Welcome to the Patriots Randy Moss

As I sit here and watch game 3 of the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings (and boy do I love playoff hockey), I can't help but salivate at the thought of Randy Moss in a New England Patriots uniform. Let's go through the pros and cons of this deal shall we?

First the pros.... This guy is still one of the most talented wide receivers in this game. He has had no quarterback to throw to him these past few years, but the man can still flat out fly. Reportedly, at his physical with the Patriots on Sunday, Moss ran a 4.29 40 yard dash. That is absolutely amazing. There are kids coming out of college that can run the 40 yard dash that fast. Okay so some say the 40 is the most overrated stat, but I mean it has to count for something. Also, this man still has the height and the speed to make a difference on this team. He can jump above most corner backs in this league and when he wants to play he can be almost unstoppable.

Now the cons.... As we all know Moss has had his share of character issues over the years and there are a ton of questions about his commitment and drive. There are also questions about whether he is a team player or whether he just plays for his own personal stats. First of all, the man would not have taken a 4-6 million dollar pay cut if he was not committed to playing for this team. If he was all about his own stats, he would have kept the huge contract. Secondly, everything he has said in the media since the trade shows me that he will do what it takes to win a Super Bowl. I know they are just words, but first impressions are everything these days and so far I am very impressed with the way Moss has handled himself. Another potential down side to this deal is Moss' age. I mean he is only 30 so I don't really see this as a problem, but you never know; however, the Pats did only sign him to a one year deal.

Overall, I have to say that I love every aspect of this trade. At most, Moss is only going to cost the Patriots 5-6 million dollars and as of right now it is only for a year. Secondly, the Patriots only gave up a fourth round pick for a potential Pro Bowl receiver. Not to mention the Pats had three fourth round picks anyways. Finally, who doesn't want to see Randy Moss play with a quarterback like Tom Brady. He may have some minor troubles in the locker room, but the Patriots coaching staff and players have taken in trouble makers before (such as Rodney Harrison and Corey Dillon and look how those both turned out). With the receiving core that the Patriots have, Tom Brady could throw for 4500 plus yards and 40 plus touchdowns this season IF everyone can stay healthy. I only see this deal helping the Patriots, even if it is only for this season and not the long term. The Patriots are doing something they have never done before.... they are trying to win now and not for the future. This deal will only help this, and who knows maybe Moss will have a great season and sign an extension once the season is over. This could turn out to be very beneficial for the Patriots.

Watch out for the Pats this season. I picked them to win it all before this trade and this only will help my pick! Enjoy boys and girls and try to catch some of these NHL playoffs. I know i say it every time but by golly they are amazing! Signing off until next time.

Best Playoffs Out There

The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs have to be the most exciting playoffs for any sport in the entire world. There is nothing more exciting than playoff hockey except playoff overtime hockey. This is what makes this time of year the best for sports fans everywhere. If you haven't watched a playoff hockey game, I encourage you to go out and do it. You will never see players play with as much passion and emotion as they do in these games. It is just that exciting.

The first round saw a lot of surprises and new faces. The New York Rangers swept the higher seeded Atlanta Thrashers in the first round which was a huge surprise. Some were picking the Rangers to win, but I don't think anyone was expecting a sweep. A new face in the playoffs was Sidney Crosby. The teenage sensation played with a broken foot (unknown until afterward the playoffs) and was limited in point scoring. His team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, lost in 5 games to the higher seeded Ottawa Senators. In the western conference, the fourth seeded Nashville Predators who some thought could win the Stanley Cup only won one game against the fifth seeded San Jose Sharks (my pick to win the Cup). Also, there was only one game seven in the first round and that was in the Vancouver vs. Dallas series (which the Canucks won in regulation). The sixth longest game in NHL history was also played between these two teams. In game one, Vancouver's Henrik Sedin scored the game winning goal on a pass from his brother Daniel Sedin in the fourth overtime. Other than that, the first round ended without a ton of fireworks. The Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, and the New Jersey Devils all advanced in the Eastern Conference. In the Western Conference, the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, and the San Jose Sharks (my pick to win the Cup.... I'll say it again just so you all can give me credit when it happens) advanced to the second round.

If you get a chance, watch at least one of these games. I know they are on Versus which is hard to find since it is on a higher channel, but I promise you you will enjoy it. Another thing to look forward to is the NFL draft this weekend. Watch out for the Patriots to trade up using one of their two first round picks to get a good inside linebacker to take over for Teddy next year (after he retires after the win the Superbowl this season). With their second pick, you might see another trade, but personally I think they will go with a safety... either Reggie Nelson from Florida or Michael Griffen from Texas (I prefer Griffen just because he is from my Longhorns).

Enjoy your weekends boys and girls. I am signing off for now. Catch you later!

I'm Back!!

Ladies and Gentlemen I am back. I apologize for my long absence, but as those of you who are students know school work comes first and trust me I have had a lot of it. Hopefully I won’t be kept from my loyal fans for that long ever again.
Now onto the sports! This is my favorite time of the year. Baseball season is in full swing, the Masters (the most prominent golf tournament in the world) took place over two weeks ago, and the chase for the Stanley Cup (the most prestigious trophy in all of sports) is almost through one round (Dallas and Vancouver are battling as I type this).
First of all, as much as golf is boring to watch on TV, you have to love the Masters Tournament at Augusta. The course might be the most beautiful course in the country and one of the top 10 most beautiful courses in the world. The green grass just cries for spring even if most of the country is suffering from a deep freeze. On top of the course’s beauty, the tournament usually comes down to the final day just like it did this year. While most of the experts and fans figured Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods would win the tournament, Zach Johnson did what he had to do to put himself into position to win. He ended up winning the tournament by 2 strokes. It was his first finish in the top 15 in any tournament of his career and he jumped in the world golf rankings from #56 to #15. Not only was this a great Cinderella story, but it shows that there is a future for American golf besides Tiger and Phil. The country finally has a young guy to build a team around. Watch out Europeans the Americans are coming for that next Ryder Cup title!!
Secondly, America’s pastime is back and thank goodness because I am sick and tired of hearing about the NBA this and the NBA that. If the NHL was on ESPN and not Versus it would be more popular than the NBA. Take my word for it. But that is beside the point. The Red Sox got off to a rolling start and recently swept the Yankees in a weekend series at Fenway (which I was at game 1 of thanks to Will). And let me tell you, I love Fenway more and more every time I get there. It was my first Sox Yankees game and boy oh boy it makes me want to go to every one. When the Sox came back and scored 5 in the 8th, I can’t even describe to you how crazy the stadium was going. That is why I love Boston. That is why I love the Red Sox and that is why I can’t wait to go back to Fenway. Baseball is my favorite sport, has always been my favorite sport, and will always be my favorite sport. Besides the Red Sox getting off to a great start, nothing else really exciting has taken place so far this season. Mark Buehrle has thrown a no hitter (yeah don’t ask me how. No one saw that coming), but other than that most of the games have been played in temperatures under 45 degrees. Personally, I think the east coast teams should get their long west coast road trips over with early in the season and then have the west coast teams come to the east in May when it is warmer. Thank goodness for baseball because now I can watch Baseball Tonight every night before I go to bed and not have to watch terrible late night talk shows.
That is going to have to be it for now. I have some work to do of course. More information to come tomorrow on the great and exciting NHL playoffs! Hope you all enjoy and I vow to do my best to not keep you waiting for another month. Enjoy boys and girls. Over and out.

Odds and Ends

So it has been awhile since my last post and for that I apologize. Since writing last, the Bruins playoff hopes are all but gone (especially after getting destroyed by the New York Rangers last night), March madness is in full swing (and of course my bracket is all messed up), the college hockey tournament is about to begin, and Spring Training is nearly halfway over.

The Bruins got beat 7-0 last night, pretty much eliminating themselves from the playoffs unless they can win the next 3 games in a row (2 against Montreal and another against the Rangers). The Bruins are in 12th place and only 6 points out; however, climbing over 4 teams to get into the playoffs is going to be though, especially if they can't play consistently. Of course I say now that they are eliminated, but if they win one or two in a row my hopes will be up all over again. That's what this team likes to do to you.

March Madness is cruising right along and for some reason there haven't been as many upsets as people were expecting (I picked mostly upsets, hence the reason why my bracket is messed up). There were no 5-12 upsets this year like there usually is. So far, the two biggest upsets have been Winthrop over Notre Dame and Virginia Commonwealth over Duke. Other than that there have been a few minor upsets but nothing major. As I write this, Florida is down 2 at halftime to Purdue and Wisconsin is down 11 to UNLV with 1 minute left in the first half. As long as Florida or Ohio State don't win the national championship I will be a happy man.

The Sox are looking well this Spring. The team has made strides to fix their weaknesses from last season and I really like the way this team looks. The only problem I have is this closer by committee nonsense. You think the organization would have learned from 2 years ago when they tried it and it failed miserably. Either give the ball to Timlin or go out and get a closer. Don't tell me that Joel Pinero is the leading candidate for the closers role. That's just nonsense. The offense is going to be better than ever and the starting rotation is the deepest its ever been (especially with Lester getting healthy). Personally, I think they can make a run for the AL East title if the team can stay healthy. Although, the dreaded Yankees do have a great offensive team and have the advantage in the bullpen. The pitching staffs are pretty much even and this race could come down to the last few weeks of the season.

Not much major news to report. I will try and update soon. Be patient folks!! Enjoy boys and girls. Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Over and out.

NHL Trade Deadline

Sorry it has been awhile folks. It has gotten a little busy here at school. Don't be scared though because I'm back and ready to share my knowledge!!

Anyways, the NHL trade deadline came and went today with about 30 trades completed today alone. No wonder this is pretty much a national holiday in Canada. How exciting is that? 30 trades sending players everywhere. It's crazy! Names like Bill Guerin, Todd Bertuzzi, Gary Roberts, Martin Biron, and Keith Tkachuk all were moved.

Who were the big winners you ask? Well I will tell you. The big winners were the San Jose Sharks. Adding a big name forward like Bill Guerin will only help this team. Not only can he still score goals, but he will provide much needed leadership for all of the young players on that team. On top of adding Guerin, they added veteran defenseman Craig Rivet. Rivet adds a much needed veteran blue liner who will stand up for his teammates and play a solid game in his own zone. Another big winner had to be the New York Islanders. Anytime you can add a player like Ryan Smyth you are automatically a winner. Like Barry Melrose said on ESPN, Ryan Smyth was the Derek Jeter of his team. The Edmonton fans must be shocked. Although he is probably just a rental player, Smyth and the acquisition of Alexi Zhitnik make this team a cup contender even if they are at the bottom of the conference right now.

When there are winners there are always losers. The big loser today had to be the Anaheim Ducks. I understand completely not wanting to give up your young players, but they needed to make a move and GM Brian Burke didn't get it done. This team was cup favorites at the beginning of the season and now they are probably 4Th or 5Th in their conference. Another big loser had to be the Montreal Canadians (what else is new?). They didn't make a move to solidify their goalie position and they didn't do anything with Sheldon Souray and Andrei Markov (both unrestricted free agents at the end of the season). The team didn't get better and didn't make things any easier for themselves in the offseason.

On a more local note, the Bruins made two moves acquiring defenseman Aaron Ward from the New York Rangers for defenseman Paul Mara, and acquiring defenseman Dennis Wideman from the St. Louis Blues for center Brad Boyes. I'm not really sure how I feel about these moves yet. They definitely solidify the defensive corps. for this team not only this year but next year. They also did save a little over a million dollars against the salary cap (maybe to make a run at a Chris Drury or Ryan Smyth type player?). However, I see these moves as giving up. They are only 8 points out and have 4 games at hand against Montreal. Their run isn't over yet. Yeah they had to do something about their defense but they need someone who will score goals consistently. I guess we will have to see how these moves play out.

Hope you all enjoy boys and girls. American League and National League previews division by division coming up soon!! Take care

Random Odds and Ends

The Bruins have won 6 of 8, and their last 3 games on the road. They are now only four points out of the final playoff spot and they face Montreal 4 more times this season (one of the teams in 8th place). They are getting scoring from everyone on their roster. Ending long goalless streaks seems to be the cool thing to do recently and I could not be happier. Tim Thomas is proving that he can be a number one goaltender in this league especially when he is on a hot streak like he is now. If the Bruins can win one or both of their remaining road games they will have turned their season around completely and most likely have turned into buyers by Tuesday's trade deadline. Stay tuned because the playoff push is only going to get more exciting and more intense.

This month's moron of the month has to go to Tim Hardaway. I don't care if you hate gay people or love gay people, but don't come out and say that you hate gay people on a radio station when you know that it is going to spread like wildfire. How stupid can you be? What makes people think that they can say something like that and get away with it? I don't understand people sometimes especially when it comes to people being morons. Oh well I guess you just have to laugh at these people and move on.

Anyone catch the ending to the Daytona 500 this past weekend? How exciting was that? Not only was Mark Martin a turn away from winning his first Daytona 500 in 24 attempts, but there was a huge wreck on that last turn, and a driver crossed the finish line on his roof. It had to have been one of the most exciting races in a very long time. Top drivers such as Tony Stewart, Dale Jr., and Kurt Busch were eliminated on crashes throughout the race. There were numerous lead changes and I was hooked from the start.

Well hope you all enjoy. I will breakdown the NHL trade deadline after Tuesday (best and worst trades etc.). I'm sure I will be updating before then however. Something has to happen in the wide world of sports. Enjoy boys and girls!

Random Boston News

This is a rare occurrence, I am writing about the Celtics, but only because they are terrible and have lost 18 straight games. What is Danny Ainge doing with this team? The one player that he has drafted over the last 3 years that is turning out to do anything is Al Jefferson. Every other player on this team (besides Paul Pierce and Wally) is a third string player. Delonte is a third guard at best on any other team, not the starting point guard.

Everybody else on this team deserves to be traded. Keep Pierce and Tony Allen because he is insane and trade everyone else. Package Big Al, another player, and a first round pick for Pau Gasol. That will give the team at least two players they can build around. If they don't make that move then they better draft Kevin Durant. Durant will come in and score 20 points a game right away. If they draft Oden they are going to have to wait another 2 or 3 years for him to become anything. The Celtics need help now otherwise they are going to start losing fans.

Enough about the terrible NBA. That league needs more help than the NHL does.

The Bruins started making changes late Saturday night. They packaged defenseman Brad Stuart and center Wayne Primeau for right winger Chuck Kobasew and defenseman Andrew Ference. A lot of people thought that this was a sign that the Bruins were going to be sellers this trade deadline, but I don't think we can jump to that conclusion yet. The Bruins added two young players with great upside and saved money against the salary cap. The players they got in the deal didn't even make as much money combined as Brad Stuart is. They saved around 2.5 million dollars.

Unfortunately, the Bruins had to lose two players who were loved in Boston. Stuart was expecting to leave and wanted to leave, so I really don't feel too bad there. Primeau on the other hand hurts. He loved this city and its fans and he played his hardest every single game. He was hoping to resign with the Bruins eventually (and still could) and seemed very surprised and hurt when he received the news.

As much as it hurts to lose a classy player like Primeau, it had to be done. If the Bruins are going to make a run at the playoffs they need goal scorers. Kobasew is quick, strong, and can shoot the puck. He will only help this team's offensive production. Also, the Bruins have 2 players that are signed through next season (Ference is signed for 3 more after this season) and have created room to sign a big time player. Some are saying the Bruins are going to go after a big name goaltender (Giguere and Biron are the top two available); however, I think the Bruins need a big name goal scorer who can score 40-50 goals a season. Glen Murray is no longer that guy. yeah he can give us 30 or so, but the team needs a first line winger. Tim Thomas can win games for this team. I rather see the team wait for a better goalie to hit the market rather than signing one of the two next year.

At the end of the day, I like this trade more than I hate it. The Bruins acquired two players who will only help this team. On top of this they have won 4 of their last 5 games and this next 6 game road trip will determine whether they will truly be sellers or if they will be buyers at the deadline. This team is not out of it yet, but they could be after this trip. However, they could also be in better position to make the playoffs. They are only 8 points out and they have played 3 fewer games than the 8th place team (Carolina). Don't give up on this team yet folks.

Hope everyone enjoys. Take it easy and be safe boy and girls!

What is the Best Rivalry in Sports?

It is the biggest debate going around in all of sports right now. It was even just debated on Sportscenter. The competition is: Duke vs. North Carolina in college basketball, Red Sox vs. Yankees in baseball, and the Patriots vs. the Colts in the NFL, and Calgary vs. Edmonton in the NHL. Some tough choices here if you ask me.

The Red Sox vs. the Yankees is clearly the best rivalry in major league baseball, but I don't think it can be the best rivalry in all of sports. They meet too often for it to be the best rivalry in all of sports. Yeah the games are still important and bragging rights are always good to have, but when the Yankees play the Sox in May, it's not as intense as it could be. Yeah there is the occasional brawl and it always feels good to beat the Evil Empire, but if they only met in September then that would make the rivalry so much better.

The Patriots vs. the Colts is also a great rivalry, but it may not even be the best rivalry in its sport. There is the Giants vs. the Cowboys and the Packers vs. the Bears. Both of these rivalries have so much more history than the Patriots and the Colts do. Trust me, I love beating the Colts and it may be the best rivalry in the last 6 years or so in the NFL, but it isn't the best overall rivalry in the NFL let alone the best rivalry in sports.

Calgary vs. Edmonton in the NHL is always exciting to watch, but until the NHL expands in the U.S. (which they won't do with Gary Bettman as commissioner..... who turns down an ESPN tv deal for a 2 day a week tv deal with Versus?) this rivalry won't be on the top. If you are a hockey fan you know the intensity and emotion that the players and fans have when they play each other. It is unbeatable, but until more people notice this rivalry doesn't top the list.

The top rivalry in sports is the Duke vs. UNC rivalry in college basketball. They only meet two or three times a season and when they do meet they are usually fighting for the ACC title of the national championship. The emotion, intensity, and tradition cannot be compared to any other rivalry in all of sports. Playing in front of maybe the most passionate fans anywhere (except Boston of course) makes these games the most exciting to watch. Don't get me wrong I love the Red Sox, Yankees rivalry, but this rivalry edges it out.... as much as it hurts me to say it. Watch one of these games especially at Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke's home court) and you will fall in love with the rivalry whether you like either team or not.

I know you are all going to disagree with me so leave your comments and vote on the new pole! Enjoy boys and girls.

He Finally Did It

Peyton Manning and the Colts finally won a Superbowl. Yippee! Let's celebrate... NOT. No but really he deserved it. However, to be honest Tony Dungy deserved it more. He has to be one of the nicest men in football period and after what he went through last year with his son's suicide, he deserves nothing more. I wouldn't even be surprised if he called it quits and spent time with the rest of his family, although reports are saying that he is leaning towards coming back.

Okay I'll admit it, Peyton deserved it. He has been the best quarterback in the NFL for the last 6 or 7 years. He finally beat the Pats in the playoffs and I knew they were going to win. Ask anyone. I called it. It was destiny. It was exactly like the Red Sox beating the Yankees for the American League Pennant (and the Colts even came back against the Pats almost as improbably as the Sox comeback was). They beat their biggest nemesis and that was all they needed to finally get over the top. So for the only time in my life I am going to congratulate the Colts and Peyton Manning. Congratulations guys you deserved.

Now in terms of the game itself, can you say boring and terrible? Yeah Devin Hester is a beast and ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, but after that the game got sloppy and boring. Everyone is always saying that the Superbowl can't be played up north because of the cold and snow, but honestly how much different would it have been from last night's game? Personally, snow would have been better to see anyways. Oh and don't even start with me about the half time show. Who made that decision to have Prince perform? So he had great special effects, but the music was terrible. What is going on with these old time acts doing the half time show? Isn't it meant to draw in fans not make them change the channel because personally that is what I wanted to do, although didn't because I was hoping for him or one of the dancers to slip and fall on the wet stage to provide some entertainment. Why didn't they have Billy Joel do the halftime show instead of the national anthem. Now that would have been a show.

By the way, Rex Grossman showed his true self last night and don't even tell me it was the weather's fault. Peyton had no trouble completing passes and actually hanging onto the ball. Grossman is a terrible quarterback who has a great team around him. He has average games and everyone talks him up. This is who he really is people. He is a quarterback from Florida. That is all that needs to be said.

Superbowl prediction for next year: Patriots over the Saints 28-24

I think that's it for now. Time to go do some work and depress over the Bruins, although they have played better the past 2 games. Leave your comments and your Superbowl predictions for next season. I will be back with more soon. Enjoy boys and girls. Goodnight

The Man is Back

Brett Favre is returning for his 17th season with the Green Bay Packers. After leading his young, but talented team to an 8-8 record last year, people were again unsure of Favre's future. He was last seen crying during an on field interview after the last regular season game against the Chicago Bears. Today, he made it clear that he is excited to be back and is looking forward forward to the season beginning.

Personally, I am thrilled that Favre has decided to come back. The NFL desperately needs character people like Brett Favre in this league especially today with recent arrests and serious steroid problems looming. Favre is still a great player and will always be a great player. He is the true leader of this team and they need him to continue on. A lot of people think it is time for him to retire and that he is just washed up. I strongly disagree. Although he may not be the player he once was, he still can be a good if not great player in this league. He does need help from the other players on the team and the management and coaching staff. His offensive line needs to step up and give him more time to make the right decisions. He has a good receiving core, but he needs a running back that can remain healthy through the entire season. If he can get that, Favre will not be forced to throw the ball every down. Defenses will not be able to only play the pass and be forced to respect the run. Favre can lead this team to the playoffs. He just needs some help around him. I look forward to seeing what he can accomplish this season and he can play for as long as he wants to as far as I am concerned.

Enjoy boys and girls. Spread the word about the blog and leave some comments. More to come soon. Have a good weekend!

Red Sox and Bruins News

Talks broke down late last night between the Rockies and Red Sox for Todd Helton. Numerous reports indicated that the Sox were willing to part with Mike Lowell and Julian Tavarez; however, the Rockies wanted one of the Sox number one prospects. Theo and Red Sox ownership did not want to give up their young talent again.

Personally, I was looking forward to seeing Helton, one of the best defensive first basemen and a great on base guy, in a Red Sox uniform. However, I still don't mind having Lowell at third and Youk at first. Yeah Todd Helton would have been an upgrade, but would he really have changed that much? The Sox would have given up Lowell (one of the best third basemen in the game) and Youk would have moved over to third. Youk could have done the job, but I still feel Lowell is a better defense third basemen. Also, the Sox would have lost a valuable bullpen guy in Tavarez not to mention a top pitching prospect (Hansen, Delcarmen, Lester). To me, it would not have been worth it. Yes Helton could have provided another big bat in this line up. He could have won the gold glove at first base and he could have an on base percentage over 400. Those are all valuable traits, but think what the Sox would have lost: a gold glove winner at third, a bullpen guy that can pitch in almost any situation, and a top notch pitching prospect that could either be a future closer or a future starter. On top of everything else, there was no way the Sox could have paid Helton's contract and made a run for Roger Clemens. Personally, I rather see them pursue Clemens harder even if it costs them 20 million dollars. Like we have all seen this offseason, money doesn't seem to mean anything anymore. Overall, I am pretty happy that the trade didn't go through, although I might have had a different view on it if it had gone through.

In other news, the Bruins got blown out again last night. If you ask me it is getting pretty old. This team was supposed to be better than last year. The young guys were supposed to go through their growing pains last year and matured enough to make a bigger impact this year. That hasn't happened at all. If anything the young players have taken a step back. Brad Boyes and Hannu Toivinen have been nothing but disappointments except for a few good games here and there. The only players that are having a good season are the two players they brought in via free agency. Chara is a great leader and can do just about anything. He has had his bad turn overs and has made some costly mistakes, but no one is perfect. Savard has done even more. He does everything on offense and can play defense as well. However, no one else is stepping up for the Bruins. Changes need to be made immediately. If the Bruins do not pick up a quality defenseman and a goal scoring winger. They do not stand a chance. Lets hope Gm Peter Charelli and the rest of the front office can make some moves to help this team.

J.D. Drew

So the long awaited J.D. Drew deal has finally been completed. Five years $72 dollars. However, the deal now includes a possible buyout after only 3 of the years. If Drew ends up hurting his right shoulder again, they can buy out the last two years of his deal and he will become a free agent. However, if Drew hurts anything else then the Sox are stuck with him.

Now most people are thinking that this deal could turn out to be the worst deal of all time. Now, I'm a little skeptical as well, but I have more confidence in it than most fans. So hear me out and maybe i can change some people's minds. Drew's last two injuries have not even been his fault. They were both the results of getting hit by pitches. Also, the Red Sox do not need Drew to be their number one guy like the Dodgers need him to be. He is hitting behind Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. They can afford if he misses 20 games and still drives in 100 runs and hits 25-30 homers. Thirdly, Drew may be one of the best defensive right fielders in the game. He goes all out all the time (can be compared to the way Trot Nixon plays) but has a better arm than Nixon did. He will provide much needed protection for Manny in the line up.

The only down side is the length of the deal. Drew isn't entering his prime. He is in it for another 2 years at least. I don't understand the 5 years of the deal. Who cares about the money part because as everyone saw this off season money does not matter anymore in major league baseball. Terrible pitchers with sub 500 records got 20 million a year, but that's a different story. If Drew can stay healthy he will only help this club. His shoulder is getting better. It is not like it is getting worse. He will play in at least 135 games this season, drive in 100 runs, hit 30 homers, and have 15 outfield assists. However, this deal could also go the other way. This could end up being the worst deal in Red Sox history (minus the Babe Ruth selling). I don't think that it will, but I guess we all just have to wait and see.

Enjoy your weekends. Catch some hockey games because the NHL will spread if I have anything to do with it. Check back later and leave comments. I'd like to know what everyone else thinks about the deal. Have a good weekend boys and girls.

NHL All Star Game

The NHL All Star game was a great game filled with skilled players of all ages and teams. The East wasn't able to continue their winning ways from the night before. The West won the game 12-9. Daniel Briere (who actually used to play for the Springfield Falcons) lead the way in scoring with a goal and four assists and won the MVP award. Marian Hossa and Joe Sakic also contributed 4 assists each. Boston Bruin defensemen Zdeno Chara continued his strong showing with two goals. It was a very exciting game that I know I missed the past two years. Seeing all the great players on the ice at once (or as Versus called it "seeing the stars aligned") was extremely exciting and entertaining.

Versus also had decent coverage. There were things I liked about it and things I hated about it. First let's start with the negatives. The rail cam might be the dumbest invention ever. The game of hockey moves too fast for a camera to react to it. The only time it was somewhat cool was when there was a break away or they were using it for replays. I also miss the old ESPN announcers. Bill Clement was there, but it isn't the same without Darren Pang and Barry Melrose. Bring back the old announcers and that will be a step in the right direction. The best part of the Versus coverage was the players wearing the microphones. I thought the best time was during the third period when Marty Turco was wearing the mic while playing goalie and holding conversations with the announcers. It provided a side of the players that we rarely get to see as well as giving us more knowledge about the game and about the goalie position. I love hearing the communication between the players and seeing them have fun. Other than that though, Versus coverage was terrible. They tried to do way too much with different camera angles and close ups of the players. The one thing that pissed me off was the camera zooming in on a player while there was a play going on. I don't need to see the facial hair of the player while there is a scoring chance at the other end of the ice.

Hope everyone else who watched the game enjoyed it as well. I'm excited to see what happens over the second half of the season and if the Bruins can play consistently and make a playoff push. Right now my hopes aren't up, but maybe after a trade or 2 or 3 they will be ready to make the push. I will be posting later about the J.D. Drew signing and what I have to say might surprise some people. Enjoy boys and girls. Check back later tonight or tomorrow for the other update.

The Cinncinati Screw Ups

Okay so I'm posting again today because a. I'm obsessed, b. I'm bored, and c. I wanted to get this out before it became old news.

On Monday, Johnathan Joesph was the ninth member of the Cincinnati Bengals arrested since January 1st of last year. These players have been arrested for charges ranging from driving under the influence to possession of marijuana to burglary and grand theft to even battery. Now you think after maybe the second or third player got arrested that team coaches and officials would create a more strict policy for dealing with these types of situations. Well that has yet to happen. It has taken 9 arrests for players and coaches to finally voice their anger and embarrassment of what has taken place. Why has it taken so long for people in the organization to realize that this is a problem? One person getting arrested should be made a big deal let alone nine different players in different situations. Now nine players have been arrested and nothing has changed. Marvin Lewis still has a job (yeah he is a good coach but should a coach still have a job after nine of his players gets arrested? I don't think so) and all the players who were arrested still have jobs and even played closely after their incidents. Maybe Marvin Lewis isn't the only one to blame, but he does deserve some blame. A coach has to have some control over his players and clearly he has little to none. Something needs to be done and something needs to be done now. The league and the commissioner need to step in and take over because it is obvious the Bengals organization won't do anything. This might be a good time for new commissioner Robert Goodell to do something to help this league early on in his career. Clearly this isn't helping the league's image and although steps like creating a dress code (like the NBA has done) may not be the best options, something has to be done to save the image and integrity of this league. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be celebrations after a touchdown because I love the players' creativity and plus it adds to the entertainment value of the game, but there needs to be rules and regulations created to punish a player for his off field actions. Players should not be allowed to play if they get arrested unless a judge rules otherwise. Period. End of story.

More to come after the NHL All Star game tonight. Tune in to Versus (old OLN) at 8 pm to catch the game. Enjoy boys and girls

NHL Allstar Celebrations

It is that time of year when I am ecstatic that the NHL is back. The NHL has the best all star celebrations of all sports. The skills competition, young stars game, and actual all star game is the best there is. The NHL tops the MLB's home run derby and all star game, the NBA's dunk contest and all star game, and soars above the NFL's pro bowl. The players put on a show for the fans and that is what it is supposed to be about.

For those who aren't familiar with the festivities, the first game is a game of the young, up and coming stars in the game. Last night's game featured players like Evgeni Malkin from the Penguins, Phil Kessel from the Bruins, Thomas Vanek from the Sabres, and Zach Parise from the Devils. The game consists of 4 on 4 hockey with 3 ten minute periods. The clock is running all the time, but there is still plenty of time to score goals. Last night, the teams combined for 17 goals as the East beat the West 9-8. Zach Parise won the MVP award tallying 6 points (2 goals and 4 assists) and Phil Kessel added a hat trick. Kessel was probably the best story of the night. Just over a month ago, Kessel had surgery for testicular cancer and returned to the Bruins just about a week ago. He scored 3 goals in 4 games and he also added a shoot out winning goal against the Penguins. It was great to see him out on the ice having fun and playing well. Keep at it Phil!!

The second part of the all star celebration is the skills competition. The all star players compete in various competitions trying to earn points for their team (East vs. West). The competitions included the hardest shot competition, accuracy challenge, fastest skater, and numerous shoot out rounds. The East again won the skills competition and swept the festivities of the night. The Bruins again had a strong showing with defense man and captain Zdeno Chara winning the hardest shot competition with an amazing shot speed of 100.4 mph.

The celebration winds up tonight as the all stars from the east take on the all stars from the west. It should be a great game filled with highlight reel goals and amazing saves. Be sure to tune in!! I will be back with more after the game tonight. Enjoy folks.

Looking back on the Pats

After a few days of thinking and reflecting on the recent tragic loss, I have come to the conclusion that the season was a complete success and there is really nothing to be that upset about. Yeah the Patriots lost to the dreaded Colts and blew a 21-3 lead in what seemed like 15 seconds, but the Patriots weren't even supposed to make it past the Chargers in the Divisional round. Yeah the Patriots fell apart in the second half, but who honestly thought that the Patriots would be up by 18 points at halftime. No one did. That is why this season and this team is nothing but a success. Yeah I would have loved for a different outcome, but they can't win every big game even if it seems like they always do.

On another note, no one on the Colts deserved this win more than Peyton Manning. I hate Manning just like every other Pats fan does, but we have to give him some credit. He led his team on a dramatic comeback and played his best half of football these playoffs, if not this entire season. He didn't choke in clutch situations like he usually does (and like he looked like he was going to). He rebounded from a terrible first half and showed the true player that he really is. The Colts had to go through the Pats to win the Super Bowl. It would not have been right if they had done it any other way. It was the same thing when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. If they had not, it would not have been the same. Peyton deserves this win and he deserves a shot to silence his critics.

Okay enough singing Peyton Manning's praise. I can't handle it anymore. It hurts too much. The Pats will be back to the conference championship game next year even if they lose players like Asante Samuel. They always find a way and it has to do with their coaching and management. No other team in no other sport is affected more by their coaching staff. The Pats always draft well and they find players that will slide in and play their role. They don't need the big time player to win (except Tom Brady of course) and they always find different ways to beat their opponents. They are the best team of this decade, if not the best team of the free agency period. They will continue to have success as long as they have the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick combo.

Enough said about the Patriots. Great season, but it's hockey crunch time! More to come soon. Take it easy boys and girls.