Wiggy vs. Bradfo: The Birth of WEEI's 'Zeus'

It's a sad day in sports when you can say you witnessed something more embarrassing than the race between Jermaine Wiggins and Alex Reimer. The highly decorated play-by-play announcer Mike Mutnansky perhaps put it best while on the call with his partner and analyst Rich Keefe: "The sport of basketball really suffered today."

Wiggins — a washed-up, ex-NFL tight end who, while with the Patriots, averaged as many receptions per season as Rob Gronkowski did targets in any random two-week span of his career — continued his dominance of the WEEI.com writers by embarrassing Rob Bradford, a self-proclaimed high school basketball star, 11-1 at the ISlide USA facility in Hyde Park.

"This is the high-point (of my athletic career)," Wiggins said after the win. "Forget about 2001 when we (the Patriots) won the Super Bowl. That was a great moment, but there's no better moment than this."

Coming into the matchup, Wiggins was expected to play full-fledged bully-ball, using his overwhelming size (estimated around 300 pounds by Mutnansky) to dust Bradfo. He did that throughout, going 6-for-8 inside the arc, but toward the end of the game — when he was pretty much out of breath — Wiggy relied on his serviceable 3-point game, finishing 2-for-7 from long range.

Bradfo, on the other hand, couldn't buy a bucket. He finished 1-for-8 from the floor and was 0-for-6 beyond the arc. Having recently run the Boston Marathon, expert analysts expected Bradfo would attempt to wear Wiggy down with a quick-paced offensive attack. But when Wiggy showed he was ready to play in-your-face defense in the game's first possession, Bradfo resorted to simply dribbling back-and-forth from the foul-line extended at a methodical pace, hoping that would somehow wear down Wiggy.

"I'm disappointed in my performance, I'm not going to lie," Bradfo said. "Didn't unfold like thought it would. I got to be perfectly (honest). I thought (I) was going to cover the spread. I will say, Wiggy, before he started having to suck wind a little bit, quick hands. Quicker hands than I thought. Other than the acknowledgment that he could basically run into me and knock me down, the quick hands (were) the thing I did not anticipate."

.⁦@jwiggs85⁩ set the tone early as he threw ⁦@bradfo⁩ to the ground. No foul called. Wiggy went on to win 11-1 in the first ever @WEEI ⁦@ISlideUSA⁩ 1-on-1 game. ⁦@MutWEEI⁩ ⁦@Keefe21⁩ pic.twitter.com/2qptwG6ixY

Wiggy's quick hands picked Bradfo's pocket twice, while his size forced another turnover early in the game. Wiggy also blocked one shot, which led to one of his steals. Though after the block-turned-steal, Wiggy, for some reason, thought he had to check the ball. When he passed the ball to his opponent, Bradfo drove uncontested to the basket to score his lone point of the day. That was the only time the otherwise docile crowd questioned referee Emerson Lotzia, who granted Bradfo the point — perhaps out of pity.

"I gave him that point," Wiggy said. "I knew the rules. I had to give him one. … You got to do things for charity nowadays. You know, WEEI does a great thing with the Jimmy Fund, so I figured I might as well do something for charity."

What's next for the newly self-proclaimed "Zeus" of WEEI? Well, Wiggy has clearly shown he doesn't want to take on too great of a challenge, so perhaps he'll try to take on one of the ancient hosts at the station.

"I don't challenge anybody. They challenge me and I accept," Wiggy said. "Reimer challenged me. This was Bradfo who challenged me; I didn't challenge him. Whoever comes (I'll face). I already told you, I am the Zeus of WEEI."

Though there are still two who could create problems for Wiggy: fellow ex-professional athletes Lou Merloni and Christian Fauria — both of whom have just as many Super Bowl touchdown receptions as Wiggy (which would be zero).

"What are we doing with Lou and Christian?" Wiggy started. "Maybe (if) we're hitting baseballs, Lou might get me, but then we're going to run routes. But then again, I might be able to go yard too now. (If) we have a home run derby contest I might be able to get Lou. I mean, Lou wasn't known for his power. He wasn't known for his on-base percentage."

Wiggins then asked what Merloni was known for. Some might say being Nomar Garciaparra's best buddy. Others might claim it was his versatility as a utility player.

"Well I don't know what a utility player does, but Lou, I know Lou would not be able to beat me in a home run derby," Wiggy said.

For someone who claims to be above challenging others, it sure sounds like Wiggy just called out the pride of Framingham.

(Lastly, in case you missed it, Reimer, Wiggy's previous challenger and the station's ace pitcher, took his talents to the hardwood prior to Sunday's massacre. Let's just say Shaquille O'Neal's form at the free-throw line looked better.)

The real talent has arrived: @AlexReimer1. -- pic.twitter.com/1Stesw2qAY