We begin the day after Super Bowl 50 with some potentially momentous news for the Patriots. One of the main reasons for New England's inability to advance to yesterday's NFL championship game was the wretched play of the team's offensive line. And now, in the wake of the Patriots' parting ways with o-line coach Dave DeGuglielmo comes word, according to ESPN, that the club is in discussions to bring back legendary assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia.
When Scarnecchia retired two years ago, after more than three decades in the NFL (almost all of them with the Patriots), he took with him an almost mythical reputation for being able to mold raw, unproven players into highly successful individuals and o-line groups. DeGuglielmo was named his successor, and while the latter may have been dealt a poor hand (the trading of Logan Mankins, a rash of injuries, an influx of new, young players), New England's offensive line struggled to the point that many wondered how different the situation might have been had Scarnecchia still been overseeing the unit.
"Scar," as he was affectionately known, never quite retired completely. He maintained a beachfront home in Rhode Island and continued to assist Bill Belichick's staff with NFL Scouting Combine preparation and player evaluation the past two seasons, and was occasionally seen visiting Gillette Stadium. Seems the long-time coach never completely got used to retirement and might be on the verge of coming out of it again to try to save the Patriots' o-line.
Meanwhile, if you're already looking ahead to next year's Super Bowl LI (yes, thankfully, the NFL is going back to the traditional Roman numeral system), good news! Your Patriots are among the top favorites already to win the championship game, to be held in Houston, Texas, as another ESPN blog post details.
Back in the Bay Area, Tom Brady took part in pre-game festivities last night. The *Boston Herald *was on-scene to chronicle the Brady’s reaction to being back in his hometown with all the other Super Bowl MVPs who were invited to commemorate the milestone game in league history.
"It's pretty tough to describe," Brady reflected in a radio interview beforehand, "because I think, for me, I think about where I started and growing up 26 miles away from here in San Mateo and just realizing the journey of what it all means to get to this point."
The predominantly Denver-partisan crowd on hand wasn't too misty-eyed to see Brady, though, as both the *Herald *and *Boston Globe *recount, and the fans’ reaction when he was introduced was embarrassing to those of us who honor and respect the history of pro football and the Super Bowl.
CSNNE.com also offers an opinion piece of writing and video on Brady being booed, while WEEI.com has some further reaction from Brady about his friend and rival Peyton Manning winning the Super Bowl again.
"I think there is always mixed emotions when you have people that you have competed with and competed against for so long," Brady continued.
With the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primaries slated for tomorrow night, Brady's long-time pal Donald Trump seems to be seeking the QB’s endorsement, as WEEI.com reports.
"I spoke to him yesterday. I'm sure he would if I asked him," Trump said of Brady during a local radio appearance over the weekend.
It remains to be seen who will win in New Hampshire tomorrow, but now that the Broncos are Super Bowl 50 champions, they know they'll open the 2016 season on Thursday night, Sept. 8, and seeing how New England is on Denver's home schedule, the Patriots could be the opponent chosen to face the Broncos in the NFL's season opener, as CSNNE.com speculates.
