My Personal Challenge To Ultimate Boston Readers

Alright, so here's the thing. Our views have been declining since the first week or so of making this site. And as a result, I feel as though the quality and quantity of our posts may be starting to slip. So, to get back to a higher level, it's time to step up the motivation factor. And the readers make the blog -- this is true with anything. Any successful website, business, group, whatever -- that success is always dictated by the followers. So, here is my challenge to our Ultimate Boston fan base, which is a fairly small fan base right now.

Our Facebook fan page has a mere 195 fans right now. And 154 of them are my own Facebook friends that I invited. So -- here's my challenge. I'm challenging all of our regular readers to expand this fan base. If you actually enjoy reading the site and would like to see it continue and grow, the fan base will need to increase. So invite some friends -- and tell them to do the same. Over time, I'd like to see this fan base grow bigger and bigger. And I can promise that as a result, the quality and quantity of our blog will improve.

So there it is. I've thrown the challenge out there. Will the readers take the bait? We'll have to wait and see. But maybe a few more fans will start the butterfly effect that makes this website more legitimate. Buckle up!

PS -- To our readers, star ratings and comments would be appreciated. It's the only way to know what people like and don't like. Helps us improve our content.

Sox Walk Off On Dodgers, 5-4

Tim Wakefield and the Boston Red Sox took the field against the Los Angeles Dodgers again this afternoon, and thanks to a walk-off single by Dustin Pedroia in the 9th, the Sox came out on top once again.

The knuckle-baller went 6.1 innings, yielding 3 earned runs. Boston somehow worked its way around a 4-error day to hang in there and claw out a 5-4 victory. The Dodgers brought in their closer, Jonathan Broxton, to get Dustin Pedroia in the 9th inning with two men on and two out. Unfortunately for Joe Torre and his LA squad, Broxton surrendered a single to right field that scored Daniel Nava from second base and kept the Red Sox within 1 game of the Yankees in the AL East. They are just a half-game behind the Rays for second place.

Manny Ramirez homered at Fenway park for the first time since his trade to the Dodgers in July of 2008. The reception during his first at bat today had a few less audible boos than it did last night in his debut.

The Sox will hand the ball to Clay Buchholz tomorrow to go for the 3-game sweep of LA. Luckily, the game will not be on FOX -- so we won't have to suffer through 9 innings of Tim McCarver and Joe Buck.

Cameroon Is Disappointing Me

0-2 guys? Come on. If I had to pick a country to root for besides my own home country, it would definitely be Cameroon. They rock the coolest looking uniforms of any team in the tournament. Watching them on TV, they look fresh. They have an awesome country name. Cameroon. And they are supposed to be better than this. Two matches, two losses. Tons of chances, cannot finish anyone off. They've put 8 shots on target to this point, and they will be the first team to put that many shots on target and lose in this tournament. I'm disappointed by these performances. An African team on its home soil, and you lay a couple of eggs. Eliminated before you even got a chance to realize you were at the World Cup. Shaking my head, boys. Shaking my head.

Manute Bol Dead At 47

Huffington Post  -  Manute Bol, the former pro basketball center who spent ten years in the NBA, died Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia, according to the Washington Post. He was 47.


Bol was born in Sudan in 1962. In 1985, he was drafted by the Washington Bullets. At seven feet, seven inches tall, Bol was one of the tallest men to ever play in the NBA.


In addition to the Bullets, Bol played for the Warriors, 76ers and Heat during his NBA career. He was known for his height and prolific shot-blocking ability. Since retiring from professional basketball, Bol was involved with numerous charitable causes in Sudan.


Bol became gravely ill in May after contracting Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare skin disease, while in Sudan. He was in his home country to combat corruption.


This is a shame. Bol was a good guy. As you can see from the article, did a lot of charitable things. Most people speculated that he would live a short life due to his extremely large stature (7'7"). However, ironically enough, it was not his height that led to his death at the age of 47. It was a skin disease known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Manute Bol is one of the more memorable figures in basketball history, and he will be missed. Rest in peace, Manute.

Bruins Trade Rumors Not So Threatening

Yesterday, rumors were flying wild about a potential trade of the Bruins' Marc Savard and Blake Wheeler to Columbus for their first round draft position. This morning, the waters are settling down a little bit.

Most sources are now brushing off the rumor has mostly phantom gossip. There are several reasons to believe that this trade has no chance of going through, and most of them combine to give Bruins fans the satisfaction that there is no way their GM could mess this one up.

1. Marc Savard has a no-movement clause.

Savard signed a 7-year extension that will become active in July, and while it is unsure whether that contract has a no-movement clause (although some sources claim Savard has said it does), it is known that Savard's exisiting contract does have one. So, there is no way the Bruins can move Savard before draft day without his consent. He signed the 7-year deal at a lower salary than he could have earned. Why? Because he loves Boston. He loves the intensity, he loves the knowledge of the fans, and he wants to win a Cup. Chances are, Columbus is not the place for Savard to fulfill those desires. I see no chance Savard waives his clause to go play for the Blue Jackets.

2. Cap issues in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets have some salary cap issues here. Savard has a front-heavy contract that will pay him about $7 million next season. That contract, along with Wheeler's, would put the Jackets right at the edge of the salary cap, leaving them no room for improvements. Granted, they need a center to play alongside Rich Nash, but this isn't the most ideal fit for them -- a 33-year old who is locked up for 7 more years, taking up a decent hit in their cap space.

3. Chiarelli has confirmed he will take either Seguin or Hall.

What does this have to do with anything, you may ask? Well, Chiarelli confirmed that he will not trade the #2 pick and that he will take either Hall or Seguin. This tells me he feels that either of these players can fit into the system they currently have -- no conditional factors. He will definitely take one. So, why trade Savard? If the Oilers were to take Seguin, you would now have a center deficiency having drafted Hall and trading Savard. It just doesn't make much sense, this move alone. Unless it was a part of some greater scheme, the pieces do not match up.

4. The #4 pick is simply not worth the value of Savard and Wheeler.

I'll take a proven star over a potential star any day, especially in the #4 slot. Yes, Hall and Seguin are pretty sure bets to become NHL studs. But after those first two, how good is the second tier of prospects? Who knows. Whoever you get at #4, they would have to be a hell of a pick to equal the value of Savard and Wheeler. Trading Sobotka and Wheeler might be more reasonable if they were eyeing another forward that can have immediate goal scoring impact, but even still -- draft picks are never a guarantee.

5. The Bruins are sitting pretty. Why would they screw around?

Bottom line is, the Bruins are sitting real pretty right now. With their full squad healthy, you could argue they would have gone to the Stanley Cup finals this year. Three very solid centermen, and the chance -- if Seguin can transition to a winger -- to create some very dynamic combinations up front. They also have a pick in the middle of the first round, and then Toronto's early pick in the second round. On top of that, you consider that the Leafs have no big picks to improve -- will they struggle again next year? You would hope so, because Boston has their first round pick in the 2011 draft.

The future is mega-bright for Boston. Savard is one of the anchors to the future, having signed a 7-year deal. I think Bruins fans can rest a little easier now, having assessed the possibilities and having heard from some new sources. Most say this deal doesn't have the legs to go through, and the evidence suggests that it wouldn't go through in the end, anyway.

Algeria Ties England, Sets Table for USA

How about those Algerians! In yesterday's Group C match between England and Algeria, neither side was able to strike for a goal, earning a 0-0 final tally. With the draw, the United States now controls its own destiny into the next round. With a win against Algeria on Wednesday, they will advance. They are no longer in need of any help from others. Win, and you're in.

There is also a chance that they could get into the next round without a win. If the USA draws algeria, it would put itself at 3 points. This would mean that a Slovenia victory over England would send the United States through. If the two sides were to tie, the USA would need to have the tiebreaker over England to advance. They currently do win the tiebreaker, but it could very easily be changed with another match's result.

But you can skip all the fancy junk and just root for the Americans to get this win. Algeria would have been considered the easiest foe to knock down in this group coming in, but they have since played England to a draw. Just count down the days until Wednesday, though. Because if we see a performance like the one we saw in the second half yesterday from our beloved Americans, you can count on the States earning a seed in the knockout round.

Rumor: Bruins Considering Dealing Savard & Wheeler to Columbus for #4 Overall Draft Selection

Well, I'd be lying if I said this news didn't shock me. Because it did. Multiple sources on the internet as well as a television source have indicated that talks between the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets are definitely intensifying. The rumors say that Boston is considering sending star center Marc Savard along with Blake Wheeler to Columbus for their 1st round draft pick (#4 overall). These seem to be out of the blue right away, but I guess you can find a little reasoning behind it if you make the attempt.

As the days go by, it seems more and more likely that Taylor Hall will go #1 to Edmonton. This leaves centerman Tyler Seguin to the Boston Bruins -- but Boston is already loaded at center. So, if they believe that Seguin is a true franchise centerman, it might make sense that they will try to deal one of their existing ones. But how? How do you deal Savard, Krejci, or Bergeron? They proved that they are all phenomenal players. I think you have to work your team around those guys. Make Seguin a wing. Trade Thomas and the pick to move up to #1. Do whatever is necessary. But how do you trade Savard after signing him to a 7-year extension?

After thinking about this trade and giving it a fair chance, I've decided there is no way Boston should pull the trigger here. Granted, the #2 and #4 picks is a daunting package, especially given that we are already loaded with talent. But that #4 pick is anything but a guarantee. Seguin is a pretty solidified star at this point. He's a safe pick. But after that top 1-2 punch, how talented is the second tier of prospects? As good as the Savard and Wheeler package? That would be one hell of a player at #4 to equal the value of those guys.

I've said before that I think Wheeler is expendable. That does not mean I think Wheeler is a bad player. For salary reasons, for the way he played in the postseason, and for the current situation of our roster, I believe we can trade him. We do still need to get value back for him. And that #4 pick would be great to have, it really would. For Wheeler and Thomas, I might even consider it. But Savard? He's our best playmaker. That's almost a fact. And I just hope Boston doesn't jump to conclusions based on Savvy's postseason play this year. He was coming off a concussion and was never really back into the full swing of things. He's a superstar centerman and they will need to think long and hard before shipping him away.

The NHL draft is set for June 25th. You can count on this rumor being verified or nullified before that date. Will Savard's extension be short-lived? Keep checking to find out.

Sox K Manny Twice En Route to 10-6 Win

Manny Ramirez's return to Yawkey Way didn't go quite as he had planned tonight, going 1-5 with 2 strikeouts against his former team. The Sox were able to stifle the Dodgers' offense long enough to build a 10-3 lead, and they ultimately held on for a 10-6 victory. Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz, and JD Drew each hit round trippers for the Sox, who moved within 1 game of the AL East lead with the victory.

Sox rookie Felix Doupront made his Major League debut on the mound and hurled 5 innings, yielding 3 earned runs. Doupront's fastball was pretty good, and it was a decent first start for the kid. He obviously has some fine-tuning to do, but the potential is definitely there for the southpaw.

Boston and LA -- the matchup that has seemingly gone on for ages now -- will continue tomorrow as Tim Wakefield takes the hill for the Sox.

PS -- About to make another post because I just got some ridiculous Bruins news.

Manny Gets Mixed Bag From Fenway

For the first few seconds, this was definitely one of the toughest ovations to figure out. You're hearing boos, you're seeing cheers. Very overwhelming. But as it went on, you can clearly see how mixed a reaction this was. Pretty much split down the middle. Pretty satisfying from the Sox faithful, I'd say. I don't support total boos -- guy won us two World Series. Without Manny, we might be in an ongoing 92-year curse to this day. I also don't support the total cheers -- he left down on a terrible note, and he never showed an ounce of love for the fans of this city. So, I think the mixed reaction was appropriate. Handled well by the Sox fans. Proving once again that despite being the most unruly and boisterous crowd, they're certainly one of the most knowledgeable crowds as well.

At least that's out of the way, though. Now the baseball can continue without the extra drama. And Felix Doubront has started his Sox career with a solid two innings of work. Hopefully he can continue to impress and get some run support along with it.

Rate How Lame Golden State's New Logo Is

I've seen a lot of reporters saying that they think the Warriors' new logo is one of the best in the league now. Incorporating the bridge and all. And I will say that yes, incorporating the bridge into the logo is cool. But really? Look at this new logo and tell me your 12 year old cousin couldn't draw it on Paint. It's just a plain, basic font around a circular logo of a bridge. It's very unimpressive to me. What do the fans think?

Vote 1 for this logo isn't lame at all, it's actually wicked cool. Vote 5 for this is easily the lamest logo in professional sports today and my 12 year old cousin definitely made it on paint.

Stupid Facebook Fan Page of the Day

"Hello big spider in the corner, you just chillin? Yeah thats cool bud" --574,799 people like this.

JGood is a real stickler for stupid facebook fan pages, so I'm sure he'll appreciate this one as well. What could this page possibly even mean in the big picture of life? Anything? Could you have a more irrelevant-to-life fan page that over a half million people like? Another one of those things I've been talking about lately where the world just doesn't make sense. This doesn't make sense to me. I know we're not great or anything.... but someone tell me how "Hello big spider in the corner, you just chillin? Yeah thats cool bud" has 2,963 times the number of fans that Ultimate Boston has? Come on, now.

Overshadowed By Finals, Ubaldo Still Destroying Hitters Everywhere

Although virtually nobody was aware of it due to the high-impact game 7 of the NBA finals last night, Ubaldo Jimenez spun another gem on the hill. 8 IP, 1 ER. He is now 13-1 -- yes, thirteen-and-one -- with a 1.15 ERA. These numbers are straight filthy. His worst start of the season was a 6 inning performance in which he allowed 3 earned. What I would give to have this guy in my rotation right now. He's literally just making batters look sillier than his own first name. And the best part about it is that we will get to see him during interleague play. Jimenez is slated to start during the Red Sox-Rockies series that will take place next week. And while Sox fans have every intention of seeing their team tee off on Ubaldo, it will still be a good show either way. Because the guy is doing something magical, and it is always an honor to watch a player continue a magical run.

You Better Be Cheering For Manny Tonight.

Look at this picture. Look at you celebrating on your feet with your hands in the air. Remember what he did for us. I love Manny. If you are a Sox fan, I ask you, how could you possibly boo Manny tonight. All the analysts are saying 70% boos 30% cheers. If that happens I will hate you all. Without him, we'd be 92 years without a World Series title. Respect the man for what he did on the field. Sure, he left on bad terms. But relationships are two way streets. The Sox management didn't try too hard to keep Manny around. Year after year he was almost traded. Then he was. For Jason Bay. Great deal. Bay couldn't cut it - his lack of success goes to show how good Manny is. Show respect for greatness.

USA Makes Phenomenal Comeback, Gets Robbed, Draws Slovenia 2-2

My only thoughts are "wow." The United States just entered the second half trailing 2-0 to Slovenia -- a country that is small enough to geographically fit 485 of itself in the United States -- in their second match of the World Cup. Sparked by a lazer beam into the upper 90 from an impossible angle by Landon Donovan, the Americans began pouring on the scoring chances. Finally, in the 82nd minute, coach's son Michael Bradley delivered the equalizer on a brilliantly timed strike over the keeper's shoulder. All even. And then -- as if the two-goal comeback wasn't enough -- the red, white, and blue struck the go ahead tally on a cross into the box. The problem was, the officials took it away. The call was either offsides or a foul, but strangely enough, not a single person on the field was able to inform anyone what the call actually was. Upon further review from the replay, it was not even remotely close to being offsides. Like, the player who struck the ball was a solid 10 yards onside upon the release of the cross. A completely absurd phantom call. The commentators and both squads -- everyone knew just how bad it was.

For the USA, it's a bitter ending to swallow knowing they could have escaped with 3 points from this match. Nonetheless, even though they were stripped of 2 of those 3, they are still in solid shape if they can gather a win in their final group match against Algeria on Wednesday. But, for the record, I truly hope the World Cup prevents this officiating crew from reffing another game in this tournament.

Top 5/Bottom 5: The Best and Worst of a Memorable Decade

Do you feel that Boston? That is the sour ending to a rather bright decade for our Sports Teams. 1 NBA Title in 2 appearances; 3 NFL Championships in 4 appearances; 2 MLB titles in 2 appearances..but for every crowning moment..there is an equal AND opposite heartbreaker.

BOTTOM 5:
5. MLB 2008 ALCS: This was a toss-up, because the sweep of the Sox in the ALDS last year hurt. But remember when we were once again down and out and then the Sox started winning games again? Down 3-1 in the series, they went on to win the next two and you really thought that magic was still there. And then Jason Varitek reminded us that the team was just a tad too old to go the distance against the much younger and more talented Rays. And having a fighting chance with men on in the 9th did not help.

4. 2009-2010 NBA Finals Game 7: People will be talking about this one for a while. It's hard to say that Kobe WAS the Laker's in this series, especially since he wasn't that big of a scoring factor for the Lakers in Game 7. It WILL be easy for people to argue that the refs were extremely one sided. This one is rough because no one believed in the Celtics until they made us believe, and then they lost a very close game on the toughest court and on Basketballs biggest stage...to the rival team. Furthermore, this was probably the last game with the Big 3 and perhaps the Doc. Really would have been nice to go out big, like they came in.

3. 2009-2010 NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals: It wasn't all that deep in to the playoffs, but what makes this one hurts for die-hard hockey fans is the 0-3 hole that the Flyers overcame to defeat the Bruins. The pain was eased because the Celtics were making their playoff run and looking good and most people aren't that in to hockey to begin with. Make no mistake, this was an embarrassment for Boston. We just have to be lucky this didn't happen in baseball or basketball or else no one would EVER hear the end of it. What sucks even more is the 3-0 score in that Game 7. Flyers came back to score 4 and win the series 4-3 and the game 4-3.

2. 2003 ALCS Game 7: the 11th inning homerun off of Time Wakefield cut deep. The Yanks had to score 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th to tie it, and it took an extra couple of frames to stick the dagger in the hearts of millions. Red Sox nation was hopeless. Thank heavens for Tito and Papi, or else 2004 may have gone down in similar fashion.

1. Superbowl 42: Not only the biggest letdown for New England, but the biggest letdown for everyone out there who thought that perfection could exist; that the impossible was possible. After winning 18 straight games, the best team ever (the 2007 New England Patriots) lost a nail biter to the Giants. Not just any Giants though, the NEW YORK Giants. Why couldn't it be the South Dakota Giants or something? No one has a beef with them. This was the ultimate tear-jerker of the decade and it ended a dynasty.

TOP 5:
5. 2009-2010 Boston Celtics: I know, this is in both lists. The reason for this is I think once the pain dulls down a little, people will see how amazing this team was. To make it to Game 7 of the Finals was something no one expected. No one thought they would get to a game 5 of the first series against the Heat! They got to the end of the road and couldn't finish, but that's okay. Because this team beat some of the best in the world, and if they had ten more games they may win 5, or 8, or 10. Because they were an amazing team, capable of doing whatever they believed they could do. And we, as fans, believed as well. And they made some amazing things happen.

4. 2007 Boston Red Sox: It was expected that they would win this one. But they still had to come back from down 3-1 against the Indians in that ALCS, and they did so in commanding fashion.

3. 2007-2008 Boston Celtics: Few remember the trip to Rome that the entire team went on before the season. It brought them together and bonded them. They went on to have the best record in all of basketball and beat the rival Lakers for the 17th championship victory.

2. The New England Patriot Dynasty: Victories in 2001, 2003, 2004 and an undefeated regular season in 2007 helped make the Patriots the team of the decade in the NFL. Every once in a while I get butterflies thinking about the field goals that good ol' Adam put through to win us those championships. Who could forget that snowy game against Oakland and the tuck rule? Who could forget the field goal against the Rams that gave them the unlikely number 1, and the feeling after Tom Brady threw a bomb to Randy Moss to break TD records for a receiver and a quarterback in a regular season?

1. 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox: The most unlikely comeback in the history of sports. Nothing will ever come close to the feeling of snapping the 86 year curse for Boston fans. Coming back from down 3 games in the ALCS and winning that series, ending the Yankees '04 season: that was the real victory. The WS win was just routine.

I think Boston has been the best. And when we weren't the best, we were a close second. Fingers crossed for the next decade to be as victorious as the last.

Heartbreaker, Mindblower.

That's just about as heartbreaking as the last game 7 I watched. I just don't know what to say. My mind is blown. In every other loss, you can really point to someone who played poorly for the Celtics -- or a number of them. And you could point to someone who lit it up for LA. Didn't happen tonight. Celtics played pretty well, Lakers played a little bit better. We got toasted on the boards, maybe in part because of the loss of Perkins. We were unable to make up for it. It's a really, really, REALLY tough loss to handle, and the real passionate Boston sports fans like myself will have a tough time just stepping back and looking at the bigger picture here. But I'm at least going to try.

Bring yourself back to game 1 of the first round of these playoffs. How confident were you that these Celtics would get past the Heat? Alright, maybe you were pretty confident. But you were almost sure that LeBron and the Cavs would take them down after that. And if somehow, miraculously, these old hags got through the King, they could never impede the flight of Superman down in Orlando. Not a chance in hell. And then if there was any absurd series of events that landed them in the finals against Kobe and the big bad Lakers -- kiss your hopes goodbye. Well, the Celtics defied the odds on that entire sequence right up until the final moments of game 7 in these finals.

You're kidding yourself if you say that the Celtics disappointed this season. It's really unfortunate that KG was out injured last postseason, because I believe we would have won it again. But a year later, a year older, and another year that seems to make Ray's jumper more inconsistent -- make Pierce's drive to the basket a step slower -- make Garnett's post move a few notches weaker -- we just didn't have it. The rebuilding stage is beginning, folks -- like it or not. From a managerial standpoint, as much as you hate to admit it, Ray Allen may have played his final game wearing green. You need to transition out of the "Big Three" at some point, and the preference would be to do it one at a time. Don't dump all three at once.

It was the unlikely heros for the Lakers tonight. Ron Artest's three pointer just outside 1 minute to play was probably the biggest shot of the game. Close to a dagger. But the C's kept fighting. They didn't say die. Gotta admire their grit, but it just wasn't happening tonight. They weren't tough enough, weren't strong enough on the boards. Hats off to the Lakers -- they did the things they needed to do to win game 7.

Of course, that isn't to say I think everything was played out fairly tonight. The officiating, once again, was on the Lakers' side -- in my opinion. Boston was in the penalty before the halfway mark of the fourth quarter. It's how the Lakers claimed and built their lead. Free throws. A very one-sided fourth quarter. But I make no excuses, and I'm very clear about that. This was Boston's game to win, and they just weren't able to do it. LA played great defense at the critical moments of the game. For once, we saw a true team effort out of the Lakers.

That's right. A team effort. It wasn't the Kobe show tonight. In fact, Kobe played one of the worst games of his career. In game 7 of the NBA finals. How exactly does that happen? Would Jordan have thrown up a stinker in this game? Once again, my personal opinion -- Kobe is not on Jordan's level yet. He didn't win this game for the Lakers and thus, he didn't win this series for the Lakers. They ultimately won as a team.

Boston has a long offseason to think about this one. It stings. The worst pain that any of them have felt in the Big Three era. But they need to move on. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen (if he returns) are in the final stages of their careers where they need to capitalize on their last shots at championship runs. There's no time to dwell on the failure. Get right back to work, with whatever you've got, and prevent the purple and gold from a dynastically impressive 3-peat.

One last thing though. I still can't figure out why rapists win championships. Is there a God somewhere up there?

I'm Becoming an Atheist if the Celtics Lose Tonight, Because God Wouldn't Let Rapists Keep Winning Championships... Right?

I believe as much as anyone that the big guy is upstairs watching over us. But if the Lakers win tonight, I'll just be confused. Because that would make a total of 7 championships between Kobe and Rapelisberger. Seven! God would never allow that to happen. So being a Christian, I expect that Boston will win tonight. Am I right?

From an actual analysis standpoint though, Boston is going to need some big minutes from some guys who aren't always the center of the attack. Rasheed has been claiming all season that he is a playoff kind of guy. Now's your chance to prove it, man! He'll most likely start in place of Perk. With that move, Big Baby will need to play more minutes off the bench and play them effectively. And, as much as I hate to say it, we will probably need to see some minutes out of Sheldon Williams. The guy needs to play better than he did in game 6 if Boston is going to bang with LA in the post.


In the past few games, Bynum's knee has swollen up and tightened on him after his first trip to the bench. For the Celtics, this would be a huge advantage. It didn't hurt the Lakers last game, because they were up by so much. But in tonight's game, without their best post defender, Boston is going to need to find a way to shut down Bynum and Gasol in the paint and on the boards. The team who wins the rebounding battle has been the team who wins the game in every contest this series. Whether that is just attributed to the loser's missed shots or not, I don't know. But either way, Boston needs to control the Lakers' bigs.


It's do or die time. The Celtics laid an egg (huge understatement) in game 6. They need to come out 183452 times faster and get some momentum right out of the gate. If they are able to do that, Boston just might have a chance to deliver the Lakers a deja vu and hang banner #18 at the Garden next October.

Done Landscaping, Time To Start Thinking About The Sports World Armageddon That Goes Down Tonight

I once again would like to apologize for the lazy day of blogging. Had another all-day landscaping job to do. But now I'm back and so are the Celtics (hopefully). They will look to kick it into gear tonight against the defending champion LA Lakers who will try to repeat. Can Boston muster up the energy to scratch and claw their way to one last victory? Whether they do or not, reputations and futures are on the line in tonight's Game 7 armageddon between Boston and LA.

Vote 1 for the Lakers have too much momentum and home court advantage for the C's to pull it off. Vote 5 for the better team always wins, and rapists aren't meant to win 5 championships in a career.

TOP 10: A list of things that I predict will happen in Game 7

By Matt

10. Instead of the typical pre-game show, the Lakers will switch it up for Game 7. They are going to have an award ceremony, where Ron Artest will get his much deserved award for Best Actor in an NBA series.

9. Kevin Garnett will say the word "fuck" 100 times, an NBA finals record. The fans watching on TV will not be impressed, since the network has decided to just cut the sound off everytime someone swears. And that's gotten really annoying since...well, it's Basketball.

8. Kobe Bryant will take 75 shots and make 17. His 40 point game will be trumped by Nate Robinson's 41 points off the bench. (It wouldn't be the first time).

7. Perkins will warm the bench so well that Scalabrine will be demoted to waterboy.

6. Rasheed Wallace will spit in someone's face and try to say that he didn't do it. The refs will want LA to win so they won't believe him. He'll be demoted to waterboy and Scalabrine will once again be bumped to benchwarmer. In his excitement he'll twitter about it and get suspended for the first game of next season.

5. Paul Pierce will finally get sick of all the shitty calls and swing his fist in anger. It will catch Pau Gasol right in his stupid face and thousands of Celtics fans will cheer as one unified force.

4. Doc Rivers, trying to get the attention of a ref to call a timeout, will jump across the court. An executive for the Knicks will see his "ups" and try to recruit him to play for New York next season. Doc replies by saying he would rather watch the Twilight Saga on repeat for a week and then shoot himself in the face.

3. The Lakers will go down by one early. Jack Nicholson will continue to believe that he knows what all the right calls should be and repeatidly stand up and take a step on to the court as if he's coaching the team. He may remove his glasses and reveal his laser-beam eye power. Or he may just complain the whole time like usual.

2. Ray Allen will miss 10 more three-pointers and people will get so suspicious that they pin him down and take off his mask to reveal none other than Mrs. Allen! Turns out they switched places as soon as the Celtics returned home to play at the Garden last week. The real Ray Allen is enthusiastically cheering in the stands. They switch places and RayRay puts down 5 million free throws in a row.

1. Kobe Bryant will stand in front of the microphone after the game and look out at all the reporters. People will wonder if he's still sweating from the game, or if that's a tear rolling down his cheek. He'll look down at the mic and mutter "the better team won." Meanwhile, Rajon Rondo will be hoisting his MVP trophy to an abandoned Staples Center and KG will once again be on top of the world.

Dear Kobe & Pau,

Sincerely,

Ultimate Boston.

Lester Collects Career Win #50

Even on nights where they weren't really on their game, that 1-2 punch of Buchholz and Lester turns in a combined 12.2 IP and just 5 earned runs between them. 2-0 record. Buchholz stands at 9-4 with a 2.67 ERA, and Lester improved to 8-2 with a 3.13 ERA. Tied for first in the American League with 96 strikeouts. Both of these guys are having Cy Young caliber seasons so far, and most would agree they haven't even been on top of their game in their past few starts. Tonight, it looked like Lester was really laboring through those innings. At the end of the day, though, he turns in 7 innings of 2-run ball. The Sox pitching staff (or at least part of it) is definitely starting to live up to the hype it had entering the season. If Beckett can come back healthy in vintage-Beckett form and Lackey can string together some quality outings, this will solidify itself as the best starting rotation in baseball.

Police Find Two Canadian Men Passed Out, Covered In Mud, Highly Intoxicated, In Ditches In The Woods... Naked.

Yahoo  -  LEWISTON, N.Y. – Police in western New York said two Canadian men attended a church festival and wound up in the woods drunk, naked and covered in mud. State police said troopers found a 22-year-old man from Hamilton, Ontario sitting along a road in the town of Lewiston, just outside Niagara Falls, around 5:45 a.m. Sunday.

Troopers said he was caked in mud. After questioning him, troopers found a 23-year-old man from Hamilton covered in mud and passed out in a ditch nearby.

Police said both men were highly intoxicated.

Troopers say the men had attended the St. John de LaSalle Carnival on Saturday and afterward decided to make it a "Woodstock event" by dancing naked in the woods. Both men were taken to a local hospital where they were treated and released.

Neither man was charged.

Canadians. First the Olympic gold medal game and then the forest fires and now this. Come on, Canada. Step your game up. This is just straight up embarrassing. Guys can't control themselves, drink way too much, don't know their limits at all, make fools of themselves, and then cap it off with doing one of the gayest things they could have possibly done. Any chance of making people believe they are straight definitely just was thrown out the window. Who dances together naked in a muddy forest and then passes out in an even muddier ditch? Apparently Canadians who attend church festivals do.

Apologies For the Lazy Day

My apologies to our regular readers. Got called to do a last minute landscaping job today, 8:30 till now pretty much. So I haven't been at the computer at all. Doing the same thing tomorrow, too... but hopefully it will pick up again soon. Meanwhile, the Celtics looked even slower yesterday than our blog does today. So you all can start praying for them now because they need a much better effort tomorrow night to avoid blowing a 3-2 series lead for the second consecutive playoffs.

Meep

According to Urban Dictionary:

Meep - This is a word which is used when you are at lack of what to say or just wish to say something random. It's sure to make an impact.

Meep. That is all I have to say about the NBA Finals Game 6.

Are You Ready for This?

Banner #18!!! Get it ready!! Tip-off at 9 PM EDT!!

Latarian Milton Reflects Back On The Day He Stole His Grandma's Car

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Web Redemption - Hood Rat Extended Interview
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Web Redemption 2 Girls, 1 Cup Reaction Demi Moore Picture

"What did you get your mom? A dog who... tries to attack her while she's sleeping?"

Oh, Latarian. Still the hood rat he used to be. So many great lines in this one. Just when you think he's learned from his mistake and that he will stop doing "bad things," he implies that he has experience drinking liquor from a brown bag. Luckily he's not 7 anymore. So it's okay for him to do this kind of stuff I guess. Because he reminisces saying, "I was only 7," as if it was light years ago. Easy, Latarian. You're only 9 now. It was two years ago.

Fútbol Needs to Get Rid of This Stuff

Let's break down this play a little more closely.

0:07 - The Brazil player goes down. Rolls around on the ground, screaming in agony, holding his knee. Common knowledge would say he's either been shot with a sniper rifle from Section 341 or he has torn his ACL a la Wes Welker.

0:16 - Far side replay suggests that nobody even touched the Brazil player. Previous assumption is questioned, but nothing to confirm this theory yet.

0:22 - Near side replay confirms that the Brazil player was hardly touched and that his knee has suffered no type of unusual stress or impact.

0:27 - Play resumes. Injured Brazil player, amazingly, is able to continue playing despite the shattering blow he's received to the left knee.

I love the World Cup, but this is really, really, REALLY getting old. Stop making sport into drama.

Introducing FRS: Flop Ridiculously Supplement

I know, the audio is way off in this video. It isn't easy recording things by holding the webcam up to the television. Sometimes it gets messed up. But either way, if you youth basketball players are having trouble drawing calls by flopping, take some of Fisher's supplements he advertises here. They sure work for him!

Cage Fight Pick 'Em: El Guapo vs David Wells

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Battle of former Sox hurlers today. Rich Garces, a.k.a. "El Guapo" doing battle against David Wells. A heavyweight bout!

El Guapo: An absolute fan favorite in Boston. People loved this guy. I miss him. He brought the fire to the mound. Was always pumped up. And I know I would be scared to face him in the octagon. He's an animal. He can fight any style.

David Wells: Not as memorable in Boston per-say, but definitely a more acclaimed pitcher in MLB history. Most of his glory days came with other teams, such as the New York Yankees. He's a little more mellow then El Guapo. He'll look to bring the fight to the ground where El Guapo isn't as agile.

X-Factor: How much of a crazy lunatic will Garces fight like? That's the key. What El Guapo wants, El Guapo gets.

The Decision: El Guapo KO's big David Wells in the first round.

What do the fans think? Vote 1 for David Wells is too good tactically to lose to El Guapo. Vote 5 for El Guapo is El Guapo and doesn't lose to anyone.

Mankins Wants To Be Traded

You've probably already heard about it. It's all over the internet and news of the sports world this morning. Logan Mankins has said that he wants to be traded. No longer wants to be a Patriot. I know that we've seen this before with plenty of Patriots, and it hasn't caused problems. But I get a different feel about this one. According to ESPN's report of it, the Patriots offered Mankins around $7 million a year, which is about 20% lower than the league's highest paid offensive lineman (Evans, NO, $8 million / year). If Mankins really turned this down and said he deserves more, then I've lost a lot of respect for him. The offensive line hasn't been top notch since our undefeated season. We can never run the ball because our run blocking is God awful. And while Mankins is probably our best lineman and he may be worthy of a raise from the $3.26 million he's due this year, he's not worth being the top paid in the NFL. And, growing up through the Patriots' system, you would have thought guys like Logan would have adapted to the win-first mentality that sometimes means passing up slight improvements in salary to play for a winning program. Oh well, though. I guess Mankins has lost that edge from our Super Bowl drought. I still can't believe we haven't won it since the 2004 season.

Should The Vuvuzela Be Banned At The World Cup 2010: South Africa?

What is all the buzzing going on during the World Cup matches you might ask? Well, it is the vuvuzela. Urban Dictionary defines the vuvuzela as:

"An annoying trumpet-like instrument played by fans, mainly in African countries, in football matches. They may be banned from Fifa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.
Fan #1: Did you hear the fans go crazy when South Africa scored the goal yesterday?

Fan #2: No! I had to put my television on mute because of those damn vuvuzelas!"

Even before the start of World Cup 2010: South Africa the vuvuzela came up against intense criticism from FIFA. Before the beginning of the tournament FIFA had considered the idea of banning the vexatious vuvuzelas, but faced large opposition from the fans in South Africa. Supporters say that the horn adds to the experience of having the World Cup in South Africa. Many have criticized the horns for being too loud and quite frankly, find them to be quite annoying. The players have shown similar distaste for them, pointing out that they are unable to communicate effectively down on the pitch.

Yahoo! Sports - Martin Rogers - “It is impossible to communicate,” said Argentina’s Lionel Messi, the world’s best player. “It is like being deaf.”

Denmark's goalkeeper presented one idea on how to overcome the constant buzzing of the horn: sign language.

FIFA has been looking into this matter much more thoroughly and is working on a way to come up with a solution. FIFA has already taken action in the form of handing out ear plugs at the gates for fans.

Let us know what you think? Should FIFA do something about this or should players and fans just accept this as part of the experience of the World Cup being held in South Africa.

Rate 1 in favor of banning them or Rate 5 in favor of keeping them.

Woman Arrested for Dumping Mayo Into Book Return Box at Library

CBS  -  BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Police in Idaho think they might have solved a yearlong condiment crime spree. Authorities said a 74-year-old Boise woman arrested after pouring mayonnaise in the Ada County library's book drop box is a person of interest in at least 10 other condiment-related crimes.


Joy L. Cassidy was picked up Sunday at the library, moments after police say she pulled through the outside drive-through and dumped a jar of mayo in the box designated for reading materials.


Cassidy was released from jail and faces a misdemeanor charge of malicious injury to property.


Boise police say Cassidy is under investigation for other cases of vandalism that started in May 2009. Library employees have reported finding books in the drop box covered in corn syrup and ketchup.


I've said many times before. There are just some things about the world that are messed up, with no rhyme or reason. If anyone can prove me wrong and say there is any rhyme or reason to a crazy woman dumping condiments all over everything in a criminal fashion for a whole year, please do tell. Because this just makes negative sense to me. Why would someone have the desire to do this? All of a sudden, next thing you know, Little Johnny has a book report due and he needs Green Eggs & Ham and what happens? He can't get it, because Joy Cassidy turned it into Green Eggs & Ham Covered in Mayo. No room in the world for people like this. But what can you do, right? She's probably just a bitter Lakers fan.

Report: Tiger Fathered a Son With Mistress and Paid Her Millions to Keep Quiet

The Sun - TROUBLED TIGER WOODS fathered a secret love child, a new TV documentary claims this week.

A journalist who helped the golfer hide affairs says he knows someone who has full details of the girl - and DNA evidence.

Neal Boulton added: "There is a lot more to come out. Tiger will eventually admit to fathering a child."

Rumours about a love child have circulated since dad-of-two Tiger, 34, split from wife ELIN. Theresa Rogers reportedly gave birth to a girl in 2003 and demanded £2million for her silence.

The claims are in Channel 4's Tiger Woods: The Rise and Fall, on Thursday.

Man, oh man. Just when you thought that MAYBE the whole Tiger Woods thing was turning into water under the bridge, this comes out. Anyway, I was reading this article and I wasn't all that surprised. I mean, he'd been having affairs with plenty of different mistresses. But then I read the part where the kid was born in 2003? That was a curve ball. So he's been paying Theresa Rogers for the last 7 years? And the kid is going into second grade already? And the story has just broken now? That's the part that confuses me. Because I'm pretty sure the offspring of Tiger Woods would have every NCAA golf program recruiting him from the day he left the hospital. Maybe Theresa Rogers has decided it's time to start getting college offers for her little boy. As if she can't send him anywhere she wants with all the money Tiger's been dishing out. All in all, just a crazy twist that will now start another uproar of critics on Tiger's back. A part of me feels bad. Just let the guy live his life. He made a mistake (or a few) (or a ton). So what? Either way, Neal Boulton says Tiger will spill the beans soon. So just be ready.

Howard Expected to Play on Friday Despite Possible Broken Ribs

United States goalkeeper Tim Howard got spiked in the midsection challenging a crossed ball in Saturdays' World Cup opener. Howard was sprawled on the field for several minutes in pain before being helped to his feet. He stayed in the game, and provided the leadership and clutch stops needed to bring the US and England to a draw.

In medical evaluations since, there has been speculation that Howard may have broken multiple ribs in the collision. Officially, he's listed as having bruised ribs. Regardless of the exact diagnosis, Howard is expected to play -- fortunately -- for the Americans in Friday's match with Slovenia.

Slovenia leads Group C right now, albeit with a win over Algeria. Still, most would expect that the United States and England will be the two teams to advance from the group. You can be sure that the US will take nothing for granted, though; with a win, Slovenia would actually clinch a birth in the knockout round. That would not only put all of the pressure on the US to win their final match with Algeria, but it would most likely cause them to need some help from another squad, as well.

All things considered, match two of the pool play round is huge for the Americans. Call it a must-win, call it a can't-lose -- no matter how you break it down, the magnitude is staggering. And I think we can all be grateful that Tim Howard -- broken ribs or not -- will be between the pipes leading the red, white, and blue.