I Was Just Thinking...

• About the whole Bruce Jenner thing....I think he's finally being true to himself and possibly trying to use his celebrity to do some good. Great for him, but right now I can't help feeling bad for Kris Jenner. I know what you're thinking...she's a money monger who will do anything-including treating her husband like a dog on a TV camera for ratings-but I gotta think this whole "I'm really a woman" thing sorta rocked her calculated world. Sources say she knew from the beginning of their relationship, but he certainly put on a good show for many years. They had two children of their own and raised six kids together. 23 years is a heck of a long time to put on a show. I get it when she says "I have these memories of this life, and I feel sometimes like it doesn't exist." All I can say is I get it. When someone you think you know turns out to be someone you don't know at all, it literally shakes your entire foundation. I think the media has been unfair to her. What's she supposed to say, besides voicing her support?

• About A Rod hitting his 660 th career home run tying Willie Mays at Fenway Park a few days ago. It came amid boos-and virtually no fanfare. Not even a mention of the milestone on the outfield board-a screen notorious for broadcasting even the slightest minutia during a game. The Yankees have stated that they will NOT pay the contractual $6 million dollar bonus they agreed to when he reached this milestone before he was suspended for drugs. Is it fair? Is it right? Facts are what they are...Rodriguez tested positive for performance enhancing drugs a year ago and was suspended for the entirety of last season, leaving an asterisk on his name in the record books forever. This one may get ugly, as the players union says it will step in on behalf of ARod, but I think the Yankees have the upper hand here. ARod did the crime, now he's gotta do the time. ARod*

• About how I have been sick almost the entire month of April. I got one horrid cold right on top of another horrid cold. I'm thinking WTF? Then it dawns on me. Allergies? Yes, it very well could be allergies. I've never been bothered by allergies before but I'm thinking this is quite possibly the culprit. Allergies + stress = horrible combination.

• About how my favorite TV series, "Nurse Jackie" is back! Edie Falco is such a great actor, and the entire cast is phenomenal. This is Season 7 and I have yet to miss one episode!! Jackie has let her drug use ruin most of her life,  but the things that she does to stay relevant are horrible and dangerous, yet I can't stop watching this whole ride! With the beauty of On Demand, you can catch up with ever crazy, depraved thing that Jackie has done. I highly recommend it. 

• About how Spring has finally arrived! When I see that groundhog...I'm gonna ring his neck!

#DerekJeter

Derek Jeter is a class act.

I said it in a public forum as a true blue Red Sox Fan. And I meant it.

Derek Jeter, at the age of 40, is enjoying his swan song in the MLB which comes to an end this weekend. Since the Yankees nor the Red Sox will be vying for the post-season, it's somewhat romantic that Derek Jeter's last game as a major league baseball player will take place at Fenway Park. There has been so much hype surrounding the Jeter retirement that even Jeter is somewhat humbled by it. From the commercials, to the social media hashtag campaigns to his number on the sleeve of the Yankee's uniforms, it's hard to not get caught up in the whole Derek Jeter is a God thing. And I live in Red Sox nation.

I mean, he can't help it if he played for the wrong team his entire career, right?

So here's my dilemma:

I had a conversation with my BFF's about Jeter and the hype. One of them asked if we thought it was ok to wear a Derek Jeter shirt. Discussions ensued, and our conclusion was that yes, it's ok to wear a Derek Jeter shirt.
Just not in public.
Here in Boston.
Ever.
I might of even bought into all the hype and said yes when my friend inquired if I wanted a Derek Jeter t-shirt. (she lives in Manhattan)

So tonite that same BFF-who is a staunch Red Sox fan-who lives in NYC and is visiting me this weekend-is going to Yankee Stadium and texted me to ask what kind of Jeter shirt I want. All of a sudden, the thought makes me feel funny.

Like I can't do it.
Like how could I ever wear it?
Like ever?
Like this is so stupid.

So I have until 7pm tonite to make my decision.

Bloggers you have to help me., What should I do????
Comment here-or on Facebook-Instagram and visit the poll on my sidebar here and vote.

HELP!!!

BIG PAPI: (addressing the crowd at Fenway before the first game after the Marathon bombings) "This Is Our Fu*king City!"

YES! We bring home the bacon in a BIG way, at home!!
Congrats to the Sox and to the Nation for another World Championship!!

I'm sure you guys are sick of all the Red Sox hooplah around the Daily Dandy(unless you are a Boston fan), but I swear, this post is the BEST of all.

This was written by a Philadelphia sports blogger from the blog Crossing Broad on Oct 23, 2013, named Kyle Scott who had just about had enough...
Boston, that is. I love this so much! Much more than words will describe. Read it to the end as his hatred is palpable, and I caution: lots of f-bombs.
The post, is as follows, entitled:

  "Go Screw, Boston"/Kyle Scott

I’ve spent the past two hours trying to find something – literally anything – to write about. I came close to posting, in-full, a reader rant on Paul Holmgren, but it got incoherent towards the end and, well, I’m the only one who is allowed to be incoherent around here. So that was out. And there’s nothing else going on. What the hell are you supposed to write about when local teams have won three games IN THE PAST MONTH and any more posts about ex-Philly folks killing it would be trolling?

But then it hit me: Today is Boston day in the sports world. Yet again, Boston.

I love Boston as a city. If there’s one place I had to move, it’d probably be there. Big city stuff in a smaller package. Relatively clean. Beaches nearby. History. An indigenous community.

Great sports teams…

… all of whom can go fuck themselves.

Just in the last 10 years:

Patriots

Won Super Bowl in 2003

Won Super Bowl in 2004

Lost Super Bowl in 2007

Lost Super Bowl in 2011

Four Super Bowls in 10 years, and that’s not counting their Super Bowl win in 2001 and Super Bowl loss in 1996. 

Bruins

Won Stanley Cup in 2011

Lost Stanley Cup in 2013

Two of the last three Stanley Cup Finals.

Celtics

Won NBA Championship in 2008

Lost NBA Finals in 2010

Two Finals appearances, one win, and a thrilling seven-game series with the Heat in the past five years.

Red Sox

Won World Series in 2004

Won World Series in 2007

In World Series in 2013

86-year drought and then two World Series wins in three years, followed by another World Series appearance this year.

In the past 10 years, Boston teams have won six championships (each at least one) and participated in 11 Finals series. And that doesn’t count the several conference-league finals the Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox have played in and lost.

During that same timeframe, Philadelphia has seen four Finals series– 2004 Eagles (lost), 2008 Phillies (won– that’s still hard to write), 2009 Phillies (lost) and 2010 Flyers (lost). Nothing since, and no playoffs in what will wind up being close to two years, if not more. And, as you know, one championship in 30 years.

Every fucking six months a Boston team is either competing for a championship or in the semifinals. Like clockwork, the sports world always comes back to and centers on Boston, so we can all talk about their townspeople and beards. The Red Sox break an 86-year drought in epic fashion. Bill Belichick creates a mini dynasty, beats the Eagles along the way, and Tom Brady marries a supermodel. The Bruins win a seven-game Finals series with a 400-year-old goalie and then, two years later, get back there after a three-goal comeback in THE THIRD PERIOD of Game 7 of the first round. The Celtics assemble an unlikable Dream Team, win the title, and Kevin Garnett screams into a microphone. The Red Sox bottom out, bounce back, and, of course with their beards and pine tar, are right back in the World Series. THEY’RE ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF SHIT. And if it’s not winning, it’s drama. Aaron Hernandez. EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE RED SOX. Spygate. Beergate. Gronk’s existence. Doc Rivers and Bill Simmons. You name it, it probably happened in or involves someone from Boston.

Obviously, it’s hard to root against the Red Sox this year, as their World Series appearance comes on the heels of the Boston Bombing. They’re the sentimental favorite, and rightfully so. But fuck if their obnoxious beards and we’re not the Yankees shtick isn’t trying really hard to make that not the case. Hey, Mike Napoli– YOU LOOK LIKE AN ASSHOLE. Salt– Do they really fucking call you that? You’re an insanely mediocre baseball player. You can’t grow facial hair, Shane. Oh yeah, just for good, historic measure, let’s grand slam our way into the Series with a former Phillie hitting one, and Big Papi, who doesn’t age, hitting another, which produced an iconic photo with Boston’s finest throwing his fists in the air in a photo composed by God himself because he loves him some Irish Catholic Bostonians. Oh and now there’s a rainbow and a pot of gold over the fucking Monster? Fuck you all.

I hate sports right now.

Bring It Home Boys.

• The winter is coming. Fall has taken hold of this locale and dropped the cold air into the region like a crop duster spraying for mosquitoes. I've had to put the heat on! Time to break out the winter and  hooded coats we haven't seen since March cuz old man winter is settling down for his long Winter's nap and has grown a beard too. You think he's a Sox fan?

• We had some excellent rotisserie chicken take-out last night. The Modern Rotisserie is an upscale, gourmet take-out market in Newton, MA that we thought we'd try. The food was excellent! I got a breast and two sides; Mac and cheese (topped with Cheese-It's) and stuffing with gravy. Nothing says lovin like the cozy, delicious gourmet comfort food I had last night. Two thumbs, way up for some take-out !

• Frack is behaving! That boy has been feeling his "Senior-itis" for a few months now and he's quite possibly starting to reign it in. It's about time, too because he's been, shall we say, difficult. Frick was difficult too, but not like him. He's just stubborn. Are girls easier than boys? I'm not remembering her being too difficult. Selective memory, I think.

• I've started the Holiday shop. Now that everyone is older, the gift-buying is getting harder. Everyone has everything they need. I think a family trip is what's needed instead of a bunch of crapola that they don't need. Some team building in a warm destination is the best money spent for this family. 

And finally....

• We live to take the World Series home to Boston, where it belongs. Johnny Gomes...You be da MAN!!! Let's take it one game at a time secure in the knowledge we will see the World Series at Fenway again! Good luck tonite to the Sox and the Nation! Like it said in my Herald this morning: "sleep is overrated.".

I Blame It On Duck Dynasty

Have we, as Bostonian's and members of Red Sox Nation stumbled onto a new phenomenon? It's perplexing to say the least and kinda....

Sexy? 

Suddenly Carny Couture is here in Beantown and it's taken storm of the entire city. "Fear The Beard" can be heard as a resounding rally cry of fans alike and costume stores are joyously stocking up on novelty beards for the Fenway Faithful. But what I'm talking about today is different. Make no mistake there is nothing sexy about a person sporting a fake beard at a baseball game, but a playoff beard, a real burly man beard is another matter entirely. 

The tradition in professional sports of not shaving, thereby producing a playoff beard,  is certainly not something that the Red Sox can lay claim to. It's a time honored tradition/superstition amongst athletes and men everywhere. This year, the beard of Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli has inspired a facial fashion craze. Napoli has not shaved since Spring Training in March and has what one could call an enviable set of whiskers that could put him at the dinner table comfortably with Sy and the boys. And now my boys are getting into the groove.

My Guy, who is the most clean cut conservative man I know, answered my inquiry into his uncharacteristic five o'clock shadow with, "I'm not shaving until we win the World Series." But the funny thing was not that this was such a departure for him, the fascinating thing was that he was serious about it. My BFF and I texting during last nights game. She texted me:

"ps- Big said if the Red Sox win WS he will grow a beard!!! 10 years together and I've been trying to get him to grow a stache"

Facial hair beware! The Bearded Lady I'll never be, but if these residual beards will help us bring home another World Championship, then I'll live in what's beginning to resemble Duck Dynasty, Louisiana.

After all, the Duck Boats are gearing up for the Victory Parade. 

Overheard at Fenway Paahk Last Night.....

Sorry for the f-bomb. 

Friday's Forum

Happy Friday Bloggers!

So I can keep the focus on my beloved Red Sox this weekend, I thought I would have a forum of sorts to get your opinion on a subject that is way past it's expiry date, but features a hot chick and my Red Sox so it serves my purposes exactly. Around here this subject has been beat to death by sports radio and sports bloggers alike, so lets see what you think. 

This is Erin Andrews of ESPN interviewing Mike Napoli after Game 3 of the ALCS when he hit a game winning home run off Justin Verlander. Watch this :14 second clip and decide if she's got Bieber Fever or not. You may have to play it back a few times. 

Andrews tweeted after a fan asked:

Erin Andrews        ✔ @ErinAndrews

My lord..people are unreal RT @NDisch: “@pvdj: @ErinAndrews did you almost say Justin Bieber instead of Verlander in post game interview?”

8:04 PM - 15 Oct 2013

and one minute later tweeted:

Erin Andrews        ✔ @ErinAndrews

If u really think I have Bieber on my mind, then u are soooooo right #sarcasm

8:05 PM - 15 Oct 2013

Andrews denies the error and sports media types are saying she did it and is making it worse by denying it. She's being lambasted for the controversy.

I say, WHO CARES? I bet if Joe Buck did it the world would laugh it off and make a huge parody of it that would go viral on YouTube. But Erin will suffer quietly because in their eyes she doesn't belong there and "see?? She just proved it."

Tell me what you think in the comments section!
Have a great weekend and be careful what you say in mixed company, Bloggers.

Take Your Syringe And Go Home

So while I was in New York City this weekend, (sorry about missing blogging) all the talk was about The Roid Man. New York Yankees big third baseman, who is an even bigger problem, was handed a big suspension by MLB yesterday for failing mandatory drug tests. Rodriguez was suspended from baseball along with 12 other major and minor leaguers for testing positive for PED's and for their ties to Biogenesis of America, an anti-aging clinic in Florida a proven distributor of steroids to athletes. 

There is no question that in this day and age of professional sports, pro athletes abuse PED's to get ahead. The news papers are littered with stories about the down fall of sports heros everyday. So the question remains, is he a moron???

Did he not learn anything from former teammate Roger Clemens rediculous denial of proven PED use or the media circus that followed that debacle. The taint that follows the once invincible "Rocket Man" most definitely enters the room before Clemens does. And no matter how hard he tries, he will forever be dubbed a cheater. He can't shake it and he never will. 

So if A-Rod is indeed the moron we know he is, and he didn't get it with them, he's stil got McGuire, Sousa, Manny Ramirez and countless others all going down in history with and asterisk next to their name. The black mark of the MLB, an asterisk. Maybe the Roid man believes he is in good company. 

He was quoted last night as saying, "if I don't fight for my career, no one else will." 

Yes Alex, because there was NO ONE, not one in New York that was willing to defend you. The general consensus was, "take your lies and get lost." 

True blue Red Sox fan or not, I have to agree.

A Bunch Of Crap I Could Have Written Full Posts About But Didn't

• I fell asleep during the debates last night. What the hell is wrong with me? Shouldn't have had that second glass of wine;). Heard it was a sleeper anyway. Romney made Obama look like a little girly man and that was early on, from what I saw. What's your take on last night's debate? Did it change your vote?

• The Red Sox (I can't believe I'm going here) are done for the season. Stick the long awaited fork in them, FINALLY. You haven't heard much about them this season at The Daily Dandy, and there's good reason for that. They truly sucked. I don't think I have watched a full game since late July. The calls for Sox manager Bobby Valentine's head have been heard loud and clear, especially today. If I were him, I'd be looking for a quick way outta town. (if he hasn't left already)

• For all you dog lovers out there, check out this story: "Susie" a cute, white, female poodle mix, was hit by a car in Taunton, MA and immediately became wedged in the front grill of the car. The driver, unaware that he had struck a dog, continued driving for another 11 miles. He even crossed state lines into Rhode Island with Susie still stuck in the front grill. When the driver became aware that the dog was stuck, he drove to the nearest police station and the dog was immediately removed. Unbelievably, the dog sustained a concussion and  only minor injuries. Susie was recently reunited with her owner. I gotta ask, how do you not know that you've struck a dog with your car?

• I love this best of all....This is Carter, who uses a wheelchair. His dad made him this for Halloween:

Twitty Twitty Twat

Fool or genius? You be the judge.

Either way, Jose Canseco continues to make headlines. Former major leaguer and the man who blew the whistle on the steroid scandal that rocked Major League Baseball, Jose Canseco is back in the news.

This time it's for his Twitter prowess.

Canseco is gaining momentum in the Twitter-sphere for his ridiculous, over-the top and entertaining Twitter posts. Canseco boasts 468,000 followers and has said, "If I end it all, all you Twitter followers will be bored without me." Canseco, who was the 1988 American League MVP is causing quite a stir with his Twitter feed. Some posts have been highly publicized and embarrassing. This recent debacle with a Buzzfeed news reporter who disguised her identity and tried to meet Canseco for  a hook up, couldn't have been great for Canseco's PR. True to Canseco's form, he doesn't care.

"Everyone has embarrassing moments, " he said. "But I think once you put them out there it shows that you're human."

Canseco seems intent on making a comeback in more ways than one. On the ball field, he's just recently joined the Worcester Tornadoes and has started a write-in campaign on Twitter to get himself to play in this year's All Star game. Then there's the reality show route. Canseco had bombed famously on "Celebrity Apprentice" and "The Surreal Life" and his ex wife, Jessica Canseco is set to be in the VH1 reality show, "Hollywood Exes". Canseco, says for now he's focusing on his game. He knows this is his swan song. "No body's making a million dollars or getting rich off this. I do it because I enjoy playing."

OK dude, whatever.

Bill Buckner......Superstar?

There was a time long ago when that photo and the words beneath it rang truer than the Liberty Bell.

Today, I'm not so sure anymore.

Believe it or not, Buckner's got his swagger back. Really. It's true. Seemed before 2004, Bill Buckner was doomed to a life of chastisement from The Nation. The Red Sox Nation, that is, and just like the character Ray Finkel in the movie "Ace Ventura Pet Dectective" , Buckner cold have gone down the wrong path into a life of crime. Fortunately for all of us, The Curse was reversed, we won the title, we embarrassed the Evil Empire and then we did it again 3 years later. Suddenly, Buckner's bauble between the legs heard round the world was silent and Billy wasn't such a bad guy after all.

Buckner groomed his manstache, cut his salt and pepper hair and got a job in the game that he had turned his back on. The Brockton Rox, a local minor league team in the CanAm league, hired Buckner in early 2011 as the team manager and he recently coached them into the CanAm League Playoffs (which begin tonite).

Then as the saying goes, "Hollywood came calling". It would now seem that the one thing Bill Buckner lived decades trying to forget, is now the one thing that Bill Buckner can cash in on. Buckner just wrapped up a guest stint as himself on HBO and Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and word has it he hit it out of the park.

A mini SPOILER ALERT here: Larry Meets Buckner at a baseball memorabilia convention where he buys a Mookie Wilson ball as a gift for his agent/manager buddy Jeff Greene. The rest of the plot seems pretty self explanatory and pretty hilarious any time Larry David is involved.

"I thought he did really good," Baseball die hard fan Dennis Frawley said of Buckner after he screened the episode at a bar. “He was laughing the whole time and had a big smile on his face, and we gave him a standing ovation at the end.”

A standing ovation for Bill Buckner. In the city of Boston? Imagine that.

I guess we no longer need to imagine it because it's been happening quite a bit lately. In 2009 Buckner returned to America's most beloved ball park, Fenway Park, to toss out the ceremonial first pitch, a job usually reserved for dignitaries, and celebrities alike. It was a poignant moment, one that brought some much needed closure to Buckner and the fans. The local news stations led with the story as their top news of the night. The Fenway Faithful awarded him with a standing ovation that night and even the hardest of men wiped a tear or two from their eyes. The Nation let Billy know he has been forgiven, and that he's still one of our own.

Bill Buckner....Superstar?

Who knew?

Buy Me Some Peanuts And An $80 Hot Dog

No kidding. This is what an $80 hot dog looks like.

The Brockton Rox, a Massachusetts based Can-Am league baseball team, broke the Guinness Book World Record on Saturday when they unveiled and sold this $80 dollar hot dog at their ball park. Holy heartburn.

The "K-O Dog", named for the Rox mascot, is a foot long, half pound of beef, smothered in truffle oil, rolled in prochini mushroom dust, sprinkled with white truffle shavings, then topped with creme fraiche, caviar and roe. I bet that $6.00 dog at Fenway isn't looking too ridiculous now, is it?

The promotion is the brain child of Rox executive chef Ben Glanz and the Brockton Rox are attempting to put their team on the map with the record breaking offering. The previous record for the most expensive hot dog was held by Serendipity 3 in New York that sold a hot dog at $69.00.

The team, which may now be known for selling the most expensive hot dog in the world, has another claim to fame. Their minor league players, a group of virtual unknowns, are managed by one of baseball's most infamous. Former Red Sox first baseman, Bill Buckner, who will forever be known as "the ball through he legs guy", is the Rox manager.

Let's hope they have better luck selling the pricey dog and winning games than Buckner had in 1986.

What Curse?

We are the lucky ones.

An entire Nation of lucky ones who stared in the face of a legendary curse, believed in a bunch of idiots and thumbed our nose at it. It took us 86 years, but we are the lucky ones who will live to tell the story of the Reversed Curse. Today it is the stuff of legends, but there was a time not too long ago when we hung our heads, cloaked in this so called curse.

It was 1918 when The Babe was a member of our team and the last time the Cubs and the Red Sox played a game at Fenway. 93 years ago and the Cubs have yet to win a championship since then. Maybe this weekend the Cubs will take home something more than the thrill of inter league play from Fenway. Maybe the storied grounds of America's most beloved ball park, Fenway, will be the magic Buddha whose belly the Cubs can rub.

I will be a lucky one again, for I will be there to witness it. Then maybe I can tell the grand kids about how Fenway is a magical baseball ground. About how traveling to play on a field 93 years later transformed a team and wiped out another curse.

Maybe.

But maybe not. If I know anything about Fenway, it's that it only has magic for it's own team.

And an entire Nation.

Now Ain't That Some Sh*t

0-4?? What's this sh*t? Should we hit the panic button?

Firmly sitting in last place in the AL East is not where the projected winner of the World Series should be. That visual this morning made me slightly sick. I read this quote today in the Boston Herald, "No team that started 0-4 has ever won a World Series." But we're not talking about any ordinary 0-4 team. This is the "fully loaded" 2011 Boston Red Sox, and everybody knows that when you count them out, they make you look silly.

Now that's a bold statement coming from a bold Sox fan, and after last night it's more than questionable.

But let's add a dash of reality and not get crazy here because our boys have yet to touch the green grass of their beloved Fenway this season. We've got some time, and looky here, we've got the home opener this Friday which begins a three day home stand with the Evil Empire. Nothing more rejuvenating than a series win over those Damn Yankees.

Then we host Tampa Bay, who last time I checked were dancing at the bottom of the standings with the Sox. So if we do a little simple math here, the Sox have seven games ahead; two more with Cleveland, three with New York and a couple with Tampa. If they take 5 out of the seven against those teams, (which is totally possible) my standing visual becomes much more palpable. Yes? And if they don't we best be hiding the cutlery, just saying.

"We need some kind of spark right now," said newly acquired free agent Carl Crawford after last night's game. A spark? After four games on a brandy new, high hopes season? I hate to break it to you pal but it looks like "we" need a fricken propane tank to light a fire under this team because nobody here likes loosing streaks.

And what if they get their baseball swagger on and win the next seven games? Then we would be in the same place. Yup, we would then be able to comfortably say, "Now ain't that some sh*t!" Here's to hoping for that.

New York State Of Mind

I may get kicked out of The Nation for this and my membership revoked forever, but today I will remember one of baseball's legends.

Love him or hate him, George Steinbrenner was the New York Yankees. George Steinbrenner is the New York Yankees. The Boss will always be synonymous with the pinstripes. And all he cared about was winning.

"Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next. "

Word is that Steinbrenner was the lead partner of an ownership group who bought the struggling New York Yankees from CBS for $8.8 million in 1973. His investment? Less than a million. In the 37 years that followed, The Boss turned the organization into one that he recently passed on to his sons worth over $1 billion.

So how did he manage to do that? Steinbrenner was tough, controversial, pushy, outrageous and passionate about his team, and he lived to win. George saw his team win 11 pennants and 7 world titles, most recently in the last year of his life. He was even banned from baseball for life in 1990 only to be reinstated three years later. The Boss made it clear: you played his way or you took the highway and his way was winning, plain and simple. During the Steinbrenner years he fired managers 21 times and changed general managers more that half of that, because The Boss played by his own rules and because he could.

"Owning the Yankees is like owning the Mona Lisa."

He made baseball his business and he earned a handsome profit for that business. He turned the New York Yankees into one of the most valuable baseball franchises ever. He was loved, hated, loved again, and hated again but all the while respected. He did things for charity, and would surprise people with his acts of kindness. Word is that when Jon Lester was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, a large arrangement of flowers were sent from the only team to acknowledge his battle, the New York Yankees. Insiders say it was a direct order from The Boss.

When I heard the news of his passing, I felt a sadness in my heart. That same heart that bleeds red and blue for my beloved Red Sox. To us, he was Darth Vader Steinbrenner. The imperious leader of the Evil Empire, and Sox fans may never live to hate another owner with such a fervor.

"I will never have a heart attack. I give them."

Somewhere up there today, we know that God must be wearing pinstripes.

6 Reasons Why We Are Way So Much Cooler In General

So RW wrote a post the other day about why his Chicago White Sox are "much cooler than you". In that post he called myself and BE Earl out for being the most passionate fans on the planet, who are engaged in the greatest sports rivalry of all time. HA! Kids these days...

Earlsie then took to the sphere with his rendition of why the Evil Empire strives to be cooler, and being a bleeding red, white and blue Sox fan I had to follow suit. So fellas, step aside. It's time for the real "show" to start. (see what I did there? little baseball euphemism...)

#1. We are the Cubs Daddy: Just ask Pedro Martinez, cuz he coined the phrase. The Cubs are nothing more than a poor man's Red Sox. As I stated on RW's blog, we left those losers in the dust in 2004 and fact is fact. There is no more "wait until next year" because we turned around and did it again in 2007, proving that Cubbie's and every other poser, we be your daddy! Dare I say it, sometimes, (and I mean SOMETIMES) I kind of miss that underdog, loser team that we used to be. At least when we lost we could all agree to how bad we sucked. In that we were unified. But taking a look at our 2 shiny and spankin' new World Series trophies this decade puts all those feelings of inferiority to rest. History baby. We made history.



#2. You can be Bad Ass, I'll take the Idiots any day: Lovable idiots. They are the ones who brought us home the hardware. They had long hair, beards, cheeks stuffed with chew and baggy pants and they didn't care. And neither did we. We loved them as long as they were winning. And win they did. They took the Nation on a ride one October in 2004 that we will NEVER forget. Grown men cried and women who cared nothing about sports were suddenly spewing *Pedro* pitching stats like Jerry Remy. Grubby dirtbags who shocked the world and Reversed a Curse, making the stuff of legends.


Heroics, sacrifice, determination and drive are what those idiots coughed up and when the end of the ALCS championship was over, this Nation had really won the World Series. The Cardinals were just a technicality. Major League Choke makes Major League history. Those bloody sox are seated at the right hand of the Hall of Fame.


#3. Sweet Caroline: It's actually very cool that the Na-na-na-na chant heard 'round the world originated in Cominsky, but we invented a true blue Fenway tradition. No other ballpark in the world delays the play of game in the seventh inning so that it's fans can sing Neil Diamond's classic, "Sweet Caroline". It's ours and ours alone. We may look and sound like idiot's, but we don't care. No self respecting Red Sox fan would dare leave a game before "Sweet Caroline". (unless we were being brutally spanked) It's so good, so good, so good! Also, I believe Jordan's Furniture, a local furniture company was the first ever to run a promotion before the start of the 2007 season:

"As a promotion in 2007, Jordan's offered full rebates on certain pieces of furniture bought between March 7 and April 16 - provided the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. The store took out an insurance policy for approximately twenty million US dollars. Since the Red Sox did win the World Series, Jordan's Furniture gave an estimated 30,000 qualified orders away for free."

#4. Disco may suck, but Fenway believes, "Long Live Rock": The Boss, The Stones, The Police, Neil Diamond, Buffet, and McCartney are just a few of the Rock and Roll legends to have performed on the fields of "America's most beloved ballpark" to an adoring nation. This summer our very own Bad Boys of Rock & Roll Aerosmith, will perform and I will be front and center. The Stones concert was so mammoth, that rumor had it almost destroyed left field irreparably. The Winter Classic played at Fenway this year?? Poetic and beautiful. It brought a tear to a sports fan's eye.









#5. Harry God Damn Frazee, sucker: The bastard owner of the Red Sox who sold Ruth to the Yankees in 1919 and kicked off The Curse. All for a skirt and a Broadway show called, "No, No Nanette". Before then, the Red Sox were one of the most successful baseball teams in the majors, winning the first World Series and five more since the first. That all came to a halting stop after The Babe was sent packing. The rest is 86 year history. Bastard.






And Number 6???: This is The Nation.

It's not pretty, but we own it. It's the only place in the world where sitting down with your kids to have "the talk" means talking and teaching "Yankees smack-talk".

Any questions?

*this has been edited for accuracy*

A Nation Comes Alive

Like a fish to water and a bee to honey, The Nation came to life last night as we welcomed our boys of summer back. The plush green fields of Fenway opened it's doors to the first game of it's business at hand, and the proverbial blood began to pump through every Red Sox fan throughout. It was electric, and even if you weren't a true fan, you stopped for a moment to marvel at the hometown team as they took center stage.

In a surprising maneuver, Pedro Martinez, wearing of all things, his old number 45 Red Sox jersey, came from behind an enormous American flag to hurl out the ceremonial first pitch to Jason Veritek. Just like the old days. Pedro was "our daddy" and the crowd went nuts and began chanting "Pedro, Pedro, Pedro..." There might not have been a dry eye in the house as he embraced Red Sox favorite Johnny Pesky.

Josh Beckett got the nod against our arch rival nemesis, the returning World Series Champions, Evil Empire New York Yankees and about two seconds after the first pitch, it felt as if they never left us for winter. Beckett was hit hard in the first few innings, and I have to admit I went to bed with the Sox trailing 5-1 early, thinking this was going to be a long year.

I should have known better than that.
I should have known that our boys had some pixie dust left over from 2007.
Because I woke up to find that my team had done it, yet again.

They beat the Evil Empire 9-7 and I couldn't get to the TV quick enough to see what I had missed. Pedrioa, Youklis, and a few new faces scraped and clawed their way up and out of the loss and brought us a victory. I even forgave Papelbon for his monumental, season-ending choke last year, and I was glad to see he closed it out for the win.

Ah, Sox baseball is back, and I couldn't be happier. Today we have a better record than the Yankees in the AL East and right at this moment, all is as it should be.

Dream A Little Dream For Me

I believe that sometimes the universe is trying to tell you something. It's whether or not you pick up on it, that sets you on the path of that particular destination. Sometimes the cues are subtle and sometimes, not so much.

Today, not so much. The cues were more of the "in your face type" so I couldn't help but pick them up. Funny, long shots have a way of reaching inside of you and grabbing a hold of your safety zone and then they hammer away at you until you tuck them back away, under lock and key.

But I've been here before. This ain't my first time at this particular rodeo I'm older and smarter this time. I call it realistic, really. I was having a conversation about my other passion with a friend of mine, via-email, just yesterday. It got me thinking about the good old days and when the conversation ended, so did the memories. Locked away back in the saftey of my heart.

Until this morning when I opened my email to find a few of my friends had sent me this link.

Subtle? No. Ironic. Yes. And maybe that's just what it is. Irony.

I know I'm too old, but just for today, I'll allow myself to dream about what could be.......

C.P. Casting is seeking a FEMALE, ON-AIR REPORTER from BOSTON with excellent knowledge of the RED SOX -- for a job with NESN to work live and in recorded segments during ALL of the home AND away Red Sox games.

They want a REAL Bostonian who is fun, gutsy, and able to improvise well, on-camera with sports fans at Red Sox games.

This is a large time commitment, working at the home games, AND traveling for many weeks to away games. This is paid work, and all travel expenses will be paid.

Women who have the time, the on-air experience, the improv. skills, the knowledge of the Red Sox, and who grew up here in Boston should reply ASAP!

Strange Yet Sentimental

So, I'm at work yesterday, in my store that caters to women, and the ladies I work with are all talking about how Nomar Garciaparra has just re-signed with the Red Sox. Since I have been blessed with an extra Y chromosome, my male sports dominance gene kicked right in, as is such in these situations.

"Did I just hear you say that the Red Sox signed Nomar today?", I asked incredulously, with even a slight chuckle.

"Yes. Didn't you hear?"

"Ah no, I didn't, " I said. And in my most condescending voice I said, "And I think you may have gotten the story wrong, honey. The Sox would never re-sign Nomar today."

Again, I chuckled. Chicks, I thought and I walked away giggling and shaking my head. I couldn't get to my computer fast enough to Google that one. I was shocked to find that they were right, sort of.

Breaking news out of Fort Meyers yesterday was indeed, that the Boston Red Sox had re-signed fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra.

"Nomar Garciaparra ended his MLB career where it began; with the Boston Red Sox. As one of the most beloved Sox in recent history, his desire to return to Boston to finish his career was granted earlier today when he signed a one-day minor league contract with the Red Sox and then announced his retirement from baseball as a member of the team he has always missed. He will transition to the broadcast booth as a member of the EPSN “Baseball Tonight” crew as well as an occasional game analyst."

Strange.

It is more than a well know fact that baseball is first a business, played by tough guys and tougher agents, it is law. The Major Leagues is not a game for the physically or mentally weak. It's either kill or be killed and that's why Scott Boras shark-types and self-centered machines like Manny dominate. It's a game that has been described as the game of "Money Ball". But this?

This is somewhat...strange but sentimental. And I'm not quite sure I get it. Yet, there they were, the Sox power that be, Lucchino and Theo, sitting next to Nomar, smiling. I guess in someways it is good for the game. Fans of Nomar's got their happy ending and so did Garciaparra, but it all seemed so contrived.

And for what? His happiness?

I doubt it. I think it has more to do with good press and PR for the team and keeping Nomar in the system. Call me a cynic, but I think the team might have learned a thing or two in the past few years about pissing off former players in hasty trades and not making good on them. It's as if they're not taking any chances.

Let's call it the insurance needed to guarantee that we go another 86 years curse-free.

Our Golden Boy No-mar

When the news was announced, the shock waves left a deafening silence throughout the nation. Children cried and grown men questioned what was real in the game they loved so much, shaking their heads in disbelief. We grieved as if he had passed, his name on the lips of everyone that July 31, 2004. He was our face of hope, the only bright spot in those dark, cursed days at Fenway and as much a part of the historied baseball legacy of his team as the uniform he put on every day he was here. Then, in an instant, he was gone.

A bold move for an unknown, young, general manager still cutting his teeth on a team that is adored by a nation. Theo Epstein instantly became an enigma with some serious balls for trading away the franchise for Single A outfield prospect Matt Murton and two former Gold Glovers, shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Montreal Expos and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins. There are those who believe that move was the main reason the Red Sox went on to win their first World Series title in 86 years. The same people who cried were once again cheering, and Epstien became our new hero.

Nomar Garciaparra was shipped off to Chicago in the midst of what some experts called a possible "Hall of Fame" career. Last night Nomar returned to Fenway, his first time since he was traded, playing for his third team in five years in a career that has been riddled with injury and disappointment. He told the press last night at a pregame press conference, "When I got traded, I was on the road and never got to say 'thank you'," he said. Last night, at his first at-bat at Fenway, he got his wish.

The Boston Herald's Ron Borges explained the extraordinary emotional moment last night at the plate. "Garciaparra waved his Oakland A's batting helmet and the roar grew louder. he turned from side to side, acknowledging each part of the park with a wave. The roar increased. Then, his head bowed from the emotion of what he was receiving, he turned and patted his heart and then clapped back."

Nomar got what he so rightly deserved. The love of and admiration of an undying nation, who were grateful for what he gave when he played here. Even though Nomar plays for another team, the faithful at Fenway let him know, last night, that he will always be a Red Sox and that we love him like our own. He let us know that he loves us right back. It was one of those special moments that will live on in the hearts of Red Sox fans and in the highlight reel of Mr. Garciaparra's career.

Thanks Nomar. We love you too.