Welcome to Bs Town !!!!

Well, here's the ole switcheroo... Obviously, I need to switch gears... AND SUBJECT MATTER.. as the Sox have been swept into hibernation... SOOOOOOOOOOOO... here we GOOOOOOOO!!! No worries though, I'll still post updates of the winter happenings at the Fens, to keep you abreast (I love THAT word !!!) of moves being made by Theo and the crew...

Here's my virgin (uhhhhhh) Bruins post.... BEAR (get it???? OH, GOOGLE what a bruin is !!!) with me... I hope I don't [mess] up !!!!

Well, apparently I'm off to a shaky start here - much like our beloved Bs who sit at 2-3.... BUT, I blame the so-called "experts" for jinxing our boys !!! Why the [freak] did they predict the Bruins as pre-season favorites to bring home Lord Stanley's Cup !?!?!?! Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that's a possibility, BUUUUUUUUUUUT.... the "kiss of death" has been cast !!!! NAG DABBIT !!!

Claude Julien is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in Bruins history... ok, I may be a BIT partial here... but if you look at the demeanor of the hometown coaches... Tito, Belichick, and "Doc" Rivers, it's OBVIOUS that you can catch more flies with honey (was THAT a Winnie the Pooh BEAR reference ?!?!?).... ok, ok, ok they ALL certainly have their moments... hell, so do I !!! but, certainly their low key mentality has helped make Boston the greatest sports town in the country.....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT..... PITTSBURGH ?!?!??! How the [freak] can Pittsburgh be the #1 sports city in the country?!?!?!? What have the Pirates done for you lately ??? - OR in the past 17 years ???.... And what is THEIR NBA team called... OH WAIT... THEY don't have one !!!!!!!!!!!! Appalling !!!!!!!!! Sorry for that rant....

Anyway, the Bruins have one of, if not the, absolute best and most experienced organizations ever assembled in professional hockey and Claude brought that statement to the pinnacle last season.... bringing home the Jack Adams (NOT to be confused with Jack Edwards - more in a bit) Trophy, annually awarded to the best head coach in hockey.... in JUST his second year behind the Bruins bench !!!!

Winning an award like that is not only a testament to the coach and the front office, but to the team itself... and CED (ok, I still need to toss those around !!!) front office has once again surrounded Julien with one of the better line-ups in the game..

Anchoring the squad once again is AMERICAN (you all know how many Americans are in the league !!!) goal-tender Tim Thomas. Thomas, always a steady net-minder, mind you (was THAT redundant???), brought his "flashy" and sometimes "reckless" style to the top of the mountain last season.. and emerged as the creme de la creme.. ok, let's keep it American here.. the CREAM OF THE CROP !!! as a First Team All-Star (and winning goalie of that game), winner of the Vezina Trophy - awarded to the top goalie in the league... and co-winner of the Jennings Trophy for fewest goal allowed... Even at the age of 35, I'll take THAT anchor any day !!!

The cornerstone and rock of the defense is once again Zdeno Chara... OBVIOUSLY not American... but he IS 7 feet tall on skates.. AND he IS the reigning Norris Trophy winner, awarded to the best defensive player in the league. You won't be reminded of Bobby Orr here, but at 7 ft tall and the wingspan of Rodan, Chara can close gaps and poke check from ridiculous angles - not to mention he has the hardest (fastest) shot in the NHL... and although NOT a fighter, Zdeno stepped up his physical game last season... most likely a key factor in winning the award..

Helping "Z" keep the opposition out of the Zone is a "motley crue".... NOT !!!! The Bs defensive CREW is more than capable of providing the support needed to drive toward the Stanley Cup... perhaps not many household names (defense in hockey being like offensive line in football), Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ferrence, Mark Stuart and newly acquired Derek Morris promise to provide lots of action in the defensive zone.. and do NOT be surprised at their prowess offensively...

Ah, the front lines..... although Kessel-less (grrrrr - was THAT a bear growling???), Boston's front line-up is a virtual all-star team in itself... a perfect mix of youth, experience, finesse and down right toughness.... reminiscent of the Big Bad Bruins of old !!!!

Toddlers Patrice Bergeron (24) - having bounced back last year from almost having his career ended the year before - and David Krejci (23) are absolutely "ice ballerinas"... although THAT comment comes from someone who can NOT skate !!!.. AND, while you're watching these 2 skate circles around you, you'd better hope SOMEONE has an eye on Marc Savard, Marco Sturm, Blake Wheeler and elder statesman Mark Recchi...

Youth, finesse and experience covered, that leaves toughness... true that "Z" and Bergeron have no issues getting physical BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT.... Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton are definite throw-backs to the Bruin style of old.. despite the league's efforts to reduce the fisticuffs involved, Milan and Shawn continue to be the "beef" on the team and will drop the gloves if you look at them wrong !!!!

But do NOT be lulled (or punched) to "sleep" at Lucic's "tough-guy" facade... this kid (21) is a TRUE mix of skill and toughness... OK, I AM partial here as he is my favorite current Bruin... but this kid's style is eerily reminiscent of probably my all-time favorite Bruin... NOPE... NOT Bobby Orr..... WHAM BAM CAM !!!.... Cam Neely... ole #8... ok, BRUINS #8 !!!!

And remember that front office mentioned earlier???? MR. Cam Neely just HAPPENS to be Vice President and Alternate Governor... what ever the [freak] THAT means... It MEANS, there's no wondering why Milan is a Bruin OR why he's my favorite current Bruin !!!!!!!

This just in... here's the Bruins latest acquisition... not really, but this is nasty !!!! This happened during a mini 1 on 1 competition !!! you HAVE to watch, this kid is probably like 10 years old....

Ok, "brief" team preview aside.. I HAVE to share my opinion on something here (GO FIGURE !!!)... The building that the Bruins play their home games in... WILL SOMEONE MAKE UP THEIR [FREAKING] MINDS !?!?!?! Not about where... but about what to call this place !!!!!!

For a bazillion years, the Bruins (and Celtics) played in the..... BOSTON GARDEN !!!!! (may it rest in pieces)... THEN.... the current facility was "born"... as the Fleet Center (and actually was named the Shawmut Center prior to it's birth - Fleet Bank buying out Shawmut Bank before the doors even opened).. ok, obviously named for Fleet Bank (financial reasons)... great new state of the art (at the time) home... SWEEEEET !!!!!!!!! home....

BUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Due to the "stability" of the banking business and the constant selling of the naming rights for the facility, the building has undergone many name changes (if you include the 2005 eBay auction for charity that sold the the naming rights 30 times - but only for 1 day periods - THAT I can accept)... BUT, TD BankNorth Garden, TD Bank Garden or TD Garden (CURRENTLY), no mater how you slice it, it's STILL the Boston Garden... SO JUST [FREAKING] NAME IT THAT !!!!!!!!!! Nuf Ced

OK, so for those who are not hockey fans..... WHY THE HELL NOT !?!?!?! Here's to hoping I have sparked at least a bit of curiosity... and with "color" announcer Jack Edwards (at the very least, the most emotional announcer in the "game") calling the "shots", it proves to be an experience you'll never forget... And for all you guys... Kathryn Tappen (um, hell yeah I would) does the intermissions !!!

Thanks for stopping in for a visit. It's just my opinion, so please PAHDON it. Y'all come back now, ya heah !! Nuf Ced

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Sox Recap - game from July 10, 2009

Lester is lights out, launching the Red Sox into the AL East lead !!!!!!!!!

For those of you new to my blog.... Wait, I am new to my blog !!!! this is my first attempt at blogging.... it's all downhill from here, right? DOUBT IT !!!!!!!!!

In a classic pitcher's duel at the Fens last night, Johnny Lester was a royal flush continuing his absolute domination over the Kansas City Royals... and on the league as of late.... hmmmmmm, who was it that he "NO HIT" ?!?!?!?! Nuf Ced
Although the Royals' Brian Bannister quieted our beloved Sox bats... Johnny Boy was equal to (or better than) the task.
With the score knotted at goose eggs into the 8th inning, PEDEY (did I NOT predict he is on the verge of carrying the team?!?!?) doubled hard off "Wally" (the green monster) scoring Aaron Bates (no relation to Norman, mind you - I don't think) for the only run of the game. Bates pinch ran for Mark Kotsay who had singled.
Wild Thing once again entered the game in the 9th with a chance to vault the Beantown Bombers into first place as the Bronx Bummers were busy losing.
Paps was lights out too !!!!!!!! Continuing to "listen" to my "suggestion" Paps featured high cheese (see ECKtionary) with plenty of "moss" and mowed down the Royals preserving the victory.
The Sox now lead the Yankers by one game and Lester's record improved to 8-6 (5-1 over his last 8 starts or so). Shouldn't he be heading to St Louis??????????? Nuf Ced
Johnny Boy struck out 8, bringing his season total to 131 Ks... he's surely going to break the Sox' all-time strike-out mark for a south paw (lefty). Paps picked up save number 23 on the season. Can you say 50 ?!?!?!?!?!
Jacoby continued breaking the law, stealing his 38th base of the season.... pretty much making last year's 50 thefts a distant memeory and bringing him 1 crime closer to Tommy Harper's Sox mark of 54 !!!!!!
John Smoltz takes the hill tonight for what WILL be his first victory in a Red Sox uniform (first of several, that is). You know me and my predictions !!!!!!!!! 1 out of 3 (decisions) will be GREAT here !!!!!!!! Nuf Ced

ECKtionary (abridged)
"BIG FLY".... a home run
"GOING BRIDGE"... "GOING YARD".... hitting a home run
"DEAD CENTRAL".... a home run to center field... as in, "Papi took that piece of "salad" (see below) to dead central"
"PUNCHOUT".... a strike out, commonly known as a "K"
"PIECE OF CHEESE"... a fast ball
"PIECE OF SALAD".... a seemingly easy pitch to hit.. aka, a meatball or watermelon
"HIGH CHEESE"... obviously, a high fastball
"HAIR"....extra "giddy-up" on a fast ball.... "That piece of cheese had some hair on it"
"PAINT"... to throw a pitch JUST over the corner of the plate (or just OFF the corner)..."Beckett can really paint"... Somehow in Eck's vocabulary, this is also a noun..."That pitch was paint"

New editions to the ECKtionary....
"Do Drop In" ... a 12-6 curve ball (think about it)... NOT to be confused with the Ephus pitch that Spaceman Bill Lee patented......apparenty while I was visiting my friend, Sam Adams, at the Fens recently, The Eck coined a new entry in his vocabulary...
"Moss"... see "Hair"... although usually used by Eck to describe his actual hair (on top of his head).... the "master" of Eckisms has expanded the meaning of "moss" and uses it interchangably with "hair"....

Can you EVER imagine Dennis Eckersley and Jack Edwards (Bruins commentator) in the booth at the same time ?!?!?!?!? Nuf Ced

That wraps up my first legit post as a "blogger"... come back early and often as I ALWAYS have a lot to say.

-Nuf Ced

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