Surviving Grady points us to this Japanese ad featuring our new favoritest Japanese pitcher - and in a Sox uniform, yet:

Broken Down Sawx Fan relays the news that Curt Schilling plans on pitching next year, not running for Senate.

As he waited for his ticket out of the Sox virtual waiting room today, the Broken Down Sawx Fan found time to read an article about the way Jerry Trupiano got dumped as an announcer at the end of last season. And he got disgusted at the way the Sox dumped the long-time "Wayyyy back" announcer.

Not that it really matters, but: What kind of phone do you think Dan Shaughnessy uses to call in his columns?

Michael Femia dissects today's ADD special so you don't have to:

Suppose Barry Bonds gets hot early. Suppose he's closing in on Hank Aaron when the Giants come to Fenway June 15. Highly unlikely, but just suppose . . .

Leslie Turek reports:

One of the drawbacks of watching a playoff game slightly delayed via TiVo is that when you're getting near the end, and the score is really close, and you don't hear horns honking and people whooping and hollering outside, you have a bit of a sinking feeling that you know how the game is going to turn out. ...

Beth rounds up local blogger notes and says what needs to be said about Trot Nixon's exit:

... The real bitch of it, too, is that in the end, we left him. I know baseball teams are businesses and not charity organizations, and that this was a necessary move, but the guy's never worn any other uniform. Let's not pretend that on an emotional level this doesn't just suck, right out loud. ...

Apparently, the entire nation west of the Berkshires is in a terrible quandry: They don't know whom to root for in the AFC champisionship game because they can't decide which city and team they hate less: Boston or Indianapolis. For example:

...For me it's quite simple, I prefer the evil I know to the one I don't. After years of watching the Patriots have their way with the rest of the NFL I've grown numb. There's really nothing more they can do to hurt me any further, it's not like their fans can become bigger douchebags (unless Andrew Dice Clay Matsuzaka gives the Sox another title).

That's why this weekend I'll be rooting for the lovable likable tolerable less-loathsome Patriots. Think about it, the only reason any of us can stand the presence of Peyton Manning in the NFL is because we love to watch him fail, the more gruesome the better. ...

Via Soxaholix, which feeds on the hate:

... Yeah, as I've said befoah, Our doctahss kick ass. Our universities kick ass. Our football team kicks ass. Our fried clams kick ass. Our gay Members of Congress kick ass. So on and so forth. ...

What the Pats face (via Kiss Me Suzy):

The House that Dewey Built is looking for a hard writin', Sox lovin' blogger to replace Pat Sullivan, moving on to a new gig.

Jim reports that a friend of his is participating in some contest at halftime tonight: If she can make a basket from the three-point line, she wins $7,777 - and if she can do that and then make a basket from halfcourt, she'll make another $70,000.