Pat's Sports Journal

Not Really a 'Spring Break' for this Guy

2009-03-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

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.

It Has Been TOO DAMN LONG Since I've Reported; Time To Get Back On Track!!!

2008-07-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

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It's been over a month since I last wrote an article for Pat's Sports Journal and I am rather disappointed that I haven't been able to report on any of the great happenings this baseball season. I thoroughly apologize for the long delay, here is a brief rundown of how my summer is going...

#1- Unfortunately things at Southcoast Sports Jam on 1480 WSAR-AM in Somerset, MA didn't work out. Things were going rather well with the program, and I was really starting to get a feel of what it takes to be an on-air personality. However, due to increased living costs I could no longer volunteer at the station and assist Mike 'The Hurricane' Herren. There really isn't any single person to blame for not being able to be hired part-time, so don't think I am throwing anyone under the bus. I do greatly appreciate the experience Mike allowed me to gain while working at the station, however nowadays it is IMPOSSIBLE to work for free. And unfortunately, WSAR could not afford to hire me on a part-time basis. So that is that.

#2- I am no longer a co-host for Southcoast Sports Jam however, I am looking into jumpstarting my OWN sports radio program at 99.1 WUMD-FM, the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth radio station. This September I will be taking a special training class to become certified in operating a switchboard for the UMD radio station. Stay tuned for more information as development is still in its infancy stages. However, please feel free to e-mail me any suggestions for the show, as they are greatly appreciated.

#3- I recently started a new part-time job at the Cardoza's Wine,Spirits & Food Emporium on State Road in N. Dartmouth, MA. So far after roughly a month of working there, I am enjoying the job thoroughly. The friendly work atmosphere is great, but what is even greater is the excellent customer service we have to offer to our appreciative customers. If you are looking for a quick one-stop, liquor & food shop, then Cardoza's is the place to go.

#4- The 2008 Fantasy Baseball Season is in full-swing and I am currently placed 4th in the league that I am in, where my top-performing players include: Outfielder's Grady Sizemore, Willy Taveras & Jason Bay; First Basemen Adrian Gonzalez & Albert Pujols; and Pitchers Mariano Rivera, Rich Harden & Aaron Cook. With 4 weeks left in the fantasy baseball season, playoff spots are still up for grabs as the top 6 teams will advance to the playoffs.

#5- The MLB Trade Deadline is a little over 48 hours away and there have been lots of discussions lately involving Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez. Let's get one thing straight, Manny isn't going ANYWHERE. No single team in baseball is willing to take on his contract, or his clubhouse antics for that matter. Teams that can afford his contract are quoting his antics as the biggest reason why they will not take the risk on the slugger.

However, I do agree with what John Kruk said yesterday morning on ESPN's Baseball Today. Kruk believes the Red Sox should look into acquiring Phillies OF Pat Burrell in exchange for Manny. Burrell is a former #1 pick and a five-tool-player who can swing a big bat. In my own opinion Burrell is very comparable to Yankees OF Bobby Abreu (a former Phillie). Burrell could deliver a similar jump-start that the Yankees received when acquiring Abreu before the trade deadline in 2006, in addition he would also give the Red Sox a solid 3-hole batter to protect DH David Ortiz, in the absence of Manny.

Well that's all for now, keep checking back for more updates!
(THIS TIME I MEAN IT =P )

NBA Finals Game 1 Predictions: Lakers @ Celtics 9:00pm (ABC)

2008-06-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

So here we are less than 2 hours from the tip-off of Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, and the historic rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers is about to open up a new chapter. Tonight we will bear witness to a long anticipated NBA Finals match-up between these two teams and it should make for some exciting basketball.

The last time these two teams were pitted against each other in an NBA Final I was about to be born, a long 21 years ago this upcoming June 11th. The old 80s player rivalries of Bird vs. Magic, McHale vs. Rambis and Parrish vs. Jabaar when I was born, have been re-made for the 2000s in the form of Garnett vs. Gasol, Pierce vs. Radmanovic and Bryant vs. Allen. These new rivalries will hopefully live up to those of Celtics/Lakers past.

There is, of course, another rivalry brewing in this series which involves former Celtics coach Red Auerbach and current Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Jackson is on the verge of surpassing Auerbach's current coaching record of 9 NBA Championships (Auerbach was however, the "architect" of all 16 of the Celtics championships.) Jackson had 6 NBA Championships while coaching the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the 1990s and has 3 NBA Championships coaching the Lakers.

As you may know, Auerbach recently died just before this season began and the Celtics dedicated the 2008 season in his memory. I am sure the Celtics players are aware of what Jackson could accomplish by winning a 10th championship, and I am positive they will not let Jackson win that 10th championship...at least this year against THIS team.

The Lakers and Celtics have combined for 30 NBA Championships (16 for the Celtics/14 for the Lakers.) The Celtics currently hold the NBA record for most championships however the Lakers are not far behind. This series is not only the start of a new chapter in the history of the historic franchise but it is also a last shot for the Celtics to re-establish themselves as the best franchise in NBA history of all time. You can argue however you want, but the Celtics have the most rings and numbers don't lie.

I believe tonight the Celtics will dominate the Lakers, not just as a fan but as an analyst. They have such tremendous energy playing on their home court that they are nearly invincible, as we have witnessed throughout the 2008 playoffs. The Celtics are going to outright outphysical the Lakers to every loose ball, which will eventually pave the way to Game 1 victory.

GAME PREDICTIONS
Halftime score: 46-42 Celtics by 4
Final Score: 93-88 Celtics by 5
Vegas Odds Celtics -2.5;Lakers +2.5 (+/- 192)

Check back Sunday for my NBA Finals Game 2 Predictions right here @ Pat's Sports Journal!

'Big 3' too much for the Cavs, win Game 2 89-73

2008-05-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Boston Celtics annihilated the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 89-73, to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics limited Cavaliers superstar LeBron James to 21 points,(He shot 6-24 from the field!). And the 'Big 3' did their part to give the Celtics the early 2 game lead in the series, combining for 48 points in the victory (Pierce- 19,Garnett-13,Allen-16.)

The Celtics defense has kept LeBron in check the entire series, although he has attempted 42 shots in the series thus far, he's only hit 8 shots! He is shooting a dismal 19% from the field in the series and has been ineffective in his play thus far.

The Celtics know that LeBron can eventually break-out, Celtics G/F Paul Pierce made the following comments about LeBron's inability to hit shots:

"I'm a little shocked that he's 8-for-42, but this is what we work on. We work on trying to contain him, LeBron is what makes them go. And if we can somehow control him, we control their team. And with the help of the guys around me, we've been able to do that."

Boston is well aware of how LeBron took over last years Eastern Conference Finals series against the Detroit Pistons, which the Cavaliers eventually won 4-2, despite being down 0-2 early in the series. In Game 4 of that series, LeBron scored 42 points and was unstoppable.

When asked about the situation LeBron said: "We've been in this situation before. I've got to let them (his teammates) know I'm not frustrated."

LeBron's frustrations however, appear evident considering he is such a great athlete and that he is the key to the Cavaliers recent success. Considering he puts so much on his shoulders for the organization, for LeBron to say he is not frustrated is a flat-out LIE!

The Boston crowd taunted LeBron with chants of "OVER-RATED!", throughout the game. And so far this series that appears to be the truth. However, let's not speak too soon WE ALL KNOW WHAT LEBRON IS CAPABLE OF.

Yes, that is Tyler Hansborough Jumping Off a Building!

2008-05-07T16:12:00.001-07:00

This image of Tyler Hansborough leaping off the second floor balcony of a frat house in Chapel Hill, NC (aka University of North Carolina, surfaced earlier this week. UNC's reigning Player of the Year took the dive along with Tar Heels point guard Bobby Frasor. As you can see this was your typical college party, equipped with "onlookers" chugging beers and taking photographs of their star forward taking a career risking leap.

This might bring concerns to Hansborough's offseason conduct, especially if he intends on entering the NBA Draft next season. Hansborough is highly touted because of the amount of energy and emotion he plays with. He is by far one of the most athletic people in the NCAA.

Could you honestly blame the star forward for acting in such fashion? Obviously it is the offseason, but then again HE IS JUMPING OFF A GODDAMN 2-STORY BUILDING! On top of it all the pool does not appear to be deep enough to hold the 6'9" frame of UNC's acclaimed "Psycho T".

Obviously if he were merely enjoying himself at the party, let's say drinking some beers while surrounded by hot college babes, and not jumping off balcony's, I am sure the media would still be criticizing this young man for his conduct.

The way I see it, he didn't get hurt (or arrested for that matter), than why worry? I am sure after seeing the amount of attention he is getting, he will smarten up and stop risking career-ending injuries. We could "what if?" all day about the injuries he could have sustained , but Hansborough is still in good health and enjoying the offseason like a typical college athlete should.

Being a college student myself, I am well aware of the amount of pressure he has been under the past few weeks. Obviously my recent college workload can't compare to Hansborough's.

For example, he just got blown away in the 2008 Final Four by Kansas, who went on to win the championship. Then he had to return home for classes, make-up whatever work he missed then prepare for final exams! If the man wants to take a wild dip in the pool let 'em! He's not even getting paid...yet ;)

What a Great Time to be a New England Sports Fan

2008-04-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

Nothing is better than playoff basketball, playoff hockey and the MLB season getting underway here in the sports "hub" of the country.

As I sit here and watch the Celtics play their first playoff game with the "Big 3" I think of all the smiling faces I saw today. All the loyal Bruins and Celtics fans dawning their gear in hopes of each time winning their respective championship. If in fact the Celtics and Bruins do win their respective championships, they would make Boston the Undisputed Heavyweight Sports Capital of the World.

What other city can say they have swept the 4 major sports championships in a single year? (Major Sports - hockey,baseball,football,basketball) Or 3 for that matter? Considering, the Patriots blew the Super Bowl, and the chances of a sweep.

However, I cannot recall a city that has even won 3 of the major sports championships in a single season, and the Boston Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox have a chance to do just that. IF in fact it does happen, the people of Boston are sure to go crazy. Imagine the scene, a dual Bruins/Celtics Championship parade!?

The Bruins seem unstoppable offensively, their young forwards will not be denied scoring opportunities, even against the Montreal Canadiens stingy defense and sensational rookie goaltender. After last night's crucial Game 6 victory at the TD Banknorth Garden, the Bruins have all the momentum heading into tomorrow night's Game 7 showdown in Montreal. It's win or go home, with a victory the Bruins would advance in the playoffs for the first time since the 1998-199 season.

The Bruins avoided elimination for the second straight game behind Phil Kessel's offensive burst, he scored two key goals in the game. His second goal was a great set-up by Marco Sturm, he lifted the puck beautifully over Canadiens G Carey Price's right shoulder to put the Bruins ahead 4-3 late in the 3rd period. Although the Bruins would eventually forfeit the lead :11 seconds later

Kessel split the defense and deked out Price wonderfully for his first goal. He popped another quick snapshot over Price's left shoulder to tie the game 1-1.
After a rather quiet 1st period Kessel's first goal gave the Bruins hope for a Game 7.

As for the Boston Celtics, what more can you say? They are clearly the best team in the NBA. They have proven they can take on all-comers, and can handle the Western Conference biggest threats, the L.A. Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. As I am reporting the Celtics are currently manhandling the Atlanta Hawks in the 3rd quarter of Game 1 71-55, and there appears to be no chance in hell for the Hawks to come up with a victory. The Celtics are simply too much for the young, inexperienced Hawks roster. The Celtics seem to be well on there way to the next round of the NBA Finals.

Hope of Sports Championship Glory still floats in Boston. It all comes down to that crucial Game 7 tomorrow night for the Boston Bruins against that all too familiar foe Montreal Canadien squad.

Point to Ponder:After finishing the season 0-12 against the Canadiens the Bruins only victories against the Canadiens since January 2007 have been during this playoff series.

BIG CHANGES

2008-04-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

Big changes here on my website, I hope everyone likes the new color scheme.As you all know I am working with Mike "the Hurricane" Herren host Southcoast Sports Jam weeknights from 6:30-9pm on Southern New Englands #1 Sports Radio Station 1480 WSAR! Within the next week or so I hope to get everything rearranged so I can incorporate the show's daily topics and other antics of the day. I really enjoy your patience over this LONG hiatus from writing. Once everything gets together I promise it will be worth while! :)

As for the nickname, it was a close battle but "Patman" legged it out by a hair. Thanks to all who voted. For the record, this nickname was not submitted by anyone particularly so therefore no prize will be given out! Boy am I glad to save some $$! :P

Keep in mind there is a possibility that this site's contents could be moved soon. I am considering registering a .us domain so I can create and edit multiple webpages using software I have become familiar with over the past few months. The entire address of the website would therefore change, the new site could be strictly for Southcoast Sports Jam, I would try to develop personal webpages, external links, contact information and other neat things.

Currently, to my knowledge, blogger does not allow users to edit their "FTP" accounts, therefore the software I have been trying to use to edit my webpage has failed.

For a great sample of a website that I am looking to "re-create" you can visit www.harrisoncenter.us, this was a website designed by my professor for my web design class. (I plan on using a lot more graphics than my professor did for his website but you get the idea of multiple pages)

Anyhow thanks again and please keep updated!

Kudos!
Patrick Viveiros

VOTE PROLONGED UNTIL SATURDAY!

2008-03-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yes that is right because of the fact that I did not receive my "quota" of 100 votes for my nickname poll I have decided to keep the polls open until this Saturday at midnight.

I am SHOCKED that 347 people have visited my blog since I began this poll, yet only 47 of them voted! Come on people that is ABSURD!

I know I have not been blogging lately but I have my excuses, I am hoping to get everything straightened out at the radio station so I can re-start my blogging, I am sure you all miss me! Anyhow I hope to be back soon!

UNTIL THEN YOU CAN CATCH ME ON AIR MONDAY-FRIDAY @ 6:30pm ON AM-1480 WSAR's "SOUTHCOAST SPORTS JAM" w/ Mike "the Hurricane" Herren and yours truly Patrick "the ???" Viveiros

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
Patrick Viveiros

VOTE FOR MY NICKNAME!

2008-03-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,
As you may know I am currently in search of a nickname for my on-air work at WSAR. There have been a number of suggestions sent to me and I am greatly appreciative of them. I have added a Poll to allow you (the readers) to select the nickname I will use. Thank you again for all your suggestions. The polling will close Friday at midnight. Encourage friends and family to vote, it is greatly appreciated!

-Patrick Viveiros
"The ??"--- you decide ;)

I NEED SOME HELP WITH AN ON-AIR NAME

2008-03-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

I just got a new job assisting Mike Herren's "Southcoast Sports Jam" at WSAR 1480AM and I need to develop an on-air name!

ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE THEM IN MY COMMENT BOX OR SEND ME AN EMAIL @ PATVEE7.Yahoo.com

Upon receiving suggestions I will have a poll on THIS website to determine the winner. I am considering some sort of "prize" for the person who choses the winning name...

Thank You,
Patrick Viveiros

Celtics Clinch Playoff Spot with Victory of the Pistons

2008-03-05T19:47:00.001-08:00

The game just finished, Celtics win 90-78 and I am still full of excitement following the victory. There were so many intense moments, I must have handed out a million high-fives during the 4th quarter when the Celtics held the Pistons to only 11 points. The Celtics put an end the Pistons 5-game winning streak and clinched a playoff berth with the victory.

The game was classic Celtics/Pistons, the fire was there, the intensity was present and the crowd at TD Banknorth Garden surely was alive. How about those Chauncey-Chauncey-Chauncey! chants that erupted after Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups was called for a technical foul? All I want to say is that if you are in the Eastern Conference you better hope to your savior that you DO NOT play a 7-game playoff series in Boston!

Personally I thought Rajon Rondo played a tremendous game and he brought so much intensity to the offense although it didn't show up in the stat sheet. However, Rondo still managed to score 16 points, which is still a tremendous contribution.

Late in the game when the Pistons were in foul trouble Rondo was doing the right thing attacking the basket trying to draw fouls. (Although he did have that short-jumper turned 3-point play that pretty much sealed the victory for the Celtics) Rondo was hustling up and down the court all night and I have to give credit for getting into Billups' head during the game. Rondo wasn't necessarily talking trash, but he was hustling more than Billups and playing hard-nosed defense against him. Despite Billups' huge 3rd quarter, Rondo shut him down the entire 4th quarter when it counted.

Kendrick Perkins also had a HUGE night on the boards, recording 20 rebounds (6 offensive/14 defensive). It was a career high for Perkins who also scored 10 points during the game.

Last but not least was Kevin Garnett's performance tonight. He scored a Celtics career high 31 points, 20 of which he scored in the 1st half. Garnett was all over the court and all of his offensive moves seemed to be working for him. When the Pistons figured out that Wallace could not contain Garnett they tried to pit rookie PF Amir Johnson against him, however their plan turned against them as Garnett made the rookie look foolish with his footwork inside the paint.

The Celtics host the Chicago Bulls at home Friday night on ESPN, game time is slated for 8:00pm. They are now 47-12 and have increased there home record to 27-4. On Friday they will be going for their 7th consecutive victory. Newly signed veteran guard Sam Cassell is expected to make his Celtics debut Friday night.

BREAKING NEWS

2008-03-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

The Green Bay Packers announced today that QB Brett Favre WILL retire from the NFL. After 17 seasons and 3 MVP awards, the all-time career passing leader will ride off into the sunset after a stellar 2007-2008 season, in which he led the Packers to the NFC Championship game.

Foxsports.com reported that Favre was hoping the Packers would pursue WR Randy Moss as a free-agent. Had the Packers been able to come to terms on an agreement to bring Moss to Green Bay, Favre said he would have played through one more season. However, Moss signed a 3-year, $27 million dollar deal with the New England Patriots on Monday, therefore dashing Favre's hopes of having a premiere wide receiver to work with next season.

Favre's decision comes at the right time. The Packers now have a number of options to consider, like whether to trade up for a top 10 pick in this year's draft. In my opinion I believe the Packers will do just that. They currently have the #30 pick in this years draft and they do have a number of expendable players that could help complete a deal for a top 10 pick. However, we must not forget the Packers have backup QB Aaron Rodgers waiting in the wings if he is called upon to start next season. It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds. However, for now it's so long Brett, you've been great for the NFL!

Sorry Fans

2008-03-03T20:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Fans,
I wanted to apologize for the lack of posts lately. College is very time consuming, along with work. Sorry about the lack of posts lately, I can't wait until I am writing for a living, my blog entries might be updated more frequently. Thanks you for your patience. Keep checking back for updates. Hoping to add another entry by the end of the week.

Thank You!
Patrick

P.S: Anyone wishing to send questions, comments or suggestions should e-mail me at Patvee7@yahoo.com

Sports and their Effect on Society

2008-02-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

(I wanted to digress a little bit today. I figure it's time to take a small break from all the chaos surrounding Clemens. I think we all owe the man a day off, along with that McNamee fella. Anyhow I had to write a speech for my web design class and as I was writing it I thought it would make a great entry. So I hope you enjoy it!)

It is easy to argue that sports DO NOT define an era, considering many people regard them as useless, overpaid athletes, playing kids games. However, that is not the entire truth. Let's recall some of sports' most recent defining moments, shall we?

Where were you when the 2004 Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years? Or when they won the World Series AGAIN last October?

Where were you when the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl in franchise history back in 2001?

Where were you in 1986 when Boston Red Sox rookie sensation Roger Clemens struck-out 20 batters in one-game? Were you even born yet? I for one was not.

Where were you when the Mitchell Report came out and Clemens was accused of using steroids and human-growth hormone?

Where were you last summer when Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's all-time home run record?

You may not recall exactly WHERE you were in these instances (or any of sports greatest instances for that matter) but we all reacted in some way when we heard the news. Some people simply didn't care and felt there are more important issues to worry about. Others might state they did not find any of these great triumphs significant. But let's think about it, how do you think the people of Boston reacted after the Red Sox won that first World Series title in 86 years?

For the most part everyone was excited and gleaming with joy after the "Curse of the Babe" was reversed. (Except my Father and I of course) Many people even called out of work the next day, simply to celebrate the Red Sox amazing feat.

One way or another, we all find out about sports and their happenings. Whether it be Roger Clemens on Capitol Hill defending his innocence or Eli Manning's Super Bowl XLII upset of a powerhouse New England Patriots team, we always find out what is happening in the sports world, even if we don't really care about it.

When I signed online after Super Bowl XLII, I noticed EVERYONE was talking about how the Patriots blew the game, even GIRLS who I know for a fact DON'T CARE ABOUT SPORTS. Everyone was intrigued by the event in one way or another. Some were happy, some were mad, and of course a very select few didn't care.

However, we will always remember where we were when we heard the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII, or where we were when we found out Roger Clemens was accused of using steroids throughout the latter portion of his career.

For most of us in the technological world we live in today, we were using our computers when we discovered the news, or reacted to it in some fashion. For instance, I remember after Super Bowl XLII I signed online and was immediately instant messaged by 50 of my friends asking, "HOW THE HELL DID THE PATRIOTS LOSE?!". Most of all however, I remember being instant messaged by a particular female friend of mine. She HATES sports and although she is a close friend, she REFUSES to read my blog. However, even she was caught up in the Patriots loss, wondering what the hell happened to the team that was supposed to go 19-0.

Even if you don't particularly care about sports and their happenings, you will eventually manage to find out what happened in last night's game, today's game and, of course, tomorrows game. Whether it be when you sign online or when you turn on your television there is no real way of avoiding sports. You could seclude yourself on a desert island and still you will manage to come across some "idiot fan" who knows what happened in last night's game.

Think back to the great wars of the past and how sports helped people get through the hard times. One example I can think of is how baseball helped people get through the harsh times following World War II. A number of United States citizens were at odds over the war wondering if they would ever feel safe again. Baseball produced some of its all-time greatest icons during this era including two of the greatest hitters of all-time, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams.

Joe DiMaggio as a baseball player was phenomenol (Joltin' Joe as he was called.) This paved the way into Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe's lover. DiMaggio became a cultural icon who defined what it was to be an American in the 1940s. Not only was DiMaggio from an immigrant family, but he too was a war hero who went on to live the "American Dream".

Sports are important to society because they are a means of escaping reality. I , for one, know that I watch baseball to escape the everyday happenings of the world. I can watch a baseball game and not have to worry about what time it is or who is starving in Africa. Although that may sound cold-hearted and heartless, I in no means intend it to come across that way.

In my opinion, sports provide a safe haven from the atrocities of modern culture, and therefore help define an era, in that, they help people escape the harshness of reality. They can forget about all the horrible things that occur on a daily basis around the world. Foremost, they help people realize that life isn't so bad here in the United States, and they produce role models and icons for our children to look up to.

Because of the evolving world of computer-mediated communication, we are always exposed to things that we don't want to be exposed to, like sports. Some people might hate politics, but still find themselves in coversations about politics or reading about them. Much like some people hate sports, but still find themselves reading the sports page everyday or involved in conversations about sports. The evolution of the internet has become a staple for allowing people to be exposed to such things. So for anyone to say that sports don't define an era, they are sorely mistaken.

Just think of how the lives of the people of Boston changed after that final out in the 2004 World Series, or the 2007 World Series for that matter. I know my life was changed, especially as a lifelong New York Yankees fan living in Massachusetts. Not only did I think that the Red Sox would never win a World Series in my lifetime, how could I have expected they would win two?! The Red Sox World Series victories helped define my era, as a Yankee fan,because I was alive to bear witness to an event that many though would never take place, let alone twice. Most of all, I was a member of the Yankee Empire when it fell that fateful October evening in 2004.

With all of the crazy things that have been going on in the sports world, from Spygate to Nanny-gate , I just can't wait for the baseball season to start. Maybe then it will help us forget about the steroid era and look towards the next era of sports...

Asterisks ...with a side of Perjury

2008-02-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

According to a member of the Congressional House Oversight Committee that is investigating the use of steroids in baseball, Andy Pettitte provided members of Congress with a testimony that implicates seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens as a steroid user. On Monday, Pettitte, along with former teammate Chuck Knoblauch and former New York Mets trainer Kirk Radomski, was excused from the public hearing scheduled for this upcoming Wednesday.

It is unclear as to why the three were excused from the hearing. Speculation has led a number of experts to believe that the information the three provided at their individual private hearings last week, is harmful towards Clemens and his claim that he has never used steroids or any other form of performance-enhancing drugs.

At first, I was unsure what to think about the latest allegations by former trainer Brian McNamee about Clemens alleged steroid use. Last week when McNamee claimed to have physical evidence that could implicate Clemens, I found it VERY hard to believe. Considering the fact that Senator George Mitchell specifically asked McNamee if he had any physical proof that could implicate the persons’ he alleged used steroids (Clemens/Pettitte), McNamee claimed at the time he did not. After he miraculously turned over the evidence to Congress last week, I immediately thought that McNamee had manufactured the evidence.

Now I am unsure what to think. The greatest pitcher of my lifetime could REALLY be a steroid user. (Go ahead and argue with me, no one pitcher compares to “the Rocket” over the past 20 years, statistically) I have tried very hard over the last month to remain unbiased on my opinion of Clemens and his alleged steroid use. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, which most people denied him. I am a strong believer in innocent until proven guilty; however I am also a strong believer that friends don’t lie about their friends. Therefore, if Pettitte really did state Clemens used steroids, then I am going to have to believe Pettitte.

Pettitte and Clemens have spent the last 9 seasons working together on the same teams. Pitching every other day and working out on their off-days together helped them develop a strong friendship. If anyone knows the truth about Clemens, it’s Pettitte.

Pettitte has already admitted that Brian McNamee injected him with human-growth-hormones in the 2002 season. Furthermore, Pettitte immediately made his guilt known following the release of the Mitchell Report which McNamee implicated Pettitte and Clemens as steroid users.

Therefore, I find it hard to believe that Pettitte would lie to Congress about him and Clemens’ steroid use. Pettitte is devout to his Christian faith and beliefs (think of the retreat he went on in December 2007 after admitting his steroid use). Pettitte is a stand-up guy, a class-act and, above all, honest! IF PETTITTE SAYS CLEMENS TOOK STEROIDS, THEN CLEMENS TOOK STEROIDS.

I guess we will find the truth in the next coming days. Unless of course that is Clemens attempts to maintain his innocence before the Congressional Committee tomorrow morning. Which would then mean that Clemens or McNamee is committing perjury, which is a felony that is not taken lightly in the American Justice System.

So there goes Roger Clemens the “Greatest Pitcher of the Last 20 Years” ****…..I guess now we can start with the asterisks next to all those achievements….

Boy have I been busy!

2008-02-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Within the last few days, there have been a number of issues that I have yet to respond to. I apologize for the delay. For the record, I was not “mourning” the New England Patriots loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

It was indeed one of the biggest upsets since the 2004 American League Championship Series, which the New York Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox despite being up 3-0 in a best-of-seven series (the Yankees went on to lose the next four games). Furthermore, the Yankees lost a trip to the World Series. I guess payback sucks. Although I did not particularly enjoy the Giants victory, because all of MY predictions were WRONG, I have been very VERY busy with college and therefore have been unable to update. So here we go:

1- Obviously the number one topic on a lot of peoples minds around here is indeed that Super Bowl upset, so let’s make this as brief as possible. Flat out, the Patriots stunk! They came out flat from the get-go Tom Brady looked like a deer in headlights because the offensive line could not give him any protection and most importantly the Giants defensive line was simply too fast and too strong for the Patriot blockers.

One could easily blame the game on the coaching staff because of their failure to run the ball and control the clock, but let’s face it people the Patriots lineman did NOT do their job therefore the Patriots did NOT win the Super Bowl and finish the dream 19-0 season. Had the Patriots ran the ball more it wasn’t going to get them any further because the blocking was simply not there.

Let us not forget Giants QB Eli Manning, he DID have a good game, as a slight sickness brews inside my stomach (it hurts to even say that a Manning beat us). However, let’s face it New England the Patriots were simply out-played, out-hustled and out-coached. Congratulations to the New York Giants, Super Bowl XLII Champions.

2- What is going on with Brian McNamee? I am finding it hard to believe that the evidence he provided to the government is valid. Last year when asked by federal prosecutors if he had any physical evidence that could link Roger Clemens to steroid/human growth hormone usage he said “no”. Why is it over a year later he suddenly reveals that he does have such evidence?

McNamee turned over vials, syringes, color photographs of testosterone and needles to government officials today during his deposition hearing. What exactly McNamee discussed during his deposition hearing is classified as confidential. However, we can be sure that next week during the House Oversight Committee hearing with McNamee, Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and Kirk Radomski, that one of the individuals will be lying and therefore committing perjury, a felony that is not taken lightly in our country’s court system. (Although Pettitte is at a lesser chance of committing perjury because he has already admitted to his usage of HGH and Radomski was sentenced Friday to 5 years probation and an undisclosed fine)

3-SHAQUILLE O’NEAL TO THE PHOENIX SUNS? LeBRON JAMES MUST BE GOING INSANE! Honestly, are the Cleveland Cavaliers trying to drive LeBron out of town when his contract expires?
LeBron has been putting up insane numbers over the past six games. He has scored over 30 points in five of the Cavaliers six games, most recently scoring 32 Thursday night in a loss to Houston. This season he is averaging 30 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game.

Meanwhile it looks as if the Phoenix Suns are going for it all with this trade. They traded power forward Shawn Marion and point-guard Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat in exchange for O’Neal, who is now 36 years old. His size and age will force the Suns to restructure their offense during the All-Star break.

The Suns will convert current center Amare Stoudamire back to his normal position as a power forward, while Shaq will assume the role as the teams’ new center. Meanwhile, Suns point guard Steve Nash will have a field day feeding the ball to Shaq and Stoudamire in the low-post area. As we all know Nash is probably the most talented and smartest point guards in the NBA. Sometimes it looks as if he plays on pure instinct while he makes the hardest things look so simple.

4-When I found out about Curt Schilling’s “bicipital injury”, (an injury that has NEVER happened before in MLB and doesn’t even exist in the dictionary), I believed it was a blessing in disguise for the Boston Red Sox. If Schilling does indeed come back from the shoulder/”bicipital” injury (boy what a stupid name for an injury the name makes the injury hard to believe), the Red Sox will be able to keep gifted phenom pitcher Clay Bucholz fresh towards the end of the season.

According to Schilling’s blog (38pitches.com) he believes he could be ready to return after the All-Star Break in July. If the Red Sox were smart they would try to impose an innings limit on Bucholz, in order to keep him from exhausting himself at an early age. The New York Yankees currently have innings limits set on their top-three pitching prospects: Philip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. However, the details of the constraints have not been disclosed to the public.

5-Speaking of which, the New York Yankees announced today that the new stadium being built across from the current “House That Ruth Built” on 167th Street in Bronx, NY, (a place all too familiar too me), will indeed keep its name Yankee Stadium, (or as I like to call it The Stadium). They have decided against making it a commercial ballpark with sponsors, such as Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay or Petco Field in San Diego.

All I can say about this is: would you expect anything less from the most renowned team in the Planet? The Yankees are the most traditional sports organization of all time. (In my opinion, the Boston Celtics are the second most traditional; although they do have commercial advertisements, the word “garden” is still present in their new stadium TD Banknorth Garden in Boston)

The Yankees could never change the name of Yankee Stadium, hell they could not even move it out of the Bronx, as owner George Steinbrenner once dreamed of doing. Instead, the Yankees spent a record $1.3 billion on the new confines, which may well be regarded as the most fan friendly ballpark in the major leagues once it opens and the entire construction project is complete. Keep in mind that the Yankees had to shelf out $600 million to the New York City Parks and Recreation Department and the New York City Transit Authority in order to build new playgrounds for children as well as new subway stops.

Well that’s it for this week folks, hopefully next week I won’t be so busy. Until then enjoy your week, and keep your heads up New England the Boston Celtics are 38-9.

P.S.: If anyone wants to read a pair of unbelievable baseball books check out David Halberstam's October 1964 and Summer of '49.

THE KEYS TO WINNING SUPER BOWL XLII : NEW YORK GIANTS EDITION

2008-01-31T15:04:00.000-08:00

Well as promised today we are going to take a look at the keys to success for the New York Giants, as they are looking to upset the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

#1: DEFENSE
The keys to both teams winning this game will be how well they play defensively. Personally, I believe the Giants have a lot more to worry about than the Patriots, considering the Giants offensive line is no where near as good as the Patriots.

If they plan on having a shot at this game, the Giants' defensive line must be able to penetrate the Patriots' offensive line and get to Patriots QB Tom Brady. In their Week 17 match-up they did just that and came within a field-goal of winning that game. The problem with the pass rush in that game was that the Giants defensive backs couldn't cover the Patriots dangerous receiving core, thus propelling the Patriots to a 38-35 victory in that game.

The defensive line needs to make Brady moves his feet, particularly DE's Michael Strahan and Osi Umeyiora. They need to make him hurry his throws and throw off-balance in order to deter his pinpoint accuracy. Furthermore, Giants DB's Corey Webster and Aaron Ross will have to play shutdown defense on passing plays. That means they must stop WR's Wes Welker, and Randy Moss, Brady's two favorite targets who have lit up the stat sheet all season. (Moss with his 23 receiving TD's and Welker's 116 receptions; both of which are team records.)

#2: QB - ELI MANNING
This will be Mannings first trip to the big game and it will be exciting to see how he will react to the pressure surrounding the game. If the Giants win this game expect Manning to be the main reason why. If the Giants do win expect him to join his brother Peyton as a Super Bowl MVP.

The Patriots will send a number of different blitzes at Manning in order to confuse him. He, like Brady, will also have to rely heavily on his offensive line to protect against the pass-rush. During interviews in Tuesday's annual "Super Bowl Media Day" Manning appeared to be very relaxed and almost giddy at the chance to be playing in the Super Bowl. Look for Manning to try and go over the top on Patriots defensive backs by throwing high, deep passes to his recievers. His receiving corps has a huge height advantage over the Patriots defensive backs, look for him to incorporate this strategy in his gameplan.

#3: GIANTS RUNNING BACKS
Starting RB Brandon Jacobs and spell RB Ahmad Bradshaw will have to do their best to establish the running game early. Look for the Giants to run a number of draw plays to Bradshaw in passing situations, in order to throw off the defense. Jacobs will be utilized in short yardage situations where he is at his best.

However, Jacobs has been known to blast through the line and turn what looks to be a 5-yard run into a 25-yard gain. Jacobs has a similar running style as former players Jim Brown, Roger Craig and Jerome Bettis. His strategy is to hit or be hit, he has been known to overpower linebackers and defensive lineman with his monstrous 6'4", 240 pound frame, which is exceptionally large for a RUNNING BACK. Jacobs could establish himself as one of the best power-rushers currently in the league, if they can defeat the Patriots. Remember in Week 17 Jacobs rushed for only 67 yards on 15 carries.

Bradshaw is a work in progress, he has only picked up significant playing time since the end of the season. Bradshaw is an explosive back with exceptional speed. He also has soft hands and is a good receiver in the backfield. The Giants will look to use him in short passing routes and runs to the outside. His speed will make him a key factor in the Giants' chances of winning.

THE KEYS TO WINNING SUPER BOWL XLII : NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS EDITION

2008-01-29T09:30:00.001-08:00

#1: DEFENSE

New England must be able to stop Eli Manning if they plan on winning. They must force Manning to throw the ball after they establish the run-block early in the game. However, their veteran linebacker core has to be careful when they blitz, especially on short 3rd down situations.

Consider this, in their Week 17 match-up the Giants were 6-10 in 3rd down situations. The Giants slot-receivers ran a lot of short passing routes in that game which enabled them to move the football downfield efficiently. Also, Giants TE Kyle Boss was driving the New England linebackers insane. In that game he caught 4 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. He has become a favorite target of Manning; the Patriots should look for him to be utilized more in this game, particularly on short-slant routes across the middle of the field.

In order to prevent these short passing routes SS Rodney Harrison will have to limit the amount he blitzes. Look for Harrison to blitz early on in the game when they are establishing the run-block, however as the game progresses look for him to drop into doube-up man coverage on a receiver, in order to prevent Manning’s short-pass tendencies of late.

Patriots CB’s Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel will have to do their best to prevent Giants WR Plaxico Burress from becoming a deep ball threat. When the Giants reach midfield they like to throw for the end zone for a quick touchdown, if possible. Hobbs and Samuel are both roughly 5’10”, meanwhile Burress is 6’5” and therefore maintains a significant height advantage over the Patriots top shut-down cornerbacks. If Burress can utilize his height and speed, he can expect a few touchdowns along with a Super Bowl ring. However, don't expect the Patriots to let him run by, expect them to bump him off the line in order to prevent him from running clean routes.

#2: TOM BRADY

Brady may have limited mobility in the game. Remember he is facing the NFL’s top pass-rush in the Giants (allowed a league best 97.7 rushing yards per game.) Remember the Giants have several fast players on defense, and speed tends to frustrate the Patriots offensive schemes.

However, there is also the fact that this will be Brady’s 4th Super Bowl game, thus giving him the experience edge. He also has by-far the best offensive line in the NFL and a plethora of offensive options unlike any other he had in his previous Super Bowl‘s.

If Brady is healthy and able to move around in the pocket comfortably, look for him to have a career game. If his mobility is limited and he cannot move around in the pocket as gracefully as he does, look for it to be a long night for the Patriots superstar. However, with the competitive nature that Brady so naturally embodies, and the Patriots perfect season on the line, we can expect Brady to be as effective as he has been all season.

#3: WES WELKER

Welker must be ready for everything that comes his way. With WR Randy Moss likely to be facing double and triple-coverage situations, look for Welker to get open on short passing routes, while Moss lures Giants defenders downfield.

Welker has been Brady’s go to guy all season, there is no reason to believe he won’t be Brady’s #1 target. Brady and Welker connected 116 times during the regular season, a franchise record. When Brady gets pressured in the pocket he will be looking to see if Welker is open before trying anything downfield to Moss.

In their Week 17 match-up Welker caught 11 passes for 122 yards. Welker has a super-human ability to pick up crucial yardage after contact, which makes him a vital piece to the Patriots successes this season. If the Patriots are going to win this game Welker will be the reason why. In fact, Welker is my prediction for Super Bowl XLII MVP. That is of course if the Patriots win.

Brady= GOD?

2008-01-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

I found this joke on my good-friend Moe Lauzier's blog, you can access his blog @ http://moeissuesoftheday.blogspot.com/

"God asks Peyton Manning first: 'What do you believe?' Peyton thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says, 'I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my fans.' God can't help but see the essential goodness of Manning, and offers him a seat to his left.

Then God turns to Tony Romo and says, 'What do you believe?' Tony says, 'I believe passion, discipline, courage and honor are the fundamentals of life. I, too, have been lucky, but win or lose, I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the playing fields.' God is greatly moved by Tony's sincere eloquence, and he offers him a seat to his right.

Finally, God turns to Tom Brady: 'And you, Tom, what do you believe?' Tom replies, 'I believe you're in my seat.'"

Thanks for the entertainment Moe.
You can also join Moe Saturday mornings from 6am-9am for
'Issues of the Day' on BOSTON'S TALKSTATION, AM 680WRKO

Despite Sports Glory, Legislation for Casino Gambling will lead to hard times in Massachusetts

2008-01-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

The Commonwealth or State of Massachusetts has become the "hub" of sports for the country lately. Consider this...

The Boston Red Sox have just won their second World Series title in 3 years, a feat some people never thought they'd see accomplished once in their lifetime. Especially myself, as I am a New York Yankees fan (that's right haha)...

The New England Patriots (or Foxboro Patriots as I like to call them) are 18-0 and on their way to Glendale, Arizona to face the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII...

The Boston Celtics are off to a 33-6 start (the best in the league) and appear well on their way to their first NBA title in 22 years, the first of my lifetime...

On a "lesser" note, the Boston Bruins appear to have shaken off the bitter December in which they went 6-10 and have moved into playoff contention (currently the 7th seed). Keep in mind that only 12 points seperate the top 8 teams...

However, there are still some serious issues with Massachusetts politically, which many people don't appear to take into account because of the great sports era Massachusetts is currently experiencing.

Some State Officials (Including the governor and the states 2 United States Senators) believe the regulation of casino gambling will solve the job crisis that it currently faces. Many people in our state are in favor of legislation for casino gambling, under the notion that Connecticut and Rhode Island reap "valuable" tax dollars from Massachusetts residents who venture to those states to gamble. However, they do not realize the repercussions of such a casino in our state, at THIS time, with unemployment at an all-time high!

Massachusetts currently ranks 40th in crime amongst other states our country, which is exceptionally low. The implementation of casino gambling in Massachusetts will significantlly effect the crime rate.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (I Hate the fact we share the same name) has proposed the construction of 3 casinos in Massachusetts. One for every region of the state (Southcoast, Greater Boston, Western Massachusetts/Springfield).

With unemployment in the state ranked 21st in the country and the United States Economy heading towards a recession, how will people be able to afford to go to casinos once they are constructed if they won't have any money to gamble?

A limited number of jobs will be created from these casinos, most of which will come from TEMPORARY construction jobs. A limited number of jobs will be available for relevant casino work, such as security officers, ushers, kitchen staff, card dealers, etc.

Casino gambling is not the way to go for Massachusetts right now. What will broke-gambling junkies do when they run out of money to gamble? They will commit robbery and burglary.

"HEY I JUST LOST $7,000 ON THE PATRIOTS GAME AT THAT NEW MIDDLEBORO CASINO WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO?!" --- OJ Simpson (if he were a resident haha)

"WELL YOU COULD ALWAYS ROB SOME HOUSES RIGHT OJ?" --- hahaha

People in this state need to focus on the real issues at stake. Not to say that what the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots are currently accomplishing is great, but people around here need to start paying attention more to the future it faces. Also don't take it as if everyone will get robbed, just those unfortunate ones.

We can change the current direction in which our state is heading and prevent the crime rate from going up. What our politicians need to do is find other ways to create jobs and perhaps raise the state sales tax to 6-7% rather than the current 5% we currently charge on all nonessential purchases.

Don't let the triumphs and current sports glory surrounding the State of Massachusetts fool you, the state is heading towards hard times, unless of course the people try and prevent it.

Unlikely AFC Championship Match-Up is Guaranteed to Entertain Viewers

2008-01-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Although some might think the AFC Championship match-up on Sunday will be boring a blow-out, resulting in a New England Patriots Super Bowl berth, you may want to reconsider reclining your chairs for these games. You won't be able to just sit back and enjoy those buffalo wings and pizza while watching the games, in fact you might find yourself on the edge of your seat.

AFC Championship: San Diego Chargers @ New England (Sunday 3PM CBS Network)

The San Diego Chargers shocked the Indianapolis Colts last weekend despite being the clear underdogs going into the game. Despite the second quarter injury to Chargers all-pro RB LaDanian Tomlinson (knee injury) and the third quarter departure of starting QB Philip Rivers, the Chargers were able to hang on and defeat the Colts 28-24. Chargers fans can give thanks to brilliant efforts by second-string QB Billy Volek (who scored the go ahead TD on a QB sneak) and back-up RB Michael Turner (71 yards on 17 carries).

However, the Chargers are now up against the New England Patriots for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots have achieved a 17-0 record (including playoffs) and it appears there is no team that can stop them. Considering they man-handled the Chargers in Week 2 many people believe this game will indeed be a blow-out, but are the Chargers the same team they were in Week 2?

After upsetting the defending Super Bowl Champion Colts, a reporter approached Chargers defensive lineman Igor Olshansky who proclaimed, "New England better watch out!", with a menacing and malicious grin swiped across his face. Perhaps Olshansky believes the Chargers are a changed team since the Week 2 blowout they suffered at the hands of New England 38-14. This was a game in which LaDanian Tomlinson was limited to 58 total yards (43 rushing, 15 receiving).

Meanwhile the Patriot defense intercepted Philip Rivers twice, and sacked him three times, ultimately limiting the Chargers offense to 201 total yards. Furthermore, Patriots QB Tom Brady enjoyed a field day throwing for 3 TD's and 279 yards en route to the victory.

Olshansky followed up his comments on Sunday with these words on Tuesday, "The Patriots are more worried about us this weekend." What was actually intended by the comments is unknown, however if Olshansky believes the Patriots are more worried because there perfect season lies in the balance, he is dead-wrong. I believe Tom Brady said it best after the Patriots completed the 16-0 perfect REGULAR season, "All this is nice right now, we will enjoy the next couple of days, but then it is back to work. All of this means nothing unless we achieve the ultimate goal of being Super Bowl champions."

Brady talks as if he hasn't won 3 Super Bowls already. That is why it is a sure bet the Patriots will win this weekend, however the score will be closer than Week 2. Perhaps the Chargers will produce another touchdown. Patriots 35, Chargers 21

What we can learn from the Mitchell Report

2008-01-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Former United States Senator George J. Mitchell conducted an extensive and in-depth investigation over the obvious use of anabolic steroids by Major League Baseball players. The 409-page document was released last December. The 20-month investigation pointed out 80 current or former players who are alleged or have admitted usage of steroids or any other type of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Some players implicated were one-time all-stars others had very brief careers in MLB.

COPY THE FOLLOWING LINK & PASTE IT INTO YOUR BROSER FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF PLAYERS NAMED IN THE MITCHELL REPORT (ESPN)
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153646

Mitchell was appointed by MLB Commissioner Alan H. “Bud” Selig to lead the investigation after the book Game of Shadows implicated a number of current or former players who have allegedly used PEDs. Investigative reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada wrote the book which chronicles use of several types of steroids by such baseball superstars as Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield. The book introduced usage of the newest steroid human-growth hormone (HGH, which is an undetectable synthetic PED that is believed to help players recover faster from hard work-outs and injuries. The investigation was conducted after U.S. Congress members pointed out several flaws with the overall effectiveness of the MLB drug policy and it's drug-testing program. Currently urine samples cannot detect HGH, but they can detect other forms of anabolic steroids.

Previously, before the modern MLB drug policy that is retroactive to 2002 under the MLB and MLB Players Association (MLBPA) collective bargaining agreement, players were only tested for steroids if there was “reasonable cause”. Unfortunately according to Mitchell the MLBPA was very uncooperative in his investigation. In fact when Mitchell asked to conduct an interview with MLBPA CEO Gene Orza, he declined.

What upset me the most about this report was the discovery Mitchell sent a memorandum out to each and every active player associated with MLB. In this memo he urged any player to come forward with any relevant information to his investigation. However, NOT A SINGLE PLAYER contacted him or responded to his memorandum. Furthermore the MLBPA sent out a memorandum URGING PLAYERS NOT TO COOPERATE. It is good to note however that steroid usage in MLB has declined. In fact only 3 players were suspended during the 2007 for abuse of the MLB drug policy concerning steroids.

To say the least bit Mitchell did what he could to ensure he would deliver an effective and comprehensive report. However, due to the lack of cooperation from current players and the MLBPA, his report has been viewed by many as inconclusive although there is strong evidence against several players that they have used steroids. Evidence included in the report include bank checks, prescriptions, “cycle” legers and shipping invoices. Mitchell met with former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski who suggested that several players had approached him about purchasing HGH and how to use it. Furthermore, he had supplied it to them and given them information about how to use it. Radomski, along with Brian McNamee, the former trainer for Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte (whom were named in the report by McNamee), were the main providers of information to the report.

The Mitchell Report led me to ponder a number of questions…

1.) How could it be that not a single player in MLB has any relevant information regarding steroid usage in, or out of the clubhouse, when there have been several admitted users currently and in the past?

That’s right. Nobody spoke up although several current or former Baltimore Orioles players have admitted to or have been accused of using steroids.(Not to single-out any team individually, because all 30 MLB teams had or have a player named in this report) Also, you would think that a player using steroids would have at least asked someone around the clubhouse if they have any information about the drugs. (We all know birds of a feather flock together) Furthermore, why is it now that it seems every player wants to co-operate with Mitchell? Shame on them! What are they scared of being prosecuted?! They should’ve assisted him in the first place….

2.) Why in the hell would the MLBPA urge players not to cooperate?
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This goes to show you the lack of power Mitchell had conducting this investigation. If he had sufficient power there full cooperation in his investigation would have been mandatory and perhaps more insight could have been offered into his investigation.

3.) With the upcoming Congressional hearings, will their be any punishment for the MLBPA’s and the owners’ allege sabotage of Mitchell’s investigation?

My guess is not. I doubt Congress will even bring up this issue, although I strongly believe they should investigate MLBPA CEO Gene Orza and MLBPA executive director Donald Fehr’s involvement in such an activity because according to what I have read in the Mitchell Report I have concluded that perhaps team owners and the Players Association conspired to downplay the need for an effective drug policy. Following the 1994 MLB Strike, Commissioner Selig proposed a plan to begin random drug testing of athletes, however his idea, “never made it to the main table” and was therefore disregarded. Moreover, the owners seemed to be more worry about the decreasing economic gains from baseball events. It is my belief that the owners and MLBPA denied Selig’s suggestion in order to increase profits, or at least prevent them from slipping any further.

In closing, I guess we will have to wait until the next step in procuring the integrity of Major League Baseball for now and the future. The Congressional hearings that are scheduled to take place January 16 should be the next great stepping stone in helping baseball rid itself of steroids and suspicion. The Mitchell Report did implicate a number of players and connect them to using steroids. However, now it is up to Commissioner Selig to decide which cases do in fact effect the integrity of MLB and to seek out forms of punishment. Whether it be stripping a Cy Young Award winner from the award, or banishing someone from the Hall of Fame, I do believe Selig will seek justice in certain cases.

Funny though the 2008 attendance ratings just came out and it appears MLB has just broken it’s record for attendance for the fourth consecutive year…funny ain’t it?

29-3 Celtics: Can they be beaten in a playoff series?

2008-01-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Boston Celtics have gotten off to a tremendous start, in fact they have the best record after 32 games since the 95-96 Chicago Bulls team, who went on to win the NBA Championship that June.

Thanks to strong performances by the "Big Three" (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce), and sophomore point-guard Rajon Rondo. Along with sufficient bench-production from Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Eddie House and James Posey, the Celtics have evolved into an Eastern Conference powerhouse.

The lock-down defensive strategies of Doc Rivers and his run 'n gun offensive philosophy has allowed the Celtics to blow by opponents. He has preached the importance of physical conditioning, particularly cardiovascular conditioning, to his players and they have responded by playing shut-down defense and tremendously on the fast break, offensively.

The explosiveness of the Celtics and their ability to refrain from losing consecutive games has immediately made them a playoff contender. In fact they are the Eastern Conference front-runner in most analysts opinions, although there has been some argument for the Detroit Pistons. The Celtics and Pistons have split their season series 1-1 and have one game remaining to play later in the season in Boston. If the Celtics can maintain their success and continue to dominate teams with their fast-break offense and lock-down defense they will indeed win that elusive 17th NBA Championship.

Either way it appears that playoff basketball will be in the mix for Boston fans this spring and be prepared for it. The 2007 Boston Celtics are no joke. They have come to remind me of the Celtics of the glory days with Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish and Larry Bird running the floor, along with Cedric Maxwell and Danny Ainge. Hopefully they will be able to accomplish the same feats the teams of Celtics lore have.

P.S: Dear Readers sorry about my hiatus over the Holiday season. I have been doing a lot of reading and research into the Mitchell Report and I am not quite done reading it. Please keep in touch and continue visiting my page for the latest updates.

Bonds Pleads Not Guilty

2007-12-07T09:15:00.001-08:00

Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty on Friday after being indicted on charges he knowingly used performance enhancing drugs and lied to federal prosecutors in 2003. He was arraigned in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco, CA and is charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. If convicted he could face more than 2 years in jail.

Following his arraignment he was turned over to United States Marshalls to undergo normal booking procedures. Bonds allegedly lied under oath 19 times in a December 2003 testimony that was held by a federal grand jury that was investigating the BALCO performance drug facility.

"Even Johnny Cochrane couldn't help Barry if he was alive today although the fans might..."
-Patrick Viveiros

Angry fans protested outside courthouse. A tire retailer arranged it's marquee to read, "Say it isn't so Barry," and a Sacramento man arrived in a witch costume. He believes Bud Selig is on a "witchhunt" for steroid abusers in baseball and that Bonds is not guilty.

Bonds' agent confirmed that Bonds will likely be eligible to play the 2008 season, as his court date will probably be sometime December 2008. Bonds could help an American League team as a designated hitter. The 43-year old all-time home run king showed signs of his age at the end of last season. His performance defensively dwindled as his legs appeared to be giving up on him. However, he has hit 762 home runs in his career and still has one of the greatest swings in baseball so here's the question I had:

Should an American League team pursue Barry Bonds for his hitting services despite the charges he faces?

I don't believe anyone should pursue Bonds because anywhere he goes, the media frenzy will follow. A team looking to increase it's revenue and gain fame by exposure could sign Bonds but then how will that reflect the teams image?

George Bush stated that Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran harbor terrorists, will the team that signs Bonds want to be remembered as the team that "harbored the steroid freak"? It is a far cry to say that Bonds is a terrorist but the media has turned him into one.

Bonds is a tremendous athlete despite the allegations that surround him. He still hasn't been convicted of anything thus his statistics speak for themselves. However, the media continues to try and find ways to connect him with using performance enhancing drugs.

This brings me to another question, would the media be as upset with Bonds had he not been on the brink of eclipsing former home-run king Hank Aaron's all-time mark? I personally believe that Bonds has been targeted and had he not broken that record he might not have faced these charges. What is going to happen to Alex Rodriguez after he eventually breaks Bonds' record? Will the media try and connect him with steroid usage?

The point is, the life of an athlete is hard. Everyday is a battle especially with the media crazed United States. Unfortunately athletes are targets of the media who want only to expose them. Furthermore athletes have become targets for crimes and robbery. Such as the case of Washington Redskins free safety Sean Taylor who was recently murdered by home invaders.

If it comes out that Bonds never used steroids at all the media frenzy surrounding him still won't stop. It appears that majority of the country is against Bonds and therefore the media must do their job in seeing that Bonds is found guilty, if not now than at some point in his life.

Brian Cashman gets it the Sinatra Way

2007-12-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

Brian Cashman got it "his way"...

New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman achieved something with his new bosses, Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, that he could never accomplish with his old boss, George Steinbrenner. He convinced them that signing Santana would be too expensive for the Yankees. In return, Cashman got his wish to retain his three-top pitching prospects rather than trade them away for an expensive pitching talent in the form of Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana.

After Andy Pettite announced on Sunday that he would indeed be returning to pitch for the Yankees in the 2008 season, that put the Yankees "over the limit" spending wise this off-season. The Yankees have currently spent over $400 million this off-season to retain six players from last years team these players include: Jose Molina, Alex Rodriguez, Pettite, Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. If the Yankees were to execute a sign and trade for Santana, that would then skyrocket their payroll to way beyond $500 million, as Santana is looking for a contract in the likes of seven-years for $150 million.

Essentially the Yankees payroll for the 2008 season alone would then exceed $200 million, AGAIN. Cashman was convincing enough in his argument and got his wish. He took into consideration that the new Yankee Stadium is being constructed and it cost the amount of gold in Fort Knox to build, thus the team would be taking a HUGE financial gamble.

Cashman had better be right about his three gifted pitching prospects and their ability to fill the holes in the Yankees rotation next season. Philip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy will compete for a spot in a starting rotation that currently consists of Andy Pettite, Chien Ming-Wang and Mike Mussina. Cashman is entering the final year of his contract as GM next season.

The Yankees also announced that they will implement some type of innings limitations on their three gifted prospects next season. This does leave the possibility open for a six-man rotation however, that is unlikely. I believe Kennedy and Hughes will resume their starting roles while Chamberlain will return to the bullpen. There is a lack of bullpen help available in the free agent market and a trade for a bullpen pitcher is always a gamble, (i.e. Eric Gagne's woes for the Boston Red Sox after being traded for in a deadline deal this season). Chamberlain has that fire about him that reminds me that of Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox closer.

I believe the way these pitchers show their emotions on the mound is exciting and it also helps fire up the team, fans and makes the game of baseball more entertaining while still remaining it's "gentleman's game" mentality. By showing their emotions and not being scared to throw inside and come at batters, they essentially improve their odds of striking out batters because they are psyching them out and gaining a mental edge on them. I believe Red Sox ace Josh Beckett can attribute most of his success of being clutch in big situations from being an emotional pitcher.

The Yankees announced they are pursuing negotiations with the Oakland Athletics in a deal that would land starting pitcher Dan Haren in the Bronx. Details of the possible trade have not been released. However, it can't be totally confirmed that the Yankees will indeed hang on to their top three prospects if a deal is made with the Athletics for Haren.

Where will Santana go? (IF ANYWHERE)

2007-12-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

There were several reports today regarding the current status of the New York Yankees involvement in the trade negotiations involving two-time Cy Young Award Winner Johan Santana. The Yankees are trying to work out a deal with the Minnesota Twins that would send 21-year old pitcher Philip Hughes and 23-year old centerfielder Melky Cabrera to the Twins, along with another mid-level prospect that the Twins would select from the Yankees farm system. In return, the Yankees would get Santana.

However, there have been complications in the deal. Because the Yankees are not willing to trade another one of their top-tier pitching prospects, Ian Kennedy or fireballer Joba Chamberlain, the Twins and Yankees appear to be at a stalemate. The Twins like the offer of Hughes and Cabrera, but believe they are entitled to another of the Yankees top-pitching prospects, Kennedy or Chamberlain, rather than a second-tier prospect.

Hank Steinbrenner, Yankees owner, stated Sunday that the Twins have until Monday evening to accept or reject its offer from the Yankees. If they do reject the offer, Steinbrenner noted that the Yankees will not pursue Santana any further, possibly allowing their long time rival Boston Red Sox to acquire him in the deal they have set up with the Twins, consisting of centerfielder Jacoby Elsbury, and its top Minor League level pitching prospect Justin Masterson and Minor-league shortstop Jed Lowrie. However, there is a problem in that deal also, as the Twins want to acquire another one of the Red Sox top-tier pitching prospects either Jon Lester, lefthanded starter and winner of Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, or Clay Bucholz, the rookie phenom who managed to toss a no-hitter in only his second Major League start.

The Yankees are in desperate need of a number one starting pitcher, and Santana would provide just that. Last year the Yankees "ace" was Chien Ming-Wang who pitched wonderfully throughout the season while chalking up 19 wins in only his second year in the big leagues. However, his inexperience in the postseason was exposed. He was responsible for two of the Yankees losses in the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians.

Currently, the Yankees starting rotation consists of Wang, Andy Pettite (who revealed today he will pitch for the Yankees in 2008), Mike Mussina, Ian Kennedy and Philip Hughes. Mussina could be the odd man out of the starting otation if the Yankees decide to re-instate Chamberlain as a starting pitcher.

If the Yankees complete a trade with Santana, the Yankees would immediately have a solid 1-2-3 combination for a postseason run. They would also prevent the Boston Red Sox from establishing possibly the greatest starting rotation of all-time.

If the Red Sox acquire Santana their rotation would consist of: Santana, 2007 Cy Young Award Runner-Up Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice-K), Curt Schilling, and Tim Wakefield. That would probably be the greatest rotation ever assembled in the history of baseball and it's a wonder the Yankees are willing to give up their pursuit of Santana only to prevent him from being Boston bound.

Steinbrenner stated the Yankees want to know about the status of their offer soon because they are also negotiating a deal with the Oakland Athletics that could land their ace, Dan Haren, in the Bronx. The stipulations of the deal have not been revealed however, it is believed that Hughes could be a centerpiece in that deal if the Santana deal doesn't fall through but that is only speculation.

Santana informed the Twins on Monday that if the Twins are going to trade him, they will only have their best opportunity during the offseason because he is not willing to waive his no-trade clause during the middle of the 2008 season. It appears the Twins have their best offers on the table from the Yankees and Red Sox however there is a possibility he could end up pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Los Angeles Angels. It appears trade negotiations with those teams have been restricted due to the staggering offers the Yankees and Red Sox have proposed.

Considering Santana is not willing to waive his no-trade clause in the middle of the season I believe if a deal is not made with the Yankees or Red Sox, the Twins will fail in their efforts to trade Santana before he declares free agency after the 2008 season. I truly believe Santana wants to play for one of these big market teams. I believe deals with either Los Angeles team is a longshot but their always remains possibility.

If a deal is not made for Santana in the offseason, I am sure there will be one of the biggest bidding wars ever in the 2008 offseason. And no those discussions won't involve Alex Rodriguez. Furthermore if a deal for Santana is indeed completed this offseason, the team that acquires him will only have a 72-hour negotiating period to re-sign him. He is likely to receive a contract in upwards of $150 million over seven-years.

A-Rod Goes Full Circle

2007-11-14T09:22:00.001-08:00

The Daily News reported that All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez is re-opening talks with the New York Yankees on a surprise deal that would bring him back to the Bronx. According to the report, Rodriguez has been negotiating with Yankee officials alone, without the help of his agent Scott Boras. However, it appears the Yankees are not willing to discuss a contract with Rodriguez if Boras is present. A club source told the Daily News, "We will not negotiate with Scott Boras. He cannot be in the room."

A report published on Yankees.com Wednesday evening revealed that the Yankees and Rodriguez are close to agreeing on a multi-year $290 million dollar contract. The Yankees also denied a report published earlier in the day regarding their unwillingness to negotiate with Boras present.

Rodriguez contacted Hank and Hal Steinbrenner through a third person party and plans to visit them in Tampa, FL before a deal would be settled. The Yankees do acknowledge that Rodriguez could be luring them into conversations only to drive his price up in the open market as a free agent. However, a Yankee official told the Daily News that it doesn't appear to be the case.

Rodriguez released a statement on his website AROD.com stating,

"Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days." , said Rodriguez.

According to Rodriguez he approached the Steinbrenner family through a third-party intermediary. The contact apparently has strong ties with both Rodriguez and the Yankee organization.

After a stellar 2007 season, Rodriguez is likely to be named the American League Most Valuable Player next Monday. He led the Major League in home runs (54), RBI's (156) and runs scored (143), in 2007. He also batted .318 with 24 stolen bases. He is the most highly touted free agent this offseason and the youngest player to ever hit 500 HR.

On Tuesday the Yankees re-signed All-Star catched Jorge Posada to a 4-year deal worth an estimated $52.5 million. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera remains unsigned but was offered a 3-year deal worth $45 million, which would consequently make him the highest paid closer in the game by $4 million. Rivera has not informed the Yankees if he will accept the offer.

THE GARDEN IS BACK!

2007-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

(Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, the Big Three enjoying themselves during Game 1)

The NBA season got underway last week and I happened to be in attendance for the Boston Celtics home opener against the Washington Wizards. The Celtics entered the game facing high expectations after acquiring superstars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the off-season. Their acquisitions, along with Celtics veteran Paul Pierce have propelled the team in to contention for the Eastern Conference Championship, as well as a possible run for the NBA Championship.

It was a sellout crowd of 18,624 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. I hadn’t seen that many people attend a Celtics game in very long time. Before the tip-off the Celtics revealed they had dedicated their court to Hall of Fame Boston Celtic Coach Red Auerbach, who passed away last season. It was an honor to witness such an event.

Throughout the game the crowd became involved in harassing Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas. The chants of, “GIL-BERRRRT!” were deafening. It was a very surreal atmosphere at the game.

The Celtics went on to win the game 103-83. Garnett finished the game with 22 points and 20 rebounds earning him honor as the player of the night. He made a huge impression on Celtics fans. He further pleased the crowd by blocking Gilbert Arenas on an attempt to drive to the basket in the 3rd quarter. While following through with the block, he slammed Arenas down to the court, inciting the crowd to go wild.

Following the game Paul Pierce said he only wished Red could have been there to witness the game. He also noted that he feels he is in a better place in his career and that he wishes to finish his career with the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics may well be on the verge of returning to glory with their current setup of Allen, Garnett and Pierce. The energy surrounding the team is positive and full of charisma, hope and dreams of obtaining an NBA Title.

They won their second game Sunday in a very close battle against the Toronto Raptors. Allen scored a team high 33 points while Kevin Garnett earned his second double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Garnett and Raptors forward Chris Bosh were battling throughout the game for rebounds. It was a great game the Celtics managed to win in overtime 98-95.

The Celtics host the Denver Nuggets tonight at 7:30pm on Comcast Sports Network. It figures to be a great match-up with Denver Nuggets stars Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson coming to Boston to face Garnett, Allen and Pierce (“The Big Three”). Also tonight will feature the return of University of Massachusetts alum Marcus Camby.

The return to glory for the Boston Celtics is officially underway.

The A-Rod Situation

2007-10-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

(Go on take the money and Run A-Rod.)

So I realize I haven't made a new posting since last Friday. College has kept me very busy over the past week and a half and now that I have some downtime we can discuss some issues...

Apparently, Alex Rodriguez and his ego-building agent Scott Boras believe they are bigger than the game of baseball. In the bottom of the 6th inning during the World Series, Fox Sports Analyst Ken Rosenthal reported that A-Rod would elect to opt out of his contract with the New York Yankees and essentially making him a free agent. A news break that sent a shock wave through baseball fans nationwide.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has said repeatedly throughout the season that if A-Rod chose to opt out of the remaining three-years of his contract and become a free agent, the Yankees organization would not pursue him on the open market.

As a Yankee fan this really got to me, considering I have sympathized with A-Rod since he became a Yankee. I was at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day 2004 and was so excited that I purchased a Rodriguez jersey. I had high hopes for the superstar short-stop turned third-baseman.

Through his ups and downs as a Yankee I always stood up for him. A-Rod criticisms ranged from his "inability" to produce in the postseason to his sometimes shoddy defense and the fact that after winning the AL MVP trophy in 2005, he finished the 2006 season with 35 HR, 121 RBI and a .290 batting average. Which to me are VERY good numbers, I will take those numbers from any third baseman for a full season of work.

There are a number of reasons why I used to stand up for A-Rod, but not quite anymore. Let's face it the Yankees haven't had a legitimate pitching staff since 2001 with the combination of Mike Mussina, Andy Pettite, Roger Clemens, Orlando Hernandez and Ted Lilly. As we all know pitching wins championships, you cannot slug your way through the postseason like A-Rod tried to do the past three seasons because the pitching staff was lousy. In trying to slug through the postseason A-Rod ended up swinging at bad pitches and hurting his team.

So there he goes, the richest man in baseball just got richer. It makes me wonder why he would want to make more money which will only make him more vulnerable to criticism. Considering the fact that people already despise of him because he hasn't won a World Series despite being the highest paid player in the Major Leagues.

What A-Rod did was a slap in the face to the game of baseball. The World Series is the most coveted event in baseball and he has to make a news break in the middle of the game proclaiming that he will be turning his back on the Yankee Faithful like Joe Torre and Rudi Guiliani have in the past week?

That is ridiculous, he had until 10 days after the World Series to declare himself a free agent why did he have to do it in the middle of the World Series? He gave the Yankees no time to find a new manager, although they did yesterday in the form of Joe Girardi whom I believe is an excellent choice, nor did he give them anytime to discuss a possible contract extension with him.

I hope wherever A-Rod ends up he is practicing his golf swing every October in hopes of someday winning a championship in the PGA Senior Open because he will not bring any team a World Series. I used to idolize the man, now I believe he is nothing but a money hungry, conniving and ambitious monster, who can play baseball but never win a championship because of his selfish ways.

Shame on you Alex. Now I know why even your own fans booed you.

As for the hiring of Joe Girardi as the new Yankee manager, I believe it is a great decision. He brings a whole different type of hands-on teaching that Joe Torre used to do, but has cut-back on in recent years. I believe he was the better candidate over Don Mattingly because he has previous managerial experience, you can't deny the fact that he won NL Manager of the Year in 2006 with the Florida Marlins.

Hopefully he's a reincarnation of former Yankee manager Billy Martin. Girardi is charasmatic much like Martin was, he is a former Yankee, like Martin, and because of the fact he played with Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, I believe there is a strong possibility that they might resign to play for their former teammate, whom they enjoyed winning three World Series rings with.

It's a Great Day in Boston, Not so Great in the NBA

2007-10-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a huge day for sports, especially in Boston…

After a Game 1 romping of the Colorado Rockies, the Boston Red Sox won Game 2 of the World Series 2-1 in a very close game, and are now up 2-0. The Red Sox pitching staff followed up Josh Beckett’s gem with a brilliant performance of their own, thanks to modest efforts by Curt Schilling, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

A notable performance was given by Rockies rookie pitcher Udalo Jimenez, although he only went 4 2/3 innings. He had remarkable control in the beginning of the game, however the fire-baller lost control in the 5th inning and was removed from the game after allowing an RBI double to Mike Lowell.

No. 2 ranked Boston College won despite being down 10-0 at halftime to No. 8 ranked Virginia Tech. Boston College QB Matt Ryan completed a 24-yard touchdown pass with :11 seconds left in regulation to secure a 14-10 victory.

Ryan had a remarkable performance, although he allowed 2 interceptions. The Heisman Trophy candidate finished the game passing for 285 yards, and 2 touchdowns. By leading his team to victory despite the 10-0 halftime deficit, he made a strong claim for the Heisman, which is awarded to college football’s most valuable player.

A shocking development is also under way regarding NBA Commissioner David Stern. He announced yesterday that due to the fact that every single referee in the NBA is linked to some form of gambling, he will seek no punishment of them. Furthermore, he announced he is drafting new gambling rules and those very same referees will be now allowed to gamble in a number of ways.

An internal investigation of NBA referee’s revealed that all 56 of the league’s referees have violated the league policy regarding gambling. That policy also bans any form of legal gambling, including lottery tickets, poker games (for money), and casino gambling.

I personally believe they should alter the league policy to allow for referees to partake in state lottery. Casino gambling should not be allowed because the integrity of the games they officiate will be in jeopardy. Considering the fact that anybody can place a bet in Las Vegas on a sporting event via the internet, these referees should not be allowed to partake in casino gambling.

RUDI THE RED COAT

2007-10-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

I just so happened to wake up this morning and visit the website for the New York Post. As the website loaded, I saw one of the most astonishing images in my life.

Former New York City Mayor and current Republican Presidential candidate, Rudi Giuliani, announced that he is backing the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

My jaw dropped upon reading this.

How could this former New York City Mayor be sporting the logo of the biggest rival to his "beloved" New York Yankees? This is the man that has a designated seat at Yankee Stadium waiting for him on the side of the home dugout, whenever he wants to attend a game. He is also the man that led NYC through its darkest days after 9/11. And when the Yankees are down in the 9th inning who appears on the scoreboard in center field screaming "Let's Go Yankees!"?

That's right Rudi Giuliani does.

Now he is just another wagon jumper, trying riding the hottest ticket to the White House. After all every politician does it. He's just trying to get people to vote for him, but personally I think he is going to lose a lot of votes due to this. He is becoming reminiscent of John Kerry in his bid for the White House in 2004. (Does the term "flip-flopper" occur to anyone?)

At first I wasn't sure what to think about the situation. But as a die hard New York Yankees fan, I couldn't let Rudi get away with this one, I needed to rip into him a little bit and give him a peace of mind. Especially because Joe Torre has already abandoned ship and with the futures of such All-Stars as, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Alex Rodriguez, in doubt, due to free agency.

I hope Rudi loses his personal seat at Yankee Stadium and they never, EVER put him on the big screen in center field again. The man is a fraud and a disgrace to the Yankee Empire!

If you're voting Republican this upcoming election, Vote Duncan Hunter for President in 2008!

Poor Tom Brady: How Could We Do You This Injustice?

2007-10-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Tom Brady, the All-American hero for the New England Patriots, threw 6 touchdowns for a career high, leading the Pats to 49-28 rout of the Miami Dolphins. Brady was unfortunately overshadowed in two aspects. Tennessee Titans place kicker Rob Bironas hit his 8th field goal to seal a 38-36 victory for the Titans over the visiting Houston Texans. He became the first kicker to ever hit 8 FG's in a game and set a record for points in a game by a kicker with 26.

On the other hand is the obvious, those Boston Red Sox. They completed a magnificent comeback down 3-1 in the ALCS against the Cleveland Indians to win the American League Pennant and advance to the World Series. Struggling through the first four games the Red Sox were reawakened in Game 5 thanks to a stellar performance by flamethrower Josh Beckett Friday night.

The big question at hand was, how would 40 year old Curt Schilling answer the call in Game 6? He pitched extraordinarily well, going 7 innings allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits, no walks and scattering 5 strikeouts in a 12-2 rout of the Cleveland Indians. However we must not forget J.D. Drew's 1st inning grand slam off Cleveland pitcher Fausto Carmona in that game. Drew definitely regained his trust in Red Sox Nation especially with a particular friend of mine. (Can't call him Nancy Drew anymore)

Then came the pivotal Game 7 or as I like to refer to it as, The Night the Rookie Took Over. A night where Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were somehow stymied by Indians junk-baller Jake Westbrook. (They were a combined 1 for 8 in the game, Manny collected an RBI single) It was rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia who sealed the victory with a 2 run home run in the bottom of the 7th inning giving the Red Sox a 5-2 lead. He further contributed with a bases loaded double that cleared the bases in the 8th propelling the Red Sox to an 11-2 victory and giving them the AL Pennant.

So what more does Tom Brady have to do? If you ask me Tom just keep winning! Baseball is almost over. You'll get your curtain call buddy.