One minute before the trade deadline ended, the Boston Red Sox were able to finally land a starting pitcher in a three-team deal. After the Lars Anderson for Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Rich Harden fell through yesterday, the Red Sox were able to pick up left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners. Also coming to the Red Sox will be pitcher Josh Fields, a 2008 first round draft pick, who has split time this season in both Double A and Triple A.
The Seattle Mariners will get Boston prospect Chih Hsien Chiang (outfielder) and Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Trayvon Robinson (outfielder). The Dodgers will get Red Sox prospects Tim Federowicz (catcher), Juan Rodriguez (pitcher), and Stephen Fife (pitcher).
So what does this mean for the Red Sox in the short term? Erik Bedard is having a good season despite his 4-7 record (wins and losses are stupid anyway for a pitcher). He has a very respectable 3.45 ERA and a solid 1.172 WHIP. The Red Sox do not want to go into the playoffs with John Lackey as their fourth starter and this trade will allow them to do that. This also means that Clay Buchholz may be hurt more than the Red Sox have let on and that we may not see him for the rest of the season. We can only hope that come October we will be able to see a starting rotation of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Erik Bedard.
This trade does mean that the Red Sox will have to make a 40-man roster move, which could mean that Clay Buchholz will be put on the 60-day DL and would not be eligible to return until mid-August.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Daniel Bard Scoreless Streak Still Alive
The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox earlier this afternoon 5-3 to take the rubber game in the best of three series in Chicago. Daniel Bard pitched another 1 1/3 scoreless innings to extend his scoreless innings pitched streak to 26 1/3. The Major League record is held by Orel Hershiser when he did not let up a run for 60 straight innings while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Boston Red Sox return home for a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians before the New York Yankees come to town for a crucial three-game series.
The Boston Red Sox return home for a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians before the New York Yankees come to town for a crucial three-game series.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Big Sleep
I just finished reading Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel, The Big Sleep. The book is set in seedy Los Angeles during the Great Depression and follows a private detective, Philip Marlowe, as he is hired by a dying millionaire (who was once in the oil business) to investigate a blackmailer who is involved with one of his wild daughters. To give away any more plot details would be wrong on my part. The story is very complicated and was one of the first hard-boiled crime novels. So if you enjoy these types of crime and mystery stories, you should absolutely read this if you haven't already. In my opinion, this is one of the best works of the twentieth century.
The story has been adapted into a film twice, most notably in 1946 starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It was directed by Howard Hawks.
The story has been adapted into a film twice, most notably in 1946 starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It was directed by Howard Hawks.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Seven Players Released by Patriots
The New England Patriots released six veteran players and one rookie earlier today. The three big names were defensive end Ty Warren, tight end Alge Crumpler, and offensive tackle Nick Kaczur. The other four players were defensive lineman Marcus Stroud, linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, corner back Tony Carter, and linebacker Ryan Coulson. These moves were obviously done in order to be under the $120 million dollar salary cap for the top 51 players.
Kaczur being cut was not a surprise but Crumpler and Warren were not expected to be cut. Both Crumpler and Warren have been battling injuries and Warren has been injury prone the past few seasons. Defensive linemen Mike Wright and Albert Haynesworth will most likely have a bigger role in the upcoming season and this probably means Bill Belichick is looking to re-sign Gerard Warren. But for Crumpler, it is going to be hard to replace his leadership in the locker room, especially since Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco are now on board and young tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski still have much to learn. It does always help when you have Tom Brady in the locker room though.
The Patriots did however re-sign corner back Kyle Arrington and signed rookie draft picks Ryan Mallet (quarterback) and Marcus Cannon (offensive guard/tackle).
Kaczur being cut was not a surprise but Crumpler and Warren were not expected to be cut. Both Crumpler and Warren have been battling injuries and Warren has been injury prone the past few seasons. Defensive linemen Mike Wright and Albert Haynesworth will most likely have a bigger role in the upcoming season and this probably means Bill Belichick is looking to re-sign Gerard Warren. But for Crumpler, it is going to be hard to replace his leadership in the locker room, especially since Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco are now on board and young tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski still have much to learn. It does always help when you have Tom Brady in the locker room though.
The Patriots did however re-sign corner back Kyle Arrington and signed rookie draft picks Ryan Mallet (quarterback) and Marcus Cannon (offensive guard/tackle).
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Patriots Trade for Haynesworth and Ochocinco
Wow! The New England Patriots made huge news today by trading a 2013 fifth round draft pick for defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and a late 2012 and late 2013 draft pick for wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. How will this effect the Patriots in 2011? Can Bill Belichick handle both personalities in the same locker room?
Albert Haynesworth is coming off a terrible season for the Washington Redskins where he often battled with head coach Mike Shanahan. Haynesworth often complained that he did not fit into the 3-4 defensive scheme that the Redskins ran. But don't the Patriots also run a 3-4 scheme? Yes, they do. However, the Patriots were only fourteenth in the league last season in sacks and were very poor on third down. My guess is that Albert Haynesworth will be mostly utilized on the nose on third down in hopes that he will be able to clog up the middle and move the pocket on the quarterback. This should create a better pass rush from the outside and force the quarterback to throw earlier than he wants to. This is a really good deal for the Patriots.
Chad Ochocinco is also coming off a disappointing season. He only had 831 yards and four touchdown receptions. But being paired with Tom Brady should improve those numbers significantly. He will be the deep ball threat the Patriots missed last year after trading Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings. With New England's talented slot receiver Wes Welker, two young tightends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, and Deion Branch on the other side, Ochocinco will be expected to open up the middle of the field by drawing double coverage deep down field from the safety. I am stating it here right now, the Patriots will break the offensive points record for a single season set by the Patriots in 2007. This offense is going to be dynamic. And oh yeah, Bill Belichick and Chad Ochocinco have been good friends for a few years now.
The Patriots have basically given up nothing for two players who are low risks and could give them high rewards. If they do not work out, you cut them or trade them for late draft picks. However, I think the Patriots struck gold here.
Albert Haynesworth is coming off a terrible season for the Washington Redskins where he often battled with head coach Mike Shanahan. Haynesworth often complained that he did not fit into the 3-4 defensive scheme that the Redskins ran. But don't the Patriots also run a 3-4 scheme? Yes, they do. However, the Patriots were only fourteenth in the league last season in sacks and were very poor on third down. My guess is that Albert Haynesworth will be mostly utilized on the nose on third down in hopes that he will be able to clog up the middle and move the pocket on the quarterback. This should create a better pass rush from the outside and force the quarterback to throw earlier than he wants to. This is a really good deal for the Patriots.
Chad Ochocinco is also coming off a disappointing season. He only had 831 yards and four touchdown receptions. But being paired with Tom Brady should improve those numbers significantly. He will be the deep ball threat the Patriots missed last year after trading Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings. With New England's talented slot receiver Wes Welker, two young tightends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, and Deion Branch on the other side, Ochocinco will be expected to open up the middle of the field by drawing double coverage deep down field from the safety. I am stating it here right now, the Patriots will break the offensive points record for a single season set by the Patriots in 2007. This offense is going to be dynamic. And oh yeah, Bill Belichick and Chad Ochocinco have been good friends for a few years now.
The Patriots have basically given up nothing for two players who are low risks and could give them high rewards. If they do not work out, you cut them or trade them for late draft picks. However, I think the Patriots struck gold here.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Is Randy Moss Coming Back to New England?
Former NFL wide receiver and current ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson says that Randy Moss should return to his former team, the New England Patriots. He claims that Tom Brady and Randy Moss were very successful together and thinks that Moss still has a lot left in him. This is a very interesting claim by Johnson (who is actually good friends with Bill Belichick), but could it work? And would Belichick even consider it?
Randy Moss had a very successful three plus years while playing along the greatest quarterback ever, Tom Brady. He set the single season record for most touchdown receptions in 2007 with 23 and hauled in a total of 50 touchdowns while playing his home games in Foxborough. But after being traded to the Minnesota Vikings, Moss only had two touchdown receptions in four games played. And after being claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans in that same season, Moss recorded zero touchdowns in eight games played.
There are probably only a few teams that would take a risk and sign Moss and the Patriots are probably one of them. Rumor has it that they were interested in claiming Moss off waivers when the Minnesota Vikings put him on it last year. Another team that may have interest in Moss is division rival New York Jets. My guess is Moss would not sign with if he had other options but he may not have any.
Back to the Patriots, would Belichick want him back after the offense averaged 32.4 points per game but had a difficult time moving the ball against the Jets in the playoffs? Both Brandon Tate and Taylor Price are expected to have bigger roles in the upcoming season, but will they provide enough depth on the outside along with Deion Branch and Matthew Slater in the Patriots west coast offense? My guess is the Patriots would like to have one more threat outside because Branch is getting older and they are probably not sold on Price and Slater yet. Without many teams going hard after Moss, the Patriots may also be able to get him at a discount since Moss has made it clear recently that he would like to be reunited with Brady and Belichick. This could be a very interesting next few days.
Randy Moss had a very successful three plus years while playing along the greatest quarterback ever, Tom Brady. He set the single season record for most touchdown receptions in 2007 with 23 and hauled in a total of 50 touchdowns while playing his home games in Foxborough. But after being traded to the Minnesota Vikings, Moss only had two touchdown receptions in four games played. And after being claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans in that same season, Moss recorded zero touchdowns in eight games played.
There are probably only a few teams that would take a risk and sign Moss and the Patriots are probably one of them. Rumor has it that they were interested in claiming Moss off waivers when the Minnesota Vikings put him on it last year. Another team that may have interest in Moss is division rival New York Jets. My guess is Moss would not sign with if he had other options but he may not have any.
Back to the Patriots, would Belichick want him back after the offense averaged 32.4 points per game but had a difficult time moving the ball against the Jets in the playoffs? Both Brandon Tate and Taylor Price are expected to have bigger roles in the upcoming season, but will they provide enough depth on the outside along with Deion Branch and Matthew Slater in the Patriots west coast offense? My guess is the Patriots would like to have one more threat outside because Branch is getting older and they are probably not sold on Price and Slater yet. Without many teams going hard after Moss, the Patriots may also be able to get him at a discount since Moss has made it clear recently that he would like to be reunited with Brady and Belichick. This could be a very interesting next few days.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Patriots to Cut Banta-Cain
With NFL free agency in full swing, the New England Patriots made their first big move by informing outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain that he will be released on Thursday, the first official day they can. The announcement comes just a few days after news hit that Banta-Cain will need surgery for an abdominal injury. Banta-Cain has been very productive for the Patriots as he was second on the team in sacks last season. Many people wonder how Bill Belichick will fill the role Banta-Cain had which is now left vacant.
It seems unlikely Banta-Cain's injury was the main reason he will not be returning to the Patriots in 2011, as he is only scheduled to miss four to five weeks. My guess is Belichick will use second year pass rusher Jermaine Cunningham in a much larger role this year. It is unlikely - despite how much people want it to happen - that Belichick will sign a big name player to help with the pass rush. Players who will also have a bigger role will be Eric Moore and Rob Ninkovich.
The Patriots open their season in Miami on Monday Night Football.
It seems unlikely Banta-Cain's injury was the main reason he will not be returning to the Patriots in 2011, as he is only scheduled to miss four to five weeks. My guess is Belichick will use second year pass rusher Jermaine Cunningham in a much larger role this year. It is unlikely - despite how much people want it to happen - that Belichick will sign a big name player to help with the pass rush. Players who will also have a bigger role will be Eric Moore and Rob Ninkovich.
The Patriots open their season in Miami on Monday Night Football.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Kuroda to Red Sox?
The most recent rumor around baseball is that Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda would waive his no-trade clause to join either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees. So far this season, Kuroda is 6-12 with 3.19 ERA (just by observing this stat you can tell wins and losses are a stupid way to determine how good a pitcher is, but that topic is for another day).
The Yankees have been showing interest in Kuroda for some time now, especially after not signing Cliff Lee in the off-season. But it just does not seem like the Yankees are willing to trade any of their top pitching prospects for a 36 year-old, even though the Yankees are in big need of a quality starting pitcher.
The Red Sox on the other hand have a deep farm system and could be willing to pull the trigger for Kuroda. Both Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have missed numerous starts and Daisuke Matsuzaka is lost for the season. The Red Sox are also in need of a fourth starting pitcher for October baseball because they probably cannot rely on Tim Wakefield or Jon Lackey to fill the role (although Lackey has been looking much better as of late). It will be very interesting to see were Kuroda ends up.
The non-waiver trade deadline ends July 31.
The Yankees have been showing interest in Kuroda for some time now, especially after not signing Cliff Lee in the off-season. But it just does not seem like the Yankees are willing to trade any of their top pitching prospects for a 36 year-old, even though the Yankees are in big need of a quality starting pitcher.
The Red Sox on the other hand have a deep farm system and could be willing to pull the trigger for Kuroda. Both Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have missed numerous starts and Daisuke Matsuzaka is lost for the season. The Red Sox are also in need of a fourth starting pitcher for October baseball because they probably cannot rely on Tim Wakefield or Jon Lackey to fill the role (although Lackey has been looking much better as of late). It will be very interesting to see were Kuroda ends up.
The non-waiver trade deadline ends July 31.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Four Unapparent Reasons the Red Sox are on Fire
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/glossary/
http://www.fangraphs.com/library/
After beating the Seattle Mariners this afternoon 12-8, the Boston Red Sox remained three games up on the New York Yankees and improved their record to 62-37. Since their slow 2-10 start, the Red Sox have played ridiculously good baseball and have led the majors with a 60-27 record (.690 winning percentage). But how have the Red Sox been able to keep up on this torrent pace? Let's look at four reasons that aren't that obvious.
1. Offensive Catching - Defensively Jason Varitek is not what he used to be and Jarrod Saltalamacchia is decent, but what has been a pleasant surprise is the production the Red Sox have received from these two men at the plate. Saltalamacchia has an impressive VORP of 10.5 and Varitek has a 5.9. That is already higher than Varitek's VORP from 2010 (5.0). To add to this, Saltalamacchia has been racking up some extra base hits and has an OPS of .780. This was not a position the Red Sox were thinking would provide them with a lot of production offensively, but it has turned into one reason the Red Sox have been playing solid baseball thus far.
2. Incredible Depth - I could sit here and write about every player who has landed on the DL this year for the Red Sox but I don't want to compete with War and Peace in length. Basically they have had a plethora of players on it at one time or another. But thanks to their incredible depth (mostly by bulking up the farm system and not trading those players away before they make it to the majors) the Red Sox have survived the injury bug and continued to win. One player who has been electric thus far is Josh Reddick. With J.D. Drew struggling at the plate (but not in the field) Reddick has stepped up with an OPS of 1.030 and a TrR of 33.0. And on the pitching side Alfredo Aceves has been very good in all roles he has undertaken for the pitching staff. He has been able to stand in and pitch a spot start or eat up valuable innings out of the bullpen.
3. Patience at the Plate - The worst part of any pitching staff is their middle relief pitchers. That is why part of the Red Sox philosophy is to drive up pitch counts and get to this part of the bullpen early in the game. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis are two of the best players at driving up pitch count. Also, The Red Sox have a team OBP of .353 compared to their opponents who have a measly .314 OBP. I do not have the statistics on me, but the Red Sox have done a lot of damage in the seventh inning this year. This is mostly due to the fact that they have forced the starter to be pulled early in the game thanks to a high pitch count and then they have followed this up by absolutely dominating middle relief pitching.
4. Defense - The Red Sox have also had a very solid year defensively. Fielding percentage, to me, is a poor way of judging how good a defense is. Mainly because fielding percentage does not take range into account. Looking at some defensive statistics that incorporate all aspects of fielding, the Red Sox rank high in most of the categories. They rank fourth in UZR (behind only the Angels, Reds and Diamondbacks), second in RngR (Diamondbacks), and sixth in ErrR. The Red Sox team defense is very good because they have a lot of range, thereby lowering opponents scoring chances.
These are obviously not the four biggest reasons why the Red Sox have the best record in the American League; however, these are four aspects the Red Sox are not getting enough credit for.
http://www.fangraphs.com/library/
After beating the Seattle Mariners this afternoon 12-8, the Boston Red Sox remained three games up on the New York Yankees and improved their record to 62-37. Since their slow 2-10 start, the Red Sox have played ridiculously good baseball and have led the majors with a 60-27 record (.690 winning percentage). But how have the Red Sox been able to keep up on this torrent pace? Let's look at four reasons that aren't that obvious.
1. Offensive Catching - Defensively Jason Varitek is not what he used to be and Jarrod Saltalamacchia is decent, but what has been a pleasant surprise is the production the Red Sox have received from these two men at the plate. Saltalamacchia has an impressive VORP of 10.5 and Varitek has a 5.9. That is already higher than Varitek's VORP from 2010 (5.0). To add to this, Saltalamacchia has been racking up some extra base hits and has an OPS of .780. This was not a position the Red Sox were thinking would provide them with a lot of production offensively, but it has turned into one reason the Red Sox have been playing solid baseball thus far.
2. Incredible Depth - I could sit here and write about every player who has landed on the DL this year for the Red Sox but I don't want to compete with War and Peace in length. Basically they have had a plethora of players on it at one time or another. But thanks to their incredible depth (mostly by bulking up the farm system and not trading those players away before they make it to the majors) the Red Sox have survived the injury bug and continued to win. One player who has been electric thus far is Josh Reddick. With J.D. Drew struggling at the plate (but not in the field) Reddick has stepped up with an OPS of 1.030 and a TrR of 33.0. And on the pitching side Alfredo Aceves has been very good in all roles he has undertaken for the pitching staff. He has been able to stand in and pitch a spot start or eat up valuable innings out of the bullpen.
3. Patience at the Plate - The worst part of any pitching staff is their middle relief pitchers. That is why part of the Red Sox philosophy is to drive up pitch counts and get to this part of the bullpen early in the game. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis are two of the best players at driving up pitch count. Also, The Red Sox have a team OBP of .353 compared to their opponents who have a measly .314 OBP. I do not have the statistics on me, but the Red Sox have done a lot of damage in the seventh inning this year. This is mostly due to the fact that they have forced the starter to be pulled early in the game thanks to a high pitch count and then they have followed this up by absolutely dominating middle relief pitching.
4. Defense - The Red Sox have also had a very solid year defensively. Fielding percentage, to me, is a poor way of judging how good a defense is. Mainly because fielding percentage does not take range into account. Looking at some defensive statistics that incorporate all aspects of fielding, the Red Sox rank high in most of the categories. They rank fourth in UZR (behind only the Angels, Reds and Diamondbacks), second in RngR (Diamondbacks), and sixth in ErrR. The Red Sox team defense is very good because they have a lot of range, thereby lowering opponents scoring chances.
These are obviously not the four biggest reasons why the Red Sox have the best record in the American League; however, these are four aspects the Red Sox are not getting enough credit for.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Spielberg to Make Jurassic Park IV
Steven Spielberg announced at the most recent Comic-Con that a script is in place for the fourth movie in the Jurassic Park franchise. However, it was left unclear whether Spielberg will be directing the upcoming film or simply just producing it. Jurassic Park was released in the summer of 1993 and captivated audiences around the globe with its spectacular use of CGI (computer-generated imagery) as the dinosaurs seemed alive. But as the franchise continued to release movies, audiences seemed less interested as box office totals worsened with each release (it didn't help that the movies The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III weren't very good). So will a fourth movie be able to recapture the magic of the first film? Let's examine.
Ten years have passed since the release of Jurassic Park III and a fourth movie would have to do something to get people to care about the franchise again. One way to do this would be to have Spielberg direct the fourth outing like he did the first two in the franchise. It's not a surprise that the third movie (Spielberg did not direct) bombed at the box office. Audiences will be disinterested in a series when you go from the caliber of Spielberg to the caliber of Joe Johnston. Spielberg himself will bring in a decent audience.
The fourth installment will also have to bring back the characters we cared about and mix them in with some cool, new characters. The Lost World: Jurassic Park didn't have Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) or Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). Jurassic Park III didn't have Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldbum) or John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). Bring back these four characters and while you're at it, add in some slick, new characters and we may have a decent sequel in the works.
Also, I think for the next Jurassic Park film to succeed outside the box office we cannot be drowned with CGI. The first film used CGI very well (and minimally I might add as well) and since Spielberg had success with it back in 1993 films have been over using CGI to the point where films look ridiculous. So please, use CGI when needed or when it looks cool, otherwise the film is going to look like ninety percent of the other summer blockbusters released in the past decade. In addition to this we will need a story that we care about so we will be drawn back in to watch it multiple times. And this goes back to the lack of interesting characters in the second and third films of the franchise, if we don't care about the characters, we don't care what happens (or doesn't happen) to them.
Jurassic Park IV will be coming out in two to three years. I just hope they take my advice and make a pretty sweet movie.
Ten years have passed since the release of Jurassic Park III and a fourth movie would have to do something to get people to care about the franchise again. One way to do this would be to have Spielberg direct the fourth outing like he did the first two in the franchise. It's not a surprise that the third movie (Spielberg did not direct) bombed at the box office. Audiences will be disinterested in a series when you go from the caliber of Spielberg to the caliber of Joe Johnston. Spielberg himself will bring in a decent audience.
The fourth installment will also have to bring back the characters we cared about and mix them in with some cool, new characters. The Lost World: Jurassic Park didn't have Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) or Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). Jurassic Park III didn't have Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldbum) or John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). Bring back these four characters and while you're at it, add in some slick, new characters and we may have a decent sequel in the works.
Also, I think for the next Jurassic Park film to succeed outside the box office we cannot be drowned with CGI. The first film used CGI very well (and minimally I might add as well) and since Spielberg had success with it back in 1993 films have been over using CGI to the point where films look ridiculous. So please, use CGI when needed or when it looks cool, otherwise the film is going to look like ninety percent of the other summer blockbusters released in the past decade. In addition to this we will need a story that we care about so we will be drawn back in to watch it multiple times. And this goes back to the lack of interesting characters in the second and third films of the franchise, if we don't care about the characters, we don't care what happens (or doesn't happen) to them.
Jurassic Park IV will be coming out in two to three years. I just hope they take my advice and make a pretty sweet movie.
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Visit to O'Connor's Restaurant & Bar
http://www.oconnorsrestaurant.com/
The other night I went out for dinner and ended up at O'Connor's Restaurant & Bar, an Irish restaurant located in the outskirts of Worcester, Massachusetts. The food was excellent and the service was good, but my lasting memory will be a sign I saw in the men's room. Here it is:
The Man's Guide to Love and Lasting Relationships
1. Find a woman who makes you laugh.
2. Find a woman who has a job and loves housework.
3. Find a woman who is honest.
4. Find a woman who will wait on you hand and foot.
5. Find a woman who is awesome in the bedroom.
6. Most of all it is VERY IMPORTANT that these five women NEVER meet!
Typical Irish.
The other night I went out for dinner and ended up at O'Connor's Restaurant & Bar, an Irish restaurant located in the outskirts of Worcester, Massachusetts. The food was excellent and the service was good, but my lasting memory will be a sign I saw in the men's room. Here it is:
The Man's Guide to Love and Lasting Relationships
1. Find a woman who makes you laugh.
2. Find a woman who has a job and loves housework.
3. Find a woman who is honest.
4. Find a woman who will wait on you hand and foot.
5. Find a woman who is awesome in the bedroom.
6. Most of all it is VERY IMPORTANT that these five women NEVER meet!
Typical Irish.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Detroit Pistons to Hire Lawrence Frank as Next Head Coach
The Detroit Pistons next head coach will be none other than Lawrence Frank.
This will be Frank's second head coaching opportunity in the NBA, his first coming with the New Jersey Nets from 2004 through 2009. Frank started his head coaching stint sizzling hot as he won his first 13 games as a head coach. However, Frank's tenure with the Nets following this can be summed up as mediocre at best. His final record with New Jersey was just below .500 totaling 225 wins and 241 losses. To begin the 2009 season, the Nets lost their first 16 games before firing Frank.
Frank spent last season as Doc Rivers' top assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, replacing the popular and successful (especially on the defensive end) Tom Thibodeau. The season for the Celtics had a disappointing ending as they lost to the Miami Heat 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
It will be pretty interesting to see what Frank has learned from his first experience with the Nets and especially what he was able to learn from Doc Rivers, who has a very tremendous resume thus far with the Celtics. Frank is very knowledgeable and is extremely good with the X's and O's of basketball. However, one reason he ended up failing in New Jersey was that he could not relate to the players. To me, one of Doc Rivers' best attributes is his relationship with his players, most notably his three future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. If Frank learned anything while he was in Boston about coach-player relationships from his former mentor, he will be pretty successful in Detroit.
This will be Frank's second head coaching opportunity in the NBA, his first coming with the New Jersey Nets from 2004 through 2009. Frank started his head coaching stint sizzling hot as he won his first 13 games as a head coach. However, Frank's tenure with the Nets following this can be summed up as mediocre at best. His final record with New Jersey was just below .500 totaling 225 wins and 241 losses. To begin the 2009 season, the Nets lost their first 16 games before firing Frank.
Frank spent last season as Doc Rivers' top assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, replacing the popular and successful (especially on the defensive end) Tom Thibodeau. The season for the Celtics had a disappointing ending as they lost to the Miami Heat 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
It will be pretty interesting to see what Frank has learned from his first experience with the Nets and especially what he was able to learn from Doc Rivers, who has a very tremendous resume thus far with the Celtics. Frank is very knowledgeable and is extremely good with the X's and O's of basketball. However, one reason he ended up failing in New Jersey was that he could not relate to the players. To me, one of Doc Rivers' best attributes is his relationship with his players, most notably his three future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. If Frank learned anything while he was in Boston about coach-player relationships from his former mentor, he will be pretty successful in Detroit.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Gangsters and GoodFellas
I just finished reading the book Gangsters and GoodFellas: The Mob, Witness Protection, and Life on the Run by Henry Hill as told to Gus Russo. The book was more or less a follow-up to the book Wiseguy, a 1986 New York Times National Bestseller by Nicholas Pileggi, which detailed the rise and fall of New York gangster Henry Hill (which of course was the basis for Martin Scorsese's 1990 film, GoodFellas). Not as intriguing as Wiseguy or GoodFellas, the book still provided some fascinating details that were left out of both works. Here are a couple of them:
1. Tommy DeSimone's killer is ... - Most of us remember Tommy DeSimone because of Joe Pesci's outstanding Academy Award winning portrayal of the gangster. In the movie, we never found out who ended up whacking Tommy. However, Henry Hill explains that Tommy's killer was none other than the legendary John Gotti. Hill also elucidates that Paulie Vario (played by Paul Sorvino in the film) really hated Tommy but put up with him because Jimmy Burke (played by Robert De Niro in the film) loved him. And finally, we learned that Paulie was actually sleeping with Henry's wife, Karen, and that Tommy tried to rape Karen when Henry was in prison.
2. Hill's relationship with Joe Namath - Hill details in the book how he met and knew New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. They met because Hill was sleeping with a girl who was friends with a girl who was sleeping with Joe Namath (we shouldn't be surprised that Namath was sleeping with a lot of women, should we?). Joe Namath also gave him tickets to attend SuperBowl III down in Miami. It also mentions in the book that Namath told Hill "to bet the fucking ranch" on the Jets, who were 17 point underdogs against the Baltimore Colts. Hill ended up putting $30,000 on the Jets. And of course, the Jets ended up winning the game 16-7.
I do recommend the book (I guess I have to, I don't want to get whacked) if you are interested in crime or the gangster lifestyle. You may want to read Wiseguy or see GoodFellas first though.
1. Tommy DeSimone's killer is ... - Most of us remember Tommy DeSimone because of Joe Pesci's outstanding Academy Award winning portrayal of the gangster. In the movie, we never found out who ended up whacking Tommy. However, Henry Hill explains that Tommy's killer was none other than the legendary John Gotti. Hill also elucidates that Paulie Vario (played by Paul Sorvino in the film) really hated Tommy but put up with him because Jimmy Burke (played by Robert De Niro in the film) loved him. And finally, we learned that Paulie was actually sleeping with Henry's wife, Karen, and that Tommy tried to rape Karen when Henry was in prison.
2. Hill's relationship with Joe Namath - Hill details in the book how he met and knew New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. They met because Hill was sleeping with a girl who was friends with a girl who was sleeping with Joe Namath (we shouldn't be surprised that Namath was sleeping with a lot of women, should we?). Joe Namath also gave him tickets to attend SuperBowl III down in Miami. It also mentions in the book that Namath told Hill "to bet the fucking ranch" on the Jets, who were 17 point underdogs against the Baltimore Colts. Hill ended up putting $30,000 on the Jets. And of course, the Jets ended up winning the game 16-7.
I do recommend the book (I guess I have to, I don't want to get whacked) if you are interested in crime or the gangster lifestyle. You may want to read Wiseguy or see GoodFellas first though.
Sad Day for the New England Patriots
The people here at The World According to Jonathan would like to send our condolences to the Kraft family for the passing of Myra Kraft, wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Myra was a terrific woman who devoted herself to helping others. Her generosity and kindness will be missed greatly.
I guess it is true, only the good die young. She was 68.
I guess it is true, only the good die young. She was 68.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Holy Smokes, Batman! Adam West to Appear in TDKR?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/fullcredits#cast
Rumors continue to swirl around the Internet that Adam West, star of the popular 1960's Batman series, will have a small cameo in The Dark Knight Rises, which is set to hit theaters in July 2012. Ardent fans of the television series have been very vocal and excited about the recent rumor, wondering how West will fit into the final film of Christopher Nolan's trilogy. But there are also fans like me wondering just how much truth there is behind this rumor. It almost seems like West would be completely out of place in a series that has been full of dark tones thus far. Even if not done purposefully, he would drastically undermine the seriousness of the film and thereby be extremely different from its predecessor, The Dark Knight.
Adam West was brilliantly cast and did a terrific job back in the sixties in a series that was lighthearted and funny. I just do not think history would repeat itself here.
Rumors continue to swirl around the Internet that Adam West, star of the popular 1960's Batman series, will have a small cameo in The Dark Knight Rises, which is set to hit theaters in July 2012. Ardent fans of the television series have been very vocal and excited about the recent rumor, wondering how West will fit into the final film of Christopher Nolan's trilogy. But there are also fans like me wondering just how much truth there is behind this rumor. It almost seems like West would be completely out of place in a series that has been full of dark tones thus far. Even if not done purposefully, he would drastically undermine the seriousness of the film and thereby be extremely different from its predecessor, The Dark Knight.
Adam West was brilliantly cast and did a terrific job back in the sixties in a series that was lighthearted and funny. I just do not think history would repeat itself here.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Dark Knight Rises Trailer
http://www.facebook.com/thedarkknightrises
The official The Dark Knight Rises trailer hit the Internet today. One of the most anticipated movies in a long time will hit theaters in July 2012. But speculation on how Batman will rise out of his current predicament has been going on since The Dark Knight was released nearly three years ago. And after viewing the trailer, more questions are sure to arise.
Here are a few items that I found to be noteworthy:
1. Quotes from Ra's al Ghul - The trailer opens with some interesting quotes by the villain of Batman Begins, Ra's al Ghul. All of the quotes were taken from the first film as well so we are still unsure on how big a role Ra's al Ghul (and Liam Neeson for that matter) will play in the film. It seems silly to think that Ra's al Ghul is actually immortal in Christopher Nolan's universe considering all the realistic aspects we have seen in the first two films of the trilogy. But we will see.
2. Hospital Scene - So who is Commissioner Gordon speaking to while lying in the hospital bed, Bruce Wayne or Batman? To my knowledge (please correct me if I am wrong) I have never seen a Batman universe where Gordon knows the true identity of the caped crusader. How the movie will unfold from here is any one's guess.
3. A lot of Bane and no Catwoman - I did not catch any references to Catwoman in the trailer. If there were some, they were very subtle. Instead, we did get a few glimpses of Bane. When I first learned that Bane would be appearing in the film I was disappointed, mainly due his atrocious appearance in Batman & Robin. However, I am slowly coming around to liking the fact that Nolan could make the character both interesting and a great challenge to the dark knight. But I really want to see how his story is intertwined with Catwoman as the two wreak havoc on Gotham City.
We are about a year away from the release of The Dark Knight Rises, but expect many updates throughout the next twelve months. Stay tuned.
The official The Dark Knight Rises trailer hit the Internet today. One of the most anticipated movies in a long time will hit theaters in July 2012. But speculation on how Batman will rise out of his current predicament has been going on since The Dark Knight was released nearly three years ago. And after viewing the trailer, more questions are sure to arise.
Here are a few items that I found to be noteworthy:
1. Quotes from Ra's al Ghul - The trailer opens with some interesting quotes by the villain of Batman Begins, Ra's al Ghul. All of the quotes were taken from the first film as well so we are still unsure on how big a role Ra's al Ghul (and Liam Neeson for that matter) will play in the film. It seems silly to think that Ra's al Ghul is actually immortal in Christopher Nolan's universe considering all the realistic aspects we have seen in the first two films of the trilogy. But we will see.
2. Hospital Scene - So who is Commissioner Gordon speaking to while lying in the hospital bed, Bruce Wayne or Batman? To my knowledge (please correct me if I am wrong) I have never seen a Batman universe where Gordon knows the true identity of the caped crusader. How the movie will unfold from here is any one's guess.
3. A lot of Bane and no Catwoman - I did not catch any references to Catwoman in the trailer. If there were some, they were very subtle. Instead, we did get a few glimpses of Bane. When I first learned that Bane would be appearing in the film I was disappointed, mainly due his atrocious appearance in Batman & Robin. However, I am slowly coming around to liking the fact that Nolan could make the character both interesting and a great challenge to the dark knight. But I really want to see how his story is intertwined with Catwoman as the two wreak havoc on Gotham City.
We are about a year away from the release of The Dark Knight Rises, but expect many updates throughout the next twelve months. Stay tuned.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Put an End to Penalty Kicks
Should penalty kicks decide the most important soccer game of the last four years? The answer should be an obvious no. Even if the United States Women's team had won earlier today during the shootout - like they did against Brazil - I still think it is an incredibly stupid way to end a game of this magnitude.
The game should not be decided by an aspect that rarely occurs during a soccer game. The goalie is put in a position were he/she must guess were the ball will end up. This basically eliminates the advantage a team would have if one goalie is better than the other, such as in today's game. Instead, soccer should utilize a sudden death overtime period that is found in other similar sports such as hockey. This would not only provide a more memorable moment, it would also provide a winning goal within the natural flow of the game such as a breakaway goal or header off a corner kick.
One reason people are against the sudden death overtime is that the game could last a long time. But who cares? If you don't want to watch the game, then don't. Playoff hockey games will sometimes go into four, five, and even six overtime games and will last six or seven hours long. And every time, the action is always exciting.
I don't expect this rule to change anytime soon; however, I can always hope that in 2015 we will see Alex Morgan score a beautiful breakaway goal in sudden death overtime.
The game should not be decided by an aspect that rarely occurs during a soccer game. The goalie is put in a position were he/she must guess were the ball will end up. This basically eliminates the advantage a team would have if one goalie is better than the other, such as in today's game. Instead, soccer should utilize a sudden death overtime period that is found in other similar sports such as hockey. This would not only provide a more memorable moment, it would also provide a winning goal within the natural flow of the game such as a breakaway goal or header off a corner kick.
One reason people are against the sudden death overtime is that the game could last a long time. But who cares? If you don't want to watch the game, then don't. Playoff hockey games will sometimes go into four, five, and even six overtime games and will last six or seven hours long. And every time, the action is always exciting.
I don't expect this rule to change anytime soon; however, I can always hope that in 2015 we will see Alex Morgan score a beautiful breakaway goal in sudden death overtime.
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