Brady'sButtBoy

Oh, I know who you are, reading Monday Morning QB on the sly, afraid to mention one thing you enjoyed because the enlightened hammer wielding local media police will crush you as a dunce and a nave foolish enough to believe something you didn't first hear on Fox News. Don Banks? Idiot. Albert Breer? Self-involved money grubbing sellout. Mike Reiss? Likely a closet Jets fan, etc.

But here you go. I've got a safe, funny, talented (though you'd never know such a thing exists in the media if you believe the ever growing bunch that apparently writes "Patriots Good" on a dirty napkin, reads it over and over during breakfast, then smiles since they feel so good after reading the 'sports page') writer you may not have read. He even teases those who waste time believing the NFL is biased toward the Pats. His name is Mike Tanier.

He writes a great weekly column on Friday afternoon (a Thursday game appears by itself the day before) for New York Times 5th Down Blog previewing each of that week's games. Don't miss anymore. How could you not like a guy who says about this week's game in Pitt, "The Jets, who are suffering through a never-ending adolescence, should take some impulse-control lessons from the Steelers"?

He's also featured at Football Outsiders in a column called the Walkthrough. To endear him to any willing heart, I quote an excerpt from his latest piece noting that the Giants played a nearly invisible game Monday night. Describing the scroll running on ESPN..."Breaking News: Brett Favre on the sidelines in street clothes. Favre's consecutive game streak snapped at 297. Tarvaris Jackson sacked for a loss of 12 on third-and-10 by a spectral Barry Cofield. Brett Favre on inactive list. Brett Favre is not playing. Chirs Kluwe punts to a wraith-like Will Blackmon. Brett Favre on the sidelines with street clothes."

Check him out. You'll like him and won't have to fear being mocked as some dope who felt like thinking for himself.

__________________
King of my matchbox sized world

Froob

Hey Mike Reiss is the man, if anything he is a bit of a homer. Surprised though that he thought Rodgers would be starting and that the pack would win if he was.

groundgame

Hands down it has to be Michael Tomase Felger.

tobias funke

Reiss comes up with some interesting stuff, and if he's had any hand in the "Picked Up Pieces: X quarter review" articles, he (and Mike Rodak) should get a big pat on the back. Those are easily the most interesting posts on the blog. I wish there were more of them.

Joker

he (and Mike Rodak) should get a big pat on the back.

are you crazy???Wilfork would crush the both of them...

jmt57

I agree Tanier does do a good job with his columns. I think he tends to get overlooked simply because people outside of NYC don't go to the New York Times for any sports information, and many tend to use Football Outsiders just for stats.

While we're on the subject, if people want to read something more than just Reiss when it comes to following the Pats, my first suggestion would be Jeff Howe at NESN. I know a lot of people here like Rapaport from the Herald, but I personally find Howe, and Christopher Price at WEEI to be much better in my opinion. To me Rapoport is better at getting info out quickly, but the other two are far superior in terms of any depth and substance in their blogs and columns.

If you primary interest is the first to break the latest news with a one or two sentence tweet, then Rapoport is your guy. But if you want something more, read Howe and Price.

Ice_Ice_Brady

Everyone here will love him until he writes something along the lines of "Although I bow down to the Patriots and worship his lordship Belichick, I do believe there is an slight, microscopic chance that they possibly might not win their next football game." Then hell will break loose and people will get offended that he does not respect the team.

jmt57

It won't even take that much. If Tanier (or any other writer) suggest that any other team has a chance of winning the Super Bowl, there can only be one response.

Joker

nice...now we have a full blown Witchgate...

BradyFTW!

Mike Reiss, closet Jets fan? I don't see that at all. Reiss is pretty good, and I like reading Don Banks for his connections into the organization (he successfully predicted the Mayo and Butler picks, so he obviously has a pretty good idea what's going on.