Today was a fun day to be a sports writer

First off, T.O. missed his flight to Cincinnati so that he could start at Bengals' training camp.  But the fun didn't end there.  We also learned that T.O. attended a movie last night (via Twitter) and that he can't spell 'Cincinnati' yet.  I personally wonder if he mastered 'Buffalo' last season.

Then, Miguel Batista, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, insulted Miss Iowa.  Hilarity ensued.  I especially like the comments on this story, but not nearly as much as I like the Photoshopped picture (above) that accompanied it.

And then there was today

I decided to spend the afternoon partaking leisurely in watching the Red Sox game.  My plan was going perfectly well right up until the 7th inning, when Bard took the mound.  At that point, the Sox were up 2-1.

My question at that very second was, 'Why Bard?  Isn't he more of an 8th inning kind of guy?'  He did just fine in the 7th and they brought him out for one batter in the 8th.  Said batter got a hit.  Bard was done.

Then they brought in Okajima.

Now, it might have been okay if Okajima had had an off-day.  But this was more of an off-day.  This was an off-day when he couldn't even pick up a bunt and throw someone out at first.  Youkilis got so jumpy that he was running across the entire diamond trying to get plays in case Okajima missed them (including one that Okajima blew because he cut Youk off).  Youk will get hurt if he keeps doing this and that we do not need.

Okajima gave up three runs in the 8th and the Mariners went on to win 4-2.

Good grief, Charlie Brown.  It was a pretty sad effort.

Time to bring out the 'Red Sox Annual Collapse' label.  And I was so optimistic yesterday!

Saturday Afternoon Thoughts

(Note: I did a run this morning in 95% humidity with a 78F dew point.  So my brain is maybe not operating so well right now).

I have two thoughts on this lovely -- albeit hot -- Saturday afternoon:

1) Despite the fact that I love Robert Kraft and everything that he has done to create what is undoubtedly the best football team I will ever see in my lifetime, I am not agreeing with the lack of signing Tom Brady.  Now, I don't want to say that TB is the linchpin that holds the Patriots together, but I don't want to say that because it is, in fact, an understatement.  There are three things that made the Patriots team of the decade:

•  Bill Belichick and various other coaching genii around him (although then they leave and become much less genius-like)
• A strong, solid defense (or else you'd just be the Colts and fizzle out year after year)
• Tom Freaking Brady (see: Brett Favre in numerous pressure chokes, Tony Romo, etc...)

Now, I know that Cassel did not play shamefully when he was put on the spot, but he was still no Tom, as the games against equivalent/better teams showed (see: Pittsburgh [it still makes me wince]).  There is no other Tom in the entire game and may never be.  So sign him!  Now!  Do it!

I had mostly been ignoring this story on the grounds that it was probably another fruitless media hunt against the Patriots ('Belichick neglects to say 'Bless You' to woman sneezing in restaurant'-type material).  But more and more is surfacing to show that he is not happy.  Now I will continue to be in happy denial.  Pass that Foxborough Kool-Aid.

2) I like the Red Sox's chances.

Yes, really.

You never thought that you would read that here, did you?

Now, it has been a trying season.  In fact, that's an understatement.  This has been one of those seasons where you actually start to see why Red Sox fans mention the Tobin Bridge so often as a jumping point.  Remember when Papelbon blew two saves in a row?  Or when we came back against the Yankees, then lost it in the bottom of the ninth (due to A-Rod no less)?  Or when Bard came in against Cleveland and was a disaster zone?  Or the countless injuries that we've had to endure (Buchholz pulls his hammy running the bases)?  Or Bill Hall at the start of the season?  Or Papi being on-again-off-again?  Or....or....or....  The list goes on and on and on and on.

But, one thing we did see after the hideous start is that this is, in fact, one of the best teams in baseball.  Run prevention-schmrum prevention.  They can hit, pitch, and even have dramatic moments from guys just called up from Triple A (Daniel Nava, Darnell McDonald).  And they did have one of the best records in baseball through May-June.  Here is my logic: if we get people back off the DL (Pedroia, Martinez, and the pitchers, who are getting off the DL), then we could make a run for it.

Conversely, the Yankees and Rays will probably slump.  So we just need to time this for when they are.  I feel like the Yankees are evil mutant robots who never tire or get injured in a big way, so I'm thinking it might be the Rays.  Either way, I -- of all people -- have not given up hope.  So neither should you.

The post-mortem

Literally. One of the fans has written an obituary for our former, beloved Hab.

The only possible bright spot right now is the fact that while we may have lost our 'Habs Romance,' you can fit 'Carey Price' right into 'Poker Face' with zero difficulty:

Ca-ca-ca-ca-rey Price
Ca-ca-ca-rey Price.

Halak traded! HUH?

Where were you December 2, 1995?

Don't remember?

I remember it well. I was at Peel Pub, in downtown Montreal, watching mes Canadiens get shellacked by the Detroit Red Wings. The final score was 11-2. Newly appointed Mario 'Bluet bionique' Tremblay was behind the bench. Patrick Roy allowed nine goals and was finally pulled. When he came back to the bench, words were exchanged. It was clear that he was angry. The next day, what I feared most happened: my hero, my favorite hockey player since a young age, the guy who occupied an entire portion of my bedroom wall, was traded.

To the Colorado Avalanche.

Which used to be the Canadiens' arch-rival and nemesis, the Quebec Nordique.*

(It could have been worse. If they had traded him to Toronto, I probably would have cried for a decade).

Now, I don't want to pretend like June 17, 2010 will be seared into my memory in quite the same way, but I cannot believe that mes Canadiens just traded yet another goalie: Jaroslav Halak.

What? <-- you may be asking yourself. 'But he had such a great theme song.' But we're losing more than just an amusing Lady Gaga cover in this trade.

Commentary believes that perhaps he priced himself (ha!) out of the Canadiens' range, that we acquired potentially good players, and other speculation. I think that all of it is hooey. This guy just got the team through two very difficult rounds of the playoffs. You keep that guy. Carey Price on the other hand, has done basically bupkis apart from not living up to his potential. I didn't see much emergent potential last season from him. One theory is that Price gets traded too. Great. So then we have an unknown in net.

Has hockey really reached a point where you trade one of the most valuable players from your recent playoff run for two potentials? That's awful. Bad locker room karma. Mind you, I shouldn't be surprised seeing as how this franchise could also not keep one of its most dedicated and valuable players, Saku Koivu, in what may have been the last year of his career.

Oh, and in case you want to make some comparison with the Patriots cleaning house last year: I don't see these situations as parallel. The Pats had issues, primarily on the D, and they attempted to solve them. Halak, on the other hand, is likely at the top of his game -- or at least he was in that playoff run. You've just traded away a real asset on your team.

Current mood: severely unhappy.

*In a kind of James Bond, the villain always loses way, because they pretty much sucked and Montreal was pretty much awesome.

Welcome to Boston, Daniel Nava

The Red Sox called up another outfielder today with Hermida going on the DL for collision with Beltre. The running count is Beltre 2, outfielders 0, if you are keeping score (Ellsbury being the other victim). This prospect was promising since he'd been doing pretty well in Pawtucket. But let's just say that Nava has out D-Macked D-Mac. He got up to the plate, on the very very first pitch of his very very first MLB game, and hit a freaking grand slam.

I like him already. Just keep him away from Beltre!

Dice-K decided moments before the game that he had an arm sprain and couldn't pitch. Atchison is in. Really. The good news is that we currently have a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the second. And it's against the Phillies. Run prevention may not be our thing, but at least run scoring is. What was the other run, you might ask? That was J.D. Drew. Heh.

Ugh

Now, the Red Sox bullpen is somewhat decimated right now, but I have to say that we need to rethink what is happening here. Remember Boof Bonser? Yeah. He had his first game last night and let's just say it was not impressive. The game was against Cleveland, we were down 3-0 in the 8th. Bonser failed to get any outs after four batters, was taken out and replaced by Nelson, we gave up a grand slam, and God only knows what else. When the carnage was over, Sox were down 11-0. That's right. Our bullpen gave up 8 runs.

Ugh.

Our bullpen has not been the strong point this year by a long shot.

Good people:
Manny Delcarmen (but he was recently pulled with a possible injury)
Daniel Bard
Jonathan Papelbon (who is on leave for family reasons)

Bad people:
Everyone else that has been involved in this revolving door bullpen.

Now thinking back to last season, the Yankees had a horrid bullpen (minus, of course, Rivera), and managed to get it together. So here's hoping.

Incidentally, Justin Masterson had a great game yesterday for the Indians. Much credit needs to go to him for the shut out -- he pitched the entire game.

Also, I heard rumors that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. It's June 10 and finally hockey is over.