Here are some thoughts that are rattling around my head this afternoon.
Kevin Garnett is officially back. He might have missed nine games with an injured abdomen but last night against the Detroit Pistons one could hardly tell he had ever missed a beat. Garnett’s intensity is so great that it has the ability to have an early March regular season game seem as though it is a playoff game seven. No matter what Al Jefferson ends up being as a basketball player it will be hard to argue with Ainge’s trade simply based on the life that has returned to Celtics games as a result of Garnett’s presence.
Steve Phillips of ESPN brought up the amazing fact in Thursday’s broadcast of the Red Sox spring training game against the Dodgers that 23 players out of the 25 players from the Red Sox 2007 roster are still around going into 2008 spring training. That is a 92% pretension rate. In the free agent era, I can’t remember when a championship team went into the next season with so many hold-overs.
The contrast of the 2007 retention rate was even more illuminated by the fact that the Dodgers starter Thursday was former Sox hurler Derrick Lowe. With the mass exodus of 2004 that was led by Pedro Martinez and Lowe it is hard to believe that the Red Sox are still under essentially the same exact ownership and management.
During the same ESPN broadcast the fact was brought up that every Red Sox home spring training game since 2003 has been sold out. Every game has been sold out at Fenway Park during this same exact time. It is hard to imagine this streak coming to an end any time soon.
And now for the creepy portion of this post--MSNBC had a special last night entitled “The Mind of Manson” chronicling the the life and times of Charles Manson. The program relied heavily on a 1987 Today Show broadcast which featured an interview with Manson and analysis from a former F.B.I. crime profiler. I have to admit that watching this interview was one of the most chilling, yet gripping, things I’ve watched in a while. People the likes of Manson often seem inhuman and beyond comprehension and while the program did nothing to completely remove this about Manson—it was fascinating to hear the psychological analysis of the interview that was provided throughout the program.
If anyone is looking for something to do this weekend they might want to look into the Harpoon Brewery’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The cover of $15 is a bit steep but it does include a free pint glass and hours of music. For anyone busy the actual St. Patrick’s Day weekend it might be a nice alternative.
One week until I leave for Florida and Red Sox Spring Training!
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monday Thoughts
A very good Monday to each and all of you. Here are a few things that are on my mind this afternoon.
I first want to wish BC hockey the best of luck in their Beanpot Championship match against Harvard tonight. After a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over BU last Monday this is the best chance BC has had to hoist the Beanpot Trophy in a few years. Hat’s off to Harvard for a victory last week over a Northeastern squad that went into the game as a clear favorite but hopefully it will be only BC fans who are taking their hats off tonight.
BC basketball had a very hard fought loss to Duke this past Saturday 90-80. The game clearly displayed the best and worst that the 2007-2008 Eagle’s hoop squad has to offer. As for the highlights, Tyrese Rice’s ability to make plays both penetrating to the rim and hitting shots from all over the court was apparent. BC’s energy and athleticism was also apparent with the 4 freshmen running all over the court. As for the lowlights, the Eagle’s inconsistency couldn’t have come at a worse time than it did late in the second half. Whether it was a result of Duke’s deep bench catching up with the Eagle’s traditionally thin bench or whether it was simply the #2 ranked Duke simply out playing BC I’m not sure. But what I am sure of is that the Eagle’s will need to face the Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament to have the chance to beat Duke for the first time since 1985. The Duke winning streak over the Eagle’s has now replaced Miami’s former football winning streak as the biggest “monkey on the back” in BC sports.
The race for the Democratic Nomination for President continues to heat up. It appears that the rest of February will continue to favor Illinois Senator Barack Obama with a combination of caucuses, whose structure has proven to favor the traditionally more zealous Obama supporters, and votes in areas with large numbers of African Americans. The looming March 4th Texas and Ohio Primaries are New York Senator Hillary Clinton’s next and best opportunities to lock up huge numbers of delegates. But as this primary and caucus cycle has proven so far merely winning a state does not guarantee separation from the other candidate because of the proportional distribution of delegates based on the congressional districts of each state. Look for the race to remain “too close to call” through the 22nd of April when the Pennsylvania Primary is held.
If you are looking for something to do this Friday or Saturday night I’d highly recommend you head over to Jamaica Plains to check out the Footlight Club Community Theater’s production of Neil Simon’s “rumors.” The two and a half hour non-stop comedy will leave you laughing and glad you invested the mere $20 ticket price. The Footlight Club is actually America’s oldest community theater and you can read more about them at www.footlight.org.
Three days until….no not Valentine’s Day but rather until pitchers and catchers must report to Red Sox Spring Training in Ft. Myers! It might not seem like it with the frigid single digit temperatures we are “enjoying” today in Boston but spring is on its way!
I first want to wish BC hockey the best of luck in their Beanpot Championship match against Harvard tonight. After a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over BU last Monday this is the best chance BC has had to hoist the Beanpot Trophy in a few years. Hat’s off to Harvard for a victory last week over a Northeastern squad that went into the game as a clear favorite but hopefully it will be only BC fans who are taking their hats off tonight.
BC basketball had a very hard fought loss to Duke this past Saturday 90-80. The game clearly displayed the best and worst that the 2007-2008 Eagle’s hoop squad has to offer. As for the highlights, Tyrese Rice’s ability to make plays both penetrating to the rim and hitting shots from all over the court was apparent. BC’s energy and athleticism was also apparent with the 4 freshmen running all over the court. As for the lowlights, the Eagle’s inconsistency couldn’t have come at a worse time than it did late in the second half. Whether it was a result of Duke’s deep bench catching up with the Eagle’s traditionally thin bench or whether it was simply the #2 ranked Duke simply out playing BC I’m not sure. But what I am sure of is that the Eagle’s will need to face the Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament to have the chance to beat Duke for the first time since 1985. The Duke winning streak over the Eagle’s has now replaced Miami’s former football winning streak as the biggest “monkey on the back” in BC sports.
The race for the Democratic Nomination for President continues to heat up. It appears that the rest of February will continue to favor Illinois Senator Barack Obama with a combination of caucuses, whose structure has proven to favor the traditionally more zealous Obama supporters, and votes in areas with large numbers of African Americans. The looming March 4th Texas and Ohio Primaries are New York Senator Hillary Clinton’s next and best opportunities to lock up huge numbers of delegates. But as this primary and caucus cycle has proven so far merely winning a state does not guarantee separation from the other candidate because of the proportional distribution of delegates based on the congressional districts of each state. Look for the race to remain “too close to call” through the 22nd of April when the Pennsylvania Primary is held.
If you are looking for something to do this Friday or Saturday night I’d highly recommend you head over to Jamaica Plains to check out the Footlight Club Community Theater’s production of Neil Simon’s “rumors.” The two and a half hour non-stop comedy will leave you laughing and glad you invested the mere $20 ticket price. The Footlight Club is actually America’s oldest community theater and you can read more about them at www.footlight.org.
Three days until….no not Valentine’s Day but rather until pitchers and catchers must report to Red Sox Spring Training in Ft. Myers! It might not seem like it with the frigid single digit temperatures we are “enjoying” today in Boston but spring is on its way!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Weekend Thoughts
Here are a few thoughts for the weekend:
Governor Deval Patrick tried and tried last night to capture the excitement his 2006 campaign brought to Massachusetts. And while his attempts were not completely wasted, the duty of legislating is never quite as exciting as the art of campaigning is. Patrick’s personal story is a strong one and he is right to use it; however, the next year must bring more legislative accomplishments for him or else we may have to hear it retold in full each January while he remains in office. After struggling to overcome an initial learning curve within Beacon Hill during his first year look for Patrick to have far greater success in 2008 than he did in 2007. Patrick is too charismatic and intelligent to be kept back forever and look for him to form several political partnerships in order to have his agenda met. This may begin with a partnership with Senate President Murray regarding casinos within the commonwealth.
Minnesota Timberwolves games are now becoming a sort of family reunion for Boston sports fans, even more so for those of us with Boston College ties. If you tune in to tonight’s game at 7:30 PM on FSNE you get the multiple pleasures of seeing all those poor ex-celtics who went from the cold of Beantown to the even colder climate of Minnesota in exchange for Kevin Garnett only to see their former team emerge into an Eastern Conference powerhouse. In addition to checking in with old Celtic friends Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomez, Jerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, and Theo Ratliff, fans will be able to witness former fan favorite and oft-traded Antoine Walker return once again in another team’s uniform. The game will finally mark a return visit from former Boston College star Craig Smith who is finding a definite role as a second year forward in Minnesota.
Saturday’s 4:00 PM tip-off between Boston College and Virginia Tech will be a crucial opportunity for the Eagles to put themselves back on the winning track against the Hokies of Virginia Tech. The Hokies who lost 81-62 to Duke Thursday night will have less than 48 hours to prepare for the game while the Eagles have had one full week to focus on Virginia Tech after their embarrassing defeat in Charlottesville last Saturday. Hopefully the young Eagles squad will be able to take the frustrations of last Saturday’s defeat out on the Hokies and improve BC’s ACC record to 4-1.
Saturday’s Democratic Primary in South Carolina still appears to be Barack Obama’s to lose. As the campaign becomes more and more heated, Obama must stay strong and hold on in South Carolina to ensure life moving towards “Super Duper Tuesday” on February 5.
With the Super Bowl off week, I’ll be taking the first football free Sunday I’ve had in a while to go see “Spamalot” at the Boston Opera House this Sunday afternoon. The matinee performance will mark the end of Spamalot’s nearly two week stay in Boston. And while this scribe has a long way to go in his Monty Python education, it is a safe bet that the musical’s comedy will ensure an enjoyable afternoon.
Governor Deval Patrick tried and tried last night to capture the excitement his 2006 campaign brought to Massachusetts. And while his attempts were not completely wasted, the duty of legislating is never quite as exciting as the art of campaigning is. Patrick’s personal story is a strong one and he is right to use it; however, the next year must bring more legislative accomplishments for him or else we may have to hear it retold in full each January while he remains in office. After struggling to overcome an initial learning curve within Beacon Hill during his first year look for Patrick to have far greater success in 2008 than he did in 2007. Patrick is too charismatic and intelligent to be kept back forever and look for him to form several political partnerships in order to have his agenda met. This may begin with a partnership with Senate President Murray regarding casinos within the commonwealth.
Minnesota Timberwolves games are now becoming a sort of family reunion for Boston sports fans, even more so for those of us with Boston College ties. If you tune in to tonight’s game at 7:30 PM on FSNE you get the multiple pleasures of seeing all those poor ex-celtics who went from the cold of Beantown to the even colder climate of Minnesota in exchange for Kevin Garnett only to see their former team emerge into an Eastern Conference powerhouse. In addition to checking in with old Celtic friends Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomez, Jerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, and Theo Ratliff, fans will be able to witness former fan favorite and oft-traded Antoine Walker return once again in another team’s uniform. The game will finally mark a return visit from former Boston College star Craig Smith who is finding a definite role as a second year forward in Minnesota.
Saturday’s 4:00 PM tip-off between Boston College and Virginia Tech will be a crucial opportunity for the Eagles to put themselves back on the winning track against the Hokies of Virginia Tech. The Hokies who lost 81-62 to Duke Thursday night will have less than 48 hours to prepare for the game while the Eagles have had one full week to focus on Virginia Tech after their embarrassing defeat in Charlottesville last Saturday. Hopefully the young Eagles squad will be able to take the frustrations of last Saturday’s defeat out on the Hokies and improve BC’s ACC record to 4-1.
Saturday’s Democratic Primary in South Carolina still appears to be Barack Obama’s to lose. As the campaign becomes more and more heated, Obama must stay strong and hold on in South Carolina to ensure life moving towards “Super Duper Tuesday” on February 5.
With the Super Bowl off week, I’ll be taking the first football free Sunday I’ve had in a while to go see “Spamalot” at the Boston Opera House this Sunday afternoon. The matinee performance will mark the end of Spamalot’s nearly two week stay in Boston. And while this scribe has a long way to go in his Monty Python education, it is a safe bet that the musical’s comedy will ensure an enjoyable afternoon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)