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June 2008 ArchivesJune 30
Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson Read the entire story here. 
In an AP story primarily about his offseason work helping at-risk children in his hometown of Oklahoma City, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker had some unkind things to say about cornerback Asante Samuel, who left the Pats as a free agent to join the Philadelphia Eagles: "Asante's a great player, so it hurts not to have a guy like that. But then again, it's part of the business of the game. He chose money over championships, and that’s the way it goes sometimes."
June 29
Patriots receiver Randy Moss had some famous friends on hand this weekend for his Links for Learning/Randy Moss Foundation Golf Tournament in his native West Virginia. A story in today's Charleston Gazette, says Moss was reunited with his friend and former high school teammate, Miami Heat guard Jason Williams, at the event. Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, a Moss teammate at Marshall, also was among those taking part. The funds raised at the event will go towards learning centers for children Moss' foundation has planned; the first will be built in his hometown of Rand. Moss, who was honored for his work on behalf of children last month, spent Friday afternoon at two community centers in Charleston handing out shoes to youngsters.
June 27
A reminder that voting for this year's inductee into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame closes at midnight next Friday, July 4. This year's nominees are TE Ben Coates, OL Jon Morris and RB Jim Nance. There is a one-vote-per-computer-IP-address limit; you can vote at patriots.com.
Pete Prisco of cbssports.com has done his annual ranking of the top 50 players in the NFL, and five Patriots have made the list, topped by Tom Brady at the number one spot. Prisco seems like he reluctantly elevated Brady to the top of the list (Peyton Manning has occupied that spot for a few years), but writes that Brady "earned it" with his 2007 MVP-winning season. The rest of the Pats' Prisco chose, as well as the comments he wrote on each: 4. Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots: Talk about resurrecting a reputation. He wasn't on many top 50 lists a year ago. Now he's a top 10 player. 30. Richard Seymour, DE, New England Patriots: He played hurt last season and wasn't the same player as in years past. But he's still one of the best when he's healthy. 41. Vince Wilfork, DT, New England Patriots: He was the best front-seven player on the Pats defense last season. He's a load in the middle. Moving him off the ball is tough for any center. 48. Wes Welker, WR, New England Patriots: Yes, he belongs on this list. He had an amazing season as a slot receiver in 2007. Even when teams knew he was getting the football, he made plays. Former New England corner Asante Samuel, now with the Eagles, made the list at number 37.
Saturday morning we plan to upgrade the active projo blogs to a new version of the Movable Type software. All blogs will remain available during this process. Afterwards you’ll see a new look and some new features, and we’ll welcome your comments about them.
June 26
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A federal judge has given a New York Jets season-ticket holder more time to amend a lawsuit that seeks millions from the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick for "deceiving customers" by videotaping opponents' signals. The lawsuit by Carl J. Mayer, filed in September, was due to be dismissed June 30 because of a lack of activity. Mayer and his co-counsel, Bruce I. Afran, this week asked U.S. District Judge Garrett E. Brown Jr. for more time because Afran has been ill and because of unspecified "revelations" from an investigation into the taping launched by U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania after the lawsuit was filed. They asked permission to amend the lawsuit and serve notice on the defendants by Aug. 30. A message seeking comment from a Patriots spokesman was not immediately returned Thursday. Mayer's lawsuit maintained the Patriots' secret videotaping violated the contractual "expectations and rights" of Jets ticket holders "to observe an honest match played in compliance with all laws and regulations." It sought class-action status. But Mayer and Afran, who have collaborated in legal actions against New Jersey politicians, failed to serve the defendants with copies of the complaint. As a result, the court clerk advised Mayer in early June that the lawsuit would be dismissed June 30 unless he gives a federal judge a reason it should continue. The clerk's notice cited a court rule allowing dismissal if no proceeding had occurred for 120 days. Until Mayer's recent letter, no public action had been taken for nearly nine months. Mayer has not specified what other defendants or issues might be included in an amended lawsuit. But he has said the new allegations relate to the efforts of Specter, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican and a critic of the NFL's response to what has been called "Spygate." The Patriots were caught taping signals by Jets coaches, a violation of league rules, during the opening game of the 2007 season. New England won 38-14 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 for that incident, and stripped New England of a first-round draft choice. Goodell in May essentially declared an end to Spygate after meeting with former New England video assistant Matt Walsh, a central figure in the scandal, saying there was no new information that would warrant a further penalty against the Patriots. Mayer's lawsuit asserted that because other teams found illicit videotaping by the defendants, Jets ticket holders should be compensated for all games played in Giants Stadium between the Jets and Patriots since Belichick became head coach in 2000. The suit calculated that because customers paid $61.6 million to watch eight "fraudulent" games, they're entitled to triple that amount - or $184.8 million - in compensation under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act and the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
June 20
Reported today by Greg Bishop of The New York Times: Sen. Arlen Specter clarified Thursday that his involvement in the New England Patriots' videotaping controversy was not over. Neither is his battle with the NFL. Specter, R-Pa., said in a telephone interview that his comments to the editorial board of The Philadelphia Daily News earlier this week "didn't really come out with the proper flavor." "My view on the overall situation is that we may well see the other shoe drop somewhere," Specter said. "We went about as far as we could go, given the public attitude today about the economy and gas prices and Iraq. We're always very careful about initiating a congressional investigation. Click here to continue reading.
June 19
Since the announcement in April that he's forming Moss Motorsports LLC to run a truck in the NASCAR Craftsman series, there hasn't been a lot of news on Randy Moss' newest venture. But in a mailbag posting on espn.com yesterday, Marty Smith wrote that Moss' team is coming together (scroll about two-thirds down the page). Wrote Smith: "According to Moss Motorsports, the wide receiver is in the final stages of completing the purchase of an existing "top team" in the Craftsman Truck Series, Trey. It's in lawyers' hands now, the team says, and Moss is waiting for them to hammer out the final details. The team says it also is working to finalize a sponsor, and the tentative plan is for a truck debut in the next four to six weeks, once the deal is completed."
June 18
BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) - Mike Dukes, who played linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers and two AFL teams from 1959 to 1965, was killed in a traffic accident earlier this week. He was 72. The longtime Beaumont resident was killed when an eastbound pickup crossed the median on Interstate 10 on Monday afternoon, striking his truck head-on, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The trooper's report said the driver of the other vehicle was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Dukes was pronounced dead at the scene. Dukes grew up in Kentucky and Georgia, and went on to play football for Clemson. He began his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1959, then moved to the American Football League's Houston Oilers from 1960 to 1963 and the AFL's Boston Patriots in 1964-65. He moved to the Beaumont area in the early 1980s and became a businessman.
June 17
In an interview with the editorial board of the Philadelphia Daily News, Sen. Arlen Specter says he has gone as far as he can go in pressing for more investigation of the Spygate story, and adds that he will not bring the issue before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he is the ranking Republican. He says the committee "already has too much to do." Specter has been the most public critic of the way the NFL has handled the scandal resulting from the Patriots' videotaping practices, even calling for an independent investigation of the affair that would be modeled on baseball's Mitchell Report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Specter also says he is "not interested" in the allegations by former NBA referee Tim Donaghy about the manipulation of playoff games by the league.
June 16
HOUSTON (AP) — Free agent linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said Monday he's set to sign with the Houston Texans. Colvin, who won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, told Houston television station KRIV that final contract details were being worked out. "Both parties feel like they fit each other," Colvin said. "Hopefully, we can get everything squared away as far as dotting the i's and crossing the t's." Texans spokesman Zac Emmons said Colvin hasn't signed but will address the media at the team's facility Monday. The 30-year-old was released by New England after a foot injury sidelined him for the last eight games of last season, including the playoffs. He signed with the Patriots in 2003 after back-to-back career highs of 10 1/2 sacks with Chicago, but his first season in New England ended after just two games because of a hip injury. Colvin bounced back to play three full regular seasons for the Patriots before last year's injury. He has 52 1/2 sacks in nine seasons. Colvin's agent, Kennard McGuire, didn't return a phone call Monday from The Associated Press.
June 12
Le Anne Schreiber's piece can be found here. It's interesting reading that takes some network personalities to task for their performances on the day that Matt Walsh met Roger Goodell.
New England has announced the release of 38-year old punter Scott Player, leaving Chris Hanson as the only punter on the team's roster. The Patriots had gone though the offseason camps with Hanson, Player and then undrafted rookie Mike Dragosavich duking it out on the field. For now, at least, it appears Hanson, who was the team's punter last season, will retain the job.
June 11
From the release: The New England Patriots re-signed exclusive rights free agent linebacker Eric Alexander today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Additionally, the team released three players signed as rookie free agents this spring -- tight end Tyson DeVree, defensive lineman Henry Smith and defensive lineman Casey Tyler.
Rodney Harrison, the defender who was closest to the play when David Tyree made his unbelievable catch late in Super bowl XLII, has written the introduction to Tyree's book, "More Than Just a Catch," which is due out in September, according to The Boston Globe. In the book, Tyree details his struggles with alcohol and drugs before he turned his life around and became a born-again Christian, as well as the death of his mother late last year. "Just from a spiritual standpoint, I heard what he went through with his mom, her passing, and everything he kind of endured this season," Harrison told the Globe. "You can see why he was blessed at that particular time. God has a way of showing you different things through different people, and I'm not a hater. You beat us, so I congratulate you and we move on."
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Police say New York Giants Super Bowl rings were among the $2 million worth of items stolen from an Attleboro jewelry company sometime over the weekend. Police say thieves disabled the alarm system at E.A. Dion’s building, cut a hole in the roof and made off with a safe that weighed at least 1,000 pounds and containied gold, gems and the rings. The incident was discovered by an employee on Sunday when she was unable to access her work e-mail from home, apparently because phone lines had been cut. Captain David Proia says police are investigating but there are no suspects. Company President Edward Dion Jr. says the company is running as normal and customers know “we’ve run into a bit of a hiccup.” -- The Associated Press
June 9
Pats' backup quarterback Matt Gutierrez is a native of the Oakland, Calif. area, as is Celtics forward Leon Powe, who had a breakout game last night against the Lakers. Though the two haven't really met, Gutierrez is glad to see him playing so well. "That was amazing," Gutierrez said of Powe's 21 points-in-15 minutes performance. "The kids from back home always pull for the hometown guys. I had kids texting me, saying, 'Can you believe it?' He was dominant in high school; I was a victim." Gutierrez starred at De La Salle High, while Powe played for Oakland Technical High.
The New England Patriots held their 11th annual Charitable Foundation golf tournament today at The International in Bolton, Mass., which is about 60 miles from downtown Providence. All of the players and coaches attend, and one of the highlights is the long drive contest. Rodney Harrison reclaimed his title, beating out Chris Hanson and Stephen Gostkowki in the finals. Harrison's best drive in the finals was 287 yards. Hanson hit it 296 yards in the first round. Defending champ Tom Brady didn't arrive at the course in time to challenge Harrison. Before heading to their respective tees, Laurence Maroney and Chad Jackson had their own contest, though Maroney struggled to make contact with the ball. At one point, Jackson bet his "big brother" that he couldn't hit the ball in three swings. Like it usually is between Jackson and Maroney, there was a lot of laughing involved. At the driving range, owner Robert Kraft took a few minutes to catch up with Jerod Mayo and Shawn Crable, the team's top two draft picks in April; Randy Moss declined to take part in the long drive contest, but was working on his swing at a nearby tee. Maroney, Harrison, Matt Gutierrez, Tedy Bruschi, Jason Webster, Richard Seymour, Adalius Thomas and Victor Hobson all took a few minutes to chat with the media before heading out to the course.
June 8
The Patriots moved up and shortened today's final mini-camp session, and the 45-minute practice was essentially a walkthrough: players were in shorts and jerseys, but without helmets. The defense stayed with the defense and offense with offense the entire time. Wes Welker, who hadn't participated in the on-field work for the first two days of camp, was out there today, as was David Thomas. Thomas took part on Friday but not yesterday. The rest of the missing players remained: WR Kelley Washington
June 7
The Patriots have wrapped up day 2 of their three-day mini-camp, and with the summer weather that arrived today, the team was able to use the fields behind Gillette Stadium rather than being forced inside as they were yesterday. Today's session was definitely spirited, especially when the offense and defense were working against one another. Safety Tank Williams picked off Tom Brady at one point, drawing the cheers of his blue-jerseyed brethren on defense. Mike Richardson, who spent his rookie season last year rehabbing a training camp injury, got an interception as well, with his coming from a Matt Cassel pass attempt. Jabar Gaffney hooked up with Brady for a nice touchdown catch, and Marcus Pollard also had a touchdown, from Cassel. In earlier work, Brady zipped a pass over the middle to Randy Moss with a couple of players in coverage. Afterwards, Brady said it is great to have Moss back, and that he is in great shape. At one point early on in the nearly two-hour workout, four military helicopters flew low over the trees near the fields; it's not known why they were there, but it was certainly imposing to see them so close. Gene Mruczkowski was on the field, wearing number 64. Not on the field today were: WR Kelley Washington
June 6
New England has announced the signing of G/C Gene Mruczkowski. The 6-foot-2, 305 pounder, who celebrates his 28th birthday today, isn't a stranger to the Patriots: this is the seventh time he has signed with the team. Originally brought aboard as an undrafted rookie in 2003 out of Purdue, Mruczkowski has played in 18 games with the Pats. He was one of the team's final cuts last September, and was signed by Miami, where he played in a single-season career high 15 games.
The Patriots have begun day one of their three-day mini-camp, and while T Nick Kaczur is present, he is off-limits to the media this weekend. Randy Moss has also made it known that he will not speak to the media this weekend. Tom Brady apparently will step in front of the microphones tomorrow. Today's on-field work has been moved indoors to the Dana-Farber Fieldhouse thanks to poor weather conditions.
June 5
The Patriots have today released rookie free agent punter Mike Dragosavich. The lanky North Dakota State product had quickly become the sentimental favorite among fans and some media to make the New England roster for his booming punts and now-removed youtube clip of his "janitor dance" from North Dakota State basketball games.
June 4
According to a story in today's Boston Globe, Patriots offensive lineman Nick Kaczur was arrested in April on a charge of illegal possession of prescription painkillers, and a month later wore a hidden recording device to help the federal Drug Enforcement Agency arrest his alleged dealer. During the sting, Kaczur reportedly paid $3,900 to buy 100 OxyContin pills from the alleged dealer, Daniel Ekasala, at gas stations in North Attleboro and Foxboro and a supermarket parking lot in Sharon, Mass. OxyContin, the brand name of high-powered pain killer oxycodone, has seen its abuse on the rise in recent years; most pharmacies no longer keep the drug on premises because of robberies. Kaczur, who started 15 games at right tackle for the Patriots last season, apparently began buying the OxyContin last November; according to Ekasala's attorney, Bernard Grossberg, Kaczur told DEA officials he bought 100 pills at a time, every few days. Though Kaczur denied working with the DEA or knowing Ekasala when approached by a Globe reporter, Grossberg acknowledged that Kaczur was the cooperating witness in the case. If the case goes to trial, Kaczur would be required to testify. Kaczur was originally arrested on April 27 by New York State police when he was pulled over for speeding on the New York Thruway. A small amount of OxyContin was found in his car and he was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a misdemeanor.
Read the rest, write another... June 2
The Patriots today signed veteran offensive lineman Oliver Ross, 33, a veteran of 10 NFL seasons with the Cowboys (1998), Eagles (1999), Steelers (2000-04) and Cardinals (2005-07). The 6-foot-4-inch, 327-pound offensive lineman was originally drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. Ross has played in 89 career games with 52 starts. The Iowa State product played in two games with the Cowboys as a rookie in 1998. The next season, he was released by Dallas following the preseason and was signed by the Eagles, for whom he was listed as a gameday inactive for 15 games in 1999. He spent part of the 2000 season on the Steelers’ practice squad before seeing his first significant game action in 2001. That season, he played in all 16 games with seven starts for Pittsburgh, seeing action at tackle and guard. From 2001-04, Ross played in all 64 of Pittsburgh’s games, totaling 35 starts over that span. In 2004, he started every game for the Steelers at right tackle. Ross was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2005 season, starting 12 games while seeing action at both offensive-tackle spots. He played in 11 games with five starts in 2006 before missing the entire 2007 season with a triceps injury. -- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
By Rick Gosselin DALLAS - There's an urge every NFL off-season to be different. Go against the flow. My worst call? I put Pittsburgh No. 1 in 1998 and Philadelphia No. 1 in 2005. The Steelers and Eagles missed the playoffs those seasons, both with 6-10 records. I learned my lesson - stay away from the Keystone State. Parity has taught me another lesson. The meek can inherit the earth. I placed St. Louis 23rd in my annual off-season rankings in 1999, New England 22nd in 2001 and the New York Giants 21st in 2007. All went on to win Super Bowls. I picked New England No. 1 last June, and the Patriots came within 36 seconds of being labeled the greatest team in NFL history. But when Plaxico Burress caught that 13-yard touchdown pass on a fade rout with 35 seconds left in the Super Bowl, the Patriots lost the game and their bid for a perfect season. The Giants won the Lombardi Trophy, but I'm still of the belief the Patriots are the best team in football. That's why I'm putting New England atop my off-season rankings once again in 2008. It's the first time I've gone with a team in back-to-back off-seasons since the Packers in 1996-97. Green Bay went to the Super Bowl both years. The NFL always has been and always will be a game of quarterbacks - and the Patriots have the best in Tom Brady. He presides over the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. His prolific right arm produced 4,806 passing yards, a record 50 touchdown passes and 589 points in 2007. New England played 1,140 minutes of football in 19 games last season and trailed on the scoreboard only 160 of those minutes. The 2006 NFL champion Indianapolis Colts also are allowed to have Super Bowl aspirations in 2008. They have Peyton Manning. That's why I put them No. 2. The Cowboys are allowed to have Super Bowl aspirations. They have Tony Romo. That's why they are No. 3. The San Diego Chargers are allowed to have Super Bowl aspirations. They have an emerging Philip Rivers at quarterback. That's why they are No. 4. Find the quarterbacks and you'll find the legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Truthfully, who could have envisioned the Rams in 1999, the Patriots in 2001 and the Giants in 2007 winning Super Bowls? Except that St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner was the NFL MVP in 1999, Brady the Super Bowl MVP in 2001, and New York's Eli Manning outplayed Romo, Brett Favre and Brady in consecutive games in winning Super Bowl MVP honors in February. I also included Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Seattle in my top 10. All three teams sent quarterbacks to the Pro Bowl last season. I slotted Jacksonville at No. 5 and Philadelphia No. 9. Quarterbacking also is the reason Green Bay slides from NFC runner-up in 2007 to No. 18 this month. With the retirement of Favre, the Packers are no longer automatic contenders. NFL offseason rankings 1. New England 2. Indianapolis 3. Dallas 4. San Diego 5. Jacksonville 6. NY Giants 7. Pittsburgh 8. Cleveland 9. Philadelphia 10. Seattle 11. Minnesota 12. New Orleans 13. Tennessee 14. Tampa Bay 15. Cincinnati 16. Buffalo 17. Houston 18. Green Bay 19. Carolina 20. Washington 21. Arizona 22. Chicago 23. St. Louis 24. Oakland 25. Detroit 26. Kansas City 27. Baltimore 28. Denver 29. NY Jets 30. San Francisco 31. Miami 32. Atlanta
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