What's Happening Now: [Seattle @ Red Sox: 3-2 Final]

Featured Story

Steve McNair Killed

News is breaking that former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair has been shot and killed in Nashville.

McNair reportedly was shot in the head in downtown Nashville and did not survive. Details are sketchy at this hour but it looks as though it was a double homicide as a female was also found dead at the scene.

McNair, 36, played 13 years in the NFL, mostly with the Tennessee Titans. He retired in 2007.

My Take: Obviously some shocking news. McNair will always be known for his days in Tennessee and the fateful final play against the Rams in the Super Bowl where the Titans came up one yard short of tying the game.

Tags:

Continue Reading 2 comments Featured
Nathan writes
Robert Swift and others will be praying to land an NBA roster spot this season

The Celtics announced their Orlando Summer League roster a few days ago. The roster contains four players we’re all familiar with: Gabe Pruitt, Bill Walker, J.R. Giddens and newly drafted rookie Lester Hudson. The C’s should get a good look at Hudson as he will be going up against pretty tough competition at either guard position.

Hudson should be prepared to face some good competition: 2008 draft picks Russell Westbrook, Brandon Rush, and Chris Douglas Roberts, as well as 2009 first round selections James Harden, Jrue Holiday and Eric Maynor.

Here’s a breakdown of each of the other players on the Celtics’ summer league roster:

Michael Sweetney, PF, 6’8”

After a successful career at Georgetown, Sweetney was the 9th pick in the draft in 2003.

Continue reading 2009 Celtics Summer League Team Preview »

Tags: , , , , , ,

Add a comment
Erikk writes
Clint Dempsey and DeMarcus Beasley Celebrate

This is the first in a three-part series analyzing soccer’s impact on American sports. SoB’s Erikk takes a look today at soccer’s history in the U.S.

In very few international arenas is the United States of America second to any other country. However, when it comes to men’s soccer, or, as the superpowers of the sport prefer, football, America is far from having any sort of clout. So when the stars-and-stripes squad upset the balance by slaying fútbol Goliath Spain on June 24, 2009, anyone with a heartbeat was shocked- unless they were American. In fact, if it weren’t for ESPN, most Americans never would have heard of their team’s 2-0 David-like triumph over the world’s No. 1 team.

To Americans watching their baseball games or evening news, the scoring line at the bottom of their television screen was incapable of revealing the enormity of such a victory. Drawing comparisons to the 1980 Miracle on Ice or the New York Giants’ victory over the 18-0 Patriots, the American victory over Spain still went unnoticed by most sports lovers in America. Why? Why hasn’t the land where all are welcome greeted soccer? Why hasn’t the melting pot of the world embraced Earth’s most popular game? Simply, why hasn’t soccer been successful in America? Continue reading The History of Soccer’s Unpopularity in the US »

Tags: , , , , , ,

5 comments
David R. Phelps writes
Rob Johnson (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

It was one of those improbable pitching match-ups that make baseball such a wonderful game. Tim Wakefield, making his club-record 383rd start for the Red Sox, opposed by the Seattle Mariners’ young flamethrower Felix Hernandez.

Naturally, Mariners catcher Rob Johnson was the star of the game. Johnson, who entered the game hitting below .200, smacked three doubles and drove in three runs, including two in the top of the 11th inning that won the game for the visitors.

Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon each pitched a scoreless inning, before Ramon Ramirez was called upon to pitch the 11th. Ramirez, struggling with his control, gave up Johnson’s go-ahead double before getting out of the inning without further damage.

Terry “Tito” Francona’s post-game presser was typically uneventful, although he did inform us that the team will “show up tomorrow and try to win.”

Notes

Sox catcher George Kottaras hit his first major league home run…Ramirez took the loss, to fall to 5-3…Tito flip-flopped Ortiz and Bay in the batting order…Thirty year-old rookie Chris Jakubauskas picked up the fifth win of what will no doubt be a journeyman career.

Tags: , , , ,

Add a comment
Pete writes
Jamie Moyer

Last week, I touched upon the hitters in baseball who were benefiting and the hitters who were suffering as a result of Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP). As a matter of fact, click right here to read all about it. It’s ok, I will wait a few minutes. You done? Great!

Now it is time to examine pitchers. If a pitcher’s BABIP is way above average, then you can expect their season to turn around and have the balls stop falling in for hits. If a pitcher has a BABIP in the .290-.300 range and a really good batting average against, then you can expect them to maintain that batting average against.

Now if a pitcher has a normal BABIP and a high batting average against, then they will continue to be a bad pitcher. Continue reading TGIF: 2009 BABIP Leaders and Losers (Pitchers) »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

3 comments
Erikk writes
Milan Lucic, left, and Marc Savard, right, will not be at Team Canada's camp together

After Hockey Canada announced its list of invitees to Team Canada Olympic Orientation Camp, Bruin Marc Savard was mentioned repeatedly. However, it’s not because he will be joining Stanley Cup champion Sidney Crosby or fellow Bruin Milan Lucic at the camp. It’s because he won’t.

Savard, who recorded 88 points in 82 regular season games for the Bruins this past year, was not one of the 46 players invited to the camp. While this does not mean that Savard cannot make the team, it does not bode well for his chances of playing for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the last two Olympics, only players invited to the camp made the team. The odds are further stacked against him in terms of sheer numbers. Olympic hockey teams are only allowed to field 23 players, meaning that Steve Yzerman, the executive director of the program, will have to cut the number of invitees exactly in half.

While there are certainly a great number of talented Canadian hockey players, Marc Savard was snubbed. Continue reading Marc Savard Snubbed by Canadian Olympic Committee »

Tags: , , , ,

Add a comment
Geoff writes
Leon Powe

The Celtics have decided to part ways with forward/center Leon Powe after not offering him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. General manager Danny Ainge does not necessarily want to sign Powe since he will most likely not be ready to play until mid-December. They have not completely ruled out re-signing him if no one else picks up Powe, but most likely he will not suit up in the Green this fall.

Powe became a fan favorite after the 07-08 season, when he exploded off the bench and showed what talent he truly had. It is one thing for fans to be upset about losing Powe, but some fans. The petition makes claims to how much Powe can do for the Celtics, mentions the hardships he has gone through in life, and that he does not deserve this kind of treatment. I love Leon Powe as much as the next Celtics fan, but I have to say this “Powe-tition” is completely ridiculous. Continue reading Save Leon Powe Petition is a Little Ridiculous »

Tags: , ,

2 comments
← Older Posts

Welcome to Sports of Boston

Featured

Robert Swift and others will be praying to land an NBA roster spot this season
Clint Dempsey and DeMarcus Beasley Celebrate
Rob Johnson (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
Jamie Moyer
Milan Lucic, left, and Marc Savard, right, will not be at Team Canada's camp together

featured Pages

Tags

Recent Comments

Polls

Will Daisuke Matsuzaka return to the rotation this season?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Blogroll

Other Links

As always, Red Sox Tickets will be hard to get during the playoffs, Gotickets has MLB Playoff tickets for every team, so when you need Chicago Cubs tickets or Tampa Bay Rays Playoff tickets come check out Go Tickets.