#but nick decided to not make a 3rd season of rise

[jacuzziwaters]

They're making a Zoey 101 sequel movie.

[nightwitchwriter]

Christmas Chapter

To those that have been reading my story, I apologized for being so late with my recent works. I managed to finish the other two on Christmas and this one before New Years. So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nick’s POV

I walked into the kitchen to be greeted by a giant basket filled with pears and a box filled with pear based foods, like pie, cobbler, juice, even jelly beans, which Molly was stuffing herself with.

“Where did the pears come from?”

“Faye bought them!” Molly, mouth stuffed of jelly beans

“She did?”

“Both her and her father.” mom, who came from the next room. “Molly, leave some for the rest of us.”

I stared at the packages, uncertain about its products.

“Why pears?”

“Why don’t you ask?” mom asked playfully before walking into the kitchen.

The next day, I went to the Black Cat Cafe, carrying a bag. When I walked in, it was semi-busy, with many of the tables full.

“Hello Nick.” Mrs. McCalmont, from behind the counter.

“Hi, Mrs. McCalmont. Is Wil home?”

“No, she’s helping me with a delivery. Is something wrong?”

“Uh, no, um, here.” I handed her a bag of apples. “Mom says thanks for the pears.”

“Oh your welcome. Thank you.”

As she took the apples, I struggled to ask my question, even though it may sound rude.

“Uh, what are the pears for?”

“For the 12 Days of Christmas!” Faye jumped from behind the counter, surprising me.

“12 days of Christmas? As in the song?” I questioned “So, in the place of Christmas?”

“Oh no we celebrate Christmas. Think of it as a Christmas tradition. It gets everyone in the Christmas spirit.”

“Does everyone on Arcanos do it?” Looking around, making sure no one heard me.

“You can talk about Arcanos. There’s no rule about it not talking about it. Watch. ARCANOS!”

Everyone in the cafe turned to look at us.

“Faye, stop that.” scolded Mrs. McCalmont. “If it makes you feel better, we can go into the kitchen?”

I nodded and followed them into the cafe kitchen, where I saw stuff moving by itself. The food was cooking and wrapping themselves. I saw tiny fairies flying around the kitchen as well as multiple ovens and stoves, six at least. I could smell bread baking, chocolate melting and meat roasting.

“Wow.” I looked at the whole room in amazement. One of the fairies came up to him and landed on his shoulder. She looked at him curiously.

“I hope the fairies aren’t a health code violation.” I joked

“Those aren’t fairies. They’re pixies.” explained Faye “Fairies are much bigger.”

“I see.” I looked back at the kitchen. “It’s like Merlin’s spell from the Sword in the Stone.”

“It's something similar.” Mrs. McCalmont answered, putting the apples in the center table. “It makes work a bit easier.”

“So how does the 12 days of Christmas work?” 

“Well, like the song, it lasts for 12 days, from the 12th to the 24th. For each day of Christmas, we gift that theme of the day. Like, a partridge in a pear tree.” she explained

“So, like you give out pear based presents?”

“Exactly. When I married my husband, we carried the tradition to his family, then decided to use it for the cafe as well.”

“Wow. So, if yesterday was pears, then today would be-”

“Doves!” exclaimed Faye

“Doves? Like turtle doves?”

“Uh-huh. Last year, my aunt gave me actual turtle doves.” she bragged

“Really?”

“No, she didn’t. Don’t tease him like that, or you won’t get any presents from Santa.” Mrs. McCalmont scolded

 I chuckled to myself. Felicity is the same age as Faye, but doesn’t believe in Santa anymore. “You still believe in Santa?”

“Of course I do. Why should I not?”

“Because your getting older.”

“These pixies are real.” she pointed out. “So why shouldn’t Santa?”

She had me there. I glared at the pixie on my shoulder giggling at me.

“So for the second day, what should I give?”

“Why? You want to give my sister a gift?” Faye grinned  “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” 

“What? No! I just saw Wil give something to Maddy today and yesterday. So, I was wondering, since its Christmas season.” For some reason, my cheeks were getting warm. Am I blushing? Why am I blushing?! Why does

“So what should I give her? And Maddy?”

“Well, the most common gifts would be turtle candies, dove chocolates, dove products or ornaments.” answered Mrs. McCalmont.

“That’s it?”

“Well, unless you have enough money to get her actual turtle doves…” she smirked “Oh, speaking of which…”

She went to the fridge and took out a paper bag. She gave it to me and I looked inside to see individually wrapped chocolate turtles inside.

“No one in your family is allergic to pecans right?” she gently asked

Christmas may be the time of generosity, but this is surprisingly generous.

Will’s POV

For the past couple of days, I’ve been getting presents. Not that it’s a bad thing. It’s Christmas season of course, but…

“Maybe you have your own Santa Claus?” questioned Maddy

We were walking through the downtown area of the town, in Arcanos. Like in Harry Potter, many of the lights and lighted ornaments were floating in mid-air.

I’ve been getting 12 days of christmas presents, but they aren’t from anyone I know. Why? Because I’ve been finding them, somehow in my locker. The same happened with Maddy, but the gifts were different. 

On the 3rd day, she got 3 hen and chicks succulent plants, while I got French perfume. 4th day. She had a birdhouse, feeder, braille book and birdseed ornaments delivered to her house. I got cell phone accessories, including a diy phone case. 5th day. Five donuts were at Maddy’s desk. I got 5 rings, two hoops and a ring. 6th day. She got a recipe for eggnog, while I got chocolate creme eggs. By the 6th day, enough was enough.

“Like a Secret Santa? No way. Who would want to be secret Santas with me?” I questioned her

“Speaking of which, does Santa really exist in Arcanos?” she asked

“In a manner of speaking, yes. He’s more of a spirit now, than an actual person.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“And you know those snow globes from the movie Rise of the Guardians? There’s actual snow globes like them?”

“Really? That’s so cool!” Maddy thought for a minute. “So you really don’t know who’s been giving you those gifts?”

“I have an idea.”

“Nick?”

And this is why she is my best friend. 

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Remember that bet we made on my birthday? He’s trying to romance me, like he does for Heather. I saw him giving her an “early” Christmas present. A plush reindeer.”

“So you aren’t upset that he’s courting you, even though he's dating Heather?”

“Not really. It’s not so bad.” I winked at her. “Plus, we're getting free stuff out of it right?”

“Hm. Good point. But are you going to get him something?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I got some ideas.” I grinned evilly

“Ooh, can I help? He gave me stuff too.” Maddy volunteered. I grinned.

“Hmmm, fair enough, alright. Come on, let’s come up with some ideas.”

On the 7th day, which was for swans, I left something in Nick’s locker, before quickly heading in the direction of mine. I turned the corner and waited until Nick came. Maddy stood next to me. After a few minutes, Nick came in with his group of friends.

“Is he here yet?”

“Yeah. Shh!”

We, well I, watched as Nick opened his locker, and a giant, white inflatable pool swan blew up in his locker. I used big magic to make it bigger. It bursted the door opened, surprising them and everyone else in the hallway. It kept growing and nearly filled the whole hallway. And here’s the best part. It fell right on top of Nick. I could barely contain myself.

“What happened?”

“It fell on top of him.”

Maddy started to chuckle too.

“Come on, let’s go.”

We hurried away to our lockers, then classes before anyone noticed.

Nick’s POV

I. Am going. To kill. Her. I don’t care what type of magic she used, I know she put that stupid swan in my locker. I even got in trouble with it. Twice! It made me late for class, since it took 15 minutes to deflate it.

What the hell?

I was trying to be nice and give her presents, and Maddy too, not because of that stupid bet, because its Christmas! Aren’t you supposed to give presents to each other on Christmas?

Fine. If she wants to be naughty, I’ll show her naughty. Ugh. That did not sound right.

Later that day, I watched Wil as she got closer to her locker.

“Uh, Nick?” I turned around to see Dylan. “What are you doing?”

“Shhh!”

I motioned him over, and we watched as Wil opened her locker and then- boof!

A small explosion of black power and black feathers covered Wil and some parts of Maddy!

“Wh-what the?”

“What happened?” asked Maddy

Me and Dylan quickly went behind the wall before we were spotted. We could barely contain our laughter.

“Holy Shit!” laughed Dylan

“How’s that for a black swan?”

“Are you out of your mind? You just pranked the Wicked Witch of Willow High.”

“I know. Just a little payback.” I turned to look at him. “Want to help me out with the next one?”

“Oh heck yes.”

The next few days continued as followed: on the 8th day, Wil got pelted with milk balloons, while Nick smelled like camebre cheese, after finding them in his pockets every five minutes. The 9th day, Nick’s locker was filled with ballet items, while Wil was scared by red dancing shoes. The 10th day, both found frogs and toads in their personal items. Wil in her book bag, Nick in his pants while in the bathroom. On the 11th day, Wil was scared by a sudden piercing from a recorder while in the bathroom, and the same goes for Nick while answering his phone. On the 12th day, Wil was woken by the sound of drums from metal rock, while Nick was kept up all night because of it. 

Wil’s POV

“That’s it! No more pranks!” scolded Mom. I was keeping the pranks on Nick a secret from her, but she managed to find out. “It’s Christmas Eve! Now make up and give him a present as an apology and a sign of actual good will.”

“But mom,...” I didn’t want to, but… I really don’t want to.

“Do it or no Christmas.” threatened my dad

I groaned. Missing Christmas is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. I know there are thousands of people who have no choice but to miss Christmas, but its not fair for me either.

“At least call a truce for Christmas.”

I sighed. “All right. No more pranks.”

“And give him a present he’ll like, nothing cheap!”

The night before Christmas, and all through the night. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. And it was freaking cold! I got Nick’s stupid present, but I couldn’t give it to him at school. I wanted to drop it off at his house and that’ll be it, but my parents would not accept it. Dad even threatened to call them on Christmas, just to make sure I gave him the present. So, I’m here on my broom, at his house, at night, in the freezing cold! I clutched the present closer to my chest, debating whether this a good or bad idea. Groaning, I lowered myself towards his room window.

Also, if you all are wondering how I knew where Nick’s home or even his room is, thank Dalia, due to her mischief.

I knocked on the window with the curtains closed.

“Nick!” I quietly yelled, to prevent anyone seeing me.

I didn’t hear any movement, but the lights were on.

“Nick!”

Nothing. I reached into my pocket, and took out a hag stone. A hag stone is a stone that has a natural hole inside them. Depending on how or where the stones were formed, by looking through the holes, you could see various things. The one I have is similar to the one in Coraline. So think of the had stone as x-ray vision goggles.

I looked through it and could see past the house walls. I saw Nick in his bed, sleeping.

I knocked on the window again.

“Nick!”

Seeing that he wasn’t waking up, I tapped the window lock twice. 

“Tick tock. Break the lock.”

The window unlocked and opened itself, and I climbed in.

His room is surprisingly clean, for a high school boy. I saw him in his bed and walked over to wake him. His snoring is as loud as a high school boy. I shook him as hard as I could.

“Nick! Nick! Niiiccckkkk!”

After some groans, Nick managed to slowly open his eyes. His eyes widened quickly when he saw that I was in his room.

“Holy freaking crap!” he yelled as he scrambled away from me. I just smiled.

“Merry Christmas!” I smirked

“What are you doing in my house?! How’d you get into my house?!”

“Magic. Duh.”

“How’d you even know where I live?”

“Dalia. Duh. Anymore questions?”

He was silent for a moment, before asking, “What are you doing here?”

“Come outside.”

“It is freezing outside. And it’s Christmas Eve. If this is another prank, can it wait until morning?”

“It’s not a prank. My mom wants us to call a truce for Christmas, so truce?” I ask while holding out my hand.

Nick looked at my hand, suspicious and hesitating for a bit, before taking my hand.

“Fine, truce.”

“Good. Now come outside. I have a present for you.”

A few minutes later, we were both outside in the cold. After explaining that I got him a gift, it turns out he got me one too. Then we both stood there awkwardly for the next few minutes.

“So, want to open them now?” Nick asked

“Ehhh, it kind of goes against my tradition of opening presents before Christmas. You?”

“Not my tradition.”

He quickly went to open his present.

“Woah, a toy motorcycle. Cool.”

“Press the button.”

He looked confused.

I took the toy, pushed the button, then put it on the street and stepped back. Moments later, it quickly grew in size to a rideable size. The look on Nick’s face shows that I gave him the right gift. 

“I heard from Felicity that you got your motorcycle license, so I got you this.”

Remember the boat from Ponyo? There’s a toy company in Arcanos that makes toys inspired by the film. Cost a lot, but not as much as a regular motorcycle.

“What do you think?”

The next thing I knew, he was hugging me. An actual, no hesitation hug. 

“Thanks.” he whispered

Turns out, he was saving money for a motorcycle, but wasn’t close yet. With this, he doesn’t have to save anymore. But for some reason, he now didn’t want to give me my present. He tried to take it back, but after some tugging, I won. I decided to leave before he tries to take it again, but before I did, I showed him how to make it small again. Before I flew away, I watched Nick go back inside and shut the window I opened. 

The next day, on Christmas, I opened Nick’s present first. It was a ugly Christmas sweater, with a witch in a Santa dress and hat, on a broom, with a bag of presents behind her, flying through the night sky. A ugly Christmas sweater that's witch themed. After opening the rest of my presents, it was the only thing I didn’t have anything to say about. But, I wore it on the first day back at school. 

[emblem-333]

Naughty or Nice: NBA Edition

The greatest day in the Christian religion is almost upon us, ladies and germs! Ah. Christmas. Gathering around an icy cold, barley used fire place, while your dad plays “The Dark Knight Rises” for whatever reason as you and your siblings gather to open up gifts around an artificial tree. I reach down into my stocking and bring out a lump of black, bumpy coal, It’s ash staining my palm. Last Christmas I was on the “Naughty List” of dear ole Saint Nick. Something about not helping the needy. This year I expect to so up on the infamous list once again… but I don’t want to be alone. So let’s rattle off fellow impure -and some pure teams in the NBA that’ll round out Santa Claus’s records.

Naughty: Oklahoma City

Didn’t see this coming back in September. Sam Presti was on my shortlist to win General Manager of the Year, trading for Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, without giving up much, and signing Russell Westbrook to an extension that saved basketball in the state of Oklahoma. Unfortunately the team’s fallen on hard times since. Westbrook is useless when off-ball and isn’t engaged. Carmelo is old, slow and looks rhythmless. Paul George, the second-best small forward in the East just a season ago, can’t seem to carve out a role and the coaching of Billy Donavan apparently is wasting his talents in such an unimaginative system.

The Thunders woes exclusively are on the offensive side of the court; defensively they’ve played at a nearly elite level: 100.2 Opp/PTS allowed (3rd); 103.7 Def Rtg (2nd), which is shocking when considering the personal change over the course of the summer. Carmelo Anthony in year fifteen is not an ideal option to guard your opponents second best wing player. Anthony’s DRtg sits prettily at 105, the best since 2011-12 with the Knicks.

One of the reasons for the surprising poor start is Donovan’s inability to work his three stars into the offense. Making one of the strengths of Paul George last season, running far less Pick and Roll as the Ball Handler, percentage of time he ran this playtype last season was 17.5%, upped to 23% this season; though his points per possession, 1.01 down to 0.76, and percentile rank, 92nd last season to 39th. What’s more staggering is his decline in the most basic of metrics. On an Indiana team, playing alongside miss-match pieces George’s averages were 46.1 fg%, 39.6 3P%, 23.7 PPG - 6.6 RPG - 3.3 APG - 2 Stocks and his Clutch statistics have fallen substantially, given he wasn’t too good to begin with, last season: 47.6 fg%, 33.3 3P%, 4 PPG - 0.7 RPG - 0.2 APG.

This season: 40.4 fg%, 33.9 3P%, 19.9 PPG - 5.7 RPG - 3.1 APG - 3.1 Stocks; Clutch: 37 fg%, 28.6 3P%, 2.4 PPG - 0.8 RPG - 0.1 APG. George’s never been clutch. Surprise, surprise. But the fall in efficiency is enough to have me shaking in my boots. The way Westbrook’s handled this season has also disappointed me. He’s woeful when off-ball, often indifferent, walking aimlessly around the court after getting rid of the ball.

Like George, Westbrook’s strengths also mysteriously disappeared. For Russ it’s his ability to come up big in the clutch that won him the MVP, 44.6 fg%, 1.9 fta, 85.3 ft%, 6.2 PPG - 1.3 APG - 0.7 RPG - 0.5 TPG ; this season: 33.8 fg%, 0.9 fta, 52.9 ft%, 3.6 PPG - 1.5 RPG - 0.7 APG - 0.4 TPG.

Carmelo’s knees betrayed him some time ago. He isn’t able to get the amount of lift necessary to justify his isolation-heavy style of play, predicated on making long-two point attempts. Witnessing the stagnation of the offense whenever Carmelo just touches the ball, teammates resign to the fact he’s just going to shoot it brings back painful memories of Westbrook’s ball-domination sapping the potential of Victor Oladipo. Currently 15-15, there isn’t a lot to pin your hopes on for anybody who came into the season high on the Thunder. Westbrook’s victorious 2016-17 MVP campaign brought about speculation by many whether he was indeed the right choice, some of the shine is starting to come off the magnificent statistical season this year.

Nice: Victor Oladipo

Anybody who tries to tell you they liked the Paul George return prior to Thanksgiving are liars. Do not believe them. Kevin Pritchard had zero support once the deal became official. Domantas Sabonis, miscast by Donovan in OKC as a stretch big-forward, Nate McMillan deserves props for recasting the Gonzaga product as a pure center, shooting 54.4% from the field, averaging 12.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. Sabonis is the best backup center in the East; a sneaky choice for Sixth Man of the Year.

Shooting guard Victor Oladipo wasn’t respected by those who considered him Smush Parker to Westbrook’s Kobe last season. Despite then career-highs in field goal and three-point. His massive $84 million contract given to him by Presti raised the eyebrow of many. Drafted second overall in a weak draft, from Indiana University, Oladipo entered Indianapolis amidst fanfare. Pritchard loved Oladipo before he even suited up for the Pacers in a game, mostly due to his Indiana roots. This came across to me more as a low profile clown show. When the spotlight was shined on to Indiana, and when we all stopped laughing at them, they weren’t expected to do more than to be in the middle-to-later parts of the lottery. Fast forward to Christmas time, the Pacers are on pace for 42 wins (I think they’ll win 45), despite a piss-poor bench outside of Sabonis. High profile wins over the then-streaking Cleveland Cavaliers, Vic went for 33 points off of 11 of 24 Shooting (Indiana also beat Cleveland on Nov 1), San Antonio, and sneaky good Toronto.

Oladipo in the clutch will save the Pacers from the ashes they’d otherwise be reduced to, 43.1 fg%, 41.2 3P%, 3.2 PPG - 0.8 RPG - 0.4 APG. Against Boston on Monday, Vic was held in check in the first half before exploding for thirty-points in a contest the Pacers absolutely should’ve won if it wasn’t for late-game bungling courtesy of Bojan Bogdanovic. Vic scored 14 points in the final quarter, Boston had no answer for him. Make no mistake Victor Oladipo is the best shooting guard in the East. Better than Bradley Beal. Better than DeMar DeRozan.

He can score in more ways than DeRozan, who’s amazingly been productive despite an utter lack of a jump shot, and isn’t a liability on defense like he and Beal are. For Pritchard to obtain third best shooting guard in a time where the league is seemingly stacked at that position is reason enough for him to be involved in GM of the Year talks. Boy, do I have egg on my face.

Naughty: Washington Wizards

Awful lot of talking the fellas in the D.C area have done since being ousted in the second round by a clumsy Canadian and a five-foot, nine inch point guard suffering immense pain because his hip bone was puncturing his skin. Still, the previous season reignited the John Wall-era, his knees were stable once again, played the best ball of his career. Hopes were high entering the 2017-18 campaign, nice, but the utterly inconsequential trade for backup point guard Tim Frazier and signing of shooting guard Jodie Meeks was welcomed by critics of the Wizards front office, such as myself. The summer prior when the money pit was all too deep not to jump in head first line Scrooge McDuck. Ian Mahimi, Jason Smith and Andrew Nicholson, none worked out. While Smith is serviceable, Mahimi hasn’t produced, and Nicholson was traded by February.

Tim Frazier isn’t a backup point guard on a perennial East-Finalist. Jodie Meeks hasn’t played a quality season since... a long time.

Wall’s knees are made of cotton candy, missed seven-games this season due to discomfort and inflammation in the knee. Given PRP (platelet-rich plasma). I don’t know what that is, but it can’t be good.

Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat enjoyed the best season of their respective careers. Morris’ points per game is down; rebounds are down; assists are down, as is his field goal percentage. Gortat is thirty-three, will turn thirty-four in February, his field goal percentage fell from 57.9% to 53.5%. The Wizards sit in a tight scramble for the bottom of the playoff picture at 16-14. For all the talk of their belief that the Cavaliers “were ducking” them, I don’t even think the Wizards can beat the Nets two out of three times this season.

The dream fans cling to is a DeMarcus Cousins 0.25 cents on the dollar transaction, one which doesn’t involve Star two-guard Bradley Beal. Despite the 15-16 record causing the murmurs of a potential trading of Superstar Anthony Davis, given the delicate situation of the Pelicans franchise, they’re currently in the eighth seed. Only three-games behind Minnesota for the fourth-seed, the final spot for home-court advantage. Shooter Otto Porter alone provides necessary salary flotsam to obtain Cousins; though his contract provides a 15% trade kicker. And while Porter is a better option to play either forward position than Solomon Hill, if New Orleans stays the course and if by February 8th the are out of the playoff picture and it’s clear their core around A.D & Boogie isn’t good enough then MAYBE the Wizards have a chance. But who’s to say by then the Wizards and Pelicans won’t have the same record by then?

Nice: Toronto Raptors

Entering the summer of 2017 after being swept by LeBron without breaking a sweat, a tremendous sea change was about to be expected. GM Masai Ujiri decided to run back the previous season’s team, despite the skinny wallet. Choosing to re-sign Serge Ibaka over P.J Tucker. Sign-and-trade Cory Joseph for C.J Miles. Trading DeMarre Carroll, a first round pick and a 2018 second draft pick to Brooklyn for Justin Hamilton - a deal not looking so good now, given Carroll’s resurgence. So far the Raptors are on a wins pace of fifty-seven, good for second best in ESPN’s BPI Playoff Odds. Despite Lowry’s sluggish start to the season of transition, averaging 17.9 points, 7.5 assists, 6.9 rebounds, 45.1 fg% and 41.4% from three-point; help the Raptors offensive rating of 113.4 (4th). Lowry is on a team-friendly three-year, $100 million contract that assures the Raptors aren’t paying an arm and a leg for old and decrepit Lowry.

Second-year center Jakob Poeltl was unglued from the bench and showed some promise, making 89 of his 130 field goal attempts; 74% on attempts taken zero-to-three feet. The production of Poeltl is similar to albatross Jonas Valanciunas, on the second-year of a four-year, $64 million contract; a player-option for 2019, one Jonas will surely pick up given the NBA isn’t clambering for a slow-footed, old school center and certainly don’t want to pay one $17 million.

The Raps are seventh in defensive rating. DeRozan has the highest DRtg of all the team with 107. Rank fifth in eFG%; forces the seventh most turnovers (14.5). On offense the Raptors are fifth in field goal percentage and third in two-point attempts.

An intriguing roster of seasoned veterans on sort-of-nice contracts and prospects. They’re weak in the backup guard and wing positions, if the Raptors still have assets from last season’s gamble they can chase marksman Buddy Hield, bench scorer Tyreke Evans, and even take a big whiff at Marc Gasol and Paul George. The Raptors should be linked to Gasol especially. The Grizzlies have fallen to the bottom of the lottery, if the season were to end today.

Ujiri is an underrated candidate for Executive of the Year. He’s navigated through dangerous waters and came out still on track to win a playoff series and sneak into the East-Finals. The Cavaliers aren’t afraid of Toronto, but maybe it won’t be them they’ll have to face. You never know.

[alibiappeal6-blog]

Why can’t the Eagles figure out what to do with Golden Tate?

When the Eagles traded a 3rd round pick for Golden Tate during their bye week two weeks ago, it was assumed there was a plan in place for how they would use him.

How silly of us.

At his weekly news conference, embattled offensive coordinator Mike Groh admitted the team really hasn’t been able to figure out what to do with their new toy.

Dude.

Groh also admitted that Nelson Agholor’s role with the team changed after Tate’s arrival, and that he (Groh) hasn’t done a good enough job with substitutions to make things work at wide receiver.

It’s pretty startling to hear an offensive coordinator admit he doesn’t know how to use one of the best YAC receivers in the NFL, and it doesn’t engender confidence in his abilities moving forward. In fact, his news conference was a borderline disaster, and his comments make it appear as if he has no idea what he’s doing.

But let’s also not pretend the acquisition of Tate fit this team like a glove.

The Eagles already had a slot receiver in Agholor. They also had one of the best tight ends in the NFL in Zach Ertz. Alshon Jeffrey is a beast over the middle on slant patterns and the team was one of the best in the league at running 2-TE sets with Ertz and Dallas Goeddert. Obviously, putting Tate on the field means more 11 personnel and less Goeddert, essentially wasting their early 2nd-round pick from this year.

What the Eagles needed was a field-stretching wide receiver or, better yet, a play-making running back or defensive player or two. Instead, Howie Roseman traded a 3rd-round pick for Tate, a move I questioned on the BGN Radio episode that took place shortly after the deal was consummated (fast forward to the 8:00 minute mark).

I thought at the time (and, really, even before the trade) that a 3rd-round pick was too much to give up for a player who appeared to be a redundant piece and didn’t offer much more than what they already had. And if you look at recent Eagles 3rd rounders and 4th rounders, you will note a clear difference in the quality of players the Birds received in those rounds.

Since 2011, here are the Eagles’ 4th round picks: Casey Matthews, Alex Henery, Brandon Boykin, Matt Barkley, Jaylen Watkins, Mack Hollins, Donnel Pumphrey, Josh Sweat and Avonte Maddox.

Here are their 3rd round picks: Curtis Marsh, Nick Foles, Bennie Logan, Josh Huff, Jordan Hicks, Isaac Seumalo, Rasul Douglas.

Had the Eagles given up a 4th rounder instead of a 3rd rounder, the Tate trade would look a bit better right now, but not a lot.

Everyone assumed that the Eagles had a plan in place to use Tate, given that he specializes in making plays in the same part of the field that Agholor, Ertz and Jeffrey generally do. But based on Groh’s comments, we were dead wrong.

That begs the question — is there a disconnect between the front office and the coaching staff?

Did the front office assume the offensive coaches would be able to make it work, or was the coaching staff in lockstep and make the same assumption? Is the offense brain trust missing the creativity of former offensive coordinator Frank Reich? Or was this simply a bad fit? If it was a bad fit, shouldn’t someone have seen it before now?

What’s clear is that Doug Pederson and Groh have not been able to figure Tate out through the admittedly small sample size of two games. But those two games were huge, games that essentially ended the Eagles season (no, they are not mathematically eliminated, but you get the point).

Last Sunday against the Saints, Tate lead the team in targets with eight. He caught five balls for 48 yards, for a measly 6.0 yards per target. He also had a run that went for -8 yards. As a result, Jeffrey received just five targets on Sunday, Ertz just three and Agholor had just two. The week before against Dallas, Tate was barely able to get on the field, playing just 18 snaps getting four targets, two of which he caught for 19 yards.

Tate is taking away targets and catches from receivers who were already here and is not providing anything new to the mix. Not only that, he’s a free agent after the season, so while the Eagles will get a compensatory draft pick should he leave, it likely won’t be at the level of the 3rd rounder they surrendered for a guy who is going to play out the string. Or are they going to pay a receiver who does a lot of the same things that Agholor does, who is also under contract next season, on a multi-year deal?

Whatever they decide, the Eagles have Golden Tate for another six games. Here’s hoping they can rise to the “challenge” and found out how to use one of the best slot receivers in the NFL.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/11/20/18105091/golden-tate-eagles-mike-groh-offensive-coordinator-comments-philadelphia-nfl-doug-pederson-trade

[thrashermaxey]

Tomas Hertl and the Sharks Have a Favourable Upcoming Schedule

  All fantasy owners need help in the short term AND the long term. The Looking Ahead feature identifies one player to plug into lineups in the short term, a second to invest in for the long term, a third to bench for the coming week, and a fourth who will struggle to meet expectations for some time. All players discussed are selected based on their upcoming schedule. Stats in this article updated through January 31st

The Immediate Fix (Grab this guy and use him for the next several days)

Danton Heinen, C, Boston Bruins (Available in 71 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Brad Marchand’s loss via suspension is rookie Danton Heinen’s gain, as he’s slotted into Marchand’s spot on both the first power play – where he previously played the point, swapping with Ryan Spooner – and more importantly at 5v5 with Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Heinen’s value in keeper leagues is high, with 11G-22A in his rookie season, but in season-long leagues he can be picked up for the next handful of games.

  The Building Block (Buy now, sit back and enjoy the production)

Tomas Hertl, C, San Jose Shark (Available in 58 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Another spot fill-in, but Hertl will have value for much longer than Danton Heinen as he’s moving up in the lineup to replace Jumbo Joe off an MCL injury. Hertl in the three games since Jumbo went down has seen ice time of 21, 22, and 19 minutes, and has put up 1G-2A with 7SOG. Given that Hertl’s having his “breakout” year with 14G-17A in 50 games (his career highs are 21-25-46), the added ice time and playing on what should be a potent first power play unit of the Sharks for the bulk of the next 30 games makes him very valuable.

  The Odd Man Out (His short-term value is cause for concern)

Nick Leddy, D, New York Islanders (Owned in 60 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Leddy’s poor play recently seems to be a mystery, as it’s not been a lack of ice time or a chance in role that’s slowed him down; Leddy is still seeing at least 22 minutes a night (minus a blowout vs. Toronto) and prime time on the first power play unit, but over his last ten games he’s put up only one assist and 14SOG. That’s a far cry from the player Leddy was earlier this year. He can take a seat on the bench if there’s an up & comer you’d prefer to take a shot on, or grab someone who’s hitting a hot streak as a quick fill in.

  The Anchors (They’ll do nothing but disappoint even over the long haul)

The People That Decide Goaltender Interference, NHL (Owned in 100 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Can we just stop with this?

Zach Parise, LW, Minnesota Wild (Owned in 45 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – With Nino Niederreiter returning, Parise’s role in the top-6 is more tenuous than ever. Although he’s returning from major surgery and continues to fire the puck at a decent clip – 29SOG in 11 games – he’s neither getting the ice time (16:36/game), nor producing when he does. He’s been horrendous in leagues that track +/-, already -7 in those 11 games, and has only found the back of the net twice. There are better players available on the waiver wire in EVERY league, don’t be fooled by his past successes.

  Love ‘Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming days)

San Jose – The Sharks have no Joe Thornton but they do have an excellent upcoming schedule, with seven games between the 2nd and the 14th. More than that, they’ll get to play the Oilers, Coyotes, Carolina and the Nathan MacKinnon-less Avalanche.  

Boston – Beyond San Jose, there’s a very crowded group of teams that play five or six games, and Boston is in the latter group. Luckily for Boston, they’ll get to look to continue their rise to the top of the standings against some real bottom-feeders: at Detroit and the Rangers and at home vs. Buffalo and Calgary (where the 3M line’s defensive play will be muted thanks to Boston having last change).

Philadelphia – Philadelphia is in the same spot as Boston, with six games but some soft competition in those six. They Flyers get a stretch of home vs. Ottawa, at Carolina after a two-day break, then home vs. Montreal and back on the road against the Coyotes. With a power play that’s clicked for four goals in their past five games and the coming-out party of Travis Konecny, target your Flyers players.

  Leave ‘Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed in the short term)

Dallas – Excluding the game against the Rangers, the Stars don’t have the most enticing schedule with five games during this period; the Lone Star State team will play Minnesota, the Rangers, Pittsburgh and Vancouver at home, with their lone road game coming against Chicago – which immediately precedes their game against Pittsburgh.

Edmonton – Beyond their special teams woes – second-last in PP% (14.5%) and DFL in PK% (72.15%), the Oilers are a bottom-10 team in terms of goals per game, which is really what fantasy owners care about. That McDavid & co. have been so poor offensively this year is a disappointment, in the same way their upcoming schedule is: at LA/SJ/ANA, and home vs. Tampa and Florida. Ouch.

Florida – Not only do the Panthers only play five times in this stretch, but they have two days off between four of the five which makes it very tough in weekly leagues. The first three all come at home, against Detroit, Vancouver and LA, while the last two are part of their Western Canada swing – at Edmonton and Vancouver.

February 2nd to February 8th

Best Bets

MIN 4.315 – Away DAL STL – Home VGK ARI

SJS 4.1575 – Away CBJ CAR COL – Home VGK

OTT 4 – Away PHI MTL – Home NJD NSH

NSH 3.8 – Away NYI TOR OTT- Home NYR

CAR 3.36 – Away – Home DET SJS PHI

Steer Clear

EDM 1.905 – Away LAK – Home TBL

LAK 2.1525 – Home ARI EDM

WPG 2.3625 – Home COL ARI

FLA 2.4675 – Home DET VAN

ARI 2.66 – Away LAK WPG MIN

February 3rd to February 9th

Best Bets

STL 4.1425 – Away BUF WPG- Home MIN COL

NYI 4.1425 – Away BUF – Home CBJ NSH DET

NYR 4.005 – Away NSH DAL – Home BOS CGY

OTT 4 – Away PHI MTL – Home NJD NSH

VAN 3.9475 – Away FLA TBL CAR- Home TBL

Steer Clear

VGK 2.5175 – Away WSH PIT SJS

CBJ 2.55 – Away NYI WSH- Home WSH

ARI 2.66 – Away LAK WPG MIN

EDM 2.8075 – Away LAK ANH- Home TBL

PHI 2.94 – Away CAR – Home OTT MTL

February 4th to February 10th

Best Bets

CAR 4.62 – Home SJS PHI VAN COL

SJS 4.3475 – Away CAR COL – Home VGK EDM

OTT 3.905 – Away MTL TOR- Home NJD NSH

EDM 3.71 – Away LAK ANH SJS- Home TBL

NSH 3.6575 – Away NYI TOR OTT MTL

Steer Clear

DET 2 – Away NYI – Home BOS

FLA 2.205 – Home VAN LAK

WPG 2.205 – Home ARI STL

PIT 2.21 – Away DAL – Home VGK

VGK 2.5175 – Away WSH PIT SJS

February 5th to February 11th

Best Bets

NYI 4.3525 – Away BUF – Home NSH DET CGY

SJS 4.2525 – Away COL ANH- Home VGK EDM

BUF 4.205 – Away BOS – Home ANH NYI COL

DAL 4.1525 – Away CHI – Home NYR PIT VAN

BOS 4.1475 – Away DET NYR NJD- Home BUF

Steer Clear

CBJ 2.7025 – Away WSH – Home WSH NJD

MTL 2.0425 – Away PHI – Home NSH

DET 2.76 – Away NYI WSH- Home BOS

FLA 2.205 – Home VAN LAK

LAK 2.8975 – Away FLA TBL – Home EDM

February 6th to February 12th

Best Bets

SJS 4.2525 – Away COL ANH – Home VGK EDM

BOS 4.1475 – Away DET NYR NJD – Home BUF

PHI 4.1275 – Away CAR ARI VGK – Home MTL

BUF 4.205 – Away BOS – Home ANH NYI COL

STL 4.0425 – Away WPG – Home MIN COL PIT

Steer Clear

MTL 2.0425 – Away PHI – Home NSH

CBJ 2.7025 – Away WSH – Home WSH NJD

NSH 2.7075 – Away TOR OTT MTL

DET 2.76 – Away NYI WSH – Home BOS

LAK 2.8975 – Away FLA TBL – Home EDM

February 7th to February 13th

Best Bets

SJS 4.315 – Away ANH – Home VGK EDM ARI

BUF 4.2575 – Away BOS – Home NYI COL TBL

NYI 4.2475 – Away BUF – Home DET CGY CBJ

PHI 4.2325 – Away ARI VGK – Home MTL NJD

TBL 4.2 – Away TOR BUF- Home VAN LAK

Steer Clear

FLA 1.8475 – Away EDM – Home LAK

MTL 2.0425 – Away PHI – Home NSH

DET 2.7075 – Away NYI WSH – Home ANH

OTT 2.8025 – Away TOR PIT- Home NSH

CBJ 2.8125 – Away WSH NYI- Home NJD

February 8th to February 14th

Best Bets

SJS 4.315 – Away ANH – Home VGK EDM ARI

BUF 4.2575 – Away BOS – Home NYI COL TBL

NYI 4.2475 – Away BUF – Home DET CGY CBJ

PHI 4.2325 – Away ARI VGK – Home MTL NJD

TBL 4.2 – Away TOR BUF – Home VAN LAK

Steer Clear

DET 2.7075 – Away NYI WSH – Home ANH

OTT 2.8025 – Away TOR PIT – Home NSH

NSH 2.8075 – Away OTT MTL – Home STL

EDM 2.855 – Away ANH SJS – Home FLA

WPG 2.8875 – Home STL NYR WSH

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/looking-ahead/tomas-hertl-and-the-sharks-have-a-favourable-upcoming-schedule/

[emblem-333]

When The Patriots Played at Fenway

People casually dismiss the Pre-Tom Brady - Bill Belichick eras of Patriots history as irrelevant. The memories of the early 1990’s when the Patriots went 1-15 and two seasons later went 2-14, and rumors swirled of this he team jettisoning Foxborough for St. Louis until Robert Kraft purchase of the team and subsequent hiring of Bill Parcells did more than just turn the page on a disastrous time in team history that still defines the franchise pre-21s century.

Entering the American Football League in 1960 the BOSTON Patriots struggled to find a home to house their squad made up of NFL cast offs. Settling on Boston University’s Nickerson Field. The newly minted team did bolster promising young coaches and players. Lou Saban wouldn’t find much success in Boston, but his second stop in Buffalo delivered the Bills franchise two AFL Championships. Future Patriots head coach Mike Holovak began his tenure managing the offensive backfield. Robert “Red” Miller coached the offensive line. Later he’d manage the Denver Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1977; defensive backfield coach Joe Collier would find himself on his staff molding the famous “Orange Crush” defense which came to define the Broncos pre-John Elway.

Quarterbacking for the infant team was Walpole, Massachusetts native Butch Songin. His rifle arm matched the makeup of the AFL high flying offensive nature. 4th in passing yards per game (176.9). 2nd in passer rating (70.9). 4th in total passing yards (2,476). 4th in passing touchdowns (22).

Butch was from the humblest of beginnings. At 36 this was Songin’s most prominent feature in professional football. Though he did quarterback the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to the 1953 Grey Cup in the Canadian Football League, the National Football League overlooked Songin. From 1947 to 1949, Songin was the starting QB for the Boston College Eagles. He completed 192 of 385 passes for 2,534 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. In 1950 he was selected 247th overall by the Cleveland Browns. He would never play a game for the team or for the NFL.

Luckily for Songin, football wasn’t the only sport he was good at. Songin was an All-American for Boston College playing hockey. Winning the 1948-49 National Championship as captain of the squad. While the National Hockey League also gave Songin the cold shoulder, his nephew Tom played right-wing for the Boston Bruins. Songin seemed over the idea of playing football when the Patriots came knocking at his door. He was coaching high school football - and would still moonlight in that role while quarterbacking the Patriots for the 1960 season.

In his debut for the Patriots Songin threw for 12 of 24 for 145 yards, two interceptions, and his lone touchdown was caught by Jim Colclough. Hailing from Medford, Colclough lead the Patriots in the three of the first four seasons in receiving, compiling an impressive 2,984 yards, 31 touchdowns and 173 receptions before Gino Cappelletti rose above him in the pecking order. Colclough went on to compile 283 receptions for 5,001 yards and 39 touchdowns for the Boston Patriots over the 1960–1968 seasons.

Boston’s first ever win came at the expense of the New York Titans coached by the legendary Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh. In the dilapidated Polo Grounds the Patriots stormed back from a 24-7 deficit, the twosome of Songin and punter Tom Greene cut the Titans lead to just 3. Greene hit Oscar Lofton; later Songin hit Colclough.

With 12 ticks left on the clock New York still lead. Fortunately for their opponent the Victory Formation yet to have been incorporated. Titans center Mike Hudock snap was low and punter Rick Sapienza fumbled the ball. A scrum ensued, both teams literally kicking a chance at recovering the pigskin away until defensive back Chuck Shonta snatched it from the ground and ran into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

Baugh and Titans owner Harry Wismer were irate afterwards and filed a complain to the league office claiming that there is video evidence of the Patriots’ illegally kicking the football. Commissioner Joe Foss would acknowledge that the officials made a mistake in no whistling the play dead, but decided against overturning the result of the game. The Patriots first ever victory in franchise history came off a technicality.

Ultimately, it he Patriots finished 5-9, last in their division. Though their twelfth game in franchise history against the eventual AFL Champion Houston Oilers would be the first sellout in the history of the new league. New England proved to be indeed an era that can house a professional football team.

Songin suffered a neck injury and missed the final two games of the season. The Patriots looked eager to replace their aging, withered quarterback with somebody that would excite the fans and raise their ceiling. With the 35th pick in the 1961 AFL Draft the Patriots took Georgia College QB Fran Tarkenten. Unfortunately, Tarkenton chose to play for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. The Patriots were left still without a quarterback.

In the middle of the 1960 campaign the Patriots acquired journeyman quarterback Babe Parilli from the Oakland Raiders. His first start was on opening day of the ‘61 season against the Titans. He threw for just 92 yards and the Patriots lost 21-20. By week 5 general manager Edward McKeever believed the team to be underachieving. The Patriots were sitting at 2-3, despite housing AFL All-Pros Tom Addison, Fred Bruney, Gino Cappelletti, and Larry Garron. Saban was relieved of his duties and Holovak was installed as his replacement. From then on, things turned around. Under Holovak’s direction the Patriots would finish 7-1-1, good for a 9-4-1 mark on the season, one game behind the eventual champion Oilers. They tied the Oilers in the 6th week of the season and had the Patriots eked that one out instead, they’d head to the AFL Championship Game. They were a George Blanda kick away from going from Worst to First.

Parilli, a Rochester, Pennsylvania native, held a clipboard for the majority of his career. Drafted out of Kentucky, Parilli played under the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant. Receiving accolades such as consensus All-American in 1950 and 1951 and was fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in both years.

In the six-years Parilli spent on the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, later the Cleveland Browns, and his lone season on the AFL’s Oakland Raiders he started 18 games, appearing in 67, threw for 39 touchdowns and 79 interceptions. Despite all of that the Patriots entrusted him with the keys and rewarded their faith in him instantly. Parilli lead the AFL in completion percentage in 1961 (52.5). 1961 was the season Cappelletti become a star scoring 8 touchdowns making the All-Star team.

In their first season under Songin’s stewardship the Patriots ranked dead last in the AFL in points scored (286). Less than a full season with Parilli at the helm the Patriots soared to number 2 (413). Second in passing touchdowns (29) and last in interceptions (21).

In 1962 the Patriots duplicated their 9-4-1 record from the previous season, this time two games behind division leader Houston. They had the lead up until November 18th during a contest against the Oilers when Parilli suffered a broken collar bone. They would go on to lose despite a solid performance from backup Tom Yewcic, 21-17 and lose first place in their division. If Parilli hadn’t gone down with an injury or if the Patriots didn’t tie the Buffalo Bills in their November 3rd matchup they’d represent the Eastern division in the title game. Another promising season derailed by happenstance.

Still, the Patriots were on the rise. Ron Burton and Colclough each had 40 receptions. Burton reached 1,000 yards from scrimmage, and Colclough’s 10 receiving touchdowns was 2nd best in the AFL, behind only Dallas Texans’ All-Pro Chris Burford (12).

After 1962 the Patriots would move to the Red Sox’ home in Fenway Park.

Behind Parilli the Patriots become one of the most exciting franchises in the AFL and looked posed to continue their momentum into the 1963 season. The Patriots finished 7-6-1. The defense anchored by All-Pro Larry Eisenhauer, All-Stars Ron Hall, Bob Dee, Nick Buoniconti, Tom Addison, and team leader in interceptions Bob Suci allowed the 2nd fewest points in the AFL for ‘63 (257) only two more than the eventual champion San Diego Chargers. The offense wasn’t as stellar. Parilli completed just 45 percent of his passes, threw 24 interceptions and the air game was only better than the Dick Wood’s New York Jets and Mickey Slaughter’s Denver Broncos.

Scheduled to play Buffalo on the 24th of November the AFL postponed their slate of games after John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas the day before. While the NFL decided to play their Sunday games, the AFL didn’t believe their players and coaches would be in the right state of mind to perform.

"We were quite proud of that,'' said Boston Patriots wideout/placekicker Gino Cappelletti. "Our league made the decision not to play and thought it was the right thing to do.

"This was the right thing to do because the whole country was watching the historic events unfolding on television. It was a no-brainer for us, but the stodgy old NFL went on and played.''

Under the dark cloud of President Kennedy’s assassination the Boston rallied around the Patriots as they clinched the division crown over the Bills in a tie-breaker game to decide who’ll challenge the Chargers to the AFL title.

Parilli struggled throughout 1963, but on the day of December 28th he redeemed himself accumulating 300 passing yards and 2 touchdowns en route to a 26-8 demolishing of the favored Bills. Larry Gannon caught each of those touchdown passes. The Bills QB duo of Jack Kemp and Daryle Lamonica combined for 19 of 45, 301 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions.

But the Patriots in their first and only AFL Championship Game would run into a brick wall known as the greatest team in the league’s history, the Chargers, losing spectacularly 51-10.

With the Oilers core aging, it seemed the Patriots were the ideal successors to the AFL’s Eastern division. Optimism was still prevalent entering 1964. The Patriots fared far better posting a 10-3-1 record, losing the final game of the season to the Bills and subsequently the division title and a spot in the AFL Championship Game against the Chargers. Had they won the championship game would’ve been played at Fenway Park as the team with the best record held home-field advantage, there was no such thing as a neutral playing field in the AFL or NFL in the pre-Super Bowl era.

Parilli had himself a career season earning his first, and only, 1st team All-Pro honors, leading the league in touchdowns (31) and passing yards (3,465). Gino Cappelletti lead the team with 49 receptions for 865 yards. Art Graham wasn’t far behind him with 45 receptions, and AFL All-Star Larry Gannon chipped in 40. Cappelletti lead the league in total points scored (155), aided by his reliable kicking foot converting on 25 attempts. Cappelletti won AFL MVP honors as the Patriots as a team reached their collective peak.

The AFL also was at its peak of its own powers. Many pondered whether the ‘63 champion Chargers could beat the NFL champion Chicago Bears in a contest. Nobody entertained the idea of George Blanda’s Oilers or Len Dawson’s Texans of accomplishing such a feat. Perhaps any team from the AFL in ‘64 you match up against the NFL champion Cleveland Browns bests them. The Bills, Chargers, Patriots combined to allow less points than the Browns did 279.6 to Cleveland’s 293. Even though the browns had Paul Brown and Jim Brown, the Patriots and the AFL’s best presented a clash of styles that could have benefited the AFL in a hypothetical matchup.

The AFL exploited an error in how the NFL regarded talent. Parilli was a typical NFL castoff given a second chance by the upstart AFL. The Patriots sent fullback Alan Miller, halfback Dick Christy and defensive tackle Hal Smith west for Parilli and fullback Billy Lott to the Raiders. Lott led the team in rushing in 1961, gaining 461 yards on an even 100 carries while catching 32 passes for 333 more yards and scoring a total of 11 touchdowns, but he ran the ball only 43 times over his two remaining seasons.

The trade for the Raiders turned into a rare misstep in an era where they were considered the gold standard in excellence.

Parilli’s 1964 mark of 31 touchdowns stood as a Patriots franchise record until Tom Brady broke it into pieces in 2007. While Parilli is enshrined in the collegiate and Patriots Hall of Fames, respectfully, he hasn’t sniffed Canton.

From 1961 to 1966 the Patriots suffered just one losing season, winning on average 8.1 games a year, the ‘65 campaign really skews how good they were at this time. Excluding the 4-8-2 season, the Patriots averaged 8.8 wins. If a couple of scenarios had gone differently the Patriots would be viewed as not only the class of the AFL, but in an area where the Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins have such mystic and allure to go along with their laundry list of accomplishments and titles the pre-Brady/Belichick Patriots would’ve never been given the label as the black sheep of the foursome.

Up until 1980 the Patriots finished with a winning record more often than not. Housed two MVP’s (Cappelletti and Nance). Quality quarterbacks in Parilli and later Steve Grogan. Famous, well regarded head coaches like Holovak and Chuck Fairbanks lead them to victories and playoff berths. They even snuck into a Super Bowl in 1985... of course they received a throat slashing at the hands of the Bears, but hey, at least they got there. Not many franchises can say that.

What was the most glorious thing reading about these teams is the fact they played at Fenway Park. When the lease on Nickerson field was up the Patriots moved nearly 2 miles east to Fenway. "We felt like we were legitimate because it was a major league venue," Cappelletti recalls the first time the team entered the sacred confines of Fenway.