Mass The *New* Official Boston Sports Thread

You know it's been a strange season so far for the Red Sox when they have trouble playing Tampa Bay (the surprise story of the year so far) but have an easy time with the Yankees (a la Jon Lester's 5-hit shutout last night).

 

Seven Red Sox players have been selected to represent the American League in the 2008 All-Star Game, which will take place at Yankee Stadium a week from Tuesday night. 1B Kevin Youkilis, 2B Dustin Pedroia, OF Manny Ramirez, and DH David Ortiz were elected by the fans as starters, closer Jonathan Papelbon was selected as a pitcher, and OF JD Drew and catcher Jason Varitek were selected as reserves. David Ortiz will be in attendance at the game, but, because of his wrist injury, will not be able to play. AL manager Terry Francona has tabbed Texas Rangers OF Milton Bradley to replace Ortiz as the AL DH.

 

Just to mention some recent events in Boston sports...

• The Red Sox will begin the unofficial second half of the season tomorrow night when they start a three-game series against the Angels in Anaheim. The Sox begin the second half with a half-game lead over the Rays in the AL East.


• David Ortiz is close to returning to the lineup from his wrist injury, as he will begin a rehab assignment on Friday in Pawtucket. The six-game assignment will also see him visit Portland for three games before taking a day off and rejoining the big club to start a homestand with a series against the Yankees.


• Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew was named the MVP of one of the most exciting All-Star Games in recent memory, which went 15 innings before Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young won the game with a sacrifice fly. Drew hit a 2-run homer over the right-field wall at Yankee Stadium in the 7th inning which tied the game.


• The Celtics lost one of the pieces of their championship team yesterday when veteran swingman James Posey, a key contributor off of the bench, signed a four-year, $25M contract with the New Orleans Hornets.


• Finally, Patriots training camp begins one week from today!

 

Strange story involving one of our teams...

New England Revolution players help subdue man on flight

Apparently, the man emerged from the plane's bathroom without clothes on and was ordered to put them back on, after which he attempted to open an emergency exit door. The man was brought under control by the air marshall with assistance from the Revs players, and the plane made a landing in Oklahoma City to remove the man. The Revs were on the flight en route to Los Angeles, where they play Chivas USA this weekend as part of the "SuperLiga" soccer competition involving MLS teams and Mexican club teams.

 

Boston connections won two ESPY Awards, the show for which aired last night after the Red Sox game on ESPN. The Boston winners were the Celtics for "Outstanding Team" and the Patriots' Tom Brady for "Best NFL Player." However, the Patriots were on the "losing end" of three ESPYs: "Best Upset" and "Best Game" for Super Bowl XLII, and the Eli Manning pass to David Tyree late in that game was voted "Best Play."

 

hey!! What´s up!!
I saw the game against LA

I don´t belive that..
but anyways the next game
is very serious..Go SoxS!

 

And with that, the Manny era has ended. He was traded to the Dodgers today as part of a 3 team deal that included the Pirates. The Sox get in return Pirates OF Jason Bay. Pittsburgh gets 4 minor leaguers.

Looks like the Sox sent 2 players (Hansen & Moss) to the Pirates as part of the deal as well.

 

Trading Manny has been a positive move for this team..........

 

Now it is reported that Manny's trade is being investigated by the MLB..... stay tuned for this one........

 

Selig realized that if the Sox and Yanks dont make the playoffs, his ratings and revenue will plummet.
He needs to make some drama before October.

 

Just got word that Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski has been admitted to MGH for tests after complaining of chest pains. I hope he'll pull through this.

 

I've been relatively silent on the sports thread for a while, but I'm delurking to provide a rundown of the last few weeks...

Not much really to report on the Red Sox except to say that the trade of Manny Ramirez for Jason Bay has re-energized the team, but they remain in a state of treading water in the division, with the Tampa Bay Rays, the story of the summer, continuing to lead the AL East by about 4 games, even with injuries to closer Troy Percival, All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, and possible Rookie of the Year winner 3B Evan Longoria. The Sox just wrapped up what looks likely to be their last visit to what we'll be calling Old Yankee Stadium, and though we would've liked to have seen a sweep (Jason Giambi had other plans yesterday), taking 2 of 3 in that "swan song" has to feel good.

The Patriots get their season underway next weekend, but the team is not looking good...they had their first winless pre-season since 1990. Furthermore, Tom Brady's health is in question, having been described as having a deep bone bruise in his right foot. He has been practicing, however (though he did not make a game appearance in the pre-season), and says he'll be ready for the season opener against the Chiefs. The crop of rookies looked impressive in the pre-season, especially the first round pick, LB Jerod Mayo, who has been described as a "tackling machine."

If the Sox and Patriots falter in the fall, we have a Celtics NBA title defense to look forward to starting at the end of October.

 

The Boston College football team opened their season last night in Cleveland against Kent St. with a 21-0 shutout of the Golden Flashes, BC's first opening game shutout since 1973. Fifth-year senior QB Chris Crane rushed for 2 TDs and junior RB Jeff Smith (a Silver Lake Regional HS product) scored on a 42-yard run in the first half for the scoring, and the defense was solid most of the night.

The Eagles open up the home and ACC schedules Saturday against Georgia Tech.

 

Didn't want this to be lost...Vijay Singh fired a course record 22-under-par 262 over the weekend to win the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank Championship @ the TPC course in Norton by 5 strokes over Mike Weir. Vijay became, I believe, the first two-time winner of the tournament, but much of the luster of the event was dulled by Tiger Woods' absence (due to knee surgery after the US Open).

 

The Can-Am League wrapped up its regular season on Labor Day with the Worcester Tornadoes taking the second half title, the only Massachusetts-based franchise to make the playoffs this season. As the second seed, they will be in northern New Jersey tonight to open a best-of-five playoff series against the Sussex Skyhawks while the top-seeded Quebec Capitales opted for the first two games at home against the Atlantic City Surf.

As a side Can-Am League note, the Quebec Capitales had the best attendance in the league this season, ending a run of league's best attendance by the Brockton Rox that dates back to the Rox' first season of existence in 2002.

 

A little later than usual b/c of bowling, but here are the Wednesday participation reports, which are the first of the 2008 season...

Chiefs

Did Not Participate In Practice: WR Maurice Price (thigh)
Limited Participation In Practice: WR Will Franklin (knee)

Patriots

Did Not Participate In Practice: WR Sam Aiken (knee), OL Dan Connolly (knee), DL Le Kevin Smith (knee), TE Benjamin Watson (knee)
Limited Participation In Practice: C/G Russ Hochstein (groin)
Full Participation In Practice: QB Tom Brady (right shoulder/foot)

Neither of the Chiefs injured wide receivers are starters, though Franklin, a rookie, could possibly see action in four-receiver sets.

The bigger news of the day, however, is that sources told WEEI's John Dennis that Tom Brady has a cracked bone in his foot, though Tom Brady Sr. later told the Globe's Mike Reiss that though his more famous namesake may have had stress in a bone in his foot, he didn't tell him any bones were broken, though Brady Sr. acknowledged that he had not asked his son anything further about the injury. Bill Belichick, for his part, told Kansas City-based reporters that he expected Brady to be "ready to go" on Sunday.

 

Thursday's participation reports...

Chiefs

Did Not Participate In Practice: WR Maurice Price (thigh), RB Kolby Smith (back), DT Tank Tyler (not injury-related)
Limited Participation In Practice: WR Will Franklin (knee)

Patriots

Did Not Participate In Practice: WR Sam Aiken (knee), OL Dan Connolly (knee), K Stephen Gostkowski (not injury-related), DL Le Kevin Smith (knee), TE Benjamin Watson (knee)
Full Participation In Practice: C/G Russ Hochstein (groin)

The real addition for the Chiefs, Kolby Smith, is listed as the 2nd back.

The surprise of the day is that, for the first time in years, Tom Brady was left off of the Patriots' injury/participation report, a clear sign that, barring an injury in practice tomorrow, he will be ready for Sunday's season opener.

 

Friday's injury/participation reports...

Chiefs

Out: LB Napoleon Harris (DNP, knee)
Questionable: WR Maurice Price (DNP, thigh), WR Will Franklin (LP, knee)

Patriots

Out: WR Sam Aiken (DNP, knee)
Doubtful: TE Benjamin Watson (DNP, knee)
Questionable: C/G Dan Connolly (DNP, knee), C/G Russ Hochstein (FP, groin), DL Le Kevin Smith (FP, knee)

For the Chiefs, Harris, the addition, is listed as the backup middle linebacker.

QB Tom Brady had been listed on the Friday injury report for 56 straight games until today, 48 in the regular season and 8 in the playoffs.

The Patriots also announced their captains for the 2008 season, as follows:

Offense: QB Tom Brady, LT Matt Light, WR Randy Moss
Defense: LB Tedy Bruschi, S Rodney Harrison, LB Mike Vrabel, NT Vince Wilfork
Special Teams: LB Larry Izzo

Light, Moss, and Wilfork are the first-time captains.

 

Patriots won the game, 17-10 over the Chiefs, today, but the story of greater concern is the health of Tom Brady, who took a low (but inadvertent) hit from Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, injuring his left knee, in the first quarter. Brady appeared to be able to put weight on the left leg, but was walking with a limp when he went to the locker room. Brady did not return to the game.

Also, BC lost a close game to Georgia Tech yesterday in their home opener, with 5th year senior QB Chris Crane throwing 2 interceptions in the game.

 

So with the report that Brady is out for the season, should the Pats try to talk Culpepper out of retirement or stick with Cassel?

 

that is the question of the day (who to use at QB for the Pats) Wormie and I were discussing that in the parking lot of the Razor after the game and on the drive home as well. Culpepper to Moss has a nice sound to it even though I do believe the two can't stand each other from their time together in MN (well the end of their time together in MN they were actually good friends when they both first arrived there I saw them a number of times out on the town in Minneapolis). Who knows what Coach will do. He seems to think Cassel is good enough for the job used him all pre-season he looked awful there but looked pretty good today. The pre-game and post-game hosts on WBCN were giving suggestions of trading for another teams back-up. I hinted to Wormie that maybe the Pats should go after Da Bears reject Grossman in order for them to get rid of some unnecessary garbage. lol

 

Trading will be tough pending who they have on the rest of the schedule and what the doctors say about Brady's injury. I assume they are going to sign either Simms or Rattay to back up Cassel. Cassel will be serviceable at the least. Culpepper is damaged goods. I got a good luck at him while he was Oakland. His knee injury derailed his career into retirement. Of course money talks.

Patriots can still do well with more running and managing the game for Cassel. Besides, Moss is still on the field.

 

NO GROSSMAN CKW!!!!!

Tim Rattay and Chris Simms coming in for workouts today. My bet is they sign Simms as Cassel's backup.

 

Our worst fear as Patriots fans was officially realized this afternoon...Tom Brady has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season, and will undergo surgery on his left knee.

On the bright side, the Red Sox will break the major league record for consecutive home sellouts tonight with #456 against the Rays.

 

Come on Wormie Suckman would look great in a Pats uniform. Hell with the receivers here he could actually play like he did at Florida and just throw the ball a million times a game. lol