It’s hilarious to watch the fan bases of other teams get all geeked up about the NFL Draft, which takes place later this week. As if it’s going to make a difference.
We all know the Patriots are winning the AFC again this year and we won’t see any real competition again until the Super Bowl next February.
Yup, we’ve become as jaded as Bill Belichick is. We know that first round picks are overrated and the real gold doesn’t come until Day 2. Value, baby.
The Patriots do not have a first round pick or a second round pick in this year’s draft as of right now (their first pick is No. 72 overall). In other words, they don’t even have a first round pick right now to trade away for a second and two fifth rounders. The horror.
It’s possible that the Pats will trade Malcolm Butler to the Saints in order to get their No. 32 pick back (which they gave up in the Brandin Cooks deal), but don’t hold your breath.
After an unusually frantic free agency period, Belichick will want to make this week as boring as Ernie Adams delivering a high school graduation speech. Can’t have too much excitement in these non-football playing months.
Pompous Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia is the most underrated quote machine in Boston sports history, as every few years, the Sox’ second baseman comes up with an all-timer.
Seven years ago when being questioned about the early struggles of David Ortiz, Pedroia had this to say:
“A couple years ago I had 60 at-bats and I was hitting .170 and everyone was ready to kill me too, but what happened? … Laser show.”
With that, the “Laser Show” era was born.
A year later, “Muddy Chicken” was born.
Pedroia’s latest gem won’t fit on a T-shirt, but it is equally as strong. When being questioned about the rule regarding players sliding into second base – following the nasty slide by Manny Machado this past Friday night in Baltimore – cocky Pedroia showed up once again.
“I don’t even know what the rule is,” Pedroia said. “I mean, I’ve turned the best double play in the Major Leagues for 11 years, I don’t need a f—ing rule. Let’s be honest. The rule’s irrelevant. The rule’s for people with bad footwork.”
Remember college sports?
Believe it or not, college sports used to matter in this town … ya know, before Boston’s pro teams started dominating everything in sight.
ESPN ran a 30 for 30 on John Calipari earlier this month and it was striking how different the sports landscape in Boston was 20-plus years ago. UMass-Amherst, which is an hour and 45 minutes away from Boston, was the center of the New England sports universe for a few years back then. Calipari’s Minutemen were ranked No. 1 in the country and every nationally televised UMass hoops game was an event.
Boston College football also used to have this sort of mainstream buzz as it got the attention of Boston sports fans who had never even stepped foot onto the Chestnut Hill campus.
I wrote a critical piece on former BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo and BC athletics in March of 2012 because the football and men’s basketball programs had slipped dramatically. DeFilippo resigned shortly after.
Turns out, the DeFilippo era was an absolute glory period compared to what (or what’s not) taking place at The Heights these days.
Even home football games against major football schools like Florida State and Clemson barely sell out.
Hard to imagine big time college sports ever truly mattering in this town again.
