Blog

Briefly. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Briefly. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thought I was going Stones, didn’t you?

Briefly. 

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

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

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

And bad mistakes, I’ve made a few. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good night everybody!

Briefly. 

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

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

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

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

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

Play ball!

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

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

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

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

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

Broken crayons still color. 

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

SaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahWeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet 16! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Briefly. (OK, a little wordy) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Briefly. 

Let’s get ShamGronkd! 

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

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

I find great pleasure in watching snow melt. 

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

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

Paid University. 

Championship week! Did I already mention college hoops? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trivia #2 answer: Kansas

Briefly.

You do realize that daylight savings is ridiculous, right?

Trivia #1: Who was Christopher Pallies?

Trivia #2: From February 3, 2001 through February 25, 2019, which school has been ranked in the AP poll (men’s college hoops) for 199 consecutive pools? No multiple choice!

Is it me or is Zdeno Chara’s stick 9 feet long?

Last Saturday night the Bruins and Devils played nearly 7 ½ minutes without a stoppage in play. DYK the longest such stretch in the NHL is 14:24 and it came just after the first 39 seconds of the game? Capitals/Penguins Mar 11, 2011.

How about a good story? Sisters Caroline (5) and Leia (8) of Humboldt county in northern California were told “no” when they told their mother they wanted to go for a walk. They then disappeared and were found 44 hours later in the woods in what was described as “rugged terrain with extreme conditions.” The girls reportedly were dehydrated, cold, but well. It was also reported that survival training the girls got with their local 4-H club helped keep them “safe and sound.”

No sweat! 6-6, 260-pound edge rusher out of Mississippi State, Montez Sweat, ran a 4.41 in 40 at the NFL Combine on Sunday. His time would have been eighth-best among all wide receivers at this year’s combine and only one running back ran faster.

In 2017, Bud Light led all other beers in US sales at $5,658,343,137. In a distance second was Coors Light at $2,362,787,374. Leading non-light beers was Budweiser at $1,969,795,178. Here comes the king, here comes the big #1.

Trivia question #2 hint: It’s not U Maine.

Headline of the week: “Billionaire diamond trader dies during penis enhancement procedure”

I just really do not know what to say about the Jekyll and Hyde Celtics.

“Hey, watch this!” – A Texas man died after he injured himself while reportedly sliding down an apartment stairwell while helping a friend move.

So the Sox’ Steven Wright denies purposely taking PEDs? Ya, and I think he denied beating his wife a couple of years ago. Get rid of the bum!

Speaking of Steven Wright… I have a microwave fireplace. I can sit in front of the fire all night long in eight minutes!

Southern California’s Santa Anita Park postponed horse racing indefinitely Tuesday so experts could study its dirt surface following the deaths of 21 horses since the Arcadia CA., track’s winter meet began Dec. 26.

You have to wonder about the thought process of some. An Air Force major’s wife went missing on Friday, March 1^st. After a search of his home police found an ax, shovel, heavy duty trash bags, two five-gallon jugs of gasoline and a portable burn barrel, all purchased the day after the wife went missing. The torn up receipt was also found in the home. Dude!

If you can do anything in life, be kind, be respectful. Both will get you places in life. (at least that’s what someone told me…)

R.I.P. – King Kong Bundy (61) , former WWE legend

Cheap plug: If you’re really bored this weekend, hop online and bid on something – qtego.net/qlink/bgc2019annualcelebration

Trivia #1 answer: Who was Christopher Pallies? – King Kong Bundy

Trivia #2 answer: From February 3, 2001 through February 25, 2019, which school has been ranked in the AP poll (men’s college hoops) for 199 consecutive polls? No multiple choice!

“When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go?
Straight down the Mississippi River, to the Gulf of Mexico
To Lake Charles Louisiana, little Bessie, girl that I once knew
She told me just to come by, if there’s anything she could do”

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: What was the first television show to be captioned for deaf viewers? – The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, The French Chef, All in the Family, The Lawrence Welk Show?

Trivia #2: Dwayne Wade hit a buzzer beater to beat the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Combined, how many career, game-ending buzzer beaters do the Warriors’ Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have?

Trivia #3: What is the nickname of Edinboro University (Edinboro, Pennsylvania)? 

First discovered by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858, Wallace’s giant bee – or Megachile pluto – is as long as a human thumb and has a 2 ½ inch wingspan (nearly 4 times the size of a European honey bee). On January 25, one was sighted in Indonesia for the first time in 38 years. 

Charlie Coyle, good for him! Last week he was traded to his hometown team, the Bruins. A lifelong dream of his. 

Speaking of the Bruins, great win last night, completely shutting down the best offense in hockey. Can they do it in a 7-game series? I don’t know but I hope so! 

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 

A complaint was filed with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association against former Green Bay Packers coach, Mike McCarthy. McCarthy launched into a “verbal tirade” against a high school basketball referee this week after his stepson’s team lost by one point, according to the report. Dude. 

The temperature did not reach 70 degrees in downtown Los Angeles for all of February for the first time in 132 years. 

I know you have been wondering so… Hanley Ramirez signed a minor league deal with the Indians. DYK that a report surfaced in June 2018 that Ramirez was in some way connected to a federal and state investigation involving a drug ring operating out of Lawrence, MA. He was unexpectedly released by the Red Sox just a few weeks earlier.

CC Sabathia. Another one announcing his retirement at this coming season’s end. Get ready for yet another farewell tour. Please, honor me in my last series in your ballpark. Shower me with gifts. Tell me I’m great. What a buffoon. 

So I have always thought the word “buffoon” to be attributed to a male. I don’t know, just me. Is there a female equivalent of a buffoon? 

DOH! The team manager for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball team forgot to pack the uniforms for the Crimson Hawks Athletic Conference Western Division title game. Host Edinboro University lent the team their old uniforms before losing to them 87-59.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A University of Wisconsin fraternity was suspended by the school after pledges were forced to wear ‘Dora the Explorer’ backpacks because the requirement is equivalent to hazing.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse, part deux: A vegan bride made the decision to disinvite any wedding guest who did not adopt a vegan lifestyle permanently. The disinvited guests included her mother and two cousins, who were set to be bridesmaids. The bride wrote “…some family members were told they are not invited to my wedding because we don’t want to host murderers.” 

From 8:30am last Thursday til 3:00am on Friday, the city of Baltimore saw 14 shootings, 5 of them fatal. 

Belated R.I.P. to Boston Globe beat writer Nick Cafardo (62) – Nick dropped dead from an embolism outside of the Red Sox clubhouse in Ft. Myers. There are some great reads out there of what a great guy (and writer )he was. Another one, too early. 

Trivia #1 answer: What was the first television show to be captioned for deaf viewers? – The Mary Tyler Moore show, M*A*S*H, The French Chef, All in the Family, The Lawrence Welk Show? – The French Chef

Trivia #2 answer: Dwayne Wade hit a buzzer beater to beat the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Combined, how many game-ending buzzer beaters do the Warriors’ Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have?  – Zero

Trivia #3 answer: What is the nickname of Edinboro University (Edinboro, Pennsylvania)? – The Fighting Scots 

“Maybe I’ll be there to shake your hand
Maybe I’ll be there to share the land
That they’ll be giving away
When we all live together, talkin’ ‘bout together , now”

Briefly. 

February. It’s the shortest month but often seems like the longest. (especially to us northern folks) 

Trivia #1: In 1975, the Red Sox’ Jim Rice finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and third in the MVP voting. The Sox’ Fred Lynn won both. Who came in second in the MVP voting?

Trivia #2: How did  the “Teddy Bear” get its name?

Trivia #3: Who was the only president to be a bachelor his whole life? Grover Cleveland, James Polk, Calvin Coolidge, James Buchanan, Richard Sprague? 

Where have all the “Bobs” gone in MLB? Over the last 20 years, there have been only five Bobs to debut in the big leagues, and none since 2008. Of the more than 19,400 players in MLB history, 561 (2.9%) have had the given name Robert, and more than half of those have officially gone by ‘Bob.’ It appears that sometime during the 1970’s, Robs began appearing. There are dozens and dozens Robs, Robbys and Bobbys currently in the minors but no Bobs (zero) to be found. 

Throw-in trivia: Who was the first Major Leaguer to go by the name ‘Rob?’ 

Great Celtics game last night, tough loss. Hey Kyrie, tuck in your shirt! God, I hate that!

Did you see Duke’s Zion Williamson go down on Wednesday night? Mild knee sprain but what was strange was that his foot blew right through the bottom of his sneaker. What a black eye for Nike! (Nike stock didn’t take the hit people thought it would dropping a mere 1% yesterday on a day where the Dow lost .5%) 

If a thin layer of ice covered the pavement and the pavement was painted red, would it be black ice or red ice? 

Alex Chu, a freshman lacrosse player from Wheaton College, is six feet tall, 265 lbs. and has a head circumference of above 25 inches. His problem? There is no helmet that fits him so he can’t play. Ya, I know a few guys like that. 

Two backcountry skiers were killed in an avalanche last Saturday in Colorado in an area known as “Death Pass.” The Colorado Avalanche Information Center had issued a special avalanche advisory on Twitter for parts of the region due to “several powerful storms” impacting Colorado through the weekend. In the past decade, the agency has said that February has been the most dangerous month for avalanches in the state. OK, backcountry skiers are a rare breed, I get it but “avalanche advisory”, “most dangerous month” and “Death Pass?” Ya, I ain’t going. 

Trivia #1 hint: He played for the Kansas City Royals.

Throw-in trivia hint: The left-hander debuted in 1965 

Northeastern, so? The Sox start today. 

The locals here know of a hockey rink in Lawrence, in the heart of the Merrimack Valley, called the ‘Valley Forum.’ I was thinking, what a great name for the hockey rink. 

In a related story. 60 Minutes. What a lazy name for a television program. That guy should have been fired. 

While I do like the yellow first down line in football, I think the red streak tracking a golf ball is even better. 

I saw a list of the 25 greatest voices in rock ‘n roll history. The Who’s Roger Daltry was not listed. I immediately dismissed the entire list. 

The new football league, the AAF, airs on the NFL Network. Go figure! 

Trivia #1 answer: In 1975, the Red Sox’ Jim Rice finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and third in the MVP voting. The Sox’ Fred Lynn won both. Who came in second in the MVP voting? – Kansas City’s John Mayberry

Trivia #2 answer: How did  the “Teddy Bear” get its name? Theodore Roosevelt in 1903

Trivia #3 answer: Who was the only president to be a bachelor his whole life? Grover Cleveland, James Polk, Calvin Coolidge, James Buchanan, Richard Sprague? – James Buchanan

Throw-in trivia answer: Who was the first Major Leaguer to go by the name ‘Rob?’ – Richard Frank “Rob” Gardner 

“So I’m sailing for tomorrow my dreams are a dyin’
And my love is anchor tied to you with a silver chain
I have my ship and all her flags are a flyin’
She is all I have left and music is her name”