Isn't it crazy how, sometimes, we find failure so interesting, so compelling?
Okay, quick game of word association. I'll give you a phrase and you say the first thing come into your head. Ready? 'Major NFL draft bust'
Well?
If you didn't say 'Ryan Leaf', well, you are either lying, or you have been locked in a nuclear fall out shelter since the 1998 draft. The name Ryan Leaf is absolutely synonymous with draft days disaster. The details are, at this stage, legendary, as the 'can't miss' prospect collapsed horrendously at the NFL level and was out of the game faster than you can say 'Rex Grossman'.
'....what?!'
Really though, what is the phenomenon that is 'Ryan Leaf'? He had a wonderful college career, he was hyped more ridiculously than a new crime show on Fox, and failed to reach the lofty standards set for him at the NFL level. He is now an assistant coach in the NCAA and a multi millionaire to boot, thanks to the insane signing package he got back in 1998.
How bad did things get? Well, people often laugh at Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck, for his unfortunate, giddy and foolish quote, 'We want the ball and we're going to score', but how innocent does that look in comparison to this absolutely beauty that Ryan Leaf came up with right after the '98 draft;
"I'm looking forward to a 15 year career, a couple of trips to the Super Bowl, and a parade through downtown San Diego."
Well, let's just say that didn't exactly work out as planned. Leaf is widely regarded as having absolutely crippled several NFL franchises for years with his huge contracts and subsequent on-field failures. To make a long story short, Leaf is thought of amongst the US sporting media as being one of the biggest flops in NFL and professional sports history. Yes, even worse than Tony Eason
'So, where's my parade?'
One of the reasons why Leaf is regarded as having been such a monumental flop is the incredible contract he managed to get from the Chargers. Following the '98 draft, the Chargers signed Leaf to a four-year contract worth $31.25 million, including a guaranteed $11.25 million signing bonus. With an absolute fortune safe in his bank account, what followed was nothing short of disastrous. The highlights;
Before the '98/'99 season even started, Leaf was fined for skipping a Chargers symposium that was mandatory for all newly-drafted players. He was fined and chastised, but who was to know how bad things would get, even after this inglorious start.
In the third game of Leaf's first NFL season he completed a truly pathetic one of fifteen passes for 4 yards and he fumbled three times in a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. The chocks were off and it was all downhill from there.
Leaf's poor statistical output through his first ten NFL games led to the Chargers benching their massive investment. After ten games, Leaf had thrown fifteen interceptions, passing for a total of 1,289 yards, with a 45.3 percent completion rate and a truly awful quarterback rating of 39.
The end came eventually in San Diego when Leaf, out injured at the time, was filmed playing flag football. The Chargers took their chance and dumped Leaf as fast as they could. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks all rolled the dice with Leaf, but he was never able to put his obvious physical skill set to use on the NFL field. In total, Leaf appeared in 25 games and made 21 starts. He completed 315 of 655 passes for 3,666 yards, with 14 touchdowns and whopping 36 interceptions. Leaf's career quarterback rating was 50.0, 28.9 points lower than the league average between 2000 and 2003.
In short, he stank.
And this is the legacy of Ryan Leaf. A college standout, given stacks and stacks of cash before embarking on an NFL 'career' that never got off the ground.
Boston Irish has been playing a cool online football game called Goal Line Blitz, a browser-based multiplayer online American Football game. Goal Line Blitz gives you a couple of options, depending on how you want to play the game. You can create players, level them up, and participate in a team's attempt to win the championship. You can also gain control of a team and set tactics, recruit players, build your stadium, and more.
I got started by creating a player and starting his training regime.
It's buckets of fun, oh and totally free too.
Fancy trying it out? Sign up right here, and send me a PM from the forum (which is pretty cool) once you are logged in and playing. My 'agent' name is 'Macker12'.
As a self confessed nerd, it is completely interesting to see the various statistics, trends and patterns connected to how people find, enter and view this blog/site. Take for example the search engines people use. How's that Yahoo stock you own working out for you, those of you who still own same? From the 90 searches that ended up on this blog this morning, check out how they broke down in terms of search engine used.
That's what you call, domination of your given field.
It is fascinating to look at the keyword searches that lead an unsuspecting, innocent web browser to a certain site.
One reader asked;
how do you say hello and good bye in ireland
Glad you asked! 'Hello' is generally accepted as 'Dia duit' which literally translates into 'God be with you'. Goodbye is simply 'Slán', pronounced 'Slaa-w-n'. So, now you are all set!
One of the all-time most popular searches on this site is connected to the hat that Leo Dicaprio wears in 'The Departed', a simple, black Boston Red Sox hat. I get several hits a day emanating from searches akin to;
dicaprio red sox hat departed
the departed dicaprio red sox cap
the departed red sox hat
This tells you that;
People are still watching 'The Departed'
It's a sweet hat
One Internet searcher asked;
which sport is tougher rugby or american football?
Interesting search that came from Boston in the States;
irish american baseball players
Assuming they meant from a historical perspective, check out this posting on the famous Irish baseball players of the early part of the last century.
Finally, Ireland played Algeria in a World Cup warm-up for the latter on Friday night. It's kind of cool, to me anyway, to know that all the way over in the States, people are trying to figure out a way to watch the game, if the searches leading to this site are anything to go by.
ireland vs Algeria new york
where to watch ireland against Algeria
ny bar ireland v Algeria
ireland on tv in usa
ireland on tv dallas
Now my mind is wandering. This is what separates International soccer from other sports. All over the world there are Irish people trying to figure out how to watch Robbie Keane and the lads. I will come out and say it, Dublin, Ireland, is the most exciting, friendly, enjoyable and colourful place in the world when Ireland are in a European Championships or a World Cup. Even the drug addicts wobbling down O'Connell street are in great form, on those occasions.
When we at Boston Irish first came up with this idea, it was initially ten funny movies from the last ten years, however that list grew and grew over the course of a few days, and the expanded list has now lead to an expanded piece on the subject.
Simple enough idea. The top 30 comedies of the last decade
The ground rules
We have to have actually seen the movie. No cartoons. If i didn't at least chuckle at it, it's not in there (which rules out 'The proposal'). Anything from Zoolander to now. Nothing involving Quentin Tarantino. At all.
The process of selecting the top movies was a wildly scientific one. As young lads we used to invent sports games we could play at our desks at school during particularly boring classes. We would create tiny cards for NFL teams or soccer teams. We would line them up one on top of the other vertically, and using a Dungeons and Dragons dice we would play games against whichever cards were immediately above or below each other. The winner would get shifted up a row, the loser down one.
As the games evolved we introduced a handicapping system weighted largely in favour of our favourite teams. This killed hours and hours of boring class time and any chance we had of becoming a doctor or lawyer.
This system lends itself beautifully to picking a top ten, top twenty or (if you have time) top 100 anything, movies, songs, CDs, whatever. All you do is line them up in no particular order, one over the other, pick one to start with and ask yourself 'Is this movie better than the one immediately above it?' and if it is, swap them around. Repeat until you have a vertical list 1-20 of your favourite of whatever it is your listing.
It actually lends itself beautifully as a system to this kind of enjoyable time wasting exercise. You find yourself arguing vehemently with yourself, ''No! No! I can not, nay, I will not, place this movie ahead of this movie!''
Obviously, this is version 2.0 and we had three new entries. Therefore, we had to lose three movies that were in the 2009 list. The victims were;
29. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
27. Meet the Fockers (2004)
24. Role Models (2008)
All three fell victim to the fact that they simply weren't as funny as the new entries.
Enough babbling, on to the good stuff, and remember, as the Bloodhound Gang say, if you were not entertained you did not drink enough booze!
30. Be Kind Rewind (2008) previously 26 - down four places Not laugh-out-loud, slap your thighs funny, but a charming little movie none the less, probably the least viewed movie, universally speaking, on this list. Pushed down the list a little by new entries and repeat viewing of others in the 30-20 region. Even still, a little treasure.
29. The School of Rock (2003) previously 22 - down seven places Yes, seriously. Jack Black carries an entire movie on his shoulders, and does it with aplomb. He is engaging and funny the whole way through. Just slipping again because of movement in the 30-20 region. Possibly not as funny as first couple of viewings. Still, a couple of good gags in there.
27. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) previously 23 - down four places It's filthy! It's great! Seth Rogen continues to belch his way into our hearts with another 'Jovial chubby guy makes us giggle' effort. Pretty full on. If you really want a laugh, how aboutchecking out some of the new paper and online reviewers efforts to validate their own existence by writing about the meaning and depth of the movie. It's a fucking comedy! A self acclaimed dirt-fest, comedy!
Interestingly enough, by reading an abstract from a (presumably) Spanish review, I found out to my own amazement I can actually speak Spanish. This despite the fact I have never taken one class ever.
The abstract; Ainda que Smith continue a exibir sua compulsão em escrever diálogos que usam a escatologia e os palavrões como forma barata (e ineficaz) de humor, o filme é um grande avanço em relação aos seus três últimos péssimos trabalhos.
My (flawless) translation; Andy Q Smith continues to exhibit a compulsion to screw dialogue and the study of snails he has pavlova in the form of a beretta (to infinity) the humour, a film with big avenues of realisation and Swiss three ultimate pessimistic troubles.
Perfect! Bueno!
26. Date night (2010) New entry!
Brand new entry, Matt Damon with a dodgy looking moustache. What's not to like? One of the better movies on the list in terms of acting, production and story. Definitely not 'roll around in the aisles' funny, but it gets you laughing a couple of times. Solid. Should climb with a second viewing.
25. Along Came Polly (2004) Previously number 30 - UP five places! Before you slate us for this entry being so high, come on, the Basketball scenes are funny, and Ben Stiller looks genuinely in distress when trying to eat spicy foods. Movie enriched by Phillip Seymor Hoffman's hilarious turn. Bring the raaaaaaaaaaain!
Phillip Seymor Hoffman, bringin' the rain
24. Blades of Glory (2007) Previously number 28 - UP four places! Kind of trips over itself a little near the end but Will Ferrell as an Ice skating anti hero is worth the cost of renting the DVD on its own. It gets the people going! Consistently almost great.
Jimmy: They're laughing at us.Chazz: Hey. They laughed at Louis Armstrong when he said he was gonna go to the moon. Now he's up there, laughing at them.
23. Nacho Libre (2006) previously 20 - down three places Kind of a 'concept' movie, if you think Jack Black in Mexican wrestling gear is funny, you are going to love it. Of course, the flip side to that is, if you don't...
Nacho: Chancho. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun.
22. Meet the Parents (2000)previously 21 - down one place Owen Wilson's turn as the schmalzy, sleazy ex boyfriend is sheer comedic genius. Stiller tripping over his own feet for a couple of hours always works.
This was on TV a little while ago and at first I thought, 'God no, no, no, I am not subjecting myself to this.' however the funny scenes kept coming and I ended up watching the entire thing. ''Surprisingly funny'', is how my review would have gone. Really, who could have thought Robert DeNiro would end up making comedy? Is this the further point in the entire galaxy from 'Heat'?
Greg Focker: Oh, dear God, thank you, you are such a good God to us. A kind and gentle and accommodating God, and we thank You oh sweet, sweet Lord of hosts for the smörgåsbord You have so aptly laid at our table this day, and each day, by day, day by day, by day oh dear Lord three things we pray to love Thee more dearly, to see Thee more clearly, to follow Thee more nearly, day, by day, by day. Amen.
21. Knocked Up (2007)previously 19 - down three places
I wanted to place this a little higher, largely because Katherine Heigl is in it, however I couldn't slip it past any of the movies higher up the list. Some great scenes, nonetheless. Seth Rogen's entourage of enormous geeks is worth the price of DVD rental alone.
and she is funny too...
20. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) Previously number 25 - UP five places!
One of the big winners of Version 2.0. You know, you can knock this movie all you want, however it never fails to drag a giggle out of you. Vince Vaughn flat-lines through the entire show however Ben Stiller in a white cowboy outfit and some funny lower level, side characters make up for Vaughn's somewhat mailing it in.
Cotton McKnight: In 23 years of broadcasting I thought I'd seen it all, folks. But it looks like Peter La Fleur has actually blindfolded himself.Pepper Brooks: He will not be able to see very well, Cotton.
19. Talladega Nights: (2006) previously 17 - down two places This originally started further back down the list but every time I tried to place it with certainty in the lower echelons, another funny clip from the movie would come back to me. The brilliant dinner scenes with Will Ferrell's character's two kids, Walker and Texas Ranger. John C Reill'y superb turn as a sycophantic side kick. Sasha Baron Cohen as the psychotic French bad guy. Will Ferrell running around a racing track in his underwear thinking he is on fire screaming 'Save me Tom Cruise!' My only complaint is they didn't knock Nascar enough. For God sake, the cars just go in endless circles! At least in Formula One they go round funny shaped corners. Is there anything, anything at all more inane than Nascar?
18. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) previously 13 - down five places Perhaps not as much of an easy riot of jokes and slapstick as some of the movies on the list, nonetheless a rewarding little movie is you put the effort in. As an aside, what does it say about the world we live in that when you type 'Napoleon' into google, 'Napoleon Dynamite' is ahead of 'Napoleon Bonaparte' in search results. Don't forget though, Pedro offers you his protection! Classic.
17. Zoolander (2003) previously 9 - down eight places The big victim of a major upheaval in the top 20. Zoolander didn't turn into a bad movie overnight, the last time I saw it, however, it felt a tiny, tiny bit dated. Still, a genuine comic treasure. The fact that this legend of comedy is only number 17 tells you everything you need to know about the top 20! Legend of comedy? That's right! We have become so narrow minded and short sighted in this internet age that a movie made in 2003 is already legendary. Was this filmed in black and white and then, like the Wizard of Oz, changed to colour later? Did they have televisions back in 2003? Zoolander is top 20 material for several reasons, none more so than the fantastic editing, a feature of all the top ten flicks on this list. What I mean by that is, hardly a scene is wasted. In some of the lower ranked movies, there are dead spots, scenes not really totally neccesary and clearly in there just to get it to 120 so the punter doesn't feel robbed. Zoolander is the Nomar Garciaparra of funny movies, what was it they said he had, something insane like 2% body fat ratio or something like that? From 'Hansel is SO hot right now' to the brilliant dance off between Zoolander and Hansel all the way up to the funny climax, Zoolander has no wasted moments at all. Stiller, Wilson and Ferrell are all totally superb. Zoolander, for me, really started this wave of great comedy, we have 'Blue Steel' to thank for the latest batch of riotous movies.
16.Pineapple Express (2008) Previously 16 - no change at all A 'feel good' movie if there ever was one, just a heart warming, funny piece of cinematography. So much to like contained in just a short space of time. Seth Rogen's finest work to date. James Franco as a funny, laid back stoner? Who knew! Absolutely nailed it too.
Saul: Well, I don't know, man. I think I'm functioning right now. I was, like, stoned when I saved you with those slushies. What do you gotta say to that?
15. Semi-Pro (2008) Previously 15 - no change at all I wanted to put this one higher. I tried to, I really did. Just wasn't happening. Too much quality in front of it. A couple of 'dead' spots in the middle and near the end kept it anchored at number 15. Still, very funny, as long as you buy into Will Ferrell's vision of a 70's basketball league. Ferrell himself, or Jackie Moon as he is in the movie, is superb, a totally brilliant character. The huge problem is the support characters are a little empty and not that funny. Woody Harrellson is engaging but not really that funny, and the kid from Outkast never really gets out of first gear. Looks like he can shoot the rock a little though. Nevermind, thankfully there's enough Jackie Moon to go round to keep it going. His lack of a low post move alone is reason to watch 'Semi Pro'. Not to mention his meltdown at a league owners meeting. Oh and the hilarious Russian Roulette scene. See, now I want to move it up the list again. However, I can't.
14. I Love You, Man (2009) Previously number 18 - UP four places! Said this last year; ''This one is definitely going to place higher next year when we inevitably bang out another version of this list.'' Well, I did, and, I did. See, certain movies, particularly comedies layered with jokes, mature with age. A couple of extra viewings and suddenly, boom goes the dynamite. Jason Segel and Paul Rudd are brilliant together, continuing on a nice little bit of chemistry they had in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'. Slapping the bass! Slappa da bass! Slappa da bass mon! Slappa de bass mon!
13. Funny people (2010) New entry! Straight in at number 13, one of the most polarizing movies of the last couple of years. People seem to either love it or hate it, I fall firmly into the former category. I am just going to come out and say it, if you don't like it, well, go read another blog. Adam Sandler's finest acting to date. Nothing else comes close. Sandler absolutely nails the role asked of him, and is in turn funny and tragic. 'Funny people' is dark, but rewarding if you give it a chance. Seth Rogen, as is the rest of the supporting cast. Watch out for Eric Bana's demented turn late on in the movie. The moment I left the cinema, I couldn't wait to see it again. Surely that's a good sign? Good movie, with some really funny set pieces. An absolute triumph for Sandler.
12. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) Previously 12 - no change at all More controversy in the 12 spot! This movie polarizes opinion more than Michael Jackson. Much like Wacko Jacko, you either love the Life Aquatic or hate it. There is no middle ground. If you are a hater, I would urge you to revise your view of this lovingly conceived Wes Anderson joint. Okay, so no one gets smacked in the head with a frying pan. And alright, there is no romantic, schmaltzy Hollywood ending. There is, however, a killer chase scene.
Brilliant support characters, Bill Murray at his finest, and a script dripping with beautiful comedic language. I am stunned, at a personal level, that I can't place this any higher than 12. I want to. I just can't. I mean, how can I place it ahead of...
11. Tropic Thunder (2008) Previously 11 - no change at all I'm just going to throw this out there, if you don't like it, throw it right back at me. Tropic Thunder is going to be an absolute cult classic in years to come. This movie is packed to bursting with jokes, gags, giggles and the like. The fact that it didn't even break the top ten on this list is only because of the depth of quality of the ten ahead of it. Stiller is in fine form, no more so than in his brilliant 'Simple Jack' performance. Tom Cruise almost steals the show as a completely psychotic studio executive. I say almost as Robert Downey Junior actually does steals the show as Kirk Lazarus, who may or may not be black, we never really find out. His 'full retard' speech is the stuff of comedy legend.
Quick warning though, some sketchy language here, if you are easily offended better take an alternate route and click here instead
10. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) Previously 10 - no change at all We break into the top ten in style with this little cracker. Steve Carell's coming out party, a thoroughly enjoyable romp that also introduced us to Seth Rogen, furthered Paul Rudd's comedic standing and featured plenty of Michael McDonald too. Superb, uplifting final credits also, those cats can dance! Second best final credits ever, ever! More on the winner of that particular category ever so slightly later. Virgin hits all the right notes. great script, superb comedic acting and it leaves you feeling good afterwards, it ticks all the Great Comedy boxes. I can't believe it's only number ten actually, however, I couldn't slide it higher than...
9. Superbad (2007) previously 7 - down two places An unusual comedy in that it's actually pretty realistic. Kind of a more grown up, believable 'American Pie' if you will. The beauty of 'Superbad', for this fella anyway, is in it's brilliant portrayal of life as a male teen. Everything fits, the fears, superstitions, clumsy bad language, awkward friendships and distinct lack of action with the opposite sex.
Just three funny guys trying to buy some booze and impress some ladies. The delivery is fantastic. Michael Cera is a real find in one of the lead roles. but Christopher Mintz-Plasse almost steals the show as Fogell/McLovin. Their night of adventure unfolds like so many teenage evenings, messily and with more mishaps than planned fun. Just a rollickin', laugh fuelled ride. Hop on and enjoy.
Evan (on finding that Fogell has put 'McLovin' on his fake drivers licence): What? One name? ONE NAME? Who are you? Seal?
8. Starsky & Hutch (2004) Previously 8 - no change at all How can this finish ahead of many of the entries we have already gone over? The easy answer is, watch it, and you will agree. For me, a smarter, more refined step ahead of the others which, like Zoolander for example, are sometimes just a tiny bit silly. More or less the same team a year later cranked out this gem, a movie that increases in hilarity by 17% every time you see it.
The two leads, Stiller and Wilson, are absolutely fantastic but the real star of the show is Vince Vaughn's hilariously evil bad guy. Super stash to boot.
Another one of the recent spate of well made comedies that doesn't waste a shred of film, every single scene is funny or at least reasonably funny. Great soundtrack too, some musical gems in there for your enjoyment.
if you do find yourself in any doubt as to the validity of this movie in the top ten just cast your mind back to Will Ferrell's outragous cameo as big earl..
Big Earl: Alright guys, I'm not gonna lie to you. This is gonna get kinda weird... Two dragons.
7. Step Brothers (2008) Previously number 15 - UP six places!
Fact: 'Step Brothers' improves by 12% every time you see it. That's not a suggestion, that's pure fact. It gets 12% funnier every time you see it. There is literally a stack of jokes buried in here, and not only are the two focal characters funny, the peripheral folk aren't bad either. At the end of the day though, it all begins and ends with Will Ferrell and John C Reilly's superbly idiotic 40 something step brothers. The two are absolute comedic dynamite together. I am so calling my '10 fantasy football squad, 'Prestige Worldwide', by the way.
Dale Doback: [after hearing Brennan sing] You have the voice of an angel. Your voice is like a combination of Fergie and Jesus.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) - no change at all Absolutely no apologies for putting this one so high, it's a freakin riot! I would go even higher however it simply can not crack the top five, you will see why shortly. However, 'Forgetting..' is definitely going to be looked back on as a mini comedy classic in years to come. Relative unknown Jason Segel absolutely nails the role as the lovable loser who ends up getting away from a horrible break up, at the same resort as his ex and her obnoxious British rock star (played brilliantly by Russell Brand) boyfriend.
'Forgetting..' has absolutely everything. A brilliant supporting cast packed with funny cameos (Paul Rudd's brain dead surfer is sheer comedic genius). A laugh-out-loud script, some thigh slapping moments and plenty of surprises. The story line itself is a nice break from the usual comedy templates.
Best of all, the movie has a heart. You find yourself rooting for poor old Peter Bretter (Segel) and who knew the object of his affections would turn out to be Meg from Family Guy (no, really!)?!
The finest moment though has to be Peter's unbelievably obscure Vampire opera. I would pay actual real cash-money to see this on Broadway. Or a bar in Hawaii, either works for me.
The top five Now for the big guns, the big enchilada's, the top dogs, the big cheese. You could, and you probably will, place these in almost any order, I would argue vehemently (and perhaps violently) that these five are all a level ahead of the previous 25, not too mention the 20-25 other comedies that didn't make the top 30 of this list. Without Freddie Adu, the top five comedies in the last decade.
Just to note, there is no change at all in the top five placings, after agonizing over it for ages, I couldn't move any of them up or down. They are what they are. The top five.
5. Wedding Crashers (2005) Great premise, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in tip top form, an excellent script, great supporting cast and some fantastic scenes all the way through out. It even has a superb Will Ferrell cameo. All the ingredient to push this instant comedy classic into the top 5. The movie starts off in rip roaring form and manages to carry through the slightly quiet patch 3/4 of the way through thanks to Will Ferrell's outrageously obnoxious cameo (was he practicing for Step Brothers here?!) and Owen Wilson's hilarious slide into morbidity (I keep meaning to change my answering machine message to the one he leaves when he is in the middle of his deep depression).
4. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Can you imagine how much fun they had making this movie? Seriously! It had to have been a blast. Has any of the movies on this list come close to giving us as many quotable lines as this classic? Most of all, it brought several colourful, enjoyable characters into our lives. Bryan Fantana, Champ Kind and Brick Tamland. The movie is all about the larger than life Ron Bergundy, however, and he delivers on every level. Quite possibly the single funniest character of all time.
''Diversity? Well I believe that's an old Civil War Ship..''
3. The Hangover (2009) Too soon? Not at all. Just right. How can we write that with such confidence? Easy. I almost broke a rib laughing at the damn thing at the Irish (and European actually, now that you mention it) premiere of the movie. An absolutely rip-roaring, rollicking, roller-coaster thrill ride of jokes, it slaps you in the face from the very start.
Another brilliantly executed Todd Phillips joint, nothing is wasted, every scene fits and the jokes come at you thick and fast from start to finish (and oh boy oh boy, what a sensational finish!). The movie is imaginative and creative, taking several new angles that are both hilarious and refreshing.
The characters are fantastic, Ed Helms, who some of you might know as Andy Bernard in the US Office, is hilarious as the accident prone dentist. Bradley Phillips gets the 'straight' role of the piece and shows of a burdgeoining star capacity that promises more to come. Zach Galifianakis, however, makes this baby tick, he is absolutely off the charts hilarious as 'Alan'. His Rainman impersonation is the stuff of legend.
This instant classic even left us with some new 'Vegas rules', beware naked chinese gangsters jumping out of the trunk of cars, and always check the bathroom for Tigers when you are in Vegas!
2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wait, what's this? Blatant controversy in the two spot! Yes, that's right, The Royal Tenenbaums. You know, as I started this list (believe me, it took about seventy five thousand days to write) the RTs started out by hovering around the ten spot, however every time I tried to place it, it kept moving north, higher and higher. The two hole, after much deliberation, felt absolutely perfect. Not quite as funny as the number one movie (not many movies with a scene where a is guy trying to kill himself to a particularly depressing Elliot Smith song can qualify as a comedy) however a classic in its own right.
Beautifully conceived, the movie will probably go down as Wes Anderson's greatest achievement. The greatest quality of the movie is the assembled talent on display. Luke Wilson gives a thoughtful, even paced and gently funny turn as former tennis super star Richie Tenenbaum. The gift of the RTs is that by the end you start to think of Richie Tenenbaum as a tennis legend, forgetting completely it's Luke Wilson, an actor. Bill Murry is almost, almost wasted in a small part as the brilliant yet tortured Raleigh St Claire (well I wanna die). Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson
Amongst the obscure humour that some might find a little inaccessible there are however some absolute throw-away gems, there for all to enjoy. How about Richie Tenenbaum's unusual melt down on the tennis court?
What sets the RTs apart from the other 28 movies on this list, however, is the beautiful, thoughtful, heart breakingly funny performance of the wonderful Gene Hackman, a man at the peak of his trade. This is a career display by the great man, lending a powerful validity to the movie, bringing it all together.
What else is there to say really, other than, Ethyl, I'm dying baby..
1. Old School (2003)
And on the seventh day, God said, let there be some seriously funny shit. And there was. Nothing was ever going to keep this off the top, though many tried. It all starts and ends with Old School.
From Vince Vaughn's best performance to date, to Luke Wilson's enjoyable deadpan straight act. From Jeremy Riven's coming out party to the hilarious frat house members. Even the obligatory Todd Phillips cameo works out (''I'm here for the gang bang?!'')
Of course it all starts and ends with Will Ferrell's comedy preformance for the ages, as 'Frank the Tank'.
His lovable loser goes through a personal crisis or ten, the entire movie he is either in trouble for streaking, being beaten up by a drag queen, being attacked violently by Jeremy Piven or getting himself in serious trouble during counselling with his wife. Ah yes, who could forget the Trust Tree?
Old School is a seamless movie with a distinct, wasteless flow. It keeps coming after you scene after scene. Nothing is wasted, everything fits. The editing is that good that there isn't one scene you would remove from the flick.
Just a wildly enjoyable romp, from start to finish.
So there we have it. No doubt you, the reader, would have an entirely different top 30, however, hope you enjoyed reading this one. I bet you twenty dollars cash money you have made a mental note to watch at least two of the above again.
Week eight in the Irish Baseball League ‘A’ division sees the Blacksox take on the Greystones Mariners and the Hurricanes travel to Belfast to take on the Belfast Northstars.
The Blacksox/Mariners game is at Shanganah park in Shankill. The Mariners are playing great baseball and currently sit top of the Irish ‘A’ league at 5-2. The Blacksox have had mixed results so far and badly need the win to get their season kick started, they are currently third in the table at 2-3. This promises to be an exciting game.
The Hurricanes are on a road trip, up to Belfast to take on the resurgent Northstars. Belfast managed a spectacular double header sweep of the current champions the Dublin Spartans last weekend. The Northstars are looking to build on that and improve on their 2-2 record. The Hurricanes are 3-1 and looking to climb further up the table.
We write these things and then, largely, we don’t see them again until someone posts a comment with an opposing view, or something along those lines. Here are ten posts from the Boston Irish Blog vault, all related to Soccer football, as they call it Stateside. You know, with the World Cup coming, and all.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2010 Something about Lionel. A Lionel Messi love fest of a piece, worth visiting though If only for the picture of the Barcelona coach holding his head in delighted disbelief at Messi’s goal.
THURSDAY, MARCH 04, 2010 Spain for the World Cup Picked Spain to win it all, and much as I also like a small wager on Argentina, Holland and the Ivory Coast, I am sticking to Spain as my main ‘fancy’. Just too many weapons all over the park.
Winning a tournament near you soon
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2009 The one, the only, Ronaldo. The ‘real’ Ronaldo. Not that flamboyant, flashy and fake one. Big Ron, the real deal.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009 Did that really happen? Thierry Henry, France and FIFA break Irish hearts. Seriously, did that really happen?
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009 One night in Vicar Street ''Today’s belated and relatively last second announcement that the main Irish television station, RTE, has finally secured rights to Wednesday’s crucial World Cup qualifier against France brought back memories.''
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009 Little Billy Simmons goes to Mexico ''The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, went to Mexico last week for the crunch World Cup '10 qualifier between the Mexican hosts and the USA''
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2009 Zu Zu The one, the only Zinidine Zidane
THURSDAY, MAY 07, 2009 Beautiful game 1 - Chelsea 0 Chelsea, a team put together at a cost of hundreds of millions, spent 180 minutes over two games with practically eleven men behind the ball -
"I switched on 20 minutes from the end and heard a commentator say "...has been sent off," For the next five minutes I sat admiring Chelsea's resolve in defending with only ten men, before realizing it was the attacking team who were a man down.''
I am so happy I am going to take my shirt off and shout a lot!
TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2009 Kobe v Zu Zu Spike Lee’s stomach churning ‘documentary’ versus a brilliant movie about Zidane
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2009 Messi time Calling Messi the greatest player in the World a full year before everybody else!
Last Monday against the Yankees the Red Sox and their All Star closer basically imploded. The loss was of the stinging, ugly ilk. Teams are supposed to go on losing streaks after losses akin to that. Instead Boston has ripped off an impressive 6-2 record in eight games against the Yankees, Twins, Phillies and Rays. As indicators go, winning six of eight against the best teams in baseball is pretty decent.
However, this morning you can freely get 20-1 on the Red Sox winning the World Series.
This has to be at least 'considered'.
Sure, Boston might hit another road block and regress back to the losing ways of their troubled start. However, 20-1 is serious value for such a talented squad. If Boston manages to maintain their current path of wins against quality teams, that 20-1 will be sliced to 10-1, then 8-1 and then lower until they are right back at their season starting position of 4-1.
That 20-1 is artificial and the product of Boston's poor start. Any team with Beckett, Lester and Lackey as it's front three, and Clay Bucholz as its number five starter should not be 20-1.
Clay Bulletholez
Any team with the potential of Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis, Victor Martinez and the resurgent David Ortiz should not be 20-1.
Any team that can bounce back from such a moral sapping loss in new York should not be 20-1.
Grab it now while you can, it's a superb 'value' bet, you can place a small wager and get rewarded richly if Boston continues to turn things around and subsequently makes a run at the World Series.
If they hit another slump, what else would you have done with that $10?
Note to self: Check availability of domain name; www.pastthedivingjeter.com
Watching the Yankees lose to the Mets last night, it was hard not to notice Jeter waving, flailing helplessly at a couple of very 'fieldable' ground balls just to his left. If he had got to even one of them the game might have turned out differently.
On a brief yet important tangent, naturally everyone has spotted the Yankees are now only 1.5 games ahead of Boston, right? Are the New York papers freaking out like the end of days is approaching? That's what the Boston papers have been doing this 2010, so it would figure their New York counterparts are doing same?
I digress.
This whole 'Jeter winning a Gold Glove' situation, seriously, it has gone too far.
At best it's a joke. "What do you call a slow roller to Derek Jeter's left?" "Single up the middle!"
At worst, it's one of the best kept 'non-secrets' in Major League baseball. Commentators, players, managers and fans alike all ignore the glaring fact. Indeed they do worse, they laud the player for something he isn't. Watch Fox, ESPN or YES's coverage of the player and you would think you were watching a combination of Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel.
Let me preface this with a disclaimer of sorts. I am a Red Sox fan however I have to admit to a growing respect for Derek Jeter. He plays with class, is respectful of opponents and seems to really enjoy the game, above and beyond his pay check.
Here's the problem though. Derek 'by the dive of' Jeter is not a good Major League shortstop. He is, statistically, a bad player at that position. His defensive statistics are below average, or, in layman's terms, bad. Pretty much everyone knows this, the facts are there for all to see. However ESPN, FOX and the YES network refer to Jeter as a superior defensive players. The latter media outlets incessant adulation of the kid is obviously understandable, but what excuse do Fox, ESPN and other non-Yankee-owned media entities have for their gratuitous, sycophantic behaviour towards Jeter?
Even New Yorks fans have their doubts about their captains defensive abilities.
''Jeter was the best SS in the game last year, when considering the whole package. Defensively though, he's no better than average, probably a bit below average, and in past years has been way below average.'' from nyyfans.com
Jeter (prone, front) shows Roger Clemens (back) how it's done
Jeter's defensive inefficiencies are not a new phenomenon. Among AL shortstops who qualified, Jeter ranked dead last in Range Factor (putouts + assists divided by innings) in 2001, 2002 AND 2003. That's last, behind every other AL shortstop. That is not good. In fact, some might go as far as to say that is bad. Furthermore, among those same AL shortstops who qualified, Jeter ranked dead last in Zone Rating in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
The evidence against Jeter's ridiculous status as a Gold Glove shortstop is almost overwhelming, unless you simply stick your head in the sand emu style to avoid it like the guys in Fox, ESPN and YES. The book The Fielding Bible by John Dewan contains an essay by Bill James which analyzes the available evidence and suggests that Derek Jeter could be the worst defensive shortstop of all time. He concludes, "Giving [Jeter] every possible break on the unknowns, he is still going to emerge as a below average defensive shortstop." That isn't the only source on record with that opinion. The conclusion of the analysis done by 'Baseball Info Solutions', was that Derek Jeter "was probably the most ineffective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position."
Strong words, softly spoken. So, according to the people that put time and effort into actually looking at Jeter's defence, and ignoring the flashy 'jump shots' and flips and concentrate on the every day duties of a Major League shortstop, Derek Jeter is not only below average, he is awful.
So, where on earth have these Gold Gloves come from?
Rawlings Gold Glove AL Award winners
2004 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
2005 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
2006 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
2009 Derek Jeter New York Yankees
According to Wikipedia; ''the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to simply as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the major league player judged to have the most "superior individual fielding performance" at each position (in each league), as voted by the managers and coaches in each league.''
I am confused. Statistically, Jeter, year in year out, delivers some of the worst individual fielding performances at shortstop. He is consistently at the lower half or, worse, bottom of all fielding statistical categories. Yankee fans openly talk about Jeter having zero range to his left and if you google the phrase '..past the diving Jeter...' you get over 79,000 hits.
Take for example Jeter's 'Gold Glove' winning 2004 season. Check out some of his defensive statistics for that season
1. Range Factor: 8th (out of 11)
2. Zone Rating: 6th (out of 11)
3. Fielding Percentage: 4th (out of 11)
4. Fielding Win Shares: 4th (out of 11)
5. Fielding Runs Above Replacement: 5th (out of 11)
6. Ultimate Zone Rating: 8th (out of 11)
Not the worst, but almost the worst, and certainly not the best. Most of all, certainly not deserving of the title- "superior individual fielding performance"
Next time you hear a commentator exclaim "Past a diving Jeter!" just note it down mentally, and recall it when you hear that Jeter has won the 2009 Gold Glove at shortstop. Then go bang your head off the wall for a while. Life is, sometimes, just stupid, and stupid people make stupid decisions and there's nothing we can do about it. Giving Derek Jeter a gold glove ahead of some of the incredible defensive shortstops on show is just stupid. Even the Yankee fans think so!
''Look, there's no denying that Jeter is a way-above-average hitting shortstop and a below-average fielding shortstop. He has been serviceable, and even improved a little over the past few years (although Gold Gloves are a joke). Despite the fact that he has been great for us for a long time, there will come the day when we have to move him somewhere because his fielding at SS will become a liability.'' from nyyfans.com
I started with a disclaimer and I will finish with one. Jeter is a likable player. He works hard, seems pretty loyal and strikes the viewer as a pretty stand up guy. Heck, his mother is Irish for God sake, what's not to like? Actually, Derek, are you busy next summer? Around August? The Irish baseball team could probably fit you in to their next European Championship run. Maybe not at shortstop though.
Anyway, this isn't a random verbal assault on Jeter, this is a plea to those who pick the Gold Gloves and those who write about it. Do your damn job right and call the 2010 award as it is. Jeter is not a Gold Glove caliber defensive player. Rise above the sycophantic desire to crown the Yankee captain and pick someone who actually deserves the title.
If you have to be reminded, simply watch last night's game.
It’s coming. It’s coming soon, it has to be. Eventually, Livan Hernandez is going to get lit up like a Christmas tree. It is only a matter of time. When it happens, it is your responsibility as a gambling sports fan to be there to reap the rewards.
Hernandez is a 35 year old veteran pitcher for the Washington Nationals who has, so far, had an incredibly ‘lucky’ 2010 Major League Baseball Season. On the surface, he appears to be having a sparkling year. He has 4 wins against just 2 losses and his earned run average (ERA) is a miniscule 1.62.
If you look a little bit closer at his 2010 statistics, however, there are major warning signs pointing towards the inevitable ‘market correction’ that’s waiting patiently in the wings. Look at his lack of strikeouts. In 55 innings this season Hernandez has only had 19 strikeouts. This means opposition batters are putting the ball in play. All the time. Up to now, Washington’s defence has been catching the balls in play, and Hernandez is escaping further damage. Amazingly, hitters are posting a .054 batting average on balls in play. That’s a completely insane figure, and will even out, the question is only ‘When?’ Hernandez is currently leaving 98.6% of the runners he puts on, on base. If he kept that up for the entire season, he would instantly walk into the Hall of Fame as the greatest pitcher to have ever played the game. That figure is going to come crashing down.
The fact of the matter is, up to now, Washington’s defensive players have bailed Hernandez out. They are catching everything. Out of pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings, Hernandez has given up more line drives than anyone in baseball. Eventually they are going to start falling to the grass, as opposed to in to a player’s mitt.
Remember, this is a pitcher who rears back for ‘a little extra’ on his fastball and hits 84mph.
Fantasy baseball actually proves helpful in suggesting that Hernandez might be ‘out-punting his coverage’ at time of writing. Hernandez was drafted on average in 260th spot. That’s pretty low down the pecking order. Furthermore, only 70% of players in Yahoo and ESPN fantasy baseball ‘own’ him. That means there are 30% out there who know that eventually this joy ride is going to end.
On top of all that, historically Hernandez is not a dominant, swing and miss, front line ace. He is a work-horse, a competitive and proud battler who will give you 200+ innings and generally keep your team in the game. He is not a Cy Young candidate. His life time career ERA is 4.39, a whopping 3 points higher than his current ERA of 1.46. He has won 160 games in the Majors, however on the flip side of that coin he has lost 153.
Assuming no one is injured and the Nationals don’t have to juggle their rotation, here are Hernandez’s next few games.
Tues May 25th – San Francisco
Sun May 30th – San Diego
Fri Jun 4th - Cincinnati
Thu, Jun 10 - Pittsburgh
Tues June 15th - Detroit
On one of those nights Eisler Livan Hernandez is going to get rocked.
You could approach this upcoming schedule in a couple of ways. You could ‘root’ for Hernandez until June 15th, hoping he keeps weaving his magic tricks until then, and unload your bankroll on Detroit. Or you can just get started right now, start by backing San Francisco on May 25th.
On a somewhat related note, if I was a Livan Hernandez owner in Fantasy baseball, I would start shopping him around the next few weeks as he pitches against the likes of San Diego and Pittsburgh. He might collect another couple of wafer thin ‘great’ starts against those Punch and Judy line-ups and you might be able to lure some unsuspecting rookie into giving up a solid bat for him. His value is going to plummet dramatically on June 15th or even before then if the Reds or Giants get to him, and the roof comes caving in on his ‘lucky’ season.
So, hop in with me, the water is good, lets circle like sharks, humming the ‘Jaws’ theme tune, until the inevitable shellacking appears. It’s only a matter of time.
In case you haven’t heard, rumours flying around the Internet have Cleveland Cavaliers sometimes point guard often tattooed Delonte West having an affair with none other than James LeBron’s mother. That’s right, his Momma!! Oh boy oh boy where to start with this hot tamalé?
First thing that jumps to mind, West used to be a Celtic, not too long ago either, so how do we know he wasn't planted on the Cavs and set to, excuse the pun, ‘go off’ at the exact right moment when the Celtics v Cavs series was still in the balance?
LeBron’s Mom and Delonte in the news (You know you are in uncharted waters with the below references!)
It's not especially original to observe that athletes are artists in their own right. What's interesting is when they remind you of specific performers. It can be how they look (Robert Ryan for "The Ted Williams Story," Matt Damon ditto for Tom Brady).
The Damon/Brady one is good, however Damon is a little short for that one, no? How about Daniel Bard plays Brady instead? They could shoot it in September/October, Bard probably won’t be doing much then anyway.
One I would add is, Roger the crazy alien from American Dad could play Rajon Rondo. Uncanny, right?
All of this brings to mind -Anyone who watches Sky Sports coverage of the NFL can testify that former Chicago Bears superstar Shaun Gayle has amazingly morphed into a carbon copy of Irish National Team and Hurricanes legend Tom Kelley. What makes it more intriguing is that their mannerisms also seem almost identical. Further embroiling the situation, they both graduated from Ohio based schools!
Steady on now, everybody settle down. All over New England and indeed the World (isn’t the Internet just super!?) Red Sox fans are exploding with ridiculous negative hyperbole. The general word on the street is, the team is struggling so badly that it might be time to consider drastic options, like blowing it up and starting again. Cool heads are hard to find. Even after a short winning streak, the negativity far outweighs the alternative.
Facebook and Twitter are bursting at the seams with negative invective.
ESPN polls are asking people to vote on individual circumstances, trying to put a single percentage number as a reason for Boston’s early season struggles. As with almost everything in life, it’s just not that simple. It isn’t one single thing; it is a combination of situations and circumstances that are currently working against Boston. They won’t contrive to do so all season long, of that you can be sure, however right now they are definitely weighing Ye Olde Team down a little.
So, with that in mind, what exactly are we looking at? You don’t need to be sitting in the Phillies bullpen with binoculars in order to see Boston’s problems are basically the following sticky mess of issues. Here’s the twist, every single one of them is fixable. Faced with the below eclectic list of serious issues, lesser teams may have crumbled, lesser teams could be next best thing to winless at this stage. The Sox, instead, are still fighting and still just a good winning streak away from challenging in the toughest division in all of baseball.
Boston’s ‘issues’
Marco Scutaro (however not for the reason you might think at first)
Missing outfielders
The DH position
Starting pitching
Relief pitching
Schedule
The Scutaro situation Two weeks Gordon Edes ‘had a pop’ at him in ESPN, calling his signing ‘underwhelming’. Plenty of other sports writers have had a go at him. Just a handful of weeks into the season and it seems everyone is trying to write off Marco Scutaro before he has had a chance to prove himself. The problem is, he isn’t doing that bad. Are people rushing to take him down just so they can continue churning out clichéd ‘The Sox always have problems at the Shortstop position’ pieces? The key here is bear in mind Marco is batting out of order, way out of order, in Ellsburys absence. Scutaro was brought in to add length, runs and OBP to the bottom of the Sox order. He is meant to be batting 8th or 9th. Instead the Sox have had to ask him to fill in as a leadoff batter. The results? A .283 average, 13 hits in his last 10 games, third on the Sox in hits (ahead of Kevin Youkilis). How can the Sox, the media and the fanbase expect more?
Finally on this note, just watch the games. Having tuned in to the vast majority of Sox games, I know my own eyes don’t lie to me, Scutaro is a very nice shortstop. He makes some great plays in the hole, makes all the outs, covers plenty of grass, and has been a great fill in for Ellsbury in his absence. Give the guy a break, he is doing much more than expected of him, in an unusual position in the lineup.
Missing outfielders On a related note, Boston had played most of its early season games without Ellsbury and Cameron, two thirds of their outfield. Jacoby Ellsbury, ranked between 25 and 30 on most Fantasy baseball charts at season open, has played six games this season. He is the spark at the top of the Sox order, not to mention one of the most exciting young outfielders in the game. His return will be an enormous boost to the Sox lineup. Cameron’s return would also be a boost, to the bottom half of the order. That’s the key, Beltre/Cameron/Scutaro are all meant to populate the 7th, 8th and 9th spot in the Sox order. That’s what they were brought in for, and when everyone is back, the Sox order will suddenly have the length they expected of it. These two guys are going to be a huge ‘addition’ in the next couple of weeks.
The DH position Apparently Boston has a DH that isn’t hitting .350 and sitting on 25 home runs already. You may not have heard this. Enough already with the Ortiz bashing. Any mainstream journalist that peddles this story in the next couple of weeks should be banned from writing ever again on the grounds of terminal laziness. Find something else to write about. On top of that, Ortiz has actually started to hit. Take all the precautionary superstitious measures, touch wood etc, however, it appears the big guy has started to cluster a few hits together.
Schedule The Sox have played a pretty tricky schedule so far. Plenty of exposure to very good teams. They will eventually hit a soft spot on the schedule and reel of a ten win streak, giving them the confidence they are missing at the moment. There have been some low points, dropping games to the Orioles and struggling against the Yankees. There has also been some high points, peppering Blue Jays pitching recently, and sweeping a four game series from the Angels. It will all even out in the long run. It is a 162 game schedule, not a 30 game schedule.
Relief pitching Hey, nobody in Major League baseball is perfect, when it comes to relief pitching. Boston are like every other team at this early stage. They are trying to find the best bullpen pieces for the right situations. The bad news is, some of the guys they brought with them from spring training are not going to help much. The good news? The core of something good, something solid, is already there. With a close game, Francona can hand the ball off to any combination of Delcarmen or Okajima and then Bard with increasing levels of confidence. Bard in particular is really finding his feet this season. The best news is Papelbon. He is absolutely dominating the ninth inning of any game he comes into, abusing opposition batters with his mid 90’s heat and a killer split finger. Boston could maybe use one more reliable bullpen arm, but hey, so could everyone else.
Probably no need to worry about this bullpen..
Starting pitching Not so long ago people were actually endorsing moving Jon Lester to AAA to ‘sort himself out’. I wish I was making that up, however it is true. Genuine online media sources. They know who they are. Since that low point Lester 3-0 with a 0.98 ERA and 30 strikeouts in his last four starts. In that time, his ERA has plummeted from 8.44 to 3.71.
Beckett himself had a fantastic quote a few years ago about the life of the starting pitcher. He basically said in a 35 start season, on about 10 of those a pitcher feels superhuman, unhittable and untouchable. For another 15 or so he feels pretty decent. The other 10 are a struggle, sometimes a struggle just to get the ball over the plate. Look at AJ Burnett – his last start he had allowed nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits and three walks, striking out four before he was finally mercifully yanked out of the game.
Good times are just ahead for Beckett.. clearly..
The one thing that is glaring when it comes to Beckett, is that old chestnut of Tito Francona showing way too much loyalty to his players. It seems to be a running theme amongst contemporary Red Sox skippers. If it isn’t Jimmy Williams starting Steve Avery despite the Sox Front Office’s wishes, it’s Tito allowing Beckett or Lester recent chances to clean up their own messes on the basepaths. There is no doubt that most managers would have yanked Beckett in the sixth inning when his command started to falter. Tito, however, believes so much in his players that he will stick by them thick and thin, if it’s Pedroia off to a .160 start in his rookie year, or Beckett hitting and walking Yankees like there is no tomorrow.
There is a flip side to that coin of course. That same loyalty is part of the reason the Red Sox have had such a harmonious and healthy clubhouse the last several years. The players love playing for Francona, because they know he is a ‘players manager’.
With all the ridiculous panic going on around Red Sox Nation you would think the Sox were ten games under .500. The fact of the matter is they are one game over .500. A new season basically started against the Blue Jays. Boston has a clean slate and plenty of reasons to be positive about the season ahead.
Want to call it a day already on the ’10 season? I suggest you go watch a different sport. Baseball isn’t meant for you.
'....what?!'
'So, where's my parade?'
