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More Honors for BC's Silva, Brown's Morgan

Boston College safety Jamie Silva of East Providence and Brown kicker Steve Morgan will be in the spotlight again next month when the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston honors them at its 75th Annual College Football Awards Night.

Silva will share the George "Bulger" Lowe Award with BC quarterback Matt Ryan as the best Division I defensive and offensive players in New England. Morgan will receive the Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award for outstanding achievement in academics and athletics.

The recognition is the latest for Silva, a senior who led the Eagles with 115 tackles and tied for 10th in the nation with six interceptions. He made first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference, first-team Walter Camp All-America and first-team AP All-America. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football.

The Swede Nelson Award is the second-oldest after the Heisman Trophy of those awards that originiated on a national level. The first was presented in 1946. Morgan is a three-time first-team All-Ivy and All-New England selection and the Ivy League career leader in field goals (52) and points by a kicker (290). He broke the field-goal record by seven and the points record by 61. His point total is sixth-best in Ivy League and second-best in Brown football history. Morgan also punted for Brown and averaged 40.1 yards this season. He was also a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's Draddy Award, which is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in the nation.

Morgan is the second Brown receipient of the Swede Nelson Award. Tailback Nick Hartigan won it in 2005.

The Awards Night will be held Jan. 10 at the Burlington Marriott in Burlington, Mass.

Posted by Mike Szostak  at 3:34 PM to College Sports | Permalink | Comments 0

R.I. lawmakers ask NFL to put Pats finale on local TV

The Patriots are two games away from finishing the first 16-0 season in NFL history, and many fans in Rhode Island might not be able to see it happen.

In case you're unaware, the Pats' season finale is Saturday, Dec. 29, against the New York Giants, and it will be available locally only on Boston's Channel 5 and on the NFL Network, which is part of Cox's digital cable package.

Now, the four members of Rhode Island's congressional delegation have weighed in, sending a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell urging him to allow the game to be shown on a Rhode Island channel.

Click below to read the text of the letter, signed by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Representatives Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin.

December 19, 2007
Mr. Roger Goodell
Commissioner
National Football League
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Dear Commissioner Goodell:

We write to express concern regarding the boundaries of the primary broadcast market for the New England Patriots for their upcoming game on Saturday, December 29th against the New York Giants.

As you know, the New England Patriots have an undefeated record with just two games remaining. The December 29th game has the potential to culminate in the Patriots having the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since 1972, and Patriots’ fans across New England are looking forward to cheering on their home team. However, as currently scheduled, only the residents of Boston and New York City will be able to see the game on free, over-the-air television, while Rhode Islanders and other fans across New England will only be able to view the game if they are subscribers to the NFL Network.

The New England Patriots are assuredly a regional team, with many loyal fans in the state of Rhode Island. The state welcomed the Patriots for many years when they held their training camp at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Gillette Stadium is a short twenty-five minute drive from downtown Providence. Unfortunately, limiting transmission of the game to Boston excludes many of the team’s biggest fans from this event.

Therefore, we urge you to make the final game available on over-the-air television across New England to ensure that the region’s Patriots’ fans will be able to watch this highly anticipated game. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Jack Reed
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy
U.S. Representative James R. Langevin

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Download today's Sports cover

Patriots coach Bill Belichick calls for a stiffer defense, especially in the Red Zone and against the run. Also, get the latest on the PC and URI basketball teams.
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Posted by Rich Lee  at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments 0