A Long Cold Summer
It certainly looks like the Haters Ball will be hosted in Rochester for the foreseeable future. As bad as Boston had opened the season, at 4-9 they were ahead of last year, and maybe just needed to settle down. Maybe the starters just needed another rotation, and then things might fall into place. After all, Papi was hitting the ball better than he had in a couple years. So that had to be a good sign, right?
Or at least that’s what we could have told ourselves, until yesterday. But after the Sox squandered a nine-run lead; after the bullpen gave up fourteen runs in two innings (let’s see -- that computes out as a 63.00 ERA); it’s clear that we would only have been kidding ourselves. They aren’t going anywhere soon; and exactly why did we replace Tito with Bobby Valentine? What was the thinking there?
Let’s turn the clock back a month, because I haven’t posted since we traveled to Boston to see the Orange lose to Ohio State in the Eastern Regional Finals. It was, of course, a disappointment to see them lose, and so frustrating to watch the referees take the game away from the players, and send the two teams to the free throw line sixty-seven times. It was also disappointing to watch the Cuse miss a half-dozen layups, and struggle offensively most of the night. Having said that, as badly as the Orange played, their defense kept the game within reach. With about five minutes to go, it was a one-point game. But a series of poor possessions, and an inability to stop Sullinger kept them from traveling to New Orleans one more time. But really, without Fab Melo, Cuse had little or no chance to go anywhere in the Final Four. In fact, I think they did all right to get to the Regional Finals. The bitter part of all this is that, for the second time in three years, they had a legitimate shot at winning the championship, only to see the season end prematurely when their center went down, or in this year’s case, out.
Boston Garden, or the TD North Center, or whatever it’s called these days, was as Orange as the Dome on that Saturday night. And it was great fun going with John, Amanda, Jill and Jane. It just would have been a bit more fun if things had turned out different.
It’s funny, but how many programs can send their team to the sweet sixteen, or beyond, three years out of four, and still leave the fans with a sense of what might have been? We are so accustomed to excellence when hoops season rolls around that we’ve become blasé about reaching the sweet sixteen year after year. And next year, even with Melo, Scoop, Dion and Kris-Joseph gone, the Orange will still be loaded. And will be back in the tournament once more.
One final note: Those of you who read my missives to the athletic department (all of which were published in this blog) will recall that I predicted using all the money I saved (close to three grand) to travel to see the team, and my kids, in the post-season. Maybe I predicted that we would meet in Manhattan for the Big East Tourney. As it turned out, however, we met in Boston; ate dinner at Lucca (always a treat); and then had great seats in the Garden, all of that courtesy of Dr. Gross. So how smart was it for the athletic department to jack my seats, and drive me away from the Dome? Or maybe I’m just not bright enough to see the wisdom in their money-grabbing policies.
Wait till next year, and maybe we’ll be meeting in South Florida come the middle of March. Only problem is, what the hell are we going to do until November???
Or at least that’s what we could have told ourselves, until yesterday. But after the Sox squandered a nine-run lead; after the bullpen gave up fourteen runs in two innings (let’s see -- that computes out as a 63.00 ERA); it’s clear that we would only have been kidding ourselves. They aren’t going anywhere soon; and exactly why did we replace Tito with Bobby Valentine? What was the thinking there?
Let’s turn the clock back a month, because I haven’t posted since we traveled to Boston to see the Orange lose to Ohio State in the Eastern Regional Finals. It was, of course, a disappointment to see them lose, and so frustrating to watch the referees take the game away from the players, and send the two teams to the free throw line sixty-seven times. It was also disappointing to watch the Cuse miss a half-dozen layups, and struggle offensively most of the night. Having said that, as badly as the Orange played, their defense kept the game within reach. With about five minutes to go, it was a one-point game. But a series of poor possessions, and an inability to stop Sullinger kept them from traveling to New Orleans one more time. But really, without Fab Melo, Cuse had little or no chance to go anywhere in the Final Four. In fact, I think they did all right to get to the Regional Finals. The bitter part of all this is that, for the second time in three years, they had a legitimate shot at winning the championship, only to see the season end prematurely when their center went down, or in this year’s case, out.
Boston Garden, or the TD North Center, or whatever it’s called these days, was as Orange as the Dome on that Saturday night. And it was great fun going with John, Amanda, Jill and Jane. It just would have been a bit more fun if things had turned out different.
It’s funny, but how many programs can send their team to the sweet sixteen, or beyond, three years out of four, and still leave the fans with a sense of what might have been? We are so accustomed to excellence when hoops season rolls around that we’ve become blasé about reaching the sweet sixteen year after year. And next year, even with Melo, Scoop, Dion and Kris-Joseph gone, the Orange will still be loaded. And will be back in the tournament once more.
One final note: Those of you who read my missives to the athletic department (all of which were published in this blog) will recall that I predicted using all the money I saved (close to three grand) to travel to see the team, and my kids, in the post-season. Maybe I predicted that we would meet in Manhattan for the Big East Tourney. As it turned out, however, we met in Boston; ate dinner at Lucca (always a treat); and then had great seats in the Garden, all of that courtesy of Dr. Gross. So how smart was it for the athletic department to jack my seats, and drive me away from the Dome? Or maybe I’m just not bright enough to see the wisdom in their money-grabbing policies.
Wait till next year, and maybe we’ll be meeting in South Florida come the middle of March. Only problem is, what the hell are we going to do until November???
posted by pops | 8:52 PM
1 Comments:
Berg,
Well you have a choice of what to do until November.
1. Watch the comings and goings of the redsox DL list.
2. Choose another baseball time to follow. Dare I say the Yankees or would you choose the Rays (that pretend team in FL).
Of course you will choose 'none of the above'.
What will happen is the redsox ownership will rue the day that they dumped Francona for the self-promoting Valentine. What a move. Should there have been more discipline in the clubhouse? Yes.
But the team played hard for Francona something that will not happen with Valentine as manager. The players will eventually get their way and Valentine will be out. It may be in season or at the end of the season but he will not last.
His first move take Bard out of the bullpen. That lasted 14 games.
The redsox are playing better and will not finish last but a lot has to go wrong in the AL East for the redsox to get into the playoffs.
Now it is dangerous for definitive predictions but the redsox do not have enough pieces and the pieces they have do not fit together. Maybe they can trade their way in to contention.
BTW I am not convinced the Yankees will make the playoffs but they have a better chance than the redsox.
Go Yankees.
G-Man
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