Bill Belichick's drafts may have received mixed reviews, but many of his offseason acquisitions have paid off -- Rosevelt Colvin, Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison, Randy Moss, Junior Seau and Wes Welker come to mind. [Each] of them had a major impact in keeping the New England Patriots in Super Bowl contention over the past decade. At first glance, this offseason does not look to be one where the Patriots will make one of those moves. ... [The] potential decline of Tom Brady and the fact that the distance between New England the rest of the AFC title contenders is likely diminishing means a return to the status quo won't be enough for the Patriots to earn a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII. To do that, they need to find a way to sign Ed Reed. (ESPN.com) Comment

The Knicks, along with their offensive leader Carmelo Anthony, could use a break. After injuring his right biceps during last night's 92-88 loss to the Raptors, Anthony left open the possibility of sitting out Sunday's All-Star Game. Anthony had a dead arm and the Knicks looked like a dead team. Ugly loss. Ugly game. Ugly night. The Knicks ended the unofficial first half with a thud in a dispiriting loss, allowing Toronto reserve Alan Anderson to light up Broadway for 26 points while Anthony went into the tank. Anthony, heading to Houston for the All-Star Game, shot a dreadful 5-of-24 for 12 points. The Knicks, the oldest team in the league, sputtered into the break at 32-18 and losers of two straight. (New York Post) Comment

Considering the kind of money he made in Boston, Red Sox fans might reasonably expect Daisuke Matsuzaka to be thanking the team. [Matsuzaka] officially signed his minor-league contract with the Indians on Wednesday and -- if a Tweet by MLB.com's Jordan Bastian is accurate -- appeared to fire a shot across the Red Sox bow: One reason Dice-K picked the Indians? They're in the AL. "I want to pitch against Boston," he said through interpreter Jeff Cutler. ... Really? You went 17-22 with a 5.53 ERA in 56 artless, torturous appearances from 2009 to today. This, somehow, is the Red Sox' fault? You feel the need for vengeance against the Red Sox for paying you $37 million over the last four years? (CSNNE.com) Comment