Top 5 Boston Sports Columnists/Personalities

Kind of a slow day, so you know what that means??? Yup, a random ranking of something! Today is my favorite local sports personalities for Boston. No players, just writers, and TV personalities...

1. Jackie MacMullan - Yea, I'm shocked a woman tops the list, but it's hard to argue it. She has the best stories, gets the inside scoop on everything (especially basketball), and is very well spoken. Oh, and she actually has a good sense of humor. Probably the only person that isn't a player or a coach that I have an appointment to listen to every week. She is also really good on Around the Horn.

2. Michael Smith - Another person that is just great to listen to. He is probably the most "fun" to listen to. He has jokes that don't just reference the 1950's (cough couch Bob Ryan), and overall just seems like a cool guy. Another person that is really well spoken, and seems to be everywhere lately (WEEI, Around the Horn, SportsNation, PTI, ect).

3. Tony Massarotti - Some people really hate him, but I have always been a big fan. He covers baseball so well. He isn't the best to listen to, but his columns are always very entertaining and interesting, which says a lot to someone who hates reading articles that are longer then a page.

4. Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons - A couple years back he probably would've been #1 or #2, but I feel his work has kind of fallen off since he moved out to LA and had a family. He is the king of movie/TV references, which when you're a TV junky like me makes for an entertaining read. Most of all I love his basketball coverage.

5. Michael Holley/Dale Arnold - I couldn't put one on without the other. Holley is a great basketball mind, and I find him pretty funny. I like Dale because he is the only guy on WEEI that actually talks about the Bruins and knows hockey. These guys should have the morning show instead of the ass clowns Dennis and Callahan.

Other "notables": Bob Ryan, Peter Gammons. I just didn't feel right putting Gammons on since he is basically retired. Best baseball writer ever.

Most Hated: Jerry Callahan, John Dennis, Jon Meterparel, Michael Felger, Dan Shaunessey.

Interesting Theory On Why Shaq Joined The Celtics

The Sports Guy had a good article today about why Shaq joined the Celtics... Here are the main parts...

"You might remember the press conference after Game 7 of the 2010 Finals -- or, as it's known in my house, "The Night That Led To Dad Not Speaking To Anyone For Five Days" -- when Kobe couldn't conceal his delight when someone asked what the title meant to him personally, saying "I got one more than Shaq! You can take that to the bank."

Everyone laughed. Then Kobe added cryptically, "You guys know how I am. … I don't forget anything."

He's not kidding. A few minutes before, when everyone was celebrating in the Lakers locker room, Kobe let everyone know how much he enjoyed passing Shaq in the ring department. He did it loudly. Boisterously. Euphorically. With a few expletives. I've heard this story a few different ways, but in each version, Kobe sounded a little like Tupac lighting everyone up at the end of "Hit 'Em Up." But "everyone" was Shaq. You know, a little revenge for the "Tell Me How My Ass Taste" rap. And that's fine. I love this stuff. It warms my heart to know that, in an era in which the league's best players would rather join forces than beat one another, two of the best 12 players of all time still despise each other.

I don't think Shaq liked it. At all. Remember, Shaq could have gone to Greece or Italy, pocketed crazy money ($8 million to $10 million easy, tax-free), gained as much weight as he wanted, traveled Europe, dunked on a bunch of inferior opponents, become America's most beloved basketball export and expanded his brand to another part of the world. I can't imagine his business manager or agent advising him any differently.

O'Neal signed with Boston because "when I close my book at the end of the day, it's all about winning and nothing else." This was someone who told a teammate before the final game of his 2009 Suns season -- when they had just been eliminated from playoff contention -- that he "needed to start getting in shape for my reality show." Game 82 and you need to get in shape? Huh? Now you suddenly care about winning titles again? Now you're fine with swallowing your dignity to be a spare part, a minimum guy, an afterthought, someone with no security at all? Just to chase a ring? When you already have four?

My theory: I think Kobe's postgame routine got back to Shaq. I think it pissed him off. I think it got his competitive juices flowing for the first time in years. I think he realized Boston was his best chance to tie Kobe at five. I think he wants this more than anything. I think he shows up next month in surprisingly good shape, and I think we'll be saying in November, "Wow, that Shaq signing may have been a great move by Boston!" And I think this will happen for only one reason: because Shaq hates Kobe and Kobe hates Shaq. Just a theory (ESPN)."

Interesting. I agree with it to a certain level. I bet he does really hate Kobe, and wants at least one more shot at him, but I also think there is more to it. The Celtics are kind of the retirement home for NBA superstars now. I mean that in a good way. I think Shaq saw his options and sat back and was like "you know what? I would be pretty awesome to finish my career with KG, Allen, Pierce, O'Neal, and so on". We know he has always had a lot of respect for Pierce, and I think he thought this might be the most comfortable way to ride into the sunset. So, I do agree that Kobe is a motivator, but I also think the Celtics were the most "comfortable" way that he could end his career.

I Agree With Bill Simmons

"So what does this have to do with sports? With everyone fretting about the steroids era and how it frayed the carefully woven fabric of baseball history, ask yourself this: Does any of it matter? Bonds remains the best leftfielder I've ever seen in person. I'll never forget watching Roger Clemens in his prime. I never turned the channel when Manny was batting for the Red Sox -- never, ever, ever, not once. A-Rod fetched the highest price in each of my fantasy auctions this decade. I probably paid four grand to Fenway scalpers from 1999 to 2001 to watch Pedro pitch even though I was broke. Some of them cheated for an edge they didn't need; others stayed clean. I will remember them all.

Maybe we overthink this stuff. The truth is, either you're great or you're not. " For the rest of the article Click Here
That was an excerpt of a Bill Simmons article BMack sent to me yesterday.

Barry Bonds will go down in my eyes as the greatest baseball player to ever live, and Roger Clemens will go down as the best pitcher that ever played in my lifetime and it is about time that people take away this whole steroid witch hunt and realize that they were unbelievable players. Everyone is so quick to call everyone a cheater but they don't step back and look at what these players accomplished. Steroids or not, it is extremely impressive. The "Steroid Era" is just that. A majority of MLB players did it, so why wouldn't they do it? It is time everyone move on and focus on a new chapter. There is no reason that the federal government should be involved in this matter, I think everyone gets it now. What Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, MacGwire, and A-Rod have done in their careers are not only history making, but absolutely ridiculous. If these players don't make it into the Hall of Fame for their accomplishments, then the whole system is fucked.

Something to Read...

Need something to read? I usually don't like what Bill Simmons writes anymore, but this mailbag is funny.

To read the mailbag: CLICK HERE

-BMack

Manny Being Manipulated?

I don't usually like Bill Simmons, but he wrote a great article on Manny Ramirez. It is long, but is worth the reading time, and I almost never say that. I am also promoting this because I blame the same guy for Manny leaving...

Thanks to CCook for bringing the article to my attention.

Click Below for article:
Click Here

-BMack