Red Sox continue to own the Yankees this season

I'm not going to assume that they'll keep this pace up but I'll simply state facts: the Boston Red Sox are now 6-1 vs. the New York Yankees this season after their 6-4 win at Yankee Stadium last night.

The win, in the series opener, is also Boston's (34-26) 11th in its last 14 against New York (33-25) going back to last season and it pulled the two teams into a deadlock atop the AL East.

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon was the focus before the game since MLB handed down a three-game suspension to him for bumping an umpire in Saturday's marathon win. Of course he appealed, so he was in the bullpen last night and survived a rocky ninth (27 pitches, 1 earned run, 1 hit, 1 walk) for his 12th save of the season.

The save was extra special since it was the 200th of Papelbon's career and he did it in the shortest amount of time in MLB history (359 appearances). Yankees icon Mariano Rivera held the record with 200 saves in 382 games.

As required by law, the game was played at a snail's pace thanks to Freddy Garcia being himself and Jon Lester (8-2) continuing to scuffle.

Garcia (4-5) had nothing, leading Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy to speculate maybe he has a dead arm, and the Red Sox teed off. He lasted only 1.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout.

Lester was fighting himself and his control all night. He hit two batters in the first, including Yankees star Mark Teixeira who left with after getting plunked on the knee. Lester lasted six innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Boston put up three runs in the first, led by Jacoby Ellsbury's leadoff homer (his seventh of the season). Adrian Gonzalez drove in Dustin Pedroia with an RBI triple and Kevin Youkilis plated Gonzalez with a sacrifice fly.

Robinson Cano knocked in Curtis Granderson in the home half of the first with an RBI single.

Pedroia made it 4-1 with an RBI double in the second.

David Ortiz hit a two-run bomb (his 14th of the season) in the fifth off rookie Hector Noesi. It wouldn't be Red Sox-Yankees without some sort of fake controversy and Big Papi provided some fuel to the media's unwashed masses as he flipped his bat after the shot. I have no problem with that or if anyone else on any other team does it. Baseball has too many unwritten dumb rules. The game needs more personality, not less.

Nick Swisher cut it to 6-3 with a two-run double in the fifth. Jorge Posada (3 hits), who came in for Teixeira, had an RBI single in the ninth.

Tonight's pitching matchup features two complete wild cards: Tim Wakefield goes for the Red Sox against A.J. Burnett of the Yankees. All I know is that once the clock turns to 8, I'll be watching the Stanley Cup Finals (Bruins vs. Canucks, Game 4). I'll only turn back to the baseball game during commercial breaks and intermission.

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Kim Kardashian Cheats on Her Fiance With A Patriot...Naturally

From entertainmentwise.com

In Touch Weekly has reported that Kim had a secret phone-only relationship with New England patriots star Bret Lockett, whilst she was dating Kris! According to the mag, the relationship began when Kim's friend, Lauren London asked for Bret's number for Kim in October of last year.

A source revealed: “They chatted and then they started texting each other.” A friends said: “[Kim] still wanted [Bret] to send nudie pics of himself, but he wouldn’t do it because of Kris. “He’s not that kind of guy.”

When asked about the claims, Bret told the mag: “I don’t like to comment on my personal life, but Kim is a great girl. “I hope she’s happy.”


Kim K, you little slut! What's that old saying, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, its a duck? We'll in this case the duck is Kim Kardashian.

The second I heard she was dating some jabroni named Kris Humphries I knew it was a matter of time before she went back to the one that brought her to the dance, meaning jacked black dudes. I mean seriously, one look at Humphries and you knew she was already plotting her escape. Oh he spent 2/3 of his yearly salary on an engagement ring? Sorry brah, no amount of jewelry is gonna stop Kimmy K from riding the black stallion.

The funniest part of this is the guy she cheated on him with, a Patriots defensive back named Bret Lockett. Seven career tackles? Missing an entire season with an injury? I mean if she was looking for an athlete who was less relevant than Kris Humphries (a power forward on the New Jersey Nets), she may have found him. The star power requires to fuck Kim Kardashian keeps decreasing, and if this trend keeps up, maybe my softball team has a chance. I love how the article calls Lockett "star"! Maybe in comparison to Humphries.

The moral of the story is that once again, the Patriots win, even if it is a practice squad player all up in dat ass.

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Bruins annihilate the Canucks 8-1 to get back in the series but it comes at a huge price

Well this has gone up about 12 notches in terms of intensity.

It's one thing for Alexandre Burrows to bite Patrice Bergeron's finger in Game 1 (which went unpunished by the NHL) or Maxim Lapierre to mock Bergeron in Game 2, but things took on a much more serious tone with the actions in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals last night at TD Garden.

The Bruins roared to an 8-1 win, getting them back in the series and cutting Vancouver's lead to 2-1. However, it came at a big price as Boston's first line winger Nathan Horton was blindsided by Canucks scrub defenseman Aaron Rome.

Horton was carted off on a stretcher and spent the night in Mass General. He has movement in all his extremities but also a severe concussion for his troubles. He's done for the rest of the Finals while Rome was suspended for the rest of the series.

I've never been more upset over a play in my life (real talk) and that's why I waited until now for some of the venom to wear off before I blogged. Still, it was a reprehensible play by a team that gets scummier and dirtier by each period.

I couldn't be more proud of the way that the Bruins responded to that incident which happened only 5:07 into Game 3. Rather than just turn it into a bloodbath, they hit Vancouver where it really hurts: on the scoreboard. They also played with a real edge, not backing down to any challenge and when the score was safely secure, they proceeded to beat the hell out of the Canucks in the third period (145 penalty minutes combined, second most in Finals history).

Seeing Boston explode for eight goals (second most in Finals history) after struggling to score two goals combined in Games 1 & 2 was the most surprising part of last night's blowout.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas (40 saves) erased Game 2's bitter ending with another strong performance. Conversely, Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo (30 saves) was extremely shaky as he allowed four goals in the second and third periods.

Don't ask me why Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault let Luongo take his beating in the third period. I certainly enjoyed it though, hopefully it has a carryover effect to Game 4 which is also a must-win for the B's.

Shawn Thornton made his first appearance in seven games, stepping in for the ineffective Tyler Seguin. I didn't like the move when it broke on Twitter right before the puck dropped but Claude Julien looked like a genius (for once). Thornton only played 5:50 before he received a bogus game misconduct in the third (for being too tough?) but he very clearly gave the Garden and his team a jolt of energy. He threw a huge hit right on his first shift and also drew a penalty that led to a power-play goal.

Haha yup, this game was so crazy that Boston scored two power-play goals and two shorthanded goals and I didn't even mention it until now. And for the record, Vancouver's All-World power play is 1 for 16 in the first three games of the series.

After a scoreless first period that was all about the Horton incident, the Bruins woke up with a goal 11 seconds into the second period. Andrew Ference's shot from the point had eyes and it got through traffic past Luongo. Ference's third of the playoffs was assisted by Rich Peverley and David Krejci.

Recchi had his second power-play goal in two games at 4:22. His attempted pass was deflected in off Ryan Kesler's skate. Recchi's fourth of the playoffs was assisted by Michael Ryder and Ference.

From there, Brad Marchand turned in the play of the game. Boston was shorthanded and Marchand stole the puck from one of the Sedin sisters in his defensive zone. He chipped it off the boards to himself and beat a defender before coming in on Luongo. He waited him out and then roofed it (his seventh of the postseason), a stunning beauty of a goal at 11:30.

Krejci's snipe at 15:47 (11th of the playoffs, assisted by Ryder and Zdeno Chara) ensured that the Bruins weren't going to be swept and there would be a Game 5 on Friday in Vancouver.

Daniel Paille's shorthanded goal at 11:38 (his third of the postseason) of the third was a great reward for a stellar game from the penalty kill specialist.

Jannik Hansen (third of the playoffs) broke Thomas' shutout at 13:53 off assists to Raffi Torres and Lapierre.

Boston stepped on Vancouver's throat with three goals in the final 2:21 of Game 3. Recchi (from Marchand and Patrice Bergeron), Chris Kelly (fifth of the playoffs from Paille and Chara) and Ryder (sixth of the playoffs, on the power play from Tomas Kaberle) had the honors.

Game 3 was incredible (other than Horton's injury) from a Bruins fan's perspective. However, Boston has to bring that same energy and physical play to Game 4 or this series will be over soon with the result none of us want. The Canucks are collectively rattled and the B's have to keep that momentum going. Get a goal early on Luongo and I like their chances to even this up.

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Boston Steps Up For Horton, Look to Even Series Tonight

There was that feeling again Monday.

That same feeling I got when Patrice Bergeron's face met the boards in Philadelphia. The same feeling when Marc Savard got knocked silly by Matt Cooke. But this feeling was worse.

That stomach churning feeling never left me for the rest of the first period, and it stayed there for a while.

Minutes into the contest, Vancouver's Aaron Rome absolutely leveled Nathan Horton at the Canucks blue line, a vicious hit that left the playoff hero motionless for one very long minute. The Garden quieted to a hush, the Bruins' tempers flared and the first period came and went with no scoring.

Then the Bruins opened the floodgates.

The second period was an eruption of offense from the pissed off Bruins, starting with a goal from Andrew Ference just 11 seconds into the period. After a Mark Recchi power-play goal, Brad Marchand beat Luongo with one of the prettiest individual efforts of the playoffs, beating his man and catching Luongo sprawling out of position before lifting a shot into the top of the net. David Krejci added a goal to put the Bruins up 4-0 at the end of the second.

The third period was when things got entertaining. The returning Shawn Thornton got a game misconduct, as did nearly everyone else on the ice. There were dives, more finger taunting from Mark Recchi and Milan Lucic, and oh yeah, four more Bruins' goals. Vancouver added one to break up the shutout but fuck them who cares.

Many people will point to Thornton's return as the catalyst for the Bruins' physical play but as bad ass as he is, this was a team effort of ass kickery. Shit, even Seidenberg fought Ryan Kesler during a commercial break, and I use the word "fight" loosely. Thornton"s leadership can never be questioned, and by simply having him on the bench, the Bruins were a more driven and focused team. Last night was quintessential Bruins hockey. Let's just hope they can win one for Horton and Savard.

Game 4 is tonight in Boston.

*Game Notes*

*In my last post, I said I think I hate the Canucks. Check that, I DO hate the Canucks. Maybe it's because I don't see them as much as teams like Montreal, but what a group of weasels. They were the ones that started this with the Burrows bite on Bergeron, and they only fanned the flames when Lapierre taunted Bergeron in the next game. After the hit on Horton, they opened themselves up to anything that the Bruins had to dish out.

*How absurd was that flop by Sedin? Ference lined him up and made contact with his shoulder. Attempting to draw a penalty when the game was all but over, Sedin grabbed his face as if Ference gave him a haymaker. Shortly thereafter, Sedin spooned Ference and both were given misconducts. Just zero respect for this team.

*I loved when Lucic popped Burrows in the face after Burrows flopped in the third. Lucic then removed his glove and put his fingers near Burrow's mouth. This type of comedy will live on through highlight reels forever.

*Headed into tonight's game, the Bruins will have to juggle their skaters around to account for the loss of Nathan Horton. Shawn Thornton will be in the lineup, and I am assuming that Tyler Seguin will return to the ice for the B's. Julien has not announced who will be replacing Horton on the top line, but both Rich Peverley and Michael Ryder spent time on the first line in Game 3. I would imagine that Michael Ryder would get the call to the top line, as he will benefit from playing with the bruising Lucic and the skilled David Krejci. Look for Peverley to join the third line with Chris Kelly and the returning Tyler Seguin.

*After Tuesday's disciplinary hearing, Mike Murphy made it clear that he would not put up with any "crap" for the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals. Don't expect to see any more fingers in the mouth in Game 4. It's going to be interesting to see not only how the referees will call the game, but also how the Bruins will play their game knowing that the refs are going to try to cut down on the chippiness. The Bruins are going to play their physical game but will have to do so without taking stupid penalties.

*Which Roberto Luongo will show up tonight? He has had a propensity for being somewhat of a headcase and after refusing to get pulled the other night and then allowing eight goals, I wonder where his head is going to be tonight. The pressure of Canada is squarely on his shoulders, and hopefully for the Bruins, they can get after him early.

*I wouldn't say that this game is a must-win, but the B's need this game to split the series and get revenge for the Game 1 theft.

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Are the "Green Men" really coming to Boston tonight?

From Boston.Com

VANCOUVER, British Columbia --The Green Men–the body-suited Canuck superfans named Sully and Force–are excited about their impending trip to Boston for Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. "We're coming, we're going to be loud, we're going to bring it. So be ready," Sully said before the start of Game 2 at Rogers Arena. "It's going to be relentless." "I'm very excited about coming to Boston," Force told us. "It will be a great series, a great game. Canucks take it in four."

Today, the Green Men eschewed the Ben Affleck cardboard cut-out from Game 1 and brought a really old school Boston icon along ... Norm from Cheers. In a press conference in Vancouver on Friday, Sully and Force announced that online travel company Travelzoo will pick up the tab for around $3,700 bill for the airfare to Boston, hotel costs, and tickets to Game 3 and 4 at the Garden. "Travelzoo was the first company that was really cool about it," Force said regarding the sponsorship deal on Friday. "They wanted to make sure we got to Boston."

These guys are number 4 on my list of why I hate the Canucks. "We're gonna be loud? We're going to bring it so be ready?" Who the fuck do you guys think you are? Maybe I would be afraid if this was like the Raiders fans coming into Gillette where there was a legit chance they would kill somebody. But these two guys? C'mon son. What do green men have to do with the Canucks? Not even a clever gimmick either. Spandex suits with pictures of Cliff from Cheers? Real creative stuff. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia must have just been beamed into Canada (obviously four years late).

Really this is more of a Fireman Ed type scenario, two obnoxious blowhards who probably haven't seen more than 3 seasons worth of hockey combined vs a obnoxious blowhard who shows up at NFL games and acts like he's the whole fucking show (what's up Rob Van Dam). Kudos to Brad Marchand for squirting them with water during game one, and kudos to any Bruins fan who has the balls (and drunken decision making) to throw a beer at either one of those tight pants wearing, nut hugging, attention craving losers. More and more, the Canucks are turning into Montreal West. Let's fucking go boys!

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Red Sox sweep the A's, thanks to your favorite Muppet

Like an unreliable friend drug addict or alcoholic, the Boston Red Sox have learned to expect the worst when it comes to the disaster that is John Lackey in a Red Sox uniform.

Therefore, yesterday afternoon's return from the DL for Lackey (3-5) and subsequent win was nice but does it really mean much? Probably not. Bigger picture, the Red Sox (33-26) swept the Oakland A's (27-33) with a 6-3 win at Fenway Park. Putting them in a good frame of mind heading into an off-day and then a big three-game series in the Bronx starting tomorrow night.

After the no-show against the White Sox (a three-game sweep), Boston was able to get back on track and end the homestand at an even 3-3.

Lackey was at his mediocre best vs. a team that he usually owns. He went 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

The more exciting news for Red Sox fans was that the team finally solved A's lefty Brett Anderson (3-6), who was 5-1 lifetime against them heading into yesterday's game. He went five innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Carl Crawford got the Red Sox out to a 3-0 lead with a three-run bomb (his first at Fenway as a Red Sox and fifth of the season) in the second inning.

Just to remind you how bad he is, Lackey gave up a solo shot to Kevin Kouzmanoff in the third. Daric Barton added an RBI single in the fourth, driving in Kurt Suzuki and cutting the Boston lead to 3-2.

Adrian Gonzalez quelled any thoughts of a complete meltdown as he hit a two-run bomb over the Monster (2nd in two games there, 12th of the season) which drove in Jarrod Saltalamacchia (3 hits) in the fourth for a 5-2 lead.

Barton drove in Conor Jackson with an RBI double in the sixth but Dustin Pedroia (2 hits, walk, stolen base) increased the lead back to three with an RBI single in the same frame.

The Yankees lead the Red Sox by one game heading into tomorrow's series opener. The pitching matchups are Lester vs. Garcia, Wakefield vs. Burnett and Beckett vs. Sabathia. So Boston should be favored in game 1 while games 2 and 3 are toss ups. Should be solid.

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It's Not Me, It's You

The road to the Bruins' current 0-2 deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals has been disappointing so far, and I'm sure I'm not the only fan who's been heartbroken. For me personally, the lowest point was when I opened up the Globe yesterday and found myself agreeing with everything Dan Shaughnessy was saying. (I'm surprised Shaughnessy Lite, aka Jeremy Lundblad, hasn't yet pointed out that only four teams in the history of the Stanley Cup Finals have rallied from 0-2 to win and just how much the odds are stacked against the Bruins).

But I realized something. Maybe Shaughnessy is right, maybe the Bruins really are just "the old Red Sox on skates." Maybe it is inevitable that they're going to lose to the Canucks, who admittedly have looked like the better team so far. That doesn't, and shouldn't, take away the enjoyment we've had watching our team this postseason.

The near-heart attack experiences of watching Thomas make yet another impossible save. (Or even Michael Ryder). Seeing Seguin grow up right before our eyes. Praying for Bergeron's recovery after his concussion, and the joy and gratitude of watching him return, playing as if he never had left. The power of Kelly's cage. Having no words for Horton's overtime goals.

Throughout each series, there has been a moment that has made me proud of each individual player (yes, even Kaberle) and the team as a whole. What a ride it's been. There's no reason not to appreciate that. The losses had made me lose perspective, but I've always believed that is the true gift of sports. Our teams do not owe us more than that. Championships are not our divine right as fans. There are only two teams left playing right now, and we're lucky enough that our team is one of them. That we simply have the privilege of turning on our TVs and seeing our guys.

About a month ago, I was listening to the B.S. Report and Bill Simmons had Kevin Millar on his podcast that day. It was just after Manny had retired and that was the main topic of discussion, but inevitably the 2004 Red Sox came up. The last Old Red Sox team. Millar said that the weight of 86 years without a championship, the expectations and the heartbreak and the bitterness, all of it created an energy that the players could feel. It took on a life of its own, and many players crumbled under the pressure. What it finally took was that group of guys with just the right temperament, the "idiots," who didn't let any of that stuff get to them, who just let it all hang out and played the game. Maybe we the fans are partially to blame. Maybe if we'd never created that energy in the first place, we wouldn't have been starved for so long for a championship.

I think we can do better for the Bruins. We're lucky, we really are. We've got a good, young core group of players who should only get better. Seguin is only 19. Bergeron is 25. Horton is 26. Krejci is 24. McQuaid is 25. Rask is 24. Lucic is 22. Marchand is 23. They should get their fair share of chances. Winning any championship is difficult enough. Let's not make it tougher on them. The Bruins are coming back to the Garden tonight. Whatever happens, let's just appreciate them. And things just might fall into place.

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