THIS WEEK:
Curran brings New England know-how to NBCSports.com
It’s no surprise that Tom Curran has parlayed his fine local football writing into a terrific national gig. Curran, who produced consistently strong material most recently as the Patriots beat writer for the Providence Journal, signed on with NBCSports.com in 2006 as the site’s NFL columnist.
“The job just popped up,” says Curran, who previously worked at the Metro West Daily News and continues to be a frequent guest locally on FSN and Sportsradio WEEI. “NBC Sports really didn’t have their own site, just MSNBC.com.
“They came to me with an offer when they got the NFL Sunday night package. The network is moving toward a minute-to-minute cycle and the pressure is on to break news. If you don’t produce, get the (expletive deleted) out.”
Curran considers everyone as his competition for that breaking news. He also recognizes that the newspaper business is experiencing tough times. Both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald have slashed payroll and staff. The Eagle-Tribune, a smaller paper, was sold in 2005 and is once again on the market. The Eagle-Tribune has also cut its freelance budget.
Says Curran, “I love newspapers, but it’s a tough business. Don Banks from SI.com told me, ‘It’s always good to see someone else get over the wall.’
“I’m 39 years old and I was starting to worry about what I would do for the next 25 years, wondering if newspapers were even going to be here. The advertising dollars simply aren’t there and most papers are streamlining. Only the best survive.”
The move to NBCSports.com and national coverage has meant changes in Curran’s workday. “I spend a lot more time on the phone. I knew the Patriots a mile deep, but every other team only about six inches deep. I am trying to meet and connect with people outside New England to develop sources. It’s funny, but the success of the Pats rubs off on beat writers.
“They have truly been the most powerful organization in sports since 2001 even though they provide limited access. I had never covered any other team except the Patriots. With a lot of teams, you can almost get to know their first five plays and who will play, but the Pats give you no information.”
Curran has never had a problem with the team’s tight-lipped ways. He states, “Bill Belichick uses secrecy for secrecy’s sake, but I never viewed it as a pain in the ass.
“Guys like (Boston Globe writers) Nick Cafardo and Ron Borges may disagree because they’ve been around longer. When Bill Belichick came in, he treated every reporter equally, which was not in high regard. With Belichick, Ron’s resume didn’t matter.”
While Borges has been accused of having a personal agenda against Bill Belichick, Curran walks that same fine line on the issue of former Patriots’ quarterback Drew Bledsoe, a constant target of Curran’s pointed barbs.
Says Curran, “The light has never gone on in Drew’s head. He still thinks he is the best quarterback for the Patriots. People who believed in him could not see his flaws, which made me more strident in my criticism.
“I’ve never had a confrontation with him. After the 2001 season, I asked if he would be able to come back to the Patriots as a backup. He said, ‘Give me a break with that.’
“When you’ve been told since the 7th grade that you are special, you tend to believe it. I remember Drew saying that he would only play for 10 years. Now, he is in denial. All of a sudden, that blasé attitude is gone and he loves football and will miss it.”
Covering the entire NFL for a full season has given Curran unique insight on how other NFL executives view the Patriots’ style. He states, “A.J. Smith of the Chargers and Jerry Angelo of the Bears revere the Pats. Bill Polian of the Colts hates them. They went from number 32 to number 1 very rapidly and did not pay attention to other peoples’ conventions. There is a perceived arrogance in that.”
This “perceived arrogance” may apply to the case of former Patriot Deion Branch, who held out in 2006 and was eventually traded to Seattle. “That situation was different,” says Curran. “It was only arrogance in that the Patriots did not foresee that Branch would get such an offer. Their biggest mistake was miscalculating what he would be worth.”
As New England heads to San Diego this weekend (Sunday, 4:30 p.m., WBZ-TV), Curran puts the Patriots’ dynasty in perspective. “They are still one of the top 8 teams in the league. I’d say the dynasty is in the middle of the fourth quarter.
“Corey Dillon might not be back next season and Tedy Bruschi is not the player he was. Troy Brown’s skills have also diminished. This group as a whole is diminishing.
“Belichick and Pioli populate the team with good players, but I still think they miss Romeo Crennel and especially Charlie Weis. You just don’t replace that kind of gray matter. As good as Josh McDaniels will be someday, it’s impossible to be like Weis.”
Curran, who still lives locally with wife Erica and children Sam, 10, Dan, 9 and Tim, 8, is direct in his choice of the top NFL stories of 2006. “The ineptitude of the NFC is number one. I can’t recall a time that it has been this lopsided. Next would be LaDainian Tomlinson’s Babe Ruth-like year and lastly is Terrell Owens. The NFL has never seen a bigger idiot.”
As for this weekend’s games, Curran is picking Seattle and Philadelphia to meet in the NFC title game. In the AFC, he likes San Diego and Baltimore.
Says Curran, “Baltimore was a team I picked in preseason to be at this level. I believed Philly wouldn’t suffer without Donovan McNabb. In the game (McNabb) was hurt, he was in the midst of playing like crap against Tennessee.
“Anyone who doesn’t think an efficient game manager is more important to a talented team than a franchise QB hasn’t been paying attention this century.”
Curran, whose edgy and incising writing is a must-read at NBCSports.com, explains his choice of the Chargers over New England.
“San Diego surprised me because I didn’t know what they had in (QB Philip) Rivers. This is the issue. I saw San Diego four times. They came closer to 16-0 than anyone realizes, two 3-point losses in games they dominated (vs. Baltimore and Kansas City).
“They are the most complete team in football. This weekend, they will be able to make mistakes and win. New England has little if any margin for error. Fortunately for them, they don’t make many. To me, if New England wins, it will be their biggest upset since Super Bowl XXXVI.”
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