Essential New England Patriots Trivia

Did you know that the New England Patriots was established in 1959 and have won 6 Super Bowls, out of the 9 that they have competed in?

Patriots won the Super Bowl this year, 2019, as they played the Los Angeles Rams. They beat them 13 to 3. All Boston and Patriot fans need to know these 10 facts about the NFL team and American Football.

Interestingly, American Football is played all around the world. So no matter what team you support or where you live, you can always enjoy American Football.

Football is also one of the most highly wagered upon sports in the world. In fact, it is estimated that hundreds of millions of dollars are wagered on the Super Bowl each year. The most wagered-upon Super Bowl in history was Super Bowl LII, which featured the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Over $158 million was wagered on that game alone.

This year, in Super Bowl LIII, the Patriots broke another record, when they took in over 80% of the spread bets. With $145 million wagered on the game, that means that the Patriots took in over $110 million in bets! They did their bettors proud by covering and winning the game 13-3. If you’re interested in betting on football you can find the best CA Bookmakers for 2019 here. It’s extremely important that you use an established and credible bookmaker when placing bets on football. If you place a winning bet, you want to be sure the bet will be filled and that you can withdraw your money easily.

American Football is locally known as Gridiron, in Australia and has been played across six Australian states and territories since World War II, but only has been in the regular league since 1983.

10 Facts About the Patriots

  • The New England Patriots began as the ‘Boston Patroits’ and they were founded as part of the American Football League on November 16, 1959. They changed their name in 1971 and became known as the New England Patriots.
  • The Patriots weren’t the first pro football team to represent Boston. The Boston Bulldogs and The Boston Redskins both were pro football teams around the 1930s. The Boston Redskins moved to Washington D.C. and became The Braves.
  • The Patriots have played in 11 Super Bowls and have won 6. They won in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, and most recently in 2019.
  • The Patriots are the most wagered on team this decade.
  • The New England Patriots have covered the spread more than any other team since 2001.
  • At the same time, the Patriots have hit the under on over/under bets more than any team in that time frame. This is due to their exceptionally good defense.
  • Their most impressive win to date, is when they got a 59-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans in October 2009.
  • The Patriots were victims of the largest Super Bowl upset when they lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Prior to that, they had pulled off the largest upset, overcoming huge odds as 14 point underdogs to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
  • Nowadays, Patriot players wear the ‘Flying Elvis’ logo on their helmets, but this wasn’t always the case. In 1960, players wore helmets with a simple design that consisted of a tri-corner hat which sat on top of each player’s number.
  • From 1960 to 1971, the team moved venues 4 times. They were at Nickerson Field, Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, and Boston College’s Alumni Stadium.
  • In 1971, they were going to be named The Bay State Patriots. But the name had to be rejected because the abbreviation would be ‘The B.S. Patriots’.
  • The Patriots might not have always resided in Boston. They almost got shipped to St Louis in 1992 and then Connecticut in 1998. Thankfully both times, the owner, Robert Kraft, was at hand to make sure the Patriots stayed in Boston. In 1998, he managed to prevent the move by securing  $72 million to build the Gillette Stadium.
  • The Patriots have the longest winning streak in pro football history. During 2003-2004, the team claimed 21 straight regular and postseason wins – which is an NFL record according to ESPN.com!
  • Bill Belichick, head coach of the Patriots, has been helping the team win many matches including Super Bowls. He is an avid fisherman who once owned a 24 foot power boat called V Rings. The name was in reference to the two Super Bowls he’d won as a defensive coordinator with the Giants and the 3 he won with the Patriots. In 2015, he bought a new vessel after the Patriots beat Seattle in the Super Bowl. And Bill named his boat VI Rings.



Red Sox

RED SOX – ASTROS SERIES PREVIEW

After sweeping Seattle and then splitting the series with the Rockies, the Red Sox are looking at .500 in the rear view mirror. However, now the Red Sox embark on a huge part of their schedule. In their next five series they face the Astros home and away, square off with Cleveland at Fenway, then head to New York. This series against the Astros could lay a marker for how the coming weeks might shape up.

5/18 Rick Porcello vs. Gerrit Cole (R) 7:10 pm NESN

5/19 Hector Velazquez vs. Corbin Martin (R) 7:15 pm NESN

5/20 Chris Sale vs. Brad Peacock (R) 1:05 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

Pitchers

It is nice to be talking positively about Chris Sale again! In his last five starts, Sale has allowed just seven earned runs in 33 innings pitched. There is also the small matter of the incredibly number of strikeouts. In those last five starts he has 59 strikeouts. That is as incredible as it gets, and is nearly two strikeouts per innings! In fact the guys at Fangraphs took a deep dive into Sale’s 2019 season so far, which I highly recommend you read.

Corbin Martin was very impressive in his season debut for the Astros. In 5 1/3 innings he struck out nine and allowed just two earned runs. However, the Rangers and Red Sox are very different teams. The Rangers brand of baseball right now is essentially all or nothing. They are either going to batter you, or strikeout trying. The Red Sox have a little more nuance to their offense. It will be interesting to see how Martin fairs, but more than anything it will be good for the Red Sox to get a chance to face him. There is a good chance they could be seeing him again come playoff time.

Gerrit Cole is the ace in this series for the Astros. However, he has had some struggles in 2019, especially on the road. Away from Houston this season Cole has a 4.30 ERA, but has struck out 49 hitters in 29 1/3 innings. This should be a fascinating duel between a pitcher providing mixed results, and a lineup which is starting to hit its rhythm.

Hitters

The Red Sox face three right-handed pitchers in this series in the form of Cole, Martin and Peacock. This season the Red Sox hitters rank 15th in home runs, fifth in batting average, and eighth in runs scored against righties. However, they will need to be at their peak at the plate in this series against a potent Astros team.

The Astros offense is lighting up the stat sheet this season. Heading into this series they rank first in the majors in batting average, OBP, runs, home runs and slugging percentage. Their offense is a juggernaut. Either this team is going to have to pitch well, or the hitters are going to have to go toe-to-toe with them.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Rotation: The news that Sale is back close to his old self is a massive relief, but their are still question marks. Porcello is just meh, and the Red Sox are going to need him to be better come the end of the season and during the playoffs. Velazquez has been promising, but he has only gone five innings once this season, mostly serving in a relief role. Now would be a great time for Sale to show us he is right back at the height of his powers, and for Porcello to step up and demonstrate he can be a contributor in the playoffs this year.

Hitting: Now that J.D. Martinez is finally starting to find his power legs things feel a little more comfortable. Martinez already has five home runs this month, and his power being a factor means that this lineup can go head-to-head with anyone. On top of that Andrew Benintendi has three home runs this month, and suddenly this team is not being carried by the power of Mitch Moreland and Michael Chavis, which is a huge relief. Now it would be great if this lineup can take apart a good rotation and settle any remaining concerns.

EXPECTATIONS

The three game cushion over the .500 mark provides some consolation that if things go wrong here, the Red Sox are still above water. However, this series is about so much more than just this series. The way the Astros are playing there is a good chance that the Red Sox will meet them again in the Postseason. That series is also more likely to be on the road right now, so losing to them at home would be less than ideal.

This series is the first part of an Astros double, with a trip to the Blue Jays filling the sandwich. The Red Sox have a legitimate opportunity to stamp their authority back on the AL over the next week. If they can win series both at home and on the road against the Astros, everyone will be back to taking them seriously. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Right now getting out of Boston with a win in this series would be a major accomplishment.

Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins Silence Hurricanes; Rask Tremendous

The Boston Bruins knew going into Tuesday night that they would be facing a desperate Hurricanes team. Up 2-0 in the series, Boston had to be ready. And if it weren’t for the outstanding performance by goaltender Tuukka Rask, things could’ve been a lot different.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

The ‘Canes were coming off a perfect 5-0 winning streak at home in the playoffs, and were looking to make a huge push from the get go. From the drop of the puck Carolina was all over Boston, as they drew the first penalty 55 seconds into the first. In the first of many penalties of the period, Rask mimicked a brick wall and shut down every Carolina shot. As more Black and Gold jerseys sat in the box (at one point they were down two players), Rask kept things alive. Boston was able to keep the Hurricanes scoreless in the first, with Carolina out-shooting the Bruins 20-6.

(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

RASK KEEPING IT IN

In the second period, the Bruins quickly found their legs as Chris Wagner opened up the scoring. And within a few moments Brad Marchand tallied one of his own, giving Boston a 2-0 lead. Carolina did not rest however, as they continued to shoot point-blank at Rask as their frustration continued to build. Rask kept the night rolling, allowing only one shot to get past him. A potential goal in the third by the Bruins would’ve seen the score 3-1, however after review by the officials, it was taken off the board due to goaltender interference.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits:AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

The Boston Bruins are now up 3-0 in the series and have a chance this Thursday to sweep the Hurricanes to advance into the Stanley Cup Finals. With the emerging success of the fourth line, and the continued tremendous play by Tuukka Rask, the Bruins are this close to achieving that goal. Boston’s Head Coach Bruce Cassidy offered some insight about Rask’s performance last night:

“I think he was our best penalty killer for stretches there. What it does for the team, obviously, is it allows you to take a deep breath knowing you go into the first period intermission haven’t played our best, but it’s 0-0.”

Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy

Rask made 35 saves last night, and now boasts the second best goals-against-average in the post-season at 1.69. His save percentage is .939, and he leads the league with 11 wins.

“Being in the zone, nobody knows what that means. The way I usually want to play, I want to play calm and make myself look big and maybe even tough chances, try to make it look easy. If that’s in the zone then so be it. I just try to be focused and give us a chance.”

Bruins Goalie Tuukka Rask

NOTES

As the Bruins gear up to face an even more desperate Hurricanes team on Thursday, there may be a possibility that Chris Wagner will be out. Late in the third period, he blocked a slap shot by Justin Faulk with his wrist. In obvious pain, Wagner was seen going down the tunnel. David Krejci played his 100th career playoff game, hitting a personal milestone.

NEXT GAME: Boston Bruins at Carolina Thursday May 14th.

WHERE TO WATCH: NBCSN with puck drop at 8:00 PM

Patriots sign N’Keal Harry to a rookie deal

N’Keal Harry could be a great receiver for the Patriots

The Patriots have signed their first-round pick N’Keal Harry to a four year $10 million contract. In three seasons with Arizona, Harry had 73 receptions for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns. He will compete for a starting position at Wide Receiver with Julian Edelman, Deymarius Thomas, Phillip Dorsett, etc. Harry seems to want to learn the Patriot system and how to be a great player in the league. He has a future Hall Of Fame quarterback throwing to him, and great veteran receivers guiding him in the right direction.

He’ll be learning from the best organization in the league

Harry has met with the media and can’t wait to get to work. He spoke at minicamp saying “The way they did things, like I said earlier, it’s a great organization. They’ve obviously won a lot of Super Bowls and there’s a reason for that. So when I came here for the visit, I just felt like there was something different. There was a different approach and a different mentality.” With Rob Gronkowski retired, Harry will have to be a factor to make some plays for the offense. He also brings some young talent on the team, and can run fast to get open.

He wants to get pushed around by coaches and Brady. That’s the only way he’s going to get better as a player. Getting coached hard can make him a better person on the field and off it. Also with how he handles the media and saying the right things. If Brady can find him the ball, he will get open. Brady is 42 in August, and is going to need help from his offensive line and receivers to make plays. Harry has the potential to be a great receiver for the Patriots. It’s too early to compare him to anyone, but it seems he has some talent which is great.

Bill Belichick will call defensive plays

Bill Belichick will be the defensive coordinator

The Patriots are heading into the season without a Defensive Coordinator. Belichick called the defensive plays in 2010 before handing the play calling to Matt Patricia, who is now with the Lions. Belichick is used to calling plays on the defensive side of the ball, even before he became a head coach. Brian Flores called the defensive plays last year before taking the Miami Dolphins Head Coaching position after the Super Bowl.

Belichick has experience calling the plays on the defensive side

The Patriots will be fine having Belichick call the defensive plays. His football smarts are through the roof, and he will go down as the smartest coach of all time. He’s had so many different players in his career it’s crazy. He also knows the 3-4 defense and other defensive schemes more than any other coach in the game today. Belichick was the Defensive Coordinator for the New York Giants in 1985 under head coach Bill Parcells. The Patriots did hire Greg Schiano, but he left in March after one month on the job.

With Josh McDaniels handling the offensive side of things, they’ll be good. They’ve stacked up on Tight Ends and Wide Receivers. Belichick also has help with Jerod Mayo and Steve Belichick on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots are coming off their sixth Super Bowl title since 2001. Question is can they head back to the Super Bowl again? The answer is most likely yes. Belichick can pretty much do what he wants because they win so much. Belichick calling the plays on the defensive side will be good because he knows the system and does what’s best for the team.

10 Facts All Patriots Fans Need to Know

(Image source: Flickr | Image author: Jack Kurzenknabe)

Did you know that the New England Patriots was established in 1959 and have won 6 Super Bowls, out of the 9 that they have competed in?

Patriots won the Super Bowl this year, 2019, as they played the Los Angeles Rams. They beat them 13 to 3. All Boston and Patriot fans need to know these 10 facts about the NFL team and American Football.

Interestingly, American Football is played all around the world. So no matter what team you support or where you live, you can always enjoy American Football.

American Football is locally known as Gridiron, in Australia and has been played across six Australian states and territories since World War II, but only has been in the regular league since 1983. (Source: https://www.aboutmen.com.au/)

10 Facts About the Patriots

  1. The New England Patriots began as the ‘Boston Patroits’ and they were founded as part of the American Football League on November 16, 1959. They changed their name in 1971 and became known as the New England Patriots.
  1. The Patriots weren’t the first pro football team to represent Boston. The Boston Bulldogs and The Boston Redskins both were pro football teams around the 1930s. The Boston Redskins moved to Washington D.C. and became The Braves.
  1. The Patriots have played in 9 Super Bowls and have won 6. They won in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, and most recently in 2019.
  1. Their most impressive win to date, is when they got a 59-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans in October 2009.
  1. Nowadays, Patriot players wear the ‘Flying Elvis’ logo on their helmets, but this wasn’t always the case. In 1960, players wore helmets with a simple design that consisted of a tri-corner hat which sat on top of each player’s number.
  1. From 1960 to 1971, the team moved venues 4 times. They were at Nickerson Field, Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, and Boston College’s Alumni Stadium.
  1. In 1971, they were going to be named The Bay State Patriots. But the name had to be rejected because the abbreviation would be ‘The B.S. Patriots’.
  1. The Patriots might not have always resided in Boston. They almost got shipped to St Louis in 1992 and then Connecticut in 1998. Thankfully both times, the owner, Robert Kraft, was at hand to make sure the Patriots stayed in Boston. In 1998, he managed to prevent the move by securing  $72 million to build the Gillette Stadium.
  1. The Patriots have the longest winning streak in pro football history. During 2003-2004, the team claimed 21 straight regular and postseason wins – which is an NFL record!
  1. Bill Belichick, head coach of the Patriots, has been helping the team win many matches including Super Bowls.

He is an avid fisherman who once owned a 24 foot power boat called V Rings. The name was in reference to the two Super Bowls he’d won as a defensive coordinator with the Giants and the 3 he won with the Patriots.

In 2015, he bought a new vessel after the Patriots beat Seattle in the Super Bowl. And Bill named his boat VI Rings.

Preseason starts in August, so get your tickets for the upcoming matches.

Chris Sale Pitches A Gem

While you were busy watching the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals, or the Celtics ping pong balls, Chris Sale was dealing. After striking out 9 in his first four innings, he proceeded to finish with 17 in seven. Not bad being shoulder to shoulder with Pedro Martinez in 2000.

A twisting ball in the corner evaded JD Martinez to end his no-hitter bid, but Sale bounced back with weak fly ball to left and 2 more strikeouts.

It didn’t hurt to have yet another moonshot from Michael Chavis to lift Sox fans spirits:

In his last inning he gave up a single to Trevor Story, then a Green Monster homer to Arenado. But those guys came in destroying left handed pitching all year.

Chris Sale rallied back to strikeout 17 in seven innings. That’s a new career high, so it’s safe to say he’s back on track.

Brandon Workman did his best to lose the game, allowing a two run homer to Charlie Blackmon in the 8th to put the Sox down 4-3 and deny Sale the win. Moreland knocked in Devers in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game, but Mark Reynolds of the Rockies singled in a run to give the Rockies a lead in the 11th and the Red Sox lost. But don’t let it besmirch a performance like this.

Red Sox – Rockies Series Preview

When we last took an depth look at the Sox they were starting their road to recovery. On May 1st they had gone 8-4 in their last 12 to meet last year’s .667 winning percentage. Since then they’ve gone 8-2. Mash that together and it’s 16-6 since April 19th. That’s a .727 winning percentage for the math geeks out there. Can they keep it going against the 19-21 Rockies?

Pitching Matchups/Schedule (TV)

5/14 – Chris Sale vs Kyle Freeland (NESN)

5/15 – Eduardo Rodriguez vs German Marquez (NESN)

Notable Numbers

+27: That is the Red Sox run differential. On April 19th the Red Sox were 29th (of 30 teams) in baseball in run differential at -42. Now they’re 9th at +27. This team is clicking on all cylinders.

.217: This Rockies batting average on the road this year. That’s the fourth lowest in the league.

What To Watch For

Every Chris Sale start is notable, and this one is no different. The Rockies power bats (Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story) are right handed, and destroy left handed starters (.400 for Arenado, .314 for Story). With the cooler weather, and that kind of right handed power in the lineup, the Rockies will be a challenge. It’s another good test for Sale, despite the Rockies low road average. Sale has a 2.61 ERA over his last five starts. But every start is another step forward or back. A good start would be further encouragement that Sale is back.

Eduardo Rodriguez was celebrated a little too much for finally pitching seven innings in a start for the first time since September 23rd of 2017 his last time out. Will he pull it off in back to back starts? If he does, it could be a harbinger of a true step forward from the mercurial Rodriguez.

Expectations

The Rockies have a lot of potential, and their 10-10 road record is actually an achievement. But the Red Sox are red hot. The Rockies will show better than the reeling Mariners did in the last series, but the Sox should continue to dominate. Expect a brief two game sweep by the Sox before the schedule tightens up in the next couple of weeks.

How to Get Your Favorite Sports Team Season Tickets When You Are On A Budget?

Being on the pitch, at the frontline, and watching your favorite team play is priceless. If you’re one of those diehard sports fans, getting season tickets of your favorite sports team is probably at the top of your bucket list.

It costs money to acquire season tickets, sometimes so expensive that your zeal to be part of your team’s action might turn out to be just a dream. So what do you do if you’re on a budget and don’t want to spill all your hard earned cash on season tickets but still want to be where all the action is?

This posts gives you actional tips on how to get your favorite sports team season tickets when you’re on a budget.

Get a short-term loan

What do you have left when you’re not able to acquire your favorite sports team season tickets? Regret. In order to avoid this sort of regret, your first step should be to get a short-term loan.

There are many short-term loan options out there and you can always choose the one that suits you best depending on the situation. You could go for a payday loan so you can use your next paycheck as collateral, use a loan advance from your credit card company or get a loan using your tax refund.

Effectively, you can apply for a title loan if you have a car. This allows you to use your car’s title documents as collateral for a short-term loan. Since it does not require any cumbersome paperwork, you could have your loan approved within 24 hours.

Getting a short-term loan is one of the fastest and safest means to acquire your favorite sports team season tickets when you’re on a budget. This allows you to watch your favorite players in action without breaking the bank.

Stick to your budget and a payment plan

Season tickets come in different options – generally, the cost is based on the location of the seat. If you’re on a budget, there’s no need looking for front seats, which are normally expensive. Go for far-away seats that are cheaper and stand the chance to save big.

To make it cheaper or pay for the cost of your season tickets without realizing it, you should use the installment payment options provided by many sports teams and vendors of tickets. These vendors spread the cost over a period of time, giving you the chance to pay in installments. This is a great way to get to watch your favorite game when you’re on a budget.

Join your favorite team’s fan club

Almost all teams have fan clubs, so does your favorite team. Joining a fan club of your favorite team will give you the chance to be among the first people to know when season tickets are available. Additionally, the club members are sometimes given free season tickets, and you could be one of these lucky members.

Getting free or  discounted season tickets is not magic though. The criteria to deciding which member should be given a free ticket or a discount is based on how often you attend season games and how active you’re in the club.

If you happen to be a diehard fan, joining a fan club could be a great way to get season tickets even when you don’t have money.

Buy season tickets from a reseller through a third-party platform

Do you know that some people sell the season tickets they bought at the last hour? It could be that they are no more interested in the game, have something boiling on their side, or are not as diehard fans as you’re. If you’re on a budget, these are the tickets you should be searching for.

These ticket holders sell their season tickets on eBay, CraigsLists, and many other platforms cheaper than their original prices. Searching on these platforms may get you affordable or almost free season tickets of your favorite team. One caveat is to ensure that you’re dealing with sellers that have money-back guarantee in case the tickets are fake at the last hour.

Buy your season tickets on the game day

If you can wait till the day of the game, then you could get season tickets of your favorite team at affordable prices. For instance, it is said that the tickets of the big league baseball teams that are bought on the day of the game are about 33 percent less expensive than those bought two weeks before the game.

If you’re on a budget and can stay calm for the game day, this could be a goldmine to not breaking the bank for season tickets. However, you should always make sure that you check in from time to time so that the tickets are not sold out without your knowledge.

Why do lottery winners often blow through their winnings?

Winning the bulk of the money in a lottery is considered to be a blessing for some people. This activity has entertained people for quite some time. Most countries around the world have their national lottery which is usually run by the government. It is not surprising if this kind of distraction is tremendously popular because most of us hope to be instant millionaires. However, even gaining in a lottery will solve all the financial problems; some winners assumed that they become bankrupt later. Why do lottery winners often go broke?

They can’t control their spending

Obviously, the lottery winners are excited and dazzled about earning millions suddenly. They may spend without controlling. For example, they share their money with their family, relatives, or friends. According to the proverb “Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend”, everyone wants to be their friends and asks them for money. They may share their problems and promise to give the money back. As a result, the winners can ruin their finances due to their overspending.

They lack help from the professional financial advisors

People who become rich by chance need professional financial advisors in order to help them manage their financial situation. For example, the specialist can help the gainers with taxes, ensure their lifetime enough revenue, and many others. Unfortunately, few lottery gainers search experts to aid them. Even it is an obligation for the winners in some nations like the UK; most of them invest their money on their own wish.

The actual payouts may let them down

Sometimes, the winners in the lottery might despair when they got their money. Before taking their winnings, they have already built projects. Some bought jewelry or other precious things. Mind that the lotteries have their own policies. For example, most of them take monthly or yearly payment whereas others pay the big sum of money directly. In addition, many winners lose hope when they take their actual winnings. Owing to the taxes, their prizes will reduce around 60 to 75%. Imagine, when the gains are expected to be 100 million pounds, with a minus of 25 to 40%, they will certainly be disappointed. Read this story about 1.6 billion winner.

Mental Accounting Attitude

Mental Accounting is a psychological behaviour that affects the way we spend and save our money. Therefore, people who win in lotteries use their winnings differently. Thus, they can squander lottery earnings because they find it as free money. This case is also available to all the gamblers because some winners are binge buyers. Thanks to the gratis spins casino, you are able to try the games on free mode before wagering. Hence, punters can increase their chance of winning when they practice before using their funds.

They pay more bills because of their fortunes

In every country, the amount of your bills depends on your wealth. The lottery winners can afford to buy big and luxurious houses. They can also buy expensive cars, boats, yacht, and else. However, some of them don’t realize that these riches will increase their bills. With these different types of charges, they may face uncontrollable financial losses.

Their projects to gain extra incomes fail

It is undeniable that winning lots of money on lotto is a dream came true. You can buy everything you want, pay your bills, and why not investing in projects to get more money. Nonetheless, your plan can derail without any strong and serious approaches. When the lottery winners didn’t study these investments, their project failure will be considerable. Obviously, it leads to the loss of huge amounts of money.