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Archive for November, 2006
vftb: Rising sun or sinking feeling ?
Published November 17, 2006 Regular Features , View from the Bridge Leave a Comment
“Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka , 26, has great stuff, including a specialty pitch called a ‘gyroball’ that bends like a screwball and sizzles like a slider“.
That’s what they say (in this case it’s what Tim Dahlberg of AP says on MSNBC).
But as a Red Sox fan I’ve got to confess to mixed feelings on this. I want to jump up and cheer. But right now I’m fluctuating from ‘apprehensive’ to ‘downright fearful’. Look, if Daisuke comes in and delivers a 20-win season, great. Terrific.
Where do the other 75-80 wins come from?
From Tim Wakefield, a wearing Curt Schilling, a not-proven Josh Beckett, a still-learning Craig Hanson and a fresh-from-shoulder-surgery Jon Papelbon? Oh and a set of flaky middle-relievers and a closer (or two) to be named later?
Please. Didn’t we just run that tape already?
There are a lot of holes in that rotation And we ain’t even looked at the position players yet. Anyone for Catch – did we get a viable backup yet, Jason? And on offense is JD Drew the answer?
Not convinced!
If the Red Sox have the cash to splash then they could spend it wiser than lashing-out on a $100 MILLION lottery ticket, no matter how laden with Eastern promise it may be.
By the way. Was anyone in Yawkee Way paying any attention over the last few seasons’ playoffs?
Did no one spot the ‘team beats star’ trend?
Oh … like maybe how a united, motivated and hungry clubhouse (say Tigers – they’re Grrreat!) tonked a divided star-laden powerhouse (taxi for Mr Yankee!). Or how those ‘not-so-star-studded’’ Cardinals topped the Met$ and out ‘teamed’ even the Tigers?
Oh and didn’t the other ‘Sox’ pickup a pennant too, the year prior? Weren’t they ‘some-names‘ fueled by uber-teamspirit’?
The point being: all that cash – all that 100,000,000USD — it can buy Boston a team for a generation. And Theo … that would be one hell of a legacy!
Sheesh . . . I just hope the guys at the helm have got the damn map the right way up.
Technorati Tags: daisuke, redsox, mlb, baseball
Juiced Balls of Brass:
Sportsofa is speechless at the crass audacity and inhumanity of former NFL hero, OJ Simpson.
We’re not even gonna trot out the story … just does that guy not think or know that the victims of the murder he was acquitted of have friends and family still hurting for and missing them? Does he not get that their lives were torn from them?
Has this guy no shame … just shut up!
And shame on FOX for showing this sham.
Knight moves:
Is it over yet? Can I come out now? Is it safe to put the radio on? Never heard such a frenzied fuss over not-that-much as was dished over the Bobby Knight ‘chinning’ affair.
When does something become an issue? Apparently is nothing to do with when the victim makes it an issue; nor when the victims friends or family make it an issue.
Hot dog no! It’s when the media talking heads say so; that’s when it’s an issue.
Enough with it already.
Redsox Bid-up
O-M-G! $51 million!
Just to say “Hi”?
Just to keep the Yankees from saying “Hi”?
Theo Epstein better know what he’s doing and/or how to bluff. Or are the ’sox really going to over-commit some $100 million on Daisuke Matsuzaka? On a roll-of-the dice?
Really?
With no middle-relievers worth a toss? With Jonathon Papelbon switching from closer (not to mention medical issues) and leaving a massive void there? It makes no sense.
It’s got to be a Keep-him-off-the-yankees bluff.
And if it isn’t … well it seems to sportSOFA that the Redsox have finally traded-in the high-ground in their rivallry with the high-rollers from Yankee town.
Technorati Tags: OJ Simpson, Bobby Knight, Daisuke Matsuzaka, NFL, MLB, NCAA, BB, Football, Basketball, Baseball
vftb: Vick’s rocky road …
Published November 14, 2006 Regular Features , View from the Bridge 2 CommentsIt’s unthinkable and it ain’t gonna happen … yet maybe it ought to be at least a remote possibility. After all, just how much pull ’should’ your flaky quarterback have on your team? Are you always gonna be a hostage to fortune?
And that ‘unthinkable’ did take a tiny step closer after Michael Vick got the bird from his own fans at home in Atlanta this weekend. As a quarterback, kneeing the ball out of your own hand’ll do that for ya. Especially on the back of another massively disappointing performance, this time against the Cleveland Browns.
These 6-and-3 Saints have ridden The ‘Vick rollercoaster’ for a long time now.
Two weeks ago a stellar four-touchdown performance against the Steelers seemed to signal that the light had finally gone on for Vick. That sent fantasy owners into raptures and fuelled feverish sports-talk-show banter … but back-to-back ‘back to normal’ stinkers have trampled the Falcons’ fans’ heightened expectations and there’s no fury like a fan base scorned.
Now, all those fans are clamouring for is some consistency! But that still small murmur of discontent should not be ignored lightly … it could yet see Vick following the footsteps of the following list of QB deposed already this season:
- Trent Green (inj) replaced by Damon Huard
- Chris Simms (inj) replaced by Bruce Grabkowski
- Byron Leftwich (inj) replaced by David Gerrard
- Drew Bledsoe replaced by Tony Romo
- Daunte Culpepper replaced by Joey Harrington
- Mark Brunel replaced by Jason Campbell
- Kurt Warner replaced by Matt Leinhart
- Kerry Collins replaced by Vince Young
- Brooks Bollinger replaced by Brad Johnson
Hey, that’s enough list for now … you get the picture. It’s a “what have you done for me lately” kind of world.
How unthinkable?
Brilliance is a wonderful thing … but there’s a lot to said for by consistency too – it wins championship ask Tom Brady, hell ask Brad Johnson.
Technorati tags: Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons, NFL, Sport
The only people who matter in any decision concerning how to deal with personal grief are those people directly involved.
Whilst the rest of us may hold an opinion, it’d be a monumentally classless act to openly express it; especially if it contradicted so blatantly the decision.
There are times when even an intrepid Washington Post columnist would be better off joining the crowd and butting-out. Mike Wise.
So unless you’ve clear evidence the Miami U kids were coerced into going ahead with their game against Maryland or that the family’s expressed wishes were over ridden, then maybe learn when to just shut-up; it’s not like there’s a shortage of storylines.
If that evidence is out there Mike, let it out the bag and we can ALL rip into the ‘U’ administration; it’s not like it’s something we’d shy off doing.
But if it ain’t out there, then like we said, “hush the hell up!”
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