We are here, the main event. Greg A. Bedard versus Chris Gasper. They know one another. You know them. But they do not know you, because, in all likelihood you are muted or blocked. Payback time. The poll will remain open for the remainder of today until 1:30 PM EDT on Tuesday, April 5th. Thank you all so much for your keen interest in the return of March Sadness.
The Path to the Championship:
We would be remiss if we overlooked the results of the NITwit T*ournament, happening concurrently with March Sadness. Well done everyone. Congratulation to the champion, Mr. Steve R. Lowell of Reading, MA.
Congratulations to Large Gym. You win the Bronze!
Don’t feel bad, Mr. Volin; you’re not going home empty-handed:
Championship matchup tomorrow. Be ready.
The March Sadness Final Matchup is set. Almost A Coach Greg A. Bedard of (for now) the Boston Sports Journal versus Chris Gasper of the Boston Globe. Due to overwhelming interest, there will now be a consolation match between the runners-up. Noontime EDT today until noontime EDT tomorrow Sunday April 3rd. Championship Monday after that. Thank you for your interest in ridiculing mediots. cheers.
Polls will remain open until 9 AM EDT Saturday, April 2. Vote for the most deserving. The 15 approve of this message.
Meniscus Tear Twitter is the worst.
Consecutive Isobel Cup wins? Titletown is back, Baby!!
Every time Bob Kraft speaks when there’s no confetti on the ground, I like him less.
A Michigan/Denver and Minnesota/Minnesota State Frozen Four in Boston? Why all the yellow seats, Dale?
Outcome Based Rules Change SZN.
Pro Tip: Maybe don’t go with the 3-year BSJ membership option.
Cakes are cooking for Joey Sindelar, MC Hammer, Dave Ellett, Julie Richardson, Martin Love, and Chris Canty.
Honestly, the worst part about the slap is the TAKES we’re being subjected to by the blue check brigade in response to it. Insufferable. SHUT. UP.
Taylor Hawkins devoted half his life to fighting Foo. I doubt we shall see his like again. RIP.
I really wish I was a suit person, I’d love to be the guy in the suit at Wrestlemania week in Dallas.
If you could be rich and powerful in life, but have your name be disgraced throughout history, would you do it?
You did the HIPAA violation! You did! You did!
Sometimes when I’m feeling particularly emotionally unstable and just need to cry I watch the video of Secretariat in retirement running around by himself in a paddock by a lake, anyone else? No just me. Cool cool cool.
Fun Fact: Rutgers is the State University of New Jersey, not Michigan!
Following a thorough in-depth inspection of the Orange Line tunnel, MBTA engineers & partner agencies have determined that it is safe to resume Orange Line service. Trains will travel at reduced speeds in this area & bypass Haymarket Station, which is closed until further notice.
Hey gang, this week’s Phrase that Pays is ‘Good call, Karen Carpenter.’
Do Charlie and Jada’s alpacas know each other?
Middle schoolers are known for their perfect defensive rotations.
Well I’ve heard Kimberley A. Martin and Cari Champion can’t even legally ride in the same Uber.
Paige Bueckers? More like Paige Buckets, amirite?
It’s physically impossible to have not heard a Foo Fighters song, even for late adoption country & western devotees.
Q: What did Troy Kotsur say when they told him he’d won an Oscar? A: WHAT?!
I’m not saying The North End Restaurant Community should take inspiration how to deal with the Mayor from that slapping incident at the Oscars, but..
I could almost go there
Just to watch you be seen
I could almost go there
Just to live in a dream.
But no, I won’t go for any of those things
To not touch your skin is not why I sing
I can’t help myself
I’ve got to see you again.
Now is fighting allowed in the PHF, or do they just tease someone ’til they develop an eating disorder?
Honk if you remember the Ice Capades.
Can’t wait to see the Top Gun sequel. How many of Admiral Iceman’s ribbons are for volleyball?
You have to worry about all those Dikembe Mutombo-type eighth graders.
Are bucket hats the new painter’s caps?
I bet Eddie Andelman call that song ‘Everyone Forgets About Bruno.’
That was a big win for Trackhouse Racing.
I do not now know enough details to conclude whether or not Jabril Peppers will be part of the compensatory pick calculations.
The thing is, the Foo always win out in the end.
Thanks again to all the March Sadness voters for getting us this far.
Best bet for the weekend: more blueblood basketball than a horseshoe crab pick-up game.
Material from interviews, wire services, Twitter, Meta, other writers, league and team sources, Bill James, pseudonymous radio professionals masquerading as a sibling, and the members of #the15 were used in this column. Dark, like the shady corners, inside a violin.
Our very own @ironheadbjbsj is hearing that he’ll soon be full time at WEEI.
More to come, as this story develops. But might the rats already be scattering? Fair to ask the question.
UPDATE:
Pushing readers to the Providence Journal? 🤔
UPDATE:
Why hasn’t BSJ writer McAdam tweeted since the end of last week? 🤔🤔
Murray – Bedard & Gasper – Volin will duke it out as the Four You Deplore Friday, April 1st, Championship TBD on Monday April 4th. Thank you to all the voters, readers, and assorted hangers-on.
Polls will remain open 24 hours until 1 PM EDT Tuesday, March 29th. Choose carefully, my friends. Courage.
Negativity without context does not equal objectivity. Objectivity with context may be negative.
We all get it. You hate success. It has never been clearer than now. For you, every Patriots’ failure is another meaningless participation trophy for you to run around and show off weekdays from 2-6 like proud eight year-olds.
Instead, you should be asking yourselves; what will the Patriots learn from this failure? Bill Belichick has been giving a master class in how to run an NFL team for the past twenty years and you’ve missed the opportunity to document it. Instead of seeking to understand and learn, you’ve been hunting relentlessly for your participation trophies. Congratulations! Your bookcase is now adorned with useless trinkets. Instead of improving yourselves, you’ve patted you colleagues on the back whenever the receive the “Best Stupid Question” trophy at a press conference.
I have been a Patriots fan since the mid 1970’s. I have seen the team succeed and fail. Never, after the Bears Super Bowl, could I have imagined what has happened here over the past 20 years.
I have seen your colleagues damn a Belichick draft pick, and then have to present that same draft pick’s case to the Hall of Fame committee. I have heard the whispering and criticism of every move made by the Patriots over the past 20 years.
And now, finally, I’ve had enough. I haven’t listened to sports radio in a year and I feel 1000 times more free to bask in the greatness of what we are seeing. When you gather your trophies on Belichick’s failures, he realizes his mistakes, considers why it was a mistake and improves for next time.
4th and 2? Sucked. But they took their shot. Sometimes it fails. So while you made a special place for that little trophy, Belichick went back to the drawing board to come up with a new set of options for that scenario. Who knows, maybe they still do the same thing.
Success isn’t linear, and the fact we’ve been able to enjoy nearly linear success for 20 years is unique. Your bookshelf of trophies should be a reminder that Belichick has made that many mistakes and has gained that much experience and knowledge. Unfortunately, all you do is tell everyone about the trophies you have. It’s an empty achievement.
The media in this town have not grown in 20 years. It’s really quite amazing to not grow in this rich experience of football. Belichick, with Brady’s cooperation has rebuilt this team multiple times, through both the draft and free agency, Does Belichick hit on more draft picks than other teams? Probably not. But by accumulating more picks, he has a better chance of adding more players to his roster. If he has a 50% success rate and adds more draft picks than other teams, then it’s likely he gets one more good player out of the draft. Belichick needs 53 football players, and he probably doesn’t care how he does it.
So again; objectivity with context can be negative. Negativity without context is not objectivity.
How do the Patriots compare to other teams (besides 6 Super Bowl wins in 20 years) with respect to draft and free agency? Do they add more players than other teams? Are they more successful or less successful at certain positions? Show a comparison to other teams. Analyzing one team’s results in the draft is not objective unless it is compared to others,
No one is impressed with your collection of participation trophies. Go get some scars and show them to us. Scars show you did something, took a risk, learned a lesson and came back stronger. Belichick is covered in scars. You should be too.
(Originally written March 25, 2021)
The 15 