Author: fasted86

Briefly.

 I have about a 15-minute commute to work and am all over the place in terms of the radio varying from news, talk radio, sports radio and rock ‘n roll. This morning was mostly a rock morning and leading the way was Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild”. Cranked it! I come into work and read a brief story about a Mercedes’ Super Bowl ad which will feature Peter Fonda, references to the 1969 classic flick “Easy Rider” and Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild”. No kidding.

 Trivia #1: Tom Brady is about to play in his 7^th Super Bowl. What player is second having played in 6? Answer below.

Trivia #2: Difficult, but no as difficult as question #1. Who is the last player to win Super Bowl MVP without figuring in the scoring of a touchdown?

 In its second year, the Women’s fantasy baseball camp in Fort Meyers is in full swing. For $2,500, 41 campers are attending the 4-day camp which includes instruction from former players the likes of Trot Nixon, Alan Embree and Rich Gedman, as well as games. The Yankees are the only other MLB team that holds such a camp.

 What a shame it is that two MLB players died in separate car crashes in the Dominican Republic on the same day. Interesting that the country, whose roads are amongst the most dangerous, has now lost four current or former major leaguers to traffic accidents in recent years. DYK, a 2015 study by the World Health Organization found that the Dominican Republic had the highest traffic death rate in the Americas, with a rate of 29.3 per 100,000 habitants.

 Jose and Ivan Favela, brothers, announced their engagements at the same time, had a joint wedding and, last weekend, became fathers within hours of each other. I don’t know, that’s just weird.

 Amazon is now worth more than America’s 8 largest retailers combined – Best Buy, Macy’s, Target, JC Penney, Nordstrom, Walmart, Kohl’s and Sears.

 “You’re gonna make it after all!” Or, in this case, not make it. R.I.P. MTM – (Sorry about that one)

 So the Celtics are partnering with GE. Good for them.

 The Toronto Blue Jays have named former Red Sox catcher Eric Wedge as “Field Coordinator”. Huh? They also named a guy, Ben Freakley Jr., as “Mental Health Coach”. (I’m not sure how this second one didn’t make my “sign of the apocalypse”)

 The Knicks may be the NBA All-Name team of 2017. Check these: Kristaps Porzingis, Joakim Noah, Mindaugus Kuzminskas, Sasha Vujacic and Guillermo “Willy” Hernangomez. How did Derrick Rose and Ron Baker get on that team?!

 Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Kyle Martin (3.38 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 66 2/3 innings for Triple A Pawtucket in 2016) played for none other than Calvin Schiraldi at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Austin, Texas. You may recall Schiraldi recorded the final out in the 1986 ALCS. (I don’t remember how the subsequent World Series worked out) – I only threw this in here because I haven’t heard Schiraldi’s name in so long.

 The Duke Blue Devil’s men’s basketball team (15-5) has lost three of their last five games since Coach ‘K’ took a leave of absence for back surgery. Reports have it that the coach has banned the players from the locker room and told them they were no longer allowed to wear the Blue Devils gear. Hey coach, relax!

 Headline of the Week: “Watch highlights from the epic NFL Pro Bowl dodgeball game”

 In case you missed it, maybe on purpose(?), Tiger Woods shot a 4-over par 76 yesterday not hitting a fairway after the 7^th hole.

 I know it doesn’t matter but I’m just taking a guess here that Isaiah Thomas makes some noise at the all-star game on Feb 19^th.

 Speaking of which, I am not commenting on the Bruins.

 Kraft Heinz Co. is calling an audible, giving its U.S. employees the day off following the Super Bowl, and pushing the rest of America to declare the day a national holiday. Millions of people call in sick or don’t show up for work the day after the most-watched football game of the year, and Heinz suggests making that day “Smunday” – a work holiday for all Americans. Kraft Heinz said it hopes Congress will take the idea and run with it. Kraft Heinz is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA., home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and its “Heinz Field” – go figure.

The current over/under (59) for the Super Bowl is the largest ever.

The Patriots have never covered as the favorite in a Super Bowl. The Falcons were 7-point dogs in their only appearance got lost by 15.

The NFC has been favored 26 times, the AFC 23 with one pick-em (the Malcolm Butler game).

The NFC is 26-24 straight-up against the AFC though recently the AFC has somewhat dominated winning 12 of the last 19. That streak came after a 19-game winning streak by the NFC.

Each of the past 7 Super Bowls have kicked off with a spread of 5 or less. From 1989-2000, the spread was a touchdown or greater.

Underdogs have won or covered 21 times in 50 games and lost against the spread 27 times. Two games ended as a push (XXXI GB/Pats and XXXIV St L/Tenn)

The Patriots have won the Super Bowl outright but didn’t cover twice. That has happened only six times in SB history.

The Patriots’ 24 playoff wins with Brady as the starter are more than that of 25 NFL franchises combined, including the Falcons.

Yes, this is a different Atlanta team and a different Patriots team. Still, Brady has faced (and beaten) the Falcons 4 times and has completed 64% of his passes for 9 TDs and 1 pick, and his 9.11 yards per completion is his best against any other NFL team.

 This week’s sign of the apocalypse – The Toronto Blue Jays have named Ben Freakley Jr. as “Mental Health Coach”. (are you paying attention??)

 Trivia #1 answer – Mike Lodish (with Buffalo in SB 25-28 and with Denver in SB 32-33)

Trivia #2 answer – Deion Branch in SB XXXIX)

 “I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin’ with the wind
And the feeling that I’m under”

“Sometimes you have to get to know someone really well to realize you’re really strangers.” – Mary Tyler Moore

Briefly.

 If you believe in the “Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx”, Brady is on it.

 Tom Brady is 26-3 vs. Pittsburgh in his career.

 Tom Brady is on his way to his 11^th Conference Championship game. Peyton Manning and Brett Favre played in 10, combined.

Oxfam, an anti-poverty charity, reports that the 8 wealthiest people in the world (6 are Americans) have as much wealth as the 3.6 billion people that make up the world’s poorer population. Last year it was the top 62 people and in 2010 the richest 388 people in the world was equivalent to that of the poorest 50%.

 Trivia: Ben Roethlisberger will be starting his 20^th playoff game on Sunday. Name the other 5 quarterbacks who have started 20 or more playoff games. (think about this)

 DYK, when Brady and the Patriots last beat the Steelers in the playoffs (2005 AFC Championship), rookie Ben Roethlisberger was coming off 26 wins in a row – his last 12 college games at Miami, OH and his first 14 NFL games.

 The Steelers are not only the only team to win a playoff game without scoring a touchdown (last weekend) but DYK, they are the first team to win a playoff game in which the opponent scored two or more touchdowns than they did – other teams had been 0-245 in such games before Sunday.

 The Patriots defense allowed one run of 30 yards or more this season, tied for the fewest in football.

 The winner of the AFC Championship game will be the first franchise to reach 10 Superbowls!

 Aaron Rodgers had 60 pass attempts in which he had five or more seconds, with nobody else in football getting more than 33 such plays in 2016.

 The Red Sox “Truck Day” is set for February 6.

 The Knicks win the other night was their first over the Celtics in three years.

 This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A Texas couple is suing Apple, claiming its FaceTime app is responsible for the death of their 5-year old daughter. James and Bethany Modisette say Apple was granted a patent in 2014 for a FaceTime design that would have used GPS tracking to determine speed of travel to prevent people from using the app while driving. Yet Apple never implemented the design, nor did it strongly warn drivers against using the app. Apple’s failures “were a substantial factor in causing the plaintiffs’ injuries and decedent’s death,” the lawsuit states. Apple has not responded.

 On January 18, 1950 pitcher Bob Feller asked that his salary be reduced from $45,000 to $20,000 because he felt his sub-par record of 15-14 didn’t merit an increase. Ya, that would happen today!

 The Islanders beat the Bruins 4-0 the other day. The next day the Islanders coach was fired.

 Kevin Durant scored a season high 40 points the other night on just 16 shots.

 Trivia hint: I said to think about it because back in the day they didn’t play as many games in the playoffs, al a Aaron Rodgers is starting his third playoff game this season on Sunday.

 Haverhill will host the first ever (annual, I hope) Hillies Classic this coming May. The tournament will feature 8 high school baseball teams from all over the area. Good to see the city putting good use to an absolutely beautiful venue.

 I don’t know about you but I am glad the MLB HOF voting is finally over.

 Speaking of which, here is your stat-of-the-day. If Ricky Henderson were to come out of retirement he would have to steal 448 consecutive bases to tie Tim Raines’ career stolen base percentage.

 Jerry Remy just signed a new multi-year contract with NESN as the Red Sox primary color analyst. He is heading into his 30^th year with NESN. I’m really not sure how I feel about that. He’s just not the same without Orsillo.

 Isaiah Thomas is on pace to break the Celtics’ January record for average points per game.

 Last weekend:

 Atlanta over Seattle 30-29 (actual 36-20)
Pats over Houston 30-10 (actual 34-16)
Pittsburgh over KC 24-23 (actual 18-16)
Green Bay over Dallas 30-27 (actual 34-31)

Not bad. Let’s try again:

Pats over Pittsburgh 33-23
Green Bay over Atlanta 62-61 (whether Jordy and/or Davante Adams play is a big factor but hey, you have to play some defense! The Falcons play none) Also, the Packers were vastly undermanned during their regular, 1-point loss to Atlanta.

 Whatever happens, the Falcons are NOT going to win the Superbowl.

 Trivia answer: Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and John Elway

 And for you locals – http://haverhillbgc.org/2017-annual-celebration/

 One year ago yesterday my then 56-year old brother-in-law, Tim Shea, dropped dead of an apparent heart issue. Here’s to him. Live large, my friends!

 “I’m your top prime cut of meat, I’m your choice
I wanna be elected
I’m your yankee doodle dandy in a gold Rolls Royce
I wanna be elected

Kids want a savior, don’t need a fake
I wanna be elected
We’re gonna rock to the rules I make
I wanna be elected”

Briefly.

 Wow! Was that a college football championship game for the ages or what?! Better yet, I was rooting against ‘Bama/Saban!

 I think the biggest guy on the field during that game was the referee. That guy was jacked! Apparently, the 55-year old Mike Defee returned to his day job on Tuesday at an industrial plant in Texas, where his co-workers greeted him wearing T-shirts that read “I work for Mike ‘The Arms’ Defee!”

 Nice to hear Gimme Shelter throughout the game. Not sure how/why that all came about but I enjoyed it all throughout the game.

 Trivia: Who was the first American president to name an African American to his Cabinet?

 Can we all agree that the soup aisle in the supermarket should be renamed the sodium aisle? The worst part is, a can of soup shows the “nutritional facts” but, if you pay attention, it is per serving and they specify that there are 2 servings in each can. I guarantee most people don’t see the numbers and don’t realize they have to double them. I mean come on, who eats half a can of soup!?!?!?!

Marcus Smart. Way to pick it up!

 Grayson Allen, Duke. The next guy he trips should punch him in the face. That’s what he needs.

 “Accu”weather.com has a forecast going 90 days out. Ya, I’ll plan a day on that!

 The other night Nashville’s Colton Sissons became the first NHL player ever to score a hat trick with his second goal coming on an empty net and the third with a goalie in net.  

 I love olives. All types.

 Sad, but true. At a news conference on Thursday, the National Civil Police commissioner of El Salvador reported that no murders were recorded the previous day in the gang-plagued Central American nation. The last time the country went a full day without any killings was Jan. 22, 2015. The nation of about 6 million people averaged 14.4 murders a day last year!

 Three months out and I saw my first commercial for the Masters the other night.

 Speaking of golf, Jim Furyk was named the Ryder Cup captain for the 2018 tournament which will take place in Paris. In a related story, Superbowl LIV (2020) will be played in Miami.

Unprepared kids who want to get out of taking a test in 2017 can just tell the teacher their mesentery hurts. Researchers have classified a new organ in the human body while proving that “100 years of anatomy was incorrect.” The mesentery, which attaches the intestine to the abdomen, is the 79^th organ in the human body. According to Science Alert, the mesentery was described way back when by Leonardo da Vinci, but scientists have long believed it was a series of multiple structures, and therefore not an organ. But new examinations of it on a microscopic level show that it is in fact one self-contained structure, meeting the definition of an organ.

 So Brad Marchand and Tuukka are both 1^st time all-stars? I would have guessed differently.

 The U.S. army goes through a lot of ammunition thanks to the amount of training it carries out. But that ammunition doesn’t come without waste which slowly degrades over hundreds of years polluting whatever ground (or nearby water sources) it happens to fall upon. So the Department of Defense (DoD) decided to do something about it and is requesting environmentally friendly ammunition for use during training exercises. The request was made via the Small Business Innovation Research program. Specifically, the DoD wants “biodegradable training ammunition loaded with specialized seeds to grow environmentally beneficial plants that eliminate ammunition debris and contaminants.”

John Gruden and Sean McDonough were talking about Houston punter Shane Lechler when Gruden stated that in 2000, Oakland drafted Sebastian Janokowski in the 1st round and Lechler in the 5^th. He then said, “ Too bad we didn’t have a 6th we would have taken Brady. That’s why I’m no longer in this business.”

 This week’s sign of the apocalypse: An Illinois bus driver is suing McDonald’s and a local franchisee for tarnishing the Extra Value Meal name. James Gertie filed the lawsuit after realizing that his $4.90 two-cheeseburger Extra Value Meal cost 41 cents more than just buying two cheeseburgers, fries and a drink separately.

 Here you go:

 Atlanta over Seattle 30-29
Pats over Houston 30-10
Pittsburgh over KC 24-23
Green Bay over Dallas 30-27

 Trivia answer: Lyndon B. Johnson

 “Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride.”

(U2 two weeks in a row! Sometimes, it’s just appropriate)

Briefly.

 What is indoor hockey’s biggest enemy? Energy costs, of course. Well, organizers want to make Union Arena in Woodstock, VT the nation’s first skating rink to go “net zero”, meaning no costs spent on electricity or heating fuel. The plan includes upgrading the existing equipment at the arena for efficiency, finding ways to reuse the heat generating from the power-sucking compressors used to make the ice and, finally, buying solar panels that will be erected elsewhere. While the long term plan is to get to “net zero”, the rink’s electricity consumption from early November to early December was down 12.5% for the same period a year ago. Good for them!

 Trivia #1: The Patriots finished 14-2. What NFL record did they tie, record-wise?

 Trivia #2: Who is Sanford Braun? (Either you know it or you don’t. Hints to follow)

 A pair of light sleepers who wanted to rest in peace accidentally killed their drunken pal because he was snoring too loudly, officials said. The two French men, ages 28 and 35, were boozing it up with the 35 year-old victim in a Parisian suburb on Saturday night. “The victim, who had drunk more than the others, suddenly fell into a deep and unconscious sleep,” a judicial source told the AFP news agency. The others decided to strip him naked in what they say was an attempt to prevent him from driving home drunk when he woke up. They also scribbled on his face “for laughs.” The two jokesters later became annoyed by the man’s snoring , which kept them up. “They decided to take him outside into the courtyard of the building,” the source said. Temps dropped to as low as about 37 degrees Fahrenheit and the man’s lifeless body was discovered the next day. The two suspects now face charges of manslaughter. (I can see it!)

 So Chris Berman is stepping down from his role with ESPN covering the NFL. (He will remain with ESPN) Back in the day, Primetime was my favorite weekly show, seeing highlights from all of the games around the league. You know, like we get on our phones real-time nowadays. Here are a couple of my all-time favorite Chris Berman NFL nicknames: Eric “Sleeping With” Bieniemy and Vince Workman “My Way Back to You Babe”.

 Trivia #2 hint: He is in the MLB HOF.

 In skiing news… A mother died and her two daughters were injured in a fall from a chair lift at a ski resort in Colorado Thursday. Authorities say the 40-year-old woman from Texas and the girls, ages 9 and 12, fell around 20 feet from the lift onto snow at the Ski Granby Ranch. One girl was hospitalized in stable condition and the other was airlifted to a hospital near Denver, around 90 miles away. The resort’s operation director says the three were the only people on a four-person lift and they “came out of their chair” somewhere between the loading area and the summit. Police and state regulators are investigating the incident, which ski industry groups say was an extremely rare event. The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) says that between 2004 and October of this year, there were just three recorded deaths from ski lift falls. The last chair lift death blamed on a malfunction was in 1993, according to the NSAA. Since the last fatal accident in Colorado, in 2002, “there have been 1.7 billion chair lift rides,” a spokesman for Colorado Ski Country USA tells the Denver Post. “It’s super rare. It really doesn’t happen very often, and it’s not something that folks need to be concerned about.” Witnesses to Thursday’s accident tell CBS Denver that there had been problems with the chair lift over the last few days, with each stop causing the chairs to sway.

 At least one Vegas resort already has odds on the Pats’ first playoff game. Barring something unforeseen (such as an Oakland rout of Houston), if they play Miami -13 ½; Houston -14 ½; Oakland -16 ½.

 Trivia #2 hint: He had a winning percentage of .655 and struck out over 300 batters in three seasons.

 Mookie Betts is set to be honored at the Boston Chapter Baseball Writers’ Association of America as the Red Sox MVP.

 Speaking of the Red Sox, after Dave Dombrowski’s winter Sale, etc., their farm system ranking went from #4 to #16. Not as bad as one would have thought, I think (think, thought, think…)

 Clemson shocks ‘Bama!

 Trivia #2 hint: He was a lefty.

 RIP #15, Milt Schmidt, at 98. Some facts about “Mr. Bruin.” Milt spent 80 years at all levels of the sport. He was the oldest living NHL player and was recently named one of the top 100 players of all time, inducted into the HOF in 1961. Won two Stanley Cups as a player and two more as a GM. He was the only man to serve the Bruins as a player, captain, coach and general manager. He played 16 seasons with the Bruins and missed three more, while serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII. He played in a then record 776 games with the Bruins. Schmidt was a member of the famed “Kraut” line and he and fellow members Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer enlisted during the 1941-42 season. He led the NHL in scoring in 1939-40 with 52 points in 48 games, won the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1951 and was a member of the NHL First Team All-Star Team three times. He later coach the Bruins and then became their GM. He did also have a brief stint as coach/GM of the Caps.

 A couple more on Milt. In the Kraut line’s final game before going into the service, the Bruins thumped the rival Montreal Canadians. After the game, the two teams came together and hoisted each member of the Kraut line onto their shoulders and carried them off the ice as the Garden crowd sang “Auld Lang Syne”. Also, when the three returned from service, they had to adjust to the redline which had been introduced in 1943 while they were away. (It didn’t throw off Schmidt too much as he was MVP in ’51)

 Trivia #1 answer: The Patriots became just the 7^th team to finish undefeated on the road.
Trivia #2 answer: Sandy Koufax

 “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” – Benjamin Franklin

 “And so we’re told this is the golden age,
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage,
Though I want to be with you
Be with you night and day,
Nothing changes on New Year’s Day”

Briefly.

 Prospects for Sale! (This is still a great line!)

 The minimum salary for a major league baseball player is $507,500.

 RIP Princess Leia – DYK, Carrie Fisher completely finished filming her role and all necessary reshoots for Star Wars: Episode VIII which won’t be in theaters for almost a year. (I must add RIP Debbie Reynolds as well. Sad in that she followed her daughter’s death the next day)

 Now must be a good time for trivia question #1: Of the numerous celebrity deaths in 2016 who was the first, passing away on January 10? Answer below.

 Headline of the Week – Pagan priest granted right to wear horns in Maine driver’s license photo.

 Trivia #2 – What is the one day of the week on which an NFL game has never been played? Answer below.

 Double-down on a good deed. 36-year old Josh Katrick of Nrothampton, PA was going through his eighth round of chemotherapy for treatment of colon cancer when he found out he had won a pizza parlor’s, his favorite, raffle for a years’ worth of pizza. Katrick promptly donated his winnings to the Northampton Food Bank. After hearing of Katrick’s plans for his donation, the owners of Mario’s Pizza decided to double-down and award the prize to both him and the food bank. 

 Believe it or not. The Notre Dame sports information director convinced future Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann to change the pronunciation of his name from “THEEZ-min” to “THIGHS-min” so it would rhyme with Heisman. The new Mr. Thighsman would not win his Heisman, finishing second to Jim Plunkett. (Hmmm, never heard that before)

 FoxNews.com put out an article entitled – “A Look Back at 2016. Stories that amazed, amused and made history.” Then you read the opening to the article only to see that it contains only the stories that FoxNews.com broke first. I guess all other news just wasn’t news?? What a joke.

 Monmouth men’s basketball coach King Rice was warmly welcomed back to Chapel Hill, NC on Wednesday when his team took on the Tar Heels. The overly emotional Rice thanked coach Roy Williams for putting Monmouth on their schedule for the 2^nd time in 6 years and Rice went on to say that he was “the luckiest guy that in 1987, Coach (Dean) Smith gave me a scholarship and it’s made me have a great, great, great life.” This was all after his team lost the game 102-74.

 According to Merriam-Webster, the word of the year is “surreal” (meaning: marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream) because it was looked up significantly more frequently by users in 2016 than it was in previous years, and because there were multiple occasions on which this word was the one clearly driving people to their dictionary.

 Conversely, for the 8^th year in a row(!), the New Marist Institute of Public Opinion revealed that the word “whatever” was considered the most annoying word or phrase used in casual conversation. In a poll of adult Americans, 38% were most annoyed by the word “whatever”.

 OK, so the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the playoffs if: they beat the Panthers AND the Cowboys beat the Eagles AND the Titans beat the Oilers AND the Colts beat the Jaguars AND the 49ers beat the Seahawks AND the Giants beat the Redskins AND the Lions beat the Packers. Noooooooooooo problem!

 The Bruins faced arguably the best team in hockey on Tuesday night spotting the Blue Jackets to a 3-0 lead before the 1^st period was half over. The rest of the way they were the better team and fought back to tie it, only to give up a late power-play goal and fall 4-3. Can you say “missed opportunity?”

 Polk County (FL) Sheriff Grady Judd says his office arrested a real-life Grinch who allegedly masterminded a scam to steal toys from the Polk County Toys for Tots charity. The Ledger reports that 38 year-old Tammy Strickland was charged with 166 felony counts and 28 misdemeanor charges. Bail was set at $180,000 because of the numbers of charges. She is still in jail and it’s unclear whether she’s retained an attorney.

 22 coaches have coached in the AFC East since Belichick took over the Patriots in 2000. We have to remember, Robert Kraft gave up a first round pick to get Belichick. While there have been several franchise players in the NFL, Belichick is the only franchise coach.

 The Celtics can be frustrating to watch these days. They are just not able to pull out wins in those “big” games. See last night vs. the Cavs.

 Speaking of the Celts, Marcus Smart has a new hairdo only this one isn’t cutting it either.

 Pats/Packers Superbowl.

 Congratulations to Wac & Murph. What a great couple!

 Final RIP to Robert Leo Husleman, inventor of the Red Solo Cup. DYK, the rings on the “real” Red Solo Cup (18 ounces in size) mark 1.5 ounces for liquor, 5 ounces for wine and 12 ounces for beer? (If you have never drunk from a Red Solo Cup I want to know)

 Trivia answer #1 – David Bowie

Trivia answer #2 – Trick question. At least one game has been played on every day of the week. (One Tuesday game was played due to a blizzard in Pennsylvania and the single Wednesday game was because the NFL moved the Washington-New York Thursday night season opener so it wouldn’t overlap with John McCain’s speech at the Republican National Convention. The Friday games were either Christmas or New Years’ related)

 “We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.”

 I sincerely wish all of you (and yours) a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Briefly. (well, kinda) – for those receiving this for the first time hey, it’s Friday!

 “In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas”

 Vern Lundquist, who is about to retire, while commentating a game last week actually said “gee whiz!”

 Before the Washington/Caroline game this past Monday night, Sean McDonough commented that, while not mathematically eliminated, “Carolina has as much of a chance making the playoffs as I do being in a shampoo commercial.” Good one.

 If you happen to come across any goals please send them to the Bruins.

The New Mexico Department of Health says dozens of its employees became sick after its holiday party. A spokesman says that more than 200 employees attended a catered luncheon at the Harold Runnels Building in Sante Fe and 70 of them had gastrointestinal issues afterwards.

Make the nonsense stop! These college football players who have decided to go pro and subsequently have “chosen” not to play in their upcoming bowl game. These kids were given a scholarship which means basically two things. Get a free education and play football. Something either has to be written into their Letter of Intent or into a separate contract.

A little late but did you watch the Heisman Trophy presentation? Lamar Jackson was a surprisingly (to me) humble recipient. He is the youngest to win the award and really acted like a kid repeatly saying “this is crazy!”.

I can’t recall who Tim Tebow interviewed before the Heisman presentation but he did an excellent job, really.

Kevin Youkilas, after hearing that Bobby Valentine was mentioned as possibly being the ambassador to Japan quipped, “looks like I won’t be able to visit Japan for the next 4 years.”

He was the most er – memorable pitchers in recent Red Sox history. And now, fans will be able to see “El Guapo” in the dugout with the Bridgeport Bluefish. Rich Garces, who pitched for the Sox from 1996-2002, was named pitching coach for the Bluefish last Wednesday.

Boston’s Logan International Airport ranked among the worst large airports in the nation in a survey released last week by the global market research firm JD Power. Logan’s ranking dropped from 25^th in 2015 to 28^th this year out of 32 large airports nationwide. The top three were Portland International (in Oregon), Tampa International and Las Vegas McCarron International Airport. Boston only bested 4 airports on this year’s list: Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia International, Newark Liberty and New York LaGuardia. Funny, I don’t consider myself much of a traveler though I was at 3 of the worst 5 within the past 3 months. They all worked OK for me!

Pablo Sandoval is posting workout videos on Instagram. That’s like Donald Trump posting etiquette videos.

 Haverhill’s own Justin Reyes (St. Thomas Aquinas) was recently named ECC Player of the Week while averaging 20 pts, 12.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2 blocks over two games. The Spartan leads the team in points (2^nd in the ECC) and rebounds and has the potential to reach 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his college career.

 “You’re a foul one, Mr. Grinch,
You’re a nasty wasty skunk,
Your heart is full of unwashed socks,
your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch!”

In their first 31 games this season the Bruins had 8 players make their NHL debut, most recently Matt “Can I Buy a Vowel” Grzelcyk.

Isiah Thomas was the last pick in the 2011 NBA draft and has scored more points than all of the other combined last picks since 1989.

A sign of the apocalypse – People can now get answers from Google by tweeting emojis at the company, to which Google will respond with relevant information. A burger emoji tweet, for example, will generate a map showing users burger spots nearby, and an umbrella emoji will show the user the local weather forecast. The move comes as people increasingly replace words with emojis on social media.

December 7^th was, of course, Pearl Harbor remembrance day. I expect you all acknowledged such. It was also not only the late Mr. Barry Ruth’s birthday, but also Larry Bird’s birthday. There was a clip on espn.com that you could just let run over and over and it replayed “The Steal” time after time after time. After watching it time after time after time, my takeaway? ALWAYS have a man on the ball (Jerry Sichting) when defending an out of bounds play. In this case, by just being there he blocked Isiah’s view of Bird. BTW, ESPN calls it the greatest steal of all time.

As Tuukka goes, so do the Bruins. Ain’t it the truth.

The Pesky Pole is off for repairs. The 52 foot mesh section is being repaired (40 feet replaced) by DeAngelis Iron Work in South Easton. The pole, named after Red Sox great Johnny Pesky, stands 302 from home plate , the shortest distance in the majors. The pole was named by Mel Parnell after Pesky wrapped a homerun around it, ironically only one of six homeruns he hit at Fenway during his long career. A new 10 foot high base will soon be up to code and continue to stand where it has always been – the seat directly on the foul side of the pole is at Section 94, Row E, Seat 5 and is sold as a lone ticket. Employees of DeAngelis Iron Work have the privilege of inscribing their initials at the top of the pole.

I really like most Christmas tunes. They help get me in the spirit. The problem is, they start immediately after Thanksgiving and by the time Christmas roles around I’m sick of ‘em.

“Giving Tuesday” (givingtuesday.org; #GivingTuesday) was November 29^th. The brilliant organization reported that 98 countries/territories participated raising over $168M for charity. There were also millions of “acts of kindness” reported. #GivingTuesday grew by 44% in 2016. Many corporations, like mine, have donation matching programs for that single day. It’s all good stuff. Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year. It’s Christmas time. Be charitable.

Speaking of giving, it was Jimmy V week last week in NCAA Men’s hoops. Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

If two teams were selected for the college football playoff, at least one other team would cry foul. Instead, four teams are selected and others cry foul. If 10 teams had been selected, same thing. It’s just the way it goes.

Did you watch DWTS last week? (just making sure you’re paying attention)

How can it be that the Giants lose last night’s game to the Eagles? They had everything to play for (the playoffs) while Philly was playing for nothing! Take note Patriots. We don’t need another game like last night or last year’s against the Jets. Let’s git-r-done!

Todd Bowles? Soon to be delivering pizza in a town near you.
Smoking and even e-cigarette use is down amongst kids, and alcohol use has dropped to its lowest level ever: 37.3 percent of 12th graders said they had been drunk at least once, down from a high of 53.2 percent in 2001, according to an annual survey. Some experts credit social media and video games.

Mr. and Mrs. Harper had just reached the airport in the nick of time to catch the plane for their two-week’s vacation in Tahiti. “I wish we’d brought the piano with us,” said Mr. Harper. “What on earth for?” asked his wife. “I left the tickets on it.”

 Jaromir Jagr is now #2 on the all-time NHL scoring list. If he keeps up this pace, at age 65 he will surpass Wayne Gretzky.
Chris Sale will wear number 41 instead of the number he wore previously (49) out of respect for Tim Wakefield who last wore the number for the Red Sox. I like this guy already!

It’s the one story everyone wants to be a hoax. (bear with me on this one) A Tennessee newspaper that reported a boy died on Santa’s lap — complete with a heart-wrenching account of his final words — said Wednesday it can no longer vouch for the veracity of the depressingly Dickensian Christmas story. The News Sentinel published a story a couple of Sundays ago about a Campbell County Santa Claus actor, Eric Schmitt-Matzen, who said a terminally ill child had died in his arms. The story quickly went viral, with dozens of local and national news outlets interviewing Schmitt-Matzen about his emotional encounter with the unnamed 5-year-old boy. But the paper said it cannot verify the account by Schmitt-Matzen, a 60-year-old mechanical engineer from Jacksboro, Tenn., who spends time volunteering as Santa Claus at a local hospital. “I spent four years in the Army with the 75th Rangers, and I’ve seen my share of [stuff],” Schmitt-Matzen told USA Today. “But I ran by the nurses’ station bawling my head off. I know nurses and doctors see things like that every day, but I don’t know how they can take it.”Schmitt-Matzen told news outlets he arrived at the unidentified hospital and met the boy’s mother and family members, who were also unidentified. A nurse had called with the special request and given him a toy to offer the child during his visit, USA Today reported. “When I walked in, he was laying there so weak, it looked like he was ready to fall asleep,” Schmitt-Matzen told the news outlet. “I sat down on his bed and asked, ‘Say, what’s this I hear about you’re going to miss Christmas? There’s no way you can miss Christmas! You’re my No. 1 elf!’” “He looked up and said, ‘I am?’ I said ‘Sure.’”Schmitt-Matzen told USA Today that he watched him open the present and smile before he lay back down. “’They say I’m going to die,’ he told me. ‘How can I tell when I get to where I’m going?’ I said, ‘Can you do me a big favor?’ He said ‘Sure!’ ‘When you get there, you tell them you’re Santa’s No. 1 elf and I know they’ll let you in.’ He said, ‘They will?’ I said, ‘Sure.’” “He kind of sat up, and gave me a big hug and asked one more question: ‘Santa can you help me?’ I wrapped my arms around him. Before I could say anything, he died right there. I let him stay, just kept hugging and holding on to him,” Schmitt-Matzen told USA Today. Schmitt-Matzen’s account, however, cannot be verified. In a report Wednesday, the Sentinel said: “Since publication, the News Sentinel has done additional investigation in an attempt to independently verify Schmitt-Matzen’s account.” “This has proven unsuccessful,” the paper said. “Although facts about his background have checked out, his story of bringing a gift to a dying child remains unverified. The News Sentinel cannot establish that Schmitt-Matzen’s account is inaccurate, but more importantly, ongoing reporting cannot establish that it is accurate.”
Sign of the apocalypse, part deux. The company, appropriately called Selfee, has launched a $30,000 crowdfunding campaign to open a café in New York City. Using a proprietary app, customers snap a photo of themselves, which is then printed directly onto their food using “FDA-approved edible inks” in mere minutes. The startup hopes to open the café in 2017.

RIP – Zsa Zsa Gabor – Of her many quotes I like these two gems:

“I’m a great housekeeper. Every time I get a divorce, I keep the house.”

“I don’t remember anybody’s name. Why do you think the whole ‘dahling’ thing started?”.

 “New York is where I’d rather stay
I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view
Darling I love you but give me Park Avenue.”

Also sadly, RIP Craig Sager. Now a lot of people courageously fight cancer but Sager’s fight was national news, thanks to the NBA, and he was generally liked by all that met him. Sad story.

“Soon it will be Christmas Day”

Merry Christmas everyone! (it’s OK to say that again)

Briefly.

 I hope you all had a joyous Thanksgiving Day. I know I did.

 Rogie Vachon, welcome to the NHL HOF. A hall of fame player with a hall of fame name.

Brian Kelly has got to go. The Notre Dame players are just not going all out. That’s on him.

The Jets and Colts on Monday Night Football. I guess that matchup looked good at some point??

The Atlanta Braves signed 43-year old, 800 lb. Bartolo Colon for a cool $12.5M. Let that sink in for a minute. (His head has to weigh 67 lbs!)

Mike Trout has led the AL in WAR for 5 years in a row. The only other player to do that? Babe Ruth

As part of the recently signed MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement, the All-Star game will no longer determine home field for the World Series. Instead, the team with the better regular season record will have home field. Now, I don’t have a better answer but is that it? The team with the better record against uncommon opponents??

Curt Schilling – “I would rather get into the Hall of Fame than win a Senate seat”

Red Sox Jackie Jensen (AL MVP in ’58) had his career come to an end due to his fear of flying.

I went to Google Tuukka Rask and his girlfriend came up. Whoa!

DYK the best web site to Google something is http://www.google.com?

Sorry but I can’t get off of Brian Kelly. Last week in ND’s final game, against USC, defensive lineman Jerry Tillery looked more like a Miami Hurricane than an ND Fighting Irishman. First, after a USC running back got clocked and was close to unconscious, Tillery casually walked by and kicked him in the head. Not hard but the intent was there. He later purposely stepped on a guy’s foot while he was down. What did Brian Kelly do? He reamed him out on the sideline, but then put him back in the game!! Not only should he have been benched but he’s a sophomore and should be suspended for at least the opener next season. Shame on Kelly.

DYK how many other rookies in MLB history have ever hit 26 or more homers, had at least 193 hits, whacked 40 doubles and matched or equaled the Dodgers’ Corey Seager’s slash line (.308/.365/.512)? Two: Albert Pujols in 2001 and Hal Trosky in 1934. Rookie of the Year? – yep.

Terry Francona, AL Manager of the Year, never started the same eight position players in the same eight positions for more than two games in a row all season.

Constellation Brands, the alcohol giant that sells Corona beer and Svedka vodka, is considering a new approach to livening up its beverages: marijuana. “We’re looking at it,” Constellation Chief Executive Officer Rob Sands said in an interview. “There are going to be alcoholic beverages that will also contain cannabis.” – Somewhere, Tommy Hart is smiling.

A wheelchair-bound teen who went viral after his photographer uncle shared a photo of him standing for the flag is in the news again, as a veteran-owned company who saw the photo has stepped forward to gift him with a standing wheelchair. Take that Kaepernick.

 RIP Carol Brady/Florence Henderson. Not RIP Fidel.

 What do I know but I thought the comeback player of the year went to a player that came back from an injury, not back from a year where he just sucked.

Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill turned a “hat trick” last Sunday night when he scored a receiving, rushing and kick return touchdowns. The last player to do that was Gale Sayers in 1965.

And in golf… Michael Plumlee, 27, of Denton, was one of four men putting on the 16th hole at the Indian Greek Golf Course in Carrollton when another group of men hit their ball onto the green at the same time. Plumlee threw the ball off the green as the second group was approaching. According to police, witnesses said that Kevin Sivilay hit Plumlee in the back of the head with a golf club. The Dallas Morning News reported that Plumlee fell to the ground and briefly lost consciousness. Sivilay allegedly continued his assault, hitting Plumlee a couple of more times while he was laying on the ground. According to KTVT-TV, Plumlee broke several ribs and suffered a brain injury. The 42-year-old was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and police said more charges could be coming. How is it that I find a small bit of humor in that??

Earlier this week, Claude Julien coached his 727th game for the Bruins, moving him past Milt Schmidt and into sole possession of second place on the franchise list behind Art Ross (772).

A lot of noise about the Brazilian soccer players killed in a recent plan crash. I get it, but there were other people killed in the crash too. Little news on them. As an aside, DTK, major sports leagues have contingencies for such disasters? I never woulda thunk it but they do. Some are very involved, some are not. Here’s the NBA’s rule – A team that lost five or more players would select unprotected players from other franchises in a disaster draft. (not making this up)

So I was on the bus yesterday when a woman (blonde) sitting next to me began to sob. She was reading a newspaper and the headline read “11 Brazilian soccer players killed in plane crash.” I tried to console her but it was no good. She said, “This is unbelievable!” Then she turned to me and asked, very genuinely, “Do you know how many are in a brazilian??”

That’s all I got. Good night everybody!

Briefly.

Thank a vet. If you are reading this and are a vet, thanks.

I missed last Friday and some of this is old news but I’m keeping it in regardless. A little more lengthy than normal. I hope you don’t mind…

Headline of the week – “Is holding in your poop at work bad for your health?”

Jose Fernandez, the Miami Marlins ace who was tragically killed in a boating accident on Sept. 25, was posthumously honored on Wednesday night at the 25th Annual Players Choice Awards. In a bittersweet moment, Fernandez was announced as the National League Comeback Player of the Year for the 2016 season. Fernandez, 24, went 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA, 2.30 FIP, 1.12 WHIP and an NL-best 12.5 K/9 ratio in 29 starts this past season. He made only 11 starts in the 2015 season after returning from Tommy John surgery.

In case you were wondering, Bill “Spaceman” Lee got 2.81% of the vote in Vermont’s Gubernatorial race.

“The party’s over:The politically themed Bud Light Party campaign starring Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer, which debuted during the Super Bowl, has proven to be a major disappointment by failing to reverse declining sales trends. Anheuser-Busch InBev reported that Bud Light sales to retailers fell by “mid-single digits” in the third quarter, during which the brand lost 0.65 points of market share.” Let me tell you something from mere observation. The Baldi did NOT contribute to the declining sales!!

The word is that Draft Kings & FanDuel are discussing a merger, though neither will acknowledge.

And there you have it. Mookie is an MVP finalist, Ortiz is not.

Speaking of Mookie, he wins a Gold Glove and isn’t even the best outfielder on his team.

“Massachusetts voters approved marijuana legalization along some unlikely lines. The ballot measure’s “No” votes largely centered in Boston’s outlying suburbs. The city’s most urban areas tended to support the initiative, as did the state’s most rural ones; voters in western Massachusetts were overwhelmingly pro-pot.” – Why is this not surprising??

Speaking of the Red Sox, they open at home next season on April 3rd vs. the Pirates. Also, the Cubbies come to town April 28-30.

I really like what ESPN is doing on Monday nights by having Chris Berman in studio with different guests each week. Last Monday, because the Bills were in town, Jim Kelly was his guest. He welcomes past players from one of the teams playing each week. You may not like Chris Berman in certain arenas but he does a great job here.

The Raiders were flagged 23 times (two) Sunday’s ago breaking an NFL record that stood since 1944 and had been tied twice. Not only that but they also had three penalties declined and one offset.

The Cleveland Browns are 0-9. They have now lost 12 in a row going back to last year, have dropped 19 of 20 and are 3-27 in its past 30. They are the first team since the 1964 Broncos to allow at least 25 points in their first 9 games. In a fitting tribute, fans in the end zone (two) Sundays ago, held up three bed sheets spelling out DAWG POUND, only the sheets were in the wrong order and spelled out GPODAWUND?

This week’s sign of the apocalypse – Olexander Turin, a Ukranian, was amongst 7 people who changed their name to iPhone Sim. A local electronics store offered to give away an Iphone 7, retailing at $850, for anyone who changed their name. Olexander paid $2 for the name change.

There were 156 golfers at last weekend’s PGA tournament, the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. However, due to the waning hours of daylight this time of year, a couple dozen golfers were supposed to have been lopped off the field. Though no one is clear why, there was a miscommunication that allowed all 156 to play. One of those who should not have been playing, Rod Pampling, won the tournament and took home the $1.2M prize!

The Steelers offensive (pun intended) drives on Sunday. Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, halftime, punt, interception, punt, blocked punt (TD). The Steelers had more penalty yards (70) than total yards at halftime.

Headline of the week part deux – “Melissa fell in love with Lisa  – then discovered she was her Mom”

Brad Stevens just can’t get the Celts to play defense. What’s up with that?

So voters can change their minds in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In Wisconsin you can change your vote up to three times. The deadline was the Thursday before the election.

Back to the Raiders game last Sunday. Derek Carr not only smashed the franchise record for passing yards in a game (513 – he broke the record of 427 held by the immortal Cotton Davidson), he also joined Y.A. Tittle (1962) and Ben Roethlisberger (2014) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 500+ yards, 4 TD’s and zero interceptions in a single game.

Thank the Lord for Tuukka. Where would the Bruins be without him?!?!

The tributes keep coming for David “Big Papi” Ortiz. JetBlue announced over the weekend it will dedicate Gate 34 in Logan International Airport’s Terminal C to the newly retired Red Sox slugger. Ortiz recently starred in a series of ads for JetBlue. The name and design for the gate have not yet been finalized.

Philip Rivers’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in the first quarter of San Diego’s 43-35 win over Tennessee was the 81st time they’ve connected, the most in NFL history between a quarterback and a tight end. It was also the 108th career TD catch for Gates, leaving him three shy of matching Tony Gonzalez’s NFL record for a tight end. Does anyone else think a local guy will break both records in due time??

Chiefs running back Knile Davis played after re-signing with Kansas City on Saturday. Davis was traded to Green Bay three weeks ago, cut after two games and signed with the New York Jets. He was cut again hours later when New York agreed to terms with C.J. Spiller, allowing Davis to return to Kansas City.

These next two points are as close as I get to political mention:

Hillary Clinton delivered what could be the last political speech of her life on Wednesday and the color she wore was seen as very significant. For her concession speech, Clinton wore a purple shirt and a blazer with purple lapels, while Bill Clinton wore a purple tie. But DYK, purple—halfway between red and blue—is considered the color of American bipartisanship and many commentators praised the color choice as a graceful way to emphasize her message of unity.

Shares in Israeli firm Magal Security System, which helped build the wall around Gaza and many other barriers around the world, jumped around 6% Wednesday in the wake of Donald Trump’s surprise election victory.

Good night everybody!

“Who would believe you were a beauty indeed
When the days get shorter and the nights get long
Lie awake when the rain comes
Nobody will know, when you’re old
When you’re old, nobody will know”

 

 

Briefly:

If you were forced to pick, who goes to the HOF – A-Rod or Pete Rose? Easy one for me.

The Celtics paid tribute to cancer-stricken reporter, Craig Sager. After a recent practice and before speaking with reporters, coaches and players put on multi-colored spotted shirts, symbolic of the bright and colorful suits only Sager could wear. The team then took a picture and shouted the words “Sager Strong!” to a camera for the purpose of sending get-well wishes to the man who has become an institution on NBA sidelines over his long and successful career. Sager’s son, Craig Jr. helped save Sager’s life as he was a match for the bone marrow transplant needed to push Sager into remission in 2014. But in March, doctors had told him that he had 3–6 months to live without treatment. On July 29, Sager underwent bone marrow surgery.

Losing to the Canadians will always suck.

What is all this about Kyle Schwarber?? Ya, I get it. He is fun to watch, but most everyone is up in arms that he is not fit to play the outfield and that in itself completely changes the Cubbies’ lineup. Ya, it changes it to the lineup that won more games than any other team and scored the second most runs. As Aaron Rodgers would say, “relax!”.

Can/Will Marcus Smart take the next step?

Trivia: Which country is credited with being the founder of Halloween? Spain, Ireland, Russia or Transylvania? Answer below.

I like Sean McDonough, always have. I think he does a great job on MNF and good for him. He’s earned it. But really, talk about a face for radio! Something just doesn’t look right when I see him and Gruden on the set together.

Did you happen to catch the singing of the National Anthem of Game 6 of the NLCS? The guy’s name is john Vincent and can he hold a note! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3JjggR33WA

The Pats are going to need Gostowski and he has to shake this thing he’s got going on.

I’m speechless. Bill Cosby has registered with a state commission for the blind in Massachusetts and is legally blind. His lawyers now say that he cannot possibly defend himself against a claim that he sexually assaulted  someone he supposedly met once, half a century ago, when he cannot recognize the person. From a lawyer’s perspective, I guess, brilliant!

Arnold Schwarzenegger would have entered the 2016 presidential race if he could have. “If I’d been born in America, I would’ve run”. Just imagine.

Speaking of Kyle Schwarber, how can a guy be medically cleared to bat and run the bases but not be fit to run down a fly ball?

The Bruins are 3-4 and Bruins Nation is getting very impatient.

Kids today see the Bo Jackson commercial (Kia Sorrento) but I imagine very few know that he was arguably the greatest athlete of all time. Some quick facts on Bo: As a senior at Auburn, he rushed for 1,786 yards at a 6.4 yards per carry clip (4, 200 yard games) and scored 17 TDs. As a junior he hit .401 with 17 homers and 43 RBI in 42 games. He qualified both as a freshman and sophomore in the 60-yard dash at the NCAA indoor nationals. He was drafted in the MLB draft in 1982 (in high school), 1985 and 1986. He was the number 1 pick in the 1986 NFL draft (Tampa Bay). Though it was measured by hand and is now not recognized as the fastest ever, Bo ran the then fastest 40-yard dash ever at the NFL scouting combine (4.12 seconds). Bo knows.

Great to see Katherine Tappan continue to move up. I can’t recall which network she is working with but is on the NFL sideline now. Great to see her moving up but great to see her period. If you know what I mean.

I rarely watch exhibition games in any sport and didn’t see all but about two minutes of Jaylen Brown this preseason. Then I saw him in the Celtics opener. Short return but the guy looks like the deal!

Old news (two weeks or so) but rookie Austin Matthews scored four goals in Toronto’s opener, his first NHL game. But DYK, Wayne Gretzky scored 4 goals in a game just once in his entire career?
Development firm Related Beal closed Friday on its purchase from Boston University of nine buildings in Kenmore Square, including the six-story building that houses the iconic Citgo sign. Related paid about $140 million, according to a source familiar with the deal, for the collection of older office buildings with storefronts along Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue. They also acquired control of the famous sign, for which Citgo leases space atop 660 Beacon St. It’s an icon that could yet become a bit of a headache. The Boston Landmarks Commission appears poised to declare the half-century-old sign an official city landmark, which could hinder development on the site. Members of the commission are hammering out details — such as how high the sign can be and if it could be moved slightly — and a final vote is likely early next year.

Trivia answer – Ireland

Good night everybody!

“But now it’s getting late
And the moon is climbing high
I want to celebrate
See it shinin’ in your eye

Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon.”

Thursday night football – brilliant! (but that game last night blew!)

I haven’t come close to getting over the Sox.

Did you see Adrian Gonzales get thrown out at the plate the other night? He still insists he was safe. Regardless, social media is all over him because of his lack of speed. A couple good ones I heard on ESPN radio: “Gonzales is so slow, he actually looks faster on slow-motion replay.” And – “Adrian Gonzales is so slow, he was rounding third during Vin Scully’s first broadcast.”

Not only is Bill Lee running for Governor or Vermont, the ballot reads – BILL “SPACEMAN” LEE – Liberty Union. But did you know, in 1988 Lee ran for president … on the Canadian Rhinoceros Party’s ticket, best known for promising to repeal the law of gravity.

From the unbelievable dept, a Texas youth football team’s season ended early after backlash grew over the team’s decision to take a knee during the National Anthem. The Bay Area Football League reportedly chose to end the Beaumont Bulls’ season after determining they did not have enough players to compete. The team—comprised of 11 and 12-year-old boys—followed in the footsteps of Colin Kaepernick, staging a protest during its Sept. 10 game. It was said that head coach Rah-Rah Barber singled out and pressured players who chose not to kneel. Upset players and parents stopped showing up to practices and games, dropping the number of players on the team from more than 20 to 15.

The Bruins look good but really, was Tuukka too tired to play in game #2?

Edie Simms – a 102-year-old St. Louis woman, was taken into custody by local police, but it was only so she could cross off “getting arrested” from her bucket list. True story.

In case you didn’t hear, Bob Dylan – Noble prize recipient, in literature. After taking nearly a week to acknowledge the award, Dylan then removed reference to his winning the award from his web site. Huh?

Can’t get enough of Big Papi? These are excerpts from an article I read. Great stuff! David Ortiz’s fame has been built on some of the most important hits in the history of the Boston Red Sox, one of the most storied franchises in professional sports in the United States. But saving lives is one of the most important and least recognized aspects in the career of the star from the Dominican Republic, who is affectionately known as “Big Papi.” His numbers and accomplishments have taken a back seat in the player’s order of priorities since February 2005, when he decided to create the David Ortiz Children’s Fund with the sole purpose of saving children with heart problems. “I want to be remembered not as someone who just looked after himself, but as someone who tried to do his bit to make a difference,” Ortiz told ESPNDeportes.com. “There’s no hit, achievement, title or award that can compare with the enormous satisfaction of giving a child their smile back.” Since it was founded, the David Ortiz Children’s Fund has raised nearly $3 million and funded heart surgery for hundreds of children from the Dominican Republic and the New England area. The majority of these children come from families without resources or access to the medical services needed to save their lives. Last year, in which 70 children underwent surgery, a Dominican hospital named its pediatric department after Ortiz, and the newspaper Diario Libre named him Man of the Year. During the final weekend of this year’s regular season in Boston, the Red Sox presented him with a number of gifts, including donating $1 million to his fund. “God has given me much more than I deserve and the most logical way of thanking him is by helping others. Acting as a channel to help save lives and bring joy to children and their families,” Ortiz said. “There can be no greater happiness.”

For my fellow sleep apnea sufferers… Mike Napoli partly credits his recent success to November 2014 surgery at Mass General to address his sleep apnea. He says it not only helped to maximize his power but also bettered his life. For those of thinking you should get the same surgery, said Napoli: “It was an 8 1⁄2 hour surgery, I was in the ICU for 2 1⁄2 days. I couldn’t work out for three months.” BTW, I love his pizza!

Tim Tebow, now just doing it all, was credited with comforting a fan who was having a seizure during a game Tebow was playing in. He went over to the guy, prayed and talked college football with him. He stayed with him for 15-20 minutes. Nice.

Yesterday I “celebrated” 30 years with John Hancock/Wellpoint/Anthem. Now I’m OK with my age, my kids’ ages, how long I’ve been married… but 30 years at the same company? That hurts.

Speaking of insurance, today’s sign of the apocalypse: MetLife has rebranded itself and in doing so dropped Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang. The insurance firm is “opting for a more simple identity” with the tagline “MetLife. Navigating life together”.

I’m not rooting for the Cubs and not rooting for Tito. Not rooting for anyone. What’s wrong with that?

Speaking of the Bruins, what a great goal scored by Bergeron last night off a great feed from Marchard. You gotta look it up.

That’s all I got. Good night everybody!

“Leaves are falling all around,
It’s time I was on my way.
Thanks to you I’m much obliged
For such a pleasant stay.”