The Boss is really Riding Me

Porters been throwing me more texts than my girlfriend to throw down on a blog, but to be honest the Sox weren't pleasing me until late so I'll give you a little something for your upcoming week.
So we've been on a pretty solid tear lately. Even though we only took two of four from a weak ass Royals team, we looked pretty solid against Tampa, Philly, and the Twins. The answer has come from more consistant pitching, mostly speaking of big Jon Lester.
Besides the obvious people have been talking about like Papi is back, we'll be good when Becket gets back blah blah blah, we're still 5.5 games back. I know its really early but both the Yankees and Rays will be making runs that could dig us deeper. I still believe we're in need of a big bat in the lineup.
So what is the answer your asking? Eric knows. I think it's time for Theo to make a blockbuster move this season. I'm talking Hanley Ramirez. I know about his little jog to the ball incident that happened with him a while ago, but the kids got MVP style. Obviously he's got a big price tag on him, but this is what I propose. Jacoby, Bucholz, Youkalis, and throw in a minor leaguer for Hanley. Just strait up. Lars Anderson will replace Youk at first base, wait it out for a replacement for Jacoby with Cameron, and thanks for the shots Clay (he really did buy me shots) but your out. Now, we have the best hitting shortstop in the league wearing a Boston uni. Now, we have a lineup smoother than the vagasil Dennis is selling in aisle 6 at CVS.

Your welcome.

Not Again...

Boston sports fans could boast they made the greatest comeback in sports history coming back from 3-0 against the Yankees in 2004 to advance and later win the World Series. Heck, in 2007 against the Indians they came back from down 3-1. All of the sports karma in a city haunted by it has to come back and bite you in the rear eventually.

The football gods struck in 2007 when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Giants with an act of god.

The hockey gods struck just a short time ago having the Bruins blow a 3-0 lead to the flyers.

Could the Celtics be the next victim?

The Celtics had a similar chance that the Bruins had; a chance to close it out in overtime in Game 4. The Flyers caught some momentum, got some Bruins injured, mounted pressure on Boston and like Eric Gagne in L.A. (not Boston) it was game over.

Now the Celtics blew a great chance in front of their home crowd in Game 4. The Magic shot the lights out in Game 5, even had a few Celtics banged up, and now it comes down to what is a de facto Game 7 in Boston Friday. If Boston cannot win in front of their home crowd in Game 6, they are done. The pressure of being like the Bruins will creep into their fans heads (if it hasn't already) and it will spill into the locker room, veterans and young stars alike. Not to mention the longer this series goes, the worse it is for the older Celtics who are no longer getting 2-3 days between every game to rest.

Game 6? Might as well be Game 7. Do or die for Boston.

A city that is more cursed in the world of sports than Captain Barbossa and his miscreats may be going through another lull that they are all too familiar with. While I was not alive for the near misses in the '67 and '75 World Series, nor the Bucky Dent Home Run or Buckner, or the too many men on the ice epic fail of 1979 against the Canadiens my generation has seen heartbreak. We have witnessed the 2003 collapse against the Yankees that could only be described as surreal (forever my favorite redsox team) and we witnessed the Patriots choke in the Super Bowl and the Bruins failure about two weeks ago. Although when I say I felt heartbreak the Patriots lost what I mean was I was like Ralphie on Christmas morning.

It seems like all of the good luck that had gone Boston sports way is coming back to bite them in the championship fanny...and hard. What goes around comes around.

Three Patriots Super Bowls.Two Red Sox World Series. One Celtics Title. Bruins Optimism. It's been a good run beantown. Don't get used to it; reality wants it's turn again.

Sox Win-Out Versus Phils

The Sox took 2 out of 3 yesterday with a solid win against one of the dominant pitchers in baseball Roy Halladay. Shakey-Wakey wasn’t so shakey yesterday as he pitched 8 shutout innings against a potent NL powerhouse giving up just 5 hits and 2 free-passes. The Sox got Wake out to a relatively early lead which Wake said was able to allow him “to just pitch the way he wanted to.”

The surging Sox were able to open up their lead as the Phillies’ third-baseman Greg Dobbs went all Bill Buckner on the baseball which extended the lead from 1-0 to 3-0. The Youkkka would add his 9th HR in the 6th inning.

All in all this series is a clear success. We are finally starting to see signs pointing towards this team being put in a position to get back into the race with a big series coming up against the Rays, while the banged-up Yankees head to Minnesota to start a 3 game series tomorrow night. This upcoming series with the Rays is about as big as a May series can get. A sweep would be utter devastation, while a series win or sweep could truly turn the season around.

Things to watch out for: Can Buchholz and Lester do what John Lackey failed to do in the series-opener against the Phillies by feeding off a couple of solid starting pitching outings and keeping the bullpen’s role down to essentially nothing? Can J.D. Drew (aka Albert Pujols Jr.) continue to fuel the offensive productions of this team? Lastly (and quite simply the most obvious question), is this team good enough to play alongside the big-boys this year???

Week in Review

While Buono and Dennis pretty much do nothing but be lethargic, I've been running this damn thing. But here's a week in review anyway...

• The Sox are heating up. After taking 2 of 3 in Philly and 5 of 6 overall (including a near dice-k no-no) the Sox seem poised to make a run at this thing. The Rays are miles ahead (8.5 games), but attention New York- that image in the rear-view mirror is closer than it appears.
• One of the most surprising stars for the Sox this yr is Clay Buchholz. A guy who I wrote off as no better than a career number three may be making me look foolish. Although I would still gladly part with him in a package to get Adrian Gonzalez, the ugly kid has been dazzling on the hill.
• On a sad note, Jose Lima passed away over the weekend. I speak for the rest of baseball fans when I say rest in peace Jose, it will always be Lima Time.
• In the most shocking news of the week since Mark McGwire announced he used steroids Mike Brown was fired from his job with the Cavs. He will now be a free agent himself, but we're going to go out on a limb and say he won't be quite as sought after as LeBron.
• On the topic of PEDs in other shocking news the little weasel Floyd Landis after telling about five different stories on him not using illegal substances admitted...that yeah...he did use. He also says Lance Armstrong did as well, and he's probably right but he's about as credible as Nick Saban.
• It appears a Celtics-Lakers final is imminent. This should be a pretty awesome finals, maybe the best we've seen in more than a decade. The way too early prediction (considering neither of them have moved on yet) is Lakers in 7.
• In this blog we will make as much effort as possible not to mention this man. I won't even say his name. But he's now saying that he will come back to play in the NFL if his alma mater Southern Miss Golden Eagles make it back to the College World Series. He really has no soul.

Youtube of the Day (Fast Forward to 3:00)

Weekend Primer (5/21-5/23)

A pretty solid weekend of sports is coming up lets take a gander...Rated 1-5, 1 being The Westminster Dog Show and 5 being the Lost Series Finale (which by the way is Sunday on ABC)

Friday May 21st

Boston Red Sox @ Philadelphia Phillies
7:00 PM NESN

The Phillies have taken over as the Sox "natural rivals" for interleague meaning they will be playing 3 in Philly, 3 in Boston. In this series the Phillies have a big pitching edge with the only advantage (and it's slight) is Lackey vs. Hamels in the first game. Both the Phils and Sox have been playing better as of late and this should be an entertaining matchup. For Boston fans, this won't be like the last time these two cities met (sorry Dennis).

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Saturday May 22nd

Philadelphia Flyers @ Montreal Canadiens (Phi leads 2-1)
Game 4 3:00 NBC

The Habs tried to steal back some momentum by spanking the Flyers in Game 3. Little Mike Cammallieri leads the NHL with 13 goals this postseason (funny how that happens in a contract year). This 7 vs. 8 seed matchup was hardly what was suspected in the East but with it being two of the original six I don't think that the NHL is too upset. It could set up a battle of two original six teams in the Stanley Cup (Chicago vs. Montreal) which would be very good for the league.

Rating: 3 of 5

Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics (Bos leads 2-0)
Game 3 8:30 P.M. ESPN

The Celtics continue their resurgence after taking the first two in Orlando. Their ability to matchup one-on-one with Howard while staying out on their shooters has been huge. In both games the Magic have rallied to make it interesting in the fourth Q before crumbling late. We will see if Paul Pierce's proclamation that coming home to "close them out" will ring true. I'll say the Magic get one in Boston.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Sunday May 23rd

New York Yankees @ New York Mets
8:00 ESPN

This will be the final game of the first Subway Series of the season. The pitching matchup alone is worth watching as two of the premier lefties in the game will go at it (Sabathia vs. Santana). The Yankees have been slumping a little lately losing three straight, and the Mets have played well at home all season and will be up to play their cross-city rivals. Plus, you never know when this might happen (fast forward to about 2:25).

Rating: 3 of 5

Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns (La leads 2-0)
Game 3 8:30 TNT

Both of the first two games have been exciting scorefests with the Lakers playing slightly more defense than the Suns. The Lakers are hitting on all cylinders and if Artest is going to play the way offensively that he played in Game 2, then forget about it and crown them. However, Los Suns are a great home team and they will get at the very least one of these games and maybe even both. Look for those role players like this guy and this guy to step up on the home court and for this to become a real series.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Youtube of the Day (Big Shot Bob)

World Cup Blog Group

The World Cup will begin on June 11th. Join our blog group for the world cup on yahoo. Winner gets a serious shout out on the blog!

ID: 2315
Pass: worldcup

Join Up!

Week in Review

Back to the black board to see what we learned this week...

• Everyone keeps comparing LeBron to MJ or Kobe, but Bill Simmons has an interesting comparison that upon further review is a darn good one, check it out.
• That old team from beantown knocked out the (Non)Fighting LeBrons and look to be in 2008 form. If the Celtics age doesn't catch up with them we could be looking at yet another Lakers-Celtics finals.
• All everyone keeps talking about in Lakers-Suns series is the Lakers inside presence and how there's nothing the suns can do about it. While the Suns don't have the size, they didn't seem to need it last round scoring most of their points from the outside against the Spurs. Nash may be the only player in the NBA that only needs one eye. This should be a good series.
• The Bruins choked. No other way to sugar coat it, to blow a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead in Game Seven can only be described as so. Don't forget that this team was missing Krejci and Sturm for a good portion of the series but the real difference maker was Simon Gagne for the Flyers. Ever since he's come back this postseason, Philly is 5-0.
• David Ortiz may have awoken from his slump (kind of). He has been hitting for more power with 3 HRs and 11 RBI in his last 11 games despite still hitting a Carlos Pena-like .224 average.
• U of Miami Head Coach Randy Shannon signed a four-year extension this past week. While Shannon's record (21-17) isn't impressive, he has improved the win total each season in his tenure. This year is do or die, BCS or next year he's on a serious hot seat, 'Canes fans are not patient.
• In other U news, Miami and Notre Dame are close to an agreement for three games over the next six years or so. They will meet at Solider Field in Chicago in 2012, then carry on a home-and-home series in 2014 and 16. Catholics vs. Convicts is back!

Le End

That's it and that's all. A 94-85 loss in Game Six Thursday night in Boston marked the end of the Cavs season as well as maybe LeBron's Cleveland career. What was shocking was not that the season came to a disappointing end but as ESPN's Mike Breen put it, "a bitter end" with the Cavs looking far from the exciting team we saw in the regular season.

This is not meant to be a shot at a  Boston team that looks to be like they are playing as well as they were at the start of the year, and have a real shot against the Magic with their ability to match up down low with Dwight Howard and to get out on the Magic shooters. But this Cavs team was not the same team in the postseason it was in the regular season, seemingly crumbling under the pressure.

LeBron James, the most physically gifted player in the NBA, added a jump shot to his repertoire to make him unguardable.This season he went out with an okay performance in game six--at least stats wise. He had a triple double (27 pts 19 rebs 10 asts) and nearly a quadruple-double if you include his nine turnovers; but he wasn't LeBron. LeBron rarily looked aggressive or pushed the issue like he normally does. Gone was his explosion to the hoop, gone was his thunderous fast break slams, gone was his creativity to get his teammates wide open looks.

While this is hardly ALL of LeBron's fault, he's the star, he takes the blame. This was a game where they needed the 38-14-15 LeBron. A lot to ask? For almost anyone else sure.

But where was Shaquille O'Neal? He was missing free throws and slowing down the offense.

Their big mid-season acquistion Antawn Jamison? 5 pts on 2-10 shooting.

Mo Williams? Good first half, heck great first half, but just 2 second half points.

Where's the help?!?!

LeBron looked to be hurt, he did not have the same explosion and could not get to the basket like he used to which greatly hindered his game. But when he went into hurt mode, it seemed like the entire team looked at LeBron getting hurt liked the Pirates who stormed the Dauntless in Pirates of the Caribbean did when their mate was killed; they dropped the sword and gave up.

Mike Brown will likely be out of a job very soon. Shaq once called Stan Van Gundy the "Master of Panic" but this season he played for the coach who panicked most. After a Game Four loss by ten, Brown completely changed his rotation, playing Delonte West less, Daniel Gibson more, J.J. Hickson less, Big Z more. Why after one or two bad performances do you change your 61-win team's rotation and throw them out of wack?


What's next for LeBron? Only he knows for sure--heck he might not even know. But with the Cleveland front office having done (presumably) everything in their power to bring him some help the last few years and still not getting it done he has three legitimate options:

A) Return to Cleveland, build on what he's done and bring try to bring a title to his home state that has long been starved of it.

B) Head to the Knicks where he will get to play in NYC with all the lights on him (but aren't they already?) with enough cap space to go add another max player such as Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki (should he opt out).

C) Go to the Nets. A new billionaire owner who would love a star player, he already has a decent young nucleus of Brook Lopez and Devin Harris not to mention the possible #1 overall pick in this years draft. They could also let LeBron name his own coach. Oh, and LBJ's boy Jay-Z has part ownership of the team.

It may not be "Le End" of his Cavalier career but it was the final night of the 2010 season for LeBron. One that will go down as the most disappointing of his career thus far. Only time will tell if he has the competitiveness to come back and try to do it in Cleveland; or leave his home state and stick it to his "cursed" city for not doing more to get him the supporting cast he needs.

Decisions, decisions.

Game 6 First Half

The Celtics lead the Cavs 51-49 at the half in front of a great crowd in Boston. Here are some first half thoughts.

• LeBron must be hurt...he has to be. He looks tentative and afraid to drive, either he really is throwing this series or he's hurt because LeBron James has never been this passive on offense.
• Mo Williams has poured in 20 points in the first half and is the reason this game is close. Although he has turned the ball over quite a few times and has failed to find LeBron twice on the break that would have been easy baskets he's played well. I really hope the Cavs do not expect 20 more from Mo in the 2nd.
• The Cavs are much worse with Shaq on the floor. I'm sorry but it's true. He slows the team down and just clogs the lane for his own team! An Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson combo would be more effective, it would present the less athletic C's with some tough matchups.
• Paul Pierce has more fouls (3) than points (2) in the first half. And the Celtics are winning? Okay.
• A big reason why the Celtics are winning is because of Tony Allen. He has been a spark off the bench with 10 in the first half as well as playing solid defense.
• Kevin Garnett looks like he went through a time machine and has come out for the last few games as the KG of two seasons ago. He is not working down low as much as he used to (which really wasn't that much) but he is more active defensively than we've seen in a long time.

The second half should be a good one. It comes down to this...Can LeBron suck it up? He appears hurt to me (which is not an excuse in the playoffs) and if he cannot put his head down drive into the lane and make some plays for the Cavs, they are done--and so might be his career in Cleveland.

Prediction: LeBron plays better in the second half, but the Celtics finally find the 3-ball (0-7) in 1st half and win by 8.

Top 10 NFL Pass Rushers (6-10)

This week's top ten will analyze the best pass rushers in the NFL today.

10. Trent Cole DE Eagles- Cole fell all the way to the fifth round of the 2005 draft after playing at Cincinnati. Many thought he was too undersized to be an effective end in the NFL. However, he has turned into a poor man's Dwight Freeney registering 47 sacks so far in his career. The 27-year old will be a fixture terrorizing QBs for years to come for the Iggles.

9. Terrell Suggs OLB/DE Ravens- Suggs was anything but a surprise, he was the 10th pick of the 2003 draft. At Arizona State he set the single-season record with 24 sacks his junior year. He has been inconsistent and banged up some years (just 4.5 sacks last season) but his overall body of work (57 sacks) is impressive. His numbers dwindling are more a sign of the attention teams give him than his ability.

8. James Harrison OLB Steelers- Speaking of coming out of nowhere, Harrison went undrafted in 2002, but has developed consistently under Dick LeBeau's teaching. He won the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award on the champion Steelers where he finished with 16 sacks. In addition to being a great pash rusher he's probably one of the last guys you'd like to meet in a dark alley.

7. Elvis Dumervil OLB Broncos- Dumervil was very undersized in college (5'11) which led to him falling in the draft. But even in college he showed a knack for getting to the QB when he sacked the passer six times in one game (NCAA record). Last season, he was converted from a DE to an OLB with the Broncos switching to a 3-4. That switch made his sack total rocket to 17 for the year and his first Pro Bowl appearence. "Doom" has many more in his future.

6. LaMarr Woodley OLB Steelers- Our second OLB from the Steelers is the more underappreciated player. He may not be the complete player that Harrison is, but he's a better pure pass rusher. He was an End at Michigan where he helped lead a stout Wolverine defense. Last year he made his first Pro Bowl which was well deserved--13.5 sacks. He's been a starter for two seasons and has registered at least 11.5 sacks in both seasons. His most famous play was finishing the Super Bowl two seasons ago by sacking and taking the ball away from Kurt Warner.

Top 10 NFL Pass Rushers (1-5)

5. Julius Peppers DE Bears- This former two-sport athlete at North Carolina has maybe the most freakish ability in the entire league. His size/speed combo is frightening for Offensive Linemen to go against, but Peppers doesn't seem to bring it every down. He had 10.5 sacks last season but largely appeared disinterested. Peppers has 81 sacks since being drafted #2 overall in 2002, but he has the potential to be the best in the game.

4. Dwight Freeney DE Colts- Freeney is the standard for an undersized End in the NFL (6'1 268). His 84 career sacks and 5 Pro Bowl selections make him among the best in the game. When the Colts lost him in the Super Bowl their defense got shredded by Brees and Co. Freeney had a sack in every single college game except one (against the U hehe). The 30-year old probably doesn't have more than 3 or 4 elite seasons left, but for now he's high on this list.

3. Jared Allen DE Vikings- Allen may not be the smartest or best looking guy in the NFL. But he gets to the QB and does a great job not just sacking, but stripping the ball away. The mullet came from Idaho State to become one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL and is key to the Vikings defense. He has 72 sacks in his career and seems to keep getting better. He has had at least 14 sacks in each of the last three seasons. Don't ask him what a schism is.

2. Mario Williams DE Texans- The first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft made Texans fans (such as Ryan Killips) cry by letting Reggie Bush go by. In the end, it turned out to be the smartest move Charlier Casserly made as Texans GM. Williams is a QB's nightmare at 6'7 295 running a 4.65 40. His high of 14 sacks in 2007 as led to him seeing consistent double teams every down. Unlike many on this list, Williams is also very stout against the run. It's safe to say the Texans made the right choice in '06.

1. DeMarcus Ware OLB Cowboys- When you think of pure pass rushers the first name that pops into most people's heads is Ware. Bill Parcells may not have led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl, but he did give them the closest thing to Lawrence Taylor since the man himself. He has made the Pro Bowl four times and has never won an NFL Def. Player of the Year award (baffling). When D-Ware comes off the edge all QBs must beware, his 64.5 sacks since 2005 is the most in the NFL. His high of 20 in 2008 showed what he is capable of when he's fully healthy, and next year he should win that Player of the Year award barring injury.

Youtube of the Day (Go Gatuh)

Power Outage at The Garden

Electric – the common word you here about atmosphere in any sports venue in any sport. The word is truly fitting… until your team comes out and plays like it is a spring training exhibition game and not game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals an hour and a half revealing a statue of the greatest single moment of the NHL’s long and storied history (a statue of Bruins great Bobby Orr’s game winning goal versus the St. Louis Blues). In fact, in honor of the statue’s debut… they even played like bronze statues- slow, immobile, and leisurely.
The B’s came out last night and actually started pretty decently, but at the end of the first period the Flyers’ hunger for the win started to show more and more. This Bruins team last night looked as if they have lost all of the swagger they had in the first 3 games - no drive, no hustle, countless lost battles in the corners, and they got beat in nearly every footrace to lose pucks.
Thanks to Tuukka (yes… that’s 2 U’s and 2 K’s) standing on his head a few times they were still in it coming into the 2^nd period down only 1-0. I was feeling good going into the second… I imagined Claude Julien reaming the guys in the locker room during intermission and really inspiring them to win this game. What got my hopes up even more (as bad as this may seem) was the injury to Brian Boucher who made a few incredible saves in the first… or maybe they were lucky ,who knows? Bring in a cold goalie off the bench in a do-or-die game 5 on the road in a packed house of rowdy Bruins fans… I’d bet the house at this point, right? Dead wrong. Leighton saw 3 shots in the second period.
In the meantime, Scott Hartnell (who I’d really would like to pull a Tonya Harding on) scored his second goal of the game followed up by 2 more by Simone Gagne (damn the Flyers are happy to have him back).
I give the following grades for last night:

• 
  
   D- (As much as it pains me to)to Marc Savard who couldn’t hold a puck on his stick for more than 2 seconds, but showed guts and the “we aren’t going down without a fight” altercation in the late 3^rd
• 
  
  C- to Miroslav Satan
• 
  
  B- to Tuukka (gave up one weak goal)
• 
  
  B+ to Vladimer Sobotka for a huge hit on that bitch Danny Briere
• 
  
  F goes to the Referees who missed an elbow from the Flyers’ goalie Leightonin behind the net (amongst many others) and allowed a huge misappropriation of penalty minutes to favor the Flyers (Flyers had 8 PIM while the Bruins had 22PIM)
• 
  
  F goes to Dennis Wideman for a pathetic display last night… I can’t even go into details because I might vomit all over my computer keys if I think about him for another second

A few key points to close:

• 
  
  It is scary to think this MIGHT be the kind of performance the Bruins will have without Krecji and Sturm
• 
  
  My prediction is if they lose game 6, they lose game 7 and blow the 3-0 series lead
• 
  
  This performance was comparable to the total implosion the Celtics had versus the Cavs on Friday, May 7^th in that 124-95 embarrassment
• 
  
  I do remain faithful that the Bruins win this series… they were undefeated at home in the playoffs going into last night in a playoff year that has seen the home team have a sub-.500 winning percentage on home ice.
• 
  
  Finally, I will not be attending a Bruins game for the rest of the playoffs because I am cursed… I’ve been to 3 games this year and they lost each game 4-0…. Weird.

PS- Eric Del Buono loves merlot with his sushi

Week in Review

Another week is in the books in the world of sports...so let's see what happened and what we learned...

• Gordan Hayward officially announced his declaration for the NBA Draft by hiring an agent making him the first 14-year old to enter the draft.
• LeElbow is just fine it seems. On Friday night LeBron lit up the C's including 21 points in the 1st quarter proving that hes just fine and there will be no excuses if the Cavs don't get it done, this is the best team he's ever had around him.
• The only thing standing between them is the Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard seems to have realized that, yeah he's pretty good. With his size and athletic ability there shouldn't be a reason he doesn't score 25 a night and rip down 15 boards.
• Is there anything more sickening than what happened at UVA? The accused, George Huguely claims it was an unfortunate accident. Apparently slamming a girl's head against the wall repeatedly is an accident--what a joke.
• In the most surprising (not really) news of the week, Brian Cushing has tested positive for steroids. Really? I never would have thought so. Who's this guy? On. Off (bra?). Back on.
• It's too bad that this Rays team will only be together for this season. Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and others will be free agents and the Rays do not have the bank roll to keep them. It's too bad because I believe this is the most young, pure talent any team in baseball has had since the late 90's Indians (that somehow didn't win a world series). Longoria, Price, Shields, and Garza are all realizing their potential. The scary thought is stud prospects RHP Jeremy Hellickson and SS Tim Beckham are close to being ready.
• A guy who A-Fraud said had no business calling him out since he hadn't won more than a few games in his career had a little message back to the pretty boy on Sunday. Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against maybe the best offense in baseball (Rays) and did so on Mother's Day with his grandmother who played a huge role in raising him in the stands. Nice job, kid. Can't wait to see A-Fraud get beaned when they meet later in the year.

Youtube of the Day (tribute to my favorite player, RIP)

Weekend Primer (5/9-5/11)

This is going to be a very strong weekend in the world of sports, so getcha' popcorn ready and the recliner in the extended position. Rating scale 1 to 5; 1 being Tim Tebow, 5 being a Jon Gruden QB Seminar.

                                                                                     Friday May 9th

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3 ESPN 7:00 PM

After stompiing the Cavs out in Game 2 the C's return home where we'll see if LeBron's elbow (which has it's own twitter) is okay or not. Seriously, I'm a LeBron fan, but he needs to cut all this crap about his elbow out. I don't hear Kobe crying about his ankle and hand that are also injured. His team isn't doing him any favors, instead of rising to the occasion they look more like an 11-year old girl in a trance looking at Justin Bieber. If Rasheed plays the way he did in Game 2 throughout this series I'm not so sure the Celtics don't win it. (Game 4 Sun 3:30 ABC)

Rating: 4 out of 5

Boston Bruins @ Philadelphia Flyers (Bos leads 3-0)
Game 4 Versus 7:00 PM

The Bruins have the chance to close out the series in Philly Friday night. If they do so they will advance to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 1992. I would say I remember, but I was just out of diapers. The B's advancing would also be the first time coach Claude Julien made it past the second round (previous stints in MTL and NJ). Star center David Krejci will not be back for the remainder of the playoffs which will hinder their chances at advancing past the next round.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs (Pho leads 2-0)
Game 3 ESPN 9:30 PM

Anytime these two rivals get together it's entertaining. But it has been mostly like the McShay-Kiper rivalry with the Spurs playing the Kiper role and owning the Suns every season no matter how much better McShay thinks he's gotten. The wily ole' veteran always wins. Well, Los Suns are not buying it this season and are trying to make me regret picking the Spurs in 6 games. If the Spurs don't take both in San Antonio they may be the ones headed south of the border. (Game 4 Sun 8:00 TNT)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Saturday May 10th

Los Angeles Lakers @ Utah Jazz (Lakers lead 2-0)
Game 3 ABC 8:00

The Jazz have been feisty in LA, but anytime it comes down to the nitty-gritty late in the game, the Lakers are in the Jazz's head. On a sidenote, is there any more under-appreciated star than Deron Williams? He has quietly thrown himself in the mix with guys like Paul, Nash, Billups as the best "pon-guards" (charles barkley accent) in the west and the league. As much as I hate the Black Mamba, he's the best closer in the game and if Ron Artest doesn't derail it--he'll be back in the Finals.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Sunday May 11th

Atlanta Braves @ Philadelphia Phillies
TBS 1:30

The young Braves are led by one of the brightest young stars in the game in RF Jason Heyward. If you didn't already read he was #5 in our top ten players under 25. And if you didn't read, shame on you. Also, because this game is in Philly you may see someone get tased or see a young adult throw up on a little girl; you know family entertainment. Not to mention the pitching match-up (Medlen vs. Blanton) is a snoozer, so get ready for the long ball.

Rating: 3 out of 5

New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox
ESPN/NESN 8:00

Why should you watch this game? Well it's the best rivalry in sports, even if the games take 7 hours each theres usually some high drama--like on April 24th last season when the Youka hit a walk-off to win it for the sox. I would know cause I was there! This game will match A.J. Burnett who's been lights out so far this season against Jon Lester who's been lights out in his last two starts. Section 7 Row 7 lets do this.

Rating: 5 out of 5


Youtube of the Day (Love Reggie's reaction)

Hungriest Fans in Boston

I’m going to skip the fact that our savior is being honored at Fenway in a few minutes, I think everyone knows my stance on that after my last post.

I haven’t been to many B’s games this year. One game to be exact against the Rangers until the other night. To be completely honest, I don’t even watch them on the tube that much. I’ve always been more of a Celtics guy this time of the year. Being 21, it’s hard to remember the diehards that were at Fenway, the Fleet, or Foxboro during our pre-championship years. But I always have certain memories that make me remember how hungry those fans were.

Post getting knocked down after Lucic’s game winner, I realized the city has one more team to get a championship before the decade is over. So whether you’ve been a diehard since birth, or your jumpin ship like Dennis Leclair has, lets get the B’s a banner.

Damn I’m good.

Top Ten Players Under 25 (6-10)

Our second installment of a weekly top ten will deal with the top players in baseball under the age of 25. Unfortunately such stars as Troy Tulowitzki, Tim Lincecum, and Matt Kemp do not make the list because they are exactly 25.

10. Pablo Sandoval 3B Giants- "Kung Fu Panda" officially announced his presence last season with a .330 average (second in the NL) with 25 HRs and 90 RBI. He was pretty much the lone offensive force on a team driven by it's pitching staff. The converted catcher may not be the most fleet of foot but the ball screams off his bat and he will be a favorite for years to come.

9. Andrew McCutcheon CF Pirates- Many wondered what the heck the Pirates were doing trading away Nate McClouth last season. It was to clear room for this 23 year old. He did not disappoint. Last season he hit .286 with 12 HRs 54 RBI and 22 SB. He always plays a terrific center field. He's this high on the list because of his potential, once he puts on a little more muscle mass he has the swing to become a power threat, something the Pirates sorely need.

8. Brett Anderson SP Athletics- The 11-11 record with a 4.06 ERA may not be impressive, but what he did in the second half was. He had better numbers after the break than guys like Josh Beckett, Yovani Gallardo, and Dan Haren. After the second month of the season he posted a 3.48 ERA and was dominant against good teams. The 22-year old is currently battling arm problems but should be back soon.

7. David Price SP Rays- The former number one overall pick has started to find his stride this season. He has been arguably the most impressive pitcher outside of Ubaldo and Hallday so far. His biggest issue was his control but that seems to have been fixed with walks down this season. His fastball tops out at 97 with great secondary pitches (slider and changeup) makes him a nightmare. Add in the fact that he's a lefty and good lord.

6. Clayton Kershaw SP Dodgers- Continuing the run on left-handed starters we come to Kershaw. He probably has the best Curveball in baseball at the young age of 22. The 6'3 texan posted a 2.79 ERA last season while averaging more than a strikeout an inning. Opposing batters hit just .200 against Kershaw, the lowest of any starter in the NL last season. He still has a lot of learning to do but the future is bright.

Top 10 Players Under 25 (1-5)

5. Jason Heyward OF Braves- In addition to being the youngest on this list (20 years old) he may also be the most impressive physically. A guy the braves thought so highly thought of they would hide in the woods to scout him, he has started out his rookie year strong with a .289 avg 8 HRs and 24 RBI. By far the most HRs and RBI by any rookie. The 6'5 240 pound star led off his season with a home run and has come through in the clutch consistently for Atlanta evoking some to call him the most physically talented player in baseball.

4. Yovani Gallardo SP Brewers- This 24-year old is one of the most underappreciated players in baseball. His progression has been hindered by some freak injuries early in his career, After all, in his 30 starts last season prior to injury he had just a 3.30 ERA. But this season he has been showing why he was rated such a great prospect. He is striking out nearly 1.4 batters an inning (frightening number). Batters are not hitting well against him (.234) and if he brings his walk total down he will become a true ace, but the sky is the limit for this young hurler.

3. Justin Upton RF Diamondbacks- He is probably already better than his once very touted brother B.J. at 22. The first overall pick in 2005 and was called by Peter Gammons as the best 20 year old he had ever seen. His power is starting to come around (26 HR last season) as well as his speed (20 SB). He could become a legit 40-40 threat for the foreseeable future to go along with a great arm and defensive ability in right field. Upton has a chance to be an all-time great in the history of the game.

2. Evan Longoria 3B Rays- Longoria has been a stud since he first made his debut in 2008 and he will probably win a few MVPs before he's done (maybe even this season). Not only is he a nightmare at the plate but he plays gold glove defense at the hot corner. The calm and controlled swing is only going to get better the more experience he gets, and if the stats are any indication (from 27 HR 85 RBI rookie year to 33 HR 113 RBI last season) Longo is improving. He helped get the Rays to the World Series his rookie year, this season he may win some awards of his own.

1. Felix Hernandez SP Mariners- King Felix is my personal favorite pitcher in baseball. He has a fastball that reaches the upper 90s with three devestating secondary pitchers (change, curve, slider) that make him impossible to hit. He won 19 games last season with a 2.49 ERA and 217 Ks in 238 innings. Zack Greinke may have won the Cy Young last year but hitters will tell you there is no one they hate facing more than Hernandez. He should continue to get smarter and eventually win a few Cy Young awards along with some 20 win seasons.

Youtube of the Day (Stinkin' offensive rebounds!)

Week in Review

Week one in the history of the Double Play Sports Blog is complete. I'll give ya some quick hitter thoughts on the week...

• I am a very passive hockey fan. However, after this Saturday's Bruins game, I may have to re-evaluate that decision. What a game! Dare I say, Go Bruins?
• As of Sunday, Kelly Johnson and his 54 career HRs had as many big flies (9) as the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros entire team. And Paul Konerko (12 HRs) has more than both of them. Raise your hand if you had that at start of the year.
• Those who are calling for Stephen Strasburg to be called up the majors immediately need to slow down just a bit. He's only one year removed from college and if you don't build up his innings gradually he could end up like this guy or this guy.
• There is speculation (from the Mayans) that the world will end in 2012. Well, if this is the case I think I figured out the cause; KFC. Yes, that's a sandwich where the chicken is the bun. Damn, Colonel Sanders.
• Tip of the cap to Oklahoma City Thunder fans. Not only were they awesome for all three games in OKC but when the Lakers eliminated their Thunder Friday night, they gave their hometeam a standing ovation for the effort they had put out. Great fans.
• The NBA playoffs have been kind of a dud so far. As much as I am more of an NBA fan than NHL, the Stanley Cup Playoffs thus far have been more exciting.
• NCAA Tourney expansion is happening. The tourney will jump to 68 teams, now having four play-in games. I have an idea. How about instead of putting teams like Morehead State and Austin Peay play each other to get waxed by a 1 seed in the first round, lets have two power conference at-larges play for it. You can insert the 4 winners of the games as 12 or 13 seeds and no one would know the difference, rating would be better. The play-in games would be a heck of a lot more exciting as well.

Youtube of the Day (Where da gold at?)

O's Sweep Away Sox

David Ortiz and JD Drew hit multiple homeruns this weekend. Josh Beckett looked better. That's about all the positives I can come up with from this weekend. The Redsox were swept by the worst team (statistically) in baseball this weekend in Baltimore, a feat the Orioles had not accomplished since 1998.

Nothing seems to be clicking right now for the Sox. Following a 3-game sweep of the Turf Birds you thought maybe they were about to turn the corner. No such luck. They blew leads in the first two games of the series and were shut down in Sunday's finale by Kevin Millwood to complete the sweep.

Before the series, former Orioles great Jim Palmer went on NESN and said the only way the Orioles would win this series is if the Redsox beat themselves because "the O's couldn't do it". In game one it was the offense that scuffled, game two the pitching, and game three back to the offense.

Terry Francona said, "We're going to have to regroup in a hurry and figure it out." With the Yankees coming to town this weekend and the lead of the Rays growing up to 7 games, I'd say it's going to take a whole lot more than regrouping to get back into this. Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez aren't walking through that door. Hell, neither is Bill Mueller.

Thoughts:
-In the 10th inning today Papelbon left an 0-2 slider ripe over the middle of the plate that Wigginton smashed to center to win the game, his control issues have still not been resolved from last season. That or he just isn't smart.
-While Ortiz hit 2 HRs this weekend, he still hasn't shown the ability to catch up to a 90+MPH fastball, he's just guessing and still looks extremely uncomfortable; and against a left-hander? Forget it.
-J.D. Drew had the best weekend of any Redsox player bashing 3 HRs and putting good swings on the ball even against lefties.
-Ty Wigginton is officially the new Redsox killer.

Upcoming Series vs. Angels
Mon: Clay Buchholz (2-2 2.19 ERA) vs. Joe Saunders (1-4 5.74 ERA)
Tues: Jon Lester (1-2 4.71 ERA) vs. Ervin Santana (1-2 4.59 ERA)
Wed: John Lackey (2-1 4.50 ERA) vs. Joel Pineiro (2-3 5.76 ERA)
Thur: Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1 11.57 ERA) vs. Scott Kazmir (2-1 5.57 ERA)

NBA 2nd Round Picks

Miller, Dennis, Rkill and myself predict the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs. I'm the only one with any kind of kahunas.

Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
-This is a rematch of the '07 second rounder where the Celtics beat the Cavs in seven games en route to the world championship. The home team won every game in that series. This time the Cavs will have home court, but will LeBron's ailing arm be a problem?

Porter's pick: Cavs in 7
Miller's pick: Cavs in 7
Dennis' pick: Cavs in 6 (can't believe my eyes)
Rkill's pick: Cavs in 5

Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic
-The Magic owned the Hawks during the regular season taking 3 of 4. The Hawks have the talent to make this a long series but if the Magic can get Dwight Howard going (didn't do much last round) then this series will be over very quickly.

Porter's pick: Magic in 5
Miller's pick: Magic in 5
Dennis' pick: Magic in 5
Rkill's pick: Magic in 5

Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers
-The Jazz out toughed a more talented Nuggets team to a 6 game series win. The loss of Okur will be huge in this series, he's needed to pull the Laker bigs away from the basket. The Lakers will get pushed if they aren't focused but the Thunder may have awoken Kobe and Co.

Porter's pick: Lakers in 5
Miller's pick: Lakers in 6
Dennis' pick: Lakers in 5
Rkill's pick: Jazz in 7

San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns
-No teams have met in the playoffs more in the last decade than San Antonio and Phoenix. Phoenix looked a little vulnerable against the undermanned Blazers while the Spurs seem to be playing their best basketball right now. Despite the Suns ending the year strong, the Spurs have always had their number in the playoffs.

Porter's pick: Spurs in 6
Miller's pick: Suns in 6
Dennis' pick: Suns in 6
Rkill's pick: Suns in 6

Doomsday in Denver

One team had it's season end Friday night, the other had it's season end before it starts. The Broncos and Nuggets are both getting in their own way and are forgetting what got them to their presitgious statuses in the first place.

Let's start with the Nuggets. A season removed from playing nose-to-nose with the champion Lakers for 6 games (and being able to inbound the ball away from pulling the upset) this season had high expectations. If anything, the Nuggets were thought to have improved with the further evolution of Carmelo Anthony, the (hopeful) maturation of J.R. Smith and the additions of Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo.

Up until March the Nuggets had the best record in the NBA against teams with winning records, including being the only team to sweep Cleveland and taking 3 of 4 from the Lakers. Then George Karl had to leave the bench after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Losing a coach can have a huge impact on a team, but it took a team full of personalities and "me first" attitudes that didn't play much defense in the first place and turned them into human turnstyles in the lane. They allowed 102.4 points/gm during the regular season which ballooned once Karl left. For a team that had thrived on turnovers and it's defense leading to quick offense last season this was a huge letdown.

In the playoffs that rose to 110 pts/gm against Utah. The defense let this team down, they were still scoring (109/gm) but the pure effort category (defense) was non-existant. J.R. Smith did not progress, in fact he became more of an out of control shooter, and in the elimination game no one could keep Carlos Boozer off the glass (toughness). Maybe George Karl coming back will help this team, but in my opinion J.R. Smith needs to go, there is enough scoring on this team, but not enough bulldog mentality.

Then we come to the Denver Broncos. How do you destroy the best offense statistically in the NFL from 1994-2008? You fire that head coach, you trade away a QB with all the physical tools (even though he's not as good as he's made out to be) and then to cap it all off you trade the WR with the 2nd most catches in the NFL since '07. Oh, wait we're not done...

You use up a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round draft pick to trade into the bottom of round one to select...Tim Tebow. To say Tebow is a "project" is being EXTREMELY kind. The Broncos have pretty much selected a guy the size of a fullback/linebacker who is about as well versed in playing the Quarterback position as a senior in high school is. Yet, you waste 3 high draft picks on him? That is the most assanine decision in the history of the NFL.

The Broncos problem is the fact that their rush defense hasn't been addressed, it has ranked no higher than 25th the last 3 seasons. 25th! And how does brilliant McDaniels go about filling the need? He has taken 2 players in the last 2 drafts that fit the 3-4 scheme. 2 players in 15 picks. But don't worry they have signed Jamal Williams, former Charger Nose Tackle (who hasn't played more than 4 games the last 2 seasons), Justin Bannan (Ravens reserve) and Jarvis Green (situation player in New England).

In last year's draft they selected Knowshon Moreno (who would have been the 4th back off the board this season) and Robert Ayers (who?). At the same time at those slots they could have selected Brian Orakpo (11 sacks as a rookie, would be a great pass rusher in a 3-4) and Peria Jerry with Ayers pick (who would fit nicely outside on the line in a 3-4 but plays as a 3 technique DT in Atlanta). I would know, I did it in Madden. This is all hindsight, but when a coach is building his team on "character" and the character guys he takes doesn't produce, why should he be trusted when he drafts a guy like Tebow?

The pick of Demaryius Thomas was not a bad one, although I think many Bronco fans would agree that Dez Bryant would be the wiser choice. McDaniels must have not liked his mother. In all seriousness would anyone blame Dez had he punched Jeff Ireland in the teeth? McDaniels strategy will not work. You don't go from Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall to now Kyle Orton/Tim Tebow/Brady Quinn and Demaryius Thomas and get better!

The Broncos left the building once Mike Shanahan did and until Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow are removed from Denver (won't take more than 2 years) I am in hiding as a supporter of the Orange and Blue.

Youtube of the Day (My class project on the Killips)