Weekly Wrap-Up

1. Is it weird that I'm psyched about the upcoming World Cup?
2. Hey Keno Davis, what? Is your team doing their best impersonation of the Cininatti Bengals?
3. WTF Daisuke? You almost throw a no hitter against the potent Phillies, then you throw an abortion of a game against the Royals, walking 8…
4. Tim Donaghy is looking more credible, as an NBA conspiracy is floating around in my head.
5. Speaking of the World Cup… Fortunately for team Argentina: It's players will be able to have sex during the tournament with their girlfriends or wives. Dr. Donato Vallani, their team doctor announced. But he did recommend- "it should not be at 2 a.m. with champagne and Havana cigars."
6. Tiger Wood's attorneys advised him not to see other women until his divorce is settled. (So many jokes you could make here)
7. The Omaha Royals are hosting "Jersey Shore Night" on Thursday night. Fans get a free general admission ticket if they show up with a Pauly D "blowout" or Snooki "bump" hairstyle, a bottle of hair gel or a receipt from a spray tan. Between innings, a "fist-pump" cam will zero in on fans dancing to the techno tune "Sandstorm." (Compliments of the Dailey News)
8. The Celtics are gonna make me drink so much during game 6 tonight that I'll probably have to read about what happened in the A.M.
9. Rafael Nadal wore a $525,000 dollar watch during the French Open… What a douche.
10. It was recently announced that the 2014 Super Bowl will be hosted by NJ. When asked if the greatest sporting event in the world would ever come to Gillette, Kraft said he believed that the time for that had passed. The Patriots held discussions when building the stadium – as a roof would have been needed in order to be a contender to host. "I'm basically a traditionalist. I think football should play outdoors. ...” said Kraft. We may not host, but real football is played in the elements. I’m happy with how things turned out. 
11. A happy tid-bit for all you Red Sox fans: since April 20, the Sox have the best record in baseball, 23-12 … a half-game better than the Rays (22-12). 
12. "To have your facilities taken over by another AFC team?" Jets coach Rex Ryan recently told ESPNNewYork.com. "That would be hard to take. That would be almost impossible to take." I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to take over this fat bastard’s house in February. 
13. Venus Williams got everyone fired up with her latest outfit at the French Open. Basically donning a black negligiee with nude-colored shorts underneath, the girl looked like she was playing with no pants on. Gotta boost tennis ratings somehow … 
14. After a 15-month investigation, it seems that the UConn Men’s Basketball program has 8 alleged recruiting violations including proper phone calls, text messages and benefits. Ut oh.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Riddle Me This?

How is it that the Red Sox went from being swept by the worst team in baseball to sweeping the best team in the league in just a month’s time? I’m not complaining, just curious what’s going on over at 4 Yawkey Way.

I’m not up on my superheroes like I should be, so I’ll direct this question to all the Comic-Con turbo-nerds out there: how many villains did the real Superman defeat by delivering an elbow to the face?

When did we stop defending Jameer Nelson?

An exotic dancer is suing Albert Haynesworth (defensive tackle for the Washington Redskins) for allegedly impregnating her and then skipping town. Whaaaaat? Why do stories like this even make the news?

How could anyone have given Perk that second technical in last nights game? He clearly turned his back to the ref before displaying any type of emotion … that first tech was questionable but the second was flat out bullshit. Hopefully one (if not both) will be rescinded by the end of day today.

How many of you guessed that Scal could be the X Factor in a Game 6 situation?

Sox Showing Signs of Life

A couple of weeks ago Sox fans were saying "it's gonna be a long year" and I heard a few "Wait till next years".  They got off to a painfully slow start and had us all in a panic.  On May 2nd the Sox were 11-14 and already 7 games behind the Rays, and 5.5 games behind the Yankees.  After that gross 3 game sweep in Baltimore, NE fans were happy that the Bruins and Celtics were making playoff runs, giving us something to diverge us away from their horrid display of baseball.  To make things worse they were about to embark on a brutal 13 game streak against 5 of the top teams in baseball. 

To our pleasant surprise they have turned things around and have been playing very promising baseball in the month of May.  During that "dreadful" stretch of their schedule they have gone 8-4 and have one to play tonight in Tampa.  Last weekend they took 2 out of 3 from the beast of the N.L. East Phillies.  Daisuke and Wakefield shut down their stacked line up.  Daisuke pitched 7 2/3rds of no hit ball while Wake held them scoreless through 8.  Now they are in Tampa Bay where they have taken the first 2 of 3.  Lester and Buchholz have been pitching like Cy Young candidates.  Hopefully Lackey and Beckett (when he returns) can start throwing like the 17 million dollar/year pitchers they are.

It wasn't too long ago that David Ortiz looked like crap at the plate.  We thought this might be it for the big guy, and wanted to see more Mike Lowell.  He sure has proved us wrong.  In May he's looking like 2004 Vintage Papi.  So far this month he's hitting .359, with 8 hrs. and 21 RBI's.  He's creeping back on the radar in the fantasy world as well (which is always a good sign).  One game towards the end of April, D.O. was pinch hit for.  Apparently that move really fired him up.  "I was mad. I was absolutely mad. If you ride with me, you're going to get two things. Either you're going to win or you're going to die with me. That's the way it is, that's the way it's been as long as I've been here. ... You gotta believe in your players. Period. You choose to have me on your roster since Day 1. You gotta ride with me."  Good thing Tito decided to ride with him…

Ortiz isn't the only one on the team seeing the ball real well the past couple of weeks.  Youk has been hitting the snide off the ball during this hot streak.  Adrian Beltre is hitting .327 with 27 RBI's, which is a pleasant surprise.  Boston as a team is hitting .266 and are 2nd in MLB with 62 homeruns.  They have scored 241 runs thus far which is good for 4 place over all.  Not bad for a team that was focusing on "Run Prevention".  Ellsbury made his return Saturday and is nearing becoming an everyday player again, which should only provide a spark to this already hot team.  Today the Sox sit at 26-21 and are quickly closing in on the Yanks and Rays.  They will be totally worthy of our 100% attention after this Celtics run, which hopefully will be going on for a few more weeks…

The Celtics Are NOT the Bruins ...

Seriously America, get over it. It’s been less than two days since the OT loss in Game 4 and yet the comparisons have been endless. I’ve been forced into avoidance mode, banning all such commentary from my day-to-day entirely. I don’t need that kind of stress in my life, so instead I’ll be tuning in to the live video feed of BP’s epic fail in the gulf. Sorry, SportsCenter, but you made me do it.

Let’s be clear: no one wanted the B’s to advance more than me, but the team rested their fate on an exhausted rookie goaltender and a series of mismatched lines thrown together after key injuries to crucial starters. The fact that they made it as far as they did was almost entirely on heart. You just cannot win a championship when your operating on fumes.

The Celtics, on the other hand, are beyond stacked. The Big 3 has morphed into the Big 4 with Rondo stepping up big this season. Not to mention contributions from Big Baby, Tony Allen and Perk. Even Sheed has been impressive as of late. And let’s be serious, Doc Rivers could and does out-coach Stan Van Gandy every time he steps foot on the court.

Truthfully, Orlando should have won Game 4. They were the only guys on the court who actually played. Rondo got himself into early foul trouble and spent much of his time sitting. Performances by Tony Allen and Rasheed Wallace were dismal at best. A non-existent defense was the icing on the proverbial cake that resulted in the overtime loss. How else can you explain Jameer Nelson finishing with 23 points?

So back to Amway Arena they go. Hopefully the Celts are ready to play so we can collectively say goodbye to Superman and his Magic, dumpy Amway Arena and the mind-numbingly outrageous comparisons to the worst demise in recent Boston sports history.

Phil Jackson is a Clown

There are maybe a handful of people in the sports world who get under my skin. A Rod, the goober Manning brothers, Ben Roethlisberger and Kobe Bryant all rub me the wrong way. The guy who is number one on my shit list isn't a player but a coach. There isn't one thing that I like about Lakers coach Phil Jackson. He is a grade A tool.

The number 1 reason why I loathe him so much is because last year he beat Red Auerbach's record of championships by a coach with 10. Red was a basketball genius, who created the best dynasty organization in sport's history. Red earned every ring he ever won. He wasn't handed an all-star squad like Jackson, two different times in his career. In 1989 he took over the Bulls taking the place of Doug Collins. Jordan, Pippen, Horace Grant, and Bill Cartwright were already there when he arrived. In 1999 he conveniently took over an all star studded cast of Lakers, including Shaq, Kobe, Glen Rice, Rick Fox, and Ron Harper. Sloth from the Goonies could win rings coaching either of these stacked teams.

Phil "Phony" Jackson is also arrogant, cocky, and very sarcastic. Remember in the 08 finals when he intentionally called Leon Powe, Leon Pow. Now that is just flat out immature. He walks around like his shit doesn't stink, and talks down to everyone. He is anything but the Zen Master. Just last week Jackson stirred up controversy by supporting the new immigration law in Arizona, which many people believe is racial profiling. Despite your beliefs on the subject, he needs to keep his mouth shut. He's in the middle of the playoffs, and should only be concerned about his team.

Unfortunately he is the highest paid coach in the NBA making a ridiculous 10 million dollars a year. That makes me ill. He's a phony, over rated crybaby and I can't stand his look, his voice, or his snarly smirk. I would love nothing more then for this Celtics locomotive to roll through L.A. taking down this joke of a coach and his team.

Sigh……….. That felt good to get off my chest.

Reflections on the Week ...

1. Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are taking the Sox and throwing them on their backs.
2. Earth shattering news: Floyd Landis admitted to doping throughout his cycling career.  You mean to tell me the one sport I care about has been tainted.  Nooooooooooo!
3. Kevin Costner, and I love this, has an invention that could go a long way to clean up the oil spill. It's a centrifuge device that separates oil from seawater. He must have thought of this while on the set of WaterWorld. At least some good came out of that box office bomb.
4. NBA referee Joe Derosa was suspended after throwing the ball at a fan during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Seems like everyone but the Magic got involved in the action that night
5. The London Olympic mascot has been revealed and it might just be the absolute weirdest thing I have ever seen. It has one eye, no gender and is called Wenlock. WTF?
6. Big Papi is having a 2004 Papi-like month of May.
7. It has been a tough week for Lance Armstrong: first, he was accused of doping and then he crashed while competing in the Tour de California. He required stitches near his eye and on his elbow but did not win the “Grossest Eye Injury of the Week” award …
8. … That award was already claimed by Steve Nash, whose six stitches near his right eye caused his face to become so swollen he looked more like a creature from a SciFi movie than anything else.
9. On May 13^th, The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds had a dinosaur throw out the games first pitch. I get that you are Triple-A, so no one gives a shit, but seriously? If you haven’t seen the video (and I’m guessing you haven’t based on the previous sentence), YouTube it. Ridiculous.
10. Elin Nordegren has upped the demands in her divorce settlement from everyone’s favorite womanizer. She is now seeking full custody and “an estimated $750 million package”. What is Tiger seeking? A lifelong confidentiality clause that would restrict any books or interviews discussing the events of the past six months. Damn it.
11. Brett Favre update: He is still considering whether or not he wants to play for the Vikings for one more year.  He just claimed that if the Southern Miss baseball team makes the college world series he'd suit up for another season.  Another good ole round of playing / not playing.
12. If you want to hear about something to get your mind off of Brett "bleeping" Favre, don't you worry. We will hear a different Lebron James rumor on a daily basis for the next few months. Or a rumor about Lebron's mom.
13. Kama-Sutra, the world's first 3-D porn movie makes its debut… What a hilarious civilization we live in.
14. A new study released found that ugly people were 22% more likely to be convicted of a crime AND they are more likely to receive a longer sentence. Phfew! Good thing we're safe ... tough break for the Manning brothers, though, if anything ever goes down.
15. We Want L.A. Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!  We Want L.A. Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! 

And Daniels Thought Not Playing Was Going to Ruin His Night …

Considered a key acquisition just a few months ago, Marquis Daniels has contributed little to the Celtic’s postseason run. His stepfather, on the other hand, has caused quite a stir.

55-year-old Willie L. Buie attended game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals at Amway Arena in Orlando, just minutes from where Daniels grew up, and engaged in a “verbal confrontation” with nearby fans (according to reports). Details are not available, which sucks because I am sure they are pretty entertaining.

Police officers arrived in the section and attempted to escort Buie from the game. It probably goes without saying but this effort was not appreciated by the proud step-papa. He began to swear and “swing his arms” at the officers (sidebar: I love this description from police reports. All I can picture is the fight that Ronnie got into on the boardwalk in the first season of Jersey Shore).

Buie was out of his section and on to the concourse when the officers attempted to cuff him, citing “resisting arrest with violence” as the reason. It took three officers to subdue him and, after repeated struggle, police officers used a stun gun and tased Buie’s back for five seconds.

Immediately following the incident, Daniels left the Celtic’s bench and headed to the locker room area. He returned shortly during a TV timeout.

Not surprisingly, someone caught the situation on a camera-phone video where it can now be viewed on one of the web’s most reliable news sources, TMZ. Ahem.

The Celtic’s return to action against the Magic tomorrow night, 8:30 PM, at the TD Garden.

Is this guy serious?

Remember back in April when a disgruntled Jet’s fan tried to sue the New England Partiots, Bill Belichick and the NFL over the infamous Spygate incident? Well, that same idiot made headlines again this week.

Carl Mayer is a lawyer (obviously) from Princeton, NJ and a Jet’s season ticket holder. His lawsuit claims that the actions of Belichick/the Patriots “interfered with the outcome of the game, thus defrauding consumers.” He included the NFL in this suit for their involvement in the destruction of the video tapes.

Mayer’s seeking $184.8 million. How did he arrive at this ridiculous amount you ask? Apparently fans spent $61.6 million on Jets-Pats tickets at Giant Stadium from 2000-2007. Mayer, who only became a season ticket holder in 2006, is including all games during Belichick’s tenure as head coach because he is ‘representing’ all Jets fans (riiiiiiiight). Mayer then wanted the $61.6 million tripled citing federal racketeering laws.

This case was initially dismissed by the district court for being complete bullshit and was re-tried before the federal appeals court. Luckily, the 3rd Circuit Court didn’t buy Mayer’s sob story either and upheld the district judge’s ruling.

Senior Judge Robert E. Cowen wrote about the ruling, “At best, he (Mayer) possessed nothing more than a contractual right to a seat from which to watch an NFL game between the Jets and the Patriots, and this right was clearly honored’’.

The Patriots were represented by Boston firm Bingham McCutchen LLP. Daniel Goldberg, a partner at the firm, stated that the ruling was consistent with similar preceding cases. He said “We always viewed this as a frivolous lawsuit, brought to the court by a Jets season ticket holder who happens to be a lawyer.” Ouch.

Mayer has stated that he plans to appeal to the US Supreme Court. If the case does make it that far it will be heard by 3 maybe 4 judges with New York roots. Let’s hope they are Giants fans… 

If Mayer wins I think I’d like to file some lawsuits too – how does T1AOB vs. the Jets for pretending to be a real football team, sound?

Remember About A Year Ago…

"I’m prepping myself to welcome Nash, Parker, Gay, Hamilton, Rubio or anyone else to Boston. Sorry, Rajon…it was nice while it lasted!" - Celtics fan

"The Celtics offered Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Detroit Pistons for a package that included Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey league sources told Yahoo! Sports."- Yahoo.com

This past off season Celtics fans and some talking heads were ready to ship off Rondo after last year's season came to an end.  There were reports that he was late to a few regular season games, and to a playoff game in Chicago.  Apparently he was sitting in his car chillin, when he was supposed to be with the rest of the team.  There were also reports that he wasn't the greatest listener.  Ainge constructively knocked him saying he "has to grow up", and "we need him to be more of a leader".

Ummmm yeah, it's a good thing we held onto this guy.  The Celts would NOT be where they are right now if it weren't for #9.  Boston is now Rajon Rondo and the Big 3.  He is now a leader and controls the flow of the game as well as the offense.  Thank the basketball gods we didn't trade him for Steve Nash, Tony Parker, or any other point guard in the league.  He's a freak of a point guard and he is still getting better in front of our eyes, game by game. 

Rondo is only 24 years old and before this season he signed a 5-year extension, worth 55 million dollars.  He is so dynamic, and frustrates the bejesus out of his opponents.  RR will be the C's centerpiece for this team for years to come when Pierce, Garnett, and Allen get older and move on.  So to all of the fans, radio personalities, and whoever wanted him out of town a year ago, REALLY???? 

Quote of the Day

"We Want Boston!"

- Laker Fans' chant during Game 2 of the Lakers-Suns series

Well that's good, LA, because we want you too. Bostonians certainly do not want to wait another 21 years before meeting again in a fight for the title. Stepping over you (read: Kobe and that odious Pau Gasol) to claim our 18th National Championship and then condescendingly smiling at your meager 15? Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

Happy Birthday KG

In honor of The Big Ticket's 34th birthday, T1AOB has gone out and "borrowed" some of the best photos that could be found on the internet and created this slideshow, just for you.

Still Not Over It ...

Trust me, guys, I feel your pain ...

Uuuugh. It has been days since the epic meltdown that was Game 7 of the Bruins-Flyers series and I’m still not over it. Seeing “NHL Hockey” as I check the guide for something to watch turns my stomach. Oh? The Habs-Flyers series? I think I'll pass. Thanks, though.

As far as the stages of grief go, I think I’m stuck somewhere between anger and depression (I’m electing to skip over the bargaining phase because, clearly, God is not a Bruins fan). As I try to ease myself into acceptance, I first must try and figure out what happened. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

First and foremost, it was an injury-ridden team. How many hits (literally and figuratively) can one team take? The biggest blow to the roster came when David Krejci went down in Game 4. Other notables that were missing included Marco Sturm, Dennis Seidenberg and Adam McQuaid. On the flipside, one of the Flyer’s top producers – Simon Gagne – returned to action in Game 4 after being sidelined with a foot injury. From this point forward, he will simply be referred to as “the player that destroyed the dreams of all Boston fans”. I hate him (anger stage, sneaking back in ...).

Injuries will lead to my next point: strategy. While Claude Julien was forced to make changes from the bench and restructure the lines to accommodate the injuries, Flyer’s coach Peter Laviolette could focus on making adjustments to shut the B’s down. And he did this well. The Bruins were forced to take shots from the perimeter (not their sweet spot), effectively making their offense obsolete.

For this part of the equation I am still in Stage 1: Denial, but I will include it anyway. Just know that every word I type in this paragraph is physically paining me. Here it goes: goaltending. Tuukka, Im sorry, but it had to be said. You were the reason why we advanced to the post-season in the first place and you were practically flawless against the Sabres. Hell, after the first three games of the Philly series you had half the men in Boston wishing they could pull an Arnold Schwarzenegger a lá the 1994 classic Junior and have your baby. In the last four games of the series, however, Rask looked tired and he was easy to beat. The rookie’s struggle with fatigue certainly got the best of him in the final games of this series.

Of course, he wouldn’t have been so fatigued had some of the team’s top producers actually stepped up. Zdeno Chara, the B’s best helper in the regular season, was practically silenced during the last four games of the Philly’s series (0 goals, 2 assists). Top regular-season points earner, Patrice Bergeron, was also held to just two assists. Rounding out this discussion will be Mark Recchi, the team’s most effective right-winger, who contributed three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in the last four games. His efforts were commendable but not nearly the heroic performance required of a seasoned-vet leading his team through a do-or-die situation.

On to my final point. I feel like Judas with this one but here it is … coaching. Trust me, I am fully aware that Coach Julien has made wine from water with a season that produced more challenges than lucky breaks BUT this does not overlook the fact that, in his seven years behind the bench, he has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

Rebuild, repair, recover. This is what the offseason is for. With six unrestricted free agents and five restricted, the Bruins have a lot of decisions to make. We also have the second pick in the upcoming draft (June 25-26), which will give us a Taylor/Tyler to look forward to. Hopefully this banged up squad will come back for the 2010-11 season prepared to bring The Holy Grail back to Boston.

Celtics Hold Kryptonite

In the opening round of the playoffs the Celtics took down Dwayne Wade.  In the 2nd round they frustrated Lebron James and his Cavaliers knocking them out in 6 games.  Next up is Freak of Nature (Superman) Dwight Howard.  Prior to his meeting with the Celts, Howard manhandled the Charlotte Bobcats, then had his way with the Atlanta Hawks.  Over the first 8 games he averaged 15.4 pts and 11.3 rebs per game.  Then came game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.  And after 1 game it appears that Boston has the answer to this physical specimen.

Yes Howard did have 13 pts and 12 rebs, which is a good game.  But not good enough when he is the focal point of the Magic, and when you're playing in the conference finals.  The C's have had success in the past containing Dwight, and they gave him fits Sunday afternoon.  Nobody in the league gets under his skin more then Kendrick Perkins.  Perk has his way with Howard defensively.  He uses his big frame and bangs around with him, causing him to force up ugly shots.  And when Perk needed a breather Sheed and Big Baby pushed him around in the paint.  Howard was a gross 3 for 10 shooting, and 7 for 12 from the free throw line.  We'll take that all day against this Magic team.  Fouling the big guy is a great game plan when he has a good look.  Apparently he went to Shaq's camp on how to shoot free throws.  Or should I say how not to shoot them.  Oh yeah Howard also turned the ball over 7 times.

Last season without Garnett, and Wallace the banged up Celts took this Magic team (minus Barnes and plus Turkoglu) to a game 7.  Stealing game 1 on the road against Howard and co. is huge.  With Perk being able to handle Dwight one on one, it also allows the other defenders to stay closer to their matchups, thus throwing their whole team out of sink.  Orlando was the best 3-point shooting team in the regular season, and Boston held them to a pathetic 5 for 22 in game 1.  Yes it is only one game, who knows Superman might put up a 30 pt 20 reb game tonight in game 2, but no arrows are pointing that way.   

R.I.P. Colin Foote

Sometimes in life you stumble across something so outrageous, so egregious that it must be addressed. The forum is not necessarily important. Unfortunately, an event of such magnitude occurred on Sunday night. So this will not be a post about sports, it will be about the tragic loss of a life … and the unnecessary events that led up to it.

On Sunday evening, Colin B. Foote of Charlestown, RI waited on his motorcycle for the light to change so he could continue home. When the light changed, he accelerated from the turn-around, across route 1, where he was t-boned by a car that ran the red light. His mother and his brother were in the car behind him.

The 27-year-old account manager at Regan Communications Group was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

For the person who hit him, 26-year-old Laura Reale (yes, I’m including your name because this should follow you haunt you for the rest of your life), this marks the 18^th moving violation since December 17^th, 2002. I will repeat that. This scourge on society has amassed EIGHTEEN (that’s 1. 8.) moving violations in less than eight years. Her driving history highlights include a one-month suspension after receiving six speeding tickets in 18 months, twice exceeding the speed limit by 20+ mph and running multiple stop signs.

An update in the Providence Journal stated that Reale was charged with multiple motor-vehicle violations. If this idiot gets charged with anything less than vehicular homicide (screw manslaughter), then the system is a total joke. Clearly, personal accountability is non-existent in this girl’s life and, thanks to the RI magistrates that gave her “stern warnings” each and every time she appeared in traffic court, discipline isn’t either. Let’s make an example out of her.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the Foote family and to all of Colin's friends.

A Loss of Historic Proportions

The Bruins epic meltdown, culminating in a 4-3 loss to the Flyers on Friday night, was not just ugly … it was historic. After blowing a three game lead in the series, and then a three-goal lead in game 7, the B’sbecame just the third team in NHL history to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games.

Best described by Joe McDonald on ESPNBoston.com, “Boston completely, utterly and disgustingly imploded in a collapse of monumental proportions. In the end, the Bruins found themselves on the losing end of one of the biggest comebacks in NHL history”.

Entering the 2nd period, the Bruins – and more specifically, Milan Lucic – seemed unstoppable. Boston scored three unanswered goals, two coming on the power play, before Philly had a chance to respond with less than three minutes remaining in the first. Despite the drama of game seven, home ice and a fanatical hometown crowd, the B’s lost momentum after the first period. A seemingly nonexistent defense allowed for two goals from Hartnell and Briere of the Flyers. Things were all tied in the third when there was confusion between Marc Savard and Vladimir Sobotka on the line change. Sobotka jumped on the ice but Savard skated back to center ice and a too-many-men penalty was called before either player could correct. Flyer’s left-winger Simon Gagne took advantage of the power play, giving Philly a 4-3 lead.

It seems like history loves to repeat itself in Boston, and this crushing loss was no exception. Thirty-one years ago, in 1979, the Bruins held a 4-3 lead over the Montreal Canadians in the Stanley Cup Semifinals when they were called for a too-many-men penalty. The Habs tied the game on a power play goal, forcing overtime, and ultimately winning the series.

The Bruins haven’t been without their share of struggles this post-season, especially losing players like David Krejci, Marco Sturm and Dennis Seidenberg, but it never really felt like this squad couldn’t get the job done. And with the Canadians beating the defending Stanley-Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins? The chance at winning the Stanley Cup seemed more than possible … 

But that’s all over now. When asked which was more memorable, the comeback or the collapse, Barry Melrose replied, “the collapse. A team to blow a 3-0 lead, a team to blow a 3-0 goal lead in the first period. A team to give up the winning goal on a too-many-men on the ice penalty. The second time in history the Boston Bruins have lost a playoff round because of a too-many-men on the ice penalty. This is the worst loss, I think, the Boston Bruins have ever had in the history of the Boston Bruins. This is a loss we’ll be talking about … in ten years”.

He’s probably right. After all, you can’t be a Boston fan without a least some bitter memories of championships lost. I think it’s written in an unofficial rulebook somewhere. Sigh.

The Game 7 loss wasn't just historic. It was heartbreaking.

Ortiz, Sox showing signs of life

While most of New England has been in hardcore playoff mode with the Celtics and Bruins making runs, word on the Red Sox front has been rather quiet.  They got off to a very slow start, and had Sox fans in complete panic mode.  With baseball season being the crazy marathon that it is, it's still too early to make a diagnosis on this team, but we are starting to see some more positive signs.

The offense is looking much better over the past few games.  Averages are rising, they've been putting up some runs, and Ortiz is showing signs of his former self.  In the month of May he's batting .333 with 5 homeruns and 11 RBI's.  After his horrendous start Sox fans were wondering if he was all done, but apparently he's got something left in his tank.  Like Big Papi, J.D. Drew has been killing the ball too hitting .444 in his last 10 looking like Teddy Ball Game.  OK that's a stretch, but he's been damn good of late.  

Minus Josh Beckett the starters have looked pretty strong lately as well.  Lester and Buchholz are the shit, while Lackey's held his own and how bout Daisuke?     If Matsuzaka's performance last week was any indication of how his season's gonna go then f-ing SWEET.  He pitched 7 very strong innings against Toronto, striking out 9, and walking zero.  Wow, Daisuke not issuing a walk in a game.  Now that is a phenomenal feat.           

Boston has won 8 out of their last 11 games.  They sit at 19-17, 5 ½ games behind the 1st place Rays, and only 4 ½ behind the Skankees.  Oh yeah, they've been playing much better without 2 of their starters.  Centerfielder Mike Cameron and table setter LF Jacoby Ellsbury are nearing their returns from the DL.  Their additions to the team should only spark the lineup. 

Sadly the Bruins run has ended, in gross fashion.  The Celtics continue their journey tomorrow afternoon in Orlando, and hopefully will be playing for another month or so.  As long as the Sox keep playing the way they've been playing the past couple of weeks, and can stay in it, us New England fans should have a very enjoyable summer of when it comes to sports.   

The Week, According to Us ...

1. The Bruin's need to win tonight or they will be just the third team in NHL history to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games. (And yes, I did just knock on wood).
2. Following the Celtics series clincher Thursday night, KG said he wishes he had become a Celtic earlier in his career.  That just brings a tear to my eye.
3. Sammy Sosa is black again. Hmmmmmm.
4. Tim Tebow has turned down 7 figure endorsement deals.  What's wrong with this guy?
5. He also hit 12 home runs on 15 pitches at a batting practice with high school kids of the Memphis University School baseball team. That's pretty impressive ... but still doesn't make me like him at all. 
6. As the Celtics showed us, there is no "i" in team ... but there is in King. And Knicks.
7. The Field Of Dreams field is up for sale in Iowa.  T1AOB will be taking donations.
8. The Red Sox are still very tough to figure out.
9. Did anyone else love that KG ended his post-game interview last night with "enjoy your day"?
10. The headline of the week, courtesy of the New York Post: "Tiger Woods Pulls Out".
11. Both conference finals (NBA and NHL) will begin on Sunday. If the B's win tonight, Monday is going to really suck ....

Really Rasheed?

This was just recently brought to my attention ... I think the guys at Boston BarstoolSports summed it up nicely:

Really Rasheed?

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Quote of the Day

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out and be great and the best player on the court. When I don’t, I feel bad for myself.”

- LeBron James

Don't worry LeBron, if I finished with only 15 points, went just 3-for-14 and missed all four three-point attempts, I'd feel bad for myself too.

Who knows what to expect in game 5?

4 games down… possibly 3 to go.  Nobody knew what to expect when the Celtics and Cavs met up in the second round of this year's playoffs.  The Celtics had a very schizophrenic regular season, while Lebron and the Cavs looked like the best team in the league for most of the year.  The old veteren Celts vs. King Lebron and one of the best supporting casts he's had in his young career.  Thus far the series has been CRAZY, very entertaining, and hmmm lets say rather ambiguous.  From one game to the next, no one knows what is going to happen.

Game 1, the Celts outplayed Cleveland for ¾'s of the game then couldn't hold on.  Then game 2 the C's dominated all but about 10 mins in the fourth winning by 18 pts.  Boston outplayed the Cavs the first two games on their own court.  Then came game 3.  Vomit, vomit, spit, and vomit.  Sorry.  #23 and the Cavs raped the living shit out of the Celts.  That’s all I've got to say about game 3.  In game 4 and a must-win for The C's they didn't disappoint in front of a home crowd.  Behind a freakish effort by Rajon Rondo they pulled it out 97-87.  Rondo's performance was one of the best ever in a playoff game, as he became the clear leader on this team right in front of our eyes.  He put up 29 pts. 18 rebs. And 13 assists.  Un real.

So here we are series tied at 2, with a game 5 date tonight, in Cleveland, at 8.00.  Who knows what the hell to expect from here on out.  If you know what the outcome to tonight's game, or the how the series is going to conclude please contact T1AOB, because if you can predict it, you are pretty special.  It smells like its gonna go to a game 7.  I can't wait to grab a beer and pizza tonight at 8:00, to watch the next chapter.  Again, if you have the power to foresee the remaining games of this crazy series please let us know ASAP, because I need to win my Kentucky Derby money back Saturday during the Preakness…

Black Friday in Boston Sports …

... and as of Tuesday morning, despite a slight boost on Sunday, things haven’t gotten much better.

Friday may have been the worst night in sports that the city of Boston has experienced in a while. In fact, this was arguably the worst day for Beantown fans since September 7, 2003 when, simultaneously, the Patriots were decimated by the Bills in the season opener, 31-0, and the Sox fell to the Yankees 3-1, effectively ruining their chances of a sweep in NY and the opportunity to move to ½ game behind first place. But I digress.

Friday night had all the makings of the perfect sports trifecta: Celtics-Cavs in the playoffs, Bruins-Flyers in a possible series-ender and Sox-Yankees at Fenway. Without acknowledging all of the miserable details, the night ended with Boston teams going 0-3. And the worst part? It wasn’t even close. Both the Sox and the Celtics got KILLED (outscored by 7 runs and 29 points, respectively) while the Bruins lost in overtime. Ugh.

Saturday night the Sox were able to confirm the fact that they do suck enough to lose by 11 runs. That was fun. (For the record: it is only May 11^th but Tim Kurkjian has gone on record saying that the Sox will not make the playoffs. Awesome).

Sunday (Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!) did give the downtrodden fans of Boston the morale boost that was so desperately needed. Rajon Rondo owned the day, tallying a game-dominating 29 points-13 assists-18 rebounds, as he led the C’s past the Cav’s in Game 4 of the series. The Sox also managed to find their bats, surviving a lengthy rain-delay and ultimately defeating the Yankees, 9-3.

If there is one thing that these teams have in common, it is their ability to keep their fans humble. Just as the Celtics and the Red Sox built us up, the Bruins knocked us right back down. Back at TD Garden, and with the Flyer’s goalie Boucher going down in the second period, the Bruin’s should have been able to end this series. Instead, they found themselves on the wrong side of a shutout, losing Game 5 by four goals.

The nice thing about these teams is that there is always tomorrow. Literally. The Celtics return to action tonight at 8:00 PM against the Cavs in Cleveland. The Red Sox look for back-to-back wins as they face the BlueJays tonight at Fenway Park. The puck drops in Game 6 of the Bruins-Flyers series tomorrow night at 8:00 PM at the Wachovia Center in Philly. 


Of course, these upcoming games had better result in some Ws or the aforementioned "tomorrows" will quickly turn into "next season" ....

Our Weekly Wrap-Up

1. Breaking news: LT is a scumbag.
2. Turns out, when your completion percentage consistently goes down while your INT count goes up, your team will release you. It’s true. Just ask JaMarcus Russell.
3. The NBA playoff schedule sucks. Really sucks. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semis seems like an event in our very distant past.
4. The Red Sox completed a sweep of the Angels last night, which isn’t saying much but is welcomed news after being swept by the worst team in baseball. Our conclusion? Either the Sox are improving or the Angels really blow …
5. The B’s enter game 7 with an even shorter bench now that Krejci is done. Philly’s not looking like much of a challenge but the conference Finals? That will be a different story.
6. Note to self: Do NOT storm onto Philly’s Citizen’s Park field.
7. South Africa's police commissioner has gone on record saying that he hopes the United States is knocked out of the FIFA World Cup in the first round to avoid massive security challenges that would occur if/when President Obama travels to Cape Town to see his country’s team compete. Republican soccer fans will have a field day with this one ….
8. I could listen to game breakdowns by Barry Melrose all. day. long.
9. UVA’s resident tough guy and total douche, George Hugueley, is claiming that the death of Yeardley Love was an accident. Details in a nutshell: he kicked in her door, he shook the shit out of her and then repeatedly bashed her head into her bedroom wall, and he stole her computer in efforts to conceal emails that had been exchanged between the two just one night prior. If the “accident” defense actually flies, each and every one of those jurors should paraded into the street and shot for being the 12 single dumbest people in this country.
10. This weekend, the Red Sox and the Yankees will meet again. We’re now taking bets on how many “these games are too long” articles and radio/tv segments will result.
11. Who knew that a meeting in the shower with KG was all Sheed needed to get amped to play.

Fantasy Baseball is taking over my life

I have a problem, and it's getting worse day by day. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my fantasy baseball website.  I have a one-hour lunch break and I always spend 2/3rds of it checking up on my team's status.  Before I go to bed I check it and see how my team's doing, and I peruse the waiver wire.  My pathetic life revolves around my fantasy baseball team.

I love fantasy football, but that only lasts a measly 17 weeks.  Baseball goes on for about half the year.  This is my 5th season playing in my current league.  It is a twelve man head to head league and there is $ involved.  Money always spices it up a bit, making it way more meaningful.  It is great being involved because it keeps me in the know about what's going on in MLB.  Off the top of my head I could tell you that Ross Ohlendorf is the fifth starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Or that Jason Kendall is the K.C. Royals starting catcher and bats 6th. 

When I'm not physically on the site, I'm usually thinking about it.  Should I drop this guy, pick this guy up, or should I trade this guy…  It all begins when football season ends in February, and the fantasy baseball magazines start hitting the shelves.  I read multiple mags, and search multiple websites researching every player and prospect for every team.  It's probably not good for my health stressing over it so much, but it is A LOT of fun, and very entertaining.  Whenever there's a game on TV chances are one of my players is playing, so it gives me reason to watch random teams play and have a rooting interest.  Our league's scoreboard has a chat room, which only sucks you in more.  While watching how your players are scoring for the day, you can chat with any other members who are also logged in.  It's like crack cocaine. 

The last couple of years my teams didn't make the playoffs, which is a total bummer.  That just adds flames to this year's fire, making me wanna win even more.  Welp it's 7:27 p.m. the prime time for ball games, so I guess I better go see how my boys are doin…        

Big Win and Big Loss for the Bruins

In last night's game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bruins finished with a big win ... and a big loss. Center David Krejci received a clean but vicious hit from Flyer Mike Richards in the neutral zone during the first period and left the game. The season ending hit, which resulted in a dislocated right wrist, came just moments after a pass that would eventually lead to the B's go-ahead goal. Krejci was credited with the secondary assist.

Arguably the best all-around player on the team, Krejci has recorded eight points in nine post-season games (4 goals, 4 assists). He led the B's in points during the regular season and was second on the squad in assists (17 goals, 35 assists, 52 points and a +8). Needless to say, this is a worst-case scenario for the Bruins as they are just one win away from facing either the Montreal Canadiens or (more likely) the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Defenseman Adam McQuaid was also injured during the first period and did not return to play.

After the game, Krejci was brought to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore where he had surgery on his wrist. He is expected to be fully recovered for the start of the 2010-11 preseason.

The good news, of course, is that in spite of the aforementioned injuries the Bruins were able to skate past the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1, and now lead the series three games to none. Coach Claude Julien restructured the lines, players adjusted on the fly and, once again, Tuukka Rask proved to be invaluable, finishing the night with 34 saves. The two teams meet again, possibly for the last time, on Friday night at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. A win will advance Boston to the Eastern Conference finals.

A Lesson In “Thinking Before You Speak”, courtesy of Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant, and now his mother Angela, is outraged over a question asked of him during his pre-draft interview. In case you missed it, Miami Dolphin’s GM Jeff Ireland asked Bryant if his mother was a prostitute. Allegedly, this is how the whole thing went down: 

"My dad was a pimp." 

"What did your mom do [for a living]?" 

"She worked for my dad." 

"Your mom was a prostitute?" 

"No, she wasn't a prostitute."  

I hate to be insensitive (flagrant lie) but wasn’t Ireland’s follow-up question a legitimate one? Clearly, this was not a 40-year-old man’s attempt at a “your mom” joke. He was simply connecting the dots that were so obviously set in front of him. Now, if the conversation went more like this, then the Bryants would have every reason in the world be to upset:

“My dad was a dentist”. 

“What did your mom do [for a living]?” 

“She was a consultant. She utilizes her best skills and assets to assist people who are in need of those particular services”. 

“Your mom was a prostitute?”

Oooh. Burn.

Uuuunfortunately, this was not how it went down. So in response, Dez et al. took to the airways and made sure everyone in America was aware of the now infamous interview question. Subsequently, because the media can be relentless, Angela Dez’s rap sheet also became widespread news. It turns out that Dez’s mom has been arrested multiple times, the most recent because she tried to sell crack cocaine to a police officer. Backfire.

NFL Rants From the Deep South

I heard from all my boys up north (keep in mind I live in South Florida and no longer have access to all the cool shit I used to) that ‘Patriots All Access’ had some really cool behind-the-scenes coverage of the Patriots’ war room on draft day this past weekend. Apparently, and the ever-diligent Mike Reiss confirmed this on his blog, the Patriots’ trade with Oakland to move up and draft uber-stud TE Rob Gronkowski was cut very close. It’s alleged that we got the pick in with less than five seconds to go and Baltimore, who is famished at that position, had a runner with Gronkowski’s game already in place to deliver it to the Commissioner’s liaison in case we didn’t get the pick in on time.

Darren Sharper signed with the Saints today. Why is this relevant?

Yea, that’s why. This isn’t Sharper, it’s Tracy Porter (Sharper was on the field). The best part about this photograph is the douchebag lying helplessly on the ground watching his legacy go up in flames. For the official World Championship tally, it’s 3-1 Brady, Belichick, the Patriots and JC. Ooooh – you guys were SO close. So close.

Speaking of the Colts – If you want your heads to explode… head over to my boy Nate Dunlevy’s blog (pseudonym: Deshawn Zombie) at www.18to88.com. DZ is an excellent writer, formidable mind, soon to be published novelist, and a total JERK. Not to mention unrepentant, unwavering Colts homer. He built his multi-media empire over there by bashing the Patriots, constantly trying to emasculate Tom Brady (an impossible feat), overhyping Spy-Gate, and adamantly refusing to attribute any blame to Peyton Manning for all of his post season failures, specifically the six ‘One and Dones’ that we as Patriot fans, cherish. He spent countless hours refuting Cold, Hard Football Facts’ epic piece on why Peyton Manning is a bitch, seen here. Feel free to login to his site and tell him that winning the most regular season games in a decade (plus 4 MVP awards), yet winning a lone Superbowl, courtesy of Reche Caldwell, and losing another in what I like to affectionately refer to as the ‘Pick Six Bowl’ is a colossal underachievement and he should be ashamed.I’m fairly certain he is, but neither he nor his hater of a brother will ever admit it.

In spirit of the late, great Jack Buck, I’ll segue into my next point, also courtesy of our friends at the Cold, Hard Football Facts. As an aside, there are three things I love about CHFF:

1. They're local guys. Kerry used to write a really cool beer column for the Herald. Although they do a solid job of staying impartial, as I’m about to show you momentarily, they have a soft spot in their hearts for the Patriots. When you’re a local New Englander and have seen every single game Tom has ever played, you realize how special he is. They do too.
2. They dislike the Colts. Can I get sued for that? It’s my interpretation that they dislike the Colts. They dislike how the mainstream media fawned (fawns) over Saint Tony Dungy, and they like to take pot shots at the Colts and Peyton Manning. That’s a common denominator between us.
3. They don’t hesitate to beat on a coach, player, organization or columnist that deserves being beat on. Especially The Hoodie.

This piece epitomizes what I’m talking about. This exemplifies how they don’t hesitate to kick the shit out of someone when it’s deserved. Since 2006 really, we haven’t had a viable pass rush OR a dominant cover guy, Asante was nice, but since he left we haven’t had a guy that could take away the other team’s best receiver. So what you ask, what’s the point? The point is that you can have a mediocre pass rush if you can cover excellently. You can have a mediocre nickel and dime package if you can get to the passer on a down to down basis. One can disguise the ineptitudes of the other. When both suck, like the 2008-Present Patriots, YOU’RE FUCKED. In 2007, Vrabel was a beast and Colvin and Adalius were both very productive, but that defense wasn’t anywhere near dominant. What difference did it make when they were up fifty at halftime every week?

Combined with hysterical anti-Hitler jokes (Note to dictators, DON’T INVADE RUSSIA), CHFF also touches on the Patriots’ debacles in free agency at the Defensive Back position, including the disastrous acquisition of Chad Scott from Pittsburgh in 2005. He may have been beaten for touchdown passes in each of his first five starts. After a month of people blowing veins in their foreheads on WEEI, the Patriots finally cut his ass. Or maybe they put him on IR with a fake knee injury. Like Randy Quaid’s boy said in Major League, ‘Who gives a shit…….[he’s] gone’.

To finish up on the Pats, I’ll say this. They drafted a defensive end from the University of Florida who they’ll move to OLB, and hope he can provide some pass rush. Don’t count on it. Maybe they’ll cover well enough to get off the field on third down and recreate some of the ‘Bend Don’t Break’ magic of years past. Tully Banta-Cain has shown some ability to get to the passer on a regular basis, and they missed his edge rush potential after he got hurt in the Indy game.

I've hammered this into my girlfriend's head for two years now. "What do good teams do on third down?? GET OFF THE FIELD!!" The Patriots haven't with any degree of consistency since 2006.  JC

Sheed Finally Shows Up

Most Celtics fans were jumping for joy when they heard of the Rasheed Wallace signing last off-season.  He was supposed to be the key addition to help the aging Celts make a serious playoff run.  Unfortunately he hasn't lived up to his expectations.  Prior to last night's crucial game 2 at Cleveland, fans were calling for Sheed to be benched.   Coach Doc Rivers called him out before game 2 saying: "Wallace has to play better, bottom line.  He has to play better defense -- the offense will come -- but he has to be a better defender. And we can't wait for him." 

For most of the season and playoffs Wallace has looked like an out of shape, wash up.  The only thing he was good for was getting technical fouls, and bricking crazy, long range threes.  "Does this guy really care about winning?" was a question raised by Celtics fans/media throughout the year.  Rasheed hasn't been the player you hate to play against, but love to have on your team, that we thought we were getting.  During the regular season he averaged only 9 points and 4 rebounds per game.  In 6 playoff games he averaged a pathetic 3.5 pts. and 2 rebs per game. We kept hoping that come playoff time he would kick it into another gear.  In game 1 of the second round at Cleveland he scored only 2 points in 13 minutes.  Our bench was outscored 26 to 12.  Eww.  So where is this all star caliber power forward who we thought would help them make a legit run at banner 18?

…So last night Sheed finally showed up, and when it really counted.  He played a KEY role in Boston's "must win" rout (for the most part) in Cleveland Monday night.  He finished the game shooting 7 for 8, with 17 points.  Boo-Yaa!! He looked like the vintage 4 time all star Rasheed Wallace we thought we were getting.  He sparked the bench in the first half going a perfect 5 for 5, including three 3 pointers.  He finally kicked it up a notch, providing just what the Doc ordered.  Hopefully this is the aggressive forward who will make another appearance Friday night when the C's host Lebron and the Cavs in game 3.  

Welcome Back Savard!

Marc Savard returned to action this weekend and, while he was relatively quiet during the first three periods, proved to be the Bruin’s hero in the end. At 13:52 into the first overtime period, Savard scored on a delayed penalty and gave the Bruins a one-game lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals over the Philadelphia Flyers. The final score was 5-4.

Bruins coach Claude Julien, in efforts to ease Savard back into things, kept his shifts abbreviated to allow for time to rest. The Bruins center was limited to six shifts during the first period and played only 11:53 regulation minutes. The overtime period, however, was a different story. Savard logged 4:05 of ice time during OT and the rest, as they say, is history.

Despite the B’s 1-0 lead over Philly and Savard’s storybook ending, all did not end well in Boston. Left-winger Marco Sturm tore both the ACL and MCL in his right knee during his first shift of the game. He is expected to undergo surgery in 4-6 weeks and will need six months to recover post-operation. Sturm was the team’s leading goal producer during the regular season (22 goals, 15 assists, +/- 14) but has gone scoreless through seven playoff games.

Game two of the series will be played tonight (7:00 PM) at the TD Garden.