NASHVILLE TO FOXBOROUGH – Emptying out the notebook on the Patriots’ bye weekend: 1. Last weekend’s trip to Nashville included a tweet-up on Saturday, and it was nice to connect with many fans. Thanks to those who attended – there was a crowd of about 75 – and I look forward to more of those … More Emptying out the notebook from Nashville to Gillette Stadium
BOSTON TO JACKSONVILLE – With the Patriots’ first regular-season road trip of the season this weekend, one of the more frequent questions asked is, “Do you travel with the team?” The answer is no, as Bill Belichick understandably prefers to keep the traveling party free of media members who could be privy to information that … More Tales from the road: Not much better than ‘stealing a Saturday’
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — What can a reporter covering a team do to prepare for the first week of the season? I’m not sure how much curiosity there is to the answer, but I figured I’d share one of my first steps for those interested. One of the things I did Tuesday morning was visits Ourlads.com … More First step for a reporter covering a team: Get familiar with opposing depth chart
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — One of my favorite things to do each year is an “accountability check” on my 53-man roster projection, mainly to learn where I made missteps in hopes of correcting them in the future. I often say I’m playing “fantasy GM” when evaluating players, which is a way to acknowledge that I’m not … More Accountability check on Patriots’ roster projection
CHARLOTTE – Sharing some personal anecdotes, notes and thoughts from a road trip to cover the New England Patriots’ 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers: 1. My working role for the game was more on the TV side, which meant providing reports on both teams in the pre-game (NFL Live at 2 p.m., SportsCenter at … More Personal anecdotes, notes and thoughts from Patriots’ road trip to Charlotte
DANVERS, Mass. — The first indication that a road trip to Jen Welter’s gridiron girls football camp June 24 was a smashing success came the following morning. It was the last day of school, and my 9-year-old daughter Talia wore the shirt she received at the camp, and later had signed by Welter herself. She … More A memorable football Sunday morning with Jen Welter
Family and football are two things that are central in my life, but they are often independent of each other. I’ve made a conscious effort to not push my kids in that direction, or any specific direction. My hope is that they will try a lot of things, eventually find whatever their true passion is, … More Inspiring girls through the game of football
MINNEAPOLIS – Last year on the morning of the Super Bowl, I posted a note about how the 2016 season was a meaningful journey regardless of how the game would unfold. In that note, there was an understanding that if the result was not favorable to the Patriots, we might not be connecting for a … More Patriots’ sustained success helps mark passage of time in different ways
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – There was a neat moment that unfolded Wednesday at Air Force Academy, and it was captured with a photograph that makes me smile every time I look at it. Some background: With the Patriots practicing at the Academy for three straight days, I’m here covering the team for ESPN. That means … More Snapshot: An uplifting experience with cadets at the Air Force Academy
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – One of the goals of this platform was to take you behind the scenes at times to get a feel for what it’s like covering the Patriots, and also, to share things from the locker room to help you gain a better understanding with what’s happening with the team. With this in … More Patriots safety Jordan Richards on protests: Let’s advance the conversation
Mike Reiss 