Why is it okay for Manning to run the score up when Brady was slated for same?

Peyton Manning is scooping up awards and accolades at the same rate Matthew Stafford throws picks, and in general receiving positive press for doing something Tom Brady and the Patriots were widely scolded for doing in 2007: Namely, running up the score. Why the different attitude 6 years on?

Peyton Manning

In 2007 the New England Patriots set the NFL alight with some absolutely stunning football. In a perfect fusion of attacking, offensive football and smothering, point vulturing defence, the Brady Bunch swept all before them in the regular season, driving hard to a perfect 16-0 record. Some of the scorelines are, to this day, shocking. 

Only 4 times all season did the Patriots fail to score 30 more more. They scored over 40 4 times and over 50 twice. From weeks 6 through week 8 they scored a stunning, 48, 49 and 52 points. The Patriots offence was like a hungry Great White shark in a tiny swimming pool with fat, lazy salmon. It was no contest.

The reaction?

At first a kind of a stunned silence. Then some rather angry accusations of running the score up, particularly from teams and writers that were beaten by the bigger scores, for example here and also here.

Scoot forward a few years to 2013, and Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos are setting records that are actually breaking the ones the Patriots set, for example the total Touchdowns thrown, 50 by Brady, now 51 and counting by Manning. The Broncos have put up several lopsided scores and have continued throwing late into games also.

The reaction? 

Nothing short of sycophantic. The mainstream media have been involved in a season long Manning love-fest that is in danger of spiralling out of control. Manning is everywhere, goofily grinning down from billboards, ads and interviews, joking around with Ron Bergundy and basically being rammed down our throats by ESPN and the rest 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The man can do no wrong, even when repeating exactly what Brady did a few years ago, something that, at the time, people declared it very wrong indeed.

Why is this the case? Why can Peyton Manning get away with it?

Perhaps it is his goofy demeanour and enormous forehead? Manning admirably has no issue whatsoever making fun of himself in the National media. He seems like a pretty decent chap, and it would appear that long gone are the days where Manning would throw his own team mates under the bus, as with the Colts a few times after bitter losses (mostly to the Patriots).

Manning's forehead has its own zip code

Whatever about Manning's enormous forehead, perhaps the most logical reason people in general aren't as intimidated by the '13 Broncos as by the '07 Patriots is, Denver just aren't that good. Not only have they lost 3 games, which is 300% more than the '07 Patriots, they have lost to Brady and the most recent, very flawed version of those very same Patriots. Basically, Denver are a circus freak show, they can put up points on a record pace when the situation is in their favour, however when push comes to shove they will most likely fold under the pressure of a relatively predictable offence (stick 9 near the line of scrimmage and Manning has nowhere to go) and a frankly horrendous defence.

They just aren't that scary. 

Unlike the '07 Patriots, who sucked the very life out of several franchises on their way to that stunning 2007 regular season.

Maybe it's the Broncos 3 losses and inability to stop even the worst opposition scoring on them, maybe it's Manning's gigantic rectangular forehead and effortless goofiness. 

Whatever it is, it's fascinating to watch the media sycophantically pour adulation on Manning for doing exactly what Brady did 6 years earlier to, at that time, choruses of boos and angry scribes bashing on their keyboards.

It's amazing what a difference 6 years can make.

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What’s in a Derek Jeter gift basket?

The New York Post and other are ‘reporting’ that Derek Jeter is giving out gift baskets to the women who stay for sleepovers at his exclusive home. We’re suitably intrigued. 

Derek Jeter

First things first, we often drop a little sarcasm on your here in 'From the bleachers', and we have occasionally tried to sneak a couple of fake stories past you, our lovely readers, however we bring you this one in all truth and honesty, despite the fact it seems exactly as if it were in our sarcastic wheel-house.

You might expect the following headline in a newspaper in Boston or anywhere else that has a strong anti New York Yankee fan-base, however for a New York paper to print this is, to say the least, a little odd. We give you one of the lead headlines in the NY Post today; 

Jeter gives autograph swag to one-night stands

Someone get on to the good people at The Pulitzer Awards, tell them to hold on to the 2013 votes until this story plays out. The Post reports that since Yankee legend Derek Jeter split from Minka Kelly he has been entertaining a proportionately large number of ladies in his ‘Trump World Tower bachelor pad’. It is debatable whether this on its own would constitute news even on a slow day however add the fact that apparently the ladies go home with a Derek Jeter gift basket and suddenly we are on to something.

Funniest exposé within has to be the fact that Jeter lost count at one stage and gave one lucky young lady the gift basket twice, forgetting she had indeed been an earlier conquest. We’re guessing that amongst the Jeter groupie posse this might be known as ‘doubling-up’.

What we are most curious about, apart from the question as to why any superstar would want to play in New York and have to deal with the back stabbing vampires journalists in the Post, is what on earth makes up the contents of a Derek Jeter ‘Thank-You’ gift basket? The only element we are sure about, confirmed by the Posts’s crack team of reporters, is a Derek Jeter autographed baseball.

Apart from that, what are we talking here? Breath mints? Deodorant? A mouth wash? A complimentary 10% off your next Pizza at Jeter’s favourite Pizzeria, Ninos?

Jeter’s Irish mother would no doubt be proud of her generous son

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, next time you are purchasing an autographed Derek Jeter baseball on the Internet, just remember how much effort went into obtaining that little gem.

Yankees gift basket - throw in a breath mint and you have a Jeter gift basket

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Peyton Manning unveils new hot tub safety helmet

With millions of Americans retreating indoors from the cold to their hot tubs, the issue of hot tub safety is obviously a massive concern right now. Thankfully, one of the most safety aware professional athletes in the United States is on the case. 

Peyton Manning

When Steve Funkensloppen  of The American Hot Tub Safety Association (AHTSA) started his search for a Hot Tub safety awareness endorsement candidate, he wrote one name down on a piece of paper and brought it to his superiors. That name? Peyton Manning. Funkensloppen knew from the moment he was tasked with finding a suitable safety awareness star that Manning was his man.

Funkensloppen has always been a Denver Broncos fan and he was elated when Manning was brought on board to push the Broncos to the next level. Watching the veteran QB give classic displays of how not to get hit as a QB, Funkensloppen  put one and one together and knew he had his Hot Tub safety awareness superstar.

"Have you ever watched Manning drop like a dead animal every time an opposition linebacker gets within five yards of him? That’s veteran awareness, that’s veteran safety awareness right there," an excited Funkensloppen told us in an exclusive interview. "His entire career, Manning has dropped, safely, to the ground, avoiding sacks and showing kids all over America how to put safety ahead of you know, toughness and winning, and stuff like that."

Manning was delighted to be approached by Funkensloppen and together with the AHTSA they have come up with a number of Hot Tub safety tools, for example the NFL team branded Hot Tub safety helmet in the above picture. Manning can be seen in the same picture watching his favorite cartoons on a modified, water-proofed iPad with smooth, protected edges so veteran QBs won’t cut themselves while playing in the Hot Tub.

Unfortunately the great man himself, Peyton Manning, could not be reached for comment, as he was preparing for the San Diego game on site shooting a Papa John’s Pizza commercial.

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Offensive NFL sign outside restaurant just a symptom of a larger problem

A racially offensive sign outside a restaurant chain in Belton, Miss has caused a storm on the social networks. However, what’s the point of attacking the idiot who put it up, when several major professional sports teams are allowed to use racially insensitive logos and mascots?

1860 would be so proud

The Sonic Drive-in restaurant chain has been forced to apologize for a very  offensive sign that was displayed outside one of its branches last weekend.  The sign, which was put up outside a Belton, Miss., branch, read, 'KC Chiefs' Will Scalp the Redskins Feed Them Whiskey Send -2- Reservation," As it turns out, it was technically correct, in that Kansas did indeed overwhelm Washington on Sunday. Still, that’s no excuse for the pretty pathetic, childish and offensive sign.

The chain has released this statement;
‘’ The remarks posted on this message board were wrong, offensive and unacceptable. In a misguided effort to support his football team an independent franchise owner allowed passion to override good judgment. The owner has reinforced with his employees the boundaries of what is acceptable and unacceptable. On behalf of the franchise owner and our entire brand we apologize for the offensive remarks.’’

Here’s the thing, the restaurant employee idiotic simpleton who created this sign is not the problem.

We, namely society in the United States, are the real problem.

If you are going to be stupid enough as a society to play deaf, dumb and blind and allow a professional sports team to use an outrageously racist nickname (and if you don’t  think it is racist, answer this simple question, would a racially insensitive African American nickname be acceptable? No it would not) then this is the kind of garbage we are going to have to put up with.

There’s zero point in attacking idiots like this, when bigger idiots like Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder continue to stubbornly refuse to admit they are offending an entire race with their pathetic old nickname.

Ask yourself one quick question. If that sign had been making fun of traditional, racist African American stigmas (slavery etc), do you think this would be being treated like a joke? Obviously no, it would not. The person who put the sign up and the manager of the branch would have been sacked.

We just don't care as a society about racially abusing American Indians.

Until we take seriously various groups efforts to have offensive American Indian mascots and logos usage discontinued, we're all in on this.

We're all writing offensive signs on a Sunday.

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Katherine Webb and the morbid depths of US sports 'journalism'

A look at a popular sports website article, the related comment section and the Katherine Webb situation is not a pleasant experience. 

Katherine Webb (right)

In a brilliant, cutting, journalistic masterpiece the site Bleacher Report brings us the vital report, ‘’Katherine Webb Says She's 'Nervous' About Iron Bowl Game’’. Earth shattering stuff. Sarcasm aside, this is a reflection of two topics. This is what Webb has to look forward to the rest of her life, and secondly, yes, this is the state of Sports ‘journalism’ in the United States.

200-400 word ‘articles’ with ridiculously inane headlines, an excuse to publish a few pictures and catchy captions, fodder for the comments section. And boy oh boy does the Bleacher Report comment section deliver, as always.

Let’s just say a trip to the depths of a Bleacher Report article comment section is something that future generations will probably study in terms of the depths of human stupidity. A more moronic, monosyllabic and ignorant place you shall never find.

This ‘article’ brought out the best in Alabama football fans  (click the image to view the comments but be warned, some are offensive).

In a way, you can’t blame them, this is the way they are led by the super media powers that be. This is what they are fed, and this is what they are reacting to. In January of this year I suggested that the blatant objectification on television of Webb was sexist and frankly kind of misogynistic. Some people liked the article, plenty hated it, and it generated reams of hate mail and aggressive comments from readers who called me everything from an idiot to a liberal to a liberal idiot and plenty more I won’t repeat here. College football generates the wildest, most angry of responses from its fan base.

It also generates the worst kind of commentary from same
(click the image to view the comment but be warned, it is offensive).

Let's call a spade a spade here, Bleacher Report may try and portray itself as a sports website, but really it is just a portal for trolls to say offensive things. If they want to argue that fact, well you can just point toward any of their moderated comment sections, which are all basically as bad as the above.

Back to Webb for a second.

As we said, this is her future. Basically a punchline to a stupid story. It has been a year, and it doesn’t appear as if Brent Musburger’s swarthy, scum-bag, salacious comments have got her anywhere really. No career rocket blast appears to have occurred, Instead Webb will continue to be fodder for the likes of Bleacher Report. It was suggested by some back in January that Webb herself was okay with Brent Musburger’s comments, and that she viewed it as a launching pad for her career. It would be interesting to talk to her in a couple of years, after a few more thousand ugly, sexist and misogynistic comment sections get their hands on her, to see if she still felt that Brent Musburger basically salivating over her on National TV was really a porgressive vehicle for her career.

At the end of the day, this is where we are at. Idiotic articles, ugly, aggressive comments sections and sexism in mainstream US sporting media unchecked.

If only some of the billions of dollars generated by College Football in the USA were spent on, you know, education.

There's a caption in here somewhere..

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Alabama to change their mantra ‘Roll Tide’ to ‘Part, Tide’.

After a dramatic weekend of College Football action, Alabama have decided to change their historic old mantra from 'Roll Tide' to a more apt, modern version. 

Alabama may have lost their unbeaten season, and possibly a shot at the BCS title game, however it is not all bad news for 'Bama fans. After the dramatic, final second loss to rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl game last Saturday, the Alabama powers that be have decided a fresh, updated mantra is required for the school to modernize itself.

Art Buckawinski, a school administrator, talks us through the change.

''Well, as you know, the Alabama special teams parted like the Red Sea to allow Auburn to score that missed field goal return, so we thought, heck, why not update the old mantra and bring in something new, fancy and, I guess, sexy. Well, a few of us were sitting around with a few school boosters and we thought, what about 'Part, Tide'. Seems like the right thing to do''.

There you have it.

Goodbye 'Roll Tide', hello 'Part, Tide'.

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Guinness Book Of Records confirms: Seattle Seahawks have easily the most annoying fans

While attending the Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints, to check if the home town team could break a fan-noise record, the Guinness Book Of Records staff chanced upon another amazing discovery.

Seattle fan: Awful.

The elite Guinness Book Of Records ‘fact checking team’ was in the house last night to catch Monday Night Football and New Orleans at Seattle. They were there with bundles of highly tuned, expensive audio testing equipment to measure the home crowd noise and see if the Seahawks fans could break the World Record, and indeed a few ear drums, for crowd noise during a game.

Seattle fans: Really annoying

While testing the audio levels one of the highly trained fact checkers stumbled upon an astonishing discovery.

The Seattle Seahawks have, easily, the most annoying fans in all of professional sports.

The Guinness Book employee, Gunther Fartgarten, breathlessly takes the story up;  ‘Yes, I was checking my audio equipment when I looked up at the stands, and it kind of just came to me. I thought to myself ‘My God, these fans are really annoying’ at which point I grabbed a copy of the book of records and thumbed through it. Previously the most annoying fans in the World were St Louis Cardinals fans, but clearly everyone feels kind of sorry for them now, so Seattle fans are obviously in pole position now’.

The Guinness Book uses a complicated algorithm to calculate Crowd Annoyance Levels (CAL) and they maintain a level of secrecy around this, although Mr Fartgarten did say; ''I mean, did you see that one guy dressed as the Hulk? How annoying was that? That was worth 2 CAL points right there. Did he think it was still Halloween? Idiot.''

Seattle fans: Hulk smash.

Sadly Seattle's noisy fans have failed to break the World Record for noise levels during a game. Of course they can be content in the fact they have taken another title, that of The Single Most Annoying Fans In The World.

Seattle: Grammatically challenged.

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Panthers unveil dominant new defensive play to win against the New England Patriots

Monday Night Football did not disappoint, with a thrilling encounter between the host Carolina Panthers and the visiting New England Patriots. The titanic matchup will go down as a classic and even has its own signature play attached, a little something the Panthers worked on before the big showdown. Sometimes, practice makes perfect

Luke Kuechly wraps Gronkowski up

They had been practicing it all week. When the time came, the Carolina Panthers' young star linebacker Luke Kuechly knew exactly what to do. With the game on the line and future Hall of Fame Quarterback Tom Brady knocking on the door, the Panthers resorted to a new play recently added to their defensive playbook. Kuechly says that after a tough week of training, he was allowed by Panther coaches to name the play and decided upon 'Center bear hug tight.'

Defensive holding? Of course not!

The Patriots last minute drive was in danger of ruining the night for the hosts, and jostling the NFL’s desired narrative of the home team coming good at the end, when in stepped Kuechly. His perfect execution of ’Center bear hug tight,’ – grabbing on to Patriots tight-end Rob Gronkowski and holding him in, well, a bear-hug, while the ball was in the air – saved the day for the home side.

Brady's pass was picked off for an interception as Gronkowski watched helpless, unable to intervene as  Kuechly executed a perfect bear-hug on him.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera was positively glowing about Kuechly after the game;  ‘That kid works so hard, we just love him to death, we asked him to do a job, and you could all see that bear-hug, there’s no way Gronk was catching that ball, that’s all we ask of Kuechly right there’.

When asked what the Panthers had planned if the referees threw a flag, Kuechly said 'That’s okay, we knew they would pick it right back up.'

Luke Kuechly getting the job done

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The Gladiator and the NCAA football player, 1,000s of years apart, but linked through eternity

Watching Alabama take on LSU on Saturday night, the viewer could quite easily, and without too great a leap of the imagination, have been watching any of the major Gladiatorial events of the final period of the Roman Empire. With slightly less blood spilled, of course. One focal commonality exists between the two however. Whilst all other related parties profited both then and now, neither the Gladiators of Rome nor the athletes of the NCAA were or are paid for their blood, sweat and tears.

The roar of the enormous crowd. The sweating, heaving, equally entertained and enraged masses. The pulsating energy hovering over the stadium. The vicious encounter on the field of play. The militaristic overtone, laced into the crowd and spilling out around the boundaries, be it full uniform military service personnel or constant reminders of the state’s knee-deep involvement in military exploits. Gambling, snack type food and side-line entertainment above and beyond the action on the field.

We could be describing Alabama taking on LSU on Saturday night, or we could be describing any of the major Gladiatorial events from ancient Rome. Every single one of the above elements are true to both.

Yes, even the gambling. In ancient Rome, a ‘libellous’, a detailed program of the respective Gladiator event, gave the records of fighters for the benefit of gamblers. Much like ESPN giving gambling related information on its website before a big college showdown (despite the fact that, you know, gambling is illegal in most States and all that!).

The similarities between the peak of the Gladiator phenomenon and the peak of College Football are tantalizingly fascinating.

Both entities reached or are reaching their peak at a historical time of political and social upheaval. Rome was in the throes of being dragged to pieces both internally by bickering politicians, and externally by hordes of barbarians. The United States? The internal political strife may be even worse than ancient Rome, however perhaps the external dangers haven’t fully metastasized as yet. Unless of course you take the recent US Military doctrines all being remodeled to prepare for war with China as serious. Then, the barbarians the Roman legions faced are like a pack of rowdy kids wearing Mickey Mouse hats banging on the door.

The similarities between the two entities, separated by thousands of years, are enticing at a superficial level, and almost hilariously fascinating when you dig a little deeper. At every level of the Gladiatorial games we can match them, almost perfectly, to modern NCAA football.

Gladiator games had sponsors, College Football has shady booster groups, who plow money through dark-alley-type avenues into football programs. You could also compare the Gladiator sponsors to modern day advertising, which flushes money into College Football while promoting itself alongside this.

The music that was played at Gladiator fights, which historians suggest rose to a crescendo as combatants brutally killed each other? How about those gaudy College marching bands, and accompanying cheerleaders, that frolic around as if they are mindless idiots after each score. Advertising? Now, FOX sports and their kin blast gaudy, colorful advertisements at us, urging us to believe we are about to witness a seminal point in our lives, the games are purportedly that important. The Romans loved a good billboard advertisement too, and enormous, detailed adverts were placed all over town pre-fight.

The Military? The Roman army was out in force during the Gladiatorial fights, and historians note that off-duty soldiers were given preferred seating, and cheered by the adoring crowd. If you followed major European soccer tournaments in the 1970s and 80s one feature was Eastern European matches invariably played out in front of hordes of Red Army soldiers, roaring on from the stands in their masses. The United States hasn’t quite reached that level of Communist Military adulation and deification, but goodness is it trying!

The Gladiators themselves? For the large part, mere fodder, lives to be snuffed out in a blink for the entertainment of the masses, and the benefit of sponsors. Doesn’t that sound very like College Football, where, for the large part, players risk life and limb without hope of moving on to the next level (The NFL), all for the entertainment of the drunken masses and the benefit of schools coffers, the NCAA and the corporations that promote themselves alongside College Football.

Gladiators were owned by the rich of Rome. They were bought and sold on the open market. NCAA football players are recruited aggressively by colleges, and pretty much ‘owned’ by them until they exit the program. If they step outside the bounds of their new role, they are summarily punished, much like the Gladiators before them.

In Ancient Rome a tiny proportion of Gladiators became so famous that they attained a celebrity status, and often won their freedom. I am sure you can see where we are going to go with that one, right? As we speak, a tiny, minuscule proportion of NCAA football players attain legendary status akin to their Gladiator counterparts, and obtain entry to the next level, the NFL.

The rest?

Just mere fodder for the corporate entertainment machine that is College Football.

In Ancient Rome, 99% of Gladiators fought to the death for the populace's entertainment and the rich sponsors' financial benefit. In the modern day United States, 99% of NCAA football players toil eagerly for our entertainment and so that Viagra can hock a few more little blue tablets.

Neither the vast majority of dead Gladiators nor the overwhelming majority of modern day NCAA players benefited financially from their efforts. Everyone else did, or does, just not the subjects themselves.

The decline of the Gladiators? This is intrinsically linked to the huge problems Rome had keeping control of its vast colonies, armies and related military expenditure.

Re-read that to yourself again and ask yourself, remind you of anyone you might know?

There is no doubt an inherent nobility and a brave dignity in both the exploits of the common Gladiator and indeed the common NCAA football player. However, much as with Ancient Rome, the massive, tarnished, twisted, money-grabbing and often corrupt framework around them is as ugly now as it was then, back when the Barbarians were at the gates.

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Northwestern's ‘Wounded Warrior’ uniforms are an insulting money grabbing act

Macabre uniforms designed by Under Armour and set to be worn by Northwestern are meant to honor the veterans of the military, but in fact are nothing more than an ugly and indeed insulting money-grabbing venture, something college football is very good at.

New Northwestern uniform

On November 16th Northwestern will wear a unique uniform in their game against Michigan. The outfit is being described as a ‘Wounded Warrior’ uniform, and a salute to patriotism and the brave fighting men and women of the United States of America.

This ‘salute to America’ has all the subtlety of a sledge-hammer and will no doubt be a wild hit with salivating sports anchors across America on game-day.

In this day and age, it is tantamount to treason to even remotely question anything as ‘glaringly patriotic’ as this, but, if you will allow me to get up on my soap box for a moment or two, let’s have a look at a few of the factors that make this one of the most crass attempts at merchandise flogging in recent memory.

First of all, to the uniform design itself. The brain dead monkey genius in Under Armour who came up with this design should spend a little time walking around military hospitals showing wounded veterans the drawings of his or her creation. It would be interesting to see how young, injured and often horribly mutilated veterans would react to a uniform that actually depicts their blood being shed on the ground.

Just marvel for a second at the sheer stupidity of this concept,

Blood spatter.

On a uniform intended to honor injured military service veterans.

Really?

Second, the finance of this operation would make most Mafia bosses blush. It is no secret that sales of merchandise attached to this project will go into the pockets of the University's football program, the NCAA and Under Armour to the tune of 90%. The Wounded Warrior program? They get 10%. Effectively a little chump change, broken off to pass this whole disgusting venture off as charity of sorts.

Above all else, it isn’t the fact that these jerseys are completely insensitive to the potential battlefield trauma suffered by veterans of the cause they are supposed to honor, and it isn’t even the disgusting fact that only 10% of the sales will go to the charity, it’s the sheer arrogance on display in the sale of this merchandise that stinks the worst.

Let’s be crystal clear here: if you buy one of these jerseys you are not progressing some kind of noble, patriotic act. You are not making America any safer from terrorism. To be 100% clear here, you are simply lining the pockets of a rich football program, a wildly rich institution and a super-rich clothing company.

If you just think they are ‘super awesome’ jerseys, and you just want to wear one as you drink your Coors Lite, great, knock yourself out. Please, just spare us the patriotic sanctimony. Giving 90% of your presumably hard-earned money to corporations is not a patriotic act. We looked it up. In no shape or form does doing this mean you are being even 1% more patriotic than yesterday.

In fact, you are possibly being less patriotic, as the time spent buying and wearing said jersey could instead have been spent volunteering at a homeless veterans food kitchen or visiting elderly veterans or volunteering at a center for the rehabilitation of injured, mutilated veterans.

That ties into my last point.

Genuine and meaningful philanthropic opportunities are scattered all around us, in a myriad of shapes and forms. If you really want to do some good in the world, there are literally a billion things you could do that would have a more positive effect than sending giving Northwestern’s football program, the NCAA and the clothing company Under Armour $9 out of every $10 you spend on their merchandise.

Go forth and find one. You will feel the better for it (and, you will be a little less out of pocket too, probably!).

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Red Sox fans in Ireland brace for game six of the World Series

Ireland is home to a surprising number of baseball fans, many of whom root for the Boston Red Sox. We caught up with a few of them ahead of game 6 of the World Series between Boston and St Louis.

The Boston Red Sox in action

People outside of the Unites States often scoff at the title ‘World Series’. Their sarcastic bluster is based on a perception that seeing as it is only North American teams participating, it shouldn’t be called the ‘World’ series. These contrarians are missing a couple of simple, subtle points. First of all, the players that take part in the games are genuinely from all over the World. Major League Baseball today is a multicolored collage of players from all around the World. Secondly, the appeal of the Series, and the game of baseball, is now strong all around the World. Yes, even in Europe.

The Irish national baseball team, for example, has played in stadiums all across Europe, from Hull in the UK, to Karlovac in Croatia, to Stockerau in Austria and Regensberg in Germany. If you are not familiar with it, the strength of the game of baseball in Europe would surprise you.

The World Series obviously holds a particular allure, and tonight’s game 6 is no different. Ireland, with its close ties to Boston, is home to a surprisingly large group of Red Sox fans, all of whom are waiting nervously for tonight’s first pitch. Yes, despite the 12:30 am GMT starting time over here in Dublin!

We caught up with a few of these Red Sox fans ahead of tonight’s showdown.

Mark Treacy, a 17 year old student from Wicklow town, in county Dublin, follows the games on MLB TV, the MLB website itself and occasionally on Boston.com. he has managed to watch every single World Series game, and a few of the playoff games before that, particularly the day time games US time, which are at a very reasonable time here in the GMT zone!

Mark thinks the latest he was up (to watch a 2013 playoff games) was 5 am, although he was so tired he didn’t remember fully. The reason he’s able to watch all the World Series games? He’s on a school vacation!

His answer to Red Sox playoff related exhausting syndrome (RSPRES), simply sleep it off (oh to be a student again)!

His favourite moments of the World Series so far have been the big Gomes home run and the Uehara game ending pickoff.

Garret Pearse, a  42 year old Information Technology executive from Wicklow, has been a Red Sox fan all his life, and has been to many games at Fenway Park. He is also a pitcher on the Irish B League Championship winning Dublin Hurricanes. He uses MLB.TV for all the games, usually on his iPhone with the headphones in and the duvet over his head, like a bold child trying not to be caught. Garret is a die-hard Sox fan and has only missed one or two of the 2013 playoff games, and those he followed on his phone. He figures the latest he was up was probably last Saturday’s game 4, which ended somewhere around the 5 am mark! As he said himself; ‘’I still haven't figured out what time I really got to bed!’’. When asked how he manages work the next day, he answered; ‘’ Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.’’ His favourite moments of the World Series so far? Shane Victorino’s and  Big Papi’s grand slams and Jon Lester’s big game 5 win.

Peter Kavanagh, 29, the Information & Networking Officer at Active Retirement Ireland is from Clondalkin in Dublin. He has a tried and tested method for following the Sox; ‘’ I listen in to WEEI until my mind and body shut down and tell my heart to go to sleep. The next morning I watch the condensed game on mlb.com’’

A busy man with a schedule that would make President Obama blush, Peter is doing his best this playoff run; ‘’ I'm not catching them all live, but I'm devouring everything about them the morning after. Highlights, interviews, analysis, you name it.’’ Peter is not finding it easy to last the whole way through the games this time round; ‘’ During the '04 World Series, I was in college, so it was a regular occurrence to watch the entire game, then make some tea and head straight to class. I can't sleep in work as easily as I slept in German Lit. 201, so I call it a night about 4amthis time round.’’

Of course the flip side of this is, unlike many other Irish Red Sox fans, Peter is a fully functional cog in work the next day. How is he combating Red Sox playoff related exhausting syndrome (RSPRES)? ‘’ I have spent the guts of a World Series ticket on coffee in a wonderful little café on Capel St in Dublin. It's called Brother Hubbard and their excellent caffeine and friendly staff are possibly the only reason I haven't gone postal on all my colleagues.’’ An avid baseball fan and super intelligent human being, Peter naturally has an interesting take on the best moments of the 2013 World Series thus far; "

It's all about Papi, but it's not about him having the best World Series of any first baseman or DH ever, or his token effort to join the Beard Gang. It's the singles he legged out in games four and five. When Ortiz is hustling along the basepaths, you know this is a team that will fight to the last out.’’

Adam Murray, aged 30, from Stoneybatter in Dublin, is another disciple of the Church of MLB.TV. He watches is either on apple TV or on his laptop. In terms of this playoff run, Adam describes his viewership as such; ‘’ I've watched the start of all the games at least. The Spirit has been willing, but the body has been weak,’’. In fairness to Adam, he has put in the long hours before. He remembers going to bed at 6 am after the Red Sox bitter loss to Baltimore at season’s end. The Sox clearly owe him one this time around! Adam is another coffee addict, at least during the Sox playoff journeys. His answer to RSPRES? ‘’ Fresh air, water, adrenaline and smugness.’’. Adam’s favourite moments of the 2013 World Series thus far? ‘’ Everytime Big Papi swings his bat, and Koji's game ending pick off in Game 4’’

The above is just a small sample, you would probably be shocked at the depth, intensity and also baseball-intelligence of the fans over here in Ireland.

Now we just have to root out a Cardinals fan or two to tell their side of the story….

Rarefied atmosphere: Jon Lester’s dominant World Series run continues

The Red Sox ace leads his team to a 3-1 win over the Cardinals with as dominant a World Series outing as you are likely to see. Lester’s career World Series, and indeed playoff, statistics are out of this world.

Red Sox ace Jon Lester

There is still plenty of baseball yet to play in this 2013 World Series. We have seen pretty much everything and anything the wonderfully unpredictable sport of baseball can throw at us at this juncture. Game-ending pick-offs and game-ending pedantic rule-book type calls. A couple of juicy plays in the field, a couple of big bombs and some dynamic, overpowering pitching. St Louis sends their nominal ace, Michael Wacha, to the mound tomorrow night in Boston and he alone is very capable of keeping the series alive. The bookies might be calling Boston the prohibitive betting favorite, however those who have seen enough of the 2013 playoffs know, this one is not over by a long shot.

The teams are traveling to Boston today, and this gives us a chance to pause and recognize what is fast becoming the absolutely glowing playoff resume of Boston’s combative, regal ace, Jon Lester.

Last night the Cardinals as if played game six as was their remit, what Dennis Eckersley might call a have-to-have-it type game. With Adam Wainwright on the hill and their red-clad, white towel waving fans behind them, they wanted game 5 bad, and it showed. Standing in front of them, a thin grey road jersey line called Jon Lester. Red Sox fans know when Lester is on, and indeed when he is off. He has had some issues the last couple of seasons, not enough to derail what has been a truly splendid career to date, but enough to get the knuckle heads on Twitter vomiting out garbage like ‘Lester, ace? Give me a break!’ after a poor start.

During a handful of admittedly poor starts, by his lofty standards, Lester ‘nibbled’ like Daisuke Matsuzaka at his worst. His body language was at best, poor, and his strikes-to-balls ratio was awful. There’s no doubt Lester would admit there were a few starts that would have had Red Sox fans wincing, as fastball after fastball was overthrown perhaps, and dragged out of the strike zone.

Lester is a terrifically hard worker, however, and anyone who has followed his career to date noticed his much improved performances as the playoffs came close. The competitive monster dwelling deep inside Lester’s heart was obviously roused, and eager to show baseball what it could do on the big stage.

The fact is, historically, there are very few Major League Baseball pitchers who have achieved what Lester has done under the brightest lights of all.

Last night was no exception.

Lester absolutely pounded the strike zone all night long, not letting up at all, driving the Red Sox past the Cardinals, completely abusing the lower half of the Cardinals order in particular. The big lefty gave up just the one run (on a lazy fastball that the Cardinal’s Holliday knew exactly what to do with) and a stingy 4 hits, along with seven, often emphatic, strikeouts.

In two World Series games against Lester, over 15.1 innings total, the Cardinals have managed a grand total of one run.

This means that Lester has now started 3 World Series games, winning all of them, and he has allowed 1 solitary run over 21 innings total.

1 run in 21 World Series Innings.

As ‘The Stranger’ in The Big Lebowski says;

"..sometimes there's a man... I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? But sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talkin' about the Dude here. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there."

Get your World Series tickets! Only $96,000 each!

Tickets to Game one of the World Series at Fenway Park, between the Boston Red Sox and the St Louis Cardinals are available at $96,000. Please note you are currently limited to a maximum of 24. If you could have your $2.3 million ready before you click 'Buy', that would be great.

The Red Sox are contesting the World Series
starting Wednesday night

The World Series starts Wednesday in Boston, and the home town Red Sox are marginal favorites to take their third title since 2004. Should a body fancy attending this potentially momentous event, the super great news is that there are approximately 2,000 tickets available for the game, mostly through re-sellers such as StubHub.

Plenty of World Series tickets available

The slightly less great news is that the tickets are selling for around the $96,000 mark.

Let's let that sink in for a second.

$96,000.

$96,000 tickets

We have contacted StubHub to ask if anyone actually purchases tickets that cost just a shade below $100,000, we will update this post when and if they reply.

In the meantime, brother, can you spare a dime, or $96,000?


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Will Ferrell presents Dodgers Lineup before NLCS Game 5

Saturday Night Live comedian turned movie superstar gives his take on the Dodgers lineup. Spoiler alert: It's hilarious.

Will Ferrell yucks it up with the Dodgers pre game

The Dodgers might want to make this 'a thing'. Prior to their crucial, win-or-go-home National League Championship game 5 last night against the Cardinals, comedian Will Ferrell presented the Dodgers lineup.

Needless to say, it was pretty funny.




Obviously, having the big guy read the lineups out worked from a sports karma perspective, with the Dodgers scoring a crucial win in the series. Game 6 is Friday night in St Louis, and the Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw and his .047 post season era on the hill.

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Is President Obama preventing Rob Gronkowski from playing for Patriots?

Group releases documentation they say proves the President is the force keeping the Patriots star off the field of play.

Is Obama behind Gronk's inactivity?

The New England Patriots dramatic comeback win over the Saints on Sunday last has been overshadowed somewhat by the drama surrounding the return to action of Tight End Robert Gronkowski. ‘Gronk’ missed his sixth straight game on Sunday, resulting in thousands of calls to sports talk radio from irate Boston area callers, demanding to know what the hold-up was.

A shroud of mystery has hovered over Gronkowski’s inability to play so far this season, while he recovers from offseason arm and back surgeries. The main problem would appear to be that everyone linked to the big Tight End would appear to be indicating that either he is ready to play, or they are okay with him waiting until he is ready. Thus the question, where’s this ‘problem’ that the sporting media are referring to?

Starting with the team itself, Tom Brady has gone on record to say ‘I don’t think there’s any resentment’ in regards Gronk not taking the field as yet. Patriots owner Robert Kraft has sternly insisted that he is 'completely behind' Rob Gronkowski’s rehab. No problem there, right?

In terms of his own family, Gronkowski’s mother, Diane, told The Boston Herald that her son is “dying to play.” She went on to say; "All I can say is Robbie is dying to play. He wants to get out there. He's doing what he has to do to get back playing. He doesn't like it. He wants to play. It really bothers him that he's not playing." Initial reports tried to link his father, Gordy, to the fact he hasn’t played as yet, however those reports have been strongly rejected by both family and team.

Finally, the doctor involved in the surgery, Dr. James Andrews, is reported to have given the player the all-clear to ‘suit up’.

So where exactly is the blockage?

Republican think-tank group ‘America for Americans’ has released a report that links clearly the current President of The United States to the Patriots superstar Tight End not being on the field of play, despite being healthy. The 350 page document holds ‘damning evidence’ that President Obama is the mysterious, nefarious force keeping the Patriots best offensive weapon off the gridiron. The group, funded by the infamous Koch brothers, is perhaps best known before now for sending 5,000 ‘Obama did it!’ t-shirts to American troops in the Middle East.

Noted Republican thinker Michele Bachmann said of the report; ‘’This is just another clear set of evidence that Obama is tearing the very fabric of American society down, brick by brick. Would ‘Gronk’ be stopped from playing if he was black? If ‘Gronk’ was Muslim, would he have been allowed play by Obama? I am just asking questions.’’


When pressed on the subject Bachmann shouted 'How can we know Obama is NOT behind Gronk's inactivity?!'

Patriots team officials have refused to comment on the report, and the player himself has refuted all allegations that the President is stopping him from playing. However, Gronkowski was seen talking to men in black suits after the game last weekend. These men may have been reporters, or they may have been Secret Service agents informing Gronk that the President is still not allowing him play.

We’re just asking questions.

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Strikeback Sunday: Big Papi drives the Red Sox back from the brink

On a spectacular sports Sunday for Boston fans, perhaps the biggest moment of all came with one swing of David Ortiz's bat.

Big Papi loses one in the bleachers

It will go down with the great, iconic Boston Red Sox moments of years gone by. Essentially no matter what happens through the rest of this Boston and Detroit series, the home run that David Ortiz hit last night will be remembered for a long, long time.

No point in teasing you, if you haven't seen it as yet, here it is.




Incredibly, this was the fifth time Big Papi tied or gave the Sox the lead in the eighth inning or later in the postseason. Most players would be happy to do that once in their career. For David Ortiz, it's beccoming something of a habit. "It seemed like old hat for Dave," catcher David Ross said. "I would have been like a little school girl running around the bases if I had would have done that. And he trotted around like it was nothing."

The Big Papi home-run trot

For the Tigers, it was a perfect storm that unravelled on them in the 8th inning. Many in Detroit will be second guessing manager Jim Leyland’s decision to remove Max Scherzer before the inning even started, despite the fact he was on 108 pitches. The relief pitchers who followed all failed in some form or another: Veras, Smyly, Alburquerque, Benoit and then finally Rick Porcello in the 9th. Their failure burst the balloon that was Detroit's bullpen superiority for the series. Every single one of those guys will be pitching with doubt in his mind after last night, particularly Benoit.

Finally, former Boston defensive whizz Jose Iglesias gave his former team a hand by attempting a tricky throw, trying to get Gomes at first when he should have put the ball in his pocket, as they say. Fielder’s pathetic attempt was lazy, sure, but ‘Iggy’, as they called him in Boston, should never have made that throw.

It is amazing how the overall picture of a series can change, with a couple of pitches, a couple of swings and a bad throw. Just like that Boston are going to Detroit with a huge swing of momentum to ride on, while the Tigers have to pick up the pieces and see what they have in terms of fortitude.

What a night of sporting moments in Boston, none bigger than the blast off of Papi's bat.

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Rays manager Joe Maddon uses big word, confuses reporters.

The Tampa Bay Rays may have been dumped out of the MLB playoffs last night by the Boston Red Sox, however not before their stupefyingly intelligent and ruggedly handsome manager, Joe Maddon, made 9 pitching changes and confused reporters after the game with a gigantic word.

Joe Maddon makes one of 9 pitching changes on the night.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays' playoff run came to a jarring halt last night, as they were dumped out of the playoffs by the Boston Red Sox. Their 1-3 defeat was of course entirely the fault of the playing staff and absolutely nothing to do with Super Genius Manager Joe Maddon. The latter pulled out all the stops in trying to lift his over-matched team past the financially superior Red Stockings.

There is literally nothing Joe 'Genius' Maddon could have done above and beyond the incredible measures he went to in trying to force a game 5 in the playoff series. Maddon turned what should have been a 3 hour game into a 5 hour marathon with an incredible 9 pitching changes. He did this because he knows better than you. He also made other shift, lineup and defensive positioning changes that we would get into but they would be too hard to explain, because, as we know, Joe Maddon is a genius.

You could try to understand the moves he makes, however, you just wouldn't be able to comprehend the sheer depth of his thinking.

It is not only the common fan that is left feeling like an idiot in the enormous wake of Joe Maddon's giant intellect.

After the game last night Maddon held court, eulogising at length about the variety of great, nay, brilliant moves he made in an attempt to win the game. During the course of the questions from the assorted press, Maddon said;

''But the way it was going in the beginning there, you could see it was not going to work. We had to do something a little bit differently. Then we became a little bit more extemporaneous at that point.''

A low, awed gasp went up among the assembled scribes, as they looked at each other, many with mouths agape. 

Maddon noticed the reaction and sat back in his chair, waving his hand regally, he sighed, 'do you need me to explain that word?' to which a couple of the press confirmed in the affirmative.

Maddon explained slowly that extemporaneousis means something that is made up or done without special preparation. ''You people might describe it as, say, 'ad-libbed', in lay mans terms''

Joe Maddon ladies and gents.

Manager.

Teacher of minds.

Genius.

Genius at work

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Tampa Bay Rays announce measures to improve attendance

The Tampa Bay Rays will finish dead last in attendance figures in Major League Baseball yet again this season. Rays owner Stuart Sternberg has announced dramatic measures that he hopes will change the teams horrific attendance figures around next year.

Yet another pathetic crowd at a Rays game

Despite making the playoff, The Tampa Bay Rays are dead last in MLB attendance figures yet again, having drawn an average of 18,646 fans per game. Every single other MLB team, even Houston and Miami, drew better than the Rays. Their inability to 'draw' has become an institutional failure of a magnitude previously only seen in comedic sports movies.

In an effort to counter this, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg is introducing sweeping measures he hopes will invigorate the Rays fan-base, and get the turnstiles clicking.

We're delighted to bring you an exclusive first-look at those same measures.

• First and foremost, all games will start at 4:30 pm. The hope is that this will 'speak-to' the timeframes that suit the Rays fan-base the most.
• Next season all Rays tickets are now going to be advertised as being 20% off.
• Further to the above point, all Rays games will all be advertised as 'The early bird Rays special'
• Ethnic food concession stands will be replaced with Country Kitchen Buffet throughout the stadium
• Each game ticket will also have a coupon attached for 'half off' a hot chocolate at the next game
• The 7th inning stretch will be replaced with the 7th inning 'quiet time'. Fans will be encouraged to close their eyes and nap for a short period, before the start of the next inning.
• Finally, the team will also formally change their name from the 'Tampa Rays' to the 'Tampa Red Yankees Sox'.

Rays baseball - get pumped!

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