Monday, August 06, 2007

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.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Patriots Comings and Goings

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

PATRIOTS SIGN LB CHAD BROWN; RELEASE THREE OTHERS

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots signed free agent linebacker Chad Brown today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The team also released three players; veteran cornerback Antwain Spann, veteran wide receiver Jonathan Smith and rookie tight end Jake Nordin.

Brown, 36, is entering his 15th NFL season and his second season with the New England Patriots. Last year, he appeared in eight games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and totaled seven tackles, including a sack. The 6-foot-2-inch, 245-pound linebacker first signed with the Patriots as a free agent on May 10, 2005. That season, he was credited with 54 defensive tackles and three special teams stops in 15 games. Brown was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1993-96) and Seattle Seahawks (1997-2004) prior to joining the Patriots. He was originally selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft (44th overall). The Colorado product was a four-year starter for the Steelers and earned his first of three trips to the Pro Bowl in 1996 after finishing fourth in the NFL with a career-high 13 sacks. He signed with Seattle as a free agent the following year and spent the next eight seasons starting for the Seahawks. In 14 NFL seasons, Brown has started 161 of 186 games played and has recorded 1,075 total tackles, including 79 career sacks. His career sack total ranks second among all active NFL linebackers. He also has notched 41 career passes defensed, including six interceptions. He has forced 19 career fumbles and recovered 13, returning three of those for touchdowns.

Spann, 24, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Jan. 19, 2006.  Last season, he was signed from the Patriots practice squad to the active roster on three occasions and saw action in eight regular season games and all three postseason contests.  The 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback notched six special teams tackles on coverage units in 2006.

Smith, 25, was re-signed by the Patriots on Feb. 5, 2007.  The 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound receiver was originally claimed by the Patriots off of waivers from the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 3, 2006.  The Georgia Tech product played in two games for the Patriots in 2006, but did not record any statistics.  Prior to joining the Patriots, he appeared in 18 games with the Bills and collected eight receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Nordin, 23, was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Illinois on May 8, 2007.  The 6-foot-3-inch, 255-pound tight end saw action in 38 games with 20 starts for the Huskies and finished his collegiate career with 54 catches for 547 yards.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

PATRIOTS SIGN ROOKIE T CLINT OLDENBURG

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

PATRIOTS SIGN ROOKIE T CLINT OLDENBURG

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots signed rookie tackle Clint Oldenburg today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Oldenburg, 23, was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round (171st overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Colorado State. The 6-foot 5-inch, 300-pound tackle was a three-year starter for the Rams and an All-Mountain West Conference second team selection in 2006. The Gillette, Wyoming native switched to tackle his sophomore year after playing tight end as a freshman.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Patriots Announce Player Signings

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2007

PATRIOTS RE-SIGN WR TROY BROWN; ALSO INK TWO DRAFT PICKS

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots re-signed veteran wide receiver Troy Brown today.  The team also signed 2007 sixth-round draft picks Justin Rogers and Justise Hairston. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Brown, 36, has spent his entire pro career with the Patriots after being drafted in the eighth round (198th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. In his 14 professional seasons, the 5-foot-10-inch, 196-pound receiver has played in 191 games, placing him tied for fourth on the franchise’s all-time games played list. He has been the longest-tenured member of the team since 2002 and was voted an offensive captain for each of the last five seasons (2002-06).

Brown is the team’s all-time leading receiver with 557 career catches and also places second in team history with 6,366 receiving yards.  He is also the Patriots’ all-time leading punt returner with 246 career returns for 2,570 yards and is tied with Irving Fryar for the team mark with three punt returns for touchdowns.  In 2004, he added defense to his resume as he saw significant action in the defensive backfield and finished second on the team with three interceptions.

Last season, Brown played in all 16 games with nine starts and finished third on the team with 43 receptions for 384 yards and four touchdowns.  The receptions total were his most since he posted 97 in 2002.  In November, he passed Stanley Morgan for first place on the Patriots all-time receiving list with a first down catch along the sideline against the Indianapolis Colts.  In the divisional playoffs, Brown continued his knack for making big plays, forcing a key fumble in the Patriots’ 24-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers.  Following a Marlon McCree interception in the fourth quarter, Brown stripped the football allowing Reche Caldwell to recover the loose ball and return possession to the Patriots at the San Diego 32-yard line.

The Marshall University product was named to the Pro Bowl in 2001, a season in which he set the Patriots’ single-season franchise record with 101 receptions. That year, he recorded 1,199 receiving yards, placing him second on the team’s single-season list behind Stanley Morgan (1,491 yards in 1986). He followed up his record-setting campaign with a 97-catch season in 2002, a mark that ranks second in team history to his own 2001 total. Also that year, he recorded a team-record 16 catches in a game against Kansas City at Gillette Stadium (9/22/02).

In 2004, Brown earned accolades for his play on offense, defense and special teams, showing a level of versatility unmatched in recent NFL history. After injuries had taken a toll on the Patriots’ secondary, Brown pitched in as the team’s nickel back for the final nine games of the regular season and for all three of the Patriots’ postseason contests as New England won Super Bowl XXXIX. He finished second on the team with three interceptions in the 2004 regular season and matched his reception total with 17 tackles on defense.

The Blackville, S.C. native has been a key contributor to each of the Patriots’ three Super Bowl runs. In 2001, Brown led the team with 18 postseason receptions as New England won its first world championship in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game against the St. Louis Rams, Brown led the team with six receptions and 89 yards, including a key 23-yard grab on the game-winning drive. Two years later, he tied for the team lead with 17 playoff receptions as the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII over Carolina. He was again a key contributor in that game, finishing second on the team with eight receptions, including three grabs on the game-winning drive. In 2004, Brown played on offense, defense and special teams in all three playoff games, recording a total of five receptions and six tackles during New England’s Super Bowl XXXIX title run.
Brown’s career statistics include 191 games played (with 70 starts), 557 receptions for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns, 246 punt returns for 2,570 yards and three touchdowns, 87 kickoff returns for 1,862 yards, 30 rushes for 178 yards, 18 defensive tackles (16 solo), three interceptions and five passes defensed. 

Rogers, 23, was selected in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Southern Methodist. The 6-foot 4-inch, 250-pound linebacker earned first-team All-Conference USA honors in 2006 after posting 9.5 sacks, a mark that ranked 13th in the nation. The Greenville, Texas native started 26 of 44 career games, posting 183 tackles (117 solo), 19.5 career sacks, five forced fumbles and a blocked kick.

Hairston, 24, was drafted in the sixth round (208th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Central Connecticut. The 6-foot 1-inch, 220-pound running back rushed for a school record 1,847 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior in 2006. The New Britain, Conn. native notched a school record 332 rushing yards against St. Francis (Pa.) last season, including an NCAA record 197 rushing yards in the first quarter alone.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Providence College Basketball 2007-2008 Conference Games

Courtesy of The Big East Conference

The Big East conference released the following information today.

Here are the Friars home and away conference games for the 2007-2008 season

fc

PC/Big East HOME games

UCONN
Depaul
Georgetown
Louisville
Rutgers
Seton Hall
USF
Villanova
West Virginia

PC/Big East AWAY Games

Cincinnati
UConn
Depaul
Marquette
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
St. John’s
Syracuse
Villanova

BIG EAST ANNOUNCES MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE MATCHUPS

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The BIG EAST Conference has announced the league opponents for each of its men’s basketball teams for the 2007-08 regular season.  The sites of all games also were announced.

In 2007-08, the BIG EAST will play an 18-game conference schedule after playing a 16-game slate for the last eight seasons.  The 18-game format will allow teams to play each opponent once and three teams twice.

“It’s good that each team is playing every other team,” said Commissioner Michael Tranghese.  “It makes the conference schedule more balanced and we are still able to make some very attractive and intriguing matchups a second time.”

The decisions regarding repeat opponents are based on natural interest, geography, rivalries and television contractual obligations. 

The BIG EAST has not played an 18-game conference schedule since 1998-99 when the league had 13 members.  That season, Connecticut finished in first place with a 16-2 record and went on to win the national championship.

Georgetown won the 2006-07 BIG EAST regular season and tournament crowns and advanced to the Final Four.  The Hoyas’ repeat opponents for ’07-08 are Louisville, St. John’s and Syracuse.

Some of the geographical rivalries that will be played twice include: DePaul-Notre Dame, Rutgers-Seton Hall and Pittsburgh-West Virginia.

Team Repeat Opponents

Cincinnati - Connecticut, Pittsburgh, St. John’s

Connecticut - Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Providence

DePaul - Notre Dame, Providence, Villanova

Georgetown - Louisville, St. John’s, Syracuse

Louisville - Georgetown, Marquette, Rutgers

Marquette - Louisville, Notre Dame, Seton Hall

Notre Dame - Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette

Pittsburgh - Cincinnati, Villanova, West Virginia

Providence - Connecticut, DePaul, West Virginia

Rutgers - Louisville, Seton Hall, USF

St. John’s - Cincinnati, Georgetown, West Virginia

Seton Hall - Marquette, Rutgers, USF

USF - Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse

Syracuse - Georgetown, USF, Villanova

Villanova - DePaul, Pittsburgh, Syracuse

West Virginia - Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Conversation with Tennis Hall of Famer Bud Collins

by:  Frank Carpano

The following is a transcript of an interview I did today with Tennis Hall of Famer Bud Collins. The legendary tennis writer and broadcaster was recently dismissed by NBC Sports after more than 3 decades as one of the voices of the network’s tennis telecasts.

I first met Bud back in 1977, at the US Pro Tennis Championships at Longwood in Brookline, Ma. I reminded him of that day. He didn’t remember me, but easily recalled the big story that day. It was just after John McEnroe burst onto the tennis scene. He was playing on an outer court at Longwood when word circulated in the press box that young Johnny Mac had spit on a spectator. Imagine that!

If you’re a tennis fan, a visit with Bud Collins is a treat. The man has an encyclopedic mind and is a wonderful story teller and the ultimate toastmaster. I could listen to the guy tell story’s all day.

When we finished the interview, Bud predicted that most of our interview would never make it on the air. He was right. I am embarrassed to admit that most of it was for my personal pleasure. And now, I hope, for yours as well.

Our meeting took place at the Angela Moore store on Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Bud was there serving as a model for Angela’s apparel and jewelry fashion show.

FC: How much do you enjoy being a model, is it something you enjoy or did they have to drag you kicking and screaming?

BC: (smiling) Well, it’s very difficult to be surrounded by so many beautiful women Frank, but I’ve managed to do it.

FC: NBC’s decision to part company with you. Did that catch you by surprise?

BC: A little bit. But I had 35 great years. And we had each other for 35 great years. So, when it happened, I just said thank you very much for those years.

FC: Everything in the world changes, and sometimes sadly so. Having grown up watching you on NBC’s Tennis coverage, it’s hard to imagine you not being a part of it. Is it a sad time for you?

BC: No, I’m not finding it too sad, I thought it might be. But I’ve heard from so many people, and they have all been so nice. I’ve been through some sad periods in my life, but this isn’t one of them. I hope to keep in the game somehow.

FC: Have we seen the last of you on television?

BC: I don’t think so.

FC: Can you give us any hints where you might be popping up?

BC: No. (laughing) No sir, no thank you. No, I can’t

FC: Will you continue your work for the Boston Globe?

BC: I hope so. For as long as they want me.

FC: Do you ever envision yourself completely retired?

BC: It’s a frightening vision!  And I’ve thought about it, after a long trip or something. I think; well, why don’t I retire, then I think, well what am I going to do? I love what I am doing so much. I’ve got to keep going.

FC: Does what you do seem like a real job?

BC:  No, it’s not a real job. I had a real job once, it was 1949, and I was digging ditches one summer. I was thinking there has to be something better than this, I better become a sportswriter. From there it went on to television.

FC: That’s right; you are credited with being the first sportswriter to crossover to do television on the national level. Did you ever envision when you began that it would become such a popular thing for sportswriters to do?

BC: No, I didn’t. Because the Globe didn’t want me to do it. It was a little touchy there. And that’s the way most newspapers felt.  They felt it was adversarial, TV and newspapers. It took me awhile to convince my editor. I said, you know it’s very good for me to be on national television. He said, well are they going to say Boston Globe.  And I said; I hope so. When I worked with Dick Enberg, he was very good about that.

FC: You are a regular visitor to Newport. Is this a special place for you?

BC: Oh, very much so. Because of my love for Tennis. The Casino is the oldest tennis courts in the world. The US Championship was held here in 1881, it’s now the Jimmy Van Allen Cup sponsored by Campbell’s. It’s the only grass court tournament in the United States for the pros. And then there is Newport itself. The sea, the restaurants, the ocean breeze, Angela Moore!

FC: But what if the tennis event in Newport could draw bigger names?

BC: That would be pretty hard. The prize money isn’t up there. And it’s the week after Wimbledon. I used to try to convince (Andre) Agassi and Pete Sampras. I said; play on these historic courts, once in your life. But I didn’t get anywhere. In a way, it doesn’t need such an attraction. You can have lesser names playing. Because it’s an occasion to come here. That’s what sells tickets. When you consider 1881, the US Championships were played on the same courts, there is nothing like that in sports. It grips me.

FC: Do you think that today’s big name players have an appreciation for the history and the Hall of Fame’s place in the game.

BC: I think more all the time. Although there was a time, when someone would say something about the hall of fame, and response would be; what is that? But now when Steffi Graf went in, that was a big score for the Hall. Pete Sampras this week, that’s a story that will go all over the world. I think it is now getting the recognition it deserves.

Jimmy Van Allen, the guy who started it, used to tell me: The reason we started it, was when we went to Cooperstown, to see the baseball hall of fame. And his wife said, Tennis should have one of those, Jimmy. He said; we’ve got one where things actually happened. Nothing ever happened at Cooperstown. It’s a nice place, but here you have the historic courts, you have the atmosphere and you have the Hall of Fame museum, which is one of the best sporting museums in the world.

FC: Can you talk about the Hall of Fame class that will be inducted this weekend.

BC:  Pete Sampras of course if one of the greatest players of all time. 14 major championships, he is the man of Wimbledon, 7 championships. He won it when professional tennis was at its best. Pete won his first championship in 1990. He didn’t know what he was doing. He was 19 years old. He played a perfect
tournament. He still didn’t know what he had done. He said, he was there, I swung the racket. After that, he got a little edgy about it. And the next year, Jimmy Connors gave him a hard time about it. Because Pete said I have this terrible load on my back, I don’t want to have it.  But Connors was very insulting. He said; if a guy doesn’t want to be a champion, he doesn’t belong there. He should stop moaning and groaning. But Pete got over that. He won his 5 US championships. And no player in the history of the game has exited as he did. He won the US Open in 2002, his last major championship. And after that, no more tennis. It’s never happened with any great player like that, they’ve always pushed on. He decided this was the optimum moment. And he did it.

FC: And what about Arantxa Sanchez Vicario?

BC: Ah, Arantxa. The Barcelona Bumblebee! She is so much fun. There is a great story about her. She almost didn’t make it into this world. Her mother, Marisa had 3 children, all good tennis players. Arantxa would be the fourth, but after the third child, the doctors told her, senora, you can’t have anymore children. So she said fine, I have three, that’s terrific. One day, she took the three children to a famous rollercoaster in Barcelona.  They don’t know what happened, whether it was a shake, a roll or whatever it was, but shortly after that she became pregnant with Arantxa. So, Arantxa loves rollercoaster’s of course. She’s a little rollercoaster on the court herself. She’s terrific. She won 2 French Open titles, one US Open. She beat Steffi Graf , when she was 17 years old to win the French Open in 1989. And beat Graf again to win the US Open in 1994. She’s led Spain to 4 women’s federation cup titles. She is as good, if not a better doubles player. She won 49 doubles titles and 24 singles. And she is as sunny as Spain, just a terrific person to have around.

Sven Davidson, the Swede was one of the first good Swedish players. He played during the Amateur era. He preceded Bjorn Borg. But he won the French Open and Wimbledon doubles and was a very good player.

The fourth guy is Russ Adams, a photographer. The first photographer to be put into the Hall of Fame. I used to work with him when we were both kids on the Boston Herald. They had us out covering fires together. That’s the worst thing to cover. It ruins your clothes! But Russ and I got beyond that and got into tennis.

FC: Having been inducted into the Hall of Fame, can you explain what that moment is like.

BC: I felt like Pete Sampras back in 1990. I didn’t know what was going on. Lesley Vissar made a great speech introducing me, I must have said something, but I can’t remember a word that I said except thank you.  You get kind of in a daze, but I really do appreciate it. It’s a great honor; I just very pleased to be in the Hall.

Want to be President of Red Sox nation?

Courtesy of the Boston Red Sox

I thought you might enjoy reading about the Red Sox latest promotion. I can think of several people who have the qualifications!

Frank

For Immediate Release

Thursday, July 12, 2007

RED SOX INVITE FANS TO SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR

OFFICIAL PRESIDENT OF RED SOX NATION

Ceremonial Leader of Worldwide Fan Base

Would Have Powers, Privileges, and Perks

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox announced today that they are inviting fans across the world to nominate themselves or others to the new post, “President of Red Sox Nation.” The ceremonial “First Fan” would have an assortment of powers, privileges, and perquisites designed to further unify the club’s unique global fan base.  The program would be conducted in coordination with NESN, Entercom Radio, and Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), the on-line component of Major League Baseball.

“While this innovation is light-hearted, it is nonetheless real,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino.  “It is intended to be both a fun and functional position that helps foster dialogue among fans, and one that keeps us in touch with the pulse of our fans.”

The President would have a blog provided by the Red Sox.

After discussions with Lucchino, popular Red Sox television analyst Jerry Remy has helped create the position by serving as the “temporary, acting president.”

“Others are tossing their hats into the ring,” Lucchino said.  “They all share a love of the Red Sox, yet they range from celebrities to media members to business leaders to our heart and soul, the regular fans.”

Already, such personalities as Joe Castiglione, Hazel Mae, and Sam Horn have accepted the nomination of fans.  In addition, such media members as Mike Barnicle, Peter Gammons, and Bill Simmons have joined the race.  Boston business leaders Dennis Drinkwater and Cindy Brown have accepted nominations, as has renowned author Doris Kearns Goodwin.  Two of the Red Sox’ more ardent “average fans,” Rob “Just A Regular Rob” Crawford and Rick Swanson, “The Fan’s Commissioner,” have tossed their hats in the ring.

There is no limit to the number of people who can be nominated.  A closing date for nominations, election dates, term limits, and further details will be announced later this season.

All fans worldwide will be able to vote, predominantly on line, at no charge.  Accommodations will be made for those fans who do not use computers.  Fans can nominate themselves or can nominate others by paying a $14.95 fee, which makes the nominee a Citizen of Red Sox Nation, the club’s on-line fan community.

Fans can submit nominations by visiting redsoxnation.com or by calling 877-REDSOX9.  Fans accepting the nomination will have the opportunity to write “platform statements” and many will have the opportunity to tell their stories on NESN, which will feature interviews with numerous candidates.

The President will receive an array of benefits that include a number of tickets, use of a suite, and a trip to Spring Training.  The President would deliver a Ceremonial First Pitch in 2008 as well.

Members of the Red Sox ownership and senior executives would meet periodically with the President as well to gain the perspective of this leader of “Red Sox Nation.”

--RED SOX--

THE EARLY NOMINEES

1.  Joe Castiglione

2.  Hazel Mae

3.  Sam Horn

4.  Mike Barnicle

5.  Peter Gammons

6.  Bill Simmons

7.  Dennis Drinkwater

8.  Cindy Brown

9.  Rob “Just A Regular Rob” Crawford

10.  Rick Swanson, “The Fan’s Commissioner”

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Red Sox Move

Courtesy of the Boston Red Sox

For Immediate Release

July 11, 2007

RED SOX SEND RHP JOEL PIÑEIRO ON REHAB ASSIGNMENT TO LOWELL

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today sent righthanded pitcher Joel Piñeiro on rehab assignment to Single-A Lowell of the New York-Penn League.

Piñeiro is scheduled to start for the Spinners, when they host Batavia on Wednesday night at LeLacheur Park in Lowell.

Piñeiro has been on the disabled list since June 30, retroactive to June 28, with a right ankle sprain. He is 1-1 with a 5.04 ERA in 27 relief appearances with Boston in 2007.

TICKET SALES NUMBERS: As of July 10, the Red Sox had sold a total of 2,865,879 individual tickets for games in the 2007 season. That is the second highest number of tickets sold in any full season in team history, surpassed only by the final total of 2,930,588 in 2006. The total includes tickets sold for games already played and advance sales for the remainder of 2007.

Boston’s home attendance through the first 42 dates of 2007 is 1,540,301, compared to 1,521,334 in the first 42 home dates a year ago. The Red Sox enter Thursday’s game with Toronto with a streak of 349 consecutive regular season sellouts at Fenway Park.

ALL-STAR LEFTOVERS: With his victory on Tuesday night in San Francisco, Josh Beckett became just the third Red Sox pitcher to ever win an All-Star Game, the first in relief. Roger Clemens was the starter and winner for the American League in 1986 at Houston, and Pedro Martinez earned the victory after starting the 1999 Midsummer Classic at Fenway Park.

Beckett (2.0 IP) and Jonathan Papelbon (1.0 IP) combined to pitch 3.0 shutout innings in the American League’s 5-4 victory on Tuesday night at AT&T Park. It marked just the third time ever that two Red Sox pitchers had seen action in the same All-Star Game, the others being Clemens and Jeff Reardon in 1991 and Derek Lowe and Ugueth Urbina in 2002. 

Monday, July 09, 2007

Are the Sox Okay?

by: Frank Carpano

Were you bothered at all by the Red Sox dropping 3 straight to the Tigers over the weekend? I was. Now that the Sox have a double digit lead in the American League East, I find myself watching their games a little differently. I know it’s probably not wise, but I was particularly interested in the Detroit series, because this is a team that the Sox could potentially face in the postseason. Let’s see how they stack up against a quality opponent. Boston failed miserably. Spare me the talk about it being “only” July.  Let’s hope for the simple cure. That a little rest over the All-Star break will revitalize the offense.

Some All Star Break facts

The good news:

• Boston still has the best winning percentage in major league baseball (.609)
• The Sox take a first place lead into the break for the 3rd straight season

The bad news:

• The Sox are 9-9 in their last 18 games
• Boston has lost their last 6 away from home

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Conversation with Ernie DiGregorio on Jimmy Walker

By: Frank Carpano

I had a chance to talk with former Friar great Ernie DiGregorio today about the passing of Jimmy Walker (see release in previous post).
Ernie was instrumental in getting Walker to Rhode Island back in 2003.

F: Sad news that Jimmy Walker passed away.  When was the last time you spoke with him?  And what was that conversation about?

E: Well I’d say Frank it was maybe a year ago.  I called him to see how he was doing.  He seemed like he was doing okay to me.  You know he came back for the Providence College golf tournament, we spent some time together and then he came back one more time.  He stayed at Foxwoods for a couple of days. He seemed like he was doing great.  He said the cancer was in remission and it’s really a sad story.

F: What influence did he have on you?

E: A tremendous influence on me as a basketball player because I used to go to all those games at alumni hall and watch him play for
the Friars.  And he was just like a phenomenal basketball player.  He had these great ball handling skills, and I feel, and I played pro basketball five years, the greatest one-on-one player I’ve ever seen – college or pro.

F: So what do you think is his legacy with regards to the game?

E: I think in college as one of the all-time great, great, scorers in the history of the game.  I put him up there with Pete Maravich, Jimmy Walker, you know, those guys were scoring machines. And he had a coach, Joe Mullaney who let him use his talents to the utmost. He put everyone under the basket and let Walker go one-on-one and no one could ever stop him.  The games against Boston College in the holiday festival at Madison Square Garden were legendary.  Everybody would sit back and watch and see how Walker would play. He would score fifty points by himself, he was phenomenal.

F: So you were in high school when he was at PC. Describe the player you saw on the floor back in those days.

E: He had that, great command of the ball. He could go with either hand.  Most players can just go one way with the ball.  If they’re right-handed that’s their strong hand, like Lenny Wilkins who played for Providence.  He was such a great player he could go left anywhere he wanted, and you still couldn’t stop him.  Walker could go both ways, put it between his legs, behind his back.  I was fortunate to play against him when I was in high school. It was just a little pick-up game when he was in college.  He left such an impact on me because I was a pretty good high school player.  I averaged about thirty-five/ thirty-six points a game. But when I got done playing with Walker that afternoon, I’ll tell ya I went back into the gym and outside on the courts for hours and hours because I knew I had to improve my game that much to even come close to Jimmy Walker.  In fact one of the greatest moments for me as a professional basketball player was the first time we played against Kansas City when Walker played for Kansas City.  And I was fortunate enough to have like thirty-two points and that was a big thrill for me because this was my childhood hero and I went out and scored thirty-two points against him.

F: So he inspired you all along the way…

E: Oh no question.

F: When you were in high school, college, and then in the pros…

E: Exactly, especially in college.  He was the guy I watched on television every time Providence College played. My mother said, “Boy I wish someday you could be like that guy Jimmy Walker.” And I said “ma, I’m going to work really hard and someday I’ll be a real good player.” But he was the guy, there was no one else in my mind that was a greater one-on-one basketball player or greater talent than Jimmy Walker.

F: How come he never stayed connected to Providence the way that you and Marvin and Kevin have?

E: Well I think when he got out of college, you know I don’t think he graduated college, so I don’t think (he left) on good terms.  I think he just stopped going to class and he was sorta like a different type of person. Jimmy liked to go here, go there.  He really didn’t keep a strong bond with Coach Dave Gavitt like we did, and, with the college.  But, as years went on I got to know him a little bit and talked to him more on the phone. I got him to come back and we did a book together and I really got to know him.  And he seemed like he was definitely at peace with himself in his life, especially when he came back at that Providence College golf tournament. He got up and spoke, in fact he broke-up and cried because I guess Providence meant so much to him.  And that was good; at least he got back and felt good about himself.

Providence College release on the passing of Jimmy Walker

Courtesy of Providence College

FRIAR GREAT JIMMY WALKER DIES AT AGE 63

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Providence College all-time men’s basketball great Jimmy Walker passed away on Monday, July 2 in Kansas City, Mo.  Walker, 63, died after a battle with lung cancer.  Walker, who is considered by many people to be one of the greatest collegiate players ever to come out of New England, is the only player to ever be taken first in the NBA Draft from a New England college.

In just three seasons of play at Providence College, Walker became the school’s all-time points-scored leader with 2,045 for his career.  His record stood for 38 years until Ryan Gomes surpassed Walker in 2005.  Over the course of his career, Walker averaged 25.2 points per game. In 1967, Walker’s senior season, he led the nation with a scoring average over 30 points per game.  He also grabbed 509 boards for the Friars, and he shot 49.2 percent from the field as a Friar.  He was an All-New England selection three times in his career, as well as the 1967 New England Player of the Year.  He was also named an Associated Press All-American three times, including a First-Team selection in 1967.

Walker helped PC to a top five national ranking during his sophomore season.  He put up huge numbers for the Friars as one of the strongest and most physically gifted point guards to ever wear the Friar uniform; all before the three-point line was put in place.  Walker was drafted first overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1967 NBA Draft.  In nine seasons of NBA play, Walker averaged 16.7 points per game.