Bernard Pollard

Ravens safety Bernard Pollard, best known in New England for his injury-causing hits over the last five years to Patriots players Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Steven Ridley, said the league’s attempts to make the game safer are likely to lead to its end.

“Thirty years from now, I don’t think it will be in existence,” he told CBSSports.com. “I could be wrong. It’s just my opinion, but I think with the direction things are going — where [NFL rules makers] want to lighten up, and they’re throwing flags and everything else — there’s going to come a point where fans are going to get fed up with it.

“Guys are getting fined, and they’re talking about, ‘Let’s take away the strike zone,’ and, ‘Take the pads off,’ or, ‘Take the helmets off.” It’s going to be a thing where fans aren’t going to want to watch it anymore.”

Added Pollard: “The league is trying to move in the right direction [with player safety], but, at the same time, [coaches] want bigger, stronger and faster year in and year out. And that means you’re going to keep getting big hits and concussions and blown-out knees. The only thing I’m waiting for … and, Lord, I hope it doesn’t happen … is a guy dying on the field. We’ve had everything else happen there except for a death. We understand what we signed up for, and it sucks.

“Like I said, I pray it never happens, but you’ve got guys who are 350 pounds running 4.5 and 4.4s, and these owners and coaches want scout-run blockers and linemen to move walls. At the same time, they tell you, ‘Don’t hit here, and don’t hit there, or we’ll take your money.’ Like I said, I hope I’m wrong, but I just believe one day there’s going to be a death that takes place on the field because of the direction we’re going.”

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Over the final week of 2012, WEEI.com has been counting down the top 10 stories of the year in Boston sports. This entry in the countdown is No. 1: the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Giants.

Check out our previous entries:
No. 10: NHL lockout
No. 9: Wes Welker’s up-and-down year
No. 8: Bruins’ early playoff elimination
No. 7: Ray Allen’s departure from Celtics
No. 6: Tim Thomas’ political controversy and sabbatical
No. 5: Celtics’ Eastern Conference finals loss to Heat
No. 4: Red Sox’ megatrade with Dodgers
No. 3: Tom Brady’s MVP-caliber season
No. 2: Bobby Valentine’s nightmare season as Red Sox manager

Wes Welker had seven catches for 60 yards in Super Bowl XLVI, but his key fourth-quarter drop got the most attention after the Patriots lost to the Giants. (AP)

It wasn’t a perfect season that was ruined, but the second time that the Giants ended the Patriots’ hopes for a fourth Super Bowl title was equally as heartbreaking.

For the Patriots, hopes were high at the beginning of the postseason. That’s because New England won the AFC East with a 13-3 record. For the Pats, especially after the previous year’s loss in the divisional playoffs to the Jets, it was Super Bowl or bust.

The Giants dealt the Patriots one of their three losses on the season in Week 9. In a game that featured no scoring in the first half, the Giants came out strong after the half and put 10 points on the board in the third quarter while the Patriots were held to just a field goal. Despite two touchdown drives and a field goal in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady and the Patriots couldn’t overcome Eli Manning and the Giants offense, who put up another 14 points for a 24-20 victory. It was the Patriots’ last loss of the regular season.

The Pats trounced the Broncos in the divisional playoffs on a frosty night in Foxboro. Brady threw for 363 yards and six touchdowns, three of which were to Rob Gronkowski.

The Patriots went on to a close win in the AFC championship game against the Ravens. After Brady’s fourth-quarter rushing touchdown put the Pats up 23-20, the defense was able to hold off the Ravens for two drives. The Pats forced the Ravens to place their trust in kicker Billy Cundiff. Luckily for the Pats, Cundiff shanked a 32-yard field goal attempt with 15 seconds on the game clock, ensuring another Patriots Super Bowl appearance.

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Over the final week of 2012, WEEI.com will count down the top 10 stories of the year in Boston sports. Our second entry in the countdown is No. 9: Wes Welker’s up-and-down year.

After a slow start, Wes Welker returned to form as the Patriots' most reliable receiver in 2012. (AP)

For five seasons in New England, Wes Welker seemingly could do no wrong, and it seemed unfathomable that the Patriots would not want to keep him in Foxboro for as long as possible.

Then came the drop in February’s Super Bowl loss — a difficult but catchable pass that went through Welker’s hands late in the fourth quarter. Instead of giving the Patriots a likely game-ending first down, it gave the Giants the opportunity for their game-winning drive. And suddenly Welker’s true value was being questioned by some. It didn’t help that the Patriots played hardball during contract negotiations in the offseason, electing to place the franchise tag on Welker and settle for a one-year contract rather than agree to a long-term deal.

The $9.5 million, one-year deal ensured that Welker would stay with the Patriots through the 2012 season. After that, who knows?

It certainly is possible that Welker could re-sign with the team after the season, but judging by his consistency and continued success, he might demand a larger contract next year, both in terms of money and years. For now, he is enjoying another tremendous season after professing happiness that he and the team were able to agree on a deal that kept him with a perennial Super Bowl contender.

“There are 9.5 million reasons why I wouldn’t miss any regular-season games,” Welker said during a May 14 appearance on Mut & Merloni, dismissing speculation that he would hold out for a long-term contract. “I don’t think there are any sort of hard feelings on my side or their side. I think we’re all looking forward to the 2012 season and hopefully do some big things there.”

Welker did not exactly do “big things” in the first couple of games this season, but he was not solely to blame. In the Patriots’ 34-13 victory over the Titans in Week 1, Welker’s playing time was limited and he had only three receptions for 14 yards while being targeted just five times (including a drop on third-and-8 in the first quarter). Speculation abounded that he was being phased out of the offense, either as punishment for asking for too much money or so fellow receivers such as Julian Edelman could get more of an opportunity.

Week 2 was better for Welker, as he finished with five catches for 95 yards, albeit in a 20-18 loss to the lowly Cardinals. Still, it was not the 10-catch, 100-plus-yard receiving performance New England fans were accustomed to seeing.

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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:
World Series: Tigers at Giants, 8 p.m. (Fox; WEEI-AM)
NBA preseason: Rockets at Hornets, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA preseason: Lakers at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. (NBA TV)

AROUND THE WEB:

Rob Gronkowski's stellar play and zany antics have gone over well with most NFL fans. (AP)

♦ Forbes magazine has the results of a Nielsen/E-Poll Market Research survey of NFL fans that attempted to determined which players are the most and least popular. Ranking No. 1, with a 63 percent appeal rating, is Steelers defensive back Troy Polamalu. At the bottom of the list is Lions defensive end Ndamukong Suh, whose dirty play and off-field issues led to his 19 percent rating.

Other notable names with favorable ratings: Saints quarterback Drew Brees (62 percent), Packers DB Charles Woodson (62 percent), Broncos QB Peyton Manning (59 percent), Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (58 percent) and Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (58 percent).

Players with less-favorable ratings include: Bears QB Jay Cutler (21 percent), Eagles QB Michael Vick (23 percent) and 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss (24 percent).

♦ Left fielder Melky Cabrera is eligible to play for the Giants after serving a 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, but the team is keeping him on the bench for the World Series. At Yahoo! Sports, Jeff Passan looks at the hypocrisy and “selective morality” of the Giants, the team that trotted out Barry Bonds for years and now includes on its roster reliever Guillermo Mota, a two-time offender of baseball’s drug policy.

Said manager Bruce Bochy: “With Melky, we felt when that happened, as far as losing him, the club played very well, and the guys that we had been putting out there have done the job. They’ve earned this, and this is the way we’re going to move forward. It would be, sure, tough for Melky to get game ready, but more importantly, it was how we played and how the guys did out in left field, and they deserve to be out there for the postseason.”

♦ The mother of University of Southern Mississippi freshman quarterback Anthony Alford took exception to a fan yelling negative things about her son during Saturday’s 59-24 loss to Marshall. This led to Lawanda Ann Alford being escorted to jail and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Ms. Alford apparently has a habit of this type of behavior. During a baseball game in the spring, she walked onto the field and screamed at an umpire after a questionable third strike call against her son.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 24, 1990, the Red Sox exercised a buyout of Dwight Evans‘ contract ending his long and distinguished career in Boston. The right fielder would go on to play one more season in the majors, with which team?

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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has made no shortage of cameos since the end of his remarkable 2011-12 season. On Monday night, he made his latest one as part of the Triple-A celebrity Home Run Derby.

But not only did he just make a cameo, he crushed the competition. In his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., at Coca-Cola Field, home of the Buffalo Bisons, Gronkowski belted 17 home runs over two rounds to claim the championship. A shorter, temporary fence was set up on the field for the celebrity event, but Gronkowski cleared it and then some on one home run that 325 feet over the Bisons’ outfield wall.

After hitting five in the first round, Gronkowski crushed 12 in his second round and finished with 10 more than Bills CEO Russ Brandon.

Other participants of the event included Bills running back Fred Jackson, Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly and sportscaster Nick Bakay.

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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The Boston media did its best to live up to its reputation in 2011, creating and reporting on controversy throughout the year. Some of the issues were initiated by the players themselves, via tweets and press conferences. Others were started by former players who have moved over to the dark side.

With that in mind, we present our list of the top 10 Boston sports media controversies of 2011.

10. MLB institutes a dress code for media members

Although the dress code itself was not out of the ordinary, it was significant that MLB was the first professional sports league to police the fashion of its media members when it announced the policy in December. Items on the list of banned clothes include tank tops, short shorts/skirts, ripped jeans, visible undergarments, one-shoulder or strapless tops, clothes with team logos and flip-flops. The dress code came one year after the NFL had a situation on its hands when Mexican TV reporter Ines Sainz was the subject of catcalls from members of the Jets after wearing a tight pair of jeans to a practice.

Baseball Writers’ Association of America vice president Susan Slusser served on the guidelines panel and acknowledged: “I believe the baseball media in general could dress slightly more professionally,” adding partly in jest: “Don’t dress like a hobo and don’t dress like a ho, those are the extremes they’re looking at.” This would be disappointing news to fans of Heidi Watney, but she left NESN anyhow.

9. Rodney Harrison rips Patriots defense on NBC

After Ben Roethlisberger carved up the Patriots secondary for 365 yards on Oct. 30, Harrison, the former Patriots safety who now serves as an NBC analyst, questioned the defensive strategy of coach Bill Belichick and ripped the passive style of the secondary.

“I look at that secondary, and they’re playing really soft coverage, that bend-but-don’t-break defense,” Harrison said. “I hate that. I think you have to challenge your players more. You have to start blitzing, force the quarterback into making mistakes. I know you can’t stop everything. I know they were afraid of their speed. But sometimes you’ve just got to go challenge them. And I just don’t see them doing it.”

Earlier this month, Harrison took his criticism a step further, saying, “They should be concerned, because that secondary is probably the worst secondary I’ve seen in the last decade.” Added Harrison of Tom Brady: “He feels like he has to shoulder a lot of the pressure because that defense is so bad.”

Responded defensive lineman Vince Wilfork during a Dec. 12 appearance on The Big Show: “I want to [call the Patriots critics] all the time and tell them to shut the ‘f’ up.”

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Jacoby Ellsbury finished second in the American League MVP balloting in 2011. (AP)

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was an obvious choice for WEEI’s 2011 Sportsman of the Year. With the veteran leading the team to its first Stanley Cup title since 1972 after a standout regular season, he stood above all other candidates.

That being the case, plenty of other Boston athletes deserve praise for memorable 2011 seasons in which records were broken, awards were won and individual performances were etched in fans’ memories. So, we present our list of the Top 10 Boston Athletes of 2011.

10. Keegan Bradley, PGA

A Vermont native who graduated from Hopkinton High School in Massachusetts, Bradley burst onto the scene in 2011 with his shocking victory at the PGA Championship, leading to his being named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Bradley beat Jason Dufner in a playoff at the Atlanta Athletic Club on Aug. 14 and became only the third man to win a major on his first try.

9. Geoffrey Mutai, Boston Marathon

Sure, it’s only of passing interest to many Boston sports fans, but the best individual performance of 2011 might have been Mutai’s victory in Boston on April 18. The 29-year-old Kenyan not only shattered the Boston Marathon course record by almost three minutes, he ran the fastest marathon in history, blazing to the tape in 2:03:02. Mutai would go to win the New York City Marathon in November, also setting a course record there.

8. Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox

The Red Sox’ biggest offseason acquisition came to town with high expectations, and he did not disappoint. Gonzalez was a force throughout the season, abusing the Green Monster like he’d been hitting at Fenway his entire life and reminding Red Sox fans of the value of having a strong defensive presence at first base. Aside from home runs (27), he posted career highs in almost every other major offensive statistic, finishing the season with a league-best 213 hits, a .338 average, a .410 on-base percentage, a .548 slugging percentage and 117 RBIs. He received a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger for his efforts.

7. Rajon Rondo, Celtics

He might not be part of the Big Three, but Rondo is becoming the driving force for the Celtics offense and defense. That was evident last season, when the All-Star and NBA All-Defensive first-teamer averaged a double-double with 10.6 points and a career-high 11.2 assists a game while averaging 37.2 minutes (also a career high). Rondo was spectacular when it mattered, recording a triple-double (including a franchise-record 20 assists) in a Game 3 victory over the Knicks in the playoff’s opening round. In the second round against the Heat, he dislocated his left elbow during Game 3 but dramatically returned to the game and, barely using his injured left arm, managed to spark the C’s to their only victory of the series.

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