I don't know why I do it - but I actually got excited last night when the Sox took the 3-2 lead in the top of 9th against the Yanks in New York. Maybe because I love the Sox, maybe because I hate the Yankees, maybe I just wanted something to really root for after watching the Patriots get lucky against the Bills. But I felt pretty good. Then Papelbon got squeezed, the Yankees rallied, tied the score and all my excitement disappeared as I rolled over and went to sleep, certain of the inevitable loss that followed.
I'm not going to go on a diatribe about how they were still mathematically in it (they were) or get on my soap box about how this game was a microcosm of the season (it was) and I'm certainly not going to turn this into an over-the-top negative statement about the state of the Red Sox. (Just as an aside - did anyone else read that ridiculous article by Dan Shaughn"ASS"y in the Globe the other day. There is no ray of sunshine for that man. None. Everything has to be negative. Even a Mike Lowell appreciation night needs to become something negative with him. He seriously needs to take some happy pills or see a counselor or something. Issues - that's all I'm saying.).
Instead, I will use this moment to be happy. There is a glimmer of hope. College hockey starts on Thursday and the first game that counts is Michigan v. Mercyhurst in Ann Arbor on Saturday. And the Eagles pick up their sticks for an exhibition game on Sunday. So it can't all be bad.
A couple of weekend observations:
- Dave Shinskie is bad. I appreciate all he did last year, gutting it out to get the Eagles to an 8-5 record and a win away from the ACC title game. But he is not good. I hope Marcovetra or Rettig can put something together against the Irish this weekend but it doesn't look good. There is a lot of promise on the BC team but the main pieces are just so young and inexperienced that its going to take a season or two to get back where they were.
- The Atlanta Falcons may be for real. After trouncing their opponent last week, the Falcons went out and followed it up with a solid victory in New Orleans against the defending champions. Yes, they allowed a game tying field goal as time expired in regulation but in overtime they took advantage of the opportunity they were given and finished off the Saints. Makes me feel good to see Matt Ryan succeeding at the next level.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What could have been
I have delayed posting about the Red Sox because it has been so mind-numbingly frustrating all season. They are a good team. In fact they are a great team. For most of the year they have been one of the top 5 teams in the entire league. But they will not make the playoffs this year. Why? Injuries.
I know its easy to say that but simply take a look at the current roster and you know its true. They are producing in September and 6 games out of the wild card spot with a roster full of Pawtucket players. Nava, Kalish, Lowrie, and Lowell are all regular starters now. Two guys who were so far down on the OF depth chart to start the season that most people didn't even bother talking about them and and two IF's who many thought would never play in Boston again.
While 6 games seems like a lot, keep in mind the Red Sox own the 5th best record in the AL despite all this. If not for the fact that the two best teams in baseball play in the same division, the Sox would have a legitimate shot at the wild card. At this point, without a monumental collapse by either the Rays or Yanks, 6 games is just too much to make up in such a short amount of time. Even so, they have a chance to end the season with 90 wins and be the first team out of the playoffs. This would be done without a former MVP and MVP candidate in the line-up for large portions of the season. Not to mention the Ellsbury/Cameron outfield hole.
And the biggest crime in all this, Terry Francona will not win manager of the year. He won't because his team will not make the post-season and for reasons that escape me this pretty much disqualifies you from an award. I even had a die-hard Yankee fan tell me last week that Francona should win. That tells you something. To be able to consistently compete, night in and night out with the many make-shift line-ups he has had to put out there. To deal with the Ellsbury situation and still have a team that produces the second most runs in the majors is nothing short of amazing. I have respected the job Tito has done since coming to the Sox but this year might be his most impressive work yet. Is he perfect? Of course not, he makes mistakes like everyone else but he had made his team contenders when they have no right to be with the depleted line-up they've had.
The season is all but over for the Sox. Without making the playoffs, they've been good. But they good have been great.
I know its easy to say that but simply take a look at the current roster and you know its true. They are producing in September and 6 games out of the wild card spot with a roster full of Pawtucket players. Nava, Kalish, Lowrie, and Lowell are all regular starters now. Two guys who were so far down on the OF depth chart to start the season that most people didn't even bother talking about them and and two IF's who many thought would never play in Boston again.
While 6 games seems like a lot, keep in mind the Red Sox own the 5th best record in the AL despite all this. If not for the fact that the two best teams in baseball play in the same division, the Sox would have a legitimate shot at the wild card. At this point, without a monumental collapse by either the Rays or Yanks, 6 games is just too much to make up in such a short amount of time. Even so, they have a chance to end the season with 90 wins and be the first team out of the playoffs. This would be done without a former MVP and MVP candidate in the line-up for large portions of the season. Not to mention the Ellsbury/Cameron outfield hole.
And the biggest crime in all this, Terry Francona will not win manager of the year. He won't because his team will not make the post-season and for reasons that escape me this pretty much disqualifies you from an award. I even had a die-hard Yankee fan tell me last week that Francona should win. That tells you something. To be able to consistently compete, night in and night out with the many make-shift line-ups he has had to put out there. To deal with the Ellsbury situation and still have a team that produces the second most runs in the majors is nothing short of amazing. I have respected the job Tito has done since coming to the Sox but this year might be his most impressive work yet. Is he perfect? Of course not, he makes mistakes like everyone else but he had made his team contenders when they have no right to be with the depleted line-up they've had.
The season is all but over for the Sox. Without making the playoffs, they've been good. But they good have been great.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Weight of the World on his Elbow
Stephen Strasburg's journey to be the savior of professional baseball in DC seems over before it ever truly started. After an abbreviated rookie season that saw unbelievable numbers both on the diamond (92 strikeouts in 68 innings) and at the ticket counters, Strasburg will have season (this and next) ending Tommy John surgery.
With this kid in the fold and this year's number 1 pick as well, things were starting to look up for the former Montreal Expos. A franchise which has been largely a joke since the strike-shortened 1994 season where they had the best record in baseball when the season was called off. But Strasburg was supposed to be the start of a real turnaround in DC.
I'm not trying to say that all is lost. But with a 12-18 month rehab staring him in the face, Strasburg will not suit up again for Washington until at least 2012. And it will take him some time to get his rhythm back so we may even be looking at 2013. But let's face facts, rarely is a pitcher as good as he was prior to the surgery. Those 100 mph fastballs may simply be gone along with the ligament in his elbow.
One has to wonder if the weight of the expectation got too much for the kid and he was out there overthrowing every day, trying to prove to everyone that he was the next great thing. There must have been no injury indicators in his pre-draft workouts otherwise he never would have been the number 1 pick. So it begs the question of how a kid who seemed to have no injury issues suddenly get a worn shoulder (which earlier landed him on the DL) and now a blow elbow. I'm reminded of Pedro Martinez from the 1999 All-Star game. He was so hyped pitching at Fenway and striking out all 6 batter he faced (almost on 18 pitches) that he was damaged for the rest of the season.
For the sake of the Nationals, baseball fans, and Stephen Strasburg himself, I hope that he will recover and come back to fulfill the promise he showed this season. Unfortunately for him, his performance this season has shown what he is capable of when he is at his best. Anything less will be considered a disappointment whenever he retakes an MLB field in the future to the DC faithful. More pressure on a kid who already had too much.
With this kid in the fold and this year's number 1 pick as well, things were starting to look up for the former Montreal Expos. A franchise which has been largely a joke since the strike-shortened 1994 season where they had the best record in baseball when the season was called off. But Strasburg was supposed to be the start of a real turnaround in DC.
I'm not trying to say that all is lost. But with a 12-18 month rehab staring him in the face, Strasburg will not suit up again for Washington until at least 2012. And it will take him some time to get his rhythm back so we may even be looking at 2013. But let's face facts, rarely is a pitcher as good as he was prior to the surgery. Those 100 mph fastballs may simply be gone along with the ligament in his elbow.
One has to wonder if the weight of the expectation got too much for the kid and he was out there overthrowing every day, trying to prove to everyone that he was the next great thing. There must have been no injury indicators in his pre-draft workouts otherwise he never would have been the number 1 pick. So it begs the question of how a kid who seemed to have no injury issues suddenly get a worn shoulder (which earlier landed him on the DL) and now a blow elbow. I'm reminded of Pedro Martinez from the 1999 All-Star game. He was so hyped pitching at Fenway and striking out all 6 batter he faced (almost on 18 pitches) that he was damaged for the rest of the season.
For the sake of the Nationals, baseball fans, and Stephen Strasburg himself, I hope that he will recover and come back to fulfill the promise he showed this season. Unfortunately for him, his performance this season has shown what he is capable of when he is at his best. Anything less will be considered a disappointment whenever he retakes an MLB field in the future to the DC faithful. More pressure on a kid who already had too much.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Christmas in August
Who knew Christmas came in the summer? Got my confirmation the other day that I have won tickets to the Frozen Four in Minneapolis/St. Paul in 2011 through the regular NCAA lottery. This came as quite a surprise to me. I thought maybe next year when it was in Tampa and there are no college hockey schools in driving distance so there would be fewer entries. With the plethora (Si, El Guapo, I know what a plethora is) of schools close to Minneapolis, I assumed the flood would be such that I would not have a chance this year. Apparently my ticket luck is holding out lately.
I'm in (and now have preference for future years).
Minneapolis, here I come! Go Eagles!
I'm in (and now have preference for future years).
Minneapolis, here I come! Go Eagles!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Face of the Franchise
As we approach the start of football season (which means hockey season isn't too far away either), the number one question that seems to be floating around Patriots camp is, "When will they sign Brady to an extension?" If he didn't sign (which I highly doubt as Belichick and Bob Kraft know how much Brady means to the franchise), that would a drastic change in what we have all come to know and love about the Patriots since their magical run through the 2001 playoffs to their first Super Bowl win. It got me thinking, if you look around the Boston sports landscape, many seen as the "face of the franchise" may be on their way out.
Celtics - Paul Pierce. Pierce recently re-signed with the team for 4 more years which will almost certainly take him to the end of his career. But in the past couple years, there has been a definite downturn in his abilities leaving some to even argue that it is now Rajon Rondo's team. I won't quite go that far but it is clear Pierce is on the downside and his time as the centerpiece of the Celtics are numbered. Add in the aging bodies of Ray Allen & Kevin Garnett and you see the whole make up of the men in green in serious flux.
Bruins - Zdeno Chara. This one is tough. Some will claim that it is Milan Lucic - but how can someone who barely even played last year be the face of the franchise. You could make a case for Marc Savard but his contract may soon be voided so his time with the Bruins is limited at best. Quite frankly, if the Bruins do lose him one might argue its a good outcome as they have been trying to unload Savard and his heavy contract all off-season, though I bet they would rather trade him than lose him to free agency. Which leaves us with Big Z, Zdeno Chara, who's contract is up at the end of the season. The Bruins are notorious for not giving big time free agents their due but that seemed to change when they signed Chara and Savard before the 2006-07 season. Whether they will be willing to part with big money to keep the Norris trophy winning blueliner remains to be seen. What is not a mystery is that if they don't, the Bruins would be parting with or actively looking to part with what was once considered the Big Three in Chara, Savard, and expensive goaltender Tim Thomas. That would certainly be a change.
Red Sox - David Ortiz. He has come to epitomize the attitude and the heart that Bostonians have come to love about their Sox since 2003. His smile, his size, and his production have made him a fan favorite. When David is on the DL or when he is in a slump, something about the team just doesn't seem right. The Sox have a $12.5 million option on Big Papi for the 2011 season. Will exercise or not? They almost certainly will part ways with Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, and Tim Wakefield at the end of this season. Losing Ortiz as well will give this team a very different feel and no matter how loyal Red Sox Nation may be, losing that many local heroes in one year is a lot to absorb and the Sox may feel it in the worst place of all, their wallets. Personally, I think it is time to let him go and begin a new era. If that includes a guy like Adrien Gonzalez to make up the difference, so be it.
Any way you slice it - change is coming to Boston sports. Tom Brady will almost certainly re-sign (for more money than even he probably deserves but that is a discussion for another day). But for the other three major sports teams in Boston, the old guard are on the way out. This is the time when franchises either sink or swim. How do you replace the face of the franchise? We're going to find out.
Celtics - Paul Pierce. Pierce recently re-signed with the team for 4 more years which will almost certainly take him to the end of his career. But in the past couple years, there has been a definite downturn in his abilities leaving some to even argue that it is now Rajon Rondo's team. I won't quite go that far but it is clear Pierce is on the downside and his time as the centerpiece of the Celtics are numbered. Add in the aging bodies of Ray Allen & Kevin Garnett and you see the whole make up of the men in green in serious flux.
Bruins - Zdeno Chara. This one is tough. Some will claim that it is Milan Lucic - but how can someone who barely even played last year be the face of the franchise. You could make a case for Marc Savard but his contract may soon be voided so his time with the Bruins is limited at best. Quite frankly, if the Bruins do lose him one might argue its a good outcome as they have been trying to unload Savard and his heavy contract all off-season, though I bet they would rather trade him than lose him to free agency. Which leaves us with Big Z, Zdeno Chara, who's contract is up at the end of the season. The Bruins are notorious for not giving big time free agents their due but that seemed to change when they signed Chara and Savard before the 2006-07 season. Whether they will be willing to part with big money to keep the Norris trophy winning blueliner remains to be seen. What is not a mystery is that if they don't, the Bruins would be parting with or actively looking to part with what was once considered the Big Three in Chara, Savard, and expensive goaltender Tim Thomas. That would certainly be a change.
Red Sox - David Ortiz. He has come to epitomize the attitude and the heart that Bostonians have come to love about their Sox since 2003. His smile, his size, and his production have made him a fan favorite. When David is on the DL or when he is in a slump, something about the team just doesn't seem right. The Sox have a $12.5 million option on Big Papi for the 2011 season. Will exercise or not? They almost certainly will part ways with Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, and Tim Wakefield at the end of this season. Losing Ortiz as well will give this team a very different feel and no matter how loyal Red Sox Nation may be, losing that many local heroes in one year is a lot to absorb and the Sox may feel it in the worst place of all, their wallets. Personally, I think it is time to let him go and begin a new era. If that includes a guy like Adrien Gonzalez to make up the difference, so be it.
Any way you slice it - change is coming to Boston sports. Tom Brady will almost certainly re-sign (for more money than even he probably deserves but that is a discussion for another day). But for the other three major sports teams in Boston, the old guard are on the way out. This is the time when franchises either sink or swim. How do you replace the face of the franchise? We're going to find out.
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