Ever Wonder What "Subscribe" Means?

Now that I have got your attention, I would like you to look at the upper right-hand corner of the page. See that logo that looks like the one above it? It’s called an RSS Feed, and it is there so that you can have all of the CMSB’s content sent to your own personal RSS Reader, like NewsGator, Yahoo, Google, or whatever. You can also use that to subscribe to most of your favorite web pages so you can read everything on one page. Why the step by step on this? Because we just got ads for our RSS Feeds (just like the ones you find on this site). So, if you subscribe to the RSS feed, click on our ads, that way we can make money, provide you with better coverage, and not have to worry about a government bail-out. Basically it’s a win-win. If you don’t subscribe, we will figure it out eventually, and we will send Emmitt Smith to your house to teach your kids English. We know you don’t want that…

From Mangenius to Manmoron

Ah, ah geez guys, guys, I am going to get fired for this

Of course Mangini got fired. The Jets were the biggest disappointment in the NFL this year. The Jags? Look at how beat up their line was. The Boys? No chemistry and their QB went down for 3 weeks. Name any team you want, and none of them will have had the red carpet rolled out for them with a trip to the playoffs at the end of it.

First, the Jets and the rest of the AFC get the luck of the draw with schedule, getting both the NFC and AFC Wests–two divisions whose teams went 21-59 out of their own divisions. But what do the Jets do? Go 3-5 against those teams–let us remember the OT game in Oakland when you failed to score on three possessions. Sure they had 4 games on the West Coast, but so didn’t the Pats, and they went 3-1 unlike the Jets at 1-3.

If that wasn’t enough they brought in a ton of talent in the off-season with guys like Vernon Gholston, Calvin Pace, Kris Jenkins, Alan Faneca, Dustin Keller, Tony Richardson….and then they got the granddaddy of them all, Brett Favre. The QB Jets fans had yearning for since Broadway Joe. It appeared that this team that finished 4-12 would finish at least 8-8, maybe even 9-7.

Then the Jets got the biggest break, er, tear, they could’ve asked for–Tom Brady goes down for the season. The man that made the Patriots go was down for the season with just former 7th round pick Matt Cassel to take over. Then Rodney Harrison goes down in Week 6, followed Adalius Thomas in Week 10 and Tedy Bruschi in Week 14. It got so bad for the Pats that they had to pull Junior Seau off of a surfboard to play. Sure the Pats finishing 11-5 speaks more their resiliency than it does to the Jets collapse….BUT THIS WAS SUPPOSE TO BE THE YEAR FOR THE JETS. Forget the surprising Dolphins and the underachieving Bills, you finished two games behind your chief rival in a year when you should have blown them out of the water.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the second half meltdowns of all meltdowns. You are 8-3 and coming off a win in Tennessee, their first loss of the year. Some are wondering if the Jets are the best team in the AFC and, with their light 5 game stretch to end the season, the team that will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Then New York goes out, crawls into bed, and takes the biggest, steamiest dump in its own bed by going 1-4 to close out the season against the Bills, Broncos, Niners, Dolphins and let’s not forget about that awful showing in Seattle.

I mean what the hell. Let’s recap. Light Schedule–check. Ton of talent brought in, including a QB that everyone in NY had been clamoring for–check. Chief rival loses starting QB year with the guy from Lucas coming into play–check. 8-3 with a game lead after week 12–check. And what do fans in New York get? A 9-7 team that finishes two games behind a MASH unit and a team that went 1-15 last year and signed the QB you let go to make for “Broadway Brett”.

It would be nice to see Mangini come back to the Pats. The Hoodie could always use a juice box boy

The Blame Game Starts at Home

It’s easy to blame the scapegoat for the New England Patriots season. But let’s be honest…Brett Favre throwing wounded pelicans to the Miami Dolphins yesterday isn’t the sole reason why the Pats are playing golf. Hey, I’m as pissed as anyone else at Favre and the Jets pathetic performance yesterday…but it shouldn’t have had to come to that.

The New England Patriots have nobody to blame but themselves. They had opportunities this season, and blew them. I’m mean come on…the Pats even forced us to cheer for Brett Favre. God, that makes me sick.

Here are just a few incidents that you can blame way before yesterday’s debacle.

Tom Brady Injury: Hey, Matt Cassel was solid, but it took about six weeks for him to get comfortable.

Getting Run-over By the Wildcat: The Coaching staff couldn’t figure out how to adjust to Miami’s Wildcat formation, in an early season beat-down.

Jabbar Gaffney’s “Gaffe”: It would have been a wide open touchdown against the Colts…it could have changed the face of that game:

David Thomas Penalty: Knocked New England further away for a FG against the Colts.

Overtime Blunder: Losing the toss in the overtime period against the Jets…then New York converting on a 3rd and long on the winning drive.

Complete Second Half Meltdown Against the Steelers: I’m still hearing about that one from the old college friends.

The bottom line is that the Pats had their opportunities, but it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s very easy to blame the Jets for losing yesterday, but New England put themselves in that position. They can only blame themselves.

Monday Morning Quick Hitters

The Black Bears Hockey Team skated to a 3 – 3 tie in the consolation game with St Cloud State in the Florida College Classic in Estero Florida.

The Women Black Bears Basketball Team loses the opening game in the Hawk Classic, falling to Saint Joseph’s, PA 74 – 46.

The Pirates blasted the Worcester Sharks 7 – 1 Sunday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

As you all know by now, The New England Patriots took care of business Sunday, by beating the Buffalo Bills 13 – 0. On the other hand, Brett Favre screwed the Pats again, as the Jets lose to the Dolphins 31 – 24, eliminating the Pats from the playoffs. Don’t forget to join our Boycott Brett Favre movement. Just Click the Link to Learn More!

The Sacramento Kings payed for the Celtics 2 games of sin on Sunday. The Boston Celtics routed the Kings 108 – 63

The Bruins just keep winning, beating the Atlanta Thrashers in Atlanta 2 – 1.

Dartmouth edged out the Army Hockey team in the 1st game of the ledyard Bank Hockey Classic in New Hampshire Sunday, beating Army in overtime 5 – 4.

God I Hate Brett Favre

What are you in town for? Oh, to play the Dolphins like a dumbass? Right….

For the second time in 6 years, the New England Patriots needed Brett Favre to defeat Chad Pennington in a Week 17 matchup to gain a playoff spot. In 2002, Favre and the Pack walked into the Meadowlands and got thumped 42-17-in no small thanks to a god-awful 16-33, 1 TD 1 INT performance from Favre. This time, Brett looked even worse throwing three picks (great thinking on that last pick by the way) as the Jets fell to the Pennington-led Dolphins, 24-17.

With that the Pats season is over. From Brady going down early, numerous other injuries that required the Pats to bring back Rosey Colvin and Junior Seau, the solid play of rookie LB Jerod Mayo to the emergence of Matt Cassel, 2008 was a great season given the adversity, a season we Pats’ fans had not seen in, well, 6 years, when no game was a given. Regardless, there are too many emotions to give a comprehensive recap of the season and I can only muster this….

Brett, you suck. I can’t even write the rest of this, so Matty is going to take it from here…

Editor’s Note:

Well, we all knew it would happen. Like he did in the Meadowlands against the Jets in 2002 (see above entry), Brett Favre broke Pats fans hearts again tonight with a horrid, putrid, washed-up, “should have stayed retired” performance that propels the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs, and keeps the 11-5 Patriots at home. Tonight and from here on out, Pats fans should blame Favre. So with that The CMSB suggests “The Favre Boycott”. As Patriots fans, we boycott anything Favre shills, be it Wrangler jeans, Prilsoec OTC, or anything else he gets commercial dollars for. I think a massive Wrangler burning is in order, if anyone has any ideas how we can make this happen, email the editor at editor@centralmainesportsblog.com. Can we boycott Favre and hopefully send him away for his sins against Patriots Nation? Yes we can Patriots nation, yes we can.

The Favre Boycott

Well, we all knew it would happen. Like he did in the Meadowlands against the Jets in 2002, Brett Favre broke Pats fans hearts again tonight with a horrid, putrid, washed-up, should have stayed retired performance that propels the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs, and keeps the 11-5 Patriots home. Tonight and from here on out, Pats fans should blame Favre. So with that The CMSB suggests “The Favre Boycott”. As Patriots fans, we boycott anything Favre shills, be it Wrangler jeans, Prilsoec OTC, or anything else he gets commercial dollars for. I think a massive Wrangler burning is in order, if anyone has any ideas how we can make this happen, email the editor at editor@centralmainesportsblog.com. Can we boycott Favre and hopefully send him away for his sins against Patriots Nation? Yes we can Patriots nation, yes we can.

Brady’s 2009 May Be In Jeopardy

Photo Courtesy Boston Globe

Tom Curran, formerly of the Providence Journal, and currently of MSNBC, reports an NFL league source tells him Tom Brady is far from ready to rehab his knee.

Yankee Ford Holiday Classic Presented By MBR.org

We have been remiss in reporting this, so apologies to our pals over at MBR.org. Blame it on Post Holiday Brain Cramps! Please visit the Official Yankee Ford Holiday Classic Website for audio archives of already played games. Here is Monday’s Schedule

6:30 Semi Final – Cape Elizabeth will take on Cheverus

8 PM Semi Final – South Portland will take on Susan Wagner, NY

Make sure you visit MBR.org and Official Tournament Page for LIVE Streaming Games

Sunday Morning Quick Hitters

The Black Bears Men’s Hockey Team falls to Colgate with 1 second left in overtime, 3 – 2. The Black Bears play a consolation game today.

The Portland Pirates allowed a late goal to the rival Manchester Monarchs, falling 3 – 2. The Pirates return to action today at 4PM at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

The MAINEiacs lost to Victoriaville, giving up 2 goals late in the 3rd period, 4 – 3. The MAINEiacs return home Monday to the Colisee to face Gatineau.

The Boston Bruins continued their hot streak as Blake Wheeler scored 2 clutch goals on the way to defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4 – 2 in Carolina.

Army Hockey will visit New England over the next few days, as they compete in the Ledyard National Bank Classic in Hanover New Hampshire, hosted by Dartmouth. Army will face Dartmouth today.

Yanni Peary named to Preseason All-American Team

Peary and his teammates celebrating their 5th consecutive Centennial Conference Title last spring

Portland native and Cape Elizabeth graduate Yanni Peary recently received some notoriety for his play in 2008 as well as what is expected from him in 2009. The Gettysburg senior defenseman was recently selected to Insidelacrosse.com’s Division III Preseason All-American Second Team while also being selected by his teammates to be one of three team captains for the upcoming season.

Peary finished 2008 third on the team in ground balls (47) and second with 19 caused turnovers, good enough to earn him All-American Honorable Mention honors as well as Second Team All-Centennial Conference honors. Peary was instrumental as the Bullets won their 5th straight conference championship and made a run to the NCAA Nation Championship Semi-Finals.

The Bullets were ranked second in the nation in Lacrosse Magazine’s inaugural 2009 preseason rankings. Gettysburg kicks off their season on February 28th against Hampden-Sydney. We will be keeping an eye on the Bullets and Peary, as well as other notable Maine Lacrosse players making headlines at all levels of NCAA Lax throughout the upcoming season.