By: Gabe Souza, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
It started off so promising.
A clutch opening day win over Cleveland had analysts abuzz on whether they had misjudged the Celtics’ power in the East.
A few easy wins here mixed with very few loses there had C’s fans flaunting their bragging rights up and down Mass. Ave. They could even throw it back in the face of Lakers’ fanatics – World Champion Laker fanatics. And it was all merited.
The green demolished the likes of Philadelphia, Utah, Chicago, Golden State and even Oklahoma City. With only four losses up to Christmas Day, things looked good in the Garden.
But as the yuletide spirit began to grow, so did the anxiety that the Celtics would get coal in their stocking like the had the year before against the Los Angeles Lakers, a loss that ended up derailing their postseason hopes.
Turns out the knots in fans’ stomachs were for not.
By the time Santa finished his rounds on December 25, five Celtic players had scored in double figures – including a near triple-double from Rajon Rondo – and the C’s defeated Superman’s Magic, 86-77.
A solid win. Things looked good. Championship run: still intact.
Then they lost to the perennial cellar-dweller, the Clippers. [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
This past season the Patriots did not perform to fans’ expectations. Fans are yearning for the earlier years in the decade when New England won three Super Bowls in four years.
By remembering those magical teams, some prominent names long gone are thought of once more. One of those players is open to a reunion.
Seahawks receiver Deion Branch told the Boston Herald Thursday that he would be open to a trade that brought him back to New England, where he won two Super Bowls and was named Super Bowl XXXIX MVP.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider has reportedly said while he won’t release Branch, he would be open to trading him.
Branch has responded that he enjoyed his time in New England and liked the coaching staff and players. It’s good to know there’s no ill will with Branch.
That being said, as things are now the Patriots should not be tempted to go after him.
The Patriots could use some help at wide receiver, especially after the injury to Wes Welker, but there are more glaring needs for pass rushers and help in the secondary. Those need to be addressed first.
What really makes Branch not worth going after is [...]

By: Dave Cheng, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
It’s been over a month since the mini craze over Asian basketball player, Jeremy Lin.  After being featured in Time and Slam magazines and on ESPN, the 6′3 senior point guard from Harvard has receded to the back of most people’s minds, if he hasn’t disappeared completely.  However, for others like me, his name will remain prominent in my consciousness, well beyond his playing days.
Though not a Harvard supporter myself,  I’ve become a huge Jeremy Lin fan.  In case you’ve been living under a rock, Lin, from Palo Alto, California, is the star point guard and leading scorer on the Harvard basketball team.  No, that was not a misprint and yes, I said Harvard and star in the same sentence.  He’s the player that has led the Crimson to wins over Boston College two years in a row, scoring 25 against the Eagles this season.  Lin followed that performance, with an even better one against an even tougher opponent; he put up 30 points against the University of Connecticut.  It was just another day at the office for him, so to speak.  As of February 3, he was averaging over 17 points per game, and [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The Patriots defense was often criticized.
The media was harsh on them and their own coach lacked faith in them sometimes, the glaring example coming when head coach Bill Belichick chose to go for it on fourth-and-two with just over two minutes to go while ahead by six points.
Many thought the personnel on the field would see some changes, but now the team also has to find a new defensive coordinator.
Dean Pees stepped down from the job in the middle of January after holding the position for four seasons, and has since joined the Ravens coaching staff (bringing major insult to injury to the Patriots organization as Baltimore whooped New England in the playoffs) as the linebackers coach.
The Patriots still have not filled that void.
On the field the Patriots were not very talented in the secondary.
The linebackers were old, slow, and banged up, and they frequently dropped back to help in pass protection to make up for the sub-par defensive backs. Thus the quarterback had plenty of time to throw the ball and the running backs had plenty of open lanes.
The defensive line was the most productive of the group, although they missed end Richard Seymour [...]

By: Scott Jackson, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Defense wins championships.  Yes it’s cliche, but it’s true.  Boston fans need to look no further than the 2008 Celtics and 2001, 2003 and 2004 Patriots for proof.
Now it’s the Red Sox who are trying to win with defense and pitching.  But will it work?
The short answer is, why shouldn’t it work?  Take a look at the 2004 team.  At the trading deadline, the Sox traded away shortstop Nomar Garciaparra for shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz.  The Red Sox weren’t looking for offense when they made the deal, instead they sacrificed by getting Cabrera, a gold glover, to replace Nomar, a shortstop who couldn’t reach first with his throws consistently.
After the deal the Sox went 42 and 19 in the regular season (they were 56-45 before it), and ended it with winning their first World Series in 86 years.  The always outspoken Curt Schilling referred to Cabrera as “a game changer in the field for me.”
But the approach might not be so successful this year.  On paper the 2010 team lacks something the 2004 group had plenty of: offense.
In 2004 the team offense was led by the 3-4 combo of David Ortiz [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
In the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Patriots open at home against the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of their week four game.
Last time the teams squared off Tom Brady looked like he was returning to form after a shaky start to the season, aided by the return of his favorite target, Wes Welker, who missed the previous two games with a knee injury.
This time a battered Brady, playing with three broken ribs, will have to face the Ravens defense without Welker, who tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and his medial collateral ligament.
The blow is devastating to the Patriots pass-happy offense. Welker led the team in receiving seven times this season, more than any other player. His 123 catches this season were the most in the NFL and set a franchise record, breaking the one he set himself in 2007.
Brady relies heavily on Welker. Without him, Brady’s completion percentage this season drops from 68% to 56% and his quarterback rating drops from 102.9 to a measly 68.9.
The opposing defense will now be able to double Randy Moss, which does not bode well for the receiver who already had been rumored to taking [...]