Things are getting even fisher in never ending Deflategate case

Joey Chaisson
7/24/15

As we close month seven, and enter month eight of the infamous, and seemingly never ending Deflategate case between Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell, yet another plot point seemingly has developed. As we wait for Gooddell and the NFL’s ruling on Brady’s appealed four game suspension, things are starting to look fishier than they already have been.


As we all know, the whole case has been a runaway train, dumpster fire of an ordeal since the very beginning. The game, the press conferences, reports, punishments and now appeal process have all been shady, for lack of a better word. Just recently, Brady along with the NFLPA, announced that if any games remained on his suspension after the appeal decision, then they are headed to the courts. As you can imagine, that’s bad new for the NFL. 


This new plot point has been sparked by Gooddell. In the beginning phases of the scandal and all the way through to the appeal hearing in late June, Brady was the man in the hot seat, under the microscope. Many said this case tarnished the four-time Super Bowl champion’s legacy. As more days want on, and days to months, people began to come to their senses, thankfully. Now, just about a month since the hearing, this case seems to have become more of an image problem for Gooddell. 


In case you forgot, fresh off Gooddell’s desk were three heavy duty domestic violence cases all from 2013. Gooddell and the NFL were massively scrutinized and blasted by the media and the fans after their The original ruling of a two game suspension to former Ravens running back Ray Rice after he knocked out his finance and then dragged her by the hair out of an elevator created a massive out fire storm towards Gooddell. Now this. 


In a lot of people’s eyes, mine included, Deflategate, among many things, is simply just one big message. It’s a message from Gooddell personally, letting everyone in the NFL, and outside the NFL know — “I’m in charge. No one is safe. Not even Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.” 


The theory is actually a very good argument when you think about it. Logically, three cases of domestic violence (Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, and Adrian Peterson) should seriously have blow a deflated football in a 45-7 blow out game right out of the water. But they didn’t, because Gooddell didn’t let them. Deflategate could have ended a long, long time ago. Instead, Gooddell slapped Brady with a mind boggling four game suspension which he obviously knew Brady would appeal and then the battle of power began. 

It’s almost like this is one of those master plans that villains make in movies that took months of planning. I’m not saying Brady’s legacy is sitting in the palm of Gooddell’s hand, of course not, but what is sitting in the palm of the Gooddell’s hand, is potentially Gooddell’s legacy as an NFL Commissioner.


Lets just say Gooddell rules that none of Brady’s games are removed (which is insane to even think about) and his four game suspension sticks, then yes Gooddell would have completed his objective of, “No one is safe.” However, even Patriots naysayers would whisper to themselves “what the…” if that happened, followed by the NFLPA more than likely winning in court.


Roger is in a tight spot to say the least. If he doesn't give Brady all four games back then NFLPA will have no problem showing up in court, but if he does give Brady back all four games then the Patriots, Brady, NFLPA and pretty much everyone in the NFL wins. The final remarks would be that Brady beat the NFL. He single handily made the NFL back off. 


Obviously, there are a lot of reasons why this case has been as repetitive, vexing, and borderline annoying as it has been. Starting with the lack of concrete evidence, then the suspicious 240 page Ted Wells report that is laced with the words “probably”, “likely”, and “maybe”, to the ten hour long appeal hearing. This new plot point, just stirs the pot. 

The New England Patriots. The most successful NFL team of the new millennium. Arguably the most successful franchise in all of sports of the new millennium too. This era for New England will without a doubt go down as one of the greatest teams in sports history. Since 2001 New England has claimed 4 Super Bowl titles, 6 AFC Championships, 12 division titles, and a 160-47 record with a .774 winning percentage (the highest percentage in NFL history). Unfortunately, with success comes scrutiny.

We as sports fans have seen this before. Whenever a team lives atop the food chain of success they are placed under a spotlight where other teams, the league, fans, and analysts sit and await their downfall. We have seen this with the 90s New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. Not a lot of people have sympathy for the Patriots anymore, due to the fact all they do is win. That is where the scrutiny comes into play. As we all know, the Patriots are on the hot seat for “Deflategate”.

On Tuesday the official investigation report on the matter was released by NFL investigator Ted Wells. Wells put together a 243 page report concluding that “it is more probable than not that the New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules.”

Let’s back up for a second. What was stated above took four months of investigating. Yet, that statement as well as the other 242 pages is weaved and laced with the word “probable”. I don’t know about you, but it’s not much of a conclusion if the word “probable” is at the core.

Another hit line from Wells’ report was “Tom Brady was generally aware.” Again, what does that even mean? Generally aware? There is nothing concrete about that statement at all. Aaron Rodgers had no problem stating he prefers his balls over inflated. Every quarterback should be “generally aware” of the ball status before a game. Unfortunately, due to that vague “conclusion” fingers very quickly pointed towards Brady, and only Brady.

But let’s back up even more and get to the big picture. Over the past two or so years in the NFL there have been countless amounts of cases involving domestic violence, substance abuse, and bullying. Out of all those horrible cases the NFL and the media seems to be focusing most of their attention on footballs that were slightly deflated in one game. Why? It’s simple. The Patriots are THAT team atop the mountain right now. Deflategate aside, it’s been made very clear that America is sick of the Patriots.

Adrian Peterson beat his four year old child with a tree branch which got him suspended for the 2014 season. Yet heading into the 2015 season Peterson seems to be only recognized as one of the league's best running backs, not as guy who beat his son with a tree branch. The same goes for defensive back Greg Hardy who was arrested for domestic violence against his girlfriend in 2014. Ted Wells’ investigation report on the deflated footballs is 147 pages longer than the report on Ray Rices’ domestic violence case. You know, the case where former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice socked his fiance in an elevator then dragged her out by the hair.

My point? How can society point fingers at Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for having slightly less air in a ball while we have men like Peterson, Hardy, or Rice playing in the league?

I can assure you with great confidence that if this same exact situation occurred to the Jaguars, or the Giants, or the Raiders, or any other team for that matter and the league was fully aware of it, nothing like this would happen. Hence the scrutiny. For a team that’s been to the Super Bowl six times in 15 years, and has a quarterback that has more postseasons wins than 21 other teams, this is pure gold. A few days after the initial story broke in January, the NFL’s receiving touchdown leader Jerry Rice admitted to using sticky substances on his gloves to better catch the ball. I really don’t see a difference in situations.

Bottom line: It’s embarrassing and even pathetic that an absolutely incredible career by Tom Brady is being torn apart due to a game that had under inflated footballs for 30 minutes. Don’t let this be how the great Tom Brady is remembered when there are legitimate problems in the NFL. Want to know what Ted Wells didn't include in his report? Two weeks later on February 1, Brady dropped four TDs on the best defense in the league and captured his fourth Super Bowl trophy while shattering 9 Super Bowl records.

As annoying as a comeback it might be, and maybe even childish, for the Patriots it has simply come down to, “hate us, because you aint us.”

The New England Patriots. The most successful NFL team of the new millennium. Arguably the most successful franchise in all of sports of the new millennium too. This era for New England will without a doubt go down as one of the greatest teams in sports history. Since 2001 New England has claimed 4 Super Bowl titles, 6 AFC Championships, 12 division titles, and a 160-47 record with a .774 winning percentage (the highest percentage in NFL history). Unfortunately, with success comes scrutiny.

We as sports fans have seen this before. Whenever a team lives atop the food chain of success they are placed under a spotlight where other teams, the league, fans, and analysts sit and await their downfall. We have seen this with the 90s New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. Not a lot of people have sympathy for the Patriots anymore, due to the fact all they do is win. That is where the scrutiny comes into play. As we all know, the Patriots are on the hot seat for “Deflategate”.

On Tuesday the official investigation report on the matter was released by NFL investigator Ted Wells. Wells put together a 243 page report concluding that “it is more probable than not that the New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules.”

Let’s back up for a second. What was stated above took four months of investigating. Yet, that statement as well as the other 242 pages is weaved and laced with the word “probable”. I don’t know about you, but it’s not much of a conclusion if the word “probable” is at the core.

Another hit line from Wells’ report was “Tom Brady was generally aware.” Again, what does that even mean? Generally aware? There is nothing concrete about that statement at all. Aaron Rodgers had no problem stating he prefers his balls over inflated. Every quarterback should be “generally aware” of the ball status before a game. Unfortunately, due to that vague “conclusion” fingers very quickly pointed towards Brady, and only Brady.

But let’s back up even more and get to the big picture. Over the past two or so years in the NFL there have been countless amounts of cases involving domestic violence, substance abuse, and bullying. Out of all those horrible cases the NFL and the media seems to be focusing most of their attention on footballs that were slightly deflated in one game. Why? It’s simple. The Patriots are THAT team atop the mountain right now. Deflategate aside, it’s been made very clear that America is sick of the Patriots.

Adrian Peterson beat his four year old child with a tree branch which got him suspended for the 2014 season. Yet heading into the 2015 season Peterson seems to be only recognized as one of the league's best running backs, not as guy who beat his son with a tree branch. The same goes for defensive back Greg Hardy who was arrested for domestic violence against his girlfriend in 2014. Ted Wells’ investigation report on the deflated footballs is 147 pages longer than the report on Ray Rices’ domestic violence case. You know, the case where former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice socked his fiance in an elevator then dragged her out by the hair.

My point? How can society point fingers at Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for having slightly less air in a ball while we have men like Peterson, Hardy, or Rice playing in the league?

I can assure you with great confidence that if this same exact situation occurred to the Jaguars, or the Giants, or the Raiders, or any other team for that matter and the league was fully aware of it, nothing like this would happen. Hence the scrutiny. For a team that’s been to the Super Bowl six times in 15 years, and has a quarterback that has more postseasons wins than 21 other teams, this is pure gold. A few days after the initial story broke in January, the NFL’s receiving touchdown leader Jerry Rice admitted to using sticky substances on his gloves to better catch the ball. I really don’t see a difference in situations.

Bottom line: It’s embarrassing and even pathetic that an absolutely incredible career by Tom Brady is being torn apart due to a game that had under inflated footballs for 30 minutes. Don’t let this be how the great Tom Brady is remembered when there are legitimate problems in the NFL. Want to know what Ted Wells didn’t include in his report? Two weeks later on February 1, Brady dropped four TDs on the best defense in the league and captured his fourth Super Bowl trophy while shattering 9 Super Bowl records.

As annoying as a comeback it might be, and maybe even childish, for the Patriots it has simply come down to, “hate us, because you aint us.”

Carlson's Big Shave

Fundraiser to support Lisa Barrett - March 13, 2015

Blog Story list (Senior Spotlight Edition)

-Will Weil (Drummer and got in to Berklee)
-Andrew Hoffman (Eagle Scout)
-Senior Destinations
-Evan Gonzales: Light Director

UPDATE: Bobcat Nation News

We apologize for the inconvenience, but our news shows have gotten larger than the file limit imposed by blogger.com so that we are not able to upload them here. We are working on a solution. Please bear with us until we can resolve the issue.

The 2014 Patriots Roster -- From off season to winning Super Bowl XLIX

By Joey Chaisson

@Joe_Chaisson

It was truly a magical season for the New England Patriots, bumpy at first, but absolutely magical. Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft has spent the last 20 years creating the empire that exists today, and on Sunday that empire claimed its fourth Super Bowl ring after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. It was nothing short of a classic from the first snap to the final seconds. Especially if those final seconds include an interception at the one yard line. CB Malcom Butler, the now Patriots hero, sealed the victory in Super Bowl XLIX after picking off Russell Wilson with 25 seconds left. Butler will also never have to pay for another drink again in the state of Massachusetts again. 

Thanks to Patriots veteran head coach Bill Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the Pats were able to construct a Super Bowl worthy team.

The beginning always starts in the off season. 

Unfortunately, the Pats lost some key players at the end of the 2013 season. CB Aqib Talib, RB LeGarrette Blount, G Logan Mankins, and LB Brandon Spikes were among the most significant losses to the team. After Aqib Talib departed for Denver the Patriots headed to free agency in search for a new corner back, and they struck gold.

The Pats were able to snag the five time Pro Bowler CB Darrelle Revis from free agency. Revis, who is no stranger to Pats fans, or Pats receivers for that matter, was the New York Jets top defender against Patriot receivers from 2007 through 2012. Revis did not disappoint in 2014. He finished with 2 interceptions, a sixth Pro Bowl selection, and only two pass interference calls all season (postseason included). 

The Pats were also fortunate to sign a second corner back free agent. Brandon Browner was picked up to compliment Revis’ abilities in the secondary. In the 2013 season Browner was actually a member of the Seattle defense. Browner only played in 8 games however and missed the Super Bowl. It was a redemption and he did just that by contributing to a strong Patriots defense along winning the biggest game of the season against his former team.

As for the returning members of the Patriots defensive squad, they did not disappoint. For veteran captain Vince Wilfork it was a pivotal season as he was returning from a torn Achilles that occurred only four games in to the 2013 season. Big Vince proved that he wasn't going anywhere and played in every game in 2014 which earned him his second Super Bowl ring. Another Pats veteran is DE Rob Ninkovich. Ninkovich, who reminds many fans of former Patriot LB Mike Vrabel, led the team with 8 sacks and received his first Super Bowl title.

Despite losing a top defensive play caller, veteran LB Jerod Mayo early in the season due to a knee injury, players like LB Jamie Collins and LB Donté Hightower for forced to rise to the occasion. Both Collins and Hightower proved to be a force to be reckoned with and greatly enhanced the Pats D without Mayo. 

On the offensive side, it was a tough loss for Pats fans to see offensive lineman Logan Mankins leave. Mankins, a first round draft pick by New England back in 2005 made it to five Pro Bowls and had been with New England since the very beginning of his career. However, in the trade that sent him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Pats received TE Tim Wright. Wright was a solid pick up by New England as he caught for 6 TDs, played in all 16 regular season games, and served as great second option for Brady if Rob Gronkowski was ever double covered.

As for the Pats receiving department -- it was greatly enhanced after the signing of WR Brandon LaFell. Upon losing Wes Welker to free agency at the end of the 2012 season and cutting Aaron Hernandez, as well as not fully knowing just how healthy Gronkowski would be, the Patriots depth chart was very much weakened heading into 2014. LaFell was an excellent addition to the Pats offense. Although it took some time before he and Brady were on the same page, LaFell slowly but surely became one of Tom’s top receivers and put up career numbers with 7 TDs and 953 yards.

Luckily for all of Pats Nation, the hulking TE Rob Gronkowski returned to the 2014 season in full strength and played in every game in exception to week 17 which was a healthy scratch. Gronk led the team in both receiving TDs with 12 and receiving yards with 1124. Although he started off slow due to still recovering from a torn ACL that occurred late in the 2013 season, Gronk managed to once again put up over 1,000 yards and have at least 10 touchdowns for the third time in five seasons. Thanks to his incredible season Gronkowski was named the 2014 Comeback Player of the Year.

There is the 6’7, 265 pound Rob Gronkowski, and then there is the 5’10, 185 pound WR Danny Amendola. From day one, after being signed in 2013, Amendola had high expectations for Pats fans due to the fact that he was next in line to fill the shoes of the leaving Wes Welker. Unfortunately, that never happened. In both 2013 and 2014 Amendola only caught a combined 81 passes for 833 yards. Amendola had seemed to be a bust for New England. However, heading into the playoffs Amendola began to pick up steam and ended up playing a very pivotal role in the 2014 postseason. In the AFC Divisional game against the Ravens, Amendola caught for 2 touchdowns and 81 yards. In the Super Bowl he caught a late fourth quarter TD as well, a key score that brought the Patriots within a score to Seattle’s lead.

Then, there is the other Patriots little man. No one in New England can forget about the “the most dependable player on the Patriots” as Tom Brady describes WR and punt returner Julian Edelman. With Amendola failing to fill Wes Welker’s spot, Edelman quickly become the go-to man. After a breakout year in 2013 with over 1,000 yards, Edelman went back to work in 2014 with 972 yards. In the Super Bowl, “Incredelman” received the final Pats touchdown which gave them the lead with 2:02 left in the game.

Edelman even threw for a touchdown in the Divisional round against Baltimore! It was the play that tied that game, and will be remembered as one of the greatest moments of the entire 2014 season. The snap was to Brady, then a quick pass to Edelman who paused, found the seams, and unloaded a 51 yard bomb down the sideline to a wide open Danny Amendola. It is the longest pass by a non QB in playoff history.

As for the Patriots ground game, the season quickly took a turn for the worst in week 6 when starting RB Steven Ridley tore his ACL and MCL which ended his season. The Pats were forced to find a new head running back. They turned to Shane Vereen, a Patriots utility man who can run from the back and also catch both short and long passes. Vereen’s biggest game came in the following week against the Jets. He ran for 43 yards, received 71 yards and caught for 2 TDs.

In week 11 in Indianapolis the Pats got to see a glimpse of their future in the running game. 24 year old Jonas Gray ran for 201 yards and trucked into the end zone 4 times. Gray won the Offensive Player of the Week and made it on the title of Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately, Gray showed up late to practice the following day which sent him to the Bill Belichick jailhouse thus causing Gray to see only 24 total snaps in the 5 remaining games he played in. Moral of the story: Don’t test Bill Belichick.

If the Pats wanted a stronger running game heading into the playoffs, they would need another back. Luckily, a familiar face was available. At the end of the 2013 season the Patriots released their bulldozing runner LeGarrette Blount. After seeing only 63 total snaps in 11 games with the Steelers, Blount proceeded to walk off the field before the game against Tennessee in week 11 had completely ended. The Steelers cut him and the Patriots were there to scoop him up. The 250 pound tank scored 6 touchdowns for New England (including the postseason).

Defense, receiving, and running... What have I missed? Ah yes, passing – the 2x MVP, and now 4x Super Bowl champ QB Tom Brady. For the 10^th time in his 14 seasons in the NFL, Brady threw for over 25 TDs with 33 on the year. From weeks 5 through 9 Brady went on a complete tear and was making a legitimate run for the MVP. In that 5 game span Brady threw for 18 touchdowns and only 1 interception. In week 5 against the Bengals Brady became only the 6^th QB to reach 50,000 yards in a career. In the Super Bowl, Brady passed Joe Montana and become the all-time touchdown passer in Super Bowl history. Two weeks earlier, he threw for his for 53rd career post season touchdown which is now the most in NFL history, again passing Joe Montana. Brady claimed a fourth Super Bowl ring which is the most by a QB. He has the most appearances with 6. At the end of the game number 12 claimed his third Super Bowl MVP award, another record tying statistic.

Patriots’ special teams captain Matthew Slater, LG Sebastian Vollmer, RG Dan Connolly, and K Stephen Gostkowski were some of the Patriots veterans to finally hold the Lombardi Trophy for the first time.

Students May Benefit from Later Starts

Sleep.  It is all I can think about: “I need more sleep.  I need to get to bed earlier.” I’ve been in bed before ten o’clock about three times in the last two months.  This comes out to an average of six hours a night, which, as the New York Times reports, is simply not enough.  Adolescents need between eight and a half to nine and a half hours of sleep a night- making us the least likely age group to get the amount of sleep we need.  

Your internal clock, called the circadian rhythm, as well as how long it has been since you have last slept, both affect how sleepy you feel.  When you hit adolescence, the time you naturally begin to feel drowsy is around 11:00, which does not bode well for teens with early wake times.   In fact, as the business journal Alpha Galileo says, waking up early and going against our circadian rhythms can lead to irritability and plummeting grades.  It can also lead to a wealth of health problems, including high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.  Fatigued driving in the mornings is also a large concern, and is equal to driving drunk.

Many professionals agree that the early start times of high school are not beneficial to teenagers, but rather for the way society is run.  Educators still believe that it is sloth, rather than exhaustion, that keep us in our beds in the morning, but starting school at 7:25 a.m. is not associated with any benefits for student performance.  However, when the Air Force Academy instituted a late-start policy for 18 and 19 year olds, grades were greatly improved.  

This isn’t just a one-time occurrence, either.  After conducting a study using 9,000 students in eight high schools, the University of Minnesota found, that students turned out to be healthier and have better grades.  Kyla Wahlstrom, who helped run the study, said that “High schools across the country that have later start times show significant improvements in many areas… Our research provides evidence of clear benefits for students whose high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later.”

So, why don’t more schools implement a late start schedule?  It turns out that there are many misconceptions and myths about late start times that keep schools back, even though many can be dismissed.

In the South Windsor community, the biggest pushback is in the athletics and extracurricular community.  They argue that later start times will make sports teams suffer from later practices and that they will get even less sleep.  However, several sports teams started to perform better.  Wilton, a Connecticut high school, won several state championships after beginning to start school at 8:15 a.m.  Louden High School in Louden county, Virginia, has a top-ranked girls’ soccer team and football team, even though they start at 9:00 a.m.  

Administrators may be worried about the possible costs that a later start time could incur, but many schools found ways to put students’ and younger teachers’ health first while saving money.  Wilton, for example, simply switched the start times for elementary and high school, which was at no cost to them.  The West Des Moines School District saved $700,000 annually by consolidating the amount of buses needed, which allowed them to start school later.  If South Windsor enacted a measure like this, imagine what $700,000 a year could go towards: the arts, sports, maybe even air conditioning.  Not to mention, because more sleep means lower rates of depression, students and their families will save thousands of insurance dollars going towards therapy, medication, or hospitalization.  

High school students do not get enough sleep.  Winter breaks and weekends are not enough to fix this problem, since changing sleep patterns for any amount of time only ruins the chances of having a regular sleep cycle during the week.  Creating a late start would have many benefits for students across all aspects of life, including the overall health and wellness of our entire community.  

Super Bowl XLIX -- What to expect

By Joey Chaisson
@Joe_Chaisson

           

We’re in for a good one tonight, folks. For the sixth time in the Belichick/Brady era the big bad New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl. On the other side are the young guns, defending champs Seattle Seahawks.

The scenario is just all too familiar for a Super Bowl atmosphere. It’s Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and The Kraft family in the biggest game of the year. But, that’s not why this is shaping up to be one of the greatest games in recent Super Bowl history. It’s almost a flashback, if you will, for New England.

Go back to 2001. It was that young kid, Tom Brady. You know, the 6^th round, pick number 1999 QB from Michigan. He was playing in first Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams, a team that would claim a dynasty if they were victorious that night. We all know what happens next though.

Now, the tables have turned. That young kid is Russell Wilson of the Seahawks, gunning for his second Super Bowl ring in just three years. Sound familiar? And who is their opponent? The house hold Super Bowl name, the Patriots, much like the Rams in 2001.

This game could either be the end of an era and the beginning of a new. Or, this game could raise the question: Can the Patriots be stopped?

Here’s what to look for tonight…

The running game: The run game is arguably the most important aspect of tonight’s match up on the offensive side, and maybe even the entire game. Considering both team’s defensives are very well matched, whoever can pick up yardage on the ground will have the upper hand. Seattle’s Marshshawn Lynch and New England’s LeGarrette Blount also match up very well. The two running backs are both big back runners weighing in around 250 pounds each and both find success running the ball right up the gut through the defensive line.

However, Blount won’t be the only Patriots running back you’ll see. Utility players like Shane Vereen who can run the ball, catch quick passes as well as the deep ball could make some key appearances. Let’s also not count out New England’s forgotten hero, Jonas Gray. Remember him? He ran for 201 yards and 4 TD’s in week 11 but after arriving late to practice the following date he has been a near memory for Pats fans. Gray could very well come out of the Belichick jail house and make some key plays.

As for Seattle, their next best runner isn't even labeled as a running back, it’s Russell Wilson. Wilson is one of the fastest moving quarterbacks in the NFL and definitely presents a challenge for the Patriots defense.

The defense: Obviously we've all heard the phrase “defense wins championships”. Well it’s very much true. If your team’s defense has the ability to wipe out an offenses’ running game AND passing game, you've effectively taken them out of the game. That’s exactly what Seattle did to Denver’s Peyton Manning last year in the Super Bowl.

School Safety Precautions

Cassie Pereira

School Safety

Feature

Getting to classes has been extremely difficult for many students throughout the school considering the new changes regarding where their locker is going to be located for the next 4 years. However, is it in regards to student safety?

It has been brought to the attention of administration that they have to start making changes in order to keep the high school organized and safe, these changes included locker assignments for all students. The idea behind this was to make it easier for administration when it comes to dangerous items being inside of a locker.  “This isn’t something we randomly decided one day over coffee,” Principal Daniel Sullivan states, “We need to do a better job of knowing who owns the property.” Many students would share a locker, which would make it harder for anyone to be able to figure out who any of the items belonged to. “People can double book in debates,” Sullivan explained. It was also brought to the attention of administration that other high schools in Connecticut have assigned lockers for students due to safety precautions. “I think we’re going to be in a safety conscious world after the events in Connecticut,” he said. These events being school shootings and drugs in schools. Many schools throughout Connecticut have had issues with safety, Sullivan just wanted to make our school different than the rest and be a more safe environment.

Although these steps may be helpful when it comes to keeping a school safe, not all students agree with it.  Some students believe that it is unfair that they cannot pick their own lockers, and that their locker is placed in an inconvenient area of the school compared to where their classes are. Also, they believe that this has nothing to do with safety considering they do not notice many issues themselves. “My locker is near most of my classes. But I would still like to have picked my own locker,” Freshman Nick Gallasso stated. Many students agree with the fact that Freshman should have picked their own locker, especially because they’re just becoming familiar with the school. “I believe it’s unfair for freshman who cannot pick their own lockers,” Sophomore Sarah Guzinski said. Not only do students think this rule is unfair for the freshman, but they also believe that it is unfair for all grades. “I would like my locker to be in a different section of the school this year, due to the fact that my classes are in a different part of the school,” Sophomore Molli DeRosa explained. “I think that it isn’t fair because some people’s lockers might not be anywhere near their classes,” Junior Jordan Baeulieu stated. Some students may believe that this does not affect seniors however it does. Some seniors believe that it’s unfair for other students, and some seniors still use their lockers. Senior Francis Tarasiewicz claimed, “It’s over the top. I’ve never noticed a drug problem in this school regarding drugs being in students' lockers.” In his four years at this school he has never seen a drug problem with the lockers. Even though assigning lockers may be the safer option, students say it is inconvenient and should be changed.

Sullivan did explain the fact that students have complained about the lockers being assigned. He also stated, “In the future, it is possible that we will change the lockers so that they’re by grade.” If this were to happen, each grade would be with it’s own and people would know each other by their lockers. Also, it wouldn’t be as difficult to see who’s locker belongs to who. This change is not guaranteed, but the idea has been tossed around and it may occur.

Many changes are occurring all throughout Connecticut in order to make schools a safer place for 

students to be in. Changing the lockers was one of the main goal with this process.

The Deflate Gate -- Blown way out of proportion

 By Joey Chaisson

@Joe_Chaisson

After the long wait to hear from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the topic of the deflated balls that were used in Sunday’s AFC Championship game against the Colts, Bill answered with “I have no explanation. I was completely unaware until it was brought to my attention Monday morning.”

Belichick denying knowing about the situation takes the focus off him. Could he be lying? Absolutely. However, we have every right to believe he was not involved and every right to believe he was involved. What Belichick also did in the press conference was direct the attention to his quarterback.

By the end, it was clear the theme was “I know absolutely nothing about the situation, take it up with the QB.”

Was Belichick throwing Brady under the bus? Of course not. They moved Brady’s press conference from Friday to today for a reason. The two men have been together for fifteen years and have done remarkable things with one another. Did I mention that they are 10 days away from a Super Bowl (they’re 6^th one together)? You must have forgotten because the only Patriots stories told now are about deflated balls.

It is definitely in the realm of possibility that Tom Brady admits he knew about the balls -- To an extent.

 It is a well-known fact that every quarterback prefers their balls a certain weight. Earlier this week Aaron Rodgers came out and said he prefers the ball over inflated. So yeah, Brady more than likely likes his footballs on the lighter side. Was Brady in the room when the balls were being inflated before the game? No.

This whole situation has gone on way longer than it should have. Let’s say Brady does like his footballs inflated to the minimum possible weight. Well, the referees did OK them before the game didn't they? And why did it take until Brady’s interception for this conspiracy to come into existence? The referees touch the ball before ever play yet when a player FROM THE OTHER TEAM touches it and says something it becomes a possibility. Don’t referees get paid to make sure things like this don’t happen? Isn't that they’re job?

Brady sure as hell did his job. He beat—HUMILIATED the Colts by a whopping 45 to 7. That’s actually another reason this thing has gone on too long. The Patriots absolutely demolished the Colts. Even Colts receiver Dwayne Allen said, “They could have played with soap for balls and beat us.”

Earlier this week WEEI reported that the balls were taken out at the half anyways. Assuming that’s true, the Patriots outscored Indianapolis 28-0 in the second half.

Obviously there is going to be punishment towards New England. Whether it was some ball boy or whatever, the Patriots cheated. What the Pats don’t need however, is the media creating an image for football and sports fans like “Is the Patriots legacy tainted?

No, the Patriots legacy is not tainted. In 15 seasons New England has been to 6 Super Bowls. The next closest number to that is the Steelers’ 3. To be honest, as more days goes on, and the more I tune into this story, the more I realize “this is stupid.” Personally, I have moved on to Seattle.

Everyone knows how big Rob Gronkowksi is.. But does everyone understand just how BIG his numbers are?

By Joey Chaisson

@Joe_Chaisson

It’s pretty hard not to miss number 87 on the Patriots. Literally. It’s bringing him to the turf that is the difficult part. At 6’7, 265 pounds, tight end Rob “the Gronk” Gronkowski is one of the biggest players both statistically and physically in the entire NFL and has already constructed quite the resume in just his fifth year.

In just 65 games Gronk has managed to land a spot at number 8 on the all-time touchdown list for tight ends. He’s caught 38 touchdowns in his last 43 games which is 18 more than the next highest tight end in the NFL. In the 2011 season he set the record for both touchdowns (18) and receiving yards (1,327) by a tight end. This marks the first time a tight end led the NFL in touchdowns.

Pretty great numbers for just 65 games, right? That’s the equivalent to four seasons plus one game! No, INCREDIBLY great numbers in just 65 games! It doesn’t stop there though.

Atop the all-time tight end touchdown list is the great Tony Gonzalez with 111 career touchdowns which is 57 more than Gronk. The freaky part? It took Gonzalez 118 games to hit the 50 touchdown mark; that’s about 7.5 seasons if all those games were consecutive. Gronkowski? It took him 54 games. Let me repeat that: 50 touchdowns in just 54 games! That’s basically 3.5 seasons if they were consecutive.

Second on the list is Antonio Gates who is still an active player with 99 career touchdowns and it took him 92 games to hit the magic 50. The seven remaining tight ends above Gronk on the all-time touchdown reception list have amassed very impressive careers, but fall short when comparing the time taken to achieve 50 TD’s. In fact, all seven players needed at least 100 games to obtain 50! Shannon Sharpe - 168 games, Jerry Smith - 100, Jason Witten - 170, and Vernon Davis – 116. Every player took AT LEAST 45 games more than Gronk.

In just 3 seasons where Gronk has played at least 14 games, he has averaged 13 touchdowns per season. In Tony Gonzalez’ first 3 seasons where he played in at least 14 games, he averaged 5 touchdowns per season (1997-99). Gronkowski almost triples that number.

Moral of the story: Rob Gronkowski is a touchdown scoring machine. And he can spike the ball pretty hard too.

It wouldn't be much of a surprise if Gronkowski becomes the touchdown leader for tight ends before the end of his career. He is half way there and is only 25 years old. This might be a bold statement, but if the big man continues at his current pace, injury free for the next 10 or 12 seasons, he could also potentially top the entire NFL receiving touchdown list. Sounds like quite the challenge for Gronk, or anyone! But, at 54 touchdowns Gronk is only 142 away. If Gronk can continue to avoid the injury bug as he has in the 2014 season then the sky's the limit.

In two weeks Gronkowski will be playing in his second Super Bowl. Gronk’s first appearance came during his rookie season in 2010 when the Pats lost to the Giants.

Patriots DT Vince Wilfork assists local Mass woman after car accident

By Joey Chaisson

@Joe_Chaisson

FOXBOROUGH, Mass -- It was a night of celebration in New England after the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts in a blowout 45-7. This victory punched the Pats ticket to the Super Bowl in two weeks. This is their 6th Super Bowl appearance during the Belichick/Brady era.

However, the victory at Gillette Stadium wasn’t the end of the night for Pats star defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

Around 12:45 a.m Massachusetts state police officials say troopers responded to an accident on Route 1 in Foxborough and found a 2015 Jeep Wrangler rolled onto its side. Standing beside the jeep was none other than the 6’2, 360 pounder.

Big Vince was standing next to the vehicle and was checking on the driver, 38-year-old Mary Ellen Brooks, of Hanson.

Wilfork didn’t just stop there. As Officer Kenneth Proulx held open the jeeps door, Wilfork reached in with his tree branch arm and lifted Brooks out of the vehicle.

Not much later, Brooks was placed under arrest by Trooper Michael Lokitis and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

As for Big Vince, he is on his way to his fourth career Super Bowl appearance. (all with New England). The Patriots will face the defending champs Seattle Seahawks on February 1st, in Glendale, Arizona.

Patriots steamroll past Andrew Luck and the Colts -- Enter their 6th Super Bowl under the Belichick era

 

By: Joey Chaisson

@Joe_Chaisson

 

FOXBOROUGH, Mass -- Ahhhh man. Super Bowl bound once again Pats fans!! ... What else is new?

Just kidding, well not really. Great win for Pats last night defeating Indy  45-7! Offense was basically, no, WAS unstoppable. Brady looked like his typical 19 post season win self a.k.a did you ever panic when 1-2 came on the field (even though there wasn't much to panic about during the course of the night)? But again, what else is new? Who's this Solder guy? Too much head trauma from being on the line all these years so he thinks he's Randy Moss all the sudden? What drug is Belichick and McDaniels on in order create these gem plays and to fool a defense this badly? Is Wilfork gonna catch a pass next game? Will Ty Law jump onto the field, pick off Russell Wilson then feed the sick while fixing the debt?? What can't this team do?!

And Steven who?? Thanks to our old good friend, LeGarrette Blount, the Pats have filled the RB spot well after the early season loss to starter Steven Ridley. Even though running the ball isn't the only thing the 250 pound beast has been known to run on and (occasionally) off the field, we as Pats fan are still very thankful for his many just pure awesome broken tackles, yards after contact, bulldoze through the entire D line runs, and all the times he has crossed the goal line to put up 6.

Obviously we can’t forget our Dynamic Duo: Gronk and Edelman. While Gronk had a quiet game racking up only 28 yards, but one touchdown, It was our Minitron who stole the show on the passing side. None other than number 11 Julian Edelman who caught for 98 yards on 9 receptions. Edelman has risen to the occasion time and time again, and tonight was no different.

Belichick and crew made it look easy, but again.. What else is new? And serious question time; what the hell record don't the Pats own regarding the postseason? Honestly! It's all I see on the graphics during every game. Different one each time. Brady's touchdowns, yards, wins, Super Bowl appearances, uh everything there is to being a quarterback? Hottest wife too?? The biggest one of today: Belichick's now 21 postseason victories make him the all time leader. In the words of the almighty genius..

"We're on to Seattle."