We're Cancelling Barstool Friday This Week...

That's right, you read correctly. We're cancelling Barstool Friday this week in favor of Catch Up On Your Sleep Friday. I'm recommending everyone leave work early today, go to the nearest pub and have a couple of pints and then go home and get some sleep. We've got Saturday, Sunday and (possibly) Monday night games that are going to cut right into your beauty sleep, so rest up while you can. So here are a few thoughts for you to contemplate as you drift off into La-La Land.

• Josh Beckett has been unbelievable. Clearly destined to be seen as one of the greatest Big Game pitchers not only of this era, but of all time. He's the reason this thing doesn't go past Monday night.

• Thank you, Curt Schilling. Who knows what will become of #38, but you can't say Schill hasn't given his all this post-season. I've noted before that his amazing re-invention of himself deserves a lot of credit, and he's riding it right on through. You can disagree with his politics, you can wish he'd just shut up, but you can't complain about what he brings to this team. He knows where his place is, and he loves it. He also knew that this might be the last time he suits up before the Fenway Faithful, and he gave us every thing he had. Regardless of where Curt ends up this winter, his Red Sox legacy is secure. The picture above tells you all you need to know.

• Hideki Okajima. 7 batters, 4 strike-outs to good-night. Pap picks off Holliday (the only runner he's picked off in his major league career) to end the 8th and then gets it done once again. So much for scouting reports! I doubt there's a scarier 1-2 punch to close out games in all of baseball.

• My biggest concern heading to Colorado isn't the thin air in Denver, the balls in the humidor, or the Rockies home-field advantage. It is how long Matsuzaka and Lester can stay in the game. At least one of them needs to take his game into the seventh to keep the guys in the 'pen fresh.

• I do wonder though, if the Red Sox go up 3-0, will Tito juggle the rotation and let Beckett go in Game 4? Do you give your ace the chance to close it out, and all but guarantee himself the World Series MVP? It will be very interesting to see what would happen here. History tells us that Francona will stick with the plan and pitch Lester, but the temptation to pitch Beckett in Game 4 will be strong. First of all, he's obviously our best shot to close out the sweep. Second, if he were to pitch Game 4 and lose, he's on track for a potential Game 7 start should the Rockies watch video of the 2004 ALCS and decide that they have a chance. I predicted elsewhere that Beckett would get the ball in this situation, but I only did so to stir up controversy. I'm not a believer in that scenario. I can see it happening, but it seems unlikely to me. But tell me you wouldn't like to see that!

• As such, I'm still saying Sox in 5. Matsuzaka wins a tight one courtesy of the Boston bats, Lester goes in Game 4 and gets rocked for 3 or 4 runs in the 3rd or 4th, the bullpen holds on and the Sox lose, something like 5-4. Beckett goes in Game 5, pitches 8 strong and gives it over to Papelbon to clinch the World Series. As usual, remember you read it here first.

• Getting away from baseball for a minute, because even though this isn't officially Barstool Friday, I know that at least one of you (Chomper, I'm lookin' at you here) won't take my advice and rest up tonight. Let's talk about the undefeated New England Patriots. The Washington Redskins are the only team that Tom Brady has never beaten. While you'll never hear Tom or Belichick say it, you know the guys in the locker room are fully aware of this. Look, he has to win this game. Before I realized this little bit of NFL trivia, I said it would be OK for the Pats to actually lose this game. Not that I expected it, mind you, but it is a non-conference game and a loss gets the "undefeated" monkey off your back. But get this, Peyton Manning goes for the same honor on Sunday and Brett Favre does the same next week. I don't need Tom Brady to be the only guy in league history to have defeated all 31 other teams, in fact, I hope Favre succeeds when he faces KC next week, the guy deserves it. But the Patriots (barring a serious reversal of fortune in D.C.) won't meet up with the 'Skins for another 4 years. If Manning and the Colts beat Carolina on Sunday, he becomes the first guy to beat all 31 teams (Colts play at 1, Pats not till 4). Can you really handle 4 years of listening to the Peyton ass-kissers saying "well Peyton has beaten all 31 other teams and Brady hasn't"? I can't. Patriots 42-17.

• The New Three, GPA, The GAP Band, The PGA Tour. They all suck, but I'll give people credit for trying. When Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen take to the parquet tonight for their pre-season tilt against the Cleveland LeBrons, it will be the final warm-up before the regular season tips off next Friday against the Bullet..er, Wizards. In the quest for Green 17, I don't really care what you want to call them, I'm planning on calling them Winners.

• Good news from UMass: Liam Coen is expected to start in this week's game against William & Mary. The Minutemen look to move to 7-1, 7-0 in 1-AA (yes, I refuse to call it the "Football Championship Subdivision").

• Bad news from UMass: The Minutemen hoops squad was picked to finish 8th in the A-10 pre-season coaches poll released yesterday. While it is probably a reasonable placement given the loss of Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme, I think it is fair to say expectations amongst the faithful are a bit higher. It is going to be an up and down season for a young team running a new system, I'm hoping Travis Ford can bring them up to speed quickly and Gary Forbes can display the skills he exhibited in the Tourney of the Americas and emerge as a vocal leader for the team. It's going to be an interesting season, that's for sure.

• And back to baseball, the Boston Herald is reporting that the Sox are planning to Keep Mikey Lowell around for a while. GM Theo Epstein has said re-signing Lowell is "a priority for the off-season, and I'm sure we'll be able to get something done." That's the way it should be. Lowell is the perfect combination of defense, offense, maturity and leadership for this team. What do you think A-Rod thought when he heard that news?

Well, that's a wrap for today folks. It is going to be another stretch of late nights as the Red Sox prepare to claim the 2007 World Series trophy. Enjoy every minute of it and ready the victory cigars. I can't wait to know what it feels like to watch your favorite team win another World Series in your lifetime.


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