The Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and are going into a place they have a lot of success against a team that is the worst in the majors. Boston has won 10 of 12 in Camden Yards (including 8 in a row). News only gets better when you look at all the stats, as Lackey is 6-1 with a 2.61 ERA in eight starts versus the Orioles.
Going against Lackey is David Hernandez. He is 1-2 against the Sox in his career with an ERA over 5. Hernandez is nothing special and the Sox really should be able to put up some runs on him. Adrian Beltre, who leads the Red Sox with a .320 average, has been hot of late, going 10 for 21 with three RBIs in the last 6 games, hopefully he and the rest of the Sox offense can start putting up more runs.
Boston needs to take advantage of these easier series, as they play catchup with the Yankees and Rays. Sweeping the Orioles would be a nice start.
I hate writing Brett Favre posts, but today it was announced that Favre would need ankle surgery to play again in the NFL. The last game he play (which was against the Saints) he got destroyed, so this report doesn't surprise me. Still, I think he is coming back, and he will just use this injury, so that he has just another excuse about why he can be at training camp. At this point, I think that is really the only thing Favre doesn't like about football.
Maybe I am wrong, but I really just don't think there is any way he doesn't come back next year.
"I wanted to obviously have a long playoff run and go for my dream again," said Nowitzki, who would make $21.5 million next season if he doesn't opt out of his contract. "Now it's obviously too shocking and too disappointing. I haven't really thought about anything about my future yet. I guess I've got some time now to think about some stuff and think about my options.
"We'll just have to wait and see. Like I said, everything is too fresh now."
I ultimately thing Dirk will stay and not opt out because I don't know if he can get 21.5 million dollars in a contract again. I think he will get 15ish in a long time deal. Dirk is a premier player but his team tends to disappear in the playoffs, I don't know what the issue is, but you have to figure it has to be his fault somewhat. If he chooses to leave Dallas, free agency will get a lot more interesting.
First baseman Lars Anderson was rewarded for his hot start with Double-A Portland by today being promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. If you can remember this guy was one of the Red Sox best prospects, but last season he sucked hitting only .233 with a .328 on-base percentage and 9 home runs for Portland.
This year he has been on fire hitting .355 and has a 1.086 OPS through 17 games with 5 doubles and 5 home runs (he also had 15 RBIs). Now there are some people out there that think he will take over for Ortiz within the next couple of months. If he stays hot that could be true, but I see this move as more of an audition to be traded. If interest around the league gets a little higher maybe this will be one of the pieces the Red Sox can move to land a big bat (Cabrera/Gonzalez). There will obviously be a lot more in that deal (Kelly?), but I think the Sox would prefer to move a guy like Anderson rather then an Ellsbury.
SAN JOSE 4, DETROIT 3 (Sharks lead series 1-0) The Wings didn't get much time to rest after their Game 7 win in Phoenix. In fact, their plane landed in San Jose after the airport's curfew the other night, so they're facing a $2,500 fine. While physically they seemed fine last night, they were a bit fuzzy at the start of this game. They allowed 3 goals in 79 seconds in the 1st period. Apart from that, they looked great, except a semi-soft goal allowed by Howard. So enjoy it while it lasts San Jose. Joe "Dude" Pavelski scored twice (including the game winner), and had an assist. The Dude abides.
Tonight's game: 7:00pm - Montreal @ Pittsburgh - Versus
Saturday's games: 12:30pm - Philadelphia @ Boston - NBC 8:00pm - Vancouver @ Chicago - Versus
Sunday's games: 2:00pm - Montreal @ Pittsburgh - NBC 8:00pm - Detroit @ San Jose - Versus
You read that title, and you think "fucking spoiled, fat Americans", well that might be true, but I definitely fall into this category.
"Americans are more loyal to their favorite soft drink, television show or car brand than they are to their employer, according to a joint Reuters/Ipsos poll."
I don't know about anyone else, but I have no loyalty to the company I work for. If you gave be a 10% raise I'd be out of here in 10 sec flat. Plus, you know what? Coke doesn't really change, and LOST/Dexter have been way better then anything that goes on at my job.
"Only 55 percent of employees said they would stay at their job and turn down higher pay elsewhere, which suggests that 45 percent of workers would leave their job if offered a 10 percent hike in pay.
"Employers have real issues," Keiningham said. "This should be a wake-up call. The only way to grow your way out of a bad economy is to hold on to your customers and encourage both employee and customer loyalty (reuters.com)."
Why would anyone have any loyalty to any company anymore? After all the layoffs, and companies stealing 401Ks, can you really expect them to be loyal? I have been at my job for 2 years, and been transferred 3 times. I'd trust Roethlisberger with my sister in a bathroom before I'd trust a "big" company.
So, basically the only company you can trust is Dueling Couches, so give us a lot of money, so we don't have to go to work anymore. I really have no idea where I was going with this, but it's Friday, so here's some titties....
Who saw this bracket-busting matchup coming? The 6th seeded Bruins and the 7th seeded Flyers. Both teams vanquished their respective Division's champions in Round 1. And now one of these 3rd place sides will be in the Eastern Conference Finals.
These teams met 4 times, including that epic overtime game at Fenway. Each team beat the other once in regulation, and once in overtime/shootout (in other words, both teams are 2-1-1 against each other). The Flyers won the first two games, back in 2009. The Bruins won on New Years Day, and in their most recent meeting in March. That was a 5-1 Bruins victory.
But what does the regular season mean now? Next to nothing. In the regular season, Brian Boucher was a liability for the Flyers. He was their MVP in Round 1. In the regular season, the Bruins' Power Play was a joke. That unit throttled Buffalo, scoring over 27% of the time.
As well as he played against New Jersey, Brian "Waterboy" Boucher is no Ryan Miller. Then again, the B's have made a lot of goalies look like Ryan Miller this season. Boucher made 1 start against the B's, but played in 2 games. He had a .949 SV% in that time.
Tuukka saw the Flyers twice. 1-0-1 record, 1.92 GAA, .944 SV%. So once again, do not expect many 5-4 games this series. Things will be tight, and the scoring will be low.
But there will be blood. Zdeno Chara and Chris Pronger will spearhead both team's physical games. The challenge will be to stay within the rules. Both team's PP units excelled in the 1st round. Then again, both team's PK units performed just as well, so don't be shocked to see the likes of Sobotka and Hartnell spending time in the clink.
The Bruins will be adding to their roster, while the Flyers have been forced to subtract. Marc Savard returns this series. It's unclear how often he'll play, and it might be tough going for him to be dropped in the middle of a physical and hard-checking series. Expect him to be on the power play, but I doubt he'll be very effective at the start of the series.
The Flyers lose two weapons to shot-block related injuries. 33 goal scorer Jeff Carter won't play, and neither will 17 goal man Simon Gagne. 11 of Carter's 33 scores came on the power play, so that unit loses a bit of bite. That being said, there's still Mike Richards (31 goals), Danny Briere (26 goals), and Claude Giroux (4 goals, 2 assists in New Jersey series) to contend with.
And that's where I'm worried. The Bruins continually made some big mistakes in the Buffalo series. But they were saved by Rask half the time, and by Buffalo's offensive ineptitude the other half. These mistakes can't persist. The Bruins don't need to play flawless hockey to beat the Flyers, but the outcome of this series will be determined by how many mistakes the Bruins make in their own zone. Michael Ryder, Dennis Wideman, I hope you fully understand this.
Oh, and Marco Sturm needs to score. If he gets hot, then those mistakes won't be so costly. Sturm had 2 goals and 2 assists against the Flyers this season, including this one...
To me, this is the Bruins' series to lose. They have an excellent goaltender, they know how to play physical hockey, they've been excellent killing penalties. The Flyers are truly a solid, balanced team, but they lack that goaltending. And so long as the B's are careful with the puck in their own zone (especially when Richards or Briere are on the ice), and guys like Recchi, Krejci, Bergeron, Chara, and Wideman keep up the effort and the work, the Bruins will win in 6 games.
Schedule: Sat 5/1 12:30pm - vs. Philadelphia - NBC Mon 5/3 7:00pm - vs. Philadelphia - Versus Wed 5/5 7:00pm - @ Philadelphia - Versus Fri 5/7 7:00pm - @ Philadelphia - Versus Mon 5/10 7:00pm - vs. Philadelphia - Versus Wed 5/12 7:00pm - @ Philadelphia - Versus Fri 5/14 7:00pm - vs. Philadelphia - Versus
Alright before i start my argument, I as much as every other male on the face of this earth loves getting with younger girls/women. But seriously what the fuck Big Ben? Your a two time super bowl winning QB, arguably the most desired group of athletes on the planet for women and you continually get these accusations of assaulting women. I mean seriously come on you seriously have to be better than that, your disgracing all of us with your stupidity. Regardless of my love of the patriots, the steelers, cowboys, and packers will always have my respect for their history and their way of acting as the premier organizations year in and year out. My beef is with the steelers and with big ben in particular. you trade Holmes for minor shit like pot and booze but will allow this dueche bag to represent you in a way that is just so ridiculously retarded that i cant even come up with a good enough insult to write. Like seriously, first you almost kill yourself on a motorcycle and then you continue to get charges pressed against you for assaulting females. Last time i checked most athletes dont need to follow chicks into bathrooms to get laid or their dick sucked but apparently youve defeated the odds. Case in point I respect this dueche bag as a QB, but as a man I am insulted for your continued retardation to rape chicks when you shouldve have to but, hey i guess you really are a piece of white trash. Way to be a fuck. In conclusion ill leave u with this one liner that I love from one of the greatest lyricists ever, "I'd rather turn this club into a bar room brawl. Get as rowdy as Roethlisberger in a bathroom stall."
The Bruins seem to have everything going their way lately. Somehow the Canadiens were able to take out Washington, Savard is ready to go, and now Mark Stuart (held out the entire first round because of an infection in his left hand) has been cleared to start skating on his own.
He most likely won't be ready for the first game or two, but if he progresses over the next few days, Claude Julien said there's a good chance Stuart could rejoin the team for practice. If he keeps getting better then we could see him later in round 2.
A man is dating three women and wants to decide which to marry. He decides to give them a test. He gives each woman a present of $5000 and watches to see what she does with the money.
The first does a total make-over. She goes to a fancy beauty salon, gets her hair done, new make up and buys several new outfits and dresses up very nicely for the man. She tells him that she has done this to be more attractive for him because she loves him so much. The man was impressed.
The second goes shopping to buy the man gifts. She gets him a new set of golf clubs, some new gizmos for his computer, and some expensive clothes. As she presents these gifts, she tells him that she has spent all the money on him because she loves him so much. Again, the man is impressed.
The third invests the money in the stock market. She earns several times the $5000. She gives him back his $5000 and reinvests the remainder in a joint account. She tells him that she wants to save for their future because she loves him so much. Obviously, the man was impressed.
The man thought for a long time about what each woman had done with the money, and then he married the one with the largest breasts.
The final eight. The West saw some predictable teams advance, with more trouble than predicted. But the East saw the upsets. We've also seen the exit of some of the best goalies in the nHL. Soon-to-be Vezina winner Ryan Miller was ousted, as was Ilya Bryzgalov, and so was 4 time Vezina winner Martin Brodeur.
Four of the Original Six are in the 2nd round. Only 1 "warm weather" team remains. The Sharks are also the only relatively recent expansion team left. Apart from them, every team left has existed since 1970.
EASTERN CONFERENCE: A couple of upsets threw the Eastern Conference on its head. You'll also find three of the hottest goalies on this side of the bracket, particularly Jaroslav Halak.
#4 PITTSBURGH vs. #8 MONTREAL The Canadiens rode Halak past Washington. But they also benefitted from the Capitals (apart from Ovechkin and maybe Backstrom) choking like crazy. Gorges and Gill emerged as a dominating defensive duo, but I'll still attribute Washington's demise to choking, as opposed to Montreal doing anything superlative. Pittsburgh doesn't choke. M.A. Fleury might give away a game, but the Pens will prevail.
Pittsburgh in 6.
#6 BOSTON vs. #7 PHILADELPHIA When you get the 6th seed, you don't expect to have home ice advantage in any round. The B's last played the Flyers in the postseason in '78. Back then they were perennial playoff adversaries. Brian "Waterboy" Boucher struggled all season, but stunned New Jersey in Philly's 5 game series win. So don't be shocked if the Bruins struggle to score much. Although the B's will have Marc Savard back. Moreover, a much more reliable Tuukka Rask. Look for another close-fought, physical series, like the one with Buffalo.
Bruins in 7.
WESTERN CONFERENCE: All the favorites in the West won, except the 4th seeded Coyotes, who had to face a healthy Red Wings side that most people picked to win the series anyway.
#1 SAN JOSE vs. #5 DETROIT RED WINGS What does San Jose get for having the best record in the West? A 2nd round date with the mighty Red Wings.
Both teams struggled to get into this next round. But I can't help but think of the Sharks as chokers and the Red Wings as winners. Detroit's skaters boast over 1,600 combined playoff games. That's absurd. They're always calm, always professional, rarely make mistakes. And they have a hot young goalie in Jimmy Howard.
Nabokov had an excellent series against Colorado. But Paul Stastny is not Henrik Zetterberg. Then again, Howard hasn't had to face the likes of Marleau or Heatley.
I can't pick against Detroit here. Wings in 7.
#2 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS vs. #3 VANCOUVER CANUCKS Anticipate a back-and-forth series, as both these teams play excellently on home ice and struggle just a bit on the road (especially Vancouver). The season series was also split 2-2. Two of those games were close, two were blowouts. Antti Niemi has emerged as Chicago's netminder, and he excelled in the series against Nashville (2.15 GAA, .921 SV%). But stifling the Preds is a much lighter task than stopping the Sedins and Canucks. And don't forget Mikael Samuelsson, who scored 7 times in the 6 game series against LA. Then again, Vancouver has an over-the-hill Luongo in the net.
I predict high scoring games, but the Blackhawks riding a hot young goalie into the Conference Finals. Chicago in 6.
Washington's gone. The 8th, 7th, and 6th seeds in the East have all advanced. Gotta love the NHL Playoffs.
MONTREAL 2, WASHINGTON 1 (Canadiens win series 4-3) I found it difficult to root for Montreal, even though it offered the best result for the Bruins. But what was difficult for the Caps was finding a hole in Jaroslav Halak's wall. He made 41 saves. In the last 2 games this series, he stopped 94 of 96 shots, and 131 of 134 in the final 3 games (all Montreal wins, of course). So now guys like the overrated Mike Greene have to sit and watch everyone else contend for the Cup.
Lately there has been a lot of talk about how Gonzalez and Pujols were affected by the contract signing of Ryan Howard (five-year, $125 million). Basically it set the market, it may have also forced Fielder right out of Milwaukee. The Brewers would love to bring their young slugger back, but it seems far less likely now that Fielder might be able to get around $20 million a year for the next 5-7 years.
I really didn't think they would be able to bring him back, and I think Fielder would like to play for a big market team that has a lot of media coverage (that is just a feeling, no real proof). So, if we entertain the thought that he is out the door you would think the Red Sox would be picking up the phone before the deadline. Some people think they may hold off to get Adrian Gonzalez, but I can really picture this happening. Anyways, here is a list of teams that would most likely be challenging the Red Sox for him...
So, the Canadiens some how beat the Captial, so now the Bruins move on to play the Flyers. The best part...Bruins get home ice advantage. Here is the TV schedule...
Saturday, May 1 12:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston NBC, TSN
Monday, May 3 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston TSN, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 5 7:00 p.m. Boston at Philadelphia TSN, VERSUS
Friday, May 7 7:00 p.m. Boston at Philadelphia TSN, VERSUS
Monday, May 10 * 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston TSN, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 12 * TBD Boston at Philadelphia TSN, VERSUS
Friday, May 14 * 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston TSN, VERSUS
Belichick is one of the most not funny people in the entire world. The only way he is funny is that he is so not funny that it becomes comical, but this story may change that a bit...
"Fresh off being told by Major League Baseball that he could keep wearing his favorite jacket, Maddon got a new one Wednesday -- the Tampa Bay Rays manager received a personalized Patriots hoodie in the mail from the New England coach (ESPN)."
Ok, it's not that funny, but at least it is something. Anyways, the MLB needs to chill out with this whole going after coaches out of uniform thing. If it is raining, or cold the guy should be able to put on a hoodie. I mean come on. I get it if there is merchandise rights or something, but then give him one that he can wear. The whole thing just seems so unnecessary.
They have done this to Francona a bunch of times because he doesn't wear the baseball uniform under his jacket. Which is kind of hilarious, I mean what affect does it really have? Was he going to sub himself into the game?
So I was scanning google images for some new tattoo ideas (spring always gets me itchy for some new ink). And under the search, "Elbow Sleeve Tattoos", this freak shows up. What is this? Seriously are you trying to make a statement or are your just that committed to your cult that you would tattoo your entire HEAD into a skull.
I love tattoos and I love seeing some odd ones (like the guy who did his whole body like a tiger), but this is just stupid. Call me conservative but all of my tattoos can be hidden by business casual dress. Im gonna go out on a limb here and say he does NOT work in an office. Infact I'm gonna go as far as to say his job is probably nothing, other than making horrible life choices consistantly and on a semi annual basis.
They do exist dueling couches friends, these people DO EXIST!
Finally the Red Sox are getting the pitching they thought they'd be getting when they put this team together. Lester threw a gem last night throwing 7 scoreless innings letting up only 1 hit with 11 K's. Lester seems to need 1 big start to get him going every year, this could very well be the start that puts him back on the track of being the best lefty in the AL.
The Sox bat were once again basically silent the whole game. It was McDonald, who ended up being the savior in this game. He scored on a sac fly by Pedroia in the 6th then hit an RBI single in the 7th to put the Sox up 2-0.
It is really nice to see that the Sox bullpen does come together when they aren't overworked. Bard and Papelbon combined to throw 2 scoreless innings, and Papelbon locked down his 7th save of the season.
The Sox are starting to play a little better winning 6 of their last 10, but it hasn't been easy. Tonight we will see Brett Cecil vs. Jon Lester. Lester has been a major disappointment so far this year with an 0-2 record and a 6.23 ERA.
We all know about Lester's struggles early in a season (He is 2-6 with a 5.12 lifetime ERA in March and April, compared with 40-12 and a 3.50 ERA in all other months), and the good news is that he seems to be coming out of it after throwing 5 2/3 of scoreless baseball against the Orioles.
Cecil is 1-0 on the season, but has an ERA of 5.40, and the Sox have rocked him so far in his career (0-2 12.00 ERA). Red Sox are 15 for 37 with six homers off the Toronto left-hander, who allowed 12 runs in 17 innings to lose both his starts against Boston as a rookie in 2009.
Boston is starting to gain some confidence. If the pitching can come along they will be much better, but it is going to be the hitting we are all watching this season. I think they get enough to get the job done tonight.
Hahahahaha, I can't believe this is not a joke, but I have now read this on numerous sites. Apparently, while the Dolphins were interviewing Dez Bryant they eventually asked him if his mother is a prostitute. It turns out that it was Miami's GM Jeff Ireland, who had to issue release this statement...
"My job is to find out as much information as possible about a player that I'm considering drafting," Ireland said. "Sometimes that leads to asking in-depth questions. Having said that, I talked to Dez Bryant and told him I used poor judgment in one of the questions I asked him. I certainly meant no disrespect and apologized to him."
Wow. Yea, that's a question you need to ask a 3rd party or something, not this woman's son. Saying that, she must look like a train wreck for someone to ask a question like that. Dez Bryant obviously didn't take this very well...
"They asked me if my mom's a prostitute," Bryant told Yahoo.com. "No, my mom is not a prostitute. I got mad -- really mad -- but I didn't show it. I got a lot of questions like that: Does she still do drugs? I sat and answered all of them."
Bryant's mother, Angela, had him when she was 15 and conceived his younger sister and brother within the next three years. She reportedly sold drugs and served a prison term while Bryant was a child. Bryant lived with different relatives and family friends at various times during his upbringing.
I am trying to find a picture of her, but so far I have had no luck. If anyone finds one leave the link in the comment section.
When Jacksonville police arrived to investigate a burglary at Bonny Brook Veterinary Clinic Tuesday morning, what they found was a surprise: An 18-year-old man was sleeping soundly under a blanket in the clinic’s break room.
Nearby were two syringes — evidence he’d injected himself with Xylazine, a drug used by vets as a sedative for large animals, according to veterinary assistant Leigh Anne Moody. She reported the break-in to police.
It appeared the man had made himself at home, she said, sampling food from the office refrigerator and watching TV.
“He took one of our laptops and was watching porn and taking pictures of it with our camera,” Moody said. “The laptop was closed at first, and we thought maybe he had been looking up how to take the drugs, but then we opened it, and nope! That’s not what he was doing (annistonstar.com).”
HAHAHAHA, amazing. First you bust into this place and you take a sedative used on "large animals". You would think you would take it home, and then inject this stuff, but no no this guy had other plans.
He decides to have a good old fashioned game of seeing if you can stay up long enough to jerk off. We have all done it. We just do it with sleeping pills not horse tranquilizers.
Well, it seems like he didn't win this game, and was quickly arrested the next morning. It's really just poor planning, and we can all learn from this. If you are going to break into a vets office to get hardcore sedatives remember to wait till you get home to start phase 2.
Or... pull a Big Ben and at least have a bodyguard watching the door.
No real shock here, but Kobe had the top selling jersey again. Here is the rest of the top 5...
1) Kobe 2) Lebron 3) KG 4) Derrick Rose 5) Dwight Howard
Have to say I am a little surprised after Kobe/Lebron. I didn't think KG would actually go up a spot from last year, but I guess his marketing appeal is still high. I am surprised Rose is over Howard, and I am really shocked that Durant (same with Wade, but he was 6th) isn't anywhere on this list. Also, Kobe is a fag, and the only reason he is top in the league is because he changed his number (so I guess that worked).
The top 5 team merchandise sales...
1. Lakers 2. Celtics 3. Cavs 4. Bulls 5. Knicks
I am glad that Celtics beat out the Cavs, but I have to say that I would never have guessed that. Especially with a team that added Shaq, and Jamison (later in the year). You would think between Lebron and Shaq that would beat out the Celtics, but I guess the depth of the Celtics could sell more with the Big 3 still being there.
Most people think Wade is staying in Miami, but I am not so sure. He has said that his heart is in Miami, but looking at his comments I got something different out of it...
"I'm not putting no pressure on myself," Wade said. "I think I put myself in a great situation three years ago to sign this deal to make sure that my team stays competitive. We've got some work to do, the front office has to do it, and there's no pressure on me. I've said where my heart is, and I think any player that's thinking about wanting to come to Miami, they know where my heart is. You just have to see things being done and accomplished."
I believe that he loves Miami, but I also think this was a bit of a heads up that he wants more talent around him. Maybe he will make Miami sweat awhile, and see if they do anything to the roster. I don't think Miami does much, and Wade moves on.
Anyone who watched that series knows that if Wade had anything around him they would be awesome, but they don't and I think Wade wants to win. So, bye-bye Miami, who doesn't deserve him since they can't even get fans to show up for playoff games.
Tupacs mom was arrested on felony drug possession. Afeni Shakur Davis, 63, was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance and simple possession of a controlled substance.
Good! I hate Tupac and his mothers stupid face. She fucking is whoring out her dead son to make a buck, when she was a crackhead while raising Tupac (don't actually know if that's true, just an assumption because when there's a famous black guy that comes from a broken home the mom's usually addicted to crack. I'm not racist, check the statistics) Well she sucks and the Biggie movie was way better than the Tupac movie.
Pittsburgh – On Nov. 22, the helmeted head of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger met the knee of onrushing Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson. The quarterback with two Super Bowl rings wobbled off the field and sat out the next game. Less than four months later, he stood accused of raping a Georgia student in a Milledgeville nightclub, and quiet questions began: Six years in the National Football League, 242 sacks, four serious head traumas — three on the field and one from a nearly fatal 2006 motorcycle crash — and two sexual assault allegations after boozy evenings in Nevada and Georgia… Medical experts consulted by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review refused to diagnose the root causes of Roethlisberger’s pattern of self-destructive behavior. But frontal lobe brain trauma has long been known to affect mood, judgment, interpersonal relations, foresight and the inhibition that keeps most others from displaying inappropriate social behavior... More
Other than the hoe trippin, this is a perfect explanation for him, and it's not his fault, it's footballs. All of you should feel sorry for accusing the victim of awful things. He should be actually be held up in high regard figuring him being a hero on the field and to overcoming his injuries off the field.
Now the mean commissioner suspended him for him giving it his all on the field. How hypocritical is that!?!
The Red Wings are the Red Wings. In a Game 7, even on road ice, it's hard to pick against the likes of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom.
DETROIT 6, COYOTES 1 (Red Wings win series 4-3) Datsyuk scored twice, plus an assist. Lidstrom had a monstrous game in all three zones. He scored twice as well. Zetterberg had 3 assists and was +3. From the drop of the puck, Ilya Bryzgalov was under siege. He sustained a 17 shot onslaught in the 1st (Phoenix only managed 6 shots that period). But the Wings broke through in the 2nd (22 shots, 4 goals). Detroit finished with 50 shots on goal.
The Red Wings have won 10 of their last 12 playoff series, and 30 of their last 40.
Clay Buchholz deserves an award for what he did last night. Boston's bullpen has been so overworked they have had to cut guys just so they can bring in a fresh arm (Boston relievers came in having worked an AL-high 70 innings this season). Clay gave the bullpen a much needed break pitching 117 pitches over 8 strong innings, and to make it even better he was able to hold the Jays to just 1 run.
Buchholz allowed 1 run on 7 hits to win for the first time in 3 starts. He walked 2, struck out 4 and lowered his ERA to 2.19. Like I said in the preview, Clay has been by far our best starter this season.
The Jays struck first, as Vernon Wells continues to crush the ball with an RBI double in the 1st inning. Luckily for the Sox that would be the last time anyone from the Jays would cross the plate. Boston answered quickly with an RBI single by Hermida. Mike Lowell drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 8th inning, and Ramon Ramirez was able to give Papelbon the night off and rack up a save.
Listen, the Sox aren't scoring runs still, and there is no reason to get overconfident, but there is still a lot of hope for this team. You have to remember they are playing without 2 of their starting outfielders, and Dice-K is just making his way back. As long as their starters (Lackey, Lester, Beckett) begin to pitch better this team will be alright, though I still don't know how they are going to score many runs.
With the win Boston is still 5 1/2 games back for the Rays, but only 3 games back from the Yankees.
This game was an adventure and the Celtics played well enough to beat the Heat but cannot let leads dwindle against the Lebrons. Celtics led by 10 at the half, and then at one point saw the lead go up to 21 with thanks to some hot shooting from Ray Allen. However, the lead came down to 3 in the 4th. Then the Celtics started relying on the big 3 to get them out of the jam and Ray was killing it from deep (5-6 from 3 point land), Pierce was taking it to the hole easily on Q, and KG was hitting his long jumpers than swearing at no one in particular.
Even though Wade was a little bit more realistic tonight than he was in game 4, the boy still dropped 31 in what could be his last game for the Heat. Before this series started I was thinking he was the only one who was going to return to his team, but he seems pretty ticked off at his teammates (and rightfully so). No one other than Mario Chalmers (20) was the only other Heat player to score over 10 points.
Rajon Rondo was 2 rebounds away from a triple double scoring 16 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. It will be interesting to see how he does against stronger PGs in Cleveland.
Light the Cigars ladies and Gents, this series is over. Boston let game 4 slip through their hands with some mental errors including a missed lay up and 900 missed free throws, but the will not happen again. We should have swept them but we didn't, and we cannot/ will not make this into a series.
I expect the crowd to be rocking, the place to be wild and for the Heat to be out of it soon. The line ups are:
If the Celtics continuously stay aggressive and don't get confused by that dreaded zone they should be alright. Once again Rondo should handle Arroyo, Pierce should handle Q, and KG should handle thug in training Michael Beasley. I want there to be boos every time Q touches the ball, and for it to be a no doubt blow out.
Here's a look at the series as we stand heading into tonight. Safe to say there are some things playing out a little differently than I predicted.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Cleveland - #8 Chicago (Cleveland 3 - Chicago 1)
This one is all done, much like the Celtics series, and one of four 3-1 series out of all the playoffs. A little different from 2009 which saw a number of playoff sweeps. Chicago managed to steal one behind a monster 20-20 effort from Joakim Noah. He must be reading this blog and drawing energy from all my criticism. Whatever. He still sucks and Cleveland is going to round two, and he can go play in the waves with topless models again. I just hope there are cameras there again as well.
#2 Orlando - #7 Charlotte (Orlando advances 4-0)
The only sweep in the playoffs so far. Orlando mopped the floor with the Bobcats. Jameer Nelson has been playing very well so far, and Orlando is getting nice efforts from their support guys while the defense keys on Dwight Howard. Howard's game, much like Shaq in his prime, bores me to tears although it is pretty effective. I'm just not really into post-up big men. Orlando should be able to advance to the Eastern Conference finals when they face the winner of Atlanta/Milwaukee. Atlanta has done nothing to prove that they can beat Orlando, and has been dreadful on the road.
#3 Atlanta - #6 Milwaukee (Atlanta 2 - Milwaukee 2)
Give the Bucks some credit, they are hanging in there against an opponent most gave them no chance against (me included). They've defended their home court twice as we head back to Atlanta for game 5. I believe Charles said on NBA tonight that Atlanta is 1-19 road playoff games. That's not a good trend. It's not a series until a home team loses, but even if Atlanta survives on all home wins they won't be able to do that in round two. At what point is this team going to step up and prove they are a player in the East? Or maybe they just aren't. We will see.
#4 Boston - #5 Miami (Boston 3- Miami 1)
See the DP post. This one is done. Light up a stogie for Red. Wade had his one explosion which I predicted in game 3. It happened one game later, but I doubt it will happen again.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Los Angleles - #8 Oklahoma City (LA - 2 Oklahoma City 2)
Nothing would make me happier than to see OKC take game 5 in Los Angeles and head home to their raucus arena with a chance to steal the upset of the decade in the NBA. That being said, I have a feeling this one could just be all home wins. Unlike, the Atlanta series, however, I do think the Lakers have a good shot at advancing beyond round two should they survive on home court. It looks like Utah would be their next opponent, and I think that is a better match-up for them. Utah plays slower and is less athletic, though like OKC they play excellent at home. Basically, the Lakers really need to wake up. If they bow out early get ready for all the excuses in the world. Kobe, Phil, Fish, Odom. They'll all be whining about one thing or another. And the Lakers fans will be whining as well. Here's hoping! Go Thunder!!
#2 Dallas - #7 San Antonio (San Antonio 3 - Dallas 1)
Well, well, well. Who woulda guessed another good Spurs playoff team. This team is always in the thick of it as long as the Big (sorta) 3 and Popovich are involved. Ironically enough, the Big (sorta) 3 haven't been all that stellar. Rather fringe contributors George Hill and Dajuan Blair have been studly. This series is extremely physical which definitely favors San Antonio. Dallas is letting the physical play bother them, and they're reacting foolishly. Compound that with the poor shooting of the Mavs (especially Jason Kidd) and you get a 3-1 series lead for the Spurs. Phoenix is really hoping for Dallas in round 2 as San Antonio has been their bugaboo of the last 5 years or so. Oh yea...what is that maxi pad Ginobli has on his nose? That is the biggest band-aid ever!
#3 Phoenix - #6 Portland (Phoenix 3 - Portland 2)
The Blazers have shown up in this series, much more than I thought they would. In their two victories they've dictated the pace and style of the game. However, in the three losses Phoenix has been able to impose their will on Portland. Andre Miller has been killer so far, knocking down J's and driving to the hoop, and generally making Steve Nash look like the worst defender in the league (which he is). Phoenix slowed him a little with a combo of Hill and J-Rich on him, but he's still been effective. The Blazers got a boost from Brandon Roy's heroic return just days after surgery in game 4 to even the series. However, in game 5 he was basically useless as Phoenix came storming back from a huge 1st quarter deficit to take the win by a wide margin, and command of the series. In 2-2 game 5 winners of that game win the series over 80% of the time. So things are looking up for the Suns. As I'm writing this, Channing Frye is on the local radio and when asked about fellow St. Mary's HS alum Jerryd Bayless, Frye said, "He plays hard, and that's all I'll say about that." These two teams do not like each other, and if Phoenix comes out big early on in game 6 look for Portland to start getting chippy.
#4 Denver - #5 Utah (Utah 3 - Denver 1)
As predicted, Utah went home afte stealing game 2 in Denver and took a 3-1 series lead. Denver just hasn't looked right since game 1. Carmelo has more offensive fouls in the last 3 games than anyone I can remember. His spin-o-rama move in the paint and hard charging ways on the break have been getting him into trouble, as Utah has clearly made that part of their game plan. Chauncey hasn't been his spectacular playoff self, and on the other side D-Will has been superb and Boozer plus the other Jazz role players have been terriffic. It all adds up to a likely Utah series win, and possibly another match-up against the Lakers. LA beat Utah in round 1 last year.
TONIGHT!
Boston, Cleveland and Dallas all look to close out round 1 tonight.
So far this season Boston's best starter has been...
A. Josh Beckett B. John Lackey C. John Lester D. None of the above
Ummm, none of the above would be the correct answer. You could make a strong case that it has been Clay Buchholz. His record isn't great (1-2), but with a 2.70 ERA you have to bet that he deserves far better. Clay has more strikeouts then innings pitch, and lord knows the Sox need a gem out of him tonight, because the bullpen has been way overworked.
Facing Clay with be Shaun Marcum, as he tries to he can be the same pitcher he was before his devastating injury that kept him out all of last year. So far...not bad, 0-1 4.00 ERA. Still, the Sox should be able to light this guy up. Youk has a .419 BA in 31 ABs again Marcum, and V-Mart is 4 for 8 with three doubles and a homer against him.
I expect Clay to continue to grow, and the Sox beat up on Marcum.
With the draft over a lot of teams have dropped out of the Brian Westbrook hunt (ex- Vikings), but there are still a lot of teams out there that could be interested in his services. The Rams are one of those teams, and they brought him in for a physical, which he passed. It would seem that they are close to getting a deal done, but some reports state that they are still in the early stages of negotiations.
To me Westbrook would be an idiot if he went there. Why go to a team that has no shot of winning? It isn't like Westbrook should be hurting for money, but I guess if he wants one last sizable payday that's where he should go. My hope is that he wants more then that (a ring), and that he will turn around and sign with the Packers.
A lot has been made of Josh Beckett struggles so far this year (along with most of the team), and in no way am I defending them, but here is an interesting stat from our friends at Boston.com...
Josh Beckett after five starts last season:
2-2, 7.22 ERA, 28.2 IP, 36 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 16 BB, 31 K, .303 OBA
Creepy right? I mean almost exact. The good news is that Beckett was in the running for a Cy Young before the last couple weeks of the season. The bad would obviously be how it ended, but the hope here is that he will turn it around here, and that he is just anther guy who has early season struggles.
Many people were surprised that Aaron Hernandez, whom the Patriots chose in the 4th round of the NFL draft Saturday, dropped so far. That was until today when it was announced that according to sources with 3 NFL teams, the Florida products free fall was because of multiple failed drug tests for marijuana while in college. They also stated that Hernandez was very open about it, and admitted his wrong doings. Obviously, I hope that he doesn't pull this shit while on the Patriots, but my guess is that they will keep an eye on him and everything will be fine.
Yet, apparently this isn't the only person with this "problem"....
"One unnamed NFL coach estimated that “one-third’’ of players on his draft board had some sort of history with marijuana use that required “an extra level of evaluation’’ as part of the scouting process (Boston.com)."
I got nothing against weed, but when you know it can cost you millions, how dumb do you have to be to risk it? These guys have the rest of their lives to smoke weed, why now? I mean all you got to do when you got talent like this is to lay off the stuff, and they would have been a higher draft pick. Now you got guys like Hernandez falling to the 4th round. He is a 2nd round talent (according to a lot of scouts), so how much do you think that cost him?
In the end, these players have to be smarter and really look at how much they are hurting their wallets for no other reason then to smoke pot??? Come on man.
BOSTON 4, BUFFALO 3 (Bruins win series 4-2) David Krejci scored twice, Satan and Recchi had the other two for Boston. The Sabres valiantly stayed in it, thanks to some Bruins' turnovers, but as well as they could respond, they failed to initiate. Tuukka Rask came up with some huge saves, and the Bruins advance to the Conference Semis. The B's killed every single penalty they committed.
MONTREAL 4, WASHINGTON 1 (series tied 3-3) Jaroslav Halak made 53 saves on 54 shots, and Mike Cammalleri scored twice in the 1st period. Washington's really shit the bed in this series, and they're in very serious danger of a 1st round exit, San Jose style.
CHICAGO 5, NASHVILLE 3 (Blackhawks win series 4-2) It was harder than I thought it would be (That's what she said), but the Blackhawks prevailed. Almost all the scoring was in the 1st, as the Blackhawks ended the opening period up 4-3. Marian "Not Suspended" Hossa had 3 assists.
Tonight's Games: 9:00pm - Detroit @ Phoenix - Versus (series tied 3-3)
