Blog Archives
Ryan Does Fenway
Polo on Saturday. Fenway last night. The life of kings. Boston is hands down my favorite city in the world. While I can’t call myself a Celtics, Bruins or Pats fan, I am a dirt dog, die hard Red Sox fan. I still count being at Fenway for Trot Nixon’s walk off home run in the 2003 ALDS as one of the best moments of my life. Being a Sox fan definitely hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. While I got to experience two world series wins so far in my lifetime, the previous 10 years (and the 76 before that) were pretty much the worst stretch a professional fan base has gone through (I know the Cubs still haven’t won a world series, but they just suck. The Red Sox had really good teams that drove knives through your hearts in October). Now that the 2013 Red Sox seem to be back to their winning ways, me and slippery Mike decided to make a trip to Fenway. If you’ve never been, you owe it to yourself to visit “The Cathedral of Boston”. On a Red Sox game day, the energy around the ballpark is unmatched. Stop by Copperfield’s, Boston Beer Works, Cask N’ Flagon or any number of bars for a pregame beer or six. Your next stop should be to scan your ticket and embrace Yawkey Way with the best sausage and pepper sandwich you’ll ever eat. With a satisfied stomach and an unlimited amount of beer at your disposal, the only thing left to do is take in the sights and sounds of the ballpark and watch the Red Sox kick some ass. Trust me on this one: if you go to Fenway, you’ll be itching to go back again and again. If, like last night, the Red Sox happen to lose, make sure you get a good consolation prize:
– Ryan
P.S. I’m just glad this trip went better than the last time I traveled to Fenway..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H__XiWvmJb0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Top 10 [Active] Sports Nicknames
Few things give me more of a stiffy than a good nickname. I’m not just talking about willy-nilly handing out monikers. The kind i’m talking about are the ones that always stay with you, the ones that have deep meaning and just roll off the tip of your tongue. So here is my list (in no specific order) of the best nicknames in sports today. I tried diversifying between sports as best I could or else they all would have been NFL players.
1.) J.J. Swatt
The man with tennis rackets for arms, J.J. Watt
2.) The Freak
Tim Lincecum, the kid who looks like he shouldn’t even be able to reach home plate, never mind 100mph.
3.) The Muscle Hamster
As much has Doug Martin wants to shake this nickname, he never will and we won’t let him! FEED HIM
4.) The Little Ball of Hate/Nose Face Killah
The small pup who’s ready to take on any big dog that steps in his yard. (He also has a huge schnoz)
5.) Smoke
The Bass Pro Shop car is the most badass ride in all of racing
6.) Beast Mode
Give this guy some skittles and let him run free.
7.) The Durantula
The only spider I like
8.) Megatron
Transforms into a touchdown machine when he steps his cleats on the field.
9.) The Flying Tomato
Red headed, Olympic and X-Games gold medalist? This tomato has got some grapes.
10.) The King of Kings
HHH aka “The Three H’s”
-MattyV
P.S. The greatest nickname of all time, without contention, is “The Great One”.
Slightly Less Than 1/3 Of The Way Through The Season Report Card
Probably not the greatest title for a blog post, but I think it’s time we show a certain team from Boston some respect. While diehard fans and every hot girl within 100 miles of Boston are praising the Bruins, I’ve been quietly watching my Red Sox play their best baseball in 3 years. Everyone knows about the 2011 collapse, as well as their 2012 campaign with quite possibly the worst manager in the history of sports (Bobby V). That’s all in the past. During the offseason, they hired a no nonsense manager (Farrell) who understands the city and the goals of the team due to his prior stint with the ballclub as Tito Francona’s pitching coach. They also went back to former GM Theo Epsteins successful approach that won them two world series’. Instead of breaking the bank on free agent signings (Crawford, Gonzalez) they signed quality guys to reasonable contracts who are accustomed to winning and won’t bitch when things don’t go their way (Victorino, Napoli).
In just 59 games, they’ve completely changed the perception of the team. It’s truly amazing. They’ve gone from the laughing stock of the league to division leader, and while we still have a lot of baseball to play, I’d rather be in 1st after 59 games than last. They’re winning with good pitching, timely hitting and have created a positive vibe around the ballpark. Pedrioa and Ortiz are hitting better than at any point in their careers, while the emergence of Daniel Nava and recent success of Jose Iglesias have been welcome surprises. Clay Bucholz and Jon Lester are a combined 14-2, while Andrew Bailey, Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara have solidified the bullpen. The most impressive aspect of this team is their ability to succeed while major parts of their team have been hurt. Joel Hanrahan, the all-star closer Boston signed in the off season, was a total bust. He had just 4 saves and an ERA near 10 before he blew out his elbow and was lost for the season. Bucholz and Lackey have both missed starts, while closer, setup man and now closer again Andrew Bailey also spent time on the DL. With Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino both on the DL, the Sox have posted a 7-3 record in their last 10 games, the last 4 without CF Jacoby Ellsbury. Maybe you can contribute this to an easy schedule. The Sox are currently in a stretch where they play 32 games in 34 days, which, warm weather or not, is quite draining. The Sox are 1st in the AL in runs, 3rd in batting average, and 2nd in on base and slugging percentage. They’re currently 36-23, which is good for 1st in the A.L. East, 2 1/2 games ahead of the surprisingly good Yankees. The Bruins may currently have Boston’s heart, but I for one am glad the Red Sox are back.
– Ryan
P.S. If the Red Sox go on any type of losing streak in the next week I will never write about them again.
