Friday at the Garden...

One day, two teams, one arena....

Such tradition could only happen in New England. An early afternoon start for the Bruins was perfect for a rabid fanbase with a suprisingly hot team to cheer. After a freak goal against the run of play early in the first period, the New York Islanders wished they had still been eating leftovers. The second and third periods were all Bruins. 7 goals by 6 players paved the way for a demolition of epic holiday proportions. Last year such an onslaught was rarer then the occaisonal slim female Bruin fan. This year, the goals and the south end hoochies are out in force. Plus, you have not lived until you wait to take a piss with 75 other Bruin fans in one of the Garden's horrendously inadaquate restrooms on the balcony level. I concluded the Bruins part of the program by watching the B's drive their huge SUV's out of the players parking lot with a group of kids, their parents, and the aformentioned south end hoochies.

Intermission: 3 1/2 hours at The Fours, eating an overpriced "Larry Bird" and chatting it up with some overexurberant BU girls. One was "an education major". Needless to say, she hung of my every word of my ever growing "Tales of the Classroom Chronicles". The finance boys in the crowd could only talk about "the ups' and downs". I had the cranberry juice, and the natural diarectic jokes only subsided when I made it rain...Most bizarre moment-When I predicted out of the blue that Nebraska would miss the field goal, only to see them try an awful fake that ended in the freak UC touchdown. Ridonculous. I triumphantly left the bar to pick up my Cs tickets and wait in line.

I bought a new Celtics hat. Its fresh.

There actually isn't much to say about the game itself. The C's were dominent defensively, early dunks by Perk and KG blew the roof off the building, and Ray Allen's huge third quarter rendered a terrible evening by the Truth moot as the game was over for all intent and purposes by the start of the fourth. The constant calls for Scalabrine to shoot were ridiculous, until he popped out and drained a three, once again sending the crowd into a tizzy late in the fourth. In the end, the game ha a little bit of everything.

Conclusions from the day:
The better the team, the more hot female support the team gets. It was my first Garden experience under these consitions. This sounds great on the surface, but coupled with the over the top intensity of the family friendly atmosphere promoted in both games, this drastically alters the experience. The result is a unqiue dicotomy for professional sports as MMA takes the mantle as the most unsanitized sporting experience for fans from boxing. 10 of the 12 people in my row were on dates. The garden is not the place to expect a roudy good time.

In this time of economic crisis, the NBA is pricing out the fans bigtime. I sat in the same section and row for both games. After taxes I paid 20 bucks more for the Cs game. The majority of the lower bowl was corporate, and my center balcony section was all yuppie dudes and their neuveau riche girlfriends. Now this doesn't nessesarily mean the environment was comparable to the Rent or the Civic Center for a UConn game, as there weren't many grandparents out for their weekly trip from the home. However, there was a reason that the crowd for the B's game was in line out of North Station 2 1/2 hours before the game and I was the first in line for the C's game 60 minutes before the tip.


Th separation between myself and the city of Boston is healthy. I would not be able to function if I lived there. As anestitized as the games were, both teams took their performances to the next level. The final three Bruins goals were as poetic as anything that ahas ever been written. David Krejcis goal was as supreme an individual effort as the NHL has seen all season and Kessel's goal showed this team may have what it takes. Big test tonight aginast the Red Wings...


The Intro's were not as good as last season.

One of the celtics ball boys hit 5 of 6 from beyond he arch before the game, and couldn't have been older then 12. I'm assuming he was directly relate to one of the players, becuase while short, he looked far more prepared for the league then say, any current member of the Duke mens team.



In the words of O'Shea Jackson, it was a good day....

I can see Iran from my house...and its economy sucks!

In these challenging times it is good to know that the old standby's, like a dismantling of the Chicago Cubs in the playoffs and the industructability of the Subaru Impreza, are still illuminating our world and covering us all like a warm blanket.

For those pinning for Sam Harris' "The End of Faith" to be made into a movie, look no further then Bill Maher's "Religulous". Of coarse Maher comes across as hypocritical as he fervently attacks faith with such dogmatic vitrol, but his angle is dead on and use of humor for the first 3/4 of the film is like the Daily Show on steroids.

Somebody tell Jay Marriotti that Soriano can't be the new "October A-Rod" because A-Rod retains his position as the October A-Rod.

Alot of people have told me that this Pats team reminds them alot of the 2001 Patriots because the team has lots of holes and will play close games. I still think they are one more injury away from the Hugh Millen led 1991 Pats team.

JT O'Sullivan is better then Matt Cassell. In fact, he may be the 4th greatest QB in the history of the red and gold.

Bravo to TBS for putting Donny O' and Harald Reynolds together for the play by play of the Ray-White Sox. Good stuff. Between the TBS post season coverage and the TNT NBA coverage, the remnents of the Turner sports empire continue to be a bastian of glory in the wasteland that is professional sports coverage in America.

After a over a decade of sitting on the fence on the matter, I can now say with clarity that I am in fact down with O.P.P. .....The VHI Hip Hop Songs countdown was the clincher for me....

Randy Edsall abandoning the power running game 8 minutes into the first half versus UNC was as awful a tactical decision as a UConn coach has made since...well....Ray Reid didn't select Bobby Rhine to take the PK vs. Seton Hall in 98' NCAA Tourney.

Somebody has to answer me this; what is worse, being a Mets fan or a Cubs fan? I think it is closer then most people think.

The intensity of the WNBA finals has infultrated my classroom. Imagine my shock when two students debated the impact of expansion on the womens league. One said it depleated the talent pool. True, the San Antonio Silver Stars are a resent expansion team, but its inclusion is refreshing, like the TB Rays.

Speaking of the Rays, I retain my position that if the team loses a playoff series it should be relocated immediately. I'm partial to Hartford (New England's Rising Star!!), but I also think Las Vegas, New York, Nashville, or simple contraction are possibilites.

Me two months ago, "The addition of Patrick O'Bryant will make the C's a more dominent defensive team."

Me now, " The addition of Sam Cassell will cancel out the addition of Patrick O'Bryant in making the C's a more dominent defensive team."

The power running game...making offensive coordinators look brilliant since 1910!

Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush should go on tour, or better yet, run a telethon to bailout Nascar. Unfortunately, the extra 140 Billion dollars in pork that was added to the bill to bailout the financial sector only included $100,000 that will go to Nascar for public relations work. I know that BC and GHWB could do more to help out the only sport that contributes to the destruction of the O-Zone layer. What would Dale Earnhardt do?

Lawrence Maroney reminds me alot of Frank Gore, that is if Gore only got on the field for the last 5 weeks of the season.

Put me on the list of people who think that the film "W" will help John McCain. Nothing brings concervatives together like Hollywood, except for maybe free meth or closeted gay sex with other conservatives. Oliver Stone is such a pompus ass that he thrives on profitting from the horrors of the Bush Administration. I can't see what lampooning the guy who has been lampooned for the last 8 years does for anybody anymore. Partcularly from the guy who directed "Alexander".

Matt Cassell's Red Zone performance is jitterier then a saturated fat addict at taco bell. Mmmm..Taco Bell......


"I gotta say, today was a good day..."-O'Shea Jackson

The Giant Awaken?

For a decade and a half I have lived under the allusion that the United States men’s soccer team was a potential giant in International futbol. There have been pretenders, Ghana, South Korea, or Japan. I just figured that increased exposure to the sport via the World Wide Leader in Sports, a stable domestic league, and advertising money would build the USA into a powerhouse. Now in terms of Concacaf this has been accomplished. Stomping Mexico here at home has become routine. Beating them in Mexico has proven a different story. The Mexican national team does not lose at home. This is a hurdle I would have hoped to clear at this point. It is strange how expectations change.

This has been made more complicated during the Euro 2008 championships. It has been a great tournament. However, with the emergence of Russia to the Semi-Finals, the international futbol fan must take a great warning. The current Russian squad is well coached, and more importantly, the youngest team in the tournament. They have looked uneven and outmatched at times, particularly against the Spanish. However, their dismantling of the Dutch was a masterpiece. They forced the Dutch to resort to their all too regular tactic of aborting teamwork in favor of individual glory. I very impressed by the Russian attack. If that nation continues to progress, consider them the next great power. Despite the weather in Russia, they seem to have the size and certainly the willingness to be a futbol powerhouse. Money has flooded into Russia since 1991, and soon it will be the world’s most dominant oil producing power. Only time will tell, but this tournament may be the coming out party.

Its time for the Americans to step up....

Ubuntu

Fantastic!

The past 10 months were the most trying of times for The Dude socially and professionally.

The saving grace was the 2007/2008 Boston Celtics. On 6/17/08, the night before the last day of the school year in my district, an incredible team demolished a competent rival and cruised to a well deserved victory. It was totally worth the pain of the Rick Fox/Dino Raja era. The entire organization contributed and they should be a commended for their work this season. Now its it time to crank TDKM, take the T, and enjoy the rolling rally…

Ubuntu!!!

Time to start the bus.....

The Boston Celtics are one win from an NBA Championship, the Red Sox are practically unbeatable at home, the European Soccer Championships are getting good coverage on ESPN, and summer vacation is 5 days away. June…Where Freedom Happens.

I missed the 3rd quarter of game four, only to be woken up by having water spilled on me while I was sleeping. Thankfully, I caught the entire 4th quarter. It was magical…

Ray Allen’s drives in the 4th quarter were remarkable. James Posey’s three with just over a minute left was pure stones. Think Posey gets a start in Game 5? I do.

Its time to take it home...

Hold the Glue

The first four hours of the Belmont Stakes were wonderful. It was the perfect place for my first horse race. I found a sweet spot that gave me a 180 degree view of the final 200 yards. The spot was so sweet that I was not going to be able to move. So there I stood, against a railing looking out at the second deck of the venue. From 12:00 to 4:00, I really enjoyed myself. There was a bit a breeze, I was in the shade, and there was a sense that good things were happening all over the park.

Then things changed. Despite being totally stoked about the upcoming Belmont Stakes, the races got further apart. 45 minutes of standing between races started to wear on me. My horses started loosing with New York Knicks like consistency. It would have been fine to go grab some food or place another bet, but I couldn’t move. Soon, I would turn around and see ten people standing behind me. News of a Yankees comeback trickled through the crowd. The mood started to turn.

By 6:00 I was on fumes. The crowd went crazy each time Big Brown was on the two jumbotrons set up on the infield. The pomp and circumstance of the big race was lost on me. Everyone was standing, everyone was plastered, and I was on my toes. For the first half of the race the crowd was optimistic, ready to go crazy for Big Brown. With the horse loosing momentum, the jockey pulled up. Instead of the site of Big Brown dashing toward victory, I saw a defeated horse slowly galloping to a chorus of boos as it crossed the finish line dead last. Some people cried fix, others wondered out loud if the horse was hurt and should have raced at all. I picked up my bag and sloshed to a food stand. I was spent. Six hours in that kind of heat has been known to kill the elderly. As I sat down to eat and check my bets, the silence of the park was defining. It is tough to make 125,000 people quiet. I didn’t care who won the race. When Big Brown pulled up I thought the day had come to a disastrous conclusion because the horse that couldn’t loose had lost. I was naive. The real race was the trip home.

I went back to the second deck. With so many people dashing to trains, I could sit down. I figured if I left after the last race I could easily grab a train. I was wrong. Me and 75,000 of my best friends stayed. I wondered through an ecological disaster. I had gotten word around 3:00 that the bathrooms had been closed and people had started pissing on the doors. The garbage inside the park was only equaled by what had been left outside. If that Native American guy was there he would have spontaneously combusted. I walked out of the park a tired free man, only to be herded like cattle. Within 25 minutes I was able to get to a train, only to be forced to stand. This would not have been terrible if the train had departed on time. We waited for 45 minutes before leaving. It was a Seinfeld episode. So much for the ridiculous “trains will leave every 15 minutes” rhetoric of the state of New York. This was followed by a mad dash through the steamy subways of NYC. That place deserves its own reality show, “Survivor: NYC Subway System” I was able to get back to Grand Central Station a little after 10:00 and hopped on the train to New Haven. Two and a half hours later I was home; I regained my humanity, but was out hundreds of dollars.

‘Can’t wait for next year.

Motor Sports, Where Boredom Happens

So, I was watching the Indy 500 this afternoon, and yada yada yada…I feel refreshed and energetic enough to work through the evening.

Although 15 minutes of the Coca Cola 600 may knock me out until tuesday...

Also, anyone want to start a petition to ban motor sports so the fuel is instead given to the American Working Man.

Muse was right...

This is the end of the world...time to get Political...

Can somebody explain to me where Senator Arlen Spector gets off going after the NFL over Spygate when he is paid by American taxpayers and is in a position to:

A. Work on Fixing the American Economy...Which sucks right now by the way...
B. Work on accomplishing an end to the War in Iraq, The War in Afghanistan, the War on Terrorism, and the War on Drugs and paying health benefits to all the American victims who have been left physically and mentally scarred all of these events
C. Cleaning up the Environment, ending Global Warming...Climate Change, or whatever yor want to call the fact that the last ten years have been the hottest ten years on record...
D. Bridge the gap between the rich and poor in America...the time is now
E. Write effective illegal immigration policies
F. Saving American Public Schools
G. Investigating links between American coorporations and the profiteering of the murder of innocent people...
H.Investigating Barry Bonds....hell, at least Bond is accused of breaking actual laws in America...
I. Joining Ct's own Joe Lieberman in trying to start WWIII. Thanks for everything Joe!

And the List Continues...

This is why I hate the Congress. They are a group of egotistical agenda setters who whore themselves and the American public out to the nearest camera. They might as well be the cast of The Hills....

The C's are up 3-2. Still confident it is going 7.

Bada Bing!!!

A forty point drubbing of Memphis following the destruction of the Chicago Bulls friday night (Which I enjoyed from section 115) has the C's looking ahead to a week of Philly, Seattle. Utah, and the Bucks. The most interesting match up is obviously Utah, lead by the great Deron Williams...the anchor of "We must Break You", my rag tag fantasy team.

Sunday saw the UConn Men's team rebound from the midweek disaster at Providence with an inspired performance against the Bearcats of Cincinnati. Sitting in section 25, I was amazed it was the same team. Hopefully having their manhood challenged so late in the year will inspire them to some big things this week in America's armpit, New York City.

Enjoy the week, it is a basketball fans dream....

oh yeah....The weekend saw some ridiculous upsets in the English FA Cup. Man U, Chelsea, and Middlesbourgh choked bigtime, especially Chelsea. Manu got screwed, but should have scored 3 goals before the desasterous 75th minute ruling for a penalty.

Good News...

Randy Moss signs, I postpone my "trip" to Old Trafford.

Next week is the 1 year anniversary of the Knicks giving Isiah Thomas a contract extention. I might go to church just to thank someone for this blessing....

How did it come to this?

"We Haven't Located Us Yet"-The Darjeeling Limited

In the past month I have learned a few things. Tom Coughlin can outcoach Bill Belichek. Kevin Faulk and Willie Andrews like the ganja. No NFL contract is safe. Hank Steinbrenner is a meathead. Roger Clemens is delusional, and so is Bob Knight. I learned everything is Not everything, Life Is a hustle, and the Alli-Opp was invented in Flint, Michigan. I also learned that the Super Bowl may have been a highpoint for the NFL, from which it is never to return. The league needed to see perfection, so did the Patriots, and so did I .

After an 18-1 season the New England Patriots have entered the off season a team in flux. Asante Samuel has bolted to Philly. Dante Stallworth will find the seam for the Browns next year. Kyle Brady is done. Randell Gay, Roosevelt Colvin, and Special Teams stalwart Kelly Washington will inevitable find a new employer. Junior Seau had shoulder surgery and is staring retirement in the face. More importantly Randy Moss is reportedly pissed off no deal has been made since he became a free agent. The horrific thought of Moss landing anywhere outside New England, especially Dallas, would be enough for me to move to Manchester, England. After last the off season, this is all very confusing. Maybe the 2007/08 Patriots were the great perfect storm of luck and talent, the juggernaut whose clock struck midnight 3 minutes too soon. Is the organization going all the way back to the drawing board? You might as well redraft the league and start anew.

The inability to convince the often injured Gay to stick around will have real draft day consequences. The opportunity to take over for Samuel apparently is not his motivation. The team is letting Eugene Wilson walk, so they will have lost past starters at DB, Safety, and DE/LB in the past two weeks. The team has the # 7 pick in the draft. However, the chances of the team making and keeping that selection are slipping away as they put itself in a position to have to rebuild every aspect of the D. The #7 pick for a late first and an early second round pick give them a chance to pick up some depth. They are going to need it. Plus, let’s face it, for all the hoopla about Belichek and Pioli being geniuses, rounds 3-6 have not produced much in terms of on field production in recent years.

As we see the complete tranquility of Red Sox Spring Training, it really makes me wonder what the Patriots are doing. We have seen this mentality before, and it ended with Champ Bailey picking off Tom Brady in the end zone.

Can I get a large Lobster Bisque please....

Before I start, i ust wanted to say that This was one of the greatest things I have ever seen on TV. The build up was fantastic and the outcome hilarious. Needless to say, TV needs more stuff like this.


On with the show...

So this is how democracy dies.

Everyone looks one way and the next day everything they felt was sacred has been manipulated and changed without any regard whatsoever. The past three weeks I have raved about the importance of college sports in my life. Particularly, this has crystallized around the resurgence of the UConn men’s basketball team. However, in the past two weeks, two games the team has played with Big East opponents were unavailable to me on TV. Now Saturday’s thriller against USF was on ESPN. Smart for them, it was a good game. However, here I am spinning my radio dial to 1080 am to hear the rapid fire delivery of Joe D and Wayne for UConn vs. Depaul. As a person who didn’t miss a UConn men’s basketball game from 1991-2006 this has been a disturbing chain of events.

The culprit my friends…. is ESPN.

Yes, my beloved world wide leader (Whose headquarters is 20 minutes from my apartment) has decided to screw a lot of people and move what would typically be apart of ESPN’s regional programming to its burgeoning college sports network. Last week the men narrowly beat Notre Dame at Gampel in a great game. However, I had to listen to it on the radio. In a weird turn of events, despite being able to have greater access to sports in every way, I find myself being forced to resort to the most primitive measures to follow my favorite college sports program. Similar things happen with football this past fall.

I can follow the Manchester United Red Devils on MUTV every week and they play in England. That’s the UK people. However, I can’t watch a game taking place twenty minutes from my apartment (I live 20 minutes from everything awesome in CT, its fantastic). It is life under the totalitarian rule of EPSN. Local loyalties and conveniences are sacrificed for the bottom line of the “state”. Right now on ESPN southern powerhouse UNC Greenville is playing Davidson. Now, I am sure this is an epic meeting of mid-majors. But come on. How difficult would it be to get the local affiliate to simulcast the game? Your telling me they would loose revenue gained from re-runs of The King of Queens?

People rose up against the NFL network over the Pats vs. Giants in week 17. Congress got involved. That turned out great for everyone. Now this obviously isn’t going to be on the same level, but it is the same practice. I already pay Comcast 100 bucks a month. Arlen Spector and the boys down in the PA just don’t care.

Who is fighting for the common man’s ability to watch their favorite sports?

Are you Che or Winston Smith? It’s a tough one…

On to Slow Strikes
-Terry Francona needs an extension. He deserves it.

-Coco Crisp better be ready to sit the pine this season.

-The Schilling situation could only happen to the Red Sox. You don’t see Greg Maddox injury himself in November and not tell the team for 3 weeks.

-Shawn Marion is happy to have no chance of making the playoffs. I will never understand professional athletes…

The All Star Break Cometh

I cannot say that the NBA's All Star weekend has got me jazzed to watch it for over a decade, but if they can duplicate Barkley vs. Bavetta, the fans will come away with something interesting. Anything is better then watching Magic Johnson squeeze into his old uniform and hoist shots from mid court.

The C's are 41-9. They lead the division by 13.5 games and the Eastern Conference by 3 games. The only discussion left to be made is the best play of the first half. I going with a game winner by UConn's own Ray Allen. That was sick. I'm excited for the rest of the season.

The Nascar Super Bowl is this week. I'm going with the Beer Companies to came away with upset victory over Walmart, and hopefully see the Makers of Napalm place.

Did anyone see the Pedro Martinez Cock Fighting video? One reason to live in the DR. My birds name? Little Pedro Martinez....Tamale's!

There is a Huge fight on Saturday. I have seen Kelly Pavlik fight twice in person and he has only gotten more dominent over time. I see him KO'ing Taylor in the 9th.

Senator Arlen Spector sucks beyonds words. I hope they find out Bill Belichek is really a terrorist, it might justify recent time spent to investigate the NFL. To say nothing of Henry Waxman, who works a media circus better then P.T. Barnum. I guess they got too bored investigating covert paramilitary contractors....

Christopher Shays....For Shame...For Shame...

Bill Belichek got the same fine as Scotter Libby.

GBTUSA

Strengh and Honor

Welcome Home

There are moments in history that rock and those that are horrendous for mankind. Having seen the New England sports scene take a huge hit the past few weeks, and no I don’t just mean KG’s abdominals, I began to refocus my sights on an old friend, the UConn men’s basketball program. Throughout the years there have been more moments that rock then suck for Jim Calhoun and his lads. However, the past few years have been shaky at best.

This season the UConn men’s basketball team has already seen both tremendous defeats and tremendous victories. I must admit that after last season my expectations for the athletic program that has most shaped my life were very low. Calhoun's strategy of staying away from Junior college players, despite losing five players to the NBA Draft's first round in the past two seasons, forced him to recruit players at every position. I can understand his reluctance to scout the Juco ranks, with the Johnny Selvie years still lingering around Storrs like rotten mayonnaise. The program has hit some roads bumps in recent years. First with the stolen Laptop scandal a few years back, and this season's suspension of Doug Wiggins and Jerome Dyson. UConn is not Florida State, but the PR department has had to earn its paychecks lately. Not to mention the epic loss to George Mason that took the sails out of everyone and the inability to even make the NIT last season.

However, perhaps that is what has made the last two weeks refreshing. With the team facing trepidation on and off the court, the players found the depth and determination to play as a team. A desperate win against Marquette at home, and a huge victory at Indiana propelled the team to its first hot streak in two years. In many ways, the whole program seems to have turned a corner. With Jeff Adrian playing with confidence and A.J. Price showing everyone why Calhoun stuck with him, the team has found new life. Despite continued inconsistencies of players like Stanley Robertson (the most talented all around player on the team) and Cutis Kelly (Praying he can become Hilton Armstrong part Duex), UConn fans have found delight in the continued maturity of "The Monster" Hasheem Thebeet. Like the Chaldeans sacking Sumer,(Sorry, I taught ancient Sumer this week!) Thebeet has shown flashes of utter dominance. If this team continues to play team originated basketball, Calhoun could have one of his most exciting teams ever heading into tournament season.

The team has accomplished nothing and will continue to have to prove themselves at every turn, but I think this may just be a great 6 weeks for this program. If anything a good finish to this year will certainly re-establish UConn as a nationally ranked program to be reckoned with. It also sets up positive vibes for the future. Assuming none of these guys, particularly Thebeet, doesn’t jump to the NBA too soon, the team has a real chance to find a significant place in the program’s winning tradition.

I know I’ll be watching.

More on the Vent

After a few days of soul searching, I decided on a official song of the 2007/2008 New England Patriots. Only Trent Reznor could encapsulate such grief and despair.

P.S. The UConn Women lost tonight to Rutgers. Ugh......

The Vent

It was a bad time for Bill Belichek to turn into Grady Little

It was a bad time for Tom Brady to turn into Drew Bledsoe circa 1993

It was a bad time for Asante Samuel to forget how to catch a football

Also, why in the hell was former UConn Atheletic Director Lew Perkins sitting in the Manning familiy box?

Just an awful football game, in every way. Even if the Pats had pulled it out it would have gone down as one of the worst Super Bpwls ever. You cannot play 12 minutes of a 60 minute pro football games and expect to win.

At least we have the UConn womens basketball team to focus on.....Good Grief...

It is going to be a hellish spring. Do not be suprised if the apocalypse starts in May....

The Charisma Bowl

For last two months the New England Patriots have dealt with the change of seasons in God’s country. They have gutted out hard fought victories. Yesterday’s win in the AFC Championship was no different. A bitter wind hampered the greatest passing attack in the history of the NFL. Tom Brady threw three picks and had a QB rating in the 60’s. They used their veteran experience to adjust to any difficulty their opponents threw at them.

Now, none of it matters.

The New York Giants are an enigma. They started 0-2. By October they looked like a hilarious precursor to the 2007/2008 New York Knicks. Then, they found an offense to go along with the leagues best defensive line. They found comfort away from the demonizing New York media. They have now won 10 straight road games, 3 straight on the road. They have established a wining attitude.

Now, none of it matters.

We are 12 days away from Super Bowl Forty Two. Do not expect any bizarre comments or locker room fodder coming from any of the players. Both the Pats and the Giants have head coaches who are down right mean about controlling their players. I will refer to this game as the “Charisma Bowl”, mainly because even with his oppressive personality, I think Belichek is far more personable then Tom Coughlin. These are going to be some fun press conferences….

In Week 17 these teams meant in the most watched regular season football game in over a decade. Playing in the “NY”, the Giants came out smoking, actually gaining a 12 point lead at one point. The Patriots, playing for perfection in the regular season, made some huge adjustments and overpowered the Giants in the Fourth quarter. The Giants scored a late TD and the game ended as a 38-35 victory for the P-men.

The only thing that really matters is that these two teams are playing the game at the highest level at the best time of the year. They will be playing in Glendale, Arizona. There will be no talk of wind, cold, or snow. I am looking forward to the possibility of seeing the New England Patriots from September and October 2007. That team played the most dominating football I have ever seen at the pro level. This game could be as lopsided a Super Bowl as has ever been played. But don’t get your hopes up, it won’t be. The Patriots under Belichek do not play blowout playoff games, let alone Super Bowls.

Both teams will be ready. Now we just have to deal with the media onslaught. Overnight the Giants became media darlings. Eli Manning is now the “hottest quarterback in the league” according to the World Wide Leader. You will also hear the “I’m picking the Giants, so that makes me a rebel football analysis guy who is playing coy and trying not to look ridiculous for picking against a team that is 18-0.” radio and TV personality. It will sound like this,

“Now I know this is gonna ruffle some feathers here,… and I am going out on my own here…but I am Picking the Giants. They had the hardest road to get to the Super Bowl, and Eli Manning is playing like a number one pick, the offensive line is matching the intensity of the incredible D-line. This team dominated the Packers and the Cowboys!!! I gonna say it, and I hope nobody in New England shoots me over this….The Giants will beat the Patriots.”

And they will be wrong. Lame historical coincidences won’t work. Even the Ewing Theory. The Giants will play up the “us against the world” moniker. Its doesn’t matter.

In 12 days the New York Giants have to beat the New England Patriots.

It won’t happen.

My prediction….Patriots 38, Giants 35

Now let’s play the game already….

It’s Back

Why no posts lately? No vitriol. New England is the center of the sports universe. It is like every Bob Marley song came true and a blissful utopia emerged. Baseball is still 7 weeks away, the Celtics have only three losses and the Pats went 16-0 during the regular season. With the Pats enjoying the Playoff bye, the C’s have taken center stage. Then I found it.

In the late 1980’s I was coming into my own. I discovered professional sports and rap music in 1987 and two things became clear to me. The first was that my relationship with the police was forever altered by Public Enemy. The second was that I was convinced the Detroit Pistons were Satan’s favorite basketball team. They played anti-basketball.

Now that the Celtics are climbing to the top of the NBA Mountain the Pistons have quickly become a focus of tension for me. A handful of years ago a new look Pistons squad revitalized the Eastern Conference with a very team orientated style of play. It helped that Rip Hamilton was traded to Detroit and became a fixture. However, under the surface a general dislike bubbled. There is also another irrefutable fact, Detroit is Detroit, whether it is 1987 or 2004, or 2008.

The rise of the Celtics led to a great game last month that the Pistons won on a savvy play by former Celtic Chauncey Billups with under 1 second left, nullifying a great Celtics comeback. Thus, Saturday night’s game at the Palace should be a good one. Look for Rajon Rondo to actually be playing late in the 4th quarter. I think Doc is more confident in the lad’s play recently. The Pistons versatility trumps the C’s, but not if Doc decides to extend the bench to include Davis, Scal, and Leon Powe to wear down the Wallace, J-Max, Delfino combination. I think this is a game Planet Pollard should see 7 minutes of play and foul out. If the C’s turn it into a slugfest, and Ray Allen can rebound from a horrid Friday night, I actually think the Celtics can prevail because they have more shooters. The Truth, the Allen’s, House, Posey, and Scal butcher the Pistons from down town. Like the Pats, the C’s are a finesse team that can win really ugly. It is the mark of a truly good team. With that said, Doc will probably want Rondo to push the ball and run the Pistons ragged. Ray Allen is the X Factor, as is coming out of halftime with some fire. It killed us last month.

Enjoy the game. It should be fun, if not an opportunity to start really hating the Pistons again.

Strength and Honor

Heady Times

Everything is wonderful, with the possible exception of my 70 hour work week, The Wars, Famine in Africa, the decay of Western Civilization caused by country music, and the underexposure of witty sports blogs. Thus, for for the most art my life is peachy. The long awaited second season of the Boondocks is accessible via Youtube for former night owls like me. We have witnessed the another breath taking Red Sox Championship and are in the midst of the greatest single season of professional American football ever played. The Boston Celtics have been reborn into an NBA contender. Even UConn football is relevant on a national scale. It is like the 2007 Oscars and I am Al Gore. Gorgasm’s for everyone!!!!

However, it is still 2007, and with every second we are hurdling toward 2008. This means the Hot Stove is firing up and a joyous sporting nation turns its eyes to the 10,000 pound elephant in the room. What it is? Who is it?

Two Words…..One Man….

Johan Santana.

He is a two time Cy Young award winner….in the American League.

He also is in the final year of his deal and certinaly going to tbe traded. Only two teams have a chance at landing the lefty. The Sox and the Yankees. The good guys versus the long suffering losers who are dealing with a horrific karma/steroid induced curse. This is the stuff that rivals any modern day Kumate style slugfest.

The interesting thing is that both teams have the assets needed to entice the Twins. The Sox have a barrage of talented arms highlighted by No-Hittin’ phenomenon Clay Bucholz and World Series clincher John Lester. Coco Crisp would be included as the Twins are in need of a dynamic Center Fielder. Jacoby Ellsbury, the Dope Playa, is untouchable, but other quality arms in the system could be involved as well.

The Yanks will certainly counter with a combination of Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, and Milky Cabrerra. Joba “The Bug Magnet” Chamberlin is considered untouchable, and according to some reports, so is Robinson Cano.

It is insane that both teams are so stacked that each can not only complete a deal but also extend Santana’s contract. This extension will most certainly be the richest contract ever given to a pitcher.

After the C’s gave up the young prospects to get KG, everyone in New England is at the very least considering a similar move for the Sox. Of course the situations are totally different. The C’s needed to increase relevance and victories just to justify their existence. The Sox are on top of the Baseball World.

This just in, ……I outed Valerie Plame……..in my pants….

Sorry, Countdown just started.

I have no justification for using the word ‘Dope Playa” other then that Gus Johnson’s podcast with Simmons this week sent me into a tailspin back to the late 80’s when I randomly used the term “Dope” in every facet of life, especially at Sunday school and in reference to my half of a paper rout. Heady times indeed…

Scott Pollard owns……………a Buick.

The TDBNG will be insane on Friday. I plan on starting the “Beat LA Chant” at least 5 times.

I’ve got a Golden Ticket…..

“Got my indignation, but I am pure in all my thoughts…I’m alive”-Eddie Vedder

I saw “Into the Wild” Friday night at Cinema City in H-town. My reaction was not so much to immediately hop in my car and drive to the west and live off the land as much as it was to hop in The Soob and go watch the Indians trounce the Yankees.

There is a special feeling one gets watching the Yankees lose with a bunch of Yankee fans. Its like not being a drunk and going to an AA meeting. It is taking personal pleasure in the misery of a particularly soulless group of people. You are filled with pride; the joy of knowing your self esteem is at its peak performance. This far outweighs the self loathing that typically dominates my life, so a break in the clouds was nice. Of coarse the mammoth blast by Manny capped off the perfect sporting evening.

The funniest moment of the week was Marion Jones’s teary eyed confession on the courthouse steps that she was a juicer. As someone who read Game of Shadows, the announcement was about 4 years too late. I mean, did “she” even have actual credibility anymore anyways? Don’t all Track athletes these days supplement their Wheaties with massive dosages of the Clear? At least she did it to avoid 10 years in jail. Gold medals are not worth a dime in the joint. Somewhere Dwight Stone’s long national nightmare is over. The rest of us can continue to live our lives not caring at all that the Summer Olympics are under a year away from starting. The Over/Under has got to be 50 Gold Medals for China. I’m taking the Over.

Rodney Harrison returned to the Pats this week. He was a psycho before. I just hope he does not decapitate someone this weekend. Kellen Winslow is going to wish he was back on the bike….HGH is a hell of a drug….

The C’s look characteristically out of sorts in the first exhibition game in Rome. It will take time to work out the kinks. There were certainly flashes of brilliance, but no prolonged stretches of domination. It was interesting to see Tony Allen exploding through the lane so soon. I would have figured it would be more then nine months for his knee to stabilize to that level. Eddie House was also a pleasant surprise, though his D is a huge liability..

The Bruins are 1-1. I think it should be considered donating to charity to discuss the NHL in public. They are “caught between confusion and pain…paaaaiiinnnn…”

With all the losses so far this season by traditional powerhouses in college football, if UConn can some how run the table we will be talkin' BCS in January. Keep in mind they still have to play Virginia, Louisville, West Virginia, The Cuse, Cincy, South Florida, and Rutgers. I can taste the Orange Bowl.

The Cubs were eliminated by a young Arizona squad. I guess the Cubs organization should stop worrying about who is going to sing during the seventh inning stretch and more about some pitching and hitting in the playoffs. They will be happy to know Zambrano would have been strong enough to start in game 4. Nice work Sweet Lou, enjoy your Chi Town sized serving of GFY.

The Rockies are awesome. They do not play boring baseball. Too bad I voted earlier this year to have the team contracted for the betterment of the league. Opps!

John Oliver is still way funnier then Chevy Chase.

This week...The Sox move on to the ALCS, The Pats continue to take it to Pleasure Town, and I get less then 4 hours of sleep a night....

So Let It Be Written, So Let It Be Done.....