Tom Terrific

We all know the season Tom Brady had he set records and he won the MVP so that should say it all. But I think we should take a look not only at Brady’s season but his remarkable career.

Everyone is well aware that Brady was a 6th round pick by the Patriots out of Michigan but I don’t think even the geniuses in the New England front office had this in mind when they selected the most important player in team history in April 2000.

Brady set or tied 10 franchise records and 18 NFL records this season. While his record setting season is one for the ages, it’s just a small part of what maybe one of the best careers ever for a NFL quarterback.

Among quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era Brady has the top regular season winning percentage. With a minimum of 50 starts the top three are:

  • Tom Brady New England 86-24 .782
  • Roger Staubach Dallas 85-29 .726
  • Joe Montana San Francisco/Kansas City 117-47 .713

He is tied for the most wins in his first 100 starts:

  • Tom Brady 76
  • Roger Staubach 76
  • Ken Stabler 72
  • Terry Bradshaw 68
  • Joe Montana 68
  • Brett Favre 68

He is the second winningest QB in the playoffs:

  • Bart Starr .900 9-1
  • Tom Brady .867 13-2
  • Jim Plunkett .800 8-2

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Saturday Salute To Bloggers – 1/19

Saturday Salute to Bloggers @ SOX & DawgsTop Ten Things I’d Like To Do In Tampa [Yankees Chick]

Bud Selig is Old [Babes Love Baseball]

1986 Is Totally Awesome! [Center Field]

Gary Tanguay is unamused with your unpreparedness [Red Sox Monster]

The sign goes up [My Baseball Bias]

American Idol: The Best and Perhaps the Worst of the TV Wasteland… [Oriole Post]

Even The Commentators Fight In Hockey [Awful Announcing]

The Tom Brady Mancrush Song [Bostonsportz.com]

‘07 Clipboards and National Chan’ship [Casey’s Clipboard & Wally’s World]

Wrapping Up Florence-is-a-Dump … [The Big Lead]

Red Sox Fans help a disabled man sing the National Anthem [Home Run Derby]

And last but certainly not least, our pal and yours, Fitzy, gives us two videos. The first one is his Wicked Pissah AFC Championship Preview and the second is highlights from the Patriots-Jaguars tailgate last weekend. As always, both videos are NSFW, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtaD3-ikUzI[/youtube]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enEan2Uj9j8[/youtube]

Picking Up The Blitz, Ver 2.4

Bud should have had a V8This has kind of been simmering on my back burner since the news hit the interwebs and now that the big Patriots game is getting close and news is getting scarse on the game it’s time for this.

WTF were the major league baseball owners thinking when they gave Bud Selig another three years as the commissioner?????? Are these guys high? Do they not see what fans of the game see? I mean for christ sakes even the Red Sox realized they needed to help push Dr. Chuck and 3×5 out the door why can’t the owners see that Selig needs to go?

This man has been part and parcel to the steroid era. First in his ignorance. Then in his lack of action. Then in his too little too late attitude towards the PED issue. He is so culpable in all this he might as well have been the one sticking the syringe in Jose Canseco’s ass.

He commissioned and approved a report on steroids that cost fans at least $20 million. What you didn’t think we weren’t gonna have to pay for that? Where do you think the money came and will come from? For $20 million we basically got a used 1995 Toyota Corolla. Kind of fitting seeing as Selig is a used car dealer. He’s used to sticking it to the customer and boy did we bend over and take one this time. And guess what we’re gonna be getting bent over for another three years.

He is the “do nothing and maybe it will go away” commissioner but because he was one of them he seems to get a free pass from the owners. He goes to Congress to testify and those idiots make him look like a nuclear physicist because of the softballs they throw him. He is more clueless than Jacques Clouseau, Cher Holowitz, Frank Drebin, Elle Woods and Kelly Bundy wrapped up into one. And we the baseball fan get to suffer until at least 2012.

Red Sox News & Notes – 1/19

Red Sox News & Notes @ SOX & Dawgs

Good article in today’s Providence Journal about one of the three catchers, Dusty Brown, who will probably be in Pawtucket to start the season. Brown was added to the Red Sox 40-man roster in the offseason and could be a prime candidate to backup and potentially take over for Jason Varitek when Doug Mirabelli retires and he (Varitek) decides to hang his spikes up.

Red Sox director of player development, Mike Hazen, had this to say about Brown.

“He does a good job defensively. He’s a good catch-and-throw guy and he runs a good pitching staff. The basics of a catcher at the major-league level are that and he can do all those things very well. . . We feel he’s going to be a major-league catcher.”

Brown does hope that he can be Varitek’s backup and eventually take over for him down the line.

“The Red Sox are coming into a situation where there’s going to be a turnover somewhere in the next few years. I’m sure Varitek will play as long as he wants to and as long as he’s healthy. The backup spot could be up for grabs in the next few years, and ultimately I would love to play behind Varitek and take over his job when he decides to step down.”

One of the things that we the fans might not know about Brown is that he can catch the knuckleball.

“It wasn’t a secret last year that I can catch a knuckleball. If they want to give me a chance in spring training then I will run with it. I may not get that chance with them re-signing Mirabelli, but I think I’ve made enough of an impression with my ability to catch the knuckleball that if something were to happen, they would have the confidence in me.”

To me that’s a great thing because if Varitek or Mirabelli were to go down with an injury this season, there is someone else besides Kevin Cash who can catch Wakefield.

In his 7 minor league seasons, Brown has hit .257 with 26 home runs and 225 RBIs. He has also stolen 25 bases over those 7 seasons. His strikeout numbers are high (358) in just 1,580 at-bats.

Brown was a 35th round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox in the 2000 Entry Draft. He played his collegiate ball at Yavapi College. If you didn’t know, Curt Schilling also played there as well.

Destination Red Sox Nation

Destination Red Sox Nation @ SOX & Dawgs

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at the happenings in the Boston Red Sox minor league system throughout the year. I know it’s early in the year to be thinking about the minor leagues but with spring training approaching and the Red Sox prospects finishing up the Rookie Development program, I thought it would be a good time to look at who will be leading the Red Sox minor leaguers this season.

Pawtucket Red SoxPawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League)

  • Manager: Ron Johnson
  • Pitching coach: Rich Sauveur
  • Hitting coach: Ross Morman
  • Trainer: Greg Barajas

Portland Sea Dogs Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A, Eastern League)

  • Manager: Arnie Beyeler
  • Pitching coach: Mike Cather
  • Hitting coach: Dave Joppie
  • Trainer: Brad Pearson

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Paw Prints – Gridiron News

Paw Prints - Gridiron News @ SOX & Dawgs

After flirting with the Georgia Tech job, head coach Randy Edsall said that he would stay at UConn for as long as they would have him. Naturally you figured that UConn and his agent would work on a contract extension to keep him in Storrs for the near future.

On Friday, Edsall agreed to a 5-year contract extension that will keep him at UConn through the 2012 season according to Joe Schad at ESPN.com. Edsall will now make about $1.5 million a year, a raise of $600,000.

Edsall has been the only coach the Huskies have had in their Division I years. During his 9 years at UConn, he has guided the Huskies to a 50-55 record, including the Big East Co-Championship this past season.

If you have a chance tonight, be sure to check out the East-West Shrine game at 7 PM on ESPN2. UConn’s Donald Thomas will be playing in the game. He will be wearing #74 for the East team that is being coached by Dick Vermeil.

“Big Sey” Watches Celtics Cruise Past Philly

Allen drives past Evans - Getty PhotoThe Boston Celtics stayed undefeated in their division with yet another win, this one over the Philadelphia 76ers, 116-89 at a sold out TD BankNorth Garden.

This game was close for the first three quarters as the teams were neck and neck for most of the night. Tied at 29 after the 1st quarter, the teams went into the locker rooms with the Sixers on top at the half, 57-54. The Green came back a bit in the third and entered the fourth with a slim 78-73 lead. But when the final frame came around the Celtics turned it on and pulled away outscoring Philly 38-16.

The Celtics put 6 players in double figures led for the second game in-a-row by Ray Allen’s 23 points and 6 assists, Paul Pierce had 22, Eddie House, who started for an injured Rajon Rondo, had 15 points. Boston also got contributions from Tony Allen who had 12 points, Kevin Garnett was held to 11 points with 6 boards and 8 assists and Leon Powe chipped in with 10 points and 6 rebounds as the Celtics improved to 32-6.

The 76ers were led by Andre Iguodala with 17 points, 6 assists and 5 boards, Sam Dalembert had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards, Andre Miller also had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and Jason Smith had 10 points.

Former UConn star Kevin Ollie did not play tonight for Philadelphia.

New England Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour took in the game courtside. He received a standing ovation during a second-half timeout when his picture appeared on the scoreboard along with the message: “Good Luck Pats. Beat the Chargers.”

The cheers were almost as loud when the board showed a woman in a San Diego jersey being attacked with Silly String by the Celtics mascot, Lucky.

R.I.P Georgia Frontiere, 1927-2008

RIP Georgia Frontiere 1927-2008

Georgia Frontiere, the owner of the St. Louis Rams, has died at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer. Frontiere inherited the Rams when her sixth husband, Carroll Rosenbloom passed away in 1979 and left her the team in the will.

She kept the team in the Los Angeles area (Anaheim) until 1994 when she moved the team to St. Louis. She was rewarded with a Super Bowl win in 1999-2000 season when her Rams beat the Tennessee Titans in the Super Bowl.

Our condolences to the Frontiere family and the St. Louis Rams.

Ravens Tab Harbaugh

John Harbaugh, New Ravens coachJust a day after being spurned by Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, the Baltimore Ravens have named John Harbaugh their new head coach replacing Brian Billick.

Harbaugh spent last season as Philadelphia’s secondary coach after previously being their special teams coach. He has never been a head coach at any level. Harbaugh, who got a four year contract for around $8 million will be introduced on Saturday to the Baltimore media.

He replaces Billick who was fired on New Year’s eve after nine seasons as the coach, which included a Super Bowl win in 2000.

Harbaugh who also coached in the college ranks at Miami University (Ohio), Western Michigan, Pittsburgh, Morehead State and Cincinnati before joining the Eagles in 1998. He was a finalist for the UCLA coaching position last month and for the Miami Dolphins job last season.

Harbaugh is the brother of current Stanford head coach and former Raven quarterback Jim Harbaugh.

With the hiring of Harbaugh that leaves only Atlanta and Washington seeking new head coaches.

Lopez Avoids Arbitration

Javier Lopez and Kyle SnyderTheo Epstein’s track record of avoiding arbitration with players grew by one today as Javier Lopez agreed to terms with the Boston Red Sox. The deal is for 1-year $840,000.

Lopez made $402,500 last season with the Red Sox. He appeared in 61 games and that was second on the team to Hideki Okajima, who made 66 appearances out of the bullpen.

According to Rob Bradford of the Boston Herald, Kyle Snyder gave the Red Sox his number for arbitration, $1.025 million. Snyder made $535,000 last season, so he is looking to double his salary as well. He appeared in 46 games, all out of the bullpen, for the Sox in 2007.

Update: Kevin Youkilis submitted a number of $3.7 million while the Red Sox have countered with $2.525 million. The Red Sox number for Synder is $725,000.