Hurricane Gustav: This Is What I Have To Say To You

Red Sox Lose To White Sox 4-2

The Red Sox lost a close one today. Wakefield looked good considering it is only his 2nd start since coming off the DL, going 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits with 3 Ks. Even with the decent like Wakefield look shaky in the 1st innings giving up a 2-run homer to Jim Thome. He was able to settle down till the 6th inning when he started to fall apart letting up another run. It seems like the Sox want to be very careful with the Wake, since they only let him pitch 82 pitches today. The Sox had a chance in the 9th inning when they were down 4-1, Lowrie was able to knock in a run on a ground out, and that set the stage for Pedrioa with 2 men on and 2 outs. Pedrioa was not able to come through for the Sox though as he popped out to left field. The Sox had a lot of opportunities to win this game, but they just couldn't get the key hits (2 runs on 8 hits). The good sign for the Sox was that Ellsbury was 3-4 and Delcarmen pitched 2 scoreless innings to give the Sox a chance. Boston is now 5 games back (about to be 5 1/2) in the AL East, but are up 3 games on Minnesota in the Wild Card Race (pending the result of the Minnesota vs. Oakland game).

-BMack

Patriots Cut Fernando Bryant

The Patriots had to get their roster down to 53, and one of the surprising cuts was Fernando Bryant. Bryant was supposed to be a starting conerback, but now it will be either Wheatley or Lewis starting across from Hobbs. Wheatley is the most talented, but is a rookie, and struggled early in preseason. If Wheatley does start it will give the Patriots the smallest starting CB in the NFL. There are rumors going around that Bryant was cut, because the Patriots are looking to sign Ty Law (I really hope that's true). Still, I am actually getting really worried about the Patriots pass defense, hopefully the defensive line will be awesome this year, and put QBs in bad situations so the CB can take advantage.

Here is the rest of the cuts:
DL Titus Adams
TE Tyson DeVree
S Mark Dillard
C Mike Flynn
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis
LB Vince Redd
CB Mike Richardson
T Stephen Sene
S Antwain Spann
DL Santonio Thomas
G John Welbourn

Also... LB Bo Ruud and DL Kenny Smith were placed on season-ending injured reserve.

**UPDATE: John Lynch, and Chad Jackson have been cut...how Cassell is still on the team is a mystery.

-BMack

DC NFL Preview: Chicago Bears

2007 Record: 7-9

Key Additions:
Chris Williams (T) - Draft - Vanderbilt
Matt Forte (RB) - Draft - Tulane
Brandon Lloyd (WR) - FA - Redskins
Marty Booker (WR) - FA - Dolphins

Key Losses:
Mushin Muhammad (WR) - FA - Panthers
Bernard Berrian (WR) - FA - Vikings
Adam Archuleta (S) - FA - Not Signed
Brendon Ayanbadejo (LB) - FA - Ravens
Darwin Walker (DT) - FA - Panthers

Offense:
Finally the Bears have stopped start Rex Grossman, who very well may be the worst QB of all time. The problem is they are not replacing him with much. Orton will not turn the ball over, but he also can't carry this offense. The only chance this team has to score point is with rookie Matt Forte, and Devin Hester. We all know Hester will run a few back on kickoff/punt returns, but he has not been able to prove that he can be a game breaking receiver, and it will be tough to be one with Kyle Orton at QB. I like Forte, but this offensive line isn't very good, and defenses are going to be stacked up against the run. This is going to be another tough year for the Bears moving the ball.

Defense:
The Bears defense is always good, but they are going to be on the field all the time again, since this offense is one of the worst in the league. Last year, the Bears were ranked 28th in the NFL in total defense, and now are having injury problems. Being on the field all the time will kill this defensive unit, and wear out their stars (Urlacher). If the Bears had a good offense this would be a top 10 defense, but since they are terrible I think that they bears will once again be on the bottom 3rd in the NFL for total defense.

Overall:
Nothing good is going to happen for the Bears in 2008. They really made a mistake not draft a QB, and resigning Rex Grossman. The defense is good, but they will not be able to carry this team, so look for them to have one of the worst records in the NFL.

Predicted Record: 3-13

Next up will be the Detroit Lions

To see the rest of the previews click below
CLICK HERE

Teams done so far:
All AFC Teams
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
Chicago Bears

-BMack

Fred Taylor Arrested

Another day, another NFL player gets arrested. This time it is running back Fred Taylor of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fred Taylor was arrested at a Miami Beach nightclub Saturday and charged with disorderly conduct. The funny thing is only a couple hours later Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver (Jimmy Smith) was arrested for a DUI and possession of marijuana. Taylor will most likely be suspended 1-3 games by the NFL, since that seems to be their normal way of dealing with these problems. The loss of Taylor could really hurt the Jaguars, since I don't believe that Maurice Jones-Drew can handle the full time duties at running back.

-BMack

LIVE FROM JACKSON MISSISSIPPI

I will be here until Thursday maybe.

Why Not?

Why not watch some good news reporting?

-BMack

Michael Moore Needs To Shut Up

Michael Moore publicly came out and said that Hurricane Gustav is “proof that there is a God in heaven,” since the storm approaching the Gulf Coast could disrupt next week’s Republican National Convention. Listen, Moore has done a lot of good things in his life (Sicko, ect), but saying that people losing their homes, and an entire city being destroyed just to slow down the Republican party is nuts. If God did that then he's a douche, but that is just not the case. Instead this is just another case of a damn liberal making people from liberal states look just as crazy as the bible belt. If God wants to show proof that he exists then he should have lightning strike Michael Moore tonight. Good luck to the city of New Orleans.

-BMack

Kevin Faulk Suspended

Kevin Faulk has been suspended for the Patriots first game against Kansas for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. This all stems from when Faulk got busted for having some pot at a Lil' Wayne concert. Just another way that Lil Wayne is ruining my life. Anyways, this isn't a big deal since Kansas city is a joke and the Patriots have plenty of running backs. Faulk is a key part to the Patriots offense though, as he is a great 3rd down back and pass catcher. Last season, Faulk had 47 catches for 383 yards, and 62 rushes for 265 yards.

-BMack

Red Sox 8, White Sox 2

If you had told me at the beginning of the season that Jed Lowrie would be batting 2nd, Pedroia batting 4th, Lowell would be injured, Beckett injured, Drew injured, Jeff Bailey at first, a new right fielder, new left fielder. and Michael Bowden starting a game on August 30th; I would have told you that the Sox must be 6 or 7 games out of the wild card.

Instead they're 3.5 games ahead (4 games in the loss column) of the Twins, and 7 games ahead of New York.

Pedroia was outstanding at cleanup. 4 for 4 with a double, a walk, and 2 runs. Mark Kotsay was even more impressive, going 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. Jason Bay and Jed Lowrie each knocked in a pair. Jeff bailey hit his 2nd career homerun.

Michael Bowden was the 7th Red Sock to make his Major League debut in '08. He's also the 11th different starting pitcher the Sox have used. And for a guy who only has 2 starts in AAA, he did pretty well. He went 5, allowing 2 runs off 7 hits and 1 walk.



Let's not go crazy and think that Bowden belongs in this rotation full time. He's 21 years old. He just got to AAA. The most he could give the Sox right now would be 5 innings of average to below average quality. He's not a long-term solution to any of the Sox rotation problems.

But if the Sox need another spot start, he'll get the call.

The Red Sox go for the sweep this afternoon as Tim Wakefield faces 14-6 Gavin Floyd. Floyd also has a 3.70 ERA, so he's not messing around.

-The Commodore

Why Not show Kermit the Frog flipping out like he's Bill O' Reilly

- The Diesel

BC Wins, But a Rough Day for the ACC

Boston College opened their season with a cupcake game on the road. The Golden Flashes of Kent State finished 2007 with seven straight losses. Even with all the talent BC lost from last season, they were more than a match for the Flashes.

The Eagles took a 14-0 lead late in the 1st quarter. In what will be quite different from last year's team, the rushing game led the offense. Five different players combined for 47 carries and 230 yards. Quarterback Chris Cane only threw the ball 18 times, and averaged more yards per carry (6.7) than yards per pass attempt (5.9). Crane also ran for two scores, but didn't throw for one.

BC used junior Jeff Smith, freshman Josh Haden, and sophomore James McCluskey for a bulk of their carries. Smith had 74 yards on 11 carries and a 42 yard TD, Haden had 66 on 15, McCluskey had 36 on 8.



BC was part of a wider trend in the ACC. The ACC teams who faced very weak opposition, cruised to victory. Every ACC team that faced a team with any quality whatsoever, lost.

On Thursday, South Carolina pummeled Tom O'Brien and NC State. Saturday, #17 Virginia Tech fell 27-22 to East Carolina in Charlotte. Ironically, the Hokies were beaten by a blocked punt returned for a score with 1:52 left in the game.

#2 Southern Cal obliterated Virginia 52-7. Few expected the Cavliers would win, but I think most people expected them to put up more of a fight. It wouldv'e been nice if UVA had wiped the grin of this schmuck's face...



#9 Clemson was dominated by #24 Alabama 34-10 in the Georgia Dome. The Tigers wound up with 0 rushing yards (remember, in college ball, sacks count as rushes), and possessed the ball for 18:47. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide put up 419 yards of offense, including 239 on the ground.



Boston College hosts Georgia Tech next Saturday.

-The Commodore

LIVE FROM TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA

Today I walked through the University of Alabama's football stadium and made me hate URI even more. Pictures will be shown after Gustav finishes destroying the city I am moving too.

Red Sox 8, White Sox 0... Flawless Victory

A beautiful start by Matsuzaka, and a non-stop offensive assault cheered up Sox fans who had expected to see Josh Beckett's return Friday night. Daisuke struck out 7 on his way to win #16. If he keeps winning games, and keeps that ERA below 3, he'll have an outside shot at the Cy Young.

Youkilis and Bay each had 3 RBIs. Bay's came with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Youkilis got his one at a time in the 1st, 6th, and 8th. But only in the 8th was it an RBI hit (he grounded into a fielder's choice in the 1st, and was HBP with the bases loaded in the 6th).

The Sox could have gotten more, as they left 12 men on, 8 of which were in scoring position. But 1 run was all Daisuke needed.



Dustin Pedroia had two stolen bases, the 99th and 100th of the season for the Sox. The Red Sox have been running like crazy in '08, and are currently 2nd in the AL in steals. Ellsbury's 41 is the most for a Red Sock since Otis Nixon had 42 in 1994. And that's cocaine free for Jacoby.



The 100 SBs the Sox have as a team is the first time they've reached the century mark since 1974.

Michael Bowden makes his Major League debut tonight against Mark Buehrle.

-The Commodore

Chad Javon Ocho Cinco

Apparently, Cincinnati Bengals star wide out Chad Johnson LEGALLY has changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco.



Yeah, I really don't have much to say about this except that this isn't really that surprising or shocking. Chad, you're a good receiver and sometimes you can be funny, but this is just a little to outlandish for most people. Obviously Chad you are trying to get attention and you will. But don't expect it to be too long pal, this move by you was simply the next step in the ladder of ridiculousness that you have established in Cincinnati these past few years. And plus, this kind of stuff is old news. Vince McMahon and the XFL? Been there, done that.



But with that said, wouldn't it be cool if someone like John "Way Back" Wasdin could have "Way Back" on his jersey. Or how about David Robinson have "The Admiral" on the back of his. That's pretty cool. Or Kobe Bryant have "Unfaithful" on the back of his United States of America Olympic jersey. Something to think about anyway.

-The Diesel

The Bush Era and Beyond by a Political Enigma: PART ONE

As the Presidential Campaign is heating up, and as politics is shoved into our faces, I, a person who really only knows nothing about politics and besides catching the news once in a while is completely oblivious to what is going on in our country, would like to sum up the George Bush era from my eyes.


I am a college student, a 23 year old whose daily worries involve finding my keys and getting laid. Pretty much after that, as far as the real world goes, I don't know what is going on. But I do know a couple things that happened during the Bush era that I am sure you will remember.

The first is the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. You probably know where you were when you first heard the news, as do I, in my English class taught by Mr. Brennan. Accoridng to Wikipedia, 2,974 died that die, and 24 people are missing and presumed dead. We all know what happened: a expertly crafted coordinated attack took place involving groups of men hi-jacking airliners and then driving them into familiar, symbolic American landmarks such as the Twin Towers in New York.

Now, you have to admit, as a person that that plan was a pretty damned good plan for doing what it was intended to do. Obviously it took a lot of time, patience, hard work, devotion and the willingness to die for what you believe (any of that sound familiar).

Now apparently from what I've heard, again, I don't really know, Bush knew about this, even the Clinton administration knew something like this may happen and didn't react to it properly and because of this Bush takes some shots. Well you know what, I mean, what the fuck are you going to do? I mean PEOPLE HI-JACKING PLANES WITH FREAKN BOX KNIVES AND THEN KAMIKAZEING INTO BUILDINGS!!!! Not one person ever thought that would be possible until that happened.

Talk about gettn fucked over, Clinton turns the White House into the Dallas Cowboys' white house of the Michael Irvin days and gets off scotch free. Bush, who seems like a good character guy, gets 9/11 dropped on him literally out of the blue. Now that just sucks and isn't fair. You might say as President he should be ready for these things. Well you know what, even though he had that Rache Caldwell "Oh shit, that just happened" look on his face when he was in Florida with a bunch of kids, WHAT THE FUCK WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO? TAKE OFF HIS SHIRT AND TIE AND UNVEIL THAT HE IS SUPERMAN AND STOP THE TERRORISTS AROUND THE WORLD.




There are other people in the government you know, and as far as I'm concerned they did the best they could do to handle that situation. Face it America, Al-Qaeda clearly saw something they thought they could exploit and they did, nothing you can do there. Props to those on United 93 by the way, those people along with the firefighters and volunteers are real heroes, not Michael Phelps.

Stay tuned in for Part II titled "Katrina: Don't build cities under water with shitty levees."

-The Diesel

College Football Has Begun!

The triple option. QBs lined up as WRs. Two-way players. Reverses. Kickers who can't make extra points. Blocked punts. Mutual possession overtime. 100,000 screaming fans in a stadium. Rivalries. Non-stop QB rollouts and bootlegs. These are the things that make college football great.

Last night the season got underway for 28 teams. The only ranked team to play was #23 Wake Forest, who crushed Baylor on the road 41-13.

A slightly weaker ACC team beat a much weaker opponent as Georgia Tech cruised to a 41-14 win over I-AA Jacksonville State. Former LSU QB Ryan Perrilloux was 22 for 37 for JSU, throwing 2 TDs and 2 picks.



Two New England schools were in action last night. Northeastern was slaughtered by Ball State 48-14. And UConn beat up Hofstra 35-3.

Miami played their first game in Dolphin Stadium, rolling over Charleston Southern 52-7.

South Carolina wound up beating NC State 34-0, but it wasn't easy. Tommy Beecher started the game by throwing 4 interceptions, and the Gamecocks only led 3-0 at halftime. Chris Smelley replaced Beecher and was 5 for 5 with 2 TD passes. NC State used 3 QBs, and looked bad all around, except for the occasional brilliant defensive play.

I lost my first bet of the year, as Stanford beat Oregon State 36-28. I picked the Beavers, and they easily could have won this game AND covered the 3 point spread. They had 490 yards of offense, but also 100 yards of penalties, 3 turnovers, and couldn't make a big play at the final stages of a long drive. The defense also allowed 210 rushing yards.



Games to watch Saturday:
11:00 AM - ESPN - Appalachian St @ #7 LSU
3:30 PM - ABC - #3 USC @ Virginia
7:30 PM - ESPNU - Boston College @ Kent State (in Cleveland)
8:00 PM - ABC - #24 Alabama vs. #9 Clemson (in Atlanta)
8:30 PM - ESPN - #20 Illinois vs. #6 Missouri (in St. Louis)

Sunday:
3:30 PM - ESPN - Kentucky @ Louisville

Monday:
8:00 PM - ESPN - #18 Tennessee @ UCLA

-The Commodore

NY Giants 19, NE Patriots 14

The next time some moron says something like "Brady is just a system quarterback" you can point to the stagnant Patriots offense this preseason as evidence against such a dumb statement. That's about the only good thing to come out of the exhibition season.

The Patriots offense was once again flat, and the defense was - at times - systematically picked apart. But what else do you expect with Brady on the bench? Brady's absence hurts the defense as well. It hurts starting field position and time of possession (last night the Giants had the ball for about 40 minutes, the Pats only 20), which can drain a defense's energy before it even takes the field.



But the good news is that Brady should be back under center next Sunday against the Chiefs.

Some more good news is that rookies Jerod Mayo and Shawn Crable look pretty good, and both seem to have tons of potential. John Lynch looks healthy and full of energy, playing most of last night's game and registering 8 tackles.

An 0-4 preseason is hardly a good sign for a team. Cleveland is the only other side that will be winless. But the Pats could have easily forced overtime in their 16-15 loss against Baltimore. They were 2-2 in last year's preseason, before rattling off 18 straight wins. The last time they won the Super Bowl - 2004 - the Pats had a 1-3 preseason. And that was with Mr. Brady starting games.

By Saturday, the Pats will shave their roster to 53, and as mentioned above, the real season starts September 7th at Gillette against the Chiefs, who were 4-12 last year.

-The Commodore

Presidential teams now set for battle

Dueling Couches will draw little attention for its political coverage, but that's only because we spit knowledge on that which we know, and that which we know well--sports; and some say that DC does so better than anyone on the planet. HOWEVER, everyone should be able to recognize the significance of the upcoming presidential election no matter what your personal opinions of the candidates may be.




Earlier today the McCain camp announced their pick for VP. Surprisingly they went with non other than Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.

An unexpected, yet understandable decision. McCain obviously plans to lock up those disgruntled Clinton supporters who said they would never support Obama if he didn't pick Hillary as a running mate. I could definitely see plenty of American 'sheep' now supporting McCain simply because he chose a female running mate.

On the other hand, McCain's choice for VP takes the 'experience' issue off the table. McCain has been coming at Obama regarding his level of experience in politics, but now his on VP is a 'politico-greenhorn' herself. She was elected Gov in 2006.

So now we got John McCain and Sarah Palin



And we got Obama and Joe Biden



I have never really been into politics, and most of the time I feel that politicians just exhale hot air into the American people with the help of a biased and manipulative media. But this election has captured my attention and i would encourage all you sports fans out there to take some time to figure out who you wanna see as Commander and Chief. If your not interested for you, think about the future generations of our great country; this election matters.



Just so ya know, heres the schedule for upcoming Presidential Debates:

September 26, 2008: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

October 2, 2008: Vice Presidential debate, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

October 7, 2008: Presidential debate in a town hall format, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

October 15, 2008:Presidential debate with foreign policy focus, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Why not

remember how awesome #9 is. Praise be to Rajon.

Josh Beckett Will Not Start Tomorrow

After a tough loss to the Yankees, the Sox got even more bad news, as they found out Josh Beckett is still having elbow trouble and will not be able to make his scheduled start tomorrow. Beckett will now go to see Dr. Andrews, who is the specialist for these types of injuries. The Sox came out after Beckett pitched a 50 pitch side session, and said that the tingling sensation did not return, but he was still not 100%. It all sounds bad to me, but we will keep you updated as we get more information.

-BMack

Yankees Beat Sox In Last Meeting At Yankee Stadium 3-2

The Sox lost a tough one in the bottom of the 9th at Yankee Stadium. This will most likely the last time the Sox will be at Yankee Stadium, as the Yankees move to their new stadium next year, and the Yankees will probably not make the playoffs.

The game started with a great pitching duel Lester vs. Mussina. Both pitcher held up their end of the bargain as Lester pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing only 1 run on 5 hits with 8 Ks, and Mussina went 7 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with 6 Ks. The Sox were up 2-0 going into the bottom of the 7th till Lester started to get tired, and let up 2 runs on Jason Giambi 2 run HR. Giambi was not down though, in the bottom of the 9th he hit the game winning rbi single off Papelbon. So, the last memory at Yankee Stadium will be a lot like the rest of the memories the Sox have there..heart breaking, but at least this time we know that our season is actually going somewhere, while the Yankees is basically over.

Why Not?

Why not watch a Home Alone meets I Am Legend trailer?

-BMack

DP Moving to New Orleans...Oh No!!!

One of the co-founders (DP) of Dueling Couches has moved from Rhode Island to New Orleans. He left yesterday and is making his way down there, but the funny thing is...so is Hurricane Gustav. Gustav is supposed to go over Cuba tonight, and then make its may to New Orleans, by the time it gets there it will be a category 3 hurricane, and the news is saying that this levees once again are going to let go. Perfect time for DP to head on down there. But the real reason I put this post up is so that I could get people's opinion on where DP should move if N.O. doesn't exist anymore...

Personally I think Alabama

-BMack

Goodell Clears Pacman

Pacman Jones has been cleared by Roger Goodell today, so he is now eligible to play for the Cowboys this season. Pacman is an idiot and it will be interesting to see how long he can stay healthy. The Cowboys could certainly use his help, but I still believe that he is a very overrated player, and his time away from football I think will come back to haunt this team at some point this season. Still, the Cowboys are by far the best team in the NFC and should have no more than 5 losses.

-BMack

Mike Lowell Getting Better

Mike Lowell came out and made comments today that he is feeling a lot better, and will try swinging a bat in the next couple of days. I think he will be back in a Red Sox uniform around the 2nd week in August, but I really just wanted to bring up the difference between a player like J.D. Drew, and Mike Lowell. Lowell is just a grind-it-out type of guy. He battles till the end, and will do anything he can to stay on the field. Drew on the other hand really can't play through an injury. People have different tolerance for pain, but I think a lot of it has to do with heart. Mike Lowell has heart, and he WANTS to be on the field. J.D. Drew takes a lot of shit from Boston fans, and some of it is deserved, and some not. Drew is a very good player, and very "professional". He doesn't hurt a clubhouse, but he is not someone who is going to step up and be a captain for this team. Mike Lowell is, and if Varitek is gone after this year (which I think he is), then I think Mike Lowell should be the captain. He doesn't need some stupid "C" on his jersey to prove what he means to this team. All I know is that you will see Mike Lowell back in action (even if hurt), and I have a bad feeling we may have seen the last of J.D. Drew in 2008.

-BMack

Why Not?

Why not see why I can't take people with English accents people seriously?

-BMack

Beckett Injury Update

Josh Beckett, who has been out (tingling fingers) since Aug. 17th when he get shelled by the Blue Jays, is ready to come back to the Red Sox Friday. He will be taking the field against the Chicago White Sox, and it couldn't come at a better time for the Sox. I really the Red Sox wanted to get Beckett some time off, and now they having him coming back with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins for the Wild Card sport, and only 3 1/2 games behind the Rays for the lead in the AL East. I expect Beckett to come back strong, and it will be a good test to see him go against the hard hitting White Sox.

-BMack

Merriman To Play Through Pain

The San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that Shawne Merriman will play through his knee pain this year. It was reported a couple days ago that Merriman has two torn ligaments in his knee, and that his doctors were not sure if he was going to be able to play. That was till today, when he came out and publicly states that he would play the 2008 season for the Chargers. Personally, I hate this guy, and his stupid little dance every time he does something good (same reason I hate Seau), but I have to admit that this is very badass. I know they are going to have him on all kinds of drugs and shots so that he can play through the pain, but this guy is only 24 years old. He really could have (and maybe should have) sat out the season, and came back strong in 2009. I don't know if it is the right decision, but maybe Merriman knows that the window for the Chargers to win a championship is closing, and the Chargers will need him to have any shot.

-BMack

Sox Get Kotsay

With JD Drew out, the Red Sox found themselves lacking a left-handed outfielder. Less than 24 hours after Drew was on the DL, they got a new one. They've reportedly traded a "mid-level" prospect to Atlanta for Mark Kotsay.



Kotsay waived a limited no-trade clause in order to come to Boston. He's arbitration eligible at the end of the season, and the Sox will pay the balance of his $8 million salary (about $1.5M).

The 33 year old hit .289 with the Braves, with an OBP of .340 and a .418 slugging percentage. He's hit 6 homeruns in 318 at-bats this year. He missed some of May and most of June with back spasms. He's been hitting well recently, batting .288 in August with a .500 slugging percentage.

He'll be a solid #6 or #7 hitter to anchor the bottom of the lineup.

It's funny, the Red Sox started the season supposedly with "too many outfielders" (Drew, Ellsbury, Manny, Crisp, Moss) and "too much pitching." Now they've had to scrape together outfielders and pitchers after the trade deadline.

Kotsay also has a smoking hot wife...





-The Commodore

Strahan Declines Deal, Stays Retired

Michael Strahan turned down a one year deal to come out of retirement for the defending champion New York Giants. This is the right move for Strahan, he has already missed the entire pre-season and by the looks of things, has not been staying in shape. Strahan says it was never about the money, it was a matter of being mentally prepared for another NFL season. In other words, he doesn't want to bust his ass for 16 games and have nothing to show for it.

I think this is the right choice for Strahan. He won his first Superbowl last season and decided it was best to go out on top. Besides would you want to go back and play for the Giants? Me neither. This team is up shit creek without a paddle at this point. Who are they going to call up next? Tiki Barber?

Strahan fans, no worries, you can still see the giant gap in Strahans teeth every Sunday on FOX. Maybe he can use some of the 2 million dollars that fox is paying him to get some braces.

-Brian B

Yankee Failures: Episode 2 - Ruben Sierra

Sierra has the distinction of being a two time Yankee failure. He spent the end of 1995 and start of 1996 in the Bronx. He came back and played for the Yanks from 2003 to 2005.



In his first stint, Sierra played 152 games with the Yankees, hitting 18 homeruns, and hitting .259. He struck out 92 times.

His second stint was longer but worse. Desperate for power, the Yankees reacquired him in the middle of the 2003 season. In 231 more games for New York, he hit 25 homeruns, hit .249. He knocked in 125 runs.

Sierra wasn't a monumental failure like Jose Contreras or Jeff Weaver were. But the fact that the Yankees were so desperate that they got (and kept) a 37 year old over the hill slugger who couldn't hit for average just goes to show how sad the Yankees are this century.

-The Commodore

Red Sox 7, Yankees 3

The bottom of the lineup came through for the Sox last night, which was a big reason behind the 7-3 victory. The 7-8-9 hitters (Crisp, Bailey, Cash) combined to go 7 for 13 with 3 RBI. All three of those runs came with 2 outs in the 5th, turning a 3-2 squeaker into a comfortable 6-2 lead.

The middle of the lineup also did their part. The 3-4-5 combo of Ortiz, Youkilis, and Bay was 5 for 9 with 5 walks, 3 doubles, and 3 runs scored. Youkilis added his 90th RBI of the season.

Wakefield was only able to go 5 innings, allowing 3 runs off 8 hits. This led to the inevitable: someone struggling out of the bullpen. Last night it was Manny Delcarmen's turn to make things unneccesarily dramatic. He allowed 2 walks and a hit in his 0.1 inning. Thankfully, he was saved by Masterson, who induced A-Rod into an inning ending double play.

Jed Lowrie made an error in the 9th. It was the first error of his Major League career. That's 1 error in 155 chances. Julio Lugo averaged 9 errors every 155 chances this season.

With Tampa Bay and Minnesota losing, the Sox are now 3.5 games out of the divisional lead, and 2.5 games ahead of the Twins for the wild card.

With 31 games remaining, the Yankees are now 6 games out of a playoff spot. If the Sox win the next two games, they can all but close the door on New York.

Josh Beckett had a 50 pitch side session yesterday, and reportedly felt strong. He's scheduled to start on Friday against the White Sox. Francona said Beckett is "excited" to go on Friday.

But the news out of the Bronx wasn't 100% positive. JD Drew was placed on the 15 day DL with a back strain. No official word yet on what the exact problem is, or when Drew will be back. Bartolo Colon was transferred from the 15 to the 60 day DL.

But hearing Yankee fans boo A-Rod is music to my ears.



In the battle of the 4.6 ERAs, Paul Byrd takes on Sidney Ponson tonight.

-The Commodore

Kotsay to the Sox?

According to ESPN the Sox are interested in OF Mark Kotsay. Kotsay is a quality outfeilder and with J.D. Drew going on the DL with a ruptured disk there is a need for another OF to platoon wiht Jacoby and Coco. The question that arises is how much or if Katsay would make an impact during the mission for Soxtober. What ever the case may be he has a dope wife.

DC NFL Preview: Washington Redskins

2007 Record: 9-7

Key Additions:
Devin Thomas (WR) - Draft - Michigan State
Fred Davis (TE) - Draft - USC
Malcolm Kelly (WR) - Draft - USC
Jason Taylor (DE) - Trade - Dolphins

Key Losses:
Brandon Llyod (WR) - FA - Bears
David Macklin (DB) - FA - Rams
Mark Brunell (QB) - FA - Saints
Keenan McCardell (WR) - FA - Not Signed
Sean Taylor (S) - Dead

Offense:
The Redskins entire 2008 season is going to be on the shoulders of Jason Campbell. This is the due or die year for him, but I real like this kid and think he is going to come through for the Redskins. Clinton Portis (when healthy) is one of the best running backs in the league, and that should take the pressure off Campbell. The Redskins drafted some nice WRs, but they will probably take a couple years to develop, but they should be able to get some touched behind Santana Moss, and Antwaan Randle El. The most underrated player on this team is Chris Cooley, and even though the Redskins WRs are sub par, having Cooley should let them take advantage of their play action attack.

Defense:
Even with the death of Taylor, the Redskins still have a very good defensive backfield. Springs is slowing down at age 33, but is still one of the best DBs in the league. Smoot is solid, but Landry is an absolute stud. Now that the Redskins have a pass rusher in Jason Taylor I expect the Redskins to force a lot of turnovers, and with London Fletcher at MLB I really think this is a very strong squad.

Overall:
The Redskins play in a tough division, but I think they will have a better season than the Giants and Eagles. Campbell will be very good if these rookie WRs can contribute, and look for Portis to have another great year. The addition of Taylor I think will be the difference with this team. I expect to see this team in the playoffs in 2008.

Predicted Record: 10-6

Next up will be the Chicago Bears

To see the rest of the previews click below
CLICK HERE

Teams done so far:
All AFC Teams
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins

-BMack

Why Not?

Watch chimps outperform humans on memory test?

-BMack

Finally...MLB Has Replay

Major League Baseball has announced that starting Thursday MLB umpires will be allowed to use replay for HR only. I think this is a step in the right direction and it really needed to be done. Some people argue that it will make the game even slower, but I think it could actually speed it up. Right now, umpires have to come together to make a call like this, and then a manager usually comes out to argue. Now we don't need to worry about that, because it will go right to the booth. Not to mention that we will no longer have to deal with umpires stupid HR calls (I think most umps suck, so I am biased).

-BMack

Peyton Takes The Field

Peyton Manning was back on the field today for this first time since having surgery on his knee. The surgery was to remove an infected bursa sac from the left knee, and some people worried that he would miss the first game of the regular season. Though it is unlikely that Manning will play in the Colts final preseason game, he is expected to play week 1. Peyton has never missed a game, and I really don't think that this will effect his play this season, because he prepares more than any other QB in the NFL. The real questions with the Colts will be the healthy of Marvin Harrison and Joseph Addai.

-BMack

For Dave

This picture is dedicated to DP...



In the front left is Tim Wakefield. And behind Tim, slightly to the right.

Doug "The Grand Baron" Mirabelli

-The Commodore

Yankee Failures: Episode 1 - Carl Pavano

The Red Sox are making their final scheduled trip to Yankee Stadium. And in honor of the Big Ballpark in the Bronx, as well as its 85 year tenants, I present a series of posts documenting some of the biggest, most expensive, and funniest failed Yankees in recent history. We'll have all your old favorites, and some you may have forgotten about.

We start the series with Carl Pavano.



Pavano is in the last year of a 4 year, $39.5M deal with the Yanks. In 2005, he hit the DL with shoulder problems. In '06, a "bruised buttocks" caused him to sit (or stand) on the sidelines. He broke his ribs in a car accident on August 15, 2006. But he didn't tell the Yankees about it until the 28th, right after they told him that he was going to be activated off the DL.

Mike Mussina publicly questioned Pavano's desire to play.

"[Pavano] is only looking at it from his perspective, we're looking at it from our perspective. We want him to go out there and show us that he wants to do this."



Pavano wound up rehabbing his arm in Tampa. But never visited his teammates whenever they were in town to play the Rays.

Pavano is a free agent at the end of 2008. In 4 years with the Yankees, he's made 20 starts, gone 6-6, thrown 116.1 innings, with a 4.80 ERA. The Yankees have been in the playoffs every year since he signed, but he hasn't made an appearance in October.

He's been paid about $2 million per start. $6.6 million per win. $340,000 per inning, $113,000 per out, $608,000 per strikeout.



Carl Pavano will go down in history for three things...

1. Being traded from Boston to Montreal for Pedro Martinez
2. Giving up Mark McGwire's 70th homerun
3. Being a Yankee failure

-The Commodore