Boston-Homer

2011-08-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Buzzword: Encouraging

I literally just finished watching the first game of the Jurgen Klinsmann's USA soccer career. I missed the first 20 minutes because ESPN decided to push the game to ESPNnews due to a Little League World Series game that went long. Please read that last sentence again. Little League Baseball had priority over a national team. Shows the priorities I guess...

There were some really good signs once I began watching the game, a few guys came off the bench and really impressed, the team's last half-hour was played at a break-neck pace that put the Mexican's on their heels, which was great to watch. How often have we watched the US Soccer team on their heels at the end of games, teams running at them? Ghana did it, Mexico did it last month.

Brek Shea, Juan Agudelo, and Robbie Rodgers combined to create the goal. Brek Shea was dynamite on the left wing and Rodgers also broke into space later on in the second half using his pace, he was pulled down by Torrado as he blew by him, which should have been a red card. Alas, it wasn't.

Klinsmann is an energetic personality and the stadium was packed and the game had a larger feeling than a simple friendly in August. He seems like a guy the team wants to play for, and he also seems like who isn't going to play players just because he should.

The US got into the box in the second half after only creating one shot on goal in the first half. They had two near penalty kicks, I would hope one of those calls would be made in a game that had some more meaning.

Brek Shea folks...

Looking forward to the next year of US Soccer, I am in. I am excited to watch this team. Isn't that the most important thing? We watched the World Cup (Men's and Women's) because it was exciting, because it was worth watching. The good teams in the world have friendlies that are worth watching too, like the regular season in our domestic sports. The World Cup is the playoffs, unfortunately it only comes around every four years. Hopefully the excitement that was on the field tonight will carry over into the next 12 months and catapult this US team into some unknown territory.

The buzzword tomorrow will be "encouraging." The team was encouraging, the result was encouraging, the substitutes were encouraging, and Klinsmann was encouraged.

Here's hoping this team can encourage more and more people to care about them. I know they made me care more than I ever have. Hop on the bandwagon now, it's going to fill up soon.

2011-07-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Evil Beard.

Is it a coincidence that the Patriots made two blockbuster trades, acquiring Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco, on the exact same day Tiger Woods announced his return to professional golf? I think not!

When talking to people about Tiger Woods I have said that he should just embrace his new persona. The first step was growing his evil goatee. Now, he has gone all out and grown his evil beard (the glasses are a nice addition too...maybe some Nike sunglass contacts?). Usually, Tiger shaves himself clean before returning to the course, he probably uses a Shick razor now (would that make him a Shick-head?). I think he should stick with the beard though.

Why is Tiger's beard so important, and how does it connect with the Patriots deals yesterday? Simple, the Patriots have finally embraced their evil persona. Haynesworth and Ocho are proof the Patriots' grew their very own Evil Beard. They grew it in one day.

For the past three years the Pats have been hated, especially after their winning ways (read: dominance) were brought into question. Now, the Pats have taken on two huge personalities, guys who are not liked by the team they are leaving.

Which Belichick will we see at the end of the season?

Haynesworth is a complete jerk, signing a massive contract then whining about the Redskins defensive schemes ( Laying down and stomping are two of his specialties). However, Haynesworth is also a super talented defensive lineman. He had a huge year in 2008, recording 8.5 sacks and 41 tackles. That outstanding season earned him the Redskins contract.

It is scary for offensive lines who have to deal with the size of Vince Wilfork, Albert Haynesworth, and Ty Warren (who missed all of last season with an injury). Those three guys are huge and will take up a lot of time and energy, hopefully allowing Jarrod Mayo and Jermaine Cunningham to run free and make plays.

Ochocinco is more harmless than Haynesworth. Ocho's personality is huge, he is the quintessential diva wide receiver. He is marrying Evelyn Lozada, formerly Antoine Walker's wife. She bailed on him when the money ran out. Evelyn is a character on Basketball Wives. She spends her days being watched while eating meals and stirring up drama. Ocho's best years are behind him, the expectations for him need to be very carefully placed on him. Will he have 1,000 yards? Probably not. Will he have 70+ catches? Probably not? Will he catch 5+ of TDs? Maybe.

I hope so Ocho... I really hope so...

Ocho's strength was as a deep threat. His age has slowed him down, which makes me wonder what the impetus for signing him was. My main theory is that the Pats are worried about the Jets signing Nnamdi Asomugha, giving them possibly the two best corners in the game on the same team. The Jets dominated the Pats passing game in the playoffs last year. No one could get open. Ocho might be a piece of the puzzle that the Pats think might challenge Rex Ryan's Jets. Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and the young tight ends were not enough last year. Can the addition of Ocho help the Pats? I hope so.

The Pats have grown their evil beard. They have added two pieces to their puzzle that could either help them immensely or they could implode the team at the first sign of adversity (just like Adalius Thomas).

Bill Belichick has a huge year in front of him. The Jets are challenging them for supremacy in the AFC East, the Dolphins seem to be slowly improving, and the Bills are still a football team... these signings could rewrite his legacy in many different ways. It could be a second wave of success (playoff success) or it could be seen as his last stand, pistol in hand firing his last rounds.

2011-07-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

Pressing the reset button.

On Wednesday it was announced that Tiger Woods and caddy Steve Williams are parting ways. This was something that surprised me somewhat, but not completely. Williams was granted permission by Woods to caddy for Adam Scott in the U.S. Open and Open Championship, so something was clearly amiss.

Tiger has made a very concerted effort to begin separating himself from his past. Williams was someone that many saw as a rock in Woods' life. They were not just business partners, but also friends. Now, one has to wonder what the friendship really meant to Woods. The timing of all of this is pretty strange, Williams even said so, admitting he regretted how this happening now is not a good thing.

Obviously it looks bad because it implies that Tiger's scandal is part of the reason for this change. Tiger is distancing himself from everyone, except his agent. Tiger stayed with Mark Steinberg even though Steinberg left sports agency mammoth IMG early this summer.

Tiger's decision is somewhat mystifying to me and it once again makes Tiger look like a jerk. He is heartless and calculating, to the point where he surprises a friend in the timing of a firing. Williams admitted he was surprised. They had been together 12 years, longer Tiger was with Elin, and Fluff (his only other caddy on tour), and Hank Haney. Butch Harmon (former swing coach) might be the only person that has been in Tiger's life longer.

Steve Williams might be the best caddy in the world. He managed Tiger, maybe managed his secrets (I think he knew a lot more about the scandal than he told the press). He was Tiger's most loyal soldier, and how is he finally treated? Like crap.

They always seemed like they were on the same page...

The more and more I think about Tiger the more sad I feel for him. He is starting his entire life over. He trusts no one, and no one can trust him. Imagine being 35 and feeling that way. It really is pathetic. Sure he has his money, but his career is in shambles right now, and he cannot get it back on track.

Tiger's firing of Steve Williams once again portrays Tiger's personality. Something goes wrong, fire someone, find someone new. Tiger has been completely unaccountable to himself and his actions for much longer than I think we ever realized. He never really takes the blame.

Sadly for Tiger, this is now becoming a trend in his life. As more people realize it you have to wonder if Tiger will be more and more isolated. Does Tiger get told "no" by any future caddies? Tiger was notorious for keeping a close circle, will Tiger's circle become non-existent or will their always be people who fall for his money and fame? I guess time will tell.

Some links about the split:
Wasting years of his life.
Lost respect for Tiger

2011-07-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

First is the worst, second is the best.

On Sunday the USA had three representatives with a chance at making me eat my own words. I wrote a few weeks back that the US as a country was losing its grip on sports dominance across the board. Granted some sports are still doing okay, for the most part the country is losing it.

The first opportunity was at The Open Championship, where Darren Clarke was the leader playing with Dustin Johnson in the final group (Johnson is slowly becoming the lovable loser of golf majors).

The other American in the mix was Phil Mickelson, who thrust himself into the tournament with an astounding 10 hole stretch where he only took 33 swings with his golf clubs.

Take a second and think about that.

Okay, we're back.

Mickelson eagled the 7th hole to get into a tie with Clarke, who was plugging away, backed by the fans and the unreal streak his tiny country is on right now (if you include Padraig Harrington's run of 3 majors from 2007-2008 then the entire island of Ireland has won 6 of the last 18 majors...not bad...). Mickelson's charge was very similar to Tiger's at The Masters this April. Unfortunately, Phil turned into his old self on the last eight holes and disappeared, finishing second but really having no say in the outcome after the 13th hole.

(Note: I sent my buddy Burke a very prophetic text that I am quite proud. It said "Phil?? Can he do this? He will hit one rough patch. He has to. How he deals with it is huge." Well he didn't deal with it at all. He struggled).

Dustin Johnson was the other US hopeful as the cream rose to the top on Sunday. Dustin, for his lanky, hippy walk seems to melt under major pressure. The scary part is that he has proven to make both mental and physical mistakes. He shot 82 at Pebble Beach in the last group of the US Open last summer, and then made a HUGE mistake (go to the 2:55 mark to remind yourself...) on the 18th at Whistling Straits at the PGA Championship.

The "Everyman" ready to fill his cup with Guinness.

This time Johnson found a new way to make a mistake. He hit the ball out of bounds on the par 5 14th hole. It was a shot that was unforgivable, it was a shot that a lot of 15 handicappers would not hit. The out of bounds runs down the entire right side of the hole. Rory McIlroy also hit it out of bounds on that hole on Saturday, pretty much ending any chance he had at making a run on Sunday.

Both Americans found themselves second place to the wide smiling, heavy drinking Northern Irishman. Once again, the US came up shy of where they needed to be.

30 minutes later the world was introduced to a pluky set of American girls, the type who like to make you sit on the edge of your seat. The cardiac girls we might have called them. Some called them a "team of destiny" (which is a bullshit theory, but that's just may opinion.), ready to reignite the flame that the 1999 World Cup winning team had passed to them (did you know the 1999 team beat China on penalty kicks in the Rose Bowl that year? And Brandi Chastain took off her jersey after the winning goal. It was crazy!).

You could nearly compare how Phil Mickelson started his round to how the US Women started their game. The team came out guns blazing, creating numerous scoring chances, chances that might have left the result completely unquestioned after a half hour. However, the cardiac girls decided that it would be too easy to grab a 3-0 lead at halftime. They instead left it at 0-0. Tied, just like Mickelson.

The US Women got a great goal from a great gal, a great gal. Alex Morgan proved her validity as the next great soccer player. The heir-apparent to Abby Wombach. The team's defense, which had been in question all tournament, went sour at a bad time: when they had the lead in the World Cup Final.

Second place hardware...ugh...

In the end, the US blew their chance. The women's history against the Japanese team was an astounding 22 wins and 3 ties without a single loss. This team, like every US team in the World Cup was under the microscope. They barely qualified for the World Cup, needing to beat Italy in a play-in game. In the end, they were second fiddle, just like Mickelson and Johnson in Sandwich, England.

Sunday was just another day for the US. A day of disappointment, a day of lost opportunities, a day where we were only second best. We look at the winners and make ourselves feel better by saying Clarke is the "everyman" and Japan needed this win more. At least these days our country is used to getting trophies and credit for finishing in second place. I hope we do not get too used to it.

2011-07-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

The pressure's on, Rory.

The Open Championship begins on Thursday, bright and early if you live in the United States (ESPN coverage begins at 4:00am ET). The coverage of the tournament seems to be begging for a "hero." Someone to burst into the realm of greatness, or for someone to lock their place in history (i.e. Michelson, Els, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood).

Rory McIlroy is obviously the newest and brightest star. It was interesting watching the press conferences of some of the other players, like Donald and Westwood. They took the questions about McIlroy, just like they used to field questions about Tiger. The media, the world of golf is salivating for a new "great." People are already claiming that if Rory wins this week that he will be that next great golfer. The one to challenge Tiger and Jack. The one who might re-write the record books.

These are the pictures that might haunt Rory if he struggles with his game (golf game
that is).
The truth about McIlroy, as cruel as it may seem, is that this week is enormous for him. He proved he could bounce back from disappointment after his horrendous final 9 holes at The Masters. He came roaring (forgive the pun) back at the US Open and crushed the field.

Now, he has not played competitive golf since that tournament. He has traveled around the world and lived in the spotlight for the past five weeks. He has heard about how great he is, he has told endless reporters how he is just a "normal guy" in his hometown of Holywood, Northern Ireland.

Why is this week so important for Rory? Because if he does not do well (not necessarily win, but compete) the new storyline will be: "Can McIlroy manage both the pressure of golf with the fame his success has created?"

One thing we have all been quick to forget is how masterfully Tiger handled all the pressure. Looking back and considering Tiger's Foundation, his winning, his public life, and his (eh-hem) transgressions, Tiger was unbelievable. He never let anything steer him away from winning. If McIlroy would like to fill the void that Tiger so selfishly left open, he is going to have to balance all of the fame and pressure. This week Rory is under a lot of pressure. Will I be rooting for him? You bet, golf needs a new star. Tiger could be the villain when he returns, Rory just might be the knight in shining armor.

2011-07-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

The Crossroads

Two weeks ago the US Men's Soccer team lost to Mexico in the final of the Gold Cup. This came as a shock to many people who watch the team from a distance; the type of fans who watch the World Cup every four years, wear their red, white, and blue, and then get surprised when the team loses.

As the team became gaining some mainstream acceptance they lost their mo-jo because, to be honest, American fans do not like to lose, especially to a country like Mexico; the country we measure ourselves against with regards to soccer. The die-hard soccer fans will tell you that the team was poorly picked, that the manager Bob Bradley did not go for a big win or try developing young talent. He walked a dangerous line, and the loss to Mexico cost them a birth in the Confederations Cup. What's that you ask? It's the tournament held a year before the World Cup, played in the host country of the upcoming World Cup, and is seen as a huge warm up for the tournament. The US beat Spain in it in 2009, remember that (Jozy Altidore was named the savior of US soccer. What has he done for you lately...)? Yeah, it was the win that many would argue catapulted the US in that World Cup.

On Sunday in Germany the Women's National team will play Brazil. A team that many have chosen as the favorite, a team that the is much more talented than the US. The US Women's team has not won a World Cup since 1999. That team is haunting this current team, the media is making this big deal about the team. Many of the players are now retired and commentating on the games.

Marta: The BEST player in the world. Six straight FIFA Players of the Year. SIX!

Now, after years of dominating the sport, the US Women's team is the underdog. The US, just like in other sports, is slipping. Women's soccer in the USA exploded after 1999. Before 1999 the US was a juggernaut, beating most who stood in their path. Scoring oodles of goals. Now? They are playing Brazil, and people expect Brazil to win. The world has caught up with the US. Germany, Brazil, France, England, and Sweden all made the quarterfinals. Looks a lot like a list of teams you might come up with if you were asked to list some strong men's teams. The countries who take pride in soccer, who have the proper foundations for building soccer players, have caught up in the women's game.

The women's game blossomed later than the men's game. This is only the sixth World Cup. The United States won the first and third, Norway the second, and Germany the last two. The next big step for the women's game could be the Asian and African countries. With Japan now in the semi-final, they may possibly become the harbinger of things to come. In 1990 Cameroon made it to the quarterfinals, shocking the world. This opened up the talk of the African countries beginning deeper runs in the World Cup. Has it happened? A little. As much as some thought? No. Why? Soccer is dominated by countries that have always dominated it.

Now the women's game is reflecting the men's game. New countries have their say (Japan) while the cream also rises to the top.

The game the US Women play tomorrow is massive, not only for themselves as a team, but for soccer as a whole in the US. The women's teams have always had a leg up on the men, with a loss tomorrow to Brazil then women will lose an edge on the men and also on the rest of the women's world of soccer. Lets hope Brazil isn't the cream that rises to the top.

2011-06-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

America's Downward Trend?

While the title of this post may have you thinking that this is going to be about the economic mess our country is in, I can tell you this much... it isn't about that. It is about another downward trend, this trend is centered on sports, and the USA's lack of success in many of them recently. As I was reading through USA Today last week I came across an article by Christine Brennan, a writer that I honestly do not like. However, she made some interesting points in her piece and I thought it was worth delving in a little deeper to figure out if American sports are on the decline... lets go through this sport by sport...

Basketball
During last week's NBA draft, 4 of the top 7 picks were foreign born players. This draft was admittedly weak. Basketball is slowly earning the privilege of being called a "world game." Soccer is the other with that title. While basketball is flourishing around the world, the players are flocking to the NBA. Americans like calling it a world game because it is a game Americans dominate, unlike soccer. With the Dallas Mavericks snatching their first title from the hands of the Miami Heat, Dirk was the star, and has now earned himself some worldwide recognition. While basketball is still strongly in the hands of the USA, the world is slowly creeping up with players who can win titles.

Jan Vesely and his girlfriend made quiet a splash at the NBA Draft...

Football
Football has benefited from some global reach. Bringing in many Samoans to play the sport. Football is still as American as apple pie and will be just fine. Too many other countries prefer Rugby or Australian Rules Football.

Baseball
Baseball is another game that has reached out globally. It has welcomed players with open arms from all over the world. Again, baseball has a strong hold as our national past-time. And while many say that kids are not playing the game anymore, we produce better baseball players than soccer players; and people are ALWAYS talking about the huge amounts of kids playing soccer at the grassroots level. But they all suck.

Hockey
Hockey (Is that how you spell it? It is right? Ok) is a game that is dominated by Canadians, and when they don't win they riot. At least we have not reached that level of loserdom in this country...

Goofy and consistent. Just what you want as an American golf fan...

Golf
Here is where the tide begins to turn. Golf, both in the women's and men's games, is being dominated by international players. A 22 year old named Yani Tseng became the youngest male or female to win 4 major titles. She shot -19 and won the LPGA Championship by ten shots this past weekend. TEN SHOTS, that's insane! Rory McIlroy made his own 22 year old statement in the US Open last weekend, and many people are now toasting him as the next great golfer.

If you look at the world ranking for these two sports there are 3 US players in the top ten of each of the rankings. Can you name the three men ranked in the top 10 in the world right now?

Take a second and think about it...

ready?

Ok, here they are: Steve Stricker (7), Phil Mickelson (8), and Matt Kuchar (9). That's no joke folks...

Stricker and Mickelson are both in their 40s and Kuchar (mid 30's) is simply a guy who cashes in top tens and will probably never win a major. Check out the list, not a lot of hopeful Americans who will make a run for that top honor, unless you count that guy named Tiger (I still do...).

The women's rankings are just as bleak, and it is dominated by Asian born players. The LPGA has 15 events in the USA and 9 others are held abroad. The LPGA sees the writing on the wall and are cashing in on it.

You think I would miss a chance to
put Natalie on this post?

Tennis
This is even worse than golf. The Williams sisters were both knocked out of Wimbledon on Monday (boo-hoo), and now no one cares. There is not a single American women in the top ten ranking.

Marty Fish and Andy Roddick are ranked 9 and 10 in the world currently. Guess where the next American lands on that list? The correct answer is 40. The immortal Sam Querrey.

There is no young hopeful coming up from America in either men's or women's tennis. It seems every year some new Eastern European star (click it... trust me) comes along.

Serena yelling at a line judge. She is #1 in the world for that skill...

The Future?
As we look forward into the future of sports we can see many more countries involving themselves in new sports. Training kids at younger and younger ages, the risk: burning out or creating people ill-prepared for life outside of a sport. The reward: championships and some regard for the country.

With all the crap going on in the world right now. Revolutions, recessions, and new governments, one has to wonder if nationalism in sports is coming back even stronger. Will people want to cheer for their country, will athletes want to represent their country more than in the past? Is America's weakness becoming other country's strength? I honestly do not know. It does seem like the world is getting smaller. Coaching strategies are spreading faster; the desire to be the best and win the best tournaments is growing among athletes across the world. For me I think it is a great thing, it is sad to see the US down right now. Maybe it will be back, maybe it will be soon. Maybe it will be later. Maybe it will be never. I know that I will keep watching though, rooting for the people I want to root for. Even it that might mean crossing the border to root for a non-American.

2011-04-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

The First Sign of Spring.

The Masters is here, and who can argue that this is the first true sign of spring. There are some differences between this Masters and the last 12 Masters.
1. Tiger Woods is not a favorite, and in some cases is being totally written off.
2. There are a slew of young players that people are predicting will contend or even win (Nick Watney, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Jason Day, and Ricky Fowler to name a few).

Without boring you about golf too much, here are my predictions for this weekend.

Who is the darkhorse?
Ross Fisher: This guy has had some really close calls in Majors. Wouldn't be surprised to see his name on the leaderboard this weekend.

Who will be the biggest disappointment?
Sergio Garcia: This guy has been getting his game somewhat back into shape. However, his putting is horrible. This could be a week where he is around near the end and then finds a way to mess up with his putter.

What would be an awesome story to root for this weekend?
1) Ernie Els in contention. I am stealing this from The Golf Channel. But I liked it. Ernie Els has begun working hard to raise awareness of Autism since the birth of his son. While Jim Nance would beat this story to a pulp, it would be great to see the Big Easy finally get his Green Jacket. He deserves one.

2) Ryo Ishikawa. This guy pledged his 2011 winnings to his homeland of Japan. Awesome story. I hope he gets some wins this year.

What will Ian Poulter be wearing this week at Augusta?

Who will be the winner?
This space was usually filled with the name "Tiger Woods." It was a lock that he was the guy I would choose. However, this year I cannot narrow it down to one name. In his stead I am going to give you four names of guys I think have a good chance.

1) Phil. He is playing well, and is now becoming comfortable with his legacy and is trying to cement it even further.
2) Rory McIlroy. Really like this guy. My favorite thing about him is his calm demeanor. He never seems to get rattled.
3) Hunter Mahan. This is another pupil of Sean Foley, Tiger's coach. He is playing better than Tiger, maybe his Ryder Cup choke in September will cripple him, but we forget he hit the biggest putt in 2008's Ryder Cup on Sunday.
4) Tiger. Okay okay. I initially had three names, and I decided I have to put him down. Why? Never count out Tiger. He finished 4th last year after not playing competitive golf in 5 months and being raked through the tabloids.

Enjoy the Masters. If you haven't visited Masters.org yet, you should.

2011-03-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

Predictions lacking knowledge.

Making predictions is not my strong suit. Sometimes I get one or two right (the Texas Rangers last year and Kentucky this March...so far).

However, my roommate Pat had the idea to go through and choose every division, MVP, and Cy Young winners, culminating in a playoff prediction.

The gambler in me decided to throw in the "over/under" for wins for each team. The gambler in me is what is also holding a year old slap bet over Pat, a forlorn Angles fan.

Without further adieu...

AL DIVISIONS

AL EAST (The Most Talent)
1) Red Sox - This kills me to do. The keys: Beckett, Papelbon, and Crawford. (Under 95.5 wins).

2) New York - Offense will have to carry pitching. Keys: Phil Hughes, Bullpen (Over 91.5 wins).

3) Baltimore Orioles - A surprise success. Keys: Vlad G., Adam Jones, pitching. (Over 76.5 wins).

4) Tampa Bay - Lost too much. The Keys: Manny, Damon, Shields (Under 84.5 wins).

5) Toronto - Just a bad team. Keys: Bautista and Ricky Romero (Under 76.5 wins).

AL CENTRAL (The up and coming division)
1) Minnesota- Mauer and Morneau need to stay healthy. Keys: Thome and Liriano (Over 85.5)

2) Detroit - Adding V. Martinez was huge. Keys: Cabrera (duh), Zumaya, Porcello (Over 84.5)

3) Chicago - Lotta Power, lotta K's? Keys: Dunn and Peavy (Under 85.5)

4) Cleveland - Yuck. Keys: Orlando Cabrera (winner), Choo, Fausto (Over 71.5)

5) Kansas City - Double Yuck. Keys: I have nothing. Poor Alex Gordon (Under 68.5)

AL WEST (The Most Mediocre)
1) Oakland - A roster of unknowns. Keys: Matsui's leadership of young talent (Over 83.5)

2) Angles - A team in limbo. Saving for Pujols? Keys: Trumbo and V. Wells ($$!) (Over 83.5)

3) Texas - A letdown year after losing some talent. Keys: Can Beltre fill in for Vlad? (Under 86.5)

4) Seattle - Triple Yuck. Keys: Can they get King Felix to pitch 81 games? 162?? (Over 70.5)

Wild Card: Yankees

AL MVP: Joe Mauer
Cy Young: CC Sabathia (again...)

NL DIVISIONS
(Note: I do not know enough about the NL to make any sort of reasonably knowledgeable comments. Honestly? It is pretty painful as you look at what Vegas expects from them.)

NL EAST (The Best division in the NL. Similar to being the tallest "small person" in the circus)

1) Philadelphia - (Over 97.5)

2) Atlanta - (Over 87.5)

3) New York - (Over 77.5)

4) Florida - (Under 82.5)

5) Washington - (Over 72.5)

NL CENTRAL (The Second Best Division in the NL)

1) St. Louis - (Over 83.5)

2) Milwaukee - (Over 86.5)

3) Cincinnati - Under 85.5)

4) Chicago - (Over 81.5)

5) Houston - (Over 72.5)

6) Pittsburgh - (Over 66.5)

NL WEST (The Second Best division in the NL too..)

1) Giants - (Over 87.5)

2) Dodgers - (Over 83.5)

3) Rockies - (Under 86.5)

4) San Diego - (Under 75.5)

5) Arizona - (Under 72.5)

NL MVP: Prince Fielder
Cy Young: Lincecum (Phillies Four steals votes from one another)

Wild Card: Brewers

World Series Matchup:
Red Sox over Phillies in 7

PAT'S PREDICTIONS
(O= Over and U=Under)

AL EAST:
Red Sox (O)
Yankees (O)
Rays (U)
Orioles (U)
Blue Jays (U)

AL CENTRAL:
Twins (O)
White Sox (U)
Tigers (U)
Indians (O)
Royals (O)

AL WEST:
Rangers (O)
A's (O)
Angels (U)
Mariners (U)

NL EAST:
Phillies (U)
Braves (O)
Marlins (U)
Mets (U)
Nationals (U)

NL CENTRAL:
Reds (O)
Brewers (O)
Cardinals (O)
Cubs (U)
Astros (U)
Pirates (O)

NL WEST:
Rockies (O)
Giants (U)
Dodgers (O)
Padres (U)
Diamondbacks (U)

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton
AL CY YOUNG: Jon Lester
NL MVP: Joey Votto
NL CY YOUNG: Roy Halladay

ALCS: Red Sox v. Yankees
NLCS: Phillies v. Braves
WORLD SERIES: Red Sox v. Braves
CHAMPS: Red Sox

2011-03-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

College Hoops Musings...

While watching all the college basketball this weekend I learned a lot. Here is a list of the things that stuck with me.

1) Billy Donovan lost the Butler game.
I was astounded at how the Gators finished both regular time and overtime. Billy Donovan had 30 seconds and a tie game to work with, and what does he do? He runs an isolation play for Walker, who was 1-10 shooting during the game and 1-7 from 3 point range. Walker got a pick and took a 21 foot jumpshot. Unreal. In overtime Florida came down with 10 seconds left and Walker hoisted a 23 foot three pointer with 8 seconds left.
Unquestionably, Billy Donovan is at fault for these decisions. My buddy Pat put it best, he wondered why every single team doesn't have one bread and butter play. You run it, it works, you score. If it doesn't work, at least you look like you had a prepared team.
Donovan threw his players under the bus a bit by saying that his players didn't get loose balls and missed shots. Florida should still be playing, or at least they should have had a coach who could draw up a play in a timeout rather than turning the end of the game into a pick-up game at your local YMCA.

Erving Walker cannot resist a "Hero Shot."

2) Players are hypnotized by the three point line.
College basketball games can turn on 3 point shooting. Just ask Kansas or VCU. Their game came down to the shots VCU hit from behind the arc the entire game. Jimmer Fredette at the end of the their loss to Florida just started chucking up threes. Sometimes I wonder if a lot of these players see the tournament as a huge tryout. They spend time thinking, "I can show off my range right now and shoot from 5 feet behind the line."
I think the 3 point line is great in college, it gives lesser teams a great chance at an upset and makes leads between 6 and 11 points so much smaller than they seem. However, I am shocked at how fixated a lot of players get on the line.

3) College basketball as a whole is declining.
I am no student of college basketball however when you look at the history of low seeds making deep runs it is getting more and more regular. The counter-point to my belief would be this, "college basketball has more parity, the talent is deeper. Making it possible for an 8 seed to make the Final Four."
I disagree with that. I think the game has taken a different turn. Here is my counter-point:
College basketball has two distinct levels now. One level is the "high level." This level consists of big conference teams. These teams make the money, these teams get the big recruits. These teams are coached by guys whose hair is greasy, can recruit well, and after they leave their wins will be vacated. The "low level" teams are different. They cannot go get big name recruits, they have to depend on grassroots and smart recruiting, values, and longevity (both players and coaches). They need a coach who is going to instill a program and depend on senior leadership. VCU and Butler are the poster children for those programs, Holy Cross is the anti-thesis (bitterness alert!)
How does this lead to a decline in college basketball? I think it is because players are leaving early, the top teams are not as talented, and the level of the "low level" has come up. They have a blueprint, they have patience. The "high level" teams have no patience. They need to win, they need to get players into the NBA.
Kentucky is currently playing UNC as I write this. They have three starting freshman and two sophomores. This is a year removed from a KU team blessed with three freshman who left for the NBA (John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe). There is no continuity, the "low level" teams have continuity and patience.

Overall, I have loved watching the tournament. It will be interesting to see if the potential lock-out keeps more players in college next year. Making a better overall product for a season.

Links:
Great 60 Minutes piece on Bobby Hurley's dad, the coach at St. Anthony's in Jersey City.
Nicholas Cage losing his mind... (credit to my buddy Pat).
Don't be a bully ...

2011-03-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Madness can drive me mad!

March Madness is upon us, and I for one am stressed out. I cannot go anywhere without hearing about who the favorites are, who is this year's Cinderella, and who will be this year's flop?

The over saturation of March Madness is getting to be a little ridiculous. The only thing that is more ridiculous is seeing analysts who show up for these three weeks, throw silly upset picks against the wall, then pray that some of them will stick. I just saw some guy on SportsNation choose Oakland, Wofford, and Indiana State to beat Texas, BYU, and Syracuse respectively.

Hear is my issue with all this analyzing, you can choose upsets and claim that certain teams can shoot down a zone, or another team has a lottery pick prospect and we shouldn't ignore them.

I have not looked closely at the bracket yet. I am waiting for these four play-in games to get played before taking the leap into the abyss.

However, I would like to offer one piece of advice. Something that you should think seriously about while filling out your bracket: beware of teams who had to play their asses off to win a conference tournament. I am looking directly at UCONN right now. They played 5 games in 5 days this past week. These games, played late at night and all closely competed, can take a huge toll on a team. The Big East beats the crap out of each other, and UCONN took a big beating. Kemba Walker is great don't get me wrong. I am looking forward to watching him play, he seems to lift his game when the lights are brightest.

Kemba is the key is UCONN's success...duh...

However, teams like PITT and Marquette (early exits in Big East Tournament) could go deep strictly because they are rested and still very talented.

Think about the logic, take it or leave it.

Good luck with your bracket, and remember, when it doubt pick the mascot who would win in a fight...

2011-03-10T17:46:00.000-08:00

Thoughts from a REAL hockey fan.

So, like I said last night, I am not a big hockey fan. My friend Pat is, and he took exception to some of what I had to say. I thought he said it well, and asked if I could share it. He said sure...here is it:

As a Boston fan and a Chara fan, I’m surprised that he wasn’t suspended. The NHL has consistently suspended people for their actions on the ice if they result in a devastaing injury (except for Matt Cooke hitting Marc Savard, but more on that later), as this clearly was. More so, this injury came on a penalty – not a penalty like Cooke boarding Fyedor Tyutin or head hunting Savard – but none the less a penalty, and if an injury occurs on a penalty then there should be a suspension of some kind. I was expecting no more than 2-3 games. That being said, I understand the NHL’s position, Chara was assessed nothing more than an interference and has no prior history of dirty play like some one like Cooke. Ray Shero, GM of the Penguins, said after Cooke’s four-game suspension for boarding Tyutin, “Cooke got 1 game for boarding, 1 game for not using his head, and 2 games for being Matt Cooke.” In the NHL your reputation precedes you, whether that’s fair or not isn’t the point. It’s just how it is.

After the game, Chara talked about how he pinched in at the same time Pacioretty jumped – as wingers are taught to do – to avoid the pinching d-man. These two combined to have disastrous and devastating results. This was only because of where those two men were on the ice at the time. Opposite side of the ice? Chara gets 2 minutes for interference and it’s over. It was a hockey play that happened at the wrong place on the ice. To try and get into what Chara was thinking as the play was happening or what motivations he had to hit Pacioretty at that time and place is both a waste of time and prose. There’s one person that knows what Chara was thinking and that’s Chara, and he’s not telling.

In case you were wondering how many teeth Matt Cooke has...

The NHL has come to the same crossroads as the NFL. They are putting a product out for fans that is inherently dangerous. These men are being paid exorbitant sums (in both leagues) because they are being paid to be gladiators. They are paid to use up their bodies for our entertainment. Boston University just released the results of an autopsy on the brain of former enforcer Bob Probert, a 16-year NHL vet, and found that he had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy something similar too, if not the same as has been popping up in the brains of deceased NFLers, and the second case in an NHL player. (CTE is similar to Alzhiemers in that both inhibit the brain from functioning properly.) Both of these leagues need to look long and hard at the games they are playing, the equipment that they are using, and, in the NHL’s case, the arenas that they play in and how they contribute to the danger of the product that they put that they are selling.

Chara’s hit wasn’t dirty – even a friend who’s a Bruins hater agrees. Is it unfortunate? Of course, there’s not doubt that Max Pacioretty’s life will probably never be the same. Having watched Savard’s struggle over the last year, I can’t begin to imagine what lies ahead for Max Pacioretty. However, this is a league that doesn’t “act”, much like the NFL. They didn’t go out of their way to make sweeping rule changes to keep players from hitting the head until Cooke changed Savard’s hockey career, and more importantly, life for the worse. Part of the reason that Chara wasn’t suspended was due to the strict interpretation of the rules by Mike Murphy, the NHL’s Senior VP of operations. There was nothing in the rules that said Chara needed to be suspended beyond the game misconduct he already received. This is no different to the NHL and Colin Campbell deciding that Cooke’s hit on Savard last year merited no suspension. At the time there were no rule outlawing a hit to the head with one’s shoulder as the principle point of contact. They “react” to incidents like Savard’s, like Pacioretty’s, and make changes to rules – and possibly rink design – based on what HAS happened, not what COULD happen. If the NHL was proactive and “acted” instead of “reacted” it’s possible the Marc Savard is still playing and Max Pacioretty’s head never hits that stanchion.

2011-03-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

My brief thoughts on Chara's hit.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a huge hockey fan. I never played it, I do not understand it. I understand how exciting it can be, however, I hate that the regular season is a tune-up for the playoffs.

Hockey has grabbed my attention in the past day due to the hit that Zdeno Chara put on Canadien Max Pacioretty. This hit intensifies the rivalry between these two franchises who are on a huge collision course in the playoffs.

A year ago Marc Savard was hit by Matt Cooke. This hit has damaged Savard forever. Not just his hockey career, but his quality of life has been severely altered. Matt Cooke is a dirty player, if you watch the hit he gets on Savard it is completely against flow of the play. It was a blatant head shot.

Chara's hit had same venom to it too. Chara is not a dirty player, and from what I have heard he is actually a guy who has not played as physical as his size would indicate. If you watch the hit, Chara finishes it. He puts his hands on Pacioretty's head and leads him into that pole.

I remember back in the days of playing NHL video games one of the big goals was to check an opponent over the boards, hit him so hard the glass breaks, or time a check so he runs into the glass just like Pacioretty did. Chara wanted to make that hit, I have no doubt about it. He knew what he was doing.

Can a "clean" hockey player make a dirty hit, yes. It seems like this Chara hit was a bit dirty. He finished the check, and if you look close enough his hands are on Pacioretty's head while it is on the post.

Between the game last month where there were hundreds of penalty minutes and this hit, there is no way that these two teams are not destined to meet in the playoffs.

Thats about all I can muster up for hockey...here are some better links:

Canada is PISSED!
Canadians want to file charges against Chara.
Tony Mazz on the hit...

2011-02-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

A Trade Worth Making?

Trades have a funny way of effecting sports fans. Players that fans have watched, learned about, and cheered for can be ripped from our lives without warning. Sometimes trades can spark nostalgia, sometimes they create hope, and sometimes they are a sign of bad times ahead.

This week the NBA tradeline was met with more activity than I can ever imagine. The Celtics made a deal that literally came out of nowhere. The C's seemed pretty secure with their roster. They had injuries to deal with (Delonte West, Shaq, and Jermaine O'Neal), and they did not really have the depth or picks to try and make a move. Then Danny Ainge made a splash, a splash that a lot of people did not like. He dealt Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Nened Krstic and Jeff Green.

People did not like this trade for a number of reasons.

1) Fans genuinely liked "Perk." He was a guy who worked hard and seemingly made the most out of the talent he had. He was a big lumbering center who did the little things in order to help the Celtics become the success they are.

2) Game 7 last year made Perkins a massive commodity. Celtics fans believe that with Perk the C's would have closed out the Lakers in game 7. This conjecture is a big reason people did not like seeing Perkins shipped out. What I believe is that if the Celtics lost game 7 with a healthy Perk people would be less upset. Perkins' value went UP when his team lost without him.

3) Celtics fans know how close this team is. They seem to really like each other. The Association on ESPN has given fans a backstage look at the Celtics, and Perkins is a big reason the team is so close.

4) Fans reacted to the Celtics player's reaction to the trade. KG, Doc, and others were vocal about the loss of Perk to the Thunder. I guess nostalgia effects the players too.

Jeff Green in 2007. Danny saw something in him then too.

There were players in the Thunder locker room who were sad to see Jeff Green go. That team is renowned for its chemistry and college-like atmosphere. No one in Boston seems to really care, they want Perk back.

I was honestly happy about this trade. The first thought that went through my head was, wow, we get Jeff Green. He is good! Jeff Green is a really solid addition to this team. Nenad Krstic is a guy I know nothing about, I knew he was a center who could both rebound and play better offense than Perk.

Let's be honest about Perk for a moment...he was a big center without much offensive ability outside of 5 feet. Are you thinking, but he can play defense, really good defense! That is something we have to wait and see about. Frankly, I wonder how much Perk's defensive prowess is tied to the great defense that the Celtics play. People used to KILL Paul Pierce for his defense. He was a below-average defender, then in 2007 he is all of a sudden a guy who can guard Kobe in the Finals. Huh? Does that make sense? KG is the guy on defense who changes everything. Perk won't have KG anymore.

Will Perk be the defensive stopper that all the Celtics fans loved in Oklahoma City? Only time will tell.

In the case of the Celtics, this trade and the other ones they made, were made with the belief that the NBA is changing a little bit. The Celtics lost to a "big and tall" Lakers team last year. They went and got Shaq and Jermaine to get bigger in the middle. Now as they look at the NBA landscape they see some different teams rising to the top. The Heat, Bulls, and Thunder are all a little smaller and a little quicker. Making trades to play against one team is foolish, making trades to compete with an entire league is smarter.

This trade the Celtics made comes with improvements for both big teams and quick teams. The Celtics still have size Krstic, The O'Neals, KG, and Glenn Davis while they also added a piece that gives them some quickness to battle those teams that could "go small" against them in the playoffs.

Hopefully the C's have others who will mix it up with Noah and others.

That leaves the question. Will the O'Neals be healthy? That will be the key I think to this entire trade. Another thing to think about is if Perk is healthy. He is already sitting out 3 weeks with a sprained MCL. This is not the knee that was not injured last June. Perk's knees may have been a bigger issue than the Celtics had let on.

Watch Kendrick Perkins run up and down the floor, his knees are bound to give way at some point. He is 26 with knee problems. Krstic is a year older than Perk, and may offset the "big and tall" opponents by stretching the defense out.

Overall, I think this trade is something that is going to add to the Celtics for the right now and for the future. In my mind they added more talent, and in time both guys will fit into the Celtics. The C's cannot afford to bitch and moan too long, they have a Championship window that is closing quickly. Maybe this trade opened a new window, the post-Pierce, Allen, KG window.

2011-02-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

Is Boredom Tiger's Biggest Downfall?

Have you ever been bored? I think we have all been bored at some point in our life. We can get bored with friends, our job, a TV show, a movie, a book, our family. When we get bored we usually do something about it. We change something that we are doing to kill our boredom. Some of these things may be more extreme than others. If I am sitting on my couch bored I can get up and go outside, I can change the channel, I can grab a magazine, I can go eat.

Bored effects us all. We all solve it differently. I have thought more about Tiger Woods these past few weeks amidst his return to a regular golf schedule. I saw Sean Foley on The Golf Channel this winter and I had a spark of a thought. Does Tiger just simply get bored? With everything?

Tiger was fined for spitting in Dubai this past weekend...jokes anyone?

Look at his life and the trends we have seen. Tiger turns pro in 1996. He wins his first professional major, The Masters, by 12 shots. He is the "it" kid. Big smile, bigger talent, squeaky clean. He decided a hugely successful first season was not enough. He wanted to change his swing (something he would do twice more in the next decade). Tiger claims he changes his swing to get better. I think he gets bored and needs a new challenge.

After winning a handful of majors and tons of tournaments Tiger next decided to change his swing coach. Maybe he was sick of hearing Butch Harmon say the same thing over and over again (was that Elin's downfall?). He moved onto Hank Haney and won some more majors, dominating again after changing his swing. Now he is on his third coach and his fourth swing since he said, "hello world" 14 years ago.

Now lets look at Tiger's personal life. He was bored. Bored with married life. Bored with his gorgeous wife. He went out and found some women who could fix his boredom (isn't that what we do when we are bored? Fix it?). Tiger thought that this was an okay thing to do. I will believe nothing else, he thought it was okay because he was so cavalier about it.

Could Tiger have had the perfect life? Absolutely, he had the game, the money, the wife, the kids, the houses, the boats, and anything else he wanted. Which might have been the problem. He could get anything he wanted. And he did. He changed his swing, and he won. He changed his coach, and he won. He cheated on his wife, and he got away with it hundreds of times (hundreds!).

Boredom can be a dangerous thing. For Tiger it has set back his career 3 years, and judging by the way he is playing right now, he may have a longer way back than any of us really think. Time will tell I guess.

2011-02-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

Big Ben thoughts and Super Bowl predicition.

Its Super Bowl time! I have avoided a lot of Super Bowl talk the past two weeks, mainly because I find the media somewhat insufferable during Super Bowl week. They throw out superlatives before anything has even been decided. Big Ben is now a hero, Aaron Rodgers is the Holy Son of Green Bay, blah, blah, blah.

This game has one massive storyline that I think has been completely ignored. Big Ben is not a year removed from a 6 games suspension for sexual assault. Now he has reached a point where he is a "redemption story." I wrote about Vick and Tiger and their silly redemption stories. Big Ben has admitted no wrong-doing. The only thing he has admitted to is that he has rediscovered his spirituality (by spirituality does he mean "penis?").

I think it is pathetic that Peter King has written an article about the Patriots Spygate this week. Picking a scab that is three years old. Do I value investigative journalism? Yes. Why write that article this week? Media members are pretty sackless sometimes. An article ripping Big Ben apart is a bad investment, because you may never get an interview or soundbite again. Ripping the Pats? Ripping Bill Bellichick is easy because he stonewalls everyone in the media anyway.

Big Ben is a sexual predator that can play football. He plays football very well. However, he is not being held to task for choices he made. Frankly, I think that is too bad. If the Steelers pull out this Super Bowl he will be forgiven for all his mistakes, he will do the Letterman, Leno, Conan circuit. Hell maybe he will shave his beard for charity again. What a guy.

Will Big Ben play like a champion on Sunday? Probably...ugh..

Anyway, on to the game...

It seems like the majority of people are taking the Packers. They like the way their offense matches up with the Steelers defense. People are comparing it to the Patriots offense that spread out the Steelers defense and picked them apart with short passing. This would neutralize the dynamic Pittsburgh linebackers if the Packers spread the field with a lot of receivers.

What do the Packers need do to win?

1) Get an early lead and do not take your foot off the gas peddle. The Packers have been a very solid team coming out of the gate. Their three wins in the playoffs were all proof of that. The Falcons were the only team they did not let back into the game. The Eagles and Bears both had chances at the end of the game, even though the Packers led by 10+ points late in both games. Mike McCarthy's play calling will be very important in this game.

2) Use the short passing game as a replacement for running the ball a lot. The Steelers defense is awesome against the run. They only allow 62 yards a game on the ground, first in the league. The Packers believe they have to run the ball a lot in order to win most games. For their sake, I hope they change that belief for this game.

3) Let Charles Woodson, BJ Raji, and Clay Matthews create plays on defense. These guys are the key to winning the turnover battle. B.J Raji made a great play against the Bears, scoring a huge touchdown which at the time did not see like it was a touchdown they needed. In the end, it was extremely important. With the Steelers' star center out with an injury, Raji's play could swing this game. Big Ben is tough to bring down, but Raji may be the man for the job.

BJ Raji could be the key to this game.

What do the Steelers need do to win?

1) Run the football well early to open up the game. The Packers are 5th in passing defense, but 18th against the run. The Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall killed the Jets in the AFC Championship. He ran the ball early in the game, slowing down the game. The Steelers opening drive was 10 minutes long. The Steelers will have to run the ball to keep the explosive Packers offense off the field.

2) Keep Big Ben "local." This is my new phrase for the pocket. Big Ben's skills are the best when he gets out of his neighborhood. He runs around and makes plays outside of the pocket. Keeping him local means he has to only use his arm to beat you. Once he uses his legs you are dead as a defense. He has receivers who know how to play with him. The Packers pass defense is very good, they need to treat Big Ben more like Mike Vick and less like Peyton Manning. Contain, contain, contain.

3) Bend but don't break. The Patriots have been famous for this. Let the opponent move the ball until they really really want to. When they get into 3rd down and the red zone the Steelers have to make stops. The Packers will move the ball on them, however the Steelers defense is well versed in making those important stops and forcing turnovers. The Steelers have to keep the Packers offense in front of them. No big plays, no silly touchdowns.


Will this be the scene on Sudnay? Tomlin is looking to become the youngest coach with 2 rings.

At the start of the playoffs I made a list of quarterbacks and coaches my buddy Pat and I believe in. Here is the list again:

The quarterbacks we believe in:

Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Big Ben
Aaron Rodgers
Drew Brees

Guys on the fence:

Mike Vick
Matt Ryan

Coaches we believe in:

Bill Bellichik
Mike Tomlin
Sean Payton

On the fence:

Jim Harbaugh
Andy Reid
Mike McCarthy
Rex Ryan

Big Ben, Aaron Rodgers, and Mike Tomlin all made our cut. Mike McCarthy, even after three road wins is still on our fence. His game management makes me nervous.

The Steelers have the experience, they have the QB/coach combo, and they have the toughness. At the beginning of the playoffs I choose the Packers and Pats to meet in the Super Bowl with the Pats winning.

Now I am faced with a Steelers or Packers decision. The Steelers seem like they have the players who can tilt the balance and win a close game down the stretch. Their experience at quarterback and coach is a huge advantage. Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback, but he is surrounded by a team of first-timers, in the end that will end up being the different. And trust me, it kills me to say it.

Prediction (7-3 in playoffs)

Steelers 27 - Packers 21
MVP: Big Ben

Enjoy the game...

2011-01-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

The Trouble with loudmouths...

The world has become smaller, much smaller. Information from across the globe can find us in seconds. Bombs in Moscow, shootings in Tucson, a State of the Union in D.C. All of these things would have taken hours to reach us not even ten years ago. It would have taken days a century ago. We are now in an era where information cannot travel any faster. We are swarmed by people's opinions, facts, humor, satire, and everything in between.

As an educator this can be a challenge. Kids are wired in a lot in their down time. Taking in positive and negative information. Things happen faster. It's what they expect. Instant access, in some cases, without an hard work.

As an educator I sometimes find myself frustrated with the outside world, frustrated because what I try to do with my fourth graders everyday is so easily offset by a stupid lyric in a song on the radio, or a chain email that they receive, or a bad joke on TV that they do not understand but have no problem repeating.

As a society we have moved towards less restrictions, or at least we have moved towards easier access. A lot of what is out there now was out there before, now it is easier to find, and kids in some cases are more savvy than their parents. Making it hard to control what goes on every hour of every day. I do not envy parents one bit in the this day and age.

Across the country we have heard about students killing themselves because they are being bullied by peers. Now that people are constantly plugged-in there is no escape, no one to run to. It is not just in school, but it is on-line. Facebook, twitter, and email are ways for tormentors to make their target's life a living hell. So much so that it drives some kids to suicide.

This past weekend in the NFC Championship game Jay Cutler called it quits, he decided his knee was in too much pain and he could not play. I am not going to waste my time judging him for that decision. That is all his, he can own it or regret it, I honestly do not care.

What I do care about is the treatment and reaction by some of Cutler's peers, especially the reactions on twitter. These reactions are out there for all to see, and also for all to spread around. These are the moments in my life where I feel like my teaching in the class is balanced out by the stupidity of people outside of the school where I teach.

Raheem Brock getting to know Jay Cutler...

Raheem Brock, a guy whose team, the Seattle Seahawks, was crushed by Cutler and the Bears one week ago, decided to tweet while watching the game on Sunday afternoon. While watching the game he decided to attack Cutler. Here are the two tweets that stood out to me as I waded through the crap he has tweeted since Sunday afternoon:

"Cutler u little siSsy...how does it feel that ur back up's backup is the only 1that can put pts on the board!I bet cutler comes back now!"

"Cutler...wut a sissy! This is the NFC Championship game! Guaranteed if it was brett farve..he would still be in the game!"

These two tweets are calling out Cutler's manhood, calling him a sissy. Now do I understand that Raheem Brock and Jay Cutler are grown men? Yes. Does Brock realize that anyone can read what he writes? Maybe not.

Maurice Jones-Drew threw in a jab at Urban Meyer in his tweet. Urban Meyer is a guy who just retired from coaching at Florida due to medical issues. Here was Jones-Drew's thoughts when Cutler went down.

"the urban meyer rule is effect right now... When the going gets tough........QUIT."

Jones-Drew said that his comments were taken out of context (can you take a tweet out of context?). He said he was joking and did not know that Cutler was hurt. However, if you look at his tweet feed there are comments about Todd Collins being in the game before he tweeted about quitting. Then he the next day he sent this tweet out, which in my eyes is another another dig at Cutler.

"Don't worry tweeps me and physical therapist mike ryan are hard at work and he keeps telling me don't QUIT...."

Jones-Drew missed the last two games with a knee injury. The Jaguars were in the playoff hunt.

As athletes these two guys need to realize their effect on others, especially kids. This type of tweebuse (does that work as a word?) is reprehensible. If a student wrote something like this on someone's Facebook Wall or in an email they would have to answer to a teacher or administrator, and at some point the police. Cyber-bullying, or any kind of bullying needs to be done over the course of time. One act of unkindness does not make a bully. However, when Brock and Jones-Drew are calling Cutler names it opens it up to others, mainly kids, who think that they can do it too.

Educating kids in this time period is a give and take. We have things that the kids are going to learn from outside sources. Sources more powerful than teachers and administrators. Some of these things are very positive and some are very negative. Are all athletes role-models? No, not even close. But I think when athletes put themselves and their opinions on the internet calling people sissys and attacking them in a large public forum, well then they do become a form of role-model.

Who knows, maybe this will launch Cutler into "redemption mode." Big Ben is about to cash his redemption check... someone has to be next.

2011-01-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

The Final Four...

I find myself sad this week. Sad that I do not have a football team in the race anymore. Sad that other people still do. Jealous as hell that co-workers who root for the Steelers, Jets, Packers, and Bears can all settle into Sundays game with a genuine rooting interest. I don't have one, and it stings. The thing that hurts the most is I should, if the Pats showed up to play or if the Jets made one stinking mistake last weekend the Steelers would be coming to Foxboro. Ugh...

Anyway, onto the Conference Championship predictions.

NFC Championship Game
Green Bay Packers AT Chicago Bears (+3.5)
3:00PM Eastern

The Packers are the hot favorite in this game. They demolished the best team in the NFC last weekend in Atlanta. They go on the road for a third straight week to frigid Chicago.

What do the Bears have to do to win?
The Bears have a few things that they need to do really well to win this game.

1) Get Devon Hester the ball. This means creating times on offense where he may get the ball in open spaces, however, it also means forcing the Packers to punt from spots on the field where Hester can get the ball. Hester has the ability to change a game in one play.

2) Make James Starks and the Packers running game beat you. Aaron Rodgers is on fire right now. Before the season he was one of two guys I invested in to win the MVP. The other? Tom Brady (Tooting my own horn....). If the Bears can make the Packers run the ball it could be a long day for the Packers. Who knows, the Bears might be taking a page out of the Jets playbook this week and playing a ton of coverage and hoping Peppers and the others on the front line can get to Rodgers.

3) The offense needs to remain balanced. The Bears' Matt Forte is a very good runner. He is explosive and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Him and Walter Peyton are only Bears players to ever have 500 yards receiving and 1000 yards rushing. Greg Olsen had a great game against the Seahawks, however, the Green Bay linebacking corps and secondary are much stronger than the Seahawks. They were terrible in that game. Jay Culter needs to find all his targets and of course he needs to continue taking care of the ball. He is much improved in that category the last two months of the year.

What do the Packers have to do to win?

1) Play great defense. In their week 17 battle the Packers allowed 3 points to the Bears in a 10-3 win. It was a game that was unimportant to Chicago but important to the Packers. The irony of that game is that if the Bears had won the Giants would have made it into the playoffs instead of the Packers. The Packers defense is turning the ball over and they may have the best young defender (Clay Matthews Jr.) and also the best old defender (Charles Woodson). These guys are reeking havoc. B.J. Raji is dominating the middle of the line, taking double teams and allowing Mathews and A.J. Hawk to run around and make plays. This defense is stout, and they will need to make Chicago one dimensional on Sunday. If they do that I think they win big.

2) Run, run, run. James Starks didn't need to have a big game last week. The Packers passing offense was great and the fact that they had short fields and a big lead put no pressure on him to perform. He did have 25 carries and only gained 66. A measly 2.8 yards per carry will not do it against Urlacher and company on Sunday.

Just a great picture....

3) Win the kicking game. Obviously Hester is dangerous, however, kicking field goals could be huge in this game. We saw Nick Folk miss a kick early in the Pats-Jets game last week. Early missed field goals can have a big effect on a team's momentum. Kicking to Hester is a no-no. I still don't understand why you don't kick it out of bounds. He averaged 17.1 yards per punt return. That means he turns a 45 yards punt in a 28 yard punt. Punt the ball 38 yards out of bounds. Its a no brainer.

I think overall the things the Packers have to do and also the things the Packers need to have happen are more likely.

Prediction: Green Bay 27- Chicago 22

AFC Championship Game
New York Jets AT Pittsburgh Steelers (-4)
6:00 PM Eastern

After a big win over the Pats last week full of trash-talk the Jets this week have taken a completely different tact. They are complementing the Steelers every chance they get. Talking about how much they admire Big Ben and how the Steelers are a fantastic football team. Did Roger Goodell play a Jedi mind trick on the Jets? Personally, (warning: Bitter Pats fan bubbling to the surface) I think part of the Jets sweetness this week is one last slap at the Pats. After calling Brady an asshole and ranting about how disrespectful the Pats are now they are treating the Steelers like they are God's gift to the NFL. I know this is all a game played through the media. I just think it is interesting that all of a sudden the trash-talking Jets are giving the Steelers a little reach around.

What do the Steelers have to do to win the game?

1) Protect Big Ben for the love of God! The Jets defense proved it could get to Brady through disguising coverages and dropping 7 and 8 guys into coverage. Making it hard for Brady to find players quickly. Big Ben is a MUCH better quarterback when a play runs "off-schedule." He is massive and very hard to take down. Big Ben can get rattled though, and I think the Jets are a better team than the Ravens. That Ravens team had a 14 points halftime lead. They were swarming in the first half against the Steelers. The Jets this week might do what they did to the Pats and Colts, sit back and cover as best they can. Or they might end up blitzing the hell out of them and letting Comartie and Revis play man-to-man all evening.

2) Keep the crowd in the game. The Jets are on the road for the third straight game. They have quieted two crowds. Do not let them do it a third time. Heinz Field was a morgue at halftime of the Ravens game. However, that third quarter turnaround made it impossible for the Ravens to function at all. Sanchez is slowly turning into a quarterback we can believe in. His throws great passes late in games and his ability to move in the pocket is outstanding. Having a frenzied crowd will make his job harder on Sunday.

3) Test the Jets secondary. The Pats did not do this enough on Sunday. The Steelers have Mike Wallace who can get behind a defense and stretch them out. They will need to do this to keep the Jets honest. It could be the kind of game where the Steelers come out right away and throw a deep pass. It could change the complexion of the game entirely.

What do the Jets have to do to win?

1) Get the ball to their playmakers. A lot of people talk about the Jets and mention the last minute wins they had against weak opponents this year: Lions, Browns, and Texans. However, they won all those games. They won them because Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards had huge catches. The Steelers cornerbacks are going to be overmatched with these guys on the outside. Polamalu will be busy watching Dustin Keller all afternoon.

2) Do not let Harrison, Farrior, Timmons, and Woodley effect the game. These guys are all great linebackers. They rush the passer, they can cover, and they hit people hard. When you beat the Steelers you neutralize their linebackers. Play action passing and counter running plays will slow down their reaction time.

3) Make sure to score in red zone. I do not trust Nick Folk. Heinz Field is one of the toughest places to kick in the league. This game is going to be close. The Jets need to make sure they get all the points they can. Kicking field goals will be risky business and could cost them a chance at a Super Bowl birth.

The Jets last week said the Pats game was the second most important game in franchise history, only behind the Super Bowl III. How does a team now get up for what is no doubt the second most important game of its franchise's history. The build up for that Pats game was huge. One has to wonder if they blew their load a little bit early. They were flawless last week, outstanding. Their gameplan caught the Pats off guard and it was masterful.

If Rex Ryan can pull this off with this team he deserves all the praise he will undoubtedly receive. However, I think the combination of another road game after a huge game against the Pats will end up catching up them. As Rex Ryan said, "Same old Jets." Yep Rex, same old Jets, losing before they can satisfy its fan base.

Prediction: Steelers 24 - Jets 19

2011-01-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

Part 2: Pats Musing at the end of a season

Looking Back.

The Pats post-game show posed this question. Was this season a success or a failure? I think if you told me in September the Pats would go 14-2 I would have been shocked. I thought this was a 10 win team at best, and I worried about their ability to compete with the Jets and also with their very difficult schedule. Obviously expectations change as the team's performance progresses.

I think there are some things to take from this season that make it a success. For instance, Devin McCourty, a guy who people in this area were upset about having on their team, was outstanding all year. He is a future cornerstone of this defense. The defense improved over the course of the season. They were the youngest in the league, and hopefully they learned from their failures on Sunday.

Jerrod Mayo had a great season, leading the league in tackles. However, I do wonder why I have never heard his name called on a big play.

Tom Brady's knee is just fine and he still has some very good football in him. The offensive line took good care of Brady this year, until Sunday. That will help his longevity as he gets a bit older.

BenJarvis Green-Ellis might be a feature back. He ran for 1,000+ yards and didn't fumble the ball once all year. I would like to see a running back taken in the draft though.

Deion Branch's return was a huge help to this offense.

I am disgusted that this could actually happen in Gillette...

The Jets knocked off the two best quarterbacks in football in 8 days. Very impressive. I think one big thing I take from that is that a great quarterback can get you into the playoffs, but a good team gets you through the playoffs. Brady's season was amazing, he had some good weapons around him. On Sunday night he looked lost and frustrated, which hurt the team. I think Brady has a lot of pressure on him, some internal and some external. Manning was the same way this season. Neither had a Super Bowl team surrounding them. The Jets exposed that during both games. The Jets have a Super Bowl type team, the Pats don't. Unfortunately it took a tough loss to realize that.

Overall, I would say this year was a success. You cannot win all the time, am I disappointed/bitter/angry/sad about Sunday's loss? You bet. However, I think the Pats got their butts kicked and had all their weaknesses exposed by Rex Ryan and the Jets.

Looking forward

The natural thing to do when your team's season is over is to ask why it ended when it did, and then look forward to figure out how next year can be better.

Last year people said that the Pats had holes all over the defense. The front seven was weak, the defense overall was porous and there was no real leader in the secondary.

The Pats bolstered their linebacking corps and their secondary made a leap with the development of Devin McCourty.

Now the question is: What do the Pats need to do this off-season to get further than the Divisional Round of the Playoffs.

The Pats need a pass rusher. Someone like a Julius Peppers that teams need to gameplan for. Right now they have no one who strikes fear in an offensive line. Obviously Peppers is not leaving Chicago. The Pats tried to get him last year and he was too much money. Maybe this draft can bring the Pats 1 or 2 guys who could develop into a monster pass-rusher off the edge.

The Pats need a Playmaker to throw the ball to (Great Greg Jennings Madden Video...hilarious). A guy who has the ability to go up and make a catch over a cornerback. They do not have one. They have guys who run good routes and get open in the middle part of the field. Randy Moss was not that guy. I know he could stretch the field, but he was not a guy you could count on to go up and fight for a ball. Maybe a Gronkowski or Hernandez can become this guy. They have the size.

Brandon Meriwether was a non-factor on Sunday. He has played games this season where you never here his name called. He is constantly late on plays and just flies around. Is he the guy the Pats want leading this secondary? He does not seem like it. This guy's offseason could be spent looking for a new job. If not, he is on thin ice in my mind. The only memory I have of him on Sunday is being dragged into the endzone by Braylon Edwards (another playmaker).

Finally, I think the Pats need to add depth in their running game. The last Super Bowl they won was with a guy who ran for 1,600 yards. Corey Dillon was outstanding that season, and he added so much to the offense. Maybe BenJarvis Green-Ellis has a few solid years for them. But I think they need more depth and possibly end up with a stud in the draft or free agency.

Next season is in the balance. There is no Collective Bargaining Agreement. You have to wonder how successful teams that are in flux will be next year. They could lose a ton of preparation time, new coaches and teams with a lot of new players could struggle. That could help the Pats start the season fast, their core is pretty set, which could be a huge help.

The Pats have Logan Mankins and Matt Light coming off the books. One of these guys needs to stay. You cannot lose your two best linemen, especially when they both play on the same side of the line. I am hoping they pay Mankins the money he wants, and I am also hoping Light will take the hometown discount as he reaches the twilight of his career.

The Pats have 8 picks in the first 4 rounds of the draft. 3 of those picks are in the top 33 overall. The Pats could have a huge draft and get some great new young players. This is not the year to trade down and collect more picks for the future.

There you have it, the Pats season is now officially over. Keep your eyes open for my Conference Championship predictions...

2011-01-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

Part 1: Pats Musings at the end of a season

What more can be said about the Pats loss to the Jets this past Sunday? Nothing... the radio and local papers have pretty much come up with these excuses:

1) The Jets outplayed the Pats.
2) The Pats made too many mistakes.
3) The Pats were never supposed to be this good this year.
4) The missed fake punt was the turning point.
5) Blah...
6) Blah...
7) Blah...

This Pats loss hurts as bad as it does because it was the Jets. After all the trash talk this week, all the Jets trash talk this year, it was my team's chance to shut them up. It was my team's chance to move on in the playoffs. It was, once again, my team's chance to win the Super Bowl. It all blew up in three hours on Sunday afternoon.

Eric Mangini wrote a great piece this weekend about how to beat the Pats. As I read it it seemed obvious to me. However, the one thing that stood out to me is that in the NFL games are lost more than they are won. I found that a fascinating theory, and as I watched the Pats game progress it really rang true. The Jets played a great game, the Pats made the mistakes that cost them the game. I will not say the Pats lost the game (because I think the Jets did win it), but those errors, those uncharacteristic errors, hurt their chances.

The first mistake was on the first drive. Brady threw a bad pass that was intercepted. Alge Crumpler made an incredible play and managed to catch David Smith before he could get in for a touchdown. The Jets did not score, Folk missed a field goal. However, this interception was like a boxer getting clocked in the face in an early round when he expects to win the fight without much of a battle. That interception was the punch, and the Pats were stunned for most of the game.

The Patrick Chung fumbled fake punt will go down as the biggest mistake because it led to points right before halftime. A 7-3 deficit grew to 14-3, a punch to the gut. Pats punter Zultan Mesko said after the game that the decision to run the play was Chung's. He read something in the Jets coverage and changed the play. If that is the case you have to wonder what kind of future Chung has with the Pats. That seems like something Belichick would not put up with. I guess we will have to wait and see.

For me the thing that stood out in this game was the ability of the Jets to cover the Pats receivers. A lot of people will point at the 5 sacks of Brady and say that the Jets pass rush was outstanding. It was good, but so many of those sacks and pressures on Brady came after Brady had time to look down the field. Coverage sacks were the name of the name. The Jets dressed 11 defensive backs. They have 45 players in uniform. Rex Ryan knew what he was doing.

Edwards before he pulls in a big catch... Playmaker...

Another thing that stood out was the Jets playmakers. They have them, and honestly the Pats do not. Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes were very good, and Jerricho Cotchery made a huge 58 yard play to kill the Pats momentum. Santonio Holmes and Edwards both made great catches down the field. Holmes' TD catch was ridiculous, and Sanchez's throw was pretty solid too.

The Pats playmakers were nowhere to be found, and I think it is because the playmakers are not that great. Clearly getting rid of Randy Moss was a good choice, however, having a guy like Moss, that can go deep will help this team. Moss would not have been the answer last night, but after watching Holmes make that play and then thinking that the Pats were targeting Alge Crumpler in the red zone makes me want to throw up. The Pats need a guy who can "go up and get it." The Packers, Steelers, and Jets all have one (or more). Moss was not that guy, he quit on balls that were not thrown right to him. Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Holmes, Edwards, Mike Wallace are those types of guys. Could you pick a Pats receiver that would make the catches that Holmes made on Sunday or the one Edwards made against the Colts? I can't.

As the game came to an end was anyone else SHOCKED at how many people left early? Really? Are we that spoiled as sports fans that we cannot stick around for the end of a playoff game? That was despicable. I would have been pissed sitting there watching the end of the game, but I would have been sitting there. That was inexcusable.

Brady looking confused was not a normal occurrence this year... until Sunday...

My last thought on the game is this: Can the Pats get back to their winning ways in the playoffs? It seems like they are a team that can be stopped by the best coaches when they need to. A regular season game has a different feel, and this playoff game proved that. Rex Ryan dialed up some very different defensive looks that the Pats would not typically see in September-December. When do they start to figure that out again? When do they win a playoff game again?

Stuff to read:
Brady thinks Jets get to Super Bowl? Reverse Jinx?
Branch chastises "classless" Jets...
Bob Ryan.. the guy I go to first...the best...
Chris Gasper, another good piece about Pats...
Sanchez is world-beater...
Brady is human...
Pats future starts now...
Good photo gallery of game...
Go to 36:35 mark of this Mike and Mike Podcast from January 17. Tom Jackson claims he picked the Pats to win 30-10 to get the Jets angry and ready to play. And then he takes credit for the Jets winning!!

Part 2 coming tomorrow. Looking back at the season and looking forward...

2011-01-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Divisional Weekend Recap

This past weekend saw a lot of crazy happenings. The Ravens lost a 14 point halftime lead, the Packers looked like world beaters (they are), and the Pats were over-matched.

Here were the questions I had asked last week regarding the games, and some quick thoughts in hindsight.

Baltimore AT Pittsburgh

Can the Ravens move the ball on the Steelers?
No, they could not. The scores the Ravens got were all based on Steelers' mistakes. When do you think the players will begin to realize that when the ball is on the ground the best thing to do is pick it up?

Can Joe Flacco protect the ball?
Nope. He threw a huge interception in the third quarter which completely turned the tide of the game.

Can Pittsburgh's line protect Big Ben?
The Ravens pressured Big Ben, but the Steelers made that big 3rd and 19 play. This Steelers line is the key to the Jets game this Sunday (I just threw up in my mouth).

Green Bay At Atlanta Falcons

Can Atlanta play better than their average offensive and defensive stats?
No they can't. The Falcons were completely over-matched in every facet. Matt Ryan still has some growing to do. How good is Aaron Rodgers? My goodness.

Can Matt Ryan hold his own against a very good defense?
Ryan threw 2 picks and only had 189 yards total passing. This Packers defense is very good, and I think Jay Cutler will have his work cut out for him.

Can James Starks run like he did against the Eagles?
Starks ran for 66 yards. He had 25 carries, so the Packers were determined to run the ball and melt the clock.

Seattle AT Chicago

Can the Seahawks continue their momentum from last week?
Unequivocally no. This game was a total mess, the Seahawks looked terrible. They looked like they had made it as far as they expected and that was it. Greg Olsen had a huge catch early and it sucked the air right out of the Seahawks.

New York Jets AT New England

Can Mark Sanchez deal with blistering cold?
Yes, yes, and yes. Sanchez was outstanding on Sunday. He took care of the ball, made some great throws, and had his receivers make some superb catches. He dealt with the cold, with a loud crowd, and that pathetic Pats pass rush.

Can the Pats defense hold up for 60 minutes?
They did not hold up well at all. The defense was good on Sunday night. I thought they did a decent job, however, they allowed big plays at bad times. Their youth showed in that they struggled to play from behind (they had not been behind at halftime of any game since Thanksgiving). That is a different type of defense, time will tell if this young defense will grow into a Super Bowl defense.

How are the Jets going to stop this offense?
Here is what I wrote last week...

"Pressure Brady like the Giants did in the Super Bowl. Brady is human, and getting to him and around him will bother him a lot. It also throws off the timing of a lot of the offense.

The Jets will also have to win the turnover battle. The Pats dominated the turnover battle this season. They were +28 overall, ridiculous. Jets taking care of the ball will be huge, Sanchez cannot throw a pick."

They did both those things very well. They took care of the ball and made Brady nervous in the pocket.

Coming tomorrow... my 2010 New England Patriots Obituary...

2011-01-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Second Course of a four course meal.

After a weekend full of football I am getting geared up for another one this coming weekend. Last weekend was a feast full of delicious stuffing, turkey, gravy, and unfortunately one serving of brussel sprouts (the Ravens-Chiefs game).

Now for the next course.. the Divisional Playoff round...

Baltimore Ravens AT Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
2010 meetings:
Week four- Ravens 17-Steelers 14 (Big Ben suspended...)
Week thirteen- Steelers 13-Ravens 10

I saw a stat this week about the last 17 games the Ravens and Steelers have played. It was amazing, the Steelers have won 9 games and the Ravens 8. The average score for BOTH TEAMS over the course of those 15 games is the EXACT SAME, 17.8.

Needless to say these two teams are evenly matched, this season's game were both decided by three points, both times the home team won.

Now we are left with the rubber match, the Steelers are at home and rested. The Ravens traveled to Kansas City last weekend and won in a blowout. The questions that this game brings to mind:

Hey Big Ben, Suggs and Company are coming...

Can the Ravens move the ball on the Steelers?
I say no. The Ravens offense is lacking an identity, and the Steelers defense is the best unit that either of these teams has.

Can Joe Flacco protect the ball?
I say no. I have zero trust in Flacco, a good game in Pittsburgh would change my mind. I do not see it happening. He did play well this season against Pitt, throwing for 260 both games and only 1 interception total.

Can Pittsburgh's line protect Big Ben?
No matter how big and strong Big Ben is, this has been a huge problem all season. Big Ben is an escape artist, however this Ravens team is full of mean, nasty hitters. The match-up between Baltimore's defensive line and Pitt's offensive line could be the deciding factor.

Prediction: Steelers 28 - Ravens 20

Green Bay Packers AT Atlanta Falcons (-2.5)
Previous meeting:
Week 12: Atlanta 20 - Green Bay 17

Another rematch (just like every game this weekend) leads us to believe this will be a close game. The Falcons won at home against the Packers in week 12, and now we are left to wonder if the Packers are better than they were in week 12. I think they are, I think Aaron Rodgers is moving toward being an elite quarterback (I don't know why ESPN is so desperate to label every single player). Matt Ryan is incredible at home, 20-2 in his career.

The Packers are the new favorite in the NFC, people love them. They love the defense, they love Rodgers, they love it all. People are worried about the Falcons after their really bad performance in the Monday Night game against the Saints where they lost 17-14 and looked very vanilla and played it close to the vest.

You will know this guy's name on Saturday Night if the Falcons are going to win.

Three questions I have about this game:

Can Atlanta play better than their average offensive and defensive stats?
The Falcons are 15th in passing and 12th in rushing. Their defense ranks 22nd against the pass and 10th against the rush. The Falcons are a mediocre team, there I wrote it. They are called a rushing team, but don't do it very well. They had a weak schedule and took advantage of it, losing once since Halloween. I do not think they play over their heads on Saturday night. They will be what they are, average.

Can Matt Ryan hold his own against a very good defense?
This Packers defense is very good, they did a great job against the Eagles. The offense took their foot off the peddle, allowing the Eagles back into the game. Matt Ryan is still young and new at this playoff thing, he has one game under his belt where he threw 2 interceptions against the Cardinals in 2008. Obviously, this is a small sample. He has some good targets in Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White to throw to. I think Matt has a great game in his home stadium, just like he always does.

Can James Starks run like he did against the Eagles?
Starks ran for 123 yards last weekend. He had only played 3 games prior to the playoffs. In those three games he had not run for 123 yards combined. The Falcons allow 105 yards a game, Starks should be able to get around 75 yards, not anymore though.

Prediction: Green Bay Packers 28 - Atlanta Falcons 17

Seattle Seahawks AT Chicago Bears (-10)
Previous meeting:
Week 6: Seahawks 23- Bears 20

My god. Is it true that one of these teams will be playing in the NFC Championship Game? I think there are three teams at home this weekend in the NFC that are better: New York Giants, Tampa Bay Bucs, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

I am honestly not looking forward to this game. The Bears are one of those teams I do not enjoy to watch, however I do enjoy rooting against Jay Cutler.

I think this game will come down to the Bears offense moving the ball. When they played John Knox had 120 yards receiving, that was about it. They couldn't run the ball or pass. Cutler did protect the ball though.

When you google Jay Cutler the option for "Jay Cutler Drunk" comes up. Another
quarterback that has that same option? Big Ben. Two who don't? Brady and Manning...

I only have one question about this game:

Can the Seahawks continue their momentum from last week?
This game could be decided in the first 10 minutes. If the Bears can get their crowd into the game and ease the tension of being a huge favorite they should win this game. However, if the Bears give the Seahawks life this game could be interesting. Matt Hasselbeck had an incredible game against the Saints, and the Saints were scared when it came to kicking to Leon Washington.

The Bears have to play fearless and come out and hit the Seahawks hard. You cannot give life to an underdog. The only thing worse than a loud crowd in Seattle last week, is a scared crowd in Soldiers Field.

Prediction: Chicago Bears 24 - Seattle Seahawks 14

New York Jets AT New England Patriots (-9)
Previous Meetings:
Week 2: Jets 28 - Pats 14
Week 13: Jets 3 - Pats 45

Tom Brady has not thrown an interception since October 17, 2010. Here is a list of things I have done between that date and January 13, 2011.

- Dressed up for Halloween
- Ate Thanksgiving Dinner
- Christmas Shopped
- Celebrated Christmas
- Celebrated New Years
- Eaten 264 meals
-Taken about 90 showers

The guy had probably the best season as a quarterback ever, I know it is debatable, however he went into eff you mode, which apparently hurt Antonio Cromartie's feelings.

The Jets do not know how to shut up, and it may cost them. They are in the position where they can say what they want, they are expected to lose. If they do, people will just think, "oh those Jets, they were so entertaining this season." If the Jets win people will say, "Man, those Jets really back up what they say. They sure can walk the walk."

The teams split their season series, but the Pats team that lost in week 2 is nothing like the team now. They got rid of Moss and their young defense is blossoming. Braylon Edwards will not abuse Darius Butler like he did in week 2 because the Pats realized Butler is not a starter anymore. Devin McCourty has come into his own along with Brandon Spikes and Jerrod Mayo.

Hey Mark... Stay Warm!

Anyway, three questions I have:

Can Mark Sanchez deal with blistering cold?
No, he cannot. I do not know what it is about this guy, but everyone wants him to succeed. His performance against the Colts was bad. He was inaccurate, indoors. Now he will be in Foxboro, it is supposed to be freezing cold. If the Jets lean on Sanchez it will be a long game. If the Jets instead lean on what they are good at - running the football - they could win this game. They only let Manning get the ball three times in the second half on Saturday night. If they can do that they will look a lot smarter than throwing the ball 30-35 times. Kill the clock, keep Brady off the field.

Can the Pats defense hold up for 60 minutes?
This defense is young, and now they are in a new territory, the playoffs. The Jets have already played a game this post-season, which could work in their favor. This Pats defense was bad, record breaking bad. They allowed 260 yards passing a game. That is awful. They made stops in the red zone, and as the season progressed they were also better on third downs. Third Down and the Red Zone will be critical in this game. The defense needs to get off the field and stop the Jets. It will keep the crowd into the game and and on a cold night it will be important to keep them screaming.

How are the Jets going to stop this offense?
This is the ultimate question. The Pat scored 45 points last time these teams met, it was ugly. Revis did not have one guy to cover like he did when Moss was on the team. You can take one guy out of the game, but then that leaves others for Brady to throw to. Welker, Woodhead, Green-Ellis, Branch, Aaron Hernandez, Gronkowski, and Tate have become a great group for Brady to throw to. If the Jets are going to stop them here is what they need to do:

Pressure Brady like the Giants did in the Super Bowl. Brady is human, and getting to him and around him will bother him a lot. It also throws off the timing of a lot of the offense.

The Jets will also have to win the turnover battle. The Pats dominated the turnover battle this season. They were +28 overall, ridiculous. Jets taking care of the ball will be huge, Sanchez cannot throw a pick.

As a Pats fan the guy I am most scared of is Brad Smith. If he is healthy he could turn this game with a special teams play or plays.

Prediction: New England 34 - Jets 21

Enjoy the weekend of games!

2011-01-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

Wildcard Recap...

Well, with Wildcard Weekend behind us I thought I would offer some quick thoughts before looking ahead at the match-ups for the Divisional Playoff Round next weekend...

Prediction: Saints 34 Seahawks 10
Actual: Seahawks 41- Saints 36

Well, needless to say most people outside of the Seahawks locker room did not see this coming. The Saints were beaten in every facet of the game, which to me was shocking. After they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and also a 17-7 lead, I thought the Saints were home free. Then they decided to take the rest of the day off.

The ultimate cheerleader

The Saints defense allowed Matt Hasselbeck to throw 3 touchdowns in the first-half. As I watched the game I could see the Seahawks feeding off the crowd. They looked possessed and brimming with confidence. The key to beating an underdog, especially one with a great home crowd, is to step on them early - give them no hope. The Saints gave them too much hope.

Links on this game:

One of the greatest runs of all time? Or a microcosm of the whole game?

ESPN Blog

The Original 12th Man

Saints already with a "to-do list"

Prediction: New York Jets 27 Indianapolis Colts 24

Actual: Jets 17- Colts 16

This game was pretty entertaining, especially in the fourth quarter. I was rooting for the Jets in this game, mainly because I think the Pats have a better chance at handling the Jets than the Colts or Ravens.

In the second half the Jets finally decided to slow the game down and do what they do best, run the ball. There are some parallels between this Jets team and the Ravens team. They have so many offensive weapons and both have a young quarterback, however they are most successful running the ball. At times both the Ravens and Jets get away from that and try to heap more responsibility on Sanchez and Flacco. The Jets ran the ball and controlled the clock against in the second half, only giving Manning and the Colts three possessions.

You think Michelle let Rex see her feet after his victory over Manning?

Sanchez made a few good throws down the stretch, however, inside that dome he was inaccurate and antsy. Foxborough will be even less forgiving, the weather will be nasty and the defense will be better. Sanchez was 18/31 for 189 yards and 1 interception. His quarterback rating was 62.1. You can bet your bottom dollar that Bill Belichick will put the game on Sanchez's shoulders, putting 8 in the box and trying to stop the run.

Links on this game:

I hate Ladainian Tomlinson...

Patriots getting ready

Indy seems happy with season...seriously

Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 21 Kansas City Chiefs 17

Actual: Raven 30- Chiefs 7

Well, the Ravens and Chiefs both proved some things on Sunday.

The Ravens proved that they are still a vaunted defense and that their offense can be balanced. Joe Flacco, a guy I still do not believe in, was superb. He leaned on Todd Heap, throwing 10 completions to him for 108 yards. He spread the ball to seven receivers going 25/34 for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns. They passed 34 times and ran it 40 times. The Ravens defense also proved it is still legit, forcing 5 turnovers.

The Chiefs proved that they are "a year away" from truly competing in the playoffs. Matt Cassel was smothered, throwing 3 interceptions and only completing 9 of 18 passes for 70 yards. The Chiefs had the balls for only 18:16 of the game. That is absurd. They ran only 37 offensive plays! To put it in perspective, the Jets had the ball for 18 minutes of the second half on Saturday night and ran 38 plays in that time.

Links on this game:

Reed gets game ball, heads home to family.

Is this what it would be like to have Ray Lewis in an office setting?

Prediction: Green Bay 31 Philadelphia 24

Actual: Green Bay 21 - Eagles 16

This game was a bit boring. The Eagles were victims of a kicker missing two field goals, one early and one late in the game.

The Eagles did everything they needed to do to win the game. They kept the Packers to below 200 yards passing while they passed for nearly 300 yards. The Eagles won the turnover battle and kept the possession time pretty close. 32 minutes to 28 minutes in favor of Green Bay. The Eagles, however, allowed the Packers to run the ball a little bit too much, giving up 132 yards. This was the one thing the Packers should not have been able to do. The Eagles were not able to overcome those rushing yards, 2 missed field goals, and a last minute pick thrown by Vick, which was a gutsy throw.

Wildcard Weekend Pick Record:

3-1 (Damn Saints!)

BCS Championship Game Prediction:

Oregon 35 - Auburn 32

GO DUCKS!!!!!!

Coming up this week...The Divisional Playoffs...

2011-01-06T17:39:00.001-08:00

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

This weekend marks one of my favorite sports weekends of the year. Wildcard weekend is awesome. Four football games, all good teams (except for the Seahawks), and the ability to watch them all. No channel flipping. Hide the controller, grabs some chicken wings, nachos and beer, relax and repeat...

What is going to happen this weekend? I am glad you asked, here are my thoughts.

New Orleans Saints AT Seattle Seahawks (+10.5)

The Seahawks finished the season 7-9, a losing record that won them their lame NFC West Division. The Seahawks are not a good football team, frankly, they suck. Pete Carrol everyone (turn up and enjoy...hilarious...)!

The Saints just placed a key offensive player on injured reserve today. Pierre Thomas will not be playing in the playoffs, a huge loss. The Saints are a team people like for the Super Bowl, they have improved slowly all year and won a big game against Atlanta two weeks ago.

How can the Saint lose? Well they could get lost on the way to the stadium. The only thing that Seattle has in its favor in this game is the crowd. The Seattle fans are some of the best in the league, however, that will not be enough to help their beloved Seahawks.

Could this guy and his buddies tilt the balance against the Saints? Probably not...

Prediction: Saints 34 Seahawks 10

New York Jets AT Indianapolis Colts (-3)

This game is perfect for the Saturday night slot. Two teams that are loved within their fan-base and hated outside of it. As my roommate Pat said when this match-up was announced, "I mean, who do you root for in that game? No one?" Yes, you root for no one.

The Colts and Jets met in last year's AFC Championship game in Indy, the Colts won after trailing 17-6 at halftime. That leaves me asking the question: have the Jets improved enough and have the Colts regressed enough for the result to change from last year? Yes and No.

I think the Jets have improved, I think you cannot underestimate a team that made a run last year in the playoffs. You cannot underestimate a team that has enough swagger for the rest of the league. However, will Mark Sanchez and his sore shoulder be ok? Will the Jets play themselves into a deficit early like they did against the Titans, Browns, and Pats? The Jets are 2-3 in their last 5 games. Did they peak during Hardknocks?

Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning, however, he does have no one to throw to. Dwight Freeney on the Indy turf is a different animal, between the crowd noise and fast ground the defense is more solid at home.

Will we see "The Manning Face" on Saturday night?

Prediction: New York Jets 27 Indianapolis Colts 24

Baltimore Ravens AT Kansas City Chiefs (+3)

The Chiefs are at home. Bonus for the Chiefs. They are 7-1 this year in Arrowhead Stadium. Matt Castle might be a better quarterback than Joe Flacco (who I don't believe in at all). Flacco on the road is a dangerous, dangerous thing- to his own team. As a Pats fan I know that the Pats lost to the Ravens on the road last year, but Flacco threw the ball 10 times. Their defense and running game got them the lead and kept it for Flacco.

The Chiefs are a polarizing team. Many think they are a threat to make a run and others think they are a "year away." Charlie Weis already has his foot out the door for the University of Florida. This could have a larger effect than we may think, we have seen coaches with other jobs totally mail it in during the playoffs.

The Ravens are a scary team too. They run the ball very well and Ray Lewis is the ultimate defensive leader, like it or not. He is the heart and soul of that entire team.

For me it comes down this: Will Flacco limit his mistakes on the road? The Ravens are better than the Chiefs in every facet of the game, but Matt Castle, Jamal Charles, and Dwayne Bowe could tilt the balance if Flacco gives those three guys a short field to score on.

Ray Lewis is going to be a man possessed this postseason.

Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 21 Kansas City Chiefs 17

Green Bay Packers AT Philadelphia Eagles (-3)

This is an interesting match up for a few reasons.

1) People love the Packers for the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, they gave the Pats a run for their money a few weeks ago with Matt Flynn playing quarterback.

2) Everyone has gotten about the Eagles because of their terrible game against Minnesota. They rested Vick last weekend. The Giants comeback seems like a very long time ago.

Can you trust Andy Reid? Can you trust Mike McCarthy? These two coaches are pretty poor game managers. One of them is bound to mess things up at the end of a half or a quarter.

In the end it will come down to turnovers. The defenses are both solid and so are the quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers for my money is the guy I trust more than Mike Vick. I know Vick is undefeated in this round of the playoffs, but I think the Packers defense with Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, and Rod Woodson can handle the Eagles offense.

I heard Brett Favre taught Rodgers everything he knew...sorry, had to throw in a Favre reference...

Prediction: Green Bay 31 Philadelphia 24

My roommate Pat and I had a discussion this week about quarterbacks and coaches that we believe in this playoffs season.

The quarterbacks we believe in:

Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Big Ben
Aaron Rodgers
Drew Brees

Guys on the fence:

Mike Vick
Matt Ryan

Coaches we believe in:

Bill Bellichik
Mike Tomlin
Sean Payton

On the fence:

Jim Harbaugh
Andy Reid
Mike McCarthy
Rex Ryan

What does all this mean? To me it means you stick with teams that have both a quarterback and coach you can believe in.

Brady-Bellichik
Big Ben - Tomlin
Brees - Payton

This years playoffs I think will be awesome and unpredictable, hell the whole season has been crazy.

Round by Round Predictions:

Wildcard round
Ravens over Chiefs
Jets over Colts
Packers over Eagles
Saints over Seahawks

Divisional Round:
Pats over Ravens
Steelers over Jets
Packers over Falcons
Saints over Bears

Championship Round:
Pats over Steelers
Packers over Saints

Super Bowl:
Pats over Packers

I think the Pats have the best team and they are peaking at the perfect time. I do like the Saints, however they have too many injuries to make it through three rounds of the playoffs (although they do have a semi-bye this week with their Seattle game...).

Here's to a great playoff month...

2010-12-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

2010 at a glance.

As the year comes to an end I thought it wold be worth making a list of things that stood out to me in the past year. I came up with this list without the help of the internet to jog my memory, I simply just sat down and tried to think of the things I will remember, for better or worse.

Baseball:

The Giants win the World Series!
As someone who spent the ages of 6-10 living in the Bay Area going to Giants games, this was a great moment. The Giants pitching staff proved that pitching does indeed win championships. Players like Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria came up huge. The Giants are the anti-Red Sox/Yankees (yes they belong in the same breath after the Sox spending spree this offseason). The Giants are primed for another run in the playoffs next year, especially considering how weak the rest of the NL West is.

Brian Wilson: The Real World Kenny Powers?

Basketball:

Butler:
The run that Butler made last March might only be outmatched by NC State in 1983. Gordon Haywood's shot almost put them over the top.

The Decision:
This hour of TV changed the face of the NBA. The NBA has a villain, and the Heat are settling into their role quite comfortably in the last few weeks: running off a long win streak and also making the Lakers look like an old tired team on Christmas. Frankly, this Heat team scares me. Once they find a point guard who can actually run a half court offense in the playoffs the Heat could be unbeatable.

Lakers Repeat:
Even though this was at the expense of a tired, injured, and worn-out Celtics team (no bitterness, I swear), it was a very impressive run. Trailing by 13 points in the second half of Game 7, the Lakers came back to destroy the Celtics and the city of Boston.

UCONN women's streak:
Awesome. Simply Awesome. The streak is at 90 and counting. The last time they lost George Bush was still president! I hope this team can make it to 100 and just make it an untouchable record.

Football:

Brett Favre:
This guy has ruled the airwaves for the past year, and my god is it nauseating. His teammates flew down to get him to play this season, he texted his "Hogan" to Jenn Sterger (you are welcome...you are welcome again... heck its the holidays, it is better to give...) and he pretty much phoned in the season: throwing interceptions and generally sucking while throwing his coach under the bus.

Concussions:
The NFL's new stance on concussions is that they are bad. Good call... Defenders are getting fined for dangerous hits and QBs are throwing the ball to receivers across the middle and nearly getting them killed.

The next step for the NFL is to give health coverage for its players after they leave the league. One has to wonder how much of this effort to protect players is actually really an effort to protect the league. Personally, I think there is a big gap between what the NFL is doing regarding concussions and how serious concussions are. I hope the players are able to get some help in the CBA with regards to healthcare and lets hope an 18 game season never happens.

Mike Vick:
Redemption stories are the best aren't they!?? Mike Vick is back. It's a good thing that Tucker Carlson isn't the NFL Commissioner. The Eagles proved that they will not go too far in the playoffs after their lackluster performance against the Vikings. Just think how good Vick would be with a competent offensive line? It would be scary. The bright side to the Eagles chances of making the Super Bowl is that they can get there with a home game and a possible dome game against the Falcons. However a trip to Chicago could be in the cards too... I guess we will have to see...

The New York Jets:
This team is ridiculous. Between Rex Ryan's foot fetish, Hardknocks, Braylon Edwards, Mark Sanchez, and tripgate, the swagger has slowly been chipped away. I am frankly looking forward to the implosion that will no doubt happen in January.

Rex's inner monologue: "Feet, Feet, Feet, Football, Feet, hoagies..."

Saints:
The New Orleans Saints brought a Super Bowl to New Orleans. I could write a lot about this, but I will let this commercial do the talking.

Other:

USA Soccer:
The World Cup this summer left a lot to be desired. The US team however delivered some of the best moments of the tournament. Landon Donovan's goal against Algeria was probably the highlight of the entire tournament, the game against Ghana was another great game.
While soccer is still a popular sport in the US, one is left to wonder if the nation will ever win a World Cup. Things were laid out for them very nicely this past summer and they blew it. Enjoy some videos from the Landon Donovan goal...

The Goal

The World Reacts

Tiger Woods returns:
This story straddled 2009 and 2010 (pun intended). Tiger's return to golf was somewhat disappointing, he did not win a tournament. He finished in the top 5 in the Masters and US Open, however he really was not in the hunt in either of those tournaments. Before that fateful night in November 2009 this season was supposed to be a huge one for Tiger. The Majors were being played at courses he had dominated at before. The US Open was at Pebble Beach, where Tiger had won the last two Opens, the same goes for St. Andrews. However, he never got his game on track until December, losing to Graeme McDowell in a playoff. It was the first time he had gone a calendar year without a win in his career.

Tiger now has a new coach and a new putter. Tiger turns 35 today (December 30). Many had said that golfers peak in their 30's. Tiger has nearly missed his 30's. Between injury and his personal life he has not had a full season of focused golf since 2007. Will Tiger's late 30's be better to him, I think they will.

2011 predictions:

1) Brett Favre will return to football next season.
I have no doubt about this. While he is old and broken down, Favre keeps proving to us that he wants to leave under his own rules. Right now he is leaving as a concussed sexter. His pride will not let that be the final act of his career. Let's look at the teams that would like a veteran quarterback that could potentially put them over the top (or at least help them improve):

Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner did it. It is warm, they play indoors and the NFC West is a joke. Favre could easily end up here.

San Francisco 49ers: See above regarding weather and NFC West.

Miami Dolphins: Chad Henne is on his last chance I think. The Dolphins are in a tough conference though. Maybe some time in Miami with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh would help Favre feel younger...

Dallas Cowboys: Hehe...

2) Tiger Woods will win 2 majors.
Looking at the sites for this year's Majors makes me think that this may be a good bet. The Masters has proven more difficult to win for Tiger (how come Augusta has never been called out for "Tigerproofing" their golf course. Is there no racism in that act? They never "Nicklausproofed" or "Palmerproofed" it...) Marion is the US Open site. A course with rich history, meaning Tiger will know the course through studying. This is the site of a few Bobby Jones triumphs. We will see a lot of old Bobby that week I guarentee.

The Bristish Open is at a course Tiger should have won at in 2003, but Ben Curtis came out of obscurity to win.

The PGA is in Atlanta Athletic Club, the hometown of Bobby Jones. (Bobby Jones started the Masters, clinched his Grandslam at Merion, and grew up in Atlanta playing Atlanta Athletic Club's East Lake course...).

This will happen again...trust me...

3) The Red Sox will win the World Series... And Big Papi will have a monster year.
Jinx? Possibly. This team is so good on paper, injuries could hurt them. Papi will be hitting 6th in the lineup, he will be up will men on-base constantly. I cannot wait to watch this team. And Red Sox fans are not allowed to hate the Yankees for spending money anymore, it is not allowed.

Well there you have it. The year in review and three things I think will happen in 2011. Happy New Year!

2010-12-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

Redemption Song

Flashback to December 2009.

Tiger Woods was the talk of the world, he had just crashed his car, unleashing the life of lies he was living since getting married.

Mike Vick was in jail, paying the penalty for abusing and killing dogs.

Now imagine you and I were chatting at a holiday party and I said, “I bet a year from now Tiger and Mike Vick will be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine and Sports Illustrated respectively, and both covers will put them in a positive light.”

What would you have said to me? Would you have slapped me? Kicked me? Spread an evil rumor about me?

Clearly it would have been a ridiculous statement. However, here we are and Mike Vick is on the cover of SI and Tiger is on ESPN.

Vick's headline states, “What Michael Vick tells us about ourselves.” To be honest, I didn’t read the article, didn’t feel like it.

Tiger’s ESPN cover is about perfection in sports. The magazine picks the brain of some athletes about what perfection is, however Tiger was chosen for the cover. Ironic? I think so.

What do these covers tell us about our society? I think it tells us that if you do something really really well, we can forgive you. If you do something really really well that can earn people money and entertain them, then you are in great shape.

I wonder if as a society we want people to fail, because it makes us feel good to forgive. To err is human, to forgive divine. I guess that makes all of us divine.

What have Vick and Tiger done to really earn our forgiveness and adulation? I honestly can’t say. Vick has played well, earning him interviews and chances to show his new PR savvy.

Tiger has looked human, sometimes pathetically so, his awful speech in February and his atrocious play this summer completed his fall from grace.

The “redemption story” seems to be the buzz phrase surrounding Vick. He has redeemed himself and his image. Now the media has turned him into someone we can learn from? Oh right, I forgot I shouldn’t beat dogs to the point of death.

Tiger cheated on her...hundreds of times..no joke..

I am lead to wonder what happens to someone in a different profession who treats women like Tiger did, or who treats dogs like Vick did? Do they get a redemption story? Do they get a second chance? Are athletes given more slack because we do not expect as much from them morally? I don’t think so, or we wouldn’t have such an outcry when they do make mistake.

As a teacher if I were to do what Vick did, I would be fired, and I would have to explain what happened to any possible future employer for the rest of my life. I would not have the opportunity to go on TV and show how I have changed, I would have to prove it in an interview.

As I look out into the sports landscape on December 5, 2010 I wonder who might be this year’s redemption story? Here are a few nominees:

LeBron James:

The guy sucks. He sucks in every possible way off a basketball court. He is a selfish teammate who has no one around him to make him shut his mouth or simply say the correct thing. He has the built-in excuse that his friends are his managers, so if he fires them he can become beloved by the country again (except Cleveland). Winning would also help. People hate when athletes make selfish choices, they love when those choices blow up in an athlete’s face. A 9-8 start is a good example.

Brett Favre:

My buddy Coyle and I reveled in Brett Favre’s pain after getting knocked out of the Sunday’s game against the Bills. It became even better when Tavaris Jackson tore it up afterward, leading the Vikings to a huge Bills win. Redemption for Favre could be a possibility, but I think people might actually be too sick of him…

Shaq:

After leaving the Suns and Cavs with a bad reputation, Shaq is crushing it in Boston right now. He is doing everything right. If you have not watched “The Association: Boston Celtics” yet, you should (the whole first episode is on Youtube). Shaq compares his younger days to being a CEO, the leader…. However he now thinks of himself as a member of the board, taking a back seat and letting others lead. If the Celts pull out a title win, he could be a redemption story.

I guess we will have to wait and see….

2010-10-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

A Retro-Fit Pats team and some Favre thoughts...

Quick, name the wide receivers for the Patriots during there three Super Bowl wins. Here is what I could come up with...no internet help...

Troy Brown
David Patten
Deion Branch
Jermaine Wiggins (Tight End)
David Givens

Here is who I missed...
Bethel Johnson
Dedric Ward
Charles Johnson
Jimmy Farris
Kevin Kasper
Daniel Graham

Yep, that's it. Those are the guys that Brady had out wide to catch the ball. And you know what? They did a pretty damn good job.

With the Pats reacquiring Deion Branch on Monday, one is left to wonder. Are the Pats doing a "retro-fit?" Are they trying to re-create the recipe that worked early this decade, winning 3 Super Bowls. I would like to think so.

Anyone else excited for this again?

With all the talents of Randy Moss, how many times do loud mouth wide receivers actually help a team when the going gets tough? The Pats struggled on the road last year, winning one true road game. They played, and beat, the Bucs in London. I don't count that as a road win. Moss' stats in the second half of all those games was awful. He didn't have more than 2 catches in any of the losses. Let's be honest, when the going got tough, Moss shrank a bit. Please do not confuse this with an attack on Moss' talents, the guy is uber talented and was a delight to watch. But how many BIG catches did he make late in a game? I cannot think of one time when Moss used his incredible talent to simply take over a late close game.

The Pats are now more similar to the older Pats teams. They do not have a Moss to "spread the field" the only thing I am more sick of hearing about? Brett Favre's penis (more on that later). Do I think the Moss trade was the right thing. Yes. Was I upset that he is no longer a Patriot, absolutely. However, where is this Pats team going this year? With 7 picks in the first 4 rounds the Pats have an opportunity to load up on young defensive players in their front 7. That is the next phase of the "retro-fit." The Pats tried the bad guy thing, it did not fit, they did not win. Now they are going back to positioning themselves as the underdogs again. People are counting them out. Brady has some new weapons, Hernandez, Tate, Gronkowski, Woodhead, and now Branch. The old friend who is back for more.

Hernandez is going to have to step up.

The offense will be fine, people act like the offense will only be playing with 10 players now that Moss is gone. The Pats could move the ball before Moss and they will be able to move the ball after Moss. They will have to change their method, become more of a ball control offense. Which may also keep that young defense off the field.

One last note on Moss and professional athletes in general. Imagine you were able to be a complete jerk at work. Abuse co-workers, treat new hires like crap, and then when your boss has had enough of you he calls you into his office and says, "we are trading you to another office for a secretary and a few new conference tables."

Professional athletes are allowed to treat people terribly, act selfishly, and then they are handed off to the next team, FOR THE SAME PRICE!

Which leads me to Brett Favre... channeling my John Gruden... This guy is a complete jerk. Watch this guy, right here. He is gonna take pictures of his wang, and then he is gonna have the balls to send it to a female. This girl isn't even his wife. I don't get it, I just don't get it (pursing my lips and shaking my head.).

So young and innocent...

During Monday Night Football, Brett Favre was honored for everything: for having fun on the football field, for being a great teammate, for being a fearless gunslinger (no pun intended). Is ESPN owned by Favre? It is pathetic the slack that this guy gets for both his behavior and for his play on the field. Part of me wonders if the people at ESPN were disappointed that they weren't the recipients of the wang message.

For the record, I decided to call Favre the Wangler. Choose comfort, choose the Wangler...

Take a look at some of Brett's late game "greatness."

NFC Championship vs Saints....outstanding fan reactions. Best part is announcers, they are shocked..

Brett's last passes as a Packer, Jet, and Viking (before he returned....). SPOILER ALERT: THEY ARE ALL INTERCEPTIONS IN BIG GAMES!!!

Even Hitler is pissed off...

One last video, probably my favorite of the year to this point. Brian Wilson on Jim Rome....

2010-09-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

Figuring out where everyone stands...

As we look forward to Week 4 in the NFL, we are left looking back at a September that had some surprises. The Chiefs are 3-0. The Cowboys avoided a terrible start by winning in Week 3.

After Week 3 most teams have at least realized what they are destined for. Only 3 teams have ever won a Super Bowl after starting 0-2: The 1993 Cowboys, the 2001 Pats, and the 2007 Giants. Therefore a good start is paramount. Here is a look at what teams at each record might be thinking as they head into Week 4.

Holy S%$t we are 3-0!!
Chicago, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh.
These were not teams that anyone would have picked to be at the top of the heap after 3 games. The Steelers are no doubt the best team out of these 3, getting Ben back after this week could be a huge boost. Or will it fall into the category of the anti-Ewing Theory?

The Chiefs have some solid coaches who have won before. Charlie Weis and Romeo Crenel are leading the offense and defense. I hope to god they both realize they are not meant to be head coaches at any level. I think that Coach Taylor might be more suited to run a college or professional program. In the AFC West, they could stick around and make some noice. Doesn't seem like anyone else is going to.

I would trust my team with Coach Taylor...

The Bears look very good. They have a strange collection of players that they are depending on though. Urlacher is good for one injury a year. Jay Cutler is a headcase, and if teams stop kicking to Devin Hester then he is neutralized. WHY DO YOU EVER KICK TO THAT GUY?? It makes no sense. A punter is paid to make sure the opponent has bad field position. Kicking to him means your punter is doing a bad job, kick it out of bounds!

Holy S&^t we are 2-1!
Seattle, Tampa Bay, Philly, Cincy, and Arizona.
These are the teams that probably should not be 2-1, but they are doing something right. These teams are teetering on the edge, winning some games in spite of certain players (coughCarsonPalmercough). What are they doing right? Funny you should ask...

Seattle: They are playing in Seattle. 2 home wins already, one loss on the road to Denver. PLaying in Seattle should be a guarenteed 6 wins. That place is tough to play. Any half decent team wins 6 games in Seattle. Pete Carroll is pumped and jacked.

Tampa Bay: The record of their Week 1 and 2 opponents? 0-6. Then they met the Steelers and got smoked. The only thing they are doing right is beating bad teams. A battle with Cincy this week could seal their fate as a weak 2-1 team headed for a 3-5 record (Cincy, New Orleans, St. Louis, and Arizona in the next 4 weeks).

Philly: The thing they are doing right? Sticking with a red hot Michael Vick. Run with it Andy Reid, run with it. My brother in law is from Philly. I told him before the season started that Philly was a good pick to win the NFC East. They look good so far.

Madden Curse be damned... Vick is back!!

Cincy: I watched the Pats destroy this team. Then they managed a win against a pretty normal looking Ravens team and a terrible Panthers team. Carson Palmer has thrown 3 picks and it seems like every highlight I see of the Bengals their opponent is dropping an interception. This team is trending down for me. A late October stretch of Miami, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Indy, Buffalo (only easy one), NY Jets, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh will doom this team.

Arizona: How are they 2-1? Wins over St. Louis and Oakland is how. And they beat those two terrible teams by a combined 5 points. Then they travelled to Atlanta and were beat 41-7. Yikes. These guys are not good. And they could still make the playoffs out of the NFC West.

Coming next time... the remaining 2-1 teams, the 1-2 teams, and the 0-3 (read: dead) teams.

2010-08-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

Another lesson learned through sport...

In 1925 Bobby Jones assessed himself a one stroke penalty in the first round of the U.S. Open for making a ball move when he addressed it. This ended up costing Bobby Jones the victory when he lost in a 36 hole playoff at Worcester Country Club. It is one of the most storied sportsmanship moments in sports. Jones was lauded for his decision; no one else saw it happen, and his playing partner Walter Hagen tried to talk him out of the penalty for the last 7 holes, as the penalty wouldn't be official until the scorecard was signed.

"You might as well praise me for not robbing a bank. There is only one way to play the game," Jones said after the round was played.

Today, Dustin Johnson, the man who shot 82 at Pebble Beach this June, bounced back and shot a dazzling 3 under par on the back nine to earn a playoff spot with Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson. However, on the last hole of the tournament Johnson hit his tee shot into a bunker, a bunker that fans were standing in. A bunker that the rules said was a bunker. A bunker that common sense would tell you was not a bunker.

Martin Kaymer: The Champ. He showed up on this blog in my Masters post... I jinxed him. It was the only non-top five finish in a major for him...

That bunker was not like any other groomed bunker on the course, which when you touch your club to that sand it costs you two strokes. It costed Dustin Johnson a whole lot more. It cost him a chance to play in a playoff. This bunker was missing a lot of things that make a bunker a bunker to every weekend hacker. There was no rake, no lip, and there was no respect for the sand trap. The fans were crowded around Johnson as he measured his shot. The local rules stated that anything that looks like a bunker falls under the rules of a bunker. Even if people could stand in it.

Now that may sound simple, but a lot of courses also have waste areas. They look like bunkers, but you are allowed to ground your club before making your swing to hit the ball. This is what Johnson thought he was in, or he thought he was in a "manger" as Daid Ferherty called it.

You could feel the air come out of the entire tournament once Johnson was assessed his two stroke penalty. The clip of him erasing his "5" on his card and writing a "7" will go down in history. Johnson carried himself so wonderfully, he could have blamed a lot of things. He blamed no one. He could have disappeared after the decision was handed down. He didn't. He was a class act. he gave an interview, he shook his opponents hands and he will be back.

Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce... forever tied in history...

This past spring Armando Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game. Jim Joyce missed a call and it cost Galarrage a chance at history. Let's be honest, he robbed him of history. Galarraga laughed, went back to the mound and finished the game. He did not lash out after the game. He was a class act too. I showed my 4th grade students a clip of Galarraga's reaction, I asked them to tell me what they saw. They saw a man who was laughing, a man who took the decision in stride. They were shocked. I made sure they understood how great this was, and also that they needed to realize they needed to keep this in mind when playing games themselves.

Dustin Johnson has put himself firmly into the hearts of a lot of golf fans. His disastrous finish at Pebble Beach and now this, and he has carried himself most impressively. In this day and age of Tiger, Favre, and LeBron and all the egocentric sports idols the media has forced upon us, remember that if you look in the right places there are still athletes who are classy, who honor the game, who honor the rules, and who are going to put their head down and continue to work hard.

They say what goes around comes around; Tiger is feeling it, maybe LeBron will, and I hope that Dustin Johnson does too.

2010-06-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hi, excuse me, could you help me up? Give me a hand? My foot is firmly on the wheel I just need one last pull onto the US Soccer bandwagon.

I wrote and have told many people how much I dislike US Soccer. I grew up loving the Irish Team, the team whose players I loved, like Roy Keane. The US Soccer team was the opposite. Kobe Jones, Alexi Lalas, and John Harkes. Yuck. I hated how great they thought they were. I hated how they played, frantic and undisciplined.

Just look at that uniform...

I once brought an Irish cousin of mine to an MLS game. We went to see the Revolution, it was embarrassing. I found myself trying to explain why the standard was so poor.

On the day of maybe the biggest match in US Soccer history (until the next game in this tournament if they pull out a win) I find myself excited. I find myself watching the clock, wanting it to be 2:30 so I can watch the game. So I can watch US Soccer.

This is the biggest game in the history of US Soccer for this reason. They have the country by the balls right now. They won an incredible game against Algeria. Numerous Youtube clips have been flying around of bars bemoning Dempsey's miss then exploding at Donovan's finish (every single youth soccer player should watch Donovan throughout the whole sequence. Outstanding. He finished his run and was rewarded with a goal). The entire country is behind this team. Will this make soccer mainstream? No. Will it improve the popularity? Yes. Will it attract European clubs teams to some new US players? Probably. Will all those things raise the level os US Soccer. Absolutely.

Was anyone else shocked they didnt call Dempsey offside when Donovan scored?
He was in the net...

As you watch the game today, remember what Ghana did to the US 4 years ago. They knocked them out of the round robin stage on two very weak goals to beat the US 2-1. The revenge factor will be high. The US has 7 starters from that game on this squad. Ghana has 9 of their own returning for the rematch.

But what will happen today? The US will win 2-1. I cannot see the US shuting out Ghana. Their defense is a bit weak, which I had talked about in my last post. With Oguchi Onyewu out of the Algeria game the US earned their first clean sheet. I dont think that was a coincidence.

Don't underestimate the fact that Ghana is the only African country remaining. The US will not have most of the crowd on their side, I don't think. Could have a big effect on the game.

Some thoughts about the last past two weeks of the World Cup and the knockout stage too..

FIFA needs to do something about the ball. Introducing a new piece of equipment to the best players in the world four weeks before the sport's showcase event is silly. What is wrong with the balls they use the other four years? It creates controversy immediately. There will never be a ball the players like. Keep the players happy, use a familiar ball. FIFA is finally realizing this...

What is up with the goalies? These are the 32 top teams in the world and they cannot find decent goalies. My God. I just watched the South Korean goalie misplay a ball that Uruguay turned into a goal.

I LOVE that Italy and the French are at home watching teams like Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, United States, and South Korea. Teams that don't use hand balls to score or flop around like fish after being looked at by a defender are still playing. Karma is a bitch...

The South American teams in the First Round were 10-1-6. That is unreal, it goes along with the Hemisphere fact that only Brazil has won outside of their Hemisphere. Which also makes the departure of France and Italy and the struggle of England more palatable for the fans of those countries.

He went scoreless in Euro 2008, until he scored the winner in the final...Just sayin'.

Looking at the bracket one side is LOADED. Portugal, Spain, Germany, England, and Argentina are all on one side. Meaning we wont see any of those teams playing each other in the final. On the other side is the US. A win against Ghana will put them up against South Korea or Uruguay. A run to the semi finals could pit the US against the Netherlands or Brazil. No game is easy in the World Cup, however, this path to the Semis is the easiest compared to the other teams in other sections of the bracket.

Here are my picks for the round of 16:

South Korea-Uruguay... Watching it right now. Wouldn't be right to predict...

US-Ghana: US wins 2-1

Germany-England: A rematch of 1966 Final. Germany wins 2-1. Game will be tied 1-1 after 90 mins. Either a goal or PKs will settle this one...

Argentina-Mexico: Argentina is on a roll. Argentina wins 3-1. Messi dominates yet again and manages this time to score a goal.

Netherlands-Slovakia: When the World Cup was in the US I went to see Germany play Bulgaria. It seemed like a sure thing that Germany would win and advance. It was not. Bulgaria won, and went to the Semi-Finals that year. Netherlands have been disappointing when they are challenged. They possess the ball very well, will the final ball be good enough to score though? The return of Robben could bolster the attack. Netherlands win 1-0. However, this could be a place for a shocking upset...

Brazil-Chile: A South American team will have to lose. Brazil defends and counters. Chile simply attacks relentlessly. This could be a wide open game. Brazil wins 3-1 as their class outshines the pesky Chilians.

Paraguay-Japan: Can an Asian Country win a knockout stage game away from the Asian continent. Not this year. Paraguay has proven their ability to defend and attack. I do like this Japanese team. They are fiesty and play a good brand of soccer. But, I am going with the Hemisphere rule. Paraguay wins 2-0.

Spain-Portugal: The dessert to this Second Round slate. The Iberian Rivalry will prove to be the best game of this round. The Spanish need a good game, Fernando Torres, who shrinks from the lime-light will need to be more productive than he was in the First Round. He impresses with Liverpool, but in the Spanish Red he is soft and goes down easy. David Silva, stole the show against Chile, scoring a great goal. The Spanish will possess the ball, frustrating Ronaldo, whose touches will be few and fa between, making him chase the game. Taking him out of position to be effective. Spain wins 3-2 in overtime. Can't wait for this one...

Links:
Is this video supposed to be funny? German language makes it hard to know for sure. Worth a watch...

Crazy Maradona...

It's always better in Spanish...Donovan's GOOOOAAAAAALLLLL

2010-06-10T16:55:00.001-07:00

The World Cup! It's Here!

The World Cup starts soon, and I cannot wait. This is my favorite tournament/sporting event in the world. The Ryder Cup is a close second, but the fact that it is only every four years makes it fantastic.

Here are some things to watch...in groups of threes...

Things that will not step on the field and still have a massive effect on the tournament...

1) Maradona
This guy is absolutely crazy. Most people know Maradona as the soccer star of the 1980's, leading Argentina with his Hand of God play to a World Cup Championship in 1986. Since then he has been in trouble for tax evasion, had a heart attack, and has also battled a cocaine addiction. This would be the equivalent of Darryl Strawberry and Corey Feldman teaming up to manage the New York Mets. He is blessed with the best player in the world in Lionel Messi. The key is will Maradona utilize Messi the right way. Messi typically plays better for his club team Baralona because his talents fit their system better. This could be the biggest story of the World Cup. Will Messi finally play well for Argentina...

This man is in charge of Argentina...Yikes...

2) The English Media
This group of "people" have already deemed the US irrelevent, and they have set themselves up, as usual, for major disappointment. England has won one World Cup, and that was in 1966. This might be the most talented English team ever. However, the media pressure, even once they escape to South Africa will be suffocating. One slip and the fatalistic media wil jump down their throat and create more pressure for this English team.

3) The Climate
It may be summer in the US. But in South Africa it is winter, and this means it will open up play. The heat will not slow the play, teams that play fast paced soccer might go deeper. A team like Italy that plays a "rope-a-dope" type system where they sit back and let teams run at them might be surprised. Scores could be higher and faster paced, making for a very exciting World Cup...

Three teams to watch that you might not otherwise...

1)Slovenia
This team could sneak up and surprise a lot of people. They are tough and qualified by beating Russia in a two game playoff. This team could get through Group C, which also has the US and England.

2) Chile
The Chile soccer team is in a group with the Swiss, Spain, and Honduras. This bodes well for them. Their Argentinian manager has sparked a winning attitude, and I look for them to get through to the second round after the group stage.

3) Greece
A potentially great story with the disaster that is going on in the Greek economy right now. Greece won the 2004 European Championship, a complete shock. They play tough soccer and are in a group with Argentina, South Korea, and Nigeria.

The Greeks. A potentially very cool story...

Bonus Team:
Serbia
This team plays awesome defense. Vidic in the back is a tested player with Manchester United. There are strong and methodical.

Three unknown players you should make sure you watch...

1) Miroslav Klose
This guy has been outstanding in the last two World Cups. Scoring five goals in each tournament. He is great in the air and simply has a nose for the net. The Germans are young, and his experience will be very important.

Klose has his eyes on Ronaldo's WC scoring record...

2) Yoann Gourcuff
A young star in the making. This guy was terrible against Ireland in the playoff for the last World Cup place (yes I am still bitter...). However, his talent is outstanding. The 23 year old will play a big part if France pushes past the group stage.

3) Yaya Toure
As soon as Didier Drogba's arm broke, a nation's eyes turned to this man. An outstanding midfielder who plays for Barcalona, his talent will have to drive the Ivory Coast to the heights the country is hoping for. This may be the most talented African team to ever go to a World Cup.

Three teams that could win it.

1) Brazil
This team is hated by their country, well by a lot of their country. They do not play "the beautiful game." They play tough minded defense and then counter-attack. Their manager was the defensive midfielder of the 1994 team that had a similar relationship with the country. They were not popular but they won, beating Italy after Roberto Baggio missed his penalty kick.

2) Spain
For me, I am not crazy but the Spanish. They play "the beautiful game." Moving the ball around the field on the groud, not kicking and chasing it. They are the defending European Champions from 2008. This team is reknowned for choking on the national stage, most recently against the US last summer in the Confederations Cup. It will take a great performance to pull of the victory.

The most talented team. Will they be holding another trophy up on July 11?

3) England
This team is loaded. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney are all outstanding players. Missing Rio Ferdinand could be a huge loss, and Ledley King will have to step in and have a great tournament. England always manages to disappoint. But this team may change that thought.

Three interesting facts I learned this month about the World Cup...

1) Only one team has ever won a World Cup outside of their own Hemisphere (North or South). That team is Brazil, who has won in Sweden in 1958 and in the USA in 1994. People believe this is because of the travel and the grass. Yes the grass. The grass in the Southern Hemisphere is usually thicker and longer. Slowing the game down. The grass in the Northern Hemisphere is usually shorter and thinner, lending itself to a fast game. The grass in South Africa is being grown and treated like Northern Hemisphere.

2) 11 of the last 13 World Cup Finals have had either Germany of Brazil in them. Pretty amazing...

Enjoy the games and enjoy the atmosphere. Find a good bar to watch a few games. And if you are in Boston, go to the North End for one Italian game...

2010-05-05T18:30:00.001-07:00

Quick(ish) Hits:

Nomar Day?
So I heard this for the first time on Monday while driving in my car. Lou Merloni (a renowned Nomar Butt-Boy) said jokingly, "I am just looking forward to Nomar Day."
I laughed at that quote. You know why? Because it seemed absolutely ridiculous.
Why did the Sox do this? Does Nomar have pictures of John Henry or Theo that they do not want anyone to see? Does Nomar have a Big Papi Voo-doo doll that we do not know about? This feels so contrived and fake to me. The Sox are tip-toeing a line that the Pats have been tip-toeing for the past few years. They think whatever they do will turn to gold, and the team is losing steam because of it. "In Theo and Bill we trust," is dying, people are questioning the men who only a few years ago could do no wrong.
Nomar Day is ridiculous, the best quote from the live blog from Fenway? "Nixon got a bigger cheer than Nomar did." Outstanding.

Not quite a Gehrig moment...

Hockey, great for 2 months a year!
Do me a favor. Imagine a restaurant that is open all year. 12 months of the year. Of those 12 months they make half decent food for 10 of those months. There are other places that do better business in town, maybe 3 or 4 of them.
Now imagine that for 2 months of the year something happens. The restaurant transforms. The waiters are nicer, the service is faster, the food is way better. For 2 months of the year the line for a table goes out the door. The regulars cannot get a table as quickly, they feel like they are missing out. Businessmen and clients are clogging up the tables. People who do not suffer through the mediocre meals for 10 months are loathed by the regulars. Then in 2 months, things are back to normal. Things settle down, the food kind of sucks again, the waiters are a little crankier.
This is what the NHL has done to itself. It is a mediocre product every month except April and May. For those 2 months hockey fans come out of the woodwork saying, "see it is the best sport in the world. Playoff hockey is like no other sport on the planet!" The problem is playoff hockey has become a sport in itself. Regular season hockey is an absolute joke, I can prove it. The top 3 seeds in the Eastern Conference lost in the first round. The 4 and 6 seeds have home ice advantage round 2. You can glide through the regular season and then pick it up for the playoffs. This is a bad recipe.
As a soccer fan I know the same types of fans will come out of the woodwork during the World Cup saying things like,"this is the world's game!" "There are no commercials for 45 minutes straight!" "These are the best athletes in the world."
In truth I know that soccer will never truly catch on because the MLS is a crappy restaurant, and the World Cup only comes around every four years. I am not going to preach about why people should like soccer.
Playoff Hockey is great, I understand that. But I think it is pathetic that for 10 months of the year they play a different sport.

Quick(er) Hits:
The Sox just swept the Angels...say what you want about the crappy lineup and Ortiz's struggles. They are winning close games. Too bad they are in a division with the two best teams in baseball...

My adopted team the Rangers are currently 2 games ahead of the Angels....

LeBron can do no wrong in the eyes of everyone. I was so annoyed that Reggie Miller and others gave the C's NO credit for LeBron's struggles in game 2. His elbow was the real problem...what a joke.

Does anyone else think that the Cavs-Celts series was scheduled to get LeBron as much rest as possible... I do...

Links:
Got this from a buddy... Patriots stand up middle school awards winners...

Tebow in and Big Ben out as popular QBs...

Los Suns jerseys...interesting timing...

More Tiger stuff....drug and sex rehab??

2010-04-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

The Masters, Tiger, and me.

The Tiger phenomena has taken on a new level this past week. Tiger has re-entered the public eye, and most would argue that the public eye is even bigger than it used to be.
It leads me to ask a few questions about this new public Tiger...

1) Will people stop caring about Tiger's personal life now that Tiger is back playing golf?
As the spring fades into the summer the Tiger haters will find someone else to hate. Jesse James or the next ass who thinks he can treat his wife like trash. The world of golf will forgive Tiger, in many circles in golf he has already been forgiven.
So yes, people will stop caring about Tiger. They will realize that rooting against Tiger means they have to watch golf, which means they will realize why they did not watch golf in the first place. They think it is boring.

Tiger signing autographs...whoa...

2) How long will this comfy, cozy, smiley Tiger last?
Tiger is different. Let me rephrase that. Tiger is acting different: not as guarded, not playing 7am practice rounds, and he is even signing autographs! He seems more relaxed and willing to let us in, or make us FEEL like he is letting us in. In truth, he isn't. The probing questions from the media will fade with time. Tiger's behavior this week is not what people should be focused on. It's his behavior in August, when he is not the main story, when the tabloids do not care quite as much as they do now.

Thie Irish are coming...

3) Will you root for Tiger or won't you?
Isn't this the biggest question? Do you feel like you will be judged if you say openly, "I am rooting for Tiger." Well let me lead the way, I am rooting for Tiger at the Masters. There I said it. Man that feels better.
Does rooting for Tiger mean I condone his actions? I dont think so. I have idolized Tiger as a golfer, AS A GOLFER, for 13 years. He is everyone's benchmark in the game. I was amazed at his ability to push everything aside and focus on golf (now it is actually more impressive).
Clearly people will tune in for the NASCAR effect. The desire to see a crash, to see something bad happen. Foolishly these people think they will see something crazy happen. Foolishly these people will tune in and make The Masters one of the most watched TV events of all time. Foolishly, these people we find that the only thing on the TV is golf. Golf without the TMZ twist. So if you want to root for Tiger, go for it. I will be. If you don't want Tiger to win. Do yourself a favor, don't tune in. Don't feed the monster. Rating don't care about who you are rooting for.

4) What is going to happen to Tiger this week?
I think Tiger is going to have the type of week he always has when he loses a major. He will do something very well (Drive, manage the course well, putt). But something will happen and we will say well if Tiger had (driven the ball better, putted better, or not made one bonehead mistake) he would have won. He will be just close enough on the weekend to have everyone playing scenarios in their head that make him win, but none of them will come through. Tiger's best round will be on Sunday.

Martin Kaymer everyone....is it bad that I know exactly where he is on the course?

5) Who is going to win the Masters?
Well the Masters has a strange tradition, and in the past 10 years there have been 2 types or winners. The guy you expect to win and the guy who you didn't expect. Here are the winner from last decade:

2009 - Angel Cabrera
2008 - Trevor Immelman
2007 - Zach Johnson
2006 - Phil Mickelson
2005 - Tiger Woods
2004 - Phil Mickelson
2003 - Mike Weir
2002 - Tiger Woods
2001 - Tiger Woods
2000 - Vijay Singh

Singh, Woods, and Mickelson were not a surprise, but the others were. I think this year will be a year where the old guard dominates. Els, Tiger, Phil, and even Vijay Singh could pull it out.

Here is my short list:
Padraig Harrington
Ernie Els
Phil Mickelson

Guys I want to see in contention:
Anthony Kim
Sean O'Hair
Martin Kaymer (German 25 year old. Ranked #8 in the world. I have never heard from him until an SI article on him last week).
David Duval

Dark horse (kind of):
Ben Curtis
Oliver Wilson

2010-04-04T15:31:00.001-07:00

The Red Sox and the Slap Bet...

Tonight the Red Sox open their season against the Yankees, the defending champs and our hated rivals. Here are some thoughts on the Sox season and also a little story about my adopted team for this season, the Texas Rangers.

The player I am most interested in this season:
Adrian Beltre.
A lot of people are high on this guy. His 2004 season was a aberration. Those 48 homers are a little fishy, however his production in the following years were not terrible. He hit 95 homers from 2005-2008. That is almost 24 homers a year. In that same span he had 87,89,99, and 77 RBI. All of these numbers were in a park that favored pitchers, a lot. His OPB has been above .303 since 2004 also.
Take a look at Beltre's stats from last year

Games: 111
HR: 8
RBI:44
Avg: .265
OBP: .304
Slg: .379

Now take a look at Lowell's stats from his last year at Florida before he was traded to the Sox as a "throw-in."

Games: 150
HR: 8
RBI: 58
Avg: .236
OBP: .298
Slg: .360

Beltre and Lowell had very similar years, however Beltre played in 39 less games.

Defensive star...

Defensively Beltre is special. All those sabermetric stats love Beltre, and so does the eye-ball test. The one thing that scares me is he does not wear a cup while playing the hot corner...

Beltre's will pepper the Green Monster this year. I am looking forward to him having a great year both at the plate and at third base.

Player I am most worried about this year:
John Papelbon.
Last year's performance was concerning. He blew the last game of the year. Do I think he is going to have a terrible year? No. But I am worried because he is not the 3 out closer he was in earlier seasons. He lets guys get on base, he had one out pitch last year. Just like a quarterback controversy, the Sox could have a closer controversy if he has a tough start.
Daniel Bard is in the shadows waiting for his chance. Hopefully he won't get it because Papelbon will be back to his lights out status. A few blown-saves could start the calls for Bard. Could be an interesting season in the bullpen.

Most important player for Sox this season:
Victor Martinez.
VMart is an outstanding clubhouse guy. He has handshakes for everyone and is always smiling. His job this year is two-fold, he has to manage the pitching staff (the most fragile and fickle athletes in sports) and he also has to be the backbone of a line-up that has been revamped for the sake of good defense.
Those two jobs are very difficult in this town, especially when he is replacing Varitek and in some ways he is replacing Jason Bay (who replaced Jason Bay).
I think Martinez is up for the task. He is in a contract year and will need to prove himself. His summer in Boston last year prepared him well for the tough long season ahead. He will have Varitek there to help with pitching calls and learning all he can learn as a catcher.

VMart.

What is going to happen to the Sox this season?
I think the Sox are going to have a tough season because their offense could go through tough stretches. The rotation is very very solid, but as we have seen, stress on a pitching staff in the summer catches up with you in the fall.
Can this staff handle it? Maybe. Beckett is due for a huge year. Lester is coming into his own. Lackey is a very solid third starter. That leaves us with Wakefield (43 years old), Bucholtz (still waiting for him to break out) and Daisuke (growing into a big baby who does what he wants, not what the Sox want). Can one of these guys come through and can they all stay healthy? That could be a big key to any success this team has.
The Yankees will win the division (kills me to say). Down the stretch the Sox and Rays will be battling for the wildcard with a few other teams.

This Sox team is built for the playoffs, pitching and defense. However, they will need some luck and some career years from some players to get to the playoffs.

Prediction:
Sox win wildcard over Rays and Angels.

The Texas Rangers experiment...
Last year the Texas Rangers were a viable player in the wildcard race up until the last few weeks of the season. With another year under their belts and some new faces I am predicting that they will win the AL West.

Are you ready for this guy? Pedro Martinez comparisons are already being made.

Last week while watching College Hoops with my friend Pat, a die-hard Angels fan from Buffalo, he began bitching that ESPN Magazine simulated the 2010 season 100 times and on average his Angels finished in dead last. He was livid, I was afraid he might break something in the room. I said to him (after a few too many lemonades), "I think the Rangers are going to be really good this year. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they finish above the Angels."
The wrath of Pat turned toward me, a wager was on.

What did the five fingers say to the face?

For those of you who don't know what a slap bet is, I will enlighten you now. A slap bet is a bet made not with money, but with the right to slap the looser of the bet across the face with an open hand.
Pat and I agreed to a slap bet. If the Rangers finish above the Angels, I slap Pat. If the Angels beat the Rangers, Pat slaps me.
My reasoning for the Angels being weak this season is two-fold, free agency and a stronger division. The Angels lost a great leadoff hitter Chone "I spell my name wrong" Figgins to a divison rival, the Mariners. They lost ace John Lackey to the Red Sox, and they lost Vlad "the corpse" Guerrero.

The AL West is also stronger as a whole. The Oakland A's are the only very weak team. The Rangers added Vlad "the corpse" to the middle of their line-up. Put him with Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, and Nelson Cruz and you have a pretty solid group of hitters.

Need a whole lot of this in 2010...

The Mariners added Cliff Lee (who is looking a bit like a lemon..) and Chone Figgins. Seattle has built a team like the Sox. Good pitching and solid defense.

The Angels will not have a lot of easy wins in their division like they did last year. They will have to work for wins. The Rangers will have a hard time in the heat of the summer. The heat makes it tough for the Rangers to finish strong.

I look forward to rooting for the Rangers this season. Of course the Sox come first, but the Rangers will be like my Fantasy team this year. However, if the Rangers lose I will be met with the nightmare of Pat's massive right hand flying toward my defensless face.

Links:
Brian Kelly's reign at Notre Dame starts off on a bad note...

A really good podcast. Sports Guy interviewing Phoenix Sun Jared Dudley. He was very funny and well=spoken. I recommend this podcast in general to any sports fan.

Duke haters will love this one...

Vainty Fair Tiger Woods teaser... mag is on stands now...

Masters this week... wanna watch at work... go here...

2010-02-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

Winter Olympics

So, we have reached the "dead-zone" of athletics. The Super Bowl is over, and many look fondly towards early August when they can waste another day drafting a fantasy team.

Others are waiting for those great long weekends in March when the King of College Hoops will be crowned.

Some have spent the down time during the sports calendar watching the Olympics. I have decided to review some things I have noticed, both good and bad in my four days of watching the Olympics.

Let's start with the things I have not liked about the Olympics:

1) Too many recorded events.
As someone who spends a lot (read: too much) time on my computer, it is nearly impossible to avoid results all day. I have enough things to worry about during my day, I don't need to consciously avoid the news also. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to avoid results and I really enjoyed watching a lot of the events I was able to see (more on that later).

2) Judges
I just do not get it. Simply put. Think of all the "experts" we watch dissect some of our favorite sports. They constantly have differing views, whether the debate is about a call a coach makes, the way a player handles him/herself under pressure, or even who the best player is. They argue and debate, and no one really has a sure-fire answer.
Yet, here we are watching some sports that have people handing out numbers to determine who the best is. Figure Skating and Gymnastics are the headliners in this. Skating got so bad they had to re-do the scoring system because one judge had screwed a Canadian couple out of a gold medal. What happened? The Figure Skating couple received a gold after someone else went back and judged what the first (cough, French, cough) judge had mis-judged. Take a moment and read that again, maybe even copy and paste it so it can stand alone and you can totally let it settle in.

The judges liked Alexandre Bilodeau more than the others...

On the moguls this weekend judges were asked to rank the air and the trick that a person does as they fly down the hill.
Some of these events seem more like performances than competition. Athletes trying to impress another person rather than just beating a fellow competitor.

3) Exclusivity
My world was rocked on Friday night while watching the Opening Ceremonies. I do not think I realized how truly small the Winter Olympics are. 84 nations are competing. Take a moment and guess how many of the 84 countries have ever won a medal, just won medal, any color. Ready for the answer? Here it is... 46. Meaning 38 countries have never won a medal. That's astounding. I believe 14 countries have one athlete competing. The Summer Olympics had 204 countries competing in the 2008 games.
I understand that a lot of the sports played in the winter games are very exclusive. There are something like 4 luge tracks in North America, and I believe one just closed in Lake Placid. The feel of the Winter Olympics is different. I am not as crazy about that feel. I am still waiting for that moment when someone really unexpected wins a medal. Not someone from Sweden who is okay at their sport, but someone who is truly an outcast in the Winter Games. Maybe another Jamaican Bobsled team? That would be nice.

Alright, here are the good things so far about the Olympics:
1) Nationalism
There is nothing better than rooting for your country, or rooting against another country. Is there anything else I need to say? The best sporting events in the world are based on nationalism: World Cup, Olympics, and The Ryder Cup come to mind. Some things that don't come to mind: Davis Cup and America's Cup.
Within our country professional sports are trying to play off the whole nationalism theme. Red Sox Nation comes to mind. It creates a feeling of belonging and ownership. Nationalism is the best part of the Olympics.

Nothing like having a nation cheer you on...

2) Dick Button
The two-time Figure Skating Gold Medalist (1948 and 1952) is commentating. He is hilarious. Watch him and more importantly, watch his shoes.
3) Timing
It is nice to have something to bridge the gap between the Super Bowl and March Madness. When you boil it down, most of it is exciting.
4) They do things I cannot imagine doing.
I can go to a track and run a mile. I cannot do it that fast but I can do it. I can jump into a pit of sand. I can hit a jump shot with someone guarding me. I can sprint 100 meters. I can flail around in a pool for 100 meters.
However, as friends can attest, I cannot make it down a hill on skiis. I cannot strap on a pair of skates and jump up and not fall on my ass. I can barely cross-country ski, any little hill and my knees are shaking. I have no desire to try snowboarding. These things are foriegn to me. And I am pretty amazed at how good these people are at them. Watching the downhill event on Monday night was shocking. They go SO fast, and seem on the brink of losing control, yet they never do. It is pretty awe-inspiring.

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa.... slow down!

All-in-all, the Winter Olympics are very entertaining. I know I will find myself watching something every night. Learning about some random person I have never heard of before. I will laugh at Dick Button and I will cringe when they play some uber-sappy feature about an athlete. But for every cringe there will be 2-3 moments that make me extremely impressed and inspired. It does not mean my knees still won't shake when I strap on skiis, it will just mean I will know that others can do it, so I might as well give it a try to.

And ultimately, isn't that what sports is about? Inspiring us to try things and driving us to be better than we were the day before. I would say in some way the Winter Olympics manage to do that for me. Even if they aren't always live....

Links:

It seems a bit ridiculous for Hockey Team to be running the score up like this doesn't it?
Canada and US Women's teams rout opponesnts...

Apparently John Wall of Kentucky Basketball has created a dance that is sweeping the nation...then check this ESPN feature on it.

Heartbreak kid Lindsey Jacobellis leaves without a medal...

Jim Leyland will have to kick his smoking habit if he wants to manage in Detriot...

2010-02-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

Super Sadness.

This past Sunday watching the Super Bowl made me sad. It was a feeling I have not had as a sports fan in a long time, if ever. Sure I have been mad, frustrated, upset, angry, happy, euphoric, elated, and ecstatic. But I don't think I have ever felt sad.

I remember feeling this...

Where did this sadness come from? After thinking about it I think it came from a place in me that is realizing that last decade is over and a new decade is beginning. A part of me that realized that a place like New Orleans, a place that needed a good story got one. People in Boston do not need good stories anymore, and frankly, we have not had a good story in a while. Now I know that there are people possibly reading this who are thinking, "what an ass. He has all these teams to root for and he is complaining." I am NOT complaining, I am not complaining at all. I am just sad, and here is why:

The city of Boston is on a downturn.
The Celts are old and falling apart. They cannot hold a lead against any decent teams.
The Patriots are getting older and really have not changed much since their run of good fortune. They have been static, change is needed and it does not seem likely.
The Bruins are still only playing hockey...
The Red Sox are in a weird period right now. I have no idea what to expect from them. They could win 83 games and only score 100 runs. Defensively they are outstanding, but it does not seem like they will be true contenders.

I just love this picture..

Last decade was a blessing as a Boston sports fan. This next decade started with me feeling sad, I felt sad because I watched New Orleans and for the first time as a sports fan I longed for what they had. I longed for a parade, I longed for championship game. I longed to root for the underdog. I longed for those things because only recently I had them, and now looking into the future, for the first time in a while, I am not feeling so confident that anything will be coming my way.

Here's hoping I am totally wrong in feeling sad...

Skiing Babe Lindsey Vonn might not compete in Olympics...yikes.

Strong words about Rasheed Wallace and his ineffective play on C's...

Nothing like a good soccer sex scandal inside the English National Team...

Henry handball ref going to World Cup while Ireland watches... Is FIFA just making a point by sending this guy? A sick part of me hopes a big team gets screwed in this tournament so things will actually be re-evaluated...

2010-01-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

Where do we go from here?

I have no idea what happened. Did it really happen? Did the Pats really look like any other team in the playoffs? Are people really saying the dynasty is done? Yes, yes, and (gulp) yes.

As I was sitting and watching the game with some friends I fell into the most painful and aggravating system of sports spectating. This is when you are simply creating scenarios in your head that put your team back into contention. When you say, "alright if they can get a touchdown here and make a quick stop and then a quick score, then this is a game again." Sometimes this happens (See: Lakers v. Celts game 4 2008; Sox v. Rays game 5 ALCS 2008; and Pats v. Raiders Division Champ. game 2002). Those were all games where you told yourself something great could happen and it did.

Have you seen this man? Oh yeah, he had 13 tackles on Sunday...

This time it was not to be. The Pats had nothing yesterday, they had no grasp on the past, they had no grasp on what it takes to win a playoff game. Unfortunately the Ravens did. They had a fantastic start then simply ran the ball 52 times and only threw it 10 times. 10 times!! That is absurd. The Raven start allowed them to hide their weaknesses: a weak passing game and unbalanced offense. Whereas the Pats slow start made it so that their weaknesses were exposed: a bad O-line that couldn't block a defense with their ears pinned back, a depleted core of skill position players, and a front seven that is mediocre at best.

The Pats are now left with a lot of questions, and more important they have lost many disciples. "In Bill we trust" is dying with every shaky draft pick and ornery press conference (Did anyone else Bill was a little touchy after the game?) The famous "5 year grace period" after a Championship is long gone. We are in year 6 since their last Super Bowl win. Which is quite shocking, I remember being somewhat uninspired by the last Super Bowl win. We were spoiled and we thought it would last forever. Sunday was the kick in the private parts that a lot of people needed. It is not going to last forever. Just ask 49er fans. Even Cowboy fans did have a playoff win in 12 years until this past weekend.

The Patriots are in a tight spot and in my mind I do not see them getting much better. I definitely do not see them getting enough talent to make another Super Bowl bid. The holes they have to fill are big and there are a lot of them. In my mind I would put them in this order:

1) Defense backfield- Cornerbacks got fried this year. They are old and have trouble covering. Even though they are old, they have no leadership back there. That is a bad combination.

2) Pass rush/ front 7- This might go hand in hand with #1. If the front 7 can create pressure then it makes the coverage in the secondary easier. If the secondary covers better it create more time to pressure the QB. Either way, these are things that need to be improved.

3) Offensive Line help- Brady was only sacked 16 times this year. However, he was also probably hit harder on numerous occasions than I can remember. Between his knee and the target on his back Brady had moments where he looked very different. The offensive line could see 4 new players next year. Sebastian Volmer seems to be a bright spot, and next year he could be the only returner. Lets hope the Pats do not go "bargain basement" to solve this issue.

4) Get your coordinators in order- The delegation of jobs needs to be clarified. Questions like, "who is calling the plays" and "who is the offensive coordinator" are not ones that get asked of Super Bowl Champs.

Steve Breaston. He would look good with a flying Elvis on his hat...

5) Receivers - Moss is getting older and seems to break down in the playoffs. 2007 and this season are evidence of that. We have no idea what Welker will be like, and he might not be back until mid-season next year. Ben Watson does not seem to be improving. Sam Aiken is a special teams player. Where does that leave us? The Pats have no sure things next year at receiver. What a difference a few years makes. Here is a list of Wide Receiver free agents, some are restricted:

Brandon Marshall- Not a guy you bring on while you try to figure things out. Too much of a headcase. But man he can play when he is happy (remind you of anyone?).

Vincent Jackson- Not a bad #2.

Miles Austin - Can't see Jerry Jones letting this one get away. Especially with Roy Williams sucking as much as he does.

Steve Breaston - A #3 in Arizona, could be ready to move up the ladder in New England.

6) A running game - This might go a long with getting a coordinator. Balance is key. Sure it is a passing league, but the lack of a run game made it hard for the Pats to hold a lead on the road. Back in the good old days of the aughts Antoine Smith could get you 4 yards in the fourth quarter and rack up some first downs to kill the game. They did not have that this year, and it cost them in Miami and Houston and Indianapolis. You do not need to go spend a ton of money on a guy, you just need to buy into running the ball a little bit.

Clearly the Pats have a lot to do. Let's hope they are ready to move forward and make changes. I sure hope they can

2009-12-29T13:18:00.000-08:00

The buzz word.

This past Sunday I was sitting watching the Pats destroy the Jaguars when I received a text message from my buddy Burke. It said, "I honestly would not be surprised if they lost in the first round or won a 4th championship." I responded, "I think they may be peaking, unlike the 2007 team."

That exchange led to me seeing a lot of this buzz word "peaking." Brett Favre used it after the Vikings loss on Monday Night, their third loss in the past four games....excellent. Favre said he would love for the Vikings to be peaking, but that they are not. This led me to look back at the last few Super Bowl Champs. Here is how each of them finished the last six games of the regular season:

Steelers: 5-1 (12-4)
Giants: 3-3 (10-6)
Colts: 3-3 (12-4)
Steelers: 4-2 (11-5) Finished year with 4 straight wins.
Patriots: 5-1 (14-2)
Patriots: 6-0 (14-2)
Bucs: 4-2 (12-4)

Total: 30-12

In the past seven years the Super Bowl Champs have gone 30-12 in their last six games. Now this does not include teams sitting players in the last game or two (cough...Colts...cough). It also does not put into play any intangibles. An improving defense, an offense beginning to click, or quarterback making a deal with the devil (Cough...Eli Manning...cough).

Of these teams the one that struck me the most was the Giants. They sputtered through the whole season. They started 0-2. Then ran off six straight wins before their bye week. Then they lost two of three, putting them at 7-4. People were calling for Coughlin's head, he was finished and his players had quit on him. They finished the last five weeks 3-2, but the biggest game for them? The Patriots loss at the end of the regular season. It can't be measured how motivating that battle was, and it is now the rallying cry for anyone who thinks players should not be rested nearing the end of the season.

Peaking is important, and I have decided to make a peak-o-meter for the teams remaining in the playoff hunt, starting with the NFC...The rating is out of a 10 and is taking into consideration how the team has played over the past 5 weeks (with the next week rounding out my six week trial.)

New Orleans Saints:
Peak-o-meter: 3
Record: 3-2
Streak: 2 losses

This team is struggling, and they have not been struggling for just the past two weeks. A month ago this team decimated the Patriots. It was an embarrassment. It made all Pats fans cash in their chips, in the words of my buddy Burke in an angry voicemail, "Over! The season is over." The Saints since have defeated the Redskins in overtime (a lucky win), the Falcons by three, and lost to the Cowboys and the Bucs (who are 3-12).
The catch phrase from 2007: "blueprint" comes to mind when figuring out this team's recent struggles. Teams have found a way to beat them, even in the Superdome. Run the ball and attack a somewhat disjointed secondary. This team produced oodles of points until the last 2 weeks. Scoring 17 in both losses. That reminds me of a team I rooted for in 2007. Anyone know who I am talking about?

If by "your terms" you mean throwing a stupid INT. Then I hope you are
right Brett.

Minnesota Vikings:
Peak-o-meter: -2
Record:2-3
Streak: 2 losses

Its amazing how the media can portray Favre to be such an outstanding teammate and person, but as soon as anything bad happens to his team we see him pouting and creating trouble. Favre is a huge fair-weather fan, the only problem is he has to play for the team he is complaining about. On NFL Live today some said that "turning the ball over is in Adrian Petersen and Brett Favre's DNA." Uh oh... are they going to need a blood transfusion before the playoffs?
The Vikings are in a position to lose their first round bye if they lose and the Eagles win this Sunday. Personally, I love watching Favre "unpeak" in December.

Philadelphia Eagles:
Peak-o-meter: 9.75
Record: 5-0
Streak: six wins

Philadelphia's success this decade has been amazing. Sure teams every decade are successful without winning a Super Bowl (Bills in the 90's). But how many teams have a quarterback and a coach who have thought "should I pack my bags and stick a for sale sign in my yard?" more than Andy Reid and McNabb. It is amazing that these two guys have survived as long as they have. Philly fans seem to hate both, but they have brought a great deal of success to the city.
I hope these guys can make it deep into the playoffs. A win and a Vikings loss locks up a bye, but it begs the question. Do they NEED it? They are on a roll right now, would a bye hurt them? Maybe. But they have to play to win, because a loss to the Cowboy could mean they are travelling for wildcard weekend.

Dallas Cowboys:
Peak-o-meter: 6.5
Record: 3-2 Including a win over the Saints....
Streak: 2 wins

What is there to write about the Cowboys? They are so poorly coached and Romo is simply not a good quarterback when he needs to be. This game on Sunday with the Eagles will be huge in their peak rating. They have been playing better, but they are always a team who just does not make me nervous. Another disappointing playoff exit is on the horizon for Cowboy fans I fear.

Are you ready Dallas?

Arizona Cardinals:
Peak-o-meter: 7.25
Record: 4-1
Streak: 2 wins

The defending NFC Champs are just starting to heat up. The one big strike against them, they have played some really really bad teams in the last 2 months. Check out their opponents starting November 8: @CHI, SEA, @St. Louis, @TENN, MINN, @SAN FRAN, @DET, St. LOU. That is astounding. Now, they are beating those teams, but they suck. The only big test was the Vikings game. They went in there and handled their business.

We are left to wonder a few things about this team. Are they road tested now? Can they draw from their massive success last year in the playoffs? Will Kurt Warner stay healthy throughout the entire playoffs?

Sidenote: Will a successful playoff run lock Kurt Warner into the Hall of Fame. It was a debated point last year, but would it be again this year if he took his team to the NFC Championship game or Super Bowl with some big numbers? Just a thought...

Green Bay Packers:
Peak-o-meter: 7.75
Record: 3-1 (6-1 in last 7 though...)
Streak: 1 win

This team is peaking, no doubt. Their defense is a little beat up and they are torched by the Steelers last week in that classic. However, that is their only loss since November 8. They are playing good football and Aaron Rodgers seems to be gaining some steam every week. This is a team that might get lucky with a first round home game in fridgid Green Bay. But they can play anywhere. Ryan Grant could be a ticket to a deep run. Only time will tell...

AFC rankings coming on Thursday.

2009-12-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

The Child Star...

So, I avoided writing about this for as long as possible, but I guess it's time. Tiger Woods is a man-whore, there a said it. A few years back in college I wrote an article when another one of my sports idols, Barry Bonds, was going through his denial of steroids. Unfortunately I cannot share that article with you because The Crusader (Holy Cross' paper) is out of order right now.

When I wrote that article I talked about how disappointed I was, how mad I was that the 10 year old inside of me who sat in the seats of Candlestick freezing his butt off was lied to.

I can't wait for this again, whenever he decides its time....

Now I am left thinking the same thing about Tiger. My first memory of Tiger was when he was a 20 year old, he was in full fist pump mode hitting a 45 foot putt catapulting him to his record third straight US Amateur Championship. He was captivating, talented, and down right nerdy. Just watch this clip after he won that event. He is an awkward 20 year old. However, in his interview after he win he says "Tonight I am gonna party like hell." It resonates just a tad differently.

Comparing Tiger Woods to Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, Roger Clemens or any other athlete who has fallen prey to any sort of vice might not quite be an accurate comparison.

I think we have to put Tiger into the category of Cory Feldman and Drew Barrymore. Tiger was like them, a child star. A prodigy whose life was controlled from the moment he stepped onto Mike Douglas' stage. A prodigy whose father, although loving, was also a little bit crazy.

"Tiger will do more than any other man in history to change the course of humanity." That is something Earl said right when Tiger turned pro, talk about some pressure, good God.

Tiger's life was molded and crafted to be exactly where it was, until that November night. It was publicly perfect. He starred in many great moments, winning and losing. Hitting great shots and making all his opponents better (see: Y.E. Yang). He had the gorgeous wife (is she a sad-sack in the sack??), the cute kids, the money, the smile, the children's center, and the yatcht.

Tiger's childhood was robbed from him. He spent it playing golf, sure he loved it, he loved the competition, but clearly there were some things that he missed: causing trouble, dating, experimenting, and whatever it is that cool kids do. Tiger was not a cool kid, Tiger was the golfing geek who was 1-iron thin and very bright. He probably didn't go to parties, he was too busy hitting 9-irons while his dad sat in the cart with that annoying reverse sound buzzing to increase Tiger's concentration.

Where am I going with this? Tiger's life was always golf. Tiger's life took him away from anything fun. He loved to play golf, but he must have craved the ability to do other things. He must have craved some sort of freedom. When Tiger turned Pro he immediately fell into millions of dollars. He was surrounded by people who would help him. He had older Pros around like Mark O'Meara to help. He had his dad looming over him.

As time passed Tiger began to earn more freedom from his father. Earl's health began to keep him away from Tiger's daily happenings. Tiger's new found freedom took him to new places, places that a curious teenager would have learned were probably not the best places to go.

Tiger fell into the world of bad decisions. He believed his mistakes would effect no one, including himself. His childhood, like those of Drew Barrymore and Cory Feldman and others, was driven by a desire to be successful and make money. They might have been driven by outside forces and once they had chances to make their own decisions they went crazy.

Tiger Woods went crazy, how long has he been going crazy? I don't know. Is this just the beginning? I don't know. But part of me thinks I have nothing more to be surprised about anymore. Although everytime I say that I find myself surprised by someone else...

Tiger Links:
Maybe Tiger thought he could walk on water....

Charles Pierce in Esquire about Tiger....

If you have not read Charles Pierce's article on Tiger Woods from 1997 you have to. Tiger's arrogance comes out. Which he was burned for and is part of the reason he went into his bubble, not to come out again until this whole affair thing came out. The belief that people around Tiger had in him made him seemingly infaliable. Clearly this is not true. Reading the article in the light of what has recently happened makes a lot of it make some sort of sense. It also brings about the question, did he think he was carrying a torch for golfers everywhere by sleeping with the woman the baseball and basketball players were landing? Enjoy...

Do you think they might be related to Tiger Woods??

"Tiger, you will never meet anyone in the world who is a mentally tough as you. He hasn't yet, and he never will." Earl Woods. This is a great video and I think that quote from it really brings up an interesting point...

Tiger is so mentally tough on the golf course. It is his major strength over all his competitors. How does his moral-compass direct him in a completely different way when he is off the course... it is a tough thing for me to wrap my head around.

Tiger + steroids = uh oh....

This was one of my favorite Tiger clips. It was the longest time I got to see Tiger interact with normal people...its too bad that no one will have that response again.

2009-11-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

Stomach Punch Losses

I have had my disappointments as a sports fan. Big ones, small ones, the ones that keep you up, the ones that still bother you the next day, the ones you can barely look at the highlights of. There are very rare weeks where a sports fan experiences TWO of these types of loses in a span of four days.

Loss 1:
Colts 35-Pats34.

Yuck. What a bad loss. This was a total disappointment for a few reasons.

1) The Pats did the same thing 3 years ago in the AFC Championship game in Indy. This is now a trend. Remember the day when the Pats owned the Colts. When Ty Law intercepted 18 passes in one game. When the snow was falling in Foxboro. No snow in Indy, just turf and high temperatures and worn out Patriots defenses.

Are we going to see this again?

2) The 4th and 2 call was pretty bad. But people are forgetting everything that led up to that. Belichick took the bashing for this loss. However, the team as a whole really messed this up. Leading by 17 points in the fourth quarter is not lost on one play call. Its lost when your runningback fumbles the ball on the goal line. Why did the Pats slow down their defense and let Manning attack them while the Pats D stood on their heels.

3) This loss is going to lead to two possible things. The first possibility is this is the loss that becomes the rallying cry. The thing that puts the chip on the shoulder. The moment that we look back to in January and say, "this was the turning point. We missed the small things in this game that the Pats did well." The Pats moved the ball at will, they owned most of the game. Who is to say they cannot do it again in January.

The other sinario is that the team flops, folds, and quits. Personally, I dont see that happening. At all. Belichick is too good a coach, and the team is too proud to fold. They have the Jets this week and then ANOTHER game against an undefeated team in the Saints. The Pats have played in 4 games against undeafeated in the past 7 weeks. That's pretty unreal.

The Pats will bounce back, the radio shows will stop talking about the 4th and 2 call (that would be great). Isn't it amazing how WEEI can literally say the same thing for five striaght days? Unreal.

However, the Pats loss was nothing compared to what happened to the Boys in Green...

Loss 2:

Ireland 1- France 2
On this blog I bitched about the FIFA seeding the World Cup playoff games. The Irish team drew France, they needed to beat them over the course of two games (they add up the goals from the two games, awesome format...).

I watched the first of the two games with my dad, godparents, godparent's son, and girlfriend (she didnt know what she was getting into....). The game was superb. I had not watched a soccer game and felt as nervous as I did in a long time, maybe ever, The French team made me nervous, Henry made me nervous, the whole thing made me nervous. You could feel the tension through the TV.

Ireland is an unbelievable sports nation. Croke Park in Ireland just started hosting soccer and rugby games. Before that the Gaelic Athletic Association, who invested millions into the stadium, banned both (English) sports from being played in their stadium.

Now Ireland has a proper place to play, 80,000 screaming fans. I have been to this stadium, awesome. When the entire stadium starts singing the national anthem, you cannot help but get goosebumps. Very cool.

The game ended 1-0 in favor of the French.

The second game on Wednesday ran into the rest of my life. So it was hard to follow. I listened to some of it on radio, and then followed the rest on gamecast while I was tutoring. Yes I said tutoring. Sometimes things are important enough to get distracted...

These guys won't be in South Africa...

The Irish won the game 1-0. Meaning the total score was 1-1. They went to overtime, and then the unimaginable happened. Thierry Henry handled the ball and assisted in the goal that sent the French to the World Cup. The goal that destroyed Ireland's hopes of going to South Africa.

Before the game Ireland called for a new rule regarding the seeding of teams and FIFA changing their rules as the playoff neared. Now the Irish game could change something much more significant, replay in soccer. The World Cup has had some moments that have gone down in history. The "hand of God" by Maradonna, the English goal in 1966 that hit the crossbar and might or might not have crossed the line, the Spanish goal against North Korea after the ball was out of bounds. Soccer like any other sport has moments where refs cannot see what is going on. Why not add one replay per team. Have them only used if a goal is in question.

It would have taken 10 seconds to possibly change the lives of 11 Irishmen, hey I know I am biased, but give me a break. I got punched in the stomach by sports twice this week...

Articles about the Ireland loss:

Ireland wants France to invite them back to Paris to replay the game...There are some other good articles linked on this page...

The Irish viewpoints...

2009-10-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Waxing Nostalgic...

As I sit here watching Phillies vs. Yankees game 2 I cannot help but get a nostalgic. Now I know he left under bad circumstances, but man I miss Pedro. The talk on the radio this past few weeks has been about what kind of team is Theo Epstein building. Seeing Pedro back on the mound and watching the old highlights makes me wonder if the Sox are building a bunch of OPS machines who have no character. J.D Drew and Jason Bay lead what crew. It makes me a bit nervous to be honest, this off season there is one All-Star free agent, and its Jason Bay. That leaves a lot to be desired. The Sox need some help in a lot of places, but I think one big place they need it is leadership and a sense of identity. Guys like Kevin Youkilis have left a lot to be desired in the grit department. It takes more than pine-tar on your helmet to make you a leader.

Ask yourself quickly who you see as the leaders of this Red Sox team next year: the ghost of David Ortiz? Mike Lowell's hip? A money hungry Papelbon? I think my one answer would be this guy, Victor Martinez. I think his attidtude, his goofiness, and his ability to hit in big spots lend himself to making his way deep into the heart of Red Sox nation.

The Sox need this guy...

Theo Epstein has an interesting off-season ahead of him. This is a year where little decisions could go a long way. There is no group of players that the Yankees can splurge on. This year GMs will be tested to find some diamonds in the rough

One key the Boston Brass seems to miss out on every once in a while is a little thing I like to call a "known commodity." Here are some known commodities we have had in recent memory: Orlando Cabrara, Alex Gonzalez, and Johnny Damon. I think Jason Bay is another guy who falls into that category. The Sox let Cabrara go and have not been able to find a steady Shortstop since. Renteria, Gonzalez, Lugo, and many more have tried their hand at SS. None of them have panned out. Sometimes having a guy you KNOW can produce is better than a guy you THINK can produce. If we let Jason Bay go it had better be because he is being grossly overpaid by the Yankees, there really should be no other reason.

Remember when this guy robbed John Henry of 36 million bucks?

With all of that being said if you take a look at the possible free agents for this off-season, it seems like there is some potential to pick up a Nick Swisher type. A locker room presence who will return a little bit of the "idiot attitude" again. I know some people are glad the whole "idiot" thing is gone. I wonder how many playoff exits without even a wimper it will take to have people calling for a team like the 2004 Sox again.

2009-10-19T17:39:00.001-07:00

FIFA beats out NCAA as most controlling governing body.

Today a nation was delivered a blow. A blow that will probably cost them a trip to the World Cup Finals next summer. A blow that as of one week ago should have never been allowed to happen. This morning FIFA held one of the most important, and scandalous "draws" in the history of the association. The draw was to decide which eight teams would play each other in home-and-home matches to earn the final four places in the World Cup.

Roy Keane. My soccer idol.

The eight teams involved in the draw were: France, Bosnia, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine, Ireland, Russia, and Slovenia. As of ten days ago this "draw" was going to be done randomly. Meaning, everyone had an equal chance at playing each other. However, ten days ago FIFA realized that if they followed through with that idea then there was a chance France and Portugal could face each other, meaning one team would be out of the competition next summer. Meaning there was a chance Christiano Ronaldo might not be there, there was a chance Thierry Henry might not be there. FIFA could not take that risk. Therefore FIFA made an about-face and changed the entire way the "draw" would be set up. The teams would be seeded.

This meant France and Portugal would not face each other, it was impossible. It meant France and Portugal would face a weaker team and would boost their chances of making the World Cup.

Ireland's hope lay in the hands of an Italian...honestly...

Today the draw was done, and today I found out that Ireland would be playing France. As a son of two Irish born parents I grew up loving the Irish soccer team. I remember being on the phone with my friend when Ray Houghton scored the only goal in a 1-0 Ireland win over Italy in the 1994 World Cup. I remember being so sick when Packie Bonner let a ball slip through his hands to allow the Dutch team to beat them in the second round of the World Cup in 1994. I remember waking up early to watch the Irish, without Roy Keane, nearly beat Spain in penalty kicks in 2002. Ireland is my team, not the US, not any other country. To have them in the World Cup again would be amazing, it would might be enough to drag me to South Africa, seriously.

The problem now is the French are in the way. Would I be ticked off if this was done fairly? No, just upset at the bad luck. But knowing that Ireland should have had a better chance, knowing there were five teams, other than Portugal and France, that they would have a great chance against, that is what ticked me off.

Is there an equivalent to this? If I were to try this might be the closest:

MLB a week away from the playoffs starting, realizes the two best teams in baseball are both in the AL (not too far fetched). Therefore, to avoid having these teams face each other before the World Series, MLB decides to seed the playoffs and allow AL and NL teams to play each other before the World Series.

When things like this happen, something always backfires. Some team is galvanized and begins to believe they were mistreated, disrespected. I am hoping that an old Italian manager, who has transformed this Irish team, will work his magic. I am hoping that the Irish team that recently tied the defending World Cup champion Italy 2-2 in Dublin will show up and spit in the face of FIFA and their lack of fair governing. I hope I might have a reason to consider a trip to South Africa, man I hope Ireland are back. The World Cup needs them, the World Cup needs their fans. And selfishly, I need them to go. I need some new memories.

The Bhoys in Green will be up for the challenge, and we all know how the French react to resistance...

2009-10-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

Monday Morning thoughts...

It has been an interesting week and a half since my last post. I proved that I know nothing about baseball after I predicted the Sox would beat the Angels win in four games. The Sox were mildly embarrassing, however the key to the Angels success was their starting pitching, which was outstanding, especially in Anaheim. Kudos to the Angels.

The Yankees are looking too strong and too clutch. A-Rod seems to have outgrown his postseason suckitude. His homer last night was impressive, other than the fact that the right field in Yankeee Stadium is a joke. In most stadiums that is a fly-out, but Fuentes made a stupid pitch. Why do you throw one of the best hitters in the history of baseball a high fastball 0-2. Makes no sense to me. Best quote after the game, "I tried to elevate it, I guess I didn't elevate it enough." Brian Fuentes everyone! He had TWO 1-2-3 saves after the All-Star break....TWO.

Personally, I hope it ends up being an Angels-Dodgers World Series, and here is why. Their fans are miles away, other than my friend Pat who works down the hall from me. I don't have to deal with any gloating Yankee or Phillies fans. How many people on the east coast would even know if a World Series was going on if every game was played on the West Coast? Would that mean every game would start at like 11:00pm EST?

I cannot put it any better... The Angels did not heed the last line..."Do not screw up."

As a Boston fan the Yankee success is also continuing a trend that is making me more and more uncomfortable, New York is a more successful sports city right now than Boston. The Jets have won the last two games against the Pats. The Giants Super Bowl victory over the Pats still makes me dry heave....a lot. The Yankees destruction of the Sox in the second half of the season. If the Yanks continue their run, then this whole Boston vs. New York thing gets a brand new life.

I am currently watching the Patriots destroy the Titans. This game is more of an embarrassment than any game from 2007. Which made me send a text to some of my buddies asking what is the baseball and basketball equivalent of a defeat like this?

Baseball:
You would have to figure a game where a team scores 15 runs before the sixth inning then loads the bases in the sixth inning. My buddy Pat, the Angels fan nomiated that. I agree. The thing about baseball and also football is that you have very little control of how you score. If a team cannot tackle you, then you are going to keep scoring. If a team keeps turning the ball over there is only so much you can do. Obviously, there are some things you can do, but it is tough.

Baseball is hard because if a team cannot get you out, then you have to keep running the bases and scoring. When the defense holds the ball (like in baseball) you have a hard time controlling how many runs you score.

Basketball:
I think beating a team by 60 points in football is equal to beating a team by 100 in basketball, while holding the opposing team to single digits.

These are the types of defeats that hurt the feelings of any competitor, no matter how old they are.

Here are some stories for you to enjoy on this Monday morning:

Terrible story about UCONN footbal player....

Cool story about Holy Cross Crew Coxman with one arm...

Nothing to do with sports, just a dude trying to sing five octaves on a piano...hilarious...

Unreal audio of Honduran coverage of US-Costa Rica game...nothing like having the US score in the last seconds to send you to the World Cup...

Love reading the losers view...Orange County thoughts on 13 inning loss....

Classic "what have you done for me lately" article about A-Rod....

The MLS, where European soccer stars come to die (rich)...Is Frenchman Henry the next target?

2009-10-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

When everything matters just a little bit more

I think I speak for most Red Sox fans when I say that the playoffs have come out of nowhere this year. The Sox looked to be in the middle of a playoff race when the Rangers started to make a run in the early part of August. Many people thought the Sox did not have enough to hold off the Rangers. They said the Rangers were too young and naive, ignorance is bliss they yelled. They referenced the Tampa Bay Rays last year, when they had a superb year and finished strong, even with a lack of experience. Well injuries caught up the Rangers, and the Sox managed to put together a solid last 6 weeks of the year.

Now we are on the brink of yet another Angels-Red Sox Playoff series. The Sox have OWNED the Angels since Dave Henderson crushed the hearts of the Anahiem Los Angles Angels of the Northwestern Hemisphere.

Last year the Angels were the hot favorite. They had the most complete lineup, Texeira was a hige pick up who was the driving force behind their second half surge. The Sox were broken down, had a ton of question marks. Not a lot of people gave them a chance. And yet, the Sox pulled it out in 4 games. Winning game four after the Angels squandered chances to win the game and go back to Anahiem.

Red Sox fans have been where the Angels fans currently are. The hopelessness, the anger, the frustration. They are trying to do anything in their power to reverse this slump. One example, my friend, a huge Angels fan, gave me a Josh Beckett t-shirt jersey last week. It was a gift to him, and he had it in his possesion for the past two years. He decided he was harboring an enemy and therefore hexing his beloved halos.

Red Sox fans have been there. Red Sox fans are no longer there, because of a crazy come-back in 2004 to the Yankees, which was preceeded by a heart breaking series loss in 2003. Aaron Boone sucks!

Red Sox fans would love to see this a few times...

Here are my thoughts about the the series:

The keys to the series for the Sox:

J.D. Drew is my guy for this series. He has quietly had a solid year. 24 HR, 68 RBI, .279 avg. He also has the highest OPB for outfielders in the AL.

This guy is always at the heart of something. Yes at times "something" means the end of an inning because he hits that gorgeous top spin grounder to second base. His presence in the middle of the order could bolster the offense and drive the Sox into the ALCS.

The Guy who I think could cost the Sox a game or maybe even the series:

Manny Delcarmen. This guy has been a trainwreck. This September he has had 10 appearances. He has allowed a run in 6 of those appearances, and he has allowed more than one runs in three appearances. His ERA is 4.53, his WHIP is 1.63. Simply put, he puts guys on base, and he is not a guy you bring in with runners on base. He is going to kill us if Terry Francona has to lean on him for anything in big spots.

The keys to the series for the Angels:

The starters need to go deep. The Angels always came into the playoffs with a great bullpen. K-Rod and Scott Shields were at the back end. They could shorten games and made the opposing offenses force the issue in the first 6 innings. Now K-Rod and Shield are long gone. Guys like Brian Fuentes, who throws the ball like it has some dog poop on it. They have Darren Oliver, who has the best ERA of the bunch at 2.71. Everyone else is very average or below average. It will be up to the Angels starters to get deep enough into games, especially the first two games in Anahiem, to keep the pressure off the weak Angels bullpen.

He throws like he just picked the ball up with poop on it...seriously...

The Guy who could cost the Angels a game or even the series:

Vladimir Guerrero has been invisible in the playoffs. The only big hit I can remember is the grand slam he hit in 2003 or 2004, not sure which year. It was a big hit, but it was in game 3, which the Sox won to sweep the series. Other than that, he has never been a threat. His bat is a big problem for the Sox, but if he cannot get it going it could spell trouble for the Angels and their offense.

The result:
The Sox win this series in 4. I think the Angels have a TON of pressure to get the first 2 games in California. Fenway is a tough place for the Angels. They have Lackey in game 1, a guy who has had success against the Sox, as long as he is not in Fenway.

The Red Sox lineup will be patient and get into the bullpen, making it difficult for the Angels to win more than a game.

Should be a fun series, and if the Twins-Tigers game is any indication of what is to come it should be a great October. So get some sleep, take some naps, and enjoy the feeling of every pitch meaning some just a little bit more than it did a week ago.

2009-10-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

How about some links with your coffee?

Its playoff baseball time...

Can Ortiz do it again?

Lester and Beckett...in that order...

Pre-playoff baseball... who has better chance against the Yanks? Twins or Tigers? My answer: Verlander could win a series by himself, no one on the Twins can do that...

Football...

The Ravens continue to be cry babies...

Everything else...

Every Boston fan should have this bookmarked...

Perk lost a lot of weight...

This post might take you into Tuesday.... Celtics starters and rotation...

Chris Paul trick shot off the ceiling...

This Herb Brooks Miracle speech always gives goosebumps, even when a 5 year old is giving it...

2009-09-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

A group of people who we did not grow up like.

As a fourth grade teacher I had a realization while sitting at lunch this week. This group of kids has NEVER had to deal with a crappy sports team. They have never had a team succeed then fall from grace. They have never seen a Sox team win only 79 games. They have never seen the Pats finish worse than 10-6. They have never seen a hockey game, right? Do they still play that sport. They can recall at least 4 championships.

There is another group that is quite the opposite. A group of kids who are Yankee fans. I must admit my thoughts and views of young Yankee fans has changed. They are the ones who have been disappointed. They are the ones rooting for the team who cannot win. They are the ones who have A-Rod on their team.

Ten years ago the kids wearing the "B" on their hat were the lovable losers. They were the brave ones. The Yankee fans were the ones who jumped ship in Boston. They quit, they were front runners. They were the weak ones. Now the Sox fans are seen as the spoiled ones. The young Yankee fans are the ones with pain.

It's that time again...

This postseason could be the change, the Yankee fans could be back on top. Then again, maybe those random Angel fans we know will end their long 7 year draught. Think about that, the Angels have a more recent World Series than the Yankees.

All I know is, playoff baseball is upon us. Late nights, bleary eyes, and lots of coffee. One of my favorite times of the year. Every pitch holds so much weight, every hit, every run, every annoying Derek Jeter fist pump. I hope they still mic the bases and the walls in the New Yankee Stadium, I hope Josh Beckett's back is okay, I hope the ghost of David Ortiz shows up, just one last time. I hope...the Sox can put it all together... I want those young Sox fans to be spoiled for as long as possible, because that means that I still get spoiled...

2009-09-21T19:09:00.001-07:00

2-4? Really? Yes, really...

This week I have been talking myself into the earliness of the year. The Pats are an interesting team for this one reason. Their best player on offense and defense are both hurt/recovering (A lot of good tams are hurting right now though...). Brady and Mayo are the two guys that will make this team tick. Mayo is a stud linebacker who needs to get back quickly.

Watching Tom Brady is funny now. I find myself nervous for him out there. I wonder if someone will take him down too hard. I wonder if someone is going to just fall on him wrong. I wonder if he wonders the same things. Brady's pocket presence is still there. He still slides in the pocket, he still makes the right reads. However, he is not as accurate. Will that come? I hope so.

Telegram for Matt Light:
Keep this guy away from Brady please?

Brady's offensive line has a lot of pressure on it. Teams will be coming after Brady, especially when the Pats choose to throw the ball. The offense is slowly reminding me of the Eagles offense of a few years ago, when they have some talent however, they had no balance. Making them easy to defend and making it hard for them to win, especially from November and December.

The Falcons are not a great run defense. Fred Taylor needs a big game, and the offensive line needs the running game to help with their pass protection. If the Falcons can come full speed ahead Brady is in trouble. John Abraham has given Matt Light problems before when he played on the Jets.

This is a big week for the Pats. They face the Ravens, Broncos (road), and Titans in the next three weeks. The Pats could be looking at a really horrific start. 2-4 is not out of the question...

2009-09-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Week 2 Fandom.

Right now there are four types of fans in the NFL. Call it the Week 2 rule:

Fan #1 - Your team is 2-0.

You are feeling good. Teams that are 2-0 have played at least one good game.
Maybe in the other game you got a lucky brake (Broncos I am looking right at you).
Maybe you played a crappy team (Falcons).
Maybe your team has a geriatric QB AND you played a crappy team. (Yes Minnesota I am talking to you).
Maybe your team has an electric offense that scores a TON of points (New Orleans). As a Pats fan I know these teams can flame out...
Maybe your team surprised everyone (San Francisco...)

Throwing touchdowns has been a Brees...

Fan #2 - Your team is 1-1 and you are loving it.
Your team probably entered Week 2 0-1.
Your QB might have thrown 4 picks in Week 1 and you might have lost a talented Linebacker (Sorry Bear fans).
Arizona fans are also feeling good, Oakland fans are loving life after a tough loss to San Diego in Week 1...Cincy fans are feeling good after a crappy loss in Week 1.
Bills fans should be feeling good after a tough Week 1 loss there offense scored 33 more points and Frank Jackson is now no longer on the waiver of any Fantasy League....

Black Hole Fans are feelin' good!

Fan #3
Your team is 1-1 and you are a bit nervous...
Your team probably entered Week 2 1-0. You are dealing with a loss where your teams weaknesses were exposed (Pats, San Deigo, Green Bay, Dallas).
These fans are the ones talking themselves into the fact that it is in fact only September. Some might say they are the ones with the most perspective because they simply don't care, because if they did care it would bother them a little too much and Sunday is just too far away right now.

A sight I would rather no longer see...

Fan #4
You are feeling hopeless. The odds of an 0-2 team making the playoffs is tiny. It is truly remarkable, I believe between 5-10 have ever done it. Not good times for the 0-2 teams.
Your team most likely has had two poorly played games where the little things are not going your way and you are already looking to your fantasy team for solice...

If you are a fan of an AFC team that is 0-2 you might have a chance (Tennessee and Jacksonville, win your division games and one of you might survive, but probably not.)

Where are you right now? Week 3 could change everything...just remember that...

2009-09-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Week 1 Whoa...

Well Week 1 of the NFL season is over and I just caught my breath. The Steelers and Titans kicked off the week with a smash-mouth game that included a lot of nerves and one big injury to Troy Palamalu that might slow down the defending champs for a while.

Sunday saw some surprises, like the Broncos Immaculate Deflection to kick off Josh McDaniels' head coaching career and Drew Brees flinging 6 TD passes against the hapless Detriot Lions. The NY Jets looked good against the Texans and the Brett Favre era in Minny started with a win.

Monday night was no different, its official, this year's NFL season is going to be amazing.

The Patriots played a lackluster game for 55 minutes of football. They were a little shaky on offense, Welker, Moss, and Watson all dropping passes.

I was shocked to see Welker not even turn for a ball on third and 3 when even I knew the ball was going his direction. Brady looked frustrated with his receivers and he was probably nervous about his knee. He had not been in a game in 12 months, he had played in barely a half of football in the past 18 months. THAT is the most shocking thing. People forget how long it truly has been since Brady played. He threw the ball 11 times last year. So his last full game was the Super Bowl in February 2008, that should put things into perspective.

Just in case you forgot....

Speaking of the Super Bowl, as I was watching last night I kept having to remind myself that last season actually happened. There was something in my head that kept going back to the Super Bowl. Somthing in my head that just skipped over last year and last year's team completely.

When the Pats scored the go-ahead touchdown I looked at the clock. "Too much time," I muttered to myself. I was waiting for that big play from T.O. I was waiting for some new linebacker to lose his coverage and allow the Bills to get into field goal range. I was waiting. And instead, the Pats were aggressive. They sacked Edwards, who played a very solid game to keep the Bills in the game all night.

As the game looked like it was going to slip from the Pats, especially when the Bills were marching down the field to grab an 11 point lead I had to keep telling myself that it is only week 1. The Pats lost to the Bills 31-0 before winning every other game that year to win the Super Bowl. Week 1 in the NFL is full of surprises.

There are the surprises that shock us in the moment. Brandon Stockley's crazy catch, the Eagles looking fantastic, Jay Cutler throwing 37 interceptions in one game, the Cardinals losing to the 49ers, and the Raiders and Bills pushing the Chargers and Patriots to the limit.
Once the season is over and we look back we might see other instances from this past week as surprises. What will they be? Its a surprise...its the NFL...

2009-08-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

A Thanks is in order.

Tedy Bruschi was a consumate professional. He was fun to watch and he was even more fun to root for. Today, he recieved exactly what his hard work deserved. A retirement that was full of fullfillment and immense praise.

Tedy Bruschi's career brings about a lot of memories for me: his catch in the snow and the celebration that led to the entire stadiums throwing snow up in honor of their beloved linebacker. The stroke, which scared everyone in new England and made everyone hope when he returned to football for four more seasons. The scene of him with his kids just hours before the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, running, playing, and just simply being a dad.

Tedy Bruschi was always so very human. Maybe it was his stature, his little engine that could mentality, his stroke. But listening to his long time coach Bill Belichick ooze about him today placed him in a different place in my mind. Bruschi was so clearly human to the avid football fan. However, in the eyes of one of the best coaches ever his was "the perfect player." A title that is made more amazing considering the messenger of the sentiment.

Bruschi's career mirrored the rise of the Patriots franschise. He was drafted in 1996. He was an undersized, record-breaking pass rusher at University of Arizona. The Pats were a floundering franchise on the brink of a huge turn-around. Bruschi's endless hard work became the benchmark, Jarod Mayo came in last year and picked Tedy's brain. He learned enough to become NLF Defensive Rookie of the year. Hopefully now he can step in and fill Bruschi's big shoes.

Bruschi seemed at peace today. He seemed like he was satisfied with his career, his successes his failures. He talked about the 18-1 and how that eats at him. But his story about after the game really hit home with me. He had a slew of family and friends at that Super Bowl in Arizona. He had been so busy during the week that he did not get to see any of his guests. There was a party following the Super Bowl loss, obviously Bruschi could have crawled into a hole and not come out until the next morning. Instead, Bruschi decided to go see his friends. To celebrate his time with his friends. He did not sulk and he did not let his loss cut into the rest of his life. Maybe the stroke put that into perspective? Who knows, all I know is that as a teacher I wish I could make my students realize the important things in life.

As Bruschi moves onto the next chapter of his life I look forward to still seeing him. He will be wearing a head-set soon enough, either in a play-by-play booth or on the sideline as a coach.

Thanks for being such a class act Tedy, and thanks for the memories.

Check out this article I wrote in college about Tedy returning to the Pats after his stroke...

Also, please read my post below about my fall quest to find the greatest football team of all-time. Already have input from a few people about teams I ommited.

2009-08-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

A Titanic Season ahead.

So in honor of the fast approaching football season and my rediscovery of one of my favorite websites I have decided to have my own all-time football season, culminating in the answer to any football fan's burning question: Who is the greatest team of all-time? I have chosen 16 teams that I feel are all worthy of this title. However I need your help, I need to add one more team. This would give me a 16 week season where each team would play each other. You may also nominate a team to be removed if you would like. However, you have to replace any team you nominate for elimination. The team does not have to have won a Super Bowl, in some cases I picked a better version of a team that won a Super Bowl (i.e. the Colts 2005 team instead of the 2006 team).

I chose these 16 teams based on a few things...

First I made a list of teams that had an indelible mark on my football fandom: 2007 Pats, 1999 Rams (Greatest Show on Turf), 1998 Broncos (Elway and Terrel Davis), 1994 49ers (Grew up in San Fran. Lived in Massachusetts when this team KILLED the Chargers in the Super Bowl), 1992 Cowboys (The Team I loved to hate, still do...), and the 1990 (Beat San. Fran. Parcells was a genius) Giants. Having been born in 1983 these were the teams that I grew up watching, loving, hating, and being enamored with.

Ricky Proehl winning the NFC Championship

Next, the teams I chose basically on the fact that I know they were great. Most of these teams were great because of the way they were built, great defenses (Bears and Steelers), great coaches (Lombardi and Shula), or loud mouth quarterbacks (Jets).

Every Monday starting with September 7th I will have a rundown of each score and the stats that Whatifsports generated. At the end of the 16 week season the top 8 teams from this giant round robin will be seeded 1-8 and a playoff will follow.

At the end we will have an answer to the what some thought was the unanswerable question: What team is the greatest of all-time.

2007 Pats
2005 Colts
2005 Steelers
2003 Pats
1999 Rams
1998 Broncos
1996 Packers
1994 49ers
1992 Cowboys
1990 Giants
1989 49ers
1985 Bears
1975 Steelers
1972 Dolphins
1968 Jets
1966 Packers

Your amendments can be given in the comments section! Thanks!

2009-08-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

If Youk don't have anything nice to say, then Youk shouldn't say anything at all.

If you asked me to compile a list of Boston athletes who you would picture as tough leaders who would do anything for this city your list might look like this:
1) Tom Brady
2) Dustin Pedroia
3) Paul Pierce
4) Kevin Youkilis

Last night I was lucky enough to sit in phenomenal seats at Fenway. I was sitting in the front row by the Sox on-deck circle. I could hear everything that was being yelled at the players. I could hear everything Youk could hear. Here is a sample, "Youk your a god!" "I love you Youk!" The famous "YOOUUUUK" cheer now cascades through most stadiums, as Red Sox Nation invades the AL. However, Youk decided last night, after a 6-3 win to talk too much. To start complaining. And he decided to do it to the Boston Globe.
It boggles my mind why these players decide to start talking and talking to the media. Youk said “It’s a roller coaster ride for us."
He started his rant with this beauty, “I’m just annoyed with the media as a whole. People write stuff about players on this team throughout the whole year and it’s been going on for years and people just keep writing crap.’’
Youk's rant, which can be found here, went on to cover the stuff he hears on the streets and how there is so much hate in the world. Complaining that people don't cheer for their team, but they root against the opposition (Probably more directed towards the Yankee haters).
The thing I don't understand about this is the fact that Youk went to the MEDIA to do this. He went to the Media to complain about the media. Imagine going to your boss to complain about your boss at work. Think about that for a second. Think about how stupid that is.
Then Youk decides he was misunderstood (read: people reacted differently than he thought they would. Read his retreat here.). So in order to clear the air, he goes right back to the group who he complained to the night before. The media. He used the media to clarify his complaints about the media. Unreal...
Maybe we would be better off without the media. At least then we wouldn't have to deal with idiots like Youk trying to convey some idea that he isn't smart enough to actually convey. Youk clearly complained about fans. Saying they are negative and angry. Youk has never been hung out to dry by the fans. He has always been loved. We live in a society where athletes get second chances faster than anyone else: Michael Vick, Michael Jackson, Dante Stallworth, etc. No one can explain why that is. It might be because they are seen as better than normal people? I have no idea.
I do know that Youk's complaining will be forgiven. He will spend another day as the sports talk radio pinata then someone else will be hung up and whacked around. That is the way our society works. Our collective ADD will benefit Youk. He will still get cheered and he will be forgiven, they always are.

Links:
Get pumped for Celts season...Kevin Garnett interview from 2005. Worth it...

Mexico-Uruguay basketball fight... chair are used. Unreal...

Funny new blog about traveling... if you dont like blood and hostels, stay away...seriously...

2009-08-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Monday Morning Coffee...

Here are some noteworthy reads as you settle into your Monday morning... and don't forget to scroll down and read my latest about Brett Favre...

A great piece on the Mexico-US World Cup Qualifier. It makes you wonder how the world would perceive Americans if we treated opponents the same way...

Here is an article I shameless stole from Sports Guy's Twitter account, but I liked it... It's amazing that no lefty catcher has played in the Majors for 20 years...

Yaz turned 70 this weekend...

Good Celts Blog...Bookmark it...

A Triple Play. To end the game. To earn Pedro a win... Awesome...

Why Can't the Sox get pitchers like this?

25 things we miss about basketball...

Happy Monday everyone!

2009-08-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Doing his own thing.

What are we supposed to do about him? He won't go away. He cannot leave the spotlight. He cannot stop tugging the media around. What are we supposed to do?
Brett Favre is a problem. He is a problem on so many levels. He is a problem because he takes away from time on Sportscenter when I could be watching soccer highlights instead. He is a problem because we have to listen to people continue to talk about how youthful he is and how much fun he has playing the game. He is a problem, because Favre's return could mean that Madden may change his mind and come back to the booth just so he can ooze hyperbole about Favre's ability.
The main reason Favre is a problem? He reminds everyone that athletes are worshipped too much in this country, heck, they are worshipped too much on this planet. Favre played the game beautifully, just like a child in a mall with his eye on a toy. He plays his parent so he gets exactly what he wants. The 39 year-old Favre only has football (and Wrangler commercials). That's all he has, and that is pathetic.

When listening to Favre's old teammates talk about him one realizes he is not a good teammate. He is a spoiled athlete who has been programmed to do as little as possible and still earn the maximum amount of praise. He shows up late for meetings, leaves players waiting for him on the first tee for hours, and throws interceptions in November and December in bunches.
What does it say about quarterbacks in the NFL when a 39 year-old washed up QB can show up August 19 and earn 12 millions dollars after throwing 22 interceptions last year. It says that it is tough to find a good, even decent, quarterback. It says that teams, even during tough economic times, will try anything.
Favre's 8 interceptions and 2 touchdowns last December is a harbinger of things to come. People who want argue that he now has a great running back should look back at his running back in New York last year. Thomas Jones ran for 1,312 yards. That is a pretty good running game.
Favre is being handed the best running game in the league. Peterson ran for 1,700 yards last year. One has to wonder at what point Favre decides to do things his own way and lose a big game. Favre has proven that it is his way or the highway in the past. Why would anything change now... good luck Minnesota...

2009-08-20T07:35:00.001-07:00

Five things this Sox need to do to make the playoffs, in no particular order...

5) Make a choice between Varitek and Ortiz. One of them needs to start sitting and one of them needs to start playing. Francona needs to make up his mind. These line-up changes every night are starting to feel like the Jimy Williams Red Sox.

4) Get some good starts out of guys not named Beckett and Lester...

3) Score some runs for Lester...

2) PLAY SOME SMALL BALL. The age of steroids is gone (I think...) and they are waiting around for the big home run... lets practice some bunting. The Rangers showed the Sox how to run this past weekend...

1) Get some momentum going... The Sox cannot get anything going. Friday night's come from behind win would usually be a launching pad for a big series. Instead of burrying the Rangers, the young Rangers bounced back. Not a good sign...

Coming soon... thoughts on Favre...the ultimate child...

2009-08-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

CONNECTING THE DOTS... TIGER AND TOM.
Can Tom overcome his rebuilt knee?

Sitting in my living room today watching Tiger Woods made me feel different. Different because he didn't look the same. He didn't look the same. What does that mean? Good question. Tiger's reactions and frustration to bad shots has grown this year during his struggles. Rick Reilly hung Tiger out to dry after the British Open. He said Tiger was acting like a baby, acting like a spoiled brat. Slamming clubs, throwing clubs, and swearing.
Today was not quite as bad. But watching Tiger continuously react to missed putts like his powers should overwhelm the ball into the hole made me slowly think that maybe today isn't Tiger's day. And it wasn't.
Before the round I texted my buddy Burke and simply asked, "Is Y.E. Yang this year's Bob May?" Bob May challenged Tiger Woods at Valhalla in 2001. May beat Tiger over 18 holes on Sunday, but lost in a four hole playoff. May made a few too many mistakes and let Tiger back into the tournament.
Two things happened differently today, Tiger couldn't hit the crucial shot and Y.E. Yang hit two outstanding and shocking shots: the shot on 14 for eagle and the second shot on 18.
Tiger's putter left him and watching the round he is tending to over-think his shots. He seemed desperate to hit certain shots, especially a fade that just didn't work. As an amateur golfer I am always told to stick with what I have. Tiger didn't stick with what he had, and it cost him.
Looking through Tiger's failure as a Patriots fan makes me a tad nervous. After he missed the cut at the British Open I became nervous about another favorite athlete of mine, Tom Brady.
Why would I be nervous about Tom Brady? His knee that's why. Tiger's strange dominance on the PGA Tour has come in tournaments that to him do not matter as much as The Majors. When the pressure was on Woods he showed more frustration and he was not quite as sharp.

Welcome back Tom!

This makes me look forward to this fall and the Patriots season. How are we supposed to expect
Tom Brady to perform better than Tiger Woods, when Woods plays a less physical (unphysical) sport? Sure Tom Brady can stand in the pocket in August and fling the ball around. I am sure Brady can do fine against the weak teams in the NFL, just like Tiger has done this season. Tiger's greatest failings this season have come under the greatest pressure. Will Brady have the same failings in the same high pressure situations? It is very likely...
Now I thought Tiger's struggle would come pysically. His knees fire through impact, but his greatest struggle is the mental aspect. Getting back into the game when the pressure is really on.
Tom Brady will soon be under center when things matter, and PatsNation will be wonderfing if he is completely better. I hope when the pressure is on Brady does not finish bogey, bogey like Tiger did at the PGA Championship. And if he does, at least he has a gorgeous wife to go home to...just like Tiger.

Into the Lion's Den....

2009-08-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night I went where no Red Sox fan wants to go, well unless the Sox happen to be in town. I ventured to Yankee Stadium. I ventured into the Lion's Den.
I hopped in a cab on Broadway and made my way to 125th and Lexington. I was directed by my buddy Pat to do that. Little did I know, the cabbie was going to take me straight through Harlem, and even littler did I know, I was going to be dropped off on the edge of Harlem so I could hop on the subway.
I survived the subway ride with thoughts of the green line dancing in my head, pretending all those terrible hats were just those lame "Yankee Hater hats." Alas it was not true. I made it to 161st street and the rats, I mean, Yankee fans poured out of the subway car. I followed suit. I was surrounded by pinstripes. It was a rather overwhelming experience. I tried to blend in, I wore no Red Sox apparel, the only option I had was a hat. I packed for my trip to New York without knowledge of Yankee tickets. Truthfully I was scared to wear anything with a "B" on it, or to even give away a hint of my "Massholeness."
I met my buddy Pat outside of the stadium. The first thing that hit me was the massive amount of people. 47,000 people outside a stadium dwarfs the Fenway crowds in Boston. Pat asked if I wanted to make our way to a bar, a famous Yankee bar. I shrugged and said, "when in Rome..."
The thing that strikes you first about the Bronx is how dirty it is. It felt like the old stadium fit into that mold. The new stadium stands above all of the filth. It shined in the sun, glistening in its glory. Truthfully, it is a beautiful stadium from the outside.
As we walked to "Stan's" I noticed New York's sad attempt at matching the Yawkey Way festival that energizes every crowd before they even step inside Fenway. Here that stretch of rode is placed beneath the subway tracks (think old Boston Garden Green Line). The shadows made you feel like Batman might be lurking somewhere, waiting to save someone. The only thing missing was fire filled barrels.
Fold out tables were filled with T-shirts. Some of the ones I remember... "The Tiexecutor" "Evil Empire: Bronx, NY" Bahstan Sahks Cahk." Classy all-around. We find ourselves outside Stan's. A small bar reminisent of something you might find in Worcester, MA. The bar is filled with everything Yankees, pictures, jerseys on the walls, even the dirt on the floor reminded me of the Yankees.

Still working to blend in I took my beer from Pat and didnt look anyone in the eyes. We stayed for a beer and walked back through Faux-Yawkey Way to the stadium.
We walk up to the security line to see a woman unzipping a protective-suit cover, her boyfriend standing to the side embarrassed. Clearly someone did some shopping before the game.
Pat and I the tickets ourselves, (there is an opportunity jobs there Mr. Obama) and walk into the solarium. There is only one solarium though. It is almost like the stadium has a shell, you walk through the shell, and you still have to get into the middle. We walk, and walk, and walk, and finally come to the fourth level.
I think my favorite part of the stadium was the fact that you could see the game as you walked around the stadium. You weren't blocked or underneath the stands. It was all open, which was great.
The stadium was somewhat empty. Pat and I were sitting in the second to last row. I had never sat so high above a baseball game before. It was the first time I was in a stadium not named Fenway Park since 1994 when I was in Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
The game went by like this...
Yankee fans happy, Yankees up 3-0.
Yankee fans hating Joba. Blue Jays up 4-3.
Yankee fans hoping. Blue Jays up 4-3 in seventh (Yankee fans care, dont let them tell you they dont. They do...)
Yankee Fans screaming Bonsai! as Matsui turns on a weak pitch by some Blue Jays schmuck.
Yankee fans elated and annoying when Jorge Posada hits a homer right after Matsui's curtain call...
Enter Sandman (cool to see Mariano Rivera's entrance)
Enter Frank Sinatra...

During the game I spent a lot of time watching the Sox score and wishing the Sox were actually playing Yankees. The atmosphere would be awesome. Next time I go back, the Sox will be in town, and it will be awesome...

Escape from New York

2009-08-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox limped out of New York this past weekend. They were not limping like they slightly twisted their ankle, they were limping like they blew out their ACL. The Red Sox were handed an embarrassing sweep, one that ballooned the Yankees lead in the AL East to 6.5 games.
In my mind the Sox and Yanks are at different levels, the Yanks have grown into a better team as the year has gone on. They righted the ship through a tough start, and since A-Rod returned they have been pretty great. The Sox on the other hand came out of the box quickly and their success has waned in the past two months.
I spent Saturday driving to Fairfield listening to the game. C.C. Sabathia sounded unhittable. Friday night, Burnett was unhittable, and so was Pettite on Sunday. Now I know good pitching stops good hitting, but in August? In the heat? The Sox cannot hit. They are hurt and more importantly, they have gotten old a little quicker than I thought they would. Lets take a look shall we?

1) Mike Lowell can barely run full speed and can really only play 3 or 4 days a week...
2) Ortiz is just slow and old. I don't know who gives second baseman more infield practice J.D. Drew or Ortiz. Brutal....
3) Tim Wakefield is getting cortisone shots...yikes...
4) Jason Varitek
5) Jason Bay is struggling to hit. He is hurt but I think the whole contract issue is also affecting him...
Remember when we had "too much pitching?" Yeah so do I, it was in June. We were spoiled. We had Beckett, Lester, Wake, Daisuke, Penny, and Bucholtz was unhittable in AAA. The bullpen was the best in baseball (and is still up there) We were set. The offense was waiting for Ortiz to rise from his historic slump. Now we are stuck watching most of the hitters struggle at the plate. When will it end? Will it end?
The move for Victor Martinez was great, it filled four needs with one player. First base, third base, catcher, and DH. However, I am left to wonder if this team can make it through the next month and a half holding off the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers. Both teams have been playing better baseball than the Sox. The Rays only trail the Sox by a game and a half in the East. They face them six more times this year. They also face the Yanks six more times.
The thing that worries me the most about this team is their inability in recent games to pull out close finishes. The bullpen is starting to lose games, like the 13 inning game against the Rays, the game Sunday night when Victor Martinez got the Sox the lead and the bullpen blew it. This trend is the scariest, because those games are the ones that wear you out. Those are the games that count, no matter how much you hear players say, "Its just one game." Many times that one game can lead to a streak, in either direction.
The Sox need to put this weekend behind them and move on and start pulling out the close games. They have 7 weeks to get their act together.

Welcome back to an old ballplayer.

2009-07-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday. I was lucky enough to get some phenomenal tickets to the second game of the Red Sox-A's series. I was upset to hear on the radio prior to the game the Nomar would not be in the line-up. He was in the line-up the previous night and he received a rousing reception from the Fenway faithful. Nomar played his last game in Boston 5 years ago. The picture on the front of the Globe sports section said it all.

I wrote an article back in 2005, after Nomar had fallen from grace. I remember my disappointment when he was dealt. As someone who was in middle school during his peak years, he was a player I loved. He was superb, he did it all. We all know that.

Last night I was sitting just behind the away team's on-deck circle. As John Papelbon motered through another ninth inning save my glance was taken from what was going on between Pap and Ryan Sweeney.

There were two outs and one man on base. If Sweeney managed to get on base a pinch-hitter was going to come to the plate as the tying run in a 5-2 game. That pinch-hitter was Nomar. He was standing right there, waiting for his moment. Waiting to dig in against the Sox, waiting to try to tie the game. People around us noticed him waiting. I got goosbumps. Sure it was cold and rainy, but they were not from that. They were from a moment, a moment that I really wanted to see happen. I wanted Nomar to have a chance. I wanted to hear the crowd cheer for him. That would have been awesome.

Unfortunately Pap struck out Ryan Sweeney, "Dirty Water" came on over the speakers and Nomar walked to the away team's dugout. I left disappointed.

The sensation of seeing a former local star, a local icon, in a different uniform was weird. It left me feeling a little bit sad. Part of me thinks Nomar feels he is missing out, missing out on the party. He is stuck in Oakland, playing on a crappy team in the twilight of his career. There is no chance of playing in October, there is no chance of a ring. Nomar will leave Fenway knowing he will miss it. Knowing what he is missing out on. Knowing that he sold his stock just a little bit too early.

Links:
An interesting view from Jason Whitlock on Steve McNair...

Maybe the World Cup won't be in South Africa... Workers on strike...

Quick Hits

2009-06-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

The NBA has morphed into middle school. Rumors are flying around everywhere, and people's feelings are being hurt. Rajon Rondo is being floated to Memphis, apparently. This whole issue of Rondo being traded, which came out of NOWHERE this weekend made me step back think about his effect on the team, but more importantly, the team's effect on him.

Who effected who more? Did Rondo's performance effect the Celtics, or did the Celtics effect Rondo's performance? If you are someone who thinks that Rondo is the only PG for the C's then you think that Rondo should not be traded. If you think that the C's effected Rondo's performance, then maybe you are okay with Rondo's name coming up in trade rumors.

If the Celtics, players and staff, had an effect on Rondo then who is to say that the C's can't go and get another PG who they can mold. Mike Conley Jr. is someone who has come up. Conley averaged 10 points a game and 4 assists. That is comparable to Rondo. Rondo had 11 points a game, however he had 8 assists a game. A lot of time assists are a product of the system. Rondo's third year in the league saw his assists jump from 5.5 to 8.2. Conley is heading into his third year. Conley also takes better care of the basketball, he had 1.7 turnovers a game. Rondo had 2.6 this past year. Up from 1.9 the previous year.

This is a tough deal to make. People came to love Rondo. He was the driving force of the Celtics playoff run. One thing that Rondo has continually struggled with is his inability to rise above weaker players and dominate them. This series against Derrick Rose was unreal. However, his series against the Magic was less inspired. Rondo plays down to weaker competition, a big problem.

I trust Danny, as do most people these days. This team, these players, have a great ability to make each other better. Whether its Rondo or Conley or someone else, I still think this team will be a contender. The other players on the team will not let it be any other way....

The US Open at Bethpage was truly that, an Open. My goodness. The story lines were unreal, they are the types of stories you only see at the US Open, because it is just that, an Open. The Masters would not have had a Rickey Barnes torching the golf course, and then later torching himself in his last 27 holes. The Masters would not see David Duval, ranked 889 in the world (I didn't realize rankings went that high) finish in second place. The US Open is awesome for that reason. Lucas Glover won with grit and steely resolve. That is what it takes to win the US Open.

One of my favorite things about this particular Open was how the television coverage was so scattered. It allowed us to see guys like Drew Weaver, a Virginia Tech Grad who was 100 yards away from the shooting that occured there his sophomore year. Trevor Murphy, a Vermonter, was another highlight. On Saturday night he was one of the last group to finish. Getting to watch him finish with two birdies and a lot of good golf shots was neat. That would not have happened had the rain not screwed up everything.

Watching Tiger at the Open was strange. He hit the ball so well all week. He just could not make a putt. I was glad he stuck around and was still in it. Is there anyone else in sports who is never out of it? I find myself saying to myself, "If he can just string a few birdies together he can win." A Sunday birdie for Tiger is like making up two shots on everyone, especially when his name is on the leaderboard. People start to see his name. His name invokes such fear.

The US Soccer team is wide awake after a terribly embarrassing start. Italy and Brazil tore them apart, however they managed to get into the semi-final of the Confederations Cup. That seemed like it was as far as they were going to go. They had Spain in the semi-final. The team who had not lost in 35 matches. The team who had won their last 15 games. The reigning European Champions from last summer. So what happened? The old Spain showed up. The Spain who everyone knew before their great summer last year. Spain are constantly loaded with talent. Constantly loaded with high expectation, and last summer was the first time they held up their end of the bargain.

The old Spain showed up against the US. They could not finish, they got no bounces in their favor. The two goals the US got were good goals, but little bounces in Spain's favor would have changed the outcome. The US took it to the Spanish early. Spain came in thinking they could cruise through the game. Even after the US scored 30 minutes into the game, I was still waiting for the Spanish offense to unleash its fury. They did, and Tim Howard was equal to it in net for the US. He was outstanding.

Let's be honest. This game meant much more to the US than to the Spanish. This is the Confederations Cup. This is a warm-up for Spain, a warm up for the World Cup. The US had something to prove, both to themselves and to the world. The outcome was a surprise, but in hindsight it should not have been. If I asked you what the US is ranked in FIFA's ranking what would you guess? Take a second and think about it.... okay, ready? The US is ranked 14th in the world. The 14th best team in the world beat the top ranked team in the world in a game that meant more to the US than to Spain. Not as big a surprise now huh?

Here are a few links to check out as you pass the time today...

Players Celtics should go after...

In Danny we trust...

A sad story about a coach in Iowa being killed...

Bill Simmons' open letter to Blake Griffin. This is a shocking history of a terrible franchise...

The beauty of Boston

2009-05-28T18:25:00.001-07:00

Many people this decade have said that Boston sports fans are spoiled, and they are right. It is not so much the winning that has been bestowed on the city (winning that is waning quickly might I add). In my opinion the thing that makes us spoiled is our ability to turn around and have something new to look forward to. One week after the Celtics bowed out of the NBA playoffs, (a fate I am regretting as the Magic are on the brink of ruining the NBA's perfect Finals showdown...) and ten days after the Bruins were blown away by the Hurricanes we had Tom Brady, THE Tom Brady, back throwing a football.

Now its May 28th, and Boston is giddy about the 6'5'' stud muffin throwing a pigskin. But you have to understand this is something that the Patriots fan have been waiting for, even worried for. Many thought it might not happen, especially after all the post-surgery craziness.

Its a welcome relief from the past week of endless David Ortiz talk. If more people read this blog they would have read my post from a month ago saying Papi needs to move in the order. He stinks, he is washed up. I heard one smart caller on WEEI mention the fact that this is not simply a slump from this season, it stretches back to last September and October...

I am doing it again! No more Papi.

So Boston sports has been winning, right? But the best thing about being part of this town is how much hope we have looking forward. The C's and B's lose, Ortiz is sucking terribly, BUT Tom Brady is throwing and stretching. Incredible. Boston sports is slowly starting to level off. Knee injuries have killed the Patriots and C's chances in the past year. The Red Sox lost a game seven in (gulp) Tampa Bay. The city is 0-4 in its last four do-or-die games (C's, B's, and Sox game sevens, and Pats Super Bowl). Funny I have not heard anyone else say that. Its always the fact that we are spoiled, sure we are spoiled. We are spoiled with hope and enthusiasm... oh and we are spoiled with Tom Brady...

Other thoughts:
Spent my afternoon watching the Barcalona-Manchester United Champions League Final. As a life-long Man. U. fan who remembers the 1999 triumph against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final; this was a massive disappointment. Man. United was soft and out-classed. All you have to do it watch the two goals to know that... check out the celebration after the first goal... is he trying to find a vien? Whoa...

Victor Zambrano is somewhat crazy... check out his most recent meltdown, earning him a 6 game suspension...

At what point will coaches who cheat at one college program be punished even if they leave the dirty program before being caught? John Calipari is the most recent jerk who fled a Memphis, only to have it come out that a played cheated on his SAT test. To make this even juicier, the player is suspected to be Derrick Rose. This is an embarrassment. Calipari could end up having a SECOND Final Four appearance erased from the record books (His UMASS team lost their appearance because Marcus Camby was given gifts). Coaches in the NCAA rule the roost. They can leave programs high and dry and not have any punishment. There has to be a way to fix that...

Are they still playing hockey?

What's the first play Bill Belichick calls in the first game this fall? A fly pattern to Randy Moss? Yes, please...

Fill in the blank... Roger Federer is to Rafa Nadal as Tiger Woods is to ... A) His own muscles
B) His knee C) His Driver (not like a car, but his club...)

Can you believe Spencer proposed to Heidi, again? (That one was to see if you were paying attention...but really can you believe it?)

The Red Sox could have signed Mark Texiera's legs OR torso, but not both, for the same price as the Red Sox paid for all of Matsuzaka.

And my last thought, one that I am going to really try to get excited about...The Celtics should consider, they NEED to consider, drafting Tyler Hansborough. Right? Anyone agree? The guy is a perfect system player. Tell me you wouldnt risk a second round draft pick on him...

Quick Thoughts

2009-05-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Some quick thoughts before trying to sleep...trying is the optimal word...

This C's season was great. The playoffs were epic, and I don't think epic is an understatement.

This Magic team is good, not that good but good. The C's were worn out. There were so many moments in this game that proved that. They could not get anything going. Plays that would have catapulted them in the past did not tonight...

The Magic did not beat the C's, the Bulls beat the C's, it just took 2 weeks for it to set in. That series took a lot out of them.

Ray Allen showed up tonight. Too little too late?

So did Ugly Turkogu, especially in the fourth quarter.

Growing up playing soccer my dad always preached that the first and last five minutes of each half were so important. This game was a perfect lesson in that. The C's lost this game in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. They finished the third quarter very strong, with Rondo's buzzer beater over Gortat being a seeming harbinger for the fourth quarter. The Magic came out and hit shots and made a 4 point lead a 14 point lead in the blink of an eye.

The Magic hit 13 of 21 three pointers. That is unreal... I said a while back the Magic didnt scare me because they took too many three... whoops. Live and die by the three. The Magic lived.

Watching the game, anyone who left should be ashamed of themselves. There should not have been an empty seat at the end of that game. If you be there last June 17 for a championship you can be there for a game seven loss. That ticked me off, especially when so many fans would give an appendage to sit in those seats.

This season was fun. Suddenly, in the span of 3 nights we have lost 2 teams to game seven loses in the Garden. We now move our thoughts to the Red Sox, we now move our thoughts to David Ortiz. He sat this weekend, will be be back on Tuesday against Toronto? If he is, he better be down in the lineup. Papi does not have the luxury of two playoff teams in this city taking the spotlight away.

David Ortiz, a lonely city turns its eyes to you...

An open letter to Dwight Howard...

2009-05-14T05:41:00.001-07:00

Dear Dwight Howard,
Thanks. Thanks for tanking on your team down the stretch. Thanks for not demanding the ball when your team needed you to. Thanks for throwing your coach under the bus. Thanks for having no post presence on offense. Thanks for making offense rebounds the only way you can get baskets.

If I were your coach I would feel betrayed and pissed off. He is not the reason you only had 10 shots in game 5. He is not the reason you lost that game. You claim to be Superman. Are the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,and 6 your cryptonite? Because once those numbers were on the scoreboard in the 4th quarter you didnt score, heck your team didnt score a field goal in the last 5:39 of game 5.

I ask you this one question, how is that your coach's fault? The guy is a bit of a nutcase, yes, but the great players at times win in spite of their coach. The great players say "screw it" and ask for the ball EVERY time down the court. The great players grab the game by the scruff of the neck and say, "this one is mine." The great players take their teammates on their back and get it done. The great players don't whine to the media after the game about what their coach didn't do. The great players don't shrink like they are in cold water... The great players don't suck. You Dwight Howard are not a great player.

If I were you I would have taken a page out of Tim Tebow's book. You know, the Florida quarterback. The guy who owns the state you play in. The guy who, after losing to Ole Miss in September, had a press conference taking the blame. He took the season by the scruff of the neck and promised not to let go. He PROMISED he would work hard. He PROMISED he would will his team to do the same. He did not get up there are and say Urban Meyer called a bad game. He did not get up there and say his team was under prepared. He was the leader and he knew it. He is the guy you want leading a team. He is the great player.

Dwight, as you prepare for game 6 just remember that this game truly lies in your hands if Orlando is going force a game 7. You have done your complaining. If you get the chance tonight to win and you dont take it, you will be the one under the bus.

Make sure you get its license plate number...

Sincerely,
Boston

The artist formerly known as...

2009-05-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went to the Sox-Rays game. I had phenomenal seats and was lucky enough to get to watch the artist formerly known as David Ortiz up close. My god he looks terrible. He fails the "eye-ball" test. He looks like a shell of himself.

In certain worlds, mainly the arts, people love seeing their old favorites on tour. The Police, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffet, Aerosmith. You go with the understanding that they are not going to have their fastball anymore, it's understood. Even though the price of the tickets do not reflect a deteriorating act. Some people find this sad, some find it cathartic, and for some it is the only time they could ever see the band.

Sports, on the other hand is different. There is only one game in town, not numerous. Bands do not win or lose, they just play. One poor player can ruin an inning, a rally, a game, a week, or more... David Ortiz has not done that yet, but you have to start to wonder when will his failure get really old. I put the deadline at Memorial Day weekend when Ortiz would slide out of the 3 spot in the order...
Here is my lineup if I were Francona... I am only giving you numbers, take a look. Then I will fill in names...

#1 (BA .294, OBP .328, SB 15)
#2 (BA .325, OBP .415, H 41, R 29)
#3(BA .317, OBP .467, SLG .654, HR 9,RBI 33)
#4(BA .393, OBP .505, HR 6, RBI 20, 2B 11)
#5 (BA .314, OBP .346, HR 6, TB 69, RBI 28, 2B 11)
#6 (BA .250, OBP .373, HR 4, RBI 16, 2B 8)
#7 (BA. .221, OBP .333, HR 0, RBI 14, 2B 9)
#8 (BA .226, OBP .327, HR 4, RBI 11)
#9 (BA . 357, OBP .400.)

If you look at those first 6 batters, that is a pretty fearsome group. They get on base and drive in runs... Here are the players who match up with those guys...

#1 Ellsbury
#2 Pedroia
#3 Jason Bay
#4 Youkilis
#5 Mike Lowell
#6 J.D. Drew
#7 Ortiz
#8 Varitek
#9Lugo (only played nine games)

Now this lineup makes sense. If you look at Ortiz's numbers, they suck. He is not getting on base, he is not hitting homers. He is hitting doubles, but he can do that in the 8 slot. Lugo is below him because he is hitting the ball well enough to get on base for the top of the order. Varitek and Ortiz are not doing that.

This whole loyalty thing that Francona is known for is driving me crazy. I know I know, it usually works. But in the case of Ortiz he needs to move down. People are saying it might happen once the team goes back out west Tuesday. That would be a good quiet way to do it, no one really watches those games and pays much attention to them. And most importantly it is not going to happen at Fenway Park.

Here is another question. Is it really THAT much of a slap in the face to move Papi down? He is still playing. Seeing Allen Iverson act like a baby when he was benched feels different than being moved in the order. I understand it is an anouncement that the team does not feel he should be getting at-bats in the 3 slot. His numbers have been screaming that for nearly 6 weeks now. No home runs. I wish I had a researcher to see if there is another hitter in the league who has 100+ At-Bats without a homerun in the 3 spot. I would bet there isnt another player in the league with that stat.

It is painfully obvious he cannot hit pitches he used to hit. This is not a case of having no protection, he is seeing good pitches. He has spent time hitting in front of Youkilis and Bay so far. Those two guys are killing the ball. It isnt like Ortiz has a blind guy hitting behind him, he simply cannot hit the ball like he used to.

Oritz has not hurt the team yet in the 3 slot. But when will it start? He is being bailed out by everyone in the order right now. People are starting to notice, when will Francona act? I still think Memorial Day, while I hope for it to be earlier...but thats just me...

2009-05-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Here is go... welcome to a running diary, chock full of ADD tangents...

8:03- I am tired. The C's better not be. Being a fan during the playoffs is hard... here we go...

8:10- Two quick fouls for the Truth... really? Again? Steph checks in. Magic love to shoot threes. Remember that C's team that made the playoffs in 2001 and 2002. They were similar to this magic team in that they shot too many threes. It will haunt the Magic...

8:12- First timeout called by Magic. C's want to get Ray Ray going, that is obvious. The Magic are chucking up threes and I am not hearing Dwight Howard's name called at all. Perfect. Rondo is beginning to make me nervous. He seems a bit too big for his britches at times. Let's keep an eye on this...

8:25 - C's look more solid. Magic are still shooting there shots. C's are getting to the line and Magic are picking up fouls...but it is still too close for how poorly the Magic are shooting...

8:15- Bruins winning 1-0 down in Carolina at first intermission. Is it ironic that the two things that have intermissions are theatrical events and hockey games? I cannot think of anything else with an intermission...

8:21 - C's letting Magic hang around... those threes will fall in bunches later. They better give themselves some room. Pietrus two quick fouls. Second one was lame...

8:22 - J.J. Redick just hit 2 quick threes... I guess I was right. I wish I could type J.J. Redick the way that Marv Albert says it... I will try... here goes nothing...
J......J.... REDick...

8:32 - After first quarter the C's lead 26-21. Way too close. C's need to continue getting to the line and they need to make sure they remind J.J. REDick that he is not on Duke anymore, that should do it...

Also, can we come up with a name for the collective groan every white guy makes when Scal passes up a semi-open shot. It is so audible on the TV... A Scal Moan? A Scal Groan? A Scroan? I think it should be called a Scroan. There, done....

8:40- Eddie House with a great lay-up after (another) Magic missed shot. 4-12 from behind the arc. Scal and Eddie and putting the bench back in Boston here these last three games. A great sign.

8:47- Timeout Magic. C's 10-1 run. C's lead by 13... They are starting to go inside to Howard. Starting to look like the Magic were happy with their one win in Boston. After reading some stuff from the Orlando Sentinel it seems like every thought one game was enough to win the series... Here is a link, check it out...

8:51- Did Paul Pierce's check to the refs not clear the bank? My goodness, this is ridiculous...

8:53- Scala-THREE-nee!

8:55- Its official. Rondo is too big for his britches... 11 shots and one really bad one across the middle just now with a fresh shot clock... Also watch him rebound. He has stolen two rebounds from teammates...

9:00- I love the Reggie Miller comedy show that has come out of these playoffs...his ridiculous Blackberry commercials. And they just had him pretending to wade through the "Paparazzi" after Tom Brady sent him a sweet question about Reggie dealing with the Paparazzi.

9:05- I am so bored with this game that I am now on a running chat on the Orlando Sentinel. Its amazing what a half of basketball can do to change their attitude. I am so excited for the "well we got out of Boston with a win" articles tomorrow.

9:09- Yawn. Lets crunch some numbers... Lets combine the second half of game one and the first half of game two....

Magic 81
Celtics 115

Wow, that is pathetic. The Magic are just not that good. They dont do anything that makes any Boston fan nervous. Shooting threes does not win you a series...

9:31- Strange start to the half. C's no bucket in first 4 possesions. Then Baby knocks down a baby hook. Then Baby steals it! Rashard Lewis should be dominating this game. He is being covered by guys who he is faster than, so much faster. I dont get it. I mean Scal is shutting him down.

9:35- Not taking Pierce out is bad move here. 13 point lead and bench has been solid. Ride the bench until lead is under 8.

9:41- Stan Van Gundy "At some point, we have to play a little defense." Well said SVG...

9:46- Edward House is on fire...lets hope this keeps up for the next month...

9:51- Well the C's are rested and awesome... This game is over. So I am going to do one last thing before signing off unless something unheard of happens...

It's now time for... What makes Hedo Turkoglu so ugly?!

This man is "perfectly ugly." Where should we start? Lets go to his hair. Here his hair is dripping into his forehead on both sides, it is sufficiently gelled and European. Phenomenal.

Then there is the forehead, my goodness the fourhead is massive. It is so big it is driving his eyes down towards his chin. If you look closely at his eyes they are slanted, heavily slanted. Is this from his forehead taking over his face? Possibly.

Hedo's ears are also very low. His forehead seems to be fighting a multi-front war, and winning. Unreal. Either his forehead is like the Roman Empire or his face is like the French Army...

When you throw in the fact that he is more than 6'5'' it makes him a terrifyingly ugly figure.

So makes makes Hedo so ugly? His forehead... it is winning the war...

Alright, so the C's wrapped up the game. They have killed the Magic since the first half of game one. I cant wait for game three in Orlando when the lame Magic fans come out to root for their team that stole a game from Boston. I wonder at what point that argument ends? Probably after game 6 when they are packing their things at the end of the season. The Magic are not scary at all...

Title Defense Step 2

2009-05-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have spent the day reflecting on a fantastic series between the Bulls and Celtics. It was one for the ages that ended with a game that in some ways reflected the series and in other ways turned the series on its head. The intensity was obviously still there, the solid play from Kirk "Spok" Heinrich and Ben Gordon was there. The wily veteran play of the "Old Dogs" was still there. However, there was no need for a "BBS" (Big Ball Shot), Eddie House decided to start shooting the basketball like he did earlier this season (a BIG help, and hopefully a harbinger of things to come...).

Looking forward the C's take on the Magic starting tomorrow night. The scary part about this series is it cannot match up to the Bulls-C's, its impossible. This makes me nervous because it makes me wonder if the C's will have a bit of a hangover. A hangover from the intensity, both physically and mentally. The Magic played in a boring series that saw one exciting finish. However, the Magic are not that good. They really do not scare me. And here is why...

The Magic do not know when to stop shooting three pointers. They just don't. This is a double edged sword. No lead is safe...for either team. The Magic can eviscerate any lead via the 3-point field goal. However, when they have leads themselves, they cannot stop shooting from deep. They do not pound the ball into Howard, and if they do Perkins is a solid defender who can bang with Howard. As long as Perk can stay out of foul trouble I think Howard will be held at bay.

The Magic can also go small, but the C's can match up against the quick line-up. Tony Allen can play good defense, as long as he isn't shooting the ball his services are appreciated.

The pounding the C's took against the Bulls could be a good thing. Maybe it toughened them up, maybe the experience that Perk and Big Baby earned will pay off. Maybe Scal and House can fill the bench void like they did in Game 7. Maybe Marbury can figure out how to play basketball again, because his services would be appreciated too...

In the end, I gotta go, once again, with the Old Dogs. The defending champs have home court and they are destined for a Cavs series in the Conference Finals. Man that would be great wouldnt it?

C's close this series out in 6 games and the Cavs sweep the Hawks away, getting them some rest...and hopefully some rust...

Old Dog for the hard road

2009-04-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

For the past 9 years my friend eliot, myself, and our dad's play a little golf tournament against each other. We call it the Piss Pot Open, we have a trophy and anything. Eliot and I play our dad's in a handicapped match play format. In High School we went away on Spring Break to play, our graduation present was a week in Ireland chasing a little white ball around as Irishmen with impossibly harsh accents found our balls in unspeakable places as they lugged our golf bags around...

The "Piss Pot Open" was always a battle. It would take place over the course of the entire week. Each 18 holes match was worth a point, we would play 5 matches. Winner take all. Eliot's dad, Rob is a very good golfer and an extraordinarily funny guy. He always reminded me of Jeff Daniels. Rob had a saying, it was a great saying and as far as I am concerned he invented it. It was "The old Dog for the hard road." He lovingly referred to himself and my father as "the old dogs." The guys who were ready for the battle, the hard road...Eliot and I we were the "Pups."

Anytime a difficult or important putt was holed by them there was always the rallying cry, "the old dogs for the hard road." Many of my memories of these trips are also haunted by barking, never by my father. But by Rob.

No lead was safe against the "Old Dogs." They had the life experience, even though most of that experience was just simple life experience. Even though most of that experience was them just knowing that at some point we would make a mistake, we would hit the ball somewhere bad. And when we did, they were sure to make sure we remembered who we were... the "pups."

I remember Rob at Mid Ocean getting a hole-in-one on the 17th hole one year while playing in Bermuda. Eliot had hit his shot to about 3 feet, we needed to simply tie the hole to win the match. We walked up to the green and couldnt find Rob's ball (we didnt see it go in from the tee). Finally our grumpy caddie, Red, suggested checking the hole. There it was, in the hole. And there was Rob and my Dad exchanging high fives. And there was Eliot and I looking at each other thinking how did we lose a 3 hole lead?

As I was watching the most recent C's-Bulls masterpiece I couldnt help thinking that this series was turning into an "Old Dogs" vs, "Pups" battle. The C's were the "Old Dogs", the ones who were down. The ones who looked a bit old, the ones who had the experience. The Bulls looked like the "Pups." Desperately holding on to the lead. Desperately looking for a way to explain where the lead went. And in the end, trying to figure out how they lost.

I wrote a running diary and hated it, but I wrote this as my last post before I put down the computer and watched the end of the game.
9:23pm- Its down to Pierce at this point. No Ray Ray no KG. Rondo can help, but Pierce is gonna be the one to win this game...

I swear that is not a doctored/retroactive thought.

The C's are the "Old Dog." The Bulls lie in front of them as the "Pups." It's looked like the "Pups" are on the brink of turning the corner. But take it from me, a certified "Pup." As soon as you start thinking that, the "Old Dogs" use that experience and put you away...