John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Thinking out loud…and wondering what Bill Belichick might be thankful for?
• I am thankful for the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with you every week. You may not agree with much (or any) of what I might think…but that’s the idea entirely. You don’t have to agree. Love hearing back from you…and thanks for the feedback…
• Thoughts left over from the Paradise Jam…I’m not entirely certain why the tip times for the winners’ bracket games were so incredibly late. 11 pm Atlantic time for the championship? Even (most of) the natives left at halftime…
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST• Then again, considering the Friars’ 2nd half comebacks in each of their games, perhaps the one thing we’ve learned (on and off of the court) about these guys is that they’re night owls after all…
• PC had a chance to earn a marquee win (and championship) for the Big East, which currently doesn’t have much to show for its’ first season as a reconfigured league. Xavier lost a big chance to get a win over a ranked Iowa team in the Bahamas. Some statements need to be made – soon – for the conference to continue a claim as one of the country’s best. And, for middle-of-the-pack teams to make legitimate claims for the NCAA’s…
• Maryland was a very winnable game. But the Terps were good enough where they were able to hold on after Providence’s digging of a 19-point hole. Somehow, the guys who are supposedly shooters – and can’t – need to figure out a way to become “scorers.” The soccer team is probably saying the same thing – they lost to Maryland 3-1 in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament this past week…
• As a side story to Maryland’s winning the Paradise Jam, they also suffered a loss this week as well. Assistant coach Delonte Hill resigned his position on Mark Turgeon’s staff, according to a report from the Washington Post. Hill has had three DUI’s charges in the past five years…and was once reportedly the highest paid assistant coach in Division I, earning more than $400K per year…
• As I thought he would, Tyler Harris is becoming a huge factor for the Friars. Sooner than expected. But he’s still a little like a runaway freight train when he grabs a rebound and gets onto the open floor. Give it up, big fella!
• I love LaDontae Henton. But the next time he takes a quick three…and the other team turns the miss into fast break points on the other end…I may scream on the air before Hassett does…
• The people of St. Thomas were very welcoming, and the tournament committee (Basketball Travelers) set up a great show. That the games were competitive was a bonus. It’s tough to screw up Paradise…
• In the “some things never change” department…Syracuse won the Maui Invitational – for a third time. Players come and go, but great coaches – when they stay around – keep programs great. Just sayin’…
• A tip of the cap to UMass, a future opponent for both PC and URI this season. The Minutemen returned to the Top 25 this past week for the first time in 15 years, three years removed from their vacated Final Four appearance…
• Ray Treacy can flat out coach, period. PC’s track and cross-country coach just led the women’s team to a national title and was named the National Coach of the Year. Year in and year out, the Friars compete among the nation’s best, and this year, they not only won the whole thing…the school finally built him a track for his athletes to run on. 59 all-Americans. 44 Big East champions. 11 Olympians. 30 years. Don’t rest on those laurels, coach…
• Somebody is noticing what’s happening on the ice at Providence College this season…in a refurbished Schneider Arena, where capacity actually shrank just a bit (by about 50 seats), attendance this year is up more than 700 fans per game. Again, what winning (and national rankings) will do for you…
• I am thankful for the chance to cover sports for the past 25 years in what has to be the Sports Capital of the Universe, right here in New England. Both on the over-hyped professional level, and the under-appreciated college front. I do wish we could put a little less expectation on our ultra-successful pro teams, and maybe a little more interest into some very good college athletes…
• I’ll have Unlikely Performances for $500, Alex…The answer is: “Stunning.” The question: “What was New England’s comeback from a 24-0 deficit against the Denver Broncos?”
• Loved the stat I saw right after Steven Gostkowski’s kick sailed through the frigid uprights in Foxboro last Sunday night – it was only the sixth time in NFL history that a team trailing 24-0 at the half had come back to win. In 491 games…
• Greatest comeback ever? Win for the ages? I’ve heard more than just a few people say that this week. Consider the opponent, and the opponents’ quarterback. Does that add any special sauce to the ingredients for a memorable football moment? Sure it does. But greatest comeback ever? From a pure points perspective, probably so. But what does a home win over Denver really mean, other than a potential home field advantage in the playoffs?
• Can someone tell me how Stevan Ridley gets back on the field, and keeps us from thinking “fumble” ever again?
• Although, while Ridley leads all NFL running backs with his four boo-boos, are you surprised to learn that Peyton Manning actually has more fumbles lost (six) than he does?
• Tweet of the Week I – from Patriots Football Weekly writer Andy Hart (@JumboHart): “Wound, salt. RT @GlobeWhitmer: Patriots set up a ball-control drill for players right in front of the media. First player: Stevan Ridley…”
• If the Patriots fall flat this weekend at Houston – and their three losses are all road losses this year – it certainly takes some wind out of the sails from Sunday night’s spectacle, doncha’ think?
• Tom Brady > Peyton Manning. That is all…
• And think about this…while Brady’s winning the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance brings with it a “ho-hum” response…Chandler Jones’ winning the AFC Defensive Player of the Month honor qualifies as a “whoa.” Jones had 16 tackles and four sacks in three November games, currently placing him 5th in the NFL in sacks with 10.5 total. It’s the first time since 2004 that a Patriot defender has won the award…
• What winning will do for you…last week, the Patriots were 11-1 favorites in Las Vegas to win the Super Bowl. This week, they’re 7-1…but still behind Seattle, New Orleans and yes – Denver…
• Think those numbers would change if Vegas odds makers knew how banged up the Patriots’ secondary is? Five players were limited in practice this week…
• I’m thankful for a past that has sometimes been painful, both personally and professionally, but that has also allowed me the chance to grow in both areas. My career has had some network moments that I am grateful for, but being a “voice” for a storied program has been a lifelong ambition. I regret nothing…
• Sometimes, bad news just follows you around. Louisville forward Chane Behanan, who was dismissed from the Cardinals’ team by Rick Pitino earlier this fall and then welcomed back…apparently put his national championship ring up for auction. Which is a problem for someone who is still playing college basketball. The school, naturally, had no comment. Behanan’s mom reported the ring was stolen. Um, ok…
• I saw a list of the 10 worst occupations in America posted this week on careercast.com, and was a bit surprised to learn that Actor, Mail Carrier and Flight Attendant were considered poor jobs with bleak future prospects, mainly due to lower salaries and job (in)security. What I wasn’t surprised to see on the list was “Newspaper Reporters.” What again, exactly, IS a newspaper?
• Called it here a couple of weeks ago, and now the idea is picking up momentum…Boston College running back Andre Williams is poised to become a Heisman Trophy finalist, the first for BC in almost 30 years (since Doug Flutie). And he really could win it all, especially when you consider he seems to embody what we all wish our sports heroes could – talent, ability, smarts and a humble attitude. Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel wrote a great profile on Williams this week. I’m a fan…of the player and his story…
• Tweet of the Week II – from @GeorgeCarlinsez: “It’s never ‘just a game’ when you’re winning.” Now THAT is very true…
• I am thankful for an understanding family, a wonderful woman in my life, and two orange cats who have taken a liking to me…probably because I feed them “the good stuff” that their Mommy won’t give them…
• Turkey, family and football…three parts of the Thanksgiving holiday that would be really tough not to have every year. Throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, high school games take on meaning that just isn’t found during a routine weekly encounter on the schedule. Memories, history, tradition. Some Turkey Day games go back to the early 20th century. Here’s hoping these holiday staples never get taken for granted…
• I have plenty of Thanksgiving football memories from days gone by…from Texas whipping up on arch-rival Texas A&M seemingly every year, to the traditional NFL games of the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. Two of the three that stand out most – to me – involve the Cowboys, since I grew up with them as much a part of my holiday as the turkey. Leon Lett’s diving on a missed field goal during a freak November snowstorm in 1993 cost Dallas in a loss to Miami, and Clint “the Mad Bomber” Longley replaced the legendary Roger Staubach at QB in 1974 and led Dallas to a shocking 24-23 come-from-behind-win over Washington. Then, there was this…that still makes me laugh every time I watch it…
• Ok, now we’ve gone completely mad. You’ve heard about mysterious images of Jesus or the Virgin Mary appearing on slices of toast or other food items? How about “Air Jordan” in a cucumber?
• There’s a part of me that simply wants to enjoy the Red Sox World Series crown for a while, and not worry about impending free agent moves. Yet, if the Sox hope to continue their winning ways, some big moves are coming. Mike Napoli? Jacoby Ellsbury? Yes please, but would Boston give Ellsbury a 7th year in a new deal? I say no. And that might be enough for him to say goodbye…
• Kinda cool that David Ross tried to get Brian McCann to come play in Boston…but McCann’s deal with the Yankees offered him more years. Hmmm, there’s that “more years” thing again…
• Wonder what Jarrod Saltalamacchia is thinking these days? Lots of names being thrown around, lots of guys making decisions, lots of teams making commitments. He doesn’t have one yet…and the Sox still need one. I’m reminded of a one-time Joe Namath quote here: “I can’t wait until tomorrow, ‘cause I get better looking every day…”
• I am thankful for two healthy children – who are not children any longer, but grown men who are beginning to make their own way in life. If you’re a parent, you probably understand my being caught between worry and the need to let them do their own thing. What, a phone call once in a while would be too much trouble?
• I’m pretty bummed out by Family Guy’s “killing off” Brian Griffin. To this point, there hasn’t been any word from creator Seth McFarlane on why they decided to do away with his character on the Fox animated series, set in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island…and Brian was certainly a bright spot in the often-sophomoric storyline. He was a talking dog…but way more than just that to regular viewers. He was often the conscience for a family that always teetered between right and wrong…
• Not for nuthin’…but I thought Jason Kidd’s intentional-unintentional soda spill in a Nets’ game against the Lakers was pretty smart. Brooklyn was out of time outs, trailing by two, and needed to draw up a play…so Kidd appeared to tell guard Tyshawn Taylor “hit me” in an effort to gain a little extra time. While the spill was cleaned up, the staff drew up a play. Ingenious. Until you realize the Nets lost the game…the move gained Kidd a $50K fine from the NBA…and he “only” makes $30K per game from his team…
• My buddy Statbeast sez he had three reasons for purposely burning his Thanksgiving Day turkey: 1) He wanted his family to think it was Cajun-blackened; 2) Mrs. Statbeast’s broccoli, cheese and lima bean casserole will gain proper appreciation; 3) His uninvited guests will think twice about a repeat performance next year…
• I’ll wager Bill Belichick had a happier Thanksgiving than usual, for a couple of reasons. One…the smile he cracked post-game after the Denver comeback kinda gave away how he really felt…
• Did you know Tom Brady changed the call at the line of scrimmage before tossing a six-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski against Denver? Audibled Tom: “Cougar! Cougar! Linda!” Hmmm…anyone you know, Coach? And two – judging from the photo, I will wager Belichick had a happier Thanksgiving than most of us realize…and not just from the victory over the Broncos…
• From the mailbag this week – Cav from West Palm Beach, FL writes via Facebook: “I'm growing tired of (Danny) Amendola disappearing for large parts of the game. Now granted it could be game plan to protect him from further injuries but at times I have to look hard to see if he's even out there. At 5 yrs and 35 million I'd like for him to make the plays Edelman has routinely made this year. Hopefully down the stretch I'll get my wish but for now it's aggravating.” Cav: Interesting take, and I can understand some frustration over what you’re talking about. But I think the Patriots view this differently than you do. They’re trying to protect the same investment you want an instant return from. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, perhaps you should be thankful for Julian Edelman’s performance…which, by the way, combined with the others who have manned the slot for New England this season, has out-performed what Wes Welker has done in Denver. Mentioned that a week ago…
• Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to [email protected]. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
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• The book “Rhode Island Radio” from Arcadia Publishing is available for sale, and it tells the story of the 91-year history of the medium in our state through photographs, clippings and memories from many of the personalities who have graced our airwaves. If you’re in search of the gift that says “Rhode Island,” you’ve found it. Or, find it in local bookstores and online right here…
