This is New England. Home of the World Champion Boston Red Sox, the 17-time NBA Champion Boston Celtics, and one other successful sports franchise. Too bad I hate them with every fiber of my being. Of course, I’m referring to the New England Patriots. I am not a Patriots fan by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, I’m a cheesehead. I love the Green Bay Packers, which makes what I’m about to say very weird. I hope Brett Favre stays retired. It’s time to hang them up, Brett.

Don’t get me wrong. Brett favre is probably my favorite football player of all time, and he is probably a top-10 quarterback of all time. But this retire, unretired game has got to stop. He’s held this franchise hostage in the offseason for the better part of four seasons now. It’s been the lead story on ESPN all week and I just don’t understand why. He wasn’t a good enough quarterback to warrant this attention. As good as he was in his prime, he’s probably been the most overrated player in the NFL the last few years.

And what about Aaron Rodgers? The guy gets drafted late in the first round, much later than expected, and now has to endure another whole sequence of the Brett Favre game. The guy deserves a shot to prove what he can do, and this is the year to start. I don’t care if that brings the Packers back to the pack (no pun intended) in the NFC North…it just needs to happen.

So Brett, do me a favor. Stay home in Mississippi, film your Wrangler commercials, and stop texting the Packers GM that you want to come back for another year. You’re done, something you even admitted yourself not two months ago. Let someone else have a shot. You’re in the Hall in 2013, you’ve won a Super Bowl, and you have nothing left to prove. It seems everyone has come to that realization…except for yourself.

But in the name of senselessly beating the deadline drums, let me throw out a scenario. The cure to our ‘pen problems is Justin Masterson. Clay Buchholz has been masterful of late in AAA, and I don’t see him staying there for very long. If he were to take the five spot, we could afford to move Masterson into our pen. Masterson could catch lightning in a bottle out of the bullpen and stabilize what is at this point the teams most glaring weakness.

So, that really doesn’t count as a trade scenario, right? Well, there is the issue of David Ortiz and his wrist. I would say that right now, his status is uncertain at best. J.D. Drew has been great in his absence, but I think we need another bat in the line-up. If ATL is going to shop Mark Teixiera this deadline, I think at the very least the Sox will give a phone call. I think if we are approaching the end of July and Ortiz isn’t very close to playing, I think we should part with the necessary talent to bring in an impact bat. Too much talent is a problem we can deal with if Ortiz returns at full strength. We have a rare opportunity to repeat as WS Champs, but if we are relying on Ortiz being there down the stretch and his injury continues to keep him off the diamond I don’t think that is a problem we can easily overcome.

The Celtics have made contract offers to two forwards: Their own free agent, James Posey, and Clippers free agent Corey Maggette, sources told the Boston Globe. The most the Celtics could offer is the mid-level exception (about $5.8 million), and it’s doubtful that they could sign both players. The terms of the offers were not disclosed.

Talksox has an ongoing thread about it

Always a threat to catch fire, Alex Rodriguez deserves to be mentioned in the conversation as well. Rodriguez is second to Bradley with a 1.000 OPS. He has gone yard 14 times and driven in 41 runs. Some consideration could also be given to Ian Kinsler who leads the league in hits, but given the standout performance of his teammate (Hamilton), he will not receive many votes.
In a comparatively weak year for individual offensive performances in the AL, Hamilton will look to cash in. It is Josh Hamilton’s race to lose

In the National League, Albert Pujols is having an MVP caliber season. Unfortunately for Albert Pujols, this league belongs to Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones, everyone else is just playing in it.

Since late April it has been apparent that these two would be fighting for the MVP and, barring serious injury, that’s how it is going to end. So unfortunately for Fat Albert, top ten performances in homers, RBI and batting average, plus a 1.121 OPS are probably going to get him nothing.

Berkman leads all of baseball with an OPS of 1.154. He has better power numbers than Jones with 21 HR and 63 RBI. But Chipper is still flirting with .400. At last check, Chipper was hitting .394 and while batting average is an overrated stat, it gets attention from the writers. Jones has hit a respectable 16 HR and knocked in 46 runs. Jones also has the ‘valuable’ factor wrapped up, seeming to always come up when the Braves need him this year.

While the race is closer than people realize between these two, Jones appears to be in the driver’s seat. If he hits .400 the race is over, but even if he stays around where he is, he will most likely be voted NL MVP.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/the_bonus/06/25/wakefield/index.html

This year, July 31st is looking to be one of the flattest trade deadlines in recent memory. Of course, when that’s the expectation, it usually ends up being quite the opposite. I don’t really see the Sox adding much. We’re playing relatively good baseball, there aren’t any glaring needs, and the biggest additions to the Sox this summer will be David Ortiz’s return from the DL and Clay Buchholz’s promotion from AAA. Also, look for Masterson to shore up a shaky pen in the second half. Our system is stocked; we could bring in ML talent, I just don’t see a need glaring enough to justify trading Bowden or any other coveted prospects that will surely be part of the price tag.

I’m not worried about the Sox, but I am becoming supremely worried about Tampa Bay. They have the best system in the major leagues. David Price is rising fast, drafted out of Vandy last year and already in AA, and he could be the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal. With the way Kaz, Garza and Shields are going right now, they won’t miss him. C.C. Sabathia can probably be had for the right price, and I think TB can meet that price easily.

C.C. doesn’t scare me on his own. The weight issue, the high stress delivery and the October meltdown I watched first-hand last season make me think he could really flop big time if traded to a contender. However, don’t underestimate the effects a deadline deal can have on a team like the Rays. They’re young and haven’t experienced a playoff chase before, and they might be searching a little bit come August. It would be a huge vote of confidence from GM Andy Friedman to go out and acquire a veteran pitcher. That could provide the perfect spark for the Rays to take off and maintain their play through the second half.

The Gagne acquisition had a similar effect on last year’s Sox, despite him being a monster disappointment. To go out and acquire a player of that stature says to your players that you’re willing to pay a sizable price - be it talent or otherwise - to contend immediately. That can fire guys up, and if Friedman swoops in and nabs C.C., I won’t be worried about facing him in October, but I’ll be pretty afraid of the other 24 guys that never thought their team would be anything other than a seller come the deadline.

But two trades changed all that. Wally Sczerbiak, Delonte West, and the #5 selection landing Ray Allen. Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, and two first round picks netted KG. And 82 wins later, The C’s hoisted banner #17 when they ran the Los Angeles Kobes out of the new Gahden.

So what were fans of the Green supposed to make of Draft Night 2008? Well, as expected, most Celtics fans approached last night with apathy. Who would the Celtics need at #30? Backup center, backup point guard? Whoever the pick was, you had to be confident in the guy making the decision. Danny Ainge, as much as any other GM in the league, knows how to strike gold with late-round picks.

That brings me to the picks. While the Celtics were not looking for Rose/Beasley/Mayo type talent, they did need to draft guys that had a shot at making an impact in 2008-2009. What turned out to be the prevailing theme for the Celtics draft was athleticism. At #30, they selected JR Giddens out of New Mexico. Then they got the #47 pick from Washington for cash, and that pick turned into Bill Walker out of Kansas State. The last pick in the draft was used on a European center who has little to no chance of ever making an impact. For our intents and purposes, we’ll focus on the first two selections.

JR GIDDENS – Athletic, but with a questionable history. I don’t really understand this pick, especially since Chris-Douglas Roberts and Mario Chalmers were available for the taking. The Celtics should only have room on their roster for one person who’s been stabbed in a barfight (I’m only half joking). His off-the court troubles led him to transfer from Kansas to New Mexico, where he didn’t put up TREMENDOUS offensive numbers in a weak conference. They were good, just not great. You’d expect more out of a first round pick. He is very athletic and should be able to provide some spark on defense, and if this spells the end of Tony Allen in a Celtics uniform I can’t be too upset. I’ll give the pick a grade of a “C” only because I really believe Roberts was the better pick.

BILL WALKER – Knee injuries killed a once very highly regarded HS prospect. This is a guy who was a top-10 talent and played on the same HS team as OJ Mayo, and he cost the Celtics nothing but cash. He seemed to regain some of his confidence and productivity last season playing alongside another top 3 pick in Michael Beasley. This is a perfect low-risk, high reward pick. His basketball IQ is said to be off the charts, so don’t be surprised if he makes the team and Giddens doesn’t next season. I think it’s a real possibility. I love the pick not only because it’s great value, but because of the potential here. I’ll give it an “A”.

So what chance, if any, do these players have to contribute? I think if nothing else these moves provide depth if James Posey elects to move elsewhere. I fully believe Tony Allen is gone, and I think each player will get every chance in the world to contribute. Face it, Celtics fans should be ecstatic if one of these guys makes the team and there’s a real shot both will. All in all, it’s a draft that fits into Ainge’s MO and I really can’t complain too much.

Nice work Danny. Now sign Posey to a 4 year deal worth $28 million and let’s get ready to defend.

Schilling himself acknowledged on EEI’s Dennis and Callahan show that there is a “pretty good chance” he has thrown the last pitch of his career.

To me, anything he contributed this year would have been gravy. When he got here in ’04 he was a power pitcher with pin point control and a devastating splitter, by the end of ’07 his only elite skill was control. The velocity was gone, the pitches weren’t as sharp, but Curt’s game was never predicated solely on velocity. His control and ability to execute a game plan seamlessly aided a relatively smooth transformation from fire-baller to finesse pitcher – save one trip to the DL. Even though his style changed, when it mattered most, in October, the results were there. The guy’s a warrior, and last year – probably the most challenging year of his career on the field - was no different. He was a different pitcher, sure, but that didn’t change the results. Whether he was throwing 96 or 86, the post season was his where he always made his presence known. Going 3-0 in October, including seven strong innings in Game 6 of the ALCS in which he rendered only two earned runs to a powerful Indians lineup, he solidified his status as one of the best big game pitchers of all-time. The stage was set perfectly for a curtain call, and he delivered going five and a third gutsy innings giving up only one earned run in Game 2 of the World Series, all the while his right arm hanging on by a thread. Holding the cap up high, choking back tears – that’s the goodbye I want to remember. Selfish, maybe, but watching one of my baseball heroes struggle to be league average would have hurt.

With further arm issues, the chances of him rebounding even to his 2007 form are slim. With surgery on the horizon, it’s looking more like Schilling’s shoulder is forcing the issue and closing the book on his career, and it made me realize how fortunate I was to be a fan of this team at this time. We are all fortunate to have caught some of the greatest moments of one of the greatest big game pitchers of all time. This has been a great decade to be a Boston sports fan, thanks in large part to the Red Sox, and there is no player who is more responsible for their recent success than Curt Schilling. Go ahead, call me on it. It’s true.

It seems everyone in Boston with a keyboard is talking about whether or not Curt will end up in Cooperstown now that his career is probably over. The prevailing thought amongst people I’ve heard from is that he is a lock, and while I idolize him for what he has done here, I don’t feel the same way – or didn’t. During the first quarter of the Celtics comeback game (you know, before the comeback part), a couple friends and I were trying not to think about the game at hand when someone asked me what hat Schilling would be wearing on his Cooperstown plaque. So I started explaining (read: ranting) all the reasons I have for thinking he won’t make it. If Luis Tiant isn’t in the Hall, how can Schilling go? He’s only won 20 games three times, he has never won a Cy Young award, and he has always played second fiddle to great pitchers. And pretty much as soon as I blurted that out, I started re-thinking it all.

Luis Tiant and Curt Schilling are in no way related. I think I liked that line because it made me seem like a baseball history-buff when in reality, my baseball knowledge doesn’t stretch far beyond 1995. And what is a 20 game winner other than some combination of good and lucky? It takes a dominant pitcher to win 20 games, but it also takes a good bullpen and some run support, and those things have nothing to do with the pitchers individual performance. If the Hall of Fame is the ultimate acknowledgment of the success of an individual’s career, why are wins such a crucial stat in determining what is and what isn’t a Hall of Fame career? To get a win requires a degree of luck. If a pitcher leaves in a close game, he needs the bullpen to hold out. If he leaves in a blow-out after giving up six runs and still gets the W, he might manage to draw boo’s from the crowd and boost his resume all at once. Granted, it takes a special pitcher to amass the large career win totals we’ve seen from guys like Maddux and Glavine and Randy Johnson (who will get 300 before it’s all said and done) but I don’t think just because every 300 game winner is a worthy Hall of Famer (and they are), that every worthy honoree must be one as well. Career victories aren’t the same as career dominance, ask Jack Morris (254, .390, 2478), Dennis Martinez (245, 3.70, 2149), David Wells (239, 4.13, 2201) and Jamie Moyer (237, 4.21, 2181 and counting). They’re just four guys higher on the career wins list that have also have higher career ERA’s and less strike outs than Schilling (216, 3.46, 3116).

This seems like a good time to mention that Schilling – known for his post-season brilliance – took home the ’93 NLCS MVP with the Phillies after making two starts and logging exactly zero victories in the series. Curt Schilling reminds me of someone else entirely: his career has a little Don Drysdale in it. Like Drysdale, he belongs in Cooperstown if you evaluate his performance from outside of the shadow cast by his big name staff-mates. Drysdale dominated by today’s standards, but is remembered for whom he pitched alongside – Sandy Koufax. Drysdale’s plaque is in Cooperstown along with Koufax’s, but he pitched in an era where the league ERA hovered right around three (In three different seasons during Drysdales’ career, the league ERA was almost exactly at or just under three).

As the late 90’s approached, the game began to transform into a hitting-dominated sport. Schilling pitched in the Majors when the league ERA for his career ballooned out to almost four and a half. In 2004, the league ERA in the AL was almost five, and Schilling stepped up and finished second in the Cy Young voting to Johan Santana, who had a historic second half to rob Schilling of what would have been his first career Cy. Not that that was new to him, Randy Johnson stole a couple from him with machine-like history book-type seasons when they were on the same staff. Drysdale and Schilling have the same hurdle to overcome by having to earn their recognition while being over-shadowed by all-time greats not just in the same league, but on the same staff.

Despite my initial doubt, I think Schilling, like Don Drysdale, has the resume to do it. Plenty of deserving candidates get over looked by the Hall of Fame voters. We’ve been rooting for Jim Rice and Luis Tiant for years in Boston, but when the fans of the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Red Sox root for Schilling, it’s different. We think about some of the most indelible post-season performances we’ve seen from any player passing through each of our cities. There is something about every Hall of Famer that separates him from the pack, usually regular-season accolades like MVP and Cy Young awards that highlight their dominance in a particular season. Schilling’s career had a little Drysdale in it, but Schilling won’t be remembered like Drysdale, as a number two starter. Schilling separated himself from the pack in each of his October starts, and in every series he took the ball first. Every spring, Schilling was penciled into the two spot, but when fortunate enough to play October baseball, it was an easy decision for his manager who to give the ball to for the first game. Curt took the Game 1 start over Randy Johnson in Arizona in 2001 and Pedro Martinez here in 2004. Two of the best pitchers of all-time, first ballot Hall of Famers, who expect the ball opening day and get it year after year, but not in October, not on Schilling’s team.

He’ll go into Cooperstown for what he did for his teams in the playoffs. Had he received the awards and amassed the wins, we wouldn’t even be talking about this. There would still be the bloody sock and four straight complete game victories from 1993-2001. The guy Schilling is fighting for the distinction of best big-game pitcher of all time is Whitey Ford, game one World Series starter in ‘55 ‘56 ‘57 ‘58 ‘61 ‘62 ‘63 and ‘64. The only difference between the two is while Schilling made 55,000 New Yorkers shut up, Whitey Ford sent them into elation. Here’s to hoping the silence in New York and Atlanta and Cleveland and the rest in the long list of cities Curt quieted with his determined right arm speaks loudly to the voters. He deserves it.

-This past season, I got really into the team. I would literally shake with anticipation and nervous energy. In the playoffs, Sam Cassell did something to me that no Red Sox team has done since 2003. I can truly say that I bled Celtics green and sweat Celtics sweat (especially under my armpits after losing to Detroit at home). And so what if I sat by twiddling my thumbs in 2004 or 2005? The point is, for the 2007-2008 season, I became a fan. And it wasn’t just me. For the first time since they tore down the Garden, a Boston basketball arena came alive with energy. The difference between Celtics “bandwagon” fans and everyone else become painfully clear in the finals. The Staples center was silent compared to the Garden. Lakers fans bailed to the highest bidding celebrity, while in Boston, the highest bidder was, more cases than not, an even bigger Celtics fan.

-Dino Radja. Hence, the picture. My first Celtics memories are not of Bird at the old Boston Garden, but of the shitty new Fleet center and the 3 year tenure of Dino Radja who, along with Rick Fox, never failed to entertain me. Yes, growing up I loved basketball. My fondest memory of the Celtics is watching Dino heave up a behind the back granny shot from his own 3 point line with 1.something seconds left in the game, down 2 to some other, equally crappy team. The shot fell at half court but I loved the effort. I’m pretty sure my love for Dino stems from an imaginary situation in which he hit that shot, dominating the Sportscenter top 10 for years to come and earning a place in the list of all time basketball greats. So I have a personal history and connection with the team, even if the time between 1994 and 2007 is left blank.

-An understanding of history, which brings me back to Dino Radja. As a 5 year old sitting in the half empty stands, all I knew was that his name kind of sounded like Dinosaur. And I loved dinosaurs. If Bill Russell had sat next to me at that game, I probably would have thought he was LeVar Burton. But now, I appreciate the history and legacy of a team like the Celtics. I research. I learn. I don’t just read a game recap and call it a day. My obsession with sites like baseball-reference.com and Wikipedia has taught me a ton. Did you know that in the late ’80s Radja played for a team called Juggoplastika? Did you also know that this isn’t Hazel Mae’s nickname?

The point is, we don’t all work at ESPN. We can’t follow every sport and every player all the time. Some things have to be pushed aside. But when they start pushing back, we can’t help but listen, and then we begin to realize that hey, maybe they shouldn’t have been pushed aside in the first place. Look at Paul Pierce holding up the championship trophy after throwing out the first pitch at Fenway. Look at Wyc Grousbeck, who is now a household name in the Boston area. The Celtics have pushed back and grabbed hold. I’m certain they’ve stuck for good.

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