Aged to Perfection

In the sports world 40 has become the new 30. In a profession where 30 means over the hill and 40 means it is time to go many athletes are not willing to accept that rocking chair and retirement home just yet. Others want to prove that after many years in retirement they can still be an important part of any team.

Doing this caused many fans to think that these athletes are tarnishing their legacy by holding on to long. The Brett Favre saga for the past two years is perfect example. Bouncing back and forth between never wanting to play again, and coming out of retirement to play with a new team put a sour taste in the mouths of many who worshipped the ground that Favre used to walk on.

Fans now are replacing memories of great accomplishments Favre made with the headaches cause by Favre retiring every other month. The only thing Favre has been sure about in the past two years is that he is comfortable in his Wrangler jeans.

Another elderly quarterback talking comeback is Jeff George. The number one overall pick of 1990 announced wanting to return despite not playing in an NFL game since 2001. It seems tough to believe that the 41 year old can make a team now, but could do nothing better then be cut from a practice squad for the past eight years. Perhaps an eight year vacation will give him a fresh arm. If George is smart he will stay on the couch because only he and journalist Jason Whitlock believe he has a chance back in the NFL.

Over on the diamond another retiree has been on a mission to prove not only he can come out of retirement, but be as effective as ever. Pedro Martinez wants to show the baseball world that just because he has not been able to stay healthy for an entire season this decade does not mean that he should call it quits.

Despite shoulder and elbow problems Pedro still wants to prove that he can do it, and is getting a chance with the Phillies because of his decent stint with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The only problem for Pedro this year has not been father time, but Mother Nature, with two games rain delayed so far.

One of the more interesting stories involving a crafty veteran is Theo Fleury. Now 41 years old Fleury announced that he is clean, sober, and looking to play in the NHL for the first time since the 2002-2003 season. As if a 41 year old hockey player is not tough to sell, it did not get any easier when Claude Lemieux made the same attempt last year with the San Jose Sharks and scored one point in 19 games. It is also tough to believe Fleury is sober seeing how he made this announcement several times during his career.

Fleury has shown success as an owner of a concrete sealing business, and the partial owner of the Calgary Hitmen with Brett Hart and Joe Sakic. Fleury would be better off to follow the recent steps of Assistant General Manager Mark Messier and look into hockey from the executive standpoint.

Give them credit, these old athletes are tough, and are not just willing to be cast aside. But sometimes desire is just not enough to make any veteran athlete the same as they were in their prime. Just wait until Charles Barkley decides he wants to play basketball again.

Fury continues to dominate at home

The story of home sweet home continued to be true for the Fury as they defeated the Metro West Colonials 35-6 Saturday afternoon at Leicester Community Field. The win gives the Fury four straight wins at home. At Community Field the Fury are 3-0 this season and averaging 37 points a game.

The Fury made up for having minimal time on offense the week before against the Outlaws. The Fury posted 28 points in the first half to put the game out of reach for Metro West.

"I was very proud of the way that we played in the first half." Said Head Coach Chris Chambers. We were a little sloppy in the second half, but we did build a big lead early and showed our strength."

After missing entire quarters the previous week, Ryan Minns made up for lost time and a game without a passing touchdown with four passing touchdowns against the Colonials. The only problem for Minns was Colonials defensive back Brandon Lovelace who scored Metro West's lone touchdown Saturday.

One of Minns main targets was Matt McRae. McRae recorded 69 yards receiving including two touchdown receptions. Along with two touchdowns by McRae the other touchdowns through the air came from Willie Bates in the third quarter, and Fran Collins on a close sideline catch in the second quarter.

The running game proved to be just as effective as the passing game. The offensive line created holes for the core of running backs to get through with ease against the Colonials.

While the offense was making up for lost time from their game last week, the defense proved that even with the amount of time on the field last week there were no signs of let down.

For the second time at home this season the Fury defense hold their opponent without an offensive touchdown. The other game was the home opener against Weymouth.

The front seven of the Fury got through the offensive line of the Colonials with ease causing pressure and several sacks by Torry Rovinelli, Harry Ingels, Adam Ingels, and Jesse Atocha. Atocha also recorded in interception against Metro West. The highlight of the defense was the sleeper hold tackle made by Cookie Smith to end the first half.

"The way that we played defensively was spectacular," said Chambers. "We got turnovers, got the ball back to our offense frequently, and that was what we were looking for."

The Fury looks to finish the regular season at home with an undefeated record at home against the North Shore Generals on September 19. Before that the Fury next take on the Middletown Spartans at Middletown on August 29.

Mass Fury vs. CT. Gamblers

Milton Smith is carried off the field after returning an interception for the game winning touchdown against the Gamblers.


It was a story that was fit for a Sports Movie. Al Michaels could almost be heard asking if everyone believed in miracles.

After enduring many issues over the course of the first half, the Mass Fury hit the jackpot in the fourth quarter and overtime and walked off winners over the Connecticut Gamblers 20-14 in overtime at Plainfield, CT.

In the first half the Fury came out with plenty of aggression, the only problem was it was not all channeled at the Gamblers. Issues with questionable calls from questionable referees lead to high tension between players on the sideline. Between the Gamblers, the referees, and themselves it was like taking on three card sharks at a poker table.

"We are going to see calls from referees that we do not agree with sometimes," said Coach Chris Chambers. "We still have to find a way to work around them, and I think we did that in the second half today."

Despite the turmoil the Fury found themselves down by only 14. One of those touchdowns off a lucky pass that was tipped by Eugene Miller. The Fury were nowhere near out of this game.

The second half showed the classic tale of two different teams as the Fury came out with a vengeance. They were united and focused all there energy on the Gamblers and the score.

After a scoreless third quarter the Fury made a statement with a 23 yard Touchdown reception by Fran Collins off a perfect ball from Ryan Minns. The PAT by John Carpenter cut the lead in half 14-7.

The Fury had one last chance to tie the game up with less then a minute left. A 21 yard pass by Minns to Eugene Miller in the endzone looked as if it may have been broken up. But the football gods returned the favor to Eugene from the earlier tipped pass. The ball landed on Miller's chest in the end zone for a touchdown. Another PAT by Carpenter tied the game 14-14 with nine seconds left.

"That was a tale of two different teams," said Chambers. "It was a rough three and a half quarters, but I think we saw what this team can do when they are together."

The Fury proved they were not just going to accept a moral victory against the Gamblers. They wanted to hit the jackpot.

In overtime Cedrick Crawford proved to be the ace up the Fury's sleeve. His 33 yards rushing in overtime set the Fury up for a Field Goal attempt by Carpenter. Carpenter's kick looked like a game winner, perfectly down the line, but was inches too short.

This did not mean the Fury busted out against the Gamblers though. They were able to cash in a victory on the Gambler's first drive. An interception by Milton Smith lead to a walk off win for the Fury. They overcame the odds to put up a score of 20-14 that even blackjack would not be able to beat.

It was a lesson to all who watched. No matter what the situation is or how bad it looks, never say that it is over. As long as this team is together, anything is possible.

The Fury next play the Outlaws on Saturday Aug 15 at Leicester Community Field. Another chance to see if the Fury can wi