It gets better...

So, you've seen the video of Horford taunting "The Truth" at the end of Game 3. None of the three referees (including Violet Palmer, who should not be a referee) thought it was enough to call a technical foul for....TAUNTING. The following is taken directly from the NBA Official Rules:

If a player blatantly taunts an opponent, a technical foul shall be assessed. The opponent WILL NOT, automatically, be assessed a technical foul. His behavior will be the determining factor. A PLAYER(S) GUILTY OF TAUNTING MUST BE SINGLED OUT AND PENALIZED. If a previous unsportsmanlike act has been committed and if this situation is BLATANT, a technical foul must be assessed and the guilty player(s) must be ejected.

Note the capitalization used by the NBA. I did not do that. It is exactly how it is written in the rules.

Breaking news this evening reports that Paul Pierce was fined $25,000 by the NBA for making a "gang type of gesture" after Game 3 while the Hawks were celebrating. David Stern does it again. That little weasal has always had it in for the Celtics. I say, what's wrong with the b? All Pierce was saying was "Boston", not "Bloods"! Kudos to Brian Scalabrine, The Human Victory Cigar, for getting Pierce out of the situation.

Where do I start?

OK...A lot happened over the weekend. Let's get started start with an old favorite.
Does anyone remember Community Auditions hosted by Dave Maynard on WBZ? Well, there is a 21st century version of the show that airs on various stations across New England (channels 4 & 38 in Boston). Apparently, it started earlier this month, but I just saw an episode this weekend. I was a big fan of the original show, but some things are better off dead. The old show was taped in WBZ's studios. The new show is taped at the Cabaret Theatre at Mohegan Sun (whose stock has just dropped in my book). The old show was hosted by the likeable Dave Maynard. The new show is hosted by two no names. I can't even find out who the hosts are on the Community Auditions website! The woman is old, "big boned", and annoying. Not to be outdone, the guy is equally annoying. I think he's Canadian. He had an odd accent, something not from New England. I think he might be a comedian, although he wasn't funny. I couldn't even make it through the 30 minutes. One contestant and I was done. I will not be adding this show to my TiVo list.
The Red Sox have just completed a span of 20 games in 20 days, the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the player's association. Hmmm....Is anyone still questioning my idea of the MLB conspiring against the Sox? They were clearly tired by the end of this stretch of games, losing the last five. Granted, they also have been hit with the nasty flu that has been going around. WIth all the rain scheduled for today and tomorrow, I hope they postpone tomorrow night's game to allow for an extra day's rest.
Did anyone see Al Horford talk smack to Paul Pierce at the end of Saturday night's game? What's up with Atlanta? First it was Mike Baby, now Horford. The Hawks suck! They really should not be talking as they backed into the playoffs. I can't wait for Game 4 tonight. I'm predicting a 25+ point blowout.



I have one thing to say to Al Horford....http://www.moviewavs.com/0074023857/WAVS/Movies/Few_Good_Men/truth.wav

Last night, Jason Kidd showed how physical he can be (on and off the court). This guy has always been a thug. Now, he's an old player and is finally getting called out for what he's always been.

We're not done yet....I haven't even gotten to the Patriots draft. I'll have more later as mini-camp approaches, but here is a quick synopsis.

1. Mayo, LB - A good player. He should fit in nicely and make an impact, but needs a little work.
2. Wheatley, CB - I was surprised with this pick. There were better players (in my opinion) on the board. There are questions about his size, strength, and injury history.
3. Crable, LB - I liked him in college. He should also fit in nicely.
4. O'Connell, QB - Cassell is an UFA at the end of this year. O'Connell is Brady's new backup.
5. Wilhite, CB - He was a CB on an overrated SEC defense. We need CBs, so we'll see if he pans out.
6. Slater, WR - They drafted AC Slater?
7. Ruud, LB - A smart player with NFL LB genes. His father played LB for the Bills and Bengals.

One last bit of information that I'd like to share that I learned this weekend. It was voted as the worst draft day trade of all-time. In the 1985 NFL Draft, San Francisco traded their 1st, 2nd, & 3rd picks and received a 1st (16th overall) and 3rd round pick. With that pick, the 49ers drafted Jerry Rice. So, who traded away this pick? The New England Patriots. Not to worry, with SF's three picks, the Pats drafted Ben Thomas, Audray McMillan, and Trevor Matich.

That's about it for now. Until next time...

So now we have it...Jerod Mayo (#7)

Wow! The draft is going pretty fast. WIth Rivers being taken just before their pick, the Pats went with their second highest rated LB. Mayo is the first LB taken in the 1st round since Andy Katzenmoyer in 1999. We all know how that panned out. I don't know much about him, but will do some research this afternoon. With that being said, what I do know about him is that this kid can play ILB or OLB. He transitioned from OLB to ILB effectively last season. He'll remind you of a young Mike Vrabel. He attacks the line in the run defense and can effectively drop back in pass coverage. From what I read, he has good timing when it comes to blitzing.

From a negative point of view, I read that he needs to improve his lower-body strength and could improve his hand skills. He can also get lost in the interior sometimes. He'll need to improve on shedding tackles.

Personally, I would have gone with a CB with this pick. But, I'm happy with the pick. He will go a long way to refreshing the aging LB corps.

I'll have more later on our newest LB. For now, here is the Scouts, Inc. profile and a highlight video from YouTube.

In Belichik (and Pioli) We Trust

So...The Pats traded down a few spots, trading their 1st and 5th round picks to the Saints for their 1st (10th overall) and 3rd round picks. I think that it was a good trade as one of the players the Pats want (Rivers, Rodgers-Cromartie, Albert, Mayo) will be available. My guess is still Rivers, although now I'm hearing Rodgers-Cromartie...We'll see.

And we're off!

Chris Long, the best defensive player available (in my opinion), went #2. Matt Ryan is now the franchise QB for Atlanta. Good for him. The Raiders now have their home run hitter in Darren McFadden. We should find out in less than an hour what the Patriots have decided to do. Unfortunately, it looks like Gholston will not be available. Dorsey will probably go to the Chiefs and Gholston to the Jets.
A quick note, today is the day to have the NFL Network. First off, I believe that the NFL Network has better analysts than ESPN. Although, I do switch to ESPN when the NFL Network cuts to commercial.

Who will it be?

Well, the wait is almost over. Jake Long is the #1 overall pick. The St. Louis Rams are on the clock and we'll find out soon enough what the Pats do with the 7th overall pick. I'm excited because of the number of different scenarios that could play out tomorrow.

It looks like their may not be a player the Pats value high enough as a 7th pick overall, so I won't be surprised if they trade this pick. If they don't, I think that Keith Rivers is still a good bet. Depending on how far they fall back, we might still be looking at Rivers. Although Leodis McKelvin, who I think might be a good fit here, may be available in the early teens. He can fill needs at CB and also as a kick/punt returner.

A name that has started to gain momentum is Quentin Groves (DE/OLB, Auburn). I really don't know why. I'm not a big fan of his. Like his team, he's been an inconsistent player over his 4 years. He only had 38 tackles last year, 11 for a loss, and 3 sacks.

Unfortunately, another name that has been mentioned more often is Brandon Albert (OT/OG, VA). I really think that the Pats need to focus on linebackers and/or secondary early in the draft.

I'm sick with the flu right now, but will try to post updates during the draft tomorrow. Until then, here's a shout out to Shawn Merriman, LT, and the boys...

What?

OK...I couldn't let this one pass. We all know that an NBA player has never been a rocket scientist or a Rhodes scholar, so help me understand what Mike Bibby said today.
If you have already read the story about Mike Bibby's comments regarding Celtics fans, you have been mis-lead by the liberal media. You see, reporters act as translators so that common folk can understand what these millionaires are saying. You really need to watch the video. I am trying my best to get a clip that I can link to this page, but until then you're going to have to trust me.

When asked about the fans in the TD Banknorth Garden the other night, the college dropout said, "Farewell fans if you assed me." Well Mike, we did ASK you. OK, I'll chalk this up to bad audio. Although, I've replayed the clip over 20 times. Let's go on..."A lot of the fans, you know (Actually, we don't. That is why the question was posed for you to answer.), might be 'lil bandwagon jumpers." You understand his point, fair or not. But, let's keep the tape rolling..."You know, and tryin' to get on us now." Wouldn't that make the fans Hawks bandwagon jumpers? "Because, you know, I played here last year too and I don't, I didn't see three-fourfs of 'em." I'm glad to see that Mike remembered his fractions, but his memory may be lacking. When Bibby's team was here last year, the attendance was just over 16,000. Personally, I would have gone with three quarters, but I'm old school. We'll see what kind of band wagon fans show up for Game 2 on Wednesday.

This, I can't believe. Those French Canadien Frog-Wannabes up in Quebec actually rioted after last night's hockey game. They overturned and/or torched countless cars, including 16 police cars. They looted businesses, rode dumpsters down St. Catherine's Street, and caused general mayhem.

For what? Their team won their first round playoff series! First round! It was the Eastern Conference Quarter (Fourf, as Mike Bibby would put it.) Finals! Doesn't anyone in Montreal have a life? According to police spokesman Constable Laurent Gingras (Inspector Clouseau's old partner), 16 people were "detained". POSSIBLE charges include (think Canadian accent) break-and-enter, assault against a police officer, mischief against a police vehicle (this sounds like fun), and numerous municipal bylaw violations. The last one sounds serious. I bet little Jean-Luis went wee-wee in la rue again.

Well, hockey season is over for me. LET'S GO CELTICS!!! LET'S GO CELTICS!!! I hope we get to chant "BEAT LA!" this year. It's time to renew that spring rivalry.

Random Crap

Hey, it's been a while since I posted anything. I've been a little busy, but I do have some random thoughts that I need to get off my chest.

Now that the two innocent girls from Southie have been laid to rest, let's not let the mother off the hook. The news has moved on and DSS is happy that the spotlight is off them. Nothing will happen to this worthless piece of shit. Let's not forget that their mother wasn't even home at the time! It was 3am!!! When I first read the story about the girls being home with their brother, I reluctantly gave the mother the benefit of doubt but deep down knew that something wasn't right. For those of you with a short attention span, the girls, 14 & 6, were home with a twin brother.....Wait for it....A 14 YEAR OLD BOY! You may be wondering where their father was at the time. Well, the father has been a guest of the Suffolk County House of Corrections since March. But, I'm sure that he would have been home at the time. In the days after this awful tragedy, we found out that our stellar DSS had multiple open cases on this bitch and the children had been ordered to live with their grandmother in Lawrence, or Lynn, or does it really fuckin' matter! Mami, you should know better. Or, maybe you don't speak English and didn't understand the court order! How about the autopsy reports? The medical examiner had to use dental records to identify the girls. The girls died as a result of "thermal injuries". I'm no doctor, but if I hear thermal injuries and that dental records were needed, I can't imagine the horror and pain the girls endured wondering why their mother didn't come get them. Courts can order chemical castration, so why can't they order a woman to undergo a hysterectomy? It's a shame that this low life will have more children that we all will pay for. It's not right! The only, ONLY saving grace in this story is that the girls are in a better place...

OK, now to some less important topics. Admittedly, I didn't watch one Bruins game all year but have watched all of the playoff games. I've been soured on NHL hockey since the last work stoppage and am convinced that Jeremy Jacobs is more concerned about his concession stands and the bottom line than he is about the team he owns. Yes, he is thrilled that the Bruins made the playoffs. He's even more thrilled that he maxed out their potential home games this round! Jeremy will be depositing revenues from three packed houses over the past week. I will agree that he wants the Bruins to win Game 7 this Monday, but only because he'd be guaranteed two more home games! Good Luck Bs! Kick some Habs ass on Monday!

Speaking of hockey, NHL referees are giving their winter brethren (NBA referees) a run for their money when it comes to the worst officials in professional sports. These bucket heads know about a rule against diving. However, I have not seen a Diving penalty called without an offsetting penalty called. Again, I'm no NHL ref but my simple mind thinks that if I think a player dived to induce a penalty, then the other player must not have committed a penalty. If they had, then the player would not have had to dive but would have gone to the ice as a result of the penalty. Is it a coincidence that the NHL is headed up by Gary Bettman, formerly of the NBA?

The Sox have started to shake off their cobwebs from their long start to the season. Manny hitting crushing the ball. Everything he hits is a shot. DP has not shown a sophomore slump and Big Papi has started to come out of his slump. Even JD Drew is playing well! It's early...Condolences to the family and friends of former Sox catcher John Marzano who passed away this weekend.

We are now one week away from the NFL Draft. Rumor has it that the Pats are actively shopping this pick. If they don't, it appears that Keith Rivers (LB, USC) is the consensus choice of who New England will draft with the 7th pick. I'd be happy with the pick. He's a tough player that can read plays and has shown the ability to run down plays. He's also great in pass coverage. Check out his page from ESPN's Insider. http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2008&id=11737

Here's some water cooler trivia for you...Rivers wore 55 at USC, a number with some tradition behind it. Willie McGinest & Junior Seau both wore 55 for the Trojans, but you probably knew that already. What you probably don't know is Chris Claiborne also wore 55 and was the first USC player to win the Butkus Award in 1998 as the nation's best linebacker. Also, Pete Carroll has taken 55 "off the market." 55 cannot be chosen to be worn by a USC player. It can only be assigned by the head coach to whomever he thinks is the anchor of the defense. Now you'll be all set if the Pats draft him. If not, check back and I'll have some tidbit on whomever they end up drafting.

Until next time...

Choppy's Draft Preview

OK, the Sox are still treading water just below .500. So, what better way to divert some of my attention on the Sox than to gear up for the NFL Draft in a few weeks. The draft is one of the best weekends of the year. I sit on my couch, open up ESPN, CBSSportsline, SI, NFL, Patriots.com and take in all of the glory of the draft. With our beloved Pats picking 7th, let's take a gander at who I think might be available.

Let me say that although I do study a lot of the players during the college football season (thanks to the ESPN Game Plan), watch many bowl games, and NFL Combine (yes, I Tivo every hour on the NFL Network, as well as all of their Senior Bowl coverage), I do also subscribe to a few scouting sites to gather information. I'd love to do this full-time, but I think that I may have to take a sizable pay cut.

Many believe (including me) that the "Long Brothers" will go Number 1 & 2 in the draft. It depends on who the Big Tuna wants to make his big splash with in Miami.

1. Miami - If a splash is what you want, then watch for the Tuna to take Ohio State DT Vernon Gholston. Did you see his combine numbers? Remember, this guy is 6'3", 266 lbs. At the combine he ran a 4.65 40 (1.53 10 yard split), 37 reps at 225 lbs. on the bench press, 10'5" broad jump, and 7.12 sec. at the 3 Cone Drill! He improved his reps at his pro day to 42! Rumor has it that his agent in in negotiations with the Dolphins, but we all that could be a smokescreen.
2. St. Louis - That would really shake things up at the top of the draft as the Rams will choose from Jake Long, Chris Long, and Glen Dorsey. Being an offensive minded team and given their needs, I think the Rams will take Jake Long with this pick.
3. Atlanta - The Falcons need a franchise QB, and Ryan could be their man. But, I think that they will stick with Chris Redman and Joey Harrington this year and choose Glen Dorsey.
4. Oakland - This could leave the Raiders with a difficult choice. Do they go with Darren McFadden or take Howie's kid? Chris Long would be a popular pick in Oakland, but the Raiders need DMac at RB. If they do choose Long, then DMac could fall a few spots.
5. Kansas City - Ryan is almost certain to go here as I've read that the Chiefs were well represented at Ryan's Pro Day (Head Coach, GM, Offensive Coordinator) and are heavily interested in the BC QB.
6. NY Jets - Here is where things really get interesting. If the Long Brothers go 1 & 2, then watch for Gholston to go here. If Gholston goes 1 and Chris Long does not go to Atlanta, the Jets will have to choose between him and DMac. How could they let DMac drop here? They won't, but they also don't want to give the Pats the opportunity to pick one of THE top defensive players in the draft.
7. NE - If all of the moons, suns, stars, and oceans align and Gholston drops to this spot, you'll see me make the 5 minute dash from Dot to Foxboro and make the pick for the Pats before Belichik and Co. have a chance to change their mind. I'd take Gholston over Long any day and twice on Sunday! Realistically, the Pats have options here. If Ryan is available, this is where teams will trade up to get him. This may help the Pats as a top DB this year is not worthy of this high of a pick. They could drop back and pick a Michael Jenkins or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie later in the 1st round. They could go with Keith Rivers (OLB USC). This would be a great start at getting younger at LB. If they do go with DB here, we're probably looking at Leodis McKelvin and I'll be happy. Look at his profile! http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/leodis-mckelvin?id=1298 Other possibilities are Derrick Harvey (DE, FLA) and Sedrick Ellis (DE, USC). By the way, I have a lot of respect for Mike Mayock but I can't believe that he has the Pats picking Brandon Albert (OG, UVA) with this pick!

I'm not sure that many people who will read this care much beyond this pick. If the Pats choose an LB or DE at 7, they will most certainly pick a DB in the 2nd round. At that point, we're looking at Terrell Thomas from USC, Tracy Porter from Indiana, or maybe even Brandon Flowers from VA Tech.

Well, that's about it for now. Until next time, "Let's be careful out there!"

Sox Struggling Early

So...seven games into this already long season and the Sox are clearly tired. Did you see any of Tito's post game interviews in Toronto?
I'm looking forward to tomorrow's home opener. We're lucky that the struggling Tigers are here and not the Orioles. The Sox have enough trouble with a Baltimore team in early, never mind one that is off to a 5-1 start.
I won't be at the game, but two people who are on my team at work will be there, as well as my BROTHER who will be getting paid as he brings kids from his program to the game. Me, I will try to get updates online at work and will watch the pre-game ceremony if I remember to set the Tivo after I type this. Wait.......OK, the Tivo has been set.
A week into this season and the Sox are 17th in Avg, 20th in OBP, 22nd in Runs Scored, and 17th in OPS. As far as pitching goes, the Sox are 24th in ERA, but they are 5th in BAA. I know its really early, but is anyone surprised given what they have gone through over the past three weeks? I will be happy if the Sox are .500 at the end of April.
A quick post this time. That's it for now. Until next time, Oh well!

Remembering the day after MLK's death

This weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the slaying of one of the most influential men in the history of this country. I was not around in 1968, so I can't tell you how I felt about all the turmoil that shook our nation to its core that awful year. I can only hope that how I feel today is how I would have felt back then and that I would have had the courage to help stop the injustice. The news has had hundreds of stories discussing the importance of MLK (and rightly so), but I haven't seen anything about what happened on April 5, 1968 that helped bring our city together.

We all know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed early morning on April 4, 1968. We all know that James Earl Ray was captured a few months later and confessed to the assassination. We all know that cities from coast to coast were thrown into turmoil in the days following Dr. King's murder. We all have seen the footage of NYC, Chicago, LA, Detroit, Baltimore and Washington DC going up in flames as a response by the black community. But do we all know why we didn't see any video of mass riots or fires in Boston? The same city where MLK received a degree from BU and met his wife.

The reason is because two men, a white Irish politician and a black musician realized that a previously scheduled concert on 4/5/68 could be used as a vehicle to bring whites & blacks together to begin the delicate healing process. Mayor Kevin White convinced James Brown to allow his concert to be televised live from the Boston Garden on public television.

Although, it wasn't as easy as it looked. National Guard troops, Boston Police, Boston Fire, and MA State Police were gearing up for a weekend of riots and fires. Earlier that day, after initialling wanting to cancel the concert, Mayor White began to find a way for the concert to be televised on WGBH and allow for ticket holders to receive refunds if they didn't go to the show. He was worried about the crowd bringing violence into the heart of the city. He had seen what had happened in Roxbury the night before.

But no one could get a hold of James Brown, who was in NYC, to inform him of the mayor's decision. When Councillor Tom Atkins finally got a hold of James Brown, he was livid. Televising the show to allow people to stay home would cost the singer more than $50K. He wasn't going to perform. If that had happened, the city would have been thrown into turmoil along with the other major cities.

In the bowels of the Garden, Mayor White & James Brown came to an agreement as to how much money the city would pay the performer to take the stage. The following concert televised across the city would bring a calm to the streets of every neighborhood. Police would later report that the night of 4/5/68 was more quiet than even a normal Friday in Boston. This, as the other major cities entered their second night of mass violence. People who saw the concert would say that Mr. Brown gave one of the best concerts of his career.

James Brown once called Martin Luther King Jr. "America's Best Friend". Brown helped us memorialize MLK. For that period of time, Boston was "the shining city on the hill". Our residents had shown that the best way to remember the memory of MLK was by peace, the same way he had lived his life. It's too bad that a few years later, during the busing riots, that work was lost.