Jeremy Lin's Biggest Fans

The people who love Jeremy Lin most aren't Knick fans, or Harvard alumni, or Asian-Americans, or people who hate Floyd Mayweather. It's people who love puns and plays on words. These fans of lingual (see what I did there) goofiness are gleefully swimming in the sea of possibilities that Jeremy Lin's name provides them.

There's Linfinite possibilities to Lincorporate Lin's name in a play on words. It's just so easy to Lintegrate his name. The term "Linsanity" is now Lingrained in our collective language. And this Lincredible story has Lingratiated itself into the hearts and minds of sports fans from coast to coast.

I really don't know what Linitiated my desire to write this post. But if you really like it, you can Link to it.

Anyway, I think pretty soon I'll get tired of the Lincessant plays on his name. It's becoming ReLintless. Just like every internet meme out there, you laugh your ass off and can't get enough for 48 hours then you cringe every time you see/hear it. So Linjoy it while it lasts.

-The Commodore

Bruins 4, Canadiens 3 (SO)

I was a little puzzled by Claude Julien's decision to start Thomas in back-to-back games. But he was 6-2 in his previous 8 starts before last night. Meanwhile, Rask had lost 4 straight, including that 6-0 Buffalo debacle. Thomas also had a 1.26 GAA against the Canadiens and a .964 SV% this season. So that's probably why he started.

It was how he finished that was most impressive. He's undefeated in shootouts this year, and he was stellar in last night's.

The Canadiens are a team in disarray. 6 points behind Toronto for the last playoff spot, with 3 teams to leapfrog over. They don't have a team identity, they don't seem to have any sense of direction. Are they a finesse power play focused team, or are they defensive and opportunistic? It's a little of both, but not enough of either.

The B's took advantage of Montreal's attempt to copy the Rangers by giving up the points on defense. The Habs collapsed and allowed the Bruins' defensemen plenty of time and space to shoot. Eventually Ference took advantage and scored.

The Bruins got careless and lackadaisical at times. That's how Montreal scored their shorthanded goal.

The 3rd period was especially unfortunate for the B's. They tried to play a prevent defense and run out the clock, and there's just no such thing in hockey. Montreal took advantage. The most painful play was Chara's giveaway a few feet from Thomas.

Chara looked out of sorts all night after taking a puck to the chin. And how about those high and mighty Montreal fans applauding his injury? These are the same rabid jerks that complain about hockey not being played the right way. Stay classy, les scum.

The Bruins dominated overtime, though. Seguin froze Carey Price in the shootout, and Tim Thomas did the rest.

This team is having it's good stretches and bad stretches. They haven't strung together 60 minutes of good hockey for a long, long time. But the capability is there.

Hopefully Thomas can re-find his groove. And Marchand is a few posts and crossbars away from scoring a few goals lately.

The Bruins are in Winnipeg Friday night.

-The Commodore

Jeremy Lin-gers on in New York

I've been talking about Jeremy Lin since he was in college. I was privileged to see him dismantle Boston College twice. What amazed me was hos quick he was with his movements, and how tight his dribble was. He's a smart player, but the athleticism is there. He might not be able to sprint up and down the court with the NBA's fastest players, but in short bursts, he might be the quickest draw in the Association.

A few haters have been saying that Lin is only front-page news because he's Asian-American. But I think his play has spoken louder than the haters' words. You have an undrafted Harvard alum (Harvard, like all Ivy League schools, doesn't offer athletic scholarships) leading the New York Knicks to victory when their so-called stars are out. This story is a story no matter what the ancestry of the main character is. I think this story occurring in New York is a bigger reason for this story's prominence then Lin's race.

Yes, he is Asian-American. But more importantly, he's a really good basketball player.

I've always liked Lin. He plays the game smart, he plays the game fast. He decides what to do, then does it before the defense realizes he'll do it. He is lightning fast. He's just fun to watch. It's a rare combination of fundamental soundness and awareness with sheer athleticism.

-The Commodore

Rangers 3, Bruins 0

Do the Rangers look familiar to you? They remind me of the Bruins. Excellent goaltending, a stalwart and systematic defense, and offense from multiple lines. This is the blueprint that Julien and the Bruins took to the Cup last year, and the Rangers are remarkable similar.

When two similar teams face each other, the difference between winning and losing comes down to a few plays. For instance, on the Rangers' second goal, Brad Marchand just passed the puck out of his zone into space. He didn't pass to a teammate. And the quick-striking Rangers reclaimed the puck, and soon put it past Thomas.

To be blunt, if the Bruins meet the Rangers in a playoff series, I'd have to favor the Rangers. It'd be close. It'd be a 7 game series. With a few going to overtime. But right now the Rangers are executing the Bruins' gameplan better than the Bruins are.

The Bruins set out on a 6 game road-trip. And this is a good time for them to return to their core strengths and string together a few wins. They haven't won consecutive games in over a month.

They're in Montreal tonight.

-The Commodore

BC 3, BU 2 (OT)

This is the start of "Trophy Season." The Hockey East tournament starts in just under a month. The NCAA tourney follows shortly thereafter. This is the beginning of the important part of the season. It's when games are must-win. And for the 3rd year in a row and the 17th time ever, BC won the Beanpot. With 6.4 seconds left in the first OT period.

It was a classic game. Six of the last 9 Beanpot finals have gone into OT. And these two teams are likely to meet again in the Hockey East tourney, and could very well go deep in the NCAA tournament. Fun fact: the 9 times a team from Boston has won the NCAA Championship, they won the Beanpot just a few weeks earlier.

BC has finally figured out their goaltending situation. Parker Milner has won 6 straight starts, and allowed only 10 goals in that stretch. BC isn't as explosive as they've been in years past, buy last night we saw their sound defensive play. They make good decisions with the puck and have an excellent Penalty Killing unit. And when their Power Play shows up, they're very tough to beat.

BU, for their part, also looked good. Millan is an excellent, experienced goalie. BU can play physical. They just need to stay out of the penalty box.

-The Commodore

Bruins 4, Predators 3 (SO)

The Bruins needed to win this game. They've been struggling for a month now, entering the game on a 5-6-1 slump. They were utterly dominated by the Sabres in their previous game. They needed to skate hard, play physical, and take care of the puck. They needed to win. And they did all that.

The goals they allowed were the result of unfortunate mistakes, not bad habits. Tim Thomas, for instance, could have stopped Nashville's 3rd goal. But he got up out of the butterfly too early and opened up a huge gap for Mike Fisher to score. Other than that, though, Thomas was fine.

Marchand and Bergeron were playing hard, especially in the 1st. And it eventually resulted in a shorthanded goal. Lucic was skating around like a madman all game and it paid off with the game-tying goal scored 67 seconds away from another loss.

Seguin and Bergeron scored nifty goals in the shootout and it was over.

The Bruins outworked and outplayed Nashville. If not for the occasional miscue, they would have won the game in regulation by 2 goals.

We know how good this team can play. They don't need to be lights out for the remaining 29 regular season games. They just have to be good and continue to practice good habits. Then turn it on in the playoffs.

Bruins host the Rangers Tuesday night in a meeting between the two best teams in the East.

-The Commodore

Boston College 64, #17 Florida State 60

It's been a rough year for the few BC basketball fans that bother to show up to the Conte Forum each game. The Eagles were 7-16 coming into last night's game, at the bottom of the ACC standings. But those who did show up were treated with an upset win over Florida State, who were sharing the top of the standings with North Carolina.

To say this has been a rebuilding year might be overly polite to the Eagles. BC is loaded with freshmen, and this season is essentially a lengthy pre-season for the 2012-13 campaign. You can tell that coach Steve Donahue is trying to teach his team how to play the game properly, so once their skills are honed, they can contend to return to the NCAA tournament.

Which means this season's games look more like practices and scrimmages. Except when BC hits 10 of its 22 three-pointers and Florida State turns the ball over 14 times.

I think the Eagles will be respectable in a few years. This wasn't a glimpse of things to come as much as it was a statistical aberration. But it was quite fun to be there and watch it. And the 4,000 or so who showed up got more than their money's worth, and got their loyalty rewarded.

-The Commodore

Bruins 4, Capitals 1

I didn't see the Bruins game on Sunday. On Saturday, they played with some bad habits. They turned the puck over, the defense didn't play actively in the 3rd, and all the forwards seem to be slumping. The goalies are cold too.

So while I didn't see the 4-1 win against the Capitals, I think the Bruins have improved some of their bad habits. Certainly Tim Thomas' 35 saves on 36 shots is a good sign. And the forwards have once again decided to get involved on offense. Lucic, Marchand, Seguin, and Peverley scored the goals on Sunday.

The B's are in a mid-season funk. Winning 4-1 is a good way to start getting out of it.

Bruins at Sabres Wednesday night.

-The Commodore

Giants 21, Patriots 17

Two plays can sum up this game. One was Mario Manningham's toe-dragging sideline catch in the 4th. The other was Wes Welker's drop, also in the 4th. Manningham was covered well yet brought his toes down, maintained control of the ball, and in one play brought his team from its own 12 yard line to just 15 yards shy of field goal range. Manningham reached his maximum potential in that moment. He made the play.

Welker's drop came with the Pats up 2, with 4:00 on the clock. Had he held on, it would have been 1st & 10 on the Giants' 22 yard line. The Patriots could have drained at least another minute off the clock and would have almost surely scored at least a field goal. And if they'd scored a touchdown, the game would be over. Welker had all 10 fingers on that ball. And it popped out. He didn't make the play.

The Giants made more plays than the Patriots. It's not rocket science, it's fairly simple.

There were plenty of times in this game that the Patriots were just a play or two away from claiming victory. They didn't make the plays. The Giants did.

It's not effort, it's execution. No sane person can question Wes Welker's effort. But when his number came up, he just didn't make the play. Mario Manningham did.

After the Pats scored to start the second half, victory was within reach. They never grabbed it.

17-9 Pats and the defense gives up a field goal. If the Pats respond with a touchdown, they're up 21-12 and in the driver's seat. Instead they went three and out.

The defense gives up another field goal. 17-15 game, Pats get the ball back, move it a bit, then on a 1st down Brady evades pressure, then throws deep to Gronkowski. He underthrows a bit, Gronk can't outmuscle the linebacker covering him and it's an interception. What was Brady thinking? Throwing a jump ball on 1st down? That was a cocky decision.

The Giants eat about 5 minutes of clock and pin the Patriots back on their own 8. That drive ended the play after Welker's drop. Punt, Manningham, a few more plays, touchdown, history.

Victory was out there. The Patriots didn't reach out and take it. The Giants did.

Looking ahead, there's little reason to despair. There is a great deal of talent on this team. There's room to improve, but there's a strong foundation to build on.

I think you'll see significant defensive retooling. As much as I blame the offense's lack of execution for this loss, the Giants did mount an 88 yard game-winning TD drive. It'd be nice to have a better chance to prevent that. A team can't be so dependent on half of its roster to win all its games and right now the Patriots are dependent on the offense to make every single play in order to win.

That needs to change. Safeties that know what they're doing. Cornerbacks that can cover one-on-one without being embarrassed. A consistent pass-rush. Maybe an OLB that can rush the passer.

Here's a weird, almost frightening thought: the Bruins are the clutchest team in Boston sports.

-The Commodore

Captain's Super Bowl Preview

Vegas favors the Patriots by 2.5 to 3. Which seems a little strange. The Pats were 13-3, and were the AFC's #1 seed. The Giants went 9-7, and were the NFC's 4th seed, even though they had the 6th best record. Of course, the Giants beat the Patriots 24-20 at Gillette Stadium in early November.

I don't want to play the underdog card too much here. As I said, Vegas is favoring the Patriots. Which means people are putting their money behind the Patriots. But the fact that questions like "Would you rather have Eli or Brady?" are being asked at all seems a little weird to me.

The Giants appear to match up well against the Patriots. They have a strong 4 man pass rush that can pressure Brady but also leave 7 men in coverage. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots have the 31st passing defense, allowing 293.9 yards per game in the air. The Giants have a good QB, with a bevy of weapons for him to throw to. Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and tight-end Jake Ballard who caught a TD against the Pats in November.

As bad as the Patriots' pass-defense has been, people don't seem to be noticing how bad the Giants are at defending against the pass. The Giants are 29th in yards allowed. Opposing QBs have an 86.1 rating against the Giants. What is the QB rating for Patriots' opponents? 86.1. Isn't that funny.

And since when has Eli Manning become an elite QB? I heard one pundit say that Eli's success is due to his not making mistakes anymore. Really? Doesn't make mistakes anymore? He threw 16 picks this year, 7th most in the NFL. He threw 25 picks last year.

He's been excellent in the postseason so far, with 8 TDs, only 1 INT, and a 103.1 rating. But his whole career has been defined by inconsistency. And he was hardly dazzling back in November against the Pats.

The Patriots lost that game because Brady wasn't as good as he should have been. They lost because they made mistakes like missing a 27 yard field goal. They lost because they turned the ball over 4 times. Brady threw 2 interceptions and fumbled. Edelman muffed a punt. The Giants scored 10 points off turnovers.

Eli Manning is the best QB that the Patriots will face in these playoffs. But he doesn't scare me. The November game was actually one of the better games played by the Pats' defense. People are talking about Ahmad Bradshaw not playing in that game and how much it helps the Giants that he's back. But the Giants were 32nd in the NFL in rushing for a reason. Bradshaw rushed for 3.9 per carry this year, and never once eclipsed 60 yards in a game.

And to be blunt, rushing the ball against the Patriots is doing their defense a huge favor.

This game comes down to one person. And his name is Tom Brady. How he throws, and how he's protected, and how he executes will determine if the Patriots win or lose. I know I've been saying it all year, but it is all about Brady, Brady, Brady.

The Patriots beat the Ravens without a fully effective Tom Brady. They won't be able to pull the same rabbit out of the hat twice. Brady needs to have a good game for the Patriots to win. And if he has a great game, the Patriots will win. No matter what Eli does against the Pats' defense.

One thing that unnerves me is that for the past few years Brady's tried to force the play in big games. He's thrown into double coverage with no margin for error. For example: that deep ball in the Ravens game intended for Slater. No need to try to be that perfect in one throw. He needs to realize that it's better to throw a couple good passes instead of forcing yourself to throw one absolutely perfect one. Because if a good pass is off, it's incomplete. If the attempted perfect pass is off, it's an interception.

I think Brady and the offense will execute on Sunday. At the very least, they won't turn the ball over as easily as they did in November.

Gronkowski's health will play a huge part in the Patriots' offense. He caught 8 passes in that November game. He's Brady's #1 target in the Red Zone, and he's a good receiving option to have if Brady is getting hurried. When Brady needs to press the panic button, he can throw to Gronkowski's general direction and Gronk will haul it in. If he's healthy.

Let's not forget about Wes Welker, though. Welker would have been Super Bowl MVP in 2008 had the Patriots been able to hang on. He caught 11 passes in that game. He caught 9 passes for 136 yards in November. He also had a 13 yard run. He will have a big game on Sunday.

The Giants are vulnerable against the run. They allowed 121.3 yards per game on the ground, 19th in the NFL. In November, BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran well at the start of the game, 52 yards on 12 carries. Then for some reason Ridley and Woodhead got more of the carries. They didn't do as well (combined 10 carries for 36 yards). This might have been due to Ellis' health, or might have simply been a play-calling mistake.

Look for Ellis to get the ball with regularity on Sunday. Not only do the Giants give up chunks of rushing yards, but a strong run can also slow down and wear out a pass-rush. Then of course comes play-action. Ellis can also become an outlet receiver, chipping a lineman then sitting in the middle of the field or the flat for a safe pass. J.R. Redmond style.

Brady will not look at Ochocinco unless he's clearly on the good side of a mismatch.

In the November game, Brady targeted Ochocinco 5 times. This was before we all accepted the fact that Ochocinco is not a significant part of the offense. It was Game #8. In the first 8 games of the season, Brady targeted Ochocinco 21 times. In the 10 games since then, Brady's targeted him 11 times. So from 2.6 targets per game down to 1.1.

Why is that a good thing? Because it demonstrates that the Patriots have adjusted their offense. Ochocinco was thrown to at key moments in that November game. And it didn't go well. Now, he won't be. Brady will be looking for someone else.

One thing this offense has done remarkably well this season is adjust, adapt, and evolve. Adjust to coverages, adjust to pass pass rushes, adjust to Ochocinco's inability to adjust, and so on. The Patriots didn't adjust back in 2007, they simply kept hammering away at the same thing the same way.

They've adjusted since November. The Pats have won 10 straight since that game. The Giants are 6-5 since that game. Yet somehow they've been billed as the red hot team. And give credit to them for their playoff wins. But they are prone to inconsistency.

I think the Patriots' offensive line will man-up and slow down the Giants enough for Brady to find open receivers. We can talk about schemes and strategies all we want, but football usually comes down to one group of guys outplaying another group of guys. It'll be up to the Pats' offensive linemen to protect Brady and make holes for Ellis.

I think BJGE will also slow down the pass rush and set-up a few 2nd & 2 situations. Eli will put up a few TDs, but he'll throw a pick or two. The Giants will score, and will have one or two painfully unstoppable drives. But they won't keep up with the Pats.

Patriots 34, Giants 27.

-The Commodore

Hurricanes 3, Bruins 0

It's official. The Bruins are in their mid-season doldrums.

For the first time in the history of the Whalers/Hurricanes, they have swept their season series with the Boston Bruins. And that's unfortunate for the Bruins because the Canes are 14-25-9 against the rest of the NHL and 4-0 against the Bruins.

The B's have allowed 3+ goals in five straight games. They're not doing the little things. And their success is based on their ability to excel at the little things.

They're not playing physical. And I don't mean big hits and fights. I mean going into the corner for a puck and physically earning it from your opponent.

And when they do win battles, there's no puck support. Carolina's 2nd goal was scored after Marchand won a battle in the offensive zone. But it was a Hurricane that got to the loose puck and triggered a breakaway. Ference fumbling around for the puck didn't help much either.

The Bruins are in a 4-4-1 stretch and it's because of basic fundamentals. Turning the puck over. Winning battles. Puck support. Clearing the puck out of the zone. A team with less talent might be 2-7 in this stretch. But by the same token, the Bruins aren't talented enough to just show up and win. They need to execute the fundamentals, do the little things, and physically outmatch their opponents.

They haven't been doing that since that Vancouver game.

Bruins host the Penguins Saturday afternoon.

-The Commodore

Legacies on the Line

How Super Bowl XLVI plays out will have a tremendous impact on the legacies of four men: Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick.

If the Giants win, and Manning does well, perhaps even wins another Super Bowl MVP, he'll be regarded as the superior Manning. At least he should be.

While Peyton has always been highly praised, and has been putting up gaudy regular season stats for years, the game of football is about playing your best in the big game. It's about performing in the clutch, capitalizing on the big moment, making that one play. More so than any other sport because other sports have best of 7 series. In the NFL, it's win or lose, live or die, all in one game on one night.

If Eli wins, he's the better big game QB. He'd have 2 rings. One more than Peyton. He'd have an 8-3 playoff record. Peyton is 9-10.

Eli would also have a much better record against the Patriots, a team that most NFL teams have measured themselves against for the last decade. Eli would have 2 playoff wins against New England. Peyton is 1-2. Eli would have a career record of 3-1 against the Patriots. Peyton, when facing the Patriots with both Belichick and Brady, is 4-8 against New England.

So if Eli does well and helps propel the Giants to a Super Bowl win, his legacy will surpass his older brother's.

What about Tom Coughlin's legacy compared to his former boss, Bill Parcells?

If the Giants win, then Coughlin matches the Tuna in the ring category with 2. Parcells won 303 games as a head coach, Coughlin has 256 wins. Parcells' playoff record isn't staggeringly amazing. He's led teams to 3 Super Bowls, won 2 of them, and is 11-8 in the postseason. Coughlin has been two 2 Super Bowls, won 1 of them, and is 8-7 in the playoffs.

I don't see much separation there. If I told you those numbers were some mystery coach, you might say that Coughlin is just a step behind Coach X. But Parcells' name carries the weight of his reputation as a winner. So it seems like Coughlin is further behind than he really is.

Parcells gets praised for producing lots of coaching talent. Like Coughlin, and Belichick. But that also means he's had high quality assistants helping him win. Was Parcells a great teacher? Or did he have genius students? Probably both.

I'm not saying that if the Giants win on Sunday, then Coughlin is better than Parcells. But he's at least in the conversation. Looking at just their bodies of work, there wouldn't be much separating the two.

And as for former Giants assistant Bill Belichick, a win on Sunday would put even more distance between he and Parcells. Belichick would be 96 games over .500 as Patriots head coach. Think about that. Parcells had a .570 winning percentage, and .611 with the Giants. Belichick has a .643 winning percentage, .724 with the Patriots.

Belichick has 272 career wins (31 behind Parcells, 22 behind if you include playoff wins), a 21-6 playoff record, 5 Super Bowl appearances, 3 titles. A win on Sunday would be icing on the already impressive cake of Belichick's legacy.

The same goes for Brady. If the Pats lose then both Brady and Belichick will still be considered among the best at their particular jobs. If they win, they'll be among the best ever in all of sports at anything, not just their specific positions in their specific sports. They're both already great. Winning Sunday could add an -est to the end of that word.

What would make ring #4 so impressive is that this team is completely and utterly different from the previous 3 Super Bowl champions. The Patriots won those with patient passing and a playmaking defense. Now they're trying to win with a playmaking offense and a defense that tests the fans' patience.

For a coach and quarterback to grow and adjust so dramatically over a 10 year span is impressive. Brady has become the poster boy for the passing frenzy that is the NFL. I think Belichick saw Brady's potential being underutilized in 2006, as he was forced to work with Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel.

That's when Belichick went out and acquired Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth.

And for 18 games, the formula worked. It just hasn't won Game #19. Yet. But if the Patriots win on Sunday, Belichick and Brady will have 4 rings, coaching and playing for 2 very different kinds of teams. Brady would have won as a "game manager" and as a "flashy" QB. Belichick would have won as an old-school defensive mastermind, and as an offensive "guru."

It's like a great actor who can do comedy and drama, who can play the hero in one movie, then the villain in another.

That kind of success puts you in the upper upper stratosphere of sports greatness.

Those are the legacies on the line Sunday. A good quarterback and a very good coach who can emerge from some shadows. And a great quarterback and great coach who can start casting even bigger shadows of their own.

-The Commodore

This Isn't 2007

Well, technically, I should say this isn't 2008 when Super Bowl XLII was played. Then again, it still isn't 2007 either. It's 2012.

Anyway, this isn't the same Patriots team that lost that Super Bowl to the Giants. Nor is this the same Giants team. Some key figures have returned. Belichick and Coughlin. Brady and Manning. Welker, Tuck, and a few others. But only 7 Patriots from that 18-1 team are still on the roster. Only 15 Giants are still on their roster.

The team's are fundamentally similar to their 2007 versions. The Patriots have a high scoring, high flying, pass heavy offense. They had 5 offensive starters named to the Pro Bowl. The Giants have a ferocious pass rush, and a QB who is now recognized as clutch, if not as flashy as guys like Brees, Rodgers, and Brady.

So will we get the same kind of game? Will Brady have 0.2 seconds to get rid of the ball. Will there be a new David Tyree? Will Devin McCourty see a ball fly just over his fingertips?

I think the game will be just as close as Super Bowl XLII. But the Patriots are different. For one thing, they have BenJarvus Green-Ellis and not Laurence Maroney. Maroney's hesitation and dance moves in the backfield frequently led to negative plays in Super Bowl XLII. BJGE will at least get to the line of scrimmage, maybe a few yards past it, and maybe he can help set-up play-action, maybe force the Giants' line to respect the run, and maybe give Brady some time.

The Patriots' offense is more dynamic than it was in 2007. It isn't just vertical passes to Moss with Welker as the outlet. Now the Patriots throw underneath to their WRs, and deep to their tight-ends. In 2008, Wes Welker caught 11 of Brady's 30 completions. Brady didn't complete a single pass longer than 20 yards, thanks to the Giants' pressure.

The passing game is more diverse now. Brady completed 0 passes to his tight-ends in 2008. That's just slightly different from what the Pats have done in 2012. It's also why Rob Gronkowski's health is such a big story this week. If Gronkowski can help Brady as an outlet, especially if the Giants send all 4 linemen at Brady, and leave Gronk covered by linebackers without chipping him at the line, the Patriots can move the ball at will.

Cartoon by Larry Johnson

But while the Pats offense is now more flexible, their defense has gotten significantly worse since 2007. They were an old crew back then. Now they're young, riddled with injuries, and loaded with subpar talent.

There are playmakers like Wilfork and Spikes. Then there is Julian Edelman playing as a slot corner, and Matthew Slater as a safety. And Devin McCourty getting neck cramps as he watches balls fly over his head to the receiver who has just smoked him. His nickname should be Parliament Light he's smoked so easily.

The Giants are no longer a surprise success story. Eli Manning is being touted as one of the NFL's clutch QBs. And it's hard to argue against that. a 7-3 playoff record is a 7-3 playoff record. And 5 of those wins came on the road. How is it that Eli and the Giants have found such playoff success, while rarely being considered elite during the regular season?

Some might say that they're clutch. I'm going to say that they're inconsistent.

The Giants are capable of brilliant stretches, like their last 5 games (all wins), or their 6-2 start of the 2011 season, or their 2007 playoff run, or their 12-4 record in 2008. But they're also capable of some painfully frustrating stretches. They lost 4 straight this year, and 5 out of 6. They lost their playoff game in 2008, after their 12-4 record. They missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010.

Eli Manning is 7-3 in playoff games. He's had some good ones. Some bad ones. He'll be up against a porous Patriots defense that will let him accumulate yards by the dozen. But I'm not quite convinced that he's Mr. February.

There's a significant psychological difference between this Super Bowl and Super Bowl XLII: The Patriots won't have the pressure of playing for 19-0. And this season they've been playing for something a bit more meaningful, and that's the memory of Myra Kraft.

These are not the same teams that met in 2008. The Patriots' offense is more versatile. But the defense is also more bendable. So maybe the game will be just as close, only with a few more points on the board.

And the result will be different.

-The Commodore

Bruins 4, Senators 3

There was some speculation that Thomas wouldn't start last night. This speculation came from the same "experts" who concocted the Thomas trade rumors. They thought that the Bruins were so perturbed at Thomas' snub of Barack Obama that the B's would trade the reigning Vezina and Conny Smythe winner. It's amazing how much power a media fabricated story can think it has.

It would be ludicrous for the Bruins to trade Thomas, and silly of them to not put him in net last night, especially considering his 16-3 record against the Senators. Ottawa haven't beaten the Bruins since November 2010 and Thomas has been a key reason.

Thomas wasn't stellar, but his teammates were in the 3rd period. Once again, the B's stole victory from the jaws of a shootout or defeat, thanks to their unwavering effort in the 3rd period.

The Bruins won battles in the 3rd. They didn't turn the puck over. They once again conquered the final period, and that's been the key difference between them and all the other top Eastern Conference teams.

Bruins host the Hurricanes Thursday night. They're 0-3 against Carolina, so this could be a good test.

-The Commodore

Can the Patriots Get Revenge?

In a word: no.

I've heard this game called "Revenge Bowl." And even before last weekend's Conference Championship games, I knew several Pats fans who were craving a Patriots/Giants matchup because they wanted "payback," or "revenge."

But win or lose, the Patriots can't get revenge. The team can't, the coaches can't, and the fans can't.

Even if the Patriots win, we'll never forget what could have been but wasn't in 2007. I'm sure the team and players have moved on from what happened, that's their job. They've been able to focus on playing the next game, not reliving Super Bowl XLII. But we as fans are still living February 3, 2008 over and over again.

There have been comparisons to the Red Sox in 2003 and 2004. Since the Sox won the World Series in 2004, and went through the same Yankees that defeated them in '03, we no longer feel excruciating pain when Grady Little is mentioned. We don't cringe when we think about Giambi's solo homeruns, Mussina's relief effort, or Posada's double. We don't really think of those plays at all. The memory has been mostly erased, and replaced with the euphoria of winning in 2004 and fond recollections of moments like Roberts' stolen base and Damon's grand-slam.

Would a Super Bowl win cause the same acceptance, the same selective amnesia? Would we forget Asante Samuel's near interception? Or David Tyree's miraculous catch? How about Ellis Hobbs getting burnt like toast by Plaxico Burress? If the Patriots win on Sunday, would we forget these plays?

No.

The difference between the 2003/2004 Red Sox, and the 2007/2011 Patriots is simple. The Red Sox hadn't gone 162-0 in the regular season. Their goal was a World Series title. Which they accomplished the next year, thus achieving redemption.

The Patriots were going after a perfect 19-0 season in '07, which would have been the biggest and most impressive achievement for a sports team in American history. This year, the stakes are not as high. A Super Bowl title is still an amazing accomplishment, and not to be diminished in any way. But Don Shula won't lose any sleep over it.

There is no opportunity for revenge here, not for the players (only 7 Patriots return from that '07 team anyway), or the coaches, or the fans. The Patriots cannot achieve what they came so painfully close to achieving in the 2007 season.

By the same token, what the Giants did cannot be taken away from them, for their players, their coaches, their fans. They won Super Bowl XLII, and nothing that happens in Indianapolis can change that. It's in the past and there is no chance of redemption, revenge, or forgetting it happened altogether.

The haunting memories of Super Bowl XLII will remain in Patriot fans' memories forever. No matter the outcome of this Super Bowl, they cannot be erased. But, they can be joined by new memories, positive memories. There'll be no revenge. If the Patriots win, though, the memories of pain from 2007 will be joined with fresh, happy memories. And these new memories will temper the old ones. Like dipping spicy wings in bleu cheese.

So if you're a Patriots fan, don't watch the game on Sunday thinking about "revenge" for 2007. Because even if the Pats win, you'll be disappointed. Just hope they win so you can think about a great 2011 season.

-The Commodore

Team Chara 12, Team Alfredsson 9

When Zdeno Chara retires as a player, maybe he should consider being a GM. His top 6 forwards in this game were Corey Perry, Jarome Iginla, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa, and Pavel Datsyuk. That's pretty impressive, even for an All-Star team.

There was also a line that featured Tyler Seguin alongside Phil Kessel. They both had an assist on Team Chara's 12th goal, scored by Maple Leaf Joffrey Lupul.

The star of the show was Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, who scored twice in a losing effort.

The show was slightly stolen by the Trencin Express. That's what I'm calling the combination of Hossa, Gaborik, and Chara. All three of whom are from Trencin, Slovakia. Gaborik won the MVP with 3 goals and an assist. And Chara was +7. Chara also won the hardest shot contest, once again breaking his own record with a 108.8 mph blast.

The All-Star Game is usually a torturous snuff film for goalies, but Tim Thomas held his own. He's now 4-0 in All-Star Games, getting the 'W' in all 4 he's played in. He allowed 3 goals on 21 shots, which doesn't sound great, but his 18 saves were the most among all six goalies. His .857 save percentage was also the highest. Only he and Carey Price broke the .800 barrier. And some of his saves were simply brilliant. You could tell he wanted to show off his talent as much as the forwards.

As unpolished and even awkward as he seems when answering questions from the press, he is comfortable to the utmost when between the pipes.

Bruins host the Senators Tuesday night.

-The Commodore

Terrell Suggs: One of my New Favorite Players

There was some discussion this week about a scoreboard error at Gillette Stadium which made Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff think it was the wrong down. This not only shook up his pre-kick routine on the sideline, it also seemed to force him to rush his lining up for a 32 yard field goal. A field goal he famously missed.

There was an attempt by some to turn this into SpyGate 2.0. It's being called ScoreboardGate. And one Ravens coach (Randy Brown, the Ravens' kicking consultant) when asked about the possibility of the Patriots intentionally sowing confusion said "I don't think you can rule anything out in New England, can you?"

The story never took off, despite considerable effort from the bombastic and outlandish wing of the sports media. Outside of Boston, some people tried to make a name for themselves by spewing innuendo, and implying some scoreboard trickery. And inside of Boston, fans and media stalwartly defended their team against an attack that never really came.

WEEI.com's headline, for instance, read "Ravens blame scoreboard for missed kick." Which wasn't true at all. The Ravens didn't make any assertion. The aforementioned Brown was led to say what he said. Which was kind of stupid, but the kicking consultant is hardly the voice for the entire Ravens organization. And head coach John Harbaugh called the whole notion of foul play "nonsense." None of the Ravens made accusations. All accusations were made by sports media people, who then tried to generate a story about the accusations that they themselves made. Sort of like accusing someone of being an alien, then referring to them as an "alleged alien."

The media tried to make a story out of nothing, but their wheels never got any traction. Mainly because despite the confusion, Cundiff should have still made the kick. And also because any sensible person could realize that the scoreboard's error was due to miscommunication over a ruling on Anquan Boldin's fumble out of bounds, which brought the ball back to where he last controlled it, not where it left the field of play. Moreover, the circumstances were so weird that the notion of premeditation was absurd.

Imagine Belichick telling a scoreboard operator, that just in case the Ravens fumbled a ball out of bounds past a first down marker, to screw up on the down and distance, thus confusing the placekicker. That's a little far-fetched, even for the Arlen Specters of the world. And he's the guy who came up with the Magic Bullet Theory.

Terrell Suggs had the best dismissal of this non-story, when Skip Bayless tried to jumpstart the conspiracy theories.

I'm glad Suggs called out him out. But asking Skip Bayless not to be a douchebag is like asking water not to be wet.

Even after Bayless tries and fails to get Suggs to accuse the Patriots of cheating (using a gentle sounding euphemism like "home-cooking"), he then tries to get Suggs to badmouth his own coach. He tries to start one fire, then moves on to start another.

Bayless is a tool. And that's why he has a job. Which makes him an even bigger tool. And makes people who watch him, even if they hate him, tools. Because people do like to watch him be a douchebag, and that's why he gets paid. And that pisses me off.

I want a "Be an Analyst, Don't be a Douchebag" t-shirt. Of course Bayless is such a tool that he'd probably be the one selling them.

-The Commodore

NHL All-Star Teams Selected

There's really only two interesting parts of the NHL's All-Star weekend: the draft, and seeing whether or not Chara can break his own fastest shot record. Last night was the draft, with Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and former Senator Zdeno Chara picking teams.

Not surprisingly, all the Slovaks and Bruins wound up on Chara's team. All the Swedes and Senators found their way to Alfredsson's team. Carey Price will also be on Team Chara. So will Dennis Wideman. No Canucks wound up with Chara.

But Phil Kessel did. I'm so glad Kessel is not on the Bruins. He puts up impressive numbers (except against the B's), but he's such an awkward creep. Chara's assistant captain for the draft was Toronto's Joffrey Lupul, so the Maple Leaf connection saved PK81 from more shame.

So Tim Thomas, Tyler Seguin, and Zdeno Chara will be on the same team. I'm going to predict that Thomas will allow 4 or 5 goals (no defense in the All-Star Game), Chara will win Fastest Shot, and Seguin will get a hat-trick.

-The Commodore

Why the Sox MUST HAVE Jackson or Oswalt

Rumors are flying around Boston that the Red Sox are pursuing Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt. They've even been offered contracts, according to these rumors. These rumors aren't flimsy whispers, either. These are the loud, shouting, firm rumors. The kind that originate from the Red Sox' Front Office through their network of leaks and anonymous sources.

Either pitcher would help solidify the Sox rotation. The Sox cannibalized their bullpen in order to fill the gaps in that rotation, and there's no guarantee that a guy like Bard will be able to cut it as a starter. The Sox could use something a bit more concrete.

Jackson won 12 games with a respectable 3.79 ERA last season, split between the White Sox and Cardinals. He's far from an Ace, but he's a guy who can throw a decent 200 innings at the bottom of your rotation.

Oswalt isn't as appealing, but he might be cheaper to get. I doubt he'll recapture much of his 2010 form, when he was 6th in NL Cy Young voting. But the 33 year old still has something to offer.

So either guy improves the rotation, provides some depth, some insurance, some solidity.

But the Sox need to sign one of them for different reasons, for off-field reasons. I got an e-mail from RedSox.com last night, telling me that a majority of tickets go on sale tomorrow.

The Sox need something to keep the fans happy, to give them hope in 2012.

This off-season started with rage and frustration and an overwhelming desire for change. And apart from getting a new manager, losing a GM, and losing a closer, the Sox haven't changed much. No big ticket free agents. No blockbuster trades. No stud prospects coming from AAA. What is there for Sox fans to be excited about? What is there to drive them to spend money on tickets?

The Sox also have to compete with the Patriots, who are going to their 5th Super Bowl in 11 years. The Bruins just won the Cup and will likely see their season extend deep into the warm months. People in Boston only have so much money to spend on sports. And those dollars are shifting away from the Red Sox.

The Sox haven't made the playoffs since 2009. Haven't won a playoff series (or even a playoff game) since '08. Their TV ratings are going down. They still have that sellout streak, officially, but we've all seen more than a handful of empty seats at a few games.

The Sox need to make some sort of noise. They need to make it at least appear as though they want to win a World Series. This weekend is perfect to do so. The Pats have a week off. The Bruins are in an All-Star break. Time to fill the sports sections of the Globe and Herald with rumors and contract offers.

That's why the Jackson and Oswalt rumors have been so widespread, so firm, and so specific. Even if Jackson and Oswalt don't sign, the Sox have made it very public that they're trying.

Sox fans need something to look forward to in 2012. They want hope, and the Red Sox need to start selling them that hope.

-The Commodore

Capitals 5, Bruins 3

There are times when the Bruins seem to lose patience with the Julien system. That's when they try making passes through opponents, instead of making more conservative decisions. I think last night we saw some impatience by a few Bruins, who tried making something out of nothing, and wound up giving golden opportunities to the Caps, who took full advantage of them.

Washington's third goal came when Boychuk attempted a D-to-D pass, even though he had no space, neither did Chara, and Mathieu Perrault was hot on his heels. Perrault easily intercepted the pass and scored.

Washington's fourth goal, the game-winner, came after McQuaid telegraphed a D-to-D pass in the offensive zone. The ensuing Capitals' possession eventually resulted in a goal. Had McQuaid made a better decision, then the scoring opportunities would have never happened.

The Bruins' formula for success is a combination of intense effort and intelligent decisions. Last night, the effort was there, but the intelligence wasn't.

And no, I don't think Thomas not going to the White House had anything to do with this loss. Although, since he's going up to Canada's capital for the All-Star Game, I wonder if he'd refuse to meet Canada's Prime Minister, if invited.

Bruins don't play a meaningful game until next Tuesday, when they host the Senators.

-The Commodore