Michael Jordan: The Greatest Ever

Leave a reply

34 Years ago, Michael Jordan graced the ring and world of basketball changed forever. Basketball enthusiasts went crazy, players didn’t try to compare, and retired players hailed him as the best they have ever seen. It wasn’t always like this for Michael Jordan; he achieved it through gritty hard work on his talent. As said by him, “Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.” He is still considered by most basketball fans to be the greatest of all time, or, the GOAT (as sports enthusiasts put it).

Among his achievements, he has the highest career scoring average, five MVPs, six NBA championship titles, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and the most MVPs in finals. Maybe all of his records will be broken, but all won’t be broken by the same player. He had a combination of athleticism, skill, pace, and power that others couldn’t just match.

In his first year of competition, he won the NBA rookie of the year. As soon as he arrived, Chicago Bulls started becoming a force to be reckoned with smashing teams left and right. Michael was the clock that made it all tick; a whirlwind which was moving, jumping, and dunking that ball in time after time, smashing all records while doing that.

Nobody had any idea at the time that this player will go on to become a true legend of the game. He developed quickly and players were just amazed at the way he carried himself and played. He still has a record of smashing most points in a game, this was a hammering, an unprecedented one which went on to establish the credentials of this player.

He did what others couldn’t do; he had an inimitable style which was a trademark on its own. He had a special clause in his contract called the love-of-the-game clause which allowed him to play basketball in off-season. Sal from CDR-Report comments on this, “You could see how he was unlike other professionals. He played more for love of the game than the money involved. That’s inspiration for every schoolboy.”

Nike went ahead and created Air Jordan which was a brand of shoes created only for Michael Jordan. They weren’t released to the public until later on and are still recognized and purchased around the world. It only shows how influential he was as a player and a personality. He was also fined for wearing those shoes when playing because the colors broke the code of conduct of NBA.

He is one of the most widely recognized players throughout the world; and in the world of basketball, he is the most famous worldwide. Much can be understood by seeing the success of his movies; Space Jam being a real popular one with the kids which featured the basketball star along with cartoon characters. He is an inspiration and an icon to the rest of basketball players throughout.

Gabriel of EssayWriter4U opines, “Lebron James is being considered who could go on to become the GOAT by winning a title with his hometown team; I cannot comment on that, but no one can bring so much to the court as Michael Jordan did.

He retired twice during his career. The first time he did so, was after a truly tragic incident when his father was shot by robbers. Michael went on to try his hand at baseball, trying to make his father’s dream come true. But, he was not able to do that and returned to basketball going on to win another title. He retired for good a few years later, much to the sadness of basketball lovers.

Forget Kimbrel, Sign Kelvin Herrera

Leave a reply

Mainly due to a lack of suiters, there is plenty of speculation that Craig Kimbrel is bound to come back to the Red Sox. But Kimbrel’s weaknesses haven’t disappeared. He will still be pricey, even at a reduced rate. Kelvin Herrera, however, is also sitting out there. And his experience and value could be priceless to the Sox.

Injury History

One reason Kelvin Herrera is still available is his injury history. He suffered a torn Lisranc ligament in his left foot and had surgery for it on 8/30/2018.  The recovery for that encompasses around six months and requires vigilance.  That means he’ll be available a few weeks into spring training if all goes well. From the looks of it, things are on track:

Beyond his foot surgery, Herrera had a right shoulder impingement in August of last year. That was actually good news. He was traded from the Royals in the first place in part due to his mysterious shoulder problems. Knowing it was an impingement provides a clear method of treatment going forward. He would not be throwing ‘light toss’ if he was still suffering.

Performance

There’s a lot to like about Herrera.  He will only be 29 on Opening Day 2019.  He also he walks the fewest batters of all the relievers that are and were available in free agency.  His 3 year average is 2.17 walks per 9 innings, which is the lowest of all comparisons in the top tier.  It is that low walk number than allows him to rival Kimbrel in the walk per strikeout stat.  Herrera is 4.6 BB/K, Kimbrel is 4.97 BB/K. His three year ERA in the regular season is 3.15.

His postseason performance is almost Rivera-esq. His postseason ERA is 1.26 in 28.2 innings. That includes a minuscule 1.081 WHIP and 11.9 K/9. He turns it up when the lights are brightest, a perfect fit for the Sox.

Because of his injury there are questions about Herrera, but that will also make him less expensive.  He very well could big the biggest relief Ace bargain of 2019.

Is a new rival emerging for New England?

Leave a reply

As the Steelers appear to be a dilapidated, down the pan team, headed for a fiery, violent crash, it is time to question wether they will be considered a rival of ours next year. Of course, the Patriots’ run should come to a close once their older veterans leave, like Brady, Gronk, Belichick. However, different from the Patriots, the Steelers main problem is keeping their younger stars happy. We all know about the Bell debacle that developed over a two year period. Now, the Steelers are considering exploring the trade market for Antonio Brown this offseason. Big Ben is not getting any younger and although he would still have Juju Smith-Schuster as a target, life without Brown for an older quarterback like Roethlisberger would be a painful and embarrassing season for him. Life without Antonio Brown, who holds a spot in every discussion of the best receiver in the league, would almost force Big Ben to hang up the cleats. The locker room in Pittsburgh is toxic and out of control, leadership is flawed, and teammates turn on each other faster than rats abandoning a sinking ship. Tomlin might have his moments as a good football mind but relying on him to control his team’s behavior or even his own is a dangerous risk.


Andrew Luck by Keith Allison on 16 September 2018

Out with the old, In with the new

Meanwhile, watching Andrew Luck pitch to a receiving corps lacking any huge star is scary. TY Hilton is pretty good, but not a guy who scares the living daylights out of defensive coordinators.  The Colts put together fantastic performances versus the Titans and Texans, both divisional opponents with good defenses. The Colts are the future. Their whopping projected 118 million dollar cap space in 2019 is scary for a team that is currently making a playoff run. The Colts may not win it all this year but they will be a daunting force to any team not prepared for them in 2019 and beyond. With their main needs being a running back, defensive linemen and defensive backs, there is no better year to grab one of each through either the draft and or free agency. Discussion and rumors already link Le’Veon Bell to the Colts, which would make a huge difference to their already thriving offense. I will assure you, every running back on the free agent market is salivating at the sight of Indianapolis. A team with a boat load of money, a great offensive line, and an indoor stadium is running back paradise. If the Colts check off all the needs on their shopping list this offseason, that team would be a group no one would want to face. 

So, New England, forget Pittsburgh, they are as dead as a maggot in a freezer. The Colts, who we hated during the Manning years and after the whole Deflategate saga are the guys to hate again. Which is convenient because they already hate us back. A marque matchup of Brady vs Luck is something that Pats fans should be accustomed to over at least the next one or two seasons. 

The Greatest Red Sox Legends by Uniform Number: 51-55

Leave a reply

The higher the numbers get, the less they have been worn. As we enter the fifties, the amount of players to select from, and generally the quality of players lessens. That is not to say these guys did not have their value, but you might not find yourself remembering who wore these numbers.

Number 51 – Daniel Bard

After wearing number 60 as a rookie in 2009, Bard switched to the number 51. He had his best career season in 2010.

Daniel Bard threw easy heat; He didn’t look like he was exerting much effort, but the ball would fly out of his hand at 98-100 miles per hour. He also had a nice slider to go with it, giving him a devastating two-pitch combination out of the pen.

This repertoire was at its best in that 2010 season, as Bard posted a 1.93 ERA and 1.00 WHIP as the Red Sox top setup man to Jonathan Papelbon. Bard was dominating again the next season until September, when he collapsed along with the rest of the team. At the end of August, Bard had a 2.03 ERA with batters hitting .164 against him. That includes an opening day disaster that saw him allow four runs. Between his second game of the season and the end of August, Bard had a fantastic 1.47 ERA. However, September saw him allow more runs than he had allowed from April 5th through the end of August and his ERA finished at 3.33.

The Red Sox decided to try Bard in the rotation in 2012, which made zero sense. Bard had begun his minor league career as a starting pitcher and was a disaster, prompting the move to the bullpen. This time didn’t go any better. Bard had a 6.22 ERA and never recovered. He spent most of the next several years throwing pitches to the backstop and hitting batters in the minor leagues. However, he was still a dominant setup man for a couple seasons wearing number 51.

Honorable Mention: Reid Nichols

Number 52: Mike Boddicker

The Red Sox traded Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling to the Orioles for Boddicker at the trade deadline in 1988 to bolster their rotation for the stretch run. Although Schilling ought to make the Hall of Fame, he wasn’t a starting pitcher until 1992. Brady Anderson was also a fine player, but hadn’t done anything before 1992 as well. That is four years later, had the Red Sox not traded them then, they very well could have moved on later before they amounted to anything anyways.

Mike Boddicker did his job for the Red Sox. Over the rest of the 1988 season he was 7-3 with a 2.63 ERA. He gave the Red Sox three very good starting pitchers and they won the American League East.

Boddicker pitched two more seasons for the Sox, winning 32 games. In 1990, he had his best season since 1984, going 17-8 with a 3.36 ERA. He also won the Gold Glove Award that season. He made a team high 34 starts, throwing 228 innings. In two-plus seasons with the Red Sox, Boddicker finished 39-22 with a 3.49 ERA.

Honorable Mention: Eduardo Rodriguez

Number 53 – Rich Hill

Rich Hill is not someone you would expect to find on a list like this for the Red Sox. He was very successful, but in a limited amount of innings while with the franchise.

Hill wore the number 53 with the Red Sox between 2010 and 2012. During this time he had been transitioned into a relief pitcher after a couple ineffective seasons and a torn labrum. The Red Sox signed Hill at the end of June in 2010 and made him a September callup. He pitched four shutout innings.

The next season Hill was given an opportunity out of the bullpen in May. Using a new sidearm motion, Hill was dominating, throwing eight shutout innings and striking out 12 batters before hurting his arm again. This time he would need Tommy John Surgery.

Back with the club in 2012, Hill recovered quickly enough to pitch for the team before April was over. However, another injury sidetracked his season until September. When the season was over, he had gone 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA 19.2 innings.

In total wearing number 53 for the Red Sox, Rich Hill was dominant in limited innings due to injury. He finished 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA and over a strike out per inning during this time. When he dominated in September of 2015 for the Red Sox, he was wearing a different number.

Honorable Mentions: Tomo Ohka, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Bradford

Number 54 – Darnell McDonald

Darnell McDonald is another surprising addition to this lineup of players. McDonald had one pretty good season as a part-time player for the Red Sox, and that’s enough to make him the best number 54 in team history.

McDonald was a first round pick way back in 1997, but only had 147 career Major League at-bats when the Red Sox signed him for the 2010 season. He would more than double his career at-bats that season. Over 117 games and 319 at-bats, McDonald hit nine home runs and stole nine bases in ten tries. He had a respectable .270/.336/.429/.766 batting line.

McDonald made an immediate impact on that 2010 team. In his first at-bat with the Red Sox, he pinch-hit for Josh Reddick in the bottom of the 8th inning, trailing by two with a runner on base. McDonald hit a two-run homer off Darren Oliver to tie the game at six. The Red Sox would win it the next inning when Darnell McDonald drove home the winning run with a base hit to center field.

McDonald’s stint with the Red Sox wasn’t as successful after that season. He batted .236 with six home runs in 2011 and would be released during the 2012 season after a poor start. His 2010 season was more than any other number 54 had to offer though.

Honorable Mention: Morgan Burkhart

Number 55 – Joe Hesketh

Joe Hesketh was a left-handed pitcher for the Red Sox from 1990-94. He mostly started but also relieved some with the team. He had one good season, a couple alright ones and one poor one, which is enough to get him the spot at 55 without anyone else even putting up a fight.

Hesketh was signed by the Red Sox off waivers on July 31, 1990. By 1991, he was a key member of the pitching staff. That season, Hesketh made 39 appearances, 17 of which were starts. He finished 12-4 for an American League best .750 winning percentage. He entered the starting rotation around midseason and went 10-3 with an ERA of 3.00 in the second half of the 1991 season. Hesketh had a 3.29 ERA on the season.

The next season he was mostly a starter, finishing 8-9 with a 4.36 ERA. After a poor 1993 season that saw him pitch mostly out of the bullpen, Hesketh rebounded for 1994. In that strike-shortened season he was 8-5 with a 4.26 ERA over 20 starts and five relief appearances. In total he was 31-26 with a 4.04 ERA with the Boston Red Sox.

Featured picture from Sports Illustrated

Boston Bruins

Game Preview: Bruins vs Buffalo

Leave a reply

The Boston Bruins are looking to extend their winning streak as they host the Buffalo Sabres tonight at TD Garden. This will be their fourth match-up this season. Coming off a win against the Calgary Flames, the B’s will see the return of winger David Backes, who is coming off a three-game suspension. He will be slotted on the right wing with Jake Debrusk and David Krejci. This morning the B’s had optional skate at the Warrior Ice Arena. Coach Bruce Cassidy also announced that both Colby Cave and Steven Kampfer will be scratches for tonight’s game.

Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres Preview
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

GETTING THERE

The season is now half-way through as the Bruins continue to play with positive momentum. After a temendous win at the Winter Classic, the B’s are looking and feeling good. Amidst the multiple injuries they’ve dealt with early in the first half of the season, the boys in Black and Gold have managed to hold a strong position in the Playoff’s scene. The Bruins are now four points behind Toronto as they are tied with the Sabres for 3rd in the Atlantic Division. At this point, it’s safe to say that Boston are on pace for 100 points or more by the end of 2019.

GAME NOTES: BRUINS

With the addition of Backes in the line-up, the Bruins roster once again will be shifting as Joakim Nordstom is nursing a fractured fibula. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy is currently out and has only managed to play in 17 games this season, although frustrations should start to melt away as it seems he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

Well, I feel good about it, to be honest with you. I mean, right now we’re halfway through the year (Game 41) and we’re at 50 points. We’d like to think we’ll get better, simply because a lot of the guys that were out that are key contributors are now healthy and the only one left is Charlie.”

Coach Bruce Cassidy

The Bruins are fourth in the league for the power play percentage at 27.8 They currently have a 23-14-4 record while Buffalo has a 22-13-6 record in a tight race for that third position as both teams have 50 points. The last time these two teams met, the Bruins rallied back to win 3-2 as Sean Kuraly netted the overtime goal.

Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

GAMES NOTES: SABRES

The Sabre’s Jack Eichel will be missing from the lineup for the second straight game due to an upper-body injury. He suffered the set-back during a recent game against the New York Islanders in which the Sabres fell 3-1. He leads Buffalo with 49 points in 40 games so far. Left-winger Jeff Skinner is second to Eichel with 41 points in 41 games and leads the team with 28 goals. Goaltender Linus Ullmark will get the start tonight in net for the Sabres. He currently has a 2.73 goals against average with a .922 save percentage.

Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

QUICK STATS

Bruins All-Star David Pastrnak has a three point game streak with 22 points in his last 14 games. He also has 52 points in 41 games and leads the team in points and goals. Brad Marchand is second with 44 points with Patrice Bergeron at 35 points. David Krejci isn’t far behind with 33 points total. Pastrnak is tied in fourth place in the league for goals at 25, and leads with 12 powerplay goals. Tuukka Rask will be in net for the Bruins tonight while looking to continue an upward trend in his play. He currently has a 2.63 goals against average with a .914 save percentage.

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

WHERE TO WATCH: NESN, ESPN+, MSG-B

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

Taking a Look at the Remaining Options for a Closer

Leave a reply

Where do the Red Sox turn now for a closer? David Robertson, Joakim Soria, Joe Kelly and Andrew Miller were all candidates who signed elsewhere. Now, however, crunch time begins for the Red Sox, with relievers flying off the board left, right and center.

It’s not yet time for panic or concern, but the budding problem regarding the closer is the only pressing ‘issue’ remaining. Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce are back, so is Eduardo Nunez, with Joe Kelly and Ian Kinsler having gone their separate ways. So, let’s finish the offseason off smoothly by finding ourselves a closer, okay?

Browsing the Free Agent Market

As far as free agent candidates that remain, there’s only one guy that I love.

Adam Ottavino was a certified stud last year. He looked great even in a tough pitching environment in the altitude of Coors Field. His off-speed stuff is unquestionably filthy and dominant. I think if you give him a contract, it gives you the option to pitch him whenever you want, but it would make him the early favorite to close games.

Other attractive options come from a couple of other guys, who may not have been first choice closers for Boston, but after some in-depth analysis, might be worth a look. Both Brad Brach and Kelvin Herrera have pitched in big moments before, and have both been closers at times. Is their stuff a little diminished? Probably. However, a short-term deal for either of the two could provide them a veteran stopper at the end of the bullpen who is still good for 30+ saves.

Bring Craig Home?

Obviously, this section shouldn’t technically include Craig Kimbrel, but he was ours last year, so for argument’s sake let’s say he’s still an in-house option.

Kimbrel was thought to be long gone, his return a pipe dream, on the basis that he simply wanted too much money for too many years.

Now we sit here, first week of January, and Craig Kimbrel doesn’t have a deal. Not only that, we haven’t heard of much interest in the esteemed closer, especially not at his asking price. That breeds the questions, could Kimbrel come home? Who really wouldn’t want four more years of a sub-2.50 ERA?

People can say he’s been shaky. Or that his velocity has dropped. Or that he’s become a ‘heart attack closer’, but come on people. This guy is dominant, he is one of the best closers in the league, if not THE best. Who else would you take over Kimbrel?

Thornburg

Internal Options

The Sox have other internal options, such as Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier. Both of whom wouldn’t be my first choice for the ninth, but believe it or not I do actually think they’d both succeed. We need to see more from Brasier to prove last season wasn’t a fluke. Matt Barnes home run and control issues can at times be frustrating, but they are both cheap and viable candidates.

One final name I know people love to discuss is Durbin Feltman. Feltman was a third rounder just a year ago for the Sox, and he was one of the top college closers in the country coming out of TCU. He looked good in his stints in 2018, and will likely progress to at least Portland to begin the season, with Pawtucket and Boston surely on the horizon. He won’t start the season as the closer, but if whatever experiment the Red Sox use in the 9th doesn’t work AND Feltman progresses well, he could get this job a lot sooner than he originally thought.

Bogaerts

The Brewers Are After Xander Bogaerts

Leave a reply

There are rumors out of Milwaukee that the Brewers are after Xander Bogaerts. Why would the Red Sox trade him, and what could they expect in return?

Salary

The Red Sox have painful salary issues coming after 2019. The MLB Luxury Tax is a big deal. The Red Sox are already losing draft positions and paying out millions.

Along with Bogaerts, Chris Sale and Rick Porcello will be free agents. JD Martinez has an opt-out, and will use it if he approximates his performance from last year. Mookie Betts’ arbitration numbers are going to exponentially expand.

Furthermore, Scott Boras represents Bogaerts, who just had a career year. Boras does not take hometown discounts. As for Bogaerts production, he hit the ball harder in 2018 than any year other than his 44 game cup of coffee in 2013. And he’s never hit it farther.

Is his 2018 a career year, or the natural progression of a top talent? It’s hard to take one year, that is an outlier against his other five in the majors, as the new baseline.

What The Sox Could Expect In Trade

Recently, Paul Goldschmidt was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Cardinals. Goldschmidt, like Xander, was in the last year of his deal.

Goldschmidt is the Diamondbacks all time leader in OPS, SLG, Walks, and WAR. In short, his is Arizona’s Mookie Betts. For this perennial MVP candidate, the Cardinals gave up Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, Andy Young, and a draft pick. Weaver has had a modicum of success in the majors, and Kelly was a highly rated catching prospect who had a poor showing in 2018, while Young is a middling prospect.

Because of that trade, and Xander’s impending free agency, the Red Sox can expect something less. Xander simply isn’t in the class of Paul Goldschmidt. Think 24 year old SS Orlando Arcia, a slick defensive player, but number 9 hitter. He had a .661 OPS last year in Milwaukee. Add to that perhaps Freddy Peralta, who is 22 and went 6-4 with a 4.25 ERA, including 11 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9, in 2018. Peralta also had a typically dominant and wild game in the playoffs against the Dodgers. He pitched 3 innings, walked 3, struck out 6, and did not allow a hit.

Could the Red Sox get someone like 21 year old Keston Hiura added to the haul? That might make it worth it. Hiura plays 2nd Base, and had a particularly impressive Arizona Fall League Performance: .320 batting average with a .911 OPS. He hit .272/.755 over High A and Double A ball last year. Dustin Pedroia isn’t getting any younger.

Who knows, the Brewers may feel they owe Dombrowski for that Tyler Thornburg/Travis ‘Mayor of Ding Dong City’ Shaw trade from 2016, and include more in a deal. Either way, trading Xander Bogaerts would be no easy deal. He hit 4th for the majority of the year one of the greatest Red Sox team of all time. However, the Luxury Tax bill is coming due. Something has to give, sooner or later.

Stephon Gilmore named First Team All Pro

Leave a reply

The Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore was named First Team All Pro by the AP today. The shutdown corner has been worth every penny since arriving in New England last year. Gilmore has proven to be one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL, and is arguably the Patriots MVP this season.

Stephon Gilmore By The Numbers

Gilmore only allowed a 71.8 passer rating, while braking up 20 passes, finishing second in that category. The two interceptions Gilmore had shows that quarterbacks were throwing away from him. Pro Football Focus already ranked Gilmore as the top rated player at his position. The First Team All Pro honor is no surprise, as Tom Brady also had plenty of praise for his teammate on Wednesday. Brady compared Gilmore to some of the greats, saying he is right up there with them. Players like Law, Talib and Revis, two of which are future HOF CB’s.

Gilmore is a shutdown Cornerback


The Price was Right

This is Stephon Gilmore’s second Pro Bowl selection, but his first All Pro honor. Gilmore showed his value all year vs top notch opponents. The wide receivers Gilmore shadowed this year include DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown, Stephon Diggs and Devante Adams, just to name a few. Gilmore raised the level of play from New England’s secondary as well. Jason McCourty and JC Jackson both have stepped up big time, and this secondary looks strong. The Patriots secondary has had some extremely impressive games in 2018 with Gilmore leading the way. The Vikings and Steelers dynamic WRs were no match for Gilmore and company.

Gilmore with the defensive play of the 2017 season

Stephon Gilmore started his Patriots tenure off slow, along with the rest of the defense last year. But as the season went on he improved each week, and made the play of the year breaking up a Blake Bortles pass attempt to finish the Jaguars off. Since that incredible play he continued to emerge as a top tier CB, and now is honored as the Top rated player at his position. The Patriots and fans hope that Gilmore won’t have anything to do with the Pro Bowl this year, as they’re all in for a Super Bowl run.

Who will replace Flores and McDaniels if they leave?

Leave a reply

Both Brian Flores and Josh McDaniels have generated interest from multiple teams to be their head coach. The Broncos, Browns, Packers, and Dolphins have requested to interview Flores for their head coaching positions, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In addition, the Packers and Dolphins have requested to interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Schefter reported.

The Backstories

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

McDaniels has been with the Patriots for all 5 of their championships as some form of assistant, coach, or coordinator. He took a head coaching job in 2009 and spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos. After an incident, he was fired and was eventually named the Rams offensive coordinator in 2011, before returning back to the Patriots. McDaniels was originally going to take the Colts head coaching job last year, but had backed out of it last minute. He is currently the highest paid offensive coordinator.

Flores has also been with the Patriots as some form of assistant, coach, or coordinator since 2004. This year, he has taken over the Patriots’ play-calling duties on the defensive side.

Homegrown

Can you sense the pattern? The Patriots find and promote their coaches from within for the most part. So, with this in mind, who is next up after McDaniels and Flores?

Chad O’Shea, Wide Receivers Coach

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

O’Shea has been with the team for nine seasons, and it seems like the Patriots have been planning for him to move up the ladder at some point. Last year, he called plays in the preseason as it looked like teams might go after McDaniels. Belichick has high praise for his abilities as a coach and mentor.

“Chad’s an excellent teacher (and) a very good fundamental coach,” Belichick said recently. “He has a good relationship with his players, has a good relationship with all of the staff members and is easy to work with…He comes from a football background — of course, his dad, Mike O’Shea, is one of the great trainers in his profession of all time…Chad’s done a really good job for us.” (BSJ 2019)

O’Shea is the most obvious candidate for the offensive coordinator job if McDaniels leaves.

Options for Defensive Coordinator

The choice for the next man up for the defense is not clear. Outside of Flores, the longest-tenured defensive coach with 10 seasons with the team is cornerbacks coach, Josh Boyer, if the front office goes on seniority. Obviously, Steve Belichick, the safeties coach, is an option too. However, Bill Belichick could also go without naming a defensive coordinator for the season to maybe allow the defensive staff to develop more, if that is what he sees fit.

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Now, those were all internal options. Externally, it is hard to pinpoint who exactly the Patriots would go after. One option is Greg Schiano, who is the defensive coordinator for Ohio State. It is reported that he and Bill Belichick have a good relationship, and that he was wooed by the Patriots in early 2018 before deciding to remain at Ohio State (NBCSports 2018).

David Pastrnak

David Pastrnak Is Finally An All- Star

Leave a reply

On Wednesday the rosters for the NHL All-Star game were announced, and one selection was no surprise. David Pastrnak was selected as the Bruins lone representative and can finally call himself an All-Star. The 22- year- old is one of the six forwards heading to San Jose for the game on January 26. The announcement was hardly surprising considering Pastrnak has established himself as one of the special young talents over the past two years.

Pastrnak had a career year in 2017-2018. He set career highs in every category, including 35 goals and 45 assists. Through 41 games this season he has been even better, and is on pace to shatter those numbers. Pastrnak has not only been the Bruins best player, but has emerged as one of the best players in the NHL.

Photo Credit: Steve Babineau

In 82 games last season the Bruins forward had 80 points. In 41 games this season, he already has 52 points. Pastrnak’s 25 goals are the fourth most in the league, while his 52 points place him in the top ten. For a Bruins team that has battled injuries, he has been a game-changing talent. Pastrnak has excelled regardless of the situation.

David Pastrnak reaching Historic Heights

While the Bruins right- winger has been exceptional on even strength, Pastrnak has been deadly on the powerplay. Last year he had a career-high twenty-six points on the man advantage including 13 goals. After last nights victory, he is only one point away from passing his career high with 41 games left to play. On the Power Play his creativity has been on full display, and Pastrnak is capitalizing at a dominant rate.

It has lead to Pastrnak’s first All-Star nod after a breakout 2017-2018. He did not only establish himself as a key player on this team, but lead the Bruins in goals and was excellent in the postseason. In his fifth NHL season, however, he has raised his game to historic levels.

Photo Credit: Mark Easson

With a goal against Calgary in last nights victory, Pastrnak is on pace for fifty goals this season. No Bruins player has done that since Cam Neely in 1993-1994. It shows how good he has been in the first half of the season.

With records aside, Pastrnak is one of ten players who will be playing in their first All-Star game. It will be a chance for the Bruins forward to show his talent among the NHL’s best. It should be the first of many All-Star games for the young forward as he is only getting better.