in the second half. We turned the ball over four times on offense. There are a lot of things we have to work on and there are some things that we can hopefully build on as we continue on the process of getting the whole team ready for the season. A number of situations came up that we could also learn from. We went into a couple of two-minute situations there offensively in the middle of the second quarter just so that we could work on our communication and just that whole process so that’s why we did that. We’ll probably continue to get into some kind of hurry-up offense in the game just so that we can work on that as we go through the preseason. That’s where we are today. The players are going to be off tomorrow and we’ll come back on Monday and see if we can get back on to the field and continue to build as we finish off the last couple weeks of the preseason. We need to continue to build the basis we’ve already established here in the first half of the camp.

Q: Was Artrell Hawkins a little bit of a tough cut because of what he’s done for the team over the last couple of years?

BB: Sure. Any time you release a veteran player it’s hard and Artrell is very professional guy, good player, a tough kid. He stepped into a tough situation two years ago with not being with the team early in the year and moved to safety and so forth. It really is hard. Really, all the cuts are hard, even some of the younger players. They’ve worked hard. They’ve done what we’ve asked them to do. They’ve given it their best. But sometimes it doesn’t work out and we have to move on and do what’s best for the team. It’s not a day that I enjoy no matter who it is that we’re releasing, especially the guys we’ve been involved with for a period of time, veteran players and so forth. That makes it hard. The same thing was obviously true with Josh [Miller]. That’s not the fun part of this job.

Q: When you were asked about Rodney Harrison’s performance last night you said that you needed to see the tape. Now that you’ve looked over everything from the game, what do you think?

BB: I think Rodney had some good plays. There were some other plays he could’ve been a little bit better on and things like techniques. I think we’d say that about everybody who played defensively in the first half. There were some positive things, there were some other things that we want to improve on and do a little bit better or a little bit differently.

Q: Can you chalk up some of the turnovers and the inconsistency to the new guys adapting to the system?

BB: I’m sure there are a lot of factors involved. I think the bottom line is we’ve got to coach and play better. We can’t turn the ball over five times like we did last night and expect to win too many games. We were lucky on that fumble. It was really another one that call probably should have gone the other way. We’ve got to do a better job. Every team in the league has new players on their team including us.

Q: What kind of strides has Le Kevin Smith made in his play?

BB: I think Le Kevin’s made a jump from last year to this year: In his offseason training, his strength and conditioning and his quickness and explosion. I think his techniques are better. I don’t think last year we would’ve expected him to really play at a position that he hasn’t practiced much at and he hasn’t practiced much at left end. He has a much better understanding of the defense and was able to transition over there even though he played some at nose last night. He’s definitely improved. He’s still got a long way to go, but he’s improved quite a bit from last year. That’s a positive and that’s what you like to see from young players, especially those who didn’t get a lot of playing time during their rookie year that they’re really able to make a move from their first year to their second year from a technique and an understanding point of view, and sometimes physically, especially with linemen with their offseason training program.

Q: Stephen Gostkowski missed a kick last night and a couple of kicks during practice that he would typically make. Do you see anything technically on the film that might explain why he’d miss some of those types of kicks?

BB: Well, yeah. We talked about what happened last night on the films. We’ve just got to do a better job; everybody’s got to do a better job. Nobody played a perfect game out there last night or coached one. Again, it’s the second preseason game. There are things that we all have to work on, every single guy on the team. Certainly, Steve has them and so does everybody else. I’m sure that he’s not happy about the way that kick went any more than the kickoff that went out-of-bounds last week in Tampa. Those are things that we’ve all got to work on and he’s certainly in that group.

Q: Are you encouraged by the way Randall Gay has stepped in and played that left corner spot?

BB: Randall’s had a good camp. We talked about him several times in camp and this was the first year, really since his rookie year that he’s had a good offseason training and he hasn’t been rehabbing from an injury so he’s been strong and had a good spring and built off that. I think that he’s had a pretty good camp. Again, we’ve all got a long way to go, but he’s been out there on a consistent basis. He’s been out there on a daily basis. He’s done a solid job out there.

Q: Was it good to see Junior Seau as active as he was during last night’s game?

BB: Sure. It’s good to see all the players that are out there, especially those guys that have been limited in one way or another during the course of camp. And Junior fits into that category. He’s got good leadership and good energy. He’s a physical player so it was great to have him out there.

Q: Is it good, as a coach, to see the type of conditions that saw last night and see how the players are going to react in inclement situations?

BB: You know we’ve gotten that in both games. In Tampa, the heat and the humidity situation that was a good experience for us. Not that we haven’t had some of that here, but I think that was a little hotter than what it’s been in this climate. We had some moisture last night, had some rain during the game and played on a damp field. That definitely gave us an emphasis on the ball-handling, footing and so forth so I think we’ve gained a valuable experience from both of these games from a condition standpoint. Even the wind last night was a little bit of a factor. It didn’t really come up at the end of the first quarter because Tennessee threw an incomplete pass. But I think had the clock been running there, we probably would’ve taken a timeout to make them punt into the wind. I mean, we’ve played in a lot greater winds than what we saw last night, but it was a factor in the kicking game as far as the judgments of the ball and drops for the punters. It probably was enough last night that we would’ve used a timeout during that situation to make them play into it.

Q: Did you feel like you needed to see Danny Baugher in that situation?

BB: Sure. It was good for everybody. It was good for all the offensive skill players and the specialists. It was good for the defensive players too as I said to work on a wet field and cut and change directions. We had some slips out there and some of them hurt us. That’s really a technique thing. It’s a body position and function issue in terms of playing off the proper foot and playing with proper leverage so that you can play on your feet on a wet field. It was certainly something we can learn from. We made points on a number of those situations that came up today on the film and just some of the general conditions relevant to ball-handling and stuff like that so it was good

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Soccer? What’s the big deal?

By: Frank Carpano

Let’s begin with a disclaimer. I am not a soccer fan. I don’t think that disqualifies me from reporting on it, but I want to be upfront with you.

I am moved to write on this topic because of this past weekend’s visit from the sport’s “Elvis”, David Beckham. He’s a player known for his good looks and the way he can pass a soccer ball. Oh, and because he’s married to one of the former Spice Girls. Is that really all it takes to be elevated to god-like status in the sport of soccer? Heck, if that’s the case then Hail Dustin Pedroia for the way he turns a doubleplay! Shouldn’t the guy who gets all the attention be the guy who scores the goals or the goaltender who makes acrobatic saves?

Unfortunately, soccer needs many more cult figures like Beckham in order to crack into the conscienceness of the American public. Right now, in my humble opinion, there isn’t enough to get excited about.

For 25 years now I’ve heard about how soccer is the next big thing in sports. It didn’t happen then (New England Teamen) and it won’t happen now (New England Revolution). They have their core fans and some curiosity seekers and that’s it.

Spare me the argument that locally soccer is huge on the youth ranks. I agree! But that doesn’t translate to the pro game.

Frankly, I thought 25 years ago that once the kids who were playing soccer in 1980 grew up that they would be the pro soccer fans of the future. Didn’t happen.

It’s not an indictment of the game of soccer. It’s just that, in this country we have other sports that are more popular.

And somewhere in Great Britian I envision a sports writer authoring a similar article about the NFL that will visit there this season.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Going to Friday’s Pats Game?

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2007

MEDIA ADVISORY

Gillette Stadium officials are requesting assistance from the media in communicating important parking and traffic information to fans planning to attend Friday night’s Patriots preseason opener at Gillette Stadium. Fans should be reminded to allow more time than usual to drive to the stadium and park. All Gillette Stadium parking lots will open at 4:00 p.m. - four (4) hours before the game’s scheduled 8:00 p.m. kickoff.

TIPS FOR FANS ATTENDING FRIDAY’S GAME

· A rearrangement of the parking lots has relocated the majority of stadium parking spaces on the opposite side of Route 1 from Gillette Stadium. Fans should plan to park across the street from the stadium for the easiest ingress and egress.

· There is major construction taking place on Interstate 495 at Exit 14 (Route 1), including temporary onramps and offramps on which extreme caution should be used.

· Fans will experience Friday commuter traffic and Friday summer vacation traffic, which they may not be accustomed to dealing with during regular-season weekend games.

CHANGES IN STADIUM PARKING CONFIGURATION
The parking lots on the opposite side of Route 1 from Gillette Stadium have been expanded and the majority of stadium parking is now located across from the stadium. This change in location of parking availability may prompt a change to many fans’ particular parking routine. Fans should be reminded of the following tips.

· For Fans Traveling from the North: Stay right on Route 1 approaching the stadium and follow signs for P10 for the easiest ingress and egress. To access the stadium, fans must cross Route 1 at the marked pedestrian crossings.

· For Fans Traveling from the South: Because of the newly-built median on Route 1, the decision on which side of Route 1 to park must be made prior to the Pine Street intersection. (near the Seasonal Specialty Stores and The Lafayette House). Fans wishing to park on the left side of Route 1 (P10 or P11) must stay to the left of the median. Fans wishing to park on the stadium side of Route 1 must stay to the right (P8 or P7).

ADDITIONAL HELPFUL HINTS

· As a rule, the earlier that fans arrive the easier it will be for them to park, although please note that lots do not open until 4:00 p.m. - four (4) hours prior to kickoff .

· Take advantage of the fastest route to available parking spaces by filling in open lanes on Route 1. To fill in the largest available space, fans should plan on parking in P10, across Route 1 from the stadium.

· Follow all directional signage on Route 1 and watch for updated traffic messaging on the overhead signs.
· As always, carpooling or using public transportation is encouraged to reduce the number of cars on the road.

Thank you for your assistance in communicating this information to the public.

-PATRIOTS-

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

MLB Postseason schedule

Courtesy of Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball announces revamped postseason schedule
05/14/2007 5:07 PM ET
MLB.com

Major League Baseball announced its schedule for the 2007 postseason today.
The 2007 World Series is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 24th. The World Series will continue to follow a 2-3-2 format, meaning that off-days will be scheduled on the ensuing Friday and Tuesday. FOX Sports will broadcast the 103rd World Series.

The 2007 postseason will begin on Wednesday, October 3rd, with three of the four Division Series in play. One of the two American League Division Series will begin on Thursday, October 4th. Any decisive fifth game of a Division Series will now be preceded by an off-day. All Division Series games, which will continue to follow a 2-2-1 format, will predominantly be airing on TBS with additional games on sister network TNT.

The National League Championship Series, to be broadcast by TBS, is scheduled to start on Thursday, October 11th, with the American League Championship Series beginning the following day, Friday, October 12th on FOX. Each series will continue to follow a 2-3-2 format.

“Major League Baseball is pleased to make these amendments to the postseason schedule,” said MLB President & Chief Operating Officer Bob DuPuy. “Starting the World Series in the middle of the week, when television viewership is historically higher, will provide more fans with the opportunity to watch the games. The additional off-days throughout the postseason will give us greater flexibility to facilitate travel and protect against poor weather.”

2007 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL POSTSEASON SCHEDULE
Series Date Network
NLDS A Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
NLDS B Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
ALDS B Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
NLDS A Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
NLDS B Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
ALDS A Game 1 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
ALDS A Game 2 Fri., Oct. 5 TBS
ALDS B Game 2 Fri., Oct. 5 TBS
NLDS A Game 3 Sat., Oct. 6 TBS
NLDS B Game 3 Sat., Oct. 6 TBS
ALDS A Game 3 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
ALDS B Game 3 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
NLDS A Game 4 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
NLDS B Game 4 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
ALDS A Game 4 Mon., Oct. 8 TBS
ALDS B Game 4 Mon., Oct. 8 TBS
NLDS A Game 5 Tues., Oct. 9 TBS
NLDS B Game 5 Tues., Oct. 9 TBS
ALDS A Game 5 Wed., Oct. 10 TBS
ALDS B Game 5 Wed., Oct. 10 TBS

NLCS Game 1 Thurs., Oct. 11 TBS
NLCS Game 2 Fri., Oct. 12 TBS
ALCS Game 1 Fri., Oct. 12 FOX
ALCS Game 2 Sat., Oct. 13 FOX
NLCS Game 3 Sun., Oct. 14 TBS
ALCS Game 3 Mon., Oct. 15 FOX
NLCS Game 4 Mon., Oct. 15 TBS
ALCS Game 4 Tues., Oct. 16 FOX
NLCS Game 5 Wed., Oct. 17 TBS
ALCS Game 5 Thurs., Oct. 18 FOX
NLCS Game 6 Fri., Oct. 19 TBS
ALCS Game 6 Sat., Oct. 20 FOX
NLCS Game 7 Sat., Oct. 20 TBS
ALCS Game 7 Sun., Oct. 21 FOX

WS Game 1 Wed., Oct. 24 FOX
WS Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 25 FOX
WS Game 3 Sat., Oct. 27 FOX
WS Game 4 Sun., Oct. 28 FOX
WS Game 5 Mon., Oct. 29 FOX
WS Game 6 Wed., Oct. 31 FOX
WS Game 7 Thurs., Nov. 1 FOX

Italics indicate “if necessary.”

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Why don’t I care?

By: Frank Carpano

I’m trying to figure out why I’m not bowled over by Barry Bonds accomplishment.
Granted it’s probably got a lot to do with cloud of controversy surrounding Bonds and his use of performance enhancing drugs.

But, I still thought that I’d get caught up in the chase to break major league baseball’s all-time homerun record.

I remember when Aaron hit the homerun to beat Babe Ruth’s record. It was on my birthday in 1974. My entire family crowded around the TV to watch the game. I don’t know if we made a conscience decision to be a witness to history or if we watched because there wasn’t anything else on TV that night. Baseball on TV back then was a big deal. If a game was on TV, it was occupying about 33% of the channels you could get. (ESPN, MTV, what’s that?)

Back in 1974, we weren’t bombarded with information about players . We didn’t know much, if anything about what they did off the field. Who cares, play the game! Whatever we did hear wasn’t documented on the internet (what’s that?), with video available on You Tube.

I’ve got it! This little article has helped me figure it out (a lot cheaper than a pyscologist),
I’m not indifferent towards the Bonds accomplishment because I’m old and cynical. Yeah, I’ve seen a lot, but I still get goose bumps when I see a great athletic performance. It’s because we’re in an age where there is too much information available. I think we know way too much about Barry Bonds, about his problems, real and imagined. We should watch sports to root on our teams and to witness great performances. It’s information overload that is making us all numb to the pleasure we should derive from sports.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Tom Brady Interview 8/6/07

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

The following is a transcript of Tom Brady’s Q+A with the media today

Q: How are things progressing?

TB: Like I said last week, there’s plenty of good and there’s plenty of bad. We did a lot of situational work this morning and I wish we executed better in some of them this morning. I know it’s something Coach [Bill] Belichick stresses for us. We got some good work in today and I’m sure it will come up this Friday.

Q: How was it having Donté Stallworth on the field today?

TB: It was good. It’s exciting. I know that he’s been dying to get out here. It’s still early in camp and you’d hate to go out there and re-aggravate anything, but he’s out here. It was nice seeing him in pads. I said, ‘Who’s that No. 18 out here? It’s the new guy.’

Q: You guys are friends from California?

TB: He’s from Sacramento, so I’ve always known about Donté and whenever I’ve seen him we’ve connected really well. Another California guy out here. You got three quarterbacks from California and to add a couple of wide receivers from there is nice.

Q: Is it hard to get one guy back like Donté and then be without Randy Moss and not have everybody on the field together?

TB: Yeah, and at some point that’s going to happen, but the nice part is when Randy Moss isn’t in there, other guys get in there and are able to make adjustments and make plays. That’s what happens over the course of the season too. Part of it’s being able to adjust and have guys playing different positions and having some position flexibility. If one guy’s not out there, then the others have to fill in and do the best we can do to fill in that spot. Hopefully, Randy will be out here soon.

Q: You said you felt like you were 22 after two weeks of camp, do you still feel that way?

TB: Oh, no. Feels like 49 right now. Everything’s sore. It’s a little different schedule this year too with the two practices one day, then one and then two, which is pretty good for the players because it gives your body a little time to rest. But we’ve practiced for 12 straight days, so I think my arm after 12 straight days was calling out for a break. So I’m glad we’ve got that. I’m definitely 30 now, but 30 is a nice birthday.

Q: How valuable were the spring camps, especially after last year having guys shuffling in and out? Was it valuable to have guys here in mini camp so you guys can hit the ground running in camp?

TB: It sure was and I think we got a lot of good work in those camps because Donté was out there, Randy was out there so there was quite a bit of work that we got in and we can go back to. Even a lot of the cut-ups we watched from those camps with the things we were doing, we can look back at to see the differences that we were doing then and how we’ve adjusted now. That was good work. And for the most part, all of these guys have been healthy, aside from Randy and then Donté, it’s been pretty good so far.

Q: Do you take anything from the early games at all?

TB: I do. I like to see their strengths and I like to see how guys are playing them. I’ve seen a lot of stuff on Randy and Donté and Wes has killed us for three years. I think all of that helps to look back on and helps to work through.

Q: How would you assess where you are chemistry-wise with each of the new receivers?

TB: I think it’s really a work in progress. I think there are some things we’re doing better. I was happy, even though Randy got hurt on the play, that I over threw him for the first time in four months. You realize that you can really put the ball out there for him because he just tracks it down so easily. With Donté, the work we put in the spring, he adds a different element to what we do. Wes Welker is so quick in the slot. We’re just trying to find a role for those guys and trying to incorporate what they do well into our offense. Hopefully, that makes us more of a threat. We can run the ball. We can play-action pass. We can do a variety of things.

Q: Did you really feel that you were starting to click with Randy Moss? It looked like you were starting to get to the next level in practice before he was hurt.

TB: I think in some respects we were definitely doing some things better. But it was only like nine practices and I think there’s 30-35 practices before the first game. We could use all of them, but until he gets completely healthy it’s not really worth it to come out here and miss a game five weeks from now because you tried to practice now.

Q: How do you feel about being 30 now?

TB: I feel good. It was a great birthday. My parents came out and that kind of surprised me. It was fun to be with them and my sisters and my nieces. We had a great time.

Q: A lot of athletes peak at that age.  Do you feel that way?

TB: At 30? Oh man, I’m waiting for that 40th. Vinny Testaverde is 43, so if Vinny can play until he’s 43. I hope I can play at least half of that until I’m 37 or 38. I’ll play as long as I can. Everyone always says: ‘Don’t you want to retire? Aren’t you afraid you’re going to get hurt,’ but there’s nothing more fun than this. I’m going to play as long as I can. Until they take my locker down, I’ll be coming in every day.

Q: You didn’t ask Coach Bill Belichick for a day off did you?

TB: No, I don’t think he’d give a crap. No way. It just felt like that this year, but it was the same schedule as last year where we’d practice for a week and then he’d give us a couple of days off. But I guess it won’t happen again for another six years.

Q: What was your mentality when you were a backup at training camp, leading up to exhibition games?

TB: I came out every day and just tried to improve and I stayed after practice and tried to put work in with the other guys who weren’t getting a whole lot of repetition. Any time you’re in that spot, that game experience is extremely valuable, but you’re got to treat the practices like you treat the games so when you get out in the games, it’s just an extension of what you’ve done out here and you’ve really built confidence out here. I still do that now and, hopefully, as a quarterback group this preseason, we’re in there making the right decisions and leading the team. There’s quite a bit of communication that goes on there from the quarterback position. I’ve got a lot of confidence in Matt [Cassel]. Matt Gutierrez has done a great job too. It’s going to be a very good quarterback group.

Q: Did you ever imagine being here when you were 30?

TB: I never would have imagined if any of this stuff had happened. It’s been a wild ride. It’s been 30 great years. I hope for another 30 like this. It’s been pretty exciting.

Q: Are you going to play any on Friday against the Buccaneers?

TB: I hope so. All this practice and no play, that would stink.

Q: Are you anxious to see game conditions after passing camps and the training and mini camps? Is that where you really can get a hold on how the team is doing?

TB: I think so. I mean, you put a lot of work into practice. There are a lot of things that click in practice, but under game conditions it is different because everyone’s loud and everyone’s hitting. The play-action fakes work a lot better when you’re out here because you can’t tackle the guys. It’s nice to see how the offense is coming along and developing. That only works against teams that you’re not seeing every day in practice. When you play against Rodney [Harrison], that’s not going to work. You can’t run the same play twice against him. He’s going to sniff it out. We haven’t had a screen work in training camp. To get out there and do it in a real game will be good for us.

Q: Are there any updates on the baby?

TB: There are no updates. No updates.

Q: To see someone who appreciates the game like you do, what do you think about players that don’t take it as seriously as you do?

TB: Everybody takes a different approach. I know how much fun I have out here with my teammates and how much fun we have coming out here to prepare and especially in winning. Everybody loves winning, I know that, every guy in that locker room and it’s a very hard-working group. We’re going to continue to work the way that we’ve been working and come out here with a good attitude. Hopefully, we’ll win a couple of games this year.

Q: I know you said you’ve worked with Donté at charity events in the past. What is the extent of your work with him?

TB: I’ve seen Donté a bunch of times. I followed him in high school. I followed him at Tennessee and, obviously, with the Saints. He’s always been a very dynamic player. Donovan McNabb said a lot of great things about him. He’s friends with Donovan too. He’s a fun guy to have around too. Hopefully, he comes out here and he’s able to practice and improve with the team. He’s already starting behind because we’ve had a lot of practices without him, but I know he’s anxious to be out here.

Q: Does having a knowledge of a player help you out on the practice field?

TB: It does because of all of these relationships you’ve had, you develop over time. Donté and I have known each other for four years so when he comes in, it’s not like, ‘Hey, I’m Donté.’ We’ve seen each other out a bunch of times.

Belichick Interview 8/6/07

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

BB: We’re back at it here.  We have two practices today.  We tried to do some situational work out there this morning and get caught up on some things that you always fall behind on as you keep installing more stuff.  There are things that you need to go back over and try to catch up on that and then transition into the Tampa preparation so the team will at least have a little bit of a rough idea of what we are going to face down there.  I think given the experience of their coaching staff and their system, we have a pretty good idea of what they will run.  I’m sure they probably feel the same way about us.  That’s where we are.  We have a little string here of a combination of Tampa stuff, situational work, training camp, getting back out in pads, getting some contact, getting ready to go here for Friday night and just plugging along.

Q: Can you talk about Wesley Britt’s development going back to last season up until now?

BB: Yes, he played well against Cincinnati.  He stepped in against Cincinnati and played well.  Wes is like several of our other offensive linemen.  He was on the practice squad and then last year the roster and played a little bit and he’s improved.  He’s a big kid.  He played left tackle in college and he can play both.  He played left tackle for us in Cincinnati and in the preseason and also worked some on the right side.  He has a little position flexibility to be able to swing on both sides.  That’s what those linemen need to do, is find a couple of spots that they can play if they want to be a part of the game day roster.

Q: How does he compare to [Nick] Kaczur and [Ryan] O’Callaghan?  Is he a similar type of player?

The following is the transcript of Bill Belichick’s news conference today at Gillette stadium

BB: I think he is.  I think he’s similar to Nick in that they both played left tackle in college.  They probably have right tackle skills in this league, but have more experience on the left side.  Athletically, he could probably play either, but experience wise, both of those guys have played more on the left than the right, although Nick has played more on the right than the left since he’s been here.

Q: Is the game planning function of this week maybe a little bit more not how you’re going to attack the opponent, but more of seeing how you are going to use guys?

BB: That’s part of it.  I think it’s a combination of what we want to run and understanding that we’re probably going to have at least two maybe three people at each position running those plays as we substitute through the course of the game.  It’s not like you really want to run 60 different plays.  You probably want to run, however many it is, but the same group – the first group run them, the second group run them, the third group run them at some point in the game, just so you can kind of see everybody executing them and also so you don’t overload the game plan, put in a bunch of plays that one group practices and the other group gets called in the game.  That’s a big part of it, yes, is figuring out how to play the people, what you want to do and trying to have enough there where you give yourself a chance in the situations that are going to come up, but not so much that you overload it where you just can’t go out and do the basic things with a good level of execution.

Q: When you’re evaluating players, is part of it wanting to see how he will react in game-specific type of situations and how he’ll handle it?  Will you sometimes create those situations?

BB: Absolutely.  Sometimes you have a sense of who he is going to be playing against on your opponent, then you might want to create that situation and play the rotation differently than what maybe what you would normally play it to get a certain matchup or to get a certain type of situation for that player, whether it be a matchup against another player, whether it be in a two-minute situation at the end of the half, change rotation like that.  Special teams could factor into it where you want to see a guy in the kicking game for a certain period of time and then you want to see him on offense or defense as opposed to putting him out there for every play in a particular part of the game, which probably might not be his role during the regular season.  Yes, that’s definitely part of it.  Again, it’s hard to juggle all of those balls in the air at once, but you do the best you can and we certainly talk about it.  Some things are more important than others.

Q: How did Donté Stallworth look out there today after his first practice?

BB: I don’t know.  You can’t look at everybody out there.  He’s out there.  He had a good spring.  We’ll just take it day-by day-here and start trying to string them together and try to build on yesterday’s stuff and then today and then we’ll see where we are at the end of the week.  He’s an experienced guy.  Like I said, he had a good spring.  He showed up quite a bit in the spring workouts quite a bit.  I’m sure that in time he’ll get back into his game, but I’m sure it’ll take a little while.  There are other guys who are ahead of him.

Q: Tom [Brady] talked today how he and Donté have known each other for a while.  Did that play a role in him coming here at all?

BB: No.

Q: Do you see the relationship off the field between players playing an important role on the field?

BB: Yes, I think that the relationship between teammates off the field has some correlation to what they do on the field, absolutely.

Q: How so?

BB: I think just having a feel for the other person and their communication and maybe they talk about certain situations, the way they look at stuff and have an understanding of where they are.  When you’re working with somebody, the more you know about them and the more they know about you, sometimes the easier it is to make everything work smoothly.

Q: With a guy like Brandon Meriweather who has position flexibility, what goes into the decision to place him at corner?

BB: Well, that’s a good question.  I would say it’s a combination of what’s best for the player and what’s best for the team and sometimes one overrides the other.  Sometimes they’re the same.  It’s an easy decision.  Sometimes you have to try to balance them, but I think in the end, if the player has some versatility, in the end, we’re probably going to see him in a couple of different spots.  A lot of times, when I say what’s best for the player, sometimes it’s the teaching progression.  It’s a lot easier to learn one spot and go from that spot to another one than it might be to do it in reverse or something like that.  Sometimes it’s based on where you think you need the player from the team standpoint.  Like I said, sometimes it’s a combination of those two things.  But there is no set rule.  I think each case would be judged on its own merits.  The left tackle situation is the perfect example.  [Matt] Light played left tackle in college.  [Logan] Mankins played left tackle in college.  Kaczur played left tackle in college.  Wesley Britt played left tackle in college.  How much do you work them at that tackle?  How much do you work them at guard?  How much do you work them at right tackle?  Stuff like that. 

Q: Where does Garrett Mills stand after his rookie year coming into this season?

BB: Where does he stand?  The same place everyone else does.  He’s out there competing to establish a role for himself on the team.

Q: Given his circumstances, do you think that he got out of last year as much as he could?

BB: Yes, I do.  Garrett is a smart guy.  He works hard.  He’s very attentive.  I think he learned a lot off the field in meetings and just being in a pro football environment with other teammates and stuff like that.  He gained a lot of experience there.  It’s not on the field experience, but it’s some life and being a professional athlete and that type of thing.  He’s trained hard.  He had a good offseason.  He’s a smart guy.  I’m sure that he’s digested and absorbed a lot of that and it will make him better.  Now how good that’s going to be, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Q: When he came here, it seemed like he could play a few positions, tight end, full back, half back.  Do you find that to be the case?

BB: I think he has some versatility and I think that’s one of his strengths and that’s what he needs to do, is he needs to build as much, obviously, quality in his play as possible, but versatility too because he does have value as a multi-position [player] and a player that can handle multiple responsibilities, both offensively and in the kicking game.  That’s something that is an advantage for him that he needs to make it work that way.

Q: Can you talk about James Sanders and how you have seen him develop as a player over the past two years?  Have you seen him gain confidence?

BB: Definitely.  I think that James has gained a lot of confidence in the last two years in every phase of the game, just as a professional player, but in the kicking game, defensively, in passing situations.  He’s always been a physical kid and a strong tackler, but I think that the other parts of his game have improved and improved tremendously last year just over the course of last season from where he was earlier in the year to where he was at the end of the year.  He’s really done a good job for us.  He works hard.  I think he’s probably one of the most dependable players that we have.  He’s consistent.  You get a very solid performance from him day in and day out and that’s a real strength.  He’s worked hard.  He’s improved.  I think he’s improved every phase of his game, because he’s involved in all of the different phases of the kicking game, he has multiple roles on defense.  He’s worked hard at it and that’s paid off.

Q: Will Benjamin Watson’s role change at all with him being the most senior of the tight end group?

BB: I don’t know.  I’m not sure what anybody’s role is going to be.  That’s something that we’re all establishing going through training camp and preseason games.  How all of that is going to play out, part of it is a function of what the player does, the biggest part of is what the player does, but it does also revolve a little bit around what the best combination is and how to best put together a team out there.  There’s a little bit of that too.  Ben is a skill player and I think he’s improved a lot this offseason.  He’s played well for us and caught the ball well last year. He was a big factor in the passing game.  He’s had a good offseason and he’s had a good training camp so far.  I think he’s on the right track and I like what he’s doing and it’s better than it’s ever been really, but what exactly that will turn out to and his role, I’ve couldn’t tell you at this point.  I don’t know if I could say that about hardly any player.

Q: Is practicing in the stadium at all like a dress rehearsal for the game?

BB:  No.

Q:  Are there things that you can do inside the stadium?  What are the benefits?

BB: I think it just gives you a little familiarity with the environment.  I think spatially there’s some comfort around the end zones, just being able to judge how close, how far the field of play and the goal post the stands and all of that, throwing, adjusting your position on the field and stuff like that.  It more just gives us the scoreboard and creates some situations and go through substitutions.  I think it kind of puts a little bit more, I don’t know, adds a little bit of an extra level of attention or adds a little bit more intensity to the normal practice, even if you did the exact same things we did out on the fields and did it in here, I think it just jacks it up a little bit just because of the environment.  We can create a little better situational practice just because instead of yelling out, ‘It’s this, it’s that, you have this many timeouts, you have this, you have that,’ it’s all right up there on the board like it’s going to be in the game and that just makes it go quicker and it’s easier and everybody understands it and it’s better to coach off of.

Q: How has Tom been so far in camp, especially with the new receivers?

BB: It’s going all right. Tom works hard.  I think we all know that.  He’s one of the hardest working players on the team.  He works hard.  He’s getting better and there are things that we pick up everyday and get a little closer on.  There are things that we still need a lot of work on and things that we need to improve.  It’s always a challenge in the passing game, throwing it and defending it, is getting good at everything and everything is important – first down, third down, red area, goal line, two minute, throwing to the backs, throwing to the tight ends, defending the short passing game, intermediate passing game, the deep passing game, play action, screens.  There’s a lot involved there on both sides of the ball.  We’re only a dozen practices into camp so I’m not going to sit up here and say that we’re there yet.  We’re a lot better than we were a week ago, but we have a long way to go and that includes everybody.  I think we’re making progress, but I certainly don’t think we’re where we need to be yet.

Q: How is Randy Moss doing?

BB: He’s day-to-day.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

The Perfect Sports Storm

By: Frank Carpano

I don’t think this has ever happened before. It might have happened before my time, but not since the 70’s when I really started to follow New England professional sports.

This is the first time that 3 of the big 4 New England professional sports teams are considered title contenders at the same time.

The Red Sox are obviously cruising towards the playoffs and with the recent addition of reliever Eric Gagne, many people believe that they have the best pitching staff in the majors. And we all know that pitching is the key to winning in October. Right?

The Patriots are considered the team to beat in the Super Bowl. Look at their lineup, from the new group of wide receivers to the addition of Adalius Thomas on defense. It’s hard not to get excited about their chances.

And last but not least, the Celtics. I’m told that the day before they completed the trade for Kevin Garnett, oddsmakers listed them as 90-1 to win the NBA title this coming season. On the day after the trade, they were on the board as 9-1 favorites.

So what gives? How come this is all happening now? I believe it comes down to 2 reasons.

First, I believe that each of those teams has an owner committed to winning and willing to spend money. The Patriots Robert Kraft has set the standard. He’s spent money on players and spent wisely.

The Red Sox ownership group led by John Henry has also shown a willingness to bring in players. You can question some of the player moves, but you can’t fault the effort to improve the team.

The Celtics group led by managing partner Wcy Grousbeck claimed on the day they bought the team that they were big fans of the franchise. The move this week to bring 10 time all-star Garnett to Boston is certainly proof of that.

The second factor is the 3 above teams now have the scent of a winner. And given a choice, players like playing for a winner. Hey, who doesn’t. Wouldn’t you?

I can remember a time when you couldn’t give away Celtic tickets, the Patriots were giving away tickets and the Red Sox were a team that suffered from the stigma of: “25 guys, 25 cabs”.  It’s all good now.

Only problem is expectations. Now we know they’ve got the guys who are capable of winning. But will they? Stay tuned.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Tom Brady Speaks

Courtesy of The New England Patriots

Q: How’s it going for you so far out there?

TB: Some good, some bad. I think everybody would like us to be a little further along right now, but we’re trying to incorporate a lot of new things and trying to build an identity for this team, this offense. I think the team works hard, which is encouraging, so if we just string a bunch of good practices together, I think in a few weeks when we’re ready to play, it will turn out pretty good.

Q: How excited are you to throw to these new targets?

TB: I’m excited. I think every year there’s always excitement. I think the thing you realize is there’s a lot of work to be done. You bring in a guy like Wes [Welker] and Kelley [Washington] and Randy [Moss], obviously, and Donté [Stallworth], and they have their own type of skill set and we’ve got to just find a way to incorporate them. They’re doing well. I think the best thing is, I don’t know if you guys can see it, but in the run drills they’re blocking just as hard for the running backs as they are in those pass plays when they’re going out. There’s guys that are clearing out, running through the middle of the field and running as hard as they can so they can clear room for a teammate. It’s a very unselfish group, and I think that’s what makes a great receiver group and it’s only going to help our offense.

Q: How do you like hooking up with Randy [Moss]?

TB: I think he’s doing great. He’s in great shape. He does a lot of great things out here. He’s a very, very smart football player, one of those guys who can see things out on the field and react without you really having to tell him and he’s very much like a quarterback in that sense. It’s been good thus far, I’d like to hit him a few more times - I think I missed him a few times - but for the most part we’re making some improvements.

Q: [Randy Moss] mentioned on Friday that it was very important to connect off the field with you as well. Do you feel that way with all of your receivers right now, trying to get to know them on the field and off the field to build that connection?

TB: Of course, of course. That’s a big part of it, you have to build trust with one another. It’s just like any relationship, it takes time to build and grow. I’m most concerned with what happens on the field, but I beat him in poker yesterday so I’m happy about that.

Q: Has breaking in all the receivers last year helped you this year with another new staff, learning some things you learned last year and incorporating new targets?

TB: I think every year is a little bit different. No doubt, we had to do that last year as well. It was tough last year because a lot of the stuff happened at the very end, with a guy like Doug Gabriel and Jabar [Gaffney] coming in midway through the year, Reche [Caldwell] switching positions, but I think we have learned a lot in that sense and I think we realize that the offense changes and it evolves and the type of things we did last year are going to change to kind of what works for us this year. It’s exciting, it’s exciting for all of us to be out here, and I know everyone’s excited to be back to work and you have some structure to your day. There’s nothing more fun than coming out here and throwing the football around. It’s been good.

Q: What about Benjamin Watson, it seems like a lot of people forget about him.

TB: Not me. I don’t care what anyone else says, I’m not forgetting about him. He made some nice plays out there today, made some nice catches on the scout team. He’s doing great. Ben has a great attitude, a great work ethic and I think another year in the offense for him too is going to benefit all of us.

Q: How amazed are you, seeing some of the fans out here, going over there and getting a standing ovation?

TB: When we run out in practice and when we run laps [because] we’re getting in trouble, we get cheered for that, so I don’t know if they know why we’re running. I don’t think they’d be cheering us if they did.

Q: This isn’t your first look at these guys. You’ve had mini camp and you’ve had passing camp workouts, but can you tell things from those that you can’t tell here, or vice versa?

TB: It’s different when you put the pads on. When you go against a team in full pads and you can run some play action fakes – we hit a flea flicker yesterday on Rodney [Harrison] – it doesn’t matter until you put the pads on, because you don’t play football in your shorts and it’s just different. It’s a different game, and I think the players who are very mentally tough who can deal with the heat and the conditions and the length of the practices and how often we’re out here, I mean those are the guys who really excel.

Q: How comfortable are you throwing into double coverage with Randy Moss downfield?

TB: It continues to identify itself. I tried it on Eugene [Wilson] here late on the last throw of the day I had. There are some advantages if you can get it on the right players, but at the same time you’d rather find a one-on-one, especially when you’ve got guys like Wes [Welker], who really gets open on one-on-one, Kevin Faulk, Jabar [Gaffney], Reche [Caldwell], those guys can get open on one-on-one. My job is to send everybody out, identify the coverage and then pick the guy who’s going to be the most open, so I hope I’m not firing into double coverage a whole lot. Not a lot of good things come from that.

Q: You’ve got rookies coming through training camp. If they’re looking for advice, what do you tell them?

TB: To be seen and not heard. The best advice I think I give those guys is to be quiet and follow the veteran leaders on the team. Whatever you see a guy like Rodney Harrison doing or Tedy [Bruschi] or [Mike] Vrabel, just follow what those guys do and you’ll be just fine. You can tell them, but a lot of time with young guys, Coach [Bill] Belichick says, ‘You don’t know how little you know,’ so that about sums it up.

Q: One of Randy’s strengths is being able to go up and get the ball down the field. How much have you been working on that and is that unique when you think back to your time here, to have that weapon to go to?

TB: One of Randy’s strengths is that he tracks the ball in the air very well. You guys see it, everything looks effortless down the field and I think he judges the height of the ball a lot like a center fielder, you can see the ball and you can always judge it. He does a great job with that, he knows when to put his hands out, knows not to do it too early because that really triggers the defensive back to put his hands up, so that’s a big strength of his game. I hope I can throw it as far as he can run.

Q: How much of an adjustment is that for you, executing that particular type of throw?

TB: It’s something you’ve got to work on. We’ve had routes that I’ve run here for seven years and you’re very comfortable doing it, but there’s certain things we haven’t done in seven years so you try to get up to speed as best you can, putting the ball down the field where he can really stretch out and run after it. That’s a big part of it.

Q: Have you talked to Asante [Samuel] at all? Called him?

TB: I haven’t talked to him. If it’s any hotter in Florida, then I hope he’s getting good work in. I hope he shows up. We all know it’s really none of our control.

Q: When do you gain confidence and a comfortable level with some of these wide receivers that are brand new, that you’re not familiar with? When do you think that’s going to happen? September? Game time? Preseason?

TB: It’s a process. I think sometimes it happens sooner rather than later. It all depends on how much work you put in, how competitive the drills are, how well you do in the preseason games, what you realize, what you learn from each other. I’d like to think we’re going to pick it up pretty quick, though. Like I said, if we keep working hard, if we keep coming out here, concentrating and putting maximum effort out here, then it comes fast. I hope it doesn’t take until the first game of the year. I hope after 30 or 40 practices we have a pretty good idea of what I think we’re all capable of.

Q: Tom, you turn 30 this summer and you have a baby on the way, in any way do you feel that this is a new phase of your life or your career, or is it still the same?

TB: I still feel like I’m 22, so I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I think each year is a little different, and I think I’m at a point in my career where I know what it takes to prepare myself, and I’ve tried just about everything at this point, so you eliminate a lot of stuff you did in the past and you can really hone in and be efficient in how to prepare for games and just to maximize your time. One thing I’m doing that’s a little bit different is I’m really monitoring my throws in the preseason. Before I’d come out and I’d throw 100 balls a day, and after awhile you throw 100 balls every practice, and it’s 200 balls a day in two a days and you go, ‘Gosh, after four days why is my arm sore?’ Well, because you think about what major league baseball pitchers do, throw 100 pitches and take five days off, so we’re throwing a lot out here, and I think just try to understand how much I’m throwing and the type of throws we’re making, it’s all part of the process. Everybody has to get ready differently. The receivers have to run a lot, quarterbacks have to throw a lot, [the offensive and defensive] line has to just be mentally tough and kind of endure out here, but it’s a process for everybody.

Q: You say every year is different. Would you agree that this year is significantly different, given that you’re having a child?

TB: I don’t know. I haven’t had a child yet, so I’ll tell you when it happens.

Q: Have you thought about guys like LeBron James, Tiger Woods, and Jeff Gordon that had their kids and did really well this year?

TB: Well I hope that’s a good omen. I hope that doesn’t determine whether I’m having a good year or not. As a team, we’ve got to come out here and make it a great year. Coach [Bill] Belichick always says, ‘You’ve got to earn it.’ Part of the process of earning it is coming out here in camp and working hard, sweating a lot, and coming out the next practice and working just as hard.

Q: Tom, once you become a father, do you plan on taking any time off, will you be able to do that?

TB: I don’t know, ask Coach [Bill] Belichick on that one.

Q: The way that the season ended last year, you’re an intense competitor, how much did losing at Indianapolis really drive you right now?

TB: I think you learn from situations like that. I hope we all learned very valuable lessons in that game and at the same time, that’s what’s happened in the past. You’ve got to learn from the mistakes, but you can’t dwell on them. You have to use those as motivation, and I think you have a very motivated football team here. If we stay motivated and we continue to come out, work hard, listen to our coaches, be unselfish and do our own job it’s going to be a successful year.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Anatomy of a rumor

by: Frank Carpano

The calls continue to roll in regarding the Ted Bruschi rumor.
In case you are one of the two people in New England who doesn’t know, a rumor began on Monday that Bruschi had died. He did not.

NBCsports.com writer Tom Curran said the rumor began at a television station in Boston. He reported that a producer received an email suggesting the station check out whether Bruschi had died. The email was passed along to the sports department. Apparently it also got tongues wagging and word started to spread. We probably shouldn’t be surprised in this age of blogs, email and text messaging.

I got a call about it on Tuesday afternoon. I tried unsuccessfully to reach Patriots public relations chief, Stacey James. James was unavailable, so I started working the phones.
I asked my sources if they had heard if something happened to Tedy Bruschi. I didn’t want to add fuel to the rumor fire by telling them exactly what I had heard. Each person I spoke to said they hadn’t heard any news on Bruschi.

Late that afternoon, I heard from a friend in the media (who was also trying to get confirmation) that WCVB in Boston had been in Foxboro and saw Bruschi on the practice field (after the rumors began). I believed that was the end of it

All was quiet until 6:30pm on Tuesday. That’s when the newsroom phones began to ring off the hook. People called wanting to know if what they had heard about Bruschi was true. And dozens of callers claimed that they knew somebody who knew somebody who swears it was true.

I personally took dozens of calls from friends who asked for confirmation. When I told them it was bogus, told me I was wrong. They told me they were with somebody who knew somebody who: (take your pick), knows the policeman who rode in the rescue with Bruschi, knows a nurse at the hospital, knows a Bruschi family friend. My friends warned me that they knew better, and I better be sure to get it right.

It was wild. Everybody had a different angle on the story.
Well, Tuesday night around 9pm, we finally got confirmation from Stacey James of the Patriots. Bruschi was okay. And James couldn’t believe how many phone calls we got.

I also spoke with one of Bruschi’s teammates who had heard the rumor. He had called an assistant coach who told him the rumors weren’t true.

We did not report the story on Tuesday at 11. Why Not? Because we don’t report rumors. And my gut told me that whoever started this rumor was attempting to find out if he could great a media storm, ultimately getting it mentioned on radio, TV and the newspapers. My feeling was, why encourage someone like that. And, I truly believe that our viewers trust us enough to know that if it’s happened, we’ll report it. If we don’t have it, it didn’t happen!

End of story? Not quite

Wednesday brought more viewer calls, people wondering if we had heard about Bruschi’s rumored demise. At that point, we started to question whether we should mention something on the air.

For those of you who believe that decisions regarding which story’s we report are made lightly should have been in the newsroom on Wednesday. We sought the opinion of our bosses at the Media General corporate offices in Richmond, Virginia. While, as a rule we do not report rumors, perhaps this was a special case.

To Media General’s credit, the issue was floated with management people at the other company owned stations. Members of the company’s ethics panel were also solicited.

Here’s a sampling of the comments:

• “I lean towards reporting something to put the rumor to rest but use careful language in doing so.”

• I’m not sure where you draw the line of a rumor being elevated to a “story.” I think you have to use your best judgment.  In this instance, judging by the amount of reaction you’ve received from callers, I don’t see how you can avoid reporting it.

• My judgment would be that Teddy Bruscchi has an extremely well known history of health problems.  If a strong rumor is out that he’s died, many people will be inclined to believe it.  You need to tell them the real story.  By the way, I don’t think there’s a way to tip-toe around the story. I think you clearly say that you’ve received many, many calls about Teddy Bruscchi death.  Tell the viewers it’s not true, but because of all the inquiries you wanted to get the word out.

• I agree. Instead of focusing on a sensational “death rumor”, I would report how some misinformation has caused a lot of people to be very concerned about the player’s health. So much concern that it’s generating a lot of viewer calls, many asking if he died....but it’s not true and we have confirmed he is alive and well.

The ultimate decision was left to the management of NBC 10. A healthy dialogue continued in-house for the rest of Wednesday afternoon. In the end, it was decided that we would report that we had gotten dozens of calls asking if the rumor were true and had confirmed with the Patriots that Bruschi was alive and well.

Monday, July 23, 2007

BOSTON BRUINS ACQUIRE CENTER CARL SODERBERG

Courtesy of the Boston Bruins

BOSTON, MA - Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has acquired center Carl Soderberg from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for goaltender Hannu Toivonen.

Soderberg, a native of Malmo, Sweden, has spent the last two seasons with Malmo IF of the Swedish Elite League. In 31 games with Malmo last season, Soderberg tallied 12 goals and 18 assists.  The 21-year old ranked second on Malmo in points last season with 39, and ranked third on the team in both goals and assists, with 15 and 24 respectively. 

Prior to joining Malmo’s top club, the 6’3”, 200-pound Soderberg played for Malmo’s junior teams.

Soderberg has also played for Sweden at the 2005 World Junior Championships, where he ranked second on the team with four goals and six points, and at the 2003 World Under-18 Championship where he recorded a pair of goals.

Toivonen, who spent four years with the Bruins organization, appeared in 18 games for Boston last season, posting a record of 3-9-1 and a goals-against average of 4.23.  His last outing of the season with Boston came in the Bruins’ 4-2 loss in Buffalo to the Sabres on April 5, 2007.

In Providence last season, Toivonen appeared in 27 regular season games, posting a record of 13-13-1 and a goals-against average of 2.37.

Toivonen, a 23-year old old from Kalvola, Finland, has played in 38 games in his NHL career, posting a record of 12-14-5, a goals-against average of 3.33 and a .896 save percentage.