It Takes Balls - Totally Biased Sports Commentary

Have A Cigar...

2008-06-18T10:09:00.002-04:00

Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar
You're gonna go far
You're gonna fly high
You're never gonna die
You're gonna make it if you try
They're gonna love you

I'm fairly sure the boys from Pink Floyd weren't thinking of the Boston Celtics when they wrote that, but it seems especially fitting this morning nonetheless. When cigar smoke started drifting towards the rafters of the Boston Garden (yes, it finally deserves the name) last night with about 2 minutes remaining, it was impossible to tell where it came from. Like ESPN.com's Chris Sheriden, I'm content to believe that it was a sign from Red. I'm old enough to remember The Master lighting up those Hoya de Montereys in celebration of previous Celtics championships, and I know that trademark cigar and a smile watched over the incredible dismantling of the hated Lakers to lay claim to Number 17.

68 days. That is how long it has been since the playoffs started, and the Boston Celtics set out to prove that they were more than a massive payroll and a trio of All-Stars with naked fingers. We watched them inexplicably go to 7 games with the vastly over-matched Hawks and Cavs, as they figured out playoff basketball together. We watched them re-learn how to win on the road against the dangerous Pistons, and figure out that you don't have to play all seven games to advance. We watched them come back from a 24 point first half deficit in Los Angeles to make the statement that they were the team to beat, not the "experts' pick" Lakers. And last night, for the first time in 108 games, we saw what the Boston Celtics were truly capable of if they put together a full 48 minutes of their finest play. It was the greatest moment in the last 22 years of Celtics history. It marked, with an exclamation point, the true return of Celtic Pride. It vindicated The Captain, a guy I've always said didn't get the respect he deserved, simply because he was saddled with sub-par teams to play on. It vindicated a guy who has spent too many years in the hinterlands being chided for being exactly the type of player he needed to be to get this team to the promised land. It vindicated one of the greatest pure shooters of all-time, who shed a cold streak in time to make sure the bottom of the net was his in the Finals. It vindicated a kid who constantly heard that he wasn't ready to run the point for a Championship-caliber team. It vindicated a bench that was questioned from the start but proved to not only be one of the best this season, but possibly one of the best ever, a hodge-podge of wet-behind-the-ears youngsters, career 10 minute a game guys, and a couple of guys whose primes came in the last century. And it vindicated a Coach who had absorbed all of the barbs of the last few seasons and took this assortment of characters and crafted them into the epitome of a Team.

In the last decade or so, the Celtics have been lost in the Boston sports landscape, with the rise of the Red Sox and Patriots. But there have always been those of us who bleed Green, who suffered through Len Bias, Bird's back, Reggie Lewis, Tim Duncan, Rick Pitino, 'Toine, Red's passing, and the 2006-2007 season. And then there is the next generation, the ones who never knew what we meant when we spoke of the Glory Days. Number 17 was for all of us.

You may have noticed I haven't mentioned a single name so far, and that's because I think it it is who these Celtics are. They are a team, first and foremost, and no name rises above the one on the front of their jerseys. So let me do it like this:

Gabe Pruitt
Scot Pollard
Brian Scalabrine
Tony Allen
P.J. Brown
Sam Cassell
Glen Davis
Leon Powe
Eddie House
James Posey
Kendrick Perkins
Rajon Rondo
Ray Allen
Kevin Garnett
Paul Pierce
Doc Rivers

There you have it, your 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics. The Boston Celtics dismissed the Los Angeles Lakers to win it all. All is right in the world, The Green Is Back On.

Two final notes. I saw 2 things last night that I've never seen before in a basketball game. First, here was the Gatorade shower Paul Pierce delivered to Doc Rivers. A staple of football championships, you just don't see this in hoops. The second, Brian Scalabrine, on the bench in street clothes, left during the game and returned to the locker room. To put on his uniform. Because after all, this was about the Team. The Boston Celtics. The greatest franchise in NBA history returning to its rightful place. I Love This Game.

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The "It's Spring" Edition of Barstool Friday!

2008-04-11T08:49:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Barstool Friday!!!!! It seems that I have been remiss this week, since it is baseball season after all, with no posts to speak of. But I have an legitimate excuse, I've been celebrating spring. I had two firsts of the season this week. I went fly fishing for trout, and I made my first pilgrimage to Fenway of the 2008 season. And as such, I'm going to abandon the usual Barstool Friday form, and wax a bit poetic. You don't have to forgive me, but if you aren't willing to, you might as well stop reading now.

As we walked out of Fenway and onto Lansdowne Wednesday night, I had to smile. Sure, the Red Sox were surrendering a game to the hapless Tigers, and sure it was 60 degrees colder than the last time I was at Fenway, but you can't help but think about how lucky we are in Red Sox Nation. And that's where we're also the most misunderstood. Red Sox fans are the most passionate in baseball, and even though we suffered for so many years, we never stopped believing, deep down inside. That has been rewarded, as we all know, but in the process, Sox fans have been elevated from Loveable Losers to Whiney Winners in the eyes of many. The problem is, those people don't know the true Red Sox Nation, they only know what the media shows them. In becoming media darlings, we have also become fodder for public dislike. Success breeds disdain in sports, more often than not. And that is OK, but maybe I can set the record straight, just a bit.

I've often said that a game at Fenway is a lot like a Grateful Dead show. No matter how hard you try to describe it, there is no way to make the person understand it. Like a Grateful Dead show, you can give them a recording, but all they can see is a baseball game and the fact that the Souvenier Shop does great business. No, the only way to get someone to truly understand a Grateful Dead show was to take them there, and the only way to get someone to understand a Sox game at Fenway is to take them there. Sadly, we can't introduce people to the magic that was a Dead show anymore, and the spin-offs are nowhere near the same experience. But anyone can enjoy a game at Fenway, and they'll all be better for it.

It really starts before you get to the ballpark, just like a Grateful Dead show. The closer you get to Fenway, the higher the energy. The more caps, t-shirts. The more random whoops and calls of "Let's Go Sox!" echo in the air. When you went to a Grateful Dead show, you could start to feel the world changing around you, you knew were entering the Land of Deadheads miles before you arrived. Approaching Fenway is the same. Maybe you're taking the T in, maybe your trip starts on the Red Line. You board the train at Alewife, and scattered along the platform are an array of students, business people, families, and of course, a number of people who you recognize. You recognize them even though you've never met them, because this is Boston (ok, Cambridge) and they are Red Sox fans and you just know that they too are going to the game. Just like you always knew who was going to a Dead show wthout ever speaking to them. Davis, Porter, Harvard. The complexion of the train car is changing, it is decidely more red and blue now. Central, Kendall, Charles/MGH. There is almost a buzz now that you can feel. You're heart rate jumps just a tick or two. Your smile broadens. You can definitely tell the people headed to the game now. They are the only people wearing big grins while stuck in the middle of the daily shuffle of those either oblivious to your journey, or just unable to join you on this trip, this time. I liken this to that last stop at the gas station/convenience store on your way to that Dead show, before you head into the lots. Park Street Station. The Common is above you now, you are steps from the State House, and you don't care. You scale one flight of stairs and willingly cram yourself into the first Green Line car you see. On game days, the Green Line is a zoo. Old, small, not too comfortable, but you just don't care. The Green Line is Fenway. They keep improving it a little bit at a time over the years, trying to make your experience there just a little better, but you don't care, because you know you'd be there anyway. Like the parking lot at Giants Stadium before the show, it can be dirty, hot and crowded, but everybody is dirty, hot and crowded, so somehow this shared experience makes it infinitely more tolerable.

You ascend now into Kenmore Square. The place is alive. Normally just a busy section of city, on game day, the area from Kenmore over the bridge to Lansdowne, Yawkey and the Park represents the heart of Red Sox Nation. At a Dead show, this is that are just around and encompassing Shakedown Street. The area that pulses with a colorful throng, all joined in a single-minded anticipation of the event to come. From the moment you step out into the sun shining down on the exit from the Kenmore T stop, you are immersed. It would be sensory overload if not for the fact that the event itself hightens your awareness, allows you to soak it all in. Hawkers peddle their wares, t-shirts and hats, pennants and Wally dolls. The smell of sausage fills the air, like the egg rolls, burritos and kind grilled cheese of the lots. You stroll over the millions fleeing the city on the Mass Pike, you cross over into the Promised Land. Fenway rises majestically in front of you. In due time, you will pass through it's gates ready to feel the magic. In the mean time, you wander, maybe randomly high-fiving an enthusiastic fan, maybe going into BeerWorks for a brew and a bite to eat. Maybe you go down Yawkey Way, every bit Shakedown Street, the central artery of Red Sox Nation. You look up at the brick facade of old Fenway, you see the banners. You see the one that says 2004, a lump grows in your throat. You see the new one, the one that says 2007, it all still seems almost too good to be true. The crowd swells, the anticipation begins to peak. And then it is time.

Entering Fenway Park is something sublime. I've written about it here before, and I'll re-tell it now. You go through the cursory bag inspection, you get your ticket scanned, you descend into the bowels of the old ball park. It is a little different now, with all of the improvements, but that first stretch of concourse under the grandstands still feels a bit like a dungeon. You file along with tens of thousands of others, weaving your way around the beer lines that extend out into the pathways, around the crowds yearning for their obligatory Fenway Frank. You reach that point. There is the sign for your section. The anticipation crests. You ascend. The light is nearly blinding as your eyes struggle to adjust from the darkness of the underbelly. And then there it is, in all of it's glory...Fenway Park. It seems impossibly green. The field is perfect. The Green Monster looms in left. The Fenway Sound fills your ears. It is a singular sound, there is nothing else like it. It is like when you first enter the three-quarter full venue for that Dead show. There is a sound there that is a combination of all that is happening around you, but it is a sound that is unique to the experience. It cannot be duplicated, but it is one of the finest sounds you will ever hear.

You find your seats, and it doesn't matter that they are half a size to small. The comfort is not in the seats, but in the fact that you are on hallowed grounds. This is the Home of the Boston Red Sox, the Home of Red Sox Nation. And if you never were quite sure if you belonged to the Nation before, you know it now. Like when you were in that Dead show, you were enveloped in one giant group hug, you knew you were one of the Deadheads. It's game time, and from the first pitch, unlike in so many other ballparks, virtually everyone in the Park is tied to every moment. The game goes on, sometimes it is one of those performances that reaches the highest peak, where the Team takes itself, and you too, to another place. Sometimes, they just can't get it done, but it is OK, you love these guys anyway and you know they went out there and gave it up for you, even if it just wasn't their night. Sounds a lot like a Dead show, doesn't it? Through the game, you experience all of those bizarre, cult-ish things that make Fenway, well, Fenway. The still-hand operated scoreboard. The between innings cheer that rises when the scoreboard guy comes out with his ladder and changes the board to reveal that the Yankees are losing. The surreal experience of nearly 40,000 people singing along to Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline". And you are immersed in the game, and you are immersed in Fenway Park, and you couldn't imagine anywhere else you'd rather be right at that moment.

Eventually the game will end. You will file out onto Yawkey Way or Lansdowne Street. Maybe you'll stop for a brief moment to take in the statue of the Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame. You might grab one of those famous Fenway sausages, or hit Game On! or the infamous Cask 'n Flagon for a beer. Or maybe you just head back for the trains. But you don't really rush, you're still flying from the Fenway experience. Maybe the Red Sox even just lost, but somehow, it is OK. You just spent the day at Fenway Park. And now, you know how it feels, now you understand. And when someone asks what it was like, you'll say it was great. And then you'll say that there is now way to explain it, really. And you'll say you just have to be there. And you'll smile.

The Yankees come to town tonight. The first Sox-Yankees clash of the season. I can't wait. It's spring.

Enjoy the weekend folks, and as always, have a pint for me.

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Another Barstool Friday!!!!

2008-04-04T10:10:00.002-04:00

Well, it isn't the happiest of mornings, but I have a lot to say, and it is Barstool Friday after all. Let's roll...

Props to the UMass Minutemen. You guys did a hell of a job, better than anyone expected 6 months ago. As I watched last night, I felt like we were champions, no matter the outcome. If only, 10 years ago, someone had said to Luke Bonner, "Luke, you're a 7 foot tall, slow white guy. Learn how to play some post defense and rebound. You're a center not a wingman", we might have had a chance of stopping Ohio State's Big Greek, and the outcome would have been different. But, as a certain coach in Foxboro would say, it is what it is. So congrats UMass, you did something no other Minuteman hoops squad has ever done, you played in April. Now, somebody tie Travis Ford to a chair and lock him in a closet until next basketball season so he can't go anywhere.

Tonight, it will finally really feel like baseball season to me. After the fuka asahayaku opening day and another 6 AM game 2, a couple of exhibition games in a "park" that had all of the charm of some of the whiffle ball "stadiums" we created as kids, and a late night game I could barely stay awake for the first pitch for (have I mentioned lately that I hate West Coast road swings?), we actually had baseball at a normal hour on Wednesday. And tonight we have a 7 o'clock game! And Tuesday we have Opeing Day At Fenway! And Wednesday we have me at Fenway! Yes, it finally feels like baseball season has arrived. Wake up Red Sox Nation, it's time to Play Ball!

The Celtics won their 60th game of the season this week. First time since the '86 Championship season they've done that. They have beaten every team in the league. They have achieved the greatest season to season turn-around in NBA history. Now it is time to MAKE history. Now is the time for GREEN 17. I haven't been this excited for the NBA Playoffs since the '80s. I Love This Game.

That's it for this week folks. Tonight, I revel for a few hours with my old AEPi brothers from good ol' UMass, down at Rafter's in Amherst. Remember, where ever you hop on a barstool this weekend, it's good to be a Boston sports fan.

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Fuka Asahayaku!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-25T09:14:00.003-04:00

No, that doesn't mean "Play Ball!" or some such thing. Roughly translated, it means "bad, early in the morning". I was all ready to wax poetic this morning, to relay my experience in watching the Red Sox-A's season opener live from the Tokyo Dome. Yes, despite my well documented opposition to this whole trip, I was none the less fascinated to see how the Japanese audience would greet the Sox, and, of course, returning hero Daisuke Matsuzaka. So, even before the Rising Sun, I awoke, ready to catch the 5 AM pre-game on NESN. I turned on the TV, flipped to NESN, and that's when I realized it was going to be fuka asahayaku. Bad, early in the morning.

You see, I have DirecTV. You know, satellite. And this morning, of all mornings, the satellites that support NESN and ESPN2 decided to go dark. I colorfully weathered this Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment, hoping that by game time, we'd have images. At 5:50, I broke out the radio. No offense to Joe C and Dale Arnold, but I wanted to see this game on TV.

So there you have it, what could have been a literary masterpiece has been reduced to a short column centered on my disgust with DirecTV, for failing me at the worst possible time. It really was fuka asahayaku today.

Oh, by the way, while Dice-K struggled, it has been a hell of a game, going extra innings with a Manny Ramirez double in the top of the 10th giving the Sox a 6-4 lead. And as I am about to click "submit", a strange play gave the A's a run and a two out, nobody on situation against Papelbon. Then a runner on, potential tying run. Okajima in line to get the win. Now runners on first and second. Joe C: "This has not been easy!" Papelbon, quite literally, hold this game in his hand. Doesn't it make sense that Kurt Suzuki is the guy who's up (even if he is Canadian)? But this is Jonathan Papelbon, and you know what that means.

We're 1-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the 2008 Boston Red Sox regular season.

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It's Barstool...Thursday?

2008-03-20T15:39:00.003-04:00

Given that I may just not get around to this tomorrow, we're going a day early this week. Lots going on, I'll get right to it!

Our Celtics take the floor tonight against the Mavs, looking to sweep their way through Texas. The Celts showed poise in San Antonio on Monday, coming back from 22 down to topple the defending champs. The Celts looked dominant Tuesday as they cruised by the Rockets, squashing Houston's 22 game win-streak in the process. Tonight, look for them to kick Dallas to the curb. Two highlights to look for: the Dirk Nowitzki Face of Disgust and the Mark Cuban "Slowly Dawning On Me That My Team Can't Win Big Games" pout. We then move on to New Orleans before we come back to the Garden. As I pointed out last week, once we return home from this stint, it is a pretty easy row to hoe. With 13 games to go upon the return to Boston, only the home tilts wth Phoenix and the Hornets, and a road game in Washington (who are 34-33) are against teams over .500. By the way, currently the 8 spot inthe East? New Jersey...at 29-39. Yikes.

Kudos to the Red Sox players for going to bat (pun intended) for the coaches and staff yesterday. We'll ignore the fact that they really didn't want to go to Japan anyway.

Are you full immersed in the NCAA Tournament yet? There are only two excuses for being here reading this right now that don't involve you sitting in front of the TV with this on your laptop, or toggling back and forth between this and the live stream from CBS Sportsline. One, you're a part of the Red Sox entourage and in Tokyo at the moment, or two, you...actually, there is no 2. You should be watching the greatest weekend of basketball of the year. And for the record, 3 games down, I'm 3-0. Although my mini-upsets picks of Kentucky and Baylor aren't looking so hot right now.

This will be the first year that I show up to work late because of Opening Day. I'm still struggling with the fact that I won't be enjoying a few beers with the game. Have I mentioned that I'm not in favor of this Japan trip yet?

Slightly unrelated, but worth mentioning. Had lunch with my buddy Chomper yesterday. And we have a consenus. A beer-battered, deep-fried burger stuffed with jalapenos and cheddar is almost as good as a burger can get. As good as a burger can get is when you add blue cheese dressing on top. So Packard's in Northampton, Mass wins my inaugural Homer Simpson "mmmmm..." Award for Burger of the Century. I like this idea. Stay tuned for future awards.

Tiger tackles Doral this weekend. So, anybody got a pick for second place?

Well, that's about it for this week. Have a great weekend, and as always, have a few pints for me.

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How To Win Your March Madness Bracket Challenge

2008-03-18T08:41:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again, where for a few weeks, NCAA Basketball reigns supreme in the world of sports, providing a helpful bridge to Opening Day and the NBA Playoffs. That's right, it's March Madness!!!! Clinically proven to reduce productivity already, the NCAA ands CBS have gone a step further and you can now watch every game, live, right from your computer! That's right, you can suck up all of your office's bandwidth and not miss a second of action!

I have been participating in various office/bar March Madness pools for over 20 years. In that time, I've been an outright winner at least 6 times, including last year. That's a pretty high percentage in something as random as the NCAA Tournament. With that in mind, and being quite confident that no one actually reads the stuff I put on here (so I don't have to worry about the competition), I'm offering up 10 tips to help you win your March Madness Bracket Challenge. And away we go!

10. Don't Be A Homer!!! Look, I'm the biggest Homer of them all, but if you want to win, you've got let it go. Unless you live on Tobacco Road, face it, most years picking your hometown team to get past the first couple of rounds is bracket suicide. Sport your team colors, root hard for them in every game, but DON'T pick them to go to the Final Four. Trust me here.

9. Live By The 1 Seed, Die By the 1 Seed While we all know that all 4 #1 seeds never make it to the Final Four, they also never lose to a 16. Look, the single most important thing you can do to win your bracket is to get those 4 teams right. If you don't, you're toast. Keep the 1s till the Sweet 16, and your chances of taking it all improve dramatically.

8. The 5 to 12 Slot Here's where you can up your Games Won stats dramatically. It is where the so-called upsets happen. Your 5/12, 6/11, 7/10 and 8/9 match-ups are the biggest crap shoots of the Tourney. These games are where you need to do your homework. Look at the match-ups carefully. Just because one team has a higher seed, doesn't necessarily mean they are the most likely team to win. These are the games where a deadly 3 point shooting team that averages 90 points a game in a weak conference will take out a mediocre team from an elite conference. These are the games where a team that is only in the Tournament due to an unexpected win in their conference tourney giving them an automatic bid falls to a team you've never heard of. They are also the games where a great team's late season skid dropped them to an 11 seed, but their starting point guard is back and they are a much better team when he's on the floor. These games are what seperates the basketball geeks from the people who fill out their brackets based on uniform color or mascot.

7. The Sleeper The Sleeper usually comes from the 8 to 12 Slot. The Sleeper is usually a young team with a budding Superstar. It is a team that has shown flashes of brilliance all season long, as well as occasionally looking like they ought to be playing intramural ball instead. But the budding Superstar comes up big in the Tourney, cementing his Stud Status. He doesn't take the team to the promised land, but they go to the Sweet 16 or Elite 8. Look for the team that has a freshman or sophmore who is going to be high on the NBA draft boards in June, even though he's raw and not quite ready.

6. Don't Put Cinderella On The Dance Card Every few years, some 12 or 14 seed stuns the world and makes an improbable run deep into the Tournament, causing a backlash of poor Bracket choices for years. Here's the thing, remember I said earlier that the most important thing you can do is pick the Final Four, right? Well, Cinderella doesn't make the Final Four. She might look good in that prom gown, but we all know she's going back to mopping floors, and it's happening at about 8:30, not midnight.

5. Defense Wins Championships Things are different when you make it to the Dance. If you've got a team that put up 88 PPG during the regular season, but gave up 85, if you've got them going deep, you're not going to be crowned Champ. Remember, chances are all those high scoring games were against teams that are at home watching on TV right now.

4. Except When It Doesn't There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Every year, there are few teams that can score at will, inside and out. Those rare teams that aren't defensive stoppers but have a balanced attack that can burn you on the break or eat clock and crush you with 3 point daggers stand a good chance. But do your homework. These teams have to have dominated all season long. They can't have any serious flaws and they have to be painfully consistent. We have one of these teams this year. I'll let you figure out who. I can't give away ALL of my secrets.

3. The 8-Ball The Elite Eight is where things start to get dangerous. It is where the giants fall. This is where you can expect to lose some of those vaunted 1 seeds. Like the 5 to 12 Slot, this is where the hoops geeks need to do their work. Carefully analyze your potential match-ups, looking at the how the strengths of the lower seeds stand up against the weaknesses of the higher seeds. There's a 2, 3, or 4 waiting to pounce now, they've got momentum on their side and will look to exploit holes in Number One's armor. Here is where you seal the deal. Pick right here and you've got the Final Four locked down, and your competition has fallen by the wayside.

2. Go With The Gut(s) So you've narrowed it down to your Final Four predicitions. There is no science now, every one of these teams deserves to be here, and every one could win it all. Now you take everything you know about hoops, and knock out two teams. You're at the National Championship Game. Which team has the Will To Win??? That's what it comes down to, and you've just got to go with your gut and their guts to pick a winner.

1. The Magic Number Finally, you've got to remember to not ignore the tie-breaker. Picking the total points scored is easy. It will be in the 130s. Trust me here. You don't get high scoring games at this point in the tournament, for several reasons, not the least of which is that the teams went from having tons of games in quick succession to having a week off, then an emotionally charged game two days prior. They come out a little cold, a little flat, and eveybody steps up the defensive pressure. Don't pick too high, or too low, you'll be fine, and you'll be the 2008 NCAA March Madness Champion.

There you have it, a sure fire way to put yourself in contention for a year of bragging rights. You can thank me later.

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He's G-R-R-R-R-R-EAT!!!!!!

2008-03-17T08:59:00.005-04:00

It being St. Patrick's Day, the one day that everyone in America somehow is Irish and drinks stout, I had planned on devoting today's column to the Celtics. Right up until about 5:45 yesterday afternoon. That's when I watched Tiger Woods sink a 25-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole to take Bay Hill. To avoid a playoff. To Win. It was a defining moment in a career of defining moments. It was something no one does. It was simply Tiger Being Tiger (sorry Manny).

As any golfer, no matter weekend duffer or the Greatest Player to Ever Play The Game, can tell you, there are shots that define you, shots that you never forget. And the best tend to be the putts that shouldn't go in, but do. Sure, driving the green on a Par 4, setting up my first ever eagle, 10 years ago, was a great moment. But I 2-putt from 8 feet to secure it, and to be fair, it was a 285 yard Par 4 playing about 250. Sure, the 300+ yard drive I hit on the 18th hole of a tournament last year, setting up a birdie and a T-4 finish for my team (gotta love best ball) felt great. But these still aren't the strongest memories I have on the golf course. No, those come on the greens. You know, the old "Drive for Show, Putt for Dough" thing. My defining moment as a golfer? Father's Day 2006, 6th Hole of Beaver Brook Country Club. I sank a 30-footer for birdie, after hitting a pretty sweet approach from about 150. But it is the putt that sticks with you. Hell, it sticks with my buddies JonO and Ed. They still say "hey, remember that putt you sank on Father's Day a few years back? That was great."

And that is the story of Tiger Woods life. The shots, the putts in particular, that make people say "remember when Tiger did that? That was great." And to make this one all that much more poignant (as if it needed help)? It was basically the EXACT SAME PUTT he sank at Bay Hill back in 2001 to beat Lefty on the last hole of the tourney with a birdie, which was also the last time Tiger made birdie on the 72nd hole to win a tourney. See what I mean? These things define you. Tiger is 7 of his last 8 in PGA Tour events (finishing second in the other), and 8 of his last 9 over-all. He hasn't lost a tournament he's entered this season. And remember this: Tiger was 7 strokes back at the end of the day Friday. SEVEN STROKES!

In a career defined by defining moments, we may be watching the Most Defining Moment Of Them All. We may be watching the early steps of the most dominant year in the History of Golf. Earlier this year, we saw Tiger pass this weekend's host, the great Arnold Palmer, on the career PGA Tour victories list. Yesterday, he tied Mr. Ben Hogan for third on the all-time list at 64. At this point, it is no longer hard to imagine that he will catch the Golden Bear at 73...this season!

We are witnessing something that happens rarely in sports, we are witnessing the Greatest Ever. And there is really no argument. Those of us fortunate enough to have watched Jordan, we can say we saw "arguably" the best ever. But there is still an argument. You can make a case for Bird, Magic, Russell, Wilt, a few others. In baseball, you can argue who was the greatest ever, by position even, but you'll never have consensus. Same with football, the Greatest Quarterback of All-Time is a debate that will rage forever. Try another individual sport. Boxing? Go ahead, try to get 10 guys to agree that it was Ali. You might get 7 of 10. Maybe.

In golf, until recently, a solid case could be made that Tiger was "one of", but not "the" best. But since the death of his father, Tiger has been gaining steam. And since Bridgestone last year, he's been like a fully-loaded freight train heading downhill. Only the conducter has the train under full control, everybody else just needs to step out of its way. A few months ago, Tiger said that winning all four majors this year was "within reason". Jack Nicklaus said "I wouldn't put it past him." At this point, I don't think any one would argue with them.

I wonder what will become of Tiger Woods when he closes the records books, with his name at the top of every list. I wonder if he will carry on, playing till his body won't let him any more, like Arnie and Jack. I wonder if 30 years from now, we'll be watching an aging Tiger make his last trip around Amen Corner, or over the bridge at St. Andrew's. I wonder if he'll gracefully move on when he has etched his name firmly atop the world of golf, going out at the top of his game. With Tiger, it's hard to say. But in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy every moment, knowing that for what may be the only time in my life, I'm watching The Best Ever.

And yes, I know I didn't mention March Madness. I'm still bitter, leave me alone. We'll tackle that later in the week.

It's Barstool Friday!!!!!!!!

2008-03-14T09:31:00.004-04:00

Yeah, it's Barstool Friday. This was supposed to be a triumphant return, but UMass blew it in their first game of the A-10 tourney last night, pissing away a 17 point lead over Charlotte and in the process, popping the bubble on which they had firmly sat. A trip to the NCAA tournament is now extremely unlikely, barring some really strange happenings in other conference tourneys. The only saving grace being that with UMass out, I don't have to contend with my loyalty, thereby increasing my chances of defending my HCBF March Madness Bracket Challenge Championship. So I'll try to muster a little enthusiasm for the following barstool talking points...

Good-bye Doug Mirabelli. The Red Sox cut ol' Doug yesterday, giving the Tim Wakefield Personal Catcher role to Kevin Cash. Cash caught Wake admirably last season when Dougy was out, so I think he'll be fine. In a way, its sad to see Mirabelli go, even though his plate appearances make Billy Crystal look like David Ortiz. So thanks Doug, for all the passed balls that didn't happen. Best of luck. Although I'm not ruling out another State Police escort later this season if Cash can't cut it.

I promised to talk about that lose Arlen Specter. But I'm in a bad mood, so forget it. If anybody brings it up at the bar this weekend, I recommend just telling them to eff off.

The Celtics are riding their longest winning streak in over 20 years. They should take care of business tonight when the Jazz come to the Garden, and then a tough road swing against Milwaukee (OK, this one's not tough), the Spurs, Rockets, Mavs and Hornets. After that, aside from the SUns and NOLA at home, it's cruise control till the playoffs. Other than those two games, I think we only meet a couple of other teams that are even over .500 before the regular season ends. I love this team! The Green Is Back On!

Great weekend of college hoops ahead, with all of the conference tourneys. I'll watch some, but it just won't be the same. Friggin' UMass!!!! grrrrrr.....

Alright, let me go back to wallowing in self-pity. Have a great weekend folks, have a pint or 3 for me. See you next week.

Nation Vexation?

2008-03-12T08:29:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Mike from Cambridge, a.k.a. "Boston Mike" (a quick aside, the older you get, the more people you meet with certain names, like John/Jon, Steve, and of course Mike. Hence, you have to give them qualifiers, like I've done here, to distinguish Boston Mike from Mike'n'Vickie Mike, Mike the Russian, MadDog Mike, Mike the Builder, etc. All these people have last names, but somehow, this makes more sense. Don't ask me why. Anyhow...), sent me a message entitled "Nation Vexation". Here's what he said:

"Is it just me or are all Sox fans somewhat sated by success? In years past I would have been apoplectic about signing a washed up bum like Colon. Now its just like "meh" "

Ignoring the fact that Mike used "sated" and "apoplectic" and yet still summed up his feeling with "meh", he had a point. In a Red Sox off-season relatively devoid of controversy, we were able to sit back and soak it all in, perhaps for the first time in our lives. The news of Schilling's woes was largely greeted with a collective "kinda saw that one coming" and "hopefully he'll be back for the play-offs". OK, two things of note here. First off, when have you ever known Red Sox Nation to not panic at news like this? Second, we now regard the play-offs as a given. It wasn't that way after 2004. We were jubilant, yet there was a strange feeling of "what's going to go wrong now?". And it was a well-founded fear. Pedro left. D-Lowe and Cabrera, too. Schill and Foulke showed the wear and tear of the previous season, spending large chunks of the year on the DL. And Bellhorn, Millar and Embree all sucked in '05. The Caveman Johnny Damon would defect to the Yankees at the end of the season.

But that was then, and this is now. 2007 showed us what Baseball Ops and ownership really were building. 2004, for all of it's greatness, for all of its history, was a bit of a fluke. Or a miracle, more accurately. We were, to quote Manny, a team of destination. But in 2007, and now heading into 2008, we are a team built for the long haul. A perfect balance of young talent, veteran guile, consistent hitting, complete pitching. In essence, the team that won the World Series last year looks like the team that will win it this year. If anything changed, we got a bit better, Bartolo "Never Met a Chalupa I Didn't Eat" Colon not withstanding.

So it wasn't really a surprise this week when the news of Josh Beckett's back problems was met with little concern in Red Sox Nation. Even the usually fear-mongering sports talk radio hosts went so far as to dismiss it as a "phantom injury", a minor pain elevated in the inner circles to provide a plausible excuse to keep them from having to subject Beckett to the Japan trip- one that clearly doesn't sit well with players or management. Why put your ace through that? While there will be many smiles and "it will be a great experience" comments from Sox players and coaches in the days to come, I'll guarantee you that there isn't a soul in that clubhouse who is looking forward to this trip, Matsuzaka and Okajima included. These guys thrive on routine, especially in Spring Training and as they get their feet wet in the opening weeks of the season. And this folly for MLB is anything but routine. I was against it from Day 1, and remain so. I have no doubt the Sox will rebound from the trip and live up to expectations, but I still think it is an unfair burden to place on two teams out of thirty.

28 Days until I pass through the Gates of Fenway for the first time this season. Barstool Fridays return this week, I'll have more on the Sox and Celtics, March Madness stuff, and I'll break my silence on the never ending Arlen Specter Affair.

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Get Up, Stand Up!!!

2008-03-11T08:52:00.003-04:00

I was up in Burlington, Vermont this past weekend on business. Thanks to a wicked ice storm Saturday, I hunkered down in my room at the lovely Sheraton with a bottle of Shiraz and the newly installed flat screen TV. After watching ESPN's preview of the UNC/Duke game for the 15th consecutive time (great game by the way, especially since Duke lost, as they are part of my triumervate of "Teams I Love To Watch Lose", along with BC and UConn), I decided to do a little light reading before tip-off. When you go to these things, you've got to take light reading, you only get to read in short spurts, so it can't be anything that demands too much attention. As one might expect, I filled my backpack with my usual topics: fishing, beer, the Grateful Dead, and baseball. My choice that night was to start re-reading Bill Simmons' Now I Can Die In Peace. I'm often struck when I read his stuff by the similarities in our lives. We're basically the same age, and have the same addiction to our local sports teams. Although no one in my family ever had season tickets to the Celtics. I will, however, bet that I saw more Celtics games at the Hartford Civic Center than Bill did, including one where my grandmother (the sweetest and most honest person you'll ever meet) conned the box office people into giving us better seats. I still can't believe that. I did get to see Bird and Parrish and company up close and personal, and I even got M.L. Carr's autograph that night. I thought about mentioning this to Kevin McHale when I met him at a Bob Dylan concert several years later, but I figured he wouldn't remember me. Anyhow, my point here is that there are a lot of similarities between Bill Simmons and myself, except he somehow managed to get somebody to PAY him to do this. I'm available at a much better rate, if anybody out there is interested.

OK, somehow I've gotten off track here. At one point early in the book, the Sports Guy is referring back to the heyday of the Celtics. I was thinking fondly back on those great teams, and trying to figure how this current incarnation of the Green are bringing that passion back to the "Garden". Last week the C's became the first team in the league to clinch a play-off spot. Wow. Last night, with 20 games still to be played this season, they became the first team in the NBA to win 50 games this year. FIFTY GAMES!!!!!! Do you know the last time the Celtics won 50 games?

1992.

That's right, our Celtics haven't won 50 games in 16 years. For the record, although I expect you've already made this connection, 1992 was the last year of the Larry Bird Era. Larry Legend. The Basketball Jesus. His back failed him, and pretty much ever since, the Celts have failed us. Until this year. Larry's running mate Danny Ainge brought us back to relevance (helped in no small part by the ghost of Red Auerbach, I'm sure). It is remarkable. Click on the NBA page of ESPN.com and nearly every day you'll see KG, or Paul, or Ray, or Rajon. They are ever-present. Not even the 2002 team that went (read: snuck in) to the Eastern Conference Finals had this kind of presence. But maybe the best thing about these guys is that they are a team. Unlike the Antoine Walker Ill-Advised 3-Pointer Show, these guys all contribute, they are all focused on one thing...hoisting a trophy. They make each other better. They've turned a second year point guard into one of the elite floor generals in the game. They have a bench that doesn't just hold on, they elevate the team. They've just added two quality veterans to solidify them for the playoffs. And they are fun, man are they fun. Just watch this team pass the ball, it is poetry in motion. Like a perfectly executed 6-4-3 double play, they move the ball gracefully around the court until the perfect moment, and then drive home the dagger.

So Get Up, Stand Up people! These are OUR BOSTON CELTICS!!!! It has been a long time since we could say that with Pride, with conviction, with joy. It's been 16 years, it's been since the last time we won 50 games, the last time Larry Legend graced the parquet. Some may say Boston sports these days are an embarrassment of riches, but I'm not embarrassed. I couldn't be happier.

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The REALLY BIG 2008 Red Sox Preview!!!!!

2008-02-28T09:09:00.003-05:00

In honor of the Defending World Champion 2008 Boston Red Sox taking the field today (twice) for their first games of the season, I present you with The REALLY BIG 2008 Red Sox Preview!!!!!! But quickly, before I begin, a word or two about the significance of last night's Celtics game. That game closed out the season series with the Cavs with an even 2-2 split. But if I'm the C's this morning, I'm feeling pretty good about that. They beat us by a combined what, 3 points? We beat them by something like a combined 30. I'm looking at this and saying, over a 7 game series, LeBron will beat us a couple of times by putting the entire team on his back, but there is no way he can do it 4 out of 7. The Celtics are pretty effective (well, as effective as you can be) at keeping LBJ away from the rim, forcing him to beat you from the outside. Which he can do, but with James, you pick your poison. Last night was a statement, and it said "you won't be able to do to us what you did to Detroit last year". OK, I digress...

Josh Beckett takes to the mound this afternoon, giving us something to watch other than stretching and batting practice. Even though the games today won't be broadcast (although tomorrow night's game with the Twins will), we'll get our first competitive look at the 2008 squad. Yeah, it's Boston College (I'm refraining from commenting here...), and yeah, there will be several faces that we won't see this year unless you pay a visit to Pawtucket or Portland, but that doesn't really matter. It feels like baseball is here, and there is an odd sense of ease in Red Sox Nation. The quiet off-season comes to an end, and we look towards our title defense with optimism in a team that remains largely the same. Let's take a closer look...

Pitching: It would almost be enough to just type Beckett, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, Lester, Buccholz, Okajima, Papelbon here and move on. I don't ever remember feeling this way about a Red Sox pitching staff. Even with the injury to Schilling, this group is scary good. It is a nice blend of youth and experience. You have an undisputed ace (who I still think should have won the Cy Young), you have Daisuke going in to year 2, where the spotlight on him is no quite so bright and he has a better idea of how to approach the Major League season, you have Wake being Wake, and you have the best closer in baseball. Add to the a crew of young starters who have some innings under their belts now and a solid core of role playing guys (Tavarez, Delcarmen, Snyder, Hansen, Timlin) and some young guys who could be brought up (Masterson, Hansack, Bowden). Plus the additions of David Aardsma and possibly the weighty Bartolo Colon give them some guys to look at. And to top it all off, you don't have Eric Gagne.

Infield: Let's see...Gold Glove Youk at first, Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia at second, and WS MVP Mike Lowell at third. You have the light hitting but solid fielding Julio Lugo at short, utility middle infielder Alex Cora, and The Mayor Sean Casey as a back-up at first (which not only gives you the guy voted by the players as THE most likeable guy in baseball, but a solid array of options for giving both Youk and Lowell a few days off here and there, plus a solid lefty bat for pinch hitting roles). Hard to believe, but the Sox got better in the infield. And I still think Jed Lowrie is going to be better at short down the line than he's sometimes given credit for.

Center Field: I'm giving this it's own spot, for the obvious reason that it is the one spot that is "up for grabs" if you buy the party line being spouted by Tito and Theo. But honestly, is there anyone out there who doesn't believe that Jacoby Ellsbury will be roaming the nooks and crannies that are center field at Fenway? I've always liked Coco Crisp, and I think he deserves to be a starter...somewhere else. But I'm hoping, as many of the self-professed experts are, that Coco stick it out and shuts up for a while, getting enough at bats filling in to raise his market value and to allow the Red Sox baseball ops guys to determine what we really need to get in return for him. Needless to say, we're getting speed, defensive prowess and base running expertise from center this year. And if all goes according to plan, a future All-Star filling up the box scores.

Left & Right: Manny Being Manny. We know exactly what we're getting here, so I won't even go into it. 30 & 100, and several head scratchers. J.D. Drew. Well, which Drew will we see? Regular season Disappointin' Drew, or post-season "Oh, you wanted me to hit too" Drew? Only time will tell. I'll say this, he' serviceable at worst and as long as your expectations from his bat are low, he won't disappoint. At least he showed he can stay healthy for an entire season. Plus you've got super solid Bobby Kielty back and Brandon Moss just biding his time for a call up. Again, we've lost nothing and have the possibility that Manny goes nuts (in the good way) trying to lock himself into the club picking up his option and that J.D. has a calendar that has 7 Octobers on it.

Catcher: We've got the Captain. Varitek may be getting old, he may not be the best hitter anymore, but he's the best in-game manager in baseball and brings out the best in the pitching staff. He doesn't get rattled, and if the pitchers listen to him, they'll win games. Remeber Schill's one-hitter? He freely admits if he hadn't shaken off 'Tek, he'd probably have snagged that elusive no-no. Toss in Wake's personal catcher, Doug Mirabelli, to catch the knuckle, and (I feel like a broken record) again, we've lost nothing. Toss in the fact that Kevin Cash has shown that he can catch the knuckle in a pinch, and I'm good here. We know we're not getting a lot of hits out of this position, but go look at Varitek's number with runners on in the late innings. When it matters, he'll come through.

Manager & Coaching: Tito got his extension, and has been the best manager in baseball over the last few seasons. He got a great staff around him and the players like these guys. What more is there to discuss?

Organization: I love theses guys. Collectively, they have given Red Sox Nation the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. A winning baseball team full of classy guys, colorful personalities, and they've saved Fenway Park. Just keep doing what you're doing and the Nation will keep growing.

So there you have it, the innaugural REALLY BIG Red Sox Preview. If you had any fears, I hope they have been quelled. If the fever hadn't kicked in yet, I hope it has now. It's baseball season. Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play.

Feelin' Alright...

2008-02-25T12:17:00.002-05:00

A look out the window belies it, but if you have a pulse in New England, you know it's baseball season. And it is simultaneously the loudest and quietest Spring Trainings for the Red Sox that I can remember. Quiet: Absent is the typical Spring Training controversy and question marks. Sure, Schilling is a question mark, and there is the "it's a good problem to have" situation in center field, but I'm Feelin' Alright with where we are at. Loud: NESN's unprecedented coverage of work-outs in Fort Meyers. I'll admit it, I've been watching in bits and pieces, if for no other reason than to remember what green grass looks like. I'll do my season preview later this week, but until then, ponder this...have you ever felt as good about a Red Sox team heading into the season?

Two other quick notes on the Sox. First, Congrats to Tito Francona on the new contract. The guy deserves it. Second...Bartolo Colon????? Here's hoping the Sox know something the rest of us don't. If not, watch out in Pawtucket. The added weight might sink Rhode Island into the Atlantic.

The Celtics returned to their winning ways yesterday afternoon. Let me go on record for the first time this year...I hate West Coast swings. 10 o'clock game times are too late, I can barely stay awake for the opening tip, never mind the end of the game. A quick look ahead says tonight is it for the Celtics season, and other than the first games stateside for the Sox in Oakland, their schedule is looking good till the end of May. My sleep patterns can normalize for a couple of months...phew! Speaking of odd game times...if it is evening in Japan, is it OK to have a couple of beers during the game before going to work? Hmmm...probably not the best idea, I guess coffee will have to do.

Congratulations...

2008-02-04T08:34:00.000-05:00

...for breakin' my heart, Congratulations, for tearin' it all apart...

I doubt the Brothers Willbury, of Travelling fame, were addressing the New York Giants when they penned that tune, but it sure seems fitting this morning. I sit here, still stunned by what I saw last night. I cannot think of any other event in the annals of New England sports which can be compared to this. I tried, really tried, to compare it to something from the past, perhaps hoping to find consolation in what had come before. But nothing compares. Nothing stands up to what we witnessed just a few hours ago. Billy Buckner? Nope. The Pedro Game? Sorry. The '85 Super Bowl? Not even close. No, in every other instance, we were supposed to lose, or at the very least, had no unwaivering conviction the we would win. This team was different, this team epitomized Perfection. Until 10 hours ago.

Last night, we watched the New England Patriots do nothing that we have come to expect from them. They did not protect Tom Brady. They did not move the ball. They did not score prolifically. They did not make brilliant coaching decisions. They did not win. They did not, in short, play New England Patriot football. If you had asked anyone, anywhere, yesterday morning what would be the outcome of Super Bowl XLII if they knew in advance that the New York Giants would score only 17 points, to a man, they would have declared the Patriots champions. This game turned it all on its head. It defied everything we know about sports. In that sense, it was like the 2004 ALCS, but even that does not reach this level.

In a moment of clarity this morning though, I suddenly felt for the New York Giants. Why? Because history will not look upon the G-men for what they accomplished, but rather will look back at what the Patriots could not accomplish. That 18-1 will scream out for decades to come, the Greatest Team to ever LOSE the Super Bowl. It is often said that no one remembers who lost the Super Bowl, but this will clearly be the exception to the rule. This Super Bowl, outside of New York, will forever be about the Patriots. It just won't be about them for the reason that we thought it would be.

Here's an interesting thing that you probably won't hear too much of on the airwaves today. New England fans aren't mad at the Giants for up-ending the Pats. No, we don't hate the Giants, like we do the Yankees, the Knicks or even the Rangers. For those old enough to remember, or at least old enough to have some connection to those old enough, the Giants were once New England's team, too. I can remember wondering, back in the '70s, why my great-grandfather was a Giants fan, not a Patriots fan. But he was old school, and to him the Pats were the AFL, the minor leagues. I didn't get it then, but I do know. So as strange as it may seem, I don't think you'll find too many New Englanders begrudging the Giants derailing our pursuit of Perfection. No, this one is all on the home town team. There will be no "Eli Bleeping Manning", no "Giants Suck" chants. Instead, we will look inward, we will soul-search, we will try to come to grips with how our team, the team that ALWAYS comes through on the biggest of stages, let the one that meant the most slip away.

As I stared at the television late last night, watching the confetti rain down on the wrong team, I had a familiar feeling. It was the same feeling that came to me one October night in 2004- "What do we do now?" Only that time I was elated, this time, deflated. As the days pass, this pain will ease. Thoughts will turn to pitchers and catchers reporting, to the NBA play-offs. But this will linger. It will haunt. Everything we thought we knew about the New England Patriots was wiped away in 60 minutes last night. Now we are left to wonder, what do we do now?

So before I go, to Neil, to Stu, to Jeff, and to all of the Giants fans out there- Congratulations...for breakin' my heart, congratulations, for tearin' it all apart.

Before I go, this being about all sports, not just football- Tiger Woods came back from being down four strokes, birdies 5 of the last 7 and takes the Dubai? Talk about seeking perfection...

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Close To The Edge

2008-01-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

Seasons will pass you by... Yes (pun intended), Messrs. Anderson and Howe, indeed they will. Our New England Patriots have had the 2007 season pass them by. They have gone undefeated, and now, here we stand, Close To The Edge. Those previous 18 games mean nothing now, because come Sunday, only one thing matters. Only one thing can validate what has come before it. Victory.

When (yes, I said when) the New England Patriots win their 4th Super Bowl in 7 years this weekend, I do not believe that anyone could deny them the title of The Greatest Team In The History Of The NFL. They will become the only team in the Super Bowl Era to go 19-0. Statistically, they will have beaten a much tougher schedule than the 17-0 1972 Miami Dolphins, and will join them as to be the only 2 undefeated teams in league history. The historical significance of this, coupled with the Patriots sheer dominance of the 21st Century, marks something perhaps not seen in sports since Jordan's Bulls. Or to more accurately reflect a team's dominance relative to the era in which it played, the Boston Celtics run of 11 Championships in 13 years from 1957-69. No matter how you look at it, clearly we are watching a team that will be forever considered one of the greatest of all time.

You'll note I've refrained from mentioning a single name here, and that is deliberate. I have taken my drink of the Kool-Aid and will remain true to the mantra that echoes from the halls in Foxborough. This is a team, through and through, 53 men deep, plus coaches, co-ordinators, trainers and everyone else whose contribution, no matter how large or how small, has propelled them to this high, very high indeed, pedestal. Come Monday, I will regale you with tales of individual greatness within the larger team greatness, but for now, Patriots Nation, we are One.

My superstition when it comes to sports is well documented, and I'll reveal now it is just that superstition which has kept these pages dark over the last month plus. How could I, as a self-repecting sports blogger, post anything without uttering the "U" word over that span? I surely could not. So just as we never uttered "no-hitter" while Clay Buchholz was on the mound back on September 1st, I did not dare post about it until it had come to pass. Now, it is all about validation. What has been done has been done, seasons will pass you by. I GET UP!!!!!!

And finally, predictions being that which serves to hold open the door for me to say "remember, you heard it here first", here you go: Patriots 37 - Giants 21.

Next week we'll look at the continuing journey towards The Greatest Year In Boston Sports History. Until then, I leave you with the following, which perhaps portends what we will see come late Sunday night. With thanks to the aforementioned prog-rockers:

Sad courage claimed the victims standing still for all to see
As armoured movers took approach to overlook the sea
There since the cord, the license, or the reasons we understood will be.

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The Juiced Edition of Barstool Friday

2007-12-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

With the Mitchell Report finally issued yesterday, I write this morning with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the Red Sox emerge relatively unscathed (though the early reports rumoring that Captain 'Tek would appear on the list were disconcerting). On the other, we have the state of baseball as a whole. While I think that ultimately there were no real surprises, either in the names that were named or in the blame cast on MLB for letting it get so out of control, how this impacts the game at large remains to be seen. No longer can feigned blissful ignorance let the sun always shine on a field of dreams. No, a dark cloud has passed in front of the sun and darkened the skies of the baseball landscape over the last 20 years. One would have been naive to not have foreseen what the report revealed, bt it is only now that we must come to grips with what it really means.

Baseball stands at a cross-roads, only it has already sold its soul to the Devil, leaving it without many bargaining chips. Here's the thing. There will be many lines in the sand drawn here, so-and-so isn't as bad as whatshisname, because so-and-so took steriods before they were banned by baseball, but whatshisname took them after. JohnDoe isn't as bad as Whosimawhat, because JohnDoe took HGH to recover from an injury when Whosimawhat took it to pitch better on short rest. Arguing these points is futile at best and flat out denial at worst. The fact of the matter is that for the better part of two decades some baseball players have be using substances to give themselves some sort of competitive edge or to speed recovery. And for the better part of those two decades, Major League Baseball turned a blind eye to it and allowed it to go on. It is far reaching. From the clubhouse gopher to the Commissioner of Baseball, from bat boy to GM, from September call-up to staff ace...they all knew. You cannot seperate one from another, it was all wrong.

You also cannot allow your individual feelings on the substances themselves cloud your perspective on this situation. I have heard compelling arguments for why HGH should be allowed if prescribed by a doctor to aid in recovery from injury, as long as the player isn't active at the time. Hell, I can get HGH prescribed for this reason. I have heard compelling arguments that a person should be allowed to take steroids if they want, as long as they are made fully aware of the short- and long-term effects of its use. Personally, the first argument holds water for me, the second doesn't, and I'll say in all honesty that I both recognize the potential hypocrisy of that statement as well as its legitimacy. But again, my opinions on this matter are irrelevant in the sense that we cannot dwell on the past here, but rather must focus on the future.

I beleive that, as former Senator Mitchell called for, we must let the cloud of this revelation sit over the past but we do not need to take massive, sweeping disciplinary action against those whose names appear within the pages of the report. Why? Simple. This is not a comprehensive list, a culture of secrecy pervades sports in general and this is no exception. Conservative reports suggest that 5% of MLB players are or have used "performance-enhancing drugs", reality suggests this number could be as high as 25%, or even more. Making 70 or 80 players the scapegoats is ineffective, and frankly, Selig would be a hypocrite to discipline them and not himself. MLB cannot take it out on these players, particularly since some of the evidence is hearsay at best, without looking into the mirror. Again, this problem was pervasive, and reaches every level of the game. The players rightly deserve a measure of blame, but to blame them alone is to fail to take the entirity of the report under consideration.

It is time for baseball to move forward. We need a clear and comprehensive policy on what is and isn't a "performance-enhancing" substance, when and if the use of a particular substance is permitted, a clear and comlete, universal testing policy, and a firm and unwavering set of disciplinary actions. Only when such a program is implemented and adhered to will baseball be able to fully move on from the Steroids Era.

I have long said that I think it is unfair for athletes to be expected to be role-models, but I don't think it is unreasonable to ask them to uphold the principles of good sportsmanship. When it comes right down to it, baseball is a game, and games retain their purity through clearly prescribed rules. It is an athlete's only charge to uphold these rules to the best of their ability, and the governing body's resposibility to call them on it if they don't. The players and the League have failed miserably in this responsibility in this era, and the time is now to change. I hope that this will be the beginning of a new era in Major League Baseball, an era of honesty, honor, and sportsmanship. I only wish I could fully believe that this will come to pass.

The Boston Celtics will win their 12th home game of the season, tying the team record for home wins to start a season, tonight against the Bucks. We get out first glimpse of Chairman Yi, he gets his first glimpse of the Big Ticket shutting him down. And of course, the Big Game comes Sunday, where despite the weather, the New England Patriots will crush the Jets by 3 touchdowns, minimum.

Have a great weekend, folks. Have a few pints if you like, but with this weather, I'm thinking Scotch. A nice single malt, maybe a Macallan or Balvenie. Enjoy.

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It's Been A Long Time Comin'

2007-12-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

Yes Croz, it has been a long time comin', but there'll be no long time before the dawn. No, dawn came at about 11PM last night as the UMass Minutemen defeated the hated Boston College Eagles, 83-80. I've never been shy about my dis-taste for our cross-state rivals, and as such the 21st century has not been kind to me when it comes to the Commonwealth Classic. Last night, Gary Forbes, Ricky Harris, Chris Lowe and company vanquished this dread foe, and for the second time this season, made a statement that this will be a team to be reckoned with.

In beating Syracuse and Boston College, UMass will head into a stretch of non-conference games against teams looking to topple a giant as opposed to the other way around. The Minutemen will no longer be able to sneak up on anyone. After tilts with Toledo and Central Connecticut, the maroon and white will face BU, Houston and Vandy before the A-10 regular season commences in January. Of those games, only Vanderbilt is a road game. That mean 4 straight in The House That Calipari built for a team that is feelin' it right now. Can the boys go into the A-10 slate at 11-3 or, dare I say it, 12-2? That remains to be seen, but given the defensive effort shown in the wins over Marist and BC, it isn't hard to imagine. While UMass started the season as an offensive juggernaut that simply ran other teams off the floor, they have shown over the past couple of games that they can lock it down if they need to.

We heard that this was a "re-building" season. We heard that it would take time to implement Travis Ford's new, up-tempo style of play. We heard this crop of Minutemen would struggle to compete with the loss of Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme to France and the NBA respectively. We heard it, but apparently nobody bothered to mention that to the team.

For Love Of The Game

2007-12-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

Professional sports (and to some degree, high level collegiate athletics, too) have a lot of things going for them. Talented athletes, dramatic rivalries, championship runs, victory parades. There is the ever-present possibility that you could witness a moment so sublime that it will be replayed in minds and on film for generations. For those of us who get especially geek-y over these things, there is also the business of the game, the player movements that provide hope for the future and fodder for talk radio. Sports can consume your day in this age of instant access, and few enjoy that reality more than myself. But, there is something that is undoubtably absent from sports at the highest level- innocence.

I started coaching my daughter's basketball team this year, and while a bunch of 8 and 9 year old boys and girls may lack the finesse and honed skills of the athletes we watch on TV, they do exhibit a kind of unbridled joy and innocence about the game. It isn't about contract extensions, bling-bling, endorsements or even championship rings. It is sports in its truest form. These kids are out there for no grander reason than to have fun running up and down an 84' x 50' stretch of hardwood with their friends and a bouncy ball. Sure, we try to teach the finer points of defense and boxing out, of passing to the open teammate and squaring the shoulders to shoot, and that's fine. But to the kids, that's the "boring" part. Once you hand them the ball, it is all about the free-form romp on the court, a controlled frenzy that in some way resembles that game they see on TV but is entirely within their control. You try to hand them the tools that they need to play within the rules, but ultimately they are free to take the game as it comes to them. They may be playing a 2-1-2 zone, and they may even be playing it well, but they don't care. It is just a game.

It is probably hard for non-parents to fully understand this, unless their memory is better than mine and they can recall the joyous moment when your shot sails- or more likely bounces, rolls and clangs- through that net, but I can see it in the face of every kid out there. And I can see it when they pass the ball to no one and it rolls out of bounds, eliciting laughter from kids and coaches alike. The coach will certainly point out that this is probably not the most effective offensive strategy, but oh well, we'll get it next time. I can't tell you how many times I've shouted "hands up on D!" and seen a more enthusiastic response than in any NBA game. OK, it will only be a few seconds before I have to shout it again, but I'll get that same enthusiasm when I do. And you can't hope to understand the look of terror on a kid's face when they realize they've picked up their dribble and there is no one to pass to, followed by the relief, as though the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders, when someone finally breaks free and they can get rid of that ball! Nope, you won't get it unless you see it for yourself. Watch a 4' tall kid execute a behind-the-back cross-over with a ball half the kid's size, and you can't help but laugh. It was a nice move, to be sure, but it looks funny. And the kids have no idea what the coaches are laughing about.

I have long been a fierce competitor, I loathe losing. I can't stop myself from diving for a loose ball even though I'm playing pick-up with a bunch of out of shape 30-plus guys, supposedly for "fun". It isn't in my nature to do it any other way. The kids though, it is different. They do want to win, they understand it, but it isn't all about that. It is sports in its purest form. The kids are out there for one reason, and only one reason...they play For The Love Of The Game.

The C's and Pats continue to roll, UMass soccer plays in the NCAA Final Four on Friday, UMass hoops takes on BC tonight at 9 and UMass hockey is among the best in the nation. Life is good. Stay tuned for a full breakdown on the grown-up's games for Barstool Friday.

Everybody's Everything

2007-11-29T12:45:00.000-05:00

Carlos Santana climbed the charts with this tune back in 1971, and this week, another Santana, Johan, seems to be Everybody's Everything, at least as far as baseball goes. However, the latest rumor out of Minneapolis is that he may soon become Everybody Else's Nothing and the Red Sox will fall into that feared "wait, they got better?" territory. Tell me this wouldn't make the Red Sox hands-down favorites to be the first team to repeat as World Series Champions since the Bronx Bummers at the turn of the century (I like to say it that way, it makes it seem so long ago!). The rumor mill says the Red Sox will be giving up Jon Lester, Coco Crisp and minor-leaguers Jed Lowry and Justin Masterson. Can you imagine a starting rotation of Santana, Beckett, Schilling, Matsuzaka and Wakefield/Buchholz???? Plus, it means the Yankees DON'T get Santana. I love this.

Speaking of Everybody's Everything, UMass basketball and UMass soccer proved to be everything to fans of the Maroon & White yesterday as the hoops guys upset the Syracuse Orange and soccer dumped #1 Boston College on their ass and sent them home in the NCAA soccer tourney. The hoopster's 107-100 trumping of the 'Cuse at the Carrier Dome was a joy to watch, a fast, run-and-gun game exhibiting the Minutemen's new style of play. It seems Coach Ford has put together a squad that can play his way, and to watch these guys, it seems they are loving it. This win may mean UMass won't be able to sneak up on anyone this year, but at least they'll be able to run away from them.

More tomorrow for Barstool Friday, hopefully with news of a completed trade for Senor Santana.

Maybe this year, Charlie Brown...

2007-11-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

My sister recently accused me of being an optimist on these pages, and while I'll admit to an optimistic tone, I realized that an explanation was in order. If you are over 30 and a New England sports fan, you grew up in a time of perennial disappointment, a time where only the Celtics hung banners and even that came to a crashing halt 20 years ago. You learned to expect to be strung along, only to taste the bitterness of loss, the agony of defeat. The '67 Sox, the '75 Sox, the '85 Pats, the '86 Sox, Bird's back, Len Bias, Reggie Lewis, the '95 Sox...these are the burden of the sportus fanaticus Bostonian, a weight that perhaps can never be completely lifted. But things have changed. It started improbably with the Patriots, then the Red Sox, and now, maybe, the Celtics too. The air has changed, and we must change with it. In this way, much of what I write here is intended to carry forth a new spirit, to express the urgency to Believe, because if we Believe, it will lead our teams to the promised land.

All that said, don't mistake me for an optimist. It is the willful suspension of disbelief. It is the ability to, for a few hours, ignore everything history has ingrained into us and Believe. It's Charlie Brown. Every year, Charlie Brown charges that football, intent in kicking it. He knows Lucy will pull it out of the way at the last second, she always has before. But in those last moments before he starts running, he somehow convinces himself that THIS is the year. Well, for Charlie Brown, he's landed flat on his back since 1973 (and that's only on film!). And we New England sports fans landed flat on our backs for longer than that. Only it isn't that way any more, and it is time we started to accept that fact.

Look, I sit on the edge of my seat for more games each year than is probably healthy. There is no telling how many years the Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots have collectively taken off of my life. I still worry about Beckett's blisters (done), Lowell's contract (done), Paul Pierce having no help (done), and every other seemingly minor transaction, transgression, or transcendence that might befall my Hometown Teams. And by my very nature, I assume that all of them will come back to bite us on the ass. The thing is, lately they haven't. Just when you thought the Patriots had blown another Super Bowl chance in 2001, Brady drove the team 48 yards in 1:21 without a time-out to set up the game winning filed goal. They've gone on to win 2 more and may run the table this year. The 2004 Red Sox were down 3-0 to the Yankees in the ALCS, and 4-3 in the ninth inning of Game Four. But Dave Roberts stole second and the Sox won 8 straight and their first World Championship in 86 years. 3 years later, we're World Champs again with virtually the same team returning next year. And the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics? Well, time will tell, but we're already a third of the way to last year's win total with 5 months left to the regular season. So every once in a while, you have to forget what history has taught us and simply Believe.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving airs at 8 PM tonight on ABC. I suggest you all watch. Maybe this year Charlie Brown, maybe this year.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. When you sit down at that table and give thanks, be sure to think of all you have and how blessed we all are. And right before you start stuffing your face with turkey and all the fixin's, give thanks that you are here to witness the Greatest Era In Boston Sports History. It ain't World Peace, but it sure is a lot of fun.

...see y'all next week.

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!

2007-11-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

The Boston Herald is reporting at this hour that the Boston Red Sox and third basman Mike Lowell have agreed to a 3 year contract worth between $12-13 million. Buster Olney and ESPN.com are also reposting the same thing. The official announcement should come tomorrow.

While I'm here, I'll also note that my predictions about the Celtics have been spot on, UMass football is on its way to the playoofs and UMass hoops are off to a respectable 4-1 start and the Patriots are the Greatest Football Team Ever.

More to say tomorrow in my last column before taking a short break until after the Thanksgiving holiday.

It's So Easy, Being Green...

2007-11-16T08:33:00.000-05:00

On Barstool Friday, or any other day, It's So Easy, Being Green (sorry, Kermit). The Celtics are 7-0, their best start in 35 years. If you haven't tuned in to watch because you are still sour from the last two decades or have been shunning technology in an effort to better the environment, it is time to get on board. These guys are an offensive and defensive juggernaut that couldn't have been predited. Sure, we all knew that Pierce, Allen and Garnett would be a powerful trio, but everybody on this team has stepped up. Rajon Rondo is starting to look like the second coming of Cousy (OK, that's a stretch, but the kid shows flashes of Cooz for sure), Kendrick Perkins seems to have figured out where he fits in this picture and has been rock-solid, Posey and House off the bench have been clutch, Scal is the early front-runner for the "Guy Who Gives You More in 6 Minutes A Game Than Anyone Else in the League" Award, Big Baby plays hard, and Tony Allen has started to come around, especially defensively. The C's average margin of victory? Over 17 points per game, about 8.5 PPG more than their nearest competitors in this category- the Hornets, Mavs and Jazz. While the Green are undefeated, no one else in the league has fewer than 2 losses. As I said last week, I'm under no illusion that this team is running the table, it doesn't happen in this sport. But the franchise record 68 wins could be in jeopardy.

Time for your Barstool Friday Bullet Points:

A-Rod is going back to the Yankees. Great, you can have him. I didn't want to have to figure out a way to cheer for Mr. April (thanks, Stu). Besides, a 10 year contract is ridiculous. And, we can keep on using "A-Fraud" and "Jeter and the Cheater".

Mike Lowell on the other hand...ugh. More often than not, I give Theo and the Baseball Ops guys the benefit of the doubt. This time I'm not so sure. They have taken far bigger risks with time (J.D. Drew), money (Drew, Renteria), performance (Drew, Gagne) and the fanbase (Nomar, Damon) than they would giving Lowell 4 years in the $55-60 million range. Sometimes you need to take your nose out of the stat sheets and birth certificates and look at everything a player brings to the table, not just what you can read on a piece of paper. Really, if Lowell gets into the 4th year of his contract and has fallen off, can't you bench him as a utility guy at first or third to spell Youk and whoever else you put out there? Or just buy him out, we know this organization isn't afraid to do that. Not everything can be formulaic, even in baseball. SIGN MIKE LOWELL.

Barry Bonds has been indicted. Now, in this great country, you are innocent until proven guilty but you have to figure the Feds have a pretty solid case if their are bringing him up on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. But here's the thing, I, unlike what seems to be a large number of the sports fans out there, just don't care. I've told you what I think of Bonds, I've told you how I feel about his claiming the home run record. Now I just want it all to go away. If he broke the law, let him suffer the consequences. Barry's ego is too large for him to come out and admit what he's done, too large for him to do the right thing and perhaps salvage a small corner of his legacy. No, he's sealed his fate and I'm quite happy to let him live that out with no further commentary from me or the rest of the sporting world. It won't happen, of course, but I'm done with it.

I've really enjoyed the wake of the Patriots bye week. The endless chatter about spying, running up scores and tainted dynasties has subsided. Now we can move on and enjoy the fact that we are watching what may very well be the Greatest Team In NFL History. We parade into Buffalo Sunday night to face the Bills in the snow and move on to 10 and 0. I hate Sunday (and Monday) night games, they are just too late. But with this team, they are sure to keep me awake. Who thought complete domination could be so much fun...

...oh yeah, the Celtics did. I know I lead off with praising the C's, so I'll keep this short. Here's the make-or-break match-ups for this weekend's games. Tonight vs. Miami: Perk against Shaq. If Perk just holds his own against the Big Fella, this one is a cake walk. Sunday vs. Orlando: KG against Dwight Howard. This might be the biggest knock-down, drag-out battle we see the Celts in until we meet Detroit a week before Christmas. I'd predicted last week that this might be the C's first loss, but having watched 4 games since then, I'm backing off on that call. These guys are so determined, I see them being totally fired up for this affair. I'm seeing a tight game till about midway through the third quarter and then the Green pull away for a 12-15 point W. It's gotten to the point where it almost seems inevitable. Which really makes me wonder when they will lose. The Lakers are a one-trick pony, same with the Cavs. Nobody really worries me till the afore-mentioned Pistons game. That would be a 22-0 start. Could happen.

The Revolution face the Dynamo Sunday at noon for the MLS Cup. By the way, the Dynamo ranks up there as one of the all-time worst sports franchise names. The game is actually on TV (on ABC even!), so you could watch it or you could catch the Kraft's free bus ride down to the game. I'm guessing game day tickets won't be a problem. Unfortunately, the game is at RFK which has all the warmth and charm of UMass' McGuirk Stadium, only 5 times the size. Personally, I think I'll tune in sometime around the 89th minute. That way you get to see the replay of the one goal 87 times AND enjoy the post game celebration, which in soccer consists of a bunch of guys taking their shirts off and hugging each other. On second thought, maybe I'll rake the lawn.

Well there you have it. The UMass Minutemen hoops squad is 3-1, the football squad 7-1. All is right in Amherst, well, except for the students being on strike and all. Have a great weekend and down a pint or 3 for me. BBC's Holidale should be appearing in a store near you (if you live in Western Mass. anyway) in the coming days, and trust me, it's good. Get out and grab yours, they won't last long.

PS - Track the Celtics season against the 72-win '95-'96 Bulls HERE

The 82-0 Edition of Barstool Friday!

2007-11-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

OK, I admit it, the Celtics aren't going 82-0. But a man can dream, no? After Wednesday night's complete domination of the Denver Nuggets, even the biggest skeptics are forced to admit that this Celtics team is something to be reckoned with. I cannot remember a game in the last 20+ years that has featured so much unselfish play. 77 points, 72% from the field..in the first half! 20 steals in the game. Text-book passing. Incredible. I'm looking forward to seing how they take care of a hot Atlanta team tonight. Good grief...the last time anybody looked forward to a Celts-Hawks game, two guys named Bird and Wilkins were playing.

5 Quick Hits for your Barstool Friday:

Expect a Mike Lowell deal, roughly 3 years at $14 million, to be announced by Monday. I think both side want to see this done, and neither is really all that interested in letting this get into the free agency fray. After that, any thing the Red Sox do this Hot Stove Season is gravy. I'm so confident, I'm going to predict right now that the Red Sox repeat as World Series Champions. Hey, I'm serious...wipe that look off your face!
I'm looking at the Celtics' schedule right now. If we can come out of New Jersey tomorrow night with a W, I'm looking at the game at Orlando on the 18th as the first stumbling block. So that makes a 7-0 start. I'm only picking the Magic game for a loss because we all know it has to happen sometime. I do think we can take the 2 early season games off of the Nets to start pulling away in the Atlantic Division before the first month of the season is out.
At this point, is there anyone in America who doesn't believe, even if they won't admit it, that the New England Patriots are going undefeated?
For those of you not paying attention, the Revolution won last night, placing them in the MLS Cup Championship game and setting up our second title for New England this year. Of course, no one noticed and even ESPN Soccernet doesn't have the game on its front page. Still, Taylor Twellman's decisive bicycle-kick goal was pretty impressive, in that "if I'm only going to see one score in 90+ minutes, the guy who makes it should at least be upside down when he does it" kind of way. Really, it was cool. I swear.
Tiger Woods will win 3 Majors in 2008. Yeah, I know, I know. But really, baseball is over and there isn't any "Guy From Japan We Never Heard of Until This Week But Suddenly We Really Need To Get" Watch, the Pats have a bye week, I've got to save up some adjectives for how great the Celtics are to get me through the rest of the season, I've already written about soccer twice this week, the Bruins are (not surprisingly) faltering, and I still haven't learned the names of all of the new guys on the UMass basketball team to write about them (although they do tip off the 2007-2008 regular season at 4:15 today against Cal Poly in Cedar Rapids, Iowa...and no, of course it isn't televised despite the fact that there is absolutely nothing more complling to broadcast at 4:15 on a Friday afternoon - who runs these networks?). Give me a break.

UMass vs. UNH tomorrow in what should cement the Minutemen's trip to the D1-AA Playoffs. As always, this will be a battle, and it will be key to both teams' seasons. Expect the Minutemen to return to form after last week's tough loss to URI in 4 feet of rain.

Have a great weekend, I'm saving my Barstool sitting for Saturday night this week. But I willbe having a BBC oak-barrel aged Scotch Ale later this afternoon. Ah yes, it is nice to know I've retained some special priviledges.

A Curt-ain Call, A Ressurection, And History In The Making

2007-11-07T08:36:00.000-05:00

It's like Christmas everyday here in New England, and while I am going to focus on the big 3 sports today, let's not forget the Revolution are about to compete for the Eastern Conference Championship and even the Bruins are better than expected (get well, Patrice Bergeron). It seem it has been feast or famine in New England sports over the last couple of decades, so let's pig out while we can.

A Curt-ain Call: Well, it is official, Curt Schilling will climb the mound for the Boston Red Sox once again in 2008. It is as it should be. The terms of the contract, while perhaps unique, both reflect Curt's commitment to the team and to being the best pitcher he can be and the team's commitment to the aging super-star who has shed (literally) blood and tears to bring 2 World Championships to the Friendly Confines of Fenway. It seems only fitting that his Hall Of Fame career should wrap up here. #38 will be a perfect compliment to our rotation of young guns, bringing leadership and a revitalised arsenal of pitches to a team that hopefully will remain mostly intact from this season's run. Which, of course, brings us to Mike Lowell. Mikey was the World Series MVP, but that's just icing on the cake. Consistent at the plate and in the field, Lowell may have had a career year but he shows no signs of it being a complete aberration. I expect Lowell to play at a high level for a few more years, and hope Theo and company will recognize the intangibles he brings and pony up the fourth year, which is apprently the sticking point. Lowell, like others before him, seems willing to take a little less money for what it means to play in Boston these days. While it would be nice to have something to write about all winter, I'd really prefer to see this locked up by the weekend - before other teams get to negotiate with him. And what happens then? Well the A-Rod chatter dies down by about 80%, which is just fine with me. Look, the guy is the best regular season talent in baseball. He will likely set any number of offensive records before he says good-bye to the game. And maybe, 10 years from now, people will be saying "A-Rod at $35 million per is a steal", as we now do with the contract of Manny Ramirez. But any team willing to sign ANYBODY to a 10 year contract is nuts. In this day and age, where loyalty only lasts as far as your last at bat and few players wear one hat for an entire career, such a commitment is foolish from both a financial and baseball operations stand-point. Locking up a roster spot for such a long time for such a large sum is irresponsible, and seems contradictory to the way the Red Sox (J.D. Drew aside) function. If you won't give Mike Lowell 4 years, why on earth would you give Rodriguez 10? While I'll readily admit that the prospect of a line-up featuring David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez is enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the most stalwart of pitchers, I don't think it is worth it. We don't need Alex Rodriguez, and you only have to go back 10 days for proof. One last request though...could he please go to the National League?

A Resurrection: When we last hoisted a banner to the hallowed rafters of the old Boston Garden, the Boston Celtics were a team of destiny, arguably the most dominant sports franchise in history. We had 16 Championships in 30 years. We had the history of Russell, Cous, Heinson, Havlicheck, the Jones boys and of course Red. We had the present of the Big 3- Bird, Parrish and McHale. Not one of us could have, or would have, predicted what the next 20 years would bring upon the franchise. Bird's back, Len Bias, Reggie Lewis, Tim Duncan, Rick Pitino...dark days indeed. And at the end of a dismal 2006-2007 campaign? What appeared to be a glimmer of hope, one more chance for the ping-pong balls to bounce our way...and then on May 22nd, dreams shattered, one more leaf falling off the Celtics' clover. Or so it seemed. Then we heard that Ray Allen, sharp-shooter extraordinaire, would join Paul Pierce and the kids. OK, we thought, at least it is something, at least it is a veteran presence to help stave off a defection of The Truth. And then it happened. I remember getting up that morning and listening to WEEI on the way to the office. Wait...who wants to come to Boston? Kevin Freaking Garnett????? It was July 31st, and all of Boston was talking about the Celtics again...no, all of New England and a good part of the rest of the country were talking about the Celtics again...in the middle of summer. If you have watched the first two regular season C's games, you have seen 3 super-stars play together in harmony, each shining as needed, deferring to others when possible. You saw Paul Pierce go for 28 while The Big Ticket posted 22 and 20 in a thorough dismantling of a Wizards team that is pretty good, on paper at least. You saw Ray Allen light it up for 33 including a game-winnning OT trey to seal the deal against last season's Atlantic Division champs, the Toronto Raptors. Tonight we face 'Melo, AI, the Camby-man and the Nuggets at the new Garden. The Celtics have been resurrected, the Celtics are relevant again. I've waited a long time for this. We aren't going 82-0, but this is going to be one hell of a season.

History In the Making: While the C's won't go undefeated, it is looking more and more like Your New England Patriots might. We may be witnessing the greatest team in NFL history. Don Shula is wrong, there should not, and will not, be a "*" placed next to the Patriots name when they enter the record books at 19-0 in clinching their fourth Super Bowl Victory. Thanks to the "Spy-gate" garbage, the Patriots have played this season under Roger Goodell's NFL Licensed Magnifying Glass, and have eaten the competition alive. Sunday's remarkable victory over the Colts said every thing that needs be said about this team. They can win pretty, they can win ugly. They can pick you apart for 60 minutes, or beat you into submission in the final 10. They will burn you with a Randy Moss one-handed grab, or with Tom Brady's patience and poise to find the open man in the flat. They can deflate your offense with non-stop pressure or perfect coverage deep. This is the only football team I have ever seen that appears to have no weakness, whose only downfall could be at their own hands. There are a lot of people out there who hate the Patriots now, and that's OK. I understand that greatness breeds hatred, I understand that my favorite football team has become the New York Yankees of the NFL. But to all of you haters out there, step back for a moment and look at what you are witnessing. This is History In The Making. You are watching the Greatest Team In NFL History. Sorry Mr. Shula, to you and the rest of the '72 'Fins. You were a great team, but no longer the greatest. The only Champagne flowing this season will be in Foxborough.

Well there you have it, 3 Teams, One Region, Pure Dominance. I'm loving every minute of it.

One last note, congratulations Kevin Youkilis on your first Gold Glove. May it be the first of many. See y'all Friday.

_

A Worthwhile Read

2007-11-06T11:54:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note for today, full Celtics and Patriots coverage tomorrow, as well as updates on the contract status of Curt Schilling and Mike Lowell and my opinion on the A-Rod situation. It does look like Schilling will be in a Red Sox uniform in 2008 though, all indications are that the deal should be announced today.

For all of you in Red Sox Nation, get a read of the 2003 Letter from the Red Sox Organization to Curt and Shonda Schilling. If that doesn't speak volumes about the class of this management group, I don't know what does.

Until tomorrow, the Mike Lowell watch continues.

Do you believe in Dog?

2007-10-30T08:50:00.000-04:00

RIP Ruby 2/2/94-10/18/04

Everyone knows that sports is ripe with superstition. Players have unique routines to prepare for games, good luck charms that they can't play without. Some have specific dining rituals, others spiritual practices that they feel are integral to their performance. Perhaps in no other arena is there such devout adherence to superstition and ritual as there is in sports, at least with such little cynicism. We are perfectly willing to accept our players foibles, actually just as willing to buy right into them. I wonder how many necklaces Phiten has sold to non-athletes over the past 5 years? I'm guessing it is an impressive figure.

Fans are no different though. We have our own rituals and superstitions that we adamantly defend in the belief that we can influence the outcome of a game or series through our devotion to these odd behaviors. Mid-summer I was on the lawn tractor mowing the yard, and as I passed under a low tree, my beloved Red Sox cap was snagged by a branch and before I could dis-engage the blades, swallowed up in a cruel fashion, rendered to shards of fabric strewn across the lawn. This cap saw me through the 2004 World Series, was worn proudly at Opening Day at Fenway in 2006, and witnessed many, many other games along the way. The Red Sox promptly lost 3 games. Riddled with guilt, I bought a new cap and hoped it would be imbued with the same powers of the old one. The Sox won again that night. Phew.

It goes beyond me. My friend Don ate shrimp 7 times this post season. It was what he had for dinner before Game 5 of the ALCS, and you don't mess with what works. I myself wore the same Red Sox red jersey (and the new cap, of course) for those 7 games. You all know the results, feel free to thank us for our efforts. I'll wear my Paul Pierce jersey Friday night when the C's tip off for the 2007-2008 season, and you can bet I'll be sporting the Brady top for the Showdown In Indy on Sunday. These things work, for reasons that are as mystical and unexplainable as anything in the universe. We don't question them, we just Believe.

See, here's the thing. On the afternoon of October 18th, 2004, we were forced to make what may have been the hardest decision of my life, emotionally. My beloved companion Ruby had been ravaged by cancer, and it was time to let her go. We ventured to Springfield, Massachusetts and said good-bye, holding her as she was put down. In deep sorrow, we wandered over to The Student Prince for a couple of steins of Spaten Oktoberfest to ease the pain. The Boston Red Sox were down 3-0 to the dread New York Yankees, our chances looked bleak. I remember as we prepared to leave the bar, the teams were just taking the field. I looked over at the TV as we walked out and said "Come on guys, Rally For Ruby". They never lost again and under that blood-red moon captured their first World Championship in 86 years. Thanks Ruby.

Fast forward to 2007. With the Sox down 3-1 to Cleveland, I called my buddy Chomper, trying to remain positive. When I got him on the phone, he told me the bad news. His dog Cleetus, suffering with cancer himself, had to be put down the day before. I consoled him, having been there myself not so long ago. And then I reminded him of 2004, of Ruby, and of the Red Sox. I told him then it was time for the boys to Rally For Cleetus. And as fate would have it, the Red Sox won 7 straight, and here we are, celebrating another Red Sox World Championship. As any good dog owner can tell you, our dogs know us better than we know them. They feel our joy, our anger, our pain. And in our hours of longing and loss, they knew to give our team a boost, and us along with them.

So I guess all I'm saying is...Do YOU believe in Dog?

Rolling Rally starts at noon. That's right, they are Your 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox. That never gets old.

Your 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox!!!!!!!!

2007-10-29T08:45:00.000-04:00

Wow. It happened again. I thought hard about a creative title for today's column, but I just like the ring of what's above better than anything else I could come up with. Now we know what it is like to have the Red Sox win TWO World Championships in our lifetime. It feels a lot different than 2004. It doesn't have the drama of 2004, with a comback against the Yankees for the ages to set up the sweep. It doesn't have the history of 2004, wiping away 86 years of heartbreak. 2004 was about Faith Rewarded. But 2007? 2007 was all about vindication.

As Jonathan Papelbon's final pitch crossed for a strike, every thing changed forever. This 2007 World Championship vindicates everything that the '04 team represented to Red Sox Nation. The 2007 team vindicates the ownership and its devotion to investing in fielding a winning team. 2007 vindicates the entire 2004 squad, showing they were not a fluke, that the Red Sox are loveable losers no more, no longer the team that couldn't get it done on the biggest of stages. 2007 vindicates a strong minor league program, say hello to Pap, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury (do you think Manny would have caught that ball in the ninth?). It vindicates front office moves that sometimes drew the consternation of the Nation...Beckett, Lowell, Matsuzaka, Okajima...hell, even J.D. Drew came through. But more than anything else, it vindicates the Boston Red Sox. We are fully immersed in what will be the Greatest Era In Sox History since we won 4 Championships in 7 seasons...yeah, that would have been from 1912-1918. They had Tris Speaker and Smokey Joe Wood, we've got David Ortiz and Curt Schilling. They had Babe Ruth (it's OK, we can say that name now), we've got Manny Being Manny and Josh Beckett being Josh Beckett.

Your World Champion Boston Red Sox. I like that way that sounds. I like the fact that our kids have no idea what it has been like to be a Sox fan for the better part of the last century. I know that in the eyes of many people, this victory brings us into Evil Empire territory, but I'm good with that. It comes with winning. The Celtics had it in the '80s (ok, the Celtics pretty much had it from '57 through '88, 30 years of domination, we'll never see anything like that again), the Patriots have it, and now the Red Sox have it. Everybody hates a Winner, except the winners fans. I like being a fan of Winners. I've tried the other side, and trust me, this is better.

There are a lot of great stories that will float around Red Sox Nation in the wake of this Championship. There is the story of two cancer survivors...one (Jon Lester) getting the win in the decisive Game 4, the other (Mike Lowell) is the World Series MVP. There is the story of two guys from Japan, Daisuke and Hideki, making their MLB debuts and ending up coming up big in October. There is Curt Schilling re-inventing himself and becoming the aging warrior who must win with guile, not with gas. There's the rookie who's head was being called for in April who went on to become a force at the plate as well as at second base. There's the story of the ailing Big Papi fighting through the pain. There is Manny and his hair, secondary to his bat. There is the September call up of the Native American rookie Jacoby Ellsbury, who gets inserted into the line-up only to see the Sox win 7 straight by the largest combined margin of victory in history. There is the story of shutting down a Colorado Rockies team that came into the Series having won 21 of 22, only to fall flat after an 8 day lay-off.

2004 ended an era, an era of heartbreak, of curses, of 86 years of frustration. 2007 ushers in a new era, hopefully like the one that started back in 1912.

It is a great time to be a part of Red Sox Nation. Enjoy the bubbly, we've earned it.

We're Cancelling Barstool Friday This Week...

2007-10-26T08:42:00.000-04:00

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.

.

Tonight's The Night

2007-10-24T09:17:00.000-04:00

I wonder if Neil Young is a baseball fan? If he is, I'm sure he's looking forward to tonight's World Series Game 1 at Fenway. The Boston Red Sox square off against the Colorado Rockies for the right to be called World Champions. New England is electric right now. As I noted on Monday, Red Sox Nation is a different place after 2004, and that spells trouble for the Rockies. As Bill Simmons points out, moments like Lofton's double in Game 7 used to deflate the Fenway Faithful. Today, they ignite us. I'm not saying that these games don't leave me on the edge of my seat (and not only because it helps me stay awake), but the feeling of dread has gone away. I don't expect a collapse the way I used to.

I'm calling this one Sox in 5. Between Josh Beckett and Fenway Park, Games 1 and 2 go decidedly to the Sox. Beckett has shown himself to be one of the most dominant play-off pitchers of this generation, if not all-time. Add to that quirky Fenway and a "this could be my last game in Fenway as a Red Sox player" Curt Schilling, and it is hard to make a solid argument against the Sox taking a quick 2-0 lead in the Series. This kills the Rockies for Game 3. The Rocks were the hottest team in baseball over the last 3 weeks of the regular season and that carried over into the NL playoffs. But these guys just sat for 8 days. The last time they had this much time off was last February. The flight from Boston to Denver will be the longest of these players lives, they will start to believe that the lay-off sapped their momentum. This sets up a Daisuke-Okie-Papelbon Game 3 W in Coors Field. The Rockies have enough talent that they won't get swept though, especially with a projected Game 4 start for Jon Lester. Lester is going to be a good pitcher, but he's almost a place holder in this game. Which brings us to Game 5, and back to Josh Beckett. I don't think I need to expand upon this. So when you are celebrating another Red Sox World Championship on Monday night (or more likely for those of us on the East Coast, early Tuesday morning), take a moment to reflect upon the fact that I told you so.

Speaking of taking moments, I'd like to take a moment here to thank Tim Wakefield. The longest tenured Red Sox player, Wake took one for the team and announced yesterday that he will not be on the World Series roster. This has to be a tough pill to swallow for the knuckle-baller, watching from the sidelines, unable to contribute. Wake once again shows us what a class act and consumate professional he is, feeling that his taking up a roster spot is "unfair to the 24 guys" on the card. Who knows what will come of Wakefield, the team option for next year is there, but will he choose to shut it down or not? Only time will tell, but no matter what happens, thanks Wake, for everything.

Now, with Tim not on the roster, we'll see Kyle Snyder take up a spot in the bullpen. I wasn't surprised by this, but I was a bit surprised to see Eric Gagne on there. I don't know to many of the denizens of Red Sox Nation who wouldn't have preferred to see the smiling face of Julian Tavarez out there, for comedic effect if nothing else. Whatever, as long as we don't actually need him to pitch.

There you have it. Tonight's The Night. The Red Sox are about to win the World Series...for the second time in our lifetimes. Did you ever think you'd be able to say that?

The 2007 American League Champs? OUR Boston Red Sox!!!!!

2007-10-22T08:45:00.000-04:00

It is a glorious, glorious morning in New England. The trees are ablaze with color, the farm stands full with apples and pumpkins, the skies bright and clear. Of course, no one noticed that this morning because the Boston Red Sox are the 2007 American League Champions!!!!!!!!!!! True to form, the Red Sox once again proved that you can never count them out. Matsuzaka to Okajima to Papelbon to the World Series. Schilling was Schilling, 10-2 lifetime in the playoffs now. J.D. Drew...J.D. DREW!?!?!!!!!!! Pedroia, Youk, Jacoby. Manny, Papi, Mikey Lowell. And of course, Josh Beckett, the deserving MVP of the ALCS. All of a sudden, every thing is clicking, every piston firing, and not unlike 2004, it all suddenly feels like our destination.

I could run down the statistics from the series and bore you with analysis but you could find that on any number of other websites with bigger budgets and more geeks to pull that stuff together. I could comment on how I so accurately predicted how the AL playoffs would come down (which, I will point out, came down just as I had said except the Yankees were even worse than I had expected). These are things I could write about, but I won't. No, today is all about Our Boston Red Sox, and the Faith of the Nation.

I was speaking to my buddy JO early this morning, regaling in our Pennant victory, and he noted that our kids won't understand what it was like to be a Red Sox fan in our lifetime, or the lifetimes of our parents and grandparents. Most anyone under 25 can't really understand what it was like. 2004 changed everything, and if you aren't old enough to remember '75 or '86 or '95 or even 2003, you won't get it. You don't understand the desperate hope to win masking the sickening expectation of loss. And I'm happy for you. Red Sox Nation doesn't feel like that anymore. Today, we feel like our team can win anytime it matters most and as a result, the Red Sox are headed to their second World Series in 4 years.

I'll have a complete World Series preview later this week. Right now I'm just going to sit back and enjoy this feeling that was rarely known in these parts for so many years. Victory.

It is that time again...

2007-10-19T07:38:00.000-04:00

That's right, Barstool Friday!!!!!! Now, let me assure you, my lack of commentary this week has not come because I haven't had anything to say. Quite the contrary, I'm sure I could have written volumes this week, but alas, I've been on the road working and not in front of a computer. And as I'm about to head out again, a few parting shots to get you through the weekend.

Becks was fabulous last night. The Sox WILL take this.

However, if they don't, I've got a few bleeps to add to Bucky Bleepin' Dent and Aaron Bleepin' Boone.

Start Jacoby Ellsbury tomorrw night in place of Coco. Please.

Did you see the Celtics-Knicks game the other night? OK, it was pre-season, but it felt more like the Harlem Globetrotters versus the Washington Generals. Learned two things, the Celtics will be a lot of fun to watch this year, and the Knicks are awful.

The Patriots stuck it to the Cowgirls on Sunday. That was beautiful. Anybody think the Dolphins will be withing 3 touchdowns on Sunday? Yeah, me neither.

See you Monday for a World Series preview. Have a pint for me. And finally...

R.I.P. Cleetus. You, Ruby and the Creed rally the Sox for us, OK?

.

And So It Begins...the LCS Edition of Barstool Friday

2007-10-12T08:51:00.001-04:00

This is what it is all about, right? The Red Sox playing for the American League pennant (we still call it that, don't we?). The culmination of six months of watching, cheering, swearing, cheering, looking over our shoulders, cheering, blasting J.D. Drew, and more cheering. Scratch that, let's make that eleven months. This might have been the longest stretch of non-stop baseball talk in this history of The Nation. From the first rumblings over Daisuke Matsuzaka last November until today, there has been a continuous buzz around the Boston Red Sox. I can't remember anything quite like it. And tonight at 7 o'clock, it is Faith Rewarded. Our Red Sox take the field at Fenway to face the Cleveland Indians for the right to go to the World Series. And as such, I'm going to pass on talking football (Patriots over Cowboys, 38-24), basketball (Celtics looked good in EuroLive games, Midnight Madness at UMass tonight) or anything else today. Barstool Friday is all Red Sox this week, as it should be. But before I continue, I'd just like to point out the my predictions for the ALDS were exactly correct, although even I didn't foresee Beckett's complete game. That was masterful. I didn't do so well with the NL, but since I might have seen one or two NL games all season, I was working from a disadvantage. Oh well.

Let's get on to this series. First of all, this is once again the real World Series. Both Cleveland and Boston have the pitching to dominate whoever comes out of the National League. Don't dwell on this, just accept it. Josh Beckett takes the mound tonight agains CC Sabathia. It should be a pitchers' duel. It should go down as a fantastic battle between two Cy Young candidates. Don't count on it though. These things never go as scripted. I'm thinking 9-6 Red Sox victory with neither starter going more than 5, maybe 6 innings. The game will be decided with bats and bullpens, both of which go in favor of the Sox.

Tomorrow night's game will be really interesting. Curt Schilling, 9-2 lifetime in October, faces Fausto Carmona, the young stud. Schill looked brilliant against the Angels. He's an amazing story, the aging ace who re-invents himself, mid-season no less, and comes back to give his team a boost when it matters most. I had been calling this game a coin toss up until last night, and then I got a feeling. I was stacking wood in the rain, you know, getting it done despite the challenges, just because it HAS to be done. That's Schilling. When you have to win, he does it. It doesn't matter what stacks up against him, when it is win or go home, Curt wins. So there you have it, Red Sox lead 2-0 by Sunday. I'm not even going to argue the point.

Of course, I'm also going to stop making predictions on the games now. Look, Boston is not sweeping this series. The Indians are too strong of a club, but they can't stay with the Sox over a 7 game series. Even if they battle valiantly, they cannot win this series. There are many reasons, but ultimately, there are only two words that need to be said so you can understand why a Red Sox trip to the World Series is inevitable. Those two words?

Joe Borowski.

This guy SUCKS. Look at the Boston line-up. Manny. Papi. Mikey Lowell. Captain 'Tek (yeah, he may not have the best batting average, but look at his late game with runners on numbers...unbelievable). The speed of Coco, Lugo and Ellsbury. Tell me what you see when you look at all that and then look at a closer with an ERA over 5. Destination, as Manny would say. Destination. Seriously, even if you consider the Red Sox and Indians dead even in every other category (which, by the way, I do not), there is simply no way you can look at this guy and think he presents a chance for an Indians victory. And his counter part on the Red Sox staff? Jonathan Papelbon. Need I say more?

Well that's my take on it all heading into the weekend. Colorado will win the NL, whatever that's worth, setting up Manny & Papi for something like a combined 200 home runs before the series is over. Enjoy it all folks, this is what we've been waiting eleven months for, and it will have been worth every minute. Remember, always have a pint for me...I'll be enjoying mine on Cape Cod this weekend. Adios!

It's an LDS Barstool Friday!!!!!!

2007-10-05T08:51:00.000-04:00

Good morning, we'll get right to it to prepare you for a weekend of beer-swilling, pretzel chomping, and baseball arguing. Without further ado, here's your Barstool Friday!!!!!

Man, did Josh Beckett look amazing on Wednesday night. The Sox totally dominated the Angels, as The Ace worked a magical outing. The fact that Becks set up a rested bullpen to back up Matsuzaka tonight is huge. This means that Tito doesn't have to debate yanking Dike-K if he struggles. Especially with another off day tomorrow. I think we are going to see a great performance from Matsuzaka tonight though. First, he has not faced the Angels this season, which certainly is more to his advantange than theirs, given that Varitek calls a masterful game. Second, the Sox offense has been hot lately and putting up runs early. If we can give him a lead to pitch with, he can settle in and just pitch his game. I'm sticking with my original prediction, this series is over come Sunday night. Schilling will be his October self and put up a performance that will keep the Angles bats in check long enough for the Boys to pull this one out.

I'd said earlier in the week that Cleveland was a tough team, and would take out the Yankees in 4. But if the Indians play like they did last night, they may even be able to weather the Yankees offensive onslaught I predicted for Game 3 and take a broom to this one. They quickly negated Johnny Damon's first inning dinger and kept piling it on, raising doubts again as to Chien Ming Wang's qualifications as the squad's "ace". The Yanks put Pettitte on the mound this afternoon against the dangerous Fausto Carmona. By the time the Sox take the field tonight, Cleveland will have a 2-0 lead on the Bronx Bummers. This will lead to Cleveland's chance to sweep at House That Ruth Built against a questionable Roger Clemens. Ask yourself, based on what you've seen this season, would you put money on Clemens going more than 4 innings? Yeah, didn't think so.

Over on the Senior Circuit, the Colorado Rockies look like world beaters so far against the Phillies. I predicted a Rocks victory in this series, but I didn't see the thorough dominance of the Rockies' offense over the Phillies pitching. And that has been IN Philly! If the Rockies keep this up, they might score 20 runs on Saturday when they return to the thin atmosphere of Coors Field. Could we see sweeps in 3 of the Division Series?

Or maybe even all 4? The D-backs have looked similarly dominant over the Cubbies. I really wanted to see the Cubs make some noise this post-season and they have sorely disappointed. Now normally, one might cling to the hope that your team is about to come home. Home to storied Wrigley Field. Except for one thing. Cubs fans don't seem to care. They expect to lose. I haven't seen or heard any rallying cry eminating from the Windy City, its denizens reclusive as Steve Bartman. It is as if they have resigned themselves to this being their fate. Of course, as Sox fans, we can relate (a little) to low expectations. But the thing about Sox fans is that we are capable of mustering every ounce of team loyalty to rise to the occasion, we can temporarily forget the past and live in the moment (at least until the moment is over, then we can go back to self-doubt). So come on Cubs fans, feed this team, it will be an uphill battle, but your team still has a chance. Believe...miracles happen, just ask any Red Sox fan.

Final thought on the weekend's baseball. At least 2 series are going to end in sweeps, and I'm picking the broom-wielders to be Boston and Colorado. I won't be surprised though if there is at least one other series that ends in 3. So what does this really mean for baseball? Nothing. It just goes to show, in my opinion, that the Wild Card works. Yes, it may have somewhat diminished the significance of being divisional champs but it is further proof that in most years, there are 4 teams in each league that can legitimately compete to be World Champions. While I can still make a legit argument for contraction, I like the Wild Card. And no, not just because it helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series. I swear.

By the way, the New England Patriots play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Pats average margin of victory this season is 25 points. TWENTY FIVE POINTS!!!!! Somehow, I don't see this average droppin come Monday. Sorry Browns fans...you've still got the Indians and the Cavs...

Which, however deliberately, brings me to basketball. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is excited to see KG, The Truth and Ray Allen don the Green for their first game together this afternoon in Rome, right? Right? Helloooooooooooo?

Well that's it for this Friday folks. It's all baseball, with some football and hoops tossed in for good measure. As always, Keep The Faith, Red Sox Nation...

(...and yes, I know I failed to mention that the Bruins open their season tonight)

Have a great weekend folks, throw back a pint for me.

Less than 2 1/2 Hours...

2007-10-03T16:09:00.000-04:00

The Rockies are already cruising over the Phillies. We're less than two and a half hours from the first pitch of the Red Sox 2007 Quest For The Championship. I'm already on the edge of my seat. I remain confident in my predictions, but I've got that playoffs chill going. It is a strange feeling. Not so much nervous, just anxious. It is almost like you just want it to be over with already, except even that doesn't help, because there is another game on Friday. It's a viscious cycle. I'm only typing this right now because there isn't anything else I can do. If you are a player, you can go through your pre-game routine, keep your mind on that. I'm not a player. I don't have a pre-game routine. I just turn on the TV a few minutes before the game starts and watch. That's fine over 143 games of the regular season (yes, I know there are 162 regular season games, but we have 19 against the Yankees, and there is nothing regular about a Sox / Yankees game). But this is the play-offs. This is what we trudged through the last 6 months for.

The Ride is about to begin, o' Fenway Faithful. Say it with me now...LET'S GO RED SOX...LET'S GO RED SOX...LET'S GO RED SOX...

Looking Forward...It's Sox-tober!!!!!

2007-10-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

Usually, you all are privileged to read it here first, but today you'll have to read it here second. I've already made these predictions elsewhere this morning, but just for you, I'll fill them in a little more, just because I can. So, here's the It Takes Balls 2007 MLB Playoff Predictions Show!!!!!!!

~National League~

Colorado is going to beat the Phillies in 4 games. As much as my unfortunate Philly fan friends refuse to admit it, the Phills edged into the playoffs on the back of the Mets historic collapse (let's take a moment here to thank the Mets for taking on a dubious honor and relieving the '78 Sox of the burden). I am well aware of the Phillies excellent run to finish out the season, but don't discount the fact that 3 of those games were against the dying Mets, and 7 of your last 10 were against the Nats. Look fans of Philadelphia sports, I feel for you, I really do. I understand the suffering. I wish I could offer you hope for this series. But the Rockies are hot, and they are taking you down.

Anyhow, the Cubbies will take care of the Diamondbacks, also in 4 games. This sets up the NLCS between the Rockies and the Cubs, a series that the Cubs will win for one simple reason. You can only ride a wave for so long before it peters out or you end up crashing on the beach. The Rockies have been ridiculously hot. It can't last, that's just the way it is.

~American League~

Well Red Sox Nation, here we go. The Sox break out the brooms for the first series, dismissing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in quick fashion. I actually was figuring on the Angels taking one game in this series until I heard that Daisuke was pitching Game 2 and Schilling getting Game 3. We know the Sox won't lose at Fenway, and Schilling is one of the greatest Big Game pitchers of all time. So this is a fait accompli.

Moving on, the Evil Empire faces the scary dangerous Cleveland Indians. And they lose. It will be a 4 game series, because you know that the Yankees will put up something like 11 runs in Game 3 after being dominated by Sabathia and Carmona. But despite a strong second half, the Yankees pitching remains suspect and I can't see them being able to take the Indians. And there you have it.

The ALCS is going to be interesting...really interesting. Cleveland is a strong team. A team that will battle the Red Sox mightly. The Sox WILL prevail, but it is going to take 6 or 7 games. I can't even predict exactly how it is going to go, because the pitching match-ups are tough to argue definitively one way or the other. This is a series where offense will end up winning it, and that's how the Sox get the nod. This all sets up...

~The 2007 World Series~

It comes down like a fairy tale. The Once Cursed versus The Still Cursed. The Boston Red Sox against the Chicago Cubs for the honor of hoisting that World Series trophy. The Cubs are standing on the brink, the Cubs can get the goat off of their collective backs. History will be re-written.

Except, there is no fairy tale ending. The Red Sox sweep the Cubs, Steve Bartman must continue to be a recluse and goats all over the mid-west fear for their lives. Meanwhile, here in New England, we notch title #1 in the quest for the Greatest Year In Boston Sports History.

I'll quickly cap this column with a note about that last phrase. The Patriots once again looked like they are in their own league last night, prohibitive favorites to win it all (again). And Friday at 2:30, Live From Rome!, your 2007-2008 Boston Celtics take the court together for the first time. Yeah, it is pre-season, yeah, it's the Raptors...but I'm setting the DVR. Some things need to be seen.

Enjoy the ride folks, this maybe something very, very special.

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

2007-09-28T09:32:00.000-04:00

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.

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

2007-09-26T08:23:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-09-21T08:44:00.001-04:00

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!!!!!

2007-09-14T08:31:00.000-04:00

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!!!!!!!!!!!"

2007-09-13T09:13:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-11T08:57:00.000-04:00

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.

The "Step Back from the Edge" Edition of Barstool Fridays!

2007-08-31T08:56:00.000-04:00

Panic is over-rated folks. Sure, the Bronx Bummers swept my beloved Boston Red Sox over the last few days, casting a shadow over the beating we delivered to the White Sox a few days earlier. I know, the lead for the AL East is down to 5 games. But look at our schedule between now and when the Yanks come to town September 14th. Step back from the ledge, take a deep breath and move on to Barstool Friday!!!!!

The UMass Minutemen kick off the 2007 football season against Holy Cross on Saturday. Coming off of a run to the National Championship game last year, the guys have high expectations on them. A good start taking down HC will be a great indicator for the season. My biggest question for the season will be Quarterback Liam Coen, and how he fares without the potent Steve Baylark in the backfield. Baylark, by the way, has played pretty well ford the Cardinals and hopefully will at least get a shot at the practice squad.

Are you ready for some football? In just over a week, the highly anticipated 2007 season commences for the New England Patriots. The Pats look downright scary, and it will be really interesting to see how they respond. We all know how they have thrived on the underdog and "lack of respect" tags in the past, certainly terms that won't get much play this year. Belichick is a master motivator though, and these seasoned veterans that make up the squad shouldn't be distracted by the hype. It is going to be a great season.

The Quest For Green 17 continues with James Posey being added to the squad this week. Great pick-up in my opinion. A talented role player with excellent defensive skills who also will be the only Celtic who has been to the promised land. Posey's ability to play essentially 3 positions off the bench is a big help. I'd still like to see Danny pick up a veteran point to back up Rondo, but so far, so very, very good. It has been a long time since I was this excited about basketball in August.

Now, I know you've been waiting for this. I know that I am that rare breed, the Red Sox Optimist. But look, we have 29 games remaining. Of those 29, 20 are against Baltimore, Tampa and Toronto. All teams that suck. All teams that are going to be on auto-pilot, more concerned about tee times than wins and losses. Add to that the 6 game closure to the season. There are two games against Oakland and 4 against the Twins. Neither of these teams has anything to fight for, they are out of the playoff picture. And these games are in Fenway. Boston should be alive with Division Champion spirit, the homefield advantage plus. So that leave us with 3 games worthy of discussion. Who are those 3 games against? The Yankees of course. And can you seriously see the Yankees taking more than one game in Fenway? No? Good. Now you are starting to come around. Manny should be back by then plus we have the expanded September rosters. Things are fine in Red Sox Nation. Anybody know when playoff tickets go on sale?

I'd love to go on for hours, but by then you'll already be sitting on that barstool and wouldn't go fully armed with this week's info. Back to a regular schedule next week. Happy (don't) Labor Day!

Pre-Cape Cod Edition of Barstool Friday!!!

2007-08-24T08:38:00.000-04:00

Heading down to the Cape this weekend for fun in the sun and maybe some fishing. But before I go, it is time to bring you up to speed with this week's edition of Barstool Fridays!!!!!

I would like to offer my condolences to the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates, as ownership contemplates the hiring of reviled former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette. I hope for you sake that this never happens, but if it does, let me offer the following silver lining. During his tenure, Duquette will invariably bring some talent to your team. He won't build a team that can actually win anything, but he will some how pluck a few key pieces out of seemingly nowhere. Do not be lulled into a false sense of hope, because your Pirates will perennially disappoint, but know this. After a decade or so of torturing you, Duquette will finally be let go and someone else will come in, make a wise move or two to actually create a TEAM rather than a conglomoration of players, and you might actually win it all. So, we'll see y'all in 2018.

Interesting stat I heard yesterday. If the Red Sox had averaged 4 runs over Daisuke Matsuzaka's last 12 starts, he'd have 19 wins right now. Just goes to show the guy is one hell of a pitcher...and that the Sox aren't getting runs when they need them.

Reggie Miller announced that he will not come out of retirement to play for the Boston Celtics or anyone else. As I've stated before, I have no love loss for Miller, but this move really puts some heat back on Danny Ainge to bring in a little more quality help for his stars. Should be interesting.

The New England Patriots will take to the field this weekend for the momentous Pre-season Game #3, which is arguably the only game of the pre-season slate worth watching. Tom Brady, the new father, will play, and expect to see the starters for a good chunk of the game. The two big things to watch this week will be how well the O-line plays and protects Mr. Terrific, and the performance of Laurence Maroney, now cleared for contact. The line has clearly left something to be desired so far, and I'd like to see Maroney get some quality carries, if for no other reason than to get his feet under him before it all starts for real on September 9th. BREAKING NEWS (10:40AM) Asante Samuel will sign his one-year tender and report to Patriots training camp next week. About time, Dumb Ass.

I'm doing my best to not overlook this important 4 game stand against the ChiSox, but is there anyone out there who isn't just dying for the Red Sox-Yankees series? This is what baseball is all about. Sox-Yanks with 5 weeks to go. I can't wait. And for the record, after the Yankees we get Baltimore for 3, Toronto for 3, Baltimore for 4, Rays for 3. That's a 10 game stretch that should put a lock on the Red Sox AL East crown. Buckle up, away we go!

UMass Minuteman Gary Forbes is playing for the Panamanian National squad at this week's FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas. While Panama has, by all accounts, zero chance of qualifying for the Olympics, I think this is a really nice honor for the UMass forward, and I hope the experience of playing against competition of this caliber feeds into his season. It would be nice to see Forbes step up for the Minutemen as a leader this year.

While we're talking UMass hoops, old friend Kitwana Rhymer scored 9 points last night for the Virgin Islands team. Unfortunately, the VI got crushed by Team USA, 123-59. You'd like to think from that score that things bode well for Team USA, but hey...it was the Virgin Islands.

Well, that's about it for this week folks. I'm outta here for a few days, I'll catch back up with you in the midst of the Sox-Yankees battle. Minimum of a 7 game lead by the end of the month, you read it here first.

Time for Barstool Friday!

2007-08-17T08:28:00.000-04:00

It is another edition of Barstool Friday, but before we begin, I would like to once again remind you all to please lend a hand to the WEEI/NESN JIMMY FUND RADIO TELETHON and call 1-877-738-1234 to make a donation. Every penny counts.

I've only got a few comments heading into this weekend:

The Boston Red Sox will take care of the Angels this weekend, taking 3 out of 4 while the Tigers will kindly oblige by doing the same to the Yankees. Key things to watch will be this afternoon's debut of Clay Buchholz (a move you will note I predicted a week ago) and Jacoby Ellsbury's return to the Big Club tonight. It is going to be great to see the much-hyped youngsters come in. These guys can play.

Bye-bye Wily Mo Pena. Making room for the kids spells the end of the Pena era in Boston. We all know how I feel about this. When I watched Pena's debut in Fenway, he dropped that ball over the bullpen wall to give up a home run that should have been an out. The groan that ran through Fenway that day was the precursor to a sound that punctuated his stint with the Sox. I wish you the best Wily Mo...but I won't miss you.

Laurence Maroney, miffed about his speed rating in Madden '08, isn't likely to shed that red jersey or take any snaps in the pre-season, according to reports from Patriots training camp. This is probably a good thing, since Maroney is likely to take a beating the likes of which he's not seen before this season. Still, I expect a big year from him, the Pats reciever core opening things up for him to cover some ground. Look for #39 to emerge as one of the elite backs in the league this year.

Miller Time may really be coming, as Reggie has been abusing himself in two-a-days since being courted by Danny Ainge to determine if his body is ready for a return to the NBA. Apparently Malibu, California neighbor Kevin Garnett has been stopping by more often, trying to compel the former Pacer into joining the run for Green 17. Reggie weighs what, 150 pounds? Maybe The Big Ticket can just sit on him till he signs a contract. I'm still torn over having the hated face of the Pacers franchise in Celtics Green, but I'm sure a banner raising will erase any bad feelings I have.

If you combined Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson, second and third in the World Gold Rankings respectively, into one slick uber-golfer, their combined points total of of 17.13 still falls way short of World #1 Tiger Wood's 22.10 average. Now THAT is dominance.

Have a great weekend folks. In closing, Farewell to jazz great Max Roach, who passsed away yesterday at 83. I had the great pleasure of having Mr. Roach as a professor, and he was not only a musical genius, but a wonderful and caring educator and person. Rest In Peace, Max.

The Jimmy Fund Telethon - Please Read

2007-08-16T12:32:00.000-04:00

There are, of course, many days and many events that can put sports into perspective. Some things help us realize that there is more to life than the standings in the AL East, NFL training camps and Fantasy Football. Today and tomorrow, the Boston Red Sox team up with Sports Radio 850 WEEI and the New England Sports Network to raise funds for THE JIMMY FUND , the clinic at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that stands as one of the world's premier pediatric cancer research and treatment centers. It is a place that has provided hope to thousands of families and is a leader in the fight to find a cure for cancer.

Please take a moment out of your day, and make a donation to the Jimmy Fund by calling 1-877-738-1234, or at the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon webpage. Make your pitch to Strike Out Cancer.

Thank You.

Immigration Reform...

2007-08-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

I've never been a big proponent of the whole U.S./Canada border thing, a big waste of time and money to create a hassle when passing to and from U.S. Lite. I mean, Canada's main exports- lumber, beer and weed - all get here anyway and other than that there just isn't a whole lot of difference. While I have a decided preference for Canadian currency and the Health Care policy, by and large the only difference between the States and our neighbors to the North is the funny accent. Since a similar phenomenon happens when you cross the Mason-Dixon, the whole idea of spending interminable hours having your car searched in case you've brought an inordinate amount of hash and Bradour over the border seems silly.

Well, I should say it seemed silly. I've suddenly become strongly in favor of increased Immigration Regulations between the U.S. and Canada in hopes that we can arrange for Eric Gagne to be deported. He's served up 8 runs over 4 innnings of work in a Red Sox uniform, and were it not Monday morning and were I more of a fan of mathematics, I'd tell you what that equates to in ERA (and yes, I know one of yesterday's runs got rung up to Okajima, poor guy)...but let's just say it is a number approaching the GNP of a small European nation. Gagne is responsible for TWO losses this weekend to the Orioles...THE BLEEPING ORIOLES!!!! I know Tito will play the Good Manager and talk of "match-ups" and "limiting Okie's innings heading into the Playoffs" and that "Gagne looked good in the 'Pen", but who among the Denizens of Red Sox Nation didn't cringe when he pulled Okie after a third of an inning yesterday? It is a good thing I'd already come in from the pool by that point, because when they made that call I might just have fallen off my float and drowned. How you yank a guy who has done what Okajima has this season in that situation is beyond me. I'm still sick over this.

Alright, look...this is not The Apocalypse. The Red Sox will be fine, I truly believe it. I say to my friend in The People's Republic of Cambridge who can't get "1978" out of his head, this is a different team, a different era in the History of the BoSox. But I'm admittedly less comfortable than I was a week ago. How can you not be? We all know the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and perhaps that's something Theo & Co. might have thought of before this trade. But by-gones be by-gones and all that...it's broke now, and it needs to be fixed. Fast.

Hooray! It's Barstool....umm, Saturday?!?!?!?

2007-08-11T09:50:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah. My apologies to all of you who didn't know what to talk about last night. The vagaries of a dial-up connection that is barely worthy of the 20th Century, never mind the 21st, topped with a trip out last night to see an absolutely incredible jazz gig featuring Bruce Hornsby, Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette kept me from my appointed rounds. But that's OK, because now I can comment on a couple of things that I might have missed other wise. And away we go!!!!

Eric Gagne has given up 6 runs in 3 innings since joining the Boston Red Sox. I thought this guy was playing for big free agent bucks? What the hell is wrong here? I give Okie a pass on the sac fly that brought in the game winner, because he should never have been in that position, and his body of work this season earns him it. But for a guy who wants to be considered a premier closer, giving up 4 runs in the 8th in a game that was essentially over against a team that essentially sucks? I'm beginning to re-think my assessment earlier in the week that Jon Lester might be my biggest concern. Late inning pitching coughing up runs to the friggin' Orioles does not inspire. Maybe that Gag in his name should have been more telling. I'm not giving up on him, but he better get his sh*t together or Red Sox Nation will crucify the guy. And poor Daisuke, doesn't he have 2-3 more W's right now if he gets some run support and is backed by the 'pen?

Looking forward however, I've got to believe Becks and Schill will get it done over the next couple of days. Josh has been unbelievable this season, and has always come through to stop the bleeding when we most need him to. Schilling is due, he looked better the other night than the results showed. Plus, it IS the Orioles.

63, and a lipped putt on 18 away from carding the first 62 in Majors history. Tiger looks unstoppable. We al know what Mr. Woods does with a lead on the weekend...he wins. For the record, T-Dub is 7-0 in Majors when leading after 36 holes. Money. Which leads me to the two Quotes of the Weekend: I'll paraphrase the first, because I couldn't find the exact text, but second-place Scott Verplank said earlier this week "if Tiger is playing his best, and I'm playing my best, I'm not sure I could beat him", and Geoff Ogilvy (the only golfer other than Woods who is under par and has won a Major) said yesterday "He does pretty good when he leads for two rounds and even better when he leads for three rounds, so I guess that is kind of ominous." His follow up of "But at some point, he's not going to win'' doesn't exactly brim with confidence. Way to roll over and play dead guys. By the way, it is a lot of fun to watch John Daly butcher his way around the course pulling shots out of his ass. Sadly, I think we'll see his scores continue to balloon, but hey, at least he'll provide some entertainment value in a tournament that every participant other than the Leader seems to now see as all but over.

Finally, I couldn't leave you without at least one comment about the Celtics. If you caught the Scot Pollard and Eddie House introductory press conference this week, you really got a treat. Pollard's dead-pan coments on how the C's were now truly contenders with his addition were high comedy. The guy is hysterical. I can't wait to see the first time Greg Dickerson has to interview him courtside. The look on Dickerson's face after Pollard tells him he was the key to a win in which he logged 3 minutes, 1 rebound and 4 fouls will be priceless.

Well, that's all for today folks. Have a great weekend. Wow, a Barstool column without a single dig at the Yankees or Michael Vick. I must be slipping.

Thirsty Thursday!!!!

2007-08-09T12:46:00.000-04:00

The weekend approaches, and there is a lot going on. A few thoughts:

It's Miller Time! It came out yesterday that Danny Ainge had spoken with aged sharp-shooter Reggie Miller about coming out of retirement to be a spark off the bench as the C's go for #17. I've never been a big fan of Miller, he's always struck me as a whiny little bastard. But this isn't a bad fit, I'm forced to admit. He'd bring a great veteran presence to the second unit, and a crunch time line-up of Pierce, Garnett, Allen, Wheels Rondo and Miller has got to scare the crap out of opposing coaches. You can't double team anybody and yet you have to contend with the fact that Pierce or Garnett will take almost anyone in the league one-on-one. Interesting.

Tiger(s) like the heat, right? After looking positively incredible last Sunday, does anyone really believe that Woods will not take the PGA this weekend? Triple-digit temps will eat some of these guys alive. John Daly is T-2 though 13, but somehow he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who's going to fare real well in this heat over 4 days. Especially after he plows through a couple of cases of Coors Light tonight. Tiger, on the other hand, is the epitome of fitness and conditioning and has the mental toughness to not let the sweltering Tulsa summer take him out of his game. I know my last Major prediction fell short, but bank this one.

I'd just like to point out to a certain reader who knows who he is that when I told you the Red Sox were going to beat the Angels last night and the Bronx Bummers pitching was about to fall apart, you said "I hope so". I rest my case. Do not question me in the future.

Speaking of the Red Sox, I know a lot of the Nation is concerned about Jon Lester thus far. I have to agree. I think the kid has a ton of talent, but he's struggled a lot with his control. Lester right now is the biggest question mark for the Sox with 47 games to go. Schilling will come into form, and for all of the hit-or-miss that comes with Wakefield, we all know what we get from him. Plus, he's like having an extra arm in the bullpen come playoff time, as he doesn't need regular rest on the same level as your typical starter. The offense of course, is what it is and I can't help but belive that the absence of timely hitting willright itself. There is simply too much talent there. But Lester does worry me, he's ringing up pitch counts far too high to be effective. What remains to be seen is if he can regain his ability to locate pitches and string together a few quality starts to build his confidence. Hopefully what promises to be an overwhelming welcome back to Fenway on Tuesday will get him on track. Otherwise, don't be surprised to see Clay Buchholz called up even before rosters expand in September.

One last note for today for those of you in Massachusetts. Berkshire Brewing Company's Oktoberfest will be released Monday. While I'm not inclined to start thinking of fall yet, I've sampled this year's batch, and its damn good. Grab it while it lasts. Well, until Barstool Friday then, remember, it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. Unless you're getting paid seven figures to play the game, then it is ALL about whether you win or lose.

It's Over. Let's Move On...

2007-08-08T08:29:00.000-04:00

Barry Bonds finally hit No. 756 last night. I couldn't be happier. It is finally over. It is a shame that this isn't a moment that most of us will look back on fondly, one where we will someday say to our children "I remember where I was when the Greatest Record In Sports was broken". Still, I'm glad it is over. I'm tired of hearing about it, for a year or more it has been a cloud over my beloved Baseball. And now, whatever Bonds does, whether he hits 50 more home runs or retires tomorrow, it will all just be numbers. It isn't Hank Aaron anymore, it isn't Balco anymore, it isn't steroids anymore, it isn't really even Barry Bonds anymore. It is just a number, a number that will sit waiting to be broken, as all records do.

Say what you will about Bonds, but don't blame him. Don't blame him for doing steroids, he cetainly wasn't the only one and really, steroid use was Major League Baseball's problem to address yet for years they willingly ignored it. Don't blame him for being unlikeable, at least he's not pretending to be someone he's not. And most of all, don't blame him for unseating Henry Aaron. Regardless of how you feel about Bonds personally or professionally, don't blame him for being so damned good at what he does. Barry Bonds hits baseballs. He hits them hard and he hits them far. And he does so prolifically.

I'm not celebrating Bonds achievement because, like many of you, I simply don't like the guy. But I'll respect the prowess, and the number...all the while looking for some one to surpass him, to take his name down from the top spot. I've never been one to subscribe to the theory that athletes need to be held to a higher standard, that they should be role models for society. I genuinely respect and appreciate the players who do go out of their way to try to improve this world that we live in. It isn't their responsibility however, and I think it is unfair of us to expect otherwise. Michael Jordan is arguably the Greatest Basketball Player of All-Time, but he's certainly no great humanitarian. On the contrary, he's a cigar smoking, gambling, power broker who has struggled with marital problems and has built a global empire that perhaps relies on less-than-savory labor practices to produce many of its products. In other words, he's human. He has done good, and he's made mistakes, but he's always been Michael Jordan, the human being. Well, the same is true of Barry Bonds. He's just a human being, like you or I, doing what he does. So while we don't have to be happy about the fact that Bonds is now the "Greatest Home Run Hitter in History", at least let's revel in the fact that it is over. We can all move on now, you, me...and Barry.

One last tidbit. The Celtics just signed veteran forward/center Scot Pollard for $1.2 million. Here's some fun math for you: $1,200,000 divided by 82 games equals approximately $14,634 per game. Divide that by 6 fouls per game and you see that the Celtics are paying somebody over $2400 per foul for the 2007-2008 season. I Love This Game.

Barstool Friday has arrived...

2007-08-03T08:32:00.000-04:00

...and true to form, I'll give you some food for thought for your weekend swilling. Before I get into this editions musings, one last comment from yesterday's trip to Fenway. I would like to point to the beautiful words issued by Hall Of Famer Mr. Bobby Doerr. In yet another example of the current Red Sox ownership paying dues to the legacy of The Organization, yesterday was officially Bobby Doerr Day. As I listened to Mr. Doerr recount the last 80 years of Red Sox history, I couldn't help but think about how his obvious appreciation for what the Red Sox had given him over the years is reflected in all of us who consider ourselves denizens of Red Sox Nation. The Red Sox add something untangible to our lives, they add something that I'm not sure many other sports fans can comprehend. I've written often about the association of self to the team, and that is something that seems to be more prevalent here that anywhere else. If you haven't experienced it yourself, I'm not sure there is anyway to help you to understand it. But what I do know is that it is people like Bobby Doerr who helped make it The Way It Is. And now, on with the show...

Ha-ha-ha...Roger Clemens got Yanked after 2 innings. Johnny "The Traitor" Damon got benched and now says he'd be OK with a trade. The Spankees almost bailed out the Bottle Rocket by participating in the Inning With 16 Runs and then choked their way out of it. As I said yesterday afternoon, we've gone through the Yankees to win the World Series now. This time, I'd love to see it happening with Damon sitting on his couch saying "Wait, I thought if I came to New York, we were supposed to be the ones in the playoffs?"

I hope Tom Glavine notches #300 tonight. Class act, he deserves it. I also hope A-Fraud and Barry "I Didn't Know (wink-wink)" Bonds remain homerless for a while. By the way, did you catch that Jose Canseco has indicated that A-Rod is both a back-stabber and perhaps not as wholesome as he appears (although this in and of itself is pretty funny...I wonder what A-Rod's wife thinks of his "wholesome-ness")? I actually can't wait for Canseco's new book. God, I never thought I'd say that.

Have you caught the fall this Jake Brown guy took at the X-Games??? Holy expletives, Batman! See, when I was about 14 I took a shot to the family jewels skateboarding, and realized that there is a point in life where you need to move on. Some of these X-Gamers could stand to learn the same lesson. That said, it really is fun to watch!

As you might imagine, I'm still beside myself over the Celtics acquiring Kevin Garnett. Apparently, I'm not the only one. The NBA delayed the announcement of their schedule this week by a day in order to make sure that there were more prime opportunities to showcase the C's. The Universe is righting itself. You can buy you KG #5 jersey at Celtics.com now.

Sorry, that's all for this Friday. Get your sleep while you can, its another West Coast Road Swing for the Sox, hopefully we can kick our losing ways in Seattle. Keep cool, it's gonna be another scorcher...

Snatching Victory From the Gates of Hell...

2007-08-03T07:29:00.000-04:00

"It's a glorious day in Boston," opined NESN's Don Orsillo in the lead-in to yesterday afternoon's affair at Fenway. Glorious, perhaps, if you just spent the last ten days vacationing on the River Styx. For the rest of us, it was H-O-T. 100 plus degrees on the field, and I can assure you it was no finer in the centerfield bleachers. But despite the Hades-like weather, a good time was had by all as we witnessed win #150 in the hometown colors for eternal Red Sox knuckler, Tim Wakefield. Add to that back-to-back shots by the unlikely duo of Eric Hinske and Doug Mirabelli, a beautiful Kevin Garnett glass-cleaning impersonation by Coco, and listening to a late offensive surge and the debut of Eric Gagne from the air-conditioned comfort of the car, and it was a a hell of a day, pun intended. And yes, I'm coming clean on doing the unthinkable, we left the park early. But hey, cut me some slack, the thought of getting and elderly woman and a 10 year old out of Fenway and into the car in that heat, only to sit in Boston rush hour traffic, made the decision easy. I don't think any of us had regrets there.

A few observations. A bag of peanuts and the cool (-er) temps of the underbelly of Fenway Park can keep a 2 year old unbelievably entertained. A die-hard Sox fan in her seventies will go through anything to catch the game, including fighting her way up the approximately 3.2 million steps it takes to get to Section 34, Row 32 of the centerfield bleachers in 100 degree swelter. Give a ten year-old a sign and tell her she might get on television and she will NOT miss a moment of the game, intently waiting for that glorious moment between inning halves to give a shout out to RemDawg and Don. My sister and brother-in-law, parents of the afore-mentioned 2 year old are damned brave, and have quickly mastered the fine art of Parental Tag Teaming...good job guys! The Fenway location of Boston Beer Works remains, arguably, the best place to grab a cold one and a bite to eat before the game. The speed and professionalism with which they usher anxious Sox fans through, never sacrificing service or quality, is staggering.

As I prepare to close this column out and get working on the latest edition of Barstool Fridays, I'd like to say a few things about the experience of attending a game at The Friendly Confines of Fenway Park for those of you who haven't been in a while, or perhaps have never had the pleasure. The only thing I've ever experienced that rivals Game Day in Boston is a Grateful Dead concert. The colorful throngs fill the streets, displaying their love for all to see of the Hometown Team. There is a genuine sense of comaraderie that pervades, every one united with a sense of purpose, to deliver our combined energy to the guys on the field, to lift them to the pinnacle of their skills and deliver another tick in the Win Column. Yawkey Way, now closed off to traffic and the Shakedown Street of the pre-game festivities, teams with action, hawkers of sausage and swag filling the air with the sweet sounds and smells that tell you that you have arrived in Baseball Nirvana. From there, you descend into the Bowels of Fenway, that once sticky dungeon that has somehow been transformed into an (almost) functioning concourse offering $5 hot dogs and $8 beers that seem almost a bargain in this magical place. And then the moment arrives, you climb a flight of stairs, and there, startlingly green and at once enormous and cozy, it stands. A piece of living history, timeless in the moment...this is Fenway Park. This is the home of the Boston Red Sox. This is the home of Red Sox Nation. This is home.

And now, all stand for the singing of our National Anthem...

Talk of Threes...

2007-08-01T14:41:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I'm still giddy over the acquisition of the Big Ticket. Terry Francona was gushing over it. Curt Schilling loves KG. For the first time in two decades, all anyone can talk about is the Boston Celtics. Hell, even Wily Mo Pena almost gets a pass today after another lackluster performance (and the ugliest diving catch of the season). I've been fantasizing all day about Marcus Camby now coming to Boston. Paul Pierce looked like the happiest guy on the planet at the news conference last night.

But please, these guys are NOT the Big Three. Bird, McHale and Parish deserve to retain that title as their own. Let Paul, Ray and Kevin earn their own moniker. Surely we are creative enough to come up with something uniquely their own and let the best front-court in NBA history stand as the ONLY Big Three. Work with me here people.

I'd also like to thank Big Papi David Ortiz for making my point last night, launching two long. Hey Papi, send one to the bleachers for us tomorrow, my daughter is waiting.

Lastly, I feel the need to clarify something. My buddy Chomper asked why we have to wait till Friday to hop on the barstool. We don't need to wait until Friday, in fact, I highly recommend it at any opportunity. However, the topics for Barstool Fridays are intended to carry you through the weekend sounding like the sports genius that I am. Feel free to use the fodder you find here any day of the week as you celebrate the Dawning of The Greatest Year In Boston Sports History...but remember, as always, I bear no responsibility for the results of you repeating what you read here.

That's all for today folks, see you Friday...

Oh, and give this great article by Sean Grande a read

I know, I know...

2007-07-31T09:20:00.000-04:00

I've been slacking, I'll admit it. Damned real life interfering with my blogging. Maybe all of you readers out there should pay me to do this instead. I know there's at least one of you!

Anyhow, there has been a great deal of action in the World Of Sports, and It Takes Balls is ready to tackle it head on this morning. So grab another cup of coffee, or more advisably a beer, and get ready for some reading.

The Boston Celtics are suddenly relevant again! OK, it isn't a done deal yet but let's consider it a fait accompli...Kevin Garnett is coming to Boston! First off, let me say that I love Al Jefferson. I think the kid is a class act with oodles of talent that we are just beginning to see come to the surface. So Al, let me extend my hand and heartily shake, wishing you nothing but the best. A bit of advice, take a trip over to EMS before you head out. If you thought the winters in Boston were bad, Minny is just cruel. OK, now that I have that out of the way, can I please GUSH WITH JOY?!?!?! Kevin Freakin' Garnett??? With Paul Pierce and Ray Allen????? I predicted on the 10th of July that Ainge would fail to make a meaningful trade (of course in the same column I stated the Tiger would win the British Open and that KG was staying in MN then going to play with Kobe...not one of my better days apparently). I was wrong. I was wrong, and I couldn't be happier. KG is easily one of the Top 10 players in the NBA, arguably Top 5. He plays with unbridled passion, plus he has that unique facet that cannot be coached- he's a super-star coming into the twilight of his Prime who has nothing to prove except that he can place on of those gaudy World Championship rings on his finger. And now he is going to be teamed with 2 other All-Stars who have nothing to prove other than that they can wear a Championship ring. How do these guys NOT make the NBA Finals this year? The Cavs made it to the Finals with LeBron and a bunch of guys who ought to be playing pick-up games in Boyden gym at UMass. Sure, they got smoked by an infintely superior Spurs team, but this Celtics team is now head and shoulders above everyone in the East with the possible exceptions of Detroit and Miami and if this column weren't already going to be ridiculously long I could (and would) argue quite strongly that neither of those teams will match up. Look, Pierce and Allen are an offensive force that would have driven defenses crazy, because both demand a double-team or they will score at will. The knock, of course, was that the C's might score 120 a night, but could they prevent other teams from putting up 125? Now you've got Garnett, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate AND a powerful offensive force. Other than Tim Duncan, there is not another power forward in the NBA worthy of even being mentioned in the same breath as Garnett. It's been 2o years since the last "Big 3" lifted my beloved Celts to the Promised Land, and now another 3 is coming to take us back. For the first time since the late '80s, Celtics fans can sit back and enjoy the ride. This could be, wait for it...

The Greatest Year in Boston Sports Ever!!!! Think about it. The Red Sox are clearly lead candidates in any debate to take the World Series. The New England Patriots biggest competition may be themselves. And the Boston Celtics have suddenly gone from the second-worst team in basketball to a top 5 pick to win it all. If it happens, will it spell the end of Bill Simmons career as the Sports Guy? I know I probably shouldn't even think about this, and truthfully, when I woke up yesterday morning it wasn't even conceivable. Of course when I heard WEEI's John Dennis reveal the KG rumblings yesterday morning, the sportus fanaticus Bostonian instantly took over. So OK, I'm going to do my best to not dwell on this until the Red Sox win the World Series, really, I'm going to try.

Speaking of the Red Sox, I missed the opportunity to applaud the return of Jon Lester. With all of the distasteful sporting news of the last few weeks, this kid's return from cancer to take the mound last week marks as one of the more compelling stories in all of sports. While Lester is not the first to come back from cancer to continue on with a career in professional sports, the speed and determination with which he did so, and the remarkable spirit he displayed throughout, are worthy of mention. So here's to you Jon, may your career be long and prosperous, and may your fingers be adorned with many a ring.

More on the Sox, I really wish people would stop whining about the status of David Ortiz. First of all, Papi is hitting .320. Second of all, ask any manager in Major League Baseball if they would like to have Ortiz up in the bottom of the ninth, down two with runners on first and second and they'd all jump at the chance. No one denies that his power numbers are down, but look at what he has done for us over the past several years. How can you blast this guy for anything? A word about his knee, as well. I had the identical problem and subsequent surgery. It can be painful, and annoying. It can certainly sap some power and strength. That said, the knee won't keep him from launching the ball and it doesn't prevent you from getting hits in key situations. Big Papi is one of the greatest clutch hitters to ever play the game, and when we need him, he will be there. I realize that it is nearly impossible for many of the citizens of Red Sox Nation to accept that the Sox are hot and won't fall apart, and I do understand where that comes from. But can't we please all just enjoy it?

I would be remiss if I didn't take one more dig at that stupid a-hole, Michael Vick. Current concensus amongst the 2 or 3 people I've discussed it with is that he should be hog-tied, coated in bar-b-que sauce and dropped into a pen with a dozen rabid, starving dogs. Can we get this on Pay-Per-View?

That's all for today. Keep your eyes out for Friday's re-cap of our Family Day at Fenway. Wake takes the mound, and we take the bleachers. Please pray for an ocean breeze for us!

Afternoon update! The latest repost from ESPN's Jayson Stark is the Red Sox will trade Kason Gabbard and David Murphy for Eric Gagne. I'm good with that. Hang tight, we'll have an answer on the Jermaine Dye sweepstakes sometime in the next hour and a half...I'll update if I can.

Another Barstool Friday...

2007-07-20T08:45:00.000-04:00

Another Friday, another chance to plop your ass on the barstool and stir up some controversy! There's a lot that's going on, so I'll get right to it!

What should be done with Michael Vick? Really, this guy disgusts me. I've had several thoughts on how he should be handled that aren't fit for print, but suffice to say they involve treatments not dissimilar from how he and his punk buddies treated the dogs. If I were running the NFL (feel free to nominate me!), I'd be preparing the paperwork for a lifetime ban from the game. If he's convicted (for what it is worth, the Feds have never lost a case of this nature), this should be a foregone conclusion. If I'm the Falcons (PLEASE don't nominate me to run them!), I'm cutting him loose now. Distance yourself from this thug as soon as possible. Maybe Michael can bunk with his brother.

The British Open has been interesting already!!! First we have Gary Player stating that there are golfers out there on steriods or HGH or whatever. Good times! Then Big John Daly eagles the 11th, takes sole posession of the lead at 5 under, and promptly falls apart to close with a 3-over 74. I love this, I could probably shoot 8 over for 7 holes too! And then we have Sergio Garcia shooting a 65. Does anybody...anybody not see a 75 on his card coming? Watch for Tiger to shoot about a 66 or 67 today and slowly work his way to the top of the leader board by the end of play Saturday. His 3-peat is as good as gold. And yes, I know he's +2 after 1 hole. I stand by my statements. Oh and by the way, the European press is apparently having a field day with the ruling Tiger got on the ball by the TV cables. Must suck to know you won't have a Champion of your own to write about.

Is Asante Samuel the stupidest man in America? Dude, you made $700K last year! Sign the friggin' tender offer already! Seriously, somebody offers you $7 million plus to show up to work for 20-25 weeks and you say NO?!?!?!?!? Wouldn't anybody like to be paid the average of the Top 5 Highest Paid Persons performing the same basic job you have? If he holds out till Week 10, I hope (and believe) Belichick lets him ride pine for the rest of the season. If Mike Vick weren't a lock for the Stupid Loser of the Year Award, Samuel would have to be considered a front-runner.

OK, I know that yesterday I went on about how the Boston Red Sox were fine, and I still believe it. But dammit man, we need to get a few breaks. We seem unable to hit with runners in scoring position. You can see the frustration starting to set in. They know they are better than this. WE know they are better than this, but please let the Baseball Gods smile on us a few times over this weekend. There's a third of the season left...that's a lot of baseball. In 2004, we had a similar mid-season lull and we all know how that turned out. I'm sick of the panic talk, I'm tired of "oh no, here come the Yankees". I've told you all before that the Yankees can't take down the Sox this season. Only the Sox can take themselves down. We just need a little kick in the ass. A game where it all seems easy and these guys remember why they are arguably the best team in baseball. Let's turn things around this weekend boys, swing for the fences! Side note: I'm starting to believe Theo will make a trade before the deadline. I don't know who, but can I implore the Front Office to make sure Wily Mo goes as a part of it?

Hey, apparently the FBI is investigating an NBA referee for gambling on games, including those he officiated. Anybody else hoping they find out that he bet against the Celtics a lot and David Stern demands that as compensation, Portland has to give us Greg Oden? Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

That's all I've got for today folks. Raise a pint and toast the Baseball Gods, let's give the Sox a few lucky breaks this weekend. Till the next time...

Winners, Losers and why the Red Sox will be just fine...

2007-07-19T08:43:00.000-04:00

Winners: OK, there aren't a lot of winners this week in the It Takes Balls world of sports. Sure, there were plenty of teams who won recently, on one level or another...it's just that I don't care about them. But I'd like to take a moment to congratulate the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans on setting a record that will stand for a long time. Sure, it took them 123 years to accomplish it, but 10,000 losses is nothing to laugh about. It's something to laugh at.

Losers: I'd rip the Phillies here again, but only Michael Vick kicks a dog when he's down. Speaking of which, Vick takes the Loser of the Year Award in July. That's got to be a record, we don't even have to wait to see who else blows it big time, Vick just ran away with it. Other big losers in the past week have to include the Milwaukee Bucks. Now, don't get me wrong, I think it's bull that a 22...I'm sorry, 18 year old lottery pick gets to throw a hissy fit and refuse to report to a team that drafted him. It's wrong, and the NBA should have a rule in place to prevent this from happening. All that said, I don't have a lot sympathy for the Bucks. Jianlian TOLD you that he wouldn't report if you drafted him. You did it anyway. I'm totally convinced that Bucks GM Lary Harris called Isiah Thomas for advice on this one. This was totally an Isiah-style move. Take a golden opportunity and toss it out the window. How long before the "Michael Redd requests trade" rumors start? I'm going to be nice and say December. And before I move on, is anyone disappointed to hear that Stephon Marbury is leaving for Italy when his contract is up? I think fans of teams like the Knicks, Celtics, T-wolves and other bastions of GM incompetence breathed a collective sigh of relief here. I know I did.

Finally, the Boston Red Sox... The Sox are fine folks. I can't explain why the dreadful Royals seem to have our number. I have to believe that on some level it is just a let down psychologically. Seeing 3 games against the Royals coming up on the schedule is kind of like seeing that there is a pre-season game scheduled against Boston College. You know you have to show up at the park and put on the uniform, but you don't really feel like you will be playing baseball. I'm not giving them a pass here, there is no excuse for blowing an opportunity to maintain the gap in the AL East, but I don't see it as the sign of the Apocolypse that many citizens of Red Sox Nation seem to. Repeat after me "It is NOT 1978...it is NOT 1978".

Let's take a look at what is coming up over the next two weeks. We kick it off this evening against the ChiSox for a 4 gamer at Fenway. The White Sox are a decent team, but they dropped 3 out of 4 to the friggin' Orioles last weekend. Expect the same results in Boston this weekend. A week long road trip follow, agaist a tough Indians team in Cleveland for 4, and then a trip down south to devestate the Rays. Cleveland doesn't worry me, I think we can easily manage a split with them and fully expect Manny to be on fire. We follow that up with the Rays ('nuff said), a day off and then 3 at home agaist the O's. I'll take that as a 6 game sweep of bottom dwellers which gives a bit of momentum before a short tip out west.

The Red Sox woes right now are minor. We haven't been geting timely hitting, but Papi & Manny are starting to hit for power, Lowell continues to be dominant and Julio Lugo suddenly looks like Ichiro. Schill seems to be re-habbing nicely, we'll see how his starts for the PawSox go, but all reports are that he looks great. We've got some young arms ready to fill in as well, and if we can generate some offensive consistency we'll be back on track. I know it is almost a genetic response amongst those if us in Red Sox Nation to panic any time the Yankees appear in the rear view mirror, but we have to take a deep breath and remember who we have out there. This Red Sox team has the pieces to be one of the most potent offnsive juggernauts in recent history. We haven't seen that from them yet, but I can't help but believe that the time is coming. Keep The Faith, RSN, we're fine.

Two last items. If you are looking for some fun in the sun, check out the base ball action at the Vintage Base Ball Playoffs & World Series . Should be a great time out in Westfield, Massachusetts!!! Also, watch for my column on the August 2nd Red Sox - Orioles game. We'll span 4 generations of the family at that game, I'll recount all out the action from Fenway...until next time, GO SOX!!!!!

Barstool Friday...

2007-07-13T12:14:00.000-04:00

Each and every Friday, except for some Fridays when I don't, I will be bringing you Barstool Friday!, my personal commentary on the topics most likely to spark lively conversations with the drunk next to you at the bar. Please note, It Takes Balls bears no responsibility for what may happen if you actually choose to bring up these topics. If you get arrested after a bar fight, not my fault. If a Yankees fan breaks your nose, again, not my fault. If you get strange looks and the patrons of the bar all move away from you there, still not my fault. So let's get started, but before we do, I'll leave you with this tidbit of sage advice...if you are in New York or LA, you probably don't want to repeat anything you read here.

Face it, Barry Bonds will break Hank Aaron's home run record. He'll end up in the Hall of Fame. There will be no asterisks next to whatever number he ends up with. Personally, I can't stand the guy but the reality of it is, as far as any of us know, he never actually violated baseball's rules. So shame on Major League Baseball for taking until 2002 to actually implement a steroids policy. I can't condone what Bonds did off the field, but I also can't deny what he's done on it. While this most sacred record in sports will fall to one of the most reviled athletes of all time, it does not lessen the greatness of Hammerin' Hank just as Babe Ruth became no less of a baseball great when Aaron hit 715. I, for one, will only use this moment to trumpet the achievements of the Man Bonds will pass...and immediately move on to looking for someone to surpass Barry. Now, your companions at the bar might not get too worked up about this, because when I'm right, I'm right. But while we're on the subject, I will say this: If Bonds gets elected to the Hall of Fame, they damn well better re-instate Pete Rose and put Charlie Hustle in Cooperstown. If you're going to let the a-holes in, let 'em all in. Wash that one down with a pint!

Hey Yankees fans! I hate to tell you this, but you're done. The Spanks and the Jays play with themselves 14 times before the end of the season (effectively cancelling each other out), while the Red Sox have 15 more games against the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. Your pitching is patchwork, your hitting is suspect and you've got a bunch of aging players who are going to need oxygen by the second week of August. Look, you're celebrating the fact that you just hit .500. If it weren't for A-Rod, you guys could make the D-Rays look like world beaters. But go ahead and try to make him the $30 Million Dollar Man while you're all golfing in October, I'll be getting ready for the Victory Parade.

Oh goody, David Beckham is here! I dare you to name 5 MLS teams. Go ahead, give it a shot. This will be a great bar game this weekend...see how many people at the bar can tell you both the name of his new team AND who his wife is. I'm betting a lot more know the latter than the former. To top it all off, he's not that great a player. But for those of you taking notes, if you marry a pop star, have a movie made with your name in the title and are better regarded for your fashion sense than your skills on the field, come to America! We'll overpay you to bring your star power to a league that...wait, we have professional soccer in this country?

This one is a brilliant strategy proposed by my friend Don. Bring up Jacoby Ellsbury now. The Kid can play. Use him to spell ALL of the outfielders, taking a turn in right, center and left each week. It gets The Kid some more time in front of Major League pitching, gets him used to the Friendly Confines, and JD, Coco and Manny get a few days off before we get into playoff season. The bonus here is you have speed on the bench (remember Dave Roberts anyone?), a player who hits for average and a 4th outfielder who isn't a liabilty on both sides of the ball (bye-bye, Wily Mo, I wish you the best, don't strike out on your way out the door...). No need to thank me, just let Tito Francona know I'm available...

Please, please, PLEASE don't let Mark Cuban buy the Chicago Cubs!!!! This moron is trying to sue Don Nelson for using "insider information" to beat the Mavericks in the NBA playoffs! Imagine what would happen if he bought the Cubbies. Anybody have an over/under on how long it would take for him to start trying to push through legislation ordering every goat in the Mid-west be euthanized? Get over it Mark! Your team is not good enough to win an NBA Championship. Dirk Nowitzki is a S-T-I-F-F! I'm not sure which of you scowls more. Having Mark Cuban as your team's owner is the sporting equivalent of that stupid Paris Hilton/Nicole Ritchie show. On second thought, anybody think Steinbrenner's looking for a successor?

The Red Sox are taking 2 out of 3 against the Jays, and then Kansas Sh*tty comes to town for 3, break out the brooms. Have a great weekend folks!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the grocery store...

2007-07-11T10:04:00.000-04:00

OK, this admittedly has nothing to do with sports, but as I've pointed out in painful detail over the last two days, there's not much happening in the sports world right now anyway. This is one of those photos that had someone emailed it to me I'd be sure it was a hoax, some skilled Photoshopper with way to much time on his hands. But no, this is a real photo posted in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, taken in the parking lot of the Northampton, Massachusetts Stop & Shop grocery store. But before I let the picture speak its thousand words, let me add that the woman who owns the red Subaru had just returned from her lawyer's office...where she was having her will prepared!

The Two Worst Days In Sports

2007-07-10T09:17:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe, but last night and tomorrow night...the Monday before and the Wednesday after the MLB All-Star game, respectively...are the only two days in the entire year that there are absolutely zero major US sporting events. There's football on Thanksgiving, basketball on Christmas and New Year's Day is Sporting Paradise. Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day? Baseball rules the Summer Season. 363 days a year, there is major league professional sports happening in the good ol' US of A.

So what's a sports blogger to do, when there are two days of non-action sandwiched around a third day which might as well have no action?

Make predictions of course! So here's the It Takes Balls look ahead to all things worthy of consideration, and some that are not.

The Simpsons Movie will be brilliant. Not Godfather-brilliant, not Caddyshack-brilliant. But pure Simpsons brilliant. Sure, the naysayers question how a half hour cartoon ripe with satire will translate to the Big Screen, but let's face it...nobody expected an animated sit-com about a dis-functional family missing digits and looking jaundiced would become the longest running sit-com of all-time. And it keeps on rolling, year after year. I have faith the writers can pull this off. If you need proof, the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" two-parter should be enough. I can't wait.
The Boston Red Sox will start hitting, Schilling will be back to form by September, there won't be any major trade deadline moves, Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury will be on the playoff roster, Wily Mo Pena is history, the Sox will face the Detroit Tigers in one of the best ALCS in history, with the Sox prevailing and beating San Diego in the World Series in 5 games. Remember, you read it here first.
Danny Ainge will fail to pull off another major trade to bolster my beloved Boston Celtics before the season starts, leaving the team (again) mired in mediocrity except that they play in the Leastern Conference and with a healthy Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, they will lead the Atlantic Division heading to the trading deadline. In a desperation move, Ainge will acquire an aging point guard after realizing Rajon Rondo isn't quite ready to lead the team with a 3.2 PPG average and the Celts will make the playoffs with a sub-.500 record. They'll be ousted in the first round by somebody like the Cavaliers because the fact that they don't play any defense will leave them helpless in any multi-game series. On the bright side, Al Jefferson will be a monster...I just hope it isn't for another team.
The New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl. Do I really need to expand on this? Have you looked at this team? Engrave the trophy now.
The Boston Bruins will remain irrelevant and no one under the age of 10 will even realize that New England has a professional hockey team.
Tiger Woods will win the British Open (or more properly, The Open Championship) as well as the PGA, if for no other reason than to quiet the rumblings that having a child has made him soft. Have you ever noticed that about this guy? As soon as some sports writer searching for copy starts questioning his ability to continue to dominate, he rattles off a few Majors and shuts everybody up. The Field once again starts disappearing on Sundays, we get week after week of the Billion Dollar Smile hoisting trophys and Nike has another year's worth of commerical fodder. I can't help but love the guy. He's the single most interesting figure in sports, and will remain so for another 15 years. It's like Michael Jordan being in his prime for 25 years. Killer.
The debate over whether The Sopranos finale was the lamest final episode in the history of television or a massive artistic triumph will continue until at least New Year's. I've never seen the show, not once, but I know more about that episode than anything broadcast on television this year. Make it stop. Please.
And finally, Kevin Garnett will play the year out in Minnesota and then join the Lakers in the off-season. The T-wolves will get nothing in return and by Draft Day 2009, Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge will have co-written a book called Misery Loves Company: From NBA Champions to Unemployed GMs

Blue Jays at Red Sox, Thursday night at 7:05. Thank God.

The Mid-Summer Claszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

2007-07-09T10:08:00.000-04:00

I won't be watching the Major League Baseball Homerun Derby tonight. I doubt I'll tune in to tomorrow night's MLB All-Star game, and if I do, it might just be to watch Josh Beckett strike out the first batter he faces and then I'll move on to something else. I haven't watched the NBA All-Star game in years, I'd rather watch Girl's JV High School hoops on local access. The NFL's Pro Bowl is a convenient excuse to take a trip to Hawaii, but it is hardly a football game. I'm not even sure if hockey HAS an All Star game anymore. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that there are hockey play-offs these days either, but that's another subject all together.

The fact of the matter is, All-Star games have become irrelevant displays of ego stroking and no longer speak to the fans. In baseball and football, even the players aren't interested enough to attend. The baseball All-Star Game had dwindled so far that MLB sunk to new lows to add meaning to the game. Having homefield advantage for the World Series determined by who wins the Mid-Summer "Classic" makes about as much sense as determing NFL playoff seedings by having the place kickers battle it out in a Madden '07 tourney.

So here's my solution. From now on, all All-Star teams should be picked playground-style. The top vote-getters, as picked by the fans, are all lined up on the field/court/rink and the two coaches take alternate picks and field whatever team they can come up with out of who they get. In fact, lets just have one giant All-Star Game, combining the top athletes from the 4 "major sports" in a massive game of kick-ball. Now THAT would be must-see entertainment.

It Takes Balls Welcomes You!!!!

2007-07-09T09:52:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the launch of the It Takes Balls blog, where Totally Biased Sports Commentary is the name of the game, regardless of which game I'm talking about. I will expound on all sorts of topics here, generally sports related on some level entirely based upon my mood. Before we begin, let me give you a little quote from something I had written previously which will help you to understand who I am and where I am coming from:

"fanatic
-noun

1. A person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics

Yeah, thank you dictionary.com. You forgot sports.

Sports, we watch, listen, read about sports. People do it for different reasons. Some like the logic or strategy of a particular sport. Many people love baseball for the logic, and the statistical analysis. Some football enthusiasts immerse themselves in the battleground aspects of the game. Some like the sheer athleticism, the uncanny feats of grace, speed, height or power that the finest athletes exhibit.

I envy those sorts of people, I really do. You see, I suffer from sportus fanaticus Bostonian.

It's a dreadful disease, it really is. For most it is something that begins in adolescence, although cases of adult on-set are not uncommon. It afflicts persons with some ties to New England, although they need not live in the region currently, or even ever in some cases. I know people in Colorado and California who are as afflicted as many of my fellow Massholes. There are also varying degrees of the disease. Some only suffer from it from April through October, others October through June, still others only September till January. The truly hopeless cases, such as myself, are saddled by it year-round.

The symptoms are unique. Viscious mood swings, ranging from pure ecstasy to inconsolable despondence, are common. An unnatural need to scour the morning paper/internet site/television within moments of waking, returning from a meeting, getting lunch, etc. A strong desire to posess numerous articles of clothing displaying names and numbers or colorful logos. A strong sense of ownership over things that you have none. And finally, an illogical connection of self to team, despite not actually being a member.

This is the life of a sportus fanaticus Bostonian sufferer. And I admit, I am one. I follow the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots. Passionately. Daily. In season, off season, draft day, training camp, I am there, mentally if not physically. These are MY teams. Yes, mine dammit. I OWN them and I am a team member. I am coach, cheerleader, General Manager, sportscaster. I feel pain when my teammates go down. I am in the huddle when the final push is about to be made. I am in the home plate celebration after the walk-off home run, on the free throw stripe with the game on the line. I am all those places. It is the disease. And there is no cure, and even if there was, I doubt I'd take it."

On second thought, that probably doesn't help you at all.