Blog

Briefly.

For nothing but pride, I am rooting for “Team USA” in the World Baseball Classic. But really, I don’t’ plan to watch any of it.

The toppling of more than 40 headstones in a predominantly Jewish cemetery was not part of a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic incidents nationwide, police say. Instead, the NYPD says the 42 headstones at Brooklyn’s Washington Cemetery fell down themselves because of a combination of factors, including neglect and soil erosion. The cemetery’s manager says that when a stone can’t be reset, they “lay them across the grave to keep them memorialized,” which a concerned community member apparently mistook for vandalism.

More on last week’s information regarding the Iditarod. Add sleep to the already lengthy list of hazards in the race. One dog team arrived at a checkpoint without a musher! Linwood Fiedler (I did not make up that name) a race veteran, arrived at the checkpoint about an hour later after falling asleep and toppling off his sled. “From the minute my body left the sled until my face smashed into the snow, I was still asleep!”

Trivia: Minimum 2,000 games played, the highest career OPS+ (adjusted On-base Plus Slugging percentage) is Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Barry Bonds, 1 thru 3. Who is #4?

I have yet to sit in the Green Monster seats.

Last week I made mention of BFD that some Patriots were not going to the White House with the rest of the team. Dan Shaunessey had a piece in Monday’s Globe about the ’84 Celtics and the fact that Bird and Max, amongst others, did not attend the White House visit. It was certainly no big deal back then and was barely mentioned. Funny end to the article where Max mentioned he was getting married a week later and had to get his marriage license the day of the visit. Max, now divorced, states “Looking back, I should have gone. It would have saved me some money.”

Headline of the Week: “Lawyer’s Pants Catch Fire During Arson Trial”. Maybe it’s me but the phrase; “Liar, liar, pants on fire” comes to mind. (my apologies to the attorneys out there)

Industry tracker Beverage Marketing Corp. Thursday announced that bottled water surpassed carbonated soft-drinks in 2016 to become the largest beverage category by volume, capping what is described as a “remarkable , decades-long streak of vicious growth.” The change at the top has been long anticipated with soda’s woes mounting in recent years as a result of health concerns and consistent targeting by activist groups, which have pushed measures like taxes on sugary drinks. On a per capita basis, bottled water consumption exceeded 39 gallons compared with 38.5 gallons for soda. Carbonated soft-drink per capita consumption exceeded 50 gallons as recently as 2006. You are correct in that the data was not made available by the Garibaldi Liguria Club.

Back to Tim Tebow (from many weeks ago). I like him but I’m not rooting for him any longer. Hang it up and get a job/life doing something you are good at, like being a good guy.

The word “tattoo” actually comes from the Dutch colloquialism “tap toe”, which can be translated as “turn off the tap,” though it is most often used to mean something like “Shut up! Cease!” The Dutch began using the wordtaptoe for a drum beat, and then English speakers borrowed the term (changing it slightly, to taptoo and, eventually, to tattoo). It was used especially by the military to name a drum beat (or possibly a bugle call) that signaled the day’s end. This taptoo most likely led to our taps, a term for the final bugle call at night in the military.

“When you go to the ballpark, you are entitled to the smell of freshly cut grass.” – Former White Sox owner Bill Veeck

RadioShack has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in two years. In a statement, RadioShack President and Chief Executive Officer Dene Rogers said since the company’s bankruptcy filing in 2015, the retailer had made good progress in stabilizing operations, including reducing expenses by 23 percent. Hey Dene, running a business, you’re not good at it!

Trivia answer: Lou Gehrig

“It’s getting late have you seen my mates

Ma tell me when the boys get here

It’s seven (three) o’clock and I want to rock

Want to get a belly full of beer.”

Briefly.

Back in the day when I played softball it always bothered me (I mean genuinely pissed me off) when players for other teams would root for one another by yelling “Come on 8, we need you up there 8!”, never using other players’ names but their numbers instead. Drove me nuts!

Having said that, the #41 car won the Daytona 500. In related news, TB12 was seen naked on the beach, Jackie Bradley Jr. is wearing #19 this season and #4 for the Celtics is second in the NBA in scoring.

Trivia: How many times have Red Sox pitchers won the Cy Young award?

You have to admit, the B’s effort has picked up since Butch Cassidy rode into town. Nice to see.

I tried clapping like Nicole Kidman and I physically can’t. I think she is a contortionist.

I read an article by some guy talking about the changes MLB is experimenting with. He had his own suggestion to take away both the NL pitchers batting and the DH. Yelp, 8 batters per team. Idiot! For the record, and I’ve changed colors over the years, I say add the DH in the NL. It shouldn’t be different in each league and I don’t want to see the AL pitchers batting and running the bases, should they get on base in the first place.

Opening Day is one month from today!

Avery Bradley – welcome back!

Speaking of JBJ, he has 5 reasons for changing his jersey number from 25 to 19 this season. Koji Uehara had #19 but he went up and went to the Cubbies. First, JBJ’s birthday is April 19. Second, his mother was in labor for 19 hours before he was born following dangerous complications for both of them. Third, he can’t wear #42 to honor Jackie Robinson so he commemorates the Hall of Famer with #19 because he was born in 1919. Fourth, He wore #19 at his alma mater South Carolina. And fifth, Freddie Lynn, longtime Red Sox centerfielder who Jackie considers a friend and mentor, also wore #19.

From the category of “Sometimes you don’t have to teach integrity” – The Catholic Youth Organization league recently notified officials at St. John’s in Clark, New Jersey, that their fifth-grade team should never have been coed and that their girls wouldn’t be permitted to finish the season. The team’s lineup has been coed for the past four years because there weren’t enough interested girls among the same age group to form their own team. There are two girls on the team. The St. John’s squad unanimously decided not to take the court without their full team in a vote a couple of weeks ago taken before a game scheduled against Scotch Plains’ St. Bartholomew the Apostle. Their coach said he was not making the decision on whether to play for his 11 10-years olds so, tasked with making the call themselves, chants of “Unity” broke out as the team instead opted to end the season.

Yes, the Celtics beat the Cavs the other night. Relax, please.

Chris Long. Thanks and “C-ya!”

Bonnie and Clyde appear to be off the hook after the most shocking moment in Oscars history – that saw La La Land announced as Best Picture, only for Moonlight to be declared the real winner when the former film’s producers had almost finished their speeches. Accounting fiorm PwC, which oversees the ballot-counting, says Warren Beatty and Fay Dunaway were handed the wrong category envelope. PwC has since been fired – at least I thought I saw that…

Brock Holt wore #2 when he was with the Pirates and came over to the Red Sox in 2012. Jacoby Ellsbury was wearing #2 at the time and Holt was given #26 when he jumped to the big league team in 2013. He was then called during the postseason and told that the Sox were retiring Wade Boggs #26 and he needed to find a new number. He chose #12 as a tribute to former teammate and friend Mike Napoli, who had just left for free agency. He shot Nap a text when he made his decision, which turned into a funny exchange because Napoli had just picked a new number of his own after signing with the Cleveland Indians: No. 26.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race gathers 73 teams of mushers and sled dogs in Anchorage, Alaska, to pay tributre to Alaska’s history and the role that the sled dog played in it. The 45^thrace will have its ceremonial start in anchorage on March 4. From there, the teams will travel about 350 miles north of Fairbanks where the official race will begin on March 6. This is only the third time in history that the restart has been moved from Willow to Fairbanks due to poor conditions in the Alaska Range. Temperatures on Monday in Fairbanks will hit a high of 20 degrees F for the restart with a low of minus 8 F. These temperatures are in line with the daily normal. The mushers will travel about 980 miles from anchorage to Nome, Alaska. DYK, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has a long, little-known history? The Iditarod Trail actually began as a mail and supply route from coastal towns to mining camps and inland communities. In 1925, mushers and their team of dogs were monumental in delivering serum to Nome, which was experiencing a diphtheria epidemic. Joe Redington, the ‘Father of the Iditarod,’ dreamed up the race in order to bring back the sled dog to Alaska and ultimately get the Iditarod Trail declared as a National Historic Trail. Dallas Seavey has won 4 of the last 5 races while his father, Mitch, won in 2013. I would guess the Seaveys are the favorites this year???

Clay Buchholz allowed two hits (both singles) and a walk over two innings against Baltimore the other day. Just sayin’.

Trivia answer: 7 – Jim Longborg(1), Roger Clemens(3), Pedro Martinez(2), Rick Porcello(1 

“Against the wind

I’m still runnin’ against the wind

I’m older now but still runnin’

Against the wind”

Good night everybody! 

Briefly.

 So some Patriots are skipping the White House visit. BFD!

 Trivia: Tough one. What were the last two NBA teams to trade a player they drafted who also won Rookie of the Year?

 If the Cubs’ lineup doesn‘t scare enough people, last year their pitchers led the majors in hits.

 A lot of hype on Andrew Benintendi. He apparently put on a lot of muscle in the off-season and is pegged for the 2-hole. He seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Let’s hope so.

 I read an article about Gary DiSarcina, the (new) pride of Billerica and new Red Sox bench coach. What I found most interesting were his job responsibilities surrounding what may be obvious to some, but overlooked by the majority. DiSarcina plans many meetings. Those amongst coaches, players, both, etc. Players learn about media training, domestic violence, philanthropy, personal finances and many other “life” topics. Spring Training is not all about taking ground balls and practicing how to lay down a good sacrifice bunt.

 Thank you Danny Ainge for not trading for Demarcus Cousins. Let New Orleans deal with his bullsh*t. Yes, he’s talented and he’s good, but you can have him! Since 2010-11 he leads the NBA in number of times fouling out, technical fouls and ejections. Also, DYK, he leads the league this year in getting his shot blocked. He’s 6’11” and admitted he can’t jump! What an athlete. (BTW, the Pelicans got smoked by the Rockets last night)

 I learned a baseball term this past week that I hadn’t heard before, the “Golden Sombrero”. (Not to be confused with the Golden Shower) No, the Golden Sombrero is accomplished by striking out 4 times in one game.

 Don’t forget, the Daytona 500 is this coming Sunday. In a related story, my wife renewed her inspection sticker this past week.

 DYK – On both the Liberty Bell and in the Constitution, Pennsylvania is spelled “Pensylvania”.

 The International Olympic Committee is due to meet in September to vote on the site of the 2024 Olympics, but if one more city drops out, they won’t need to. The Hungarian government confirmed on Wednesday that Budapest’s bid has been withdrawn, leaving just Paris and Los Angeles as the only remaining contenders. More than 250,000 Hungarians signed a petition calling for Budapest to drop out, saying the money would be better spent on hospitals and schools. Hmmm, smart people those Hungarians.

 Sales of Sam Adams beer are down. I think it’s fair to note that the Garibaldi Club does not serve Sam Adams.

 Thank you Danny Ainge again for not making a trade for the sake of making a trade. For those of you who says he has no balls, he has bigger balls by not making a trade. Now all of the pressure is on him to produce. Not making a trade adds to that pressure. #18 is 2-3 years away. I can wait (assuming another Boston team wins a championship in the interim J)

 In case you were wondering/worrying about Willie Nelson, thanks to a previous post here, he is returning to the stage.

 Speaking of the Bruins, 5-1 since they shook up the locker room. Give the credit to new coach Cassidy or the locker room shakeup, whatever. It’s working so far. Battle your way into the playoffs (still a possibility), hope Tuukka gets hot and glorious things can happen.

 Rick Ankiel, the former pitcher-turned-outfielder from the Cardinals (amongst a handful of other teams), revealed in his upcoming book; “The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life” that he drank vodka before his first two starts in 2001. Now I can see drinking a few beers before pitching a high school game (oops, did I say that out loud?), but vodka before an MLB game???

 Jimmy Garappolo. All I can say is “buyer beware”. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a Jimmy G fan. But he’s played what, 4-5 regular season games in his career and 2-3 this past season where he couldn’t even stay healthy! I give you Matt Cassell. I give you Brock Osweiler. Some team could easily get burned dishing out big bucks for JG.

 For you Haverhillites… Every so often the local news rag puts out the list of area all-time, high school track & field records. The one that always stands out to me is Matt Battistini’s shot put record of 60’5” from 1978. No other record comes close to that in terms of longevity. But no more. Matt Batt’s record has fallen to Phillips’ Noah Ward who reigns from North Hampton, NH. Joe recently had a throw of 63’! Hats off to him.

 So the UConn women basketball team has surpassed 100 wins in a row! Truly incredible! The other night they doubled-up #23 Temple by a score of 90-45 for their 102nd in a row. I don’t care if you’re a women’s basketball fan or not: The streak started on 11/23, 2014 during a 38-1 season. They are 147-1 in their last 148. All but three wins have been by double-digits. 57 victories by at least 40 points. 28 wins over ranked teams, 9 over top 5 opponents. 2 national titles during the streak.

 So MLB is shorting games by eliminating the 4-pitch intentional walk, and just putting the batter on base – no pitches. Past balls and batters reaching over the plate really only happens in the lower levels but really, saving about 2-3 minutes??? DYK, perhaps the most significant intentional walk involved relief pitcher Brian Bogusevic, now a non-roster invitee in Red Sox spring training, of the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Falmouth had reached the best-of-three Cape Code League championship against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Yarmouth-Dennis had won game 1 and forced extra innings in the second game thanks to a late rally. The Sox put runners on second and third with one out in the 11^th inning prompting Falmouth’s manager to intentionally walk the next hitter. Bogusevic’s first pitch sailed over the catcher’s head and the go ahead run scored from third.

 So, have you seen the picture of 63-year old Christie Brinkley in the SI swimsuit issue???

 Joe Castiglione, aside from being a Red Sox radio announcer, also teaches a course in Sports Broadcasting at Northeastern. Don Orsillo was once a student and broadcast booth intern.

 Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, president of Iceland, does not like pineapple on his pizza.

 Trivia answer: The Philadelphia 76ers traded Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams in 2015 and the Sacramento Kings traded 2010 ROY Tyreke Evans in 2013. (sorry, tough one)

 “Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it’s all right”

Briefly.

 Pitchers and catchers report!

 It’s February. Celebrate American Heart Month!

 If you didn’t see PGA legend Gary Player on the treadmill recently, here you go. The guy is 81! (the guy on the treadmill next to him is priceless) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11a-tFxOyaY

 Trivia: How many victories in Major tournaments did Gary Player have during his PGA career?

 So MLB is experimenting in the lowest level of the minor leagues by automatically putting a runner on 2^nd base in extra innings. What an absolute joke!

 The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled defenseman Jake Dotchin from Syracuse (AHL). I just find it kinda funny that Tampa’s minor league hockey affiliate is in Syracuse, or as we used to call it “Siberacuse”.

 On February 1^st, 2005 Yogi Berra filed a lawsuit with the New York supreme court against Turner Broadcaster System due to a ‘Sex in the City’ ad which used the Hall of Famer’s name as a possible answer concerning the definition of yogasm. The choices included a) a type of yo-yo trick, b) sex with Yogi Berra and c) what Samatha has with a guy from yoga class.

 Two thoughts are keeping me warm nowadays, the Pats SB win and the first Sox exhibition game on February 25^th.

 In an Erie Otters Hockey Club game, an offense player lost his stick in the opposing end, while a defenseman did the same. Because the offensive player’s players stick was closer to him, the defenseman picked it up and starting playing. The offensive player then went over, picked up the defenseman’s stick and immediately scored a goal.

 This week’s sign of the apocalypse – Harvard computer science students were ripped for only including two genders in their new dating app.

 The New England Revolution traded Bobby Shuttleworth to Minnesota for Femi Hollinger-Janzen.

 If you thought Burger King wasn’t a romantic enough destination for a Valentine’s Day date, they were willing to sweeten the deal with a couple of beers and a sex toy. In a deal offered only in Israel, and only after 6pm this past Tuesday, the chain was selling an “Adults Meal” that came with two Whoppers and two packs of fries, as well as beers and the “adult toy”. The toys allegedly included a satin mask and a feather duster. Conversely, Valentine’s Day was banned this year in Pakistan.

 Last week I mentioned Jae Crowder’s quest to become just the 8^th player to join the 180-club. Kwami Leonard is actually closer right now at 48.7% (FG %), 39.5% (3’s) 89.9 (FT %).

 Congratulations to the Crimson Tide of Harvard for their 1^st Beanpot win since 1993. Teddy Donato notched one goal in the 6-3 final over BU, getting one for coach Dad. Is it me or does everyone automatically root for Northeastern and Harvard every year?

 Have you seen Bruins GM Don Sweeney lately? That dude could use some sleep!

 2017 World Press Photo of the year, the off-duty Turkish policeman standing over Russia’s ambassador whom he had just fatally shot. If you don’t recall the picture, look it up. Pretty disturbing.

 Earlier this week the Warriors’ Draymond Green had a first-ever triple-double where he did not score 10 or more points. His line – 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals (only 4 points).

 Monopoly maker Hasbro is asking fans of the classic board game to help choose eight tokens for a new Token Madness version of the 82-year old game to be released this fall, with options form hashtag to smiley face emoji. When it first produced in 1935, Monopoly had six game pieces: the top hat, thimble, shoe, battleship, cannon and iron; pieces like the horse and rider, purse and lantern were added later but ultimately retired. The current roster of eight pieces includes the Scottie dog, shoe, battleship, race car, thimble, wheelbarrow, top hat and cat – which fans voted in as a replacement for the iron in 2013. Of the 56 new options available they span from the modern (computer, private jet, monster truck) to the retro (typewriter, gramophone) and also include a bread loaf, bathtub, T. rex, penguin, rubber duck, campfire, trumpet, surfboard, rollerskate and bunny slipper. Fans had until Jan 31 to vote. As of just today, the thimble is OUT (one of the original six) and Scottie dog, battleship, car, hat, wheelbarrow, cat and boot will remain. The others will be announced on Mar 31.

 Trivia answer: 9 – Masters (’61, ’74, ’78), U.S. Open (’65), Open Championship (British Open – ’59, ’68, ’74) and PGA Championship (’62, ’72)

 R.I.P. Masaya Nakamura, founder of Namco, January 30, 2017. Widely known as the Father of Pac-Man for his role in bringing the arcade classic – created by designer Toru Iwatani in 1980 – to Japan and to the US via a licensing deal with Midway.

R.I.P. Legendary jazz singer Al Jarreau

 “My eyes are blind but I can see
The snowflakes glisten on the tree
The sun no longer sets me free
I feel the snowflakes freezing me”

I was reminded…

 From last week:

 “They say our love won’t pay the rent
Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent
I guess that’s so, we don’t have a plot
But at least I’m sure of all the things we’ve got
Babe
I’ve got you babe
I’ve got you babe”

If anyone can tell me the significance of that song to this post, I’ll buy you two beers the next time I see you.

 Though some think they have a couple of beers coming to them, no one provided the correct response. All you alleged movie aficionados let me down. Earlier in the post I had made reference to Punxsutawney Phil. Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe”, is the song playing on the radio each morning when Phil Connors (Bill Murray) wakes up in the movie, Groundhog Day.

 Maybe you all owe me a beer???

Briefly,

 (If you would like to be removed from this distribution, just say so. Conversely, if you’ve liked to be added, just…)

 What can I say? In a sense, the greatest win in Patriots/Super Bowl/ Boston Sports/All Sports(?) history. I say “in a sense” because many points can be argued. I, for one, feel the Patriots’ first Super Bowl win over the highly touted Rams, was their greatest. As for Boston Sports history, give me the Red Sox 2004 ALCS comeback from 3-0 against the Yankees. But hey, that’s just me.

 Of the 31 Super Bowl records: Anything to do with the 2-pt conversion because it was the first time it was converted in a Super Bowl and it happened twice in SB LI. Also, most first downs by penalty (Patriots (4)). 93 offensive plays (Patriots). That record does not even count the 2, 2-pt conversions or the 4 plays called back due to penalties.

 Patriots comeback or Atlanta choke? Not even close. The Falcons made so many mental physical mistakes but the Patriots took advantage of them and converted. They made the plays that were handed to them. They blitzed, sacked, threw and ran all over the Falcons during their comeback. It was a comeback of biblical proportions!

 James White, MVP? Tough one. Ask yourself this: With a different quarterback or different running back would you get the same result? Arguably neither but Brady made throw after throw after throw down the stretch. Very difficult to give the award to a guy who participated in so few plays compared to the other. Brady set 3 single-game Super Bowl records on Sunday (pass attempts, completions and passing yards) while White set 4 (receptions, receiving yards by a running back, 20 points scored and 2-pt conversion converted). Hey, can you say “Co-MVPs”?

 Lady Gaga. I’m a fan. One of the songs she sang hit #1 on iTunes with three other songs she performed at the SB in the top 15. Please, don’t ask me to name any of those songs…

 Info/Trivia: Celtic Jae Crowder has a chance to join the 180-Club or the  50,40,90 Club. 50% shooting percentage, 40% from 3-pt range and 90% free throw. He is currently at 47.6%, 41.5% and 88.6%. Only 7 players in the history of the NBA have achieved the feat. Name them.

 When I first heard about the Charles Oakley incident, being disruptive and shoving security at MSG before being “escorted” out by several police and security guards, I thought “Oakley always has been a punk!” Then the more I heard, the more I read, the more I realized that Knicks owner, James Dolan, is the punk. That franchise has to be the worst in any of the major sports right now. And that’s saying a lot! Dysfunctional coaches, players and ownership. Fans hate the team. I mean really, other than a few Syracuse fans does anyone like the face of the team, Carmelo Anthony? Embarrassing and Dolan is the root.

 Headline of the week #1:  Ex-husband: Judy Garland Was Groped by Munchins on Oz Set

Headline of the week #2: This is what a healthy vagina looks like (sorry, I did not click on the link)

 Can we agree: If he wasn’t already, Tiger Woods is all dun, D-U-N!

 Claude Julien, replacing him with assistant coach Bruce “Don’t Call Me Butch” Cassidy. Finished 419-246-94 (94 ties – That must suck) and was the winniest coach in Bruins’ history. Claude won the Jack Adams Trophy in 2008-09 (best coach) and his Bruins won the Cup in 2011. In mind-boggling fashion, the team held a press conference in the middle of the Patriots’ victory parade on Tuesday. Say what you want but that is a total disrespect for the Pats. Boston teams should be supporting one another. BTW, last night Butch won his first game as Bruins head coach. Let’s keep it going!

 A can of Bud is 5 percent alcohol, a Pabst is 4.74 percent.

 A couple from Plymouth claims that immediately after the birth of their child the Patriots started their rally in SB LI. They named the boy Brady. Brady has a brother and two sisters, including 6-year old Quinn, named after Dad’s favorite Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. Ya, how’d that work out? The family dog is named Rudy. Really?!

 Willie Nelson announced that he was cancelling three of his shows due to illness. Hey cut him some slack, he’s 83!

 Trivia hint: Of the 7 who are in the 180 Club, one has done it twice and one has accomplished the feat 4 times!

 I’d be remiss in not mentioning Brent Musburger’s retirement after a career or nearly 50 years. He is 77. He was such a fixture for college basketball, amongst many other sports. His next venture? Heading to Vegas to start a handicapping business.

 120 days until Penta XXII!

 This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Ashley Glawe, who has since recovered from the January incident, shared that she was playing with her pet snake when it poked its head through her stretched earlobe and became stuck.

 Researchers from Sweden and Scotland collected over 20,000 nasal swabs over a 3-year period to detect respiratory illnesses. Then, they analyzed local weather data. The researchers discovered that outbreaks of respiratory infections like the flu and respiratory syncytial virus – a virus that causes cold-like symptoms – began during each year’s first low-humidity, below-freezing week. In other words, the winter chill kick-started flu season. Viruses – like those that cause flu – travel in liquid particles, which survive better in dry, cold climates, the authors theorize. This type of air absorbs extra moisture, leaving the particles light enough to stay airborne. That means they’re more accessible for someone else to breathe in—and catch something from. So yes, you are more likely to get sick when it’s cold out.

 Trivia answer: Steve Nash(4), Larry Bird(2), Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitski, Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Jose Calderon (huh? Jose’ did it with the Raptors in 2007-08 though he was 16 free throws shy of achieving the league minimum in that category.)

 “You are looking live!” – Brent Musburger

 “I’ve paid my dues
Time after time.
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime.
And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few.
I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I’ve come through!”

 Not my favorite song but most appropriate, I think.

 Good night everybody!

Briefly (let’s focus on football, shall we?)… but first

 Punxsutawney Phil has “predicted” a long winter. DYK  our furry friend has been wrong 15 times since 1988? Typical weather forecaster.

 I was scheduled for jury duty on Wednesday. It was cancelled the night before. I was disappointed. And DYK, trial by jury was brought to the New World by the Pilgrims in 1620. Massachusetts was also the first state in the nation to bestow the right and obligation of jury service on African-American citizens in 1860 and later was the first to adopt the One Day or One Trial system in all of its jury courts. One Day or One Trial is now the standard in our nation.

 So the St. Louis Cardinals will forfeit its second-round (#56) and compensation round B (#75) draft picks to the Houston Astros and pay Houston $2M for hacking the Astros information systems. Hmmmm. Something tells me that the fallout won’t come close to the fallout from Deflategate. Heck, they even have tangible evidence on this one!

 “Go Chargers Go!” – to LA?

 Trivia: Since 2003, only one quarterback has represented the AFC in the Super Bowl other than Brady, Roethlisberger and Manning. Name him. (not the most difficult question, but quite a fact)

 Why is there an interpreter for the national anthem? Either you know the words or you don’t. If you don’t, get out!

 Tom Brady refers to Chris Berman as Swami. That’s funny.

 A gas station convenience store in Hall County (outside of Atlanta) has halted its sales of Boston’s Sam Adams beer. The ban will extend through the Feb. 5 game, played in Houston. The move was made after a Boston Globe column that made light of Atlanta sports fans and tradition. “What inspired this was Dan Shaughnessy’s article that was belittling Atlanta as a town and its fan base,” said Viral Chhadua, manager of the Exxon station. The beer company has responded. “Won’t be their only loss,” Samuel Adams Beer said in a Twitter post.

 Headline of the week #1: “Super Bowl 51 to draw billions in illegal bets” – Nooooooooooo! Really?

Headline of the week #2: “Alice Cooper used to babysit for Keanu Reeves” – picture that!

 The Patriots have never lost a game when Dion Lewis is on the active roster.

No surprise here that Gronk has the most Twitter followers amongst SB LI players (1.97M)

The average ticket price is $5,216 though for $2250 you can sit in the top section, end zone

The most social shares of a Super Bowl ad is 5.3M (2011 Volkswagen)

A 30-second ad during Super Bowl LI costs $5M, up 110% in the past decade. World Series ads have gone up 25% during that span.

There are 84K hotels rooms in the Houston area, up 91% from the last SB there in 2004.

Anheuser-Busch has spent $128.5M on SB ads since 2010. I’ll drink to that!

Malcolm butler will be playing in his 8^th playoff game. Think about that.

22 Patriots have Super Bowl experience. Atlanta has 4 such players.

 Matt Ryan does have a nice curl on his brim.

 Can you say “Get over it!”? Maine Governor Paul LePage is boycotting yet another Patriots Super Bowl. LePage says he continues to “have a real hard time getting over what Bob Kraft did to the State of Connecticut.” You’ll remember Kraft terminated a deal to move the team there in 1999. The governor also says the Patriots were wrong to have selected convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez when they knew “he was a bad guy from the get-go.” Hey, what do you expect, the guy’s a Giants fan!

 I plagiarize, steal, paraphrase, whatever. Who cares? This post is for entertainment.

Having said that, I don’t give credit by I will here by only referring to my source as “Stat Guy” (because he is on the distribution). From Stat Guy:

Interesting tidbit (and theory) on the Vegas line being only 3 points. The number two futures bet at the start of the season was for the 150-to-1 Falcons. They win and Vegas loses big, big, BIG! They’re making the betting line for the game as Pats-friendly as possible to try and offset that big potential Falcons payout. AND…

The Patriots are already 6.5/1 favorites to win next year’s Super Bowl.  Followed by Dallas, Green Bay and Atlanta at 12/1.

 Sign of the apocalypse #1: A Fox news poll showed that 15% of those surveyed would skip being present at the birth of their child to see their team live in the Super Bowl.

Sign of the apocalypse #2: 19% would skip the funeral of a loved one.

 Two weeks ago I went 1-1. DYK, it was only the 2^nd time in NFL history that both conference championship games were decided by 19+ points (1978)

 For Sunday?

Patriots – 37
Falcons – 26

 The Patriots won the last Super Bowl played in Houston, 32-29 over Carolina. I only mentioned this because if you have 2-9 in a pool, don’t despair. Speaking of which, I have 7-6. See prediction above.

 Speaking of 7-6, the Pats and the Falcons have met 13 times. Pats 7, Atlanta 6.

 Trivia answer: Joe Flacco (2013)

 “They say our love won’t pay the rent
Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent
I guess that’s so, we don’t have a plot
But at least I’m sure of all the things we’ve got
Babe
I’ve got you babe
I’ve got you babe”

If anyone can tell me the significance of that song to this post, I’ll buy you two beers the next time I see you.

 “Do your job.”

Briefly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trivia #2 answer – Deion Branch in SB XXXIX)

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

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

Briefly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Last weekend:

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

Not bad. Let’s try again:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Briefly.

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

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

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

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

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

Marcus Smart. Way to pick it up!

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

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

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

 I love olives. All types.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Here you go:

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

 Trivia answer: Lyndon B. Johnson

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

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