Category: Sports
Football Can’t Stand Up to My ADD
In the last few years, my interest in football waned and ultimately went the way of the dodo. At first, I wasn’t really sure why this was, considering my love of baseball only increased at the same time. A recent epiphany, however, laid the reason bare.
Adding Insult to Injury
While already trailing the Dallas Cowboys by 11 in the fourth quarter of tonight’s preaseason matchup, a penalty was called against Tennessee Titans quarterback Patrick Ramsey for intentionally grounding the ball prior to being sacked. Too bad Ramsey was standing in the end zone when he discarded the ball. Unable to penalize for yardage, Ramsey’s move resulted in a safety, giving the Cowboys a 13-point lead with the score 23-10.
Remy Returns to NESN on Friday, August 21
Today, Jerry Remy announced his long-awaited return to the NESN broadcast booth. His first game back will be at Fenway against the Yankees this Friday, August 21. According to The Remy Report (his official site), he will ease back into his duties, and likely won’t be along for the road trips to start. It’ll be great to have him back, even if just at Fenway.
Red Sox Post-Manny
With Manny gone, maybe now the Red Sox can focus on baseball. While it’s sad to see a player go who’s been such a crucial part of two World Series and who hit his 500th home run with the Sox, his off-the-field antics—”Manny being Manny”—have gotten out of control. Assaulting the traveleing secretary over tickets pushed things over the line for me, and I’m happy to see him go. And from his comments to ESPN Deportes, I’m sure he is too.
As Mentioned During the All-Star Game
Wall Street Journal sports writer James Wagner wrote about the rising influence of Dominican pitchers who feature the change-up as their primary pitch. His article, “The Pitch of an Island,” even earned a mention during the All-Star Game, held four days after his article appeared. It’s a very interesting look at the shift from hitter to pitcher domination in baseball’s recruiting efforts in the Dominican Republic.
Check it out here.
“Our Coliseum”
Did Joe Buck really refer to Yankees Stadium as our country’s version of the Colosseum during tonight’s All-Star Game? Did I miss the death-match baseball games between the Yankees and Red Sox? I really can’t understand the analogy Buck was trying for.
Here’s the clip:
J.D. Drew
Something started clicking for Red Sox right-fielder J.D. Drew during the 2007 playoffs, and it continues to click tonight as he hits a two-run homer to tie the All-Star Game in New York.
It seems Drew has adapted to the American League.
Willie Randolph, the Stuff of Legend
Since being fired by the Mets in the middle of the night during a West-coast roadtrip, former manager Willie Randolph has gone from baseball pariah to management tool extraordinaire. Because of how he was let go, his dismissal will find its way into management textbooks everywhere under the heading “How Not to Fire An Employee.” Already, The Wall Street Journal‘s Career Journal has written an article about how bad firings can damage a firm’s reputation. Not that the Mets had much to worry about in that regard…
Check out the Career Journal article here.
Curt Schilling Out For Season, Career Uncertain
Curt Schilling announced today that he needs shoulder surgery which will end his season. Making his announcement on Boston’s WEEI, the right-hander speculated he has likely thrown his last pitch. At this point, rightly so, his sole focus is on eliminating the pain in his shoulder.
This is quite a loss for the Red Sox and the MLB. Even though he hasn’t thrown yet this season, his post-season record is impressive. He played key roles in both the 2004 and 2007 World Series victories.
Source: Schilling to have shoulder surgery, redsox.com.