The Incredible Shrinking Globe

Junior Gong leaves his fortified compound in Johnsvegas every morning and before he hops on the train grabs a copy of the Boston Globe for his morning commute to South Station. This costs him $0.75 and most days it isn't worth the money. He isn't sure the exact date that the Globe morphed into The Lowell Sun but sure enough their sports section today is no better than the local Lowell rag he read as a lad every evening.

The Sunday sports section used to be close to an hour's read in their heyday but now is finished within 15 to 20 minutes tops. During the week you can get through it during a 5 minute shit. Half the time the weekday editions contains as many AP articles as those by Globe columnists. Their so-called Big 4 are simply atrocious and all are well past their prime. Here is my quick rundown of their team:

• Shaughnessy-The only thing consistent about him is that he mails it in on a regular basis. I will actually be very surprised if we don't get an October preview of Detroit vs. Boston in the ALCS this week with the Tigers in town. Detroit has George Romney...we have Mitt. They have Kid Rock, we have Aerosmith. Comerica Tower and the Handcock Tower. Break out the template Dan.
• Ryan-The last interesting thing he had to say was that Joumana Kidd should be slapped. Boorish BC columns and pining away for the 80's NBA to return is no way to ride into the sunset. His bloated ego leads him to believe that his piss is really champagne.
• MacMullan-Great reading for an insomniac but hasn't produced a memorable article in the last several years
• Borges-Continues the fine tradition of plagiarism at the Globe picking up the torch from Mike Barnicle, Patricia Smith and Jeff Jacoby. He has had a major hard on for Belichick every since Bledsoe went down which makes his football articles mostly unbearable.

One of the most amazing things about these 4 is that print isn't even their worst medium. Ever catch any of them on TV?

I do enjoy McCabe on golf, Reiss on football and Blaudschun on horses & the NCAA but none of these talented folks get enough print in my opinion. Until the Globe puts out to pasture the aforementioned dinosaurs Junior Gong will continue to feel cheated most days when he drops down his $0.75.

Shame on me

I admit it, I threw in the towel yesterday in the 8th inning. I stopped watching the game just a bit too early. Just like most of the others that I have talked to. Ugh.

Thoughts that went through my head at the time:

• 7-1 is still a great record for Beckett, he was bound to lose at some point; and I'll take this loss over one from the Yankees or any meaningful game. And we can't take any risks with those blisters...
• If it was 5-3 I'd have time to watch the end of this game
• Manny is hurt, what the eff? Strike out Mo Pena, no thanks .. BTW, when is the last time that he has hit a meaningful homer/extra base hit any way? And we need one.
• There's probably going to be some cape traffic that I can beat if I leave now (I wasn't home, and needed to drive from the south shore into Boston); and I really would like to go for a run before the sun goes down
• Who is Jeremy Guthrie? Because I have never heard of him and he is lights out right against the best (and hottest) line up in baseball. Let him have his one day to out pitch someone like Beckett. Fine.
• That really pissed me off when Ortiz grounded into that double play (in the 6th I believe?) - they just don't have it together today

I was wrong. I, like many others let myself down by giving up yesterday. Perhaps I should go to red sox nation confession. I was bitter, and I walked away on my boys. I have to thank that Baltimore defense for their gifts though, much love to them and their mothers on this special day. They must be proud.

There's something special here though. Good teams don't come back when they are down 5 runs with 1 out in the 9th. This team is certainly not a good team. They are special. Would love to fast forward to October... when we are still up 8 games.

Strange Daze

Is it me or does it seem like this is too easy? The Sox take two out of three from Minnesota in the Metrodome, and three from the Jays where the home team forgot to show up. Unless Beckett suddenly pulls a Matt Clement on us, we'll take the rubber game of the series against the O's today.

To date, the starting pitching has been outstanding. Amazingly, the bullpen has been even better (2.20 ERA if you throw out Davern Hansack's garbage time against the Jays). The bats have started to heat up to the tune of 42 runs in the last five games. Oh yeah, the Sox are actually stealing bases, bunting and manufacturing runs too. Who are these guys?

What scares me is our lack of injuries when the teams around us are falling apart at the seams. The numerous woes in the Bronx have been well-documented in this blog. The Jays and O's must have been jealous and decided to follow the Yanks lead losing key components like BJ Ryan (Jays) and half the starting rotation (O's). Based on Doc Halladay's last two starts, he'll be on the DL soon.

As much as I love our early season success, I'm starting to get a little nervous. We've seen this pattern before where a team goes out and blows away the field early. The knights of the keyboard talk about how the team is going to run away with it. Next thing you know, the team is struggling down the stretch and either limps into the playoffs or misses the playoffs because they catch the losing bug when the games count.

The Sox, at least on paper, seem to be different. We know that the the starting rotation is a proven commodity. None of us are surprised that Beckett, Dice-K, Schilling and Wake are all off to good starts. We also expected the line up to produce and at least pieces of the bullpen to hold down the fort once Papelbon was re-elected to close. What we didn't expect is to be this healthy (was I the only one that thought JD Drew might already be on the 60 day DL?)

So maybe we will be more like the 1998 Yanks who won 114 games and went on to win the World Series. That team averaged 19 wins a month and maintained momentum all year long. Let's hope we're not the 2001 Mariners who won 116 but then lost in the second round to the Yanks.

Looking forward to today's game and Beckett being the first 8 game winner in MLB. Until then...

Rooster Ramblings

-- Seeing as the Red Sox have always been a major backer of the Jimmy Fund, I've got a fundraising idea sure to be a hit with the fans. The Sox brass donates a $1000 each time Curt Schilling issues a "no comment." The Rooster, for one, would be glad to donate to that cause.

-- If David Ortiz isn't convinced that Barry Bonds took steroids, who are the baseball reporters to argue? In the land of the talking heads and knights of the keyboards, there's an eery silence surrounding the physical validity of a certain soon-to-be 45-year-old who's returning and throwing in the 90s. I guess we're to assume these gifts are natural, fellas? The journalist silence on this is reminiscent of the lack of digging that occurred when Bonds broke the McGwire's single-season record. (Oh, and in related news, George Mitchell just ordered a steak at Abe & Louie's.)

-- Because he has been the era's most dominant closer (and player perhaps), the tendency is to assume that Mariano Rivera will, of course, bounce back from his early season troubles. But there are some troubling signs for the Yankees. Namely, when you faced Rivera in his prime -- well, even just last year -- and you went down two strikes early in the count, you knew what was coming: the high fastball. And was it the most unhittable pitch in the game. This year? Not so much. Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro (Marco Scutaro!) have already beaten Rivera in the ninth with home runs off the high heat and our own Jason Varitek repeatedly fought off the two-strike high heat in the Bronx (as big an indictment of the pitch as you'll find). It says here that the Yankees' fortunes the rest of the way will be tied more closely to Rivera finding that pitch than they will to Roger Clemens giving them five innings every fifth day.

-- Tom Caron is to NESN what Ernie Johnson, Jr. is to TNT.

-- Yeah, Year One was frightening, but how's Year Two of the Hanley Ramirez trade treating you? Beckett's 7-0 and Mike Lowell is on pace for a career year (making his feared $9MM salary a bargain). Meanwhile, Anibel Sanchez was just sent back to AAA by the Marlins. Props to you, Theo. (Now about that Arroyo deal ....)

-- This just in: Floyd Mayweather likes money.

-- There's a rumor floating around the NBA that if the Suns flame out against the Spurs, they are going to make a run at the No. 2 pick and Kevin Durant, sacrificing their first round pick (which could be as high as No. 5) and any player outside of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. This, of course, could raise some interesting possibilities for the C's. Would you sacrifice Durant and a player (Gomes?) for the No. 5 pick and, say, Shawn Marion? I would. The scary part of this, however, is that the decision rests with Danny Ainge. While Danny has drafted well, he consistently has been fleeced in trades. This draft -- and subsequent off-season of moves -- is culmination of three years of playing the young'ns and building their value. Make the wrong moves now, and it will be devastating for the franchise. The lottery is May 22.

-- It's great to see old friend Christopher Trotman Nixon go 8-for-10 in back-to-back games against Orioles. Not so nice: seeing that SS Alex Gonzalez has 7 dingers for the Reds. I'm not so sure we will see a better defensive shortstop suit up for the Sox in our lifetimes.

-- Finally some sad news to report: I went to get me some ribs before a Sox game last week and discovered dust gathering on the tables and chairs at the Linwood Grille. Yup, the barbecue has been shut down for good. Apparently, it is going to re-open as an "American grille" at some point. Like we need more of those ... Bastards.

Money it's a gas...Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

Money get back

I'm all right Jack keep your hands off my stack.

Money it's a hit

Don't give me that do goody good bullshit

I'm in the hi-fidelity first class traveling set

And I think I need a Lear jet

Today's announcement that Roger Clemens is coming out of retirement (the 4th time for those that are counting) and joining the New York Yankees came as no surprise to this observer. In fact I predicted as much in my earlier blog about Mo Rivera and his struggles. At almost every step of his career Roger has always been about the money and the Yankees were always going to be the highest bidder. I'm just thankful this happened as quick as it did so we wouldn't have to read crap article after crap article about this being such a tough decision for Roger and how torn he is over 3 teams. Roger is all about the money and if you can kiss his ass while handing over a king's ransom than all the better. Kudos the Yankee's organization for doing a great job on both counts.

This is a solid move for New York but one that they absolutely had to make given the state of their pitching. While it makes the Yankees better I remain quite happy he didn't come back to Boston. It would kill me to have to root for a Sox starting rotation that included two guys that make me cringe almost every time they address the media. Roger is a complete phony and despite his better living through chemistry I have doubts on just how effective he is going to be in the American League at age 45.

I prefer my lasting memories of Roger in a Red Sox uniform to be:

• Asking out of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series (go ask McNamara about this one)
• Wearing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shoe laces and eye paint before purposely getting himself tossed out of the final game of Oakland's sweep of Boston in 1990
• Being fat and out of shape his final four years here where he compiled a 40-39 record and cavorted around town with someone definitely not named Debbie

Rooster Ramblings

Let me get right to it ...

-- Big ups to the Sox brass for the annual new wrinkles to Fenway and their orchestrated tributes to the past. But who knew that this year’s loudest nod to the past would be to ... Schaeffer Stadium? I’m talking about the new Conigliaro’s Corner seats at Fenway. Um, steel benches surrounded by chain link fence and tacked on top of the right field skyboxes? I can’t confirm this, but rumor has it that Rod Rust is escorting people to their seats up there. And, as if the skyboxes themselves weren’t cold enough on April/early May nights ... by the seventh inning of Thursday’s game versus Seattle, those poor bastards atop the new seats looked like the plane crash survivors from the movie “Alive,” huddling together to protect from the wind. If that game went extra innings, there was definitely going to be bonfires lit and limbs barbecued up there.

-- If Dustin Pedroia wants to get a hit in his next at-bat, he should start his swing right ... about ... NOW! There’s only one pertinent Pedroia question left: before sending him back to Triple A, is management trying to merely strip him of his confidence or are they trying to crush his soul, too.

-- Reason No. 7607 to decline that invite to sit in the Green Room on draft day: just seconds after being selected 20 spots lower than you expected, a giggly Deion Sanders asks you on live TV how it feels to lose out on so many millions of dollars. Ouch ... Btw, the lasting memory of the Emasculated Brady Quinn era may be him sheepishly mouthing the words “Wow” to his girlfriend when Ginn’s name got called rather than his. With each successive pick, his girlfriend looked like she was morphing into a pissed-off Kelly Preston from “Jerry Maguire.” Brady, you PROMISED me you’d be a top five pick -- you LOSER! Homeboy better be careful or before long she’s going to be sending shots of herself in a bikini to Rich Eisen.

-- And another thing about the draft coverage – Hey, Suzy Kolber. I wannna kiiisssssss youuuu. In a perfect world, we'd get a drunk Joe Namath evaluating each draft pick. Now THAT would required viewing.

-- I've listened to more than a few people say that they are digging the NBA playoffs this year. Maybe the Golden State upset had a lot to do with that. Still, when I'm flipping channels and I see Barkley and the halftime show, I'm stopping and watching him for the halftime duration. The game action itself? As Borat would say,"Nawwwwwwwwwwt."

-- Finally, the Rooster comes to you today with a plea: it’s time we Boston sports fans band together and demand term limits be placed on sports writers and broadcasters in this town. The idea is simple. If you get a job as a writer at the Globe or a broadcaster at WBZ, you get four years in the dream job and you’re audi – no exceptions. New blood gets cycled in, and the old jaded blood can do as many guest spots on different shows as he or she wants. I mean, for a town that boasts of its educated population, how are we stuck year-after-year with the likes of Bob Lobel, who on his best day can only boast of being lucid? Then there’s his stooge sidekick Steve Burton and his comical habit of finishing his thoughts by looking straight into the camera, earnestly tilting his head and pursing his lips as if he’s just delivered some pearl of wisdom on Tom Brady being a “gamer.” (Note to Steve: the phrase “Really?”is NOT an acceptable follow-up question in an interview.) The Globe? Well, do I even need to waste my energy on them? The answer, friends: term limits! In fact, why not have open campaigns for national writers we’d like to have here to cover our teams? I’m ready to start The Committee to Elect TJ Simers. Who’s with me?

-- I lied. One last thing, a riddle: What makes a Rooster smile? A: A 10-game lead over the Yankees at the All-Star break.

The Josh Hancock Legacy

I don't even know where to start with this whole Josh Hancock situation, so I guess a stream of consciousness will have to do...

When the news first came out, I was a bit surprised everyone (the entire league) was jumping on the "Josh Hancock is a hero that was taken from us too soon" bandwagon. I had a conversation with Aaron right after the initial news came out, commenting on how it seemed premature. Let's see... he was 29, single, in his hometown on a Saturday night (after 12:15am) and driving on a highway when he slammed into the back end of a tow truck with its emergency lights on... it sounded a bit like alcohol might have been involved.

The only tragedy here is the poor decisions he made that night:
1. Drinking too much (twice the legal limit in Missouri)
2. Refusing a cab ride from the restaurant manager.
3. Talking on the phone while driving too fast.
4. Not wearing a seatbelt (although experts say this wouldn't have saved his life in this case).

The irony is that his team (St Louis Cardinals) is owned by the Busch family, who made their fortune brewing beer, which might just have been at the center of this "tragedy." They're now planning to ban beer in the St Louis clubhouse after games... what's next, banning brats for the Brewers?

I'll echo what St Louis Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklaszf wrote this morning... "If you want to honor Josh Hancock, remember how he died and call a taxi for yourself, or for someone next to you."

Your thoughts?

Boston Sucks Chant?

Apparently it actually happened:
Boston Sucks Chant Heard in Bronx

Wow. That's awesome. See my post on 4/25 if you're wondering why I think this is cool.

Did anyone else here this?

Cheers,
-JS

Quick Thoughts

Quick thoughts from the weekend:

1. I'm officially ready to see Alex Cora start everyday at Second Base...I was actually ready about a week ago, but now I guess I'm making it "official". ;-)
   The guy's a gamer
2. Is it me or does it feel like the Red Sox aren't that good? I mean they're good, but they don't seem like the type of fearsome team that you would think would be behind the best record in the AL. I guess maybe that means they're more of a "team" since you never know who's going to step up.
   
3. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver may actually be a better broadcasting team than Jon Miller and Joe Morgan...I know that's not saying much...well it's actually saying that Jon Miller and Joe Morgan might be the worst broadcasting team ever. If they ever team up Morgan and McCarver, that will surely be the first sign of the Apocalypse.
   
4. I don't care about their so-called bad attitudes, I'm freakin' psyched for Brandon Merriweather and Randy Moss...and I'm sorry a fake moon is funny. It's not "disgusting", Joe Buck.

That's it.

Cheers,
-JS

Pats/Dolphins Day 1

A quick rundown of who you will be seeing twice a year with the Miami Dolphins, and the Pats lone pick.

1.Ted Ginn, Jr.- you all know who he is from the National Championship game. He is our replacement for Wes Welker- a stud kick-returner and slot reciever who can light it up. A bit smallish, but should provide some spark to what has been a flat offense the last few years. Worthy of a #1 pick, Im not so sure just yet. We will know better once he gets clobbered a bit by a DB at full speed. But Im glad the Dolphins didnt take Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn. Didnt like him to begin with- too cocky- and, seeing that he fell all the way to 22, he wasnt seen as the real deal in many coaches eyes. I'll trust our coach and GM on this one.

2.John Beck, QB, BYU. - Hopefully, Quinn will turn out to be a bust, and this guy will at least be decent. A very smart player who cannot throw deep consistantly, but doesnt force passes, and can lead a steady offense.

3. This is who the Dolphins got from the Pats for Welker- a badasscenter to hopefully anchor an emerging offensive line. http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=miami2&page=nfl/draft/2007/bio.aspx?p=6525

4. Lorenzo Booker, RB, Florida State (cue tomahawk chop) No one has heard of this guy because Bobby Bowden didnt use him as well as he could have and should have.. He is a solid runner, though. He will be the #3 back, behind Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Look the fuck out.

Four very promising picks on the offensive side of the ball for the Fins-agreat Day 1.

As for your hometown Patriots, of course, Bill Bellachick makes the most of his only pick on the first day, again dipping into the endless well of Miami Hurricanes, a badass free safety that can hit hard, tackle well, and provide a serious presence on the field. Oh yeah, NFL scouts compare him to Ed Reed. "Hey Lee Evens of the Bills. Get off the turf, put your teeth back in your mouth, stop convulsing, and meet Brandon Meriweather of the Pats"

And once again, its ALWAYS football season at my house.

Exit Sandman

Say your prayers little one

Dont forget, my son

To include everyone

Tuck you in, warm within

Keep you free from sin

Till the sandman he comes

Mariano Rivera might need to go shopping for a new Metallica theme song if his awful start to the 2007 season continues for much longer. No music accompanies your jaunt from the bullpen when you enter the 9th inning trailing by 3 runs though. Last night was just the latest of a string of bad outings for the once great closer who has blown his only two chances for saves this season and wakes up today with an ERA over 12. Last weekend when he imploded against the Sox it seemed to be a situation where his famous cutter just wasn't cutting but last night was about lack of control. The cutter was cutting but he was leaving it out over the plate or just simply missing the strike zone. Torre was forced to wake up from his nap and remove him with the bases loaded and only a single out recorded. The fact that Joe then summoned his lefty specialist (Michael Myers) who can't seem to get out any lefties (see Big Papi, Carl Crawford) only serves to highlight how big of a problem the Bronx Bombers have if Mo has lost it.

The Yank's pitching will get better only because it really can't get any worse. Wang is their best pitcher and I expect him to be solid and while Pettitte wasn't good last night he has pitched well this season. Mussina will help once he is healthy and I'm sure Cashman will make a serious run at Roger with a huge check in hand...and we all know how much Roger values money. However, they have no backup plan if Rivera has lost his magic. The Yankees can win games by outslugging opponents but to close out games they need the Mariano Rivera of old instead of the old Mariano Rivera we have seen this season.

Perhaps it finally is Exit Sandman time for Rivera. A much more fitting Metallica song for him now would be Fade to Black:

No one but me can save myself, but its too late

Now I cant think, think why I should even try

Yesterday seems as though it never existed

Death greets me warm, now I will just say good-bye

3 cheers for NBA; Big Raz-berry for D.A.

With the fate and reputation of the NBA depending on it, I thought this topic should resurface at the top, with all due respect to the previous Camby blog, as opposed to simply a comment, so here goes:


While the NBA surely isnt what it used to be during the Michael, Larry, and Magic years, I beg to differ that no one cares about what happens in the league anymore. New England might not care about the NBA right now, but there are three reasons for this:
1. Everyone up there is into the Pats and the Sox, hardcore, summer and winter, spring and fall, day and night, and who can blame you, because while they are winning championships:
2. The Celtics have sucked for the last 5 years.
3. The Celtics will continue to suck as long as Danny Ainge is in charge.

Its not D.Stern, its not players leaving college early, its not the dress code, its not the strike 10 years ago, and its not global warming that makes Boston uninterested in the NBA. Its not the NBAs fault that Boston is the 2nd worst team in the league. If they were the 2nd best, things would be different for the Green and Boston. If you want to talk about sports that no one cares about, lets talk hockey or boxing.

Here in Texas, where football is KING and baseball is queen, the NBA still thrives here as the Mavs, Rockets, and Spurs all have a healthy, successful fanbase. Here, as well as in the rest of the country, basketball is still a big deal. The league is on the verge of another climax, as its all about the young up-and-coming teams like Chicago, Golden State, Cleveland, Utah, Denver, etc. taking over the established teams . There is a ton of great talent, young and old. Wade, Melo', and James are givens, along with Luol Deng, Chris Bosh, Baron Davis, Steven Jackson, Carlos Boozer, - I could go on and on. There is still Kobe, Shaq, Wallace, Kidd, Nash, Ming, Billups, and look at A.I. and Marcus Camby in Denver.. again, I could go on.

Its unfortunate that the Celtics arent on that list, as they should be- all these teams in the playoffs now were worse than the Celts a few years ago- but Danny Ainge can take alot blame for that, for reasons we all know of. Thus, there has been no reason for the 617 to tune into the NBA, which leads to local apathy and then league apathy, turning into the rest of the NBA passing the Celtics and their fanbase by, leaving once-proud Celtic fans with a seemingly unrealistic view of the NBA beyond Route 128.

I guarantee that if the Celtics were in the mix with at least a decent team, Boston would care very much about the NBA. Its too great of a sports town not to. So even if the Celts are nowhere near the playoffs, Boston still needs to support the NBA. So for the next few nights, instead of worrying about whether or not Shrilling put blood on his sock over two freaking years ago, watch the new Bulls beat up on the defending champs, see the lights-out Warriors take it to the Mavs., and see if Kidd or Nash finally get a ring.

And pray that the Celts can get Kevin Durant.

Oh Mo!

It's never a good sign when your team is losing by three runs in the 9th inning and your manager decides to bring in your closer. It's even worse when that closer is Mo Rivera and he is forced to give way to Mike "I can't believe I tricked the Yankees into signing me" Myers with one run in and the bases loaded. What I found most pitiful was Rivera feeling the need to throw over to first base FIVE times to keep Coco Crisp from stealing second (which Coco ultimately did anyway). That's not the Mo Rivera I've come to know and hate over the years.

You're right, it's still April. These games don't really count. However, just like NFL pre-season games, you'd rather see your team win than watching them consistently get crushed. It might not mean anything but you can't help but let the doubts creep in. Well, the Yankees just fell to 6 1/2 games behind the Red Sox (and own the rights to last place in the AL East). 6 1/2 games certainly isn't an insurmountable lead for the Bombers to overcome but if I'm a Yankees fan right now, I'm beginning to second guess my team a little.

For starters, the Yankees have A LOT of money tied up in several aging veterans. While A-Rod seems to be earning his $27.7M/year, the Yanks have $10M wrapped up in perpetual DL inhabitant, Carl Pavano. Jason Giambi makes $23.4M, and while he can still hit, that is some serious cake for a DH that can't run. Abreu is making $15.6M a hefty sum for a guy that instills fear into no one right now. What's crazy is that among those four players, the Yanks are spending more than the individual payrolls of the bottom 13 teams in MLB.

At the risk of stating the obvious. the Bombers pitching situation is a mess. Bob Klapisch of ESPN wrote, "[the Yankees] best game this week was the one they didn't play -- Wednesday's rainout against the Blue Jays, which allowed Andy Pettitte to start tonight against the Red Sox." Hindsight being 20-20, one might argue that didn't end up being such a big advantage (he got pulled in the 5th inning of tonight's game.)

What's tough about the Yanks lack of consistency with their 9 man rotation these days is the fact that they are averaging 4.9 innings/start, lowest in the majors. History shows that this can kill your bullpen in a hurry. Poor Scott Proctor is on pace to pitch 162 games this year (yes, I'm exaggerating on that one.) Mariano Rivera's less than stellar showing tonight is one more data point supporting the argument that his best days may be behind him.

Two more games to go in the series. While I like our chances tomorrow with Wake facing off against Jeff Karstens, my rationale brain tells me that odds do not favor us in Sunday's game with Tavarez leading the charge against Yanks new ace, Chien Ming Wang. Even so, splitting the remaining two games is still a major victory for the Sox (that would be five out of six to start the season). Still a long way to go until September but I like what I'm seeing...

One Cheer for Camby

Marcus Camby was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year today, which, since he's a UMass alum makes it an important news story. It would be especially cool if anyone actually cared about the NBA anymore. What went wrong there? I was a fantasy basketball owner for a bunch of years in the 90's, when professional basketball was still interesting. Now I might catch the tail end of a regular season game (one) and use these playoffs games to put me to sleep. How did Dr. Stern screw this thing up?

One reason to click through to the story is to see the porn star mustache Camby's sporting in the stock photo. Reminds me a little bit of the soul patch Aaron strolled out a couple of days ago. Nice going gents.

the bloody soX-Files

The Bloody Sock Episode…A conspiracy theory erupts in MD around the Red Sox/Yankees ALCS and following World Series and is ignited by a well-respected broadcaster. Talk about a case that screams for Fox Mulder and Dana Scully to investigate as this is definitely an X-File. After all, Fox understands the dynamics of Red Sox/Yankees baseball since he grew up in Chlimark, MA and is a Yankee’s fan. He has shown an ability to uncover much bigger scandals than this. Scully grew up in Annapolis, MD which is just miles away from where this scandal broke and X-File’s creator Chris Carter named her after Hall Of Fame Broadcaster VIN Scully. She is forensic pathologist and could do wonders with an almost 3-year old bloody sock. The stars are aligned for this pair to get to the bottom of things because The Truth is Out There.

A ton of information and statements have been made since Gary Thorne made his now famous comments on Curt Schilling and the bloody sock but please don’t tell me that any of it has been the truth. The spin doctors have taking over and everyone knows that the Red Sox cover up the truth better than the Cigarette Smoking Man. Did everyone catch the sham press conferences yesterday where Mirabelli and Thorne co-concocted a story before each of them went to the media yesterday that was designed to limit the backlash against both?

I’ve listened to so many people screaming on WEEI about this and then last night Red Light decides to rip every media person on the planet a new A-Hole in his blog. So many people were yelling and screaming that the bloody sock was the ALCS. Actually, it was both the ALCS and the World Series. Thorne is referencing the World Series game because Curt wrote on his sneakers K ALS and the bloody sock guaranteed the K ALS (Strike out ALS) would get a ton of attention. Personally, I never doubted that the blood on the sock was Schilling’s blood. I have always contended though that it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to know that the blood was applied to the outside of the sox as opposed to seeping through from the inside…especially the World Series game.

Does this take away from what Schilling did? I don’t think so because he risked his career by having that ankle surgery. I doubt many others of his brethren would have gutted it up in a similar circumstance. Would I put it past Schilling to dabble blood on the outside of the sock in the World Series game as a way to promote a charitable endeavor? Definitely not.

Now, what was said between Mirabelli and Thorne? We will never know for sure but I would think Thorne’s initial statements are way closer to what was actually said than what those two spewed for the media yesterday. Is it really a great secret that Schilling’s teammates in Philly, Arizona and Boston wouldn’t vote him most popular in the clubhouse? Christ, while I love and appreciate what the guy did to bring a championship to Boston he repeatedly rubs me the wrong way. I can certainly see why Randy Johnson and a host of other former teammates don’t have him on their Christmas card lists.

Will we ever get to the bottom of things and does it really matter? The answers are probably no and no unless Mulder & Scully are resurrected. Psst…Mulder go seek out the Dominican under the mango tree because he is the key to finding out the truth.

Me name is Junior Gong

The Yankees Suck Chant Sucks

Watching the weekend sweep over the Yankees was by far the most enjoyable time I've had watching baseball this year. Every game was wildly entertaining on multiple levels, and I had the pleasure of being at the game on Saturday.

I do have to bring up one thing that came up in each game. Near the end of those games when the Sox had the lead, be it the eighth or ninth inning, starting slowly, but gaining a head of steam, you could start to hear the inevitable cheer, "Yankees Suck, Yankees Suck."

This chant bothers me in many ways. The foremost being that, the Yankees don't, in fact, suck. Actually they're pretty fuckin' awesome. Winning the division, what is it now, 9 years in a row. Now I hate the Yankees as much as anyone, but let's put things in perspective. Would the defeat of the Yankees in 2004 ALCS been nearly as much fun if the Yankees sucked? Of course not.

I was in my local after we won the seventh game of that series and a couple of idiots (no pun intended) tried to get that chant going. I responded by yelling, 'the Yankees don't suck. That's why it's so awesome that we beat them,' much to the delight of some of the other patrons.

Remember how the World Series was almost, almost, a let down. That's cause the Cardinals sucked, and we just steamrolled over them. There was no drama, so it wasn't nearly as exciting.

One of the things that really bothered me about the chant before we won the World Series was that it made us sound like sore losers, and revealed what a deep seated inferiority complex we, as Red Sox fans, have when it comes to the Yankees. It was like, 'well we can't beat you, so we'll call you names.'

You'll note that there are never any Devil Rays Suck, or Kansas City Royals Suck chants. That's because they do suck and no one needs to point that out. (Though given recent history we might need a KC Sucks chant).

After the World Series, I was really hoping that this chant would die out, but it still seems to crop up (maybe not as vociferously as before 2004) and it's always embarrassing.

By far the worst thing for me is when the Red Sox are in another ballpark like the Sky Dome…err Rogers Centre, or the Trop, where Sox fans can have a dominating presence at an away game and the Yankees Suck chant starts. You'll note it's always when we're losing late in the game. It's as if we know we're going to lose, and it's the one way we can make us feel better about it…trying to denigrate a team that's not even there. The next to worst is when we're playing another team besides the Yankees at Fenway and the chant starts. Always the same situation.

I had one glimmer of possible relief when the Sox were up in Toronto…one of the games where we actually beat them. I thought, I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard a Red Sox Suck chant brewing. That made me happy. That made me think that the Red Sox are finally in the Blue Jays Fans' heads. Now if we heard that chant this weekend in the Bronx we'd really have something...

The late, great, Dave Halberstam

Not trying to bring a downer to the blog, but the sudden death of David Halberstam should be recognized.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070423&content_id=1926013&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

While Dave is no longer with us, his writing and viewpoints will continue to educate and entertain. His works on baseball alone are about SO much more than just hitting, pitching, and running the bases. They are about sociology, culture, American history, relationships, drama and art, and the overall humanity that surrounds the great game. His viewpoints come from someone who really understood the big picture of sports and society, and their direct influence on one another. (Check out his writings about Jackie Robinson.) Furthermore, his well-rounded writings and research on politics, wars, the 'real' 1950s, and a number of other topics were usually spot-on. The Bill Russell segment in his 1950s documentary is awesome, and, as mentioned in the article, he won the Pulitzer for his journalism covering the early days of the Vietnam War way back in 1964.(!) (He also wrote a book called," The Education of a Coach", which is all about how Bill Belichick became Bill Belichick.)

But it is his stories and memories of baseball in another time, place, and era that will indeed live on, woven into our American quilt alongside the game he was so passionate about, giving us a clearer perspective of what baseball and America were really like back then, in order to better understand where they, and we, are today.




(dont miss the pesky article Pesky saddened by Halberstam's death )

Any questions?

Cocksure

I love this word. It's a childish thing really. Cocksure sounds like it's a dirty word. It's not.

Courtesy of Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: cock·sure
Pronunciation: 'käk-'shur
Function: adjective

1 : feeling perfect assurance sometimes on inadequate grounds
2 : marked by overconfidence or presumptuousness : COCKY

One might think I chose the word cocksure as the title of this post to describe the collective state of mind of Red Sox Nation after a two spectacular come from behind winds against the Jays and Yanks followed by another solid win over the Evil Empire again today. I didn't. The title of the post describes the look on the face of the man in the Yankees on-deck circle in the 9th inning of today's game.

To frame the situation, the Sox are up 7-5 in the 9th. They've squandered numerous opportunities to break the game wide open including a bases loaded situation in the 8th. At no point during the game did I get that "uh oh" feeling. However, this is the New York Yankees and they haven't exactly been putting up goose eggs recently (on the offensive or defensive side of the ball). We get to the ninth and in comes this blog's namesake, Jon Papelbon.

Game, set match, right? Not quite. Papelbon gets a fairly quick out against Johnny Damon. Then walks Melky Cabrera on four straight balls. Next up, Derek Jeter. The Nation's palms begin to sweat a little (not a lot, after all, we have uber-closer, Jon Papelbon, pitching for us). Papelbon makes Jeter look like Dustin Pedroia against Johann Santana on a couple pitches, the last of which sends Jeter to the bench. Now we get the mighty Bobby Abreu. Not a world beater but still dangerous.

So here's where the title of this post comes in. The Fox camera flashes to A-Rod swinging the bat in the on deck circle. He's got a little smirk on his face as if to say, sorry Boston, I'm about to ruin your Saturday night. And you know what, the guy should feel that way. I dislike A-Rod immensely but I will give the him credit. He's been lights out so far this season (of course this will not last when it counts -- mark my words). Except A-Rod never gets a chance to ruin our night. Abreu flies out to deep center. Game over. No more cock-surity from Mr. Rodriguez.

I know it's early. I know the games we care about come in months that start with "O"s, not "A"s. Still, it's sweet being a Boston fan and constantly getting a chance to tweak A-Rod's, and the Yankee's noses. It all stems back to the 2004 ALCS. Ah, the memories.

Two side notes. First, it looks like Varitek has broken out of his funk. Same goes for Coco. This will be huge for the Sox down the stretch. Second, I love Alex Cora. Guys like this make the game worth watching. Can't wait for tomorrow!

Rooster Ramblings

Some thoughts before oiling up for tonight's Sox-Yanks tilt ...

-- OK, so you’re John Gibbons, and you’re managing the Blue Jays in a division where you’re fighting for a seat at the table with the Red Sox and Yankees. You’ve got a chance to win an early series against the Sox at home, you’ve got your ace Roy Halladay on the mound with a two run lead in the eighth – aaaaaand you’re gonna pull him after 95 pitches? Really? You sure you wanna do that, big guy? ... Wow. What a gift. Next time you hear someone complain about Terry Francona, the Rooster hopes you point to that game to feel a little better ... A side note: Gibbons is the only manager in the majors who hasn’t played professional baseball. When Gibbons gets fired this year, someone needs to find JP Ricciardi’s email address. The Rooster wants to apply for the job.

-- So, I’m at Game On last Friday night enjoying a few libations with the fellas after one of the buttwhippings the Sox laid on the Angels. A couple of feet away there’s a steady steam of admiring gents making their way to a certain female who has her back turned to us. So, of course, we get a glance, and who is it holding court? Smiling Tina Cervasio – you know, the woman who has seemingly lost some buttons on all of her blouses this year ... Anyway, I’ve seen athletes out on the town with admirers lined up, and Tina certainly represented. Guys were popping by left and right -– she was the Belle of the Ball(game) and loving it ... So, I finally say to our boy C, “I’ll buy you a beer if you go up and say, ‘I’m a huuuge fan of your work, Hazel Mae.’ Sho nuff, not only does he charge up and do it, he asks her to sign her autograph on a cocktail napkin. The Hazel Mae comment? Didn’t even register with her (maybe doing Terry’s Take taught her to just smile through mindless banter), and she gladly signed the napkin. The Rooster, of course, bought another round of Stellas, and we toasted the Belle. Cheers, Tina.

-- Larry Bird, where have you gone? Sometimes you just can’t shake the feeling that if Bird had his choice, he’d be wearing a Pacers uni rather than a Celtics one in the Hall of Fame. I know, I know – that’s over-the-top. But one of the (many) disappointing things about the Celtics franchise is the lack of association that Bird has had with the team over the years. When I see Magic Johnson on TNT – and see him constantly talking about Laker pride – it makes me envious. For an entire new generation of fans, Magic Johnson still – and always will – equal the Lakers. Sadly, Larry no longer equals the Celtics.

-- The flip side to Bird is Cam Neely. No. 8 has stayed in the fold, only to watch the franchise sink to competing with the Big Apple Circus for customers. Enough. If Bourque or Neely – or both – were running the show, the Bruins would still matter in the hearts of people in the region. This is the no-brainer of the Boston sports scene. Right now, Bruins games at the Gahden are just an excuse to get the kids out of the house.

-- A-Rod and the Bombers are in for three. The Yanks can’t keep winning with that pitching staff, can they? I mean, gulp, it’s not possible right?