Thinking out loud: Thoughts on Aaron Hernandez documentary

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Thinking out loud…while wondering if there is ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

 

  • Spoiler alert!  If you haven’t seen the Aaron Hernandez series on Netflix, skip ahead about six bullet-points and continue.  

 

  • The Hernandez series on Netflix, while not revealing anything we didn’t already know, was nevertheless compelling with some insight into the way Hernandez thought, how he interacted within his separate lives and with his family.

 

  • Particularly, with dear old Mom.

 

  • What we’ll never know, is why he felt compelled to lead this double life, with so much personally and professionally at stake.  Was he so troubled by his sexuality that he turned violent in order to “compensate?”  Or cover it up?

 

  • And to say his CTE diagnosis was a factor is oversimplifying who he was.  “Oh, he was hurt,” is not an excuse for his actions – those were something he never appeared capable of taking responsibility for.

 

  • But if you’ve got kids playing football, and you’re concerned about possible head trauma having an effect in later life – you should be.

 

  • In an entirely unrelated series – different network, different show – ESPN’s E:60 will soon portray one Drew Bledsoe as the true igniter of the Patriots’ dynasty on the field.

 

  • And I don’t think they’re wrong in that assumption.  But we soon forget.  Out of sight, out of mind.

 

  • Not for nuthin’, 26 years ago this past Tuesday marked the true occasion of New England sports changing forever…on and off of the field.

 

  • January 21st, 1994, Robert Kraft turned football from an amusement and near-afterthought into a very big deal.  To the point now where the Patriots have surpassed even the historically-beloved Sox, Celtics and Bruins as Numero Uno in New England.

 

  • Every home game has been sold out since ’94. Six Lombardi trophies won.  Lost count of the conference crowns and division titles won.  C’mon man, it’s a knockout.

 

  • To think, we could have been watching the St. Louis Stallions win all those Super Bowls.  Nah, they wouldn’t have hired BB to run that show.  Or would they?  James Orthwein did hire Bill Parcells, you’ll recall.

 

  • Two ex-defensive signal callers for the Patriots are on the move, as Tennessee’s Dean Pees retires, again.  The Titans may have been the NFL’s hottest brand going over the past month of play, outside of San Francisco and Kansas City.

 

  • Romeo Crennel wasn’t so lucky, fired as the DC in Houston under Bill O’Brien.  Patriot fans love(d) Romeo.  And he can probably tackle better than some of his players, but ultimately being responsible for giving up 41 unanswered points won’t win you any favors from your bosses.

 

  • Tweet of the Week I, from @JerryThornton1: “This is the most relaxed I’ve been on conference championship day in 9 years. You couldn’t get this level of calm at an Asian day spa.”

 

  • The times, they are a’ changin’:  Patrick Mahomes has now topped TB12 in jersey sales.

 

  • This week’s TB12 tease, from Broadway Joe Namath to ESPN’s Rich Cimini: “I can’t imagine that separation. Moving out of the New England area that he’s been so accustomed to, and his family, that’s a hard thing, too. I don’t think he’ll ever leave that totally behind, I really don’t.”

 

  • And I’m old enough to remember what it was like to see Namath in a Rams’ uniform after being the face of the Jets for more than a decade prior.  It was…awkward.  And he played that way in LA, too.

 

  • Kudos again to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, who reprised this week his in-depth, in triplicate story over what the Patriots actually received from the Jimmy Garoppolo trade…now that Jimmy G. has reached a Super Bowl.

 

  • Value?  Nine trades, involving 14 pieces of the puzzle; six New England players or picks dealt for seven players and another pick.  In numbers alone, it’s staggering.

 

  • Quality?  TBD.  There’s still one more pick to come in the 2020 draft, a 4th-rounder. 

 

  • Who ya’ got?  Selfishly, I’ll take the Chiefs – if only because it’s the AFC.  But the Patriots play the Chiefs at Arrowhead next season, and the 49ers come to Foxboro, so…

 

  • Eli Manning’s career won-loss record is 125-121, 117-117 in the regular season.  Seven winnings seasons in 16 years.  But he had two big W’s over the Patriots in Super Bowls.  Won the MVP in those games, too. 

 

  • But a Hall of Famer?  Really? 

 

  • Tweet of the Week II, from @TomBrady: “Congratulations on your retirement, and a great career, Eli! Not going to lie though, I wish you hadn’t won any Super Bowls.”

 

  • Oh, and a judge this week ordered Antonio Brown to undergo a mental health evaluation after his latest arrest and surrender to authorities.  Right.

 

  • XFL training camps are underway.  Will we ever, really, be ready for spring football?  Unless you’re in Texas?

 

  • I’ll say this, they’ll be trying some things worth watching, just to see how they turn out.  Like points after touchdowns.  No kicks, but a successful play into the end zone from the two-yard line is worth a point, from the five it’s two points – and from the 10, three-points. 

 

  • The purist in me says, “boo!”  The kid in me says, “me likey.”

 

  • Tweet of the Week III, from @DarrenRovell: “If the Super Bowl goes into OT, @BWWings will give America a free snack size order two weeks later on Feb. 17. It’s five or six wings, depending on location – and can be traditional or boneless.”

 

  • Without a dog in this hunt, I now know who (and what) I’m rooting for. 

 

  • A ghostly spirit appeared at our faculty meeting this week and told the Dean that in return for his unselfish and exemplary behavior he would be rewarded with his choice of infinite wealth, infinite wisdom or infinite beauty.  Without hesitation, he chose infinite wisdom.

 

  • The spirit replied “Done!” and poof, disappeared in a cloud of smoke.  All heads turned toward the Dean, who suddenly was surrounded by a faint halo of light.  I needled him and told him to say something.  He sighed and replied, “I should have taken the money.”

 

  • The Red Sox will rue the day they trade Mookie Betts.  IF they trade Mookie Betts.

 

  • If Dustin Pedroia is done with his baseball career – and he should be, now – shouldn’t we be praising the character he’s brought onto, and off of, the field for the Red Sox?

 

  • But why do we undervalue what he was worth – and what he has meant?  Because he’s small in stature?  Forget the stats, and they are plentiful.  Is he not one of the best in Boston history, period?   

 

  • I’d much rather vilify Manny Machado as the bad guy here.  Much more fun.  Sports needs more villains, anyway, right Patriot fans?

 

  • “Knee joint preservation surgery” sounds like something you’d do to an old person.  Not to someone who is 36 years old and still has his life ahead of him. 

 

  • Obviously, Derek Jeter’s inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame is deserved, in a record-breaking fashion.  But the times, they have a’ changed.  If Jeter is an all-timer, so are Bonds, Clemens and Schilling from this viewpoint.

 

  • Put your personal feelings aside.  Based on their merit within the sport they played, they dominated as per the rules of the day.  Schilling hasn’t entered any PED discussion – and his politics or his business acumen aren’t a reason to keep him out, either.

 

  • As I’ve said many times, a Hall of Fame is a snapshot into history – both good and bad.  You can’t erase history because it doesn’t suit you, or your personal beliefs.

 

  • David Duke’s coming out party against Creighton, with a career high 36 points, was great to see.  Aggressiveness in scoring needs to be a bigger part of his game.  Now, if he could find some teammates who could also score…just sayin’.

 

  • Without a doubt, the Friars are in their toughest stretch of the season and have yet again another opportunity for a major strike in their favor Saturday against #9 Villanova at the Dunk.  Must win?

 

  • If they still hope to be playing in mid-March, I’d say so.

 

  • But it won’t end the season if they don’t win.  The schedule from here will certainly have other chances, with road games at Butler, Villanova and home games against Seton Hall and Creighton.  That’s the beauty, and the beast, of the Big East.

 

  • What will it take to dance?  It says here 11 league wins, simply because of their failure(s) to capitalize during non-league play.  Eleven should have them in the mix.  But can they get there?

 

  • Seton Hall is Final Four-good.  Mark it down.  They have all of the ingredients needed to match up with any other team in the country, and the emergence of 7-2 Romaro Gill at center changes an entire approach for any team facing the Pirates.

 

  • You want a big dog in the Big East?  Seton Hall is 7-0 to start league play for the first time in the now-41-year history of the conference.

 

  • Marquette’s Markus Howard has nine games of 30 or more points this season, as he continues to lead the Big East and the country in scoring.  Can he be #1 in points, but NOT be the Player of the Year?  We may find out.

 

  • TWITBE Episode 3 features Xavier head coach Travis Steele, Providence’s Alpha Diallo and former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese this week.  Catch it on Westwood One radio, on Sirius 137, XM 201, Online 964; via podcast with iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay and Spotify; online at bigeast.com and westwoodonesports.com.

 

  • Rhody’s quest for an NCAA postseason slot remains very much in play – but the chances to make amends for any mistakes aren’t as plentiful as what the Friars have in front of them.  That’s just a fact.

 

  • Winning at places like St. Bonaventure this weekend would help. And letting Fatts Russell loose helps too, as he found himself on the midseason Naismith Defensive Player of the Year list this week.

 

  • The Rams are #1 in Atlantic-10 play in scoring defense.  URI held Duquesne this week to just 17 points in the second half.  If you can’t score, at least keep the other guys from scoring, amiright?

 

  • Brown’s Brandon Anderson, perhaps, needs to take over for the Bears as they hit a crucial point in their basketball season.  He’s 2nd in the Ivy in scoring, 1st in steals.

 

  • It’s make-or-break time for Bryant (10-9, 2-4 NEC), with three straight on the road beginning Saturday at Mount St. Mary’s. 

 

  • BC hoops have had their problems, but not this weekend as they retire Troy Bell’s jersey – he’s still 2nd all time in Big East scoring – and bring back Al Skinner, the program’s winningest coach all time, for the first time since they fired him.

 

  • Rutgers reached the AP Top 25 this week for the first time in 41 years.  Yes, THAT Rutgers. 

 

  • In other news, Hell also froze over.

 

  • It started out so promisingly, with a huge upset win at Kentucky.  Now, ex-Celtic Walter McCarty is an ex-coach after being fired at Evansville this week.  He’s under investigation for personal conduct that allegedly violated Title IX laws. 

 

  • Did you see the Kansas-Kansas State brouhaha go all WWE?  It was a horrible look – for the sport and the school – with the school needing all the good looks it can get with the NCAA (and the FBI) breathing down their necks.

 

  • Tweet of the Week IV, from The Athletic’s @DanaONeilWriter: “(Silvio) DeSousa can return for the regular-season finale and all of the postseason. Strippers, suspension and the FBI. When Kansas raises the trophy to the soaring notes of One Shining Moment, I hope they give everyone small bottles of disinfectant.”

 

  • The annual NCAA convention is in Anaheim, CA this week, with two topics sure to be discussed – a lack of enforcement, so far, from the college basketball/FBI scandal…and the upcoming, never-going-away issue of Name, Image and Likeness rights for athletes.

 

  • Expect the NIL rights to be an on-going issue for another year, until a policy that can be swallowed by all parties is developed.  The story over ‘name’ programs facing sanctions, with the NCAA Tournament likely to field a few of those already under the microscope, is a major concern.

 

  • Hoop Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten, the famed architect of the high school powerhouse at DeMatha in Maryland, passed away this week at age 88.  After a 46-year career, Wootten is one of only four high school coaches enshrined in Springfield and won more than 1200 games.

 

  • Wootten also had more than 150 of his players move onto play college basketball and had a dozen of them also play in the NBA.  And his coaching tree?  More than 20 of his assistants and former players moved onto coaching at the high school, college or pro level.

 

  • The entertainment world lost a funny man this week with the passing or former Monty Python trooper Terry Jones at age 77.  Jones was a major creative force for the Python group in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, with a giant, animated foot stomping the sensibility out of British news, events and culture. 

 

  • Monty Python’s comedic series and subsequent movies (The Holy Grail, Life of Brian, the Meaning of Life) were all irreverent in their style, which made them that much funnier.  They were crazy.  They weren’t normal.  They were controversial.  They were hilarious together – a reunion for a live show in 2014 sold out in 43 seconds.

 

  • Decided that I’d really like to be healthier, and maybe grow my own food?  Trouble is, I can’t find a place that sells bacon seeds.

 

  • Pat sent an email this week with a point-blank question: “Hi John, who do you think will be the next Red Sox manager?”

 

  • Pat:  Here’s my honest answer – I don’t know.  But I imagine that Ron Roenicke gets consideration, and I actually like the thought that Buck Showalter could come in and not give a **** about outside stuff influencing his decisions.  But that’s probably the reason why it won’t happen for him.  Carlos Febles is probably the guy most like Alex Cora that could win over the players – but would he be what this team needs right now?  Here’s a not-ready-for-prime-time thought…Jason Varitek with Dustin Pedroia as his bench coach? 

 

  • Interested in having your questions on local Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions, comments and local stories to jrooke@weei.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...

 

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