After watching the arraignment yesterday of Aaron Hernandez, and then seeing the report this morning from FOX25 that Hernandez is being investigated in Boston double-killing from last July, it makes you just question everything in this world.
It is mind-numbing. It is equal parts unfathomably brazen and stupid. Of course, if he did get away with a double-murder before, it would account for being so brazen with this killing.
Meanwhile while on with Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio, former Ravens coach Brian Billick is saying the Patriots will take a hit because players will fear that the organization will not have their backs if they hit rough times. Billick of course, was the head coach when Ray Lewis faced charges in a double-murder case, and the Ravens stuck by him.
If you’re going to read/listen to a lawyer who talks sports, I’d stay away from Harry Manion and Mike Florio, and go to Michael McCann (@MCCannSportsLaw ):
Breaking down the murder case against Aaron Hernandez
Former Patriot Matt Light told the Dayton Daily News “I have never believed in anything Aaron Hernandez stood for.” The writer though, inexplicably fails to follow up with any sort of request for elaboration.
Peter King even emerged from his annual vacation to do a finger-wag on Hernandez. He just had to contradict himself while doing it: Peter King: Lord Of Retrospect
The case has given John Dennis plenty of excuses to make jokes about anal rape, a subject he is seemingly obsessed with. Also, it’s nice to know seemingly the majority of the Dennis and Callahan audience these days is consisted of either former convicts or prison guards. You’d get the impression that the D&C show was piped into the jails as punishment for the criminals.
There are many other things happening in Boston sports right now, and I think I’d prefer to focus on that stuff for now.
John Lackey. This is the guy that we thought the Red Sox were getting when they signed him to that huge contract. He struck out 12 yesterday, helping the Red Sox to a 5-3 win over the Rockies at Fenway.
John Lackey all anchor, no rancor – Gordon Edes looks at how Lackey is anchoring this staff with Lester struggling and Buchholz out.
Who’d have thought it’d be Lackey to the rescue? – Sean McAdam has Lackey as the Red Sox best starter right now.
Are they OK without Clay? A look at how Sox rotation stacks up without Buchholz – Alex Speier has a thorough look at the state of the rotation.
Doc Rivers was introduced as head coach of the Clippers yesterday, and took some time to talk with the Boston media afterwards.
Fact or fiction: Doc Rivers’ odd call to Boston media – Ben Rohrbach has an exhaustive look at Rivers’ session which seemed to contradict some of what has been said from the Boston end of things.
After uncomfortable end, best to just wish Doc Rivers well – Steve Bulpett says we should just move on.
The NBA draft is also tonight, and despite not having a coach or system to project players into, the Celtics need to make a solid pick at #16.
Celtics need to score big in draft – Gary Washburn says that the Celtics up and down track record in the draft needs to improve. Washburn has the Celtics taking Shabazz Muhammad in his mock draft. Mark Murphy has Shane Larkin as the pick.
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli held his season-ending press conference yesterday, and revealed that the team will not re-sign Andrew Ference or Jaromir Jagr, but would like to bring back Nathan Horton.
Boston Sports Media Watch 
McCann, as usual, is a great listen and read. He’s been all over the country but here is his segment with DP Show today:
http://www.danpatrick.com/2013/06/27/sis-michael-mccann-breaks-down-case-against-aaron-hernandez/
It sounds like you heard what I did that a sizable portion of the D+C listeners, or the ones calling in, are either former gang members or have spent time in various DOC facilities for either work or serving time. If what a few of them had said are true, Hernandez is affiliated with “Latin Kings”. Didn’t one guy say that in addition to some of the general areas having Patriots games on Sunday, that some of the jails had “their show” (D+C) on? Is that allowed with the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution?
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I see that the narrative with some on the radio is trashing the Pats because they should have known about Hernandez.
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“Some”? You mean the same two clowns who daily trash the team? The best part today, as Bruce tweeted out earlier, was when Mazz said the Patriots weren’t responsible. After Felger said they were, Mazz literally said “I agree.”
It’s days like this when I can’t listen to Felger. He gets on his soapbox, yells, repeats the same argument over and over for hours. It’s like white noise, but apparently the masses believe his diatribes. Scary.
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I heard that exchange and shook my head. Bruce even documented it on Twitter.
Wasn’t it just weeks ago, before all of this, where they’re blasting the Pats free agency/draft strategy because they take guys who are “too good off but not on the field” because they don’t fit “The Patriots Way”.
If this is a preview for the commentary during the season if we’re not winning >11 games, good luck to them.
Nobody saw this Hernandez thing coming, and could not:
1.) NFL Security/team security gets hailed as some “be-all” NSA-level outfit when I find they’re closer to a PI. How many things have they missed over the years (remember Sam Hurd?) If they’re getting stuff, I’d also assume it’s illegal for them to know due to privacy (what’s left of them) laws. There have also been 27 arrests since the Superbowl. That’s not exactly too good for “security”.
2.) I heard the same “clowns” mention they should basically tail the guy. Won’t happen. Remember what the NFLPA did when the Cowboys, apparently having an agreement with Dez Bryant, to do the same? Moreover, it’s a violation of the CBA on the NFL side. So, the league and NFLPA would shut that down real fast.
(I’d love to know what Urban Meyer knew/knows though)
3.) Remember when a team in town tried to “tail” and “find more information out” about a potential big free agency signing by the name of Carl Crawford? Media labeled Theo as racist. I’d argue that if the Patriots did this, now, they’d have enough grounds where they’re checking everyone out and wouldn’t face heat if the player happened to be a minority, bust, still..
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Man, it’d be fascinating to listen in on the next conversation between Meyer & Belichick. Would the conversation go “Bill, I tried to tell you this guy was bad news…” or “Urban, WTF?” Gotta think Belichick is going to up his due dilligence by a factor of 10 next time Meyer endorses a potential draft pick. He’s burned Belichick twice now–once with Chad Jackson (early 2nd round bust) and now with Hernandez (suspect in multiple murders, allegedly involved in at least two other shootings). Obviously the Hernandez pick looks much more questionable with 20/20 hindsight, but you’d think if anyone in the football world had any idea that Hernandez could possibly turn out to be a homicidal sociopath, it would have been Meyer. The monitoring of players done by big time college football programs makes the NSA look like child’s play.
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There was an article on one of the Gainsville (Gators are life there) about how bad Urban’s teams were when it came to records. Out of the 90 on their active roster, something like 30 of them either got arrested or have been within 3 years out either in the NFL or somewhere else: http://bit.ly/110DdYD
I guess we could hit on Spikes but his only knock that I can recall is the 4gm for PEDs.
However, what was Urban doing? Winning NCs. Isn’t our fanbase the same? Short of a guy committing some heinous offense, does the average fan care what goes on off the field?
Besides all of these new murders and whatever, one big question that some were are asking is how much the Pats knew. Well, Alex Marvez (FOX/NFL) wrote a long article on this tonight: http://on-msn.com/14dDVzF . The tl;dr is that they are following but don’t think the Patriots knew anything beyond the pre-draft concerns. Florio also had an interesting article on about the Patriots recuperating the money owed to him on PFT: http://bit.ly/14dEj1e
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Chris Price @WEEI.com actually just posted a pretty interesting piece that discusses the Belichick-Meyer relationship viewed in light of recent events:
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/football/patriots/christopher-price/2013/06/27/urban-blight-belichicks-affinity-meyers
He mentioned a couple other Florida busts I totally forgot about too: Jermaine Cunningham, Reche Caldwell, Jeff Demps, Brandon Spikes (not really a bust, but somewhat disappointing based on where he was drafted–2nd round–and a shady character in his own right)
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Can this get worse?
@AdamSchefter Boston PD has located red SUV with RI plates it was looking for as identified in July 2012 homicide. Aaron Hernandez rented it.
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not defending Hernandez in any way, just an observation. Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson seems to be enjoying the limelight a little too much. Hasn’t met a microphone he doesn’t like.
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Haha I noticed that too. I heard him in an interview talk about how he sat down with Hernandez the day he arrived at jail to explain “what to expect.” I wonder how often he does that with new inmates…
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There are two insidious on-air personalities that NESN should have nuked long ago: insufferable Jack Edwards and unlistenable Tom Caron, who, despite his irritating voice, feels the need to talk over everyone he’s with. Edwards has dual afflictions: He’s child-like and haughty. Happily, both will waddle over here and see that I called them out. As for Naoko, she will come to appreciate that ‘different direction’ because it will serve her better.
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Caron gets on my nerves too, for exactly the same reason. He’s a little better on radio–I thought he did a good job on afternoon fill-ins on EEI a month or two ago–because the keep-talking-loudly method works well on radio. Not so much on TV.
I actually enjoy Jack Edwards though, and I might be among a small group on this one. I especially enjoyed his easygoing conversations with Big O. The mood got formal and uninteresting when Salk got there. Jack on TV can be a little more trying at times, but I like his enthusiasm and his knowledge of the game.
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I agree. I like Edwards. Funny thing is, beyond the bombast, he’s a very good broadcaster and actually loves the game of hockey — not just the Bruins. He doesn’t sulk when the Bruins lose (unlike, say, Joe Castiglione on a Red Sox loss), and appreciates good hockey no matter who’s on the ice. That can get lost when he’s off the wall, but honestly, I LIKE the craziness. It’s a refreshing switch from the buttoned down, extremely conservative play by play of someone like Don Orsillo.
Caron, though, is like an empty vessel. Don’t like his voice, never adds anything of note…not a fan.
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Not sure if anyone saw the live reaction to the KG/PP34/Terry trade by Simmons on ESPN’s NBA Draft telecast. He was already making headlines, as was ESPN, for various aspects of their coverage (good and bad), but Simmons stole the night.
Deadspin (of course) has links to this:
1.) Doc calls Simmons an idiot: http://deadsp.in/11N6xAm
2.) Live reaction: http://deadsp.in/11N6EMf
Interesting exchange after saying Doc ‘quit’ by one of Doc’s kids:
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Simmons on draft night, reacting to the trade as if KG and PP were in the prime of their careers with a decade of playing time left ahead of them…
Prediction: He’ll “talk himself” into this trade after finding out from people with real sources that this was the best possible package available.
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I can’t be the only person to notice that D & C think everything the FBI says about the Boston Marathon bombing case is a lie and two months later believe everything that Mass State Police say about Hernandez is a fact. Is this because they can call it Obama’s FBI?
Pathetic hypocrites they are.
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