Author: Dave Long

A few days before every college basketball season started our coach would bring the new game balls to practice to scuff them up and for us to get used to playing with them. Being brand new they were slippery and with no accumulated floor dust or sweat were much lighter than our practice balls. That made the balls bounce higher and quicker off the floor and harder off the rim, taking the favorable roll on shots we were used to with it.

The problem was they’d been inflated right out of the box by a student worker in the equipment room who wouldn’t know the feel or bounce of a properly inflated ball if it hit them in the head. So I took it upon myself to take them to the equipment room after practice to deflate and reinflate them until the bounce was just right by trial and error. And while I was doing that, it never occurred to me it might be violating some obscure rule for how many pounds they needed to be inflated to.

I bring this up because in an environment where the word “cheater” is used so easily and imprecisely today I probably would have been branded as one, even though all I was doing was just trying to get the new balls to bounce right. When Deflate-gate hit and Tom Brady was branded a cheater I always thought he did something similar to what I did. Which is to say, after getting stuck with over-inflated rock-hard football balls in one game he likely told the equipment guys either directly or by implication to make sure they were “grippable” going forward without having a clue there was a rule for how inflated they had to be. I believe that because I’ve been playing, coaching or covering sports since I was 6 and have never known even one player who gave it any thought beyond “this is too hard or not inflated enough.” Plus, I was a quarterback back in the day, so I know there was nothing worse than playing with rock-hard footballs. But my little thing was not subject to fan jealousy or the media chance to pay back Bill Belichick’s churlishness with them, and so taking a little air out of a ball was blown completely out of proportion.

Beyond the role of public perception, my problem with the word “cheater” being thrown around so loosely is it’s done without any distinction between what’s on the low end of the scale and real cheating. The latter is what the Astros did by using technology and an organized plan to circumvent the rules on the way to winning the 2017 World Series. In saner times, the low end of the scale was called looking for an edge, like DBs clutching and grabbing receivers in football or flopping in basketball to sell a call. Those sports have penalties to address those issues. In baseball it’s the guy on second base seeing the catcher signs and then relaying them to the hitter. To those who know what’s what, it’s an art and no big deal.

There are a million stories of real cheating, quasi-cheating or what people see erroneously as cheating and isn’t. Like Belichick using a funky formation to confuse the Ravens defense in the 2014 playoffs that made it hard to tell who the eligible receivers were. Even though it was a legal, clever ploy, the “it was cheating” folks didn’t like that it worked. Paranoia has fueled some of it too, like George Allen being convinced (without evidence) the Cowboys had scouts in a hotel overlooking the Redskins practice field in the 1970s to steal his game plan. Still others are real, like Adolph Rupp having an assistant coach pose as a janitor to spy on Michigan the day before a big game at Kentucky. Though from the way ex-Michigan coach Johnny Orr chuckled as he told it in an ESPN SportsCentury episode, he didn’t think it mattered much. Today the woke folk would want to give Adolph the chair.

Then there’s the public perception, like Gaylord Perry being celebrated as he cruised into the Hall of Fame even though he was a notorious spit baller. How come he’s in and the steroid guys are pariahs? How about the 1951 NY Giants? They’re remembered fondly, even though they basically did what Houston did by sticking a guy in the scoreboard with binoculars to read the catcher’s signs and relay them via a buzzer in the dugout as they erased Brooklyn’s 14-game lead in the last six weeks of that legendary season.

The Patriots’ rise and Coach B’s secretive ways played a role in this gaining momentum, which thanks to spy-gate it’s earned. Ditto for Barry Bonds’steroid-aided run at the beloved Hank Aaron’s home run record. But it really picked up steam with what the Astros did as attitudes in went nuts. Which is just in time for baseball’s newest scandal: using tacking substance to give the ball better spin rates (whatever that means) to make it tougher on hitters. To their credit baseball is getting out in front of it with new guidelines and penalties about to be announced. Coincidentally, since news of a crackdown was coming 10 days ago, the surprisingly good till then Red Sox pitching has been abysmal, culminating in Sunday’s 18-4 loss to Toronto. Hmmmmm. A story for another day.

What’s particularly irritating is this nonsense clouds what is cheating and what’s not. Applying a substance to the ball is wrong. But I’ve heard wokes actually say bench jockeys figuring out signs from a third base coach and relaying them to the team is cheating. It’s not and it’s been a valuable skill and honored part of baseball for 100 years. Not the crime on humanity these historically clueless drones are trying to make it.

As for me, I’m safe from them, as the statute of limitations on my inflation act has long since expired.

It’s been a week since the demise of the Celtics brass.

It came a day after their playoff wipeout to the Nets, when news broke GM Danny Ainge was “retiring” and Brad Stevens was being kicked upstairs to replace Danny. If you read this column regularly you know I’ve been saying since early February both had a lot to do with the disaster evolving in front of our eyes, and, since last summer, that the team needed to be constructed away from its no-point-guard, 3-ball-centric, hoist-it-up approach.

So, while both have done very good things here, not so much lately and as a result the change is a good thing. Just not as good as it could have been. Because for the last year or so I’ve felt like Bob Kraft did when he said upon firing Pete Carroll in 1999, “We need a momentum change.”

So here are a few hot takes following the shakeup.

The good news: Being a glass is half full kind of guy, with the Lakers also getting run out in Round 1, L.A. and the C’s remain tied for most NBA league titles won (17) for another year. That seemed in peril at the start of 2020-2021.

That does it for the good news. Now for the bad.

Pitino reboot: When I said the change didn’t go far enough, I meant making Stevens GM will be the worst move since hiring Rick Pitino 25 years ago. Although Danny trading up in the 2013 draft for Kelly Olynyk and leaving Giannis Antetokounmpo on the board was pretty bad. That means the same policies and demeanor that led to the abyss remain, starting with likely selecting a head coach who thinks as he does. The team badly needs a culture change, more emotion/passion and an inside scoring approach to complement the 3-ball game.

Where’s George Steinbrenner when you really need him? This comes from the Sports Hub’s Tony Maz, who suggests the only reason Stevens moved upstairs is that the team owes him close to $25 million after foolishly extending him for six long years during last season. That seems like a really dumb thing for the owners of a $2 billion enterprise to do. And while George’s lunacy way back when was the reason I stopped being a Yankees fan (a good thing after last weekend), for once I’m with George. Because he’d have broomed everyone by now.

Brad Stevens: Far be it from me to tell someone else what’s best for them career-wise. But I’ll make an exception. It’s not that he can’t coach; it’s that he hasn’t changed or adapted to new circumstances. As Larry Bird said all through his time coaching Indiana, there’s a shelf-life for coaches and Brad hit his in Boston. He needs a change in the way Andy Reid did after he got fired in Philly. Ditto for Bill Belichick after Cleveland ended in disaster. Both came back stronger than before and maybe Stevens can too in a new locale.

Jayson Tatum: I know, guys who can score 60 in a game don’t grow on trees. Especially those who put in the work and are good kids. But sorry, I want more. The only time he ever shows emotion is when calls don’t go his way. The best player on the team almost always has to be the leader. He’s not, and whether he can score 70 or even 80 he’ll never be a Top 5 player until he assumes that role. Thus he’ll be a No. 2 like Kevin McHale was to Bird’s alpha dog and if it’s truly not in him, like it wasn’t for Anthony Davis in New Orleans, they’ve got to bring in someone Jimmy Butler-like, who can lead as he mentors him to become one. Which brings me to the next coach.

The next coach: I hope they hire an ex-player with major NBA playing cred for the players to look up to, and fill in his holes with veteran assistants. Somebody like Kevin Garnett. I know, he has no coaching experience. Plus I have no idea if he can coach, has the temperament to coach or even wants to. I also know major stars from Willis Reed to Dan Issel didn’t cut it when given a shot by their old team. But I do know KG scared the bejeebers out of everyone when he arrived in 2008 and his fire totally transformed the team’s culture. After being under the NBA’s answer to Mr. Rogers the last eight years, this team that doesn’t value winning enough needs that badly. Especially Tatum. It won’t happen, but that is the first call I’d make if I owned the team.

Reflection on days gone by: Hope no one has missedtheirony of where the Nets and Celtics are seven years after the blockbuster trade of 2014. Since Day 1, Brooklyn was universally mocked for giving up their future for two guys (Garnett and Paul Pierce) that were too deep into the back nine to have the impact the Nets brass expected. It got worse as the choices they gave up (Tatum and Jaylen Brown) became emerging stars. The narrative was, the C’s were set up to have a deep, talented team for years to come, while the Nets would be mired at the bottom because they gave away the draft positions that generate real talent. Flash forward to 2021, where thanks to savvy trades, big and small free agent pickups and salary cap manipulation the Nets are the deeper team with three big talents at the top of their roster. Tip of the cap to Nets GM Sean Marks, who did all that. Meanwhile, after squandering many of their picks with bad drafting and a reluctance to trade them for immediate veteran help, the C’s are scrambling.

It shows life not only doesn’t turn out like everyone expects, it can turn out to be 180 degrees opposite.

Time to clear out the attic of my cluttered sports mind.

I don’t know much about European soccer, but I do know a disaster when I see one and the effort by 12 greedy owners to abandon ancient partner clubs to form a so-called “Super League” was a catastrophe of epic proportions. It’s likely the dumbest move anyone has made since those dingbats from Coke in the early ’80s changed the formula of the world’s most popular soft drink. The one silver lining is that the enormous backlash shows fans do have a voice and don’t have to just take it when greedy owners try to line their pockets while screwing loyal fans.

Has any city lost two stars like Mookie Betts and Tom Brady in the same year and then seen the teams they left for win the championship as the Dodgers and Bucs did? Can’t think of any time that happened.

While it’s a nice promotion, it’s hard to believe after nearly 600,000 in the U.S. have died from Covid-19 that CVS has to bribe people with a chance to win tickets to the Super Bowl or Final Four to get vaccinated against the virus.

Since the latter doesn’t even talk to his own family, I’m guessing Aaron Rodgers isn’t a low-maintenance guy. So with his replacement already in place and AR under contract for three more years, if I’m the Green Bay brass I let him sit out the year or retire. If he wants to pass on $87 million because of his hissy fit with the team, so be it. The worst thing you can do when a baby cries to get their way is give in. Unless some team offers four first-round picks. Then it’s don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Love all those so convinced Mac Jones will be the Patriots’ Week 1 starter. Many were the same folks saying they wouldn’t re-sign Cam Newton, Jimmy G was a lock to be traded here and if not, he was certainly headed somewhere else. None of which happened, so you know their track record. Personally, while I’m not sure how good Cam will be in 2021, I’ll be shocked if he’s not the starter.

With Franchy Cordero sent to the minors and Andrew Benintendi hitting .285 and projecting to go for 16 homers and 84 RBI, it looks like Chaim Bloom’s gamble on Cordero’s potential ain’t paying off.

Loved the story comedian Kevin Pollak told Rich Eisen abouton his radio show about the first time he met grumpy old man and noted sports gambler Walter Matthau. It was on the set of Grumpy Old Men when he, in his words, foolishly tried to make small talk with Matthau by saying, “The script is pretty good,” to which Matthau replied, “The script sucks, kid, I’m only doing this ’cause I owe my bookie two million bucks,” and he wasn’t kidding. Further emphasizing how much he loved sports betting, KP said that on the back of the program for Matthau’s memorial service were his NFL picks for next Sunday’s games.

Thought I’d heard all the Yogisms there were, but I heard a new one the other day. His wife Carmen says to him one day, you were born in St. Louis, live in New Jersey and played ball in New York. So if you go before I do, where would you like me to have you buried? To which Yogi said, “surprise me.”

Finally, thumbs up to the greatest kicker of them all upon his retirement. Ultra-clutch Adam Vinatieri earned that honor for a resume that includes (1) making the game-winning FGs as time expired to give the Patriots dynasty its first two Super Bowl wins, (2) hitting the greatest field goal in NFL history that went through a blinding Foxboro snowstorm from 45 yards out off a field where the snow was 5 inches deep to send the first playoff game of the Belichick era to OT, which he later won with a 23-yard kick to beat Oakland 16-13 — no FG either time, no first SB win, and he also supplied the decisive margin in the third SB win over Philly, (3) being the NFLs all-time leader in both field goals and points scored. All were great, but my favorite moment was his 45-yard dash to chase down Olympic-level speedster Herschel Walker at the Dallas 18-yard line to prevent a kick return TD after having no real angle. Tuna famously said after that, “You’re no longer a kicker, you’re a football player.” No truer words have ever been spoken.

With six no-hitters already, the Mets’ Jacob DeGrom off to a historic start before going on the DL, Shohei Ohtani beautifully pulling off the pitcher-DH thing with 14 homers and a 2.37 ERA, and the surprising Giants, Red Sox and White Sox around the top of their divisions all year, baseball 2021 is off to an interesting start. But, as is usually the case for the sport that outsmarts itself more than all the others combined, it got its panties in a bunch over a story that takes away from all the good news.

That would be in Chicago, where with a few notable exceptions like 1959 and the Frank Thomas era, the White Sox have largely been a joke since throwing the 1919 World Series. So it makes sense that instead of just enjoying having baseball’s best record, the big story in Chi-Town was their 76-year-old manager calling his 28-year-old rookie catcher Yermin Mercedes “clueless” for hitting an eighth-inning homer with his team up double digits because it came on a 3-0 count. It immediately sparked an old-school vs. new-school debate that said after not managing for nine years Tony La Russa was out of touch with modern players who are not wedded to baseball’s ancient code of conduct.

I am no fan of La Russa, whose La Russification of managing pitching put baseball on the path to the endless game of today. But he is right about one thing. Mercedes was given the take sign and he either missed it or, worse, ignored it, which does make him clueless. On the other hand, his sportsmanship argument is stupid for two reasons. First, while they are rare, 13-run innings have happened, so follow Yogi Berra’s advice – because “it ain’t over till it’s over.” Second, Yermin didn’t put a 45-mile-an-hour non-pitching stiff into the game. That was Twins manager Rocco (head) Baldelli so as to not waste real pitchers in a lost cause. So, Rocco, your fault, because you reap what you sow. Then by having his pitcher throw behind Yermin’s head the next day as payback he’s the real villain because that leads to more beanballs, fights and maybe serious injury or worse. So boo Rocco.

In the meantime, as we wait for the real clueless people in Chicago to focus on what actually matters, here are a few other thoughts on baseball’s start.

Baseball 101: Yankees players have won the MVP award two times, but it was done only once by a pitcher. Name him.

Mentioned last week how good Matt Barnes has been so far, but how about Aroldis Chapman? As of Monday morning, the Yankees closer had 37 strikeouts in just 19 innings with an ERA of 0.47.

If you missed it, by hitting .335 with 13 bombs and 35 RBI F-Cat alum Vlad Guerrero Jr. is tearing it up in Toronto. With nine homers and 27 RBI, his Manchester teammate Bo Bichette is not far behind.

Alex Verdugo vs. Mookie Betts Update:While the Mookster is up one World Series win to none, the trade of Betts to L.A. was always a long-term move for the Sox and at the moment you’ve got to like the progress. Here’s what it looks like in Year 2, with Verdugo’s numbers listed first. Avg .297-.258. R 30-25. Doubles 8-15, Triples 1-0, HR 6-5 and RBI 20-16. Paycheck $450,000-$22 million (2021) and $400 million until 2032.

David Price, incidentally, hasbecome a very pricey bullpen pitcher. He’s made just one start in 10 appearances and that was as a two-inning opener on May 20. After opting out last year the start was rocky, but the ERA is down to 3.95.

That was quite a messy ending to the Albert Pujols era with the Angels, who said they had no room to play him. Of course then Mike Trout goes down for two months after he joined the Dodgers.

The question after that news was, is he the best first baseman ever? Well, he’s fifth all-time in total bases (5,963) and homers (668), third best RBI (2,117), which dwarves competitors like Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx, so it’s hard to say no. But it’s been so long since he was the astonishing hitter he was in St. Louis, it’s hard to wrap my head around saying yes too.

Here is my “only I would care about it” weird old-time baseball stat of day. The all-time winning percentage leader (100 wins or more) is the 1930s-40s Yankee Spud Chandler at 71.1 percent. What’s weird is he did it only after getting to the majors at 29, because he was just 46-53 the previous five years in the minors!

Sports 101 Answer: Good old Spud is also our answer. He was MVP in 1943 when he was 20-3 with an ERA of 1.64, the lowest of anyone between 1920 and 1967.

Stumbled on that after being asked if Jon Lester will be a Hall of Famer. He’s 37 and has 191 wins, so if he can hang on until 40 while averaging 12 wins per, he’ll be close to 230 wins with a terrific 62.9 winning percentage. That’s more than Curt Schilling (216) without the baggage. But unlike Clayton Kershaw (a lock), who has a truckload, he’s got no big awards. Plus, the not in so far Andy Pettitte has 256 wins and a record 19 postseason victories. So probably not, but he’ll get votes from the stat geeks, er, newer voting members with less traditional reasons for saying yes.

Two other interesting stats found during the search. (1) At 69.6 Kershaw’ is now on target to pass Whitey Ford for the highest winning percentage of anyone with 200 wins, though he is still 19 short. (2) Lester’s winning percentage for the Red Sox and Cubs was an identical 63.6 percent.

One of these days, I’ve got to start paying closer attention to the NL again.

After a year of being a team no one wanted to own, the surprising 2021 Red Sox are back to my introducing them to one and all as being your Boston Red Sox. A team with a solid core, getting surprising production from retread newcomers like Garrett Richards or never-was-until-now guys like the 5-0 Nick Pivetta.

That makes them a classic case of “is the glass half empty or half full?” One hand, they lead the AL East by 1.5 games after entering 2021 with no expectations whatsoever from me. It has me wondering what I missed. On the other hand, while they do have an outstanding middle of the order, they appear to have (big) holes in the everyday lineup and throughout the pitching staff. That makes me wonder if they can keep it up, especially as they face a mostly tougher part of their schedule over the next six weeks.

Good Signs

Alex Cora: Outside of his maddening caution with his pitchers, one of baseball’s best managers is back in their dugout. That’ll be tested, because unless reinforcements arrive he’ll have to creatively mix and match all year to cover up the obvious holes they have.

Middle of the Order: With his in-game video review security blanket restored, J.D. Martinez is back to normal. So with him, Raffy Devers and Xander Bogaerts all on a pace for 35 homers and to knock in over 100, the lineup’s 3-4-5 can mash with anyone. It’s the strongest part of the team that will be extended on either side if/when Alex Verdugo and Christian Vazquez contribute as consistently as a year ago.

Eduardo Rodriguez: While the 4.15 ERA is higher than you’d like, the more important 5-1 record shows he’s come through missing 2020 with Covid-19-related heart issues OK. Major good news.

Matt Barnes: I’m nominating whoever’s behind getting/forcing him to attack from the first pitch for a Nobel Prize because he’s been outstanding. After watching him nibble himself through one seven-pitch at-bat after another, I usually was infuriated every time he pitched. But no more, as outings like his 12-pitch, three-strikeout save vs. Detroit on May 5, or Friday’s 11-pitch, 10-strike, 3-K save vs. the Angels, have become the norm. Even when Shohei Ohtani clipped him for a game-winning homer on Sunday, it came on a 1-2 pitch with two outs after only getting up because of a botched play in the field.

Things to Keep an Eye On

The Starters: Sorry, I don’t trust it yet behind E-Rod. While healthy so far, Nate Eovaldi has won double digits once in his 10-year career and that was six years ago. Richards is8-12 since 2016 and while Pivetta has been terrific, Philly gave up on his promise after he was 19-30 there. So I need a larger sample size from him.

The Bullpen: Beyond Barnes, it’s “who knows?” as according to Boston Globe stat geek scribe Alex Speier their six bullpen losses and five blown saves lead MLB for May. So I don’t trust anyone, especially eighth-inning setup guy Adam Ottavino, who looks like Nolan Ryan for three pitches and a human blow torch the next five.

Outside the Core: I like the bench’s defensive versatility, but all of them beyond short-timer Michael Chavis are hitting in the low .200s. They need to be far better, or Chaim needs to get people who can be.

Questions to Answer

Chris Sale: They’ve put no timetable on his return. A good thing because it allows no media pressure for a return by a certain date. He’ll be ready when he’s ready. And since no one knows what he will or can deliver when that day arrives, it’s better to consider anything he gives them as a bonus.

Bobby Dalbec and Hunter Renfroe:While they’re hit-or-miss guys at the moment the big “what if” for them is can they find the consistency that would give the Sox five guys with 30-homer potential. Renfro already hit 33 for San Diego in 2019 and Dalbec had a rare for the low minors 32-homer season at (mostly) AA in 2018. So it’s not that far-fetched.

Biggest Questions to be Answered

Nick Pivetta:By starting off 7-0 here since late last year, has the lightbulb finally gone on for the talented, once promising righty? Or is his terrific start a highly visible early season hot streak that ends with the clock striking 12 at some point?

Chaim Bloom: The fast start has gotten skeptics like me off his back for now. But the real question is if they stay in contention and need to fortify the bullpen or everyday spots, will he sit on his hands to sacrifice contending till the end to preserve the farm system’s rebuild for another year?

Chris Sale: If he’s ready to help after it’s too late to stretch him out, could he be used out of the bullpen? In a pre-designed programmed way to provide a certain number of quality innings per week that reduces arm stress as he builds back up? They probably won’t do that, but if able, he’s likely better than anyone they could get at the deadline, thus letting Chaim not use his prized prospects as trade chips.

So that’s the take for the first quarter of the season. Though one other thought has crept into my mind while examining the weaknesses. Is it possible that the 2021 Sox are like the 2013 edition? Who I kept saying about right up until the World Series, how are they doing this because they are not that good? So, with that highly enjoyable season in mind, regardless of where it all ends, put me on the “glass is half full” side.

At least for now.

It’s weird that in the worst Patriots season in two decades, this football season/off-season has seemed to last longer than any of the previous 20. It’s mid-May and I’m still writing about legitimate, current Patriots news. Another example of how public interest for the NFL off season has overrun baseball and its once beguiling hot stove league. Also due I guess to my meager pre-season expectations for the surprising 2021 Red Sox, the sad, embarrassing disintegration of the Celtics’ once promising future and not even knowing if the Bruins are still playing because my streaming service has kicked NESN off its platform.

So football reigns. At least for one final week until we finally get to the Red Sox next week. That is, unless Coach B surprises everyone by pulling off the until now non-rumored Mac Jones for Tom Brady swap. Until that happens, though, here are our final thoughts on the draft and news around it until September.

Regardless of what I hear about draft and Patriots “steals” like Christian Barmore (a first-round talent), Ronnie Perkins (could be a great edge rusher) (which is what they said about Chase Winovich) orall-name teamer Rhamondre Stevenson (the next LeGarrette Blount),I don’t believe anything till I see guys play in real games.

Incidentally, when I hear the draft’s top-rated D-lineman (Barmore) fell to the Pats in the second round over maturity issues, I think Dominique Easley or Josh Gordon at best and Aaron Hernandez at worst. Not making any statement about a specific kid, just saying when I hear “slide” coupled with “maturity issues” that’s what pops into my head.

Football 101: Only five players in NFL history have been named first team All Pro in their first three years in the league. One is currently active. Name them.

When the latest Aaron Rodgers snit/pout comes to light, what word comes to mind first — self-centered, diva or crybaby?

But if you were SF would you have done the pre-draft rumored Rodgers-to-SF deal for the third overall pick and Jimmy G? Yes for me.

Albert Einstein Award: In my informal tracking of the most well-known mockers, only ESPN’s Todd McShay hit the Patriots’ draft day trifecta of being right that the 49er’s would take Trey Lance and not Jones at third overall, the Pats would stay home, not trade up, to get Jones at 15 and Jimmy G would not be traded.

Cosmo Kramer Hipster Doofus Award: Goes to “hey look at me” NBC contrarian Chris Simms, who always makes outlandish picks to look like the smartest, hippest dude in the room if they come out right. Then he’ll mention the one that only he got right, and neglect to mention the 30 others he got wrong. This year it was saying QB-needy New England would shock all by trading up to 11 for Alabama speedster Jaylen Waddle over taking a QB. Nope — they got Jones at 15, while Waddle went sixth to Miami and a QB, Justin Fields, did go at 11 to Chicago. Simms had Fields sliding to 32. Nice call, dude.

A Little History: With Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Lance going 1-2-3 it was the third time quarterbacks were taken with the first three picks, and the history is not great. The last time was 1999 when top pick Tim Couch and third pick Akili Smith both busted and, while second pick Donovan McNabb had a long career, I never warmed to him. The other was 1971 with Jim Plunkett (Stanford), dad of Peyton and Eli, Archie Manning (Mississippi) and Dan Pastorini (Santa Clara). All had long careers, but none are Hall of Famers and only Plunkett won Super Bowls (1980 and 1983). But only after he was beaten to a pulp after being taken first overall by the moribund Patriots and traded for the boatload of draft picks that laid the foundation for the good Chuck Fairbanks teams in the mid-1970’s.

Since history suggests at least two taken in Round 1 will bust, my picks are Fields and Wilson. Have nothing to back that up beyond history and my gut feeling. Gut— haven’t trusted an Ohio State QB since the Baltimore Colts gambled on Art Schlichter in 1982, with the most recent examples being Dwayne Haskins and Troy Smith. History — if anyone can screw it up it’s the Jets. I’ve been hearing since Al Woodall replaced Joe Namath how good the next QB will be. Al wasn’t, and not just because he was a dead ringer for Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies.

I’ve got nothing against the likable Wilson. But from a small town in Utah to NYC seems like a bad combo. The ravenous NYC media is already making him out to be the second coming of Gandhi after also doing the same to Sam Darnold and Mark “Sanchize.” But in being better-looking than Brady and Jimmy G combined he’ll make a fortune in endorsements playing there.

By the way, after seeing the damage Waddle’s electrifying speed did in those ESPN video clips, I’d say the last piece Coach B needs is a No. 1/speed receiver. So I’m all in for a post-June 1 trade with cap-strapped Atlanta for Julio Jones.

I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that when/if Jones is ready, we could see a two-headed QB monster at some point, with Jones as the starter and Cam having a third and short/ goal line runner and change-of-pace passer wildcat QB role.

Football 110 Answer: The five who were All-Pros in their first three NFL seasons are Earl Campbell, Lawrence Taylor, 1990s Eagles tight end Keith Jackson, Barry Sanders, and the current one, Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson.

Finally, for the record, I’m not holding my breath on that rumored Mac-for-Tom swap started here today. But don’t forget to pass it on. And what’s the bet that if it happens the hipster dude Simms says he had it first?

With Bill Belichick soon to be on the clock really needing to get it 100 percent right for the first time since 2001, last Thursday’s NFL draft was a big day for Patriot Nation. But, given his exasperating draft history of mindlessly trading up and down the board, I didn’t enter the night with great confidence. Especially with his annoying penchant for trading out of the first round for a better “value” pick in the second and then blowing it on failed DBs like Joejuan Williams, Duke Dawson, Cyrus Jones, Jordan Richards, Tavon Wilson and Ras-I Dowling.

But after a less than satisfactory year after Tom Brady took his talents to a south beach, this time there couldn’t be any of the usual nonsense. He needed to get a long-term quarterback solution. That had everyone but those holding out for a trade for Jimmy G begging, and I mean begging, for a trade up to get one of the five top-rated quarterback prospects.

That set the stage as the night started. And the following is an account of how it went for David Long the fan, not the columnist, over the mostly excruciating 100 minutes from when Roger the Dodger opened the 2021 NFL draft until Coach B picked at 15.

I was calm, cool and collected through picks 1 and 2. Three was a shocker, at least to the “experts” who assured all that after trading three firsts and a third to move up there the 49ers would absolutely take Alabama QB Mac Jones. But somewhere along the line indecision crept into the SF war room and they went with ND State’s uber-athletic Trey Lance instead. That also put to rest the local media’s (except me) obsession with Jimmy Garoppolo’s return to Foxboro being inevitable. Never was, because no team has ever been imbecilic enough to dump a solid veteran QB to hand its legit Super Bowl ambitions over to any rookie on Day 1.

However, that didn’t change the equation for Patriot Nation, as two of the top five QBs remained as Lance was just swapped for Jones. That meant the real action, angst and worry now got started with all the picks to 8 trade-up possibilities. Scuttlebutt had the Falcons (4) and Carolina (8) as possibles to go QB. But thanks to enormous cap hit consequences on Matt Ryan and Carolina having just traded for Matt Darnold,that was unlikely.Still I crossed my fingers, but neither did. Phew. Denver, who clearly needs a QB, was next. But nope, they went DB Jaycee Horn to eliminate another QB contender or trade-up slot, making Denver’s choice both weird and lucky for New England. Phew again.

At 10, ESPN’s Mike Greenberg says “we’ve got a trade.” Please don’t say Chicago, WFT or New Orleans! Nope, in a move even weirder than Denver’s, hated rivals Philly and Dallas go all Henry Kissinger on us to swap 12 for 10. But turns out not to be détente but a desire to jointly screw another AFC East rival, as Philly jumped ahead of the G-Men to take Bama wideout Jaylen Waddle, whom the NYG’s badly wanted.

So, with the G-Men and Dallas having no QB interest, I’m back to the trade up mantra. Except at 11 I hear, “We’ve got another trade between the Giants and … Chicago.” Yikes! That means QB 4 is gone. Still, It’s still sort of lucky, as they took Ryan Day’s Ohio State QB Justin Fields to leave the already QB-solid Cowboys, Chargers and Minnesota between the Pats and the QB I wanted all along — Jones. So I’m back shouting, “GO UP will you please!” Although to be truthful it was more like begging him, along the lines of when I was on my knees begging Grady Little to take Pedro out of Game 7 vs. the Yanks during the 2003 baseball playoffs.

But then it’s all in jeopardy. Another trade is announced for the last pick before the Pats. Now it’s double fingers and legs crossed and I’m in full body contorted mode while squinting at the TV to help me both hear (good news) and not hear (if it was bad). Don’t ask me how it does either, because it doesn’t. Then comes the biggest shocker of the night, when the Jets of all teams save Bill from himself by moving into the 14th slot. They already took Zach Wilson, so no QB there. Of course, given his history I knew freaking Bill could still trade back and out of the first round.

But no — Roger the Dodger goes, “with the 15th pick the Patriots select” — please no DB, please no DB — “Mac Jones of Alabama.” Exhale and say PHEW as I uncross my cramped fingers, legs and de-contort my torso. Well, in truth I may have exaggerated the contorting parts just a bit. You’d have to be insane to do that at my age. Though when I was kid I once left my head resting on a radiator one Sunday in November as it kept getting warmer and warmer because doing it coincided with a big Giants comeback vs. Washington and I figured it was good luck. Hurt all the next day, but it was worth it. You know, once a lunatic fan, always a lunatic fan. So while exaggerated, that is how it played out in my head.

As for the net cost accounting to get the last three available QBs: (1) San Francisco — the position swap from 12 to third overall cost first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, along with 2022 third. (2) Chicago — their 2022 first pick to go from 20 to 11. (3) New England — thanks to a nice combo of strategy, guts and a little luck they spent nothing. We’ll hold back on “In Bill We Trust” stuff until we see the goods from the 4.0 GPA graduate-a-year-early ex-Alabama chucker.

So good luck and welcome to town, young man.

With Round 1 going off tonight, draft day has arrived. Finally! The mocks are done and all that’s left is the announcers introducing every single player taken as if they are certain Hall of Famers, which we all know they won’t be. Oh, and there’s uproar around here if Coach B freaking trades down or out of Round 1 altogether instead of addressing the need everyone around here wants him to address on the draft’s first round. If that happens, yowza.

In the meantime, with Jacksonville on the clock here are some topical thoughts.

The Quarterback Issues:With three QB’s expected to go 1-2-3 tonight (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and a mystery guy from the trio of Mac Jones, Trey Lance and Justin Fields to San Francisco), with the other two likely to be taken in the Top 10, QB’s will be the night’s biggest story whether that happens or not, but especially if it doesn’t.

When I see scouts bash someone anonymously, as some are doing to Jones or Fields, I’m thinking it’s either a smoke screen from a team with interest, or someone trying to pump their own tires with a reporter and not having the stones to put their name on it.

Given the varying degrees on how good people think the Tom Brady play-alike Jones is, if I were doing the evaluating I’d go back to Brady’s 2000 scouting reports to compare them with what’s being said about the Bama QB today. Of special interest would be what the knocks were and whether they actually mattered in the long run.

After the fourth QB comes off the board, would it be smart for Buffalo to trade up in front of the Pats and then re-auction it to a QB-needy team like Chicago at a lower price? Unconventional for sure. But depending how expensive it is, would a couple of lower draft picks be an acceptable cost to keep a long-term solution at QB away from their AFC East rival for a couple more years?

Does it seem weird that QB’s from Utah, Alabama and North Dakota will be in Cleveland tonight and Fields from nearby Columbus wont’? Could that mean it’s to save embarrassment because his camp thinks he could suffer a major slide?

Big Board All Name Team:(1) Kwity Paye, edge rusher, Michigan. (2) Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon. (3) Hamilcar Rashed Jr., edge, Oregon State. (4) Azeez (god bless you) Ojulari, OLB, Georgia. (5) Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington. (6) Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC. (7) Ifeatu Melifonwu, DB, Syracuse.(8) Hamsah Nasirildeen, DB, Florida State. (9) Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA. (10) Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State.

Although I’d have paid to be the announcer at UNC for the Chazz and Dazz show, which has LB Chazz Surratt and wideout Dazz Newsome ranked at 79 and 90 on the Big Board.

Speaking of the Big Board, the most recent one I saw had all five QB’s ranked accordingly, Expected first and second picks Lawrence and Zach Wilson ranked first and fifth overall. Lance was at eight, Fields nine and Jones at 20.

2020 Hunches Not Based on Facts or Scouting Reports: I get a bad feeling when people have been calling a guy a “generational talent” for as long as they have been doing it for Lawrence because after that happens evaluators get lazy and don’t see any flaws that develop.

To those hanging to Jimmy G coming to the Patriots like a dog with a bone: If the Pats don’t go QB in Round 1, I think Cam Newton is more likely to be the QB in Foxborough in 2022 than Jimbo.

Rumor Mill: After moving from 3 to 12 and then back to 6,rumor has it Miami is trying to get a second pick in the Top 10 by trading up with the 18th pick. The likely trade partner is Denver at 9, which would be bad news, good news for the Patriots. Bad because no one wants a division rival getting a talent infusion from two Top 10 picks. Good because if they do have their eye on a QB, Denver dropping behind them in the order takes out a QB-needy competitor out of the running.

With QB’s and potentially elite receivers expected to dominate the first 10 picks, teams looking for defensive or offensive help, like Cincinnati (who could go for a receiver) at 5, need help everywhere. Detroit (7), Carolina (8), Dallas (10) and the G-Men (11) are possible landing spots if a QB they like slides to those spots and the Pats want to act.

Ancient Draft History:If one of the ballyhooed QB’s slides to them and they act, it won’t be the first time they’ve taken a QB at 15. The other time was 1983 for (gulp) Tony Eason. Not a horrible player, but soft as a grape and got famously yanked in SB 20 because he was terrified of the Bears defense. Worse still, they passed on Dan Marino, who went 12 picks later to Miami. What might have been comes to mind, especially since the invincible Da Bears’ only loss in 1985 was a 38-24 verdict when Marino threw for 27 and three TDs.

Speaking of ancient history, when the Pats took Richard Seymour sixth overall in 2001, Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson went next to San Diego. So here’s the question: If that draft were held today would you stick with Big Richard or go with the top playmaker of that era? As good as LT was, but with three SBs being won by a defense-first team and he was its best player, they made the right call.

And One More Thing: With Brady winning the Super Bowl in Year 1 after basically being allowed to leave/pushed out, if Coach B trades does trade out of Round 1 altogether again, Patriot Nation will go berserk giving “In Bill We Trust” its second major hit in a year.

There are seven days left in the endless lead-up to the NFL draft, when mock drafts from so-called experts have grown from being fun draft-day reading into a four-month-long marathon. All being presented by “insiders” who act like they know exactly what each team is thinking. Except since everyone is different, it shows no one is doing anything more than guessing.

Case in point, all the yacking following the 49ers trading up to the third spot to supposedly get Alabama QB Mac Jones because he’s Coach Kyle Shanahan’s kind of pocket passing QB. That caught special attention in Patriot Nation because it could impact NE’s ability to fill their long-term need at QB in a draft filled with high upside options. Except then came stories knocking Jones for not being an elite athlete and that SF really wanted uber athletic Trey Lance of North Dakota State, until Ohio State’s Justin Fields ran a 4.3 40 during his Pro Day. So the reality is they’re all just guessing about who’ll go right after Trevor Lawrence and BYU’s Zach Wilson are the first two QBs taken off the board by the Jags and Jets.

So the bottom line is don’t take it all as gospel. Just enjoy it all because it informs you about needs of teams ahead of the Pats and for how the big board ranks those who’ll be in play leading up to the Pats pick at (for now) 15. Here’s a guide to what they face next Thursday night, with a sprinkle of what I’d do if I were the GM making their decisions.

Should They Trade Up? It would be like Coach B to make everyone crazy by gambling that the QB they like will fall to them at 15. That doesn’t seem likely, but stranger things have happened. Having said that, unless they’re certain they can get who they want, they shouldn’t deal until they can guarantee they’ll get him.

Is Trading Up Worth The Price? It’ll take a combination of picks from Rounds 1-3 to go up. Here’s who they’ve taken in Rounds 1-3 since 2012. So you be the judge how damaging losing any of those picks would have been to the cause. Round 1 – Dont’a Hightower, Chandler Jones, Dominique Easley, Malcom Brown,Isaiah Wynn, Sony Michel, N’Keal Harry. Round 2 – Tavon Wilson, Aaron Dobson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cyrus Jones, Jordan Richards, Duke Dawson , Joejuan Williams, Kyle Dugger. Round 3 – Jake Bequette, Logan Ryan, Joe Thuney, Geneo Grissom, Antonio Garcia, Chase Winovich and Anfernee Jennings. For me, out of 24 picks or tradeouts, just Hightower, Jimmy G, Ryan, Thuney and Wynn are big losses and the last four could be replaced.

Who Needs To Be Boxed Out: (1) Denver (ninth) – Drew Lock is the latest John Elway QB failure. (2) Washington (19) – they’re going with 112-year-old short-term rental Ryan Fitzpatrick. (3) Chicago (20) – with the GM and coach on the hotseat, more likely they need immediate help from a veteran. (4) Pittsburgh (24) – Big Ben is on his last legs, so beware. (5) New Orleans (28) – if you missed the news Drew Brees just retired and has only question marks behind him.

The Possible Trade-Up Slots:

4 – Atlanta: With cap hits of $48 million, $40 million and $28 million over the next three years they can’t trade Matt Ryan. So it doesn’t make sense to draft a QB and sit him for two years. Realistic trade possibility.

5 – Cincinnati: Joe Burrow got killed all year leading to a torn ACL. So an improved O-Line is badly needed, which they can get at 15. Unless they prefer a top receiver like LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase.

6 – Miami: They’re not helping the Pats. But they can probably get one of Chase, Kyle Pitts, Devonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle among the top receivers they’re eyeing with the ninth spot they’d get in a trade with Denver.

7 – Carolina: They just gave up five draft picks for Sam Darnold so he’s probably on a two-year QB trial. A possible trade partner.

9 – Denver: They need a QB too and since the leap from 4, 5 or 6 from 9 is not as costly as it is from 15, they’re the biggest competitive threat.

Best Mock Draft Trade: Here’s the best trade-up deal I saw that gets the Pats in position to get a QB. It’s from NJ.com, which covers the Jets and Giants. They predicted a trade with Carolina for the eighth pick to take Lance in return for a first and third in 2021 and a second-round pick in 2022. Don’t know if it’s realistic, but the net is, their QB for just a second and a third. Providing I like the 17-0 in college Lance, where he never threw even one interception: done.

Is Athleticism Overrated? I guess the experts somehow missed that the 43-year-old who runs like an ostrich just won his seventh SB in February. And that 17 of the last 20 SB’s have been won by non-athletic QB’s. Which says that despite trendy thinking, QB athleticism is really a(n un-needed) luxury and that’s it.

Go QB Or Bust: I know they need one. But given that 34 of the 74 Round I QB’s since 1990 have been busts and 16 others just mediocre, picking in Round I guarantees nothing, not even for Lawrence. History shows one or more of the so-called top five QBs aren’t going to work out, and that 24 QB’s taken below Round 1 turned out to be very good to excellent, including three of the four leaders (Brady, Brees, Favre) in TD passes all-time. So we could look back in 10 years and see that likely second-rounders Kellen Mond of Texas A&M or Florida’s Kyle Trask were actually the guys who should have gone in Round I. All of which leaves me with only one clear feeling going into draft night.

One of my sports pet peeves is people who proclaim something as the greatest ever immediately after something great happens like the NCAA College Basketball semi-final game from two Saturdays ago won in overtime by Gonzaga over UCLA, which was sent to OT on a miraculous half-court heave by Zaga’s Jalen Suggs. Don’t mind the enthusiasm and I’m fine with saying that’s the best game I’ve ever seen because that goes to their personal history. What does bug me is that before you proclaim something to be the “greatest” ever, you should have seen, or know a lot about, what has happened before.

But there it was the next day on Facebook with a friend, who should know better, nominating Gonzaga-UCLA as the greatest game ever. Of course like the lunatic I am I launched back by writing back, “EVER? Really? Are you kidding me? I can name two off the top of my head right now that are better than last night.” Now, I don’t recommend it to the kids at home, and only people of a certain age will understand what I mean when I say when I hear something like that, it’s like Moe hearing N-I-A-G-A-R-A Falls on The Three Stooges right before he gives Curley the double-finger eye poke and then hits him over the head with the crowbar. My version of “slowly I turn” was firing back my list of 10 better games.

But before I get to them, let me say what in my not so humble opinion has to happen for a game to be great. (1) There needs to be a dramatic/memorable ending. (2) It has to be historic in some way. (3) There have to be great players involved who build a sense of anticipation going in, like Magic vs. Larry in 1979, though that didn’t live up to the hype, B-O-R-I-N-G. (4) Not perfection, but the ultra-competitive and an extremely high level of play. (5) It helps to have white hat and black hat teams, like Georgetown was during the Hoya Paranoia glory day. (6) A major upset or near miss. (7) A great player performance like Bill Walton’s 21-for-22 day vs. Memphis State in 1973 when the only miss was a disallowed dunk because they weren’t legal then. How many young’ns know that? (8) The game should be played by historically great teams. (9) Or the game itself is so dramatically exciting it renders all my conditions moot. The only game I’ve ever seen do that was The Miracle On Ice at the 1980 Olympics.

Here’s my list from 10th to best.

North Carolina 77, Michigan 71: The Fab 4 was arguably the most publicized team in college basketball history, but it was 73-71 when the leader of the now all sophomore starting lineup, Chris Webber, called the fateful timeout Michigan didn’t have. UNC gets free throws and the ball to close it out.

Indiana 74, Syracuse 73: Keith Smart baseline buzzer-beater in the 1987 Final gives Bobby Knight his third title.

UNC 63, Georgetown 62: Two Hall of Fame coaches, two all-time great players, Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan, and soon to be a first overall NBA pick James Worthy. Jordan’s all-time shot wins the 1983 Final right before Fred Brown mistakenly passes it to Worthy on final possession.

Duke 79, UNLV 77: Duke ends sinister UNLV’s bid for an undefeated season and a second straight title in the 1991 semi.

UNC 53, Kansas 52 in 3OT: With no one over 6’5” the Tar Heels survive a second straight triple-OT game to take down towering Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas, though MOP still goes to Wilt.

Villanova 66, Georgetown 64: Eight seed Nova shoots down its invincible Big East rival in the 1985 final by shooting 9 for 10 in the second half and 78 percent overall.

Duke 61, Butler 59: Largest lead was five and if Gordon Hayward’s mid-court shot drops the 2010 NCAA Final would have been the biggest upset in history. But instead the clock struck 12 to end Cinderella Butler’s dream as Coach K won his fourth title.

ND 71, UCLA 70: Second-ranked ND took down top-ranked UCLA to end its 88-game winning streak in January 1974 when with 29 seconds left as Dwight Clay’s 15-footer gave ND its only lead, followed by a Bruins miss and three frantic put backs before jubilant ND fans poured onto the court to celebrate the historic win.

Duke over Kentucky 104-103 in OT: The 1992 East Regional Final featured two HoF coaches and the most memorable full court pass in history from a Top 50 player (Grant Hill) to a Top 10 member (Christian Laettner) for the fake left, spin right foul line jumper that won it to make Laettner 10 for 10 from the field and 10 for 10 from the foul line in the game.

North Carolina State 80 UCLA 77 in 2OT: This wins for drama, historic nature, all-time figures (John Wooden, Bill Walton, David Thompson) and great performances along with NC State fighting back from 7 down in the final minutes of regulation and 5 down in the second OT. And, oh yeah, it ended UCLA’s 37-game tournament winning streak and reign of seven titles.

There’s my Top 10 with honorable mention going to 1966 when Texas Western’s first ever all-Black starting lineup took down Kentucky, NC State beating Houston with Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon a last-second Lorenzo Charles dunk, and the spectacular 1974 ACC 103-100 Final won by NC State over Maryland.

As for Gonzaga-UCLA: Great game, lots of drama and a historically memorable play. But I’ve seen many games I thought were better because, with all due respect, I didn’t think the teams were that good, Gonzaga’s quest for an undefeated season was aided by playing in a second-tier conference, there were no historic players, and the great Suggs shot wouldn’t have counted in H-O-R-S-E because he didn’t call the bank.