BTownSports is Now Sports Chowda!

BTownSports is now known as Sports Chowda Media Co. We still provide the same great blogging, radio, and social media, only under a different name. Please feel free to come and visit us:


Click Here to See Our New Blog


Click Here to See Our New Radio Site


Click Here to Like Our New Facebook


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Click Here to See the Official SportsChowda.com


If you were wondering why we changed, there were several reasons that went into the decision that we are happy to share:

• Boston is not commonly referred to as "BTown" and it is important for our title to accurately highlight our local roots.
• BTownSports.com and the username "BTownSports" in Blogspot are currently taken, resulting in the lengthy "Btownsportsblog.com" and "Btownsportsblog.blogspot.com" 
• We can now be easily found at SportsChowda.blogspot.com and SportsChowda.com as well as @SportsChowda on Twitter, and the "SportsChowda" page on Facebook.

We hope to continue to see you over at our new sites! Thank you for your support from Rick, Tony, Moose, Dave and Prance!

NFL Free Agency Update 2.0: The Thick of It

by Rick Valente

The chips are starting to fall as NFL free agency continues to roll on. The book has closed on the biggest prize, Mario Williams, as he signs a six-year deal at $50 million guaranteed to go to the Buffalo Bills. Also, Peyton Manning has officially ruled out the Miami Dolphins as a suitor, so it is looking like the Titans have a slight edge over the Broncos in this two-team race... but wait! The 49ers have emerged as a surprise third team in the race! Oh the drama. Also, the Patriots continue to make some minor moves that don't knock your socks off, but address some major needs on this team. As is tradition, let's kick things off with the hometown team:

Ainge Strikes Out, Stands Idle at Trade Deadline

by Rick Valente

Of all the things that Danny Ainge could do at the trade deadline, staying put was the absolute worst option. But for some reason, that's exactly what he did as the clock ticked past 3:00 PM EST, keeping the Big Three intact for the rest of the season. I could understand if Danny were to make a deal to make this team better suited for a playoff run, hoping to add a couple pieces and maybe get lucky enough to make in improbable trip to the finals. I could see if Danny wanted to trade guys like Ray Allen or Kevin Garnett at a discount in order to get something for the future. I can't understand how Danny Ainge can possibly believe that the Celtics, who can barely beat a Golden State Warriors team without Stephen Curry or Monta Ellis, have a shot to win a seven game series against Chicago or Miami. I have a better shot at taking home Jessica Beil... and Jessica Alba... and Jessica Simpson on the same night.

Call in the German Cavalry

by John Prance

One look at the most recent injury report for the Revolution, and you already see a headache for young head coach Jay Heaps. Of the six players listed between Questionable and Out, three are potential defensive starters. Darrius Barnes, the fourth year player out of Duke University, is suffering from a calf strain. A.J. Soares, the versatile second year man, is Questionable with a knee sprain. New signing John Lozano is doubtful with a hip flexor sprain.  Lozano and Soares started the Revs first game against the Earthquakes (CB and LB respectively), and with such injuries already piling up reinforcements were needed immediately.

NFL Free Agency Update: The Opening Bell

by Rick Valente

Let the madness begin! The new league year started yesterday at 4:00 PM EST and there was absolutely no shortage of excitement and entertainment from around the NFL. The Bucs went from a projected cellar-dweller to a legitimate contender in the AFC South in a matter of 16 hours, the Redskins continued to spend in an MC-Hammer-like fashion, and the Bears finally added a legitimate (on-field) wide receiver by way of trade. We'll get to all of it, but first, some quick thoughts pertaining to the home-town team after day one.

Bear Down: It's Bounce-Back or Bust for the Sinking Bruins

by Rick Valente

The Boston Bruins are in trouble, folks. They are in the midst of a 29-game slump in which they have won consecutive contests only once, and have allowed over three goals per game. Tim Thomas has gone from the best goalie in the NHL to a below-average keeper with a .849 save percentage and a GAA just below 4.00 in his past five starts. Zdeno Chara looks like his skates are on the wrong feet and has been handling the puck
about as well as Lebron James handles his public image. Also, Rich Peverley is out with a major knee injury and is not guaranteed to return to his normally fancy self for the playoffs, Rask is out until the postseason at best, and I am getting a serious Savard-like vibe with this Nathan Horton concussion. Add in the minor injuries that seem to happen every single night at this point (Bergeron, Boychuck, Ference, Pouliot, McQuaid) and this team is drifting further and further from the Stanley Cup favorites that they were back in December. It's officially time to worry, Boston.

A Natural Disaster: Revs Shaken by Earthquake in 1-0 Loss

by John Prance

The San Jose Earthquakes swept aside a very mediocre New England Revolution team late Saturday night. This was Jay Heaps first regular season game in charge of the Revolution, and a very different team took the field than in years past. Unfortunately, different players did not cause different results, and many performances on the field were completely inadequate and lackluster. The stats show the story fairly well.

Passing

New England-267 successful passes out of 397 attempted (67%)

San Jose-294 successful passes out of 426 (69%)

All You Need to Know to Win Your March Madness Bracket

by Rick Valente

The NCAA basketball conference tournaments are over, which means it's time to print out those brackets! If you're like everyone else in New England, you've watched about two hours of college basketball all season and would have no clue that Notre Dame has played better than Xavier or that Cincinatti should beat Texas in the first round. But that doesn't mean that you can't win your office pool this year, because the truth is, the past means next to nothing when you mix a bunch of young kids with the pressure of a single-elimination tournament that the entire country is watching. That is why we at BTownSports have organized some strategies to help you find the hidden gems of this tournament, and to avoid placing your chips on the wrong side of a big upset. We start with the most important strategy of all:

Five Spot: The Five Faces of BTownSports

We here at BTownSports love to bring you the best Boston sports discussions on the market, whether it be through the writing here at our blog, on our two radio shows, The Rick & Moose Show and The Prance & Tony Show, Facebook, or Twitter. In this weeks Five-Spot, we put the faces to the names and voices you see and hear every day at BTownSports. It's my pleasure to introduce to you the BTownSports team:

Bubble Bursters: What Fringe Teams Could Bite the B's?

by Eric Ahearn

There are a few teams currently fighting for a #7 or #8 seed of their respective conferences that B’s fans should worry about. Although I have a lot of confidence the Bruins will make another strong push come playoff time, some teams make me nervous. Here are two things to fear and look out for:

The Patriots' Top-Five Needs This Offseason

 

by Rick Valente

With free agency about to heat up in the NFL, it's kind of refreshing to begin a normal offseason, given the stress and disorganization that ensued during last year's lockout. I actually believe that the lockout helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl this year due to all the craziness and lack of time that left almost every team with major flaws on their roster. The Packers, Patriots, Saints and Giants were the four worst pass defenses in the league. The Bengals, Ravens and 49ers couldn't pass the ball on offense. The Falcons had absolutely terrible coaching. Honestly, the only team without a glaring weakness was the Houston Texans, but injuries cost them a season where they certainly could have won the Super Bowl. It was an absolute

Valentine's Day: Bobby Brings Welcome Changes to the Red Sox

by Tony Sciucco

If half the energy that Bobby Valentine is bringing to spring training rubs off on the 2012 Red Sox, then the Yankee’s twenty-championship gap will surely be in danger of reduction. At age 61, the forever-young manager of the Red Sox is running proverbial and literal laps around the chicken and beer crew. From showing up to AM sessions in full bicycle gear, to making appearances at Elementary Schools, to what appears to be teleporting magically between the six practice fields at Fenway South, Valentine has obviously crossed over to the realm of science-fiction with his ability to show the Sox that energy this year is not to be dropped below acceptable levels. Beam me up Becket!!!

State of the Bruins: Rask Reactions, Turco Signs, and More

by Eric Ahearn

Tuukka Down, Turco In: It is important to note that Marty Turco has not cleared waivers and is not yet on the team. The way it works with overseas players (he is coming from playing in Austria) is that once a team signs him, that player must go through the waiver process first before playing. The waiver system works the same as in the MLB and the NFL: on the date the player becomes available, teams can put a claim in for him. The ‘worst’ team that claims him gains the player’s service. ‘Worst’ means the team with the worst record. So Columbus has first crack at him and the Rangers have the last. That being said, no team has shown an interest in him up to this point in the season, so I’d estimate there is a 95% chance the Bruins win the claim. Further, since he was signed after the trade deadline, he will not be eligible to play in the playoffs per NHL rule.

Is it Time to Trade Rondo?

by Dave Walsh

Should he stay or should he go? ESPN’s Chris Broussard recently reported that the Boston Celtics are “aggressively shopping” Rajon Rondo because, according to sources, some of the members of the C’s front office feel that Rondo is “stubborn and high-maintenance.” However, when Celtics team president Danny Ainge appeared on WEEI’s The Big Show on Thursday, he denied that they were shopping Rondo at all. This isn’t the first time in his tenure with the Celtics or even this season that Rondo’s name has been brought up in trade talks. Boston fans will remember that at the beginning of the season, when it was clear that Chris Paul wouldn’t be staying in New Orleans, there were several trade rumors involving Rondo that would’ve brought CP3 to Boston.

Five Spot: Top Five Brawlers on the Bruins

by Eric Ahearn

This week we are counting down the top five fighters on the Boston Bruins. Most teams don't have five guys on their roster that would be as willing to brawl as these five. With the B's taking on the Rangers this weekend, the team that fights more than anyone in the NHL, it's only appropriate to take a look at who might square off. Enjoy. 

#5 Nathan Horton:

You might say Horton should be left off this list since he’s currently fighting a concussion, but this guy is a bruiser. When he was traded to the Bruins he was asked to play a certain style of hockey and he has turned into a feared man. Some of the fights that jump out are wins against Dion Phanuef from Toronto and Evander Kane from Atlanta/Winnipeg. When healthy, and paired with Lucic, he becomes one of the two bash brothers on the top line that come to each other’s aid in a heartbeat. Horton could have been easily left off this list due to injury, but his loyalty to playing Bruin hockey made me keep him on.

 

New Coach, New Players, New Results? 6 Predictions for the 2012 Revs Season

by John Prance


The New England Revolution, after an offseason of change, have come out of the gates flying. The new possession-based offense that new head coach Jay Heaps has implemented instantly makes the team play a more entertaining brand of soccer. Entertainment value will always take a back seat to results, yet those seem to be falling the Revs way in the pre-season. New England opened up against the reigning MLS Champions Los Angeles Galaxy and didn’t disappoint. Benny Feilhaber had an absolutely gorgeous bicycle kick goal 90 seconds in, and the Revs ended up winning 3-2. Second opponent in the preseason was the New York Red Bulls, which the Revs dispatched 2-0. Revolution rookie (and third overall pick) Kelyn Rowe put in a man of the match performance scoring both goals and looking dangerous throughout. In the third preseason game, both The Revs and Real Salt Lake played bench players, but New England’s depth prevailed. Diego Fagundez, a 17 year old sophomore at Leominster High School, was instrumental in the victory. The prodigy who scored one goal and assisted the other will most likely be the Revolution’s third striker coming off the bench.

Up next for the Revolution is one more game against the always dangerous Los Angeles Galaxy. The Revolution will then have to finalize their roster and will start the season March 10^th against San Jose. With the season imminent, I find it important that I publish a series of predictions that can be used against me at the end of the season.

1. Preseason Results don’t matter:

The Celtics Can Contend Next Year... Here's How

by Rick Valente

In Dave Walsh's most recent article on BTownSports, he came to the conclusion that this team does not have what it takes to win another ring, and that it is time for Danny Ainge to start making moves to set this team up for the post-Big-Three era. Despite having several big-money contracts coming off the board, and a couple of first round picks in next year's draft, it will still be a daunting challenge for Ainge to rebuild a roster from close to scratch. Can Danny do it? Can he turn one championship era over into another without taking the 20-year grace period the Celtics suffered through after 1986? I say yes, and I will tell you exactly how the wily Mr. Ainge can do it. But first, you must consider some key things before we start building the 2012 Boston Celtics:

Boston Sports Memes From BTownSports

We know Wednesdays can be iffy, so to get you over the hump, here are some Boston sports memes from your buddies at BTownSports:

BTownSports Post-combine Mock Draft

By Rick Valente

The annual NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, so it’s time for an updated mock draft. The biggest winner was the St. Louis Rams because there is no way there won’t be multiple teams offering an arm and a leg for a chance to get Robert Griffin at the #2 spot. A quarterback at that slot is slated to get around $22 million over four years with the new rookie pay scale, which only increases the value of the pick. Grabbing two first-round picks and then some will really add some talent to the Rams, who really stand to have the most to gain on draft weekend. There have also naturally been some post-combine risers and fallers, some of whom crept into this mock, some of whom have fallen out.

Out: Kendall Wright, Mohamed Sanu, Jerel Worthy, Lamar Miller, Alshon Jeffrey, Dwayne Allen

In: Ryan Tannehill, Stephen Gilmore, Dontari Poe, Dont’a Hightower, Stephen Hill, Zach Brown

Here’s how I see it shaking out:

The End of an Era: Time to Blow Up the Big Three

 

by Dave Walsh

The Celtics’ record currently stands at 15-17, which leaves them as the 8^th seed in a top-heavy Eastern conference. And as the March 15^th NBA trade deadline looms, Celtics GM Danny Ainge is left with a difficult decision: Let the Big Three make another run at a title or “blow up” the team and begin building for the future.

The C’s have badly stumbled to the All-Star break, losing 7 of their last 8 games, which include very disappointing performances against lowly teams like the Raptors and the Pistons. With the résumé that the Celtics have built in the first half of the season, it’s clear that this team cannot win a championship with the pieces that they have and it doesn’t look like they’re a “one or two pieces away” type of team.

Moose's Trade Deadline Thoughts

by Eric Ahearn

If I had to give the Bruins an overall grade I would give them a solid B. Granted, if they traded for Rick Nash while giving up top prospect Dougie Hamilton and Tuukka Rask, I would have given them an F. I stick by my original thoughts in that I only wanted the Bruins to make minor moves to secure depth. I wanted players such as Selanne and Whitney, but they stayed put because of their team’s recent success.

Five-Spot: Tweets From the Boston Sports Twittersphere

by Rick Valente

Every Saturday, we are going to be running a "Five-Spot", a list of five things pertaining to the world of Boston sports. I am doing it this week, but it is something that will be passed around from week to week like its a "guidette" from the Jersey Shore. This week's, as you can see, is five tweets related to the Boston sports world in some way or another. There were some pretty notable giveaways from a couple of current Boston athletes as well as a former superstar who may have eaten a few too many special brownies on his trip through Mexico. See them all after the jump!

Monday

@Dane_Fletcher: If I had a little fun with everybody and had a contest to win some free Nike shoes, who would be in? #mustbeover18

To start off the week, Patriots' breakout linebacker Dane Fletcher decided to start a 12-day challenge to his followers for some free Nike's. Apparently unemployment is still alive in kicking if these people have enough time to do this stuff during the week for a pair of shoes. We've got to give it to Dane though, some of the challenges are pretty funny. Here are the challenges for days 1-4.

- Handcuff a real police officer on the hood of his cop car, dressed as burglar.

- "Spiderman Smooch": kiss someone while hanging upside down on a pole.

- Lick another man's milk mustache.

- Take a pic dressed in full camo, army crawling through an indoor mall.

NHL Trade Deadline: Thoughts Thus Far

by Eric Ahearn

???: What the hell is going on in Los Angeles? They move a good young defenseman, in Jack Johnson, and a conditional 1^st round pick for Jeff Carter. I could not be more puzzled. Apparently the brass in LA is not too high on Jack Johnson which I am a little surprised at. Many say that the 25-year-old defenseman is not real solid in his own zone while others see him as a quality individual. The person that comes to mind when looking for a comparison is a Mark Stuart. Stuart was a Bruin at the start of last year and was a high character guy. Johnson is not as good defensively but is much, much better offensively. My guess is the main reason he was included was to relieve some cap space for the overpaid Jeff Carter. The LA Kings had to make a change offensively but they grossly overpaid. Let’s not forget that Johnson played for Team USA in the last Olympics! If I were in the Kings’ situation, I would have offered Jack Johnson straight up…or maybe the pick straight up. Not sure what’s going on out west.

Red Sox: A Long Way From Great Expectations

by Rick Valente

In a city like Boston, the start of spring training doesn't just resemble the beginning of the baseball season; it resembles the light at the end of the tunnel. Once the famous (or infamous) truck leaves for Fort Myers, Bostonians know it won't be too long before they can put their ice scrapers away, give their backs a rest from all of the shoveling, and maybe even go outside without a winter jacket fit for climbing large mountains. The walk from the car to the grocery store gets a little less treacherous, and you can actually see the sun for an hour or so after you get out of your nine-to-five. Remember last year? With the additions of Adrian Gonazlez and Carl Crawford surely making the 2011 Red Sox the "Greatest Red Sox Team Ever", and snow falling more fiercely than the stock market on Black Monday, saying Boston was giddy for spring training would have been like saying Tim Thomas' political stance "leans a little to the right."

"Where's the Revolution!?" An Off-Season Review

By John Prance

Putting it mildly, the New England Revolution’s last season was simply not good enough. The Revs managed victory in five games, worst in Major League Soccer. After such a dismal season, it was not a surprise to see major changes. Head coach Steve Nicol, who had been in charge of the team for ten years, was fired in October. In came new head coach, Jay Heaps, and talk of very different strategies on and off the field. 

On the surface, making changes to a team that was atrocious seems like a good thing. Unfortunately, there is one major problem: they made all the wrong changes. The Revolution is just like an unfaithful significant other. They act like they are sorry, apologize, and swear they will change their ways.  Then, as soon as you want to believe them, they go ahead and do the same dumb things, coming home reeking of booze and cheap perfume, forgetting your birthday, failing to acquire a decent striker. Sure, they brought in a new head coach. However, Jay Heaps is the epitome of inexperience, not being able to put a single iota of professional coaching experience (Assitant or Head Coaching) on his résumé. Last season he was the color commentator for The Revolution. It is the equivalent of Tommy Heinsohn becoming the next Celtics coach, or Gil Santos succeeding Bill Belichick.

BTownSports Pre-combine Mock Draft

   

By Rick Valente

The NFL Draft is only two months away, and what better way to forget about the heartbreaking past than to look at the promising future? Cleveland, Cincinnati, and New England all have two selections in the first round and New Orleans, Atlanta and Oakland have none. I'm not going to speculate on trades this time around because it is way too early to do such a thing. Sure, Washington might trade up to the #2 spot to get RG3, but they also might sign Matt Moore in March (which they should do, but they won't, because they're the Redskins). I also decided to not dive into trades because if I did, the Patriots wouldn't be included in this piece since they are most likely going to package their two first rounders for a first round pick in 2015 and four third rounders. For one final note before we get started, success in the NFL is very closely tied to your success in drafting. This is very bad news for Oakland Raider fans who have to wait until the 13th pick in the FIFTH round to see their team make their first selection. They will then proceed to use their drafting savvy and scouting prowess to draft the fastest player on the board. Okay, enough with the small talk, let's get down to brass tax with the first 32 picks of this April's NFL Draft.

1. Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Andrew Luck would have been the 1st pick of the draft last year, and he did nothing this year to change his status as the best player coming out of college. It will be interesting to see how the Peyton Manning situation shakes out in Indy, but if the Colts cut ties with the best player in their franchise's history, there will be significant salary cap room and a deep free agent class to build around their quarterback of the present and future.
On a side note, Luck's decision to return to Stanford last year had far more of an impact on this year's NFL than you might initially think. If Luck was available in last years draft, Cam Newton would have fallen to the Broncos at the #2 spot. That means Tebowmania, the biggest story in the NFL this year, either would never have happened, or would have happened somewhere other than Denver.

Tim Wakefield: The Road Less Traveled

"There are two theories to hitting a knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither of them works"

                                                  - Charley Lau

By Rick Valente
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry he could not travel both, Tim Wakefield barreled through thick brush and piercing thorns to create his own path. At the time he was a 23 year-old minor league first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had just finished the season batting .189 with 3 HR and 20 RBI in 159 plate appearances. Tim's hopes of making it to the major leagues seemed as likely as getting a sun burn in a bomb shelter. Tim knew it and the scouts who watched him knew it too. At that point most people would see two possible options for their career: either quit baseball, and try something new, or stick out the long bus rides and longer weeks on the road in the minors. That is, as long as the Pirates organization would keep a first baseman who batted under .200. Thankfully for the Red Sox, Tim Wakefield is not most people.

Panic Level: Midnight

By Eric “Moose” Ahearn

The Boston Bruins find themselves in a very unusual position. Currently in second place in the Eastern Conference with 72 points (9 behind NYR), the B’s seem comfortable in the standings. With no real competition in the Northeast, the Bruins will be able to coast to a top three standing when all is said and done this season. Further, the Southeast looks to be as terrible as the AFC West in football, so barring some crazy push from Ottawa or Toronto, and a dip in the Bruins performance, the B’s will be fine in securing a top two spot in the conference. Despite that bit of good news, the Bruins are without top players in Rich Peverley and Nathan Horton.

Injuries:

Rich Peverley is the type of player many fans around the league may not know much about, but any B’s fan knows what he brings to the table. The time table that the team has placed on him is 4-6 weeks with an apparent knee injury, and I would like to believe that report, but I feel this is not the only injury that he is dealing with and he could be out longer. In late December the center/winger was forced to miss practice time. Before missing out on the past two games, Pevs had missed 6 previous games during the year due to undisclosed injuries. Timing could also not be worse as the next 4-6 weeks comes during a time where the Bruins play a swamped schedule. After 4-6 weeks, one cannot expect Peverley to be back to full speed either. His value to the Bruins will be limited this regular season, with the hopes he will be 100% for the playoff run.