Taking a look at New England’s free agents

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Every New England offseason has its share of turnover. Surprise trades (Brandin Cooks, Logan Mankins, Lawyer Milloy) and veteran free agent signings are usually the meta for GM Bill Belichick. There might be some questionable and even shocking decisions made, but always in Bill We Trust. A majority of the decisions made come from letting free agents walk over a couple million dollars. This has been the Patriot policy since 2000, and doesn’t usually change as long as Belichick has something to do with it.

Aside from a few exceptions, the Patriots almost exclusively refuse to overpay for any player. Stephon Gilmore is the most recent expensive signing, and he seems to be working out okay. However, others who have demanded a Brinks truck type contract have been dismissed from 1 Patriot Place.

This upcoming offseason, the Patriots have 22 players that are up for free agency. So which of those key free agents are leaving, and which ones are sticking around to defend the title?

Stephen Gostkowski, K, UFA, Stay

The all time leader in points scored in franchise history should stay put this offseason. He was franchise tagged last time he was a free agent, and while that remains a possibility this offseason, a two to three year deal seems more logical. Kicking is valuable in the NFL these days and the Patriots know the value of Ghost.

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, UFA, Stay

Patterson is a tricky player to predict in terms of value. The Patriots got him in a steal of trade with the Raiders, but his market value will determine if he remains in New England. He is a solid kick returner, something the Pats lack on the current roster, and a weapon on offense. The jet sweep was one of the offense’s best plays this past season and it was in large part thanks to Patterson. I believe he will stay on a one or two year deal for around 4-5 million due to his kick return ability.

Chris Hogan, WR, UFA, Leave

Hogan’s tenure with the Patriots was a weird one. At times it seems like no one of the field can cover him, and other times he can’t separate at all. He has come up clutch in the playoffs but this past season the Patriots showed they don’t need him anymore. It’s unfortunate, as Hogan is a great guy and a true Patriot on the field, but he is going to ask for too much money.

Jason McCourty, CB, UFA, Undecided

There are a lot of variables surrounding the second McCourty brother. He was one of the best pickups of the offseason, but remains a mystery. Devin McCourty has been flirting with retirement and Jason could very well follow suit. I think if Devin does stay a Patriot then Jason would take a pay cut to remain on the field with his brother. If Devin retires however, I would think Jason is worth too much money for the Patriots liking.

Danny Shelton, DT, UFA, Leave

Another former 0-16 Brown turned champion, Shelton was a solid trade. The run defense drastically improved with him on the field, but he was also inactive for nearly half the season. New England could slightly overpay for the big-bodied tackle but coming off a Super Bowl run will increase Shelton’s market. If he does resign with the Pats, a preseason roster cut would not be out of the question if he under-performs.

Phillip Dorsett, WR, UFA, Stay

The third wide receiver set to hit free agency, Dorsett was wildly underused this season. He didn’t drop a pass thrown his way since Week 4 against Miami and was a good route runner. Playing behind Hogan and Edelman decreased his playing time, but a third full season with the Patriots could be extremely beneficial. His market won’t be large, and I think the Pats bring him back on a short term, low value deal.

Ryan Allen, P, UFA, Stay

After his performance this year and in the Super Bowl, New England better resign Allen. A legitimate argument could have been made for Allen as the SB MVP, and Bill Belichick loves special teams. Allen would be hard to replace and should remain in New England unless a team overpays for him.

Josh Gordon, WR, RFA, Undecided

The true mystery of the offseason, Josh Gordon is a restricted free agent but is expected to stay with the Pats. This, of course, hinges on Gordon completing his rehab and being reinstated (which can happen in May). If the former All-Pro can stay clean and get the help he needs, he will make the offseason a success. Assuming all goes well and the Pats match any offer teams give Gordon, he should be back in training camp this summer.

LaAdrian Waddle, OL, UFA, Leave

With Isaiah Wynn coming off Injured Reserve next season and Waddle nearing his thirties, it makes sense for him to leave. He has been a serviceable backup to any offensive lineman that was hurt but could land a starting job on a more needy team. The Patriots should seek some help in the draft with offensive lineman depth, negating the need for Waddle.

Eric Rowe, CB, UFA, Leave

Spending most of the season on IR, Rowe vastly underperformed the first few games. The emergence of J.C. Jackson and rookie Duke Dawson set to come off IR, Rowe is no longer needed. However, due to his injury history, the Patriots could wait out the market on Rowe and see if he signs elsewhere. If he doesn’t, a low value “prove-it” deal would be beneficial to both sides. Another factor in his resigning is Jason McCourty, who would negate Rowe’s value if brought back.

Malcom Brown, DT, UFA, Stay

With Danny Shelton also a free agent, it would be prudent to resign at least one of these tackles. Brown is the optimal choice, as he has been here longer and outplayed Shelton this season. Brown has good technique, and after a rocky start, had a fantastic finish to the season. This is one player New England would be wise to pay.

Trey Flowers, DE, UFA, Stay

The marquee free agent for New England: Trey Flowers. He is as disruptive and effective as any defensive end in football and this is someone the Patriots need to overpay for. He needs to be the Stephon Gilmore of this offseason, no question. PFF ranked him as one of the top edge rushers in the NFL this season and he is irreplaceable in the New England defense. Flowers will command a contract that may exceed 80 or 90 million, but he is worth every penny.

Trent Brown, LT, UFA, Leave

Perhaps the largest sized Patriot in recent memory is set to have a big pay day. Brown’s play this season made his value sky rocket and teams will be gnawing at the bit to sign him. With Isaiah Wynn in waiting, and Trey Flowers set to break the bank, Brown will unfortunately have to move on to greener pastures. It is worth noting that if New England feels like they can’t resign Flowers, the focus would turn to Brown.

Jonathan Jones, CB, RFA, Stay

With Jason McCourty potentially leaving, and Eric Rowe almost definitely departing, Jones should stay. He is a restricted free agent so if the Patriots want him they will keep him. Jones won’t get a huge offer from another team, but his speed is valuable. I think unless an offer comes in that exceeds 5 million, the Pats keep him around. His special teams prowess also makes him more valuable than others on this list.

Albert McClellan, LB, UFA, Leave

An underrated pickup of the 2018 season, McClellan quietly made second team All-Pro for special teams. It’s because of this All-Pro nod that he will get solid money from another team. If it was another offseason and the Pats had less free agents to sign, Belichick would resign him. However, due to the plethora of more important players, McClellan will walk.

John Simon, DE, UFA, Leave

Another quietly solid pickup this season, the veteran Simon made a few key plays along the season. He deflected a pass and had a tackle for loss in the Super Bowl, but like McClellan he is lower on the totem pole. If several free agents who are expected to stay do leave, Simon could be brought back. However, as of now, I would bet on him moving on.

Ramon Humber, LB, UFA, Stay

This is the type of player the Patriots usually bring back. New England loves veteran free agents who hold their value to the team. Humber was primarily a special teamer, but with McClellan most likely departing, Humber should be resigned for dirt cheap.

Brian Schwenke, C, UFA, Stay

Another depth option, Schwenke was inactive for the entire 2018 season. However, he has been here for a year and is the only center on the roster besides David Andrews. He should be resigned for close to a million.

How To Use Sports To Strengthen The Family Bond

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The proliferation of mobile and digital technologies has left many families with no time for each other. For many parents, finding time to spend with their families on a busy day is a constant challenge. When family members have no time for each other, they miss on a number of benefits that this could create for the family bond. It is well known that spending time with family can improve self-esteem, nurture positive behavior, reduce stress and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

If you are looking for a way of spending time with your family, you may want to consider sport. Research shows that families that play sport together usually have stronger relationships and they tend to deal with stress in a better way than those that don’t. Make this even more fun by learning how to make a team website for your family and share your family sporting advice with the rest of the world on the internet.  

Here are some ways through which you can use sport to strengthen your family bond.

Include everyone

It’s easy to think that children will like what the parents also like. This is not always the case. Hence, if you are planning to use sport as a way of bringing your family together, make sure that you have taken everybody’s interests into consideration.

It’s possible that family members will like different sporting activities. This is good because you can then learn from each other. Learning a new sport can be great fun, especially when you do it as a family.

Set aside time

The one thing that every member of your family is likely to run a shortage of is time. However, if you set the time for family sports in advance and everybody knows it, you can all set your schedules around that time. This may also be a good way of teaching family members how to manage time. They also learn about the importance of making time available for others.

Allow members to participate in their own way

If your idea is to strengthen your family bond through sport, then you don’t want to make anyone feel as if they are being forced to participate. Let everybody understand why you are doing this and get their buy-in.

Where members of the family may not want to participate in the in physical sporting activities, they can do other things. For example, incorporate them as referees. They can be spectators and encourage team members as they play. They could also be coaches if they have some skills.

Encourage participation with variable rewards

Make participation worth everybody’s time by offering rewards for winning teams. There is a gambler in all of us. When people have no idea of what rewards are on offer, they may be motivated to play.

Depending on your resources, find encouraging rewards like a trip to the family’s favorite restaurant if everybody turns up on time for family sports day. Exempt winning teams from doing some chores for certain periods of time. Whatever rewards you decide on, ensure that the whole family agrees on them.

Incorporate sport into routine activities

Instead of traveling together in the family car, you can encourage everybody to cycle together to your destination. This could encourage even those members of the family who believe that they don’t like sports to participate.

Even simple activities like walking the dog can be done as a family. Whatever you do, you want to ensure that the whole family comes together and everybody gets to know each other better.  

What are the different game modes in Overwatch? A beginner’s guide.

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It can be a bit overwhelming to get into any new sport, let alone one of the biggest eSport league in the world. In an attempt to get you up to speed, I will be presenting a five part series to introduce everyone to the Overwatch League, the four different game modes, the basics of Overwatch’s heroes, some common terminology, and a look at the Boston Uprising’s roster. In this article, I’ll be looking at the different game modes in Overwatch.

It is confusing that in Overwatch their are different game modes. Most sports have one goal and an offense/defense dichotomy (prevent/score goals, get outs/score runs, etc.). But in Overwatch there are four modes with completely different rules. Not to be confused with football, where you have three different phases of the game (offense, defense, and special teams). But in Overwatch, teams play a best of four map series. Each game mode has its own rules, scoring system, and strategies. Sometimes two competing teams require a fifth match to determine a winner. I’ll review each game mode and explain the rules. Additionally, I’ll point out the broadcast cues you should follow along with. Let’s go over the basics.

Control

Neither the blue or red team has captured the point yet (the circle around A is white). Blue team has 3 players in the control point and nearly has it!

In the Control game mode, teams start on opposite ends of the map with an objective area in the middle. This objective area, or control point, unlocks 30 seconds into the game. Once unlocked, a team can capture the control point by being the only team in the objective area. To do this though you have to wipe out the other team from the control point. The more players a team has in the objective area, the quicker they capture the control point. If the team vacated the objective area, the meter that measures how far along the capture process slowly resets back to 0.

Blue team has the control point (the circle around A is blue) but red team has two players there to capture.

Once a team captures the control point, they slowly move towards 100%. At this point the other team needs to clear the objective area of opposing players and capture the control point. The first team to 100% wins – there is no time limit. Additionally, once a team gets to 99%, the other team has to be cleared out of the objective area to get to 100%. A lot of times you’ll see scores of 99 – 100% as one team fails to clear out the control point.

When playing the Control game mode, it is first to 100% on a best of 3 maps. The winner of the best of 3 gets a point towards the overall series. If the overall series needs to go to a 5th match The Control game mode is also used . This is because Control always produces a winner and can’t end in a draw.

Assault

This shows the start of the Assault mode – Point A is ready to be attacked/defended

The Assault game mode is one where teams rotate offense/defense. When on offense, a team starts opposite of where the defensive team starts. While on offense, teams have to reach an objective area and capture it. Capture mode’s rules around capturing points all apply. There are two points to capture (point A and point B). Point A is always closer to the offensive start point, and further from the defensive start point. If offense can capture Point A their start point moves up on the map and they must capture point B.

The 3 below Point A means 3 offensive players are at the control point – the Contested means the defensive team also has players present at the control point

There are a few nuances that make assaulting/defending the objective areas a bit different than Control mode. Whereas Control mode has a circular meter to measure progress towards controlling the objective area, in Assault mode the meter has two checkpoints on the way to capturing the point. Offensive teams work to raise the meter to one of these checkpoints. That’s because even if they get wiped out by the defending team, the meter won’t reset beyond the last check. Additionally, the meter’s progress stops when the defensive team gets into the objective area. You’ll see the word “CONTESTED” underneath the capture point in the heads up display. Thus in Assault mode the assaulting team has to wipe the defending team off the capture point every time they want to move towards capturing the point.

Point B is open and has been taken past the first of 3 ticks – the control meter won’t reset back beyond the first tick now

Escort

The offensive team has two players on or near the payload with no defensive players to contest its forward progress

The Escort game mode is the most straightforward – teams take turns bringing a mobile payload (a big object like a battering ram on wheels, floating car, etc) from one end of a map to the other. To move the payload, the team on offense must be in close proximity to the payload – the more players on/near the payload, the quicker it will move. By being on or within range of the payload the attacking team is healed. Forward progress can be stopped in one of two ways. First, the offensive team is removed from the area on or around the payload. Second, the defensive team gets a player on or around the payload.

It’s overtime and even though the offensive team has two players on or near the payload, the defensive team has someone there too!

The offensive team has a set amount of time to escort the payload from the start to the end of the map. When the payload reaches one of the two checkpoints along the way additional time is awarded. If each team successfully escorts the payload to the end, teams get an additional turn to escort the payload from the start to the end with however much time they had left over.

Escort mode always has a winner – whoever moves the payload the furthest (even if it is the second, third, or more) lap through the map. The end of each round is also like Control. This means if the attacking team’s time runs out, as long as they have a player on or near the payload the round will continue. Oftentimes you’ll see teams with no time push the payload past a checkpoint during overtime. As a result they get additional time to play with to get the payload to the next checkpoint.

Hybrid

If you have your head wrapped around Assault and Escort mode, then you’re off to the races. That’s because hybrid combines the two. First games start with an Assault mode-type objective area which must be captured/defended. If the offensive team wins then it becomes an Escort mode.

Now that you know the four game modes of Overwatch, you’re ready to get on the Overwatch League bandwagon!

For all the latest on the Overwatch League and the Boston Uprising, please follow me on Twitter #BostonUp

The Red Sox History as Defending World Champions

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The Boston Red Sox are coming off perhaps the greatest season in franchise history, and one of the greatest seasons any team has ever had. Coming off the ninth World Series championship in franchise history, I wondered how the previous defending champions they have had performed the following season.

1903 World Champions

Still named the Boston Americans, the franchise won the first ever World Series in 1903. They faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in a best of nine series, winning five games to three.

The team didn’t change much in the offseason as they got set to defend their world title. The 1904 Americans didn’t hit much, but they had a good rotation fronted by Cy Young. They had three 20 game winners as they won the American League Pennant again. However, the New York Giants of the National League refused to play them in the World Series. As such, the World Series never took place and no team was credited with a victory.

1912 World Champions

Deprived of their chance at winning the first two World Series, the Red Sox didn’t make it back until 1912. That season they steamrolled the competition, winning 105 games and finishing 14 games ahead of the second-place finishers. Smoky Joe Wood won 34 games, including 16 straight. Tris Speaker batted .383 and won the MVP.

The Red Sox returned most everyone the following season. However, Smoky Joe faced some injuries as he only made 18 starts. This left a huge hole in Boston’s rotation. The Red Sox “Million Dollar Outfield” performed well, with Tris Speaker, Duffy Lewis and Harry Hooper all living up to expectations. That was not enough, however, as the team finished a distance fourth in the American League.


Crowd in third base grandstand with view of left field wall for Game 2 of the 1912 World Series at Fenway Park.
Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

A Run on World Championships

Starting in 1915, the Red Sox won three of the next four World Series Championships. In 1915 they won 101 games to edge out the Detroit Tigers for the pennant. They then dispatched of the National League champion Phillies in five games.

In 1916 they dropped 10 wins in the standings, yet still managed to win the pennant. Babe Ruth, who wasn’t allowed to pitch in the previous World Series, pitched excellent in the Fall Classic for the Red Sox as they beat the Brooklyn Robins in five games.

The Red Sox were just as good record-wise in 1917, yet finished in second, nine games back of the White Sox. The performance was a good one, but it didn’t have the happy ending of the surrounding seasons.

The Red Sox rebounded in 1918, winning the pennant in a season shortened by the first World War. The World Series was played in early September that year. Babe Ruth had started making the transition to batting and led the league in home runs. He still pitched though and was the winning pitcher in two World Series games as they beat the Cubs in six games.

The follow-up to the World Series this time around didn’t go so well. Babe Ruth pitched far less, but eviscerated the single season home run record by blasting 29 homers. However, the rotation took a hit. The team had traded three very important players (Dutch Leonard, Duffy Lewis, Ernie Shore) to the Yankees in the offseason. The team fell to under .500 in 1919, coming in sixth out of eight teams.

Babe Ruth, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, warms up before a game. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)

2004 World Champions

The 86-year drought finally ended in 2004. The sweetest part of all was becoming the first team to ever come from 0-3 down in a playoff series to win, and it was against the Yankees! There were so many heroes on that team, where the championship never would have happened without them.

So, what happened in 2005 when they went to defend a World Series title for the first time in most everyone’s lifetime? It could have gone worse. The 2005 Red Sox won 95 games, taking the Wild Card spot. Their play all around the infield dropped off significantly from 2004. All five of their regular starting pitchers posted ERA’s over 4.00, and postseason hero Keith Foulke gave his arm to the 2004 title and wasn’t the same. It’s really quite impressive given all that this team managed to win 95 games. However, they were swept by the White Sox in the first round of the playoffs.

The Boston Red Sox celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 to win game four of the World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

2007 World Champions

The 2007 Red Sox were in first place for every day from April 18th on. David Ortiz was doing David Ortiz things, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett were paying huge dividends in their second season in Boston, and newcomer Dustin Pedroia won Rookie of the Year.

The Red Sox won 95 games in 2008, actually only one less than in 2007. This time though, they would settle for the Wild Card. Dustin Pedroia took another step forward, but David Ortiz’ hitting dropped off steeply and Manny Ramirez caused problems for the team until they dealt him at the deadline. Getting Jason Bay back in that deal helped spur the team to a strong finish.

The Red Sox dispatched of the Angels, as usual, in the ALDS. Facing the up and coming young Rays team in the ALCS, the Sox put up a valiant effort. Down three games to one and trailing the Rays 7-0 entering the bottom of the seventh in game five, the Red Sox rallied to an 8-7 victory. They then forced a game seven before being stymied by Tampa Bay pitching in a 3-1 game seven loss.

2013 World Champions

Following an embarrassing last place finish under Bobby Valentine in 2012, the Red Sox didn’t go out and make any huge panic moves. They brought in role players such as Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes, while counting on some other guys to rebound from down seasons. It worked. Galvanized by the Boston Marathon bombings, the team rallied with the city and won the division. They went on to take the Pennant and the World Series too.

The follow-up was another embarrassment. The Red Sox went from last, to first, then back to last again. Each of the acquisitions that played such a big role in 2013 suffered huge drop-offs in 2014. Some others just didn’t live up to expectations. Their only two good starting pitchers, Jon Lester and John Lackey, were traded away by the end of July.

2018 World Champions

So where will this team fall into place in defending their world championship? Can they become the second Red Sox team to repeat as world champions? I think it’s fairly safe to say they won’t follow the same route as the last defending champions from 2014.

Featured picture from The Independent

Greg Schiano to become Patriots Defensive Coordinator

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The Patriots will have a new defensive coordinator for 2019

The New England Patriots will have a new defensive coordinator for the 2019 season. According to the Boston Globe, Greg Schiano will take that role. The Patriots didn’t have a defensive coordinator for 2018 as Brian Flores was the defensive play caller. With Flores now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins it was rumored for weeks that Schiano would take the role as defensive coordinator. Schiano has been friends with Belichick for a long time. Schiano coached Belichick’s son Steve at Rutgers. He also coached Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty, and Duron Harmon.

Greg Schiano has famailarity with the coach and some players on the team

Belichick as always supported Schiano and called him a great coach.
“I think Greg’s a tremendous coach, I’ve learned an awful lot from him. Had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him when he was at Rutgers. … He’s one of the very best coaches in our profession. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Greg and the way he runs the program and the job he does.” Belichick said this around the time reports came out about Schiano’s connection with the Penn State scandal involving Jerry Sandusky.

Devin McCourty once called Schiano a tougher coach then Belichick. After him hinting about retirement during Super Bowl week it’ll be interesting to see if McCourty decides to play next season under Schiano. “Toughest coach I’ve ever played for. I don’t know, maybe I should say Bill because then he might feel better and think he’s tougher on us. I don’t know if this will get me in trouble, but I’m going go to go with Coach Schiano.” McCourty said in 2014 on NESN Live.

His brother Jason McCourty also called Schiano a tough coach to play for when McCourty got here last off season. “He can be a tough guy to play for but the one thing you’re always going to respect about Coach Schiano is the way that he worked.” Jason McCourty said at the time. Schiano comes to a championship environment with familiarity with the coach and some of the players. He could be also here to groom Steve Belichick who is a coach to become the defensive coordinator someday.

Six Super Bowls in 18 years with one coach and one quarterback

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From 2000 to now the Patriots have always done what’s best for the team

Via Times Union

Robert Kraft bought the team 25 years ago. His goal was to bring a championship to Foxborough. The Patriots made the Super Bowl in 1997 and lost to the Packers. After a few coaching changes, from Bill Parcells to Pete Carroll, Robert Kraft hired Bill Belichick in 2000. Then Tom Brady was drafted. Nobody had any idea that 18 years later they’d be celebrating their sixth World Championship as a coach and quarterback.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady share many things in common. They only care about winning football games. Belichick and Brady have been on this great championship ride for almost two decades. Don’t expect it to be done anytime soon either. You can debate all day on who deserves more credit for all the success. But Brady and Belichick need eachother to get everyone on board for what they are trying to accomplish.

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 – BOSTON, MA: New England PAtriots Tom Brady waves the Super Bowl trophy and salutes the fans on Boylston St during the rolling rally. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/DigitalFirst Media/ Boston Herald)

Without great leadership all these championships aren’t possible

People outside New England are sick and tired of the Patriots winning or making the Super Bowl year after year. Boston is the best sports city in the country. They’ve had 12 championships in 18 years. They just celebrated a championship parade in Boston a few moths back for the Red Sox. Then they had another parade for the Patriots yesterday. Fans don’t get sick and tired of the parades, they still come out by the millions. You can’t say that about any other city. For the Patriots it’s all thanks to owner Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady. Without them this entire almost two decade run of championships doesn’t happen.

Players come to New England just because they want to win a championship. They know it’s not easy,but they see the leadership from Belichick and Brady and the success they’ve had throughout the years and want to be a part of it. Jason McCourty went from an 0-16 team last year to a Super Bowl winning team this year. That’s what’s great about the New England Patriots. They’ve always put team first, which is why they’ll continue to be successful.

Patrice Bergeron; Boston Bruins

A Milestone for Patrice Bergeron; Game Preview Bruins vs Islanders

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Tonight marks a special milestone as The Boston Bruins face the New York Islanders tonight at the TD Garden. Regarded as one of the best two-way forwards in the league, the highly respected Patrice Bergeron will be playing his 1,000th game for the Black and Gold-the only team he has ever played for.

Patrice Bergeron: Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports)

A Stellar Career

The 33-year-old four-time Selke Award winner  is one of five players to play over 1,000 games while wearing a Bruins uniform. He joins Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk, Wayne Cashman and Don Sweeney. When asked recently about career in Boston, the center modestly answered:

“I’ve never really thought about my career. I guess the last few weeks I’ve has to answer those questions and kind of think about it…my best memories is always what I’ve been able to accomplish as a team and also the friends that I’ve made…It’s been special. Obviously, I mentioned that too, playing 1,000 games for the same organization is something that I’ve very proud of and I thinks it’s special. That adds to it for sure.”

As far as his future with the Bruins, Bergeron is taking one season at a time:

Patrice Bergeron; Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

“Obviously, I have some years left on my contrast, but that being said, I’m still taking it a year at a time and I’m enjoying it…For now, I don’t see myself playing as long as Zee I splaying right now, but it goes fast. You never know.”

Toughness: they name is Bergeron

This season, number 37 is showing no real signs of slowing down, especially as being part of the league’s most formidable first line. And when it comes to who among players is the toughest, Bergeron takes the cake. In Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals against Chicago, Bergeron displayed an unprecedented commitment and leadership for the team that landed him in the hospital for three days. If you didn’t know, Bergeron played the game with a train wreck of injuries, including a torn rib cartilage, broken rib, separated shoulder and a punctured lung. He won 45 percent of the face-offs, landed two hits and played 17 minutes, 45 second ice time. It doesn’t get tougher than that in any sport.

Patrice Bergeron: Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: AP

THEY SAID IT:

“Best two-way player I’ve ever coached…he’s also a great leader inside that dressing room and continues to be that. The Boston Bruins are fortunate to have him as one those guys because those guys are hard to find.”

former Bruins coach Claude Julien

“People talk about dedication in hockey. I’m not sure anyone’s ever been more dedicated than him in that series, in that moment…I wouldn’t have had the toughness to muscle through the pain he was probably going through…he’s a warrior.”

former teammate Shawn Thorton

GAME NOTES

The Bruins are coming off a 1-0 victory against the Washington Capitals, breaking a 14-game losing streak against the Caps. The win also marked a special career highlight for goaltender Tuukka Rask as he became the most winningest goalie in Bruins history (253). The Bruins are trading spots with the Montreal Canadiens when it comes to their position in the Atlantic Division. Bostons is currently in 4th with one point behind the Habs.

Patrice Bergeron; Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports )

Boston last played the Islanders on November 29th and won 2-1 in a shootout. The Barry Trotz-led Islanders since then have fought their way to the top of the Metropolitan Division, going 16-3-2 in their last 21 games.  Islander’s forward Mathew Barzal current leads the team  in assists (31) and points (46). Anders Lee leads the team with 18 goals and Brock Nelson not far behind with 17. Goaltender Robin Lehner leads the league in goals against average (2.02) with a .932 save percentage. The Islanders are now 30-15-6 while Boston is 28-17-7. New York are on a eight-game point streak and recently won 4-2 over the LA Kings. The Islanders will be looking to break their losing streak against the Bruins as Boston has won five straight games against New York.

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop at 7:00pm

WHERE TO WATCH: NESN, MSG+2

Ranking the new Overwatch League Twitter emotes

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Overwatch League just announced they are partnering with Twitter to have official hashtags/emotes for the 2019 season. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, go on Twitter and put in any hashtag you can think of. A hashtag is a nice way to get your message circulated, but these Overwatch League ones are special. Put in one of the team/league specific ones and an emote is generated, like this:

Pretty sweet right? Well, for no other reason other than it’s what we do, let’s rank these bad boys. I’m judging these both by the hashtag phrase they use and the team’s logo. The ones I put at the top were the ones that sounded the most badass, while the ones at the bottom make me roll my eyes. That’s the barometer. Without further ado:

#20 – New York Excelsior

Ever upward? To what? Where? How? Why? What does this mean exactly? Also I am not a fan of that logo. Too on the nose for me.

#19 – Houston Outlaws

Such wasted opportunity. Loved that they used Texas, but hard? What is that about? “Texas Forever” is an all time TV line, but Texas Hard? Just an absolute swing and miss.

#18 – Vancouver Titans

That new logo is lit, but force of nature is too pretentious to make it move for me. There had to of been something better out there to pair with that awesome logo.

#17 – Los Angeles Valiant

Now we’re getting to the place where I don’t hate the hashtag but it’s just not getting me revved up. Something about wings coming out doesn’t exactly light the furnace. A valiant effort, I’ll say.

#16 – San Francisco Shock

No one will ever be shocked by the Shock. Just not going to happen. That logo has also always been a bottom feeder logo in this league, so I gave them points more for the hashtag than logo.

#15 – Guangzhou Charge

Seems like someone let the intern run the social media accounts. Feel the charge? That’s the best you could come up with? Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Feel like this was another missed opportunity.

#14 – Seoul Dynasty

I actually really like this one. I just like the others better. Good effort Seoul – here’s hoping your effort in the game matches this.

#13 – Toronto Defiant

Really like this one too – very straightforward, clever, and clean. Could see this on a billboard or poster or shirt. Well done.

#12 – Florida Mayhem

Another clever hashtag that matches up well with the logo. I like the branding and I’m sure their fans will too.

#11 – Atlanta Reign

This one is pretty well done too. Problem is I can’t really see the logo very well in this format. Weather it’s Twitters fault or not, that logo doesn’t shine as well as it usually does.

#10 – Los Angeles Gladiators

Only one team gets to use the word “Up” – and it aint you guys. I get it but sorry, no.

#9 – Chengdu Hunters

Everyone knows the Chinese expansion teams brought the heat with branding during the offseason. The Hunters have an all-time mascot. Pairing it with a fun, playful hashtag like that is a no brainer. Excellent job.

#8 – Washington Justice

Not sure why but after seeing this I feel like running through a wall and waiving an American flag. Just seems so well thought out. I want to see this blasted after every one of their wins.

#7 – Paris Eternal

I have no idea what any of this means but I had to give points for leaning in on the foreign language. No one else is doing that – very bold.

#6 – London Spitfire

Between these guys winning the championship last year and that awesome spitfire branding, how can you not respect this? Aces high just screams intimidation. This was well thought out and will likely be heard throughout the league all season.

#5 – Dallas Fuel

Dallas’ logo has always been top tier for me, and this hashtag has ups the ante. Really like how it connects to their logo. It’s straightforward and badass.

#4 – Philadelphia Fusion

This could have gone either way. If you cringed at seeing this I don’t necessarily blame you. However, I’m a sucker for a good pun. This one was too clever not to boost to the top.

#3 – Boston Uprising

Other than the Outlaws, no other team mention their home town. Whereas they got weird by saying “Hard” – this one makes much more sense. Pairing the city name with a connection to your logo is so straightforwardly brilliant. Why didn’t anyone else do this? Also, because it’s Boston, the greatest city in the world, it gets massive bonus points.

#2 – Hangzou Spark

I think the general consensus is that the Hangzou won the offseason expansion branding war. Both the baby blue/pink colors and the snapping finger logo are absolutely electric. Paired with the only one word hashtag, and that being the word “Bang”, almost wins singlehandedly. I can see fans shooting these suckers out everytime a Widow takes someone down. Whoever is running the branding ship over there is doing it right.

#1 – Shanghai Dragons

Everyone at the end of last season was rooting for Shanghai to win. That last game had everyone standing in anticipation of them getting their first win. We all are hoping for Shanghai to break through – so here’s me doing my part to get them there. I’m a believer.

What is the Overwatch League? A beginners guide.

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It can be a bit overwhelming to get into any new sport, let alone one of the biggest eSport league in the world. In an attempt to get you up to speed, I will be presenting a five part series to introduce everyone to the Overwatch League, the four different game modes, the basics of Overwatch’s heroes, some common terminology, and a look at the Boston Uprising’s roster. In this article, I’ll be looking at an introduction to the Overwatch league.

History

Overwatch is a team based, first person, hero based shooter released by Blizzard in 2016. Blizzard announced the Overwatch League at their annual Blizzcon convention later that year. Overwatch League follows the format of other US sports leagues. City based teams face off over the course of a regular season. Additionally, a seeded playoff and a championship match follows the season.

For us Boston fans, we can be proud to know that the Kraft family was one of the first in the door. Jonathan Kraft and LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke were first to pony up the reported $20 million franchise fee to join the league. With two well known sports team owners on board, the league gained credibility and snowballed to getting to the initial season’s 12 teams.

League reach

What makes the Overwatch League unique is the teams are from all over the world. In the first season, the league featured teams from the US, China, England, and South Korea. Additionally, season two added teams from Canada, France, and another from China. Future seasons will likely see other internationally based teams (reportedly Australia and other European countries).

The 20 teams of the 2019 Overwatch League season

Matches for the first season were all played in LA at the former site of The Tonight Show. Blizzard Arena featured all regular season and playoff matches until the championship. The Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, played host to the championship final. As a result, a sold out crowd saw the London Spitfire take home the inaugural Overwatch League title, and $1 million prize. In addition, season two will also follow this format. Three separate weekends testing matches in other teams’ home markets are schedule for this year. Season three plans to play home games in each teams’ city.

Structure

One unique feature of the standard regular season schedule is the introduction of stages. Seasons have four 5-week stages, culminating in a short playoff to crown a stage champion and a share of the $125,000 prize. A meta change will occur between stages by Blizzard patching the game.

Player contracts are different in the Overwatch League. For example, players have a minimum of a $50,000/year contract. Teams also must provide health insurance, living/training facilities in-season, and at least 50% of any in-season earned winnings. Players are also subject to a code of conduct. Typical pro athlete issues such as interactions with fans and media, drug testing, and cheating can happen. However, Overwatch has a unique and common infraction called player boosting. This is when players sell their services to the Overwatch community. Players log onto accounts and level them up to top tier contention for a fee.

Overwatch League has all the accoutrements that other major sports have. For example, Twitch is the official streaming platform of Overwatch League, and select matches are being broadcast by Disney XD, ABC, and ESPN. Major sponsors of the league include Toyota, Spotify, T-Mobile, and Intel. Fans can purchase player jerseys, team apparel, and in-game character skins to reflect their favorite team.

Future outlook

2019’s season will see several changes to the league. For instance, eight expansion teams have been added to the league. Regular season matches dropped from 40 to 28. Lastly, there will be three separate away series played outside of Blizzard Arena. Games are played Thursday through Sunday with a better daily schedule for non-American fans. Overwatch League has plenty momentum after its first season. As a result, it’s poised to continue to grow into the premiere eSports league in the world. 

For all the latest on the Overwatch League and Boston Uprising, please follow me on Twitter #BostonUp


Bill Belichick and the coaching staff had a masterful defensive game plan for the Rams

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Sean McVay got outcoached

Via The Big Lead

There was no way a 33 year old rookie coach was going to outcoach the greatest of all time. Sean McKay admitted after the game that he was outcoached. This was Bill Belichick’s second best defensive performance in a Super Bowl since the first one. Belichick’s defensive strategy to pressure Goff and make him throw passes into coverage was outstanding. I haven’t seen this good of a defensive performance since the early 2000 Super Bowls.

Early saying goes defense wins championships. The defense played a huge part in those early Super Bowl wins, from Teddy Bruschi to newly elected Hall Of Famer Ty Law. In 2014 the defense came up big with a Malcolm Butler interception to win Super Bowl 49. When Belichick benched Butler before last year’s Super Bowl he took so much heat for it. Now this year he put a plan together to give them the best chance to win.

Bill Belichick made up for last year’s loss

Belichick made a defensive plan that Sean McVay wasn’t expecting. Jared Goff and the offense couldn’t get anything going. Goff threw to Cooks a few times but other than that the Patriots were shutting everything down. Hightower had a great game, and so did Kyle Van Knoy. After Chung got hurt Jason McCourty was all over the field. Gilmore had that great interception to end the game as the Rams were driving. They only allowed three points against the second-ranked offense in the league.

The Patriots will be back next year

Again Belichick made up from last year’s bad Super Bowl defensive performance. People saying the game was boring don’t realize that it was a defensive battle with one team having the greatest quarterback of all time. After those back to back losses in December, they needed to find an identity. Well, they found it at the right time. They demolished the Chargers, put up a fight against Kansas City, and played a great defensive game with the Rams.