Musings from Mandy

I realized the other day, quite how much I am not over the Patriots lost. I'm still absolutely angry. As one of my students proved the other day with his, Giant's Super Bowl hat, complete with it's, "We Wanted It More" logo, I am angry, I am hurt, and I wanted my Super Bowl ring and even the warm wonderful glow of spring training is not quite warming the ice over my sports heart. *I live in coastal Eastern North Carolina, and I've been waiting to see this whole Duke / UNC feud up close . A few weeks ago, I saw that match up at a neighborhood sports bar, and quite frankly, I'm tired of hearing about how other rivalries rival the Boston / New York rivalry. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen anything yet to see show me otherwise. *Does Tiger Woods actually drive a Buick? I don't think so. At least, I hope not. I've seen the picture of his house, and I don't see a Buick parked in that driveway. *The NBA All Star game uni's did nothi...

Went to the Rangers game last night. I really wanted to get there early and yell at the Texas players how weak their fans are and how annoying the song, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" clap clap clap, but I had to return some overdue library books and go to the ATM on the way. As Katie and I were cutting through the common, a man yelled to us, "Going to the game?", we told him we were, and he asked who they were playing, we told him Texas, and he proceeded to argue that we were actually playing the Devil Rays and that Matsuzaka was pitching. You're a day early, buddy. Don't let this pony tail fool you Sir, I know my shit. There was no line at the Cask and Flagon, so we had to stop in and have a beverage. The Old Cask is 10 times better than the new Cask, by the way. Anyway, two drinks later we head into Fenway and stop behind home plate to watch the pre-game stuff and come to realize we are standing right next to Larry Lucchino donning a red hat with the...

10 Things I think I think (Sorry Mr. King) 1. I think that apparently all of NESN's gross cross promoting marketing bullshit might actually work. I cursed the Red Sox all day for all that Rousch Fenway Group bullshit, then yesterday checked to see how the Fenway guys were doing on ESPN. But that being said, I did not watch the race. Watching people drive around in ovals is still boring. 2. I think I'm seeing why Danny Ainge made that trade. Because he doesn't have a few years to wait for these guys to develop. He needs to win now to save his job. And with the weak East, there's no reason PP, Allen, and AJ can get us the 7th or 8th seed. That being said, if you're going youth movement, go all the way. I also think that Bob Ryan can say it better than I can, "It is a fact I signed off on trading the fifth pick for a veteran. But I was kinda thinking about someone born after 1980. On a list of improbable, no-one-of-sound-mind-and-sober-judgment-would-eve...

So, the other day I was reading my ESPN the Mag, and there was a section about the best way to get autographs. Now, I have to say, autographs have never done much for me. I'd much rather get my picture taken with the player then have them sign something that will end up in a photo album and then eventually get ruined when the basement floods. In my autograph collection, I have Nancy Kerrigan (at Toys “R” us when I was maybe 12). (Funny side story, I need a piece of paper, so my dad handed me a notebook that we hadn’t bought yet, and I thought for sure I was going to get arrested. And then, my dad wouldn’t even buy the notebook that I had used to get the autograph, he just tore out the page and put it his pocket…and I was horrified we were stealing paper!). My second autograph is ML Carr. My mom won some contest when she worked in the bakery at Shaw’s (I’m serious, she worked there). So my dad and I got to go play basketball on the court at the Garden. The real Garden, not TD Bankno...

10 thoughts... First, tomorrow I am going to introduce my kick ass sociology experiment. So you can all look forward to that. But keep in mind that I squeeked through Intro to Sociolgy with a C- because instead of actually finishing my final project, I went to the Dive and just passed in whatever I had already done the next day. It actually might not be a sociology experiment, but it is definitely an experiment. Second, I'm glad to hear nothing is seriously physically wrong with Curt, and am glad that they are putting him on the DL anyway. We need him healthy in the fall. It's also important to note that I feel like a complete jerk about my letter that I wrote to him the other day. Third, my fantasy team is trying to kill me. I have a guy on there named Doug Brocial. He plays for the Padres. I don't know whether he is a lefty or a righty or what he looks like, but I do know he's been very reliable this year. So when I come in to work this morning, I see I'v...

The absolute worst thing that could have possibly happened to the Celtics, happened. I mean, what did Portland to do to deserve Oden? And Seattle? They don't even know where they will be playing next year!! Seriously? Seriously? Sportsguy wrote about karma yesterday (And quite frankly I'm a little concerned we haven't heard from them yet.)...I really think karma took the night off last night. The Celtics were due for something good to happen to them, and it...well it didn't. However, one thing I want to mention is that the Celtics hired extra people to man the phones to take season ticket orders today...and (I'm just assuming this isn't usually there), a 1/2 page ad in the Globe. Do they know nothing? That is just like mapping out the victory parade before the championship win. I've only read the Globe coverage at home, but Peter May has a good recap of last night while Bob Ryan wonders what exactly this is the curse of? A look at it from the owne...

Hello MFY, so we meet again. It’s nearly June and the Red Sox are (get ready, breathe in, breathe out) 10 and a half games up on the 2nd place Yankees and Orioles, and…drum roll please, only 1 and one half game out of last place. See Devil Rays fans (all 3 of you), there is hope for you yet! Anyway, two months in and heading into the 3rd Yankees series of the season…here are some of my thoughts: *I don’t want Karma to take this the wrong way, but it almost seems like it’s going too easy. I mean, I’m a Boston fan, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. (all while hoping it doesn’t). *Dr. Charles Steinberg is really responsible for Papelbon having “Shipping up to Boston” play when he gets to the mound? And here I was so excited that he loves that song. (and another thing, I hate people called doctor that aren’t actually the people you want working on you when you drop from a heart attack or something…If I ever get a doctorate of History or something, I am not having people call me...

*We all know how I feel about him, but I mean, how great is Tom Brady? Tom restructured his contract so that they could add Randy Moss and still come in under the cap. *Dan Shaugnessy says that love is blind when it comes to us Boston fans. Here is the thing with this article, he starts off strong, saying that we are blind when it comes to the Patriots acquiring Randy Moss, and that if the Sox had signed Barry Bonds this off season, we would have gotten on the bandwagon, and if the Sox sign Roger Clemens, then he'll go back to being the Rocket we all know and love. First of all, on Barry, I will never, ever, root for Barry Bonds. It has nothing to do with steriods, because, who really knows who is on and who is off and who has been on the juice. Do I think Bonds cheated? Yes. Am I sure that all my favorite players never did? No. So, I don't hate Barry Bonds because he's a cheater. I hate Barry Bonds because he's a dick. Dan then says to bring on Terrell Owens...

Dice-K is sadly a memeber of the Tim Wakefield school of run support. Overall he looked good though...Daisuke could have very easily gotten out of the 4th with the questionable call with Veronon Wells safe at first after Mike Lowell's throw, and, if that sharp grounder to Lugo had been hit to Gonzales instead of Lugo it's a double play. (Lugo's been good mostly with the D though). (also, I'm really starting to fall for J.D. - until the first pulled hamstring anyway) It's okay though, I can't think of a better place for Dice-K to get his second win than this Sunday @ Fenway against the MFYankees. *Devern has looked like the real thing so far for the PawSox . * Edes's notebook has Gabe Kapler forgetting to put Lester on the scorecard the other day, and the pitcher had to miss his start. He ended up throwing a simulated game instead. Gabe Kapler, who was willing to go to the low minors to learn how to manage, was caught by one of the game's technicalit...

HAPPY 100th POST to ME, and you! so my timing didn't quite work out to coincide with my return from Texas, oh well... Working through lunch today to get a blog update for you. (okay that's a lie, I was late this morning). Last night, Paul and I were watching The Deadliest Catch , aka, world's greatest hour of television. This year is more of the same, catching crabs and making obscene amounts of money. Tragedy struck the Bering Sea last night (as it usually does), as a ship carrying 4 fisherman sunk. We got to ride along with the Coast Guard rescue crew to go fish (no pun intended) the guys out of the water. At the end of the show, one fisherman was safely in the chopper but we have to wait till next week to see what happened to the others, and to see who brings in the biggest pot. Personally, my money is on Sig Hansen, world's greatest crab fisher. (and pictured above). If you want to check out Sig's website, it's pretty great. Anyway, we were channel check...

*Dice-K gave up 0 hits yesterday but was unhappy with is 5 walks, and was unwilling to speak with the media after the game. I personally, always got mad when I gave up no hits and runs when I pitched. (okay, I never pitched, but you get the point). Shaughnessy says Matsuzaka was seen stretching out during the game and icing after it. (he never ices) Let the massive panic attack begin. Dan does point out, "Only in Boston. Only here could there be a crisis after a guy throws a five-inning no-hitter." *Papelbon looked good yesterday. Craig Hansen did not . *The Ritz-Carlton is making a new Dice-K Tini which has, “includes three parts vodka, one part passion fruit puree and one part sake. It is garnished with a glowing red ice cube made to like dice and pickled ginger.” *Jo-EL Pineiro may be on the market . The mostly likely trade partner is the Reds according to Jeff Horrigan. *Colts President Bill Polian praises the Patriots off season moves . You think Bill? The...

*Karen Guregian has an article on Lester and him wanting to rush to come back, but still having cancer in the back of his mind. *Jackie MacMullan has a real good story on Mike Pressler , the former Duke lacrosse coach who is now the coach at Bryant University in Rhode Island. *The Celtics lost to the Hornets 106-88 . Kevin Durant! *Asante Samuel did not come ot the offseason work out program yesterday, but a lot of players, including Samuel choose to work out at home, or with their alma mater. *I guess on WEEI yesterday, Michael Holley said he is 75% sure that Greg Oden will stay in school. I can't blame him, I would have stayed in school too. *And, last but not least, Mike Reiss's football notes Sunday had this story: The act was so selfless by Troy Brown that the McGowan family of Attleboro wanted to share the story, even though Brown requested that there be no publicity. Eight-year-old Matthew McGowan had been admitted to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence last...

I did not do a running diary of the Orioles and Red Sox yesterday for three reasons. #1. I made a gourmet dinner yesterday during the game. Goat cheese mashed potatoes, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, and breaded chicken. It was quite delicous if I do say so myself. #2. Was anyone elses sound all messed up yesterday? I couldn't hear a thing Jerry and Don were saying, but I could hear some fans like they were sitting next to me. Way to be NESN, please, keep screwing up the 3 Spring Training games that you do show. #3. My cousin Kerry came over to watch the game with me / talk about our Texas Ranger trip (3 weeks!). Anyway, some thoughts from the game: *When they had on Tom Werner and John Henry in the bottom of the 1st, it was painfully uncomfortable to watch JWH on TV. You can tell he hates every minute of it. As the Sox batted Steve Traschel around, JWH called him, "painfully deliberate". I'm pretty sure that is how he feels about all his on camera appearances as w...

Hey everyone, sorry I've been slacking, I'll make it up to you when real Red Sox games begin. As for now, here are a few links... Tom Brady is going to have a baby...with Giselle? The Boston Globe thinks so. Personally, I don't think it is true. Bob Ryan has a nice article on Tim Wakefield . Honestly, nothing going on. Glenn Murray has a lower body injury, the Celtics lost (way to get back on track guys)...

By Jackie MacMullan, Globe Columnist February 23, 2007 He was the guy who would miss 11 straight shots, then come down the court with everything on the line and drill the game-winner without blinking. That's how I will remember Dennis Johnson, the freckle-faced bulldog who joined the Celtics in 1983 and was a pivotal member of the 1984 and '86 championship teams. DJ's role was often diminished amid the long shadows of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, yet he was the one Bird singled out as "the best teammate I've ever played with." Johnson collapsed and died yesterday in Austin, Texas, where he was the coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. He was 52 years old, too young to have his life cut so terribly short. "What a sad, sad day," said McHale. "I tell you, this one really hits you. I was just talking to a friend who had just talked with DJ, and he was telling me how excited DJ was about his team. I guess his guy...

A little Youtube well worth watching...

Sad day in Boston sports… I know very little about the Celtics. I know a lot of the important things, 16 Championships, the retired numbers hanging from the rafters (most of them anyway), Bird, McHale, Parish, Auerbach, victory cigars, Lenny Bias, dead spots, and turning up the heat in the Garden and turning off the hot water in the visitors locker room. I loved Reggie Lewis and even tried to talk my dad into buying me a “35” jersey. That being said, I didn’t know a ton about Dennis Johnson, I knew he was a great player, World Champion, I even knew that he laid in Bird’s steal. When I did my nightly check of ESPN.com and saw, Dennis Johnson: dead at 52, I guess the highest form of flattery would be that when I told my mom, she was legitimately sad. (this is the same woman who asked me if Walter Payton was Peyton Manning’s father before the Super Bowl because she had heard that Peyton Manning’s father played football). The second form of flattery is that neither one of us wanted to be ...

All kinds of fun this morning (mainly because Papi came to camp yesterday and he's always good for a ridiculous quote or two. *Curt Schilling told WEEI this morning that he would file for free agency after the season after being told by Theo yesterday that the Red Sox would not be offering him a contract before the end of Spring Training. Now, I love Curt, I really do, but I'm sick of hearing his voice. It's great that he doesn't want a raise in '08 and will be willing to play for 13 million, but its not crazy to think that the Red Sox will be hoping any one of a number of young pitchers will be ready by then to take over the 3, 4, 5 slots in the rotation, with Dice-K and Beckett (hopefully!) holding down the 1, 2. Curt also said he would not pitch for the Yankees, but I've heard that some where before. *The Red Sox present David Ortiz with a truck yesterday, which, I guess is a gesture of, "We know you are a bargin at 13 mil, hopefully this Toyota wil...