BIGGER COLLAPSE 2004 YANKEES OR 2010 BRUINS?

Every Red Sox fan remembers the drastic change of events on those four days in October in 2004 when the Boston Red Sox did the unthinkable and battled back from an 0-3 hole versus the New York Yankees to advance to the World Series.  This was the first time any team in MLB history accomplished that feat.  The Sox also known as "The Idiots" put no pressure on themselves and took it one out at a time.  Every die hard Sox fan knows the rest.  Everyone remembers the play call by Joe Buck and the radio call by Joe Castiglione. It still sends shivers down my spine as well as Red Sox nation, but have we just ignored that the Philadelphia Flyers did the same thing and battled back from an 0-3 deficit in the series as well as three goals down in the first period in game 7 to advance?  The Boston Bruins were cruising against the Flyers until Boston fans were on the other end of the ride.  The black and gold went up 3-0 in the series and were one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Montreal Canadians where the season took a turn for the worst.  The Flyers tied the series 3-3 leaving Bruins fans in shock.  They had one more chance to make it right with Zombie Nation and if it were only one period Bruins fans hearts would not be broken.  The Bruins came out scorching leading 3-0 after one period, but again the Flyers stormed back to tie the game then win 4-3. 

It leaves the question that many Boston fans want to hear and do not want to hear, but it is reality...who was the bigger collapse the Yankees in 2004 versus your beloved Red Sox or your beloved Bruins debacle in 2010?

CELTICS NEED KG HEALTHY TO GO THE DISTANCE

Who is playing better on the Celtics than Kevin Garnett right now? Garnett is playing like he is 18 years-old again averaging 15.4 points per contest as well as 9.8 rebounds.  His defensive leadership is what makes this team the best one around, but KG went down Wednesday night and fans are asking the question, can this team win an NBA championship without KG?

His injury looked very similar to the one he suffered in Utah a few years back where he was lost for the season, but let's hope this is not the case.  It was said that it was not a knee injury which is always a good sign.  The Celtics played without him in the 2009 playoffs and they had no answer for Magic's Dwight Howard.  It would be just scary to see this team without KG again for an extended period of time.  He is the heart and sole of this defense and defense wins championships.  Let's hope for the best because I do not think this team can win a title without this guy even if Glen Davis, Marquis Daniels, Jermaine O'Neal, Perkins, Shaq, Delonte all contribute.  This guy's intensity and defense are no match for any other player on this Celtics team.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE PATRIOTS PLAY IN THE PLAYOFFS?

The New England Patriots will be anxious to see who they play in the playoffs.  While they are resting at home, other teams will be playing for a date with the New England Patriots in Foxboro.  Who would you like to see them play?

1. JETS- Brady picked a part Rex Ryan's defense in a Monday Night football laugher, but if these two meet again rest assuredly that Rex Ryan will make sure his team is not embarassed again on national television.

2. STEELERS- Yeah, they have the best defense under Dick Lebeau blah blah blah, but will you be afraid of them in Foxboro? Tom Brady owns them in Pittsburgh and has not lost in Foxboro in years.

3. CHIEFS- This is a team that is scary not because of their dominant run game of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, but because of the coordinators that were Belichick's best buds while they were in Foxboro. Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennel know Belichick probably more than anyone in the league and know his tendencies at any given moment.  Belichick has had trouble with opposing teams that have coordinators that have worked for the Patriots, but it is Belichick in Foxboro...I'm really not that worried.

4. COLTS- Number #18. Enough said.

5. RAVENS- This team knows what it takes to take down the Patriots in their own stadium and it would be very scary to play this team again.  Although the Patriots won a nail-biter in Foxboro earlier in the year, this team is very well-rounded and well-coached.

THE WORST MOMENTS IN BOSTON IN 2010

There were also many devastating blows that Boston fans took in the 2010 calendar year.  Which was the worst?

1. Jonathan Papelbon's eight blown saves

2. Wes Welker tearing his ACL in a meaningless game

3. Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis lost for season

4. Perkins tearing ACL in NBA finals

5. Patriots get blown out at home versus the Ravens in playoffs

6. Celtics vs. Lakers NBA finals

7. The Bruins epic collapse

WHAT WERE THE BEST BOSTON SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2010?

There were many memorable moments in 2010, but what was the best?

1. The Winter Classic at Fenway Park- Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Bruins win 2-1)

2. Celtics remarkable run to the Championship that fell short in game 7.

3. Tyler Seguin coming to Beantown.

4. Mike Lowell's farewell

5. Daniel Nava's grand slam on the first pitch he ever saw in the major leagues.

6. Mark Herzlich's return from cancer

7. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez coming to Boston

8. Tom Brady's impressive streak of 319 straight passes without an interception

9. Marc Savard's return

10. Danny Woodhead and Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis

GLEN DAVIS 6TH MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD?

"Big Baby" Glen Davis has done it all for the Celtics this year.  He leads the NBA in charges taken and leads the team off the bench in points and rebounds. Baby averages 12.1 points per game and 5.8 rebounds in just about 30 minutes a game for the green. He has many intangibles that most individuals off the bench do not have.  Baby can play the three, four, or five and that is because he uses his body so well around the basket it does not matter the match up he has.  He is an animal around the hoop and has developed a great 18-footer that makes him dangerous.  He is shooting 48.1% from the field.  The Celtics would be lost without Baby especially due to the loss of Delonte West and Nate Robinson having to move into the starting role with Rondo still nursing injuries.  Baby deserves at least an honorable mention in this discussion because I do not think there has been anyone better off the bench this year.  Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry possibly, but the Celtics sit at 24-5 and are in cruise control.  It is not because of the "Big Three" this team is doing so well, it is because of the entire team effort that Doc stresses every night and Big Baby has everything to do with it.  He has my vote.

RED SOX NEED ONE MORE LEFTY TO BOLSTER PEN

The Red Sox have been very aggressive this off-season making it one of the most memorable off-seasons in recent memory.  Theo Epstein stressed that the bullpen needed work and he went out and got some big names such as Bobby Jenks and Matt Albers.  Although they signed Lenny DiNardo to a minor league deal and have Felix Doubront as the lefties in the pen, Epstein must pull the trigger on one more arm that is left handed.  Rumors have been swirling around Brian Fuentes coming to the Sox which would be a great fit if he is willing to be in a set up role and take less years and money.  Fuentes wants a three-year deal in the vicinity of 15 million.  Fuentes was tough to watch every time he faced the Red Sox usually walking hitters left and right, but his numbers do not lie.  Fuentes posted a 4-1 record with an ERA of 2.81.  He had 47 punchouts and 24 saves.  He is a lefty specialist that will fit in very nicely with the Red Sox. Lefties had a miniscule .128 average, 0 home runs, and only five RBIs in 47 total at-bats in 2010.  Theo, I say you open the checkbook one more time because this could be the final piece to the puzzle for a parade in Copley Square in 2011.

BELICHICK MUST REST PLAYERS

Will Bill Belichick ever learn? He has to bench his studs in this last regular season game that has no implications whatsoever.  Yes, it would be nice to see the team stay in sync with eachother, but they will have an extra week to prepare and get all their reps in.  No Patriot fan wants to see another Wes Welker episode especially when the team has clinched home field advantage, a one seed, and a bye.  I can agree with playing Tom Brady for a quarter (a half tops) but I do not want to roll the dice this late in the season.  Rest the offense and give Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris the playing time and give big Vince Wilfork the rest he needs as well as the defense.  The Dolphins are playing for nothing and essentially the Patriots are too, so if you have tickets to this game I suggest you sell them because it SHOULD be like a preseason game with reserves playing a majority of the game.  Do the right thing Bill.

BRADY OR VICK FOR MVP?

How can Tom Brady not be your 2010-2011 MVP of the National Football League? I mean let's be serious.  Tom Terrific has 34 touchdown passes to only four interceptions.  Many said his statistics would decline to the loss of Randy Moss, yeah alright.  This year Brady may have exceded his ridiculous statistics in 2007 where he threw for 50 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.  He is doing it with a cast that no one thought could even play in the NFL.  Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis was a fourth string running back, Danny Woodhead was cut by the Jets, Wes Welker is a shade under 5 9'' and who can forget Deion Branch.  Tom gets it done with no matter who he has out there.  If he is not the 2010-2011 MVP that is a travesty because althought Michael Vick has some great numbers, Brady is just playing too well right now.  He has his team sitting at 13-2 leaving opponents scared to death to play in Foxboro in the second round of the playoffs where Tom Brady has not lost since I graduated high school.

Michael Vick was in jail for 23 months for his dog fighting ring and missed four games this year.  He has put up remarkable numbers as well. He has 2,755 yards in the air, 20 touchdowns passing, 613 rushing yards and eight touchdowns looking like he hasn't missed a beat. He has his Eagles sitting at 10-4 and in great shape to make a run in the 2010-2011 playoffs, but can we really compete versus Tom Brady? Vick has done it all this year throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for two in a Monday Night laugher versus the Washington Redskins but Tom Brady just knows how to win and get every single one of his teammates involved.

Tom Brady has my vote for MVP without a question.

THE SHAQTUS FINED FOR COMMENTS X-MAS DAY

According to Chris Forsberg from ESPNBoston.com, Shaquille O'Neal has been fined $35,000 by the league for his comments regarding the officiating on Christmas day in Orlando. Shaq fouled out in just 13 minutes of action.  Bob Delaney is the person to blame in this scenario.  He could not swallow his whistle all day and it killed the Celtics down the stretch. 

These were the comments that got Shaq the fine.
"I guess they came out to see No. 26 today,
"They [fans] paid all that money to watch No. 26 play. If I was a fan, I would be pissed. You pay all that money for good seats, you have two of the best guys in the [NBA] sitting on the bench, out of the game. That is what happens when you have control freaks out there," said O'Neal.

WHAT WILL BELICHICK DO?

The Patriots have locked up the number one seed, home field advantage, and a first round bye with one game to go versus the Miami Dolphins.  This game has zero implications, so what will the always crafty Bill Belichick do? Will he start Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Law firm, and the rest of the crew? Or will he let the reserves get some playing time before the team prepares for the playoffs? Belichick will be very vague until probably Friday, but all Patriot fans have the image of a very upset Wes Welker being carried off the field versus the Houston Texans. Last year, Welker tore his ACL in a game that had zero implications minimizing the Patriots chance at a Super Bowl, they then went on to lose at home in a blowout versus the Ravens. Let's see if Bill can make the right decision this time.  "We will do what is best for the football team," said Belichick. Good luck getting any information out of this one.

BRADY PUTS NAME IN RECORD BOOKS...AGAIN

Tom Brady has etched his name into the record books after throwing another pass that was not intercepted in Sunday's game vs. the Buffalo Bills.  He has passed the previous record of 308 owned by Bernie Kosar who played for the Browns.  Congratulations Tom.

LUCIC SUSPENDED?

Milan Lucic had a career high in penalty minutes on Thursday night and that number was 22. A majority of those came late in the game with the Bruins winning 4-1. Late in the third period,  Freddy Meyer nailed Lucic with a high hit.  All of us Boston fans know that Lucic will retaliate.  After teammate Andrew Ference jumped in and dropped the gloves, Lucic came over and sucker punched Meyer in the face resulting in a game misconduct and a match penalty.  Although the Bruins are not playing until Monday, the National Hockey League is reviewing this play and Lucic may be watching his teammates from the press box.

PATS WITHOUT HERNANDEZ IN WEEK 16

Patriots sensational tightend Aaron Hernandez will not be catching touchdown passes from MVP Tom Brady tomorrow in Buffalo.  Hernandez has been bothered by a hip injury that will not allow him to play tomorrow.  Lucky for the Patriots they have two other phenomenal tightends to fill in for Hernandez (Gronk and Crumpler). Patriots tightends have combined for 81 catches (Hernandez 45, Gronk 32, Crumpler 4), 991 yards, and 13 touchdowns (Hernandez 6, Gronk 7).  Alge Crumpler is a person that goes unnoticed for this team.  He is always there to make the big block for the Law Firm or any wideout trying to make a move down field.  He has been terrific this year thus far.

CELTICS STREAK ENDS AT 14

Before family and friends could even settle into their seats for a nice Christmas dinner, the Boston Celtics were down by a score of 13-0.  They started out sluggish and they ended sluggish. The Celtics streak ended in Orlando on Christmas day by a score of 86-78.  A big three-pointer by Jameer Nelson with a little over a minute left was the dagger to Celtic fans on Christmas day. Nelson finished 3-9 from the field for 12 points.  The story of the day was Brandon Bass off the bench for the Magic.  The Celtics had no answer all day for him.  Bass finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and one assist.  The Celtics struggled from the field other than KG.  Nate Robinson did not play as a point guard today and that really hurt the Celtics.  He was looking to shoot instead of looking for his teammates.  At one point, Nate was shooting 1-12 from the field.  That is a lot of shots for what should be a pass first point guard in a well-rounded Celtic lineup.  It looked promising by the end of the first half for the Celtics, but the Magic never fell out of sync.  Stan Van Gundy said his team will win if they continued to work hard during his halftime rant shown on ABC and that is exactly what they did.  Dwight Howard did not have his best game offensively, but he frusterated Celtic players all day with his superb defense.  Howard had five swats on the afternoon.  This is only the fifth loss for the Celtics this year.  They will surely come out with a chip on their shoulders when they take the court for their next game.

WE ARE GOING STREAKING!

Who has the best streak of all-time?

1. Brett Favre's 298 career starts in a row

2. Cal Ripken's 2,632 games played consecutively

3. Joe Dimaggio's 56 game hit streak

4. UCLA men's 88 game win streak

5. UCONN womens 89 game win streak (and counting)

JULIEN ON THE HOT SEAT?

After the Boston Bruins have scuffled over the past couple of weeks, many believe that Claude Julien's job could be on the line, but Cam Neely as well as Peter Chiarelli assured Bruins fans that that is not the case.  The Boston Bruins came out with fire on Thursday night.  Shawn Thornton dropped the gloves two seconds in to get the crowd going.  It sparked the club when Patrice Bergureon scored a short-handed goal in the opening minutes where the Bruins never looked back.  They cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers who have been the surprise of the league this year.  The other three goals were scored by: Michael Ryder and two goals by Shawn Thorton, yes Shawn Thorton.  The Bruins are 18-11-4 and are holding on for dear life as the eight seed in the Eastern Conference.  A win was much needed for this team before they head on the road for a five game road trip.  We will check in with Neely and Chiarelli after the road trip especially if the Bruins only come away with four points.  It should be very interested.  Stay tuned.

WILL THE PATRIOTS LOSE AGAIN?

The New England Patriots are 12-2 and are one win away from obtaining home field advantage and a first-round bye in the 2010-2011 playoffs. Tom Brady has not lost in Foxboro in 27 consecutive games, the longest active streak.  Many critics had the Patriots finishing at 8-8 and 9-7.  Once again Bill Belichick silenced everyone.  He has turned Danny Woodhead into a super star and the Law Firm into a legitimate running back.  The Randy Moss era is over and the Patriots are playing as they did in the "Dynasty" years. Deion Branch has filled in nicely not as trying to be Randy Moss, but trying to be himself and trying to help this team win football games. The two tight end offense gives opposing defenses the chills because Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski create mismatches to almost anyone. Many believed that Wes Welker would have no value once Randy Moss left.  Well, those people are wrong again! Wes is on way to another 100 reception season as well as seven touchdowns as of week 16.  Many also believed he would not be back until week six.  Welker opened the season on the field with a two touchdown effort.  The defense has shown flashes of brilliance as well as dreadfulness, but they are a young core and are learning game by game.  They may let up the most yards in football, but over the past five weeks Belichick has them playing the best football they have played all season.  The Patriots look like they can cruise to a 14-2 season, but again this has been a crazy season and anything can happen.  You do not need to tell this Patriots team that, they are all business all the time under coach Belichick.  Look for this team in Dallas, book your flights while they are cheap!

THEO EPSTEIN & SOX OWNERS DELIVER FOR RED SOX NATION

Who would have thought the Boston Red Sox not the New York Yankees would buy two superstars essentially? Adrian Gonzalez has been on Epstein's radar since his days in Texas and now he will be manning first base and peppering the wall night in and night out at America's most beloved ball park.  Gonzalez put up monster numbers in one of the biggest parks in all of baseball.  As everyone is saying "His swing is made for Fenway Park" and they are not kidding.  He could potentially be a triple-crown candidate in the American League.  Carl Crawford starting in left field? If you saw this coming I applaude you because I do not think anyone did besides Theo Epstein and the Red Sox owners.  A game changer and five-tool player that was giving the Red Sox headaches for the past nine years will notw be giving headaches to the rest of major league baseball and for once we can enjoy it.  This lineup is lethal from top to bottom, the pitching staff, if healthy, has four if not five, yes five, 20 game winners.  The bullpen that had many question marks last year was bolstered by the key acquisitions of Bobby Jenks, Matt Albers, Lenny Dinardo, and will be rounded off with Scott Atchinson, Felix Doubront, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon.  If you are a "pink hat" and only watched the Red Sox when they were winning, get use to watching them this year because this team has a chance to do something special.  Terry Francona will have fun putting this lineup together and who wouldn't? Will Ellsbury lead off? Bat ninth? Will Crawford bat first, second, or third? Will A-Gone bat third or fourth? Where will Youkilis fit in? Ortiz? Drew? Every opposing pitcher should be worried about getting the first out versus this lineup never mind making it through one inning.  The Nation is back and the owners finally opened the checkbook they always had.  Yankees Suck.

CELTICS 23-4

After 27 games and an injury plagued season much like the Boston Red Sox of last year, the Boston Celtics are cruising to another Atlantic Conference title with a 23-4 record at the time of Christmas day.  Many say this has been Paul Pierce's best year as a Celtic.  Kevin Garnett looks like he is 18 again and the low-risk high reward of the "Big Shamrock" Shaquille O'Neal is really paying dividends for the green.  The bench has been a big part of the Celtics success this year with Glen Davis pursuing a sixth man of the year award and Nate Robinson stepping in for the beat up Rajon Rondo.  Marquis Daniels has played key minutes as well filling it for the injured Delonte West.  Semih Erden is learning from the Big Three as well as Doc and really seems like he can be valuable down the stretch.  Who can forget about Ray Ray and Rondo? Ray Ray is inching closer to the career lead in three-pointers made as Rondo is inching closer to the best start to his young career.  Kendrick Perkins is due back by the end of January which will give this team a boost.  This team is firing on all cylinders with many key players injured, Jermaine O'Neal hasn't played a game since God knows when.  The Celtics will cruise through the regular season, but rest assuredly they will not make the same mistake as last year of not getting home court advantage because it came back to bite them losing to the Lakers in Los Angeles in Game 7.  IT'S ALL ABOUT 18. Ubuntu.