By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The New England Patriots were dealt a huge blow Tuesday as cornerback Leigh Bodden was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
Bodden played 15 games last season as a starting defensive back. He was the Patriots’ most productive player on the weakest unit of a defense that struggled.
He registered 55 tackles and a team-high five interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. New England rewarded him this past offseason with a four year, $22 million contract.
Bodden had missed most of training camp with a knee injury. He had returned to practice last week and played in Thursday’s preseason game against the Saint Louis Rams.
Without Bodden, a seven-year NFL veteran, the Patriots’ already thin defensive backs unit will rely on several young corners that have yet to prove themselves.
The injury means that the starting positions will be handed to Darius Butler, projected to start alongside Bodden, and first-round draft pick Devin McCourty.
The second-year Butler played in 14 games last season, five as a starter, and picked off three passes, one for a touchdown. The Patriots felt confident in Butler as a prospect and were ready to let him, although inexperienced, earn a starting [...]

By: Nicole Battaglia, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent

While the beginning of August usually means vacation time for most New Englanders, it marks the beginning of preseason practices for the Boston College Eagles football squad. 2009 was a solid year for the Maroon and Gold, going 8-5 and making an appearance in the Emerald Bowl against USC. As head coach Frank Spaziani heads into his second year with the program, the Eagles have a good chance to lock up the ACC Atlantic division.

Boston College’s biggest question mark heading into this season is All-American linebacker Mark Herzlich. Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in early 2009 and stayed sidelined for the entire season. He is now cancer-free and determined to make a comeback in 2010, but after a year without football, it is uncertain how he will respond. Considering he just beat cancer; you can assume he is going to approach his final season with BC with the same tenacity. If Herzlich can return to his sophomore year form, coupled with fellow All-American Luke Kuechly, the Eagles could have a very dangerous linebacking core. However, he’s already facing one setback with a stress fracture in his foot, but says he’ll be ready for the September [...]

By: Dan Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
There have been several great third basemen in Red Sox history.
Since 1901 (when the franchise was called the Boston Americans), there have been 46 different everyday third basemen.
Wade Boggs was easily the best. Boggs made eight straight All-Star teams from 1985 to 1992, and won the silver slugger at third six times in his Red Sox career.
In recent years, two fan favorites — Bill Mueller and Mike Lowell — have made great impressions at third base. Mueller won the AL batting title in 2003, and Lowell had a great 2007 season that culminated with a World Series MVP Award.
There was also George Kell — a Hall of Famer more well-known for his years with the Athletics and Tigers — who made an All-Star team playing the hot corner for Boston in 1953.
But in 2010, Adrian Beltre’s stats are quickly becoming one of the best in Red Sox third base history. Unquestionably Boston’s most consistent hitter all year, Beltre has had a career resurrection at the right time for the injury-plagued Red Sox.
So, without further ado, here are the top 10 seasons for Red Sox third basemen in franchise history.

By: Dan Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
It was the one that got away.
In a Red Sox season filled with ups and downs, a depleted roster that takes up an entire hospital wing and gutsy performances from the most unlikely suspects, the entire thing could come down to one horrible inning.
Carrying a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning in Toronto on Thursday, Boston was set to sweep the Blue Jays and head into its tough series in Texas just three games behind the Rays in the wild card and four and a half back of the Yankees in the division.
Instead, Jonathan Papelbon decided to employ his Jekyll and Hyde act again — something Red Sox fans have seen far too often in 2010 — and the Sox ended up losing on a walk-off sacrifice fly, 6-5.
The Red Sox gave up a full game in the race, something they can’t afford to do when they’re chasing the two best teams in baseball.
As for the Rays, who lead Boston by a comfortable four games in the wild card race — they got to look forward to a nice three-game set at home over the weekend against the last-place Orioles. And while [...]

By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
It’s Back!!
Yeah I know, it’s just a preseason game, but football is finally here. Take a break from the literally broken Red Sox, because I don’t know about you, but they are giving me some serious “Can we catch the wildcard?” anxiety.
Try to forget the last time we saw our Patriots in action. I know I don’t remember shit having drunk myself back to a time when we were the kind of team that doesn’t let the freaking Baltimore Ravens man handle us. So, grab some beer, some wings, and sit back and enjoy the beginning-of-a-new-year-anything-is-possible-bliss.
Lucky for our boys, their first competition is none other than the Saintly SuperBowl Champs. This might seem rather unlucky, but the fact is that these games don’t matter. So, even if Drew and his team breezes (I’m feeling quite pun-ny today) by the Patriots, it’s okay because it doesn’t mean anything. All it means, is we got to play against some good competition to help us prepare for the games that count.
Now, I know these games are hard to watch, especially by third when you don’t recognize any of our players on the field. But, exhibition matches will give us [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
With the start of training camp comes the start of a new NFL season. It’s a bit cliché, but every team starts 0-0 and with optimism that they could pull everything together and win the Super Bowl.
Some teams can be more optimistic than others. The New England Patriots are one of them. The Patriots have the talent and organization to be set up to win now.
That said, they are far from a perfect squad. The team is undergoing a youth movement on the defensive side of the ball, have some early injury concerns, and still have some off-field business matters to take care of.
Here are some of the Patriots’ biggest questions that need to be answered for the team to have a successful season.
1. Who will start at cornerback opposite Leigh Bodden?
Leigh Bodden’s five interception season earned him a new contract with the Patriots, but who will the team partner with him?
The two leading candidates are second-year corner Darius Butler and first-round draft pick Devin McCourty.
Butler played in 14 games last season, registering 33 tackles and three interceptions, including returning one for a touchdown.
McCourty is extremely versatile and could play a big role on special [...]

By Dan Massar: YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
If only it was 2000.
Not because that was the summer of the first  season of “Survivor.”  Not because it gave us the epic drama that was Bush vs. Gore.  And not because it gave us Julia Roberts showing off her goods in Erin Brockovich.
Too bad it’s not 2000 for the sake of the Boston Celtics because they just signed NBA icon and future Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to a two year contract.  He’s 38 years old now and has played 18 NBA seasons.  Ten years ago he was in the middle of his prime and was the best player on the planet.
Now he is a serviceable big man who gives the Celtics another big body to fill in for the injured Kendrick Perkins.  If his first name wasn’t Shaq, this move would be seen as a smart and safe move by Danny Ainge.  Last year he averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds in 23 minutes per game which are respectable numbers.  But when you know these are Shaq’s numbers you begin to reminisce about his dominant days in the 90’s and most of the 2000’s when he dominated the NBA.
Everyone knows Shaq is a [...]