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!!!

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!

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.

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

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)

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?

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.

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!

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?

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?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

You pretty much know what I think. (If not, type Barry Bonds into the SportsTalk search engine to get a mouthful)

Instead, this post is for you. I want to hear what you think of Major League Baseball's new Home Run King and his accomplishment.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Today's poll is inspired by the Patriots' signing of Cornerback Dante Wesley. Wesley is a 5-year veteran (4 w/Carolina-1 w/Chicago) who has amassed a grand total of zero career interceptions.

In my mind, the move underscores New England's weakness at the position as a result of Asante Samuel's holdout. Chad Scott's year-ending knee injury has already taken away some of the team's depth at the corner, and even though 1st round draft pick Brandon Merriweather has worked at CB in training camp (and by all reports looked good doing so), most Pats fans point to the Samuel situation as the biggest question mark facing the Super Bowl favorites.

Include me in that group, though I'm not quite sure if his absence is enough in and of itself to derail the Super Bowl Express.

So tell us what you think and why you voted the way you did!

Schoolchildren probably don’t want to hear this, but autumn is just around the corner and I, for one, can’t wait for it to get here. The season that brings us the Fall Classic is shaping up as a classic fall for area sports lovers. Consider:

Major League Baseball’s post-season will descend upon us around the same time the leaf peepers do. When it does, our beloved Red Sox will be odd-on favorites to capture a second World Series title in four years. Led by a trio of pitchers on the front side of the staff (Beckett, Dice-K and Schilling) and an even more dominant threesome on the back side (Papelbon, Gagne and Okajima), Boston’s Boys of Summer are well-positioned for the time of year when pitching, pitching and more pitching determines the legends of the fall.

Did I mention New England also plays host to the Super Bowl favorites this fall? While most Sunday tourists focus on the foliage come September, these eyes will turn to Foxboro, where Tom Brady is surrounded by more talent than Hugh Hefner…and his Patriots teammates aren’t too shabby, either.

(Let’s leave the Bruins out of this conversation. The Black and Gold have become more irrelevant and pathetic than Fredo in Godfather II…isn’t it about time someone takes them fishing on Lake Winnipesauke?)

Even if we didn’t live less than 30-miles from The Hub of the sports universe, this still shapes up as a mighty interesting season for those of us in the Merrimack Valley. The drama that was the Lowell High football coaching derby finally plays out on the gridiron when the Friday night lights turn on a month from now. If enthusiasm and love of the program translate into winning, Al Pare’s boys notch plenty of marks in the “W” column. However, the MVC is loaded in 2007, so matching the 8-3 record of the 2006 edition will be tough. (By the way, keep an eye out on LowellSun.com for details of our Fall Football Extravaganza special on SunTalk Live)

The Lowell Devils return to action soon for what may be their final season in the Mill City. Management is staying silent (wisely so) on plans beyond ‘07-‘08, but it doesn’t appear Lowell’s AHL entry can co-exist with the city’s state university. The fan in me hopes Tsongas Arena can indeed support two hockey tenants. The realist in me doubts that’s the case. The political winds are blowing in UMass-Lowell’s favor. Expect River Hawks attendance to soar while the Devils numbers fall off the face of the earth.

I could go on listing other marquee happenings for September, October and November, but I think you get the idea. If you need any pleasant thoughts to get you through the dog days of August, just look ahead to the fantastic fall in store.

Those are my thoughts...what are yours? Is the ultimate pessimist being too optimistic here? What about the local sports scene? Which team will win the MVC football crown? Have you bought Devils or River Hawks season tickets? We want to hear from you!!!

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

There’s a feature on LowellSun.com that you golfers out there might want to check out.

In the Sun Media Center (the place that has all the videos) you will find a series of Golf Tips mixed in there. As of today, there are eight of them in all, ranging from proper stretching exercises and stance, to driving and bunker play. The video snippets run anywhere from a minute to two minutes long, with Hopkinton Country Club golf pro and Tyngsboro, MA native Dave Lane providing the lessons.

I can tell you from my experience doing similar golf tips segments in the past, you can learn an awful lot about the game and improve your score dramatically if you practice these tips, particularly the ones involving the short game. As an example, I’d never hit a flop shot before filming a tip on them. Now, it’s a vital part of my game

So head on over to the Sun Media Center and check these tips out. You’ll thank us afterward!

A lot of you fret about the Tigers starting pitching. Others are concerned about Vlad Guerrero and the Angels bullpen. And I’m sure there’s still a large block of Red Sox Nation petrified that the Yankees will sneak into the wild card and derail Boston’s title hopes. But for my money, the team I absolutely, positively do not want to see come October is Seattle.

Every team has one opponent that, for some odd reason or another, it can’t seem to beat, often for no good reason. You remember a few years back when the Orioles gave the Sox fits, and even the lowly Devil Rays had the Yankees sweating over the last few years? Well, that same situation is playing itself out now, except more extreme, with the Mariners owning the Red Sox to the tune of 9-consecutive wins at Safeco Field. The scary part is; this isn’t a case like Baltimore or Tampa, a pesky club that will be golfing when the leaves turn. Seattle is right in the thick of the Wild Card chase (also in the thick of the West Division race) and could very well be the team Boston faces when post-season play begins.

It would be nice to see the Sox ride Dice-K and Josh Beckett to a pair of victories Saturday and Sunday. For one, it will perhaps end this curious Safeco curse the M’s hold over Boston. Secondly, it will deal Seattle a setback in the standings, keeping me from having to worry about them when the playoffs start.

Is anyone else out there worried about the Mariners dominance of the Sox at Safeco Field? Is it just a curious coincidence? Or is it a bad matchup that Terry Francona and company would be wise to avoid?

Played the Merrimack Valley’s newest golf course this morning…and came away very impressed.

The much anticipated Meadow Creek Golf Club in Dracut was well worth the wait. The course opened to the public in April of 2007, and despite the fact I grew up barely a stone’s throw away, today was the first time I found myself on the track. I can guarantee you it won’t be the last…unless my golf game really goes down the tubes and I need to play less formidable tracks.

As a kid, I used to ride my bike in the general vicinity of the course and I never dreamed they could lay out such a spacious course on that plot of land. The architect did a fantastic job of using what Mother Nature provided. The result; a tight, hilly 18-hole course with plenty of challenges for golfers of all levels.

The fairways are plush…the tee boxes in excellent shape…and the greens are in private club condition, providing a true roll at lightning fast speed. The challenge will be to keep it in this condition, as Meadow Creek is still a new course and doesn’t get as much play as other area tracks.

To play it, you’ll need to hit all your clubs…and hit them straight. Though not very long from the whites (5,493-yards), the fairways are narrow and littered with danger. Almost every landing area and green is well-protected by sand, and if you don’t keep your shots on-line, you’ll often end up in the vegetation or water that lines every hole. This is not a course where you can spray the ball and punch out of the trees. You go wide, you take a penalty. It’s that simple. There are also plenty of tee shots where you must get the ball airborne to avoid losing it in the shrubbery. In many ways, it reminds me of Bradford C.C. in Haverhill, though not as relentless in the target golf aspect. The other comparison I can think of is Passaconaway, but nowhere near as long.

The hole that really stands out is #14, a 344-yard par-4 where you must place an iron to a landing area, then take a sharp 90-degree angle to a green protected by lots of water. There was maybe one other hole I was forced to play an iron off the tee to avoid hitting too far into the stuff, but I don’t exactly crush the ball anymore. My cousin, who does, was forced to lay up much more than I was. Also, I’m generally able to keep my driver straight and in the playing surface, but if you spray it long or are at all inconsistent, you’ll likely put the driver away except for maybe a handful of holes. I also have to warn you about the green on #17, which has a roller-coaster downslope at about the 1/3 point. Unless the pin is back there, do not hit to the rear of the green.

One other point I have to bring up; in comparison to most courses, Meadow Creek does a great job taking the ladies into account when setting up tee boxes. The “reds” provide a distinct advantage on almost every hole. Without sounding like a male chauvinist, ladies on average hit it 25% shorter than the men, so the tee boxes should be set up accordingly, but usually aren’t, really slowing down play at times. At Meadow Creek, they are, even taking away a lot of the trouble off the tee for the girls.

In case you can’t tell, I really liked the course. It helped that I played well (not sure I would have been so chipper had I struggled), but the rest of my foursome shared similar sentiments as well. Let me also state this is an impartial review, as I didn’t identify myself and get a free round like I used to in my old TV gig. Had I hated the course, I would have told you so.

Bottom line; the folks at Hickory Hill and Trull Brook (in my mind, the top public courses in our neck of the woods over the years) have some real competition on their hands. Meadow Creek, the new kid on the block, is a welcome addition to the neighborhood!

Have any of you played the course? What do you think? What could they improve? How does it compare with other area courses?

June 29, 2006: "The only way I trade him (Al Jefferson) is if Kevin Garnett comes in return!"

August 15, 2006: "I know it’s still a ways off, but the Garnett Era in Minnesota is coming to an end. Whether it’s midseason or next summer, Garnett will ask out. I want Danny Ainge to have as much ammunition as possible for an all-out assault on this guy. If he's going to trade any of his young players, it should be done with goal of getting something in return that would entice Kevin McHale when the time comes. AI (Allen Iverson) makes the Celtics entertaining but he doesn’t put them over the top. KG does. There are other reasons that make me iffy on Iverson in Boston, but the possibility of acquiring a 7-foot scoring, rebounding and defensive machine that doesn’t need to take 30 shots a night tops the list. I know it’s not set in stone that we’d get him, but I can dream, can’t I?"

December 19, 2006: "There's a reason for that (why Allen Iverson was traded for so little)…two actually. 1)Iverson isn’t worth much more than that and 2)the smart teams are saving their bargaining chips for the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes."

December 26, 2006: (From a Christmas Gift story) "Danny Ainge likes to play with little gadgets before the products have even been tested and proved effective. Apparently, the Celtics “hoops el jeffe" goes by the belief that if you keep an Al Jefferson or a Gerald Green long enough, it’ll mature and you’ll either end up with a great gift or at worst, you can trade it on EBay a few years later for something more valuable, like a Kevin Garnett."

June 22, 2007: "P.S. I don’t believe the KG trade is completely dead yet. Obviously, Ainge and McHale worked out an agreeable package. If other teams don’t step up, the T’Wolves could just tell Garnett he’d have to spend another year in Minnesota and a situation that is worse than Boston’s. Sure, he’d like to force a trade to the Suns (who wouldn’t?), but if KG realizes that’s not going to happen, he might very well change his mind on coming to the Celtics. After all, the T’Wolves don’t exactly have any Paul Pierces on their roster to make Garnett’s life any easier."

June 26, 2007 (day before NBA draft): "Kevin Garnett is definitely coming to Boston. Remember, you heard it here first!" (Might as well read the rest of the post..might have been off by a month, but it pretty much shook out the way it was predicted)

July 2, 2007: "For what it’s worth, I like the Ray Allen trade. Maybe now Kevin Garnett will agree to come here. Hey, for $20-million a year, you can’t expect a guy to be good enough to turn a team around all by himself, can you? Don’t worry KG. Even if you can’t get that ring spoon fed to you by Steve Nash, Allen and Pierce will be more than happy to shoulder all the responsibility of being “The Man” down the stretch in close games."

July 31, 2007: (Posted by Lynn Worthy) "It is now official, the Boston Celtics have completed a trade to acquire Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves."

Funny, but even though I was dreaming about the possibility and trying to convince everyone of how it could happen all along, there's a part of me that still can't believe it actually went down. I can't stop looking at the pictures, watching the video and reading the words written about it, as if not doing so would mean it's really a dream. I like to consider myself a journalist (not a very good one), but the best part about writing a blog is that you can put your ethics and objectivity to the side and sometimes be a fan.

Kevin Garnett is a member of the Boston Celtics. All is well in the basketball world again!!!

The Red Sox starting pitching got a heck of a lot better over the trading deadline.

I know what you’re saying; “Panos has flipped his lid again. The Sox didn’t acquire a starter. They didn’t call up Clay Buchholz. Curt Schilling won’t be back till Sunday. And Julian Tavarez has to start once more now that Kason Gabbard is gone. How is that improvement?” Well, let me tell you;

Remember when the ’96 Yankees had Mariano Rivera as a setup man with John Wetteland closing? Basically, if New York had a lead entering the 8th inning, the game was over. The Bronx Bombers also had that to some extent when Rivera was the closer and Ramiro Mendoza and Mike Stanton were still in their prime as setup guys.

Well, the acquisition of Eric Gagne could very well mean that on some nights, the game will be over when Boston’s Boys of Summer lead after six frames. When all three are rested, Terry Francona can then turn the ball over to Hideki Okajima in the 7th, Gagne in the 8th and Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th. Nine times out of ten (if not more), that spells victory. And that is quite a security blanket for Francona and the guys taking the mound in the first inning because in essence, you've strengthened the front end by reinforcing the backside of your staff.

The biggest weakness of most teams in this day and age is what happens in the 7th and 8th innings. Most clubs have someone to work the 9th, but getting there is the hard part. Managers must choose between leaving a tiring starter in there and bringing in a fresh arm to bridge that gap to the closer. So what you end up with is a pitcher running on fumes or an inferior arm entering the game, often with runners on base in a crucial situation. Now, Sox starters can go all out for as long as they can, secure in the knowledge that they don’t have to save a few bullets for later on. That alone will make Josh Beckett, Dice-K, Jon Lester and Schilling better pitchers, not to mention making Francona the same “genius” Joe Torre was in the ‘90’s.

A couple of other quickies on the trade: I love Gagne…thought the Sox should have signed him over the winter and made him the closer instead of experimenting and finally turning back to Papelbon. At the very least, you now have a stud closer on the nights Little Papi can’t go, which will keep him healthy and fresh come October.

The other thing the trade does is show your current players that you’ve got their back. Theo Epstein did nothing at the deadline in 2005 & 2006, and the team responded in kind. By bringing in the biggest name available other than Mark Texeira, Theo just showed his guys he believes they’re championship caliber, and he’s willing to go all-out to get them another ring. The fact he gave up very little to add Gagne makes the deal that much better.

What do you think of the Gagne trade? Should Epstein have done even more, especially to bring in another bat?

With the Folk Festival behind us (hope those Shish-ke-bob anxiety dreams stop soon!), I figured it might be a good time to sample a little something from each of the sports booths set up over the weekend:

Some people (Yes Nick, I’m talking about you!) have spent the last month questioning why Danny Ainge would trade young players and draft picks for an “old, washed-up” Ray Allen. You folks now have your answer.

As I write this, the Kevin Garnett trade hasn’t been finalized, though it appears imminent. A month ago, KG’s agent indicated his client didn’t want to come to Boston. What happened to change his mind? Well, promising youth has been exchanged for an established veteran. Suddenly, the C’s look mighty attractive to a guy who wants to win a ring. Just wait till you see how many veteran role players are willing take a cut in pay to wear Celtic green if they get to play alongside Garnett, Allen and Paul Pierce.

While we’re at it, how about a round of applause for Ainge. Dealer Danny has taken an awful lot of guff around these parts for breaking up the 2002 Eastern Conference finalists, but people who understand the game knew that Pierce/Antoine entry was not a legitimate title contender. Even worse, from a stylistic standpoint, it was one of the most horrific teams ever assembled.

The final turn off for me was trading Joe Johnson for a 3-point shooting power forward (Rodney Rogers) who couldn’t rebound or block shots, and a 3-point shooting point guard (Tony Delk) with worse aim than the bad guys in a Schwarzenegger flick. Ainge was smart enough to tear that team down and start from scratch. In the process, he accumulated enough assets to trade for not one, but two all-stars. It took a while to make the Celtics relevant again, but Red Auerbach would be very proud of the feisty kid he coaxed out of a career in baseball.

Speaking of the diamond, I don’t want to echo Lou Gorman’s infamous “where would we play Willie McGee” quote, but where are we going to play Jermaine Dye? On the list of needs for 2007, corner outfielder/DH is not one of them, unless we’re ready to call the 5-year J.D. Drew contract a disaster after only 5-months.

It’s not so much the cost of acquiring the White Sox outfielder that scares me, but the thought of an unhappy veteran (Drew or Dye) sulking on the bench. If the 2004 Sox taught us anything, it’s that quality role players often make the difference in tight playoff contests. I’d rather see Theo Epstein acquire a Dave Roberts-type 4th outfielder who can come off the pine to provide speed and defense. If not, why not just stick Jacoby Ellsbury in that role when he comes off Pawtucket’s disabled list?

Michael Vick is about to find out how true the adage “if you lie down with dogs, you wake up with flees” really is. Tony Taylor, one of Vick’s co-defendants in the canine caper, has already copped a plea deal. Davon Boddie, the cousin who lived on Vick’s property where the alleged activities took place, was not indicted in the case, a pretty good indication he’s been cooperating with authorities all along. Dogs may be incredibly loyal, but friends and family aren’t necessarily so.

Unless of course, we’re talking about Greg Anderson, the Barry Bonds buddy who’s still rotting in jail while BALCO boy chases Hank Aaron.

Seems like forever since the Patriots loss in the AFC Championship. In reality, it’s only been six months. But will all the off-season hype surrounding Bill Belichick’s boys, the buildup to opening day of training camp has been bigger than the buildup to the regular season on those Pats teams that nobody cared about in their lousy days.

David Pevear writes a fine column in today’s Lowell Sun about drinking the "high expectations" Kool-Aid. The comment I found most interesting from today’s media get-togethers involves Randy Moss, a formerly controversial player who obviously drank the Belichick brand of Kool-Aid in large quantities leading up to camp:

Q: When do you anticipate things really clicking with Brady? September maybe?

RM: We don’t really have to click as individuals. I think we have to click as a whole unit. You have 11 players on the field and if one of those 11 lets down, then anything can happen. It’s not just me and Tom who need to be on the same page. We need 11 guys on offense, 11 on defense and 11 on special teams and everybody needs to contribute. Everybody has a job to do. Hopefully we can all do that.

The coach couldn’t have said it better himself. And speaking of BB, here’s an early indication how he’s going to handle the hype surrounding his new receiver:

Q: How did Randy Moss do today in terms of his conditioning and just generally?

BB: I don’t know. We had about 70 players out there practicing today. I couldn’t give you a rundown on each guy.

Sure, coach. A few more days of answers like that, and the local media will stop asking specific questions about Moss.

Tom Glavine stands on the doorstep of history, and there’s a very good chance that once he’s in, the door will be locked tight behind him.

The pride of Billerica, MA earned career victory #299 last night in Pittsburgh. His first crack at 300 comes Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Even if he fails against the Brewers, Glavine is a lock to reach the milestone at some point this season, barring catastrophic injury, of course. When he does, there’s a very good chance he’ll likely go down in history as the last major league pitcher to do so.

Think of the factors working against pitchers in today’s game; 5-man rotations…liberal use of the bullpen…pitch counts…bulked up batters…scientific approaches to hitting…and of course, the dreaded arm injuries that seem to strike down any overworked hurler. Mommas, don’t let your babies grow up to be pitchers. The deck is stacked against them.

While most of the baseball world follows Barry Bonds’ quest to make home run history, wise fans of the game will keep their attention focused on the Mets rotation. I’ll guarantee you someone, probably A-Rod, will come along and top whatever number Bonds closes out his controversial career at.

Tom Glavine, on the other hand, will go down as the last of his kind!

What do you think? If you voted “No” in the poll, who do you think can win 300-games? Better yet, what fundamental change to the game do you think will occur that will allow that to happen?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

I'm feeling very inquisitive this week, so here's another question for you. (I'm also up to my you-know-what in Folk Festival preparations, which is why you're getting polls instead of the well-thought out, well-written masterpieces I normally post...LOL!) As always, feel free to comment on why you voted the way you did.

(As always, feel free to leave your comments on why you voted as you did)

Lowell Sun Patriots writer, David Pevear, was our guest on last night's SportsTalk Live as we previewed the upcoming season and Friday's opening of training camp. Randy Moss, the Asante Samuel situation and the Pats role as pre-season NFL favorite were just three of the topics we touched on. (To hear the entire broadcast, click on the link below)

We also touched base on Micahel Vick and what the future holds in store for him, as well as the NBA point shaving scandal and whether such a disaster could potentially rock the football world.

Tell me you didn’t have one of these older relatives growing up;

You’d be sitting in front of the T.V., totally engrossed in a playoff game involving your favorite team, living and dying with every single play. In would walk your dad or uncle, glance at the television, smirk in your direction and say;

“I don’t know why you’re getting so worked up. You know the games are fixed. It’s all business.” (Bizzy-ness must be uttered in a thick accent to get the proper effect of growing up in a Greek household)

I can’t tell you how mad I used to get at them. How dare they insinuate the athletes I worshipped or people who ran the games I loved would do anything to undermine their integrity? Sports are business? HAH! Those guys were in it for the same reason we watched; love of the game.

Well, long before Mo Vaughn told us it wasn’t about the money, I’d realized it was ALL about the money. My father and uncles were right about sports being bizzy-ness. What I’m afraid of is they may have been on to something with the “fixed” part, too.

This NBA point shaving scandal has the potential for huge repercussions. Right now, only Tim Donaghy has been named, though authorities believe the former referee will cooperate with the investigation. A source close to the FBI told me “it’s a shame the news went public so soon because now they’ll have a chance to circle the wagons and cover up.” You know what that tells me? The feds believe this runs deeper than just one renegade ref.

I’m not trying to single out referees here. Being so close geographically to Boston College, we’re all well aware how simple it is for those with a financial stake to sink their claws into players naïve enough to fall into the trap. It’s the reason every organized sport warns its athletes against the dangers of gambling. Get too far in the hole, and your only choice is throw a game or watch yourself or a loved one suffer physical harm. (You Pete Rose supporters out there might want to think about that before hitting someone with the “he never bet against the Reds” argument!)

The glue that binds any game to its fans is the understood trust that the outcome on the playing field is genuine and dependant solely on the honest efforts of the competing athletes or lady luck. Lose that trust, and you might as well become roller derby, professional wrestling or a Don King production.

Tim Donaghy refereed 63-regular season games in the 2006-07 NBA season, including a February contest where the underdog Knicks were awarded 39-free throws to Miami’s 8 on the way to an upset victory. Donaghy was also on the court for 20-playoff matchups. In one of those, the atrociously officiated Game 3 of the Spurs-Suns series, Amare Stoudemire played only 21-foul plagued minutes while Tim Duncan exploded for 33-points and 19-rebounds. Were these games fixed?

Ask you father or uncles.

What do you think of this Tim Donaghy/point shaving situation? Does this run deeper than just Donaghy? Does it go on in other sports, too? Does it help explain why Major League Baseball's reaction to the Pete Rose scandal?

This post is in no way a call to push the panic button. I still feel very comfortable with the Red Sox lead over the Yankees and have no doubt Boston’s Boys of Summer will enter the playoffs as American League East champions. However, in the long-term interests of this team, a couple of adjustments need to be made soon so that everything is lined up for October.

First, it’s time for Jon Lester to be recalled from Pawtucket. Julian Tavarez held up pretty well much longer than any of us could have anticipated. That said, the last month has been atrocious. He needs to be placed back in the bullpen where he belongs, and we need to find out if all the fuss about Lester is warranted. I understand why management was cautious coming out of spring training (with the cancer recovery). I don’t understand why they’ve kept the kid in the minors this long. They think enough of the young lefty to not trade him for Roy Oswalt last July, so they obviously think he’s a big part of the future. Couple that with the fact bringing Lester up now wouldn’t constitute rushing him (they already did that last year) and the time is right for Lester to take his place alongside Beckett, Dice-K and the returning Curt Schilling for the stretch drive and playoffs. (Can we all agree Tim Wakefield shouldn’t be in a post-season rotation? Also, has anyone changed their mind on the value of Papelbon the closer vs. Papelbon the starter now that he’s pitching about once a week while Wake and Tavarez are pitching batting practice?)

The next change that needs to occur is getting Wily Mo Pena the heck out of here and calling Jacoby Ellsbury back up. The kid was a sparkplug in his brief Fenway stop. Right now this is a very flat team that could use a boost, something the top prospect’s speed can provide, even if only in a bench role. Plus if J.D. Drew is going to be nothing more than a slap hitter, Terry Francona might as well insert Ellsbury into that role full-time and take advantage of his speed and healthy hamstrings.

What do you think gang? Panic setting in? Will my changes help? What, if anything, would you change?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Not to ignore the Asante Samuel situation…feel free to chime in here, but at this point there’s really nothing new to report except the cornerback and the Patriots were unable to reach agreement on a long-term deal. No surprise there, as we’ve been discussing and predicting the situation will likely get ugly. The next step is seeing if Samuel will accept the franchise offer and show to camp Friday. The guessing here; don’t bet on it unless he gets a guarantee that he won’t be franchised again in 2008.

Now then, the real NFL drama of the day; a grand jury indicts Michael Vick on various conspiracy charges involving dog fighting. (Thanks to our friends over at Deadspin.com for the photo)

While ProFootballTalk.com (a great source to recap all the developments as they’ve unfolded) is reporting that Nike will eventually drop the Falcons Quarterback as a spokesman despite standing behind him not too long ago, the NFL and the Falcons have issued statements that basically say nothing except “we’re going to let the legal system play out before deciding what steps to take.” As we all know by now, everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty…everyone deserves a fair trial…yada-yada-yada….Can I just say something without sounding like the insensitive jerk I am?

WHAT A FREAKIN’ MORON!!!

You have to possess the IQ of a piece of luggage to be a multi-million dollar athlete with everything to lose and nothing to gain and still let yourself get involved in something like this. Even in the best case scenario where Vick has nothing to do with the dog fighting, how on earth can he be stupid enough to allow it to happen on his property? Even if he didn’t know what was going on, how on earth can he be stupid enough to let scumbags like the people involved in dog fighting live on his property?

Many people, yours truly included, believe he’s one of the most overrated players in the history of the league. The funny thing is, the inevitable pressure from animal right’s groups is what will finally do what so many pass rushers couldn’t; sack Michael Vick for good.

OK, enough from me. What do you think? Guilty or innocent? Done as an NFL player? Able to bounce back?

The New England Riptide took over the SunTalk Live phone lines last night...and Lowell's National Pro Fastpitch softball team did not disappoint!

Head coach Sharon Drysdale, along with star players Lindsey Angus and Jocelyn Forest stopped by the Lowell Sun offices, while team owner Joe Adlman joined in on the telephone. The discussion ranged from the team's championship run in 2006 and changes to this year's edition, to the challenges facing a small-market team in a fledgling league. (If you missed the show, you can hear it in its entirety at the SunTalk Live website)

The part I enjoyed most was listening to the players describe how much they enjoy the interaction with fans and the opportunities Riptide followers have to get close to them. Lyndsey and Jocelyn have been with the team since the beginning, and their character and personalities are clearly evident in the discussion.

If you haven't been out to see them before, listening to players talk will most certainly have you heading to Martin Field for some professional softball action in the very near future!

News Flash: In today’s Lowell Sun, Robert Mills reports on UMass-Lowell hockey coach Blaise MacDonald apparently saving his job behind the River Hawks bench. MacDonald entered a guilty plea to his Operating Under the Influence charge, issued apologies to the university and vowed to restore his reputation and that of the school.

Teddy’s Take: Much like the Dan Graham case at Lowell High, this is the only fair resolution.

MacDonald deserves a second chance. He’s accepting his punishment, will undergo counseling and seems sincere in his desire to put this behind him and learn from the mistake. Given that his previous record is exemplary, you have to take him at his word and trust he can move forward in a positive manner. From my own dealings with the coach and from discussions with others who know him even better, the episode was completely out of character. Only Blaise knows for certain why he showed such poor judgment that night, but now that Mother Theresa has passed away, I doubt there’s a person walking this earth that hasn’t screwed up at least once.

I’ve also heard criticism from some folks that centers around his record as coach. While we can debate how good the River Hawks should and shouldn’t be in Hockey East, there is no doubt the program faces unique challenges not seen at the BC’s, BU’s, Maine’s and UNH’s of the conference. What is not open for debate is the fact MacDonald’s kids do well in school and have a spotless discipline record. In the grand scheme of things, isn’t that the most important thing? Or at least, shouldn’t it be?

What do you think of the latest developments? Fair punishment and resolution? Can the program recover from this latest blow or is it another recruiting setback?