I'm sitting here watching the Patriots play the Chargers and have just come to this conclusion; Matt Cassel is horrible!! Four plays from 6 inches from the goal line and he can't find a way to get the ball in the end zone. As I am writing this Rivers has just gone long again. All I can say is this; In a world where I think athletes are over paid, PAY BRADY MORE!!! We obviously can not win without him.
Chargers score again. What an embarrasment.
As a Red Sox fan I have been watching the games since Manny's departure and finding that I don't really miss him at all. Jason Bay has done an incredible job of stepping into Manny's spot and making the team stronger. I'm not saying that Bay is the same caliber of player that Manny is, because he's not, but he has made the TEAM stronger. The long and short of it is this...Do we miss Manny? I would say no. Do most Red Sox fans have no more respect for Manny? I would say yes. Not in a Johnny Damon kind of way but in a way that you would not be able to respect anyone who quits on their team. Have you seen Manny running around the bases like he's 26 again? It's a joke. This guy would be carrying a plastic spray bottle and washing windshields in NYC if it wasn't for baseball. He has more money than he can count but it obviously wasn't enough. He and Scott Boras represent what is wrong with both the players and the game today. When $20 million a year is not enough, when World Series Championships are not enough, and an opportunity to repeat is not enough, what is? Manny may have everyone out here in SoCal fooled for now but as soon as he and his money grubbing whore of an agent get there money it will be the old Manny again. Putting himself ahead of both the team and the sport. Manny is a great ball player but he has obviously forgotten about the love of the game. If the Red Sox should meet the Dodgers in the World Series I hope they throw at him every time he comes up to the plate.
Manny may look like a winner right now but only a loser quits on his team. Especially when that team is paying him $20 million a year. Go Phillies!!
The Red Sox are officially killing me. I could have done without yesterday's ass kicking by the Yanks. Let's hope that the Sox can make a statement today and keep the Yanks from coming even in the standings with them.
What a sight it was to see Coco Crisp rush the mound and take it to James Shields! I think anyone who knows anything about baseball knew that this sequence of events was set in motion the night before when Coco and Maddon exchanged pleasantries, but to see it materialize into such a donnybrook was, I believe, both a surprise and a pleasure to most. I can say this for certain, these are not the Rays of the past. The old predictable cellar dwellers seem to have a new fire in their bellies and a record on the field that can not be denied. All I can say is that a new rivalry in the AL East is sorely needed now that the Yankees can't seem to find any way to get it together. I hope this rivalry only grows more heated.
By the way, Go Celts! 1-0 and looking for more!
If there is anybody out there that has actually missed my ramblings over the last week I apologize for the lack of activity on the blog. With that said I have a few thoughts to share with you.
First and foremost, the universe seems to be back to normal now that the Orioles or the Rays are not holding down the first place slot in the AL East. It's especially nice to see the Sox on top even though it is meaningless this early in the season.
Second, as I sit here and watch the Sox and the Yanks go at it again I can't help but think of A-Rod and his giant contract. Does this guy ever come through when it counts? When the game is out of hand he is a stat machine, but when it really needs to get done it seems like he is completely useless. I was wondering earlier today, what do you get from A-Rod for for $28 million or so that you don't get from a guy who makes a hell of a lot less? For example...
David Wright signed a 6 year contract worth $55 million a year or about $9 million a year. Let's compare their stats from 2007.
| Player | A-Rod | Wright |
| Hits | 183 | 196 |
| Runs | 143 | 113 |
| HR's | 54 | 30 |
| RBI's | 156 | 107 |
| SB | 24 | 34 |
| BB | 95 | 94 |
| TB | 376 | 330 |
| AVG | .314 | .325 |
| OBP | .422 | .416 |
| SLG | .645 | .546 |
So I guess there are no surprises so far this season right? I mean we all knew that the Rays would be in first place right now and that the Detroit Tigers would be 0-5 after dropping 3 straight to the Royals and then another 2 to the White Sox didn't we. Listen, I know that one week into the season this means pretty much nothing but it sure is interesting to watch. Did I mention that the Yankees are in last place after getting their asses handed to them on Friday and then losing again today to the Rays. It's just so much fun to watch.
COLISEUM BEGINNING TO FILL UP
COLISEUM AT CAPACITY DURING GAME TIME
I hope you enjoy the pictures and that they are able to give you at least a small feel for what the experience of being there was like.
On another note, I'm watching the Sox play the Blue Jays right now and it is a hell of a game so far. Wakefield is looking great. Scratch that. Matt Stairs just went yard. 1-0 Jays. Not to fear though, it's still early!
If you've read anything about last Saturday nights game at the LA Coliseum between the Red Sox and the Dodgers then you probably already know the following facts.
As someone who had the privilege of being at the game I would like to share with you some things that you might not know.
Overall the experience was a great one and the feeling of experiencing history was amazing. Glad I could be a part of it, but more glad that I am still here to share it with you and that I don't have any extra holes in me.
Lastly, I would like to say....STAY CLASSY DODGER FANS, YOU'RE SOMETHING SPECIAL!
So I guess today was Opening Day. I think it was Opening day, wasn't it? Funny thing though, it didn't feel like Opening Day to me. What about you? I know that I am not alone when I say that this is a stupid idea. Don't get me wrong, a few exhibition games in Japan is great for the sport but to have Opening Day start at 6:10 AM and for the bulk of Red Sox fans to not have any chance to watch it is just plain dumb. I caught the tail end of the game on MLB.com but at 6:30 AM west coast time it certainly didn't seem like I should have been watching the 9th inning of Opening Day. The worst part about these games being played is that the Sox come back to the States this week and play more meaningless exhibition games before they resume real baseball. (Just for the record, I am excited about the game at the LA Coliseum because I have tickets.) Now I know that most baseball fans, outside of Boston and Oakland, won't really care about this issue but they should. Why you may ask, I'll tell you why, because soon it will be your team over there Opening the season at 6:00 AM and although it may seem like a little thing it's just one more simple pleasure that you may not be able to count on and enjoy.
Congratulations to the Red Sox on their Opening Day victory. It was probably one of the most exciting Opening Day games in quite some time and I'm sure that it was the most exciting Opening Day game that no one really saw.
I'm sure there are thousands of Sox fans who would have liked to have seen it. Way to go MLB keep up the good work.
Number One
Alright, I realize that I am probably going to have a lot of people who disagree with Izzy Alcantara and the Pawtucket Red Sox holding down the number one spot on my list, but how can you watch a hitter kick the catcher in the face before charging the mound and not think that is something special!
I'll shed some light on what led up to the action.
In the first meeting of the season between the Paw Sox and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons back in May 2001, Alcantara was plunked in the shoulder by Scranton pitcher Pete Zamora after hitting two homers off another pitcher. Now, fast forward to July and we have the two teams meeting again. Alcantara, who was the International League leader in batting and home runs, hits another homer off of Zamora and proceeds to make his way around the bases at a snails pace. Later in the game the Red Barons pitcher, Blas Cedeno, brushes Izzy of the plate with an inside fastball and Izzy obviously takes exception to this. He decides to express his displeasure by kicking the catcher, Jeremy Salazar, in the face and then proceeds to charge the mound. For his troubles he received a six game suspension and an undisclosed fine. In the end, I'm sure he would say it was all worth it just to hold the number one spot on my list of top 5 fights in Red Sox history!
Disclaimer
I know that I left the 1976 Red Sox/Yankees, Fisk vs. Piniella, brawl off the list but the truth is I have only seen clips of it and I am to young to have seen it unfold live. I'm sure if I was around to see it it would be on the list. The clips I have seen looked pretty intense.
Number Two
Ok, for those of you who remember, this is when all the bad blood between the Red Sox and the Devil Rays began. It was the first inning and with his fourth pitch Pedro plunked Williams with a fastball up and in. Williams decided to take exception to this and charged the mound. When the brawl was all said and done with MLB handed down suspensions to 8 Devil Rays players and 0 Red Sox players. If you're wondering whay that is you would have to remember that the Devil Rays pitchers hit 3 Red Sox batters after the Pedro incident in the first inning. After missing Brian Daubach with two pitches that were obviously intended to bean him they still found a way to hit him twice before the night was over. I'm sure it was no coincidence that Daubach was the first Red Sox player to come to Pedro's aid as Williams charged the mound. You have to admit that Pedro always found a way to keep things interesting.
I've had a few days now to think about this whole Yankee vs. Rays bench clear incident and have come to a few conclusions.
First, Joe Girardi was quoted after the game in which the Rays Elliot Johnson ran over Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli at the plate and breaking Cervelli’s wrist as saying:
"I'm all for playing hard, but spring training is not the time to do it"
Well I guess Joe Girardi doesn't think it's the time to play hard (which to me says a lot about Joe), but for young guys like Cervelli and Johnson it is exactly that time. What other opportunity do these guys have to showcase their hustle and performance at a major league level? These guys are fighting for an opportunity to not only make the pros, but to make a Big League income. Francisco Cervelli blocked the plate for the same reason that Elliot Johnson knocked him on his ass. To show the guys in charge that they are the type of players who play hard all the time. Can you imagine what the talk would have been if Johnson had just slowed up at the plate and allowed himself to be tagged out? Everyone would have said he had no heart and that he was afraid of being physical. What do you think his odds of making the major league roster would have been then? The fact is the play at the plate was a clean play.
This brings me to my second point. The Yankees showed once again why they have continued to fall from grace. They are no longer a class organization. You throw at a guy during spring training in retaliation for a clean play? I expect that from a perennial loser, not a team like the Yankees. You then follow that up with Shelley Duncan trying to drive his spikes into the thighs (or groin) of Iwamura. Duncan explained the slide like this:
"I made a hard slide into Iwamura's glove. When I'm out there playing, I like to play hard. In my head, I wasn't thinking about a message. They see me playing hard every day."
"To me, there's no malicious intent at all. I just felt I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. I play the game one way. I'll never stop playing the game that way."
Well, that's the same way Elliot Johnson was playing when he smashed into Francisco Cervelli and Girardi took offense to it. Girardi has to make up his mind. Either playing hard in spring training is good or bad. If it's not the way he wants to see teams play in the spring then he should be coming out and saying that Duncan's slide was inappropriate. If it is the way he wants to see teams play then he started this whole mess for nothing because he would understand that Johnson was just playing the game hard like Shelley Duncan said of himself.
The Yankees wanted new leadership and they got it in Girardi. So far I don't think even Yankee fans are impressed. The manager sets the tone for the team and so far the tone set by Girardi does not seem to be a good one. Just more whining and complaining which seems to be the new Yankee tradition.
With all the talk of this brawl it now has me thinking. What would you consider the top 5 greatest fights in Red Sox history? Over the next five days I will share my picks. I look forward to your feedback and opinions.
Looks like all the big news in Red Sox Nation the last few days is about Josh Beckett and his back problems. With all the speculation from the media about whether or not he will make the trip to Japan for his scheduled start on March 24th I think that they have missed the bigger picture. What is that bigger picture you ask? I'll tell you: Who cares? It's game number 1. It's a trip he probably doesn't want to make anyway, and I would rather have him sitting at home watching the game if there is any doubt about his physical condition. It must be a real slow week in Boston sports for this to be getting so much press.
In other news, it looks like Johnny Damon is continuing to fall apart. After fouling a pitch off of his right foot he was taken to a local hospital for x-rays. The x-rays were negative but it's nice to see him hobbling around already. I personally look forward to his continued deterioration throughout the season.
I am so smart. Look at them, they believe every word I say.
The Red Sox fell to the LA Dodgers today when they allowed the Dodgers to score 7 runs in the top of the ninth. The final score was 9-6. For me, as I'm sure it was for most Red Sox fans, it was a very strange experience to watch that game and see Joe Torre in a Dodger uniform. Terry Francona seems to be happy about the change.
Randy Moss asking which way the bank is after his new contract
Thanks for the Q&A Hank.I can't wait to see how many new ways Red Sox fans will come up with this year to annoy both Hank and the Yankees. At the end of the day I believe Hank will have no doubt as to who's really on top and what Red Sox Nation is all about.
Apparently Roger Clemens thinks that everyone should just get over this whole steroid thing now that baseball season is here. Is this guy for real? In a comment that seemed eerily similar to Mark McGwire's "I'm not here to talk about the past speech", Clemens actually had the nerve to tell reporters...
"Everything's been said that needs to be said on that, we're moving forward. It's baseball time."
Prior to that he sharply addressed a photographer outside the facility by stating...
"This isn't a zoo!"
Well, to Roger Clemens, I have this to say. Yes Roger, it is a zoo. To take it one step further, it's a zoo that you created. With the news today that Congress has asked the Justice Department to investigate whether he lied during sworn testimony being added to this zoo I think it has officially been promoted to a three ring circus.
Write this down Roger....
There is no one to blame for this mess and media circus but yourself. Your big ass ego just couldn't come clean and face the consequences of your decisions like a man. Well, I hope you're satisfied with the results so far. We now know your wife was using HGH, that she likes to play "rate my rack" at parties, and that you would much rather see the lives of everyone around you burnt to the ground than to see your image damaged. For the record, these are all little bits of knowledge that we wouldn't have if you had just come clean.
I will give Clemens this though; he likes to state that he gives all of his energy to everything that he does. That sure seems to be the truth here because he is peddling 100 percent pure BS and it's obvious that he's giving it 110 percent.
What a role model.
With Tito locked into his extension until 2011 and Bartolo Colon getting signed as an insurance policy down in the minors it is really starting to feel like Red Sox baseball is getting close! Although I would have preferred to see Johan Santana in a Red Sox uniform I guess getting Bartolo Colon out of the bargain bin may pay dividends down the stretch. I heard that they're paying him with cheeseburgers but I can't confirm that yet. I guess we'll see.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
It seems as though Andy Pettitte's press conference today has stirred up a lot of emotion, and in reading some of the comments across the internet today it seems like most of the emotion is, not only negative, but aimed at Andy Pettitte. How can that be you ask? Well, apparently New Yorkers think that Pettitte is "a rat". Well, with that said, in my slightly slanted opinion, most New Yorkers have shown themselves to be ignorant morons! You look at a guy who tells the truth while looking at a choice between prison or supporting his family and you call him a rat? It's not like Pettitte came out and started running his mouth just because he felt like it. They gave him a choice. Which, by the way, was the same choice that they gave McNamee. Tell the truth or face possible jail time for perjury. I guess most big tough New Yorkers would have put their friendship first and their families in the background where they apparently think they belong. Do any of them think for a second that Clemens would have put himself or his reputation in harms way to protect Pettitte if the situation was the other way around? Clemens is interested in one thing and one thing only and that's covering his own ass even if he has to expose someone else's ass to try to do it. In this case, that person's ass was Mrs. Clemens, literally. I'm just waiting for him to say "it wasn't me it was the one armed man". By the reaction from most New Yorkers though it seems as if this is the kind of guy that most New Yorkers aspire to be and think displays the qualities that a man should possess. I have to say, I feel bad for any single woman around New York who are looking for an intelligent honest man because apparently they are few and far between. On the bright side though if you're looking for an ignorant guy with his priorities and values all out of whack then you are in the right place!
As far as Andy Pettitte goes, he has earned my respect. What he did was wrong and today he accepted the consequences. He didn't run, he didn't hide, and he didn't point the finger at anyone and everyone in his life. We all make poor choices at one time or another. It's how you handle the consequences of those choices that make you a man.
We here at Red Sox and Stuff have breaking news to share with you today! That news is............. IT'S OFFICIAL, JORGE POSADA IS AN IDIOT! Let's take a look at the following quotes from Posada in regards to Roger Clemens' congressional hearing.
Well what a day today was. I think I am actually dumber for having listened to that nonsense on Capitol Hill today. Did we learn anything new? Yes, McNamee is a bit of a weasel and may have some skeletons in his closet. Yes, Roger Clemens is a HUGE EGOMANIAC and apparently doesn't mind that McNamee had his wife's pants around her ankles in their bedroom while he stuck something in her ass unbeknownst to him. (I'm talking about the needle of course) Yes, Congress should have better things to do, but apparently doesn't, and still has some members who are star struck just as they were with the first round of Steroid Users. As for Arlen Specter and Spygate, shouldn't he just admit that he's a bitter Eagles fan and that he's just pissed off that they keep losing? For all you people out there that think this is a good thing because you hate the Patriots for being winners let me remind you that it may be the Patriots today but where do we draw the line? Maybe you work at a private company and Congress decides they want to come in and do some drug testing because they have heard that there are some users working there and they don't think that management has handled the job of punishing them adequately enough. Are you for that? Do you want them micromanaging your company's personnel decisions? Call it what you want, that's exactly what this is. So even though watching Big Head Roger today was good for a laugh or two it doesn't change the fact that he shouldn't have been there to begin with.
Note to Congress:
It's a game people! We have real problems in our country that affect real people and you get paid to take care of those. Why don't you try doing that job well before you start trying to run the NFL and MLB?
Getting back to Clemens, If he would have just shut his big yap he wouldn't be in this situation. He has displayed all the negative aspects of Pride. Rather than admit that he is human and maybe had a few lapses of judgment, he has decided to throw his wife under the bus and to treat you and I like we are complete morons. Does he really think that we are all dumb enough to buy his BS? If he would have gone the honest route like Pettitte and the others then this would all be over by now. Unfortunately it looks like he decided to lie, thinking he could fool everyone, to preserve his reputation. In the end that will be the reason he no longer has one.
I was sitting at home the other day reading through more of this Roger Clemens drama when suddenly it occurred to me....Wouldn't it be interesting to make an All-Star team comprised of only players we know have taken steroids, and those that we all but know have taken them? case in point, Roger Clemens)
So here's what I'm asking from all of you: Give me the best steroid user you can find for each position (ex. pitcher- Roger Clemens), but then, give me the best non steroid user counterpart that you can think of (past or present). My goal is to collect 2 starting rosters. Team Steroid, and Team Natural so to speak. After I receive all the suggestions from all of you I will post the 2 teams rosters and then we can debate (if you choose) which of the 2 teams is the superior one. Remember, I need suggestions for all positions. Please look at what others have posted so we can try to avoid duplicates.
I am sitting here wondering if I owe Dan Duquette an apology and I don't quite know what to make of it. Ever since Roger Clemens left the Red Sox back in 1996 I've been cursing out Dan Duquette for thinking that Clemens was, as he said, "in the twilight of his career". At the time I couldn't help but think that it didn't look like he was in the twilight of his career when he won the Cy Young Award up in Toronto in 1997 and 1998, or, for that matter, when he won it again in 2001. So, for almost 12 years now I've been giving the middle finger to Duquette for being an idiot. But now, with all these allegations that Clemens has been cheating since 1998, what am I to do? If Clemens is found to have cheated do I have to give Duquette credit for knowing that Clemens' career was winding down? Looking back, Duquette made some great acquisitions. He picked up Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe, Jason Varitek, and in the process gave up Carl Pavano (that alone earns him new found respect from me), Heathcliff Slocumb, and Tony Armas Jr. Talk about coming out smelling like roses! Anyway, not that Dan Duquette will ever read this, or would care even if he did, but.... I AM SORRY for doubting you. I don't know how many other people out there have been holding a grudge against him like myself, but it seems to me we all may owe him one big apology and maybe, just maybe, a thank you as well.
Well what an interesting twist we have woken to this morning. Could this story be any more "As the World Turns" or what? One of these guys is proving to be quite the little story teller. I tell you one thing, I'm not sitting in on a card game with either one of these guys right now. Talk about a poker face. We have McNamee all in with nothing to gain if he's telling the truth, and Clemens all in with his legacy and reputation, not to mention possible jail time if he really takes it to the mat and lies under oath. If these guys would just do this while driving a white Bronco down the freeway we would have the story of the century unfolding before our very eyes! How exciting.
Well, it looks like the baseball world is really beginning to get interesting. Is it true? Did the Sox really try to drop Schilling? Does McNamee have needles with Roger's DNA on them? If so, were they stored with Monica Lewinsky's dress? Seriously, who saves trash for seven years? Should Schilling have used some of that lidocaine and B12 that helped Roger stay healthy? I guess he would have a different set of problems then but at least he'd be good to go come April.
Trivia Question....
Who is Barry Bonds' favorite MLB player?
I'm guessing Roger Clemens. Does anyone even care about Barry any more? He must just be sitting at home thinking "Thank God for Roger! This has been my most relaxing off season in years!"
Do you think that if Johnnie Cochran was still around that he would move over to the prosecutors side of things and have tried a "if the hat doesn't fit, you can't acquit" strategy against Roger?
And how about the news about the new Yankee Stadium? Will the extra $300 million dollars it looks like it is going to cost be passed along to the fans through the price of beer?
How many of you out there are like me in that, now that football season is over, you feel this void in the sporting world? Life just isn't the same between the end of the NFL season and the beginning of MLB. I guess we all just have to be patient and count the days until the first pitch is thrown and the passion of baseball begins again.
Here are some baseball related stories to get you in the spirit of things.....
Official: Jeter settles tax inquiry
Do the Red Sox have the makings of a Dynasty?
Casey To Help Sox At First
While everyone else in the sports world is focusing on things like: Blame runs deep for Pats, and The Patriots still define the 2007 season, I'm going to focus on something a lot more important. That is....Why the f#!k did I have to sit there and watch Ryan Seacrest? Is this what the NFL thinks that we want to see before the biggest football game of the season? If I wanted to see someone like Ryan Seacrest before the game I would have been tuned into the Lifetime Channel or watched Will & Grace for 3 hours. Whoever thought that was a good idea should be fired, or better yet, forced to watch his favorite sporting event or television show with Seacrest edited into it, interrupting every 15 minutes. I think Frank Caliendo hit the nail on the head when he said...
"Boy, nothing says 'NFL-tough' like Ryan Seacrest. I guess Richard Simmons was booked."
Terry Bradshaw threw in his two cents as well by stating...
Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone. For New Yorkers, it was a GREAT one. For New Englanders, not so great. I will say this, however, I am proud to be a Patriots fan today. In my eyes, what happened yesterday does not take away from the amazing season that they put forth for us to be a part of and to experience. With that said, I would like to talk about the 1972 Dolphins. I know there's a lot of other stuff to get to like the crappy commercials, the boring Tom Petty performance, and the game itself, but I choose the '72 Dolphins today.
Being born in 1975, I didn't have the pleasure of seeing the '72 Dolphins in action so all I have to judge them on, outside of their record, is how they act today. Does anyone else think that the '72 Dolphins are a lot like the old guy at the bar trolling for younger women and desperately trying to hold on to his younger years because he knows his best years are behind him? Or maybe a better example would be to think of them as the 25 year old who still hangs out at high school parties wearing his Varsity jacket trying to remain relevant for something he may have done well years ago? Either way, it just seems sad to me. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be proud of their accomplishment, because they should. But do they really have to be so childish about it? Great athletes tend to let their accomplishments stand on their own, unlike Mercury Morris and his friends. If you have to tell people how great you were, could you have really been that great?
Did anyone see Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw or Joe Montana trying to prove that their teams were better than the Patriots this year? No, you didn't, because they let their achievements stand on their own. Will another team ever make a run at perfection like the Patriots did this year? I don't know. Thanks to the 72' Dolphins, though, I do know this: Apparently you can be perfect and still have no class.
On another sad note, it seems as if a lot of Dolphins fans are much more interested in the fact that they had a great team 36 years ago than they are with the fact that they have a terrible team today. Check out this article. It's enough to make you want to puke. I love the part about Don Shula never running up the score that comes immediately after the point he makes about the Dolphins beating the Patriots 52-0.
It's kind of funny, while the Dolphins were winless this year I kept hoping that they would find a way to win just one game to keep them from the embarrasment that would have been attached to that record. Right about now, after listening to some of the 72' Dolphins players and their current fans, I can't believe I rooted for them to win. In hind sight, if they had gone winless, I don't think there is any other franchise that would have been so deserving of that 0-16 season as the Dolphins. I wonder what Mercury Morris would have said about that?
Congratulations to the New York Giants. They are the new Super Bowl Champions. They deserved to win tonight.
That really hurt to say.
Well, tomorrow is the day. All the talk will stop and the action will begin. Will it be 19-0? Will it be history in the making? Will it be a Giant upset? (I hope not) Will a Patriot's victory only add fuel to the Spygate fire? All these questions, and more, will be answered soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy the game, the commercials, and the beer. I know I will!
So it seems as though all the big news again today is Spygate. From former Patriots employees looking for their 15 minutes of fame (i.e. Matt Walsh), to just about every sports writer in the known universe, this is once again the main focus of the upcoming Super Bowl. This has me asking myself one question: Why do we as people prefer to focus on the negative things out there in the world much more than the positive ones?
From the nightly news to the daily papers we just can't seem to get enough of Britney Spears' latest meltdown or O.J Simpson, or anything having to do with death and destruction. Why is that? Could it be that we just take joy in others misery because it makes us feel better about our own personal situations? Does it allow us to justify where we find ourselves in life by finding a reason to tear down people who have achieved a high degree of success? We have on our doorstep an opportunity to see perfection, and no doubt history, from a franchise that has built a winning tradition based on team unity and a singular vision of the task at hand. That task is taking care of business. The Patriots are a well oiled machine and now people hate them for that. Would we be hearing about all this if the Patriots were 15-3 right now? Not a chance! The fact that they are on the verge of achieving something special is the only reason for all the negativity.
It's a sad world we live in when an event that has all the makings of an uplifting story line takes a back seat to the nonsense we are witnessing today. That's right boys and girls, take note, if you get close to achieving your dreams the media and the masses will surely be looking for an opportunity to put you back in your place. Right or wrong it doesn't matter. Negativity sells, and unfortunately that's the American Way.
Is anyone besides me tired of this Spygate nonsense? Can people out there really be stupid enough to believe that what the Patriots did in week one has given them any unfair advantage since that day? I understand that controversy sells books and newspapers and draws internet traffic and all of that ultimately turns into money, but can the people reporting on this really believe what they're arguing? For example, check out this article by Tim Dahlberg. In the article Bruce Svare, who is the head of the National Institute of Sports Reform, compares the Patriots to Barry Bonds and says that....
“In my view they should go down with an asterisk the same way Barry Bonds should go down. They cheated the game, cheated the integrity of the game.”
Currently, I am sitting here in front of my computer contemplating, amongst other things, Plaxico Burress' Super Bowl prediction. I don't have a problem with the prediction. I don't even have a problem with the guarantee of victory. However, like most other people, I do have a problem with the score itself. Did he not see what happened the last time these teams played one another? Is he just no good at math? Or maybe he's just smarter than everyone else and he knows something that most people don't. Just for the record, I'm pretty sure it's not that last one.
So what could have possessed him to give such a prediction? Could he really believe that it will be that kind of low scoring game? Is it possible that he hasn't watched any game film of the Patriots this season? I can only think of one good reason why he would throw those numbers out there, and that is, good ole' fashioned air time. In this sound bite world that we live in there is no better way to get some publicity than to say something stupid or controversial. Just look at Miss Teen South Carolina and her now infamous "map speech".
Anyway, with all that said, I figure this is as good a time as any to put down the redsoxandstuff.com game prediction. These numbers have no statistics, insider information, or intelligence behind them (drum roll please..........................)
New England Patriots 34
New York Giants 27
And Boston continues it's reign of dominance over New York in the 2000's!
I would also like to place an over under on how many Payton Manning commercials we will see during the game. I'll set the line at 4.5. What do you think?
As Super Bowl Sunday quickly approaches, the country is once again faced with a familiar post season sports sight, and that is, Boston vs New York. To people within these two regions this is another great match up and another opportunity to stick it to a rival city. For others, it’s just another “Red Sox vs Yankees” post season and it seems as though a lot of people have had enough of that already. To those people I say: Too bad! Get a better team! And if you don’t like it then don’t watch as the Patriots go for perfection and Boston sports once again adds to it’s growing resume of putting New York in it’s place since the turn of the millennium. Go Pats!
All the talk lately seems to be... If the Patriots win the Super Bowl next week will they be the best team ever? The two teams most commonly referenced have been the 1972 Dolphins and the 1985 Bears; so, let's look at the numbers and the reasons that I believe that this is a no brainer.
I'm sure I could continue to dig for more obscure reasons but to me the seven above do an adequate job of proving my point. Maybe you disagree; and that's fine, because at the end of the day that's half of what makes sports so much fun to talk about.
Is anyone besides me getting a real kick out of this whole Tom Brady boot thing? Just looking at the smirk on Belichick's face during his last press conference as he said to the media....
Hell, the media even laughed with him! Who knew that Bill had jokes? I mean he's handling himself pretty well considering he's planning on starting Donte Stallworth at QB next week isn't he? I mean that's what Stallworth said wasn't it? The fact that the whole team is getting in on the fun is just great. This whole thing is just another example of Belichick being the "puppet master". I sometimes get the feeling that everyone in the NFL this season are unknowing participants of the Truman Show and that Belichick is both director and producer."I don't have any comment on it. The injury report will be out next Wednesday and we're excited to give that to you. That form will be filled out completely and I can't wait to give that to everybody."
With the popularity of "Top 10 Greatest..." lists and "Best of..." lists being what they are, I wanted to take a slightly different approach today. For that reason, I give you:
Think I left one off? Let me know what your most painful Red Sox memory is.
With this two week break before Super Bowl Sunday I am already thinking about the gaping sports hole that exists between the end of football season and the beginning of baseball. With that in mind I've chosen to focus on some humor today. With the clip of Denny Green proudly displayed this week it got me thinking about some other great rants. Here are a few of my favorites.
I hope you enjoy them. Let me know which one is your favorite.
After enjoying yesterdays AFC and NFC Championship games, I awoke this morning with a strange feeling of indecisiveness about LT's non performance. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting for a minute that the guy should go out there and play if he really can't make a go of it. But, if that is the case, and he can't play, shouldn't he at least get off his ass and be a part of the game from the sideline? I've heard the arguments from San Diegans today that "he's just not that type of guy" and "he was too upset about not being able to play". To me, neither one of those excuses is going to cut it.
The fact is that LT can't have it both ways. You're either a leader or you're not. You can't be a leader some of the time or just when it's convenient. LT should have been up and down that Charger sideline rooting on his team and voicing words of encouragement to his teammates. What kind of effect does it have on morale when you see your star player sitting there on the bench hiding behind his Darth Vader visor with a posture that would lead you to believe that his dog just died? (I personally think they switched him out with a body double and that's why the Vader helmet never came off). Listen, I understand if he was upset about not being able to help his team on the field, but that doesn't give him a free pass from helping his team from the sideline by way of his leadership. If he was really that interested in supporting the team, I don't think he would have sat like a statue for three quarters of football.
Could this be a case of LT showing his true colors? Could it be that he is a "me first" kind of guy, and that he just puts on a good face for the public? I just can't seem to make up my mind here. Some here in San Diego have even called for him to be traded because, as so many of them have said, "he isn't a warrior". Can any one of you reading this possibly imagine a guy like Rodney Harrison, Teddy Bruschi, Junior Seau, or even a Philip Rivers, sitting and looking so disinterested during such a crucial game?
After a loss to the Bears, Denny Green once said, actually, make that screamed, "They are who we thought they were!" and right about now I do believe there are a lot of Charger fans who must be wondering "Is LT who we think he is?"
Well, here we are on the eve of the AFC and NFC Championship games. We here at redsoxandstuff.com have listened to all the experts opinions on the two match-ups tomorrow and with that said, have ignored all of it and have come up with our own predictions based on nothing other than good old fashioned instincts. So, here they are....
Patriots 27
Chargers 17
Packers 24
Giants 13
Packers vs Patriots in the Super Bowl!
All the hype and talk over the upcoming Patriots game this weekend vs the Chargers has me thinking, why all the hatred toward the Patriots? When did it all start? What are the reasons? The best that I can seem to come up with is this: In America we love a winner....as long as you don't win too much. It wasn't too long ago that the Patriots were America's darlings. It was in the aftermath of 9/11 when the Patriots took on the St. Louis Rams as huge underdogs and it seemed like everyone in the country was pulling for them. They were the little engine that could. A team full of role players and no one gave them a chance. I guess the only thing that Americans really love more than a winner is the little man trying to beat a giant. Just six years later here we are looking at a team that has started from humble beginnings and turned themselves into a dynasty.
Why is it that in America we all strive for perfection but when someone else is knocking on that door, we turn on them and try to tear them down? What is it about people that makes them turn their backs on a winner? What have the Patriots done to deserve all the hatred except for winning? Spygate you say? Well let's really look at that.
The Haters will say: They cheated in that first game and don't deserve all the credit they have received for this season.
A Pats fan will say: How the hell is cheating in one game, the first game, going to help you go undefeated over the course of a season? Yes, they cheated, they got caught, and they paid the price. Besides, everyone tries to steal signs in professional sports.
I am partial to the second line of thought.
The Haters will say: Bill Belichick is an arrogant jerk!
A Pats fan will say: Bill Belichick is a great coach who keeps his players in line and accepts nothing short of perfection from his players. Besides, he doesn't get paid to be Mr. Personality, he gets paid to win football games. Which, by the way, he does better than anyone else lately.
The Haters will say: The 1972 Dolphins were a better team.
A Pats fan will say: Who gives a shit what you think about that? The two teams will never play one another and it is impossible to say who would have won. The fact is this, the Pats are the best team in football right now.
But what is the truth? Could that one game have possibly given the Patriots an edge over every other team in the NFL? Surely a rational person can't believe that. Can they?
I believe it's as simple as this: We as people look for any reason to unleash our jealousy and envy upon a winner. Apparently it is just easier for people to take a negative and run with it than it is to give credit to a team who has built a dynasty upon hard work and a "team first" attitude.
To true fans of the game I say this: Enjoy this very special season. It is something that will not come around again anytime soon. To all the Haters I say this: jealousy is an ugly quality and the fact that you can't appreciate something special when you see it is just plain sad.
We at redsoxandstuff.com have gotten our hands on an internal communication from the city of San Diego
To All City Employees:
The San Diego Chargers have had a great season and are in the playoffs again! The Chargers have a playoff game this Sunday against the New England Patriots in Foxborough , Massachusetts . The winning team will represent the American Football Conference (AFC) in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 3, 2008 in Phoenix.In honor and support of the team, Mayor Sanders is encouraging all City employees, and all San Diegans, to show their team spirit by wearing Chargers colors – blue and gold - or appropriate team attire this Friday, January 18th.
Please encourage your co-workers and employees to proudly wear Chargers attire on Friday as we cheer the Bolts on!
“I don’t know why there’s this perception that we’re just going to run over the Chargers, that all we have to do is show up and the game is won. We’ll be going home if we take that approach. That’s the bottom line. We’ll be going home.”
I would like to take a few short moments to address the following comment by Igor,
The who? Well Igor let's go back to week 2 of the season, does 38-14 sound familiar? Maybe you've blocked out the ass whipping that the Pats laid upon you because it was too painful to cope with. I guess that would explain the amnesia."Who? New England?" Olshansky said. "Seriously, I mean, they're more worried than we are, I promise you. Believe me. They know what's up."
They know what's up? I bet they do Igor. I think "what's up" would be that they are a team with a perfect record going against a team who is physically beat up that they just happen to have beaten the last two times they met.
I guess come Sunday we'll all see what's up, out there, on the field.
The last round of the playoffs is now upon us and with that we now know which four teams will be fighting it out to get to the Super Bowl. With that knowledge, it leaves me with questions.
1. Should the Chargers lose to the Patriots (and they will)
I can't help but wonder.
Creepy.
Well, it's in the books, and the New England Patriots are still perfect. The Jags came in to Gillette Stadium tonight and gave the Patriots all that they could handle for the majority of the game, but lost the turnover battle and ultimately the game.
