August 2006 Archives

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

It's official - Isbister signed a one-year $600,000 contract with the Hurricanes.

Although, it seems pretty bad that a 9-year veteran signed for that little of money - maybe Leetch and Carter shouldn't be offended Isbister found a home before they did.

In case you missed it Bs GM Peter Chiarelli was on WEEI with Dale and Holley this morning and because I was on assignment I missed most of it - what I did catch was Chiarelli saying the team was not actively looking to add any more players at this time - guess that means Leetch is definitely not coming back.

Excerpt on what Chiarelli had to say when Dale made the comment he could foresee 3 or 4 youngsters making the team:

"That's a possibility, what you have to keep in mind the level of play in trading camp is a shade less than the level of play at the start of the season and the level of play in the playoffs is a lot higher than the level of play during the season not just the start of the season, so you have to take that into account. These guys bring energy right away and adrenaline and they tend to taper off a bit too at some point during the start so what we see at the beginning of training camp and what we send at the end of training camp from these guys will tell a lot about the trend"

Chiarelli also said during the interview he expects an immediate turn around with this club due to the core of players before Chara, Savard and others were even added.

Do you agree with Chiarelli? I still have doubts about the tandem in net.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Just trying to empty the trash from my mind before the final weekend of summer. Perhaps you beachgoers are sad, but ever since I got out of school, I can’t wait for Labor Day…College Football...the NFL so close you can smell it…Hoops and Hockey on the horizon...Life doesn’t get any better! Anyway…

Who had a worse August…the Red Sox or Pluto?

Sox lefties of the past and future take center stage today. David Wells will most likely be traded any minute now. If we can get a serviceable prospect or player back, I’d consider it a victory for Boston’s Boys of Summer. Good luck to the team hinging its post-season hopes on those overburdened 43-year old knees.

While wishing Wells well on his way out of town, say a little prayer for John Lester. I’ve heard from a couple of doctors who don’t like the sounds of this story. In the meantime, I’ll refrain from making any “can we still get Roy Oswalt� jokes…damn, too late!

O.K. So maybe the transition was a bit insensitive, but I bring Oswalt’s name up because the size of that contract he signed (5-years, $73-million) doesn’t bode well for a team like the Red Sox that’s looking to rein in spending. After a year or two of free agent sanity, it appears baseball owners are about to embark on another round of spending madness. If the philosophy on Yawkey Way doesn’t change, be prepared for another year of Kyle Snyders and Kason Gabbards. Maybe even Matt Clement will take his skirt off and join us at Fenway.

By the way, I know hopes are high for the Papelbon, Hansen, Lester and Delcarmen quartet, but where are the position players? Please tell me Theo “Inept�-stein hasn’t pinned his future batting order on the Dustin Pedroias of the world.

I’ll have a more detailed Patriots post next week. For now, suffice it to say I think 13-3 or 12-4 is where they’ll finish. If you think I’m aiming too high, take a peak at that schedule and try to make a reasonable argument against me? Who do they lose to?

In baseball, they talk about being strong up the middle (Catcher, SS, 2B & CF). In football, everything feeds off the head coach, the QB and the men up front. In Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, the O-line and D-line, the Pats are as good as you can get up the middle.

If you put a gun to my head and forced me to guess right now, I’d say Colts vs. Cowboys, but with each passing day, my dream/nightmare scenario looks more and more possible…Patriots vs. Cowboys in Super Bowl XLI

Clue me in. I don’t get why the Carolina Panthers bandwagon is so crowded. Did anyone else see the Jake Delhomme I saw in the NFC Championship game?

I’m not sure how good BC will be in 2006, but the best college gridiron show in New England can be found in Durham, NH. The UNH Wildcats enter the season ranked #2 in the country in Division 1AA (that’s the level where the kids actually have to go to classes) and feature the most exciting passing combo since Steve Young and Jerry Rice. If you can’t get to the NH coast to see them in person, you can catch Junior Ricky Santos (39-passing TD’s, 7-rushing) and David Ball (24-TD receptions) a couple of times on WMUR (Channel 9 in Manchester). Trust me, you’ll enjoy the show.

I’m really looking forward to the Celtics season. I think you’re going to love Sebastian Telfair, but not as much as the wide open C’s he sets up for easy hoops are going to love him.

And for the first time in a long time, I’m actually optimistic about the Bruins.

That’s it for now…I’ll be back to discuss some of these topics in greater detail as they unfold! Till then, what are your thoughts?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

It's never a good sign when all the announcements from your local team are coming from the medical director, but that's where it's at in Red Sox Nation.

The following is a statement from Boston Red Sox medical director Dr. Thomas Gill updating the condition of rookie pitcher Jon Lester:

Jon Lester has been undergoing testing to determine the cause of the back pain he has been experiencing. During the course of that process, some enlarged lymph nodes were identified. Jon was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday for further evaluation and testing. Jon is resting comfortably.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

This picture was the highlight of the Sox trip to Oakland. Congrats to Curt Schilling on his 3,000th strikeout. It’s a milestone he was very much looking forward to, as he’s now one of only 14-players in major league history to accomplish the feat.

Unfortunately, the big “K� came in the finale of a 3-game sweep to the A’s which saw the Red Sox get straight “F’s�. Among the lowlights:

A nightly lineup featuring players spring training crowds might not pay to see…Schilling was hit hard again…Coco Crisp had to be scratched due to a shoulder injury he got while making a fantastic diving catch Tuesday night (as disappointing as “Coco Beware� has been, he’s made two of the greatest catches in Sox history)…and David Ortiz is still in a Boston hospital.

The only positive was the second consecutive strong outing by Josh Beckett. (A cynic would argue he’s great now that his team doesn’t need him to be) Does he finally get it? Don’t’ know…he’s had good stretches before. But I’d love to see him close out the year strong and build towards next year. I believe there’s still hope for Beckett.

Finally, in response to Legend Killer: No, we can’t pin the Ortiz situation on Theo, as humorous as that might be (provided Papi is OK, of course). What we can do, however, is use it to point out how precarious pinning everything on the future and forgetting about the present is. You never know exactly what obstacles you’ll face. Those 2007 & 2008 teams won’t stand a chance either if Big Papi isn’t around. Even if he is, what’s the guarantee Curt Schilling, Jason Varitek, or any other key player stays healthy the entire year?

Any thoughts on the sweep in Oakland?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The following is the statement by Boston Red Sox medical director Dr. Thomas Gill updating David Ortiz's condition:

David Ortiz is in the process of undergoing further testing to determine the cause of his symptoms. As part of this procedure, David has had multiple consultations with the appropriate specialists at Massachusetts General Hospital under the direction of Red Sox Internist, Dr. Larry Ronan.

The testing and evaluation will continue throughout the remainder of this afternoon and evening. David will remain in the hospital Wednesday night. He is resting comfortably and is in good spirits.

More information will be released as it becomes available.

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

Former Bruins d-man, David Tanabe has signed a one-year deal with the club that originally drafted him 7 years ago - The Carolina Hurricanes...

Tanabe signed a deal worth $900,00 - he had been awarded $1.275 million in arbitration, which the Bruins rejected leaving him a free agent.

According to TSN; the Stanley Cup Champs are also interested in signing free agent Brad Isbister - Bruins fans will remember Isbister was another "stellar" signing by MOC when he was still GM with the club and what I mean by stellar is definitely sarcastic.

J.P. Dumont has also found a new home after the Sabres chose to walk away after he was awarded a one-year $2.9 million deal in arbitration.

The Predators have signed the right winger to a two-year deal worth $4.5 mill - not too shabby for the winger who was instrumental in the Sabres going to the Eastern Conference Finals last spring.

The Bruins made another move when they signed former Hobey Baker finalist T.J. Trevelyan to a multi-year deal.

Trevelyan played his college career at St. Lawrence University.

Not sure where he fits with the club or if he'll play for the Baby Bs - but not a bad signing if you look at his stats - 78 goals and 76 assists for 154 points and 204 penalty minutes in 150 career college games.

FYI - Brian Leetch and Anson Carter are still looking for clubs to pick them up - I think it would be a major insult if Isbister gets signed before them - JMO...

For now, I am patiently waiting for the puck to drop ... this is the most boring time in hockey - waiting for training camps to open and the new season to start.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

News Flash: David Ortiz returns to Boston for tests after experiencing a rapid heartbeat for the third time in 11-days. The problem originally popped up during the Yankees series at Fenway and Ortiz was hospitalized overnight on one occasion. Big Papi was removed from the starting lineup about an hour before last night’s game in Oakland.

Teddy’s Take: You’ll have to pardon me if I seem to overreact to this news, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned since the Reggie Lewis tragedy, it’s to not take heart issues lightly.

Right now, the Red Sox are downplaying the situation, saying he was sent home for precautionary reasons. Up until last night, Ortiz had yet to miss any games due to the condition. However, a closer look raises concerns.

Big Papi says he first experience the rapid heartbeat during the doubleheader loss to the Yankees on Friday the 18th. It returned the next day, when he was removed from the game early and spent a night in the hospital. The DH laughed it off as stress from the beating Boston got during that series.

But quotes from teammates indicate it’s no longer a laughing matter. "It's not good� said reliever Mike Timlin to ESPN. This game is nothing compared to someone's health or family. We don't play games with people's lives. I don't know any of the details. All I can do is pray for him."

Perhaps more telling is this quote given to the Boston Herald by Wily Mo Pena; “He told me it’s still bothering him and he doesn’t know where it’s coming from. Everybody’s worried, especially him. He said it’s going ‘Boom, boom, boom.�

It says here Big Papi has every reason to be concerned. Bone and muscle injuries are one thing. Potential heart problems are a whole new ballgame. Three episodes in such a short span indicate something is definitely wrong. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious. But until the problem is diagnosed and cured, David Ortiz would be wise to forget about baseball and take care of David Ortiz.

Are you folks as worried as I am about this situation?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Jocelyn Forest fired a seven-inning shutout, her second in three days, to guide the New England Riptide to their first National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). Forest, who was selected as an NPF All-Star this weekend, was named MVP of the Championship Series.

For Forest the win makes it a NCAA championship, a championship and oversees in Holland, and now an NPF title.

Lisa Iancin and NPF Player of the Year Lyndsey Angus each knocked in runs for the Riptide.

Tuesday's Lowell Sun will have reaction from owner/general manager Joe Adlman as well as Forest.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Terrell Owens needs a spanking.

Mind you, I’m not advocating a beating or child abuse. Just a good, old-fashioned, open palm to the rear end spanking. Entire generations were raised this way and, more often than not, grew into mature adults instead of petulant little children in grown up bodies.

Is it a coincidence that in this era of “time-outs� we have a generation without any respect for authority? Then again, a good chunk of them don’t have any respect for decency or life. Why should authority be any different? But I digress.

I’m not sure all the specifics of T.O.’s upbringing. I know he came from a very troubled background and supposedly was whipped often. But I’m guessing he never got the proper discipline he so desperately needed, or is so desperately calling out for. No, too many people along the way enabled Owens and didn’t care enough about him to teach him right from wrong. It’s kind of sad, really. Here you have one of the most talented athletes of his generation flushing his career down the toilet, and not a single person in his inner circle has stepped up to stop the career suicide.

We know his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is only in it for the money. That’s expected. What I want to know is; where’s T.O.’s family? Where are his friends? Not even one person is strong enough to look him in the eye and tell him the truth?

We all have a buddy or relative who’s always messing up. We care for them and offer support. It’s what friends and family do. But at some point, usually after the 20th self-destructive episode or so, isn’t there always one person in the circle of trust who steps forward and says “I love you man, but you’re making Tom Cruise look normal?�

Think about it for a second. 99.99% of the country thinks Owens is a jerk. There have to be more than a few close acquaintances who feel the same way. It’s the law of averages. How can they, in good conscience, watch what’s going on and not try to help? Is the idea of being close to a “star� so alluring that common sense takes a back seat?

You know what’s funny about this whole Bill Parcells-Terrell Owens relationship? It’s that the Tuna is actually the kind of coach the troubled wide receiver would flourish under. Yes, T.O. had a bad childhood. So did Terry Glenn. Glenn had more than his share of flare-ups in the NFL. Even Bill Belichick couldn’t get through to him. Yet there was Glenn in Dallas last year, playing for his first coach and putting up numbers he hadn’t approached since his rookie year with the Patriots.

You remember 1996, don’t you, a frustrated Parcells questioning Glenn’s toughness and willingness to play through a hamstring injury? Sounds eerily similar to 2006, doesn’t it? Remember how it played out, the coach starting a firestorm by referring to his talented but troubled wideout as “she,� the receiver responding by posting 90-catches on the way to the Super Bowl?

See, the spanking doesn’t always have to be physical. Words sometimes do just fine. Too bad the current version of the Tuna doesn’t care enough about the current version of the troubled receiver to step in where so many others failed.

What are your thoughts on Terrell Owens? Will the Cowboys cut him? Is there hope for him to turn his career around?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Early Friday evening, I was reminded of Michael Corleone’s great line in Godfather III, the only memorable words in an otherwise forgettable movie.

“Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in.�

Al Pacino was talking about the mob, but he could just as easily been talking about the Red Sox and how they always manage to fool their loyal fans. After winning two in a row over the Angels, a handful of Fenway Faithful approached me during the course of Friday to take issue with me for giving up on the team. “All we have to do is makeup one game a week on the Yankees� they’d tell me. “The Yanks are due to fall into a slump, like they do every September.�

Well, Michael Corleone died at the end of the Godfather trilogy, and the Sox are now dead as well thanks to a trilogy of horror in Seattle. I don’t have to deal with this issue any longer and neither does the Kool-Aid brigade. I think only the suits in the Yawkey Way corporate suites would be foolish enough to suggest a playoff appearance is possible.

The Sox actually mailed out post-season bills to their season ticket holders late last week. I’m curious how many fools will actually send them their hard earned cash so they can salt it away in an interest bearing bank account. I personally know of one guy who, as of Saturday morning, was still going to send a check.

Wonder if he’s changed his mind yet?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Redskins 0
Patriots 41

Teddy’s Take: Repeat after me; it’s only preseason. It’s only preseason. It’s only preseason.

All kidding aside, how can you not be pleased/encouraged/awed by what you’ve seen the last two weeks? Sure, the game means nothing. Sure, the Skins were missing Clinton Portis. So what! This was just an awesome display on both sides of the ball, almost a déjà vu from last week against Arizona.

First downs: 30-8…Total yards: 464-154…Time of possession: 36:08-23:52…it doesn’t get much better against what’s supposed to be a quality opponent (I have my doubts about how good Washington is, but that really doesn’t matter for now). New England dominated in every facet of the game, as evidenced by the final score, the largest margin of victory in the team’s preseason history.

They say football games are won and lost on the line of scrimmage. If so, the Pats are going to win a ton of football games. Just look at the O-Line and the D-Line…loaded with young studs and high draft choices. Those units are going to be good, and they’re going to be good for a long time.

Many Happy Returns: How good was it tosee #37 roaming the secondary? Dan Koppen took the field for the first time as well, but Rodney Harrison was the show stealer as far as injured players returning…a huge lift physically and emotionally for this defense. Richard Seymour and Junior Seau also made their debuts.

Home Cooking: My final thought (and again, it’s just preseason) is that Bill Belichick’s boys are re-establishing the home field dominance they displayed in 2003 and 2004. That mystique disappeared a bit in ’05 after the Chargers came in here and “female dog�-slapped the Pats around Gillette Stadium, but “The Razor� once again looks like it’s going to be a force in helping the home team shave down more than a few opponents.

Starring Roles: Stars on the forehead go to Tom Brady (this is going to get redundant): 17-30, 231-yards, 1-TD, 0-INT’s…Ben Watson: 8-receptions, 97-yards, 1-TD can you say fantasy stud!)…Patrick Cobbs: 13-carries, 92-yards, 2-TD’s (mop-up duty, but impressive nonetheless…still, probably not enough to win a roster spot)…Michael Wright: tied for team-high in tackles with four, 2-sacks (2nd year lineman adding to an already deep and impressive young core that helped account for 7-sacks on the night).

Quality Quote: “It is so efficient the way they handle the offense and everyone is on the same page and he doesn’t panic. He lets the clock run and takes his time. I keep saying he is the Michael Jordan of our era. As friend, as a former player, now as an opponent you can see the preparation that goes into the game. It is not just talent alone it is preparation and he does everything.�—Christian Fauria, Washington TE, on watching Tom Brady from the other side of the field

OK, your turn…impressed? Wish the regular season began last week? Did I miss any other standouts? Did you see any negatives? Are you ready for some football?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Leominster’s Lyndsey Angus was named the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch Player of the Year. The announcement came on Saturday in Stratford, Connecticut, where the NPF Championship Series is underway. Angus beat out former Riptide standout Jessica Merchant now of the Connecticut Brakettes for the honor.

Angus, one of two members of the original Riptide team from 2004, was a NPF All-Star in 2005 and turned in another outstanding all-around season. The Riptide leader in almost every statistical category, Angus was fourth in t he league in batting average (.354) and tied for fifth in runs batted in with 23. She also hit three home runs, had an on-base percentage of .452, and a .531 slugging percentage. Angus smacked 13 extra-base hits, drew 16 walks, and struck out only nine times in 131 plate appearances.

The University of Kentucky product who primarily played catcher in college committed just one error in the field all season at first base.

Angus was also one of three Riptide players selected to the 2006 NPF All-Star Team. Joining her are pitcher Jocelyn Forest, and third baseman Jackie Pasquerella.

The other third-year Riptide player along with Angus, Forest tied for the league lead in wins this season with 15 (the Riptide had 24 as a team), her 1.32 ERA was third in the league, and her 107 strikeouts ranked third. This is Forest's second selection to the NPF All Star Team. Last season she split her pitching duties between the Riptide and USA Elite team, helping win the Canada Cup.

An off-season acquisition, Pasquerella was sixth in the league in batting average this year hitting.320 and she committed only 3 errors at third base in over 150 chances. A member of the 2004 champion NY/NJ Juggernaut, Pasquerella scored a team-high 19 runs during the regular season for the Riptide.

The New England Riptide defeated the Chicago Bandits 1-0 in nine innings to advance to the finals of the National Pro Fastpitch playoffs. Jocelyn Forest pitched a complete game two-hitter with seven strikeouts. Following a leadoff single, Lyndsey Angus scored the game-winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The victory advances the Riptide into their second championship game in three seasons. New England will play against the host Connecticut Brakettes Sunday in the championship game. The Brakettes defeated Akron 1-0 in eight innings in the late game on Saturday night.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

It is playoff time. The stage is set, the intensity will be turned up in Connecticut tomorrow. Just hours remain before the New England Riptide begin their pursuit of a championship Saturday afternoon.

The NPF playoffs are single-elimination and the margin for error is miniscule. The Riptide hope pitching, defense, and a balanced lineup will lead to victory.

Match-up: New England v. Chicago
Jocelyn Forest will most likely be in the circle for the Tide, looking to shutdown the defending champion Chicago Bandits.

Bandits slugger Jamie Clark is the top RBI producer in the NPF and finished fifth in home runs with five. She also hit at a clip of .317 this season. Chicago also sports the runner-up to the batting title, Steffan Anne (.400).

Don’t be fooled by their sluggers. Riptide head coach Sharon Drysdale says one of the main things her squad needs to be aware of is that the Bandits like to play a lot of the short game, moving runners over, stealing bases, and generally putting pressure on the players in the field by making the defense adjust to them.

Be cautious of numbers
Chicago comes in with a record of 30-12 (.714), but as Drysdale pointed out this week, comparing teams on paper is extremely difficult and downright misleading because not everything is equal. For example, Chicago has less games (26) against professional teams than any other squad in the NPF. The next lowest total being 32 from Connecticut. Philadelphia and Akron played 38 professional games, New England played 34.

In the other semi-final
Akron Racers - The Racers hit the playoffs on fire, going 9-2 in the month of August. That stretch was highlighted by five consecutive wins against the New England and the Chicago. Oli Keohohou, Crystl Bustos, Kristen Butler, Caitlin Benyi, and Iyhia McMichael have belted a combined 27 home runs over the course of the season.

Connecticut Brakettes - Connecticut has an astonishingly potent lineup of it‘s own led by former Riptide shortstop Jessica Merchant. With a league-high 12 homers to go with 32 RBI (second in NPF) and a .354 batting average. Merchant has been the big bopper in a lineup of power hitters including Kelly Kretschman, the league’s leading hitter (.410) and a total of four players with three home runs or more.

Pitchers Sarah Pauly (Conn.) and Radara McHugh (Akron) each tied with New England’s Forest for the league lead in wins with 15.

Any softball handicappers out there? Anyone with bold predictions? What are the chances the Riptide come the closest of any pro team in the Boston area to winning a championship?



RIPTIDE QUICK FACTS
2006 Record: 24-17 (fourth place in NPF)
Leaders
Batting: Lyndsey Angus, .346 (4th in NPF)
Runs batted in (RBI): Angus/Tarrah Beyster, 23 (fifth in NPF)
Hits: Lindy Winkler, 42
Home runs: Beyster, 4
Stolen bases: Winkler, 8
Runs scored: Jackie Pasquerella, 19
Wins: Jocelyn Forest, 15 (tied for 1st in NPF)
Strikeouts: Forest, 107 (3rd in NPF)
Earned run Average (ERA): Forest, 1.32 (3rd in NPF)

Against playoff teams in 2006
Against Chicago Bandits: 1-2
Against Connecticut Brakettes: 3-1
Against Akron Racers: 2-6

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

News Flash: The New England Patriots have granted holdout Deion Branch permission to negotiate a contract with another team and work out a trade. They’ve given the wide receiver until next Friday, September 1^st, to get a deal done.

Teddy’s Take: For once, I’m kind of speechless. I thought the situation would have been resolved well before it got to this point. Is this the Pats moving on, or basically calling Branch’s bluff and trying to prove to him he’s not as valuable around the league as he thinks?

Bill Belichick remains in the driver’s seat as far as where the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP plays this year. Even if his agent does work out a lucrative contract elsewhere, New England doesn’t have to trade him unless they get satisfactory compensation. The negative for the Pats in either scenario is they’ll still be without Tom Brady’s favorite target in 2006. A trade more than likely brings back a draft pick not a player, and certainly not a receiver of equal value.

This smells of a “you know what� or get off the pot move by BB. Branch needs to be in camp and soon, or move on so he’s no longer a distraction. I guess next Friday could roll around and we’ll still be in the same situation we’re in today. However, I have a hunch this gets resolved one way or the other by then.

The guessing here; Deion Branch will be playing in Foxboro on September 10th…and I don’t mean for the Buffalo Bills.

Can the Patriots-Branch marriage be saved? Have I read today’s news correctly, or am I way off in my assessment?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Red Sox 2
Angels 1

Deal with the Devil: So is that the deal? To get the good Josh Beckett, we have to live with the blister problems that plagued him so often in Florida?

It’s kind of a bummer to what was a nice couple of nights. The Red Sox stopped the bleeding and took two in a row from a good Angels club. Beckett rediscovered his dominating form and was the pitcher we expected. And then, just like that, he’s gone because of a blister.

Not that the Sox will confirm it, but the natural conclusion is that in order to avoid chronic blister problems, he’s been doing something different this year, whether it’s altering his grip or avoiding throwing certain pitches and getting pounded as a result. The assumption is that last night he went back to being the stud from the National League. And it worked, except that with the positive came the negative and now his next start is in question.

Talk about a catch-22.

You think this has been the issue with Beckett all year? If so, what can he and the Sox do? Any skin doctors out there care to chime in with their thoughts and possible remedies?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

This is Bill Belichick from his 11:30am press conference Wednesday;

Q: As far as kickers go, do you plan on having one guy for this weekend?

BB: We haven’t set our plans for this week yet.  We’ll take a look at that a little bit later as we get closer to game time.  I don't have anything on that one now.

Q: The way he’s kicking now (Martin Gramatica), does he look like he’s near his prime now?

BB: I think he's been very competitive in camp.  I think he's been very competitive.  He's accurate.  He handles the elements well.  He's kicked in wind.  I think that's a strength for him.  He gets the ball off quickly.  I thought he kicked off pretty well against Atlanta.  I think he's very competitive.  I'm not saying he's the best kicker in camp.  I'm not saying he's not the best kicker in camp.  I’m just saying that I think he's very competitive and I've been around kickers for a long time.  I think he's a very competitive kicker in the National Football League at this point.

Q: Do you go back and watch what he did in Tampa that year when he sort of had problems?  Did you see anything else?

BB: I think there’s definitely some issues related to that, but again, that's not nearly as important to me as to what happens this year.  I think we all know the guy was a pretty good kicker and he's had a good camp.

Martin Gramatica was cut by the Patriots minutes later...if it hadn't already been done. LOL!

What do you think of the decision to go with Stephen Gostkowski at kicker? Can the rookie step in and replace Adam Vinatieri on a Super Bowl contender? Will Gramatica catch on elsewhere? How about Belichick’s poker face? Would you want to be sitting across the final table from him at a Texas Hold 'Em tournament? 

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Red Sox 5
Angels 4

Break out the Bubbly: The streak is over!

While you were sleeping, Boston’s Boys of Summer put an end to their losing ways with a gutsy victory over the Angels. Funny thing though. Listening to the radio and talking to people today, it seems nobody cares anymore. Is this true? Have you all become me? Or are there a few believers still out there?

For me, the rest of 2006 is about individual honors. I hope David Ortiz can maintain his pace and clinch the MVP. However, if the Sox fall too far out of it, don’t be surprised if Jermaine Dye, Derek Jeter or Vladimir Guerrero sneaks up and steals it from him. I also think Jonathan Papelbon has a slight edge on Justin Verlander for Rookie of the Year, but that could change in a hurry if the Tigers righty gets close to 20-wins and pitches a few September gems in key situations. Right now, Big Papi and Little Papi have my respective votes.

I’ll use the rest of this space to answer a question from Legend Killer, who in a comment to Another Winter of Discontent listed the moves he thinks the Red Sox must make to get back in contention next year. LK then asks; “Ted what would be on your to do list.�

I agree with all of your points Killer, except for picking up Manny’s option. If I thought it would make him happy, I’d say yes. However, I think he still wants out and as soon as things turn sour, he’s going to pout and be disruptive. That’s always been the case and I don’t see it changing in the future.

What you left out is the #1 change Theo “Inept�-stein needs to make this offseason. He needs to change this “go with youth/play for the future� philosophy he succeeded in getting John Henry to agree to. Unless that happens, we’re doomed to another year of close but no cigar.

Listen, youth is wonderful and building the farm system is a great idea. What you can’t lose sight of, and what I think Theo did lose sight of, is that youth generally doesn’t prevail when the pressure is on. In fact, when young players go through the normal growing pains of becoming a major leaguer in a high-strung environment like Boston or New York, they not only fail, they tend to regress.

Young players improve when surrounded by star veterans who take the pressure off them and teach them to play the right way. For all the propaganda we’ve been fed over the years about the Yankees system being bone dry and how it will cripple them at the trade deadline, it’s the Evil Empire that was able to go get Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle, not the Red Sox. They were the ones able to trade Alfonso Soriano, yet still produce Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Chien-Ming Wang. They’re young and they’re good. Other than Papelbon, where’s our heralded farm system been?

And it’s not just young players. Look at Edgar Renteria and Coco Crisp. It takes a special kind of player to make his living here. For all their faults, Pedro Martinez, Johnny Damon, Derek Lowe and even Kevin Millar, not only thrived in this environment, they welcomed it. You think D-Lowe would ever disappear into the witness protection program, a la Matt Clement?

This is not Atlanta where Braves fans tolerated Tom Glavine’s 17-losses in 1988 so they could finally see some reward in 1991. Here, a guy like that gets chewed up and spit out. Unfair? Maybe, but that’s what happens when you charge people $100 to sit in a bleacher seat. (Yes, the Monster Seats are considered bleachers in any other ballpark known to mankind!) If you want to act like the Braves, start charging Braves prices. Then you’ll end up with a half-empty stadium and a fan base that doesn’t give a damn. Is that what you really want?

What Theo and John Henry need to do first and foremost is admit this new philosophy is flawed and change it, just like they did with that stupid bullpen by committee crap they tried feeding us in 2003. Then they need to search for players, young or old, that can handle this town and the rivalry with the Yankees. If it means you pay the luxury tax, so be it. Trust me, they’re making enough money from all their other ventures.

For Theo to say we don’t worry about New York until October is an amazingly ignorant statement by a very intelligent man. You’d better worry about them my friend, because they’re in your division and you’re going to see them 19-times a year. If you can’t beat them, your playoff chances become a crapshoot, and we’ve gotten the crap end of the shoot every year but 2004.

Finally, Epstein needs to get off his high horse. I can understand why rival execs might not like him and why there might be a sense of jealousy there. That’s the nature of doing business. However, a very wise person with some know-how about the front office told me there’s an ever-growing belief within the Sox organization that Theo has become quite arrogant since 2004 and that a lot of people, not just Larry Lucchino, resent it. I believe you know this person, too, Legend Killer.

Theo needs to get back to being the brilliant GM of 2004, the guy not afraid to take risks and the guy who wanted to win at any cost…the future be damned! Just because they won a World Series doesn’t give them a right to fall back into a comfort zone where they can sit back and watch the team fall apart while printing money. When you have a chance to win, GO FOR IT!

There…I feel better now! Your thoughts?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

According to a sports wire story appearing in Tuesday's Lowell Sun, Willie McGinest is angry at the Patriots for allowing Junior Seau to wear number-55, the number McGinest wore for 12-years with New England and Seau has worn his entire 16-year career.

McGinest acknowledges he received phone calls from both Seau and Bill Belichick to ask permission. He agreed, but said he felt awkward doing so, feeling the Pats should have stepped in before it even got to that point. Says Big Willie;

“What if I had went to San Diego? I don’t even think that would have been an option for me to ask for 55. I think they would have said you know what, you’re a great player but we’ve got to put this number to the side because of Junior. And out of respect I wouldn’t have asked for that number.��?

Two thoughts here; One, if McGinest really had a problem, he should have said so at the time. I think Seau and Belichick showed a tremendous amount of respect even calling to ask permission for something they’re well within their right to do without asking.

Secondly, Willie’s dreaming if he wants to put himself on a level playing field with Seau. McGinest was a very good player for the Pats, and a key leader on and off the field. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and what he accomplished. That said, Seau is a Hall of Famer (Willie far from it). The situations are not equal.

I think the Patriots handled the situation just right. McGinest needs to move on and stop ripping his former team. I understand he’s bitter that a 12-year run ended the way it did. (Hey, I think the Pats should have paid him…he’s not breaking the bank in Cleveland) But it’s time to let it go, Willie. Constantly shooting your mouth off (this isn’t the first time he’s taken shots at his former employer) is only hurting your image.

If you’re listening (why wouldn’t he be? LOL!), I still love you. I appreciate all you did while here. I found you nothing but a class act. I wish you nothing but the best in Cleveland. So please move on and stop embarrassing yourself.

What do you think of the “controversy��? surrounding number 55? Much ado about nothing? A slap in the face to a loyal soldier? Or time for Willie to put a muzzle on it and focus on football?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Along with the local coverage, a lot of national sites and writers are checking in with their “what went wrong with the Red Sox� theories. In general, I enjoy reading and hearing what outsiders think of the area teams (all of them, not just the Sox). In fact, if one of our teams is on national TV at the same time they’re televised locally, I’ll go with the national announcers just to get a fresh perspective.

Anyway, what stood out to me in reading the “obituaries� of the 2006 Red Sox is a growing sense that all is not well in the front office. Along with offering their thoughts on roster mistakes, Tom Verducci and Jon Heyman hint at continued problems between Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino. If those articles aren’t enough to convince you, how about the following quote given to the New York Times Murray Chass, courtesy of one Mr. Lucchino;

“One observation one could make without a need for any additional perspective,� he said, “is the Yankees are a formidable ball team at this time. They have depth and talent and balance and an approach and philosophy that are to be admired.�

“An approach and philosophy that are to be admired.� You don’t think that’s a shot across the bow at his wonder-boy GM, do you? Now, I’m not a big fan of Lucchino, but I have to say he’s right in his belief the Sox, as a very rich franchise, need to be run more like the Yankees and less like the A’s and Braves.

I think we’re in for another interesting off-season!

What do you think? Are we in for another winter of front office infighting?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Red Sox 3
Angels 4

Enjoying the show?

This is what you get when you play for the future...a box score with names that would make minor league fans proud, particularly under the pitching section. We've kind of been spoiled around these parts with the 3-consecutive playoff appearances. So the feeling of playing out the string and watching a team sink is a bit more jolting than it used to be in the past.

Personally, I find it revolting that a team that led it's division for so long has gotten to this point. Maybe you're fine with it, but I'm not and never will be! I'm a Red Sox fan...if I want to see this, I'll root for the Royals or Pirates.

So here's what I want to know...now that the reality is setting in to even the most optimistic of you out there (Rick, T2, Legend Killer, Greek Thunder), how do YOU feel? Is the "promise" of the future enough to ease the embarrassment of losing 5-in a row at home to the Yankees and the carnage that's sure to follow? Was it worth the 4 months you invested in this team with your heart and with your wallet?

And while we're on the subject...you're welcome! (This is exactly how I told you it would play out, isn't it? You could have saved a lot of heartache if you just listened...LOL!)

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

The years and mulah of Bergy's contract have been released ....

Bergy signed for a 5 year, $23.75 million contract - that's $4.75 mil a year; good for third on the club behind Chara ($7.5) and Savard ($5).

That brings the Bs up to $42.58 million for salaries this year - still about $1.4 mil under the cap and add Zhamnov to that list 10 games into the season and the Bs are looking pretty good cap wise.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun staff

Monday night marked the first time the pitchers Kris Johnson and Justin Masterson go beyond their two-inning limits. Spinners manager Bruce Crabbe said both players have been moved up to a limit of 50 pitches or three innings (whichever comes first).

Johnson, a left-hander out of Wichita State, is 0-2 on the season with an ERA of 0.79. He has made 11 appearances (10 starts) and given up 17 hits and recorded 21 strikeouts in 22.2 innings.

The 40th pick overall in this year’s draft (Sox‘ third pick), Johnson started his college career 14-0, the second-best start for a pitcher in Wichita State history. After Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in 2005, he worked right back into form going 6-2 this spring with an earned-run average (ERA) of 4.86, recording 45 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings.

The 6-foot-6 Masterson, the 71st overall pick this spring and the Sox’ fifth pick out of San Diego State University, had his streak of seven straight appearances without an earned run snapped in Monday’s game at LeLacheur Park.

Masterson played for the Wareham of the Cape Cod League in 2005 and was third in the league with ten saves, he also had an ERA of 1.15 and struck out 39 batters in 31.1 innings.

This season in Lowell, Masterson has a record of 1-1 with an ERA of 1.14 racking up 28 strikeouts in 23.2 innings while allowing just 13 hits.

Both are set to pitch this weekend at the “Futures at Fenway� doubleheader at Fenway Park. Lowell will take on the Oneonta Tigers at 2 p.m. and the Pawtucket Red Sox will take on the Rochester Red Wings in the second game.

North of the border…
Relief pitcher T. J. Large made a relief appearance for the triple-A PawSox Monday night in Ottawa. Large held the Lynx to two hits and one unearned run in two innings. Large, a 2005 Red Sox draft pick, spent last season with the Spinners and has also made appearances in Lowell and Greenville this season.

Bobbing around .500
With last night’s loss on Luis Alicea Bobblehead Night, the Spinners fell to 5-4 on bobblehead giveaway night’s at LeLacheur Park.

Alicea took over as manager of the Single-A Greenville Drive after spending the previous two seasons with the Lowell Spinners. He made his managerial debut in 2004 with the Spinners after concluding his 13-year major league career in 2002. During the 2005 season he lead Lowell to a 42-33 record, good for a second place finish in the Stedler Division.

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

According to BostonBruins.com, Patrice Bergeron has signed a multi-year deal with the Bs...

That is music to my ears!!!! I am so freaking happy they finally got the deal done!!!!

Now, the way I loook at it- the lines are pretty much set with the exception of the 4th line - which when the games on the line they don't play much any way!!!!

Terms of the deal or length of the deal have not been disclosed at this time - but I'll keep you posted; a great way to keep track of team salaries is on the TSN-Canada web site http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=8125&hubname=

Before signing Bergy, the BS were at $37.83 mil(salary cap is $44 mil) - which would go down another $4.1 mil if Zhamnov does not play like suspected because of his ankle injury - no offense, I hate to see any athlete's career ended due to injury - but it would not break my heart to see Zhamnov go, he was a major disappointment last year for us Bruins fans.

So, Bruins and hockey fans - do you think the Bs should enter camp with this team or sign any one else?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Have you caught wind of the big story at the Little League World Series?

New England partisans are jumping for joy watching Portsmouth, New Hampshire advance to the American semi-finals. However, the real eye catcher is what they might see when they get to the top of their leap.

The story of the LLWS so far is Saudi Arabia first baseman Aaron Durley…all 6-foot-8, 256-pounds of him. The photo on the left is not taken from a deceiving angle that distorts his size. This is what the 13-year old first baseman actually looks like in comparison to most little leaguers, many of whom take pictures with their jumbo-sized opponent whenever the opportunity arises.

Durley, who lists Big Papi as his favorite baseball player, is no stranger to the LLWS. He appeared in last year’s tournament as a mere 6-foot-4 12-year old. I guess the growth spurt is to be expected. His manager is his father James, who can look his son eye-to-eye.

Now, I don’t want to come off as a cynic here, but perhaps tournament officials might want to inspect this kid’s birth certificate a little more closely. At the very least, chop him down and count the rings on that Redwood…something!

Aside from the obvious size jokes (by the way, they say another famous Saudi, Osama Bin Laden, is 6-5), I’m curious to know what they’re feeding kids in Saudi Arabia nowadays. One of Durley’s teammates is listed at 6-3, 190lbs, while another stands only 5-8, but at a whopping 226lbs.

Imagine what the McDonald’s tab must come up to when that team bus strolls in! Cha-ching!!!

Have any of you seen this kid play? Am I the only one who thinks there’s something fishy here? What about the rest of the tournament? Can Portsmouth give New England baseball fans something to celebrate this summer?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Yankees 2
Red Sox 1

Sweeping Changes in Order: The Yankees 5-game sweep pretty much puts a fork in the Red Sox playoff chances. Sure, there’s some bravado coming out of the clubhouse about fighting back and how anything can happen, but I bet if you inject them with truth serum, even the feistiest Sox players will admit they’re done.

David Wells has reportedly cleared waivers, meaning he could be traded. (Too bad he’s finally coming around at the same time the team’s coming undone) The Dustin Pedroia era is about to commence thanks to Alex Gonzalez’ injury. The natives are getting restless…players are turning on each other and I have a hunch on management…and if rumors are to be believed, Manny is about to embark on his annual drama episode. Sounds more like a team playing for next year as opposed to September.

Not to beat a dead horse, but you can trace this all back to the deadline. The day the Yankees dealt for Bobby Abreu, David Ortiz was reportedly heard going through the clubhouse asking the media if the Sox had done anything yet. You can bet he wasn’t alone among the veterans wondering what the front office would do to help the guys busting their humps on the field. Then you had Mike Timlin openly questioning the offense…surprising when you consider how bad Timlin and bullpen have been.

And now Manny is said to be so upset about an official scorer’s call going back to Friday night that he didn’t want to play Saturday. That he left yesterday with hamstring “cramps‿ is not a good sign. You get the feeling he’s about to disappear for a while with one of those “nagging‿ hamstring issues he’s notorious for.

If that’s the case, Manny’s actions can’t be excused. I love him as a player and will defend him to the end against any baseball related charges. However, I draw the line at tanking it and crying over an official scorer’s call. Get over it and get tough! It’s the least you can do for the money!

What are your thoughts on getting swept by the Yankees? How about Manny being Manny? Is this team about to implode on the field and in the clubhouse?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Question for the golf world; now what?

What can be done to stop Tiger Woods? Which hot young golfer looms on the horizon? What potentially life-altering event remains that could derail Tiger’s ride to immortality?

The challengers come and go, like so many downtown Lowell shops. There one day, out of business the next. David Duval. Sergio Garcia. Vijay Singh. Ernie Els. Phil Mickelson. Especially Phil Mickelson.

I have to admit to being a Phil guy. Not because I dislike Tiger, mind you, but because competition is so much more interesting when there’s a legitimate contender to the king’s throne. The Celtics had the Lakers. Ali had Frazier. Athens had Sparta. Christina Aguilera had Britney Spears.

Lefty almost pulled it off. Tiger never seemed more vulnerable than that April day at Augusta when he held the green jacket while Mickelson tried it on for size. Then came the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and Woods missing the cut at a major for the first time in his career. Fan favorite Phil had the tournament and the crowd in the palm of his hand. The question no longer was “could Phil challenge Tiger?‿ We had moved on to “would Phil win the Grand Slam?‿

That all seems like ages ago, doesn’t it? Michelson temporarily turned nuttier than John Mark Karr, refusing to put the driver away and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Then came Tiger’s romp at the British Open, followed by this past weekend’s stroll through the PGA field at Medinah. Just like that, talk turned back from Woods vs. Mickelson to Woods vs. history.

The count now stands at a dozen major titles. In all twelve, he’s either held the lead or been tied coming into Sunday. With all due respect to Mariano Rivera and Kyra Sedgwick, Tiger Woods is the greatest closer in history.

It’s popular to say other golfers cower when face to face with Tiger, but that argument in some ways takes away from the man’s greatness. The challengers didn’t blow the final round of the PGA championship. Woods simply took it away, draining a birdie on the first hole and playing nearly flawless golf in carding a four under par. He shot 18-under for the tournament. Does it make you a choker if you can’t beat that score? No, it just makes you a victim.

What also has to be disheartening to the rest of the field is how Tiger overcomes obstacles. Rather than slow him down, his father’s death appears to be driving him to even greater heights. Remember when some theorized marriage would do to Woods what it’s done to Whitney Houston? Yeah, right! I can’t wait to see how fatherhood affects him. Bet daddy dedicates more than a few trophies to Eldrick Junior.

Ideally, an article like this would end with a flourish. A quote for the ages. A touching anecdote. A clever analogy. Or perhaps a funny joke. It shouldn’t end with the writer flailing away for over an hour, searching for a fitting finale, only to give up in shame.

Unfortunately, I’m not as good a closer as Tiger Woods.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Yankees 8
Red Sox 5

Fiddling While Rome Burns: I’m just going to throw out a few quick topics for you to discuss if you wish. In case you couldn’t tell, I now have a “don’t give a crap� attitude about the 2006 Red Sox. Judging by the silence of the lambs in Red Sox Nation, I think you do, too!

I still get the urge to puke every time I see Jason Giambi, let alone have him contribute to a New York win. I know Yankee fans have no scruples. His continued presence continues to show the rest of major league baseball doesn’t, either.

How you enjoying Boston’s bullpen these days? Stick a fork in Mike Timlin, he’s done. While you’re at it, see if you can figure out exactly when Craig Hansen will start living up to his “untradeable� status. Must have been that Big East baseball pedigree of his. All I’m going to say is; Delcarmen and Hansen better be real good next year, or else the Fenway Faithful will make them the scapegoats.

Of course, the real scapegoat came out yesterday and cautioned Sox fans not to panic. How reassuring to hear those words from Theo “Inept-stein.� (Credit for that one goes to an ‘EEI caller) Now I definitely won’t panic. He’s been right about everything else this year…he’s probably right on the money about this, too.

On a related note, I heard young mister Inept-stein is looking to hire the band from the Titanic to play Fenway in September...something about them showing an uncanny ability to perform while the ship sinks.

Your turn gang!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun staff

Left-handed pitcher Kason Gabbard threw his second side session in the past two days in Lowell. In his Red Sox debut on July 22, Gabbard pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) in a spot start against the Seattle Mariners. He is currently on the Triple-A Pawtucket roster. He has stayed behind as the PawSox play in Ottawa.

The Red Sox have not said yet who will pitch on Tuesday in Anaheim.

It’s all about the pitching
Last night Boston Red Sox 13th round pick Jordan Craft made his Lowell Spinners debut, pitching two scoreless innings, giving up one hit, and recording three strikeouts. The right-handed California native was originally assigned to Lowell after being drafted this spring, but was sent to the Gulf Coast League at the beginning of the season to rehab a leg injury.

The Tri-City ValleyCats come into Lowell tonight as the Stedler Division leaders. Among their pitching staff are David Qualben and Brian Hallberg, two Northeast-10 Conference products out of Pace University. Qualben has a record of 4-4 and and ERA of 2.01 (4th in NY-Penn League), while Hallberg’s record stands at 4-1 and his ERA is 2.37 (8th in NY-Penn League).

Spinners grab awards
The Red Sox released their minor league awards for the month of July. Bubba Bell, who was with the Spinners between July 3 and July 30, received the honor for Top Quality Plate Appearance %, and former Spinners Jacoby Ellsbury (Base-Stealer of the Month), Chris Turner (Base-Runner of the Month), and Mike James (Pitcher of the Month) all garnered awards.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Reports indicate that New York Mets left-hander and Billerica native Tom Glavine could miss the rest of the season due to what may be a blood clot in his pitching shoulder.

Glavine spoke to reporters in New York prior to the Mets game this afternoon against the Rockies, saying that he felt coldness in the ring finger on his left hand after a start on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

"You get scared. You start wondering about the rest of your career, if there's going to be one," the AP quoted Glavine as saying. "I had a wonderful career, and I've stayed healthy for the most part. I've envisioned my retirement, but I never envisioned it through an injury. So from that standpoint, it's uneasy."

Glavine, 40, had several tests done over the weekend to find out more, and will have a CT Scan and an angiogram this week according to MLB.com.

He reportedly said he is not experiencing pain and that the best-case scenario would involve the doctors deciding that his sensation Wednesday was just an "isolated incident" and that the clot could clear on its own, which Glavine suggested could have him back on the mound by the weekend. He also told reporters his left middle finger and index finger were diagnosed in 1990 with Raynaud's, a condition caused by poor circulation that leads to numbness and coldness.

Glavine, who made his MLB debut in 1987, has compiled 287 victories (third among active pitchers behind Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux ). He was also the World Series MVP in 1995 for the Atlanta Braves against the Cleveland Indians.

So far this season Glavine is 12-6 with a 3.92 ERA for the NL East-leading Mets.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Cardinals 3
Patriots 30

Teddy’s Take: Once again, I caution you; don’t read too much into any preseason games. They mean nothing in the long run. A lot of the guys making big plays and the guys they’re making them against may never see the gridiron come September.

That said…WOW! The Patriots look ready…they look deep…and they look damn good!

I don’t care if it’s preseason, regular season or playoffs. When the final stats read; first downs 27-9…total yards 486-151…and time of possession 42:16-17:44…that’s impressive. Oh, here’s my other favorite stat of the night; 16-different players caught at least one pass.

Starring Roles: Stars on the forehead go to Tom Brady; 15-20, 149-yards, 0-Int’s…Matt Cassel; 14-20, 192-yards, 2 TD’s, 0-Int’s...Team defense; leading tacklers Tully Banta-Cain and rookie Pierre Woods (Michigan) only had three...and Stephen Gostkowski; 3-3 FG’s (37,33,37).

It was probably Gostkowski’s job to lose anyway (you don’t use a 4th round pick on a kicker to cut him), but I think he cemented it with his performance. Perhaps Bill Belichick will dance around the decision for another week, maybe even giving Martin Gramatica a chance to respond in the next game. My hunch is the competition is over.

Quality Quote: “Well that’s the idea, is to sometimes make those decision early with the younger players and give them a chance to experience everything they’re going to have to experience with their teammates, the media, their own psychological preparation for the game. That’s all part of it. It’s something that he got to experience this week.��?—Bill Belichick on how Stephen Gostkowski handled the pressure and the days leading up to the game.

What did you think of the Pats-Cards game? Which players stood out in your mind? Are you encouraged after two weeks of exhibition play?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Yankees 13
Red Sox 5

Song of the Day: Frank Sinatra, belting out My Way. “And now, the end is near, and so I face, the final curtain…�

Other than that, I’ll stay silent and let you guys comment on Josh Beckett’s walk on the wild side, when exactly when did Manny Delcarmen become untradeable, and why has Coco Crisp suddenly gone from leadoff hitter (Game 1) to bottom third of the order (Game 2) to the bench (Game 3).

The microphone is all yours, folks!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

So am I an addict or what?

I get home from a 14-hour work shift (granted, it’s not exactly hard labor at the restaurant) Friday night/Saturday morning and instead of going to sleep, I stay up and watch Team USA vs. Puerto Rico at the World Basketball championships. Perhaps this makes me more loser than addict, but I was already stewing from the Red Sox doubleheader disgrace. Sleep was the last thing on my mind.

Anyway, it looks like more of the same old-same old for the Americans on the hardcourt. The intimidation factor is completely gone. If there was any remaining doubt, a mediocre Puerto Rican team giving Team USA all they could handle erased it in a hurry.

So I spent the better part of my game-watching trying to figure out exactly how the best players in the NBA can’t blow away a bunch of no-names who can only dream of calling David Stern boss. Granted, Kobe, KG and a few other top stars aren’t present, but I think the issues run deeper than that. Here’s my theory;

As much as the NBA has tried to re-emphasize up-tempo and team play, there’s still a long way to go. A basketball culture doesn’t change overnight. Not after 20-years of teaching a selfish, stagnant, one-on-one game. I think LeBron and Wade get it and are headed in the right direction. However, since they and a lot of their teammates don’t face the international style and tempo on a night-in night-out basis, they still struggle when playing against it. It’s a testament to their skill and athletic ability that they win at all, to be honest with you.

The perfect example; watch what happens any time the Americans face another country with a good point guard. They’re can’t stop them. Without the clutching and grabbing they’ve gotten away with for so long in the NBA, they’re powerless to defend penetration or pick and rolls.

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as Karl Malone and John Stockton made a career out of using those tactics. Problem is the best practitioners at it today are foreign born players. Remember, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzky are Canadian and German respectively. I like what I see from Chris Paul and some of the younger NBA stars, but it will still take time to fully erase bad basketball from the American system.

Till then, most international competitions will be tooth and nail battles. Don’t get me wrong. Team USA will still win their share. However, they’ll no longer be able to snooze through them. Judging by the fact I didn’t fall asleep till after 2am, neither will I.

What do you think of my theory? Should I just watch a late-night movie and go to bed?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Yankees 14
Red Sox 11

Singing the Blues: Remember about a week and a half ago when I was writing about songs that popped into my head regarding the Sox slide? Well, a new one came to mind last night as I watched Johnny Damon exact his revenge on Red Sox Nation…an 80’s tune sung by Fine Young Cannibals:

Johnny…we’re sorry…won’t you come back home!

Damon played like an angry man yesterday, as if he was hellbent on teaching Boston a lesson for letting him go. He did everything but glare at Theo Epstein in the skybox. This was Roger Clemens in 1997…it’s what Pedro Martinez should have been earlier this year. Oh, and did you happen to catch the winning pitcher’s name in the nightcap? Mike Myers…and I’m not talking about the guy who chased Jamie Lee Curtis around in the Halloween flicks.

It’s only a matter of time now. The funeral home’s been notified, as have the priest and next of kin. The 2006 Red Sox are in critical condition, surviving on life support. And I’m afraid the Yankees are about to pull the plug.

With that said, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll continue these game by game commentaries. It might be time to silence Noise from the Nation. I’m having a hard time coming up with new and original ways to describe what’s happened to this team, and what those in charge allowed to happen without putting up a fight. At least Big Papi and Manny are going down swinging. The same can’t be said for Theo Epstein.

In 2004, Theo made bold moves at the trading deadline that jump started a struggling team to the playoffs and that elusive World Series title. In 2005 and 2006, with his team atop the standings, Epstein did nothing. The result was a first round sweep a year ago, and an almost certain early vacation this time around.

Perhaps some offseason evaluation of the current philosophy is in order. Talk all you want about he future, but there are no guarantees. If there were, the inactivity of the ’05 trading deadline would have paid dividends in ‘06.

Any believers left out there? Hello? Anyone?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Final Score
Yankees 12
Red Sox 4

Heeeeeeeeeeere’s Johnny: Let’s see if I have this straight; a leadoff triple to set the tone…a 2-run homer for the game-winning runs…a great catch to preserve the lead…and a two run single to put the game away for good. Did I forget anything Rick? Oh, right…Coco’s 0-for-5.

Yeah, but wait till 2008!

Now that I’ve had my Coco vs. Loco fun, there’s no point rehashing that pathetic display. The good news is it only counts one game in the standings. No one in their right or non-Kool Aid infested mind thought Jason Johnson would beat that Yankees lineup. If there’s one thing the Red Sox have shown, it’s an ability to forget losses and bounce back against the Evil Empire. It’s kind of been a pattern by both teams in this rivalry.

That said, I think the next game may very well decide the Sox fate. I know that sounds kind of apocalyptic, but I really believe that’s where we stand. If the Sox don’t respond by pounding the living booze out of Sidney Ponson’s system, this weekend will end up like the Boston Massacre of 1978.

You folks know my thoughts on the Sox post-season chances. They still have time to prove me and the rest of the naysayers wrong, but it has to start tonight. John Lester has shown a lot of poise for a 22-year old rookie and he’ll need every bit of it. This is by far the most pressure-packed game he’s pitched in.

Talk to you after the game…unless, of course, you want to re-hash this one.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

A few updates and opinions gathered while scanning news sources and web sites that cover the Patriots:

Junior Seau may be past his prime. He may have lost a step. He may be injury prone. But he’s the perfect fit for this team at this moment.

A smart, tough leader with a motor that never stops is exactly the kind of guy who flourishes with Bill Belichick. The Pats don’t need him to be an All-Pro, just a contributor to a system where different players shine from week to week, depending on the game plan.

With Richard Seymour and the rest of the studs on the defensive line funneling ball carriers in his direction while keeping blockers at bay, the 12-time Pro Bowler should flourish. Even if he starts to get dinged up after a while (something that I’m sure will happen), the 37-year old Seau should at least be able to get New England through the first few weeks while Tedy Bruschi recovers from his broken wrist. Anything the Pats get after that is a bonus.

Elsewhere, Eugene Wilson is moving to cornerback, the position he was drafted at. The early guessing is he’ll start opposite Ellis Hobbs, with Asante Samuel the nickel back. (Not a bad nickel back, wouldn’t you say?) James Sanders and Artrell Hawkins appear to be the starters at safety, though I have a hunch the Wilson move says more about Rodney Harrison’s comeback than anything else.

Rookie Ryan O’Callahan has spent the better part of the last week starting at Right Tackle. I think Offensive Line is a strong point. Don’t be surprised to see a trade involving a veteran lineman (Brandon Gorin?) for a linebacker or receiver.

I’ve never met or interviewed Barry Bonds. I can only go by what I’ve seen and heard from a distance. I have met and interviewed Tom Brady countless times. I think I can safely say this Brady-Bonds BALCO connection is nothing more than a silly coincidence. It’s a shame “Tom Terrific’s‿ name has to even be included in the same sentence as that scumbag!

Remember the name Willie Andrews. The rookie defensive back out of Baylor was expected to battle for a special teams berth and possibly be the return man. Now he’s also getting work at wide receiver. But that’s not why I think he’ll play a big role this fall.

When asked about him after the exhibition (there I go with that word again) opener against Atlanta, Bill Belichick actually answered the question directly and complimented the rookie. This is something BB simply does not do unless he really likes someone. Ask him about any other rookie (and most veterans) and you get a generic “he did some good things…he did some bad things…he’s working…he’s got a long way to go‿ comment.

If I’m reading the Belichick smoke signals correctly, keep your eye on #38 from here on out!

What do you think about the expected signing of Junior Seau? Can he help or is he washed up? How about moving Wilson back to CB? Is that a sign Rodney Harrison might be farther along than we’re being led to believe? How about the Offensive line? How will that shake out? Finally, has anyone heard of Willie Andrews before this post?

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

I'm on a short, but well deserved vacation and still I felt the need to post

I was asked who my favorite un-sung Bruin players were (which makes no sense to me because if you are a true Bruins/hockey fan you should know who all the players are).

But to answer the question: Kyle McLaren is definitely one of them.
If you look in the picture above you can see the look on my face, I felt like I couldn't breathe when that picture was taken.
The reason I like Mac as a player was because of his size and speed and I loved how he looked up to Bourque and learned from him on the blue-line. I loved his open ice hits and still think that it was not a dirty hit he laid on Richard Zednik in the first round of the 2002 Playoffs. I still follow him now that he is on the Sharks.

Another one of my faves is PJ Axelsson. He may not be a great goal scorer, but he is a work horse on the checking line and I loved when he and Brian Rolston were out on the ice for short handed situations. He simply goes out on the ice and plays his game to help the team, he is a hockey player - no finess, simply grit and guts.

Hope that answers a few questions.

As far as signing Kessel, I'm happy the Bs have signed him and if the scouting reports stand up then he should succeed in the league, but I still can't figure out for the life of me why they haven't signed Bergeron yet!!!

Here are how I see the top 3 lines forming with the players they have - if they sign Bergy:

Sturm-Bergy-Boyes; Kessel (I think he is young enough to switch to LW after playing C most of his career)-Savard-Murray; Axy-Primeau-Donovan

as far as "D" go - that one's a bit tougher, I think that Chara would be good with both Brad Stuart or Jurcina; whoever doesn't play with Chara could be partnered with Mara - for the top two D pairings - the rest at this point would be decided at training camp - IMO.

Now for a Malkin update:
As reported on the TSN web-site, Malkin is in LA with his agents and has been with J.P. Barry (one of his agents) when Malkin was in Finland. Is it just me or does it seem sad that Malkin and his agent had to go into a covert operation to get him away from his team. I respect his desire to play in the NHL and find it mind boggeling that he couldn't simply give his two-weeks notice as stated in Russian law... I am curious to see what type of 1-2 punch this could give the Penguins.

And by the way most hockey fans get their info from the web-sites I have commented about numerous times in my posts - I have put that out there, never hid the fact I look at the sites about 50 times a day.

If you want to keep challenging me - by all means, I accept.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Red Sox announced today that they've acquired infielder-outfielder Eric Hinske and cash from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

A 29-year-old lefthanded hitter, Hinske batted .264 with 12 home runs and 29 RBI in 78 games for the Blue Jays this season. He started 28 games in right field, 19 as the designated hitter, five at third base, and one at first base. This season is the first in which he has played in the outfield during his major league career.

Hinske is expected to join the Red Sox for Friday's day-night doubleheader with the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Bullpen update: Red Sox Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein said today on Sports Radio WEEI that relief pitcher Keith Foulke is expected to return from the disabled list this weekend.

Foulke went on the 15-day DL on June 12 with tendonitis in his pitching elbow. He made a rehab appearance in Lowell (July 28) and several appearance in Triple-A Pawtucket.

Does the Hinske trade or Foulke returning ease any of your pain? Is the addition of Hinske marking the final straw for Trot Nixon in Boston? Is anyone feeling optimistic about the Yankees coming in tomorrow?

Final Score
Tigers 4
Red Sox 6

Calling in Reinforcements: The Red Sox newest acquisition (pictured at left) was introduced to the Fenway Faithful before last night’s game.

O.K., O.K...Just joking. I think picking up Eric Hinske is a nice move and long overdue. We haven’t had a left-handed threat off the bench all year long. Plus with Mike Lowell getting dinged up left and right, Hinske’s versatility (1B, 3B, LF & RF) will come in very handy. My only question is; what took so long? He sure could have helped in the last three weeks since the trading deadline. (Notice Sean Casey’s contributions to the Tigers?)

Also, let me give props to a couple of guys I’ve been tough on…David Wells and Coco Crisp. Wells wasn’t great last night, but he kept his team in the game and gave them a chance to solve Justin Verlander. (Hope Josh Beckett was taking notes) Crisp continued his improved play. Lately, he’s playing more like the player he was advertised to be. The key is; can he keep it up over the long haul?

Who knows…if he has a nice weekend against the Yankees, maybe I’ll get off his back!

Final Score
Tigers 3
Red Sox 2

Tigers by the Tail: The days of beating up on weak little birds are behind us, and the Red Sox aren’t faring very well against the big animals of the American League. The Tigers came into Fenway losers of five in a row. The Sox welcomed their guests after a three game sweep of the Orioles. Talk about a reversal of fortune.

Boston’s bats were silenced again (sound familiar?) and Wily Mo Pena’s costly drop let the winning run score. Curt Schilling pitched his heart out, but it still wasn’t enough on this night as Jeremy Bonderman was every bit as good, if not better.

That’s the thing about pitching, as I tried to explain to you folks earlier in the year. You can’t say you have a great staff because you have one or two guys at the top. The good teams will match you on any given night. In the regular season, depth is what separates contenders from pretenders. The Tigers have it, the Red Sox don’t. Over the course of 162-games, it catches up to you, especially when your number two guy is pitching like number two, if you get my drift.

Remember those debates we had earlier in the year about the Red Sox and Yankees pitching? “Kool-Aid Nation� kept spouting off the propaganda about how we had great pitching depth and plenty of young arms in reserve, while the Yankees stunk, were old and their farm system was dry. Yet we sit here on August 16^th, the Evil Empire is pulling away in the standings and their Yankees pitching staff statistically blows Boston’s out of the water, with Chien-Ming Wang the best young starter on either staff.

Thankfully, George HR isn’t around to say “I told you so.� However, I think I just did it for him.

Any thoughts out there from Red Sox Nation? I don’t get much argument from you guys anymore? Is that because you’ve given up? If so, will you at least tell me I was right?

Come on, give me a chance to crow a little, would ya!!!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

While the Red Sox dropped a one-run game to the Detroit Tigers, the Division-leading New York Yankees notched a come-from-behind victory with the help of old friend Johnny Damon.

Despite yet another error in the field from E-Rod at third base, the Yankees came back from a two-run deficit to get a 6-3 win.

Johnny Damon scored twice and had three RBIs, including a two-run home run and a triple. Trade deadline acquisition Bobby Abreu also went 3-for-4 with a run scored. The Yankees now hold a three-game lead over the Red Sox.

"Looks like Jesus, acts like Judas, throws like Mary, wins like Flutie." - Tony Massarotti talking about Johnny Damon on WEEI this afternoon.

Coco Crisp Batting average: .277 Home runs: 6 RBI: 24 SB: 16 runs scored: 48

Johnny Damon Batting average: .288 Home runs: 17 RBI: 58 SB: 21 runs scored: 84

Who needs a leadoff hitter anyway...So, Red Sox Nation, is it football season yet?

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

So, I thought I would start this post off with a bit of a rant...

I was covering a Street Hockey League in Methuen and after the game one of the young kids asked me who my favorite team was and I said the Bruins. His father, one of the coaches, asked, "so, you're a hockey fan?" and my response was, "I am a hockey freak."
He then told me if I wanted to know more about hockey I should join a couple of Fantasy Leagues. I told him I already knew about hockey and was already involved in a couple of fantasy hockey leagues. I told him to check out my blog and his response was "So, I can see if you really know what you're talking about." Little did he know he was going to be the subject of my next post.

I will say again, yes I know I am a female and no I am not stupid when it comes to sports, especially hockey. I wish men would get out of the stereotyping and realize not all females are ignorant when it comes to sports. He may want to check out my previous post entitled "Lady Hockey Fan."

Enough of that, moving on to random hockey notes....

Evgeni Malkin's whereabouts are still unknown to his Russian team, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and the Pittsburg Penguins.
According to a report on TSN-Canada. Malkin bolted after arriving in Finland for training camp with Metallurg on Aug. 12.
The report stated his parents haven't even talked to him and don't know where he is.
Needless to say, Metallurg isn't to pleased with the recent events and blame the Pens. An excerpt from the story:

''We all are really shocked by his departure and we will take legal actions against the NHL club Penguins from Pittsburgh,'' Metallurg general director Gennady Velichkin told Itar-Tass news agency. ''Americans like to speak about democracy and teach the whole world how to live but engage in sport terrorism and simply steal people.''

J.P. Dumont and Anson Carter are still waiting to find new homes. RFA Dumont became a UFA when he was awarded a one-year $2.9 million deal in his arbitration hearing on Aug. 2 which the Sabres have exercised their walk-away option on.
Carter on the other hand, is a UFA and is seeking a 3-4 year deal worth roughly $3 million...

Flyers Defeceman Eric Desjardins hangs up his skates after 17 years in the NHL. Desjardins played his last 11 years in Philadelphia and told reporters in his press conference ...''My game was not where I wanted it.''

Former Bruins Ian Moran and Travis Green have found a new home, both signed with Anaheim.

Brian Leetch is still looking for a team, but has expressed interest in staying on the Eastern seaboard - according to TSN.

The only RFA the Bruins have yet to sign is Patrice Bergeron and according to the Bruins web site, Bergy's linemate, Marco Sturm is confident the team will sign him.
"Now, we just need to sign (Patrice) Bergeron and be ready for training camp. I have no doubt they’ll sign him up before preseason begins. I really enjoyed playing with him and (Brad) Boyes last year, so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to play with them again.‿

There is so much more going on in the hockey world. I suggest hockey fans check the TSN-Canada, NHL and team web sites to keep up, like me.

So, how did I do? Have I proven yet that even though I'm a female I am not ignorant when it comes to hockey?

For those wondering why I’m not in favor of the Celtics acquiring Allen Iverson, here are a couple of quotes from Kevin Garnett that appear in an upcoming Slam Magazine article:

“One thing that I can’t stand is if I’m working hard and the organization upstairs isn’t working hard, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to me.� Asked if he would want to leave if the Wolves don’t improve, Garnett said: “I got to.� Down the road somewhere? “I got to. If you’re not working towards a championship, then why are we in this? I’m in it to win, man, I’m not in it to be coming back talking about next year. I’m 30. I’ve probably got four to five years, you know what I’m saying? My clock is ticking, man.�

I know it’s still a ways off, but the Garnett Era in Minnesota is coming to an end. Whether it’s midseason or next summer, Garnett will ask out. I want Danny Ainge to have as much ammunition as possible for an all-out assault on this guy. If he's going to trade any of his young players, it should be done with goal of getting something in return that would entice Kevin McHale when the time comes.

AI makes the Celtics entertaining but he doesn’t put them over the top. KG does. There are other reasons that make me iffy on Iverson in Boston, but the possibility of acquiring a 7-foot scoring, rebounding and defensive machine that doesn’t need to take 30 shots a night tops the list.

I know it’s not set in stone that we’d get him, but I can dream, can’t I?

What do you think of Kevin Garnett? Are his days in Minnesota numbered? If so, do the C’s have the right combo of players to get him? Would you rather have Iverson anyway?

Final Score
Tigers 7
Red Sox 4

Falling Down on the Job: Has there been a bigger disappointment this season than Josh Beckett? I can’t think of one.

None of the Red Sox newcomers came with higher hopes than the young ace in waiting. Beckett’s responded by getting progressively worse as the months wear on, to the point where if he’s pitching against good teams, you just know he’s going to get racked. (Side note: who let the Orioles leave town?) I don’t know what happened to the kid who shut down the Yankees that October night in 2003, but this is not the same pitcher.

Funny thing is I still believe he’s going to turn it around. Even as I sour on the rest of the team, I think if they can somehow get in the playoffs, the combo of Schilling and Beckett makes them extremely dangerous. Problem is they’re not going to get there with performances like last night, which have become the norm rather than the exception.

It’s not just a one night thing, either. The damage of having only one pitcher (Schilling) giving you more than 5 or 6 innings is only beginning to become evident. The bullpen is fried, and instead of using a guy like Hanson or Delcarmen to keep the deficit at 5-3, you have to trot out a Rudy Seanez for more than one inning, with disastrous results. Think that’s going to get better when you have all those games against the Yankees this weekend?

One more thing…what the %$&* was DeMarco Hale thinking?

Lots of questions there...feel free to answer them if you can.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Randy Johnson picked up his 4,500th career strikeout last night, joining Roger Clemens (4,552) and Nolan Ryan (5,714) as the only others to reach that number. In the process he grabbed his 13th win of the season and helped extend the Yankees lead over the Red Sox to two games.

The win makes Johnson 13-9 for the season and gives the Yankees the only rotation in the American League with three 13-win starters. Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina are both 13-5.

While the Sox take on the AL's best team in the Detroit Tigers, New York begins a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight in the Bronx.

Hey Sox fans, are you feeling the heat yet? How confident are you about the Yankees coming in this weekend? Could the Sox be out of the division race by this time next week?

It begins Friday. An entire city will come to a standstill. Over 40,000 will pack a baseball stadium. “Bleacher creatures��? will battle over home run balls. Young men in baggy uniforms will play their hearts out in search of victory. The winners will become local heroes. Losers and their followers may need years of therapy to recover.

Red Sox-Yankees? Nah! Something much bigger. We’re talking Little League World Series.

It’s amazing how crazy this thing’s gotten. What started as a cute and cozy little event has morphed into a sporting spectacle Don King would be proud of. Tickets are scalped. Hotel rooms disappear faster than a $20 bill at the gas pump. Inside Lamade stadium, vendors hawk souvenirs. Every game is televised by ESPN. Major league announcers call the shots. Mistakes and losses lead to close-ups of crying youngsters. Outstanding performances are replayed more often than Chris Brown songs on a hip-hop station.

And somewhere along the way, someone who’s old enough to know better will lose his or her mind.

Danny Almonte can be forgiven. The parents who falsified birth records so their 14-year old son could fire 70mph fastballs at 12-year olds and younger won’t be. Then again, Americans arrived late to the grown-up costume party, having fallen victim to Taiwan and it’s army of facial haired diamond heroes countless times through the 70’s and 80’s. The surprise wasn’t that they eventually got caught, but how they got away with it for so long. I’m guessing a few of those “youngsters��? had little league aged kids of their own when they took the field in Williamsport.

2006 brings a new breed of sportsmanship. I assume most of us will root for New England’s entry in this year’s tournament. The kids from Portsmouth, New Hampshire made it this far for the first time in history. The way they got here is also a first.

Portsmouth was on its way to elimination against Vermont when all of a sudden, the lads from the Green Mountain state turned into the Bad News Bears. The pitcher started throwing baseballs to the backstop. The catcher hurled it to center field.

A heavenly force trying to rally the boys? Not really.

Seems Vermont’s coach realized he’d violated a playing time rule. Rather than have his team close out the game, he ordered them to intentionally blow it so they could go to extra innings and satisfy the requirement. Once the Granite Staters caught wind of the plot, they refused to run the bases and made sure to swing and miss at anything. Umpires issued warnings and ejected players.

Two hours after “winning��? the game, Vermont was disqualified for the rules violation and New Hampshire went on to beat Connecticut and punch its ticket to Pennsylvania.

The spirit of competition brings a tear to the eye, doesn’t it?

Coincidentally, the most recent Sports Illustrated magazine contains a Rick Reilly column about a PONY league coach who intentionally walked the opposing team’s best hitter to face it’s worst…a boy weakened by his battle with cancer. While I understand arguments can be made on both sides, I caution you against siding with the offending coach, Bob Farley, who defended himself with the brilliant statement; “This isn’t the Special Olympics. He’s not retarded.��?

No Bob, he’s not. You and the people who’ve helped drag the Little League World Series into the gutter, I’m not so sure about.

What do you think about the actions of these two coaches? Have the adults ruined the Little League World Series, or is it still a fun sporting event?

Final Score
Orioles 9
Red Sox 11

Oh, Those O’s: What do you say we petition Mayor Menino to put up Miggy Tejada and company at the Ritz Carlton…let them stay there on the city of Boston’s tab…unlimited expense accounts…nightly filet mignon and lobster spreads…free limo service to Foxwoods…anything they want. Just don’t let them leave town!

The Sox continued their dominance over the wounded birds with a much needed weekend sweep at Fenway. Boston’s Boys of Summer are now 11-1 against Baltimore on the season. One shudders to think where they’d be in the standings without the O’s on the schedule.

All in all, it was a positive weekend for the good guys, even though they did struggle at times. When you’ve had a bad run like the Sox have had, any victory tastes good. A sweep is that much sweeter.

The one worry (you knew I couldn’t go an entire post without harping on something bad!) is Jonathan Papelbon. The young stud closer seems to have hit a bit of a wall, as even his successful saves are coming with plenty of baserunners and hard hit balls. (Thank heavens for Mike Lowell, by the way…how great of a weekend did he have!)

I don’t think Little Papi’s going to go Calvin Schiraldi or Heathcliff Slocumb on us, but all the tough innings he’s put in may be catching up to him. It would be great if Terry Francona could ease up on the workload. Unfortunately, the entire bullpen seems to be in a rut and the upcoming schedule simply won’t allow it. Let’s just hope the youngster can turn it around quickly. I think he can and will. He’s the least of our concerns.

Other than that, it’s a big week up ahead. We may be catching the Tigers at the right time (swept by Chicago over the weekend) and then five biggies (including two doubleheaders) against the Evil Empire. Should be fun!

Your thoughts on the Orioles sweep and the upcoming run against the Tigers and Yankees? Any worries about Mr. Papelbon hitting a wall? Can he turn it around?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

With a win on Thursday night in Akron, Ohio, the New England Riptide clinched a spot in the National Pro Fastpitch playoffs for the second time in three years. Attention can now be turned to the playoffs and the pursuit of the franchise’s first ever Cowles Cup title.

Playoff berth in hand, the Riptide slogged through their final two games with the Akron Racers Friday and Saturday as they prepare for their last regular season series at Lowell’s Martin Field. The Racers shut out the Riptide 6-0 and 1-0.

As the Texas Thunder come in on Wednesday, the Riptide will look to get their offense kick-started after several of their key bats have been held in check in recent weeks. While Lyndsey Angus is still among the top candidates for Player of the Year honors, rookie catcher KJ Kelley and third baseman Jackie Pasquerella have been leading the offense over the last two weeks. Kelley, a graduate of UMass Amherst, has been hitting .304 over the last eight games, and Pasquerella, a member of the NY/NJ Juggernaut last year, has hit .423 over that same span.

The National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series is slated to start on Aug. 27 at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford, CT, the home of the Connecticut Brakettes. The top seeded team after the regular season will take on the number four seed and the numbers two and three teams will also play each other.

So, who will be the first to offer their playoff predictions? Anyone ready to proclaim the Riptide are going all the way? Anyone on the local team in line for post-season honors?

Final Score
Orioles 7
Red Sox 8

You Da Man-ny: Now we know why teams continue to pitch to David Ortiz in clutch situations.

It was Manny Ramirez’ turn to play extra-innings hero. He got a little help from left-fielder Brandon Fahey, who compounded a 9th inning base-running gaffe with a muff in left-field. Manny’s single capped off a big comeback win and helped Boston keep pace with New York and Chicago in the playoff race.

I could probably go back and find comments I’ve made about playing the Orioles this year and you wouldn’t know the difference. The Sox have been the Birds’ daddy in 2006, making hay early in the season and using a visit from their feathered friends to help stem the tide of a season worst slump. They even make Julian Tavarez look good!

This is a terrible baseball team (sorry Jim) that doesn’t know how to play the game, and worse, doesn’t seem to care much. Peter Angelos flipped off these once proud baseball fans long before Miguel Tejada did.

Boston’s gets one more crack at an easy victory, before the Tigers and Yankees invade Fenway for 8-games that could go a long way toward determining the Sox Fall fate.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

At the urging of Teddy, our blogger extraordinaire, I'm posting the column from Saturday's Lowell Sun.

Geniuses, huh? I don’t know about that.

I have plenty of respect for guys like New England Patriots personnel guru Scott Pioli. And yes, I realize that he and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick have been widely applauded for their infamous “system� of scouting, evaluating talent, and building winning teams.

But I could do that.

Give me the access to the information and support staff of an NFL team and I’ll put together a squad that can win football games.

The real challenging personnel work isn’t done in NFL training camps. It starts somewhere between back-to-school shopping and the first spaghetti dinner of the fall.

I’m talking about high school football. The place where the real magicians of roster management practice their craft.

NFL executives want no part of that.

What? Sounds crazy? Hear me out.

Think about how much of the legwork has already been done by the time a guy reaches the level of a potential NFL player.

In evaluating a player, NFL teams consider things like his pedigree, size, the type of system the player was in, and the type of competition the player faced.

Teams also have a wealth of resources at their disposal to help dissect the abilities of these guys such as scouting combines, individual workouts, game tapes, and conversations with players and their previous coaches. All these factors and numerous others will decide whether or not a team goes another direction. It has become a science.

At the high school level there is a lot more uncertainty. It’s a lot more like looking into Ms. Cleo’s crystal ball than looking at video tapes. By the way, I can’t be the only one who thinks that smoke in the background of her “psychic� commercials ain’t from incense.

Getting back to the subject, your average high school program often has to build players from scratch. Yes, Pop Warner and Youth Football do great work, but the fact is there are a lot of kids who come to the game late and have to pick up basics in high school practices.

Even when a player comes in knowing how to play the game, you still don't have that much to go on.

You want to talk about a player’s pedigree? How hard is it to look at Archie and Peyton Manning and figure out Eli might turn out to be a decent quarterback?

Now, try predicting how a 12-year-old will develop by using his 17-year-old brother as a guide. My older brother could run like the wind and probably weighed not much more than 160 pounds as a senior. On the other hand, I was coming up fast on 150 pounds by the time I was 11, and walking against a stiff wind would’ve put me out of breath.

As for scouting potential high school players, have you ever watched a Pop Warner or Youth Football game? It’s not exactly a scouting combine. Half of those kids could easily end up playing other positions or other sports.

It’s not like the NFL where you’re just picking from the top major college programs in the nation and then take a chance every now and then on a guy from West Jablip State.

This fall 24 local teams will have to replace 127 seniors who were returning starters a year ago. There are no free agents, no drafts, no trades. There is just a lot of mining the sign-up sheets for diamonds in the rough.

If your roster changes during the season it’s probably because of injuries, and all of a sudden it’s time to change gears and stop developing Johnny the running back and start developing Johnny the option quarterback. Now you’re talking a whole new look by the time Thanksgiving comes around, but that’s the game.

Arguably the most memorable pass thrown in Massachusetts last season, the one that ended Acton-Boxboro’s historic run through the Dual County League, was thrown by a guy who came into the season as a tight end/linebacker.



That is roster management.

So the next time someone goes running off at the mouth about the genius of Belichick or Pioli, look them dead in the eye and say, “They haven’t shown me nothing yet!�

Okay Pats fans, let me have it. I've already heard from some. I guess it doesn't pay not to drink the Kool-Aid these days?

Final Score
Patriots 23
Falcons 26

By the time we started this blog last January, Patriots season was pretty much winding down. We barely had enough time to discuss the playoff win over Jacksonville when the loss to Denver occurred. The offseason had come much too quickly for my liking.

Nearly 7-months later, Bill Belichick and the boys took the field for the first time since the Rocky Mountain disappointment and though the game was meaningless, it was great to see football return. There’s nothing like the NFL, with it’s once a week schedule allowing plenty of time for preview, analysis and best of all, discussion.

What can we learn from exhibition games? Not much, especially with this team. Yes, Laurence Maroney looked good. Does it mean anything come September 10^th? Not unless teams start playing their backup defenders significant minutes. I expect Maroney to be a key contributor to this offense and to take over the starting role from Corey Dillon early in the season, whether he rushes for 66 or 6 yards in a pre-season game.

Point is, don’t read too much into stats or playing time this early. Belichick does not tip his hand. The last few weeks of training camp (which not so coincidentally are closed to the public) are a better indicator of what to expect than watching these phony games. It’s there the kicking battle between Martin Gramatica and Stephen Gostkowski will be decided. (Put your fantasy football money on Gostkowski, by the way)

That said, what are your thoughts on the Patriots preseason opener? Glad to see football back? Maroney or Dillon? Gramatica or Gostkowski?

Final Score
Orioles 2
Red Sox 9

Job “Wells� Done: Perhaps there’s some life in that 43-year old arm after all!

Trust me; I’ll be the last person to get carried away by one nice pitching performance from David Wells. I still don’t think he can do that consistently anymore. That said, he came up huge in what might have been the biggest game of the year thus far for Boston’s Boys of Summer. Had they lost to the Orioles, a team they’ve owned this year, even the most die-hard members of The Nation would have jumped ship. Thanks to last night’s win, there’s still a pulse.

Can’t close this out without a tip of the cap to Mike Lowell. First of all, it was a shock he even stayed in the game after getting drilled square on the helmet. But to come up with a key hit and then go full bore into the stands chasing that foul pop was fantastic. The guy is a gamer. Thank you Florida for insisting we take him as part of the Beckett trade!

P.S. Memo to Sox fans: when it’s one of your own going into the stands to chase a ball, help him out…don’t let him fall into the metal seats!!!

What did you think of David Wells? Start of something good or a last hurrah? How about Mike Lowell?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The sox return home tonight after a miserable three-game set in which they were swept by the worst team in baseball -- the Kansas City Royals.

Health still a big issue for pitching staff
Red Sox manger Terry Francona said the team will not activate reliever Keith Foulke off the 15-day disabled list. Foulke went on the DL June 12 with tendonitis in his pitching elbow. He made rehab appearances in Lowell (July 28) and Pawtucket (four appearances since August 3).

Back problems prevented Foulke from making his first originally scheduled rehab start in Pawtucket on July 30. Francona said Foulke was unable to play catch on Thursday because of stiffness in his back. “His back tightened up so we’re sort of on hold there,� Francona said. “What the next step is -- does he get activated tomorrow or the next day, does he have to pitch -- I think a lot of that is going to depend on how he feels. We’ll just keep monitoring it.�

Veteran knuckleball Tim Wakefield is also still on the mend. The Red Sox placed Wakefield on the 15-day DL with a stress fracture in his rib cage. “In his own words he’s getting a little bit better every day.

Francona said he had talked to Wakefield about possibly getting back in time to make a start when the New York Yankees come to Fenway Park for a four-game set starting on Friday, August 18. Though he did add that he was not sure how realistic that possibility is. Right now, Wakefield has only been throwing on flat ground and Francona said it would be getting over a major hurdle when he is able to throw off of a mound.

Rookie starter gets shot at Sox tonight
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Adam Loewen (2-3, 5.72 ERA) makes his 10th major league start tonight. He gave up just one hit in 6.1 scoreless innings on Saturday in New York. Loewen is 2-1 having given up 12 earned runs and striking out 25 batters in 26.1 innings since June 17.

Ortiz doing some off-season vacation planning
Maine Governor John Baldacci sent Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz 41 lobsters in honor of the 41 home runs he has hit so far this season as well as his late-game heroics. The lobsters were presented to Ortiz in the clubhouse prior to tonight’s game. In a letter Baldacci also invited the slugger to visit Portland “after the World Series of course.“ Ortiz said he’d definitely like to make a trip up to Maine after the conclusion of the baseball season.

I should have brought the topic up sooner, but honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think or say. The story is absolutely hysterical. Yet at the same time, it’s really sad.

For those who missed it, Maurice Clarett was arrested early Wednesday morning. He was erratically driving an SUV, with loaded guns, a hatchet and an open bottle of vodka. While eluding police, he crashed into a cruiser and had to be maced. Police used mace because the Taser gun used on him had no effect since the former Ohio State running back was wearing a bullet proof vest.

Since that story broke, ESPN.com writer Tom Friend reported a phone call from Clarett only hours before his arrest. In his story, which can be read here, Friend runs through some of Clarett’s bizarre and criminal behavior. My personal favorite chronicles the events leading to the Buckeye Bad Boy’s dismissal from Denver Broncos training camp last summer. According to the article, Clarett had been caught drinking Grey Goose vodka. An excerpt from the story:

"He would take that water bottle everywhere, including the Bronco weight room, and the team started getting suspicious when, before minicamp practices, he'd grab the bottle and say, 'I gotta get my Goose on.' 

“Gotta get my Goose on!� You just can’t invent comedy like this. You have to check out the entire story…it will blow your mind how quickly a world class athlete can deteriorate and how fine a line exists between celebrity and insanity. You can’t help but laugh as you read some of the details. Problem is, if you’re human, you also can’t help but feel a touch of sadness.

What are your thoughts on Maurice Clarett? Comedy or tragedy?

Final Score

Red Sox 4

Royals 5

You Jump, I Jump: Anyone else feel like they’re watching Titanic? "Near, far, wherever you are…."

The S.S. Red Sox is sinking fast…distress calls are going unanswered…and there aren’t enough lifeboats to rescue all the passengers. At last check, Captain Epstein is locked in the steering room, surveying the damage and telling passengers and crew the iceberg was unavoidable and that any efforts to steer a different course would have jeopardized any future cruises across the shark-filled playoff waters. So you folks go back to your rooms down below, ignore the rising water, and think happy thoughts about the future. A few sips of Kool-Aid will help you sleep better.

Here’s the damage report; five losses in a row, only one winning series in the last six, and a 2-7 record since August 1^st, the day after the trading deadline. I know I can be negative, and plenty of you have told me in writing and in person that I’ve given up too early, but if you think this ship isn’t going down, I feel sorry for you. However, if you’re not outraged about a team with a shot to win a title doing absolutely nothing to help its cause before it was too late, then you have no right to complain…you deserve what you get.

Now do you believe me when I say the season is over? Or do you need more evidence?

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

So, I was surfing my favorite websites and low and behold on NHL.com the Quick Poll of the day is ....
How far will the Boston Bruins go in the 2006-07 season?

Even though I am a die hard fan, I still voted "Miss playoffs" and out of 22,984 votes 43.60% agree with me, what scared me is that 4.24% said they would win the Stanley Cup - seriously if you don't believe me look for yourselves http://www.nhl.com/ .

I love the Bs - but I'm not "that" stupid.

Who are the 4.24% that voted that way? Charlie or Jeremy Jacobs? Sinden? Chiarelli? Gorton? Dale Arnold? Whom by the way, I love listening to except for when he discusses the Bruins - I think he was the only person in Boston who said the Thornton trade was good, that was until after Thornton won the Hart Trophy.

I know no sane Bruins fan could possibly think they could win the Cup this season - although I would love for them to prove me wrong.

How far do you think the Bruins will go this season?

Every now and then, this blog’s branched out to other topics, though we always find some lame way to tie it into sports. This one might be stretching it a bit, but here goes.

What has happened to television? For that matter, what’s happened to this country? Have we become such a land of thoughtless morons that every single night of television has to be loaded with mindless reality shows?

I ask because the winner of the reality show Last Comic Standing is a guy suffering from Cerebral Palsy. The guy’s stand-up routine is based on making light of his disease. This comes on the heel of the winner of America’s Next Top Model having a gap between her two upper-front teeth you could drive an SUV through. And let’s not forget about Taylor Hicks’ American Idol title.

Is this what we’ve come to? Seinfeld goes off the air and the country’s viewing habits go to crap? No wonder they call it the boob tube.

And to think, people used to tease me about watching nothing but sports. Seems I may be one of the sanest television viewers out there.

Is anyone else out there alarmed by what’s happening to television? Can we please start a petition to ban all reality shows, or at least limit them to one, obscure cable channel? Perhaps OLN, or Versus, or whatever the heck they’re calling that station the NHL is hiding on?

Final Score

Red Sox 4

Royals 5

Et tu, Papelbon? What’s next…David Ortiz stops hitting in the clutch?

The one sure thing the Red Sox could count on up till this point was Jonathan Papelbon closing games out. Now the star closer has blown two saves in a row…to the Devil Rays and Royals, no less. Isn’t it funny how when a team is in a slump, bad things happen to even its best players?

I’m not sure what else to say at this point. Mathematically, the Sox are right in the thick of the playoff chase. Realistically, the ship is taking on water and will soon sink if the holes aren’t plugged. Perhaps I’m “giving up‿ on them, but I feel like they’ve given up on me.

Teams in contention make deadline deals for a variety or reasons. Besides adding reinforcements to the roster, a trade sends a message to the players in the locker room that management has their backs...sort of like we appreciate the hard work you’ve done and want to help do what it takes to get over the top. Not next year, not the year after, but this year.

I wonder what the guys who put the uniform on think of not jeopardizing the future to help the current team’s pennant drive? Do Mike Lowell, Mark Loretta, Mike Timlin, Curt Schilling and any other veteran out there busting their hump give a damn about 2008? Sure, they won’t come out and say anything on the record, but there are rumblings of a few unhappy campers with the lack of a deadline deal.

In my opinion, that’s a big part of Boston’s recent slide. The players feel let down, and their play shows it. What do you think?

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

The NHL announced the National Television schedule for the 2006-07 season and ironically, OLN will change it's name to Versus.

Hopefully, they will change the lighting and cameras also. Did you notice last season if you watched a game on OLN it was like watching a game from the 70s, not that it would have been bad to see the Bruins play like they did in the 70s, but never mind that - I refuse to live in the past. I just hope Versus has the same mentality.

Versus will air 54 games - starting opening night Oct. 4 with a double header.

First up the Sabres taking on the defending Cup Champions - the 'Canes, which is also a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals followed by Dallas at Colorado.

NBC will have nine weekend games starting Jan. 13.

For a hockey fan such as myself - I almost wish I could some how, some way get TSN which will air 70 games throughout the regular season - I told you if there's a game on I'm watching it.

I just know TSN must have tremendous coverage - considering in Canada hockey is not just a sport but a religion!

I think I might have to shell out the money and buy the Comcast Center Ice package. I had it two years prior to the lockout and I have to tell you - for a true hockey fan it was well worth the money!

Look gang! I've got a new toy!!!

The boys in the Lowell Sun internet department created a way for us to add polls to the blog. Now, those of you too shy to leave comments can still have your voice heard. I promise to find new and creative ways to put this to use in the future, but for now consider this a test run to make sure this computer illiterate blogger can even get the thing working right in the first place.

We'll start with an easy question first. Remember, vote early and often and as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Final Score
Red Sox 4
Royals 6

Royal Pain: Hard to believe it’s come to this point, but dare I say the Red Sox face a pair of must-win games in Kansas City?

The wheels are falling off the wagon. Nagging injuries are piling up (Mark Loretta being the latest casualty) and John Lester if pitching like a young rookie. Only 52 of 105 pitches for strikes is not a winning formula for the majors…can’t say I blame him, he’s been rushed because the team refused to find a better alternative.

I know I’ve already written off the season, but I think I’ll have a lot more company if the Royals are able to beat Josh Beckett or Curt Schilling these next two nights. You simply can’t lose a series to KC…not in August, and not when you’re chasing division and wild-card leaders.

It’s time for Josh Beckett to step up and become the ace everyone thinks he can be. If he fails tonight, I think you’re going to see the frustrated fan base turn on Beckett. Personally, I think he’s going to pitch a gem tonight. The situation is perfect for him and his reputation…big game, team desperate for a win, lousy opponent.

What do you think? Have the Sox reached the desperation point? Can Beckett and Schilling turn the tide?

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

Finally it has happened, Harry Sinden has stepped down as Boston Bruins President!

This is great news for the Bs. He is becoming an advisor to owner Jeremy Jacobs. They will not be naming a new President at this time.

It is also announced, on the Bruins website, that all hockey operations, "strategy and decisions" will be made by new GM Peter Chiarelli.
Again - great news for Bruins fans!

Maybe now the fans that have walked away from the Bruins because of ownership and management will slowly start to learn that this is not the same old management team that had always said they were "committed to bringing a winning team back to Boston." Maybe now they really mean what they say.

What do you think about Sinden stepping down? Good move or just another attempt to suck the fans in?

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

OK, so I figured I should take a few minutes and introduce myself to the regulars out there.

My name is Gayle and yes I am a female. I am a die hard hockey fan and a die hard Bruins fan, in fact I BLEED BLACK AND GOLD.

I will be blogging about hockey - the Bs, the Lowell Devils, Hockey East etc... you name it - if it's hockey I'm all over the rink so to speak.

Some of my favorite players (past and present) are Ray Bourque - and yes I was at Gov't Center when he brought the Cup to Boston; Patrick Roy, Cam Neely, Terry O'Reilly - although he once asked me if I knew I was a female; now for the present Joe Thornton - not happy he was traded; Patrice Bergeron, Joe Sakic, Simon Gagne, Vinny Lecavalier and I am looking forward to see what Ovechkin and Crosby can do in the league. I appreciate what hockey players have for talent - not the team they play for.

I meant what I posted earlier about checking the Bruins, NHL and TSN-Canada websites about 50 times a day.

I know in New England most people only care about the Red Sox (whom I love) and the Patriots, but I am hoping to create some excitement about the sport that I love - HOCKEY.

If any of you remember - the Bruins owned Boston in the 70s, the Patriots were a mere after thought. Even the Celtics captured the fans in the 80s with Bird, McHale, Parrish and Ainge, but back to hockey.

One of the hockey tournaments that most excites me is the Beanpot, as a Northeastern graduate, I keep praying the Huskies can win one away from BU or BC - they almost did it in 2005 but Chris Bourque got the game winner in OT for BU, ugh - ok enough about that.

For me - if there is a hockey game on TV I am watching it - AHL, NHL, NCAA even high school - hockey is hockey and for me there is only one season in the year - HOCKEY SEASON.

In case you missed it, former Patriots star Willie McGinest had some interesting things to say in a San Diego Tribune interview. A few excerpts:

“When you start losing your core guys, it's kind of hard, especially when the guys who are coming in don't work as hard or play as hard,‿ he said this week between practices with his new team, the Cleveland Browns. “It's not always the system. Like I always say, 'Yeah, it's a great system (in New England); but you've got to have great players to play in that system.' I think we kind of found that out last year. The system was great, but it couldn't save us.‿

“You had Ted Johnson retire and we had injuries,‿ McGinest said of 2005. “You had Seymour hurt early and Rodney Harrison was out. Those are some of our core guys, and some of the (replacements) coming in were terrible. Duane Starks, he came in and played like trash. He was terrible. You had other guys coming in that couldn't fill the shoes of some of those guys that had been there for years and (were) your core guys. ..

“You're missing Bruschi, Ted Johnson, Seymour and Rodney Harrison. It was kind of lonely on that defensive side of the ball. . . . As good as this system is, you've still got to have those core players in that system.‿

It’s an interesting argument, kind of like the chicken versus the egg. How much does the system make the players and how much do the players make the system? While Belichick is the best coach in the game today, there is some validity to those who think the players get the short end of the credit stick. No amount of strategy could make Monte Beisel, Chad Brown and Duane Starks championship caliber players last year. McGinest is a very intelligent man who had his finger squarely on the pulse of that locker room. If he thinks it, you can bet other Patriots players think it also.  

Look, do I think the Patriots are a legitimate playoff team as long as Belichick and Brady call Foxboro home? Of course. But is this squad anywhere near the dynasty which dominated the league for 2-years? Only time will tell, but right now I’d have to say no.

What do you think about Willie McGinest’s comments? Sour grapes or wise words from a veteran?

Six players returned to the practice field for the Patriots yesterday. Among them; Dan Koppen, Randall Gay, Richard Seymour, Johnathan Sullivan and Daniel Graham. None of the above was a more welcomed sight than the man in the blue #37 jersey...Rodney Harrison.

Harrison ran through individual drills and participated in non-contact drills with the scout team, marking his first appearance on a football field since the devastating knee injury suffered last September 25th in Pittsburgh.

“I didn't come in with a spirit of fear. I came in here with a spirit of peace. I knew I worked extremely hard in the offseason,� said the Pats 33-year old safety. “There were a lot of different thoughts and feelings and emotions going through my mind and my body and, like I said, when I first stepped on the field, it felt a little weird, but once I did a couple of sprints, I felt at peace.�

When asked what was the one thing that motivated him during rehab, the feisty Harrison responded; “'He's 33 years old. He'll never play again.' That's all the motivation I need.�

Now I know yesterday was a good day, but there is a long way to go between running non-contact drills and being ready to contribute in a regular season game. Smart money says even if Harrison does return, he won’t be anywhere near the force he was before the injury.

I say screw the smart money. On a team loaded with heart and character guys, Rodney Harrison takes a back seat to no one. This guy will play if at all humanly possible, and since he returned to practice, it’s safe to assume it is in fact possible.Expect him back on the field at some point very early in the season, teaming up with Tedy Brushci as the spiritual leaders of the defense.

What do you think? Can Harrison return to the level he used to be at? Can he return at all? Or is he just one awkward hit away from retirement?

Posted By Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

For real hockey fans and die hard Boston Bruins fans - yes, we do really exist - I find myself checking the Bruins, NHL and TSN-Canada websites about 50 times a day to see which team has signed who - like yesterday I was so estatic to see the Bruins signed Jurcina http://www.bostonbruins.com/pressbox/pressreleases.asp?id=1750
- my only question is WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO SIGN BERGERON?

The new management looks like they are taking steps in the right direction to actually put a good team on the ice for this upcoming season - but again we have to wait to see if the goaltending stands up.

Which sorry to say - I don't think Toivonen and Thomas are the answer. Yeah, yeah, I know that Thomas held the team together last season when both Toivonen and Raycroft went down with injuries, but there is a reason Thomas has been an AHL lifer up until last season and Toivonen to me is to flashy. I want a solid goalie between the pipes not one that simply wants a highlight reel to show up on ESPN.

Last night I got the opportunity to watch my favorite Bruin in action - Cam Neely. NESN showed an abbreviated replay of the March 7, 1994 Bruins game against the Washington Capitals in which Cam scored his 49th and 50th goals in just 44 games -which is an amazing feat http://www.bostonbruins.com/history/highlights.asp

I miss the days of Bourque, Neely, Oates, and many more - but I think the wave of the future with Chara, Bergy (if they sign him), Boyes, Sturm, Brad Stuart, Jurcina and so on -is a step in the right direction... speaking of steps in the right direction -

glad to see that local boy Keith Aucoin signed a 2-year deal with the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes - but it's sad to know he will no longer be in Lowell

Hopefully the "new" Lowell Devils will give us someone to look forward to.

We may find out when the Bruins and Devils faceoff in their preseason match-up at the Tsongas on Sept. 17. The puck drops at 1 p.m.

Question is - are there any other true hockey fans out there who can't wait for the season to start?

As expected, “Kool-Aid Nation‿ takes offense to the recent column calling the Patriots the “real‿ championship team in New England. Greek Thunder is the first to take the bait:

It's worth a try when it's the Patriots but when the Sox are proactive and don't hold on to these old guys (see Pedro), they're idiots? Please explain to the class Professor Panos.

I’ll be more than happy to. It’s actually quite simple class. You see, the Patriots operate under this system we call a SALARY CAP. Let me repeat that again, because I know a lot of you are loopy from the spiked Kool-Aid…S-A-L-A-R-Y C-A-P.

Now, who can tell Professor Panos what a salary cap means? That’s correct, young Theo. A salary cap means you only have a certain amount of money to spend. That means you have to make choices between who to give it to, and who not to give it to. For every dollar you spend on player X, that’s one less dollar you can spend on player Y.

Now, who can tell me why Major League Baseball is different? That’s right Georgie Porgie. Baseball does not have a salary cap. That means an owner can spend as much money as he wants to help his team win.

If you’re the Kansas City Royals or Pittsburgh Pirates and your owner is poor/cheap, you let very good players go because you don’t have the money to pay them or because you choose not to so you can pocket the savings. But if you’re the Boston Red Sox, with the highest prices in all of baseball and the 2nd richest television contract in the sport, you can afford to keep as many players as you think your team needs to compete with the other teams in your division that also spend lots of money.

To put it another way, you are not FORBIDDEN from spending money. You CHOOSE not to. So whereas in football you sometimes have to let good and popular players go for financial survival, in baseball you are under no such restrictions. You can keep as many players as you think can help your team win, provided you have the money to pay them, which the Red Sox most certainly do. See the difference?

Oh…one other difference between the Patriots and Red Sox. After winning their first Super Bowl, the Patriots won two more in three years, keeping the core of the team intact. For every Lawyer Milloy they lost, they brought in a Rodney Harrison. After winning their first World Series in 86-years, the Red Sox proceeded to gut their team and are going to be golfing this October. For every Pedro Martinez they lost, they brought in a Matt Clement. Understand?

Good. That concludes our lesson for today. For homework tonight, I want you to research why Bill Belichick would never be caught dead in a gorilla suit while the Red Sox continue to make monkeys of the most rabid fan base in the country.

Class dismissed! Oh, and don’t forget to drink all your Kool-Aid in the cafeteria!

That’s it. It’s finished. Red Sox season is over.

What’s that you say? There are still 7 ½ weeks of baseball to be played? Anything can happen?

Yeah, right! And Mel Gibson still has a chance to become B’Nai B’rith Man of the Year!

The way I look at it, if the folks who run the Sox care more about 2007 & 2008 than 2006, why should I waste my time until then? I’ll save my passion for the real winning franchise in this area…the New England Patriots.

We get our first look at Tom Brady and the gang Friday night when they open their exhibition schedule in Atlanta. (Oops! The National Football League doesn’t like it when you call them “exhibition� games. They’re pre-season games. Does that make Anna Nicole Smith a pre-seasonist?)

The first “real� game is September 10th against Buffalo, and it’s been a while since the Patriots have gone into a season with this many question marks. In addition to age, injury and roster turnover, an extended salary holdout has reared its ugly head for the first time in the Bob Kraft era.

There are gaping holes at wide receiver and inside linebacker. Even with a happy Deion Branch and a healthy Tedy Bruschi, depth is an issue. Without them, it becomes a serious issue.

The secondary can’t possibly have another run of bad luck like it did in ’05. A lot of folks think Rodney Harrison is the key (he returned to practice Monday), but even without him, the unit buckled down late last year and was quite effective when not getting whistled for phantom pass interference calls.

Kicker is the other big question facing Patriots Nation. I think it was a mistake to let Adam Vinatieri go, but I will say this. Bill Belichick rarely makes mistakes when it comes to players being washed up. Seeing how the Pats have tons of room under the salary cap and the contract Vinatieri signed with the Colts was more than reasonable, it’s safe to assume BB thinks AV is no longer A-OK. Until I see otherwise, in Bill I trust.

Which brings us to my main concern; can the Patriots overcome the biggest challenge facing every great NFL team…the parity monster?

Face it, the deck is stacked against dynasties. In the old days, the Packers, Steelers and 49ers could have their decade long run. In the free agency/salary cap era, the window shuts much sooner. Just ask the Cowboys and Broncos.

Roster comings and goings are only half the battle. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the number of Belichick disciples now running their own franchise should give New England’s boss an ego the size of Refrigerator Perry. Where Belichick could once scour free agency and the draft in search of “his� type of player, he now must fight Romeo Crennel, Nick Saban and Eric Mangini for that same athlete.

What I find fascinating is that New England is attacking the parity monster from a different angle. Previous champions held on to their best players to keep the run going as long as possible. The Pats are picking and choosing, hoping to keep enough key parts in place to maintain continuity, while at the same time reloading from the bottom up.

Will it work? I doubt it. Is it worth a try? I think so. There’s always the future, right Sox fans?

Final Score
Red Sox 6
Devil Rays 7

Slip Slidin’ Away: Remember that song? Can’t you just hear Paul Simon singing it in the background as you watch the Sox these days?

Even a surprisingly strong outing from Jason Johnson wasn’t enough to carry Boston’s Boys of Summer. A rare blown save by Jonathan Papelbon (only the 4th in 34-tries) and a walkoff home run by Greg Norton (when did he morph into Babe Ruth?) ultimately did them in, but this was one that should have been put away earlier.

Tampa has now taken 7-of-10 from Boston in that hideous dome, which the Sox once owned. Yes, the Devil Rays are improved and have a ton of young talent. No, the Red Sox shouldn’t lose to them with this much regularity. They’re still a last place team. You need to make hay against them.

The Royals are on deck and the matchup couldn’t come at a better time. The momentum is heading in the wrong direction. It needs to get turned around, and turned around quickly.

Do the Sox still have the horses to do it?

Final Score
Red Sox 5
Devil Rays 8

“Wells� Run Dry: How much longer will the Red Sox keep trotting David Wells out there before they come to the realization he’s done? Then again, with the options available to them, the answer to that question is; till he breaks down again.

Only one of the five runs charged to Wells was earned last night, but that doesn’t mean it was a good performance. Wells rolled through the first three innings, then gave up a 4-spot in the 4th. A David Ortiz error at 1st base didn’t help the cause, but consecutive singles to Greg Norton, B.J. Upton and Josh Paul plated three more runs. Not being able to retire any of that “murderous� trio is more proof the aging lefty simply doesn’t have it anymore.

The Yankees lost, so the deficit is still only a game. Mentally, it feels like more than that, doesn’t it?

News Flash: Test results from Floyd Landis’ “B� sample confirm initial results from sample “A� showing the American cyclist tested positive for increased levels of testosterone during the recently completed Tour de France. In addition, the results also confirmed traces of synthetic testosterone, which indicates it came from an outside source. Landis had claimed the elevated levels were a “natural� occurrence in his body.

Teddy’s Take: A bit of advice for ya, Floyd. Next time…if there is a next time…step up and take your punishment like a man!

When news of the first test result broke, Landis tried every excuse in the “cheater’s handbook,� going so far as to claim his beer drinking might have contributed to the “false� positive. Even in the face of today’s news, Landis maintains his innocence and says “I’ll fight these charges with the same determination and intensity that I bring to my training and racing.�

Same Determination and intensity you bring to your training, huh? Does that mean they’ve invented a performance enhancer to help beat charges of cheating?

Come on Floyd. Fess up. You got caught. Do the honorable thing. Step forward, admit it, say you’re sorry and move on. We’ll eventually forget about you and move on to other disgraced athletes sure to follow. But please, don't treat us like we're stupid. You're the dummy who got caught, in front of the entire world. Be a man. A disgraced man, but a man nonetheless!

Anyone out there surprised the 2nd test came back positive? How about the new “winner� of the race, Oscar Pereiro…how hollow is his “victory� at this point?

Final Score
Red Sox 3
Devil Rays 2

Papi to the Rescue: Honestly, where do you think the Sox would be without David Ortiz?

We’ve reached the point where it’s kind of redundant to talk about how huge and how clutch this guy has come up for Boston. Two more dongs last night, including the game-winner in the 8th inning…a major league leading 39-HR’s and 107-RBI’s…and it’s only the first week of August. When all is said and done, we’re going to be able to say we witnessed, up close, one of the more remarkable seasons in major league history.

Let’s also give a shout out to Curt Schilling, now tied with Justin Verlander for the major league lead in victories with 14. Tampa’s given him some problems in the past, but Schill came up big when he needed it most. Jonathan Papelbon closed it out in the 9th after Manny Delcarmen worked an impressive 8th. If it hasn’t already happened, Delcarmen needs to become the top set up guy. Right now, he’s a much better pitcher than Mike Timlin.

Finally, an early injury to Doug Mirabelli gave Javy Lopez and immediate introduction to the pennant race. He didn’t respond well (0-4) last night, but it’s nice to have him with both Jason Varitek and Mirabelli out.

Can anyone remember a year like the one Ortiz is having? I’ve heard Yaz in ’67, but other than that, you have to go way back to find such a combination of power production and clutch hits. (No, I won’t count the steroid boys of Bonds, McGwire & Sosa in this discussion!)

Final Score
Indians 7
Red Sox 6

Lopez Catches On: I’ll be brief about last night’s loss to the Indians, focusing instead on the good news involving Javier Lopez.

I really like Dennis Eckersley as a studio analyst. He’s not afraid to rip a bad performance and as an ex-player, coming from him it carries plenty of weight. (Unlike when yours truly does it). Eck is baffled at how Josh Beckett can completely fall apart in the middle of a good outing, and equally perplexed about how someone with his stuff can give up 31-home runs. Welcome to the club, Eck. If you don’t understand, how can anyone expect us to?

As for the trade, this was the best option available. (Let me reach back and pat myself on the back for suggesting it the other day….arrrggggh….there you go….these old bones don’t stretch back like they used to!)

Quite frankly, I’m surprised the rest of the American League let Lopez slide through waivers. I know he comes with a big price, but if you’re one of the Sox main competitors for a division/wild-card playoff berth, wouldn’t you want to put in a claim and keep Boston from getting a decent replacement for Jason Varitek? I think that was a major blunder by the A’s, Angels, Tigers, White Sox, etc….

Also, I think Lopez might actually be an improvement at the plate. Tek has been a shell of himself since last July, and Javy’s bat could really boom at Fenway. He’s also pennant race and playoff tested from his days in Atlanta, so chalk one up in the plus column for Theo Epstein.

What’s the verdict out there on the Javier Lopez acquisition?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Celtics announced today that forward Al Jefferson had successful minor arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle at New England Baptist Hospital. The surgery was performed by Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon and assisted by Dr. Mark Slovenkai.

Jefferson is expected to begin rehabilitation immediately under the medical staff’s supervision and is expected to return by the start of Training Camp.

The 6' 10" forward averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game this past season. He scored in double figures 21 times and grabbed 10 or more rebounds six times. Ankle problems limited Jefferson to just 59 games in his second season.

After a sophomore slump, how much are you expecting from Al Jefferson? Would you have had a problem parting with him in a trade to get a player like Allen Iverson?

Final Score
Indians 5
Red Sox 6

Holdin’ Out for a Hero: If Bonnie Tyler still needs a hero, she might want to think about becoming a Red Sox fan. They’re just as willing as the songstress to hold out till the end of the night.

Two nights after Big Papi rescued Boston’s Boys of Summer, Mark Loretta put on the red cape with a 2-run 9th inning double off Fausto Carmona. (Note to Eric Wedge: The kid’s not ready to be a closer yet. Don’t use him again in that role….unless he’s playing against my fantasy team)

Loretta’s heroics were very much needed. It had been a bad couple of days for the Sox. Injuries, lack of moves to bolster the roster and a loss to Cleveland Tuesday had pretty much dampened the excitement of David Ortiz’ walk-off homer Monday. Another loss last night would have really been a downer, especially with the Yankees getting on a roll.

I guess with the state the team’s starting pitching is in, it’s going to be up and down from here on out, though with Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling up next, the forecast for the next couple of days might include a couple of wins.

How big was that comeback last night? Can the Sox stay close to the Yankees till Wakefield and Varitek get back?

The Boston Herald is reporting Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi may have fractured a wrist during Monday morning’s practice. He did not participate in the afternoon session that day and skipped both workouts Tuesday. According to sources, Bruschi will be put in a splint for a week while the severity of the injury is determined. As expected, the Patriots have refused comment on the report.

The full story can be found here.

Bruschi’s loss would leave New England dangerously thin at inside linebacker. It’s believed Bruschi and Monte Beisel are the two starters at the position. Beisel struggled last year, his first in New England, and was eventually replaced by Mike Vrabel and the returning Bruschi in the lineup. Vrabel has been moved back to outside linebacker this off-season.

The bright spot to come out of this is that it happened so early in training camp. Depending on the severity, the 33-year old heart and soul of New England’s defense could return in time for the regular season opener September 10th. If past history is any indication, expect to see #54 in full uniform, chasing Willis McGahee and the rest of the Buffalo Bills that Sunday.

What are your thoughts on the possible injury to Tedy Bruschi? Could the Patriots overcome the loss?

Final Score
Indians 6
Red Sox 3

Push the Button: O.K. Now it’s panic time!

Last night’s loss is the least of the Sox problems right now. Jason Johnson putting his team in a 2-nothing first inning hole is pretty much the norm. The good news is he probably won’t be around in 2007 and 2008, which is all Red Sox management seems to care about these days. 2006 certainly doesn’t matter. If the team wins, great. If not, oh well, there’s always the future. And now, they even have their built in excuse to fool the Kool-Aid drinkers.

As I predicted yesterday, Jason Varitek’s injury turned out to be pretty serious. The team is ill-prepared to deal with a 4-6 week loss of its captain. I’ll go out on a limb again and tell you it will be longer than that. Torn Meniscus injuries take 4-6 weeks for most athletes to recover from…a catcher won’t be right for a longer period of time. Even if he rushes back and plays through the pain, he will not be the Varitek we’re used to. Then again, we haven’t seen that Varitek since July of 2005.

What the Sox do at catcher is anyone’s guess. Perhaps they get lucky and sneak Javier Lopez or someone like that through waivers. That would at least help keep them in contention, but this is a serious, serious blow to a team with absolutely no catching depth at the major league or minor league level. Where’s Kelly Shoppach when you need him? Oh, that’s right. I forgot he was traded to Cleveland in the Coco Crisp deal.

Put on those black sweat suits, Nike sneakers and go to sleep Red Sox Nation. The spaceship is coming to take you to heaven any day now!!!

So what about it gang? Is the Varitek injury the end of the Sox playoff hopes? How can they possibly overcome it? Does the Kool-Aid taste better when you have an excuse for failure?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Red Sox will be without captain and catcher Jason Varitek for possibly 4-6 weeks as they placed him on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday night.

The Associated Press reported that Varitek will have surgery for torn cartilage in his left knee. He hurt it on the bases in the second inning of Monday night's win against Cleveland.

"He was examined (Tuesday) morning and they found, I guess, a partial tear in the meniscus," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told the AP Tuesday night. "We'll know, certainly, a lot more on the timetable after they go in and get him cleaned up."

In the meantime the Sox purchased the contract of catcher Ken Huckaby from Pawtucket to provide another option to go with Doug Mirabelli. Huckaby hit.222 with 16 RBI in 68 games in Pawtucket. Mirabeli has hit .181 in 32 games since returning to the Red Sox after being traded to San Diego in the off-season.

How are the Sox going to get by without Varitek? How much faith do you have in the duo of Huckaby and Mirabelli.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The NBA officially released the 2006 season schedule on Tuesday and for the Boston Celtics the season starts at home against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on Wednesday, November 1. The Celtics will play eight of their first 12 games at home.

Mark down these dates: The NBA Champion Miami Heat come to Boston on February 7 and on April 6. In addition, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the TD Banknorth Garden on Wednesday, January 3 and on Sunday, April 1. The Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant will make their lone Boston appearance on January 31.

Click here to view the Celtics schedule

Final Score
Indians 8
Red Sox 9

Winning while Losing: Monday was not a good day for the Red Sox, despite more dramatics from David Ortiz. In fact, Theo Epstein should send Big Papi a big thank you for giving “The Nation� something positive to think about.

I did enough ripping of Mr. Epstein in my last two posts, so I’ll keep the negative talk to a minimum here. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t question once again what the hurry was to get David Wells on the mound. There’s a reason guys make rehab starts when they’ve been out forever. For some reason, Wells doesn’t feel the need to make a few of those and the Sox indulge his wishes. Without Big Papi’s heroics, the Big Lefty giving up 8-runs to a terrible Cleveland team would be the story of the night.

Of course, the story of today might be Jason Varitek’s injury. We don’t yet know how severe it is, but here’s a prediction; it won’t be good. Knee injuries to guys who spend 9-innings crouching behind the plate aren’t good news.

Thankfully, there’s David Ortiz. I was a strong believer that Alex Rodriguez deserved the MVP last year. I’m not against a DH wining the award, but the difference between him and the best position player has to be noticeable. Last year, that wasn’t the case. This year, it is.

There is no comparison between Papi and any other American Leaguer right now…be it for a contender or pretender. Throw in the clutch factor, and it should be a unanimous vote if the season ended today.

Of course, there’s still a lot of baseball, and a lot of clutch baseball to be played, but if Ortiz maintains this pace and this distance between his top competitors for the award, they might as well start engraving his name as we speak!

Your thoughts on David Wells? How about Jason Varitek’s injury and what the Sox would do if he’s out a significant period of time? Finally, is there a sane MVP argument to be made for anyone other than Ortiz?

This is what he fought for. This is why he walked away in a gorilla costume last Halloween. This is what had to happen for him to return to the fold.

For better or worse, the Boston Red Sox team you see on the field is all Theo Epstein’s. No more meddling by Larry Lucchino. No more input from the “we have to compete with the Yankees� crowd. No more mortgaging the future. Theo has a plan, and the Red Sox will follow that plan come hell or high water, even if it means they might have to sacrifice the present.

On the surface, it sounds like a hell of a plan. The lingo would make a political candidate proud. Like no new taxes and health care for all, you can’t find fault with catch phrases like don’t give up young talent and payroll flexibility.

Hey, it works for the Florida Marlins, doesn’t it?

For the record, I’m writing this after David Ortiz’ latest walk-off rescue job, a night of celebration for Red Sox Nation. It may seem like a strange time to rip the general manager, but I think it’s actually the perfect time.

You see right now, the Sox are in playoff contention thanks to two men. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. Especially David Ortiz. Make no mistake. Without those five walk-off hits from Big Papi, you are looking at a second place team in the East that’s on the outside looking in on the wild card race.

And exactly what did Theo Epstein do at the trading deadline to help take some of the load of those two guys’ broad shoulders? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Not unless you want to count a press conference where he said a few things that should be very troubling to the folks who pay the highest ticket price in all of baseball. Here are a few direct quotes;

"We have a long-term plan and as much as we desperately wanted to do something to help our big league team it would have been shortsighted to sacrifice that long-term plan in order to incrementally increase our chances this year."

"There were a couple of possibilities. Players we can't mention that had been previously untouchable, impact-type players that caused us to look at moving some guys we would prefer not to move, and we were in fact willing to move some guys we didn't want to move to get that type of controllable long-term impact, but in the end those deals didn't materialize."

And this one’s a doozie;

"I think our approach as an organization to the Yankees is to respect them and assume that they're going to win close to 100 games every year and then to forget about them until October."

“Forget about them till October?� How can you forget about your chief competitor until the season is over? Do the Dolphins forget about the Patriots? Don’t you have to win the division first? Or is the wild card guaranteed?

Now I have no problem with refusing to trade Papelbon or Lester. One is a stud closer with potential to be an ace starter, while the other is a top of the rotation talent who throws left-handed. No arguments about refusing to deal them here, unless someone like Roy Oswalt or Dontrelle Willis is coming back.

But to not deal a Manny Delcarmen or another middle reliever to help you win a title this year? What? Are middle relievers so reliable year-in year-out that they’re untradeable?

Theo did not make a single move to help the team at the trading deadline. They’re in first place…have been for almost the entire season, yet not a single move to deepen the rotation or add a bat to the bench? Not even Matt Stairs to give you ONE left-handed pinch hitter, of which you currently only have Alex Cora?

Come on! What’s the point of having financial flexibility if you’re not going to use it? If you don’t use it when you lead a division on July 31st and have as good a shot as anyone to win a World Series, when will you use it? It’s not like they’re the Blue Jays, struggling along at 4-6 games back with no guarantee of making up the difference. THEY ARE IN FIRST PLACE TODAY AND HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN ANOTHER WORLD SERIES!!! SEND SOME REINFORCEMENTS AND WIN NOW WHILE YOU HAVE A CHANCE!!!

We keep hearing about the future and needing to build for it. Build for what? For the day you lead the division with two months to go? Are you guaranteed that’s going to happen next year? 2008? When? And when it does happen, why would you trade youth then to help you for the stretch drive? What makes those situations different from this year?

These aren’t the Royals or Marlins. They’re the Red Sox. The 2nd richest team in baseball with the highest ticket price in the sport.

I’ll step back from here and let you guys chime in. I think I’ve asked enough questions for you to answer. Perhaps some day, Theo will have to answer them, too!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady returned to practice today after sitting out Sunday's practice session and both practices on Monday.

While Sports Illustrated's Michael Silver is reporting that Brady's time off was simply to keep him fresh and healthy, Silver also says the absence of experience wide receivers in camp has gotten under Brady's skin.

"Deion is the most important player on our offense," Brady told SI.com. "When I look at the elite receivers in the game, he is second to nobody. He doesn't get a lot of the credit, because we do spread the ball around here, and he doesn't feel a need to promote himself like so many guys at that position. But he is that good."

The Patriots are in the process of breaking in a large group of receivers that will serve as Brady's targets this year including Chad Jackson, a second-round draft pick from Florida. Jackson has been on the physically-unable-to-perform list with a hamstring injury.

Brady's top returning receiver, former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, is in the midst of a contract holdout and has not reported to camp.

In the off-season the Patriots lost receivers David Givens, Tim Dwight, Bethel Johnson, and Andre Davis. Long-time Patriot Troy Brown has returned for his 14th year.

What do you Pats fans think? Does Brady's frustration put more pressure on the Patriots to get Branch in camp? Are troubles on the horizon if Branch continues his holdout?