Boston (W) Tea Party

Since the start of the World Series the
Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics have a
combined record of 19-0 and even if
you add in the terrible records of
Boston College (8-2) and the Boston
Bruins 8-6, that's still 35-8.
Life in Boston is Good !

Snap, Crackle, And Pop

MLB
After looking at the numbers of the top four
vote getters in the AL Cy Young race, it was
amazing anyone could make a decision.
It was so close. They were all deserving and I'm
surprised a tad bit that Carmona and Lackey
didn't at least pick up one first place vote,
they all had merit in one aspect or another.


CC Sabathia
W-L ERA K Walks
19-7 3.21 209 37
Josh Beckett
W-L ERA K Walks
20-7 3.27 194 40
John Lackey
W-L ERA K Walks
19-9 3.01 179 52
Fausto Carmona
W-L ERA K Walks
19-8 3.06 137 61


NFL
Pac man Jones gets a plea deal, I'm sure the
guy who wound up in the wheel chair is thrilled.


MLS
With Ruud Gullit taking over as coach of the
LA Galaxy, it is certain that David Beckham will
soon be more comfortable and involved in a
more suitable style of play for him.
This is also the first sign that the latest LA Galaxy
is the 21st century version of the NY Cosmos.


NASCAR
Another reason why I find NASCAR so absurd reared
it's ugly head today. As I watched ESPN News and
the headline ticker informed me that Jimmie Johnson
needed to finish 18th or better to clinch the Nextel Cup
Championship. 18th or better??? Championship???
C'mon ! ! !

ESPN News
I can't see how Lipscomb beating Fisk by a score of
123-22 is "Breaking News", do you?

NFL Picks

After back to back miserable weeks of 1-2
In will no longer be referring to picks as
"I don't want to pick the easy ones",
because there are no easy ones.
I now intend to add to my 17-7 record.

New Orleans

Seattle

Pittsburgh

3-0 here I come!

World Champions?

Today I saw a headline on the internet that
former major leaguer Jim Lefevbre will be
coaching China's national team in the
Beijing Olympics. So that made me wonder.
Bobby Valentine manages pro baseball in
Japan, and the KC Royals newest manager
Trey Hillman did as well, the NBA is full of
foreign players, and Major League baseball
has been for much longer than that, though
Asians are only now starting to really make
their presence felt. Hockey aside from the
Canadian influence is full of foreigners, and
Soccer needs to be in order to survive, at
least in this country. It seems that the NFL
is the only "Major" sport in this country that
has been able to elude true foreign influence,
and that may stay that way for awhile, though
some foreigners have been sprinkled in during
recent times.

I guess the whole point of this is, Is any team
truly a "World Champion" if they only face teams
based in this country/continent? The Stanley Cup
in name alone does not pretend to name the
"World" Champion, and neither does the "Super
Bowl", and I guess the NBA Championship gets
a pass as well, but is it time to change the title
of "World Series"?, or is it even fair to say that
the others should not be considered "Champions"
of the "World" as many athletes often like to say
soon after winning their respective titles?
Remember theses leagues began in a time where
travel by bus was considered rapid transit,
so it is understandable that you couldn't really
face opponents from other countries, let alone
incorporate them into your leagues, and that
was probably an even better reason not to be
considered world champs.

It is fair to say that it might now be time to
get the Champions of the best leagues around
the globe to face each other to decide the
best of the best. Soccer does something similar
in Europe with it's Champions league tourney,
and even beyond that. The World Cup of Soccer
goes beyond that to show National supremacy
ala the Olympics, but a little more interesting
because the names are more familiar. Other
World Cups don't seem to draw the same amount
of interest, with the exception of Rugby in other
parts of the world. Let's face it, the money will
be made, and American audiences will certainly
get into something like this if you can package
it right, and hopefully not water it down with
glitz and glam. The World Baseball Classic was
a nice start, but this was like the Olympics with
pros, now we need something with club teams.
You know like the Detroit Tigers vs the Yomuiri
Giants for the whole ball of wax. Then their
will be a true "World Series"

Blow To The Head

Eric Lindros very quietly and without much
fanfare retired today. He was once one of
the NHL's mega stars, the next Next One.
But like Steve Young and many countless
others, including his younger brother a
player for the NY Islanders, concussions
did them in.

The only question that entered my mind
as I heard the news was, how many players
in past times had concussion that were
treated as much more minor ailments?

I can't help but wonder how that drive and
ego makes these athletes dismiss health,
take steroids, and become guinea pigs for
human growth hormones, and so on.
Are we guilty for pushing them or is
it just the human condition that brings
this about? Either way it doesn't seem
as though it will end anytime soon.

Marion Jones confesses, the Russian are
accused of poison in the name of the
Davis Cup in Tennis, and the Mitchell
investigation rolls on. Kind of makes
the exploits of Pac Man Jones seem
like little more than mischievous play.

Super Hot Stove

Though it seems that the NFL has become or
may become the number one sport Americans
love, it is clear by this years post season
activities that MLB is never closed.
The Hot Stove as many love to call the
trade/free agent/ GM meetings/Winter
meetings, and all things rumoured is
definitely in high gear.

Where will A-Rod Go?
Will Glavine go back to the Braves?
Will the Yankees trade for Miguel Cabrera,
or Johan Santana? Will they be able to
resign Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, or
even Andy Pettite?
What will Brad Lidge to the Phillies mean
to the NL East?
And or course what may be a party pooper
this year, What will the Mitchell report reveal?

I could certainly go on and on, and though
it's clear that the NFL Draft Trumps the
MLB Draft by far, baseball certainly stirs
up postseason attention like no other sport.
Isn't this fun?

Stray Bullets

MLB
I find it amazing as a New York Mets fan
that David Wright won Gold Glove for
his excellence in fielding. I am as big a
David Wright fan as there is, and the way
he carries himself off the field is a real breath
of fresh air, but was the National League so
third baseman deprived that they gave a
guy with "24" errors a Gold Glove?

MLB II
All kidding aside, it's nice to see someone take
less money to stay and play where they want
to play. Curt Schilling won't starve on eight
million a year in Boston, but he could have
gotten more and worked less in the NL,
i.e. Piladelphia.

MLB III
Last week when Andy Pettite was asked whether
he'd be following Torre L.A., he responded by
saying that it wouldn't be right after the Yankees
invested so much money in him. Yesterday he
opted out of his contract, not to go to L.A., but to
either retire or of course get more money from the
Yankees. It's good to see a man of God with such
a deep conscious as he behave with integrety.

NFL
Now that the NFL has cleared the Colts on
the noise accusations made by the Patriots
following Sunday's contest. Perhaps the
Pats should consider accusing the Bills of
pumping in snow if their streak should end
in Buffalo or Eagles fans for cussing.

NBA
Now that most teams in the NBA have jumped
on the foreign player boat, you have to wonder
if the ones that haven't got the memo that some
of these guys can actually play.

NHL
Now that the NY Rangers have gotten back on
track after a slow start they have no one to
thank more than their Swedish net minder
who has four shutouts in the young season,
and an impressive 1.49 goals against average.

MLS
Bruce Arena teams dominated soccer in the
MLS early years. Tuesday he "resigned"
from the NY Red Bull. After a disappointing
National Team experience you have to wonder
how history will judge his legacy in later years.

Pot Calling Kettle, Come In Kettle

So now that the bad guys (Patriots) won
they've decided to accuse the Colts of
cheating, Ha ! They claim that the Colts
have been pumping in crowd noise to
throw off their opponents. True or not,
I wonder how it feels to fight an uphill
battle?

NFL Picks

A real letdown last week bringing my hot streak
to an end. That being said my record for the
season is still a healthy 16-5. Time to pick up
the pieces and I won't avoid the Big Game either.

Oakland

Pittsburgh

Indianapolis

Now let there be wins !

Say It Ain't So Joe

In what could be a legacy defining moment,
Joe Torre has accepted the job as manager
of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Obviously it
isn't about the money, he definitely took
less, although he didn't come cheap.
He will be under the microscope though.
Questions will be a plenty, especially by
the Yankee fans that wanted him gone,
and non Yankee fans who have always
contended that Torre success was a product
of his $200,000,000 payroll. If Joe Torre
fails to produce anything less than a
World Series appearance, his performance
will be considered a failure. Though the
Dodgers may not think so, his detractors
most certainly will, and they will dance
in the streets.

Good Luck Joe.
Way to put a bulls eye on your back.