Stunned

Al Michaels just announced on NBC's Sunday Night Football telecast that New England Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi will announce his retirement tomorrow.

The Patriots have not confirmed the news but did issue a press release saying "The New England Patriots have called a press conference for an important player announcement at 10:45 Monday morning."

No words. It's a sad day in Dawnville tonight.

Lost the second preseason game, gained a new fan

Vinnay is now a Patriots fan! Go congratulate him on his new home.

Because everybody hates the Cowboys

Bengals focussed "Hard Knocks" outperforms 2008's version starring the Cowgirls.

Nielsen Media Research reports that the HBO television network experienced significant ratings increases, compared to 2008, with the premiere episode of “Hard Knocks ’09: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals.”

The Aug. 12 telecast at 10 p.m. EDT delivered a 1.66 national household rating and 533,000 national household impressions. Compared to 2008, when the Dallas Cowboys were featured on Hard Knocks, the premiere episode was up 28 percent in household rating and 35 percent in household impressions.

Go Riots!

Second preseason game tonight against the Bengals. I've been following Chad Ocho Cinco on twitter. What a crazy dude. I've unfollowed him though in preparation for tonight's showdown. I'm hoping I will get to watch the game, but I'm not overly optimistic.
So, what's the deal with preseason, anyway? Does it really not matter? The Patriots lost all their preseason games last year and then didn't make the playoffs. I say that isn't a coincidence! :)

Your mom is soft

GAME TIME! Pats v. Eagles and Brady says "put me in coach."

And that's when the two-time Super Bowl MVP plans to prove that, despite all the trappings of his success, he has not gone soft.

"I'm a believer that talk is real cheap," Brady said this summer. "I know it looks glamorous at times, but I think what I enjoy the most is playing football and being with my family, and those are the kind of things that I do. I'm excited to go out there and compete."

Um, have I mentioned that I kinda love him?

Vinnay scoffs at the idea of Brady taking snaps against Philly's third stringers, but the Riots don't play football scared. We play football. If Brady's game, I hope Belichick puts him in there. The Pats have gone through some changes in the off-season, but the core men assigned to protect Tom remain unchanged: Mankins, Light, Neal, Kaczur, Coppen. On the other hand, those were the men protecting him on 9/3/08. Groan.
Above all things, I trust in Belichick, though. So, um, whatever happens, is good with me. I don't even think I can see the game in NYC, anyway...boo.
GO PATS, CRUUUUUUSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH THOSE BIRDS!

Can someone come take my temperature?

I'm pretty sure I have PATRIOTS FEVER!!!!

ONE MORE MONTH! ONE MORE MONTH!!! Unless, you believe the hype and think Tom is actually taking snaps against the Eagles on Thursday...do we? Do we believe that hype???

A girl can only dream!!

Football's back!

I watched three quarters of last night's thrashing of Buffalo before falling asleep. The touchdown by the punter was sooo classic! I am not at all afraid of TO.

Tom Brady says he'll play in the preseason

And anyone that believes that for even a second, hasn't been paying much attention.

Another Brady Rule

Tom first entered common lingo as the most famous beneficiary of the tuck rule, now usually called "the Brady Tuck rule" after it saved our win against the Raiders. (All hail the tuck rule! HAIL!) Now, Tom has inspired a new rule:

FOXBOROUGH - When Patriots quarterback Tom Brady crashed to the Gillette Stadium
turf, his left knee mangled after being struck by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard
in last year’s season opener, there was something noticeably missing.

A
penalty flag.

By rule, the NFL determined that referee Carl Cheffers
made the correct call by keeping the yellow flag in his grasp. This year,
however, that type of play will be an infraction.

Some are calling it
the “Tom Brady Rule.’’

The change was highlighted yesterday at Gillette
Stadium as referee Terry McAulay visited Patriots training camp, meeting with
both the team and media members. McAulay, who worked Super Bowls XXXIX (in which
the Patriots beat the Eagles) and XLIII and is one of the NFL’s most respected
officials, explained that referees will be ready to unfurl their flags at
Pollard-like hits this year.

Now, I also wanted to rip Bernie Pollard's eyes out for ending New England's Superbowl revenge fantasies, but truthfully, he didn't do anything wrong. He did his job, unlike our freaking offensive line. WHAT THE HELL, GUYS!! PROTECT THE BRADY!!! THAT'S ALL WE ASK!!! PROTECT HIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMM. So, I'm not psyched about the creation of this rule. The other team tears your QBs ACL, you tear their QBs ACL AND his take out a lung. (Sorry, Cassel.) It's football not, what's some sissy lame sport? Soccer. I hate that the NFL is regulating all the bad assness from te hgame. Don't get me started on the "excessive celebration" rules.
IT WAS A SNOW ANGEL FOR GOODNESS SAKES!

Now where will former Buffalo quarterbacks go?

Arena football folds.