My Experience From Near the Finish Line of the Boston Marathon

My day started by heading in to Boston for what was supposed to be one of the best days of the year. I have looked forward to going to Boston on marathon Monday for a long time now and this was the year I finally got to go. My girlfriend and I were headed to the 11am Red Sox game and a couple of my friends were hanging around Boston for the day enjoying the festivities.

Sitting in the right field bleachers we saw a Red Sox game that ended in a walk-off at 2pm. Fenway was as loud as I ever heard it and we were excited for the rest of our day after the excellent game. We call our friends and they are at the Capital Grille on Boylston street just a couple blocks from the finish line of the marathon.

It took us a long time to find our way to the Grille. As we are crossing the street and hit the sidewalk next to the restaurant and we here the loud bang which was the first bomb going off. It sounded like a cannon going off to celebrate someone finishing or the muskets that they fire off at the Patriots' games when they score. So, we did not think twice about what was going on. As we were about to walk into the restaurant a lot of people were running down the street in the other direction telling people to go back, head the other way. Still at this time we had no idea what was going on so we disregarded those people telling us to head in a different direction.

We get into the restaurant and promptly order a drink. As we do so there are police officers and people sprinting up and down the street. The bartenders turn the televisions to the news stations and it shows the chaos that is ensuing and we are right there standing and not knowing what to do. The manager of the restaurant jumps on the top of the table and tells everyone to get away from the windows, and then a minute later tells everyone that they have to leave.

At this point everyone is petrified and have no idea what to do. We start just walking where the cops tell us to go. They are not allowing anyone to head down to the crime scene. We all just keep walking, but as we are walking we are all extremely scared of another bomb going off.

We are in a crowd of over what feels like five million people just walking together. People that we pass are crying. We all just want to stay together and make sure that everyone is safe. We continue to follow where the cops tell us to go. Eventually we stopped and waited for a ride to drive us back home, as the train stations have been shut down. After some time the ride comes and we leave the city.

For as close as we were I cannot imagine being even closer to that finish line. My heart goes out to all of those families involved. I will continue to pray for your families to get better. It's truly horrific action by a coward who will be brought to justice very soon.

If your not from Boston and you are reading this blog, the Boston Marathon is one of the most cherished days in Boston that is full of tradition. The city will come back stronger than ever and the Boston Marathon will be stronger next year.

Boston Bruins Add to Their Offense With the Addition of Jaromir Jagr

Who's ready to see some more mullets at TD Garden? I sure am.

On Tuesday the Boston Bruins struck a deal with the Dallas Stars for right winger Jaromir Jagr. Who is famous for putting pucks in the back of the net since 1990, and his mullet. 

He is one of the best goal scorers of all-time, but is a little past his prime. The 41-year-old has five 100 point seasons, which no one should expect from him this year or in the future. He is nearly a rental that can hopefully make the woeful Bruins power play relevant again. 

Putting him on the power play with Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, David Krejci and Brad Marchard should excite fans. Jagr may not be the prototypical Claude Julian player, but he can score, which is what the Bruins need dearly. His 14 goals this season puts him in a tie with Marchard for the team lead.

After losing out on Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh, getting Jagr is no consolation. He is just what the Bruins need. He might not be a great two-way player like Iginla, but he should help a offense which has been stagnant as of late. 

Putting Jagr on a first line with Krejci and Milan Lucic should create some more opportunities. With this line you are bumping Nathan Horton to the third line, which is where he should be with his recent play. At least give these lines a try at first and then if they are not working, you can always adjust them.

It's great to see the Bruins aggressive before the trade deadline, which is 3pm ET Wednesday. Let's see if they make any more moves, which would probably be for a defender. At least their offense is set now, and with Chris Kelly coming back soon, its a great sign. 

Here's a picture of the famous mullet.

Red Sox Opening Day!

It the most wonderful time of the year- Red Sox opening day. There's nothing like it. Every baseball season brings a promise of a new beginning, an opportunity to start fresh. For Boston fans, we certainly would like to forget the last two years and we desperately need this team to bring the Fenway Faithful a reason to hope.

We have, after all, become accustomed to competitive baseball teams. So every spring we ask our selves: is this team as good as the 04 or 07 squads? It's really a pointless question, however, because so much can change in a 162 game season. The best we can say is whether or not the team looks like it can compete in a tough division. And I think we can.

There are a few reasons to feel good about this team. The player that has me most excited is Jackie Bradley Jr. For Sox fans who have been living under a rock this past spring training, Bradley is a stud rookie who after a few short weeks of great hitting went from playing left out on opening day to starting in left field today. The 22 year-old outfielder had an on base percentage of .509 while he slugged .613. I know, it's only spring training, but if a guy already has a tendency to get on base, by balls or by hits, he's going to carry that ability forward. Patience at the plate is a virtue far too many hitters don't have, so I think the Sox are wise to recognize what this kid can bring to the lineup.

A lot of pundits have already written this team off, but there are other reasons to be optimistic about the Red Sox this year. These include, but are not limited too, the starting rotation and our infield. The front office made what some would call lackluster moves this offseason, but they might just work out. The pitching staff this year could provide a consistent defense against an AL East filled with good hitters. Jon Lester will be a great frontman, as both he and Clay Bucholz need to be back to their days of dominating opposing teams. The question marks for the rotation will be Ryan Dempster and John Lackey. Will Dempster's age (36 in may) be a problem for him down the stretch? Can Lackey ever get himself back to his old form? If these two are anything close to their better years, the Sox could be in good shape.

But you're not a real team unless you can score runs. Despite an injury plagued season that resulted in a last place divisional finish, the Sox actually scored the 8th most runs in baseball last year; only the Yankees scored more in our division. Throughout the last decade, Boston has been a team that can score a lot of runs, so can we do the same this year? In addition to what-could-be a great outfield, out infielders will contribute a lot offensively. Mike Napoli and Dustin Pedroia have proven to be great hitters, we'll need them at their best this year if we want to compete in the east. Additionally, Stephen Drew is not his brother, so that only means good things. And let's not forget, Will Middlebrooks was out-hitting Mike Trout before he hurt his wrist last year.

So with the right combination of hitting and pitching (I mean, every team wants that) the Red Sox could be a wicked good team. It's going to be a long season, but a season am I looking forward to. The AL East is a tough division to compete in. Toronto just re-tooled their entire lineup, and the Orioles want to prove that last year wasn't a fluke...and Tampa always plays Boston hard. Fortunately for Red Sox Nation, the one team in the worst shape for opening day is the New York Yankees.

Tiger Woods Winning is What Golf Has Been Waiting For

Golf has been waiting for the old Tiger Woods to come back, and it looks like he has arrived. Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Monday, which catapulted him back to his perch as the number one golfer in the world.

Woods seems to have found his swing and gained his confidence back, after winning on Monday he now has three wins so far in the short season. After his accident and scandal in 2009, Woods took some time away from the game. Then he came back and won only periodically, never regaining what he once had when people believed he was going to pass Jack Nicklaus in Major victories. Now that is looking less and less likely with every year that passes.

With the win Monday, Woods becomes the favorite for the first major of the year, the Masters; A tournament Woods hasn't won since his scandal. Since Woods' absence golf has been looking for the next player to carry the torch. They never really found that player despite Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, and Rory Mcilroy's efforts, but haven't had the impact that Woods has. 

I still believe that Woods will catch Nicklaus while also catching Sam Snead as the all-time wins leader. He has found is stroke along with his confidence which is a dangerous combination. Woods has that fire back in his eyes that fellow golfers hate to see. 

The PGA tour should be ecstatic that Woods is winning because with that comes ratings and publicity.  Already at three wins, Woods should end up with five or more for the season with at least one Major. If not the year will be a disappointment for Woods.

Woods still has his haters, but he has done all the right things since 2009 and should be gaining back some of those lost fans. I never wavered from Woods, so it is great to see one of the all-time greatest playing up to his potential. 

Why Jackie Bradley Jr. Should be on the Red Sox Opening Day Roster

The best hitter for the Red Sox this spring training wasn't Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury or David Ortiz it was the 22-year-old Jackie Bradley Jr.

He obviously has the talent to be on a major league roster, but do the Red Sox want him? Bradley has been the hot topic this whole spring training. Mostly everyone agrees he should be with the Sox'  on April 1. But, do the Red Sox want to mess with his service time.

As most fans remember last year Angels outfielder Mike Trout wasn't called up until May, so the Angels could get another year of arbitration with the phenom. It certainly helps out the team long term to keep Bradley in the minors, but this Red Sox team needs his bat in the lineup now.

After back-to-back disappointing season the fans need to see a great product on the field early in the season, and that product has to be the best the organization has. Bradley gives the fans something to look forward too, along with hope.

If David Ortiz was healthy or the team had more talent then I would be all for keeping Bradley in the minors for a little while. As he has yet to play above Double A. But, Ortiz looks like he will start the season on the disabled list with a sore heel, which makes this lineup even thinner.

After the top four batters the lineup drops off. With Ortiz out you can move Johnny Gomes to the DH spot and Bradley to left field, which isn't his natural position, but he can be above average. Not much should get in between Bradley and Ellsbury in center and left field.

Bradley provides an element of speed also that this team lacks, where he stole 48 bases in 2012.

Red Sox manager John Farrell needs to think out of the box, give this team a spark early. This is the lineup I would like to see rolled out April 1 aganist the Yankees:

Jackie Bradley LF
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dusin Pedroia 2B
Mike Napoli 1B
Will Middlebrooks 3B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
Johnny Gomes DH
Stephen Drew SS
Shane Victorino RF

Victorino is a proven commodity and can be an excellent second lead-off man in the bottom of the order. The middle of the order has some good pop. With speed and good contact hitters up top and the pop in the middle, a lot of runs should be scored.

This isn't the best lineup in Red Sox history, but it should get the job done, and provide some excitement for a starved Red Sox Nation.

Welcome Jackie Bradley Jr. to the show.

Tom Brady and the Patriots

All good things come to an end. For Patriots fans, we've have it good for a long time now. The Patriots have been a dominant force in the NFL since I was 10 years old- all I have known as a dedicated football fan is that New England is going to be competitive year in and year out. With the combination of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and a shrewd front office, the Patriots have posted a decade-plus of success. Three Lombardi Trophies,  five AFC Championships, and the most Division titles in a ten year period- all of which will overshadow the countless records Tom and company racked up in the same period.

History will show how special this team has been. But what the Patriots have created is a fan base that expects to win the Super Bowl every single year. Though we have not seen a Lombardi Trophy in New England since the 2004 regular season team, the Patriots remain a feared franchise and are always a favorite to go far into the playoffs.

But regardless of how well a team performs, fans of any sport always become infatuated with certain players. The Patriots have seen there fair share of fan-favorites come and go: Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, Willie McGinest, Richard Seymour, et al. But when a team is focused on winning, they fill their roster will players who can execute, not guys that are popular on twitter. Because of that, sometimes our favorites are traded or leave for our rivals. It hurts, it stings, and it becomes easy to feel betrayed.

For New England fans, we have experienced two constants: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. And it does not appear that they will be going anywhere anytime soon, Brady just signed a very humble contract extension that will keep him in a Flying Elvis helmet until he's 40 years old- that's five more years for those who are counting. Besides these two stalwarts, the Patriots are a team of constant change.

This week, fans experienced a wrath of mixed emotions when we learned that Wes Welker, Brady's more consistent target, chose to leave for the Denver Broncos in free agency. Very quickly the blogosphere and twitter exploded in anger that the Kraft family couldn't muscle up a few more dollars to keep Welker. They are quick to forget the Patriots didn't just let Wes walk, they offered him a deal. Instead of taking the hometown discount like Brady, he simply chose to play for another deal for more money.

I'm not criticizing Welker, I love him and the way he plays. But before we jump to the blame game, we have to identify that is was his choice to leave. He gave New England fans the Johnny Damon treatment- leave your home team where you are loved and go play for a rival for more money. In the NFL today, I cannot blame a guy that gets the snot beat out of him every time he goes over the middle to go for the deal that offers the most coin. Welker only has so many seasons left in the tank, so if playing for Denver is what's best for him, God bless. Thanks for the memories.

A lot of fans were angry when Lawyer Milloy was let go. But a 17-1 run to another Super Bowl title helped us forget about him. But this is Belichick's style. The whole team is greater than the sum of its parts. When one star leaves, he can easily be replaced; welcome to New England Danny Amendola (a receiver, by the way, who has better stats pre-Patriots than Wes did with Miami). We cannot be sure how long this run will last. As long as this "Patriot Way" with Tom and Bill at the helm remain a constant, New England fans can remain hopeful for another Lombardi Trophy year in and year out.

NFL Offseason Provides Opportunity to Add Size to Defensive Backfields

Guest Post by Brian Cossette

Since 2004 when Bill Polian helped to emphasize the enforcement of the illegal contact rule, offenses in the NFL have become much more pass heavy and high powered. Defensive backs used to be given much more liberty in their contact of opposing receivers, but now are only given a 5 yard window to touch the receivers.

With the success of teams like Seattle and San Francisco, perhaps the league has found a blueprint to counter such pass heavy attacks- beat them up within that 5 yard window. One thing the Seahawks and 49ers certainly don’t lack is size in their secondary. Of the eight starting spots between the two teams’ defensive backfields four are over 6’2”. The Seahawks defense alone boasts 3 defensive backs over 6’3”.

One thing these teams like to do is use their cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage to press the opposing team’s receivers. Press coverage allows defenses to comply with the illegal contact rule while still altering receivers’ routes and imposing some physicality on modern receivers- who have benefited from several rule changes involving contact.

If this indeed is to be the next stop on the NFL’s train of evolution, this offseason certainly provides ample opportunity for teams to re-stock on defensive backs.

Three of the top free agent cornerbacks on the market are over 6’1”. Aqib Talib, Sean Smith, and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie have all have been cited for their ability to press at the line of scrimmage and excel in man coverage. While they have their fair share of concerns, there is little doubt that those three players can make a major impact on the back end for any team needing cornerback help.

Help can be had on the safety market as well, where hard hitters such as Dashon Goldson, Laron Landry, and the versatile Glover Quin will also be out to command hefty contracts.

In the draft, there is a surplus of cornerbacks and safeties with excellent size. In addition to being over 6’ tall, cornerbacks Dee Millner, Xavier Rhodes, Jonathon Banks, Desmond Trufant, and Blidi Wreh-Wilson have all been projected to be selected as high as the first round by draft pundits. The safety class is considered to be the deepest it has been in years, with John Cyprien, Kenny Vaccaro, and Eric Reid all projected to be drafted in the first round as well.

Teams looking to upgrade their defensive backfield may have many choices given the current market, but that does not mean these players will come cheap. Teams will have to invest either with long term contracts or first round picks, but you can count on it happening one way or the other.