Boston Sports Media Watch

Let’s do the megalinks for you. Time to give them to you now.

As always, you get the Weekend Viewing Picks which this weekend has the skinny on the college basketball conference tournaments and other sports.

Now to your links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand looks at ESPN providing ABC with some sports programming starting in April.

Writing for SI.com, Kevin Armstrong profiles popular ESPN/CBS college basketball analyst Bill Raftery.

The Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center recognizes the winners of the Associated Press Sports Editors Awards.

Todd Spangler of Multichannel News says the ESPN Mobile TV service is being picked up by Sprint cell phones.

Multichannel News looks at Speed’s changes to its Formula 1 announcing crew. 

The Sports Media Watch notes that last Sunday’s NHL Game of the Week did not get a post-Olympics bump, but still did well for NBC.

SMW says last week’s NASCAR ratings dropped yet again.

SMW informs us that TNT’s Inside the NBA crew will be heading courtside to call its first game since 2001.

Joe Favorito can’t wait to see the new movie on Vince Lombardi which would star Robert De Niro.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media says HBO Sports will focus its next documentary on the Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970’s.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe talks with long-time WBZ-TV sports reporter Alice Cook who was given the pink slip.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram interviews local native J.P. Ricciardi who goes from being Blue Jays General Manger to ESPN analyst.

Joe Haggerty from Comcast SportsNet writes about a new ESPN ad starring Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz and Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher.

A rare Neil Best sighting! The Boston Herald picks up a story from Newsday which continues to hide behind pay wall. In this story, Neil writes about CBS being poised to keep the NCAA Tournament. 

From the New York Daily News, Bob Raissman looks at the possibility of the NCAA opting out of its current contract with CBS.

Phil Mushnick in the New York Post is nitpicking over a dunk highlight.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union talks with CBS/Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis about Siena’s experience as an NCAA player.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record has an appreciation of the late Merlin Olsen.

Tim Lemke explains why he is now a fan of the college basketball conference tournaments.

Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner says NBC begins its Paralympics coverage this weekend.

Jim transcribes an interview Billy Packer did with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Jim talks about a Baltimore radio host who’s conducting a contest to give Orioles Opening Day tickets to several families.

South

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald talks with sports radio host Sid Rosenberg about his new book.

Sarah Talalay from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says JetBlue will unveil a Florida Panthers tailfin on Tuesday.

Ray Buck in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes that HBO has some big plans for tomorrow’s Manny Pacquaio-Joshua Clottey championship fight at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

To David Barron of the Houston Chronicle who discusses the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Reggie Miller’s rivalry with the New York Knicks.

David catches up on some ratings news and notes since returning home from the Olympics.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer remembers an interesting story regarding the late Merlin Olsen and former NBC NFL analyst Bob Trumpy.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that the White Sox have shot down manager Ozzie Guillen’s request for a website.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his usual Friday winners and losers.

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Time Warner Cable gave subscribers frozen pictures that hampered fans from viewing of the Big East Tournament.

Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin writes that hockey fans in the Gopher State will have plenty of action to watch this weekend.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says not everyone in the Gateway City will be able to see the Atlantic 10 Tournament this weekend.

West

Scott D. Pierce in the Deseret (UT) News says DirecTV subscribers won’t be able to see the Mountain West Conference men’s and women’s basketball championship games as they will be carried on Versus.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune speaks with Padres voice Dick Enberg who won’t be calling his first game until the season opener in April.

John Maffei in the North County Times says the San Diego State men’s basketball team might get some national love if they keep winning in the Mountain West Tournament.

Over to the Ventura County Star where Jim Carlisle says Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen was also a great broadcaster.

Jim is not a fan of the NCAA Tournament expanding to 96 teams.

Diane Pucin in the Los Angeles Times says both CBS and ESPN will be all over the NCAA Tournament selections.

In the Los Angeles Daily News, Kevin Modesti with help from Tom Hoffarth, has a remembrance of Merlin Olsen.

Tom has his usual media notes.

Tom has Dick Enberg’s thoughts on his former broadcast partner, Olsen.

Tom also looks back at the week in sports media.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the NHL knocking out head shots was the right thing to do.

The Toronto Star says CTV has relented and will show the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics live, but only in British Columbia.

Chris Zelkovich of the Star says the Paralympics are not a huge money maker, but are worthy of TV coverage for the Canadian Olympics Broadcast Media Consortium.

William Houston in Truth & Rumours says the head of the Media Consortium may be leaving.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The Bruins showed signs of life last night, going into Philadelphia and beating the Flyers 5-1. Marc Savard though, is likely done for the season with his grade 2 concussion.

We’ll go with 15 links this morning, as there’s a lot going on:

Sudden ending stirred this Cook - Chad Finn talks to Alice Cook about her release from Channel 4, after 25 years of service.

Ricciardi makes move from front office to studio - Bill Doyle talks to J.P. Ricciardi about his new gig working for ESPN, where he’ll be alongside Nomar Garciaparra on Baseball Tonight.

Ari Fleischer has work cut out for him with Tiger - Jim Donaldson with a look at the tall task facing the former presidential press secretary.

Fired-up Bruins show punch in win - Fluto Shinzawa says that a pregame meeting with GM Peter Chiarelli seems to have gotten the attention of the Bruins, at least for last night.

Bruins show fight against Flyers - Dan Rowinski has more on the win.

Magic, Bird were more than rivals - Howard Bryant says that the story of Magic and Bird, recently portrayed in a book and documentary, is incomplete without looking at the issue of race in 1980’s Boston.

Rivers may have to change ways - Chris Forsberg says that Doc Rivers despises change, but may have to make a few with his team.

John Lackey looks good in spring training start for Red Sox - Ron Chimelis says that the newest Red Sox pitcher looked pretty ace-like yesterday.

Beckett deserves big payday - Mike Fine says that the Red Sox don’t really have any choice to ante up and give Josh Beckett his new contract.

Healthy Delcarmen homed in - Bob Ryan has Manny Decarmen saying that he was injured last season, and it contributed to his struggles on the mound.

Lackey as right as rain - The Globe notebook picks up a few more Red Sox pieces.

The Patriot Way suits Neal and Faulk - Tom E. Curran has the two re-signed Patriots talking about why they want to play their whole careers for this franchise.

Kraft explains moves - Mark Farinella’s Patriots notebook has the team’s owner explaining the thinking of the club this offseason.

Curtis Martin, Terry Glenn Among Best Rookies in Patriots History - Jeff Howe lists out the top rookies in franchise history.

A shot at redemption - Nancy Marrapese-Burrell has a preview of the Hockey East quarterfinal matchups.

Also see Chris Warner’s Q&A With Auburn RB Ben Tate on Patriots Daily.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will address graduates at the UMass-Lowell’s Commencement on Saturday, May 29 at 10 a.m. at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.

Goodell also will accept a posthumous Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his father, the late U.S. Sen. Charles Goodell, a Republican who was elected to Congress in 1959 and appointed to the Senate following the assassination of U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. He established a solid record on issues such as civil rights, the war on poverty and education.

I haven’t been able to confirm this, but a poster on the Radio-Info.com Discussion Board says that WEEI is now broadcasting on WMKK 93.7 HD3. Could be a precursor to the long-rumored WEEI-to-FM move.

So long, Ben Watson, we’ll always have Denver, though his 63-yard catch-and-run tochdown against the Jaguars a week earlier might’ve been even more impressive.

Popularity: 1% [?]

A few links to share this afternoon:

Q&A With Patriots LB Tyrone McKenzie - Chris Warner scores an interview with the Patriots third-round pick of a year ago, who was injured in rookie camp, and missed all of 2009. If you’ve forgotten his story, it’s worth reviewing.

No Harm, No Foul With Nomar - My column in the Metro, written yesterday, hoping to get out in front of all the toxic waste spewed this morning.

A Tale of Two Dans - The blog YFSF (YanksFan/SoxFan) weighs in on Shaughnessy.

Do the right thing - ESPN Ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer weighs in on the Tony Kornheiser suspension, and the Tiger Woods coverage.

Popularity: 2% [?]

This is one of the low points. Between the Celtics absolutely laying down against the Memphis Grizzlies and all the Nomar-bashing by various columnists, the Boston sports media scene isn’t a pretty place this morning.

Let’s get to the good stuff:

Sox, Nomar ended it right - Jon Couture acknowledges the flaws of both Nomar and the Red Sox, but knows that yesterday was the right thing for both sides. Best column this morning on the topic. (It may behind a pay wall for you, depending on how many times you’ve been to the S-T site this month, but register for free and you’ll probably be able to read it.)

The love never died - Gordon Edes also has a very good piece on Nomar retiring with the Red Sox.

Nomar finds himself welcomed back to ranks of Red Sox royalty - Daniel Barbarisi plays it straight.

Kevin Faulk true to blue - Karen Guregian has the Patriots venerable third down back returning for another season in Foxborough.

Kevin Faulk at home with Pats - Mike Reiss also has a good piece on Faulk.

Will Wilfork’s strong words resonate? - Vince Wilfork talked a lot about leadership yesterday. Tom E Curran looks at whether he’ll be able to change the Patriots locker room.

Q&A With Patriots CB Darius Butler - Chris Warner talks to the Patriots second-year cornerback from UConn about getting ready for his second NFL season. Check back on Patriots Daily this afternoon for another Patriots player interview.

Celts fall to Memphis, 111-91 - Bill Doyle with the game story where the final score says all you need to know.

Uneven C’s still searching for answers - Lenny Megliola looks at the state of the Celtics.

Frustrated Doc Rivers mulls changes - Steve Bulpett says the Celtics coach might shake things up.

Marc Savard gets no justice - Stephen Harris looks at the hit on the Bruins center going unpunished by the NHL.

Ok, I’ll admit to laughing at the opening of Michael Silverman’s article on Julio Lugo today:

Julio Lugo had a suggestion.

“Write something good about me,” Lugo, the former Red Sox shortstop and current Cardinals backup infielder, said yesterday.

Here’s something: It’s a good thing Lugo is no longer with the Sox.

I don’t have as much time as I would like to go into this, but some of these Nomar attacks from the supposedly objective media are beyond belief.

On the Comcast SportsNet website, respected baseball writer Sean McAdam speaking of the Red Sox organization, demanded to know when “did they willfully, purposefully and unapologetically decide to publicly jump the shark?”

In other parts of the column, McAdam uses the terms “cheesy publicity stunt”, “staged event”, “artificial legacy”, “dog-and-pony exhibit”, “contrived, made-for-TV event”, “gimmicky” and “silly trappings” to describe the event.

You can guess what Dan Shaughnessy says about it, opening up by calling Nomar a “Total Fraud.” Other phrases used include “truly nauseating”, “Gag me”, “pathetic effort”, “downright fraudulent” – all in the first four full paragraphs.

He gets down to the crux of the matter here: “In good times and bad, Garciaparra was unnecessarily difficult in all interactions with the media.”

That’s really what all this boils down to, isn’t it?

Even on Twitter, the media was ripping Nomar to each other. This exchange between CSN’s Mike Giardi, Jackie Pepper and Joe Haggerty is a nice example.

(Pepper) @MikeGiardi @hackswithHaggs - ya think Nomar will put up the red tape around his cube at ESPN??

(Haggerty) @jackiepepper @MikeGiardi Wasnt red tape. It was actual redline sewn into carpet at his behest. He screamed “violation” when any1 crossed it

(Giardi) @HackswithHaggs @jackiepepper Ah, memories! Good times for one and all.

Now, I know that Nomar was NOT good to deal with for the media. But he’s been gone from here for almost six freaking years. Time to let go people. Just let it go.

Nomar and the Red Sox have moved on. The venom from the media says a lot more about them than it does about Nomar.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Former WEEI nighttime host Ted Sarandis has a new sports talk show, as 98.5 The Sports Hub announced today that he will be joining the station effective immediately.

Sarandis’ show, like his old WEEI program will be called the “Ted Nation Show” and debuts this Sunday, March 14th from 7:00pm to 10:00pm This first show will focus on the NCAA tournament selections which will be announced that day.

The show will begin its regular Sunday afternoon time slot in April.

Sarandis has been the play-by-play voice of Boston College Basketball (ironically heard on WEEI’s airwaves) for the last fifteen seasons.

A  quote from Sarandis passed on by 98.5: ““I am thrilled to be joining what I consider to be the best sports radio station in the country, exclaimed Sarandis. It’s my hope that my TED NATION audience will turn out big time to 98.5 The Sports Hub. I can assure one and all we will cover the Boston sports scene in a comprehensive manner and do it with dignity and class.”

In other words, he’s not going to ALLOW you to drag his show into a MORASS OF NEGATIVITY.

And Pete Sheppard is still unemployed….

Popularity: 5% [?]

The Celtics and Bruins both dropped tight road games last night, the Celtics falling 86-84 in Milwaukee, and the Bruins losing 4-3 in OT to the Maple Leafs.

The Patriots agreed to terms with Leigh Bodden and Jets special teamer Marques Murrell yesterday.

The big news this morning is that Nomar Garciaparra is going to announce his retirement, and he’s apparently going to do it NFL-style, signing a one-day contract with the Red Sox and retire as a member of the team he’s most associated with. The press conference will take place at 10:30 this morning, and Comcast SportsNet and NESN will carry it.

No regrets - Paul Flannery says that the Celtics at least played hard against a streaking Milwaukee team.

Allen moved to speak after very quiet night - Gary Washburn has Ray Allen speaking out after taking only three shots, and Washburn projects it to be blaming Paul Pierce for not moving the ball.

Look into future not pretty for Celtics - Chris Forsberg says that the Celtics should probably hope they don’t have to face the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

Bruins drop overtime decision to Toronto - Dan Rowinski on WEEI.com looks at the Bruins loss.

Bruins blow three leads, lose in OT - Danny Picard also has coverage and talking points.

Ken Fang and Jim Donaldson have Chuck Wilson returning to ESPN Radio, and why that is great news.

Leigh Bodden stays for $22M - Ian Rapoport has the news on Bodden’s new contract with the Patriots.

Okajima quite happy being who, where he is - Daniel Barbarisi has a look at the reserved Red Sox lefty reliever.

Hermida returns as a changed man - Joe Haggerty has Jeremy Hermida facing his former teammates in a much different position from which he left them.

Wakefield’s knuckler really travels well - The Globe’s Red Sox notebook catches you up on a lot of the other events from yesterday.

Also check out Chris Warner’s Q&A With Vanderbilt CB Myron Lewis on Patriots Daily this morning.

On the downside:

Mark Farinella this morning tells us that he’s been too busy watching high school basketball (his job, yes) to pay attention to what the Patriots are doing, writes what he’s read that they’ve done, admits his readers probably have been paying more attention than he has, makes a couple snide comments about Twitter and Blackberry phones, and calls it a day. Why even bother? Just keep covering the high school basketball – which he admittedly does a good job with, and obviously enjoys.

I heard Jon Wallach say this morning on 98.5 that the Patriots only have one guy left on defense who was a part of the last Super Bowl championship – Vince Wilfork. How about Ty Warren and Tully Banta-Cain? The latter might not have played a whole lot, but Warren certainly did.

After Nomar announces his retirement, he will join ESPN as a analyst on various programs such as Baseball Tonight. Get ready for the outrage from media members who will say Nomar is a hypocrite for hating the media so much during his time in Boston, and now he wants to be one of them.

No, Nomar will not be one of YOU. He’s not going to be in the clubhouse with a microphone interviewing players. He will be on a TV set, giving his opinion from afar of what’s happening from the perspective of a former player. There’s a big difference there. So Mike Felger, Dan Shaughnessy, etc, simmer down already….I guarantee this will be a topic they will bring up.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Last night there was quite a ruckus on Twitter as two very respected football reporters Michael Lombardi and Adam Schefter both reported that Leigh Bodden would be re-signing with the Patriots. Both guys are right far more than they’re wrong, especially Schefter, whose word I pretty much take as gospel these days. Meanwhile, Bodden’s agent, Alvin Keels was posting that nothing was done, or even agreed to.

We’ll see what happens today. If I had to bet, I’m siding with Schefter/Lombardi.

Speaking of the NFL free agency period, while Mike Reiss, Tom Curran, Christopher Price, Shalise Manza Young and Albert Breer have all done their usual solid jobs, I think the star of the first few days has been the Herald’s Ian Rapoport. He’s consistently brought good information, and angles and insight that some of the others have missed at times. The Rap Sheet has become a must-follow destination for Patriots fans, and he has been tearing it up on Twitter as well.

Otherwise, it’s a fairly slow day today with both the Celtics and Bruins off last night.

Selection of Tom Brady Makes 2000 Draft One to Remember - Jeff Howe concludes his series of reviewing the Patriots drafts under Bill Belichick with the coach’s first draft, one that is memorable for a certain sixth-round selection.

Patriots air of infallibility is waning - A good article from Tom E Curran, but headlines like that one really turn me off, and many times make me not want to even look at the article underneath the headline. Who ever said the Patriots were infallible? Who? C’mon. The article itself is candid, frank, without pushing silly agendas, but the headline is just dumb. (I know, Curran probably didn’t create it.)

Fielding more than his share of bad hops - Gordon Edes looks at how Dustin Pedroia used baseball as his focus when off-field things weren’t going so well for him last season. I also enjoyed this blog entry from Edes on Jose Iglesias in which Edes is giddy as a schoolboy over the potential of the phenom shortstop, and wonders if the Red Sox should put him right in the majors to start the season.

Why some Red Sox pitchers like throwing to some Red Sox catchers - The title of Rob Bradfords article this morning explains it all.

Big performances: Young trio impresses - Michael Silverman has a trio of young, gifted and intriguing outfielders making an impression on the Red Sox yesterday.

Beckett, Martinez on learning curve - Sean McAdam with another strong notebook from the action of yesterday.

La Russa still mover, shaker - Bob Ryan talks to Tony La Russa about his 33 years as a big league manager.

Hits like this don’t belong in hockey - Mike Loftus weighs in on the hit that Penguins forward Matt Cooke laid on Marc Savard Sunday.

Marc Savard fuzzy on details - Stephen Harris gets props for catching up with Savard at the Pittsburgh airport yesterday to talk to him about the hit and how he’s feeling.

Lockdown defense steadies KG - Chris Forsberg says that Kevin Garnett’s defensive performance down the stretch on Sunday night should be encouraging to Celtics fans.

Relentless defense critical to Celtics - Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics performance on defense in the last six minutes Sunday night showed that they are still capable of locking down an opponent, and that gives them no excuses going forward.

Also check out Greg Doyle’s Q&A With UNH TE Scott Sicko, who has gathered some interest from pro scouts.

Elsewhere, I was also disappointed with the news that Alice Cook was tossed at Ch. 4 after 25 years of service to the station. With the decreased amount of time that newscasts are giving to the sports segments, it makes sense to keep the rosters small, but I always enjoyed the job that Cook did, both with the sports reports, and on the Patriots pre and post game shows.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Ray Allen nailed a three-pointer with 17 seconds left to give the Celtics a victory over the Washington Wizards at the Garden last night. The Celtics trailed by 13 points midway through the quarter, but managed to turn it on and steal a home victory.

Celtics scuffle, but tough it out - Julian Benbow’s game story has a little story of an exchange between Wizards assistant Sam Cassell and Ray Allen before Allen hit the game winner.

C’s Davis almost had chance to show his ‘Blind Side’ - Jessica Camerato talks to Glen Davis about how close he came to getting the lead role in “The Blind Side.”

Allen has been on the money - Gary Washburn says that Ray Allen is setting up the Celtics for a tough decision this summer.

Finley now playing for his childhood hero - A. Sherrod Blakely with a look at the ties between Doc Rivers and Michael Finley,

Making it on her own - Stan Grossfeld with a feature on Amanda Belichick, daughter of the Patriots head coach, who is working as an assistant lacrosse coach at UMass.

Pats scrambling to get back to the line - Michael Felger praises the Patriots for getting deals done with Vince Wilfork and Tully Banta-Cain, but says they still have a lot of work to do just to get back to even. He expresses his concerns without the hysterics so ear-piercingly on display on his radio show every afternoon.

2001 Draft Picks Richard Seymour, Matt Light Played Major Roles in Patriots’ Dynasty - Jeff Howe with a look at Bill Belichick’s second draft with the Patriots.

Bruins take a hit in Pittsburgh - Joe Haggerty with the game story and talking points from yesterday’s Bruins 2-1 loss to the Penguins.

Concussion KO’s Marc Savard - Stephen Harris reports on a hit to Marc Savard that knocked the Bruins top playmaker out of the game.

Slow start for Buchholz, but not Kelly - Sean McAdam with a good Red Sox notebook, rounding up many items from yesterday.

Bonus links!

Here’s three from yesterday:

Former Patriots star David Givens turns to art after career ending injury - Jody Feinberg of The Patriot Ledger checked with former New England receiver David Givens, who is making a name for himself in the art world with his football career cut short.

Patriots’ best chance to improve is via draft - Jim Donaldson says that since this free agent class is lackluster, the Patriots biggest hope for improvement is in the draft.

Bowden’s progress comes without a hitch - Alex Speier has Michael Bowden making some adjustments with the hope of getting better results.

And also see Chris Warner’s Q&A With Virginia Tech P Brent Bowden - a guy who has met with the Patriots, and given their uncertainty at punter, might be someone to keep an eye on.

Ken Fang has a Review of “Magic & Bird: A Courtship of a Rivals” over on Fang’s Bites on BSMW.

Popularity: 6% [?]

We’ll lead off this Saturday with the news that Brian MacPherson, who has covered the Patriots and Red Sox for the New Hampshire Union Leader for the last 1 1/2 years, will be leaving to join the Providence Journal staff as a Red Sox reporter, replacing Joe McDonald, who left for ESPNBoston recently.

While the Patriots may not have been as active as some would have liked on the first day of free agency yesterday, they did get some things done, inking Tully Banta-Cain, Vince Wilfork and Stephen Neal to new deals. Wilfork’s 5-year, $40 million deal makes him the highest paid nose tackle in the game.

Before the news broke, Mike Felger could be heard screaming on 98.5 about the Patriots being cheap and stating that they only got into the Julius Peppers sweepstakes as a PR move. Tony Massarotti agreed. “You’re absolutely right, Mike.” (Shocker there, I know.)

Patriots do the right thing in signing Wilfork – Tom E Curran explains why the Patriots needed to reward Wilfork.

Pats ’Fork over dough – Karen Guregian has the team coming up big for Wilfork.

Pats’ moves are smart, not splashy – Mike Reiss likes what the Patriots did yesterday.

Tully Banta-Cain cashes in- Ian Rapoport with a look at the new deal for the Patriots linebacker.

Sox hopeful pitches with special motivation – Daniel Barbarisi with a look at Red Sox pitcher Scott Atchison, who has an ill daughter, and gave up millions in Japan to get her help here.

Tim Wakefield wows ’em – Michael Silverman has the knucklerballer looking strong in his spring debut yesterday.

Please shake this behavior – Gary Washburn looks at how no one in the NBA hates each other any more, and has Doc Rivers wishing it was more like the old days.

It was Rondo to the rescue for Celtics – Jessica Camerato has Rondo and KG leading the Celtics to victory over the 76ers last night.

Celtics not perfect, but making strides late – Mark Murphy has the Celtics perhaps getting their finishing act in order.

Seidenberg shows lift in Bruins’ debut – Fluto Shinzawa looks back at the first game as a Bruins for Dennis Seidenberg.

Popularity: 7% [?]

The Bruins picked up a home win against Toronto last night, with Tim Thomas in net.

NFL Free Agency began at midnight, and things have been very quiet around Foxborough. The only mention I’ve seen of them is Jason La Canfora of NFL Network saying that the Patriots, along with the Eagles, had offers in to Julius Peppers, who is visiting the Bears today, and seems a good bet to sign there.

The Celtics picked up veteran swingman Michael Finley, and the Red Sox continue their spring training grind.

Bruins win ugly over Maple Leafs  – Joe Haggerty has the game story and talking points on the Bruins 3-2 shootout win over the Maple Leafs.

Tim Thomas turns back clock - Matt Kalman has the Bruins goaltender looking more like the player who won the Vezina trophy last season.

Don Cherry Still Cheering for the Bruins After All These Years - James Murphy has the Hockey Night in Canada icon saying that he still roots for the team he used to coach.

The cap comes off – and a chill is felt - Albert Breer looks at changing times in the NFL.

Pats’ approach on Mankins feels like risky business - Jonathan Comey has a look at how the Patriots are dealing with one of the best first round selections of the Bill Belichick era.

Kalish shows animal instincts on the diamond - Alex Speier has a look at Red Sox outfield prospect Ryan Kalish, who has drawn attention for his aggressive style of play at spring training.

Being Like Mike: Cameron recalls Jordan’s influence - Speier also talks to Mike Cameron about being a minor league teammate of Michael Jordan.

Golden oldies seek relief on Red Sox - Ron Borges looks at a few of the, ahem experienced, pitchers looking for a spot on the Red Sox staff.

Beckett’s work ethic wins teammates’ praise - Daniel Barbarisi’s notebook covers the bases nicely from Red Sox spring training.

Finley a low-risk, possibly high-impact pickup for C’s - Paul Flannery explains why Michael Finley might be more like P.J. Brown than you think.

Also check out Chris Warner’s Q&A With NIU DE James Ruffin over on Patriots Daily.

Popularity: 7% [?]