Phair Weather Phans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Celtics Mission #18 Launches Tonight

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

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

By: Patrick Viveiros

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Blockbuster Makes Sense

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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)

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!