Simplest analysis ever of why the Patriots can be OK without Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley

Oddly enough, the Patriots also placed Jerod Mayo on season ending IR exactly one year ago today, October 16, 2013.  After tearing his pectoral muscle, New England went 6-3 over the remainder of the regular season without him.

When Stevan Ridley contracted a massive case of fumblitis (three in three games) last November, he then became a non-factor and primarily rode the bench for three weeks.  The Pats went 2-1 in that span, including a victory over the eventual AFC champion Broncos.  In the Denver game Brandon Bolden (pictured) rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries with Ridley out of the picture.

I'm not saying Bolden is the savior or anything, my point is just that this team knows how to deal with these situations.  Yes, the injuries are unfortunate, but for the Patriots it's "been there, done that."

Also, New England hosts the Jets tonight--remember what happened when these two squads met on a Thursday in 2012?  The worst play in NFL history.

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The Kansas City Royals are going to the World Series, but should they lose a game first?

The Kansas City Royals are going to the World Series.  Yes, they still have to win one more game.  But guess what: The Orioles are not about to become the second MLB franchise to ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit (33 others have failed).

Kansas City is only the third team in history to start a postseason with seven consecutive wins.  But in defense of the 1976 world-champion Reds, they only played seven games.  The other club to do it was the 2007 Rockies, who actually won 21 out of 22 (14 of 15 to close out the regular season, and all seven in the playoffs) on their way to the World Series.  But after sweeping the Diamondbacks in the NLCS, Colorado had the next nine days off.  Their momentum disappeared, and they got dismantled by Boston in four straight games.

Maybe KC should consider dropping one along the way?

I'm live blogging this game for Bleacher Report, take a look!

And Since I've already worked two of the three Red Sox titles in the last decade into this post, here's the third:

Looking back at the magical ride of the 2013 Boston Red Sox

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Something crazy is going to happen during the Celtics-Nets preseason game on Sunday

The NBA is conducting an experiment, and the game will last just 44 minutes (instead of 48).  Each quarter will be 11 minutes rather than 12.

My first though is this: Remember back in 1990 when the Big East tried out a six-foul rule?  The league turned into a mild bloodbath when players were allowed to commit six fouls (instead of 5) in a 40-minute game before be disqualified.

Maybe the NBA has a plan to foul-out players after exactly 5.5 infractions during the 44 minute exhibition?

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Links to NBA team previews, Southeast and Southwest Divisions

For the second straight year LucidSportsFan.com is participating in an blog exchange of NBA team previews.  I post theirs on my site, and they all post mine on theirs.  Here is the second set of links:

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks: Peachtree Hoops
Charlotte Hornets: At The Hive
Miami Heat: Hot Hot Hoops
Orlando Magic: Orlando Pinstriped Post | Orlando Magic Daily
Washington Wizards: Bullets Forever

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks: Mavs Moneyball 
Houston Rockets: The Dream Shake 
Memphis Grizzlies: Grizzly Bear Blues 
New Orleans Pelicans: The Bird Writes
San Antonio Spurs: Pounding the Rock

And here is my Celtics preview from yesterday:
Boston Celtics 2014-15 Season Preview (all you need to know in just over 37 seconds)

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Boston Celtics 2014-15 Season Preview (all you need to know in just over 37 seconds)

Boston Celtics
Last Year's Record: 25-57
Key Losses: Kris Humphries, Jerryd Bayless
Key Additions: Marcus Smart, James Young, Evan Turner, Tyler Zeller, Marcus Thornton

1. What Significant Moves were made during the offseason?

Not many.  The Celtics drafted Marcus Smart with the No. 6 pick and James Young at No. 17.  They signed Avery Bradley to a four-year $32 million contract extension.  When it became clear the Kevin Love deal wasn't in the cards, Boston chose not to play its hand for the time being.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

On the court, it's an abundance of guard depth.  Smart will likely be the backup to both Rajon Rondo and Bradley.  Evan Turner, Marcus Thorton and possibly Young (if he doesn't end up in the D-League) will all add scoring punch off the bench as well.  But, the Celtics' real strength is the way they're positioning themselves going forward with salary cap room and extra draft choices.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

The lack of a defensive presence in the paint (shot blocking) will be a big issue.  Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger should get most of the frontcourt minutes, but Olynyk is a perimeter player and Sullinger is generously listed at 6'9".  Who is the go-to guy/crunch-time scorer?  It's not Jeff Green.  It's never going to be Jeff Green.

4. What are the goals for this team?

To determine who fits into the club's long-term plan, and figure out how to move on from those who don't.  Ideally that would include developing Olynyk and Sullinger into an effective tandem in the post, and building a solid three-guard rotation with Rondo, Bradley and Smart.  If that happens Boston might look like an attractive location for a star to come to in 2015-16.

5a. What does the future hold for Rondo?

I don't think the Celtics will trade him; I just can't see any teams making an offer Danny Ainge thinks is good enough.  After that I'd say it's 60/40 whether or not Rondo signs a five-year max contract to stay in Boston, or goes elsewhere on a shorter deal for less money.

5b. What will the Celtics record be this season?

The same as last year, 25-57.


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Recycle Sunday No. 13: Columbus Day Weekend Edition

I was crazy not to rank Paul Pierce as one of the five greatest Celtics ever.

I would love to work somewhere that fired people once a month "Survivor" style.

Should athletes really get to celebrate their retirement for an entire season?

Remember that Malaysian plane that disappeared?  I think what happened to it must be something outside the realm of what we think is possible.

My plan for becoming a winter Olympian in 2018 in South Korea.

Fact: There is no such thing as "low calorie alcohol."  Alcohol has calories.  If you want to drink, there's just no way of getting around it.

If LeBron James wants to be remembered as better than Michael Jordan, he should only sign one-year contracts and try to win titles in as many places as possible.

I think football would be better without kickers.

People who don't clean up after their dogs should be banished from society altogether.  I have a plan...

Baseball managers should be more adventurous with their 9th inning pinch-hitting.  Who cares if they don't have the right people to play defense afterwards, they're going to lose anyway.

Do you ever dial phone numbers anymore?  How many numbers do you know off of the top of your head?  I can come up with two.

How many NBA players would it take to beat a WNBA starting five?

In the very near future we're going to have to consider the issue of healthy athletes having surgeries to make themselves perform better.

A few lessons learned from my first experience as a credentialed reporter.


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Awesome Old Song of the Week: "Everything Falls Apart" by Dog's Eye View

After first hearing Everything Falls Apart in 1996, I believe I was so impressed by it that I made the mistake of buying Dog's Eye View's entire album, called Happy Nowhere.  I can't for the life of me think of the name of another song on it, and I'm fairly certain it was pretty terrible.

And if anyone reading this knows anything about Dog's Eye View that I didn't mention in the first paragraph, I'll be simultaneously impressed and mortified.




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