The Bruins Prayer

The Boston Bruins will be playing the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals of the NHL playoffs. A good friend of mine, Mr. Tom Picard, a member of the Director Production Management team at ESPN posted this fun little prayer on Facebook recently. As a Bruins fan, I will share with all of you here.

The Bruins Prayer


"Our father who art in Boston. Hockey be thy name. Thy will be done. The cup will be won. On ice, as well as in the stands. Give us this day our hockey sticks. And forgive us our penalties, as we forgive those who cross-check against us, Lead us not into elimination. But deliver us to victory. In the name of the fans, Lord Stanley, and in the name of the Bruins. Amen."

I am going to add my own little statement:


May "The Force" be with the Boston Bruins.

Dick

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

hit counter

Screen Capture Software

Carolina Panthers Call Clausen's Name At Pick #48

The recent NFL draft featured some surprising selections in the first and early second rounds. Inside linebacker Rolando McLain was the 8th overall selection by the Oakland Raiders (a good selection by Al Davis for once), Tim Tebow at #25 by the Denver Broncos, and teams like San Francisco, Buffalo, and Seattle not selecting a quarterback when given the opportunity. But the one surprise to nearly all draft experts and followers of football was Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen falling back to the 48th selection in the 2nd round by the Carolina Panthers.

Why did Clausen fall into the Panthers lap at pick forty-eight? Supposedly, there are some character and leadership issues that frightened many NFL general managers. Here's a quick synopsis of what was said.

Clausen was aloof, somewhat of a loaner, and was a troublemaker. As an incoming high profile rookie, those are damning allegations and unfortunately,there is some truth to this. Not always a solid citizen,Clausen got into a scuffle he got into at a bar while at South Bend. Apparently he wasn't always liked by teammates and supposedly lacked the fire that showed a lack leadership. To my knowledge, he isn't the only football quarterback to have these issues. Does the name Ben Roethlisberger ring a bell?

As far as talent, there can be no denying that Jimmy was the most NFL ready quarterback in this draft class. Under the tutelage of former Irish head man Charlie Weis, Clausen has the ability to read defenses, see the entire field, and make solid decisions to go with a strong arm.

On top of those attributes, Clausen will benefit in Carolina via the strong running attack the Panthers possess. That should limit the number of passing attempts Jimmy would make.

Also, Clausen will be pushed hard in camp by veteran starting quarterback Matt Moore and fellow rookie in 6th round pick Tony Pike, the prolific signal caller from the University of Cincinnati. This will keep Clausen motivated.

All in all, I believe Jimmy Clausen will have a very good if not outstanding career in the NFL. I foresee several playoff appearances and several Pro Bowls, maybe a Super Bowl too. He may not start immediately, but by mid season should the Panthers or Matt Moore struggle, Jimmy Clausen will have his chance to shine.

Those are my thoughts on Jimmy Clausen. What are yours?

Dick

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

hit counter

Screen Capture Software

With The First Pick In The 2010 NFL Draft, The St. Louis Rams SHOULD Select...

With the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night, The St. Louis Rams appear poised to select Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, considered by few to be the top player in the draft. We know that the Rams are a team that needs to be rebuilt from the ground up and have needs at quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive line being the most pressing needs. With so many needs, the question becomes...

Who SHOULD the Rams select with the overall #1 pick?

I agree with most draft experts that the best player should go first in the draft. I don't agree that Bradford is the #1 player however. In my opinion, that player is Ndamukong Suh.

Suh is an absolute bear of a defensive tackle with enough quickness of a defensive end. How many collegiate players can stuff the run, hold his ground on a double team, and rush the passer? Does the name Reggie White ring a bell? To think, if he were to play for the Rams, he would remind older Rams fans of a Hall of Fame defensive tackle...the late Merlin Olsen.

Now, I'm no NFL General Manager, but I would think you want to select the sure thing, or at least the surest thing when drafting 1st overall. Most pundits believe that would be Suh. Defensive tackle is a need as I've previously mentioned. Then again, so is quarterback.

In the end, The Rams will likely pick Sam Bradford to be their franchise quarterback with pick number one. Which leads to another question which I will leave you to ponder.

Is Bradford the best quarterback in the draft?

Dick

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

hit counter

Screen Capture Software

Rants and Raves and Opinions

This post is just some rants, raves, and opinions on a few sports happenings…so here we go!

Ben Roethlisberger will not be charged with any illegal sexual contact with the 20-year-old woman at a college bar in Georgia. I’m not surprised since the lady and her mom refused to file charges. If I could talk to Ben, it would be a simple 2-word sentence --- “Grow up!” NFL czar Roger Goodell will have a talk with Roethlisberger this week and I’m thinking there may be a suspension looming. Stay tuned.

Fifty-year-old Freddy Couples finishes in the top 10 at The Masters. Good for you Freddy! Isn’t it grand that the over 50 group plays well at recent majors? Being age 50 myself, it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread … okay, I exaggerate. Couples looked as though he was having fun at Augusta, because he was! Was he wearing golf shoes? Looked quite casual in the footwear department to me and I loved it! Fred is dominating the Champions Tour and I believe he can do fairly well on the PGA Tour if he so pleases. Old guys rule!!!

The Boston Red Sox look as though they have 2 major problems early this MLB season. One is that David is off to a terrible start this season, much like last season. His strikeout rate is worse than alarming and Sox fans are already calling for a change. Mike Lowell anyone?

Problem two is that the bullpen has been shaky early. The usually reliable Hedeki Okajima has been wild and hammered at the same time and closer Jonathan Papelbon has lost a game already. It’s early and as a Red Sox fan, I am more patient than most, unlike my panicky dad.

Thanks for reading!

Dick

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

hit counter

Screen Capture Software