February 2006 Archives

News Flash: Talks between NFL owners and the Players Association broke off Tuesday afternoon. Union President Gene Upshaw says the two sides are deadlocked with “no reason to continue meeting.� The news comes one day after Patriots Vice Chairman, Jonathan Kraft, said “If I were betting, I would bet there’d be a deal in place by Wednesday.�

Teddy’s Take: Uh-oh! This could get ugly. Usually when sports figures pull out the “if I were betting� phrases, the deal is as good as done. Something obviously went wrong today, whether it was the owners underestimating the players resolve this time around, or the owners fighting among themselves.

With free agency looming Friday, an agreement needs to be in place very soon to avert the 2007 season being played without a salary cap. Even if a deal is struck, it’s still likely the players would have to agree to delay the start of free agency to give teams a chance to adjust their strategies for the new cap number. Right now, the union doesn’t seem very willing to cooperate.

While the NFL as a whole stands to be the big loser in this doomsday scenario, the Patriots could also be in some trouble. Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli have been slow to move on their own players, waiting for the new cap to be in place before deciding what to do with Adam Vinatieri, David Givens and the rest of the free agent class, as well as the players they’d like to renegotiate with to free up more cap space. A “capless� year could open the door wide for more free-spending owners (hello Daniel Snyder!) to swoop in and grab the big names off the market without any cap repercussions.

That’s my take……chime in with yours! Your comments might just land you a spot in my Lowell Sun column next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, how about a little trivia question for you: In what year was the NFL labor agreement instituting a salary cap first signed?

(Answer tomorrow)

Time to thaw out a mind frozen by a weekend of ice cold weather and ice cold thoughts:

So Bill Parcells says Adam Vinatieri would be wise to stay with the Patriots. I say the Tuna would be wise to empty the bank for Vinatieri. His Cowboys were just a competent kicker away from the playoffs and making some serious noise in them.

Maybe conventional wisdom says it's not smart to pay big money for a kicker, but there's nothing conventional about "Adam & Leave." Nothing breaks a team's back more than getting in position to win, only to have someone "Vanderjagt" the game away.

I’m not too worried about Vinatieri going anywhere. I think David Givens, on the other hand, is as good as gone. I can see Romeo Crennel tossing money on him like the father of the bride at a Greek wedding.

Seems Vince Young didn’t score very well on the Wonderlic Test, leading some insiders to speculate the Texas QB could drop significantly in the upcoming NFL draft. The test I was most impressed with was the “Wondrous Licking� he put on USC’s vaunted defense. Maybe he flops in the pros, but I wouldn’t want to be the GM who passed on him because of an off-field exam.

It’s no coincidence the Celtics improved play has come at a time when trade and injury have forced Doc Rivers to shorten his rotation. I can’t wait to see the Green when Kendrick Perkins and Al Jefferson return from injury to replace Michael Oliwakandi and Brian Scalabrene in that rotation.

It took a year and a half, but consider me sold on Delonte West as a point guard. Unlike Marcus Banks, this kid gets it.

So does Ryan Gomes. 39-rebounds over the last 3-games, 17 of them offensive, prove that getting “touches� is all about hard work and hunger. Didn't think I’d go an entire article without taking a shot at Mark “Big Dog� Blount, did you?

Glad to hear the positive reports coming out of Fort Myers about Curt Schilling’s health. But am I the only Red Sox fan not taking it for granted that “Curt on the car phone� will return to his dominant self? I mean, 39-year old athletes generally don’t respond well to major surgery.

If Schilling doesn’t make it back to ace status, he at least went out a warrior and a hero. Which is more than you can say about a certain lefty who walked off the mound in the 2003 World Series because of a bad back. That David Wells got to wear, and is still wearing, a Red Sox uniform is one of the most disturbing things about the breakup of the 2004 curse busters.

Catch this little tidbit from Braves camp last Friday? Edgar Renteria strained a muscle in his left side attempting to avoid a ball that ricocheted off the batting cage. Sounds like the Red Sox cut their losses just in the knick of time.

Of course, Renteria still can’t top the greatest injury of all time in my mind. That honor belongs to Sammy Sosa, who missed nearly 2 months after straining his back while sneezing, and ruining my fantasy baseball team in the process.

54 teams have taken the Lowell Spinners up on the offer to change their name from Yankees to Spinners, two from as far away as Rochester, New York and Oakton, Virginia. Now comes word Lowell’s Single-A club will let those teams pick up their new uniforms April 2nd, while also allowing them to play catch on the LeLacheur Park field for free. I smell another round of national publicity coming up.

This week shapes up as a big one in the effort to save the Lock Monsters. A rumored visit from New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek, who thesunblog.com reported 2-weeks as the man interested in buying the team from Elkim McCallum and keeping it in Lowell, would go a long way toward spurring a surge in ticket sales.

Finally, Curling enthusiasts believe the USA’s bronze medal at the recently completed Olympics will provide a big boost to the upcoming World Curling Championships at Tsongas Arena April 1-9. Need more incentive to run out and buy tickets? Check out the “Babes of Curling� calendar available at www.thecurlingnews.com. If that doesn’t warm your heart to the sport, nothing will!

That’s my take……what's yours?

By LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

The lowdown: Paul Pierce and the Celtics were hating on Kobe’s game, his swagger, and his fadeaway. Unfortunately for Kobe, unlike in his Nike commercial, the hatred conquered all.

As usual, Kobe got his points, scoring 12 in the first quarter and 26 by halftime. Still, it was Pierce who played the pivotal part in the outcome, particularly on the offensive end where he got in the lane and created. He created headaches for Phil Jackson, he created opportunities for his teammates, and he probably created a new poster featuring Chris Mihm in the role of doormat.

Instead of fouling out as he did in the face-off against Cleveland and LeBron James, Pierce became the starting point and the end point for the Celtics offense with Delonte West picking up his sixth foul with more than three minutes remaining. Pierce’s foul shot in the final seconds provided the winning margin.

The numbers: Kobe finished with a game-high 40 points while Pierce finished with 39 points, scoring 14 points from the free throw line. Ryan Gomes had his third consecutive double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Before heading to the bench, West had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

What to look for: Moving forward the big thing to look for from the guys in green is how they integrate Gomes into their lineup when Kendrick Perkins and Al Jefferson come back from their injuries.

Also, the backup point guard situation will also be something to watch for, West fouled out and Orien Green didn’t have the same sort of command when it came to initiating the offense and placed even more of a load on Pierce‘s shoulders.

In general, a key for the Celtics from here on out is to see how they deal with both close games and games on the road.

Let’s here from you folks out there. Which of the two teams do you think is in the better position going forward this year? Future years?

News Flash: Bode Miller fails to finish the Men’s Slalom, completing an Olympics in which the defending World Cup champ failed to medal in any of the 5 events he entered.

Teddy’s Take: Now Bode can go back to doing what he loves best….skiing for the love of it. Contrary to what most of America and a lot of readers of this blog think, Miller could care less about being the poster boy for the U.S. ski team.

I know NBC desperately wanted Miller to shine at these games, hyping him mercilessly so they could have a prime time draw for their taped coverage. The general public, knowing little about Miller or skiing, seemed to buy it hook, line and sinker. As event after event went by without Bode medaling, or sometimes even finishing, the public outcry against his performance and anti-establishment attitude grew.

Too bad nobody stopped to ask Miller if he wanted the limelight. You have to know this Franconia Notch native and the sport he competes in to understand. Let me take the skiing aspect first. Do people really understand how slim the margin between victory and defeat is in a ski race? Fractions of a second separate first from last. A bump on the slope, an icy patch, or a turn taken a foot wider than optimum is all it takes to knock someone off the medal stand, or worse, off the course. In Saturday’s slalom race alone, 9 of the 29 competitors failed to finish. Throw in Miller’s recent knee problems, and his struggles in Torino shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

As for what Bode is really about, I’ll borrow the following paragraph from ESPN.com, written by Miller’s former teammate, Carrie Sheinberg:

“Miller thrilled us with his rebellious approach to skiing. He risked winning. And in the process, he pushed his sport beyond any level imaginable. He would come into a turn straighter and faster than anyone before him, only to see if he could pull it off. Sometimes, with shockingly athletic recovery, he did. Sometimes he didn't. Still, it seemed that, for him, the outcome was the same: There was no outcome. It was never about the finish, it was about everything in between. He said as much in countless interviews before the Torino Games even began -- what he loved was the potential in a pristine race course, what he kept seeking was chances to realize that potential.�

I’ve never met the man. I’ve read a lot about him and even talked with people who spent lots of time on the slopes with him. The above words from Sheinberg are eerily similar to all I’ve heard. To be honest, he sounds like a guy I’d love to hang out and throw back a couple of cold ones with.

So don’t waste too much time being disappointed with Bode Miller’s performance…..I won’t. I’m sure he won’t either.

That’s my take……what’s yours?

Seems we’ve had a very inquisitive group of readers the last couple of days. So without further ado, you’re friendly neighborhood Bloggerman will answer a few of your questions:

The Other Ted has a question and a statement; “Ted whats your opinion on jim rice not being in cooperstown at a time when my 3 year old nephew can hit 500 homers out as long as he`s on the juice, it upsets me that jims power and leadership dosent count when it actually meant something to hit 40 roundbaggers ,jims getting screwed and its probally cause of a few nearsighted and stubborn sportswriters much like yourself who don`t remember when baseball was actuaaly fun and not something just to compete in some idiot fantasy league�

My opinion on Jim Rice is the same as yours. He belongs in the Hall of Fame and I’m actually quite shocked he didn’t make it this time around. With the steroid factor bringing newfound appreciation for the legitimate sluggers of days gone by, I thought for sure Jim Ed would finally get the honor he so richly deserves as the top power hitter of his era. I do believe he will eventually get to Cooperstown, if not by sportswriter’s vote, then definitely as a seniors committee selection.

As for your cheap shot against “idiot fantasy leaguers� like myself, I can only respond the way a mature adult would…..by taking an even cheaper shot at your spelling and grammar. I take great pride in having intelligent readers and commentators on my blog (well, except for the guy that called me a moron!) and I must insist that in the future you capitalize the first letter of each sentence, use punctuation where necessary and try using a spellchecker every now and then.

Plus, if you’re who I think you are, you’re just jealous cause your fantasy sports teams stink!

Louis Cypher inquires: “If you expect a skater to pull off maneuvers like that without falling, then you should have no patience for a pro athlete making millions not hitting a foul shot every single time. What do you think about that Ted??�

Good question. That’s something I thought about when writing that little critique and exactly the “devil’s advocate� point of view I’d expect from Mr. Cypher. My response to that is that these figure skaters are the cream of the crop. In no other sport do I recall the best of the best continuously choking when a title is on the line. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan….do you ever recall them missing a foul shot to win a game? Can anyone name one instance of a top of the line player missing a free throw to cost his team a championship? I can’t, but I can sure rattle off a list of women requiring the Heimlich maneuver at the Winter Olympics.

And finally, ALP asks; “Ted, What is your take on the status of the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations?� She then went on to compare my intelligence favorably to that of WEEI’s Big Show panelists, which is a backhanded compliment if I’ve ever heard one!

As for the question, I think this one could get messy. Football players are by far the most mistreated athletes of all the major professional sports. In my mind, they have every right to demand as big a piece of the pie as they can get. The NFL is the most lucrative sports league in America, and a large part of that is due to the physical sacrifices of its players. I can’t stress enough the pain these guys endure, and after my first post-game visit to the Patriots locker room, I understood exactly why so many former NFL players have to undergo knee and hip replacements, and why their bodies often end up a mangled mess.

Now I know the salary cap is based on revenues, but my understanding is that over the last decade, owners have greatly increased the amount of revenue generated in areas that aren’t included in salary cap calculations. The players appear to have dug in their cleats on this one, and unless there’s some give and take (probably more give than take on the owner’s part) the players association seems intent on blowing up the entire system.

For our sake, I hope the current system stays as is (with increased money going to the players, of course) because the Patriots seem to have mastered the salary cap and how to build a champion with one in place.

Hope that answers your questions……Keep them coming!!!

News Flash: American Sasha Cohen, the leader heading into the long program, falls on her first two jumps and settles for a silver medal in Women’s Olympic Figure Skating.

Teddy’s Take: Why do figure skaters consistently pull a “Vanderjagt� in the Olympics? I mean, come on! They spend their entire life preparing for this one moment. Hour after hour, year after year of training and sacrifice, and this is the best they can do? It’s not just Cohen. Did you catch Irina Slutskaya, the gold there for the taking until she began scraping the frozen water like a bad Zamboni?

Am I being too harsh? Help me out here. Like any skill, acquiring it is the hard part, but once they get these jumps down, shouldn’t they be able to pull them off in their sleep? I’ll bet they land a triple lutz or salchow hundreds, if not thousands, of times in practice. Is the pressure put on these often fragile young ladies that difficult to overcome when it counts?

I must admit, I often root for them to fall and laugh hysterically when they do. But this year was different. I was actually pulling for Cohen because there was something about her. She seemed immune to the pressure during her brilliant performance in Tuesday’s short program. She was incredible that night. As good as I’ve seen since my all-time favorite, Katerina Witt. Then came Thursday night and….Timber!

Oh well, it’s back to the practice rink to begin preparations for Vancouver and the 2010 Winter Games. There, figure skating’s top competitors can once again hit the ice harder than the Titanic.

That’s my take……what’s yours?

News Flash: At the conclusion of a basketball game, students at Greece Athena High School in New York storm the court and carry Jason McElwain on their shoulders in celebration, a la the movie Rudy. McElwain had scored 20-points in four minutes of action. Making the effort more remarkable is the fact Jason had only been the team manager up to that point. Oh, by the way....he is also autistic.

Teddy’s Take: I mention this story because it’s truly inspiring. If you haven’t seen the video, you must. It will send chills down your spine.

The 5’6‿ senior became JV team manager 3-years ago and moved on up to varsity, doing everything from keeping stats to handing out water bottles. Coach Jim Johnson, impressed with McElwain’s dedication, allowed him to dress and sit at the end of the bench on Senior Night. With his team comfortably ahead, Johnson inserted Jason into the game, and after his first shot caught nothing but air, McElwain went on to hit six 3-pointers.

Said the sports world’s newest hero; “I ended my career on a high note. I was really hotter than a pistol!‿

News Flash: The 4pm Thursday deadline has come and gone without the Patriots placing the franchise tag on any of their players, including Adam Vinatieri who was their franchise player last year.

News Flash: Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis says New England is one of four teams he’s interested in playing for.

Teddy’s Take: It’s good to have some football news to talk about. The Pats left us way too early this winter.

The “franchise tag‿ story bears mentioning because Bill Belichick has used it in the past on Vinatieri. BB must be pretty confident he can get the clutch kicker’s signature on a long-term deal or he wouldn’t risk this. Not with Bill Parcells looking for a leg in Dallas. I say, count on Vinatieri being here till the day he hangs up his kicking shoe and begins the countdown to Canton.

As for Lewis, it’s an intriguing thought, but I don’t see it happening. The Pats just don’t shell out the dough for big name free agents, and when they do, it’s a below market deal for a guy looking to come here and win a Super Bowl rather than a money grab. Lewis doesn’t strike me as the Corey Dillon type who’s already made big bucks and now wants a ring to validate his career. Lewis has already hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in his Ravens days. My hunch is he’s looking for one more big cash score before his body gives out. Those legal bills add up, you know.

That’s my take……what’s yours?

Time to empty the mailbag while wondering how much hair Theo Epstein will pull out of his head before Senor Ramirez is done with his latest Manny being Manny episode;

I have gone back and forth a bit over the cost of replacing Manny Ramirez with T2, who writes;

“Lance Berkman: 10.5, Carlos Beltran: 11.5, Vladimir Guerrero: 12 mill, Jermaine Dye: 4 mill, Adam Dunn: 4.6, Tori Hunter: 8 mil, Carlos Delgado: 4 mill, Paul Konerko: 11 mill, Derek Lee: 8 mill, Miguel Tejada 11 mill...Although not an exhaustive list, this is just an example of the average price of talent in MLB.�

Not to argue the point too long (cause you guys know how much I hate to argue!), but those numbers you give are a bit deceiving. Yes, Delgado made $4-million in 2005, but that was just the first year in a 4-year $52-million dollar contract. Beltran’s total deal is for 7-years at the “bargain� rate of $119-million and Berkman’s cost to Houston was 6-years at $85-mil. As you can see, the cost of very good, but not Hall of Fame caliber players, is anywhere from $13-$17 million a year. As for guys like Dunn and Derek Lee, good luck getting them in a trade. And when they do become free agents, they’ll command the same dollars as the above mentioned players.

T2 and I are on the same page about this though; Manny acting up is driving his value down even further and putting the Red Sox deeper into the doo-doo.

Looks like I’ve made a new friend in Ryan who chimes in with;

“My take is that your (sic) a moron....�

Gee, you catch on quick…..

“...I think you should do your research or at least wait a day to find out that Ricky didn't even fail his test for marijuana before you give us your "expert opinion". That's the problem with the press, you post a story you have no clue about before you get your facts straight.�

In fact, I did do a bit of research. Nowhere did I see anyone without an agenda say that Ricky didn’t fail a marijuana test. The denials came from his agent and mother who said they’d be shocked if he did. What did you expect Mama Williams to say? Here’s another fact; Ricky’s failed 3-tests before, all for marijuana. Would you like to wager that when all is said and done, this failed test is for either Mary Jane or a drug to mask her? If not, I’ll be sure to issue an apology.

But Ryan, I do appreciate the spunk….I wish more of the readers would take me on as forcefully. That’s what this is all about…..loudly voicing our opinions, because there is no right or wrong.

Surprisingly, the biggest response I’ve gotten on this blog so far is for my Lindsey Jacobellis post. To think, I sit here writing well thought out opinions about the major sports, and a showboating 20-year old snowboarder creates the most buzz;

Louis Cypher; “This isn't a team sport kids. This sport is all about style and showboating. They've been showboating ever since they got on top of a board. This is what they know. This is what they do.�

JesusSavesThorntonScores; “They weren't "taught" to fly. They learned.�

Legend Killer; “These snowboarders consider themselves artist more than anything. They just want to screw around on a mountain, pull off some tricks and have fun. God forbid if winning a gold medal for their country is not their priority.�

Shroud of Turin; “It's too bad for Jacobellis and Vermont. They could both use a gold medal to change the embarrassment of having Howard Dean as the state's most famous citizen. Maybe if Lindsey had let out a Dean-like yell, she would have scared the hell out of the judges and gotten the score she needed.�

Grey Goose Sucks; “I'm afraid the hot dog sentiments are shared by sports fans across the globe, but especially "sweet" to anti-Americans abroad. Way to represent dumb ass.�

And finally, back to Mr. Cypher for the true essence of sports discussion;

“By the way, this is all because I think she's cute. So don't be coming down on our Lindsey.�

LOL!.....Spoken like a true “sports guy!�

Keep the comments coming!!!

News Flash: The Red Sox and Manny Ramirez issue a “joint��? statement announcing Ramirez has the team’s permission to report to spring training March 1st. The statement says Ramirez "is in Florida completing an extensive training regimen and is prepared to have an exceptional season."

Teddy’s Take: A “joint��? statement is an appropriate way to term it, because you have to be high to believe the Red Sox in any way condoned or are pleased by this development. I'd kill to find out exactly what the "extensive training regimen" consists of.

As I stated the other day, Boston’s Boys of Summer could be in some real trouble here. They have left themselves vulnerable to an incredibly talented, yet even more immature athlete. At this point, there’s little they can do but try to kiss Manny’s ample behind and hope he shows up ready to play when this little ploy, whatever it’s all about, is behind him. If not, the 2006 season will be submarined before it even begins.

Look, there’s no way you’re ever going to get equal value for a player of Manny’s caliber, not with that contract and the immaturity issues. That’s why the Sox should have just unloaded him during the off-season, taken the best deal possible, and tried to use the money saved to upgrade elsewhere.

Do I think the Sox are better off with Manny here? Hell yeah! He’s a one of a kind hitter, and you can’t replace a $20-million a year player with two $9-$10 million a year players as has been suggested. $9-$10 mill a year gets you Matt Clement and Edgar Renteria. But are the Red Sox better off with some replacement parts and future prospects than an unhappy camper who can disrupt a promising season? No doubt! Too bad they blew the opportunity to do something before things got to this point. Now they’re just like the hapless hurlers trying to get Manny out when he’s swinging the bat well……at his mercy!

That’s my take……what’s yours?

News Flash: Barry Bonds says he will retire after the 2006 season, even if he doesn’t pass Hank Aaron on baseball’s all-time home run list.

Teddy’s Take: That would be the best scenario for Major League Baseball. In fact, I hope he doesn’t even pass Babe Ruth for 2nd place. Hammerin Hank, The Babe and what they accomplished should be sacred, not tainted like the single-season HR record that Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa cheapened.

Of all the “Juice Era� sluggers, Bonds is the most disappointing case. Unlike McGwire, Sosa and the rest of the muscle heads, Bonds was a Hall of Fame player long before he began using “flaxseed oil� or any of the other “stimulants� which rejuvenated his body and sharpened his skills at a time when most athletes’ bodies begin to break down.

There should be no mistaking the fact Bonds’ later accomplishments are tainted. He did not deny taking the BALCO supplements. His defense was he didn’t know what it was he was taking. HOGWASH! And if I hear one more person tell me he didn’t do anything wrong because steroids weren’t banned in baseball, I’m going to hurl.

Steroids are and were illegal. Last time I checked, Major League Baseball’s rules are not above the law. I’m sure MLB’s bylaws don’t have a specific passage banning the creation of Crystal Meth labs in the trainers room either, but I’m assuming all major leaguers, trainers and club officials are smart enough to know that’s not allowed. If the steroids users and their defenders didn’t think they were doing anything wrong, then why hide their use of the drugs instead of trumpeting it? Please don’t insult my intelligence by claiming it wasn’t “against the rules.�

Look, I’m not naïve here. In fact, I can almost understand why Bonds turned to the juice. Here was an already 3-time MVP sitting there and watching McGwire and Sosa praised as the men who saved baseball during their home run chase in 1998. Imagine being Bonds, knowing you have more pure talent in your little pinky than those two frauds had in their entire chemically enhanced bodies, but having to sit back and watch them break baseball’s most prestigious record while you and everyone in and around the game knew how they were really doing it. Throw in wrist and elbow problems in 1999, followed by off-season knee surgery, and it’s not hard to understand why Bonds was tempted to join the juice brigade, if he wasn’t already on it.

The rest as they say is history, which is where I hope Barry Bonds and the rest of the “Juiced Era� ballplayers are relegated to. A sad footnote to an era of fraudulent records and accomplishments forever tainted not by a scarlet letter, but a scarlet symbol…..the asterisk!

That’s my take……what’s yours?

Time to take out the garbage from a mind polluted by a weekend of sports viewing:

Two days into spring training and all’s quiet on the Red Sox front. Of course, Manny’s due to arrive Wednesday. Wonder which scenario creates more absurdity; Ramirez the happy camper or no-show?

Barry Bonds says 2006 will be his last year while Sammy Sosa appears ready to choose retirement instead of a no-guarantee contract with the Nationals. Wasn’t it only a few short years ago we were “marveling� at the tremendous physical condition of these two aging superstars?

Ty Law says he wants a $10-million signing bonus from his next team. Sure, and I’d like to wake up next to Charlize Theron tomorrow morning, but that’s not going to happen either!

If what they say about marijuana not being addictive is true, then I’m left to believe Ricky Williams is just really, really stupid! You mean to tell me he can’t stay clean for a few years, make tons of money, and then toke himself into oblivion after he retires?

The Los Angeles Clippers are about to sign Vin Baker. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Last Thursday I post a blog about LeBron James being the future/present of the NBA and Sunday King James goes out and wins the All-Star game MVP award. Thanks for making me look good, big guy!

Think Paul Pierce did a little fantasizing as he took the court with four members of the Pistons on his team? You can wake up now Paul and go back to passing the rock to Brian Scalabrene.

Why do the NBA, NHL, and NFL make their players wear the most ridiculous looking all-star uniforms? I’m not advocating anyone get shot, but whoever designed last night’s duds should at the very least be forced to spend a weekend on the ranch with Vice President Cheney.

Those of you out there complaining about Andre Iguodala getting robbed in the dunk contest just don’t get it. If you don’t realize the 5’9� Nate Robinson jumping clear over Spud Webb for a dunk trumps anything the 6’6� Iguodala did for shear drama and degree of difficulty, then trade in your vintage Dr. J afro wig and go judge figure skating.

I have a lot of things I could say about Johnny Weir, but I’m enjoying this job way too much right now to jeopardize it.

Haven’t been able to confirm it yet, but I think Lindsey Jacobellis is a distant relative of Leon Lett.

Caught a little of the Russian hockey team in action over the weekend. With all due respect to you American and Canadian Hockey Krishnas, the Russkies are playing a completely different game than the one we’re being fed by the NHL.

Jimmie Johnson wins the Daytona 500. Or as I like to say, he turned left for 500-miles faster than anyone else.

Got involved in a discussion at a family birthday party over the weekend about whether J.J. Reddick makes it in the NBA. If Steve Kerr can, this kid most certainly can. Ditto for Adam Morrison.

Finally, Bobby Knight’s new reality series debuted Sunday night on ESPN. If this is successful, it’s just a matter of time before some network’s cameras follow O.J. Simpson around in search of the real killers. My only question is whether Greta Van Susteren or Nancy Grace hosts?

That’s my take...what's yours?

Posted By: LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

If you're looking for the standard position-by-position grades...well, sorry. I've never seen a season play out position-by-position, so I don't break it down that way. Here goes the tale of the season so far.

WHERE THEY WERE: At the start of the season, the questions were abundant, all the answers appeared to fall into the category To Be Determined, and youth was the only certainty for Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge (pictured).

The opening day Cs had an entire roster of guys they “wanted to take a look at� and as the season progressed that amounted to a bench rotation as fickle as New England weather.

Nobody predicted a Celtics run at the Eastern Conference crown ( that is, unless you took up Gretzky’s wife on that bet), and the organization didn’t seem to set the bar sky high for what would be considered success this year. The keys were evaluation and player development.

At times the team defensive technique similar to a bullfighter, (toro, toro, olay), execution at the end of games often looked like a foreign concept, and trade rumors caused an uneasy locker room.

WHERE THEY ARE: Pierce is having a career year as well as growing into the role as the leader on this basketball team. He’ll be playing in his fifth All-Star game on Sunday. Partnering with Wally Szczerbiak is working well so far, and Pierce now has a proven veteran he can turn to on the court.

Delonte West has settled into the point guard spot and even got an invite to the rookie-sophomore game at All-Star Weekend. He’s also shown that he’s got a knack for making smart choices with the ball (49 percent shooting from field, 2.5 to 1 assist-turnover ratio).

Before their injuries, Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins were showing flashes of their potential and beginning to gel on the court together. In his last eight games Jefferson averaged 10.5 points and just under 7.8 rebounds per game in 24.5 minutes per game, while Perkins tossed in 7.8 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game in about 26 minutes per game over his last eight games.

All reports are that Gerald Green has benefited from his time in the Developmental League where he‘s been able to focus on playing NBA-quality defense, learning to move without the ball, and adding muscle.

Rookie forward Ryan Gomes, the all-time leading scorer in Providence College history, has shown some that he can be a valuable frontcourt sub when Jefferson and Perkins are healthy. In his three starts since being uprooted from his plot on the bench, Gomes has scored 10.6 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game.

WHERE THEY’RE GOING: With a record of 20-32, the Celtics are five games out of the eight playoff spot currently held by Philadelphia. As a team, turnovers are starting to be slow down lately, falling from what was close to an 18 per game pace.

Still, the execution at the end of games hasn’t been anything worth writing home about. The Celtics are still struggling on the road (4-20), and they’re still allowing opponents to score 99.8 points per game against them. Knowing what to do at the end of games, playing well on the road, and playing tough team defense are the types of things that can make or put the brakes on any potential playoff run.

While a high draft pick might be enticing to some, the real focus should be putting up a good enough showing down the stretch that they keep Pierce convinced that the team is heading somewhere soon. Otherwise, things could get ugly as Pierce is only under contract through 2006-2007, meaning he may have some leverage for demanding a trade if he’s not happy with the team’s hopes for the near future.

What's your take on the Celtics?

News Flash: Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training Saturday, with the first official workout slated for Sunday.

Teddy’s Take: Great! Now we can begin answering some of the lingering off-season questions about the health of Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Keith Foulke. Unfortunately, we have to wait a few more days to answer the team’s biggest question mark; what is Manny Ramirez’ state of mind?

People point to Schilling, Beckett and Foulke in trying to figure the Sox success or failure this season, but for my money, the Ramirez situation is the one that’s really intriguing. Will Manny report on time? What kind of effort will he put forth if and when he shows? As of right now, no one knows and if they do, they’re not telling, so the situation bears watching the next couple of days.

The BoSox have enough pitching depth to keep them in the playoff hunt, but have you seen that batting lineup? Take Manny’s lumber out of there, and there’s not a lot of pop left. At this point, if Ramirez is unhappy and becomes a distraction, it’s too late for the Red Sox to get anything of substance in return for their All-World slugger. Subtract Manny from the mix, and David Ortiz will take more walks than the elderly at Pheasant Lane Mall.

Like it or not, the 2006 Red Sox season depends on Manny being Manny...in Fort Myers and in Boston!

That’s my take…..what’s yours?

News Flash: American Lindsey Jacobellis settles for a silver medal in the Women’s Snowboard Cross after falling near the end of the race. The 20-year old Vermont native had an insurmountable lead but decided to showboat a bit on the 2nd to last jump, causing her to fall and get passed by Switzerland’s Tanja Freiden.

Teddy’s Take: There is a sports God! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed that a hot-dogging athlete would lose as a direct result of showing off. Usually, it’s someone in one of the major team sports doing something stupid to draw attention to himself and how “great‿ he is, even though it took the efforts of numerous teammates to help score the touchdown, the goal, or whatever.

In a way, I’m sad for Jacobellis. By all accounts, she was in shock and even crying on the medal stand. When I first heard about it, I wondered if she was smart enough to understand what a rare opportunity she blew. I guess she was. An Olympic gold medal is probably the most prized possession in all of sports (even if some of these ridiculous events have cheapened the honor a bit) and the opportunity to win it comes along only once every four years, or in most cases, once in a lifetime. For Jacobellis’ sake, I hope she gets another chance in 2010. For the rest of the “Me-Me-Me‿ generation, I hope it’s a lesson learned!

That’s my take……what’s yours?

News Flash: LeBron James and Paul Pierce put on an incredible display at the Garden. Pierce pours home a career high 50-points, but King James I gets the best of him with a triple-double and a double overtime victory.

Teddy’s Take: I’ve already made my opinion on Pierce well known. Thank you to the C’s captain for living up to my hype. What I’d like to do here is take a moment to rave about the future (or is that the present?) of the NBA.

Let me state for the record, barring injury, LeBron James will go down as the greatest basketball player of all-time before his career is done. Take Michael, Magic, Wilt, Bill Russell, Larry….take whoever you want. This kid is so far ahead of where any of them were at this point in their careers, there is no comparison. I heard a few rumblings on WEEI yesterday talking about how LeBron’s stats in his 3rd year in the NBA, while close to what Bird and Magic’s were, pale in comparison to Michael’s.

Hogwash! LeBron’s 3rd year in the NBA should be his junior year in college, which is where Jordan was at the equivalent point of his career. What James is doing, and has already done, is unthinkable by any of the above mentioned players. Magic comes closest. He was a rookie at his point, helping the Lakers to a championship. But he had some pretty fair players helping him out….guys named Norm Nixon, Jamal Wilkes, and oh yeah, this guy Kareem.

Did you see that team around LeBron last night? Perhaps the worst collection of talent in the league, and yet the Cavaliers are 31-21, the 3rd best record in the Eastern Conference. If that isn’t testimony to how great this kid is, I don’t know what is, and he’s only going to get better. Mark my words…..LeBron James will dominate the NBA sooner rather than later, and in the process, push Michael out of the “Greatest Ever� spot he’s occupied since his glory days.

That’s my take…..what’s yours?

News Flash: Rufus, a tan and white bull terrier, beats out 2,622 competitors to win Best in Show at the prestigious Westminster Dog Show. He becomes the first dog of his breed to ever win the canine community’s most prestigious honor.

Teddy’s Take: Rufus is just lucky Mark Blount wasn’t entered. The Celtics should have had the ball boys follow that bowser around with a pooper-scooper!

Speaking of dogs, which professional athlete do you consider the biggest “dog� of all-time? Blount? Terry Glenn? Jaromir Jagr? Jose Canseco?

Send me your nominees!

The following questions and comments were good enough to make it out of the Spam folder and onto the Mailing List;

Mike asks; “Ted, where do you predict the Sox will end up in the AL East this year?�

As it stands right now Mike, the Red Sox look like a 2nd place team in the East. I believe the Yankees have too much lumber and just enough pitching to survive the long haul of 162-games and beat out Boston’s Boys of Summer again. I’m also a bit worried about Toronto stepping it up a level and giving Boston a run for its money. However, I do believe the Sox have enough firepower to win about 95-games and prevail in the Wild Card race over the Blue Jays, Angels, and Twins. (I figure the Indians and A’s to win their respective divisions) Now, if you want to know what I think about the playoffs, I believe the Red Sox, with the combo of a healthy Schilling and Beckett, are better positioned to win a best of seven series than the Evil Empire. But it’s a long way till then, and getting there might be a scary proposition.

The Red Sox-Yankees debate will no doubt heat up with spring training right around the corner. It’s already been a constant cause for debate on this blog as Louis Cypher chimed in with these thoughts on the Roger Clemens rumors;

Rocket called me today and we spoke about the offer. He just wants to know if the Sox and the press have any memory whatsoever about what happened when he left. He also told me that it would be a different situation if the Yanks had put up the offer. "Now that's a class organization and I'd really have to put some thought in it" said Roger. He also went on to say that "Manny being Manny thing shouldn't be taken so harshly. Heck, how come they haven't come out with a Theo being Theo shirt yet? Group of idiots"

Yankees fans are now having imaginary conversations with the Rocket Man. Nice! Let me know when you hear from The Babe and Joltin Joe!

Legend Killer responded with a list of “classy� Yankees including Steve Howe, Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden, then quoted President Bush in saying of New England born Yankees fans; “You’re either with us, or against us!�

Only a true Red Sox fan could equate the Evil Empire with the war on terror!

Of course, the loudest statement in the Sox-Yanks rivalry was delivered by our own Lowell Spinners who offered to pay for the uniforms of any Little League team that changed its name from Yankees to Spinners. That promotion drew plenty of response on Sports Talk;

KarenV; “The Spinners franchise is wonderful to all the youth organizations. When I changed the name of my softball team last year from the Yankees to the Spinners, it was in part to pay respect to the great things they do. I'm glad that they took this idea and ran with it.�

JesusSavesThorntonScores: “This has got to go down in history as the greatest sports team promotion ever! Its owners/management teams like this that deserves the success and the support from the fans that they receive. They have accomplished an amazing feat: They managed to get tons of free promotion, put smiles on faces of Red Sox fans everywhere AND give back to the community. I'll take 4 season tickets please!�

T2; “That's great! I mean, how often do you get a chance to dump on the Yankees and support your local team at the same time. Pretty ingenious. Lowell's citizens are proud to have one of the elite minor league organizations in the nation.�

Finally, JesusSavesThorntonScores checked back in with some thoughts on the Flying Tomato; “Not only is the nickname funny....Did anyone watch his interview after the qualifying round....Any Olympic Gold medal winner that uses "tripping about it" and "stoked" in a worldwide broadcast is ok by me. He is Jeff Spiccoli! How did he get by the drug tests?�

Which is something I wonder about some of my readers…..especially the Yankees fans!

Keep the comments coming!!!

News Flash: The Lowell Spinners will be featured in Sports Illustrated magazine and ESPN’s Cold Pizza TV show for their promotion asking Little League teams to switch from the name Yankees to Spinners.

Teddy’s Take: Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! If you’re looking for the #1 reason why the Spinners are perhaps the most successful minor league franchise in all of sports, it’s their uncanny ability to come up with ideas that capture not only the area’s attention, but the entire country’s as well.

This latest publicity stunt, offering to pay for uniforms of any Little League team that switches allegiance from the Evil Empire has been mentioned on every local news program along with every national sports show and even some network news programs. Look for GM Tim Bawmann and Director of Corporate Communications Jon Goode on Cold Pizza Wednesday morning between 10-12. Award winning SI writer Steve Rushin will also talk about the “Yankee Elimination Party� in his Air and Space feature.

Kudos not only to Bawmann and Goode, but to the entire Spinners organization for having the creativity and the guts to consistently put a superior product on display, and in the process, put the Mill City on the national map.

What's your take on the Spinners "Yankee Elimination" promo?

Posted By: LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

Sox Update: Don’t let the snow on the ground fool you. Today is officially the first day of the baseball season. The equipment trucks are all on the move. The Sox are officially on their way to spring training.

If all that moving day excitement isn’t setting you’re heart all a flutter, the Red Sox also announced their seven newcomers to the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Leading the way for the 2006 class is none other than “The Remdawg� himself, Red Sox television broadcaster Jerry Remy (left). The native of Somerset, Mass., patrolled second base for the BoSox from 1978 to 1984. He swung the lumber to the tune of a .286 batting average and on the base paths he swiped 98 bases in 710 games.

Other inductees announced today were: infielder Vern Stephens (1948-52), right-handed pitcher Ellis Kinder (1948-55), first baseman George Scott (1966-71, 1977-79) and managers Joe Morgan (1988-91) and Dick Williams (1967-69), and non-uniformed selection, Red Sox Vice President Dick Bresciani (1972-present).

Dave Roberts' stolen base in the bottom of the 9th inning in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees was also selected as a Memorable Moment in Red Sox History.

Chime in with you’re thoughts on the Red Sox Hall of Fame inductees? Are the inductees all up to par? Who would you add to the list? Does Dave Roberts' stolent base really warrant Hall of Fame recognition.

Click here to view the Red Sox Hall of Fame press release

Time to plow through the pile of thoughts accumulated during a weekend of too much snow and not enough meaningful football:

Forget what Mother Nature or the calendar says. The surest sign spring is right around the corner is the Red Sox equipment truck rolling out of Fenway Park Monday on the way to Fort Myers. Pitchers and catchers report Saturday. First official workout is Sunday.

Not that I don’t love international competition, but I think this World Baseball Classic is a very bad idea. Play it in November. Take two weeks off around the All-Star break and make up regular season games by scheduling doubleheaders. But asking competitors to play for pride and country before their bodies are up to the challenge is just asking for trouble.

I’m worried about Jason Varitek’s participation in particular. The guy wore down noticeably late in ‘05. Adding catching duties for Team USA certainly won’t help the Sox cause during the dog days of August.

And count me among the Fantasy Baseball geeks who will take a more skeptical look at any starting pitcher who toes the rubber and goes all out when he should be building slowly toward opening day. This could be more dangerous to a pitcher’s body than hunting with Vice President Cheney.

If the Pro Bowl falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? In my mind, no Brady and no Seymour equals no interest.

Come on now! Steve McNair and Michael Vick played in this year’s “All-Star� game. Together they combined for a whopping 31-touchdown passes, or one less than Carson Palmer, who missed the game due to injury.

Heard Peyton Manning threw 3-INT’s in the exhibition. Must have been protection problems!

Love the Olympics. I really do. But I can’t tell you how much I hate the way NBC televises them. It’s nearly impossible for a true sports fan to enjoy competition when the results are already in.

Sure, we’ll watch when one of our own wins. But knowing ahead of time that Bode Miller and Apolo Anton Ohno lost their respective events is an open invitation to ogle Teri Hatcher and the gals on Wysteria Lane.

Before you go reminding me the Men’s Downhill was finished by around 8:30 a.m., I’ll remind you I’m the same person who woke up to watch the Canadian Channel’s Sydney Olympics coverage at 5 a.m. If only I’d paid more attention in Mademoiselle Brady’s French Class.

News flash; Michelle Kwan withdraws from the Women’s Figure Skating competition. Is that so she can save herself for the Senior Olympics? I’m not saying she’s old or anything, but this is the same girl who served as an alternate during the Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding fiasco.

Speaking of fiascos, have you seen Harding lately? I think she ate Oksana Bauil.

The Olympics serve as a blessing and a curse for Bruins fans. The good news is the 2-week break gives the Black and Gold a chance to regroup now that their momentum seems to have taken a downward turn again. The bad news is the hockey on display in Torino will remind us just how poor the quality of play is in Beantown and most other NHL stops.

The regular season standings show a pair of wins for the Celtics this past weekend. The draft lottery standings, the ones I’m most interested in right now, show a few less ping-pong balls for the men in green.

That’s my take...what's yours?

News Flash: Another American medal favorite, Apolo Anton Ohno, fails in his bid for Olympic Gold.

Teddy’s Take: Not a very good weekend for the Yanks, and probably a worse one for NBC. Ohno joins Bode Miller as the latest television glamour boy to fail in a quest for medals. The 23-year old short track speed skater was awarded a controversial gold in the 2002 Games because of a disqualification, but there would be no reprieve this year. Ohno slipped and fell in his semi-final heat, failing to qualify for a chance to defend his title.

Fortunately for NBC both Miller and Ohno still have more events left to compete in. But the disappointing performance of the most hyped U.S. athletes so far is going to put a damper on television ratings and American interest.

News Flash: Shaun White, a.k.a. The Flying Tomato, wins the Men’s Halfpipe for the United States 2nd gold medal of the 2006 Winter Olympics. The 19-year old Californian ends the day with a tearful celebration with his parents and a flag waving medal ceremony.

Teddy’s Take: By far the best nickname to medal thus far, the redheaded snowboarding superstar adds Olympic Gold to his recent X-Games Gold. Wonder which one he’s more proud of?

Quiz question: Is a tomato a fruit or vegetable?

News Flash: New Hampshire native Bode Miller finishes 5th in Olympic Downhill Skiing. Teammate Daron Rahlves, the pre-race favorite, crosses the line in 10th place.

Teddy’s Take: Expect NBC to play up this event big-time during tonight’s coverage. Franconia Notch’s Miller is the USA’s marquee men’s name at these games and his anti-establishment nature makes for great television. Unfortunately, the fact we already know the results does not make for great television, especially when the top Americans fail to win.

Which begs the question; would you prefer NBC show the drama unfold live no matter what time of day or are you o.k. with viewing the pre-packaged storyline during prime time?

What's your take?

News Flash: USA captures its first gold of the 2006 Winter Games as Chad Hedrick wins the 5,000 meter men’s speed skating event.

News Flash: Gold Medal favorite and former Hanover (NH) High School standout, Hannah Kearney, fails to qualify for the finals in Women’s Moguls.

Teddy’s Take: It didn’t take long for the thrill of victory and agony of defeat to play out for a couple of Americans. Hedrick has a chance to equal the great Eric Heiden’s Winter Games record of 5 Golds. Kearney on the other hand, stumbled through her qualifying run and could only watch helplessly as competitor after competitor knocked her out of the finals, a bitter disappointment for one of New England’s top medal hopes.

I’ll repeat what I said yesterday. This is what makes the Olympics such a great sporting event. You get one shot, and one shot only, to make all those years of hard work pay off. The margin between winning and losing is razor thin. Sure Hedrick can make history, but all it takes is a slight slip or an awkward turn to go from immortality to anonymity.

That said, let me ask you this; with so many incredible athletes on display, why is it that Americans don’t get riled up about the Winter Olympics unless some fragile figure skater is the victim of a crooked judge or a knee-whacking whacko?

News Flash: Montreal Canadiens Goaltender, Jose Theodore, fails test for banned substance Propecia, a hair growth drug. Also, American Skeleton competitor Zach Lund (picture to the left) is handed a 1-year suspension for using a banned hair replacement drug.

Teddy’s Take: Somewhere, Cy Sperling is smiling. Who knew the “Hair Club for Men President� could so influence Olympic competition. The drugs taken by both athletes do not enhance athletic performance, but they are common masking agents used to hide illegal stimulants. In Lund’s case, his denials are at least believable. Why the fully-coiffed Theodore (picture below) feels the need to aid his hair’s growth is another matter, though his dark locks are noticeably longer these days.

Just imagine how good Michael Jordan would have been if he wanted a full head of hair.

What's your take? Are their stories believable?

News Flash: The Winter Olympics begin with a rousing Opening Ceremony in Torino, Italy, despite the fact NBC won’t let its American audience see it until later tonight.

Teddy’s Take: Aside from the fact almost every major event is on tape delay and we’ll already know the results, the Olympics are still Must-See TV for sports fans. There’s nothing like the best in the world at their craft competing in a one-shot deal for the most prestigious sports prize of them all….an Olympic Medal. Perhaps the names aren’t the most recognizable, but don’t tell me that Bode Miller and competitors flying down a mountain at 70mph (drunk or sober) isn’t an amazing athletic event. Forget the nightly boredom of hockey or basketball, these next 2-weeks should grab your attention and remind you what true competition really is.

Editor’s Note: I do not include figure skating as true sporting competition, and I’ll be sure to explain why and rip it apart as the Olympics go on.

For all the Olympic coverage and results, make sure to check out the Lowell Sun or visit online at www.Lowellsun.com

What’s your take on the Winter Olympics?

Posted By: LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

The Lowdown: With Kendrick Perkins and Al Jefferson now down for a little while, the rotation of big men could include Brian Scalabrine, Raef LaFrentz, and fresh out of the developmental league Dwayne Jones. What sort of taste does that leave in your mouth Celtics fans?

If the injuries weren’t enough, the numbers over the course of the last few games haven’t exactly been easy to swallow either. The offensive production has taken a hit since the trade that brought Wally Szczerbiak to town, with shooting percentage and scoring average of the last six games dipping.

Still, in the first few games Doc Rivers and Szczerbiak openly admitted that he was on the court with a very limited knowledge of the offense. Combine learning on the fly with spending time away from the team because of the birth a brand new baby, and there were bound to be some bumps in the road early on. The honeymoon period wasn’t going to last forever.

On the upside, in last three games turnovers were down to 11.7 per game compared to the season average of 16.8. Failure to take care of the ball over has been one of the major problems, and progress in that area is nothing to brush off.

What to look for: The injuries to the front line guys should finally present the opportunity for rookie forward Ryan Gomes to see more time on the court. Danny Ainge and Rivers have both said they like Gomes and want to see more of him and get a good assessment of where he is at in his adjustment to the professional game, but for some reason he’s still riding the pine pony. Since the trade he has played a grand total of 21 minutes. That’s total, not an average.

The reporter in me wants to see if Gomes turns into that feel good story about a Connecticut native who went to Providence College, stayed all four years, and makes an impact in the pros with the team in Boston. Of course, the fan in me says it’s time to see what the guy can do and find out if Ainge and Rivers have just been blowing smoke.

The Celtics head into the break with games against Portland, Orlando, and Cleveland. Win or lose, those games could be beneficial if they serve as an opportunity to evaluate their bench and get the new guys acclimated with the offensive and defensive philosophies as well as their new roles.

Weigh in with your thoughts…

News Flash: Paul Pierce selected to Eastern Conference All-Star team, beating out Washington’s Gilbert Arenas, the NBA’s 5th leading scorer.

Teddy’s Take: Great call! Within the last month, numerous league coaches and stars have sung Pierce’s praises. It’s nice to see them honor him with something more than words. As I’ve stated many times in this space, the Celtics Captain is now a legit top-tier superstar and a completely different player than the selfish fool who embarrassed himself in last year’s playoffs. Arenas, who will probably be selected as an injury fill-in for Jermaine O’Neal, may be a great scorer, but he just doesn’t bring the total package that Pierce does.

What’s your take?

News Flash: The National Football League says Super Bowl XL was “properly officiated, including as in most NFL games, some tight calls that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials.�

Teddy’s Take: The problem for the NFL is there’s very little “disagreement� about the calls. Outside of Steelers fans, opinion is almost unanimous that the officials missed numerous calls and made others that they let slide 99-out of 100-times. Howard Cossell once referred to the NFL as “the most corrupt institution� in America. While I don’t think that’s a reasonable accusation, if Paul Tagliabue doesn’t want the perception of impropriety to exist, he’d better do something to avoid the officiating debacles of this year’s playoffs.

What’s your take?

Sources tell Sports Talk with Teddy Panos the mystery buyer interested in purchasing the Lock Monsters from Elkim McCallum is New Jersey Devils Owner Jeff Vanderbeek.

If Vanderbeek can receive assurances of a strong commitment from the city of Lowell and a strong push to sell season tickets, he would be willing to keep the team in the Mill City and make it a Devils affiliate. Reports out of Carolina have the Hurricanes pulling their affiliation out of Lowell when their contract with the Monsters expires after the season.

Vanderbeek was approved as majority owner of the Devils in September of 2004. He spearheaded the effort to build a brand new, $310-million arena in downtown Newark, New Jersey. The building will seat 18,000 and be ready in September of 2007, replacing the Devils current home, Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford.

If Vanderbeek’s requirements are met and he purchases Lowell’s American Hockey League entry, the transaction would bring much needed stability and leadership to the troubled team. It’s no coincidence the Manchester Monarchs, owned and operated since inception by the Los Angeles Kings, are one of the AHL’s most successful franchises.

In National Hockey League circles, New Jersey is a well respected and well run organization. Team President, Lou Lamoriello, is regarded as one of the NHL’s brightest minds, and has even been rumored to be a target of the Boston Bruins in the past. Having the Devils as a parent club would provide the Lock Monsters with plenty of front office experience in running a hockey operation and a stability sorely lacking in the past. With their solid farm system, the Devils could stock the roster with a core of prospects Mill City hockey fans can identify with and follow for many years.

The question now remains; Will Lowell’s city leaders make the commitment necessary to make this transaction a reality? If so, will area fans step up and support the Lock Monsters, avoiding a potential black eye for the city should the team up and leave?

What’s your take?

News Flash: The Red Sox try to convince Roger Clemens to close out his Hall-of-Fame career in Boston. They’ve even gone so far as to produce a video to sway the Rocket.

Teddy’s Take: There’s a better chance of Eminem recording the soundtrack for Brokeback Mountain 2, or Rush Limbaugh starring in it.

The Rocket is going nowhere folks. He’ll pitch in the sham of a World Baseball Classic, take a month or so off to recharge the batteries, then return to the Astros sometime in May. He’s basically admitted his body can’t take a full year of pitching anymore, he’s already working out with the Astros minor leaguers, and his son is one of those minor leaguers. You really think he’s going to come back to Boston and give up the ability to go home to his family between starts and basically make his own schedule? If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is a ploy by the Red Sox to generate discussion during the down weeks between Super Bowl and Spring Training.

What’s your take?

Time to empty the mailbag and address some reader comments and questions:

CHRISTO wants to know what I think of the fan that caught Doug Flutie’s “dropkick‿ ball.

I’m guessing the guy is a terrible poker player because he definitely overplayed this hand. He should have just returned the ball voluntarily and then very politely asked for an autographed jersey or football, which the Patriots would have been more than happy to give. He could have even gotten a couple of tickets to a future game. By asking for a king’s ransom he made himself look like a joker. Good for the Patriots for telling him where to stuff his football!

A Fan asks; “Why don't you have the logo of Lowell's Professional Softball Team on your homepage?‿

We’re working on it as we speak. Of course, if you can tell me when Jennie Finch is due to visit the Mill City and arrange for me to meet her, I’ll do that one better and do some live blogging from Martin Field wearing a Riptide jersey!

Bob Callary wonders why I didn’t give out “The Victim’s‿ pick for Super Bowl XL.

Very original name, Bob….put a lot of thought into it, huh? Also, “The Victim’s‿ pick was posted Saturday night, about 1/8 of an inch above where you clicked to post your comment. For not paying attention, you deserved to lose your bet!

JesusSavesThorntonScores (pay attention to the originality Bob) writes; “maybe Ted and his dedicated fan base can ban together and save this franchise!......I can see it now…The Lowell Lockbloggers! or maybe The Lowell Blogmonsters! Anyone want in?‿

Love the proposed team names, especially “Blogmonsters.‿ I can already picture the new uniforms with my ugly mug on them. And you thought Louie the Lock Monster was scary! Any of you creative people out there think you can come up with a catchy logo? Send them along to tpanos@lowellsun.com and I’ll be happy to post them.

According to A Steelers Fan; “New Englanders were never football fans and never will be and don’t deserve to have the Patriots to call their own.‿

Gee….guess I touched a nerve with my anti-Pittsburgh rants. I beg to differ, however, about New Englanders not deserving the Pats. Perhaps we don’t have the rich tradition of your Steelers, but we’re writing a pretty good history ourselves. Plus, any group of fans that dealt with 86-years of Red Sox torture deserves a few good times!

Lastly, I’m going to announce a new feature where I’ll post some deserving reader comments in their entirety. In the future, the Lowell Sun will even run them in the newspaper, allowing your friends who don’t have internet access to read your brilliant thoughts. They don't even have to be long-winded. Quick and to the point works just as well. All we ask is that you keep them clean. This week’s entry comes from RobzRantz;

With no Patriots in this year's Super Bowl I've been forced to turn my attention to Boston's other hometown teams.

Red Sox
These folks can't just have a normal off-season. The corner of Yawkey way and Lands down Street might as well be called "Dysfunction Junction.‿Theo's gone, Theo's back. Larry hates Theo. Larry loves Theo. John Henry's a big goof....well that hasn't really changed. With the imminent signing of Alex Gonzalez the Sox seemed to have filled most of their holes...holes, by the way, they created for themselves. So where are we? We've improved our infield defense dramatically and beefed up the bullpen to withstand another Foulke implosion. We still have Manny, for now. Trot seems healthy. (whatever that means) Coco now roams center for us and we should consider ourselves VERY lucky.....It could have been a WHOLE lot worse. We will miss Johnny this year and maybe next but years 2 and 3 of that contract could have been disastrous for the Sox when Damon's age catches up with him. Then the Yankees will have 2 Bernie Williams'. The biggest IF is the starting rotation. We know what we will get from Wakefield, but that's it. Will Schilling be healthy? Will Beckett stay healthy? Will Wells stay or go? Can Paplebon win 10-12 games? The upside looks great. But a lot of things need to fall into place.

Celtics
If the NBA season was the World Series of Poker Danny Ainge would have just gone ALL IN with Jack-Ten. Not a really good hand but Hey...maybe you'll flop something. Can we put to rest this mirage about trying to play ANY defense whatsoever? Danny wants to score 120 points a night and give up 118. If he could find Bo Kimble he'd be suiting up right now. Exciting fastbreak dunks may put butts in the seats but defense wins championships.

Bruins
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it make any noise? Well, The Boston Bruins ARE that tree and they ARE making some noise. We have to give all the credit to the players, for finally stepping up, and the coach. Despite the Pathetic Front Office, the B's are making a run for the 8th seed in the east. With Ottawa being the 1 seed.....who knows what can happen. Hopefully not ANOTHER first round exit. Hey, Ted...Ray Bourque is not walking through that door.

Patriots (Just a couple thoughts)
Other than WEEI's Pete Sheppard, no one has given a second thought to Tom Brady's groin. Apparently the "Tighty Whities" he wore on Saturday Night Live scrunched him up a little bit.... The Pats left us with a hole in our stomachs. We really have no right to complain but the way Pittsburgh handled the Colts, this would have been the Pats' EASIEST road to the Superbowl yet. I predict the Patriots will have another "Who's That?" draft, selecting Joey McNobody from Timbuktu U, who will go on and have 17 sacks and decapitate Peyton Manning....It could happen...Let a guy dream.

Keep those comments coming and let me know what you think!

Time to clean up the mess from a pathetic Super Bowl weekend bash, a mess exceeded only by one of the worst played games these tired eyes have had the misfortune to watch:

I guess I’m happy for Bill Cowher. I don’t like accomplished coaches or players who have to deal with the “can’t win the big one� stigma, as if failure to win a championship somehow diminishes one’s place in history. Under that theory, Ted Williams (0-rings) and John Hannah (0) fall somewhere below Greg Kite (2) and Terry Deurod (1).

That said, please Bill….PLEASE get your players to act like they’ve been there before. I’ve never seen a group of guys talk so much trash despite never having accomplished a thing. At least now the current Steelers have a Super Bowl title to their credit, but watching them woof at Seahawks receivers after allowing a 15-yard gain on 3rd and 5 gets real old, real fast. That’s why most football fans outside of Western Pennsylvania were turned off by the Steelers “victory.�

If you think a coach has no control over that behavior, check out the NFL films footage of Bill Belichick yelling at his troops to knock it off and focus when the Patriots engaged in a bit too much yelping with the Eagles during last year’s big game.

Great to see the greatest trash talker of them all, Joey Porter, back up his words with an astounding total of three tackles….the biggest hot air debacle since the Hindenburg.

Hines Ward, on the other hand, can play on my team any time he wants. Most Valuable Player despite taking pain killing injections in his injured shoulder.

Of course, the real MVP’s of that contest were the officials. I know, I know Steelers fans! Your boys might have won the game anyway. But the TD nullified by a ticky-tack offensive pass interference penalty and the phantom holding call taking away a 1st and goal at the one in a 14-10 game played a huge role in the outcome. The ridiculous call on Matt Hasselbeck’s tackle after his interception didn’t change the outcome, but it did cement Super Bowl XL’s place as the worst officiated playoff game in history. Worse than the Pitt-Indy game last month.

Do teams in the NFC not know how to run a 2-minute drill? Yesterday’s Seahawks performance would make the Eagles proud!

Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw refused to participate in the pre-game ceremony because the NFL wouldn’t guarantee them a big appearance fee? From his television work, we’ve known for a long time what a buffoon Bradshaw can be. However, do you think the previously “saintly� Montana asked for $100,000 10-years ago when HE was chosen to toss the coin?

Best commercial? A toss-up between the FedEx “Caveman� and the Sprint cell phone ad. Nothing like kicking an animal and a cell phone thrown at someone’s head for pandering to a mostly male audience.

I actually found John Madden on top of his game last night. While Al Michaels seemed lost on several occasions, Madden did his best trying to explain the rule book and some of those questionable calls. I would have liked him to be a bit more honest in criticizing the officiating, but with the NFL censoring the halftime show, do you really think they’re going to allow an announcer to let it rip?

Speaking of halftime, The Stones should follow Jerome Bettis’ lead and ride off into the sunset….for keeps this time!

It’s officially time to start rooting for the Celtics to lose as many games as possible. The playoffs are a lost cause, Al Jefferson can’t take the next step without spraining an ankle and Brian Scalabrine insists on shooting 3-pointers even though he hasn’t hit one since Saddam Hussein was in power. It says here; play the kids, take your lumps, and get a top-5 draft pick instead of one in the double digit vicinity.

Wonder if former Celtic, Mark Blount, was skipping up and down the court after his performances over the weekend? In back-to-back losses to Golden State and Portland, the $6-million a year malcontent combined for 9-points on 4-for-13 shooting in 40-minutes of action. Enjoy him Minnesota. With no more Boston match ups on the schedule, that dog will repay the cheers you showered on him during an inspired performance against the C’s by rolling over and playing dead 9-out of 10-games.

Tiger Woods is now 2-for-2 in 2006. I smell one of those runs they’ll be referring to in 10-years when Tiger has officially supplanted Jack Nicklaus as the greatest golfer in history.

Lastly, a plug for a “Goode� guy. Lowell Spinners Director of Corporate Communications, Jon Goode, and his wife Lauren host a big fundraiser to benefit the C2 Mission February 25th at The Brewery Exchange in Lowell. Dave Silk, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team will be on hand to show off his precious Gold Medal and sign autographs. The event, billed as “A Fan’s Press Conference with Dave Silk� will help raise funds for children and families affected by Cerebral Palsy and Cystic Fibrosis. For ticket information, visit c2mission.org.

It’s hard to believe, but the Super Bowl wasn’t always a national holiday. At one point, the games actually began and ended in daylight, commercials didn’t cost a zillion dollars per 30-seconds, and the television crew didn’t outnumber the combined number of players from both squads.

Now, everything about the day has become a spectacle, from the never ending pre-game show to the halftime entertainment. In fact, by the time you get from the 2:30 television kickoff to the 6:30(?) football kickoff, it’s safe to assume a good chunk of the viewing audience is too sauced or too bored to remember what transpired in between.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to take in this year’s spectacle from my customary seat in the family restaurant, with the laptop well charged and ready to record every nonsensical moment sure to occur. (What? You think a 3 ½ hour pre-game show featuring Michael Irvin isn’t sure to generate some unintended comic relief?)

2:31 The insanity begins, a minute late thanks to that Knicks-Rockets NBA thriller.

2:33 Michael Irvin is speaking, but his lips aren’t corresponding to the voice I’m hearing…..perhaps it’s the shock of not making it to the Hall of Fame.

2:36 Nobody’s lips are in sync with their voices. Is it just my television? Am I watching the Super Bowl pre-game show or a cheesy Japanese monster flick? If I see Godzilla, I’m flicking channels.

2:40 Bill Belichick makes his first appearance from ground level at Ford Field, a very safe distance away from Tom Jackson. The 3-time Super Bowl winning coach is discussing the differences between the “Big Game� and a regular old NFL contest. He looks like he’s prepared well for the assignment…..short, concise remarks, perfect for television.

2:50 Old footage of people buying tickets at the window before Super Bowl I…..a scalpers nightmare…..My, how times have changed!

2:52 This could be interesting. Chris Berman just tossed to Sam Ryan for a one-on-one interview with Joe Namath. Pucker up!

2:54 Alas, the get together ends without Joe Willie asking for a kiss. Perhaps the name “Sam� threw him off. If ABC really had a sense of humor, Suzie Kolber would have gotten the assignment instead of Ryan.

3:10 William Shatner appears in some type of cross-promotional spot for his new TV show, Boston Legal. Can’t help but think Captain Kirk is farther out there now than in his days guiding the Starship Enterprise.

3:15 ABC and Andrea Kramer have put together a feature on Jack Tatum. I was ready to rant about what a disgrace it is to give that jerk a forum to express himself, until I saw the piece, which I thought adequately depicted what an @&*-hole he is. My only regret is that Kramer didn’t mention how Tatum’s representatives actually did try to contact Darryl Stingley once in an effort to get the paralyzed Patriots receiver to help promote Tatum’s book, “They Call Me Assassin�…..truly, a despicable, despicable human being. Actually, scratch that to just “being�…..there’s still nothing “human� about him.

3:34 ABC’s really starting to get to me. First Jack Tatum…..now they have to rub the ’85 Bears and Mike Ditka in my face. I guess that’s the price to pay for the Pats ruling the NFL this century. Can we get Belichick on set again?

3:46 Thank you! Listening to BB talk about Ben Roethlisberger makes me feel like I’m at the coach’s weekly Wednesday press briefing. Belichick is more than willing to tout an opposing player’s strengths to an audience that doesn’t include his team. What I’d kill to listen to is the master break down that opponent’s weaknesses in front of his team during game preparation.

4:05 Guess this advertising thing really works…..I have a sudden craving for Pizza Hut.

4:18 My cell phone rings….it’s Jessica Simpson….wants to know if I’m free next weekend. (O.K. I just made that up to see if you were paying attention)

4:31 Two hours of this nonsense, and still another two or so to go until we actually see a tackle made. If this pre-game show doesn’t get more interesting, I may be asleep by kickoff. (Of course, if this blog doesn’t get more interesting, you may be asleep by then, too!)

4:37-5:07 ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

5:08 Did I miss anything good?

5:12 Bill Belichick makes his final pre-game appearance. Listening to him, I get the feeling he was given the topics and questions he would be covering ahead of time and that he prepared his responses specifically for the TV audience and the time frame to answer that ABC required of him. Knowing what a stickler for preparation the coach is, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he took his assignment seriously. Also, reading between the lines I get the feeling he thinks the Steelers will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy sometime around 10pm.

5:18 From informative back to nonsense. Robin Roberts is actually trying to have a serious discussion about the Pittsburgh Steelers with Mick Jagger. Looking at Mick’s wrinkled face, I can only pray we don’t have a wardrobe malfunction during the halftime show!

5:23 Wow! I didn’t know Super Bowl XL was a homecoming of sorts for Jerome Bettis!

5:36 ABC’s top guns make their predictions. Chris Berman and Steve Young like the Seahawks. Michael Irvin and Tom Jackson like the Steelers. The most intelligent reasoning; Jackson saying the most physical team wins the Super Bowl. Having watched the Patriots “female dog�-slap the Rams in 2002, I agree.

5:54 We’re now transitioning from the “Pre-Game Show� to something called the “Kickoff Show�…..guess this is how they sucker advertisers into spending more money per 30-second spot.

5:57 Trying to figure out who’s farther past his prime…..John Madden or Mick Jagger?

6:01 Predominantly Steelers crowd boos Tom Brady. They’re just lucky they’re not facing him today.

6:04 Lynn Swann, running for Pennsylvania Governor, is already in full political mode. What’s with the Richard Nixon arm spreading thing? Lynn, you are a crook...you singlehandedly stole a Super Bowl from the Cowboys!

6:10 Both the Seahawks and Steelers run onto the field as teams. No individual intros. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

6:13 Is that Aretha Franklin or Jerome Bettis singing the national anthem? Sorry, couldn't resist one more Bettis joke.

6:23 Tom Brady takes part in the ceremonial coin toss. For millions of women (besides Steelers fans, of course) the most exciting part of the game is now done.

6:27 Finally! Opening kickoff! See you tomorrow!

A little potpourri of useless information on this Super Bowl Eve, to go along with my “take� on the game and “The Victim’s� pick:

The NFL says Tom Brady will participate in the ceremonial coin toss as part of the Super Bowl’s 40th anniversary celebration. More than 30 of the 35 Super Bowl MVP’s are expected to join Brady on the field for the festivities.

Similar ceremonies took place before Super Bowl XX (Bart Starr represented the MVP’s that year) and Super Bowl XXX (Joe Montana). Like Brady, Starr is a 2-time MVP of the NFL’s big showcase, while Montana took home the honor on three occasions. Trivia question: who is the only other player to win the award more than once? (Answer below)

The most laughable choice to flip the coin was one Orenthal James Simpson, who triumphantly took the Rose Bowl field at Super Bowl XVII in 1993. O.J. never played in “The Big One�, so other than the Los Angeles connection, his selection for the ceremony looks quite curious in retrospect. I mean, was he really that funny in the Naked Gun movies? Of course, it was only less than a year and a half later that “The Juice� went from flipping the coin to flipping out.

Plenty of local interest in Super Bowl Xtra Large. You have the Matt Hasselbeck/Boston College connection, not to mention his dad, Don, who played with the Patriots in the ‘70’s. Another former New England favorite, Mosi Tatupu, will watch his son Lofa patrol the field for the Seahawks, while Seattle Linebacker, Isaiah Kacyvenski, played his college ball at Harvard.

On the Pittsburgh side, you have Quarterbacks coach, Mark Whipple, who led UMass to a 1-AA National Championship in 1998 and Fullback Dan Kreider, who made a name for himself at the University of New Hampshire.

I’d be remiss if I left out the Greek restaurant connection... Seahawks Linebacker Niko Koutouvides speaks Greek, attended Greek school for 6-years and somehow managed to make it to football’s biggest stage despite growing up in the family business back in Plainville, Connecticut. I wish I could have made it to media day just so I could ask him how he managed to get the week off from work. No doubt if dad has his way, Niko will be washing dishes first thing Monday morning!

Our friends at coldhardfootballfacts.com have this interesting little tidbit; Quarterbacks wearing the #8 uniform are 5-0 in the big game. Those donning #7 are 3-7. For those who don’t know, Matt Hasselbeck wears the number-8, while Pittsburgh “Party Boy� Ben Roethlisberger totes “unlucky� number-7.

Trivia answer; Terry Bradshaw

“Teddy’s Take� on Super Bowl XL; Pittsburgh wins, 30-17

In trying to explain why, I’m left reaching for a horse racing analogy. Any crusty old track veteran will advise you to read the racing form when searching for the winner of a particular race. What the form shows in this case is a team, Seattle, that has won an awful lot of races this year. Most, however, have been against “claimers�, also known as the inferior competition of the NFC and particularly the West Division. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has the more impressive past performances, knocking off Grade-1 competition in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Denver in the playoffs alone. Most impressively, they’ve done it on different track surfaces, while Seattle has mostly beaten up on the competition at home. This week, the Seahawks take the step up from claiming to stakes races, and while they’ll show and place, it’s the Steelers and their backers who will take home the win money.

And finally, the other reason why Pittsburgh will win; “The Victim� picks Seattle.

“Victim’s" Conference Championship record: 1-1
“Victim’s� overall Playoff record: 3-3
(Click here for an explanation of “The Victim’s System.�

Posted By: LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

In case you weren’t paying attention, and shame on you if you weren’t, here are some of the things you missed on the local sports scene.

Well, this week in the pages of The Sun we learned that not only are the ladies of Lowell High kicking butt in the classroom, but they’re also well-versed in a little class I like to call Advanced Placement Athletics.

A week after senior guard Courtney Schermerhorn became only the third girl ever to score 1,000 points in a Red Raiders uniform, the Lowell High girls hoop team rolled over a Central Catholic squad that sported a backcourt with two seniors who’ve already received basketball scholarships (Andrea Lozeau to Southern New Hampshire and Shelly Szmyt to LaSalle University).

By jumping all over Central, the Red Raiders head into this weekend with a record of 11-2 and 9-1 in the MVC. Sunday afternoon they travel to play undefeated Andover. The Golden Warriors handed them their only conference loss of the season in early January behind 29 points from sharpshooter Meghan Thomann.

Alas, we here at TheSunBlog.com wouldn’t want you to think we neglected the lady alumni of Lowell High. Lowell’s own Rachel Hebert laced up the boxing gloves for her first match Tuesday night at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in the Greater Lowell Golden Gloves Tournament.

While Hebert’s opponent came in with a decided edge in experience, she didn’t back down and she more than held her own in the ring with Whitney Drayton of Boston. Hebert even fought with a shoulder that came out of its socket in the middle of the match.

Of course, around here I guess we should’ve come to expect nothing less than a fighter's mentality from those Hebert girls. Rachel and her three sisters have been thriving in the local sports scene for the past few years, and the youngest two are still in high school.

Older sister Tabitha Hebert recently finished up a standout softball career at UMass Lowell before going to spent time playing professionally in Holland.

Katie Hebert, a senior this year at LHS, was the ace pitcher for the Red Raiders in their Division 1 state championship run last spring.

While Katie was on the sidelines with an injury for part of last season, Danielle Hebert, now a sophomore at LHS, served as Lowell High's pitcher striking out 92 helpless batters in 78 innings.

Rachel pitched for Lowell High herself and also pitched for the Merrimack Valley Twisters' under-18 softball team which dear old dad Armand Hebert coaches.

Video from Rachel Hebert’s boxing debut can be seen by clicking on The Sun Media Center on The Sun homepage.

Elsewhere in the Mill City…

The quest to save the Lock Monsters is still in full swing. The latest report has been that a potential buyer has demonstrated interest in keeping the team in Lowell, but current owner Elkin McCallum told the city council this week that the buyer would need the season-ticket sales to reach 1,500 before a deal could be worked out.

Also on the Lock Monsters front, a local man by the name Don Armstrong of Lowell and his son are trying to organize a rally to end all rallies with the help of local businesses, fans, and the Lock Monsters themselves, in order to help generate support for keeping Louie the Lock Monster patrolling the canals.

For the latest on the Lock Monsters keep checking back, and as always, visit www.lowellsun.com and pick up your daily copy of The Sun.

Posted By: LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

Our weekly brief on what is happening and what's ahead in UMass Lowell Athletics.

ICE HOCKEY

After pulling out a 3-2 victory over UMass Amherst last Friday, the River Hawks ran into the number one team in the nation, Boston College. It didn’t bode well that Boston College came in the night after losing only their second game since Dec. 3 to rival Boston University. Still, it took overtime for the Eagles to end the five game unbeaten streak of the River Hawks.

This weekend the River Hawks play two games at Tsongas Arena, playing UMass Amherst tonight and no. 8 Boston University on Saturday.

Links:
Hockey East Weekly Report

Recent Sun Articles:
"Hockey East great feeder program for the NHL"

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The ladies have lost their last two games by a total of 10 points, dropping games to American International College and Bryant in the last week to fall to 6-11 in the Northeast-10. The River Hawks host Assumption Saturday at Costello Gymnasium. Assumption comes in with a record of 7-9 in the NE-10, and sophomore forward Charde Floyd leads the conference in both rebounding and field goal percentage.

Links:
Northeast-10 Women’s Basketball Weekly Report

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The River Hawks hit a bump in the road on Wednesday when they lost by 16 to Bryant down in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Northeast-10 scoring leader Tracey Moragne netted 36 points, shooting 15 of 20 from the field. This week Assumption will pay a visit on Saturday. The River Hawks, now 12-5 in the NE-10, haven’t lost two games in a row all season and their only loss in Costello Gymnasium came back on Dec. 12.

Links:
Northeast-10 Men’s Basketball Weekly Report

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

The River Hawks had several impressive performances at last weekend’s Boston University Terrier Classic. Junior Nicole Plante was named the Northeast-10 Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, breaking her own school record in the 5,000 meters. Methuen’s Andrew Grange was selected as the Men’s Track Freshman of the Week. Grange qualified for the NCAAs in the 400, and anchored the second place 4x400 meter relay team. Christina DaLomba reeled in the Women’s Track Freshman of the Week, placing 14th in the 1,000 meters.

Links:
Indoor Track and Field Weekly Report

Consider this a public service for you fellas out there wondering what it's like to be a young, rich pro athlete.....A glimpse into the life of Ben Roethlisberger.

(Photos courtesy of deadspin.com, the 2nd best sports blog on the web)

I don’t know about you, but Super Bowl XL just doesn’t seem so super to me. Can it be that the Patriots recent run of success has ruined the greatest sporting event in America?

It shouldn’t be this way. I mean, I grew up a Cowboys fan (don’t ask….I was young, the team was good, the cheerleaders were HOT…..you get the picture) so I’m no stranger to having my team rule the NFL. But the ‘Boys dominance never dulled my Super Bowl appetite. (Keep the jokes about my food appetite to yourself!)

However, Super Bowl Xtra Large hasn’t come close to capturing the imagination. And judging by the reaction of my fellow New Englanders, I believe it will get a worse reception around these parts than Tom Reilly’s running mate. Oops, just saw the news flash. Make that “former‿ running mate.

Obviously the “Patriots Letdown‿ factor doesn’t help. For three of the last four years, I’ve been much like a side of beef on Jerome Bettis’ dinner plate…totally consumed! Not a single television tidbit, not a single radio report, not a single written word about the big matchup went by without me devouring it.

It’s only natural that without my beloved Pats or Cowboys participating, I would at least take a step back and skip the occasional useless fact we’re constantly bombarded with during Super Bowl week. You know, the ones telling us exactly how much spit flies from Bill Cowher’s mouth during one of his tirades. Or the inane reports from one of these breathless entertainment reporter types wondering if Ben Roethlisberger can lose his lunch faster by listening to Jennifer Love-Hewitt or Lindsay Lohan songs.

But there’s something more at play here. When you get right down to it, neither of these teams is really likable. One is just plain dull, the other downright obnoxious!

Has an NFL franchise ever had a more boring existence than the Seahawks? There have been worse teams, sure, but the sons of Jim Zorn are more drab than the Seattle weather. The uniforms? Exactly what shade of green are those, anyway? Even the quarterback, a guy you want to root for because he went to Boston College, is bald at the age of 30. And please don’t get me going on the Craig Stadler look-alike patrolling the sideline. Honestly, the Seahawks are more out of place on the big stage than a Muslim cleric at a bar mitzvah.

As for the Steelers, is there a more obnoxious team or set of fans? Joey Porter alone is reason enough to hate Andrew Carnegie for putting Pittsburgh on the map. This clown actually had the nerve a couple of weeks ago to insinuate the NFL stole the AFC title from them in 2002 because they wanted the Patriots to win in the aftermath of September 11th. Never mind the fact the Patriots beat them fair and square that day, not to mention every other time it’s counted since then. Doesn’t this brain surgeon think the league conspiracy machine would have been better served helping a New York or Washington team? Or perhaps maybe even a team from Western Pennsylvania, where the 4th plane was taken down heroically that day? So much for the value of a Colorado State education!

Of course, I haven’t even touched on the annoying Steelers fans. You should have seen these clowns in New Orleans back in 2002. Before losing to the Pats, they gobbled up Super Bowl and airline tickets like Teddy Kennedy at an open bar and then spent the week sulking on Bourbon Street all decked out in their black and gold Kordell Stewart jerseys.

On my way back from The Big Easy, I had the pleasure of taking a flight that stopped in Pittsburgh. Quietest, most peaceful two hours I’ve spent on a plane in my life. The funniest moment had to be at the gate in New Orleans, waiting to board the flight. Complete silence until these two Patriots fans, all decked out in their New England jerseys and drunk out of their minds came down to the seating area, screamed “Go Pats!‿ at the top of their lungs, then burst out laughing and walked away. The Steelers yahoos just turned around, looked, turned back and bowed their heads in shame. Absolutely hysterical!

So that’s my dilemma. Root for B.C. boy Matt Hasselbeck and ignore the fact the Seahawks are more boring than a State of the Union Address, or cheer on Bill Belichick’s buddy, Bill Cowher, and see news footage of rabid Steelers fans burning down the Steel City.

I guess I’ll take what’s behind door number two and wave my Terrible Towel, but only because I’ll have a “financial‿ stake in the contest. And then I’ll be sure to put that towel to good use after the game.