Tossing Batting practice…while disappointed I can’t find an I hate Danny Ainge t-shirt circa Detroit 1987 on ebay anywhere. Come old Pistons fans, I’d pay dearly for one.
Looking on the bright side...At least I won’t have any additions to my Celtics Dynasty box set any time soon, that awkward sixth movie has ruined by Rocky 25th anniversary collection…
For those of you who hang around with me on a regular basis, you’ve no doubt seen the Boston Celtics 1986 World Champions hat I’ve worn for the better part of the last 15 months.
It’s been worn somewhat out of protest for the collapse of this proud franchise, but also because it was comfortable.
Even though I was four that was a team I feel like I knew inside and out thanks to Dad’s affiliation with the team. I’ve love the Celtics unconditionally, and to a greater degree the game of basketball.
It’s been a friend, confidant, and companion for most of my (sad?) life. But tonight I am taking her to counseling, in the hopes they’ll realize I’m serious.
My steak was burned, and laundry left undone for the final time. I’ve had enough, there need to be some serious changes made to this relationship, or I’m going to stick with the younger models full time.
Because the best part about college basketball is that the older we get they stay the same age. (whoa, my bad, that sounded less offensive in my head).
The “lottery” is history, and while I consider David Stern to be the Dean Wormer of the NBA, I won’t argue with what happened, it’s over, it sucks but hey the Celtics may be a better constructed team with the addition of Corey Brewer as a perimeter defender.
My problems and issues are with the game itself, and the product. It’s been going steadily downhill since the 80s. She’s put on a little weight, got a bit of a mean streak and generally has had an F-you attitude to me (your hardcore fan) while trying to impress the public en masse.
So while we’re six months from Festivus, I am airing the grievances, because I got a lot of problems with you people and now you’re gonna hear about them.
Speed the game up, as I have mentioned each of the last three weeks here, I am not a fan of the advent of three hour basketball. It is slowly killing the sport. As a fan I can appreciate a grind it out halfcourt game as much as an up and down affair, but I am not going to dedicate three hours of my night to it.
The league has been fighting the notion you only need to see the last few minutes, but lately I’d have to agree, except that those last few minutes have taken place much to late for even me to care what happens.
My first solution is only allow one full and one 20 second time out for the first half, and three full for the second.
Phil Jackson gets criticized for not calling timeouts to stop runs, but honestly they’re the best players in the world, I’d like to see them correct things without the aid of timeouts. Do coaches really need the private huddle to yell at their players? or devise some grand new scheme nobody has ever seen in this modern world of advanced video scouting?
Nowadays a 6-0 run warrants a stoppage of play, couple that with two television timeouts and there really is no need for so many stops.
I’d love to see a total of three full and a 20 for the game, but that’s probably pushing it.
Next, I want to change the free throws on team fouls to six a side, instead of five. Keep the rule about the last two minutes, but bump that up to more than two, maybe even three. I’d also be in favor of eliminating shooting fouls from the total number of team fouls.
Also on the subject of fouls I’d like the eliminate the subjectiveness of flagrant fouls. There needs to be a toughness to this game. I’d rather see someone get fouled hard, and a retaliatory foul later on than a brawl. There needs to be a little vigilante justice done within the game, and not in an all out brawl. Now everybody is a tough guy from the hood with their boys backing them up. A little retaliation and nastiness never hurt a series, and if it keeps the fists down then all the better. Being able to clothesline a showboater might help the league in the long run. Like baseball the threat of ebing hit by a pitch keeps things in line a bit.
The issue with fouls leads me to the next point.
The Officiating in this league needs to be fixed, for those of you who don’t know I’m a high school official it’s a difficult job and I respect what they do, but it’s been atrocious for years now.
There are a lot of bad refs in all levels, (I’m probably one of them) but there is nothing worse than one with an attitude, and there are far too many on the NBA level now with a Napoleon complex. Every game is reffed different, but now it fluctuates like a heart monitor.
How does Lebron not shoot a single free throw in a Conference Final game? Yet watch another game, and you’ll see everything between the hash marks. There has to be a happy middle ground, though I blame many of the coaches for this as well in their defense at all costs beliefs, that include fouling on every play.
End the music during games. I know the league wants to cater to the average person, who is probably dumber than a rock and impressed by loud noise and tee shirts being fired into the stands, but I do not want to hear any more artificial noise in an arena.
If the fans, suck and don’t know when to cheer that’s their fault, no more alternating between hip hop and techno.
If I want that I’ll go to the Gypsy Bar, or hit up Landsdowne street, at least the beer is cheaper and the women are prettier (I still love you Celtics Cheerleaders, but I can’t afford good enough seats for an exceptional view).
Organ music should be the only acceptable music at any non football sporting event.
Create illegal offense. This needs a little tweaking, but I’m just coming up with a premise.
I don’t want to see any more isolation with one guy, while four others stand around on the weak side. There should always be two guys on the strong side, or two guys below the foul line and inside the arc when the shot clock gets under 14. It will promote a bit more flow to the game.
I’d also love to add a 4 second count. If there’s a 24 second shot clock, and an 8 second count in the backcourt it should stand to reason that a standard 5 count can’t be slashed by one second, and then actually enforced.
I hate watching Lebron play because he just stands there forever trying to decide what to do with the ball.
Four seconds is still a long time, and it would promote more ball movement on offense, and better defense, because there’d be a reason to closely guard someone with the ball.
Screw the lottery system, or at the very least let’s only involve the five worst teams. I know it sounds like Sour Grapes tonight, but quite frankly the worst teams should be rewarded. Tanking is somewhat of an issue, but superstars shut it down in baseball and football before the year is over, and it happens in the NBA too. It’s tough to tank a whole season, and to be honest you aren’t going to see guys at the end of the bench trying to lose, they’re trying to earn a spot in the league.
This last one is the most important…fix the Salary Cap.
I don’t get it, don’t care to try. But the fact is unless you draft an Oden or Durant you can’t become instantly viable as a franchise, and even then you can have an Arenas, and be unable to do a damn thing with it because you’re so hamstrung with the salary cap.
First off eliminate guaranteed contracts. Pipe dream I know, but this is my hope. I’d also like to see more trades and free agent movement. If we can’t get rid of guaranteed deals, then nothing longer than 3-4 years. There are too many bad contracts that ruin teams, and force them to make trades such as the wonderful move that brought us Bassy.
I want to see player movement, and have hope my team can be upgraded, dump salary, or pick up another draft pick at the midway point. Who makes what shouldn’t be an issue, or at least not so much of one that it completely handcuffs
The NBA has become like a bad fantasy league where the games are played through but nobody really makes any trades, and there is nothing you can find on the waiver wire that can upgrade your team, so you play out the string, try to get lucky and finish in the money in the playoffs, or you get eliminated and root for or against your friends. What’s the fun in it?
The only way you can upgrade your team is through the draft because free agency is virtually nonexistent, at least for a few low level guys who cash in on insane deals. If the numerical combinations, because it’s technically not ping-pong balls, don’t bounce your way then you’re screwed. Then you start wondering why you pay the huge entry fee for the league when it’s really not all that interesting other than an excuse for the wives for you to get together with your friends and drink beer.
As me and some of my older friends discovered this year, we can tell them we’re going to the game, and just go to a bar and drink beer instead, just make sure you check the score at the end of the night.
One last addition, for personal sake hope for David Stern to die…slowly and painfully. As long as he’s alive the Celtics are destined to suck, he probably hand delivered the cocaine to Len Bias himself.
I’d enjoy that little smirk of his to be wiped of as some sort of blunt object is either beating or stabbing him.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Tossing batting practice…because even though I was pushed back a day because of the avulsion on my finger I’m determined not to skip a start…
Memo to the NBA…no more of these 88-85 brick filled crapfests with the late games. It’s bad enough that the only series worth watching isn’t on until 10:30, and that the entire Eastern Conference playoffs are filled with these awful games but if you bore me to death I will not be able to stay up and watch. Like last night, where I fell asleep with 10 minutes to play in the 4th quarter, at 12:45 am.
I do not like the advent of 3 hour basketball games.
It’s bad for the game and hurts an otherwise tremendous series that Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended for Game 5, but it’s the league rule, and if it was enforced before a game 7 back in 1997 with the Knicks and Heat, then its going to be enforced here.
That’s not to say there shouldn’t be some wiggle room, and maybe that’s something that should be reviewed, but right now there isn’t.
First and foremost, if Nash hadn’t taken the mother of all soccer dives (after that display all he needs is an Italian Passport and he can play in the 2010 World cup) the fracas never happens. Horry didn’t hit him that hard, and Nash fell to the ground as if he’d been clotheslined by Jack Tatum.
It was a hard foul, and maybe a bit dirty, but Nash made that look at lot worse than it was.
If the NBA hadn’t so publicly nailed Joey Crawford to the cross before the playoffs, they simply could have assigned him game 5 to even out things a little.
So the Phoenix radio guy took a verbal jab at Stern at the end of the game last night saying. “and the commissioner wonders why there are so many conspiracy theories in the NBA.”
If anything Stern and the league would rather see Phoenix win, because they’re more entertaining, and more casual fans tune into their brand of basketball, but the woe is me attitude the Suns and their fans have taken is
Lost in all the hullabaloo in this series has been the play of Nash, except for game 1 and the final two minutes of game 4 he hasn’t really done much to stand out with his team.
The numbers are there, such as the 20 and 16 he put up in game two, and 19 12 last night, but there hasn’t been any sort of takeover with him where he reminds you why he’s a two-time MVP and one of the most clutch players in the league.
As the lone Spurs fan east of the Alamo, I did enjoy the irony of Bruce Bowen drilling the clutch three to win it. I don’t necessarily agree that he’s a dirty player. He’s a pain in the ass, and deserves the occasional punch in the face, but I think there are far dirtier plays and players in the NBA. The stuff he does is borderline, and does sometimes cross the line, but those little things get in the head of the opponent and is sometimes the difference between winning and losing. It’s like playing against your Dad or older brother, you may be more talented, but you’re going to have to prove you’re tougher in order to win, that’s what the Spurs are doing, all while not doing it in a late 80s Pistons sort of way.
I’m still trying to figure out which is the more amazing feat, the fact the Spurs held Phoenix to 85 points, or the fact the Spurs only managed to score 88 points on one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
The impressive thing about the Spurs is their ability to hang around and eventually steal a game, they did it in game three too. They get down by a bunch, but don’t panic, and just slowly chip away. It’s sort of amazing to watch, as everything can go wrong for them for 36 minutes and then they gear up and forget it all for the final 12 minutes.
Ok Ottawa you fulfilled my wish of eliminating Buffalo, but I have two complaints. One, nobody has speared Daniel Briere yet, please fulfill this before the end of the series. Two, did you have to make end so quickly? That took all the fun out of the series, and taking the fun out of your sport is not something you want to do right now.
I had finally added Versus to my regular rotation of random clicking to see what’s on, but I’m not too sure how long that will last now.
I look forward to every opposing stadium to play “who let the dogs out” every time Michael Vick throws an interception next season.
Brett Favre stopped being news about six years ago, at least to everyone but the powers that be at ESPN. When Mike Felger is the voice of reason for Packers fans you know you’re in trouble.
The less I see of Jonathan Papelbon in May and June the better off I will feel later on this season. For that matter if Beckett needs a couple weeks off to heal the finger then I say have at it.
Memo to the NBA…no more of these 88-85 brick filled crapfests with the late games. It’s bad enough that the only series worth watching isn’t on until 10:30, and that the entire Eastern Conference playoffs are filled with these awful games but if you bore me to death I will not be able to stay up and watch. Like last night, where I fell asleep with 10 minutes to play in the 4th quarter, at 12:45 am.
I do not like the advent of 3 hour basketball games.
It’s bad for the game and hurts an otherwise tremendous series that Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended for Game 5, but it’s the league rule, and if it was enforced before a game 7 back in 1997 with the Knicks and Heat, then its going to be enforced here.
That’s not to say there shouldn’t be some wiggle room, and maybe that’s something that should be reviewed, but right now there isn’t.
First and foremost, if Nash hadn’t taken the mother of all soccer dives (after that display all he needs is an Italian Passport and he can play in the 2010 World cup) the fracas never happens. Horry didn’t hit him that hard, and Nash fell to the ground as if he’d been clotheslined by Jack Tatum.
It was a hard foul, and maybe a bit dirty, but Nash made that look at lot worse than it was.
If the NBA hadn’t so publicly nailed Joey Crawford to the cross before the playoffs, they simply could have assigned him game 5 to even out things a little.
So the Phoenix radio guy took a verbal jab at Stern at the end of the game last night saying. “and the commissioner wonders why there are so many conspiracy theories in the NBA.”
If anything Stern and the league would rather see Phoenix win, because they’re more entertaining, and more casual fans tune into their brand of basketball, but the woe is me attitude the Suns and their fans have taken is
Lost in all the hullabaloo in this series has been the play of Nash, except for game 1 and the final two minutes of game 4 he hasn’t really done much to stand out with his team.
The numbers are there, such as the 20 and 16 he put up in game two, and 19 12 last night, but there hasn’t been any sort of takeover with him where he reminds you why he’s a two-time MVP and one of the most clutch players in the league.
As the lone Spurs fan east of the Alamo, I did enjoy the irony of Bruce Bowen drilling the clutch three to win it. I don’t necessarily agree that he’s a dirty player. He’s a pain in the ass, and deserves the occasional punch in the face, but I think there are far dirtier plays and players in the NBA. The stuff he does is borderline, and does sometimes cross the line, but those little things get in the head of the opponent and is sometimes the difference between winning and losing. It’s like playing against your Dad or older brother, you may be more talented, but you’re going to have to prove you’re tougher in order to win, that’s what the Spurs are doing, all while not doing it in a late 80s Pistons sort of way.
I’m still trying to figure out which is the more amazing feat, the fact the Spurs held Phoenix to 85 points, or the fact the Spurs only managed to score 88 points on one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
The impressive thing about the Spurs is their ability to hang around and eventually steal a game, they did it in game three too. They get down by a bunch, but don’t panic, and just slowly chip away. It’s sort of amazing to watch, as everything can go wrong for them for 36 minutes and then they gear up and forget it all for the final 12 minutes.
Ok Ottawa you fulfilled my wish of eliminating Buffalo, but I have two complaints. One, nobody has speared Daniel Briere yet, please fulfill this before the end of the series. Two, did you have to make end so quickly? That took all the fun out of the series, and taking the fun out of your sport is not something you want to do right now.
I had finally added Versus to my regular rotation of random clicking to see what’s on, but I’m not too sure how long that will last now.
I look forward to every opposing stadium to play “who let the dogs out” every time Michael Vick throws an interception next season.
Brett Favre stopped being news about six years ago, at least to everyone but the powers that be at ESPN. When Mike Felger is the voice of reason for Packers fans you know you’re in trouble.
The less I see of Jonathan Papelbon in May and June the better off I will feel later on this season. For that matter if Beckett needs a couple weeks off to heal the finger then I say have at it.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tossing batting practice...in much the same way Craig Hansen and Manny
Delcarmen have done in the Minor Leagues this year, ineffectively (and for
that I apologize).
Mapquest says it's only 51 miles from Fenway to Pawtucket, well that might
be the best bit of news those two have heard all week, because after blowing
an eight run lead in the ninth last week they might as well be 5,100 miles
away.
For Hyde Park's Delcarmen (yes much like East Boston's Jermaine Wiggins, his
first name has legally been changed to the section of the city he grew up
in), and Hansen they need only look at Cla Meredith to be reminded that
their career isn't over just because they were rushed to the bigs and put in
a position to fail thus ruining their confidence, it just means they'll end
up reviving their stuff in another city, likely in the vastly inferior
National League.
I was sad to see Devern Hansack's no-hitter get broken up last night.
All these baseball clubs banning alcohol in the clubhouse has me a bit
worried, I hope it doesn't trickle down to the men's softball leagues around
the country, particularly those located in Cambridge, Burlington and
Southie.
After seeing David Ortiz try to score from first base the other night only
to get thrown out, I guess it's official it really does take two triples to
score him from first.
I want to care that Roger is back, but all it does is remind me he's an a**
he's like a bad ex-girlfriend, wooing you and feigning interest only to then
jump back into bed with the guy she left you for, and even if you're better
off without her it sucks. It's not even hurtful at this point, even though I
was starting to teeter in the edge of forgiveness with Roger it's just
friggen annoying.
So now that Josh Beckett has suddenly found his breaking stuff, I sincerely
hope he doesn't go all Ricky Vaughn on us circa Major League 2. You know
where he starts naming his breaking pitches, and refuses to throw his
fastball for fear of hurting his arm.
There's an old political saying that if you're seen with a woman twice
you're banging her, seen with a drink twice you're a drunk, and seen with a
man twice you're gay, well this is now three times for Andy Pettitte and
Clemens, and I'm starting to have more questions, of which I do not want the
answers to.
I feel slighted by Vernon Wells, last week he had the idea to autograph a
baseball for a group of hecklers in Cleveland, it had a long drawn out
message on it that essentially asked what gas station they worked at so he
could heckle them when he wants to fill up his car. Pretty ingenious
actually, anyway flashback to April 2003, and Patriots Day on the Monster
seats which had just open four days earlier. I'm in the centerfield standing
room with someone who reads this site, let's call him "Nat" anyway we're
taunting Wells for about three innings, with all sorts of standard rowdy,
and half drunk because it's the third Monday in April verbal barbs.
Inclduing the classic,
"Hey Wells, got any naked pictures of your wife? "
(long pause)
"Want some?"
Anyway he finally turned around to us during a pitching change and gave it
back to us a little bit, pointing to the scoreboard, (it looked as though
some Sox had started drinking with us at 8am) and making a few gestures
about how much money he had and such, overall it was a fun little back and
forth. But I wish we had given it a little bit more so we might have gotten
an autographed ball as well.
Thanks to Comcast I haven't really seen much in the way of sports since last
Thursday but I did manage to catch the fourth quarter of the suns/spurs game
Sunday. That was basketball played at the highest possible level, even if it
wasn't coached that way in the final minute by Mike D'Antoni.
For the life of me I can't figure out why you would ever be without at least
three timeouts going into the final two minutes of an NBA game, especially
at home.
Stopping a run with a timeout is so overrated, especially with the advent of
the TV timeout, just wait it out the final four minutes try to slow things
down and weather the storm.
Then when you actually need to draw up a play or advance the ball, or stop
time to patch up your bloodied two time league MVP point guard for the most
important possession of the game you can do that.
Tim Duncan's rebounding may be the most underrated aspect of any player's
game in the league. When the Spurs need it most he goes up and gets the
proverbial "man's rebound" every single time.
Hey ABC, more up close shots of Eva Longoria, and fewer up close shots of
Steve Nash, we get it, he's bleeding, he's Canadian, we understand the
hockey metaphor, but Nash is ugly enough as it is without a huge gash on his
nose
I'm glad Mark Cuban is out of my life for a few weeks, don't get me wrong I
enjoy his perspective on the NBA but he was a miserable guy all year, and he
should only be vengeful toward David Stern, and quit making Nellie out to be
the anti-christ.
There aren't too many places a seven foot German can hide in the world, but
here's hoping Dirk finds a peaceful locale of solitude for the next four
months.
So from what I understand the Senators and Sabres have quite the rivalry
going between last year's playoff upset by Buffalo and this year's all our
brawl in February, if I can ever find the channel their playing on I'll
report back. I will offer a free case of beer to the first guy who spears
Daniel Briere though.
If it weren't such a damn slow news week I'd have more to write about, and
Curt Schilling telling the world Barry Bonds cheated wouldn't be the long
national nightmare it has become.
Delcarmen have done in the Minor Leagues this year, ineffectively (and for
that I apologize).
Mapquest says it's only 51 miles from Fenway to Pawtucket, well that might
be the best bit of news those two have heard all week, because after blowing
an eight run lead in the ninth last week they might as well be 5,100 miles
away.
For Hyde Park's Delcarmen (yes much like East Boston's Jermaine Wiggins, his
first name has legally been changed to the section of the city he grew up
in), and Hansen they need only look at Cla Meredith to be reminded that
their career isn't over just because they were rushed to the bigs and put in
a position to fail thus ruining their confidence, it just means they'll end
up reviving their stuff in another city, likely in the vastly inferior
National League.
I was sad to see Devern Hansack's no-hitter get broken up last night.
All these baseball clubs banning alcohol in the clubhouse has me a bit
worried, I hope it doesn't trickle down to the men's softball leagues around
the country, particularly those located in Cambridge, Burlington and
Southie.
After seeing David Ortiz try to score from first base the other night only
to get thrown out, I guess it's official it really does take two triples to
score him from first.
I want to care that Roger is back, but all it does is remind me he's an a**
he's like a bad ex-girlfriend, wooing you and feigning interest only to then
jump back into bed with the guy she left you for, and even if you're better
off without her it sucks. It's not even hurtful at this point, even though I
was starting to teeter in the edge of forgiveness with Roger it's just
friggen annoying.
So now that Josh Beckett has suddenly found his breaking stuff, I sincerely
hope he doesn't go all Ricky Vaughn on us circa Major League 2. You know
where he starts naming his breaking pitches, and refuses to throw his
fastball for fear of hurting his arm.
There's an old political saying that if you're seen with a woman twice
you're banging her, seen with a drink twice you're a drunk, and seen with a
man twice you're gay, well this is now three times for Andy Pettitte and
Clemens, and I'm starting to have more questions, of which I do not want the
answers to.
I feel slighted by Vernon Wells, last week he had the idea to autograph a
baseball for a group of hecklers in Cleveland, it had a long drawn out
message on it that essentially asked what gas station they worked at so he
could heckle them when he wants to fill up his car. Pretty ingenious
actually, anyway flashback to April 2003, and Patriots Day on the Monster
seats which had just open four days earlier. I'm in the centerfield standing
room with someone who reads this site, let's call him "Nat" anyway we're
taunting Wells for about three innings, with all sorts of standard rowdy,
and half drunk because it's the third Monday in April verbal barbs.
Inclduing the classic,
"Hey Wells, got any naked pictures of your wife? "
(long pause)
"Want some?"
Anyway he finally turned around to us during a pitching change and gave it
back to us a little bit, pointing to the scoreboard, (it looked as though
some Sox had started drinking with us at 8am) and making a few gestures
about how much money he had and such, overall it was a fun little back and
forth. But I wish we had given it a little bit more so we might have gotten
an autographed ball as well.
Thanks to Comcast I haven't really seen much in the way of sports since last
Thursday but I did manage to catch the fourth quarter of the suns/spurs game
Sunday. That was basketball played at the highest possible level, even if it
wasn't coached that way in the final minute by Mike D'Antoni.
For the life of me I can't figure out why you would ever be without at least
three timeouts going into the final two minutes of an NBA game, especially
at home.
Stopping a run with a timeout is so overrated, especially with the advent of
the TV timeout, just wait it out the final four minutes try to slow things
down and weather the storm.
Then when you actually need to draw up a play or advance the ball, or stop
time to patch up your bloodied two time league MVP point guard for the most
important possession of the game you can do that.
Tim Duncan's rebounding may be the most underrated aspect of any player's
game in the league. When the Spurs need it most he goes up and gets the
proverbial "man's rebound" every single time.
Hey ABC, more up close shots of Eva Longoria, and fewer up close shots of
Steve Nash, we get it, he's bleeding, he's Canadian, we understand the
hockey metaphor, but Nash is ugly enough as it is without a huge gash on his
nose
I'm glad Mark Cuban is out of my life for a few weeks, don't get me wrong I
enjoy his perspective on the NBA but he was a miserable guy all year, and he
should only be vengeful toward David Stern, and quit making Nellie out to be
the anti-christ.
There aren't too many places a seven foot German can hide in the world, but
here's hoping Dirk finds a peaceful locale of solitude for the next four
months.
So from what I understand the Senators and Sabres have quite the rivalry
going between last year's playoff upset by Buffalo and this year's all our
brawl in February, if I can ever find the channel their playing on I'll
report back. I will offer a free case of beer to the first guy who spears
Daniel Briere though.
If it weren't such a damn slow news week I'd have more to write about, and
Curt Schilling telling the world Barry Bonds cheated wouldn't be the long
national nightmare it has become.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tossing a simulated game...since it's been four years it may take a few rehab starts to find a groove....
It may be slightly dirty laundry now, but a little detergent/winning can clean that up, and as a result I am welcoming in Randy Moss, and mini-Albert Haynesworth into the fold for the Patriots.
There is no moral compass in professional sports, you bring in guys who you think can help you win, while hoping they don't completely embarrass the franchise. If Bill Belichick thinks these guys can get the Pats back to the Super Bowl then I'm all for it.
I do hope one offensive lineman obliterates our own African-American Michael Flatley just once on a block early in the season so we can get all the de-cleated jokes out of the way.
Which brings me to my next point, and I'll take feedback from the reader(s?) on this one, what are you supposed to do in a football brawl? Hockey players take their helmets off, and don't usually have facemasks anyway, baseball and basketball players don't wear pads and can rumble around for a bit. But in all honesty the intensity of the moment takes over and you want to win the fight on a football field what do you do? Use your most dangerous appendage on their most vulnerable spot. The end result; cleating someone's calf.
With that out of the way we need to break down more important issues with this guy. Such as, licensed or not who feels the need to take a handgun with them to their 6am workout? Last I checked Miami was not Spanish for Ramadi.
What illicit activities are you involved in that leaves you suspicious enough that someone is waiting for you in the parking lot?
All across New England next August will be the same phrase..."With the first pick in the 2007 (Insert comical acronym) Fantasy Draft, the (insert funny/borderline offensive team name) select, Tom Brady, quarterback New England Patriots.
It's all been downhill for the Yankees since Mr. Wilhelm left to become a scout for the Mets, they were able to survive a year or two without Wilhelm, and Costanza, but the dearth of a farm system can be blamed on the loss of such key personnel, and the inability to replace it.
There is nothing better than a 17inning game involving Vin Scully behind the mike, especially as I learn more about Ramon Valdez in innings 12-17 than I know about much of my extended family. However on Monday he was as much a casualty as both starting catchers from the marathon game, as much to my chagrin I tuned into a Dodgers home game, only to discover another voice (in this case Charley Steiner) polluting my ears.
Steiner is excellent, but when you anticipate Scully, everyone else sounds like Joe Morgan.
There was a neat feature in the Herald the other day in which all the Celtics talk about what they plan to do in the offseason to get better.
Noticeably absent was Doc Rivers, who at no point has ever said I need to coach 'em up better, or some variation of that cliché.
In any event there was one that scared me most and it was Gerald Green's response about paying pickup games to improve his defense. At least next year we'll be able to pinpoint exactly what his problem is, and where it stems from.
Seeing Greg Oden announce for the draft made me feel a little special inside, as I hope my lone voice, shouting "no more years" at the Alamodome last month may have made a difference. I also informed him from a great distance how good he'd look in green, but that got more than a few odd stares down in Republican country.
I will now attempt to not think, read, or talk about him for the next 20 days, and just try to let it happen, then again that didn't really work in high school with all the girls I though I had a chance with.
So seriously, was the elder DeOssie in charge of writing his kid's name down on the birth certificate, or did he just hand that off to Smerlas to take care of? At what point, and by whom was it discovered that little Zak was missing a C in his name?
I wasted 5 hours on the first round of the draft Saturday, and honestly I have nothing to really say. It was fun to watch, but analysis seems futile.
I want to care about the NHL playoffs, I really do. I have even a vested rooting interest, anyone playing Buffalo. I have also gone out of my way to check channel no. 62 each night the past couple weeks. But it never stays in the regular rotation, TNT, NESN, all the baseball package channels, and mindless click to ESPN, but invariably I always miss the good hockey stuff.
ESPN, I beg you, resurrect this sport and force me to pay attention by putting it on one of your 27 channels, and consistently leading Sportscenter at 6pm with it. Remember the motto of the Ocho, "if it's barely a sport we'll cover it."
Worst opening round of the playoffs in NBA history. (Mavs/Warriors excluded) I wish those damn JV games would start at 6 or 7, so the varsity could play at 930 allowing me to watch and still sleep at a reasonable hour. TNT I'm looking in your direction when I blame the fact that NBA games are now nearly as long as baseball.
Not only does the East suck, but it's boring as hell to watch.
There is the distinct possibility, that one of the following three teams will be participating in the Western Conference Playoffs...The Jazz Rockets, or everyone with a soul's personal favorite the Warriors.
Alex Cora is awesome, but having Remdog tell me how fundamentally sound he is every single time he ties his shoelaces properly is one prime reason for not wanting to see him in the every day lineup.
I'd like to thank Hideki Okajima for fixing a flaw in my softball mechanics, all this talk about him looking directly at the ground made me realize, that's exactly what I do. Anyways, problem now solved, and it's amazing how much easier it is to throw strikes when actually looking at the target the whole time.
I'll be honest I don't know how long this will last, but with my hopeful impending departure from the world of professional writing, I'd like to keep some outlet, and this seems like the place to do it. As I become more "web page" savvy I'll try to make this not look like a blank screen with some writing on it, but for now this is the deal.
It may be slightly dirty laundry now, but a little detergent/winning can clean that up, and as a result I am welcoming in Randy Moss, and mini-Albert Haynesworth into the fold for the Patriots.
There is no moral compass in professional sports, you bring in guys who you think can help you win, while hoping they don't completely embarrass the franchise. If Bill Belichick thinks these guys can get the Pats back to the Super Bowl then I'm all for it.
I do hope one offensive lineman obliterates our own African-American Michael Flatley just once on a block early in the season so we can get all the de-cleated jokes out of the way.
Which brings me to my next point, and I'll take feedback from the reader(s?) on this one, what are you supposed to do in a football brawl? Hockey players take their helmets off, and don't usually have facemasks anyway, baseball and basketball players don't wear pads and can rumble around for a bit. But in all honesty the intensity of the moment takes over and you want to win the fight on a football field what do you do? Use your most dangerous appendage on their most vulnerable spot. The end result; cleating someone's calf.
With that out of the way we need to break down more important issues with this guy. Such as, licensed or not who feels the need to take a handgun with them to their 6am workout? Last I checked Miami was not Spanish for Ramadi.
What illicit activities are you involved in that leaves you suspicious enough that someone is waiting for you in the parking lot?
All across New England next August will be the same phrase..."With the first pick in the 2007 (Insert comical acronym) Fantasy Draft, the (insert funny/borderline offensive team name) select, Tom Brady, quarterback New England Patriots.
It's all been downhill for the Yankees since Mr. Wilhelm left to become a scout for the Mets, they were able to survive a year or two without Wilhelm, and Costanza, but the dearth of a farm system can be blamed on the loss of such key personnel, and the inability to replace it.
There is nothing better than a 17inning game involving Vin Scully behind the mike, especially as I learn more about Ramon Valdez in innings 12-17 than I know about much of my extended family. However on Monday he was as much a casualty as both starting catchers from the marathon game, as much to my chagrin I tuned into a Dodgers home game, only to discover another voice (in this case Charley Steiner) polluting my ears.
Steiner is excellent, but when you anticipate Scully, everyone else sounds like Joe Morgan.
There was a neat feature in the Herald the other day in which all the Celtics talk about what they plan to do in the offseason to get better.
Noticeably absent was Doc Rivers, who at no point has ever said I need to coach 'em up better, or some variation of that cliché.
In any event there was one that scared me most and it was Gerald Green's response about paying pickup games to improve his defense. At least next year we'll be able to pinpoint exactly what his problem is, and where it stems from.
Seeing Greg Oden announce for the draft made me feel a little special inside, as I hope my lone voice, shouting "no more years" at the Alamodome last month may have made a difference. I also informed him from a great distance how good he'd look in green, but that got more than a few odd stares down in Republican country.
I will now attempt to not think, read, or talk about him for the next 20 days, and just try to let it happen, then again that didn't really work in high school with all the girls I though I had a chance with.
So seriously, was the elder DeOssie in charge of writing his kid's name down on the birth certificate, or did he just hand that off to Smerlas to take care of? At what point, and by whom was it discovered that little Zak was missing a C in his name?
I wasted 5 hours on the first round of the draft Saturday, and honestly I have nothing to really say. It was fun to watch, but analysis seems futile.
I want to care about the NHL playoffs, I really do. I have even a vested rooting interest, anyone playing Buffalo. I have also gone out of my way to check channel no. 62 each night the past couple weeks. But it never stays in the regular rotation, TNT, NESN, all the baseball package channels, and mindless click to ESPN, but invariably I always miss the good hockey stuff.
ESPN, I beg you, resurrect this sport and force me to pay attention by putting it on one of your 27 channels, and consistently leading Sportscenter at 6pm with it. Remember the motto of the Ocho, "if it's barely a sport we'll cover it."
Worst opening round of the playoffs in NBA history. (Mavs/Warriors excluded) I wish those damn JV games would start at 6 or 7, so the varsity could play at 930 allowing me to watch and still sleep at a reasonable hour. TNT I'm looking in your direction when I blame the fact that NBA games are now nearly as long as baseball.
Not only does the East suck, but it's boring as hell to watch.
There is the distinct possibility, that one of the following three teams will be participating in the Western Conference Playoffs...The Jazz Rockets, or everyone with a soul's personal favorite the Warriors.
Alex Cora is awesome, but having Remdog tell me how fundamentally sound he is every single time he ties his shoelaces properly is one prime reason for not wanting to see him in the every day lineup.
I'd like to thank Hideki Okajima for fixing a flaw in my softball mechanics, all this talk about him looking directly at the ground made me realize, that's exactly what I do. Anyways, problem now solved, and it's amazing how much easier it is to throw strikes when actually looking at the target the whole time.
I'll be honest I don't know how long this will last, but with my hopeful impending departure from the world of professional writing, I'd like to keep some outlet, and this seems like the place to do it. As I become more "web page" savvy I'll try to make this not look like a blank screen with some writing on it, but for now this is the deal.
