Fire It Up Radio

On the Eve of the NBA Playoffs, 500 Words About the Celtics and My Dad

2011-04-14T13:18:00.001-04:00

They say baseball is a father and son game. Noted scribes and movie producers have focused countless hours on the subject. Field of Dreams is probably my favorite movie. But for my father and me, basketball is it. When I was a little guy, a bedtime break from Aesop’s Fables or Mother Goose meant an hour-long discussion with Dad about the Celtics of old: the tenacity of Russell, the steady class of Satch Sanders, and just how good Charlie Scott was in the ’76 playoffs. My Dad talked to me about playing on the parquet floor as a kid in the 1960’s. And he taught me his #1 weapon: the hook shot. For years, he would end our one-on-one battles in the driveway with a sweeping lefty hook. Later, in high school, I plied my trade as a big-time rebounder with a basic offensive game – that same hook shot. I always made more than I missed, and I never had it blocked. Thanks, Dad.

Living on the Cape and not having a ton of money, going into Boston was a treat. Most games we watched on a black & white TV in the spare room upstairs with Mike Gorman and Tommy providing a description of the action as DJ harassed the opposing team’s point guard, Bird stuck a huge three in Nique’s face, or McHale, all arms and legs, got to the basket for two. “At center, seven feet, one-half inches from Centenary, number double-zero Robert Parish.” Chief. Chief. Chief. We would howl.

My first visit to the Garden was January 17, 1992, a 98-95 Celtics win over the 76ers. While I had to look up the box score online, so many things from that night stick with me, completely unrelated to the final result. My first time on the T. Our seats in the balcony (mine was behind a pole, so I had to sit on Dad’s lap). The players looking like ants. Wanting to see the giant 7’7” Manute Bol and my disappointment when Charles Shackleford started at center for the 76ers. My favorite player, Robert Parish, scoring his 20,000^th NBA point. Years later, I visited the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield and saw the game ball from that very night. A few years after that, I met the Chief himself and told him just how cool I thought that was.

In the last few years, Dad’s health has failed considerably. As I got older and moved to the Boston area, Dad and I would attend one game a year, usually when Dikembe Mutombo came to town. We loved him. And now, every couple of weekends, I’ll head down to the Cape and we’ll watch a game together, sometimes staying up all night flipping through NBA League Pass and talking hoops. In June 2008, when the Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 6, the Sylver house was rocking.

Celtics Basketball and my Dad. Each memory brings a smile to my face, and every new memory the Celtics produce brings another smile that makes me think of the times Dad and I have shared over the last 28 years.

Buy Now, Pay Later

2010-12-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

Just in case you've been living under a rock, the Red Sox reportedly reeled in big-time free agent Carl Crawford last night for seven years and $142 million. This, less than a week after they traded for top-flight first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. The two moves put the Sox on the short list of World Series favorites for 2011.

I didn't write anything about the Gonzalez deal because I thought it was pretty cut-and-dried: the Sox traded three of their top prospects for a masher in the prime of his career. OK. The prospects were great - a potential ace (Casey Kelly), a guy (Raymond Fuentes) tagged as "the next Jacoby Ellsbury," and a first baseman (Anthony Rizzo) who could be swinging the bat just like Gonzalez in five years. But they're called "prospects" for a reason. They've never played in the big leagues and we have no way of knowing what they will do at that level. We all remember what happened to the last Red Sox pitching prospect named Casey (see Fossum)...

But the Crawford deal - that was a lightning rod for me. There is little doubt he makes the lineup better: they've now got two .300, 50-steal guys in the outfield, an All-Star second baseman, possibly the best corner guys in all of baseball, and 35-year old David Ortiz, who can still hit moonshots. The Sox will score plenty of runs next year, as they did last year with a number of AAA players filling in from one to nine. If the pitching staff can do what they're supposed to, the Sox will win 99 games and represent the American League in the 2011 World Series against the Chicago Cubs (ha, okay, I'm sorry). But I can't help but be bothered by the terms of the deal: hear me out.

Just yesterday The Hardball Times featured an article on bad, untradeable contracts, featuring such luminaries as Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Vernon Wells, Aaron Rowand, Jason Bay, and northern Chicago racism magnate, Kosuke Fukudome. These players have a number of things in common. They're all outfielders. When they were signed, they were all very good players. But nowadays, they are all definied by the horrible long-term deals teams lavished upon them. These things almost never work out, and within a couple of years, guys who clearly got money because they could run (Soriano, Wells) aren't stealing bases or legging out triples anymore. Mark my words: in a few years, we will talk about Carl Crawford in the very same way.

The Red Sox brain trust has never handed out a 7-year deal, and never for more than $20 million a season. The last guy to get that kind of money was Manny Ramirez, and he was signed by Dan Duquette, a man who won't be called anything less than a genius by me, but whom everyone around here just loves to make fun of (it's not like he built the nucleus of 2004 title team, after all). Theo and the silly goose owners have let good, even great players walk over pennies compared to what Crawford just signed for (look at what happened with Victor Martinez a couple weeks ago) Whatever fiscal policy they had just went right out the window, and I have to wonder why this is the exception after eight years, six playoff appearances and two World Series titles.

Some people think the Crawford deal is great to "tweak the Yankees": make them spend more to compete with Boston's free agent haul. The Lackey deal last year supposedly "tweaked the Yankees," and how did that work out? They took the best pitcher available at big money when they didn't necessarily need him. Then, he had the worst season of his career. I've got news for you, boys, tweaking the Yankees ain't gonna work, 'cause they'll always have more money than you.

And looking past 2011, the Sox have really put themselves at a competitive disadvantage by throwing their fiscal policy to the wind. On Tuesday, Peter Abraham detailed the team's projected roster for 2012, and I quote, "based on only eight players, the Sox have already spent roughly $90 million for 2012. If you add Crawford or Lee, that figure balloons to at least $110 million and you're accounting for only nine of 25 players. That's not a good balance." Damn right, Peter. I'd love to know how Theo and the geese are going to fill out that 2012 roster when they're spending all their money on nine guys. It'll probably come with a sweet increase in ticket prices! Sweeeeet Caroliiiiine!!! Ba, ba, baaahhhh!!!

Furthermore, I gotta wonder about the goods. I realize saying Carl Crawford isn't a great player could seriously erode any credibility I've built up to this point in this genius blog. But I feel he's just a very good player - a "fantasy stud" who is overvalued because of the tools and potential he possessed at age 23. Did he ever make the leap to "elite" status? He's never hit 20 home runs in a season. He wasn't ever "the man" in Tampa - he was just a piece, and the year the Rays went to the World Series, he was injured and had a down year. That was Longoria's team, Upton's team. Other than the speed, what is there that warrants $142 million? He's a .300 hitter with marginal power. I would argue that you DO NOT sign .300 hitters with marginal power to seven year deals, particularly for that kind of money.

After all, the Sox had a player like that once, Johnny Damon (7th on Crawford's Baseball Reference comp list), and they balked. Let him go to New York because they didn't want to give him an extra year. Mark my words: in a few years, Carl Crawford will be the Johnny Damon of today, that .300 hitter with marginal power and old legs. We'll want him and his albatross contract out of town. But that doesn't mean anything today, because the Sox "tweaked" the Yankees with this one.

They may also win the 2011 World Series.

All or Nothing...Almost

2010-12-06T17:17:00.003-05:00

If the regular season had a Super Bowl, this is it. Win and you're on the fast track for the #1 seed in the AFC. Lose and you're staring at three road games to even make it to the big game. Do work.

Kickin' It Old School

2010-11-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

My homeboy at work shared this picture with me today: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmack24/2869525581/in/set-72157611362661064/

Look at those old logos! Amazing how a lot of teams have kept the same logo over the last 28 years, while others on that page have changed their logo maybe 4-5 times since '82.

He loved the Milwaukee Brewers logo. I'm diggin' the old San Diego Padre - look at that happy swingin' man of the cloth!

What's your favorite old school MLB logo? Leave a comment.

Spark Notes

2010-11-05T12:49:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I always sort of liked the Detroit Tigers. They played in this old-school ballpark halfway across the country. They were never a real threat to the Red Sox in the late-80's/early 90's, which made it acceptable to like them. They were great in RBI Baseball. And they had some fascinating Topps baseball cards that told me Cecil Fielder popped 51 home runs in 1991, that Alan Trammel was MVP-level awesome, Lou Whitaker was one of the best second basemen in the game, Chet Lemon had a funny name, and Dave Bergman had a great mustache. Their roster was stocked with all-or-nothing sluggers like Matt Nokes and Darrell Evans, and later Mickey Tettleton and Rob Deer. Kirk Gibson was the epitome of a term Boston fans love to use, "dirt dog." And when Travis Fryman arrived, he quickly blossomed into one of the best third basemen of the 90's. No matter they didn't get above 88 wins from 1988 (when I was in kindergarten) until 2006 (when I was in grad school); they were an entertaining bunch, those Detroit Tigers.

Their manager was a guy who, on every baseball card, looked about 20 years older than he actually was. It wasn't the lighting or the hat or the uniform or his mood, Sparky Anderson looked like he was competing with Connie Mack to be the oldest guy to ever manage a baseball team. And even though those late 80's/early 90's Tigers teams weren't all that good, there was something about having this old, folksy guy named "Sparky" at the helm that added to the Tigers' cool, throwback feel, even though they didn't have any pitching and finished in the second division most of the time. Now, my juvenile research also showed me that Sparky was a legend with three World Series titles to his name, two with the "Big Red Machine" and a 104-win 1984 campaign with the Tigers. When he retired he was third all-time in wins. Sparky Anderson was pretty much the man.

He was also one of baseball's good guys. Yesterday, a friend of mine posted this Sparky quote on his facebook wall: "It doesn't cost anything to be nice to people." How simple, yet entirely true is that? Sparky Anderson managed a 25-man roster of millionaires (50 men if you count their egos) traveling all over the country, yet he thought that was important. Why can't we remember that on a day-to-day basis?

Sparky Anderson died yesterday at age 76. My first thought was, "wait, he was only 76?" My second thought was, along with Ernie Harwell, the world lost two great Detroit Tigers this year. Both great men. They will be missed.

Cancer, Twitter and Basketball

2010-11-03T21:45:00.003-04:00

Here we go again! The sports media's tearing down another hero! Wait, you guys messed up the story? So it's a non-story? Oops!

What's the deal with this Kevin Garnett-Charlie Villanueva thing? Earlier today, Villanueva wrote on social networking website Twitter (the phrase to describe this would be "Charlie V. tweeted") that Kevin Garnett called him a "cancer patient" on the court during last night's Celtics-Pistons tilt in suburban Detroit. Now, Garnett's a notorious trash-talker who cusses audibly on the court all the time. I'm not saying that behavior is "OK." But I'm skeptical he would call a guy with alopecia universalis, a skin disease that doesn't allow Villanueva to grow hair, a "cancer patient." That takes trash-talk to a different level from "your Mom's an astronaut." But before Garnett even had a chance to respond to the Twit-icism, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, normally a fine basketball writer, took the opportunity to put a good hatchet job on the future Hall of Famer (link here). Wojnarowski jumped all over Garnett, evoked the memory of deceased tough guy Maurice Lucas who just died of cancer, called Garnett a "bully" and insisted his slur would follow him to his basketball grave. OK, but wait, Adrian, you just based an entire column off somebody's Twitter feed. You might want to, you know, do some research.

Later in the day, Garnett responded to the internet rumor (read the response) and said he called Villanueva "cancerous to his team and the league." Like, basically, he's a bag of ass and players like him give the NBA a bad name. OK. Now I've never supported the use of the word "cancer" to describe a malcontent or inept athlete (I wrote about it almost two years ago), but sports media guys (that group includes Wojnarowski, who torched Garnett today like the lone hot dog left out on a Weber) use it all the time. "Clubhouse cancer." It's like hearing "freakish length" during the NBA Draft or "gunslinger" during any NFL broadcast featuring Brett Favre. The phrase is a product of an increasingly unimaginative, stupid sports media. Wojnarowski, a writer who usually espouses intelligence, jumped on the band of fools and tried to make a statement by slamming Garnett.

So Garnett didn't call Villanueva a "cancer patient." He still used the word "cancer," but you know what, Garnett is correct that Villanueva is a waste of space on the hardwood. He's an immensely gifted, 6-foot-11 former first round pick out of UConn who refuses to defend or mix it up inside and is collecting heaps of money from Detroit based on potential that has so far gone unrealized, save for spurts when he turns it on (i.e. his contract year of 2008-09). To date, the most notable thing he's done in the NBA is get benched by his coach for "tweeting" during halftime. To say guys who play like Villanueva are a poor reflection of the NBA, Garnett's right. Not to say Villanueva isn't a charitable man. But he is a waste of talent.

But Charlie V. hit Twitter with it and also challenged Garnett to a fight. When I visited his page, all I could read was "waaaahhhh" from a guy whose team got crushed last night. Since when does NBA trash talk get repeated, "tweeted" off the court? Since when is Charlie V's Twitter feed "news?" C'mon, guys. You're heading down a dangerous path, here. With a website like Twitter on the rise (disclosure: I find Twitter useless save for a few purposes and it certainly shouldn't be treated as a news vehicle), we're one step closer to seeing "The NBA on TMZ" and sports page articles written about what Ron Artest had last night at In N' Out Burger. This crap isn't relevant; Adrian Wojnarowski tried to take down an NBA legend with it. Nice job, pal.

Today, the sports media did a hatchet job on Kevin Garnett over a rumor. On Monday, the sports media reported Randy Moss as "waived" by the Vikings before the team made the transaction. Will the quest to be "first" ever end? Even if it comes at the expense of relevant, well-researched material? Please don't tell me I'm wasting my breath.

Road Trip Update #2

2010-07-23T13:42:00.005-04:00

Just got into Seattle last night, so the 2,100 miles of driving over the last week is all done. We got in six games, and my initial stadium ratings look like this: 1) San Diego 2) San Francisco 3) LA 4) Anaheim 5) Arizona 6) Oakland. The Sox got beat in Oakland while we were there and nearly coughed one up in Seattle last night. We’ll see what happens at the game tonight.

Day Five: After a stay in Flagstaff, we started the day with a trip to Slide Rock State Park near Sedona, AZ. Slide Rock is basically a natural Slip-N-Slide along a creek. The water is crisp and cold and there are several places to jump into deep pools. Jay took a 40-foot plunge and enjoyed it thoroughly – if you think you’re gonna find me doing that, you’re crazy. Sedona is also beautiful town surrounded by unique red rock formations.

Chase Field in Phoenix – hmmm, what to say. It’s a lot like Miller Park in Milwaukee – a great big enclosed stadium, except this one has air conditioning – kind of a necessity on a 109 degree day. The fact that the D-backs are in last place, however, means the park was about a third full. Arizona put a 13-1 beating on the Mets but the place was still pretty lifeless. Am I criticizing Arizona baseball fans? Yes. I still don’t think they totally get it – and despite the fact that they won a World Series in the last decade, they really don’t seem to care about their team. Considering there doesn't seem to be much to do in downtown Phoenix, you'd think baseball might be popular. After the game, we polished off a few beers (and some much-needed waters) at Seamus McCaffrey’s.

Day Six: The long haul from Phoenix to LA. When we arrived in LA we went to El Arco De Iris north of the city for some more delicious Mexican food and the happy hour yielded half-price drinks. Then it was on to Dodger Stadium for a Clayton Kershaw-Tim Lincecum matchup against the Giants. The Dodgers knocked Lincecum around pretty good; he even had one of those pitches where the ball went flying out of his hands and straight up in the air. The Giants, behind former Y-D Red Sox catcher Buster Posey, made a furious comeback against Kershaw and Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton, and when Andre Ethier struck out swinging in the bottom of the ninth with two on, it was official: a 7-5 comeback victory for the Giants. The Dodgers fans were none too pleased. They were the most vocal fans on the trip so far, and the place was packed, but I’m not sure if it was because the Giants were in town or because it was James Loney bobblehead night. Not to mention, when the Giants started coming back in the late innings, everybody started leaving – so the stadium was less than half-full when the final out was recorded in a close game against a rival. Did I love L.A.? It’s a great old stadium (third oldest behind Fenway and Wrigley). The fans seemed into it. But when they left a close game early, my opinions changed. I still don’t get LA fans. Kristen Cavalleri did throw out the first pitch – which has to count for something.

Days Seven and Eight: After a six-hour drive to Oakland, we arrived at the Coliseum about a half-hour before the first pitch. Gio Gonzalez was matched up with Clay Buchholz and neither were particularly effective, with Buchholz getting knocked out after four innings. Jack Cust went deep for the A’s and Adrian Beltre hit a bomb for the AAA Red Sox (starting such luminaries as Jed Lowrie, Dusty Brown and Eric Patterson) in a 6-4 Oakland win. The Coliseum is a big place and I’m sure it gets crazy for Raider games, but the upper deck is completely covered for A’s games, making attendance in the 30K + range a “sellout.” This one was close to capacity, either it had to do with the Red Sox (plenty of Boston fans there) or dollar hot dog day (I had four). Remember how Nomar played for the A’s last year? Well, his t-shirt was 50% off at the team store. I’m happy with my deal.

We then traveled over the Bay Bridge and met up with our friend Cait. I had a fried prawn and scallop dinner at the Buena Vista Café, along with one of their signature Irish coffees, which got me all messed up because I don’t drink caffeine. We also met up with our buddy Greg for some tourism, food and drink at Pier 39. If you’ve been to SF, you know the deal: Lombard Street, Alcatraz, check out some zany sea lions, etc. We also stopped in at the Red Jack Saloon, a Red Sox bar a short walk from the waterfront. The weather was “beautiful;” I just can’t get over the fact that it’s July, the sun is shining, and there’s a constant wind that legitimately makes you feel cold.

Sox at Seattle tonight - first pitch 10:10 for you East Coasters - Josh "The Blister' Beckett vs. Jason Vargas is your pitching matchup.

Road Trip Update

2010-07-19T19:23:00.002-04:00

Hello folks and greetings from Day Five of the West Coast Swing. We've driven a lot of miles and stayed in at least two hotels with Wi-fi issues. So here's the rundown so far - apologies for the delay.

Day One:

After a six-hour flight from Boston to San Francisco, Team Fire It Up touched down in California wary but excited to begin the 2010 West Coast Swing. And it started with a doosie: Tim Lincecum pitched a complete game shutout as the Giants beat the Mets (and hard luck loser R.A. Dickey) by a score of 2-0. AT&T Park lived up to the hype: an intimate setting (holds just over 40,000 fans), which was also ice cold. The wind coming off the bay and the temperatures in the 50’s during the later innings made Fenway in April seem pretty bearable by comparison. To try and warm up, I had some halfway-decent nachos and a Fat Tire ale while Jay opted for an Anchor Steam and the infamous Cha Cha Bowl – white rice, black beans, jerk chicken, vegetables and seasonings. Other options for warmth: a Pablo Sandoval “Kung Fu Panda” panda hat (despite the rumors, I did not purchase one). Other highlights: a visit to the “Tipsy Pig,” a place where people wear Nantucket Red pants and expect to be taken seriously, with our friend Billy, and my first trip to In-N-Out Burger, where I observed a couple guys on the street, one with a guitar and a sign that said “need $$ for weed.” What honesty. What a day. And we’ll be back next week.

Day Two:

The fog lifted as we drove away from San Francisco through Oakland; too bad the next game was not in Oakland, but in Anaheim. With some burrito action from Carl’s Jr. providing the fuel, we settled in for a 9-hour drive south (the last 2.5 were spent in L.A. traffic). Angels Stadium is a pleasant experience. The park is bigger (built in the late 60’s and holding 45,000+, the fans are nice, and the view is cool. It’s a good place to watch a game. Wearing my Ray Allen Celtics jersey, I was met with a couple of boos but did talk hoops with Vincent, a stadium attendant who was very much into the Lakers. The Angels were playing the Mariners that day; we watched Ichiro hit a half dozen moon shots to the right field bleachers during batting practice, then went to left field where Mariners coach (and former lights-out closer) John Wetteland was kindly fielding questions from a Little League team. Angels Stadium offers several different hot dog choices: the Chicago Dog, the KC BBQ Dog, the Angel Dog, the NY Coney, and the Boston Dog – each captures the culinary theme of its respective city. Our offering boasts baked beans and chopped bacon, FYI. Jay and I opted for the KC BBQ Dog with brisket and barbecue sauce. One of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. Jered Weaver held off Felix Hernandez in another solid pitching match up, and the post game fireworks were really good.

Day Three:

Holy moly Laguna Beach. Thanks for the suggestion Brick; Las Brisas has a fantasic view and a tremendous breakfast buffet for $14.95. The omelet bar was excellent, as was the eggs benedict and the two types of crepes, one filled with meat and the other with zucchini. A stop at the Rainbow Sandal shop in San Clemente yielded three pairs for sandal aficionado Jay Hall and possibly the most comfortable pair of sandals in the world for me. We then proceeded to San Diego, went to the beach and to Petco Park for a late afternoon tilt between the Padres and Diamondbacks. Despite its reputation as a “pitcher’s park,” five home runs were hit that day, four by the Padres, including an inside-the-park job by Tony Gwynn Jr. as San Diego won, 8-5. San Diego has a spacious, comfortable stadium with character (the former Western Metal Supply Co. building is literally built into the stadium). After the game we hit up Food Network favorite Mama Testa for some excellent fish tacos and hit a couple bars in the Gaslamp District, which was crowded to say the least. Our lower-key choices included The Field (yep, you've been to the one in Cambridge) and Maloney's Tavern, featuring a crazy one-man band in the back. Good stuff.

Day Four:
Nine-and-a-half hours of driving from San Diego through Arizona, along Route 66 for a stretch, straight to the Grand Canyon National Park. Along the way we stopped at a “Back to the 50’s” shop in Seligman, AZ – the only thing that would've been cooler for Jay is a DeLorean museum. As planned, we made it to the ridge before sunset. If you've ever been to the Grand Canyon, you know exactly what we saw. It's pretty unique.

After a stop in Sedona, AZ and Slide Rock State Park, we're getting ready for a Diamondbacks-Mets game in Phoenix tonight. We'll catch up with you soon.

West Coast Swing

2010-07-13T11:51:00.005-04:00

So here we go again. Last year it was the "Great American Baseball Road Trip 2009." That meant I’d seen games at the stadiums of 17 Major League teams in the last decade. The product of luck, good scheduling, job flexibility, and most of all, great friends who made it possible. This summer, after years of consideration and some mild panic (I've never been to California - isn't it dangerous there?), it's time for the West Coast Swing. Yes, that's right - time to add six new ballparks to the tally. My trusty sidekick, Jay Hall, will be accompanying me on the adventure. But first, let's review the professional baseball monuments Sean has visited so far and the "Fire It Up" personalities who've accompanied him on the way:

May 2000: First visit to Fenway Park (Boston, MA) - Yeah, I didn't get to a Sox game until I was 17 years old. I didn't get off the Cape much when I was a kid. I feel I've more than made up for it over the last ten years.

Summer 2001: First visit to Shea Stadium (New York, NY) with Will.

June 2002: The Skydome (Toronto, Ontario, CA) and the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Cooperstown, NY) with Matt.

July 2002: "The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip" also known as "eleven stadiums in ten days in nine cities" - Second visit to Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium (New York, NY), Veterans Field (Philadelphia, PA), Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore, MD), first visit to PNC Park (Pittsburgh, PA), Cinergy Field (Cincinnati, OH), first visit to Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL), Comiskey Park (Chicago, IL), Comerica Park & Tiger Stadium (Detroit, MI), Jacobs Field (Cleveland, OH) and Fenway Park with Will.

March 2005: Spring Training in Lakeland, FL (Tigers) and Fort Myers, FL (Red Sox).

Summer 2005: McCoy Stadium (Pawtucket, RI).

July 2007: Safeco Field (Seattle, WA).

May 2008: Coors Field (Denver, CO).

May 2009: Citi Field (New York, NY) with Will.

August 2009: "Great American Baseball Road Trip" - Second visit to PNC Park, Field of Dreams (Dyersville, IA), Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City, MO), Busch Stadium (St. Louis, MO), Wrigley Field, and Miller Park (Milwaukee, WI) with Jay.

Repeats: PNC Park (twice), Shea Stadium (four times), Wrigley Field (five times) and Fenway Park, of course.

2010 West Coast Swing

Schedule (home team listed first):

July 15 - San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets (AT&T Park)

July 16 - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Seattle Mariners (Angels Stadium) - postgame fireworks night!

July 17 - San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Petco Park)

July 18 - Travel Day

July 19 - Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets (Chase Field)

July 20 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants (Dodger Stadium) - James Loney bobblehead night. Excited to add to the pile of novelties I get to move to the new condo next month.

July 21 - Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics (Oakland-Alameda Coliseum) - This one is rumored to be dollar hot dog day at the stadium. The last time I attended such an event (at the Vet) I wound up getting five and a big-time food coma.

July 22 - Travel Day

July 23 - Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners (second visit to Safeco Field).

By the time we’re done, I'll be up to 25 Major League stadiums in total (encompassing 23 of the teams). I'll be blogging and uploading pictures directly to fireitupradio.blogspot.com as the trip progresses, so feel free to check back, leave a comment, and of course offer some encouragement for the nearly 6,000 miles of travel that await us.

Letdown

2010-06-18T12:41:00.003-04:00

It was after midnight, and the text messages came pouring into the Fox Phone:

"Finals MVP: NBA Officials. Congrats Lakers, Joey Crawford was your best player tonight."

"37 free throws to 17. Officials decided the championship. It's sad."

"...in the 4th, 21 free throws to 6."

Oh Brick, what a homer.

Yes, the officiating was terrible. But it was terrible throughout the playoffs. The complaints are growing louder every year, reaching a crescendo this postseason that threatened to become THE story of the playoffs. The NBA needs to throw out the rulebook in the offseason and write a new one (complete with rules that strictly discourage flopping and post-foul belly-aching - while we're at it, let's get rid of the tech/suspension rule as well - the referees should call MORE technicals on these whiners - let the extra free throws pile up for the other team and see how they like it. They're arbitrary calls to begin with - there's no need to suspend guys who rack up too many technical fouls. Let the game take care of itself.) For the first three quarters last night, the refs let the teams play, and while the game was a defensive standoff, the intensity was incredible. Then, in the 4th, the refs had to interject themselves into the game, the players couldn't play anymore, and the result was a flop-fest led by Eurotrash Gasol, who has the sweetest set of post moves I've seen in awhile but looks like a fool soccer player half the time he's on the court. It's despicable. And the refs let him get away with it. Anyways...

It wasn't the refs who let the Banner 18 slip through the Celtics hands. Brick has another point: it wasn't Kobe Bryant either - our series MVP despite a brutal 40% shooting percentage over the seven games (including a 6-24 performance in last night's deciding contest). Yep, he's a ball hog, and a huge tool, but he did have 15 rebounds last night and I guess he was the best player in the series, if you had to pick one. A gutsy Andrew Bynum, Crazy Ron Artest, Old Man Fisher, Lamar Kardashian, the Eurotrash twins, even Eeyore (Jordan Farmar) had their moments, and the Lakers played great team defense. Give the Lakers credit for winning, but that's just half the equation.

In a lot of ways, the Celtics beat themselves. Ray Allen is my favorite player on the team because he's smooth, highly skilled, and does his job with quiet confidence, much like Robert Parish used to. But he didn't show up in Game 7, much like he didn't show up most of the series. I'll give him credit though, at least he tried to get to the rim, unlike Paul Pierce, who bricked step-back jumper after step-back jumper en route to a 5-15 clunker and another uninspiring performance. Rondo and Garnett were good, but not good enough. And the Celts got mauled on the boards. I said before the game, "we need three guys to have solid performances," and despite a lineup littered with future Hall-of-Famers and current and former All-Stars, the Celtics didn't get that. Thus, no Game 7 win, no championship.

A lot of things will change for this team in the next three months. Doc Rivers has coached this squad for six years (four playoff berths, two Finals appearances, one title) and might need a break. Rasheed Wallace might retire. Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins will be back to provide a post presence. Nate Robinson, Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Marquis Daniels, Michael Finley, Brian Scalabrine and Shelden Williams are all free agents. Of that group, I'd only expect Tony Allen and Scalabrine back, the latter at the veteran's minimum. I think Ray is a good investment as a third or fourth banana, much like Reggie Miller was on the late-90's Pacers, providing shooting and veteran leadership, and I'd like to see him back. We know Garnett and Rondo will be back. Garnett showed during the playoffs that he's still capable of playing at a high level, even though his game has changed from destructive force to finesse player. Rondo is an emerging star and needs to be the leader of this team in the future. That's why I'm asking Paul Pierce to step aside. Granted, he shot an acceptable 44% for the series and hit a few big shots, but he only had one standout performance in the Finals. He had a few clutch shots in the playoffs but when you get the ball at the end of every quarter, you're expected to make one or two. He's no longer among the NBA's elite. He has an opt-out, and I wish he would take it, rather than saddle the Celtics with a $21 million check next season. Between Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, Perkins, Davis, and maybe Wallace - six guys - the Celtics already owe $63 million next year. Maybe Wallace will retire, maybe the Allens and Scalabrine re-sign, and by then you're awfully close to the salary cap with no chance of adding an impact player. Paying $21 million for a step-back jump shooter is not in the Celtics' best interest. If he decided to hit the market, the Celts could re-build this team around Rondo and a couple key vets. But eventually, it's Pierce's decision, not the management's, and not mine. We'll probably see him back on a contract extension that allows PP to finish his career as a Celtic. Fitting, but also heartburn-inducing.

There was one other thing Brick texted last night: "still proud of our guys." And I am. I'll lay off Paul Pierce for a minute. Before a Celts-Kings matchup at the Garden in March, standing at the bar at Hurricane O'Reilly's, my roommate Padraic asked me, hypothetically, how I thought the Celtics would do in the playoffs. I responded, "I think they have a chance." A chance at what? "To make it to the Finals." A couple of guys at the bar turned around, grinning, and gave me a look like I didn't know what I was talking about. Padraic and I watched the games, we knew exactly what was possible if they played good team basketball, and in the end, I was proven right - they made it to the Finals. It hurts to come up short, but the Celtics didn't disappoint with their playoff effort. If anything, we should remember the last two months as one of the greatest playoff runs in team history, regardless of the result.

Still doesn't make the pit in my stomach go away.

Underdogs

2010-06-11T10:34:00.006-04:00

So often, we are reminded that basketball players aren’t like us. Charles Barkley told us they’re not role models. Unlike the 1950’s and 60’s, when teams had “territorial” draft picks, they’re not from here. Remember, Paul Pierce grew up in the shadow of the Great Western Forum as a Lakers fan. And many of these guys make more money in a single year than we’ll see in an entire lifetime. We’re reminded of these things, time and time again. Yet, we keep plopping down the cash to support “our” team. Thirty bucks for the cheap seats, a hundo for the loge, and God-knows-what for those seats you’ll never see me in. I often take Jay to task for his emotional attachment to the Bruins: “you’re rooting for laundry; these guys don’t care about you!”

But when the NBA Finals come around with one team standing in Hollywood gold and the other in St. Patty’s Day green, storylines emerge whether they’re relevant or not. The team takes on the personality of the city. It was perfect in the 80’s: a guy named “Magic” leading the showy Lakers against a farm boy (Bird) and the gritty Celtics. No matter that Earvin Johnson Jr. was from Lansing, MI and the least glitzy background you can imagine. It was West Coast vs. East Coast. Hollywood meeting the working class heroes. A Lamborghini against a Ford Tempo.

When the Celtics-Lakers rivalry “renewed” in 2008, the talking heads started making the same old comparisons. The Celtics (and their fans) were tougher, hungrier. After a while, we started to believe it, and we fell in love with those 2008 champs, despite the fact that Kevin Garnett’s “anything is possible” exclamation went straight to a shoe commercial and Paul Pierce spent the summer mouthing off about being the best player alive. We supported them unconditionally: they put another banner in the rafters – those were our guys! Yet, two years later, when a veteran 2010 squad coasted through a regular season where they seemingly couldn’t care less, I wondered if we as fans could force ourselves to identify with this team anymore. Had the Celtics become the Lakers? Too cool to care?

Through three rounds of the playoffs, they showed they did care, and succeeded even though every notable media outlet had written them off. Over the course of six weeks, the Celtics dismantled teams headed by three of the leagues biggest superstars: “The Flash” Dwayne Wade, “The King” LeBron James, and “Superman” Dwight Howard. But as the Finals approached, the majority again sided with the Lakers. Kobe Bryant was an “assassin.” Posing in magazines looking like E.T. The Spaniard, Pau Gasol, a onetime prodigy, finally added toughness to his impressive post-up game. Lamar Odom, now married into a family that is singlehandedly eating away at our society like spilled acid in a high school science lab (the Kardashians) settled into a role as a versatile weapon off the bench. The Lakers were the team. The Lakers had DiCaprio, Stallone, even “E” from Entourage sitting courtside. The Celtics? Boston? New England? Underdogs.

Who cares if Laker fans are just as likely to be “Boyz N the Hood” as they are Carlton Banks? The Lakers and their fanbase? Soft. This is New England, guy, the cradle of bleepin’ liberty as you know it and home to the toughest sons-of-a-musket you can muster. The celebs? Donnie Wahlberg from The Dot and Maria Menounos from Meffa. The fans? Bunch of “old salt” fishermen, two-boat Irishmen, inner-city scrappers. You’re gonna call us out? You think our Celtics are gonna lose?

Last night, two of the biggest underdogs keyed the Celtic victory, much to the delight of fans across these six states, whether they’re somewhere up in the wilds of Vermont or doing shots at a downtown establishment. Glen Davis, a 6’8”, near-300-pound overgrown infant, barreling past Eurotrash Gasol and drop-stepping all over Lamar Kardashian for the “and-one” time after time, totaled 18 points in 22 minutes with four offensive rebounds and one big drool spot on the parquet floor. Five-foot-nothing and clearly ADHD-riddled Nate Robinson took a hack from Odom and got right in his face like Hulk Hogan staring up at Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania 3. C’mon son! Nate might’ve gotten a technical for that (and the always-composed Ray Allen properly admonished him) but the place was electric. You know why?

The underdog Celtics were at it again. Nobody invited Big Baby and Nate Robinson to the party. But guess who’s coming to dinner?

The series is tied 2-2. Game 5 is Sunday night in Boston.

EPIC Fail

2010-05-15T10:10:00.002-04:00

No words to be said. I've got nothing. Don't talk to me, don't write me, don't do anything.

Before the Bruins Cough it up...

2010-05-13T11:24:00.002-04:00

Let's credit the Bruins for getting this far. Not even the most hardcore fans thought they'd do anything in the playoffs, much less make a legitimate run at their first Conference Finals since 1992.

I've been following the Celtics series closely while watching the B's from afar (remember, I gave up on them back here). The games I have seen have been fun, the fans have been very supportive, and in most cases, the team has exhibited a high level of grit and determination in taking seven games from the Sabres and Flyers. But they still have a knack for a stink bomb, and the last two games against the Flyers have been terrible. I, like Fred Toettcher on the air Monday, was alarmed when the team blew Game 4 - they clearly got too far ahead of themselves and since haven't exhibited the poise and execution that made them so successful. Now, the team faces a Game 7 at home for the right to play the Canadiens. This could go either way (and so could a seven-game series with the Habs) but if they do lose, it's just another chapter in Bruins history that ends with a thud, the book closing for another summer of fan questioning and organizational-propaganda-slash-subsequent-inaction.

While I applaud the heck out of the players for getting this far, I've got to look back to the mismanagement of this team as the reason they're in such a predicament to begin with. We've known all season that the problem has been scoring, and when Tuukka Rask doesn't stand on his head in net, this team loses, 'cause they can't light the lamp. Yet, the team made nothing but lateral moves at the deadline, lost Savard, lost Sturm, got Savard back, then lost Krejci. They can't blame it on the injuries; for god's sake, if they'd made any sort of acquisition at the trading deadline to bolster the offense, this series would be over by now.

And yet, it's not. There's going to be a Game 7. If they lose, the organization will talk about what they have to build on next year (just like they did last year), and the first round pick (be it Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin) that will bolster the team's attack next year. But fans, you know in a salary cap era, nothing should be taken for granted. There's no telling what the Bruins will do next year, and one should not assume they will be better. Their time is now, whether they like it or not, and they have the opportunity to go to the Conference Finals against the Canadiens and fire up this city. Unfortunately, they're bringing butter knives to a gunfight. Good luck, Bruins.

I'll be watching the Celtics game tonight. Hopefully they can do what the Bruins haven't been able to so far. Close it out.

"That One is Long Gone"

2010-05-04T23:31:00.000-04:00

Legendary Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell passed away today at 92. When I heard the sad news, I hollered down the hall to Jay, who replied, "who?" Not everybody knows the voice of every baseball team. But Ernie Harwell was as good as they get. My reply to Jay: "he was the Vin Scully of the Detroit Tigers." An institution. A master of his craft. And a good, faithful man who will be missed by friends, family, baseball folks, fans in Detroit and nationwide.

My familiarity with Harwell's game descriptions is limited to anecdotes and effusive praise from Michigan residents and the greater baseball community. I wasn't there for Harwell's heyday, but somehow I understand how they feel. Growing up in New England, I spent eleven great summers with Joe Castiglione and Jerry "Way Back" Trupiano. Say what you want about Joe and his colloquialisms, Jerry's bombast, and their penchant for silly interactions during blowouts and rain delays, but I spent three hours with these guys several times a week, their words painting pictures in my mind of the game as it happened. I also heard from dozens of people who were fortunate enough to hear just how good Ken Coleman and Ned Martin were in their day. The connection a radio voice has with the listener is unlike anything else in this world - different from going to a game, different from watching it on TV. It's hard to describe in words. But for those who experience that connection, it is meaningful. And that's what Ernie Harwell was for millions of Michigan kids with their transistor radios tuned into the action on humid summer nights for over 40 years.

When Mr. Harwell was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1981, his speech included a "definition of baseball," a vivid, lyrical description of the game's meaning to all of it's different fans across this sprawling nation. Castiglione and Dave O'Brien took a moment to play the audio at the end of tonight's Red Sox broadcast, and you can find the transcript here.

The Fox Hole: Monday May 3, 2010

2010-05-03T14:13:00.010-04:00

Some thoughts while figuring out what to do with this stupid hat I wore to my friend's Kentucky Derby party...in the city...

The Celtics have a chance against the Cavs. They do. They were up by 11 in the third quarter Saturday. Of course they blew it. But even though the C’s had the lead most of the game, they really didn’t play all that well. They have the potential for more, and that gives me hope for the rest of the series. Sure, Rondo was over his head. But Ray and Paul are capable of more than 27 points on 11-31 shooting. The bench really didn’t do much. Now, you must decide: is the Cavs defense good enough to choke out the Celtics’ top two scorers or will they bounce back? Do you expect anybody on the bench to contribute anything in this series? I don’t trust Wallace more than I would Hot Plate Williams at this point, but as Brick said in conversation the other day; he’s going to have to score a little bit this series. It would help.

I don’t know about you, but the officiating is driving me crazy. Is it because I’m a Celtics fan that I wanted to put my fist through the Magnavox every time a foul was called for excessive breathing on LeBron? Rondo got to the line 14 times on Saturday but he was FOULED. I feel the same way watching Kobe against the Jazz – what the heck are these guys calling? Then I remember the NBA is a superstar-oriented league: good teams like the Celtics or Jazz or Spurs aren’t rewarded by the refs. It’s the big-name players. You know, the guys who hold the ball at the top of the key until six seconds are left on the shot clock, then go hurtling uncontrollably into the lane, flailing their arms and looking for a call. Which is exactly what’s been wrong with this league for the last 15 years…back in my day…blah blah blah…OK I’ll stop. And yes, I realize Paul Pierce used to be a master of the above-described action, but he no longer has the ability to “hurtle uncontrollably.” I would say it’s more of a “lurch.” But his flail is still top-notch.

I’m pleasantly surprised with the Bruins. It was nice watching Marc Savard score the game-winning goal Saturday. OK? I’m going to stop before I jinx the whole thing. And yeah, Marco Sturm may borderline stink but at least he’s a body, with skates, who sometimes displays the ability to put the puck in the net. And the Bruins desperately need guys like that.

The Red Sox are a mess. I could pull out my laundry list of offseason moves I thought were dumb (I went over all of them on GameTime last winter) but the real reasons are injuries and the fact that so many guys aren’t playing up to their own personal standards. This was explained phenomenally by Chad Finn over at the Globe and by Amanda Comak of the Back to Base Knocks blog at my beloved Cape Cod Times. We don’t know what this team is capable of because this season hasn't even remotely resembled a normal season. And it’s gonna take another month, or maybe more, until we find out if this is a normal season, or a debacle like four years ago. I just hope there aren’t any more injuries, and I hope the Yankees and Rays haven’t lapped this team R.C. Pro-Am style when that finally happens.

You might have noticed I’m back. You might not have. Either way, I didn’t go anywhere, I just kind of went away for a while (if that makes any sense). We’re bringing back the radio show. For good. This month. Stay tuned.

Handicapping the NHL Playoffs: Round 2

2010-04-29T10:10:00.004-04:00

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, where heroes are made and dreams are certainly shattered. Just ask Miroslav Satan, who at the beginning of this season didn't even have an NHL club to call home. Now, he's scoring double OT goals and game winners to clinch a series. On the other hand, take a look at the debacle that is the Washington Capitals. Owners of the Presidents Trophy for the best regular season record and by far the most lethal offense this league has seen in years. They were historically dispatched last night by the Canadiens in Game 7. Needless to say, the conversation as to who the better player is has been answered. I'll take Crosby over Ovechkin all day. Ovie is creeping into choke artist territory and that is something the NHL must be sick over as their biggest superstar couldn't even lead the Caps past the Habs.

As for the Bruins, dear Lord what an effort. For all the crap this team has been through and played like this year, they picked the perfect time to step it up. They have once again reinvigorated the fan base with one hell of a performance against the Sabres in a 4-2 series win. They displayed grit, effort, and an offensive punch that clearly was not there all season. The difference in this series was two things: The B's out hit the Sabres and played a much more physical brand of hockey and they were able to convert on the power play.

So many things happened in this series that was completely uncharacteristic of this team during the regular season. Aside from the power play efficiency, they got contributions from all four lines and defensemen that were ghost before (See: Vladimir Sobotka, Michael Ryder, Dennis Wideman). These efforts clearly overwhelmed an either unsuspecting or less hungry Buffalo squad.

Not enough can be said about the play of the Finnish Freak, Tuukka Rask. The 23-year-old rookie netminder outplayed what will probably be this years Vezina winner in Ryan Miller. His ridiculous Superman save in the third period of Game 4 not only held the game tied, but probably set the table for Miro the Hero's winner. The fans love this guy and the team certainly does as well. Having a goalie like this calms your defense and forwards in knowing that they have someone who can bail them out of trouble. Not to get ahead of myself, but the last time you saw a hot rookie goalie like this in the playoffs was Cam Ward for the Hurricanes back in 2005-06. Need I remind you that Ward backstopped Carolina to their first Cup in franchise history. Sound the homer alarms, lets get nuts!

Falling back to reality, the Habs win last night couldn't have worked out any better for the Bruins. With the Habs writing history, the B's are now the beneficiaries of home ice advantage against the Flyers. Now this is going to be one hell of a match up that will test each teams ability to play physical. Aside from the hated Canadiens, the Broad Street Bullies represent the next biggest rivalry in Bruins lore. Going back to the days of Bobby Clarke when the Flyers were world renowned for their ability to goon it up. Christ sakes, Ogie Ogelthorpe himself probably should have been playing 1st line center.

Not only is home ice advantage a welcomed gift, but the fact that Philadelphia's top scorers in Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, and Ian Laperriere, will all be out for the entire series due to injuries incurred during their 1st round win over New Jersey. Not that I wish pain on anyone, well, maybe Canadiens fans, but this is phenomenal news for the Bruins. Not only do they get back Marc Savard but their playing against a damaged lineup. But, DO NOT count out the ability of the Flyers to do damage. After all, they just beat the Devils in five games. Yes, those same Devils who traded the farm for Ilya Kovalchuk and have one of the best goalies of all time between the pipes.

PREDICTION: This series is going to be a blue collar lunch pale type affair. The Bruins will have to do exactly what they did to the Sabres and punch the Flyers right in the mouth every shift. I certainly do see the Bruins winning this series and moving on to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1992. Philly's goaltending with Brian Boucher isn't nearly as sexy as Buffalo's, but they got the job done so far. The Bruins will be reinvigorated with Savard in the lineup and this one will go the distance, Bruins in 7.

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (8) Montreal
I in no way respect Montreal for anything they do. As a matter of fact, I hate them to the core. However, they put on a gritty performance in winning three in-a-row to defeat the heavily favored Washington Capitals in round one. Pittsburgh has a different gear come playoff time; however, their goaltending in Marc Andre-Fleury has been suspect at best. This one will be a lot tighter than the seeding shows; however, the Pens just have too much experience to pull an "Ovie" and go home early. Penguins in 6

(1) San Jose vs. (6) Detroit
OK, so San Jose showed some mettle and actually won a series for once, to which I predicted. However, that collective "Oh my God" you heard from California is the fact that the Sharks just drew their worst nightmare in the Red Wings. Detroit got a scare being pushed to 7 games by the Coyotes last round, but the veterans pulled through. Experience means everything this time of year and Detroit is no spring chicken when it comes to championships. The line of Heatley, Marleau, and Thornton will collectively pee their hypothetical beds this time and show their true playoff capabilities, losing. Red Wings in 6

(2) Chicago vs. (4) Vancouver
What a great re-match we have here folks. They met in last years second round as well with the Blackhawks emerging victorious. Chicago still has questions between the pipes and Roberto Luongo was nothing spectacular either for the Canucks. Vancouver still owns the defensive edge in this one and I truly feel that Vancouver is poised for a run at Lord Stanley this year. This one will also go the distance. Canucks in 7

There you have it folks, in what I thought was going to be a relatively uneventful first round turned into being some of the best playoff hockey in years. It just goes to show how it is wide open for anyone's taking this year, including the hometown Bruins. Brace yourselves, because it only gets better from here!

Handicapping the NHL Playoffs

2010-04-13T09:43:00.005-04:00

Ok, yes it has been quite awhile since I've written last. Yes, the debacle back when the Bruins laid down to the Penguins at home in a pathetic loss may have lead me to say some bad things. Yes, those bad things included saying I quit. It was like breaking up with a girlfriend that treats you like trash over and over and you've finally had enough. There was a moment of liberation; however, they're like a drug and you need to come back for more. Well, they began holding up their end of the bargain a bit and managed to rip off an 8-3-1 stretch to end the season and log themselves a #6 seed in the playoffs. Impressive, yes. What makes this scenario even more impressive is the fact that they are by far the worst scoring team in the NHL, even worse than Edmonton who finished the season with -6 points (fact).

So, how in H-E-Double hockey sticks did the Bruins pull this off? Well, without the crutches of Patrice Bergeron (him clearing the puck out before an own goal on Saturday could have been the play of the year) and Tuukka Rask, this team would be nowhere. Team defense, ranked 2nd overall, has gotten them to where they are. Even with Dennis Seidenberg (a MUST re-sign on the offseason), Mark Stuart, and Andrew "Exploding Groin" Ference, they have managed to play Claude Julien's defensive scheme to a T.

With this said, drawing Buffalo in the first round probably gives them the best chance at winning a series. It will be a bitter Adams Division dog fight to the end as both teams do not exactly light up the scoreboard. Ryan Miller vs. Tuukka Rask probably represents your best goaltending matchup in the playoffs. These games will turn out to be 2-1 and 3-2 type affairs. What worries me is the Bruins being able to put three goals in. Furthermore, Tuukka is not playoff tested yet but he knows he needs to step it up in order to have a fighting chance.

Prediction: Let the homer have his time, B's in 7

Washington (1) vs. Montreal (8)
The Capitals offense is scary good. They're the first team to score 300+ goals in a season in quite awhile. Montreal may have some decent goaltending from Jarislav Halak, but he'll need a Superman performance. Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Knuble, Laich, the list goes on and the Caps run away with this one in a sweep. FYI, Semin and Backstrom may be the most underrated players in the NHL. Ovechkin steals the spotlight from two guys who are top 3 forwards on ANY team.

New Jersey (2) vs. Philadelphia (7)
Philadelphia BARELY squeaked into the playoffs with a shootout victory over the Rangers on the last day of the regular season. Please, allow me to take a moment and laugh at NY for failing yet again. Ok thanks. Philly's goaltending has been a revolving door to say the least with the likes of Michael Leighton, Brian Boucher, Ray Emery, et al. all going down with injuries at some point. It will be up to Boucher to man the pipes; however, with Mr. Brodeur at the other end of the ice, Philly has no shot at this one. I'm interested to see how Ilya Kovalchuk takes advantage of being on the big stage with millions of dollars at stake in his next contract. A poor performance may cost him some cash.
Prediction: Devils in 5

Pittsburgh (4) vs. Ottawa (5)
The defending cup champs will experience a mere bump in the road on their quest for another cup. Ottawa has had a nice season, but Crosby, Malkin, & Co. are way too much for the Senators to handle. This one will be over with in a hurry.
Prediction: Penguins in 5

Western Conference

San Jose (1) vs. Colorado (8)
Uh oh, it's the playoffs San Jose! As George Costanza would say, "Let's get nuts!" Furthermore, it's that time of the year when old pal Joe Thornton checks out of competition and takes a back seat to watch how the game is played. The Sharks are perennial regular season paper champs that have ALWAYS blown it on the big stage (that's what she said?). Either way, a lineup of Thornton, Heatley, and Marleau should in essence lead this team far. They'll finally win a series against an Avalanche team that peaked too early. Former Bruin Craig Anderson has been a great story in net for Colorado, but no dice on this one. In the end, the Sharks power will be too much.
Prediction: Sharks in 6

Chicago (2) vs. Nashville (7)
The big question plaguing Chicago all season has been the stability of their goaltending. This is a question mark that no team wants going into the playoffs as it's what you have between the pipes that determines the fate of Lord Stanley. Chicago will win this series on skill alone, but don't count Nashville out of giving them some grief along the way.
Prediction: Chicago in 6

Vancouver (3) vs. Los Angeles (6)
Roberto Luongo, the best goalie in the NHL to never have sniffed the Cup. Is this the time to do so on the legs of Olympic gold? Vancouver will handle the Kings with ease as they are another team that peaked too early. Jonathan Quick is a fantastic up-and-coming goalie for LA, but the skill of the Canucks with MVP candidate Daniel Sedin will take care of business quickly.
Prediction: Vancouver in 5

Phoenix (4) vs. Detroit (5)
Phoenix fans must be wondering why after such a renaissance season that they had to draw perennial power house Detroit. If I were a Coyotes fan, and thank God I'm not, I'd be changing my shorts frequently with the thought of a finally healthy Red Wings team flying into Phoenix. It's almost comical that after all the trials and tribulations of a team on the potential move, bankruptcy, and quitting coaches, that something like this had to happen. Phoenix gets no love and will continue to taste the tears of defeat. Look on the bright side 'Yotes fans, you have the pleasure of doing your little "white out" for the first time in ages. Enjoy it while it lasts because you'll probably be watching your team play hockey in Canada again soon. Bring back the Jets!
Prediction: Red Wings in 5

So, there you have it. The chalk looks good in almost all the matchups except for my homeristic tendencies and with the scary good Red Wings. Should make for a quick 1st round for most teams. See you in the 2nd round folks.

I Really Can't Be Bothered Anymore

2010-03-19T01:48:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, in the living room of my parents' split level in East Dennis, MA, with a log crackling in the fireplace and the Magnavox on blast, my Dad and I watched a plucky U.S. Olympic hockey team give Team Canada everything they could handle. It was a great day to be a hockey fan. The game had everything you could want. Skill. Grit. Passion. While our team (and our country) came up short that day, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Hockey is Canada's thing. It was a good game and the better team won.

My girlfriend is from Chicago. Her obscenely huge Irish family is chock full of Blackhawks fans. A few months ago, I got into a little row on facebook with a few of her relatives prior to a 'Hawks-B's game (which the 'Hawks won in a shootout). At the time, the Bruins were one of the hottest teams in the league, having finished first in the Eastern Conference last year and predicted to compete at the same level this year. Given last year's effort, I actually had a genuine interest in the team again. They'd given me something I hadn't seen in a while: a competitive spirit and a level of emerging talent not seen since the Bourque/Neely days of my youth. At the time it didn't matter to me that Chicago won because, I rationalized, the 'Hawks were still the most pathetic of the Original Six franchises, and just a couple years ago weren't even broadcasting their games on TV. Some hockey city. But the 'Hawks aren't the frauds. The Bruins are the damn frauds, man. A few months later, I realize my mistake - I never should've stuck up for the Bruins. There's a reason my support of the team has waned over the past 15 years.

This is a franchise that will stop at nothing to give their fans just-above-mediocre hockey, year after year, as long as they're making a buck. Every year, we hear about the team making the playoffs (1st round exit be damned), and how're they're going to build on that and make a run at the Cup the following season. You can talk all you want about "they can't be cheap anymore, there's a salary cap!" - the evidence is on the table. After last season's #1 seed and disappointing 2nd round playoff exit to tradition-rich Carolina, the Bruins' biggest offseason acquisition was "puck moving defenseman" Derek Morris. They love their "puck moving defensemen." If I hear the term again, I'm gonna pound that person senseless. They got rid of Aaron Ward, got rid of 10-year Bruin and penalty killer extraordinaire P.J. Axelsson and traded Chuck Kobasew for a couple of guys who are down in Providence and a 2nd round pick. And they spent like $3 mil. on Derek Morris, who sucked, so at the 2010 trading deadline, they sent him packing too. Brilliant. Their other "puck moving defenseman," Dennis Wideman, also sucks, but we're stuck with him, so we brought in another "puck moving defenseman" at the 2010 trading deadline in Dennis Seidenberg. The jury's still out on this guy, but I wouldn't be surprised if he also sucked, and know this: swapping Morris for Seidenberg saved the cheapskate owners some money.

I'll bring up Phil Kessel - who's gonna stop me? Dude scored 36 goals last year - the leading scorer on the B's by far. So what do the Bruins do? Trade him for a draft pick, then sit around and feed the fans some b.s. about "we expect (Player X) to step up this year." Guess what? Nobody, not Michael Ryder, not Blake Wheeler, not Milan Lucic, not Marco Sturm (our haul for Joe Thornton, remember?) - none of them stepped up. It seems like half the team has been down with an injury at some point. Even the captain, Zdeno "The Sleeping Giant a.k.a. The Big Pussycat" Chara has underachieved. Any Grandma in New England could open the local Standard Times this winter and see the Bruins needed a scorer. Were we so stupid to think the management would trade for one? After trading Phil Kessel and his 36 goals and saving some serious cash - wouldn't they bring in somebody? Maybe not Ilya Kovalchuk, but somebody? No. Nobody. So the Bruins went from making the final eight last year to trading their leading scorer 'cause he wanted to get paid (dropping a dime about him being a "bad teammate" to smear him on his way out of town), got rid of a couple other useful pieces from last year's team for draft picks and then did NOTHING to grease up this year's model for a potential playoff run. What?! Is Pete Chiarelli asleep in the boardroom? Does he realize that, in the real world, people get fired for even a fraction of this level of incompetence?

And these guys aren't cheap, you say? The homepage at bostonbruins.com is a full-page ad hawking 2010-11 season tickets! These guys can't shoot their way out of a paper bag and they want their blue-collar fan base to pony up for that shit show? They held a conference call yesterday for season ticket holders because NOBODY'S BUYING. No mention of the front office incompetence. No mention of the mediocrity on the ice. There's no Winter Classic next year to draw them in - I mean, why wouldn't people want to buy season tickets to the Bruins? Fire up a conference call! Good seats are still available!

And now, we've got the Matt Cooke/Marc Savard thing. Cooke cold-cocks Savard on a blindside hit to the head, literally waffles the guy, and now the only legitimate playmaker on the B's is out for the season. Thoroughly concussed. Guy can't even watch TV or go out to get groceries without getting a headache. People expect the Bruins to retaliate and ring Cooke's bell with the next possible chance on March 18th. Meanwhile, Colin Campbell, the weasel who fancies himself the Dean of NHL discipline, decides that it was a clean hit based on the rule book, despite the fact that multiple players have been blasted by blindside hits to the head in recent years and their careers have been ruined. The NHL rule book must be the same coloring-book format as the "Guide to Expansion" Gary Bettman consulted in the early 90's. Elmo and Snuffleupagus could run the NHL better than those clowns in Toronto. Regardless, the city of Boston, those who still cared about the franchise, were frothing at the mouth Thursday night. The phone lines on WEEI and 98.5 The Sports Hub were lit up in anticipation - the fans wanted the Bruins to prove something - that they'd stand up for their teammate, drop the gloves, kick some ass, show some heart and beat the crap out of the defending Stanley Cup Champs in Boston because that's what Bruins hockey used to be about. No matter that Colin Campbell warned the teams beforehand - if Cooke's hit was okay with Campbell, I wouldn't have been surprised to see Macho Man Randy Savage come out of the crowd and leap from the bench with the timekeeper's bell and not get penalized.

So Shawn Thornton swats Cooke upside the head a couple times in the first period and then...nothing. Pittsburgh scores. Pittsburgh scores again. Zdeno Chara makes a halfhearted attempt to joust with some Rupp character - Rupp was obviously so exhausted from the affair that he later scored the third goal in a 3-0 Pittsburgh victory. What? The Bruins showed no heart and got walked on at home. And did I mention the team honored the 1970 Stanley Cup Champions before the game? So the B's rolled over in front of Bobby Orr, Chief, Pie McKenzie, Turk, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield? As Ed Lover would say, "C'mon son!!"

After the game, Claude Julien had all the excuses. Boston talk show host Damon Amendolara compared Julien to a high school student who didn't turn in a term paper. First, the team was tired from their road trip. Then, apparently, the plane had mechanical problems coming in yesterday. I guess the buildup to this game was a distraction, too. Oh, and did we mention the flu that's been going around the locker room? That's four excuses. Four too many. They've had their chances. The Bruins organization, from the skinflint Jacobs ownership to the pop-gun toting GM Peter Chiarelli (see the image to the right), to the apologetic coach and lackadaisical players, even my man Cam Neely, have run out of excuses. No more. I've seen enough to know this is never going to change. So I'm done with the Bruins. I'll probably check out the Blackhawks in the playoffs, or if you feel like it, drop by my parents' house in East Dennis for the 2014 Olympics. We'll keep a log in the fire. 'Cause that's probably the next time we'll see some decent hockey in New England.

NHL Trade Deadline Rumors

2010-03-02T14:57:00.004-05:00

The NHL trade deadline is tomorrow, March 3rd @ 3 p.m. All signs point to the Bruins being active and will probably make a deal or two. Don't expect anything big to happen though, Peter Chiarelli has never been the one to make the blockbuster during his time in Boston. You'll see a whole heck of a lot of smoke, but not a lot of fire. Still a great time for the NHL though!

Follow all the action in the below NHL trade deadline widget courtesy of NHL.com!

A Little Birdie Told Me

2010-02-26T16:17:00.004-05:00

Hints around town that there may be a return of Team Fire It Up to the airwaves in the near future! Stay tuned for more info and to see and hear if these rumors are more than just that!

In Search of Celtic Pride

2010-02-02T11:39:00.001-05:00

During Monday night's Celtics radio broadcast, Cedric Maxwell turned his mic off and implored Rasheed Wallace to "take it to the basket!" You know it's bad when a Celtic broadcaster NOT named Tommy Heinsohn takes off the headset and barks instructions at the players on the floor. Despite their 99-88 win last night over the lowly Wizards, there's still something wrong with this team. Actually, there are a lot of things wrong with this team. Doc Rivers tells us the sky isn't falling, but if the Celtics don't watch out, they might wind up like Henny Penny (and I don't mean Hardaway).

Last summer, when the C's signed Wallace and Marquis Daniels to join a healthy Kevin Garnett and a squad that gave last year's Eastern Conference champs (the Magic) all they could handle, pundits said this lineup was as talented as the '96 Bulls who went 72-10. They were right. Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo are pretty much deserving All-Stars. Kendrick Perkins has improved. Garnett, Ray Allen and Wallace are former All-Stars (KG made it this year thanks to the fans but has been banged up a lot). Even "Tony the Turnover" Allen is playing surprisingly well off the bench following his umpteenth knee operation. But that's where the praise ends. At the three month mark of the '10 season, the team still looks talented on paper, but is either hurt, old, or not playing up to expectations.

Daniels has been out for a while with thumb surgery and will continue to sit until March. Watching Kevin Garnett drag that leg around reminds me of watching those early-90's Celtics, when I first realized that my heroes (Bird, Parish and McHale) were getting old and just couldn't do it every night anymore. He was surprisingly spry on Monday night, but you have to wonder after an inconsistent first half if he'll be ready to bring it for the playoffs? Then there's Glen "Big Baby" or "Uno Uno" Davis. I'm still going to call him the Big Linus. What happened to this guy? He averaged 16 and 6 in last year's playoffs and looked like a human bowling ball in there. After the dumb incident earlier in the season, he has struggled to play consistently in his return and his most notable moments have come when he's opened his mouth (to unfavorable results).

And then there's Wallace. 'Sheed needs to stop playing like a poor man's Channing Frye and play more like he did Monday night (14 points, 5 rebounds - perfect from the free throw line on six attempts, which means he was drawing fouls inside). Seriously, more than half of his shot attempts have come from beyond the arc this season, which wouldn't be so bad if he could actually hit threes. The man is 6'11" and is clanging away at 30% from downtown. You know what that means? Get your butt in the post, rebound, and play defense the way you did in Detroit. It's maddening to think the Celtics signed this guy to a multi-year contract.

But that's the way it is. The organization's present and near future hinges on the performance of its veterans. Trade Ray Allen? Ray Allen, folks, is your meal ticket. Whenever he hits a shooting slump, people want to trade him. But he'll be one of the major factors if the Celtics go anywhere this year. What can they get in a trade for Ray Allen that would help the team in 2010? If they want to win (and they need to tdo that this year, not next, when everybody's another year older), they will keep Jesus Shuttlesworth on this roster.

If I were Doc Rivers, I would forget about home court advantage in the playoffs. Sit the "Big Three" when they need it from now until April. Play the bench guys; get the young guns like Linus feeling confident in their games. There's no need to go all-out against the Clippers in mid-March. Even if the Celtics go into the playoffs as a 5th or 6th seed, I'd take a fresh, healthy, confident Celtics squad against anything else the East presently has to offer. Something to consider, perhaps?

All New GameTime Tonight - 10 PM!

2010-01-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

After a three week hiatus due to the holidays and hockey, GameTime will be back at a new time, 10 PM Friday night, January 15th. And there's a lot to talk about! The NFL playoffs, Mark McGwire, Pete Carroll, even that fool Gilbert Arenas. So tune in - it's not like you have to stay up until midnight this time around...

Congrats to the 2009-10 National Champions - University of Alabama Crimson Tide!!

2010-01-08T10:46:00.001-05:00

I know the Guru is happy about this one. He was at the game in Pasadena. And Nick Saban got absolutely nailed by that Gatorade bucket.

GameTime is off tonight; Brick and I will be at Fenway watching the BC-BU tilt. We'll be back next week - until then feel free to check out my most recent post below.

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

2010-01-08T00:44:00.002-05:00

“Hall adds one…but not the one we thought,” was the title of Rob Neyer’s article about Andre Dawson’s Hall of Fame election on ESPN.com. Now, from my experience as a high school and college “journalist” years ago, I know Mr. Neyer didn’t choose that title. His editors did. But I still have to ask, “who is ‘we,’ Rob?” I love reading the guy because he churns out a lot of thoughtful material. Then again, if I didn’t have a Master’s degree and a full-time job in another field, I could spend all night on baseball-reference.com and turn out four daily blurbs of opinions on the GameTime blog, too. But while I love Neyer for his Dominique Wilkins-like production, I can’t stand his reliance on certain less-obscure-than-they-were-ten-years-ago metrics to prove his point. To paraphrase, “Terry Assbag had a higher VORP and a better UZR than Mo Vaughn in 1995, and therefore deserved the MVP.” He admits he’s a geek on his blog, but still, if a .323 career OBP leads you to write numerous articles about why Andre Dawson doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame, there’s something wrong with you. Especially since we, the fans, voted him to eight All-Star teams during his career. We, the fans, thought he was one of the best players in the game in the 80’s. The Hall of Fame isn’t about “you,” the BBWAA voters, or “you,” the stat geeks. It’s about “we,” the fans. There was a time when “you” were fans, too, before pride, politics and computer programs diluted the memories of your youth as a baseball fan. We think Dawson should be in. Wednesday, he was voted in. About time.

The Hawk will, deservedly, get plenty of ink this week. Meanwhile, Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were shut out of the Hall this year. Alomar belongs; he was the best second baseman in the game for a number of years, and I’m 100% confident he will get in next year. But I’m troubled by Blyleven. Last year, on this very blog (then known as The Fire Station – the online component to the venerable Fire It Up radio program), I based my own hypothetical Hall of Fame ballot on the classic Nintendo game, RBI Baseball. Since Blyleven had 287 career wins, 60 shutouts, and because Jay always beats me with the Twins and Blyleven in RBI, I counted my vote for Bert. But now I’m not so sure. I know Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston is a morning-drive comedy show masquerading as a sports show, but this morning they brought up a salient point: could you tell he was a Hall of Famer when he was playing? Dawson, yes. Alomar, yes. Blyleven?

Well, his “counting numbers” show he almost had 300 wins. He’s 5th all-time in strikeouts. The shutouts are phenomenal. Some metrics describe Blyleven as one of the top pitchers out there. But his average season was 14-12. I certainly never felt he was one of the elite pitchers in the league. He was rarely the “star” or even the “ace” of his team. Is that worthy of “fame?” When you look at his career, he often played a support role to superstars or other players that made more of an impact at the time:

Twins (1970-76): Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Bill “Soup” Campbell
Rangers (1976-77): Gaylord Perry
Pirates (1978-80): Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Kent Tekulve
Indians (1981-85): Man, those Cleveland teams were bad.
Twins (1985-88): Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, Kent Hrbek
Angels (1989-90, 1992): Wally Joyner, Chuck Finley, Mark Langston

I suppose Bert will get in. After all, he’s only five votes away and he was a very good pitcher for a number of years. I just don’t think he was an ace, a legend, or anything that passes the Toucher & Rich litmus test – a test Andre Dawson passes with flying colors. But Neyer is crowing as if Dawson's election is the biggest miscarriage of justice (to quote Gorilla Monsoon) since Andre the Giant pinned Hulk Hogan with the aid of an “evil twin” referee. HOW MUCH FOR THE PLASTIC SURGERY? HOW MUCH, MAN? THEY WERE IDENTICAL! Sorry. Tangent.

Bert Blyleven is not a slam-dunk Hall of Fame pick. In fact, his impending selection is about as troubling as Don Sutton’s, though Sutton won 41 more games and had a lower ERA. Guys like Neyer should stop making themselves try to look like geniuses by praising someone like Blyleven and not Andre Dawson. Who knows what Andre Dawson ever did to Rob Neyer. Happily, this week, justice was served.

Mixed Signals

2009-12-11T20:15:00.005-05:00

What are the Red Sox doing? Are they building for the future? Is 2010 really a “bridge” year, in that they're waiting for 2011 to compete for a title? If it is, then quit the talk on Matt Holliday, Jason Bay and John Lackey. Spare me the speculation on Adrian Gonzalez. I don't even want to hear about Adrian Beltre. As Sarah Palin taught us, you can’t build a bridge to nowhere (but apparently you can abandon your post as Governor). Don’t half-ass it, Red Sox. Either you’re going to “rebuild,” or you’re not.

It’s a cruddy free agent market. If this were really a “bridge” year, they would’ve held onto Alex Gonzalez, tried to figure out what to do with Jed Lowrie, and looked for a long-term solution at short in the winter of 2010. If this were really a “bridge” year, they would’ve retained Mike Lowell, let him play out his contract (and let Julio Lugo play out his in St. Louis) and sought a long-term solution at third in the winter of 2010. They would’ve also traded for Roy Halladay so they could rid themselves of Josh Beckett, who'll likely be looking for a contract he doesn't deserve, in the winter of 2010 – I’m calling this the “replace an ace” strategy – and continue to compete for a championship with top-flight starting pitching.

But instead, the Sox are behaving like the classic middler at a college party. He knows he can’t get with the hot, easy girls because they leave with the jocks and the suave, Adrian Grenier-type dudes. There’s the hot girls who won’t cheat on their high school boyfriends back home, and there’s the hot girls who spend a lot of time in church, well, God bless 'em. The middler finds there’s not much left to choose from, but it’s adequate and perhaps exciting in the short-term, so what the heck. Spin the wheel.

That’s what the Sox did giving a three-year contract to Marco Scutaro, a 34-year old career utility man coming off a career year. That’s what the Sox are doing in trading Mike Lowell, a productive bat and popular player, to Texas, paying the Rangers to take him, and getting in return a 25 year-old catcher, Max Ramirez, who can’t field his position and hit .230 in 357 at-bats between Triple-A and the Majors the last two years. People are saying “he can hit!” What? Oh, and did I mention, they love free agent Adrian Beltre so much, a .270 career hitter with average power from the hot corner, they’re looking to sign him to a multi-year deal worth eight figures annually. Did I mention the Sox also lassoed Boof Bonser on Thursday?

This is no way to build a winning team. This team won’t win a World Series next year with Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro on the left side of their infield. They won’t win a World Series in the future with that combination. Because just like Lugo, they are giving too many years and too much money to marginal players. And Jason Bay isn’t the answer, either: .250 with one homer in his three playoff series with the Red Sox. He’s apparently a great guy and a good hitter, but not an elite hitter for the middle of the Boston lineup.

Heading into this offseason, the Sox should’ve picked one or the other. To quote the Clash, “should I stay or should I go?” Stay, and you wait another year for greatness. Go, and you make a blockbuster trade or land the big free agent. Instead, they’re somewhere in between, filling up on empty calories at the snackbar. I'd be more happy if they'd just stayed home and taken the year off.

Marco Who?

2009-12-04T12:41:00.002-05:00

I'm kidding; I know who Marco Scutaro is. But seriously, who is Marco Scutaro? What does Theo Epstein see in this guy? Is he a solid hitter? No. He has a .265 career average. Is he a power hitter? No. Just once has he hit over 10 homers in a season. Is he a run-producer? No. His career high is 60 RBIs. OK, is he a base stealer? No. He's only once topped 10 stolen bases. Theo loves these "on base" guys, what's his career OBP? Answer: .337. Not even in the top 100 among active players. His defense? Average. Until 2008, when Aaron Hill got clobbered by his teammate and missed the season due to a concussion, Scutaro was nothing but a utility guy. Did I mention he's 33 years old? What is it about Marco Scutaro that got the Red Sox General Manager thinking "we have to sign this guy; we'll give him two years guaranteed with an option for a third and toss in $12.5 million bucks for good measure ($17 million with the option)? And we'll give the Blue Jays a draft pick!" Those numbers above? The 10 homers, 10 steals, 60 RBIs? They all came last year. A career year at 33? Will you be serious!

Apparently he's a hard worker. While I appreciate anyone who goes "all out" for their team, there have been a lot of "hard workers" over the years with Scutaro's statistical pedigree who've never cracked a starting lineup, much less been given a multi-year contract at 33 years of age. Did I mention he's also a good teammate? Kevin Millar was a good teammate and nobody brought him back.

Is this why the Red Sox raised ticket prices in the offseason? So they could sign up a Joe McEwing clone to be the everyday shortstop? Is this the kind of creativity we expect from a highly intelligent GM in a weak free agent market? This is like punting on third down - it doesn't make any sense and reeks of "oh well, we tried" without even trying. Marco Scutaro is the weak link in the Boston offense; he brings little to the table defensively, and mark my words, he will be destroyed by the Boston media this summer, the minute he starts struggling like the career bench player he is. It's not Marco Scutaro's fault. Theo's done it again, folks, like a math geek falling in love with his moderately-attractive-for-a-math-teacher statistics professor. Julio Lugo Part Two.

I refuse to support this transaction.

NEW TIME Tonight!

2009-11-27T20:52:00.002-05:00

Tonight's show will start at 11 PM. One hour early!
The show will go until passout, meaning tune anytime after 11.
Give us a call @ 617-627-3800

We got Pats/Saints, Celtics Woes, BCS talk, and the leftovers from Turkey Day.

Halladay Hangover?

2009-11-25T11:12:00.003-05:00

So apparently, the Red Sox are making a push for Roy Halladay again. As you may recall, the Sox had talks with the Blue Jays at the trading deadline for Halladay, but couldn't get a deal done and wound up grabbing Victor Martinez from Cleveland instead, a move that vastly improved the Boston offense in the second half. The deal breaker last July: the Jays were asking for too much of Boston's young talent. Four months later, the Sox are asking again, and the Jays reportedly want to see Clay Buchholz and Single A prospect Casey Kelly in return.

Look, there's no denying Halladay is great. He's one of the best pitchers of the decade, evidenced by his 130 wins over the last eight years. Take out freak injuries in 2003 and 2004 (two good campaigns nonetheless) and he's averaged more than 18 wins a year over that stretch. With a 3.13 ERA. He is everything the Red Sox wish Josh Beckett could be: consistently dominant. But Halladay's got one year left on his contract and, at 33 next May, will likely command one more big deal. Is one year of Halladay worth disposing of Buchholz, who seems to be a fine young pitcher, and Kelly, a 2008 first round pick?

Furthermore, wasn't the focus of the offseason supposed to be on improving the offense? With Jason Bay likely to depart, the Sox lineup lacks a 30 home run bat (David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis top the list with 28 and 27 homers apiece last year) and looks weak against top-tier pitching, particularly in the playoffs. Gone are the days when Manny Ramirez and Ortiz would carve up postseason opposition like a Thanksgiving turkey. The Sox lineup is deep; no longer scary. So they need to make a deal for Adrian Gonzalez, right?

Here's what I'm thinking: the Sox feel a front three of Halladay, Lester and Beckett gives them a chance to win next year, which was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year. The free agent market is thin, and paying more than $15 million annually to Jason Bay for the next four or five years is foolish. The focus for 2010 will be on the starting rotation, a strong bullpen, and the hopes that Youkilis, Martinez and Dustin Pedroia can anchor an aging offense. Adrian Gonzalez is going to cost a lot, particularly since former Boston employee Jed Hoyer is running the show in San Diego and he knows what the Sox have on the farm. Buchholz and Kelly? Neither give the Sox a better chance to win in 2010 than Halladay does, and down the line, I'm not going to anoint Buchholz or that Single A prospect the seamheads love to rave about, Kelly, as sure things.

What's more, if the Sox sign Halladay, they'll let Beckett walk after 2010. Josh Beckett has been absolutely maddening in his four years in Boston. First, there was the "transition" year of 2006, with a 5.01 ERA. Then, there was his 2007 season where he challenged for the Cy Young Award and hauled the Sox through the playoffs. In 2008, he came into camp out of shape, got injured, never recovered and was useless in the postseason. In 2009, he got shelled in April, was All-Star caliber in May, June and July, then fell apart down the stretch, leading to another pedestrian postseason outing. It's time to give Beckett the cowboy boot out of town. The Sox will have plenty of money to spend in the winter of 2010 with the Ortiz, Lowell, Beckett, Varitek and Lugo (yes, him) contracts coming off the books and Josh Reddick ready to take over left field. They'll probably be looking for a new shortstop and some corner infield pop, and they'll be able to get it. And it's my prediction that Roy Halladay will be the ace of the Red Sox from 2010 on.

The Fox Hole: Thursday, November 19th

2009-11-19T13:40:00.006-05:00

Figured I’d fire off another entry so I can grouse about a few things before I go away for the weekend…

...I don’t want to hear about Bill Belichick anymore. There were plenty of missed opportunities in that game (a goal line fumble by Larry Maroney, anyone?) and after watching Peyton Manning gopher his way through the Patriots defensive schemes in multiple second half drives, I don’t blame him for going for it. Get over it already; it was a regular season game. Don’t get a big one...

...Thank you, Boston Red Sox, for your generous gift to the fans. This week, the team announced approximately half of the tickets in the park will be the same price next year. What does that mean? The other half increased, of course. Some seats by as much as five bucks. The team’s rationale? It’s the second lowest overall percentage increase in the last 15 years, blah, spin, blah blah. My logic? The average seat in Fenway Park is now $50.24 – second only to the monolith of excess known as the new Yankee Stadium.

It’s getting to be more and more of a privilege to be a Red Sox fan. Ticket prices have skyrocketed in the wake of the team’s success over the past decade, but while other teams have frozen their prices in recognition of the recent financial downturn, the Red Sox continue to bleed the common man who just wants to go to a ballgame. Now, of course you’ll say, “you don’t have to go to Fenway” or “look, they’ve sold out 550 games in a row.” Both are valid points. Some yahoo or rich guy or rich yahoo is always going to be out there to buy the tickets. But thinking of the father of three sons, Joe the Plumber, if you will, who wants to take his boys to a game next year and get pretty good seats – he’s already paying $200 for just the tickets. Add in parking and food and you’re looking at $300 for one night at the ball yard. And you’re gonna tell this guy he needs to pay another $20 on his tickets? Slap in the face. Insult to injury. Ceremonial salt to the eyes. But the Red Sox can do it because they can. Here’s to the American Way!

...Any clown could tell you Mike Scioscia didn’t deserve AL Manager of the Year. His team didn’t win the World Series. They didn’t even get to the World Series...OK, did they make a significant improvement over last season? No, they actually won three fewer games than in 2008. People are trying to use the argument that Scioscia “held the team together” in the wake of rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart’s death. To paraphrase Rob Neyer, this wasn’t a “win one for the Gipper” situation. The Angels success wasn’t due to any motivational speaking Mike Scioscia did in the wake of a truly tragic event. Baseball is different from football – these are grown men who pulled it together over 162 games. The Angels won 97 games this year because they had a good team!

Ron Washington of the Rangers deserved the nod. His best hitter, Josh Hamilton, was hurt all year, and he somehow milked a starting staff of Kevin Milwood, Scottt Feldman, Derek Holland, Tommy Hunter and Brandon McCarthy en route to an 87-win season in which they challenged the Angels for AL West supremacy for quite some time...

...Brick was right on the money in thinking the Iverson experiment in Memphis would blow up into a million pieces. Still, I will be very interested if he winds up in that up-tempo Knicks lineup as a starter. I am drawn to Iverson like a bug to a light - say what you want about him; he's one of the most fascinating personalities in the NBA. Chris Duhon, though very good defensively, is not a great shooter and probably shouldn’t be starting in an NBA backcourt. Put Iverson out there with gunners Nate Robinson and Danilo Gallinari and see what happens...

...Speaking of the Brick, tomorrow night is his annual “Sports Turkeys” episode. Tune in!

It was a heck of a show...

2009-11-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

Friday night marked another appearance by Jay Hall in the studio. Unfortunately, as we neared 1:30 in the morning, Jay ran out of steam (pictured). We heard from College Football Guru Matt Pulsifer, previewed NFL Week 10, looked ahead to the upcoming College Basketball season, Sean called out LeBron James, and Brick shared what he learned on Twitter. Give it a listen...

The Fox is out this Friday night, which gives Brick a perfect excuse to do his third annual "Sports Turkeys" episode.

Tonight on GameTime

2009-11-13T18:55:00.000-05:00

Sammy Sosa's turning white, but The Brick doesn't really seem to care. Plus, co-host Jay Hall is rumored to be coming in tonight to join the Fox and the Brick!

We've got a full serving of GameTime on tap - this is no low-calorie version. To prove it, we'll start with some southern-fried cooking: the College Football Guru Matt Pulsifer will join us on the phone from the great state of Alabama. The Brick will be cooking up a College Basketball Preview segment, and we'll review the pivotal Pats-Colts matchup this weekend - taking place in the corn-filled state of Indiana. Trust us, we've driven through it. Tune in and call in!!

Another J.D. Drew?

2009-11-06T12:49:00.001-05:00

Just yesterday, I was talking about baseball season being over...just in time for the Red Sox to make the first offseason splash and trade for Jeremy Hermida, killer of my fantasy baseball teams in both 2007 and 2008, seasons where the former first round pick showed flashes of brilliance but was never able to sustain the production. Listening to Damon Amendolara's evening gig on 98.5 last night, D.A. himself compared Hermida to J.D. Drew in personality: a robotic, "does this guy really care?" approach to playing the game. So now, the Red Sox have two talented but perennially underachieving personalities manning the outfield at Fenway. But let's look on the bright side.

Hermida won't be an everyday player here. If the Sox re-sign Jason Bay or haul in a big free agent outfielder, Hermida will be the fourth guy out there, which almost certainly means goodbye to Rocco Baldelli - nice guy, nice story, but he got 150 at-bats last year and can't fill in for an injured player, which is what you need a fourth outfielder to do. If the Sox don't spend the bucks on a big outfield bat, they're almost certainly going to split at-bats between Hermida, up-and-comer Josh Reddick, and a low-cost free agent signing like Josh Willingham. Essentially, the Hermida deal is a low-risk investment - the Sox didn't give up much to get the former first round pick, a guy who has had some success at the Major League level. If he pans out here, great. But he'll start the season as the fourth outfielder.

Chad Finn's media column in the Globe today referenced the retirement of Bill Walton from broadcasting. If there was ever a guy who would make this type of announcement, it's Walton: “As I return after a grueling, multiyear, life-threatening, life-changing ordeal with back problems, it is time to dedicate the rest of my life to service.’’ Good luck to the big redhead as he sets out to make the world a better place.

The Fox Hole: November 5, 2009

2009-11-05T11:48:00.006-05:00

Around 7:45 last night, as a pot of spaghetti bubbled over on the stove and I rushed about the kitchen to get ready for the first pitch, Jay said “I really hope we see vintage Pedro tonight.” I agreed. I really, really wanted to see him stick it to the Yankees. An hour later, we were left feeling deflated.

Give the Yankees credit. Sure, they spent a lot of money on that team, but who came home with the World Series MVP? Hideki Matsui, who’s basically the Yankees version of Mike Lowell: a guy who’s not quite as great as he used to be, but still a capable veteran. The difference is Lowell went 2-for-10 in the playoffs with one RBI, while Matsui was truly a monster. When he crushed another homer off Martinez, we all knew things were headed in the wrong direction and fast. With five guys in their starting lineup between the ages of 33 and 37 and a mix of young superstars behind them, this was totally the Yankees’ year. Will they be as good next year? You have to wonder when age will finally catch up to guys like Jeter, Rivera, or Posada. I’d assume Matsui or Johnny Damon, or both will be out of the picture, but they will still be a formidable team. It will be interesting to see how the Red Sox approach this offseason. If I was GM, I’d resist the temptation to pay big money to guys in a weak free agent class. There’s still quite a bit of talent in the Boston lineup. But do you say Lowell and Ortiz (combined 45 homers and 174 RBI last year) are “finished” and make a mega-trade for Adrian Gonzalez or rely on a veteran lineup with what should be a high-quality starting staff and loaded bullpen? That’s why Theo gets the bucks…

…with baseball season now over, I’d like to officially announce the start of football season! Hey, I love football as much as the next guy, but it’s hard to get my attention on beautiful fall weekends, particularly when baseball is still going strong. Now that the forecast looks miserable, the leaves have blown from the Quincy trees, and the Yankees have gobbled up another world title, I’m ready to watch some football. Who’s with me?

And in regards to yesterday’s column: the “gimme” win in Minnesota turned out to be a 92-90 nailbiter; the undefeated Suns lost by 22 to the Magic and apparently, the Bruins offensive struggles can now directly be linked to David Krejci’s case of swine flu.

The Fox Hole: November 4, 2009

2009-11-04T15:02:00.005-05:00

So the Phillies are still hanging around. By a thread. They may need Pedro to be even better tonight than he was in Game 2. They definitely need to continue hitting the ball (12 runs in their last two games), only now within the confines of Yankee Stadium (7 runs in the first two games). And I’m eating up these Pedro quotes as we get closer and closer to game time. One of the many reasons why Pedro is a bigger piece of Sox history than Roger Clemens – his love for the fans that made him the icon he is today. From Shaughnessy’s Globe article:

“I know they don’t like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games. And knowing that I am part of Boston, I consider myself a Bostonian . . . I’m pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I’m going to try to beat the Yankees, and I’m going to give just the same effort I always did for them. They’re special fans, and they will always have my respect.’’

In other news, the Celtics are 5-0. Shooting 51.4% from the field. They’re pummeling teams defensively. As noted in last week’s edition of GameTime, we’re on board with the Rondo contract. The starters have been getting a lot of rest in these blowouts. Rasheed Wallace has been taking and making threes like it’s nobody’s business. Marquis Daniels has added versatility to the bench. Shelden Williams has been a revelation in a reserve role. Eddie House has been on fire. I think I’m gonna love this bench squad. After what should be a gimme in Minnesota tonight, the C’s face the undefeated Suns at the Garden on Friday.

The Bruins are a major disappointment. So, they traded away Phil Kessel for draft picks. So what? Jay told me somebody was going to have to step up. To this point, nobody has, and the Savard and Lucic injuries have completely crippled the top two lines. It’s as if they don’t have any talent at all. Three goals in their last four games. Two straight shutouts. It’s gonna be ugly until these guys come back – luckily, only a few teams (Pittsburgh, Washington, New Jersey, and surprisingly Buffalo) have looked like Eastern Conference royalty to this point so the B’s shouldn’t drop too far from the fray. Unless they continue to get shut out.

Game 2

2009-10-30T11:26:00.005-04:00

The greatest Red Sox pitcher of modern times took the mound last night, 38 years old, throwing junk and wearing a Philadelphia Phillies uniform in a World Series game against the New York Yankees. And he didn't stink up the joint. Nobody was his "Daddy," despite what thousands of ignorant Yankee fans want us to believe. It was actually a joy to watch Pedro Martinez keep the Yankees off-balance with an assortment of change-ups, vintage breaking pitches, and well-located fastballs. And when he came out of the game in the seventh, the Yankees fans booed him: the kind of venom reserved for a guy who's gotten the best of the Yankees enough to make the New York fans uncomfortable.

They used to call the franchise "The Bronx Zoo," and I can't help but think of that description every time I watch a Yankee playoff game on TV. From the gaudy stadium that looks totally out of place in a year where the Wall Street excess mentality is uncool, to the annoying digitized bells that clang over the PA system after every home run, to the embarassing calls of John Sterling on the radio broadcast ("A Thrilla from Godzilla," "The Sayonara Kid") - that place must be what Hell really feels like. Last night, Pedro walked into Hell and turned back the clock, putting his team in position to win Game 2 with an imperfectly brilliant performance. Eventually he, and the Phillies, wound up taking the loss, but that is solely a product of Philly bats gone silent with one of the game's biggest sluggers, Ryan Howard, wearing the infamous Golden Sombrero with four whiffs in four at-bats.

The morning after, some are comparing Charlie Manuel to Grady Little ("they never shoulda brought Pedro out for the 7th!"), others are analyzing Pedro's remarks before and after the game about his relationship with the trashy New York fans ("...since when is he such a gentleman? He threw an old man on the ground!" - no matter that the old man in question, Don Zimmer, embarassed himself and admitted to it in said altercation six years ago), while the dim-bulb Yankee clowns are saying "aww we beat Pedro down again - who's your daddy?" Man, I thought Red Sox Nation was bad. But as ridiculous as Sully, Fitz and Murph (Yeah, brotha!) might look on a Friday night at the "lyric little bandbox" we call Fenway Park, they could never compare to the classless lot that show up at Yankee Stadium - inebriated parents cursing out a pitcher in the twilight of his brilliant career while their little daughter sits close by; she's destined to become just as trashy as her parents.

This series is no longer about Pedro or the insults to humanity that sit in the stands at Yankee Stadium. The venue has shifted to Philadelphia, where the Phillies will be tasked with defending their home turf and putting some crooked numbers up on the scoreboard. Josh Beckett's redneck cousin A.J. Burnett, as much of a fraud as his career has been to this point, was incredible last night - as good as Cliff Lee in Game 1. The Phils couldn't touch him. Will they be able to touch Andy Pettitte in Game 3 Saturday night?

Meanwhile, I hope this series goes far enough so Pedro gets another crack at beating the Yankees and putting their fans to bed.

Turn Back the Clock?

2009-10-29T11:49:00.002-04:00

Remember the late 90's, when the Yankees were in the World Series almost every year, treating overmatched opponents San Diego, Atlanta, and the Mets like stepping stones en route to the coronation parade? As a Red Sox fan, I wanted to believe those feeble NL teams could upset the Bronx bombers, but the Yankees always deflated those hopes very quickly: it was clear that the Yankees were the best team in baseball, by far.

This year, pundits have gotten behind the Yankees because they have a better lineup and play in a better league. Both claims are true. Top to bottom, the Yankee hitters are better than Philadelphia's. And the American League scores more runs than the National League, in general. But the same pundits are forgetting two very important points: 1) these aren't the Yankees of my high school years and 2) the Phils are the defending World Champions. Are these Yankees playoff proven? A few are, but the roster is largely made up of newcomers who have struggled in the postseason to this point in their careers. Is Joe Torre the manager? No. Are the Phillies playoff proven? Yes! And one more thing: the World Series isn't about paper comparisons, it's about matchups. In Game 1, Chase Utley showed that he can dominate a matchup against C.C. Sabathia, a guy the Phillies abused in the playoffs last year. And how about that other pitcher?

Last night, Cliff Lee threw a wrench in the gears of the Yankee World Series parade float. He might've even caused a disruption of "Animal House" proportions. Lee is simply a man you don't want to mess with when he's hot: he won his first five starts in Philadelphia, allowing only three earned runs in 40 innings. Now, he's on another hot streak: three wins, a 0.54 ERA and a 30:3 strikeout/walk ratio in 33.1 postseason innings, including last night's 6-hitter against a clueless Yankees lineup.

Tonight, the most devastating pitcher of the late 90's faces the team of the late 90's. A lot has changed. Jeter, Pettitte, Posada and Rivera are the only guys left from those halcyon days, and Pedro can barely scrape 90 with his fastball. Can Pedro get it done? If he can, the Yanks are in BIG trouble, with lefty Cole Hamels scheduled for Game 3 - a guy who's had a spotty 2009 but was downright masterful in last year's playoffs. I don't know if he can pull it off, but if anyone has the stuff and the resolve for such a task, it would be Pedro Martinez.

Opening Night

2009-10-27T13:29:00.002-04:00

I've always looked forward to Celtics opening night. The expectations are out of control - you never know what glimpse you'll see in the first "real" game that will show you what the team is capable of over an 82 game haul. Remember Halloween night, 1997? That was my freshman year of high school. Pitino had just come into town and blown up the team, and the C's beat the Bulls in the opener at the Fleet Center. Granted, they lost the next five in a row but at least they made a statement! In college, I would always skip any night class that interfered with a Celtics home opener. And that brings us to tonight. Five and a half months ago, a banged-up Celtics squad was blown off the floor by the Magic in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The management spent the offseason adding depth: Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels and Shelden Williams. They lost Leon Powe to the Cavs. Cleveland got Shaq as well, and the Magic added Vince Carter. As the C's start the season with a 7:30 tilt at Cleveland, I present you with five intriguing plot lines for the upcoming campaign...

1. Are they too old? You can have all the depth in the world, but when five of your top eight guys (Garnett, Allen, Pierce, Wallace and House) are between 31 and 35 years old, you're asking for it.

2. Garnett's knee. Sure, you've heard all about it. I think he'll be fine; not quite the force he was, but still a top flight power forward. Time will tell.

3. Marquis Daniels. This guy will make a huge difference here. Mark my words. I loved the signing from the minute I heard about it - a swingman who can handle the rock reliably (1.4 career TO), shoot the J, slash to the rim, and play defense. Daniels does a lot of things very well - so what if he's not a naturally gifted passer or a 3-point threat? Rondo, House and Ray Allen do those things, respectively. Daniels simply needs to go with the flow of the team - he'll never be the focus of the other team's defense, and I think that will allow him to contribute in a very Kevin Gamble-like way. Pierce and Allen can rest and not get worn down like last year. Plus, he's so much better than Tony Allen.

4. Hiccups. Rondo doesn't like the Celtics' contract offer. The Big Linus got into it with his friend Charlie Brown this weekend and broke his thumb. Rasheed Wallace: contributor or sour, chemistry killer? This is a veteran squad, so you'd assume they'd be smart about keeping their heads in the game. But you never know what effect money issues, immaturity, and offbeat personalities can have on a team.

5. The neighborhood. Sure, the Celtics added some guys, but how did the offseason look for the rest of the Eastern Conference? I'll be honest: Shaq looks a little doughy and I don't think Vince Carter is the right choice for any team, much less the defending Eastern Conference champs. But that's why they play the games, folks. Last year I picked a Celtics-Jazz final and couldn't have been more wrong. Tune in to GameTime Friday for a full NBA Preview.

Robbed at Shogun Point

2009-10-26T22:07:00.006-04:00

UFC 104 started with a bang and ended with a robbery. Anthony Johnson delivered a swift knockout of Yoshiyuki Yoshida, ending the opening bout in just 41 seconds. The main event would last a little longer, as it would go the distance, 25 minutes in the light heavyweight championship fight.

The champion, Lyoto Machida, came into this fight with Shogun Rua undefeated, and according to the record books, he also left undefeated, with his championship belt around his waist. But according to almost anyone, other than the three judges octagon-side, Rua won this fight. When I watched the fight live, I thought Rua had done much more than Machida, had been more aggressive, and overall was more impressive. After I watched the replay, I scored the fight round by round. On my scorecard, I have Machida rounds 1 and 3, while giving Rua the 2nd, 4th, and 5th. The closest of these rounds was the 1st, as I easily could have gone the other way with this round, it was an even round. This would give Rua the decision on my card, three rounds to two. But the judges saw it differently, all awarding Machida the 1st three rounds, and giving him the win by unaminous decision.

Shogun was robbed, and everyone knows it, the sold-out Staples Center knew it, as they booed mercifully at the decision. Dana White knew it, as he said Rua won the fight at the post fight press conference. White immediately said he is scheduling a rematch, I guess that is only justice. If Rua can't have the belt, at least he has a rematch. And if he fights the same exact fight the next time around, he will leave as the champion.

The Fox Hole: Fantasy Hoops Primer

2009-10-19T21:51:00.002-04:00

So it's time to sit down for your 2009 Fantasy Basketball draft. Did you get the Number One Pick? If so, congratulations! You get to choose between Chris Paul and LeBron James as the anchor of your fantasy hopes over the next six months. Did you get the third pick? Will it be Kobe or D-Wade? If you stick to the script, it's almost impossible to make a mistake in the first two rounds, barring injury or tendency to over-hype (like my cousin Dan picking Greg Oden in Round Two last year). It's those middle round decisions and late-game steals that will determine your success. And because I have the vehicle to voice my opinion (in the form of the GameTime blog), I'm going to take a few minutes to talk about a few key players in this year's draft. Note: Rank = Yahoo O-Rank.

Early on: If you don't snare one of the top picks, take a good look at Amare Stoudemire (Rank = 9). I'd be willing to bet his numbers will be noticeably better than last year, when he was bugged by injuries and had to share the low post with Shaq, slowing down his normally up-tempo game. If you're in a Head-to-Head league, don't shy away from Dwight Howard (Rank = 20) amongst the Top Five. He can almost single-handedly win you FG%, rebounds and blocks and is a good source of points. If you do select him, it's imperative to structure your team so FT% isn't a huge priority. In a rotisserie league, Howard looks like more of a second or third round pick because of the negative impact in the free throw category.

Mid-rounds: Is Eric Gordon (Rank = 74) the next Michael Redd? Hopefully yes, and without the injuries. Gordon had a sound rookie year, demonstrated a sweet shot and ability to get to the rim, and it's clear the Clippers are banking on their young talent. The Brazilian Blur, Leandro Barbosa (Rank = 67), may be an undersized 2-guard, but he's perfect for the Phoenix Suns attack. And if you need the news flash, Grant Hill is a year older and Matt Barnes is gone from Phoenix. Barbosa should flourish and get plenty of run in the up-tempo offense, a year after charting career highs in FG% and FT% despite paltry minutes. Andre Miller (Rank = 66) is a capable point guard who can't shoot threes, we know this, but he's in a better offensive attack than in Philly and will benefit from the move to Portland.

Derrick Rose (Rank = 51), if he can put the offseason controversy behind him, (which should be easy, as he's making millions of dollars to concentrate on his pro career and not look back on his high school and college mistakes) is a solid candidate to make "the leap" in Chicago. He proved his mettle in his first year and raised his game in the playoffs. Will he become an elite talent, improving on an already impressive rookie campaign? It remains to be seen, but 20 points and 8.5 assists is nothing to sneeze at, even if he doesn't shoot threes or get many steals.

Luis Scola (Rank = 92) will see an increased role in Houston with Yao out for the season and T-Mac down for a good chunk of it. He's undersized for the center position but is talented, improved in his second year, and should be a focal point of the offense with newcomer Trevor Ariza. I still don't like his haircut, however. Emeka Okafor (Rank = 82) has a sprained toe that has kept him out of the preseason schedule so far, but he will absolutely benefit from playing with a pure point guard in Chris Paul now that he's in New Orleans. Spencer Hawes (Rank = 80) made great strides in his second year, struggling some times and shining in others, and Sacramento has committed to him by shipping Brad Miller back to the Midwest. At 7-1, he can even shoot the three a little bit.

Late in the game: Don't sleep on Ramon Sessions (Rank = 113). Scott Skiles never used him properly in Milwaukee. He's not a perfect point guard, but he'll be starting in a talented, young Minnesota lineup and I think he's easily capable of 16 points, 7.5 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal every night out. Not a bad line, even if, like Miller and Rose, he's not a three-point shooter. Plus, he isn't reckless with the ball (1.9 TO). Luol Deng (Rank = 101) is healthy and primed for a bounce-back year with the Bulls. And finally, Allen Iverson (Rank = 119), even though he's in a loaded backcourt with Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo (top-5 picks in the last two NBA Drafts), he might just be primed for a re-emergence on a mediocre but high-scoring Memphis squad. You could do a lot worse than A.I. with a late round pick.

The keys: if you're in a Head-to-Head league, pick 5 categories you know you can win and draft accordingly. For instance, with a slew of big men and a couple of elite point guards (say, Paul and Rajon Rondo) it's easy to win FG%, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. In a rotisserie league, it's usually best to play it conservative and draft well-rounded players (without glaring flaws like high TO or terrible FT%) and go for one-or-two category savants later on. This will ensure that no one player can "kill" you in a single category - as it's difficult to recoup those lost points.

Hope this gives a little insight into the 2009 Fantasy Hoops picture. Good luck and happy drafting!

Show Cancelled

2009-10-16T19:32:00.002-04:00

Tonight's show is cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. Here is the article from Boston.com
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MEDFORD -- An electrical fire erupted today in underground utility tunnels near Medford Square, blasting two manhole covers 25 feet upward and sending flames high into the air.

No injuries have been reported and the subterranean fire has been extinguished, but not before knocking out electricity to 7,000 utility customers. More than half of those customers had service restored by early afternoon, but those who remain without power may have a long wait.

"Some customers will see lengthy outages," said Debbie Drew, a spokesman for National Grid, at a press conference with city officials.

The bulk of the outages were in south Medford and Hillside, a neighborhood that includes Tufts University. Facilities that lost power included a senior center and a public housing development on Willis Street.

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So power is out at WMFO (the Mothership). We'll be back next week with a jam packed show, we hope you join us then.

Often Imitated, Never Duplicated

2009-10-14T22:35:00.001-04:00

To borrow my friend Padraic's oft-used phrase, "so there I was..."

...a cold November morning, I'm 19 years old and standing in an airy gymnasium in my Reebok shorts learning how to get bodyslammed in preparation for an upcoming six-man tag team wrestling match that night featuring myself, as The Golden Child of course, and several of my classmates at Stonehill College. Out from behind a curtain walks an older gentleman with the assistance of a cane. A rubber band holds his beard in place. It's Captain Lou Albano. Wow. Suddenly, learning how to take a proper bodyslam is unimportant. I've got my eyes on Captain Lou as he gingerly strides toward the ring and proceeds to shout words of encouragement - not to a champion wrestler but to us guys, a bunch of college kids just learning how to do the moves. This guy was one of the biggest guys in the WWF when I was a kid. He disappears a little while later, reappears, then disappears again, just another wrestling veteran getting ready for another night's work.

Later that evening, after The Golden Child's team scored a pinfall victory with the help of numerous chaotic occurrences, I came upon Captain Lou in the hallway congratulating us on a job well done. He wasn't totally coherent (it's arguable if he ever was), and he had dropped about 100 pounds but he was still larger than life, even at his advanced age (which probably felt like dog years after all the time he'd spent in the ring). "Often imitated, never duplicated." This was a guy who was one of the most hated heels in all of wrestling, one half of "The Sicilians" tag team, and later manager of like 15 WWF tag team champions (including the British Bulldogs). He played Cyndi Lauper's dad in MTV music videos and Super Mario on Saturday morning cartoons. He was a big advocate for multiple sclerosis research. One of the biggest oddball personalities of that quirky decade known as the 1980's. When I met him, he was rambling on about something to do with an encounter with Willie Nelson. Guy was all over the place. And now Captain Lou is gone.

Traffic on the Tobin

2009-10-11T20:06:00.009-04:00

I hopped in the car tonight at about 745pm, and drove southbound on Route 1 in Saugus. I was approaching the Tobin when traffic came to a stand still. I tuned my radio to WBZ for the latest traffic report, and just to add to my misery there was a mile and half backup to the destination so many people (including myself) were seeking, the apex of the Tobin bridge. Then I thought, of course, everyone else is lining up to jump off the Tobin too. Who wouldn't after this day of Boston sports misery.

First, Jonathan Papelbon blew chunks, then Tom Brady followed suit. Of course, Brady's late-game fumble didn't end the Patriots season, so Papelbon will be the one stoned by me. Papelbon blows the season, then explains to the media that he will use this experience as motivation. Is it just me or he too stubborn to throw anything but his fastball? Maybe he should use this experience to learn how to throw another pitch besides a fastball. He had an 0-2 on Erick Aybar, yet threw him a fastball. He had Abreu down 1-2, yet threw him a fastball. Changing speeds is by far the best way to deceive a batter, the best baseball minds agree with that statement. Yet Papelbon's idea of changing speeds is going from 94 to 95 on his fastball. I fear that this loss is not an aberration, but is what we should expect more of from the man who calls himself cinco-ocho. Daniel Bard for closer! I'm starting the campaign, who's with me.

Familiar Territory

2009-10-10T10:11:00.002-04:00

Backs up against the wall, it's how the Red Sox enjoy living in the playoffs. Year after year they decide to ultimately push themselves to the brink and prove to themselves and others they are much better than what has previously transpired. So, here we are once again. In a 2-0 hole to the Halos with an anemic offense and pitching that has been good, but not great.

What may you ask is the prescription for a fever such as this? A little Fenway home cooking. The Sox have consistently held one of the best home records in baseball for the past 6 or 7 years and it's no fluke. The team is built offensively to play in this park 81+ home games a year, the fans are among the best in baseball, etc. Add one large green monster, combine ingredients, stir thoroughly, serve accordingly. Ultimately, what I am trying to say is this series is far from over.

Lets take a stroll down memory lane...

1999 - Sox go down 2-0 to the Indians. Insert epic comeback with a 23-7 game 4 drubbing and Super Pedro shuts down the Tribe with a game 5 series clincher bullpen appearance.

2003 - Quick 2-0 hole to the A's, complete with a bunt squeeze in game 2 to push the Sox to the brink. No sweat, cue the Trot Nixon heroics and a classic Derek Lowe playoff performance and the A's are disposed of.

2004 - No explanation necessary. Yankees choke, theeeeeeeeee Yankees CHOKE! Sox win first World Series in 86 years. All is right in the world.

2007 - Sox win the first game against the Tribe in the ALCS, then proceed to lose 3 straight and are right back in a familiar position. Once again, Schilling and Beckett combine to push a game 7 and business is taken care of. Onto the World Series for their second title in 3 years.

And here we stand on the precipice of another epic comeback or an epic fail. The Angels have motivation and momentum on their side; however, the Sox have the home crowd and a familiar scenario. I guarantee you right now that they will not fall 3 straight, this team is too good and too experienced to let that happen. Of course, I could always eat these words for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if they decide to just mail it in. Afterall, we did lose the two in Anaheim with only our best pitchers on the bump. God save us Clay Buchholz!

Kill the Umps?

2009-10-09T11:05:00.007-04:00

The crowd watching the game at Donohue's in Watertown was upset. The commenters on the Boston Globe website this morning are going out of their minds about the umps. How could C.B. Bucknor blow two calls at first base? He was killing the Sox out there! He was out of position! He's one of the worst umps in the game - how did he get assigned to this series?

Folks, it's not C.B. Bucknor who killed the Red Sox last night. It was John Lackey. Say what you want about the tubby righty, but he pitched 7 1/3 innings of stellar baseball. Despite not having overpowering stuff, Lackey kept the hitters off balance and induced a number of ground ball outs. The Sox lineup managed four hits and a walk, and David Ortiz went down swinging three times. That's not going to get the job done. Blame the bats, not the officiating crew.

It's not like these bad calls did anything but drive up Lester's pitch count, which hardly mattered, as Lester has the gas to throw well over 100 pitches whenever he wants; he blew away Mathis after the first bad call and calmly got three straight outs after the second one.

The offense is going to have to step it up tonight against Jered "Future Hot Garbage All-Star" Weaver (trust me, this kid's career is gonna go south just like his brother's). The southern Californians (well, at least those who care about baseball) love this kid and he's rewarded the fans with a very good season (16 wins, 3.73 ERA). He's been much better at home than on the road against Boston (7.06 ERA in four Fenway starts) so he's fortunate to be taking the hill tonight in Anaheim.

But the question is not so much Weaver as it is the Red Sox bats. When Ortiz and Bay aren't hitting, there's a huge hole in the middle of that lineup. Although I'm glad Victor Martinez will catch Beckett tonight, he needs the people behind him to hit, as well. And here's hoping Beckett doesn't bomb without his "personal catcher." This will be a good one, folks.

Tune into GameTime after the Sox-Angels game tonight for post-game reactions and a rundown of all the playoff action from both leagues.

Tale of Two CC's

2009-10-08T01:09:00.006-04:00

The 2009 Baseball postseason is underway, and the first day of action can be summed up as a tale of two CC's. The Yankees version, C.C. Sabathia, dawned the crooked cap of his new team for the first time in the playoffs, and looked every bit to be the ace they are paying him to be. He allowed 1 earned run over six and two-thirds innings, striking out 8 and walking no one. The key for Sabathia's success is the zero walks, when he goes bad, it is usually due to his inability to throw strikes. The Yankees won with relative ease 7-2 over the AL Central champs, let's see if Sabathia can keep this pace when the pressure is squarely on his broad shoulders.

A 1993 graduate of Trinity High School in Manchester, New Hampshire, is the second in the tale of two CC's. Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals, has pitched at a Cy Young level all season long, though he is most likely third in line for the award behind teammate Adam Wainwright and Tim Lincecum. Carpenter pitched at more of a Matt Young level on this night, game 1 of the NLDS. He gave up a season high 4 walks, along with 9 hits, in just five innings. For just the third time in 29 starts this season, he didn't produce a Quality Start. The Redbirds have to be disappointed in their ace, yet luckily, they still have an ace in the hole. Adam Wainwright, every bit the equal of Carpenter this year, is slated for game 2. Before this series, I loved the Cardinals due to their one-two punch at the top of the rotation, now I'm not so sure.

Two CC's, one long day of baseball. All of the home teams won on day one, let's hope for the Sox stake that the home team win streak is broken tomorrow.

Twin Killing

2009-10-07T01:17:00.008-04:00

Less than one week ago, the Detroit Tigers looked as though they had taken care of business by splitting a 4-game series with the Minnesota Twins, and holding a 2-game advantage with 3 games to play. Four games and five days later, the Tigers went the way of their hometown economy, and there are no bailouts in baseball. Forget about bailouts, the Tigers could not even get calls they deserved, like when Brandon Inge's baggy shirt was clearly grazed by a Bobby Koppel pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the 12th.

Even with this blatant error by home plate umpire, I still didn't feel bad for the team from America's armpit. Though I should, their football team just won their first game in nearly 2 years, their basketball team has quickly fallen from contender to also ran, and who cares how good their hockey team is, because its hockey. But I can't feel for a team whose leader was getting arrested after coming home drunk at 5am, the day before a game the Tigers desperately needed to win. How can you pull for a team with a leader who shows that much carelessness towards his job.

The Twins on the other hand, are a team I can support without much persuasion. They play the game the right way, get by with a limited payroll, and have had continued success under manager Ron Gardenhire. This is a team that just won 17 of their last 21 without their slugging first baseman, former MVP Justin Morneau. And even without Morneau behind him in the lineup, this year's MVP Joe Mauer has continued to carry this Twins team. This team of rag tags and vagabonds doesn't have the lineup to be in the playoffs, doesn't have the pitching to be in the playoffs, but they certainly have the heart, and they have the manager. Give me a team with heart, a great manager, and a wealth of confidence, and I'll show you a team with a chance to pull off the virtually impossible.

So while Minneapolis celebrates like crazy for the second consecutive night, and the Twins are enjoying a few adult beverages and a 3-hour flight to the Big Apple, the Yankees are sleeping comfortably in their own beds. Don't get too comfortable Yankees, because I have a few words of advice, don't sleep on these Twins.

The Fox Hole: Monday, October 5th

2009-10-05T12:07:00.003-04:00

It's tough to sort out the penalty calls from yesterday's Pats-Ravens tilt at Foxboro. Ray Lewis is exasperated that the officials aren't letting his team play the game the way they want to, and TV talking heads Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy agree with him. Is Ray Lewis right? I mean, the TV guys agree with him! Let's remember folks: Harrison and Dungy are both former defensive backs. Of course they're going to agree with Lewis about the state of defensive penalties in the NFL. Doesn't mean they're right. At least as far as the rules dictate. The rulebook was re-written to prevent quarterback injuries like the ones that happened to Brady and Carson Palmer, and those penalties will be called league-wide from now on. Granted, Brady went a little overboard gesturing for the ref to throw the flag, but what the heck was Terrell Suggs doing going after Brady's knees? Did he trip? Was he knocked down? No, he went in for a cheap shot on the quarterback, and he was penalized because now, you can't take cheap shots on the quarterback. The Patriots are expected to abide by the same rules as the rest of the league (you might remember a roughing-the-passer call on Adalius Thomas for hitting Trent Edwards in the season-opener). Nobody's babying the Patriots.

Mr. Lewis: your team lost. The Pats got the job done when it counted; you guys didn't. If you have a problem with the officials, read the rulebook. Also, get a wide receiver who can catch a ball thrown at his numbers - Mark Clayton isn't supposed to have the hands of a South Boston flag football league long-snapper (yeah, brotha). All I can hear out of the Baltimore locker room is "waaaaahhhhh..."

...Meanwhile, in Celtics camp, we have a Mike Sweetney sighting. Yes - that Mike Sweetney, a guy who was a double-double machine at Georgetown earlier this decade but whose NBA career has been marred by personal issues and an expanding waistline. It's clear that he's talented: he very much looked like Glen Davis during his stints in New York and Chicago, a short, widebody power forward capable of coming off the bench, scoring in bundles and pounding the boards. But the Celtics already have Glen Davis in that role, and he's accompanied at the 4 by Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace. Sweetney might not get a shot with the C's this year, but maybe the big guy will latch on somewhere...

...Is anybody else annoyed by the fact that we have to wait until Tuesday night (after the Twins-Tigers winner is decided) to find out when the Yankees want the playoffs to start, which in turn decides when the Red Sox face the Angels in Game 1? What difference does it make whether the Yankees face the Tigers or Twins? Can we just set a playoff schedule? Would you like to start on Wednesday, or would you like to start on Thursday? Yet another unecessary debacle in MLB - but you can be sure I'll be parked on my couch for the Sox game, whenever the heck it's played...

GAME TIME

2009-09-25T13:06:00.002-04:00

Hello and welcome to the home of "Game Time," Boston's independent sports radio broadcast on 91.5 WMFO FM Fridays at Midnight ET. The show is hosted by two veterans of the Boston sports radio underground with over a decade of experience in broadcasting: Sean Sylver of "Fire It Up" on 91.3 WSHL (Easton) and 91.5 WMFO (Medford) and Brian Brickley of "Dante & The Brick" and "The Brick House" on WVBC AM (Chestnut Hill) and 91.5 WMFO. Our third man, Jay Hall, is a former host of "Fire It Up" and will be contributing to the program regularly.

As you all know, Boston is full of sports radio listening options. August 2009 marked the entry of 98.5 The Sports Hub into the Boston radio market, running 890 ESPN AM into the ground and putting WEEI 850 AM on notice. We don't expect to attract more listeners than these powerhouses. What we do expect to do is something different from the same old, formulaic sports talk. So give us a try.

How to listen:

On your radio -
91.5 FM on Fridays at Midnight.
On the internet -
1) catch the streaming audio at www.wmfo.org
2) check us out on iTunes Radio under "Public," "WMFO."
After the show -
Check out the podcast right here at bostongametime.blogspot.com

Check back with us as we develop this website with daily blog entries, interviews, and other perspectives. And don't forget to listen to Game Time tonight at midnight (9 PM Pacific).

Jordan vs. Bird

2009-09-11T14:05:00.028-04:00

What a shame to be a Boston sports fan born in 1983. Think about a child's cognitive abilities: when do they become truly aware of sports? For me, I really didn't start figuring it all out until I was 4 or 5 years old. That was when I realized the Larry Bird and the Chief were Celtics, that the Bruins had Cam Neely and Ray Bourque, and the Sox had Dewey Evans (with his sweet mustache), Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, the Gator, and the like. As for football, I didn't care about the Patriots in the late 80's and early 90's; those were some serious lean years. If anything, I was infatuated with the super-exciting gridiron exploits of Philadelphia's Randall Cunningham. But as a young Boston sports fan, I missed out. The Bruins got dusted by Edmonton in two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals; a couple years later Ulf Samuelsson decked my favorite hockey player of all-time and things were never the same. The Big Three got old. The Red Sox couldn't get past the steroid-pumping A's in two trips to the ALCS. And as we've already noted, the Patriots stunk. So in the 90's, a terrible decade in Boston sports, what was I forced to observe? The Jordan Years. The Chicago Bulls won 6 championships in 8 years; the Celtics won nothing, and I was constantly sick to my stomach wishing a 40-year-old man with a bad back and a wispy mustache could magically return, beat Jordan's Bulls, and put the Green back on top. Needless to say, it never happened. With last weekend marking Jordan's enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA, ("The Admiral" David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer went in, too - but nobody talks about them) I think it's time to revisit the Jordan vs. Bird argument one more time - if only because I'm arrogant, love the Celtics, and will never give up the fight.

Let's first look at the rise of Jordan. It was the perfect storm. The quality of play in the league in the 1980's was such that the NBA's popularity was at least that of the NFL and Major League Baseball, which was truly unprecedented. The TV deals were huge, first with CBS and then with NBC. Advertisers started getting on board with the product. Dr. J, Magic, Bird and Bernard King had laid the groundwork as true basketball superstars in the major media markets of the United States. The NBA's owners reaped the benefits of this spectacular era with expansion from 23 to 27 teams in 1988 and 1989, and then 29 teams in 1995. Players began to receive more lucrative, long-term contracts and sneaker deals. As Dr. J got old, King blew out his ACL, Larry's back stiffened and Magic retired abruptly due to the HIV virus, one man, one superhuman physical specimen, was anointed king of the empire and ruler of all sports. Michael Jordan literally was the face of the professional sports in the 1990's, as recognizable as the President and probably even giving Jesus Christ a run for his money.

Any real observer of athletics would be able to tell you that sports evolve, not necessarily for the better, but separating the game into eras that aren't easily comparable. George Mikan was a dominant big man in the 50's, but could he post up Wilt? Bill Russell was a tremendous defender, but could he guard Shaq? What would a Bob Cousy-Magic Johnson showdown look like? There are differences: the shot clock, the 3-second rule, the 3-point line, the extent to which fouls are called. The eras are so different that the players themselves become lodged in a time capsule, untouchable and canonized for their performances against the greats of their day.

That is why such passionate debate exists throughout sports: who was really the best home run hitter of all time? Was it Barry Bonds? How about Hank Aaron, who we know didn't take steroids? Babe Ruth had the record before Aaron - and he was so dominant in his era that he hit more home runs than entire teams. And what about Josh Gibson? He was said to have hit about 800 home runs but wasn't allowed to play in the Majors because he was black. Who's the best tennis player ever? Is it a guy like Bjorn Borg with his wooden racket or a guy like Roger Federer, using plutonium racket frames and high-tension strings? Is Wayne Gretzky the greatest or just a crazy-talented guy who benefited from a high scoring era, while Bobby Orr (wearing no helmet) revolutionized the game 15 years prior to Gretzky's arrival on the scene? Is Usain Bolt better than Jesse Owens, who once showed up Hitler? It's all relative.

Which is why my vote for the "greatest basketball player of all-time" does not go to Michael Jordan. It was probably Oscar Robertson. But so many people are quick to call Jordan "the greatest." The media loves to shove Jordan down our throats. How do you think ol' Oscar feels? Dude averaged a triple-double one season - nobody else has ever done that. There's no arguing that Jordan was downright spectacular, perhaps even mythological. Whether we like it or not, he's an icon. But how do we measure greatness? Did Michael Jordan mean more to Chicago and the game of basketball than the greatest Boston players did playing in this city? The answer is no. Bill Russell for one - the greatest winner of all time with 11 championship rings, one for every finger, a thumb, and even a double-thumb like the one I had when I was born. The greatest defender in NBA history, without argument. A man who had the heart and the guile to stand up to Wilt the Stilt and win. The first black head coach (a player/coach to boot) in professional sports. And you can also be darned sure on a Boston sports website that I'm gonna run the argument out there for Larry Bird.

Jordan vs. Bird: One-on-One is more than just a video game from the 80's. It's an argument that has existed in my head for almost a decade. Once Jordan finally stopped hogging the spotlight and decided to retire once-and-for-all (though you can never be completely sure), I was able to look at the numbers and compare the body of work of these two great players. Well Fox, you might say, how can Bird top all of Jordan's scoring titles? Isn't scoring the most important statistic? Or is it championships? How can one even plead a case for Bird when the Bulls won six championships and Bird's Celtics only won three? Easy. Statistics aren't any good without the appropriate context. I'm going to give this argument context and explain the why behind the numbers. Additionally, a lot of the statistics actually favor Bird, fair and square. Surprised? Let's go.

To start it off: both won the Wooden Award as the top player in college basketball. Jordan, as a college freshman, was part of the North Carolina Tar Heels team that won the NCAA Championship. He was far from the best player on that team, and even though Bird carried the Indiana State Sycamores to the title game in '79, his team didn't cut down the nets. So if Jordan's college career is better than Bird's because he played third banana on a UNC team that won it all while Bird averaged 30 points and 13 rebounds for his college career and didn't win...I don't see it.
Edge: None

Both won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Edge: None

Scoring: Jordan is the best pure scorer the game has ever seen. His 10 scoring titles attest to that.
Jordan: 30.1 ppg Bird 24.3 ppg Edge: Jordan

Field Goal Shooting:
I don't think there's a person in the room who doesn't see this as a wash.
Jordan: 49.7% Bird: 49.6% Edge: None

Free Throw Shooting:
Jordan was a terrific free-throw shooter. Bird led the league in percentage from the charity stripe four times, and is 7th all-time.
Jordan: 83.5% Bird: 88.6% Edge: Bird

Three-Point Shooting:
Bird's career began with the NBA adding the 3-point line in 1979. After a few rough years, Bird matured into a dominant marksman and 3-time Long Distance Shootout champion. Jordan was never a good 3-point shooter, posting his best totals when the league moved the 3-point line closer to the basket in the mid-90's.
Jordan: 32.7% Bird: 37.6% Edge: Bird

Passing: One of the most basic skills in the game. Bird is regarded as the "ultimate team player" while Jordan took a number of years to shake the "ball hog" tag. As an off-guard on a team that never had a true distributor, Jordan's dominance of the rock approaches Kobe levels.
Jordan: 5.3 apg Bird: 6.3 apg Edge: Bird

Rebounding: While Jordan, at 6'6" was an excellent rebounding guard, Bird's numbers as a small forward were both remarkable and amazingly consistent (between 8.5 and 11.0 rpg every full season of his career).
Jordan: 6.2 rpg Bird 10.0 rpg Edge: Bird

Defense: Here's one that goes beyond the numbers. Jordan averaged 2.3 steals per game to Bird's 1.7 steals, and Jordan and Bird both averaged 0.8 blocks per game. However, Jordan received nine All-Defensive First Team nods, including the 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year, while Bird made appearances on the All-Defensive Second Team three times. Bird was clearly no slouch on D, but Jordan was one of the better perimeter defenders of his generation.
Edge: Jordan

Intangibles: Here you can pick the "ultimate team player" and the guy Bill Walton would have you believe not only saved his career, but also his life (tongue in cheek - I love Bill Walton's malapropisms) or a guy known as the "greatest competitor" ever. Who would you rather have? And is there any way to define who was more "clutch?" The number of huge shots both of these guys made could each have their own DVD.
Edge: None

Excitement/Clutch: How can this one be quantified? Jordan was lightning fast and could pull off amazing dunks (2-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion). Bird was an awkward looking guy nicknamed "The Hick from French Lick" who was the best shooter in the league. The list of amazing moments Larry Bird provided in a Celtics uniform can stand up to Jordan's any day. Everyone loves to talk about how Jordan ended his career (well actually, he didn't, because he came out of retirement again three years later) by pushing off on Bryon Russell and hitting a jump shot to win the NBA Finals against the Jazz. But does that trump Bird's steal and assist to Dennis Johnson to defeat the Pistons in the '87 East Finals? Would you pick Jordan's shot over Ehlo in the '89 Eastern Conference first round or Bird's banker that won the '81 East Finals over Philly? The Jordan "flu game" and the 6 threes in the Finals against the Blazers, or the Bird "cheekbone game" in the playoffs against Indy and the showdown with Dominique Wilkins where Bird buried 20 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game on 9 of 10 shooting?
Edge: None

Accolades: Jordan won five MVPs to Bird's three. Jordan (1) even beat out Bird (2) for the award in 1987-88, while Bird (1) finished ahead of Jordan (6) in 1984-85, Jordan's rookie campaign. Bird finished in the top four a total of 9 times (including his rookie year) while Jordan was there 8 times. But Jordan has more trophies so he wins this category. I could get my two cents in about MVP votes being incredibly subjective, how Bird had to take on Magic, Moses, Kareem and Dr. J in their primes while Jordan spent the 90's up against (in my opinion) weaker competition like Barkley, The Mailman, Hakeem and The Admiral, but these guys are all Hall of Famers and Jordan has the most trophies. So be it.
Edge: Jordan

Playoffs: This is easy, right? The 90's Bulls won six championships while the 80's Celtics only won three. Bird went 3/5 in Finals appearances while Jordan went 6/6. But the same way people discredit Bill Russell's 11 titles (there was no competition then!), I would argue there is more than meets the eye here. First, the NBA of the 80's was characterized by great teams of tremendous depth. Expansion during Jordan's career diluted the talent pool so the Bulls had a number of "cake walk" playoff matchups against teams with only one star player (or none). The Celtics, meanwhile, had a dogfight every year just to get out of the Eastern Conference: first, the Dr. J Sixers and later, the Bad Boy Pistons. The Bulls beat the washed-up Pistons, Ewing's Knicks, Zo's Heat, and Shaq and Penny's Magic as rivals. There's not even a comparison - those Philly and Detroit teams would not only have wiped the floor with the Bulls rivals, but also the Bulls themselves. Consider: the Celtics and Bad Boy Pistons beat Jordan's Bulls in five straight postseasons! "Well," you say, "the Bulls beat the Lakers in the Finals while the Celtics lost to the Lakers two out of three trips!" And you'd be kidding me, right? The Lakers teams in the 80's had Hall of Famers coming off the bench, while the 90-91 Bulls beat a Lakers team that started Sam Perkins and Vlade Divac. No comparison.

For their careers, Jordan played in 37 playoff series while Bird played in 33 (the NBA had a shorter playoff format early in Bird's career). Let's measure the difficulty of the competition. How many Hall-of-Famers did each player beat during their careers in the playoffs? I've included shoo-ins who aren't yet eligible for induction.

Jordan: Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Gary Payton, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Dominique Wilkins, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Mullin. Total: 15

Bird: Moses Malone, Calvin Murphy, Rick Barry, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Akeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Adrian Dantley, Dennis Rodman, Bob Lanier, Patrick Ewing, Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin, Michael Jordan. Total: 19

The website www.basketball-reference.com has a Hall-of-Fame probability function that lists the likelihood of a particular player to make the Hall. Amongst players that aren't already enshrined and aren't shoo-ins, are the following players, all with a greater than 25% chance of making the Hall. They might not all make it, but they certainly represent the toughest competitors of their era. In the playoffs, Jordan beat Chris Webber, Tim Hardaway, Mark Aguirre and Kevin Johnson. Bird beat Bernard King, Spencer Haywood, Jamaal Wilkes, Marques Johnson, Jack Sikma and Sidney Moncrief. Who faced tougher competition? Even in fewer matchups? Larry Legend.
Jordan: 19 Bird: 25 Edge: Bird

Everyone loves to laud Jordan for his 63-point outburst in a playoff game against the Celtics in 1986. Do they ever mention who won the game? The Celtics. Sure, Larry said after the game, "that was God disguised as Michael Jordan," but Larry also knew the Celtics were moving on to the second round of the playoffs and the Bulls were headed home to play golf. Jordan's Bulls never won a single game against Bird's Celtics in the playoffs in two matchups ('86 and '87). Jordan must have really honed his golf game those years.

Who's the greatest team of all-time, the '96 Bulls (72 wins) or the '86 Celtics (68 wins)? Depends who you ask. All I know is the Bulls got to play the expansion Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies a total of six times that season (they went 5-1). Another example of talent dilution. Even the '86 Knicks, the worst team the Celtics had to face that year, had Patrick Ewing at center. Nobody is talking about Oliver Miller or Bryant "Big Country" Reeves, the big men that faced off against the '96 Bulls. I'd say the Celtics were better with DJ, Ainge, Bird, McHale and Parish (Wedman and Walton off the bench) against Harper, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Longley (with Kukoc and Kerr off the bench). But maybe I'm showing my Boston bias. I apologize.

MJ was once asked who he would want to take a shot with the game on the line, other than himself. Before the question could be finished, he answered, "Larry Bird." Although Bird wins by my measure, 5-3, I'm not sure if I can actually say "Larry Bird was better than Michael Jordan" without getting positively skewered. So I won't. Even though I just showed you how he was. I can tell you they are equals in the pantheon of basketball greats. Bird was a better shooter, passer and rebounder who played (and won) against tougher competition. Jordan was a better scorer and defender who was more decorated. Just put away this "The Greatest" garbage. That's for Muhammad Ali. Otherwise, it's just a way to sell magazines. Jordan had the advantages of playing against a weaker league, referees giving him calls (admit it - Bird posted up half the time and averaged 5.0 free throw attempts per game; Jordan, a guard, averaged 8.2), and all the media hype. He deserved the media hype; he was awesome. But Michael Jordan, the supernova himself, was clearly a product of the 90's superstar infatuation, while Bird shared the spotlight with another transcendent talent in Magic Johnson. Nobody can ever convince me that Jordan was better than the greatest winner of all-time, our guy Bill Russell. And nobody can ever convince me that MJ was any better than the Hick from French Lick, Larry Bird. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. Feel free to disagree in the comments section below.

Road Trip Wrap Up

2009-09-01T15:24:00.011-04:00

Day Four: Woke up in Kansas City and headed to the museums on 18^th and Vine: The American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. While the former was filled with history (as well as Bill Clinton’s saxophone), the latter was the focus of our day. Jay, lover of history and baseball (it says so in his facebook profile), was particularly piqued by the tales of the game as played by black men before Jackie Robinson came along. It has always made me wonder: what if Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige were able to play with Babe Ruth and the best white players of the day? Would the Home Run King be Josh Gibson and not Barry Bonds, as it is now? Food for thought.

Speaking of food, we then headed for Arthur Bryant’s where I downed a pulled pork sandwich and Jay destroyed a plate of ribs in record time. It was delicious; the fries were crispy and the 44 oz. Lemonade was perfect on a 95 degree day.

Next stop - Kauffman Stadium for a Royals/Indians game and boy did we see a doozie. Zach Greinke continued his surge to the American League Cy Young Award by striking out 15 Cleveland batters over 8 innings, a new team record, supplanting the immortal Mark Gubicza. Apparently Royals attendance surges by several thousand on the nights Greinke pitches, and this night was no exception: the atmosphere was electric. The outfield fountains are pretty cool to see up close, but for this game, the real action was on the field as the fans stood for every 2-strike count. A Royals win moved us to 2-0 on the road trip.

Ballpark tip: Not only can you get the baseball cap filled with ice cream – they’ll top it off with jimmies, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a cherry. I’ve never seen that at Fenway. Another note: Tuesday nights in KC are “T-Shirt Tuesdays.” I've got my powder blue number all ready to go.

We finished the Tuesday evening downtown in the Power & Light district, which wasn’t really hopping, but the piano bar Howl at the Moon provided some entertainment, Fat Tire ales and a big fruity drink at Jay’s suggestion. One of the band members was from Boston and gave us a shout-out, perhaps in deference to my harmonizing on Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” They played a medley of Huey Lewis and the News songs at Jay’s request, and a bunch of hammered Kansas City office workers kept things interesting on the sidelines.

Day Five: Despite wanting a return trip to Arthur Bryant’s, we left for St. Louis early the next morning. Upon arrival, we spent the afternoon wandering around the Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion beneath it. I would suggest visiting this museum because it gives the historical perspective from all sides, of which I found the Native American side particularly meaningful. When Terence Mann says “America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers” in Field of Dreams, he was right. The entire experience of "manifest destiny" and its consequences is powerful stuff.

On to the game – a lot of people say the new Busch Stadium isn’t particularly special but Jay and both agree it’s a great place to watch a ballgame. It starts with the fans: people have long said Cardinals fans are the best in the game and, sorry Chicago people, they just might be. They know their stuff. Plus they’re nice, which is a foreign concept to Boston fans. The atmosphere made it seem like this Wednesday night matchup against the Astros was a key game in the pennant race. Roy Oswalt got outpitched by a charter member of the Hot Garbage All Stars, Joel Piniero, and the Cards took home the victory, moving us to 3-0 on the trip. Julio Lugo made an appearance as a pinch hitter, walked, and stole a base. Good grief.

Day Six: Drove through the night, woke up in Chicago and headed north to Milwaukee. Come on, Illinois! This road construction is brutal! You can do better! (and now you can tell I’m starting to get tired and cranky) The Brew Crew took on the Reds under the roof on a rainy, 65 degree day. This was actually my first experience watching indoor baseball, but luckily Miller Park is “open” on the sides, avoiding the sterile experience of places like the Metrodome or Tropicana Field (neither of which I’ve seen, but Jay’s been to Tampa). It was a relatively uneventful game: the Brewers got most of their scoring in the first on a Prince Fielder blast and held the lead until the middle innings when starter Dave Bush tired and we were treated to the “Mark DeFelice experience.” The reliever got lit up and the Reds, led by Joey Votto (who had two impressive games on the trip) prevailed 8-5. We did get to see Bernie Brewer go down his slide but it’s disappointing that Bernie spends the rest of his time trapped in “Bernie’s Dugout” like a zoo exhibit, waiting for someone to hit a homer. If they had the Mets’ lineup, Bernie’s life would be pretty boring. And the fans - can't forget them - as the loss represented a Cincinnatti sweep at Miller Park, the fans were bitter. As one woman said (in perfect Wisconsin tongue) "I can't wait for Payck-ers season to start."

The Chorizo took the famous Sausage Race, beating out my guy, Polish. Jay’s allegiance was with the Brat, who finished in fourth. After some standard fare and Sox-watching at Fanatics sports bar, it was back to Chicago.

Day Seven: Ate breakfast at my favorite Chicago spot, Frances’, and walked the twenty minutes over to Wrigley. The gameday atmosphere is always great in Chicago, even on a foggy day like this one. The Cubs fans are uniquely amusing: somewhere along the line they lost the happy-go-lucky attitude and expected to win something. Maybe it was 2003. Oops. Unfortunately, the results have been the same: this particular Cubs team stinks and the general manager should be canned. Unfortunately, Cubs fans can’t boo Jim Hendry directly so they boo Milton Bradley and Alfonso Soriano when they misplay easy popups. Never one to boo my hometown players, I decided to add fuel to the fire and call out these hapless "fans." Sure enough, Soriano and Bradley were the ones who helped the Cubs charge back and win the game! And boy did the Cubs fans cheer! What a mess. Anyways, any day spent at Wrigley is a great time, no matter where you sit, even if that awful “Go Cubs, Go” song blares over the PA system at the end of the game. Wrigley beats out Fenway for holding fast to its tradition, right down to the lack of a video board and solid use of the organ both in between innings and during the game.

After an extremely filling meal at Uncle Julio’s, we went to this place Citizen, following in the trend of bars that feel the need to have a one word, singular name. The idea of drinking and socializing on the deck outside was quickly squashed by the management, who moved everyone indoors to listen to techno remixes of classic songs such as "And Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals. Brutal. The fact that nobody was really dancing and I couldn’t hear myself think, much less talk to somebody else guarantees I won’t be back at Citizen anytime soon. Finishing up at Butch McGuire’s was a solid audible and a much better choice – I’m always happy to be there.

Eight and Nine: On Saturday we spent some quality time being tourists in the Windy City with assistance from my lovely girlfriend and on Sunday we drove nearly 15 hours back home. It was a great trip; and despite the fact that I often yell at Jay on the radio, I didn't kill him, he didn't kill me, and we were lucky to have friends help us along the way and a roommate to pick us up after the trip when we dropped off our rental car. We saw a lot, had a great time, and I would deem it a total success.

Road Trip Journal 1

2009-08-25T10:28:00.006-04:00

Greetings from the road! I write this from the Comfort Inn in downtown Kansas City - traveling in style - not to mention our sweet Subaru Legacy rental with a sunroof. Some notes from the trip so far…

Day One: The drive from Boston to Pittsburgh took 10 hours; we would’ve made it in nine if not for some road construction 15 miles outside of the Steel City. The drive was pretty cool, including driving through some mountains – literally right through them in tunnels. Every time we see an advertisement for fireworks, Jay pipes up. Kid gets so excited he’s startled me a few times while driving. Pittsburgh really is a great city – this being my second visit there – and PNC Park stands as one of the best baseball parks in America. The facility itself is charming without being quirky, and the view of the Pittsburgh skyline is tremendous. In this game the Bucs throttled the Reds 12-2 behind seven strong innings from Zach Duke (we share a birthday) and a huge night from Ryan Doumit, who blasted a 415-foot shot into the right field seats 5 rows behind where Jay and I were sitting. It’s great seeing Andrew McCutchen in person; he’s a star in the making, and Garrett Jones and Lastings Milledge didn’t look too bad either. 32,000 plus showed up for the game and the ensuing KC and the Sunshine Band concert. They also trotted out the roster for the 30th anniversary of the 1979 World Series champions before the game – big ovations for sidewinding closer Kent Tekulve and “The Cobra” Dave Parker. Jay and I skipped out on KC and the Sunshine Band and headed across the street to Mullen’s, which was kind of empty since a lot of the people stayed at the park for renditions of “Shake Your Booty” and “Get Down Tonight.” A couple of Yuenglings later and we were headed to the Motel 6.

Ballpark tip: for $4.00 you can get a plate of pierogies, which are hot and pretty tasty. Then in between innings they have the infamous pierogi race. Jay picked the one with the yellow hat and she/he/it won. The pierogi with the yellow hat has the most victories this season, with 16.

Day Two: Made the drive from Pittsburgh to Canton, OH to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Great place – particularly some of the older, pre AFL-NFL merger stuff. Jay and I both noticed the lack of Boston influence on the museum – until Drew Bledsoe came to the Patriots and everything changed for the better...There's also a nice exhibit of the 21-game winning streak of 2003-04. And Steelers fans crawling all over the place - I pretty much avoided interaction with those types.

We then headed for a stopover in Chicago but not before stopping in South Bend, IN to drive through the Notre Dame campus.

Day Three: Woke up and drove to Dyersville, IA, home of the Field of Dreams. After several hours of corn sightseeing, we pulled off the highway onto a rural gravel road. And then it hits you – a baseball field in the middle of nowhere. When we pulled in, a family was having batting practice on the infield. According to the site, the field gets 65,000 visitors a year. Why would 65,000 people visit a baseball field in the middle of nowhere? It’s just a great place to be. You can literally spend the whole day there – people come and go, taking turns pitching and hitting; I got to step in and take a few swings against somebody’s dad and Jay wound up throwing BP to a little kid. The miles of corn stretching past the outfield, rickety bleachers and peace and quiet make the Field of Dreams a truly unique experience.

We then moved to the outfield for a little wiffleball – while chasing one of my drives into the corn, Jay had a bad encounter with a corn stalk that resulted in a bloody toe. Jay says he left a piece of himself in Iowa. After a fun afternoon and a legitimate Iowa sunburn, we headed west and then south for Kansas City - a 5 1/2 hour haul. And that's where we are now.

Road Trippin'

2009-08-21T07:35:00.002-04:00

Time for a good ol' manly road trip to watch some sports and eat some barbecue! Yeah, brotha! The Fire Station will be the headquarters for updates on the Great American Baseball Road Trip 2009. Sean and Jay will be checking in from the road with updates, pictures and videos starting this weekend. Can they make it to Pittsburgh before 7 o'clock Saturday night? Will Sean's sciatica flare up under treacherous driving conditions? Who will win the Sausage Race in Milwaukee? Will that awful "Go Cubs, Go" song be played in Chicago? Do other places play "Sweet Caroline?" (Please no) Will Jay find true love with a Midwestern farmer's daughter? Can they drive over 3,300 miles in 9 days? Cue the shenanigans!

The schedule:

Saturday August 22nd: Cincinnati Reds @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Day 2: Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH)
Day 3: Field of Dreams (Dyersville, IA)
Day 4: Cleveland Indians @ Kansas City Royals
Day 5: Houston Astros @ St. Louis Cardinals
Day 6: Cincinnati Reds @ Milwaukee Brewers
Day 7: New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs
Day 8: Chicago
Sunday August 30th: Drive to Boston

See You Soon - The Spinners

Radio Somewhere

2009-08-05T18:53:00.003-04:00

Fire It Up will be back on the air Thursday, August 6th from 8-10 PM Eastern time. No tricks up our sleeve...just two hours of sports talk on good ol' 91.5 WMFO in Medford, MA. We always advertise ourselves as the "voice of the fans," so call in and choose the topics!

Call-in number: 617-627-3800

Here's how you can listen:

91.5 FM in the Boston area for you folks who still use your radio.

www.wmfo.org for the internet stream.

iTunes Radio under "Public," "WMFO."

Steroids

2009-07-30T15:12:00.005-04:00

If you haven't already heard, the New York Times outed Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz as names on a 2003 list of MLB players who failed tests for performance enhancing drugs, the same "confidential" list that leaked Alex Rodriguez's name last winter. And as a lifelong Sox fan, I'm not the least bit surprised. It has nothing to do with my fandom, or what I think of Ortiz and Ramirez as people or contributors to the community (well, Manny doesn't really contribute to any community but I'll include him in the statement). I just accept it and shake my head; I've known it and I've known the reasons for a long time.

Why, so often on this blog and on the radio, do I get lost in nostalgic rememberances of guys like Clemente, Feller, Aaron and Musial? Yaz and Mr. Cub and Mark "The Bird" Fydrich? Because they were great, and for all I know, they weren't trying to put one over on anybody. We all know absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the fact of the matter is, we the people subsidize the very BS we're getting all upset about. We have built professional (and college - don't get me started on that) sports up so much in the last fifty years that it now controls our lives. And we let it: we pay for the Fenway season tickets, park our asses in front of the TV on NFL Sundays, buy the products that the stadium's corporate sponsors produce (what're they gonna call the Garden next?) - in turn the owners get fat (and in some cases, become celebrities), the players unions set their ridiculous demands, and a bunch of numbskulls who play with balls for a living get $100 million in the bank and more reverence than the Pope. What the heck are we doing? Have we ever truly asked that of ourselves? What the heck have we done?

Here's a reminder folks: it's a game. It's there to entertain us. Sports don't really matter. The Hall of Fame? Cool to look at - but let's not think of it as some holy shrine, let's look at it for what it is: a history book. Pete Rose and the Juicers (could be a band name) should be in that Hall of Fame: they're a part of the history. So don't be all upset that you found out your beloved "Big Papi" was putting needles in his butt; we've all been getting duped - for years!

And now comes the endless chatter from the dim-witted pundits. The Yankees fans on the Boston.com comment board that are writing "1918" and making up clever nicknames for Ortiz and Ramirez are having their moment in the sun (or at least in the lamp light of Mom and Dad's basement). Red Sox fans, a lot of them anyway, are apologists. Hypocrites. I can't imagine what's going on over at WEEI right now. How about this season's hot seller, the "A-Roid" t-shirt with the little needle in the place of the "I?" Yeah, I know - real cute. How's that looking right now? At least my "Daubach Is My Daddy" t-shirt from 1999 stands the test of time for pure irony, which is the very reason I bought it when I was 16 years old. Irony.

We're sports fans rooting for ridiculous people in a ridiculous time. Who really even cares? Get out of it what you get out of it. If you like to watch David Ortiz launch massive home runs, applaud him. Don't even start with the character argument. MLB can't even test for "that stuff" (HGH) so for all we know, they're still all on drugs. These guys are cartoon characters as opposed to men of character. Quit trying to apologize for your fallen heroes if you were dumb enough to put them on the pedestal in the first place. Just go into the bathroom, look at yourself in the mirror and say "I've been duped: a bunch of guys that are rich beyond belief and apparently way smarter than me have made me think that sports actually matter."

In less than a month, I'm taking a week off from work to go on a road trip with Jay. One of the stops along the way is the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, IA. It's still my favorite movie. Remember what Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) said in that prolific speech:

"They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game. It'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."

There was a time when this game stood for something, representing a carefree ethic that transcended wars and depression. That time has passed. Baseball's taking us to the cleaners just like the banks did. It's time to accept it, shake our heads and move on; we've known it and we've known the reasons for a long time.

Knee Jerk Update

2009-07-25T11:34:00.002-04:00

The Bruins today signed defenseman Derek Morris to a 1 year 3.3 million dollar deal. Morris, formerly with the Rangers, is a more experienced "puck moving" d-man than the recently traded Aaron Ward.

Well, so there goes my Phil Kessel theory right out the window. So much for using the recently open cap space to re-sign #81. This might be it for Kessel, unless they trade away someone again to free up more space. Good luck Mr. Chiarelli in doing so.

Knee Jerk Reaction to Ward Deal

2009-07-24T12:16:00.005-04:00

The Bruins announced just earlier that they have traded veteran defenseman Aaron Ward to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for former Boston College standout Patrick Eaves and a 4th round pick in next year's draft. Subsequently, the Bruins also announced that they placed the newly acquired Eaves on waivers for the purpose of buying him out.

Here's the logic folks...

You can all but guarantee that Phil Kessel will be back in a Bruins uniform this upcoming season with the result of this deal. Aaron Ward was carrying a 2.5 million dollar salary this season, which is now off the books and could be used as part of a new deal for Kessel. Yes, the B's did just trade a guy who has a wealth of playoff experience and who was consistently paired on the top defensive line alongside Zdeno Chara; however, Ward was in his final year with the Bruins and his game was beginning to slide a bit last season.

It will be interesting to see what Chiarelli decides to do with the money he now has to play with. Like I said above, I'm banking on the fact that Kessel is about to sign an extension. David Lefort of the Globe states that there are other possibilities as well though. He suggests that they could use the new space to trade Kessel to another club and acquire an impact defenseman, which is a very valid point. He also states that they could potentially sign a UFA like Mathieu Schneider or Sergei Zubov (two players who's best days are behind them).

Out of the three possible scenarios now available to Chiarelli/Neely & Co., I would lean on them to sign Kessel. If you look at it, last season was Kessel's true breakout year by scoring 36 goals and finishing with his first plus rating of his young career. Yes, the knock on him is that he isn't a complete player, but he is still only 21 years old and there is so much more developmental potential for him in the defensive zone. Sure, it would be nice to gain a Thomas Kaberle-type "puck moving" defenseman, but it is so rare in this age of NHL that you have such a gifted natural goal scorer on your hands.

In the end, my prediction is that Kessel signs a two or three year deal worth around 4.5-5 million (a very Patrice Bergeron-esque contract money-wise (before his concussions he was a point per game player)). Kessel is not ready, nor does he deserve to be paid like one of the elite scorers in the NHL. He still has a lot to prove in the defensive zone as well as overcome periods of Brian Daubach style slumps.

Mark Buehrle and the Road to 300 Wins...

2009-07-23T17:15:00.005-04:00

Just about to leave the office today; I check ESPN.com and what do you know, Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game at Comiskey this afternoon. What's even more incredible: it's his second no-hitter (the other coming in 2007, where, amazingly, he also faced the minimum of 27 batters - retiring Sammy Sosa on a pickoff play). Sometimes guys like Jose Jimenez or Bud Smith get lucky and have that one moment of brilliance, but now the ChiSox lefty has done it twice, something only Bob Forsch, Nolan Ryan, Hideo Nomo and Randy Johnson have managed to do over the last 30 years (not counting Kent Mercker and Mike Witt, who participated in two no-no's but didn't start and finish both). And only 17 guys all-time have thrown a perfect game. Mark Buehrle is pretty legit. He's a lock to throw 200 innings and win 13-16 games every year, is a four-time All-Star, and he sports a career ERA of 3.78. If Josh Beckett was that good, Jay would throw a huge parade. Yet, Mark Buehrle is never mentioned among the best pitchers in the game.

Part of it is because he plays for the White Sox. The Cubs (and their plight) are an obsession to Chicagoans, to the point where their fans invented the "Billy Goat Curse" so they could be miserable like Red Sox fans. The White Sox have had some equally bad teams over the years, but they've been pretty good this decade: over .500 every year except '07 and three playoff appearances, including the 2005 World Series crown. Unfortunately, the Cubs still haven't managed to win anything, sucking up all the attention; even if they did, the ChiSox would still be Page 2 news in the Windy City.

Part of it is because Buehrle is a finesse lefty and not a power lefty in the mold of Johnson or Johan Santana. He's a quick, efficient worker. I'd trade Daisuke for him in a second: imagine how much less time we'd waste watching baseball games if that were the case. He was a 38th round pick who made his first major league start against Eric Milton in a solid 7-inning debut that was overshadowed on SportsCenter by the fact that the Milton-Buerhle matchup looked a lot like the name of comedian Milton Berle. He's had a quiet career despite eight straight seasons (and counting) over 200 innings, double-digit wins every one of those years (also counting, with a peak of 19 in 2002) and seven Opening Day assignments as the White Sox starter.

So tonight, in the wake of his perfect game, I'm going to make some noise about Mark Buerhle.

Mark Buehrle will be the next 300-game winner in the Major Leagues.

I've trotted this argument out a few times on the radio. Whenever Alan called in to talk about the disappearance of 20-win seasons by pitchers, we'd launch into a debate about the next 300-game winner (after Maddux, Glavine and Johnson retired). Who was my guy? Buehrle. And it's actually not that hard to see why. Baseball-reference.com has Buehrle averaging 15 wins a year. He's at 133 wins right now. Playing conservative, let's say he gets five more wins this season. That's 138. If he averages 15 wins over the next 10 years (not impossible for a finesse lefty), he'd be at 288 wins. Right on the doorstep at 40 years old.

How does that rate with his peers? 31 active pitchers have more than 120 wins. Only three of those pitchers are 30 years old or younger: Buehrle, Santana and C.C. Sabathia. Buehrle has seven more wins than Sabathia (28 years old, 126 wins) and 13 more than Santana (30, 120). Roy Halladay (32, 142), Roy Oswalt (31, 135) and Javier Vazquez (32, 134) are the three youngest guys slightly ahead of Buehrle. Oswalt (Pedro-like body type), and Vazquez (he's Javier Vazquez, for goodness sake) probably won't make it there. To put it nicely, Sabathia isn't the most well-conditioned athlete. People worry about Santana, a power lefty, burning out. Halladay probably has a shot, but he's 32 and has already logged a few injury-plagued campaigns.

That leaves good old Mark Buehrle. Sure, there are some hiccups (his 4.99 ERA in 2006 was his worst by far) but in the end, the man who threw a perfect game today is baseball's ultimate model of pitching consistency: a guy who takes the ball every fifth day and puts his team in a position to win. That's a guy who has a great shot to win a lot of ballgames. And it doesn't hurt to be able to dial it up a little and, on occasion, shut the other team down completely, like he did today. Will Buehrle make a run at Nolan Ryan's record of seven no-hitters? It's not impossible.

In A Simple Rhyme

2009-07-15T11:05:00.006-04:00

It happens every July: the host team of the Midsummer Classic trots out its respective legends to display the rich history of the franchise to a national TV audience. It's always a big deal: at Yankee Stadium last year, even recently in Houston or Milwaukee - two teams with less-than-rich histories. Ten years ago at Fenway, the Red Sox brought out Ted Williams in a golf cart, and folks are still talking about it today. The All-Stars swarmed; legends in-the-making like Ripken and Gwynn crowding close just to get a handshake or a few words with the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived. On that night, Williams was a living monument to a bygone era in baseball history - an overly romanticized past that is becoming ever so difficult to snuggle up to as our record books are rewritten by superpowered sluggers of today and the old greats pass on. Last night in St. Louis, another great humbly took center stage: Stan Musial.

Musial stands as one of my all-time favorites because he was different from Williams or Joe Dimaggio. While Williams is rightly revered as an American hero for his contributions to our country's war efforts, his love of children, and his iconic cultural status, Teddy Ballgame (right or wrong) also has this image of being cantankerous and stubborn. Allen Barra once called him "baseball's John Wayne," which I think is apt; Williams was a larger-than-life, imperfect hero. Dimaggio's shining personality and hefty baseball accomplishments were overshadowed by the effect of glaring media machines in New York and Hollywood on his turbulent private life.

I don't think anybody's ever had a bad thing to say about Stan Musial. His legacy is just so much more simple. Consistency. Class. He played for one team for 22 seasons; over 3,000 games. He didn't reach any major power milestones, but he amassed seven batting titles. He's second all-time in total bases and third all-time in - get this - doubles. Not exactly a sexy statistic. He showed up every spring and did what was expected of him. By all accounts, he's a great guy. And yet, he often gets lost in the discussion of baseball's all-time greats. Why? Maybe it's because he played in St. Louis as opposed to New York, where the Yankees have erected monuments to guys who weren't half the ballplayers Stan Musial was. Or maybe it's because he set a quiet example. We can all learn from Stan Musial. The "look at me," admiring the home run, Chris-Canty-dancing-after-a-QB-sack approach isn't the only way to do it. Stan was The Man - he'd just never tell you himself.

Howard Bryant once wrote of a similar class act, Hank Aaron, "The greatest virtue of authenticity is that it never loses value, even if its most important qualities at times go unnoticed. Eventually, craftsmanship, and the sweat that goes into it, will be respected." Stan Musial, at 88 years old, deserves our respect and our loudest ovations. There aren't too many left from his era, and few exhibit such a high degree of class and professionalism. His nickname, a simple rhyming couplet, fits perfectly.

For an even more well-written perspective on Stan Musial, check out Joe Posnanski:
http://www.kansascity.com/180/story/1325530.html

Trades and Shoulders, Needles and Toes...

2009-06-23T15:21:00.007-04:00

...Daisuke has been a mess this year, and it's probably because he's been doing things his own way (as Michael Silverman reports in the Boston Herald today). He didn't stick with the Red Sox offseason throwing program; he wasted all his bullets on the silly World Baseball Classic, and now he's a multi-million-dollar DL spot. I'm not going to jump on him and say he's a bust. But for that much money, he should at least do what his employers tell him to do. This isn't Japan, pal. Daisuke is somewhere between the 18-3, 2.90, five-inning nibbler of last year and the 14-12, 4.40, kind of messy guy we saw the year before. Either one of those guys can help the back end of the Sox rotation, and I'd love to see him back healthy - just not the guy we're seeing right now...

...The Celtics could do a lot this offseason, or they could hold firm. Though Danny Ainge tells us he's doing the latter, reports surfaced yesterday that the C's offered to trade Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to Detroit for the troika of Prince, Hamilton and Stuckey. On one hand, this trade would add depth:

C Kendrick Perkins
PF Kevin Garnett
SF Paul Pierce
SG Richard Hamilton
PG Rodney Stuckey

Bench: Tayshaun Prince, House, Allen, Scalabrine, Walker, Giddens, Pruitt
Free Agents: Davis, Powe, Marbury, Moore

But on the other hand, does it improve the team - next year or in the future? No. Does it help out money-wise? Not really. Allen and Rondo make a combined $22 million next year, while Hamilton and Prince (not counting Stuckey) make roughly the same. Ray Allen's contract comes off the books in 2010, and so does Hamilton's, though Allen's is nearly twice as expensive and allows for more manueverability next offseason. Rip is a similar player to Ray but not nearly as much of a 3-point threat, and the jury's still out on this Stuckey kid. Sure, Prince gives you a defender with length off the bench, but would you rather have Prince and Stuckey moving forward in 2010 or re-sign Rondo, who has emerged as a top-flight point guard? I'm not saying he's the next Jason Kidd but why should the Celtics be afraid of paying him? They'll get one more shot this year with the current group, should re-sign Rondo next offseason, and move ahead with him, Garnett, Pierce, and 2010 Free Agent X. A deal like the Detroit proposal just dilutes their pool of talent - and for what?

...I find it greatly inspiring that 90-year-old Bob Feller, Indians legend and the oldest living member of the Hall-of-Fame, is still pitching. He threw to three batters (Paul Molitor, RBI Baseball favorite Bobby Grich, and, in an odd twist, Steroid-Era remnant Steve Finley) at an Old-Timers Game in Cooperstown this weekend. I wonder what ol' Bob Feller thinks of the mess swirling around baseball nowadays. I heard Bug Selig on WEEI last week and he basically spent the whole interview clearing himself of any blame for being asleep at the wheel all these years. And if Bud's Tweedle-Dum, then Tweedle-Dee decided to hang it up yesterday: Don Fehr. Fehr was a great union guy. Which doesn't necessarily mean he was anything but a pain-in-the-ass who made a bunch of threats if he didn't get his way. I'm not saying unions are bad - but unions for pro sports are a completely different story - it's a godforsaken fantasy land of ego and ignorance. There was no World Series when I was 11 years old because of guys like Don Fehr - both unprecedented and utterly ridiculous. We also can't tell how many of his constituents were on steroids and how many weren't, and how that will effect the records of stand-up guys like Hank Aaron and Stan Musial, because Don was too concerned about protecting his boys' "rights" to make millions and destroy whatever sanctity pro baseball still had. Thanks for your years of steadfast union service, pal - good riddance and hopefully Bud's the next one out the door...

...and God bless Bob Feller - what a cool guy. Read this story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/06/22/feller/index.html

Bruins Re-sign Krejci

2009-06-02T23:08:00.004-04:00

Boston.com is reporting that the Bruins have come to terms with young centerman David Krejci to a three-year deal earlier today. Terms of the deal are as follows: Krejci will make 3.5 million in 2009-10, 3.75 million in 2010-11, and 4 million in 2011-12.

In My Opinion: Glad to see that Chiarelli has locked up Krejci and got it done quickly to boot. As a restricted free agent, Krejci would have very likely received an offer sheet from somewhere when free agency begins on July 1st. Krejci had a breakout season last year putting up 22G 51A, good for a 73 point line and a plus 36 rating. Not only does the offensive stats show encouraging signs of performance yet to come, but his plus/minus rating was one of the highest in the league as well, indicating that he's also sound in the defensive zone.

With Krejci now locked up, Chiarelli can focus his efforts on the remaining crew of Phil Kessel, Matt Hunwick, and Byron Bitz, which are the remaining RFA's. Chiarelli is going to have to weave some serious magic in order to lock up all three. It is very possible and very unfortunate that Kessel may be on his way out after collecting 36 goals this past season, another reality of today's CBA and salary cap era. My best guess is that either Hunwick and Bitz get signed and Kessel walks with an offer sheet OR someone of the likes of Patrice Bergeron, Michael Ryder, or Marc Savard get traded in order to clear cap space to re-sign the sniper Kessel. Either scenario is tough to accept as the Bruins are finally on the way up in the NHL and to lose key players almost puts them a step back before they really had a chance to make an impact. Perhaps their window of Stanley Cup opportunity was open for only one season?

Chiarelli, who will also probably be re-signed to a new contract extension in the very near future, certainly has his hands full and is going to have to make some very difficult decisions. All the while he needs to keep in the back of his mind that both Milan Lucic and Blake Wheeler will be RFA's after next season. Cap hell? Yes indeed it is.

Reminder!

2009-06-01T16:15:00.004-04:00

Tonight marks the return to the airwaves for the Fire It Up crew! For one night only, Sean and Jay will be updating everyone on all things sports and what shenanigans they've been up to since they last broadcasted way back when.

Be sure to check it out tonight beginning at 9 p.m. on 91.5 WMFO. You can also listen online at wmfo.org or on iTunes under "Radio -> Public". Feel free to call in as well at 617-627-3800 and talk us up as we will have a full round table in studio ready to go!

On The Radio

2009-05-28T11:50:00.004-04:00

QUINCY, MA - May 28, 2009 -

"Fire It Up" is pleased to announce their return to 91.5 WMFO, home to the program from February 2006 to September 2008. After a 5-month hiatus from broadcasting, Jay and Sean will be taking over the airwaves for a one-night-only extravaganza on Monday night, June 1st from 9-11 pm. A variety of special guests and segments are being planned as we speak.

You can hear the show on 91.5 FM in the Boston area, streaming online at www.wmfo.org, and on iTunes Radio under "Public." The live call-in number is 617-627-3800.

Ten Years Gone - Revisiting the 1999 Red Sox

2009-05-26T10:39:00.017-04:00

Before the "curse" was reversed, before the explosion of "Red Sox Nation," before "Cowboy Up," the "Idiots," the bloody sock, and "Manny Being Manny," before the pink hats, Monster seats and "Extra Innings Extra," there were the 1999 Boston Red Sox. With Jimy Williams managing the squad and Dan Duquette calling the shots, the '99 Sox finished 94-68 and clinched the American League Wild Card, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series before finally falling to the Yankees in five games in the ALCS.

They didn't win or even get to the World Series, but the '99 Sox will forever be one of my favorite Boston squads. As a sixteen year old that year, I was in-between my 165-pound, awkward sophomore year and my 6'4", 190-pound, much sexier junior campaign at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. I didn't have a girlfriend. I didn't even have my license. I spent my summer working on the lawns of nearly every little old lady within a two-mile radius of my home. I listened to sports radio all day and to Joe Castiglione and Jerry Trupiano calling the games at night. The next morning, I reviewed the box scores in the Cape Cod Times. I was obsessed. And yet, it was never a particularly good team on paper. Like many Duquette-era models, it was an odd assembly of a couple All-Stars, scrap-heap veterans and hollow prospects - and if we got lucky - a few guys would have career years. 1999 was the ultimate example of this. Mo Vaughn had left for California. All-Star closer Tom Gordon went down with a serious arm injury. At the height of the "Steroid Era," no one hit 30 homers. Only one guy cracked .300 and one pitcher hauled in more than 10 wins. That was all that was needed. The folksy Williams led this plucky group of players all the way to the big stage against the Yankees, where, predictably, they wilted. But the ride was pretty fun.

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the '99 Sox, I give you some observations on a unique season in franchise history:

Pedro Martinez goes 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts in only 29 starts (a mid-July injury while pitching against the Marlins shuts him down for three weeks - the seven runs he allows in that one start account for 14% of his season total). It's the most dominating season by any pitcher in my lifetime, period. Everyone else is, to quote Larry Bird, "playing for second place." Pedro was a 5'11" monster. Untouchable.

The Sox' other starters? Journeyman Mark Portugal, the immortal Pat Rapp, and never-was Brian Rose. Poor Bret Saberhagen pitched to a 10-6 record with a 2.95 ERA while his arm was falling off. The Sox appear to one-up the Mariners (and their pursuit of Ichiro) by starting not one but two Asian pitchers, as Korean phenom Jin Ho Cho and Japanese hurler Tomo Ohka combine to take the hill nine times. Even Ramon Martinez (he of 135 career wins but mostly known as Pedro's brother) gets a couple of turns.

Nomar Garciaparra hits .357, winning the first of two batting titles. Man, he was good. What happened?

The All-Star Game comes to Fenway, complete with a bizarre Home Run Derby where a number of suspected steroid users launch home runs over the Monster (the finals: Mark McGwire vs. Jeromy Burnitz - whatever happened to him? Burnitz, I mean). In the actual game, Pedro strikes out Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Jeff Bagwell in order. The sight of the great Ted Williams turns needle-sticking grown men into little boys for a few precious moments.

Jose Offerman, he of the 4-year, $24 million contract (and replacement to Mo Vaughn) has his only good season as a member of the Red Sox, hitting .294 with 11 homers and 69 RBI, making the All-Star team and committing only 14 errors at second base.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, a 17-game winner the season before, is moved to the bullpen in the wake of Gordon's injury and saves 15 games in 18 chances. The "knuckleballer as a closer" idea remains the intellectual property of Jimy Williams, as it wasn't tried before, nor has it been since.

Juan Pena starts the only two games of his major league career in May, winning both, striking out 15 and compiling a 0.69 ERA. The 22-year old was a promising prospect and had thrown a no-hitter in the minors, but arm injuries prematurely ended his 1999 campaign and eventually forced him to retire.

Pitcher John "Way Back" Wasdin, known mostly for giving up tape measure home runs, starts the season 7-0 (career record: 39-39) and a grass roots campaign begins to get Wasdin on the AL All-Star team.

27-year old career minor-leaguer Brian Daubach emerges to crack 21 homers and drive in 73 in 381 at-bats. The lefthanded hitter provides a handful of memorable moments and inspires both the "Daubach is my Daddy" t-shirt and future immortalization on light poles in Cambridge (see accompanying image).

Bill Simmons' second-favorite bullpen of all time is consummated with the recall of "El Guapo" Rich Garces and the acquisition of struggling Cubs closer, the late Rod "Shooter" Beck. The fat guy and the mullet combo proved almost as amusing as the "two 300-lb. Latin relievers" approach in 2001 (Garces and Carlos Castillo).

Butch Huskey is the team's big pickup at the trading deadline. At the press conference, Williams is asked if he had met with the slugger. The response went something like this: "Did I meet him? No. I hit fungoes to him." I believe this might've been the year when Jimy asked a reporter "what Little League team do you coach?" but I could be mistaken.

DH Reggie Jefferson, who can't hit lefties to save his life, goes to the bench after the Huskey trade. Jefferson has it out with Williams, is left off the playoff roster, and never plays in the majors again.

Irishman Troy O'Leary clubs 28 homers and drives in 103 - see a trend here? That's another career year, folks. A huge grand slam against the Indians in Game 5 the ALDS doesn't hurt. I celebrated by taking a jubilant lap around my front lawn, nervous as I did so because I didn't know what it was like for the Red Sox to win a playoff series and I was wondering if a meteor was going to hit the neighbors' house.

As I took that lap, I felt the leaves crunch under my feet and the cool texture of the October grass. It's a feeling I'll always remember: exactly where I was when I felt the complete euphoria of being a sports fan with a team that won something. I have a lot of the same feelings from 2004 (now five whole years ago), but I was in college then and the experience was different in the company of friends - not to mention in overall magnitude. This was the first time - a time of innocent fandom, before Carl Everett came to town and went crazy, before the weird 2001 collapse, before the two championships and perhaps most importantly, before all the steroid talk took off. Ten years ago, I wasn't defined by my occupation, my political or religious beliefs, my geographic location, who I was dating, or the kind of car I drove. I was just a Red Sox fan. One who celebrated the winning streaks and fell into a funk after an extra-innings loss. The memories of that quirky 1999 team have stayed with me - ten years now. And sometimes, I wish I could go back.

Enough Already!

2009-05-20T11:26:00.005-04:00

So the Celtics and Bruins are done. I'm sad. Jay is too, obviously. I'm actually less ticked off about the Celtics than the Bruins, despite my status as a hoops head. As Doc Rivers noted, the team was "leaking oil" throughout the playoffs and the no-show in Game 7 against the Magic (at home, no less) reinforced the fact that the team was out of gas. I could be upset that the C's laid an egg in a pivotal game, but why bother? They played some great basketball the last month and it was a privilege to see such effort in two great series against Orlando and the Bulls.

The Bruins? This coulda been their year. There's really no specific reason why Carolina is still playing and the B's are sitting at home. It was just a tough matchup and Carolina was disciplined enough to emerge the victor. We'll see if the Bruins spend some money to keep Kessel and Krejci around this offseason - as I told Jay, every great young team has a "window," and this was Year 2. They've got a couple more years of Chara and Savard, and one has to assume some of these younger players will eventually demand contracts the team won't fulfill. They got another taste of playoff hockey this spring - there's going to be a little more pressure in Year 3 of that window.

But what I really want to talk about is the all-out assault on David Ortiz by the so-called experts in this city. A quick check of boston.com this morning shows Dan Shaughnessy all over the guy. The talking heads are all over the guy. Even Chad Finn has been talking about Ortiz's struggles a little too much for my taste, and I like Chad Finn because he's basically a Joe Fan like me who enjoys reading the backs of baseball cards and getting in arguments with his friends over things like Mark Buehrle being a potential 300-game winner. Not saying I'm a Big Papi apologist, or that his major slump shouldn't be examined to some degree, but with the Bruins and Celtics out and Ortiz struggling, this story is only going to get bigger and uglier, with potentially disastrous results.

The Boston media is notorious for running people out of town. Why else would this be a subject of conversation if it wasn't so often true? Take another subject of a Globe article this morning: Keith Foulke. The guy literally carried the Sox to the title in 2004 - pitching (hurt) every night in whatever capacity Terry Francona needed. Preserve a lead in the 9th to get it to extras? Sure. Get six outs for a save? No problem. Just in case you forgot, Foulke was on the hill in 9 of the 11 games the Sox played against the Yankees and Cardinals, going 1-0 with 2 saves and striking out 14 while allowing only a single run to score. Yet, the next year, he couldn't get the job done and people jumped all over him (it didn't help that he bristled at the criticism). Foulke was never the same due to injury, but it can also be said that, less than halfway through his three-year contract, he didn't even want to be here anymore. The media was having a field day with Keith Foulke. And it was pretty awful.

We keep hearing from alienated former Sox about the Boston "spotlight" and how it affects performance, particularly when a player is struggling and getting grilled in the papers and on the airwaves every day. Ortiz has thrived for most of his six years in that spotlight. Francona took a little bit of pressure off him by benching him this weekend. The media waited quietly and with bated breath, and when he went 0-3 with a walk and a couple of strikeouts Tuesday night, they were right back on him like a pack of wolves, even though the Sox won the game! I KNOW he's struggling. I KNOW he might have a career curve similar to Cecil Fielder, Mo Vaughn, Greg Vaughn, Jim Rice, George Scott, or any other big, black (yeah, how about that one?) slugger they're trying to compare him to. But the reason the Sox have 16 losses is not because of David Ortiz's lack of contributions to the offense. It's because Josh "The Gunslinger" Beckett and Jon Lester have combined for a 6-6 record and an ERA over 6.00. It's because Brad Penny has been pretty terrible. Why aren't we looking at the starting pitching? The only one of the Red Sox "starting five" who's been any good is Tim Wakefield. And he's been great. The rest: garbage. Where's the accountability?

Then, of course, we could also focus on the 23 wins and the fact that a win tonight over Toronto youngster Brett Cecil pulls the Sox even closer to first place.

But nobody wants to hear any of that. Big Papi's failing. Cue the Fellowship of the Miserable.

Game 7 Faceoff Tonight!

2009-05-14T12:42:00.001-04:00

I have nothing to say besides just get it done. I'm not ready for the season to be over yet and the Bruins sure as hell aren't either.

BOOM!

2009-05-13T10:56:00.009-04:00

I can't describe it any other way: a huge night for Boston sports. Marv Albert was ecstatic! YES! Jay already described the scene in Raleigh as the Bruins continued their comeback over the Hurricanes (I feel weird writing that; hockey still doesn't belong in the south and it just doesn't feel appropriate - let me re-write that). The Bruins continued their comeback over the former Hartford Whalers (feels better). So you had that, and the Celtics emerging from 3 periods of sleepwalking to beat the Magic (thanks Orlando for shooting yourself in the foot). Wow!

The Celts, miracle of miracles, managed to triumph despite pedestrian offensive nights from both Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. The keys: timely execution, another huge game for "The Big Linus" Glen Davis and great production from three guys on the bench: Scalabrine, House and Starbury. What a night for Starbury! We've been waiting to see that for awhile. The bench guys meshed well with the starters and kept the game within reach; and at the end, the key guys pulled it out. Oh yeah, and Orlando coughed one up. Their fourth quarter was laden with turnovers, airballs, wild threes, and a disinterest in giving Dwight Howard the ball in the post. I don't know if it's really Stan Van Gundy's coaching or the fact that the team is full of gunners (Lewis, Turkoglu, Redick, Alston - that's you guys) who don't know how to run a half-court offense.

I like how things are shaking up. We're heading for an NHL Final Four with the potential for three of the "Original Six" teams (Boston, Detroit and Chicago) to be in the mix. Awesome. And the Celtics are gonna put away the Magic - if not Thursday night then in a Game 7 on the parquet floor. I couldn't be happier. I'm not counting my eggs before they hatch - to quote some genius; what a useful analogy that has proven to be over the years - I'm just really excited for what lies ahead.

B's Rally; Force Game 7

2009-05-12T21:53:00.002-04:00

Facing elimination for the second game the Bruins stepped up yet again, this time in enemy territory, to pull out a 4-2 victory tonight to force a game 7 back home in Boston on Thursday night. Behind a balanced offensive attack on behalf of Mark Recchi, Steve Montador, Marc Savard, and Chuck Kobasew, the Bruins were able to hold off several furious Hurricane attacks late in the game. Tim Thomas was also spectacular between the pipes, stepping up in a 33 save effort in the W.

The key to the Bruins victory tonight was their fast start, jumping out to a 2-0 lead only five minutes into the game. They were able to weather a vicious Carolina offensive retort to end the first period, which was monumental. They basically took the fans out of this game after this period, besides the late game desperation goalie pull, which was ultimately unsuccessful.

So, it all comes down to Thursday night. It's Boston vs. Carolina in game 7 at the Garden. Let it be known, this is the venue that a certain Coach Claude Julien weaved his magic back in 2004 when the Bruins lost in game 7 after being up in the series three games to one. Foreshadowing? Perhaps. Lets just hope Claude helps lead the comeback again for the Bruins this time. The momentum is clearly on the Bruins side right now. Carolina is clearly reeling after losing two straight and being unable to wrap up the series in their own house. It's going to make for one hell of a showdown and it's going to take nothing less than the effort the Bruins gave the last two games in order to win this. Just like I said in my last post when the B's first went down 3-1 in the series, can they do it? Yes. Will they do it? Not unless they give it their all, which I fully expect them to do after this huge momentum boost going back home.

Just like Higgs says, "the Garden will be rockin'!"

Observations and Thoughts

Although he has zero points and hasn't appeared on the scoresheet this series, Byron Bitz has been a force on the puck. Previously a healthy scratch to start the series, he was inserted after Blake Wheeler's inability to produce and has been dynamite ever since. He is so strong along the boards and always battles for loose pucks. I didn't see it before, but this guy has damn sure earned his name on the roster and I love his game
The rescinding of Scott Walker's suspension is the biggest crock of shit that I have ever seen in my life. Colin Campbell, league disciplinarian, has his head up his ass of the Hurricanes I have no idea where he ends and Paul Maurice begins. Aaron Ward spoke quite vividly about his impressions, watch the video below and enjoy.
I think my heart is sooner or later going to beat through my chest with the way these games are being played; however, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Here's to hoping that Marc Savard's knee injury doesn't keep him out on Thursday. He has been stellar all throughout the playoffs with key goals and some highlight reel passes to set up Phil Kessel
One non-related Bruins tidbit. Tomorrow's game 7 between Pittsburgh and Washington is going to be an epic tilt. These two teams have been battling since the drop of the first puck in game one. Look for Crosby and Ovechkin to step it up to another level and give the fans a performance to remember. It's going to take someone not of the superstar variety to step up and be the difference though. Just watch for someone like Bruins castoff Milan Jurcina to score a fluke late game goal.

B's On The Brink

2009-05-09T13:31:00.002-04:00

Question to the masses, where are the 53 win Bruins of the regular season and what have you done with them? After dropping game four 4-1 against the Canes, the Bruins sit on the precipice of playoff elimination. There have been little to no answers to Carolina's sustained speed attack as well as their overwhelming defensive zone schemes since the B's game one victory.

Make no mistake about it, this is not the Bruins team that rolled over Carolina to a 4-0 record in the regular season. The playoffs are a totally different animal and it has reared its ugly head. We all were giddy like little school children when the Bruins made mincemeat out of the hated Habs on the way to a four game sweep; however, it seems to me they got quite the big one about themselves along the way. Coming into game one against the Canes, the Bruins picked up right where they left off. They dominated all areas of the game, battled and won loose pucks, and put home every opportunity they had. Since then, Carolina has made a few adjustments that clearly have worked. They are out hitting and out hustling the B's to every chance. Cam Ward, although a great goaltender, is basically doing the bare minimum while looking like the Cam Ward of 2006 (Vezina Trophy winner).

Obviously it's put up or shut up time for Boston as they have to win out for a chance at the conference finals. Can it happen? Yes. Will it happen? Highly unlikely if they show up as is tomorrow night. In this eternal optimists point of view, they did take the Habs to seven games last year after being down 3-1 in the series. This is a much better Bruins team than last year, so it can happen. It's definitely a stretch given the dismal effort lately, but you gotta "B"elieve. Yeah, I know that pun was weak.

Here's my personal solution to get back in this series. Get tough on the puck and on the bodies. Muck it up in the corners and throw a few punches if need be. Just like Reg Dunlop said in Slap Shot, "Let 'em know you're there!" Furthermore, don't let Sergei 'effin Samsonov do what he did last night. The Bruins/Oilers/Canadiens/Blackhawks castoff has had some sort of career epiphany lately with that beauty of a backhander over Thomas to seal the game last night. Where the hell did that come from? The defense needs to also grow a set and shut down the Hurricanes power play. They have sat back in their box system and let Carolina cycle the puck around the perimeter until they've set up for a great offensive opportunity. Coach Claude preaches allowing the perimeter shot while taking away the slot; however, this is not what his system bargained for.

Either way it's time to step it up and it begins tomorrow night back at the Garden. I thought for sure they were going to tie things up last night but the faults of games two and three haunted the B's again. Who knows if Coach Claude get weave some more of his comeback magic, but I'd certainly love to see it happen because I'm not ready for this season to be over yet.

Ballpark Review: Citi Field

2009-05-07T22:01:00.016-04:00

Let's get the name jokes out of the way at the top of this post: U.S. Taxpayer Field, Bailout Field, TARP Stadium. Okay, now that that's done, I can talk about what's really important--that being the stadium itself. And it is really nice.

Citi Field is a dramatic departure from Shea Stadium. Where Shea was big, Citi is intimate. While Shea was made for baseball and football, no one will mistake Citi Field for Three Rivers. Plus, the plumbing in the bathrooms actually work at Citi Field, which is nice. This is not to say I don't have some gripes with the stadium; I'll get to those in turn. I also know that going to only three games at a park, especially in April, is a small sample upon which to base an opinion, but I'm going to do it anyways. Here's my review of the Mets' new home, broken down into semi-arbitrary categories.

Location

Citi Field is next door to where Shea used to stand, but the fact that Shea spent forty-five years there doesn't mean I can't take this opportunity to examine the site of the new park. First, whereas Shea was in the middle of a large parking lot, Citi is tucked into one end of it. This (seemingly) makes the parking situation simpler--one big lot is easier to navigate than two or three truncated ones. It also helps connect the park to the surrounding neighborhood. Unfortunately for the Mets, Willets Point sucks. It's literally all garages and chop shops. If you're playing Grand Theft Auto 4 and need to get your stolen car repainted, this is where you go. I don't know how this many places can stay in business right next to each other when they all do the same exact thing. Mayor Bloomberg says he has plans to redevelop the area through some application of the city's eminent domain powers (thanks Kelo!). But, of course, no one is building anything right now, so that is all going to wait for a while.

This isn't to say that there is nothing going on in Flushing Meadows. The stadium is adjacent to the tennis complex where the U.S. Open is played every year. Plus, even though the 7 train takes forever from Manhattan, it's easy enough to get there. I'd also have to give it a leg up in parking over Yankee Stadium because there's better access to the highways and the parking lots are more concentrated, rather than being scattered around the neighborhood. The big lots also give fans the opportunity to tailgate before games, something that is foreign to any Red Sox fan making the trip to Fenway. I will admit though that some bars near the stadium would be a very welcome addition to the pre-game experience. (Alternative pre- and post-game venues do exist, namely the legendary BEER GARDEN in Astoria.)

Setup and Amenities

This is where Citi Field is completely different from Shea Stadium. Like many of the newer parks, Citi is organized around an open, wide concourse that goes the entire way around the park. The concessions are all set against the outside wall of the stadium, allowing you to watch the game from the concourse. This is awesome. Not every one of the eighty-one home games every year is crucial to the pennant race; sometimes fans just want to walk around, relax and take in some baseball, instead of being wedded to your seat for the entire game. There are tons of places to do this at Citi Field. Growing up going to games at Fenway, I feel like I'm doing something wrong when I'm standing up on the concourse, eating, drinking a beer and watching the game. I half expect someone to yell at me to sit down or an usher to tell me to move along. Nope. In fact, this sort of thing is encouraged. Until you've been to a newer park and experienced this, you don't know how awesome it is.

Unfortunately, I can't be as positive about the seats themselves. Let me first say that I'm sure that all of the field level seats behind home plate and along the baselines are amazing and have great sightlines. The problem for me (and probably anyone who is reading this) is that I'll probably never sit there. Where the "other half" watches the game is far from perfect. Most of the seats in the upper deck (euphemistically called the "promenade level") towards the outfield cut off at least a small portion of the field. Some cut out more. There are also some random railings thrown in that may block home plate or the pitcher's mound. I know why the Mets did this. They made the conscious choice to sacrifice some sightlines in exchange for having everyone closer to the field. The result is that the decks really do feel stacked on top of each other and they are all close to the field. I don't know If they made the right choice, but at least it makes some sense, unlike say, putting a restaurant in center field that cuts off the view for over a thousand fans.

The other things you would expect to be improved are improved greatly, namely the bathrooms (the toilets actually flush!), escalators (no more death falls) and souvenir stores (no more lines just to have the opportunity to purchase overpriced crap).

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is different from Shea, which is not necessarily a good thing. Shea was great because the extra 15,000 seats and cheaper tickets meant that more people from across the economic and ethnic spectrum could go to games. Citi Field isn't Fenway Park yet, but there definitely was a more homogenous look to the fans at the games I went to.

Another gripe that a lot of Mets fans have expressed is that there is not a lot of Mets-related decorations and paraphernalia in the park. This doesn't bother me that much, but a little more recognition of the team that actually plays there would be nice. I can understand the façade being modeled after Ebbet's Field and the rotunda named after Jackie Robinson. It makes sense to tie the Mets into the history of National League baseball in New York. But the Mets themselves have a sizeable, albeit largely inglorious, history of their own. Including the old home run apple and skyline from the scoreboard at Shea were nice touches. More of that kind of thing would be appreciated though. In fact, the colors blue and orange can hardly be found anywhere in the park.

Food and Beer

I love baseball. But I also love food and beer, and Citi Field is a pretty glorious combination of these three pillars of my life. As I said above, the park is very amenable to walking around while you eat and drink. In addition to the normal concessions offering things like hot dogs and sausages, which are mostly found along the baselines, there are some pretty amazing specialty concessions tucked into different areas around the park. The best has to be the area in center field behind the main scoreboard. This is where you'll find, among others, the Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, the tacqueria and the fries stand. The burgers at the Shake Shack will easily be the best you will ever have at a stadium. I can say this without any hesitation. Really, try one and you will agree. The line is always really long though. Still, it might be shorter than the line at the Shake Shack in Madison Square park.

The pulled pork sandwich I had from Blue Smoke was solid, but a little dry and not as good as the one I once had at RFK in Washington. I haven't tried the tacqueria or fries stand, but they're both supposed to be very good. The fries place has an optional bacon sauce that you can order. As if there could be any debate whether bacon sauce is a good idea.

There are plenty of picnic tables where you can sit and eat, many which have views of the field. I'd seriously recommend spending five innings in your seats and spending the other four walking around, trying different food and checking out the different vantage points around the stadium. Also, if you like cannolis, the ones they sell inside the World's Fare market in right field are excellent.

Finally, I have to mention the beer, of course. The selection could be better, but at least the prices are reasonable: $7.50 for a 16oz bud or bud light (or equivalent) or $6.50 for a 12oz premium beer like a Brooklyn Lager. The beer lines are also much shorter than they were at Shea.

Overall Impressions

It's nice. You should go there.

Celts Bottle Magic; Gain Momentum

2009-05-07T10:25:00.009-04:00

What a difference. After a Game 1 that was as frustrating as it was exciting, the Celtics blew the doors off the Magic's Scooby Doo van in Game 2. Rondo was sharp. House was unconscious. The Celtics played crisp and their defense was tough. The result: an 18-point blowout and a whole lot of goodwill heading to Orlando for the third game of the series.

What stands out to me is the fact that Pierce didn't even play, really. His three points in 15 minutes are a footnote to Rondo's thunderous dunk over Dwight Howard and "Angel Soft" Rashard Lewis and the forehand to the back of the head of Eddie House by Slap-to-my-Lou Rafer Alston (more on that in a minute). Pierce was in foul trouble, but they really didn't even need him to leave the bench. Orlando was playing that badly. Stan Van Gundy was openly questioning their integrity and intensity in the huddle. And all of that's great, because Pierce basically got the night off, and he needed it, because his legs have entered the Antoine Walker zone (see: 2003 playoffs vs. New Jersey). A rested Pierce will pay dividends in Game 3; mark my words.

As for the Rafer Alston swat: what the heck was that? I thought Rafer Alston was tough. Granted, Eddie House loves to hold his own one-man parade after he hits a couple of threes, complete with the baton and the fanfare. But a slap to the head as retribution? What a girl. Let's also note this: has Rafer Alston ever played for a winner? If you think the '03-'04 Heat, who finished 42-40 and made it to the second round, were any good, then yeah. But the guy's a bum.

Let me follow that statement up with another one: he shouldn't be suspended. Let's cut it out with all this suspension talk. Ever since Robert Horry hip-checked Steve Nash into a scorer's table and Amare Stoudamire left the bench and was suspended a few years back, the playoffs have been marred by discussion of "was player X's technical/flagrant foul/no-call on Player Y enough to warrant a suspension?" You know this stuff has already gone overboard when we've heard exhaustive discussion just this postseason about 1) Dwight Howard's elbow to Sam Dalembert's noggin, 2) Rajon Rondo cuffing Brad Miller in the mouth, 3) Rondo shoving a pesky Kirk Hinrich into the front row, 4) Kenyon Martin leveling Dirk Nowitzki, 5) Alston slapping House like a girl and now, 6) Kobe elbowing Ron Artest in the throat. Basketball has become an exercise in micromanagement and the exaggerated consultation with the rulebook is just another example. Are any of these instances worse than a good ol' NBA brawl back in the 80's, with McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis or The Chief, Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, Adrian Dantley and Larry Bird mixing it up? No! They're dirty plays - but isolated incidents. Players need to learn to control themselves but slaps and elbows aren't grounds for a suspension. Technicals fouls and the possibility of ejection should be enough to temper the behavior on the court. Let the game be played.

Oh, and by the way - the Bruins need to wake up. And fast.

...And We're Back!

2009-05-05T09:54:00.005-04:00

Good morning folks. Fox here. It's May. The blog is back. We're coming back to the radio this summer. It's all gonna happen. I've decided I'm going to do some post-game commentary for each of the Celtics playoff games from here on out. Hopefully Jay will do the same with his observations on the Bruins. So, without further ado, my ramblings for this Tuesday morning about last night's Celtics game...

Many people are looking at the huge comeback as a positive sign (and it certainly got me pumped up) but I view this game as one of missed opportunities. Chalk it up to a post-Bulls hangover or whatever, but the Magic were way off too (9-27 from downtown) and the Celtics were generally unable to capitalize in the biggest moments. You're saying "wait a minute, they brought a 28-point lead down to three, and you're complaining?" Well yeah - I really think they could've taken it all the way and won the game - but they didn't. Reasons: Rondo's seven turnovers and inability to shoot (or find high-percentage looks), Ray Allen's off night, and Paul Pierce - period.

Let's start with Rondo. Remember when the announcers were marveling about his amazing no-turnover streak in the Bulls series? Well, that's in the past now. He's trying too hard for the glitzy pass, dribbling too much, and generally making an ass of himself against Skip-to-my-Lou Rafer Alston, who has never been known as a premium defender, but can be a pest if you let him be. So Rondo had a bad game. He should be abusing Alston. Let's make the easy pass, Rajon, and quit rolling the ball up the floor.

Ray Allen's off-night? It happens. When you dropped 51 last Thursday night, you earned a reprieve from me for the rest of the playoffs. Plus Ray, you're my well-established man-crush, so I would never talk smack about you.

Pierce is a mess at this point. Many years ago, Bill Simmons made an observation about the oft-ridiculed Jose Offerman, comparing him to a "drunk guy plowing around the bases at the company softball game." That's Pierce right now. His moves to the basket have the sharpness of a plastic spatula edge. He looks like one of the Boston Frogs in the 80's Nintendo game "Double Dribble" (also the name of my 3-on-3 team back at Stonehill College). I can't believe he only had two turnovers last night. And he shot 7-18, which my calculator shows to be 38.9%. Sure, he's been able to hit a bunch of BS jump shots against triple coverage over the last couple weeks that nobody but Paul Pierce would take (or make), but that's actually the point. He's attracting defenders like spilled Kool-Aid attracts ants and he needs to pass the ball. Had he hit up Shuttlesworth or Eddie along the arc in the Bulls series rather than letting his hero complex take over and taking fadeaways with two seconds left over Salmons, Hinrich, Rose, the peanut vendor, and the ghost of Bill Cartwright, the Celts would've probably beaten the Bulls in fewer than seven games. But hey, he's Paul Pierce, and he hits those BS jumpers all the time, so how can I criticize the man?

Big ups to Veal Scalabrine last night for playing out of his mind, and to Stephon Marbury for his little 8-point outburst. He wasn't just looking for his shot, either, as his three assists in limited minutes would attest. If he can play with confidence off the bench this series, it will be huge. Perk battled gamely against Superman, pulling down 16 boards, and Tony Allen didn't commit a turnover, which I guess deserves a pat on the back.

Game 2 is Wednesday night. Will the Celtics make the proper adjustments, attack the rim, and rely more on ball movement? Will they have enough to stop Orlando's perimeter attack? I have serious reservations about the Big Baby chasing Rashard Lewis around out there, but what other option do they have? Davis needs to play to his strengths. We'll see how it shakes out.

Not to go to the Simmons well one too many times, but in a recent column, he compared this Celtics team to the '86-'87 squad - all banged up and relying on sheer guile and a little bit of luck. That team made it all the way to the '87 Finals. I'm not sure if the '09 Celtics can do the same; everyone seems to think the LeBrons will be the team to come out of the East, but the adversity just makes it so much fun to root for this year's model. It's like the Celtics teams when I was a kid: the Big Three was old, guys were always injured, young guys had to step up, somebody like the late Derek Smith would have to come off the bench and have a huge impact in a playoff game. It's a lot of fun, this underdog business - and we didn't see any of that last year. So I guess right now, all we can do is embrace Paul Pierce and his BS jumpers, Tony and his turnovers, Mikki Moore and his collection of snakes, Scalabrine and his whiteness, and the Starbury tattoo. These are your 2008-2009 Boston Celtics - cue the NBA on NBC theme music.

Ole This Montreal!!

2009-04-23T10:17:00.002-04:00

Bruins sweep the Habs - On to Round 2!

News Flash: Entire Nation Buying Lebron Hype

2009-04-13T11:14:00.003-04:00

An ESPN.com poll this morning shows 74% of respondents think the Cleveland Cavaliers will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, with only 15% selecting the Boston Celtics for that distinction. Sure, the Cavs blew out the Celtics at home yesterday. Sure, the Cavs have the Eastern Conference's best record. But 74% to 15%? America is clearly drinking the Lebron Kool-Aid. And the NBA and ESPN love it.

The NBA loves to promote a league of "superstars" rather than one of great teams. Michael Jordan started this mess. And ever since Jordan retired (the third time), we've seen a rash of guys hyped as "the next Jordan" or elevated to a "superstar" status they really can't handle (look at guys like T-Mac or Vince Carter - cousins, and also shrinking violets). In turn, we've gotten fat contracts for guys who are really just overachievers on bad teams, shoe deals for everyone, and a whole lot of ball-hogging. And while he's clearly deserving of the "superstar" moniker, Lebron James is a product of this mindless machine. What do ESPN anchors call the Cavs? "The Lebrons." Does anyone care about the Spurs, one of the best, well-coached TEAMS of the last decade, with four championships to their credit? No, they care about where Lebron is headed for free agency two years down the road. He's one of the three best players in the league, for sure, but is his mere presence as the "superstar" on an otherwise cruddy Cavaliers team enough to get them to the Finals? Apparently, America thinks so.

I'm actually pleased with this development. People are counting the Celtics out. "They've had too many injuries," they say; "Garnett won't be 100%." Or "Lebron can't be stopped." Well, Garnett is coming back. I don't know if he'll be 100%, but I know they can make it through the first round with him coming off the bench, building up his stamina. From there, it's anybody's game. And really, Lebron can't be stopped? What happened last year in the playoffs? What happened when Lebron ran into those team-oriented Spurs in the 2007 Finals? He failed. A one-man team can't succeed against a good defensive club, no matter which "superstar" is the focal point. I'd like to see Mo Williams beat the Celtics. Or "Boobie" Gibson. Or Anderson Varejao. Good luck, "Lebrons." America just sealed your fate.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe...

2009-03-29T15:37:00.002-04:00

March Meatness!

2009-03-25T22:57:00.002-04:00

Funny article posted on Page 2 of ESPN.com, it's the March Madness of meat. Any man who is a man loves meat. Whether it is delicious ribs, succulent pork roast, or anything wrapped in bacon, it's all delicious in every way possible. Enjoy the read and feel free to comment on what you think your final four would be and who would win it!

Check out the article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/090323

My Custom Meat Madness Final Four:

Final Four
(1) Bacon vs. (3) Veal
(2) Chicken Wings vs. (1) Prime Rib

Finals
(1) Bacon vs. (2) Chicken Wings

Champion
(1) Bacon - The miracle meat wins it in a landslide. I mean I'm talking 1992 Dream Team style. No other meat can touch what bacon brings to the table on a daily basis. Put bacon on anything and it infinitely makes it taste better. Just don't wrap bacon with bacon because this will most likely result in the world imploding upon itself in awesomeness.

Dusting Off The Keyboard

2009-03-23T10:54:00.005-04:00

OK, well it has been quite some time since I have last posted anything on this blog and for that I sincerely apologize. I won't make any excuses about school or anything else for that matter, so, in that respect lets just move right along.

A lot has been going on since my last post in early February. March Madness is well under way and my bracket is actually in decent shape for once. Just as long as Villanova manages to make it to the Final Four (yikes?). In my uninformed college basketball opinion, I personally think Pittsburgh is a bunch of frauds that have gotten lucky. They lost to Providence in the regular season (yeah Rhody!) and have squeaked out W's in the first two rounds. Yes, good teams win when it counts but they are the least bit convincing. They will lose their next game, you watch.

As for the real reason why I am writing, which is clearly about the Boston Bruins, there has been even more action on their end. It seems like when I was writing my weekly updates before my hiatus, they were rolling over the competition. However, they have been through a dreadful slump over the past month and a half of play and the competition is now catching up to them. We now understand that the B's were playing a bit over their heads in November/December. Still, we also know that they aren't as bad of a team as they have shown recently (losses to LA, Phoenix, Tampa Bay). Clearly, they are somewhere in the median of this spectrum, wherever that may be.

We might have gained some perspective on that position yesterday when the Bruins finally put forth the 60 minute effort that has been absent for so long with a convincing 4-1 win over the Devils. Before yesterday, the Devils were only three points behind Boston for first place in the Eastern Conference. A loss yesterday would have been devastating to the B's shots at finishing first as well as their confidence. On the contrary, the deified Martin Brodeur went soft and allowed three easy scores while Tim Thomas stopped a season high 41 shots en route to victory. This win surely helps the confidence factor of a team who was clearly second guessing themselves on the ice. Yes, it is only one victory but it certainly helps calm some of the Causeway worry warts who were concerned about the season literally imploding upon itself before the playoffs even started.

Coupled with the win yesterday, the B's also clinched a playoff spot as well as their first Northeast Division title since the 2003-04 season. Yesterday's win was also extremely important in the fact that the Bruins do not play again until this Saturday (3/28), when they face-off at Toronto. That much time off to stew about a loss would have hurt, for fans and players alike.

Do not get me wrong here, just because a playoff spot is clinched it does not mean the B's should set themselves to cruise control with nine games to go. They have held the top spot in the Eastern Conference for most of the season and I personally feel that it would be a disappointment if they did not finish that way. Several Red Sox players from the 2007 squad said they felt it was imperative that they won the AL East then, a position they basically held wire-to-wire that year. I feel that a fall to either second or third would hurt the B's currently fragile psyche even more. Furthermore, if the playoffs start today, the Bruins would currently be matched up with.... that's right.... you guessed it.... the Montreal Canadiens. And there is no way the B's would not be able to get up for another playoffs series with their hated nemesis from north of the border.

Lets just hope the big win yesterday can be parlayed into a nice run for the B's heading into playoff action, whoever they may be playing. With nine games to go, there is still time to build their confidence back up with a solid win streak.

Give me back that Filet-o-Fish. Give me that fish!

2009-03-18T12:43:00.000-04:00

Enough is Enough

2009-03-12T10:03:00.005-04:00

If you haven't already heard, the Herald and mlb.com are reporting that Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon called out Manny Ramirez in an interview with Esquire magazine, using the term "cancer" to describe Manny in his last days with the team. Now, no one is going to confuse Jon Papelbon with William Butler Yeats - the guy's not a linguist, and much like Curt Schilling, Papelbon doesn't operate with a filter. So I wouldn't expect a smart, pointed commentary from Jon Papelbon under any circumstances - just a lot of steam. Nothing against him; he's a pitcher, and he's way better at his job than I am at mine.

It's just the way he said it. "Cancer." I for one, am sick and tired of the term being applied in the world of sports to the relationships in a team's locker room. It's baseball, for God's sake. It's not life or death, which (if you don't know who has/had cancer) is what cancer is about. You don't take ordinary events in your life and characterize them as cancerous. If I broke up with a girl, would I then tell Will over a beer, "I had to get rid of her; she was a cancer?" Hell no. That's ridiculous.

Think about the number of times we've heard this term used in sports. Recent notable "cancers" include Terrell Owens, Nomar Garciaparra, and Stephon Marbury. There are probably hundreds of instances like this: just Google search "clubhouse cancer" and find the term being applied to guys like Jim Edmonds, Ichiro, Julio Franco, Coco Crisp. Was I considered a clubhouse cancer on the college volleyball team? It's just being bandied about! I'm not saying these guys are saints; in reality some of those players are probably major pains in the butt. But the oversaturation of sports media has led to an overuse of a variety of stupid phrases (among them "tip your cap," "pink hat," "pick-six," "tremendous upside") because nobody in the business is smart enough to come up with anything original. WEEI is on the air for 24 hours, people, and seven days a week. There are probably 20 different ESPN stations now, right? If I cared, I could give you an exact number. The point is: the inconsistency in the quality is unbearable. These media outlets are staffed by talking head "journalists" who mail it in on a regular basis and former athletes (giving you the "pro's view") who don't have brains in their heads. These geniuses interact on a daily basis to write stories and talk about current athletes (who aren't scholars either) who in turn unload the same dumb buzz words on the idiots who will print them.

Another one is the "war" that supposedly surrounds the game of professional football. At 6'4" and slightly under 200 pounds, I don't and never did have the body to play football, nor do I truly understand the psychology of the sport. But let's be real here: as much as we love football, it's a game. It's not a war. I'm sorry. I'd say it's a more apt comparison to the board game "Risk." But we hear these comparisons all the time, and we continue to hear idiots with microphones talking about "clubhouse cancers."

So can we blame Jon Papelbon for saying something dumb to a magazine? Yes and no. He should know better than to use such a dumb word to talk about Manny. But at the same time, he was just saying something that is used ad naseum in a world of exhausted sports analogies, quips and quotes.

Was Manny a pain in the ass? Of course he was. He signed here for $160 million in the 2000 offseason and didn't shut up about wanting to be traded for eight full seasons. How many times did we head into a trade deadline with Manny wanting out? How many offseasons did he whine? The guy was a baby who hit 40 bombs and drove in 120, so we cheered him. But nobody, in sports particularly, is a "cancer." Papelbon said it, and it was the wrong thing to say. But you can't just fault him. This is a call to the media to put their empty heads together and put some decency back in the sports journalism profession.

UPDATE: Amalie Benjamin, who I actually think does a fair job, quotes Papelbon on boston.com this afternoon - "if you're not in that same cubbyhole with the rest of the guys going to war with you, you're all going to die. That almost happened."

*Shaking my head*

Day 4: America East, Colonial, MAAC, Southern, West Coast

2009-03-06T16:00:00.002-05:00

Five tournaments start today and several others continue to be in action. Let's take a look at the contenders in the 5 starting today.

America East

#1 Binghamton (20-8, 13-3)
The Bearcats have won 8 straight games to close the regular season and swept Vermont, they look to be the favorite here. Another plus is that they have the #1 seed because the final in this tournament is played at the higher seed's home court. Advantage: Binghamton

#2 Vermont (23-7, 13-3)
UVM has definately been here before. I'm still smiling from when Coppenrath & company beat the Orange in the big dance. This conference is weak and even if they sneak into the dance, they will be no higher than a #15 seed.

Colonial

#1 Virginia Commonwealth (21-9, 14-4)

#2 George Mason (20-9, 13-5)

#3 Northeastern (18-11, 12-6)

#4 Old Dominion (20-9, 12-6)

#5 Hofstra (20-10, 11-7)

MAAC

#1 Siena (23-7, 16-2)

#2 Niagara (24-7, 14-4)

Southern

#1 Davidson (25-6, 18-2)

#2 Charleston (23-7, 15-5)

#3 Citadel (20-11, 15-5)

West Coast

#1 Gonzaga (24-5, 14-0)

#2 Saint Mary's (24-5, 10-4)

Unfortunately due to a hectic day at work, I will not be able to complete this post right now. Check back later tonight for the rest of my thoughts on these tournaments. Sorry for this, check you later.

Day 3: Missouri Valley, Northeast, Bubble Chatter

2009-03-05T16:25:00.005-05:00

Out of the two conference torunaments starting tonight, only one team has a resume which is worthy of an at-large berth, and even that team is not guaranteed of a bid. All of the other teams will be fighting for their big dance lives. There are also three games tonight involving bubble teams, all of which could really use wins to boost their chances.

Missouri Valley

#1 Northern Iowa (20-10, 14-4)
Though they are the #1 seed in the conference tournament, they are not the favorite. That honor goes to Creighton. The two teams did split regular season meetings, but the Panthers have lost 4 out of their last 7. I see the NIT in their future.

#2 Creighton (25-6, 14-4)
The Blue Jays are the clear favorite in this field and are the proud owners of a 10-game winning streak. They are playing their best down the stretch, but can they keep it going. I believe if they make it to the championship game and are unsuccessful, they most likely will be able to grab an at-large bid.

#3 Illinois State (22-8, 11-7)
The Redbirds were front runners, winning their first 14 games. But have gone only 8-8 since then. Even though their overall record is decent, this team is not as strong as it seems.

#9 Indiana State (10-20, 7-11)
Opposite of Illinois State, Larry Legend's alumnus started the season 4-19, only to win 6 out of their last 7. They finished ninth out of ten in the conference, but have confidence and could provide a cinderella run and take away a bid from a team on the bubble.

Northeast

#1 Robert Morris (21-10, 15-3)
Bob Morris is far and away the favorite here. First, they are the best team in the league and second, someone would have to beat them on their home floor. It's tough to pick against that, but crazy things happen when the big dance ticket is on the line and knees are buckling on the free throw line.

#2 Mount Saint Mary's (17-12, 12-6)
#3 Sacred Heart (16-13, 12-6)
#4 Long Island (16-13, 12-6)

I lumped the other three contenders in together, because honestly the winner of this league will be a #16 seed in the big dance. These teams are just not very good.

Bubble Chatter

Three teams squarely on the bubble have games tonight. And when you're on the bubble, both wins and losses become magnified.

Providence @ Villanova
The Friars stand at 18-11, 10-7 in the Big East. An 11th win inside the Big East should secure their spot in the dance, especially since it would be a road win against a top 15 team in Villanova. A loss does not eliminate them from consideration, but the Friars can start dancing tonight with a win.

Penn State vs Illinois
The last time these two teams met, Penn State was up 38-33 at the end of the game. Yes, that is correct, only 71 points scored, and no they did not turn off the shot clock. Some would call it a defensive battle, I would call that a snooze fest. Penn State does have 20 wins, but their non-conference schedule was weak and the Big Ten is not the toughest of leagues this season.

Arizona vs California
The Wildcats had won 7 straight, but then have dropped their last 3. The ultimate Jekyll and Hyde team, this team has beaten Gonzaga and Kansas, but also has two 3-game losing streaks inside the conference. Cal is clearly in the field of 65 right now and tonight's game could really be the deciding factor between 'Zona being in or out of the field.

Enjoy the games and check back tomorrow for an update on everything happening in college hoops. If you like what's happening here, please let me know in the comments. Sometimes I feel like a tree falling the woods with no one around.

Day 2: Atlantic Sun, Patriot, Sun Belt

2009-03-04T16:58:00.004-05:00

Three more conference tournaments start tonight, teams in these conferences will be all-in, as I don't see an at-large bid coming from any team in these leagues. Teams must win these leagues to get in the big dance. Let's take a closer look at the contenders in these conferences.

Atlantic Sun

#1 Jacksonville (17-12, 15-5)
The Jaguars, I mean Dolphins, started the season 3-8. This was because of a tough non-league schedule which included losses to Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia Tech and Ohio State. The Dolphins were battle tested when they entered conference play, but can they make it count and put their dancing shoes on.

#2 East Tennessee State (20-10, 14-6)
The Bucs have put themselves in a good position to advance, but this will really be a surprise given how the other top teams in this conference are playing.

#3 Belmont (18-11, 14-6)
Dukie V's east coast Bruins. They went dancing last year and Dukie V's money is on them to go again.

#4 Lipscomb (16-13, 12-8)
The Bisons finished the year with 8 straight wins, including a win over Jacksonville. They are a legitimate contender in this tournament.

Patriot

#1 American (21-7, 13-1)
The final game in this tournament is played on the higher seeds home court. American is 10-1 at home this season and they have won 10 straight overall. I don't see anyone beating them on their home court.

#2 Holy Cross (16-13, 11-3)
These are not your father's Crusaders. Cousy and Heinsohn aren't walking through that door. And Bill Simmons went to HC (vomit in mouth), enough said.

#3 Navy (18-10, 8-6)
Speaking of not walking through that door, the Admiral himself would have to come back if Navy were to go dancing. They did finish third in the league, not bad for the Midshipmen.

Sun Belt

East #1 Western Kentucky (21-8, 15-3)
The Hilltoppers are a good team, and could argue that they deserve an at-large berth if they were to falter here. They have wins over Lousiville and Georgia. They are the favorite and could provide a 1st round upset in the big dance for the 2nd straight year. Remember the 2008 version led by Courtney Lee, now on the Orlando Magic.

West #1 Arkansas Little Rock (22-7, 15-3)
The Trojans are a strong squad, but lost big twice to W. Kentucky. If they meet in the final, I see an unhappy ending to the season, if you call an NIT bid unhappy.

West #2 Troy (19-11, 14-4)
Another Trojans squad, can't someone be original. I'll take the Trojans in a Arkansas Little Rock versus Troy final game.

Day 1: Big South, Horizon, Ohio Valley

2009-03-03T20:32:00.006-05:00

Today, 3 conference tournaments start, without further adieu, let's get into it.

Big South

Four teams have a legitimate shot at coming out of this tournament. While Liberty is just the #3 seed in this tournament, they do have the conference's best player, in the baby brother of Stephen, Seth Curry.

#1 Radford (18-11, 15-3)
Lost the regular season finale at home to Liberty. Could this be a sign of things to come? Don't look for big things in the big dance if Radford does make it out of the Big South. They lost big to West Virginia and Wake Forest earlier in the season.

#2 Virginia Military Institute (22-7, 13-5)
VMI sure can score, they went over 100 points 9 times this season. Bad news is they gave up over 100 on 7 occasions. This team is surely a wild card, one that can beat almost anyone, including Kentucky in November, but they also can lose to anyone, like to Jacksonville State by 28. With an immature opponent in the big dance, this team could pull a 1st round upset.

#3 Liberty (21-10, 12-6)
The Flames have beaten George Mason & Virginia, but were outclassed by Old Dominion in the Bracket Buster two weeks ago. Seth Curry is only a freshman, he may have to wait until his sophomore year to make the big dance.

#5 Winthrop (11-18, 9-9)
Yes, the Eagles are only 11-18, but they were 6-18 before a 5 game winning streak to end the season. Winthrop has won the last 4 Big South tournament, so it really wouldn't be so far fetched to see them back in the big dance. They are a sleeper in this tournament, but stranger things have happened.

Updates: Winthrop bows out in the 1st round to NC Asheville. Radford, VMI, and Liberty all advance to the Semis.

Semi-Finals
Radford vs NC Asheville
VMI vs Liberty

Horizon

#1 Butler (25-4, 15-3)
24th ranked in the country for a reason, the Bulldogs have become a perennial power in the Horizon league. Though they only have 4 losses, 3 have been in the last 9 games, all to conference opponents. So it is no guarantee they get the automatic bid, but they would qualify for an at-large berth with quality wins at Xavier and over UAB.

#2 Green Bay (22-9, 13-5)
These aren't the Packers, they are the Phoenix, and they need to win this tournament to move onto the big dance. They split the season series with Butler. And in this conference tournament, the top 2 seeds get byes to the semi-finals, this gives both Green Bay and Butler a huge advantage, only having to win 2 games to advance to the dance.

#3 Cleveland State (21-10, 12-6)
You may remember the Vikings 60-foot heave to beat Syracuse at the buzzer earlier this year at the Carrier Dome. Don't count out another upset if they make it through this tournament, this league is tough and will send a worthy first opponent to anyone in the big dance.

Ohio Valley

This is a one bid league, and it will be a free for all to see who represents the OVC.

#1 Tennessee-Martin (21-8, 14-4)
The Skyhawks were 14-4 in conference, but only 3-3 against the other top 4 teams in the conference. This should give you an idea of how wide open this tournament is. The top 4 in this conference have no wins against a major conference opponent this season. I don't see the team who wins this tournament making any noise in the big dance, though you never never know.

#2 Austin Peay (18-11, 13-5)
I'm hoping the Governors make it, just because I love the chant "Let's Go Peay"

#3 Murray State (17-12, 13-5)
The Racers have dominated this league at times, and it could be their time once again.

#4 Morehead State (16-15, 12-6)
I will feel compelled to choose them in my bracket if they advance just so I can write Morehead in the bracket.