SUPER JUNIOR: Seau even had Clark Kent's hairdo. He certainly appeared invincible - to most.

This is just a sad reflection of the society we live in when someone has the audacity to invade a recently deceased person’s home looking to make a quick score. It’s been exactly two weeks since Seau took his own life by using a .357 Magnum to fire a single, fatal gunshot wound to his chest. It’s taken me until today to jump in the car and drive past his oceanfront property on the strand. I didn’t want to swing by sooner just to see the hundreds of mourners hovering near his homestead, but I did want to drive by simply to pay my respects.

ALL'S QUIET: I took this shot this afternoon as I passed by Junior's home. Note the peeling Patriots' decal.

As a New England fan for the past 40 years, I was both surprised and pleased when Junior announced he was joining the Patriots just four days after retiring from the Chargers in August 2006. A formidable foe for so many years, now he was going to be a mainstay in the middle for the Pats. At 6-3 and 250 pounds, he would be adding muscle on top of experience to New England’s already stout defense. A year later, he helped lead New England to an undefeated regular season and its fifth Super Bowl appearance, only to come up just short of winning the coveted Lombardi Trophy. In the down-to-the-wire, 17-14 loss to the New York Giants, he recorded two solo tackles that day in Glendale, Arizona.

In November 1995, I had the pleasure of meeting Junior and shaking his hand during one of Upper Deck’s annual media retreats. That year’s get-together took place at Upper Deck headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., just a few miles from Seau’s home. As a local sports hero, he was asked to join the retreat for an afternoon to participate in a special holographic presentation put on by former Upper Deck vice president, Warren Molee. Seau was the guest guinea pig, so to speak, as he happily sat on a rotating chair while Molee shot holographic images of the then-Chargers standout. It was another ground-breaking industry innovation that Upper Deck was introducing on its football trading cards and Junior Seau was the featured star. With his chiseled muscles and curly tufts of jet black hair, he almost resembled Superman. And to many folks, he was.

But even Superman had his demons. Rest in peace, Junior.

SURF DADDY: Many locals say Seau enjoyed surfing almost as much as he did playing football.

Terry Melia is the former longtime Public Relations Manager for the Upper Deck Company and a freelance writer living in San Diego. 

This is not the only way in which MLB has improved its social media position. During the Home Run Derby of last year, the league made it possible for players to tweet to fans. They set up laptops near each dugout, as well as allowing players to tweet using their phones. This way, fans could feel closer to the players and the game, even if they were at home playing partypoker. This greatly increased the followers that the players gained, as well as creating publicity within the world of MLB.

As well as all of this, last season saw the invention of the Fan Cave. This involved two fans watching the game in New York, from a tricked-out space. They were joined by players and celebrities, and played host during the game. This concept proved to be very popular with a younger demographic than had previously been prominent among supporters. The average MLB fan is 45 to 48 years old, and the Fan Cave attracted those with an average age of 30. This is by no means the end of the social media development that the MLB will be involved with and as a result of this, its publicity and number of supporters can only grow.

NICE JOB 'TEK: The Captain often received congratulations from the Red Sox bench.

As the longtime catcher of the Red Sox, “Tek” was the guiding light for Boston’s pitching corps – from his unheralded arrival in 1997 until his emotional retirement announcement last Thursday at jetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, the site of Boston’s new spring training digs. A rugged, durable backstop for 14 years in Beantown, Varitek was a two-time World Series Champion (’04 and ’07) and a three-time AL All-Star who caught an MLB record four no-hitters. If Dustin Pedroia is the heart of the Red Sox and David Ortiz is the soul, then Varitek was the glue that held the team together.

LENDING AN EAR: Varitek, here listening to Curt Schilling, always had time for his pitchers.

He earned his only Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in ’05, and caught the most games in Red Sox history (1,488). The latter accomplishment is all the more impressive when one considers that Red Sox Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk caught 990 games for Boston before moving on to play for the other Sox in Chicago. Lastly, Varitek was named team captain of the Red Sox after the memorable 2004 campaign, becoming just the third player since 1923 (following Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice) to earn the distinction. He would wear the coveted “C” above his heart over the next seven seasons.

For all he accomplished in Boston, Varitek’s legacy was forever etched in the hearts of Red Sox fans everywhere by what he did during one fateful afternoon in 2004 against the Evil Empire. It was Varitek alone who was able to awaken the listless giant in red socks who had taken one too many shots to the chin from its pinstriped AL East nemesis. With the season’s second half underway, the Red Sox found themselves battling their hated rivals in front of 34,501 screaming fans at Fenway. The date was July 24, the game-time temperature was 65 degrees and Boston trailed New York in the AL East standings by nine-and-a-half games.

IN YOUR FACE: When Varitek took a stand against Arod in 2004, he turned Boston's season around.

Down by a score of 3-0 with two outs in the top of the third inning, Boston starter Bronson Arroyo plunked Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez with a fastball to the left elbow. As Rodriguez began to loosen his elbow guard on his way to first base, he shouted a couple of F-bombs toward Arroyo. Keeping pace with Arod up the first base line was Varitek. As Arod’s angry shouts at Arroyo got louder, Varitek wasted no time getting into the middle of the action and telling Rodriguez where he should go.

“I told him, in choice words, to get to first base,” Varitek said at the time. “And then it changed from him yelling at Bronson to [us] yelling at each other and then things got out of hand.”

Still wearing his catcher’s mask, Varitek jammed his mitt into Arod’s right cheek, grabbed a single-leg takedown and a benches-clearing brawl ensued. When all the dust had settled, both Varitek and Rodriguez had been ejected and Yankee starter Tanyon Sturtze was left dazed and confused. But it’s what happened over the next six innings that defined the Red Sox as a team that season and started them on their way toward making baseball history. With Varitek’s take-no-prisoners approach, the Sox battled back to take a 4-3 lead, before surrendering six more runs in the sixth. Down 9-4, they fought back to win the game, 11-10, in dramatic fashion when third baseman Bill Mueller launched a walkoff, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. In Boston lore, it was a baseball game to remember.

LISTEN UP: During the '07 season, 'Tek provided plenty of advice for closer Jonathan Papelbon.

From that point on, the Red Sox posted the best record in the majors, going 21-7 in August and 18-10 in September to finish at 98-64. Their sprint to the finish was good enough to earn the AL Wild-Card, winding up just three games behind the AL East Champion Yankees. After dispensing of the Anaheim Angels in three games in the ALDS, the Sox found themselves facing the Yankees for the pennant. In what would go down as the greatest postseason comeback in MLB history, the Red Sox climbed back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win the ALCS in record-breaking fashion over the Yankees. Many baseball historians still point to Varitek’s impromptu fist-to-cuffs from July 24 as the turning point of the Red Sox season.

Although his bat was rarely a worry for most opponents (.256 career batting average, 193 home runs), it’s what ‘Tek did behind the plate that will be missed most of all. His mastery of Boston’s pitching staff, his expertise in calling games and his ability to calm pitchers in crucial situations can not be taught. He blocked the plate better than most and he caught many of the game’s greatest hurlers including Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett. Baseball was instinctual for Varitek and Boston’s current trifecta of up-and-coming catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Kelly Shoppach and Ryan Lavarnway can only hope to come close to duplicating what No. 33 did so well for 14 heart-pounding seasons.

Captain, my captain, I salute you. You will be missed.

SWITCH-HITTING: I watched 'Tek take batting practice during my on-field visit to Anaheim in 2007.

Terry Melia is the former longtime Public Relations Manager for the Upper Deck Company and a freelance writer living in San Diego. His prose will be filling this Blog as often as he can spin them.

As a frequent follower of NBA action, I saw each of the box scores for Lin’s first three eye-popping games as a contributing member of the New York Knicks’ lineup. He tallied 25 points and seven assists against the Nets on Feb. 4; added 28 points and eight assists versus the Jazz on Feb. 6; and recorded 23 points and 10 assists against the Wizards on Feb. 8. His point production on the NBA stage was dazzling, but once you discovered his unusual trek to the starting lineup, the numbers were out of this world.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Lin is schooling players from around the league, seemingly every night.

Perhaps even more importantly, the Knicks were winners of three straight. Before Lin’s jaw-dropping performance off the bench against the Nets, the Knicks had lost 11 of 13 games. Since Feb. 6, when Lin was named the team’s starting point guard, the Knicks have gone 7-2 and now find themselves in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, just ahead of arch-rival Boston. It’s been a miraculous turnaround for the Knickerbockers and the biggest reason why is the guy sporting jersey No. 17.

If not for a whim by New Yorks Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni on Feb. 3 against the Celtics, the 23-year-old may never have gotten any playing time at all the following night against New Jersey and might still be sleeping on his brother’s couch on the Lower East Side. But because fate intervened and D’Antoni decided to give the kid a chance, Lin’s meteoric rise in the Big Apple is nothing short of a basketball “Lin-derella” story.

Granted, Lin’s chance presented itself largely due to the rate of attrition on the Knicks’ roster. Regardless, the second-year player and Golden State castoff continues to make the most of his newfound opportunity. His whirlwind month has included scoring 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers on Feb. 10, and 28 points against Dirk Nowitzki and the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 19. Both turned out to be Knicks’ victories.

In his first nine games as a starter in New York, Lin has averaged 24.5 points. This is in sharp contrast to his stats at either Harvard (12.9 points per game) or Golden State (29 games, no starts, 2.6 points per game). In fact, Lin’s totals of 89, 109 and 136 points, respectively, in his first three, four and five career NBA starts, represent the most by any player since the ABA and NBA merger took place (1976-77). By comparison, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James averaged 16.2 points through his first nine NBA starts, while Celtics icon Paul “The Truth” Pierce averaged 19.8 points.

THE CLOTHESLINE: Opponents are finding it extremely difficult to contain Lin out on the court.

It’s a good thing the Knicks claimed the 6-foot-3 Lin off waivers on Dec. 27, 2011, as a backup. For a guy who received no athletic scholarship offers out of high school and went undrafted out of college, he certainly defines a “Lin-credible” case of dogged perseverance. With apologies to Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lin is the new straw that stirs the drink in New York City.

The Knicks (16-17) host the Atlanta Hawks (19-13) tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. Watch the “Lin-sanity” for yourself and see what everybody’s talking about around the water cooler these days.

Terry Melia is the former longtime Public Relations Manager for the Upper Deck Company and a freelance writer living in San Diego. His prose will be filling this Blog as often as he can spin them.

THE EYES HAVE IT: Brady will look to spread the wealth among his many sure-handed receivers.

Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will both play pivotal roles in today’s Super Bowl XLVI showdown, as will Giants QB Eli Manning and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. But the final margin of victory will be the result of a remarkable defensive or special teams play by New England’s often-maligned unit. Throughout this season’s playoffs, the two teams still standing in Indy are there largely as a result of outstanding plays turned in by their defenses and/or special teams.

Sure the two juggernaut offenses are both clicking on all cylinders, but the conference championships were both decided by memorable plays on the other side of the ball. In the AFC title game, Brady provided the go-ahead points with his quarterback leap for six in the fourth quarter, but it was back-to-back stellar plays in the secondary by New England safety Sterling Moore on Baltimore’s final drive that preserved the victory. Ravens’ kicker Billy Cundiff’s ill-timed miss from 32 yards with 11 seconds left simply sealed Baltimore’s fate.

WALK THIS WAY: If Gronkowski isn't up to par, watch Hernandez pick up the slack and then some.

In the NFC battle, it was the heads up special teams play of Devin Thomas that propelled Big Blue to their fourth Super Bowl appearance. At the 11:08 mark of the fourth quarter, with the 49ers leading 14-10, the Giant special teamer noticed San Francisco return man Kyle Williams’s first blunder when the latter accidentally let the incoming punt glance off his right knee thus creating a live ball. Thomas recovered it at San Fran’s 29-yard line, which led to Manning’s touchdown pass to Mario Manningham less than three minutes later.

In overtime, it was Thomas again who capitalized on Williams’ second monumental gaffe. After failing in their second offensive series of OT, the Giants punted back to Williams. This time he fielded the kick cleanly, but after a five-yard scamper up the middle, he fumbled the ball right back to New York into the waiting arms of (who else) Thomas. Even though it was Jacquian Williams who stripped the ball from Kyle Williams, it was Thomas who was Johnny-on-the-Spot once again. Two minutes and 26 seconds later, Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes drilled a 31-yarder to book the G-Men’s flights to Indianapolis.

PATRIOTS SECRET WEAPON: Watch Edelman turn nothing into something on Sunday evening.

That’s why I think today’s bone-crunching battle will be decided by virtue of yet another unpredictable turnover or game-changer. And to go out on an even longer limb, I’m going to say that Patriots multi-tasker Julian Edelman will be the difference-maker. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound punt returner, kick returner, wide receiver and sometimes cornerback, will do something spectacular on either side of the ball which will provide New England with the points needed for victory.

With the Giants less worried about the Patriots recently hobbled tight end extraordinaire Rob Gronkowski, their double-team strategy will go to work on the Patriots other tight end, Aaron Hernandez, and wide receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch. When no one’s looking, Brady will drop back and throw a laser to Edelman for six points. If that particular scenario doesn’t pan out, watch for Edelman to create an opportunity on special teams or while he’s doing double duty as a member of New England’s secondary.

Brady will secure his third Super Bowl MVP award and tie both Montana and Pittsburgh Hall-of-Famer Terry Bradshaw for most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback with his fourth Lombardi Trophy. But the little-known Edelman from Redwood City, California, a seventh-round draft pick out of Kent State, will wind up being one of the most-talked-about players from Super Bowl XLVI. Just keep your eye on No. 11 and let’s see what happens.

Terry Melia is the former longtime Public Relations Manager for the Upper Deck Company and a freelance writer living in San Diego. His prose will be filling this Blog as often as he can spin them.

NO FEAR: Flacco let is all hang out on Sunday, but it was the kicking game that did the Ravens in.

In one of the most hotly contested, grind-it-out football games of the season, the No. 1 seeded New England Patriots beat the No. 2 seeded Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, in the AFC championship game. The game, which took place in 36-degree weather at New England’s Gillette Stadium on Sunday, was the Patriots’ launching pad to Indianapolis to compete against the NFC Champion New York Football Giants in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, Feb. 5. For the Patriots, the road to Indy was anything but paved.

After a first-round bye and a dismantling of the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos, 45-10, in the AFC divisional playoffs, New England locked horns with gritty Baltimore. Facing the 13-4 Ravens and their top-ranked defense, the high-powered Patriots offense still had plenty to prove. Led by Brady’s 39 touchdown tosses and his career-best 5,235 passing yards this season, the 14-3 Pats averaged 32 points per game. By the same token, their suspect defense was giving up an average of 21 points every week. Playing in the game of their lives on Sunday, the Patriots would need to turn in solid efforts on both sides of the ball.

UP AND OVER: Brady's quarterback leap proved to be the margin of victory for New England.

In the first quarter, Brady connected on six of his first 10 passes. Not horrific numbers, but not up to Brady’s standards. One of his incomplete passes, in fact, was an uncharacteristic overthrow to a wide-open Rob Gronkowski at the Ravens four-yard line. “Gronk,” who set an NFL record for tight ends this season with 17 touchdown receptions, would once again turn out to be New England’s top receiver of the day with five receptions for 87 yards. After failing to find the end zone during their second offensive series, the Patriots settled for a 29-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 5:49 left in the opening stanza.

During the second quarter things got busy. The Ravens evened the score when Billy Cundiff drilled a 20-yard field goal just 39 seconds in. Less than four minutes later, New England took the lead again on a seven-yard run off right tackle by Benjarvis Green-Ellis. The Ravens were thinking pass when Brady made a delayed handoff to Green-Ellis that fooled even middle linebacker Ray Lewis. Flacco returned the favor to even the score once again with 6:03 remaining in the half on a perfectly thrown six-yard bullet to seldom-used tight end Dennis Pitta. It was like watching a championship prizefight unfold on the gridiron as both sides responded with well-designed plays.

The Patriots got the ball back at their own 20-yard line and Brady immediately marched them down field. Five of his first six plays were pass completions to the likes of Gronkowski, Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez. Three straight incompletes, however, left the Pats with fourth down and 10 yards to go from the Ravens’ 17-yard-line. Gostkowski jogged in and promptly put the pigskin through the uprights to give the lead back to New England, 13-10, with three minutes left in the half.

Immediately following the field goal, Lewis could be seen walking up and down his own sideline trying to pump up his defensive teammates. “Field goals ain’t gonna beat us,” he yelled at anyone within earshot. “Field goals ain’t gonna beat us.” Ironically, that statement would come back to haunt his team in the second half.

THREE FOR THREE: On a crucial day when he had to be, Gostkowski was perfect from the field.

The third quarter began with New England taking a touchback and starting from its own 20. Brady and company would eat up nearly six minutes on the clock with a 14-play drive that culminated with yet another field goal, a 24-yarder, from Gostkowski. Baltimore responded with an 11-play drive that started from its own 22 and ended with Flacco throwing his second scoring toss of the day, a 29-yard catch and run to first-year wide receiver Torrey Smith. Smith pulled down three catches during the game, but none was more exciting than this one, which he walked in on a tightrope with 3:38 left in the third. Baltimore had the lead. 17-16, and the faithful at Foxborough were growing antsy.

An uncharacteristic fumble on the ensuing kickoff by Patriots return man Danny Woodhead gave the ball right back to Baltimore at New England’s 28-yard line. Despite a 14-yard run by Flacco, which put the Ravens at the Patriots 11-yard line, the visitors could not find the end zone and settled for a 39-yard field goal by Cundiff, which extended their lead to 20-16.

Woodhead redeemed himself by running back the next kickoff for 41 yards. Brady followed on first down with a 23-yard strike to Gronkowski, but the six-foot-six, 265-pounder suffered an ankle injury when he was tackled awkwardly by Ravens safety Bernard Pollard. Gronk hobbled off the field and headed for the locker room as Brady continued the drive into the fourth quarter. Once the Patriots got down to the Ravens’ 10, they surprised everybody in the stadium by calling five consecutive rushing plays. Woodhead got them as close as the one-yard line, but back-to-back runs by Brady and Green-Ellis left the ball a little more than a foot from the goal line. On the next snap, Brady kept the ball himself and dove over the line of scrimmage, holding the ball straight out to break the goal line and give the Pats the lead, 23-20.

TAKE THAT BALTIMORE: Brady emphatically spiked the ball Gronk-style following his rushing TD.

Flacco directed the next Baltimore drive to New England’s 46-yard line, but his second pass of the quarter was picked off by Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes and returned 19 yards to midfield. That’s when Brady’s second pick of the day took place immediately thereafter as he tried to go for all the marbles on first down and fired a 55-yard missile that Pollard deflected into the waiting hands of cornerback Jimmy Smith. Untouched, Smith ran the ball out of the end zone and all the way back to his own 39-yard line.

With 7:07 left in the game, things really started to get interesting. Flacco once again marched his troops down to New England’s 30, but couldn’t get any closer and actually went for it on fourth-and six from the 33-yard-line. Extreme pressure applied by Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork, however, forced Flacco to wind up airmailing the ball out of bounds. The Patriots took over on downs with 2:46 remaining, but couldn’t secure a first down and punted the ball right back to Baltimore with 1:44 on the clock.

On the Ravens’ final drive Flacco came out flinging. He launched nine straight passes, five for completions, as Baltimore got as close as New England’s 14-yard line. His seventh pass attempt, on second-and-one with 27 ticks left, was a perfectly placed pass to Lee Evans in the right corner of the end zone. Evans snared the pass momentarily, but a split second later, Patriots safety Sterling Moore knocked the ball loose and it was ruled an incompletion. The Patriots dodged a bullet. On the next down, Flacco went back to the same side of the end zone, throwing a line drive to Pitta, but this time Moore knocked the pass down and suddenly Baltimore was facing fourth down with 15 seconds remaining.

In jogged Cundiff to do what he had done so many times before: kick another field goal from inside 40 yards to force overtime. On the season, he was 10-of-12 from between 30 and 39 yards. But this is when things went awry for the Ravens. Cundiff’s kick sailed wide left, clearly missing the uprights. The entire Ravens sideline gasped and stood in disbelief with jaws wide open. Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh could only mutter: “He missed it.”

WIDE LEFT: While Cundiff (7) was heading home, Wilfork was leading New England's victory dance.

In a game that saw Flacco and Brady match one another with the same number of pass attempts (36) and completions (22), it was Flacco who threw for more yards (306 to 239). Flacco also threw for two touchdowns while Brady was held scoreless through the air for the first time in 18 postseason games.

As a result of Cundiff’s rare miss, the Patriots were given one of the rarest gifts of all: A ticket to Indy to compete in their fifth Super Bowl since 2001. It will also be a chance at redemption as they face the New York Giants, the same team that beat them in Super Bowl XLII, 17-14, in Glendale, Arizona. For Brady, one of seven Patriots returning from that game, it’s been a long time coming.

Terry Melia is the former longtime Public Relations Manager for the Upper Deck Company and a freelance writer living in San Diego. His prose will be filling this Blog as often as he can spin them.

RECORD SETTING: Brady was at his best with six TD passes against the visiting Broncos on Saturday night.

In one of the most lopsided AFC Divisional playoff games in recent memory, the Patriots, led by Tom Brady’s precise passing, silenced Tebow-mania by building an insurmountable 35-7 lead at intermission. In fact, Brady had more touchdown passes (five) in the first 30 minutes than Tebow had completions (three). When No. 12 finished his aerial onslaught – 26-for-34, 363 yards and six touchdowns – in front of 70,000 fever-pitched fans in Foxborough, the Broncos were busted, 45-10. And in the end, it wasn’t Brady who had nothing left in the tank; it was Tebow.

The second-year signal-caller from Florida, the God-fearing field general who directed a number of miraculous comebacks for Denver this season, played his worst when it mattered most. Coming off last week’s thrilling, 29-23, overtime victory against Pittsburgh, Tebow and the Broncos more closely resembled “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.” In a game billed to be the most widely watched of the playoffs – save the Super Bowl – the result certainly did not resemble the journey. Except for their uniforms, the AFC West Division Champion Broncos were barely recognizable.

STUMBLING AND BUMBLING: The usually elusive Tebow was easy pickings for the Patriots all game long.

After throwing for a career best 316 yards last week against the Steelers in a wild AFC Wild-Card battle, Tebow laid a Gator-sized egg yesterday. The former Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion picked the wrong day to turn in a bad performance. He completed just nine of 26 pass attempts for 136 yards – 34.6% completion rate, tied for the fourth worst postseason performance in the past 30 years – and got sacked five times. His rushing stats were no better: 13 yards on five carries and a fumble.

“Any time you’re getting beat like that, it doesn’t change how you fight,” an unbowed Tebow said during the post-game press conference. “It didn’t matter whether it was the first play or the last play or whether we were down by 42. I wanted to be the same player.”

Brady, on the other hand, turned in an evening for the ages. His six touchdown passes tied the NFL record for a playoff game shared by former 49er Steve Young (Super Bowl XXIX, 1995) and ex-Raider Darryl Lamonica (AFL playoffs, 1969). Three of Brady’s TD tosses went to massive tight end Rob Gronkowski, who tied the NFL record for touchdown receptions in a playoff game. Without a postseason win since 2007, Brady and his teammates showed up in full force. With his front line ready to move mountains, he seemed to have all day to find his targets.

“We came in and started fast and it was a big win for us,” said the two-time Super Bowl MVP. “Hopefully next week [in the AFC title game] we can go out and play even better.”

Still licking his wounds, Tebow was asked to sum up his second year in the NFL.

“A lot of ups and downs,” he said. “Overall, it’s been a very special opportunity for me, something I’m really thankful for. There are a lot of things we’re proud of. Obviously, it’s hard to see them all right now.”

Amen to that, Tim.

THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US: New England's faithful were only too happy to predict Tebow's demise.

Terry Melia is the former longtime Public Relations Manager for the Upper Deck Company and a freelance writer living in San Diego. His prose will be filling this Blog as often as he can spin them.

The new, shortened NBA season kicked off on Christmas Day and the first week was filled with a bevy surprises. From the Mavericks’ slow start to the Heat’s fast-paced switch up from the 2011 season, this past week has reminded fans what made them miss the NBA so much and in doing so has created a different look at the Power Rankings to begin the 2012 season.

1. Miami Heat (4-0)

The Heat kicked off their season with back to back blowouts against two quality opponents in the Mavericks and the Celtics. The new fast paced run and gun offense is blowing teams out the water and relying on Dwayne Wade instead of LeBron James for back to back buzzer beaters has payed off in their new 4th quarter success.

2. Oklahoma City (5-0)

The condensed season should benefit the young, fast paced Thunder who look to finally make their pursuit for the championship this year. The combination of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant makes for one of the best duos in the league. The consistent offensive production from Durant who is 3rd in the league in scoring (27.4). And he currently has the highlight of the year so far with his deep fadaway three point buzzer beater to beat the Mavs.

3. San Antonio Spurs (3-1)

Many forget that the Spurs lead the league with the best record last year. The consistent play from San Antonio’s veteran Big 3, as well as the role production from big man DeJuan Blair and newly acquired T.J. Ford, has the Spurs chasing the top seed in the Western Conference and looking to make one final Championship push until the Big 3 is broken up.

4. Orlando Magic (3-1)

If the Magic keep playing the way they do, then talk about Dwight Howard leaving the team for free agency at the end of the year could diminish. With the focus around the Dwight Howard Saga, the Magic have blocked any talk of him leaving out and are looking to chase one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference with Howard still on their roster.

5. Chicago Bulls (3-1)

With all the talk of LeBron James and the Miami Heat, people need to remember that the leading MVP Derrick Rose still has something to say. Rose started off the season in an exciting fashion has he nailed a floating buzzer beater to lead the Bulls to victory on Christmas Day against the Lakers. Is this the year the Bulls finally take the next step and make the Finals?

6. Atlanta Hawks (3-1)

With the signing of seasoned vet Tracy McGrady and the loss of Jamal Crawford, the Hawks still seem to remain where they always are. Every year the Hawks are consistently good but never seem to make it far in the playoffs. This year seems no different as the Hawks have no new acquistions that take them over the top.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (3-0)

Lamarcus Aldridge is slowly becoming one of the most effiecient big men in the league. His production last year was good enough that he could have made the All Star team and he is continuing that success in his pursuit to lead the Trail Blazers into the playoffs this year on his back. The addition of Gerald Wallace has also proved helpful for the Blazers.

8. Los Angeles Lakers (3-2)

Kobe Bryant and the new look Lakers started off the year with back to back to back games and worst of all Braynt had to do it with a sprained wrist. They also did it without the services of Andrew Bynum whow as suspended for the first 4 games. He came back in a large fashion however dropping 29 points in the Lakers latest game. Kobe will rely on Bynum’s presence if he wants to make a serious run to the Championship.

9. New York Knicks (2-2)

If I were the Knicks I would not be too happy with the way the season started. Sure they started off the season on Christmas Day with a victory against the Celtics who was missing their star player Paul Pierce. If they want to be considered a serious threat they must win more consistantly and more efficiently. The addition of Baron Davis who will be able to play in a couple of months should be helpful in the Knicks pursuit of becoming an elite team as well as the addition of Tyson Chandler.

10. Indiana Pacers (3-1)

Is this a fluke or are the Indiana Pacers going to be the surprise team of 2012? Led by all around player Danny Granger, the Pacers are off to a hot start and look to surpise some teams in the East. Granger is balanced out with the strong and consistant play from the new addition of big man David West who bursted on the scene in Indiana. The two are complemented by strong point guard play from Darren Collison, who looks to “pace” this offense into the playoffs.

11. New Orleans Hornets (2-1)

The Chris Paul-less Hornets are off to a start better than what people expected. In trading Paul, the Hornets received a bunch of good players who add depth to the Hornets. They are doing this while also waiting for the emergence of new star Eric Gordon who is waiting to come back from a knee injury.

12. Houston Rockets (2-2)

The Yao Ming Dynasty ended in Houston and with Ming gone, the emergence of big man Luis Scola seems to be what the Rockets are relying on. The Rockets have many skilled players including point guard Kyle Lowry who looks to make a big step in his career this year as he is leading the league in assists per game (11.5). The Rockets also have many players who can score the only thing that they are lacking is depth.

13. Philadelphia 76ers (2-2)

The 76ers did not add any big name acquistions this off season, but they look for the development of their young players to help their success. After they made the playoffs last year, Philly only hoped that their young but talented team would continue to develop. This has proven to work as Andre Igoudala has found a sidekick in Louis Williams.

14. Milwakuee Bucks (2-1)

The Bucks are relying on the usual names to help lead them to the playoffs. Brandon Jennings leads the way for this team as Andrew Bogut also gives the Bucks a solid big man. These two along with the acquisition of Stephen Jackson and Beno Udrih could have the Bucks seeing playoffs.

15. Denver Nuggets (2-2)

This is the first full season that will not have Carmelo Anthony in a Nuggets uniform. As many teams are taking the approach of adding many superstars to their teams, the Nuggets have taken another one, adding a whole lot of good players. With the likes of Ty Lawson, Nene and Danilio Gallinari, the Nuggets look to be more successful without Anthony as they were with.

16. Golden State Warriors (2-2)

In Mark Jackson’s first season as head coach, he looks to blend the scoring prowess of Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry to win games. While it seems that both are shooting guards, Curry has transformed into a point guard giving the Warriors one of the most dangerous backcourts in the league. The only problem is getting the rest of the team involved and bring back the playoff intensity that the team exhibited only a couple of years ago.

17. Los Angeles Clippers (1-2)

No one expected the Clippers to start off the first week with a losing record, but that’s where they stand now as they try to form the chemistry to win games. I think the first step is finding a real shooting guard instead of forcing Chauncey Billups to play it. Maybe trading Mo Will for a good shooting guard could be in the mix? I’m sure the playoffs are in the future for Clippers regardless.

18. Memphis Grizzlies (1-2)

After the run the Grizzlies made at the end of the year last year without Rudy Gay, many felt like having him back would put them in the top spots in the Western Conference. It is still early as they have started off one game under .500 but once they get going I think they could be a dark horse in the playoffs and surprise a lot of teams.

19. Boston Celtics (1-3)

The new additions of Keyon Dooling and Brandon Bass have been successful so far but it is no surprise that the Celtics are at this point with Pierce sitting out the first 3 games. Their offense and defense both looked terrible for Pierce but with a week against the Wizards (twice), Pistons and the Pacers, and the return of Pierce, the Celtics should be back on track in no time. Their main focus is to just get to the playoffs with no serious injuries.

20. Dallas Mavericks (1-3)

The defending Champions are looking anything like that as they entered the 2012 season. The addition of Lamar Odom has proven alright for the Mavs but what can really be seen is the loss of defensive presence Tyson Chandler. Which makes everyone question what the Mavs were thinking when they gave him up. They will rely on Dirk now more than ever if they look to repeat as champions.

21. Charlotte Bobcats (1-2)

The Bobcats this year look to rebuild along budding superstar Kemba Walker. Owner Michael Jordan gave up the teams two best players in Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace. They look to take Walker’s winning ways and develop that into the franchise. But current point guard D.J. Augustin isin’t ready to give up his starting job yet as he is having the best year of his career so far. Gerald Wallace seems to be developing in his own as well as the young team came one buzzer beater away from handing the Heat their first loss.

22. Toranto Raptors (1-2)

The Raptors seem to be a team that has stayed in the same position for the past couple years. Demar Derozen is turning himself into a star and 2nd year player Ed Davis is slowly developing but besides that there seems to be no hope for the Canadian team who seems to be well on their way to a lottery pick.

23. Sacramento Kings (1-3)

The Kings have all the right tools in their young players, they are just sitting back and waiting for them to develop. Tyreke Evans is budding superstar. Demarcus Cousins looks to become one of the best big men in the game and rooke Jimmer Fredette looks to continue his scoring prowess in the NBA. It will be a couple of years until these players develop but when they do look out for the emerging Kings.

24. Phoenix Suns (1-3)

The reign of Steve Nash and the Suns seem to be diminishing at such a rapid race. As Nash’s career is winding down, he is still looking to get his first NBA Champisonship but he will not do so if he stays as a member of the Suns. Once Nash is out, the Suns look to rebuil completely and begin their franchise around a new superstar.

25. Utah Jazz (1-3)

When the Utah Jazz traded away Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan resigned, they knew it was the beginning of a new era. Now led by Devin Harris and Derrick Favors the Jazz look to build around these two but they must slowly wait as they look to get a lottery draft pick after this year.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-2)

When the Cavs drafted Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, they knew they would have to wait to see the team restored to where they once were with LeBron James. They definitely have no shot this year and they too are in the running for a high lottery draft pick.

27. New Jersey Nets (1-3)

Everything about the Nets is changing. At the end of the year they are moving to Brooklyn and they now have a new superstar for them. Deron Williams is doing what he always does in leading the Nets but the emergence of the play of Kris Humphries has helped Williams. The only thing the two have to look forward to at the end of the year, however is to see if Dwight Howard signs with them in the offseason.

28. Detroit Pistons (1-3)

The Pistons drafted Brandon Knight, a point guard and a position that did not need help right away on their roster. I personally think they need to clear out everyone except Ben Gordon and Knight and build around the two. This team has too many holes to fix and it seems as though they are never improving.

29. Washington Wizards (0-3)

I am not going to lie to you I like this team a lot. John Wall is a budding superstar and could potentially be a top 3 point guard in the league. They have a scoring shooting guard in Nick Young and they have valuable role players the only problem is that they are young. Once they get it together however they are going to be a fun team to watch.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-3)

The only thing the Timberwolves have to look forward to is Derrick Williams and Ricky Rubio. The two seem to developing well together and look to add in Wesley Johnson to the mix. As long as they build around these three potential All Stars, the Timberwolves are heading in the right direction.

EASY DOES IT: Brees will set the ultimate season passing mark inside the Superdome on Sunday.

One day before Brees broke the record, New England Patriots QB Tom Brady had a pretty decent day himself. Following a dismal start against Marino’s old team (7-for-19, 87 yards, two interceptions), Tom Terrific caught fire with his incredibly deep receiving corps in the second half and finished the game with 304 yards passing, one TD toss and a pair of one-yard scoring plunges he took himself. The Patriots, who were losing 17-0 at halftime, came back and won the game, 27-24, and when the dust had settled, Brady’s season total for passing yards read: 4,897.

Truth be told, when their heads hit their respective pillows on Sunday night, Brady was actually ahead of Brees by 117 yards. But then again, Brees was due to play his 15^th game of the season the next day. Which all leads me to this weekend’s prediction: When the Patriots host the Bills (one of the few teams to beat New England this year), Brady will exact revenge on the wagon-circlers by not only handing them their 10^th loss of the season, but also by passing for 425 yards. Brady will surpass Marino’s old record as well and wind up with 5,322. But Brees, who will be hosting Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in The Big Easy, will calmly throw for 275 yards. The Saints will beat the Panthers, but more importantly, Brees will outdistance Brady in the end by a mere 40 yards and wind up with 5,362 for the season.

OH SO CLOSE: Brady will give it his all but come up just short of the new passing mark on Sunday.

When football historians look back at the 2011 NFL season, they will have many outstanding accomplishments to ponder, not the least of which will be the returning champion Packers going 15-1. But the achievement(s) which should stand the test of time for at least another 27 years will be that of the dueling quarterbacks named Brady and Brees making history together, one pass completion at a time.

Terry Melia is the former longtime Public Relations Manager for the Upper Deck Company and a freelance writer living in San Diego. His prose will be filling this Blog as often as he can spin them.

Now let’s get this straight I hate the Lakers, I am a Celtics fan but even I can be the first one to tell you that the NBA screwed them with this deal. How can David Stern say with a straight face that the deal between the Lakers, Rockets and Hornets was not fair. But the deal the Clippers made is. The Lakers were given up an all star 7 footer in Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom who is one of the most skillful and versatile big men in the league. Esentially if the trade had been accepted the Lakers only would have had Kobe, Paul and Andrew Bynum, the rest of their team would of suck. Instead the Clippers give up no all stars, a good shooting guard in Eric Gordon, a good big man in Chris Kamen and an average small forward in Al-Farouq Aminu. Leaving their roster with former all star Mo Williams, future hall of famer Chauncey Billups, and all star and future hall of famer Blake Griffen. Oh, an a 23 year old 7 footer who has the potential to be one of the best big men in the game in Deandre Jordan. I think David Stern needs to get his head out of his ass and stop dictating the NBA like he is Gaddhafi.

To me this all stems from LeBron, but I don’t blame him. All this anger about Chris Paul going to the Lakers came from small market owners, most notably Dan Gilbert, the owner of teh Cavs. It seems that ever since LeBron has left the Cavs, Gilbert has had this loud, public outrage to the entire NBA. His rational is stupid. He’s thinking if LeBron wants to join all stars in a big city like Miami, I’m going to bitch to the NBA to not allow any other All Stars to join together. Just because your team sucks and nobody ever wants to go to Celeveland EVER, does not mean you can ruin the NBA.

 How can you be so fearful of a team that your going to ask to veto a trade that all parties agreed to. Stop bitching and I don’t know build your team around someone better than your first overall draft pick who only played about 8 games in college last year. How you decided to pick him first overall is beyond me but thats a story for another day.

Overall Kobe lost one of his best players – because Lamar Odom was so upset that the Lakers would trade him so he asked to be traded (pussy) and ended up with Dallas – lost his wife, not like that matters because he has been cheating on her for the past 10 years, lost half his money – which has to hurt especially when you don’t have a prenup and have a history of cheating – and now his already declining team is going to be even worst because the NBA feared that they would be too good with Chris Paul. LeBron must be smiling in Miami right now.