The NFL season starts tonight, with the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the Green Bay Packers on NBC.

The Globe and the Herald have their NFL/Patriots season previews today so there is plenty of material to go through.

As a tribute to 93-year-old MAD Magazine cartoonist Al Jaffee, the Globe did a “fold-in” cover to its section. The image shows the Patriots losing to the Jets 17-3 at Gillette and walking off the field dejectedly while the Jets dance on the stadium turf. BUT fold in the image and you see the Lombardi Trophy.

There’s a whole lot I could say here about the image representing everything the Globe feels about the Patriots and their fans, but I’ll let you guys handle that. And yes, I know the old MAD fold-ins were made so you think it means one thing, and it shows something completely different, but still. Yeesh.

Some highlights from the sections:

Persistent Bill Belichick grows into champion – Jeff Howe has a feature on the coach’s rise from a $25 a week film assistant to a coaching legend. Not much new material in here, but it is always nice to look at the accomplishments rather than the failures.

Tom Brady fueled by doubts about his ability – Chris Gasper does a similar bit on the Patriots QB, and his continued drive to be at the top.

Revamping defense was a priority for Patriots – Shalise Manza Young has a look at the moves made to bulk up the D.

Tom Brady to have many options in score zone – Karen Guregian looks at the improved Red Zone options that Brady has this season. (Wait…I thought Brady didn’t have any WEAPONZ!!!)

Bill Belichick belongs among NFL’s coaching greats – Yes, this is Ron Borges writing this. But don’t be fooled. This is his cover piece, so when he rips him up the rest of the season he can say “Hey, what do you want? I said he was among the greatest of all time!”

To that end – Bill Belichick, Tom Brady on same page – Ron wants you to know that the two are NOT friends. They are just to professionals who happen to work well together. (No, it really isn’t that bad.)

Darrelle Revis brings Patriots back to title roots – Ben Volin looks at the Patriots best CB since the prime of Ty Law and what it means to the team’s hopes.

New England Patriots TE Tim Wright has been adapting on the fly since college – New Masslive.com Patriots writer Kevin Duffy has a piece on the new Patriots tight end.

Levine’s 2014 NFL season preview – Rich Levine looks at the entire league.

Patriots, Broncos are prime-time TV players – Chad Finn says that the national audience will be seeing plenty of these two teams this season.

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

28 thoughts on “NFL Preview Day, Globe Goes MAD”

  1. Just remember — if they don’t go 16-0 and beat Pete Carroll in the Super Bowl by 42 points, the season is a failure and BeliCHEAT is a fraud and why are they wasting Tom Brady by not surrounding him with $500m of talent?

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    1. Don’t forget the “Hasn’t won anything since Spygate.” reference if from outside the area or are named “Tim Benz”.

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  2. Bill Belichick belongs among the NFL’s coaching greats?! Jeez. And here I’ve been thinking he’s an overrated turd all these years. Thanks for clearing it up, Ron.

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  3. “It’s remarkable what he’s done there,” Parcells said. “The people in New England are lucky to have him.”

    High praise from the Big Tuna.

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    1. “and he won solely due to my players”

      Oh wait, he didn’t say that? According to the media, that’s the sole reason the Patriots ever won anything.

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  4. Has there ever been a sports writer who simply hated his readers more than Shank? What a small, pathetic, snarky, sad spectre of a man.

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    1. Yesterday was Shaughnessy just farting at Pats fans where today was an outright diarrhea spray on them. A full column about how easy the Pats have had it over the years in the Tomato Can division and how no other professional sports teams has gotten the breaks over the past 14 years that they do. Globe even created a graphic with a can of tomato soup as the division heading and the logos of the four AFC East teams below it. I don’t expect them to be cheerleaders but the sports department there obviously makes no secret about their bias against the team.

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  5. Preliminary preseason list of People Whose Fault It Is:*

    (1) Robert Kraft’s golddigging girlfriend — making sure he puts the Almighty Dollar ahead of exploiting Tom Brady’s golden years.
    (2) Matt Patricia — who’s not fit to be the waterboy at Boston English, let alone a coordinator on an NFL team.
    (3) JAHSH McDaniels — see “Matt Patricia”.
    (4) Tom Brady, whose essence has been drained by the Teutonic harpy.
    (5) Dante Scarnecchia — showed his true, selfish colors by displaying immense disloyalty and retiring after 31 years with the Pats, sending them into disarray.
    (6) Stevan Ridley — his fumble in the first preseason game set a tone of failure and negativity that only became obvious when the team failed to rally against the [Broncos/Colts/Mystery Team 2014] in the AFC championship.
    (7) Nick Casiero — latest in series of incompetent, bumbling front office personnel who have not drafted a SINGLE unquestionable first-ballot legendary HOF player in over a decade despite having upwards of one first-round pick a year.
    (8) Mike Reiss — bagman for the Krafts continues his ongoing whitewash of the team’s fundamental problems and failures with ESPN, after a lucrative career spilling gallons of whitewash all over the offices of the Globe and MetroWest Daily News.
    (9) Pat Patriot — never uses that gun to “accidentally” injure opposing players. Patriot my arse.
    (10) Bobby Valentine — just because.

    [Note to local newspapers and media outlets: I am currently available for potential long-term radio/tv/print positions. Serious offers only.]

    *Other than Bill Belispycheat.

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    2. In the spirit of Ron Borges, your list is being copied and laminated copies will be issued for every writer on Morrissey Blvd covering the team. They can even ettach with a ring to a belt or buckle, similar to a play sheet for a coordinator on the sidelines.

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  6. Not for nothing but thank God it’s football season. Now I would like to share my random thoughts ala curly red head
    I haven’t bought the b.s. globe since 2004 thanks Bruce for the mad pic info….
    I cancelled cable in 2008 when my son was born. I don’t miss the yap yap at all of all the sports channels. I only watch football ncis.criminal minds person of interest and some pbs kids shows ala my son…
    I have enjoyed talk shows on the radio since I was ten if not younger thru my father. I’m fifty one now.I have heard some of the best and worst in forty plus years from Jerry Williams to Larry king…
    Between my driving and home listening I avg about six hours a day and this is some of the constantly worst talk radio I have ever heard over the years. So much flat line, half of the shows they have come to an end that the powers to be don’t have the balls to switch up. It’s a shame status quo wins out in today’s radio… more random thoughts to come later of my inane of what makes good sports radio gab bags It’s time for my son’s bath. Thank God it’s football tonight

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  7. Ah, according to the media, the NFL season ended last night. Close the lights. Go home. Seattle already won it all again. Thanks for coming, though.

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  8. According to @cpricenfl’s timeline:

    Looks like some shuffling for WEEI’s NFL Sunday (9-1). No Dale, which is expected with his daily gig, but Matt Chatham is off. Would like to know a “why” there. To fill their spots, Greg Dickerson and Steve DeOssie will be on with Chris.

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    1. That is going to go from a really good show to one that will suck. ugh. Why does WEEI think I want to listen to Greg Dickerson ever but especially on topics football? Was there a chattering class of people who wanted more DeOssie and I missed it? Chris Price is fine but the lack of Dale will mean the show will have a lousy pacing.

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      1. I have enjoyed my DeOssieless life over the last few years. 0 for 2 on the pregame shows. (0 for 3 if you count Felger on tv.)
        Why is it so hard to put a show on the air that is enjoyable?

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    2. I’m surprised, and very disappointed. Dale always did that show when he was working mid-days, at least as far back as 2000 when I started listening. It might be the only show/timeslot on the station with unbroken consistency since then. I like Dale, and I’m glad he’s back with Holley again, but I haven’t gotten back into the habit of listening to sports radio on weekdays since they were reunited. Looks like another habit will be broken. I guess I should be happy Butch Stearns isn’t hosting.

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    3. One word, YUCK!

      I used to listen to this show every week. Now? DeOssie who admittedly dislikes the “fake” New England fans and Dickerson…Why? Why ruin a good thing? No good post game option and now no good pre game option. Shame on WEEI and TSH for what they put out there as pre and post game shows.

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    4. Not a big DeOssie fan but could put up with him (find him sort of bland if anything) Price is very good…DICKERSON is the deal breaker for me…*groan* another show ruined

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  10. Any odds on which local media member writes the dumbest column this week? Losses always bring out the best (worst) in bad media members.

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    1. Since I’m awake at the crack of dawn, going to see if either morning show can make it past 6:05 before beating the Mankins drum. Bet neither one gets that far.

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      1. Well, D & C made it, but only because they were too busy bashing everyone and everything else. T & R started talking at 6:05 after the news, and it took precisely 1 minute before Mankins’ name entered the conversation. I can only imagine the hysterics that await on F & M (THEY TRADED AWAY A PRO BOWL GUARD MIKE! AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!!!! THEY SUCK MIKE!!).

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        1. I saw one comment, r/t’d by @NEPD_Loyko, from what Felger said, that with these pieces, if the D can’t come together, there is reason to put this on Patricia and BB. That has to come into play. However, give them another few hours, I expect some major #HOTSPORTZTAKEZ radio.

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      1. Schefter appears to be dipping his toe into it. Just RT’ed “Jane McManus @janesports 31m Re Ray Rice knockout punch: I was told NFL had access to same evidence the police did when evaluating a 2-game suspension.”

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        1. He and the other high-profile ESPN media folks did the same thing when the initial 2 games came out. They did a textbook “passive aggressive” outrage. They toe’d the line just enough where if Park Avenue called Bristol, they couldn’t do or say much to the personality. They let the other media, usually at “independent” outlets one-up each other on outrage and criticality.

          I get it. Every single news network that covers something shills for whatever they have access to, believe in or pay for the rights for. Dinner on the table over making “a scene”. I’m not sure what else to say on it besides “it just doesn’t feel right”.

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  11. I hope they also noted that the Bruins and Celtics are also tied for dead last in their respective leagues right now, too.

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