 
We start in our regular spot with the Monday afternoon appearance of head coach Bill Belichick on WEEI‘s “The Big Show” with Glenn Ordway, Pete Sheppard, Fred Smerlas and Steve DeOssie.Â
Well last week was a great week for the Patriots as two members behind the perfect 16-0 season collected some new hardware for their trophy cases.
First, Belichick was named Associated Press Coach of the Year as he collected 29 of the 50 votes for the award. It was the second time Belichick won the award, the first time was in 2003.
Then quarterback Tom Brady was named the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player as he earned 49 of the 50 votes in winning the award for the first time. The 8 year veteran set a NFL record with 50 touchdown passes this season as the team set NFL records for points, touchdowns and scoring differential. Brady is the first Patriot to win the NFL MVP. Former Patriots Gino Cappelletti and Jim Nance won AFL MVP’s in the 1960’s.
We also found out that the Patriots would play the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. On Friday, Sox & Dawgs will have the “In The Red Zone Game Preview” just as we did each week during the season.
Cheerleader Lindsey Barrows, who has a younger sister with autism, is spotlighted on the team’s website this week. Check out Lindsey’s message that comes with her bio and photo gallery links.
This is from the “will these guys ever learn” category. Back in September when the unfortunate camera incident came to light Jacksonville defensive lineman Paul Spicer had this to say:
“Do like the NCAA and kick them out of the playoffs or something,” Spicer told The Associated Press after news of the scandal broke. “Put them on probation; they can’t go to no playoff games. Roger Goodell has definitely enforced some new rules. He’s been hard on players. Now let’s see how hard he’s going to be with a team.”
“Everybody’s been running around calling them geniuses for years. What are they gonna say about it now. This ain’t news. I’ve heard it in the past. They finally got caught. The Patriots got caught. They’re busted.”
When Richard Seymour made his weekly appearance on WEEI in Boston with Dale and Holley and was told of the comments he had this to say:
“He’ll see us Saturday. We’ll be right on that field at 8.”
I think I just got all tingly inside.Â
On Friday, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was asked if Belichick was tough on the players during the bye week:
“Nothing’s changed. We practiced yesterday – we were in full pads, today we come back, we’re practicing in full pads and he’s yelling and screaming at us and telling us how terrible we are. He never stops but he knows exactly what he’s doing, whether it’s keeping us grounded, keeping us focused and keep grinding. That’s what we have to do at this time of the season, because it’s never easy. You try to strive for perfection, [but] you never get there. You just keep working toward it.”
Linebacker Adalius Thomas on what it’s like to practice everyday against MVP Tom Brady:
“It’s always fun to go against a guy like Tommy, frankly, because he’s such a competitor. You try to get into his head and make him frustrated. It becomes a competitive thing and you always look forward to that. It makes you better on Sunday. You try to give him a good look at different things teams may do so we go out there and have fun and fly around and jab back and forth at each other a little bit, but it’s all in fun and making us better.”
Time Magazine interviewed Belichick recently. They even asked him about the famous hoodies which is the best selling item in all of Patriots merchandising.
Scott Benson from Patriots Daily opens his Sunday Links column with this little diddy:
“I think my favorite of all the Steeler traditions is the one where they lose playoff games at home.”
If Scott had listed a second favorite I’d vote for “watching Hines Ward cry.”
My least favorite would be their new mascot Steely McBeam, the lost member of the “Village People“.
“Sox & Dawgs” favorite Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe has a piece on New England place kicker Stephen Gostkowski and how he has the highest field goal percentage in team history. What?
The Hartford Courant’s Paul Doyle talked to a group of Patriots alumni who feel that Bob Kraft has been the key in stabilizing the franchise after many years of turmoil.
Looking for playoff tickets and money isn’t an option? Here’s a reminder on how you can get a pair of lower bowl tickets to game by donating $2,500 to the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation to support high school sports in New England. By doing so the Kraft family will thank you with a ticket package to the January 12th game.
And finally if you missed it don’t forget to checkout my All-Belichick Era Team.
