January 27, 2012

Yo Soy Fiesta

Not mailing it in, but seriously this guy has to be one of the funniest personalities to come through Boston in quite some time. Call Gronk the Anti-Red Sox. For all that the Sox had no personality and were completely detestable this past season, Gronk makes you want the Patriots to do well.

Listen to him during the game last Sunday.

So my friends over at Barstool Sports are selling the “Yo Soy Fiesta ” t-shirts. I haven’t bought anything off their site but may have to buy this one.

Like I said, he’s that likable. Almost like a big dumb animal…

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January 26, 2012

Sox Free Agency Fodder

We’ll start with the absurd and work our way back to reality.

“Jay is that Jose Canseco?” Yes, yes it is.

There was an article on NESN where they showed a Conseco tweet where he basically was asking for a try out. Canseco who is almost 50 does have good career numbers at Fenway hittiver over .300 and homering every 13 or so at bats. But that was 15 years ago. I think that it’s time to hang up the spikes and leave them hung up. He’s the poster boy for the steroid era and they testing for that and HGH now. No chance.

But on a more serious note, the Sox traded starting shortstop Marco Scuatro to the Rockies on Saturday night. They did it that late to try and get the transaction buried in the Pats dominance of the sports headlines. They also did it to prove that they want to have a different starting shortstop as many years in a row as possible. Right Pokey Reese?

The real reason they made the move was to free up some payroll. The Sox look to be the last few players in the Roy Oswalt and Edwin Jackson sweepstakes. This is after the team brought in Cody Ross to platoon in right field with Ryan Sweeney or be an insurance clause for Crawford coming off surgery.

The team really covets Oswalt. I’m guessing they’re realistic that signing clubhouse cancer Vicente Padilla probably wasn’t their best move. So they’re pressing hard on Oswalt who’s drawn other interest but it appears Boston is the destination. Jackson seems more like a backup plan though reports are out there that he’s got an offer from the team as well. If Both fall through look for the Sox to try and make a deal with the White Sox for Gavin Floyd.

So instead of shaking up the clubhouse as we were all demanding at the end of last season, the team made a series of smaller moves. They didn’t trade any of their chicken eating, beer swilling rotation. They didn’t attempt to move Youk (who by all indications is a cancer in the clubhouse), they let Lackey go to surgery for a year, oh and they’ll likely get Matzucrappa back mid season.

So blockbuster moves, no “ooooooh” moments. Nope, new manager, puppet GM, and Uncle Larry’s running the entire show. At this point, why not bring in Canseco, what’s the worse that could happen?

I’ve said it for a while and will continue to say it, not really excited about this season.

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January 24, 2012

Oh Timmy

I decided to take a break from the Pats for a day. I mean two weeks of Super Bowl build up is going to get old quick.

So we’ll talk about the Bruins trip the White House yesterday. Of course you’ve heard by now that Stanley Cup Finals MVP Tim Thomas didn’t make the trip for political reasons.

Here’s what he had to say on his Facebook:

Now let me start by saying I don’t disagree with a single thing that Timmy said. Not to get too political here but I think that the whole system is flawed and corrupt. That’s why I support Ron Paul in this election and it’s also why I’m registered Libertarian. I think the two party system is a broken system.

Now, as I get off my high horse.

I don’t think this is the place for Tim to do this. If I have the chance to meet the president, I’m not going to stay home. Nope. I’m going to use it as an opportunity to let my voice be heard. If Timmy thinks that the government is out of control this is your chance to tell one branch right to his face. I wouldn’t pass that up.

And for everyone saying he’s not a good teammate etc, look he’s one of two Americans on the team. You really think meeting the US President is a big deal to all the foreigners on the team. I don’t think it’s as big a deal as if they met their king, dictator, or whatever these guys have in their own countries.

The bottom line on the whole thing is that the media has blown this out of whack. Everyone needs to just calm down. It was one day and one man’s decision. We may not agree with it, but like Thomas said, he’s free to make that decision.

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January 23, 2012

The Power Of The Kibosh

We screamed at the TV, we called Brady stupid, we criticized the three and outs, we knew at half time that it should have been a seven point lead, and we held our collective breath when Gronk went down. But when it came down to the end and it was a game tying field goal on the way, we turned to Eli and the power of the Kibosh.

You need to understand that the Kibosh’s power goes back over a decade now. It’s not the type of thing you want to use every time your opponent is kicking a field goal, it will lose its power. But when you really need it to work, you summon the power.

So when the Ravens – having driven all the way from their 21 with less than two minutes to play – set up for a game tying field goal, Eli immediately went to the Kibosh. This of course was on the heals of Sterling Moore stripping the go ahead touchdown catch in the end zone. That play, I guarantee, will be underplayed because of what followed.

So there’s Eli, prone in the Kibosh (head down, not looking at the TV, forefinger, pinkie, and thumb all willing the football wide) and Cundiff lines up for a 32 yard chip shot. The kick is up, and it sails left. Some claim it was Myra Kraft sending a gust of wind from above, but I believe in the power of the Kibosh having seen it work so many times in the past.

Cundiff misses and is the loneliest man in Baltimore today.

We erupted in celebration as Da Guy leaped onto me and Eli and we just held him up. We were that excited.

See in 2008 (following the eff you 2007 regular season) we were cocky and knew the Super Bowl was a forgone conclusion. This year, we (at least I wasn’t) weren’t that confident. Yet somehow the team with “the worst defense ever” is heading to the Super Bowl.

We had to stay up pretty late to see against who (at least it felt that way after drinking during the Pats all afternoon) the Pats would face in the Super Bowl. Turns out it’s the Giants. Again. For all the David Tyree jokes we’ll hear for the next two weeks, I hope Belichick has the team focused on one thing. Revenge.

I like the old trophy better.

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January 19, 2012

Championship Weekend Picks

Wow…did you think when the season began that this would be happening?

I certainly didn’t. You guys know it. You saw my columns ripping the Patriots. So let’s get to it.

@New England (-7) vs Baltimore
Lots of folks are riding very high off last week’s crushing of the Broncos. I mean Brady throws six touchdowns the tight ends look unstoppable (till Hernandez got hit pretty hard) and the defense was able to hold the opponent to ten points.

OK, let’s get over that really quick. Baltimore is a much better team.

Personally I would coach this game like their first Super Bowl. You key on Ray Rice and take him out of the game completely. If they try to throw out of the backfield you pop him. If they try to rush (are you listening Brandon Spikes?) you stuff the holes and don’t let him in. You make Flacco beat you. Which means you’re putting a ton of pressure on your secondary, but everything I’ve seen says he’ll key on his target. That should help the secondary, right?

On the flip side you have the Patriots offense against a very good Ravens defense. Which has the same folks from last week that watched the Pats kill the Broncos saying, yeah the Ravens are good but they’re old. Well, like Ty Law said today, the Ravens defense knows that their window is closing. That means that they’re hungry for one more title. But I really think they’re going to have a hard time stopping the Pats offense. There are just too many weapons and they can’t double everyone. Personally I think a couple draw plays will really confuse the Ravens defense. Just saying.

So with a seven point favorite, how do I go? I’m taking the Ravens with that spread. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Patriots are totally going to win, but I think it’s going to be much closer than people think. I say the Pats are going to win by a field goal. 24-21. Here’s hoping I’m wrong and the Pats CRUSH them.

@San Francisco (-2.5) vs Giants

I can’t give you as much details on this one. The Giants are hitting their stride at the right time. Their playoffs really started in the last week of the regular season. So they knocked off the Cowboys, beat the Falcons, knocked off the Packers and now are heading to San Fran.

Sorry Giants but I really like the 49ers this week. Taking the Niners with the spread.

You have the possibility of a Super Bowl with the Pats against the Giants, revenge for the last Super Bowl they faced off. Ravens and Niners, brothers Harbaugh face off. Pats against Niners, Brady against his childhood team. So many possibilities. But I’m sticking with my Brady against his childhood team.

Back Monday to see if I’m right.

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