SDSU Grads, gotta love 'em

This one has been all over Deadspin and what not, but I think this is something worthy of sharing with our small (but dedicated) enclave of readers.

The following photo of rookie Patriots QB Kevin O'Connell was likely taken during some kind of hazing ritual, but actually published in the Boston Globe. The picture was later retracted for obvious reasons:

Thanks for sharing, Kevin.

Props to Aztec students and grads for keeping us continually entertained with their sophomoric idiocy (Marshall Faulk and Fred Dreyer excluded) !

On leaving early

The Patriots lost yesterday. Bad. I won’t dwell on it, because no one wants to hear about it: Pats fans don't because it was brutal, and no one else does because they’re sick of the Patriots and think they had a big loss coming.

But this isn’t about the loss. This is about the Gillette Stadium faithful’s reaction to the loss. By the time the 4th quarter rolled around, and Ronnie Brown got to know the end zone better than Pacman Jones knows the strip clubs of greater Dallas, Patriots fans were streaming for the exits. The Razor was practically emptied by game’s end.

I hate this. I hate it when fans do this. Especially New England fans, who pride themselves on sticking with their teams through thick and thin (even they historically haven’t, as I’ve mentioned before). There’s an old Christian saying that you don’t ask God “Why me?” when good things happen to you, so you shouldn’t ask it when bad things happen. I think this applies to sports fans too. Besides, leaving early is for fans in Los Angeles and Florida, who New England fans are always making fun of.

Yes, the Patriots laid an egg and stunk up the joint like we haven’t seen since the Tony Eason era. But you’ve still got to stick it out and support your team. Especially a team like the Pats that’s been so great this decade. Of course there’s the rational that you should stay because you could miss the greatest comeback ever, but more realistically, you should stay to support your team, who, believe it or not, are arguably feeling crappier than you are.

And don't even get me started on the fans who booed the team after the first half...

Five stages of grief over #12

Not too far into the first quarter of Sunday's season opener, the Patriots' season died. Well, maybe not. Matt Cassell could turn into Tom Brady circa 2001, or the Pats could bring in Daunte Culpepper and get a vintage season out of him, but let's face it, lightning doesn't strike twice.

As a Pats fan, watching Brady go down (and possibly/probably take the team's season with him) followed the standard stages:

Denial: "Crap. Brady is grabbing his knee and not getting up. Wait! Wait! He's walking off the field. Almost on his own power. This can't be that bad."

Anger: "Hmm, he hasn't come back yet. The announcers are indicating this isn't good. Well what do they know, anyway? Bastards! Who's that guy who hit him? Pollard? What the f*ck was he doing? That was a cheap shot!!"

Bargaining: "Its because I just bought this new Patriots jersey, isn't it? It's cursed. I should have bought a Brady jersey rather than Vrabel. I'll burn it! I swear to God, I will burn this $80 jersey in my chiminea if you just say Brady's going to be ok!"

Depression: *Glug glug glug* "Why did this have to happen? On the first fracken' day of the season! Now they're not going to make the playoffs like every other Super Bowl loser. That's all we are. F*ck 16-0, we're just Super Bowl losers!"

Acceptance: "At the Red Sox are playing well."

I can't say what it was like for every other NFL fan (particularly those in the AFC), because there are no documented phases of euphoria. But ask yourselves, do you really want to win this way? Yeah, I know you do.

Fantasy Thoughts: High on Ricky

Fantasy owners hope Ricky Williams blazes more on the field than off.

So by now everyone has their teams, and probably their Week 1 starting lineup penciled in. Now is the time to search the waiver wire for that last minute sleeper, or maybe begin laying some groundwork for an early season swap of a guy you barely missed out on but expect a breakout season from.

A few thoughts to aid you in those, or any other fantasy endeavors:

Ricky Williams could be primed for a 1,000+ yard rushing season, and no, we are not smoking the same stuff

Yes, that's right. Word on the street is that R-Will is having the time of his life in Miami right now, finishing up his college degree and studying holistic medicine. Perpetually cantankerous GM Bill Parcells is even embracing him, and head coach Tony Sparano has all but named Ricky the starter. Not only that, but the team has extended his contract through 2009. Ronnie Brown is certainly a capable and explosive back, but health has been an issue since he came into the league. Expect the 'Phins to rely on Ricky to do all the heavy lifting on the offensive side, as Chad Pennington is still studying the "Jay Feidler's Guide to playing Mediocre Dophins QB" video tape series.

Swoop in on Chris Perry if someone else hasn't already

A familiar face to Michiganders. That's a funny word.

The Bengals' release of both Rudi Johnson and Kenny Irons makes Perry the de facto starter in Cincy. Not bad if you drafted the guy on a flyer in the late rounds or was able to acquire him as a free agent. At Michigan, Perry showed the ability to be a slashing-style runner with good receiving skills out of the backfield. While he may not be your prototypical workhorse back, he's worth being your 3rd or 4th running back, and could post a 1,100 all-purpose yard total with six or seven touchdowns.

Patriots Defense in Turmoil

Currently, the Patriots team defense is ranked number three on Yahoo!, following the Vikings and Chargers. However, there are signs pointing to a decline,and it would be wise to shore up at other positions before drafting/trading for New England, as they are sure to be overvalued by most owners. While the Pats remain solid up front, their linebacking corp is a mixture of aging veterans (Mike Vrabel, Teddi Bruschi) and inexperienced rookies (Jerod Mayo, Shawn Crable) that is cause for concern. However, the biggest hole appears to be in pass coverage, as both cornerback free agent signings Jason Webster and Fernando Bryant were both recently cut, and Pro-Bowler Asante Samuel signed with the Eagles. Starting Ellis Hobbes (who was exposed in the Super Bowl by Plaxico Burress) and Lewis Sanders at conerback will leave them exposed to the outside passing game, and Brandon Merriweather enters his first year starting at safety which could open up the middle. The quick signing and release of John Lynch might leave some to wonder if Belichick and Co. are grasping at straws in order to avoid a post-Super Bowl loss hangover. Don't avoid these guys altogether, just move them down your rankings sheet below the likes of Pittsburg, Jacksonville and the New York Giants.

"The way I left made it difficult. To come back and clear my name is important to me.”

-R-Will on his latest tour of duty in Miami