Belichick, quarterback Ryan Mallett and punter Zoltan Mesko all participated in a football clinic for 150 high school students with disabilities at Harvard University on Wednesday. The trio worked with members of the Harvard football team to give instructions and cheer on the kids as they went through a variety of drills, including passing, catching and blocking.

It’s definitely uncharacteristic to see Belichick showing off emotion, so Patriots fans may want to brace themselves for some excitement and even a smile. Check out photos of Belichick and the Patriots players working with the kids in the Tweets below.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick at Harvard this morning for a football clinic for disabled youth http://t.co/8bwvWMTUtC—
Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) May 08, 2013

Belichick, Mallett and Mesko take a photo with the camp http://t.co/7D3TmL83ZS—
Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) May 08, 2013

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

The Patriots hosted Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown on a draft visit on Monday, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

Brown spent two fruitless years at Miami (Fla.) to start his college career before transferring to Kansas State and finishing out his final two years of eligibility with the Wildcats.

Brown was named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2011 after piling up 101 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. He followed that up with another successful campaign in 2012, amassing 100 tackles, including seven for a loss in helping lead the Wildcats to the Big 12 title.

The Patriots are already stacked at linebacker with Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes and 2012 first-round pick Dont’a Hightower, but one of their biggest needs coming into the offseason was finding a solid coverage linebacker. Brown proved to be quick and agile in coverage, taking on both linebackers and slot receivers consistently during his two seasons in Manhattan, Kansas. He also intercepted 2012 first-round quarterback Robert Griffin III and expected top-10 pick Geno Smith during his college career.

Brown is on the fringe of the first round and may be a target for the Patriots when they pick at No. 29.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

Photo via Facebook/Arthur Brown

Beginning the season amid a cheating scandal that cost the Harvard basketball squad two of its two co-captains, few foresaw this kind of ending.

Despite being bounced by Arizona in the round of 32, Harvard managed to beat New Mexico in the round of 64 to capture its first NCAA tournament victory in school history, one of the biggest March Madness upsets in recent memory. Crimson coach Tommy Amaker recently talked to NESN Daily‘s Adam Pellerin about the historic win and the adversity his group overcame this year.

Check out the interview in the video above.

Case in point is Dennis Latta, a New Mexico Lobos beat writer for Loboland.com.

According to Latta, he’s been covering New Mexico basketball for more than 30 years, and, according to various reports across the internet he works as a freelancer for Loboland. Well, it seems that Latta may be a bit too emotionally involved with the team — and that would be even if he was a fan, much less someone covering the team.

On Friday Latta posted a column on the website in which he professes that, for the first time in his career, he had expectations for the Lobos. Likewise, it turns out that he’s so disgusted with the team after its 68-62 loss to Harvard that he’s finally calling it quits.

“I’ve been around Lobo basketball for 33 seasons,” wrote Latta. “For 32 of those seasons, I knew that UNM had a team that could fold and lose to anyone at any time. I never got my expectations too high because a collapse was possible anytime they walked out on that floor.”

Throughout the article, Latta alternates every paragraph with the one-liner “I was wrong.” However, it isn’t until the end of the piece that he announces his decision:

But I won’t be wrong again. It was a lot easier to take when expectations were lower. Losing was acceptable because UNM had almost always lost when it really counted. You didn’t have visions of greatness, only to have them dashed. After the pitiful performance UNM put up against a team that doesn’t even offer scholarships, I’ve given up. Having all five starters back next season means nothing on a team that can just disappear like that. I’d be back to wondering when it would collapse, have a terrible game and lose to an inferior team again.

No, I’ve had it. I’ve been to my last Lobo basketball game after covering the team for much of the last 33 years.

Good-bye Lobo basketball.

No word on whether Latta has rethought his decision after some time removed from the loss.

On Wednesday, National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC announced in a statement that it was forcing Harvard to vacate wins in the national Quiz Bowl tournament after investigating a cheating scandal. Harvard will give up victories from 2009, 2010 and two in 2011.

In those tournaments, the NAQT discovered that students of several schools — including MIT and the University of Michigan — had exploited a hole in its internet security to view questions prior to the tournament. Although NAQT could not find evidence that students actually used that information obtained in tournaments, it decided that such actions go “against competitors’ expectations of fair play.”

“Everyone understands at Quiz Bowl that you don’t access questions in advance,” said president of National Academic Quiz Tournaments Robert Hentzel in an interview with Bloomberg.com. “Even if you click on these pages once, it should be obvious that ‘I should not be seeing this,’ and you should click away.”

Harvard’s cheating came to light as an offshoot of a 2012 scandal where MIT was stripped of a Quiz Bowl victory. In its investigation into that scandal, the NAQT discovered a link to Harvard student Andy Watkins. Watkins, however, denies that he used his inside knowledge in the actual competition.

“I am gratified that NAQT acknowledges that there is neither direct nor statistical evidence that I took advantage of my access,” said Watkins in a statement posted on NAQT’s website. “Though I know everyone will make their own judgments, I did compete in good faith.”

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Harvard University

Tommy Amaker‘s players were jumping for joy and living in the moment afterward, but they weren’t the only people who enjoyed the upset victory. Check out tweets from some big names in the sports world, including Red Sox members Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, Los Angeles Clippers superstar Blake Griffin and more.

The former Harvard star watched his alma mater make history Thursday night as the No. 14 Crimson upset No. 3 New Mexico. Not only did Harvard take down a team that many people expected to go the Final Four, but the boys from Cambridge also notched the Ivy League school’s first tournament win ever.

Lin was understandably excited after the win.

YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!! HARVARD winssss!!! hahahahhah i told you.... #threepointgoggles #bracketbusters http://t.co/ZlpqTFCPtM

—
Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) March 22, 2013

Harvard was a strong 8-for-18 from behind the arc, with Laurent Rivard sinking five of his nine 3-pointers. Siyani Chambers had seven assists in the win.

Lin was at the beginning of what has now become a Harvard hoops renaissance under new coach Tommy Amaker. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists his junior year, then 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists his senior year. He did not, however, ever shoot better than 40 percent from 3-point land.

Click here for our NCAA Tournament live blog>>

NESN.com’s college basketball coverage is presented by Bovada.net. Download a bracket here.

Harvard defeated the Big Red 65-56 but had to anxiously wait for the Princeton-Brown game to finish up to see if they would be sharing their conference championship or if they would win it outright. After about a half hour filled with anticipation, the Crimson received the good news that will also send them to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year and only the second time since 1946.

Most conferences hold tournaments in early March to crown champions, but the Ivy League is the only conference whose bid goes to the team with the best regular season record.

The Crimson lost to Vanderbilt 79-70 in last season’s NCAA tournament.

Photo via Facebook/Laurent.Rivard

It’s rather fitting that the Ivy League title comes down to Harvard and Princeton, as the Tigers have had a hand in the Crimson’s postseason fate each of the past two seasons. Last year, Penn would have played Harvard in one-game playoff for the Ivy League’s automatic bid had the Quakers won at Princeton to close the regular season. However, Princeton jumped out to an early 17-point lead in that one and won easily, 62-52.

In 2011, Harvard and Princeton played in one of the most memorable Ivy League games ever. The Tigers rallied from an eight-point second-half deficit to beat Harvard 63-62 in New Haven on Douglas Davis’ leaning jumper at the buzzer to take the one-game playoff. That was Princeton’s 24th NCAA Tournament bid, the most in Ivy League history (Penn is second with 23).

Harvard enters Friday’s game at Princeton having won four straight since a puzzling 15-point loss at Columbia. The Crimson’s only other losses in the past 16 games are to NCAA Tournament locks Memphis and Saint Mary’s (Calif.), both on the road. Harvard (17-7, 9-1) has a 1.5-game lead over Princeton (14-9, 7-2). The Crimson beat the Tigers 69-57 at Lavietes Pavilion on February 16 as 1.5 point favorites. Five players scored in double figures for Harvard, although leading scorer Wesley Saunders was held to 10 points, tying his lowest total this season.

Princeton has blowout wins at Columbia and against Cornell since that loss, the school’s first weekend conference road sweep in two seasons. The Tigers have been favored in every home game, but are 7-4 there (3-6 against the spread). Senior Ian Hummer is a leading candidate for Ivy League Player of the Year with Saunders. He leads the team in points (16.1), rebounds (6.3) and assists (4.3). Hummer had 18 points and seven rebounds in the first meeting with Harvard.

Hummer was named the Ivy League’s Player of the Week on Monday for the sixth time this season, a conference record for one year. Hummer is one POW award short of tying the all-time Ivy League mark for a career and 10 points shy of becoming Princeton’s second-leading career scorer. He won’t be catching No. 1 Bill Bradley.

A win Friday would give Harvard a nearly insurmountable 2.5-game lead over the Tigers with three to play for the Crimson. They visit Penn on Saturday, a team Harvard beat 73-54 on February 15 as an 11-point favorite. Princeton follows the Harvard matchup by facing Dartmouth on Saturday in the Tigers’ final home game.

ESPN’s Bracketology currently has Harvard as a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region and opening against No. 3 Georgetown in Philadelphia. The Crimson were a No. 12 seed when they lost to No. 5 Vanderbilt 79-70 in the first round last year in Albuquerque.

Best in Class: Bovada’s got the largest daily offering of college basketball team Props around. Raise your game.

Photo via Facebook/Harvard Crimson

The former Harvard lad who was most recently a defensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders was arrested early Sunday morning in Florida on a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief.

As if that blotch on his resume wasn’t bad enough, he seemingly decided to make sure that no one would ever forget his mug shot, which can be seen below.

Photo via Twitter/@BleacherReport

One day after the Boston College men captured their fourth consecutive Beanpot title, the BC women get their chance to bring some hardware back to the Chestnut Hill.

The Eagles get set to take on Northeastern in the finals of the annual tournament on Tuesday night, and NESN.com will be streaming the action live.

Boston University and Harvard square off in the consolation game at 5 p.m. ET, before BC and Northeastern meet in the finals.

Thumbnail via Twitter/@RyanGStone

As one of the rare NBA players with an Ivy League degree, Lin is getting the special treatment in a This Is SportsCenter commercial. Using lingo like “trajectory metrics” and “temporal nature,” he gives Jay Crawford a hand in an ESPN cubical.

Check it out in the video below.

The Eagles (30-13-1) hold the all-time Beanpot record with 10 championships. UMass has dominated in recent years, though, reaching the title game in three of the last five tournaments and taking home a pair of championships.

Harvard will look to end its Beanpot drought — they have not won a championship since 2005 and hold a 15-27-1 overall tournament record. Northeastern has struggled of late, winning just one tournament game since winning the Beanpot championship back in 2009.

The day will begin with a consolation game at 2 p.m., followed by the Beanpot championship game at 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 and can be purchased through the Red Sox website.

Harvard scored early in the third period, thanks to first-year forward Mary Parker‘s tremendous goal as the result of a great pass from teammate Gina McDonald.

However, the Eagles came through with a rally in the closing minutes of the third. Freshman forward Dana Trivigno and third-year forward Taylor Wasylk scored consecutive goals, giving BC the miracle win.

The Eagles will look for their second Beanpot crown in three years in next week’s final.

Photo via Twitter/RyanGStone

If it’s February in Boston, that means it’s Beanpot time.

The Women’s Beanpot is set to get underway on Tuesday at Northeastern, and you’ll be able to follow all the action with NESN.com’s live streaming of the action.

The action gets underway at 5 p.m. when Boston College takes on Harvard. That’s followed up by Boston University-Northeastern, which is slated to begin at 8 p.m.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Northeastern Women’s Ice Hockey

End of game, 4-1 BC: Boston College has won the Beanpot three years in a row, and anyone watching their effort in this one has to figure they’re poised to capture a fourth consecutive, and 18th overall.

In next week’s championship game, BC will take on Northeastern, which beat Boston University 3-2 earlier in the day.

So, thanks for sticking with us on this Monday, and we’ll be back next week to live blog the rest of the Beanpot.

Third period, 4:54, 4-1 BC: That was an absolutely wicked wrist shot from Steven Whitney, who uses the Harvard defender as a screen before beating Girard.

So, with just five minutes left, Harvard’s chances are on life support, and BC looks like the power team they’re supposed to be despite their recent troubles.

Third period, 9:43, 3-1 BC: After having some difficulty getting pucks to the BC net, captain Danny Biega puts Harvard on the board. It’s Biega’s first goal of the season.

The goal cuts BC’s lead, and if Harvard can add another one in relatively short order we could have a hockey game.

Third period, 12:16, 3-0 BC: If not for Raphael Girard, this game would be even more of a blowout.

Girard’s made a number of solid saves against the BC offense to keep Harvard even as close as three goals. Moreover, he’s done well in terms of rebound control, either holding onto the puck or steering it into the corners.

End of second period, 3-0 BC: If you’re going to win hockey games, these are the types of goals you just can’t let in. Sloppy defense in front of the Harvard net allowed Quinn Smith to knock in his second tally of the game and defenseman Michael Matheson sent a slap shot from the top of the right circle past Girard for what could prove to be the nail in the coffin. Again, the Crimson allow a solid period of hockey slip away at the end.

Second period, 4:23, 1-0 BC: Harvard has played tough and physical in the defensive end, but the Crimson offense has not been able to find any sort of momentum. Eagles goalie Parker Milner has hardly been tested, needing to make just 13 saves so far. Girard has more than double that on the other end, turning away 27 of the first 28 BC shots.

Second period, 12:00, 1-0 BC: Patrick Wey (not to be confused with former NHL goalie Patrick Roy) is whistled for interference and the Crimson will go on the power play. That may not be a very uplifting thought for Harvard fans, however, as their team’s extra-skater unit makes the Bruins’ power play look like a well-oiled machine. The Crimson have converted on just 9.9 percent of their power-play opportunities, good for dead last in the ECAC.

This comes just one year after Harvard’s power-play unit operated at an outstanding 27.0 percent efficiency, leading the nation in the category.

Second period, 14:11, 1-0 BC: Another huge stop by Girard, who denies Pat Mullane from point-blank range with a kick save. The junior has taken at least a pair of would-be goals away from the Eagles thus far.

Second period, 17:31, 1-0 BC: The puck has been living at Harvard’s doorstep, it seems, as every Crimson clear is taken right back down by BC’s forwards. Harvard’s blueliners have been game so far, but they are getting worked very hard. How their stamina holds up may be a key to the rest of this game.

End of first period, 1-0 BC: Girard withstood the Eagles’ onslaught during the power play, but could not escape the first period unscathed. BC’s Quinn Smith slapped in a rebound with just over 20 seconds remaining to give his team a 1-0 lead heading into the locker room.

Tough way to end the frame for the Crimson, but they are playing much better hockey than their 5-14-1 record would indicate, keeping up even as BC’s offense started clicking on all cylinders late in the period. A quick Eagles goal in the second could change that in a hurry, though.

First period, 3:13, 0-0: Brendan Rempel plants Bill Arnold to the ice, but the referees spotted a bit extra in Rempel’s hit and BC will have the game’s first power play.

First period, 5:50, 0-0: Girard foils BC’s first serious chance of the game and is seriously fired up about it. Harvard responded by taking the puck right down for a scoring chance of its own, but a rocket from senior Luke Greiner rang off the inside of the left post. Still scoreless at the Garden.

First period, 13:07, 0-0: This first period has been swift and physical, with few whistles and heavy checking provided by both sides. BC has yet to test the junior Girard, who is in his second year as the Crimson’s starter between the pipes.

Harvard will need to stiffen defensively if they are to have a chance against the Eagles. The Crimson have dropped 11 of their last 12 games, allowing 3.92 goals per contest over that span.

Start of first period, Boston College-Harvard: BC and Harvard take the ice for the nightcap, with Parker Milner starting in goal for the Eagles and Raphael Girard backstopping the Crimson. The boys from Cambridge are the last team other than BC or BU to take home a Beanpot title, but that was way back in 1993. We’ll see if they can work some magic against coach Jerry York’s No. 5 Eagles tonight.

Final, 3-2 Northeastern: The clock hits triple zeros and the Huskies will play for the the Beanpot championship. The win marks Northeastern’s first win over BU in this tournament since the 1988 title game, which gave the Huskies their most recent Beanpot championship. They’ll look to break that streak, as well, next Monday against the winner of tonight’s Boston College-Harvard semifinal.

Third period, 1:11, 3-2 Northeastern: And just as I say that, BU pulls within one. With O’Connor on the bench, Sahir Gill sent a rebound past Rawlings to cut the deficit to 3-2. This game is not over yet.

Third period, 2:00, 3-1 Northeastern: Terrific defense being played in the Northeastern end. Rawlings has been a rock in net but his teammates have given him tremendous help in front, continuously disrupting the rhythm of the Terriers with great stick movement and body checking.

Third period, 4:38, 3-1 Northeastern: Kevin Roy strikes again. The freshman phenom continued his stellar effort with his third goal of the contest, giving the Huskies a two-goal lead with just over four minutes remaining.

A Josh Manson slap shot from the blue line was deflected into the pads of O’Connor by Garrett Vermeersch, but the BU goalie couldn’t corral the puck and Roy pounded home the off-angle shot for his first career hat trick.

Third period, 7:54, 2-1 Northeastern: It seems that this entire period has been played in the Northeastern zone, as BU owns a 10-5 shot advantage in the frame, including a couple of rockets from the slot that Rawlings turned aside.

Third period, 12:32, 2-1 Northeastern: You can sense the urgency on the ice right now, as both teams come up with solid scoring chances. Rawlings and O’Connor have held strong, though, keeping the third period scoreless thus far.

Start of third period, 2-1 Northeastern: Just 20 minutes separate one of these squads from next Monday’s Beanpot championship. A key for Jack Parker’s squad will be capitalizing on power-play opportunities, as the Terriers have been unsuccessful on all six of their extra-skater chances tonight.

Second Period, 3:15, 2-1 Northeastern: Roy hasn’t looked as quite as dangerous as O’Regan, but he created his own opportunity there on an unassisted lead, giving Northeastern the 2-1 edge.

Boston University has looked to be the better team overall in terms of puck possession, but Northeastern’s been far more opportunistic.

Second period, 7:35, 1-1: Nothing doing for BU there on the power play, as they couldn’t even really get set up in the offensive zone.

Though BU’s had the better of puck possession tonight, Northeastern’s been opportunistic. In fact, Colton Saucerman (what a great name) nearly put a nifty move on the BU defense for a shorthanded bid.

Second period, 9:47, 1-1: BU looked dangerous in a power-play opportunity, nearly slotting a goal home as the penalty expired. going the other way, Northeastern’s Braden Primm just roped a BU player going back into the defensive zone, and so he gets two minutes for hooking.

On another note, O’Regan continues to look dangerous. Every time BU takes the puck into the offensive zone, O’Regan just gravitates towards the net.

Second period, 16:16, 1-1: Both squads trade a couple of Grade A scoring opportunities. First, Northeastern gets a clear-cut two-on-one opportunity, but credit BU defenseman Alexx Privitera with sliding to break up the feeding pass.

Going the other way, O’Regan is just a force to be reckoned in this one. Once again he finds himself in front of the goal on the receiving end of a pass. He couldn’t quite tip it on net, though, as a Northeastern defenseman got just enough stick on it.

End of first period, 1-1: BU’s thought process in the offensive zone isn’t difficult to determine. They try to control the puck back at the points or above the circles, have one guy break towards the front of the net to look for a rebound or a tip.

Going into the end of the period, BU got a couple more swipes at Rawlings and the Northeastern goal, but were kept off the score sheet. O’Regan, in particular, nearly got on the end of another pass right outside of the crease.

So, we go to the first intermission tied at one, with Northeastern putting up quite a fight despite their place in the Hockey East standings.

First period, 10:05, 1-1: Northeastern netminder Chris Rawlings makes a few sprawling saves to foil a BU scoring chance. Rawlings, who is listed at 6-foot-5, is starting his 115th game in net for the Huskies, having served as the team’s starter since his freshman season in 2009-10.

First period, 14:07, 1-1: Danny O’Regan isn’t about to let Roy steal the spotlight. The San Jose draftee — who ranks second to Roy in scoring among HE freshmen — completes a nifty give-and-go to knot the game at one goal apiece less than six minutes in. We may have a high-scoring affair on our hands.

First period, 17:51, 1-0 Northeastern: We are barely under way at the Garden and freshman sensation Kevin Roy has already given the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Roy, the leading freshman scorer in the nation, beat BU’s Matt O’Connor for his 13th goal of the season.

8 a.m. ET: It’s the first Monday of February, and Boston knows it’s time for the Beanpot.

This year’s tournament will mark the 61st time that the four Boston-area colleges have met on the ice for bragging rights, beginning all the way back in 1952. Now, of course, the first two Mondays in February are reserved for the Beanpot, with all but the inaugural event taking place at an arena named “Garden.”

For the last three years the Boston College eagles have won the tournament, so that means they’re the top dog going in. That’s also kind of true of Hockey East in general, as the Eagles have been the top team in conference play, earning 25 points. However, they’re also second to New Hampshire, who has one more win, in NCAA competition.

That only means everyone else will be gunning for Jerry York’s crew, and Jack Parker and the Boston University Terriers are certainly one of those teams. BU opens the tournament against Northeastern, and while the Terriers have remained in the high-middle of the pack on Hockey East, Northeastern is dead last in the conference with a mark of 4-11-3 (7-13-3 overall).

So, follow along here for all of today’s Beanpot action. The first game between BU and Northeastern begins at 5 p.m. ET.

Photo via Twitter/@BCHockey

Jimmy Vesey is no longer just a standout freshman at Harvard and a third-round pick of the Nashville Predators. He’s a gold medalist.

Vesey helped lead Team USA win the title at the World Junior Championship in Russia, even jumping to the squad’s first line after some solid play. The North Reading, Mass., native could have NHL glory in his future, but Saturday’s victory in the gold medal contest is definitely worth savoring.

NESN was on hand to watch the gold medal game with Vesey’s family, and the scene was intense. Once the final horn sounded, there was not only a great deal of relief, but also plenty of jubilation.

Check out the video above to hear more about Vesey, and to hear from Vesey’s father about the big win.

The Manchester United manager visited the world-renowned institution earlier this year, adding color to the classroom discussion about his leadership and management style, the Harvard Gazette reports.

Ferguson is the subject of the HBS case study titled “Sir Alex Ferguson: Managing Manchester United.” The 25-page essay gives an in-depth look at Ferguson’s methods, which have brought United so much success over the last 26 years.

Anita Elberse and Tom Dye authored the study. They visited Manchester last year and conducted interviews with Ferguson, United players and staff. They invited Ferguson to visit HBS, and the United boss took them up on the offer.

“I wanted students to examine his philosophy to the management of the club,” Elberse said, “season by season, and game by game, so that they could distill the major lessons and his formula for success.

“I can try to capture his thinking in a case, but that is only words on paper,” the co-author continued. “To have him there, and for students to be able to see him in action, see how he addresses a group and see snippets of his personality, there’s no replacement for that live experience.”

Ferguson, 70, jumped at the chance to face a new type of challenge in this late stage of his career.

“When you’re approached by an institution like Harvard, you know you are dealing with top quality,” he said. “I had to consider that I was opening myself up to something I’ve never done before. But at this stage of my life, I felt that if I’m helping young people progress through their own routes to management, then ultimately that was an important and compelling factor for me.”

The Scotsman was impressed by the students he encountered. Some aspects of their approach mirror those of the professional soccer players he’s coached, led and mentored in his nearly four-decades-long career on the sidelines. He even learned new things about his own methods by interacting with the students.

“The whole atmosphere was professional,” he said. “It was clear that they had done their homework. That was the important thing. They had properly read the case study and supplemented that with their own opinions and research. … That gave me a certain assurance that I had made the right decision to go ahead with the case.

“The process was excellent, enjoyable and comfortable,” he added. “I never felt intimidated in any way, and I never felt reluctant to be anything other than completely open.

“The part of the discussion from which I learned the most about myself was when they were discussing the balance between ‘fear’ and ‘love’ in my approach to managing people. If you look at my history, there’s all this hype about hair dryers and anger and so on. But the students acknowledged another side to it, which is more apt in terms of how I have fostered relations with people and developed the team over the years. The reality is not always how the press portray it. I felt the students were quite accurate in terms of how they analyzed this aspect, questioning and recognizing this important dynamic of management.”

Ferguson has been recognized as a master in the art of leading and managing soccer clubs. His 12 Premier League championships, two UEFA Champions League titles, five FA cups and 10 League Cups all mark his excellence in these fields.

The Harvard visit gave him a chance to rub shoulders with leaders of the future, and he was reportedly a big hit among the students. Perhaps one day, when he retires from his current role, he’ll take up teaching on a full-time basis. If he does, it won’t be long before Harvard awards him an honorary degree, adding to the nine he already has.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

The classic battle of west side versus east side wages on this week. And no, we’re not talking about rap battles, we’re talking about prestigious Massachusetts colleges squaring off in a second-round matchup of Schooled: NESN’s College Face Off.

Williams and Harvard will face off in a tough Round 2 battle. Williams knocked off Amherst in the first round, while Harvard eliminated Boston College in their first matchup. Coming from different sides of the state, this will settle the classic debate of western Mass versus eastern Mass.

Tune in to NESN on Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. to see who will move on.

The game of football has evolved over the decades since its inception in the early part of the 20th Century, and it just continues to grow. The speed of players, the ferocity of some hits, the vicious tackles and, of course, the blows to the head are all part of the game’s evolution. But those elements are also of great concern to the long-term health and well being of these players.

Yet, it continually seems that the NFL is just not doing enough counter the brutal and lasting effects many players suffer during their playing careers, and even in their post-football lives.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the safety issue and the NFL’s plan to better protect their employees — that’s right, they are employees — during a lecture at the Harvard School of Public Health on Thursday. But while Goodell spoke openly and seemingly unconstrained to a room full of hundreds of students, faculty and media members, the questions about player safety were never fully quelled nor the growing concerns eased.

Goodell did his best to reduce the pressure from the situation by acknowledging the clear elephant in the room almost from the start.

“The game of football is thriving, it’s more popular than ever. But we’re at a crossroads,” Goodell said of the issue of player safety. “I can say in no uncertain terms that [concussions are] our biggest challenge. We want players to enjoy long and prosperous careers. “

The average career for an NFL player is about 3 1/2 years, which means that either Goodell’s definition of the phrase “long and prosperous” is skewed or that the NFL is merely not meeting its own expectations. But then again the issue isn’t necessarily the length of players’ careers, but rather their safety on the football field.

The issue of health and safety in football took center stage over the weekend, as seven players were forced from NFL games with concussions. Some of those players, Jay Cutler and Alex Smith specifically, even remained in the game for a few plays after the injuries occurred.

Smith’s ability to throw a touchdown with what 49ers head coach called “blurred vision” should never have taken place. And such an occurrence is a prime example of how the NFL is failing to properly care for its players.

Goodell did make the point that without full disclosure from players, the medical staffs wouldn’t be able to properly enforce the policies saying, “If they don’t tell medical professionals that they’re showing symptoms, how are we going to know to take them out?” But there has to be a more efficient system for trainers or coaches to know whether a player needs to be removed from the game.

To his credit, Goodell has taken on the player safety issue like no commissioner before. In less than a year of reigning on the NFL throne, so to speak, Goodell brought in third-party experts, instituted brain baseline testing, standardized concussion reporting, created preventative measures for such injuries and even established a “whistle blowing hotline” for players who might feel pressure to return to the field in face of a concussion.

In his lecture, Goodell just padded the stats on his resume, referencing research and developments being made to equipment to better handle the impact of hits. He also mentioned the adjustment of rules, such as moving the kickoff up to the 35-yard line to help avoid such high-speed collisions. Goodell even went on to discuss the NFL’s partnership with the U.S. military in “working to make soldiers and athletes safer.”

All of those are really nice and productive measures for the league. But how exactly is this going to impact the players currently suffering the lingering effects of concussions and potentially life-altering injuries or mental conditions down the road? Because if guys are just ignoring the safeguards and restrictions put in place, like Smith and Cutler did on Sunday, then how do we expect to ever eliminate or more realistically decrease the severity and frequency of such injuries?

The answers obviously aren’t clearly written on a tablet somewhere, instructing which commandments Goodell needs to enact to make for a safer league. Otherwise, this debate wouldn’t even be happening — but more needs to be done.

The game of football is a violent and contact-driven sport. That is part of what makes the game so great in the first place. The pure adrenaline-filled moments. The gladiator-like battles that go on between defensive end and offensive tackle, running back and linebacker or receiver and defensive back are what make for such an entertaining and impressive product. But where is the line drawn between gladiator and human being?

The current measures Goodell and the NFL have taken are a good step in the right direction. But more needs to be done. Goodell’s acknowledgement that “change doesn’t inhibit the game. It improves it,” is encouraging. Sure. But at some point the results need to meet all this chatter.

Fact is, talk is cheap. No matter how eloquent it may sound.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.