Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
On the heels of my almost dead-on prediction on the Dracut/Acton-Boxboro playoff game (the 28-21 final score was as close to the 27-21 guess you saw in this space....pat-pat-pat on the back...LOL) here's what the crystal ball shows for tonight's Eastern Mass Division 1A Super Bowl:
Dracut 34
Marshfield 13
GO MIDDIES!!!
All kidding aside, we're very excited to finally have live video and audio streaming capabilities for SportsTalk Live. Kudos to our producer/internet guru, Chris Tierney, for his hard work in making it all happen. Can't wait till the first Monday in January when we take this new technology on location to Hookslide Kelly's. Hope to see you there...or online!!!
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Won’t be long now. The clanging of shoulder pads. The stomping of cleats. Those unmistakable grunts that result from train wreck collisions.
Football season is nearly upon us, and this Monday’s SportsTalk Live is focusing on the Merrimack Valley High School scene. We have an amazing lineup of guests for you, starting with the Lowell Sun’s high school gridiron guru, Rick Harrison, who hops into the co-pilot’s seat this week. Joining us will be a number of coaches from the area’s top squads, giving us the lowdown on their teams and the upcoming season. We’re still working on lining up a few others, but here’s a preliminary list of coaches scheduled to appear;
Al Pare-Lowell
Peter Flynn-Billerica
Patrick Murphy-Dracut
Bob Almeida-Wilmington
Bill Maver-Acton-Boxboro
As always, you’re encouraged to participate by calling (978)364-TALK (8255). Showtime is 7-8pm, though I have a hunch we might run a bit long with all the guests expected to join in. Dial in a few minutes early to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun. Of course, you can also just choose to listen in, but what fun is that? We want you to show your school pride!
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Feeling better now, Red Sox Nation?
Two wins over the pathetic Devil Rays (still play them 7-more times)…a pair of New York losses in Anaheim (the Yankees should pitch Mussina every 3rd day)...and just like that, the lead is back to 6-games. Trust me when I tell you, it’s only going to get bigger. The Sox will win the East by at least 8-games when all is said and done.
Just look at those faces in the dugout...that's a beaten team, not just last night, but for the year. And I'm willing to bet deep down inside, Joe Torre and company know it!
I don't care how close the Evil Empire got, they're not good enough to beat Boston this year. Their pitching stinks. Phillip Hughes isn't ready. Pettitte, Clemens and Mussina are only going to get worse as the innings pile up. And it doesn't matter how hard Joba Chamberlain throws...it does them no good when their starter is toast by the 2nd inning.
If your league hasn't held its Fantasy Football draft yet, you might want to click on the audio link below before selecting your team. It's from our SunTalk Live Fantasy Football Preview show Monday night, featuring Dave Pevear and yours truly discussing players and strategy to help your club come out on top.
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Sharing a few thoughts while trying to talk increasingly panicked members of Red Sox Nation off the ledge:
Take a deep breath. Slowly exhale. Repeat steps one and two as needed. Think nothing but pleasant thoughts, like this one; excluding the six Boston-New York games against each other, the combined record of the Yankees remaining opponents is one game over .500. The Sox remaining opponents are 51-games under the breakeven mark.
Now crawl back in through the window and enjoy the rest of the pennant race, would you!
The best line I’ve read about the Red Sox newest reliever is; “you can’t spell Gagne without the G-A-G.” However, I’m with Terry Francona in believing the same people booing him now will be cheering Eric Gagne come October. I’d be much more worried if he’d come to Boston directly from the National League, but having pitched very successfully in Texas the first four months of the season tells me the Canadian born hurler can handle the American League’s big bats. He just needs to stop throwing seven consecutive fastballs to the Miguel Tejada’s of the world.
A-Rod hits career home run #500. Tom Glavine wins his 300th. Barry Bonds tops Hammerin’ Hank Aaron. But the most fascinating milestone of the month in my book took place last Wednesday when Bobby Cox surpassed John McGraw for most all-time ejections with 132.
No standing ovation from the home crowd. No on-field ceremony. No recorded messages from the deceased McGraw. (Field of Dreams II, anyone?) In fact, Cox didn’t even throw a quality nutty. He was ejected before leaving the dugout by home plate umpire Ted Barrett. How weak! I would have thought a base toss or fake grenade launch toward home plate would be the minimum requirement for such a momentous occasion.
It’s hard to get too excited about the Patriots pre-season contests (see, I didn’t call them exhibition games!), especially since the guy we’re most interested in seeing, Randy Moss, hasn’t played a snap yet. The best vision so far has to be Rodney Harrison running around like the madman we’ve come to expect. I don’t know how much more pounding that body can take, but as long as Harrison is back there terrorizing receivers on crossing routes, I think the Pats secondary can survive Asante Samuel’s absence.
How great does that 2001 draft day trade look for the San Diego Chargers now? Even before Michael Vick’s off-field exploits had him headed for the hoosegow, his on-field struggles and LaDainian Tomlinson’s assault on the record books made the deal a steal of “Parish & McHale for Joe Barry Carroll” proportions.
Trivia question; along with Tim Dwight and a 3rd rounder in that 2001 draft, the Chargers also acquired a 2nd rounder in 2002. Who did they choose with that pick? (answer below)
Programming Note: You might want to break out the old school colors and get to a phone line next Monday night. Rick Harrison, the Lowell Sun’s gridiron guru joins us on SportsTalk Live for our High School Football extravaganza. Coaches from some of the Merrimack Valley’s top teams will also be on the line to discuss their respective squads and the upcoming season. Lowell High head man Al Pare is already on board and the full list will be updated online in the coming days.
As always’ you’re invited to join in with your questions or comments for the hosts and guests. The number to dial in is (978)364-TALK (8255). Showtime is 7-8pm. We suggest you call a few minutes early to get in line and show a little school pride before the season’s opening kickoff!
Trivia Answer: Reche Caldwell
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The Wily Mo Pena Era is finished, the power hitting outfielder turned into a dinosaur by his own personal Ice Age…the inability to hit a breaking ball.
The Sox have been trying to deal the 25-year old for weeks, without much success. They finally found a trading partner in the Nationals and GM Jim Bowden, the same guy who got him from the Yankees while with Cincinnati. The Red Sox has to send cash to Washington as well, getting the proverbial “player to be named later” in return. I doubt that player will be anywhere near as valuable as the player Boston sent to Cincy to acquire Pena in the first place.
I was a big proponent of the trade at the time, arguing that the 40+ HR potential was more than worth a mediocre starting pitcher. Bronson Arroyo made that opinion look stupid last year, posting career numbers while making the National League All-Star game. Meanwhile, Pena struggled with performance and injury, never quite living up to the billing in ’06, before severely regressing this year. And even though Arroyo’s come back to earth, the trade is still clearly an “L” in Theo Epstein’s loss column. (In a bit of irony, Clay Buchholz, the player temporarily replacing Wily Mo on the roster is wearing Arroyo's #61...just one of those stupid facts only I find interesting!)
You know what’s funny though? If I’m Theo and the same opportunity presents itself (meaning trading a mediocre starting pitcher for a power bat), I do the trade again in a heartbeat. Perhaps that’s why I’m sitting here tapping away at my laptop in a restaurant instead of the General Manager’s box at Fenway.
Oh well, at least my performance was as good as Theo’s in this case. Maybe I’m qualified to run a baseball team, after all!
What are your thoughts on the Wily Mo Pena Era in Boston? How disastrous was it? (Feel free to take your shots and gloat if you argued against me when the Arroyo-Pena trade first happened)
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LowellSun.com is reporting the New Jersey Devils have exercised their two year option to play at Tsongas Arena through the 2009-‘10 season. The decision was announced today by Devils CEO Lou Lamoriello. According to Executive Director Chris Ciceri, “the fans have welcomed us to the community, and they are important to our long-term plans.”
The news is a pleasant surprise in these quarters. I frankly expected Lowell’s AHL entry to skip town at the end of the upcoming season, and wasn’t shy about saying so in this space. While I welcome today’s announcement, I wonder how rock solid the Devils future in the Mill City really is. Attendance was horrible in 2006-’07, and unless there’s been a massive season ticket drive we don’t yet know about, I can only see it getting worse. Today’s new might help, but I question how many ticket sales that will translate to.
The fact ownership is willing to commit another two years to a fan base that’s basically turned its back on the franchise throughout its history tells me the lease is a sweetheart of a deal for the hockey club. And that’s where I still worry despite today’s news. The city signed off on a renegotiated lease with the Devils that calls for an increase of $125,000. Even at that, City Councilors were very cool to the idea of keeping the AHL entry in town, preferring instead to wholeheartedly support and root for a restructured deal with UMass-Lowell. What happens if attendance continues to sag, the city continues to lose money because of the pro hockey team’s presence, and government officials decide to stop paying game day costs, much as they threatened to do this spring? Thanks to today’s announcement, a costly legal battle is what happens, that’s what.
Again, the hope in this corner is that the Devils are here forever, and that they and the River Hawks thrive at Tsongas Arena. Today’s announcement is a good start, though not necessarily a guarantee of long-term success. For that to occur, a lot more fannies are going to have to pack the seats. If not, we’ll find ourselves back where we were last spring…a faceoff between ownership and city government.
I know we've covered the topic plenty of times in the past, but today's announcement adds a new twist...what do you think? A reason to rejoice? Or are we going to end up in the same place again next year, with plenty of political posturing and an arena hemorrhaging money?
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Did you catch Jose Offerman’s meltdown last night?
The man Dan Duquette signed to replace Mo Vaughn’s on-base percentage was arrested and charged with two counts of second degree assault after attacking a pitcher and catcher with his bat. The former Major League All-Star, now plying his craft for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, charged the mound with his bat after being hit by a pitch. Offerman had homered of Bridgeport pitcher Matt Beech, who proceeded to plunk the former Red Sox player in the calf during his next at bat.
Beech suffered a broken finger trying to defend himself, while catcher John Nathans suffered a concussion when one of Offerman’s backswings at Beech caught him in the head. Police immediately took the 38-year old former Red Sox player into custody in the clubhouse. He was arraigned Wednesday, released on $100,000 bond and ordered to appear in court August 23rd.
A couple of interesting things here; first, Carl Everett also plays for the Ducks…I’d have figured this type of behavior more his style than Offerman’s. Secondly, it continues a recent trend of athletes being criminally charged for excessively violent actions during the course of a game (think Marty McSorley and Todd Bertuzzi). I think it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.
I’m curious what you folks think of law enforcement getting actively involved in prosecuting in-game actions. I say it’s not necessarily a bad thing, as professional sports leagues refuse to place severe enough penalties to discourage such behavior. Where this gets a little tricky in this particular case is that Offerman had a baseball thrown at him. I would say with 99.99% certainty that Beech threw at the batter intentionally in the time honored (and stupid) baseball tradition of drilling someone after he, or one of his teammates, went yard on you. Could Offerman reasonably argue that he was assaulted? Would such an argument hold up in a court of law?
This is not to, in any way, condone Offerman’s actions. He obviously snapped. He should be banned from all professional baseball leagues permanently. However, pitchers have been intentionally throwing at batters for over a century and getting by with slaps on the wrist (how exactly is a five game suspension punishment for a guy who plays once every five games?). As I’ve said before, you don’t see hitters throwing their bats at pitchers after striking out twice in a row.
If that scenario sounds silly, that’s because it is. Too bad the reverse isn’t viewed as equally silly and has become an acceptable part of baseball.
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It’s been said the quality of books written about a sport is related to the size of the ball used in that sport; the smaller the ball, the better the book. However, Sergio Garcia’s disqualification from this weekend’s PGA Championship brought me to another realization; the smaller the ball, the more likely its participants are to cheat.
Due to the presence of whistle-toting referees, basketball rules are tough to circumvent, unless you’re playing pickup games and using creative scorekeeping (or if the referee is the one doing the cheating). Same goes for soccer, where the lack of action makes participants far too sleepy to bother cheating. Other than Lester Hayes dipping his hands in “stick ‘em” or players greasing up their uniforms to avoid holding, football doesn’t lend itself to much chicanery either.
Baseball players, on the other hand, employ more foreign objects than George “The Animal” Steel. Pine Tar, saliva, Vaseline and nail files are but a few products used to doctor cowhide. Wine country might avoid the cork shortage if the likes of Sammy Sosa didn’t use it to keep their bats from aging. And hey, what’s an occasional steroid laced needle to the rear end amongst friends? It’s not like baseball had rules against it or anything. (An aside to those using this argument to defend Barry “BALCO” Bonds; I’m guessing the standard players contract doesn’t include specific language prohibiting murder either, but it is still, you know, ILLEGAL!)
Which brings us to the links, and undoubtedly the sportsworld’s biggest cheaters; golfers. How else does one explain the draconian rules of golf? Have you ever read that document? It’s ridiculously strict. I mean, you try getting the ball out of a bunker without manipulating your club to create a nice little sand “tee?”
Sergio Garcia signs an incorrect scorecard, a scorecard kept by his playing partner Boo Weekly, and gets booted from a Major. (Until Saturday, I thought Boo Weekly was what the galleries should have been doing to Sergio as the maddening Spaniard re-gripped his club 337-times before swinging it) To the average person, the death sentence seems rather harsh for such a minor and correctable infraction.
Now, perhaps golf’s governing bodies could use a little nudge into the 21st century, but the reason such strict guidelines exist is because they have to. Otherwise, the foot wedge would be the club of choice when faced with a sticky predicament on the course. With dozens of cameras covering a tournament, the pros can’t get away with much cheating. At the lower levels? Fuggedaboudit! Try placing a friendly wager with your buddies during your next golf outing, and the rule book disappears from your scorekeeping faster than the six mulligans and three complete whiffs do.
Look at the bright side Sergio. The penalties in marbles are much harsher. However, the literature about the game is phenomenal.
Programming note: You “make-believe” sports fanatics out there will want to keep your phone lines open next Monday for the SportsTalk Live Fantasy Football Preview show. Lowell Sun pigskin pundit Dave Pevear joins yours truly for an hour-long discussion on who to draft, who to avoid like the plague, and who to pawn off on unsuspecting owners not smart enough to follow our advice.
Now, I don’t know about Mr. Pevear, but when it comes to fantasy football prowess, to paraphrase my alter ego Ron Burgundy; “I’m kind of a big deal. I have many leather bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany trophy cases. I’m friends with Merlin Olsen, too!”
Keep an eye on the Lowel Sun, LowellSun.com and TheSunBlog for details on how to listen in or, better yet, participate.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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Not really much to add to last night’s Patriots exhibition opener (there I go, calling them “exhibition” games again…the NFL’s not gonna like that).
Without Randy Moss and Dante Stallworth suiting up, and most regulars barely playing, it’s tough to pass any judgment on what we saw or get overly excited about it. You’re certainly not going to get anything definitive from Bill “We did some things well, we did some things not so well, we’ll move forward and look to improve next week” Belichick. What I would like to do is make a brief observation about something I see developing, and then turn it over to you folks for your comments on the game and the Pats.
The wide receiver position is loaded…so loaded, don’t be surprised if Chad Jackson begins the year on the PUP list (or even sits out the entire year) whether he’s entirely healthy or not. I count four definite roster spots right now; Moss, Stallworth, Wes Welker, Troy Brown. From all reports, Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell are having very good camps…that makes six. The team usually carries five, though Brown’s versatility and special teams ability may allow them to go with all six when healthy. Assuming a nagging injury or two on a week to week basis (a good assumption in the NFL), Kelly Washington may survive the final cut.
Where does that leave Jackson? For now, on the outside looking in, if you ask me. Belichick probably won’t cut last year’s second round pick without getting a chance to see him fully healthy. Plus, he does appear to posses an awful lot of talent, so he’s going to get a full shot at some point. I just see it coming next year instead of in ’07.
Which, when you think about it, tells you all you need to know about how strong the team is this year at one of their weakest spots last year. The player they were counting on to be their go-to guy when they drafted him may not have any role right now.
What did you think of the game? How about the receiver position? Is my take on it pretty accurate, or do you see another scenario playing out?
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Now that the euphoria over the Celtics acquisition of Kevin Garnett is dying down, there seems to be a rush by many to douse the high expectations of the fan base. Specifically, they question the C’s depth (as if the NBA is loaded with teams that boast great lineups in the 4-8 spots…hey folks, the trick is to get the superstars first, then worry about the depth!!!!) and Rajon Rondo’s ability to lead at the point guard slot (the big concern there isn’t his passing or physical skills, but his shooting).
Well, slowly but surely, the depth issue is being addressed (love the Scott Pollard signing), and I’d like to take a moment to calm the panic about Rondo’s “shooting woes.” You’ll get no disagreement here that Rondo needs to improve his shot or else teams will sag off him. What I’ll disagree with is the assumption that he can’t be a good point guard just because he can’t shoot the rock or that he can’t become a good shooter simply because he hasn’t done it yet.
First of all, the University of Kentucky product has plenty of speed and athleticism to get enough easy buckets to still make him a useful scorer, especially on a team with three outstanding offensive options in Pierce, Garnett and Allen. (Name me another point guard in the league with three better options to dish the rock to?) Secondly, did you realize Rondo’s .418 shooting percentage during his rookie year was better than Allen Iverson’s .416 mark? Not to say Rondo will ever become anywhere near the offensive threat Iverson is, but don’t equate a poor shooting percentage with the inability to score. As a matter of fact, Iverson’s career shooting percentage of .423 hasn’t kept him from averaging 27.9-points and 6.2-assists per game, has it?
To assume Rondo can’t contribute simply because he doesn’t shoot the ball well is silly, just as it’s silly to assume he can’t improve his shooting with hard work. Anybody remember a guy by the name of Bruce Bowen? Used to play for the Celtics and dent the backboard with his bricks on a nightly basis? Worked hard enough to turn himself into a good enough shooter to win a few rings, didn’t he? That’s what happens when you work hard and are surrounded by other great players.
Which brings me to the guy I think Rondo has a chance to turn into based on the speed and quickness similarities; Tony Parker. Parker shot .419% in his rookie season, just .001% better than Rajon. Parker averaged 9.2-points and 4.3-assists per game playing 29.4-minutes on a team featuring Tim Duncan. The Celtics rookie averaged 6.4-points and 3.8-assists in 23.5-minutes for a team that gave significant minutes to Brian Scalabrine and Allen Ray. Get my drift? Hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of a good argument, right?
Again, this is not to insinuate Rondo can become anything close to Parker. But based on the numbers, physical skills and surrounding talent, it’s not unreasonable to suggest Rondo can not only become a viable NBA point guard, but a darned good one.
That’s my take…what’s yours?
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