Random Thoughts (September 25, 2008)

If the reports are true, Troy Brown will hold a press conference in Foxboro today to formally announce his retirement from the NFL. Troy Brown will be missed. He is one of the all-time great athletes to call Boston his home. Brown was a member of five AFC Championship squads (1997, 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2008) and three Super Bowl championship teams (XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX). He made countless big plays (the punt return for a TD against Pittsburgh in the 2002 AFC Championship Game) and was one of the most unselfish athletes (remember his transition to defensive back the last few years?) to ever play professional sports. When Bill Parcells conducted his first draft with the Patriots in 1993, we were all hoping to land a savior for the franchise. With the first overal pick, the club selected Drew Bledsoe, who was a great player for the team from '93 until 2002. However, the player from that draft that had the bigger long term impact was Brown (an eighth round pick from Marshall, 198 overall). Brown was strictly a special teams standout early in his career before becoming a Pro-Bowl receiver (he is the Pats' all-time leader in receptions with 557 catches and is second in receiving yards with 6,366 and held the single season record for catches with 101 grabs in 2001 until it was broken by Wes Welker a year ago). But Troy Brown was more about wins than statistics. As the Parcells years turned into the Pete Carroll years and the Carroll years turned into the Bill Belichick era, Brown was a constant. He came to symbolize what the Belichick Patriots are all about, team accomplishment coming before personal glory. I, for one, hope Brown finds a home with the Patriots coaching staff. Who better to teach receivers and returners how to succeed at their position? Good luck #80... If I were Terry Francona (and rest assured Red Sox Nation, I am not), and I was facing the Angels in the A.L.D.S., I might run out Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka in Games 1 and 2 in California and then return to Fenway Park with Jon Lester pitching Game 3. That would put the staff ace, Beckett, in Game 1 with Matsuzaka, who is better away from Fenway (9-0, 2.37 ERA on the road; 9-2, 3.18 at home) in Game 2. Then the Sox can return to Fenway with Lester, who is dramatically better at Fenway (10-1, 2.54 at home, 5-5, 4.09 on the road). Francona has the luxury of having three very good starting pitchers and I will trust him however he chooses to place them in the playoff rotation but to me, it makes a lot of sense to allow Matsuzaka and Lester the opportunity to pitch where they are more effective... What a great race for the N.L. Wild Card. With four games to play, the Brewers and Mets are both 87-71. The Mets seem to have the easier schedule. They host the Cubs today and then the Marlins travel to New York for the final regular season games in the deplorable Shea Stadium. The Brewers on the other hand host the Pirates today and the Cubs over the weekend. In this race, I am going with the Brew Crew. Yes, they host the N.L. Central champion Cubs but all Lou Piniella is going to do this weekend is set up his team for the N.L.D.S. The Brewers will ride the arms of Ben Sheets (Saturday's probable starter) and CC Sabathia (Sunday's starter) to the first playoff appearance since 1982. The Mets will fail to make the postseason for the second straight year. If Milwaukee does indeed take the Wild Card, they would face the Dodgers in the N.L.D.S. with the Phillies and Cubs squaring off. If the Mets make the postseason, they would get the Cubs and the Dodgers and Phillies would meet. In the A.L., it looks like the Red Sox will face the Angels and the Rays will get either the Twins or White Sox. October baseball is finally here... Enjoy The Office tonight...