Monthly Archives: April 2008

April 30, 2008 · 7:49 AM

A Fantastic Fenway Night

So my brother calls me on Monday night around six and says that he has four tickets to see the Sox on Tuesday against the Blue Jays and invites me and the Mrs. to go. Well, at $75 a seat, showers in the forecast, cold temperatures, and the proposed match-up of Halladay against Lester, we passed on the tickets.

Stupid move by me.

This was one of the best games I’ve watched in a long time. I love baseball games that fly. Pitchers like Halladay are a rare breed in baseball. He takes the hill with the mindset, right out of the gate, that he’s pitching nine innings, win or loss. He works quickly and gets a lot of ground ball outs.

Well he went the distance again against the Sox last night but this time it was for a loss. Funny thing is that he’s had four complete games this season and lost three of them.

And since ESPN refused to publish it, I finally have the forum to say that Halladay looks like the best friend in the 80′s classic Can’t Buy Me Love who was also the neighbor in The Burbs. You be the judge.

Anyway, we’ve been picking on Lester most of the season for his control issues and saying that perhaps Masterson should have stayed up and demoted Lester who’s not quite ready for prime time. Word of that criticism must have reached Lester because he was lights out last night. One hit through eight innings, he wasn’t perfect walking four batters but, he looked better than he has all season.

Papelbon pitched the ninth and was bailed out when Dusty made an amazing grab on a ball that would’ve scored a run if it got by him.

So for the third start in a row the Sox pitching looked great, but what about the bats? Well, maybe not their fault running into an ace like Halladay, but they were still sleeping. Until the ninth inning. Ortizle was walked with two outs in the ninth. Then Manny hit a bloop single in front of Wells who was playing him wicked deep. That set the stage for Youkie.

What does the guy that’s batting .316 this season do in this clutch situation? Nothing but line a single up the middle that Wells bobbles and the Sox win the game.

How pissed was I to give up those tickets? Very much so. Thank you.

Hopefully with the improved weather conditions today the teams bats can come alive. Let’s all pray to Jobu to help the team’s bats.

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April 29, 2008 · 7:32 AM

Doom and Gloom

Big thanks to Mikey Adams for pointing out that every Boston sports team (the major 4) have all lost their last game. The C’s to Atlanta, the hockey team losing to Montreal, the devastating Super Bowl loss by the Pats, and of course the brutal weekend for the Sox in Tampa. Ugh.

So going into Monday night we put our Boston sports hopes on the C’s shoulders. It started of great as the C’s went up 19-9 about halfway through the first quarter and then doom set it. That’s right from 19-9 to down 29-24 at the end of the quarter and lit the Atlanta crowd on fire.

Is Sam Cassell afraid to fire off a basket or what? Open look like three time in a possession and it ends in a shot clock violation? Unacceptable. You were brought it to do a job. How about you start doing it instead of playing like a big puss. Then gets a technical acting like a tough guy? Jesus!

Still losing at the half and on a day that’s shitty and rainy like today, this will not stand.

To wrap it up, they had a 10 point lead going into the fourth quarter and quickly came out and lost it. But it’s OK, they continued to not play any defense, not box out on rebounds, and subsequently lost the game. Good thing the Celtics traded Joe Johnson because obviously he can’t step it up in the playoffs. Fuck! He scorched the C’s for what felt like 70 points and 40 straight in the fourth quarter.

For reference sake I hate the Atlanta hype man and it should be against the rules in the NBA for this asshole to shout over the PA especially during the game.

To any fans of the C’s that read my column, just thinking outside the box here, make sure you bring a satchel of marbles with you to the game. If something like last night happens, drop them on the visitors entrance and when these fucking assholes come running out of the tunnel they’ll twist an ankle or break a leg. Win by any means necessary. Think the movie Celtic Pride starring Damon Wayans and featuring one Eli Oake-Libow.

The Celtics best take a page from Da Guy and Shake It The Fuck Up. Stop getting pushed around by an inferior team.

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April 27, 2008 · 5:28 PM

Draft Talk And More Sucky Sox

Yeah the Sox bats were just that, garbage. Beckett and Buchholz both pitched really well, but the Boston bats stayed home in Boston. Sucked, sucked, sucked. To steal a line from the genius of Tim McCarver, “A team that can’t score runs, can’t win games.”

So that’s all I’m touching on the Sox. You were swept by the Rays. The fucking Rays!?! Go sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done.

The Celtics didn’t offer anything better Saturday night but I doubt I’m alone in thinking that shenanigans were abound in Atlanta. You mean to tell me when the Celtics come back to tie the game the shot clock “mysteriously” goes out. Or the fact that that stupid broad ref was doing this game? No fucking way! David Stern, the manipulating fuck, absolutely had a hand in making sure that Atlanta won this game.

I would rather Tim Donaghy ref a game for the C’s than this stupid broad. She has no fucking idea what’s going on.

So we’ll get to the good news from the weekend and that’s the Patriots draft.

Overall I’m very happy with the draft. They addressed their needs and they picked up an ILB, two corners, and 2 OLB. They also grabbed a QB & WR that help the depth charts.

(1st Round. 10th Overall)
Jarod Mayo – OLB/ILB Tennessee
Everything I’ve read says he’s fast and very versatile. His upside is rumored to be higher than Keith Rivers who went a pick before him to Cincinnati. I’ve heard it was a stretch for him to go at #10 but at the same time I don’t think the Pats were going to slide down any further. He is 22 years old and that immediately helps the aging linebacking problem.

(2nd Round. 62nd Overall)
Terrence Wheatley – CB Colorado
Another short corner for the Pats. More importantly this guy couldn’t stay healthy in college and is coming off an injury. The injury list on the guy is pretty scary though. Four wrist surgeries in four years, a broken foot, concussion, and a knee sprain round out the injuries. A five foot nine corner doesn’t spark excitement in me. The good news is that the scouts rate him a good return man and he knows when to turn his head for the ball. He also knows how to wrap up his man and rarely misses an open field tackle. Good to know when Hobbs goes for the pick and this guy is going to have to cover his ass and make the tackle when Hobbs gets burned.

(3rd Round. 78th Overall)
Shawn Crable – OLB Michigan
Projected as a 4th round pick may have been a reach in the third round, but hopefully Scott and Bill know something we don’t. This guy has 6’4″, 245 and will help with the aging linebacking situation (if he makes the team). He was a special teams standout at Michigan, look for the same with the Pats.

(3rd Round. 94th Overall)
Kevin O’Connell – QB San Diego State
Projected as a 5th Rounder, we could assume this a stretch as well. This guy has all the tools to be an NFL QB with size (6’5″ 225lbs), fast feet in the pocket and the strength to release the ball even with a defender draped on him. Could he be a backup? Likely he’ll compete for the 3rd string job and possibly develop into a backup. Or he could go Mike Bishop. Time will tell.

(4th Round. 129th Overall)
Jonathan Wilhite – CB Auburn
Another short corner at 5’9″ you can’t feel to confident when reading the scouting report and it starts out with “is susceptible to getting flagged for pass interference and defensive holding” but the report goes on to say that if this guy can be disciplined that he could develop into an effective press corner. The good news on that is that he’s with the Pats and they don’t like mistakes. If he can’t stay under control he won’t be employed too long.

(5th Round. 153 Overall)
Matt Slater – WR UCLA
This guy is very interesting. He was a WR, got hurt, then moved to corner. So right off the bat he shows the Pats that he’s versatile. Again I look for this guy to be a Special Teams guy, if he’s smart, he could be a contributor on the defense or offense. But we’ve gotten excited about busts like PK Sam, so if this guy gets cut, I wouldn’t be shocked.

(6th Round. 197 Overall)
Bo Ruud – OLB Nebraska
This guy was projected as a late round pick, or a guy that wouldn’t get drafted. He’s said to be very undersized as a linebacker, but has room on his frame to add more bulk. He tackles well and is good in zone coverage but has difficulty changing direction and matching up with running backs. I don’t expect this guy to make the team especially after last years awful draft, but I could be wrong.

So after reading all the breakdown I think the Pats had a decent draft. If I had to give a letter grade I would go with a B-. They addressed their needs, but in many cases they reached to make their picks. I would’ve liked to see them make a better trade for the #7 (like Baltimore did fleecing Jacksonville for the #18, two third round picks and a fourth with the #8).

It should be an interesting camp on deck. Hopefully this Mayo kid is the real thing and helps the front seven get enough pressure on the opposition so that our inept secondary won’t be too exposed. It worked for the Giants in last years Super Bowl, so we shall see.

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April 24, 2008 · 10:18 PM

NFL Friday

So off the bat I’ll let you know that the Pats signed Marcus Pollard, although you probably already heard about that. He’s likely not going to be much so I look for the team to draft a TE, but not in the first round, certainly not at #7. I wouldn’t be shocked if the team took John Carlson from Notre Dame possibly trading up in the second round to nab him.

But you don’t really give a rat’s ass about the second round do you? You want to know what’s up with the first round pick especially after that awful day in February. We all have been looking forward to the Draft and more importantly to next season starting.

So the early favorite was Vernon Gholston and I referenced it myself. But that was March and a whole lot has changed.

Miami is drafting Jake Long with the first pick having signed him on Tuesday. After that, it’s all up in the air. So I’ll hit you with the names that are being bounced around, the big names and the Pats prospects.

I think that Matt Ryan should go #3 to Atlanta, but that’s not going to happen. I see him falling all the way to #8 Baltimore. I think McFadden should go to the Raiders, but I was reading that Al Davis is in love with Gholston.

Here’s my thought, if the Raiders pick Gholston at #4 and Chris Long is there at #5 the Pats make it happen, trade up and take him. That’s just me. But I made reference to picking up Chris Long a while back and Big Jeff has my back on that conversation.

What will likely happen though? The Pats will probably trade down from the #7 to possibly #10 with the Saints or #13 with the Panthers. With the #10 I’d guess Keith Rivers the OLB from USC. #13, who knows.

If they end up keeping the pick, which I hope they don’t do (unless a stud falls on their lap), the rumor is that they’re looking at Sedrick Ellis the DT from USC. The defensive line isn’t where the team needs to improve. The only way this would work is if the move him to DE, Seymour drops 40 pounds and becomes and outside linebacker.

I understand you take the best player on the board, but that’s when you have a shitty pick in the twenties or thirties. Not seven. Hopefully if they trade down even further they address the aging line-backing corp (OLB & ILB), the secondary (notably CB), and the offensive line (tackle anyone?) that got schooled in the Super Bowl all in the same draft. Maybe McFadden falls in their laps at #7 and Dallas gives up their two first round picks so then the Pats draft a LB, DE Hybrid (think McGinnist), and a CB.

Saturday will be fun. Hopefully Scott and Bill make us proud.

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April 23, 2008 · 10:50 PM

Odds And Ends

So finishing off another Netflix I flipped over to watch the Sox.

Who did I see? Craig Hansen!

No not Hanson. Hansen. You remember him. The rookie phenom that was rushed through the system and premiered in the majors the same year he signed. Well, that was 2005 (6.00 ERA), we saw him a couple times in 2006 (2-2 6.63 ERA) before he spent all of last season in turmoil in Pawtucket (3-1 3.86 ERA in 40 games).

The time in Pawtucket seems to have done him some good as he dominated with a .073 average against and a neat 0.00 ERA this year and earned him a call up. Well, apparently he’s not that good, when I tuned in I saw him give up a solo shot to the Angels.

Then it dawned on me, I’m missing the Celtics!

Didn’t miss too much as the C’s are already up 15 and it’s almost the half, let’s see what the Sox are up to.

Still losing 5-4.

So while I have a moment. Pacman to the Pats, won’t happen, he’s a Cowboy now. All it cost the Cowboys was a 4th round pick, or two. If he’s reinstated this year, just this years pick, if reinstated next year Tennessee gets both.

Celts up 10 at the half.

So what’s up with this “flu” going through the Sox? Varitek is on what feels like a week off, Delcarmen was sent home yesterday and Dice-K was scratched from his start Wednesday night. Seriously, you’re the fucking Red Sox with more money that God, you can’t afford to give your guys flu shots? Ridiculous!

Sticking with the Odd and Ends theme. Can I have the Isiah Thomas job with the Knicks? Seriously, you get paid millions of dollars to do nothing. The guy gets fired as GM, then head coach, and he’s now not allowed to talk to any players but still collect his millions? I’ll do it for half the cost.

I love how Mike Bibby came out and said that all the Celtics fans are Bandwagon Fans. Um, this writer has been on board the whole time shithead. I rocked my C’s cap all of last year (when you’d expect badwagon fans to go into hiding) including St Patty’s and Causeway Days without batting an eyelash. Great that the fans were all over him booing him every time he touched the ball.

Kendrick Perkins had a great reaction to Bibby. “He said that? I mean, coming off a 2-for-10 night shooting, he would say something like that. … We’ve got the best fans in the world, so we don’t expect other players from other teams to like our fans.”

Is rape is legal in Atlanta? All Tommy was complaining about during the broadcast how the Hawks were getting away with all kinds of hacking and pushing. I guess it could be true. Ray Lewis got away with murder, literally, in Atlanta. Someone should tell the officials we’re in Boston. Should make for interesting games on Saturday and Monday.

C’s up 19 let’s check on the Sox again. Oooh, down 6-4, two out, bottom of the 9th with Little Dusty up to bat. Rips a foul ball and then grounds out to third. Look they won six in a row, we knew it wouldn’t last all season.

So Lowell, Dusty, and Ortiz were at the Celtics Sunday night, front row right behind the net. So if they’re playing tonight who gets those seats? I’m sure me, The Guy and Eli or Matty could find our way to the Garden. Just saying.

The Celts finish off the Hawks, but not without Mike Bibby really hearing it from the fans in the 4th with “Overrated,” “Where is Bibby?” and just straight up boos when he was near the ball. Doc kept the starters in their most of the 4th in a move eerily similar to the Belichick “F-You!”

C’s win by 19, 96-77. 2 down, 14 to go.

John McClane in the house for the C’s tonight and stayed the whole game. Good for him.

Big draft preview coming at you for Friday. Brace yourself, I have an ESPN Insider subscription and have been following this stuff since that shitty day in February.

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