Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Capitals at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN, NHL Network)
NBA: Mavericks at Heat, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Thunder at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: NIT final, Minnesota vs. Stanford, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB preseason: Rays at Phillies, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB preseason: Royals at Angels, 4 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Darrelle Revis

♦ Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis stirred up the Jets-Patriots rivalry Wednesday, calling New England coach Bill Belichick a “jerk” during an appearance on ESPN.

Participating in a word-association game while sitting next to Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Revis paused after hearing Belichick’s name, and then replied, “Jerk.”

When asked to elaborate, he said it was for “some of the comments he says about the Jets.”

Said Gronkowski: “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. … I’m surprised.”

Gronkowski then was given the name “Rex Ryan,” and he said of the Jets coach: “Entertainer.”

Revis also took a shot at his own team. When given the term “locker room,” Revis responded: “Disarray right now.”

♦ Knicks guard Jeremy Lin had lunch with the ESPN editor who wrote the offensive headline that got him fired last month. Anthony Federico told New York Newsday that the two spent some time together Tuesday at a Manhattan restaurant after a member of Lin’s family reached out to him.

“The fact that he took the time to meet with me in his insanely busy schedule … He’s just a wonderful, humble person,” Federico said. “He didn’t have to do that.. We talked more about matters of faith [and] reconciliation. We talked about our shared Christian values and what we’re both trying do with this situation. … We didn’t talk about the headline for more than three minutes.”

♦ Nike filed suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New York, accusing Reebok of using Tim Tebow‘s name on Jets apparel without permission. Nike replaces Reebok as the official supplier of NFL uniforms beginning Sunday, so Nike apparently wants the Canton-based retailer to step aside and let it capitalize on the demand for Tebow Jets apparel immediately.

The lawsuit claims Reebok misappropriated publicity rights, interfered with business relationships and failed to get Tebow’s permission before launching the new products.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 29 of which year did the Bruins beat the Rangers, 2-1, to complete a two-game sweep of the Stanley Cup finals and win their first championship?

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For the final 10 days of 2011, WEEI.com will count down the top 10 stories of the year in Boston sports. Our next entry in the countdown is No. 5: The Patriots’ playoff loss to the Jets.

Check out our previous entries:
No. 10: NBA lockout
No. 9: NFL lockout
No. 8: Celtics’ playoff loss to Heat
No. 7: Patriots’ acquisitions of Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco
No. 6: Jacoby Ellsbury’s MVP-caliber season

Tom Brady was not at his best during the Patriots' playoff loss to the Jets. (AP)

For the 2010-11 Patriots, the beginning of the postseason held a lot of promise. That’s because New England went a league-best 14-2 during the regular season, securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC in the process. For the Pats, it was Super Bowl or bust.

Leading the Patriots to their lofty standing was quarterback Tom Brady. He had perhaps the most efficient year of his career in 2010, passing for 36 touchdowns against just four interceptions, the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history. He also set an NFL record by recording 335 straight pass attempts without an interception. For his efforts, Brady was named NFL MVP for the second time of his career.

But in the way of the Patriots’ path to the Super Bowl was their brash AFC East rival, the Jets. New York had beaten the Colts in the first round of the playoffs and moved on to face the Patriots in the divisional round. It was as an enticing matchup as one could hope for in the second round of the postseason.

The teams split the season series. The Jets beat the Patriots, 28-14, in Week 2, in what was a mild early season upset. In Week 13, New England seemed set on revenge and defeated New York resoundingly, 45-3, in a Monday night game at Gillette Stadium. The embarrassing loss only strengthened the Jets’ resolve heading into their playoff rematch.

To no surprise, the week leading up to the game was almost as entertaining as the game itself, as the Jets fired shots at New England while the Patriots tried to remain composed, although they fired some subtle shots of their own.

It began on Monday, Jan. 10, when Jets coach Rex Ryan held a question-and-answer session with the media. He looked back to the 45-3 loss, saying he “was outcoached in that game.” Never one to hold back his true feelings, Ryan went on to say that the upcoming game was all about one thing.

“I recognize this week, this is about Bill Belichick vs. Rex Ryan,” he said. ”There’s no question. It’s personal. This is about him against myself, and that’s what it’s going to come down to.”

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For the final 10 days of 2011, WEEI.com will count down the top 10 stories of the year in Boston sports. Our next entry in the countdown is No. 7: The Patriots’ acquisitions of Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco.

Check out our previous entries:
No. 10: NBA lockout
No. 9: NFL lockout
No. 8: Celtics’ playoff loss to Heat

Controversial defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth came to New England in a surprising August trade and left after a couple of unproductive months. (AP)

It is hard to imagine that Patriots coach Bill Belichick, with his stern, no-nonsense demeanor, would ever consider acquiring players with past troubles and larger-than-life personalities. But as he proved in the past with running back Corey Dillon and wideout Randy Moss, players labeled as “troublemakers” could come to New England and be successful.

Still, it may have been a surprise to some when the Patriots traded for both defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco this past offseason. Both are talented players, but both had been involved in their fair share of controversy over the course of their respective careers.

Haynesworth was considered one of the top defensive linemen in the league during his time with the Titans, and was even named the Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, when he recorded 8.5 sacks. He was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2007 and 2008.

But Haynesworth’s ability to bullrush the quarterback was overshadowed by his temperament. In 2003, Haynesworth was involved in an incident at practice in which he allegedly kicked teammate Justin Hartwig in the chest and had to be restrained by teammates.

Then in 2006, Haynesworth infamously stomped on the helmet-less head of then-Cowboys center Andre Gurode in the middle of a game. Gurode required 30 stitches from the incident, while Haynesworth was apologetic after the game.

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Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Flyers at Sabres, 7:30 p.m. (Versus)
College basketball: Central Connecticut at Michigan State, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Arizona at Florida, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Xavier at Butler, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Nick Saban has been a success in the college ranks but struggled in the NFL with the Dolphins. (AP)

♦ Former Patriots running back Heath Evans related a story to a Miami radio station that does not paint a flattering picture of University of Alabama coach Nick Saban. Evans was in Dolphins training camp in 2005 when Saban was in his first year as Dolphins coach. Evans said teammate Jeno James collapsed after a practice, “vomiting all kids of stuff that would make a billy goat puke, eyes rolled in the back of his head.” As Evans and teammates attended to James, Saban walked by, stepped over the convulsing player, and, without a word, continued on and headed upstairs. James was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Recalled Evans: “Saban calls a team meeting about 10:30 that night, comes down and says, ‘You know, the captain of the ship can never show fear or indecision, we’ve always got to have an answer, and so I had to go upstairs, that’s why I walked over Jeno like that, I had to collect my thoughts and decide what’s best for our team.’

“And I’m thinking to myself, I think along with Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas and Yeremiah Bell and all these other guys, going, ‘Did he, does he really believe what he’s just saying?’ He showed no human emotion for one of his best players. He literally stepped over him when four or five grown men are trying to carry Jeno to the training room.

“And at that point honestly, you know, I was only there, you know, for seven weeks of that football season before he cut me, and let me say this: That was the best thing that ever happened to my career, because obviously A) they had to pay me, and B) Bill Belichick picked me up and I learned more football than I ever thought I’d know – but that deciding moment kind of right there of how Nick Saban handled that, I think it always showed the team that ultimately he doesn’t really care about any of us players.”

♦ There has been speculation that Los Angeles has been trying to lure the Vikings from Minnesota. On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Vikings, speaking at a hearing before state legislators, said another U.S. city has contacted the team in the past year about relocating, but he did not reveal the name. “We would let that city speak for themselves,” vice president of stadium development and public affairs Lester Bagley said. “I don’t think it’s out place to say who it is.”

Meanwhile, the Vikings announced that thousands of tickets remain unsold for two upcoming games, putting their 142-game sellout streak (including preseason, regular season and playoffs) in jeopardy.

♦ Despite witnesses coming forward to say Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh was driving recklessly when he crashed his car into a tree early Saturday morning in Portland, Ore., police there said Tuesday they do not plan to further investigate the incident, which did not lead to a citation for Suh. Portland police Sgt. Pete Simpson said that because the crash did not involve an intoxicated driver, traumatic injuries or vulnerable road users, it does not meet the department’s investigation criteria.

♦ Magic CEO Bob Vander Weide is retiring after calling Dwight Howard following a night of drinking and pleading with the center to stay in Orlando. Vander Weide acknowledged making the 1 a.m. phone call, admitting he “maybe should have waited until the morning. … Maybe Dwight thought it was inappropriate to talk business after a couple of glasses of win.” Alex Martins was promoted from president to CEO to take Vander Weide’s place.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 7, 1978, the Red Sox traded Bill Lee to the Expos for which player?

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Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
NHL: Devils at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Rex Ryan was caught on video shouting an obscenity at a Patriots fan who was taunting the Jets coach after Sunday night’s game at MetLife Stadium. After the Jets’ 37-16 loss, the fan yelled, “Hey, Rex, [Bill] Belichick is better than you.” Responded Ryan: “Shut the [expletive] up.”

On Monday, Ryan apologized. An NFL spokesman said the league is looking at the situation, and there is speculation that Ryan will face a fine.

“I was emotional,” Ryan said. “It was an emotional time. I was coming in. You know, I obviously made a mistake. I was full of emotion and just popped off. Obviously, I know I represent the National Football League, I know I represent the Jets and I know it was a mistake. And I apologize for it. This is who I am. I made a mistake. I’m about as big a competitor as there is. At that time, I was in no mood to hear anything. But I also understand I have to handle that better.”

Meanwhile, Belichick had some derogatory comments of his own for the Jets, making a snide comment about the Jets’ supposed “best defense in the league” to his son Stephen as they walked off the field. Ryan insisted he didn’t take offense to Belichick’s words, joking that he made a similar statement to his son after stopping New England’s high-powered offense and winning in Foxboro last season in the playoffs.

Added Ryan: “It’s something I’ll bring up to [Belichick] after we beat them in the playoffs again this year.”

♦ The Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday inducted its new class: Joe Nieuwendyk, Ed Belfour, Doug Gilmour and Mark Howe. Onetime Bruins coach Pat Burns, who died a year ago at the age of 58, was not one of the inductees, and that does not sit well with Jesse Spector at the Sporting News — or some of the inductees themselves. “Pat Burns,” Doug Gilmour said at the end of his speech. “We all miss him, the league misses him, and more importantly, we believe he’ll be here one day.”

♦ Joe Paterno‘s name was removed from the Big 10 football championship trophy, in the latest insult to the legendary Penn State coach. With that in mind, Real Clear Sports has a list of the top 10 tarnished legacies in sports. Paterno ranks third, behind Mike Tyson and No. 1 O.J. Simpson.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 15, 1967, Carl Yastrzemski, winner of the American League’s Triple Crown, was named MVP. However, the vote was not unanimous. Which Twins player received one vote?

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Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY FRIDAY:
No games scheduled

SATURDAY:
NHL: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (NESN)

SUNDAY:
NFL: Giants at Patriots, 4:15 p.m. (Fox)

AROUND THE WEB:

Jets coach Rex Ryan plays a Patriots fan who is enthralled with Bill Belichick in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie. (AP)

♦ Jets coach Rex Ryan apparently will do anything for publicity. That includes pretending he’s a Patriots fan. According to actor Adam Sandler, Ryan will make a cameo in Sandler’s upcoming movie “I Hate You, Dad,” which was filmed in Massachusetts last summer. Ryan plays a lawyer who also happens to be “a mammoth Patriots fan.”

“We wrote it in the script,” Sandler told NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen. “He was great enough to be loose and funny about it. He talks about [Tom] Brady. He talks about coach [Bill] Belichick. He’s really cool.”

♦ During a recent episode of “Inside the NFL,” Phil Simms speculated that injured Colts star Peyton Manning would not allow his team to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Asked about it Thursday by members of the Indianapolis press, Manning got in a jab at Simms.

“Yeah, I don’t talk to Phil. Phil doesn’t talk to me,” Manning said. “He did text me after that, saying ‘Hey, sorry to drag your name into this.’ I wrote back, ‘Phil I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He said, ‘Well on my show, “Inside the NFL,” I made this statement.’ I said, ‘Phil, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t watch your show, along with a lot of other people that I don’t think watch that show.’ Giving himself a little more credit than probably was merited.”

♦ Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was beaten outside Dodger Stadium on Opening Day, wrote his name and continued to show improvement in his recovery, his family wrote on his website. “His memory, while often times off, is incredible for his type of injury,” his family stated. “His answers are sometimes wrong, but the fact that they are right most of the time is amazing. Sometimes, we see a difference in his personality but other times, his old self shines through.”

Meanwhile Stow’s lawyer responded to accusations by the Dodgers’ attorney that Stow might have some culpability in the attack on him. “How you are judged in life is how you react after mistakes,” attorney Thomas Girardi said. “Oh so here it is: Let’s blame the innocent guy for the lack of security at Dodger Stadium.”

♦ Sharks captain Joe Thornton apologized for calling the Rangers “soft” after Monday’s loss in New York. “Every couple of years you have to say some sort of bone-headed thing,” Thornton told the San Jose Mercury News. “Usually I’m pretty good, but I say the wrong word once in a while. But no harm done. I just used the wrong word.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 4, 2001, the Patriots beat the Falcons, 24-10, behind a strong defensive performance that included nine sacks from eight players, one short of the team record. Which player led the Pats with a pair of sacks?

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In football as in all sports, season-openers are a time of clean slates and fresh hopes, but they are also a time of unanswered questions. The newest edition of the Patriots will open their season Monday night in Miami with a number of questions. How will Albert Haynesworth fit in on defense? Will the two losses to close out the preseason carry over into the regular season? Will Chad Ochocinco be an integral part of the team?

With the Patriots poised to start answering those questions, let’s take a look at some of the most memorable openers in franchise history to see what types of questions those openers both answered and generated.

Sept. 9, 1960: Who are the Patriots?

One of the most important openers for the Patriots was their first regular-season game in franchise history, a 13-10 loss to the Broncos. The Patriots were known then as the Boston Patriots. They did not have their own stadium at the time, so they played at Boston University’s Nickerson Field. Gino Cappelletti‘s 35-yard field goal gave Boston a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Broncos responded behind quarterback Frank Tripucka, who completed a 59-yard pass to Al Carmichael to push the Broncos ahead 7-3 at the end of the first half. Gene Mingo extended the Denver lead to 13-3 with his 76-yard punt return (kick failed) in the third quarter, and although the Patriots answered when quarterback Butch Songin connected with Jim Colclough for a 10-yard touchdown pass, the Broncos held on for the 13-10 win. The Patriots finished the year 5-9, good for fourth in the AFL East.

Sept. 20, 1970: How will the Patriots do after the NFL/AFL merger?

In 1970, the NFL and AFL merged, and in late September, the Patriots played their first game as a member of the AFC East, recording a 27-14 win over the Dolphins at Harvard Stadium. Quarterback Mike Taliaferro threw a touchdown and an interception, Cappelletti kicked two field goals and Jim Nance and Carl Garrett each rushed for a touchdown in the win. A good start did not translate into a good season, however. The Patriots won just one more game for the rest of the season, and their 2-12 finish went down as the third-worst season in franchise history.

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Dick Williams

Dick Williams transformed the Red Sox in 1967. The team had not had a winning season in eight years, and attendance had dwindled. In came Williams, who turned a nightmare into an “Impossible Dream,” leading a squad of players including Rico Petrocelli, Jim Lonborg, Sparky Lyle, Tony Conigliaro and Carl Yastrzemski to an American League pennant and the organization’s first World Series appearance in 21 years. Though the Red Sox lost to the Cardinals in seven games, Williams and his team had restored the franchise.

With Williams’ death Thursday, WEEI looks back at the 10 most memorable managers and coaches in Boston sports since that 1967 campaign. These men aren’t necessarily the best Boston has ever seen (some were downright awful), but they are the coaches and managers whose personalities, triumphs and struggles left an indelible mark on the city’s sports history.

10. Bill Fitch, Celtics

Although K.C. Jones coached the Celtics to their height of success in the mid-1980s (two NBA titles among four straight NBA fnals appearances), it was Fitch who started the resurgence when he coached the Celtics to a championship in 1981. He was named NBA Coach of the Year with the Celtics in 1980. A former Marine Corps drill instructor, Fitch brought that same discipline and intensity to the Celtics, and Larry Bird would later say Fitch had a strong effect on the development of Bird’s legendary work ethic. He had to win over his players, but nothing does that like a championship.

Fitch went on to coach the Rockets, Nets and Clippers and retired in 1998 with 944 career wins, ranking him eighth in NBA history. It wasn’t always easy, though, as some players rebelled against Fitch’s hard-line ways. Check out this video highlighting an incident with the Nets when Chris Morris refused Fitch’s order to return to a game. Look for a young Doc Rivers toward the end of this clip.

9. Harry Sinden, Bruins

The Celtics may have owned the 1980s, and the Red Sox and Patriots have battled for control of the 21st century, but the 1970s in Boston belonged to the Bruins. Sinden inaugurated the Bruins’ reign with a Stanley Cup title in 1970. He coached two of the most beloved Bruins ever in Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. Like Dick Williams and Bill Belichick, Sinden turned a losing team into a champion, but he left just days after in a contract dispute. The Bruins put him on the voluntary retired list, keeping him from signing with a new team the following season.

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Chad Ochocinco has, in the past, expressed his respect for Patriots coach Bill Belichick, and has hinted at a desire to play for him and the Patriots. But the mercurial Bengals wide receiver apparently has eyes for more than one coach.

As noted by the New York Post, while at an ESPN event in Orlando, the wide receiver proved effusive in his praise for Jets coach Rex Ryan, citing the very elements that have defined Ryan as the anti-Belichick.

“I respect the New York area, they have a great coach that anyone would die to play for … a very player-friendly coach,” Ochocinco said. “It’s like a player as the coach…He has the same mindset that we should have, but he says what he feels. You’re not supposed to do that as a head coach. But when you do, it’s awesome. That’s a very refreshing feeling, very refreshing.”

While Ochocinco now has heaped praise on a pair of AFC East coaches, it is worth noting that he remains under contract to Cincinnati. Despite his praise of Ryan and past enthusiasm for Belichick and the Patriots, the wide receiver also noted his affinity for the team with whom he has spent his entire NFL career.

“I’m a Cincinnati Bengal at heart, I always will be,” Ochocinco said. “And hopefully things turn around for us as a team.”

Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY THURSDAY:
NHL: Stars at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ With the Super Bowl a battle of the coaching Mikes — Green Bay’s McCarthy vs. Pittsburgh’s Tomlin — The Wall Street Journal looks at which first names have been the most successful among coaches in all of the major sports. The name with the most different coaches to win a title is Bill. In the NFL, four Bills — Belichick, Parcells, Walsh and Cowher — have combined for nine Super Bowl titles, tying them with the four Mikes who have combined for five Lombardis.

Bills also lead in basketball (with help from Celtics’ Bills Russell, Sharman and Fitch) and baseball (including old-time Red Sox manager Carrigan). Toms rule the NHL.

In college football, it’s Robert (including Bob/Bobby). In college basketball it’s Jim, with UConn’s Calhoun among the winning Jims.

♦ Lakers guard Ron Artest denied a report that he wants to be traded. “We’re sticking together,” he said after Wednesday’s practice. “We’re moving forward. That’s all that matters.” At Fox Sports, Billy Witz writes that the new Artest isn’t likely to cause any problems, but down deep he probably would prefer to play for the Knicks, his hometown team.

♦ National signing day was Wednesday for college football teams. In the Detroit Free Press, Michael Rosenberg addresses the issue of grayshirting — signing more recruits than a team has scholarships and making some players wait a year for their grant — and writes that the NCAA should abolish it.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 3, 2002, the Patriots beat the Rams to win their first Super Bowl. In addition to an interception return for a touchdown by Ty Law and two Adam Vinatieri field goals, the Patriots had one offensive touchdown. Who scored it?

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