The teams are alright...

Both the Phillies and the Red Sox lost today. But it doesn't matter. I am feeling mighty optimistic about both squads. A rematch of the 1915 World Series seems very possible. Or at least a Phillies playoff appearance for the 1st time since 1993. It might just be the Aquafina talking, but I really like the Phillies' and Sox' chances this season.

The Phillies lost to the Reds 9-8 today, but the final score was a result of Phillies' minor leaguers blowing the big lead the Phillies' major leaguers put up. Jon Lieber pitched shutout ball, and may have bumped up his trade value a little. The Phillies have 6 good starters for 5 rotation spots- they could (should) trade Lieber for a young OF with some pop in his bat. (Hmm. That last sentence really seems familiar somehow...) With Brett Myers, Freddy Garcia, and wunderkind Cole Hamels fronting the rotation, and Chase Utley and Ryan Howard powering the offense, Philly should be a force in the NL. The Mets have a strong offense, but a very shaky rotation. The Braves have a strong bullpen, but issues elsewhere. The Phils could very well win the NL East.

The Sox lost today to the Dodgers, 2-1, in a game in which they only had 5 hits. But Josh Beckett (3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) pitched extremely well. He is a key component of what should be a very strong rotation. Jon Lester also pitched a hitless inning in a "B" game in the morning.
Kei Igawa, a P the Yankees are counting on for their rotation, got roughed up (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB) by Detroit today. While the Yankees likely have a superior offense, the Sox could win the division on the strength of their superior rotation. Which features Papelbon. Ace starter. Ace closer. Duck hunter. And Jedi.

The Bruins are also looking good as of late. Two wins over the weekend have put them 4 points behind 8th place Carolina, with 3 fewer games played than the 'Canes. Tim Thomas has been remarkable in goal (18 consecutive games!), and the B's even won against Brodeur IN N.J. without Thomas in goal. They used Joey MacDonald, last seen being bombed by the Flyers for 6 goals and released by the Red Wings, in goal, and he responded with a 26 save, 1st star performance. In his red and white Red Wings mask. It looks like the 8th seed in the Conference will face a tough Buffalo team in the 1st round, but it would be great just for the Bruins to make the playoffs. And I think they will.

Even the Flyers, with the fewest points in the league, 9 less than the horrendous L.A. Kings, seem to be moving in the right direction. They have made some good trades in recent weeks, picking up a gaggle of draft picks, and some good young players like Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, Braydon Coburn, and Lasse Kukkonen. They should have the max number of ping pong balls in the draft lottery, so they should pick up another good prospect with their 1st round pick. (Though no Crosby or Ovechkin or Malkin seems to be available in this draft.) The acquisition of G Martin Biron from the Sabres was an expensive one- the cost being the (likely) 1st selection in the 2nd round of the draft- but, if they can convince him to sign a contract before he becomes a free agent, it could be worth the price. I still think Antero Niittymaki can be a #1 goalie and an NHL star, but it won't hurt to have a #1 goalie in place until Antero gains more experience and consistency at the NHL level. The Flyers have some salary cap room going into the offseason, and with possible free agents like Daniel Briere and Kimmo Timonen available, the Flyers won't be propping up the NHL standings next season.

The Return of El Guapo

Rich Garces has returned! Well, to the Nashua (N.H.) Pride at least. The once-rotund hurler, now (allegedly) tipping the scales at a feathery 235 lbs. on his lanky 6 ft. frame, is expected to serve as the Pride's closer and provide leadership in the clubhouse. I hope he does well for them. I was always a Garces fan. (Well, except for in 2002, when he was released by the Sox after sporting a 7.59 ERA, a stat that does not suitably demonstrate the damage he did to the ERAs of his teammates.)

Daisuke will be the starting pitcher for the Sox Friday, March 2 against Boston College in a game that will now be televised by NESN at 6pm. (Pre-game coverage starts Thursday, February 22 at 7am. Daisuke will be trying grits for the first time.) BC-UNH hockey is scheduled for NESN at 7:30pm that night, so I'm guessing that only the Daisuke innings will be covered? I am wicked excited to see some baseball! Though I'd prefer to see Daisuke debut against major leaguers, I understand that is the day for him to pitch to keep him on turn, as he is projected to follow Snyder and Hansack as the #3 starter. As long as Dice-K doesn't shake off Tek, I'm sure he'll do fine against the vaunted BC lineup.

The Bruins continue to edge closer to a playoff spot with a 3-0 win over Toronto. Tim Thomas had 44 saves in the shutout and thanked his defense corps for their effort afterwards. (Yep. 44 shots allowed. Way to go, D!) I am still a little concerned about Thomas' workload, as he made his 10th straight start. The schedule I e-mailed Dave Lewis 2 months ago clearly indicated that Hannu Toivonen was to be the Bruins' starter in goal Monday night in Philly, but David, apparently, feels that this schedule was merely a "suggestion." I just hope the Bruins don't mortgage too much of their future when they are forced to trade for a Belfour or a LaBarbera to replace an injured Thomas. If Hannu doesn't get the start against the Panthers, there will be repercussions, Mr. Lewis...

USC ice hockey goalie Mickey Meyer was ejected (and ticketed by a police officer) from a game against BYU when he protested the officiating by "riding his stick like a horse, mooning the crowd, and slapping his buttocks." In a post-game interview, Meyer indicated that he "had his fill of these refs." (Thanks for clearing that up for us, Mickey!) This kind of questionable behavior brings to mind an obvious question- since when do USC and BYU play ice hockey?

In Britney news, the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League have offered "an all-expenses-paid trip to northern New York" that would "provide Britney with a stress-free environment and the chance to experience a high level of hockey." While the therapeutic value of watching hockey, obviously, cannot be disputed, I wonder if watching the 2nd worst team in the AHL would bring the "high-level" part of the comment into question. I would like to commend Syracuse Crunch management, however, for looking out for Britney's best interests. While they could be concerned with attendance for the 27th ranked team in the 28 team AHL, in a city buried under 8 feet (1.19 Zdenos) of snow, their concern is for Brit. It's good to see there are still people like that left in this world.

Soxin' it up

There is action at Red Sox camp. The equipment truck is on the way. Daisuke's plane will be landing at 6:30pm. Jonathan was 1st spotted at 7:55am, threw off the mound today, and his best recipe for duck will be announced later. Devern, Kason, and Craig were spotted. Kyle has changed his number to 39, Jon to 31, and Manny to 17.
J.D. Drew is still not on the 40 Man Roster. (It says his name on there, but there are more than 40 peeps on that there 40 Man Roster.)
I have not yet seen a detailed manifest of the contents of the Sox equipment truck, but I am hopeful it will be available soon.

I don't know how I survived pre-internet. Having so many stats, random stories, and videos just clicks away. (Not to mention the fabulousness that is MLB.TV!)
I remember having to wait for my monthly Baseball Digest fix to come in the mail, with only limited television coverage/info available for out of town teams. This is so much better. I am ready for another season of inhaling baseball. (Yep. INHALING. That is the bon mot for my baseball ways.)

The Flyers play on national television tonight (on Versus at 7pm) against the Red Wings. The Red Wings are coming off a 7 goal, 50 shot domination of Calgary. The Flyers are coming off a 4-3 OT win at home against St. Louis. It was their 1st win at home since NOVEMBER 24TH. Apparently, the key for the Flyers' winning at home is to start their 3rd string goalie, and have him wear his Nashville Predators pads. Hey, whatever works. It's always a special treat when they win a game. But I don't think they'll be winning another one tonight.

The Bruins traded D Brad Stuart and C Wayne Primeau to Calgary for D Andrew Ference and RW Chuck Kobasew. I wonder if the B's could package Ference, Kobasew, and Marco Sturm for that Joe Thornton guy. Probably not. Fuck.
At least BU will win another Beanpot in a few hours...GOALIE! SIEVE! GOALIE! SIEVE! SIEVE! SIEVE! SIEVE!

If you come to battle, bring a shotgun...

We clutched our CharlieTickets as we descended into the bowels of North Station. The odor was almost unbearable. Perhaps it was the fetid stench of yet another Bruins loss. Alternatively, it may have been a result of individuals choosing a less-than-sanitary method of satisfying their personal evacuation needs.
The (Musical) Artist Currently Known as Shadow was at the scene, selling his Limited Edition CD: 10 songs for only $5! He was attempting to sweeten the deal by offering a live freestyle at time of purchase, but the masses made my purchasing decision for me by propelling me towards the turnstiles. I will, apparently, need to turn to eBay (or iTunes) to get my Shadow fix.

It seemed like a simple enough plan. Depart from Ipswich, MA at 5:15pm for Alewife T station. Take the T to North Station. Watch the Bruins defeat the Sabres, starting the massacre (BY the Bruins) at 7pm. Unfortunately, any plan that involves me driving for long periods of time has a danger of failure. (Not to mention the danger of casualties.)

I make the drive from Ipswich to Somerville most nights in 45-60 minutes. So, naturally, it took about 90 minutes to make that trip on this night. But it wasn't due to poor driving on my part. Sure, there was that car I almost rear-ended in Peabody. (I'd like to take this opportunity to let the drivers around me who switched lanes immediately afterwards, probably to avoid later witnessing my insanely quick reflexes in action, that they totally didn't hurt my feelings or nuthin'.) And also that pedestrian in Somerville, who seriously needs to invest in some brighter-colored clothing. (Note: I am not counting that alleged incident with that seemingly unnecessary Yield sign in Danvers- where I almost got hit from behind, and to the glove side, by an SUV- because I had no passengers at the time.) If anything, my obscenely,um, skilled, driving helped us reach our destination quicker. Plus, the burning rubber from my tires in Peabody helped remind us of the reason we had embarked on this trepidatious journey. We were drawn to the puck!

I was directed to tune in to Public Radio to see why there was a delay, but I suspect that was a ploy by an individual with less than ideal taste in music. We did not discover why it was so trafficky. But we did join a young woman on a voyage of self-discovery as she struggled with the decision of whether to pursue a future in the Prostitutional Arts. She, eventually, decided that the lucrative nature of that particular career path was outweighed by the potential dangers (pimps, disease, and/or death). I believe she made the right choice. (We should have stuck to listening to those musical greats from the great nation of Sweden, Mind's Eye.)

Now that I have transitioned from a T-commuter to an infrequent T-traveler, I miss out on a lot of the randomness that public transportation has to offer. This night's highlight was likely the burly lacrosse player working on ballet moves on the Red Line. A bit on the disconcerting side. Fortunately, he left the train before he attempted a Pas de Chat. Which likely would have ended badly for all those concerned.

We also overheard some interesting comments on the T.
From a middle-aged hockey fan," Is hockey quarters or halves?"
Between a befuddled T rider and an MBTA official," How do you get to the end of the platform?" "You go to the platform, then you go to the end."
Between a band of rough-and-tumble individuals and a bespectacled dork, "Are you going to Fleetcenter?" "Yes." "Are you going to see the Bruins?" "No, I'm going to see Bucketman play a set in the alley." (Note: This would have been my response if I was more rough-and tumble.)

It was about 7:20pm when we walked through the alley past the large ads featuring Jason, Troy, and Ray. (No shot at Ray- one of the greatest in NHL history- but I would have preferred to have seen a current Bruin, perhaps Zdeno or Patrice, pictured.) Bucketman was pounding away with a tune from his breakout 2nd album, but there was no time to stop, as we had to race in to get two of the remaining 4000 seats.

We settled on $33 seats, which positioned us around the blue line, to the left of the goal defended ably by Tim Thomas for 2 periods, exactly 3 rows from the highest row in the arena. A bit pricey, but we could see the whole playing surface, and we realize that we have to help pay the salaries of the Chistovs and the Donovans, with our ticket dollars. We had no problem with the security check at the entrance, as I had left my Mooninite at home. (I still can't believe I got that piece of art and media history on eBay for only 5G!)

We had missed all but 1:23 of the 1st period. Even worse, we had become, at least for one night, the late-arriving fans that I have oft-criticized. On the plus side, the Bruins had a 1-0 lead.

We went to the concession stands to load up our bellies with overpriced culinary delights, contented by the realization that we were helping pay for Mark Mowers' varied contributions to Bruins hockey. I failed in my attempt to find a Lemonade, but we did overpay for some popcorn, Barq's root beer, and a Nathan's hot dog (Theo's fave), which I consumed faster than Iafrate's slapper once found the glass behind the net. In the 3rd period, there was a $7 pizza, which was certainly the worst $7 pizza I could recall helping consume. (Note: Dave Lewis had made me a healthy scratch, due to my tardiness, so I could eat at will.)

I have already sent my game report to Dave Lewis (and an anonymous Eastern Conference team), so I am prevented, for proprietary reasons, from commenting on the game itself. All I can say is that it was typical Bruins hockey, typical Sabres hockey, and a typical 3-1 Sabres win. I will note, however, that I was excited to see Brad Boyes engage in his 1st fight at the NHL level, and it was a pretty good scrap.

I was a bit disappointed that the Ice Girls' impact seemed to be limited to posing in the background for random photo ops, and helping sweep up glass shavings on the ice. I'm not really sure what, exactly, I was expecting from their contribution to be, but certainly something more. Even more disappointing was the fact that the Bruins mascot (Blades) did not appear to be wearing skates. Chickenshit. (Bearshit?) He needs to be sent to the ECHL for awhile, and return with skating skills.
I did, however, come to a realization. I once thought that the commercial breaks, were for, well, commercials. So the B's could sell advertising time and whatnot. But those breaks are actually so that the Ice Girls can shovel up ice shavings from the slot in front of each goal, thus providing more goal-scoring opportunities for the fans to enjoy.

Also worthy of note were the musical selections. There was some Guns, Motley Crue, Van Halen, Metallica- all of the music seemed to be at least a decade old. I was totally singing along (in my head), but isn't there anything more contemporary that could have revved up the crowd? No, not Fergie, who doesn't exactly make me want to rock out (or "go rock, rock", for that matter), but some more mainstream/rockish stuff? Hmm, I'm not really sure where I am going with this. They seem to play the same songs at all games. I guess I just want some new stuff worked into the rotation. Not that I would recognize and/or sing along to it, if they did.

But there is one thing I am certain of. If they are playing House of Pain, and they show you on the HD-quality big screen, it is your duty to get out of your seats and jump around, jump up, jump up, and get down, in a timely manner. That is, if you have not already begun the getting down process, which is, of course, preferable.

One fan-friendly program the B's have is to allow a family to stand right outside the Bruins' locker room, and watch/wave to the players as they return to the ice. They had a family of 4 with a lil' guy and a tiny lil' girl positioned behind a rope, right in front of the players' exit. It was awesome to watch the kiddies bop around in excitement as the players walked by, and see their joyous expressions when the players slapped their hands (and when the goalies tapped them with their blockers!). That was just the coolest.

But the most memorable part, at least for me, occurred at 18:58 of the 3rd period. Marco Sturm got blasted in the head, resulting in 1 concussion for the B's German forward, and zero minutes in penalties for the Sabres. When Sturm left the ice, he left behind a small pool of blood near the faceoff circle to the left of the Sabres' goal. The on-ice officials opted the take care of the bloody situation by scraping up ice shavings with their skate blades, and covering the blood. I'm not sure if this was one of the Best Practices for Blood-Handling, but I'll give the refs points for efficiency.

So, to sum up, the reason they PLAY the games is because either team could win. The reason we GO to the games is to see where they hide all the blood.
Go Bruins!

Schilling for Senator (in 2010)! Rocca for Punter (in 2007)!

So, apparently, Curt Schilling will be competing for a spot in a (the Phillies???) pitching rotation in 2008, as opposed to competing for a spot in the Senate lineup. It is unclear why the two need to be mutually exclusive- can't he be a Senator on his 4 days of rest (from pitching)?

But he should be ready for 2010, when the current former- Phillies-ace-turned-Senator, Jim Bunning, will likely be ejected.

(It is preferable for the Phillies to have a former ace

pitcher in the Senate, at all times.)

Unlike Bunning, chosen by MLB as a Hall of Famer, and by Time Magazine as one of America's Worst Senators, the Schill is a prime-time player, and does not require a teleprompter. (Perhaps Bunning can return to MLB in 2010 as a 79 yr. old reliever. He could put up a 27.00 ERA in a pitcher's park, and still show improvement over his performance as a Senator.)

In other Curtis Montague Schilling news, he announced that, if not given an contract extension (note: he doesn't want a more lucrative deal, he just wants another year at the same salary tacked on), he will become a free agent after the 2007 season. (He would be quite a good pickup for the Phillies, even as a 41 year old.) So, Theo, if you're reading this, put down the Nathan's Hot Dog, and lock up The Schill for another season. Unless you want to face him 3 times (2 starts, 1 relief appearance) in the 2008 World Series. Which I'm sure you don't.

J.D. Drew is officially (maybe) a Red Sox. Until I see a roster move made, putting Drew on the Sox' 40-Man Roster, I choose to remain in denial.

The Todd Helton trade talks seem to have fallen through, for the time being. I wasn't too excited about locking Helton in as the Red Sox 1B, as he continues along the downward, diminishing returns phase of his Coors-inflated career. Even at $5 million/yr. (after Colorado kicked in some $). Especially if the deal would have cost the Sox Craig Hansen, who I still feel could be an MLB closer. Helton will prob. put up Youkilis numbers this year, and the Sox already have a Youkilis of their very own. Unless the player/$ package was very different than that leaked by the Rockies, this was a good non-move by the Sox.

In NFL news, there's a game being played this Sunday, somewhere in Florida.

The Eagles signed Saverio Rocca, former Australian Rules Football star, as a punter. (I guess the Eagles are reading my e-mails.) I have often gazed longingly at NFL punting statistics, and fantasized about the day that the Eagles would have a Shane Lechler of their own. (Despite the fact that, as a young lad, I was Commanded not to covet thy neighbor's punter.) While logic tells me that Rocca may very well be nothing more than a training camp leg to limit incumbent Dirk Johnson's (24th out of 30 punters in gross avg.) reps, perhaps Rocca will win the Eagles punting gig, and lead the NFL with a 50 yd. avg, on the way to an appearance in the 2008 edition of the NFL game being played this Sunday.

The Flyers continue to lose, despite getting some pretty decent goaltending and even a cameo from Peter Forsberg, who actually played like his skates fit the other night. The Flyers are now attempting to think outside-the-box, (No- not outside-the-penalty-box -they still feel the need to keep that place staffed with at least one player at all times.) and are splitting the remainder of the season into 5 game segments. So, instead of being in last place this season (in the entire NHL), they are in 2nd to last place (in the entire NHL) in their current 5 game segment. Congrats, Flyers!

The Bruins are, possibly, in their worst stretch of the season right now, with 4 consecutive losses, including consecutive blowouts. Their 7-1 loss Tuesday night in Buffalo was one of their worst performances this season.

As a result, I am taking extreme measures to save the Bruins' season. I will be in attendance tonight as the B's try to avenge their Tuesday pasting by the Sabres. So, Mr. Lewis, if the guys need a pep talk, or if you need me to play in goal in the 3rd period, play the point on the PP, D on a 3-on-5, fraternize with the Ice Girls, just let me know. I'll be the dork with the Phillies hat sitting in the rafters. Just send an usher for me when you need me. The losing streak ends tonight.

Stop! Hannu time!

So Hannu Toivonen gets another chance to participate in exciting NHL action tonight against the New York Islanders. The last opportunity didn't work out so well (5-0 loss in Nashville, in which he allowed 2 goals which were softer than Glen Murray), but he has a much better chance against the Islanders.
My predictions: Hannu allows one fluky goal in a 3-1 win, Timothy Thomas enjoys a relaxing night as a spectator, Hannu plays 35% of the remaining Bruins regular season games and performs better than Wade Flaherty would, the Bruins do NOT waste draft picks trading for a Proven Veteran Backup Goalie, Thomas leads the B's into the 2nd round of the playoffs, and Boston.com continues to run that Extremely Disconcerting picture of Toivonen every time he plays. (Note: That pic is much too disconcerting to display here.)

Onnea matkaan, Hannu!

Line Changes for Dummies

"Shithell."
That's was Timothy James Thomas, Jr., was probably thinking as Blue Jacket forward David Vyborny raced into the Bruins zone alone in OT.
What were his four talented teammates up to, you ask? Good question. Perhaps they were chatting about Julio Lugo's pink tie? Giving Columbus a practice run for the seemingly inevitable shootout? Discussing the impending return of The Apprentice? (IN L.A.! The winners stay in a mansion, the losers STAY IN TENTS!!!) The answer to this question was unclear at press time.
After being peppered with 20 shots in the 3rd period alone (19 saves), perhaps Mr. Thomas thought it WAS the shootout.
Vyborny surgically deposited the game winner, and Thomas was not the only one ready to smash a goal stick into the nearest inanimate object. A disappointing ending to a game the B's should have won.

The World Junior (hockey) Championships started earlier in the day with Germany upsetting the U.S. 2-1, and Belarus upsetting Finland (and (Bruins G prospect) The Great Tuuka Rask).
However, as a U.S. citizen, I do not really care about the WJC. I find watching people playing cards much more to my liking.

If there is no one available to watch play cards, an acceptable alternative would be to show 12 yr. olds spell words that you will likely never see or hear again, until the next time you watch new 12 yr. olds spell these same words. (A fairly hebetudinous exercise, if you ask me.)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the (self-proclaimed) "Worldwide Leader in Sports" for catering to my sporting preferences. Thank you, ESPN.

What was the Bruins game doing being televised on the Network Formerly Known as OLN anyways? I expect to watch all Bruins games on NESN HD. None of this Versus jive. The main reason people even have jobs is so that they can watch the Bruins and Sox on NESN HD. The Versus crew is very knowledgeable and does an excellent job, but it's just not right, somehow. (And any Sox telecast that doesn't include the words "Buenos noches, amigos!" isn't right either.)

But Versus should feel free to televise any and all Flyers games and/or NHL games of their own choosing, provided they do not coincide with the aforementioned Flyers and/or Bruins games. (I suppose Versus could televise live WJC action also, but I'll be watching the cards instead. That's how we roll in the Land of the Free.)

Also, the Bruins should strongly consider utilizing a goalie not named Timothy James, Jr. on occasion. T.J. is playing brilliantly right now, but he needs to be fresh enough to play brilliantly in the playoffs. (He is currently projecting to play almost as many games as J.D. Drew is projecting to miss with undisclosed injuries.) My suggestion to the Bruins would be to find a young Finnish goalie (because Finland makes the bestest hockey goalies) with a very Finnish name (such as Hannu Pekka, for example) and let him play once a week to give T.J. a break.

Failing that, I would like to volunteer my services as the backup B's goalie. As Mr. Belichick has, once again, chosen an inferior punter to play for the Patriots, I am available for backup Bruins goalie responsibilities. I can open the door to the bench, as needed. Chat with the Ice Girls. Sing karaoke with Zdeno. Needle opponents. Challenge Milan and Stanislav in Sudoku. Whatever is needed. I'll make B's fans forget Kay Whitmore. Give me a call, Chiarelli. You'll be glad you did.