Here are two columns worth reading about Spygate. The Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei says that the scandal is over, and it's time to remember just how good a coach Bill Belichick is. Meanwhile, Harvey Araton of The New York Times calls for a one-year suspension of the coach over his history of transgressions.
1,000 Pittsburghers agree: Belichick should be suspended
According to the story broken last night by The New York Times, former Patriots assistant Matt Walsh today will deliver his video collection to the NFL. The story goes on to identify the teams whose coaches will be featured giving signals on the tapes, and notes that Walsh does not in fact have a tape of the St. Louis Rams' 2002 Super Bowl walkthrough.
The team that probably has the biggest potential beef here is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were upset by the Patriots in the 2002 AFC Championship Game. According to The Times, the tape Walsh has has been edited to show Steelers coaches signalling plays during the game, followed by two different camera angles of the actual plays that were called.
On the Web site of the San Diego Union-Tribune the story also received scant attention, but football writer Jerry Magee does have a column that calls the Patriots the team to beat in 2008 in the AFC, with the Chargers second.
The Patriots have announced the signing of three of the players in for a tryout during the rookie mini-camp held over the weekend, as well as the release of two players who had already signed undrafted rookie deals before the weekend began.
Signed were: rookie TE Tyson DeVree of Colorado (formerly of Western Michigan), rookie P Mike Dragosavich of North Dakota State, and second-year NT Steve Fifita.
OT Josh Coffman and DL Carlos Feliciano were waived.
DeVree is 6-foot-6, 245 pounds who had 37 receptions for 402 yards and eight touchdowns last year with the Buffaloes. The 6-foot-5, 190 pound Dragosavich averaged 45.4 yards per punt last season, with 11 of 27 landing inside the 20-yard line. Fifita played in 13 games with one start for the Dolphins last year; he was a rookie free agent out of Utah in 2006. He is listed at 6-feet, 312 pounds.
Observations from the first day of Patriots mini-camp
By SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer
Rain forced the Patriots to move the first session of their rookie mini-camp indoors, to the Dana-Farber Fieldhouse, and the 27 players on hand worked for more than an hour on the basics of New England's system.
Some observations:
* QB Kevin O'Connell puts a lot of zip on his ball, but his accuracy is definitely an area of improvement for the third-round pick. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels spent a lot of time with O'Connell, working him both with and without a ball in his hands.
* CB Jonathan Wilhite doesn't have "stone hands." One online scouting report said the former Auburn Tiger had stone hands, but Wilhite's hands looked good while picking off O'Connell during one play. He made a good play on the ball, bobbled it a bit but held on.
* WR Matthew Slater may not end up as a WR at all. We this going in -- that Slater, the Pats' fifth-round pick, had been moved all over the field at UCLA and likely would in New England as well. This morning, he took some snaps at defensive back and came away with an interception, and of course played on special teams.
* For some, it may have been a brief tryout. Among the 27 players, there were nine in for a tryout. The team hasn't passed along those names yet, but for those who are still around for the afternoon session (which gets underway at 2:15 p.m.), we'll be able to pass along some names.
Here is the full list of drafted and undrafted rookies taking part in New England's rookie mini-camp this weekend:
5 QB Kevin O'Connell - San Diego St
18 WR Matthew Slater - UCLA
22 CB Terrence Wheatley - Colorado
24 CB Jonathan Wilhite - Auburn
30 S Mark Dillard - Louisiana Tech
42 RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis - Mississippi
47 LB Vince Redd - Liberty
48 LB Gary Guyton - Georgia Tech
51 LB Jerod Mayo - Tennessee
62b NT Henry Smith - Texas A&M
62w C Ryan Wendell - Fresno St
64 DE Casey Tyler - Portland St
69 DT Carlos Feliciano - Maryland
76w T Josh Coffman - East Carolina
76b DE Chris Norwell - Illinois
85 TE Jonathan Stupar - Virginia
91 LB Bo Ruud - Nebraska
98 LB Shawn Crable - Michigan
There are also several players here on a tryout basis; we will try to get their names for you.
Lucky Tom: Gisele is the world's top-earning model
Tom Brady's girlfriend Gisele Bundchen is once again the world's top-earning model, according to Forbes magazine, and it ain't even close.
The Forbes list, which you can read about right here, estimates total earnings over the past 12 months. Forbes said that Bundchen made $35 million over that period, a figure that makes big-time athletes' contracts pale in comparison, and which is more than double the second-ranking Heidi Klum.
A Steelers fan in the office just noted that that if Brady married Bundchen, he could retire today.
AP photo / Stephan Savoia
First-round draft choice Jerod Mayo poses with Robert and Jonathan Kraft today at Gillette Stadium.
By SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer
Jerod Mayo arrived at Gillette Stadium today, and after meeting with team owner Bob Kraft in his office and also with Bill Belichick, he met with the local media.
After being presented with his ceremonial number 1 jersey, Mayo -- who was dressed remarkably similar to both Bob and Jonathan Kraft, as all were in dark suits and a red-patterned tie -- was swallowed by a wave of cameras and microphones.
"I'm excited; I'm overwhelmed," Mayo said. "Just sitting in Mr. Kraft’s office, sitting there talking with the owner of the team, really overwhelmed me. I’m ready to get my playbook and start learning this defense."
As he said on Saturday shortly after he was drafted, Mayo said that he just wants to contribute to the Patriots, whether that be on special teams or as a defensive starter.
In his comments, Bob Kraft noted that he like Mayo's taste in ties, and thought it was funny that when he asked Mayo what his thoughts were on the connection between himself and the New England Patriots, Mayo said, "Kraft and Mayo go together."
Coates, Morris and Nance are Patriots Hall of Fame finalists
By SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer
The Patriots have announced the three men selected as finalists for this year's inductee into the franchise's Hall of Fame.
Tight end Ben Coates, center Jon Morris and running back Jim Nance were chosen by a 23-person nomination panel made up of local media, Pats' alumni and team employees as the most deserving candidates this year.
Now it will be up to the fans to decide which player becomes the 13th member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame; it is expected that this year's induction ceremony will be held inside the Hall at Patriot Place, which is currently under construction.
Voting began today at www.patriots.com , and will continue through July 4. Only one vote per e-mail address can be cast.
Here's a bit about each player from the press release:
Ben Coates played for the Patriots for nine seasons, appearing in 142 games from 1991-99. His 50 total touchdowns rank second in team history; his 490 receptions rank third; and his 5,471 receiving yards place fourth. Coates was the Patriots’ leading receiver five times in a six-year span from 1993-98, and his 96 catches in 1994 set a team record at the time. Coates was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1994-98. He was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft (124th overall) out of Livingstone College.
Jon Morris played for the Patriots for 11 seasons, appearing in 130 games from 1964-74. He earned seven consecutive American Football League All-Star appearances from 1964-70, and his seven league All-Star selections ranks second in Patriots history behind Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah (9). Morris anchored an offensive line that opened holes for Jim Nance to amass a team-record 45 rushing touchdowns from 1965-71. He was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 1964 American Football League Draft out of Holy Cross.
Jim Nance played for the Patriots for seven seasons, appearing in 94 games from 1965-71. His 45 rushing touchdowns are a franchise record, while his 5,323 rushing yards place second in team history. He was the American Football League’s Most Valuable Player in 1966, leading the league with 1,458 rushing yards - the highest single-season total in the AFL’s 10-year history and a mark that stood as a Patriots record for 20 years. Nance was the AFL’s leading rusher again in 1967, totaling 1,216 yards. He was selected by the Patriots in the 19th round of the 1965 American Football League Draft out of Syracuse.
Now, he's apparently jumping into NASCAR. He has formed Moss Motorsports LLC, and intends to have a truck in the Craftsman truck series by the second half of this season.
The wide receiver has served as a goodwill ambassador for the Urban Youth Racing School and has also sponsored a dirt track program.
Over on the PatsBlog, Shalise Manza Young has the details on an interview with Tommy Austin, the high school football coach of Patriots first-round draft pick Jerod Mayo.
Goodell says he will approach Spygate material with open mind
NEW YORK (AP) - Roger Goodell is fully prepared to crack down again on the New England Patriots if his meeting with Matt Walsh uncovers a tape made of the St. Louis Rams' final walkthrough practice before the 2002 Super Bowl.
"Taping a walkthrough is much different from what I punished them for," the NFL commissioner said Thursday at a meeting of a group representing the Associated Press Sports Editors.
After more than two months of negotiations, lawyers for the league and Walsh, the former New England employee, finally reached agreement Wednesday on terms that will allow him to talk Goodell. They include an agreement by the Patriots not to sue Walsh and to pay his legal expenses and his airfare to New York from Hawaii, where he is now a golf pro.
FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) - The New England Patriots signed three free agents Wednesday: tight end Marcus Pollard, punter Scott Player and defensive lineman Kenny Smith.
Pollard has been in the league for 13 seasons with Indianapolis, Detroit and Seattle. He has 349 catches for 4,280 yards and 40 touchdowns in 191 career games. The 36-year-old led Seattle's tight ends last season with 28 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns.
Player punted in three games last season for Cleveland before being released on Oct. 8. He sent nine seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. The 38-year-old kicker has 727 punts for 31,345 yards.
Smith has 69 career tackles in 30 games. The 30-year-old has not played since 2003 when he was with New Orleans.
NEW YORK (AP) - Former Patriots assistant Matt Walsh will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on May 13 about New England's videotaping of opposing teams.
The league reached an agreement with Walsh on Wednesday. The NFL had been negotiating for two months with Walsh, now an assistant golf pro in Hawaii, who has indicated he has further information regarding Spygate.
Goodell fined Patriots coach Bill Belichick $500,000, the team was fined $250,000 and was stripped of its first-round draft choice for taking video of New York Jets coaches on the sideline of the 2007 season opener. But the specter of what information Walsh might have has hung over the matter since the Super Bowl, when Walsh reportedly said he had other tapes.
The agreement with Walsh will allow him to "share with the NFL information about activities occurring during his employment with the club from 1997-2003," the league said in a statement.
Walsh also will be required to return any tapes and other items in his possession that belong to the Patriots.
Bill Belichick has just wrapped his annual pre-draft press conference, and was in a pretty chipper mood -- possibly because he is celebrating a birthday today.
He touched on a variety of topics during the session, including the new 10-minute limit for teams to make their first-round selections (down from 15), the so-called trade value chart, player visits and the advantages of having the seventh overall pick.
"We're plugging along," Belichick began. "We have a lot of loose ends, which is usually the way it is this time of year. We have a few last visits this week and then next week we'll talk draft strategy, scenarios that might come up."
Patriots' Wilfork to raise money for diabetes research
By SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer
Vince Wilfork also came to chat this morning, mostly to talk about his annual Draft Party, which raises funds for the Diabetes Research Institute. Wilfork's father died from the effects of the disease, so it is a cause that is close to his heart.
There are still tickets available for the event, which will be held at Pinz Bowling alley in Milford, Mass. from 1-6 p.m. on April 26, the first day of the draft. There will also be a memorabilia auction.
Wilfork said it gives fans the chance to see that he's just a normal guy, and more importantly helps raise awareness of diabetes.
"I saw my father suffer for 12 years," he said. "He lost his eyesight, lost limbs; it was basically seeing my father die slowly."
To that end, Wilfork has continued to monitor his diet. He knows that it is easy for him to stay in shape and maintain his weight as long as he's playing football, but he has already started looking toward the days when he will no longer be in the NFL. Given his family history of diabetes and high blood pressure, he knows it is important to be diligent about his diet and weight.
As for the Patriots, Wilfork said he hasn't re-watched any of Super Bowl XLII and has no plans to. He gave credit to Giants' quarterback Eli Manning and receiver David Tyree for pulling off the improbable play that led to New York's win, but what's past is past and New England is looking ahead to this year
"Every year you go into camp wanting to get better. We lost the Super Bowl; that was a goal of ours, that is the goal of every team in this league. We have to do whatever it takes to get back there and win. We have to start now getting everything in order," he said.
CINCINNATI (AP) - Receiver Doug Gabriel, who was out of the NFL last season after spending much of 2006 in Bill Belichick's doghouse, signed a one-year contract Tuesday with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals added Gabriel to their thin receiving corps as week after they released No. 3 receiver Chris Henry last week following his latest arrest.
Oakland drafted Gabriel out of Central Florida in the fifth round in 2003. He played for the Raiders through 2005, and was traded to New England. Oakland claimed him off waivers during the 2006 season, then released him last August.
Goodell still hopes to hear what Walsh has to say about Spygate
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Roger Goodell is getting impatient with the stalemate between the NFL and Matt Walsh, the former New England Patriots employee who implies he has tapes he made of opposing teams that the league has yet to see.
"If it's just taping team's signals, we know about that," the NFL commissioner said Wednesday as he wrapped up the league meetings. "At some point I will run out of patience."
Lawyers for the league and the Patriots have been negotiating with Walsh's attorney to get him to tell them what he knows. Walsh, now a golf pro in Hawaii, is seeking protection from any action the league or the Patriots might take once he reveals his information about the team's taping of opponents.
Walsh's name first surfaced two days before the Patriots lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. He suggested he had tapes in addition to the ones confiscated from a New England employee during the opening game of the season against the New York Jets. New England coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 by Goodell, the team was fined $250,000, and the Patriots forfeited their first-round choice in this month's draft after the tapes of the Jets' defensive signals were determined to be against NFL rules.
The league subsequently destroyed the tapes.
It wasn't until after the Super Bowl, when Goodell met with Sen. Arlen Specter, R.-Pa., to discuss the matter, that the league acknowledged the tapes went back to 2000, when Walsh still worked for the Patriots. League officials acknowledged they erred in not disclosing that Belichick admitted taping opponents since he became New England's coach in 2000.
The main question is whether there are tapes of the St. Louis Rams' final walkthrough practice before the 2002 Super Bowl, as has been suggested in published reports. The Patriots, underdogs by two touchdowns, beat the Rams 20-17 in that game.
Jeff Pash, the NFL's chief lawyer, said after Goodell's statement that the league is continuing to negotiate with Michael Levy, Walsh's lawyer.
"We're having a good dialogue," Pash said. "We're making progress. He [Walsh] feels he's in uncharted waters and wants to feel comfortable when he comes forward."
Patriots' Watson has ankle surgery, may miss start of camp
In news first reported by the Boston Herald, tight end Benjamin Watson recently underwent left ankle surgery and may not be ready come training camp in late July.
The surgery reportedly revealed cartilage damage and scar tissue; when asked about the surgery, Watson declined. The Patriots refused to comment.
Watson first injured the ankle in Week 6 against Dallas, when he was dragged down from behind by Cowboys' safety Roy Williams, who is so notorious for taking players down that way that the NFL instituted a rule against using a "horse collar" tackle because of a high incidence of injury with the move.
Though Williams was fined three times for such a tackle last season -- including a one-game suspension late in the season after a takedown of the Eagles' Donovan McNabb -- he was not cited for the Watson tackle.
Watson played in 12 games last season. The Patriots cut veteran tight end Kyle Brady on Feb. 29, apparently before the extent of Watson's injury was known. David Thomas, who missed most of last season, and Stephen Spach, are the team's other players at the position.
According to profootballtalk.com, the Patriots have signed free agent cornerback Fernando Bryant to a one-year deal.
Bryant, a nine-year veteran, apparently also had an offer on the table from Denver but decided to join New England. A Georgia native, he spent the last four seasons with the Lions, after playing for Jacksonville for the first five years of his career. The Jaguars chose Bryant (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) 26th overall out of Alabama in 1999.
Heavily involved in community work, Bryant played in all 16 games last season, with 69 tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes defensed and a forced fumble. However, he played in just 22 games over his first three seasons in Detroit, including just two in 2005.
Goodell seeks more inspections, harsher penalties for spying
NEW YORK (AP) - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants to crack down on spying next season with more inspections and harsher penalties, steps that follow the disciplining of the New England Patriots for taping opponents' signals.
Goodell is urging tougher action on teams and employees that would include unannounced inspections of locker rooms and coaches' areas in press boxes and a lower standard of proof for imposing discipline on those who violate rules. Loss of draft choices would be a possible punishment.
The changes, first disclosed in The Washington Post on Friday, are contained in a memo obtained by The Associated Press. It was sent to the league's rule-making competition committee, which will make recommendations to the owners at the league meeting starting March 30 in Palm Beach, Fla.
"I think there are a number of steps that should be taken in advance of the start of the 2008 season to improve and strengthen the enforcement procedures designed to preserve the competitive integrity of the game," Goodell wrote in the memo.
It is a direct outgrowth from Spygate, which resulted in severe fines against coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, and the forfeiture of New England's first-round draft choice after the confiscation of tapes during the opening game of the season against the New York Jets.
The tapes and other evidence were subsequently destroyed, leading to further outcry, including a meeting between Goodell and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who expressed his displeasure at disclosures that the Patriots' spying may have gone back to 2000.
Competition committee members also suggested Friday that the memo is less about Spygate than it is about finding a way to keep up with advances in technology.
"When we met with commissioner, the discussion was how we proceed in an era when technology is expanding exponentially," Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian said. "The question is how do we keep on top of that. This is far less about what happened in the past and how we deal with it in the future."
Among other things, Goodell wants fewer constraints on him in punishing violators.
"Too often," he wrote, "competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking. I believe we should reconsider the standard of proof to be applied in such cases, and make it easier for a competitive violation to be established.
"And where a violation is shown, I intend to impose more stringent penalties on both the club and the responsible individual(s). I will also be prepared to make greater use of draft choice forfeiture in appropriate cases. I believe this will have the effect of deterring violations and making people more willing to report violations on a timely basis."
Enforcement would include spot checks of team offices, including locker rooms, coaches' booths and in-stadium communication systems and equipment as well as "enhanced monitoring of team practices."
"Many of these checks will be virtually unannounced and clubs would be expected fully to cooperate with this effort," Goodell wrote.
On another matter, Goodell said he supports the use of radios for defensive players to get signals from the sideline, which now are limited only to offense.
The measure came up at last year's meetings but was not approved because coaches and team officials were concerned that too many players might have to be wired because in many cases, a player with a radio in his helmet might be out of the game on some plays. On offense, only the quarterbacks have radios in helmets.
The Patriots have bolstered their defensive backfield by signing cornerback Jason Webster, according to the Web site Rotoworld.
Webster, a 30-year-old from Texas A&M, has eight years of NFL experience with the 49ers, Falcons and Bills. Last year with Buffalo, he broke his arm in the first game of the season and missed the rest of the year.
We just spoke with Alonzo Shavers, one of the agents for Asante Samuel, and he said Samuel is excited to hit free agency on one week from today, but that no team has so far been ruled out of the mix.
Though Scott Pioli is here in Indianapolis as well, Shavers would not say if the two have met up to discuss numbers -- New England is the only team that can negotiate with Samuel right now, though of course at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 29, Shavers and Jay Bianco can start fielding calls from all 32 teams.
"There's always communication going on with our situation," Shavers said. "We don't eliminate anyone until we've signed a new deal and move to a new city."
Shavers called New England Samuel's "birthplace," and Samuel has said he'd like to remain with the Patriots. But he is also anticipating the chance to hit the open market; it is expected that Samuel's deal will exceed the $28.5 million over the first three years Nate Clements got from San Francisco last year. Clements' deal was announced as eight years, $80 million, but the final year of the deal was already voided, making it a seven-year, $64 million pact.
The agent also acknowledged that with Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha and Seattle's Marcus Trufant -- the other top-flight corners that would have been available -- being taken off the market with their teams slapping the franchise tags on them "gives us more leeway."
Steelers chairman says Patriots' taping did not affect playoff games
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The New England Patriots' taping of opposing coaches' signals did not affect the outcome of games against the Steelers, including two AFC Championship games, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said Friday.
"We consider the tapes of our coaching staff during our games against the New England Patriots to be a non-issue," Rooney said in a statement. "In our opinion, they had no impact on the results of those games."
Rooney's comments were fueled by remarks Thursday by U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who has questioned whether the NFL has properly handled allegations that Patriots coach Bill Belichick had assistants videotape opponents' signals.
NFL officials indicate the Patriots taped the Steelers' coaches during AFC Championship games at the end of the 2001 and 2004 seasons, and during regular-season games in 2002 and 2004, Specter said. The Steelers lost all but the 2004 regular-season game.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots $250,000 and docked the team a first-round draft pick.
Specter has criticized Goodell for destroying the tapes after the league's internal investigation.
But Rooney said Goodell and the league took the "appropriate action" in punishing the Patriots.
"We are confident that the commissioner has taken appropriate action in his investigation of this matter, and will do so again if new information arises which requires further investigation and/or discipline," Rooney said.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl and ended the season with a perfect 19-0 record - at least it looks that way in Nicaragua.
The NFL donated 290 Patriots hats and an equal number of team jerseys trumpeting the slogans "Super Bowl Champions, 19-0" to impoverished children from two small communities in southern Nicaragua.
Thursday's gifts could not change history - the Patriots lost the Feb. 3 game to the New York Giants 17-14 - but they made a lot of youngsters in the communities of San Gregorio and Buena Vista very happy, said Miriam Diaz, spokeswoman for the humanitarian organization World Vision, which arranged the donation with the NFL.
"They (Patriots) lost, but the children won," Diaz said.
The only "football" most of the children know is soccer, but they were very enthusiastic about the U.S. version of the game once the rules were explained to them, she said.
"They were very happy to receive the hats and jerseys," Diaz said. "They said they did not expect such a surprise."
The Patriots have announced the signing of free agent LB T.J. Slaughter.
A 6-foot-1, 233 pound, seven-year veteran, Slaughter spent last year out of football. But he has played in 78 career games (32 starts) since Jacksonville drafted him out of Southern Mississippi in the third round in 2000. He has played with the Jaguars, Packers, Ravens, Saints and 49ers.
Slaughter was a college teammate of Adalius Thomas.
Patriots' Willie Andrews charged with marijuana possession
LOWELL, Mass. (AP) - New England Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews was arrested during a traffic stop Tuesday on charges of possession of marijuana and driving an unregistered motor vehicle.
The morning arrest came one day after the team returned from Arizona, where the New York Giants upset New England 17-14 in the Super Bowl to end the Patriots' perfect season.
Andrews was to be arraigned Tuesday in Lowell District Court, said Corey Welford, a spokesman for the Middlesex district attorney. Welford did not have further details, and a call to the Patriots was not immediately returned.
Andrews completed his second year with the Patriots, spending time on special teams return and coverage units. He scored his first NFL touchdown in October on a 77-yard kickoff return against the Miami Dolphins.
The 24-year-old player from Longview, Texas, was drafted in the seventh round out of Baylor in 2006.
Multimedia: Projo PatsTalk with Shalise Manza Young
Before beginning her day on Thursday, Patriots writer Shalise Manza Young spoke to Mike McDermott for this multimedia show. The topics: Tom Brady, Plaxico Burress, stopping New York's running game, and honoring Marquise Hill. Click the play button below to listen and watch. Shalise will file multimedia reports tomorrow as well.
Multimedia: Projo PatsTalk on the road to the Super Bowl
Shalise Manza Young and Mike McDermott look back on the AFC Championship victory and begin to talk about the Giants in this words-and-pictures presentation. Click on the play button below to see and hear the show.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft sat behind his wide desk and marveled at how his team's jersey could be the target of so many boos — even when it's worn by a 14-year-old girl.
This wasn't Randy Moss or Rodney Harrison hearing the catcalls. They're used to it.
This was Anna Grant, a high school freshman who had worked hard to win the Punt, Pass & Kick competition in her age group as the team's representative.
When she was introduced along with the other winners before the fourth quarter of San Diego's playoff win last Sunday, she was the only one booed by the crowd in Indianapolis, home of New England's fiercest rival.
“Why should a champion be booed?” the boss of the three-time Super Bowl winners said Tuesday. “She won an intensive competition. She's supposed to be honored.”
His team is getting the same reaction — not because of the spying incident in the season opener but because fans like to see teams at the top get knocked off, he said. If the Chargers can't do it Sunday, New England will be headed to its fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons.
But first comes the coin flip before the AFC championship and Grant will be out on the field for that, invited by Kraft, who felt badly that she had been booed.
“What I decided is that we would honor her here before this game,” Kraft said in an interview in his office filled with photos, footballs and other memorabilia. “We will recognize her as the winner on the field. Our fans will know.”
Grant returned from school Tuesday and heard a phone message from Andre Tippett, the Patriots' executive director of community affairs and a former star linebacker.
She called back and was ecstatic when Tippett extended the invitation — plus tickets for her, her parents and two brothers — to take part.
“I was just in shock,” she said.
Kraft knows the hoots were not directed at the high school freshman from Stratham, N.H., about 20 miles north of the Massachusetts border. It's just that the jersey provokes an instant response, usually a negative one.
Grant also understands, and even smiled when she heard the boos.
“Before I went down there, my friends said, 'You know, you'll probably get booed,'” she said in a telephone interview. “I was kind of waiting for it.
“It really didn't bother me at all,” she added. “People at the game came up to me afterward and said, 'It's not you. It's your jersey.'”
It wasn't always that way.
When Adam Vinatieri's last-play field goal gave the Patriots their first championship as huge underdogs to the St. Louis Rams after the 2001 season, red, white and blue confetti — not boos — poured down in the Louisiana Superdome.
It came less than five months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“I remember saying when I hoisted the (championship) trophy, 'We are all Patriots and tonight the Patriots are world champions,'” Kraft said. “We were the underdogs. No one expected (it). Now what's happened is, we've had a modicum of success.
“I noticed it with the second title that we went after. Already people had switched and I think people outside of New England want to see different (winners). It's sort of like the Yankees. There was a resentment, but a respect for the Yankees.”
The Yankees have declined since their dominance of the late 90s. The Patriots are better than ever, perhaps the best team in NFL history.
“Jealousy and envy comes in the more you win and people say, 'Give someone else a chance and let someone else do it,'” Kraft said. “I understand that.”
It's better than the alternative.
Before he bought the team in January 1994, the Patriots had missed the playoffs for the previous seven seasons. In just his third year, they were in the Super Bowl — losing to Green Bay in the same building where they would win their first title five years later.
At least fans care now, even if they boo.
“I see it as sort of respect in a way,” Kraft said. “I think 15 years ago, 18 years ago, someone could have worn our jersey and I just think there would have been no reaction.”
Grant plans to wear some Patriots apparel again Sunday, probably a hat. The reaction will be much warmer.
“In a way, the fact that this young lady was booed is a compliment to the New England Patriots fans because we're relevant,” Kraft said. “And, we're good.”
Denver Broncos tight end and former New England Patriot Daniel Graham was arrested on a charge of harassing his ex-girlfriend.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department said the 29-year-old Graham was arrested Friday on suspicion of criminal mischief and harassment and released on a personal recognizance bond.
The woman told deputies on Thursday that Graham hit and damaged a bedpost after the couple argued over the sale of their home, and that he refused to leave.
She said the incident occurred Sunday.
Broncos spokesman Jim Saccomano said team officials were aware of the arrest but had no comment.
One of Graham's agents, Jack Mills, also declined to comment.
Multimedia: Projo photographers look back on the Pats perfect season
Photographers Bob Breidenbach, Glenn Osmundson and Mary Murphy took some time this month to discuss their memories of the Patriots perfect regular season. Click the photo above to see their multimedia presentation -- with their favorite photos, how they got them, and what they will remember most about 2007.
NEW YORK (AP) - Just like all those wins, the NFL awards keep rolling in for Tom Brady.
The league's Most Valuable Player added The Associated Press 2007 Offensive Player of the Year honors to his collection Tuesday, easily outdistancing his main weapon on the unbeaten New England Patriots, Randy Moss.
Indeed, of the four players who received votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL, three were Patriots. Brady, of course, led the way, just as he did through the first 16-0 regular season in league history.
"We set out a bunch of goals early in the season," Brady said, "and I think I said the best part about playing quarterback here is I just have to do my job, show up every day and work hard just like everybody else. I think my job description is just a bit different than everybody else's, but there's a lot of satisfaction knowing that I can just come out there and worry about myself and expect that everybody else is going to do their job.
"It's been a fun season. There's no doubt about it."
And it's been a rewarding season for Brady, the first New England player to be chosen MVP and now the first Patriot to win Offensive Player of the Year. He collected 351/2 votes to 121/2 for Moss. Wes Welker, the Patriots' other starting receiver, got one, as did Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.
Brady, an eight-year veteran who's already a winner of three Super Bowls, threw for 50 touchdowns, beating Peyton Manning's league mark by one. He also threw 23 of those TD passes to Moss, lifting the receiver past Jerry Rice's record of 22.
New England scored 589 points and 75 TDs, both records. Brady's precision - a 68.9 completion percentage, 117.2 passer rating, just eight interceptions - and yards passing (4,806, 383 more than runner-up Drew Brees of New Orleans) made him a natural choice for his second award in less than a week.
"Individual awards haven't been as important to me as the team goals, and I've said that for a long time," Brady said. "While I'm very flattered to be honored in that way, I understand that my greatest satisfaction comes from winning games and being the leader of this football team. I take that job very seriously and I hope that translates into a win this week."
That would be Saturday night against Jacksonville in the second round of the playoffs. The Patriots are seeking the second perfect season in league history; only Miami, 17-0 in 1972, has gone through the regular schedule and the postseason unbeaten.
Since Favre won Offensive Player in 1995, only two quarterbacks have taken the award: Manning with his record-setting 2004 season, and now Brady in surpassing Manning's achievement.
Last year's winner was running back LaDainian Tomlinson of San Diego.
Brady is the fourth straight double winner, joining Manning, running back Shaun Alexander of Seattle, and Tomlinson.
"If you go ask him he'd probably say the same thing: all the individual awards don't matter," Patriots running back Kevin Faulk said. "It's the team awards that matter, and with the team awards you get all the individual accolades."
Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots was named the National Football League's Coach of the Year after leading his team to an undefeated regular season.
The Patriots were 16-0, making Belichick the first coach to lead his team through the season without a loss since Don Shula did it with Miami in 1972.
The perfect record earned the Patriots' coach 29 of the 50 votes from a nationwide media panel in balloting conducted by the Associated Press.
The season started with the NFL fining Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots $250,000 plus the loss of a first-round pick in this year's draft after the team was caught videotaping New York Jets coaches on the sidelines Sept. 9.
Green Bay's Mike McCarthy was second in the balloting, receiving 15 votes for leading the Packers to a 13-3 record and the National Football Conference North Division title.
Dallas' Wade Phillips and Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio each received two votes, while Indianapolis' Tony Dungy and Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden got one apiece.
Belichick won the award in 2003 after leading New England to a 14-2 regular-season record, winning its final 12 games before claiming the second of three Super Bowl titles.
Shalise Manza Young and Mike McDermott discuss the Patriots' win over the Giants and look ahead to possible playoff foes. Click on the play button below to see and hear the show.
Safety Anthony Smith, who gained notoriety in New England for guaranteeing a Steelers win at Gillette Stadium, has been bumped from the starting lineup by Tyrone Carter, according to a story in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The story noted that the Steelers have given up three 40-plus-yard touchdown passes in their past two games -- two to New England and one to Jacksonville -- and that Smith was involved in failing to defend all three. In their first 12 games, the Steelers had surrendered just one such play, according to the newspaper.
Smith took over as starting free safety for the team's seventh game, after Ryan Clark was placed on injured reserve.
Shalise Manza Young and Mike McDermott discuss the Patriots' win over Pittsburgh and look ahead to the Jets circus. Click the play button below to see and hear the show.
The New England Patriots today took a giant step toward a perfect regular season, easily defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers today in Foxboro. On a day when the Patriots handed the ball off only eight times, Tom Brady threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Randy Moss.
After going into halftime with only a 17-13 lead, the Patriots clamped down and shut out the Steelers in the second half, while their pass-happy offense moved the ball methodically down the field.
Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Patriot veterans Rodney Harrison, left, Troy Brown, right, and Tedy Bruschi, background, run a drill at practice in the bubble at Gillette Stadium, in preparation for Sunday's 4:15 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has returned to the practice field after yesterday's day off to rest.
Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- The Dallas Cowboys host the Green Bay Packers tomorrow night in one of the National Football League's most anticipated games this season.
Chances are, you won't be able to watch it.
The NFL remains locked in a pricing dispute with some of the nation's largest cable providers, preventing about two- thirds of the 109.6 million television households in the U.S. from watching football's two most popular franchises.
The game will be broadcast on the NFL Network, which the league owns and wants carried as a basic channel by the cable companies. Cablevision Systems Corp., Time Warner Inc., Comcast Corp. and other cable companies say it belongs on a so-called sports tier, where only those who want it must pay an extra monthly charge.
"There's no right, there's no wrong, there's no good guy, there's no bad guy," said Rick Gentile, a former executive producer at CBS Sports. "There's just a victim, and the victim is the sports fan."
The Cowboys, known as "America's team," and the Packers, whose former coach Vince Lombardi is honored on the league's championship trophy, each have 10 wins and 1 loss. The winner might earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs en route to the Super Bowl, which Dallas has won five times and Green Bay three.
Eight Games
Since last season, the NFL has withheld eight games each year from its $3.7 billion television package with Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN, General Electric Co.'s NBC and CBS Inc. The league broadcasts those games on its network and uses the fan interest to pressure the cable companies.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who heads the committee governing the NFL Network, said the league understood interest would be high for the Packers-Cowboys game, helping to demonstrate the network's value. The Cowboys and Packers are the most popular teams with fans living outside their home cities, according to study by Turnkey Sports and Entertainment, a Haddonfield, New Jersey-based marketing company.
"I had one of the significant cable companies dare me, `Show me just how much the interest is,"' Jones said in an interview earlier this month. "You start telling literally a couple hundred thousand people in Texas that they aren't going to get to see (Tony) Romo versus Brett Favre, and there's going to be letters to people that they're counting on."
The NFL is asking fans to drop cable subscriptions in favor of satellite or telecommunications companies that carry the network, such as DirecTV. It's also sought government help.
FCC Vote
The Federal Communications Commission delayed a vote yesterday on rules that might force Comcast and Time Warner to hold arbitration talks to resolve disputes with content suppliers such as the NFL.
"Ultimately, there has to be some sort of arbitration, but I don't think you go to the government and ask for relief," said Gentile, who now directs the Seton Hall University Sports Poll tracking public attitudes toward the business of professional sports. "They both have very valid cases, and they're both completely unreasonable."
Comcast, the biggest U.S. cable provider, moved the NFL Network last year from a basic subscriber package that reached 8 million homes to a sports tier, which has fewer than 1 million customers, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. That meant people wanting to watch the NFL Network had to pay an extra $5 to $8 per month.
`The Fairest Way'
Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen said last week the switch was "the fairest way to provide the NFL's expensive programming to customers." Time Warner supported the move.
"Nobody should be fooled by the NFL's suggestion that it is such a weak player, or that its programming is so important that it requires government intervention to gain carriage on cable systems," Time Warner spokeswoman Maureen Huff said in a telephone interview. Cable operators also point to the NFL's five-year, $3.5 billion deal with DirecTV for its "Sunday Ticket" package of out-of-market games.
Tomorrow's game will be important to Cowboys and Packers fans, including former Green Bay offensive lineman Jerry Kramer. Nearly 40 years ago, he sprung Bart Starr with a block to score the winning touchdown in the closing seconds against Dallas in what is now known as the Ice Bowl, considered among the greatest games in league history.
"How the hell anybody could live without the NFL Network is beyond me," 70-year-old Kramer, who can watch the game at his Boise, Idaho, home, said in a telephone interview. "It's such a shame that it won't be widely seen, especially for a ball game like this."
Patriots
The NFL Network game that could draw even greater interest comes during the regular season's final week, when the New England Patriots (11-0) may seek to cap the league's first undefeated campaign since 1972 against the New York Giants. Goodell was asked at an owners' meeting last month which side of the squabble fans would take if they couldn't see the Patriots' run at history.
"The reality is, they'd probably be angry at all of us," he said.
Cowboys fan Claudius Bryant, a 38-year-old real estate broker who lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, and grew up in Texas, will find a sports bar to catch tomorrow night's game, with disdain for both sides in the dispute.
"They're all pigs at the trough," Bryant said in a telephone interview.
This statement has just been released via the Patriots' media relations department. It is not credited to a specific person, just "an NFL spokesperson."
"Rodney Harrison of the New England Patriots has been suspended without pay for the team’s first four regular-season games of 2007 for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances.
"Harrison’s suspension begins immediately. He is eligible to return to the Patriots’ active roster on Tuesday, October 2 following the team’s October 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals."
Harrison admits to 4-game suspension, apoligizes to teammates and fans
Patriots safety Rodney Harrison has just concluded a brief conference call with the media in which he made a statement affirming that he purchased human growth hormone (HGH), but saying "not once did I use steroids."
Here is his opening statement (as best we could transcribe it live):
"This is Rodney Harrison, and I am basically here to let you know that tomorrow the commissioner will announce that I have been suspended for violating the league substance abuse policy for four games. I want to make it clear that not once did I use steroids. I did admit that I did in fact use a banned substance. It was not to gain a competitive edge; the purpose was to accelerate the healing process for injuries I sustained while playing football. I am not making excuses nor will I make excuses. I made a mistake. I understand I am a role model, I don’t condone my behavior, I am very, very embarrassed by it, and to any high school (or) college athlete, I sent the wrong message with my actions and I want to be the example to them to never jeopardize their health. They always have to love themselves."
Harrison asked that the media not badger his teammates with questions while they prepare to play the first four games of the regular season, and he also asked that his family be respected during this time.
CHARLOTTE — When it matters in recent seasons, the Patriots usually win. In the playoffs, in the Super Bowl, in the AFC East — and in the third exhibition game.
Exhibition Number Three is generally considered the “important” one, and with New England’s 24-7 win over the Carolina Panthers last night, the team is now 5-2 under Bill Belichick in the third exhibition game.
Quarterback Tom Brady played into the third quarter, and most of the remaining starters played the full three quarters as the Pats notched their first win of the exhibition season.
There was a lot to like about New England’s performance, starting with the offensive line, which played a much better game than it had the previous week, against Tennessee. The Titans sacked Brady twice and were in his face quite a bit.
Last night, however, there were no such issues. Brady didn’t so much as absorb a hit when he was under center, and had plenty of time to spread the ball around. When he went back to the bench with 12:46 left in the third quarter, the 30-year-old had completed 17 of 22 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
In vintage Brady style, his 17 completions went to eight different receivers.
Early on, however, it was all Laurence Maroney.
The second-year running back was finally given the all-clear to hit and be hit after wearing a red non-contact jersey from the start of training camp, and had not played in the team’s first two exhibition games.
But last night, Maroney was handed the ball on nine of New England’s first 10 offensive plays, and finished the night with 15 carries for 58 yards (a 3.9 average). Maroney left after the Pats’ second scoring drive, which ended just under six minutes before halftime.
The first-team defense gave up just seven points, on a long catch-and-run by Panthers receiver Keary Colbert in the second quarter. Colbert was lined up opposite New England rookie defensive back Mike Richardson on the play, and got a great block near the end zone from Steve Smith for a 48-yard touchdown.
The Patriots didn’t get far on their first drive, a three-and-out in which Maroney gained six yards.
But their second possession was the kind of clock-killing drive they’ve become known for — an 18-play, 90-yard march that ended with a field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.
The big play in the drive was on third-and-8 from the New England 31, when Brady hit Sammy Morris with a short pass over the middle. Morris turned upfield, lowered his shoulder and met linebacker Dan Morgan for a nine-yard gain. Morris had another nice reception on a 13-yard screen in which he got a great block from Logan Mankins.
A third-down pass at the back of the end zone for Benjamin Watson was broken up by Chris Gamble, and New England settled for a 23-yard field goal.
It was the only three-pointer Gostkowski would convert on the night, however. The kicker, who also struggled at the start of last season before settling in and making 21 of his final 23 tries, missed a 53-yarder and a 46-yarder, both wide left.
Brady led the Patriots on two touchdown drives before departing, with the first score going to an unexpected target.
The first of two blocked field goals on the night for Vince Wilfork (the first looked like it should have been credited to Jarvis Green, but the change had not been made at the end of the game) put New England at the Carolina 45. After more ground work —Maroney, Morris and Heath Evans toted the ball for the first five snaps of the drive — Brady looked to Wes Welker for a 10-yard gain, which gave the Pats first-and-goal at the 10.
Two plays later, tight end Marcellus Rivers, signed on Aug. 8, cradled the touchdown score.
After halftime, a 15-yard completion to Reche Caldwell and a 37-yard strike to Donte Stallworth set up an Evans touchdown.
Matt Cassel came on for the next series, New England’s final scoring march, and promptly took a couple of hard hits. But a 43-yard run by Evans, who displayed his bulldog style on the carry, set the Pats up nicely. Evans then scored from two yards out.
Vinny Testaverde, who rejoined New England on Saturday, and undrafted rookie Matt Gutierrez also took some snaps at quarterback.
It's a boy for Bridget Moynahan and New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady.
The actress gave birth to the baby in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Moynahan's publicist Christina Papadapoulos said in a statement.
“Both mother and baby are doing well,” she said.
Other details were not immediately released.
Brady wasn't on the field or sidelines for the first 15 minutes of practice for the Patriots Wednesday.
The quarterback had said he wanted a few days off to attend the birth of his first child. It was unknown if he arrived before the baby was born.
Moynahan and Brady split up late last year after a three-year relationship. Brady has been dating supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
Moynahan, a former model, has starred in such films as “Coyote Ugly,” “I, Robot” and “The Sum of All Fears.” Her television credits include “Sex and the City” and the ABC series “Six Degrees.”
Due to road work on highways leading to the stadium and construction and parking lot changes near Gillette Stadium because of the Patriots Place project, the team has sent out the following advisory for Friday's preseason game against the Titans:
TIPS FOR FANS ATTENDING FRIDAY’S GAME
A rearrangement of the parking lots has relocated the majority of stadium parking spaces on the opposite side of Route 1 from Gillette Stadium. Fans should plan to park across the street from the stadium for the easiest ingress and egress.
There is major construction taking place on Interstate 495 at Exit 14 (Route 1), including temporary onramps and offramps on which extreme caution should be used.
Fans will experience Friday commuter traffic and Friday summer vacation traffic, which they may not be accustomed to dealing with during regular-season weekend games.
CHANGES IN STADIUM PARKING CONFIGURATION
The parking lots on the opposite side of Route 1 from Gillette Stadium have been expanded and the majority of stadium parking is now located across from the stadium. This change in location of parking availability may prompt a change to many fans’ particular parking routine. Fans should be reminded of the following tips:
For Fans Traveling from the North: Stay right on Route 1 approaching the stadium and follow signs for P10 for the easiest ingress and egress. To access the stadium, fans must cross Route 1 at the marked pedestrian crossings.
For Fans Traveling from the South: Because of the newly-built median on Route 1, the decision on which side of Route 1 to park must be made prior to the Pine Street intersection. (near the Seasonal Specialty Stores and The Lafayette House). Fans wishing to park on the left side of Route 1 (P10 or P11) must stay to the left of the median. Fans wishing to park on the stadium side of Route 1 must stay to the right (P8 or P7).
ADDITIONAL HELPFUL HINTS
As a rule, the earlier that fans arrive the easier it will be for them to park, although please note that lots do not open until 4:00 p.m. - four (4) hours prior to the 8 p.m. kickoff .
Take advantage of the fastest route to available parking spaces by filling in open lanes on Route 1. To fill in the largest available space, fans should plan on parking in P10, across Route 1 from the stadium.
Follow all directional signage on Route 1 and watch for updated traffic messaging on the overhead signs.
As always, carpooling or using public transportation is encouraged to reduce the number of cars on the road.
Due to the thunderstorm and heavy rains that have been hanging around here in Foxboro for the last hour-plus, the Patriots have decided to move their evening training camp session indoors, to the Dana-Farber Fieldhouse.
With the space constraints inside the fieldhouse, the practice is now closed to the public.
We'll update you on the happenings inside later tonight.
The 4 p.m. deadline for the Patriots and cornerback Asante Samuel to come to an agreement on a long-term contract passed moments ago, and there is no news yet on whether the two sides came to an agreement.
We've left a message with R.I.-based agent Jay Bianco, who works with Alonzo Shavers at Infinite Sports Concepts, and he hasn't gotten back to us yet.
The New England Patriots signed wide receiver C.J. Jones on Thursday after he spent the past two regular seasons out of football.
Jones originally signed with Cleveland in May 2003 as an undrafted free agent from Iowa but spent 11 games on the inactive list and the other five weeks on the practice squad. He was on the Browns' practice squad for the entire 2004 season.
He had 10 catches in NFL Europa in the spring of 2005, but was cut by Cleveland before the 2005 opener and by Seattle in last year's training camp.
According to the website of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the body of Patriots defensive lineman Marquise Hill was pulled from Lake Ponchartrain around 2:15 p.m. local time (3:15 EST).
Hill was involved in a jet-skiing accident with a female companion last night; according to reports, he helped the woman (who was rescued from a piling) remain calm before he was pulled away from her.
Hill's body was taken to the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office. Reportedly, Hill's Pats' and LSU teammate Randall Gay was at the scene when Hill's body was recovered.
Hill, 24, was a second-round pick of New England in 2004 after helping LSU win the national championship. The 6-foot-6 Louisiana native had played in 13 games for the Patriots.
Patriots' defensive lineman Marquise Hill is missing after a jet-skiing accident on Lake Ponchartrain in his native Louisiana last night.
The U.S. Coast Guard is actively searching for the 25-year old former second-round pick.
"We are all shocked," Patriots owner and chairman Robert Kraft said in a statement. "We can only hope and pray that the search and rescue is successful. Our thoughts and prayers are with Marquise and his family. We know that Marquise is a strong young man and we will remain optimistic while continuing to pray for his rescue."
According to an Associated Press report, Hill and another woman were on separate jet skis when they were pulled into an area with a strong current. The woman, who has not yet been identified, was rescued from a pilon, and said that Hill helped her remain calm, even as he was being pulled away from her.
The Coast Guard apparently spotted Hill last night but then lost sight of him while trying to get the boat into position.
Patriots' defensive lineman Marquise Hill is missing after a jet-skiing accident on Lake Ponchartrain in his native Louisiana last night.
The U.S. Coast Guard is actively searching for the 25-year old former second-round pick.
"We are all shocked," Patriots owner and chairman Robert Kraft said in a statement. "We can only hope and pray that the search and rescue is successful. Our thoughts and prayers are with Marquise and his family. We know that Marquise is a strong young man and we will remain optimistic while continuing to pray for his rescue."
According to an Associated Press report, Hill and another woman were on separate jet skis when they were pulled into an area with a strong current. The woman, who has not yet been identified, was rescued from a pilon, and said that Hill helped her remain calm, even as he was being pulled away from her.
The Coast Guard apparently spotted Hill last night but then lost sight of him while trying to get the boat into position.
WASHINGTON (AP) — New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., offered their support Tuesday to a bill that would help make the public more aware of the warning signs of strokes.
Bruschi had a minor stroke 10 days after the Patriots’ 2005 Super Bowl win. After having surgery to repair a hole in his heart, he returned as a key player for the team.
The pair met in Kerry’s Senate office. Kerry praised Bruschi’s courage and tenacity in spreading the word to the public about the warning signs of strokes.
“Tedy Bruschi is living proof that you can’t keep a good man down and that activism can come out of adversity,” Kerry said in a statement. “Since his stroke, he’s made it his mission to spread the word about stroke, to be an advocate and to inform and educate about stroke’s warning signs and risk factors.”
Bruschi recalled his own stroke symptoms.
“I could hear my son come in the room, but I couldn’t see him,” Bruschi said in a statement. “That’s when I went to the hospital.”
The senator is co-sponsor of the STOP Stroke Act of 2007, a measure to raise public awareness of stroke warning signs. It also would set up a grant program so states can improve how they prevent, treat and diagnose strokes.
Bruschi and other stroke survivors were in Washington to lobby lawmakers as part of Stroke Awareness Month.
Newest Patriot Brandon Meriweather meets the press
Hey all --
We just finished up the annual dog-and-pony show -- aka the Kraft family presenting the team's first-round draft pick with his ceremonial jersey -- at Gillette Stadium.
(Read the transcript of Meriweather's press conference here.
A nattily dressed Brandon Meriweather got his blue number 1 Patriots jersey from Robert and Jonathan Kraft, then spoke with the assembled media.
Seemingly slight for a safety and definitely soft-spoken, Meriweather was decked out in a black suit with a five-button jacket with a bright red shirt and black-and-red patterned tie with matching pocket square.
Robert Kraft was impressed.
"This is our favorite time of the year...this is the 14th time we've had the pleasure and the opportunity to kick off the football season -- at least in our minds," by presenting Meriweather with his jersey. "You all see he's a sharp dresser -- he has the pocket square and everything."
Meriweather, chosen 24th overall from the University of Miami, said he couldn't "explain in words" how excited he was to be drafted by New England and get the chance to be on a Super Bowl-contending team.
While there were questions about his character coming into the draft due to his involvement in the Miami-FIU brawl and a shooting incident outside his off-campus house (in which he was defending a teammate with a gun registered to him), Meriweather said the Patriots took the time to know him as a person, sending three different team members to Miami on two separate occasions, including Bill Belichick.
Belichick, Meriweather said, is a good judge of people. Despite the attention the Pats had given him before draft day, however, Meriweather had no indication that he might be headed to Foxboro.
The 23-year old has spoken with former and now current teammate Vince Wilfork,. whom he clearly looks up to. Wilfork called Meriweather about an hour after he was drafted, and has already told him "how good the Kraft family is, how smart a coach Bill Belichick is. What I love about Vince is that he wants everyone to be successful."
Meriweather is looking forward to learning from his veteran teammates, particularly Rodney Harrison, whom he called "a future Hall of Famer."
We'll have a bit more from today's events in tomorrow's Journal and a longer look at Meriweather in Sunday's Journal.
