Posts tagged TomBrady at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

The Bleacher Report has brought out their NFL Draft drinking game. If you are looking for an excuse to get wasted quickly, check it out and play so you can deal with the (over)hype and drink your arse off (like the guy pictured).

But how can we help ourselves? We're fans. And as fans, we need to know every detail about every player our team is considering drafting. And when our team finally picks an unknown linebacker from Middle Southern Tennessee State, we're going to need one of ESPN's 23 draft analysts to breakdown his 40 time and discuss his upside.

So, here are just some of the "rules" to follow to make your NFL Draft a jolly one:

• Every time Chris Berman unveils a ridiculous nickname...drink!
• Every time a Chris Berman nickname references a song that's over 20 years old...drink twice!
• Every time an ESPN analyst confuses Jake and Chris Long...drink!
• Every time Emmitt Smith uses a word that isn't actually a word...drink!
• Every time you hear the word "spygate"...drink!
• Every time Chris Mortensen "breaks" a story...drink!
• If an analyst talks about the potential of Bengals WR Chad Johnson getting traded...drink!
• Every time someone mentions that Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round...drink!

At FanHouse, one man's trash is another man's treasure. But only the few raise to the level of Notable Moments in FanHouse Commenting.

Ex-Patriots employee Matt Walsh has finally agreed to spill everything he knows to the NFL about Spygate, and eventually we will know the scoop. In the months since Walsh's name first emerged, there's been tons of speculation about what he knows. Is Walsh going to drop the hammer on the Patriots or is this just ridiculously overblown?

And though all thoughtful comments at FanHouse are appreciated, I feel that this comment from Bob deserves special recognition. It is his theory about the delay in working out an agreement with Walsh:

Here's the hold up. Walsh has several tapes that Goodell wants to see. The first shows the Rams Super Bowl walkthrough, including the play where Kurt Warner fumbles in the end zone. Interestingly, the tape also shows Willie Gary wearing Ty Law's jersey when they practice the play where Law intercepts Warner and takes it in for a touchdown. Another tape shows Bill Belichick in Dallas on November 23, 1963. He's just a kid, but the tape clearly shows him holding a high powered rifle running from the grassy knoll. The third tape proves that Tom Brady and Gisele are both aliens sent here to bred and take over the world. The fourth tape is the biggest problem. It shows that Elvis is alive and well and works at a Stuckies off of I-40 in Tennessee. Goodell isn't sure he wants to see this tape, but I think he should. Who knows what they put into all of those peanut logs?

(Major hat tip to Awful Announcing on this one).

Tuesday night's "Law & Order: SVU" (a show my wife watches) had a storyline about a professional quarterback who wears the #12, plays for a team that wears blue and red, dates a supermodel and is one of the top QBs in the league. Sounds like a certain MVP named Tom Brady, doesn't it.

Oh, and the character is also the main suspect in a gay murder.

AA grabbed this quote from the Boston Herald:

Anyway, the QB ends up getting arrested and convicted for the crime - even though someone else did it - but who cares about any of that? We're still trying to get over the image of the faux Brady in the faux Gillette Stadium being questioned by the faux detectives during practice. We damn near fell off the couch!

We rang up team spokesguy Stacey James, who was shocked - shocked! - at the "SVU" storyline, which, as you know, is usually "ripped from the headlines." But James declined comment.

A spokeswoman for NBC, which airs the show created by Dick Wolf, who grew up in New York - but, oddly, went to high school at Bill Belichick's alma mater, Phillips Academy in Andover - also had little to say.

"NBC has no comment," said Amanda Ruisi. "L & O is fiction."

Everybody is looking for a franchise quarterback, but there hasn't been a team to win a Super Bowl without one since the Ravens did it 2000. Plus, it seems a lot easier to find one player to competently lead an offense than to find 11 players to field a dominating defense like Baltimore did eight years ago.

The problem, though, is that landing a franchise quarterback is a little more involved than saying a pre-draft prayer. Compounding matters: just because a team uses a top-10 pick on a quarterback doesn't increase the chances of landing one. Which is why the Falcons might be wise to pass on Matt Ryan with their third-overall selection.

(Of course, it's easy for me to say that; if Miami takes a defensive tackle, for example, and Ryan turns into Tom Brady, we'll never hear the end of it.)

Still, the Falcons could be willing to wait, particularly since the team has plenty of other needs. Not only that, but head coach Mike Smith and general manager Tom Dimitroff come from organizations that have had success with developing quarterbacks taken later in the draft.

Unlike last off-season, when the Patriots were as active as any team in signing/trading for big-name players, this spring has been relatively slow. Cornerback Asante Samuel (signed with the Eagles), and linebackers Rosevelt Colvin (injured his foot) and Junior Seau (turned to dust) are gone, and New England's biggest needs are on defense.

And while there's not much left to sift through in the free-agency grab bag, that doesn't mean Bill Belichick is done looking. Linebackers Takeo Spikes and Victor Hobson are still available, and Adam Seward's also a possibility. At this point, it's hardly surprising the Patriots would be interested in aged linebackers. Every year detractors point to the position as one of the defense's major weaknesses, and every year New England still manages to win at least 12 games.

The point: you can win without having the best group of linebackers in the league. Same holds for the secondary too. And Belichick understands as much.

Given that Wes Welker set the franchise mark for receptions, and that Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis called Welker the best slot receiver in the NFL last season, it certainly seems reasonable to assume he'll draw more attention from defenses in 2008.

Obviously, the problem with such a game plan is that unlike most other teams in the league, the Patriots offense can beat you any number of ways. Randy Moss re-upped for three more years, and even with Dante' Stallworth now in Cleveland, Tom Brady's still the quarterback.

"I could care less how many catches it is [this season]. It really doesn't matter," said Welker. "It's about improving and getting batter and helping the offense move down the field, and if that means catching 112 catches that is what it means. If it means blocking and running the ball 40 times a game then that is what it needs to be."

And it's that last sentence -- running the balls more often -- that points to the Patriots drafting Darren McFadden (to help carry the load) or Branden Albert (to improve the run blocking). Or, more likely, neither. Most mock draftniks think New England will draft a defensive player with the seventh-overall pick, and frankly, that makes the most sense. But nobody had the team taking guard Logan Mankins in the first round a few years ago.

The 2008 NFL owner's meeting was memorable for any number of reasons, but I'll cite two here: the force-out rule was abolished and the Chiefs are still pushing their anti-hippie agenda.

And while it's pretty easy to point to the "hair rule" as perhaps the most absurd suggestion since Pacman Jones swore off strip clubs (for three or four years), Yahoo.com's Michael Silver is more upset about a rule that wasn't even on the table: the tuck rule.

Silver goes into painstaking detail (for Raiders fans, anyway) to recreate the Play That Started it All -- Charles Woodson blitzing Tom Brady silly, knocking the ball out of his hands as he sacked the Patriots quarterback. Oakland's Greg Biekert recovered the alleged fumble and the Raiders seemed destined for the Super Bowl.

But referee Walt Coleman, knower of NFL regs, by-laws and whatnot, pointed out that Rule 3, Section 21, Article 2, Note 2 stipulated that Brady had, in fact, thrown an incomplete pass. The Patriots kept the ball and an heroic Adam Vinatieri field goal later, were headed to New Orleans Pittsburgh (and then New Orleans).

Forget that Brady admitted to Silver that he assumed it was a fumble. And forget, as Silver writes, that:

Three NFL quarterbacks are in the news this week because of the beautiful women they surround themselves with. And the reaction to the three situations is a reminder that when you're judging a quarterback, winning is all that matters.

First, there's Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart. After photos surfaced of Leinart enjoying the company of some young ladies, he has been the talk of the league.

Then there's Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Depending on what you believe, Romo may or may not be marrying Jessica Simpson some time this off-season.

And finally there's New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. He's skipping some of the team's voluntary off-season workouts because he's on vacation with his girlfriend, supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Of the three quarterbacks' off-season activities, the only one that has any real bearing on the way the player does his job is Brady's decision to miss workouts with his team to go on vacation. And yet Brady has received almost no criticism, while Cowboys fans are openly agonizing about Romo's relationship with Simpson, and Leinart's own coach said he was disappointed in his quarterback.

The difference, of course, is that Brady is the reigning league MVP with three Super Bowl rings to his credit, Romo is a good quarterback but still one who has yet to win a playoff game, and Leinart has so far been a disappointment. The simple lesson for all three: It pays to win.

Last week, the esteemed Inside Track noted noted that Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen were cavorting around Europe after spending more than a month in Costa Rica earlier this off-season.

I don't much care about what Brady does away from football; the guy's entitled to go on vacation like the rest of us, but the fact that The Greatest Teammate to Ever Walk the Earth is missing voluntary workouts to kick it in Europe is a bit disconcerting to Patriots fans and scribes, apparently.
In Mike Reiss' most recent mailbag on the Boston Globe website, he answers this question from a puzzled Pats fan.

Q: I have been under the impression that Brady is a big part of the off-season work out program and I have been seeing pictures of him running around Europe with Gisele. What's up with that? I would think after the way the season ended he would be front and center in the weight room, not at fashion shows. I hope I am wrong but it seems like he is losing his focus that has made him great in the past. What are your thoughts?

- Eric

Welcome to a kinder, gentler NFL, where it's still perfectly acceptable to take somebody's head off during the play, but after the whistle, it's all about the Kumbaya vibe.

One of the officiating points of emphasis for next season includes an enforcement of "mutual respect" guidelines in the interaction between players and officials.

Finally, New-Age pragmatism finds its way to professional football. About freaking time.

As the Washington Post's Mark Maske writes, the point of emphasis is a consequence of the Dec. 3 end-of-game meltdown by some Ravens players during the almost-upset against the Patriots. According to Maske, "Officials are being instructed to address players in a respectful manner at all times and not to tolerate disrespectful comments toward them by players."

This should be interesting. It's one thing to have a rule on the books; there are plenty of them that don't go enforced. But when the rule is preceded by "point of emphasis," that means one thing: expect it to be called next season. A lot. A few years ago, after the Patriots cornerbacks manhandled the Colts wide receivers in the AFC Championship game, illegal contact after five yards became a point of emphasis. Off the top of my head, I think it was called something like 750 times the following season.

No need to worry, people; the high ankle sprain Tom Brady may or may not have had during the Super Bowl (the Patriots didn't list in on the injury report) is fully healed. So apparently there will be no need for New England to draft Matt Ryan. Dynasty-wrecking disaster averted.

...Brady checked out fine recently and hasn't had any troubles with the bothersome right ankle, according to a league source. He won't be restricted for the offseason workout program or minicamps.

... [H]e didn't look like himself for most of the [Super Bowl], and his personal quarterbacks coach, Tom Martinez, told the New York Daily News shortly after the game that Brady's mobility appeared limited.

In case you missed them the first time around, here are Martinez' comments. For Brady, this is good news, obviously, but not at all surprising. He sustained the injury in late January. It's been two months and training camp is more than four months off. There's no reason to think he wouldn't be completely recovered in time for the 2008 season.

Of course, there's still that balky right shoulder Brady's had for what, three years now? You know, the one head coach Bill Belichick has listed on the injury report every week since 2005. Good thing the league is cracking down on coaches making a mockery of the injury report. Oh, wait, they're not. But at least they're trying to get rid of those dirty hippies.

I know we spend a lot of time in these parts making fun of the Patriots. The whole Spygate saga only exacerbated things but New England fans can take solace in knowing that jealousy is the driving force behind all the animosity. (Well, except for Giants supporters since, you know, their team won the Super Bowl -- but for the rest of us that certainly holds.)

I bring this up because despite all the negative stories written about the Patriots, they're still the best team of the decade. And even if no one outside of New England can understand why free agents sign/re-sign with the Pats, it's pretty obvious to those who actually choose to do so. Take Jabar Gaffney, for example.

Earlier this month, Gaffney inked a one-year, $700,000 contract to stay with New England even though he almost certainly could've landed a longer-termed, more lucrative deal elsewhere. But it's not always about the money, apparently:

"I went down the other road. I stuck around four years in Houston and we were 4-12, 5-11, 7-9, and 2-14. That's probably made me appreciate being on the other end." ...

Gaffney added that playing with quarterback Tom Brady was a big part of his decision. He believes seeing Brady in the weight room sets a positive tone for the rest of the team.

I guess that means Brady isn't going anywhere. And it also lends credence to the argument that Randy Moss did the right thing by taking less to stay in New England instead of bolting to Philadelphia. So despite the rumors that Bill Belichick is the personification of evil, he's evidently a great boss. Funny, I've heard the same thing bout Jesse Helms too.

After Tom Brady's implosion against the Giants in the Super Bowl, the Patriots apparently have more holes to fill than just at linebacker and in the secondary. Bill Belichick hasn't been able to talk Doug Flutie out of retirement, even with the promise of a chance to win a starting job. Sure, Matt Cassel's on the team, but let's be honest, he was a career college backup for a reason: he's not very good.

Which is why the Patriots will look for their next franchise quarterback via the draft. It's no secret that Belichick is unhappy with all of Brady's off-field exploits* and is looking to phase him out of the offense. So who are potential options? Well, New England has the seventh-overall pick and if Matt Ryan's still on the board he has to be a possibility. More likely, though, Ryan will be long gone and the Pats will look for a quarterback in Round 2. And that explains this:

The Patriots recently sent a high-ranking member of their coaching staff to meet with [University of San Diego's Josh] Johnson for a private workout. Scouts often say that Division I-AA players must dominate if they are to receive serious NFL consideration, and Johnson did that [in college].

Rotoworld's Gregg Rosenthal makes a good point in his NBCSports.com column: while it's popular to assume the dynasty is crumbling, the Patriots' run is far from over. Sure, the team took some hits with Patriotgate and the Super Bowl loss, and Bill Belichick's surly demeanor doesn't endear him to anybody outside of New England. But a team that was undefeated in the regular season doesn't suddenly morph into the Miami Dolphins.

The defending AFC Champions have lost exactly one player they didn't want to: Samuel. He was a key piece on a thin secondary and must be replaced through the draft. But Bill Belichick always does more with less at cornerback, turning wide receivers (Troy Brown), second-day draft picks (Samuel), free agent flotsam (Tyrone Poole) and undrafted players (Randall Gay) into key cogs.

True that. Two years ago, the Patriots decided to go into the season with no viable pass-catching threats and they still won 12 games and were one horrendous half away from going back to the Super Bowl. And even during those three Super Bowl-winning seasons, New England's secondary wasn't much to speak of. And yet, they somehow managed.

And let's be honest, the Patriots didn't exactly give up when Ty Law bolted for New York and I suspect nothing will change now that Samuel's in Philly. As Rosenthal writes: "America's team to hate isn't going away."

And I think that's right. Of course, that doesn't mean we should stop praying for them to go away, just don't be surprised when it doesn't happen.

At FanHouse, one man's trash is another man's treasure. But only the few raise to the level of Notable Moments in FanHouse Commenting.

Recent speculation that there could be a Tom Brady-Gisele Bündchen "hook up" tape elicited all sorts of FanHouse reader reactions ranging from the predictable to the righteous to the civic-minded. to the derisively politically correct.

And while all comments are greatly appreciated (even this one), some are worth individual recognition. Which brings us to commenter Lonna, who left this gem:

First off, I think [Brady] is an a-hole...he is too stuck on himself, goes onto the field looking pissed off at the world, 2nd I don't like the Patriots, period, they were too good to even have to cheat, and third, [Gisele] isn't flat chested just because they aren't fake! Mine are real, I'm almost 37 and they are still perky, AND I'm a C-cup, so lay off the flat chested comments. 99% of men out there want the HUGE fake HARD boobs! I have tons of other comments that aren't appropriate for public eyes or ears.

Ah, yes, the plight of the flat-chested woman in today's society. Thankfully, Lonna, in all her eloquence, is attacking the problem head on (also acceptable: "attacking the problem with both barrels"). Remember, people, add-ons aren't the answer. Even if, as Lonna points out, 99 percent of men want them.

Duly noted, ma'am.

Keep 'em coming, America. Please.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images (Andrew H. Walker, Kevin Winter)