Bob Lobel: Brady Taking a Page Out of Trump's Book?

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

This doesn’t feel right, not at all!

I'm not talking about the White House fiasco, although there seems to be a connecting thread that can be traced to the dark side of the force. There has to be some explanation or some information that hasn’t been included that would explain it all.

My first thought is that maybe something damaging to the image of our greatest quarterback ever came directly from Roger Goodell's office. No proof yet of anything, except what is being promoted by TRISTAR productions on their website.

Check it out for yourself and let me know your opinion. Is there a sense of outrage and disbelief that you get when you see the absurd prices that come with this private signing experience by Tom Brady? Is there any mention of a charity that would benefit from this ridiculous event that can only be described as a “money grab” under the name of our local hero of heroes? 

How did this happen? How did Tom Brady and his “people” let this happen? 

Your Last-Minute Super Bowl Betting Guide

Many of our prop bets revolve around these two happy fellas.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Holy cow, it's Super Bowl Sunday! Man, that really snuck up on us.

You see, after doing diligent and detailed previews of every NFL week during the regular season, and breaking down all the playoff games, we're way behind this week. Yeah, I know we even had a whole week off, but Jeremy recently had surgery (he's good, though a little tired, thanks for asking), and Joe's brain was drained from National Signing Day Wednesday.

You can check out all his coverage of NSD here, by the way.

So, we're not going to be able to break this game down every which way like we have, but since we both aspire to be degenerate gamblers, we're going to give you our picks for some of the most interesting bets you can make tonight.

All of our exotics prop bet odds are provided by OddsShark.

Let's get this going.

Our 16 Most 2016 Stories of 2016

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

So yeah, 2016 was really something, eh?

I know most people are ready for this year to end, what with all the celebrity deaths, political vitriol and whatnot, but there were some good things to come out of 2016!

The Cubs won the World Series and the Cavs won the NBA Finals, remember? I member.

Also, SuiteSports.com enjoyed its greatest year ever, though admittedly that came partly because ESPN Boston stopped covering high school sports, which was bad news for pretty much everybody involved with our site, and local high school sports.

Yep, 2016 was a mixed bag, so I'm not gonna give you a best/worst list of stories, I'm just going to give you the 16 stories we did that were quintessentially 2016.

Bob Lobel: Will Trump Get Bob Kraft's SB Ring Back from Putin?

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Do me a favor- Call me when the Patriots play a big game. 

What would that even look like? The Rams, for instance, are impossible to differentiate from any of the high school teams that played on that same field in Foxboro the day before. 

It Ain't Over, But The Map Looks Bleak for Trump

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

"Trump can say all the crazy things he wants, and he won't lose any votes!"

That's a line I hear all the time, and up until about two weeks ago, I believed it.

But the Republican Presidential nominee has gone off the rails lately, most recently implying that 2nd Amendment enthusiasts should shoot Hillary Clinton. That coming after a week-long feud with the Gold Star family of a fallen soldier, a rally where he kicked out a baby, an interview where he showed he didn't know Russia was already in Ukraine, and a different interview where he said women who are victims of sexual harassment should just find other jobs.

Oh, and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough said on his MSNBC show "Morning Joe" that a national security expert he knew met with Trump, and that Trump asked three times why we don't use nuclear weapons.

So, is Trump still Teflon? And, is he bringing new voters into the fold for Republicans?

Welp, the latest polling map says no.

10 Other Speeches Melania Trump Should Have Plagiarized

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Last night, Melania Trump brazenly plagiarized may have stolen some lines from Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention speech, but why stop there?

Check out our video of 10 other speeches Melania should have plagiarized below.

The Lesser of Two Evils

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We hear it during every Presidential election.

Average voters bemoan the two choices placed in front of them, and grit their teeth as they select the "lesser of two evils." It's a tired cliché, usually followed by America electing another President, similar to the last, and our lives go on as usual.

But this election feels a little different, doesn't it?

Bob Lobel: Remember the History of Red Sox Heartbreak

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Where to start?

Kraft vs Kraft? Boston (Bogaerts) strong?  Boston (Bradley) strong? Boston (Brady) strong! Or just very, very strong! Scary strong! 

Why scary strong? Because we are totally sucked into becoming your father's Red Sox fan. 

Caution, however!   

One of the memorable lines in "Fever Pitch" says it all (transparency here; not my line):  “they will break your heart every time.”

They used to, in a city that actually had a parade for the team after not winning the World Series. Yes, we did that. Correct me if I'm wrong. 

SuiteSports Endorses Donald Trump

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

SuiteSports is thrilled to announce that, on this, the 1st day of April, 2016, we are officially throwing our support behind Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump.

In this time of great danger, America is at a crossroads. What this country needs is a uniter, someone that can bring us all together and keep us safe from those who want to harm us, domestically and abroad.

Furthermore, we can no longer afford to hide behind the cowardly shield of political correctness. Americans must be frank with each other, and tell it like it is with regards to terrorism, trade, race relations and gender equality.

Bob Lobel: The Red Sox and Republicans are Giving us Plenty to Talk About

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

In a lifetime of hanging around sports venues and being fortunate enough to be there for some of the most exciting moments, it all pales by comparison to the debates on TV staged by the Republicans. 

Send the kids to bed for the 9 pm start. 

They rate it R, and it doesn’t stand for Republican. 

For people to get in and watch in person, be prepared to be carded. The most frequently asked question has been, “have you ever seen anything like this?” The answer, from just about everybody in the know, is a resounding "no!" 

Of course not, you couldn’t make this stuff up! It is a little difficult to see how America will be great again after watching the arguing of these three children and their adult chaperone from Ohio. 

The only bad thing is, we are running out of debates!

Donald Trump is Going to Win the Presidency, and It's All Your Fault

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Following another cluster of a debate, billionaire business mogul, reality television star, awful wig enthusiast, and sudden voice of middle America, Donald Trump is sitting pretty heading into next week's Super Tuesday collection of primary elections.

Sure, every pundit says Florida Senator Marco Rubio won last night's debate, after he and Texas Senator Ted Cruz came out on the offensive, finally pointing out that Trump has no actual health care policy other than "allow competition over state lines," and no foreign policy other than "be tough and make deals."

But guess what guys? We already knew that, and he's still killing you both in national polls! RealClearPolitics, an organization that weighs and averages most national polls to give a "true" poll, has Trump holding 33.2 percent of Republican voters nationally, well ahead of Cruz (20.3), Rubio (16.7), Ohio Governor John Kasich (9.3) and surgeon/guy who just woke up from a nap Ben Carson (7.5).

Making matters even more hopeless for this clueless Republican field is that, heading into Super Tuesday, polls show Trump leading in nine of the 12 states holding primaries that day. Only Cruz' home state of Texas, Arkansas (though Cruz' lead is a measly four points there) and Colorado (where Ben Carson is leading, because he looks like a guy about to make a 2 am Taco Bell run) stand in Trump's way of a complete sweep.

While Trump has under-performed his polling a bit (see Iowa), it's hard to believe he won't capture at least half the states on Super Tuesday, especially when he's leading by 27.5 points in Massachusetts, 21 points in Alabama, 15.7 points in Georgia, 15 points in Vermont and 10 points in Virginia. Those leads all seem pretty insurmountable at this point.

So, how the hell did we get here? How did a man totally devoid of policy ideas, with ever-changing opinions on social issues, who has lied repeatedly, and spewed hate and vitriol become an inevitability for one of America's two major political parties?

I'm glad you asked. It's all your fault America, but more specifically, it's these people's fault.

The Over Thought Podcast: American Politics

In honor of election season, the gang is over thinking the American political process. Just what is a caucus anyway, and do we still need things like the Electoral College? Plus, this race has been particularly crazy, so you know we had to talk Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and a whole host of current political characters.

So, join Jeremy Conlin, Joe Blake and Joe Parello for another edition of the The Over Thought Podcast below, and be sure to give the new pod a "like" on Facebook.

Bob Lobel: It's NFL Coaching Vacancy & Presidential Primary Season

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Dumb and dumber or smart and smarter?  

The season to be jolly has blown by and now it's time to hunker down and get in NFL playoff mode. Seriously, if there is another voice on the radio that sounds like he is between 15 and 20, and a self-proclaimed prophet, put on some music. 

What is the deal with picking winners based on anything from backup quarterbacks, to injured lineman and poor coaches, to just about everything else? Yes, this is a really good time to get into the winners and losers, but maybe a better strategy is to keep your opinion between you and your bookie. 

Your GOP Primary Power Rankings: Debate Number 4

Marco Rubio (left) and Rand Paul (right) had a heated exchange in Tuesday night's fourth GOP Primary debate.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Mercifully, the Republican primary field is thinning, though not by the choice of any candidates. No, Mike Huckabee and Chris Christie have not dropped out of the race, they have simply been relegated to the kids table as the main event debate stage has been trimmed from 10 to eight participants.

Among the eight candidates left standing, outsiders Ben Carson and Donald Trump looked to extend their lead, while "establishment" front runners Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz hoped to position themselves for a serious run at the nomination. The rest of the field was in flux, but one seemingly lost candidate found his way Tuesday.

Find out who, and check out our Power Rankings below.

Your GOP Primary Power Rankings: Debate Number 3

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The first GOP Debate was great television, the second was a marathon, and the third one left us all pondering one question: Why are ALL of these people still running?

Since we last left our heroes, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker has left the fray, but there are still 10 Republican hopefuls fighting it out on the big stage for the party's nomination (plus a few more polling at under 1 percent who were not invited to the big kid debate).

At the top of the polls sit a megalomaniacal billionaire who may actually be Lex Luthor, and our new leader, a brain surgeon who speaks like he has just been put under general anesthesia.

Basically, 48% of likely Republican voters are currently throwing in with two guys that have zero political experience, and have said some zany things these past few months, and that's in a poll where 13% of respondents said "nobody" or that they were undecided.

Maybe that's why every candidate is thinking, "if I can just hang around long enough until a few more people drop out, I'll have the chance to be heard, and then they'll realize I'm a better choice."

Unfortunately, everyone thinks that, and we still have an overly crowded field, where many candidates are parroting each other on most issues, then spending the rest of the debates engaging in sophomoric personal attacks. That's a problem.

Did I say problem? Sorry, I actually meant to say "amazing TV that simultaneously cracks me up and terrifies me."

Bob Lobel: What to Make of Brady and Trump

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

It might not have been a problem if Brady had came out and stumped for a candidate that was on my “maybe” list.  

However, it did get my attention when I thought I heard on the radio that TB12 was endorsing, so to speak, Donald Trump! They have a lot in common, and much of it may not be how to rule the world. There is the money, which leads to being a true A list celebrity, which both of these guys are.

Your GOP Primary Power Rankings: Debate Number Two

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Last night's GOP Primary Debate on CNN probably didn't live up to the first on FoxNews back in early August, but it did have its moments.

The big stories coming in were the surprising surge of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, and the continued dominance of billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump, along with the falls of "establishment" conservatives Jeb Bush and Scott Walker.

Carson had jumped from just 6% in the polls in late August to 23% pre-debate, and between his share and Trump's 27%, half the Republican primary voters favored a candidate with zero political experience. Throw in upstart Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of HP, and her 4%, over half the likely conservative voter base seems to not value experience at all when electing the highest office in the land.

Would these three "outsider" candidates keep their momentum in Wednesday's debate, or could one of the good 'ole boys get back into it? Find out in our Power Rankings below.

Ed. Note- We have stopped watching those silly JV debates and won't be ranking candidates that don't make it to the big dog stage. Deal with it.

Also, our poll numbers come from a CBS News/New York Times poll released Tuesday.

Your Post-Debate GOP Power Rankings

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Last night was the highly anticipated first Republican primary debate of the 2016 election cycle, and boy did it not disappoint. Donald Trump was in full-on "F-you" mode, Rand Paul pissed everybody off, Jeb Bush went back and forth between relatable and robotic, Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz appealed to their ultra-conservative bases and, somewhere in there, political points were made/earned.

I won't waste any more time with introductions. Here is where I rank the Republican presidential hopefuls after one debate.

Note that all poll numbers come from a CBS News poll of likely Republican voters conducted earlier this week. I have also specified which candidates took part in the 5 pm forum, rather than the actual 9 pm debate.