Rex Ryan Says Screw You To Dieting

Rex Ryan will not be going on Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers anytime soon. The nutty Jets coach instead underwent a lap-band procedure on Saturday. Some great stuff in this article include the fact that Ryan gained 30 lbs since signing on with the Jets. Ryan weighed at least 340 pounds last season, so I guess it is a good thing that he is getting the procedure done. I don't understand how these guys stand alongside well conditioned athletes day-after-day in practice, yet never do anything for themselves. Hopefully this procedure goes better than the one Charlie Weiss had.

Trupiano Says Nomar Not Problem

On 98.5 The Sports Hub this morning, former Red Sox radio broadcaster Jerry Trupiano said Nomar Garciaparra was not a problem during the 2004 season. He went further and said Boston could have won with the SS in a Sox uniform. Trup said that anybody who blames Nomar is incorrect. He stated over and over this morning that Nomar was not a clubhouse cancer. Additionally, he added that all the Sox needed to do to atone for Nomar's errors was to get a new 1st baseman. He stated that the pre Doug Mientkiewicz combination of Big Papi and Kevin Millar was not good for Nomar. According to Trup, 'they didn't have the proper footwork' to deal with Nomar's tailing throws from short.

So this one is formally up for debate. I already said that Nomar needed to be traded for the Sox to win in 2004. What do you think?

Staying Alive!

Merrimack beat Boston University tonight in overtime by a score of 3-2. Joe Cucci scored on the first shot of overtime, 2:16 into the extra session. I would provide more details but the game wasn't televised. Don't worry, tomorrow night we will be reporting live from Agganis Arena. Who goes to a game 2 when your team is down 1-0? All you can be is disappointed! Game 3 tomorrow night from Agganis at 7pm. Let's Go Mack!

Daisuke Wah-suzaka Out Again

The Daisuke saga continues! Not only did Matsuzaka not throw BP like he was supposed to, he then refused to address the media after he sat out with neck pain. He did issue a statement through the team spokesperson, although I find it very odd that Matsuzaka REFUSED to speak to the media. What is he afraid of? Sounding like a huge pussy? I mean, we already know that he is. The guy conceals injuries, fails to start spring training on time because of an injury, and now can't throw freaking BP because of another injury. What can we expect from this huge loser this year?

Here's his statement: "I didn't throw live BP today due to stiffness in my neck. As for my schedule going forward, I'm going to see how I feel tomorrow, meet with the coaching staff and decide at that point."

Terry Francona must just shake his head everytime he hears of a new Daisuke situation. What a hell of a prima donna to have on his hands. Get Tim Wakefield ready. He is my #5 starter going into the season.

Winnipeg Coming Back To The NHL?

Although most hockey fans are onto this story, it looks like Winnipeg will once again be home to an NHL team. According to this article, it is not far fetched that either the Phoenix Coyotes or Atlanta Thrashers will be relocated to Winnipeg to play out of the MTS Centre next year. This is great news, as everybody who loves the NHL pleads for more franchises to be setup in Canada. The best hockey fans come out of Canada, and it is far more appealing for the Bruins to play in Winnipeg than it is when they travel to Phoenix.

Winnipeg had some serious issues when the Jets played there, but that was a different time. The club was struggling financially to begin with, and that was coupled with the fact that the Canadian economy was in shambles. Now, with the Canadian dollar trading at 98 cents, it seems that the economy has straightened out for a club to return to Winnpeg.



Haha, listen to what the fines are at the end of the video. This is great, and this is why the Winnipeg Jets are needed back in town.

Merrimack Not Great Against BU

Merrimack lost 3-2 tonight to BU. The Warriors had a 2-0 lead, but that really didn't show the entire story. They were outshot 41-28 in the game, and after 2 periods they were being outshot 32-15. Goalie Joe Cannata was standing on his head throughout the game for the Warriors. It was a strange contest, as Mack played on the defensive nearly the entire time. They kept one forward at center ice nearly the entire game, allowing the Terriers to really play 4x4 in their offensive zone. It allowed BU to really get in tight on Mack's goaltender.

That being said, BU's goals were a bit cheap, and the first two could have been disallowed. The first came on an unreal 3 on 0 breakaway. The bull-rush was started after a BU forward elbowed a Merrimack defender off of the play. It easily could have been called interference.

The 2nd BU goal came when a BU player shoved a Merrimack defender into Mack goaltender Joe Cannata. Cannata was more or less behind the net as BU wrapped the puck around the net and in for the goal. That should have been a penalty on the Terriers, yet the NESN announcers failed to mention any of this on the broadcast. In my rulebook, it is not legal when a goalie is obstructed via an opposing player.

Vinny Saponari scored both the 2nd and 3rd goals for BU. The gamewinner came 4:11 into the final period. So Merrimack falls 3-2, and trail in the series 1-0. With any luck they could have had a win, although they were outplayed for the majority of the game. It will take a serious effort for the Warriors to rebound and tie up this series.

Interview With Mark Dennehy

Tonight the Merrimack Warriors will face Boston University in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs. We got the opportunity to ask head coach Mark Dennehy on his thoughts of this past season as well as the upcoming playoffs. He even threw in a surprise Nelson Mandela quote. Enjoy.

Sports Juke: It's been six years since the Warriors have made the playoffs. What's the feeling like in the locker room knowing that on Friday night your team will be competing for a Hockey East Championship?
Mark Dennehy: Our team has worked very hard for an extended period of time to get to this point. There are a lot of players from successful high school, prep school, and junior programs who have played in big games before. This is what we want. We are excited about the challenge ahead of us this weekend.

Sports Juke: What will it take for the Warriors to move past the Terriers and advance to the TD Bank Garden?
Mark Dennehy: We have to win 2 games against the defending National and Hockey East Champs in a rink we have never beaten them. Still, to quote Nelson Mandela-"It always seems impossible until its done."

Sports Juke: This Warriors team is young and doesn't have the experience that a lot of the Hockey East schools yet they still play well in tough environments. Your team showed great composure in scoring two late goals to win at Vermont. Can you talk about what it takes to win on the road?
Mark Dennehy: Belief! When 6,000 fans are cheering against you, you have to believe you can do it, or it will never happen. This team believes in each other. They know how hard each one of them has worked for the other.

Sports Juke: How will the future of Merrimack hockey be impacted by the playoff series with Boston University?
Mark Dennehy: Merrimack beat BU in 1998 to get to the Garden, but there were some differences. First of all, they finished last, whereas this year's team finished 6th. Secondly, and more relevant to your question, this team has at its core a number of underclassmen.

Sports Juke: The 2009-10 season has been one of the most exciting and successful seasons in recent Merrimack history. Is the team aware of the past and what are the expectations for the future?
Mark Dennehy: We will draw on the past for experience, but no one in this program wants to think about tomorrow. This team is having too much time in the present!


You can watch tonight's game at 7:00p live on NESN. Go Warriors.

Dropsy McDropperson Signs With Browns

Oh No. Not Ben Watson. Please don't take our beloved TE away from us. Dropsy has signed a 3 year way overpaid 12 million dollar deal with the Browns today. The video above is my last memory of Ben Watson.

The guy could have been a great talent, but for some reason never put it all together. He has the makeup and skills to be dominant, yet he is not. His greatest play of all time was tracking down Champ Bailey in the playoffs, a moment that demonstrated his incredible athleticim. But, where was that all the time? How come we didn't see more of it? Ben Watson, like Nomar, will go down in my books as a loser.

Hockey East Playoffs Preview

No. 1 New Hampshire (16-11-7, 15-6-6 Hockey East) vs. No. 8 Vermont (15-12-7, 9-11-7) — The Wildcats, who earned their third regular-season title in four seasons, are looking to reverse their all-too-familiar pattern of underachieving in the postseason. The good news for the Wildcats is they were almost flawless on home ice, earning a 9-0-4 mark against league foes. Although UNH was third in the league in scoring (3.41 goals per game), the power play was ninth out of 10 teams with just a 16.9 percent success rate. However, there are many factors in UNH’s favor, chief among them league scoring leader Bobby Butler (41 points) and goaltender Brian Foster (15-11-7, .906 save percentage, 3.06 goals-against average). The Catamounts, who made it to the Frozen Four last season, didn’t beat UNH in the regular season (0-2-1).



No. 2 Boston College (21-10-3, 16-8-3) vs. No. 7 Massachusetts (18-16-0, 13-14-0) — The Eagles were strong at home, earning a 12-2-0 mark this season. They finished tied with Maine for the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 3.71 goals. The combination of Joe Whitney, Brian Gibbons, and Cam Atkinson has been light’s out. Their scoring defense was second only to UMass-Lowell (2.41 goals allowed). BC was the best penalty-killing squad in the league with an 86.1 percent success rate. UMass had the lowest penalty-killing rate in the league at 77.5 percent. Coach Don Cahoon said the Minutemen have been much better recently, particularly with the return of Doug Kublin. One benefit of having help in that area is relief for dependable defenseman Justin Braun.




No. 3 Boston University (16-15-3, 13-12-2) vs. No. 6 Merrimack (15-17-2, 12-13-2) — The defending national champion has been a Jekyll and Hyde team most of the season. The first semester was nothing short of dreadful. The second semester has been a significant turnaround, particularly the play of goaltender Kieran Millan. The Terriers finished fourth in the league in scoring (3.32 goals) but ninth in defense (3.35 goals). History doesn’t favor the Warriors in this matchup. They are 1-17-0 vs. BU over the last six seasons. However, coach Mark Dennehy’s squad, which earned the school’s first playoff berth since 2004, has been in playoff mode for the last several weekends and is hoping to ride that momentum in this series. One outstanding weapon the Warriors have is freshman Stephane Da Costa, who scored 44 points in 31 games.


No. 4 Maine (16-15-3, 13-12-2) vs. No. 5 UMass-Lowell (18-14-4, 12-11-4) — The Black Bears were dealt a serious blow when sophomore goaltender Scott Darling was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules. But they are confident they have the tools to beat the dangerous River Hawks. One of those tools is a best-in-the-nation power play, which has scored at a 29.5 percent clip. Gustav Nyquist leads the Black Bears — and the nation — with 56 points and 38 assists. He had at least 1 point in 29 of 34 games. The River Hawks have never beaten the Black Bears in postseason play (0-12-0). But coach Blaise MacDonald’s squad enters the game riding a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2). Senior forward Kory Falite has had an excellent season with 33 points and the team has two strong goalies in Carter Hutton and Nevin Hamilton.

This article was taken from the Boston Globe. I just added the nice pictures.

Nomar With Andy Gresh On 98.5 The Sports Hub

If you didn't hear, here are a couple of great questions that Andy Gresh asked Nomar Garciaparra. After hearing this, Nomar apparently complained to Sox brass. Now, 98.5 will be lucky if they have any Red Sox guests on in the near future. Great questions by Gresh, you have to applaud him on this!

Tiger Going At Bay Hill

If I am going to support Tiger Woods' comeback, it will be because he doesn't act like a dirtbag and phony when speaking with the press. If he apologizes for his transgressions, and tells people that he was 'just a sickman', than I will puke. Woods cannot come out and look like a fraud like Nomar Garciaparra. We all know that Tiger's apology less than a month ago was a complete joke. He sounded like he was lying throughout the entire speech, and I hate seeing the great players look like fools. My advice to Tigs once again: go out there, kick ass, and don't apologize to anyone. Only talk golf!

He will get support on the tee at Bay Hill. God knows the sport needs him, and he needs the sport. It is a twisted relationship, that will only get weirder if he lies to us in front of the camera. Tiger could win this event because, well, he is Tiger. The only thing that would spoil it is if he stares blankly into the camera after the event and says that the only thing that matters to him is his wife.

Introduction Fail

It's tough to write something that will make this post better. This is a perfect example of a picture is worth a thousand words. The clip is from the Minnesota High School hockey tournament. I give him a 7/10 on the fall and a 10/10 and on the wave. Well played sir, well played.

Dennehy And Parker On The Matchup

On March 9th, Hockey East held a press conference for the coaches involved in the Hockey East playoffs. While we wait for Merrimack Coach Mark Dennehy to respond to our questions, we post thoughts he offered with Hockey East Online.

Dennehy on Boston University
“We haven’t been able to figure BU out in their building. We’re a resilient group. In the past, we’ve been intimidated to play at their place. Last year’s team could intimidate a lot of schools especially at Agganis, but we’ve stuck with it. I expect a pretty hard fought series. They’re big and physical, but we have those characteristics in our locker room as well. I’m sure Coach Parker is going to have everyone believe that we are the favorites, but everyone is 0-0 again. We have to take the positives that we can play with anyone in the league. But we have to notice the negatives. We laid a few eggs in the final stretch. You have to control what you can control and playing hard is one thing you can control. Hopefully, we bring confidence into the series. We haven’t broken through at Agganis yet unfortunately.”

Jack Parker on being overconfident against Merrimack:

“If we’re overconfident, we’d have to check ourselves into Mattapan State Hospital. Not just because how good a team Merrimack is, but who we are all year. We weren’t even close to them in the game we lost up at Merrimack and they could have won either of the games that were played [at Agganis Arena].”

“Our team knows how good of a team [Merrimack] is. When I watch this team play, I’m flabbergasted that more people aren’t talking about how good they are and I was flabbergasted at how they struggled sometimes early on on the road, but now they’re playing much better on the road as well. [At times this season], they’ve had the best home record and the best power play in college hockey.”

“They present a lot of problems and their style presents a lot of problems – the way they stretch, the way they chip pucks out of the zone. They make it difficult for us to play our game and they make it difficult for any team to go after them, and we like to go after people. They make it difficult when they get the puck – they are so talented when they come across the blue line and center ice. They can bang and cycle with anybody.”

“I’m already afraid of them, so I don’t think my team will anything but concerned with a real good Merrimack team.”

Well, Jack Parker is scared of us. He said it.

Pierce and Garnett Fighting?

I didn't see this clip from the Celtics/Wizards game a few days ago. I haven't heard anything about Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett fighting, but this video is certainly interesting. I have no idea if Pierce is pumping KG up, or if Pierce is pissed at KG. You tell me! Either way, there is probably some in-fighting going on now after last night's disgraceful loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Celts are looking pretty pathetic now after losses to the Bucks and now the Grizz. It's not a good sign that this team is still having problems in the middle of March.

Dennis Wideman's Bachelor Pad

I am jealous of Dennis Wideman (his apartment, not his play). His place looks really nice. Nearly every day I dream about my own sports room. Call it Man Town, Man Cave or whatever you wish, I just want a cool room. My fiance can decorate the rest of the place as long as I get my one room. The best part is that she's totally cool with the idea too. I want my room to have a flat screen TV, a bar, pool table, and nice pictures on the wall. Not posters like I'm living back in Ash 141 at Merrimack but cool pictures. My framed Bobby Orr pictures are a good start. I can also include the autograph David Ortiz bat that I have. I just want it to look nice.

Pats Sign Their # 1 RB (cough) Faulk

The Patriots resigned Kevin Faulk today. We here at Boston's best sports blog believe that Faulk is here to stay until he wants to retire. The Pats see some leadership and value in Faulk, and the running back knows the organization better than anyone. The old timer has signed a 1 year deal, that could net him $3 million ($1 million signing bonus, $1 million base, $1 million incentives).

Unfortunately, Faulk was not used last year in the postseason as a veteran presence or even a change-of-pace back. No, he was used as the main running back, getting the ball 14 times versus the Baltimore Ravens. If I am not mistaken, Maroney only carried the ball once. So, unless the Patriots can find another running back, it looks like Faulk is your main man for now. Certainly a scary concept going into the regular season. Even scarier is that Faulk is a few years past his prime. We all like Faulk as a player and leader, we just don't like seeing him on 70% of the offensive plays.

No Suspension For Cooke

You gotta be kidding me. How is it, that Matt Fucking Cooke who has already been served two suspensions in his career, does not receive another for his blatant cheap shot on Marc Savard? Had it been Sidney Crosby that was lying unconscious on the ice and knocked out for the season we might have seen some action taken by the league. But instead, Cooke is allowed to play which says to me that the NHL thinks this was a perfectly legal hit.

So let's recap the past few months, shall we? In April Milan Lucic was suspended for Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens for this hit on Maxim Lapierre. At the time I thought this was a questionable suspension. A few weeks later the NHL decides that Scott Walker will not be suspended when he sucker punches Aaron Ward. And now Colin Campbell has elected not to suspend Matt Cooke for nearly decapitating Marc Savard.

The following of this post is solely intended to come up in Google results:
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks
Gary Bettman sucks

Just Repping It

This is great Spring Training video. Where is this guy from? Should he be embarrassed taking a video of himself in the middle of the crowd? When was the last time you repped Red Sox gear in Yankee town?

What else is going on in Red Sox Spring Training...


*Spring Training is boring is the real meaning of this post

Nomar Is A Fraud

Contrary to Guy in the Balcony's love for Nomar, I have a different take. Before I unleash a barrage on Nomar, I want to say up-front that he was fantastic for a stretch of time with the Red Sox. That being said, it doesn't change how he left and how he is now viewed by real Boston sports fans. Nomar was a fraud, is a fraud and will always be a fraud.

Nomar was a fraud from the day he stepped into a uniform with the Red Sox. He hated the media from day one, and only had his smile on his face in front of the camera. Behind the scenes, we all know that Nomar could care less about the fans and the media. He smiled when he walked out of the dugout, but in the tunnel you know that he thought that the fans were just an annoying pest that he had to fake-like in order to get cheered for. He was the classic conman.

With the media, he was an absolute dick. Remember folks, he is the one that put the red line in the Sox clubhouse. NO MEDIA MEMBER CAN CROSS THE LINE! What kind of prick move is that? Of course media members are going to ask you for interviews after the game, but they are not trying to invade your personal space. They don't want to be rubbing up against your nude body when you are changing. Media members know their place. They give athletes their space, and in return the athletes are expected to treat media members with a sense of respect. Putting a line on the floor is pretty much a bitchslap to the media. It is saying, 'I am better than you, and you are a peasant to me.' Stay classy Nomar.

Nomar is still currently a lying dumbass to this day. On WEEI no more than one hour ago, Nomar said that he was misunderstood in Boston. The media didn't understand his ways because he is a tad obsessive compulsive. He got a bad rap in Boston. The fans didn't understand his contract issues. Theo stabbed him in the back, yet Nomie is the bigger man because he is over it. Bologna. Nomar is a liar. The entire interview I wanted Dale or Michael to ask Nomar why he drew the line in front of the locker. Why did you sit out in 2004 in Yankee Stadium? Why did you come back to the Sox if you really hated Theo? Is this just a PR move Nomar so your next stint with ESPN is a prosperous one?

Nomar was a liar, is a liar, and will be a liar at ESPN. He will always tell people that he remembers Boston in the fondest of lights...but just don't ask him his real motives for quitting on his team in 2004. He told Dale and Michael that he loved the fans of Boston. Well, if you loved us Nomar, why did you quit? I am sad Nomar is going to retire with the Red Sox, I would have been happier if Theo told Nomar to retire as an Oakland A.

Nomar Retiring As A Red Sox

Nomar Garciaparra will sign a one-day minor league contract with the Red Sox today in Fort Myers and then announce his retirement. He will take a job at ESPN. Nomar joined the Sox in 1996 and remained with the team until he was traded to the Cubs in 2004. He hit .323 for the Red Sox for his career with 178 home runs, 690 RBI and a .370 on-base percentage. Garciaparra was a five-time All-Star in Boston, the Rookie of the Year in 1997 and finished second in the MVP voting of 1998 when he hit .323 and drove in 122 runs while hitting 35 homers.

I love this move. Great job by both parties on this one. When Nomar left town just before the Sox won the World Series some were tired of him. He was often injured and perceived as begin whiny. But if you rewind his career to the late 1990's and early 2000's you will not find a player that was more loved than Nomar. Red Sox fans would have fought to the death if it meant they could convince someone that Nomar was better than Jeter. He was a tiny kid that could hit and field with the best of them. Nomar became a superstar when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He flexed his steroid muscles and Sox fans could only think that he would propel them to the promise land.

The hype surrounding his every move was well documented. From tapping his toes in the batter's box to stretching by first base during the National Anthem. We suddenly knew the ins and outs of wrist surgery when he was sidelined with the injury. Red Sox Nation embraced Nomar as well as Pedro and Manny. Those three players provided Sox fans with much enjoyment every summer for several years. I am sad that Nomar's career never really blossomed into Hall of Fame numbers but he will always be remembered as a fan favorite in Boston.

Thanks beautiful.