Glad to see the Enemies list post getting some good discussion going. The point of the list was not that these are people that I personally dislike, that’s not the case. It was those who I think at the moment are consistently and purposely being an irritant to the Boston sports fan.

Like to hear who I think some of the “fan friendly” media types are?

Greg A Bedard, Boston Globe

Bedard is a pro, who mainly sticks to just football, and while he has not problem pointing out the flaws and weaknesses of the Patriots, unlike some of his colleagues, he also has no problem pointing out the good and giving credit to things that working well. He is extremely accessible on Twitter, @Greg_A_Bedard and even organizes meetups with Twitter followers. He did one in Washington last weekend, and I believe one is in the works for this weekend in Denver as well.

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE.com

Blakely is another seasoned pro, with great contacts around the NBA. He is also known for marathon sessions on Twitter with his followers, even when he has to answer Rasheed Wallace questions 20 times a day. He gives good reports both on television and in print, and always keeps things professional.

Michael Holley, WEEI

Holley is coming up fast after a rough start in his pairing with Glenn Ordway on the afternoon drive. Initially, Ordway dominated the show, and bringing Mike Adams on board compounded the confusion, as Ordway and Adams would talk inane things, leaving Holley out of the discussion. He’s asserting himself more, and spreading goodwill at his book signings around New England, where he is said to be gracious and friendly. He’ll also talk to fans on Twitter from time to time.

Ian Rapoport, Boston Herald/Mike Reiss ESPN Boston

Can’t have this list without Rap. Is anyone on Twitter more than he is? He answers questions, teases fellow reporters and still manages to bring solid reporting and information in the paper and online. Reiss is still the standard for a fan-friendly reporter, keeping agendas and personal gripes out of his work, and responding to even most annoying questions in his mailbag and chat session.

Others worthy of mention: Rich Shertenlieb, Gordon Edes, Carolyn Manno, Joe Haggerty, Chad Finn, Christopher Price, Tom E Curran, Rob Bradford, Bob Ryan.

I need to give Michael Felger credit on something. Two years ago, he was on the Tim Tebow bandwagon before anyone else. He talked day after day about how the Patriots should draft Tebow, (and I think they might’ve, had Denver not grabbed him in the first round) not so much to groom him as a QB, though that was part of it, but to have his leadership, work ethic and passion here in that locker room – all the things we’re seeing Tebow display in Denver. I’m not sure what Tebow’s role would’ve been here, but I’m sure Bill Belichick would’ve found a way to get him on the field, as he does with Julian Edelman.

Here are a couple of media links from this morning:

Media Roundup: Sick of Tim Tebow? Blame The Media, Not Tebow – My SB Nation Media column looks at why you shouldn’t be mad at Tim Tebow for the media overload around him.

Not in the holiday spirit - Chad Finn has Jeff Van Gundy feeling that the NBA is rushing things too much to get games played on Christmas Day.

Why Tony Mazz Is Wrong About Brady: Breaking Down His Monday Column – Tanya Ray Fox on SB Nation Boston has a nice takedown of Tony Massarotti ludicrous column about Tom Brady earlier this week, a column clearly written by “Mazz’s On-Air Persona.”

Friday’s Viewing Picks – Ken Fang has your Sports TV listings for tonight.

The Patriots may be 10-3, but looking at the grades from Sunday’s win over Washington, you’d have a hard time believing that.

Patriots Report Card: No defense for league’s worst secondary - Kirk Minihane says Rodney Harrison is right about the Patriots secondary.

Patriots report card – Ron Borges says that if the defense doesn’t improve, Tom Brady might have a meltdown before the playoffs even start.

Patriots Center - ESPN Boston also has a low grade for the Patriots pass defense.

Hector Longo’s Two-Minute Drill - He’s got Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork among his “No Shows” for the week.

Patriots Report Card: Dane Fletcher Brings Solidarity to Linebacking Corps, Rob Gronkowski Earns MVP Honors – Jeff Howe with a few words on the game.

Patriots report card Game 13 – Put your grades in on Boston.com.

Hail Mary passer - John Powers in the Globe scares up an Atheist to say that Tim Tebow’s prayers on the field are inappropriate.

Tim Tebow lords over NFL - Gerry Callahan says that Tebow has more than a prayer to beat the Patriots this week.

Pats say Broncos aren’t one-man team - Steven Krasner has the Patriots preparing for more than just Tebow this week.

Loyal to a ‘C’: Why Pierce won’t give up on Boston - Jessica Camerato with a great feature on Paul Pierce, who has been through everything in Boston, and who wants to be a Celtic for life.

A positive spin on Rondo revolution - Steve Bulpett with a tremendous look at Rajon Rondo, including an incident in last year’s playoffs where he shattered a video screen during a team film session, and how he says he’s ready to mature and be a leader.

How Danny Ainge built a roster from scratch – Paul Flannery with a look at how Ainge built a team in three days while preserving the team’s options for the future. Gary Washburn says that Ainge may not be done.

Will same old Celtics be enough? – Peter May says that missing out on Chris Paul and David West may haunt this team.

In first at-bats since surgery, Westmoreland says he ‘felt comfortable’ – Brian MacPherson has the Red Sox prospect feeling comfortable after seeing game action for the first time since brain surgery.

Red Sox should talk to Rick Peterson – Gordon Edes thinks that the unconventional pitching coach would be a fit on Bobby Valentine’s staff.

Bruins prepare for play without their giant - Joe Haggerty has the Bruins getting ready to play a game without their injured captain. Douglas Flynn says that the team is confident in their depth and system without Chara. Joe McDonald says that it will still be a be void for the Bruins.

OK, OK. The defense is bad. Alright? We get it.

What are fans supposed to do about it? Sit around and be miserable until the inevitable playoff loss? I guess so.

The Patriots secondary was once again shredded by a bottom-tier quarterback, albeit one who once took a team to a Super Bowl. What was more worrisome however, was the ease with which the Washington Redskins were able to run the ball on the usually stout run defense of the Patriots. Tom Brady threw a 4th quarter interception in the end zone when a field goal would’ve been enough to put the game away. Jerod Mayo made the big play in the end, snatching an interception off a tipped pass at the 7-yard line to seal the win for New England, which is now 10-3 on the season.

Former Patriot Rodney Harrison on NBC, had quite a bit to say about the Patriots last night, saying the following on Football Night in America:

Harrison on Tom Brady’s frustration (yelling on sideline with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien): “I’ve seen Tom Brady play a lot on the other side of the field. I saw some things today that I really haven’t seen too much; and that is balls hitting the ground, open receivers and Tom Brady missing them. That is why there was a little bit of frustration today. You just are not used to seeing this.”

Harrison: “I played six years with him and I have never seen him this frustrated, yelling back and forth with an offensive coordinator. But that is why he is frustrated, because offensively, they weren’t clicking, and defensively he feels like he has to shoulder a lot of the pressure because that defense is so bad.”

Harrison: “They won a football game but they should be concerned because that secondary is probably the worst secondary I’ve seen in the last decade. It’s been proven the last two years in the playoffs, if Brady’s off just a little bit they’re vulnerable to lose.”

Dan Patrick to Harrison: “They have two offensive players playing in the secondary. Did it just sneak up on Bill (Belichick) that he may need another defensive back this year?”

Harrison: “You have to ask Bill that. I’m done trying to figure it out, Dan. I can’t figure it out!”

Worst secondary he’s seen in the last decade. I can’t say Rodney is wrong, but it is ironic that the guy who fueled so much on bulletin board material is now providing it to his former team.

We may actually get a break from talk about the lousy defense this week, with Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos on the schedule. This will be tough one, not just because of the Denver defense, but also because weird things always seem to happen to the Patriots in Denver.

For today, the blow up on the sideline between Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will get most of the headlines, as Mike Reiss, Greg A. Bedard and Ron Borges   all made it their main story of the day.

Here are some other takeaways from this one:

Ten Things We Learned Sunday: Time running out for Patriots’ defense – Christopher Price

Mayo picks up defense in the end - Tom E Curran has Jerod Mayo’s interception saving the game for New England.

Giving in is not their style - Michael Whitmer says that the defense might not have dug itself out of the star cellar, but they made some big plays at the right times to seal the win.

White knows his place in the scheme of things - It’s a short article, but I’m glad someone saw fit to write about Tracy White’s role on that final defensive play. Mark Farinella has the special teams star talking about his increased role on defense.

Rob Gronkowski re-establishes TD record - This week won’t be Brady vs Tebow. This week is GRONK vs Tebow. Karen Guregian has the force-of-nature tight end getting into the record books.

Wilfork didn’t let his big chance slip – The Globe notebook has Vince Wilfork getting his first career TD. The Herald notebook from Ian R. Rapoport and the Patriots Journal have more on Wilfork.

It looks like Rajon Rondo will continue to be the point guard of the Boston Celtics for the foreseeable future, as Danny Ainge has been unable to work a deal with New Orleans for guard Chris Paul. The Hornets did agree to send Paul to the Lakers last night, but after the deal had been leaked out, NBA Commissioner David Stern stepped in and killed the deal.

While as a Celtics fan I’m certainly glad the deal was stopped (though it may eventually still go through) from an objective viewpoint it’s hard to agree with the decision. The NBA currently owns the Hornets, and that is part of the situation, but there was also objection to the deal from other NBA owners who felt that it was lopsided and went against competitive balance. The whole thing just shows again that the lockout was never really players vs. owners, it was owners vs. owners, and that situation remains unresolved by the new CBA.

The Celtics start training camp today, and will likely have several minor signings and moves to announce to get camp underway.

Here are the media links for today:

Media Roundup: Terry Francona Joins ESPN, Talks Red Sox Collapse – My SB Nation Boston media column has the former Red Sox manager talking about his new role at ESPN, and whether he’ll do any managing from the booth.

MLB shows ‘saber’ teeth - Chad Finn has the MLB network crunching the numbers on Albert Pujols new contract and whether it will be worth it for the Angels.

Friday’s Viewing Picks – Ken Fang has your sports on TV for tonight.

Monday Night Lights – I had tweeted this link earlier in the week, it’s a look from The New Yorker at Jon Gruden in his role on Monday Night Football, and the preparation he puts into it. Much of it deals with the week leading up to the Patriots/Chiefs Monday night game, so there is quite a bit of Patriots-related stuff in there.

I’d like to thank a certain small-paper Patriots columnist for his column earlier in the week that was clearly aimed directly at me. In the web world, the column would be called “link bait” – written for the sole purpose of getting linked and getting attention (and page views) brought to the writer. But there will be no link here.

Hopefully the writer and his boss are successful in their dream of organizing fellow Patriots writers to walk out of a Bill Belichick press conference the next time he’s insulting them by being “condescending and unresponsive.” It would be entertaining, and I don’t think Belichick would mind at all.

While the writer might be offended by the self-appointed media watchdogs, and ”beaten down” by “Coach Three Rings,” the most offensive thing in the column might be referring to Kristine Leahy as simply the “newbie blonde.” Can you imagine if a player or coach did that? What does her hair color have to do with anything? What’s he saying by that? She’s just down there doing her job, and Belichick treated her as he would any other reporter, which it how it should be. Referring to her as the “blonde” seems more out-of-bounds than anything he accuses others of doing.

Check back later for more media musings and links as the day goes on.

David Ortiz accepted arbitration from the Red Sox last night, meaning that the Red Sox DH will be back in Boston for at least another season. Meanwhile, Danny Ainge continues to push hard for a Chris Paul for Rajon Rondo swap, and Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Celtics competition in this quest may be getting cold feet.

The baseball winter meetings ended with not a whole lot of action from the Red Sox. New GM Ben Cherington has said several times already that his style is very deliberate, and he does not rush into decisions. At some point, that may turn into a source of frustration, but at this point, his options for making changes seem pretty limited to begin with.

Ben Cherington easing into things – Gordon Edes says that the Sox GM might not have made moves this week, but he got a lot of work done. Scott Lauber says that Cherington’s patient approach may pay dividends this offseason. Alex Speier further examines why Cherington and the Red Sox are in no hurry to make moves.

David Ortiz’s Presence Gives Stability to Red Sox Lineup, Making His Return a Necessity - Didier Morais looks at why retaining Ortiz is essential for the Red Sox lineup.

Bobby Valentine adds fuel to Sox-Yankees fire – John Tomase has the new Red Sox manager having his Rex Ryan moment yesterday.

Team in need of toughness – Nick Cafardo claims that the problem with the 2011 Red Sox was that “nobody went up to Josh Beckett or Jon Lester or John Lackey to say, “Uh, it’s the fifth inning, you shouldn’t be having a cold one.’’

Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul and the importance of timing – Paul Flannery looks at the pursuit of Paul by the Celtics. Chris Forsberg urges Ainge to go get his guy, even if Chris Paul wants no part of Celtics according to Mark Murphy.

Ahead of the game – Shira Springer looks at how important conditioning will be coming out of the lockout, and whether the Celtics might actually benefit from the reduced, though compacted schedule.

Celtics could make a splash next summer – Gary Washburn looks at Ainge making moves with next summer’s free agent class in mind.

Hornets’ Williams, Rivers have similar styles - A. Sherrod Blakely notes that if Paul and Rondo are traded for each other, they may not have to make much of an adjustment.

Ronnie Lippett: Devin McCourty must follow instincts - Ron Borges has the former Patriots cornerback giving some advice to the struggling second-year cornerback.

Gaffney gives tutorial on working as No. 3 receiver in New England – Christopher Price has the Redskins receiver talking about what made him so effective in New England. Karen Guregian says that the Patriots have never been able to replace Gaffney.

Andre Carter has fans on all sides – Mike Reiss says you can’t find anyone with a bad word to say about the Patriots defensive lineman, even as he prepares to face his former team on Sunday. Ian R. Rapoport has the signing of Carter a huge boost for the Patriots. Mark Farinella says that Carter has been a perfect fit in Foxborough.

Lack of turnovers key for Pats – Glen Farley has the Patriots not losing the ball during this four-game winning streak.

Family reunion on the slate – Monique Walker has Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jackie Slater talking about his son, Matthew.

B’s to play big game – Mike Loftus says that all of sudden, tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers is a big one for the Bruins.

Bruins aim: Score on rebound – Stephen Harris has the Bruins looking to bounce back from the loss in Winnipeg.

Out of commission yesterday, apparently I missed a number of noteworthy items.

CBS and NBC have been wrestling over the Patriots/Broncos game on December 18th. NBC would like to flex out the game to Sunday night, while CBS wants to keep it right where it currently is – a 4:15 start on their network. The NFL announced that a decision would be made today on the schedule for the game. Chad Finn has more on the situation.

Update: ProFootballTalk.com reported first that the game will not be flexed to NBC. The Patriots and Broncos will play at 4:15 on CBS on December 18th.

The Celtics 66-game regular season schedule has been released.

Talk continues about a possible trade involving Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul. It still seems a longshot, but Celtics fans should feel conforted by the fact that Danny Ainge is doing everything he can think of to keep the Celtics a contender, and will continue to do so. The rumored price (Rondo, Green, two first-round picks) seems very steep, but we’ll see how things shake out.

Currently there is a lot of hand-wringing over the airwaves on Tyler Seguin missing a team breakfast and then being a healthy scratch in last night’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets. It’s a topic worthy of discussion and judgement, though certainly not enough to fill entire segments of airtime, which it is being used for.

Terry Francona has joined ESPN and he and new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine were on the ESPN Baseball Tonight set last night after having essentially swapped jobs in the last few weeks. Here is the video from ESPN of the two of them.

At the moment, it appears that David Ortiz will be back with the 2012 Red Sox, reports have him set to accept arbitration from the club.

I’ll have the NFL decision on Patriots/Broncos on Twitter when it is announced, and will update this post as well.