Awesome sportswriting.

You'd think that if I labeled a post "awesome sportswriting," I'd be pointing you to awesome sportswriting. In this instance, I'm just pointing you to my own writing, so you be the judge.

The NBA postseason was quite the exciting fare, and I led the way by predicting that this would be the year LeBron James may have enough to win it all. When the Heat and the Celtics were in the thick of it, though, I was firmly behind the Celtics -- that is, until they came close to croaking in a game where they just looked run-down. It was all over soon enough, but not without one look at James' long hug with Celtics coach Doc Rivers after it ended, where I mused in one of my better columns that when James helped assemble a Big 3 in Miami in hunt for a championship, maybe what he needed was Rivers.

The vitriol that James tried to shed on his way to his first NBA title coincided well with Tiger Woods' recent return to dominance, so I compared how the much-maligned pair are doing now. Other than that, I mostly left the NBA Finals alone -- except for a shout-out to one of my favorites, Shane Battier.

But the end of the NBA season was just the beginning of NBA drama, as the Ray Allen sweepstakes captivated the Boston area. After the initial shock of hearing Allen may jump to the Heat, most thought he would stay, and I had good reasons why he should stick with KG & Co. When he didn't listen to me, I wrote a headline with "Benedict Arnold" in it and said the Celtics were better off. Then, after realizing management pretty much hung Ray out to dry, I wrote one of my better pieces of the year, wherein I reflected that we all want to be pursued.

And no NBA coverage would be complete without me telling Dwight Howard I am sick of his whining.

I've been paying a good deal of attention to Major League Baseball, too. Want to compare Josh Beckett and Mickey Mantle? You've got it here. How about R.A. Dickey's great year, and how a lost season for the Mets has turned into a year far better than Mets management could have had if it tried? Right here. I also delved into the Carl Crawford mess, as we all want him to just stop playing this year so we don't have to hear about his random injuries.

My best MLB work happened when it came to the New York Yankees, of course. Two pieces centered around Yankees who were decidedly not acting like Yankees. My jest got some people worked up when I suggested that DeWayne Wise shouldn't pretend to catch foul balls that he clearly missed and that Rafael Soriano should stop looking like a bum while spelling Mariano Rivera. But when I stop wasting my time finding dumb stuff to write about the Yankees, I try to make more educated analysis, too. That's where you'll find my piece about the mess the team has with CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte out, and how Phil Hughes is coming back even as another reliever-turned-starter, Daniel Bard, has seen his career implode.

Springtime is also an excellent place for tennis, and I jumped into the fray early, saying Rafael Nadal may have to be considered the greatest ever if he keeps beating two of the best -- Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic -- in a career where he gets the luck of two epic rivalries. Federer and Djokovic's semifinal had me hoping for an incredible match, but when Federer beat Andy Murray to win it all, I was only too happy to say this Federer is dipping deeper into the talent bag than ever. It's going to be a great summer for tennis.

I've also hit some of the big stories of the day, like how Jerry Sandusky managed to ruin sports in a way that steroids and other problems never could. There was also that great Manny Pacquiao boxing match, which not only had an unbelievable decision but also the effect of dismantling Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s golden chance to be the best of his generation. And I had never heard of Ashton Eaton, but after reading about what he did at the U.S. Olympic Trials, I decided the Summer Olympics in London could be worth watching (and not just for awesome women's soccer).

Finally, I wrapped up with some pleading to give Wes Welker a freaking contract, and then jumped into the realm of faith and sports to compare the way Tim Tebow approaches Christianity with how Bryce Harper is spreading Mormonism. I'm sure I'll have more on that topic later, but this is my first foray into the subject.

Patriots finally cut the fat, but their baker's gone, too

The Patriots finally cut Joey Galloway, a few weeks after it became obvious that he's not New England material. On top of not connecting with Tom Brady quickly, Galloway was constantly dropping important passes, which stalled important drives early in the season. After a mental mistake, where he inexplicably stepped out of bounds on what would have been a touchdown catch, Brady showed rare rage on the field, screaming in frustration, and Galloway didn't even suit up the next game. He's been inactive for three weeks and was finally cut by New England today.

Galloway's sinking into the background hadn't had any ill effects on the Pats, though, especially not with former Kent State quarterback and now Patriots rookie Julian Edelman stepping up. Edelman played like a carbon-copy of Wes Welker, catching balls in the flat and cutting back only to plunge forward for hard yards. He made several crucial grabs throughout the past few games and was emerging as a valuable third receiver for New England.

But the Boston Herald reports today that as well as cutting Galloway, Edelman is gone, too, with a broken arm. That's a raw turn for the Pats rookie, who had not only emerged as a New England-type player but also, with a last name reminding us all of pastries and pies, looked like someone who might be baking up touchdowns all season.

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Come back, Welker

I've withheld my comments thus far on the Patriots' treacherous loss to the Jets on Sunday, unable to stomach the lackluster performance by New England.

What was worse? The defense putting up a great opening effort, then getting hung out to dry by the offense? How about Rex Ryan not getting one where he should have (straight in the gullet)? Losing the undefeated season? Not looking like the Patriots?

Sigh. As I sit, Wes Welker is on my wall, clutching the football and making a move in the September spread of my Patriots calendar. I have decided he is the reason the Pats lost.

Welker is supposed to be indestructable. Look at all the ways he got smeared last year then stood up, shaking it off like a penguin. But he was out this Sunday, and the guys who came in were adequate, but they were no Wes Welkers.

The rookie, Julian Edelman, looked great, especially considering he used to be a quarterback. But he had some drops; that's understandable for a newcomer, but not what the Patriots needed on Sunday.

Randy Moss was there, but he was in typical thick coverage the whole game, and was doing his classic "I'm Randy Moss, and I'm asleep" impression. Oh, and that cool trick he does when the ball is right in his hands but he still doesn't catch it, despite being one of the best wide receivers.

And then there was Joey Galloway, an adequate enough receiver whose true fault is not being a real Patriot. Early in the game, a defender tugged on his jersey a little, and he totally missed a pass. His response was to make faces and big gestures with his arm, crowing all the way back to the huddle. Patriots don't act that way, Joey.

So, with the game on the line, Tom Brady had to scamper around in the pocket and take his chances with guys he knew wouldn't come up with the ball every time. (Where was Kevin Faulk, too? That's just poor play-calling there.) No wonder there was no chemistry in the offense.

Please come back, Welker. I think you're the missing piece.

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