Football Picks

Before I get to my pick for Super Bowl XLIII, I want to quickly address the Jason Varitek situation for (hopefully) the last time. Varitek is one of the all-time great players on the Red Sox. He has been apart of the Sox since a famous 1997 trade that also brought Derek Lowe to Boston in exchange for Heathcliff Slocumb. 'Tek has played an important role on seven Red Sox teams that have made the postseason and without him behind the plate, the Red Sox probably would not have won the World Series in either 2004 or 2007. He is the one that stood up to A-Rod in 2004 when the Yankee slugger tried to act tough with Bronson Arroyo -- it was the fight that sparked the Sox onto history. As fans, we can't understand the insane amounts of millions that our heroes on the field receive as compensation for allowing us to act like children for a few hours every day during the summer. For me, a teacher making $45,000 a year, I can't fathom why 'Tek would turn down $5 million to play baseball but that is not the point. Not right now. The point is that as a fan, as one of millions who live and die by the Red Sox from February to October, I don't want to see one of my favorite players leave after so many years of distinguished service. The Red Sox need Varitek in 2009 to handle a very talented pitching staff. Varitek needs Boston because no other team (or fan base) will accept an aging catcher who hits .220 with no power. There is a reported deadline of 8:30 this morning for Varitek to accept the Red Sox contract offer. I am one person who wants to see it completed... As always, the pick is against the spread. Arizona (+7) over Pittsburgh The Cardinals got hot at the right time of year. After an ugly end the to the regular season, they have ripped off wins over Atlanta, Carolina, and Philadelphia to earn their first ever Super Bowl berth. The connection between Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald has become unstoppable and even if the Steelers secondary finds a way to slow down Fitzgerald, Warner has Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin (and Steve Breaston) to fire spirals at all afternoon. Cardinals - 31 Steelers - 23 Conference Championship Games: 1 - 1 Season: 131 - 121 - 9

Random Thoughts (January 27, 2009)

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that with the market not paying out big bucks to some free agents who expected to break the bank, one possibility will be for these players to seek out one-year deals to try and enhance their value for the 2009-10 offseason. Rosenthal specifically mentioned Adam Dunn, the slugging OF/1B of the Diamondbacks, as a possible target of the Red Sox. In the opinion of Rosenthal, Dunn would provide the Red Sox insurance against the injuries of David Ortiz and Mike Lowell. I am all for this. If Lowell is slow to recover from offseason hip surgery, the Sox could slide Kevin Youkilis to third and plug in Dunn at first. If Ortiz' production continues to decline because of age and injury (knee and wrist), then Dunn could be the new DH. Also, with the shaky history of J.D. Drew, the Sox could move Jason Bay from left to right field and put Dunn in the shadow of the Green Monster. This really is a no-brainer for Theo Epstein. Dunn would offer short-term insurance at three positions and could be traded if his services become unnecessary... According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox have given Jason Varitek until Saturday to accept the teams proposed two-year contract. The free agent catcher, who has been with the Sox since 1997, could have made between $10-12 million for 2009 if he had accepted salary arbitration. However, Varitek and his agent, (the Evil) Scott Boras, decided to go to free agency. With his age reaching 40 and his batting average reaching .200, the market for 'Tek never materialized and now he faces making short money while the Sox look for a long term replacement behind the plate. If 'Tek turns down the offer, it will be another message to sports fans that even the players that we believe will never leave town are really just about the money. Hopefully #33 won't fall into that category... With Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen heating up and the team's defense returning to its 2008 Finals form, the Celtics have won eight straight games. Doc Rivers believes his team is actually playing better ball in this recent stretch than when they won 19 consecutive games earlier this season. I still believe that if the Celtics are to repeat as champions, they need another big man, preferably Joe Smith... The Stephon Marbury rumors won't stop and although I was 100% against the C's signing "Starbury" if he were released by the Knicks, I am relenting just a little bit on that stance. For a short term (3-4 months) playing with his former best bud Kevin Garnett, Marbury could provide the C's with an actual backup point guard, allowing for Eddie House to worry strictly about shooting the ball and for Tony Allen to worry about nothing... Media day at the Super Bowl is today. I don't know if he's there or not but I always loved Bill Simmons' running diary of this over-the-top extravaganza... Enjoy KG tonight...

Random Thoughts (January 21, 2009)

As much as I love the Red Sox signing of Jonathan Papelbon yesterday (1-year/$6.25 million) because it avoids salary arbitration, I can't help but wonder why the 27-year-old closer did not sign a long term deal like his teammates Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis did this offseason. Papelbon suffered through a shoulder injury at the end of the 2006 season and his September/October numbers in 2008 (0-1. 5.56 ERA, 12 K's and 17 hits allowed in 11.1 innings) were not very good. In Papelbon's defense, he did have another phenomenal postseason (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 K's and 3 hits allowed in 10.1 innings), running his career postseason scoreless innings streak to 25. He has 113 career saves and is a two-time All-Star. Papelbon has a strong case to get a long term deal for big dollars but there is also some substantial doubt on the side of the Red Sox to give him a Francisco Rodriguez-like deal (3-year/$37 million with the Mets). According to Red Sox assistant general manager Jed Hoyer, the two sides will meet to try and agree on a long term contract. I think that they will agree on a three or four-year contract that will pay Papelbon somewhere between $7 or $8 million a season, with reasonable incentives. That should make all three sides (Red Sox, Papelbon, Red Sox Nation) very happy... He is getting older, he will probably demand a lot of money, he might not be considered the typical "Patriot" but wouldn't Ray Lewis be a great way for the Patriots to build up their defense for 2009... Even with all of the losses on the coaching staff and from the front office the last four years, I still feel 100% confident that the Patriots will remain Super Bowl contenders on a yearly basis as long as the guy with the gray hoodie roams the sidelines and hallways in Foxboro... It was nice to see the BC men's basketball team finally wake up after knocking off then #1 North Carolina on January 4 with a victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta last night. The Eagles lost to Harvard, Miami, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech in between the UNC and Georgia Tech victories. If Al Skinner's club, now 13-6, can find a way to go at least 7-4 in the ACC the rest of the way, they should find themselves in the NCAA Tournament come March. It will be very hard for the selection committee to pass over a 20 win team from the ACC who has a win over North Carolina... On the topic of BC basketball, it's a shame that the Eagles could not land either Erik Murphy or Nate Lubick of the St. Mark's School located just over an hour outside of Chestnut Hill in Southborough, Massachusetts. Murphy, a 6-10 senior and the son of former BC great Jay Murphy, will play for Billy Donovan at Florida next season and Lubick, a 6-9 junior, has already committed to play for John Thompson III at Georgetown for the 2010-2011 season. After losing out on those two talented giants, Skinner better hope that Central Catholic High School star Carson Desrosiers, a 6-11 junior, decides to stay close to home because until BC starts to land the top talent in New England, the Eagles will never be more than a slight threat (at best) to the powers of the ACC. In the past few years alone, BC has allowed Brookline's Jeff Adrien (UConn), Newton North's Anthony Gurley (Wake Forest/UMass) and Corey Lowe (BU), the Tilton School's (via Boston) Alex Oriakhi and Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel (UConn), Murphy, and Lubick to escape BC. Skinner has won many games with less recruited players and his teams are always competitive but with BC in the ACC, challenging the likes of UNC and Duke, he needs to keep the top players from his own backyard in order to keep his program successful... Enjoy Ray Allen tonight...

Random Thoughts (January 20, 2009)

The experience of taking in a game at Cameron Inddor Stadium can not be fully described. The intensity and passion that fill the tiny on campus gym at Duke is electrifying. I had goose bumps almost the entire game. Sitting just four rows behind Coach K, I felt like I was apart of every Duke huddle. The Duke studenst filled the gym over an hour before tip-off and they never got quiet. It was an amazing atmosphere to say the least... There are trades every year at the NBA Draft that end up making no difference in what happens on the court. There are also trades that alter the history of the NBA. The 2006 draft night trade of Rajon Rondo from Phoenix to Boston certainly fits into the second category. Owner Robert Sarver has been extremly tight fisted with his cash when it comes to operating his basketball team. Instead of paying his draft picks, the Suns often trade away the rights to the picks for cash. In the 2006 draft, the Suns held the 21st overall pick in the first round and sold the rights to their pick, Rondo, to the Celtics for the rights to a future first round pick. This deal has played a major part in the revival of the Celtics into the champions of the NBA as well as the beginning of the downfall of the Suns. Rondo's contributions to the Celtics have made them champions again. He plays great defense, runs the C's potent transition game, and finds a way to keep Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett involved in the offense. Without Rondo, the Celtics would have been good last year but they would not have won the championship. Meanwhile, the window for winning the championship is closing in Phoenix. As Steve Nash gets older and the Suns have moved away from their up-tempo game into a half-court game, one has to wonder how good Phoenix would have continued to be if Rondo were there to support and one day supplant Nash as leader of the Phoenix offense. The difference between the two teams was on display last night as the Celtics blew out the Suns, 104-87, at the Garden. Rondo scored a game high 23 points, dished out 7 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds while playing an integral role in holding Nash to 12 points. As the Celtics continue to challenge for championships and the demise of the Suns carries on, this trade will go down as one of the most important NBA deals of the 21st Century... I'm happy for Kurt Warner, returning to the Super Bowl seven years after losing to the Patriots as the quarterback of the Rams. Warner looked like he would be a footnote to history after the upset loss in Super Bowl XXXVI as injuries regulated him to a backup role, first with the Giants and then with the Cardinals. However, the ineffectiveness of Matt Leinart put him back in the starters position last season and now he has carried one of the biggest losers in American professional sports history to the cusp of its ultimate championship. Now that he has two NFL MVP awards (1999, 2001) and three NFC Championships ('99, '01, 2008), and at least one Super Bowl (SB XXXIV), the case for Warner's entry into the Hall of Fame is getting much stronger... Enjoy the Inauguration today...

Random Thoughts (January 16, 2009)

The Red Sox might not be making the flashy, high priced moves that their enemies located in the Bronx have this winter but Theo Epstein is quietly building a team that will compete for the World Series in 2009 and beyond. Yesterday, the Sox announced they have come to terms with Kevin Youkilis on a 4-year, $40 million contract. When you compare Youk's numbers in 2007 and 2008 (.288 average/16 HR/83 RBI/.390 OBP/117 OPS+ in '07 and .312/29/115/.390/143 in '08) to that of Mark Teixeira (.306/30/105/.400/150 in '07 and .308/33/121/.410/151), the Red Sox seem to have gotten the better of the two deals. Honestly, I would rather pay Youkilis $10 million per season over the next four years for his production than pay Teixeira $22.5 million per season over the next eight years for his production... I am not a traitor for going to see Duke play at Cameron before seeing North Carolina play at the Dean Dome. When an opportunity like this comes around, you take it... A good source tells me that the Oklahoma City Thunder -- formerly the Seattle Sonics -- will not be releasing forward Joe Smith anytime soon. The Celtics need Smith to repeat... The bars in Atlanta better be prepared to have extra Bud Light on ice. Trust me... Will Scott Pioli even pretend to keep a straight face when he releases Bernard Pollian... The new episode of The Office last night was great. The sidebar that Meredith had, talking about two guys fighting over her, was hilarious... Enjoy Ed Reed on Sunday...

Football Picks

I won't see too much of the Conference championship games on Sunday. And it's not that I'm pouting that the Patriots are on the outside looking in. Actually, I will be on a plane, returning from North Carolina. Tomorrow I am going to the Georgetown-Duke game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Yes, I am one of the world's biggest Duke haters but I have a connection to one of Duke's players and so I will be going to Durham to see a game in Cameron, which is like seeing the Yankees at the old Yankee Stadium, the Celtics at the original Garden, or the Packers at Lambeau Stadium. As an added bonus, my UNC Tarheels are home on Saturday night against Miami, so I might be able to catch a game at the Dean Dome. I'll let you know On to the picks... All picks are against the spread and home team is in capitals. NFC Championship Game ARIZONA (+3) over Philadelphia Not many people believe the Cardinals can win this game but even as good as the Eagles have played the last three weeks, I'm still not ready to pronounce a team led by Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb -- two men infamous for struggling on the biggest stage -- as favorites on the road. If the Eagles do win, it will be because their defense shuts down a potent Cardinals offense. Defensive coordiantor Jim Johnson (who should be an NFL head coach by now) will be blitzing Kurt Warner all night so his defensive backs need to shut down Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, and (if healthy) Anquan Boldin just long enough so his front seven can pound on Warner. It won't be easy but it will decide if Philly gets to the Super Bowl. AFC Championship Game Baltimore (+4.5) over PITTSBURGH Maybe it's just because I hate the Steelers (other than Hines Ward, who would look great in a Patriots uniform) but I think 4.5 points is a lot to give in a game that will be such a physical battle. I think the Steelers will win the game -- mainly because I don't think the Ravens offense will succeed against the vaunted Pittsburgh defense -- but the Ravens defense will make this game decided by no more than a field goal. Last Week: 2 - 2 Season: 130 - 120 - 9

Random Thoughts (January 14, 2009)

Great win for the Bruins last night over the hated Canadiens. The B's keep rolling on with the most points in the NHL. Tim Thomas is to be applauded for a great night between the pipes and for starting a brawl between the two teams... Tim Tebow will be back under center for the national champion Florida Gators in 2009, searching for a third BCS championship and a second Heisman... The Patriots took another hit yesterday as Scott Pioli left New England to take over football operations with the Kansas City Chiefs. His office will be filled by Nick Caserio but there will be no replacing Pioli. Along with Bill Belichick, he built the Patriots into a dynasty, finding the players to keep the team on top of the NFL for eight years. The people in Kansas City don't know how lucky they are to get such a shrewd talent evaluator. The Chiefs should be back on top of the AFC West in no time... In case you missed it, Jodie Meeks set Kentucky's all-time single game scoring record last night, dropping 54 on Tennessee. Meeks nailed a school-record 10 3-pointers on route to breaking Kentucky great Dan Issel's record of 53, set in 1969... To get a preview of TheBostonInsider's upcoming Saturday afternoon, make sure to watch Duke-Georgia Tech and Georgetown-Syracuse tonight... Enjoy Greg Monroe tonight...

Random Thoughts (January 12, 2009)

Congratulations to Jim Rice. The former Red Sox left fielder and the 1978 A.L. MVP was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today, on his final shot at election. Rice, who batted .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBIs from 1974-1989, will be enshrined in Cooperstown next summer along with Rickey Henderson... Bill Belichick and the Patriots have a very long offseason ahead of them. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Pats have to make decisions on some key personnel matters, such as the future of quarterback Matt Cassel, and find a way to rebuild a defense that is getting older. Belichick will also have to replace his offensive coordinator because Josh McDaniels has left New England to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos. And he will probably be evaluating players without Scott Pioli, who is expected to take over the football operations of the Kansas City Chiefs. The loss of coaches and talent evaluators in nothing new to Belichick or the Patriots. Since winning Super Bowl XXXIX, they have lost two offensive coordiantors (Charlie Weis and McDaniels), two defensive coordinators (Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini), and director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff. The losses of McDaniels and (most likely) Pioli will be felt but they are not insurmountable. Belichick has proven he can train new coaches and keep the Patriots winners in the past and I'm sure he will continue to do so into the future. Replacing McDaniels will be his first priority. Bill O'Brien, the current receivers coach, has been named as a preliminary candidate by the local media but I wonder if recently departed BC head coach Jeff Jagodzinski might fit into Belichick's plans. Jagodzinski had great success with the offense at BC and has been a coordinator in the NFL with the Falcons and Packers... While the Pats search for a replacement for McDaniels, the Colts today learned that longtime head coach Tony Dungy will be retiring. Dungy, who has hinted at retirement the past few years, will be replaced by his longtime assistant Jim Caldwell. Dungy is a class act and now that he has officially left the enemy, I have no problem admitting to that... The Red Sox continue to build depth in their pitching staff. The team signed former Dodgers closer Takashi Saito to a one-year deal with an option for 2010 over the weekend. When healthy, Saito has been one of the better relievers in baseball since 2006, saving 81 games and posting a 1.95 ERA in 189 2/3 innings. He missed a majority of 2008 with an elbow issue but the Red Sox obviously believed in his health enough to give him a contract. Adding Saito to a bullpen of Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson (who may be converted back into a starter), Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Rivera, and Javier Lopez gives the Red Sox depth in an area where most teams are lacking any stability... It's hard to believe with all of their talent that the UNC men's basketball team is 0-2 in the ACC... If you like college hoops, watch the Texas-Oklahoma game tonight. It could be a better game than the "Red River Shootout" from this past fall... Enjoy Blake Griffin tonight...

Parity Rules The NFL

Somewhere in the clouds, Pete Rozelle is smiling. Somewhere else, Paul Tagliabue is doing the same. Without a doubt, so is Roger Goodell. The NFL can claim something that the other professional sports in North America simply can not do. Through the work of their two previous commissioners, as well as the current head honcho, the NFL is a league where every team enters the new season with a chance to compete for the championship. It keeps the fans of all 32 teams involved with their team going into every season because no team can be ruled out before the season begins. A year ago, the Miami Dolphins were 1-15. This year they won the AFC East championship with an 11-5 record. The Atlanta Falcons were a team that only could be loved by anarchists in 2007. In 2008, they were a playoff team. The 2007 Patriots went 16-0 and lost in Super Bowl XLII but in 2008 they missed out on the playoffs (even with an 11-5 record). The NFL's preseason advertisement should be Kevin Garnett yelling out "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!" (Unless, of course, you are a fan of the Detroit Lions. Your team has no chance to succeed. Ever.) The extreme examples in 2008 of the parity that rules professional football are the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens. For years, the Cardinals have been a joke, suffering through countless years of losing. The high point of the Cardinals up until '08 was Rod Tidwell's fictional great game on Monday Night Football in Jerry Maguire. The only chance Cardinals fans had to see the Super Bowl was when Phoenix hosted the big game every other couple of years. In 2007, the Cardinals were 8-8, a good record considering their awful past. A year later they won the NFC West (with a 9-7 record) and their first two playoff games, setting them up to host the NFC Championship Game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Other than the diehard fans of the Cardinals, no one expected them to go this far. As for the Ravens, they were coming off of a 5-11 season in 2007 and had fired longtime head coach Brian Billick (who led the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV) and replaced him with first-year coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens responded from their poor season in '07 to finish 11-5. Like the Cardinals, they too won their first two playoff games and will travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers for the AFC Championship on Sunday. Both teams are excellent examples of the equality that the NFL is based upon. Any team (again, other than the Lions) can be down one year and up the next. That is something very rare in the other major sports. Yes, the Rays had an amazing run in 2007 after years of losing but that is the exception. In the NFL, cases of teams rising from the bottom to the top are the rule.

Football Picks

Again, please blame my computer for the missing picks last week. Honestly, I would have gone with Arizona, San Diego, Miami,and Philadelphia but I won't count that after the fact. It was depressing to see Bill Belichick and Bob Kraft in a luxury box at last night's Florida-Oklahoma game. I can only hope they were recruiting Urban Meyer to replace Belichick in 2012. All picks are against the spread and home team is in capitals. TENNESSEE (-3) over Baltimore Arizona (+10) over CAROLINA NY GIANTS (-4) over Philadelphia PITTSBURGH (-6) over San Diego Week 17: 7 - 8 - 1 Season: 128 - 118 - 9

Final College Football Picks Results

After successfully picking Florida over Oklahoma in last night's BCS National Championship game, TheBostonInsider finished a respectable (for me) 34 - 35 - 1. Here are my final college football random thoughts for the 2008-2009 season: Tim Tebow needs to return to Florida in 2009. Imagine the chance to cement himself as the greatest college football player ever if he wins a second Heisman and a third national championship... Sadly, there are probably people in Oklahoma upset with Bob Stoops this morning. All the guy has done since 2000 is lead the Sooners to four national championship games and he won the whole thing in 2000. The three teams he lost to in the championship game have been great college football teams (2003 LSU, 2004 USC, 2008 Florida)... Gene DeFillipo and BC could do a lot worse than hiring Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong as their new head coach... If there was a college football playoff, imagine a final that could have put up Urban Meyer's Florida Gators against his former team, the Utah Utes. It would have been a better game than many believe... The eight teams I would have chosen for the playoff: Florida, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, Texas Tech, and Alabama (with apologies to Penn State and Ohio State)... Enjoy Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN today...

'09 Red Sox Taking Shape

After signing Rocco Baldelli yesterday, the Red Sox have added another important piece to their bench, agreeing with Mark Kotsay on a one-year deal. Kotsay helped the Red Sox in both the outfield and at first base after coming to the team from the Braves last August. In 2009, he will be able to back up Kevin Youkilis at first and give Terry Francona a more durable option than the often injured Baldelli in the outfield, a necessity considering the fragility of J.D. Drew. In the infield, the Red Sox could possibly have Julio Lugo as a "supersub." Lugo is capable of playing shortstop, second base, and third base. However, after being the starter in 2007 and in 2008 until he was injured, it is not a certainty that Lugo will accept a reserve role. If he doesn't, the Sox will have to find a taker for the remaining $16 million on his contract and find a utility infielder. Bringing back Alex Cora in that role remains a possibility. The Red Sox still need to find a catcher. Jason Varitek remains a free agent (who I eventually believe will return to Boston) but even if he comes back, the Sox need to get younger behind the plate. Texas prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia's name continues to be tossed around although no one is sure how high of a price Theo Epstein will spend (Clay Buchholz?) to land the "Salty Dog." Former Toronto catcher Gregg Zaun could be a possible option for the Sox. Currently, the Sox have just one major league catcher under contract and I'm not ready to live in a world where Josh Bard is the everyday catcher for the Boston Red Sox. (By the way, if the Red Sox do land Saltalamacchia, TheBostonInsider will have full rights over the "Salty Dog" nickname.) Here is what the Sox roster looks like right now... C: Josh Bard 1B: Kevin Youkilis, Mark Kotsay 2B: Dustin Pedroia, Julio Lugo SS: Jed Lowrie, Lugo 3B: Mike Lowell, Lugo LF: Jason Bay, Kotsay, Rocco Baldelli CF: Jacoby Ellsbury, Kotsay, Baldelli RF: J.D. Drew, Kotsay, Baldelli DH: David Ortiz Starting Pitchers: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden Bullpen: Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson, Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez, Davis Aardsma, Bowden 1. Ellsbury - CF 2. Pedroia - 2B 3. Ortiz - DH 4. Youkilis - 1B 5. Drew - RF 6. Lowell - 3B 7. Bay - LF 8. Bard - C 9. Lowrie - SS Overall, this is a team that can contend with the free spending Yankees and the talent rich Rays in the A.L. East and win a third World Series in six years. They may not have made the big money signings that the Yankees have (Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett) but they have a solid lineup and a deep pitching staff. I'll take the team filled with professional winners over a squad of mercenaries any day.

Red Sox Make Some Noise

The Red Sox are reportedly ready to announce the signings of free agents John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli. Smoltz, a future Hall of Famer, is a great fit for the Red Sox. He provides depth to their rotation and has succeeded on a high level for a long time which will add valuable leadership to the pitching staff. The 1996 N.L. Cy Young winner is the only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves in his career. Baldelli will provide the Sox with a needed reserve outfielder. He was once considered a rising star in baseball before injuries made him a part-time player. The Rhode Island native had better be healthy considering he will be called upon to backup the brittle J.D. Drew in the outfield.

Random Thoughts (January 8, 2009)

Even with Stephon Curry reaching his season's scoring average of 29 points, Davidson fell to #2 Duke last night. Duke is legit this year. They are a true team, not just a collection of high school All-Americans, and I really think they can challenge my beloved Tarheels for ACC supremacy as well as for the national championship... BC's men's basketball team, coming off of an upset of top ranked North Carolina in the Dean Dome, fell to Harvard last night at home. It was the first win ever for Harvard over a nationally ranked team (BC was #24) and it was also a reminder that BC is really not a great team. Some people forgot that fact in the afterglow of the win over UNC... Tim Tebow might have lost the Heisman to Sam Bradford but his Gators are going to rock the Sooners tonight to capture their second BCS national championship in the three years... You can't convince me that "Mr. Miserable" Dan Shaughnessy isn't enjoying the recent slump suffered by the Celtics. The man is only happy when the hometown teams are hurting. By the way, great article by Curt Schilling on his blog ripping into the Curly Haired Boyfriend. Not only is Schill a Hall of Fame pitcher, he is a better writer than Shaughnessy... Enjoy Tebow tonight...

Random Thoughts (January 8, 2009)

Even though I was not very excited when BC hired Jeff Jagodzinski as their head football coach two years ago, I am very disappointed to see him leave. BC fired Jagodzinski today, following through on their promise to terminate his contract if he interviewed for the vacant New York Jets job. Jagodzinski did not violate his contract by interviewing with the Jets but athletic director Gene DeFilippo was upset that his head coach was already actively searching for jobs just two years into a five year deal. DeFilippo is crazy if he believes that young head coaches as talented as Jagodzinski view BC as their last job. Roughly fifteen years ago, Tom Coughlin led BC to a few very good seasons but then left for the NFL, first with the Jaguars and now with the Giants. BC is the type of school where you can win consistently but where they will never compete for the national championship. Coughlin realized that and now Jagodzinski has as well. The Eagles simply can not compete with the Florida's and Oklahoma's of the college football world. It's nothing to be ashamed about but ignoring the truth is not the way to handle the situation. I don't blame Jagodzinski for wanting to see what the next level is all about. He won 20 games in his two years at BC and has been a successful offensive coordinator in the NFL so the obvious next step for him is to be a head coach on Sunday afternoon. This will be a decision that BC and DeFilippo will come to regret... Florida (-4) over Oklahoma tomorrow night... I'm waiting patiently for the Celtics to acquire Joe Smith, the big body they desperately need for their bench... Mark Teixeira will one day regret allowing his wife and Scott Boras to make him choose Yankee pinstripes (and dollars) over Boston championships... Enjoy Rajon Rondo tonight...

More Reasons To Enjoy Hating The Colts

Reasons 1,901,812 and 1,901,813... During his postgame press conference, Colts head coach Tony Dungy was asked about his immediate future. Dungy, who is nearing retirement, said he would wait to make a decision but that when he does leave, he wants to "work hands on with young men." Wow, enjoy that... In his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column today, Sports Illustrated's Peter King, in ripping the current overtime rules in the NFL, was sad to see the reigning NFL MVP playing "pocket pool" while watching the Chargers drive for the winning touchdown. Maybe Manning will be assisting Dungy when he retires...

Random Thoughts (January 5, 2009)

Happy New Year... Please blame my home computer having a virus for me not making predictions on the New Years Day bowl games or the Wild Card playoff games... So much for the talk of the Celtics winning 70 games. This team needs help for its bench, immediately... Just not Stephon Marbury... I'm sure there are details I am missing but I believe BC will find it very hard to justify the firing of Jeff Jagodzinski if he simply interviews with the Jets... North Carolina is my all-time favorite team in college hoops (more on that to come next week) but I'm always happy when BC finds a way to knock off the Tarheels... I like the Brad Penny signing. Low risk and potentially high reward... Texas (-8.5) over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl tonight... Enjoy Colt McCoy tonight...