Tom Brady is frustrated

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Tom Brady hints that he is frustrated

Via Tom Brady’s Instagram

Things aren’t so great In Foxborough, and it shows with the slow start. For the first time publicly, Tom Brady is frustrated with the team especially the offense. The Patriots have had slow starts before like the 2014 loss to Kansas City. Kansas City is a tough place to play and the Patriots responded the next week beating the Bengals. They also had a much better defense that season with Revis and won the Super Bowl. The week two loss to Jacksonville was a rematch of the AFC Championship game, and the Patriots couldn’t get anything going on offense against a tough Jaguar defense.

 With losing Amendola, Cooks, and Dion Lewis, the Patriots lost 2,637 yards.

However, this past off-season has been a strange one. The question is was Bill Belichick in rebuilding mode this off-season? He lets one of Brady’s best target in the AFC Championship game Danny Amendola who had 61 catches last season for 659 yards walk to get more money with the Dolphins. Second, he gets rid of Dion Lewis who rushed for 896 yards and six touchdowns last season. Third, he lets Brady’s left tackle go to the New York Giants in Nate Solder. Fourth, he let Brandin Cooks walk who last season had 65 catches for 1,082 yards. Since the league year started they’ve had 25 receiver transactions the latest is Cleveland Brown Josh Gordon.

With Brady still, here you can’t build for the future you have to get players to win now.

Brady has every right to be frustrated. Belichick didn’t replace anybody remotely close to the talent they had last season to what they have now. Patterson runs the wrong routes and can’t connect with Brady. Dorsett is average at best and also is having a hard time connecting with Brady. For the 2018 NFL draft class, the Patriots have six players on the IR. Danny Etling is on the practice squad and Michel can’t understand the playbook which is frustrating Brady. Brady admitted he wanted White in the game plan more after the loss in Detroit

The Patriots had a bad receiver core in 2006 with Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell but at least those two could catch and connect with Brady. I really think Belichick is in rebuilding mode trying to get as much draft picks as he can. He almost traded Gronkowski to the Lions for draft picks. Belichick thrives in doing what’s best for the team to win now. However, it doesn’t feel like he built a team to win now. It feels like he wants to win years from now with the team they have which is frustrating to Brady. Brady wants talent around him and right now it’s very weak and worse than the 2006 group of receivers. Brady’s Instagram post yesterday says it all “it’s not one thing… It’s everything.” Hopefully, the issues get worked out soon or a frustrated Brady could get ugly.

Mookie Betts: The Five Tool MVP

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Throughout the history of baseball, only a select handful of men have ever been regarded as a five-tool player. Even fewer were able to provide sustained success. The original example is the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays, and then we go to legends like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, along with the new kids on the block like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. So we turn to this year and the culmination of what has been building for a while for Mookie Betts. We take a brief look at each of his five tools, and how they contribute to one of the most electrifying players in the sport and the clear-cut MVP of 2018.

Speed

Let us start with Betts’ most recent accomplishment, becoming a member of the 30/30 club (30 homers and 30 stolen bags), and being only the second Red Sox player to ever do so. Mookie is never afraid to push the envelope and go first to third on a ground ball. Or to steal a base even when the pitcher and catcher know it’s coming. But after three straight years of 20+ stolen bases, he was finally able to reach the elusive mark of swiping 30. There is no reason to think he’ll slow down either. The speed factor will be a huge part of his game, both at the plate and in the field, for many years to come.

Hitting for Power

For a guy that doesn’t even sniff being six feet tall, Betts still packs a big punch. He’s posted his third straight 20 home run season and this year he’s elevated his power to another level. His league-leading .643 slugging percentage is absolutely insane. It’s over a HUNDRED points higher than any of his previous seasons. He also boasts an average exit velocity of 92.2 mph, which also puts him near the top of the league. The difference is he’s doing it all with a five foot nine frame. Yet he’s still amongst the big boys like Manny Machado and Yoenis Cespedes when it comes to the raw power off the bat.

Image result for mookie betts

Wikimedia Commons

Hitting for Average

This was never going to be an issue for Betts in the Majors. A brilliant hitter all throughout the minor league system, he adjusted to professional pitching real quick. Only once has he posted an average under .290 in his career, and now he’s primed to win the first batting title of his career, with a .346 average going into Thursday night. He’s going to have roughly 800 hits at the culmination of 2018. Setting himself up very nicely (with good health) to have a realistic shot at reaching 3000 hits.

Defense

Buck Showalter said he was the greatest defensive right fielder he’s ever seen, and he’s been around since the 70s, need I say more? Mookie is a lock to win his third straight gold glove, and he’s only made one error out in right. One, single error… all season… which is crazy considering how often the ball is in his hand.

Arm

Last but certainly not least, is the cannon that is also known as Betts’ right arm. Of the five tools, this is the one that can be least supported by statistics. Lucky for you, all you have to do is a turn the television on when the Red Sox are playing. You’ll quickly be able to see for yourself the incredibly amazing throws that Mookie can make. Whether it’s to second, third or even gunning someone down at home, it genuinely looks too easy for Betts. He picks the ball up and next thing you know, the runner is out by five steps. Mookie did, that’s what just happened.

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Sunday’s Game for the Patriots is a Must Win

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With the Patriots 1-2, Sunday’s game is a must win

The Patriots play the 3-0 Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The team is in on the heels of a rocky two weeks of games on the road as they look to go 2-2 on Sunday. First, for the Patriots, they’ve had losses like this in the past, however, does this season feel any different? Second, if the Patriots lose to the Dolphins on Sunday, they will be 1-3. Third, they will put them in a deeper hole in the standings and allow further separation from Miami. Bill Belichick has made it clear that he is moving on to the Miami Dolphins. Just 15 minutes after his press conference was over a report came out the Red Burkhead and Ja’Wanan Bentley have been placed on IR.

The Patriots know they need to improve to win on Sunday

Danny Shelton told Mike Reiss he needs to step his game up. ” “That’s my main priority. It’s annoying to see it on film.” defensive tackle Danny Shelton said. Malcolm Brown added. “I take it as a personal challenge every week we play the game, that we play the run.” With Bentley on the IR linebacker, Kyle Van Knoy is hoping to show the improved defense on Sunday. Also saying how the defense will step it up with Bentley’s absence. “Like we always do, I think anytime we’re put in a situation, backs against the wall, we stick together and play Patriot football like we know we’re capable of.” Van Knoy told NESN.

When Bill Belichick met with the media on Wednesday, he talked highly about the Miami Dolphins. “They’re good in all three areas of the game. They lead the league in special teams field position, or in field position. A lot of that’s created by special teams, obviously, and their turnover differential. So, done a really good job there, very good in the kicking game, explosive return game. Good rushing team, they cover well.” Week 4 in an NFL season usually isn’t a big game. Finally, for the Patriots this season though and  the way they’ve been playing if they lose on Sunday and fall 1-3 on a short week they might be in trouble

Online Fantasy Sport Betting

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Online gaming has gained a lot of popularity due to its variation that emphasizes players from all around the world. Among the most played online gambling games are fantasy sports, which people of all age groups enjoy. The concept of fantasy sport betting is very simple and easily understandable.  It’s an online game where you make a teams of real players. The teams then compete with each other and the scores are distributed according to the player’s stats in real time. Each league has a commissioner who tallies points and oversees each team.

Fantasy sport betting is a great money-making opportunity for the players who are smart enough with game strategies. Even a new comer can try his hand in fantasy sport betting as the rules are very simple. Before the fantasy sport came into limelight as online gaming option, it was played in living rooms or sports bars among friends. But, with the advancement in technology, the fantasy sport game gained a lot of popularity as the players easily can participate online. Players can win anywhere between thousands and millions of dollars. For the new players, this is the best platform as all the details about the fantasy sport betting are readily available.

Fantasy Sports

Fantasy sports are the games where the player himself is the team leader and creates a team virtually of real players who have some specialization in their particular sports. The team then competes against another player’s team. The winner is one who has maximum points and scores depend on the real performance of the player in actual games.

Almost all the most popular sports are available in fantasy betting, but the most liked and played one are baseball, basketball, and football. Also, other sports include golf, Formula 1 racing, hockey, horse racing, tennis and mixed martial arts.

Fantasy sports betting

Here are few details that will help the player to get a clear idea about betting technique and how to initiate the game.

  • The first and the most important step is to make the best choice of the Fantasy Sport betting site, which must be well authenticated and well reputed. The player can get the best site by checking the reviews of all the top rated sites and then going for the best and right one.

  • After signing up and entering the world of Fantasy sports game, the player needs to pick a sport for which the player has to make a team by choosing best athletes of particular sports.

  • The NHL, NBA or NFL are the best sports to bet on since they have multiple players on each team to choose from.

  • The completion lasts for a day or a week which means the player will compete against the other fantasy sports gambler for a day or a week.

  • The winning team who has scored the maximum points wins the game and collects the cash. The game can vary from small number of players to thousand of players and this depends on the formats set for the games. The bets range from free to big or high stakes.

How to create a team

There are very simple steps so check it out here:

  • Choose the best site, register and then choose the sport.

  • Make the selection accurately that includes the type of sport, terms of stakes, number of opponents and duration of the whole game play.

  • Chose the best performing players to make a strong team. Keep a track of the whole game play and keep on checking how the selected players are performing as this will help the player to make more accurate selection the next time.

Conclusion

The whole concept of fantasy sport betting games is amazing and will undoubtedly bring out a lot of fun for the player, so one must try at least once. It is less about luck and more about skill.

Comparing the 2018 Red Sox to the 88 Teams Before Them

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The 2018 Red Sox are not only the team with the best record in baseball, they are the winningest team in franchise history. They have the chance to become the first team to reach 110+ wins since the 2001 Seattle Mariners. That is incredibly special, but many people want to ask: How special is it really?

Everyone can state that 106 wins is a rare feat, and they’re right. However, the numbers pertaining to how good this team is may shock you. Here, the 2018 Red Sox will be analyzed and compared to every single Red Sox team since 1930.

Offense

The 2018 Red Sox have two players who will likely eat up most of this season’s MVP votes in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. This team is an offensive catalyst that leads all of baseball in almost every single category. After a power absent offensive season in 2017, this team has transformed itself. One can almost call it mature or seasoned, at this point. Xander Bogaerts will more than likely reach the 100 RBI mark, Mookie will have a 30/30 year and Andrew Benintendi reached his career high in hits. They hit well against everyone, in any venue, and their record proves it.

Credit: Fangraphs (2018)

How Clutch Are They?

The Sox rank 25th in OPS (.787), 16th in wRC+ (109), 50th in batting average (.267), and 25th in runs scored (833). These are not mind-blowing numbers by any means. However, delving deeper into the numbers can show that the team is extremely clutch. In fact, they rank 3rd in a factor that Fangraphs literally calls “Clutch“. Granted, a Red Sox team without David Ortiz will never be as clutch as it could be. This 2018 team is different, and it can finally be said that they no longer need Big Papi in order to find success. On the season, the Red Sox rank first in RBIs which shows how efficient they have been. Not only do they get on base, but they also deliver when there is a chance to bring guys home.

The Red Sox currently have 199 home runs (12th) and will more than likely break the top 10 in franchise history. On the contrary, they walk at a rate of only 8.9, which lands them at the 59th spot. As far as strikeouts go, they rank 3rd highest at a 19.8% rate (which is still good for 5th lowest among teams in 2018). This trend can be attributed to a few things, such as the evolution of baseball or the aggressive hitting style Alex Cora has introduced. Another important asset of this team is the way they steal bases. They steal bases as efficiently as anyone has seen in recent years, even while lacking a true speedster. A 79.47 SB% ranks them first in all of baseball in 2018. The team has finally ditched the “Lead Sox” cliché.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Pitching

The 2018 Red Sox are known to have many public opinions about their pitching staff. It seems that one day, the pitchers can do no wrong and the next day, they are the worst pitching staff ever. Many pitchers have had moments of brilliance in this historic season. One could say that the Sox are having a decent season especially when compared to better pitching staffs like the Astros or the Dodgers. Comparing the 2018 Sox to those of season’s past show where this team’s true strength is.

Credit: Fangraphs (2018)

Dominant Outings

A simple comparison to those teams of the last 88 years will reveal that the 2018 Red Sox rank 12th in ERA (3.67), 2nd in strikeouts (1499), 1st in batting average against (.234), 3rd in WHIP (1.24), and 7th in saves (46). The average fan may think that the hitting has been the main reason for success this season, but the pitching is just as important. Having a good pitching staff that limits the opposition is very important. On the contrary, runs win games and having a great offense is key to making a deep playoff push. Having both on the same team in the same season is a deadly combination.

A more analytical viewpoint will show that the Slider has been the most effective pitch for the 2018 Red Sox. They posted a wSL figure of 27.1 and a wFB of 32.1 which is 4th best in the last two decades, for fastballs. They attained an xFIP of 3.92, which coincides with their team ERA and alludes to their defense being a good source of help for the year. Finally, when it comes to SIERA (my favorite pitching stat), the Red Sox have amounted to a figure of 3.73. This basically means that the pitching staff does an above average job at limiting hits and runs scored (they rank 5th out of all teams in 2018).

(Copyright ©2018 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.)

In The End

This team will be looked at as one of the best in Red Sox history. Regardless of if they win a World Series title or not, this shows how far they have come and how much more these kids have to give. Boston is stuck with this core for a while and that should be celebrated for the fact that many teams go decades without witnessing something like this.

@ELJGON

Jeremy Lauzon

Latest Training Camp Transactions: Boston Bruins

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In one weeks time, the official NHL season will be underway and the Bruins are cleaning house, so to speak. In the past few days, the Boston Bruins have announced some recent Training Camp transactions. Many prospects will return to their European club while others will play in Providence (AHL). In case you missed it, here are some recent moves made by General Manager Don Sweeney.

Back to Europe

On September 24th, the Bruins announced that they will be sending 18-year-old defensemen Axel Andersson back to Sweden. He will be playing for team Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League. Andersson is coming off an impressive showing during pre-season, playing alongside veteran defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara. Andersson had netted a goal in a 4-3 overtime loss against Detroit recently, a game that was memorable for the young Swedish player:

It was crazy game for me as an individual. I got beat up…got 18 stiches…had a nose bleed and stuff like that, but it was fun. It was worth it when I scored.

Zach Senyshyn

(Photo Credits: Patrick Smith/ Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Providence Bound

Forward Zack Senyshyn, Cameron Hughes, Emil Johansson, and Joona Koppanen have been assigned to the Providence Bruins. Martin Bakos will also miss the rest of preseason due to injury. As the Bruins get closer to finalizing their regular season roster, many prospects are still vying for that vacant spot on the third center line. Expect those players (Jack Studnicka, Trent Frederic and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson) to be fighting for that spot as they play against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, who is also vying to move up to the Varsity team, will also be playing on Monday.

On Tuesday, the Bruins announced further transactions with a few players being placed on waivers. Winger Anton Blidh, Colby Cave, Cody Goloubef, Mark McNeill and Jordan Szwarz have all been placed on waivers. Connor Clifton, Karson Kuhlman, and Jeremy Lauzon will be sent down to Providence.

As of right now, there are 32 players left on the roster. The Bruins and their coach will be looking to lighten up their roster even more come next week.

Bergeron

Bergeron Returns To The Ice

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Throughout his career, Patrice Bergeron has been a model of excellence. He is one of the games top centers and is coming off another solid campaign. Unfortunately, Bergeron missed 22 games last season due to injury. For the Bruins, he is vital to their success not only for his offensive contributions but also his work in the defensive zone. Bergeron has yet to appear in a preseason game this year due to his recovery from offseason groin surgery. He has also been dealing with back spasms due to the surgery. There have been encouraging signs of late and there is a chance he could appear in the Bruin’s next preseason game. The hope is that this injury will not affect him in the regular season.

Bergeron Continues Excellence in 2017-2018

Last year, Bergeron missed the first two weeks of the season. The Bruins struggled without their top center and upon his return looked like a different team. In 64 games last year he had 30 goals and 33 assists. It was the fourth time he has scored thirty or more goals in a season. He almost won a record-breaking fifth Selke trophy but finished in third partly due to the fact that he missed 22 games last season. When healthy, he centered one of the deadliest lines in hockey and averaged about a point per game. The fact that he is recovering from another injury is concerning, but last season he showed that he still has plenty left in the tank.

Bergeron

Photo Credit: NBC Sports

This season, the Bruins will again rely on their star center. Marchand and Pastrnak have the ability to carry this team but do not have the two-way impact of Bergeron. Keeping him healthy will be key for the Bruins and their young players. Like last season the Bruins will rely on their youth and are bound to go through growing pains. That is when they will need Bergeron’s leadership and his continued excellence.

Expectations For Bergeron In 2018-2019

Assuming Bergeron stays healthy he should be able to top last year’s numbers. The Bruins top line was hard to stop and the continued improvement of Pastrnak will only give the Bruins center more scoring opportunities. He will never score 100 points or score 50 goals in a season. That is not the player the Bruins need him to be. He has been the heart and soul of the Bruins and the team’s MVP for the past 15 years. In order for the Bruins to be successful they just need him to play the two-way game that has made him one of the best centers in the league. He has had a special run in Boston and this coming season it will only continue.

Patriots Film Study: Positives Shines in Loss to Lions

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The New England Patriots suffered a serious loss to the Detroit Lions on prime time Sunday Night Football on NBC. A humiliating 26-10 loss to an 0-2 team can rock an organization, especially when the opposing team is headed by a former employee. While the loss may have been extremely humbling, there were several positives to take away from the contest. Let’s dive into a few of these plays.

Play One: 2nd Quarter, 3:16

Patriots Ball. 2nd and 10 from the New England 36. Lions lead 13-0

It took a while for the Patriots offense to even begin moving the football. They opened up the game with three consecutive three-and-outs before managing a field goal drive down the field to end the first half. The fifth play of the field goal drive, New England fresh off of their first 1st down of the game, the Patriots lined up in an unbalanced line to the left of the formation.

An unbalanced line is a challenge to a defense if they are lining up in a zone defense. It puts the majority of the play-makers on one side of the field, forcing the defense to pick and choose who to cover. On this play, running back James White is lined up at the top of the screen, Chris Hogan is in the slot, while Rob Gronkowski is lined up in the H-Back spot. Rex Burkhead is to the left of Brady. Tight end Dwayne Allen is anchored on the right side of the line.

White is going to run a “clear-out” go route down the field, taking the immediate attention of the safety, who is not pictured. Hogan runs a stick route, where he settles into the zones underneath or in between the linebackers. Gronk runs a deep out and attacks the cornerback playing low, in this case that would be Quandre Diggs. Because Diggs expects Burkhead to swing out of the backfield, he is going to leave both White and Gronk to the safeties, thinking the help on the back end will cover them.

What happened?

https://twitter.com/ftbeard_17/status/1044034847444881408

The cornerback did exactly what Belichick wanted him to. He waited for Burkhead to leak out of the backfield. Instead, Tom Brady had all day to let the play develop and Gronk was wide open for 15 yards. The safety wasn’t in position to cut off his route because of the deep go that White ran down the sideline.

The bright spots here: Brady had all day to throw on this play, and for the most part of this game. When Gronk isn’t bodied relentlessly, he reminds us why he is the best tight end in football. He finds those spots in between the zones and is a tough man to bring down in the secondary.

Play Two: 3rd Quarter, 13:34

Patriots Ball. 1st and 10 from the New England 48. Lions lead 13-3.

New England took the field for the first time in the second half after forcing the Lions offense into a turnover, a horrible interception by Matthew Stafford. I know that Sony Michel has taken some heat in the Boston media for not producing early, but this play should make you feel a little bit better about him.

This is a simple toss play. It’s designed to get a running back into space and pick his way for a few extra yards. The edge is sealed by the receivers (Cordarelle Patterson and Gronk) and then the left guard pulls to the outside and becomes the lead blocker for the running back. Nothing extravagant.

This is where Michel makes his money. From what we know of his days splitting time in the Georgia backfield with Nick Chubb, Michel is electric in space.

What happened?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaUKDOkhjVQ?rel=0&showinfo=0&start=317]

Michel had space, and he managed to pick his way through the Lions defenders for 12 yards. This is what Sony Michel normally looks like on the field. His main issue so far has been that he missed the entire preseason due to an injury, and the first game of the season. He’s being asked to be the focal point of the running game in just his second game of NFL action and out of mid-season form.

He’s explosive and electric in space. You can only image what he will look like as the season progresses.

Play Three: 3rd Quarter, 10:10

Patriots Ball. 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 10. Lions lead 13-3.

Later that drive, the Patriots find themselves in a third and medium inside the red zone. Down by 10, they need at least a first down. The Patriots are going to go to that overload to the left side of the field again, only this time Gronk and White both line up to the right. The Lions are showing a simple cover two, meaning that the safeties are defending halves of the end zone.

Gronk is double covered here. The Lion’s best cornerback, Darius Slay, is the man up on Gronk with the red line. The safety, a former Patriot himself, Tavon Wilson, anticipates Gronk going to the end zone. He is the other coverage, represented by the yellow line. James White ends up getting covered by the nickelback, Quandre Diggs.

What happened?

White made a nice double move and gained a step on Diggs. Because Gronk was indeed going for the end zone, there wasn’t a safety to help Diggs on the back-end to cut off the route. All Brady had to do was lay the pass nicely in the breadbasket of White, which he delivered perfectly. It’s a touchdown every time.

Gronk can be such a valuable decoy. Teams know how critical he can be in the red zone and will put too much effort to cover him up and not allow the play to go anywhere near him. Players like White, Michel, Hogan and Julian Edelman (when he returns from his four game PED suspension) can seriously capitalize off of the attention put on Gronk.

Other Notes: Brady, Edelman, and Gronk

Brady still has a cannon

Tom Brady has withstood Father Time better than any quarterback in modern NFL history. Now at 41 years old, he looks like he has another good year left in him, possibly even two. Brady let this bomb go deep in the fourth quarter. Even though it was incomplete, it shows off what kind of Cannon he still has.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaUKDOkhjVQ?rel=0&showinfo=0&start=590]

The offense without Julian Edelman

This offense is truly struggling without Julian Edelman. The receivers can’t seem to get open, and although the offensive line can give Tom Brady all day to make a throw, the receivers can’t get in space for him to pull the trigger. Teams right now can afford to body up Rob Gronkowski, because they don’t have much else of a downfield threat. I’m warning you, this offense is going to look completely different once Edelman gets back.

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Shutting down Gronk

The NBC crew did a great job showing this on their broadcast of the game. The Lions double covered Rob Gronkowski for almost the entire game. The worst part is that the rest of Brady’s receiving options couldn’t get open even with the attention taken away from them.

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To summarize, the Lions simply out-coached the Patriots. Despite knowing this, we all know how Bill Belichick is. He is going to come back in full force next week, and game plan something great for their upcoming match-up next week on the road against the 3-0 Miami Dolphins. It’s early in the season, and we see this every year. They’ll be in mid-season form soon enough.

Gronk spikes trade deal – No Brady, No Dice

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TRADE TALK BEFORE THE 2018 DRAFT

Rob Gronkowski was almost traded to the Detroit Lions during the offseason, leading up to the Draft. After Sunday’s loss to Detroit, Rob Gronkowski was asked about all the rumblings of the trade. Gronk casually answered saying, “Yeah it happened, Tom Brady’s my quarterback, that’s all. Wasn’t going anywhere without Brady.”

Gronk and Brady

Staff photo by John Wilcox.

Before the 2018 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick was looking to deal Rob Gronkowski. Rumors of talks with the Lions and Titans were being thrown around. Bill was talking with his ex Patriot friends in an attempt to move the All World tight end. Adam Schefter went on WEEI’s morning show ‘Kirk and Callahan’ Monday for an interview about the situation. According to Schefter “It would’ve been a trade involving draft picks, that was the basic trade.” He continued on about Gronkowski, “He was the only player involved in the trade and it would’ve been a combination of picks.”

HOW GRONKOWSKI NIXED THE TRADE

During the offseason Rob Gronkowski was uncertain about things, he made that clear minutes after the Super Bowl. Since Gronk showed signs of uncertainty, Bill had to keep thinking about the team and its future. Bill has never been one to wait and see about a player, he makes the necessary moves for the team. Apparently, he did and the trade was pretty much done until Gronkowski caught wind of the situation. Schefter again noted, “Basically the deal was all but agreed to, he was going to go to Detroit, and when he found out he called the Patriots.”

Now, this is coming from an NFL insider, not the Patriots or Rob Gronkowski, yet it does seem to line up with the offseasons timeline of events. Gronk and the Patriots did have a meeting before the draft, which was newsworthy because it ended the trade speculation. As Rob Gronkowski said Sunday night, he wasn’t going anywhere without Tom Brady. So what was said during the meeting is unknown to the public, but the end result is clear. New England was the only team Rob Gronkowski would play for, it did not matter if it was the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. If Brady wasn’t throwing him the ball, he was ready to retire.

Gronkowski

Via USA Today

NO TRADE WITH A HAPPY ENDING

For Patriot fans, the meeting between the Patriots and Gronkowski’s camp, right before the draft worked out. Rob was adamant about what he wanted, which led to Bill Belichick and the Pats agreeing to keep the tight end. I’m sure Bill had his own demands for Gronkowski as well, in the end, it all worked out.

Rob Gronkowski wasn’t traded, his deal was reworked with incentives again. If he reaches those incentives he will receive $4.3 million this season. New England doesn’t have to worry about the cap hit because of Gronkowski’s new deal, it barely changes. So, in the end, both sides seem to have benefited from that meeting before the draft. For fans of the Patriots, everything turned out great. If it wasn’t for Gronk calling the team to have a meeting, a lot of things in New England could’ve changed not just the TE. Luckily this is in the past, everyone has one goal in 2018 and that’s bringing home the Lombardi.

Kyrie Irving Drama Comes To End – Or Not

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These past couple of weeks have been swamped by possible trade talks surrounding star Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler and our very own Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving. This has been a topic almost overtaken by “Hot Take Heaven”, as everyone seems to have their own opinion about what team Butler and Irving will join up with. While it’s an intriguing topic to cover, we need to “About Face!” and come back to reality.

Kyrie Irving won’t be traded this season.

Kyrie Irving has been dropping us hints through his interviews and media day appearances, all but revealing to us his plan for the future. Let’s break these things down and put together the clues he has left us.

The Jackie MacMullan Interview

Embed from Getty Images

Kyrie recently did an interview with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, who asked him about the rumors surrounding him and Jimmy Butler possibly joining with a team to play together. He informed her that they have had no such discussions since 2016 – When they were playing together on the USA Team and discussing the future in a practice session.

That’s believable. Players are going to shoot around basketballs and spitball about playing together in the NBA. Generations have done it on the playground and there is no reason to disbelieve that star NBA players do it on the USA Team competing overseas.

“Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?” Kyrie asked, motioning to the great history of the Celtics franchise. It is a franchise rich with championship history and full of great players. Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce and Kevin McHale headline several of the players that have come through the ranks for Boston. 17 Finals championships and 22 retired numbers hang in the rafters. He’s absolutely right, who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?

That begs the question for the rumors. Why won’t he commit to Boston?

Financial Restrictions

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Kyrie Irving is arguably the best point guard in the league at this current time. His scoring ability is out of this world, especially when he is healthy and attacking the basket. He hit .408 from beyond the three point line last season, and averaged 24.4 points per game and 5.1 assists. He is undoubtedly a top tier point guard in the league.

Kyrie Irving deserves to be paid as one, and he knows it.

Boston is in a world of pain when it comes to future contracts that they need to have figured out. Jayson Tatum will be getting a huge paycheck come his time to sign an extension. They want Jaylen Brown around. Marcus Smart is tied up for four more years. Gordon Hayward is under a huge contract for another three years. Al Horford is under his huge contract for three more years, as well. While Kyrie is under a player option next season, it’s very easy to assume that he won’t accept it as it’s about half of the going rate for a payer of his caliber.

To re-sign Kyrie, someone is going to have to go, or some agreement will have to be made. The question becomes, what will it be?

Media Days

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The Celtics media day on Monday filled Celtics fans with optimism and hope. There were a lot of great and encouraging statements made by several of the players. However, Kyrie made some comments when he took the podium.

“I believe Boston is the place for me,” he said, before throwing a little shade. “Obviously it’s everybody else’s job to look forward to my future before I can, so I just really thought it was important to make sure it’s known that this franchise is really built for the next few years of being at the top-tier of teams in the league.”

So that ends it, right? He’s going to stay in Boston, right?

No, I don’t believe this solves everything.

What do you expect the man to do?

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Kyrie Irving can do two things as a Boston Celtic. He can either be happy to be where he is as the focal point of the offense, or he can demand a trade to a team that will pay him. He hurt his image when he asked to be traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. So what do you expect the man to do?

Kyrie wants to play basketball. It’s a long off-season and it’s been longer for him because he missed all of March and the playoffs. He doesn’t want the typical Boston Press drama surrounding him all season about playing on another team.

Of course, Kyrie is going to say that he wants to stay in Boston. I genuinely believe him, too. I think he does. However, he understands that with the cap issues, there is a chance the two sides might not come to an agreement. He doesn’t want the media talking about that all season long. Kyrie wants the media focusing on his play, his team, how well they mesh together and how legendary this team could end up being.

So stop talking about Kyrie trade rumors and Jimmy Butler reunions. Start talking about this year and trust the Celtics’ ability to keep stars around forever.

We should all take on Kyrie’s approach to the topic and tackle this when it comes. First, Boston’s got a championship to win.