For the first time in 6 years, your New England Patriots won't be contending for the NFL's grand prize in January. Here is a short list of reasons why:
1. The loss at Indy. Had Jabar "Reche Caldwell" Gaffney held onto the ball, the Pats would've won the division hands down. Gaffney pretty much managed to play himself off the team this season, much to my own disappointment. That was a game they should and could have won even though their usual chess match against the Colts didn't produce many points.
2. Old defenders. Ok, we know Jerod Mayo is bee's knees and should win Defensive Rookie of the Year but the other starters at Linebacker are wicked old. There definitely needs to be an upgrade at linebacker and in the secondary for next season. Some possible upgrades are soon-to-be free agent linebackers Jonathan Vilma and possibly James Farrior if the Steelers let him walk. In terms of the secondary, the Pats could have their eyes on Brian Dawkins, Chris Gamble or Jabari Greer to give their secondary a shot in the arm.
3. INJURIES. When your best player on the offensive side of the ball goes down and you still win 11 games, that's impressive. When you lose the heart and soul of your defense (Rodney Harrison) as well, that's downright ridiculous. I believe a blog post from either Mike Reiss or
Chris Gasper stated that the Pats lost over 80 man-games to injuries over the year. It's just another testament to the depth they've had to plug guys in and still rip off 11 wins.
4. Randy Moss decided to take some plays off. There were multiple games when it was pretty evident that he decided he didn't want to play. He didn't block for Welker on several occasions which cost them the chance for some big plays. There was no way Moss would've had a bigger year than last season without All-Everything quarterback Tom Brady, but he should've earned his money just as much this season by not taking certain plays off.
5. Beating the teams that matter. The Pats were only 2-4 against the teams on their schedule that made the playoffs with losses to Indy, Miami, San Diego and Pittsburgh. They got one back against Miami and smoked the 8-8 Cardinals but lost to 3 of the four best teams in the AFC (excluding the Chargers).
I'll definitely be looking forward to the draft to see who they bring in with the 24th pick (according to the guys at the Globe once again) and who they sign in order to restore some order in the AFC East in 2009.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Weston Athlete of the Year Ellen McCurdy
By John Condakes/Sports Correspondent
The 2007 Weston Town Crier Female Athlete of the Year is Ellen McCurdy, a three-sport star at Weston High where she captained the soccer, swimming and lacrosse teams her senior year.
McCurdy was elected captain of the soccer team in the fall under coach Debbie Schick. "Ellen's consistency and ability to play 100 percent all the time is where she stands out. I always knew that she would play her hardest and it makes her unique," said Schick. "Her strength as an athlete is from her athleticism and her personality and they combined to create both a well-rounded athlete and a great student."
McCurdy played midfield this season and lettered three times in soccer. Schick also mentioned that McCurdy's goal during a game against Concord-Carlisle this year turned the game around and that C-C's coach complimented Ellen on how much she had impressed him ever since her freshman year.
"What I'll never forget about soccer is when we beat Acton-Boxboro my sophomore year in the last 30 seconds," remarked McCurdy. "It was the first time that we had ever beaten them and it felt incredible to be a part of that."
McCurdy first started making headlines as a freshman in the pool for recently retired coach Pete Foley in the 2003-2004 season when she was named a Dual County League All-Star.
"Ellen is one of the most team-oriented athletes that I've seen in my 35 years at Weston," stated Foley. "She is very modest and very humble. She was named an All-Scholastic by the Herald and the Globe and she said 'you gotta be kidding me' and named three or four other kids on the team who she thought deserved it more."
As a four-letter winner on the swim team, McCurdy competed in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle as well as the butterfly and on the medley relay. She was a four-time Dual County League All-Star and a three-time All-Scholastic during her career with the Lady Tide. McCurdy helped the Red Tide win four Dual County League titles along with three North Sectional titles and aided in three runner-up finishes in Division 2 states.
In addition to being captain, McCurdy was an excellent role model. "She was an important part of all the success we achieved, a great leader and a hard worker who was terrific with younger kids in our program," explained Foley.
McCurdy also had the pleasure of swimming with her two sisters. During her sophomore year, McCurdy swam with her older sister Megan, who now attends Georgetown and her younger sister Bridget, who will be a senior.
"It was nice to have them around both at the pool and at home," recalled McCurdy.
McCurdy also played lacrosse with Megan for one year and Bridget for two years.
This spring McCurdy was elected captain of the lacrosse team. "Lacrosse is my favorite sport," stated McCurdy. "I enjoyed going to practice and playing in games and Coach (Kelly) Trahon knew how to make it fun. It made me play my hardest all the time."
McCurdy played midfield and earned three varsity letters. She was a dynamic force on Weston's attack and one of the Lady Wildcats' most consistent scorers this season.
"It's only fitting that she scored the last goal of the season for us," said Foley.
In the North Sectional final against Winchester, she took the ball three-quarters the length of the field and potted the game-tying goal that sent the contest into overtime with eight seconds remaining in regulation. She was selected as an All-Scholastic by both the Herald and Globe this spring and was a Dual County League All-Star following her junior and senior campaigns.
At Weston High's Class Night, McCurdy was awarded the John Proctor Award, which is given to the most outstanding senior athlete. Not a bad way to cap off an outstanding athletic career at Weston.
McCurdy performed not only on the field but in the classroom as well. She was an honor roll student and earned the scholar athlete award at Weston High as well as a member of the National Honor Society.
McCurdy will matriculate to Babson College in the fall where she will study business in addition to playing on the soccer and lacrosse teams.
In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, watching movies and is a lifeguard on Cape Cod during the summer.
"I think she's got a great college career ahead of her," added Foley. "She's probably the nicest girl I've coached in 35 years and she puts others before herself."
Nora Militz Profile
For the love of the game: the story of a Division 1 college softball walk-on
Most walk-ons don’t make it past their sophomore year. They usually get frustrated with the lack of playing time and quit. For Nora Militz, a senior on
“Being on the team is like having 17 sisters,” she said. “Every day I get to play is pretty much a battle,” said Militz, “I look at it optimistically and try to do my best every chance I get.”
Throughout high school, Militz’s coach at
The letters came with good reason. Militz had an excellent high school career where she lettered three times, was named an honorable mention all-conference player as a sophomore followed by two-time all-conference honors as a junior and senior and was named All-Area and team MVP as a senior. Throughout high school, she played on an elite travelling team and was a standout catcher. She had become used to being the number one backstop but that would all change when she enrolled at BU in the fall of 2005.
Her shot at playing for a Division 1 school came in September when she decided to attend a tryout for BU’s softball team. Coach Shawn Rychcik found it rather easy to accept her onto the team. He figured her ability to catch would help the team in practice or in the bullpen. Also, she is left handed so it gave him a possible left handed hitter if she developed. And lastly, he saw that she had a good personality and worked hard in the few days of tryouts.
“Her biggest strength is her character. She is one of our best kids all around. She also has one of the best work ethics and will put in extra time,” said Rychcik.
At the time, Rychcik’s squad already carried Militz’s classmate and now current co-captain Christy Leath, who would become the starting catcher as a freshman. Militz earned her spot on the team and was given the role of utility player by Rychcik. Her on-the-field action as a freshman included a few defensive innings and some appearances as a pinch runner in 15 games along with one at-bat but her primary role on the team was as the bullpen catcher.
“My love will always be for catching,” she said, “it’s been hard switching to outfield because of the way you look at the ball out there and thinking about where to run and the timing is a lot slower. I also enjoy being in charge of the game.”
Her sophomore season saw some increased playing time and Militz rose to the second catcher on the depth chart but Rychcik opted to use her as the designated hitter along with then-newcomer Rachel Moeller. Hours of hard work on her swing gained her more confidence from Rychcik and increased playing time. She finished that spring with a .237 average in 30 games and 20 starts along with two home runs and 13 runs batted in. After two seasons, she played a total of one game at catcher. That was when she realized that in order to contribute, she would have to concentrate on getting better at the plate.
Moeller and Militz have developed a friendship as they compete for playing time. According to Moeller, the two have become very supportive of each other even though they fight for playing time in right field and as the designated hitter.
“I think we're pretty similar people as far as work ethic goes and how passionate we are about the game,” said Moeller. Even though they both vie for playing time, Rychcik has used them both in the lineup at the same time on numerous occasions. In those instances, Moeller would be in the field and Militz would be the designated hitter. Last season he decided that if they played in the same game, one of them would get the start and the other would come in about halfway through.
Moeller also noted that Militz is a great teammate and that she works hard all of the time and pushes others to do their best every day. She knows to help out when someone is having a bad day, and if the team is slacking off or being lazy she's not afraid to call them out on it and make sure that as a team they get the most out of every practice. Above all else, the two share a great deal of respect for each other even though they compete against each other.
“She's very passionate about the game and you can always tell that it’s something that she loves and truly enjoys,” said Moeller. “It’s great to have a teammate who works so hard to be the best that she can be and has fun while doing it.”
Militz’s love for the game never once changed over the last four years even though she still wasn’t any ever day player and appeared in more than half of the games for the scarlet and white last spring. Last season she became more of a contributor with increased playing time and posted some decent numbers at the plate. She hit .211 in 35 games and started 31 of them with one homer and 12 RBI. Her numbers declined a little from her sophomore to her junior year but the constant pressure of competing with Moeller was likely the cause of the decrease in average.
“I put tons of pressure on myself when I play. Probably way too much because I know I need to perform and every day is a battle,” said Militz.
Rychcik pointed out in an interview that most walk-ons don’t get as much playing time as Militz has. After her freshman year, Rychcik noticed that when Militz returned in the fall that her hitting had improved a great deal. From then on, he knew that she would challenge her teammates for some innings.
“She earned her chances by putting a lot of time in the cages over that summer,” said Rychcik.
One of Militz’s teammates who has known her from the beginning is co-captain Brooke Hudson, the team’s senior third baseman.
“I think that Nora has earned her spot as an everyday player,” said
While Rychcik doesn’t share the same sentiments as
“Nora hit a home run off the conference Pitcher of the Year and scored the winning run that won us the Speedline Tournament in South Florida against
“They had an amazing pitcher who throws around 70 mph, which is the equivalent to a 100 mph fastball in baseball and everyone on the team was really struggling,” she said. “No one was really hitting until Nora got up to bat. She nailed a line drive between the 2nd and 1st baseman and got a rally going.” For the rest of the game she had that girl’s number, and really earned the respect of the coaches and her teammates.
No matter what the circumstance, Nora Militz will be fighting to earn her playing time this season just as she has in the past. While her teammates believe that she has put in her time and earned her spot, her coach doesn’t agree. As she dons the number 18 in scarlet and white for one last season, Militz has learned to cherish every moment that she is out on the field and plays every pitch like it could be her last.
“I’ve never had a day when I’ve said ‘I don’t want to play softball today,’” she said. “I just love the game and am happy that I get the chance to get my uniform dirty whenever I’m in the lineup.”
Phil Kessel is making his shots count
By John S. Condakes
Phil Kessel is becoming the real deal before our eyes. Now in his third season of professional hockey, Kessel is a budding star in the NHL and proving to doubters that he definitely has it. The Bruins have invested a lot of time in the kid ever since they took him with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 entry draft and now that time is paying dividends.
Unlike contemporaries Sydney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Eric Staal, Kessel has had a bit of a different experience during his first few seasons in pros. He hasn’t been asked to put the team on his back and take control, which has aided in his growth. Phil the Thrill also had a bout with testicular cancer in the 2006-2007 season and missed 11 games which cut his freshman campaign short. Ever since then, he’s been trying to get his timing back and now it’s starting to show. Through the first 19 games of this season, Kessel has a line of nine goals and five assists and is tied for second on the team in points with nine. Behind him and his team-leading nine goals, the B’s are 12-3-4. On the whole, it has been a youth movement on Causeway Street the last few seasons but the cornerstone and leader of the pack has always been Kessel.
Ever since Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Montreal last April, Kessel has shown his potential to be a top-tier forward in the league. B’s coach Claude Julien benched Kessel in Games Three and Four in order to motivate him. Did it ever. The young stud responded with a brilliant effort in Game Five as he created numerous scoring chances and scored his first goal of the playoffs to tie the game. The B’s never looked back and went on to force Game Six with a 5-1 thrashing of the Canadiens. In Game Six, Kessel was an absolute force potting two goals and leading the Bruins to a 5-4 victory and a decisive game seven date up in Canada. We all know how that one ended. The point is, the flashes of brilliance and teases are finally coming to fruition. It’s no longer absurd to think that Phil Kessel can’t become one of the elite players in the NHL. A player with his skill set can win games as we’ve seen him do in countless shootouts against elite goaltenders like New York’s Henrik Lundqvist and Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury.
Scouts have been high on Kessel since he was a teenager and in his first and only season with the Golden Gophers up in Minnesota he sported a line of 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points--51 points on a loaded Minnesota team as a freshman. Most players his age are either still busy finishing a college degree or mulling around in the lower ranks waiting for their call to the big show. There was never a doubt that Kessel’s speed, hands and hockey sense have given him the potential to be a tremendous player. What remains to be seen this season is whether or not he has the drive to take his game to the next level, but so far he seems as hungry as ever to do it.
So far this season, Kessel has used his speed much more as a weapon than in the past. He has shown that he’s not afraid to go digging in the corners for pucks and will sprint back full-speed on defense when the other team is on a fast break. In most of the games this season, Julien has paired him with fellow youngster Milan Lucic and top playmaker Marc Savard. Kessel has taken cues from both of them and their line has been one of the Bruins’ top two scoring lines thus far. Savard’s patience and creativity with the puck are two traits that have certainly rubbed off on Kessel and with Lucic the human wrecking ball out on the ice to wreak havoc on opponents’ defenders, Phil the Thrill gets just enough space to work some magic of his own.
After a full 82-game season in his second year of professional hockey, it became clear that Kessel belongs in the league. His sophomore campaign boasted a solid 19 goals with 18 assists for 37 points. He wowed crowds with his ability to dangle, skate and score and developed a knack for driving goalies insane come shootout time.
Phil the Thrill is off to his best start yet. All things considered, if the Bruins are finally going to get over the hump and win their first playoff series since 1999, they need Kessel to fulfill his potential and become the offensive juggernaut of their hopes and dreams. With Number 81 leading the way, the B’s future looks brighter than it has in years.
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