Tony Mazz: Unanimous league MVP & Coach of the Year are all but done

[BradyManny]

As football nears return, Patriots look to bounce back - The Tony Massarotti Sports Blog, featuring Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics analysis

We may be asking an altogether different question at this time next year.

Namely, whether the Belichick-Brady era is all but over.

Mazz checks in, letting us know he still doesn't know much about football, but does know an awful lot about filling articles with rhetorical questions.

Haters going to hate, I suppose. Just seems rather absurd to question whether we're seeing the "twilight" of Brady's and Belichick's careers given they were both named as the best at the position this past season. I understand it's about the ring - and that this means nothing because of our failure in the playoffs, but it certainly indicates that both are still able to be at the top of their game over the long haul of a season.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

As football nears return, Patriots look to bounce back - The Tony Massarotti Sports Blog, featuring Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics analysis


Mazz checks in, letting us know he still doesn't know much about football, but does know an awful lot about filling articles with rhetorical questions.

Haters going to hate, I suppose. Just seems rather absurd to question whether we're seeing the "twilight" of Brady's and Belichick's careers given they were both named as the best at the position this past season. I understand it's about the ring - and that this means nothing because of our failure in the playoffs, but it certainly indicates that both are still able to be at the top of their game over the long haul of a season.

And now he has something to fill air time with on his show today. People will call and bash him and the four hours will just fly by.

 

[blackglass3]

Thank you for the link, it was nice to get a refresher on why I stopped reading Boston.com.

You know, even if we are in the twilight of the Brady/Belichick Era; it's been a hell of a ride and pretty damn enjoyable.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Reason #101 why I rarely if ever listen to the train wreck on 98.5 FM.

 

[BradyManny]

You know, even if we are in the twilight of the Brady/Belichick Era; it's been a hell of a ride and pretty damn enjoyable.

This.

That's my real problem with the sentiment.

It's one thing to suggest that Brady has a finite number of years left in his career. That much is clear and obvious to anyone. But to suggest that we've entered the "twilight?" His last season was one of the best ever put together by a QB.

And as for Belichick - anyone who can look at the Pats season last year, a 14-2 season with a young, flawed defense missing key veteran starters, and not think he has his A game is not watching the same team I'm watching.

Yes. They won't last forever. But the quality of production out of the two has shown no signs of letting up. If anything, you could argue that Brady is playing QB better now than he has at any point in his career.

 

[TheComeback]

These articles are written for the sole purpose of stirring up the faithful.

Although I have to say, only in Boston are the local media so frivolously negative about successful home teams. Here in DC, they complain about the Redskins a lot, but it's nothing like the entitled b**ching that goes on in NE (and the Redskins legitimately suck). The writers in NE are like an annoying six year old little brother--they try to piss you off just because they can get attention for it.

Twilight of an era? We just posted our best regular season in four years. Our team is full of young players with talent. If you think we're in the "twilight," you've either been absent for a few years, or you're just an ***hole trying to provoke people into reading your articles because you aren't good enough to attract readers any other way.

 

[Tunescribe]

I suspect that BB will coach the Patriots for much longer than we imagine. It wouldn't surprise me to see him go 'til he's 65, another seven years. He's a coach and loves it. What else would he rather do?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I suspect that BB will coach the Patriots for much longer than we imagine. It wouldn't surprise me to see him go 'til he's 65, another seven years. He's a coach and loves it. What else would he rather do?

Well, he did say he doesn't see himself coaching 25 years from now (which would make him about as old as JoePa is now).

And, of course, Michael Lombardi thinks he could easily coach for another decade.

 

[Rob0729]

Mazz is just peissed off that the Red Sox are going to get pushed to the back burner for the next month and his level of adding to his show will be consisting of "Mike, you're right." Mazz just loves to peiss off the Patriots fans in print.

 

[BradyManny]

Mazz is just peissed off that the Red Sox are going to get pushed to the back burner for the next month and his level of adding to his show will be consisting of "Mike, you're right." Mazz just loves to peiss off the Patriots fans in print.

I think there's truth to this. I will give Mazz a ton of credit for getting into the B's the last couple years and becoming at least somewhat knowledgeable on the subject - that's not easy. He has not made such an effort on football. I actually like Mazz on the show, in general - he's a nice foil to Felger's DBaggery. For anything other than football, that is.

 

[Seels]

Felger and sometimes Ryan are the only Boston sports personalities that should venture beyond their primary sport. Mazz barely has a grasp on baseball, he should leave baseball to those that understand it.

 

[Seels]

I think there's truth to this. I will give Mazz a ton of credit for getting into the B's the last couple years and becoming at least somewhat knowledgeable on the subject - that's not easy. He has not made such an effort on football. I actually like Mazz on the show, in general - he's a nice foil to Felger's DBaggery. For anything other than football, that is.

Felger's an act --- but at least he knows what he's talking about for the most part.

 

[Joker]

Tony Gasbaggarotti...if anyone KNOWS this mutt, tell him I said so too...this clown could get a tongue-asectomy and still never shut up...

 

[Boston Boxer]

As football nears return, Patriots look to bounce back - The Tony Massarotti Sports Blog, featuring Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics analysis


Mazz checks in, letting us know he still doesn't know much about football, but does know an awful lot about filling articles with rhetorical questions.

Haters going to hate, I suppose. Just seems rather absurd to question whether we're seeing the "twilight" of Brady's and Belichick's careers given they were both named as the best at the position this past season. I understand it's about the ring - and that this means nothing because of our failure in the playoffs, but it certainly indicates that both are still able to be at the top of their game over the long haul of a season.

he is just getting warmed up for the season.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Tony Gasbaggarotti...if anyone KNOWS this mutt, tell him I said so too...this clown could get a tongue-asectomy and still never shut up...

It's called a glossectomy.

 

[Joker]

I wish he'd develop fistophobia...put him and Borges in a pit with some rabid chipmunks and let them fight it out...

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Wow!! You mean Mazz took his head out of Theo Epstein's arse long enough to post some irrelevant NFL puffery? Jeez so sorry I don't have the time (or interest) to read it.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Mazz throws out a few facts but doesn't bother with any analysis

He notes that the Patriots went 14-2 for the best record in football and then "went poof" in the playoffs.

So were they the best team in football or one against the ropes?

Neither - they were a team that had weaknesses that overcame/covered those weaknesses in the regular season, often against lesser teams - but when you get to the playoffs, good teams will exploit those weaknesses, and Belichick will do what he can to address those weaknesses in the offseason.

(This point is related to the debate wherein some think there's no need for a deep threat, noting the team went 14-2 without one, just as they did very well with Reche Caldwell as their #1 WR only to see weaknesses exploited in the playoffs then too. And as we know, Belichick neglected to heed fan advice that WR wasn't a priority going into 2007)

So what does all of that mean for this season? Not a whole lot since we have no idea what shape the team is in, how good rookies or free agents who have yet to be signed will be. Every single team in the NFL is flawed in some way - and if they start the season as a perfect team, injuries often catch up with them anyways (which is why Belichick's M.O. is to invest in quality depth)

As far as Brady and Belichick being in the "twighlight" of their careers - I'll give him that.... who knows how much longer Belichick will coach - he's 59 now... Parcells coached until he was @ 64... maybe Belichick goes longer, maybe not - but he will likely be the one to hand pick his successor, so I'm not overly worried about the next coach being a bust.

Brady meanwhile is soon to be 34 and there's the possibility he's playing his last contract for the Pats... still, Brady at 75% is better than almost every QB in the league - and he could be the rare football freak to maintain his skills past the age of 37 when nearly every other QB has hit a sharp decline. (and of course the larger question isn't whether Brady's good enough to be an NFL starter - it's whether he's the the best QB on the team at any given time, so much of that will be decided by competition on the roster.

The bottom line if we're looking to last year is the question of whether the Patriots were the best team in football with a 14-2 record, or one one the ropes being ousted by the Jets in the playoffs.

The answer is neither - and the question of how good a team they are this year has yet to be answered, just as it is every season.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Lol lol l..o..l

 

[IcyPatriot]

Tony Mazz ... ... ... ... ...

Tony needs to stop wearing a girdle and get a man's voice.