Not Really a 'Spring Break' for this Guy

This is supposed to be my Spring Break, but I haven’t done the least bit of relaxing. I’ve been busting my ass around the house trying to get things done, and most importantly I’ve taken on the week-long task of painting the entire apartment. Not necessarily a 'spring break' but at least it will pay off in the end. Anyhow, enough about me on to this week’s blog...

1) Do You Love Baseball? Then you have to watch HBO’s East Bound & Down

Any of my readers out there who are lucky enough to have HBO should definitely check out Danny McBride’s new series East Bound & Down. The show revolves around a former Major League Baseball pitcher Kenny Powers (McBride) who is struggling with the fact that he has lost all of his once-great pitching talent because of years of substance abuse. Moreover, Powers is going broke and recently moved back in with his brother and his wife so he can try and get back on his feet.

What’s so awesome about this show is that it can be serious (it can show you what its actually like for some players who fall out of the spotlight) but it can also be down right hilarious (see Powers and his addiction to his jet-ski ). Powers is a cross between the late-great Rod Beck (for his out of shape appearance and ridiculous mullet) and former Atlanta Braves closer John Rocker (for his out of control behavior and constant use of the ‘F-Bomb‘). The show includes a cameo by Will Ferrell who plays local car salesman Ashley Schafer. Ferrell’s character is particularly funny because he resembles. acts, and even looks like a real-life Ric Flair, which gives the show an added flair of ridiculousness (no pun intended). Although I wouldn’t recommend that you sit-down with your family or your girlfriend to watch the show, (there is a ton of profanity and even some nudity) I would schedule it into your leisure time if you are a baseball fan with a good sense of humor.

2) Is it time for Celtics fans to Hit the Panic Button?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
For those Celtics fans out there griping about the team’s current slide there is no need to panic. Although the C’s are 4-6 in their last 10 games, including losses to the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls, they are still in a good position to get a No. 1 seed in this year’s playoffs. Here is why:

A. The Celtics have a relatively easy schedule down the stretch

With 14 games remaining on the C’s 2008-2009 season they have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way. The only challenges the Celtics face are match-ups with the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and a two-game series with the Atlanta Hawks. The game against the Cavs (Sunday April 12th @ Cleveland) could be particularly interesting because the Celtics are currently 4.5 games behind the Cavs for the No. 1 seed, and it kicks off the last week of regular season action. Additionally of their remaining 14 games, seven of those games will be played at home against sub-par teams like the Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Jersey Nets and Washington Wizards.

B. Kevin Garnett will be back within the next few days

We all know Garnett’s return will help re-ignite the Celtics defensive attack but Garnett’s return is also going to get the Boston fans back into the game. I don’t know about any of you readers but watching last nights overtime win for the Celtics against the Heat (who were minus Dwayne Wade) was a snore fest, even though we captured the Atlantic Division title in the process. The most significant thing about Garnett’s return is that he will help excite Celtics fans who are preparing for postseason action at the Garden, just like him.

C. The Cavaliers are bound to choke!

Let’s face it I’m not the biggest LeBron James fan on the face of the earth, although he is well on his way to a League MVP, James will not sniff the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP unless he’s hanging out at Kevin Garnett’s house on the Fourth of July. The Cavaliers basically control their own destiny with 15 games left on their schedule, 10 of which are games in Cleveland where they are an outstanding 30-1 on the season (note: the lone game the Cavs lost at home was against the Lakers last month). That one loss leads me to believe the Cavs are due for a letdown. Let’s hope that April 12th match-up against Boston is for the Conference title.

3) Will the Bruins finish with a No. 1 seed?

Yes. (there’s no need to say it more than once)

Even though the Bruins have done their share of struggling lately, (4-5-1 in their last 10 games), there is hope the Bruins can gain some momentum heading into the playoffs. The recent acquisitions of Mark Recchi and Steve Montador have altered the teams philosophy and since the deadline the Bruins have struggled. However, give these guys a chance they are proven veterans who know what it takes to win, once they adjust to the system in place the Bruins will thrive. Additionally, the Bruins are a relatively young team who is looking to gain respect. Moreover, they have the perfect mix of veterans and young players, which can pay dividends in the playoffs. If the Bruins get hot before heading into the playoffs, they might be able to ride the momentum all the way to a Stanley Cup championship.

Durfee Basketball is BACK

People are starting to get on my case about updating this blog, and I figure its in my best interest to do so, considering I have so much free-time over the next month and I really want to find a way to blog for a living because its so damn fun! I want to assure my readers that this next phase of ‘sports’ reporting will be everlasting, unlike the previous on again-off again stuff I was doing last year. I’ve found my calling and it’s time to start working!

Some of you may be wondering where the hell I’ve been so here’s the latest on me:

I’m still at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth working on my Bachelor of Arts Degree in English with a focus on professional writing. (That’s right RSL & BS I didn’t fall off the face of the Earth or join the African circus.) I am currently on schedule to graduate following the Spring of 2010, from there I’ll hopefully be going for my Master’s in journalism.

In November 2008 I began working at The Herald News as a sports correspondent. It’s an awesome job and a great experience. Some of you may have seen my articles in the newspaper and wondered if it was really me, well to end suspicion, yes it is me. So far I am loving every minute of it, I’ve been able to cover high school and college sports, alike.

Along the way I’ve been able to interview some of the areas best sports coaches and I’ve also attended some memorable games. However, in this article I want to focus on a game that I don’t think I will ever forget.

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of covering a Division 1 South Sectional Quarterfinals match-up between the Durfee Hilltoppers and Madison Park Voc-Tech at the Luke Urban Field House in Fall River, MA. Ironically, I had just gotten done reading Bill Reynold’s great book Fall River Dreams, which chronicles the 1992-1993 Durfee Hilltoppers basketball season, most importantly former Boston Celtics guard Chris Herren, whom a recent Herald News reader poll revealed is the greatest basketball player in Durfee history.

I had never before attended a boys’ basketball game at Durfee High School, and I’m proud to say the first game I ever attended was a state tournament match-up, could the excitement of the game had been any greater?

Being the ‘amateur’ reporter that I was (and still am) I thought it would be a good idea to sit in the student section for the game.

Wrong.

Although, I was well aware of how loud the Hilltopper-faithful could get when their team was on the court, considering the raucous crowds Durfee drew in Fall River Dreams, there was no way I could anticipate the type of noise and raucous the Durfee students were able to conjure up for that game.

Oh, and did I mention it had been several years since Durfee had hosted a Division 1 South State tournament game?

It was a surreal atmosphere during an all-important game for a team with a rich tradition of winning basketball. The fans were living and dying with every moment of the action. Whenever Durfee hit a basket, fans would jump to their feet in excitement, whenever Madison Park missed a basket, fans would go wild. (The Hilltoppers eventually won the game 63-60, after overcoming a 12-point deficit midway through the third quarter.)

However, what I will always remember about this game is the fans who were in attendance that night. Everyone was hoping to see Durfee basketball chase glory once again, and thanks to the victory, the Hilltoppers have re-established themselves as a Division 1 contender.

The defining moment into the next chapter of the history of Durfee basketball came when the student section (whom I was surrounded by in every direction) came up with one of the most outrageous chants of all time.

It was just about midway through the first quarter when the ‘chant’ began, (or should I say the referee harassment began). Coincidentally it started during the first Durfee foul. That’s when a Durfee student from behind me, standing in the last row of the bleachers, hollered out:

“BOO THIS MAN!” -- pointing at the referee

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” -- roared the Durfee students in attendance

Parents, elders, teachers, and even former players all turned towards the student section, as the long “BOO!!” continued to deafen everyone in, or about, the Luke Urban Field House.

Not knowing what to expect from the Hilltoppers brass, I froze.

From there I watched as the smiles started to sweep across the many faces of the various people grilling the student section.

The student section continued the ‘referee harassment chant’ throughout the rest of the game, I even spotted some non-students who decided to participate in the bewiddling of the ref.

That’s when I realized, Durfee basketball was back and crazier than EVER.

Comments/Questions/Suggestions can be sent to U_Pviveiros@UMassD.edu, I am hoping I can start a Bill Simmons “Mailbag”-type article every now and then. So I invite everyone to e-mail me with questions, sports related or not.

Phair Weather Phans

By: Patrick Viveiros
**As a side note I would like to say thank you to my fans for being so dedicated to my blog over the past year. Tomorrow marks the 1-year anniversary of my blog’s existence and I would like to say thank you to all my readers. Keep on reading, and I’ll keep writing ;) **

Philadelphia Phillies Phans are pheeling phenomenal right now…okay enough with the alliteration, now to the point.

The Phillies accomplished a tremendous feat last night, concluding the “longest” postseason game in MLB history. The phirst phive and a half innings,(dammit, I did it again), were phreaking (oh, God) postponed 2 days because of rainstorms in Phila-phreaking-delphia.

Although the Tampa Bay Rays managed to tie the game 2-2 on Tuesday night before the game was eventually suspended because of rain, the postponement changed the entire aspect of the game as Wednesday’s scheduled make-up had to be made up again last night.

All the right pieces were set in place for the Phillies to win. The Phillies had starting pitcher Cole Hamel’s spot in the batting order to lead-off the continuation of the game, almost immediately prompting them to pinch-hit,(Hamels was eventually named Series MVP). Phildadelphia Phillies OF Geoff Jenkins got the action going to start the bottom of the sixth inning by lacing a double to right field. He eventually scored on a Jayson Werth single putting the Phillies ahead 3-2.
Tampa then roared back in the top of the seventh with a home run by Rocco Baldelli, tying the game at 3-3 and leaving the phans phrustrated (AHH!), as the endless game just seemed destined for extra innings.

But, in the bottom of the seventh Philadelphia OF Pat Burrell, a former first round draft pick for the team, had the biggest hit of his career. He roped a double to deep centerfield off Rays reliever J.P. Howell. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel relieved Burrell of his base-running duties, as Burrell was pinch-run for by OF Eric Bruntlett.

This turned out to be a great managerial decision for Manuel as 3B Pedro Feliz hit a single to center, scoring Bruntlett and putting the Phillies ahead 4-3 for good. Phillies closer Brad Lidge completed a tremendous streak, as he received his 50th straight save in as many opportunities. The only save he blew this season was in an exhibition game A.K.A the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

However, you may see it Phillies phans can phear phailure no phreaking more (boy, I am getting carried away with this). “The City of Brotherly Love” has gone without a championship for 25 years, as the last championship won in the city was by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1982-1983 and Phillies fans on the other hand had gone without a championship for 28 years, that is of course until last night when they brought a championship back to the “Birthplace of America”.

Despite winning a World Series though you know the city won’t be satisfied, let’s remember Philadelphia is the place where they booed Santa, and peppered him with snowballs during a Philadelphia Eagles game back in the 1960s. If the Phillies don’t repeat next year as champions, look for them to attack the Phanatic Philly mascot with cheese-steaks and pretzels!

Either way, they still brought something good to the City of Philadelphia, they will see fans pop up from all walks of life, Phair Weather Phans (as I like to call them), these are the fans who will probably forget they even won the World Series when next season starts.

But for those Philadelphia Phanatics who are hoping for a chance to repeat, I say this: Don’t Phreaking Count on It. Just look forward to Phanatic Philly’s demise, an abundance of Phair Weather Phans and excessive uses of ph.

The Celtics Mission #18 Launches Tonight

The Boston Celtics will score another basket tonight for their storied franchises’ history, as they will raise their 17th NBA Title banner to the rafters at home tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2008-2009 NBA season will tip-off at 8:00pm tonight at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. The Celtics are hoping to claim their 18th NBA Title. In fact they have already won an NBA record 17 titles, in the leagues’ 61 year existence.
When that 17th banner is raised into the air tonight, keep in mind the fact that the Celtics dedicated last season to former coach and NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerbach, who passed away just before the start of last season. Upon the raising of this banner, Celtics players from last year’s team will etch their way into Celtics lore. So tip your cap one final tie for to the 2007-2008 Celtics, as the 2008-2009 season is about to begin!
The Celtics will be embarking on a journey tonight in an attempt to capture their 18th NBA Title and are hoping to repeat as world champions. This is a feat they have not accomplished in 40 years, they last repeated as champions in the 1968-1969 seasons.
However, the Celtics “Big 3” will be returning to action tonight, and they are hungry for the start of the new season despite having already won a championship last year. Tonight is the beginning of a new season and the players know their mission and how to accomplish it. "We know what we want to accomplish now," said Celtics captain Paul Pierce. "A year ago today, we were trying to figure it all out."
Despite the loss of key bench player, James Posey who signed a 4-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets in the offseason, the Celtics feel confident going into the upcoming season. Celtics GM Danny Ainge feels confident in the options the team has in replacing Posey, second-year guard Gabe Pruitt had an outstanding preseason, as well as J.R. Giddens and Billy Walker. Keep in mind, the Celtics also have third-year guard Tony Allen as another option, like Pruitt he also had a tremendous preseason.
They will be up against a familiar foe tonight, as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Lebron James (keep in mind I will never say Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, that’s just rude!), will try to start their season with a big win against the reigning champs. The Celtics won eight straight games to open last season, before losing to the Miami Heat and won a best-of-seven playoff series against the Cavaliers last season.
The Celtics relied heavily on defense to win their 17th NBA Title (they held opponents to 90.3 points per game), and they know to key to winning another is by taking the same path. Tonight’s priority is shutting down Lebron James. They know the ability he has to take over a game, as they witnessed in last years’ playoff series against the Celtics.
So as the Celtics begin Mission 18 tonight, wave a final goodbye to the memories of last season, and say hello to the beginning of the memories this year offers. And always remember, we STILL have the Big 3. Thanks Kevin, Paul and Ray, you guys have brought Celtics basketball back to glory, let’s continue that trend.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees, One more time for the History Books

By: Patrick Viveiros

Tomorrow will mark another monumental day in the history of the great rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Thursday, August 28, 2008, will mark the last match-up between the Yankees and Red Sox at the world renowned Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY. The marquee that faces I-87 and hangs from the Stadium will read Yankees vs. Red Sox for the last time ever.

Both teams are well aware that only one of them will be making it to October this year. The Tampa Rays own a 3.5 game lead over the Red Sox in the division currently, and a 9.5 game lead over the Yankees. The Red Sox lead in the Wild Card standings by 2.5 games over the Minnesota Twins, meanwhile the Yankees remain 6 games back for the Wild Card.

The clock is ticking, with only 15 games left this year at the original House that Ruth Built and 31 games left all together this season, the Yankees know it is crunch time, yet they are still underperforming.

In last night’s game Alex Rodriguez game up to bat with runners in scoring position twice late in the game and failed to provide the team with a crucial hit. Fans booed A-Rod as he trotted back to the dugout after grounding into an inning ending bases loaded double-play with the Yankees trailing 7-3, and booed him again when he struck out to end the game in the ninth inning. Rodriguez finished a fashionable 0-5, grounding into 2 double plays and even had a throwing error that cost the Yankees two runs to top off an all around HORRIBLE night for A-Rod and the New York Yankees as they lost the game 7-3.

As for the fans Rodriguez had this to say when asked by Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch, “They were loud. No one is more frustrated than me. Everyone is desperate for wins, and on a night like tonight, I was booing myself."

Well A-Rod booing yourself isn’t going to help you out at all. It’s time to stop crying and man-up and dig deep for that something extra. Stop letting all of these emotions build and just do the talking with the bat, the Yankees don’t want you booing yourself, they want you hitting the ball and to focus on winning baseball games, TEAM FIRST.

As for tomorrow, the starting pitching match-up should be interesting as Jon Lester of the Red Sox, and Mike Mussina of the Yankees will face-off in a game for the history books. (I wish I only had tickets to the game, or a press pass for that matter).

Mike Mussina has had his struggles against the Red Sox this season. In 3 starts against the Red Sox he owns a 1-2 record, along with a 5.53 ERA. However, in his last start against the Red Sox in New York on July 5th he pitched 6 innings of shutout baseball, eventually paving the way to his then 11th win of the year.

Lester is coming off his worst outing of the year after pitching 2.1 innings Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Lester allowed 8 hits and let up a season high 7 earned runs. In 4 starts in July Lester allowed only 7 earned runs, 2 of those starts came against the Yankees and in both of those starts he earned the win.

In his first start against the Yankees on July 3rd in New York, he pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 8 batters. On July 27th against the Yankees in Boston, he pitched 7 innings and allowed 2 earned runs, striking out 8. It appears Lester has owned the Yankees in recent history, but for Yankees fans like me, let’s hope that is not the case.

As the final days of Yankee Stadium begin to inch forward with no turning back, the Yankees have got to start winning ballgames, period. After 13 consecutive years of making the playoffs it would be a travesty to let ‘the old ballpark’ go to waste without a grand send-off like a 27th World Series Championship. Through all the hardships this team has faced all year, between the injuries to the pitching staff and starting line-up, it’s not hard to believe that the Yankees are not playoff ready this season. They have fought and battled all year, unless some of that old Yankee magic starts to stir-up, then maybe, just maybe the Yankees will be playing in October.

Michael Phelps vs. Mark Spitz: 3 down, 5 to go

After setting yet another World Record last night in the 200m freestyle, United States swimming phenom Michael Phelps, looks well on his way to another World Record, 8 gold medals in a single Olympic Games. After last night's rout, he earned his 3rd gold medal of the 2008 Summer Games and appears on his way to breaking former U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals in a single Olympic Games, which he accomplished in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.

It was Phelps's ninth career gold medal, tying him with Spitz, former-U.S. trackstar Carl Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi for the most in Olympic history. Not only is he looking to achieve the most gold medals in a single Olympic Games, but he is looking to win the most gold medals all-time!

There has been strong debate over Spitz's absence from this year's games in Beijing, China. As of yesterday Spitz could be seen on tabloids all over the Internet, speaking about his absence from this year’s games where Phelps holds a strong chance of breaking Spitz's World Record. According to Spitz, the International Olympic Committee or the US Network (which is televising the Olympics in the U.S.) should have invited him to Beijing in order to see Phelps take a shot at his World Record.

"I never got invited. You don't go to the Olympics just to say, I am going to go. Especially because of who I am," Spitz told AFP in Hong Kong.

When asked whether or not he was upset with the issue Spitz responded. "They voted me one of the top five Olympians of all time. Some of them are dead. But they invited the other ones to go to the Olympics, but not me? Yes, I am a bit upset a bout it."

Spitz thought it would have been a great idea for the IOC to invite him to present one of the gold medals to Phelps. Spitz even admitted to 'admiring' Phelps for his accomplishments and even likened Phelps to himself during the 1972 Munich Games.

"He's almost identical to me. He's a world-record holder in all these events, so he is dominating the events just like I did," Spitz said. "He reminds me of myself."

Phelps has already won gold medals in the 400m individual medley (during which he set another World Record) and led off an epic victory in the 4 x 100m free relay. Tonight Phelps will be looking to add 2 more gold medals to his repertoire; he will be competing in the 200m butterfly and the 4 x 200m free relay tonight at 10:00pm on NBC.

This Blockbuster Makes Sense

Last week the MLB Trade Deadline passed with a number of shocking deadline deals that could decide the overall season outcome. Let's take a closer look at one of these major deals.

The Red Sox/Dodgers/Pirates Three-Way Deal
This was indeed the most shocking deal of the deadline that saw the Red Sox deal away their best hitter, OF Manny Ramirez, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Furthermore, the Red Sox sent OF Brandon Moss and RP Craig Hansen to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for OF Jason Bay, a former NL Rookie of the Year recepient. To help complete the deal the Dodgers sent OF Andy LaRoche to the Pirates.

The thing that irks me most about this trade is that all of the players involved in this trade have potential to break out in their new settings. Ramirez, who has been complaining for years about Red Sox owners John Henry and Larry Luchino finally got his wish to leave Boston. Now that Ramirez has freed himself from the Boston hierarchy, he has essentially given himself a chance to jumpstart his career in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have one of the worst ranked offenses in the league, and the addition of Ramirez's big-bat could spell a 2008 playoff berth for this once lowly Dodger team. Keep in mind, the Dodgers acquired OF Andruw Jones from the Braves in the offseason and saw a managerial change when they inked former Yankees manager Joe Torre. Jones has been anything but the player he was in Atlanta and although many predicted the Dodgers to be a powerhouse in the NL West, they have been anything but. With the acquisition of Manny Ramirez the Dodgers might have just punched their ticket to the playoffs, but keep in mind they still trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 1.5 games for the division lead.

Everyone has been worried about the loss of Manny Ramirez to the Red Sox line-up simply because they really don't know who Jason Bay is, or what he is capable of. Well let's clarify that right now, Jason Bay is one of the games most underrated players. He is what many consider to be a 5-tool player and he has shown no signs of slowing down. Bay, who will be 30 this upcoming September , has been one of the league's most consistent hitters for the past 3 seasons. He has hit 20 or more home runs in the past 3 seasons, and is a career .283 hitter.

Now people may be saying he is NOT Manny Ramirez, and that is absolutely true! In fact, Bay could turn out to be BETTER THAN Ramirez, especially with the favorable hitting dimensions for right-handed hitters at Fenway Park. In acquiring Bay the Red Sox got the monkey off their back, they got rid of Manny Ramirez and his antics for a solid, focused and well-spoken for player in the form of Jason Bay.

People can argue this trade up and down, but when it comes down to it, the trade made sense for both the Dodgers and the Red Sox. Fans and sportswriters alike love to talk about Bay's lack of playoff experience (he has never played in a postseason game), but does that really matter? Keep in mind Bay was playing for a Pittsburgh team that hasn't sniffed the playoffs since the days of Barry Bonds and hasn't had a winning season in 15 years! When it comes down to it both teams filled major voids in their line-ups, no matter how you look at it. The Dodgers got themselves the big-bat they were looking for and the Red Sox filled the void of losing Manny by acquiring Bay, who has the potential to be the same caliber hitter than Manny was.

With that being said however, I was stymied by the fact that the Red Sox were willing to part ways with OF Brandon Moss and RP Craig Hansen. I had envisioned Hansen being traded at some point in the future but I was shocked to hear Moss's name involved in the deal. Moss has hit well for the Red Sox when he saw playing time and has shown plenty of potential. Many believe Moss could emerge as the next Dave Murphy (OF-Texas). Murphy was acquired by Texas from the Red Sox just before last year's trade deadline in exchange for RP Eric Gagne. We all know how the Eric Gagne went in Boston, UGLY! But what many people don't realize is that Murphy has emerged as one of the best hitters in the American League this season. He currently holds a .275 BA with 64 runs scored and 74 RBI.

Now I can agree with Red Sox fans when they say Moss was not needed in the outfield considering the Red Sox have a surplus of outfielders (Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew and Jason Bay) but why were the Red Sox willing to part ways with Moss? Wouldn't it have made more sense for them to shed the contract of Coco Crisp? There were no talks about trading Crisp during the deadline and it somewhat shocked me. Crisp was being dangled in a number of trade-talks before the season started, and I was certainly expecting him to be traded at some point mid-season, especially after seeing Moss excel when he received playing time. If you are a Red Sox fan, just pray that Moss isn't another Murphy in the making, or you might be sorry.