Sunday Patriots Headlines - June 20th
Good morning, and Happy Father's day to all my fellow Patriots Dads. I'm not sure if breakfast in bed is in store for you this morning (not for me - we'll be eating at the table in a bit), but I'll say a few words before we get into the headlines this morning.
Being a dad has been an amazing experience. Father's day to me has always been enjoying the little notes and gestures that they've done for me over the years, because truthfully I've never been a fan of having anything bought for me. Having my daughter hand me a card that said I was "her hero" brought me to tears, and still gets me choked up a bit as I write this. And having my younger son give me one that says I'm "the best dad ever" still brings a smile to my face. We'll see how long this lasts as they get older...since I haven't really stopped either of them yet from attending one of those "all important social events". Hopefully the coolness I've achieved to this point will buy me some understanding on their part when those moments finally come.
All I know is that at each of those absolutely fantastic moments that I've been given have been the greatest gift a father could ever ask for, and as they've grown each year I've appreciated every moment and every day I've been able to spend with them. It goes by so incredibly quick - and you only get one chance to try and get it right.
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that being the best dad I can is one of the driving forces behind everything I do. Hopefully if you're a father, you agree. The hardest part for me is in my industry I work a lot and don't get to be home as much as I wish I could be. I'm sure some of you out there have a job with similar demands, which is why it's so important that we try and make the most of what time we do have. As I've gotten older I've realized it's the one currency that is tough to waste because you can't make it up - so you have to make the most of it.
In the end, I'm sure you'll agree that seeing your kids happy is the only thing that matters. All I can hope for is that mine look back and have plenty of memories that make them proud to have me as thier father. If I've done that - then I know I've done my job. So best wishes to all of you in trying to achieve the one thing that is our equivalent of a Super Bowl title. It takes more dedication and effort to achieve such a feat, but the end result is far more valuable than just some trophy or ring. Needless to say try and remember that the next time the season doesn't turn out quite the way we hoped. No matter how it turns out, we always have that to fall back on.
So thank you to my children for making me feel like a champion each day, and to all of my fellow fans who visit our forum or read this blog, I hope all of you experience the same with your family today.
Thank you for reading. Now let's get to the headlines.
Speaking of other guys who are proud to be dads, former Patriot Sean Morey (who was also one of the nicest players I ever had the pleasure of meeting) has a terrific piece in this morning's Providence Journal, telling all the dad's out there to "breathe deeply and enjoy the day." The former Patriot and Marshfield native is now with the Seattle Seahawks.
"It’s a day to breathe deeply, and take inventory of our work in progress," writes Morey. "As fathers, we are part of a team. For those of us who believe we’re the head of our households, we learn quickly that compromise and negotiation is a reality we face everyday."
Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald also has a great piece on a book that features several Patriots and the relationships with their daughters.
Former Patriot Richard Seymour didn't get his big contract extension, and according to WEEI has signed his franchise tag offer. The deal is reportedly worth $12.4 million, and will keep him in Oakland for at least another season.
Jeff Howe of NESN.com has a good article on LB Thomas Williams, who appears to be a dark horse to make the roster this year. According to the article Williams said he added 13 pounds of muscle since last season and is up to 248 pounds. He also saw time at fullback during the recent minicamps.
Howe also has a piece on wide receiver Buddy Farnham, with the Andover, Massachusetts native who is ready to go 100 MPH now that he's with his hometown team.
Christopher Price of WEEI says that despite the fact there's no designated offensive coordinator, that shouldn't be a problem for the Patriots.
Westport Boxing and MMA is apparently looking to expand into Fairfield Connecticut. Former Patriot Idris Price is reportedly going to be one of the trainers at the facility. Price was originally a fullback who was signed to the practice squad back in November of 2002.
ESPN has a quick note on "Famous Fathers of the ACC", looking at look at some of the ACC’s ‘Famous Fathers,’ and the 'players who share their legacies'. One player who made the list is Davin Meggett, son of former Patriot Dave Meggett who played in New England from 1995-97.
Tom Robinson of The Virginian Pilot has an interesting take on the NFL Owners, and feels greed is the driving force behind their desire to "enhance" the NFL season and move it to 18 games. He notes in the column that Tom Brady was very vocal in opposing this move.
As it stands, NFL franchises get 10 home dates a year to shovel the gold into the vault. To expect them to voluntarily reduce the size of their shovel, for the sake of something silly like the health and safety of the human resources who produce that gold, is, unfortunately, laughable.
The whole article is a great read, I definitely recommend it.
For those of you following Matt Cassel, Chiefs coach Todd Haley is blaming Cassel's receivers for the quarterback's struggles last season, noting the 50+ drops they had as being the bigger problem. Most people in Kansas City believe this is a make-or-break season for their quarterback, but Haley feels that he's making progress.
“This guy is making progress in a bunch of ways,” Haley said. “He had a very difficult year last year, but he didn’t crack. That’s a good sign. He has been one of our best workers this offseason, if not the best. He’s working.“We had 50-plus drops last season. If those don’t happen, people would look at Cassel differently … If we get the improved offensive play around him that we hope to, I think people will feel better about Matt Cassel.”
Albert Breer of the Boston Globe looks at the gains that the Chiefs GM, Scott Pioli, has made despite their 4 win season in 2009.
Finally, as a reminder tomorrow Patriots individual game tickets go on sale, so if you're looking to grab tickets this could be your chance. Tickets go on sale beginning at 12:00pm ET, and you MUST use a VISA card to complete your purchase.
That's it for this morning. Once again Happy Father's Day, and we'll see you tomorrow.
