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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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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Red Sox fan wakes from coma upon hearing his team are in first place

A lifelong Red Sox fan who was involved in an accident in September 2012 and went into a coma, woke suddenly and unexpectedly as relatives discussed the Red Sox first place standing at his hospital bed.

Red Sox - winning

A Boston man who has been in a coma since being involved in a bad traffic accident back in September 2012, has woken suddenly from the coma during a conversation between his relatives at his hospital bedside. Relatives of the man described the man jolting up in bed upon hearing that Boston are now 9.5 games ahead in the American League East. As the man woke slowly in front of family and friends, his first question was ‘How are the Yankees doing?’ to which a relative confirmed that New York are 12.5 games out in the East and in danger of missing the playoffs. The man, John Fitzgerald O’Shaughnessy, 34 of Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, fainted immediately and had to be revived a second time.

Eye witnesses say Mr Fitzgerald then listened quietly at first as friends and family slowly described how Boston, so bad in 2012 and 2011, are only a couple of wins away from officially clinching the AL East title, and now among the favourites with bookmakers to win the World Series. Reports go on to say that Mr Fitzgerald then began babbling ‘in tongues’ and had to be calmed by hospital staff.

After a short period of relaxation a somewhat calmer Mr Fitzgerald heard that the Red Sox consensus best starting pitching of the last couple of months has been John lackey, to which he replied; ‘’Okay guys, stop f*****g around, now you’re just f*****g with me.’

Mr Fitzgerald is expected to recover fully from his injuries and commented that after reading a few articles in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald on the Red Sox, he will eventually check how his wife and three children are doing.

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UGG shoe line brings out new commercial featuring Tom Brady

Five trips to the Superbowl? Three Superbowl wins and two Superbowl MVP awards? Forget all that junk. Tom Brady may have pulled off what was previously thought impossible in the United States. He's made men want to buy UGG shoes! New commercial from Australian company features Patriots quarterback and is actually pretty stylish and creative.

Patriots trigger man Tom Brady in the new commercial

Okay, at the end of the day we're talking about a commercial here, but in the case of this UGG shoes commercial at least a bit of thought went into it, and at least there is a strong sporting theme running through it.

The Australian shoe company's new commercial, titled “For Gamechangers” is basically a walk through the key elements of Tom Brady's sporting journey, told in great detail via a walk through a team bus. If you look closely you will catch references to Brady's;

• High school QB career (with a gentle nod to the fact he almost played baseball instead of football)
• His Michigan Wolverines career
• The fact Brady was the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft
• Brady's Super Bowl MVP turns
• His current NFL career

Enough with the chit-chat, here's the video itself




As you can see, a lot of work went into this pretty stylish commercial. It was shot by filmmaker Spencer Susser on a custom-built 250-foot set on a sound stage in Los Angeles, which took two weeks to design and erect.

The attention to detail is admirable. Junipero Serra football jerseys and baseball uniforms, University of Michigan helmets and then apparently Mr. and Mrs. Brady's 1990's era living room.

Patriots fans will enjoy the finer points of the shot, and fans of other teams will no doubt have fun mocking the New England QB, as they place an order for their first pair of UGGs.

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Watch 4-year-old Darla Holloway sing "God Bless America" at Fenway Park (VIDEO)

Tired of reading about Miley Cyrus's latest moronic stunt? Jaded hearing about which drugs Aaron Hernandez may or may not have been into?  Watch 4 year old hero Darla Holloway singing "God Bless America" at Fenway Park and have your faith in humanity restored somewhat.

4 year old Darla Holloway - a better role model than many of today's 'stars'

Let's face it, we are surrounded right now by athletes, entertainers and other stars who are not worthy of the title Role Model. They are all around us and they are given exposure completely and utterly disproportionate to their true value to the human race.

It's safe to say most of us are completely jaded right now.

Every so often something simple, pure and worthy of our attention does actually come along, and something along those very lines occurred at Fenway Park in Boston last night.

The Boston Red Sox host a variety of stars and regular citizens nightly at Fenway during a traditional seventh inning rendition of the song "God Bless America''. Last night Darla Holloway, a 4-year-old girl battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, stepped up to the plate, figuratively speaking, and, did this.



No fuss, no drama, and excuse the language but, no bullshit either. Just an honest, beautifully accurate and heart rousingly stirring rendition of an old song. It doesn't matter what your politics are, it shouldn't even matter what the song was, and it definitely shouldn't matter if you are a Red Sox fan or not. Little Darla is a true role model, and, an amazing little girl.

This, contextually, is a terrifically cathartic experience after the initial internet\entertainment start to this week.

You want to say 'More please', however as the great Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh once wrote;

We have tested and tasted too much, lover-
Through a chink too wide there comes in no wonder.

.. and he was right, something special like this will only come along once in a while. So just enjoy it, soak it in, and think about little Darla and her bravery, as opposed to all the other trash the media is trying to sell us right now.

What a little star.

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The flaws in the plan: Despite record, Redsox need change to compete

The Redsox may have just won the series against their arch rivals New York and may own the best record in Major League baseball, however big changes are required if they are to be competitive in the playoffs

Mike Napoli wins the night

Yes, the end of the Yankees series came with a happy ending. Yes, Boston owns the best record in all of baseball. And yes, a series win against Tampa this week would provide a little separation from the AL East pack. However, all of this comes with a massive caveat. The fact of the matter is, the Redsox will not be doing anything meaningful in October unless they make some serious changes before the trading deadline passes.

We’re not talking small changes here. Sure there are plenty of tweaks that can be, and should be, made, however the below is a list of changes that simply have to happen if the Redsox are to be competitive going into the 2013 MLB playoffs.

Three things in particular need to happen.

The bullpen needs the addition of at least two outstanding arms. The pen held up admirably over the weekend, however it represents something of a creaking old ship, which could sink at any moment given a slight change in conditions. Right now the only Sox bullpen piece you would truly trust in October baseball would have to be Koji Uehara. Nobody ever won a World Series with a bullpen that consisted of Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa, Matt Thornton, Drake Britton, Pedro Beato and Jose De La Torre. It is simply not possible. The two Andrew’s, Bailey and Miller, are enormous losses and the Sox have to replace them. Uehara is an effective and indeed exciting closer, but the Sox need a couple of power, swing-and-miss arms as a bridge to the high fiving closer, or they are not going to be winning anything of note in 2013.

We’re not talking ‘nice prospects’ coming up from the minors here. We’re talking impact, game winning arms. Jonathan Papelbon and K-Rod (Francisco Rodriguez) would appeal. Both are available also, with the Phillies and Brewers having effectively nothing to play for this season.

Papelbon is basically the same as when he departed Boston, with a few more miles on the tyres. He is still effective, and would obviously fit right in to the team and the town itself. K-Rod is intriguing. His velocity is down but he is still throwing 90-93 with a cartoon curve ball and the savvy of a veteran pitcher his age. He would be a welcome addition as a setup man or possibly even closer, although it is debatable if he is an upgrade on Koji or not.

Second, the Redsox have to trade for a front line starter. Again, similar to the bullpen issue, we’re not talking ‘nice’ 4th or 5th starter here, no young up and comers need apply. We’re talking second or third rotation piece preferably. Having said that, why not aim high? Chase an ace and see what you come up with. Let’s face facts, the Redsox rotation is a nasty, sloppy mess right now, held together by smoke and mirrors. The current ace? John Lackey, and deservedly so, he has been showing Sox fans exactly what he can do when healthy (and slim!). After that?

Brandon Workman is a nice, high upside, starter for the future but he is a 4th or 5th spot starter in the rotation at best. More cannot be expected of him at this early age.  We are not talking a Ryan Dempster type either here. Dempster is doing his admirable best, but if Boston are going up against the finest arms in baseball in October, with Dempster starting, we’re in trouble. The Sox won last night because they scored 8 runs, not because of Dempster, who did, to his credit, stop the Yankees from cashing in on some early base runners. We need more come October however.

Jake Peavy would be interesting, is throwing 91/92 and knows his way around a 7 inning quality start. He would fit in beautifully behind Bucholz with Lester and himself fighting over the 2nd spot in the rotation. Cliff Lee might be available, and the Sox should at least kick the tyres on that one, to see if anything is going. Whilst we’re dreaming, even someone like Felix Hernandez has a price. Seattle could no doubt be blown away with the right package.  The point is, the Redsox need top notch starting pitching, and they need it now.

Finally, and we hate to stick the fork in here, but the Redsox need a catcher.

Unless the Redsox bury Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the 9 hole and put stock in his admitted ability to handle the Sox diverse pitching staff, they are not going to get any further value from Saltalamacchia. He basically has two things going for him, every once in a blue moon he steps into a poorly located fastball and parks it in the bleachers, and as we said, he does appear to be good with the pitchers.

Apart from that, he is basically useless. Saltalamacchia cannot stop a running game, and his attempts to do so are increasingly embarrassing. His bat is completely ineffective particularly recently. In the last 30 days Saltalamacchia has hit zero home runs and has a paltry 9 RBIs in 66 at bats. His average of .240 in that spell sums him up perfectly. Not absolutely awful, but, close.

We do have to be somewhat careful here as it is important that a team’s pitchers trust and indeed ‘like’ their catcher, and the Redsox pitchers seems to hold Salty in high esteem. Perhaps the Sox could, as we said, bury Salty in the 9 hole and hope his influence on the pitchers is worth his black hole offensive stats.

The fact is though, an impact catcher who can fill up the 6 or 7 hole in the order with authority, would push the Sox closer to being a contender.

And, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about, right? Winning this damn thing.


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Fan and media indignation at Celtics coach Doc Rivers is hypocritical

Doc Rivers is looking for another job. Boston fans and sporting media are not happy about it. 

Doc Rivers - ''Calm down, people, calm down!''

It would appear as if the Doc Rivers 'trade' to the LA Clippers, in a package with Kevin Garnett, might be dead in the water. After a painful few days of drawn out negotiations, the Clippers have said they are leaving the table, and not coming back. The Celtics, and Doc Rivers, are left standing there with their pants down a little.

Meanwhile, the Boston sporting media is not amused.that Rivers seems to have been actively flirting with the Clippers. 'Should Doc be allowed back to the Celtics?' one headline cried, as if Rivers was a naughty street urchin, who isn't getting any supper. 'Can Rivers come back to the Celtics?' asked another, while a further headline appealed to the masses 'Do you think Rivers can come back to Boston?' It is safe to say the Boston Celtics fans at large, and the Boston sporting media, are seriously indignant that Rivers should dare talk to another club about working for them, while employed in Boston.

Wait a second.

How on earth is it okay that we are going to judge Rivers on this, and find him guilty?

Are we really suggesting that nobody should be allowed look for a better job, a better situation, a better opportunity, than the one they are in currently?

Are we really saying that none of us have ever looked for another job while currently employed somewhere else? Are we really suggesting that with a straight face and no hint of a snigger?

Another aspect to this is, hasn't Rivers done his job and more, with the Celtics? Hasn't he delivered? They were generally competitive as a ball club for the large part of his tenure. They delivered a glorious NBA title, and were only just short of a couple more. Has Rivers not delivered on his remit?

Or do people in Boston, both fans and media, feel as if they have some sort of bizarre ownership of the man?

One final thought, This whole thing is ugly. Boston fans and media suggesting Rivers is behaving anything other than exactly how all of us, bar none, would act in his position, in a regular job, are not only being stupid and ignorant to common every day facts, they are being incredibly arrogant too.

This happens all the flipping time in sports. Coaches move on, particularly when they are in a position to make their jobs, their salaries and indeed their lives better.

Sure, the deal may be dead. Either way, Boston sports fans and Ye Olde Towne sporting media have made a donkeys backside of themselves yet again.

Rivers is perfectly entitled to pursue a better life. We all are. Suggesting anything less is frankly pretty un-American. You don't hate America, do you?!

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Amazingly some people still calling for Bruins coach to be fired

Almost unbelievably there are some Boston Bruins fans out there that want coach Claude Julien fired. We take a look at a few of them

Claude Julien - Boston Bruins coach

Some folk are just never happy. Despite the fact that Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien has been a large part of the reason hockey is now relevant again in Boston, there are people out there who are demanding he is fired. #fireclaude is actually a 'thing' on Twitter, believe it or not. Apparently guiding your team to one Stanley Cup title and having them on the verge of another doesn't get people a free pass anymore!

There are actually two entire Twitter accounts setup with a view to having Julien fired. The below account is going all out, however has only managed to attract 17 followers thus far.

This account really hasn't managed to get off the ground as yet!

Zero followers just isn't going to get it done.

Let's have a look at some of the individual Tweets. To start, this person basically shouldn't be allowed watch hockey.

Series can't start soon enough. I'm taking at 2 week break to enjoy it but when it's over goin rite back to #fireclaude win or lose
— Mark Lange (@Coach_Lange) June 9, 2013

Straight to the next idiot. Would a second Stanley Cup win be acceptable? Probably not to this demanding soul.

Two first round exits in two consecutive years. Unacceptable. #FireClaude
— Vick Reilly(@Vick_Reilly) May 14, 2013

This clown uses weak, short term statistics to back up a hasty demand to have the coach fired, despite the team going deep into the postseason

#FireClaude RT@trenni: The #Bruins have gone 78 minutes, 18 seconds without scoring a goal. Scored first & only goal 1:42 into the game
— Mark McLaughlin (@marktmcl) June 6, 2013

At least this guy accepts he might have been a bit hasty

And who was the IDIOT who started that #FireClaude nonsense? Oh yeah that was me. #Bruins #WeWantTheCup
— Adam Bailey (@BeantownSports) June 8, 2013

The moral of the story, as ever, is that some people should simply not be allowed on the Internet!

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Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask punches Toronto player in face during game

Bruins goalkeeper takes care of business in the crease during the Boston versus Toronto playoff game seven last night

Tuukka Rask - Boston Bruins keeper

Incredible comeback by the Boston Bruins last night. Playing game seven against Toronto, for a place in the conference semi finals, they were absolutely dead and buried down 1-4 late in the game. The Maple Leafs were completely dominant to that point, and their fans were celebrating like maniacs on the streets of Toronto.

The Bruins got one back to make it 2-4, however Toronto looked nailed-on to score and salt the game away on a fast-break. Instead, Bruin's keeper Tuukka Rask made a superb save, and allowed what happened next to occur. As time wound down, the Bruins stunned Toronto with two very late goals (one with only 50 seconds left) and then scored the vital goal in overtime.

Boston moves on to play the Rangers in the conference semi finals.

Rask made a number of key saves in the comeback, but also had another interesting moment. During the game, Toronto's Joffrey Lupul decided to venture into the crease. Let's just say Tuukka Rask took care of business.

Tuukka Rask @ work

You have to love the honesty of the NHL. The honesty and also the lack of prima-donna, Diva types. Imagine for one second if the above happened in any of the other major sports. Even the NFL. ESPN would literally explode. Rick Reilly would wet himself with excitement.  Hey, whether it is right or wrong to box someone in the snout during a hockey game, it is a credit to hockey fans and the hockey media too, that this hasn't been turned (yet anyway) into a big deal.

The game was intense, someone got punched by a goalie, move along, nothing to see here. You have to love hockey, and, unless you are  Joffrey Lupul, you have to love Tuukka Rask.

The Boston Bruins

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Was the Anibal Sanchez trade worth it for the Redsox?

Last night Anibal Sanchez struck out 17 Braves. As he shines for the Tigers, Redsox followers have to consider, was the 2005 trade that sent him and Hanley Ramirez to Florida worth it?

Anibal Sanchez in his Redsox minor league days

Mention Jeff Bagwell and Redsox fans old enough to remember shudder involuntarily. Bagwell was a hot prospect in the Boston minor league system until he was traded for the somewhat-less-than-immortal relief pitcher Larry Anderson in 1990. Anderson played but one season in Ye Old Towne. Bagwell went on to smash 449 home runs in a glittering Major League career. That trade has quite literally haunted an entire generation of Redsox fans.

Last night Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez submitted a Pedro Martinez like performance in striking out 17 Atlanta batters in just 8 innings during Detroit's 10-0 win. Where do Boston come in to the picture? As recently as 2005 Boston traded both Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez to the Florida Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.

Immediately after reading that you can ascertain that the trade was nothing as poor for Boston as the Bagwell debacle (from the talent mentioned). However, if it wasn't an absolutely terrible trade, then what was it for the Redsox? Good, bad or in-between?

First things first, the trade accomplished exactly what Boston wanted in the short run. In 2007 the Redsox added another World Series title to the one they won in '04, and both Beckett and Lowell were a huge part of that victory, and both were the toast of the town.

Josh Beckett, already something of a favourite in Boston for leading the Marlins past the Yankees in the 2003 World Series, set the tone with a dominant game one outing, striking out 9 batters and generally over powering the Rockies. Mike Lowell ended up with the Series MVP award (and to this day continues to be a wildly popular Redsox player, even in retirement).

How did the major two Sox farm system trade pieces pan out for the Marlins? Sanchez is full of promise, as indicated by his 17 strikeout showing last night. Hanley Ramirez is a bit of an enigma. He has fallen out with managers for a perceived lack of hustle, and has spent a considerable amount of time on the disabled list also. Put it this way, despite his, ahem, massive talent, he is no Jeff Bagwell. Not yet anyway.

There is also another element to consider from the Redsox point of view.

In the great Boston clear-out of 2012, the Sox front office managed to get away with dumping the enormous salaries of Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett on the Dodgers. Not only did they get rid of questionable clubhouse personalities, they also cleared up a huge chunk of free-agency change for the 2013 season.

Apart from the financial success of the trade with the Dodgers, Boston also managed to land a few decent players in return (Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa look like particularly tasty pitching prospects in particular).

So, adding it all up, after trading away Sanchez and Ramirez, Boston won the World Series, eventually dumped Beckett's big salary, and have grabbed at least two excellent prospects through doing so.

Anibal Sanchez is going to be a decent-to-good front-line starter for the Tigers for the next 5 years, however, adding the fact that Hanley Ramirez can't stay healthy and taking into consideration how Boston got the most out of Beckett and Lowell, you can really only come to the conclusion that the trade was definitely still very beneficial for Boston.

One thing you can definitely say, it was also definitely no Bagwell situation part two.

No one can deny Beckett got the job done in his early Boston days

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Former Patriot lineman Joe Andruzzi comes to the rescue at Boston Marathon - VIDEO

The Superbowl champion offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi comes to the aid of a stricken runner

The city of Boston was struck by tragedy on Monday, on a day normally set aside for the celebration of sports. Patriots day is a huge day in Boston, one of the greatest sporting cities in the World. You all know about the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics and indeed the Boston Bruins. Those legendary teams are but the tip of the ice berg. Boston is also home to the world’s oldest and some say the most prestigious marathon, and it is also home to some of the finest collegiate teams in all of the United States.

The city of Boston eats, breathes and lives sports. This of course makes yesterday’s tragedy all the more palpable, all the more painful. The perpetrators chose the Marathon as their target, thus striking at the very heart and soul of the city of Boston.

Last night, as the city struggled to come to terms with the events of the day, sports took something of a back seat. With a massive (offensive line-man sized) caveat. The Boston Bruins sensibly postponed their NHL game last night, to ensure that a large crowd didn’t gather in such trying circumstances. The Boston Celtics also cancelled their Tuesday night NBA game in advance, for the same, sensible reasons.

Sports will, however, be a major part of the healing process. Boston’s athletes are already chiming in, en-masse, to support the citizens of Boston.

One former Boston athlete has already provided tangible support the likes of which few could imagine, and perhaps fewer still would actually act on.

Joe Andruzzi was an excellent and popular offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. He played 122 games in the NFL and was a Patriot from 2000-2004, winning a stunning three Superbowl rings with the team. Joe comes from a family full of Patriots, all three of his brothers were at one stage New York fire-fighters, and all three acted with heroism on 9/11. Yesterday, among the chaos, Joe wasted no time to throw himself into action. Spotting an injured woman clearly in distress, with family members clearly frozen by fear, Joe grabbed her up and brought her to safety and treatment.

Joe Andruzzi and Marathon tragedy victim

Last night the quiet, unassuming man-mountain released the following statement;

“Marathon Monday should be about uplifting stories, personal challenges and fundraising milestones, but today’s bombings irrevocably changed that. While I appreciate the interest in hearing our perspective on today’s horrific events, the spotlight should remain firmly on the countless individuals — first responders, medics, EMTs, runners who crossed the finish line and kept on running straight to give blood, and the countless civilians who did whatever they could to save lives. They were the true heroes. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this senseless tragedy.”

Joe’s quiet, effective, passionate heroism is a striking statement on how sports can help a community rebound from tragedy. There is no doubt that sports will help Boston back onto its feet. Thanks in part to the outpouring of emotional and physical support from its athletes, past and present, Boston will rebound back stronger than ever before.

Here's the ESPN report on Joe Andruzzi's involvement:




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The Boston Red Sox open 2013 with a bang

The Red Sox showcase surprisingly effective youthful talent and a diverse, powerful range of bullpen arms in shocking 8-2 opening day win in New York

Jon Lester kept the Yankees swinging and missing all day long

Coming into the 2013 MLB season most seasoned Boston Red Sox fans were basically hoping for a tiny glimmer of hope. After the abject disasters of '11 and '12, Sox fans were basically hoping that the team would be somewhat competitive and would show some signs of life to cling on to going forward.

The message appeared to be, 'Guys, just don't embarrass yourselves.'

Well, if yesterday's outing in the Bronx is anything to go by, this Red Sox team might exceed all expectations, even the loftier ones. The Sox young, diverse team didn't just beat the Yankees, they crushed them. The 8-2 scoreline was actually flattering to the Yankees.

The hosts for the afternoon looked old, tired and flat. The Yankees highly paid veteran 30-something club watched from the bench (Jeter, A-Rod, Granderson and Texiera, all injured) as Jon Lester and the Red Sox simply cut through Yankee stadium like a knife through butter.

The two starters for the day embodied the entire story. Spring outings for Jon Lester suggested he might be reacting well to the appointment of John Farrell as Red Sox skipper. His velocity is up, his mechanics no longer look an issue and his sparkling competitive edge of old seems to be back. Meanwhile, CC Sabathia looked old, tired and anything but an opening day ace. While Lester regularly hit 94/95 mph (even as high as 97), Sabathia struggled to maintain 89, hovering around the 88/87 mark.

Whatever about Lester's dominance, the story of the day was no doubt the emergence of Jackie Bradley Jnr, Boston's dynamic, exciting 22 year old rookie outfielder. The road to success in the majors is littered with the decaying corpses of over hyped young players that didn't make it, however Bradley appears to have all the tools, the demeanour and perhaps most importantly the support to cut it at this level.

He was a constant thorn in the Yankee's sides, and proved a wild hit in his first Major League start.

The Boston bullpen was another glossy bonus on opening day. Obviously there is a long way to go, but the Red Sox showcased a very diverse selection of arms yesterday afternoon, with an exclamation mark of power behind the gun-slinging convoy of talented bullpen crew. After Lester held the Yankees down, the bullpen kept their collective foot on the Yanks throat. A combination of Uehara, Miller, Bailey, Tazawa and finally Hanrahan kept the Bronx Bombers to just the one hit.

Hanrahan showed a tantalising glimpse of what might be a solidifying of the closer position in Boston for the first time since Papelbon took his circus to Philly.

All in all, a very gratifying day for Boston fans. Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of all is that the bar for the 2013 season was set so low that even a small percentage of yesterday's outing carrying over the rest of the season would mean a year that could probably be deemed a success.

The Red Sox celebrate winning game one against the Yankees

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Old Sox: Your 2013 MLB all Red Sox castoff all-stars

Sitting there eating popcorn watching Josh Reddick mash and swagger his way through the playoffs, his locks blowing in the wind, it is hard not to think, ‘what might have been?’ if the swashbuckling young man had stayed in a Boston Red Sox jersey. Damn would he look good patrolling right field, providing the finishing touches to an outfield of Ross\Ellsbury\Reddick which would be more than competitive, even amongst the daily grind of the AL East. Of course, Reddick isn’t the only ‘one that got away’.

Extrapolating this line of thoughts further it didn’t take long to create an entire team of former Red Sox from around the Major Leagues. Our ‘Old Sox’ squad would be extremely competitive, we think. In fact, it is hard not to imagine this Old Sox team bashing the living daylights out of the current incarnation which sapped the life out of baseball in Boston all 2012 long.

Assuming this column won the lottery this week, we would build a beautiful tidy little, fan friendly stadium in Cape Cod, naturally something ergonomically acceptable. In line with the swagger of our right fielder we would simply call them ‘The Old Sox’ and our uniform would be suitably unique. The stadium would fill up on a nightly basis, a mix of inevitable  Cape Cod tourists, gnarly Portuguese fishermen, college kids working on the Cape for the Summer, curious Irish J1 visa students, also working in the Cape’s bars and eateries, handsome older gentlemen  in crisp wind-sheeters, happily and diligently filling out old-school scorecards, holidaying New York families with the kids in Jets and Giants jerseys, dreamers and poets, artists and entertainers, the finest of the Cape and the North East. The Old Sox would play the game the right way, and their adoring fans would applaud the right moves.

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Booing your own team, players or coaches would mean instant and permanent expulsion from the stadium.House rule.

The mascot? A giant clam or something, who cares, everyone would be too busy to notice, lost in a dreamy haze of Cape Cod summer nights and Hanley Ramirez monster blasts over the left field wall.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Let’s meet the team.

The Old Sox lineup
1. CF: Coco Crisp - Oakland
2. 2B: Marco Scutaro - San Francisco
3. 1B: Adrian Gonzalez - LA Dodgers
4. SS: Hanley Ramirez - LA Dodgers
5. 3B: Adrian Beltre - Texas
7. C: Victor Martinez - Detroit
8. RF: Josh Reddick - Oakland
9. DH: Anthony Rizzo - Chicago Cubs
10. LF: David Murphy - Texas

Not bad, right? The above is of course with apologies to Jed Lowrie and Kevin Youkilis. We just couldn't fit them in. How about that lineup though? Reddick batting 8th? The front two might be a little 'light' but our feeling is they will be energized by their incredible team-mates and will go about setting the table in front of the big bashers with glee. Our 3 through 6 is amongst the best in baseball, with a healthy Victor Martinez providing serious pop in the 7-hole. Adrian Beltre will be the glue that holds the whole thing together, and you can expect some highlight reel moments in defence from him and Gonzo in particular. Anthony Rizzo is a fine young slugging prospect who made it to Chicago from Boston via San Diego. He is one to watch. David Murphy batting 9th? Great defence and a consistent bat. The Old Sox would be a serious contender right out the gate.

How about pitching, I hear you say. Okay, you found out weak link, perhaps. The Old Sox are going to probably have to win a few games with the bat, however the starting rotation is not absolutely horrible. It has its moments. You could argue it is streets ahead of what Boston put on the field in '12. Have a look and see what you think.

The Old Sox rotation
SP: Bronson Arroyo - Cincinnati Reds
SP: Justin Masterson - Cleveland Indians
SP: Josh Beckett – LA Dodgers
SP: Anibal Sanchez - Detroit
SP: Casey Kelly - San Diego

Arroyo gets the ball opening day, through sheer consistency alone. He may not be flashy, he doesn’t light up the radar gun, he just wins.  Masterson has the potential to go on and be a major league number two type in any rotation. Josh? We all know what the World Series MVP can do. Anibal Sanchez just needs to find a vein of form and health, and he can build on that no-hitter he threw, and Casey Kelly is one for the future, and a good one at that.

There it is. The Old Sox. Maybe 'The Cape Cod Old Sox' - we're not sure yet. Planning permission on the stadium still in the works. Dreaming aside, the point is, you can name a pretty darn good MLB team from recently-former Red Sox cast-offs.

Read into that what you will, however, it does not speak highly on Boston's ability to hold onto good players.


Right now, more than anyone, Josh Reddick is a whirling, bashing, strutting piece of evidence of just that.

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