1ST ANNUAL CHICAGO BOB MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Bob was with us- clubs, shoes, cooler & all

THE 1ST ANNUAL CHICAGO BOB MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24TH

SEMINOLE LAKES COUNTRY CLUB

Here are some of the moments from the outing, and I think it's safe to say that we all felt that Bubba was there with us

Barb w/ Bob's cart

• Joe takes charge
  

Let's sign in

Michael gets warm

Another sunny day in F-L-A!

Let's get this party started

...Skipper tees off first...

Bubba's Official Cart

Nice

look,

huh?

The

12th

hole

Pinky supplied food & bevs

Muggy

& cloudy,

hmmm...

...time to

get to the

19th hole!

Good to see barb smile!

The Czar at work

"Oh no, here they come!"

Let's auction stuff off...

Craig & Nick

having fun

"Dont you

dare!"

Everyone had a great time

Barb

&

Hospice

got checks

We love

& miss

you,

Bubba

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Sox take 2 steps forward, 1 step back

Schilling fails in bid to win 15th, Sox lose 6-0 to Seattle

All it takes is a game like this one to erase all the good vibrations coming from the past two wins. Right from the start Boston was up against the 8-ball offensively, without Manny (knee) & Youk, who mysteriously missed the game due to illness (knowing his penchant for partying, I'd say 'hang over' was the illness). So Schill would have to make due with a patchwork offense, but he WAS going up against a rookie pitcher...anyway, these West Coast games are a killer-now I know how real writers feel with their deadlines on nights like this...gory details in the AM.

Back in the light of the day, this loss seems even more depressing. I know, Boston was playing shorthanded, and tell me if this lineup, minus Papi of course, would strike fear into any starting pitcher, even a greenhorn:

-Coco, .266 making fans pine for Judas more & more every day
-Loretta, .307 probably the most consistent non-star all year
-Papi, .287 M-V-P.
-WMP, .300 "Lil' Papi" has proven his value with all the injuries
-Lowell, .285 did the trade talk affect him ( hitting .235 since ASG)?
-Kappy, .219 we love & need Kappy, but c'mon dude
-Belli, .185 we love & need 'Belli, but c'mon dude
-Pedroia, .133 too soon to judge the kid, but c'mon dude
-Cora, .278 valuable utility man & respectable 9th hitter

I mean the lower third looks like the D-Rays lineup. When you have 3 guys hitting less than .220 batting 6-7-8 you might as well play with only 5 guys, cause the chances of those guys doing anything for you offensively are pretty slim.
So it was armed with that powerhouse lineup that Boston's best arm took the mound last night looking for win #15 (again- his 14th came on Aug 4th) against Jake Woods, a 26-year old making his 2nd career start. I had almost guaranteed the vet would truimph over this kid, but that was pitching- wise. I had not accounted for the pathetic lineup, one that could only manage 5 hits against the Mariners, 3 off Woods in 5 inns.

The Sox got down early when Schill gave up a single run in the 1st on a single and a double. And with Boston missing scoring opportunities in the 1st, 2nd, & 5th, leaving 2 men on in each frame,and their pathetic average with RISP lately continues to haunt them. But it stayed 1-0 until the 5th. That's when the wheels started to fall off for the hometown team.

The immortal Yunieski Betancourt hit a 1-out single to center. The next batter, Willie Bloomquist, hit a sinking liner to center that Coco seemed to think he could get to if he dove; he couldn't, and as the ball rolled past him and was retrieved by Kappy, Betancourt raced around to score the 2nd run and Bloom-
quist had himself a 'Coco-Triple'. That was it in that inning, but the tone was set, and in the next inning things got much worse.

The bottom of the 6th brought the seldom-seen Keystone Sox out of the woodwork and effectively put the game away for Seattle. A leadoff single by Lopez got things started, and then the fun began. Ibanez hit a sharp grounder to short that Cora tried to shovel but threw wide of Pedroia at 2nd, allowing Lopez to scoot to 3rd. But then Schill, who recovered the errant toss, threw wide of Lowell at 3rd attempting to get Lopez, and that allowed Lopez to score and Ibanez to get to 2nd. Next thing you know, Broussard doubled and Johjima singled, it was 5-0 Seattle, and the night was technically over.

It's one thing to lose; it's quite another when a no-name pitcher on a sub-.500 team beats your Hall-of Fame starter and have a lineup that can onbly muster 5 hits. Boston is now in a horrible 13-20 stretch since July 22nd when they lost the last 2 of a 3-game set here. They've lost to teams that are good (NY, DET) ,that are okay (OAK, ANA, SEA) and that are awful (TB,CLE,KC). So at least they are equal opportunity losers. But seriously now, things are VERY bleak as far as playoff hopes go for this squad right now. New York and Chicago lost last night (although Minnny took over the WC lead from CHI), so the distance back remains the same. But as this club is constructed right now, it's only a matter of time before they fall so far back that it we in The Nation bring back that old familiar Sox cry:
"WAIT 'TILL NEXT YEAR!"

Up next: Tonight @ SEA, 10PM EST Wells (2-3, 5.40) vs. Meche (9-8, 4.66)

Pedroia tries but can't grab Cora's errant throw in the 6th inning last night

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Good news/bad news: Sox win; Manny, Papi, Beckett ailing

Sox win 2nd in a row in Anaheim, 2-1
A lot of positive things came out of last night's thrilling 2-1 victory over the suddenly reeling Los Angeles Angels of Southern California by Way of Anaheim Angels, or whatever they call themselves (I still prefer 'Halos').

1. 1.Josh Beckett earned his first win since July 24th with a solid effort: 6IP, 4H, 1ER, 2BB, 3Ks, and once again, NO HOME RUNS (he's only allowed 1 in his last 4 starts). But he did have to leave in the 7th with a cut on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

2. Big Papi hit his ML-leading 46th HR, a titanic solo shot off rookie phenom Jered Weaver that gave the Sox a 1-0 lead in the 4th. Of Papi's 46 hrs, 26 have EITHER TIED THE GAME OR PUT THE SOX AHEAD. How do you say 'clutch' in the Dominican?

3. Speaking of the rookie Weaver, Boston hung the first loss on the kid as he was bidding to become the first rookie pitcher EVER to start his career 10-0. Sorry, buddy, but the Sox still have some pride left, and they weren't about to let a mop-topped rookie set any all-time record against them. Especially Jeff Weaver's brother.

A few other key things contributed to the win that can give members of The Nation reason to believe that the team is playing more like the early-July Sox than the Entire August Sox:

*Old friend Orlando Cabrera elected to make the play himself at second base on a DP grounder by 'Belli, only Alex Cora hustled all the way and beat OC to the bag as Lowell scored the eventual winning-run. Next time, flip to your 2B, O-Dog.

*Subbing in LF for the still hurtin' ManRam, Willy Mo gunned down the potential potential tying run after Howie Kendrick's single had already knocked in LA's first run in the 7th. HUGE play, and it loomed even larger because Timlin had just relieved Beckett, and Mr. Let Inherited Runners Score could have easily blown the game. Timlin went on to retire the next 2 batters to escape with the 1-run lead.

* Paplebon appears to be out of his funk, getting 4 outs including fanning the final 2 Angels to secure his 34th save.

So the team recorded another BIG win (as I've said, they're all big from here on out) but they cannot afford to feel too comfy: Beckett will have to see if his digit is healed sufficiently enough to take the mound Tuesday in Oakland; ManRam is officially 'day-to-day' with what has been revealed to be a mild case of patella tendinitis, so his return is unsure; and the Herald is reporting that Papi checked into Mass General Saturday night after experiencing an irregular heartbeat Friday and it continued into Saturday. It was supposedly nothing major, and Papi hasn't seemed to feel any ill effects judging by his performance since the stay: 7-19, .368, 3HRs, 4RBI in 5 games. Also, rookie Dustin Pedroia took over 2B duites from Mark Loretta last night as Loretta nurses a sore quad. Ay yah yah...

Let's hope that the Red Sox MASH Unit heals up soon, so at least the team has a change to make a run for the playoffs with all of its regular staters competing for them.

Up next: Tonight @ Seattle,10PM EST Schill goes for win #15 vs. young southpaw Jake Woods (3-1, 3.88). How much you wanna bet Schill doesn't let the team start another losing streak, especially against a rookie?!

GB: Stanks lost last night, Sox gained 1 gm, trail by 5 1/2

WC: Chisox bludgeoned Detroit last night, Sox remain 4 GB, w/ Minny in front of them

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FINALLY! Sox end 6 game slide, 5-4 in Anaheim

As Johnny Drama would bellow, VICTORY! Yes the losing streak is over at 6 games, and it was done in gritty, gutsy fashion. The Sox had to withstand an Angel rally after jumping out to a 5-1 lead by the third inning, thanks to Papi's 45th bomb, a 2-run jack in the first, and WMP's 2-run shot in the 2nd.
Timlin secured the hold when he got out of a bases loaded, 1-out situation in the 7th, and after old pal Foulkie got in trouble in the 8th, Paplebon came in to record 4 outs to seal the one run win.
For one night it was just like the old days (of one month ago). ManRam did start, but after going hitless in 2 ABs, he left after the 5th. Oh well. It's a win, and they needed one BADLY, so let's just take it for what it is and move on. After all, the Stanks won too, and so did the Chisox. Still a long hill to climb.

Well it's 1:30 and I've got to get some sleep...in the morning I am going to the 1ST Annual Chicago Bob Memorial Golf Tournament. Plenty of coverage to come tomorrow evening (if I'm able)!

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They boldly went where no comics had gone before...

The William Shatner Roast aired Sunday night on Comedy Central;***WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT** DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 OR EASILY OFFENDED**

Like I said on Sunday, my DVR was smoking from overuse, but I'm sure glad one of the shows burning up the hard drive was the Shatner Roast- it was freakin' hilarious television. Not only did Captain James T. Priceline get skewered by the cast of relatively unknown comics, but they turned their weapons on each other for some gut-splitting, RAUNCHY one liners that left everyone shocked and awed. Many of these were aimed at Takei's & Dick's homosexual leanings.

The lineup went like this:

-Emcee Costanza was okay (although a tad hefty), and he got off a couple of decent lines, such as this gem in the intro: "Heather Locklear wanted to come tonight, but she's dating David Spade, so she may never come again"- rimshot, please. But it wasn't his jokes that made the evening better, it was the fact that he was the butt of so many others.

-Greg Giraldo This guy is like Ben Affleck meets Dane Cook, only funny. He was out first, and he ripped off some classics:
*On JA : " Jason, the only time you're funny these days is on a re-run...your shows disappeared faster than a bowl of Percoset at Farrah Fawcett's house...you've been in more turds than Andy Dick's penis...
*

*On the three older female panelists: "Nichelle Nichols, Betty White, Farrah Fawcett- I'll take 'women I would've masturbated to 30 years ago for $1000, Alex""

*On Shatner: " Bill you're not just brilliant & old & fat, you're an inspiration- you proved that having no talent can be seen as hip and ironic; you overact more than Betty White's bladder"

-Betty White Yes she's in her '80s but still kicks ass, and she proved no "golden" oldie thanks to some of these zingers:

*On JA: "Oh Jason you are such a treat...you know I was expecting you to be just dreadful; in all fairness I was basing that on everything you'd ever done"

* On Artie Lang: "It always makes me laugh when I see Artie Lang on stage, knowing I'm gonna outlive him"

" ...you know I've been a huge Trekie...that's why I'm so thrilled to see Nichelle and George Takei here tonight, cause let's face it- we all know Shatner's nuts, but George has actually tasted them"

*"I feel a special connection to you Farrah- I'm in my 80's and that was the last decade you mattered"

-Jeffrey Ross Normally he's the host of these things, so he wasn't at his best ("Captain Kirk to Cap'n Crunch"-weak), but he too had his choice lines:

*On JA: "you clearly come from the planet 'trying too hard'...you sing, you dance, you act, you do everything but make people laugh"

*On Andy Dick (who was everybody's favorite "whipping boy" for his homosexual tendencies)
"After last year's (Pam Anderson) roast Andy Dick kissed my girlfriend's hand;40 minutes later she was dead...Andy Dick's sole mission in life is to give AIDS back to the monkeys"

And this was the throwaway line of the night: "Speaking of Shatner, I think Betty White just shat'ner pants"

- Artie Lange Howard Stern's sidekick looks more like a sidecar, and evidently drinks like a fish, but still managed to join the fray, mainly with homophobic humor.

* On Pollack: "...he does every hacky impression in the world; you're not gonna see him again unless Comedy Central roasts Peter Falk

* On Shatner: "...I was never a Star Trek fan. When I was a kid I had weird interests like football, baseball, chasing p***y...Bill and I have a lot in common- Bill was on TJ Hooker and I once banged a hooker named TJ...Shatner's responsible for more peole not getting laid than impotence"

At this point a ditzy, ragged- looking Farrah came on stage and attempted to do some jokes, but just managed to mumble and look silly. Almost a carbon copy of her Letterman appearance, only instead of shocking it was just tired. She did manage to spit out one decent line to Shatner: "we have one thing in common- we both f***ed Lee Majors" as Shat stared incredulously.
Then Andy Dick did a skit in a Star Trek uni about him being the illegitimate son of Kirk and Spock, named Kok. And he wonder why they make fun of him?



- Patton Oswalt He made the mistake of making a comment about Andy Dick licking a roller skate and he felt bad for the roller skate; well that set Dick off on a licking spree, which was PAINFUL to watch, and he started with Oswalt who then waved at his zipper and said "see you in ten years erections"

* On Kevin Pollack: "Cable Ace nominee Kevin Pollack ladies & gentleman...former host of Celebrity Poker- how the f**k do you get fired from a job where all you have to do is say "nice fold Coolio?"

*To Shatner: "...this means a lot to me; I'm gonna go now, but before I leave just settle a bet for me and my friends: (pulls out a brown paper bag)- could you act your way out of this for me really quick?

-Mr Sulu (George Takei) Most of his humor was centered on his homo-sexuality, so I'm not gonna go too deep into his material, but he did have one of the best lines of the night:

*To Shater: "...my named is George "Ta-kay", not "Tak-eye" as you've insisted on mispronouncing it for the last 40 years; remember Takay, like toupee...all night long I've had to stare at that tangled, sticky, messy clump of fur- Farrah, please close you legs; at least Betty White had the decency to shave!

-Lisa Lampanelli Previously unheard of (by me), this big, brassy broad was the butt of jokes all night for her, um, large features and tendency to prefer men of color. But when she took the stage, she shot right back with these beauts:

*On BW: "...Betty White is so old on her first gameshow the grand prize was fire"

*On Shatner: "...how does anyone that mediocre get to be in that many movies; seriously, Kevin Pollack, how does that happen? Speaking of things that blow, Hi Andy Dick...Mr. Shatner starred in some amazing television shows- TJ Hooker was not one of them- what a piece of crap; I tried to TiVo TJ Hooker but my TiVo suggested I punch myself in the...

And on that note, my wrap-up of the Shatner Roast wraps up. Of course reading the jokes don't do them justice, and these were the cleanest ones! So if you want to see them yourself, click the title link to see the re-air dates and times.

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The wheels on the bus come off & off, off & off...

As if a 6 game losing streak, a 6 1/2 game AL East deficit, another regular going on the DL (AGonzalez) and the lingering humiliation of being the first team swept in a 5-game series at home in half a century wasn't bad enough, now we've got to deal with another case of MannyBeingManny.
Warning signs were there for a flare-up of this semi-annual disease rearing its ugly head over the Lost Weekend; I mentioned it in my post on Friday after Gm 1 of BM II, when Man-Ram was pinch-hit for in the 8th when it was still a 4-run game (8-4 NY). Then came another excursion into the scoreboard (allegedly), and now this story by Shaughnessy(click link) that he was pouting after not being given a base hit (Jeter was given an error) in GM2 and had to be talked into playing Saturday. Next thing you know he is taken out of Monday's game with his infamous "tweaked hamstring", leading to the night off last night (he did come in to pinch hit in the 9th and launced a moon-shot to the deepest part of CF for an out).
All members of The Nation are familiar with his Superstar Sideshow by now; it's like a rite of summer. If he's not asking for a trade or stepping into the scoreboard for a pee break, then he's skipping the All-Star Game or begging out of big games (they're ALL big now) when his teammates need him most. Nothing new here. But this is THE worst possible time for an MBM flare-up. The team is decimated by injuries and embarrassment. Without Man-Ram hitting behind Papi, it's like Kryptonite to Superman- Papi walked twice, 1 INT- and it leaves the rest of the lineup looking mighty thin. No Tek. No Trot. AGon-gone. And now MBM. Yikes.
So let's all hope that ManRam comes to his senses, I mean his hammy heals quickly, and he can rejoin his mates tonight who are fighting (meekly) for a Wild Card slot. Until then, stay tuned for another episode of "As the Nation Turns".

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Beleagured Bosox continue slide, lose to Angels 4-3

Looks like a 3000 mile road trip and a different team did nothing for the quiet bats and battered psyches of this staggering club. They flew all the way across the country to sunny Anaheim,Ca. just to see the same results they had on their own field over the past weekend: no hitting (especially w/ RISP), bad fielding & baserunning, and getting outpitched-again-this time by no-name rookie Joe Saunders. Jeez. So I guess it wasn't all the Stankees doing- this team really does stink right now.
Anyway, it's now 1:20, gotta work in the morning, and I'm about to vomit into my RSN trashcan over this club. Eight more games on the West Coast? I might look like an extra from a George Romero movie by the end of this...full recap in the AM...

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"Help me Jesus, help me Tom Cruise..."

Saw this (click title link) on ESPN the other day and I about fell over on the floor. It has come down to this; not only are the Fantasy Football geeks (sorry Butchie & Paul) taking over the damn sports world from all of us normal fanatics and gamblers, but now WE'VE GOT TO SEE ESPN PERSONALITIES DRAFT THEIR OWN TEAMS? LIVE? ON THE ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS NETWORK? Funny, because I don't see this falling into either category- FF is NOT a sport, and watching these gleeks "choose their squads" is most definitely NOT ENTERTAINING!
It's bad enough to see Nick Bakay (the defending champ-ooohhhh), Jaws, Iwannakissyou Kolber, Ditka, Crack Pipe, Salisbury, Mort and Steve Young have their draft, but they actually had Peyton Manning on, musing about the possibility of a player not going for a TD in a game because he wasn't on his own FF Team, or something F'd up like that. It was like a bad reality show (as if there's any other kind).
All I know is that I hope this fad goes the way of Strato-Matic baseball and the Hula-Hoop, because it's making it harder and harder to remember the good ole' days of simply having to worry about losing a C-note on the home team.

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Movie Review: PUSH

An engrossing yet uneven look at the lure of the drug trade from promising young director Dave Rodriguez.
Three buddies happen find a bag of drugs that lead them into a world of greed, power, & death in this refreshing take on an age-old story

Rated R for language, drug use, violence and partial nudity.

DVD Release Date: Oct. 10th, 2006

*Click title link to read my review from IMDb.com*

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PRISON BREAK: Manhunt (Season 2 Premiere)

The gritty, fantastic nighttime soap for men made a stunning sophomore season debut....
Well I shouldn't say for men, because I pulled my wife into the world of the Boys from Fox River Penitentiary last season, despite her protests that "it's a dude show", and she is totally hooked now. Part of it has to do with the see-saw plot that "leaves her feeling sick" from the stomach-turning twists. But another (bigger?) part of it has to do with "hot-hot-hottie" star Wenworth Miller as brooding intellectual inmate Michael Scofield, who tattooed the Fox River blueprint on his body to free his wrongly imprisoned brother, the equally hunky Linc(Dominic Purcell). I see you women nodding your heads.

*WARNING:SPOILERS**DON'T READ IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH*

And if you didn't watch last season, I'm not gonna rehash it here- rent the DVD, available now- because there is already too much going on in Season 2. We left off with the boys on the outside (finally) but without an escape route thanks to Abruzzi's jet falling through. With the cops hot on their tail, especially irate red-ass guard Bellick, the escapees hide for the time being and try to formulate a plan. The group is now down to Lincoln & Michael, along with Sucre, Abruzzi and C-Note. But the lovably loathesome T-Bag is lurking nearby, attempting to re-attach his severed hand (thanks, Abruzzi) at a rural veterinary hospital. And previews show Vanilla Ice- wannabe Tweener returning next week. Nice.

As the boys look for a vehicle, FBI agent Alexander Mahone (William Fichtner) joins the investigation. I must say this is a brilliant piece of casting by the writers; Fichtner is a credible, likable, hard-nosed actor who has proven a capable heavy in roles in The Perfect Storm and Crash. Mahone uses the press to aid his case, and also attempts to get inside the meticulous mind of Scofield. In turn, we get to see some backstory of Michael's character, like how & where he formulated his elaborate plan.

Two of the big cliffhangers from last season do a complete 180 on us:

#1: We learn that Dr. "hot-hot-hottie" Tancredi did not die from her overdose, but is merely in a coma. This invites a whole lot of possibile story lines now, such as her blame for the inmates escape, her pain over Michael's betrayal, and what Michael will do to exonerate her- later in the show she finds one of Michael's trademark paper swans in her purse; written on it are the words "I have a plan to make all this right." I get chills just writing about it.

#2: We are reunited with Veronica at the Montana mountain manse housing the very-much alive Steadman(not Oprah's man). He claims that he has been held prisoner in the house against his will by his sister, bitchy now- President Reynolds. But Veronica doesn't want to hear any of his " I gave up my teeth" sob stories, she just wants to get him out of there so he can clear Linc's name. When Stedman tells her that they are both locked in with no chance of escape, she tries her cell and finds a signal. Even as Stedman holds a gun to her head, her love of Linc is so strong she is willing to risk being shot to see him set free. Daring him to pull the trigger, she calls the cops and waits for their arrival. And they arrive, alright, but not local cops- hired Federal goons whose sole purpose is to keep Stedman on the property. Even if that means shooting an female attorney in the head and heart, and leaving millions of viewers slack-jawed in the process. Now I enjoy a show with balls, and it takes a whole lot of 'em to kill off a central character in the season premiere! I mean didn't they wait till mid-season to kill off the President on 24?! Ballsy, ballsy move, and one that is sure to have major repercussions since Linc was on the other end of the line and heard the whole thing.

The gang picked up a change of clothes (finally, no more prison greys) buried in a graveyard, per Michael's plan, and Michael informs Linc that he has a car waiting nearby. But as they attempt to ditch the others and make a bee-line for the hidden loot Westmoreland buried in Utah, Agent Mahone sniffs them out at the site and chases an incredulous Michael & Co. on foot. This leads to another finish with the cops on their tails and nowhere to run, and we are left to figure out where they will go next, how they will get there, and how many more bodies are going to be left in their wake.

Like I told you it's a soap opera, and all the key ingredients are there:

*Likable villians? A slew of 'em, including T-Bag, Billick, President Reynolds, Tweener, Abruzzi, and Agent Kellerman.

*Lovable heroes? Another bevy of choices starting with Michael & Linc, including Sucre, Dr. Tancredi, the dearly departed Veronica, and Lincoln's son LJ.

*Implausible scenarios? How 'bout a complete prison blueprint tattooed over an entire body, a job I have learned would take about 10 years to execute. Or two brothers being locked up in the same prison and allowed to interact with each other despite one being on death row?

*Exotic locales? Okay, last season we had to settle for cells, the infirmary, the yard and the guard house. Now that they're on the outside, we will get to see numerous fields, airstrips, rural Utah and sunny Mexico. And I'm sure there will be some other interesting locations as well.

Throw in plenty of backstabbing (real & metaphorical), tender romances, f'd up father-son relationships and a murderous female President, and you've got a regular cross between Dynasty and One Life to Live. So just kick back Monday's at 8, grab some popcorn, suspend disbelief for an hour, and get hooked up with some seriously addicting Must Flee TV.

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Blue Jays ship continues to sink

Is it the player's or manager's fault for the turmoil in Toronto?

As a fan on the outside looking in it would appear that the Toronto Blue Jays are a team in turmoil. Back in July the team jettisoned troubled but talented hitter Shea Hillenbrand after he wrote some disparaging remarks on a clubhouse chalkboard and was challenged to a fight by hothead manager John Gibbons. Hillenbrand was immediately released and picked up by San Francisco, the team blamed his temper for the rift and bid him good riddance.

But now comes this latest incident, last night in Toronto with the Jays playing Oakland. Pitcher Ted Lilly was handed an 8-0 lead after 2 innings, but was on the ropes in the third after allowing back-to back homers to make the score 8-5. After allowing 2 more baserunners, Gibbons came to the mound to take Lilly out. But a funny thing happened on the way to the dugout-Lilly didn't want to come out of the game, and he told his manager so. This didn't sit well with the skipper, and the two had a heated exchange on the mound before Lilly finally walked off the field.
But it didn't end there, as Gibbons left the field, entered the dugout, and then continued down into the tunnel leading to the clubhouse to confront the awaiting lefty. A melee ensued, and rumors flew that Gibbons had a bloody nose. Later the pair tried to downplay the incident, and Lilly claimed he shouldn't have reacted as he did, he was upset at the situation. He had a right to be, as he wound up being charged with 7 runs and the Jays blew the 8-run lead and lost, 12-10.
Was Lilly wrong to refuse to come out of the game? Yes, and he displayed an unprofessional attitude with his degrading behavoir. But as someone who has a little inside knowledge about Lilly (he is the proverbial "friend of a friend") I know that he is normally mild-mannered and even tempered. Something happened to trigger his reaction.

The bigger issue here is the manager and his treatment of his players. This is like Billy Martin circa 1978 or Lou Pinella circa 1990. This guy makes Ozzie Guillen look like Mr. Rodgers. Sure players and managers have had blowups, but 2 in two months, one resulting in the release of a .300 hitter and one seen on national TV, in front of a crowd of 28,00+ fans? Something is wrong here; you would think anger management should be mandatory for this guy, if not suspension and/or a fine. But GM J.P. Riccardi has said no punishment will be forthcoming. Evidently they back their manager and, so far, deny he has a problem with his players. Stud CF Vernon Wells even said as much when posed the question after the game.
The history with Lilly dates back to last season, when Gibbons and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg tried to force the erratic lefty to alter his pitching motion. Lilly tried, but didn't feel comfortable, so went back to his old style. Feelings were bruised, however, and although Lilly did excercise and option and remain in Toronto, the free agent is a sure bet to go elsewhere this offseason, even before this incident.
Despite their off- season spending spree and another potential Cy Young for ace Roy Halliday (16-3), the Jays have little hope of making the post season. And now they have alienated a valuable lefty pitcher and cut a quality hitter, all because they can't get along with the tempermental manager. Sounds like a problem to me.

Oh, Hillenbrand's message: sinking ship

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Where do we go from here? And who's to blame?

Now that the season is all but lost, what's next for the Sox?

First of all, we know that in the Commonwealth there always needs to be a whipping boy to blame the Sox miseries on. From Harry Frazee to Lou Gorman, and Dan Duquette to Grady Little, those at the top need to be called out for their actions that derail this beloved franchise. It's our birth right. So who's next on the hit list? None other than former golden boy Theo Epstein.
The reasons for his demise are widely recognized and starting to grow, and it all started with his fallout w/ CEO Luccino and subsequent "sabbatical" from the team. While he was walking around Fenway in a gorilla suit, the front office let promising GM prospect Josh Byrnes go to the Diamondbacks. After Theo's soap opera-esque return, thanks to clueless owner John Henry's intervention, his actions and lack of reactions in the GM chair has left him firmly on the Hottest Seat in the Hub.
Let's face it, the construction of this pitching staff has been a colossal failure. Matt Clement- major bust who may never pitch for Boston again; Josh Beckett- just signed a 3yr, $30 mil extension and now appears to be the second coming of Bert "Let it Fly" Blyleven; is he one of the most confusing pitchers ever to don a Boston uni or what? Julian Tavarez and Rudy Seanez- should be with Jose Canseco in the California Penal League, or wherever he's playing. Timlin & Wakefield & Wells? Didn't anyone think "hey, these guys are like 60 years old, they might break down this year, we better plan for that. "
Oh yeah, they did, with the "untouchable" herd of kids that are going to turn the club into pennant winners into the next decade. Except the bumper crop of MattapanManny, Lester, Hansen, and Van Buren have proven to be the "Not Yet Ready for Prime Time Players", and with two pitchers released in the past three days (Jason Johnson, Rudy Seanez) this rotation is in an absolute shambles. Even the rock-solid closer Paplebon, he of the miniscule ERA and dominant appear-arances, has lost his way, either hitting the proverbial wall or getting figured out by AL hitters who are familiar with his stuff now, no matter how nasty it is.

Besides the staff, the lineup is also a mess. Despite the two stars, the rest of the lineup has been disappointing to say the least. Coco just finished the Massacre II with a 1-20 showing and looked like frail in comparison to Demon's awesome speed and lively bat. Moving him back to leadoff has proved to be a costly miscalculation by Tito, as both Coco and Youk as well as the whole team have all suffered since. The Demon deal will go down as one of the worst in front office history, and although Theo was on hiatus when it went down, it still technically happened during his tenure. Losing Trot certainly hurt, but in hindsight it would have been a great move to deal him before the deadline and cutting ties with the-oft injured OF. And Tek going down proved to be the biggest blow of all, despite his hitting slump. His leadership and handling of the staff is an immeasureable loss. Sure it was cute getting Wake's personal catcher back, and Belli has had some big hits of late, but he's batting .236 and he's 36 years old; didn't anyone plan on the possibility of Tek going down? No, and then they try to get by with the likes of Corky Miller, Ken Huckaby, and 35-year old wannabe catcher Javy Lopez, who makes Mike Piazza look like Carlton Fisk.

But the biggest blunder was not making any move whatsoever at the trading deadline. Two years ago, Theo rolled the dice and pulled the trigger on one of the most controversial deals in history, Nomah to the Cubs, and it brought a Championship to town for the first time in 86 years. This year, Stand Pat Theo choose to save his young talent and not go for an Abreu, Zito, Willis, or Maddux. Heck he didn't even go for a Julio Lugo or the Lowell for Peavey deal that was reportedly on the table. Look, I love Lowell too, and he's been huge for us, but Peavey is a young stud who could be an excellent pitcher for years, and Lowell is on the tail end, for sure.
Point is, no deal is sometimes worse than a bad deal, just for psychological reasons alone. Look what it's done for NY, and not done for Boston. Case closed.

As the Sox try to regroup on the West Coast and prepare for the always-brutal 9-game trip thru ANA, SEA & OAK, those of us in The Nation are left in the smouldering aftermath of BM II, asking questions and pointing fingers. Manny begged out of the finale yesterday in the 5th, citing a "cramped hamstring"; more likely the 5-game tuning was cramping his free-spirited style. Now comes word that SS Alex Gonzalez will go on the DL with a back strain, and hotshot prospect Dustin Pedroia will make his big league debut. Another one of the whiz kids supposed to save the day now, as opposed to into the next decade. It's all about now with RedSoxFan, and right now all fingers are pointing at the man in the gorilla suit.

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ENTOURAGE: What about Bob?

"Nobody f**ks Bob but Bob"

One of the season's best episodes can be summed up in that simple sentence. And when Ari tried to do just that, Bob went old-school on the brash young hotshot by undercutting a deal Ari & E had with Universal for the Ramones project and selling the script to Vince's enemy, Allen at Warners.

The show starts off with Drama about to head out to shoot his pilot, and he's both excited and nervous. Turtle brings up a sore spot by telling Drama not to have a panic attack, he tries to smooth things over by offering some friendly advice: to ease the tension, he needs to "rub one out". A good tug takes away all your anxiety". Drama acts appalled, but you know what's, ahem, coming later.

E, Ari and Bob are headed to a meeting with Paramount head Brad Grey. But Ari "forgets" to call Bob. Sensing this, E called him, much to Ari's chagrin: "I don't need this old f**k keeling over in the middle of my flow"-priceless! Bob shows up and the three head in.

Meanwhile Vince & Turtle are at a local sneaker store because Turtle is hoping to use Vince's fame in order to score a pair of limited edition Fukijama's, commisioned by a world famous grafitti artist. Vince won't do it, and the two must race across town to get the last pair, only to find out they got beat to 'em by DJ AM, a sneakerhead & fellow size 10. "I'm not mad, Vince, just sad, very very sad" Turtle tells him (cue the violins).

Bob blew the meeting with Paramount, "you lost him at Sanka" Ari tells him, and tensions are high between the two. But E brokers a compromise: Bob stays silent while Ari does his thing. Agreed, exept as they head to Disney, as Ari told them, they were actually going to Universal, and as Bob is tossed off the Disney lot, a plan of revenge begins to form.

Drama is now having a full-blown PA in his trailer, repeatedly telling himself "you are not a pussy" as he tries to get psyched up for his first role in, well, a while. But when nothing works, the whole crew waiting, and Eddie beating on the door, Drama decides to beat something of his own, thanks to a nearby Maxim and a bottle of hand lotion. Problem is, he left his microphone on, and as he's doing his thing, Burns yells to the crew "hey, come over hear, you gotta hear this-he's rubbing one out" as the whole crew rolls with laughter. When he finally does the scene, he nails it, and after the shot Burns tells Drama he needs some reaction shots: mad, sad, happy, embarrassed; "I don't really see why I would be embarrassed?" Burns then whispers in his ear "when you went to your trailer, you had your mike on while you were wackin' it; the whole crew heard ya' .Drama then looks plenty embarrassed, and Burns yells "got it, great Drama". It was freaking hilarious!

By now E and Ari are pumped: they've got an offer from Universal, and now Ari plans on going back to Paramount to start a bidding war. But Bob has been incommunicato, and when he finally does reach them, he drops the bomb about the deal with Warners: "Went to see my old pal Allen at Warners & man, does he hate young Vince" Ouch, right through the heart: this Alzeheimer-esque Rain Man of old Hollywood just stuck it to one of today's biggest stars and his people. And Vince is out of work- again. Or is it still?

The closing scene shows the boys rolling into aN LA ghetto neighborhood, with Vince handing Turtle an envelope stuffed with cash and telling him to go inside and ask for Jimmy. Nervously, Turtle asks for entrance, goes inside and is greeted by a smallish Asian grafitti artist: "You Turtle?" he asks. "How you like my sneakers?" Fukijama himself then hands an incredulous Turtle an engraved case with the ultimate pair of limiteds in it "only 1 of 1" he tells Turtle as he dares to touch the shoes, an obvious homage to the mystical suitcase in Pulp Fiction if I ever saw one. When Turtle comes out happy as a clam, he looks at the others and asks what's wrong:
"Oh nothing, I just spent $20 thousand on sneakers and I don't have a job."

A lot of threads to leave dangling for next week's finale. The previews already reveal that Vince and Ari are about to split, over what is not clear. Vince's career is certainly in stall mode, in large part his own doing, but now that Ari is working with Babs he needs to bring in clients that earn for the agency. What are the odds that Ari is kicked to the curb by Vince, only to land a killer part thanks to old Bob & buddy E, leaving Ari to come groveling back. After all, Ari is great at groveling. Does Drama continue to work, or suffer from stage fright? And now that Turtle has a $20k pair of custom kicks, will that land him a new rapper? All these questions and only one week to go. Oh yeah, one other thing: WHERE THE HELL IS SLOAN?!?!?!?

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It's complete-The Boston massacre, part Deux

Stanks sweep Sox out of Beantown with quiet 2-1 victory:

The game came on this afternoon, and as I stated before, it was pretty much an afterthought;sure the stands were full, of course, but how many people gave their tickets to needy friends, not wanting to witness any more devastation?
I myself could not get into it- yes it was on every TV set in the house as I meandered around in a fog, mumbling and bumping into things thanks to my bloodshot, sleep-depraved eyes. But the emotion was gone, sapped by a long, lost weekend of pain and brutality reminiscent of an early Sopranos episode. When Boomer Wells took the mound, although I thought they would win, in fact guaranteed it, I was just hoping he would give them a chance, keep 'em in it, not let the embarrassment continue. Please, stop the violence!
Wells did do his part to restore respectability, giving a quality start with an impressive line of 7.1IP, 6H, 2ER, 1BB, 4K's. Very nice performance, holding the juggernaut Stanks, who had averaged nearly 12 runs/game over the 4 game weekend, to only 2 runs (might have had to do with the fact that Torre didn't start Demon - most likely to rest his sore legs, but whatever the reason, thank you Joe).
But wouldn't you know it, the Boston bats were silenced by the immortal Cory Lidle, the pitcher the Stanks acquired as an afterthought in the Abreu deal and who the Sox had persued. All he did was go out and throw 6 inns of 3-hit ball, with 5BBs and 5 Ks. And Abreu continued his weekend of pestering the Sox like a nagging sore when his RBI 2B put NY ahead, 1-0 in the 6th. Thanks to Boston's rag-tag bunch of beat-up hitters, all they could muster off Lidle and the NY bully was an 8th inn. homer by WMP off fireballing (100mph) reliver Scott Proctor.
Thus the devastating sweep was complete. The game was muted and uneventful, and so was the crowd. With all the damage having already been inflicted, it was as if both teams just wanted to get out of town (both had long flights to a West Coast road trip awaiting) and put this Massacre behind them. But it will be a weekend that will not go away for a long time for members of The Nation, and the wounds inflicted may take many months to recover from, as it would appear we're headed for a long winter.

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2 hours til...ah forget it...hide the sharp objects

GM 5 is 2 hours away, but around 9 hours ago The Nation lost its reason to care. Let's face it, the Stanks have put this season into proper perspective for all of us: there will be no playoffs in the Hub this year, and even if there are, it will be a brief and bloody affair. Unless Boston gets a complete pitching transfusion between now and then, it looks like the 2006 season officially ended for Boston at 1:28AM this morning.
Oh I know what non-Nation members are saying- you still have the Wild Card. Ah, last time I checked, the Sox are still 4 1/2 out of that race, with 2 superior teams in front of them (CHI, MIN). Besides, the Wild Card is getting to be a tired fallback for these second-fiddlers. Remember, it was less than 1 month ago when the Sox were sitting on a comfy 3 game lead over NY, and it was looking like this would be the year that we would stop being their runner-up bitches. And then this weekend happened- The Boston Massacre, Part Deux.
It's tough to put into words what has happened this weekend, and I'm nowhere near the city. But I know from experience that the entire region resembles an enormous tomb, with all The Nation's fans buried in it. It's like the Empire came to town and started The Big Dig II, then threw every member of the Nation into the smoking excavated pit. People are walking around like zombies, babbling about Damon and Giambi and Coco and Paps and other tidbits that insane people babble about when they've gone off the deep end. I know I haven't felt this numb since the 3rd game of the 2004 ALCS ended, after the beatdown endured at the hands of these same Stanks put a pit in my stomach I thought would never go away. But we still had games left, The Sox picked themselves off the mat (thanks to Dave Roberts and Papi) and the rest is history.
There will be no similar situation this year. I guarantee the Sox win today, a throwaway, meaningless game in the scheme of things now. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Wells throws a no-hitter against his old mates; it wouldn't matter. the damage is done to the heart, minds, and psyche of the Nation, and one win will not erase that. Say it together: WE ARE NOT GOOD; THE STANKEES ARE BETTER; WE WILL NOT BE WINNING ANOTHER WORLD SERIES THIS YEAR; THE SOX FRONT OFFICE MADE A MAJOR MISTAKE BY LETTING DAMON GO. THEY MADE ANOTHER MISTAKE WHEN THEY DIDN'T TRADE FOR PITCHING AT THE DEADLINE. And we saw the results of those mistakes blow up in Theo & his henchmen's faces this weekend; his plan to "keep the kids and go with what we've got here" has been an unmitigated failure. One of those promising kids, last night's loser Craig Hansen, was shipped back to the PawSox today. Three pitchers sent packing in the past 3 days. Congrats, Theo, what you got there is a steaming pile of crap for pitching (with no lefties) and 2 superstar sluggers surrounded by a slew of Punch & Judy hitters.

No amount of self-help, self-medication, or self-flagellation will make anyone feel better after this dark weekend passes. My wife just asked me why I put myself through this stuff? Why do I keep watching when the games have this effect on me? I responded, rather curtly (sorry hun) that I HAVE NO CHOICE! They're not making huge bank off the slogan "Born Into It" for nothing! Believe me, if I could turn this on and off I would- I'm not a masochist (although before '04, RedSoxFan could have been a synonym for the word). At least I don't think I am.
Well, it's almost game time so this masochist (alright, I admit it) is going to do what he does best: sit in front of the TV, watch and pray for some spark of hope, something to smile about...
...Demon breaking an arm still has a nice ring to it!
Ironically, as I'm blasting some tunes to "get in the zone" for the finale, what comes on but Def Leppard's "Bringin' on the Heartbreak". True that.

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"....this is the end..."

...and at 1:28 AM EST, the Stanks had completed another 4 game mauling of the beloved Sox, which with one more game to go in, let's see, 11 1/2 hours from now, will forever be dubbed The Boston Massacre II...
...not sure what to say right now, what to do, how to feel or what to write... i'm just going to crawl into a dark place with my champaigned-soaked Wally doll and pray for things to get better... I mean we DO have 3 more games vs them...sleep, time to sleep...

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...well at least it didn't take long

...Hansen in, Giambi up, ball deposited into the bully as Coco nearly breaks his wrist attempting to catch it...

...well at least it won't be another 19 inning job...unless...it's late, I'm babbling, things are about to get ugly in the Nation unless they have a miraculous rally...

...never mind, Jorgie just wrapped a 2-run shot around Pesky's pole...

.. I'm off to the Skyway...

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Can't take much more of this...

...it's currently 1:05 AM EST and the game is headed into extra innings. paplebon blew the save in the 9th on yet another clutch hit by Jeter, and the Sox just left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th.
I'll tell you what, if this is a prolonged extra-inning affair that ends in defeat, well...
Fingers crossed, rally caps on, and pop open another cold beverage....

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Say it ain't so! Rain, rain go away-quick.

Well things were looking good for the hometown team tonight: Schill was on top of his game(struck out Demon, Jeter, & Abreu) Mussina was not. The Sox struck first in the first with two runs courtesy of a single from Loretta, an error by Demon, an RBI double by Manny, and an RBI single by Youk. Plus Damon finally was retired to lead off the game, made the one error, & almost slid past the ball on another that could have led to 2 runs.
See, couldn't have been sweeter: early lead, Schill being Schill, Moose gagging like he always does at Fenway, and Judas looking like a buffoon (finally). So what happens? FREAKING RAIN STORM, WITH POSSIBLE HAIL AND HIGH WINDS, that's what! Tarp comes out, card tables go up, and the Nation holds its collective breath in hopes that Schill can return to the mound after the storm blows through (estimated 45 mins). Ay yah yah. We all know that after lenghty rain delays, it's like 2 different games being played in one night. The team on a roll loses the momentum, and the team that was staggering takes advantage of the break to regroup.
So it's 9PM, score is 2-0 Boston, top 3rd. Stay tuned....


... 9:47, and we're back, and Schill IS still on the hill (okay enough of that).. back to the action...

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SET THE D.V.R. TO HYPER-DRIVE, MR. SULU!

As I mentioned earlier today, this night is shaping up as a wh opper as far as TV viewing goes.
For sports fans and non, here are my selections and suggestions as to what to watch tonight:

*SPORTS:

-8PM, ESPN: STANKS vs. SOX, GM4 In what should be the best pitching matchup of this series (not saying much), Mike Mussina (13-5, 3.54) goes against designated Red Sox Savior Curt Schilling (14-5, 3.83) at Fenway. Hoping to right the listing ship, Schill will once again try to shoulder the load of an entire staff, team, and Nation. Can he do it again? Fingers will be crossed.

-8PM, NBC: SEAHAWKS at COLTS If the Sox game isn't painful enough, fans can flip over to NBC and watch their former kicker, Adam Viniteri, kicking for Horsehead Manning and his band of fleet Colts. No Edge James for the Mannings this year, so we'll see how old "cut that meat" fares when he has to pass 95% of the
time.

*NON-SPORTS:

-9pm, MSNBC: WHO KILLED JON BENET? This case gets keeps getting stranger and stranger; now confessed killer John Mark Karr supposedly was going to get a sex change in Thailand. For all you reality TV fans, this case has it all and then some. Twisted but fascinating.

-10PM, VH1: Flava of Love This reality show is still one of if not THE best on TV. How can you top a woman pooping on the stairs? I'm not sure, but if I know Flave, he'll try. Once again, twisted but fascinating!

-10PM, Comedy Central: William Shatner Roast Now I know these things have fallen flat in recent years (Pam Anderson, anyone), but this particular edition is ripe with comedic potential. Shatner has become such a charicature and butt of so many jokes these past few years that he now revels in it, and this fete should take that humiliation to another level.

-10PM, HBO: Entourage Just 2 more episodes of the best comedy on TV (at least with "The Office" on hiatus) left, so buckle up and enjoy the ride. It looks as though the boys are about to branch out a little, and tonight's show, about Drama filming his pilot with "Eddie" Burns, looks like a classic.

So there you have it, a full slate of viewing this evening; lucky I have 2 DVR's (the BrightHouse Nation's version of TiVo). But weather you have DVR, TiVo, VCR, or just plain eyeballs, there is plenty to choose from tonight.

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So what else is going on these days?

With tonight's game the ESPN Sunday Night showcase at 8:00PM, now seems like an ideal time to step away from The Rivalry and take a closer look at some of the other things going on in sports that us members of The Nation have been neglecting:

- Patriots sign veteran LB Junior Seau: This one will go in the books as one of the shortest retirements in history. The Chargers threw him a lavish party Monday after he announced his plans last weekend; after receiving a call from the Pats brass Tuesday, Thurday night he had passed a physical and inked a deal, bringing a much-needed veteran prescence to their depleted LB corps. How much does the 12-time Pro Bowler, 37-year-old member of the '90s All-Decade team have left in the tank? No one knows for sure. But I do know one thing: his leadership, work ethic, and personality alone is worth the risk, even if he is a bust on the field. Plus he's being reunited with his old Charger buddy Rodney Harrison; time will tell if the two memebers of San Diego's 1994 Super Bowl team still have what it takes that made them two of the NFL's most feared defenders.

-Bucs lose 2nd preaseason game,13-10, to Miami: In the "what does it matter dept." a.k.a. preseason football, the Bucs Scrubs fell to the Miami Third-Stringers last night at Ray Jay. A sample of TB starters who didn't see the field: Cadillac, Galloway, Pittman, D-Brooks, Shelton,and Sir Simeon. I didn't watch most of the game, but from what I can tell it went something like this: the first-string offense (minus abovementioned players) sputtered again, with the "O" line suffering numerous breakdowns (no way!) and Simms, struggling to pass over the outstretched hands of the Miami defenders, was sacked twice; he finished 2-7 for 27 yds. But for the second straight week, backup QB/fan fave Bruce "The Rocket" Gradkowski looked good, tossing a 48 yd TD to Edell Shepherd, and finishing 11-14, 193yds, 1TD, 1INT. Also backup LBs Barret Ruud and Jamie Winborn were all over the field and made a ton of big plays (Ruud had a sack & forced fumble on Duante Culpepper; Winborn sacked Miami mop-up man Joey Harrington). 2006 draftee WR Maurice Stovall had another nice catch, a 36yd first- down grab , and Shepherd, fighting for a roster spot (again) had 3 catches for 93 yds, incl the 48 yd TD. Mr. August, FB Ernest Graham, had 28 yds on 6 carries w/ a long of 18 yds.
But like I always say- presason is for coaches, 3rd-stringers, Fantasy Football Geeks, and degenerate gamblers!

- Tiger enters final day tied for lead (-14) at the PGA Championship: And he's tied with Luke (I am your father) Donald, who should be as nervous as a pastry around Star Jones when they tee off today at approx 3 EST; Going for his 12th Major, Tiger is definitely in a zone, coming off wins at the British Open and The Buick in Warwick Hills, MI. He has never failed to close out a tournament when he is either leading or has a share of the lead on the final Sunday. Although Donald is a British-born lad, he went to Northwestern, lives in the Chicago area, and should have plenty of supporters at Medinah; but when Tiger strides to the tee wearing one of his trademark blood-red shirts, it should be lights out, thanks for coming, and one step closer to Nicklaus' record 18 Majors by days end.

There is also a bevy of television choices tonight, so warm up the TiVo and get ready for a Sunday Night Party. Coming soon: MUST-SEE T.V. PREVIEW, SUNDAY EDITION

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Just a reminder to give RSN something to smile about

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