Let the Boys Play

Ok so I haven't updated the blog in awhile mostly due to the fact that I was in a post Patriots funk, after watching them turn the ball over and watch the refs get up off their knees after blowing the game. I want to go on the record saying that I don't think it is the Referees fault, because the Broncos outplayed the Patriots plain and simple, but any of the calls that were in question could have greatly changed the outcome of that game in the Patriots favor. Like the so called "Pass Interference" or maybe the end of Champ Bailey's interception which ended in Ben Watson's out of nowhere hit at the one yard line. My personal opinion if a big guy like Ben Watson can run the length of a football field and catch up to a guy like Champ Bailey, you should just give his team the ball back with a pat on the back and say nice hustle. But the way the Patriots were playing as a whole they deserved to lose that game.
Alright now what I really want to write this post about. The World Baseball Classic, I knew that for awhile the U.S. was not going to allow the Cuban national team to participate because the tournament is taking place in the United States. I want to say that was bull shit, but now that the US is going to allow them to play I take it back, but it still is crazy to think that they weren't going to let them play. Isn't the idea of this WBC to bring the baseball world a little closer together, like soccer's World Cup, or maybe the Olympics (major sarcastic tone here like its an obvious choice). What would it accomplish by telling Cuba that they haven't played nice in the past so we're gonna them about the games but not invite them. I don't think another Cuban Missle Crisis is a good idea, considering we are already at war with Iraq and almost all of the Middle East.
Also, Cuba has won the gold medal at the Olympics in 1992, 1996, and 2004 they have some of the best players why not put them up against the rest of the world to see what they can do with professionals on every team. Some argue that their gold medals mean nothing because there were barely any pros at the olympics, well here is their chance to prove that they are the best. I will not be rooting for Cuba, I'm rooting for the U.S. but if Cuba wins after all this I won't be upset. I mean as good as they are Cuba is in a way an underdog, and you always gotta feel good for the underdog.
One last thing, I hate Alex Rodriguez even more for making a big deal about playing for team USA then playing for the Dominican Republic. You were born in the US start acting like it and play for them. Your reasoning for this is I have Dominican blood in me, la de fricken da, its like me saying oh I have Irish blood in me I wantto play for Ireland. My word to you A-Rod, quit being a bitch and play for the country you were born and raised in.

Manny Being Manny

Ok I swear this is my last post for at least a few hours. As soon as I posted my last post I went to ESPN.com and saw this headline, "Manny thinks he's staying in Boston." This is the best news I heard since October and all this year. I can finally go on with the rest of the off season not waiting to hear who the Red Sox will get for Manny cause Manny is staying and I quote, "I'm going to take things easy and focus on my career," said Ramirez. It feels good to be a Red Sox fan.

Interesting Revalation

Ok so I knew it for awhile, but this recent revelation pretty much sets it in concrete...the state of New Hampshire is by far one of the worst states to be bored in. Here I am for the second night in a row updating my blog hoping that someone I might be interested in talking to signs online so I can talk to them. If I was in Philadelphia right now I would be around at least a few more people my age who are in the same boat and then we could do something together and it will only require me to walk about 10 feet to someone elses room. Here I'm at least a 5 minute car ride from another bored NH citizen (I feel the need to mention that it is really cold here and going outside really isn't an option). So you're probably thinking, is Boston Joe straying from his usual sports banter...the answer is no...I'm getting to that part, I just want to inform Hustler why I have updated my blog three times in the past 24 hours (a very uncommon occurence). So here it goes...

The sting of Johnny Damon leaving the Red Sox has subsided, and so has the pouring of salt on a open wound by him signing with the New York Yankees. I was at first pissed off, and ready to shoot/hang/pop pills myself to death with the mind set that hey I lived long enough to see them win a world series, I can die happy. Then I thought about it and realized maybe the Red Sox will be better off with out The Caveman/Jesus/whatever other nickname you can think of to put here prowling centerfield and holding a constant spot at the top of our batting order. "What!?," you might say "that is proposterous!" Look at it this way, Damon isn't getting any younger, and the way the older players play for Boston (with the exception of maybe John Olerud), we might be better off.

Sure, Damon is most likely going to play amazing for the Yankees, but we got four very good years out of him without him slowing down like Pedro, Nomar, along with a few others did. Damon also I'm pretty sure has sever brain damage after events like him colliding head first into Damien Jackson in the 2003 ALDS Game 5, or him last season colliding with the Bullpens in Fenway (Jackson's head at least bounced off of him a little). To back up my fact about him getting older as he ages his body and mind will not be able to take the abuse from stuff like that as well (he already forgets sometimes how many outs there are).

Another thing that stopped me from pulling the trigger is that while filling the milk cooler at work (some people get their best ideas on the toilet, I get mine in the milk cooler at Hannaford). Anyway, baseball will still be played in Boston from the months of April to October regardless of what centerfielder we have on the field, because 25 guys will put on a Red Sox uniform and play baseball come April. David Ortiz is still in Boston, (Side note, if the Red Sox ever let Ortiz get away I will never watch baseball again...thats a promise). Manny seems to be stuck here for the remainder of his contract, and as someone said (I forget who, so if you read this just email me and I'll edit it properly to give you credit) "Manny isn't smart enough to break relations with the Red Sox, he will come to play great baseball whether he is happy or not."

Sign of the Apocalypse

A sign of the Apocalypse is Boston Joe (that's me) updating his blog twice in less than 12 hours. Its about to happen folks. I already updated earlier tonight or late last night since it is about 1 am, anyways, I got inspired watching the Rose Bowl. I want to come out and say I'm extremely saddened to say that USC did not three peat, which means that the New England Patriots probably won't either, but I'm still holding out hope for Brady and crew to dismantle the NFL starting Saturday. Anyway back to the Rose Bowl, Congratulations to Texas, it was a great game down to the last second. Its weird I am not a fan of either of these teams but I am really depressed that USC lost, its astonishing.

Vince Young is a far better version of Michael Vick, he can throw accurately and run far better. Reggie Bush is Superman all the highlights of him are of him flying through the air to score and he did it again tonight. The Texans will be very happy with him. Matt Leinart is amazing he is one of the best Quarterbacks I have seen play in college he as a tremendous sense of awareness much like Tom Brady and as much as I hate to say it Peyton Manning. Pete Carroll I forgive you for the teams you produced for the Patriots in your stay there because you are a good coach when you can control what's going on unlike when you were in New England. On that note thank you to Robert Kraft for realizing that you don't know a lot about football and letting someone who does make the descions regarding football.

This game has created a liking towards college football. I still think the BCS is stupid and they should make a Playoff system much like College Basketball, but when games like tonight's game happen, it makes me realize that the kids on the field actually care about the game and not their next paycheck. Congrats to Texas, and good luck to any kid that played tonight going into the NFL. Peace

Bill Simmons Part Duex

Ok so shoot me...I actually asked for the Bill Simmons book, "Now I Can Die in Peace" (This site doesn't have an underline option so this title isn't up to MLA standards...sorry to anyone who cares) for Christmas, and I'm actually enjoying it. Yes, it is true the guy who a few posts ago went off on a Bill Simmons tangent is actually enjoying his book. With that said I would like to say that I think Bill Simmons has a lot of talent in his writing style, but I still don't agree with some of his views on different topics. This book further strengthens my standpoint on that. Bill Simmons is ver entertaining to read, though his constant references to outdated pop culture facets is really annoying, especially since he had to add footnotes to his old columns (Which is another thing I have to complain about later in this post) for readers who don't remember shows like 90210 and Saved by the Bell.

I recently just finished reading the chapter about Roger Clemens being the anti christ and I can see where Simmons is coming from. At the time this whole ordeal with Clemens and the Red Sox was happening I was in my Basketball phase, where I followed baseball a little but I was totally consumed with anything basketball, especially my own career (It sounds funny to call my playing days a career, but I kinda like it too). So I had no idea how the whole Clemens thing transpired, but reading about what happened, makes me hate Clemens a little bit more, but unlike Bill Simmons if he ever comes back to Boston I will welcome him with open arms, because as much of a Douche Bag as he was in the process of and after leaving the Red Sox, he is still one of the best pitchers ever to step out on to the mound, and any fan of the Red Sox would love to have a pitcher like that on the team, sorry Simmons, but its true.

Now I stated before that he added footnotes to his old columns, this really ticks me off. When I asked for this book I thought it was going to be something he wrote after the fact of the Red Sox winning their first World Series title in 86 years, not a bunch of his old columns thrown into what he calls a book. I mean come on, for any avid reader of his column (which I am not) they have already read this book. Its like if the people at NBC tried to sell the DVDs of Seinfeld saying brand new episodes, even though they aren't. Hey guess what when I get nice and famous writing for some major newspaper or magazine I'm going to write a book with all new writings in it, and by that I mean I'm going to take a bunch of my old articles and republish them. Shame on you Mr. Simmons.