Blog

Briefly. 

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen looks terrible as he continues his fight against cancer. Poor guy. 

Great theatre last night with the Celtics, Sox and the NFL draft going on at the same time. Really, what do fans in other areas of our Nation do?? 

For the first time in history, 4 quarterbacks were selected out of the top 10 picks of the NFL draft. Guaranteed, at least two of those teams will regret that pick. 

Speaking of which: Trivia #1: Which NFL team had the most top 3 picks in the last 15 years?
Trivia #2: Who was last the last player chosen in the top 5 of the NFL draft who did not come from an FBS school (Football Bowl Subdivision) and what school did he play for? 

Obviously, I haven’t been paying attention. The Baltimore Ravens drafted, with the 25^th pick overall, stud tight end Hayden Hurst out of South Carolina. Hurst joins a receiving corps of, here’s where I’m not paying attention, Michael Crabtree (Oakland), John Brown (Arizona) and Willie Snead (New Orleans). 

Florida fisherman, Joel Singletary, pulled a record-setting 120 lb. catfish from the Choctawhatchee River. The previous record was just under 70 pounds! But hold on! Because he caught the beast on his trotline the catch does not qualify and the record does not stand. Doh! 

If spring has sprung, are we now to go out and enjoy the sprang? 

Rene Rancourt has been singing the National Anthem at Bruins games for 41 years and is (finally) retiring. DYK: Rene got his big break in 1977 when the singer for the day at Fenway Park called in sick and Rene was called upon. He did such a good job that the Bruins called the next day. 

BTW, Rene said part of the reason he is retiring is to spend more time with his wife. Dude! You sing a couple few times a week for what, two and a half minutes!?!? 

For those of you who let yourselves follow and suffer through the entire Gronk saga, you are never getting that time back… 

Sometimes, like last night, teams are so overmatched by Craig Kimbrel it’s comical. 

Because you’re dying to know… A trotline is a heavy fishing line with baited hooks in intervals by means of branch lines called snoods. (You’re welcome, Wilbur) 

Trivia #1 answer: Which NFKL team had the most top 3 picks in the last 15 years? The Cleveland Browns had 6 top 3 picks (the Lions had 5). And look at them now…

Trivia #2 answer: Who was last the last player chosen in the top 5 of the NFL draft that did not come from an FBS school (Football Bowl Subdivision) and what school did he play for? Steve McNair (#3 overall) out of Alcorn State. 

“You been tellin’ me you’re a genius
Since you were seventeen
In all the time I’ve known you
I still don’t know what you mean
The weekend at the college
Didn’t turn out like you planned
The things that pass for knowledge
I can’t understand”

Briefly. 

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen looks terrible as he continues his fight against cancer. Poor guy. 

Great theatre last night with the Celtics, Sox and the NFL draft going on at the same time. Really, what do fans in other areas of our Nation do?? 

For the first time in history, 4 quarterbacks were selected out of the top 10 picks of the NFL draft. Guaranteed, at least two of those teams will regret that pick. 

Speaking of which: Trivia #1: Which NFL team had the most top 3 picks in the last 15 years?
Trivia #2: Who was last the last player chosen in the top 5 of the NFL draft who did not come from an FBS school (Football Bowl Subdivision) and what school did he play for? 

Obviously, I haven’t been paying attention. The Baltimore Ravens drafted, with the 25^th pick overall, stud tight end Hayden Hurst out of South Carolina. Hurst joins a receiving corps of, here’s where I’m not paying attention, Michael Crabtree (Oakland), John Brown (Arizona) and Willie Snead (New Orleans). 

Florida fisherman, Joel Singletary, pulled a record-setting 120 lb. catfish from the Choctawhatchee River. The previous record was just under 70 pounds! But hold on! Because he caught the beast on his trotline the catch does not qualify and the record does not stand. Doh! 

If spring has sprung, are we now to go out and enjoy the sprang? 

Rene Rancourt has been singing the National Anthem at Bruins games for 41 years and is (finally) retiring. DYK: Rene got his big break in 1977 when the singer for the day at Fenway Park called in sick and Rene was called upon. He did such a good job that the Bruins called the next day. 

BTW, Rene said part of the reason he is retiring is to spend more time with his wife. Dude! You sing a couple few times a week for what, two and a half minutes!?!? 

For those of you who let yourselves follow and suffer through the entire Gronk saga, you are never getting that time back… 

Sometimes, like last night, teams are so overmatched by Craig Kimbrel it’s comical. 

Because you’re dying to know… A trotline is a heavy fishing line with baited hooks in intervals by means of branch lines called snoods. (You’re welcome, Wilbur) 

Trivia #1 answer: Which NFKL team had the most top 3 picks in the last 15 years? The Cleveland Browns had 6 top 3 picks (the Lions had 5). And look at them now…

Trivia #2 answer: Who was last the last player chosen in the top 5 of the NFL draft that did not come from an FBS school (Football Bowl Subdivision) and what school did he play for? Steve McNair (#3 overall) out of Alcorn State. 

“You been tellin’ me you’re a genius
Since you were seventeen
In all the time I’ve known you
I still don’t know what you mean
The weekend at the college
Didn’t turn out like you planned
The things that pass for knowledge
I can’t understand”

Briefly. 

The Red Sox are on pace to win 144 games this season. 

Trivia: What two MLB teams have finished a season with a winning percentage above .700 (since the beginning of the 162-game schedule)? 

So an American woman won the Boston Marathon. Hey, what about the woman who came in second, Sarah Sellers, a virtual unknown? The 26-year old had no sponsors and had only run one marathon before, in Utah in September, to qualify for Boston. How did she do in that race? She not only won it but she set a course record! She said the $75,000 prize for her second place finish will go towards her and her husband’s student loans. 

MLB played a game in Puerto Rico last week and native Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians spent the day visiting his old school and mucking it up with the kids there. He later hit the go ahead homerun for the Indians with his friends and family in attendance. Good stuff! 

BTW, Puerto Rico lost power again! Not only that, some people have not had their power restored since Hurricane Maria. Think about that the next time you lose power and bitch about not being able to have a bag of microwave popcorn. 

The Bruins’ David Pastrnak became just the 3^rdBruin to ever get 6 points in a playoff game as he did this past Saturday night. The other two? Espo and Nifty. He is also the youngest player in NHL history to do beating out the Great One. 

Did you catch what the NBA is doing with replay? They showed a play and stopped it at a certain point. Kenny Smith then seemingly walked onto the court to explain the play and what was happening next. Wicked cool! 

The Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL franchise to sweep a playoff series in their inaugural season. They are now co-favorites to win the Cup. Go Bruins! 

Rusney Castillo leads all PawSox hitters in hits, RBIs and runs. 

A little talk this week suggesting a 142-game MLB season instead 162 such that the season can start later into the spring. Brilliant, I say! 

44 year-old, 397 lb. Bartolo Colon pitched a perfect game into the 8^th inning this past Sunday, against the reigning champion Houston Astros. 

Besides, Mookie Betts, the only other Red Sox player to hit three homeruns in a game three times in his career is Ted Williams. Teddy Ballgame did it in 2,238 career games. Mookie has done it in 523. Mookie also joined Ralph Kiner and Boog Powell for the most three-homer games before age 25. 

Bertucci’s has filed for bankruptcy. I was never a fan. 

Hats off to Whittier VoTech baseball coach, and all-around good guy, Joe Boland who got his 300^th win this past week. What a game too as his starting pitcher went the distance striking out 17! Way to go, Joe! 

OF Kevin Kiermaier is arguably the Tampa Bay Rays best player. On Sunday he tore a ligament sliding into second base and will miss 12-13 weeks after surgery. In 2017 he fractured his right hip after awkwardly sliding into first base and missed 61 games. In 2016 he broke his left wrist diving for a ball and missed 48 games. He also missed time in 2012 when, in the minor leagues, he fractured both hands. Dude! 

Quote of the week: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee 

Jack Edwards took a well-deserved shot at the NBA the other night when he said, noting the shutting off and on of the lights in Toronto before the game; “Enough with the lights. This isn’t the NBA!” 

Speaking of Jack Edwards, he likes to say “rings the iron!” I guess I’m old-school because I prefer “hit the post!” 

Difficult week for deaths. My apologies for not listing everyone.
R.I.P. Barbara Bush (92). Just the second woman to be both a wife and mother to a U.S. President. (No, she did not marry her son!) DYK: Babs was also a distant relative of Franklin Pierce, our 14^th president.
R.I.P. Bruno Sammartino (82). WWF (not WWE) champion for a record 11 years reigning from ’63-’71 and ’73 to ‘77. Back in a time when wrestling was real! (or at least I liked to believe) Bruno once benched pressed 565 pounds, as an amateur. Bruno was one of the good guys, period. DYK: Bruno once body-slammed Chick Garibaldi in 1961. Garibaldi did not get up and was pronounced dead. He was later said to have suffered a heart attack. Sammartino was stricken with remorse for months. 

Trivia answer: What two MLB teams have finished a season with a winning percentage above .700 (since the beginning of the 162-game schedule)? The 1998 Yankees and the 2001 Seattle Mariners. 

“Well did she make you cry,
Make you break down,
Shatter your illusions of love.
And is it over now,
Do you know how,
Pick the pieces and go home.”

Briefly. 

Trivia #1: Before the season began, what were the Red Sox odds of winning the AL pennant in 1967? 10-1, 25-1, 50-1, 100-1, 500-1

Trivia #2: What was Cy Young’s real name and why “Cy?”

Trivia #3: Who leads the Bruins all-time in game-winning goals in the playoffs? (all you had to do was watch NESN this morning) 

Playoff hockey. 

On April 4, 2000, Red Sox outfielder Darren Lewis became the 13^th different player to start in right field for the Sox on Opening Day for the past thirteen years.

Getting back to the NCAA basketball final. Michigan coach sitting in chair. 

It is really too bad where the Celtics are right now. Even if they are able to pull off a series win, so what. I say next season cannot come soon enough.

The Bruins on the other hand. They can win it, without doubt! (Nice start!) 

My how times have changed. A 17-year old high school student in Florida is facing animal cruelty charges after he bit off the head of a chicken on Saturday in what one official described as a “pretty sadistic” act. Somewhere, Ozzy chuckles. 

Mark McGwire claims he would have ‘definitely’ hit 70 homeruns without PEDs. Well Mark, you didn’t and no one else ever has. Spare us. 

Quote of the week: “It was a 60-minute effort. You can’t ask for much more than that.” – Bruins play-by-play man, Jack Edwards. No Jack, unless the game goes to overtime. 

Trivia #1 answer: The Red Sox odds of winning the pennant in 1967 were 100-1.

Trivia #2 answer: Cy Young real name was Denton True Young. Cy was short for “Cyclone”. The nickname came from fences that he had destroyed with his fastball, because they looked like a cyclone had hit them.

Trivia #3 answer: Who leads the Bruins all-time in game-winning goals in the playoffs? Cam Neely (11) 

Quote of the week: “I love Fenway. I love it in spite of all the things about it I hate.” – Stephen King 

“You say your mum ain’t home,

It ain’t my concern

Just play with me and you won’t get burned

I have only one itching desire

Let me stand next to your fire”

Briefly.

Trivia #1: The Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez made his 10th consecutive Opening Day start yesterday. That made him just the 7th pitcher in MLB history with 10 or more consecutive Opening Day starts. Name the other six. (hint below)

Trivia #2: What Red Sox player was on the opening day roster for the entire 1970’s, yet never had more than 254 at-bats in one season?

If you see the Red Sox infielders taking off their hats and looking into their caps during the game, it is because they are checking on where to position themselves given a specific situation. Apparently others teams, Astros and Dodgers, are doing the same. They have cue cards, or cheat sheets, inside of their caps. For whatever reason, the outfielders do not partake.

Bob Kraft isn’t worried about Gronk. Why should you be?

The Red Sox payroll is an MLB-high $234,600,428. You think that is a lot? Consider that $61,930,428 of the total is going to players who are not even on the Opening Day roster! That’s more than the entire payroll of the Oakland A’s and Florida Marlins. DYK: The Sox are still paying Manny Ramirez and that he will get a cool $2,003,389 this season.

Nice change of pace last weekend with the match-play golf tournament.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Parkland suspect Nikolas Cruz showered with fan mail, donations.

Giancarlo Stanton has hit fewer than 33 homeruns in three of the past five seasons. 59 again this season? The odds are against.

Brock Holt is 6’3”, 170 lbs. (soaking wet)

Trivia hint: The years each pitcher pitched the consecutive Opening Day starts are: 1980-93, 1950-61, 1968-79, 1977-86, 1912-21, 2003-2012

The Red Sox schedule. They begin with 6 games in FL. Nice! Then a 10-game home stand against all-AL East (TB, NY, Balt). Their toughest stretch looks to be mid-June into July. 19 of 25 games on the road in 28 days which includes a trip to Seattle. They end the season with 15 of 21 at home, the last 6 at home against Baltimore and the yank-me’s. Finally, you think it’s ridiculous that teams play other teams in their own division 19 times?? The Red Sox have at least one game against both the yanks and the Orioles in every month!

It’s March and the Bruins have clinched a playoff spot and the Canadians are out of contention. What a beautiful thing!

Good luck: Jim Kelly. The former Canadian Football League star and Buffalo Bills quarterback has been battling oral cancer for years. He very recently endured a 12-hour surgery during which his upper jaw was reconstructed. Good guy. Remember, no one circles the wagon like Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills!

Potential MLB milestones in 2018: Albert Pujols reaching 3,000 hits (32 needed) and 2,000 (82) RBI, Adrian Beltre moving past A-Rod to 20th all-time in hits (68), Bartolo “The Load” Colon (10) and CC Sabathia (13) reaching 250 wins, Craig Kimbrell (9) for 300 saves. Also, though not starting his MLB career until 27 years old, Ichiro Suzuki needs 115 at-bats to reach 10,000, accomplished by only 28 other players.

Good to hear Jerry Remy in mid-season form already. From a game this past week: “And it keeps repeating, over and over again.” Ya Jerry, that’s what repeating means.

Give me a better day in sports. Next Thursday, April 5. The Red Sox home opener, that start of the Masters and the start of the Frozen Four. Really, no contest.

Speaking of the Frozen Four – Michigan, Ohio St., Minnesota-Duluth and Notre Dame. It just seems strange (to me) that Ohio St. is in there. (no more strange I guess than Loyola-Chicago in the Final Four)

R.I.P. – Daniel “Rusty” Staub (73). “Le Grand Orange” played 23 major league years with the Mets, Houston Colt .45’s, Expos, Tigers and Rangers. DYK: His New York Police and Children’s Benefit Fund has donated more than $120 million to families of fallen New York City police and firefighters since its inception in 1986. Nice.

Trivia answer #1: The Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez is making his 10th consecutive Opening Day start today. That makes him just the 7th pitcher in MLB history with 10 or more consecutive Opening Day starts. Name the other six. – Jack Morris (14) Robin Roberts (12) Tom Seaver (12) Steve Carlton (10) Walter Johnson (10) Roy Halladay (10)

Trivia answer #2: What Red Sox player was on the opening day roster for the entire 1970’s, yet never had more than 254 at-bats in one season? – Bob “Monty” Montgomery

“All I want is to see you smile

If it takes just a little while

I know you don’t believe that it’s true

I never meant any harm to you.

Briefly. (very)

Real baseball, next week.

Trivia #1: What school has never qualified for the men’s Final Four as an 11 seed: LSU, Gonzaga, George Mason, VCU?

Trivia #2: Easy for some, never for others. Who is Richard Starkey?

Useless information (headline) supposed to fire my imagination: “Why you microwave popcorn this side up”

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Self-Driving Uber Kills Woman Crossing an Arizona Street

I know I’m not the only one who finds it ironic that Toys R Us founder, Charles Lazarus, died just one week after the toy store giant filed for bankruptcy.

The Bruins can win it with Tuukka.

Melt.

Quote of the week: “It’s unbelievable, just sickening.” – Scott Lake, a horse trainer at Parx race track in Bensalem, PA, after renowned jockey Jose Flores died after he went flying from his horse and landed on his head during a race at the park on Thursday. Flores’ career spanned three decades with over 4,600 wins.

A British moviegoer has died after a freak accident at Vue Cinema in Birmingham when his head became wedged under the electric footrest of a reclining “Gold Class” seat. The man, who was at the cinema with his partner, was trying to retrieve a phone he had dropped between the seats. Trying to retrieve a phone he dropped. Ya, right!

I felt this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was up for grabs and still took many top seeds in my bracket. Dope. (What a tournament though!)

Of the 132 Final Four teams since 1991, just 13 (9.8 percent) have been seeded seventh or worse. Last night two 9’s and an 11 won and qualified for the Elite 8.

Sorry to you NAZCAR fans but if I go for a jog/run, I am participating in a sport. It doesn’t matter how fast or far I go, running is a sport. Don’t tell me when I drive to work that I am participating in a sport.

Ozzy Osbourne, when incorrectly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992, announced his first ‘No More Tours’ tour. It never happened. Now comes his farewell tour, ‘No More Tours 2’ starting next month. The world tour is set to end in 2020. (He’ll be at the Xfinity Center this Sept 6 if you’re interested)

Trivia #1 answer: Gonzaga

Trivia #2 answer: Richard Starkey is recently knighted Ringo Starr

“For long you live and high you fly
And smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry
And all you touch and all you’ll see
Is all your life will ever be

That’s all I’ve got.

Briefly.

#LydiaStrong – The Red Sox have been wearing T-shirts with this slogan in support of Craig Kimbrel’s daughter. Nice.

Trivia #1: How many number one seeds have won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament since the tournament expanded to 64 teams? 5, 11, 15, 19, 22, 25, 29, 30

Trivia #2: What school defeated all three other number one seeds on their way to the Championship? It’s only happened once.

Only once, 2008, have all four number one seeds advanced to the Final Four – Kansas, North Carolina, UCLS & Memphis.

Tiger, great tournament last weekend but all I’ll remember is his final putt coming up short on 18. Really?

East, West, South… and Midwest? Fix that.

That could be a problem, think? Ford is recalling nearly 1.4 million cars in North America because steering wheels are detaching from the steering column.

Speaking of making no sense whatsoever, there are 4 play-in games into the 64-team tournament. Two of those games are for 11th seeds. Makes zero sense.

Also, two play-in games were in the East Region, for the 11th and 16th seeds, while the South had no play-ins. Stupid.

Texas Southern, play-in, was 15-19 on the season.

Trivia #2 hint. It happened in 1997.

Texas and Texas Tech play in Dallas, UNC plays in Charlotte, Kansas plays in Wichita and Michigan St. plays in Detroit. Really not fair, should be neutral sites.

It’s not rocket science. Instead of running the list of school closings on the ticker at the bottom of the screen, you know, the one that takes about up to 20 minutes to get through all of the closings? Instead, why not list what is NOT closed? Assume all else is closed. Easy.

Quote of the week: “Don’t drive impaired. Till death do we part doesn’t need any help.” – Marana, Arizona Police Sgt. Chriswell Scott after arresting a bride-to-be for driving under the influence at 10:30am on Monday, en route to her own wedding.
Quote of the week #2: “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” – Stephen Hawking

R.I.P. – Patrick McNamara, HHS Class of ’84. Too young. You will be missed.

R.I.P. British physicist, Stephen Hawking (76). A brilliant man and a funny guy.

Trivia #1 answer: 19 number one seeds have won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament since expansion to 64 teams in 1985.

Trivia #2 answer: Arizona defeated Kansas, North Carolina & Kentucky, all number one seeds, in 1997.

DYK: From 1981-1986, The Stompers were voted by the Boston Globe the number one band in New England three times.

“My mama said “Now watch out boy you’re bound to get hurt”
Daddy said “Go have your fun but son for what’s it’s worth
Always keep her guessing, what’s going on inside”
Don’t ever tell an angel when you’re hearts on fire.”

Briefly. (very) 

Trivia: Three teams are tied for the worst record (winning percentage) in qualifying for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Name the three out of: Florida A&M, Holy Cross, UCF, Florida International, San Jose St., Fairfield, Prairie View 

Tough to see Fairfield and Haverhill’s Tyler Nelson go down in the Metro Atlantic Athletic conference, but the tears… really? DYK, Tyler is the leading scorer in school history! 

Running from the cops, you’re doing it wrong. Dashcam footage showed a Virginia man, who was allegedly fleeing from police, jumping out of his car without putting it in park. According to police, the car hit him but he was not seriously hurt. The man now faces drunk driving charges. 

From a friend, in the last three years Brad Marchand is tied for third in goals with Patrick Kane, second to Ovechkin in points per game and, since the Seguin trade Sequin is +11, Marchand is +111.

Have to give credit to Brad Stevens, again, for making adjustments after the all-star break. 

Amazing how many people still drive thru the drive-up at the coffee shop, when there is no power in town, as if it will mysteriously reopen as they go through.

Turn the clocks. Spring cometh. 

NCAA tournament starts Tuesday. Spring cometh. 

Less than a month until Opening Day. Spring cometh. 

Trivia answer: Tied at a 37.93% winning percentage are Florida International (1995), UCF (1996) & Fairfield (1997) 

“Winter tries to put us d-down,
Talkin’ ‘bout my generator,
Snow and wind are all around,
Talkin’ ‘bout my generator,
Things are awfully c-c-c-c-cold,
Talkin’ ‘bout my generator,
Hope I thaw before I get old,
Talkin’ ‘bout my generator,
My generator! My generator, ba-by!”

Briefly. 

Trivia: Difficult – Who hit the first MLB homerun in an indoor stadium. 

SportsBusiness Journal reports that the NBA is showing impressive gains in both national and local viewership this season. Nationally, NBA games on ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT are showing double-digit viewership increases. Locally, the Celtics have showed the biggest percentage increase of all teams so far this year with an 82% lift on their games. Conversely, the NFL saw a drop of 9% this season and 8% the season prior, while college football viewership took a hit this past season with CBS, ABC, NBC, and ESPN all posting significant declines. 

On Sunday night’s “farewell to the Olympics”, Mike Tirico pointed out that, aside from the gold/silver/bronze medals that the USA won, they also finished 4^th or 5^th 26 times. Hey Mike, if you don’t medal, you don’t medal. No one cares who came in 4^th or 5^th. 

Trivia #1 hint: He hit it on the road during an exhibition game. 

Gronk’s retiring, Gronk’s not retiring. Yawn. 

You asked for it. The Tim Tebow update. OK no one really asked for it but… Tebow is with  the Mets in Port St. Lucie. He recently caught his foot on the sprinkler head at the training facility and sprained his ankle. He’s 30 years old! 

Headline of the week: A Texas woman defecated in her pants to hide drugs during an arrest. 

Here’s just another example of why W/L’s (for a pitcher) in baseball may be the most useless statistic. On Sunday the Red Sox beat the Orioles 7-1. Carson Smith got the “W”. He pitched one inning and let up two hits and the only run. He got the win because he happened to pitch the 5^th inning when the Sox scored three runs to go up 4-1. Six others pitched, each either one or two innings. Two of them each let up one hit, the others – no hits. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: “Transgender boy wins girls’ state wrestling title for second time” 

Of the 44 starters in this year’s Super Bowl, 16 were drafted in the third round or later and 11 went undrafted. 

Jersey Street. Puh-lease! 

Last week, Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi announced that the flu medication they have developed, Xofluza otherwise known as baloxavir marboxil, has been approved to be manufactured and sold in Japan. Compared to Tamiflu, which requires two doses each day for five days, apparently only a single dose of Xofluza will be needed to treat the flu. 

Quote of the week: “Good, better, best. ‘Til your good is better and your better is best.” – St. Jerome 

Trivia answer: Mickey Mantle hit the first indoor homerun in the first-ever game played in Houston’s Astrodome. 

“Let me flow into the ocean,
Let me get back to the sea.
Let me be stormy and let me be calm,
Let the tide in, and set me free.”

Briefly.

Trivia #1: What country has won more gold medals in the Winter Olympics than any other?

Trivia #2: Who holds the Red Sox record for total bases in one game, and how many? 

Regarding kneeling for the National anthem. Is it any less disrespectful that some fans chose not to remove their hats? The focus at the NBA All-Star game was on the horrendous rendition by Fergie when in fact they should have been commenting on the punks with their hats on. 

Speaking of the NBA All-Star game, if you didn’t change the channel during the pregame show then I can never watch television with you. You should be ashamed of yourself for watching that crap. 

I just like to say “PyeongChang.” 

As mentioned, I am not a fan of anything figure skating but regret missing out on the Ivett Toth show. The female Hungarian performed to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and “Thunderstruck” clad in a studded leather pant-vest combo with fingerless gloves. On the back of her vest was a picture of Angus Young in his signature playing pose. 

Useless information, period. Former Red Sox outfielder Bryce Brentz and his wife had their first child, a daughter, last Tuesday. The baby’s name is Everlee Marie. Bryce and his Dad both share the same middle name, Everett. Lee is Brentz’s grandfather’s middle name (his mother’s side of the family) and Bryce’s wife Ann Marie and others in her family share the same middle name, Marie. DYK, Bryce hit 31 homeruns in the minors last season, mostly in Triple A. 

The Bruins outshot Vancouver 18-8 in the first period last week and were down 4-0. Overall they outshot them 45-23 and lost 6-1. No, Tuukka did not finish the game. On the other hand, they had a great west coast trip and are one of four teams (as of Thursday) with more than 80 points. The others? Hockey hotbeds Nashville, Tampa and Vegas. 

Headline of the week: “Florida man attacks gas station clerk with hot dogs, corn stick over beer” 

USA’s Ryan Donato, ex-Bruin Ted’s son, scored five goals in five Olympic games for Team USA. Speaking of which, what a shame that the women’s gold medal rematch between Team USA and Canada started at 10:45pm Wednesday night. USA won in a shootout, Canada’s first loss in 20 years. As the team took the podium (Canada), several were crying and one took off her silver medal. Spoiled bitches! 

I was thinking, “Hunter” is an interesting name. Having said that, I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone named “Hunted.” 

How do you not root for Lindsey Vonn? She took a bronze in the downhill. The oldest female (33) to medal at the Winter Olympics. 

Watch for Belichick to sign ex-Texan, linebacker Brian Cushing. Now 31 and twice suspended for substance abuse, was released this past week. 

Cheating, you’re doing it wrong. Russian Olympian Alexander Krushelnitshy tested positive for a banned substance, meldonium. He is now likely to be stripped of the bronze medal he won with his wife in PyeongChang. The sport you ask? Curling! He took a banned substance and he’s a curler?!?!? Dude! 

PyeongChang, PyeongChang, PyeongChang, PyeongChang – hahahaha! 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Sales of bulletproof backpacks spike after school massacre. (This was reported by “Bullet Blocker”, a Lowell, MA company that manufactures the backpacks.) 

Hooray! Amongst the few rule changes coming for the 2018 MLB season, teams can only visit the mound six times per nine innings. This includes position players who can still chat with the pitcher, as long as they don’t “relocate.” So no more catcher visiting the pitcher 5+ times per inning (or per at-bat!). I love it! 

This past Monday Brad Stevens spoke at the Red Sox’ first “company meeting” at JetBlue Park. 

Trivia #1 answer: Norway has won more gold medals (107) than 100 countries have total medals.

Trivia #2 answer: Freddie Lynn (’75) with 16. 

“Like a lazy flowing river
surrounding castles in the sky
and the crowd is growing bigger
List’nin’ for the happy sounds
and I got to let them fly.”