I have never been a big fan of Dan Shaughnessy's columns in the Boston Globe (although I am surprisingly a fan of his radio work on 98.5 The Sports Hub). Shaughnessy is too negative for my liking and his work does not do what I want from a columnist, which is to make an informed opinion.
That said, I loved his piece on Adrian Gonzalez in today's paper. Gonzalez is a bona fide stud but he has done a good job of staying out of the eye of the public. Shaughnessy's piece adds some much wanted personal touch to a player who is in the midst of an MVP season...
Mike Vrabel, the great linebacker/touchdown machine from the Patriots dynasty era, retired yesterday after 14 seasons in the NFL to become an assistant coach under Luke Fickell at Ohio State University.
Vrabel was a defensive cornerstone of the Pats teams that tore through the NFL from 2001 to 2007, helping them win three Super Bowls in four attempts and advance to five AFC Championship Games during that period.
While he was best known for making impact plays as an outside linebacker (although when Tedy Bruschi had his stroke and duty called, he moved to inside linebacker to benefit the team), Vrabel also became a dangerous weapon near the goal line as a tight end. During his time with the Patriots he had ten catches, all of which went for touchdowns, including scores in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX.
Vrabel will be a great addition for Fickell, his former teammate and roommate at Ohio State. At a time when the Buckeyes are reeling from the scandals of the Jim Tressel era, Vrabel should make a positive impact at his alma mater just like he did in Foxboro for the Patriots...
Congratulations are in order for Derek Jeter, who became the first Yankee to record 3,000 hits in pinstripes.
Jeter has always been a favorite of mine even though he plays for the Enemy. He has played with class his entire career and - other than not moving to third base when Alex Rodriguez was dealt to New York on February 14, 2004 - he has always done everything the right way...
Enjoy Adrian Gonzalez tonight...
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