The Big Draft News

So the big draft news for the Patriots was kind of tangentially related to the draft: we traded Ellis Hobbs (corner) to the Philadelphia Eagles for 2 5th-round picks. I was sufficiently surprised that I ran to my computer as soon as I saw the info on ESPN yesterday. We currently have about 382 corners between the draft and off-season trades, so I guess they have other plans (and as you may recall, last year we needed corners). Let's hope that some combination will work out and I can retire that tag.

Things I didn't think I would say during the baseball season

'That Wakefield is having one great start to his season.'

Seriously, guy is on fire. Tonight against Cleveland he pitched 7 innings and allowed no runs. When did this happen?

'Delcarmen has turned into a reliable middle reliever.'

Also surprising. He is pitching right now and so far looking just fine.

It's all good, don't get me wrong. Just surprising.

Crazed Yankees vs. Red Sox series

So Friday night turned out to be one of those nail-biting extra inning games, which Youkilis won in the bottom of the 11th with a walk-off homer. Phew! Oh, and Papelbon did show up (and didn't do so well, but at least allowed no runs. Phew!).

Yesterday the Yankees had a 6-0 lead which they then blew, losing the game 16-11. There was a grand slam. It was insanity. Fabulous game, even if it was very, very long.

One game remains in the series tonight at 8pm. Then we are back to boring.

Oh, and my new concept, Yankeeerwerbungschadenfreude, is being presented in its full glory this season. The term roughly means, 'taking joy in the failure of expensive acquisitions by the Yankees.' See, for instance, Teixiera in Friday night's game.

Montreal eliminated. Yay.

The agony has ended, Montreal went down in four straight.

Yeah, it happened days ago, but that's how much I cared in the end.

Next year. They have to win next year. But there's a lot of work to be done between that point and this.

Jets make potentially assy move, get new QB

So after the disaster that was Brett Favre this year, the Jets have decided to try a new tactic: instead of creating an overpriced team of old guys, they're going to draft a team of new guys. To whit: yesterday they traded away 2 players, 2 draft picks, and maybe even a couple of kitchen sinks to get the Cleveland Browns' pick, thus assuring themselves of snatching Mark Sanchez of USC.

Will it work? Who knows.

However, as Dan Wetzel points out, 'Sanchez may be popular, but that doesn’t get you past the Patriots.'

Also, it's not too often that a QB comes in straight from the draft and succeeds (Matt Ryan with Atlanta being the exception this past season and of course Tom Brady, but he was never intended as the starter). So, as usual, good luck with all that, Jets.

Anyone know where Papelbon is?

It's the top of the ninth, Yankees are leading 4-2, and Javier Lopez just loaded the bases with walks and hitting people with pitches.

And he's still in there pitching.

Here I was, thinking we had a middle bullpen. Wrong.

Update: so we made it through the inning thanks to a double play at home plate and Cabrera popping out via foul ball. In other words: thank you, Jason Varitek.

Red Sox may have momentum

I stress the 'may.' Because if they do have momentum, then it's a 1-game win streak momentum interrupted by a day off.

However, on Wednesday they faced the As and Wakefield almost had a no-hitter. That is a seriously unexpected development. Tonight they face the Orioles with Brad Penny pitching. Baltimore, unlike us, is red hot so far this season, so let's hope that there is some slight momentum, no matter how slight.