The Curse of Derek Jeter?

Can you imagine Derek Jeter in a Sox uniform?
Believe it or not,  it's not that far-fetched.

I'm going to propose to you an idea so unbelievable and incomprehensible that it just might work. Of all the possible free agent signings the Red Sox could make this offseason, one name none of us should overlook is......hold your breath.....Derek Jeter.

I said it. Seriously. As much as it pains me to admit it, the Red Sox have become a boring baseball team. They lack star power. There's no more Pedro, Nomar, Manny, Curt Schilling or even Johnny Damon. No colorful characters like Kevin Millar or dirt-dog glue guys like Trot Nixon. And just when they find a guy who excels under the heavy spotlight and pressure of baseball in Beantown, they let him slip away to the Detroit Tigers for next to nothing (ie. Victor Martinez). 

While it seems completely absurd to even to consider, stealing Derek Jeter away from the Yankees would be the one move that would create the most buzz around Fenway. More than anything, it would be an epic slap in the face to the Evil Empire that stole so many of our favorite Red Sox, including Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon. The psychological factor cannot be denied. Nothing would infuriate Yankee fans more than seeing their modern day Babe Ruth switch sides and don a Boston uniform. 

The only reason the Red Sox have a legitimate shot at landing Jeter is because negotiations between the star shortstop and the Yankees are at a standstill. Sources have the Yankees offering Jeter a three-year deal for around $45 million, well over the going rate for a soon to be 37-year-old shortstop who just had the worst year of his career at the plate. You would think Jeter would jump at $15 million per year. Nope. Although his agents deny it, rumors had Jeter asking for six years and $150 million. Even the Yankees aren't that stupid. 

Landing Jeter, not Carl Crawford or Jason Werth, would change everything. It would be the biggest possible free agent splash the Sox could make, while also creating the most media buzz and reinvigorating a befuddled and confused fan base. To top it off, the Sox could use Jeter on the field as well. Imagine Pedroia leading off and Jeter hitting second? Imagine an infield of Beltre at third, Jeter at short, Pedroia at second and Youk at first? I'll take it. 

Symbolically, landing Jeter would be our modern day answer to losing Babe Ruth to the Yankees nearly 90 years ago. Hank Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman would take up the mantle Harry Frazee once occupied, the infamous Sox owner who sold the Babe in order to finance the play No, No, Nanette. 

We all know what happened once that move was made. If karma exists, then maybe if the Sox land Jeter it will curse the Yankees for the next 86 years. The Curse of Derek Jeter. Make it happen, Theo. 

Let the Games Begin

Tom Brady and the Pats get another crack at the Jets
 when New York comes to town Dec. 6 for MNF. 

Now that the dust has settled on the Patriots 45-24 Thanksgiving Day shellacking of the lowly Detroit Lions, it's officially time for New England fans to start preparing for the real feast ahead. Mark your calendars. Begin the countdown. A week from tomorrow the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS come to town.

Outside of the playoffs and, of course, the Super Bowl, this marquee matchup is as good as it gets for football fans. Not only do two of the league's best teams collide (both the Pats and Jets boast a 9-2 record), but the game will also receive the spotlight it rightfully deserves, appearing in primetime on Monday Night Football for all the world to see. In preparation for the heavyweight battle between the two hated rivals, here's a few storylines to keep in mind while patiently awaiting the kick-off...

1. The History- Ever since the old days of the AFL, the Patriots and Jets have hated each other. Dating back to 1960, the division rivals have met a total of 102 times, with the Jets holding a slight all-time series lead at 51-50-1. However, while the Patriots had dominated New York during the 2000s, winning 14 of the 21 games in which they played, the Jets have had New England's number lately, winning three of the last four matchups between the two teams.

2. The Revenge Factor- Aside from a no-show loss to the Cleveland Browns nearly a month ago, the one opponent standing in the way of the Patriots having a perfect record this season is the Jets. As if anyone needed reminding, the Jets manhandled the Pats at the New Meadowlands in Week 2, securing a 28-14 victory. To make things worse, after being blown out by the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs last season, the Patriots had to watch as the Jets made it all the way to the AFC Championship, a stage the Pats usually reserve for themselves.

3. Spygate- While the whistle-blower known as Eric Mangini is no longer the Jets head coach, don't think Bill Belichick has forgotten which franchise cost him $500,000 out of his own pocket in addition to surrendering a first round pick.

4. The Woodhead Twist- Before the diminutive Danny Woodhead became a folk hero around these parts, he was a little known, undrafted, free agent running back on the Jets practice squad. In the dog days of training camp, Woodhead was featured along with his Jets teammates on HBO's behind the scenes program Hard Knocks. As humiliating and devastating as being released is, Woodhead had to endure being cut from the team not behind closed doors, but instead on national television for the whole world to see his moment of agony. Think Danny comes into this game with a chip on his shoulder?

5. Offense vs. Defense- While the old adage goes that defense wins championships and offense puts fans in the seats, the old saying will be put to the test when New England's vaunted offense meets the Jets juggernaut defense. Coming into the game, the Patriots lead the league in scoring, averaging 30.4 points per game, while the Jets 4th ranked defense has allowed an average of just 17 points per game. Something's gotta give.

6. Streaking- The Patriots have won an astounding 25 straight games at home with Tom Brady under center, while the Jets have won eight straight regular season road games.

7. Personality-While Rex Ryan is a media darling, talking trash and making headlines like they're going out of style, Bill Belichick has never been one to show his cards or incite bulletin board material for an opponent to rally around. Instead of dressing up in a wig to get under his opponent's skin like Rex did a few weeks ago (Ryan was poking fun at twin brother Rob, the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator), Belichick instead chooses to kill his opponents with kindness, a strategy that has worked exquisitely during his reign as the Patriots coach. Rex is cocky, loud and brash. Belichick is cold, calculated and humble.

My Prediction: 34-27 Patriots. You heard it here first.

Bad Break

Celtics fans won't be seeing much of Delonte West anytime soon. He broke
his right wrist last night against the Nets and will miss "several weeks."

Sadly, last night's story at the Garden was not that the Celtics stormed back in the second half to defeat the pesky New Jersey Nets by a final score of 89-83. Or that Shaquille O' Neal had his coming out game in a Celtics uniform, possibly his best game in years, dominating the paint and leading the Celts with 25 points and 11 boards on 9-10 shooting in nearly 32 minutes. Or that the Celtics finally proved that they can win without Rajon Rondo, who missed his second straight game with a strained hamstring.

Unfortunately, the win is so bittersweet because the Celtics paid a major price for it.  Late in the second quarter, guard Delonte West drove hard to the bucket through traffic and successfully made a layup but landed awkwardly on his way down. Attempting to break his fall, West landed directly and violently onto his right wrist, breaking it instantly. West, known for his toughness, had to be escorted back to the locker room by the training staff. If you were watching the game on Comast SportsNet, like I was, West could be heard screaming out in pain several times. Mike Gorman said what we were all thinking: "that does not look good, at all."

"It's broken for sure," coach Doc Rivers said after the game. "Don't know anything else more than that; a compound fracture most likely. But that's going to be a long time, let's just put it that way."

There you go. When a coach comes out and says that before a player's X-Rays have even been interpreted you know it's bad. Doctors still haven't decided if West will need surgery. What we do know for certain is that he will miss a substantial part of the regular season. Early estimates have West returning in time for the playoffs but even that remains in question.

Overall it seems like Delonte just can't catch a break. He comes back to the team that raised him with a chance to play for a championship, has to sit out the first ten games due to a suspension, then breaks his wrist after appearing in just five games. For a player whose mental state is already fragile, this could be devastating. Worst of all, it was starting to get fun watching him play.

Back in Black (and Gold)

After passing his final neuropsych tests, Marc Savard
is now cleared to practice with the Bruins. 

          Bruins center Marc Savard may have finally turned the corner on his long and arduous comeback from post concussion syndrome. After suffering a devastating, cheap-shot to the head courtesy of Penguins goon Matt Cooke last season, Savard missed nearly two months before returning in epic fashion to score the game-winning overtime goal against the Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. For those of you who might have forgotten, bask in the thrilling nostalgia one more time by playing the video posted below.

          But just as the Bruins tanked against Philadelphia, surrendering a 3-0 lead in the series and a 3-0 lead in Game 7, at home nonetheless, the news got worse during the nightmarish offseason when reports surfaced that Savard began suffering from post concussion syndrome. He had paralyzing migraines, couldn't sleep and didn't even have the energy to get out of bed. As a result, he missed all of training camp and still has yet to appear in a game this season. More than just a hurdle to overcome, it appeared that Savard's concussion had put his career in jeopardy.

          Not so. Yesterday, Savard returned to Pittsburgh and received what might be the greatest news of all. He passed his final tests at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

          "It was really a great day," Savard told the Boston Globe yesterday. "What a facility they have there in Pittsburgh for that stuff... I went through testing all day. [They] said I passed with flying colors. So that made me feel really good."

          The 14-year veteran is now cleared to practice with his teammates for the first time since last season's tragic playoff collapse. It might take a week or so for Savard to return to game shape, but for now he's on the right track. For Black and Gold fans, this is music to our ears. Welcome back, Savvy. 

So long, Victor

Sox fans have seen the last of Victor Martinez in a Boston uniform. He
signed with the Detroit Tigers today for four years, $50 million. 

When the Red Sox traded up-and-coming fan favorite Justin Masterson along with a pair of highly touted prospects (Nick Hagadone, Bryan Price) to the Cleveland Indians July 31, 2009, Boston fans were ecstatic to receive Victor Martinez in return. It seemed like a slam-dunk. Theo Epstein replaced an aging Varitek with a switch hitting catcher in his prime who also had the flexibility to play first base, hit for power, average and knock in runs like they're going out of style. A perfect middle-of-the-order bat to complement talented right handed hitters like Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, while also providing protection for Big Papi. Seems like the kind of player you'd like to lock up for the long term, right?

Well, if you're Theo and the rest of the Sox brass, guess not. In a true head-scratcher, the Red Sox let V-Mart get away today. According to multiple sources, Martinez is bound for Detroit after signing a four-year, $50 million deal with the Tigers. Sounds like a steal for a player who just hit .302 with 20 homers and 79 rbi's, despite missing significant time with injury.

Apparently, the Sox offered Martinez two separate deals which would have kept Victor in Boston. The first was a 3 year deal for $36 million, the second was 4 years for $42 million. While I usually admire Theo and Co. for not exceeding what they determine to be an appropriate value for a player, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that we let Martinez walk for a measly $8 million. Especially after Theo threw $40 million plus at recent busts like Julio Lugo, $70 million plus at J.D. Drew, and $30 million plus at Edgar Renteria and Matt Clement. What's another $8 million going to hurt?

The one silver lining in losing Martinez is that the Red Sox will receive compensation for losing the Type A free agent to Detroit. In return, Boston will acquire the Tiger's number 1 draft pick in 2011 (19th overall). Remember, this is how the Sox landed Clay Buchholz, who was a compensatory pick for losing Pedro Martinez to the Mets in 2005.

Losing Victor hurts. The Sox will most certainly miss his bat and clubhouse presence. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is now thrust into the hot seat as the team's starting catcher. Unless this move precedes the Sox re-signing Beltre and adding either Carl Crawford or Jason Werth, today is a dark day in Beantown.

I like this girl

Patriots hang on, just barely

Manning's comeback came up just short Sunday as James Sanders made a
game-saving interception for the Patriots, who hung on to win 31-28.

In the latest installment of the epic rivalry between the Patriots and Colts, Brady and Belichick got away with one Sunday afternoon in chilly Foxboro, hanging on by a thread to secure a 31-28 victory over Indianapolis. The story-within-the-story tells us that despite racing out to 14-0 lead and holding a 31-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots were once again at the mercy of Peyton Manning. After throwing a pair of touchdowns to Blair White, Manning had the Colts down just 31-28 with a little over four minutes remaining.

Instead of attempting an onside kick, the Colts elected to kick it off. The strategy worked as the embattled Indianapolis defense, who were without starters Gary Brackett, Bob Sanders, Clint Session and Justin Tryon, forced a pivotal three-and-out from Brady and Co. Unlike the last time the two teams met when Belichick decided unsuccessfully to go for it on that infamous fourth-and-two play, the Patriots elected to punt the ball to Manning, literally putting the game in his hands.

Right on cue, Manning began engineering what appeared to be yet another immaculate comeback. With each first down Manning registered, that painful memory of the 2006-07 AFC Championship Game began surfacing like a neverending nightmare. Every true Patriots fan remembers exactly where they were when that tragedy went down. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was late January during my sophomore year at the University of Vermont. All my friends and I piled into Ian Collins' apartment on South Willard Street to party for the game. I wore my Brady jersey.

The first half was perfect. The beers were flowing and the Patriots led 21-3 at halftime. The vibe was spectacular. We were well on our way to yet another Super Bowl. It almost felt like tradition.

Then the hammer fell. The Patriots imploded. Manning hit Clark and Wayne a bunch of times. Joseph Addai scored with just over a minute left to give the Colts a 38-34 lead. Brady got the Patriots to midfield before throwing an interception to Marlin Jackson to end the game and send Indianapolis to the Super Bowl.

Luckily, that scenario DID NOT play out yesterday in Foxboro. Belichick's belief in the defense finally paid off. Although the Colts were already in field goal range and had multiple timeouts remaining, Manning tried to go for the kill but was intercepted by safety James Sanders to end the game.

That close.

Since 2001, when Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe, the Patriots won first six overall meetings with the Colts. But coming into yesterday's pivotal matchup, the Colts had dominated the recent series, winning five of the last six meetings. Overall, Brady leads the head-to-head grudge match with Manning by a 8-5 margin.

The only way for the two teams to meet again this season would be in the postseason. I'll take it. I don't care what anyone else says, it's by far the best current rivalry to date. And while Peyton Manning is the modern-day Wilt Chamberlain, piling up the individual statistics (he went 38-52 yesterday for 396 yards, with 4 td's, 3 int's) Tom Brady just continues to get the wins. Like Bill Russell.

Tom Brady has the Patriots tied for the best record in the NFL at 8-2. 

Tired Legs

After straining his left hamstring against Oklahoma City,
 Rajon Rondo is officially listed as day-to-day. 

As if losing 89-84 to the Oklahoma City Thunder minus Kevin Durant and Jeff Green at home wasn't bad enough, the Boston Celtics suffered injury in addition to insult Friday night, literally. According to both ESPN and the Boston Globe, Celtics star point guard Rajon Rondo suffered a strained left hamstring. The injury occurred early in the fourth quarter when Rondo collided with Thunder guard Royal Ivey, who attempted to take a charge. Rondo was shaken up and immediately started limping before he was removed from the game.

Rondo is now considered day-to-day. As a result, one man's misfortunate becomes another's opportunity. Delonte West is ready to jump in should Rondo miss any time. West had a sparkling debut with the Celtics Wednesday night against the Wizards, pacing the second unit with twelve points, five boards, four assists as well as a steal and a block in just over twenty minutes.

The Celtics got a taste of what life would be like without Rondo when West joined the starting five after Rondo exited the Thunder game due to injury. Although West made two clutch free throws late in the game to keep it close, Delonte came up short when it mattered most. With just six seconds left on the clock and the Celtics down by three, West missed a wide open three that would have tied the game.

As the Celtics embark on two game road trip, Rondo is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's 1pm matinee against the Raptors in Toronto. With Boston already touting a 9-3 record, it makes little sense to push Rondo back into action too early and risk re-injury. If Doc is smart, which I think he is, he'll sit Rondo in Toronto and give his strained hamstring just a little more time to heal. Rondo, who plays so many minutes to begin with, could definitely benefit from some off time. On the flip side, Delonte will receive some much needed quality minutes with the starting unit, further shaking the rust off that resulted from his ten game suspension to start the season.

After all, it's much more important for Rondo to be fully healed and prepared to play on the second leg of the trip Monday night when the Celtics visit Atlanta. As we know all too well, the Hawks always seem to be a formidable challenge for the Celts. They're a young, up and coming team with fresh legs that brought Boston to the brink a few years back during the playoffs. While the true success of the 2010-11 Celtics will be determined in June, these early season obstacles go a long way in creating the team's personality.

The Reality of Fantasy

If players like AP, Tom Brady and Larry Fitz have huge games, Fantasy
owners like me tend to think they did it just for us. Yeah, right. 

Fantasy sports are addicting.

[For those of you who may not know, the basic premise of any fantasy sport is that, as an owner, you join a league and create a team by drafting professional players and then receive points depending on how they perform in real games. Every week you are matched up against a competing team in your league. Statistics are tallied and the team with the most points wins]

While the premise seems straight-forward, the fundamental appeal of fantasy sports is less subtle. Ask any true fantasy sports owner and they'll agree that at its core, fantasy sports operate under the false pretense that each and every professional athlete plays not for their family, fans, city or organization, but in fact, for you, the owner. Every home run they hit, three-pointer they sink or touchdown they score, they're doing it specifically for you. Amidst the suspended disbelief that operates at the core of fantasy sports, average people like you and me gain the ultimate power over multi-million-dollar athletes, for free. We name our team whatever we want and draft players of our choosing. We decide who to add, drop and trade each week. We are the coach, the general manager and the owner, all in one. However, while fantasy baseball and basketball are fun, nothing compares to Fantasy Football.

If you're anything like my friends and I, you take it very, very seriously. We go way back. Back to the care-free middle school days when we would utilize the ancient service known as dial-up internet and check to see who won, who lost and how once a week. It's hard to believe that at 23-years-old, most of my friends and I are already ten year veterans.

However, the game has changed entirely. In 2010, it's evolved into a calculated, cut-throat, 24/7 endeavor. The advent of Stat Tracker is greatly responsible for revolutionizing the sport. Now, owners are able to log into their team page while games are being played and follow along while Stat Tracker updates you instantly to how your players are doing, keeping up to the second statistics and scores. As a result, Sundays have now become National Stat Tracker Day, with millions of fantasy owners glued to their computers to see how their team is performing.

You become so caught up in competing with your friends each week that your true allegiance as a fan is often questioned. For example, I'm a die-hard New England Patriots fan but if I'm going up against someone who has Wes Welker as a wide receiver, somewhere in my subconscious I'm rooting against #83, whether I like it or not, hoping he doesn't have a monster game that sinks me.

Still, the reality of fantasy is that even though you "own" a team, you really don't own anything. Take my current Fantasy Football predicament as a prime example of this harsh truth. After starting the season an embarrassing 0-6, I came to the painful realization that the players on my team weren't really playing for me.  The truth is that even though you run the show, the show is fake. My players could care less how many fantasy points they put up and whether or not I win or lose each week. Maybe if they did, I wouldn't wake up to the news that one of my starting receivers, Mike Williams of Tampa Bay, got arrested last night for DUI and may not play this weekend.

However, just as fantasy sports can be devastating when you lose, nothing feels better than when you win. Take it from me. After starting 0-6 I've resurrected my seasons to the tune of four straight victories. With a 4-6 record going into Sunday, I need to win out in order to make the playoffs. I'm literally living on a prayer. But mark my words, if I win this weekend, everyone will know that guys like Tom Brady, Hakeem Nicks, Larry Fitzgerald, Jamaal Charles and Jason Witten had big games just for me.

Bernard Hopkins claims "Floyd Mayweather would beat Manny Pacquiao because the styles that African-American fighters -- and I mean, black fighters from the streets or the inner cities -- would be successful.".......Huh?

Manny Pacquaio

Bernard Hopkins

In a recent interview, former boxing middleweight world champion Bernard Hopkins goes on to say that Manny Pacquaio would lose to Floyd Mayweather because he's black and from the streets of inner cities. He also claims that he's the voice for other black fighters and fight fans who are thinking the same thing but are reluctant to say. Manny Pacquiao has won titles in 8 different weight classes and has moved up in weight class several different times, it just so happens that none of them were black people from the inner cities. One of Pacquiao's recent victories came over opponent Joshua Clottey, who is from Ghana and black, but Hopkins dismissed that win saying "Clottey is 'black', not a 'black boxer' from the states with a slick style." Bernard Hopkins needs to put his foot in his mouth because Manny Pacquiao will fight anyone, whether they're white, black, green or purple.

Joshua Clottey

The Philippines (where Pacquiao is from) is a third world country where you have to fight to eat sometimes. Pacquiao grew up in the slums while Mayweather grew up learning and watching from his father Floyd Sr., who was also a professional boxer. Pacquiao has agreed to everything Mayweather wants to do. Including all of the olympic style blood testing that Floyd wants him to do. The fact is, Mayweather is scared and always handpicks his opponents, preferably around the age of 35 or over with their careers winding down. If he wasn't scared then the fight would have already happened. There is no reason to wait around, let's get this match going and settle everything. Not to mention, both sides would make at least 15 million a piece from sales and endorsement deals.

With boxing losing interest in people every year, and with the emergence of MMA, professional boxing needs this match to happen. It will be one of the most anticipated matches of all time. The winner would go down as the best boxer of their generation, and not to mention one of the best all time. If and when this fight goes down, I'm putting my money all on the pac-man. He has everything to gain and nothing to lose. He has already lost matches, Mayweather hasn't. Mayweather refers to himself as the best ever, but won't fight the best boxer in his weight class. You can't refer to yourself as the best ever, if you haven't beaten the best yet. Put your money where your mouth is Mayweather and sign the dotted line, and no pun intended because your nickname is "money."

King Felix is Crowned, among others

Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners headlines the list of 2010 award winners, taking home the AL Cy Young for the first time in his career. 

Major League Baseball began handing out its hardware for the 2010 season and, so far, there haven't been too many surprises. Here's the rundown:

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners. On a hopeless, cellar-dwelling Seattle club with no offense to speak of, King Felix was the lone bright spot. His 13-12 record is deceiving for the simple fact that he got nothing in the way of run support (in ten of Felix's starts the Mariners were either shut out or scored just one run). Still, Hernandez was a workhorse, throwing 249.2 innings while also leading MLB with a 2.27 ERA. His 232 strikeouts were just one less than Jered Weaver of the Angels, who led all of baseball with 233. Remarkably, he posted a 1.53 ERA in his last 15 starts. While David Price (19-6, 2.72 ERA), CC Sabathia (21-7, 3.18 ERA) and Jon Lester (19-9, 3.25 ERA) were very much deserving, King Felix was just too dominant not to win. 

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies. Hard to argue against a guy who puts up numbers like Halladay did (21-10, 2.44 ERA, career high 219 strikeouts). One statistic even more amazing was that in 250.2 innings he walked just 30 batters. Throw in a perfect game in May against the Marlins and a no-hitter in the playoffs (even though postseason play shouldn't influence voters for a regular season award) and it adds up to a unanimous win for Halladay. Halladay, who also won the AL Cy Young in 2003 with the Toronto Blue Jays, now joins Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens and Gaylord Perry as the only pitchers to win one in both leagues. 

AL Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins. After finishing as the runner-up in five previous seasons, Gardenhire finally received the recognition he deserves. He led the Twins to a 94-68 record and their sixth Central Division crown since he took over behind the bench in 2002. It was simply a matter of time for Gardenhire, who quietly builds tough, fundamentally sound, hit-and-run, advance the runner style teams in Minnesota that seem to reach October year after year. Kudos to Terry Francona for leading a Sox team decimated by injury to a 89-73 record. Quite possibly his best year behind the Sox bench yet. He finished fourth in the voting, behind Ron Washington (Texas) and Joe Maddon (Tampa Bay).

NL Manager of the Year: Bud Black, San Diego Padres. In a tight race, Black edged out Dusty Baker of the Cincinnati Reds by just a single vote (104-103). You couldn't go wrong with either coach. Both led small-market clubs devoid of true superstars to superb records, with Baker's Reds going 91-71 and winning the Wild Card before being rocked by the Phillies in the first round of the playoffs. But, as good as Baker was, Black still deserves the award. His Padres began 2010 with the second lowest payroll in baseball at $38 million (some five million less than A-Rod and Jeter made combined last season). If someone told you before the season started that the Padres would finish 90-72 and miss the playoffs by just one game you would have laughed at them. And that's just what they did. The Padres were the NL's Cinderella team, cruising all season long with a lineup of no-names and cast-offs making peanuts. Gotta love that.

AL Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers. No-brainer here. The 22-year-old Feliz saved 40 games for the AL Champs, posting a 4-3 record with a 2.73 ERA along the way. Feliz also made the All-Star team. The Rangers have a lights-out closer for the foreseeable future in Feliz, who approaches 100 on the radar gun in addition to an arsenal of ridiculous off-speed pitches.

NL Rookie of the Year: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants. The 23-year-old catcher came up to the Big Leagues in late May and instantly became a core member of the eventual World Series Champion Giants. In a balanced lineup full of older veterans, Posey was the perfect complement, a youthful, energetic three-hitter with a great eye and some serious pop in his bat (.305, 18 homers, 67 RBI's). Did I mention he was wise beyond his years behind the plate and has a rocket arm? Jason Heyward of the Braves finished second.

Stay tuned as the MVP awards are announced Nov. 22 and 23. My predictions: Josh Hamilton in the AL and Joey Votto in the NL. 

Bust

Greg Oden featured on ESPN the magazine leading up to the 2007 NBA Draft.

I remember the day I received this magazine, because I have never laughed so hard in my life. Greg Oden is in contention with being considered one of the biggest draft busts ever. Standing at 7 feet tall and weighing 285, general mangers around the league were drooling over this kid leading up to the 2007 NBA draft. Some called him the next David Robinson, some even went as far as comparing him to the one and only Bill Russell. People also said he could be the next Sam Bowie, leaving Kevin Durant to be next Michael Jordan.

Greg Oden has only played in 82 games in a span of a little over 3 years, while being plagued by injuries    the whole time. He has missed a total of 176 games while undergoing his second micro-fracture surgery in 3 years. Instead of worrying about how many titles you thought you could win, you should have been more concerned about getting on the court. Maybe his quote should have been this: "I hope I can play a bunch of games in a row - like 15." Imagine if Portland had a crystal ball the night before the 2007 draft? Kevin Durant teamed up with a core of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, are you kidding me? Oden is still a young guy, at only 22 he could turn things around and maybe be a solid player someday. Maybe not. When the 2010-11 season is over, Oden will be a free agent, unless the Blazers are stupid enough to pick up an extension. He may not be destined to have a career in the NBA, he may be destined for something else. Only time will tell, but for now Greg Oden, you are officially a bust and a huge let down.

The Hot Stove is Burning

Sox Nation might see a lot more of Jarrod Saltalamacchia
behind the plate in 2011. 

Piecing together the Hot Stove rumors while patiently awaiting John Wall's debut against the The Big Three tonight at the TD Garden....

1. It appears that the Red Sox are prepared to start the 2011 season with Jarrod Saltalamacchia as their primary catcher. The 25-year-old, whom the Sox had long coveted, was acquired last year in a late season trade with the Texas Rangers. Once a prime-time prospect, Salty struggled at the plate and even had issues throwing the ball back to the pitcher before coming to the Sox. However, according to GM Theo Epstein, Saltalamacchia showed the Sox during his short time last season with the team that he has what it takes to be more than just a back-up: "He really opened some eyes...the way he handled pitchers, the way he threw, the way he conducted himself in the clubhouse. He was impressive to everybody."

Translation: Goodbye Victor Martinez, hello Salty and welcome back Jason Varitek in a back-up/platoon role for what will most likely be his final year with the Sox. With former Blue Jays catcher John Buck inking a three-year, $18 million deal with the Marlins yesterday, Martinez' stock undoubtedly elevated to the $10 million/year or more level, a place the Sox might not be willing to go to.

2. Despite outwardly denying reports, it appears that Theo and the Sox brass has drawn a line in the sand with free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre. One source has the Sox going as far as four years, $52 million with Beltre. It might just be another instance of the Sox playing chicken with super-agent Scott Boras, but it's hard to believe that a gold-glover who just hit .321 with 28 homers and 102 RBI's doesn't command a bigger deal in terms of years and dollars. If Beltre bolts, Jed Lowrie would be the most logical replacement internally but the bet here is that trade discussions for Adrian Gonzalez heat up, with Youkilis switching from first to third.

3. Sources have the Sox shopping middle infielder Marco Scutaro for a middle reliever. Scutaro has an attractive contract (he enters 2011 in the final year of a two-year, $11 million deal with a third year option) that could definitely yield quality returns on the open market. Personally, I'd like to keep Scutaro around. On a team decimated by injuries last season, Scutaro was a gamer who played hurt and switched to second when he couldn't make the throw from short. You can never have enough players like that on your team.

4. Sources also indicate the Sox talking to the Diamondbacks about a possible trade for outfielder Justin Upton. Only 23-years-old, Upton is a slick defender with some serious pop in his bat and appears only to be getting better. It would take a lot to land Upton but with old friend Kevin Towers now the Arizona GM, Theo has a familiar face to bounce ideas off of.

5. If one Buchholz isn't enough, why not add another? Just a few days ago, the Sox claimed Taylor Buchholz off waivers from the Blue Jays. A distant cousin of Sox star Clay, Taylor is a 29-year-old right handed reliever who pitched sparingly last season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, he was once rated as a top 100 prospect by Baseball America in 2003 and in 2008 had a career year in the Rockies bullpen, posting a 2.17 ERA over 66.1 innings. Opponents hit just .188 against him. Could be a steal.

6. Welcome to Boston, Andrew Miller. The Sox landed the former 6th overall pick in a trade with the Marlins that sent lefty-reliever Dustin Richardson to Florida. Miller, a former teammate of Daniel Bard at North Carolina, has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency the fast two seasons but still has the talent to bounce back. Remember, he was the centerpiece in the 2007 trade that sent Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Could be a great find for Theo, especially considering Miller is just 25-years-old and stands 6'7''.  A change of scenery could definitely benefit Miller, and we all know left-handed starters that tall, that young and that talented don't grow on trees.

This One's for You

Last night was Military Appreciation Night at the TD Garden. Mark Stuart and
Blake Wheeler bought $10K worth of seats for local servicemen and women to attend the game. 

          As soon as Army sergeant and double amputee Michael Downing skated onto the ice in a flexible-flyer type wagon fit with hockey sticks as poles, fans in the stands and watching on NESN knew last night wasn't just any other Bruins game. It was Military Appreciation Night at the TD Garden and the scene was emotion throughout, beginning with Downing's ceremonial drop of the pick at center ice in front of a raucous standing ovation of 17,565. 
          "From all the people that were here in the building, plus the puck drop, that got everybody's blood flowing," said Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart, who along with center Blake Wheeler combined to buy $10K worth of tickets for local servicemen and women to see the game. "It was pretty special to see. I can speak for all the guys on the team that we wanted to come up with the win tonight for them and for us." 
          And win they did. Defenseman Adam McQuaid got the crowd involved early in the first period when he pummeled Rod Pelley in a heavyweight slugfest near center ice. McQuaid appeared to fall to the ice and many fans, myself included, assumed the referees would stop the fight. Not tonight. Feeding off the energy of the crowd, McQuaid quickly found his footing, bounced back up and proceeded to land a mammoth right hook to Pelley's head before skating toward the penalty box to a thunderous applause. 
          Michael Ryder gave the Bruins an early 1-0 lead when he beat New Jersey legend Martin Brodeur down low during a two man advantage. Nathan Horton and Wheeler (playing center in place of the injured David Krejci) tacked on goals to open the second and third periods, respectively. Tim Thomas made sure the 3-0 score stayed that way, finishing with 28 saves to record his 4th shutout of the season. 
          Coming into the game, the Bruins had lost three in a row and recorded just one win in their last five games. Last night's emotional win over the Devils seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. 
          "We made it a point before the game to have a good game and a good start, because there are people that have obviously made a huge sacrifice for our country and they're out here for us to entertain them," added Wheeler, who along with many other Bruins sported camouflage tape on his stick in honor of the servicemen and women in the stands and around the world.
          Let's see if the Bruins can ride the momentum of this big win into New York when they visit the Rangers Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. 

As if you needed a reminder, this is why we love Tom Brady

[Note to the reader: Watch this video before reading this article. And, if you're like me, once may not be enough. Feel free to view it ten or more times, make it your desktop background, upload it to your Ipod or boycott getting a hair cut entirely. And PS: disregard whoever titled this video on YouTube, let the haters hate. It's what they do.]

For most NFL quarterbacks, failing to convert on a third and short play when you're already up 10-3 in the second quarter isn't the end of the world. They might shake their head and waltz slowly back to the sideline before tossing on their jacket and reaching for a gatorade. There's a good chance they'll proceed to stuff their helmet under the bench and ride some pine while waiting for the coach to discuss, diagnose and remedy what went wrong.

Forget what most NFL quarterbacks might do in this situation because Tom Brady isn't like the rest. Brady was vintage Brady last night in Pittsburgh, torching a stellar Steelers defense to the tune of 30-43, 350 passing yards and four touchdowns, leading the Patriots to a 39-26 victory that has New England sitting pretty at 7-2. However, despite his gaudy 117.4 QB rating, it was Brady's sideline rant that spoke volumes about his character, work ethic and utterly irreplaceable importance to the team.

When was the last time you saw Peyton Manning gather his troops on the sideline and sound off on them like a disgusted drill sergeant in the trenches? Maybe Drew Brees? Or Mark Sanchez? Ben Roethlisberger? Didn't think so.

For all of you who forgot, Tom Brady is still Tom Brady. His sideline rant last night in primetime on Sunday Night Football proved to the world this fact. Who cares if he poses for GQ and pitches cologne, expensive watches and DirecTV Sunday Ticket. Don't let PTI and Jim Rome fool you into thinking he's he's all Hollywood now just because he's married to a Victoria's Secret Supermodel and has long hair. He's still that sixth round pick with a chip on his shoulder.

But, he's also matured. At 33, he's wise beyond his years. As great as those three Super Bowl victories were, that dynasty is somewhat of a distant memory. It's going on six years since the Pats last won a Lombardi trophy and Brady knows that to bring the Patriots back to the big game it takes perfection. Anything less and you come up short. The David Tyree Play That Shall Not Be Mentioned against the Giants in the 2007 Super Bowl is painful proof of this. Not even 18-1 is good enough.

Brady's striving for perfection. He's not just erupting on the sidelines for show when they can't convert a third and short. He's teaching. He's inspiring. He's dripping with passion and his tirade is a prime example of that "it" factor that doesn't show up in the box score. There's no statistic for it. If you're a New England Patriots fan, this is the Brady you love.

Weekly Agenda

Boston Celtics: After going 3-1 on a tough road trip, the Celtics have some home cooking coming up. The Washington Wizards come into town on Wednesday followed by Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. The Celtics close the short game week out by finishing up North in
Toronto. All three of these games are win-able, especially with the Celts firing on all cylinders right now.

Boston Bruins: The Bruins struggled last week going only 1-2, also on a short game week. But with the next 3 out of 4 games at home, look for the Bruins to bounce back and climb back atop the Northeast standings. Johnny Boychuk and David Krejci both skated with the team on Monday morning which is a good sign for both the offense and the defense. Both sides of the puck will greatly benefit when these two guys return.

New England Patriots: Two words from last night's game against Pittsburgh. Statement Game. The Patriots went into Pittsburgh and hung 39 points on the board. They will enjoy their day off today, but they must get back to business starting on tuesday as they prepare for The Indianapolis Colts, our football version of The Yankees. The Colts have had our number the past two years, beating us twice (both at Indy). This year will be in our house. The house that Tom Brady and Robert Kraft built. I expect a sharp and well played game from both teams and don't be surprised if there's a few times that we go for it on fourth down. It's time to separate the contenders from pretenders, and after this game we'll have a better understanding of where our team stands.

There's No Place Like Home

Delonte West returns to the court Wednesday after
serving a 10-game-suspension to start the season.

The wait is officially over. For everyone keeping score, Delonte West is back. With a 116-110 win over the Grizzlies in Memphis Saturday night, the Celtics improved to 8-2 on the young season. The victory also marked the completion of West's ten-game-suspension to begin the year.

The suspension was a result of West pleading guilty to a 2009 weapons charge stemming from a traffic stop along the Capital Beltway in Washington, D.C.. Initially, West was pulled over for speeding in his three-wheeled motorcycle. Upon further inspection, officers found a loaded 9mm Beretta pistol, a .357 Magnum and a Remington 870 hidden in a guitar case strapped to his back, as well as a 8.5 inch bowie knife strapped to his leg. 

For all of us who might have forgotten, Delonte West is an enigma. He is a star shooting guard from St. Joseph's whom the Celtics picked 24th overall in the 2004 Draft. He is also a professional basketball player who suffers from mental illness. West is bi-polar. People with bi-polar disorder suffer from manic depression and are prone to psychotic episodes in which they are convinced someone is out to get them (hence the reason why West would travel with multiple automatic weapons strapped to his back). 

In addition to serious legal troubles, West was also recently blamed for causing a locker room rift that divided the Cleveland Cavaliers during their collapse against the Celtics in the playoffs last season. Multiple reports surfaced that West had been romantically involved with Gloria James, LeBron's mother. Maybe that's why LeBron really left Cleveland. Before even suiting up for the Celtics in a regular season  game, West made headlines again when he got into a scuffle with teammate Von Wafer while the two were playing one-on-one during practice. Questions immediately arose whether Danny Ainge should dump West before he became a distraction. 

There's no question that Delonte has his demons. But when you really think about it, West didn't seem to spiral out of control until after he left the Celtics the first time around. During his time in Boston, West was selected to play in the Freshmen vs. Sophomores All-Star Game, battled Rajon Rondo for playing time and averaged a career best 12.2 points in 2006-07. After all, we owe him an eternal debt for landing us Ray Allen and the 35th pick (Big Baby) in a 2007 trade that sent West, old friend Wally Szczerbiak and the #5 overall draft pick (Jeff Green) to Seattle. 

Now Delonte returns home to the team that drafted him. He has a pivotal role to fill on a championship caliber team full of accomplished veterans, one formerly held by Tony Allen and James Posey before him ( ie. good defender, slasher/shooter off the bench to lead the second unit). He is surrounded by familiar faces in Pierce, Rondo and Perkins, and a coach in Doc Rivers who understands him and helped him transition from college to the NBA. Toss in a couple Hall of Famers in Ray, KG and Shaq to lean on and Delonte appears to have a more than experienced support group to keep him in the right direction. If West can't overcome his troubles on this team he might never. Let's hope for his sake and ours that the old adage is true: there's no place like home. We'll find out Wednesday night when the Delonte Reunion Tour officially kicks off at 7:30pm against the Wizards.

Dunk of the Week

Sticks and Stones...

A healthy KG has returned to form this season
and so has his trash talking. 

Since making the monumental leap from Farragut Academy High School straight to the NBA in 1995, Kevin Garnett has personally hand crafted a reputation for being a notorious trash talker. Whether it be barking at opponents, committing hard fouls or relentlessly hounding officials, it's all a part of KG's persona. While LeBron is too busy basking in the crowd's spotlight, throwing up powder into the air and soaking in the applause, the Big Ticket is preparing for war; tying his short strings and banging his head against the padded support beneath the hoop.

Lately, KG has been taking some serious shots in the media for his on the court behavior. First, it was Charlie Villanueva of the Pistons ratting out Garnett on Twitter, claiming he called him a "cancer patient" during a recent matchup at the Palace of Auburn Hills (Villanueva suffers from a rare disease that leaves him unable to grow hair). While KG attempted to set the story straight by disclosing that he instead called Villanueva a "cancer" to his team, the public backlash hasn't significantly subsided. Now, just yesterday, Bulls center Joakim Noah told a Chicago radio station that Garnett is "a very mean guy," and, hold your breath Celtics fans, "ugly, too."

The moral of the story is that KG is back. He seems fully recovered from knee surgery and looks more and more like the 2008 Garnett with each game; ferocious in the paint, jumping high for rebounds and blasting off to slam home alley-oops from Rondo. While he was injured the past two seasons, he was playing on one leg and not at the top of his game. As a result, his trash talking subsided some due to the fact that he was unable to back up his words, physically. Now that he's healthy, his trash talking has been elevated, just as his game has. Some of the younger players in the League aren't accustomed to this. They're too young to remember the Minnesota KG, or even the 2008 version. In turn, they are left helpless on the court, and forced to sling playground name-calling Garnett's way off it.

Every true Celtic fan knows the Big Ticket is at his best when he strikes fear into the heart of opponents with hard fouls or gets under their skin with verbal jabs, getting in their heads and throwing them off their game. As my father told me on more than one occasion, this is what made Larry Bird so good. He was the king of trash talking. Famously, he walked into the locker room before the 1986 All-Star Three Point Contest and stated "I want all of you to know I am winning this thing. I'm just looking around to see who's gonna finish up second." Bird proceeded to torch the competition and hoist the trophy.

One aspect of last season that was so entertaining was watching Garnett and Rasheed Wallace feed off each other in the paint and jaw at opponents' ears. For one season, they were basketball's version of the Bash Brothers from Mighty Ducks. Nothing personified this better than Sheed being called for a bad foul and then the player at the line missing the free throws. On every occasion, Sheed could be heard in the background screaming "Ball Don't Lie!!" plain as day for everyone to hear.

Villanueva and Noah can cry all they want but it doesn't change the fact that KG is back. Last night in Miami he made Chris Bosh look like a JV player under the hoop, out hustling and muscling a perennial All-Star nearly ten years his younger. Trash talking means nothing if you can't back it up, and the best trash talkers are the ones that, in the end, let their play speak for themselves, not their words. Throw KG into this small, select category. I can't help but think Bird would agree, too.

I see your big 3, and raise you with my big 4

Nothing pleasures me or any other Boston Celtics fan nationwide more than to see us really stick it to LeBron James. The ageless Celtics went to South Beach last night and swept the floor with the Miami Heat. Ray Allen was literally on fire from behind the arc, hitting 7-9 of his threes while finishing the game with 35 points. At one point during the game, TNT announcer Reggie Miller (the all-time 3 point leader) said he was going to go over to the Celtics bench and hand the record over to Ray Allen. Rondo was magical once again dishing out 16 dimes with only 3 turnovers. Garnett is quieting critics with his strong and healthy play (knock on wood), he came away with 13 boards and 16 points while being absolutely relentless in the paint. Paul Pierce added 25, but his real dagger to the Heat and LeBron was after the game when he tweeted this....... "It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to South Beach now on to Memphis." Reggie Miller called it an "old time, take you behind the wood shed beat down." 

While the Celtics were playing as a team and running offenses, the Heat were trying to figure out the Celtics defense. LeBron was about the only one who had a game, finishing an assist away from another triple double. Wade and Bosh combined for 23 points total. If the Heat want to win a significant amount of games, those two need a little bit more production than 23 points. The Heat starters recorded 18 rebounds.... total. It seemed like throughout the whole game, they were just trying to play individual basketball, not team basketball. Set a couple picks, get the ball, and throw it up. Shaquille O' Neal also played 21 key minutes. Whenever Shaq was in the game, there was no easy drive to the hoop. Everything was challenged and every point was earned. When Kendrick Perkins does come back, watch out. 

Check, Checkmate...

If the Yankees land Cliff Lee, will Theo and the Sox be
able to counter by signing Carl Crawford?

Once upon a time, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and Co. boarded a plane westward and crashed Curt and Shonda Schilling's Thanksgiving day festivities in 2003. Over turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, Epstein persuaded Schilling to waive his no trade clause with the Diamondbacks and come to Boston. The rest is history, as The Big Schill talked the talk and walked the walk, bloody sock and all, to lead the Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years.

Word surfaced just days ago that Yankees GM Brian Cashman is about to do the same with free agent ace Cliff Lee, flying to Arkansas in an attempt to swoon the lefty to the Bronx. Rumor has it that Lee could command a contract in the CC Sabathia range (8 years, $160 million or more) and we all know the only team able to offer that kind of deal is the Yankees and their unlimited checkbook. However, after reports surfaced during the World Series that vulgur Yankee fans spit onto Mrs. Lee's head and yelled obscenities at her from the top balcony, the pinstripes' chances of landing Lee are anything but a slam dunk.

So the question must be raised......what is Theo's plan? How will he counter Cashman's move if he is able to lure Lee to New York. Such a significant move would certainly alter the balance of power in the AL East. My vote is for Epstein to hop on a plane to Texas and knock on Carl Crawford's door, maybe even stop by Adrian Beltre's abode as well. As 2010 proved, the Sox have a plethora of young, talented pitching in Buccholz, Lester and Bard, surrounded by more than able fill ins in Beckett, Lackey and Papelbon who should rebound to have a better year than last. Where the Sox really struggled was on offense, mostly due to the fact that stalwarts Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, as well as V-Mart and Cameron missed significant time due to injury. After bringing back Big Papi, Theo should now focus on having Crawford or Jason Werth sign on the dotted line, as well as Beltre and V-Mart.

If Cashman gets his wish, the Yankees will boast a formidable rotation of Sabathia, Lee, Hughes, Pettitte and Burnett. However, as Texas and San Francisco were able to display this postseason, big games are won with defense, pitching and timely hitting. The Sox have the pitching and defense already, and by bringing back Beltre and V-Mart, while also adding a bat like Crawford to the lineup, they would appear to have the offensive firepower as well. But hey, if all else fails, Theo can always throw his hat back in the Adrian Gonzalez ring, right?

Kicking Gostkowski When He's Down

Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski will miss the rest of
the 2010-11 season with a "thigh" injury

Injuries are a part of sports. Even the most casual fan seems to understand this fact. Watching the gruesome replays of Tom Brady and Wes Welker tearing their ACL and MCL against the Chiefs and Texans the past few seasons, respectively, is enough to make a Patriots fan turn away and grimace in despair. After paying hopeless witness to the vicious, concussion producing blindside checks sustained by Bruins centerman Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard in years past, fans can't help but hold their breath and pray anytime another member of the Black and Gold in involved in a violent collision.

However, there's a difference between a position player who gives it his all every single play and has the terrible misfortune of sustaining a serious injury and a fringe player who has no business getting hurt and missing time in the first place. With news coming out of Foxboro today that Patriots place-kicker Stephen Gostkowski will miss the rest of the season with a "thigh" injury, fans across New England can't help but shake their heads and wonder.

A kicker? Seriously? Did he forget to stretch before Sunday's humiliating loss to the Browns? Did he tweak his thigh reaching for a cup of gatorade on the sidelines? Maybe jog a little too fast on the opening kick off? Whatever the case may be, Gostkowski has no business getting injured. He is never asked to make a tackle, throw a pass, or haul in a catch. All that is asked of him is to kick the ball between the uprights and boot it as far as he can on kick-offs. One would think that after signing a four-year, multi-million dollar deal in the offseason that made him one of the highest paid kickers in the league, Gostkowski would put himself in the best possible shape to succeed, work out every aspect of his body, eat right and condition endlessly. It's not quite as bad as Padres pitcher Matt Latos landing on the DL with a strained chest after sneezing, but it's pretty close, especially when still-recovering wideout Wes Welker seamlessly stepped in to kick a successful extra point in the second half of the Browns game after Gostkowski left with an "injury."

Gostkowski has been one of the best kickers in the league the past few seasons, but after sustaining such a questionable injury he certainly isn't helping refute the old addage of kickers being soft, fragile and weak. Enjoy your time off, Stephen. I bet the rehab will be truly difficult.

Laughing stock

No matter what, always look like you have no idea what's going on.

Well that was a good run Wade Phillips. I don't think the picture above could describe you anymore as a professional football coach. Since 2007, you have successfully made Cowboys fans nation wide drop more F bombs than a drill sergeant. What have you done anyways? It's not like you have a bunch of no namers on your squad. You consistently have had numerous pro bowlers on your team each year, yet you still can't win, and why? Because you have no control over your team what so ever, and now you don't have a job. AND you have coached the Cowboys to their worst start in franchise history since 1989 (simple math gives me 21 years). Sad. I don't know who is dumber, you, or Jerry Jones for keeping you for so long. So long Wade Phillips and good luck getting another job. Oh yeah, don't bother adding "Head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, 2007-2010" on your resume because you got fired, and I don't think Jerry Jones will have anything good to say about you if your future employers call.

Seeing Stars

David Krejci sustained a concussion in overtime Saturday night
 after being levelled into the boards by Blues forward T.J. Oshie (74). 

In a heavyweight bout that felt more like a playoff tilt than an early November joust, the upstart St. Louis Blues edged the Bruins 2-1 Saturday night at the Garden, with old foe Brad Boyes beating Tuukka Rask in the final round of the shootout for the deciding goal.

However, the real storyline occurred less than a minute into overtime when wrecking ball T.J. Oshie absolutely plastered Bruins' center David Krejci with a devastating hit near the penalty box, slamming Krejci first into the side boards and then violently down to the ice. The 24-year-old slick pivot laid face down on the ice for an uncomfortably long amount of time before being helped to the dressing room by teammates Zdeno Chara and Andrew Ference. As of today, the Bruins have remained mum, disclosing only that Krejci sustained a concussion and will be out "at least a week."

If Bruins fans have learned anything over the past few seasons it's that sustaining the actual hit isn't always the worst part of a concussion, but instead the after affects that can plague a player for months on end, known as post-concussion syndrome. For evidence, look no further than fellow centermen Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard. After being crushed into the boards from behind by Flyers' goon Randy Jones early in the 2007-08 season, Bergeron was knocked unconscious and removed from the game on a stretcher, a scary sight that Bruins fans hope never to see again. For months he battled paralyzing migraines, couldn't sleep and got nauseous just from standing up. Bergeron was forced to miss the remainder of the season and never truly regained his form until last year. 

Same with Savard. After sustaining a cheap shot to the back of the head last March courtesy of Matt Cooke's elbow, Savard missed nearly two months before heroically returning in the second round of the playoffs. He went on to score a monumental overtime goal against the Flyers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, however Savard may have been rushed back too soon, as he has yet to appear in a game this season due to post-concussion syndrome. 

If it's any consolation, despite its overtly violent nature, Oshie's hit on Krejci appeared to be legal (he led with his shoulder, just like all young hockey players are taught to do), unlike the cheap shots delivered by Jones and Cooke. Nonetheless, the Bruins lose one of their best playmakers for an undetermined amount of time and are now forced to deal with yet another concussion and its unknown after affects. For the Bruins' sake, and Krejci's, let's hope this story has a different ending, one with a healthy Krejci back on the ice as soon as possible. 

Steamrolled

On a day the Patriots could have really solidified their record in the NFL, Peyton Hillis ran all over us like a steamroller paving new roads in Cleveland. I am so utterly disgusted with the Patriots performance today that I could honestly throw up. Did they even prepare for the BROWNS this week? Or do all of their studying last night? Hillis ran more times than Colt McCoy threw the ball...... hell, Hillis ran for more yards than McCoy threw!!! And not to mention, his 189 yards on the ground today are his career best. One week after we shut down one of the game's best, Adrian Peterson.

With the Patriots tough schedule coming up within the next few weeks (@ Pittsburgh, Vs. Indy), we needed this victory. It's a conference loss with big conference games coming up even past the next two opponents.  The younger players need to understand that this is the NFL. This isn't college football anymore. These are grown men who will hit you in your mouth time and time again if you are not ready for it, disregarding what your opponents record is. Mr. Belichick, please crack the whip this week.

Ride the Hot Hand

Bruins coach Claude Julien has a decision to make each game:
who should start in net, Tim Thomas or Tuukka Rask? 

The streak had to come to an end at some point, right? After playing on his head for the first month of the season to the blissful tune of a 7-0-0 record, Tim Thomas proved Friday night in Washington that he is indeed mortal. Just a few days after being named the NHL's Second Star for the month of October (he led all goaltenders with a gaudy .984 saves percentage, registered three shutouts and posted a microscopic 0.50 goals against average), Thomas came down to Earth against the Capitals by allowing three goals on 25 shots through two periods.

In an attempt to provide a jolt for the sputtering Bruins, who were playing their second game in two nights and now trailed 3-0, coach Claude Julien pulled Thomas in favor of Tuukka Rask to start the third period. The move paid off, as the Black and Gold showed the kind of guts we were all looking for during last year's horrific playoff collapse against Philadelphia, battling all the way back to knot the score 3-3 on power play goals from Michael Ryder and Nathan Horton and an even strength goal on a partial breakaway by tough guy Shawn Thornton. Nonetheless, the Caps regained the lead late in the third and went on to add an empty net goal in the final minute, winning 5-3. Rask, who expected to have the night off, played well, turning aside 12 of 13 shots in the last stanza.

What the Bruins have right now is a problem that every other franchise in the NHL would love to have on its hands: who to start in net? With Thomas flashing his 2008-09 Vezina trophy winning form and the incumbent starter Rask primed to enter his second year carrying to load, who does Julien throw between the pipes each night?

For the time being, I think you have to ride the hot hand. Julien has a great luxury in that both goaltenders are healthy and have the ability to pitch a shutout on any given night. Thomas seemed to run out of gas against the Caps Friday night and Julien did the right thing by pulling him (kudos to the Bruin coach for having Thomas's back, stating after the game that the yanking had nothing to do with Thomas' play but instead meant to jump-start Julien's listless forwards).

The Bruins return to the Hub tonight to host the St. Louis Blues and Rask is in net, just as it should be. Thomas gains some much needed time off to re-energize the batteries and Rask gets an opportunity to show us all why Thomas became expendable in the first place.

While having two goaltenders of Thomas and Rask's ilk is nice, it would be unrealistic to expect it to last all season long. Although it would kill me to see Thomas go (a fellow UVM alum), my vote is for the Bruins to showcase him, prove to possible suitors that he's fully recovered from offseason hip surgery and then deal him for a puck moving defenseman or high draft picks. Thomas has a hefty contract ($5 million/year for two more years) that management would love to shed, especially with injured stars such as Marc Savard and Marco Sturm set to return sooner than later.

Rask is a stud and he proved in last season's playoffs that, even as a 22-year-old, he's more than capable of backstopping this franchise for years to come. Thomas is an aging veteran with a huge contract that is playing great. No one knows for sure what the future will hold for the duo, but for now it would be idiotic of Julien not to ride the hot hand.

"Sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82-0. It just ain't happening."

Before you get too cocky Mr. Wade, I didn't think you were going to finish the season 82-0.  But by the way you celebrated before the season started, I think you thought you were going to go 82-0.  Who threw that party for you anyways? When you all got together and acted like you just won the NBA championship the night before. Did LeBron promote that? We all know he's good at promoting himself. 


After 6 games into the Miami Heat's season, they are sitting on a 4-2 record. Now I'm not stupid, this group of guys will still win at least 50+ games. But this is not a TEAM (yet). Tonight while watching the end of the Heat-Hornet game, with the Heat trailing by three with the clock ticking down, I noticed none of the "Big 3" wanted to take that big shot. So who took it? Ironically, Eddie House. The shot didn't go down and the Heat fell to 4-2. It makes me wonder if Wade took it and missed, maybe next time he would let LeBron shoot because he missed the previous big shot and vice versa if LeBron took it and missed. LeBron and Wade's combined salaries are almost a quarter of a billion dollars. I'm sorry but if I'm the owner, one of those two better be taking that big shot.


That's the difference between the Heat's Big 3 and the Celtic's Big 3. Paul Pierce is taking that shot 9 times out of 10 if the ball can get to him. If Pierce misses the shot at the end of regulation, guess who's taking the final shot of overtime, Pierce (unless we need a three or there's a broken play). The point is no one on our team is afraid to take the big shot, miss or make and be worried about the consequences from teammates. It didn't look like that tonight in New Orleans, when the Heat had the final shot.

In Bill We Trust

Forget for a second that Bill Belichick has already won three Super Bowl titles, four conference championships and six division crowns with the New England Patriots. Push aside his two Coach of the Year awards and the fact that he is the only coach in NFL history to guide his team to a 16-0 undefeated regular season. Imagine that his 116-45 record with the Pats isn't the best ever for any head coach through his first ten years with a team. Ignore the fact that his Patriots have set the record for consecutive total victories (21 from 2003-04), consecutive regular season wins (21 from 2006-08) and consecutive playoff wins (10 from 2001-05).

Despite all these eye-popping accomplishments, Belichick is saving his best for last. The 2010-11 regular season just might be his new benchmark as the Patriots head coach. After an offseason filled with countless questions about a young, inexperienced defense, Belichick has more than silenced his critics. Through seven games, the 6-1 Pats own the best record in football, without any cornerstone veterans like Bruschi, Seymour, Vrabel, Harrison or Troy Brown to lean on.

First and second year players that Belichick hand picked in the Draft have begun to blossom under his tutelage. We all, myself included, gawked at the trade that sent Matt Cassel and fan favorite Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs for a second round pick last season. Little did we know that Patrick Chung would be the heir apparent to Rodney Harrison. We moaned and groaned about taking some unknown cornerback from Rutgers with the 27th overall pick in the 2010 Draft. Now Devin McCourty looks like a young, quick, physical Ty Law. Taking a punter in the 5th round, are you kidding me? I don't hear anyone questioning that decision, especially after Zoltan Mesko's mammoth boot in overtime that single-handedly shifted the momentum in a classic, come-from-behind win against the Ravens in Week 6. 

In Bill we trust. Not only is he a master tactician and strategist on the field, head and shoulders above his counterparts, but Belichick has an eye for talent and character that is unmatched. As General Manager, he has identified exactly what he wants in a Patriot: tough, smart, disciplined and most of all, a team player. The recent Randy Moss saga has become utterly symbolic of Belichick's unparalleled gravitas. Moss couldn't help himself after watching Big Vince and Tom Brady sign gargantuan contract extensions and proceeded to become a locker room distraction. Instead of caving in to Moss's demands for a new deal, Belichick threw fewer and fewer balls his way to prove to both Moss and the team that they could win without him.

Although we will never truly know how it all went down inside the locker room, what we do know is that Belichick acquired a third-round pick from the clueless Vikings in return for Moss, whom they decided to waive just four games into his reunion tour in Minnesota. To add insult to injury, Moss lifted the veil during his postgame interview at Gillette after losing 28-18 to his former team, calling Belichick the "greatest coach of all time," and spewing unmistakable nostalgia for his ex-teammates. 

Forget Spygate. Everyone was doing it, the Pats were just too stupid or cocky (maybe a combination of both) and got caught. Forget his dead-pan media interviews and perpetually bogus injury reports. Belichick has been elevated to god-like status around theses parts. He's managed to assemble the NFL's best team with Brady, a still-recovering Welker and a locker room full of rookies and second year players. He got rid of Moss and now owns a jaw-dropping number of first, second and third-round picks in next year's Draft, which he will surely use to stockpile young talent and prolong the Patriot dynasty. 

The Patriots of 2010-11 are reminiscent of the 2001 Patriots. They lack major stars (minus Brady), but have a locker room full of tough, disciplined players who have bought into Belichick's team-first strategy. Most likely we will never see Brady toss 50 touchdowns again, or a corn-rowed wideout catch 23 TD's. But, if all goes according Belichick's plan, we will be lucky enough to witness another title being hoisted in Foxboro sooner than later.