How you doin'?

It’s hard to imagine the Patriots offense WITHOUT Wes Welker. I’d argue that before the arrival of Rob Gronkowski, Welker was the second most valuable aspect of the offense – behind Tom Brady, of course. I know that there are plenty of people out there who think that it is Tom Brady that makes Welker great. I think that’s actually what makes him valuable to the team.

Let me explain: Many teams in this league would pay a hefty amount of money for the chemistry that Brady and Welker have and something like that really can’t be bought.

The Patriots mandatory mini-camp runs from June 12-14 and Welker not being present is something both sides want to avoid.

Wes Welker is not a Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald but something has to be said about what he adds to the offense. Having someone like Welker around allows for players like Rob Gronkowski more opportunities to make plays. As much of a unique asset Welker is to the Patriots offensive system, I know that it is difficult to compare his worth to some of the highest paid receivers in the league.

Here’s what Twitter had to say on #WelkersWorth:

…and then there’s this response from Fitzy.

The general consensus is that Welker deserves to be paid around $26 million for three years about $17 million guaranteed. As discussed though, I think that his value drops because of the fact that the younger players around him are finding their own ways to make the offense better and there’s nothing Wes Welker can do about it.

Let me know your thoughts. What is Wes Welker worth?

__________________________________________

***UPDATE – 5/15 ***

Wes Welker signs his $9.4 million tender 

This is exactly how I describe how the Patriots did in the 2012 NFL Draft. The biggest difference in this year’s draft is that for once, the Patriots knew who they wanted AND ACTUALLY WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO GET THEM. Everyone expected the Patriots to trade down — a la “quantity over quality’ mindset. Nay nay. They did the complete opposite and traded UP..TWICE! 

For a Patriots fan, this is a mind-blowing way of doing things. Going into this Draft (heck, going in to the Draft within the past few years) has been to fill the need on defense. Honestly besides nose tackle, every other aspect of the defense was rather shaky. The scary thing is that this shaky defense managed to get to the team to the Super Bowl. Yeah, I know they didn’t win it but getting there was not something most people thought they would be able to do.

So entering the 2012-2013 season, expectations are obviously high and the Patriots are going in to the season with a vengeance! 

At the end of the NFL Draft, this is what the Patriots ended up with (for a more in-depth look on the Patriots Draft maneuvers, check out this post from my friends at Patriots Insider) :

The Patriots Drafted the following players in the 2012 NFL Draft: 
1st Round (21st overall):  DE Chandler Jones, Syracuse
1st Round (25th overall): LB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama
2nd Round (48th overall): S Tavon Wilson, Illinois
3rd Round (90th overall): DE Jake Bequette, Arkansas
6th Round (197th overall): DB Nate Ebner, Ohio State
7th Round (224th overall): CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
7th Round  (235th overall): WR Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern

Of course the first thing I did when I heard the draft picks was to look them up on YouTube.

Highlight reels, baby.

I’ve done all the work for you guys so sit back, relax and watch these highlights of the newest members of the New England Patriots.

1st Round: DE Chandler Jones – AHHMAZZZING. This guy is big but extremely fluid and strong. Seriously, he is EXACTLY what our defense needed. 

1st Round: LB Dont’a Hightower

2nd Round: S Tavon Wilson

3rd Round: DE Jake Bequette - Ok video but what is that music in the background? Slipknot? Are they still around?

6th Round: DB Nate Ebner – This piece is just fantastic. Gives a great background story of Ebner and his family. A really great kid and might just be my favorite person drafted this year. Such a touching story about his father and his experience playing rugby. Did I mention that he was a walk-on as a special teamer for the Buckeyes? Yeah, how could you not love this guy?

7th Round: CB Alonzo Dennard

7th Round: WR Jeremy Ebert - He was the only offensive player drafted this year, looks to be a rather flexible type of player.  Excuse the meh highlight reel, the only other ones I could find were about 10 minutes too long and had a very weird country song in the background. 

Enjoy the videos, I know I did.

So let me know what you think in the poll below.

The first challenging game that comes up in Week 3 when the Patriots will face the Baltimore Ravens AT Baltimore.

The Ravens are still a scary team. We can all agree that the playoff game the Patriots won last season was nothing short of a miracle ( an MHK miracle, that is). Defense is where this team excels and with aging veterans like Ray Lewis (see above) and Ed Reed, this might just be their last chance at making it to the Super Bowl. The Ravens also have the 2nd most difficult schedule in the league and a win against the Patriots early in the season could pave the way for a successful start to the season. Oh and by the way, the game is in Baltimore. Womp womp.

I guess one thing to rely on is that Joe Flacco is meh at best and that’s a part of the Ravens that the Patriots ALWAYS can capitalize on.

Here’s a pretty funny rant from Slate about Flacco’s “humility.”

Next up, the Patriots against the Buffalo Bills at home and on the road

The Buffalo Bills are one those teams that are somewhat unpredictable. They have every reason to be a good team. Their big pickup in the offseason was “Super” Mario Williams from my second love the Houston Texans. The Bills tend to struggle on the road and luckily for them, they’re facing the Patriots at home. I marked this game, rather these match-ups, as worth watching because when the Bills decide to be a good team, they tend to do it well.

The man with the beard, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is just so inconsistent with the way he plays and a lot of the team’s success varies because of that.

Last season, they had a 5-2 start, which gave a lot of Bills fans some hope…and then they lost 11 straight games and quickly disappeared from any sort of playoff chatter.

The last notable game in my opinion is the Monday Night Football game against the Houston Texans.

Now from what I’ve read on everyone’s prediction is that this will be a cakewalk for the Patriots and that the Texans might as well accept this as loss. Whoa there folks. Let’s not forgot how close the Texans are at being one of the better teams in the league. Between a solid offense (if quarterback Matt Shaub is healthy) and a Wade Phillips-coached defense, they still have a fighting chance at making this game a lot more difficult than expected for the Patriots. One notable pick up for the Texans is linebacker Bradie James, who was recently released by the Cowboys despite being having an effective season. The fact that Bradie has experience with the Wade Phillips and could be the key in filling the gap left by the departure of Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans.

…Of course if the love affair between wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and Tom Brady blossoms the way all Patriots fans hope, this game will be definite loss for the Texans. Just sayin’.

Oh let’s not forget one game that is worth speaking about, the Turkey Day game against the New York Jets.

My biggest concern is that this is the night game and honestly, I’ve usually inhaled about 5 lbs of Thanksgiving nom noms at this point. I really can’t promise that I’ll be fully awake to watch the shenanigans that is Rex Ryaand Tim Tebow but I sure will try. Especially by this point in the season, we might see Tim Tebow as a starter over Mark Sanchez.

Dunn dunn!

That’s all folks, here is an adorable photo of a chubby bulldog. Yay.

Back in November, I remember seeing this on the Sharks’ Facebook page:

Best idea for an AHL game…except the ever-awesome Star Wars nights.

Like I said, it was back in November and I totally forgot about it. Thank goodness for Facebook. Kristyn so kindly reminded me and for $11 a ticket, how could I say no to something Patriots..even if it is an hour away.

We left Providence just at 6 pm and made it there for 6:50 pm. Yeah, it was pretty impressive considering it was down pouring and people were driving like we were in the middle of a hurricane.

When we finally made it to the DCU Center, the lobby was a zoo.

I’ve never seen so many people at an AHL game. Kristyn later tells me that it’s the biggest crown they’ve had a Worcester Sharks game since the teams’ inception in 2006. Gronk memorabilia was on hand for people to buy and I also found out that some people paid some big bucks to attend a meet and greet with Gronk and also get a photo signed. Listening to the season ticket holders sitting around us, they seemed pretty happy to see so many people show up to a Sharks game… “Even if it is for another player… from another sport…from another team.”

As expected, a good amount of the local media was present, probably more than ever.

I joked earlier in the week that Gronk would most likely be spiking this puck while on crutches… I was half right.

Gronkowski was escorted onto the ice via in the bed of a truck that paraded him around the entire rink for all the fans. He was even sporting his own #87 Gronkowski Sharks jersey that was later auctioned off for charity.

Here is the video of his intro and spiking awesomeness:

The best part was that Gronk hobbled off the truck, grabbed the puck and spiked it so hard that it shattered into four pieces. The best is Gronk’s face after the puck shattered. It was like  superhero who just learned that they had superhuman strength.

Gronk later explained that, “Only footballs can handle my spikes.” 

There was also a press conference after the spike and Gronk addressed some things..including his shritless fiesta.Video credit to the always awesome CSNNE.

As for me, I’ve decided to do a 5K. Not just a typical 5K. It’s an adventure race with obstacles and of course, zombies. 

These are the people that will be coming after me as I run through mud, hay mazes and rope courses. If you’re interested in joining me on my 25th birthday adventure run, check out more information about the Run for Your Life 5K. I’ll be doing the one in Boston. Wish me luck.

Now I bring up birthdays because yesterday, in celebration of his 35th birthday, former Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss announced a comeback…again.

In his four years as a Patriot, Moss was the definition of a comeback player. He started 51 games, caught 259 balls for 50 touchdowns. Randy Moss was essential in the Patriots undefeated season in 2007 breaking several franchise and league records. In the Super Bowl XLII, Moss made five catches for 62 yards and one touchdown, although it didn’t get them the win, his worth to the team was evident. To be honest, if anyone on the Patriots team currently managed those numbers in Super Bowl XLVI, it would’ve been a very different game.

In his last season with the Patriots, Moss seemed unexcited, unmotivated and just checked out. Believe me, I was one of the people that watched Moss barely run routes and just asking, begging for more from him. The fallout was even more controversial. Moss claimed to not feel wanted in New England as he was not offered a contract extension in the final year.

After he left New England, Moss still kept in touch with the Patriots and Kraft family. He visited Robert Kraft after the passing of Myra Kraft and has stated that he would “love” to play for the Patriots.

So is Randy Moss worth it for the Patriots?

I’d have to say no. 

As Greg Bedard tweeted earlier, the Patriots had the option to pick him up last season and chose not to. Not to mention, the Patriots have a very different offense nowadays than they did on 2007. There are two giant targets for Tom Brady – tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez – and they can do more than some of the best wide receivers in the league today.

Besides the fact that the Patriots have different needs, there are also so many other great receivers up for grabs in free agency, I just don’t see why the Patriots would want to invest in the Randy Moss project… again. With other veterans on the list like Reggie Wayne, Brandon Lloyd and Marques Colston, I just think there are so many others out there who could give you so much more on the investment. Reports are being released that the Saints are planning to use their franchise tag on Marques Colston but that still leaves the likes of Colts’ Reggie Wayne and Buffalo’s Stevie Johnson.

Reggie Wayne finds himself in an interesting situation too as the Colts’ have not showed any interest in having the veteran back. This season was a very different one for Wayne, there was no Peyton Manning to throw to him and the team had more motivation to lose than to win - Suck for Luck?

Wayne would be such a great fit for the Patriots and he’s already expressed interest in playing Tom Brady and crew and I think he could be successful with the Patriots offense. He’s experienced and has the discipline that fits the Patriot Way well. From all of the available receivers, Reggie Wayne is the perfect fit, in my opnion.

I wish Randy Moss all the luck in finding a new team who can use his talents. It’s admirable for him to come back and want to get back to the sport he’s been playing since he was six years old.

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Randy Moss moments:

You know, when I lose the Super Bowl, I like to dance my pants..er..my shirt off. – Gronk

I look at that above statement and I find nothing wrong with it. I’ll be the first to say that when I’ve had a rough day, I like to spend some time on Just Dance 3 on the Wii and get my groove on to “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO. Watch the video, it’s hella fun.

My personal opinion is that I honestly had no problem seeing Rob Gronkowski dancing the night away..

1. He played 95%+ of the snaps during the season

2. He played ALL OUT, all season

3. Although there hints of his shenanigans during the season (see: BiBi Jones twitpic) it never interfered with his game

Now, the Matt Light picture with him dancing shirtless was not so hot.

The Patriots played one hell of a season and if the way they wanted to deal with the loss was by dancing their hearts out on stage in a private party in Boston, by all means, do your thing. Yes, I was one of those fans whose Monday was completely thrown off and I was a cranky pants to everyone I spoke to. It was so bad that my parents WAITED for me to call them.

Sigh, just thinking about it now is making me a sad panda.

That’s me as a die-hard fan though and I also realize that life goes on for these players.

Party on boys. You’ve got a big season ahead of you and Patriots Nation is expecting you all to play a season…with a VENGEANCE!

Models aren’t supposed to talk about sports…right, Brandon Jacobs?

Gisele’s comments post-mortem of the Super Bowl XLVI loss were similar to the same thoughts that a lot of people had after the game. Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Deion Branch all dropped catches. There was a lot to be frustrated about.

If Gisele had just said, “We didn’t do enough to win the game.” I don’t think there would be that much backlash. Instead, it was the jabs that she took against the rest of his teammates that really caught everyone’s attention. It was a natural reaction and I’m honestly surprised that the statement she made was the worst of it. The video showed Gisele with some of the other wives of the other players and they were just silent.

Who knows, I don’t think Gisele should be getting all the flack that she has been getting. It was in the heat of the moment and Giants fans can be rude (and also not know who their starting quarterback is). Was it the classiest thing to do? Not so much. But when your husband just lost the biggest game of the season, class isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.

Whether it be dancing or smack talking, you know the offseason has begun when THESE are the major story lines.

Bring on the Draft.

21-17, we fell a few points short.

It’s a close one but I think that this loss hurt a little more than the first time around. No matter what you tried to tell yourself before the game, losing the way the Patriots did is still difficult to take in.

There were so many chances for them to win. Heck, we managed to have a miserable first half but still be up by one point going into halftime. Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco (who had a pretty non-existent season) made one of the longest catches of the game with 21 yards. It seemed like things finally starting to fall into place, even with a first half that started with a rookie mistake, Patriots fans were hopeful that this is where the real Patriots would come out.

The Patriots looked to have found their rhythm. Tom Brady constructed an impressive 96 yard drive that ended in a four yard touchdown catch by running back Danny Woodhead. 

In the first drive of the second half, Aaron Hernandez made a 12 yard catch into the end zone and made it rain on the big stage. Things were looking up.

Following the touchdown, everything seemed to go downhill. From an inability to recover fumbles to team’s most reliable receivers struggling to make catches.  The entire team just seemed off. The defense, surprisingly, wasn’t the biggest disappointment of the game though.

It turned out the be the receivers who struggled the most.

Deion Branch, the one-time Super Bowl MVP, was no stranger to the pressures of this game. But he dropped a crucial pass.

Wes Welker, Tom Brady’s favorite receiver who had 122 catches this season, dropped a catch that he’s “…Made a thousand times.” This catch, more than the others could have sealed the victory for the Patriots.

It would be easy to place blame on number 83 but honestly, I think it’s both on him and on Brady’s pass (the pass looked to be behind Welker and a tad high).

I don’t think the blaming game will help the hardcore Patriots fan in me.

My good friend Joe Gill asked me about why I thought this loss hurt more than the first defeat,

Because I think the reasons they had to play well, to finish this season as champions were so much deeper than in 2007. Back then, it was about the perfect season. This time around, nothing was really perfect and that made it so much more exciting and worth fighting for…

Yeah, I think that pretty much sums up how I feel.

In a season that was dedicated to Myra H. Kraft’s extraordinary life, Robert Kraft took time after their return to Gillette Stadium to address the media and fans for their support all season.

Also to the fans, when we dedicated this season to my sweetheart, I met with the players and coaches and asked them to do everything they could do to make this season special in her honor.

Thank you Mr. Kraft and the New England Patriots for an exciting season. Although a Super Bowl win would’ve made things perfect, nothing could take away how special this season was.

Here’s to next year and a new season.

Go Pats. 

On the Saturday before Super Bowl XLVI, Ryan and I trekked all the way to Exeter, Rhode Island to meet with Paul Brunelle aka Patriot Paul of The End Zone Militia.  If you don’t know who the End Zone Militia are, here’s a quick bio:

Seen on the sidelines of a New England Patriots or New England Revolution, or proudly conducting Honor Guard at a Boston Red Sox game, we are the End Zone Militia – supporting local sporting teams and providing ambiance of New England’s rich heritage.

These men and women have become a staple for the New England Patriots as their muskets can be heard after each score made by the Patriots. Dressed in true-to-time garb, they bring something incredibly unique to the stadium during Patriots and Revolution games that not other teams can compete with.With every member of the Militia also being an experienced re-enactor, the role of being part of the EZM is more than just dressing the part.

Paul explained, “There’s a long list of people waiting to be a member of the End Zone Militia. They’re required to have five years, at least, of re-enacting experience and must be in good standing.” When I actually looked at the site, it stated that there was a 20 person waiting list. Unlike the Patriots Cheerleaders, the End Zone Militia members can stay members for as long as they choose. Paul has been doing it for seven years. It’s also worth noting that all of the milita members are volunteers, the outfits, the weaponry, are custom made for each person and bought by each person. Paul told me that muskets when he first started were at least $1,000 each.

Safety was a big thing that Paul wanted to emphasize.

“When we fire we make sure the area in front of us is clear and hold our fire until safe and for those photographers in front of us, we tell them prior so they can get out of the area or stay down and be ready.”

Paul shared some really great stories in his seven years as a member of the End Zone Militia. One of them being that the reason they wait to do the celebratory volley AFTER an extra point is kicked was because during one game, they fired one before and the remaining smoke caused Adam Vinatieri to miss his PAT kick. Whoops. 

Walking through Paul’s home was like going back in Patriots history.

He had a photo (above ) signed by Adam Vinatieri after his kick in the famous Snow Bowl against the Raiders. It was such a great shot that Adam himself requested a copy of it.

There were Super Bowl tickets and memorabilia all over and since Paul has been a Patriots season ticket holder since 1995 – front row seats, actually – he has one of most impressive photo collections of Patriots games I’ve ever seen. I could’ve spent the whole day hearing Paul’s stories about facing the bitter cold at Gillette and his great experiences with the Kraft Family.

Although the End Zone Militia didn’t make the trip to Indianapolis with the Patriots, they’ll be cheering for them loud and proud from all over the New England area.

I have to say, other than the musket weighing a ton, they were rather user-friendly. You’ll see in the video that being short and not that strong makes for a not so good soldier.

_

Thanks again to Paul for taking the time to show me how to shoot a musket, it was something that I’ve  (heck, I’m sure every Patriots fan) always wanted to do.

Look for the End Zone Militia at all Patriots and Revs games, they’ll be more than happy to chat and take some photos with you.

The video was so much fun to shoot and I promise, you’ll learn a few things about muskets too..

Patriot Paul predicted a Patriot win by 14. Let’s hope he’s right.

Go Patriots!

I was on ESPN 1420 in Hawaii last night and I’m still waiting for the interview to be posted so I’ll get that up as soon as possible.

One of the hosts of the Sports Animals is a HUGE Jets fan and I couldn’t help but bring up the ever-so-unneeded tight white pants photo shoot in GQ. Come on Mark Sanchez, why do the pants have to be so tight?

I also recorded a nice little video update for you all since I got an awesome package from the Wes Welker Football ProCamp (which I’ll be covering in May) and I wanted to share the info with you guys! I’ll get you all more information as the date gets closer.

There it is folks, my Super Bowl XLVI prediction…

PATRIOTS…. ALL THE WAY!

Regardless of the lack of my plans for the big game, I wanted to take the time to give a big THANKS to Tommy Terrifics .

Here they are being featured on 7 News Boston:

They were kind enough to send me a pair of killer custom made New England Patriots heels. Perhaps I can flaunt them sometime this weekend! Ladies, these shoes are surprisingly comfortable and makes a shorter girl like me (5’2! ) a little taller…woot!

Thanks again, Tommy Terrifics for giving us female Patriots fans another way to show off our love for the Pats!

Muchos gracias! What do you guys think?

Thanks to Patriots Insiders’ Facebook page (You should all should “Like” right now!), I came across this great video of Gronkowski’s teammates doing their best impression of Roberto.

Best part? All of the Ross Ventrone sightings. Jackpot.