Author: fasted86

The Red Sox lost.

Briefly.

A little football-heavy today. And they’ll be no clowning around.

The 22 points scored by the Steelers last Sunday night are the most points they have scored in the 1^st quarter since 1940.

The Chargers, along with the 2011 Cowboys, are the first team to blow two 13-pt, 4^th quarter leads within their first 4 games of the season.

Dak Prescott, at 131 pass attempts, is tied with Warren Moon for the second longest streak to start a career without an interception. Brady went 162.

Overall, I’d say I root against Rory McIlroy more than I root for him. Having said that it was great to see Patrick Reed beat him on Sunday.

David Price. This is why you are paid what you are.

OK, so not only do I only know ONE of the Red Sox players’ entrance songs, I’ve only heard of two of the artists listed! (I may have heard of Rihanna but really have no idea). Apparently I need to get out more often. – http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2016/10/boston_red_sox_entrance_music.html#0

What has happened to Andrew Luck?

You know, it’s not always all about us. This past Monday afternoon typhoon Chaba reached super-typhoon status, strengthening to the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane off the coast of China. It weakened before blowing through South Korea and Japan.  Matthew is/was nothing more than a Category 4.

Why do professional teams feel the need to show “unity” during recent national anthems? Just do what you’re supposed to do; stand with your hand over your heart and remain silent, singing along if you prefer.

Speaking of which, did you see the violinist play the anthem before the NL Wild Card game? Pretty impressive and a nice change.

Did you see the interception the guy from Michigan made against Wisconsin last Saturday? Google that one.

In all due respect to the Hillies and their biggest regular season game in a long time, the Sox start at 4:30pm this afternoon. I might be late. The #7 Hillies play #3 Central Catholic. You know, that team that plays in the MVC because they’re ascared to play in the Catholic Conference.

In central China’s Hunan province, the park at Shiyan Lake offers transparent restrooms with glass walls. Now look, I don’t care how good looking she is once she squats down on that toilet, just like you and me, everything goes right out the door.

You can purchase a copy of Papi’s last regular season game scorecard for ONLY $19.95! No thanks. It wasn’t even a good game for him.

The walk-off homerun or the overtime goal? Think about it. Good question. Both awesome and my guess is that the answer is to which sport one likes better than the other??? One difference is that there is a few seconds of suspense/anticipation as the homerun ball is travelling out while the goal is immediate. There is also the trot around the bases followed by the mob scene at the plate, while the goal has the immediate mob scene wherever the goal scorer happens to be on the ice. Tough one but give me the homerun.

Jumping ahead but… Big Papi leading the Sox to a World Series Championship and Brady leading the Pats to a Super Bowl victory would be storybook type things. For the fun of it, let’s throw in a Horford-led NBA title and a Marchand-led Stanley Cup title! Not quite the same but you’re with me…

One of Italy’s most-wanted fugitive mob bosses was arrested after five years on the lam Wednesday when police found him hiding in a home bunker built between the bathroom and his son’s bedroom. Antonio Pelle, 54, crawled out of his hiding place on his stomach to the top of an armoire that had shielded the bunker at his home in southern Reggio Calabria. That musta sucked!

After crushing the opposition by a combined total of 170-0 in its first three games of the season, Archbishop Murphy High School in Washington state won the next three games when their opponents forfeited out of fear of literally being crushed. The Archbishop Murphy team has 6 players over 250 pounds and 3 over 300. Granite Falls High School, the most recent to forfeit, has just one player over 250. Come on! It’s football!

“I have said enough for a lifetime, and for the last time, I wish you a very pleasant good afternoon.” – Vin Scully

“And then one day you find
10 years has gone behind you
No one told you when to run
You missed the starting gun.”

I will try not to make this ALL about the Patriots and Red Sox. I’m not sure why, but I will try.

The Boston Bruins have opened their new hockey rink in the Boston Landing complex along the Massachusetts Turnpike in Brighton. The Bruins will practice at the facility, which is owned and was developed by the real estate branch of sneaker company New Balance.

OK, now back to the Pats and Sox.

It’s so much easier getting out of bed after win(s) like last night than it is after taking a beating, isn’t it?

I can’t stop shaking my head about last night’s dismantling of the Houston Texans. O’Brien, Romeo, Larry Izzo (ST coach) must also be shaking their heads and thinking; “I guess he didn’t teach us everything…”

I know it’s not fair to think ahead but Brady, healthy Gronk (assuming he gets healthy), healthy Hightower, Ninkovich. The future’s so bright, I have to wear shades.

I’ll admit it right here, I’m not (or at least wasn’t) a John Farrell fan. Haters now will argue that the Sox should have about 98 wins instead of their current 89. And of course, if they don’t win it all, he’ll be to blame. Tough crowd. Tough crowd indeed.

Early on the Sox were so fun to watch, but then something happened. It was still fun watching the kids, but the pitching went south and the bats (many of them) went cold. The Sox are again incredibly fun to watch and they are having a blast themselves. Did you see Hanley two nights ago in the dugout during his night of rest? Crackin’ up the entire game. The outfield and the fun they have? Just plain fun… and good.

Happy 50^th anniversary to Star Trek – that’s for you, Sean.

So you think Cy Young’s 511 wins is an unbreakable record? He pitched 749 complete games!

Aside from the few others in the mix, how can you argue Ortiz over Mookie for MVP? That is saying that defense doesn’t matter. Remember, Ortiz sits down for ½ of every game. Put him in the Hall, but he’s not the MVP.

From the article-title-of-the-week department – California Clamps Down on Cow Farts.

Nice job John Tortorella with the US World Cup hockey team. It was your team. You get the blame. 0-3 in the prelims. Let the NHL season begin!

Can I get a quarter-keg with that?? – Starting this month, Google parent Alphabet will be running a weeks-long experiment called Project Wing, in which drones will deliver burritos from Chipotle Mexican Grill to students at Virginia Tech. Part of the aim is to test how well the packaging protects the food. The Federal Aviation Administration–approved experiment could lead to more routine drone deliveries.

Yaaaaa-hooooo! Not!

You know I couldn’t/can’t stand Peyton. And don’t talk about the “respect” bullshit (are you listening Jeter and Mariano?). However, I think the “Peyton on Sunday morning” shtick is hilarious.

R.I.P. Mrs. Accardi – a great lady, a fighter, a beautiful woman.

And finally – http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/09/12/crazy-eddie-retail-chain-owner-eddie-antar-dead-at-68.html

“Oh, it’s a long, long while
From May to December
But the days grow short
When you reach September
When the autumn weather
Turns the leaves to flame
One hasn’t got time
For the waiting game”

Briefly:

Your 1^st place Boston Red Sox!

The Killer B’s (Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley Jr.) are due to go on a collective tear. Can’t wait.

Did you catch the Ortiz tribute the other night in San Dingo? (I know, I do hate “The Tour” but bear with me). Don Orsillo “I’ve had the privilege of calling his 100th 200th 300th 400 & 500th homeruns. Welcome David Ortiz!” Great to see Orsillo. What a mistake NESN made letting him go. Unfortunately, we  have found Dave O’Brien to be a better man on the radio. Also, did you catch the surfboard Ortiz was presented? A near-life size Papi on the board with other designs. Pretty cool.

Great to watch a little pro football last night, wasn’t it? And great to see Cam Newton go down in defeat once again. I’m a hater, yes.

Great to see college football get underway last weekend too. What a weekend for upsets!

Did you catch the tribute by Nebraska for their deceased punter? In short, he was killed a couple of months ago in a car crash returning from a “punting camp”. During their first game against Fresno St., Nebraska went three-and-out and lined up to punt, only to send out 10 players. They stood there as the clock ticked down and took the delay-of-game penalty. Fresno St subsequently declined the penalty as 90,000 fans roared. Tears all around. Pretty cool.

UMass can beat BC tomorrow. Just watch.

The Yankees are making a move. Good! Let their fans get all excited. They will then watch the Red Sox throughout the playoffs and all we will hear is “Ya, wait until next year. We’re gonna be great!”

A recent study out of Michigan St showed that men who have sex at least weekly have more than double the chance of suffering a heart attack, while women who had sex that frequently were proven to be healthier than those women who had sex less frequently. Now if both of those findings don’t motivate your significant other to have sex more often nothing will!

Back to football, I really can’t wait to see the Pats defense in action on Sunday. (Sunday night! What a drag for us early risers) Regardless, a win over Arizona would be great for Patriots Nation. Carson Palmer is coming off a playoff disaster. Can he rebound? I think all Garopollo needs to do is limit the turnovers. The rest will take care of itself. (what a homer!)

I have some green grass in my yard!

A couple of historic baseball happenings this past Wednesday:

Pat Venditte. A switch-pitcher, briefly transferred to Canada before returning this week with the Seattle Mariners. The Texas Rangers Ryan Rua and Rougned Odor welcomed him back with back-to-back homeruns on Wednesday. The oddity is that Rua’s came off the switch-pitcher’s left arm and Odor’s off his right. As far as records show, he is the first pitcher to give up homers with both arms in a game.

After 4 years in independent ball, Stephen Cardullo got an early birthday present last weekend when he was called up by the Colorado Rockies. Thanks to a rainout, there was a doubleheader on his actual birthday on Wednesday, and he homered in both games. The second was a grand slam, making him the first player to hit home runs on his birthday, with one being a grand slam, since Mike Sweeney in 2004. More amazingly, Cardullo became the first player in over 75 years to hit a birthday homer within his first four major-league games.

The Seattle Seahawks plan to have a “pregame demonstration of unity” on day (9/11) in light of Kaepernick’s protest. Good for them. I’m sure other venues will have similar tributes, one way or another.

My cardiologist tells me that their hospital is going to shatter the record (in New England anyway) for heart transplants in a year. They have already done 15% more than the previous record with 3 months to go. The main reason? The high volume of opioid-related deaths have made so many more hearts available. Sad, sad state of affairs.

Sorry but no basketball or pucks today. It’s all about Opening Day football and the MLB pennant races nowadays.

And finally, for all you Warren Zevon fans:

“Hurry home early – hurry on home,

Boom Boom Mancini’s fighting Bobby Chacon”

In this Nov. 14, 1984 file photo, WBA lightweight champ Ray Mancini, right, gives challenger Bobby Chacon a hug after defeating him in a title fight at Reno, Nev. Chacon, a Hall of Fame boxer, died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, under hospice care for dementia in Lake Elsinore, Calif. He was 64.

Good night everybody!

Briefly;

The Celtics play on Christmas day. It’s about time the NBA woke up and got them back on the schedule.

Say what you want about off-the-field Gronk but this past week he was named recipient of the Ron Burton Community Service Award, named after the first player drafted by the Pats and a man revered for his community service. They don’t just give that award to anyone. It’s part of “being Gronk”.

So this stooge on ESPN (I say “stooge” because come on, really, there all stooges) has Yoan Moncada with the following projection – .300/.380/.550, 20-25 HR, 40-45 SB – not too shabby

Oh, you had a good week did you?? Dustin Pedroia’s week – 12 for 17 with 3 homeruns and a double.

DYK – tomorrow, Sept. 3^rd is International Bacon Day. If you’re in the area, check out the San Jose Bacon Festival of America. That event starts at noon on Sept. 3 and lasts until 7 PM the following evening. Tickets are $9.99 online or $15 at the door for the fourth annual event.

Tomorrow is also the umpteenth annual Archambault/Conte Golf Extravaganza at Bradford Country Club. For a great cause, drop by for a hotdog, beer and help support a tremendous event! Registration/hotdogs/bar begins at 11am at the Baldi.

I don’t get into politics here but I can’t wait for the first presidential debate. Will easily be the most watched in history.

Teddy Bridgewater – what a shame. Nice guy and was slated to have a great season.

Top football days, ranked:

1. First Sunday of the season
2. Super Bowl
3. Whenever Tom Brady unveils a new haircut

The best one I heard – Brady looks like a middle aged soccer mom after a workout.

Hermine. What the $%^& kind of a name is that?

College football. Enjoy the weekend!

If you didn’t know how to correctly pronounce Deutsche, you never could.

In case you’re not paying attention, after this 6-game trip to the left coast, the Red Sox last 23 games are against AL East opponents. 23

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” – Willy Wonka (R.I.P. Gene Wilder)

Much of this stuff I just hear/read/observe. Then again I do look at today’s headlines. I just came across this one: Why the type of underwear you wear matters to your vagina. Hmmm.

The following  has been going around social media. I’ve seen a couple of variations but any version is a classic.

A buddy of mine has two tickets for the 2017 Super bowl. Box seats plus airfares, accommodation etc. Unfortunately he didn’t realize when he bought them that the game is the same day as his wedding – so he can’t go.   If you’re interested and want to go instead of him, it’s at St Peter’s Church in New York City at 5 pm. Her name’s Louise.  She will be the one in the white dress.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

“Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn”

A-Rod, A-hole, whatever.

I am so uninterested that last night I flipped from an A-Rod at-bat to watch a men’s 200M Freestyle semi-final, with no Americans in it!

His last at-bat he hit a dribbler to the pitcher with the bases loaded. Thrown out at first on the fielder’s choice, he got the RBI and actually got high-fived by some of his teammates.

From Joe Castiglione, referring to the Yankees and A-Rod; “They are like the Kadashians of Major League Baseball.”

A-Rod, A-hole, whatever.

So Ichiro got his 3,000^th hit. Good for him. He has the most hits in professional baseball history, not MLB history. So shut-up Pete. BTW, he played 9 seasons in Japan. That’s 25 total. Wow!

I admit I don’t get out much and had never heard of “cupping”? Maybe you already knew of the technique? Gross, I think – http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/08/08/is-cupping-safe-whats-behind-those-red-marks-on-olympians-bodies.html

Now I ain’t no NAZCAR fan but that is too bad about Bryan Clauson. Died from injuries suffered in a crash at age 27. (Look, I don’t know whether it’s NAZCAR or not but as far as I’m concerned anything to do with car racing is NAZCAR. Ya, I know it’s not a “Z”. Thanks.)

The Williams sisters lost their first ever Olympic doubles match, in the first round. DOH!

I read a headline on Wednesday – Ray Allen has contacted Celtics about a potential comeback.

Good to listen to a little bit of Vin Scully last weekend. Saw a pretty cool exchange between him and Ortiz. And good to see Nomar too.

Say what you want but I think Coach K has an easy job over in Rio. If he blows it, he blows it.

R.I.P. John Saunders (ESPN). He was good on The Sports Reporters. 30 years with ESPN. I bet not many can say that.

In other baseball news, the Salem Red Sox had 19 hits in three straight games last week. It’s true. 36 runs on 57 hits. Incredible.

Last Sunday’s cancellation of the NFL HOF game cost the Hall about $4M. The NFL should give the Hall at least that much. Embarrassing.

Benintendi. Hey, always exciting when a young kid gets his first chance, first hit, first RBI, etc. Let’s see how things play out. I’m rooting for him. (tough play last night though. Jeez!)

It’s hot out there folks. Force the fluids!

R.I.P. #2, Mr. Dick Riley. My buddy’s Dad for those who didn’t know him. Good guy.

“Like the way it gets me every time it hits me,
I’ve got a rock and roll, I’ve got a rock and roll heart.”

Trivia: What do the rings on the Olympic flag represent? Seven continents of the world, five primary colors, seven primary colors, five continents of the world? Tricky. Answer below.

27 of the 30 major league baseball teams made some sort of trade in the month of July and then, on August 1^st, another 18 trades went down.

In 2013 Peter Chiarelli, then Bruins GM, hired Keith Gretzky (Wayne’s younger brother) as the Director of Amateur Scouting. Chiarelli, now Edmonton’s GM, has hired Gretzky as an assistant GM.

Kevin Faulk, Patriots’ hall of famer. Yes he is.

Unless the “Top 5” (or is it Top 7???) start winning more tournaments, especially more majors, the PGA will continue to miss Tiger Woods.

So Ozzy has a sex addiction. Who doesn’t?? His wife Sharon, by the way, is “proud that he has come out and admitted it finally.” Are you sh#$%ing me!?

So let me get this straight. Josh Gordon, who has been suspended for 2 games in 2013, 11 games in 2014, all 16 games in 2016 and the first 4 games this season, is able to practice with the team and Tom Brady isn’t. Really?

You don’t think Kraft is bullshit about Brady’s absence at practice? The Pats had 23,000 or so fans at their open practice. The Packers had over 62,000. Dice it any way you want but it all adds up ($$$).

The AL East is so up for grabs.

I like the opening ceremonies of any Olympics. I’ll be watching tonight. Segue into the 10:05pm start of the Sox.

I’m rooting for Michael Phelps. Good story.

The Seattle Mariners, Ortiz’ first ML team, presented him with 34 lbs. of wild salmon. Now I’m thinking that’s got to be the best gift he’s received.

It took A-Rod 3 years to go from 500 homeruns to 600. It has now been 6 years since his 600^th and he needs 4 more for 700, but he’s not playing. Girardi benched him last night against Bartolo Colon who A-Rod has a career .442 average (and 8 homeruns) against. He appears to be in the doghouse and there is talk the Yanks don’t even want him to reach 700. Oh, my heart goes out.

I’d take Westbrook over Durant. Just sayin’.

Trivia answer: Five continents of the world. North and South America are considered as one continent and Antarctica is not included.

“I’m gonna find my way to heaven cuz I did my time in hell. I wasn’t looking too good but I was feelin’ real well!”

Briefly…

Which is the only nation to have won at least one gold medal at every Olympic Summer Games – China, Germany, United States or Great Britain? Answer below.

Mick Jagger turned 73 years old on Tuesday and yes, he’s an expecting with his 29-year old wife. Mick!

Tim Duncan is a class act all the way. And I say that not just because he has announced his retirement after the season. No farewell tour.  Atta boy!

Speaking of which, I had to sit through “the tour” last night in LA. Pretty weak tribute I must say.

I like Matt Damon. I really do. However, he was on the Rich Eisen Show the other night and said David Ortiz is the greatest Red Sox ever. Really?

R.I.P. Denny Green – “They are who we thought they were!” – classic rant.

This just in, Hanley is a first baseman. All the haters can say now is; “Ya, but Sandoval still sux!”

Read this on Facebook, hilarious. Along with the picture of the “Most Interesting Man in the World” – I don’t always roll a joint, but when I do, it’s my ankle.

The Patriots have their first exhibition game two weeks from yesterday.

Kathy and I had lunch at The Cask last Sunday before the game. I kinda shed a tear when my feet stuck to the floor in the back. (not quite as much as they use to stick to the floor at Who’s on First but it was nonetheless moving.)

I feel I owe it to you Puckheads to have at least one headline so here it is – The Lightning re-signed Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year contract.

Trivia answer – Great Britain

And speaking of R.I.P. – Thoughts and prayers to the Lynch family. For those of you who didn’t know Mike “Bruiser” Lynch, he was top notch.

Happy 49^th tomorrow to brother John.

“Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did.”

I watched a little of the Sox Wed. night on ESPN instead of NESN. Never found out who the color man was but he had a great line while the Sox were in the midst of their 5-run, 3^rd inning and already were up 8-0. He said “Dave Righetti has already made so many trips to the mound that they’re going to have to re-sod the grass.”

DYK – Dave Righetti has been the Giants’ pitching coach since 2000? That’s a long time!

Is it me or does Drew Pomeranz have a little Baby Huey to him?

For those of us who couldn’t pull away from Stensen/Mickelson last Sunday – that was fun (for a while).

Now you know I’m not a NAZCAR fan by any means but I think what Jeff Gordon is doing is pretty cool.

Did you see Julien Edelman taking BP at Fenway? What a swing! (yes, he put at least one out over the Monstah)

Speaking of the Pats, Gronk is OUT OF HIS MIND! Just sayin’.

I’m making my first appearance this season at Fenway on Sunday. Do they still serve hotdogs and beer? (and peanuts. Gotta have peanuts)

As a public service – to all my daily fantasy fans who will soon be traveling to Saratoga on any of the upcoming weekends remember, no games in NY. Make sure you get your lineup(s) in before crossing the border. Nothing worse than taking the time to put your team together and then going to enter the contest only to be denied due to your location.

When are the Celtics going to make THAT trade?

So Haverhill Country Club lost upwards of 70 trees in this past week’s storm/microburst. (I heard the number is closer to 200) As one man put it, “Damn, fewer places to piss.” Now that’s a guy I can roll with!

Speaking of which, too bad we got some rain. Now I might have to mow the lawn in a couple of weeks.

The SF Giants have not won a game in Boston since 1915.

I’ve heard of a chicken coop, but Turkey??? (Roseann Roseannadanna could have run with that)

The baseballs are definitely juiced this year. Not only are the numbers up, but some of these guys (many) are hitting bombs! So what?!?! Would you prefer fewer homeruns?

“Dying all the time. Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind. In life unkind.”