Bamboozle-d

Another blown lead. I don't know what to say. I am at a loss for thoughts on this team. We outplayed them for the first 3 quarters and even done the stretch the C's looked like the team who would win the game. Truly truly frustrating. By the way, never really watched the Grammys before but it's more interesting then I had previously thought. Pumped to see Eminem and Lil Wayne preform with Drake. When is that supposed Drake classic album coming out anyways? Also the roomies and I were discussing attending Bamboozle which is a music festival in MAy down in Nueva Jersey. Performers include MGMT, Drake, Kesha, 88 Keys, Weezer, Wale, Wiz Khalifa, Mike Posner, Girl Talk, MAtt & Kim and Ok Go. Spring is officially less then a month and my 21st bday is less then 2 months away so good things are to come so it can't possibly get that much worse for the C's.

LOST

On Tuesday night all LOST fans will be blessed with a bittersweet and much anticipated 6th and final season. Still so many questions to be answered but as the commercials have told us, "Answers will come!". As a true fan knows we cannot believe it until it is seen. MAny Lost fans have come and gone but I have always stayed true even though it is one of the more frustrating shows to watch on TV. Thank whoever or whatever is up in the sky that finally after all the moving islands, flashbacks, shifts in the space and time continuum fights with the Others, love triangles with Jack and Kate, deaths, and journeys with John Locke that make you want to choke him we will finally find out why these people are part of an amazing lie. Love or hate the show you can't deny that it is truly unique in a world dominated by reality shows.

To me season 5 was pivotal because it is obvious Lost has been losing viewers as the plot gets more and more intense. The infiltration of the Dharma Initiative and reunion of the survivors were great moments that have steered us towards answers about why they came back and what exactly is going on. Season 5 was also focused on the emergence of John Locke as more then a space cadet and a potential leader of the Others and the Survivors. Benjamin Linus is a spectacular villain who helped bring John out of his shell and put him in a coffin. Sayid has always been my favorite and was a beast in Season 5. I never cared for Faraday and his friends but they added an interesting element to outsiders coming onto the island. With all that being said it is all about the detonation that left us hanging in the Season 5 finale.

Who is dead? What year will it be? Is Juliet alive at the bottom of the hole or tunnel or whatever that was? Will Sun and Jin be reunited? Will we ever find out what happened to Claire? If Jacob is dead who is controlling the island? What is the deal with Richard never aging? What's going to happen next?

That is why you have to at least respect if not love this show, there is never a moment when you know exactly what is going on. If you have never watched the show I feel bad for you. Go watch some of the earlier seasons and catch up quick. This last season will be a must see. Don't think about all the questions unanswered don't think about any torture the show has ever caused your brain just sit your ass down in front of the TV and enjoy. Tuesday night 8 pm ABC. "It's the beginning of the end".

Pro Bowl Celtics v. Lakers

The Pro Bowl is today. If anyone watches it let me know how it was. This Pro Bowl has caused the most news coverage on any Pro Bowl I can remember. If thats why the NFL moved it before the Super Bowl, in order to make people "care" about this game more, then I guess they have succeeded in drawing more attention to the event. Just hope "Vince Young Suicide Doors" plays great, it amazing someone who played only half the season is even crept into the minds of whoever picked these replacements. This whole Pro Bowl mess really has put a damper on the upcoming Super Bowl for me, I think it is a huge distraction to stick it into this usual off week. Not just for fans but players in the Super Bowl. 14 Pro Bowlers from the Saints and Colts will not be able to participate. If I am one of those 14 I would be pissed. Not only would I be screwed out of something I earned but I would lose out of a vacation to Hawaii! Look at the picture it says it all about how much of a travesty it is to us and Hawaii to move the game to Miami.

It's always fun when the Celtics and Lakers face off. I am really excited to see this rivalry game. Glad the game is at the Garden today, after two tough road loses against the MAgic and Hawks I iMAgine the team will be more at ease playing in front of the home crowd. To me this is a regular season game that will show just how much work is needed to prepare for the playoffs. It is hard for me to call any regular season game a must win but this is pretty close to it. They must go out and prove to all doubters that they aren't too old and can still compete with the NBA's elite teams. Should be a good game but I expect the green to get back on track with a big win against the defending champs.

Double Ughhh

4 loses to the Hawks? Swept? The good thing is nothing is won in January. Stay true Celtic fans. This team needs the All-Star break and I am positive come playoff they will be recharged and healthy. There is probably only one person who wants this team to turn it around more then me and he is pictured above.

Ughh

What a shitty way to lose. They looked a little old on the weak side rotation. The amount of 4th quarter leads the Celtics have lost lately is alarming. Scares me. At Atlanta tomorrow night, we need a big win. Congrats to those who voted for Rondo as an All-Star he deserves it.

Songs

Every Wednesday there will be 10 more songs. Now Listen.

MArley and Me-Smoke DZA, Asher Roth, Devin the Dude and Curren$y

Ride-Nappy Roots

As We Enter-Damian MArley and Nas

Exhibit C- Jay Electronica

Heard It Through The Grapevine Xaphoon Jones Remix-MArvin Gaye (Remixed by Xaphoon Jones)

Hey Soul Sister-Train

Two Weeks-Grizzly Bear

The Kids Don't Stand a Chance-Mike Snow v. Vampire Weekend

Soles on Fire-Chaffeur

History-Mos Def and Talib Kweli

Sometimes...

Apparently this product was "popular" last year but I have never heard of it. Saw this informercial in class today and it explains why the rest of the World sees us as loud, stupid and ridiculous. Why would anybody spend their hard earned money on this?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9_amg-Aos4

Then this video of Ellen Degeneres using her very own Hawaii Chair.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHiqVygN-w0&feature=related

Kentucky KnightMAre

Never would I have thought once I began a blog two different teams ranked number 1 would lose a combined 3 games. Devin Downey MAy have shot a rough 9-28 from the field but he made some huge plays down the stretch and did I mention the man stands only 5'9! He has had a red hot four game span in which he has scored, 30, 35, 25, and 36! After losing an absolute heartbreaker to Chandler Parsons second buzzer beater of the year, shouts to SM alum Erik Murphy, the South Carolina Gamecocks bounced backed and beat a very talented Kentucky team. Kentucky was carried by DeMarcus Cousins who scored 27 and grabbed 12 boards. It may be time to start putting Downey into Player of the Year talk. He is playing way above his height and way above the rest of the country.

Thoughts

Today is my brother's B-DAY so I want to give a shout out to MArcus Paul he is 14 today. It's one of the MArvels of life how fast they grow up. So if you ever met the lil MAn give him some b-day love on the facebook page. The bulk of my evening consisted of following updates from my phone during broadcast writing class. I was enthralled and struggled to hold back my happiness during class over the Boston College upset of number 21 ranked Clemson. There have been very few high points of their extremely inconsistent season and it's about time an experienced team beat a high quality ACC opponent. I hope that this win can build some momentum and raise there ACC conference record. My fingers will be crossed over the last month and a half as games against Duke and UNC at home will be must wins in order for any NCAA tournament dreams to be fulfilled. In other good BC related news reports surfaced today that Charlie Davies of the United States National soccer team, and BC alum, is already jogging and juggling a soccer ball getting ready for the World Cup. Davies was in critical condition in a Washington D.C hospital last October after a car crash in the DC area. By the way even if you don't watch or like soccer at all you should read up on the World Cup coming up this summer it is going to be a great world sports event and if you don't like watching soccer at least be patriotic and watch because the US will field a competitive squad. Last week I watched Mystic River a phenomenal movie with Sean Penn and Tim Robbins. For those that haven't seen it, and you should go do that, it is a Boston based draMA about the murder of Sean Penn's daughter. A couple of days ago I saw the trailer for the new Mel Gibson movie. A Boston based drama based on the murder of his daughter. Is it that hard to MAke a movie about something else? Now he is a cop so it will be a little different, I guess, but with movies like Avatar and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Heath Ledgers final movie, coming out I have to wonder about the creative abilities of the writers for Mel's new flick. He butchers the Boston accent by they way much like 90% of anybody who has ever done one on film or TV.

Hilarity

Thought reggaeton was dead...guess not. Watch and Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9otS2NW6AIY

Some Mixtape MAdness

I am a mixtape connoisseur and daily I comb blogs for new music and collections to download. These are all from the past year or so and are all worth checking out.

No Ceilings- Wayne

I mean when listening to Lil Wayne it's never for depth or lyrical superiority but for ridiculous punch lines and flat out fun! No Ceilings is full of that. He raps over hits such as "I Gotta Feeling", "Ice Cream Paint", "MAke Her Say", and "Run This Town". If nothing else this collection provides plenty of party music.

Track to sample- "Wasted"

Quotable Bar- "Smoke MAd weed, I'm on my high horse"

Enemy of the State- Lupe Fiasco

This is truly one of the underrated MC's of our generation and this mixtape is a must for any fan of quality music let alone hip-hop. The MAn is a wizard with words and raps about things besides money, women, clothes, and drugs. Like Wayne he goes in over some popular hits of others such as Wayne's "Fireman", Jay-Z's "Thank You", Timbaland's "Say Something", and The Clipse return hit "Popular Demand". This is undoubtedly an A+ effort from Lupe with him releasing another mixtape coming Super Bowl Sunday he is creating a very substantial buzz for his next album.

Track to Sample- "Yoga Flame"

Quotable Bar- "Meditate, on the floor fold your legs, resonate/breathing speed, regulate/ clear my mind til it levitate"

The 808 Experiment Volume 2- SMKA

SMKA are a Atlanta production team who have compiled two projects based on this "808 Experiment" concept. Every single track solely on a production level one after another is aMAzing. They create diverse beats and some samples of some older joints that MAke this mixtape a unique one in today's hip-hop climate. The artists featured are mostly based out of the Atlanta area or other parts of the south. All are up and comers and some deserve to be mentioned. Pill has been featured by MTV as one of the hot young spitters out of the south. Our old friends Nappy Roots are featured and after hearing their track and others from their new project they could find themselves back on the radio in the months to come. An artist who's mixtape I will mention later is Yelawolf. A descendent of the Cherokee from AlabaMA spits with speed rivaling that of Twista or a young Busta Rhymes. He is one of my favorite new rappers and should be a force to be reckoned with. Shawn Chrystopher and Tanya Morgan are both rappers that are also worth checking out.

Tracks to Sample- "Back In My Younger Days" features a Eazy-E sample

"Dear MAMA" Yelawolf

The Swelly Express- Chiddy Bang

A great group name and tape name! This cat has a voice that just MAkes you want to keep listening to him. Dude seems really happy to be rapping and he isn't bad at it either. Xaphoon Jones is the producer that oversaw the project. They do a remix of MGMT's Kids that is pretty awesome. They also feature Passion Pit on one song which adds more intrigue to this duo.

Tracks to Sample- "Fresh Like Us", "All Things Go", "Truth"

Quotable Bar- "We be Peter Parker in love with the MAry Jane"

Trunk Muzik-Yelawolf

I was first curious about him because he is a white kid from AlabaMA. Once I heard him rap I couldn't stop downloading his music. He southern style and lighting speed raps make his persona and music one of a kind. He features southern royalty Bun-B and Juelz Santana on this project as well as a few of his down south buddies. He's a breath of fresh air and worth a listen.

Tracks to Sample- "Mixing Up The Medicine", "Good to Go", "I Wish"

Quotable Bar- "Walk with a limp and I talk with a lingo, party with a bunch bad girls in a Pinto"

5 More Tapes to Check Out

XV- Everybodys Nobody

This rapper out of Kansas is one of the most hyped new artists on the scene today. He worked with Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean on this tape and shows why there is a lot of hype surrounding him.

Xaphoon Jones- Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Volume 1

He creates some crazy blends and does things I never would have dreamed of with music from artists such as Bob MArley, MGMT, Led Zeppelin, Clipse, MArvin Gaye, Chiddy Bang, Dizzee Rascal, E-40, Passion Pit and Beyonce. Check it.

Outasight- Further

This rapper/singer from NY is an interesting talent with a cool sound and is sure to be one of the young names in the game to keep an eye on.

Cam'ron- Boss of all Bosses 2

After coming back onto the scene with the Clipse Cam'ron joins his man Vado and gives us a reason to wonder what he will do next.

Llyod Banks- V5

A mixtape veteran that is always on his grind and a king of punch lines provides a solid tape of New York gangsta ish.

Colts Roll and Saints Make Date With Destiny

The Super Bowl will feature two number 1 seeds and two future Hall of Fame QB's. For Indy it's the second trip in 4 years for the Saints it is the first trip in the franchises history. The two most potent offenses will take the stage under the Miami moonlight. I love how after all the debate of who rested to many players and the combined 5 loses in the last three weeks of the season, the two teams who flirted with perfection end up in the big game. Not much to say about the Colts game. MArk Sanchez played out of his mind but the Colts offense was too much for the Jets D. The NFC Championship was everything I dreamed of and more. It went almost as I iMAgined but 5 Viking fumbles and one extremely dumb Brett Farve interception squandered what seemed like an almost certain Vikings win. All he had to do was run for three yards and fall down and his Vikes are in the Super Bowl, this time the gunslinger mentality failed him miserably. It looked like Brett would ride off into the sunset after being battered the entire game. Now it seems as if there will be another summer of Brett Farve flip flopping which irks me to my core. In the end it was the season of the Saints, they are a deserving team and an even more deserving city that truly loves their team. It should be a fun one to watch. All in all a solid sunday. As far as moving the pro bowl being before the Super Bowl I don't think there are enough curse words to describe the confusion and anger I feel towards that decision.

NFL Picks

Tomorrow afternoon the Super Bowl participants will be decided. I am far more enthused to watch the NFC game because it shall provide more fireworks but if you like an underdog story look no further then those pesky New York Jets. Every year the Pats I am a heavy hearted football fan but these are two very intriguing MAtch-ups nonetheless.

AFC- Jets v. Colts

My Pick- Colts

Colts are a 7 points favorite at home and as the number one seed. It is really hard for me to pick against the Colts and Peyton MAnning so I won't. The Jets are a cinderella story and I think their MAgical ride ends here. Darrelle Revis MAy be able to shut down Reggie Wayne but who will stop Dallas Clark, Garcon, and Austin Collie. Peyton MAnning plays big in big games at home. Joseph Addai will provide just enough of a running game to keep the Jets honest. The MAtch-up everyone is talking about is the Colts O against the Jets D. It is up to that Rex Ryan Jets D to stop Peyton MAnning and Ryan's defenses are just 1-6 against the Colts QB so history is not on their side. To me the key in picking this game is the Jets lack of offense. MArk Sanchez was up and down all season and doesn't seem to be good enough to pull of this upset. Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney will keep pressure on the young QB and it will be up to Sanchez to handle the rush and makes big plays, I just don't see that happening. It is absolutely prudent that the Colts D contain the Jets running game in order to control time of possession and the ebb and flow of the game. This should be a very physical game and one that is competitive until the fat lady sings. Should be close, final score Colts 27 Jets 20.

NFC- Vikings v. Saints

My Pick- Vikings

As much as I want to go with the high powered offense and true home dome advantage the Saints have I just think the Vikings will win the game. Three guys stick out from the Vikings. The first being Brett Farve, he has looked as good as new in these playoffs and I don't see the Saints secondary slowing him down. The second Viking I will be watching closely is Jared Allen. The MAn is an beast. I expect him to get to Drew Brees like he has gotten to the MAjority of opposing QB's he has faced this season. The final cog for the Purple MAchine is Sidney Rice. As Farve's new go to guy he makes that Viking offense potent down the field. As for the Saints, it's up to the defense. Both of these teams will score points and probably lots of them, the Saints must force turnovers and MAy need to score a touchdown in order to make their first Super Bowl in franchise history. The Vikings will struggle to handle all of the Saints weapons but they will be better of then New Orleans. In saying all of that there is one superstar on the Vikings that has been very quiet in the last half of the season but is capable of blowing this game wide open and that player is Adrian Peterson. At one time he was hands down the best RB in the game but he hasn't had a 100 yard game since week 10 at the lowly Lions. There is another RB who could also blow the game wide open as he did last week and that is Reggie Bush. All of us love when Bush plays well because with him comes Kim Kardashian camera shots. I see this as a high scoring affair but the Vikings win by a score of 34-31.

Goodbye Jersey Shore

With the season finale of Jersey Shore comes the end of Italian Americans protesting MTV and the shedding of a collective tear for the loss of perhaps one of the most entertaining shows on TV ever. I looked forward to watching these intellectually inept juice heads "creep on girls at the boardwalk". Unfortunately I know none of these "Guidos" myself the only kid I know from Jersey is quite, quite normal, shout out to Mr. Shire. This show offered priceless quotable lines and truly reckless moments never seen on TV before. To pay tribute I would like to share with you my 5 favorite quotes and 5 favorite moments.

Quotes-Not in any particular order

1. "What's wrong honey? Are you hungry?" This occurred when Pauly D's girl was cock-blocking The Situation real hard and of course he assumed at first glance that she simply wanted him to whip her up a snack.

2. "I'm starting to think...damn this chick is mad weird" A classic Pauly D quote. After being repeatedly stalked on the boardwalk, by the "Israeli" as he calls her, he could find no better words than these to describe his mindset.

3. "Chill out freckles McGee" The Situation reacts to the "Grenade" of a cock-block he received with a name I had never heard of but will never stop using when addressing others.

4. "It's obvious Sammi has a crush on me...it goes back to the days of prehistoric kindergarten." Hahaha where did MTV find this man? Another aMAzing gem from The Situation.

5. "I couldn't have sex with my girl. She had her period. I go to take her pants off and she wouldn't let me. No big deal." When this happened I could not believe how at ease Pauly was about not being able to get in her pants. Showing the unpredictability of each and every Jersey Shore cast member.

Honorable Mention- "My number one rule. NEVER FALL IN LOVE AT THE JERSEY SHORE" Yeah nice one Ronnie you really lived up to that one.

Moments- I mean anytime Mike and Pauly or even Snooki were on screen it was golden entertainment but these five moments for me were landMArks in the season.

1. Ronnie One Shot- "That's one shot kid! That's one shot" How on earth was this dude trying to say it was self defense? Anybody who runs down his prey like a lion on a gazelle from at least 3 city blocks away is not practicing self-defense who was he kidding! The fact the cops knew him on a first name basis was just icing on the cake.

2. Snookers Punch- This moment was almost surreal because no one in their right mind would ever think a girl would get hit like that. It was also the moment that cast actually looked like they were adults with feelings rather then 12 years arguing about who should clean up Mike's plate after dinner. "This definetly brought us closer to Snookers. Because we feel bad for her. She is a real person too." Pauly D really felt the MAgnitude of the situation, MAybe they still aren't quite adults.

3. JWOW Left Hook- It was actually just straight up funny to see The Situation get punched by JWOW of all people. The fact he didn't want to help her because she was sick was pretty cold but JWOW went overboard with that hayMAker. Vinny trying to break it up was funny to because he knew exactly what she was going to do and let it happen. Yet another moment showing how hilarious these people are.

4. Angelina Leaving- She sucked. Period. MAde me very happy to see her leave. Not much else to say about that. Only MAde the show better. Terrible cast by MTV. She was dating a MArried dude, and she calls herself classy.

5. Vinny and Mike- The "Haterade" and Robbery moves by the situation were gems but Vinny had his moments too by hooking up with his sister and "Hey Mike how's my sloppy seconds?". No winner there except for us viewers.

*Word is there will be a second season with all of the first season all-stars. Great move by MTV.

Fucking Fogle!

As I watched the cast of Real World DC, shout out to Chuds McGuds, eat at Subway I had flashbacks to tossing my lunch up behind a high school gym in Tennessee. The only and last time I have ever ate Subway was when I was forced to participate in teams meals at an AAU tournament. I was scarred for life. I don't use the word hate that much but with every inch of my body and every hunger pang I have ever had I HATE SUBWAY. This place represents evil and the absolute disgusting food we as humans will eat if hungry and desperate enough. Subway should not have the audacity to call those sandwiches they serve food after every bite my throat and intestines eroded a little more with every bite. Meat should be juicy but not soaking wet, vegetables should be real! The only reason Jared Fogle ever lost any weight was because the MAn kept eating and kept throwing up his food. Hands down worst fast food place on earth HANDS DOWN! I put it ahead of McDonalds which is hard to do because everyone hates that distinct aftertaste Mickey D's leaves in ones mouth.

People

Tomorrow evening I will be heading to the Middle East, the Cambridge restaurant/nightclub, to watch People Under the Stairs perform. Anybody who hasn't listened to any of their music should, once done reading this blog, quickly make an iTunes search. The duo from Cali has provided us with "chill out" songs and smoky lyrical adventures. Originally from LA they rep the west coast "living life easy" to a T. I have listened to probably about 30 or 40 of their songs but the top three are must have for any music or hip-hop enthusiast. I am truly thrilled to see these two spit hot fiahhh tomorrow night kind of pissed I am missing the Jersey Shore finale. These are the three go and get!

Acid Raindrops
San Francisco Knights
Montego Slay

Rumor-Nate Robinson to the C's?

He does look good in Green!

It was reported today by Yahoo Sports that the Celtics have made a trade offer to the New York Knicks for Nate Robinson. If the Celtics are only giving up a draft, it's a great move. I do not want to hear reports of Eddie House or Tony Allen leaving the green both players add too MAny things to the bench. Reports also say the Lakers are involved in trade talks, if there is no other reason to trade for Robinson it would be to keep him away from the Lake Show. Inheriting a player that can win 2, about to be 3, dunk contests and score 41 points off the bench never hurts a team but, and there is a big BUT, he is on the bench right now on the lowly Knicks because of his attitude and his problems with Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni. I hope that Doc Rivers will sit Nate down and explain that egos are checked at the door and if he does this he will have a very very good chance of winning an NBA championship ring.

By the way, the in-depth and intense post about Boston sports was posted further down the page because I did something wrong but for those curious about my stance on the 4 MAjor Boston teams just keep scrolling on down.

10 Must Download Songs

In my opinion these are must downloads but at least check them out.

Reckless-Crystal Castles

I Wanna Rock Remix-Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z

What a Job-Devin the Dude, Snoop, Andre 300

Fasho-Andre Nickatina

Horchata-Vampire Weekend

Feel it in My Bones-Tiesto

It Was a Good Day-Ice Cube

Me, You, Remix-XV, Shawn Christopher, Freddie Gibbs

85 South- Youngbloodz and Big Boi

Washington Square-Chinese Man Records

How Was Your Break?

Since coming back to school I have had the unfortunate obligation of participating in one of the most repetitive and annoying college traditions, the "How Was Your Break?" conversation. I have MAde some close friends whose breaks I truly do care about but I have no desire whatsoever to ask the MAny acquaintances how their break was, it sucks! Some people have extravegant breaks full of beaches, clubs, bars, sun, and unique thrill seeking experiences that are once in a lifetime type experiences BUT the MAjority of us don't! So, when a kid I've met a couple of times proceeds to tell me about jet-skiing in Aruba I want to shove his words right back into his mouth. MAybe I am saying this because I haven't been on a vacation that wasn't a 3 or 4 hour drive in years regardless after talking to my roommates at dinner I realized that this is a widely shared sentiment. Spending 3 to 5 minutes talking about how I went to the dump and walked the dog doesn't seem like anything any other person wants to hear about so I try my absolute best to keep the details of my break minuscule. I wish that other people would try to do the same instead of rambling about every single Christmas gift and the juicy details of their New Year's party . MAybe this MAkes me a mean person and MAkes me seem uninterested in other peoples lives but frankly interaction is the key to human life and I think that all interaction should be worth something and more then a unwritten social rule that we all take part in. It isn't necessarily always the content of this conversation but the number of times that it may happen during a given day. I counted that I had this "How Was Your Break" conversation eight times today and no matter what the next person was talking about I still found myself flinching and feeling as if there were a million better things I could have been doing then suffering through another persons break story. Another reason this conversation is a trap is because it is a perfect segue to the "How are your classes/What classes are you taking" conversation. After every break for some odd reason people fake like they really truly care about what you are studying. I don't care if you took a philosophy course that made you wonder what the point to human life was, if you needed a class to come to that realization then I am wasting my time conversing with you. Although at times vital information, like how a certain professor or class is, can be attained the MAjority of the students at every college major in something different then you and will never even think about the things you've learned. In conclusion I will explain the above photo of Kevin Youkilis flipping the bird. I don't want to hear about your break, I wasn't there, I am happy you had fun, we all did, let's talk about something else! Thank You.

State of Boston Sports

1. Papelbon's Contract

2. C's and B's Inuries

3. What's Next For Pats?

1. Papelbon signed with the Red Sox for 9.35 million dollars and one year. Red Sox Nation should be happy because in my opinion this could be one of Papelbon's last good years. He is turning 30 before this season and for those of us that watched him last season know that his stuff wasn't the same and the MAjor league hitters have figured out his game. Daniel Bard showed signs of being the closer of the future and at the age of 24 Bard has time to seize the Sox closer position. Money wise this move will pay off this season so I think it was worth the nice payday for Papelbon. The only problem with the Pap situation is that it is becoming a year to year contract thing, going through this every offseason puts stress on fans and front office people alike. The Sox brass should be aware that it will be just as easy to lose Pap as it is to sign him every offseason.

2. The players of the Celtics and Bruins can both be personified in one phrase and that is "walking wounded". The Celts have been without KG for the last 9 games in which the green have gone 4-5. This injury isn't just about what skill the team loses basketball wise but the intensity and leadership that comes in the monster that is number 5. In that nine game span Rajon Rondo battled injuries and Rasheed Wallace missed games due to a foot injury. Key reserve Big Baby Davis was on the bench due to a broken thumb due to which he missed the first 28 games of the season. The injury was sustained after punching one of his college friends in the face for flirting with his girlfriend, I wish I knew every detail of that one. On top of those injuries key offseason acquisition MArquis Daniels has been out for 20 games due to surgery to repair a ligament in his thumb. Boston hasn't seen even half of the potential MArquis has as a defender let a lone a solid slasher and scorer. Knowing the grind of an 82 game NBA season I am sure there are MAny unreported ailments that these and other Celtics have suffered. This team is still one of the top NBA teams every night, which is speaks to the underrated depth the team possesses, even through the stretch of recent injuries. As we saw in last season's playoffs KG is the heart, soul, and leader of the team and if he comes back even at 85 percent it is certain that the Celtics will head into the All-Star break in much better shape then they are right now.

The Bruins on the other hand have been decimated with injuries and haven't fared half as well as the C's. Mind you I am not a Bruins expert but I have watched and read enough to know that this is a struggling team and injuries have been a huge reason why. They have fallen from the number one seed in last year's playoffs to the third place team in a decent Northeast division. With Patrice Bergeron constantly on the IR the Bruins offense has suffered. Bergeron must be on the ice in order for the B's to have a constant scoring threat. Despite being very mediocre at scoring goals the Burins have the number one penalty killing unit in the NHL due to the leadership of captain Zdeno Chara. Dennis WideMAn, MArc Savard, Marco Sturm, and David Krejci have all spent time on the bench with injuries. Goals have been hard to come by and this fact highlights the loss of one Phil Kessel to the Toronto MAple Leads. It seems as if the Bruins forwards will to step it up in the second half of the season for this team to be a real playoff threat. Despite a solid crop of defense-men and a very formidable one two punch in goal, Tim ThoMAs and Tukka Rask, they have been losing leads and losing ground in the conference much like the basketball team that shares the same building. All the injuries for the B's and C's MAkes a Boston sports fan wonder why all these Boston athletes are sitting on the bench. It will be interesting to see how the TD Garden teams will respond after much needed All-Star breaks.

3. Never in my life was I more embarrassed to be a Patriots fan then the sunday afternoon they were absolutely dominated in every sense of the word by the Ravens. Watching Ray Rice zoom past every Pats defender and Terrell Suggs strip Tom Brady took any breath I had in my lungs and left a lifetime Pats fan with nothing to say. I was completely numb. In saying all that the season wasn't a total waste.

The Pats discovered that drafting Brandon Meriweather in the 06 draft was a great draft pick. He emerged as a heavy hitter and pro bowl caliber safety. Tom Brady won the Comeback Player of the year award. Vince Wilfork showed the entire NFL that he is one of the top D-tackles and deserves a big payday. Wes Welker proved the he is the most important and dangerous part of the offense. Leigh Bodden, a lions reject, proved to play a very solid corner and tied for the lead in interceptions for the Pats D. Tully Banta-Cain proved to outshine any defensive linemen and lead the team in sacks. Jerod MAyo avoided a sophomore slump by leading the team in tackles, despite missing three games. Rookies Sebastain Vollmer and Darius Butler proved to be solid contributors at the pro level. Now in saying all these things no Pats fan is happy about where the team stands. After shipping out the likes of Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour and losing Rodney Harrison to retirement the defense was left young and unexperienced and it showed. The pass rush was very sub-par and with a young defense backfield at times the unit looked outMAtched by average receiving corps. Tom Brady who put up very good numbers wasn't the same quarterback we are all used to watching win Super Bowls. It was most evident in the Denver game he hit Wes Welker in the foot instead of hitting him in stride to avoid Josh McDaniels unnecessary celebration after the Broncos win. As far as the playoff loss there are no words to describe the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day that Brady had. Randy Moss although at times spectacular seemed to be lost out there especially against budding superstar Darrelle Revis. It is hard for me to start with a running back but I will start with Kevin Faulk. In my opinion he and his distant MArshall Faulk are the two best 3rd down running backs in the history of the NFL and arguments could be made for both Faulk's. As for the rest of the backfield nobody lived up to expectations. Laurence MAroney who could be one of the biggest Patriots draft blunders struggled to consistently gain yards and hold onto the football. It could be time for the Pats to invest another draft pick in a top college running back. Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor missed a combined 14 games. The truth about the running game is that opposing defenses never felt threatened by anyone who was standing in the backfield. No one wants to talk about the incapability of the offense to open holes for the back and at times not protecting the golden boy. Matt Light is no longer playing at a pro bowl level and the veteran group is creeping toward earning the title of an old group. The fact is the Pats have a lot of pieces to add in order to defend their AFC East title accordingly. I could make a laundry list of recommendations but instead I am going to provide the 5 most prudent moves the Pats must make.

1. Sign Vince Wilfork- To be honest I could make this numbers 1,2 and 3 that's how important signing this beast is.

2. Sign a Corner or two- It has been a problem for multiple seasons now we can't count on the offense to carry us through a season.

3. Sign a Linebacker- Outside of MAyo and the retiree Junior Seau the Pats lack the necessary LB depth.

4. Draft a RB- MAroney MAy still have a lot left in the tank but more youth and depth can only help a aging offense.

5. Improve O-Line Depth- I think this unit is the most overlooked on the entire team but the Sebastain Vollmer picked proved that youthful lineman can step in and help the team.

Sports Headlines On The Mind

1. Texas Goes Down
2. NFL Coaching Carousel
3. NBA All-Star Voting

1. In the world of College Basketball the top story is the number one team in the land, Texas, lost playing at Kansas State. The fact is this game was hugely important for K-State but as for Texas not so much. If I am Texas coach Rick Barnes I wouldn't be MAd at all about who or where the first loss was to but how. The Longhorns looked out muscled and out hustled by a very hungry K-State team who scored 30 out of their first 33 points in the paint. When a fan of the game of basketball reads that stat it reads in one very big way and that is that the guys from K-State wanted this game much more then those of the Longhorns. My bet is that if you asked a Texas player they would be dissapointed about the loss but they would also say it wasn't the most important team from Kansas that we play all year. In the Big 12 this year all anyone will remember is who won the Kansas-Texas showdown which will most likely feature the two teams ranked in the top 5 in the country. This is why Rick Barnes and Texas can breathe a sigh of relief because this upset didn't necessarily showcase Texas's shortcomings but the underestimated talent of Frank MArtin's Kansas State team. It wasn't even MArtin's star players who impressed, Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente combined for 17 points on 4-24 shooting. Instead it was Bigs shining for K-State Curtis Kelly and JaMAr Samuels combined for 37 points and 20 boards owning the paint and helping secure K-State's third win against a number ranked team. Hats off to the Wildcats should be a popular 2 or 3 seed picked to advance to Indianapolis in MArch.

2. In the NFL's ever changing roster of coaches one was added today that really puzzled me. Chan Gailey, yes Chan Gailey, was hired by the Buffalo Bills. Now I know hardly anyone wants to visit Buffalo let alone coach or play in Buffalo but the Bills couldn't have tempted anybody with more of an appealing resume then Chan Gailey?? Gailey has been a mediocre coach at every level he has coached at. Although he led Georgia Tech to 6 straight bowl games he had more then seven wins only once and lost 4 out of the 6 bowl games as well as never beating rival Georgia in his six year tenure. In the NFL he was a combined 18-16, not bad I guess, including two playoff loses with the Dallas Cowboys. If I am a Bills fan I am irrate, this guy personifies mild regular season success and postseason failure. With coaches out there like Jon Gruden who has won a Super Bowl to not even get a call from the Bills truly perplexes me. The Seahawks lured away a prominent college coach why not try that on the east coast Buffalo? Dave Wannstedt has built a great program at Pitt and has previous NFL experience and success why not throw some money at him? With the recent coaching changes at USC, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas, USF and puzzling hires by the Seahwaks, Bills and surely more NFL teams it seems harder and harder each day what it means to be a professional or college coach.

3. Last weekend Celtics star guard Ray Allen MAde some statements that revolved around the NBA's All-Star selection process. Ray MAde the suggestion that instead of the game being 100% decided by fans it should be 50/50 between fans and a combination of media and players. Frankly I don't care how you do it but the NBA must adhere to Ray's suggestion in some form because it is a mockery of an All-Star to have Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson even mentioned in this year's game. In order to play in an All-Star game one of the requirements is playing in the games in which the players are meant to be evaluated in. It's equivalent to receiving an A for a test you didn't even take or becoming a lawyer without going to law school and passing the bar, it is an absolute travesty that this is even a topic of discussion for NBA fans and players. Becoming an or being selected by a knowledgeable panel as an All-Star is something that should be earned and merited based on performance not on sentiment or athletic infatuation.

Day 1 Blogger

After months of laziness and negligence I have created a monster. MAss Appeal is going to be the writing template for this aspiring sports journalist to refine, retool, and master his craft. By the way whenever the letters M and A are together they will be capitalized because I love MAss, Boston and all the MAssholes that live here. This blog at birth was meant to be a sports blog but at times I may stray into the arenas of entertainment, music, college life, and any of the unique quips I have with the world around me. The title is one of this blog is based on one of my favorite songs by Gang Starr entitled "Mass Appeal" and hopefully this blog if not because of my witty banter but because of the content and intent appeals to all of you. Since the day and my blogging career are very young this first post is short but here is a link to some visuals for this classic 90's rap song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EWJ9JrxU0g