The First Shot
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Good morning! The First Shot provides you with a healthy helping of links to the top Patriots-related stories around the internet to get your day started. Enjoy your breakfast, your coffee, put off your work (just keep an eye out for the boss), and get your early morning football fix. The links begin after the jump…
- Last night I took a look at another power ranking that has the Patriots as the NFL’s second-best team.
- Musket Fire’s Mike Spell analyzed the trade between the Saints and the Patriots for the 28th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
- SI’s Peter King provides a few interesting points on the Patriots drafting of QB Ryan Mallett. King ties in the increased emphasis on concussion awareness to the fact that an NFL back-up QB may have a higher chance of seeing a week or two of action.
- Tim Graham of ESPN’s AFC East blog has a poll up asking fans what they think the defining moment of the Patriots franchise is. The options are: the arrival of Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe in 1993; Robert Kraft purchasing the team in 1994; the hiring of Bill Belichick in 2000; the drafting of Tom Brady in 2000. Go HERE to vote.
- Speaking of voting, a reminder that fans have the rest of this week only to vote for the next inductee to the Patriots Hall of Fame. Candidates are Head Coach Bill Parcells, DT Houston Antwine, and QB Drew Bledsoe. Go HERE to vote.
- A few lockout-related stories: Roger Goodell spoke with Chiefs fans about what the NFL would look like with no CBA, likening it to Major League Baseball with only a few big-market teams competing for championships every year. Sam Gardner at FOXSports.com has a very interesting look at how the lockout is impacting the day-to-day NFL employees. Many have had to take pay cuts, victims of a situation they have no control over. At the present time, the Patriots have not had to make any cuts.
- In the “wow news is slow with the lockout in place” department, NFL.com has a story posted about Tom Brady discussing his emotions during a draft appearance at an Under Armour event. Brady was discussing why he got so emotional in the Brady 6 program aired by ESPN.