Yesterday there was absolutely no sports on at all, which left me in complete frustration. I am beggining to understand how crack addicts feel. I really think we need sports addiction support groups and 12 steps how to deal the withdrawl, I feel a new MeetUp group about to be started.Where are the 2004 Red Sox or 2002 Super Bowl (Pats-Rams) highlights when you need them.

Since today turned out to be such a nice day here in New York (after last night's downpour finally broke the sauna-like conditions), I had to play hookey. As my buddy Tiny D would say, it's been hotter than all the Wild'N Out girls in booty shorts. I didn't actually play hookey, I knew it was going to be nice out 2 days ago and asked off (in case anyone from work finds this blog). So now I have time on my hands and no commitments, the perfect combination for me to babble on this blog before the Sox-Blue Jays game at 7:05.  That is a more dangerous thing than Pacman Jones and the guys who ripped off Antoine Walker combined. 

So what to do? So many options for so much free time...

• I can wear on hole on my couch by sitting it in all day. I have a bunch of Netflix movies sitting here to watch. This option looks like it is the early favorite, as it takes even less effort than making fun of Bud Selig. 
  
  
• I can risk total embarassment and take my Robert Swift - Brian Scalabrine super slow oft-injurred whiteboy skills to the basketball court. It's awfully hard to set picks and move without the ball when you are shooting around by yourself while everyone else is at work.
  
  
• I can bust out with some more code and add more features to SCN. It's a nice idea, but I took the day off from coding at work.
  
  
• I can make a trip to the park and run a bunch of errands. This is actually a real possibility of happening, but we'll see what the day brings.

So I woke up today and watched Mike and Mike on ESPN 2. I really like them a lot, so much better than Mike and Mad Dog. For those who don't watch or listen to them, Mike Greenberg is the ultimate pretty boy metrosexual non-athletic sportsfan and Mike Golic was a former Eagles defensive lineman - total opposites. Not sure if anyone here caught Greenberg milking a cow after losing a bet last week, but it was priceless. Just the thought of milking the cow made him more digusted then Amanda Peet was when Kyle Gas was hitting on her with magic tricks in Saving Silverman. He was all decked out in his overalls as Golic taunted him repeatedly (continually as recently as this morning) as he was terrified of getting under the cow.

I watched an episode of the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1. Why are the good folks at MTV networks so brilliant - between this, Wild'N Out, RW/RR Challenge, and Flavor of Love, it just doesn't get any better. Any time my knowledge of cheesy movies, bad 80's music, and cartoons can be valuable is a strangely empowering feeling. Not many people find validation in knowing that Beavis from Beavis & Butthead always wears a Metallica tee shirt, but now I can. One team was called "Fat Guys in Little Coats" and they were all Chris Farely-esque shaped, now that vision was so interesting that I immediately thought about spending an hour on the eliptical machine (too bad my temporary A.D.D. kicked in and that idea vanished minutes later).

I went to my mailbox and found a couple of nice responses mixed in with the usual assortment of bills, magazines, and other junk mail. If you have read previous posts, you know my obsession with getting autographed1970's basketball cards, so I got back from HOFers Bob McAdoo and David Thompson back today. I have tried McAdoo quite a few times over the years and never have any luck, so this made me a happy camper. Now I am better motivated to send out more, so get ready John Mengelt and Garfield Heard as I have 1978 Topps cards soon coming your way. 

I heard there is going to be an election for President of Red Sox Nation. What is the world coming to? I'll be cool as long as Jerry "Remdog" Remy doesn't get it. He is more annoying than watching Collie and Brooke from the Real World Denver or watching Julio Lugo strike out 4 times in a game. I am torn between throwing my considerable support behind the old guard Peter Gammons or new blood Bill Simmons. This breakdown between these two heavyweights deserves it's own post in itself, so that may be coming at some point.

Speaking of the Red Sox... I am hesitant to remind everyone (as I am a bigger jinx than the "bad luck guy" in Celtic Pride that Stern and Akroyd were ready to kill), but I must remind everyone my Red Sox are 53-34 (.609) for the best record in the majors. Ah screw it, we have 10 game lead at the break and play the weakest schedule for the second half. I am too young remember the 1978 collaspe, so I don't count that or Bucky Dent actually happened - boy it's great to be selectively naive. I'm holding my breath with hope Wakefield beats Halladay tonight.

On a side note, I was very upset that Jacoby Ellsbury was sent down when Coco came back. This guy has replaced Joey Gathright as the fastest baseball player I have ever seen. He made it look easy when he scored standing up from second base on a wild pitch. I have never seen anyone do that before. This guy can get 50 infield hits in a full season (like Ichiro), and then turn them into doubles with the way he can steal bases. Let's hope Theo brings him and Clay Buchholz (7-2, 1.77 ERA in AA) up in August for the playoffs. At the very least, he can play the Dave Roberts baserunning and defense role (where the whole world knows he is stealing and it makes no difference - like Vince Coleman in 1985-87). I know I'd be terrified to have him on base late in games if I were an opposing manager.

The 42-43 Yanks play the next 28 games vs. under .500 teams, which they always beat the snot out of. That fun starts with Tampa Bay tonight, and I'd bet the A-Rod numbers explosion for his walk year will continue. We'll see tons of home runs that are as meaningless as the corny little dance the Yankees groundskeepers do at home games. He is 6 homers away from being the youngest to 500 and 5 minutes away from Scott Boras putting his services on eBay (I hope Angels owner Art Moreno has a good feedback rating and lots of bucks in his Paypal account). 

I figure they will need to win roughly 95 games to win the wildcard or AL East, which will mean they need to 53-24 (.688) down the stretch. I will not underestimate the bad schedule combined with and the Wang/Hughes/Clemens/Pettite/Mussina rotation to go with that lineup, but that is a tall order. I really think Cashman and Torre need to consider tanking the season 2007 Celtics-Grizzlies style. Instead of losing to get a higher draft pick, these guys would try to kill off Stienbrenner due to a Fred Sandford style heart attack.

So 6:57 comes around and my hard working wife (who didn't play hookey) comes home and edicts that we go out for dinner. Of course, I am sitting on the couch banging away on the laptop and watching TV (the ultimate multitasking achievement). I am weighing my options as the Sox game is on in 8 minutes:

1. Watch the game and prepare for the ensuing beatdown (from her).
2. Take her out for Japanese

Let's try to guess which one I picked.... This is more obvious than picking the AL to win the All Star Game (after the fact).  I picked door #2, so we're running out to grab some sushi. Hopefully I can get back by the 5th or 6th inning to see a nice Sox lead.

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