The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 2nd, and the Patriots didn’t wait until Tuesday to make a big move. The Patriots traded linebacker Jamie Collins to the 0-8 Cleveland Browns for a third round draft pick. Collins is set to be a free agent this summer and reports say the Patriots and Jamie Collins were nowhere close to agreeing on a contract.
In my mind, this trade is absurd. There’s no true logical argument for it and many are left wondering why it happened. Typically if a team is out of playoff contention by the trade deadline, they will trade talent for draft picks in order to acquire young talent for the future. The Patriots sit atop of the AFC East and have the best record in the NFL. With the team nearly guaranteed to make the playoffs, trading an established talented player for a future draft pick is mind-boggling. Recall from two years ago when cornerback Darrelle Revis was a free agent and the Patriots passed on spending big money on him in order to re-sign other future free agents on defense. Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower were a core group of young stud defensive players on the Patriots roster last season. All of their contracts are up at the end of this season and the Patriots knew it would be difficult under the salary cap to re-sign all three. A realistic goal would have been to re-sign two of those three players, although which two could be up for debate. Jones was traded this past off-season for a fourth round draft pick and an offensive lineman that the Patriots cut early this year. The Patriots definitely lost on that trade, since the player they traded for is no longer with their team. Now with the Collins trade, it seems the Patriots won’t win this trade either, as they lose one of the league’s best linebackers.
To recap the Patriots re-signing moves: They let go cornerback Darrelle Revis in order to save money for Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower. They then realized they weren’t going to be able to re-sign all three so they traded Jones. Then today they traded Collins, leaving only one player left out of the three they intended to re-sign just a season ago. The whole situation was awfully handled by Bill Belichick and the Patriots. These moves could truly come back to hurt the team, not just this season but in the future.
Although Collins’ play this season hasn’t been as productive as it had been throughout his career, trading him for a bad return isn’t the right move. Collins could have helped the Patriots win this season and if they ended up losing him after the Super Bowl,so be it. Belichick is great at having players use their strengths to help the team and hiding their weakness on the field. Collins is too much of a freak athlete and good football player to be traded based on performance. Belichick may have diminished Collins’ role on the defense because of his poor play so far this season and Collins may not have reacted well. If that’s the case and Collins was being a huge problem to the team, then that would make things different. Belichick isn’t one to give away talent. I’m not sure if it’s time to trust Belichick or truly question the moves he’s making with the team. If the Patriots defense continues to struggle this season, the blame may not fall on the players but on the coach.
Category Archives: Sports
World Series: Which Championship Drought Is Coming To An End?
No matter which team wins the World Series, one of the most unbelievable streaks in all of sports will come to an end this year. The Cleveland Indians have not won the World Series in 68 years, and the Chicago Cubs have been waiting 108. It is a matchup between perpetual underdogs, and while one will celebrate the end of a championship drought, the other will go home empty-handed one more year.
The Indians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in 5 games to win the American League Pennant. The Indians were 7-1 going into the World Series and dominated basically every game during that run. They silenced the loud of bats of the Boston Red Sox and beat a hot Toronto team in easy fashion. The Cubs were the favorite to win the World Series before the season started and are the champions of the National League. They had the best record in Major League Baseball this season, and if you weren’t predicting all season that the Cubs would win the World Series, you were backing another team just to be different. All year they’ve performed the best of any team and have the best roster in all of baseball.
My prediction before the series started was Chicago over Cleveland in 5 games. Cleveland has played great this postseason, overachieving and playing quite possibly the best baseball they are capable of playing. But they have not played a complete team like Chicago. In Game 1 of the World Series, Cleveland beat Chicago 6-0. Cleveland threw their ace Corey Kluber and star Andrew Miller out of the bullpen in their win. Basically everything Cleveland has, they used in their Game 1 win. Game 2 had no Kluber or Miller involved, and the Cubs won 5-1. I don’t believe there is any coincidence in that. How Cleveland is having the success they are having this postseason is beyond me. I think the Cubs are too talented of a team to lose four out of seven games to Cleveland. Chicago’s pitching staff is the best in baseball, its lineup is filled with young and veteran talent, and their bullpen has gotten progressively stronger this postseason lead by Aroldis Chapman. With the World Series being a 2-3-2 format, the next three games are at Wrigley Field. I believe that, with the way the Cubs looked in game 2 and their sheer talent, the series won’t be going back to Cleveland for a game 6.
Week 6: Must-Win Situations?
Week 6 of the NFL season was yet another week of close games and upsets. After Week 6, some teams are in a must-win situation in order to keep hopes alive for a chance at the playoffs. There were a total of eight games that were decided by one possession, and one game decided by only one point.
Some upsets that occurred in Week 6 included the Thursday night game where the San Diego Chargers defeated the Denver Broncos 21-13. Chargers kicker Josh Lambo made 4 out of 4 field goals. In another upset, the Miami Dolphins topped the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-15 after Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was injured early in the second half. Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi rushed for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Carolina Panthers were defeated 41-38 by the New Orleans Saints in an offensive showdown that seemed to be a must-win for the Panthers. The Panthers were 15-1 last year and made the Super Bowl, but this year have dropped to 1-4 and likely will have to win every game from here on out for a chance to make the playoffs.
A key story in the NFL is how well the Dallas Cowboys have been doing without their veteran QB Tony Romo. Both rookies on this team, Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott, are in very important offensive positions and have not disappointed the Dallas franchise with their young talent. The Cowboys defeated the Green Bay Packers 30-16. Elliott rushed for 157 yards and Prescott threw for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns.
A couple of close games included the Jacksonville Jaguars defeating the Chicago Bears 17-16 with Jaquars QB Blake Bortles throwing for 271 yards and a touchdown. The Cleveland Browns, in one of the few games the 0-6 team had a shot at winning this year, lost to the Tennessee Titans 28-26. Titans QB Marcus Mariota threw for 284 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a bye week.
Golf Team Is Ready For Sectionals
The Hanover High golf team has had tremendous success over the past two seasons. The team had a strong roster of upperclassmen in 2014 and 2015 and finished each season with a 15-1 record. But this season, the team only has three veteran players. Despite its youth, the team finished with a record of 7-6 and, with a win over North Quincy last Thursday, qualified for sectionals.
The captions are senior Charlie Banks and juniors Drew Cratty and Drew Zielinski. Zielinski said he felt very good about how the season has gone up to this point. “Our top four golfers have the ability to compete with almost anyone at sectionals so we have chance of advancing if we play very well.”
The sectional playoff, which will be held next Tuesday, consists of 10 teams; the two schools with the lowest scores move on to the state final. Zielinski and the rest of the team are feeling good going into the playoffs and hopefully that confidence translates to a trip to the state final.
“Our team improved tremendously over the course of the year,” Zielinski said. “So we will be going into the sectionals probably playing the best golf we have played all year.”
Coach Jakub Gets 200th Win as Young Team Makes Gains
With an overall record of 5-10, the Hanover High volleyball team has to win all five of its remaining games in order to qualify for tournament play. But whether the season ends with senior night Oct. 28 or continues, the young team with just two seniors and three sophomores has shown grit, determination and a lot of improvement along the way.
Led by senior captains Meaghan Raab, and Haley McCusker, and junior Captain Taylor Scott, the team has had some great games against tough competition. They won a set in a challenging 3-1 loss against a strong Quincy High School team, which not every team can do. They pushed the match against Silver Lake to 5 sets, making their opponents sweat before losing 3-2, and they played well in Monday’s 3-0 loss to Pembroke.
One of the team’s biggest celebrations this season came Sept. 12, when Coach Dave Jakub had a great victory. He reached 200 wins in his volleyball coaching career with a 3-1 win over Norwell.
“We all knew we had a very good chance of winning the game and that it would be Jake’s 200th so we were all really excited,” recalled junior Captain Taylor Scott. Hanover had lost to Middleboro three days before, but hopes were high and the girls were ready. Sure enough, their hard work and motivation paid off.
In celebration of Coach Jakub’s milestone, the volleyball team presented a large celebratory banner and a big cake. Scott recalls how her coach was clearly touched by the moment, despite his humble insistence that 209 wins were more important than 200, as 209 would bring his players to tournament.
A longtime physical education teacher, Coach Jakub began coaching volleyball at Hanover High School in 1999. His devotion to the game is legendary; those who know him will say that any free time he has, he spends watching, reading or thinking about volleyball.
The team will face Plymouth South on October 19 and will surely pose some fierce competition. A win would keep their postseason hopes alive.
MLB Postseason Preview
October is here, and with that comes postseason baseball; the best time of the year for a baseball enthusiast. On Tuesday, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles on a walk-off home run by Edwin Encarnacion. On Wednesday, the San Francisco Giants overcame the New York Mets in what was an absolute pitchers’ duel between two of the best in the game, Noah Syndergaard and Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner got the best of that matchup, throwing a complete game shutout, while the Mets closer gave up a three-run homerun in a tied game.
Now there are eight. The ALDS is here and while it should be entertaining, I don’t think that the Red Sox-Indians series will be the one to watch. The Indians have lost two of their top starters in the past month, and the Red Sox have too much talent. The only worry that I have with the Red Sox is the performance of their bullpen and their third baseman (whoever it may be). The Indians have many more flaws than the Red Sox. For these reasons, I believe the Red Sox will win the series in four games.
Now for the other ALDS series, the Texas Rangers versus the Toronto Blue Jays. These are two teams who can flat-out crush the ball, and this should be a great series to watch. I am giving the Blue Jays the slight edge, winning in five games. This is because they have a rotation that has performed well above expectations this year, and a decent bullpen; whereas the Rangers’ pitching staff has not performed nearly as well this year. The Rangers have a good top of their rotation, but their third and fourth starters are not going to be enough to help them win a playoff series. Not to mention, they have had one of the worst bullpens in the league this year, which is an absolutely vital part to a postseason run.
Over to the NLDS, the Chicago Cubs take on the Giants. The Cubs come into the playoffs with the best record in the MLB this year at 103-58. The Giants started off extremely well this year, having the best record in the MLB at the All-Star break, but have since gone 30-42. This should be concerning, and it is, but the talent that the Giants possess is undeniable. In my opinion, they have the best starting rotation in the league, headlined by Bumgarner, a Cy Young candidate. The Cubs on the other hand, have what is most likely the best roster in the league, and they are built for October. Their strong lineup is paired with an even stronger rotation, which is capped off by a solid bullpen, with elite closer Aroldis Chapman closing the door. This series looks as if it should be an amazing one, with the Giants postseason experience and the Cubs talent. Still, I predict the Cubs will prevail in five games.
In the other NLDS series, the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Washington Nationals. This series looks to be very evenly matched, and I believe it will come down to the fifth game. The Dodgers have a solid lineup, but they struggle greatly against lefties. Their pitching staff is solid, but besides Clayton Kershaw, nothing to write home about. The Nationals, on the other hand, will be without one of their best pitchers, Stephen Strasburg, and their starting catcher, Wilson Ramos. Headlining the Nationals staff is Max Scherzer, but after that, it drops off greatly. I think this one will result in the Dodgers winning the series in five games.
On to the ALCS, which I predict will be the Red Sox versus the Blue Jays. This divisional matchup should be close throughout, with the potential to have some high-scoring games. This series will hinge on the Red Sox pitching staff. If they perform to their potential, they will win. Anyone who has seen this Red Sox team play this year knows that this is anything but a given. On the other hand, the Blue Jays pitching staff will need to continue outperforming themselves if they wish to hang on in this series. It is known what each team can bring to the table at the plate, but the pitching is where the questions exist. I think that a combination of talent and experience will allow the Red Sox to win this series in seven games, but it should be a great one to watch.
In the NLCS, the Dodgers will be taking on the Cubs. It is clear that the Cubs are the more talented team in this series, and all signs will be pointing to them winning the series. The Dodgers will need to rely on Kershaw to take over and win two games this series, but doing that against an explosive Cubs lineup, coupled with the fact that he has been notoriously poor in the postseason, seems like a long shot. I believe the Cubs will take this one in five games, and will see the Red Sox in the World Series.
In the World Series, the Red Sox take on the Cubs. Two high-powered offenses clash, and whoever is able to pitch well will prevail. As I have said earlier, the Red Sox have an inconsistent pitching staff, which will either win them or lose them this series. The Cubs, on the other hand, have three starting pitchers in the conversation for the NL Cy Young, and two position players in the running for the NL MVP. The amount of talent on this team is unbelievable, and I think the Cubs, for the first time in 108 years, will win the World Series in six games.
Will David Ortiz Make it into the Hall Of Fame?
This year, we have watched the final season of the historic career of the greatest Red Sox player ever, David Ortiz. Yes, Ortiz is the greatest of all time and, to be honest, it’s not even close. Names like Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice are all worthy of the discussion, but Ortiz is the clear winner. You can find unbelievable statistics for all of these players, but Ortiz can match them and then bring so much more. Over his career, he has belted 503 homers and 584 doubles for a .547 slugging percentage. He is the most clutch hitter in baseball history. There’s no debate that in the big stage Ortiz always pulls through and there’s no one who’s been more dominant at the DH position. Factor in what he’s meant to the city of Boston, and it’s undeniable: Ortiz has been incredible. Despite all of this, many people wonder if Big Papi will be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. I wonder why it’s even a debate.
My problem with baseball is how Hall of Fame voters and and big-time baseball writers place so much value on irrelevant stats. To be in the Hall of Fame, you do need the career statistics to back it up. But what can be degraded or ignored is the value you provide to a franchise. Ortiz changed the game in that every time he comes to bat the entire defense shifts to the right side of the field. Yes, the shift was going on before Ortiz’s career but not to the magnitude in which it is now. It’s a common occurrence that teams shift their defense for players. His dominant play and legacy in the game should outweigh any holes in his statistical résumé.
The biggest issue that could hurt Ortiz’s chances of winning election to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot would be his link to steroids. The New York Times reported that Ortiz tested positive in 2003 for performance-enhancing drugs and his long-time trainer, Angel Presinal, is banned for working with any MLB franchise for dealing steroids. I think it’s fair to say he took steroids at some point, but I think it was a time and era that consisted of a lot of illegal drug use in baseball. Ortiz was accused on multiple occasions, but never found guilty. Most fans have moved on . . . and rightfully so. But Hall of Fame voters don’t treat players linked to steroids very well. Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez and Gary Sheffield are just a small sample of players who are eligible for the Hall of Fame but have not gotten in because of drug use. The difference between these players and Ortiz is that Ortiz was never found guilty. There were accusations but no hard proof.
It will be very interesting to see how the voters look at Ortiz when he becomes eligible for election five years from now. How will his legacy hold up? Personally I believe Ortiz absolutely deserves to be in Cooperstown. I wonder if the Hall of Fame voters will agree with me.
Girls Soccer Eyes Tourney Spot Despite Tough Start
The Girls soccer team is about halfway through its season and, despite a tough start, shows signs of picking up momentum. With three freshmen starters and only four seniors, the young team has learned to work together to get the job done. Although their 3-5-3 record may not reflect the effort and teamwork the girls have put in, they always try to start positive.
One tough loss came to Notre Dame Academy, 7-3. NDA scored first early in the game, but Hanover’s senior captain Erin Petrocelli evened it up late in the first half. Any confidence the team had going into the second half was quickly deflated when NDA scored three goals in the first 10 minutes. Hanover continued to battle but NDA scored 3 more times, leaving the score 7-1 with 15 minutes left to play. It was tough to look at that scoreboard, but Coach Mike Fraser talked with some key players, and juniors Alyssa Frates and Marissa Shoulla fired back to end the game at 7-3.
“I think the NDA game was a serious wakeup call for the team,” said captain Kate Joy. “But we have some winnable games coming up so I look forward to working hard and seeing how things turn out.”
“I love hanging out with them everyday between team dinner, bus rides and practices,” said freshman Dottie Tilden. “I don’t want this season to end.”
This year, things have changed a little for the 18 varsity players. To make tournament in the past, all the team had to do was beat Middleboro once. Since Middleboro is no longer in the same division, the girls must win nine games or beat Norwell to qualify for tournament. Last year, Norwell’s Varsity team won its division. Coach Fraser keeps the team’s spirits high by telling them to keep their eyes on the prize and if we work together and work hard, it will come.
The girls head into this week with two home games: Monday against Rockland and a Thursday night game against NDA.
Week 3: Rookie QBs Shine
Week 3 of the NFL season started off with a Thursday night game from the New England Patriots, who were again the underdog without their star QB, or even their second-stringer. But the Pats found a way to come out on top. Not only did the Patriots win but they defeated the Houston Texans 27-0, led by a big game from running back LeGarrette Blount, who rushed for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. (Week 4 didn’t go as well for the Pats, but we’re not going to talk about that today)
The week was not as action-packed with close games as earlier weeks had been. Only seven games were decided by one possession and none were decided by only one point. One nail-biter was the Miami Dolphins, who defeated the Cleveland Browns 30-24 in overtime after Browns kicker Cody Parkey missed a game-winning field goal to end regulation. In the bitter rivalry between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, the Redskins won 29-27. Dustin Hopkins kicked five field goals including the game winner with 1:51 left in the game. The Baltimore Ravens kept alive their hopes for an undefeated season by defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-17.
After week 3, five teams remained undefeated: the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. Three of these teams are being carried by rookie quarterbacks: Broncos’ Trevor Siemian, Patriots’ Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo, and Eagles’ Carson Wentz. The Vikings also picked up a new quarterback, Sam Bradford, after their QB Teddy Bridgewater was injured in Week 1.
There were a few other entertaining games from Week 3. The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the New York Jets 24-3 due to a terrific performance from the Chiefs defense, which forced a total of eight turnovers and two fumbles and scored two touchdowns. Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick also gave up six interceptions .
Standout players from Week 3 included Detroit Lions WR Marvin Jones, who caught for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. For the Atlanta Falcons, RB Devonta Freeman had 200 total yards and a touchdown and RB Tevin Coleman had 90 total yards and three touchdowns.
NFL’s Week 2 is Full of Surprises
Week 2 of the NFL season did not have as many close games as we saw in Week 1, but it surely was a great week of football.
There was only one game decided by one point, and that was the Tennessee Titans win over the Detroit Lions 16-15. Detroit led for the majority of the game but Titans QB Marcus Mariota clinched the game by throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Andre Johnson with one minute left.
Eleven games were won by just one possession. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cleveland Browns, 25-20. Cleveland led 20-2 after the first quarter but was unable to score another point for the rest of the game. The New York Jets beat the Buffalo Bills 37-31 in a surprising offensive showdown. The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-24 after QB Jimmy Garoppolo was injured and third string QB Jimmy Brissett went in.
There were two major upsets this week. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 17-14, while star Vikings RB Adrian Peterson suffered an injury that will keep him out 3-4 months. And in the first game that the Rams played in Los Angeles since moving to St. Louis 20 years ago, LA defeated the Seattle Seahawks in a very low scoring game of 9-3.
Some major performers this week included Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton, who threw for 353 yards and 4 touchdowns, Jets RB Matt Forte, who ran for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Vikings WR Stefon Diggs, who caught for 182 yards and a touchdown. If you had any of these people on your fantasy team last week, you were all good.
So far the NFL season has been very interesting and let’s hope it stays that way.
The Hawk 