The Big Story – Patriots Rebuild Strategy: Withthe NFL’s new calendar year two weeks away from beginning (March 13), the Patriots are on the clock. The first task is to decide what they want to be and who from 2023 should be part of that.
Then the first issues are filling two holes on the o-line, adding team speed, especially on offense, and of course what to do at quarterback. We’ll start with QB today and discuss the others throughout March.
Sports 101: Alabama and Purdue each have a most-in-history three alumni QBs who led their teams to a Super Bowl win. Name those players.
News Item – Patriots QB Question: I know Mac Jones was awful last year. But, since this is going to be a two-year rebuild at the least, my general feeling is unless they can get the guy, they are better off filling in as many other holes as they can before bringing in the long-term solution next year. Because having the infrastructure in place first gives young QBs a much better shot at success.
I’m OK with a short-term solution like Baker Mayfield. But, and I know I’m probably crazy, I can live with seeing what Mac can do with actual talent at the skill positions if he wins the job in camp. It nags at me why he was pretty good in 2021 and hadn’t been since.
Maybe because I know what Jim Plunkett became (again) after he was run out amid howling fandom and Mac’s situation is similar. Besides, if he’s bad again, they’ll likely be at the top of the draft to make it easier to draft or trade for a good one.
News Item – Crazy New College Hoops World: With the NCAA Basketball Tourney on the horizon, raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of St. Mary’s College. For those of us who complain that nothing changes among the top teams, tiny St. Mary’s from Morgana, California, (wherever that is) headed to the dance after somehow climbing to be ranked 21st in the country.
The Numbers:
0.9 – assists per game Denver center Nikola Jokic is away from becoming the third player in NBA history to average a triple down in a season with per game averages of 26 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists.
… Of the Week Awards
Honors – Buddy Teevens: Nice to see Dartmouth will rename its football field Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field to honor their late coach who died last September from injuries suffered in an off-season bicycle accident.
Thanks for the Memories – Matthew Slater: Upon his retirement after 16 years of stellar play on Patriots special teams and overall leadership. Well done, young fella.
Thumbs Up – Scot Pollard: For news the short-time Celtic came through heart transplant surgery well last week. It followed an arduous search for a heart large enough to support the demands of his 7-foot frame.
A Little History –The Historic 100-Point Game: March 2 is the anniversary of WiltChamberlain’s seemingly impossible 100-point game in a 169-147 win over the Knicks in 1962. Here are a few interesting facts.
It was a “visiting home” game in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with no TV broadcast or any film of the game at all. The notoriously bad free throw-shooting Wilt was 28 for 32 from the line and 36 on (a whopping) 63 FG attempts. Three Knicks players, Richie Guerin (39), Cleveland Buckner (33) and Willie Naulls (31), scored 30+. And, oh by the way, Wilt had 25 rebounds as well.
Random Thoughts:
I don’t know if any NBA team has ever had three guys from the same NCAA championship-winning team like the Knicks have in Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart from the 2016 Villanova team. That’s kinda cool.
Sports 101 Answer: The six SB winning QBs are, from Alabama, Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, and from Purdue, Len Dawson, Bob Griese and Drew Brees.
Final Thought – Spring Baseball Update: A curious side note to the opening of spring training is the plight of Blake Snell. That the reigning NL Cy Young winner remains unsigned in free agency is a surprise to some. But given his asking of $30 million per for nine years, it may be a sign folks in baseball are not always as dumb as they’ve acted since 1976. Yes, he won his second Cy in 2023, but with a measly 14 wins. Big deal. And between 2023 and when he won his 21-5 Cy Young year of 2018 he was 25-26 and never won more than eight games, which came in 2022, when he lost 10 times. So who in their right mind would give this 31-year-old a nine-year deal, especially when he’s averaged just 23 starts his last five seasons?
Well, actually giant money has often been wasted on guys coming off a big season they never matched again. But for once it appears sanity temporarily reigns.
Email Dave Long at [email protected].