How bad to the NY Knickerbockers suck?...

The Celtics just STEAMROLLED, HAMMERED, BEOCH-SLAPPED, the Knicks: 104-59. That's so embarrassing there are no words to describe it.

The man they call...Johan

The BoSox are talking with the Twins about acquiring left-handed pitcher/stud Johan Santana. Anyone who knows baseball, knows this 29 year old guy is sick, filthy, dominant good.

I love what I'm hearing about what Theo is willing to give up, and more importantly, what he's NOT willing to give up: Everyone here in New England loves, adores, John Lester, the young, LHP we currently have who battled cancer for a year, only to make a triumphant comeback and get the win in the World Championship clincher. But, at best, he will only be a number 2 starter in my view. So, while I love the kids heart, the kid's cojones, he's expendable.

The other big-name pitcher talked about, Clay Buchholtz, threw a no-hitter and showed how dominant the young right-hander could be in every appearance he made in the majors. His hard 12-6 curveball is the type of pitch that major league hitters can know is coming, and will still get struck out on. In my book, while a young, semi-unproven pitcher, he is not touchable/available.

The young center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, who came up for a couple cups of coffee during the season (who had his first major league hit at the Fens with me in attendance), and became the starting center-fielder by the time the World Series wrapped up, is a solid player. Perhaps a star in the making. He has such speed/wheels he scored from second base on a passed ball at one point this year. While, he hit and got on base at the level we expected, it's fair to say he to is largely unproven. However, this organization has shown consistently the ability to evaluate their own position players in the minors. For example:

1. Hanley Ramirez, the highly-touted prospect who went to the Marlins in the Josh Beckett deal has become a young, stud, power-hitting, base-stealing shortstop.
2. Kevin Youkilis, played a minor role while getting some cups of coffee during the season and post-season in 2004. Now, he's a solid hitter with good pop, and an on-base machine. Oh yeah, and he's a gold glove first baseman.
3. Dustin Pedroia, the pint-sized second baseman. He won the Rookie of the Year award this year after starting a month hitting just over .100, ending up batting over .300, proving his discipline in the batters box by getting on base as well. Not to mention making some fantastic defensive plays all year. Oh yeah, and knocking in 10 RBI's during the playoffs with a cracked bone in his hand.

-So, Ellsbury is untouchable. The kid is electric.

The other principles (along with Lester) in this reported/proposed deal include: Crisp (the center-fielder who lost his job to Ellsbury). A minor league shortstop prospect who could be good, and another young starting pitcher.

I'm willing to deal one of Buchholtz, or Ellsbury to get the man they call: Johan. But, not both in the same deal. More importantly, however, I FLAT-OUT refuse to give Johan the deal that may be required to extend his contract.

Johan is reportedly asking for $20-$25 million per year and at least 6 years. No WAY. Pitchers can blow thier arm out at the drop of a hat. Johan is young, he'll be 29 starting next season, but you don't sign pitchers to that kind of a deal. EVER! The BoSox have won 2 Championships in 3 seasons. We don't NEED Santana. And if we hold onto Lester and Buchholtz, along with our current starting pitchers, we can still be THE team to beat for a good 5 years.

Theo will hold the line on the contract, as I believe this "deal" will be done or crushed into oblivion. My prediction: The MFY (Mother-Fucking Yankees) will cave into Minnesota and Johans' agent demands, and will sign Johan to a ridiculous deal, while giving up a ton of talent to get him. Which, I am more than okay with.

Today's Sunday Times

In today's NY Times, there's an article on the AIDS epidemic. Apparently, there is research/evidence suggesting that the epidemic has peaked. The numbers are starting to decline, and the massive group that had AIDS in the poorest countries have largely died off, making it harder for the epidemic to travel through human to human sexual contact.

This is seems to be a sure thing assuming all the things are done that should be done, in terms of prevention here. A recent resurgence in some cities in the country have experienced a rebound of AIDS cases due to people thinking the worst was over, and it was safe to go back to not using condoms and other protective methods, only to see a spike.

But, generally, the AIDS epidemic is essentially over. They make a good comparison to the bubonic plaque. How it swept across Europe, finally being subdued, and now while it still exists, and some 2,000 people still get the plaque every year, it is largely curable. We can only hope this is the beginning of the end for AIDS.

The BCS Sucks

Not much of a college fooseball fan. However, the BCS is a complete piece of shit.

There's approx. 20 bowl games in all I believe. And the people who run those whine saying they'll lose their moolah with a playoff system. I argue, they'd actually make more.

Take the top 8 teams in the nation or take the top 10, and give the top 2 a first round bye, and make it into a bowl tournament. With the bowl games actually meaning something other than a freakin moronic glass bowl or something, they will be more competitive and more interesting.

But, what about those other 15 bowls who don't get to play in the tournament?! Make an NIT-type tournament out of those, or you just let them play as is. They will continue to play meaningless games nonetheless. Nothing changes.

But, what about the 4-5 weeks you'd need to play the tournament?! Well, you make colleges start at a standard date, and each teams plays the same number of games. There's already an inequity with that issue anyway, as the Big Ten is the only major conference that doesn't make it's team play a conference championship game. Not to mention the numerous teams that load their schedules with cupcakes. I hate Notre Dame, but they generally play a real schedule, whereas my alma mater, Purdue, plays a good 1/2 their games against total cupcakes.

Not to mention the students already miss an assload of time for the basketball tournament, so blow me. There's no way a football tournament would take anymore time away from a rigorous leisurely studies class than the NCAA Basketball tournament already does.

END THE BCS. Bring on a playoff tournament.

Laughing makes me sick in this case

Watching the movie/documentary "No End In Sight," where they look at the decisions leading to the run-up to war in Iraq and the subsequent botching of the job...I became infuriated at one specific set of clips.

The director found many a clip, of Rumsfeld during press conferences, making jokes about the press coverage, while internally, the country was clearly dismantling into fucking chaos. That's bad, a defense secretary making fucking jokes ABOUT A WAR!

But, what's worst? All the ninny fuckwit reporters who proceeded to LAUGH at the jokes! The fuck was that shit??!! Reminds me of the video where Bush made jokes about the missing WMD, and the press corps laughing. That sickens me and is morally repugnant.

All the more reason the reporters MUST be separated from the President and the White House, and there MUST be a MANDATORY TELEVISED press conference every month for the President, and the networks should be FORCED to carry those in real-time. I'll allow an exemption for the month of the State of the Union airs. I'd also be willing to can the Presidential Radio Address that goes on every week, which no one in their right mind pays attention to as part of the exchange. This shit is RIDICULOUS.

Obama-Hill, Obama-Hill...hmmmm...

Well, the primary season is upon us now, and sooner rather than later we will be in full Presidential campaign year mode.

Obama has suddenly shown a resurgence in Iowa, beating Clinton in the polls of caucus goers.

In this election year (2008), it is imperative as I noted in a previous post that this Presidential election be won by a Democrat, ANY Democrat at this juncture.

A stagnant republican race is starting to show signs of molding into a somewhat serious challenge, meanwhile Obama and Hillary are trading body-blows.

The more I watch Obama, and hear from him, he reminds me of the newly-elected governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick. Even on the edge of the Commonwealth, I saw ads for Patrick that I loved. I adored. he spoke of hope, he spoke of working together, he spoke of doing politics and government differently. Lots of hope-typed messages. His theme, "Together We Can." I loved it, and I loved the guy for the campaign.

But, this is national politics, which as John Kerry and Max Cleland found out the hard way, it is cunning, and deadly...the ultimate bloodsport. The more I see of Obama, I see a John Kerry-like clone.

In a nation that didn't allow Harold Ford, Jr. to win the senate seat in Tennessee, I just don't see a soft African-American man winning a knock-down, drag-out presidential election. Sure, this looks like a gimme, but so didn't 2000, and 2004?

I like Obama, I don't want to see him destroyed. But, I still vote for Clinton to eventually, win this thing. I welcome a good Obama challege, to keep the Hillary machine honest and alert. But, no way does he have the chops to take on a good republican, and I can't help but smell some dead skeletons in the closet. Hillary's skeletons are already known. When given a choice, I prefer to deal with the devil we know as opposed to the devil we don't.

The Supreme Court MUST be won, Ginsberg is going down. Souter is old, and may be thinking of retiring. This MUST BE WON...AND NOW!

Mikey is back

Well, well, well...

After my post on the A-Rod phenomenon...what happens? A-Rod crawls back to the Yanks, giving the proverbial middle finger to Borass. And, Theo plays a bit of hardball, and Mikey Lowell caves a little.

A do say a little because despite the reported offer from Philly, the deal he got with the BoSox gave him a deal, that with some incentives built in (according, to some reports) could damn near reach the same amount as the 4 year deal Philly was offered...maybe about a $5 million difference. Which, while substantial, to normal people in real dollars, it's not a significant percentage when your making over $40 million over 3 years.

Glad to have you back Mikey. Really. I was girding my loins in preparation for the likelihood the Sox would go after A-Rod hard, and I didn't think you'd come back for less $$. Clearly, the Sox determined they've won 2 championships in 4 years WITHOUT A-Rod, why bother to chase the fucker.

Props to Theo again, for reading this market right, now if only JD Drew could live up to half his contract...

And, MAJOR SNARKS to the Yanks. I have ALL the respect for Mariano Rivera, but $45 million for 3 years at his old-ass age with that old arm? I'm floored, that's a heinous deal.

To A-Rod or not to A-Rod...

...that is THE question for this BoSox fan.

If you'd asked me a month or two ago, I would have said "NO WAY!". Even though the Sox hadn't win the World Series this year yet.

But, a bit of rationalization later, I'm reconsidering. There is something strange about A-Rod's personality. There's a story here in Boston from back when the Sox and Theo Epstein were trying to pry him away from Texas. At like 2 in the morning, some executive went up to talk to A-Rod in his hotel room unannounced, and when he knocked on A-Rod's door, he was dressed to the nine's. You'd think he would be chilling out in the hotel room, if not asleep. But, apparently he was dressed in a suit, and had his hair done and everything.

A-Rod seems to have his personal quirks, and at roughly $30 million per year, it'd be a shit load of money to eat. However, with Manny getting older and I think losing interest in baseball, the Sox have no young talent in the minors who have a power bat.

The other solid, long-term option at 3rd base out there, is Miguel Cabrera. However, Miguel would have to be traded for, which means the Sox would have to give up young, hot pitching. Moreover, despite his age being nearly a decade younger than A-Rod, he's gotten as fat as a mule. There seems to be an attitude and a behavior problem with this young 20 year old. Not to mention he's put up his great numbers in the national league, where the pitching is not as good.

With the dearth of power in the majors, and in the Sox minor's system, I am starting to think the Sox are really considering A-Rod, even at his extreme cost. I'm starting to believe they have to bite the bullet and sign him because he's the only available power bat that has a proven track record, and who has done it in the best pitching league.

I'd be okay with staying with World Series MVP and all-around class-guy Mike Lowell at 3rd, but I think A-Rod may just be the play to make here.

Curveball

While this is a baseball term, this post has nothing to do with baseball. Just moments ago, 60 Minutes ran a great story by Bob Simon about the man given the codename "Curveball" by the Germans.

The man known within the highest levels of the administration as "Curveball" was the source for the war as we know it and the source that gave rise to false claims about mobile labs of WMD in Iraq. Turns out the man was a sham, whom top US intelligence officials never interviewed or knew the real name of when they bought his scheme for the war.

"Curveball" was held in Germany captivity as a top secret source during the run-up to the war. After being outed as a complete fraud, and found to have lied to German officials simply to avoid being deported, where is "Curveball" now?

He's a free man within Germany it seems, while given a new name, a new identity. He got what he wanted, to stay in Germany, and he helped give credence to bogus WMD claims. Brilliant.

Belated Championship!!!!!!

THE BOSTON RED SOX - WORLD CHAMPIONS 2 times in the last 4 years!!!!!!!!! SUCK IT YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!