More on Brady
A little more on Tom Brady’s return. ESPN.com injury expert Stephania Bell says not to worry about Brady struggling in his return to the field. Patriots fans had to be worried a few months ago when reports of an infection of Brady’s surgically repaired knee surfaced. ”Shortly after Brady went down with a torn left ACL and MCL minutes into last season, he contracted an infection, and many wrote his sports obituary,” writes Bell. ”But his medical team aggressively attacked the infection, getting him quickly on the rehab track. Brady then diligently began working his way back, determined to prove he could exceed expectations this year.”
Brady has already shown that he’s on the fast track to recovery, not just to play on the field, but to dominate the way he always has. “Not only did he show confidence and strength in his leg during spring workouts, but he also was so fluid in his motion that he left some observers scratching their heads over which knee was injured,” Bell said. ”Have no doubt: Brady is good to go.” That has to be music to Pats fans’ ears. Brady is perhaps the most important cog of this New England machine, both from a performance and leadership standpoint. His return should result in the team’s return to the elite of the NFL.
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Brady’s Return
The Patriots have a number of questions as they get set to begin training camp, but the elephant in the room is most definitely Tom Brady’s return from injury. Brady is coming off a torn ACL, which he experience in the first quarter of the team’s first game last season, but is on track to be under center come opening day. The Patriots managed to go 11-5 last season without their franchise quarterback, thanks in part to former backup Matt Cassel’s solid performance, but were definitely not the same team that went undefeated the regular season prior. Brady’s return should elevate this team back to the upper echelon of clubs in the entire league.
Brady is a great player and a hard worker, but we shouldn’t assume the Tom Brady of 2007 is going to be hitting the field this season. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer had a similarly devastating knee injury a few years ago and it took him a while to regain his confidence. Brady certainly has never been one to lack confidence, though, and he could be more mentally ready than most quarterbacks would be at this stage. One player that is surely happy about Brady’s return is Randy Moss, who should have a strong season with the future hall-of-famer back on the field.
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Pats Release Training Camp Dates
The New England Patriots have announced dates for the team’s annual training camp, which will open on Thursday, July 30 with practices set at 9:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. The camp will run through August 18, and practices are open to the public at Gillette Stadium. Parking and admission are free for all fans. For the first week of training camp, the Patriots will practice July 30 through August 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day. Practices times are subject to change due to any weather issues.
Patriots Experience, an interactive football theme park, is also free during the Patriots 50th anniversary year and 50th consecutive training camp, and the theme park is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the camp until August 5. Interactive football games, music, cheerleader appearances and more are all part of the Patriots Experience, and fans are sure to be flocking to Foxborough in the upcoming weeks as Tom Brady, Jerod Mayo, Wes Welker, Randy Moss and the rest of the New England Patriots give a sneak peek into the 2009 NFL season, which starts up this August with a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 13.
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Tom Brady Gets Robbed
Well, sort of. A saddening but almost trivial situation is unraveling in New England, as a 61-year-old ex-con and panhandler in the Boston area has been accused of stealing two flower boxes from Brady’s Boston condo, worth an estimated $8,000. Dennis Paiva of Malden was caught on surveillance cameras lifting stainless steel metal flower boxes from behind a garage next to the trash and into his truck recently, was taken to court and now faces a $4,000 restitution fee, which he must now pay back to the New England quarterback.
After he was caught red-handed, Paiva was taken to court, found guilty of larceny and made to pay the $4,000 fine back to Tom Brady. When he was caught, Paiva said, “‘I said, You’re kidding me, they were in the trash!’ The police talked to the people in the building and they said that deliverymen had left the planters in the back because there was no one home. Everyone agreed it was a mistake.” Paiva got out of jail five years ago after serving time for bank robbery, and he’s now turned to panhandling as he has no money to pay the Patriots QB after having brain surgery just months ago after suffering an aneurysm, next in the hospital just weeks later for back surgery. “I have no balance, my vision is blurred. I can’t work and I’m supposed to pay $333.33 a month to Brady.” A sad situation, indeed, especially as Patriots spokesman Stacey James agreed this week that Brady probably wasn’t even aware of the whole ordeal. Brady is scheduled to make around $14 million this season.
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Patriots Strike Deal with Butler
Second-round draft pick Darius Butler has reached a deal with the New England Patriots, as the team signed the former UConn cornerback to a four-year deal over the weekend. Butler’s agent Drew Rosenhaus was the first to get the news out, reporting on his Twitter page, “We are excited to announce that Darius Butler has agreed to terms on a 4 year deal with the Patriots. He was the 41st pick.”
Darius Butler is the second of New England’s 12 draft picks to sign a contract with the team, striking a deal after lineman Rich Ohrnberger last month. Butler’s deal includes a reported base salary of $310,000 in 2009, $395,000 in 2010, $582,500 in 2011 and $770,000 in 2012, while he will also get a roster bonus of $440,000 and guaranteed option bonus of $1.6275 million. In college, Butler was a four-year starter for the Huskies, and he impressed Bill Belichick and the Patriots from Pro Day. Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio spoke of Butler shortly after the draft this spring, saying, “Quite frankly, we were surprised he was on the board at No. 41. He’s a pretty versatile guy - his Pro Day workout, it was a real impressive workout. He’s a good kid, a good character kid. We’re excited to have him here.”
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Brady vs. Manning
This debate was sure to come up sometime before football season starts, but who would’ve thought it would come up this soon? The Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning battle is back again, this time with a few new twists and turns since last time the debate was brought up. Fantasy football players, listen up: this is the Manning-Brady debate of the year (so far)!
When it comes to Tom Brady, so much has changed since this time last year. Brady’s knee took a huge hit in the first game of the season last year, leaving several fantasy football players distraught as the NFL’s former MVP was carried off the field. He’s been rehabbing for the last year and says he’s ready to get back in the game, so now it’s up to the rest of his offense to help him out with fantasy standings. This field of contenders includes Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor, a strong stock of talent ready to boost the Pats back up to total domination.
Don’t rule out Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, though. Manning seems healthy for now, and even though he’s been in quarrels with Indianapolis’ coaching staff now that Tony Dungy is gone, he’s still got guys like Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai and Dallas Clark making him look good. Manning is consistent, and we’re not only talking about his arm on game day. Manning has finished in the top 10 quarterbacks in fantasy points every year since 2000, coming in third in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2005; second place in 2003 and 2004; first in 2006; fourth in 2007 and sixth in 2008.
In terms of average draft position, Brady’s at 15.7 and Manning’s at 16.2, so what it ultimately comes down to is personal choice. Do you want to be rooting for Peyton Manning and his Horse mates every week during football season, or would you rather cheer on Tom Brady as he makes his return to Gillette Stadium? We’ll let you decide.
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Kraft Joins World Cup Effort
It’s not just football that Robert Kraft has a passion for. The New England Patriots owner, also owner of soccer’s New England Revolution, has joined in the group effort to bring the FIFA World Cup to the U.S. in the future, accepting an invitation to join the board of directors for the USA Bid Committee. Kraft will now be part of the push to bring the World Cup to the States in either 2018 or 2022, joining other dominant figures in the U.S. on the committee.
Now that Robert Kraft is onboard, he will team with other officials in the U.S. and go up against Australia, England, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and Mexico, all of whom have formally declared requests to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022. Other possible candidates as host of the 2018 or 2022 World Cup include Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Spain, while Qatar and South Korea have already vied for the 2022 event.
Kraft, a founding investor of the Major League Soccer, was part of the group that brought the World Cup to New England in 1994, and he has been highly praised for his efforts. Sunil Gulati, chairman of the USA Bid Committee and president of US Soccer, recently made a statement regarding Kraft’s involvement with the World Cup efforts, saying, “Robert Kraft has been a true champion for soccer in the United States and the USA Bid Committee is extremely pleased to welcome him to our board of directors. He paved the way for World Cup soccer to come to New England in 1994 and his leadership of the Revolution and within MLS has been instrumental in elevating the profile of the sport in this country.”
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Will Willie McGinest Be Back?
37-year-old Willie McGinest may not be the hot new commodity the NFL wants or needs, but the aging outside linebacker could be an asset to the New England Patriots, with whom he’s been rumored to be flirting with. McGinest has been out of New England since 2006, when he made the switch to the Cleveland Browns, but now that he’s been released from the Browns, talk is astir once again about if McGinest will return to the Patriots.
McGinest himself has been the source of many of these rumors, saying that he wants to come back for one more season in the NFL before he seriously considers retirement. Part of the reason for his return is the Browns’ lousy record last year, as McGinest said, “I don’t like the way I ended last year, going 4-12. It just wasn’t good. I was disappointed in what we did. I don’t want to go out like that.” Now, McGinest has his eyes on the Patriots and the Dolphins as two prospective teams for him to play with in 2009. When recently questioned about his progress with the Patriots, the linebacker said, “Yeah, I’ve talked to [quarterback] Tom [Brady], [defensive lineman Richard] Seymour and some other guys there. Those guys are lifelong friends, and I’ve heard some people say that it’d be a good fit. Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that? And with all the history I have, what we accomplished in the playoffs, that wouldn’t be a bad way to finish up.”
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Is Seau Back on the Radar?
40-year-old Junior Seau has lived out a long and fruitful career in the NFL so far, having played 16 seasons of pro football before “retiring” from the league in 2006. Seau came to the New England Patriots’ rescue last year in the midst of a heyday of injuries among the team, and now the veteran linebacker could be ready for one more season with the Pats, amounting to four years of playing time with New England since ‘06.
Recently, Seau was heard telling a radio station in San Diego that he’d consider being available if the Patriots need him this season, saying, “I’ll definitely look at it at the end of October or November. Let’s put it that way… What I’m doing is basically just surfing and enjoying life with the kids and carrying on as if I am retired. But if they happen to need me towards the end of the season like they did last year, then I’ll definitely look at it.”
Seau is one of few players in the NFL to still be playing at age 40, and his impressive skills are still the talk of the league. Last year after Seau came aboard the Patriots mid-season, Bill Belichick said of Seau: “It’s pretty remarkable what he’s doing, and the fact that he played as much as he did last year and at his age, at this level, it’s pretty remarkable, especially at that position. I’m lucky to have coached a couple guys like that: Clay Matthews and Junior. That’s rare at that position. A lot of guys don’t even make it until 30, let alone 40.” Will Seau be back? Stay tuned to find out!
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Patriots Respond to McNair’s Death
Steve McNair, a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback and co-MVP in 2003, was shot dead in Nashville on Saturday, shocking the world and especially football enthusiasts around the country. McNair has been a staple on the NFL scene since the mid-’90s, playing for both the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens before retiring from the league in 2008, and his contributions to the NFL will not soon be forgotten. Floyd Reese, the Patriots’ senior football advisor, recently made a statement concerning the death of McNair, saying, “I am deeply saddened to learn of today’s tragic news regarding the death of Steve McNair. He was a player who I admired a great deal. He was a tremendous leader and an absolute warrior. He felt like it was his responsibility to lead by working hard every day, no matter what. I don’t think there was a player who played with him or against him that didn’t look up to him and respect him.”
McNair was drafted into the NFL out of Alcorn State in 1995 and played with the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) from 1995-2005. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2006-2007, retiring from the league in April 2008.
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