February 2007 Archives

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

A close game and a home game. The Celtics never get those sorts of wins. That was until the Knicks came to town.

Here’s the quick and dirty:

The Celtics lead reached 20 points with 4:25 remaining in the first half and stayed that way going into the break. Three different players scored in double figures in, Paul Pierce being the low man of the trio with just 10 points.

Brian Scalabrine made 5 of 6 in the first half and 4 of 5 from behind the arc. He totaled up a team-high 14 point at halftime. Al Jefferson was right behind him with 13.

Somehow the Celtics managed to commit eight turnovers and have none of them lead to Knicks points.

New York trailed 57-37 after two quarters.

Every thing changed once Quentin Richardson caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 14 of his 24 points. By the 5:10 mark in the quarter the Knicks deficit was cut to five points.

Stephon Marbury’s three-pointer with 9:17 left to play hit nothing but net and gave the Knicks their first lead of the game.

Gerald Green moved to the forefront in the final quarter, netting 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Jefferson continued with his monster game as the Celtics went to him repeatedly down the stretch. Big Al finished with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Celtics announce that forward Wally Szczerbiak is scheduled to undergo season ending ankle surgery on Thursday March 8, 2007. The procedure will be performed by Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon at New England Baptist Hospital.

“You kind of knew it when he went down in the Sac (Sacramento) game that it was pretty much over,” Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said. “I mean, I didn’t know, but that’s the assumption. Right when you hear “second opinions,” that’s means you know that probably means he ain’t going to play anymore this year.”

The Celtics expect him to be 100 percent after recovering from the surgery, according to Rivers.

In 32 games this season, Szczerbiak is averaging 15.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game. Szczerbiak has missed 24 games this season due to injury (all but one game due to ankle sprains).

DJ honored at the Garden

he Boston Celtics will honor the late Dennis Johnson at their home game against the New York Knicks on February 28 at the TD Banknorth Garden. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a special pin honoring the Celtics legend.

The Celtics will present a tribute video highlighting Johnson’s stellar career prior to tip-off. The team will also show clips of memorable moments in Johnson’s career during timeouts.

“The entire Celtics organization is greatly saddened by the loss of Dennis Johnson,” said Rich Gotham, Celtics Chief Operating Officer. “On Wednesday night, we will provide our fans with the opportunity to remember DJ and celebrate his great life and career.”

Prior to tonight’s game at the TD Banknorth Garden, New York Knicks president of basketball operations and head coach Isiah Thomas recalled competing against the great Celtics teams of the 1980s and Johnson as a member of the Detroit Pistons.

“Even when we were trying to catch them, following them around trying to emulate the things that the Celtics were doing and the Lakers were doing, he and C.K. (Jones), Larry (Bird), Kevin (McHale) were always extremely kind to us and extremely kind to me,” Thomas said. “He’ll be missed. I don’t know if it was Danny (Ainge) of Kevin, but I recall one of them saying that it’s said that he’s gone now and it makes us remember how great a player he was. I wish he had got the recognition for how great a player he was when he was still alive.”

Thomas also said that Johnson is “most definitely” a Hall of Famer.

Knicks limping into the hunt

New York enters play today just two spots out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but Steve Francis (knee) did not make the trip to Boston, and Jamal Crawford (ankle) is likely out for the remainder of the season. The team’s leading rebounded David Lee (ankle) will also be out of the lineup tonight. Nate Robinson is also battling the flu.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

My dear guests, welcome back to Fantasy Island!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll do a position-by-position breakdown, offering you the Royal Flush (5-best at the position), Asleep at the Wheel (as in; don’t get caught there) and The Plague (avoid at all costs!).

(As with all fantasy advice, things are relative. Should you look up in the 20th round and still see Nomar Garciaparra on the board, you'd be nuts not to gamble...just don't waste an early pick on him when you could just as easily place a better bet. Conversely, don't go gobbling up Dan Johnson in Round 3, but be aware of him if you have a hole to plug on your roster)

Naturally, I expect your feedback. What I don’t expect is for my league partners to use this information against me in upcoming drafts. We’ll start off with the 1st baseman:

Royal Flush
1)Ryan Howard
2)Albert Pujols
3)Lance Berkman
4)David Ortiz
5)Mark Texeira

I’ll rank Ryan Howard ahead of Albert Pujols here based solely on the fact he’s my keeper in the one league I’m allowed to protect one player. Most sites rank Pujols #1, and I can’t really argue too much, except to say the Phillies big man topped the Cardinals stud in HR, RBI and Walks, while holding his own in Average and Runs. SB’s is negligible (neither is going to get into double digits), so give the nod to Howard by a whisker....Berkman gets the edge over Big Papi because of his outfield eligibility (as you’ll find, I love players you can plug in at multiple positions…really helps when injuries crop up). Texeira completes the Flush over Justin Morneau, who I think opposing pitchers are going to work around with nothing protecting him in that lineup.

Asleep at the Wheel
1)Prince Fielder
2)Todd Helton
3)Chris Duncan
4)Ryan Shealy
5)Dan Johnson

Fielder and Helton don’t fall under the classic definition of sleepers (both are ranked Top-100 on Yahoo), but at #86 and #77 respectively, they’re much undervalued. Helton is due for a big comeback, especially if he gets traded (still a possibility) and I think the sweet-swinging Fielder is this year’s Howard (won’t lead the league in homers, but a superstar in the making). I came this close to placing him at #5 ahead of Texeira and Morneau. If either Fielder or Helton is still on your draft board after the 5th round, pounce like paparazzi on Brittney Spears....Duncan may bat 2nd, just ahead of Pujols, which translates into lots of pitches to hit (also eligible at OF)…The Red Sox goofed big-time not trading for Shealy when the had the chance a couple of summers back…And once Shannon Stewart gets injured (which won’t be long now), Johnson and his corrected vision will demonstrate why the A’s stuck with him through all those struggles last year.

The Plague
1)Jason Giambi
2)Nomar Garciaparra
3)Shea Hillenbrand

Needless to say, I’m not very high on former (current?), steroid/HGH using, old first baseman coming off wrist surgery…Nomar was a steal last year as a shortstop eligible playing every day at a less stressful position. With that option now gone and with so many great power options at first, this “muscle strain waiting to happen” loses a lot of luster…Hillenbrand may look good in April (always gets off to good starts, doesn’t he?), but come the middle of summer, he’ll be sulking on the bench (perhaps somewhere other than Anaheim). Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

That’s my fantasy baseball breakdown of first baseman…what’s yours? What names should have been included in my lists? Who am I way off about?

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

After nearly seven hours of watching TSN's TradeCentre on my lap top, I'm trying to put my thoughts together for the 20-something moves that were made today. So bare with me if I miss something or spend too much time on one trade and skip over another.

Let's start with the HUGE moves:

Unable to reach a long-term deal with Ryan Smyth, the Edmonton Oilers traded away the face of the franchise to the New York Islanders for forwards Robert Nilson, Ryan O'Marra and a 2007 1st round pick - winner in that catagory is definitely NY. Remember the Isles also aquired Marc-Andre Bergeron from the Oilers last week and are currently one point out of the playoffs.

Second HUGE deal: San Jose aquires Bill Guerin from St. Louis for forwards Ville Nieminen and Jay Barriball, along with a 2007 1st round pick. San Jose is not fooling around here. Think of the offensive power on that team now - Joe Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo, Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, newly acquired Craig Rivet and now Guerin. The Sharks are making a run for the Cup with their moves and are slowly becoming Bruins West (Thornton, Guerin and Kyle McLaren).

Another pretty big move was both Gary Roberts and George Laraques both waiving their no-trade clause to go to Pittsburgh. Now, Sydney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal have their bodyguard in Laraques; Roberts simply adds experience and depth in the forward category. Edge goes to Pittsburgh again.

Buffalo dealt goaltender Martin Biron to Philly for second round pick; so Biron literally went from the best team in the Eastern Conference to the worst. The Sabres then turned around and picked up Ty Conklin from Columbus for a fifth round pick. Biron will help Philly right now, but he becomes a UFA at the end of the season and questions will a rise as to what the Flyers will do with Robert Esche and Antero Niittymaki if by chance they are able to re-sign Biron.

Yanic Perreault will make yet another stop in Toronto after being traded by the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Brenden Bell and a 2008 second round pick. This definitely helps the Maple Leafs as they are in desperate need of a center that can win face offs.

The Bruins made some moves today as well. Swapping defensemen with the Rangers. Boston sent Paul Mara packing and will get veteran d-man Aaron Ward in exchange. While most of their numbers are pretty much the same (Mara 18, Ward 15) the big one that sticks out is the plus-minus. Mara is a -23; while Ward -3; not too mention Ward is a very physical player with 148 hits good for 16th in the league and will help in front of the net - he has 142 blocked shots (9th in the league). Also Mara makes $3 million; while Ward is $2.75 which frees up a little bit in the cap. Early to tell but I give the edge to Boston on this one.

The Bruins also parted ways with Brad Boyes, who has had a less than stellar sophomore campaign. Boyes was dealt to St. Louis for defenseman Dennis Wideman. Point production had nothing to do with this trade. Boyes is making $1.4 million this year and slated for $1.6 next season; Wideman, who will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season is only making $475 thousand - talk about clearing some cap room. Maybe that's why the Bruins didn't have to deal Glen Murray (who was subject to many rumors).

Detroit acquired veteran Todd Bertuzzi from Florida for forward Shawn Matthias, 2007 conditional draft pick and 2008 conditional 2nd round pick. The conditional draft picks are based on how far and well the Wings do in the play offs and how well Bertuzzi plays. Considering Bertuzzi has only played in eight games this season and coming off of back surgery it was pretty smart of Detroit to put conditions on the draft picks- not sure at this point which team benefits more with this deal.

There were a lot of other moves that took place today, but none that directly impact the teams the way the ones listed above do.

So, what do you think? Who made the best moves? Surprised by any of the trades? Shocked that some moves that were rumored weren't made?

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

Like no other sport, the trade deadline for the National Hockey League is THE most active deadline.

So many teams, so many moves... from Philly to San Jose to St. Louis to Buffalo; who stayed and who was dealt?

After it's all said and done, I'll put it all into prespective. Stay Tuned.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

With 20 games left in the regular season for the Bruins, can they still make the playoffs?

Going into Moday's game verus the Atlanta Thrashers, the Black and Gold were in 11th in the Eastern Conference with 64 points, because of the 3-2 loss the Bs stay idle; but since Montreal beat the Maple Leafs - the Bruins are seven points behind 8th place Carolina, which the Bs still have two games in hand on the 'Canes.

Out of their 20 games they have left - seven of them are against Northeast opponents; four of them against the Habs - who are just eight points in front of the Bs.

What do the Bruins need to do to stay in the playoff hunt? First they need to get Glen Murray back in the line-up (which he is slated to do against Philly on Thursday). Granted the Bs have won games without Muzz, but the power play has definitely suffered without the threat of Murray on the ice.

Secondly - goaltending, goaltending, goaltending.... It is a known fact that you have to have two quality net minders to get your team through the regular season - even Martin Brodeur can't play 82 regular season games. Nothing against Joey MacDonald, but I highly doubt he's the answer.

Thirdly, someone other than Marc Savard needs to pick up the consistency in the points category. Savvy leads the team with 82 points (21 goals, 61 assists). Patrice Bergeron is second on the team with 55 points - that's nearly 30 points less than Savvy. With Marco Sturm getting hot (seven goals in eight games) and playing on the same with Bergy again will jump start some more balanced offense from the club. Not to mention his four-year contract extension that all but erases the trade rumors.

And finally, with 20 games left in the season, the Bruins pretty much need to win at least four out of every six from now until April 7 when they wrap up the regular season against the Senators.

The East has been such a tight race all season long, anything can happen in the last full month of hockey. Seriously, stranger things have happened...

With all of that said... do the Bruins still have hope or is better to say... wait 'til next year?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Now that Hollywood and the music industry have this global warming thing under control, we can finally turn our attention to the real important stuff; namely, the emissions emanating from Florida. (Note: I asked former Vice President Gore to present this article, but doctors are still trying to surgically separate him from Leonardo DiCaprio)

Here’s my take on Manny Ramirez; you can love him or you can hate him. That’s your right as a fan and ours as members of the media. However, every player or sports personality has a right to be treated with respect.

I bring this up because of the contentious question and answer session with Manny’s agents upon his arrival to Fort Myers Monday morning. Greg Genske was asked/told: “Manny is 34 now. Do you think it’s time for him to be more accountable instead of being babied like a 12-year-old?” A follow-up went like this: “Do you think since he’s your meal ticket, you should try to help him grow up?”

This comes on the heels of David Wells complaining about obsessive and obnoxious Sox fans. Though Wells isn’t one of my personal favorites, he’s right on this one. A player deserves to be treated with respect whether at the ballpark or out with his family. Screaming obscenities in front of his kids and disrupting a private dinner aren’t rights purchased with game tickets or NESN subscriptions. Sadly, a lot of Boston fans don’t understand the concept.

Judging by the treatment of Manny’s agents, neither do some of the people holding cameras and microphones. It’s O.K. to voice opinions in stories. It’s what a lot of us are paid to do; provoke thought and discussion. However, that can be done just as easily without being rude to someone doing their own job. And then people wonder why Ramirez rarely speaks to the media.

(Another side note here: how come reporters don’t take a similar tone with agents like Scott Boras? Could it be because they’re more likely to eat the microphone than their words?)

Elsewhere around the Fort, Daisuke Matsuzaka is wowing observers with how much work he puts in at such and early stage of the season. I think it’s going to be a very interesting subplot to follow. Pitch counts are more foreign to this guy than college level English right now. If he can stay strong through the 100-pitch, 200-inning barriers that seem to cripple every other starter, might it not be time for the major league teams to re-examine their approach to pitcher’s workloads and how they train?

Free fantasy baseball advice: Josh Beckett is going to make those who draft him this year very happy.

There’s never been a question about his stuff, only what goes on between his ears. But I like what I’m reading and hearing about him. The kid seems to “get it” now, admitting he should have trusted Jason Varitek more.

And since you asked, you could do a lot worse at closer than Joel Pineiro. Use a middle-to-late round pick on him and let everyone else gobble up the big names early. You can thank me later for the 30+ saves coming from the back end of your draft. 

Well, that’s all for now…have to go make sure my greenhouse gas levels aren’t out of whack. What ever happened to that new Ice Age my grade school teachers were warning me about in the ‘70’s, anyway?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

College Basketball’s March Madness may be a couple of weeks away, but the High School version taps off tomorrow night in the Bay State, and the Lowell Sun and SunTalk Live have it covered.

Dennis Whitton co-hosts this week’s show, as we preview the Massachusetts Boys & Girls State Tournament. Special guests include Lowell High Boys Head Coach, Scott Boyle, and Girls Head Coach, Mike Crowley.

Have any thoughts or predictions on how your hometown team will fare? Here’s your chance to show some school pride. Just dial (978)364-8255 between 7-8pm to listen in or participate. (We strongly recommend calling in a few minutes early so as not to miss any of the program)

Talk to you soon!

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

According to TSN-Canada, Marco Sturn has signed a 4-year, $14 million dollar contract to keep the left winger from testing free agency come July 1. The Bruins have not yet confirmed the deal is done.

Sturm enters tonight's game against the Florida Panthers with 20 goals and 11 assists.

Also according to TSN the Bs have claimed goaltender Joey MacDonald off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings, again nothing from the Bruins to confirm the report.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

There are conflicting reports coming out of the Corey Dillon camp, though both might end up in the same result.

Without getting into too much detail, the Patriots running back spoke yesterday about retiring and said he wants the Patriots to release him. Of course, his release would allow him to hook on with another team, something Dillon slightly left the door open to. Today, the RB’s agent says his client is not necessarily retiring, something Dillon confirmed afterward.

Confusing? Well, not really, because here’s what’s going to happen; Dillon basically knows he’s not going to be back with the Patriots next year…not at a near $4.5-million salary cap figure. Look for New England to release him. Laurence Maroney is pretty set to become the workhorse back, making Dillon an expensive luxury.

Perhaps a lower number could be worked out to get him back in Foxboro, but I don’t see that happening. The 32-year old doesn’t strike me as the type to put his body through the rigors of an NFL training camp and season for chump change compared to what he’s made in the past. It’s also possible another team could step up and offer a sizeable enough bonus to coax the 10-year veteran into another year of duty, but I don’t see a big market for over-30 running backs who’ve taken a good share of pounding through the years.

Chances are we’ve seen the last of Corey Dillon in a Patriots uniform and in the NFL. If so, he goes down as someone who earned every penny ever given to him. And that’s a pretty good compliment for an athlete in this day and age.

What do you think of the Dillon doings? Is he ready to retire or just angling for a full-time job elsewhere? Where does he stand amongst all-time NFL backs? Is Laurence Maroney ready to take over?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Former Celtics guard and current head coach of the NBA Development League's Austin Toros, Dennis Johnson passed away today at the age of 52. He collapsed shortly after a Toros practice.

Toros owner David Kahn released the following statement this afternoon:

“On behalf of Southwest Basketball and the Austin Toros family, we are deeply saddened by the passing of our head coach, Dennis Johnson. Dennis was a remarkable man and an excellent role model for our young players and front-office staff. He instantly commanded respect based on his past accomplishments in the NBA, but earned far more from us with his unpretentious demeanor, his dedication to the job, and his community service in Austin. He was a delight to be around, with a one-of-a-kind laugh that, like him, deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. We share our sympathy with Donna and his children, and want them to know they will always be a part of the Toros family."

The Toros are in the first year as the NBDL affiliate of the Boston Celtics.

Johnson, a guard acquired by the Celtics in a trade with the Phoenix Suns, played in Boston from 1983 until 1990. His Celtic career included NBA titles in 1984 and 1986. He averaged 12.6 points per game 6.4 assists per game with the Celtics in seven seasons. Those numbers went up to 16.5 points per game and 6.8 assists per game in the playoffs.

Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge released the following statement today:

"I was deeply saddened to learn about the sudden passing of Dennis Johnson. I had the great privilege of playing alongside DJ in the backcourt for six seasons and two championships. He was one of the most underrated players in the history of the game, in my opinion, and one of the greatest Celtic acquisitions of all time. DJ was a free spirit and a fun personality who loved to laugh and play the game. He was a good teammate and a good friend.

We had spoken at length just the other night about basketball and his excitement about coaching the Austin Toros. DJ was in good spirits, so his passing comes as a shock.

He will be sorely missed by the Celtics Family."

The Sun's assistant sports editor Barry Scanlon weighs in on the career of Dennis Johnson in Friday's paper.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The alarm has sounded and no, there is not a snooze button to hit two or three times. The NBA trade deadline has come and gone. The Celtics were not-so-surprisingly silent, but they weren’t the only ones.

They say where there’s smoke there’s fire, but this year’s trading deadline was just a smokescreen pure and simple.

Nets stars Jason Kidd and Vince Carter will be playing out the string in the Garden State despite rumors sending Kidd out West or Carter to New York.

It appears that Pau Gasol’s home will remain with the Grizzlies until the end of the season. His possible destinations were said to include Boston for several weeks now. Instead, he’ll continue “Walking in Memphis.”

No, the only fire came from Portland swapping guard Juan Dixon for Toronto’s Fred Jones, and the Atlanta Hawks getting their claws on veteran guard Anthony Johnson in exchange for sending their second-round pick to Dallas.

There was smoke alright. It came from a few over-hyped trade deadline firecrackers.

We’ll let you know if something happened late and just doesn’t get announced until later in the day.

Feel free to weigh in with deals you thought should have been made by the Celtics or anyone esle. Click comments below and let us know what you're GM instincts tell you.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

News Flash: Curt Schilling tells WEEI radio he will file for free agency at the end of the season, as a result of a brief conversation with Theo Epstein yesterday. The 40-year old right-hander had asked the Red Sox to extend his deal for one more year at the 2006 salary of $13-million. For their part, the Sox insist they will make every effort to sign Schilling next fall.

Teddy’s Take: Boston is making a mistake here, one that could come back to bite them in the ass not just on the field, but from a PR standpoint as well.

It looks like Theo wants to take a wait and see approach with his aging (and a little out of shape) starter. Normally that would be a prudent move, especially if the guy was asking for a multi-year deal. However, he’s not. Schilling asked for only a one year deal without a raise.

True, he could flame out as father time catches up with him, but even if that’s the case, it could cost much more than $13-million to replace him. Sure, we’re optimistic about Dice-K, Beckett, Papelbon and Lester right now. What if one or more of them flops however? What if an aging Tim Wakefield fades? Isn’t Schilling a pretty good insurance policy to keep around, especially as a mentor to the young power arms? Even a mediocre Schilling might be worth that kind of money for one year when you consider the ridiculous money being tossed around for average arms these days.

Now let’s look at the PR aspect. Let’s say an angry and motivated Schilling pitches lights out. All of a sudden, he gets to free agency as a valued commodity. He’s definitely going to cost more than what he’s asking for now. And make no mistake; he’s going to get it. So the Sox are faced with the prospect of paying more than they could have or losing him outright. That’s not very smart business. Not to mention if he leaves, you have to answer to the fan base once again why a hero of the 2004 team wasn’t worth the big bucks while you went above and beyond market rate for players like J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo.

Sure, signing Schilling now is a gamble. But every baseball signing is a gamble in one sense or another. I’ll take my chances with a proven winner over the Matt Clements, Gil Meches and Carl Pavanos of the world any day of the week…and twice on Sunday.

What would you do if you were in Theo Epstein’s shoes? What if you were Schilling…how would you react? How will this play out?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Rumors will continue to float around until tomorrow afternoon when the NBA trade deadline has passed. The hottest rumors recently have included the Celtics Atlantic Division foes from New Jersey.

The Nets have been reportedly exploring options that could send Vince Carter or Jason Kidd packing.

One guy with local ties that could stand to benefit from a trade is Antoine Wright. The former Lawrence Academy standout could see more time on the court if Carter does head elsewhere.

As it is, Wright has gotten more opportunities in this season because of the injuries to Richard Jefferson.

At 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, Wright is a second-year wing player out of Texas A&M University. He was the first junior the school’s history to be selected as First Team All-Big 12. Wright left Texas A&M as its ninth all-time leading scorer and second in three-point field goals made. He was also 11th in blocked shots.

Last season he was firmly planted on the New Jersey bench, averaging 9.5 minutes in 39 games in his rookie season.

Wright spent a significant portion of this past off-season working with New Jersey Nets head coach Lawrence Frank as well as Carter and Jefferson. He was solid during the preseason, scoring 12.9 points. New Jersey extended his contract through the 2007-08 season in October.

So far this season Wright has given the Nets 5.0 points and 3.1 rebound in 20.2 minutes per game.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The storm clouds are brewing over Fort Myers. There are rumblings about Manny Ramirez showing up late for spring training, and the media hordes are circling like vultures, just waiting to spew their anti-Manny rants, if they already haven’t.

Hey, why not? He’s an easy target right? Ramirez often appears aloof, seems to always report later than his teammates and never takes the time to explain himself to the masses with notebooks and recording devices.

Never mind that the mandatory reporting date is still a week away (Feb. 27). Never mind that when Manny does show, he’s always in shape and ready to go. Never mind that he often takes the long bus trips most veterans skip so he can hone his craft in game situations. Nah, it’s much more fun to paint him as a selfish jerk.

This piece isn’t meant to defend Ramirez. I’ll let his teammates and bosses decide if the yearly circus that follows him is worth the inevitable production he puts up. (For the most part, I think it is) What I want to know is this; why does Manny always seem to catch flak, while certain media darlings manage to skate by, even when doing things others are ripped for?

See the picture above? Does that look like a guy who showed up in shape to you? Is that the physique a 40-year old guy who’s setting negotiating deadlines should display? And yet, you barely hear any criticism, do you? Again, I’ll let Curt Schilling’s teammates and bosses pass judgment. I’ll simply point out that a player saying sign me or I’ll walk, then showing up a little on the pudgy side normally gets ripped a new one by the media.

But then again, Curt on the car phone has a radio gig, will talk to anyone willing to listen, and isn’t afraid to tell reporters where to stick it. Manny Ramirez on the other hand, keeps to himself, never fills a reporter’s notebook, and bats over .300 with about 40-HR’s and 120-or-so RBI’s every year, regardless of when he shows up to camp.

Which one would you want on your team…the “good” teammate or the “bad” one? Me, I’ll gladly take both, no matter how they approach spring training.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Celtics assigned rookie guard Allan Ray to their NBA Development League affiliate the Austin Toros. Ray, a 6-foot-2 product of Villanova, is the team’s first assignment to the NBA Development League this season.

He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Celtics in July, and he has been with the team since training camp.

Ray appeared in 33 games averaging 4.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game. This is the first year of the Celtics affiliation with Austin. The Toros are coached by former Boston Celtics point guard Dennis Johnson.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff
So, as I was watching the Bruins 6-3 win over Philadelphia on Versus last night, something was brought up that caught my attention.

The NHL Board of Governors is going to voting on whether or not to change the point system in the league ~ not sure exactly when the vote is going to take place; I can't find it on any websites.

There were three scenerios listed on the telecast last night:
A. Keep the scoring the way it is - 2 points for a win; 1 point for an OT/Shootout loss
B. Change the point system to - 2 points for a win; 0 points for any type of loss in regulation or extra frames (including the shootout)
C. Change the point system to - 3 points for a regulation win; 2 points for an OT/Shootout win; 1 point for an OT/Shootout loss

These are my thoughts....

A loss is a loss and the team that loses should not be rewarded for the fact they lost the game; whether they are tied at the end of regulation or not.

So, I vote for option B - give the team that wins the game 2 points and the team that loses should get 0 points, JMO.

The Bruins look to continue the winning streak when they take on the Maple Leafs tonight. The task may not be that easy as Patrice Bergeron and Glen Murray will both miss tonight's game. This is the fourth straight game Bergeron will miss and Murray will be sidelined by the nagging groin injury he suffered during practice on Feb.5

Currently the Bs are six points out of the final playoff spot and with their next seven games against Eastern Conference opponents the Bs need wins and they need those wins to be in regulation. Only two of the seven upcoming opponents (Philadelphia and Florida) are below the Black and Gold in the standings.
In last night's win over the Flyers, Marc Savard notched a goal and two assists. He now sits fourth in the league in scoring with 76 points (20 goals, 56 assists). Sidney Crosby still leads the league with 95 points. Tampa Bay teammates Vinnie Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis are second and third with 80 and 79 points respectively.

Marco Sturm keeps adding to his trade ability with another goal in last night's win. Sturm now has seven goals in his last seven games - not too shabby. Dale Arnold said today on 'EEI that GM Peter Chiarelli is trying to keep Sturm by signing him to an extension before the trade deadline - which by the way is one week from today.

TSN - Canada is reporting that Montreal Canadiens goalie Cristobal Huet will miss the remainder of the season after under going hamstring surgery. Huet hopes to be back for the playoffs - of the slumpong Canadiens can hold on to the eighth spot.

Buffalo's list of injured bodies continues to grow as Ales Kotalik will miss four-six weeks with a knee injury he suffered in the Sabres shootout loss to the Bruins last Saturday night. Buffalo's leading scorer, Maxim Afinogenov is expected to miss at least six weeks with a broken hand. Four other Sabres are out of the line-up - Jiri Novotny (twisted ankle, out indefinitely); Paul Gaustad (torn tendon, out for season); Jaroslav Spacek (broken hand, out at least anothe rmonth) and Tim Connolly who has not suited up this season after a concussion in the playoffs last year.

What are your thoughts on the change in points? Which scenerio would you choose? If you were Chiarelli would you resign Sturm or trade him before the deadline?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Random observations while trying to digest the depressing thought that the high point of the Celtics season came in the middle of February (Oh, how I wish Bird, McHale and Parish would walk through that door. Come to think of it, I’d settle for Wedman, Kite and Sichting right about now);

Gerald Green’s Vegas performance was out of this world. The kid is more reliable on takeoff than Jet Blue. Let’s hope the 21-year old works as hard on the rest of his game.

Charles Barkley was right. Michael Jordan done lost his mind. His “Airness” wouldn’t even dream of attempting the “Dee Brown retro dunk” Green pulled off on the first try. The only other excuse for the low-ball scoring at the judge's table is that the contestants reminded Jordan of the blackjack dealer who emptied his pockets the night before.

Speaking of Sir Charles, if that race with Dick Bavetta lasts another court length, the 67-year old former ref takes it. The only thing funnier than seeing them both hit the hardwood was the “in your face Tim Hardaway” kiss they engaged in afterward.

Exactly what does Hardaway have against Don Ameche anyway? I thought the old guy was great in Cocoon and Trading Places. Oh, that was JOHN Amaechi he was insulting? Well, Timmy still shouldn’t have said those mean things.

Best news of the weekend was the Patriots franchising of Asante Samuel and the emerging shutdown cornerback not flying off the handle as a result. At the rate New England’s defensive backs get injured, they could ill-afford to lose the one guy who stays upright the entire year.

As a Dracut High grad, I couldn’t be happier with the way Lowell High’s coaching search played out. A Murphy coaching the Middies to gridiron success just seems natural, doesn’t it? And no, there’s no truth to the rumor Patrick Murphy woke up next to a horse’s head last Thursday morning.

The media hordes covering spring training keep telling us how cold it is in Fort Myers. All together now….aaaaaaawwwwwww!!!!!

Now we know why the Red Sox wouldn’t pull the trigger on that Todd Helton deal. Had nothing to do with not wanting to give up Manny Delcarmen. They just couldn’t afford to part company with Manny Ramirez’ official spokesman, Julian Tavarez.

So Dice-K’s first game action comes March 2nd against Boston College. The script sounds familiar. March...Florida…college kids making fools of themselves. Call it; spring training meets spring break.

Contrary to popular belief, the closest shave of the weekend wasn’t Britney Spears’ head, but Kevin Harvick’s razor-thin victory over Mark Martin at the Daytona 500.

From tee box to 5-feet of the cup, Phil Mickelson is as good, if not better than Tiger Woods. Unfortunately for Lefty and any weekend golfer who counts them as gimmies, those short putts get exponentially tougher when money is on the line.

What if we offered you the opportunity to have a phone conversation with boxing great Micky Ward, former Patriots defensive lineman Garin Veris, Red Sox Hall of Famer Rico Petrocelli and San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner? How about if we added politicians like U.S. Representative Marty Meehan and State Senator Steve Panagiotakos to the mix? You’d jump at it, right?

Those of you who haven’t yet hopped on the SunTalk Live bandwagon might want to check The Sun and our internet sites in the future. The lineups only promise to get better!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Tom Brady’s offensive lineman may have done a great job keeping him upright last season, but the Patriots quarterback apparently had some protection problems in his personal affairs.

As you can read over at our sister blog, The Frosting, Bridget Moynahan is 3-months pregnant and Tom Terrific is the father. There’s been no reaction yet from the Brady camp, but this can’t exactly be welcome news for a guy who recently broke up with the actress and has been romantically linked with supermodel Giselle Bundchen.

Tell me this isn’t a juicy story. Did Tom and Bridget know about the pregnancy when they broke off their relationship? If so, was that one of the reasons for their breakup? Did she walk because Brady didn’t want to get married? Is reconciliation in the future? How ticked is Giselle? Who would win a catfight? Will Zsa Zsa Gabor’s husband claim to be the real father?

These are the Days of Our Lives!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Gerald Green officially ascended to the throne as the NBA’s Sultan of Slam, winning the 2007 Slam Dunk Competition at All-Star weekend in Las Vegas.

The Celtics 21-year-old second-year man was the only participant to earn a perfect score during the dunking festivities. He assuredly showed his share of creativity, enlisting props such as a table, Celtics captain Paul Pierce and a cardboard cutout of last year’s winner Nate Robinson.

Green even donned a Dee Brown retro jersey and re-created the former Celtics’ dunk from the 1991 contest with his arm covering his eyes (for the record, Brown covered his eyes with his right arm and dunked with his left). As a little added flava, Green also jumped over Robinson.

First they end the losing streak, now they’ve got the reigning DunKing. Who knew that the Celtics would all of a sudden become unstoppable?

Video highlight of Dunk Contest via NBA.com

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Celtics will take part in the second year of NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™ along with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. The four teams will conduct training camps and play six exhibition games in six European cities in four countries, announced today by NBA Commissioner David Stern.

The Celtics will have their training camp take place in Rome, Italy, from October 1-5, 2007. The Celtics will play their first game of the 2007-08 preseason against the Toronto Raptors in Rome at the PalaLottomatica on October 6, before traveling to London, England, to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at the O2, London’s new state of the art NBA style arena on October 10.

This October will mark the Celtics’ first appearance in Europe since the 1988-89 preseason when they played two games in Madrid, Spain in the McDonald’s Classic. The Celtics played the Yugoslavian National Team on October 21, 1988 and played Real Madrid on October 23, 1988. The Celtics won both match-ups, defeating Yugoslavia 113-85 and Real Madrid 111-96.

The 2007 NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™ will mark a series of firsts in the NBA’s 19-year history of conducting games in Europe.

After the 2007 NBA Europe Live, NBA teams will have played 41 games in 15 cities throughout Europe over the past two decades.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

News Flash: The Patriots place their “franchise” tag on Asante Samuel, guaranteeing the cornerback a one year salary of $7.79-million.

Teddy’s Take: This is a pleasant little surprise. I now expect a long-term agreement to eventually be reached.

The widely held belief (here, too) was that Samuel was gone, the salary requirements of franchising him much too rich for the Patriots tastes. In fact, many observers were already fitting him for a Jets jersey. Even if the Pats did place the tag on him, the thought was the move would only alienate the 26-year old free agent and lead to a contentious salary dispute like the one that led to Deion Branch’s departure.

But here’s where things get surprising and the outlook positive. Samuel’s agent, Alonzo Shavers, insists his client is not at all upset. They view this as just a step in getting a long-term deal done and have no intention of holding out. For his part, Bill Belichick was his usual, talkative self in releasing the following statement: "Asante Samuel is an outstanding player who has been a consistent contributor for us for several years. We hope he remains a Patriot for many seasons to come.”

Reading between the lines, it appears negotiations are progressing well and both sides are in the same ballpark regarding final contract numbers. Samuel is in a very strong negotiating position…a shut-down corner (ask Marvin Harrison) in the prime of his career. And I think the Patriots understand how difficult and expensive it would be to replace that. Throw in the fact New England has a ton of available cap space, and when you add it all up, it points to Samuel spending his prime years in Foxboro.

I think its great news for all parties, especially Pats fans!

What do you think? Did anyone see the “franchise” tag coming? If so, did you think Samuel would react so calmly to it? Do you share my optimism in a long-term agreement getting done? Is there anyone who thinks this is a negative development? Is Samuel worth that kind of money?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

You incurable romantics out there rooting for reconciliation between Jason and Joumana Kidd can give up hope now. This thing is getting U-G-L-Y!

A website called The Smoking Gun has obtained a copy of Joumana’s countersuit against her dear hubby, and the angry misses isn’t pulling any punches. You’ll recall the Nets point guard filed for divorce in January, accusing her of extreme cruelty toward him and their three kids. Well, Joumana can definitely dish it out as well as her assist-machine husband. Among the charges;

Kidd engaged in affairs with television reporters, cheerleaders, strippers, Nets employees and season ticket holders. (Apparently, he has something against concession workers) In addition, she accuses him of being an excessive gambler and masochistic binge drinker. (What’s a masochistic binge drinker?) She also claims Jason struck her while pregnant with everything from a large rock to a cookie. (You ever get hit by a stale Nilla Wafer? Those hurt!)

Anyway, I don’t mean to poke fun at what’s obviously a messy situation for three innocent kids caught between two messed up people. But do you remember back when Bob Ryan created a media firestorm by suggesting Kidd should smack Joumana for using her son as a prop? Think Jason would like to sit down and have a couple of beers with ole “Basketball Bob” right about now?

O.K. guys and gals…have at it! Let’s hear your thoughts! Where does my post rank on the insensitivity meter?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Celtics and Miller Lite will team up to host a Road Rally at Skybox Restaurant and Sports Bar in Tewksbury for the team’s road game on Saturday, February 24, 2007.

Fans 21 years of age and older are invited to watch the Celtics take on Utah Jazz at a special viewing party. The Road Rally will feature multiple giveaways, including tickets to upcoming home games, autographed Celtics merchandise, and more! In addition, there will be a contest to find the fan that shows the most Celtic pride.

Special appearances will be made by Celtics legend JoJo White, the Celtics Dancers, mascot LUCKY and the Miller Lite Girls. Tip-off for the game is 9:00 p.m. Must be 21+ to attend.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

How can an aging, injury prone (as of late) veteran center be traded for two players and two draft picks?

Easily....

Peter Forsberg was traded for Scottie Upshall (who has only played 14 games for Nashville), Ryan Parent (who has missed 23 of 55 games for the Guelph Storm and is currently out of their line-up now with a bulging disk) and a first and third round draft pick - that's how.

Forsberg, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, has missed 16 games for the Philadelphia Flyers who currently sit last in the NHL with 38 points.

Nashville is looking for that extra push heading into the final month and a half of the regular season. The Preds currently sit a top of the Western Conference and the league with 81 points (Buffalo is a close second in the league with 80).

Who gets the benefit of this trade more, the Predators or Flyers?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Basketball fans, here’s your chance to take it to the hoop on SunTalk Live…and get to speak with an NBA player in the process.

San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner joins us for this coming Monday’s show. Bonner, who grew up in Concord, New Hampshire, also runs basketball camps in the area. He’ll tell us how you can sign up and learn the game from someone playing it at the highest level.

Bonner led Concord High School to 3 consecutive state championships before going on to the University of Florida, where he helped Billy Donovan's squad to an NCAA title game appearance his Freshman season. Bonner earned the nickname “Red Rocket” while with the Toronto Raptors. The big redhead didn’t drive, instead opting to take the city's public transportation system which trumpeted the slogan; “Ride the Rocket”

Oh yeah…I almost forgot to mention my co-host for the hour…Lynn Worthy. If you’ve been following TheSunBlog and The Sun, you’ll know Lynn and I don’t exactly see eye to eye on a couple of issues regarding the Boston Celtics. I’m sure the sparks will fly when the topic turns to Doc Rivers and whether the C’s should “tank” it over the rest of the season. I’m kidding about the sparks (I think), but we’ll no doubt have some quality hoops talk over the hour.

Remember, show time is 7-8pm Monday night. Call in a few minutes early so you don’t miss any of it. The number is (978)364-TALK.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

That’s right. The Celtics finally ended the epoch losing skid at 18 games.

All it took was a Valentine’s Day visit from the Milwaukee Bucks. Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak were both back an active as the Celtics grabbed a 117-97 victory at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Pierce finished with 32 points and Szczerbiak added 14 points. Gerald Green showed a hot hand all night long, despite playing just 20 minutes. Green lit up the Bucks for 21 points and shot 8 of 9 from the floor (5-for-5 from long range).

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

If you happen to bump into Mark Wahlberg at one of your favorite Lowell hangouts, don’t be surprised. The movie star is going to spend an awful lot of time in the Mill City over the coming months.

Variety Magazine reports the much anticipated movie chronicling Micky Ward’s life has not only been given the green light by Paramount Pictures, it’s been placed on the fast track, with filming expected to begin this summer. Wahlberg, who’s been spearheading the project, will be cast as Micky. Matt Damon, another Massachusetts native gone Hollywood, will play Ward’s brother and trainer Dickie Ecklund.

While the magazine reports the movie will be filmed in Massachusetts, the Lowell Sun and TheSunBlog have learned the plan is for most, if not all, of the flick to be shot here in Lowell. If that isn’t enough to leave local residents feeling star-struck, try this on for size; Wahlberg will take up residence in Lowell before filming begins so he can shadow Ward and immerse himself in the role.

Over the last couple of years, the two have spent a lot of time together in New York and Boston as Wahlberg began the process of getting to know Ward and his inspirational tale.

Before garnering a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in The Departed, Wahlberg expressed hope playing Micky could be his Academy Award winning role. Should he win the Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards show a week and a half from now, there’s always the possibility of a Best Lead Actor Award for this role at a later date.

Reached for comment Wednesday night, Ward says he’s “glad to hear the deal is done” and expressed relief because “it’s been a long process.” While not giving any clues as to where in Lowell Wahlberg will stay, Micky acknowledges “the movie is great for his home town and a big financial boost.”

Around Thanksgiving of 2005, a movie trailer was produced for distribution to studios interested in the film. Far from being simply a boxing story, the video highlighted the struggles Ward and Ecklund endured on their way to the top, culminating in Micky’s rise to international fame during the three fight trilogy with Arturo Gatti. While the original draft is being reworked, Variety magazine reports the movie will still center on the themes of brotherhood and redemption.

Stay with the Lowell Sun and TheSunBlog.com for more details as they become available.

By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Chicago Bandits pulled off a trade to grab the first overall pick in the National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft, allowing them to slide right in front of the New England Riptide.

Chicago selected the University of Tennessee’s Lindsay Schutzler. The Riptide had been interested in Schutzler as a potential lead-off hitter and outfielder (Lindy Winkler will not be returning this season for the Riptide), but the Bandits have drafted Schutzler as a shortstop.

With the second pick, Riptide owner/general manager Joe Adlman turned to Northwestern University pitcher Eileen Canney.

Canney has compiled a record of 64-24 and an ERA of 1.62 over three college seasons. Among her honors last season were: Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, All-Big Ten Conference First-Team, NFCA All-Mideast Region and All-America Second-Team.

The 6-foot tall right-hander tied the NCAA Division I single-game strikeout record with 28 in an 18-inning complete game win last April. Her 383 strikeouts last season surpassed her total in her first two seasons combined (373). She was also a big reason the Wildcats advanced to championship series of the Women’s College World Series, earning a spot on the WCWS All-Tournament Team.

From the GM: “In the last two years she has really come into her own, that’s why we took her,” Adleman said. “She’s a power pitcher, she strikes out a lot of batters. If she has one fault, she can be a little wild.”

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Gerald Green is only days away from assuming his rightful place atop the throne of the NBA’s dunk kingdom…or at least we’d like to think he is.

The kid who’s thrilled Celtics fans with numerous in-game slams gets to strut his stuff on the national stage this weekend as part of the league’s All-Star festivities. Green, who won the 2005 McDonald’s High School All-Star dunk contest, is regarded as one of the favorites in the NBA version. But he isn’t taking his appearance lightly.

The 21-year old is spending extra time after practice working on his selection, even rehearsing with Paul Pierce, who will assist in at least one of the maneuvers. On the radio this morning, Pierce joked about avoiding injury, so you know at some point or another Green will be leaping over the C’s captain. It’s also been confirmed Reebok will pay him to pump up his sneakers, a la Dee Brown during his romp through the 1991 contest. Expect to see a re-creation of Brown’s “blind slam” as well.

As for what else Green’s repertoire will include, the Celts youngster and Pierce are being tight-lipped. I’ve read where someone suggested some kind of tribute to Red Auerbach, which sounds like a great idea. Here’s what I’d love to see;

Pierce seated in the lane. He lights up a cigar as Green begins dribbling the ball toward the hoop. Green leaps. Pierce sticks the cigar in the air. Green grabs it with one hand while slamming the ball home with the other. The kid caps it all off by puffing a few clouds of smoke to celebrate victory as only Red could do.

Tell me that wouldn’t bring the house down!

What do you think…is Gerald Green going to win the dunk contest? Who can beat him? Could he pull off the dunk I suggested? Have any creative slams you’d like to see?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

One of my ancestors was quoted as saying; “I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating.” Needless to say, he and the rest of the Ancient Greeks wouldn’t be pleased with modern day athletics.

Auto racing is but the latest example of how sports have become a win at all costs venture. Four crew chiefs were suspended for Sunday’s Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest event. I won’t get into exact details of what they did (you can read details here) because the science of it is beyond this simpleton’s grasp. Heck, I’m lucky I can operate a car starter.

I’m glad to see NASCAR came down hard on the cheaters, including deducting points from the drivers and owners involved, points that could come in handy in the Championship Chase. I wish the other leagues would come down as hard on some of the stuff going on in their games.

But alas, cheating and getting away with it has almost become a badge of honor in modern times. Steroids abuse is the most glaring example, but you don’t have to look hard to find other instances such as corked bats, spitballs, curved hockey sticks, Vaseline on uniforms, etc…

Poor Sophocles must be rolling over in his grave as we speak!

What are some of most infamous instances of cheating you can remember? Is it O.K. in your mind, as long as you don’t get caught?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The snow may be bearing down on us, but the red-hot Red Sox talk going down on SunTalk Live last night should warm your heart for a few days.

If you missed the show, here’s the link. It was a great night of baseball talk as Rico Petrocelli gave us his unique insights on all things Red Sox past and present. As an added bonus, Dracut’s Marc Deschenes joined us in the second half-hour. Deschenes, who’s bounced around the Sox minor league system, had some interesting things to say, particularly about the Sox young power arms.

Enjoy the broadcast and be sure to join us next week as the Boston Celtics take center stage. With All-Star weekend having just concluded and the trading deadline just days away, you can bet there’ll be plenty for us to talk about!

Those who listened in, what did you think about Rico's World Series prediction? How about Deschenes' thoughts about who has the best potential in the Sox bullpen?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The New England Riptide will celebrate Valentine’s Day by staking claim to some of the best softball players the college ranks have to offer in the 2007 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Senior Draft.

The Cowles Cup champions, who make their home at Lowell’s Martin Field, hold two of the first four picks in Wednesday’s draft.

TheSunBlog.com has learned that the Riptide are leaning strongly towards selecting University of Tennessee senior outfielder Lindsay Schutzler with the second overall pick.

This past week Schutzler was one of three Volunteers selected to the Carolina Classic All-Tournament Team as second-ranked Tennessee (4-0) ran to the tournament championship in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Schutzler is one of 50 players in the nation tabbed for the the "Top 50 Watch List" for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award according to a release from the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). She was also a member of the U.S. World University Games team this past July that won gold in Taiwan.

New England has the rights to the fourth overall pick and the 18th overall pick (third round) of the draft. This year’s NPF draft consists of four rounds. The Arizona Heat franchise will be taking a year off from league play and will not be selecting in this year’s draft. Any draft picks dealt away to other teams will be valid.

Still doing it with “D”
This off-season the Riptide have already added one veteran, sticking with the defensive philosophy that carried the team to the NPF championship last year.

Second baseman Carri (Leto) Martin was acquired after an All-Star season for the expansion Philadelphia Force in 2006. She was also chosen as the 2006 NPF Defensive Player of the Year.

Leto led Philadelphia in at-bats (137), runs (27), hits (42), triples (1), and was second in batting average (.307) and stolen bases (5). She committed only 6 errors in 198 chances at second base. She has also played shortstop and the outfield in her career.

The addition gives the Riptide a pair of players who have earned NPF Defensive Player of the Year honors. Riptide infielder Lisa Iancin was named the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year. Iancin, Leto and Riptide infielder Jackie Pasquerella were all members of the league champion NY/NJ Juggernaut in 2004.

New sheriff in town
National Pro Fastpitch announced on Monday that Cheri Kempf has been hired as its new commissioner and manager of game-day operations.

Kempf, a pitcher for the US National Team in 1992, has most-recently been involved with the league as a part of the television broadcasting team for several networks including ESPN. She has also been working with the league as a consultant for the past few months.

The commissioner will serve as the league’s official spokesperson, maintain a coaching pool to assist teams with the acquisition of elite field managers and coaches, and oversee player trades, releases and signings.

Among her other duties will include administering and conducting the annual NPF Senior Draft, working with the rules committee to evaluate, develop, change and administer game rules, and interpret and enforce the league code of conduct, rules, policies and procedures.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

With the Blog being reworked this weekend and then me not being able to get on the site yesterday I have so much to voice my opinion about....

Allow me to begin with the "Night of Firsts"

Last Saturday night, the Bruins faced the Islanders at the TD Banknorth Garden, now it was the third time the Black and Gold faced the Isles - but it was the "first" time Tim Thomas got the start in net.

Saturday also marked the "first" time Phil Kessel was stopped in the shootout; he previously had gone 3-for-3 - all game winners.

Saturday also gave Zdeno Chara his "first" ever shootout attempt in which the defenseman was able to erase the most embarassing game he has played since becoming a Bruin by slipping the puck past Rick DiPietro five-hole to give the Bs their "first" win of the season over the Islanders.

Saturday was the also the night in which Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli announced the "first" big trade (I'm sure I'm not alone, when I say I don't think he's done yet with the trade deadline two weeks from today).

It was about an hour after the Bruins defeated the Islanders 4-3 in the shootout and I was still watching NESN - I wanted to see the interview with Jon Lester and all of a sudden I head Kathryn Tappen announce, "In a developing story..." I looked at the TV and low and behold the camera was focused on Chiarelli and Bruins coach Dave Lewis.

It was the announcement that Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau were traded to the Calgary Flames for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew.

Since I was already on my compter - I tried to IM my friend George, who went to bed following the Bs win. When he didn't answer I called his cell phone.

"You know I wouldn't call this late if it wasn't important," I said to George.

I then explained the trade to George and immediately started looking at the stats for Ference and Kobasew, while discussing what we liked and didn't like about the trade.

I knew Stuart was going to be moved, that was a given, I think everyone in the hockey world knew Stuart was going to go "first" but packaging Primeau with him was the shocking part for me.

While Primeau is not really an offensive threat, Preems played a lot on the penalty kill, was a decent checking line center and had expressed his interest to re-sign with the Bruins when he became a free agent this summer. I may be a minority in this, but I liked Primeau and would have liked to see him stay as a Bruin. He was the only one of the three (Stuart and Marco Sturm the other two) that I thought the Bs could keep.

So, here we are now, Bruins fans only have Sturm to show for the dibacle of the Joe Thornton trade last year and Sturm has said he would like to test the free agency market this summer.

Back to Ference and Kobasew. I am not going to judge them before I see them. Ference is notably shorter than Stuart, but from the few Flames games I have seen this year, he's a tough gritty player. Ference will play in tonight's game at the Garden agains the Oilers.

Lowell fans should remember Kobasew from the lockout when he played for the Lock Monsters - but we won't see him in a uniform for the Spoked-Bs for another two weeks or so due to an elbow injury. He may not be in the line-up until after the trade deadline - but looking forward to what he can bring to this club.

The good news on both guys is - Ference is signed for three more years after this season and Kobasew is signed through next season, so they are not deemed "rental players."

The Bruins also gave up a conditional draft pick to the Flames in the trade. If Calgary can not sign Stuart at the end of the season, the Bruins will give the Flames a fourth round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft (the pick they received from Washington for Milan Jurcina).

Back to the fact Chiarelli may not be done....

Sturm is probably the next on the trading block and after scoring two-goals in Saturday's win, the Bs may get more back for him if he starts to get his offensive touch back.

As much as I would hate to see this, Glen Murray could also be the next to go.

While the veteran forward is leading the team in goals, he's taking up $4.15 million of the cap and even though the cap is going to go up again for next season, Chiarelli may want to free up some cap room to get a true number one goalie.

I wouldn't mind of Chiarelli packaged Sturm, Hannu Toivonen and Brad Boyes for a true number one netminder, but getting rid of Murray would just plain be stupid, JMO.

It has been reported that Thomas will start in net tonight for the Bruins when they host the Edmonton Oilers at the Garden. This might be interesting because the Flames and Oilers are huge rivals in hockey - we might see a very fired up Ference and the rest of the Bs squad on "Hail to the Chief" night.

Moving on to the Beanpot....

Shocker, shocker - BU won their third straight Beanpot last night defeating Boston College 2-1 in overtime. It was a great game to watch, although I have to admit I was rooting for BC to dethrone the Terriers. The Huskies beat Harvard 3-1 in the Consolation game.

I guess I didn't have as much to say as I thought...

What are your thoughts on the trade? Think Chiarelli is done? Who's next? Do the Bruins have a prayers chance of making it into the eighth play off spot?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The calendar says winter. The thermometer says freezing. Meteorologists say snow is coming. But we sports folk know better, don’t we?

It’s time to replace the shovels with wooden bats, the mittens with leather gloves, the heavy coats with warm-up jackets and the boots with spiked shoes.

Spring is here. We’ve seen proof with our own eyes. The Red Sox equipment truck left Fenway Park Monday, headed for fun and frolic in Fort Myers, a full media contingent and throngs of fans there to see it off. Has there ever been a more photographed cargo carrier? Not even the white panel truck of D.C. shootings fame had this many people interested in its whereabouts.

This is no ordinary 18-wheeler, however. And Boston is no ordinary baseball town. Is there another city in the world where the annual equipment truck trek to spring training garners so much attention? If there is, I seriously don’t think I’d want to live in it.

It’s crazy how big Red Sox spring training has gotten. Tickets that were easier than Paris Hilton are now harder to come by than Celtics victories. And that was before the phenomenon known as Dice-K-Mania.

In anticipation, the Sox have already altered the routine, closing off access to Daisuke Matsuzaka’s pre-camp workouts that in previous years would have been open. Those eager to see or hear from Boston’s newest savior will have to wait till Thursday’s planned session.

Get used to it. Matsuzaka’s appearances are going to be more choreographed than Sunday night’s Democratic National Convention…I mean, the 2007 Grammys. (Side note: Do the Dixie Chicks really believe they took home all those trophies because of their music?)

Of course, there is no other way to handle the Dice-K circus. The Sox facilities are barely able to contain the normal media crush that follows this team, never mind the Japanese contingent stalking a new national hero. There are almost as many of them as there are guys claiming to have fathered Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter.

For my part, I plan on learning a little Japanese. There are only so many Domo Arigato, Mr. Robato jokes one can make, and most of those ceased being humorous around the same time Styx stopped making hit records. Besides, if foreign born athletes try to learn our language, the least we can do is make an effort to converse in the most basic terms of theirs.

From brief online research, the language looks difficult to learn, too difficult for this simple mind to conquer in a short period of time. So for now, the baseball terms will have to suffice. Since the Japanese learned the game from us, their ballpark phrases are strikingly similar to ours. So similar, I actually did a follow up search to make sure I hadn’t stumbled upon a joke site mocking the language.

Batta is batter. Pitcha is pitcher. Ririfu pitcha is what the doctors don’t want Jonathan Papelbon to become.

Senta is center fielder. Kyatcha is catcher. Suraida is slider. Era is error. It’s as if the Japanese learned the game from someone with a bad Massachusetts accent.

My personal favorite so far is the sayonara homuran (walkoff home run). Unfortunately, there’s one baseball term I still haven’t found a translation for. Apparently, not every aspect of Red Sox culture has caught on across the Pacific.

I can’t find out what they call an “equipment truck” in Japan.

What are your thoughts on Red Sox spring training? What are the things to watch for? Who will be this summer's surprise? Who will disappoint? Will this be another "camp tranquility" or will the Curt Schilling contract situation turn ugly?

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

OK, so I have been listening to Dale and Holley and everyone else in the world saying they are sick and tired of Boston University and Boston College always playing each other in the Beanpot Championship game, so I decided to do some research because I know that Northeastern has been in the final game at least twice in the past 5 years and guess what... I was right.

The Huskies lost to the Terries in 2002 and 2005, since this is 2007, that is twice in 5 years.

Not too mention after doing some more research I discovered that in the past 10 years four out of the 10 were not BU/BC finals. NU had three of them and Harvard appeared once.

In fact, out of the 55 finals (including this year) 37 of them have featured either the Huskies or the Crimson. If my math is correct that means more than half of the final games are not simply between the Terriers and Eagles.

Granted I know that BU has won 27 and BC is next with 13. So, yes those two schools have dominated (Harvard has won 10; NU only 4) but the finals are not just between the Terriers and Eagles.

Just thought I'd clear that up a bit.

In other hockey news.....

The Boston Bruins website reported today that Glen Murray will not suit up for tomorrow night's game against the Islanders due to his groin injury.

Dave Lewis said, according to the site, that Murray aggravated the injury a bit more in the Black and Gold's 5-2 loss to Carolina on Thursday night.

No reports of who will start in net tomorrow night - Tim Thomas or Hannu Toivonen.

TSN - Canada is reporting that New Jersey Devils are interested in trading for Brad Stuart. According to the New York Post, the Devils are joining the Brad Stuart talks, offering a package of D David Hale, RW Barry Tallackson and centre prospect Rod Pelley. More troubling for the Devils, says the paper, is that the Devils would still need to clear another $1-million under the cap to make that move now.

If you were Peter Chiarelli would you make that move? Are you planning on watching the Beanpot Monday night?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

UMass Lowell has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the Northeast-10 regular season title by the league’s baseball coaches. The results of voting by the league's 13 coaches was announced on Thursday.

The River Hawks received nine of the 13 first place votes in the poll and 165 points, while Franklin Pierce College was picked second with 157 points and collected the remaining four first place votes. The Ravens claimed last year’s Northeast-10 regular season title.

Southern Connecticut State University was picked third with 140 points, followed by Pace University with 127 points. Stonehill College received 118 tallies to round out the top five.

Bryant University (96), Bentley College (79), Merrimack College (68), Southern New Hampshire University (55), The College of Saint Rose (53), Assumption College (49), American International College (39), and Saint Anselm College (37) round out the poll respectively.

UMass Lowell (37-14 in 2006) won the Northeast-10 Tournament defeating Southern Connecticut 6-5 in the championship game. The River Hawks went on to advance to the NCAA Northeast Regional along with Franklin Pierce and Southern Connecticut. The Ravens defeated the Owls in the NCAA Northeast Regional Title game to advance to the College World Series for the second time in the program’s history. Franklin Pierce reached the semifinal round for the second time in four years before being eliminated by eventual champion University of Tampa.

Ken Harring has bolstered the River Hawks roster for 2007 with 10 incoming freshmen. UMass Lowell will also welcome aboard two transfers who figure to be impact players.

Ryan Williams, a senior right-handed pitcher, comes over from Saint Anselm. He was an ABCA/Rawlings Division II Third Team All-American last year as well as the Northeast Region Pitcher of the Year and the Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year. Williams led the NE-10 in earned run average and was third in the nation with a 1.03 ERA. He set single-season records for earned run average and strikeouts and also holds the school's all-time career mark for complete games with 20.

He finished the year with a 6-3 overall record and led the NE-10 in innings pitched with 105. He also finished the season with 95 strikeouts and a single-season record eight complete games.

First baseman Jerod Edmondson, another senior transferring from Saint Anselm, was a Northeast Region first-team selection as well as a NE-10 first-team All-Star. Last season Edmondson led Saint Anselm with a .371 batting average, and set a single-season program record with five triples and 32 walks. He ranked second in the conference with an on base percentage of .476 and tied for the team lead with 31 RBI. Edmondson also holds the Hawks’ program record with 39 stolen bases in his career.

Northeast-10 Conference play begins Saturday, March 17. The Northeast-10 Tournament will start on May 9.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

You can accuse me of beating a dead horse, but I just couldn’t resist when I saw this one.

SI.com reports five games in Italy’s top league will be played in front of empty stadiums this weekend. In addition, all night games have been banned as a result of rioting at a game last Friday night which led to the death of a policeman. Only six stadiums in the entire country were deemed safe by an investigation which has already determined 25 are unsafe. That number could rise as more playing fields are examined.

Needless to say, the developments aren’t sitting pretty with players and team owners.
One AC Milan player says playing in front of empty stadiums is “disappointing.�? Guess that means he’ll never want to play in the U.S.

Come to think of it, rather than risk riots outside the vacant playing fields, the Italian league should have just moved its games across the Atlantic. They’d have accomplished the same thing!

What do you think of the drastic steps taken by Italian authorities? Has something like this been going on for years in The States and we just didn't know about it?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

From our friends at Court TV Red and Deadspin.com, here’s video of a rock band dedication gone bad.

To give you a brief synopsis, a group named Machuca was playing a concert in Chile when they decided to give a shout out to the local soccer team. Problem is the crowd was packed with rooters of a rival squad who then storm the stage and start a brawl. Pay extra close attention to the slow-mo of the guitarist taking an open palm smack to the side of the head. That’s gotta hurt!

My only other thought is; I wouldn’t recommend fans charge the stage at a Ron Artest rap concert. If a tossed drink is enough to make Artest snap, imagine what a bitch-slap to one of his band members could lead to!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

News Flash: Red Sox Manager Terry Francona admits he’d prefer to use Jonathan Papelbon as a closer, but that the medical staff thinks he’s better off as a starter for health reasons.

Teddy’s Take: On this issue, the doctors are making more sense than the manager.

No doubt the young righty was lights out as a closer last year. He would be this year, too, and every foreseeable year provided he remains healthy. However, even though health concerns are a big reason why he may not finish games in 2007, there’s a solid baseball issue as well; namely, it’s easier to find a closer than a starting pitcher.

Do the names Todd Jones or Adam Wainwright ring a bell? They should. Those are the closers in last year’s World Series. One was a formerly washed up middle reliever, the other a rookie filling in for the injured Jason Isringhausen…a rookie being groomed as a starting pitcher, I might add.

The point is you can find a closer somewhere, anywhere, without bankrupting your team. Maybe Joel Pineiro can do the trick. Perhaps you might have to trade for one at the deadline. Either way, you’re more likely to find a guy who can get three outs in the ninth inning as opposed to a guy who can get you through 6-7 quality innings. And even if you do find that starter, he’s going to cost you a ton of money or talent in return. (See Barry Zito and Gil Meche’s contracts for an example of what the market for very good to mediocre starting pitching is)

Sorry Tito. On this issue, you need to follow doctor’s orders.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

georgehwiv (9:52:13 PM): kessel is money in the shootout

Ain't that the truth!

Rookie Phil Kessel is now 3-for-3 in the shootout and to boot all three have been the game winners for the Bruins.

He just has some of the sweetest moves. The kid is just 19-years-old and came back full force after getting a clean bill of health after undergoing sugery for testicular cancer. He is amazing, simply amazing.

With Glen Murray sidelined with a groin injury and Marco Sturm out with a concussion and the flu; Brandon Boncehnski made his debut with the Bruins on the top line - along side Marc Savard and P.J. Axelsson.

Bonchenski made the most of his first game by scoring the Bs first goal of the game. He also took the first shot for the Black and Gold in the shootout; beat Kolzig but hit the post. Not to shabby for a guy that couldn't break into the Chicago line-up.

Jeremy Reich also made the most of his playing time by dropping the gloves with Ben Clymer after Clymer roughed up Bobby Allen along the boards. Head Coach Dave Lewis must have liked what he saw because Reich had more ice time in the Washington game (8 minutes) than the 26 seconds he saw in Carolina.

Not too mention Captain Zdeno Chara held Alexander Ovechkin pointless in the game and even had a great hit on last years Rookie of the Year. Chara in his last two games has stepped up his intensity.

Patrice Bergeron had one of his best games of the season and it has nothing to do with the goal he scored on the power play. He played like the Bergeron of old. He was physical, winning one-on-one battles down low and applying the hits when needed.

Marc Savard registered two assists in the game giving him 18 multipoint finishes on the season. Savard now has 68 points (18 goals, 50 assists) to lead the Bruins.

The Black and Gold have seemed to have turned it around a bit in their last two games on the road. Playing physical and skating for a full 60 minutes. The Bs beat Carolina on Saturday 4-3 in OT and then the Capitals 3-2 in the shootout.

They return home to the TD Banknorth Garden on Thursday where they host the Hurricanes. Thursday marks the first of three home games before the Bs go back on the road for their next six.

Can the Bs turn it around enough to get into the playoffs or is their effort too little too late?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Baseball fever grips the Mill City next Monday night when former Red Sox great Rico Petrocelli joins us on SunTalk Live.

The Red Sox are sure to dominate the discussion as Petrocelli, a 14-year veteran and member of the 1967 and 1975 American League champions, shares his unique insights on the ballclub.

This is your chance to talk to a 2-time All-Star. Dial (978)364-8255 to participate or just listen in. You can also send in your question via email from the SunTalk Live website.

Play ball!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

National Pro Fastpitch will be making a new home in the nation's capital as the Washington Glory franchise will begin it's inaugural season of play in 2007.

NPF announced today that the Glory will take over the player contracts of the Connecticut Brakettes. The Brakettes have decided to focus on their long history of developing amateur programs. The Stratford Brakettes have won 27 (ASA) Amateur Softball Association of America.

Paul Wilson, owner of Paul’s Sports and President and CEO of Diamante Consulting Group, will serve as President and General Manager of the team.

The Brakettes advanced to the finals of NPF Championship Series before falling to the Lowell-based New England Riptide. Connecticut's top offensive player last season was Jessica Merchant, the 2006 Offensive Player of the Year. She was a 2005 first round draft pick of the New England Riptide.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The Boston Celtics' Gerald Green will be part of the field looking to take the dunk champion crown from New York’s Nate Robinson in the 2007 Sprite Slam Dunk competition on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Feb. 17 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The second year man will attempt to become the second Celtic to win the Slam Dunk competition and is up against Robinson, Chicago’s Tyrus Thomas and Orlando’s Dwight Howard.

Green is the fourth Celtic in the competitions 22 year history. In 1991, Dee Brown won the Slam Dunk competition edging Seattle’s Shawn Kemp for the title. Greg Minor made the finals of the dunk competition in 1996 finishing behind winner Brent Barry and Michael Finley. The last Celtic to appear in the Slam Dunk competition was Ricky Davis in 2004.

Last year in Houston, the 5-9 Robinson outlasted Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala 47-46 in a dunk-off to become only the second sub-6-foot winner in contest history joining Spud Webb, the 1986 champion. Webb provided the bounce pass for Robinson’s only 50-point dunk of the competition.

Golden State’s Jason Richardson was the last player to win back-to-back Sprite Slam Dunk titles capturing the 2002 and 2003 competitions. The only previous repeat Slam Dunk champion was Chicago’s Michael Jordan, who won the 1987 and 1988 contests.

The judges of this year’s Sprite Slam Dunk competition will include Jordan, who is the all-time All-Star Game scoring leader with 262 points in 14 appearances; 1985 and 1990 Slam Dunk champion and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins; 1997 Slam Dunk winner and starting guard for this year’s Western Conference All-Stars Kobe Bryant; 2000 Slam Dunk winner and 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star reserve Vince Carter and 11-time NBA All-Star and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J�? Erving.

There are two rule changes for this year’s competition: Upon receiving the ball from the referee, players will have a two-minute time limit to complete their dunk. If a player hasn’t completed a dunk when the two-minute clock expires, he will have two more attempts to do so. Also new this year is the use of television instant replay, at the discretion of the referee, for clarification of rules compliance.

SPRITE SLAM DUNK YEAR-BY-YEAR WINNERS

1984—Larry Nance, Phoenix

2006—Nate Robinson, New York

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Few clichés get more mileage than the old ditty about there being a fine line between love and hate. It’s even spawned off near encyclopedic volumes of sayings about fine lines between anything and everything.

Naturally, the sports world developed its own version; the fine line between winning and losing. But as I watched Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy celebrate their first Super Bowl triumph Sunday night, a thought came to mind; how cruel it is to place people on either side of the razor thin margin dividing “winners�? and “losers.�?

Think about it for a second. “Winning�? and “losing�? have an innocent enough connotation, don’t they? One misstep here, a bad bounce or two there, are often all that separate victory from defeat. And we understand that. We’re good with it. Teams can’t win all the time…unless they’re Red Auerbach’s Celtics or John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins.

But winners and losers, now that’s a different story. In order to settle arguments, we often fall back on the familiar crutch; “Yeah, but how many rings does he have?�? No element of chance. No good or bad luck. You’re either a winner or a loser, as if it’s somehow pre-ordained.

The all-time great example is the debate between Wilt and Russell. Let anyone even mention Chamberlain in the same breath as our favorite center, and the rebuke is as immediate as it is decisive. “Russell owned Wilt. Just count the rings.�?

Of course, this argument doesn’t hold water when it’s one of our own on the wrong end of the “can’t win the big one�? label. Forests have been destroyed writing books and articles about a .400-hitting Ted Williams losing the 1941 MVP vote to Joe DiMaggio.

Does any Red Sox fan really believe Joltin’ Joe was better than Teddy Ballgame? Mr. Coffee even had a 56-game hitting streak and Marilyn Monroe to brag about. But the trump card was always those 10-World Series titles in 16-years. Count the rings.

Jim Hunter is a Hall of Famer while Luis Tiant isn’t. Their career stats are virtually identical, though I bet there aren’t many baseball people who’d hand the ball to Catfish over El Tiante in a big game, no matter how good Hunter’s playoff record is. But when it came time for Cooperstown, voters counted the rings. 

Tiant and Williams never did earn the bling. Luckily for Chamberlain, he did, or history would have been much harsher on the “Stilt.�? Ditto for John Elway, a notorious “loser�? until hoisting the Lombardi Trophy his final two years.

Never mind that he’d previously carried three overachieving Broncos teams to Super Bowls or that when he finally did win the jewelry he was merely one of many passengers riding Terrell Davis’ back. Elway needed a championship to go from winner to loser.

Which is why I was happy for the Super Bowl champs Sunday night, a sentiment that’ll make me less popular around these parts than the Cartoon Network’s advertising bozos. Manning and Dungy finally shed the loser label. Does that necessarily make them better at their respective crafts than Dan Marino or Marv Levy? Only if you count the rings.

Johnny Cash sang “because you’re mine, I walk the line.�? Good thing he wasn’t crooning about winners and losers. He wouldn’t be able to maintain balance on such a fine line.

What do you think of labeling athletes by how many championships their teams have won? Who are the most famous winners and losers in sports?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

…but we’re not!

A quick reminder to everyone that tonight’s SunTalk Live show is the first one we’re taking on the road. Hookslide Kelly’s, Lowell’s newest and best sports bar, is now the official sponsor of SportsTalk, so we’ll be doing our show from there the first Monday of every month.

Stop on by to visit as at the bar on Merrimack Street, or dial (978)364-TALK to join in on the festivities. One lucky person will win a pair of tickets to tomorrow night’s Golden Gloves show at Lowell Memorial Auditorium. If you’ve been to any of the previous boxing cards this year, you know how cool a prize that is.

Talk to you soon!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

A couple of quick football thoughts before I park my carcass in front of the television to watch Super Bowl XLI:

Michael Irvin elected to Hall of fame: You’re kidding, right? Art Monk and Andre Tippett were more deserving, and they’re borderline at best. And let’s not even get into Paul Tagliabue, the most influential man in the sport for over two decades, failing to get in. I guess some voters don’t like to put a guy in on the first ballot. I wonder how many of those same voters cast a ballot for Irvin. Ridiculous!

Indy Church defies NFL: Remember the recent post about the church the NFL sent a letter to because it intended to show the big game on a wide screen TV? Well, another group, the Second Baptist Church of Indianapolis, is telling the league what to do with its policies. “We want to save souls by any means necessary�? said Reverend David Greene. “I believe that God’s people have to take a stand.�? God vs. the NFL…who do you think is more powerful?

Ted Johnson accuses Bill Belichick of mistreatment: This one could get messy if Johnson decides to take legal action. Sure, Johnson should have taken more responsibility for his health, but then again, what recourse did he have? Everyone knows about the NFL’s unwritten “play in pain or lose your job�? code. Singling Belichick out is a bit unfair, because this goes on all the time. “Encouraging�? injured players without guaranteed contracts to suit up before they’re ready isn’t a good way to do business in this day and age of lawyers at every doorstep…unless you’re one of those lawyers.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Well, we’ve reached the end of another gambling season. If you wager on anything other sporting event than football (and I’m excluding next week’s Pro Bowl), then it is you, and not our pugnacious pigskin prognosticator who is the true victim.

As for the mystery man in the paper bag, he’s either been a boon or bust to your bank account. If you stayed loyal to the formula, this lovable loser has buried you in debt. But if you were wise enough to realize there was some special force at work during this wild and wacky wagering season, then you no doubt shifted gears midseason and began reading his picks word for word to your “bookkeeper.�?

With only one game remaining on the docket, The Victim resembles the ’86 Bears in the Super Bowl, running out the clock on a big win, the only thing in doubt being the final margin of the rout. All I can do is wait till next year and hope to get back at the man who emptied my wallet.

Unless, of course, the coward takes his winnings and retires to some remote Caribbean island.

Super Bowl pick:
Chicago (+7 ½) over Indianapolis

Conference Championship record: 1-1
Playoff Record: 5-5
Regular Season Record: 54-35
Overall Record: 59-40

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

GM Peter Chiarelli traded 23-year-old defenseman Milan Jurcina to the Washington Capitals for a 4th Round Draft Pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Now, I don't mean to sound negative, but is draft picks really what the team needs right now? I'm hoping and praying that possibly Chiarelli is trying to put together a package with either one player and some draft picks or simply just draft picks - only time with tell.

Random tidbits, Andrew Alberts is wearing a visor on his helmet due to the puck he took in the eye Tuesday night in Buffalo.

Jason York made his return to the line-up tonight after missing nine games due to a knee injury he suffered in Ottawa.

More to come after the Bruins/Sabres game.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

The ‘80’s movie Wall Street is famous for Gordon Gecko’s (Michael Douglas) line; “Greed is good.�? The National Football League has apparently taken that on as their motto.

To cap off a season where the league transferred a series of late-season games to its in-house network, the NFL just put the kibosh on an Indianapolis church’s plans to gather the congregation for a Super Bowl viewing party. Originally, the NFL objected to Falls Creek Church’s plans to charge a minimal fee for snacks at the gathering. However, when the money aspect was done away with, league lawyers still objected to plans for projecting the game on a 12-foot wide screen, and they made those concerns known with an overnight letter delivered to Pastor John Newland.

League spokesman Greg Aiello says the NFL has a long-standing policy to prohibit “mass out-of-home viewings�? of the Super Bowl, even though exceptions are made for sports bars or businesses that show games as a daily part of their business. If the church were to show the game on a 55-inch TV or smaller, they would be OK.

But as Newland said, you really can’t gather more than 10-12 people in front of a set that small. And the pastor is a bit miffed that the league has issue with hundreds of people gathering at a place where no alcohol is present, even though sports bars where children shouldn’t be are allowed to broadcast the game and charge money.

Honestly, I don’t see what the NFL is gaining by engaging in this battle. Really, not much good can come of this. It’s not like the all-important ratings (which determine advertising rates) are going to take a massive hit should churches throughout the country start gathering the congregation on Super Sunday. And I may not be the most religious person in the world, but I don’t think its ever good strategy to take on God in the quest for the almighty dollar. Sure, the league is within its legal right to make as much money as possible. Whether the level of greed displayed in recent years is good for the long-term interests of the NFL is something that bears watching.

Commissioner Roger Goodell should head to the video store and rent Wall Street. If he does, he’ll see that even Gordon Gecko loses in the end.

What do you make of all this? Should the NFL just let the church show the game? Are they going too far?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Wednesday’s game with the Lakers marked Celtics guard Tony Allen’s first appearance at the TD Banknorth Garden since having successful anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery as well as having cartilage repaired in his left knee a little over two weeks ago. He currently needs crutches to get around.

The 6’4�? guard, also the team’s best defensive player, appeared in 33 games this season, averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.48 steals in 24.4 minutes per game. He had set or tied career-highs in 12 statistical categories this season.

Since December 1, his playing time increased and he posted averages of 16.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and snatching 2.15 steals.

“I was satisfied with my playing,�? Allen said Wednesday night. “But I think I can get healthy and you know regroup, get right back to where I left off at.�?

Allen has been watching every Celtics game since his injury, even sending text messages and giving phone calls to teammates with his observations.

He also said he does take some encouragement and motivation from seeing other guys who have gone through the same thing and made successful returns to basketball. Allen pointed to rookie teammate Leon Powe had a pair of knee surgeries while at the University of California as well as Denver Nuggets Brazilian big man Nene.

On the play when the injury occurred, Allen had continued to go up for a dunk after the officials had whistled the play dead. He injured his knee when he landed.

Allen, who admitted that at first he wondered why this happen to him, said he has seen replays of the but is trying to get past the “what if�? stage.

“Yeah, I saw it,�? he said. “I try not to watch it as much, but I saw it. If had just…I don’t know. I mean I could say if I shoulda, shoulda woulda, but I didn’t. Unfortunately, I didn’t and now it’s just time to move on and get through the injury.�?

Allen, 25, has already started doing strengthening and range-of-motion exercises for his knee and his quad muscles. Doctor’s tell him he is doing well and that he can bend his leg to about 90 degrees. Allen’s hope is to be back and ready to participate in training camp next season.

Posted by Gayle Simone, Sun Staff

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes (Turn and face the stranger) Ch-ch-Changes Don't tell them to grow up and out of it Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes (Turn and face the stranger) Ch-ch-Changes Where's your shame

In an effort to jump start the club, Dave Lewis has yet again mixed up the lines:

Marco Sturm will skate on the left wing with Marc Savard and Glen Murray (this line actually started the season together).

PJ Axelsson moves to the second line, along with Phil Kessel; Patrice Bergeron will continue to center the line.

Brad Boyes will center Petr Tenkrat and Stanislav Chistov on the third line.

The checking line will have Mark Mowers and Shean Donovan centered by Wayne Primeau.

After both goalies traded disappointing losses and the fact that they replaced one another in their games; Tim Thomas will get the start tonight and the task of stopping the Buffalo offense, mainly Daniel Briere who had a hat trick in the Sabres 7-1 demoralizing victory over the Bruins on Tuesday.

Still waiting for GM Peter Chiarelli to make a move. Defensemen Brad Stuart and Milan Jurcina are still on the top of the list when it comes to the rumor mill.

Way back at the beginning of the season I had heard a rumor that San Jose was willing to trade Evgeni Nabokov for Murray and Hannu Toivonen; not sure giving up the team's leading goal scorer is a smart idea.

Will the shuffling of the lines help the slumping Bs? Can Sturm and Boyes get out of their own slumps and start scoring again? If the trade with San Jose came up again; would you trade Murray?