Barstool Friday...Division Titles, Upsets & Minny Transplants

Big weekend in sports. The Sox Magic Number is 2 with three to play. UMass football takes on Boston College. The Celtics take flight to get NBA Euro Live going. The Patriots face a high-flying offense Monday night against the Bengals. Let's take a look, and arm you for a weekend of showing everyone at the bar how smart I am.

• I've never hidden my dis-taste for Boston College. I was personally slighted by this institution 20 years ago, or so I like the story to go. It bears little importance though, my personal grudge, upon this weekend's trip out the Turnpike to Chestnut Hill, where the undefeated UMass Minutemen will attempt to pluck the BC Eagles. The National press, of course, dismisses this game as nothing more than an exhibition. I'm sure most of the Eagles players, comments to the contrary aside, are looking past this game. History certainly does not favor the Maroon and White. UMass last beat BC in 1978, and the last time they beat a D1-A team was 1984 when they upset Ball State. BC is also undefeated this year, and are ranked #12 in the Nation's elite college football "sub-division". They have Matt Ryan, a legit Heisman candidate. A UMass victory, however, would signal the team's best start since 1975 in a week where the Trustees agreed to move forward with a study into a UMass migration to college football's more prestigious "Bowl Championship Sub-division" (stupid friggin' name). I think this is a much tighter game than people expect. First of all, this is a UMass squad that is coming off of a dominating performance against Maine. We have a quarterback in Liam Coen who has Tom Brady-like poise. We have a team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Face it, if UMass loses this game by 3 touchdowns, essentially nobody notices. They are supposed to lose this game. But if the Minutemen play this one tight, they take some of the shine off of a BC team that is enjoying its highest national ranking since 1993, a team that would acheive its first 5-0 start since 1954. And better yet, if UMass WINS this game, not only is it egg in the face of BC (which I, of course, would enjoy thoroughly), it also validates the power of a UMass offense that has scored 35 points in each of its first 4 games (sounds a bit like a certain NFL team from the area, doesn't it). In the 125 year history of UMass football, that has never happened. Hey look, I'm not expecting an upset here, but I've been following this team closely, and I also won't be surprised if they DO win. 1:00PM tomorrow. I'll be listening.

• First of all, take a look back at the Good, Bad & Ugly column from earlier this month. You'll note that I assured you that David Ortiz would go for 35/100+. Big Papi clocked #34 last night. 3 games to go. Even Khalil Gibran would call me a (sports) prophet. Anyhow, the Magic Number is 2. It would be nice if the Sox could take care of business tonight and if the Yankees would falter so I could relax a little bit this weekend. Not that I'm afraid we'll lose the division at this point, but as we in Red Sox Nation know, it ain't over till the fat lady sings. I cut my finger-nails short this morning to prevent biting. But no matter how you slice it, a new season starts next week. Let's hope we start the second season like we did the first. Oddly enough, this time, we actually have to worry about our pitching. Which, by the way, provides me a perfect opportunity to plug Josh Beckett for the Cy Young award again. Becks has been our undisputable ace this season, and if they weigh last night's start too heavily and he doesn't collect the hardware, expect some screaming from these parts. Keep the Faith, Nation...the fun starts in just a few days.

• The New England Patriots are prepping for a showdown Monday night with the Bengals. Cincy has a potent offense that can put up points. But so do the Patriots. This could be one of those games that ends with a college basketball score. How do I like the Patriots chances? Let's just say the '72 Dolphins will still be sweating next week. Rudi Johnson is out for the Benglas, taking a little bit of juice out of their O, and providing an additional advantage to the Pat's D. It is going to be a shootout, to be sure, but look for the Patriots to prevail, 45-31, something in that range. As usual, you heard it here first...tell your friends.

• Helloooooooo...Europe? The Celtics take off for Rome this weekend to begin training camp and participate in Year 2 of the league's "NBA Europe Live" tour. It should be a good couple of weeks of bonding and sorting out the new look C's. I'll come clean here and admit to being a basketball geek extraordinaire. Yes, I watch pre-season games every year but it is usually just because, hey, it IS basketball after all. But this year, well, October 6th is going to be a little different. It has been a LONG time since we've been able to look at a Celt's pre-season game with enthusiasm for the up-coming year. It is going to be a treat to see, Kevin, Ray and Paul grace the court together in a game that means nothing on one hand and so much on the other. Our expectations are huge. Finally, after months of waiting, we're going to get our first look at reality. I can't wait. I feel sorry for the Raptors. Victim #1.

• Finally, I posed the question that other day: "If the Red Sox win the World Series again, the Patriots win the Super Bowl again and the Celtics win 2 of the next 4 NBA Championships, which Minnesota tranfer is a bigger hero in Boston...David Ortiz, Randy Moss or Kevin Garnett?" While none of you could be bothered to let me know what you think, it doesn't really matter. The winner is Kevin Garnett, hands down. Why? Well, a couple of things and thanks to my friend Don for helping to crystalize the first point. You have to remember what it was like here when the Celtics mattered. You have to be old enough to remember what it was like in the '80s when Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish roamed the parquet. It was INSANE. New England was Green in winter back then. KG, Ray and The Truth can bring that back. I've lived through a Red Sox World Series win, and it was undeniably the Greatest Sports Moment of my life, but the next one won't quite be the same as the 2004 one was. That was a magic year, and it can't be duplicated. Add to that the fact that while Big Papi is, well, Big Papi, a World Series victory is dependent on many factors and many players, and pitching plays a huge role in the outcome. As popular as Ortiz is, he alone can't have the impact on a Championship that Garnett can. And look at the Patriots...do they need Randy Moss to win another Super Bowl? Hardly. Sure, I'm happy to have him and he makes the trip a lot smoother, but his impact is icing on the cake. He's not taking them from bottom-dweller to Champs. He's just helping to add another chapter to the Dynasty. So there you have it. Sorry 'Sota.

Well there it is, Barstool Friday. Have great weekend watching the Sox claim the AL East crown for the first time in well over a decade. Enjoy one of the biggest college football upsets in ages. Take a good look at how grea the Pats are...and break out the shamrocks, your 2007-2008 Boston Celtics take the court.

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Three...is the magic number!!!!!

Just a few quick comments today. While I certainly slept better after the Sox clinched a play-off spot on Saturday, I'm still consumed with the quest for the AL East. A nice game last night, Schilling looked good, Manny and Youk returned and Big Papi was...well, Big Papi. Tampa Bay continues to play well, which is great since we don't have to play them again this season. They kindly disposed of the Yankees to put the Sox a solid 3 games up in the race for the division. This makes it so that (quick kudos to Schoolhouse Rock and De La Soul here) 3...Is the Magic Number!!! Any combination of Red Sox wins and Yankees losses equalling 3 seals the deal. All the pieces are falling into place. We could have this thing locked up before the weekend.

For those of you who weren't paying attention, the UMass Minutemen football team thoroughly DOMINATED Maine on Saturday, scoring 21 points in the first five minutes of the game. I'm looking forward to Saturday's tilt against the loathesome Boston College. Nothing would make me happier than the HUGE upset that a UMass win would be. More on this for Barstool Friday.

Interesting question came up the other day. If the Red Sox win the World Series again, the Patriots win the Super Bowl again and the Celtics win 2 of the next 4 NBA Championships, which Minnesota transfer is a bigger hero in Boston....David Ortiz, Randy Moss or Kevin Garnett? Think about it, I'll post my thoughts on Friday. Feel free to post a comment with your pick.

That's it for today, see y'all Friday! Go SOX!!!!

Is there anybody out there? It's Barstool Friday!

Hi there. I could have spent the last several days lamenting the state of the Boston Red Sox. I could have dissected that incredibly frustrating Yankees series. I could have ranted about the pathetic 3 game sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays. I could have questioned coaching decisions and general game management. I could have broken down the poor performance of the bullpen of late. I could have chosen to ignore all this and talk about the rest of the sporting world. I could have talked about the Patriots, VideoGate (a dead horse) or the continuing woes of Rodney Harrison (*sigh*), or even this weekend's game against the Bills (an easy W by the way). I could have discussed the impending start of Celtics training camp and how bright this season looks (make room for a new banner), or even my thoughts on the training camp trip to Europe. I could have talked about how great UMass football looks (dominated Towson, big game tomorrow against Maine), or about the upcoming basketball season and how we have games scheduled at the Cage and against AIC (hellooooooo 1957!!!!). Hell, I even could have mentioned that the Boston Bruins played a pre-season game last night (which, predicatably, they lost), not that anyone cares. Yes, there are all these things that I could have talked about this week, but I didn't. Because sometimes in life it is best to just Go Dark. Like during an air raid. Or when your favorite baseball team is on the verge of a collapse to rival one that happened in a year I refuse to mention.

Look, the Red Sox are going to make the playoffs, barring something more tragic than any Shakespeare play. And last time I checked, everybody starts the playoffs with the same record. They may very well still win the division. We ARE still in first place, despite what it has felt like here in New England over the last week. And for those of you who have short-term memory loss, the 2004 Red Sox were the AL Wild Card entry, and we all know how that turned out. Still I can't help but face the next 10 days with some sense that we have to make a little run, something more symbolic than statistically significant. I'd love to see Manny being Manny, a few good measure homers from Big Papi, and some dominating performances from Becks, Dice-K and Big Schill. I'd love to see J.D. Drew benched in favor of Jacoby Ellsbury. Conventional wisdom tells me that this won't happen, and while I loathe the conventional, I admit I understand it. Papi needs to rest that knee, Manny needs to be 100% for the play-offs and the bullpen needs some R & R. When (yes, I said when) the Red Sox clinch a playoff spot this weekend, expect to see a lot of minor leaguers on the field for the Oakland and Minnesota series. Prepare yourself for the distinct possibility that the Evil Empire will take the AL East crown for the 8 billionth season in a row. While I would love to grab that banner, to break the choke-hold, eleven days from now it won't matter. Honestly, there is only ONE thing that matters now. There is only one way that this Red Sox season can be measured as a success. My friends in Philly will surely disagree, but there is no success for the Sox in 2007 without one fitting occassion. We do not build teams to hold "the most days in first place". We built this team for one purpose...


The 2007 World Series.




Keep The Faith, Red Sox Nation.

Time for another Barstool Friday!!!!!

I contemplated a witty lead-in the today's edition, but frankly, there's just too much to talk about so I'll get right to it. Here we go, the September 14th Edition of Barstool Fridays!!!!!!!!!

• It is time to Fulfill Our Destination, as Manny would say. My beloved Boston Red Sox hold a 5 1/2 game lead over the Yankees for the AL East crown. The Magic Number is now 11. We have the Best Record In Baseball. And as we have come to expect, we have a decisive 3 game series in Boston in September against Those Guys From New York. I could probably produce an entire column on tonight's game alone, and it is the game that worries me the most. Daisuke has struggled mightly of late, posting an ERA of over 12 for his last 3 starts. He faces the always dangerous Andy Pettitte, a guy who understands what this all means. Sure, The Young Man From Japan has pitched some big games in his life, and he has a reputation for stepping it up when those contests come along. But this is the Red Sox versus the Yankees, in September, and there is more at stake here than a Win. As anyone in New England with a pulse can tell you, this is the series that will make or break a Red Sox season. No, they don't hand out hardware based on what happens over the next 3 days but we all know that momentum is one of the intangibles in sports, and regardless of what the standings may say when the weekend is over, the team that claims this series waltzes through the final 2 weeks of the season with a Sizeable Swagger. So Matsuzaka takes the mound tonight with a hefty weight on his shoulders. A Red Sox victory in the first game of the set will set the tone for the weekend. It will change the air in Fenway. The Friendly Confines are different when Sox fans have The Faith. We've been down this road too many times before. A loss tonight will shake the Foundation of the Nation. Doubt creeps in. A sense of "here we go again" pervades New England. So I'm here to tell you, denizens of Red Sox Nation, Keep The Faith. Dice-K will pitch a different game tonight than he has over the last few starts. The Captain will have him mixing his pitches and throwing breaking stuff in fastball counts, keeping the Yankees on their heels. The Bats will make contact, and if it comes down to crunch time, The Man With The Broad Shoulders, Mr. Clutch, Big Papi will carry us over the finish line. This is The Way It Is in the new Red Sox Nation. So after we take care of busines tonight, let's look ahead to how we put this thing away for good. Tomorrow afternoon (don't forget, it is a screwy 3:55 start tomorrow, unfortunately on Fox) we get The Aces. Beckett against Wang. 18-6 versus 18-6. Cy Young in the balance. The Battle for #19. Except Beckett owns #19. It is one of those superstitious sports number treats. And it is, of course, one that clearly plays to our advantage. It is Our Destination. There you go, Game #2 also goes to the Sox. Which brings us to Sunday, Glorious Sunday. Curt Schilling faces Roger Clemens. At Fenway. A Match-up for the Ages. Two of the greatest pitchers of the last 20 freakin' years...both of whom have rightfully earned permanent placement in Red Sox lore. Two competitors at the tail ends of their careers. Both with something to prove. Both Big Game Pitchers, digging in to place one more note in the storied history of the Greatest Sports Rivalry of All-Time. Who will emerge victorious? Well, I leave that to you to decide, I've got to get get my broom...

• Speaking of those guys in pinstripes, I've heard it said several times this week, the New England Patriots "have become the New York Yankees". As nauseating as that thought is, I can understand where it comes from. The Yankees are hated because they were so good for so long that people got sick of hearing about them. Nobody likes a perennial winner in sports, it tarnishes the mystique, steals hope for The Underdog, diminishes competition (real or percieved). It is increasingly hard in professional sports to reach these heights, for reasons of parity, salary caps, thinning of the talent pool through over-reaching expansion franchises and a disolving sense of loyalty between team and player. The Celtics had it in the '50s and '60s, winnig 11 Championships in a row, a feat that will never be topped. By the '80s, as great as those Celtics teams were, we also had the Lakers. The Steelers in the '70s, Niners in the '80s, Cowboys of the '90s and of course MJs Bulls. They all had it, but it is fleeting. But as the Patriots set out to win their 4th Super Bowl of this millenium, they resemble those teams, and of course the Yankees of the, well, last century. And most of those teams were hated by everyone outside of their own fans. Jordan, beloved as he was, might have transcended it a tiny bit but go talk to fans in Cleveland or Utah and you'll see even his shine isn't as bright. So I'll take the hatred for the Pats. It just means we've become one of the all-time great franchises...and I can live with that.

• Of course, now that I've said that, we have to address VideoGate. Bill Belichick and the Patriots got served their punishment yesterday for a "scandal" that is both serious and silly. Yes, my favorite football team cheated. Yes, we'll lose some draft picks as a result, and justifiably so. The Rules are the Rules, and they must be followed. But what I find silly about this is that while the Patriots Haters will cry foul and wish that harsher actions could topple them from this pedestal, everybody steals signs!!! This is common practice, people. The Patriots were just brazen (and foolish) about their execution. When Sunday night rolls around, I promise you Belichick will have staffers again stealing signs from the Chargers coordinators, just as Norv Turner will have his staff stealing signs from the Pats. The only thing that will change is nobody will be out there with a video camera. All I can say to the Haters is take a look at yourself and measure your outrage at the infraction against your loathing for the team. And then let's get back to football (where, by the way, the Patriots will efficiently dispose of the Chargers and continue their journey to the Super Bowl).

• I feel sorry for Greg Oden. The kid shows so much promise, and to be sidelined for what realistically will be closer to 2 full seasons, has got to be eating him alive. I hope he has a strong support structure around him, because he will have a harder time fighting the depression that he will tackling the rehab. But I couldn't help thinking about something. When the Kevin Garnett trade went through, I could imagine the Ghost Of Red Auerbach visiting Kevin McHale one night and saying "Look kid, I MADE you. Now it's time for you to pay me back". Now I have to wonder if ol' Red didn't have a few hands holding down the ping-pong balls in New York this spring, knowing that the Celts need to Win Now wasn't happening with the top pick in the draft. Red always had a way of knowing how things would work our before anyone else did. Training Camp is right around the corner. The Big Ticket, The Truth and Ray Allen have already arrived (voluntarily!) in Waltham and are building chemistry and schooling the young guns. The Quest for Green 17 begins anew.

Recap of the weekend's action on Monday with a full breakdown of Sox/Yankees, Pats/Chargers and some UMass talk, both football and basketball. Remember, 3:55 tomorrow and 8:05 SUnday for the Sox, strange times for Strange Times. Warm up those thumbs, a lot of flipping back and forth Sunday night. It is gonna be a great weekend. Enjoy.

"Mr. Clutch Is Back!!!!!!!!!!!"

I'm pretty sure that's what Don Orsillo said after Big Papi's walk-off blast cleared the right field wall of Fenway last night, his 13th game-winning hit in a Red Sox uniform. I say I'm pretty sure because despite the fact that I was actually in my living room, I felt instantly swept into Fenway Park as soon as he made contact. Last night felt different, in no small part because of Tuesday's ugly-but-heartening comeback- a game WEEI's Dale Arnold called "possibly the most important game of the season so far". Suddenly we feel like nothing can hold the Red Sox down, a feeling we've had for the past few years, a feeling that the Sox bats could bail us out of anything. We'd lost that late inning confidence this season, but suddenly it is back, and back with a vengence. When Lugo walked in the ninth last night, I thought "here we go". When David Ortiz walked up to the plate, I said aloud to no one in particular "Game Over". I'll admit, a few days ago, I probably would have been sweating but things are different this week. The "come from 7 down to win 16-10" game put the spring back in the step of the Fenway Faithful. Last night re-affirmed the Faith. Away we go...


Get your sleep tonight folks, The Big Weekend is coming. Full analysis of the Sox-Yankees series tomorrow for Barstool Friday.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Let me open today with my sincere apologies for my recent slacking ways. Every once in a while I am forced to step away, recharge the creative juices and fire up to present a column so powerful and provacative that you will be speaking of it for weeks. I hope your weekend wasn't completely shattered by my lack of insight, although I suspect some of you struggled to know what to say to that drunk next to you at the bar who kept blabbering on about something as irrelevant as the Boston Bruins, or perhaps even any thing related to Boston College. So friends, apologies aside, prepare yourselves for the brilliance of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Things may never be the same.


THE GOOD:

• For starters, the BoSox Kids. Ellsbury. Moss. Buchholz. Lester. And lest we forget, because he plays like a seasoned vet, Dustin Pedroia. The Kids have come as billed, exceeding all reasonable expectations and therefore living up to the expectations of Red Sox Nation. I certainly can't remember a time in my Red Sox Lifetime when so many youngsters have carried so much promise and then lived up to it. The Future is before us, and we get the distinct pleasure of watching it unfold. While we are on this subject, I'd like to officially start my campaign for Pedroia as Rookie Of The Year. He's batting .325 over 128 games, and that includes a (relatively) slow start. Remember in April when people other than myself were screaming for him to be replaced by Alex Cora? Not only has DP established himself as one of the most consistent members of the Red Sox line-up, he has also been stellar in the field. He has committed only 5 errors over the course of this season, and has been absolutely clutch at times, snaring balls that were sure singles and throwing out runners from his knees. That grab in the Buchholz No-No is a perfect example (which, by the way, is my undeniable winner of the "Best Game of the Regular Season" Award, barring something spectacular when the Yankees come to town this weekend). Top it all off with a fiery spirit, and palpable drive to WIN at all costs and you have the consumate professional baseball player. If Pedroia doesn't win Rookie of the Year, it will be a travesty and I will personally hunt down every one who didn't vote for him and take a 7-iron to their shins. Specifically MY 7-iron, which now has a nice sharp knick in it from a hidden rock just under the grass in the fairway of a course I played a few weeks ago. I'm still mad. But I digress...

• My Main Man, David Ortiz. Big Papi is hitting again, for power. He's up to 28 homers and 98 RBIs, heading once again for a 35/100+ season. This is an important sign as we head for the playoffs, something the Red Sox desperately need (we'll get to this in The Bad) right now. I've expressed my faith in Papi all season long, and so of course, I'm now looking like the genius that I am. I don't know why any of you ever doubt me...

• The New England Freakin' Patriots!!!!!!!!! What can I say? Tom Brady to Randy Moss...Tom Brady to Wes Welker...Tom Brady to Dante Stallworth...Junior Seau lining up, ON OFFENSE! The thorough dismantling of the Rival New York Jets this past Sunday was a wonderful way to christen this bid for a 4th Super Bowl Championship (silly video-taping issues aside). Loved Ellis Hobbs' record-setting 108 yard kick-off return. The O-line, seemingly shakey in the pre-season gave Tom Terrific all the time in the world. The defense was solid all the way through, even Asante Samuel looked good for the most part, despite his lack of practice. He did get burned on that touchdown even though the Jets ran the exact same play twice in a row, but I'll cut him some slack there. And the 5.5 sacks, including 2.5 from Mike Vrabel and that thumping of Chad Pennington by Green. Things look good. I'm predicting a dominant performance against the Chargers, in no small part fueled by Ladanian Tomlinson's seeming inability to keep his mouth shut. I just hope I can stay awake because...

THE BAD:

• ...the morons responsible for sports scheduling have conspired against us, putting Patriots vs. Chargers up against Red Sox vs. Yankees on Sunday night. Now, I'm sure I don't need to point out which of these games is higher on my list of priorities right now, but I am livid about this situation. Can we get a Constitutional Ammendment passed to prevent this sort of thing? Where's Ted Kennedy when you realy need him? Isn't there anyone in the NFL offices who is a baseball fan and can put 2 and 2 together and come to the conclusion that having a Patriots game during a Red Sox/Yankees game...in SEPTEMBER no less... is NOT going to help with the viewer ratings for the game?

• Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison. OK, they are on The Bad list for two completely different reasons, but for the sake of brevity I'm lumping them together here. The party line is that Seymour is out of the lineup for 6 weeks. The Rumor Mill says he may be out for the season. While the Patriots defense is still dominant without him, Seymour brings the intangibles of experience and leadership to the squad. His presence is something that propels this team in ways that are more valuable than statistical analysis can support. While I think the Patriots can succeed without him, we are a better team with him. Now as for Rodney, well he cheated. He will serve his time. 4 games without him will not spell doom for our season. But I am getting tired of this seemingly never-ending taint of Steroids/HGH on sports. There needs to be a cultural shift in the world of professional athletics, because despite the rules to the contrary, the culture of sports promotes this behavior. I respect Rodney Harrison as a football player. I respect the way he owned up to his mistake and admitted it (granted, after he was caught). But what I would really respect is if he now takes a stand against the Culture of Performance Enhancing Drugs that is pervasive in sports right now. We need a high profile, active athlete to become a spokeperson for change. We do not need one airing dirty laundry, one trying to sell books or one who proclaims he "just didn't know". We need some one to be a MAN and speak out. And act out. Lead by example. I doubt Rodney will read this and become that person (only in part because I doubt he reads this), but it would be a good thing if he did. It is time for a change. I've said before that I think it is unfair for athletes to be held up as role models for society at large, but just once, it would be nice to see someone held up as such in their own sport.

• RISP. That baseball geek's stat on how a team performs at the plate with Runners In Scoring Postion. It converts to runs scored, and to clutch time performance. We have been spoiled here in Red Sox Nation, because for the last several years, we have just assumed the Sox would hit in these situations. Because they did, time and time again. Somehow we've lost that this season. I no longer feel like a W is in the books 1 down in the ninth with 2 outs and a runner on second. There are 17 games to go. There is no more time to wait for the bats to get hot in the late innings. We need to get this going NOW. The momentum gained from driving in runs when you should can do nothing but put this team in the right place for a run to another World Championship, which is the ONLY measure of success this season. We have the talent. We have the pitching. We have the Best Record in Baseball. We HAVE to start hitting with RISP!!!

• Manny Not Being Manny. My buddy Chomper is a Manny hater. His loss. I'm a Manny guy, but we need Manny Being Manny, not Manny sitting on the bench or at home. Face it, whether you like the guy or not, the Red Sox are undeniably a better team when he is in the lineup. I just hope that when he returns, hopefully before the weekend, he can perform the way we expect him to.

• This one pains me, but Daisuke Matsuzaka has been awful in his last few starts. I'm sure that there is some physical fatigue having now gone through the rigors of an MLB season for the first time. He's pitching on less rest than he's used to and has to face batting orders that don't let up, nothing like Japan. But in Japan, Dice-K was known for his ability to perform his best on the biggest stages. I'd love to see Tito get him a breather, maybe let him skip a start now, so he'll be ready for the biggest stage of all. We simply call it October.

...and finally The Ugly:

• J.D. Drew. 'Nuff said.

Barstool Friday returns this week, I promise.