nba musings

So, the Celtics season ended just in time for me to witness Manny Ramirez’s triumphant return to Fenway. I was SO eager to see another Los Angeles team come skipping into town, let me tell you. I am the first to admit that I have major mixed feelings when it comes to Manny (like much of Red Sox nation). But, the mixed feelings would have to classified as 80% negative, 20% positive. Had I been at Fenway, I would have booed, no question about it. ESPN of course, was all over this story like Rachel Nichols on Brett Favre’s doorstep. Will the Red Sox fans cheer or boo? How will Manny be received? Will Manny be Manny?

From the moment the topic came up at the beginning of the weekend, I kept hearing (on the radio) or reading (on Twitter) that “real” fans can’t boo Manny and still claim the 2004 and 2007 championships. Um, huh? Really? What does one thing have to do with the other? I have to excuse his shiteous spoiled bratty dumbass behavior because he — oh I don’t know — DID HIS JOB in 2004 and 2007? Fuck that. That’s like saying it’s ok for my boyfriend to slap around now, if years ago, he bought me a mansion and a convertible. I don’t think winning past championships should buy anyone an “I can be an asshole” card. I agree that Red Sox management was partly to blame for Manny getting away with being Manny for so many years, but I’m not going to say they’re more to blame than he is. Somewhere along the line, he had a choice to make about whether he was going to be an arrogant spoiled prick or not and chose to be one. I’m not going to pretend it didn’t happen.

The emperor is naked. Boooooooooooooooooo!

Dear famous people,

Nobody gives a rat’s ass if you quit Twitter. While we’re on the subject, stop deleting your Twitter and then changing your mind and creating a new one. That’s stupid. Assuming anyone cares about you enough to follow you twice, it’s still an extra step that you shouldn’t force your fans to take. If you say something on Twitter that makes you sound like a nitwit, just realize that you can never get it back. You must live with it being “out there” like all the times you drunk dialed celebrities more famous than you from Paris Hilton’s Sidekick. If you do decide to leave though, just go away quietly. Don’t put out a press release or in any way advertise your departure… and for the motherfreakin love of James Posey and all that is holy, don’t produce a rap video about it.

No, I wasn’t following Miley Cyrus on Twitter because I’m not 12 years old. But, her stupid “Here’s why I quit Twitter” YouTube rap video did inspire this post.

Oh, you think I’m just lecturing celebrities about their Twitter habits to avoid discussing the double tragedy that took place last Sunday? Ok fine, you would be right.

R.I.P. 2009 Red Sox season.

Patriots still have a chance to get their shit together though. Come on, Tom Brady. Chop chop mister!

Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out (and take all those horrid penny puns with you!)
* The Associated Press is reporting that Tim Wakefield will take over Brad Penny’s spot in the Red Sox rotation starting Wednesday night against the Chicago White Sox. Penny upchucked last night’s game against the New York Yankees in grand fashion, which was the icing on the cake of a really putrid tenure for him with the team. I really don’t see how the Smoltz/Penny 2009 era could be viewed as anything less than an unmitigated disaster. With both of them finally out of the picture, maybe the Red Sox have a chance to get back on track. When I think back on Penny’s time here, even more than the horror show that was last night’s loss to Satan’s baseball team, I will remember this gem of a conversation I had with my mother about him early in the season: 

Mom: Where the hell did this Henny Penny come from?
Me: I don’t know. Last I remember, he was pitching for some California team and dating Alyssa Milano.
Mom: That doesn’t narrow it down.

Ha. When you’re right, you’re right.

Adios, Brad. I hope.

He said, she said
* Out of the corner of my ear last night while I was playing another rousing round of Cake Mania 2 on the computer, I heard the following coming out of my television set: “Rick Pitino has admitted to having sex with the woman in a restaurant and paying for her abortion.” Wow. Now that my friends, is class. Before you come down too hard on poor Rick, just remember that, “All the negativity that’s in this town sucks!” More on this sordid tale can be gleaned here: Boston Globe: Pitino had liaison and paid for abortion

Sounds like an episode of The Hills…
* This story has been baking a few days, but apparently Reggie Miller and Diana Von Furstenberg’s son, Alex are having some sort of public tiff over a babe. News and gossip sites report that Von Furstenberg hired a sky writer to call out Miller for texting his fiance. The banner read, “Reggie Miller stop pursuing married women.” A sky writer? Really? That’s so archaic. Everyone knows the only modern way to get back at someone flirting with your girl is to open a faux Twitter account impersonating them and then write things like, “I flrt w/other ppls chix cuz im a d-bag. Whuts gud?” So come on Alex, crawl out of the 16th century and get with the times. More on this soap opera: TMZ: Reggie Miller — I’m No Homewrecker, Just a Flirt

The ghost of old man Zimmer
* I didn’t watch last night’s Red Sox/Tigers game, but I knew something happened when I briefly perused my Twitter stream and people were squawking about Youk getting ejected. Then this morning, the radio honks were making fun of him, so I had to check it out for myself on YouTube. Upon watching it, I immediately had flashbacks of Pedro “gently guiding” Don Zimmer to the turf back in the good ole days. Aw, now those were some seriously good times. In this case though, come on now Youk… you’re three times that kid’s size, you look like the Incredible Hulk and you’ll be getting suspended anyway, you couldn’t have just laid him out? Tsk tsk tsk.

ps. It’s official. Leon has joined the Cavs. I will not belabor this any longer with yet another whiny post. Farewell, my love…

So, what you’re really saying is that I’m going to have to listen to diaper and pacifer jokes for another two years?
*  Ah well, I guess he’s worth it. Welcome back to beantown, BBD.

The Boston Globe reports:

The Celtics are expected to announce the signing of free agent forward Glen Davis to a contract, and have scheduled a press conference for 11:30 a.m. Monday.

Davis, a restricted free agent, agreed to a two-year contract during weekend negotiations.

What else is new?
* The Red Sox choked up a 4-game series to Satan’s spawn. I had no idea I was following so many damn Yankees fans on Twitter until this weekend. Most of them are pretty cool which makes it that much worse. Rotten bastards.  My mom tried to tell me the Sox were starting to suck about a month ago and I called her chicken little and told her to chill out. I hate it when she’s right! I blame Dice-K. No wait, J.D. Drew… Unless no – it’s Papi’s fault or that damn Bucholtz, no it’s… oh blah. 

Back like a bad penny
* Ben Wallace is returning to the Detroit Pistons for the veteran’s minimum. BDL’s Kelly Dwyer breaks it down…

Ok, I’m not gonna lie. I always cringed a little bit when balls were hit in Julio Lugo’s direction. On some days, perhaps after a beer or two, I even cursed his name and shook my fist at the television. My mom and I often lamented about what a shitty shortstop he was. She liked to remind me of an interview he did after the Red Sox won the 2007 world series, when according to her, he said, “This makes me the best shortstop in baseball!” She’d say, “Best shortstop, my ass!”

Fast forward to yesterday when she was watching NESN and they announced Julio Lugo was being designated for assignment and she heard some of these comments from Theo Epstein:

“A sunk cost is a sunk cost. We’re sorry it didn’t work out better with Julio, obviously. But keeping him on the team wasn’t going to change that. Sometimes the best organizations admit their mistakes and they move on. And that’s what we’re doing here.

“This was one of the free agent signings that doesn’t work out. We were paying for past performance, not current performance. That’s the true definition of a mistake, and, as the decision-maker, that’s on me. We’ll just move on and be a better organization having gone through it, and we’ll make better decisions going forward.’’

Ouch.

I walk into the room and she says, “Can you believe they’re treating Julio this way? That is just downright awful!” I had to laugh at her changing her tune on a dime like that, but ultimately I have to agree with her. Did he work out the way the organization and fans expected? No, obviously not. But, I’m pretty sure he was trying and ultimately, I would rather have a guy try hard and suck, than act like a dumbass like Manny and succeed. Mmmm, that doesn’t sound right does it? Well, can’t we just have a happy medium? Oh well, either way, I think once you kick a guy off the team and run him out of town, it really isn’t necessary to flip the duck boat in reverse and back up over his carcass a few times. A little harsh Theo. A little harsh.

Related news:

• Boston.com: Seeing error of ways, Sox designate Lugo
• MLB.com: Lugo does not make trip to Toronto

Beckett’s suspension down to 5 games

 Excerpt from ESPN.com:

Josh Beckett’s suspension was reduced from six games to five on Sunday, allowing the Boston Red Sox ace to take his next turn in the rotation.

Beckett threw a pitch near the head of the Los Angeles Angels’ Bobby Abreu last Sunday, leading to both dugouts and bullpens emptying. The right-hander was suspended on Tuesday and immediately appealed the ruling.

With the Red Sox off Thursday, the new penalty allows Beckett to switch spots with Jon Lester and start Saturday. Lester is now scheduled to start the series opener against the New York Yankees on Friday.

Ainge told not to watch Celtics

 Excerpt from ESPN.com:

 Celtics GM Danny Ainge was released from Massachusetts Hospital on Sunday, two days after suffering a minor heart attack and having arterial surgery, the Boston Herald reported.

Ainge will not likely attend Game 2 of the Celtics series against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, the Herald reported. Doctors had advised Ainge not to watch the game.

I’m serious. We’re mean. We’ll decapitate and disembowel a mutha.

> ‘Shocked’ Beckett will appeal suspension
Sox pitcher Josh Beckett has been suspended for six games and fined by MLB, which determined he intentionally threw a pitch near the head of the Angels’ Bobby Abreu on Sunday. (Excerpt from boston.com)

> Ray Allen suspended tonight
Celtics guard Ray Allen has been suspended one game without pay for elbowing Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao in the groin, it was announced today. (Excerpt from boston.com)

> Donny Marshall on Celtics Pregame Live: “I really think Ray should’ve got him a little bit harder if you’re going to get suspended. I’ll have to talk to Ray about that later. You’ve got to make it really count.”

More Celtics news in the blogosphere:

• CelticsBlog: KG Will Be Ready, I Think, Maybe
• Red’s Army: Ray Allen Suspended Tonight
• Celtics 17: Allen Suspended… Just For a Game Though
• CSNNE Celtics Blog: A Useful Refresher Course on P.J. Brown

Is there really anything better than opening day at Fenway? How about those Red Sox, huh? Looking damn good right out of the gate. Especially the assassin on the mound, Josh Beckett.

Beckett’s fastball, from the first inning to the seventh, hummed in the mid-90s, topping out at 96 miles per hour, a velocity he reached on his first pitch. He sprinkled in the changeup that he honed during spring training and buckled Rays batters with his curveball.

Of all the ways to measure Beckett’s dominance, the best might be this: He did not allow a hit from the windup. Against the 18 batters he faced with no one on base, Beckett struck out nine and walked two. (Excerpt from: Beckett comeback gets off to a great start, 4/8/09 Boston Globe)

Oh and by the way.

Josh Beckett > C.C. Sabathia

Disclaimer: This is a frivilous post that is meant to distract from the earth-shatteringly awful news today about KG sitting out another big chunk of games.

Tom Brady is having full-on baby mama drama as his supermodel wife makes controversial comments in recent Vanity Fair interview. The Early Show with the details:

Bündchen reveals that she knows the boy, named John Edward Thomas Moynahan, has a mother and she respects that, but it doesn’t matter that Bündchen didn’t actually give birth to him, because Bündchen still feels like he’s her son.

In her own words, “To me, it’s not like, because somebody delivered him, that’s not my child — I feel like it is, 100 percent.”

Oh no she didn’t! Cue the impending baby mama beatdown as we wait with bated breath for Bridget to respond…

Ok fine. This is a stupid story. Who cares? It’s a good thing that she loves Tom’s kid, right? Sure, it is.

The real pressing concern is and will always be this… CHOOSE A DAMN BASEBALL TEAM, Tom! For the love of Josh Beckett and all this is holy, at least Lebron James has the decency to pick one team — sure, he picked Satan’s team — but at least he picked only one and is consistent with it. I’ve seen you make the right choice (Red Sox), the correct choice (Red Sox), the ONLY choice (Red Sox) before, so let’s keep that up and burn those others, k babe?

Thank you and good day, Sir. I said, good day!