Author: fasted86

Briefly. 

In case you missed it, Julian Edelman received his college degree from Kent State University last Saturday. Good for him! 

Trivia #1: On Sunday, Rafael Devers became just the second Red Sox player since 1908 to record three straight three-hit games at the age of 22 or younger. Who is the other?

Trivia #2: Chris Sale became the second pitcher ever to put together back-to-back outings of at least 14 K’s and no walks. Who is the other? 

Chris Sale’s 17 K’s on Tuesday night are a record for any pitcher who never went more than seven innings. 

A hot goalie will take you far. A well-deserved rest coming up for the boys. 

You know when you try to lean forward in your car/truck but the seatbelt locks up? And then you lean back to reset it and try to lean forward but it locks again? I HATE that! 

Michael Chavis now has seven homeruns and has hit the 5 longest homeruns of the season for the Sox. He is 23. 

Less than half of the first period of Tuesday night’s Bruins/Hurricanes game was played 5-on-5. 

Remember back in the day, NFL players could trap the puck between their skates along the boards and get a faceoff? Imagine if back then they could battle like they do now, with no whistle? There would be a fight every 2 minutes! 

New machines being tested by Amazon can pack up boxes at a rate of 600 to 700 per hour, or four to five times faster than human workers. Rolling out the machines to additional warehouses could add up to more than 1,300 job cuts at U.S. fulfillment centers. 

Kawhi Leonard’s walk-off shot falling in the corner was truly one of the greatest NBA finishes I’ve seen. 

Only in minor league baseball do you see a headline like: “Yard Goats mow down Sea Dogs” 

Jamie Collins, welcome back! 

People ask my all the time (not really), what is Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice-K) up to? Dice-K is still sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered when a fan pulled on his pitching arm. He was recently disciplined by his team (the Seibu Lions) for playing golf on his scheduled practice day. 

Somehow, “Crafty” Bob Kraft is going to get off. Then what does the NFL do?? 

Quote of the week: “I hope I don’t get a lot of grief from fans.” – John Daly who rode in a cart during yesterday’s PGA Championship because of knee problems. Ya John, right! 

R.I.P. Doris Day (97) – The article I saw read “the beautiful blonde whose sunny screen presence and silken voice guaranteed box-office and record-chart hits in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.” Apparently she has kept a low profile for years devoting most of her time to her charitable organization “The Doris Day Animal Foundation.”

R.I.P. Robert Maxwell (98) – Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for selflessly throwing himself on an exploding German hand grenade – saving the lives of a battalion commander and several other soldiers in World War II. The oldest living recipient of the nation’s highest military honor, Maxwell was also awarded two Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars and a Bronze Star while serving as a communications specialist with the 7^thRegiment, 3^rd Infantry Division. 

Trivia #1 answer: On Sunday Rafael Devers became just the second Red Sox player since 1908 to record three straight three-hit games at the age of 22 or younger. Who is the other? Xander Bogaerts in 2014.

Trivia #2 answer: Chris Sale became the second pitcher ever to put together back-to-back outings of at least 14 K’s and no walks. Who is the other? Dwight Gooden (Mets) in 1984 as a rookie. 

“The middle of the road is trying to find me
I’m standing in the middle of life with my plans behind me
Well I got a smile for everyone I meet
As long as you don’t try dragging my bay
Or dropping a bomb on my street”

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: When was the last time a team from Canada won the Stanley Cup and which team was it?

Trivia #2: What is the highest education level you need to become a NASA astronaut? – None, High school diploma, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, Ph.D. ? 

OK, I admit I was a little tough on David Pastrnak last week. However, in my defense, he has been having tremendous difficulty controlling the puck lately, at least twice last night right in front of the net.

In the Massachusetts specialty license plate race for sports teams, it’s a landslide. Red Sox plates are at 43,620; Patriots – 28,295; Bruins – 15,861 and the poor Celtics – 4,808. Other plates beating the Celtics right now – CAPE COD plates, MSPCA, and WHALE plates. Ouch. 

Pablo Sandoval (remember him, former Sox bust) recently became just the second player since 1900 with a homerun, stolen base and one scoreless inning pitched in a single game. Christy Mathewson also accomplished the feat although he pitched nine scoreless innings! 

Counter-poaching, you’re doing it wrong. A 22-year old British soldier of the 1^st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was on patrol Sunday in Malawi on a counter-poaching operation when he was killed by an elephant. 

I do think the Sox have righted the ship. Funny in that Devers can’t make a play in the field but has been one of their most consistent hitters, and JBJ can’t hit to save his life but is still one of the greatest fielding outfielders in the game. If you haven’t seen his catch from Wednesday night, google it up.

Again, as a public service, I believe that the best site for googling information iswww.google.com. 

I understand some of the Red Sox players went to the White House yesterday. Whatever. 

In useless information, May is ‘Disability Insurance Awareness Month.’ 

In pertinent information, May is ‘Military Appreciation Month.’ 

Also in May – Duluth, Minnesota experienced its single snowiest day in May since 1902 – 8.3”. In the lower Mississippi Valley, central Gulf Coast and the Tennessee Valley, it may only take 1 to 2 inches to trigger flooding across the region. When combining rainfall from earlier this week, 16 inches is possible across southern Texas, portions of Louisiana moving northeastward. There is some freaky weather all around out there! 

As for the Celtics, huh? 

I’ve made this comment before but in reference to what Chris Sale did on Wednesday night. That is, he pitched an “immaculate inning” (three strikeouts on 9 pitches). As I’ve said before, I would think an “immaculate inning” for a pitcher is two weak groundouts and an infield pop-up… on three pitches. 

R.I.P. Peter Mayhew (74) – Otherwise known as Chewbacca. DYK: He was actually 7’3” tall? 

Trivia #1 answer: When was the last time a team from Canada won the Stanley Cup and which team was it? – The Montreal Canadians in 1993.

Trivia #2 answer: What is the highest education level you need to become a NASA astronaut? – None, High school diploma, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, Ph.D. ? – Bachelor’s degree 

“Into this house were born
Into this world we’re thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out on loan
Riders on the storm”

Briefly.

With a light rain on Tuesday, this past April just went down as the wettest April in local history with 21 days of measurable rain. May hasn’t started much better. 

Trivia #1: Where is Chateau Marmont and what is it significance?

Trivia #2: For you Celtics historians. “Havlicek stole the ball!” – who inbounded it?

Trivia #3: What does MVR mean?

Trivia #4: Ya, going with four today: What do the television show Gilligan’s Island and the cartoon show Mr. Magoo have in common?

Comedian Frank Caliendo, known for his impersonations, did just that impersonating Ian Rapoport, Adam Schefter and Raiders’ coach Jon Gruden in separate calls to Arizona GM Steve Keim just hours before Keim made the number one pick on the NFL draft. Keim admitted he really thought he was getting legitimate trade offers. (Man, he’s got a better sense of humor than me because I would have been pissed!) 

For you locals, be careful not to take for granted the fact that our baseball team won the World Series last fall, our football just won the Super Bowl and we are watching our hockey and basketball teams in the playoffs. Imagine if we lived in Cleveland! 

Go figure. It was the Red Sox who won to avoid Black Tuesday in New England sports this past week. Prior to Tuesday, it had been 3,280 days (May 7, 2010) since the Bruins and Celtics both lost a playoff game on the same day. 

I drank a carton of milk yesterday and David Pastrnak’s picture was on it. 

In disturbing news, “13 Reasons Why”, a show about a teen girl’s suicide, first aired on March 31, 2017. The following month, suicides among children age 10 to 17 was the highest in 19 years, with an estimated 195 more suicides in the nine months after the show aired than in the same period in preceding years. 

Red SOX CEO Sam Kennedy confirmed that the Red Sox are in talks to bring a college bowl game to Fenway Park. 

I shouldn’t even put this out there because some of you might follow suit, but… 88-year old billionaire Warren Buffet typically consumes five cans of Coca-Cola per day, eats McDonald’s chicken nuggets at least three times per week and loves Dairy Queen ice cream for dessert. As for salt? Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf once said “When the food comes, Warren grabs a salt shaker in his left hand and one in his right, and it’s a snowstorm.”

I want to grow my own food but can’t find any bacon seeds. 

Trivia #3 hint: It has to do with professional baseball. 

I’m not interested if you stood with the great. I’m interested if you sat with the broken. 

Trivia #1 answer: Where is Chateau Marmont and what is it significance? Chateau Marmont is in L.A. and John Belushi lived, partied and later died there in 1982.

Trivia #2 answer: For you Celtic historians. “Havlicek stole the ball!” – who inbounded it? – Philadelphia’s Hal Greer

Trivia #3: What does MVR mean? – Mound Visits Remaining

Trivia #4: What do the television show Gilligan’s Island and the cartoon show Mr. Magoo have in common? Jim Backus played Thurston Howell III on Gilligan’s Island and was the voice of Mr. Magoo. 

“Every time I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn

Isn’t that the way
Everybody’s got their dues in life to pay”

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: When was the last time no QB was taken in round one of the NFL draft? 2007, 2001, 1996, 1988, 1971?

Trivia #2: Who was the last kicker selected in round one and what team picked him? Same question for the last punter select in round one? 

Apparently Nashville is a popular destination for bachelorette parties. There are some brides and bridesmaids who are upset that several bars in Nashville are shut down due to the NFL draft, which started last night. I feel bad for the grooms. 

The Giants took a Duke QB at #6. ‘Nuf said. 

Some dude gave the Pats a C+ with their pick of N’Keal Harry. So what?! (My wife and I were going to name our second child “N’Keal” but at the last minute settled on Michael) 

The best thing about the Pats taking a WR at #32 is that no one, the experts, barstool geniuses and others who just knew what they were going to do, were wrong. 

I was going to go to the gym but couldn’t find my membership card. A replacement card costs $10. A coffee and donut costs $3. Guess who saved $7! 

This may be a little old news but… did you hear Gronk’s response to denting the Lombardi Trophy while using it as a bat at Fenway? “Oopsies” 

Police say three suspects broke into a medical facility on Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, last Saturday and fled with 18 colonoscopes – devices used for examining the health of patients’ colons. Now what?!?!?! (Frankly, I wish they had broken into the facility I was in on Wednesday…) 

Last Friday night the Red Sox’ Matt Barnes threw out a runner at first after striking him out. You don’t see that every day. Kinda like my one-putt for a nine last night. You don’t see that every day. 

The truth comes out. Other than Twitter rants I read about, I had heard/read nothing about “the head.” What head? The guy who’s head took up two thirds of the screen during the end of the frantic third period of Sunday’s Bruins/Maple Leafs game. NBC, which broadcast the game for U.S. viewers, came out yesterday and said that technical difficulties forced the network to switch to a replacement camera during the third period. If you were watching I think you’ll agree it was as humorous as it was frustrating. 

Cameron Platt, now 25 and former valedictorian at Princeton U, just got engaged to her 71-year old former professor at the school. I’d say she had stayed after school a few times for a little “extra help.” 

I’ve stated in the past that I like Dennis Eckersley as a color commenter for the Sox. He has some great phrases/references. He did however, stump me on Wednesday when the leadoff batter for Detroit bounced out to Bogaerts. It was an easy play and Eck said; “that’s major kitchen.” What the heck, Eck, does that mean?! 

Guys, put the seat down! The ex-boyfriend of a 37-year old Pittsburgh woman was wanted by police and had been hiding in her house for about two weeks, unbeknownst to her. Her first clue that someone was in her house was that the toilet seat was left up. DOH! 

The National Cyber Security Center teamed with Troy Hunt, an Australian cybersecurity expert to determine the most common hacked passwords. “123456” was identified 23 million times in worldwide breaches. Really? That’s like locking the door to your house and leaving the key on the doorstep. Also listed were “password”, “111111” and “qwerty”. Dudes!

There’s a fine line between a batter drawing a walk and a pitcher who can’t find the plate. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: The New York Yankees have decided to no longer run Kate Smith’s version of “God Bless America” during their seventh-inning stretch because of Smith’s affiliation with songs that carried racist lyrics.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse, part deux: The Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliot got a massive tattoo of himself, taking up nearly all of the outside of his calf. 

R.I.P. John “Hondo” Havlicek (79) – Celtic fans may sound bias when speaking of how great he was but he is also known as one of the top 50 players in the NBA, all time. ‘Nuf said. 

Trivia #1 answer: When was the last time no QB was taken in round one of the NFL draft? 2007, 2001, 1996, 1988, 1971? – 1996 (Tony Banks was taken with the 12^th pick in the 2^ndround by the Rams)

Trivia #2: Who was the last kicker selected in round one and what team picked him? Same question for the last punter select in round one? – Sebastian Janikowski (Raiders) and the punter was Ray Guy (Raiders) 

“Oh, what a night
Why’d it take so long to see the light
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right
What a lady, what a night”

Briefly. 

On this day in 1775 the Battle of Lexington was fought marking the beginning of the American Revolution. 

Tiger Woods. Seventeen months ago he was ranked 1,999 in the world golf rankings. 

Trivia #1: In inches, how big is the diameter of a regulation size basketball hoop?

Trivia #2: The Borg-Warner Trophy is awarded to the winner of which race? York Marathon, Kentucky Derby, Indianapolis 500, Iditarod, Chicago Marathon

Trivia #3: What number lies between 5 and 9 on a British dart board? 

Jim Nantz, like him or not, has done it all in terms of commentary and play-by-play, all sports. He called last week’s Masters the best event he’s ever covered. 

You know what might be fun? A Ryan Brasier imitation contest. 

I’m actually beginning to think about possibly being mildly concerned about the Red Sox. 

Speaking of the Red Sox, the Bruins/Maple Leafs series is a good one! Tune in tonight. 

And it’s not just the big league club. Last night the Salem Red Sox lost 2-1 to the Frederick Keys on a walk-off wild pitch. 

Quote of the week: “You could hear the roars and you can definitely tell the difference between a roar for me and a roar for Tiger.” – Dustin Johnson

Quote for the week: “Gee, Dad. It’s hard to walk good when your underwear’s on backwards.” – Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver 

According to Statcast, the Blue Jays Rowdy Tellez hit a  505 foot homerun at Fenway on Thursday, April 11. That would have been the longest homerun ever hit at Fenway however, the Red Sox were quick to point out that it fell short of the red seat in right field which marks Ted Williams 502 ft shot in 1946. No beating Ted’s shot! 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A meteorologist in Atlanta said she received death threats from viewers for interrupting the Masters tournament. She was giving tornado updates in relationship to the severe weather moving through the area. The broadcast was said to have taken up only half the screen. 

Duke guard R.J. Barrett won the Jerry West award as the best shooting guard in the country at the College Basketball Awards last week. While presenting the award they showed highlights of Barrett. There were five highlights in total of which three were dunks. I thought they said “shooting award?” 

Trivia #1 answer: In inches, how big is the diameter of a basketball hoop? – 18 inches

Trivia #2 answer: The Borg-Warner Trophy is awarded to the winner of which race? York Marathon, Kentucky Derby, Indianapolis 500, Iditarod, Chicago Marathon – Indianapolis 500

Trivia #3 answer: What number lies between 5 and 9 on a British dart board? – 12 

R.I.P. – Rudy (8) – my buddy’s Cocker Spaniel, Poodle mix 

“Is she really going out with him?
Is she really gonna take him home tonight?
Is she really going out with him?
Cause if my eyes don’t deceive me
There’s something going wrong around here… round here”

Briefly. 

No one is going to convince me that the three pointer is a good thing. It’s like a fantasy sport reward. A basket is a basket. What’s next: 9 points for a touchdown run of over 20 yards; 2 points for a goal on a shot from outside the blue line; 2 runs for a homerun of more than 425 feet?? Come on! 

Trivia #1: On March 6, 1951 Charlie Brown appeared in his first baseball game. The perennial loser, who served as the team’s pitcher and manager, usually fielded the same lineup. Match the player to his/her position. Lucy, Snoopy, Linus, Schroeder, Shermy, Pig-pen, Violet, Patty

Trivia #2: Since 1980, how many first round leaders have gone on to win the Masters? 

Good luck to the UMass Minutemen in the finals of the Frozen Four tomorrow night.

Headline of the week: “Scientists reveal first-ever photo of black hole.” – You can’t make this stuff up. (BTW, the image of the black hole was captured from 55 million light years away (one light year is equal to 6 trillion miles) in galaxy Messier 87.

There is a fine line between science and bullsh*t. 

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles, is now 0 for his last 53 (61 total plate appearances) dating back to last September. BTW, Wednesday’s crowd of 6,585 at Camden Yards was the lowest ever paid attendance in the ballpark. 

Now I’m not a big Astros fan but any team that sweeps the Yankees (for the first time in franchise history), I’ll shout ‘em out. 

Not only did the Alliance of American Football (AAF) fold last week but members of one of the teams, the Memphis Express, were kicked out of their hotel rooms and found their belongings in the lobby, some of them as much as 17 hours away from home. Additionally, players with injuries won’t be compensated for any lingering medical or rehabilitation costs. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A Houston Astros fan is suing the team for more than $1M after her finger was shattered by a T-shirt fired from a T-shirt cannon by their mascot, Orbit. 

On Wednesday night, the 5^th inning for the Mets (vs the Twinkies) went like this: single, walk, walk, base running blunder, walk, hit batsman, walk, walk, walk, 2-run single on their way to a 9-6 win. Seven straight reached base without the benefit of a hit or an error. 

What can I say? I just love the Stones. Fred, Wilma… 

You’re in luck! John Henry has cut the list price of his Florida mansion from $25M to just $15M. The 6.3 acre, lake front estate is located in Le Lac, a gated community near Boca Raton. 

Trivia #1 answer: On March 6, 1951 Charlie Brown appeared in his first baseball game. The perennial loser, who served as the team’s pitcher and manager, usually fielded the same lineup. Match the player to his/her position. Lucy – right field, Snoopy – shortstop, Linus – second, Schroeder – catcher, Shermy – first, Pig-pen – third, Violet – left field, Patty – center field

Trivia #2: Since 1980, how many first round leaders have gone on to win the Masters? – 4 – Seve Ballesteros (1980), Ben Crenshaw (1984), Trevor Immelman (2008), Jordan Speith (2015) 

“Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash
As we fell into the sun
And the first one said to the second one there
I hope you’re having fun.” 

Thought I was going Stones, didn’t you?

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: What recording artist holds the title for having the 30^th best album of all-time (Rolling Stone) by a female and the number one album on a list of Greatest Albums Made By Women (NPR)?

Trivia #2: (for you baseball buffs) Name the only three MLB players with 500 homeruns and 10 gold gloves.

Trivia #3: Which of these Boston Bruins is not in the franchises’ top 10 in scoring? – Rick Middleton, Bobby Orr, Cam Neely, Ken Hodge, David Kejci, Patrice Bergeron, Wayne Cashman 

And bad mistakes, I’ve made a few. 

What a great weekend of college hoops and college hockey last weekend! As a friend pointed out, Coach “K” always looks as though he is having a stroke. Frankly, Tom Izzo doesn’t look much different. 

Speaking of Duke… aw shucks, they lost. Great group of freshmen though… DOH! 

I get a daily email from WebMD, just for informational stuff. I received one the other day that was titled: “Foods to eat for more magnesium.” Who’s looking to get more magnesium? 

Don’t you wish you could show up for work and after about one minute get sent home for bad behavior with no ramifications? That’s exactly what the NBA Spurs’ coach Greg Popovich did on Wednesday, getting himself ejected from the game just 63 seconds in. I guess he didn’t want to work that night. 

Wednesday night was the first time Al Horford, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Haywood all had 20 or more points in the same game. It would be nice it that turns out to be a trend.

Inspection, you’re doing it wrong. As reported here a few weeks ago, San Anita race track was closed for over a month as “independent experts” examined the track after 22 horses had died there since last December. It was deemed to be safe and reopened, only to see another horse fall and be euthanized this past Sunday.

Huh? A study conducted by Channel Mum found that one in seven moms and dads think they’ve made a “terrible mistake” in picking their baby’s name. 

The other night Russell Westbrook became just the second player ever with a 20-20-20 triple double. What did he do when he grabbed his 20^th rebound to complete the feat? He ran up and down the court, pointing fingers, screaming “redemption”, also stating “this is for Nipsy (Hussle)”, blah, blah, blah. Punk. That same night, Brad Marchand scored his 100^th point this seasno. A notable feat in itself. What did he do after getting the assist to hit 100? He grabbed the puck, skated over to his teammates to congratulate them on the goal. He then gave the puck to someone behind the bench and sat down. 

I saw a sweatshirt the other day that read: “I’m Italian. We don’t call the cops, we call family.” 

Like Mick Jagger or not, you have to appreciate that he is going to make every effort to get back on stage, at age 75, following a surgical procedure on his heart. Here’s some other numbers that may leave you scratching your head. Last Sunday, Jagger was spotted in Miami Beach with girlfriend Melanie Hamrick (32), and two of his children: Georgia May (27) and Deveraux (2). 

Trivia #1 answer: What recording artist holds the title for having the 30^th best album of all-time (Rolling Stone) by a female and the number one album on a list of Greatest Albums Made By Women (NPR)? – Roberta Joan “Joni Mitchell” Anderson

Trivia #2: (for you baseball buffs) Name the only three MLB players with 500 homeruns and 10 gold gloves. – Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt and Ken Griffey Jr.

Trivia #3: Which of these Boston Bruins is not in the franchises’ top 10 in scoring? – Rick Middleton, Bobby Orr, Cam Neely, Ken Hodge, David Kejci, Patrice Bergeron, Wayne Cashman – Cam Neely is #11 

“Do what they say
Say what you mean
One thing leads to another
Tell me something wrong
I know I listen too long
But then one thing leads to another” 

Good night everybody!

Briefly. 

In case you didn’t hear (I heard 17 times), the Red Sox lost their opener last year and then followed that by going 17-1. 

Major League Baseball is about to become the first of the four major North American professional sports leagues to not have a player who debuted in the 20^th century. Think about that one. 

Trivia #1: Hard core here. There were two such players, MLB players who debuted in the 20^thcentury, who played in 2018. Name them.

Trivia #2: Hard core #2. The NFL, NBA and NHL each have player(s) today who debuted in the 20^th century (NFL – 1, NBA – 2, NHL – 4) Name them. (you get one point per correct answer)

Trivia #3: What was the original brand name for Pepsi? Pepson, Brad’s Drink, Dr. Pepsi, Cola Black, Pepsir 

Play ball!

A sign of the times. The 2015 MLB Pirates were the first team to make the playoffs without a complete game pitched, followed by the 2016 Blue Jays. That’s it. Except for 2018 when the Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies all did it! 

I guess I’m not surprised at the magnitude of the college admissions scandal. Starting to get bothersome with all the daily news. 

Lest we forget how good a hitter he was, Jim “Ed” Rice has the most total bases in one season (406) for the Red Sox, as well as the 3^rd most and tied for 5^th most. 

Headline that couldn’t have less meaning to me: Conor MacGregor Announces His Retirement. 

As for the Sox schedule, I neglected to note that their June 29-30 games vs. the yankees will be played in London, “home” games for the Sox. 

Broken crayons still color. 

It is very difficult to repeat as champs in baseball, and the Red Sox will. Not 108 wins, more like 101. They will lead the majors in runs scored and I just hope the pitching holds up. Very likeable team. 

SaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahWeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet 16! 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Kliff Kingsbury (39), head coach of the NFL Arizona Cardinals, is introducing “cell phone breaks” to his players during meetings. (I have a better idea. Why not have the players check their cell phones at the door, attend the meeting, and then pick up the phones on the way out???) 

The new heart health guidelines issued by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association say that, for older adults at low-risk of heart attack/disease, the risk of bleeding that comes with daily low-dose aspirin is now thought to outweigh any heart benefit. Don’t you hate when they do that? 

“Box-out on a foul shot.” No matter how many times you say that to a young basketball player, you need to say it the next time, and the time after that… UCF. Missed foul shot, offensive rebound, lost the biggest game in school history and what would have been one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history. Box-out! (can you tell I don’t have Duke in my final 4?) 

Wow! As in Wow Airline. The Icelandic carrier became the latest airline to cease operations yesterday, abruptly announcing its closure just hours after saying it had suspended flights to raise funds. 

I refuse to click on the link: “Kobe names ‘the three’ greatest basketball players of all time.” 

Baseball metric overload: Houston Astros’ catchers have saved 77 runs with “catcher framing” since 2014. Who can argue? How can you argue?? 

Trivia #1 answer: Hard core here. There were two such players, MLB players who debuted in the 20^th century, who played in 2018. Name them. – Adrian Beltre and Bartolo Colon. (Ichiro Suzuki debuted in 2001, in case you’re wondering)

Trivia #2 answer: Hard core #2. The NFL, NBA and NHL each have player(s) today who debuted in the 20^th century (NFL – 1, NBA – 2, NHL – 4) Name them. (you get one point per correct answer) – NFL – Adam Vinatieri, NBA – Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki, NHL – Joe Thorton, Patrick Marleau, Zdeno Chara and Matt Cullen.

Trivia #3 answer: What was the original brand name for Pepsi? Pepson, Brad’s Drink, Dr. Pepsi, Cola Black, Pepsir – Dr. Pepsi 

“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks,
I don’t care if I never get back”

Briefly. (OK, a little wordy) 

Trivia #1: Who was the last player to earn Final Four MVP despite playing for a losing team?

Trivia #2: What is the longest drought for a school between March Madness appearances?

Trivia #3: Only seven times teams have completed the “perfect” season (undefeated in the regular season and tournament). Which of these schools have not? UCLA, San Francisco, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, St. Louis 

I try not to complain too much and I do like this area of the country, but then I do not like the cold this time of year. Then I read that the happiest countries in the world are places like Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway. Go figure. 

In case you missed it, the Mariners and A’s opened the MLB season on Tuesday in Tokyo. On Wednesday, after the last game of the 2-game series, Ichiro Suzuki was to announced his retirement. He was in right field when his teammates walked off leaving him to come off the field by himself to a rousing, very long ovation. Quite frankly, it was very touching. It was his last game, in Japan, in front of his real fans. After the game fans refused to leave the stadium. 

Let’s take a closer look at the Red Sox 2019 schedule. They begin with a brutal 11-day, 11-game west coast trip to Seattle, Oakland and Arizona. I guess it’s good to get it out of the way and not play in the frigid northeast. Despite that trip they play more home games in April (15) than any other month. They open at home on April 9 vs. Toronto. Hope to see you all at Tony C’s (before) and the Baseball Tavern (after). Not surprisingly they play the yankees at least twice in every month. Interleague (I don’t like it) they have Colorado, the Dodgers, Philly and SF at home and Arizona, San Dingo, Colorado and Philly on the road. From April 19 thru May 8 they play 20 games in 20 days. Aside from the all-star break, they are off for two straight days only once (barring make-up games), June 27-28. They end the season with 3 home games vs. Baltimore. 

So are you familiar with the term “Load Management”. You might see that some big NBA stud is not playing on any particular night due to “Load Management.” Translation? The guy is either too tired or he and/or the team is afraid he will get too tired. Bunch of snowflakes, I tell ya. (Chock this up as this week’s sign of the apocalypse) 

On Wednesday Disney, a behemoth of a company to begin with, completed it’s $71.3B acquisition of 21^st Century Fox. Later this year Disney+, a streaming service, is slated to launch and expects to compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Apple. Google is moving in as well. 

There’s a fine line between playing good defense (hoops) and the other team having a terrible shooting night. 

Trivia #3 hint: A bit of a trick question. Read carefully. 

If you’re out on the prowl tonight, or your son, nephew, grandson, whatever, I got a pick-up line for you. “Hey girl, how’s your bracket?” Or better yet; “Hey baby, wanna see my bracket?” 

Tonya Harding, you’re not. 22-year old American skater Mariah Bell was allegedly bullying and kicked South Korean competitor Lim Eun-soo, 16, during warm-ups before the women’s short program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan on Wednesday. Lim was cut, received medical treatment and was able to compete. She finished in 5^th place while Bell finished 6^th. DOH! 

So I’m flipping back and forth between the Celtics and a 16^th seed play-in game on Wednesday night. Now while the talent levels don’t compare, give me that play-in game any night of the week. (I may have alluded to this preference in the past??) 

Speaking of which, don’t bother trying to explain to me the NCAA bball tournament play-in games. How the 11^th seed is determined by a play-in makes no sense. As you may know, there are four play-in games. Not only are two for the 11^th seeds and two for 16^th seeds, but they are in only two regions. What?! Why don’t the other two regions have play-in games? Forget it, don’t bother trying to explain. 

Kathy and I are getting on a plane tonight. Obviously, we are not flying on a Boeing 737 Max 8. Just for kicks, I asked her what she would do if we were scheduled on the Boeing 737 Max 8. She said she wouldn’t go. Boy, that would have been a helluva ensuing “conversation.” 

Trivia #1: Who was the last player to earn Final Four MVP despite playing for a losing team? – Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston), 1983

Trivia #2: What is the longest drought for a school between March Madness appearances? – Harvard (1946 to 2012 – 66 years)

Trivia #3: Only seven times teams have completed the “perfect” season (undefeated in the regular season and tournament). Which of these schools have not? UCLA, San Francisco, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, St. Louis – Kentucky and St. Louis (UCLA did it 4 times) 

“Now, I’m a seaside sittin’, just a smokin’ and a drinkin’;
I’m ringside, on top of the world.
I got a drink in my hand; I got my toes in the sand.
All I need, is a beautiful girl.”

Briefly. 

Let’s get ShamGronkd! 

Trivia #1: In true Joe Hart fashion, which team won the first National Invitation tournament in 1938? Louisville, Temple, Rutgers, Syracuse, North Carolina, Clemson

Trivia #2: Which Bruins is not in the team’s top 5 in career penalty minutes: Mike Milbury, Wayne Cashman, Keith Crowder, Zdeno Chara, Ray Bourque 

I find great pleasure in watching snow melt. 

So there I am last night, trying to watch the Celtics, Bruins, ACC basketball tournament and Major League (the movie).Several things occurred to me. 1) The Bruins have a legitimate chance in the playoffs if their goalie gets hot. The problem/question is, which goalie? 2) Too much one-on-one with the Celtics and, Kyrie is so good is pisses me off he doesn’t make the team any better. 3) Give me college tournament hoops any day of the week. 4) What a great movie! 

Life is funny and if you haven’t figured that out, then get out. 

Paid University. 

Championship week! Did I already mention college hoops? 

Most useless headline of the week: “Jose Canseco challenges Alex Rodriguez to polygraph test after ex-wife denies cheating rumors” 

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Daniel Norris has been appointed by ESPN as “the most interesting pitcher in baseball.” The 21-year old rising star lives in a beat-up VW camper he calls Shaggy in a Walmart parking lot during spring training in FL. Nothing to do with money as he received a $2 million signing bonus. He doesn’t drink, has never tried drugs, avoids TV, loves solo hiking adventures and keeps a thought journal he writes in at night with the aid of a headlamp. 

The Bruins 19-game point streak had to come to an end. What a ride! It was the second longest streak in franchise history. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: MLB has announced that teams must send in their starting player lineups at least 15 minutes before their publicly announced. Doing so, the organization claims, will “reduce the risk of confidential information being ‘tipped’.” With the move MLB hopes to “reduce integrity risks” involved with gambling on baseball. Teams previously could announced their teams at any time without notifying MLB first. 

Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction was reinstated two years after his suicide. In a related story, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead! 

Parenting, you’re doing it wrong. The aviation crew operating a recent Saudi Arabian flight to Malaysia diverted the flight because a passenger reportedly left her baby in the waiting area of the King Abdul Aziz International Airport. 

R.I.P. – Julia Ruth Stevens (102) – The last living child of baseball legend Babe Ruth. (I don’t know. Some consider this big news.) Same goes for George Foreman’s daughter. Who cares?

R.I.P. – Hal Blaine (90) – The AP describes Blaine (a session drummer) as a “virtual one-man soundtrack of the 1960’s and 70’s” who played on records with Elvis Presley, the Byrds, Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beach Boys and many others, as well as on the soundtrack for Batman and dozens of other shows. He played on more than 6,000 records including 150 top 10 hits. 

Trivia #1 answer: In true Joe Hart fashion, which team won the first National Invitation tournament in 1938? Louisville, Temple, Rutgers, Syracuse, North Carolina, Clemson – Temple

Trivia #2: Which Bruins is not in the team’s top 5 in career penalty minutes: Mike Milbury, Wayne Cashman, Keith Crowder, Zdeno Chara, Ray Bourque – Zdeno Chara 

“It’s been a wild rover for many’s a year
And I’ve spent all me money on whiskey and beer
But I’m returning with gold in great store
And I will never play the wild rover no more”