Blog

Briefly. 

Love fiercely. Forgive quickly. Hug the ones you love tightly. Our time together is limited. 

Trivia #1: On May 13, 2013 the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in OT in the first-round of the playoffs. The game was chosen as the NHL’s game of the decade. Midway through the third period Toronto was leading 4-1 before their complete collapse. Boston’s Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron all scored to send the game into overtime. Who scored the game-winner?

Trivia #2: How far is one light-year? – 1 trillion miles, 27 million miles, 88 billion miles, 47 trillion miles, 400 billion miles, 6 trillion miles

Trivia #3: In what year were Cheetos introduced? 1938, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1962

Trivia #4: Give me the top five in most PGA tour wins, bonus for getting them in order. 

Dustin Pedroia, 13-year career, former ROY, MVP, 4-time All Star, played on three championship teams, hit over .300 in 2007 & 2013 regular season, four-time Gold Glover. True gamer. I’m going to miss him. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Cheetos has given a name to the cheesy residue left on your fingers after eating a bag of Cheetos – Cheetle. 

I should really man-up and acknowledge both Eli Manning and Derek Jeter. 

Thanks for teaching me the meaning of plethora – it means a lot. 

The NHL all-star game means as much to me as the NFL Pro Bowl. If I’m in front of the TV during the skills competition, I will watch that, unless of course my wife doesn’t want to…. 

Headline of the Week: “Jessica Simpson realized she had to stop drinking after she was unable to dress her kids on Halloween.” 

People often stop me in the street, never, and asked “Ed, do you happen to know whether Tim Tebow has had sex yet?” Well, apparently he either already has or will soon. Tebow recently married 2017 Miss South Africa’s Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and prior to that had preached a life of celibacy. Got get ‘em Timmy Boy! 

Myth: Coronavirus is a hangover from drinking too many Coronas. 

So the Zion Williamson era has finally begun. Media threw out all his stats from his Wednesday night debut and I’ll admit they were impressive, but no one focused on the fact that his team lost. 

I hate it when people get all intellectual and talk about Mozart while they’ve never even seen one of his paintings. 

Try to keep up… Here is what the Patriots got (and are still getting) in exchange for Jimmy Garapolo (after a dozen trades over two years) – LB Christian Sam, DB Joejuan Williams, RB Damien Harris, QB Jarrett Stidham, 2020 fourth-round pick from Chicago, 2020 sixth-round pick from Denver. 

R.I.P. Terry Jones (77) – Monty Python founder and scholar. Was once quoted as saying, “’We will destroy terrorism’ is about as meaningful as saying ‘We shall annihilate mockery’”

R.I.P. Jimmy ‘Pork’ ‘Mac’ McCarthy (57) – Husband, father, friend. A good friend, taken much too soon. 

Trivia #1 answer: On May 13, 2013 the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in OT in the first-round of the playoffs. The game was chosen as the NHL’s game of the decade. Midway through the third period Toronto was leading 4-1 before their complete collapse. Boston’s Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron all scored to send the game into overtime. Who scored the game-winner?

Trivia #2 answer: How far is one light-year? – 1 trillion miles, 27 million miles, 88 billion miles, 47 trillion miles, 400 billion miles, 6 trillion miles – 6 trillion miles

Trivia #3 answer: In what year were Cheetos introduced? 1938, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1962 – 1948

Trivia #4: Give me the top five in most PGA tour wins, bonus for getting them in order. – Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer 

“Ma, take this badge off of me
I can’t use it any more
It’s getting too dark, too dark to see
Feels like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door” 

– Eric Clapton

 

Briefly.

“And the meek shall inherit the earth.” 

Trivia #1: Name the three rock bands that have the most consecutive gold or platinum albums. Bonus if you get them in order.

Trivia #2: Who is Iago?

Trivia #3: What is the PGA record for highest score on a par-4? Bonus, who holds the record?

Trivia #4: Who was drafted in the 7^th round of the 1977 NBA draft? – Tony Dorsett, Bruce Jenner, Lee Trevino, Larry Bird, Don Hasselbeck, Mike Marcoux 

“Well I get home at five o’clock and I take myself out a nice, cold beer.” 

Motivation, you’re doing it wrong (or are you?) – LSU football coach Ed Orgeron suffered a cut on his head after punching himself in the face trying to get his Tigers pumped up during practice. 

Back to Australia… The Victorian government’s advice as Australia’s wildfires raged on was to “minimize the time spent in smoky conditions” and “avoid exercise” – both tough to do if you’re competing outdoors in the Australian Open. But that’s what players were forced to contend with Monday during the tennis tourney at Melbourne Park. Slovenia’s Dalila Jakupovic had to quit her qualifier after smoke sent her to her knees in a coughing fit (had never had breathing issues in the past), Aussie player Bernard Tomic had to call a medical timeout and use an inhaler and an exhibition match with Russia’s Maria Sharapova was called off. 

“Run like the wind as excitement shivers up and down my spine” 

Funniest thing I read all week: FlightPath – the first unbreakable golf tee scientifically proven to drive your balls straighter and farther. (a golf tee, ya right)

I am bothered by the sign stealing scandal in so many ways. Sox fans, stop feeling bad for Alex Cora. He’s a cheater. If he never came to the Sox and stayed with Houston you would be all over him. And ban him from the game for life, I say. Pete Rose beat me to the punch but sign stealing is worse than gambling. Knowing what pitch is coming is a tremendous advantage and certainly can directly affect a game. Ask yourself this: If the same scandal arose back when Rose got caught cheating would there be a similar penalty? Conversely, if gambling came up for the first time last week would the person(s) involved have been banned for life? Let’s have a beer and discuss further, shall we? 

“We only stop for the best” 

If you can’t laugh at yourself call me, I will. 

I hate NHL shootouts. The Bruins are now 0-7 in shootouts this season. If you haven’t seen Brad Marchand’s final attempt on Monday night, look it up. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A deaf man has reportedly filed a lawsuit against a popular adult video website (Pornhub) for alleged rights violations because he says it doesn’t provide closed captioning on its videos. 

Hmmm. Difficult one. Go Titans???? 

“I will choose a path that’s clear, I will choose freewill” 

Hat’s off to local law enforcement. On my way home from work this past Wednesday, I heard an Amber Alert on the radio. An 11-year old girl, who was walking home from school, was seen being forced into a car in Springfield, MA. I got home and saw the same alert on TV and then got the same alert on my phone! Alas, the car was spotted on the Mass Turnpike by several people and the girl was rescued, unharmed, while the dirtbag who abducted her was taken into custody. Amber Alert, a system that works! 

Today is the official start of, “I’ll pay you back when I get my taxes” season. 

“You can be the captain, I will draw the chart, sailing into destiny, closer to the heart” 

Good problem to have – the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium ran out of fireworks last Sunday because the team scored so many touchdowns. They typically fire them off after each score. 

“Live for yourself… there’s no one else more worth living for” 

Quote for the week: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

R.I.P. Neil Peart (67) – Drummer and lyricist for the rock band “Rush”, after a battle with brain cancer, who also authored numerous books. Said Peart: “I set out to never betray the values that a 16-year old had, to never sell out, to never bow to the man. A compromise is what I can never accept.” DYK – Neil Peart’s hero was the Who’s Keith Moon.

R.I.P. Grace Rett (20) – Poor kid. Grace, a College of the Holy Cross rower, was killed in a team van crash in FL on Wednesday, the day after her 20^th birthday. From Dec. 19 to Dec. 21, she set a world record for her age group for longest continual indoor row, logging 237.55 miles on an erg machine in 62 hours and 3 seconds. Poor kid. 

Trivia #1 answer: Name the three rock bands that have the most consecutive gold or platinum albums. Bonus if you get them in order. – The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Rush – (disclaimer: I did see different lists out there but this was at least one of them so I’m going with it)

Trivia #2 answer: Who is Iago? – “Who is Iago?” was the answer to the final Jeopardy question correctly given by Ken Jennings propelling him to the title of “The Greatest of All Time.” The question? “He has 272 speeches, the most by a non-title character in a Shakespeare tragedy.”

Trivia #3 answer: What is the PGA record for highest score on a par-4? Bonus, who holds the record? – 16, held by Kevin Na on the ninth hole at the Valero Texas Open in 2011.

Trivia #4: Who was drafted in the 7^th round of the 1977 NBA draft? – Tony Dorsett, Bruce Jenner, Lee Trevino, Larry Bird, Don Hasselbeck – Bruce Jenner 

“You can tell me that I got no class
Look around, you’ll see who’s laughing last
Don’t give me speeches ‘cause they’re oh so droll
Leave me alone, let me rock and roll” 

– Rush (but you already knew that, didn’t you?)

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: What is taphophobia?

Trivia #2: In the Super Bowl era, a top 2 offense has faced a top 2 defense seven times in playoff games. Who is the only top-two offense to win such a game? 

The fires in Australia are beyond belief. More than 17.9 acres have been burned across Australia’s six states – an area larger than Belgium and Denmark combined. 27 people have died including several volunteer firefighters. A conservative estimate has about half a billion animals affected with millions likely dead. The number of total animals affected could be as high as one billion nationwide, according to ecologists. More than 2,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged and the smoke is so bad in Sydney that air quality measured 11 times the “hazardous” level. Forgive me as I go on, dry lightning was responsible for starting a number of fires though police have also charged 183 people for fire-related offenses since November. In December, fires in Victoria’s East Gippsland region traveled 12.4 miles in just five hours. 

Jason Garrett, what took so long? 

Congratulations, you’re doing it wrong. A New Jersey man had arranged to set off fireworks outside of an indoor rock-climbing facility in Howell Township, to coincide with a marriage proposal his friend was planning. However, the fireworks were mistaken for gunfire, the facility was evacuated and the man was charged with disorderly conduct. 

Tom Brady still has 30 career playoff wins which is more than 27 other NFL franchises. Just sayin’. 

Speaking of Tom Brady, a report came out that Brady played this season with both an elbow injury and a foot injury. Please, save it, will ya? The “average” NHL player plays through everything from broken bones to lacerated arteries and bullet wounds to lost limbs. Brady played “hurt?” Please! 

Save the Spinners!!!! 

Capital punishment, just say “yes!” 27 year-old Trevor Rowe of Texas picked up his girlfriend’s 10-month old daughter from her mother’s home, crammer her into a backpack and left her on the front passenger floorboard while he went to work. During his lunchbreak he found her “lightly crying but breathing”, put her back into the backpack, placed her in the trunk and went back to work. He didn’t return until 5 p.m. and found she had stopped breathing. She died and he was arrested for capital murder. 

The Celtics’ Kemba Walker was given a technical foul Wednesday night for using profanity towards a referee in response to a call he disagreed with. He continued to use profanity and, per rule, was ejected. Said Walker “I mean, it’s the first time I’ve been ejected in my whole life. I am a two-time sportsmanship award winner as well. So maybe I should get a little leeway.” – And there you have it. Today’s professional athlete, above and beyond the rest. 

Marcus Smart, as I’ve said in the past, is a true “gamer.” But Marcus, don’t push your offense. Play your shutdown defense and let your offense come to you. You ain’t that good pushing the ball up the court. 

Borden Dairy Co. filed for bankruptcy, becoming the second major U.S. milk seller to do so in two months as competitive pressures, declining consumption and falling profits made its debt load unsustainable. A boom on dairy alternatives like soy, rice and nut milk, along with prices for raw milk have put the squeeze on Borden and others. 

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: 2020 American League rankings: Red Sox out of playoff picture 

In more than 6,500 episodes of Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White has never worn the same the same gown twice. 

If Julian Edelman doesn’t one day suffer from the effects of CTE, I will be shocked. The guy can take a hit and he takes many. 

Definition of “pizza” | verb – As in, “no one out pizzas the hut.” 

The #1 UConn women’s hoop team had their 98-game home winning streak snapped last night by #6 Baylor. 

Are Ford pickups falling behind? First, GMC comes out with the new-age tailgate, then Chevy unveils the camera that sees “through” the trailer. What has the F-150 introduced lately? Still, the F-150 is the leading seller of pickups in America. 

People often stop me in the streets and ask; “Ed, what ever happened to Ryan Westmoreland?” OK, no one has ever asked me that but Westmoreland, the #1 prospect of the Red Sox and 21^st-ranked player in all of minor league baseball just 10 years ago, then had a five-hour operation to remove a cavernous malformation on his brain stem. Now, 10 years later, Ryan will be back on the field as an assistant coach on Bob Prince’s staff at UMass Dartmouth. Good for him, the twice-named NH Gatorade Player of the Year at Portsmouth High School. 

R.I.P. Buck Henry (89) – Noted Hollywood screenwriter was co-creator (with Mel Brooks) of “Get Smart”, wrote “The Graduate” and hosted SNL several times. Speaking of Get Smart – the “shoe phone” and “cone of silence” – just two examples of pure genius! 

Trivia #1 answer: What is taphophobia? – The fear of being mistaken for dead and then sealed in a coffin and buried in a grave. (You knew that, right?)

Trivia #2 answer: In the Super Bowl era, a top 2 offense has faced a top 2 defense seven times in playoff games. Who is the only top-two offense to win such a game? – The San Francisco 49ers over the Dallas Cowboys in the 1994 NFC Championship.

“In the shuffling madness
Of the locomotive breath
Runs the all-time loser
Headlong to his death

Oh, he feels the piston scraping
Steam breaking on his brow
Old Charlie stole the handle
And the train – it won’t stop going
No way to slow down”

– Jethro Tull

Briefly. 

Trivia: Of the following NFL teams, which two are not in the top five in all time playoff appearances? – Green Bay, Giants, Patriots, Steelers, Cowboys, 49ers, Rams 

The Chicago White Sox yesterday signed outfielder Luis Robert to a 6-year, $50 million deal. With all the big signings recently and over the years why do I mention this? Luis is the first player ever signed to such a big deal having never played in the majors. Last year between Class A, Double-A and Triple-A he hit .328 with 32 homeruns, 92 RBIs, 108 runs and 36 stolen bases. 

Predictions by researchers at Harvard University paint a grim picture on health in the U.S.: A decade from now, roughly half of U.S. adults will be obese with nearly one-quarter severely so. 

Doing your job, too well? Louise Wilkinson was refused a bottle of Harveys Bristol Cram Sherry that her grandson had arranged to be delivered to her U.K. home. The Amazon driver refused to give her the bottle because she did not have an ID. Louise is 92 years old and does not own a driver’s license or passport. 

Atlanta Falcons’ right tackle Ty Sambrailo caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan last Sunday. It was the longest touchdown play of by a player weighing 300 pounds or more and the 7^th such touchdown in the league this season. 

Red Lobster recently revealed its new drink, the “Drink-a-tizer”, just in time for National Hangover Day, January 1^st. The bloody mary includes a lobster claw, a shrimp and one of Red Lobster’s famous cheddar biscuits. I’m sorry, but if I’m hungover the last thing I want is anything to do with fish. 

Pass the scalpel, you’re doing it wrong. A 66-year old Romanian with pancreatic cancer was treated by surgeons with an alcohol-based disinfectant before using an electric scalpel that caused combustion. The patient ignited like a torch, suffered burns to 40 percent of her body and died a week later. 

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Eli Manning last Sunday wearing a wool hat, standing in the pouring rain and looking miserable. 

Jamison Winston threw a pick-six on the last play of the Bucs/Falcons game last Sunday solidifying his place in history as the only NFL QB with 30 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions in a single season. Not only that, but the interception pushed the game point total over the number. Thank you Jamison!

Will the Bruins please show up in OT!

The other day I yelled into a colander and strained my voice. 

A guy I want in my foxhole, Marcus Smart. 

Winning fixes a lot of things. Just listen to coaches who are interviewed after a game, any sport. The winning coaches are so respectful while the losing coaches just want to get the hell out of there (or bitch about the refs/umps) 

R.I.P. Former Yankees’ pitcher Don Larsen (90) – Among Larsen’s accomplishments he was knocked out in the second inning of game 2 of the ’56 World Series and two years before that was 3-21 with Baltimore. Hey, he was a yankee. What did you expect me to write?

R.I.P. Don Imus (79) – His broadcasting career went from 1971-2018 while being known as the original “shock jock.” As political analyst Jeff Greenfield once remarked: “He’s out there talking the way most of us talk when we’re not in public.” In 1999, Imus and his wife Deirdre founded the Imus Ranch where each summer kids with cancer could enjoy the outdoors.

R.I.P. David Stern (77) – 30-year NBA commissioner, led the charge in transforming the league into a period of greatest. 

Trivia answer: Of the following teams, which two are not in the top five in all time playoff appearances? – Green Bay, Giants, Patriots, Steelers, Cowboys, 49ers, Rams – Cowboys (33), Green Bay (32), Giants (32), Steelers (31), Rams (29)… Patriots (26) and 49ers (26) are tied for 9^th place with two other teams. 

“There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
‘Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie”

-David Bowie

Briefly. (not so much for the end-of-the-year addition) 

Trivia #1: What are the first names of the Griswolds’ neighbors in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?

Trivia #2: What two players are tied for the most kick returns for touchdowns in their NFL career (8)?

Trivia #3: In what city is the Sun Bowl played? 

Quote of the week: Analyst Booger MacFarland on MNF: “… he has great balance and football awareness.” WTF is football awareness? Is that like being in a bar and having “beer awareness?” 

I didn’t know that former NFL running back Eric Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, nor do I care. He just brings to mind one of my favorite, all-time Chris Berman nicknames – Eric “Sleeping With” Bieniemy.  

In non-news the UCONN Huskie’s women’s basketball team is ranked number one. 

Last night the Dallas Maverick’s started the fourth quarter by shooting 7-12 from the 3-point line. They didn’t attempt their first 2-point shot of the quarter until there was 4:07 remaining. 

Six NFL players weighing at least 300 lbs. have caught a touchdown this season. 

The Oakland Raiders can make the playoffs if they beat Denver on Sunday and Houston beats the Titans and Baltimore beats the Pittsburgh and the Colts beat the Jaguars. 

Oakland’s Derek Carr has never won a week 17 game. 

Mariah Carey has made over $60 million in royalties alone from her song “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” 

A new study may have found a solution to gaining weight during the holidays (that doesn’t involve depriving yourself of Christmas treats). Scientists at the University of Illinois say that consuming coffee can limit weight gain and cholesterol production, even while eating a diet high in fat and sugar. Trust me, these scientists have never had morning coffee at my house on Christmas Day! 

If you notice, 2019 backwards is 9021. If you take away the 0 and the 2 you’ll have 91. It doesn’t mean anything but thanks for reading. 

Line of the week: “The Cowboys fall to 0-2 vs. jets in 2019.” – The NFL Network’s Rich Eisen after the Cowboys’ chartered plane was deemed “not viable” and the team was stuck in Philadelphia for a few extra hours last Sunday. 

And on the 8^th day God created RedZone. 

Story I refuse to read: The top celebrity breakups of 2019. 

If you’re a relative of Dallas Cowboy head coach Jason Garrett what do you say to him on Christmas Day just a few days after another nationally televised embarrassment against the Eagles? 

Michael Thomas broke the single season receiving record with one game to go. Impressive. Everyone knows he’s getting the ball, and he does just that. 

The Buccaneers’ Jameis Winston can become the first player ever with 30 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions in one season. He is currently at 31 TDs and 28 picks.

Who can argue that the best part of Christmas morning is bacon? 

Trivia #1 answer: What are the first names of the Griswolds’ neighbors in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? – Todd & Margo

Trivia #2 answer: What two players are tied for the most kick returns for touchdowns in their NFL career (8)? – Josh Cribbs & Leon Washington

Trivia #3 answer: In what city is the Sun Bowl played? – The Sun Bowl is played in El Paso, TX. DYK, El Paso is nicknamed ‘The Sun City’ with an average sunshine of 302 days a year? 

I wish all of you the best year eva in 2020! 

Christmas is over so let’s move on from all that holiday crap music and get back to some rock n roll! 

“Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers says, says
Say it’s true it’s true…
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one” 

– U2

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: Vexillology is the study of what?

Trivia #2: What NBA player has the most assists in a single game (30)? – Bob Cousy, Scott Skiles, John Stockton, Muggsy Bogues, Rajon Rondo, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd

Trivia #3: What is the diameter of a hockey puck? – 2, 3, 4, 5, 3.5 inches? 

Fallon Sherrock became the first female darts player to beat a man at the PDC World Championship on Tuesday at Alexandra Palace in London. 

Word for the week: Flibbertigibbet (flib-er-tee-JIB-ut) – a silly flighty person 

Last night was the first time that two NBA teams squared off before January first and both were 20 or more games above .500 – the Bucks and the Lakers.  

Baseball owners voted to make a major change beginning in the 2020 MLB season, requiring pitchers to face a minimum of three batters or complete a half-inning, a switch pushed by commissioner Rob Manfred with an eye toward quickening the pace of play and shortening the length of games by reducing the number of in-game pitching changes. 

Be careful out there. Police in Florida are warning holiday shoppers this week that scammers have been placing fake barcodes on gift cards in stores. When the card is activated, the money is added to the scammer’s card instead of the card being purchased. Police recommend making sure the barcode on the back of the card matches the number on the packaging itself and they suggested checking for stickers placed over the barcode. Hey, I’m just here to help. 

Hmmmm. Multi-millions of dollars… or smoke a joint? Good choice, Josh Gordon. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Parents and staff at a London primary school are upset after the headmaster changed the lyrics to “Away in a Manger” – “in the name of inclusion and political correctness.” Students must say “little baby” instead of “Lord.” 

Man, if you missed the President’s Cup last weekend you missed some great theater. It was awesome! 

Speaking of golf, it’s so humbling to see a pro pull out his 9 iron from 180 yards out. 

Of the S&P 1500, Netflix has been the second best performing stock of the past decade advancing 3,909%, Dominos is third at 3,382%. The best? Patrick Industries has risen 4,622% in the past ten years. Because you want to know, Patrick make parts for RVs, manufactured housing and marine industries. 

The average temperature on the continent of Australia was 105.6 degrees on Tuesday, a record. Oh wait, on Wednesday it was 107.4 F. 

You only have a few days left to get into the Christmas spirit. I need help myself. 

If you use a public toilet and need to flush twice, do us all a favor… flush twice. 

So Drew Brees set the regular season record for touchdown passes and they stop the game and honor him. What happens if Brady passes him tomorrow and then Brees takes the lead again on Sunday? Will this celebratory thing go on back-n-forth until one of them retires? 

People often ask me, never, where is Blake Swihart? You may recall, doubtful, Blake was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor leaguer Marcus Wilson in April. He was granted free agency by the Diamondbacks after the season and signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on Monday. The deal also included an invite to major league spring training. 

Quote for the week: “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw 

So much for that Boston-home-teams-not-losing thing. The longest home winning streak now is the Red Sox at one! 

Rick Porcello to the Mets. I’m going to miss him. 

Trivia #1 answer: Vexillology is the study of what? Flags

Trivia #2 answer: What NBA player has the most assists in a single game (30)? – Bob Cousy, Scott Skiles, John Stockton, Muggsy Bogues, Rajon Rondo, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd – Scott Skiles

Trivia #3 answer: What is the diameter of a hockey puck? – 2, 3, 4, 5, 3.5 inches? – 3 inches 

Merry Christmas everybody! Raise your ‘nog and give a toast to life! 

“I love you and you love me
And that’s the way it’s got to be
I loved you from the start
‘Cause Christmas ain’t the time for breaking each other’s hearts

Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight with you”

– The Ramones

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: Of the following, pick the top three Red Sox sluggers who reached double-digit homeruns with the Red Sox the fastest? – George “Boomer” Scott, Michael Chavis, Sam Horn, Lou Merloni, Tony Conigliaro, Fred Lynn, Mo Vaughn

Trivia #2: Last Sunday night, LA Rams wide receiver Robert Woods scored his first touchdown of the season after reaching the 900 yard receiving mark. What NFL receiver had the most receiving yards in one season without scoring a touchdown?

Trivia #3: What is the only infectious disease afflicting humans to be officially eradicated?

Trivia #4: Since 1944-1945, the NHL MVP has been won by a defenseman four times. Name the players, bonus if you can know the years each won it. 

12 days until Christmas but, more importantly, 9 days until the days start getting longer again! 

Great couple of nights for sports on television – Wednesday (Celtics, Bruins, President’s Cup), Thursday (same three plus NFL). Watched all four on Thursday, couldn’t pass up Doc Emrick and the Bruins on Wednesday. 

Tom Brady said it best regarding the bad calls last Sunday: “I think these things, over time, have a way of balancing each other out.” You don’t agree? I give you… The Tuck Rule 

On Tuesday night the Texas Tech men’s basketball team upset then #1 Louisville. That means that next Monday’s #1 ranking will change for the fifth time in seven weeks, which is a record. 

On average, New York yankees’ pitcher Gerrit Cole’s 9-year $324 million contract will pay him approximately $9,200 per pitch. 

Speaking of baseball, Major League Baseball and its players’ union announced Thursday that marijuana will be removed from its list of banned substances and that players will be tested for major opioids, cocaine and other drugs in a new treatment-based approach to drug use. 

Don’t get me going… Dwight “Dewey” Evans should be in the Hall of Fame, losing out last week yet another time. He led the majors in extra-base hits in the 80’s and led the AL in homeruns during that same stretch. He finished in the top 11 in MVP voting over a nine-year span and, at the time of his retirement, was one of 25 all-time with over 10,000 plate appearances and a .825 OPS. All of those 25 players are in the HOF, except Evans. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Prankster-artist Maurizio Cattelan duct-taped a (fresh) banana to a white wall. He has sold two at $120,000 apiece and a third is going for $150,000. 

Russia has been banned from international sporting events for four years, a span that includes the 2022 winter Olympics in Beijing and the 2022 World Cup. The World Anti-Doping Agency imposed the ban on Monday after evidence emerged that Russia dopes its athletes in systematic fashion. Some argue the punishment is not strong enough in that individual Russian athletes can still compete, though they must wear neutral uniforms and won’t hear their national anthem if they win. 

Hey Patriot fans, relax!

Having said that, Lamar Jackson is pretty good.

Belgian child prodigy Laurent Simons (of Belgian and Dutch descent) has dropped out of Eindhoven University of Technology, located in the Netherlands, after school officials refused to let him graduate before the age of 10 – which his family claims he was initially assured he could do. He would have become the first person to graduate college under the age of 10. I find that ironic because I nearly missed out on graduating because I acted as if I was 10! 

Big SNOW ski resort, as part of East Rutherford, New Jersey’s American Dream mega-mall, is open all year long. The resort can make 5,500 tons of snow per day and keeps the facility at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Lift tickets cost $34.99 for a two-hour pass, and packages including equipment rentals cost $69.99. There are hills of all sizes, from beginner to black diamond. 

What is worse, not liking The Godfather or never seeing it? 

Congratulations to family of Nick Cafardo. Nick will be honored posthumously as the 2020 recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, given out since 1962 to recognize sportswriters “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.” 

I do my best proof reading after I hit “send.” 

R.I.P. Carroll Edwin Spinney (85) – A graduate of Acton-Boxborough High School, Spinney played both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. DYK, Big Bird was 8 feet 2 inches tall and Spinney couldn’t see out of the costume. He had to maneuver the giant from inside with hands, wires and a TV monitor strapped to his chest to guide him around studio sets.

R.I.P. Peter Frates (34) – Have to give a shout-out to a guy who has been so influential in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars towards ALS research. The funeral today will be seen nationwide.

R.I.P. John J. Ford (86) – The Plymouth, MN man was born in Buffalo but loved the Minnesota Vikings, in addition to Notre Dame, golf and a “good cigar.” He died during the Vikings’ Dec 2 MNF game against the Seahawks. His obituary read “…passed away surrounded by his family on December 2 after the Vikings allowed 17 unanswered points…”

Trivia #1 answer: Of the following, pick the top three Red Sox sluggers who reached double-digit homeruns with the Red Sox the fastest – George “Boomer” Scott, Michael Chavis, Sam Horn, Lou Merloni, Tony Conigliaro, Fred Lynn, Mo Vaughn – Answer: George “Boomer” Scott (1966), Michael Chavis (2019), Sam Horn (1987)

Trivia #2 answer: Last Sunday night, LA Rams wide receiver Robert Woods scored his first touchdown of the season after reaching the 900 yard receiving mark. What NFL receiver had the most receiving yards in one season without scoring a touchdown? – NY Jets’ Al Toon (963 yards)

Trivia #3 answer: What is the only infectious disease afflicting humans to be officially eradicated? – Smallpox

Trivia #4 answer: Since 1944-1945, the NHL MVP has been won by a defenseman four times. Name the players, bonus if you can site the years they won it. – Bobby Orr (1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72), Chris Pronger (1999-00) 

“Sunny day

Sweeping the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get

How to get to Sesame Street”

Briefly. (for a change) 

Trivia #1: Who is the youngest opposing quarterback to defeat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium?

Trivia #2: Who doesn’t like Goldfish crackers? How many goldfish are considered a single serving?

Trivia #3: Tom Brady had a 13-yard run from scrimmage last Sunday. What is his career long run? 

Incredible, and why they hate us. The four major Boston sports teams have not lost (in regulation) at home in 27 consecutive games. (Bruins – 13, Celtics – 8, Patriots – 5, Red Sox – 1) The last lost was September 28 at Fenway. Last night the Bruins were trailing 3-0 in the third period and came back to tie, only to lose in OT, to keep the streak alive. 

I have CDO. It’s like OCD but all the letters are in alphabetical order, as they should be. 

On December 3, 1979 (40 years ago) 11 people were killed and another two dozen injured when a crowd of thousands lined up for first-come, first-serve tickets began to stampede outside what was previously named the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, OH. The pre-show tragedy was for a Who concert who just this week announced their return to Cincinnati for the first time since that day. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, the remaining original members of the band, said they are still haunted by the tragedy. 

Hilo (HI) High School senior, Keanu Keolanui, kicked a 55-yard field goal on the last play of the game to send his team home winners of the HHSAA Division I State Championship. His kick hit the crossbar and bounced over. The kick tied the high school state record. 

“I’m trying to think…” – Don’t say that. If you are trying to think then you are thinking. You are not trying to think. Got it?!

A week late but… last Sunday the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Jets. Before that win Cat Teams had been 0-15 since November 4 when the black cat ran onto the field during the Cowboys/Giants game (Lions 0-5, Panthers 0-4, Bengals 0-3, Jaguars 0-3)

Quote for the week: “You can’t win a war by digging a hole. You have to attack.” Bill Belichick

Quote for the week part deux: “You make the caption.” – Al Michaels on MNF football while showing the clip of Gronk dancing with the Lakers cheerleaders. Michaels and Collinsworth were both laughing at the time. 

Silence is golden, duct tape is silver. 

I saw where Chris Sale (elbow) has been cleared to start throwing. I tell you what, Chris. It’s December. How about you rest for a little while longer and not start throwing anytime soon? 

R.I.P. John “Jack” Fenlon (78) – my Uncle Jack. Father to 7, grandfather to 16, a great guy. 

Trivia #1 answer: Who is the youngest opposing quarterback to defeat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium? – Colin Kaepernick (25 –years and 43 days old) in 2012. DYK: The Patriots are 41-0 at home since 2001 against opposing quarterbacks 25 years old or younger. (Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes is 23 years, 26 days old) Go Pats!

Trivia #2 answer: Who doesn’t like Goldfish crackers? How many goldfish are considered a single serving? – 55

Trivia #3 answer: Tom Brady had a 13-yard run from scrimmage last Sunday. What is his career long run? – 22 yards in 2006 

“The kids couldn’t hurt Jack
And they tried and tried and tried
And dropped things on his back
And lied and lied and lied and lied

But they couldn’t stop Jack, or the waters lapping
And they couldn’t prevent Jack form feeling happy” 

– The Who

Briefly. 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Having said that, for those of us slobs working for the man, this is the best day off of the year. 

Trivia #1: CT Scan – What does CT stand for?

Trivia #2: What do Mason Rudolph, Matt Ryan and Derek Carr all have on common?

Trivia #3: What does the company Buffalo BottleCraft make?

Trivia #4: What NFL team has the most Thanksgiving Day wins? Which one has the most Thanksgiving Day losses? 

The New England Patriots were 0-3 last year when scoring 17 or fewer points in any game during the regular season. They are 3-0 in such games this season. 

7 foot, 5 inch Celtic Tacko Fall has been recently hanging out at the Boys & Girls Club of Boston’s Charlestown Club. Why? He’s been taking swimming lessons having never learned while growing up in Dakar, Senegal. 

According to a Yahoo Financial analysis, since 1989 Americans have shelled out a staggering $4.12 billion to incarcerate innocent men and women. 

If you can’t be a good example, be a warning. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Washington Redskins’ quarterback Dwayne Haskins missed the final snap (kneel-down) of the Redskins’ victory last Sunday because he was taking selfies with fans. Dude?! You were 13-29 for 156 yards and an interception. It wasn’t you!

This week’s sign of the apocalypse part deux: Tesla has received 200,000 reservations, requiring $100 deposits, within 72 hours after unveiling its Cybertruck. You know, the one whose shatterproof windows were broken during the unveiling. 

I was watching last Friday when Kemba Walker went down. I swore he either had broken his neck or hurt his spine, especially seeing how tightly he was strapped down on the gurney. Glad he’s OK, lucky! 

Me: It’s not how many times you fall, it’s how many times you get back up. Cop: That’s not how field sobriety tests work. 

Call Guinness! 104-year old Florence Teeters bagged her first buck during her first-ever hunting trip. She shot and killed a small “spike” buck with unbranched antlers. Now from my brief research, this buck was likely no more than two years old. That means old Flo killed a creature roughly 102 years younger than she is. That’s gotta be some kind of record! 

The San Francisco 49ers are the first 10-1 team to enter week 13 as an underdog since the 2007 Cowboys. The Cowboys, then 10-1 went on to beat the Green Bay Packers. 

Bobsled. I was intrigued. Who was Bob and how did he get a sled named after him? Not to be as the name is derived from the action some competitors adopted of bobbing back and forth inside their sleds to increase speed.  

I don’t care how professional you are it’s gotta be brutal for Doug Flutie to have covered so many BC/Notre Dame football games, especially when Notre Dame romps as they did last Saturday. 

OK, so it wasn’t exactly a coming-out party but N’Keal Harry did have the game’s only touchdown on a pretty sick-looking catch. 

It’s the holiday season. Don’t forget to turn the bathroom scale back 15 lbs. 

Quote of the week: “That’s a bad white boy. Most skilled white dude in NFL history.” – Carolina Panthers’ defensive lineman, Gerald McCoy on teammate Christian McCaffrey. Now, that maybe very non-PC, and I’m sure more spoken about if vice-versa, but still I completely agree with him.

Quote of the week #2: “Life is better when there are fat people scoring touchdowns.” – Mike Golic Jr. on ESPN Radio

Quote of the week #3: “Banners can’t beat us tonight, the players have to beat us.” – Stephen F. Austin coach Kyle Keller before the Lumberjacks upset win on Duke’s home court on Tuesday night. 

Numbers surrounding Stephen F . Austin’s overtime win over Duke on Tuesday night. ESPN called it the biggest D1 upset in 15 years. Duke was favored by 27.5 points and at one point led by 15 points. It was Duke’s first nonconference loss at home since 2000. 

I read an article about the top causes of memory loss. Surprisingly, 11 beers was not on the list. 

Good thing I/we were born when we were. Most popular names in a recent Nameberry list: For boys – Alva, Acacius, Esaton, Cash, Ash, amongst others. For girls – Adah, Amina, Nova, Mika. 

Trivia #1 answer: CT Scan – What does CT stand for? – Computer tomography

Trivia #2 answer: What do Mason Rudolph, Matt Ryan and Derek Carr all have on common? – All of these starting quarterbacks were benched during their respective games last Sunday.

Trivia #3: What does the company Buffalo BottleCraft make? – They make bottle openers out of golf balls, baseballs and hockey pucks. Really.

Trivia #4: What NFL team has the most Thanksgiving Day wins? Which one has the most Thanksgiving Day losses? – The Detroit Lions have both going 37-38-2. 

“Singing in the sunshine, laughing in the rain
Hitting on the moonshine, rocking in the grain
Got no time to pack my bags, my foot’s outside the door
I got a date, and I can’t be late, for the high hope hailla ball.” 

– Led Zeppelin

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen was named AFC Player of the Week this past week. When was the last time a Buffalo Bills quarterback was so honored?

Trivia #2: On Wednesday night the Dallas Mavericks beat-up on the defending champions Golden State Warriors 142-94. It was the 6^th time this season that the defending champion team did not have one player in the game from last year’s team. When was the last time a defending champion had 6 such games in a season before December 1^st?

Trivia #3: Name the NCAA hockey champions from the past 5 years. Bonus if you get them in order.

Trivia #4: What is Bougainville?

Happy 24th to my son Michael!

The Celtics and Bruins. Up and down but much more up than down. Both fun to watch. 

In the aforementioned Mavs/Warriors game, of the Golden State players who started the game, the best plus/minus for the game was minus 30. Minus 30 was the best! 

The University of Pennsylvania cancelled the remainder of the women’s volleyball team’s season after “offensive, vulgar and disrespectful” posters were discovered in the team’s locker room. (you want to see them, don’t you?) 

Terry Bradshaw, love him or hate him? I love the guy, when he played and now. 

Ever been so drunk you got hit by a parked car? 

Rutgers’ football. If you’re going to lose, at least get the moral victory. The Scarlet Knights didn’t beat #2 Ohio St. last Saturday, but they did cover the 53-point spread while losing 56-21. The 21 points nearly matched the 24 total points Rutgers put up in their previous six Big Ten games combined. 

My wife says I only have two faults. Not listening and something else. 

In last Sunday’s game against Philadelphia, the Patriots’ Julian Edelman had more touchdown passes than Tom Brady. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Elon Musk shows off bulletproof truck… 

You are all invited to the N’Keal Harry breakout party this Sunday at Gillette, 4:25pm on FOX. 

You can check any time you’d like, but you can never leave. 

Sometimes the best deals are those never made. When teams like the Red Sox make horrible signings they are chastised (rightfully?) up and down. Let’s go back and give them credit for releasing Jacoby Ellsbury in 2014. The Yankees signed him to a 7-year, $513M contract. Yesterday they released him and ate more than $26M in the process. Since the beginning of 2014 his WAR ranked 67^th among MLB outfielders. By comparison, Mookie’s WAR in that span was 37.2. 

Speaking of Gronk… I’m such a hater. I’m glad he is not returning to the Pats now that he has donned a L.A. Lakers jersey. I hope his event at the Super Bowl fails miserably. 

Understatement of the year? Tiger Woods’ former mentor Mark O’Meara referred to Woods’ winning three more majors to catch Jack Nicklaus “will be very difficult.” Really? 

I do like using my chainsaw but a good leaf blower isn’t far behind. 

In other worthless news, Carmelo Anthony, we don’t care. 

R.I.P. Fred Cox (80): Former Minnesota Vikings kicker, scored a Minnesota-record 1,365 points in his career, 2^nd all-time at the time. Amazing in that the Vikings played outdoors throughout his career. Cox kicked in 18 postseason games including all four of the team’s Super Bowls, losing them all. DYK, Fred Cox was also co-inventor of the Nerf football. 

Trivia #1 answer: Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen was named AFC Player of the Week this past week. When was the last time a Buffalo Bills quarterback was so honored? – Josh Allen in last season’s finale. Both games were against Miami.

Trivia #2 answer: On Wednesday night the Dallas Mavericks beat-up on the defending champions Golden State Warriors 142-94. It was the 6^th time this season that the defending champion team did not have one player in the game from last year’s team. When was the last time a defending champion had 6 such games before December 1^st? – It has never happened once before December 1^st

Trivia #3 answer: Name the NCAA hockey champions from the past 5 years. Bonus if you get them in order. – Minnesota Duluth (2019, 2018), Denver (2017), North Dakota (2016), Providence (2015)

Trivia #4 answer: What is Bougainville? – Depending on a vote by its Pacific people tomorrow, Bougainville is set to become the world’s newest nation by gaining independence from Papua New Guinea. 

“After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down.
After midnight, we’re gonna chug-a-lug and shout.
We’re gonna stimulate some action
We’re gonna get some satisfaction
We’re gonna find out what it is all about
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down.” 

-Eric Clapton