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barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Randy responds ...

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Well, sort of.

The New England Patriots receiver, who was accused all week of "dogging it" against the Panthers last week (after a win, no less), let his play do the talking on Sunday against the Bills. He caught five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.

After the game, Moss addressed the media. And that's an understatement.

"Ya'lls had all two weeks to do your talkin', not let me do mine," Moss told reporters. "You know it's been really a tough couple of weeks, but you move on, you know. That's the nature of the game. So I'm happy that we got this victory.

"I appreciate all of the support from my true fans, the players, the coaches, my family and loved ones," he continued. "I've been in this league 12 years and I've been through a lot.

"These shoulders I have on my body, you can put the Earth on it. So just to let you know, I bounce back."

Then, without taking questions, he left the podium.

You know what? Good for him. I would have done the same. I couldn't believe the "dogging it" talk was still being talked about on Saturday morning. Maybe it was a slow week, or maybe the media just sometimes goes too far.

If the latter is the case, I hope they get on Wes Welker, who caught just four passes for 40 yards and had a few drops, much like Moss the week before. But you know that won't be the case. Welker is the media's little darling, while Moss simply marches to the beat of his own drummer. And that doesn't sit well with the media.

So they write about him negatively. No wonder he rarely talks to reporters.

Evil Tiger

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Krueger) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:56:00 +0000

Now that Tiger Woods' image is crumbling in light of his recent off-the-course issues, some have begun to speculate how he can rebuild said image. He should go on Oprah and spill his guts. He should apologize to everyone on the planet. Blah, blah blah.

Here's a thought you won't read anywhere else. He shouldn't bother trying to rebuild the Tiger Woods we all thought we knew. He should embrace what he has become in the public eye. Find his inner Happy Gilmore and give a big middle finger to everyone in the golf world, sponsors included.

The man has made a billion dollars as a professional athlete. He doesn't need more endorsement money. And since he, seemingly, will soon be without a wife, he'll have plenty of time to spend on the golf course, working on his game.

Then play a full PGA Tour schedule, and dominate. Embarass the competition (more than he already tends to). Win tournament after tournament, and in press conferences after the trophy presentation, ask Accenture, Gatorade and any other company that dropped him as a spokesperson, "How you like me now, chumps?"

Sooner than later, they'll come crawling back, and Tiger can tell them all, publicly, to F off.

Even though most will forget about all of the recent Woods news in a matter of months, some will never forget, or forgive him for what he did. So why bother trying to win them back?

Be Evil Tiger. I bet he'd be pretty good at it, and it would be pretty entertaining.

Taking sports for face value

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:45:00 +0000

These days, nobody in the sports world is clean, it seems. Between the steroid scandal in baseball, the referee betting scandal in pro basketball, the recruiting violations in college basketball and the sex scandal in golf, fans should be rather jaded. Some of them are, but this one is not.

Yes, I have my opinions. Barry Bonds shouldn't be allowed in the Hall of Fame, and Pete Rose should be inducted as soon as possible. I don't care what Tiger Woods did during his private time, he's still the Athlete of the Decade.

Call me an old softy, but I take sports for face value. I know there's going to be cheaters. There have been since the spitball (thanks Frank Corridon), but it never seems to bother me. I watch sports because I love the idea of competition and don't worry too much about what's happening off the field, court or course.

Yes, I think those who are guilty ruin the experience somewhat, but not enough for me to stand on my soapbox and scream bloody murder. For as long as teams will compete against one another, someone will find a way to cheat the system. Records have fallen because of cheaters, and games that were won should have been lost because of cheaters. Heck, even the BCS is cheating in a way, considering the NCAA only cares about lining its own pocket come bowl time. That's life.

I'd like to think, though, that for every incident involving cheaters, there's a thousand examples of why we love these games and these players.

Sad but true

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Krueger) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:15:00 +0000

Upon hearing of the death of Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, one can't help but feel for his teammates, friends and family. But it's also hard to fathom how his death is not, in large part, his own fault.

This was a talented player who couldn't seem to stay on the field, most recently because of injury, but more often than not because he found himself in some kind of trouble, on or off the field. A couple years ago, when much was made of the Bengals piling up arrests, many of those arrests were Henry's. The Bengals released the sixth-year receiver out of West Virginia in 2007 after his fifth arrest. He eventually was brought back to Cincinnati, and had been on relatively good behavior ... until Wednesday.

In the coming weeks, more and more facts will come to light about how Henry was thrown from the back of his fiancee's pickup truck after what police are calling a domestic dispute. But regardless of what we learn, nothing changes the end result of this incident.

Perhaps other athletes can learn from this and avoid the pitfalls that continually found Henry. It's unfortunate, to say the least, that Henry was unable to figure out his life before he lost it.

Hitting on the NFL

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:10:00 +0000

PERFECTLY ANNOYING: As a Patriots fan, I'm starting to see how the other side lives. No, not the fact that New England is 8-5 and can only be considered an average team. But as the Saints and Colts get closer to completing perfect regular seasons, nobody can shut up about it.

So I'm starting to see how, maybe, it was a bit annoying two years ago, when the Pats finished 16-0 and the talk about the "perfect season" was everywhere. I didn't notice it then, only because I was in a complete euphoric state. Now, it's just plain old lame, especially because I loathe Peyton Manning.

SILENT OWENS: As the Patriots prepare for the Bills this weekend, I noticed that Terrell Owens hasn't been his usual loudmouth self this season. It could be that his numbers have dropped off as he plays in a stagnant offense, or that his team is one of the worst in the NFL. Still, it's been quite nice, don't you think?

RIP CHRIS HENRY: It just came over the AP wire that Bengals receiver Chris Henry died this morning after falling out of a pickup truck on Wednesday. I'll be honest, when I first heard he was "seriously" injured after what appears to be a domestic dispute, I didn't give it much thought. He's always been, and figured to always be, a trouble maker, having been arrested multiple times since 2005.

But no matter how much of a bonehead he was off the field, stuff like this puts things in perspective. Godspeed.

Tiger's feats can't be denied

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:31:00 +0000

All anyone wants to know these days about Tiger Woods is who he's sleeping with, what his iron-aided pulverized face looks like and whether or not he took performance-enhancing drugs? Yes, his life has taken a turn for the worse.

But the world's greatest golfer, who is taking an 'indefinite leave' from the game while he deals with his personal life and marriage, was recently named the Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press. The ballots went out right around the time of his car accident, and despite his "transgressions," Tiger received 56 of the 142 votes from Associated Press editors. More than half the ballots were returned after the Nov. 27 crash.

Scandal be damned. It just goes to show that perhaps Phil Knight, the czar at Nike, was right when he said "When his career is over, you'll look back on those indiscretions as a minor blip." Woods was - and when he returns, will continue to be - the most dominant athlete throughout the decade, winning 64 titles and 12 major championships.

Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France six times in the decade, finished second, followed by Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady and Usain Bolt. Phelps and Brady have had their share of unfavorable media coverage, but nothing to the extend of Woods, who's given late-night talkshows plenty of material.

Winning often makes fans forget about the past. Yes, there will also be that crowd that tosses out the occasional jab (you still hear Kobe rape jokes from time to time), but around this time next decade, I could very well be writing how Tiger again was named Athlete of the Decade.

All's fair in fantasy football

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Krueger) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Fantasy football doesn’t get any more intense than this: husband vs. wife for a spot in the playoffs.

That’s the drama that will unfold starting Thursday night within the Krueger-Steele household. Paula’s “Intergalactic Hussie” team and my “Disgruntled Goat” — both “Simpsons” references — are part of a four-way tie for second place, and only the top four go to the playoffs. So the scenario is not unlike those that real football teams will face in the next few weeks. Win and you’re in, lose and you’ll need help.

What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that, as far as couples go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one more competitive than us. Whether I’m dominating (basketball, tennis) or she’s making me look stupid (swimming, board games) or we’re evenly matched (Wii games, air hockey), there’s always plenty of trash talking and taunting.
Luckily, our fantasy football league is not the No Fun League. Referees don’t have enough flags for the amount of unsportsmanlike behavior we exhibit on a regular basis.

So, as we pore over our rosters all week, things are likely to get heated.

Since Paula already beat me earlier in the year, I’ll never hear the end of it if she sweeps the season series and keeps me out of the playoffs in the process. Similarly, I won’t let her live it down if, at her expense, I notch my seventh win in the last eight games and go to the Final Four without her.

Let the games begin.

Who are these Patriots?

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:35:00 +0000

There's little doubt the Patriots played to their capabilities during Sunday's 20-10 victory over the Panthers. But then again, do we know what their capabilities are anymore? Are we sure this is a playoff team? And if they get to the playoffs, will the Pats do any damage?

There's perhaps a handful of guys on the roster playing at a Pro Bowl caliber right now ... and even that's pushing it a bit. Randy Moss and Tom Brady have All-Pro talent, but they're faltering in the biggest of situations, and Jerod Mayo, last year's top defensive rookie, at times wears his invisible cloak on the field.

Wes Welker is the only star on this team, and he's single-handedly keeping the offense afloat. Yes, the offense that, at the beginning of the season, was supposed challenge the 2007 team for most points in a season.

How many times did Welker convert on third down to keep the chains moving? He caught five of his 10 passes on the go-ahead drive in the third quarter and finsihed with 105 yards. He leads the NFL in receptions.

Just one more point on Moss: He might be loafing, and he might be getting bored and he might be playing at only 75 percent (or lower), but he still draws triple coverage. And there's no other receiver I can think of who can do that.

Turn up that dial

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Daily News sportswriters Josh Krueger and Rick McGowan and sports editor Scott Barrett will join host Evan Smith today from 12:30-2 p.m. on WADK to talk about the local, collegiate and national sports scene. Be sure to listen in and join the discussion when the phone lines open up.

R.I. high school football final poll

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:25:00 +0000

It was a tough way for Middletown to end the season, losing to Exeter-West Greeniwch in the Division IV Super Bowl after beating the Scarlet Knights during the regular season. Still, the Islanders - who ended a decade-plus-long losing streak to rival Portsmouth on Thanksgiving Day - are the top ranked team from Newport County in the state's media poll. Neither Middletown or Portsmouth ever dropped out of the poll, while Tiverton climbed back in late in the season.

Team Points Last week
1. Barringon (8) 160 1
2. Hendricken 146 3
3. Woonsocket 141 6
4. La Salle 134 2
5. Ponaganset 123 8
6. Mount Hope 118 7
7. East Providence 116 5
8. South Kingstown 99 4
9. Coventry 83 10t
10. Exeter-WG 81 20
11. Johnston 80 16
12. Cranston East 63 10t
13. Westerly 58 13
14. West Warwick 55 15
15. Middletown 53 9
16. Moses Brown 42 14
17. Portsmouth 31 12
18. Tiverton 30 19
19. Classical 19 17
20. Cranston West 16 18

Dropped out (rank): none.
Others receiving votes: Hope 10, Lincoln 6, Cumberland 2
Participating publications: The Chariho Times, The Coventry Courier, The Cranston Herald, The East Greenwich Pendulum, The Narragansett Times, The Newport Daily News, The Northeast Independent, The North Kingstown Standard Times, The South County Independent, The Warwick Beacon, The Westerly Sun.

Tough times for Tom

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:57:00 +0000

The days when Tom Brady steps in the phone booth, puts on his Superman uniform and saves the day are over. There was a time not too long ago when the New England Patriots quarterback couldn’t be rattled. He was the cool, calm, collected gunslinger that could untie the ropes and rescue the damsel in distress just before the train struck.

But he’s no longer the Brady that could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The numbers suggest he’s having a season that’s comparable to that of his earlier seasons, and the offense is scoring nearly 28 points per game, but he’s lagging in the one number that has always meant the most: wins.

New England is 7-5, having lost two straight and three of their last four. No doubt the defense deserves the bulk of the blame, but it’s safe to say that the offense Brady orchestrates is a shell of its former self. And Brady isn’t without some blame. He’s missing open receivers and making bad decisions, things the “old Brady” never did. He's on pace to match his career high for interceptions.

In the red zone, the Patriots are no longer a lock to score - how many picks has he thrown in the end zone? I can count three off the top of my head - and three fourth-down calls have produced the same number of turnovers on downs.

The players say nobody in the New England locker room is panicking, and that’s probably true. But Patriots fans have to wonder when Terrific Tom will once again step into that phone booth and help save this sinking team.

BCS gets it wrong again

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Krueger) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Just when you think the BCS couldn’t be any more of a joke, the bowl matchups were announced on Sunday, making it clear that the BCS’s ineptitude knows no bounds.

Sure, the championship game has the right teams in it, but that would have been really difficult to screw up.

For the first time in the brief, unspectacular history of the Bowl Championship Series, two teams from non-BCS conferences (Texas Christian and Boise State) qualified for BCS bowls. That is good news. The bad news, however, is that they’re playing each other.

We’ve all watched this season as TCU and Boise State ransacked their respective conferences and finished undefeated to earn a shot at the big boys.

Problem is, they won’t get that shot.

TCU-Boise State matchup is somewhat intriguing, but it’s also a complete waste of a Fiesta Bowl. Wouldn't you want to see TCU take on Florida, or Boise State play Iowa or Georgia Tech? Let the little guys prove they can hang with the Big Ten, SEC or ACC, because apparently Boise State beating Oklahoma a few years ago wasn’t proof enough.

Who knows? Maybe they can’t hang this year, and Florida would squash the Horned Frogs and Iowa or G-Tech would blow out the Broncos. But those games, at least initially, would be a lot more interesting than what the BCS has given us.

Boxing's last gasp?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Krueger) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:48:00 +0000

For the first time since Tyson-Holyfield II, I'm actually excited about a boxing match. Word came from the Philippines on Friday that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. have agreed on a proposal that would put them in the ring together on March 13.

I've been of the opinion that boxing died when Mike Tyson went off the deep end and Evander Holyfield got old. Seriously, since Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear, has there been a fight as memorable or talked about? I don't claim to be an aficionado of the sweet science, but nothing has come close.

Mayweather-Pacquiao almost certainly will be a disappointment, as are most over-hyped boxing events. But at least this one has potential, and it will capture the attention of the casual fan (i.e. yours truly), which Pacquiao seems determined to do. And anyone who knows anything about Mayweather knows how much he loves the spotlight.

These guys are what boxing has been missing for a decade, maybe more. Not only are they both great fighters, but they have personality, too. Mayweather loves his bling and his Benjamins. Pacquiao loves to show that he can beat people down, despite his small stature.

I used to think boxing would never really come back without some marketable, recognizable and talented heavyweights. Perhaps that's still true, but if Pacquiao-Mayweather comes anywhere close to living up to the hype, regardless of who wins, they can hold rematch after rematch. And maybe, just maybe, boxing can return to relevance.

Tiger owes wife an apology, and us nothing

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:09:00 +0000

When I first learned Tiger Woods was in “serious” condition following a one-car accident last Friday, I was concerned. It came across the bottom ticker on ESPN, and it was that thousands-of-thoughts-running-through-your-head concerned.

What happened? How serious? Is his career over?

Then the details started to build like the galleries that follow him. The only serious damage Tiger suffered was to his reputation after admitting to “transgressions” on Tuesday. US Weekly published a piece about a cocktail waitress claiming she had a 31-month affair with the world’s No. 1 golfer, and has text messages and a voice mail to prove it.

So now, Woods, a man who’s always craved privacy when he’s away from the golf course, is left to pick up the pieces of his marriage while the world looks on, peeking into his windows via media outlets like TMZ and uninformed blog postings. For a guy who doesn’t create controversy and has a squeaky-clean image, I thought it was a big step to release a statement that pretty much admitted his adultery.

Still, there are millions out there who feel Tiger owes us more of an explanation. They want to know every dirty detail of the affair, where and when, and a play-by-play of the accident that caused this whole thing. Because he’s makes a ton of money, because he can sink a putt on Sunday better than anyone in the world, because when all is said and done, he’ll go down as the greatest man to pick up a golf club, because he’s been in the spotlight since he was 3 years old. Because of all of these things, he owes the world some insight.

The fact is though is that Tiger doesn’t owe anybody anything — except for his wife, to whom he owes a very big apology. We’ve all made mistakes, and we all have private moments, and yet I don’t see Tiger Woods climbing into your bedroom window grilling you for answers.

Truth be told, this whole spectacle didn’t leave me wondering about Tiger’s character, but the character of where we are as a society. This media feeding frenzy and the two-bit outlets that report the “news” makes me embarrassed to be a member of the media. Unnamed people, such as “a friend” or “a person close to the situation,” is now considered a credible source, and readers no longer question what’s true and what isn’t.

If it’s in print — or on a blog or Web site — start spreading the news. And the people who yearn for this information are just as bad. How awful is your life when you want to celebrate the misery of another’s?

He’s human, he made a mistake and he addressed it with a statement. So he didn’t walk to a podium to answer ludicrous questions. So he didn’t (at least yet) sit down with Barbara Walters for a one-on-one that would send the ratings through the roof.

Tiger Woods is a golfer, and nothing more. Some argue that he’s the ultimate pitchman, and that his reputation is now sullied by this incident. And that may be. So don’t buy his products. Don’t swing Nike clubs. Don’t drink Gatorade. Rebel by growing a big beard. Switch to Verizon. Go on with your life, because Tiger is certainly going to go on with his.

Answer poll questions on the Tiger Woods incident at www.NewportDailyNews.com.

Bronco busted

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Way to go, Roger Goodell, you've once again flexed your muscle.

On Thanksgiving night, the Denver Broncos were in a tight game with the New York Giants in a contest shown exclusively on the NFL Network. Denver coach Josh McDaniels had seen enough from his penalty-plagued offense and verbally laid into his players, twice using curse words not suitable for print nor television.

There was a delay on the feed, but the geniuses in the booth didn't catch it in time, and they went over the air. NFL Network immediately apologized, but McDaniels was hardly fazed by it, saying "It's the NFL Network. Doesn't surprise me."

Well, the rookie coach learned a tough lesson: Don't cross the NFL and its dictator. McDaniels opened his press conference Tuesday with an apology.

"I want to make sure I apologize for anybody that was offended with the language that I used the other night on the sideline during the game," he said.

Look, I've been on the sideline for hundreds of high school and college football games, and swearing (or dropping F-bombs, as the kids say) is just as much a part of the job as scheming.

Goodell seems to be going out of his way to make today's NFL a fan-friendly league, but how far is this going to go? Clearly, McDaniels didn't wake up on Tuesday and have some kind of epiphany; he was told to apologize. And if I were him, I'd be a little ticked off. Do you want me to win games, or do you want me to watch my mouth? Things said in the heat of the moment are said out of emotion ... we've all been there.

Turning the NFL into the "No (expletive) League" is just more proof that Roger Goodell is running a one-man show.

Dome daze

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:33:00 +0000

The last time the New England Patriots played in the New Orleans Superdome, Adam Vinatieri was booting a game-winning 48-yard field goal and a dynasty was born. Needless to say, Monday night's debacle in the Big Easy was a far cry from the 2001 team that shocked the world.

So what went wrong? The way I see it, those Patriots aren't these Patriots. Yes, they're led by the same coach, and the quarterback is the same, but that's about it. In fact, I'm willing to say that neither the coach, nor the quarterback, are the same people they were eight years ago.

Eight years ago, Bill Belichick was known as a defensive genius, a guy who could take spare parts, put them in the right position and get good results. In 2001, he did it with the likes of Roman Phifer, Bobby Hamilton, Otis Smith, Anthony Pleasant and Brandon Mitchell, and New England went on to stifle the "Greatest Show on Turf" in the Super Bowl.

Today's greatest offensive show went through the Patriots defense like a hot knife through butter on Monday. Give them credit. But what bothered me more than the fact that Drew Brees and company moved the ball at will was the fact that too many assignments were missed and too many guys were out of position. To me, that falls on Belichick.

During the days when New England was winning championships, the coach found ways to neutralize stout offenses no matter who he threw out there. That is not the case with this team. Then again, it would take a miracle worker to stop that offense with a Detroit Lions/Cleveland Browns castoff, a fourth-round, second-year corner and a backup safety. Yes, Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite and Brandon McGowan looked good last week against the Jets, but they're not ready for the big time.

Now let's turn our attention to Terrific Tom, who was anything but against the Saints. Even though he's putting up pretty good numbers, I've been saying all year long that something is wrong. He's just a little off. It seems like he's missing throws that he would make 10 out of 10 times two years ago. It could still be the knee, and as Josh Krueger told me this morning, Year 2 after that kind of injury is when a quarterback gets fully comfortable.

But Brady just doesn't look the same as he once was. As someone commented to me last night, "He doesn't have that hunger anymore." And that might be true.

Yes, it's one game, and it's one loss, but the Patriots still don't have a signature win this season. They're 7-4 and haven't won a true road game. The road ahead seems fairly easy, and 12-4 isn't too far a stretch. Still, in the last three weeks, New England was served a heavy dose of reality.

Let's not talk about Sox, baby

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:28:00 +0000

It's the last day of November, nearly three months before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, and this town can’t stop talking about the Red Sox. Give it a rest already.

The speculation about Roy Halladay, Marco Scutaro, Jason Bay, Adrian Gonzalez, Felix Hernandez, getting another bat, bolstering the rotation, the revolving door at shortstop, Clay Buchholz and the health of Mike Lowell is slightly overwhelming.

Especially when you consider the Patriots are facing an undefeated team tonight and the Celtics are back to their winning ways, having won their fourth straight game on Sunday. Sure, the Bruins aren’t much to talk about, but they’ve won five of their last six games and are atop the Northeast Division.

I understand that these talking heads need to fill time, but there are plenty of other things to talk about. Instead, all I’ve heard the past few days is a lot of hot air without a lot of actual news.

Here’s hoping the Tiger Woods incident can steal some of that thunder ... at least until the next big rumor about who’s coming to Boston gets started.

Will he stay or will he go?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Krueger) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:13:00 +0000

For the foreseeable future, the Boston Red Sox will always be a big player in the free agent and trade markets. As much as Red Sox fans hate to admit it, their team exhibits a lot of the traits they used to decry about the Yankees.

When they see a player they want, they make an effort to get him, sometimes at all costs.

And that’s why, for as long as he’s a prospect in the Red Sox organization, Portsmouth’s own Ryan Westmoreland will continue to be mentioned in possible trades.

So when we hear that the Red Sox plan to take a shot at trading for Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, don’t be surprised if Westmoreland’s name surfaces as part of a potential deal, as it did when Toronto shopped Halladay last season.

The same goes for any other major trades the Red Sox might pursue. Clearly they value Westmoreland, as evidenced by the $2 million signing bonus they’re paying him, but sellers in the trade market love prospects. And as far as prospects go, few in the Red Sox organization are as promising as Westmoreland.

I’m sure most of Portsmouth is with me in hoping that he stays put and, eventually, makes his major league debut in a Red Sox uniform.

(Although if he were traded to the Brewers, that would be my second choice.)

But the reality is that baseball is, above all, a business, and if the Red Sox see dealing Westmoreland as a solid business move, they’ll pull the trigger.

Unfortunately, for as long as Westmoreland is a pro baseball player, he and his family and friends will have to deal with the stress and uncertainty that goes along with being potential trade bait.

Middletown beats Portsmouth

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:49:00 +0000

Ace reporter Josh Krueger, who is on the road to New Hampshire for a Thanksgiving feast, just informed me that the Middletown football team ended its 13-year losing streak to rival Portsmouth with a 19-13 road victory.

Details to follow ...

Hope all are having a nice Thanksgiving.

Rogers loses 26-20 in overtime to St. Raphael

noreply@blogger.com (Rick McGowan) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Trevor Vasey scored on a quarterback sneak from a yard out to lift host St. Raphael Academy to a 26-20 win in overtime over Rogers in Pawtucket on Wednesday night at Max Read Field.
Damion Rodrigo had two touchdowns on 1-yard runs and Christian Savage romped 51 yards for the Vikings' other touchdown in the Division I pairing.
Rogers piled up 355 rushing yards, with Savage amassing 193 yards on 32 carries.
Rogers finished its season at 2-9 overall, 2-6 in Division I.

Thanksgiving updates

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:10:00 +0000

Not going to tonight's Rogers-St. Raphael game in Pawtucket? Not heading out to Portsmouth or Tiverton on Thanksgiving morning? Check back here for updates after the games.

Any predictions?

Portsmouth has beaten Middletown in 13 straight years, but the Islanders have perhaps their best team in recent years. The Patriots, meanwhile, are coming off a loss to Rogers, which lost 36-6 to Middletown in the season opener.

The Vikings are hoping to keep that momentum alive tonight against the Saints at Max Read Field. St. Raphael is having a tough go of it, just 1-6 in Division I.

Before Tiverton and Central Falls meet at midfield for their postgame feast, the Tigers are seeking their 11th straight win the the rivalry. And coach Bob Murray insists his team isn't looking forward to Tuesday's playoff opener.

Heart of the Lions

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Krueger) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Who could have guessed Browns-Lions would be, arguably, the most entertaining game in Week 11? Two one-win teams took the field battling for, well, pretty much nothing.

Admittedly, I didn't watch the whole game. Why would I, especially when my Packers were playing at the same time? But I did see the end, and I'm glad I switched over.

Down to their last play, or so we thought, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ran around behind the line of scrimmage for, seemingly an eternity before hurling a pass in the end zone while taking a nasty hit.

The pass fell incomplete, but the Browns were flagged for pass interference, giving the Lions one play from the 1-yard line with no time on the clock.

After taking the afforementioned hit, Stafford stayed down, and eventually was helped off the field, grimmacing in pain while his left shoulder hung at his side. Backup Daunte Culpepper came on to the field to lead the Lions on the final play.

Stafford, however, was able to re-enter the game thanks to a Browns timeout (nice call, Mangenius) and threw a touchdown pass, his fifth of the day, to tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

An extra point later, Lions win 38-37.

It was quite the enjoyable game for me on two fronts. Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, a proud member of my Disgruntled Goat fantasy football team, caught seven passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. And, more importantly, I picked the Lions to win, unlike Scott Barrett, who for the second straight week was on the wrong side of a one-point game. So, I now boast a three-game lead over Scott in our friendly Daily News competition, and Rick McGowan moved into second place, one game ahead of Scott.

What a game!

Just win, baby!

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:18:00 +0000

The Raiders pulled out an improbable win today against AFC North leader Cincinnati, which means the Patriots could be in line for a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They're both 7-3 on the season. The San Diego Chargers, who have won five straight, are also 7-3 and lead the AFC West.

Sanchez loves the Pats

barrett@newportri.com (Scott Barrett) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:58:00 +0000

For the fourth time today, Mark Sanchez hooked up with a Patriot on a pass play. This time, Brandon Meriweather picked off the rookie, who was being pressured by ... you guessed it, Leigh Bodden, among others.

Sanchez came into this game with 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Those numbers are now 10 and 16. Not exactly "Broadway Joe" numbers.