Oh, goody, another "fist-pumper"--that's supposed to be good, right?

"He was very aggressive on the mound,” Schoenrock said with a chuckle (speaking of kicker Adam Vinatieri's replacement on the Patriots of his days as a college pitcher):

• “He wasn’t afraid to shoot someone down or pump his fist after a strikeout. He’d let you know it."
• I see, after a (1) strike-out, the guy WASN'T AFRAID. Gee, GIVE HIM THE CY YOUNG FOR GOD'S SAKE, MVP, GIVE HIM EARLY DECISION TO THE HALL OF FAME FOR PUMPING HIS FIST.

• "He was like Pap (Papelbon) that way - a fist pumper, no question.”"

OH, THAT'S DEFINITELY PROOF OF SOMETHING, HE'S A FIST PUMPER LIKE PAPELBON AND WHY NOT? THE SNARLING FIST PUMP WAS IN EVERY NEWSPAPER, ON TV EVERY NIGHT, WEBSITES, ETC.

• WITHOUT PITCHING EVEN 1 ENTIRE SEASON AND WITH AN EAGERLY COMPLICIT MEDIA, WE WERE TOLD THIS GUY WAS A GIFT FROM THE HEAVENS (I've documented words to that effect on this blog).

Batters were just seeing him for the first time--he never fought in a single pennant race, nor a single elimination game in the post season going 2 or 3 consecutive scoreless innings. Never. After seeing him for 5, 10, or 12 years--how many more homeruns would he be giving up? Papelbon might've given up more than you can live with from a late inning stopper. More fly ball outs than grounders. I'd be happy to have the guy, just don't misrepresent the facts. Don't say anyone's "the best" after half a season.

• They bought the "FIST-PUMP," a characteristic Goose Gossage pointed out about another late inning reliever (whose success in that role was mostly single innings in the regular season), Dennis Eckersley.

Item about the new Patriots' kicker from an article in the Boston Herald by John Tomase, 1/20/07 about the recent replacement for Adam Vinatieri. The tie-in is the new kicker had the same college baseball coach as Papelbon.

• Oh, and as a pitcher, this new kicker had lots of hit batsmen the article says, and the coach thought that really meant the guy was great.

As a point of interest, following are 3 recent comparisons of Adam Vinatieri to MARIANO RIVERA---no "fist pumps"---from USA Today, the Hartford Courant, and Mike Maniscalco:

• 1. 'ADAM VINATIERI IS THE MARIANO RIVERA OF PRO FOOTBALL"---USA Today, 1/18/07

• "He is the Mariano Rivera of pro football and gives Manning and his coach the same peace of mind the New York Yankees phenomenal reliever provides to manager Joe Torre. Vinatieri has 19 career game-winning kicks and owns a postseason-record 34 field goals, breaking the record of 32 held by Gary Anderson."

• Vinatieri eases the pressure quarterback Peyton Manning has felt the last few years, trying to carry the Colts to a Super Bowl on his back.

Now that dynamic is altered. Vinatieri was not only the biggest difference-maker for these Colts, scoring all their points against the Ravens,

• but he could make all the difference in their bid to cross the Super Bowl threshold."

From USA Today article by Jim Corbett, "Money Well Spent, VINATIERI GIVES COLTS NEW DYNAMIC AS POST SEASON THREAT," 1/18/07

• 2. "Vinatieri, the MARIANO RIVERA OF FOOTBALL..."

• "Vinatieri, the Mariano Rivera of football, will be wearing a helmet with a horseshoe on Sunday."

• Written by Jeff Jacobs, The Hartford Courant, 1/20/07

3. 'VINATIERI IS THE MARIANO RIVERA OF FOOTBALL:"

• "Vinatieri is the Mariano Rivera of football; when he lines up a kick you know he'll get the job done,

• maybe that's why Brady has been so cool under fire by knowing he had someone who could close the game for him."

Statement by Mike Maniscalco, 1/17/07, Richmond.com and Sportsradio 910,WRNL, from the paragraph:

• "Adam Vinatieri might be the most important player in NFL history.

• If the clutch kicker had been in Indianapolis all these years would we be talking about Peyton Manning as a three-time champion and Tom Brady as a good but not great QB? Vinatieri has already proved his worth by kicking five field goals against Baltimore last week. Vinatieri is the Mariano Rivera of football; when he lines up a kick you know he'll get the job done, maybe that's why Brady has been so cool under fire by knowing he had someone who could close the game for him."

EVERYONE IS FREE TO HAVE BIAS AND MOTIVES. I'M FREE TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.

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