I want to ride my bicycle.

How can you not miss this. Manny gets scratched from the Dodgers lineup with wait for it Sox fans... "Tight Hamstrings" and then this video. Say what you want, but this guy is a piece of work. Love it. Have fun Dodger faithful, have fun.

Manny being Manny! All that is missing is the Benny Hill theme

Papelbon Cures Cancer

I'll admit I'm a Manny' ac. I loved the signing in 2001, his years of dominance, and even the laughable antics. But, judging from Papelbon's latest comments. Looks like it was time for Manny to go. You know when a guy as fiery and competitive as Pap's goes on the record to call Manny, the greatest hitter the Sox have had since Yaz, a cancer you can bet there were a few issues. I always thought some of the antics Manny pulled were blown up by the media. I knew he was just one of those guys like "Space Man" Bill Lee who just marches to the beat of a different drum. As long as he was hitting I could stand the clown routine as a fan. I never knew it was bothering his teammates to this extent though in the clubhouse. In a way it is ironic to see the Sox change from the 2004 team to the current team. Maybe they were all idiots in 2004 and could handle Manny's behavior and lack of respect for the game and the image of the team. It is definitely a different atmosphere in Fenway these days. Papelbon, Pedroia, Youk, and the rest of the team have a "strictly business" mentality. The don't mess around and winning as a team is the mantra. Manny just doesn't fit into the new vibe and that's OK, I guess. But, as a fan wouldn't it be more fun to see Manny play out his days in a Sox uniform. After all he's done for us this is the way it all ends. Don't get me wrong I'm not defending his childish behavior or the shots he took at the fans and the team, simply being nostalgic about the best hitter I've seen in my lifetime.

By the way I love that Pap's in the new voice of the team...

"... And for him not to be on the same page as the rest of the team was a killer, man! It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that’s exactly what was happening. Once we saw that, we weren’t afraid to get rid of him. It’s like cancer. That’s what he was. Cancer. He had to go. It sucked, but that was the only scenario that was going to work. That was it for us. And after, you could feel it in the air in the clubhouse. We got Jason Bay — Johnny Ballgame, plays the game right, plays through broken knees, runs out every ground ball — and it was like a breath of fresh air, man! Awesome! No question." -- Jonathan Papelbon goes off on LA Ram

What do you mean Larry Bird wasn't Black?

Interesting tid-bits from this article , from Seth Davis' book, about Billy Packer, CBS, and Larry Bird from the legendary 1979 NCAA March Madness.

This story is legendary! Figures "Big Shot" Bobby Heaton is on one of the sickest stories (there are millions more) about Bird you'd ever hear. If you'll excuse me I have to go vomit in my waste basket...

"One of reasons college basketball fans were drawn to the compelling 1979 national championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State was the diverging opinion NBC-TV broadcasters Al McGuire and Billy Packer had about Indiana State.
In his new book, "When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball," author Seth Davis chronicles the differences McGuire and Packer had about the No. 1 worthiness of the Sycamores.
"Packer spent much of the season casting doubt as to whether Indiana State was really as perfect as its record indicated," Davis writes.
In February of that season, when No. 1 Notre Dame lost to No. 3 UCLA, Jim Simpson asked his partners for that game, McGuire and Packer, if No. 2 Indiana State deserved to move to the top spot.
McGuire said yes; Packer said no.
"I knew Al didn't know a player on Indiana State except Larry Bird, and he had never seen them play," Packer tells Davis. "I said, how can you make that statement? Who have they played? How can they be number one?"
So unpopular was Packer in Terre Haute, Ind., that NBC decided not to send him to Indiana State's last home game, against Wichita State. McGuire and Simpson handled it. Indiana State won, 109-84, and viewers finally got to see Bird play.
Up to this point, Davis writes, many people thought Bird was black.
"All the next week I got lots of calls from my friends back in Denver who saw the game," said Bob Heaton, Bird's roommate and teammate. "They couldn't believe Larry Bird was a white guy."
Packer warmed to Bird and Indiana State when he called two of their games in successive weeks.
"He was slow and couldn't jump, but I saw the son of a gun can really pass, and he's tough and nasty," Packer said."

Lebron may just make me like him

Check out the silent but violent gas cloud Lebron drops on Anderson Verajo. Bron Bron you better stop this being funny stuff you just might make me a fan...

Cassel's Made of Sand

In the wake of the Matt Cassel/ Mike Vrabel to Pioli and the K.C. Chiefs many Pats fans are wondering why the Pats would make such a lopsided trade for a 2nd round pick. There was also a rumored deal that would have sent Cassel to the Broncos for a potential first round from the Bucs in a three way deal that has Jay Cutler wondering WTF.

What people are underestimating is that the Pats want to make a move in this free agent market. Moving a big contract like Vrabel's gives them the space to make more free agent signings. It also made the recent signings of James Sanders, FredEx, Chris Baker, and Russ Hochstein all possible with a higher level of cap money to spend. While some think Cassel was worth alot more, he may have been, but the market didn't play out the way fan's expectations would have. The Lions reportedly offered the their second round, 33rd pick and other than the Bucs/Broncos three-way nothing was going to benefit the Pats fiscally better than the offer Pioli made. Freeing up the cap space Cassel and Vrabel's contracts would have taken up ultimately was on the Pats front office and Belichick's minds. Don't forget the 2009 expiring contracts Vince Wilfork's contract is up after this season as well as Dick Seymor, and even Logan Mankins all high-value positions in the Pat's system. Some have said Seymor may be expendable after this year with the possibility of Julius Pepper's trade. As we know Belichick's teams are built on strong line play on both sides of the ball.

As for the loss of Vrabs...We've seen indispensable veteran linebackers go away before i.e. Willie McGinest and that worked out no matter how hard it was to see Willie go out that door. Is it a blow to the team leadership? Yes. Vrabel has been heralded as a great anchor on the team in time of need and we have all seen him have big games, but his football life is nearing its end and as we all know the Pats know when to let em go before they lose it. Look on the bright side...Now the Pats have three of the top 50 picks in a linebacker heavy draft. This draft will be like an all you can eat buffet for Belichick who covets linebackers that can play the 3-4 tech. Just look at Jerod Mayo or Gary Guyton for an example of the Pats getting younger at linebacker. The return from injuries of Adalius Thomas and Shawn Crable will help too. After last season the linebackers are the least of our worries on defense.

So in looking at this trade be realistic this is exactly what the Pats do. They make smart fiscal decisions regarding their personnel and never get caught up in others opinions of their talent. While Cassel did have a great year for first year QB it was with an experienced offense that had broken every major record in the previous season. Also take a look at the Pats schedule last year it wasn't exactly as tough as say the Steelers 2008 schedule. While Cassel will no doubt be a serviceable QB he's not going to get you a number one straight up. If you want to cry over it then you obviously haven't been a fan of the way the Pats do business and you shouldn't be surprised either. When it comes down to it the Pats were not going to take the gamble that Cassel would bring in a higher pick that would cost them more when they had what they wanted a value-pick in the middle of the first and second round of the draft. Come on this is right in Belichick's wheel house and you didn't expect him to jump on it. Clear up cap and get another blue chip it's a no brainer, just business as usual in Foxboro. Another day another Dollar!

Spring Training "HULK UP!"

Red Sox spring training games make me want to Hulk up. The regular season makes me want to Hulk up like the little Hulkamaniac at the 2:40 mark! Fight for what's Right. Fight for you're Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhhhht!


Tell me that doesn't tear you up or give you goose bumps...Liar!

Sox Pitching = > Scary

Just thinking about the Sox depth at pitching especially the middle relief (Manny, Okajima, Masterson, Saito, Lopez, Ramirez, and Paps! Lights OUT!) is SCARY. Add to that the starting rotation is looking deeper than any other team in the league with a solid Beckett, Lester, Dice K, Smoltz/ Penny, Wakefield, and throw in the possible return of Bucholz. It just gets even more sickening. What is it that they say again "good Pitching always beats good Hitting" = wins in the playoffs to me.

Hearing about the injury bugs that plagued the Sox rotation is also scary. Remember game 6 of the ALCS last year. The game where Beckett a.k.a. "BALLS" gutted out 5 innings, 4 hits, and 2 runs know all of THIS is scary. Guy was pitching with a dinged up wing and still found a way to get it done. Add to that he's still thinking about how poorly he pitched down the stretch last year. Add in that John Lester took over the "ACE" roll from September on looming just over Balls shoulder. You think Beckett might be motivated in '09?

How dominant will he be this year with an actual training regiment besides his 2008 spring training 12 oz. curl, KFC, and ring ding routine. A motivated Josh Beckett is a dangerous Josh Beckett. Remember this is the guy Tim McCarver once said had "The Guts of a Burglar!" Well the AL East and the rest of the league better watch out because 2007 Beckett is what you'll see this year. After reading Bradford's piece it sounds like Balls has found himself and finally taken on an ACE mentality. The same mentality Pedro, Schilling, and any other Hall Of Fame pitcher has needed. It is that edge that we hoped to see in Balls last year coming off a dominant '07 performance. He never fully established it, but hopefully 2009 is the year he adds the wisdom of a seasoned veteran to his already Ballsy swagger.

While the hope is he won't just take his talent for granted any longer. I think he finally gets it. From what it sounds like he has figured out that he can't assume his talent will out weigh his effort. He has come in to camp dedicated and in shape and that's all you can ask for. Expectations of the Nation however will be another story. Can Beckett return to form? In my opinion Yes!

The rumors of Tommy's demise have been greatly exagerated.

Pats fans can feel damn comfortable hearing this from Tommy :

Asked if he was able to move and put torque into a throw at this point, Brady said:

“Yeah. You wouldn’t know that I had surgery if you watched me.”

He then joked that his biggest problems are on the golf course.

“I can’t putt the ball,” he cracked.

- Mike Reiss boston.com

As for the rest of the NFL fans out there don't get your hopes up about that knee never being able to hold weight again. Bernard Pollard you may have just given Tommy the motivation he's been seeking since his last ring in 2005! Can't wait for week one.

Preach on Papi

David Ortiz is not impressed with the lack of discipline the Commissioner and the MLB have failed to swiftly dole out, and with good reason. While the steroid talk won't vanish from the front pages hopefully those players who are clean can lead the way out of the mess MLB has on its hands. Get ready for more names to be dropped as well. The incessant rambling about these guys use and who did and who didn't will cloud the game for some time. As far as throwing out records did they throw out the numbers of guys who have used amphetamines or worse in the past?

As a fan, I for one am ready to get it over with and look forward to a cleaner generation of baseball. Did these guys cheat? Yes, but let's not act like this is something that every major sport has been guilty of. Why do people only take offense that it is baseball? Because so much is judged by the numbers shouldn't be the only reason. If you didn't know McGwire, Bonds, or Sosa were using you're a fool I was a teen and my friends and I knew plain as day. Did it change the fact that it was fun to watch those guys hit moon shots? No! Did it set a wrong example for future generations? Yes, but it is going to teach the next generations of athletes the consequences. In 10-20 years the proof will be when all these sports legends start dropping like flies and that will be the certain outcome. To believe the players are the only ones responsible is naive. The Player's Union, Owners, MLB, and the Commissioner are all to blame for letting this slide for so long without taking a stand. The fans are not innocent in this either. Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself if you wouldn't take something that would make you perform better, work less, and make you more money at your JOB if the majority of your co-workers were. As far as those who haven't come clean take a cue from A-Rod...The Truth Will Set You Free.