Another gorgeous morning at camp.  As you know, Welker was removed from PUP and participated in practice this AM, much to the delight of the crowd. I’ve got lots to do in my garden between sessions so here’s the Cliff Notes version of tidbits.

*From the creatures of habit file: Zoltan continues to be the first on the scene in the morning. Chung leads the sprints, and during WR drills, Randy goes first, followed by Welker, the rest of the pack and Holt goes last.

*Edelman recovered from yesterday’s dropsies and had some great hands today.

*When Welker or Moss touch the ball, the crowd erupts.

* Edelman, Faulk and Tate were fielding punts. According to Big Al, hang time was usually 4-5-4.6 seconds.

* Brady and Welker spent some time working together in the other field and Welker was cutting and moving fast. He missed one and being the perfectionist that he is, was pissed at himself, let out a yell and booted the ball in disgust. Brady complimented him for a job well done (minus one miss) when they were through.

*Rob Gronkowski (87) took two laps this morning, one with Matt Light.

*Hernandez is looking sharp and saw a lot of action today.

* During full squad work, some highlights were a Fred Taylor TD in lots of traffic, a Randy Moss Leaning Tower of Pisa catch on the sidelines where he reached well out of bounds to make the grab but kept his feet in, and a nice defensive play by Mayo preventing a Brady to Crumpler TD.

* I tweeted  earlier (http://twitter.com/mrsb) about Randy’s playing up to the crowd when he tossed a ball to a youngster in the stands so that he could pass it to him (after a security guard came up short on his toss).  The crowd went wild and the kid now has his claim to fame story to tell his grandchildren someday

* DBs signed today but Randy made the rounds again, even staying past the horn.  Our friends’ little guy was able to get his Moss jersey autographed which was awesome. The toddler had been looking out for Randy Moss since he arrived on the hill in the morning.

**BB ran sprints after practice, getting his workout in on the field once again.

Heading out for PM practice but have lots to do around here so no promises for a report.

Posted: August 1st, 2010 under 2010.
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Headed back for the afternoon session and as expected it was packed. Boys were back on the field in full pads and Darnell Jenkins (10) participated. The rest of the Puppies were doing their work on the sidelines and Slater, Kaczur and Warren were MIA.

Tidbits for Tonight:

*Brady’s entrance got a huge ovation but Welker enjoyed the largest by far when he was spotted by the crowd.

*During stretches, BB’s sons were playing catch and he went over to talk to them in a father/son moment.

* Once again, Chung lead the group running way ahead of the pack during warmup sprints.

*During drills the boys in blue were practicing fumble recoveries. They began by tackling the dummy then pounced on the balls that were thrown down by the coaches.

*Early on, Terrence Johnson  (43) came up lame during coverage and left the field with trainers.

* When running patterns with 1:1 coverage it’s clear just how awesome Brady —> Moss is. Randy routinely waits until the last minute to put his hands up and comes up with the ball. On one play, it looked like Bodden would be successful in his defense until 81 cut, put his hands up and made the catch. He makes it look too easy…

* Brandon Tate made lots of great leaping catches today… Definitely one to keep your eye on!

* Edelman seemed to struggle a bit today as he had some drops during drills.

*Meriweather made a nice play as Price went deep on a perfect Brady pass, had 31 beat then he caught up and broke it up in the EZ at the last minute, getting a huge roar from the crowd.

*It was hard to see from my EZ during 11:11 because this year they seem to be running two groups at the same time more than ever.  Lots of bodies out there, moving fast!  But,  McGowan (30) picked off Robinson (7) during one series and Chung had an INT as well but I couldn’t see the QB  (7 again?) during that play. On another, play Leigh Bodden tipped the ball and Williams came up with it.

* DL Adrian Grady (65) took the first lap of the day then a rare sight, Brady and Koppen took one for a bad snap.

* There was lots of Red Zone work in the other EZ and offense came up big today (unlike the last few practices where D was dominant.) Moss, Gronkowski (87) and a third TD that I couldn’t see caused lots of vocal hooting and hollering from the White Squad.

* After practice, BB “pulled a Scar” and ran sprints in the far field, something that Dante is known for (and probably one reason why he’s still in such incredible shape!)

* Receivers signed tonight.

Another day of doubles tomorrow.. See you in the AM!

Posted: July 31st, 2010 under 2010.
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Headed out with Big Al early this morning and arrived at camp ready for the 9:30 session. They had changed the time to 10:00 which I didn’t know until I got there but it was ok that I left early because I was able to grab my favorite spot. Part of the delay might have been the David Patten Retirement press conference but more likely because it was just a shorts and tee shirt walk through.

I feel bad for those folks whose only trip out to camp was this morning as there literally wasn’t much going on at all. (Glad I had an audio book with me and plugged in for the practice… )

A couple of tidbits:

* Zoltan was practicing punt fakes and throwing and has a pretty nice tight spiral.

* D-Line was doing some shifts where a player rolled on the ground then got up and into position.

* Special Teamers and QB’s signed today and it was nice that it worked out that way since the kids were pretty darn patient and well behaved during the long morning of nothingness…. Brady did his walk and sign but seemed to take his time and was out there for quite a while. Randy Moss  signed a lot this morning although it wasn’t his turn.

* We got passes to the brunch in the (thanks Mike!) and Ed  Ellis was the Alumnus signing autographs and speaking. It was very nice and he had nothing but praise for the organization with the ability to compare it to the many others that he had been a part of.  It’s nice to see such an active Alumni Association.. Hat tip, Pats!

I’m heading back out for the afternoon session later which should be a normal pads practice.

I also noticed more dates/times have been released since the first posting:

Tuesday, August 3

• 9:30am – 11:15am; 3:45pm – 5:30pm
• Patriots Experience open from 11am – 4pm

Wednesday, August 4

• 9:30am – 11:15am; 3:45pm – 5:30pm
• Patriots Experience open from 11am – 4pm

Thursday, August 5

• 9:30am – 11:15am; 3:45pm – 5:30pm
• Patriots Experience open from 11am – 4pm

Posted: July 31st, 2010 under 2010.
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It’s a gorgeous NE summer day with sunny skies and no humidity. Fans and players probably love it but I’m sure BB would have preferred a “scorcha” to get the guys used to the oppressive heat. Camp was very crowded this morning, but it wasn’t surprising since it was a Friday and there was no rain. Lots and lots of day camp kids took in this morning’s practice. I spent some time yapping with Peg and JD of Patriotsplanet and Mike so my eyes weren’t completely glued to the field.

Here’s my tidbits for today:

* Zoltan was the first on the field again today and when Welker arrived he got the biggest ovation, by far.

* Puppies were skipping on the sidelines again to start off but Aiken was dressed and participating fully in practice today.

*Early on during drills, Brady and rookie Center Ted Larsen (62) took a lap.  I’m sure there is no question who screwed up on that exchange.

* Zoltan was booting some big punts with but pulled a couple to the left. (He’s a lefty and wears an orange cleat on his kicking foot, btw.)

* Big collision of the day occurred in the EZ between Kyle Arrington (27) and James Sanders (36) as they were both closing in to defend against Buddy Farnham (13) who was going out for a pass. It was knocked away, he didn’t catch the ball,  and the two boys in blue crashed into each other.

* LB Tyrone McKenzie (44) leveled Maroney with huge crash of pads during goal line work  and wins the stop of the day award.  Of course it’s good news for our D but not good news for our O!

*The Ghost went 6/7 on FG attempts while the folks on the hill didn’t fare so well.. lol

* As practice winded down, the offense took a team lap, first of the camp season, presumably for their inability to come out on top again over their defensive counterparts during the team portion of practice.

* The D-Line signed today.

I’m not sure if I’ll be making it to tonight’s practice. If not, catch you tomorrow. Go Pats!!

Posted: July 30th, 2010 under 2010.
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Hi kids.. Just in from the afternoon session, grabbing a bite at Red Robin, and doing some shopping with the boy at Patriot Place  so this needs to be a shorty. I’ve got dogs to cuddle and a house to clean.

* The afternoon was gorgeous with sunny skies and a nice breeze. Crowds were lighter than the morning. Once again, guys were in full pads (although since last year, it seems to be the norm for most every practice.)

* It was pretty slow going at the beginning and was very quiet starting off with some field goals early on. Looked like the same group of missing/puppies as the morning (Mankins, Burgess/Welker, Brace, Jenkins, Aiken)

* The crowd woke up during route running, most especially when Tate made a terrific diving catch from Brady. There was no coverage since it was drills but it was  still a beauty and worthy of the praise.

* The highlight of practice was during the pass coverage drill when Faulk lined up with Mayo. Mayo stopped him cold and Fault wasn’t happy and wanted a Do-Over.  He got his wish saying “Let me show you something!”  Sure enough he juked his way around Mayo and got the ball untouched and wide open.

* Mr. Kraft spent some time talking to BB on the sidelines then entertained a group of suits while Mrs. Kraft set up and watched from the grass in front of the VIP bleachers.

* Vollmer took a solo lap while the same combo from the morning, Robinson (QB) and Wendell  (C) took another one together this afternoon.

*During some team work, Moss and Tate worked together as receivers on the outside.

*Guyton must have gotten a pick while they were working down in the opposite Red Zone as I couldn’t see anything except the backs of players, then came  59 emerging through the crowd.

*Fans stood up way too early for autographs and it’s catchy.. once one does, it’s like a wave that you can not only see but hear when they all rise and go to the ropes.

*Most guys did short sprints at the end of practice with the newbies getting in some extra team  work with Robinson at QB.

*When they huddled up, a chorus of Happy Birthday could be heard but I didn’t know whose it was until one of the guys gave Pepper a gatorade shower (of water) when it was through.

* OLine is back to lining up their helmets during their group cool down again… back to normal. LOL

*Running Backs signed this afternoon.

Random fashion notes: Pepper looks like he trimmed down some and Brady is sporting some long shaggy hair.

FYI:  No twitpics this afternoon as my phone battery was dying.  I’ll likely get a podcast up tonight. There was a car show going on in the Bass Pro lot right along Rt. 1 but I’m not sure how long it will last.

Posted: July 29th, 2010 under 2010.
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Day One, Session One is in the books!  My Christmas in July has begun and I’m raring to go! This morning was a rainy one and initially wasn’t too crowded. Once the camp buses showed up and the families came out to brave the sprinkles it got really crowded. Of course, I was in my usual spot on hill and although I wasn’t prepared with rain gear, I was comfortable enough.

Here’s MrsB’s notes for this morning:

* Punter Zoltan Mesko not only has  a great name but was the lone player on the field when I arrived.

* When the guys came out, I immediately noticed #41′s huge head of hair and thought about how much fun the vets will have on Rookie Haircut Day.. Turns out it’s Ross Ventrone, wearing big brother’s old number.

* Puppies were on the field for the stretching and did their conditioning work with trainers on the sidelines during practice instead of holing up in the field house or gym. Welker did some “leash work”  and lots of footwork. The 4 puppies/flunkies started off with some skipping then got into the work. Looked like, 88 Aiken, 10 Jenkins, and 97 Brace were there with 83 Welker.

* Big Vince took the first lap of camp, running during defensive drills. Later, 69 Wendel and 7 QB Zac Robinson took one together for botching a snap.

* Returning kickoffs were 11 Edelman, 19 Tate, 17 Price, and 32 McCourty.

* Andre Tippet took in practice from the top of the VIP bleachers.

* Play of the day goes to Brady to Moss for a corner endzone TD, covered by Sanders;  Biggest catch and biggest cheer.

* Starting corners were Leigh Bodden and Darius Butler with Merriweather and Chung as Safeties.

* Slater was in white and is listed as a WR this year.

* Starting OLine consisted of Vollmer, Neal, Koppen, Light, and Kaczur.

* Defense ruled in Redzone work when Price missed a pass, then Vince and Chung each made a stop resulting in a series fieldgoals.  (Nice hands by the kid on the hill  on the first catch and then one almost ended up in the media tent.)

* Practice wrapped up early, finishing at 11:00. It was Linebackers turn to sign but Randy Moss signed the entire time as well. Looks like Brady exited the field right after practice.

Here’s some random post practice tidbits…

* The media tent was overflowing for opening day.

* The OLine no longer aligned helmets in a row during post practice drills as they had in the past (Jake tidbit).

* 55 Brandon Spikes looks bigger than his 6’2″ and looks like he could be Mayo’s brother.

* Mr. Kraft came out at the end of practice and was talking to Mayo on the sidelines.

* Rookie Cunningham signed for awhile then started to leave until Patricia barked at him and sent him back to sign until the horn went off.

* The Revs were practicing in their field and you could see balls up in the air throughout the morning.

* A little guy put on Sammy Morris’s pads/jersey (assuming it was his son) and was running around until his sister(?) pushed him over and he had trouble getting back up.

* We waved and said hi to TBC while he was on his way in… one of the few players left on the roster that I know.

* I REALLY hope that the baby that fell out of the stroller while the dad was bringing it up the hill is ok!

I’ll be heading out later for the afternoon session and will get a podcast out at some point as well.

I also sent a few twitpics during camp and wasn’t sure how they would come out but weren’t that bad. If you want, follow me on Twitter for future glimpses of my view from the hill. http://twitter.com/mrsb

Posted: July 29th, 2010 under 2010.
Comments: 1

The schedule for the first few days of camp is out and this year, they are starting with consecutive doubles like they did last year. The time between seems shorter but it’s the same schedule as it was for 2009. (I was wrong in my podcast when I thought that they were further apart but I was thinking of the year before as I remember 8:30…)

So, for July  29, 30, 31, and 8/1 the times are:

Morning Session: 9:30-11:15

Afternoon Session: 3:45-5:30

On Monday, August 2nd, there is a public morning session from 9:30-11:15 and the ticketed evening practice inside Gillette Stadium for Season Ticket Holders and Foxboro residents.

Further dates and times to be announced as they get closer.

For those of you who are planning a trip to camp, bear in mind that the day before a preseason game there is typically no public practice as they are either traveling if it’s away or conducting private practice if it’s a home game. Also, in the past, there has been no public  practice on the day following a game.

Your best bet is to check with patriots.com for any scheduling changes before leaving the house.

Posted: July 28th, 2010 under 2010, housekeeping.
Comments: 1