UFC Reserves Date At TD Garden

Heard from the folks at the Ultimate Fighting Championship today – confirming what every fight fan in town has been waiting for. The UFC has reserved August 28, 2010 as the date for its first ever card in Massachusetts. The event at the TD Garden won’t be officially announced for a few months, but just the reservation is enough to get mixed martial arts junkies buzzing.

This was all made possible when Governor Patrick signed legislation last month regulating mixed martial arts in Massachusetts. The UFC will not run in any state that does not have a regulatory commission or similar rules. That left smaller groups featuring up and coming fighters, like the WCF (which runs the Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington – worth checking out) as the only options for fans.

So who’s going to be on this card? UFC President Dana White is promising a HUGE card. Heavyweight contender Frank Mir (now training with Mark DellaGrotte, who runs SitYodTong in Somerville) should be due to fight around that time, but whether he faces nemesis (and heavyweight champ) Brock Lesnar remains to be seen. Lesnar is still recovering from a serious intestinal illness and may never fight again.

Dover native and lightweight star Kenny Florian will definitely be on that card. We’ve done several features on Kenny in the past (you can watch the interviews here) and he’s made no secret that it would fulfill a lifelong dream to fight in front of the hometown crowd. It would also bring a huge publicity boost to the Florian Martial Arts Center in Brookline, run by Kenny and his brother/coach Keith.

Other local fighters who will likely find their way onto the card: Maine’s Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis, Joe Lauzon of East Bridgewater, Gabriel Gonzaga, a big Brazilian who trains in Ludlow, and Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera of Milford. With all of the MMA centers popping up all over New England, this list may very well grow by the time August rolls around.

Pats win ugly

I know it doesn’t matter how pretty it is as long as you win so the Pats will take this 20-10 win over a very mediocre carolina team and go home. And hope that they can play better next week in Buffalo against a 5-8 Bills team, the same record as the Panthers.

More injuries for the Pats- lineman Nick Kaszur, Ty Warren and Vince Willfork all of whom left todays game.

-MD

Signs of Life in Foxboro

A 13 play 96 yard drive for a touchdown? Yes, Pats lead 14-7 with 1:06 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Brady finally decided to throw to welker and that accounted for 64 of the 96 yards. Nobody can guard him- throw him the darn ball.

-MD

Patriots Booed

Randy Moss had better be saving a couple of big plays because right now he is the goat of this game. he looks disinterested not going all out on a Brady pass that was intercepted and then fumbling another completion. Those plays along with another bad play or 2 have solicited boos from the Patriots faithful.

Hey Belichick, you’d better get some life in that team of yours because right now there isn’t alot going on. The Fox announcers have called this the deadest game they have ever done. Ouch.

Oh Yah, Pats trail 7-0 late in 2nd quarter as Brady is an unimpressive 7-14 for 52 yards and 1 interception. There have been 4 or 5 dropped passes.

-MD

Patriots inactives for Carolina

Joining Adalius Thomas on the sideline for todays game against Carolina

-RB Fred Taylor who was out early this morning testing his surgerically repaired ankle, OL Steve Neal, WR Sam Aiken, DL Ron Brace, DL Myron Pryor, DB Terrence Wheatley, OL Rich Ohrnberger

And the Panthers will start their young quarterback Matt Moore as Jaked Delhomme is inactive.

-MD

Patriot arrested

I know it was just “Pat Patriot” who was arrested in a prostitute sting operation in Providence (you just can not make this stuff up) but that pretty much shows you how this week has gone for the Patriots, a week that should be the most memorable of weeks for Tom Brady and his wife Giselle who gave birth to the couple’s 1st child on Tuesday.

Now, what about the Patriots on the field, which is exactly where Adalius Thomas will not be after publicly expressing his dismay at being sent home on Wednesday for being late. Around Foxboro, expressing surprise at anything Bill Belichick does is flat-out insubordination and so Thomas will not play or even dress for todays game as his name is on today’s 7 player inactive list. Now Thomas has not exactly been dominant this season, but could the team use his help- I think so, but Belichick has sent his message. Belichick has no one to blame but himself as he signed Thomas as a free agent guaranteeing Thomas 20 million dollars.

So what about the game? What about who is going to play? Like Tom Brady. He is not 100%, but he’s fine. He’ll play but I expect Lawrence Maroney to be a big factor in today’s game which will be a close one. The Panthers are not bad and because the Patriots are not great- this is going to be a close one.

More coming up closer to game time.

-MD

Vote For Perk!

So I received the first round of voting results from the NBA this week, and needless to say, the results are a bit surprising. If you’ve watched enough Celtics games this year, you’d think Kendrick Perkins has really taken a big leap forward, becoming a Rick Mahorn-like intimidating presence in the paint, while improving his low post game (season averages: 12 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 BPG, 65% FG Pct). It’s very noticeable that when he’s not in the game, the Celtics turn into a jump shooting squad that if cold, can give up a lead in a hurry. You could even say he’s become the top “enforcer” in the East. That said, take a look at the early returns:

Centers:
1. Dwight Howard (Orl) 625,279
2. Shaquille O’Neal (Cle) 206,657
3. Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 67,310
4. Al Horford (Atl) 52,747
5. Andrew Bogut (Mil) 45,920
6. Brook Lopez (NJ) 39,420
7. Jermaine O’Neal (Mia) 38,956
8. Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 36,855
9. Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 19,408
10. Brad Miller (Chi) 17,188

Nevermind that Horford and Jermaine O’Neal aren’t exactly traditional centers, Perk’s own backup, Rasheed Wallace, has nearly TWICE the votes! As a basketball fan, this offends me greatly. Perkins may not have the gaudy offensive stats, but his defense is such that he can control Howard, and definitely O’Neal, in the paint. Bargnani is clearly benefitting from the overseas vote, but at this point in his career, he, Bogut, and Lopez aren’t even close.

Yes, I know this is mostly because the hard-working Perk toils in obscurity behind the Big Three, “it guard” of the moment Rajon Rondo, even ‘Sheed, who is coasting on past glory. So SportsCenter 5 is calling for a special election – get out and do your part. There’s even a handy website set up called, appropriately enough, VOTE FOR PERK!. Check it out and cast your ballot.

-SI

Belichick’s Monday thoughts

This should be a short blog. Belichick’s thoughts after that loss in Miami? Ouch

He is late, surprise. Scheduled for 11:45, It is now just about 12 Noon .He’s probably trying to invent things to say that will take up the 15 minutes of time he usually spends with us 3 times a week.

Just walked in, with grey hoodie.

-”Disappointing loss, look at film and try to correct mistakes. Came down to a handful of plays-they made them and we didn’t. we’re 7-5, Doesn’t matter how we got there, win 7 lose 5, lose 5 win 7. Now it’s a One game season-Carolina. Gotta play better, coach better, blah,blah”

Now talking about interception in end zone, not saying much at such a low level we can hardly hear him.

Talking about team defense, not specificcaly pass rush. Didn’t do a good job on 3rd down, and for that matter 4th down.

“We had our opportunities and didnt take advantage of them. Had opprtunities offensively and in kicking game to close it out and didn’t do it. Look at other games and same thing, like Indy” “Not one thing, just comes down to playing your best football at critical times in game and we just didn’t do it.” ” we weren’t very productive in our kickoff return game, better earlier part of year”.

“Got to play our best football at critical times”

“Talking about darius Butler and his ups and downs but not blaming loss on him.”

On changes- “You look at it each week, whatever gives us best chance to win. This week its Carolina. Do what you feel is best”

Not willing to talk about Charlie Weiss and his future in NFL, just focsuing in on Carolina.

Talking very broadly and generically about 4th down decisions. Decision based on specific situation not on statistics or percentages which say this or that.

“Talk to you tomorrow”

-MD

What is with the Patriots?

Have the Patriots begun the downward slide that we all knew would come, someday? It wasn’t supposed to come so soon, was it? Tom Brady is just 32, which should still be the peak of his career, whether he is coming off knee surgery or not. So what is with those 2 interceptions?

Brady received very little help from Randy Moss on interception #1 in the end zone, but then again when has Randy Moss ever been known as a fighter? Talented?-Absolutely! a fighter?-remember the long passes Brady threw at the end of the Super Bowl against the Giants? Moss didn’t exactly look like the game was on the line, much less a Super Bowl.

The Patriots defense is definitely not strong enough to get the team to the Super Bowl. But the offense’s performance, especially yesterday, is very troubling. Little to no running game. Besides 2 long TD’s to Sam Aiken and Randy Moss, the Pats offense looked ordinary. Ordinary? with Tom Brady and Randy Moss, who besides the long TD had just 1 catch for 6 yards? 1 Catch for 6 yards!

And has Belichick just given up on the running game. I think Lawrence Maroney is running as hard as he ever has. But it all comes back to Brady. In 10 years I have never seen him make a play like that which ended the game, on a losing note. I think that was just a bad hiccup, a real bad hiccup. Brady is too good, too tough, but he needs help. He needs some character to step up in that locker room. But I’m not sure where it’s going to come from. If it doesn’t come, the downward slide will continue. Until then it will be all out denial, one game at a time, you know the usual rhetoric. But the proof is in the record which has been a shade over 500.

But remember, it is just the regular season, 4 more games to tune it up. Patriots, don’t wait until game #4.

-MD

Brady-Brees II

If Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have said it once they have said it a thousand times “You have got to win the turnover battle”, and that is where I think this game will be won.

So Let’s take a quick look at how these teams match up in that category.

INTERCEPTIONS Tom Brady-6, Drew Brees-9    advantage PATRIOTS

FUMBLES Patriots-4,  Saints-10                            Advantage PATRIOTS

INTERCEPTIONS CAUSED Patriots-13, Saints-20   Advantage SAINTS

FUMBLES RECOVERED  Patriots-9, Saints-9   Advantage- EVEN

So it appears that the Patriots have the advantage in this category. A Closer look reveals that the Patriots may have an even bigger advantage in the interceptions thrown category considering Brady throws more passes than Brees so Brady’s interception percentage compared to Bree’s makes it even more clear.

Now having said all of that, I think the Saints defense is better than the Patriots with more playmakers-look out for New Orleans Darren Sharper, who is the Saints version of Rodney Harrison. This is the ultimate test for the Patriots defense.

My prediction? Tune in at 8 O’clock for our pre-game show.

-MD