What Made the Red Sox Great?

I was trying to think to myself why I don't enjoy watching the Red Sox as much recently as I have in the past. They are still a great team with powerful personalities. However, there's always something missing. I don't think losing a big bat like Manny Ramirez was a huge loss, but not replacing him with a similar character was.

While the start of the Red Sox organization was decorated with championships, there was an 86 year drought of championships. In this time, the Red Sox had great players and great opportunities to overturn this history. However, they failed for so long. Over this time, I think the fans developed a feeling of despair. It seemed like the team would never win again and the odds were constantly stacked against the Sox.

I think that was part of the appeal of the '04 and '07 Red Sox was their ability to overcome the worst of situations. In '04, the Sox went behind in both the divisional and AL Championship series. The outlook was not favorable. There was 86 years of history against them as well. In addition, several times, the Red Sox found themselves on the brink of elimination. They needed to make a play in the last possible opportunity of the game in order to keep playing. The odds just kept getting stacked higher.

In all of this, these two teams overcame. They rose to the challenge. They were able to push aside everything that was against them to win. I've loved players and teams of the past, but these two teams in particular stand out. It's not because they won the championship, but rather they disproved expectations and sentiments that I had grown up.

Today marks the opening of the 2010 season. I don't know which characters will step up, and help the Red Sox overcome. I don't know if the Red Sox have it. But I'll be watching. I will be enjoying. I will be rooting. There is an idea that sports teams come to represent the cities and places which they are located. I don't think any team exemplifies Boston more than the Red Sox. I hope that they represent us well in this year's Major League Baseball season.

Barcelona's #4

A great analysis:

"We are not a team who play on the counter-attack. Our football is one touch, two touches. Fifteen good touches mean one chance of goal. If we want to create an attacking opportunity too quickly, we lose the ball. Without the ball, there is no control. Without control, there are no chances and, without chances, it is not Barcelona."

Arsenal-Manchester United: In 3D

Game in 3D:

BSkyB is aiming to do for sports broadcasting what James Cameron did for cinema with special effects blockbuster Avatar, with the move to air this weekend's Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United in 3D.

The satellite broadcaster, which is showing the special 3D feed of this Sunday's Premier League clash in a handful of pubs across the country, claims it will be the first transmission of a live 3D TV sports event to a public audience

Tick tock.

Hilarious

Egpyt embarrassed Algeria:

Algeria ended their African Nations Cup in disgrace as they had three men sent off in their 4-0 defeat to Egypt in the second semi-final.

The Desert Foxes ended up with eight men, as Rafik Halliche (38), Nadir Belhadj (70) and goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi (88) were given their marching orders, allowing defending champions Egypt to run out easy winners to gain revenge for their World Cup play-off exit in mid-November last year.

Praise for Rich Rod Recruiting

National recruiting expert, Tom Lemming, had some praise for Rich Rod's recruiting class:

"It's an exceptionally athletic class," Lemming said. "It's a class full of athletes at every position. With (quarterback) Devin Gardner and (safety) Marvin Robinson, you're going to have more athletes at Michigan than in years.

"With these players, it's just a matter of time before (Rich) Rodriguez turns things around. Give him enough time, and it's a no-brainer he's going to turn things around."

Hopefully the athleticism translates to wins on the field.

Paraguayan Forward Shot in the Head

Paraguayan forward Salvador Cabanas was shot in the head:

Salvador Cabanas, a forward for the Mexican team Club America, was in critical condition. He was conscious when he arrived at a hospital where he was being operated on to remove the bullet, team president Michel Bauer told Televisa network.

Sad story.

Inter Triumphs

Inter triumphed in today's Milan Derby despite having two players sent off. Manager Jose Mourinho had this to say:

“The only way we would have lost was if we had been reduced to six men,” he said. “It was very difficult but we were far better on the pitch.”

It was an impressive performance from the Neraazzurri, putting them 9 points clear in Serie A. No other top team enjoys that large a lead. It should send a message to Inter's opponents in the Champions League, Chelsea.

BOOM

Jibreel Black has commited to Michigan. Here's more background:

Cincinnati (Ohio) Wyoming defensive end Jibreel Black gave Michigan an oral commitment for the 2010 recruiting class, according to TheWolverine.com and GoBlueWolverine.com.

On recruiting:

While coach Rich Rodriguez said U-M will probably take 26 in the class -- it can take one more than 25 because it was under last year, he said -- Black makes 27 and U-M reportedly is still recruiting.

That could mean that there are some players who may be uncertain whether they will qualify academically or as insurance against last-minute changes as a few players did last year, leaving U-M without recruits at a key spot: defensive line.

Should be interesting to see how things unfold.

Super Sunday of Sports

8:30 - Stoke V Arsenal
11:00 - Angola V Ghana
11:00 - Scunthorpe United V Manchester City
12:30 - Ivory Coast V Algeria
12:30 - Penguins at Flyers
2:45 - Internazionale V AC Milan
3:00 - Real Madrid V Malaga
3:00 - Jets at Colts
5:00 - Bruins at Hurricanes
6:40 - Vikings at Saints

Full day. I'll probably watch Arsenal, City, do some homework, the Milan Derby on the computer while switching between Real and the AFC Championship on TV, capped off with the NFC Championship in the evening.

Stoke v Arsenal

I was reading this great article recalling Arsenal's triumphs over Stoke in the FA Cup back in the early-70s.

Stoke fans never forgot the heartbreak caused, and the injustice that one of the most attractive sides in the country, had just one League Cup win to show for their immense talent.

I found some video:

Should be interesting to watch tomorrow. I don't think Wenger is going to play some of the star players like Fàbregas, Arshavin, Vermaelen, and Gallas. However, we might see the likes of Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, and Carlos Vela. Despite the priority in the league, I hope that Arsenal can find a way to advance. With both Liverpool and Manchester United out, it appears that Chelsea, Manchester City, and Aston Villa will be the other big competitors for the trophy and Arsenal definitely have a chance at Silverware. I hope Wenger at least puts Fàbregas and Arshavin on the bench.

Milan Derby

Tomorrow is the Milan Derby. It's one of the biggest rivalries in sports, and most certainly the biggest event in Italy:

Double Standards

One of the big stories out of Arsenal's 4-2 victory over Bolton was William Gallas's tackle on Martin Davies. Bolton Manager, Owen Coyle, dubbed it initially as "an assault." Here are Arsene Wenger's thoughts:

While I don't think the tackle, however bad it may have been, deserved the criticism it got, I think that Wenger's reasoning doesn't really hold suit. Kicking someone in football is a foul. To justify the kicking by saying other teams kick us is not correct. Yes it raises an issue here, and it is a completely valid one. However, in both cases, they are fouls and should be called and treated the same. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Return of FTR Sports

I have kind of slacked on keeping up this blog. I'm revitalizing this blog to move my sports related posts from my other blog, Shep's Universe, here.

The Summer Blues

WS Winner: Red Sox

NL Pennant: Dodgers

AL MVP: Evan Longoria

NL MVP: Manny Ramirez

AL Cy Young: Jon Lester

NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb

The Mets will once again miss the playoffs.

Looking Ahead

For The Record-Arsene Wenger hasn't ruled out a "crazy" title win for Arsenal, and neither have I. It would be foolish to think that the possibility is realistic, what with 8 matches to go and being behind Manchester United by 10 points while United has a game in hand. However, with the recent league form that Arsenal has shown, it is difficult to give up the league title dream. 

Much of the league form can be attributed to Andrei Arshavin. After a tough start and adjustment to the Premier League, Arshavin has shown the brilliance that made him one of Euro 2008's top players. Furthermore, being cup-tied for Europe has meant that he has been only available for domestic clashes in the League as well as the FA Cup. While some may think that this restriction has been bad for Arsenal, it has enabled them to rest Robin Van Persie in domestic matches and to recover from the injury to Eduardo. 

Arshavin's hunger and determination has been pivotal to an Arsenal team that, despite being unbeaten in League play since November, found itself dropping points to the league leaders.

Yet we haven't seen the best from Arsenal. There hasn't been a point all season where Arsenal has been healthy, and although one can't point to games here and there where Arsenal should have capitalized. They are where they are. 

It's a scary thought that in a few weeks, Arsenal can have a line up in which Cesc Fabregas, Arshavin, Theo Walcott, and Eduardo all feature in a match. That probably excludes Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and possibly Samir Nasri from the line up. One has to wonder how far from the leaders Arsenal would be had they been healthy all season. It also gives hope for what may happen next year as well as the FA Cup and Champions League. 

Personally, I think some of the credit in the recent resurgence must be given to Nasri and Abou Diaby. Nasri is a very talented player, who was often injured in the first half of the season. Because of this, it took him a longer time to adjust to the premiership. While his creativity has suffered due to the fact that he hasn't had the partners to create with, he has thrived recently playing with Arshavin. Diaby was injured for most of the first half of the season as well, but Wenger has deployed him recently in Champions League play, and his play has garnered domestic action. Diaby has brought a calm to the midfield that neither Denilson nor Alexander Song could all season, which has helped an ever stabilizing defense.

Do I believe Arsenal can win the league? No, I don't. Am I writing them off? No, I am not. I am inspired by their recent play though.

Second Leg of the Champions League

I wanted to go on the record with a few thoughts heading into tomorrow's second leg of the Champions League. 

-Bayern Munich should advance easily after a 5-0 thumping of Sporting Lisbon on the road. You have to wonder how Klinsmann will use his players. Will Franck Ribery, Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Phillip Laam all feature?

-While Liverpool has the vital road goal heading to Anfield, they cannot be happy with their fitness. Steven Gerrard has been a big question mark all season, and Fernando Torres was declared fit just today. However, Yossi Benayoun, the man that scored that road goal, is out with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, despite losing the first leg of the contest, Real Madrid is one of the hottest clubs in all of European football right now.

-Not really impressed with either squad when they played at Stamford Bridge, but I don't see how Juventus can advance. Chelsea has been playing better under Guus Hiddink, and at the very least should draw this fixture. Juventus is really going to have to press to win this match. It just looks like it's going to be a dull match.

-The Panathinaikos-Villareal fixture is one of the most interesting matches that isn't getting attention. I've taken a liking to Villareal given them being a smaller club and featuring players like Robert Pires, Marco Senna, and Joan Capdevila. It also helped that they played United tough in the group stage.

-Arsenal should take care of Roma after winning 1-0 at home. Having Eduardo and Walcott back, Arsenal should have no problems scoring. They should also have their normal defense with Kolo Toure returning from injury. I'm not sure what line up they would include, but it would be interesting if we saw Walcott, Nasri, Van Persie, Bendtner, and Eduardo all at once. 

-Atletico Madrid have their hands full considering they had a 2-2 draw at home. They have to go for the win because of the away goals rule. It should be a very interesting match.

-Barcelona heads home to the Nou Camp having drawn 1-1 at Lyon. While I totally expect Lyon to be a worthy challenge, I doubt with the return of Andre Iniesta, that Barcelona has any troubles advancing to the next round. 

-Lastly, in perhaps the most talked about fixture, Manchester United and Internazionale go back to Old Trafford. There are so many stories that have been talked to death. If either team loses, it will be a big loss to the competition. My hope is that Inter wins so that the talk of a quintuple gets put to bed. However, everything tells me that United will advance.

Eduardo: The Straw That Stirs The Drink

For The Record-I believe Eduardo is the straw that stirs the drink for Arsenal. They might have the best passer and one of the most talented players in the world in Cesc Fabregas, but Eduardo instills a confidence in the squad that no other players can. One of the greatest struggles for Arsenal as of late has been finding the back of the net. When Eduardo has been on the pitch, there have been no problems with that. 

This season may have been a disappointment in regards to the league, but it can still be salvaged by winning the FA Cup or Champions League and finishing in the Top Four. Eduardo can lead them there. In Eduardo we trust.

Changes Need to be Made

For The Record-The Boston Bruins have to make some serious changes approaching the playoffs. While they may enjoy a large division lead and a decent lead over the New Jersey Devils for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, much of why they are in the position that they are in is due to early season success. Their play as of late is at best laughable. 

Part of the problem has been the struggles of the young players. David Krejci seems to have lost the form that made him the second leading scorer on the team, Blake Wheeler seems to have lost his brain, and Phil Kessel seems to have forgotten how to hit the net. While Kessel seems to have gotten out of the funk a little bit, Krejci and Wheeler continue to struggle. Playing together on the second line and sometimes on the penalty kill, their mistakes as of late have been very costly. 

Yet Claude Julien has been staying clear of making changes. He has yet to mix up the lines or make adjustments. He's using the same personnel in the special teams. There's no question that the way this team is going right now, they are set to make an early departure in the playoffs. 

Disappointment in Boston appears eminent. Let's just hope it's a front.

The Life

For The Record-I've had a great time chilling with my boys this week. I've been going hither and thither, just having a great time. I've watched Arsenal play twice at the Phoenix, I've gone downtown to watch the Bruins twice. I've hung out and watched the Celtics at a friend's house. I just love spending all day moving from place to watch sporting event after sporting event.

It's the life.

Zdeno Chara for MVP

For The Record-I've been preaching this for quite some time, but Zdeno Chara deserves to be the MVP. No other player is as important to his team as he is. Not only does he log big minutes playing solid defense, but he is the guy that goes all out for his teammates and it seems he's gotten all the clutch goals.

Often forgotten in his massive size and his tremendous slap shot is the fact that he is one of if not the best defenders in the League. This year, he's done it all. He deserves it.

Off the top of my head, a couple instances of the above:
Fight:
Phil Kessel gets hounded by Boris Volabik of the Atlanta Thrashers, Chara takes him and shows him who is boss.

Clutch goals:
Chara scores two goals against Montreal, helping the Bruins defeat their most hated rivals.

Chara scores a goal in the last minute against Nashville to tie the game and send it into overtime.