- 05:21 PM
- 05/19/13
Not to defend Patriots' decision to cut Kyle Love, rather to present another side of the story,one must understand 2 things. First, in order to effectively manage Type II Diabetes, one must carefully watch his diet, and above all lose excess body weight. Even exercise to burn carbohydrates is insufficient, although helpful. Medication is available, but it is only useful if the patient manages his life style. Second, Kyle Love is a defensive tackle. His effectiveness at the position depends on his size and weight. Here you have 2 things that work against each other. A lighter Kyle Love would not be a good defensive tackle, and a heavier Kyle Love would be endangering his long-term health. The effects of head injury are well known and are now the subject of much study in prevention and care. Because the effects of poorly managed diabetes are not immediate nor usually as dramatic as those of concussions, the disease is overlooked among athletes.
posted by Howard_T at 03:51 PM on May 16
I guess the saving grace is that Toronto didn't hold a 3-0 lead in the series, and go up by three goals in the 7th game, and still lose.
Believe me, grum, this was mentioned often by the Boston broadcast team during the game last night. Since Tuukka Rask was in the nets for Boston both last night and in that game vs Philadelphia, the reference was inevitable. I have no problem at all with it, as there were excuses then, and it's water over the dam (or is it water under the bridge, or maybe over the bridge and under the dam -- anyway, then was then, and now come the Rangers)
posted by Howard_T at 11:34 PM on May 14
This comment is not made in a snarky manner, but rather as a result of curiosity about crowd psychology. During the Leafs - Bruins series, there were frequent shots of the crowd in Maple Leaf Square, usually in wild celebration of a Leafs' goal. What was the scene after the OT loss last night? There have been no reports of ugly incidents, so I will say that Toronto fans are to be commended for not trying to burn down the town in frustration as happened in 2011 in a certain Western Canadian city.
All-in-all, this was a great series. It happened because Bruins initially seemed to think the Maple Leafs were the local college JV team. Meanwhile the Leafs came in with a chip on their collective shoulder and a willingness to get into the faces of Boston. Toronto's speed and some tentative play by the Boston defense kept Bruins from executing the rush off the breakout that is their favored offense. Bruins won the series only because their depth of talent was greater than Toronto's, and the talent finally decided to play over the final, fatal 17 minutes of hockey. Give a moral victory to the Leafs, and watch out for them next season. They are good and will get better.
posted by Howard_T at 04:11 PM on May 14
Reposting what I wrote in the "Huddle" last night:
Once upon a time, Detroit vs Chicago would be a no-brainer. It still is, but quite the reverse of previous years. Blackhawks in 5.
Kings vs Sharks promises to be a good one. San Jose put away a struggling Vancouver in short order, while Los Angeles outclassed a very game St. Louis squad. Kings will use their experience from last year to win this one in 7.
Pittsburgh vs Ottawa will not be a repeat of the Pens vs Isles series. Pittsburgh has to learn that Fleury needs some "head" repair before he's ready to go back in goal. When they get a 2-0 or 3-1 lead in the series they'll start him to see how he plays. Otherwise, Voukun gets the nod and should be sufficient to carry the Penguins past the Senators. Pittsburgh in 5.
Boston vs New York Rangers bodes ill for the Black, Gold, and White. NYR's goaltending is much more stout than Toronto's James Reimer, and Boston tried to make him look like a Vezina candidate. Bruins proved tonight that they can raise their game to an incredible level when they really need to, but can they do that throughout another playoff series? I'll take the Rangers in 6.
I'm watching the Bruins - Leafs game 7 for the third time right now. I'm still not sure that "The Comeback" really happened, so maybe the third time will convince me.
posted by Howard_T at 03:52 PM on May 14
Meatsaber please copy:
Just to get this on the record, lest I am unable to get to my laptop before game time tomorrow:
Once upon a time, Detroit vs Chicago would be a no-brainer. It still is, but quite the reverse of previous years. Blackhawks in 5.
Kings vs Sharks promises to be a good one. San Jose put away a struggling Vancouver in short order, while Los Angeles outclassed a very game St. Louis squad. Kings will use their experience from last year to win this one in 7.
Pittsburgh vs Ottawa will not be a repeat of the Pens vs Isles series. Pittsburgh has to learn that Fleury needs some "head" repair before he's ready to go back in goal. When they get a 2-0 or 3-1 lead in the series they'll start him to see how he plays. Otherwise, Voukun gets the nod and should be sufficient to carry the Penguins past the Senators. Pittsburgh in 5.
Boston vs New York Rangers bodes ill for the Black, Gold, and White. NYR's goaltending is much more stout than Toronto's James Reimer, and Boston tried to make him look like a Vezina candidate. Bruins proved tonight that they can raise their game to an incredible level when they really need to, but can they do that throughout another playoff series? I'll take the Rangers in 6.
Actually, the real reason I'm getting this on record is that tonight's Leafs @ Bruins game has left me a prime candidate for cardiac arrest. At 4-1 Toronto I turned to the NYR - Caps game only to see it turn into a rout. OK, maybe the B's are still trying, and lo and behold the miracle happened.
posted by Howard_T at 10:38 PM on May 13
Padres - Rays game sounds like some of the youth baseball games I've worked. You never quite know what to expect.
posted by Howard_T at 06:02 PM on May 11
I suppose this guy is not as bad as the clown who commented on cbssports.com (I think) to the effect that Boston teams have been milking the tragedy for all it's worth since it happened. Oh well, there are always the several who just don't get it.
posted by Howard_T at 05:00 PM on May 07
If I might, YYM, I would offer the following suggestions to the pictured fan:
1. Understand exactly what the Boston Strong theme refers to, and respect same.
2. Take a good, long look at the scoreboard following game 3.
posted by Howard_T at 12:04 AM on May 07
Irish people, using several words you shouldn't use on TV.
Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain --- unless you are an Irish rally driver and navigator having as good time as these 2 are. Great stuff, Mr. B.
posted by Howard_T at 01:37 PM on May 03
do i need to get my wife to reschedule?
Please hope that your intended never looks at SpoFi. If she does, you are already doomed. Of course, your perceived problem assumes the Penguins are going to the finals. As my old pappy used to say, "Do not make estimates of the total yield of immature poultry prior to the completion of the incubation process."*
* Translation available upon request.
posted by Howard_T at 05:28 PM on May 01
When I was doing Babe Ruth baseball umpiring, I considered the boys of the ages of 13 and 14 the worst behaving kids on the field. This is when the testosterone is first running, and these kids seem to have the idea they are the roughest, toughest people on the field. The best part of working the plate is that you are wearing a mask, hard protector on the chest, a cup, leg pads, and shoes with steel toe inserts and instep protection. If anyone is stupid enough to throw down on you, he really doesn't have anything to hit. I never thought soccer refereeing would be more dangerous than baseball, but I guess it is.
posted by Howard_T at 05:22 PM on May 01
Heard a story to the effect that he was being offered a coaching job in the Lingerie League. That might be fun to see.
posted by Howard_T at 10:28 PM on April 30
OK, here goes the annual exercise in futility:
Pittsburgh in 6; NYI prove surprisingly stubborn.
Ottawa in 6; The upset special of the 1st round, Les Habs defensive woes continue.
Rangers in 7; Despite the job Adam Oates has done in DC, NYR finally get their act together.
Boston in 5; As badly as they've played of late, Bruins still have the Leaf's number.
Blackhawks in 5; Wild win one to maintain their dignity.
Anaheim in 7; Detroit will play some good hockey, but won't survive.
San Jose in 6; Vancouver's problems in goal will surface once again.
Blues in 7; This one is for my Rheumatologist who is a huge St. Louis fan.
Unlike last year, I can't blame any errors on my cats. They're too busy looking out the windows at a really nice spring day.
posted by Howard_T at 04:28 PM on April 30
ESPN analyst Chris Broussard says Collins being gay means he's not a Christian.
It's obvious that Mr. Broussard knows nothing about Christianity. A Christian should be accepting of all who act in a manner consistent with the Judaeo-Christian ethic. Accept and welcome the people; approving of their life-style is not necessary. Disapproval of the life-style and accepting the person does not mean trying to change someone to a style of which you approve. Not too many years ago I might have had a very different reaction to Jason Collins, but I've learned a few things over the past decade or 2 that make me see a lot of things differently now.
posted by Howard_T at 12:08 AM on April 30
Here's another story that's turning into a much bigger deal than it deserves to be. I read one analysis that says Tebow's problem is that he is highly skilled, but no one of his skills is good enough to fill a position in the NFL that uses that particular skill. That makes some sense to me, so what do you do with him? Another analyst, not on a sports network but on a national cable news network, suggests Tebow could do very well indeed in the Canadian Football League. Again, that makes some sense to me, so who knows?
posted by Howard_T at 05:30 PM on April 29
My son just came home from work and we briefly spoke about this. His comment was to the effect that he didn't know why this was a big deal. My reply was that it really isn't a big deal. Maybe you can call Collins "courageous" or a "pioneer", but I call him a guy that is more comfortable being who and what he is rather than trying to be what others might want him to be. His chief value as an NBA player is his expiring contract, and the fact that he likely won't play again probably weighed heavily in his decision. Either way, it's long overdue, and might begin a trend.
posted by Howard_T at 05:24 PM on April 29
Nice GIF, Gary. If I owned a baseball team, the guy I would want is the catcher. Man, how does he manage to catch 6 balls at once? That is stupendous!
posted by Howard_T at 11:24 PM on April 28
You really think the Karlsson injury was done with intent??
Probably not the slicing of the Achilles tendon, but the downward kick was probably meant to inflict pain. Simply put, Cooke is something of a menace because he does not think about the possible consequences of his actions. It's sort of a hit first and "oops, I didn't really mean to injure him" later. Maybe he doesn't really intend to injure, but his carelessness makes the likelihood of injury much greater.
posted by Howard_T at 04:47 PM on April 24
More than likely he'll get a high priced lawyer who if does their job correctly can get this case tossed.
"Do you believe in miracles? YES!!!"
posted by Howard_T at 10:34 PM on April 22
Edwards tends to be just a tiny bit over the top, but underneath he's just the announcing equivalent of a ticking time bomb. He's not for everyone, but he can be a lot of fun to listen to. I don't have any idea what Sirhan Sirhan's behavior might be in prison. If his conduct is that of a model prisoner, then he could very well be the prisoner of the year. I believe Edwards has very little of the quality of forgiveness when it comes to players who have a continuing history of causing injury. Cooke at best is a second- or even third-rate player, hardly the equivalent of a Marc Savard. In that respect, I agree with Edwards that Cooke does not deserve recognition for coming back from injury.
Perhaps the NHL needs to institute a rule that any, I say again ANY, contact above the shoulders, intentional or unintentional, with stick, elbow, shoulder, or whatever, including driving a player's head into the glass, boards or ice, should be penalized. Maybe an exception could be made for 2 willing fighters with the gloves off, but not otherwise. It can be a minor penalty, as it is now, with the extra 2, or maybe a major, tacked on for blood. The major/game misconduct for the violent hits from behind or with the elbows should continue. The difference will be in the tracking of such penalties. First one: just the minor or major as appropriate; second one in a season: add a small fine; third time: 1 game suspension and a moderate fine; fourth offense: 2 game suspension and large fine. Once you go beyond 4, the suspensions get longer, the fines bigger, and once sufficient offenses have piled up, make the suspension for a full season. In other words, get the head hunters out of the game. Most of them have sufficient skills that they can contribute something to an NHL roster, and failing that can keep a job in the AHL, but there are too many "goons", the best part of whose game is trying to eliminate the opposition's top players. I don't want to blame the helmet rule for the increase in head injuries, but I just don't remember so many happening "back in the day". There are probably a lot of factors, speed of the game, a larger number of teams leading to a dilution of highly skilled players on each team, increased awareness of the symptoms and effects of head injuries, and so on. Hockey has to do something about the head injuries, and while the idea of an outright ban on contact above the shoulders might be rather draconian, maybe it's the only way to go.
posted by Howard_T at 09:38 PM on April 21
Sports-related sidelight on the Marathon Bomber. Perhaps it's a bit of an insight into his character.
posted by Howard_T at 01:40 PM on April 20
Hey Howard, enjoy and savor being able to travel freely and attend that postponed Pens-Bruins game at the Garden extra specially today.
Thanks, beav, but I have to content myself with wearing out another remote. Pens vs Bruins is on now, BoSox vs Royals first pitch is in about 15 more minutes, and C's vs Knicks starts at 3. The 46" Samsung is getting a good workout. I will be at TD Garden next Friday and Sunday for sure for games 3 & 4 of the NBA 1st round C's vs Knicks. I am really thankful to live in an area that has so much to offer in sports. Next thing to do is to renew my Babe Ruth umpire certification, clean my gear, and get out on the field. My idea of Hell is a place without any sports, and my idea of Heaven is right here, right now.
I live far enough from the city that we had no travel restrictions or lockdowns. Not to say that there was no "fun" going on around here. Someone left a stray backpack at the Social Security office, but it was a false alarm, not a local senior citizen with a grudge. Of course, the news was on all day right up to the conclusion in Watertown. The local (Nashua, NH) police sent their explosive ordinance disposal unit and SWAT team to Watertown to relieve some of the people who had been on been on duty for so many hours. NH State Police and Manchester police sent people as well. Overall, a tense but ultimately rewarding time here in New England.
posted by Howard_T at 01:39 PM on April 20
At the Stars/Blues game, the capture of the second suspect was announced -- presumably on the jumbotron. The St. Louis crowd went bonkers and then started chanting "USA!"
I saw a comment on Facebook yesterday that the guy should hope that law enforcement finds him before a bunch of guys from "Southie" (South Boston) do. He got his wish. It's nice to know that people outside Boston care that much about this.
posted by Howard_T at 11:19 PM on April 19
Can anyone explain what the fraud here was?
As far as I can determine, Pilot Flying J offered a discount on fuel prices in return for trucking companies agreeing to use Pilot Flying J truck stops exclusively. These things are everywhere, so trucking companies would have no problem finding one. Many of the smaller trucking companies did not keep good records of mileage, fuel purchases, and so on. It appears that Haslam and his employees promised via contract certain discounts and then "shortchanged" truckers by paying less than promised. The few that complained were paid off in order that they not go to law enforcement. The smaller guys did not have the manpower or accounting expertise to catch Haslam in the act. Since Haslam's company did not declare the extra income from the withheld rebates, this also amounts to tax fraud.
posted by Howard_T at 11:15 PM on April 19
Haslam might soon be in a reality re-make of The Longest Yard.
posted by Howard_T at 02:08 PM on April 19
I've been gathering my thoughts about the various reactions to the Boston Marathon bombing over the past day or 2. I'll not go into what I think of the event, but rather I want to say a thing or 2 about the reactions from other cities.
I was born in Boston, in a hospital that is not more than a couple of miles from the site of the bombing, and I grew up in a town next door to the city. I went to college in Boston. I know the city well, and I know how very proud of our city and its traditions are we Bostonians. When I saw the videos of NY, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and other places doing something to show their understanding of the tragedy and its effects, I was touched. To all of you SpoFites who are in those places, and to all who took even a moment to say to yourself "too bad" I want say thanks. Some might think it's just a small gesture, but it means a great deal to many of us. We know we are not alone. The theme around town now is "Boston Strong", but the strength of any community is bolstered by the thoughts and prayers of others.
The event is something that transcends sports, but it is through sports and the rivalries that are present that respect and solidarity are generated. Once more from this sports fan, Thank you.
posted by Howard_T at 04:01 PM on April 18
Man who punched horse found.
...and this happens in the Yorkshire of James Herriot. This is the wonderful setting of All Creatures Great and Small where no animal can be mistreated. Having read James Herriot's books, I cannot believe this happened.
posted by Howard_T at 03:44 PM on April 18
I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago after a matinee performance of Lombardi in NYC. Our priest here in NH and the star of the play, Dan Lauria, are long-time friends. We did a group trip to NYC for the show, and Mr. Lauria arranged for us to meet him and some of the cast after the performance. By coincidence Pat Summerall came by, mostly to congratulate Dan Lauria on his work, but he very graciously greeted many of us as well. One usually finds the ex-athlete in the analysis role, but Summerall broke the stereotype and filled the play-by-play job very well.
RIP
posted by Howard_T at 02:40 PM on April 17
I've got a nice set of jumper cables ready to go but 12.5 volts may be insufficient.
Power = Voltage X Current. 12.5 volts will be more than sufficient to cause severe pain, and the effect can be enhanced by making sure the area is wet. This will lower the body's natural impedance and increase the current. You can also use the current squared X resistance, so even a small current passed through a high resistance does wonder. Every now and then at work I would get something touching the wrong place, and I could draw some magnificent arcs from a 28 VDC aircraft battery.
make it a Prius battery
Using a Prius battery (lithium-ion) is a good idea. If a L-I battery is discharged too rapidly or is overcharged, it will overheat and can burst into flame. Ask the engineers at Boeing what they have had to do to make the battery system on the 787 air worthy. Shorten up the jumper cables and put the battery in actual contact with the target area.
posted by Howard_T at 04:45 PM on April 16
Ben Revere flying through the air
He also turned this into a nice double play when the runner on first showed little faith in Revere's defensive prowess. Revere made another catch in the next inning when he ran into the wall while grabbing another line drive.
posted by Howard_T at 10:39 PM on April 15
While this is a really big deal, and while it occurred in conjunction with, and indeed seemed to target, an event that gets world-wide attention, the local Boston media coverage reached the point of over-saturation about 3 hours ago. Nothing new has been reported, with the exception of increased casualty counts. I don't know whether its my age or the fact that I spent most of my working life among the US military services, but my attitude is "OK, it happened, I want to know as much as you can tell me, but please stop telling me the same thing over and over". It's not that I don't care, it's mostly that I've seen this before and it doesn't change.
My wife received a text that one of her colleagues was injured in the blast, thankfully not severely, but bad enough to require stitches. She returned home to southern NH for treatment, so it couldn't have been too bad. The colleague was there to see a couple of family members who were running. They were uninjured, but were described as "shaken" by the experience.
In addition to the Bruins tonight, the Celtics have cancelled tomorrow's game vs Indiana. The game has no bearing on the final standings for either team, nor does it affect playoff seedings. The only problem I have with this is that I'm a season ticket holder, and I want to know how they're going to make up the difference. I've already renewed the tickets for next year, and the renewal included tickets for this season's playoff games. I guess I was raised to be a tightwad.
posted by Howard_T at 10:32 PM on April 15
Watching the local Boston ABC network affiliate that is broadcasting continuing coverage. They report 2 dead, 22 injured so far. Supposedly the initial blast came from inside Marathon Sports, and the next followed within seconds from a trash can. At least one expert - a professor at BC who claims to specialize in analyzing terrorist attacks - says the double explosion is a signature of a terrorist attack; the intent being to draw a crowd of rescuers, curiosity seekers, and the like in order to maximise casualties with the second explosion. The timing of this would seem to deny that this was this type of double shot, since the interval between explosions was too short for any response other than flight. Now there is news of an explosion at the JFK Library, but this might be a coincidence and not a part of any plot.
Downtown Boston is a mess, service on the MBTA lines that run through the Kenmore Square, Copley Square stations (all of the Green Lines) has been cut, and the stop in the downtown shopping area, Downtown Crossing, on the Red and Orange Lines is closed. Good thing this is a holiday for many workers in Boston, but it's still going to be a nasty commute.
The media, politicians, and the like are all playing up the terrorism thing. It's possible, and at this point perhaps likely, that this is so, but I'm one who waits for all the evidence before judgement. Just ask Richard Jewell about the bombing during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. You'll have to wait a while for this, he died in 2007, but the point is that the media, etc., rarely get it right the first time.
posted by Howard_T at 05:06 PM on April 15
I am well aware of the penalty assessed for the illegal drop. My contention is that he should have been aware of the specific language in the drop rule, deliberately ignored it, signed a scorecard that he should have known might be incorrect, and therefore should be DQed.
posted by Howard_T at 03:25 PM on April 13
The rule says the drop must be done "as near as possible" to the spot from which the original shot was taken. Two yards on a fairway is not as near as possible. Period! Woods admits he calculated dropping back by 2 yards and taking another 2 yards off his shot to get the ball to the desired spot on the green. This sounds to me like a deliberate violation of the drop rule; hoping it would be near enough that no one would notice. Then he comes off like the kid with his hand in the cookie jar smiling weakly at his mommy saying he didn't know he wasn't supposed to do it. In Woods' defense, the tournament committee didn't figure it out the first time either, and that's the only thing that saves him. I can't believe that Woods would not know the rules well enough to understand where a drop was to be made, and I can't believe that if there were any doubt at all, he would not have asked for help from a tournament official. Well, I suppose that the mere mortals who play the game must know and obey the rules, while the gods are exempted.
posted by Howard_T at 03:16 PM on April 13
An addendum to my post on the Frozen 4: Drew LeBlanc of St. Cloud State has been named the Hobey Baker Award winner, beating out Eric Hartzell of Quinnipiac, among others. Hartzell isn't complaining, since he kept LeBlanc off the score sheet in the 4-1 Quinnipiac victory last night.
Congratulations to Drew LeBlanc.
posted by Howard_T at 06:31 PM on April 12
It's an all Connecticut final for the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship on Saturday. Yale squeaked by UMass Lowell in overtime and Quinnipiac took down St. Cloud State quite decisively. The Yale victory was no surprise, as they got going quickly, and then stayed close; eventually wearing down Lowell. Yale went ahead 2-0 in the 1st period, 1 on the power play and one late in the period. Lowell came back quickly with 2 in just 14 seconds of the 2nd period. Lowell's goaltender, Hellebuyck, stood tall most of the game, but he might have been somewhat at fault on one of Yale's first period goals. He also blamed himself for the game winner, saying he went down too quickly as the goal scorer went wide.
Truth be told, I had picked St. Cloud State to win the whole thing, but Quinnipiac's #2 line took over the show. Eric Hartzell, Quinnipiac's goaltender showed why he's a Hobey Baker Award finalist, letting only 1 St. Cloud shot slip by in the 2nd period. Quinnipiac was off and running quickly, holding a 2-0 lead in the first 5 minutes of play, and running it to 3-0 after the first period.
Saturday's finale will be the 4th time the 2 Connecticut schools, less than twelve miles apart by road, have met this season. Quinnipiac has won all of the previous 3, but Yale, after stumbling into the post-season, has been playing its best hockey. The saying is that it is very difficult to beat a team twice three times in a row, but I think Quinnipiac has the team to do it. In any case, it will be the hockey equivalent of the neighborhood brawl, and no matter who wins, it will be the first champion from ECAC hockey since Harvard's win in 1989.
posted by Howard_T at 05:08 PM on April 12
Martin Brodeur's career win total sits currently at 666 wins.
All with the DEVILS!!!
If you ever ride an elevator with Brodeur, please don't let him push the "down" button.
posted by Howard_T at 04:22 PM on April 12
I tried goat in Egypt. Properly prepared it's quite nice, if a bit bony. Goats are quite useful for milk, meat, making yarn (angora goats yield very nice fur), and ultimately their skin makes very good water bags and wine skins. I certainly hope whoever decapitated the goat did not waste the rest of the poor creature.
Perhaps whoever sent the goat was really sending a threat against someone's Nanny.
posted by Howard_T at 04:19 PM on April 12
Too bad there's not a rule that requires a team whose player causes injury in a brawl or by intentionally hitting a batter to surrender the nearest equivalent player on their roster to the team that loses the injured player. The transaction could be a "trade" of the injured player for his equivalent, such trade to be reversed as soon as the injured player is again active. The team surrendering the player also would be responsible for his salary. You could extend this rule to other sports, and you might see a decrease in some of the gratuitous violence.
posted by Howard_T at 04:13 PM on April 12
Geez, Howard--c'mon out to Reno in September.
If I could swing it, I'd be there. One of the local colleges used to have an aviation program, sadly now cancelled, and in cooperation with the Collings Foundation put on an air exhibition every second year at the local airport. No great extravaganza, but had lots of good warbirds and some really neat antique civilian stuff. There was a lot of flying, no aerobatics because of the populated area around the field, and Collings Foundation offered rides (for a small fortune) in its flyable B-17 and B-24. There is nothing like the sound of reciprocating aircraft engines driving propellers that pull these beautiful birds (there is no such thing as an ugly aircraft - I don't care what you might think about the A-6 or the A-10) through the sky that really gets me going.
Didn't mean to turn this into a discussion of antique aircraft, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who can not resist looking up at the sound of an aircraft.
posted by Howard_T at 04:08 PM on April 09
Today was the home opener for the Boston Red Sox. Now I have to admit that I am first and foremost a baseball fan, and despite the "best" efforts of the Red Sox over the past 2 seasons to force me to change my allegiance, I remain a Sox fan. So the home opener for the team is something of a special day. Today's was no different, perhaps better than many. First of all, the home team won. Second, the Red Sox-supported charity, The Jimmy Fund, was featured, with a chorus made up of kids who were being treated for cancer among others. But to this old aircraft lover, the highlight was the flyover. No F-16s, no F/A-18s, no USAF, USN, or USMC fancy jets, just a pair of the prettiest restored P-51 Mustangs I've seen in a long time. The P-51 is a WWII vintage fighter. I grew up in a town right next to Boston's Logan Airport, and when I was a kid, about the time of the Korean War, the Mass Air National Guard kept a squadron of P-51s there. I will never forget the sound of the supercharged V-16 Allison engines that drove those birds as they flew over in formation and broke for their landings. I think I went back about 60 years today as the camera followed the 2 Mustangs across the park and the audio picked up the roar of the Allisons. There are some things that baseball brings that have nothing to do with the game and everything to do with life.
posted by Howard_T at 09:24 PM on April 08
My nephew played hockey in high school, and he was pretty good at it. He made varsity as a freshman, was a defenseman with a very accurate, heavy wrist shot from the point. He was also a big lad and solid on his skates. His sophomore year the school got a new coach who insisted that my nephew get into more of the roughing, pushing, and shoving. He also wanted to see some fights in practice. Needless to say, my nephew knew that if you fought during a game, you were suspended for the next one. He also was good enough that he did not need to push and shove and rough to play the game well. Brilliant coach suspended him from the team, so nephew walked. He didn't need the BS, and the school had a few crap seasons.
posted by Howard_T at 04:33 PM on April 05
Bubba Watson's bored with golf carts. So he commisioned a hovercraft
If they start renting out these things instead of golf carts, they will be doubly useful as leaf blowers during the autumn.
posted by Howard_T at 04:17 PM on April 05
Brian Banks appears to have learned "forgiveness" during his incarceration. He's a far better man than I for it. As for charges against his accuser, that's best left up to the legal system, not Mr. Banks. She could be in real trouble, especially if she accepted a settlement from the school district. It is said that a thief can rob you, but a liar can hang you. The Banks case illustrates why "Thou shalt not bear false witness..." is one of the 10.
posted by Howard_T at 04:12 PM on April 05
RIP American Sense of Humor.
No, No Secretary Hagel, what have you done?. When I said "Nuke the Chinese" I meant put the takeout in the microwave!
posted by Howard_T at 04:07 PM on April 05
Mike Arizin comes from some solid blood lines. He's the son of the late NBA great Paul Arizin, who starred for the Philadelphia Warriors from the early '50s, retiring rather than move when the team left for San Francisco after the 1961-62 season. He was a 10-time All-Star, won 2 scoring titles, and won an NBA championship. He was known as a classy player and person. He must have been, because I never heard Johnny Most say a bad word against him. (That's a Boston Celtics inside joke. Most, the Celtics' radio voice back in the day, had a habit of disparaging those opponents who acted in what he considered an unsportsmanlike manner. That was about 65% of the league.)
posted by Howard_T at 04:02 PM on April 05
In the "What Have You Done for Us Lately?" department, University of Denver has fired men's ice hockey coach George Gozdecky. This comes on the heels of Denver's 1st round loss to New Hampshire in the NCAA Northeast Regional playoff. Godzecky has coached Denver to a pair of national championships in the past 9 years, as well as 12 straight years of 20-win seasons. I guess the guy just can't cut it.
posted by Howard_T at 02:45 PM on April 03
Looking at the video, it appears Ware landed with his momentum carrying him in a direction perpendicular to the orientation of his right foot. In other words, the stress on his leg was side-to-side, not fore and aft. He leaped high enough that there would have been a lot of compression stress on the leg at the same time. With the leg bone and knee tendons under compression and a lateral force applied, there would be no room for any movement. The result is fracture and displacement of the bone. I am neither a doctor nor a trainer, but one does study materials and their properties in engineering school. This is classic stress and shear.
posted by Howard_T at 06:26 PM on April 01
The "Shivering 16" were trimmed to the "Icy 8", and now the "Frozen 4" is set. It will be an all-New England semi-final when Yale and UMass Lowell meet, while St. Cloud State tries to defend Midwest hockey against the 3rd New England squad, Quinnipiac. Pittsburgh will be jumping from April 11 - 13.
Yale was an eye-opener to me, beating Minnesota and North Dakota, and coming from behind in both games. This is their first NCAA hockey championship appearance since 1952. That's a long time, baby. Quinnipiac looked like its reputation was much larger than its ability until the 3rd period against Canisius. Then they woke up and came from behind. I watched Union take apart a good BC team, using its speed, particularly in the defense, to keep BC from getting any momentum. This made me think that Union would handle Quinnipiac easily, but Matthew Peca's natural hat trick in the 1st period brought that to a screeching halt.
UMass Lowell did not surprise me in either of their regional wins. Their win over Wisconsin was more one-sided than I expected, but again, no surprise. New Hampshire had a better game plan than had Wisconsin, but it did no good. Lowell used its size, speed, and really good goaltending to squeeze out the 2-0 win. I was unable to pay a lot of attention to St. Cloud State, and it's my loss. What I saw of them against Miami University showed me that they are easily the most balanced team of the 4, and are very well the deepest.
Now it's time for a couple of predictions for the Frozen 4. Looking at UMass Lowell vs Yale, I have to predict that the Eli will win a tight one. Lowell is in the Frozen 4 for the first time, and they've come a long way from the days when they were Lowell Textile Institute, then Lowell Tech. They're not a team that will score easily, and particularly will not score early. They rely on their defense to hold them in the game, and wait for a miscue to allow transition and a good scoring opportunity. Their goalie, Hellebuyck, describes himself as "big and boring". The boring part refers to his composure in the net. He should also add 'highly competent" to the description. He's probably the best goaltender in the finals. Yale showed me that they are a "grind 'em down" sort of team. They'll try to stay in the game as long as possible, and then, when the other team wears down a bit, they will get the "dirty" goals on rebounds, goal mouth scrambles, and sheer force of will. The key would be to get a big (3+ goal) lead early on Yale, and hold them off, but not by sitting back. Lowell is not the team to do this.
St. Cloud State against Quinnipiac shapes up to be a real battle. Both teams can score, and both have good goaltending. This one could well boil down to the 3rd or 4th line having its best game of the season. If this is the case, St. Cloud State's depth will carry the day.
If the semi-finals go as I expect, Yale will face St. Cloud State. This one belongs to St. Cloud State for 3 reasons: 1. Depth. They won't wear down late in the game as other teams have against Yale. 2. Balance. They have scoring ability on all 4 lines, and their defense is capable of contributing in the offensive zone. They also have solid, if unspectacular, goaltending. 3. Location. One of my rules in ice hockey is that you should never underestimate a team from Minnesota.
One aside concerning the TV coverage of the regional games. ESPNU carried most of them live, and had the rest on delay. Living in New England allowed those of us who receive NESN to get the games involving the New England teams on live broadcast. Suffice it to say I wore out the remote between NCAA hockey, Bruins hockey, and Celtics basketball. During one of the ESPNU games, the announcers did a promo for college lacrosse, then proceeded into some self-congratulation for ESPN promoting the lesser-known college sports. Atypically, they were correct. While there may not be a huge audience for lacrosse, ice hockey, college baseball (in the regular season) and other such sports, having them receive exposure on ESPNU is a positive development for college sports in general. There's more to life than football and basketball.
posted by Howard_T at 04:26 PM on April 01
Two quick notes on baseball:
First, I just read a headline that Tim McCarver will retire at the end of 2014. I can't link to the article. Has anyone else heard this? If true, it means I can start watching Fox Game of the Week again.
Virgil "Fire" Trucks has passed away at the age of 95. He was a Detroit Tigers great in the '40s and '50s, and is one of 5 pitchers to record 2 no-hitters in a single season. His second no-hitter was the last complete game no-no thrown in Yankee Stadium. He did it with a Detroit team that was very unsuccessful, to say the least, losing 104 games in that 1952 season. When I was a kid (probably about 10 or 11) one of my friends gave me a subscription to Sport magazine. It might have been the first issue I received, but I remember a cover of Virgil Trucks posed in his uniform, wearing a fire helmet, and standing beside a fire engine. It's funny, the things that stick in your memory and the things you have completely forgotten. It's particularly true when you get to my age.
posted by Howard_T at 09:24 PM on March 27
The Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins are scratching their heads wondering how any team that plays in Fort Myers can win championships.
posted by Howard_T at 04:12 PM on March 25
NCAA men's ice hockey brackets were announced tonight. There are some teams in there that aren't noted for being one of the near-annual participants, and some of the old standbys. Quinnipiac from Connecticut is the #1 overall seed and will play in the East at Providence, RI. I look for them to advance to the Frozen 4, but only after a tough match against BC. Union could pull an upset here, but Canisius is a long shot.
Denver and Wisconsin have to travel to Manchester, NH, for their matches against UMass Lowell and UNH in the Northeast Regional. I'm a bit surprised at UNH getting a bid after they looked a bit out of sorts against Providence in the Hockey East quarterfinals, but they have been pretty steady all year. The usually ill-informed ESPNU crew claimed that UNH would be playing in "their own back yard" (they are the host team), but UMass Lowell is closer to Manchester than is Durham, and the driving time is probably a bit shorter as well. I watched the Hockey East final, a 1-0 UML win over a BU squad that was playing well above their ranking, and I came away impressed. The UML goaltender, Hellenbuyck, tracks the puck very well, has excellent anticipation of where the shot is to come from, fills the net well, and has good mechanics. I do believe he'll carry UML to Pittsburgh, but Wisconsin could be a problem.
The Midwest Regional has Notre Dame as the seeded team, with the Miami Red Hawks looking to be their biggest challenge. Mankato, MN, and St. Cloud State fill the bracket. I must admit that I know little about these latter 2 teams, so I'm going with Notre Dame to advance.
In the West, Minnesota, the #2 overall seed faces challenges from Yale and North Dakota. Niagara is the 4th team in, and again I know little about them. This is probably the toughest of the 4 regions to call, but I'm going to pick North Dakota as the upset special. Yale played well in the ECAC, but seemed to struggle a bit late in the year.
The fun starts on Friday night (Good Friday, and I have to work the altar for the Solemn Eucharist), and I'll be watching as much as I can. College hockey has come an incredibly long way from the days when I was attending Northeastern, and this time of year has the best of the best facing off.
posted by Howard_T at 11:26 PM on March 24
My brackets are doing quite well holding the shelves they support. (in other words, what I know about college basketball can be contained in about 2 lines of text. Thus, I do not even try to do brackets.)
posted by Howard_T at 04:54 PM on March 21
No more Tuck rule
I guess there's no truth to the rumor that Oakland wanted the rule change made retroactive to the 2001 season.
No. 4 turns 65
MY GOD I'm getting old! I remember well Orr's arrival on the hockey scene in Boston. The Bruins staged an exhibition game between Derek Sanderson's Niagara Falls Flyers and the Oshawa Generals of Bobby Orr. This was the sometime in the season before both came into the NHL. Orr was the main attraction, so of course Sanderson wanted to make an impression. He did. In the first shift in which the 2 were on the ice together, Sanderson went after Orr, both dropped the gloves and had at it. I cannot remember if either had an edge in the fight, nonetheless it set a tone for the future careers of the 2.
posted by Howard_T at 09:46 PM on March 20
the Orioles' Mike Flacco
He is indeed Joe Flacco's brother. Now, can the Sox and the Pats cook something up to cut a deal with Joe so he'll throw a game vs NE in return for a good contract for his brother. Either that or hold Mike Flacco in a dark room with "The Worst of Don and Jerry" playing over and over until he pleads for his brother to throw a game or 2.
verge of re-signing Kyle Arrington
Word is that Arrington is aboard for 4 years at $16 Mil.
Adrian Wilson will give them some solid veteran presence at safety. He's known as a hard hitter, which is something they've not consistently had for a couple of years. John Abraham will give them a good 3rd down pass rusher to be used in a rotation between Chandler Jones, Abraham, and Rob Ninkovich. He also provides depth at the position, which NE did not have when Jones went down last season.
offer sheet on Emmanuel Sanders
Had not heard this. He will cost them a 3rd round pick, but considering that they probably would have used a high pick on a receiver, this might be a better way of going about the draft. It will free up a higher pick to use on a defensive back or offensive line. Pittsburgh apparently has some cap problems, so Patriots might steal one here.
posted by Howard_T at 10:38 PM on March 15
"Little" Danny Woodhead signed with the Chargers
Woodhead's role will be performed by Shane Vereen, with some help from Leon Washington. Vereen's emergence late last season meant that Woodhead could be spared. Still, it's tough for this Patriots' fan to admit he can not have a "Woody" any more.
Local radio (Felger & Mazz) is killing them
The louder these 2 idiots talk, the more I know that the Patriots are doing things right. The only sport Felger knows anything about is hockey, and he knows damn little about that. Mazzerotti knows even less, and is not afraid to exhibit his ignorance on a daily basis. Of course, I avoid listening to them like I would avoid a case of bubonic plague. The problem is that the more outrageously ignorant these 2 act, the more people react to them, thus boosting their ratings. I give the same advice to their listeners as I would to the parents of a child behaving badly: "Ignore it and maybe it'll just stop."
posted by Howard_T at 04:53 PM on March 15
OK, just to take this a few bullet points at a time:
Did Brady make Welker? Other than some monster games vs NE when he was with Miami, Welker's numbers didn't exactly hit you over the head. It wasn't that Brady made him, but more like an offense that was built for someone like him and a QB that could run it.
Is Amendola another Welker? Only in the narrow sense that both are considered slot receivers. Amendola is slightly taller, is supposedly better outside the numbers, and is a shiftier runner. A comment I read today (I thnk it was Greg Bedard in the Boston Globe) claims that on any given reception Welker will get what is blocked, but Amendola is able to get past would-be tacklers for something extra.
Is Amendola more expensive? The cap hit for Welker is 6 Million per for 2 years. Amendola's 10 Million is prorated over 5 years, or 2 Million per. The salary portion is structured so that the cap hits increase sharply after year 3. Guess what happens then if Amendola doesn't work out. Even if he is successful, it is likely his contract would be renegotiated after 2 or 3 years in order to keep the cap hit down.
Is Amendola the real piece on offense that NE needs? Hardly! Look for Patriots to try to pick up a good wide receiver in free agency or the draft (Buffalo's Donald Jones was in town, and there is a fair number of wides available in the draft).
Fans in NE do indeed care far too much about what goes on with their teams. Of course no one wants to back a loser, but hanging on to players who might be approaching a decline and then being unable to replace them in the short term is a formula for long-term failure. (What's going on with the Celtics seems to violate this idea, but they are really too much fun to watch, so breaking them up would not be smart.) the old baseball axiom was that it was better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late. While this is not a trade in the traditional sense, it amounts to the same thing.
I fully expect Welker to have an outstanding year or 2 in Denver. More power to him, and most NE fans wish him well. If Amendola stays healthy and performs up to his potential, we are not likely to forget Welker, but we will certainly be happy to have Amendola.
To this marginally qualified observer, the real reason NE hasn't won another Super Bowl is not because of the loss of some offensive players. Rather, it is that the defense was unable to make a play when the opportunity arose. Just watch the tapes of the last 2 SBs against NY.
posted by Howard_T at 11:35 PM on March 14
Hole in one, or is it one in hole? This is not quite the expected hazard at your average course. Somehow I am inspired to write a gag about a priest, a rabbi, and a minister who are joined by Jesus as a 4th. There would have to be a reference about going to Hell in there. Maybe I'll work on it, but any suggestions are welcome.
posted by Howard_T at 04:51 PM on March 12
Regis Philbin??? My God, he's 10 years older than I am and he's had triple-bypass heart surgery. I surely hope that Fox keeps some resuscitation equipment handy on the set. He's supposed to be a sports talk show host. That means he will have guests. Will they be able to get a word in edgewise? Should there be a call-in feature, it could really get entertaining when Philbin's geriatric fans call to say how much they love the way he talks to those mean old football coaches. All I can say to Fox is, "Fox Sports, is that your final answer?"
posted by Howard_T at 04:51 PM on March 07
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
The Boston Globe has been running a line of tweets from reporters, fans, and the like during the Stanley Cup playoffs. This one from last night has made it to the top of my favorites list:
"My blowup doll is a Rangers fan and we're not speaking right now."
I couldn't have said it better.