Sports
Real update soon
Taken on September 1, 2008. Baltimore Orioles at Red Sox, Fenway Park.
Morikaesu [????]
WEEI.com Forges Forward; A Gerry Callahan Classic from 17 Years Ago
By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch
The rapid evolution of WEEI.com continues and we're not even a month into the new incarnation. Content has been bountiful, integration with the radio side has been almost seamless (see: the John Dennis 'scoop' from Wednesday AND the dot-com branded Saturday morning show) and there's even big-name sponsors already jumping into the fray with the big bank backing of WEEI.com's blogger contest.
That doesn't even take into consideration the incredibly lively and enjoyable City Hall offering from Red Sox Mayor, Sean Casey. We'll whet your whistle with 90 seconds of Big Papi At the Movies:
As one respected observer commented over the Holiday Weekend on the shores of Nantasket, “Look at what WEEI.com has done in a few weeks and look at what NESN.com hasn't been able to do with,” the “Hit It” campaign for its website.
Point being, NESN appears to only be promoting itself and its programming, while WEEI.com is establishing a voice and an identity. (That's a broad overview and certainly, some portions of NESN.com are equal to or better than those of WEEI.com, but it's safe to think that ‘EEI.com is on the express route to No. 2 in the market for sports information delivery - to Boston.com.
• Erin Andrews appeared to be sporting some Paulie Walnuts highlights and streaks in hair during her 6 p.m. hit from Vanderbilt on Thursday's SportsCenter, and for the first time in our natural, Andrews-born life, we went, “Ewwwwwww.”
• Finally, it appears we have closure on the Gordon Edes exit from the Boston Globe - a saga that took the better part of one-third of a calendar year to unravel. Edes confirmed to Shots last week that his ERISA appeal of the Globe's buyout offer was denied.
“So the Globe saved themselves the equivalent of 80 bucks a week for the 12 years I busted my butt for them,” said Edes in an email correspondence over last week. “It took them just two weeks to replace me w/(Adam) Kilgore/promoting/Amalie (Benjamin). . . their decision cost me thousands. . .”
(If Edes's math is correct, the denial cost him nearly $50,000 [calculating $80 per week at 52 weeks in a year = $4,160 annually; then, 12 (Edes' tenure as a Globie) at the yearly rate for a Total of $49,920. Edes used an attorney as well, so he also had legal costs to bear.
The buyout application was denied, according to Edes, because Sports Editor Joe Sullivan deemed Edes "indispensable" to the paper.
More likely, however, Edes ruffled some feathers on Mo Boulevard by letting it be known he was leaving for the big Y! in the Sky, Yahoo! Sports. When the higher-ups got wind of Edes's plan to "double-dip," the paper dug in its heels.
Bygones are now bygones and Edes is in a better place with greater exposure; and the Globe has snagged Tony Massarotti to soften the blow (his debut with Bob Ryan this week on "Globe 10.0" was the show's most promising pairing since Bob Neumeier teamed with Ryan for Battlin' Bobs).
The whole Edes episode is a cautionary tale of just how precarious the waters of the Newspaper Downsizing ocean have become.
At least one other recognizable local sports scribe is currently experiencing his own drama over an impending separation from his employer and the positioning and posturing currently at play are so similar to the Edes scenario in several ways. Maybe most of all, the circumstances mean that another domino in the Old Media/New Media universe will fall and more shifting will take place in the marketplace.
. . . The Eagle Tribune layoffs will hit the sports desk, but it still hasn't been divulged who, specifically, will be affected at the paper. (One visit to that website tells you all you need to know about how far behind the Eagle-Trib is. Jeesh. Worst. Sports. Landing. Page. EVER.
• Couple of add-ons to the now-must read and must visit Jessica Heslam from Thursday's Boston Herald:
1. Owned and operated, Fox 25's newest fox, Sara Underwood is, of course, married to multi-media man Mike Felger (WEEI, WEEI.com, Comcast, et al). The duo is once again the No. 1 media couple in Boston, and they have the potential to rival the city's all-time media power couple, Nat and Chet. Mike's going to burn out on sports at some point and some creative sort at one of the locals (and FOX 25 is a prime candidate) will pair Felgie and the Missus as news anchors and they will make a run at WCVB's all-timers, C&N.
2. The re-signing of Kathryn Tappen extension at NESN could be the equivalent of a "bat signal" from the Watertown satellite dishes. Foremost, it signifies that NESN has liked the progress Tappen has made in her two years and rightfully so. Tappen, is engaged to a hockey journeyman, Jay Leach, has improved in every facet and is probably ready for a call-up to the No. 1 property on the network - the Red Sox.
Shots is told there might even be the temptation to swap Heidi Watney with Tappen and let Watney go the route of Bruins studio host as she becomes steadier in all areas. Watney, it's safe to say, has not enamored herself to all the NESN suits in the early going, and the Jason Varitek murmurs haven't helped things.
. . . Heslam forwards the salacious Julie Donaldson story a bit with this update. The smoking gun (and potential bargaining chip, it would seem) is the supposed existence of a sex tape. Heslam has been on top of the sad tale from jump street.
But I'm still not convinced Lattimore is currently a Slamball player because I'm not convinced Slamball still exists!
• Had to like the ESPN counter-program to McCain on Thursday night: No. 24 South Carolina and the Ole Ball Coach taking on feisty Vandy.
That my friends, Red State conundrum for thousands upon thousands.
• Pats Mania is sweeping all outlets and Comcast SportsNet has some guns-a-blazin' with, as their release touted, “New England's top football writers and sports personalities such as Former Patriots Christian Fauria and Steve DeOssie; NBCSports.com's Tom Curran; WEEI.com's Ron Borges; Sports Illustrated's Don Banks; The Sporting News' Albert Breer and ESPN's Andy Gresh share their Patriots insight.”
Breer will also be the regular co-host with Kevin Winter on 890 AM's “Monday Night Countdown” (7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) live from a West Bridgewater establishment. That show would seem to have a more realistic shot to register a blip for ESPN Radio than the Sunday morning (10 a.m. to Noon) show with Winter and Boston Metro's Christopher Price that will do battle with established, strong-signalled offerings from BOTH flagship WBCN 104.1 FM and WEEI 850 AM. During home games, that show will be live from a car dealership on Route 1 in Foxboro.
• A very close - and very astute - Friend of Shots stumbled across a gem from Gerry “Scooter” Callahan that ran in the Boston Herald 17 years ago (this week the station celebrated its own “banner 17? as an all-sports outfit).
It ran - at a now-unheard of 933 words - on August 7, 1991 in the Herald. My favorite portions are in bold.
© 1991 Boston Herald Library. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights reserved.
In a little less than a month, WEEI-AM will become the first all-sports station in the Boston radio market. The station is owned by the Celtics and already carries both Bruins' and Celtics' games during the winter. The rest of the air time will be filled with the occasional out-of-town or college game as well as a wide variety of talk shows and syndicated sports programs. Formerly the only all-news station in Boston, WEEI is now busy laying off everyone who doesn't wear a baseball cap to work.
The Celtics somehow squeezed Eddie Andelman under their salary cap, so in the afternoon the station will feature the most established talk show host in the city. It is assuring to know that for at least a few hours a day the station will not be taking sports too seriously. Along with Eddie, Andy Moes will probably hold his own in the morning, and veterans such as Craig Mustard and Glenn Ordway will not embarrass themselves in their respective slots. Unlike WEEI under its present format, the station may soon be worth listening to even if a war hasn't broken out in the last few minutes.
What about the other 10 or 12 hours a day? Will they hire generic hosts with cute nicknames who talk about hockey in the summer, subscribe to USA Today, and rate Bill James as their favorite author? Will they have same dozen callers who become close, personal friends with the host? Can they go around the clock with jock talk and not wind up sounding like this?
“It's 2:27 a.m. and it's time to take a call. Charlestown, you're next on Sports Spew with the Scooter!”
“Hello, Scooter? Am I on the air? Hello? ?!”
“You're on the air. Go ahead, Charlestown.”
“Yeah, Scooter, I'm calling from Charlestown. I'm a first-time caller, and like I was telling you last time I called, I've been a season ticket holder for 37 years and … Hello? Are you there? Can you hear me?”
“I can hear you. Turn down your radio, you moron, and make your point.”
“Who you callin' a moron, moron? Me and my boys will come down there and kick your scrawny &*%$#@ …”
“And you're next, on WEEI! Go ahead, Boston.”
“Yo, Scootman. We're, like, over here at, like, Northeastern University and, like, we're partying, dude. Yeah! Paaaaarty!”
“Good for you, Northeastern. Now what's your question or comment?”
“Comment? Well, like, I only got one comment: Kick butt in the Beanpot! Yeah! Paaaaarty!”
“It is 2:36 at Sports Spew and next up, we have a call from a stolen car that is being chased the wrong way at high speed down the Mass Pike. What's on your mind, stolen-car phone?”
“I don't know about you, Scooter, but I've had just about enough out of Irving Fryar. The guy's nuts, man. He's got a death wish. They gotta trade the bum.”
“We're losing you, stolen-car phone. Thanks for the call and good luck in prison. Let's take one more call before we bring you go to our first guest. It's our old friend, Ngxyeeb, at 7-Eleven in Chelsea. What's on your mind, Ngxyeeb?”
“Hello, Mr. Scooter. I think Uruguay will win the World Cup. What you think?”
“Well, Ngxyeeb, I think you're right. Brazil and Italy have some talent on the back line, but Uruguay has better corner kickers. Thanks for the call and save me a cheese Danish, old buddy. Let's see, it's 2:48 a.m. on Sports Spew, and it's time to welcome our special guest. His name is Bobby “Bentnose” Boyle and he's a scout for the Winnipeg Jets. Welcome to the show, Bentnose.”
“Thanks, Boomer. It's great to talk to the people back in Austin. I grew up in Montana, and I think that's right near Austin.”
“That's BOSTON, Bentnose. Anyway, let me ask you first about the Jets. A lot of our listeners are wondering who might step up and help the Jets win the tough Smythe Division?”
“Well, Skeeter. We've got a kid named Sal out of Saskatoon and a guy named Frank from Frostbite Falls. They're both tough cookies. I look for big things out of both of them.”
“Thanks for joining us, Bentnose. We've got to take a break now. When we come back, we'll try to think of something a little more interesting.”
Did you know there are only 44 sounds in the English language? Did you know they only use three of them on this show? Did you know you're brain is turning to Maypo? We could teach you to read, but, hey, why bother?
Are you down, depressed, lonely? Are you considering suicide? Well, we'd like to tell you to call their Samaritans, but since you are listening to hockey talk at 3 a.m., you're probably a lost cause.
“OK, welcome back to Sports Spew with the Scooter, and in the next hour, we're going to discuss a real hot topic in sports today: Golf ball dimples - do we really need 360 of them? Back to the phones, and you're next, Charlestown.”
“Hello? Scooter? Am I on the air? Hello?”
Six years later, Callahan got his morning show with John Dennis. Now, eleven years later, Callahan's farce is THE force in a city that used to be run by the newspapers.
• Lastly, I have taken a lot of heat in certain circles for first advocating for and then defending the choice of Dick Vitale as a Contributor to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. This is not the day to lose that argument again. Instead, let's just congratulate the Jersey kid done good and we can agree to disagree on his contributions to the game of basketball.
David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. and can be reached at shotsATbostonsportsmediaDOTcom.
Scott's first book, with Memphis Coach John Calipari, is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2009.
"Game The Orioles Gave Us" Gallery, 9/3/2008
Perfect day for baseball. However, since it's September now, you could actually get "too hot," "too cold," and "just right" all within a couple of steps. In the shade, sometimes the breezes were cold and made you shiver. Sometimes they warmed you to the perfect temp. No complaints. But we're at the point where long sleeves will be required for night games....
Good to see Mike Lowell taking hacks and laughing it up.
David Ortiz and Julio Lugo.
And again. The Orioles, by the way, did not hit outside on this morning. I think they needed to sleep in. So Millar wasn't out there clowning around and signing autographs like he usually does.
Jason Bay looking skyward.
SON of Master, in front of the Monster.
Papi was flipping balls to the crowd one by one. One went right toward my mom, but the dude on the other side of her swooped in and caught it. He immediately justified his catch by loudly wondering "where's the kid? There's no kid here?" in a "why me?"/"I swear I'd give it to a kid if there was one, but hey, all I can do is accept this and it doesn't make me a bad guy" kind of way. Hey, if you want to give the ball up, how about the 5'2'' woman you reached in front of to get it? Jerk.
Papi interviewed by everyone's favorite almost-NESN network, NECN.
Two pitchers' numbers that require a ladder.
Dice-K before his start.
My first job, 15 years ago, was at Stop & Shop. We went to one a few days ago, and I was shocked to see the produce guys wearing yellow instead of green. Then the higher-ups showed up in purple instead of those long, blue coats. The cashiers also wore yellow instead of the old red vest I once wore. And the logo--changed! No more "stop light." What I didn't think of at the time was that this would affect Fenway. And down the logo came as the wagon gate closed, unveiled to all (who hadn't seen it yet.) Of course, I've only heard the last week's worth of games on radio--I take it this new logo sign went up during the last road trip.
We had three separate seats, so we stood behind section 12, reserving our own shelf, while one of us sat in one of our grandstands seats. Two of our tickets were bought from my friend Dori. Thanks, Dori! We got a sweet game indeed. Anyway, this shot is looking straight up from the back of section 12 at the outer brick wall of Fenway.
Kotsay-okey.
Dustin pointing up to the aliens who have given him his great power like Adam capturing the special lightning that makes him He-Man. By the way, take a look at the spacing on his number 15. More on that later on.
Okay, this is weird. I thought it was cool that you could see the United States of American flag way off in the distance. But see that electrical box with wires sticking out of it on the far left, on the bleacher back wall? Again, remember that...
Bailey about to catch the pen you see in mid-air.
Dustin just before the game.
It was Roberto Clemente Day. Youk was honored as the team's Clemente Award candidate. It was also the day we tied the consecutive sellout streak. If there was any fanfare about it, we didn't see it, as we were never in a place where we could see the scoreboard. But I am going to the record-breaker on Monday, which also happens to be my birthday.
And here's Youk, with a kid.
Alex Cora stretching.
These two would be crucial in the game-winning rally.
A bunch of Red Sox.
Millar and friends. Kevin sat this one out. At one point right before the game, Papi was looking over at him in the dugout and doing a mock limp.
Right after that, Papi started with the handshakes. Here's the one he has with Lopez.
And here's Masterson's. We all know he has the Oki one with the bow--but I missed that moment. Crap.
But I did get my boy Chris Smith's Papi-shake, complete with hug. Note: anyone with my last name on the Sox automatically becomes "my boy."
Dice-K's first pitch. Since it was a weekday afternoon game while school is in, a lot of people were late arriving.
More Dice action. He gave up four runs on four hits, while our bats struggled in the early innings.
My boy Markakis. Note: Anybody on another team who rooted for the Sox growing up also automatically becomes "my boy."
Dice hopping over the foul line of doom after the top of the first.
Okay, remember I said to look at Dustin's 15? Lowrie's 12 is so spaced out. I've been noticing it on TV, and have been wanting to photograph it. I know all about folding, serifs, etc. But I honestly think his 1 and 2 are just too far apart.
I rarely do action shots because I don't want to miss what's going on while looking through a lens. But I went for a Dustin running shot and it worked out. Even though I missed the freakin' single!
The tail end of the next play, when Pedroia dove back to first.
Dice pitching.
Dice pitching, I say. At this point, my mom and I joined my dad near the one seat, but people finally filled in. I noticed a big batch of empties at the top of the bleachers, in the shade of the scoreboard, so we headed up there for a much different view, and no chance of the real ticketholders kicking us out.
Looking up and toward right field from under the scoreboard. This shows a rare side-view of the Dunkn Donuts and Ford signs at the back of the right field bleachers.
Looking up at the back of the board, which you can see from the street.
The spot where the ladder drops down so people can get up into the scoreboard. Ladder visible in this shot I took July 26th. And at left--the electrical box from the earlier picture. By random chance I took that exact spot, and even kept bumping into it when I'd lean against the back wall.
The third-string catcher, Ross.
The flags.
I knew when I saw this sign it was the "I Like Baseball" guy.
Sure enough, he turns it around for proof. Also note the marks in center field, probably from the Neil Diamond concert stage.
The guy himself.
So we're down 4-0, going to the bottom of the seventh. Dustin hits a dong here and it's 4-1. Oh, and there was a sweet catch by Ellsbury in this game--unfortunately that was when we were walking out to the bleachers. Heard the roar and watched the replays on the TVs under the stands.
What Landsdowne Street looks like in the late innings of a close day game.
I love the fans' reactions to this deep foul fly.
Clouds.
4-2, and Pedroia doubles, making it second and third. Kotsay then became a true Yankee or whatever with this two-run triple.
And now Britney is the target of ILB.
The Orioles' coach, after Shatner had an earlier argument, gets tossed and then comes out to fight.
Bottom 9--Cora's on first, and Coco tries to bunt him over. I could see from over 500 feet away the crazy bounce back into fair territory that ball took, allowing Coco to reach. Then before you knew it, Ellsbury was bunting, the ball was thrown away, and the winning run scored. I was holding the camera and had been ready to shoot Ellsbury going to first. I watched at the ball went into the outfield, and apparently I snapped this shot, which worked out, as I got the dugout's reaction just as they knew we'd win.
And the Orioles WALK OFF the field as Cora scores. The next day, I saw the replay, and Orsillo said, "The Red Sox walk off, 5-4 from Fenway!" His incorrect use of the term is getting more and more ridiculous. How could you watch one team walk off a field while the other is running onto it, and say that the latter is "walking off"? It's a walk off win. Because the losing team was made to walk off.
Okajima gives the fist bump to a giant furry creature. See below for my Papelbon/Wally comic strip.
And Chris Smith is still carrying that bag (David Pauley has the other one), as Coco is interviewed by HW. "It was goin' foul!" - Coco Crisp
This post is coming to you from my new, indoor, well-lit internet connection. We also watched Mrs. Doubtfire on our new TV connection. And don't have a phone yet but supposedly it works and we have an actual number. So now you don't have to hear about this anymore!
Anatomy of a hot streak
Dustin Pedroia has vaulted to the forefront of the American League Most Valuable Player race with some astoundingly hot hitting recently - he's batting .480 over the last two weeks, with five homers in 59 at-bats, and there are various other small sample sizes that are just as impressive (he's batting .615 thus far in September, for instance).
But what's truly remarkable is that Pedroia's actually been a non-stop offensive force since the early days of summer.
On June 13, Pedroia was batting .260, with a .311 on-base percentage and a .676 OPS. The batting average was his low-water mark of the season, excluding the first few games. (Silly full-disclosure: He was hitting .182 three games into the schedule. Slacker.)
The next day, Pedroia had two hits in a 6-4 victory over Cincinnati, raising his average to .262. Save for the rare 0 for 4, his average has done nothing but rocket skyward since then.
Check out these crazy numbers: In 69 games - almost half the season so far - and 283 at-bats since June 13, Pedroia has 112 hits, including 12 of his 17 homers. His batting average since that date?
.396.
Again:
Three-ninety-six.
You probably know the rest: He's leading the AL in hitting (.333), hits (191), and runs (110) his slugging percentage is now over .500 (.505), and his OPS is all the way up to .883.
And that, sports fans, is how you become an MVP candidate: for 2 1/2 months, you punish the baseball like it was one of your detractors.
Bronson Arroyo and Lenny DiNardo - not just BFF
Lenny DiNardo stalking his prey - lifted from Don Chavez
They’re pranksters too!
In looking for something to write about on the off-day, I Googled Bronson’s name just for kicks and came upon this fascinating pictorial at “Don Chavez”.
Apparently, during a cruise back when they were both still with the Red Sox organization, Lenny and Bronson thought it would be funny to turn this unconscious, drunk dude at the bar into a human billboard. Writing such witticisms as “I was here - Dinardo was too” and “Gas Leak”on his lower back and his t-shirt, with an arrow pointing to his behind. High comedy, boys!!
I especially liked how Bronson just autographed the shirt, signing the way he would a baseball or a cd (with his “61″ above his name).
I am incredibly embarrassed to admit that this made me laugh out loud. Yes, I know it’s juvenile. But, as is noted in the story, the guy it happened to came back the next night for more. That alleviates some of my guilt at taking pleasure from this story.
Don Chavez has the photos of the guy’s shirt and butt here. Hope he doesn’t mind my sending him the traffic. (Keep in mind, the site is “adult” oriented. The link to the story is safe for work et al, but I can’t guarantee that about the rest of the site!)
Be sure to check out the photo of Bronson playing ping-pong in the days before the bleach and hair-straightener.
Man, I miss these two!
Views And Reviews
Pics from yesterday's walk-off win to come.
Blown Save By Committee
“…it’s a goofy thing but I just gotta say, hey, I’m doing alright.”
Jackson Taylor - Four years old and less of a baby than I was! (Photo by me)
This is about me. Because, ultimately, no matter who you are, it’s always about you, right?
Besides, Tru did such a fabulous job detailing the day, I didn’t think I needed to re-invent the wheel.
I had my purse stolen last Thursday. I wrote about it briefly here. What I didn’t write about was how it made me feel. I went from being okay with it, to being mad, to being so upset I had a brief period when I couldn’t stop crying, to being frightened, to being mad again. I don’t usually wallow in self-pity, but Thursday night I sure did. I had spent the last month doing something for others. Collecting donations for the Taylor family to ensure that their stay in Boston didn’t break their bank. And I didn’t ask for anything in return. Not one thing. So the way I was repaid was to have a huge chunk of my life stolen from me just before what had worked out to be a very important weekend in my life. I was not only pissed at the jackass who stole my purse, but at karma, or God or whoever (or whatever) you believe controls the universe. What the hell was the point of the last month if I wasn’t even going to be able to buy Tru a beer for all he had done?
Normally, at times when this happens, I’m able to snap myself out of it and say “It could have been worse - so many people have worse things happen to them every day”, but not this time. Thursday night through early Friday afternoon, I was a bear. I promise you, you didn’t want to be around me. There was a part of me that could step back, see how I was and say “Cut the crap” but the rest of me wasn’t listening. Then to top it off, I had to leave work early (after having blown an entire afternoon the day before canceling credit and debit cards and filing a police report) to go spend a day with strangers and friends and pretend to be in a good mood. If there was a dog in my office on Friday, I most likely would have kicked it.
But there was no dog, just my friend and co-worker Jill, and she succeeded in (at the very least) calming me down enough that I was ready to meet Tru and KellyO and Brenken and the Taylors (and, later, some of my sistahs and other friends for a group game organized by my friend Dale) and embark on the evening. And what an evening it turned out to be!
When I met up with Tru, he immediately pulled out an envelope and handed it to me. It was from Commander Tom Disy of the USS BENFOLD. Along with all he sent along for the Taylors, he stuck a surprise in there for me as well. A lovely note, accompanied by his “command coin” and a USS BENFOLD cap. I was awestruck. In an instant, the reasons behind the last month came rushing back to me. Here is a guy halfway across the world going out of his way to make people feel special and here I was being a crabapple. It was more than a little embarrassing. And the rest of the day and evening went pretty much the same way.
Tru touched upon the generosity of the folks at the Yawkey Way Store and elsewhere that day. People were just amazing. And had been all month. As I mentioned last night, we received donations for as much as $200 and as little as $5. There were so many people who were happy to scrape up what little they had to make a difference in the lives of the Taylor family, without even knowing them, that it still boggles my mind.
The generosity of strangers and my friends (KellyO had a long week as well and as the “official photographer” for the day, had no time to do anything but just shoot the family and be great! Brenken rushed over the same day she flew in from Florida to ensure the boys were properly ready for the adventure!) would have been enough, but then we met Stan Grossfeld. Stan donated a book he published with Dan Shaughnessy (and both men personally inscribed it for the family) to the “booty” of gifts for the Taylors. He then spent the day as one of us. Someone in awe of what can happen when good people want it to - and he absolutely won over the boys that day as well. Stan will tell you differently, but he’s a special person. Not just out for a story, but there to witness life-changing events more for the sake of witnessing them than for any kind of personal gain. Google his name and you’ll find some incredible photographs and some beautiful stories. It was an honor to be able to ‘hang’ with him for the day.
So what about me? Well, I know I’m blessed to have the loved ones (family AND friends) that I have. It was also a blessing to have been chosen to be a part of this event. I’m a better person for having met Stan Grossfeld, Tom Disy and all of the Taylors in the process. After a day of hugging and crying (about something and someone other than myself), I still had to go home to my life. I still felt lousy about what had happened to me. But, and I know this is the biggest cliché there is, it put things into perspective for me. So what if I had to let people buy me a couple of beers at a baseball game? So what if I had to borrow money to get home from those same games? By the end of the week, I should have my debit and credit cards and driver’s license replaced and my life goes back to normal.
I’m battered but not bruised. And much more humbled and appreciative of everything I have than I was on Thursday night.
Meanwhile
Thoughts on MLB Instant Replay
In yet another move towards the complete NFL-ization of Major League Baseball, we now have Instant Replay to aid the umpiring of home runs in our national pastime. In last night’s Yankees-Rays matchup at Tropicana Field, the technology was used for the first time in Major League history. It took the umpiring crew a little over 2 minutes to confirm that Alex Rodriguez’s towering left field blast was indeed his 549th career home run.
According to the opinion of MLB executive Jimmie Lee Solomon, the emergence of instant replay is akin to the second coming of Christ: “It was flawless. Everything went the way it was supposed to go.” Hell, even the Rays, the guys who were on the wrong end of the call in question, were singing the praises of baseball’s newest wrinkle.
Now, I’m not some crotchety purist, pining for the days of sepia-toned baseball cards and wool uniforms. There are zero Norman Rockwell paintings hanging in my domicile, and I freely acknowledge that Randy Johnson threw harder than Smokey Joe Wood. However, I’m not sure instant replay is good for baseball.
1) One of the biggest reasons baseball is losing young fans to other sports in the slow pace of the game. Last night, the instant replay process lasted 2 minutes and 15 seconds, and that is not counting the discussion time before the process, nor does it include the time it took for the players to settle in and resume play after the final decision had been made. You could argue that the process tacked roughly 5 minutes onto the total length of the game. While 5 minutes doesn’t seem like an eternity on paper, it certainly won’t help the image of a sport which is often criticized for its grating periods of inactivity.
2) This will come off as sophomoric and idiotic (and perhaps it is), but I really do enjoy watching managers and umpires argue. I wanted Joe Maddon to make a spectacle of himself on the field, with his Dennis Hopper mug and his coke bottle glasses. I wanted the umpire to calmly observe Maddon’s crazy rant for 30 seconds, and once Maddon utters one of the “Magic Words”, give the crowd a WWF-like exaggerated arm motion and scream “YOU’RRRRRRRE OUTTA HERE!”. It would have amused me, plain and simple. Isn’t that our primary goal when we tune into baseball games? To be amused? To have some God forsaken robot become the final arbiter between the managers and the men in blue, well…that just sucks the spirit right out of arguments.
You know what? While reading over my two reasons above, I now recognize and admit that #2 concerns me much more than #1, which makes my entire stance pretty trivial and weak. In other words, maybe this is just a purist ranting. In the end, I’m just another guy in the bleachers, covered in peanut shells and kicking around my 6 empty plastic cups. I appreciate the umpires “getting it right”, but I also enjoy watching explosions from time to time.
Sue me.
Tru’s Take on the Taylors
Tru and the Taylor family before the game - photo taken by Cyn Donnelly (Click to enlarge)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Waking up tired is no way to begin a day. The last 48 hours have been pretty busy and they sped by. It seems a cliché, but the blur of events seems long ago, as if it took place some other month or year, and now I’m left with a memory of what happened that has slowly been taking shape since the last hugs were issued.
They Taylor family is asleep in their hotel, exhausted from another full day of seeing and doing the multitude of activities this great city has to offer. I’m imagining young boys, who are hanging onto a bit of their youth yet holding back the maturity they’ve had to harshly confront all too soon. They’re kids. Good kids actually, if you can believe it. They are the kinds of kids that surely must have made their father proud. Spending a little time with their mom, it’s clear she is deeply proud of them.
It’s hard not to be.
There’s also their cousin, Chris, who is the oldest kid among all of the boys visiting here from Salt Lake City. I learned yesterday that he knew what was going to take place before leaving Utah and he had a chance to tell everyone what their day at Fenway was going to entail. He kept a secret. He kept a secret that most twelve year olds would have been hard-pressed to keep quiet about. He also wasn’t bitter, or jealous, as if he was being cheated out of something special. He was also being a good son and a great cousin.
The boys’ mother, Traci, is a slight, almost pixie-like gal, with bright eyes and a huge smile. She was gracious, warm and overly appreciative. I’ll admit that aside from meeting her at the hotel, I did not spend too much time with her as the boys were the focus of the day. The little time we did share was occupied with her talking about her boys. When she does, she lights up.
There’s James Sr., who is grieving. He’s also mourning his father, who passed within weeks of his oldest boy passing. For much of the day, his eyes were red-rimmed and tired. I cannot imagine the depth of his grief, but know the man is grateful beyond all description. His happiness and joy was pouring forth to every one of us who spent time with him. He told us how he could not believe what a great thing it was we’d done to honor his son and of what it meant to show that to his grandsons and daughter in law. He wore the cap Tom Disy, the commanding officer of the USS Benfold, sent for him and the boys and Traci. He wore it all day long.
Then there’s Shane, the uncle of all the boys and brother to James. He is a baseball fan, but wasn’t a fan of any specific team, and the goal was to “educate” him. I don’t know if we succeeded, but his Red Sox shirt looked good. This is a big guy and a big HEARTED guy. Jackson is Traci’s youngest boy and he is autistic. His love and affection for his mother and brothers is apparent, but there is a special bond with his uncle that is as obvious as the nose on your face. Shane, throughout the day, was carrying Jack, allowing Traci to soak in all that Mason and Weston were doing. Shane was at a loss for words much of the time and I suppose that’s just fine. He told me, and those around him, how important this day was to him and to all of the family. He also got a chance to hug me and tell me repeatedly that “We’re a family of huggers.” That was fine with everyone they came in contact with, as there was a whole lot of huggin’ goin’ on!
Laurie Brady, the gal who wrote the eloquent and impassioned plea for assistance, is truly a special woman. She’s formidable and a huge presence in her will and capacity for love. It was she who kicked off the effort to get to Fenway. She stepped off a small cliff, looking for help to realize this day, to make it happen. And she did. A sister, a daughter and an angel, Laurie is one of a kind of gal that has made an awful lot of friends in and around Fenway and I’m particularly pleased to have met and know her. Through a lot of emails and phone calls, while planning all of this, we got to talk about a lot of other things. She is a gift to her family that is beyond measure and words.
And finally there are Mason and Weston, the two boys who were polite and well-mannered, but are 100%, the real deal, authentic boys! When first meeting them, there is that moment that all guys have; they size each other up. They sat there and were polite, but as I tried to gauge them, they were doing the same to me. So as we launched into what was going to happen that day, Weston was outward and jubilant. Mason was reserved. He was taking it all in and, although not so forward in manner, he was happy. They thanked us for every gift and did so several times during the day.
Before meeting the boys, I got a call from my friend, who took them to the Regina Pizzeria the night before. He told me the boys love pizza and they told him that Regina’s was the best they’d ever had. Well, seeing that it is one of the North End’s landmarks it has to be, right? He also told me that he quizzed the boys about Sox history, and they knew lots of stuff, which surprised him. Okay, kids from Utah know stuff about the Red Sox? Well, yeah, they do. It turns out that they knew who wore which number, who World Series MVP’s were, ROY player names, and all kinds of stuff about Fenway; that was amazing. It’s true, that the boys knew about the Sox from what their aunt and my friend had told me.
So let’s get to it.
The family got the framed pictures of Mason’s, Weston’s and Jackson’s names flying from the Halyard from the USS Benfold. The picture had a special inscription from CMDR Thomas C. Disy. Now Tom might not mention this himself, but he is a devout Red Sox fan. Imagine if you can, that every day he wakes up, he has a routine. He checks all pertinent activity relating to his ship, crew and mission. He then checks the Sox score.
Cyn Donnelly presented Traci with a check for $2,000, which came via the generosity of people from literally, all over the world. The first donation came from New Zealand, from a guy who is a Red Sox fan and travels here as often as possible to see the team play. Money came in from Denmark, Canada, and all across the United States.
Kelly O’Connor, an ace photographer contributed to the event by chronicling the day in pictures, but also organized a “mad money” envelope that at best guess contained $400 ~ $500. Kelly’s thought was, hey, they might need an ice cream while in Boston!
My sister, who came up from Connecticut for the game, came with an envelope from a person she did not know. It seems the person had met my sister in a business meeting, and asked what her Labor Day plans were. As their meeting ended, they said their goodbyes and that was that. The next day, my sister found the envelope on her desk. I watched Traci open the envelope and there was a lot of cash in it… a lot!
And then we talked about going to the game. The boys knew they were going to see the Sox play and wanted to get in the park early, hopefully to get an autograph. It was then they were presented World Series baseballs and sharpies that were graciously supplied by Susan Johnson, who most of you know as Brenken. She made it a point to get the retractable sharpies, knowing that the other types dry out fast if the caps are left off for too long. Clearly, Brenken knows something about getting autographs!
As each boy was handed a ball, so were the adults, and then they were told that they would be leaving the hotel soon for a brief stop at the souvenir store, because at 4:15 we were headed into Fenway Park, where they’d be on the infield during batting practice. Chances were pretty good that they might have an opportunity to get autographs.
They talked about how they were excited to see a Sox player in person, so we asked them if it would be okay to spend a few minutes with a World Series winning pitcher. It was that Christmas morning, jaw dropping look that only a kid can deliver; they were going to meet a Red Sox player? And yeah, they were. Susan got the ball rolling and when the player heard the story of the Taylors his comment was “Let’s make this happen.” I wish to point out that the player insisted no media be present. He did not wish to have his meeting the boys and the family used as publicity, thus denigrating the memory of their father, husband, brother and son. It was the right thing to do, and no one’s idea but his own.
Then we asked Mason and Weston if they knew what bat boys did, which was important because they were going to be honorary bat boys at the night’s game. We explained to them that it meant working with the regular bat boy for the Sox and involved collecting helmets, bats and being on hand in the dugout as players left the field. Neither kid hesitated to accept the job!
So we took a short break and then reconvened at the souvenir store. A good friend of our works there on the weekend and spoke to her manager about what was going on. He graciously offered a steep, very deep discount on anything and everything in the store. So the boys went there seeking out their favorite player jersey. Some of those jerseys were not on hand but it wasn’t a problem.
Now I might not have mentioned this yet, and we really need to pause here, because Stan Grossfeld from the Boston Globe got involved with this story. I received a call from him prior to the Taylor family getting into Boston. I also need to admit to putting my foot in my mouth fully up to my knees. When speaking with Stan, I mentioned that Kelly was going to be on hand to take photos, so there would be no need to bring a photographer. Stan said that was okay, he had a camera. However, I restated that Kelly was really a very good photographer and it wasn’t at all necessary for him to bring his camera. Again, Stan said that it was required in his job to bring his camera along.
In my zeal to share the news with Cyn, Kelly and Susan that the Globe was picking up the story, I made sure they knew that this Grossfeld guy was going to be bringing his camera, but rest assured, Kelly was the photographer who would be there to record everything. In a return email, Kelly asked me if I knew who Stan Grossfeld was. I replied to her and said no, I didn’t who he was. Kelly sent me a response informing me who Stan was - a two time Pulitzer Prize winning photo journalist.
Oh…
Well, I sent off a note to Stan expressing my embarrassment and apology. I also told him, I guess it’s okay if he brought along his camera. He laughed about it and I’m still laughing about it. I’ve since done a little homework to see what it was Stan has done, so yeah, I’m glad he brought his camera.
Well, now we have two photographers in the souvenir store, flashes going off all over the place, and people are noticing, including the owner. As he learns about whom these kids are, why they’re there, all of sudden, money is not a point of discussion; we couldn’t pay for anything. It was yet another amazing act of kindness. I watched this guy in awe, as he stood in the middle of his busy place, packed with customers, while openly shedding tears. On the way out, I stopped to express my thanks for his deed. He wouldn’t have any of it and said thank you for bringing them to his store. Kind of makes you stop and wonder how the world can be some times.
Our next stop was to Fenway Park, Gate D. We split into two groups, with some heading for the field, while the Taylors headed for the media room. I will only share here that the player was welcoming and hugged and embraced every one of them. He signed whatever they wanted signed. He posed for every picture and continued to embrace them all. He then gave each of the Taylor boys a game jersey with his greetings to them signed on it. It was a very impressive. Laurie asked me if there was a scar and I said I didn’t know, but why not ask him. So she did and he showed it to her. It’s not much of a scar, but it is pretty famous around these parts. Please note that the time flew, but it never seemed that we were being rushed. It was a great moment for the boys and the family.
Our next stop was the Sox infield. It was my first time ever being on Fenway’s infield. It was incredible to be able to look around from that vantage, up towards the stands, and the foul poles, and Green Monster. We were met by Ross Yellin, who is a Fenway Ambassador. He’s a law student and truly nice guy, who went out of his way to help make the arrangements for the Taylor kids. The number of requests the Red Sox receive daily for some sort of tour or accommodation is staggering. That the Taylor kids got onto the infield, and better still, honorary bat boys for the game, is simply amazing, These things are normally planned far in advance. He surprised us with a tour of Fenway, just before the pre game ceremonies, then handed the family a think envelope, filled with Fenway infield dirt.
So there they were, standing a few feet from where the Sox were preparing for the night’s game. The boys came away with autographs from Mike Lowell and Dustin Pedroia, who signed whatever the boys wanted. Again, truly awesome. And we stood together with the Taylor family while Mason and Weston were introduced. It was all coming into perspective now. The whole notion of why we were there together, watching these two small guys, standing with Wally between them, was a clear to me as anything that’s ever happened before.
We went into the stands, saw Matsuzaka go deep into the game and the offense back him to the hilt. Some of the Taylor boys’ favorite players were pivotal to the game, and it was Stan who pointed that out to me. As for Stan, it is worth noting that at times, I swear he was more than recording the story. He presented the boys a book he and Dan Shaughnessy co-authored and both signed to the Taylors while we were at the hotel. But he also took a lot of joy in his time with the family, especially the kids. He said that the inside dust cover of the book pictured his and Dan’s kids because he and Dan were both ugly. It was a funny quip, but there is nothing ugly in Stan that I could see.
Yesterday, the family went to the Aquarium and then had dinner at Joe Tecce’s, where they met with their host again. Afterwards, they wandered around the North End to take in the festival-like atmosphere of the feast of St. Anthony. Today, the Taylors are off to Six Flags, where Shane gets to go at New England’s roller coaster and thrill rides; he digs that kind of thing. And then tomorrow, they head over the Museum of Science to look at a bloody sock that covered a wound and then became a pretty famous scar.
Before I forget, we met after Friday night’s game as planned, under the right field seats in the picnic table area for one group photo. A lot of the forum people were there to greet the Taylors. We hung around until security asked us to vacate the park. So we moved outside the park and said our goodbyes. Laurie spoke to all us, expressing gratitude for all the efforts on their behalf. It was heartfelt and moving, causing even old men to cry a little.
To be a part of what happened is truly hard to describe, but if there was a feeling, a way in which to do that, I’d opt for saying it was magical to witness a dream come true.
Massarotti Debuts at Boston.com
Tony Massarotti has landed in his new space over at Boston.com. It appears a large part of Massarotti's section will be Tony's Top Five - his look at the top five sports stories in Boston at the moment.
Massarotti states what his role is going to be as follows:
In recent years, as the Internet has continued to grow and informational distribution has changed, a predictable and indisputable chasm formed between old media and new media. Our hope is to bring you the best of both worlds — the accountability and access of the old school with the speed, ingenuity, and interplay of the new. Certainly, we are going to make our mistakes along the way. Unfortunately, failure is almost always a side effect of development and growth.
Nice sentiments, but I hope that Massarotti isn't inferring that those “best” qualities of each are mutually exclusive. “Accountability” in my mind hasn't been synonymous with “old school media” in some time.
Also on Boston.com, Chad Finn continues his more frequent updates on his Touching All The Bases Blog. In the Reiss' Pieces blog this morning, Finn was mentioned as part of the team that will be updated that blog, noting that he will be updating the blog from time to time with news.
For the Boys
The Taylor boys insisted on a photo with Stan Grossfeld (photo by Me)
In an effort to not inundate you all with too many posts at the same time, I have the post for today timestamped to publish at different intervals during the day. As I promised, Taylorpalooza!
I made a promise on Friday night that I was more than happy to keep. I didn’t want to risk writing about the Taylors here and having another writer “scoop” Stan Grossfeld from the Boston Globe. Stan spent the day with us on Friday and was absolutely wonderful (you’ll read more about Stan in both Tru’s and my recollections of the day later today). He also had space promised for the story about the Taylors in Wednesday’s Globe (changed, during the week, to Thursday’s edition). Anyone publishing the story could have messed with that happening and I told Stan I didn’t want to be the one to cause his story to get the ax. So I waited. I really appreciate how patient you’ve all been! (I should note that Stan never once asked me to NOT write about the evening. It wasn’t his idea to hold off, it was mine.)
Stan does such a terrific job of capturing the day and he also gives you an amazing look into my friend Tru…aka Tom Nardozzi. Tru won’t tell you this, but he busted his butt to get this all done, with no reward but the thanks of the Taylors (which, you’ll find out later this morning, was more than enough for him) and this beautifully written piece by Stan. I’m extremely proud to call him my friend.
So, I’m going to do something I almost never do - tell you to go read the Boston Globe (or boston.com)! Stan’s story is here and it really is worth reading.
(Edited to add a link to the photos Stan took!)
Who Are These Guys? - Mike Mutnansky
Mike Mutnansky was recently named the co-host of the new Saturday morning WEEI.com Radio Show.
Mutnansky grew up a basketball junkie in Pepperell MA, and went to UConn simply for its basketball programs. While there he wrote for the UConn's Daily Campus covering and traveling with the men's basketball team for two years. During his Jr year he interned with Big Show at WEEI. He graduated a bachelor's in journalism and communications.
After graduation, Mutnansky moved back to MA. He tried to get a job at a few of the local papers with no luck, and was days from going into pharmaceutical sales when he met Marty Tirrell. He had just left his evening show at 1510 the Zone, and was starting a sports show on the then 5000-watt 1590-AM WSMN in Nashua, NH. Mutnansky was able to land a job as a “flash guy/co-host” on an afternoon sports show Monday - Friday and a Saturday morning show. He also helped launch and execute “Friday Night Lights - NH High School Football in Action.”
WSMN and land of station was sold in early 2004. A summer of landscaping work followed for Mutnansky. Then, late that summer, Tom Monahan funded a similar sports show with Tirrell and Mutnansky on 900-AM Nashua. Monahan purchased the station soon afterwards and went to an all sports format. The show continues, and landed number of regular guests, including Bob Ryan.
In late 2005 Dennis & Callahan producer Steve Ciaccio called Mutnansky and offered him a chance to start doing occasional sports flashes at WEEI. By early 2006, Marty Tirrell had left the Nashua station and headed for the green pastures of Springfield. Mutnansky then assumed the lead role in Nashua.
He continues to work at WGAM (900-AM Nashua and 1250-AM in Manchester), hosting a weekday afternoon on show Mon-Fri 3:00-6:00pm while also filling in at WEEI. Last year, Mutnansky got the chance to start hosting and co-hosting at WEEI. It was mostly on weekends, and then this summer had the chance to host solo and also fill in on WEEI's weekday programming, leading to the announcement about the WEEI.com Radio Show this week.
As for his philosphy on his job: “I am extremely, extremely lucky to be doing what I'm doing. The crew at WGAM and WEEI has been very supportive. The passion and energy of the New England fans is unmatched. I just try and match their energy and passion in any shift that I have. I'm not looking for anything scripted. Organic sports conversation that informs people, makes them laugh, makes them think. I like to argue. Hopefully I bring a bit of a younger voice to the station amongst all these “old guys.”
I still kind of have to pinch myself - I essentially grew up on Glenn and the Big Show. Now I get to take heat from them and their listeners on the Whiner Line. It's a bit of a trip.
I'm fired up for the WEEI.com Radio Show Saturday mornings with Blogford, er, Mr. Bradford. Guys are out taking care of their honey-do lists and errands for the day. It's a great time to talk sports. I'm thrilled at the chance to be a part of this new show.”
Sox Rally Late, Walk Off With Win
For much of the afternoon, the Red Sox appeared lifeless, and Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled through six innings, giving up four runs to the lowly Orioles in that span. In the later innings, the Red Sox came alive, eventually scoring the winning run on a Jacoby Ellsbury bunt that was mishandled, allowing Alex Cora to score from third base and a 5-4 victory for the Red Sox.
Jeff Horrigan has the Red Sox winning in quite a different manner than they did the previous night. Amalie Benjamin has the Red Sox sleepwalking for much of the afternoon before the winning rallies. Mark Daniels notes that yesterday was just another episode of the Dustin Pedroia show at Fenway. Joe Haggerty has the Sox finally rallying after doing “jack-squat” against Orioles starter Lance Cormier. Joe McDonald points out that “solid, heads-up and fundamental play in the field” led to this win for Boston. Paul Doyle has the Sox grabbing their first bunt-off win of the season. Bob Stern has normalcy returning over the last three innings for the Red Sox. Garry Brown says that small ball was a hit for the Sox in their rally.
Alex Speier has the Red Sox lineup coming together nicely in this run. Bill Burt says that Jason Bay has proved to be Manny Ramirez, but without the drama. Michael Silverman says that the Red Sox Playoff Express is chugging along at full steam now. Sean McAdam says that good teams find a way to steal wins as the Red Sox did yesterday. Paul Jarvey looks at another MVP effort from Pedroia yesterday. Benjamin has a quick note on the 455th consecutive sold-out game at Fenway Park. Silverman has Dice-K OK with the no-decision yesterday.
Stan Grossfeld has a feature on a young dad who promised to take his family to Fenway Park, but was killed before he had a chance to do it. Red Sox Nation stepped in after that, to make the family's dreams come true.
Benjamin's notebook has Mark Kotsay getting a crack at first base yesterday. Horrigan's notebook has Terry Francona talking about the sellout streak. The ProJo notebook has more on the streak. Doyle's notebook has Matsuzaka escaping with a no-decision yesterday thanks to the rally. Brown's notebook has more on the at the sellouts. Jarvey's notebook examines the spark that the sellout crowds give the Red Sox. Speier's notebook looks at Jacoby Ellsbury's play in the field.
PatriotsThe NFL season kicks off tonight, and there are plenty of season previews in the papers this morning.
On Patriots Daily, Dan Snapp is a little concerned with what he saw from the Patriots in the preseason. In the Metro, I note that it is pretty much Super Bowl or bust this season for the Patriots, and based on what we've seen, they've got some work to do.
Gerry Callahan says that losing the Super Bowl in the fluke manner that the Patriots did gives the team motivation to set things right this season. Mike Reiss talks to Mike Holmgren about the impact of losing a Super Bowl. Mark Farinella has the Patriots ready to get started and play some ball for real. Eric McHugh says that the Patriots are ready to show that they still have it. Shalise Manza Young has the Patriots opening day opponent, the Chiefs, knowing they've got quite a task in front of them.
Christopher L. Gasper looks at how the Patriots pretty much stood pat this offseason, bringing back most of the same squad that went 18-1 last season. Gasper notes that the addition of Dom Capers was perhaps the largest offseason acquisition for the team. Stephen Harris looks at a promising rookie crop for the Patriots. Douglas Flynn says that the receivers should all get plenty of opportunities to catch passes from Brady this season.
Ugh. Dan Shaughnessy. Ugh.
Jim Donaldson says Bill Belichick isn't friendly with the media. Ugh.
John Tomase says that the team won't let the disappointment of how last season ended impact them this year. Gasper says that the temptation to look back won't be a problem for these Patriots. Steve Buckley says that the Patriots will be awesome this season. Yes, he wrote that.
Reiss says that the Giants all-out pressure scheme from the Super Bowl won't be easily duplicated by opponents this season. Karen Guregian asserts that the Patriots will have to prepare to deal with teams that will try to duplicate what the Giants did. The Hartford Courant dropped Patriots coverage this season, but they have Paul Doyle do a Patriots Preview today.
Jeff Howe notes that Brandon Meriweather's return will provide much-needed depth for the secondary. Stephen Harris has a look at new tight end Jason Pociask.
Harris looks at how the Patriots will be leaning on their Defensive line this season. He also says that a dab of Mayo has freshened up the linebacker position. He also has Deltha O’Neal happy to be on board with the cornerbacks. Mark Farinella has O'Neal shocked by his release from the Bengals, but happy to be with the Patriots. David Brown has more on the Patriots newest cornerback.
Guregian says that we may not see the same fireworks on offense this season, as last year will be tough to top. She also says that Tom Brady is the complete package as a quarterback. She also has Brady's dad shooting down reports that his son has a broken foot. Rich Garven says that broken or not, Brady's foot will be an issue this season.
Michael Felger has his Patriots mailbag on WEEI.com, and ends with some thoughts on Tom Casale. Tomase says that the AFC East belongs to the Patriots once again.
The Globe notebook has Tom Brady Sr disputing a John Dennis report that the Patriots quarterback has a cracked bone in his foot. Guregian's notebook has Brandon Meriweather set to go for opening day. Garven's notebook has O'Neal hitting the books in his first days with the team. Flynn's notebook has more on the return of Meriweather. Robert Lee's notebook also looks at the second year safety.
MiscKevin Paul Dupont has the Bruins signing veteran forward Stephane Yelle.
Mark Blaudschun has Boston College preparing for the high powered offense of Georgia Tech. Steve Conroy has running back Josh Haden ready to contribute.
Unconventional Thinking
by Dan Snapp
dan@patriotsdaily.com
It's convention time. Time to define, redefine, and refine. Mold your message: make it, massage it, text-message it. Orate, berate, exacerbate, bring a date, don't be late (anybody else suddenly get an INXS earworm?).
So potent the fervor even my three-year-old's stricken, ricocheting down the hallway wielding a plastic croquet mallet. Her campaign slogan? Shriek loudly and carry a big stick.
The same process is set in motion at stadiums across the country: teams learning about and defining themselves, the media manufacturing expectations, marketeers test-driving campaigns, and fans building up their own while trashing the other guy's.
Opening Day, at long last!
Trying to gauge the Patriots is a different story. Bill Belichick's never been the life of the party, political or otherwise. And he's not one to engage in conventional thinking.
Case in point? The quick demise of Fernando Bryant, on whom many of us - likely all of us - were depending to lock down one corner spot. What was the tell? Was it Bryant foxtrotting Darcy Johnson into the end zone? Was he the example set for an underperforming team, an admonishment that nobody's job is safe? Coach Norman Dale willing to play with just four players, leaving Rade pining away on the bench?
Bill won't say.
Many have the Pats ahead in the polls, again the prohibitive favorites to win the Super Bowl (and where else would last year's 18-1 team reside?). But you can never get a good feel for this team. They went 0-4 in the preseason, but don't let the record fool ya; they were terrible. Poor tackling, poor effort, poor special teams, and no offense, guys, but no offense.
Let's face it, the only thing keeping us from hitting the panic button is Tom Brady and allegiance to the Cult of “In Bill We Trust”. And for any who took the Brady side of the riddle, “Which came first, the Belichick or the Brady?”, you've added cannon fodder. A post-Brady world looks downright apocalyptic.
I know, I know: it's just the preseason, the games mean nothing, Bill was holding back players, holding back schemes, holding back giving a damn. Here's that point where we close our eyes and fall backwards, knowing Belichick's there to catch us.
I'm not so sure now.
Think of how you used to watch Super Bowls, back before the Patriots made regular appearances, back when the NFC was tearing through whomever was offered up in sacrifice. Think back before the NFL Ticket, when night games only happened on Monday, and when you had just two choices Sunday afternoon (one if the Pats were blacked out).
You likely saw a lot of one Super Bowl team and little of the other. Seeing a Super Bowl team with fresh eyes was a possibility back then, allowing for kneejerk reactions like “Who's Timmy Smith?” or “Where'd this Larry Brown guy come from?”
Any fresh eyes seeing last year's Patriots for the first time would rightfully assess the Giants the better team that game. And they'd wonder how the hell the Pats went 18-0 up to that point.
Nothing much has changed in the preseason. Like the Super Bowl, like last year's Ravens and Eagles games, the defense gave up long, time-consuming drives, shortening games and denying the Pats offensive possessions. And the offense returned the favor, with the line getting blown up, the running game producing little, and third down chances squandered.
There were some bright spots. The kids are alright, better than alright, as seven rookies made the squad with two looking to start. With three young new linebackers, there's finally some added speed, athleticism and explosion at an aging position.
But what then of Matt Cassel, a heartbeat away from the top spot? Did Belichick even vet him? And how much vetting should a four-year vet need? Ask yourself, is this the man you want with his finger on the laces?
Dash away those thoughts. Relax. Breathe in deep. Exhale slowly. Close your eyes. Now let yourself drift back. And keep repeating, “Bill will be there … Bill will be there … Bill will be there …“
Let’s talk baseball tonight
Kyle Snyder Head Shot from the PawSox Site
I went from thinking I was too tired to write, to writing my third of four new posts (I think four - as of now the fourth will be a post about last Friday for tomorrow…I might be inspired to write more though). Postapalooza, as Ted says!
Both the PawSox and the SeaDogs lost the first of their playoff games tonight. PawSox just got hammered by the Yankees and the SeaDogs lost a 2-1 game to the Thunder. Meh…one game, right? Just one game. They have plenty of time left to come back.
Much to my delight, Kyle got into the game tonight. He faced 8 batters, striking out three in a row (swinging) and giving up three hits. One of his strike outs was Shelley Duncan. Yeah, that pleased the hell out of me.
Thanks to an amazing, late-inning comeback, the Red Sox helped themselves pick up another game in the division. The Yanks just beat the Rays (yep, I was rooting for the Yanks - go figure!) so it’s been quite the day for baseball.
We also saw history tonight on ESPN…first time “Instant Replay” was used in MLB. And, what a surprise, eh Kenny Rogers, it was used during a Yankees game. ARod gets his homer and his rbi and the Rays get their loss. We’re coming to get you, Tampa Bay!
I love you, I’ve a drowning grip on your adoring face…
Mike Piazza Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Since I can’t sleep and am full of energy…I’ve decided to start a new segment of the site - Five Fun Facts. Aren’t you glad you’re up for this? :) First up, Mike Piazza (why not?)!
September 4, 2008 is the fortieth birthday of Mike Piazza. He’s one of those players I’ve just always liked and I was terribly disappointed when, earlier this year, he retired because no team had picked him up.
He had a wonderful career and was, by most accounts, a good guy and he put up with a lot of garbage during his time in MLB. Even now he’s a bit of a polarizing figure. Many fans “hate” him while others don’t.
I’m in the “don’t” department.
SO, in honor of Mike Piazza’s 40th birthday (he’s a little over three months older than me - woo!) here are five fun facts:
* His best friend is Fox color commentator (he of the fabulous hair) Eric Karros
* His wife is a former Playboy Playmate
* Along with Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, he is one of only 3 MLB players to hit a World Series home run in both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium
* He thinks Barry Bonds is the greatest player he’s ever seen (oh Mike…you gives me a sad)
* He’s a practicing Roman Catholic who doesnt’ believe if “praying for victory” (wonder if he prayed for God to smite Roger Clemens? I know I did!)
Happy 40th birthday, Mike Piazza!
5 Up, 3 Down
I was at today's game. Fun stuff. I felt like we eventually had to get to their pitching, since they planned on throwing several guys out there. Not hitting the first guy? No problem, a new one will be in soon. It worked out. So much crazy stuff in that game. I'll talk more about it tomorrow along with my posting my pictures.
Tomorrow's the Big Wait, as the cable/internet/phone people will be showing up between sunrise and sunset. I'll kinda miss sitting out here in the pitch black back yard...
Have I mentioned how utterly ridiculous it feels to hear Jon Sterling describing Yankee home runs and not only not turning it off immediately, but also not minding?
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