On Cloud 10 - The Chronicles of Chuck

A World Of Knowledge

2010-07-18T14:55:00.002-04:00

Viva the motherland!!!!!!
(monitor.co.ug)

What a final! I'm probably in the minority in saying that, with everyone complaining about the refereeing and the mounds of missed opportunities. But hey, better that than every American sportscaster grilling a penalty-kick final for the next 4 years. If you look at it, it was the only way that the biggest sporting event in the world could end, with two storied soccer nations that needed an extra 30 minutes to duke it out for their first world title. As I finished celebrating Andres Iniesta's goal in the middle of The Joshua Tree in Allston, I realized that this is becoming more of an event on this side of the pond. Yeah, the American Cinderella story ended against Ghana, but many of us took a heavy interest afterward, with viewers backing their finals pick with as much fervor as they would their gridiron squads. Comes to show you that even through the midst of the brutally backstabbing mess that was LeBron's 'decision', sports can provide us moments of pure passion and excitement that's far distant from the next muliti-million dollar contract. As a student to this soccer phenomenon, I continue to learn the many quirks and nuances of the beautiful game. Here are some lessons I took from this African spectacle.

For the final time, the vuvuzela is annoying.
Just when you thought that was the sound of your TV imploding, or South Africa going through a killer bee problem in their winter time. The monotonous drone of the vuvuzela invaded and conquered the stadiums of South Africa with a high decibel. It has even blamed for spreading sickness, hacking down the performances of the world's greats and even destroying a few windpipes. The craze proved to spread like a virus, as it made its way through the American grandstands in Miami when the Marlins gave out 15,000 in a World Cup promotion that would literally and figuratively, well, blow. Makes me sort of regret that I didn't buy stocks in earplugs last month. I know it's a cultural tool. But like Heidi Montag's recent plastic surgery binges and American Idol, some things just need to stop.

Guess I see why the Dutch made it this far.
(yahoo.com)

In the World Cup, wearing a mini skirt may get you in trouble.
Apparently, two skirt-wielding Dutch ladies were arrested and detained for allegedly participating in an ambush marketing campaign for Bavaria Beer, who paid the ride for over 30 women to support their Oranje footballers in South Africa. Guess it's pretty difficult for ladies in skirts not to get attention, but to get it for some marketing conspiracy is something else. Something tells me that a vuvuzela crack down would have been more popular amongst the populous, but I guess I'm only talking for the red-blooded males here. Either way, shame on you South Africa police. Shame on you! Sideways head nods all the way around.

Diego Maradona is still a disgraceful human being.
Don't get me wrong, Diego Maradona is one of the top 3 players/compelling people to ever play this sport. But even with all the energy and love to his team he showed on the sidelines, Maradona still showed to the world that he is as much of a loathsome figure to some as he is beloved to others. Running over a camerman is one thing, but to curse him out for being there while he lays injured just seems like something that would only come from the worst behaved on 6th Street in Manhattan. And then there was him calling out Pele to go back to the museum after comments he made as well as to Michel Platini's 'Frenchness', making Maradona have about as much social grace as an elephant with ice skates. I love Messi, but it's Maradona's consistent buffoonery that forced me not to root for Argentina in 2010. That or him promising to run around Buenos Aires with what God gave him if they won. But anyway, while we're still kind of on the French....

Karma is a.....well, you know.
See: 2010 French National team. Classic! Enough said.

Nation's best friend or worst enemy?
(marcagol.com)

A hot reporter girlfriend maybe a risky proposition if you're a goalie.
The goalie position easily has to be the loneliest position on the field. You're pretty much on an island, in charge of defending a vast space, spending a majority of the game as a cautious on-looker. So it's no wonder that every once in a while you may be caught off guard, so to speak, taking a trip to Dreamland. Well, at least that's what's what the citizens of your beloved country will think when you allow a goal that puts your country on the brink of exiting the world stage. Want another reason to blame Canada? Well, Britain got on board for blaming ex and Toronto native Elizabeth Minett for distracting British goalie Rob Green's sad excuse for a stop that helped the U.S. equalize the opening game of the group stage. And then there is Spanish goalie Iker Casillas, who allowed the lone goal in that Swiss early in the group stage. Who did the blame go to you ask? None other than the main Spanish reporter for the Cup, Sara Carbonero (wowsers!), who he just happens to be dating currently. So much for the 'un-biased' interview. But I guess it worked out for San Iker in the end, and if it does, you should definitely reward here like a saint should, in front of the whole world to see!

When all else fails, blame the ball.

Believe it or not, I think I know what's been getting more heat than Howard Webb, or any other ref that has officiated over a match this World Cup. Seems like the Jabulani has been denied some love this World Cup where it has been blamed for being believe-it-or-not, too aerodynamic, while having as straight of a trajectory in mid-air as a inadequately designed paper airplane, creating the 2nd lowest goals per game average in World Cup history. It was in South Africa where we learned that a soccer ball could have 'knuckleball'-type flight. Along with the vuvuzela, the ball, whose name meas 'celebration', prevented many of the Rooneys, Messis and Ronaldos from doing just that, affecting the quality of the tournament for some. Unless it was a game involving Germany or the Netherlands, the scores read virtually binary in many of the other fixtures in the tourney. As flawed as the ball design was, it can't be blamed for the lack of goals as stellar defensive sides like Uruguay, Paraguay, Spain and Portugal became mainstays in the group of 16. Guess the run...ehem..goal prevention theory goes far beyond baseball.

Let's do it again in Brazil in 2014!
(2014-world-cup.com)

It's A World Affair

2010-06-11T22:09:00.002-04:00

Looks like the party convoy is set to roll in.
(g.sports.yahoo.com)

Even with the Celtics in the finals and the recent resurgence of the Sox, the enchanting croak of the vuvuzela is luring me in. It's World Cup 2010, ladies and gents, about as unavoidable as soaking up a bit of petroleum product with a swim in the Gulf in recent times, or the temptation to say the name Siphiwe Tshabalala 10 times fast. As a casual soccer fan in the past, the World Cup was a prominent event of interest for me, but it was more of an aquarium-type experience as I watched the inhabitants of my town (about a third with Portuguese descent) catch the fever that only the biggest sporting tournament on the globe can bring while tapping the glass with the Ronaldo flopping cracks. With a club team chosen, the fact that I can name more than 5 players on Cameroon's team and with me using the word 'pitch' for more than a curveball, I guess you can say that this is the first World Cup that I am in the fish tank, so-to-speak. Besides, there is not too many instances in which you will voraciously re-hash Revolutionary Way/War of 1812 issues on a Saturday afternoon at your TV screen, unless you are on some rowdy debate team. In the midst of my ever-growing knowledge and interest in the beautiful game, and as a few refs are studying up on their English curse words, a few questions are going to linger in my brain until that final whistle in Johannesburg a month from now. It's gametime, world!

For the U.S., it's gonna take a little more than a lot of flexing.
(soccermogul.com)

How will the U.S. perform?
The crystal ball seems to be floating with a little optimism for our red, white and blues. The Americans arguably enter the World's game with one of the top goalies in the world in Tim Howard, and with Group C containing upstarts like Algeria and Slovenia, the U. S. of A have a solid chance of reaching the Sweet 16 in South Africa. With all that being said, I don't really have the highest expectations for the US. in 2010, at least for a having a long, successful run. Despite the Dempsey/Donovan attacking combo, the Americans seem to be severely lacking on the defensive side of the ball. Jozy Altidore's ankle sure doesn't make me feel all too cozy, and the prospect of seeing Wayne Rooney bulldozing Oguchi Onyewu and his healing left knee on Saturday is all too real of a nightmare for me. Even Landon Donovan has proclaimed in a couple of interviews that this country as at least a couple of World Cups away from truly breaking out. But hey, you can never lose too much faith in your country in a tourney as grand as this. Imagine actually pulling off a magical run while beating countries that worship soccer as a natural rite of passage, all while we as a country on average are spending more time photo shopping LeBron James into their favorite team's uni. If we even make it to the semifinals, we would just have to fly Al Michaels down in the event of the impossible to make some kind of unique utterance. Unfortunately, I think the chances of the stars and stripes winning this thing is exactly that, a miracle.

How do you say, 'Au Revoir' in Zulu?
(thenewschronicle.com)

Who will be the biggest surprise/disappointment?

So hard to pick, considering at even some of the best teams have great obstacles to overcome. From Maradona's aura to Spain's absence of luck, it only takes one lackluster game to shock a world of football fans, as well as paralyze a country that had high hopes of a confetti shower in their capital city. As much as I don't want to scare my Portuguese peers, even the 3rd ranked Portugal may be susceptible to the snake bite for being in the same group as superpower Brazil and depending on Didier Drogba's health, a formidable Ivory Coast squad. Even the English squad doesn't impress me with David James in goal, increasing my hopes for an American upset. But for the disappointments, you may not have to look further than the participants of the 2006 final. As the virtual geriatrics of the tournament, Italy title defense hopes are shaky at best and probably have the highest probability of tanking if not for being slotted in a fairly easy Group F. So the Stinky Boot will go to the hands-on French team (Had to do it!), who will not only fall victim to the salacious sex scandal that has affected a few of the team's key players (Ribery, Benzema), but possibly to a defensive-minded Uruguayan squad (not-to-shabby 16th in the world), who have the offensive punch of Forlan/Suarez to boost their advancement out of Group A, giving birth to my biggest South African surprise team.

Mr. Mandela, many nations are turning their eyes to you.

(shellinfosight.com)

How will South Africa do as hosts?
Saying that this World Cup is a big deal is an understatement. Not only is this pivotal for one of the world's fastest-growing economies, but this is of high importance to a continent who is hosting an event of this magnitude for the 1st time. Many have already lauded this South African World Cup as one of the biggest modern day historical events in modern African history. That doesn't mean that South Africa haven't caught some flak for some of the goings-on in their country. It seems as if all I've seen is more of South Africa's peccadilloes, all those stories on ESPN's Outside the Lines on corrective rape and human trafficking seem to be the images emitted by the cathode rays to the public as of late. On top of that, we've all been reminded of the country's high rape and murder rate to go along with that nasty bout in their past with apartheid and how it still affects a free-South Africa to this day. Turns out that the nation is hoping that this World Cup will attract more white talent to a predominantly black football corps, exposing some of the complicated race and class issues that still plague South Africa. We also can't forget the tragedy of the Togo bus ambush at the Cup of African Nations in Angola almost 5 months back. Hell, even the vuvuzela, the official noisemaker of the World Cup in 2010, could potentially spread flu according to some studies. But like the world at large, the nation of South Africa has been prepping themselves physically and mentally for this event. They know as much as anybody that this is grand moment for the reputation of a continent, and they will not let anything take away from the magnitude, as well as what the World Cup could potentially improve from an economical and social standpoint with all this media exposure. It's not necessarily that they won't screw this up, South Africa just can't afford to.

The obstacle to world greatness maybe closer to home than you think.
(fcdenver.org)

Will South Africa be the launching pad for Messi's legend?

International success, or the lack of, seems to be the one big counter-attack that many of Messi's detractors have been proclaiming that separates him from some of the all-timers in the sport's rich history. Judging from the 45 goals he scored for the reigning champions of Spanish football, the galaxies are lining up for something special for the next month. As a culé myself, the possibility of Lionel Messi breaking out on the international stage is the main reason why I am so excited for this World Cup. However, it may not be his foreign opponents, but a few domestic factors that will inhibit the high climb. With options like Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, head trainer Diego Maradona (Yup, that one) has plenty of options of how to put the ball to the back of the net. In fact, the mercurial Maradona maybe the single most important factor as to whether Messi finally achieves the international success that will possibly propel him over Maradona's legendary accomplishments. It's a big fear for me, as well as every other Messi fan that the combination of Maradona's ego and options up front will not only destroy Messi's chances of being an all-time great, but more importantly ruin Argentina's chances up holding up the trophy for the 1st time since that glorious day in Mexico 24 years ago. Even with an Argentinian triumph, let's just hope that a taser is around for immediate use once Diego gets back to romping around Buenos Aires. In the end, I think Messi's talent is too explosive right now to be kept bottled up by any force. Golden Ball, anyone?

A golden ACE banadge may need to be rewarded after it's all said and done.

(zimbio.com)

Can Spain finally break through in the biggest stage on the globe?
At the dawn of the 2010 go-round, many have reserved the tallest portion of the podium for Spain, and for good reason. Coming off a dominant title run in the 2008 Euro tourney, Spain probably boasts the most world-class players currently are in top form. With footballers like David Villa, Xavi, Pique, and stud keeper Iker Casillas, it's somewhat of a shocker that they haven't already handed over the trophy to La Roja in the pre-tourney concert. But using history as a guide, it's a dangerous proposition to coronate the Spaniards in any World Cup. In fact, Spain's best World Cup showing was a 4th place finish in 1950, and their performance in international play has been marred more by underachievement than by pure futility. The dominating Euro 2008 in many ways, was more of the exception than the rule in terms of Spain's history in global competition, for it marked sort of a demon cleanser and their former title of chokers. However, you have to wonder if that loss to the U.S. in the Confederations Cup is still lingering In order for Spain to triumph on Johannesburg soil, they must outperform their marginal past, while having their medics do a little overachieving themselves. With players like Iniesta, Fabergas and striker Fernando Torres battling some form of injury or another, the medics' ability to heal these bruised superstars will play as much of a role in Spain re-writing their international history as a well-placed pass from Xavi.

Mochaman's World Cup Predictions

2010 World Cup Sweet 16

Group A:
Mexico
Uruguay

Group B:
Argentina
Greece

Group C:
England
United States

Group D:
Germany
Serbia

Group E:
Netherlands
Cameroon

Group F:
Italy
Paraguay

Group G:
Brazil
Portugal

Group H:
Spain
Chile

Golden Ball:
Lionel Messi ARG

Golden Boot:
David Villa ESP

Final Match
Spain 3 vs. Argentina 2

Third Place Game
Germany 2 vs. Netherlands 1

Didn't We Do This A Month Ago?

2010-06-08T23:46:00.001-04:00

See! Some things have just got in the way.
(CEB II)

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack (again)! So much for coming back full force in May. I mean, there has been a ton to write about. A Barcelona league title, a somewhat-shocking Celtics final run and BP's little 'oopsies' moment were all for the taking for me to wax poetic about, or at least a chance to wax informal prose. To be fair, there was a lengthy computer issues that needed to be resolved. After pulling out my own hair between constant sessions with call centers and getting all my data backed up without an operating system (Figure that one out), it's back to go time, but the aftermath is still making me dizzy, especially after looking at the final bill to regulate this whole debacle. I'd also be lying if I didn't say that a bout of pure laziness (to be fair, an 'active laziness') hadn't slowed my blogging to a halt. Between getting accustomed to a new job and trips to D.C., it's been a wee bit difficult to sit down and boil up those creative juices into 300-600 words of enlightenment. Then again, it would be pretty difficult to compete at the blogging level up against the times when the idleness known as my endless job search last year took up all my minutes this time last year. It turns out that this lengthy pause is just what I've needed to get the pistons in my brain working into a new level of horsepower, pondering about new and interesting topics while refreshing my perspectives on the things that are already familiar to me. After all, it would have been boring for me to write about a 4th place Red Sox team that seemed to be on the decline, all while trying too hard to conjure up a refreshing nugget during this cyclone known as my life. It's all about quality, and it wouldn't be fair to you or me if I just blurted out half-hearted entries just for quick boosts to my reader stats. Especially after the creative blend I was able to pull off with my 'Locked Up' entry, I knew I could push myself further and be able to paint a meaningful picture without writing every time the wind changed direction. I vow not to let my 'active laziness' slow me down (I mean it this time!), but I'm also determined to bring quality over quantity as I head into the second year of the Cloud 10 administration. Probably be less articles I bang out, but hopefully each entry becomes more enlightening in some way. So, this is just declaration that the flint has been struck once again, and the chronicles will sure continue. Now, here's some montages just to show you I haven't been trapped in a catacomb for the past 2 months!

Memorial Day In D.C.

"O.M.G" - Usher (Featuring will.i.am) - Raymond v. Raymond, 2010

Red Sox - Orioles 4/30 (From The State Street Pavilion)

"Rocker" - AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976

An Unwelcome Return

2010-05-03T22:41:00.001-04:00

Sorry, Paps. Can't hide from this stinker.
(cache.boston.com)

What a cobweb buster. Well, what can bring me back from my month-long hiatus from blogging (Sorry about that by the way)? What could possibly compel me enough to make some time to spew some vitriol with the help of my keyboard? What could be bigger news than a gigantic oil spoil, or my beloved Barça's exit from the Champions League? How about getting swept by a team that we were 16-2 against last year and were 4-18 coming into this weekend's debacle of a series, making it the the 1st time since the brand-spanking new Gerald Ford administration was putting Watergate in the dust that the Sox were swept in Baltimore in a 3-game set. And the back talk I'm getting from my friends in the Maryland/DC area is only the tip of the iceberg. So much for a Cloudcast comeback on how I spout about an emerging Sox team and how a certain McWalk-Off will direct our season for the better (Attended that doozie of a game, but no montage. Stupid me for not bringing the camera.). I mean, our bullpen out-Baltimored the Orioles 'pen, which says a whole lot about the state of our team right now, and reaffirms the concerns I have had about our relief corps since Spring Training. Our offense out-Baltimored the O's in clutch situations with a 4/20 clip with runners in scoring position during the nuclear meltdown known as that series this past weekend. Seeing the likes of Will Ohman and Matt Albers turn into Koufax/Drysdale made me as nauseous as someone who has drank the tap water in Boston this past weekend. I won't lie, I wish this team was a horse just so I could shoot it, put it out of its misery turn it into glue. Hey, it would be something useful for once. As great as the B's and C's are doing, my heart's affinity gears strongly for the Sox, and you probably know how that's working out for me, especially because this year's team is more vanilla than last year's version (or that Frosty I had a Wendy's two weeks ago), and they're losing to the likes of the O's on top of it. Even though it's only May and I realize that it is just past dawn in the season, I'm already in the pantry looking for that towel.

I wish I was really watching 'Groundhog Day'.

(cache.boston.com)

Where do I start? Well let's check the basics on Theo's genius run prevention strategy for '10. Team ERA: 4.78, good enough for 12th in the American League. The combined 5.60 ERA of Lester and Beckett doesn't help the 4.96 starter's ERA, nor does it validate any preseason predictions made for this rotation. Dice-K has me all but abandoning my prediction for a stellar comeback season. When you implode like he did on Saturday even when he was so under control earlier in the game has to indicate a mental timidness, a fear of returning to the failure he was so familiar with last year. The bullpen has me feeling less cozy, with Okajima's 6.75 ERA and Papelbon's knack for drama not exactly making it easy for me to sleep at night. Fielding Percentage: .980, which places 13th in the AL. Beltre has already made 5 errors at 3rd, Bill Hall has forced me into terrible flashbacks of my Little League career on a couple of instances in the field and our dynamic outfield duo have been done in by some bad ribs and a kidney stone issue that has become an eerie trend for Sox center fielders (See: Coco Crisp, 2006). Well, so much for pitching and defense, huh? But the holes are more frequent, and sooooooo much deeper. Our inability to throw out even the cement-footed on the basepaths has grown into a bigger malaise than even the most cynical sports blogger could ever even imagine. In fact, both 'Tek and V-Mart have caught only a combined 7 out of 45 runners (15.6%), which is actually good compared to the abysmal 2 for 40 clip (5%)that the tandem tallied prior to the start of the road trip at Toronto. The 9-steal performance against Tim Wakefield that I had the privilege to witness couple of weeks back only made our powerlessness against base-stealers more apparent, while compelling me to down more $8 dollar drafts to ease my suffering. And let's not let the hitting (or lack of) slide off that easily. The struggles of key run producers like Drew (.214, 29 Ks in 84 ABs), V-Mart (.230, 1 HR, .310 SLG) have stunted us enough, especially in clutch situations. However, the Big Papi situation (.159, 23 Ks in 63 ABs) consumes our attention the most, for we all wonder if the sun has set on his career. The bat speed just isn't there, as evidenced by the many floaters in the zone he used to make satellites are now just foul tips. The worst part is that you know the past two years have got to him. The steroid scandal and the slow start last year in particular have just affected him drastically, and you can tell with the blowup he had with the media after his struggles after only the 2nd game of the season. Don't you have to slump at least a whole month before expletives start being thrown around in clubhouse interviews? Even by getting the rest of the guys off the DL and on the lineup card, I'm starting to wonder if Ellsbury can charge us up enough to get back to playoff contention, or if a 37-year old Cameron can be a big contributor or just become another casualty like the other 30-somethings on the club. With this team walking on a 'bridge' so to speak, the Sox were the team out of the Big 3 in the AL East that could least afford a start like the one they have produced, especially when the Rays and Yanks have been on the high-speed rail to begin the season. The cherry on top of all this is that we head back home playing a combined 7 games against the two participants of the 2009 ALCS in the Angels and the Yankees this week. With all this Yes, there is 137 contests left to play and you always have to be on 'wait-and-see' mode in a long season such as a baseball campaign. I mean, who would have thought Varitek would be the MVP of the team at the end of April? With all the obsessing and prepping I do for this team, I would hate to give up on a season before the vernal equinox. But with the many deficiencies plaguing the team, I think I could feel confident in booking those Europe tickets for October.

Mochaman's Fantasy Baseball Report
- Bubba Gump Shrimpz - 29-24-3 (2nd, Vitamins and Supplements, 7 GB)
Tis the season, ladies and gents! Great to start up the fantasy baseball reports again. So far, so good on the title defense, especially after surviving a disastrous opening week. Carpenter, Johnson, and Niemann have teamed up with waiver-wire pickups like Fister and C.J. Wilson to create a staff that has been out of this planet despite the struggles of Felix Hernandez. Hopefully, it only gets better when Strasburg gets called up in June and tears it up like expected (knock on wood)! However, my team has slowly becoming the training room with the growing amount of injuries (Kurt Suzuki, Brett Anderson, Mike Gonzalez). Regardless, Choo and crew need to rake if I am to overcome this week, considering all of my starters will only have one start to contribute.

- Mocha Sox - 18-20-2 (8th, Yahoo Public 162850, 6.5 GB)
Lukewarm start, but better than expected considering I missed this draft (big oops!). The return of Cliff should help out a staff that has been saved by the wonder known as Ubaldo Jimenez. Another Rockie, Carlos Gonzalez, has been an absolute stud. Hoping that he can keep up this production year round. Hoping Prince Fielder and V-Mart can heat up an carry this team past consolation bracket territory. Either way, I think a couple of trades are in order.

A Year On Cloud 10

2010-04-08T22:16:00.001-04:00

Year 1: Monumental Success
(CEB II)

After all of the Eurotrips, Sox-Yanks marathon games, celebrity sex scandals and mixing a little too much wine with beer this Easter, Cloud 10 has made it to the one-year mark, and I have enjoyed every bit of it. From chronicling my adventure in Oslo, to conjuring up the best post- lotto strategy, to sharing my joy/frustration that comes with every minute of following the Red Sox, I have had more than a blast sharing my rants and reviews with each and everyone of you. And I'm motivated to keep it going for another year. In a year which my cash flow wasn't exactly at its peak, this blog was a valuable outlet for my personal acclimation into the surrounding events of my so-called adulthood. Plus, a little baseball talk doesn't hurt anybody either, right? Anyhoo, here are a few samples of me in the past year putting on my best impersonation as someone who knows what they are talking about.

Opening Day....It's A Holiday, A Way Of Life, An Escape - 4/8/2009
My first true post on the blog, which details just how important the first day of the national pastime is to folks like me, despite any hardship that comes our way.

1st Ever Gamecast On Cloud 10: Sox - A's - 4/15/2009
My first gamecast (soon to be Cloudcast) where I let my emotions known as this marathon game was happening. Even though this game ended in a 2:30 AM disappointment, a Cloud 10 favorite was born. Aaah, the days of unemployment.

Front Row At Fenway + Doubleheader = Best Day Ever - 4/23/2009
No, seriously. It was the best day ever! Hope these photo montages do the day justice!

European Picture Show - 6/15/2009
Killer montages from each and every country I visited on my second Eurotrip. Images of schnitzels and Gaudi structures coexist so well with the music of Lady Gaga and Flo Rida. No, believe it!

R.I.P. To An Iconic Three - 6/27/2009
Paying homage to three pop culture icons (Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson) who fell victim to the whole bizarre celeb trio death, but left us with so much of a legacy.

Destination Dreamin' - 7/17/2009
The birth of what was to become the '5-Piece', detailing my most desired destinations worldwide. Seriously working on Hawaii for this year.

If I Had A Dollar For Every Wishful Thought.... - 11/23/2009
A personal favorite of mine, displaying the right way to approach the triumph of a lotto jackpot (if your reeeeeeeeal lucky enough). You can thank that documentary on E! and a bad economy for this piece.

Tigers In Celebrity Cages - 12/2/2009
Me ranting about us as a society building up athletes to an image they really aren't. Wished I liked writing papers when I was in school. This has the beginnings of a thesis written all over it.

In Awe Of The Aughts - 12/20/2009
Lots of admiration for the past 10 years + a lot of time on my hands = this piece.

Locked Up In Your Own Prison - 2/5/2010
Comparing my brief experience as an MLN salesman to a favorite show of mine on National Geographic. Almost uncanny in similarities.

Is there anything unique you wish to see me pick apart in this blog? More political stuff? More '5-Piece' topics? Want more Barça/soccer entries perhaps? Comment away, my friends! I gotta another year of creativity in me, for sure.

Rising In The East

2010-03-30T21:35:00.001-04:00

The Yawkey yells are getting more audible.
(CEB II)

It's almost here, folks! Let's just say Easter won't be the holiday I will be looking forward to most on April 4th. Opening Day is around the corner, but my spirit has been wandering Landsdowne and Yawkey waiting to get into the gates for a while. Sure beats watching every Celtics game and hoping K.G. doesn't snap in half on the court every game, or this biblical flood that has been formulating in Mass. the past 3 days. The regular season will also be a great diversion from the oozing cheesiness that the ESPN commercial starring Clay Buchholz singing 'Sweet Caroline' exudes, or at least I hope it does. Now, with 'The Final Countdown' blaring in my room, I grant you access to my crystal ball and its vision of what's gonna go down in the AL East. The shout of, 'PLAY BALL!' can't come quick enough.

Shawn Marcum
(sport.yahoo.com)

Toronto Blue Jays - Where's The New Doc In Town?
And you thought all the crickets were at Fort Myers this spring. With the departure of the Jays' all-time franchise player this offseason (Hint: not Alex Rios), the fact that Jays camp has been quiet is as much of an understatement as the fact that this will be a rebuilding year for the franchise. It is not going to be easy replacing Halladay, especially when the Opening Day starter this year (Shawn Marcum) hasn't pitched a game in the major league level since 2008 due to Tommy John surgery. Lefties Ricky Romero and the mess of consonants that is Marc Rzepczynski had showed flashes of brilliance in '09, but I'm not sure if they will translate in top-of-the-rotation talent, especially in a super-division known as the AL East. On top of that, the main prospects in the 'Doc Deal' (pitcher Kyle Drabek, catcher Travis D'Arnaud and well-traveled 1st base prospect Brett Wallace) are at least a year away from making an impact on the big club, putting the verdict on Anthopolous Era on hold for now. We mustn't forget however, that Toronto already has some quality talent in their major league ranks right now. Adam Lind proved that with a bulk of playing time, he could prove to be a vital cog for the Blue Bird attack, and young slugger Travis Snider may not be far behind. And even though I don't think he will come anywhere close to the 36 homers he hit in '09, Aaron Hill has proved to be one of the most solid all-around second basemen in the game in a division with Cano and Pedroia. However along with all the question marks of where their staff and bullpen stack up amongst their divisional foes, the $126-million franchise anchor known as Vernon Wells will hinder anything the organization will try to do over the next few years, while trying his best to get his picture on Webster's under the word, 'underachiever'. Pack your bags, Baltimore, somebody else is moving in the cellar. Maybe next year, Toronto......or next half-decade.

Prediction: 69-93 (5th)
Key Player To Step Up: Shawn Marcum (or anybody from that starting rotation)

Matt Wieters
(sports.yahoo.com)

Baltimore Orioles - Can A Bird Be A Dark Horse?
Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet? It's the repeated question asked by Oriole fans who have suffered from 12 consecutive years of futility. Fortunately for those in Charm City, they may be getting closer to the end of the tunnel. Even in another lackluster campaign in '09, the city of Baltimore saw signs of a black and orange renaissance. They saw a 5-tool player thrive in Adam Jones, who could be covering ground in center for years, the emergence of Nolan Reimold and a little taste of possibly the next franchise player in switch-hitting catcher Matt Wieters. Along with veterans like Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts, Baltimore has proven that they could be a solid run-producing team that could only get better with a more consistent everyday lineup. That could potentially be provided with Garrett Atkins, who has a lot to prove after completely falling of Pikes Peak in Colorado last year, along with Miguel Tejada who will bring a steady bat at third, while being a place-warmer for third base prospect Josh Bell. However, if the Orioles are ultimately going to rule the East again, they have to reconstruct a pitching staff that has basically extended batting practice sessions into game time over the past decade plus. With that in mind, I believe makes the arrival of lefty Brian Matusz (#5 prospect in MLB) arguably more important for Baltimore than that of Wieters. He, along with Brad Bergesen, could possibly revamp a staff that has been in need of a fresh renovation, and the acquisition of left-handed closer Mike Gonzalez puts an end to the questions of who is the stopper for the back of this 'pen, at least for now. The bigger deal is whether they have a bridge leading up to Gonzalez, or just a launching pad moat. Also, having your lineup catalyst (Brian Roberts) mentioned with the word 'epidural' is never a good thing, especially for a player who bases his game on speed. Ultimately, Baltimore still lacks the depth for a divisional takeover, but GM Andy MacPhail and crew are righting the ship right in front of our eyes. Hey, it's not the cellar, and you are almost there O's fans, almost.

Prediction: 73-89 (4th)

Key Player To Step Up: Matt Wieters

Carl Crawford
(sports.yahoo.com)

Tampa Bay Rays - Will Carlos, Carl And Cowbells Bring Contention?
Even if you are a Red Sox fan that has been annoyed by them in the past couple years (add me to the mix), you have to admit that the Rays have collected the most intriguing set of ballplayers in the land. With all this funny talk about floating divisional alignment, the Rays have proven that even a team with small pockets can be a threat in a room with two giants who seemingly print out money. With a perennial MVP candidate in Longoria, emerging talents like Zobrist and by acquiring an undisputed closer in Rafael Soriano this offseason, there is not enough Nyquil in the world to knock me out with the nightmares that this team will create in my slumber. With all of that said, the clock is ticking on the Rays. The bottom line is that there is more importance attached to the Rays' season than to any other team in the bigs, because who knows if either franchise player Carl Crawford or lineup centerpiece Carlos Peña will last till August wearing a Tampa uni. The only way to assure their stay into the dog days of summer is if the Rays come in like a lion, all while staying in the hunt to eliminate either Boston or New York from a coveted playoff spot. The key for them is a couple things. If the young guns of the staff (David Price, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis) can rise a couple of levels on their virtually limitless upside, they could not only help out Shields and Garza, but possibly create a staff that will be better than their AL East rivals. Also, the Rays are going have to figure out who the real B.J. Upton is going to be, whether it is going to be the phenom that emerged onto the scene in 2007, or the underachiever that befuddled fans and experts in 2009, while dropping to 9th in the order. I'm also wondering whether the complications of J.P. Howell's sleepy shoulder will linger and play an antagonistic role in the Rays' 'pen throughout the season. If healthy, locked and loaded, the Rays are going to be sharks amongst teams in the AL. However, of the Big 3 in the AL East, the Rays have the most uncertainties. In order to have a season of success, they have to have exceptional seasons from at least 2 if not all 3 of their crew of young starters, an offensive recovery from Upton and Burrell, and a follow-up from Zobrist. My intuition tells me that all of that will not happen, with the Rays ultimately following short and possibility of either Crawford, Peña or even Soriano wearing a different uniform, all for the the sake of the Rays' to stay afloat in future years in a division in which every week is shark week.

Prediction: 89-73 (3rd)
Key Player To Step Up: David Price

John Lackey
(sports.yahoo.com)

Boston Red Sox - Run Prevention Is The Biggest Hit
For a team historically known for its prolific sluggers, you wouldn't know it by witnessing this team's offseason and how they got on the defensive. Out is the bat of Pedro Cerr...err...Jason Bay, and in comes the leather protection of Mike Cameron and Adrian Beltre, not to mention an addition of another ace, which along with Lester and Beckett create the best trio this side of The Three Tenors. In the category of run prevention, the Red Sox are top of the pops. In fact, with all the changes, the Sox will save 87 runs according to Baseball Info Solutions. The main questions stem from the lineup and whether it has enough firepower to battle in an arduous 162-game season. The top four (Ellsbury, Pedroia, V-Mart and Youk) should get on base an let the runs flow, but there is an unknown frontier when you venture beyond. Will Papi avoid a 2-month vacation and provide consistency in a power slot in the lineup? Will Fenway actually help Adrian Beltre's offensive numbers? Can we trust Scutaro's career year numbers that were achieved at age 33? While I still think that we need that Fear of God bat, the rest of the lineup proves to be more balanced than in year's past. Let's face it, Papi will not be what he was in the last decade, but it's feasible to predict that he can be a contributor, especially with the second half he pulled off. If not, they're no worries as the possibilities of getting a new bat via the trade market are wide open. Besides, with the Monster perched in left, it's not a pipe dream for Beltre and Cameron to hit a combined 50 homers, not to mention an 8-9 of Cameron and Scutaro provokes much more fear in the tail end of a lineup than 'Tek and Lugo. It took a some time and a recently-dull Boston sports scene, but I have actually talked myself into this team being competitive. They just won't win the division. However, I think a Wild Card berth is highly feasible, and with 'The Three Tenors' of baseball headlining this rotation, the World Series title may be shipping up to Boston come October....or November.

Prediction: 94-68 (2nd, AL WILD CARD)
Key Player To Step Up: Adrian Beltre

Curtis Granderson
(sports.yahoo.com)

New York Yankees - On The Beat Of Repeat

Fresh from a trip through the Canyon of Heroes, the Yanks are back to work on another pinstriped dynasty (Now praying for every force of the world to go against it), and they have retooled into what some experts say could be a better team. This offseason proved that even the power-stocked Yankees weren't immune to the defense craze that has been spreading like that John Wall arm-dance. The Evil Empire traded for Detroit OF Curtis Granderson, who is not only predicted to cover an acre of ground in whatever outfield position he will occupy, but with that short porch in right, could potentially reach Ruthian totals in homers. I mean, he has averaged 25 homers in the last 3 years, including slugging 30 in '09 while playing most of his games in spacious Comerica Park. Still, I wonder if Granderson is really an upgrade over Johnny Damon, who definitely is lacking defensively at the tender age of 36, but would would constantly extend an at-bat to sunrise before the big mashers finished off the fatigued hurlers. Then there is the Part Deux class, headed by Javier Vazquez, who perhaps came from his best season at age 33 with the Braves (15-10, 2.87 ERA, 238 Ks in 219 1/3 IP). But I question whether his second stint in the Bronx will be better than his shaky 1st, considering the AL East has gotten way better since his departure after the '04 season. Then there is Nick Johnson, who could be a better alternative at the top of the order to tag-team with Jeter over Granderson for his magnetic pull towards the bases (.402 career OBP), but still wonder whether he can stay off the ace bandages for a whole season. But even with all of the questions regarding their new acquisitions, the fact that the Yanks have the dilemma of having either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain as the set-up man shows that the Yankees will do more than tread water in 2010. Added with an explosive lineup, deep pitching and with all those heavy postseason monkeys off their backs, the Yankees will be able to cover up any flaw before it can become their kryptonite. Unless the big injury forces down either A-Rod, Teixeira or Sabathia (maybe all three!), along with Mariano Rivera finally short-circuiting, I unfortunately believe that the Yanks will successfully defend their AL East title. But with the badge of champions on them and with a more competitive American League emerging, Title #28 won't exactly be a stroll around the bases.

Prediction: 99-63 (1st AL EAST)
Key Player To Step Up: Javier Vazquez

All About Barça

2010-03-23T18:02:00.001-04:00

I should just leave this part blank to represent my speechlessness.

(static.guim.co.uk)

I have finally reached 100 blog posts, ladies and gents! Out of all the things happening in life right now, it was actually pretty difficult, and then I thought of something really interesting. I have strayed away bit from Barça a bit on the Cloud, and I apologize to all you soccer nuts out there. But with all the international buzz stemming from the 2-4 victory over Zaragoza over the weekend, I think now is a good time to get the ball dribbling again. All considering that I don't want to talk about how my March Madness bracket got napalmed (Thanks, Kansas!), and that a guy named Joe has dominated the headlines in Fort Myers the past few days, the time is right for a little soccer chat, especially when Lionel Messi put on another clinic at the Romareda. He's the best player in the world, period. If Sunday's game didn't convince you, you will either never be convinced, or you have no pulse. If a soccer player or highlight makes it into everyday American media outlets without having to pull a John Terry, that's some big time stuff. Like the rest of the world, I have no more adjectives next to describe his play. He must have snakes for legs or something the way he waves through defenders. He makes the impossible a cakewalk. I've probably watched his breathtaking 2nd goal he scored about 200,000 times on YouTube, and I still have lockjaw. With his hat trick against Zaragoza on Sunday, he has tallied 8 goals in the last 3 games, 9 of the last 12 Barça goals and 25 goals netted overall in the Spanish Primera, which is as much or more than the totals of 7 of the last 12 Pichichi (top goal scorer in the Primera) winners. Messi is one of many reasons that Barça remain world favorites, and why I am looking forward to this year's World Cup as much as an 8-year old anticipates Christmas morning. And just to think that if he can pull off on the international stage what he has done all over Europe the past two years, his place amongst the all-time greats should be all but set in concrete and gold, and he's only 22! As hard as it is to think, this type of dominance presents a challenging dilemma heading into the next couple of crucial months for the blaugrana, and it goes far beyond the scare that the Barça defense gave us late at the Romareda.

Time for Ibracadabra to get the magic back.
(www.sport.co.uk)

On the whole, Barça seems to have a bit of a over-dependence on the Argentinian, which doesn't bode well for the squad. Even in the fixture against Zaragoza, you can't help but wonder if Messi didn't perform at a superhuman level if we would have grabbed those 3 points. Not only did he pull off the hat trick, but his aggressiveness in the box drew the penalty which produced the 4th goal that set the victory in stone with a Zaragoza side hungry for a late comeback. Or how about that Barnum and Bailey-like game against Almeria where Messi scored both goals in a 2-2 draw, preventing us from having some serious egg in our faces (even though there was probably still some anyway). The bottom line is that there seems to be one man carrying the operation lately. You sort of have to wonder if Johann Cruyff is on to something when he questioned the effort of those wearing the Barça stripes, especially seeing their play going into the new decade. Barça has failed to fall into their consistent and majestic ebb and flow that has established them as the world's best, all while Los Galacticos have gelled into superb form at the right time and have claimed the apex (at least for now). The resurgence of Real Madrid was totally expected due to the fact that they have too much talent on this team to be playing in the midst of mediocrity through the season, and we can't forget about the beastly performances of Higuain in this campaign. Yes, we have had situations lately in which he haven't been able to field a sure thing on the pitch, whether it was the defensive back situation that led to our only league loss against Atletico Madrid, or the creative juggling of the midfield has happened due to recent injuries with Yaya Toure and Xavi in recent weeks. But ultimately, Barça hasn't made it to that extra gear because no one has stepped up to become Robin to Messi's Batman. Thierry Henry hasn't exactly been pitch-perfect this season, scoring only 3 goals in 18 total club fixtures, while not gaining enough of Pep Guardiola's confidence to warrant him any consistent playing time (MLS dreaming, perhaps?). The same situation is in effect for Bojan, the unintended victim of Pedro's emergence, who unfortunately may just have to max out his potential on loan to another club or be let go all together. As much raw talent as Pedro has displayed this season, I still think that he is not completely polished enough to be an automatic starter just yet. That leaves all our eyes on the Big Swede himself, good ole Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Has the dead weight of €66 million Euros got to Ibra? It didn't really seem like it when he was pulling off goals for Barça like a magician pulls rabbits out of his hat (12 goals in 20 total club games) when he started playing for his new club and was a mortal lock for the top Pichichi spot. But whether it has been nagging thigh/ankle injuries or a bad batch of paella, 2010 hasn't been so joyous for Ibra, and it goes far beyond the minuscule 4 goals in 13 club games. What's worse is that this drought seems to be seeping into his play. The way he apprehensively moves around the defense wondering if he is on-side, the frustration in his eyes from an imperfect dribble, the way he is switching feet on his shots due to the lack of confidence and even how one missed shot will fester in the next failed attempt (How 'bout that wide open miss at Zaragoza?). Even on that penalty on Sunday, I was in prayer mode not necessarily for the impact it would have on the game, but for Ibra's psyche. It's probably fair to mention that playing alongside a world-class player who is playing at an other-worldly clip is slightly weighing on the back of Ibra a bit, but it is vital now that Ibra and the rest know that the weight of the spotlight will only magnify with each performance that is not up to standards.

To get this back, it's time to get on our horses!

(nimg.sulekha.com)

So whether it is Ibra, Pedro, Bojan or Henry, Barça needs another horse or two to shoulder the load and carry the team back to two-thirds of the treble. With 2nd place Premier League powerhouses Arsenal being selected as Barça's next opponent in the Champions League, the cavalry may have to come sooner than later. But even with Arsenal looming and a surging Madrid, they're two factors that give me comfort. The first is that when push has come to shove, Barça has won every game that they have had to win this season. Whether it was the dominant performance in the second league of the knock-out round against Stuttgart, the Nou Camp leg of El Clasico or the late push in the Club World Cup final against Estudiantes, Barça has allowed their flowing brand of attacking football, their depth in world-class players and their tutelage under whiz Pep Guardiola to foil opposing sides and stay within reach of maintaining their status as the aces of world soccer. Through all the recent inconsistencies, Barça hasn't really given us any true reason to doubt them come crunch time. Even though Barça is behind in the league (only by two goals in differential), they are 2 points ahead of where they were at this time last year, and with all the weight up at the top, something has to give, and the world might see it go down at the Bernabeu one way or another. Which gets me to the next nugget of comfort, that Madrid hasn't come through when the lights have shine brightest. Despite boasting a multi-million dollar cast that includes some former players of the year (Kaká, Ronaldo) and probably the most dominant player in La Liga in recent weeks aside from Messi (Higuain), I question whether those whole cast of characters are ready and able to win a trophy for the capital. By losing key fixtures against Barça and inter-city rival Atletico Madrid early in the season, that Copa del Rey abomination at the hands of Alcorcon and their recent Champions League flop against Lyon, picking Madrid as the favorites to win the league is a tough sell, bad economy or not. I do believe in the end that Barça is still the front runner to maintain their titles, however if that second go-to horse doesn't show up, that late-May confetti shower at the Bernabeu will only be a daydream, just like that Messi-Rooney World Cup showdown that has kept appearing in my head.

Nomar & A Can Of Worms

2010-03-13T17:09:00.002-05:00

Once icon, once bitter, always Nomar.
(sportsofboston.com)

This past Wednesday, it was if another part of my childhood reached a conclusion when Nomar decided to come back (for one day) and retired in the uni in which it all began. Nomar's retirement not only grabbed the attention of the many Sox fanatics who witnessed him play, but also stirred up some emotions that hadn't been touched in over a half decade, maybe longer. For me, it's a kaleidoscope of childhood memories of emulating his stance, remembering the messy divorce of 2004 and the thoughts of possibly could have been in a whole array of situations. In short, my thoughts as varied as the many idiosyncrasies in the shortstop's stance. Even before he started rolling .300s on major league pitching, I remember my first Pawsox game, a game in which some shortstop with a unrecognizable last name hit the go-ahead homer in a wild game against the Syracuse Chiefs. Not only did I remember that name from then on out, but probably like many other fans who see a future major league star catch a glimpse of greatness before the bigs, we were all part owners of his MLB experience. The seed of emotional investment was already planted even before his breakout rookie campaign the year after. The multi-grand slam games, the hit streaks, the OCD that we all imitated and the SNL sketches, it was not hard for a baseball-crazed city to fall for 'Nomah'. But then he became the cover boy of all Sports Illustrated cover boys when he tweaked his wrist in Spring Training, slowly rolling his stellar career into a downhill trajectory. Even worse is that after looking at a ripped Nomar though the lens of a steroid-crazed sports society, there is that unavoidable wondering of whether PEDs were part of the rise and fall of what could have been a Hall of Fame career. Sure his batting averages were still stellar and he was still in the triumvirate of titans at shortstop along with A-Rod and Jeter, but his diminishing defensive range and his knack for swinging at nearly every pitch made the gruesome divorce inevitable, especially when an OBP/defense conscious ownership came to play ball for the Sox. We all know the story. A 4-year, $60 million dollar contract was turned down, he was a few million dollars away from being traded away from the city that adored him in exchange for another part of the shortstop triumvirate and only bitterness remained. I was totally against the trade not only for Nomar, but a Manny Ramirez in his prime would be shipped out along with a emerging left-handed pitcher named Jon Lester, however I was on the side of many others that Nomar should have seen this a business. He did turn down the biggest offer the team made, so naturally an organization will cue up other options. But at the same time, you can't blame him for being human. I mean, I've been laid-off by a company I had worked at for a long time near Christmas time, but he found out about the trade on his honeymoon for crying out loud. It wasn't necessarily an excuse to carry that animosity into a clubhouse of guys who have no involvement with the wheeling and dealing, especially when your rival counterpart flies into the seats while you're on the bench. However, I do understand the exhaustion of compassion and lack of motivation. Still, neither myself or the rest of us Sox fanatics were not prepared for what was to come on that last day of July, 2004.

The best medicine for idol departure.
(blogs.riverfronttimes.com)

I remember going on ESPN.com that day seeing Nomar, photo shopped into a Cubs uniform. The departure finally happened. With all the vitriol between player and organization, I guess I had to prepare for the inevitability. He did all he could here, but it was a mixture of declining skill and Boston fatigue that did him in the end. The story has been repeated many times. The Sox get O-Cab and would obtain their first title in almost nine decades, all without the guy that we thought was going to be the alpha dog in the day when the Sox finally got to the throne of coronation. It was sort of that last slap to the face that at the time seemed as if it erased everything that Nomar did and what he meant to us in this city, a sense that those 8 seasons had a fraudulent feel to them. But with deep reflection and the return of Nomar in a Sox uniform at Fort Myers on Wednesday, I totally disagree with all of that. The overall legacy of Nomar in the end has to be a positive one, and the one day re-signing has to be some proof of that. Nomar coming back to us is a sign that somehow, the Red Sox themselves are doing something right in reconciling with stars of years past. Even after the bitterness of the '03-'04 offseason, there were still moodier men and sloppier breakups than this one. Teddy Ballgame and Yaz weren't exactly the jolliest of characters while in Boston and took a long time to muster up any sort of mutual goodwill after their playing days were over, and I think we all know that Roger's tenure with the Sox ended in a prematurely empty locker in the 1996 season. Hell, even the Manny divorce made the Nomar one feel like a Fiji honeymoon, with the faked knee injuries and traveling secretaries a-tumbling under that big top of a mess. Yes, Nomar is that last face of the franchise that symbolized the 'almost, but never quite make it in to the station' Red Sox teams, but all the blame can't be placed on him for that. He also made known that despite his iconic status in a city full of seamheads, in a similar fashion to other Boston heroes of the past, he wasn't going to be an easy-access sound bite. On the same token, it's pretty hard to imagine nowadays the scrutiny and weight that came with being the main cog of lifting a hex that was brought on by a chubby slugger of years past, even only 6 years after obtaining that virtually elusive title. After 8 years of constant poking and prodding, I'd probably be a little ornery, too. You can't remove the fact that he was my buddy Mike's favorite player, and even influenced him, as well as many other youngsters, to be a shortstop extraordinaire. Even with all that Boston fatigue, Nomar never showed any malice towards those fans, such as my buddy Mike, that worshiped the ground he walked on. Along with Mo Vaughn and Pedro Martinez, Nomar was an embraced minority superstar in a city that to this day scares many off. So I could be Dan Shaughnessy and dwell on the bitterness of 2004, or how he got a flat tire on the road to Cooperstown. But by worrying about the peccadilloes, I would be avoiding what a true icon he was on and off the field. Retirements naturally bring about the act of overall reflection on one's legacy, and it's now clearer than ever that Nomar will remain an icon in all the hearts of the fans that followed him back in the day. The injuries and that summer of bitterness can't take away all of the other fantastic memories he provided us, even if one of those was by Jimmy Fallon. He many not have his number 5 retired in the rafters, but he will retire in my heart as a true MVP of this city.

Mochaman's Can Of Earworms
Can't believe that it has taken a music aficionado like me this long to create a section about the songs that have been barricading themselves in my head and putting up a stand. Kinda like the Nomar scenario, my musical mind is a diversely faceted being. There's songs of past and present, beloved and despised and ranging from multiple genres. Don't be surprised if some Scandinavian death metal group makes an appearance or two. Now, let's get the opener ready, ladies and gents!

'Break Your Heart' - Taio Cruz
Simple, but catchy R&B/pop blended song with a repetitive chorus that's simply viral. Basically, it's similar to 'Tie Me Down' in attitude with a Euro synth beat that makes me reminisce of Akon's 'Freedom' album. So catchy, that it has the capability to define a year in music, like Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance' and 'Poker Face' will always remind me of my most prominent memories of 2009. Not bad for a guy who had spent his career writing hits for Britney and Justin. This tune definitely wont break break, break, break, break your heart (Had to do it!).

'Gin & Juice' - The Gourds
I admit it. I probably wouldn't be caught deceased at a bluegrass festival. I haven't even heard any other songs from this group, but this classic cover has enough joy and amusement to live off of forever. Nothing like an old Snoop Dogg classic with a Southern twang and a banjo, but the brilliant thing is that the Texan group actually pulled it off. Never thought that gangsta rap could go Nashville and have me not only set the track on repeat, but having me question my allegiance to the original. I would also consider this to be the lead song if they were to do a funkier remake of 'Deliverance'. Now have the sudden urge to grab a banjo and make a Tupac song work. On second thought, it's not worth the risk.

R.I.P. To A Lost Boy

Corey Haim (December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010)
(img.slate.com)

(Extremely Late) Olympic Recap And Recovery

2010-03-10T21:08:00.001-05:00

The Olympics: Canada, curling, and catfights.
(examiner.com)

Oh, Canada! It's been a few days (or 2 weeks), I know. But it feels appropriate to do a bit of an Olympic recap. Besides, I have a good reason for the delay, I swear! The recap is necessary because it was probably 90% of my TV viewing over those particular two weeks, competing heavily with shows like 'Modern Marvels' and 'Celebrity Rehab 3'. I mean, how much more History Channel/VH1 could I possibly watch? As pumped as I am for baseball, it's only just emerging out of its jumping jack and wind sprint phase. Plus, now that Spring Training games have started, I'm in prayer mode so that none of the Sox's big names pops an Achilles tendon during a split-squad game in Sarasota. My overall assessment on these Games in Vancouver: It was a comeback success, especially considering the games started with a fatality only hours before the opening ceremonies on a track that many of the competition had doubts on its safety potential. Also can't forget the botched torch lighting, which felt like these Games were going to go down the slope faster than a downhill skier, set up more for a fest of folly and less for competition. In between, we saw the we witnessed a record-breaking Games from Apolo Ohno, even though I think it is a little elementary to call him the greatest Olympian ever just because he has won the most Olympic hardware, especially when only two of them are gold. Not dissing the speed skater extraordinaire and 'Dancing with the Stars' dynamo, but what Eric Heiden did at Lake Placid sure trumps what almost anyone has done in the Winter Games. Then we also had the semi-annoying drama of the women's ski team and how Julia Mancuso felt a little like Jan Brady to Lindsey Vonn's Marcia-like attention grabbing. Admittedly, 'Vonn Watch' did get a bit frustrating after the 10th minute, especially pre-event time when the exposure pretty much exceeded Kardashian levels. But I'm secretly satisfied that it made a teammate get a little scrappy. I mean, at the end of the day, who doesn't like a good catfight? And even though the chance of me having a genuine interest in figure skating has equal odds of Hot Tub Time Machine winning an Oscar, what Joannie Rochette pulled off only days after her mother died was truly a story worth noting. But of course, my personal dish du jour of these Games was certainly the hockey. It was just about the only thing I cared about going into Vancouver, well, until women's curling got me a bit intrigued. The play flows so much better than the NHL game and they're mega-rivalries that don't need any help with a cheap Versus marketing campaign. The Games concluded with with one of the greatest Olympic hockey contests in history, however I sort of disagree with the assessment that the final was the biggest hockey game in history. I mean, maybe Canada thought it was. It was on their home ice, with 70% of the nation watching the game. Hockey by itself in Canada is the NFL, MLB and the NBA in importance, then multiply it by about 10,000. It would have been ultimately embarrassing if they lost to their neighbors to the south (twice), who would have just used that gold as another flaunting tool to go along with pseudo-patriotic chants from South Park movies. Yes, me and many other Americans wanted this gold medal, but Canada NEEDED it. So as much as it saddened me when Sid the Kid slipped the OT winner past Ryan Miller (forcing me to a faux ban of anything Barenaked Ladies or Bryan Adams on my iPod the day after), it was how these Games should have ended; with the host country (Canada) singing their national anthem after winning their national sport (hockey, a.k.a. by far the best/important event in the games). I mean, it's touching to have your little brother country win at what they're good at on a global stage, right? Overall, much better than watching the Celts do a Three Mile Island meltdown against a 5-win Nets team. So what has taken me away from the blogosphere for so long, making me leave my Olympic reminiscing to collect dust in my unfinished drafts? You guessed it, it's spring baseball, but it's not what you immediately think.

IT'S MINE, ALLLLLLLLL MINE!!!!
(CEB II)

Guess we are heading into my first video game review of sorts. This past Tuesday marked the arrival of this year's version of 'The Show', a.k.a., my video game heroin. Hell, I have almost totally forgot that the Olympics actually happened, or that I had a blog entry prepared for it. I can easily see myself locking myself in my room for days as I bang out a whole season, basking in the enjoyment of noticing little details and building my team on franchise mode while substituting my naps for blinking. Plus, it's a good method as a fanatic to pump in some regular season adrenaline during the frequent lulls of Grapefruit League action. If you are a fan of authenticity like myself, the graphics are exceptional, the mannerisms of play are so close to perfect (catcher finally takes his mask off) and the crowd reacts on sequence to the game action with chants that you can add personally. Most video games have the basic template down, so I'm usually attracted by the little things, and this year's version of 'The Show' sure has an abundance. With ownership of a PS3, I can add my own tunes to be the intro music of all my Sox players before they grind through their Fenway at-bats. It sort of makes me miss the 2004 team a bit more, considering I have a plethora of appropriate tracks in mind for Kevin Millar, ranging from 'Slow Ride' by Foghat to 'I Play Chicken with the Train' by Cowboy Troy. I like how the bullpen gets out of the way of an incoming baseball, I like how they included the actual mascots dancing on the dugout between innings (even though I despise actual mascots), I like the day-to-night transition that also makes the Madden games more authentic to a true game experience and even the beach ball can enter the field to delay a game. Guess it's only a matter of time before streakers start to make an appearance in virtual reality. For its impeccable gaming experience, its ability to take my mind off the world and controlling what seems to be a virtual monopoly of my free time, this game gets a solid 9.5 out of 10. Hope you make it to 'The Show', ladies and gents!

R.I.P. To The Leader Of The Mooses

Mosi Tatupu (April 26, 1955 – February 23, 2010)
(cache.boston.com)

Chuck's 5-Piece: Sports Upsets

2010-02-24T07:03:00.001-05:00

Don't worry, Canada. You still have curling.

(i.cdn.turner.com)

Do you believe in mini-miracles, eh? Well, we all did this past Sunday when the United States beat Canada in their own sport on their own home ice. In a day that was labeled the 'Super Sunday' of the Winter Olympics for the stellar hockey matchups (Sweden-Finland, Russia-Czech Republic), this border rivalry on ice definitely took the cake, and ate it, too. Unfortunately for the Canucks, that cake hasn't been agreeing with them lately after being on the short end of a 5-3 American triumph. I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was borderline comical. I mean, what's better than beating your rival in the sport that 99.33985954% of its citizens have played since they were fetuses? It's that accepted xenophobia that makes the Olympics a sports mainstay...well if you pass on all the figure skating stuff. Unbelievable that NBC passed this game up on their main network to broadcast some riveting ice dancing, but I digress. Hey, that's just NBC being NBC! Might this have been the karmic revenge of the 8-6 WBC loss in 2006, or the gold medal game on our own ice in Salt Lake in 2002? In the grand scheme of things in international sports, it would be entertaining to think so. But there's still one thing that bothers me, even in a win so tremendous. In an age when the immediate becomes the most extravagant, it is easy to be caught up in the hype of putting Sunday's game as the best in all of history. As good as that game was, it definitely doesn't even come close to some classic upsets of years past and probably not as good as some of this past year. There was 2nd Division Alcorcon defeating the million-euro giant Real Madrid in this year's Copa del Rey, Leeds re-sparking an old rivalry by beating Manchester United in the FA Cup on their own ground for the first time since 1981 and Y.E. Yang toppling Tiger in the PGA Championship. Without further ado, let's go through the my Top 5 games, the ones that really had the devil lacing up some skates in his own abode.

Boone does it again?

(i.cdn.turner.com)

5. Sept. 1st, 2007: Appalachian State Stuns The Michigan Wolverines
And this was supposed to be one of those steamroller games that generally turn me off from being a regular consumer of college football. It seems as if the Michigan faithful joined Boston in the "Bleeping Boone" club. How you ask? From a soul breaking loss to a Division 1-AA team from Boone, NC that romped into Ann Arbor and pulled off what you could call an improbable 34-32 upset over their perennial college powerhouse in the opener (Yes, I had to look up the locale.). It was sophomore Armanti Edwards who outperformed Heisman hopeful Chad Henne in a roller coaster matchup that was projected to be anything but. It was the first FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) victory EVER over a team from the bowl division in the AP era, all in front of a shell-shocked pack of Wolverines. The crazy part is that the Mountaineers controlled the game mightily and were even up 31-20 midway through the 3rd quarter. However, it looked as if it had reached midnight for the Mountaineers as Henne, Mike Hart and crew came all the way back to make the contest 32-31 with four and a half minutes to play. But Appalachian State chipped away by frustrating Michigan's field goal unit and again emerged with the lead with a field goal of their own with 26 seconds left. All it took was one of the most shown blocked college field goal attempts in recent memory to seal the deal for the small North Carolinian school. It was a game which not only destroyed national championship dreams, but impacted the future of a college juggernaut into a checkered unknown, almost as checkered as the Norwegian curling team's pants. Out went Lloyd Carr at the end of the season, and they have been 8-16 ever since. It goes to show you that the impact of a hardcore upset goes far beyond the failiure of the moment, but it the nuclear-like fallout it has to the once mighty.

I'd rather Chinese water torture over this pic.

(sportsmonarch.com)

4. Feb. 3rd, 2008: Giants Spoil The Patriots' Party At Super Bowl XLII
I still carry the symptoms from this game; the constant chills, the thousand-yard stare, that feeling of missing the bus and knowing that it wouldn't come back. Despite being two touchdown favorites in Vegas, I remember being very cautious going into that night's game. The Giants came into the Super Bowl with serious momentum by becoming the first NFC 6th seed to make it to the show, winning all of their playoff games outside their East Rutherford home. To top that off, I still had the visions of the G-Men nearly toppling our undefeated season in the last week of the regular season with a cliffhanger, but it was still hard to believe that this Patriots team would be stopped in Phoenix. Randy Moss's 23 TD receptions, Brady's 50 passing TDs, averaging almost 37 points a game during the regular season, us Patriots fans, as well as many in the nation, ultimately thought that this would be the team to accomplish what no other team had ever done, even the 1972 Dolphins squad. 19-0 wasn't exactly an inevitability, but it was a strong expectation after a season full of previously unreached accolades, while overcoming all the bitter emotions swirling from the 2006 AFC Championship game and Spygate. Plus, the Sox and Pats won in my first year of college, it was only meant to be that they would both win in my last, right? But it wasn't meant to be. The Giants defense rushed Brady and stymied the Pats' offense like no other team did that season. Of course, the play that will be emblazoned in my head for all eternity, the one where it was third down, Eli eluded the grasp of Jarvis Green, threw a desperation lob and found the hand and the helmet of David Tyree, all while Rodney Harrison failed to strip the ball away. It's when I realized that 19-0 wasn't meant to happen, even before Plaxico provided the final blow. As we have seen in the past couple of seasons, the Patriots really haven't recovered, and it is assumed nationwide that their days of outright dominance are over. 2 years later, I'm still trying to remove that dagger, wondering what could have been. On that note, I'm gonna go vomit now.

I don't remember this from 'Punch-Out'.

(virginmedia.com)

3. Feb. 11th, 1990: Buster Douglas Clobbers Iron Mike

What? Mike Tyson? On the canvass? It happened for the first time one February night in Tokyo when James "Buster" Douglas's flurry of punches in the 10th round shook the sports world off its axis, while competing heavily for story of the year with Nelson Mandela's release, which happened on the same weekend. The 30-year old was a 42/1 underdog going into the fight against a guy who practically invented the pay-per-view blockbuster, while making viewers question whether it was worth the investment to watch a lion maul a bunch of gazelles in two minutes or less. This bout was going to be no different. I mean, Tyson just came off his 17th bout that ended in the 1st round, so Douglas was just gonna be another gladiator thrown to the lions, or so we thought. With a dissolved marriage and the death of his mother, Douglas had more to be motivated for and had less time to dwindle on the intimidating aura of a certain 'Iron Mike'. He even showed it throughout the whole bout (feeling a little Don King) by carrying out a well conducted fight, using his size to his advantage to bully the bully. Even after being knocked down by the seemingly invincible Tyson at the end of the 8th round, Douglas, a boxer who was known to shut it down when he wanted to, countered with the most significant blows of his career by knocking the champion into the ropes in the 9th round, and ultimately turned Tyson into Jello in the 10th, silencing the lookers-on at the Tokyo Dome. Like with the other upsets on my list, the moment had a carryover that would impact the future of the defeated. That iconic image of Tyson on the mat with that crooked mouthpiece was more than an upset. It became somewhat of an omen to the downhill trajectory that his life was about to travel. Also pretty amazing considering that Douglas would lose the title of being the undisputed heavyweight champion in his next bout against some Holyfield guy several months later, who happened to be ringside sizing up Tyson for a future title bout. But hey, knocking out 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' is a fifteen minutes worth treasuring, and is also worth another fifteen minutes of basking in the awe of such a seemingly improbable feat.

Maybe Rex was trying to do a Broadway Joe.

(4.bp.blogspot.com)

2. Jan. 12th, 1969: Joe's Guarantee In Super Bowl III

Even though there were two previous championship clashes between the NFL and the AFL, this would be the first game to carry the 'Super Bowl' moniker, and was there ever a game so ever-deserving to start carrying that torch. The Colts, like the 2007 Pats, were considered to be the upper echelon of the sport despite not having icon Johnny Unitas during the year due to an arm injury in preseason. At one point, backup QB Earl Morrall and crew pulled off 10 consecutive wins en route to a 13-1 season, with the only loss being avenged in the NFL Championship against the Browns at a 34-0 clip. With a high octane offense and with football's best defense (only 144 points allowed), there was no reason for people to think that the NFL wouldn't triumph again just like they had with the last two battles between the leagues, especially against a fledgling AFL.....well, unless you were Joe Namath and the Jets. The AFL rep for the big game had a head coach in Weeb Ewbank, who coached the Colts in "The Greatest Game Ever Played" a decade earlier. He was able to guide the Jets to a 11-3 record and was able to avenge the 'Heidi Game' loss against the Raiders with a comeback victory in the AFL Championship Game. The conductor of that comeback was be a guy named Joe Willie Namath, who would throw more interceptions than touchdowns (17 to 15). But he was undoubtedly the Jets leader when the game was on the line, where he would be as bold as the guarantee he would make a few days before the contest. When the going got going in Miami, it was the Jets who forced five turnovers, including 4 on their half of the field. While Namath would not throw a touchdown for the game (and still won the MVP), he managed the Jets offense well enough to score 16 unanswered points against the zone defense of the Colts, a run that was snapped only when Johnny Unitas replaced the struggling Morrall and lead an 80 yard TD drive with just over 3 minutes left in the game. What was the impact provided by this stunner? This game not only showed that the NFL-AFL merger was valid for competitive reasons, but would be the launching point in the NFL's dominance as America's pro sports league today. For that reason, something all-world would have to top this upset, well speaking of.......

U.S.A.: Believing in miracles since 1980.

(independent.co.uk)

1. Feb. 22nd, 1980: The American Miracle In Lake Placid
After reading the intro, what else did you think it was? It was the event in sports the truly shocked the world, still carrying its magnitude even after the 2 days and 30 years since it happened. There was so many reasons to give that game to the Soviets, like the 10-3 exhibition thrashing at Madison Square Garden, or the fact that they had only lost once in the last 4 Olympics, or that they had won all but one Olympic hockey gold medal up to that point. Although they were considered amateurs, the Soviets weren't even close to novices in skill level, and with a few 30-year old players on the team, in age either. The Soviets were trained and disciplined like soldiers, and even lived in barracks for almost the entire year. It was expected that this Cold War on ice was going to be a cakewalk, especially after the Soviets went through a demolition tour (outscored opponents 51-11 in 5 games) going into the game. But this was a different opponent than the one that showed up for the New York exhibition contest, and coach Herb Brooks would make sure that his young squad was up for the daunting task. Even after trailing twice in the game, including being down 2-3 after the 2nd period, captain Mike Eruzione (second oldest player on the team at 25) and crew were not gonna be content with caving in to the Kremlin. With 2 goals, including one by Eruzione, the Americans had their first lead of the game, and would have to persevere for 10 of the longest minutes in sports history. The 3rd period comeback, however remarkable, was routine, for it was a common theme for this United States squad (were behind in all but one game in Olympics). Glory would eventually arrive as Al Michaels uttered his famous proclamation, with The Olympic Center bathed in the proud Lake Placid screams of "U-S-A". They cut the Russian five years before Rocky did. It will be a moment that probably won't be duplicated ever again, considering that many of the Olympians now are players in the professional ranks. Most significantly, it showed the power of a bunch of college kids, who united a country that had been filled with social and political strife, as well as provided a story that would be the motor for many underdogs to create miracles of their own.

Apologies to..... Chaminade over Viginia in 1982 Maui Invitational, Miracle Braves over Athletics in 1914 World Series, Miracle Mets over Orioles in 1969 World Series, N.C. State over Houston in 1983 NCAA Championship, Villanova over Georgetown in 1985 NCAA Championship, Miracle on Grass: U.S. over England in 1950 World Cup, Rulon Gardner over Alexander Karelin in 2000 Summer Olympics, George Mason's 2006 Final Four run, Greece's Euro 2004 victory

Vernal Revival

2010-02-18T07:19:00.002-05:00

Minor leaguers in parachutes. Must be Spring Training!
(cache.boston.com)

My spring has now started! Even though most of the players had arrived by Tuesday, today is the 1st official day for pitchers and catchers, and it couldn't have arrived any sooner. I'm still in recovery mode from the Pats' stinker in the playoffs while trying to endure the mediocrity/downright brutal recent meltdowns from the Celts and the B's, and that doesn't include me having to cope with Barça's first league loss against Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Even the Super Bowl of NASCAR was delayed by of all things, a pothole. Does Florida even have the type conditions to create a pothole? What a joke. It has been getting to the point where my safest option for sports viewing has been the Winter Olympics, which admittedly hasn't been that bad. The speed skating and some of the skiing events have been highly entertaining (And check out these pants!!). However, I wish they showed more Olympic hockey (which is better than the NHL in my opinion), and less of Johnny Weir. But all is good, because my team is ready to get back on the diamond, hoping to set the foundation that will bring the franchise's 8th championship. So before I get all excited over some PECOTA ranking, I would like to answer some questions that have been swirling around in my brain ad nauseaum about this team leading into this year's session of Fort Myers fun.

Apparently he's tired of all this talk, too.
(weei.com)

What will happen to Mike Lowell?
Like everyone else, I think he's gone, but not as soon as everyone thinks. As of now, Lowell is still a couple of weeks away from resuming baseball activities. That means it's gonna be a couple of weeks before he even begins to prove to the rest of the league that he's still a functioning baseball player. Recognizing the fact that it will take him some time to heal up and to get at-bats in Spring Training games, Mikey might not get that immediate plane ticket to his next destination. Something tells me that he will somehow break camp in a platoon role to begin the season, where he will gain enough of a sample in time and in at-bats for a team to feel comfortable in pursuing him. It would be very welcome, considering I don't see the bench being a strong facet to our team. An extra month will delight Mikey Lowell fans like myself, as well as add a productive bat in Boston's pine corps......well until Max Ramirez comes to town.

A last laugh for the last spot.
(cache.boston.com)

Do we truly have the best rotation in baseball?
By far, and it's not because we have the best 1-2-3 since the Mulder-Zito-Hudson combo of the early 2000's. With Lester, Beckett and Lackey, the Sox have three top-tier starters that could be the ace of many rotations around the league. With Lester and Beckett, we have power pitchers that are sure to miss many bats, become solid contenders for a 20-win season and threaten for the Cy Young. With Lackey, we have a guy who is as much of a bulldog on the mound as the other two, while having the track record in both the regular season and the postseason to have Francona be more than comfortable in giving him the baseball every 5th day. But the staff's effectiveness goes far beyond the top. The dark horse not only for the staff, but for the season will be Dice-K, who has the most to prove. Can't forget that this was a pitcher that won 33 games in his first two years, while being able to miss bats in many instances. Let's face it, 2009 needs the MIB treatment. Matsuzaka's season was doomed since the arduous throwing programs of his WBC appearance, and the tensions of that along with subtle disagreements he had with management over the past three years, the powder keg was only inevitable. The recent outing of last season's hidden groin injury didn't affect me like it did the Boston media because I already accepted the fact that it was another stain amidst a season that we already know was filled with foul ups and futility that needed to be forgotten. I think the 'next year' mindset has been on the brains of Farrell and Francona with Dice-K since last September. Plus as the fourth starter, he doesn't have the previous pressure of a #1 or #2, while he will be able to match up very well against many other team's #4 starter, which many around the league will not have even decided on until the near completion of March Madness. With Wakefield, we have a solid veteran presence who will eat innings and will win around 12-15 games (if healthy of course). In Clay Buchholz, the Sox have a starter that has better stuff compared to most of the #5 starters in the league. If he can pitch with the confidence and the effectiveness he did in the second half of last season, he is sure to win many matchups against other back-of-the-rotation starters. Yes, we have 6 guys for 5 spots, but as we found out last year, you can't have enough live arms. The difference between last year's staff and this year is that it actually has true depth. In 2009, we were duped into thinking that former National League pitchers with past arm trouble were going to save our season, and we all know how that ended up. The 2010 rotation is without a doubt, the V8 to the Sox machine.

Who are you calling odd,.......man?

(cache.boston.com)

So who is the odd man out?
Wakefield is letting it be known that he expects to be the 5th guy in the rotation, however with the addition of Lackey and with Buchholz still in town, it doesn't seem as if management sees him as a full-time rotation horse. With the annual body breakdowns that the 43-year old's been having in the past few campaigns, the brass does have a legit concern. At the same time, I don't see too many bullpen situations that would suit Wake other than the last-hope long guy in one of those 15 inning marathons where you run out of pitchers. How often does that happen, 4 times a year? Meanwhile, we have to realize that Buchholz is a not-so-young 26 years old, and he's at a point where we can't send him down to AAA forever. The man has got high hopes pinned on him, so be sure will have a spot with the staff. I'm probably one of many that think the 'run prevention' strategy was a Plan B for the Sox that was put into effect after J-Bay's agent turned the cold shoulder on their efforts to retain him, hence the Lackey/Cameron signings shortly thereafter. By design, this put the longest tenured Red Sox in a bit of a limbo. So it looks like there will be an injury fake for Wake, unless Dice-K's back has a say.

Will the Boof be a boom or a bust?
(cache.boston.com)

Is our bullpen a lock?
Seems to be the most overlooked portion of the team, the part that virtually everyone has even deemed to be automatic. But I have concerns about this pen. I wonder if Papelbon will regain his splitter after heavily relying on his fastball till it ended our season. I wonder if Bard will come through in the big contests this year, all in an effort to not only be the future closer of this team, but to avoid the infamous sophomore slump. We also have to notice that Okajima's ERA went up nearly a run (3.39 to 2.61) from 2008 and wonder if the lefty is slowly losing the deceptiveness that has made him an All-Star reliever. Oh, and then there is Manny Delcarmen and his tired shoulder that caused him to have an 8.53 ERA in the last 2 months of '09, making us all wonder if he will ever reach his high potential that his high voltage stuff suggests. Now we have to figure out if a guy named Boof (5.12 career ERA) will be of use in a slot that was filled by Wagner or Saito, who recorded strong results for the most part in 2009. By looking through it all, there are as many question marks with the 'pen as there are with any of Lady Gaga's outfits. Like with the Sox offense, I'm on a wait-and-see basis with this pen.

No sign of a Youk manchu this spring.
(cache.boston.com)

Will our lineup produce?
Going into 2010, I have to admit that I have some doubts. We are minus a 30 homer, 100 RBI left fielder and I was one of many in the contingent that said we needed to acquire that 'Fear of God' bat this offseason. However, we saw last year as a down year, and that team scored more runs than the 2007 championship team. In spots 1-4 (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youk, V-Mart), the Red Sox are stacked solid with consistent, on-base run producers, but after that it gets a little hazy. Will Papi avoid the 2-month slump? Will Mike Cameron agitate the Fenway boo birds with a whirlwind of strikeouts? Can Beltre get anywhere close to being the run-producer he once was? Granted, it's gonna be real hard to expect a career year from an 34-year old J.D. Drew, but we have to look on the bright side. A whole year of V-Mart will boost the offensive production from the catching position that has been lacking with 'Tek that past couple of years. I see Beltre being the offensive dark horse and will hit 25-30 homers with the assistance of a ballpark that is conducive to right-handed offense. And with a Cameron-Scutaro combo in the bottom of the order, the overall lineup will have more balance all the way through it than when Nick Green and Varitek were manning the bottom slots. As for Papi, he as well as the rest of the world knows he has to be more consistent. We would all love old Papi back, but if he does another Mendoza line nosedive, you can be certain that the Adrian Gonzalez circus will come to Boston once again. At the end of the day, I am slowly, but successfully talking myself into the fact that we will thrive with this lineup, but I think the main key will be the lineup's 10th man: The training staff. If one of our sluggers goes down, the bench only supplies us with question marks in terms of offensive production, not limited to Hermida (oft-injured in his young career), Varitek (can't hit from the left side anymore) and Bill Hall (definitely not the 35 homer guy he was in '06). With what's on paper now, health will be as important as ever if we are to ultimately give enough run support to our all-star pitching staff.

Great pic for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
(nydailynews.com)

When it's all said and done, will the Sox catch the Yanks?
Probably the most asked question around this time of year by many New Englanders. The Lackey acquisition along with Buchholz being a full time starter should play a beneficial role, for if healthy, will play a huge role in taking away the 38 starts that were occupied by Penny, Smoltz and Byrd last season. With Cameron in center and Beltre at third, we have shored us a defense that was suspect the year prior, while bringing in players who could not only surprise, but be big contributors to a 'rebuilt' offense. At the same time, I have questions on whether the Yankee acquisitions will help them be the first team to repeat since they did it in '99-00. With that short porch in right, Curtis Granderson has a chance to chase Maris, but his inability in the past to hit lefties, draw pitch counts, and his knack for striking out make me question whether the combo of Granderson and Jeter will be better than Jeter and Damon. While we know Vazquez is one of the best strikeout pitchers in the game, but it seems as everyone has forgotten about his last forgettable stint in New York, which was punctuated by allowing 2 homers to Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the ALCS. I realize that Johnny Damon has lost a bit of his range in the outfield, but Randy Winn isn't a spring chicken either. The way things are now, I still have the Yanks winning another AL East crown, but I like where the Red Sox stand not only in the way they have closed the gap, but they're set up in a flexible position to make a move for the right piece that will make them a better team down the stretch. It's a hope, but it's that hope makes this time of year so special to so may baseball addicts like myself, waiting for the adrenaline rush that is the summertime pennant race. Play ball, folks!

Cloud 10 - The Chronicles of Chuck has finally hit the Technorati circuit! Feel free to make comments known to the blog community at large and help get my profile recognized to the masses. Cheers, ladies and gents!

Valentine's Day: My Anti-Christmas

2010-02-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

If Valentine's Day only had a genie.....
(www.ventertainmentonline.com)

How come I feel a sudden urge to watch Scarface while in my boxers with crumbs of a toasted tuna sandwich over me in a dark room (come to think of it, that's every lazy Saturday night)? Oh yeah. Great. It's the 14th of February. Time to be exposed with more unnecessary occurrences of PDA and over gushing, all brought to you by Hallmark, making something so real become so corporate. I'm not exactly a big fan of an arbitrary day telling you that it's okay to be in love, or to have it be okay to passionately maul your boyfriend/girlfriend in the food court with the restraint of a set of brakes on a Toyota, just because he/she gave you that teddy bear that was sold on the street corner the day before. Even worse is that the day almost represents a day of death and torture for singles like myself. The day becomes a reminder of everyone asking you why you don't have that significant other to the point where I feel people are convincing me that I have some kind of invisible leprosy I have to get rid of. In this 'Ross and Rachel' and 'Carrie and Big' world, being single isn't exactly the 'in' thing, and that other person is the necessary antidote from everybody looking at you with the crazy goggles. To top it off, most of my closest friends are in relationships, which admittedly has me yearning a bit. I admit, I'm a little bitter, considering my love life is a eclectic cross of 'Some Guys Have All The Luck' by Rod Stewart, 'All By Myself' by Eric Carmen and 'Tie Me Down' by the New Boyz. But here's the thing: I like being single, in fact I love it. Hey couples, don't take this as an Angelina Jolie edict made to sever your relationship. Besides, on this day, I have the right to revel in my joy, too!

The look of a guy still on the go.
(CEB II)

Enjoying being single is definitely a process in today's society, but it's doable. All it is simply enjoying yourself in a way, while having that confidence to tackle goals by any means, regardless of what is said next to your marital status on Facebook. The open access to meet new people, to develop personal ideals and having the ability to make your own personal assessments make the single life as open as Route 9 at 4 AM. It's good to be free a young adult who is living life on his own terms, which comes naturally as an only child. Besides, independence is way more attractive than clinginess, and no one can afford clinginess (not to mention I can't really afford a girlfriend currently). I guess I was in the same mindset, like 80% of the world, that a "soul mate" was to boost my ambitions and be the completion of my personal jigsaw puzzle. In truth, my searching held me back a bit because I had the wrong mindset all along, that a person would complete everything and change my life. Every time I failed in a pursuit, I would question myself constantly, treating my continued solitude as ineptitude, all with Spandau Ballet in the background. But I realized that completion of self has to come first before you are ever to truly appreciate somebody else. To quote Chris Rock (because he's right almost 100% of the time), "You're never gonna meet somebody who likes Seinfeld and The Wu Tang Clan." There's no such thing as the perfect person, so why was I trying so hard to obtain her? Besides, I realize that when I do find that person, it's gonna require gigantic amount of commitment that I might not be ready for. I'm use to doing about things without having to please another person. I like booking that random trip to New York on a whim. I like wearing my semi-dirtied sports jersey on an important gameday. I like having the choice to eat mac and cheese for 3 meals a day. The challenge of commitment for me is not the person, but it is accepting the sacrifice of all of those simple pleasures and adventures that I have done and still want to embark on, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to give all that up yet.

Guess this year I'll celebrate with my new love: Soccer.
(imagebam.com)

So you probably ask after all that ranting, "Are you still looking?" Of course. I don't plan on keeping this life up forever. Besides, frequent flirting is just part of the fun when your single. The difference is when I flirt now, it's more enjoyable, and less of being about having throwing all the marbles to get a certain chick to like me, a mode which got me out of my more attractive social personality and misleading people with a more fabricated self, and sometimes even brought out my overly-competitive nature. Over the past few years, I have learned to enjoy being free of the chain without succumbing to the pressure of society to shack up with just anyone, which boldly explains why the divorce rate is at 50%. At the end of the day, I'm still in the exploration phase of finding that special someone who is willing to dance along to the beat of my distinctive drum rhythm every once in a while, not to mention accept all those quirky things that make me the unique person I am. I guess in a way, my active solitude will better ready me for that future relationship not only because I display to the woman who I really am, but I will have more to give back in a sharing-intensive interaction like a relationship. After all, you have to remember that relationships are more about shared experiences than filling personal voids. So I guess I'll ride this single thing out while I can, at least until I find the one whose drum beats along with my heart. Happy Anti-Christmas everybody!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2010-02-12T19:08:00.002-05:00

All of a sudden feeling a little warmer.
(cache.boston.com)

Spring is finally here......at least unofficially. Yes, they are only packing exercise machines, a bone (you read that right) and even some sticks of deodorant, but Truck Day is like the Sox fan's Groundhog Day in the sense that we know better days are around the corner. It may not be the first day of Spring Training. Hell, it may not be an event that I would personally attend annually, but the truck (much bigger than your average groundhog, or Groundhog) marks that the continuation of our beautiful national pastime is only several days and a thousand miles away on the I-95 (Get it, Gasper?). In fact, I am so giddy, that I'm dusting off my personalized #24 jersey as we speak! But while the truck heads to its sunny destination, many questions are popping up in my head as to whether this team will be good enough for a Soxtober run not just for this season, but past the many Truck Days in the future. Will pitching and defense be an effective blueprint for a World Series victory? Do we have enough bats to compete with the Yanks and the rest of the AL? Will all of these contract years on the team be effective or a nuisance? At least for myself, a Texas-sized question has been disrupting the dimensions of my mind.

Beckett: The spark to our fire.

(myredsoxtoday.com)

Should we re-sign Josh Beckett? After thinking long and hard, Beckett is the potential free agent to be that we must bring back. Sure, I have been critical of what exactly he does for conditioning, considering he has been hampered late in the past two seasons with injuries, which as a result has diminished his previously pristine postseason resume. There's also the the alleged tightrope being walked with his shoulder labrum, which apparently has been a ticking time bomb even before he went pro in 2001. However, if we expect to stay competitive in a division with a juggernaut in the Yanks, the thorn in our side known as the Rays and an emerging Orioles team, Beckett has to be the part of the equation. Health has been a significant issue with Beckett, but luckily it hasn't been his shoulder, which really hasn't been an issue throughout his whole career. Even if his labrum starts to go kaput, shoulder operations have become more effective than they were in the last decade, and I'm sure the coaches and management will be on top of the issue like they have been for the past 4 seasons. My bigger concern is his conditioning for the long grind of the season, for when he is healthy, he is undoubtedly the biggest late season weapon of any pitcher out there. You have to figure that Beckett won't have a mid-90's fastball on the latter part of a new contract, but one thing that is unquestionable is his undying work ethic, which can be a determining factor in the lengthening and the adaptation of his career as a successful hurler even if his shoulder goes Chernobyl on him (or at least Three Mile Island). Even after Pedro's rotator cuff injury, he still was an effective, ace-caliber pitcher for the next 4 seasons. Plus, you can't argue with a guy who has proven success pitching through the most talented division in baseball. With Lester readying himself to become the true ace of the staff, Lackey as a solid insurance plan, and if prospects like Casey Kelley are going to be as special as everyone says they are going to be, the Sox can be the no-brainer automatic write-in for the best rotation for the next 5 years if not longer. But this deal goes far beyond the stability of the Sox organization alone.

Beckett + This Guy = Future trouble for Sox
(cdn1.sbnation.com)

With the Mariners locking up Felix Hernandez to a long term deal and the Twins making a solid effort to lock up catcher/Minnesota folk hero Joe Mauer, all indications point to the fact that the financial health of the game is a bit better. If these smaller to mid-market teams are able to lock up some of their stars, who is to say that they can't get a centerpiece from the free agent market? A team of interest for me is an already talented, top prospect-loaded Texas Rangers team, who have new ownership, a new Nolan Ryan-based philosophy based on pitching and a team who can easily play the hometown card. If Beckett were to go to Arlington and rub-off on Neftali Feliz like he has with Lester and Buchholz, that could pose a huge problem to our goal of making the playoffs perennially. Can't forget about those Angels, who may want to make a big splash after striking out his year to keep Lackey and Figgins while their divisional rivals (Texas and Seattle specifically) seem ready to set a new order in the AL West. Even the Orioles may be a Beckett away from becoming an outright contender in the AL East for many years to come and be a threat to leave us out of the equation like the Rays have threatened to do in recent times. The best alternative in free agency next offseason is Cliff Lee, who has a Cy Young pitcher's resume. However, I have an issue paying the mega deal to a finesse lefty pitcher who will pitch a majority of his games at Fenway, a potential recipe for an all-out disaster. As each season (especially postseason) has proven, pitching wins in the big leagues. Beckett is an ace not only for his past credentials, but by the way he approaches his craft and influences others to approach it the same way. By signing Beckett to a 4 or 5-year deal, the Sox will be blessed not only with a gritty, proven performer, but with a true staff leader that the new guys can learn from. For the sake of the long-term success of the team, we have to get on the Beckett Truck before it rolls off and leaves us in the cold, possibly to sunnier pastures.

R.I.P. To An Olympian

Nodar Kumaritashvili (Nov. 25th, 1988 - Feb. 12th, 2010)

(abcnews.go.com)

2004 Sox Vs. 2007 Sox; Best Of The Rest

2010-02-08T23:56:00.003-05:00

So close, you can almost taste the champagne.
(cache.boston.com)

So it's down to the final stretch of my analysis ('04 team up 5-4 if you're counting) of who was the better Sox championship team of the last decade. I have to be honest, these entries are truly revving me up for the upcoming season and have me a little more optimistic about the team we're fielding this year. The rising anticipation is also accelerated with the Bruins' recent flop-fest (have won 1 of their last 11), and the Celtics, who are too old to play a full 4 quarters, displayed by their blowing of countless double-digit leads against teams they must beat. Forget Groundhog Day, my spring indicator is coming on Friday when the equipment truck makes its voyage to Fort Myers, preceding the inevitable reporting of the hometown team's first preparations on sun-soaked fields, marking the official start of the spring for baseball nuts like myself. But until then, I have this last part of my championship comparison amongst a ferocious wind chill, and snowfall forecasted for the near future. J.D. Drew's inevitable hamstring injury can't come quick enough! Anyhoo, here are the final statements and verdict.

Starting Rotation
The official logo for the '04 Sox starters.
(i2.cdn.turner.com)

2004 (over 50 IP):
Curt Schilling: (21-6, 3.26 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 203 K, 226 2/3 IP, 32 GS)
Pedro Martinez: (16-9, 3.90 ERA, 1.17 ERA, 227 K, 217 IP, 33 GS)
Derek Lowe: (14-12, 5.42 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 105 K, 182 2/3 IP, 33 GS)
Tim Wakefield: (12-10, 4.87 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 116 K, 188 1/3 IP, 30 GS)
Bronson Arroyo: (10-9, 4.03 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 142 K, 178 2/3 IP, 29 GS)

Undoubtedly a vital part of the profile turnaround of a franchise that historically favored sluggers that aimed for Landsdowne Street. And it all started with the most famous Thanksgiving acquisition of all-time in Schilling (2nd in Cy Young voting), who with the best K/BB ratio in the AL (5.8) and his league best 21 victories, helped anchor the Sox staff throughout the season. It was his postseason achievements however, that entered him into Red Sox lore with his three victories, including two with a sock that matched his team's moniker. He teamed up with Pedro Martinez (4th in AL Cy Young voting) to make the most formidable 1-2 punch of any pitching staff in '04. While it wasn't '99 Pedro, he was good enough to get his 8th 200+ K of his career, and fought off a horrible September (2-4, 4.95 ERA) to obtain two October wins, including a World Series masterpiece in Game 3 in which he struck out 6, allowed no runs and retired the last 14 Cardinals he faced. Arguably the best story from the rotation was Derek Lowe, who was so marred with so much inconsistency during the season that he was banished to the bullpen for the playoffs. All he did was become the first pitcher the win all three clinching games, earning himself a 3-0 record with a 1.86 ERA in the postseason and was as big of a factor in bringing the World Series trophy through Boston with a Rolling Rally Parade. The most outstanding attribute of this staff was its ability to stay healthy, with the main five making all but 5 starts (Abe Alvarez (1), Pedro Astacio (1), Byung-Hyun Kim (3) with the others). The importance of this staff was truly highlighted in the World Series where in Games 2 through 4, Schilling, Martinez and Lowe allowed 0 ER and 4 BB in 20 IP while shutting down the mighty bats of Rolen, Edmonds and Sanders to a 1/39 clip through the 4 games. The 2004 starting rotation, a staff that boasted 5 double-digit winners, was a signal of the direction of philosophy with how these new Red Sox were going to win games in the future.

A man who knows the way come the postseason.
(cache.boston.com)

2007 (over 50 IP):
Josh Beckett: (20-7, 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 194 K, 200 2/3 IP, 30 GS)
Curt Schilling: (9-8, 3.87 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 101 K, 151 IP, 24 GS)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: (15-12, 4.40 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 201 K, 204 2/3 IP, 32 GS)
Tim Wakefield: (17-12, 4.76 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 110 K, 189 IP, 31 GS)
Julian Tavarez: (7-11, 5.15 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 77 K, 134 2/3 IP, 23 GS)
Jon Lester: (4-0, 4.57 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 50 K, 63 IP, 11 GS)

Although showing a different look, the influence of the '07 starting rotation definitely wasn't underestimated, leading a pitching corps that had the lowest ERA in the American League. One facet to that new look was the arrival of Japanese phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka, who came with a lot of buzz to go along with a $103 million price tag. The Dice Man actually was a solid pitcher in his first few months and the bigs, and probably was at one point one of the best pitchers in the AL (1.59 ERA in June). In the end, he led all rookies in wins and in strikeouts while winning 2 games in his first postseason despite late season struggles. '07 showed that you had to recognize the veterans too, for Tim Wakefield took a drink from the fountain of youth and tied a career high in wins (17). A nagging shoulder injury however, would ultimately leave him out of the World Series roster. Enter, Jon Lester, who came back from cancer to not only win the clinching game of the World Series, but showed the nation a strong character that would one day help him become an elite pitcher. And even though this old ace's stuff was down a couple ticks, you can't ignore Schilling's impact. The 2004 hero's season was hampered by a tired shoulder, but he came 1 batter shy of recording his 1st no hitter, while racking up another three postseason wins (11-2, 2.23 ERA overall). The latter win became significant for he was the 2nd pitcher to win a World Series game over the age of 40, and it would end up being the last game of his career, all under a standing ovation. But everyone knows that 2007 was all about Beckett, who had a '04 Schilling-type season, finishing 2nd for the AL Cy Young while resurrecting his place as one of the most dominant pitchers in the game by establishing his secondary stuff. His out-of-this-world postseason is what the fans will remember when he pitched to the tune of a 4-0 record with a 1.25 ERA, 35 strikeouts in 30 IP while only issuing 2 free passes and winning the ALCS MVP for his pivotal role in helping the Sox come back from a 1-3 deficit. The fact that the team got 7 quality starts from the enigmatic Julian Tavarez showed that the 2007 staff had the depth to get an innings eater when options seemed limited.

Winner: I find it amazing that the 2004 staff only missed 5 starts, and like I said in the right fielder comparison, being there is half the battle. Even though I believe the 2004 staff had the better 1-2, it is the 2007 staff's depth that proved more versatile, and according to the statistics, had the solid numbers to back it up. As you will find out later in the piece, the true depth goes deeper than those 6 listed above. ADVANTAGE: 2007

Bullpen

Simple as Foulke.
(cache.boston.com)

2004: Playoff Roster and Others
Mike Myers (5-1, 4.64 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 32 K, 42 2/3 IP, 75 GP)
Ramiro Mendoza (2-1, 3.52 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 13 K, 30 2/3 IP, 27 GP)
Alan Embree (2-2, 4.13 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 37 K, 52 1/3 IP, 71 GP)
Mike Timlin (5-4, 4.13 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 56 K, 76 1/3 IP, 76 GP, 1 SV)
Scott Williamson (0-1, 1.26 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 28 K, 28 2/3 IP, 28 GP, 1 SV)
Curt Leskanic (3-5, 5.19 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 37 K, 43 1/3 IP, 51 GP, 4 SV)
Terry Adams (2-0, 6.00 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 21 K, 27 IP, 19 GP)
Keith Foulke (5-3, 2.17 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 79 K, 83 IP, 72 GP, 32 SV)

The 2004 bullpen unit may have not been the the most acclaimed during the season, but they definitely pulled their weight. It all started with the other big acquisition of the '03-'04 offseason in Keith Foulke, who not only provided the Sox a go-to guy in the bullpen (which was run by "committee" the year previous), but the comfort that they were handing the ball off to one of the elite stoppers in the league. Foulke was backed up by reliable set-up men Mike Timlin and lefty Alan Embree, who combined with Foulke, tallied 219 appearances amongst them. It was in the postseason that the bullpen shifted into another gear, especially after overcoming a 13-run shellacking in that 19-8 Game 3 in the ALCS. For the rest of the ALCS, the bullpen allowed only 4 runs in 19 2/3 IP (1.83 ERA), including a 13 2/3 inning scoreless run though the marathons of Games 4 and 5. The bullpen unit impressed in the Series as well, allowing 4 ER in 12 1/3 innings and being a huge reason why the Red Sox didn't trail at any point during the 4 games. Like with the rest of the team, there were so many unsung performances. For instance, Curtis Leskanic (3.58 ERA with Sox), who allowed 3 ER in 1/3 of an inning in Game 3, pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in Game 4 that would not only give him the win, but would end up being the final appearance of his career. The bullpen even benefited from cameo roles, evidenced by Wakefield's bullpen-saving effort in Game 4 and his 3 scoreless innings in Game 5 while pitching to Varitek, who caught only 2 2/3 innings of knuckleballs all year. But it all goes back to Foulke, for throughout the entire postseason, he threw in 11 of the 14 games, threw 257 pitches in 14 innings, and recorded 19 Ks while only allowing 1 earned run throughout the entire month of October, and was the man who made the assist in the most memorable out recorded in the history of the Red Sox. While staying in the background of the heroics of Ortiz and Damon, the '04 'pen proved that they weren't just ordinary fo(u)lk(e).

Luckily, he pitches better than....whatever that is.
(fotr.mlblogs.com)

2007: Playoff Roster and Others
Javier Lopez (2-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 26 K, 40 2/3 IP, 61 GP)
Kyle Snyder (2-3, 3.81 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 41 K, 54 1/3 IP, 46 GP)
Manny Delcarmen (0-0, 2.05 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 41 K, 44 IP, 44 GP, 1 SV)
Mike Timlin (2-1, 3.42 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 31 K, 55 1/3 IP, 50 GP, 1 SV)
Joel Pineiro (7-5, 4.33 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 60 K, 97 2/3 IP, 42 GP)
Eric Gagne (4-2, 3.81 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 51 K, 52 IP, 54 GP, 16 SV)
Brendan Donnelly (2-1, 3.05 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 15 K, 20 2/3 IP, 27 GP)
J.C. Romero (2-2, 1.92 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 42 K, 56 1/3 IP, 74 GP, 1 SV)
Hideki Okajima (3-2, 2.22 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 63 K, 69 IP, 66 GP, 5 SV)
Jonathan Papelbon (1-3, 1.85 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 84 K, 58 1/3 IP, 59 GP, 35 SV)

The 2007 Sox bullpen were as dominant as you could get, and kept in rhythm on the mound like they were with their makeshift instruments in the 'pen. It was built with solid contributors, like Mike Timlin (a.k.a, captain of the "Black Pearl"), who at 41 years young recorded a lower ERA than he had in '04, while throwing a plus sinker that still made him a reliable option. Then there was Manny Delcarmen, who struggled a bit in the playoffs (8.31 ERA), but had the stuff and the numbers in the regular season to show that he could be a formidable presence in the 7th or 8th inning. The '07 bullpen didn't come without surprises. While Dice-K got all the attention coming from abroad, it was Hideki Okajima who emerged as the more dominant of the two, emerging as an All-Star set-up man from the get go with his quirky no-look delivery and his "okie-doke" screwball. If Okie was the ying, Eric Gagne was definitely the yang of the equation. After being acquired by Boston at the trading deadline, Gagne (a.k.a., Gag-me) had a 6.75 ERA with the Sox and removed all hopes of a 2 closer bullpen, while making me lose faith in pitchers who wear goggle-like eye wear. But the constant was our lord of the dance in Jonathan Papelbon, who followed his dominant 2006 with a 2007 of equal prowess, and it didn't stop at the regular season. Like Foulke in 2004, Papelbon had a dominant postseason, throwing 10 2/3 scoreless innings, beginning a streak that lasted until 2009 on a day I just don't wanna talk about. Like the 2004 bullpen, the '07 pen seemed to step it up a notch in the playoffs especially when facing elimination. After being down 3 games to 1 against the Indians, the bullpen didn't allow a run for the rest of the ALCS, and earned an ERA of 2.14 for the rest of the second season. The overall postseason would have microscopic if it wasn't for the complete meltdown in Game 2 of the ALCS where they allowed 7 runs in the 11th inning of a 13-6 beatdown, which seems to be a running theme for the Sox, even in the next year when Tampa trounced the Sox 13-4 before almost pulling off another amazing LCS comeback. Thanks to the work of the '07 pen, everyone got to dance in the end.

Winner: 2007 gets the victory here. The Papeljima show was just so dominant, while like the rest of the team, proved that homegrown talent can thrive immediately in the Boston spotlight. The 2007 Red Sox had the best ERA in the AL pitching in the AL East, and that bullpen deserves a ton of credit for the overall dominance of the pitching corps. ADVANTAGE: 2007

Bench/Call Ups/Others
Just inches away from changing history.
(3.bp.blogspot.com)

2004:

Pokey Reese (3 HR, 29 RBI, .221 Avg, .271 OBP, .303 SLG)
Doug Mientkiewicz (6 HR, 35 RBI, .238 Avg, .326 OBP, .350 SLG)
Doug Mirabelli (9 HR, 32 RBI, .281 Avg, .368 OBP, .525 SLG)
Gabe Kapler (6 HR, 33 RBI, .272 Avg, .311 OBP, .390 SLG)
Dave Roberts (4 HR, 35 RBI, .254 Avg, .337 OBP, .379 SLG)
David McCarty (4 HR, 17 RBI, .258 Avg, .327 OBP, .404 SLG)
Kevin Youkilis (7 HR, 35 RBI, .260 Avg, .367 OBP, .413 SLG)
Nomar Garciaparra (9 HR, 41 RBI, .308 Avg, .365 OBP, .477 SLG)
Lenny DiNardo (0-0, 4.23 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 21 K, 27 2/3 IP, 22 GP)

Many discard the benches when they analyze the overall health of the team, but usually the best teams have contributors from 1 to 25. The 2004 Sox were a true testament to that belief, and it goes deeper than the 3 2/3 innings that McCarty provided from the mound. For one, it was actually Gabe Kapler who was the mainstay in right field with 59 games started while taming Fenway's right field effectively. Then there is Mirabelli, who caught 186 of Wake's 188 1/3 knuckleballing innings during the season, while providing some extra pop at the plate every 5th day. 2004 also marked the debut of some Youkilis guy, who homered in his first game and was an admirable fill-in when Mueller was recovering from having his knees being under the knife. The bench also showcased some defensive specialists as well. Who can forget Pokey Reese, who provided flashy speed and was an artist with the leather in the middle infield positions, not to mention that game against the Royals in which he clubbed an inside-the-park and an outside-the-park homer May 8th against the Royals. But we all know the trading deadline acquisitions that defined the year, the bench and the franchise. It was the infamous three-way Nomar deal in which we got first baseman and defensive whiz Doug Mientkiewicz from Minnesota (who we were playing that day). In that same afternoon, a speedster from the Dodgers by the name of Dave Roberts was shipped to Boston and would be the protagonist in the reversal of fortune for the Sox in the ALCS with his 9th inning steal on Mariano Rivera. With a full tool set in reserve for every game, not to mention a future franchise corner infielder in the making, the '04 Sox proved that they were in every contest no matter who was to answer the call.

Don't blink! The future might run past ya!
(i.a.cnn.net)

2007:

Eric Hinske (6 HR, 21 RBI, .204 Avg, .317 OBP, .398 SLG)
Doug Mirabelli (5 HR, 16 RBI, .202 Avg, .278 OBP, .360 SLG)

Alex Cora (3 HR, 18 RBI, .246 Avg, .298 OBP, .386 SLG)
Bobby Kielty (1 HR, 12 RBI, .218 Avg, .287 OBP, .287 SLG)
Jacoby Ellsbury (3 HR, 18 RBI, .353 Avg, .394 OBP, .509 SLG)
Clay Buchholz (3-1, 1.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 22 K , 22 2/3 IP, GS)
Kason Gabbard (6-1, 4.65 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 55 K, 81 1/3 IP, 15 GS)
Wily Mo Pena (13 HR, 39 RBI, .253 Avg, .319 OBP, .439 SLG)

The 2007 reserves, like the team in 2004, had a solid cast of seasoned veterans that were easily to rely upon when the need came. Doug Mirabelli was the only returning cast member from the 2004 reserves, and while he declined at the plate a smidge, he wasn't a slouch when it came to catching Wakefield's dancing knuckler. Players like Eric Hinske, a former Rookie of the Year with the Blue Jays, was no exception in his reliability. Just ask the fans who saw the May 17th game vs. the Tigers when we made an unbelievable face-plant catch to keep the game scoreless, then hit the go-ahead homer two innings later. Then there was Alex Cora, who was the epitome of a skilled utility player who always came prepared and did the little things that never went under appreciated by the Boston faithful. Hell, the fans were calling for him to get the job at second when Pedroia was hitting .172 early in the season. Last, but not least in this group was Bobby Kielty, who played with as much intensity as his hair was red, while providing what proved to be the deciding homer in the World Series clincher on the only pitch he saw in the entire series. As good as the seasoned vets were, the defining characteristic of the 2007 team was the youth movement. Lefty Kason Gabbard, a May call-up, tossed a 3-hit, complete game shutout against the Royals in a mid-July game against the Royals, which apparently was good enough to get traded for 2 months of futility known as the Gagne project. You can't forget to mention Clay Buchholz, who in his second start on Sept. 1st, no-hit the Orioles, and thus making his profile known in an instant around the majors as the next potential young phenom (or my favorite piece of trade bait). The most important piece was Jacoby Ellsbury, who literally raced into relevance with his lethal speed and his game-breaking abilities that would change the Sox offensive attack. The World Series ended up being his coming out party, with his 3 doubles and 4 hits in Game 3 and his .438 average, helping him gain some serious national recognition while giving hope to the fans that he would be Damon's outright successor as the lead-off man and center fielder of the future. Overall, the 2007 extras displayed why the Sox were a force to be reckoned with in the present, as well as mirrored the potential success of the future of Red Sox baseball.

Winner: I think if it was just purely the bench, the edge would tip to the 2004 team, considering it had two guys who were starters in their previous team (Mientkiewicz, Roberts), a guy who was practically a starter for them during the season (Kapler), and a better Mirabelli. However, 2007 proved that prospects can play a fundamental role in a championship team, and the Sox had youth in abundance who could walk on the diamond and contribute immediately. You can't deny that the performances of Buchholz and Gabbard helped prove that the 07 Sox's rotation depth was deeper than that of the '04, who to be honest really needed to have all 5 healthy for them to be successful that year with what was available in the farm. In regards to the offense, replacing Crisp for Ellsbury was a logical decision even at the time because Ellsbury's catalytic potential was much higher. Plus out of the two teams, '07 demonstrates the only example of a changing of the guard not just for the current lineup, but for the future of the team, showing how influential a role that the youth movement plays for the new Red Sox. ADVANTAGE: 2007

The Ultimate Champion
ADVANTAGE: 2007!!!!!!!!!
(tfc.rwbcs.com)

Man, this is tearing me up. This is almost like picking your favorite kid! The tough part for me about picking between the two teams before was the power of context, but let's just say that these last three categories were definitely the difference maker in my final decision. The weight of expectations on that 2004 team was tremendous, with the 86 year drought plus having to face a deficit in the LCS that had never been overcome before against their bitter rival that always overcame their advances. Not only did they triumph in the ALCS, they went on to dominate by winning 8 straight games against 2 historically great teams that had won 100 + games in '04 (New York: 101, St. Louis: 105) with mega-lineups. Would the 2007 team be able to pull off this feat? I think with the mixture of highly-skilled veteran players and dynamic young talent, I think the 2007 team would not only beat the '04 Yanks, but would have had an easier time due to better overall pitching and team depth (not to mention a 7-5 category advantage). You also can't discount the heart of the 2007 team, who had to come back from a 1-3 gap against a team that had 2 Cy Young Award candidates, which was arguably harder than against a Yankee team that didn't have a 15-game winner on their staff and an aging bullpen that noticeably hit a wall. 2004 looked like a team built more for the short term, a team built to win that magical one title that would change the profile of the franchise. 2007 was built with the blueprint of the way the future Sox teams were going to be assembled, which included a number of young impact players. As Spring Training approaches, I'm hoping that this blueprint will engineer something resembling our team entering Government Square in amphibious vehicles, with a certain trophy in hand.

Only 4 days till Truck Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click Here For Part 1
Click Here For Part 2

Before I Peace: Colt Killers
(sports.yahoo.com)

It's one of those moments where I feel so ecstatic to be proven wrong! And who would have known that it all turned around on an onside kick......in the third quarter! Congrats to the Saints and the city of New Orleans for a 31-17 Super Bowl victory over my personal football nemesis known as the Indianapolis Colts in Miami in front of the largest TV audience in history. You have to give huge props to a team that beat Warner, Favre and Manning to earn the franchise's first title in its 43 year history. It's even more outstanding for a city that has gone through over four years of rebuilding their city and their spirits following Hurricane Katrina, only to finally to see their beloved black and gold hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Also a big congrats to to Drew Brees, who won on the turf of the team that chose Daunte Culpepper over him almost 4 years back, while giving New Orleans a superb reason to extend what's already gonna be a crazy Mardi Gras. Seeing Peyton picked in the 4th quarter, the underdog team overcoming the odds, and Megan Fox in a bathtub, it truly was a Merry Man's Christmas!

Locked Up In Your Own Prison

2010-02-05T23:27:00.013-05:00

In body or in spirit, a wrong decision could equal this.
(channel.nationalgeographic.com)

If you know me or have seen some of my rants, I not a big fan with what's on TV. In fact, the last show I followed from beginning to end as it was happening was 'Boston Public', and even that got ridiculous after the second season. I would think that even my high school would have shut down with all that dysfunction. In some ways, it isn't necessarily about the shows. Sometimes, the fans of these shows take an elitist mentality, telling you that you will not get it in trying to follow it, only to tell you that your purchase of 5 seasons on DVD isn't worth it when the final episode comes along. I can only imagine how the 'Lost' fallout is gonna be like in a couple of months. Whether it's '24' or 'The Sopranos', the modern show has you so high with optimism, only to have you question everything about Hollywood after the third season due to some massive curveballs. Recently however, there has been this one show I have been magnetized to. There's this program on National Geographic, 'Locked Up Abroad', mostly detailing the accounts of real people who got caught smuggling some not-so-legal substances from foreign countries, and paid for it with their freedom. My YouTube history is just filled with clips from these intense mini documentaries. It's all predictable, but it has the most captivating re-enactments of any show with all the pauses and slow-downs, which makes me think that this show has better acting than about 75% of what's on TV currently. Recently though, I found that there is something about this show that hits on a personal level. Originally, I was quick to calling these smugglers the dumbest ducks on the pond, but an experience in my life made me realize something. You see, today marks the one year anniversary of me leaving that sketchy MLN (multi-line marketing, another clever euphemism for a pyramid scheme) sales job, which was a mess I should have never been in the first place. In many of these episodes, I find myself in the story of the interviewee, almost like I've been through that exact situation before, right down to virtually every segment of the episode. I learned through the show and through this particular experience in my life that when the tides turn your situation upside down, it's much easier to be a casualty of the system. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to write something on this crummy experience, and now I have the perfect lens to articulate this story. Listen up, ladies and gents! I know this seems like a long read, but there is a lesson to be learned through all of this.

Philly for the company party, 5 days before I left.
(CEB II)

The "My Life Is Bland, I'm Broke And I Need To Improve It" Intro
In most of these episodes (especially the drug ones), the subject states that they were working some dead-end job or had no job while living in a bleak town (Shocker: A lot of these are from Britain). These people talk themselves into the fact that they have very few options if any and like any other young person, are intrigued by the advancement of his/her financial situation to access multiple opportunities and travel the world (eerily familiar). Enter me, who right before Christmas got laid off from his job in the middle of a bad economy, especially bad for my concentration (marketing), which was one of the sets of jobs that wasn't faring too well in the market fallout. Looking back, I was completely moronic in thinking I was in such a desperate situation. I mean, I had a ton of money in the bank (those were the days), for I had a Eurotrip to fund as well as unemployment insurance queued up for me for the next couple of months. It goes back to my New Year's entry on how the human mind can convince itself that anything is a good idea, even something with a ton of red flags, only because you have your eyes on a prize that really isn't attainable. Sorry folks, this story gets worse.

The "This Looks Slightly Off, But Seems Otherwise Legitimate" Moment
In the show (see: Venezuela, Mexico episodes among others), this moment usually occurs at some bar or club where they run into a guy who makes the convincing proposition, usually consisting of an all-expenses paid vacation and a significant sum of money in exchange for bringing back a small package. The subject(s) usually ask what the contents are, and get the chilling response of it being a white powder that isn't baby powder. The drug lord however will ease the worries of the future participants by saying it's only a kilo or two, that everyone is paid off and no one has ever been caught. I find this eerily similar to the three interviews that I had with this MLN company, two of which were in this less than average looking office building. The first buttered me up with a generic 15 minutes of what they do and which clients they serve, and then they said that they would call me for the 2nd interview (pretty close to right away), which was a walk-through of the door-to-door part of it. Mind you, my walk-through was on New Year's Eve during a hefty snowfall (huge red flag). During this "interview", they bring you to lunch and show you the pay scale, which is based on commissions, and formulate it so if you make a few leads a day ($50 a lead for gutters and windows, although I learned a few weeks later that door leads were actually $35), you can be making more money than you can even dream of, and in a year I could be running my own office. In my mind, I found it kind of weird that they had me wear a suit and tie for all of this outdoor roaming, or that my college degree in reality wasn't that useful for this profession, but it looked like an intriguing opportunity in a time where not many were present. Bad mistake Chucky, bad mistake.

The "Fate Changing Step Into The Quicksand of Hell" Moment
It's the all-dreaded moment in the show where the subject(s) make the fateful decision to oversee all the red flags and make the shady journey to doom. In many of the episodes (see: Lima, Cuzco, just about all the drug ones), there is hesitation and doubt, but in the end, the future drug mules end up willing to carry out the task either because they feel as if they have no choice, or they talk themselves into the fact that it's an opportunity too good to be missed. For myself, I felt a bit of both. The first two interviews presented me several warnings, like the hints that I would be working nights outside in some inclimate weather with no guarantee of getting consistent pay. All I saw unfortunately, was the office and loads of cash. I thought that I couldn't get this kind of chance with anyone else during this awful recession. So when my observer went in the manager's office to request a third interview (which I found out later is just to tell the manager I basically had a pulse and didn't revolt during the day), I felt like I was making the first step into the rest of my life. I told the manager I would start right away, which I later learned in training, were the magic words that would open up that box of fools' gold. My foot was firmly entrenched into the pathway to hell.

The Glaring "I Have To Get Out Of This" Moment
This part of the episode usually comes during or after the high of the paid vacation when the realization of what they are actually doing becomes all too real. The first example that comes to mind is in the Jamaica episode, where T.K. decides to whip out her bag of ganja she just bought at a newspaper stand, only to have her gangster accomplices freak out on her, and thus when she finds out that the sticky icky is illegal in Jamaica. It was then she realized that she was in a world of hurt, considering it was marijuana that she was going to be smuggling through Jamaican customs in a few days. That day for me was a couple weeks in. In the beginning I had some success, but the rigors of the lifestyle were killing me. The cold weather, an all-fast food diet, getting home late at night with my dinner in the microwave, and the questioning of whether I was passionate enough about this job. I mean, I was offering free estimates on certain home improvement repairs. Did I wanna risk frostbite for this? Especially when my manager kept dodging the question of health insurance, considering it is required by law in the state of Massachusetts (However, he was always annoyed when I wore my winter hat indoors when I walked into that cold office. Things that make you go, 'What?!?!'). Worst off, some days it felt like I was dodging the police, for there were many times in the beginning where I had an intuition we needed a license in some of these towns in order to canvass the area. But just when the job and the weather couldn't get any more dodgy, one Wednesday in January, it did. The philosophy for these MLN companies who do residential work is that the crappy days are the best because everyone is at home, regardless of the pneumonia risk. So an 'intensity day' is implemented, when an salesman gets a certain amount of leads that seems attainable (usually 2), to pick up a quick ticket home, Trust me, easier said than done in stormy weather.

The location was Arlington, MA on a day where the cold was accompanied by every form of precipitation. My jacket was covered by a layer of ice, all my sign-up gear was frozen and virtually every house had an uphill, icy climb to the doorstep. There must have been at least 6 instances where I almost cracked my skull from slipping on the ice as if an invisible Troy Polamalu up-ended me from behind. It was there where I met the most resistance from frosty people, probably influenced by the bleak conditions. There was one particular incident where I went to a house with a 'NO SOLICITING' sign on it, with the MLN philosophy usually being they will be nice to you because they rarely get visitors, or they had just moved in the house. What I got was an epic tongue lashing from a middle-aged man which almost got me a free ride in a cop car (getting kinda ironic). Not a moment soon after came a call from my manager, which felt like I was being watched from a sniper tower. He asked me how I was doing, followed by how it sounded like I didn't have a positive attitude, and that it needed to change. No s!@#, Sherlock! I'm a chocsicle, my papers are so frozen that I can't sign anybody up and I almost got arrested 30 seconds ago! Tough love in that situation obviously wasn't a good motivation technique. It was then and there in the middle of an Arlington neighborhood where I broke a cardinal rule. I used the phone to call back a couple of friends that had called me earlier in the day. It was then that my enthusiasm for this job officially started to wane. After that day in the field, the other four in the office started to treat me with kid gloves, almost training me from scratch. Looking back, it wasn't necessarily because I wasn't executing, I just didn't give a damn about trying anymore. That freeze-dried day in Arlington was the pivot point, the point of no return and the point of realizing how ludicrous this job was.

The "Arrival To The Slum That Makes The Moment All Too Real" Part
In many of the episodes, the drug mules get sent to this rough part of town, where they will have the drugs strategically packed in their bags, or have the contraband strapped to their own bodies. It is at this point where the participant(s) in this scheme are now roaming in the visual representation of how out-of-their-element they are truly in. In a way, it is an insight to their doomed future and the unpredictable environment they will face when they go in the slammer. Let's time travel to late January 2009, to Wayne, New Jersey, where me and two others were sent on a 'road trip' to train in one of the best ran MLN offices in the country. It was our manager who told us about a $40/night Ramada Inn, which existed in structure, but not in price. After a 4-hour drive and a little bit of disappointment, we end up staying at this sketchy motel near some old truck trailers with an chain smoking, 70-year old dude manning the front desk. Apparently, we find out the next day that in order to get a room at the Ramada for that cheap, we simply had to go on Priceline.com and enter it in. Kind of an important detail to leave out. Anyhoo, this New Jersey office primarily focused on Home Depot and estimates on cabinet resurfacing. It was an indoor operation, meaning it was 72 degrees and sunny everyday! It was there that I found out that even the best salespeople were implementing unethical practices, for example calling a contractor relative to give a name of one of their own customers, only to have them call it off under 24 hours before the scheduled appointment to secure the $35 dollar lead. Another pitfall was that the promotion was over saturated, meaning that people were starting to hear the same pitches everyday from different sales people. Even some of the sales pitches were so uncomfortable, that they felt like a purse snag away from resembling an all-out robbery. Most of the people in the store didn't even care to even think about repairs. Recession, remember? Did I have to be that much of a bad person to do this job? Probably just like the drug mules in the slum scenes, I realized I was stepping into one shady world.

The "Tropical Vacation" Part
Unlike in the show, the "tropical vacation" didn't come for me till after all of the other horrors. It was in the form of a company party in Philly, where all these Cydcor/Smart Circle based companies get together to get brainwashed by the top dogs, and then get drunk and crunk on the dance floor. The presence of Budweisers and babes made it feel like a Utopian oasis in a desert of fraudulence. Just when I was about to settle into my little paradise, my manager brought me and the rest of the crew to a club where his brother's friend was the drummer in the band playing that night. It was that camaraderie of twenty-somethings that can make any night a good night, including seeing a girl in that small venue, let's just say didn't need to learn how to swim. It was probably that camaraderie that kept me from leaving after that brutal day in Arlington a week before. It was like I owed them my allegiance and my success and that we were truly all in it for each other. Like the vacations in the episodes, the company party was just a quick escape from the reality that I was truly involved in. While I was relishing indulging in some European brews and melodic tunes, I won't lie, looking back, I definitely wished that I went back to the hip scene at the Marriott, especially knowing what happened 5 days later (Although still scarred by seeing the New Jersey manager drunk and shirtless after coming back from the club. Yup, you guessed it. Another red flag.).

The "Moment Of Truth" Moment
Well it was back to the grind outside in the teens and single-digit temperatures of southern New Hampshire, where before I dragged my feet through another New Hampshire town, I found out that my manager wouldn't cover the costs of the transmission breakdown that one of our associates had the day before the Philly excursion, and the even more bogus part that I would somehow owe money by the end of this, even though I would never know if I would get my check from my work in New Jersey in the first place. Give that a red flag for un-business like conduct. I mean, aren't businesses supposed to cover all travel costs? I thought of myself and my Jeep, which is always on the verge of creating smoke of its own and thought, "How could I afford to be in this circus?". After doing quite well in the indoor confines of Home Depot, I got right back into my funk. The whole job had started to wear me down completely. All the lack of ethics, the faux professionalism, the constant purchases of hand warmers, what and who I was working for, it was like a 5-ton boulder on my head and spirit. Bring the time machine to Thursday, February 5th in Merrimack, NH, during a 10-lead group intensity day. The monotony was the same, passionless romp through another New Hampshire neighborhood, thinking about future options and of course, avoiding all "NO SOLICITING" signs. It was 7:30 in the evening and pitch black when I approached this house that would eventually decide my fate.

When I began my 5-step sales pitch, she couldn't hear me due to the sound of her running faucet, prompting her to ask me to come in. When doing residential, it is always a treat when someone allows you in, not just for the warmth that the candy and hot chocolate provides, but it makes the pitch much more conversational. I found out that the man worked near my hometown. She had stated that she and her husband had saw me and felt empathy for me, and revealed that they were Jehovah's Witnesses, which helped me gain an almost painful insight on how people felt about me and my current profession. After a 30 minute time-killing convo with the compassionate couple, I walked outside so that I can be picked up by my crew. While I rolled another doughnut, the rest of the group got a combined 9 of 10 possible leads. The car ride home had that pink elephant in the room feel. Almost like in the Brazil episode where none of the drug-packed friends were talking to each other on the way to the airport, no one was talking to me. It was that feeling in the airport that each drug mule describes as if every one in that area knows what they are up to, and what their scheme was. Amidst the sounds of alternative rock on the radio, I felt no different.

The Aftermath
Getting back was almost a relief, considering the awkwardness of rolling another doughnut was paralyzing me. I was tempted to leave right way like I always did, but there was a Celtics-Lakers game on the TV in the office, and also some dude from another MLN company was in the building, who happened to grow up where my manager grew up in Pennsylvania, which proceeded into an hour long conversation where I felt would have been more awkward and impolite to just flee from. After what seemed like an eternity, the reminiscing finally ended and I rushed to my old Jeep, which takes 5 minutes and a black magic ritual to start in the cold. When the engine finally hummed, I drove off realizing I couldn't do this to myself anymore (Vividly remember the Pearl Jam song 'Release' play on my iPod on the ride home. Omen?). Of course, the decision was made easier when my mentor texted me and said to take Friday and Saturday off. Red flag for unprofessionalism. What happened to face-to-face assessment? That moment was the opening of the cage for me, where I could choose to run free. That's when I realized, like smuggling heroin in a girdle out of Bangladesh, this MLN crap was a joke, a crime and a waste of time (sorry for the rhyme...damn it!). Finally, I had stopped accepting the absurdities of this job that were previously being taught to me as necessary realities.

So how do I feel afterward? For one, I will not have ill will to another Jehovah's Witness after this. I will still make some jokes, because that's just how I am, but nothing evil out of this heart will be directed towards them, that's for sure. As for the job, I feel as if I was the one who actually listened to his instincts and flushed the drugs down the toilet like the people in the show should have. Amazingly enough, I lasted a month in that compnay, more time than a kid I met in my first days who had served our great country in the deserts of Iraq. Damn, I saw kids devise clever excuses to get out of the hell in their first day! However, like Daniel in the Ecuador episode, I still feel that greyness from the experience at the end of it all. Writing a mini-novel about this probably shows that I still may have not gotten over it. I'm free of the experience, but there is no joy that comes out of being free. It's not like I can put a company like this, who are linked to many others with poor reputations, on my resume, which makes it a wasted month of work experience. But in the end, what hurts the most is that I can't really blame those in the companies. In a way, they are victims too, especially the ones who had been in it for months and were a sniff way from that promised managerial spot. They had already spent too much time away from their families, friends and their significant others to get this close. Why stop now? Those are the ones I truly feel for. The hardest part is that I have to acknowledge that I made my own bed. The fact that I'm very conscious about cults and brainwashing makes me feel even worse about being duped. In the intro, I said that anyone can be vulnerable to seedy situations if they perceive themselves vulnerable, and even the very aware can be victims of trickery if the right buttons are pressed. Like these drug mules turned unsuspecting convicts, I ultimately convinced myself I needed this job when I truly didn't, and got what I asked for in not recognizing all the warning signs, setting up a huge mea culpa. Another thing, DON'T JOIN THOSE MLN COMPANIES! These will be the companies all over the job search sites that promise an entry level position with management training, and some even say they work in sports (knocking my head with a hammer that I didn't see this before). They make it seem like they are in it for your own interests when in reality, they are just using you as a step for their ladder of success, a deceitful system if you ask me. Especially if it's about money, always think whether the personal pros are worth the consequences of the personal cons before putting yourself in a venture. If they say anyone can do it, ask those people to give you an honest answer as to why there aren't a ton of millionaires doing this job. In the end, the only way to make myself happy about this situation is that luckily, I got out before I trapped myself in that scam, and got locked up in my own prison.

Super Bowl In The City Where The Heat Is On

2010-02-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

Will Miami be Peyton's Place or Payton's Place?
(americanfootballblog.com)

It's off to Miami, where we will witness through our giant high-definition boxes, who will replace the Steelers as the owners of the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I've spent the last 4 days trying to get a certain Will Smith song out of my head that hasn't possessed my soul to this degree since middle school. I have to admit that I'm kind of bothered by one thing: I never expected a Super Bowl week in Miami to be this subdued. Sure, there were a few men dressed in lingerie, but you probably could have seen that in New Orleans, which is where the real party is at this year. Maybe it's been the weather, which has been a little drab this past week down at the MIA, but I will take the projected game day temp of 68 right now, believe me. All I know is that I'm always ready for the Super Bowl, a.k.a, Man's Christmas. For me, it doesn't matter who the teams are. I mean, who can turn down a winner-takes-all sporting event involving the biggest sport in the country with arguably the two best quarterbacks in the league? Even if the game isn't up to par, the clever multi-million dollar commercials make for solid backup programming. Besides, this game has some personal importance for me, only because I'm cheering for the sanity of Boston sports fans like myself, who are on the verge of seeing the Yankees, Lakers and Colts conquer their respective leagues in the span of almost 8 months (still waiting for the steam to stop pouring out of my ears). Also, don't forget to place your bets on how many Archie Manning/Kim Kardashian shots we will get during the game, which will surely rival the competition on the field. Let's get to my final football prediction of the year, because I know deep down inside that you are disappointed that I didn't analyze the Pro Bowl!

Gun show, Miami, Sunday, and thankfully no Gilbert Arenas!
(imgsrv.wwl.com)

(1) Indianopolis Colts vs. (1) New Orleans Saints

It took 43 years and a mistake prone quarterback (you know who I'm talking about), but the Saints are finally in the Super Bowl. Maybe it was destiny the way the game played out (although pretty cruel for already tortured Vikings fans), maybe it was Favre being Favre, or maybe it was that God awful Vikings fight song that was written by all people, Prince. As we all know however, turnovers are part of the game, and the better team never commits 5 turnovers. In New Orleans, all eyes will be on Drew Brees and whether he can give a city that has had its share of trying times its first professional title. The Saints will surely be the nation's pick for sentiment, and because of the spread of the many relocated after Katrina. Many of "Who Dat Nation" will be wondering whether Reggie Bush as another big game in him like he had against the Cardinals and whether their defense (only 1 sack in the 2 playoff games) can muster up a consistent pass rush against Peyton. I believe the big key for them is to establish a running game not only to balance their offensive attack, but so they can keep the ball away from Manning. A few of those "remember me" hits that were talked about by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would also be a vital ingredient to the victory recipe. On the other side, we have a Colts team that has triumphed in spite of the multitude of changes that any NFL team goes through (including head coach), thanks to the help of constant presences like Wayne, Freeney, and of course, Manning. The status of one of those constants (Freeney) is in limbo after an ankle sprain in the AFC Championship game, which will significantly stunt a Colts defense that uses its flash as a weapon. The $64,000 dollar question the Colts must ask themselves is whether a Freeney at 50-75% is going to be as/more effective than a Raheem Brock at 100%. Their main weapon however, is obviously at the quarterback position, with a guy who just won his 4th MVP and seems to get better and more focused as he gets older (avoiding not to make a vicious Brady comment here). He has a chance to win this game purely on his own merit, considering I don't think that the Saints defense can trap big playmakers like Wayne and Clark like the Jets did, and even the Jets still lost. Unfortunately, I just don't see how you go against the Colts, who not only have that speedy defense that flusters quarterbacks, but has a quarterback who has seen pretty much every defensive scheme you can possibly devise. In the midst of the crazy weather of Miami, I predict a re-coronation of the Colts in the Magic City the place where they beat the Bears 4 years back. Yup, the Yanks, the Lakers, and the Colts. It's gonna be like dying, waking up, and just dying all over again. I have a feeling I will be taking 50 kamikaze shots and passing out before the end of the game........with 'Welcome to Miami' in the background.

Final Score: Colts 27, Saints 21

2004 Sox Vs. 2007 Sox; The Outfielders & The Two Papis

2010-02-01T23:46:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't love some bling?
(graphics8.nytimes.com)

Finally, I'm now able to sit down and give my complete attention to the 2nd part of this 2004 vs. 2007 comparison piece, just 17 before pitchers and catchers (trying to keep from flying through the roof!). It should help me recover from that painful loss against the Lakers, a loss that showed once again that these Celts aren't able to play a complete 4 quarters, especially in that all-important 4th quarter. Nevermind the Celts losing 11 of the last 17, last nights Grammys have me questioning again why I even get roped into watching these award shows. I find that it's usually the opportunity for these academies to award either the flavor of the moment (Taylor Swift), or some veteran artist/group who didn't win in their heyday and the powers that be decide to give them a few trophies in consolation (Steely Dan in 2001). All I have to say is when Taylor Swift accepted Kanye's apology, she should have written a 'thank you' to go along with that. After the "Interruption Heard 'Round The World", she has seen sales of her album (Fearless, actually released in Nov. 2008) skyrocket almost exponentially, upgraded from a Jonas Brother to one of them vampire dudes, has hosted Saturday Night Live and pretty much has wrestled away the 'America's Sweetheart' title from Jennifer Aniston. I still think that Kanye was a complete moron not only for the interruption, but for calling Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' video the best of all-time (still befuddled on that one). However, as much as America may hate me for saying it, I can't stand Taylor Swift. I compare her to those super sweet Smarties candies that are so highly concentrated with sugar that you only need one before you start getting sick. Maybe it's because I can't relate to her music, or maybe I don't get how everyone has started to overrate her post "Kanye-gate" simply because they feel sorry for her, but I just can't stomach her recent popularity. But beware for the backlash, my friends. I'm not saying this because I have a recent grudge on Swift's popularity, but it happens to everyone that famous, especially in this TMZ world. Pardon me for making predictions for the next year, but my bold, somewhat out there prediction for 2011 will be that she will be involved in the scandal of the year. No one stays spotless in a world desperate for celebrity hidden skeletons, and with media outlets more than willing to find the dirt. Plus, remember the days when Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan were innocent? And we all know what happened to the image of the once squeaky-clean El Tigre. Now that I have spewed my venom, let me warm my heart with some Sox championship talk,......and I thought I wouldn't have a substantial intro for this piece. Enjoy, ladies and gents!

Left Fielder

The real achievement is what he's growing on his head.
(assets.espn.go.com)

2004: Manny Ramirez (43 HR, 130 RBI, .308 Avg, .397 OBP, .613 SLG)
Ah, yes. The ferocious Manny in his prime, the Manny pre-female fertility fame. He, along with Big Papi, were easily the most feared duo in the majors in 2004 as they were the 1st duo to hit 40 homers, drive in 100 runs and hit over .300 since Ruth and Gehrig in 1931, while going yard back-to-back a record-tying 6 times. Manny not only led the league in homers, but also led the league in OPS (1.009), which helped earn him third place overall in the AL MVP voting ahead of fellow paisano and teammate Ortiz to go with a Silver Slugger. But arguably his most illustrious accomplishment was winning the World Series MVP, which was marked by a .412 average and tying the record for the longest postseason hit streak at 17 games. Overall, Manny hit a respectable .350 on the postseason with 2 homers and 11 RBI. Not bad, considering he didn't drive in one run the ALCS. This will also be the year in which he not only had had his best temper in a Sox uni, but he sort of came out of his shell a bit more in '04, elevating the "Manny being Manny" persona to new heights. With all the accolades and everything else, 2004 was arguably Manny's best all-around season as a pro, and he once drove in 165 in a previous season! This is the Manny I truly miss.

Now there's one 'bad' man!
(cache.boston.com)

2007: Manny Ramirez (20 HR, 88 RBI, .296 Avg, .388 OBP, .493 SLG)
A strained oblique (or so we think) became the governor to his usually stellar 30, 100, .300 campaigns that he normally puts up, but Manny was still the most feared right-handed slugger this side of Albert Pujols when he did step up in the box. Just ask Fransisco Rodriguez. He did make his 11th All-Star game in '07, and he very well would have accomplished those automatic numbers if he hadn't missed 29 games in 2007. Sure, Manny is known for his offensive prowess, no doubt, but he led all AL left fielders in fielding percentage (.990) and was 5th amongst major league left fielders in assists (8), but I can't say all of that prevent the near heart attack I got on every pop-up in Colorado during the World Series. In the second season, he proved to be as dominant as ever, hitting .348 with 4 homers and 16 RBI to go along with a .524 on-base percentage. This would also be the postseason in which he broke Bernie Williams's total postseason homerun record, furthering his place as one of the most feared postseason sluggers of all-time. On the whole, it definitely wasn't 2004 in direct comparison, but Manny proved to the world the he was still a 'bad man'.

Winner: Have to go with Manny in 2004, a year in which he arguably could have won an AL MVP to accompany his World Series MVP on the shelf in his den. However, I would still have 2007 strained oblique Manny in my 2010 lineup any day, for he would probably be the best hitter in the entire team. Don't worry 2010 Sox, I still have faith in ya (for now)! ADVANTAGE: 2004

Center Field
As for breaking curses, a caveman can do it.
(i.a.cnn.net)

2004: Johnny Damon (20 HR, 94 RBI, .304 Avg, .380 OBP, .477 SLG)

2004 will be the year known by Sox fans as the year in which Jesus played center field at Fenway, and I think that even the Lord's son would appreciated the show Johnny Damon put on. In 2004, Damon established himself as one of the premier lead-off hitters and defensive center fielders in the big leagues. Becoming only the 4th lead-off hitter to drive in 90+ runs was good for starters. He hit 20 homers from the top spot and was 2nd in the league in runs scored (123), proving he was one of the most important catalysts in any lineup. Garnering just as many headlines was the extra fuzz on his mug coming into Spring Training, which looked like he just came from an audition for the movie, 'Passion of the Christ'. His caveman look was a hit for the team, who followed along with their own crazy beards and hair styles, as well as the fans who crowded the ballpark armed with their own ridiculous wig and fake beard combos to cheer on number 18. His catalytic importance was further proven in the postseason, where after an abysmal start in the ALCS, he definitely finished with a splash with his 2 homers (including a grand slam) in Game 7 against the Yankees to complete Boston's improbable comeback. He kept hitting after that, and provided the proverbial final nail in the coffin with his lead-off homer in Game 4 of the World Series against the Cardinals. Damon's performance and his hair made him a favorite amongst the Faithful, and a leader amongst the 'Idiots'. Now it looks like he will be applauded for it once again.

Finally, a center fielder that makes me reminisce of chocolate cereal!
(mlb.mlb.com)

2007: Coco Crisp (6 HR, 60 RBI, .268 Avg, .330 OBP, .382 SLG)
You are probably calling for Ellsbury on this spot, but you have to remember that it was Coco Crisp who predominantly manned center field for the Sox in 2007, and he didn't do a bad job. Sure his offense left a little to be desired, considering he was signed to the tall task of taking over Johnny Damon's role on the club. When he was on base however, he was a threat on the base paths, stealing 28 bags (2nd on the team), adding an element to a mighty, but different Red Sox offense. Plus, how could I forget that game-tying triple off Rivera early in the season, or his 1st multi-homer game of his career against the Braves? But even if you're just a casual Sox fan, you know that it was his defense that earned him his paychecks (1 E in 416 chances). Crisp made some of the most spectacular, stupefying and clutch grabs, solidifying him as one of the best defensive center fielders in the game if not the best. Defensively, he easily surpassed Damon, and I thought it was a shame he didn't win a Gold Glove in his time at Boston. Just to think we almost lost his Gold Glove-caliber defense because Mariner Moose almost ran him over with an ATV. Even though Coco struggled so mightily in the postseason that he was replaced inevitably by the flashy Ellsbury, his catch-and-crash final out of the ALCS will always be one of the iconic images of a triumphant 2007 season for the Sox. Whether it was his name or his acrobatic defense, the fans were crazy for Coco in 2007!

Winner: Although Coco Crisp dominates in the defensive category and in the name category, Damon gets the nod here. Like Crisp, Johnny put his body on the line out there like no one else, and combined with his offensive skills was the premier lead-off guy that year, even over the likes of Ichiro. Sometimes, 'idiots' do triumph! ADVANTAGE: 2004

Right Field
Dictionary image for the word, 'grit'.
(i.cnn.net)

2004: Trot Nixon (6 HR, 23 RBI, .315 Avg, .377 OBP, .510 SLG)

Somewhat controversial in a way, considering he only started 36 games in right field. This should be a spot reserved for Gabe Kapler, who started 59 games in right and played almost 3 times as many games as Trot did in '04. But when Nixon recovered from his thigh and back ailments, there was no question who was going to man that tricky right field of Fenway. In a team known for hairstyles and pranks, Nixon personified the guts of the 2004 team, not just for coming back from some tough injuries, but for the way he would risk the health of his body and the cleanliness of his jersey to win a ballgame. Even though I thought he was slightly over-hyped, you can't help but respect someone who would do whatever to win, and we wouldn't have won that elusive championship without that spirit. He played a smart right field in a ballpark where it's necessary (1 E in 306 chances), while proving to be a great complimentary piece on offense with his penchant for fastballs. Trot definitely proved his worth in the postseason, especially in the World Series where he hit .357 and clubbed 3 doubles with 2 insurance RBIs in the final game of the World Series in St. Louis. Nixon's 'dirt dog' attitude will remain within the minds Sox fans long after his dirty hat disintegrates.

It's like he just won $70 million.
(redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com)

2007: J.D. Drew (11 HR, 64 RBI, .270 Avg, .373 OBP, .423 SLG)
What a roller coaster 2007 was for J.D. Drew, but thankfully it didn't end up in a complete drop. Of course, a ton of expectations naturally come with a 5 year, $70 million dollar deal that was delayed almost 2 months due to the editing of language to protect the organization of a disastrous right shoulder injury. You can also consider it a baffling deal for many, considering he was injury prone and was the anti-Trot Nixon in terms of intensity. Despite a hamstring injury and missing time due to a health scare with his son, Drew played 140 games, which is the most games he has played in a Sox uniform. However in those games, he proved inconsistent, forcing me and many others to call him 'Nancy' among other names that I won't bother writing. On the other hand, Drew didn't completely shoot us in the foot in right field (5 E in 220 chances) and proved to be a steady presence on the bases, thus sort of defending Theo's decision to give him a boat load of money, but just sort of. Not only was he a part of the 4 consecutive homeruns against the Chase Wright and the Yankees, he is the only player in MLB history to be part of two back-to-back-to-back-to-back sessions, his previous occasion being with the Dodgers (being the 2nd shot in both). His season-saving highlight was his 1st inning grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS against Trot Nixon and the Indians on the three year anniversary of the Sox completion of the greatest comeback in history (You know what that is!) and was a huge boost in another amazing ALCS comeback by the Sox. It was a feel-good moment in a rough season for Drew and up to that point, a rough postseason. In the end, he finished the ALCS with a .360 average and batted .333 in the World Series, earning his salary, at least for 2007. At least for now, I'm actually yelling, "Dreeeeeeeeew"!

Winner: Both are no Dewey Evans, but that's asking for a lot. This is another tough one to measure up only because I think both players left a lot to be desired despite some highlights. In the end, I give a slight edge to J.D. Drew here, only because he played enough of a sample of games to size up his performance. Like I said in the Trot Nixon section, the right field position could have easily gone to Kapler or even Kevin Millar, who started 53 games at right in 2004. Sometimes, being there is half the battle, and you have to applaud Drew for even doing that. ADVANTAGE: 2007

Designated Hitter

A pose worth staying up till 1 in the morning for.
(top-10-list.org)

2004: David Ortiz (41 HR, 139 RBI, .301 Avg, .380 OBP, .603 SLG)
If 2003 was his coming out party, 2004 proved that Papi was going to be the life of the party for several more years. Pretty much everything has been said about Ortiz and his 2004, from the playoff walk-offs to the opposite field homers to his ever-present joy that made the 2004 Red Sox so much fun to watch. With his shots over the monster and his jovial nature, Big Papi became the new face of the franchise and a city in one bound. Nevermind being the power that rivaled the offensively minded Sox teams of the past, the combined production in the middle with Manny was historic. Ortiz finished 4th in the AL MVP voting, received his first trip to the All-Star Game (in which he homered), his first Silver Slugger and won the most-deserved LCS MVP ever handed out (.387, 3 HR, 11 RBI), helped out by his playing a pivotal role with his team facing elimination in Games 4 and 5. Overall in the playoffs, he hit .400 with 5 homers and 19 RBI with 3 walk-off hits, while not only proving his status as one of most respected hitters in the game, but one of the most clutch hitters as well. Sure there was Damon's hair, Manny being Manny and Pedro's Jheri curl, but Papi is still considered the most iconic piece to that 2004 championship puzzle.

Eye wear = Experienced winner
(2.bp.blogspot.com)

2007: David Ortiz (35 HR, 117 RBI, .332 Avg, .445 OBP, .621 SLG)

This was a Papi that changed into more of a pull hitter after his record setting 2006 season. This was a Papi that showed he was 3 years older, but he also established that he was still a threatening presence. Injuries to his knees, shoulders and quads turned down his power and clutchness a smidge, but it didn't stop Ortiz from contributing in a major way to the 2007 offensive attack. Like 2004, Ortiz earned an All-Star appearance, a Silver Slugger and was 4th in the AL MVP race. He recorded the highest batting average of his career, while leading the league in walks (111), on-base percentage and extra base-hits (88). The postseason proved no different, hitting a whopping .714 with 2 HRs and 6 walks in the ALDS against the Angels and hit .370 with 3 homers and 10 RBI in October, showing once again he was still a force to be reckoned with. However, this was the year which provided a hint of foreshadowing to a possible decline in health and performance. At the end of the day, you couldn't complain in 2007 that he was on the way down, especially because he was still an important factor in why the Red Sox were on top.

Winner: As good as the two Papis were, 2004 Papi has to be the winner for being not only the best player out of all the players on both championship teams, but for being the most iconic player on a team and a city that finally got to celebrate a World Series victory for the first time since the Woodrow Wilson administration, and humiliated the Yankees doing it! ADVANTAGE: 2004

Pitchers, benches/call-ups, and the final verdict on Part 3!
(cache.boston.com)

Click Here If You Missed Part 1......

2004 Sox Vs. 2007 Sox; The Infielders

2010-01-27T21:32:00.002-05:00

I would surely welcome this 3-year trend.
(cache.boston.com)

What a weekend of football, huh? Funny, because you would think it would be hard for me to consider it was a good football week when the Patriots weren't in the picture and the Colts are advancing to their 2nd Super Bowl in 4 years , but there was still joy in my mind this past Sunday. So much for Favre's Tour de Vengeance (add French pronunciation here). Yippee! Now we have the gift of watching him cut grass for six months as he waffles on his future. God, it's seems like it's a long ways away from Truck Day, even with the nice thawing out we had the past few days. A bit of baseball would especially be helpful right now during the Bruins recent belly flop, the Celtics putting their Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage to full use, and my continuing recovery from the whiplash I got seeing Ray Rice and the Ravens run over the lackadaisical Patriots a few weeks back. Although I have concerns about the lack of pop on the 2010 edition of the Red Sox, I'm always excited to see my Mudville 9 doing their thing at my personal cathedral at Yawkey Way, all in an effort to hoist the World Series trophy to start a new decade right. My withdrawals have been so bad that I have watched every disc from those Red Sox A&E DVD sets to quell my urges, the methadone to my heroin. While watching the Game 4 disc of the 2007 World Series, the AT&T poll question repeated throughout the game was asking which of the two Sox championship teams was the better one. It's a question I have struggled with since the Sox were partying in Denver after their 2007 triumph. Both teams do have a few commonalities, like sweeps against the Angels in the ALDS and miraculous comebacks the ALDS that preceded World Series domination. However, the composition of both teams have to be not only appreciated, but analyzed to solve this little riddle of who was better. So in an effort to try to solve this once in for all, I'm gonna do a 3-part entry dedicated to who were the better set of "idiots". Forgive me, I'm going through withdrawals! I'll try not to go Favre on ya with my decision! Here are some significant team stats before I get rolling.

2004: When Hell required mittens.
(i.a.cnn.net)

2004 Boston Red Sox - (+180 Run Differential, 2nd in MLB)
Record - (98-64, AL Wild Card, 3 GB in AL East)
Team Fielding Percentage - (.981) (1oth in AL)
Homeruns - (222) (4th in AL)
Team Batting Average - (.282) (1st in AL)
Team BB - (652) (2nd in AL)
Team OPS - (.832) (1st in AL)
Team ERA - (4.19) (3rd in AL)
Other Tidbits - Had .295 with RISP (1st in AL), 949 runs (1st in AL), only team in baseball history to come back from 0-3 deficit to win series (2004 ALCS vs. Yankees), first team to have an 8-game win streak in postseason, didn't trail once in last 59 innings of postseason, were 4th team in MLB history to not trail in World Series, won first franchise title in 86 years (under a lunar eclipse, an on my 19th birthday!!!)

2007: Just when you thought '04 was a fluke...
(cache.boston.com)

2007 Boston Red Sox - (+210 Run Differential, 1st in MLB)
Record - (96-66, AL East Champs)
Team Fielding Percentage - (.986) (2nd in AL)
Homeruns - (166) (8th in AL)
Team BB - (689) (1st in AL)
Team Batting Average - (.279) (5th in AL)
Team OPS - (.806) (2nd in AL)
Team ERA - (3.87 ERA) (1st in AL)
Other Tidbits - were 5th team to hit 4 consecutive homeruns (4/22 vs. Yankees), earned 1st AL East title since 1995, became 10th team in MLB to win series after trailing 1-3 (Indians in ALCS), outscored opponents 59-15 in 7-game postseason win streak (from Game 5 of ALCS), only trailed in 3 of last 63 postseason innings since Game 5 of ALCS, broke record with 18 doubles in World Series, achieved largest run differential in 4 game World Series (+19)

1st Baseman

Idiocy has never been so productive.
(cdn.bleacherreport.com)

2004: Kevin Millar (18 HR, 74 RBI, .297 Avg, .383 OBP, .474 SLG)
One of the many spiritual leaders for "The Idiots", Millar was a solid presence in the middle of that dynamic Sox offense in '04. Along with Johnny Damon and the David Ortiz of old, he's was that team unifier that I wish we had on today's Sox teams. He was the symbol of the New Red Sox, the team that would never give up no matter how dire or tragically familiar the situations became. Although 2004 was a down tick from his career year in '03 (25 HR, 96 RBI), you still did not want to hang a fastball on Mr. Millar. He was a solid fielder at first (6 E in 530 chances), but he actually played more games in the outfield due to the injuries that plagued a huge bulk of Trot Nixon's season. He only hit .196 in the 2004 postseason, but got the key walk in Game 4 of the ALCS that turned the fortunes of the franchise forever. Plus, you can't forget all the shenanigans, the Jack Daniels, all the beards and the open stances. Besides, anybody who would introduce the phrase, "Cowboy Up" to a fan base north of the Mason-Dixon line and make it popular gets huge kudos.

A waterfall is not pouring off his head. Must be April.
(projo.com)

2007: Kevin Youkilis (16 HR, 83 RBI, .288 Avg, .390 OBP, .453 SLG)
Speaking about Kevins with funky beards, let's dive into Youk's year in '07. Youk began his elevation in the major league level as a rookie for the 2004 team (1 of 8 guys in the 2007 team from that '04 team), for he was called up to play 3rd when Bill Mueller was recuperating from knee surgery (208 ABs). In 2007, he lived up to his reputation as a walk machine, while maintaining his defensive form so well in his 2nd year at 1st base, he won a well-deserved Gold Glove with a perfect fielding percentage at the position. Youk's power numbers were decent, but we got a glimpse of what kind of hitter he was going to be in the 2007 postseason, especially in that insane ALCS where he batted .500 with 3 homers, 10 runs and 14 hits against the Indians. His unmatched intensity and grit make him a fan favorite where the fans take each game with the same intensity as a Packer game, while establishing himself hopefully as one of the core pieces of many future Sox championships.

Winner: I love Millar. In fact, I want him to be back on the Sox as a bench player when he decides to go one more go-round, kind of like Ellis Burks in 2004 or Royce Clayton in 2007. However, Youk takes the cake here for his all-around play. Plus, 2007 was the year in which Youk showed that he was going to be a MVP-caliber player and a force to be reckoned with in the American League. ADVANTAGE: 2007

2nd Baseman

Bellhorn: A terror to right field poles everywhere.
(i.a.cnn.net)

2004: Mark Bellhorn (17 HR, 82 RBI, .264 Avg, .373 OBP, .444 SLG)

Oh, Mark Bellhorn! I admit, the first thing I reminisce about is the absurd amount of strikeouts he he tallied (177), chilling an already cool Boston climate. It seemed as if he just picked a spot to swing at and swung there for the whole season, which was as annoying as the Jersey Shore phenomenon is right now. To top it all off, he had that J.D. Drew-cool demeanor that makes Bill Mueller seem like Kevin Youkilis in comparison, even after recording a golden sombrero. He was an average fielding 2nd baseman (11 E in 550 chances) and proved his versatility, playing 13 games at 3rd. However, you can't forget he came through in the clutch. Even after hitting .129 in the postseason prior to Game 6 of the ALCS, he went bonkers by homering in 3 consecutive postseason games, including that 3-run homer in Game 6 of the ALCS that made a gigantic difference in a 4-2 game, and the go-ahead homer of Pesky's Pole in a see-saw Game 1 of the World Series against the Cardinals. All in all, I have no hard feelings for Bellhorn. A ring sort of helps that.

A destroyah hopefully for many years to come.
(media-2.web.britannica.com)

2007: Dustin Pedroia (8 HR, 50 RBI, .317 Avg, .380 OBP, .442 SLG)

In a team with rookies like Dice-K, Ellsbury and Okajima, Pedroia became the most stellar of all the young guns, earning himself the Rookie of the Year. The little guy also came out the gate as a solid Gold Glove candidate, committing only 6 errors in 625 chances. Not bad for a guy who was batting a buck-eighty two in April. What was more impressive than his over-sized swing was his anti-Bellhorn-type contact rate with that swing, striking out only 42 times in 520 ABs. However like Bellhorn, he started off very slow in the postseason with a .154 average in the ALDS. For the rest of the postseason, he batted .319 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 4 doubles and 10 runs scored, including a coming-of-age monster performance in Game 7 of the ALCS and a tag-team performance in the World Series with fellow young Sox star Jacoby Ellsbury that had more than Red Sox Nation talking. Expecting big things from the little guy for many years to come.

Winner: With his overall play and extremely high ceiling, Pedroia gets the win in this matchup. Simply a more powerful presence in the lineup and more range on the field, and you can't argue with a Rookie of the Year who can be counted on when the spotlight shines brightest. Also, his pluckiness and his dirty uniform gain him millions of fans that admire passion from their players. ADVANTAGE: 2007

Shortstop

It was a thrill riding the O-Cab to victory.
(i.cdn.turner.com)

2004: Orlando Cabrera (10 HR, 62 RBI, .264 Avg, .306 OBP, .383 SLG)
Ah yes, Orlando Cabrera, a.k.a, the man that we can consider the 1st man in the revolving door known as the Red Sox shortstop position. You can also consider him the most memorable out of everyone who have been employed between 2nd and 3rd in the past 5 years (in a good way). All this considering Pokey Reese (56 games started) and Nomar Garciaparra (37 games started) could easily qualify has the headliner for the position. But in the end, you can't deny that was Cabrera, who not only added an electric defensive presence (8 E in 233 chances), but also added more complimentary offense to a run-scoring juggernaut (.294 Avg, 6 HR, 31 RBI in 58 games started with Sox) while adding to the swagger and spunk of the team with his multiple collection of quirky hand shakes. He carried his energy into the postseason, where he hit .364 while hitting in 10 straight games. Most importantly, Cabrera went through the 2004 postseason without committing one error. Thanks to Cabrera, all it took was 3 months to make a whole fan base say, "Nomar, who?".

Well, at least Lugo has a ring to it.
(theghostofmoonlightgraham.files.wordpress.com)

2007: Julio Lugo (8 HR, 73 RBI, .237 Avg, .294 OBP, .349 SLG)
Big sighs all around. Coveted for years, the Sox finally roped up who they thought would be their all-franchise shortstop by signing Lugo to a 4 year, $36 million deal. Saying that this deal is a roller coaster is an understatement. The 19 errors in 593 chances wasn't indicative of his range, but more for his arm that had an accuracy of a first-generation machine gun. Then there was the drop he made in Game 7 of the ALCS that almost made me have a stroke right in my college pub, and how he couldn't be that leadoff hitter that we so desperately needed since the departure of Johnny Damon. However, there were ups on this roller coaster ride, evidenced by his hustle on 'The Mother's Day Miracle' game against the Orioles, his leading of the club with 33 swiped bags, and even made some smart defensive plays in the postseason. Plus, 73 runs driven in for a guy who primarily hit 9th has to be noticed. Ultimately, Lugo may go down as one of Theo's biggest busts in his tenure, but getting that ring in '07 added a bit of grace period for this much maligned shortstop.

Winner: Cabrera, bar none. Probably the biggest no-brainer out of all the positions, with a guy who personified the skill of the team as well as its carefree spirit. I need not say more. ADVANTAGE: 2004

Third Baseman

Oh, how I miss Billy Ballgame.
(redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com)

2004: Bill Mueller (12 HR, 57 RBI, .283 Avg, .365 OBP, .446 SLG)
Amongst the talented Mannys, Papis and Pedros, there was nobody I admired more on those Sox teams in the mid-2000's than Billy Mueller. He wasn't the most gifted guy on the team, but with Mueller on the field, you knew you were going to get a smart ballplayer who would give 100% at all times, even if his knees weren't at that percentage. Arthroscopic surgery on his damaged knees would only allow him to play 110 regular season games in 2004, but still maintained a quiet aggressiveness that not only made him the skilled player that he was, but a fan favorite amongst the Fenway Faithful. Mueller's 2004 was down a couple of ticks from the previous year where he earned a batting title and a Silver Slugger, but any year where you can say you got the best of Mariano Rivera twice should be an overall successful campaign. The first blow was in that famous July 24th fight game where Mueller's homer capped a Sox comeback that changed the course of the season, the other a single up the middle that not only tied Game 4 of the ALCS, but changed the course of Sox history. For that, drinks will be on me when Billy Ballgame walks in a bar.

The pose of an MVP.
(sox4life13.mlblogs.com)

2007: Mike Lowell (21 HR, 120 RBI, .324 Avg, .378 OBP, .501 SLG)
2 years removed from hitting .236 in Miami, Lowell racked up arguably his best year in the bigs, backing up the dynamic duo of Manny and Ortiz with an explosive season of his own, while ranking 5th in AL MVP voting. Despite his apparent struggles on defense in 2007 through basic statistical analysis (15 E in 384 chances), Lowell was still considered one of the most defensively sound 3rd baseman in the game, all before his hip went like my '90 Jeep in the next season. He only got better in the postseason, as his .333 average and 8 RBIs in the ALCS was only topped by his all-around play in the World Series against the Rockies, earning him a well-deserved MVP. Not only was he a talented on the field, but he had the respect of his peers, which made him a distinguished leader in the clubhouse. Makes you wonder why the Sox have done everything but buy his bus ticket out of town the last two offseasons by trying to escape the latter years of his 3 year, $36 million dollar deal he earned after 2007, even with his recent hip woes (or why they even bothered to sign him to that kind of deal in the first place).

Winner: Both are personal favorites are mine, which makes choosing this one tough. Both were loved by many in Boston and both were known to be clutch, but you have to go with Lowell, who had an MVP-caliber season along with better health during the season. Gonna dread the day when we finally pull the trigger when Lowell goes out the door, all for an out of shape prospect. ADVANTAGE: 2007

Catcher

Looking like a guy who knew $40 million was on his way.
(multimedia.heraldinteractive.com)

2004: Jason Varitek (18 HR, 73 RBI, .296 Avg, .390 OBP, .482 SLG)
Hard to believe now, but this was where 'Tek was in the midst of his golden years, good enough to be one of the only major Sox free agent out of the Big 4 (Lowe, Pedro, Nomar, Varitek) to receive a deal to stick around past the Rolling Rally parade, while earning that big red 'C' on his jersey. Not only was he a core element to a formidable offense that led the league in runs scored, but he showed immense leadership and a willingness to step it up, shown vividly in that famous confrontation with A-Rod in that late-July pivot game against the Yankees. 'Tek also displayed his continued mastery with a pitching staff mixed with veterans and young arms, committing only 2 errors in 931 chances as the backstop. The future captain had a solid postseason (3 HR, 11 RBI), but will be most noted for all those innings he caught, especially in those marathon games in the ALCS. Ah, those were the days.

'C' is for Champion
(mlb.mlb.com)

2007: Jason Varitek (17 HR, 68 RBI, .255 Avg, .367 OBP, .421 SLG)
This definitely wasn't the 'Tek of old, but his power numbers were surprisingly on line with those from the curse-breaking campaign, which was actually encouraging considering that it was a huge mystery as to how he would recover from an injury-plagued '06 season. The leadership was still admired, especially by staff ace Josh Beckett. Yes he was (and apparently still is) the captain, however, it seemed as if the, "he calls a good game" card was becoming his shield with his overall offensive prowess deteriorating (122 Ks in 435 ABs). Even though it wasn't the dynamic 'Tek of old, I can't help but be nostalgic when thinking about 2007, which could be considered the year before 'Tek completely fell off off the table like a Buchholz curve.

Winner: A decisive victory for '04 'Tek for being one of the best all-around catchers in the game at the time. It was from those glory days that he has carried a rep as one of the most knowledgeable players in baseball, even now as he takes on the role of being Victor Martinez's backup. ADVANTAGE: 2004

Stay tuned for Part 2, Outfielders/DH!!!
(allstondave.tripod.com)

Pigskin Playoff Prognostications: Championship Edition

2010-01-20T21:46:00.003-05:00

The 12th man never looked more intimidating.
(sports.espn.go.com)

Good news, I didn't bomb on last weeks picks (2-2). Bad news, the 2-2 week makes a .500 overall playoff record as possible as Conan O'Brien hosting another show on NBC thanks to the invisible offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys, and San Diego kicker Nate Kaeding's three attempts to do his best Scott Norwood impersonation. Conference championship time is finally here! I'm super stoked for a weekend that has a reputation for producing some of the finest football of the season. However, I'm still slowly recovering from the fact that either the Colts, the Jets or Brett Favre could potentially be hoisting the Lombardi trophy in three weeks. More Favre psycho dances, more Sanchez fist pumps and more reminders that my team didn't have the passion or the talent to make it this far. Pretty damaging thought when I've already seen the Lakers and the Yankees conquer their respective leagues over the past 7 months (slowly making the annual Tomlinson "cranky-face"). On another note, why do the Vikings get the pass when they run up the score on Dallas by scoring with their starting quarterback and tight end with less than 2 minutes to play, while New England got trashed in '07 for running it up with guys named Eckel and Vrabel? I don't believe in the 'running up the score' concept in the pros. Defenses should stop crying because many of them get paid millions to stop whoever is on the field, but the uneven flak that Belichick/Brady got compared to Childress/Favre is a little sketchy to me. Anyhoo, for now, I'm just focusing on what I think will be some quality conference championship games with many wrinkles that are gonna keep me hooked to my 27'' TV all Sunday afternoon. Let's iron out the details as I try to have a pick record that resembling somebody that has a slight idea of what they are talking about (Thanks, Rex Ryan for killing my dreams!). Ahhhhh, that felt good to let out. To the conference championships!

Starting to look like something on Broadway.

(sports.espn.go.com)

(5) New York Jets vs. (1) Indianapolis Colts
I have ate so much crow with these Jets. I'm gasping for air. In fact, crow is probably what the Chargers were choking on last Sunday. With all that said, this match was the match that was supposed to happen, not just because they were the better teams, but the historical significance of this game is hard to ignore. These franchises are part of the reason that we have the NFL of today, for these were the two teams who took part in the "Namath Guarantee Game" in Super Bowl III under the Miami sun. This coming Sunday, it's another confident underdog Jets team who will slug it out against another seasoned Colt powerhouse to earn the right to go to the city where that legendary game was played 41 years ago. I feel as I have not given enough credit to the Jets offense, who not only dominated on the ground, but have been managed quite well by Sanchez, who like Namath in Super Bowl III, doesn't have to throw a touchdown for the Jets to win if the Jets play sound football. Now that I have said all nice things about the Jets (I'm in a tremor over here), here's why the Cots are gonna win. It's hard to believe, but I think it will be the Colts who will have the chip on their shoulder coming into this game. Deep down, I think the Colts are tired of defending their Coach Caldwell over his decision to sit his starters in Week 16 against these Jets that ultimately stunted their undefeated season right in front of their home fans. It's the Colts who have the task to prove the naysayers in the media that the Week 15 siesta will pay dividends and will revitalize them for this one final step to the Super Bowl, and you know what they say about a sleeping giant. Plus, the Jets will have their work cut out for them against an Indy offensive line, who have allowed Manning to get sacked only 12 times in 18 games, including the postseason. In the end, I believe that Peyton Manning will be protected just enough to find one of his many playmakers, and will have the opportunity to add the Lombardi trophy next to his MVP. Don't overreact Jets fans, it's not like I'm happy about it.

Final Score: Colts 20, Jets 16

Didn't know that the Superdome could be a lumberyard.

(sports.espn.go.com)

(2) Minnesota Vikings vs. (1) New Orleans Saints
Looks like Bush brought the wood last week (I'll refrain from an easy joke involving Kim Kardashian.). I mean, that was probably the best I've seen him since his collegiate days in Southern California. Apparently, within that bat was the focus that fans thought he had left at the Los Angeles Coliseum a few years back. If Bush shows up in the Superdome next week with a similar performance (217 total yards), Drew Brees's job will be a bit easier this coming Sunday evening. In order for Minnesota to come out on top, they must rush Brees like they rushed Romo, which will be a little more difficult. I am also concerned about Adrian Peterson, who didn't run that well against a porous Arizona defense (26 carries, 63 yards), and will not only need to have a quality game, but it becomes more crucial that his fumbling problem doesn't rear its ugly head in the big stage. Even though there is no significant advantage in terms of playing surface (both are dome teams), the Vikes are going to have to overcome probably the most powerful home field advantage in this year's playoffs. The Vikings meanwhile play some shaky football on the road, having lost 4 (all 4 of their losses in '09) of their last 5 road games, including a Sunday night stinker against the Bears in late-November. The Super Bowl is near, and you can sense that those golden jesters, jokers and the rest of the New Orleans crazies are going to be rooting hard for their team's first trip to the big game. I'll admit it, I will be channeling my spirit from my living room. Besides, a Vikings-Jets Super Bowl with 1,493 Favre montages will just send me leaping off the Zakim. Look for the Saints to squeak by the Vikings, with some possible late-game magic.

Final Score: Saints 30, Vikings 27

Hooked On Politics

2010-01-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

Apathy setting in. Must be Election Day!
(bulletin.aarp.org)

Apparently, it's D-Day for the decision on who will fill in Kennedy's senate seat. I rarely get all political in life. In fact, this is the first time I've gotten political on this blog. I try to avoid it as much as possible. Politics is just one of those things that kills a genuine social interaction like cyanide-laden punch would kill a company Christmas party. Just ask Elaine after her experience in 'The Couch' episode with the moving man. So I guess you ask, what are my affiliations? I wouldn't consider myself apolitical, because that would just promote the fallacy that I don't believe in anything at all. I do have beliefs, but I don't drive a constant campaign on other people with them. Leave that to the assumed pros. I once considered myself a Republican as a youth, but the whole Evangelical/Bush thing spooked me out of the GOP (now affectionately named, "the NO-P"), plus I was never all that conservative to begin with. Every political test I seem to take indicates my positioning somewhat dead center of the spectrum, with a slight lean towards the Libertarian Party. I'd like to think that I don't get caught up in the hoopla and vote for what's best for not only my country's well being, but for my family (Guess 'The Godfather' taught me well!). So out of all this, who am I voting for? To be frank, I've lost touch with this election with the trash being launched in multiple directions. The recent statewide smear campaign put on by Coakley and the Dems make her lose credibility in my eyes, pulling everything short of, "Scott Brown runs a dog-fighting ring for fun" as a dagger. And this is supposed to be the party that helped run a smooth campaign for Obama, fretting away from the old methods of cheap jabs. However, I can't avoid how the recent campaigning (a.k.a., mud-slinging) of Coakley and Brown has dominated large portions of my Facebook news feed in the past week, for it has highlighted why I am disinterested in this election, in political campaigns and why I rarely get political in the first place.

I get that these elections hold a key in the future policies of our country and that disagreement is vital in the process of political discourse, but enough with the overkill. It just seems as if each person, one way or another, is coaxed into believing that one side is always right, and the other one is cooking up a sabotaging agenda. That's it. No ifs, ands, or buts. So what if my party's plan for the future has glaring holes in it, it's the right way and you're just completely wrong and idiotic, so accept it! Explains why we haven't split (and possible never will) from our bipartisan ways as a nation despite pleas and promises of past presidents, stunting the country's overall growth. Discussions become less political and become more of a personal grudge match. It seems like we defend politicians and their beliefs more fervently than we would our grandmothers honor. Come to think of it, this feels like the only country in the world where a 'your mom' insult is taken as lighthearted joke, where an Obama joke would turn a baby shower into a bar brawl. Disagreeing with somebody on health care reform will elicit about the same contentious reaction as yelling 'sieg heil' in a synagogue. The problem I have with parties is that the partisan passion removes from the individual, a vital cog of what a strong democracy allows us, that of reason. Let's not forget that these are some well-off/loaded people trying to get a promotion. That's right, because being a politician is just like being an accountant, an event planner or an ad man, only we're the ones that are on the board getting the suck-up treatment. Kinda frightening, considering that political office positions should be approached with a mentality of a public service job in order for it to be truly productive. On top of all of that, with all the pensions and benefits provided, politicians are under a security blanket if any their policies should fail, lessening the sting of liability (Sorry if I have busted your bubble of naivety). When voting season comes around, I always hope that people vote based on what is best for the people and they are not simply rooting for Team Elephant or Team Donkey. All I ask is that the next senator doesn't run things so badly that I will be waiting in line for three hours to receive an old, moldy loaf of Wonder bread. So go out and do whatever......and I would be flattered to get a few write-in votes!

Away With The Away Goals Rule

2010-01-18T00:42:00.002-05:00

Yup. Feel your pain, bro.
(static.soccerway.com)

It was pleasant to see Barça break out of their 2010 funk with that 4-0 triumph over the Andalusian Sevilla side, but it does seem a little futile after their exit from the Copa del Rey tourney on Wednesday against the same Sevilla side (a team that they have played 3 times in 11 days) on away goals (2-2, aggregate, but 2-1, advantage Sevilla), ending another shot at sweeping all six titles. Let's face it, the six-peat was a meteoric accomplishment in its rarity, as it's probably something that no other team in the world will be able to acheive for at least another generation, never mind to pull it off in consecutive years. A soccer team has such an exhausting traveling schedule to endure (especially the elite clubs), packing on the air miles to participate in many meaningful games, while adding ink to their passports from about a dozen countries per year (Barça has tallied 8 countries since preseason and will make it 9 next month in Stuttgart in the Champions League). Winning in professional soccer is as much of a battle against your body clock as it is against your opponent, and if your one of those teams who are lucky to get the opportunity to win multiple titles, the fight is even more vicious. At the end of the day, I'm fairly confident that Barça's depth will allow them to win the league again, and will be strong favorites to re-take their Champions League title. What's bittersweet is the system that made Barça the losers of the most recent round at the Copa (Please get out of my head, Barry Manilow!), the absurdity of advancing through away goals.

Wow, maybe the British do have it right.

(pictures.zimbio.com)

Trust me, I can feel the criticisms of me being just a bitter Barça reacting to a tough defeat, and the whispers of "the American doesn't get it" variety are starting to become more audible, but this away goal rule just doesn't make sense. Don't get me wrong, I believe winning on foreign turf is a feat that any professional sports team needs to somewhat excel at to be successful, but should it be valued to the extent of being an important tie-breaker for a tournament? Especially with the hectic schedules of soccer clubs, it is difficult to put up a solid lineup for a game that has more immediate importance than a simple league game. Imagine if they created a baseball series that the team with home-field advantage could actually lose simply because the visiting team happens to whip their pitching a little more than expected on a given night, which brings me to another fundamental aspect. Shouldn't the home team ultimately have the advantage in their stadium, and not the away team? In a sport with the most passionate fans, it seems unfair to completely phase out that advantage by forcing that team's overall play to become more conservative, especially if they are the home team in the 1st fixture, just so they potentially don't lose the whole tourney on a sudden breakaway or two. It destroys the whole competitive nature of a game that could me more enjoyable with both teams going full-bore, evidenced by the 4-goal showing by Barça at Saturday's league game showcase at Camp Nou. My first thought would be to make it a best of 3, with the winner crowned either on whoever obtains the 2nd victory or by aggregate goals. The problem with this solution could be the potential extension of an already draining season, possibly making an already stretched out tournament go even longer. The only way this would work would be to make entry to the Copa del Rey more limited, especially cutting a few entrants in the lower domestic leagues, considering that the winner always ends up being from the Primera anyway. However, the English Premier League may offer a simpler, more feasible solution of a continuation of play in the second fixture when both teams are deadlocked on aggregate. Either method is better than allowing a team to proceed to the next round in such an important competition just because they happen to have a slightly better game away from the confines of their home city. Ultimately, the goal of any sport should be about making the winner visibly stand out from the loser. So hopefully in the future, the away goal rule will eventually go the proper way and hit the road.

Help For Haiti

2010-01-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

"A kind and compassionate act is often its own reward."
- William John Bennett

As you probably know already, the country of Haiti was hit with a massive earthquake Tuesday evening outside Port-au-Prince, affecting approximately 3 million inhabitants. This has impacted millions, causing severe structural damage and has left many of the citizenry without power. However, there are many places to go to if you want to donate to help the Haitian people in this time of crisis. Your donations (however little) will go a long way in providing substantial relief and recovery to those in distress. If you don't know where to go, here are a few links that can help you help those currently in need of assistance. To those who happen to have loved ones over in Haiti, I wish safety for each and every one of them.

- Chuck

American Red Cross

AmeriCares

Habitat for Humanity

Unicef

Pigskin Playoff Prognostications: Part 2

2010-01-14T11:06:00.006-05:00

Gisele? Where?
(sports.espn.go.com)

That was just crushing, humiliating, devastating, and I'm not even talking about the Pats yet. I'm talking about the goose egg I laid on my playoff picks last week, which has me having second thoughts on any future Vegas trips. I mean who else predicted that a rookie QB would perform better than a QB who is considered 'elite' (Carson Palmer, who I think is completely overrated.)? Who would have thought a Philly team would be outplayed in the first round by a coach who hadn't won a playoff game in his career? Most significantly, who would have thought that a Raven team would beat a Patriot team so badly with a QB who had a passer rating of 10, prompting to me to tweet, "Never seen a game end so early" within 20 minutes of start time? It was a wacky Wild Card weekend, which like the Angel sweep on the Sox 3 months ago, was a shock, but not totally surprising in the grand scheme of things. The loss makes it the 7th consecutive playoff loss by the 4 major New England professional sports teams (Sox, Celts, Bruins, Pats) dating back to mid-May of 2009. Most importantly, the loss really exposed that this Patriots team needs to be rebuilt, 'This Old House' style. Regardless, I think the mystique that the Pats garnered throughout the past decade is running on its last drop. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit concerned about the future. Bill Belichick still may know more about football in his big toe than we will all ever know, but he will be 58 next year, an age where many are thinking about sailboat relaxation and Florida skies (Just ask my step dad.). I kind of of wonder what truly motivates him to keep doing the early morning film sessions after all that he has accomplished. Also, Brady and Moss aren't spring chickens, Welker will be gone for most of next year and the team may be on the verge of letting go of Wilfork, who is the last member with a mixture of leadership and talent we have on defense. I'm not saying that we are not fired from the playoff-contention company, but it's fair to say that we are going to be demoted to middle management, a juggernaut no longer. Well, that's off my chest. Now let's go and try to improve my stinker of a performance from last week!

The Cardinal = The Official Bird of the Bowl?
(espn.go.com)

(4) Arizona Cardinals vs. (1) New Orleans Saints

I'm sensing another one of those arena football-type games. It's as good a guess as any, for it's probably the most schizophrenic matchup in the Divisional Round. Even without Anquan Boldin and the rumors of a farewell tour in the air, Kurt Warner was able to toss another playoff gem, going 29/33 with 5 TDs in a 51-45 OT gun show. It was another performance that has me considering Warner's place in NFL history as one of the greats. Can't argue with 2 NFL MVPs and 3 Super Bowl appearances, while being the motor with these playoff teams that were once considered laughing stocks. With all that said however, I don't see the D helping him out in the Superdome this weekend. Beanie Wells has to be that one for the Cardinals to go that extra mile if they are to triumph, considering that the Saints run defense has been non-existent over the past month. That however, maybe asking a lot, as Arizona is placing expectations on a guy who ran 100 yards in a game only once this year, and against Detroit. Saying that New Orleans was rusty at the end of the season was an understatement. In fact, the way they torched the Pats on that Monday nighter might have been the worst thing to happen to them, for it masked many of their inconsistencies on both ends of the ball that made them a much weaker team than advertised. However, the Swiss cheese defense of Arizona (allowed 403 yards in the air against GB last week) plus the extra week of rest could be the WD-40 for the Saints and their late season corrosion, a team that scored 30 or more points in 9 games this year but have only mustered 44 in the last 3 contests. In the end of it all, I'm expecting a Cajun flavor to be added to the NFC Championship game.

Final Score: Saints 38, Cardinals 27

The pressure is truly on for 'The Mississippi Waffle'.
(examiner.com)

(3) Dallas Cowboys vs. (2) Minnesota Vikings

Nothing like a dominant performance against a divisional rival to get that 13-year old playoff monkey off your back. The Cowboys have emerged from the downtrodden chokers' list to the trendy pick to be the team cruisin' to Miami next month. This version of the 'Boys seem much more at ease with the expectations that seemed to have crush them in previous campaigns. Tony Romo has been no exception, completing almost 67% of his passes in the 4 game streak while leading a well-balanced offensive attack. Like the Saints, the Vikings could benefit from a bye-week as they have short circuited down the stretch a bit. The intermission will especially help their 40-year old QB (errrr) re-juice for the final stretch after some recent late-season meltdowns. Going on a 'trendy' limb by going with the Cowboys, simply because everyone on that offense is contributing from Austin to third down back Tashard Choice, which will make them a tough team to size up consistently throughout the game. Plus, if Wade Phillips will have any coaching advantage laid out for him, it's definitely on the defensive side of the ball where he will hopefully create a game plan to have the 'Waffle' scrambling (31 points allowed in last 4 games). I'm predicting Stars and Saints to duke it out for the senior conference.

Final Score: Cowboys 28, Vikings 20

Lights out for the Sanchize?

(faniq.com)

(5) New York Jets vs. (2) San Diego Chargers
It's lookin' like the Jets are emerging as this year's belle of the ball, looking to see if the slipper fits in Miami. Rex Ryan is on an all-time high with his 24-14 road victory against the Bengals with a performance that eerily validated his bold statements he previously made, while pulling a semi-Kanye and calling out the Defensive Player of the Year voters for not picking his cornerback stud Darrelle Revis. But unlike the Bengals, this Charger team is no paper tiger. Winners of 11 straight, the Bolts are riding the hot hand of Phillip Rivers, who is overlooked when it comes to the best quarterbacks in the league (28 TDs, 9 INTs). The Chargers have carried out a solid game in the air even while possessing one of the worst running games in the league. The running defense is the weak link for the Chargers however, which may fall right into Shonn Greene's arms. However, the Chargers have been known to be that team to win the battle in the trenches against the Jets in recent history, and I'm still not liking the Jets chances if the game comes down to the Sanchize. As good as Revis is, he can only cover ONE guy, and I think the Chargers will be able to balance their offensive attack just enough to swing by the top defense in the NFL. It won't be easy, but I'm predicting the lights to be going out on New York's playoff hopes in SoCal on Sunday.

Final Score: Chargers 24, Jets 16

Apparently, blinking doesn't top his priorities.
(scoresreport.com)

(6) Baltimore Ravens vs. (1) Indianapolis Colts

It'd be interesting to get into the minds of those old-timers in Baltimore who remember their beloved team getting hijacked and brought to the city that they are playing in this playoff matchup. However, I can tell honestly you that was the furthest thing on their minds last weekend when they flattened Brady and the Patriots, making them arguably the trendy Super Bowl pick in the AFC, and rightfully so. If Ray Rice keeps running like he has, the receivers hold onto footballs and if the defense keeps their cool late in games, this team could be unbeatable. They go up against a Colts team that has had their priorities questioned with their self-halting of their quest for an undefeated season in front of their fans, while permitting Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark to achieve personal milestones the following week. The fact that they are 0-3 after playoff byes since the '99 season also doesn't bode well for them historically. But the Colts only possess a 4-time MVP in Peyton Manning, who is known for dissecting even the best defenses, and should pick up on the weak secondary of the Ravens more effectively than Brady did. Plus, I'm sensing that the Colts defense knows the Rice/McGahee combo will get some significant carries, especially with Joe Flacco carrying a nagging hip injury with him. And if hexes from cities that steal your team even matter in this context, Baltimore is 0-4 in Indy. Look for the Colts to squash recent criticism with a stellar performance on Saturday night. I'm feeling it's gonna be Colts-Bolts for the AFC title!

Final Score: Colts 30, Ravens 20

Before I Peace: Let's Talk About The Past!

(nbcsportsmedia2.msnbc.com)

Finally, oh finally! Embattled slugger Mark McGwire has come out to the media and admitted his steroid use, an admission which in my opinion was as surprising as the current late night shake-up on NBC. My feelings are still a little hazy on his admission. For example, how am I supposed to believe that you took steroids only for health issues and that you think it didn't help your numbers in any way? I'm very well aware that the highly difficult skill of hitting a baseball is largely hand-eye. You have to understand Big Mac, that your artificial bandaging in itself did contribute to you getting a huge bulk of those 583 homers. Plus, a toothpick like me knows that the 'roids not only help you heal, but can make strained effort easier to manage. Why do you think you saw all the needles in the gym in the first place? It's hard for me to believe that a fairly articulate guy like McGwire was that naive. With all that said, I do praise him for coming clean and he did seem contrite in his admission, especially in that Bob Costas interview on Monday. His admission was more of an apology (closer to Pettitte) compared to the the statements of A-Rod, Clemens, Ortiz, Sosa and Palmeiro, which felt like a competition of who could insult the public's intelligence the most. You could tell he was carrying the disappointment of thousands for his wrongdoing and I even understood his reasoning for his non-descript testimony in front of Congress in 2005. If you say that you wouldn't have said the words that would give you protection from prosecution by the federal government, you are simply just lying to yourself. Maybe the aftermath of this admission will facilitate an ingenuous response from players like Bonds and Sosa as to the whats and whys of their PED use. Hopefully, McGwire's confession can become another step in achieving an honest dialogue that can only help the game move on from this performance enhancing plague. Granted, his admission may not have been pristine, but better late than never. Baby steps, people!

May Our Thoughts Be With Haiti

(news.yahoo.com)

Please send out a big prayer to those in Haiti, who are suffering the after-effects of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. If you can, provide support to those you know who may have been affected by this disaster and/or donate anything you can to any relief effort or charitable organization. Haiti will sure have a huge spot in my heart and in my mind for many days to come.

Pigskin Playoff Prognostications: Part 1

2010-01-08T23:41:00.001-05:00

Grey Goose must also be one of his favorites.
(ravensgab.com)

Playoffs? Playoffs?! Well, they are finally here, with apologies to Steelers fans across the country, who feel as twisted up right now as one of Wes Welker's ligaments. Probably one of the oddest Wild Card rounds in recent memory in the fact that 3 out of the 4 matchups are basically re-runs of Week 17 games. However, there is nothing wrong with a playoff lineup that could potentially bring a Colts-Pats rematch, or providing a Favre-Packers Part III, which could theoretically decide the ultimate fate of the 30th state of the union depending on the result. I don't know if it's coincidental, but it is around this display of postseason testosterone is when I usually get motivated into implementing a workout/marathon-type training regimen, all so that I can show everyone to the gun show, or in this case, the Wizards' locker room (Too harsh?). Anyhoo, I think it's about that time to start picking some gems!

Something tells me this won't happen again. Ever.
(espn.go.com)

(6) Philadelphia Eagles vs. (3) Dallas Cowboys
Hmmm, maybe the end of the world is coming after all. The Cowboys closed off the year winning the last 3 games, including the finale against this week's playoff opponent, 24 to zippo. It's hard to even fathom, but Romo might be making that transition into one of the elite, coming off a season in which he threw a career low 9 picks. After beating the Eagles twice and snagging the NFC East crown with an offense that had the 2nd most yards per game while allowing the 2nd least points per game, Dallas maybe the better team in this matchup. With all that said, I don't expect the Eagles to play as atrociously as they did in Week 17. It is my firm belief that this game will go down to the the coaches, Wade Phillips and Andy Reid. Both are prone for one of those random blackout decisions during games, but Reid is 7-0 in playoff openers, and has notched an appearance in 5 NFC Championship games. Wade Phillips not only has the black hole of zero playoff wins hanging over him, but he has lost painfully in crunch-time in his postseason career, topped off with the 'Romo Botched Hold Game' along with the 'The Music City Miracle'. Apparently, it's also a big deal that the proud Cowboy franchise have not won a playoff game since the Clinton administration, pre-Lewinsky (Whoah! Now that's a long time!). I'm expecting more of a grind-it-out to the end game like the 1st matchup this season between the two NFC East rivals, but I'm expecting Wade will ultimately spoil the festivities in the new house at Dallas. Coaches, get your resumes sharpened!

Final Score: Eagles 37, Cowboys 31

Somebody's gonna step out of a big shadow soon.

(espn.go.com)

(5) Green Bay Packers vs. (4) Arizona Cardinals
I dont know about you but this feels like one of those games that is ripe for Aaron Rodgers to have that national breakout game, especially with CB Rodgers Cromartie hurt on a defense that is mediocre overall. Interesting to note that Green Bay is 3rd in PPG in the regular season. Granted, it was on a considerably weak schedule, but they have won 7 of their last 8, winning against teams with credentials like Dallas, Baltimore and Arizona and were seconds from victory against the Steelers on the road. In fact, the Packers have a better road record (5-3) than the Cardinals do at home (4-4). The Rodgers-Cromartie injury isn't exactly the end-all, but WR Anquan Boldin is a potential prominent casualty on the other side of the ball, putting all the pressure on Larry Fitzgerald and his nicked-up knee to carry the show. I know that Arizona has the experienced QB and the capacity to pull off a victory. Last year's magical Super Bowl run just can't be ignored, for it shows that Arizona can go gangbusters and just steamroll opposing teams. However, I think the Cardinals are ultimately just too beat up to fight off what the Packers are going to bring to them on Sunday. Look for a well-balanced offensive attack to wear down the Cardinals as the Packers mark up a date with their highly-publicized ex.

Final Score: Packers 33, Cardinals, 21

The Sanchize giving his playoff over-under.
(media.nj.com)

(5) New York Jets vs. (4) Cincinnati Bengals
Going with the under. But c'mon! You have to join me in giving a pat on my own back by picking the Jets to not only be 9-7 this year, but to be the surprise playoff team to come out of the AFC when I made my AFC East predictions in training camp. With all that said, I think is going to end badly for the J-E-T-S. I also think that Rex Ryan is on whatever Mariah Carey was on at the People's Choice Awards for picking the Jets as favorites for the ENTIRE playoffs. I give major cred to the defense, who are #1 in yards allowed and points allowed during the regular season. But do you trust a team being led by a rookie QB on the road who has almost double the INTs (20) as he does TDs (12)? Do you think that the Bengals truly played their A-game on Week 17? Would you trust a team that recently beat the scrubs of meaningful teams like Indy and Cincy while only scoring 7 at home in a loss against Atlanta? Didn't think so. I'll be the 1st guy that tells you that defense wins championships in the NFL, but the league has evolved into a passing-dominant league over the last couple years, making a solid QB more important than ever. The Jets just don't have the QB to carry the team over the top, not with this year's version of Sanchez anyway. Just like the Angels with Adenhart, the Bengals possess angelic motivation not only with late WR Chris Henry, but also with the passing of the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer this past season. With a Palmer/Ochocinco combo along with a not to shabby defense to go along with the emotion, I just don't see the Bengals rolling over at home to a rookie QB.

Final Score: Bengals 24, Jets 13

Might need that ball on Sunday, Mark.
(thepigskindoctors.com)

(6) Baltimore Ravens vs. (3) New England Patriots

Ahh yes, the game that has my friendships in the Baltimore area on hold until Monday morning,....or maybe beyond! Captivating matchup in Foxboro, pitting a matchup of two teams that are high on potential, but also have glaring deficiencies that could send either one of these teams to their plasma screens for next Sunday's games. Hard to imagine that the Patriots are gonna be a little light by bringing the talented twosome of Moss and Brady (and his 2, 3 maybe 4 broken ribs) to the gridiron, but it's true. The debilitating knee injury acquired by Welker against the Texans seriously stunted an offense that not only loses their presence in the slot, but may expose our bumpy rash know as our inconsistent running game. With the questionable health of Wilfork and our lack of pressure on the D-line, I'm having nightmares of Ray Rice burning the turf. But let's not forget that the Ravens have had the case of the brickhands, which have cost them some big games, including a regular season classic in Foxboro on Week 4. And forget a pistol, the Ravens shoot bazooka rounds on their feet in many instances with their knack for being flagged for big penalties in the big moments of every big game. In the end, the Pats will eek this one out by exposing the Ravens' suspect secondary personnel who are not named Ed Reed. Important for victory though, is somebody other than Edelman to step up (Fred Taylor, Ben Watson) on the offensive side of the ball, considering the Ravens are most likely going to double team Moss all day (Why does this sound so wrong?). In the end, The Patriots are going to show why they were the only AFC team to be undefeated at home in this past campaign, and then it's gonna get ugly.

Final Score: Patriots 27, Ravens 24

GO PATRIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before I Peace: The Hawk Has Landed In The Hall

(sonsofsamhorn.net)

Big congrats to Mr. Andre Dawson, the 33rd Hall of Famer to have ever played for the Boston Red Sox. Was hopin' that you would have company this year, but nobody can predict the joke known as the BBWAA Hall vote. But I give them credit that they knew that you (like Jim Ed last year) were one of the best all-around players in your era who also did it the right way (allegedly). May you soar into baseball immortality!

Everything On Ice

2010-01-05T17:18:00.001-05:00

Now that's a familiar Fenway sight!
(news.wbru.com)

Happy 2010, folks! Great to kick off the year on ice, so to speak, with a true Winter Classic in Boston. It was a classic all the way down to those mobster hats that Claude Julien and the rest of the Bruins' coaching staff were wearing. After trailing for most of the contest, it was former Flyer Mark Recchi who deflected the puck into the net with just over two minutes left in the game to knot up the score. The completion of the rally was simply inevitable as Marco Sturm ignited the Fenway-on-ice Faithful with his goal 2 minutes into overtime, making the Bruins the 1st home team to win the annual event. It was all too fitting that the Bruins rallied after a Fenway of rendition of 'Sweet Caroline' sung by 38,000 Fenway fans. Nothing like a Fenway miracle to keep my mind off the lack of zeroes in my bank account, which has me pondering a possible venture into the military. As much as I don't want to move out of of these friendly, familiar surroundings, the avenues are dwindling along with my bank statistics, leaving me with very few options. Don't worry, my aim isn't to be on the front line in Yemen, as there are many other career options that the military branches provide such as public relations and media. But it seems as if the connection well is drying out, making me wonder whether my credentials, as is, fall short of what the corporate world desires. A stint serving the country could be a resume booster and so much more. Plus, it is real tempting to pay of my entire college loan with the signing bonus alone, while giving a travel-freak like me more vacation time than any company would give me on entry level! These are perplexing times, ladies and gents, and they only get more confusing with this recent Sox signing.

Ummmm, kinda not the Adrian I had in mind.
(totalprosports.com)

I recently ran into a few reports that suggests that Adrian Beltre and the Sox have reached an agreement that is a steal ($9 million for 1 year, player option for $5 million in 2011), especially knowing that Boras was representing the player on the other side of the mahogany desk. Well, I guess Mike Lowell is going to be gone after all, and the Casey Kotchman era is over before it had the ability to gain any steam. It's been common knowledge that the Sox have leaned more on the defense/pitching angle this offseason, and that Adrian Beltre fit the whole schematic very well. However, I'm scared for a couple of good reasons, and yes, some of the issue involves the lack of sticks. With the departure of Bay to that canyon of a ballpark in Queens, we have lost considerable power in our lineup, and Beltre is a question mark at best. It's hard to convince me that possibly going over value for a player who can be considered decent all-around was a better option than giving up a few prospects that might be good in a couple of years for another Adrian who can bring your team security with both his glove and his bat. Sure, Beltre came from the ever-spacious Safeco Field up in the Northwest, but he only hit 8 homers in 111 games last year, making me not only question whether he can be productive, but also if he is gonna be healthy (he is going to be 31 on Apr. 7th). Especially for an organization that values OBP (check J.D. Drew's gigantic contract) and not paying the luxury tax, this particular signing is even more befuddling the more I think about it (.325 career OBP? Yikes!). Apparently, UZR is the new money-making stat that agents will base their client's life stories on when they battle at the negotiating table. Sadly, the members of the Adrian Gonzalez camp, like myself, may have to close up shop considering we now have enough 1st/3rd baseman on our team than we can get rid of, as well as San Diego GM Hoyer's recent comments of how his star slugger is not on the block (for now). So unless a big injury happens to one of the corner infielders around the trade deadline, it looks like the more-desired Adrian will not be wearing Red Sox in 2010 (feeling a slight salty discharge coming out of my eyes), and thus the Beltre signing virtually takes us out of the pursuit to get that bat that will ultimately put us on a level playing field with the big, bad Yanks. After all, we didn't sign Beltre for $9 million just so he can help warm the bench with Big Papi. I see where the Sox organization is going with this run prevention thing, but I remember that it didn't end all too beautifully when we pursued that very strategy the last time out. The only thing that gives me comfort is that we have a deeper pitching staff this year than we had in that dreadful 2006 season, which was anchored by a declining Schilling, a Wakefield that was starting to break, and a Beckett who wasn't quite ready for the American League at that point. I'm sure Casey Kotchman is a nice guy and a solid player, but you have to admit the Beltre/Youk combo surely provides less question marks than Youk/Kotchman. I'm not asking for his monster 2004 season, but if he produces close to a clip like he did in 2008 (26 HR, 99 RBIs, .801 OPS), I will feel less compelled to lump this signing in the Edgar Renteria section of the wall of shame. With all indicators on Beltre's defensive performance, this signing should be far from that. It's important to keep within my offseason optimism, where I believe the master plan will work, well....., until J.D. Drew hits .180 in April. Besides, I should give any guy a chance that had an injury like this in his life (Moment of silence pause for all the men.) As much as I think a Welker-less Pats team can pull off at least one playoff game, nothing gets me more pumped than green grass and the cracking of ash wood. Only 44 days till pitchers and catchers report!

Mochaman's Fantasy Football Report
- Boston Beersquad - 10-3 (1st, Plax's Got a Gun, 1st in Division 2, 1574.30 Pts.) (Final Position: 2nd)
If you are a Patriots fan and refer to anything comparing to Super Bowl XX, it's usually never a good thing. Rough end for a team that survived a lot to be the #1 seed, but I would be naive to think that the Maroney/Bell running back tandem was going to win me a championship (2.2 points in the final, COMBINED!). However, I went so far thanks to the Warner/Fitz combo along with arguably the pick of the year in Vernon Davis (14th rounder). Ran into the most dominant #6 seed ever, who deservedly won the title with a dominant playoff run. And to think this was my favorite team to win my 1st fantasy football championship, but.....

- Killa' Beavaz - 9-5 (2nd, Yahoo Public 179914, 1409.78 Pts.) (Final Position: 1st)
WOOHOO! The wait is finally over! Have to thank Chris Johnson's dominance and Larry Fitz for not falling into the Madden Curse and becoming a huge contributor. McNabb, can't forget that you finally came through with that big game! It's also special when you defeat the #1 team in getting the big prize. It might be the change in success from previous years, but I'm starting to like this fantasy football thing! Can't rest on my laurels now, as baseball drafts are creeping around the corner. May 2010 grant me more trophies and bragging rights! Now who wants some bubbly?

Waiting For Resolutions

2009-12-31T18:56:00.002-05:00

It's getting closer..........
(media.mlive.com)

2010 is just around the bend, and it can't get here any quicker! No doubt, 2009 came with plenty of good times, but the year sort of dragged out too long, kinda like every TV show made between 2002-2009. With the new year comes new hopes that the 3rd shift at FedEx won't be my mode of employment for the rest of my life, wondering if my college degree has as much value as a stack of Confederate money. Maybe the full moon over the sky will be a catalyst to a change of luck, or another inspiration for someone else to make another romantic vampire movie. Thinking of things to change for the new year was a little difficult. Contrary from what you hear, I am far from perfect, yet I don't fall into the resolution-making crowd. I'm actually looking to GAIN weight, I don't smoke anything but the occasional stogie, the drinking has gone down exponentially since the college years and I don't watch enough TV to get rid of guilty pleasures to save precious time (does VH1 Tough Love count? Feelin' a little ashamed now.). Looking back at the old year, there were a few things that I learned and that I'm sure to apply heading into the tens and teens (another hard decade to name coming up). Here's to the vital and the trivial that I'm going to take with me into the next year, and maybe my pointers will help a few others in their quest for time-based enlightenment. Don't worry folks, there is nothing about gyms or dropping cheeseburgers in here!

1. Diversify my weekend adventures.
Oh, my everlasting desire to make this world so much smaller! There are so many locations that I would love to visit that are a short flight away. Miami, San Fran, Montreal and Toronto top the short list now. I'm also not ruling out a sun-soaked Christmas on the beaches of Hawaii, but that's only a figment of fantasy at this point. When you just finished shoveling your driveway, trust me, your mind can gain some serious frequent flyer miles. Visiting a few ballparks and stadiums on the main 48 is a more realistic possibility that could work out. Either way, I'm hoping that 2010 can be the potential year of the check mark when it comes to travel spots.

2. Get back into the exercising game.
Hey now, people! I didn't say gyms! I'll admit it, I'm the last person who looks at the nutrition facts when chowing on anything. I barely have any idea how many calories anything is, or why trans fat has become such a big deal. But with a few heart attack scares in my family recently, I feel compelled to make a few changes in my body management. It is not as drastic as the dietary promises other people make when the year changes, but it doesn't hurt to become a little more health conscious as I pack on the years. Besides, getting back into marathon shape isn't exactly the worst idea in the world. In fact, I ended up having all the time in the world in 2009 to train and run in a marathon, but couldn't keep a regimen that lasted longer than a few weeks. I'm thinking a little bit of an endorphin rush will probably give me the motivation to tackle the other challenges I want to conquer in the future. Now where did I put my running shoes?

3. Trying not to be afraid to ask for help.
Must be a man trait. Whether it's directions to the restaurant or putting together the most massive entertainment system ever, we have the penchant of going our own way without the interruption of assistance. I guess it's our own masochistic way of flaunting our independence to the world, and in many situations, I'm no different. Hell, I even question my GPS's directions. I admit, asking for assistance for me is balancing on the line of begging. For example, I have been reluctant to venture into nightlife lately because I don't want to have to be that guy that asks to skip a round. It's just not in me. I just don't like that feeling of not being able to handle my own situation, but then again who doesn't? That brings me to the arduous process known as my personal job hunt. This job search has really got me reaching out in directions I never even thought of venturing in, but it's the only way to advance. Sometimes you have to show a little vulnerability before others will step in. If you let the world think everything is okay, people will naturally back off. As long as you don't present yourself as a scummy individual, or you are Bernie Madoff, there are people out there that are more than willing to heed the call to put you on the right track. In the end, your calls for help are doing a favor for everyone because it fulfills the personal and philanthropic needs of everybody involved. Anybody hiring?

4. Letting myself make the money and not letting the money make me.
Probably the key phrase for me in the new decade. This past year I fell for shallow opportunities that I either wasn't prepared for or simply just didn't fit my true interests, and all for a quick buck. There were a couple projects I embarked on that I thought I was being entrepreneurial when in the end, I placed myself in a position where I was extremely dependent on other people I didn't exactly trust to guide me to success. I found out the hard way in 2009 that in order for me to be successful, I have to be passionate in what I am doing and also to feel as if I'm making a difference. When money becomes your sole motivator, your expectations become distorted, which can severely hinder your final results. By letting the money control me, I ended up basically getting implicitly what I asked for: To get screwed. I had inadvertently became more dependent in my pursuit to become independent. After being jobless for almost a whole year, I have vowed to myself that somehow, someway, that I will not go through this situation again. The feeling of telling people about your unemployment at social gatherings and feeling like a burden at every night outing because of your lack of cash flow doesn't get any cozier. Of course, a grown-up job is the first step to my economic recovery, but I realize that even a job in this crazy modern world doesn't bring you all the security. Not with recessions and people looting from your 401Ks and pensions to boost their Ponzi schemes. Something tells me that this next decade is going to be a little more entrepreneurial, and now I have wisdom as my booster fuel.

5. Become more firm in giving out/taking rejection.
In order to become more entrepreneurial, I have to take to this mantra. One amazing thing I learned in the '09 is that the human mind is more powerful than we give it credit for. You can talk yourself into ANYTHING being a good idea. For example, I would have never thought in my life that I would have been pitching gutter estimates door-to-door in sub zero temperatures. Granted, with the economy and all, I was so ecstatic at the time that I got something almost immediately after my lay-off and jumped at the first thing that had a pulse to it, but I didn't have to subject myself to any of those unnecessary hardships. A lot of my problems last year were based on me thinking I was helping out/doing favors for other people. In the end, YOU, and only YOU, are responsible for your success and nobody else. Don't get me wrong, I think teamwork is an essential part of any project and I probably wouldn't start a business unless I was teamed up with a dedicated partner, but only YOU know your desires and goals of YOUR OWN life. Don't be afraid to be bold and say no to something that threatens your personal integrity or sanity. You must also not be afraid when someone discards you or your vision of the world. Hey, they're 6 billion people on this earth, so I guarantee that at least a few people are on the same page as you. Chances are if you work hard enough in what you are passionate about, opportunity is always around the corner. You may hurt some feelings (even your own) in the short term, but at least your bank account and your mental health will ultimately be preserved in the long run when destiny finally falls in your lap.

Things I'm looking forward to in the New Year.
- FIFA World Cup 2010.
- Hopefully another Eurotrip.
- 2010 Red Sox season. (Duh!)
- Moving into my own abode.
- Getting that job that somewhat correlates with my degree.
- Working on actually gaining those 10 solid pounds of muscle.
- Bringing Cloud 10 to the mainstream.
- Random adventures in random places across the country.

........and hopefully a whole lot more!

Wishing all of you the best in 2010. Happy New Year, ladies and gents!

A Cloud 10 Christmas Conclusion

2009-12-25T02:07:00.000-05:00

All I think of is two words: Massive cleanup!
(static.panoramio.com)

It's that time of year again where oxygen comes at a premium at the local mall and when the parking lots have a potential to become a bumper car arena. A shopping excursion can seem like a life-and-death situation, even if I'm just there to purchase for a Dunkin' Donuts gift card. It is about the time before Thanksgiving when the arrival of the holidays feel like that slap in the face you know is coming. However as Christmas becomes more and more of a commercial event as I get older, I can't be a grinch and let the cold and the calamity ruin the essence of what this holiday should be. As much I complain about the snow, it is the most appropriate backdrop to this time of year, making me not mind so much the everlasting chill on my toes come late December. Plus, it doesn't hurt to hope that a red Dodge Viper is magically waiting for me in the driveway when I wake up tomorrow morning. It's gonna happen one day, I know it! Just the guessing of what's under the heavily-designed wrapping paper is something that unearths that personal feeling from my days as a youth who just finished watching a few episodes of Tom & Jerry, waiting for his parents to wake up so he can open those very gifts. As I get older, I realize it's just that simple. Since I was 18, my Christmases have been tree-less, which could be perceived as sad removal from the celebration, but then I think of the cleanup on the 26th. But Christmas to me is more the spirit of the day, the collection of the nostalgia of fond memories from yesteryear to adulthood that still make you highlight that 25th day on that last month on your Outlook. It also never hurts to have a looping holiday jingle in your head, which for some reason will stay embedded in your head till the ice melts in mid-March (Current earworm: Wonderful Christmas Time, Paul McCartney). In the midst of all the modern craziness, it is those hopes and images that keep the holiday spirit alive. So now that I proved that I'm not a complete Scrooge, Merry Christmas to everybody, and stay safe!

Happy Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus to ALL!