The Ten Best Sports Moments of the Year

by Ryan

Always end on a high note, right? This probably won't be our last post of the year, but we wanted to at least give the impression that 2008 was an enjoyable sports year. I mean, at least 4 teams wind up happy per year, right?

10. Sabres trade for Craig Rivet.

You knew something was up when the Bernier jerseys went on the clearance rack early. Getting Rivet hasn't paid off just yet, but the Sabres did go out and get a captain. Too bad it took them a year to do it.

9. Sabres/Lightning, 3/19/08

The "cone of silence" game where the Sabres came back from a huge deficit at home. A 7-4 final was a complete surprise, and Vanek got two more in the win. You will be seeing a lot of these involving Thomas Vanek.

8. Red Sox Home Opener, 4/7/08

This one's just for Rich and I, but it's always special to see banners get raised.

7. Manny's catch in Baltimore

This was the catch/high five double play that MLB appears to have destroyed all video of. It's probably on the league's video portal somewhere, but you don't need to see another e-trade ad, do you?

6. Buffalo is awarded World Juniors, 10/27/08

It may not seem like a big deal now, but it will be a big, big deal in a few short years.

5. ALCS Game Five, 10/16/08

This game was absolutely ridiculous, and set up a Game Six road trip that Rich still isn't prepared to talk about. This year's ALCS was a very interesting one for Red Sox fans, but the implausibility of winning that game still stands the test of time despite the end result.

4. UB Wins the MAC

A great moment for college sports in Buffalo, and even more fun because it was pretty unexpected. The Bulls beat an previously unbeaten Ball State and won their first (accepted) bowl bid in one of the best seasons in their D-I history.

3. Sabres/Lightning, 2/20/08

This is the "Vanek Scores a Natural Hat Trick" game.

2. Giants win the Super Bowl.



Ah, schadenfreude. You were good to me this year, old friend.

1. Winter Classic



After January 1st it was all downhill from there. Probably the greatest sporting event of my life, and just the fact that it actually happened still blows my mind. I have a feeling we will talk about this a bit more tomorrow.

The Ten Worst Sports Moments of the Year

by Ryan

Everyone releases a top ten list of some sort around this time of year. Why not do two? Tomorrow I will run down the best, but we should get the worst out of the way, I suppose. These may not be in any particular order, but they all weren't very good times for me.

10. Eight Bells dies.



If only because I saw this at Target and decided I needed to fit it in.

9. Sabres/Panthers, 2/10/08

The Richard Zednik game. The Sabres won, but I've never heard a crowd at HSBC Arena so quiet. Scary stuff, and if not for some fantastic response time by medical staff it could have been a tragedy unfolding right before out eyes.

8. Sabres/Sens, 1/4/08

This was the first game after the Winter Classic, and the Sabres laid an egg on home ice. It continued a ten game winless stretch for the team that pretty much killed the season and any chance for the playoffs. Ah, memories.

7. Brett Favre retires, second guesses himself, comes back, then murders Rachel Nichols in self defense.

Boy I can't wait for the next episode of "Brett Favre Retires". Check local listings in 2009!

6. Sabres/Bruins, 2/8/08

Sabres completely gave this one away, with Phil Kessel sneezing the puck past Ryan Miller it the shootout. An absolute meltdown in a season littered with similar performances.

5. Sabres/Flyers, 2/25/08

See above, plus Danny Briere and the words "poetic justice".

4. Bills/Jets, 12/14/08

Also known as the J.P. Losman Bowl. This was a completely winable game that was blown by a questionable play call and a quarterback's inability to feel pressure coming from behind. Apparently he couldn't hear me scream "GET RID OF IT" from my couch, but he probably should have heard the collective yell coming from Western New York. The cloud of smug emitting from his postgame press conference is floating out over the Atlantic as we speak and will one day destroy a small village in Africa.

3. Boston Red Sox trade Manny

Losing the ALCS to the Rays was tough, but I was more proud of how hard the team fought than anything. Trading one of my favorite players was brutal, and I still haven't really come to grips with it as a sports fan. There's a lot of questionable things that Manny Ramirez did, but I'll never hate him as a player no matter where he goes.

2. Bills vs. Browns, Monday Night Football



Do we even need to talk about it?

1. Bills vs. Dolphins @ Toronto

As much as the Monday Night game hurt, I've never been physically sick after a football game until this one. Everything about what took place in Toronto will bother a part of me that sports never get to. We will never be sure what happens to this team until it already comes to pass, but we will always know where it started. This game will be the fulcrum point, for better or worse.

My Turn

by Ryan



"They always said Red Sox fans would care a little less after we climbed the mountain once or twice, that it wouldn't mean as much, that it couldn't possibly mean as much. That's not true. It will never be true. You either love sports or you don't." - Bill Simmons

Tek says, "F--K YO COWBELL, MANG!"

At least that's what I assume he said. Maybe Rich will be able to tell us shortly.

Fresh Start

The Sox may lose tonight, but I'm going to look damn good watching it.



This will be interesting to say the least.

Few Things Before Game Two

by Ryan

It's been a pretty lazy Saturday around these parts following the big win, so let's go with some bullet points before Beckett takes the mound.

- Okay, so dashes will have to do I suppose.

- If you have been playing the NHL94/08 ROM we showed you last season, its brilliant makers have a new version ready for the 08-09 season. They seem to update it quite frequently, so I'd bookmark that page and keep checking back. The cover athlete this year?



I still think they should have gone with this Steve Stamkos face, but that's just me.

- By the way, any guesses as to who scored the first goal for me?



I think it's going to be a big year for Thomas.

- You probably have heard the news, but Reuben Brown will be replacing Matt Barnaby on "The Enforcers". We've liked Brown's work on some other shows, so I think he will be just fine. Hopefully he can fit Rob Ray into his motorcycle sidecar.

- Holy crap the jumbotron at the ACC is huge. Also, what an awesome idea to just have the crowd sing the national anthem to start the game. Not as loud as Edmonton, but what can you do?

- We will have a Bills game day post up tomorrow even though they are on the bye. Does anybody even read those?

- We are also slowly making progress on a "Thinkery" post. Look for it sometime next week.

- I agree, DeSean, that's crazy. Someday Money is going to get a fine for having celebratory grills in his mouth when he scores a touchdown.

- Traffic always goes down on the weekend, but we tend to post a lot on Saturday. If you are reading this, thanks for coming out.



Let's see what happens.

Drinking Jed Lowrie's Dirty Water

by Ryan



This kid is the real deal. But you already know that by now.

Beat LAA

One More Time

A Moment of Zen

by Ryan

Inbox
From: Rich
Oct. 4, 1:34 am

"Really, though... at what point in our lifetimes did the Sox become an unstoppable killing machine in October?"

---



It's never easy.

I know this because I've been there. We've all been there, I think. There are so many times I've been that person sitting lifeless in the stands I would need an extra set of hands to count them all. Seeing that picture brings a twinge of sympathy, a feeling that only comes with familiarity. What that guy was feeling has been with me before, and just looking at it brings back memories of the past.



Now it's different. I can't answer Rich's question, but the fact of the matter is that everything has changed over the last five years or so and I'm most certainly not complaining. The Red Sox, my team, has won two World Series, a division title, and become one of the premiere baseball teams in the league right before my eyes. Looking back at that Cubs fan makes me remember all those times they tried to kill me, and I can't help but appreciate what I've seen even more because of it.

That's the one thing you have to try really hard at, maintaining perspective on what you are experiencing. A lot of Red Sox fans that happen to be Patriots and Celtics fans have had a more difficult time doing this, and understandably so. Trust me, if you are from the Boston area and root for these teams you have every right to be a douchebag when it comes to your sports teams. Absolutely. But for the person who is a Sox fan from Buffalo and shoulders the burden of the Bills and Sabres, well, it's a lot harder to get the douche quotient up.

One thing I do know is that last night was pretty amazing. To see the Red Sox jump out to a huge lead and let it slip away wasn't uncommon, but the amount I wasn't freaking out was pretty unusual. I wasn't secure, I didn't know they would win, but for some reason I wasn't trying to chew my left arm off with worry. If this game took place in 2002 I would be typing with three fingers today.

When that lead slipped way on Papelbon's watch I got worried. Sure, everyone did. I didn't know J.D. Drew was going yard in the ninth, but I still had a bit of confidence going into it. Yeah, F-Rod was out there. Yeah, the Angels have all the momentum in the world. Yeah, that stupid monkey was everywhere, but the Sox have been there before. This could be okay.

When Drew crushed that hanger, I knew it was over. It was right then that I realized what winning does to you. To know that Papelbon was going to shut the door and rip out another team's heart was amazing. Absolutely the best feeling in sports. I watched that last inning almost in disbelief of how sure I was that this game was over. Matthews kept fouling off pitches, but I knew Paps was going to get him.

There is a confidence that comes with success I can't explain. Those that have not experienced it deem it insufferable, and those that have despise it with jealous rage when they do not. Every sports fan wants to see their team win, but it isn't about the trophy in the end. When your team wins, players get that trophy, and you get that confident demeanor for the rest of your life. No matter what happens with the Red Sox from this point on, I will always know that Jonathan Papelbon was going to get three outs for me last night. Without a doubt in my mind, that game was over.

I am a practical person, and I realize that someday this will end. Papelbon will become Rivera in the desert and Pedroia will be Mighty Casey. One day I'm sure I will read a Buster Olney book about this team and nod to myself about its current sad state. However, I will know that it was absolutely worth it, and I'm going to enjoy the times I've had before it's too late.

I don't know when this is all going to end, but today I know this:

F#$k that rally monkey, man.

Surprisingly Good

by Ryan

It's very hard to write about someone else's writing, especially when you agree with what they say. That's pretty much the definition of redundancy. That being said, I think you should give the newest Bill Simmons E-Ticket piece a shot. If you are a Simmons fan or just a baseball fan, you should definitely check it out.

It's not perfect and really, really long, but I agree with a lot of what he says, and for the first time in years he seems to write with genuine passion for "The Game", so to speak. To be honest, it's just nice to see he's still human, even if he acts like a douche whenever he talks about Buffalo.

One Day Early

by Ryan

There is something about October that always gets to me. Maybe because my birthday is in October, or maybe because hockey is so close and because it is football season. Maybe, but more and more I think it is because of playoff baseball.



It's no secret around these parts what team I root for. I'm the guy that said I would name my first born Jacoby last year, and I still plan of going through with it. I'm the one that drove to another country to see them three times this year, and the one legitimately bummed out when I got the "sorry you haven't been selected" for playoff tickets to a ballpark seven hours away.

Being a non-traditional fan is hard, but I do put the time into it. I can't possibly watch every game, but following box scores and other blogs has become part of my sporting lifestyle. Knowing Pedrioa's OPS and Beckett's VORP doesn't compare to watching all 180+ games, but it does make me feel like a better fan for it. Because I only watch 30 or so Sox games a year, it's hard to post about them without getting the feeling I am missing something, which is why I usually refrain from doing so.

However, all that changes tomorrow. The playoffs are the time that I do get to see every game, and I can't tell you how excited I am about that. I never feel completely safe with my baseball team, and there's no way I can with Manny's bat missing and a few question marks on the mound, but I am excited about what could happen. Unlike most Sox fans a half decade ago, I no longer dread possible outcomes anymore because postseason baseball is just too much fun.

Yeah, fun, I can call it that now. Sure, it's frustrating and maddening and terrifying and makes you want to slam your head into a wall at times. But, the chills you get when a packed stadium knows that was strike three and roars before the umpire makes the call is something you just can't replicate anywhere else. The sights, sounds, and extraordinary pressure of playoff baseball is one of the best things in sports, and every October I can't help but get excited about it.

This year is even better, because once again the postseason starts one day early. The Chicago White Sox, already late to the party, won last day/night and forced a one game playoff with the Minnesota Twins. At 7:30 tonight, the White Sox and Twins take the field to break the tie. No home wins record, no runs per game, no team ERA. One of the best thing about baseball is that that there are no tiebreakers, just one more game.

Last year we were treated to a tiebreaker in the National League. Rich and I were so excited about it that we did a monstrous live blog that maybe six people read. But it didn't matter because like Rich said, there was absolutely no way we were missing that game.

I can't tell you we will do it again. Hey, maybe we will; but I will tell you that there is absolutely no way any of us miss tonight's game. (Unless you are Yankees fans like Jon and Chris, I'm sure they have are having a good cry over Buster Olney or something...)

You don't need Dane Cook to get excited about the playoffs, but he did read his line right: there is only one October, and so very few Octobers have 32 days.

Tek and the New Kids

by Ryan


A view from our seats, where we watched the Sox squeak past the Jays 4-3. You don't want to hear me break down a baseball game, so here are some thoughts and a few pictures to pass the time.



See that seat up in the corner? That will cost you $110 bucks on December 7th. Wait, let me get a bit closer.



Yeah, great seat.

- I've never seen that many metrosexual men in one place. I think Skydome doubled for a trendy dance club on Friday. Was Die Mannequin performing somewhere I wasn't aware of?



- Yeah, Papi did a lot of that yesterday. Between that and the huge base running gaffe he didn't have a very good game.

- So its bases loaded with two outs in the eighth, and up comes Varitek. The know it all Jays fan behind me says they should lift Tek for a pinch hitter. I guess as far as most people are concerned that would be a good option, but Francona lets him hit. He grounds into a fielders choice and the run scores. It's 4-3, and here comes Papelbon.



But here's where Varitek is so important. Paps give up a weak hit and misplays it, and the leadoff runner is suddenly on second.



Varitek comes out and settles Papelbon down. Remember that if they lift Tek for a pinch hitter it's Kevin Cash out here talking to Papelbon. Now I don't know what would have happened if Tek doesn't hit, so maybe a few more runs would have scored. Maybe if Varitek isn't even on the team their runs per game would increase and make them a more productive team.

However, what Varitek's true value is what happened last night. He went out and calmed Papelbon down at least three times, and worked through the inning. The game ended with the runner on third and the huge error avoided. A loss last night puts any chance for the AL East title in serious doubt, but Tek came through on both ends despite a bad year statistically.

Situations like this are what makes me think Varitek will be re-signed after this season, even with declining offensive production. The leadership and rapport with his pitchers is something you won't be able to get back with a bigger bat.

- It is more than possible to tailgate outside of Skydome, just be careful to watch out for people begging for change.

- Also, it took forever to get home, but not becuase of ballpark traffic. New Kids on the Block had a concert at the ACC. Yeah, that seems about right.

Sox in Toronto Series: Game Three

by Ryan


I know Fridays are usually pretty busy around here, but I'm actually heading up North to see the Sox one last time at SkyDome. The division is still within reach, and hopefully it will be a good time.

You may see a few things up later on, but expect a ton of posts this weekend. Raiders game, the Leafs on Monday, suddenly we have things to talk about.



Be back soon.

Read This

Maybe this will hold you over until I wake up today. I love everything about that story.

Yellow Paint and Wire Mesh

by Ryan




I would say something kind about Yankee Stadium, but I've never been there in my life. There was just something that held me back, probably the fact that wearing a Sox hat in that place would get my face caved in.

Either way, as you read the Red Sox are playing their last game ever in Yankee Stadium, and I have to admit it feels odd.

Now I'm not going to say I have many great memories about the place, because according to a YES Network graphic the Sox are 200 or so games below .500 at the Stadium. However, one of the greatest moments of my life was when the Red Sox won Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS in Yankee Stadium.

I may lose my hearing at any moment, but I will never forget the sound of Mark Bellhorn's home run off the shrieking off foul pole to put it away. It sounded like a million cats being shanked by a paper clip while the tears of Yankee fans rained down from the upper deck. It was glorious.

So here's to you foul pole, thanks for the memories.

Shutting the Door

by Ryan




Michael Kay sounded so sad tonight, and that makes me so, so happy.

That is all.

Back from the Laser Show

by Ryan

Wow, I'm freaking tired. Remind me not to do that again. I'll have a good sized post up about tonight's game sometime tomorrow afternoon. In the interim, why don't you buy a Rogers Blackberry?



Yeah, now go throw it at that tree over there. Dude, they are going to triangulate our signals and find us.

What's that? Why can't you smash it on a rock like normal people? Well, I suppose you are just out of practice.

Covering the Bases

by Ryan

So it's August, and there is absolutely nothing to talk about. I haven't posted as often as I'd like to be, but I'm in a bit of a "life transition" right now and working a lot.

One good thing about working a lot is all that extra money, and I've decided to put some of it to good use. Rich mentioned to me a few days ago that he wanted to buy a Sports Illustrated cover, and after looking at their archives I picked a few out that I'd consider buying myself.

That's where you come in.

I'm going to show you the ones I like, and let you decide which one I'm going to get. If you want to take a look for yourself and suggest one, by all means. Sometime later today I'll put up a poll, and whichever one gets the most votes gets put on my credit card.

Here are my picks:




Big Bad Bills, 1991- What a photo that is. I gave my father this one last year, but I wouldn't mind having one for myself.




Miracle on Ice, 1980- Almost a must have for some. Great picture.




MLB Postseason, 2007- Great photo. This is the last SI I've bought, if only for that face.




World Series Red Sox, 2007- I didn't buy this one, but probably should have. Papelbon leaping in the air was on my desktop for a good six months.




Super Bills- Thurman deserves a spot on my wall somewhere.




Why Hockey is Hot, 1994- Just for the sake of irony, really. It's just amazing to think of the complete reversal in less than a decade.

So what do you think? I'm well aware that this is a waste of money, so why not influence my waste of money?

You Make Your Own Destination

by Ryan

Sports are supposed to be fun. You invest a certain amount of time in something and you reap the benefits of a successful team. Isn't that the perfect business model?

This week, however, has not been fun. I stole this from a friend's pictures:



The caption: ManRam in his last game as a Red Sock

Wow. That caption sucks.

Like, I've never been more saddened by a facebook album in my life.

There are many things about Manny Ramirez being traded to the Dodgers that have been talked about. When one of the biggest stars in the game gets traded, of course there are going to be opinions on the matter. However, there is only one way I have been able to describe the move:

It sucks.

Today was the first time someone other than a close friend asked me about the deal. I was wearing my Sox hat, and he (of course) was a Dodgers fan. Saying, "it sucks" was about the only way to coherently describe my thoughts on the matter, and that alarms me.

Of course, I have other reasons to be upset. I really liked Hansen's potential, and the thought of Jason Bay doesn't exactly warm my cockles; but for some reason I couldn't form any of those arguments into words. Trading Manny Ramirez sucks. It just does. Done and done.

Now I know there were problems with the whole "Manny Ramirez" thing. Yeah, he had some issues that we as fans looked past. But that's just it: with Manny on your team, when he was yours, you could look past it for some unexplainable reason. I don't want to read things like this trying to tell me what an awful person he was. I'll be honest, I don't care.

This is not a matter of his on field performance, nor is it a case of falling in love with what Manny has brought the Sox in the form of championships. This is different, and something I still have trouble understanding myself. This is a case of having an unique set of intangibles that lets you off the hook for being borderline crazy.

Even down the final stretch, when he was missing games and mysterious injuries came about; for some reason it didn't matter. There was something so predictable about that home run against the Angels in the 9th, just after a grounded into a double play in his last at bat. Just add it to the goofy things he's done, whether to make owners mad or not. No one will ever know what his intentions were, but you can't help but be entertained by them.

This post is all over the place, and predictably so. I still don't know how I feel about Manny Ramirez. I do know I'm not mad at him, and his thoughts on ownership's treatment of players isn't that far fetched. However, I can't get upset about what happened with either party because of how it percolated. This was a move made in order to satisfy both parties. In the end, it will hurt the fans the most.

I guess that's what this is about: I'm hurt. I'm not moved to tears, I'm not sentimental about the good times, and I'm certainly not asking for solace or some sort. The fact of the matter is that it had to happen, and that is depressing as hell. I was sad tonight when I checked the box score and saw Manny went deep for LA. Even seeing Jason Bay go yard was a bit unsettling.

Watching Manny go is that part of sports we all hate. We can't control much of anything when it comes to sports, but watching someone you really care about get taken away is probably one of the most heartless things that can happen to a fan. Sure, we've won two World Series in the last five years. That is fantastic and the most amazing stretch of being a sports fan I've had the privilege to be a part of.

However, seeing this happen again and again with all my other teams only magnifies how crappy the move was. The precedence of watching players go by the wayside magnifies the craptacular result of Manny leaving the Monster's shadow.

This whole thing sounds pretentious and whiny and I'm sorry for that; but I really needed to see it in print to get it out. No one reads this on Sunday, so here it is.

"I don't believe in curses. I believe you make your own destination"

You said it, man.

Listen to the Kid

Also, Pudge for Farnsworth straight up? Are you kidding?