A New Milestone!

On to the Pike has officially reached 1,000 page views! Thanks to everyone who has made the blog a success.

Here is a classic video:

Atleast the Celtics won, I think I jinxed the Rangers and Sox...

The Celtics took a crucial 3-2 series lead against the Bulls. The luck for the Rangers and the Red Sox, however, was not the same. My Rangers blew a 3-1 series lead, and the Red Sox saw their 11 game losing streak come to a halt against the Indians after a costly error by Javier Lopez in the bottom of the 9th inning (The Red Sox had already blown a 7-3 lead). While I'm happy that the Celtics took care of business at home, the night has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

Also, the much awaited continuation of my baseball preview will occur sometime this week. Having an extra three weeks to scout the teams will only improve my analysis!

Rangers in a Game 7!

So far, so good. The Rangers are in a 1-1 game at the end of the 2nd period. I wouldn't compare it to the Revolutionary War, but it's quite a battle. This is much more competitive than Game 6, and the Rangers have put themselves in a position to win. Hopefully they can pull it out!

Sox up 7-3, can you say 12 in a row?!

"The Sorriest Corner in the League"

In light of Ellis Hobbs being traded to the Eagles, I feel obliged to post this classic video by NECN after the Patriots defeated the Chargers in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in January 2007. In an all-time classic move, Philip Rivers calls Hobbs the "sorriest corner in the league."

Note: This video cannot be embedded, so I will post the link.

Sorriest Corner in the League

Darryl Richard

The Pats draft Darryl Richard (DL) of Georgia Tech with the 234th pick. This was their final pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Analysis to come later.

Julian Edelman

The Pats draft Julian Edelman (WR) of Kent State with the 232nd pick.

Myron Pryor

The Pats select Myron Pryor (DL) of Kentucky with the 207th pick.

Jake Ingram

The Pats draft Jake Ingram (LS) of Hawaii with the 198th pick.

George Bussey

The Pats draft George Bussey (OL) of Louisville with the 170th pick.

Pats trade Hobbs; draft Rich Ohrnberger

In a suprising move, the Pats traded Ellis Hobbs to the Eagles for picks 137 and 141. They then traded those picks to the Ravens for 123 and 198. At 123, they selected Rich Ohrnberger (OL) of Penn State. He can play center and guard and thus adds interior line depth. In trading Hobbs (who enters the final year of his contract), the Pats give up a solid corner and their best kick-off returner while opening up a little cap room.

Tryone McKenzie

The Pats select Tyrone McKenzie (OLB) of USF with the 97th pick. He projects to be an ILB in a 3-4.

Brandon Tate

The Pats select Brandon Tate (WR) of North Carolina with the 83rd pick.

Sebastian Vollmer

The Pats select Sebastian Vollmer (OL) of Houston with the 58th pick.

Darius Butler

The Pats select Darius Butler (CB) of UCONN with the 41st pick.

Ron Brace

The Pats select Burncoat and BC's Ron Brace (DL) with the 40th pick.

Patrick Chung

The Pats select Patrick Chung (S) of Oregon with the 34th pick.

NFL Draft Countdown

Count me among the people very excited about tomorrow's draft! Rumors abound that the Pats are trying to get into the top ten of the draft. Peter King believes the Pats are not going after LSU's Tyson Jackson, the obvious pick as he projects to be a 3-4 defensive end. Given that this is the Patriots we are talking about, I'm going to expect the unexpected. Michael Holley, one of the very few people who predicted that the Pats would take Jerod Mayo last year, thinks it could be Andre Smith if the Pats go into the top ten. Yet, I would still take that with a grain of salt. I just hope they get some much needed youth and athleticism on defense, especially at linebacker.

Another great Bruins video

Another Jack Edwards classic.

Funny Bruins Video

Here is a classic video of Bruins announcer Jack Edwards. Thanks to a reader for alerting us to the video.

The New Yankee Stadium? A Home Run Derby!

$1.5 billion can't buy you everything! Apparently the architects of Yankee Stadium did not take into account a nasty wind-current when designing the stadium seating.



Coincidence my eye! Finally the Yankees have some bad luck after all those years of bloop singles, Michael Kay hyperbole, and $200 million payrolls.

How about they just knock it over and try again? Steinbrenner is probably considering it.

Bruins

The Bruins are up 3-0 in the series against the Canadiens! How did the Rangers do tonight?

Offensive Lineman in the NFL Draft

Pro Football Weekly notes that the Pats are intent on bolstering the offensive line in the upcoming draft (http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/Whispers/2009/wrapup041909.htm). Although they definitely have more immediate defensive needs that should be addressed in the first few rounds, the Pats could try and grab a few good offensive lineman in the mid to late-rounds of the draft. While the offensive line is pretty good right now, the age and contracts of the lineman raise some long-term concerns. Thus, expect to see the Pats draft a few OG/C's in the mid to late rounds and possibly a tackle in the early rounds if the value is there.

LET'S GO RANGERS!

The Rangers take a commanding 2-0 lead on the Capitals going back to MSG! The Blue Shirts are certainly coming on at the right time. I think Lord Stanley's Cup is in their future!

Are you ready for the playoffs? (Minus KG)

This commercial kind of makes me sad. Not going to lie. It is going to be really tough to repeat without KG.

He saw his opportunity and BOOM!, he took it!

If you did not hear the news, John Madden retired today, which means no more excessive compliments for Brett Favre/Peyton Manning/any offensive lineman. As for the poll question, I chose video games.

Gone.

David Buckner faints on Glenn Beck's show.

Pats 2009 Schedule

The NFL just announced the 2009 schedule. Here is the Pats schedule:

• Sept. 14 (Monday) -- vs. Buffalo (7 p.m., ESPN)
• Sept. 20 – at N.Y. Jets (1 p.m., CBS)
• Sept. 27 – vs. Atlanta (1 p.m., Fox)
• Oct. 4 – vs. Baltimore (1 p.m., CBS)
• Oct. 11 – at Denver (4:15 p.m., CBS)
• Oct. 18 – vs. Tennessee (4:15 p.m., CBS)
• Oct. 25 -- at Buccaneers (in London, 1 p.m.)
• Nov. 1 -- Bye
• Nov. 8 – vs. Miami (1 p.m., CBS)
• Nov. 15 – at Indianapolis (8:20 p.m., NBC)
• Nov. 22 – vs. N.Y. Jets (4:15 p.m., CBS)
• Nov. 30 (Monday) – at New Orleans (8:30 p.m., ESPN)
• Dec. 6 – at Miami (8:20 p.m., NBC)
• Dec. 13 – vs. Carolina (1 p.m., Fox)
• Dec. 20 – at Buffalo (1 p.m., CBS)
• Dec. 27 – vs. Jacksonville (1 p.m., CBS)
• Jan. 3 – at Houston (1 p.m., CBS)

More analysis to come later.

Pats' Opponents in 2009

While the NFL will release the 2009 schedule tomorrow at 7 p.m., the Pats' opponents are already known. The Pats are pretty much assured of a good bye-week because they are playing in London on October 25. Thus, the bye-week should be in Week 9, the week following the London game. Here are the opponents:

Home
Bills (home on MNF, Sept. 14, 7 p.m.)
Dolphins
Jets
Falcons
Jaguars
Panthers
Titans
Ravens

Away
Buccaneers (London, Oct. 25, 1 p.m.)
Bills
Dolphins
Jets
Broncos
Colts
Saints
Texans

Salary Cap Resource

Here is a terrific website that follows the Pats salary cap. It is a great resource.
Patscap.com

NFL Draft Profile: Jarron Gilbert

With many players on the defensive line (Seymour, Green, Wilfork, Smith) in the last year of their contract, the Pats probably will look to draft a defensive lineman for the future. One such player is San Jose State’s Jarron Gilbert, who would play DE in a 3-4. He visits the Pats on Monday (April 13th) at Gillette among his pre-draft trips. Gilbert is projected to go anywhere from the late first-round until the late second-round. It should be noted though that his stock has been increasing lately, making it unlikely he will be available in the late second-round. If the Pats want to take Gilbert, they probably will have to take him with one of their first three picks. Still, #23 seems like a bit of stretch, especially considering their need for linebackers. However, they run the risk of another team selecting Gilbert if they wait until #34 or especially #47. They could make a trade with another team, moving down from #34 to around #40, or, in the other direction, moving up from #47 to around #40.

Gilbert came on strong in his senior year, picking up 51 tackles (36 solo and 22 tackles for a loss) and 9 sacks. He was the WAC co-defensive player of the year in 2008. At 6’5’’, Gilbert possesses long arms and great explosiveness. He has terrific speed for a defensive lineman (4.76 40) and is agile, allowing him to quickly change directions. He has a great first step and gets up field quickly. He has good football instincts, often allowing him to get an early jump on the snap, and sheds blocks well. Gilbert played offensive tackle in high school, switching to defense line in college. He really improved in college, but still has enormous potential. Concerns abound about his strength and size to play a 3-4 DE though and I question whether he could two-gap. His effort can be inconsistent at times and he does not possess great mental toughness. Gilbert nonetheless remains a great prospect and, with a year to be brought along, could be a good player in the future.

Here is a video that shows Gilbert’s athleticism:

Strengths and Weaknesses: AL East

Here is the post regarding each team's strengths and weaknesses in the AL East.

AL East:


Boston Red Sox:

Strengths: Pitching, pitching, and more pitching. The Red Sox organization has built up their starting pitching depth masterfully over the last few years. The Sox will go into 2009 with a rotation of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Wakefield and Penny. John Smoltz is waiting in the wings, too. He will rehab until he is ready to contribute sometime in May or June. The Red Sox also have Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden in AAA, who are both good enough to pitch for ¾ of the major league teams right now. Secondly, but still very importantly, the Red Sox have one of the best bullpens in baseball. Even though the Red Sox pen was terrific last year, Theo and the front office went and acquired another arm: trading Coco Crisp for Ramon Ramirez. They also signed an immensely talented and successful Takashi Saito, who wasn’t receiving the offers he deserved after there were questions regarding his elbow. These two join a pen comprised of Manny Delcarmen, Javier Lopez, Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson, and Jonathan “Cinco Ocho” Papelbon. Finally, do not forget the flame-thrower Daniel Bard who was consistently hitting triple digits during spring training. Although there is probably not a spot for him at the beginning of the year, if an injury strikes, he will be first in line to be called up.

Weaknesses: Most would argue that the Red Sox do not have a glaring weakness. The only problem that could strike them is the injury bug. With David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew coming back from injuries, the Red Sox lineup has some question marks. If those three contribute, though, the Red Sox have one of the deepest lineups in the game.

New York Yankees:

Strengths: As soon as Alex Rodriguez returns to the lineup, the Yankees have undoubtedly the best lineup in baseball with Damon, Jeter, A-Rod, Teixeira, Matsui, Posada, Cano, and whoever else they throw out there in the 8 and 9 spots. The Yankees also have one of the finest rotations in baseball after an offseason spending spree in which they signed C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Those two will join a rotation that includes Chien Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees have good starting pitching depth as well, with Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy available should an injury strike.

Weaknesses: The Yankees do not have the bullpen depth that they had during the “Yankee Dynasty” years of the 1990’s. While Mariano Rivera remains as strong as ever, the rest of the bullpen does not have an established reliever other than Damaso Marte. While Yankee fans love to say that Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, and Phil Coke are going to shine, I’m not sold until I see them perform for another full season.

Tampa Bay Rays:

Strengths: The Rays are coming off a season in which they won the AL Pennant. The frightening thing for the rest of the AL East is that the heart of their lineup has room for improvement. Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, and even Carlos Pena should all have improved numbers in 2009. The Rays starting pitching is also very good with James Shields, Scott Kazmir, and Matt Garza carrying the load. After the first two months of the season it is expected that the Rays will call up David Price, which should further improve their rotation. Andy Sonnastine is not a bad #5, either.

Weaknesses: The Rays biggest flaw is their bullpen. While Howell, Wheeler, and Balfour had strong seasons in 2008, they are going have to be just as strong in ’09 if they want to make the playoffs. Troy Percival also cannot be counted on for the long haul. If he goes down with an injury, I’m not sure the Rays have someone they can rely on to fill the closer’s role.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Strengths: The Blue Jays have quite a strong outfield core with Vernon Wells in center and Travis Snyder and Alexis Rios in left and right. Adam Lind is also a capable outfielder. The Jays have one of the league’s best starters in Roy Halladay, so they are not likely to go on any prolonged losing streaks.

Weaknesses: Unfortunately for the Jays, they have more weaknesses than strengths. Losing Dustin McGowan and Shawn Marcum to injury really leaves their rotation in shambles. Their bullpen is also pretty thin with only Scott Downs, Brandon League, and an aging B.J. Ryan to rely upon (Ryan’s velocity has been down considerably during spring training). Scott Rolen has shown over the last two seasons that he has very little left, and Vernon Wells has a lot to prove coming off an injury riddled 2008. With the Red Sox and Yankees paying the big bucks year in and year out, the fact that the Jays didn’t spend a dollar in free agency speaks volumes about where this team is headed.

Baltimore Orioles:

Strengths: The Orioles have a few really good, young, position players. The list includes Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters (who will begin the season in AAA). Brian Roberts is the consummate professional, and Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora are coming off 100 RBI seasons. The Orioles also have the luxury of having two relievers, George Sherrill and Chris Ray, with experience as closer.

Weaknesses: Should I just say Peter Angelos and move on? The Orioles front office has been fighting the owner for years. From a team standpoint, the Orioles enter 2009 with a questionable starting rotation. Jeremy Guthrie looks like a sure thing, but after him, the O’s have some serious question marks. The fact that their #2 starter is Koji Uehara, a guy who hasn’t thrown a pitch in the big leagues, can’t bode well for them.

Recent News

Two interesting Patriots-related items:
• Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch was suspended for three games by the NFL, meaning he should miss the Bills opener on September 14 at New England. Without Lynch, the Bills offensive is much easier to defend, even with the addition of Terrell Owens.
• The NFL will release the 2009 schedule on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Funny Manny Ramirez SportsCenter Commercial

This is probably my favorite SportsCenter commercial of all time. "Manny Being Manny." Oh, the memories.



This commercial was never mainstream broadcast as Manny was subsequently traded to the Dodgers.

Pats NFL Draft Outlook

The Pats have eleven picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. They are as follows:
1st round-#23
2nd round-#34, #47, #58
3rd round-#89, #97 (compensatory)
4th round-#124
5th round-#170 (compensatory)
6th round-#199 (A one Tom Brady was drafted in this spot in 2000), #207 (compensatory)
7th round-#234

It is unlikely that the Pats will select eleven players with these picks for a few reasons. First, the roster is simply too talented and deep to accommodate that many rookies. I would guess that there will be enough spots for about eight rookies. Second, by moving up or down, they can create more value. Considering the number of picks they have (including three 2nd rounders), the Pats will be in a good position to maneuver around the board. By trading up, they may be able to snag a player that has fallen far below where he should have been taken. By trading down, they increase the value of the pick for next year. This may be particularly prudent this year considering the number of quality free agents they will have at the end of the 2009 season. My hope is that they can trade #47 for a first-round pick next year.
*Compensatory picks cannot be traded.

NFL Draft Profile: Darius Butler

Over the next few weeks, On to the Pike will offer profiles of players that the Patriots may draft. We begin with Darius Butler, a cornerback from Connecticut that is projected as a late first-round, early second-round pick.

Although the Pats signed Bodden and Springs, neither one is a viable long-term option because Bodden has a one-year deal (if he plays well this season, he will get a better deal elsewhere and if he doesn’t, the Pats won’t want him back) and Springs is 34 years old. Also, Hobbs is in the last year of his contract, so I think the Pats will try and get a cornerback in this year’s draft. I don’t see the Pats taking a corner at #23 because they have more pressing needs (LB in particular) and it probably would not be the best value pick. However, at #34, I think it would be a good choice because of the mix of value and need.

Butler has decent size (5’11’’), great speed (4.38 40), and athleticism (evident in his combine best 43 inch vertical jump). He has four years of experience at Connecticut and great instincts. He played well in both man and zone coverage and should be able to play both in the NFL. Although Butler did not have any interceptions last season, he did not see many balls thrown in his direction either. By comparison, he had eight interceptions in his first two seasons when teams were more likely to throw at him. He is also a solid tackler that can help in run support. He played some receiver as a senior and also returned kicks, meaning that he has the versatility the Pats like.

World Series Prediction

WS-

New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox (BOS wins 4-2)


This series will not be a repeat performance of 1986.


(I can’t believe I just posted that)

While the Mets have Johan Santana, the Red Sox counter with the playoff pitcher extraordinaire, Josh Beckett (On a 1-10 scale, if Johan Santana is a 10, a healthy Josh Beckett is a 9.5 and a 11 in the playoffs). After that matchup, however, the Red Sox starters significantly outmatch anyone the Mets can throw out there: Lester vs. Pelfrey, Matsuzaka vs. Perez, and Smoltz vs. Maine. Although the Mets offense is slightly more potent than a healthy Red Sox lineup, pitching wins in the playoffs. Expect another World Series MVP from Josh Beckett.

*The Red Sox have home field advantage because I expect the American League to win this year’s Midsummer Classic.

Pats Roster Breakdown Part III

Here is the concluding chapter of an epic:

• Tedy Bruschi-He is slow and has trouble in coverage, but his knowledge of the system and experience will give him another year as a serviceable 2-down MLB.
• Gary Guyton-Could Guyton have a big leap in his second season? He has the physical ability to be a starter in the NFL, but looked lost a few times last season.
• Adalius Thomas-Thomas is a great player, but he has disappointed since the Pats lured him out of Baltimore with that huge contract.
• Shawn Crable-Finished last season on IR with a shin injury and looks to be a project. Hopefully he can rush the passer well, but I’m not expecting too much this season.
• Angelo Craig-Finished last season on the practice squad. Provides more youth and athleticism at OLB.
• Jonathan Wilhite-Came on strong in the second half of the season, including an interception at Oakland. Look for a good season from Wilhite.
• Shawn Springs-He is 34, 6 feet tall and will earn $4.55 million this season. The Pats must hope for Springs to be a sturdy #1 corner.
• Terrence Wheatley-Second-round pick missed the second half of the season with a wrist injury. Wheatley tallied his most minutes in the last two games he played (St. Louis and at Indianapolis), which could mean the coaching staff saw good things out of him in practice. If he plays well this season, the corner position looks a lot better.
• Ellis Hobbs-Most Pats fans dislike Hobbs, but he is a good #2 or #3 corner with great kickoff return abilities.
• Leigh Bodden-Played well under a Pats style defense in Cleveland in 2007 with six interceptions, before a tough season in a zone-defense last year in Detroit. I think Bodden will play well here, including at least five interceptions.
• Mike Richardson-Will have a tough time making the roster if the Pats draft a few corners.
• Brandon Meriweather-I think Meriweather will have a Pro-Bowl type season. He made a big improvement from his rookie year and he should only get better from here.
• Antwain Spann-Backup Safety and STer will compete for a spot in camp.
• Tank Williams-He was going to play a hybrid S/LB role last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first preseason game. Look for a similar S/LB role this year.
• James Sanders-He is an adequate starter (an 83 in Madden describes Sanders well), but getting an upgrade through the draft for the future would be nice.
• Ray Ventrone-Like Spann, he will compete in camp for a roster spot.
• Stephen Gostkowski-A Pro-Bowler last year, he should have another great season. He made 90% (36 of 40) of his field goals last season.
• Chris Hanson-He had an incredible punt into the wind in the last game at Buffalo. Should have another decent year.
• Tom Malone-Played college ball at USC, meaning he rarely punted even though he was one of the best punters in college. I don’t see him beating out Hanson for the spot though.
• Nathan Hodel-A cheaper version of Lonnie Paxton.

Final Four Picks

Here are my picks for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament games on Saturday:

Connecticut over Michigan State
North Carolina over Villanova

*Picks are not against the spread.

Jim Calhoun: "Not a dime back"

Jim Calhoun responds to an idiotic question by Ken Krayeske.

ALCS and NLCS Predictions

ALCS-

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox (BOS wins 4-2)

We return to the ALCS of 2003 and 2004. The Red Sox can only hope for as sweet an outcome as 2004 (remember, the Red Sox came back from 3-0!) The pitching matchups should be Beckett vs. Sabathia, Lester vs. Burnett, Matsuzaka vs. Wang and Smoltz vs. Pettitte. Although it remains to be seen, the Red Sox postseason four-man rotation has to be considered one of the best of all time on paper. While the Yankees offense will power them to a couple of good nights, the Red Sox should win in six.

NLCS-

Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets (NYM wins 4-3)

This series is going to go down as one of the best of all time. Ever since Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Beltran exchanged division championship predictions, these two teams have hated each other with a passion. The two finest offenses in the National League will square off in a series that is sure to see its fair share of long balls. Johan Santana and Cole Hamels should pitch well, but all of the other starters will hit the showers early. I see this series going seven games, with the Citi Field crowd giving the Mets a true home field advantage.

I will post my World Series winner tomorrow.