98 on the Black

Records were shattered left and right on Sunday as Spain took down Italy, 4-0, to claim Euro 2012. It was the first time Spain had defeated Italy in a competitive match. Spain’s 4-0 victory is the largest margin of victory in any Euro Final in history. Most poignantly of all, Spain became the first nation … Continue reading »

At the club level, Cristiano Ronaldo has won everything there is to win. Still, he is criticized and constantly compared, not just to Lionel Messi, but to the greats of all time like Pele and Diego Maradona. In regard to the latter two, Ronaldo’s critics love to mention that he hasn’t won a major tournament … Continue reading »

You always want your favorite sports athletes to go out gracefully. Not everyone can go out a champion like John Elway. You at least want them to retire before it gets sad watching them. That’s why it’s painful to see Venus Williams play in 2012. On Monday, Williams lost to Elena Vesnina in the first … Continue reading »

On Friday, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Joel Peralta was suspended eight games for coming into a game with pine tar on his glove. This whole fiasco went down on Tuesday, when the Rays were in D. C. taking on the Washington Nationals. Peralta had just entered the game in relief of David Price. While throwing … Continue reading »

David Ortiz went on another one of his now patented rants on Thursday. The WEEI.com headline is that Ortiz says he isn’t having fun in Boston. Can you blame him? It is a new and different shit-show every day at Fenway Park. If I was David Ortiz, I wouldn’t find having to deal with the … Continue reading »

Like millions of others across the nation, I’m a huge fan of college football. Each Saturday from noon until the late night, I sit in front of the television and watch just about every game. There is nothing I would change about college football right now. Well, except the fact that all of these schools … Continue reading »

So Johnny Jolly wants to be reinstated into the NFL … are you freaking kidding me? First of all, he’s a recovering drug addict. Secondly, in the last four years, the guy has spent more time in a prison jumpsuit than he has in an NFL uniform. I honestly don’t think we need a third … Continue reading »

After 143 winless races, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. proved yesterday that he can still find his way to Victory Lane. After four years without a win in the Sprint Cup Series, Dale beat Tony Stewart quite handily, finishing 5.393 seconds ahead of the No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet. He dominated the 200-lap Quicken Loans 400, leading … Continue reading »

After a four-year drought, it appeared that Tiger Woods was on the verge of winning another major championship, this time at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. The last major Tiger won was the U. S. Open in 2008 at Torrey Pines. Had he prevailed this weekend, it would have been the fourth U. S. … Continue reading »

Earlier, I compared the plight of the Boston Celtics and The Republic of Ireland (soccer) football team. The similarities do not end there. Today, the Irish fans and, last week, the Celtics fans stood behind their teams like few fans do and produced moments that would give any sports fans chills. Today, the Republic of … Continue reading »

A while back, I was chatting with a Red Sox fan who lives overseas. He asked which, if any, Red Sox players were on Twitter. I told him which ones were, but noted that none of them were overly active. Lately, that has changed as Jon Lester has been tweeting and going back and forth … Continue reading »

No matter what the sport, I absolutely love it when a team that has never won a title finally rises to victory and makes its mark in the record books. Last night, the Los Angeles Kings did just that, winning their first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 45-year history in the NHL. Not only that, … Continue reading »

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine told the media that, “I think it’s almost impossible to do what they do. So why do we ask them to do the impossible?” when asked about home plate umpire Al Porter’s strike zone on Sunday. He didn’t specifically say what alternative to human umpires he was advocating for, but … Continue reading »

The look says it all for poor Shay Given. The Irish, playing in their first major final since the 2002 World Cup, lost to Croatia, 3-1. Given was at least partially responsible for the first and third goals, but the 10 men in front of him didn’t cover themselves in glory either. The third goal, … Continue reading »

On the morning of July 22, 2001, I stopped at my friend Kurt’s house. The aggreement was that he would be ready to go by 9 a.m. 9 a.m., Kurt! I KNOW I TOLD YOU 9 A.M.! But, of course, I had to shake him awake from a – er, uh – let’s say “pop”-induced … Continue reading »

Last night’s Boston Celtics and Miami Heat Game 6 might be the worst game I have ever watched as a fan of the Celtics. As a fan of the NBA, at first glance, you might say wow, what a great performance by LeBron James. LeBron was every bit the MVP in last night’s game, with … Continue reading »

EURO 2012 kicks off today, as co-host Poland take on Greece at noon. The Internet has made live sports a bit of a Godsend for those of us who spend their days rotting in a cubicle. The only reason I don’t watch more games on MLB.tv at work is because it monopolizes my iPhone and … Continue reading »

Adiós probably isn’t fitting since only a complete yahoo will miss you. Even your twitter feed didn’t live up to the hype. If I wanted to see a couple bicker, like you did with your gold-digging whore of a fiancée, I have friends in unhappy marriages I can visit; or I can close my eyes … Continue reading »

Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals Friday night will no longer be necessary. That’s right, folks. The Oklahoma City Thunder sealed the deal last night, finishing off Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs, 107-99, in Game 6. The Thunder really turned things around after the 0-2 start in this series, which … Continue reading »

The nerve of some people … stealing football memorabilia from a child. Following Donald Driver’s Charity Softball Game when the Green Bay Packers wide receiver threw his used cleats into the crowd of attendees, this crazed Wisconsin woman did just that. Claiming that she thought Driver tossed one of his cleats to her, Robyn Ereth … Continue reading »

While checking the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox box score to see how Daisuke Matsuzaka fared, the name of the pitcher who relieved him caught my eye - Mark Prior. The one-time prodigy hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2006, as he has been ravaged by injuries. When the Red Sox took a flier on him, it … Continue reading »

The Celtics win! That’s right, ESPN. The Celtics won, not the Heat. With a clutch shot by the Truth and back-to-back clutch free throws by an injured Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, the game was over. The Celtics, like Muhammad Ali, have shocked the world. Prior to game start, all the analysts at ESPN and … Continue reading »

Craig Kimbrel, last year’s unanimous National League Rookie of the Year and the Braves’ star closer, might just be the next best thing since sliced bread. Not only did he break the overall Major League saves record for rookie pitchers last year, but he also recorded his 27th save on July 7, 2011, breaking the … Continue reading »

Rajon Rondo’s performance in the Eastern Conference Finals has been underappreciated. All I read about still is LeBron James or Russell Westbrook’s 9-assist game that was spotlighted on ESPN’s First Take. LeBron James’ 40-point performance against Indiana was also analyzed and praised, but still, nothing on ESPN’s First Take about Rondo. There have only been … Continue reading »

Cinco Ocho aka Jonathan Papelbon blew the save last night causing the last-place Phillies to lose their third straight, dropping them to .500 at 28-28. This picture is fantastic. Look at the bro with his hoodie and hands over his face. I love it! I am surprised this fat guy with the pornstache isn’t puking … Continue reading »

Tim Thomas announced on his Facebook page that he is sitting out next season to focus on the three “F’s” in his life that he has been neglecting for a while - faith, family and friends. Is this guy for real? If he wants to focus on his family, then why move them to the mountains … Continue reading »

A 39-year-old goalie wants to take a year off? To paraphrase Pop Fisher from “The Natural,” a man doesn’t take breaks at your age … they retire. This is just the latest example of Thomas’ me-first attitude. The most notable was his snubbing the White House visit and refusing to address the issue other than through … Continue reading »

Just when you thought it was safe to go back onto the court, the referees, like Jaws, jumped out onto your TV screen and took control, leaving fans, analysts, players, coaches and future NBA players yelling in shock, “How did they miss that call?” It was so blatant that Dwayne Wade, the NBA’s prodigal son … Continue reading »

Amateur team Cal FC pulled off another shocking upset in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, eliminating the Portland Timbers, 1-0, in extra time. For the uninformed, the U.S. Open Cup is U.S. Soccer’s oldest national cup competition. As the name implies, any club can enter. So, theoretically, you and 10-17 … Continue reading »

The 2012 Celtics team makes Boston fans proud. It’s a team that lives by the motto best stated by none other than the great Kevin Garnett, “grit and balls” – that’s how they win, with grit and balls. The Celtics are a team that, time and time again, prove all the so-called analysts wrong. When no one … Continue reading »

Serena Williams eliminated from the French Open … in the first round? Unbelievable! Williams, 30, was the favorite to win it all, but errors and struggles on the clay led to her elimination in the first round of a Grand Slam event for the first time EVER. Her record in first-round major events, the first … Continue reading »

The NBA – where the amazing happens! Yeah, right! Only if by amazing the NBA means the “Amazing Adventures of the Referees.” Last night’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat was an absolute abomination. I think the Celtics got the memo from the league: the fix is … Continue reading »

The Braves fell from first place to last place in the National League East during the team’s recent eight-game losing streak; they now maintain a 26-24 record following last night’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. However, if a ball club plays Atlanta on a Monday, there’s a very good chance they’ll pull out a … Continue reading »

Dario Franchitti may have won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time, but the true star of the annual Memorial Day weekend race was the late Dan Wheldon. Brazilian Helio Castroneves was the last person to win back-to-back Indy 500 races, doing so in 2001 and 2002. Sadly, there was no chance to have a … Continue reading »

Reblogged from blackredsoxfan: Last Monday for the second straight season, the Lakers exited out of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. For some teams, this would be a nice season, but the Lakers aren’t most teams. The Lakers and their fans believe every season they should win an NBA title and anything less than … Continue reading »

Unfortunately, it appears I was right about 38 Studios being a vanity project without a sound business plan. CNET details how the company managed to squander all that cash. Trying to compete with “World of Warcraft” went almost as well as Google+. Google+ didn’t require nearly as much time and money as “Project Copernicus.” Google’s … Continue reading »

Orlando Magic honchos are set to meet with the team’s former star center Shaquille O’Neal next week to talk about him making a return to basketball … as a general manager. That is, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all week. Yes, the Magic are in need of a GM after having … Continue reading »

After yesterday’s game ended the long 20 consecutive games played without a day off, Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine said he thinks they can win it all if they keep playing like they have been. Win it all?!? Let’s pump the brakes for a second Bobby. How about shoot for, I don’t know fourth, maybe … Continue reading »

This team can’t score consistently. In Game 6, Paul Pierce had 24 points, Kevin Garnett had 20, and no other Celtic was in double figures. They only scored 20 points in one quarter – the third, when they scored exactly 20. A few months back when Austin Rivers declared for the draft, Doc Rivers was … Continue reading »

Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez has created a bit of controversy by blaming the fans for the team’s poor attendance. After making his initial comments on Saturday, it appeared that he was about to apologize on Sunday before expressing even more frustration. The tribe is last in attendance in Major League Baseball by a healthy margin, … Continue reading »

Listening closely, a strained ear to the ground near the railroad tracks of Major League Baseball can scarcely make out a career, at best, decelerating and, at worst, derailing. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (sidebar: I feel I am entitled to a royalty check every time I say the entire team name – similar … Continue reading »

Sadly, Roger Clemens is going to get away with blatantly lying in front of Congress. You will be hard-pressed to find somebody with a lower opinion of Congress than me, but this sends a horrible message. For better or worse, Congress relies on testimony and hearings in crafting legislation. If people can wantonly perjure themselves, … Continue reading »

The beginning of the Red Sox season was hardly a smooth ride for anybody. Bobby Valentine faced the brunt of the criticism as the Sox suffered through yet another poor April. Some of the damage was self-inflicted. A couple of times, he left starters in too long. The Kevin Youkilis situation was a debacle. When … Continue reading »

After the season, I initially thought that John Henry and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) would be too public relations conscious to fire manager and Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish. Wednesday, they proved me wrong and showed the fortitude that was lacking when Terry Francona left the Red Sox by “mutual consent.” It is clear that FSG … Continue reading »

Wow, try saying that title five times fast. Before I delve into this, I just want to go on record and say that I never thought I’d be writing a blog post relating to “Dancing with the Stars” in any way, shape or form – and I fully expect to get a decent amount of … Continue reading »

Josh Beckett said to his media lap dog, Rob Bradford, on Friday that if he wanted to be a part of a reality show, he would go to Los Angeles and that he is here to win games. Sorry Josh, nobody believes this load of garbage. Beckett is the Puck of the Sox reality show … Continue reading »

Now that the Minnesota House and Senate have passed legislation to allow the construction of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings, the Metrodome’s days are numbered. The team’s lease to continue playing in the dome expired after the 2011-12 season, so something needed to be done. Gov. Mark Dayton, being one of the biggest cheerleader … Continue reading »

During most of the 2000s, the post season felt like a fait accompli for the Boston Red Sox. After 2003 the Red Sox and owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) felt like they belonged to a permanent upper class where success was assured on the field and on their balance sheets. What this season has shown is that … Continue reading »

It should come as no surprise that ESPN hired a piece of eye candy as a columnist who is allegedly scamming people on the Internet. Whatever integrity ESPN has had, journalistic or otherwise has been eroding for a long time. From their excessive, year round coverage of the NFL because they pay the NFL the … Continue reading »

At the end of the 2012 season, Major League Baseball will be bidding adieu to one of the greatest players of my generation – Larry Wayne Jones, Jr. While I may be just a tad bit biased, I believe – and there are stats to back me up here – he is one of the … Continue reading »