The Red Sox look to win their eighth straight at home tonight, but it could be tough with Garza on the hill. Garza has given the Sox a lot of trouble over his career (6-3 3.36 ERA), but the Sox did score 6 runs off him last time, so hopefully they have figured it out.
Boston has Dice-K on the hill. Matsuzaka made his first start off the disabled list Thursday, allowing 2 runs and 5 hits in five innings of a 13-11, 10-inning win at Colorado. Dice-K is 2-4 with a 4.05 ERA in nine starts against the Rays, going 1-2 at home. As always I ever know what they are going to get from Dice-K, but the Rays are a mess right now and I think he will take advantage.
Boston is only 1 game behind the Yankees now, which is really fucking impressive with all the injuries they have had to deal with this season.
Initially when this story came out I left it alone. Reports suggested that he had left well before the shooting, so I didn't think much of it. Now there is word that they guy who was shot outside of Vick's birthday is the same guy who ratted him out on the whole killing dogs thing. On top of that a video has come out that has Vick at the party less then 5 mins before the shooting.
I am not saying that Vick shot this guy, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if he had someone to do it for him. I am so sick of writing these stories about this overpaid pieces of shit doing terrible things. I don't know what will come of all this, but hopefully someone shoots Vick, and his brother, because the world would just be a better place without them.
The Celtic coach will be returning to the club for at least the remaining season on his contract, a source close to Rivers indicated moments ago.
The fact Rivers is staying on would seem to be an encouraging sign that the Celtics’ main players will also be back for another season.
The plan is coming all together. And The Captain can blow me with his Oh C'mon Celtics Fans Talk. The Celtics were a quarter away from winning the Championship last year and Doc Rivers proved to be an elite coach. Doc obviously came back because he feels he can do one more championship run. So this is just step 1 of another championship run. Step 2 is locking Pierce up to a 3 or 4 (I'd prefer 3) year deal between 14-18 a year with the no trade clause. This will give the Celtics more flexibility to sign better role players. Then the third thing is locking up Ray Allen to a 2 year deal. (remember Pierce and Allens contract don't dip into luxury tax area because of Bird rights) 4th get Mike Miller, resign Tony Allen, and a quality rebound eater. 5th Championship! Banner 18 is on the way.
I feel like I am writing an injury update every day for the Sox, but at least this one is pretty good news. Buchholz is reported to most likely pitch again Monday or Tuesday. The Red Sox got lucky, because they have 2 days off this week, so they can skip Buchholz without having to fill his rotation spot. The Sox really couldn't take another hit, since Beckett is already out and the offense looks more like a AAA team then the 2nd highest payroll in the MLB.
Hopefully Buchholz will be fine, because he is having an All-Star type season, and I would hate to see anything fuck that up (I don't care if he actually plays in the All-Star game).
In other news, Epstein came out and said that Ellsbury is progressing, but there is still no timetable for his return. Since he isn't even cleared for "baseball activities" it could be a really long time before we see him in a Sox uniform.
Lots of news going on with the Celtics. Ainge came out and talked about the Paul Pierce, and Perkins shed some light on when he might be able to return.
Ainge on Pierce:
"We were negotiating an extension in good faith," Ainge told the Boston Herald. "He's worked hard to become a free agent, but I still think that in his heart of hearts he still wants to stay in Boston. It's all a negotiation. Risk is involved in all of these things, but I'm telling him that we would like him to come back and make another run at a title."
Ainge is confident the team will remain competitive if Pierce signs with another club.
"There's too many other things that factor in right now," he said. "Who else can we get? But it's not all dependent on getting Paul back. I don't think it all rests on his shoulders."
So what will it take to get Paul back? I think he will obviously take less money, but more years. My thinking is that it'll be a 3 year deal, and to get the deal done they might give him a full no trade clause. That would be a huge sign of faith, since Kobe Bryant is the only other player in the NBA that has that.
Perkins:
Kendrick Perkins will undergo major reconstructive surgery to repair tears to the anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Perkins is aware he has a long road back.
"They told me to expect late December or early January," Perkins told the Boston Herald. "I don't know what is expected from something like this, but I'm just going to go with the plan and see what I have to do.
"But after I took the MRI and found out that it was an ACL I was surprised -- I have to admit that. So I just have to go with things."
Celtics are going to need a lot of help up front, since Perkins won't be back until some time in 2011. You add that to the fact that Sheed is retiring, you could see a much different looking Celtics team next year. Rumors have surfaced the Celtics will make a run at Miller, but I would be a lot happier with someone like Haywood, though he could prove too expensive.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson was arrested Tuesday and charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a bar employee in the face nearly a month ago.
Another day, another Bengal on the wrong side of the law. The NFL will probably suspended him a couple games, but at this point what else can they do. It seems like every year the NFL is getting worse and worse with these kinds of stories. I mean just the Bengals alone are a black eye to the NFL. It is a joke that it is that hard for these guys to not be fuck-ups, but I guess that'll never change.
BJ was benched last night a day after he and Evan Longoria's had a spat in the locker room.
The Rays need to get rid of BJ Upton, who sucks, and is the most overrated player in baseball. He often doesn't hustle, he doesn't hit for power or average, and if he's causing issues in the locker room with your best player, you gotta show him the door.
The Rays could still get a lot from a team who could still see him as a "5 tool payer" so they should do this as quick as possible.
Also I hope he is traded to the NL to fuck over Ash (Fantasy league shit), and Carmona.
The Final eight are set, thanks to a pair of tense, but unexciting games.
Paraguay 0 (5), Japan 0 (3) - (penalty kicks) Paraguay became the 4th South American side to qualify for the quarterfinals. And they did so in dramatic fashion. I watched about 30 minutes of this game, and was glad to have done so. I watched 20 minutes in the 1st half, figured it'd be a goal-less draw, checked in during extra time, saw that it was 0-0 after 120 minutes, and enjoyed the penalty kicks.
Spain 1, Portugal 0 This was the 1st goal Portugal's allowed all tournament. And it was all it took to eliminate the defensively minded side. Thank God. David Villa scored the goal for Spain, who dominated the game. The Spanish get the benefit of playing Paraguay in the quarterfinals, but they had to negotiate one of the toughest Round of 16 opponents out there, and they won.
No games until Friday. And we'll have a quarterfinal preview in the meantime. Just to remind you, these are the quarterfinal matchups:
Netherlands vs. Brazil Uruguay vs. Ghana Argentina vs. Germany Paraguay vs. Spain
The Nuggets are considering trading Carmelo Anthony. They offered him a 3 year 65 million dollar deal and they are thinking of dealing the 26 year old if he doesn't sign on the dotted line.
This is actually a smart move because the Nuggets don't want to deal with the BS Cleveland is going through right now. Also, Melo would be stupid to turn down the extension because of the potential lockout and that's a lot of money to walk away from.
But yea, I'm all for the Nuggets refusal to be held hostage by a player.
Paul Pierce has opted out of his contract forgoing his 1 year, 21 million dollars left in hopes of getting an extension done.
This is all very interesting to me. Because it seems pretty obvious Pierce wants to end his career a Celtics, however, this team is only going to regress unless Doc comes back, we sign key free agents, and all that jazz. If we are to resign him we will most likely have to give Paul a 4 year deal between 60 and 70 million dollars.
But this does a couple of things for Paul. It will give him some security with the lockout coming up next year, and gives him a chance to sit back and watch what the Celtics are going to do this offseason and see if they are going in the right direction, and if not.... I don't want to talk about that possibility. This forces the Celtics to make some good moves this offseason. I like it.
We start the semifinals today with two teams from the same continent, but with two different styles of women. The Italians are exotic, trim, tight, statuesque. The Brits have more substance, particularly in their bras.
VS.
For more of Italy vs. UK, and to see who advances to The Finals, Click Here (NSFW).
Tough time for the Rays to come to town, but they have been struggling of late, and hopefully the Sox will have enough bodies to field a team. Tonight we will get to see Lackey vs. Shields. Lackey is 8-3 on the year, but if you have been watching the Red Sox at all this season you would know that he has been far from stellar. His K's are down, his ERA is up, and he isn't pitching deep into games. With many of the Sox "stars" out they are really going to need guys like Lackey to start stepping up.
The good news is that he has been good against the Rays in his career (10-3 with a 3.71 ERA), which when compared to how Shields has done against the Sox (4-8 with a 5.02 ERA) there is reasons for optimism.
Tampa Bay beat the Sox the first 4 times they faced each other, but the Sox have won the last 3. I am really torn on this game. On the one hand I think the Rays are starting to fall apart, and I think they have too many up-and-down players, but on the other hand the Sox are fielding basically a AAA team.
Most of you probably know, but there is award called the Darwin award, and basically it is given to someone for "doing a service to humanity by removing (die) themselves from the gene pool". Well I think I may have found one that might not win, but should at least be in the discussion...
"A 19-year-old township man who died after falling off a moving SUV had jumped onto its hood after realizing the driver had sold him candy instead of a prescription drug, according to authorities. Martin, who was in a yellow 2002 Ford Escape, tried to pass off two pieces of blue candy wrapped in plastic as the drug when they met up around 3:20 p.m. on 23rd Avenue, according to Michael Mohel, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office deputy chief.
After paying Martin, Bartolomei and the girl quickly discovered that the pills were candy, Mohel said. Bartolomei reached into the driver's side window in an attempt to grab his money back, and the girl jumped on the car as Martin drove west on 23rd Avenue, Mohel said. Martin continued up 23rd Avenue with both people hanging on the car, he said. When Martin disobeyed a stop sign at Herbertsville Road, Bartolomei was thrown from the hood and was struck by a car traveling south on Herbertsville Road, Mohel said.
Martin continued across Herbertsville Road on 23rd Avenue with the girl hanging on, before the Escape hit a mailbox and Martin ran from the vehicle, he said. The girl suffered only minor injuries, Mohel said (App.com)."
Doc Rivers has yet to decide if he is coming back next year or not yet. He has said that he will make a decision at some point this week, but according to numerous reports Vinny Del Negro is on the Celtics "short list" for coaching options. Del Negro coached the Bulls for two seasons before being fired in May. He accumulated an 82-82 regular season record and 4-8 in the postseason, including a seven-game first round series against the Celtics in 2009.
I am not a big Del Negro fan, and I am not sold that he would be the guy the Celtics would bring in. Ainge is going to want someone he sees eye to eye with and trusts (like he does with Rivers). That's why I still believe McHale will still be the front runner for the job should River step down.
"He'll always get interest," one executive said. "I could see a team like the Lakers. A team like the Celtics. Not Orlando."
There is that scenario, that McGrady makes a stand that $1.35 million isn't enough, remains unsigned as camps open and waits for an injury that nudges an anxious team to dip into the mid-level exception. He's still barely 31. Maybe he can make a dent for somebody in the regular season and win a game or two in the playoffs.
There is that scenario, that McGrady makes a stand that $1.35 million isn't enough, remains unsigned as camps open and waits for an injury that nudges an anxious team to dip into the mid-level exception. He's still barely 31. Maybe he can make a dent for somebody in the regular season and win a game or two in the playoffs.
Listen I love T-Mac. I enjoy his game, but on every team but the Celtics. He can be a prolific scorer when healthy, and can definitely help a team out like the Celtics who may be in search for a SG this offseason. Unless T-Mac is willing to take a veterans minimum salary he isn't worth the trouble. He is oft injured and a shoot first type of player. I feel bad for the guy, but his game reminds me too much like Vince Carter. I also have started to hear rumblings of letting Paul Pierce go and getting a new max player. I don't care if Pierce is 50 years old, I want him to finish a Celtic.
According to mlbtraderumors.com (great site about baseball shit) Adam Dunn is being shopped and the White Sox and Angels seem to have the biggest hard on for the slugger.
Why is this relevant to anything we should care about? Well because the Red Sox were said to be interested in him earlier. But the Red Sox will be a unique team during the trade deadline because they don't really need much when healthy. I'd probably like to add a big OF bat, but that most likely won't happen. The Red Sox when healthy have a set team, but the M.A.S.H. unit we have been playing has been surprisingly well and even though I hate to give credit to Tito, he has been managing great. And here is my bold statement: IF THE RED SOX MAKE IT PAST THE FIRST ROUND IN THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR, I WILL NEVER SAY A BAD THING ABOUT TITO....EVER.
Steelers OT Willie Colon tore his Achilles Tendon yesterday sidelining him for the year. He will most likely be replaced by rookie Maurice Pouncey.
This sucks for the Steelers who will be likely be starting Byron Leftwich their first four games due to Ben Roethlisburger's ridiculous suspension. The Steelers offensive line already blows so losing a starter certainly doesn't help anything. I still believe the Steelers will be in the playoff hunt because their defense and Roethlisburger are too good to let the team slip. Sucks, but whatever, they will survive.
According to a report on ESPN.com, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh met over the weekend in Miami to examine the possibility of the three playing together for the Miami Heat. A source labeled Miami as the new frontrunner to land all three prized free agents but also warned that James was "non-committal" with the free agency period officially starting at Thursday at 12:01 a.m.
If there is a God, he can't let this happen. I don't think it will, but it is possible. In order for the Heat to sign all 3 stars, they would need to trade Michael Beasley to a team with salary-cap room, thus not having to take back a contract. That would allow the Heat to offer James, Bosh and Wade each the 2010-11 maximum salary of $16.5 million.
That part I really think is possible, but how terrible would this be for the NBA? Have all these stars end up on the same team would just be crazy. I also have a hard time believing this, because just yesterday reports suggested that Lebron was leaning towards Chicago. Anyways, if they get all 3 of these guys it would be a hell of a "Big 3", but I wouldn't hold my breathe.
Victor Martinez will not need surgery on his left thumb, but sources say that the Red Sox will place him on the 15-day disabled list at some point today. Gustavo Molina is expected to be called up, and serve as a backup to Tek while V-Mart is out.
The Sox are really banged up right now with Pedroia, Beckett, Ellsbury, Hermida, Buchholz, and now V-Mart all out hurt. The next 2-3 weeks are really going to test the depth of this squad. Pedroia will be out about 6 weeks, V-Mart shouldn't be out more then 11 games (over a span of 17 days). Buchholz doesn't need to start this week, since the Sox have 2 days off, so he shouldn't miss any time. There is still no word on Ellsbury, and Hermida is about a week away.
If Boston can ever get healthy they could be a really scary team. For now they are really going to need Lester, and Dice-K to carry this rotation, and Youk and Ortiz to carry the lineup...should be interesting.
A pair of not too interesting games, with predictable results.
Netherlands 2, Slovakia 1 The Slovaks didn't score until the game was beyond over (the 94th minute). It was Robert Vittek who got that goal, his 4th, which ties him for the most in the tournament. But the Dutch got a 1st half goal from Arjen Robben, and a late 2nd half score from Wesley Sneijder. The Dutch play with a flexible and adaptable style, especially up front. They're also the only undefeated European side left.
Brazil 3, Chile 0 Chile came into the Patagonian derby riding a 7 game losing streak against Brail. They've conceded 26 goals in those 7 games (3.7 per game), so allowing only 3 is below average. The Brazilians haven't played as pretty as Brazilian teams in the past, but they've gotten the same kind of result. 5th straight quarterfinals for the blue and yellow.
Brazil will meet the Netherlands in a tantalizing meeting Friday morning.
The US has to be one of the favorites to win this competition, but Argentina are a real darkhorse, and could end America's dreams faster than a soccer referee from Mali.
VS.
To see the rest of Argentina vs. USA, and to find out who wins, Click Here (NSFW).
Tomorrow: we start the semifinals as Italy faces the UK.
Suns owner Robert Sarver and coach Alvin Gentry will make final pitch to Amare Stoudemire at meeting in L.A. tomorrow, but rumor has it the Suns are unwilling to give him a max contract, and Amare is unwilling to sign for anything less. Stoudemire also has concerns that the Suns won't make the financial commitment in to win a Championship. Add that all up and it looks like he is out the door.
My guess is that he goes to the Heat. He would be a nice addition to a team that should have Wade back. Also, he owns a place in Miami, so that could make it very convenient. Another rumor is that he could go to the Knicks to reunite with Mike D'Anonti.
Again this is all speculation and I expect a lot more when it comes to LeFag James, but apparently he's leaning toward Chicago. An NBA executive says the Chicago Bulls have emerged as a favorite in the free agency sweepstakes for LeBron James, along with Chris Bosh, The New York Times reported on Sunday. The executive said he had gleaned from his discussions with other league executives that James is leaning toward joining the Bulls, along with Bosh, his teammate on the United States' gold medal-winning 2008 Olympic team. The Times reported the executive did not want to be named because he was discussing a player who was not yet a free agent. "I think it's a done deal," the executive said, according to the report. ESPN Chicago
I guess if you can't beat Thibs you gotta join him. This would be interesting to me because yes, this could be the best team to go to if you want to win, however, I don't see him wanting to live in MJ's backyard. He will constantly get reminded of MJ's legacy and MJ's 6 titles. I just don't see him doing that. Either way I hope he dies.
There are reports coming out of Boston that the Celtics are targeting Mike and Brad Miller (no relation). I don't like either player but I can see how both can make a contribution to the Celtics. Brad Miller would be a decent replacement for Perks recovery time and even a better player being a big man coming off the bench. He has a mid range game and is big, however, he isn't the best rebounder(downer). Mike Miller would be a good signing due to his ability to knock the 3 ball down and spread the floor on a consistent bases. He has been the 6th man of the year in the past and can bring some of that energy off our bench especially if we lose Tony Allen and Nate Robinson.
Again, at this point all of this is speculation, but I'm just relaying what I hear.
The Bruins have traded Vladimir Sobotka to St. Louis for Boston University's David Warsofsky. Sobotka is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level deal. Warsofsky is a puck-moving defenseman who won the national title with BU in 2009. Warsofsky was also a member of the US team that struck gold in the World Junior Tournament in 2010.
Solid move by the Bruins here. I guess if they wanted to they could keep Savard/Krejci/Bergeron and put Tyler Seguin on the 4th line, but the Bruins are going to want to give him more playing time then that, and rumors stated that they are still looking to deal Savard. The Bruins still have some salary cap problems, but it is being reported that Tim Thomas has waived his no trade clause, and the Flyers are rumored to have interest.
The US is out. And to be frank, they deserve to be.
Uruguay 2, South Korea 1 The experts kept calling South Korea "unlucky," because they hit a post or two, and completed a lot of passes in the midfield. But the post isn't part of the net. Uruguay also should have been awarded a penalty which would have likely given them a 2-0 lead. But Uruguay was able to finish it off anyway. And they look like a tough side to beat offensively and defensively.
Germany 4, England 1 This game was much closer than the score indicates. England was screwed out of a goal (there needs to be instant replay in the World Cup, or at least more than 3 refs. Think about it, 3 refs for 22 players in soccer. It's 3 for 10 in basketball, 4 for 12 in hockey, 7 for 22 in football), but Germany was by far the superior team. England adjusted their 1st half defensive woes by focusing more on attack. Germany adjusted their 1st half defensive woes by playing more conservatively in the midfield. Guess which strategy worked out better? Germany, a.k.a. the 1980's Showtime Lakers, then counterattacked and did so with expertise, flair, and composure.
Miroslav Klose scored his 12th World Cup goal, and his 50th for Germany. Podolski scored his 1st of the 2010 Cup, and his 6th career World Cup tally. 20 year old Thomas Müller has only scored three times for Germany, all in this World Cup, and twice in this game.
This is Germany's 15th straight qualification for the Quarterfinals. They've made the Final 8 every World Cup since 1954.
Argentina 3, Mexico 1 Mexico once again lost their opener of the knockout stage. That's 5 straight World Cups that they've lost their first elimination game. And they lost badly. Carlos Tevez scored a pair of nifty goals, and Gonzalo Higuain scored his 4th goal of the tournament. South American teams are 12-1-4 in this World Cup, and 2 have already advanced to the quarterfinals.
Ghana will face Uruguay, and Argentina will face Germany.
Quick previews of remaining games:
Netherlands vs. Slovakia The Dutch have been the best European side so far. They advance with ease, 3-0.
Brazil vs. Chile The first South American team to get knocked out will be by another South American team. Brazil wins 3-1.
Paraguay vs. Japan I haven't seen much from either team, but have to pick the South Americans to win 2-1.
Spain vs. Portugal An Iberian derby. Spain can prove that they're as good as we all think they are. And they will. 3-2.
The drama over who would go #1 or #2 sort of fizzled out as it became clearer and clearer that Edmonton would take winger Taylor Hall. The Bruins' #2 overall pick was then a no-brainer.
Get it? Plymouth WHALERS. Anyway, some Bruins fans actually seemed a little disappointed with this pick. "We have too many centahs!" Well, the Bruins are deep down the middle, but they don't have SCORING centers. Savard's a 20 goal guy, max. Krejci's a 20 goal guy, max. Bergeron's a 20 goal guy, max. Seguin scored 48 times in 63 games last season. The Bruins are now overweight at center, which in a salary cap environment means that they must be weak somewhere else (and it's on the wings). It might be time to trade Savard. Although Krejci would bring better value. And I'll be frank, Krejci's a bit too inconsistent for my liking. And how many "quarterbacking" centers does a team without "receiving" wingers need? I think one is plenty.
What will Seguin do for the Bruins right away? I think he will likely play, depending on what the Bruins do with their current top 3 centermen. He could score 20 goals right off the bat if given a full season to play. Long-term, the sky's the limit. 35, 40, 50 goal seasons are not going to be impossible for this kid.
2nd ROUND, #32 OVERALL: C, JARED KNIGHT - LONDON KNIGHTS (OHL)
The Bruins surprised a lot of people here. Knight was projected to go much later. His stock fell a few months ago when he was diagnosed with diabetes. But he's gotten that condition under control. He's also got the puck under control, as evidenced by his 36 goals in 63 games. He's only 18, so he's got a few years of developing to do.
2nd ROUND, #45 OVERALL: C, RYAN SPOONER - PETERBOROUGH PETES (OHL) Another 18 year old center who scores lots of goals. He's not big. 5' 10" and 172 pounds. But he's fast. The Bruins could use some speed, especially if the speedy guy is also the guy who can score.
4th ROUND, #97 OVERALL: LW CRAIG CUNNINGHAM - VANCOUVER GIANTS (WHL) The Bruins took their first winger, and took him from Milan Lucic's "alma-mater." He'll turn 20 in September. He didn't come into his own until his 4th year with Vancouver. His points totals have increased considerably with each season of experience. He had 5 his rookie season, then 25 his 2nd year, doubled to 50 in his 3rd, and doubled to 97 this last season. Then again, he was a man amongst boys at that age.
5th ROUND: #135 OVERALL: LW JUSTIN FLOREK - NORTHERN MICHIGAN U. This 6' 3" 195 pound soon-to-be sophomore has a big frame that could one day house a power forward's body. There's some potential there, but he'll need a lot of work to be an NHL calibre guy. He'll also likely need to show some edge (fight), which he won't be allowed to do in college.
6th ROUND: #165 OVERALL: G ZANE GOTHBERG - THIEF RIVER FALLS HS (MN) & U. OF NORTH DAKOTA He'll turn 18 in August, and he's committed to play at North Dakota, a good training ground for goalies. But it's not like he was a top priority recruit either, so it won't be Zane Zeit (Zeit = German for "time") until maybe 2016.
The Bruins ended the draft with a trade. They sent Vladimir Sobotka for the rights to David Warsofsky. Warsofsky is currently playing at BU. He's 20 years old, from Marshfield, and he's a defenseman. He's only 5' 8" and 160 pounds, but he's an adept offensive player. He scored 12 goals in 34 games for the Terriers last season. He's a sophomore, and should develop well out of BU.
I was hoping Sobotka would find a spot on the 2010-11 Bruins, though. He was a tough guy, solid on the puck, hard to beat when he didn't have the puck. A guy who can play 3rd and 4th line hockey, and maybe even kill a penalty. Not a brawler, but a scrapper and a mucker. Oh well.
Zdeno Chara has 13 inches and 95 pounds on Warsofsky.
The good news is that the Sox took 2 of 3 from the Giants. The bad news is that injury took 2 or 3 Sox from the field.
Pedroia went down on Friday, after fouling a ball off his ankle, breaking his foot. He's likely to be out for 6 weeks, which would mean the Sox would have to play sans-sparkplug until August. Pedroia was in the midst of an insane hot streak. In his last 53 at-bats, he was hitting .490, slugging .849, with 4 homers, 13 RBI and 17 runs. I think he's been the MVP of the Sox to this point, and playing without him will be a struggle.
When it rains, it pours. 10 game winner Clay Buchholz was forced to leave Saturday's game because he hurt himself running the bases, of all things. That's just a really bad beat right there. Fuck the NL, and fuck the idea of pitchers hitting. But I guess the potential sacrifice of a Cy Young candidate is worth seeing pitchers bunt foul for strike 3. The diagnosis is a hyper-extended knee. The prognosis is that he may miss a start, but it doesn't look like a DL stint will be called for.
Bad things happen in threes. Victor Martinez fractured his thumb in Sunday's game, thanks to some foul tips. He's not expected to hit the DL, but it's perhaps still too early to tell. He'll be evaluated again today. V-Mart had also been playing well as of late, hitting .359 in June with a .409 OBP.
So some bad luck, and the stupid, antiquated, boring bad rules they have in the NL all add up to some key injuries for the Sox.
I won't break down every franchise's draft because that would take too long and frankly I (and probably you readers) don't care about most of these teams anyway. Let me start by saying the draft was a little disappointing for me. Lebron proved to be the elephant in the room the entire night and cast a huge shadow over the draft. A lot of the trading that happened was late in the first round and no one moved into the top picks to grab a lottery talent, as we see many years.
That being said, let's take a look at some of the winners and losers in the 2010 NBA draft.
LOSERS -
Cleveland Cavaliers No picks Grade = D-
I would give it an F but it is hard to give an F to a team that didn't make a pick. I will do the next best thing and give them a D-. Their first round pick was a part of the trade to bring in Jamison. Heading into the playoffs I don't think Cleveland was sweating it, but now with the possibility of Lebron leaving looking more and more like reality I think many Cleveland fans might rather have had that pick and the cap flexibility of not having Jamison who never hit his stride with the Cavs. Late 1st talent isn't great, but maybe they could have found a gem.
Golden State Warriors (#6 Ekpe Udoh) Grade = F
What the hell is wrong with this organization?! They already have 2 or 3 guys who are just like Ekpe Udoh (and younger!) yet they waste a 6th overall pick on him. Udoh is a nice, lanky athletic defensive presence with a very unpolished offensive game. With good talent still left on the board, (Greg Monroe, Ed Davis, Gordon Hayward, Aminu etc.) I think they could have done better. It's not like they play any D anyway! This organization continues to be in disarray. Poor Steph Curry.
New York Knicks (#38 Andy Rautins, #39 Landry Fields) Grade = D
No surprise to see the Knicks on this list. They had better hope that they can land one of these top-tier free agents or this team is in some serious trouble, and their fan base will not be happy. David Stern continues to deny that having the Knicks be successful is critical to the success in the NBA but I disagree. He essentially has two of the worst franchises in his two biggest media markets (Clippers and Knicks). Luckily the Lakers are there to save the LA market. Rautins is a good shooter but seems a bit redundant to a few guys already on the roster. Then again, D'Antoni loves himself some shooters. Fields on the other hand makes NO SENSE. I saw this guy play in person for Stanford when I was living in Phoenix, and I can tell you I would have bet my house that he would not be drafted. Awful. No one on the board at that point was top talent obviously, but certainly better than Fields.
The Grizz added some nice talent, but I think this puts their guard total at like 15. Is the new plan to go with 4 guys about 6'4" and Hasheem Thabeet? That should work out well. If they're expecting Henry to fill the void at the 3 left by Gay I think they're mistaken. Henry is a bit undersized at that spot, and while he can definitely shoot, some scouts question his ability to really be productive at the next level. While I love me some Greivis Vasquez I'm not sure that he'll be a good NBA player, and certainly not one that the Grizzlies need. By my count they now have 8 guards on the roster. A bit much.
WINNERS -
Oklahoma City Thunder (#11 Cole Aldrich, #31 Tibor Pleiss, #48 Latavious Williams, #57 Ryan Reid) Grade: A-
I think most would agree that OKC needed some inside presence. Nenad Krstic was not cutting it, and a legit center could have been the difference in that Lakers series. I don't think Aldrich is the second coming of Bill Walton or even Bill Lambier for that matter. But I think he is a lot more Joel Pryzbilla than Bryant Reeves. And the Vanilla Gorilla has been more than serviceable in Portland. In the 2nd round they got Tibor Pleiss from Germany, a lanky 7 footer who many scouts love and Letavious Williams, the first ever D-League draftee, as well as Ryan Reid from Florida State who probably won't make the squad. The Thunder also got a future 1st rounder from the Clippers via Miami and got the Heat to suck up Mo Pete's awful contract. Job well done!
San Antonio Spurs (#20 James Anderson, #49 Ryan Richards) Grade: A-
There is no secret why the Spurs are one of the most successful organizations in the league, year in and year out. They do an excellent job of evaluating talent, and are extremely well run. This year's draft was no different. They took James Anderson out of Oklahoma State, a dynamic wing scorer who should be able to step in nicely and add some much needed scoring off the bench for the Spurs. He's not as athletic as Richard Jefferson but plays a similar slashing style and is a great shooter. When writing his pre-draft eval I actually envisioned him thriving on a team like the Spurs (or Celtics, who passed on him to take Avery Bradley). They also nabbed Ryan Richards the 7 ft Center from London who impressed in pre-draft workouts. He is expected to be stashed in the D-League where he can get his feet wet against better talent.
The Kings grabbed arguably the best talent in the draft. Sure, John Wall was a lock at #1 and Evan Turner could be the most NBA ready player in the whole class, but many scouts feel that DeMarcus Cousins, who they grabbed at #5 could end up having the most productive career. He can score in ways that someone with his size normally can't do, and is tough on the boards and on D...when his head his right, and that is the problem with Cousins. Obviously, Sacramento believes he can improve his maturity and become the face of their franchise along with Tyreke Evans, 2009-10's ROY. In the 2nd round they grabbed Hassan Whiteside out of Marshall, who some have likened to Marcus Camby. An upside selection, as the number 4 rated center in a league that loves big men Whiteside could be quite a steal.
Chicago Bulls (#17 Kevin Seraphin - traded to Washington pending completion) Grade: A++
The Bulls actual pick isn't what warrants them the grade, as Kevin Seraphin might be as soft as a croissant for all I know. What earns the grade is the fact that they can now afford to sign to max contract players and they haven't had to gut the core of their team, Rose, Deng and Noah. Clearly, Chicago are the front runners for the Lebron sweepstakes. The only question that remains is does Lebron really want to play in that ever-looming shadow of His Royal Airness. I'm not so sure he does, but either way the Bulls are in great position. Lebron, Bosh, Rose, Deng and Noah?...ship it mother fucker. Pencil that squad in for the finals for the next 3-4 years!
Los Angeles Lakers (#43 Devin Ebanks, #58 Derrick Caracter) Grade: A
As much as I hate to say it, the Lakers had a great draft, especially since they only had two 2nd round picks to work with. They added great talent in Caracter and Ebanks. I thought Ebanks slipped way too far, and even though Chad Ford said it first I have to agree that he reminds me of Trevor Ariza who I thought was a great piece on that 2009 title team. Caracter was one of the most talented players in the country not too long ago and seems to have put some of those maturity and off-court issues behind him. He had a great season at UTEP off the radar last season.
Ghana is not an inherently superior side than the US. On paper, I'd give the US a slight edge. These are two teams in the same class. So when they meet, it comes down to how well they execute and use their talents. And you'd think with the considerable experience the US Team has, they wouldn't come out as nervy as they did.
Ghana's first goal was inexcusable. For some reason, Ricardo Clark started in midfield. It was Clark who was partially to blame for England's goal in the group stage. Then against Ghana, he's got the ball around midfield, and decides he'll take on the Ghanaian player head-on. This is an 11 vs 11 game, it's at the halfway mark on the field, and this fucking clown decides to be a hero. And in the 1 out of 5 times he beats the guy, does he think he's going to score a 40 meter goal?
Clark, predictably, loses the ball, and this triggers Ghana's impressive counterattack. The defenders and Howard could have done more, but it started with Clark's arrogance. Thankfully, coach Bob Bradley was willing to own up to mistake, and pull Clark after 30 minutes.
Donovan and Dempsey exploded in the 2nd. Their aggressive and composed play earned a penalty, with Donovan getting fouled in the box, and Donovan bouncing it in off the post.
But Ghana settled down, and the US lost its desperate edge. Go into extra time, and a defensive lapse gives Ghana the winning goal.
Then comes a string of countless opportunities that aren't finished. This wasn't bad luck! And the commentators on ESPN need to realize that if you miss the goal, it's a missed shot, not an unlucky shot. Jozy Altidore was crap. A purely turd performance. And an unjustly selfish one at that. Robbie Findlay was also a disappointment at the end. There was no cooperation between the strikers.
We're chokers. Sorry folks, it's true. It's one thing to lose to Brazil or Spain. Losing to Ghana in '06, and in '10 is inexcusable. And allowing all these early goals in a tournament is equally abhorrent. Do you know how long the US played with a lead in this World Cup? About 2 minutes.
These two countries were bitter enemies in the Napleonic era, then close allies at the start of the 20th century. Geopolitically, they're both sort of "meh" to each other these days, but when it comes to hot chicks, they're epic rivals.
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To see more of Russia vs. France, and to find out who wins, Click Here. (NSFW)
Tomorrow: the last quarterfinal match, Argentina vs. USA
Fuck. I don't want to write this, but I am now 100% certain Favre is coming back.
Favre told the Sun Herald on Thursday on the Mississippi newspaper's website he would "love to go beat the Saints" in the season opener Sept. 9 (ESPN).
Even though he won't commit, this is basically what he is saying.... "I am fucking coming back, but there is 0% chance I am going to go to training camp". Fuck Favre, why can't he just say that? God I hope he dies on the field one day.
The Vikings are not rushing Brett Favre. Good thinking, since he tends to crumble against the rush.
NESN is reporting the Bruins have reached a one-year agreement with unrestricted winger Mark Recchi. Although he is 42 years old he still holds a vital role to this team. He is one of the better powerplay guys I have ever seen. He knows how to make traffic in front of the net, and always seems to be scoring on tip-ins, which is great for a team that struggles putting th puck in the net.
Anyways, he is my favorite player on this team, and I am so pumped that he is back. In 21 years Recchi has 563 goals and 922 assists (1485 points), and will be in the Hall of Fame whenever he decides to hang them up.
No more ties from here on out. One team wins and progresses, another team loses and goes home.
Just a reminder, if teams are tied after 90 minutes, they play a 30 minute overtime period, which is NOT sudden death. Then they go into penalty kicks if still tied after that.
Saturday: 10:00 AM - ESPN: Uruguay vs. South Korea Uruguay tied France, beat Mexico, and beat South Africa. They have not allowed a goal, and they're probably playing the most efficient and disciplined of all the teams in South Africa. South Korea has some talent, but barely survived their group. Had Nigeria not blown a 1-0 lead against lowly Greece, they might not still be around. Argentina humiliated them, and I think Uruguay will beat them with relative ease. 2-0 Uruguay.
2:30 PM - ABC: USA vs. Ghana Ghana ended USA's 2006 World Cup. And you can bet players like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey remember that. The US has to play poised and comfortable, which they historically struggle to do more than anything. They get nervous in big games. Then they make mistakes. They let a bad break crush them. They miss easy shots. They'll hesitate, then they'll rush. I'm afraid I have to pick Ghana to win 2-1. I don't want to, but it's what my gut's telling me.
Sunday: 10:00 AM - ESPN: Germany vs. England This is a titanic rivalry. England beat Germany in the '66 Final. England beat Germany in two World Wars. They've met 27 times, and England have a slight edge with 12 wins, compared to Germany's 10. When they meet, it's epic. But this year neither squad is all that good. England only scored twice in three games. Germany lost to Serbia, and barely beat Ghana. England have a bunch of overrated individualists, while Germany fields the 2nd youngest team in the tournament. But I think Deutschland's big defenders stymie the English attack, Klose scores his 12th World Cup goal, and Podolski also gets onto the scoresheet. Germany 2, England 1.
2:30 PM - ABC: Argentina vs. Mexico Get ready for some action. Argentina might be the most offensively gifted team in the tournament. But Mexico are no slouches. But Argentina has so much talent, so many weapons, they'll wear Mexico down to a nub, and prevail 4-2.
I'll have the preview of the other 4 games on Monday morning.
I wanted to do something for the NHL draft, but when I sat down to do a mock draft I figured out it is completely pointless since I don't know a lot of these guys. So instead I will give you the players you should know for tonight's draft.
Taylor Hall, LW, Windsor (OHL) Hall has everything you are looking for in a wing. He plays physical, he's fast, and he knows how to finish. The only concern with him is injury, since he plays with such reckless abandon, but so does Ovechkin, which makes me like him even more. Too bad it looks like he is going #1 to the Oilers.
Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth (OHL) There is no reason to even ask who is going #2. Seguin came on strong last year, rising from a borderline top 10 prospect to a 1a/1b guy with Hall. It looks like the Bruins are going to end up with him, which also means Savard, Bergeron, or Krecji will be traded.
Cam Fowler, D, Windsor (OHL) There are 3 very good defensemen in this draft. He is only 18 years old, but has experience winning in big game (won a gold medal as a member of the American team at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships). He is a great "puck-mover", and could be a real asset on the powerplay in years to come. There have been a lot of rumors the Bruins are trying to land another top pick, so they can land one of these defenseman (We'll get to the other two in a sec). If that is the case expect Thomas and/or Savard to have to go.
Eric Gudbranson, D, Kingston (OHL) Out of the 3 top defenseman this guy has the least offensive talent, but might be the best defenseman. Expect the Panthers to grab him ealy.
Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton, QMJHL Scouts say he has the best "hockey sense" of any of the top 3 defenseman, but he doesn't have the same amount of physical skill as Fowler/Gromley, but he is still very solid and will surely go in the top 10. No one has climbed the NHL draft ranking more then this kid.
Brett Connolly, RW, Prince George (WHL) On a talent level is one of the best in the draft, but there are questions about his desire and willingness to be in shape and last 82 games. Still, with the right coaching staff he should be fine.
Well guys that's the players that I think you need to know if you're a Bruins fan. There are rumors flying all over the place about what the Bruins might do. They are still thoughts that they will pull something off to land Hall, but I still don't believe it. If I am right, it could actually lead to even bigger deals. The Bruins are letting Tim Thomas shop himself to other teams, and there are also rumblings that Boston would love to move Savard if they end up getting Seguin.
Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace will retire this summer, an NBA source said on Thursday. Wallace will walk away from the final two years and $13 million remaining on his contract and conclude a 15-year career that peaked with an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.
Wallace, 35, scored 15,860 points and grabbed 7,321 rebounds while playing with the Celtics, Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Bullets (as they were known at the time). He had indicated to the Celtics that he was feeling too worn down to continue playing after this season. ESPN
At least Rasheed did the honorable thing and retire instead of playing out the rest of his contract and costing the Celtics a ton of money. I feel bad for Sheed, because had such a rollercoaster of a year, and he played extremely well come playoff time. He probably played his best game as a Celtic in game 7 of the finals, unfortunately we just couldn't win. I have always loved Sheed (even though he is a son of a bitch) and will be sad to see him and his antics retire. This will obviously leave a big hole in the Celtics frontcourt, but at least his salary is off the cap. So thank you for your time Rasheed, now go yell at your wife or the pool guy.
It hasn't been a good tournament for traditional European powers. France is out. Spain lost a match. England's scored twice. Germany lost a match, and now it's arrivederci, Italia, as the Italians have been ousted.
Slovakia 3, Italy 2 Robert Vittek scored a brace (2 goals), and the Slovaks have a player with the first name Zdeno, so I'm doubly glad they won this match. Italy, who typically muster the best and most efficient defenses in the world, looked confused and sloppy in their back 4. At least France can point to the loss of Zidane, and the general aging of their stars, but Italy's poor showing is much more mysterious.
Paraguay 0, New Zealand 0 It's been a bad World Cup for Europe and Africa, but a great one for South America. Paraguay qualified for the Round of 16, the 3rd South American team to officially do so. And although they didn't advance, bravo New Zealand. They became the 4th team ever to go undefeated yet not advance (3 ties). They didn't score, but for the 78th ranked team in the world to earn 3 draws is worthy of a parade through the streets of Aukland. Then maybe The Shire.
Japan 3, Denmark 1 It's been a good World Cup for Asia and the Pacific too. Japan advances with a nice 3-1 win over the Danes. Japan and South Korea are both in the Round of 16, while Australia and New Zealand mounted respectable group efforts. If you speak Spanish, or can go swimming in the Pacific, it's been a good World Cup for you.
Netherlands 2, Cameroon 1 The Dutch get overlooked, but they've been the best European side in the tournament. 3 games, 3 wins. They can get goals from multiple directions, a credit to Total Football. Robin van Persie finally scored, and the Dutch will be a real threat in the knockout stage.
Speaking of which, it'll be Netherlands vs. Slovakia on Monday. And Japan faces Paraguay on Tuesday.
An athletic guard with excellent explosiveness, Bradley has a long wingspan which helps make up for his lack of height for a shooting guard (6'3 in sneakers) ... Bradley's biggest asset offensively is his ability to shoot from the outside ... He can hit from a catch and shoot position, and looks beyond comfortable pulling up off the dribble ... His high release and strong elevation, along with his quick first step allow him to create just enough separation to get off a shot ... He has basic ball moves when it comes to creating separation, but mainly uses his quickness/athleticism to get the room he needs ...What should make Bradley a late lottery to mid-first round pick is his ability to be a lock down defender ... He uses his long arms and persistent nature, constantly causing havoc for whoever is handling the ball... His off the ball defense is no different, and if you watch him follow his man around the court, you'll notice the focus and concentration he has on trying to prevent his man from getting the ball ... His defensive intensity shows he takes pride on this side of the ball, and makes it seem like he wants to be the best perimeter defender in the league, which he might have been his freshman year at Texas: NBADraft.net
The Celtics could have really gone any way in this years draft. They could have gone big, a wing player or secured the backcourt. They chose to support the backcourt in the first round and I believe it was the right move. Sure I wanted guys like Demarcus Cousins, Xavier Henry or Eric Bledsoe but with them all off the board, Avery was the right choice. He's a small SG with excellent on ball defense. People were comparing him to Rajon Rondo before the draft and if he is able to live up to that, the Celtics are going to have an extremely quick, defensive backcourt (though undersized) in the future. This probably means Nate isn't coming back and they are probably worried about Tony and Ray coming back also.
The 2nd Round was Luke Harangody
He was good for Notre Dame. He averaged 21 points and 9 boards for the Irish, but I'm not really expecting a lot from him. But hey, I could be wrong Danny Ainge normally finds gems in the 2nd round.
All in all, I give this draft a B with what they had to work with.
Ugly game, but a win is a win. All the credit can go to Dustin Pedroia and his 3 HRs. Dice-K started the game, and he had a normal Dice-K line (5 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks), but he also added an RBI single in the 4th.
This game should've been a blowout for the Sox, but their bullpen was just horrible. Delcarmen and Okajima combined to go 2/3 of an inning surrendering 6 runs. That is completely unacceptable. Then going into the 9th, up by two, Boston once again turned to Papelbon who promptly blew his 2nd save in as many nights. The Sox were lucky that Pedroia is on fire going 5-5 with 3 HRs and 5 RBIs.
There is going to be a lot of concern about Papelbon after this game. I am still not overly worried, but this bullpen in general needs to get a lot better, and Boston might have to start considering making a move to bring in another arm.
Anyways, Papelbon was able to calm down in his 2nd inning of work for a 1-2-3 10th inning. With the win the Red Sox are still 2 games behind the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East.
An epic soccer matchup and an epic meeting of powerhouses in Hot Chicks, as well. Brazil is known for spicy women, but Britain are no slouches when it comes to beautiful girls.
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For more of Brazil vs. UK, and to find out who wins, Click Here (NSFW).
