What an awesome game. As a disinterested party (although I was leaning toward the Twinkies on Rhode's behalf) I was nevertheless glued to the action from the 7th inning on. Great to see Orlando Cabrera get that 2-run bomb which at the time put the Twins ahead. Crazy ish happened in that game, amigo. !Muy loco¡
Here's to Gardenhire & co. beating the MFNYY in the ALDS starting tomorrow night.
(Oh, and the Sox should beat the LAAoA, incidentally.)
I just watched the Bills throw away a win in the final minutes of their game against the Jets. Just a horrific soil, with a fumble by Losman returned for a TD then an INT on the Bills' next possession. This is bad news for Pats fans, as we desperately need Jets (as well as a few other teams) losses from here on out. Every game is a must win now, but New England will also unfortunately be dependent on the failure of key teams down the stretch. Not a good position to be in.
As last week's game proved, there are no easy wins for this team. Battered and depleted by injuries, the Pats nonetheless entertain every game. Let's just hope some form of secondary shows up today, ok?
Gametime!
From Surviving Grady, on TBS's technical difficulties last night:
Oh, and pressed hams all around for the dunderheads at TBS who were unable to transmit the game's first inning due to a couple of overloaded circuits or something like that. For f@#k sake, back in my shit-ass dorm room I was able to run a blender, three fridges, four illegal hotplates, a microwave and a neon Bud Light sign off one goddam outlet (and a shitload of extension cords) without so much as tripping the breaker. I expect a bit more from Ted Turner.
(Image from Boston.com)
Game 7. The ultimate in playoff baseball.
Everything comes down to this one game. After coming back from a 3-1 hole with an incredible victory in Game 5 to stay alive, and a great win to tie it up last night in Game 6, the Sox and the Rays face off in the only way that does justice to a series of this magnitude. Do or die, winner-take-all, this one's for all the marbles, pick-your-cliché - it's on like the proverbial Donkey Kong. Showdown at the Trop. Lester vs. Garza. Tito vs. Maddon. Shady Acres Retirement Community Phase I vs. RSN.
Game 7. Getting to be a familiar feeling here in Red Sox Nation. Has a nice ring to it.
From Boston.com:
RICK MELANSON, Red Sox fan, exhorting the crowd at Fenway Park during Game 5 of the ALCS, Oct. 16, 2008: --
"The place was like a morgue. I think everybody was depressed. When the players play, they feed off the adrenaline of the stadium and there wasn't an ounce of adrenaline there. Me and my buddies were trying to get something going. We tried to start the Wave, tried to get them to exert some energy. A guy yelled, 'Take your shirt off.' So I did. We got them all fired up. Then security came up to me. They said we got a call from someone on the hotline complaining that I had my shirt off and to put it on. So I put it back on for a minute and then they started scoring the first couple of runs. So I took it off again. The security guy was laughing at me and said, 'Dude, it's working.' People came down, shaking hands, thanking me for bringing 'em back, saying, 'You did it, buddy.' Then the woman who complained came down after the game, she apologized and had her picture taken with me."
Feels like we've been here before, doesn't it? Once again, with their backs to the wall in an elimination game, the Boston Red Sox won in dramatic fashion, coming back from a 7-0 deficit in the 7th to win it 8-7 in the 9th. Heroics all around, from Big Papi's 3-run homer in the 4th to Coco's game-tying single in the 8th, to Drew's hook into right to drive Youk across the plate for the win. Drew's really making a name for himself in Boston postseason history, isn't he?
Will the Sox' luck hold out for two more games against baseball's talented, young, looks-like-it-should-be-their-year Rays down at FiberCon stadium? This is why we watch.
This one was amazing. A special thanks to those who keep us fair weather fans in line.
The Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series? Business as usual in the Hub. Fitting that Bay slid across the plate headfirst off Lowrie's walk-off hit to send these boys to Tampa!
Now we take on the Rays? My, how times change.
Congrats to the Sox. Lotta work left to be done.
I'm going to resist the urge here to whine about how it's chilly out, how it's gray and increasingly dismal here in Our Great and Noble Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Just another fall Sunday in New England. Not going to wax wishful about my wanderlust for somewhere warm, sunny, and beautiful for the majority of the year, not just a scant few months. Nay - there's too much positivity in the air, too many things to celebrate.
Ladies and gentlemen: Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Bifano! A hearty congratulations to Laurie and Jeremy on their wedding this past Friday. I had the honor of being an usher in the wedding party, and it was a lovely affair. I think I need to rock the tux more often. More of my friends need to get married. Or at least I need to get invited to more weddings, they are a blast. The Scottographer was out in full force at the reception Friday night, snapping pics left and right and burning through film like the unpaid professional that he is. Too bad we can't expect to see those pics for the next several years, if at all...
Lazy Sunday reading: Catching up on my weekend WSJ, Globe, blogosphere, internews, and hopefully putting Prague out of its misery. Possibly my favorite way to spend a Sunday...
...with the exception of the Hub Sunday Sports Smorgasbord! Patriots-49ers at 4:15 and Game 3 of the Sox-Angels ALDS at Fenway at 7:17. That's about 6 or 7 hours of televised awesomeness, not to mention the associated daytime beer drinking. How 'bout those Sox taking two from the LAAoA out on the Best Coast and bringing it back to the Easy Coast to seal the deal? ThatswhatImtalkinabout.com. As for the Pats - Someone please tell Cassel the guys in red and gold are not his receivers. Thanks.
Victory Chili is a-simmering: One of the few benefits of cold weather is that it gives me the opportunity to cook up big, hearty meals, like stews, soups, chilis, and a ridiculous amount of glazed bacon. If everyone could start every day with glazed bacon, this world would be a better place. Football season means it's time for Victory Chili, and I've been simmering this season's first batch since about 3:30. Should be perfect in a couple more hours. For those interested, I once again used homemade turkey stock (frozen since April - the only stock in this market that's way, way up!), added a bottle of Sam Adams Octoberfest (minus a few sips for taste testing purposes) and substituted black beans for the cannellini. I'll let you know how it comes out. Preliminary tasting predicts near-perfect levels of flavor and heat. Full credit goes to my Gourmet magazine apron.
The Celtics closed out the Pistons in Game 6 last night, moving on to meet the Lakers in the finals. This is some old-school rivalry stuff; should be interesting. Looks like I'll only be able to catch Game 1 because I'll be abroad for the remainder of the series. I have to admit the tiniest twinge of regret that I will miss it.
My missing basketball during my trip to Europe? Now that's irony.
"He's not just a good kid because he threw a no-hitter," Terry Francona said. "He's a good kid because he's a good kid."
Coming off a great win in Game 5 (probably the most exciting Celts playoff game thus far) in which Rondo was phenomenal, Pierce actually drove to the basket like he should, and KG made it rain on the Cavs nonstop, it's up to the C's to close out this series tonight in Cleveland. If they do so it'll be their first win on the road, and one that is sorely needed for their confidence and any hope of continuing on in the playoffs.
His nickname, The Truth, was accorded him by Shaquille O'Neal. After a Lakers' victory over the Celtics in 2001, O'Neal pulled a Boston reporter over and gestured toward his notepad. "Take this down," said O'Neal. "My name is Shaquille O'Neal and Paul Pierce is the motherfucking truth. Quote me on that and don't take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn't know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is the truth."The Truth vs. King James tonight at 8:00.
-A bottle of Number One, acquired at the Goose last night for $7.99. It's a Tempranillo from Spain (as all good Tempranillos are) and it's remarkably drinkable for its price and bargain bin status.
With wine, as with people, I rarely discriminate. Each has it's downsides (and merits!) but on the whole things work out pretty well.
-Discouraging loss for the Celts last night. Took a 10-point lead into the 4th and pissed it away. They played their A-side game in spurts last night, but again, let the Hawks back in. Now it's anybody's series. Good thing is they're coming home to the Jungle tomorrow night. Bad thing is...they have to come home. But it's time to play, and I'm all up ons this Celtics 2008 Bandwagon, so let's keep on truckin'. I'll be disappointed when there's no more b-ball to watch (never thought I'd write that).
-I had an amazing "European" dinner tonight consisting of daecent wine, freshly baked bread, gouda and brie cheeses, and a salami ensconced in ground pepper. Simple yet amazingly delicious. And it only cost me a quarter of a bajillion dollars at my friendly neighborhood gourmet grocery store!
-The "Rounders" soundtrack is awesome. Christopher Young just killin' it on the smooth jazz. You know the tracks: "Ode to Johnny Chan," "Brass Brazilians," "Worm," "Finger Up Your Spine," "Belly Buster," and everybody's favorite, "Alligator Blood." Or maybe you don't. I'm probably one of 12 people who actually purchased this.
And a happy dozen are we.
I watched the entirety of Game 3 of the Celts-Hawks series last night and found myself really getting into it. I watched portions of the first couple games and I admit I've caught a bit of Celtics playoff fever. I regret not watching them during the season - it's really a joy to see these guys play.
At least in Games 1 & 2.
It looked like two completely different teams took the floor last night - the Celts looked sluggish, forcing bad shots and did not dominate the game; the young Hawks came out running and gunning, taking advantage of their speed, scoring on the fast break and draining 3-pointers left and right. Josh Smith was simply awesome last night, hitting both from beyond the arc and slamming it in high-flying fashion.
The Celts had the opportunity to really put the Hawks in a corner last night; now instead of facing an elimination game, the Hawks are a fired up young team with renewed lifeblood. A far different series. They need to return to their dominant play and not let the Hawks run in on them so much. Game 4 is tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to it.
-Finally the Sox lose one! When was the last time this happened?
-I'm an unabashed playoff-bandwagon Celtics fan. When you see Garnett pummel his own player after a nasty dunk, I mean - that's serious business. 2-0, go Celts.
(Drink Gatorade?)
-Sucks to be a hockey fan. Now and...ever? Grim Game 7 for the Bruins. I watched about 40 min. of hockey this season (all Game 7) and it was miserable. Crazy Canucks.
-I just ate 6 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Couple days old, ever-so-slightly burnt, and just about the most amazing thing I've eaten in the last 28 years.
One more win to complete the Ultimate Season. Pats vs. Giants. Brady vs. Manning. Beer vs. my liver.
GO PATS!
A nice article over at WEEI.com talking about how valuable Kevin Faulk is to this New England Patriots offense. Also, a very telling stat - he is the leader in receiving yards in the postseason so far. Good to know that even when teams shut down our big guns he's there to pick up the slack. And he made a couple impossible-looking catches last week. Cheers to Faulk!
And next Sunday cannot get here fast enough...
