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 Bowl season is heating up once again, and there is currently no better team in bowl games than the Boston College Eagles.
Coach Jags and company will have their work cut out for them in the form of the Vanderbilt Commodores. Although this is just a 6-6 team, Vandy will be ready to play especially since the game will take place at LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans. The Vandy faithful will travel quite well from their nearby campus (just four miles from the stadium) to support their team; so in essence, it will be a home game-like setting for the perennial bottom feeder of the Southeastern Conference.
BC’s strong defense should have a good showing on the super fast surface in Nashville. Mark Herzlich (The ACC Defensive Player of the Year) is poised to have a monster day for the Eagles. If I were to give any wagering advice for the novice college football fan, I would have to lean toward Boston College.
The SEC is generally a stronger football conference; however, BC did something special this season missing out on the Orange Bowl by the slimmest of margins.
This game is guaranteed to be action packed, with the pro style offense of the ‘Dores and the throwback hard-nose defense of Boston College, this bowl game will leave pigskin junkies begging for more.
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With all of the success of the Boston Celtics this season, the debate is raging: Is Rajon Rondo an All-Star?
Many believe that the third-year point guard out of Kentucky is definitely among the league’s elite. Anytime big-name players like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce address Rondo, they refer to him as an All-Star. That should be enough to sway the public to agree that Rondo deserves All-Star recognition.
However, there are still doubters out there that say his numbers don’t, and won’t, stack up well against the other point guards in the league.
Rondo is in the very talented Eastern Conference, where other players have better numbers statistically. But most of these players are one-man shows and aren’t part of quite possibly the most balanced attack in the league, which Rondo happens to be a part of in Boston.
Rondo’s stats (10.9 ppg, 7.4 apg and 5 rpg) are still very impressive and indicative of his ability to disperse the ball in an unselfish fashion. They shouldn’t be used against him.
If I were to weigh in -- that is, if I had an All Star vote -- I would make Rajon Rondo a unanimous pick to come off the East's bench in Phoenix, Ariz., in a few weeks.
So, Mr. Rondo, enjoy your season’s midway point in beautiful Arizona … and don’t forget to send a postcard!
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As the saying goes, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Throw all that out the window because MLB chose Sin City as the location for its winter meetings this year.
Despite the economic downturn, the Sox are looking to make a few moves. With team captain Jason Varitek declining arbitration, the face behind the mask may have a different look on Opening Day in 2009.
There may be a few teams chomping at the bit to snag the Sox' Clay Buchholz. Heidi Watney told me from Vegas that Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers would possibly entertain a deal involving the pitcher as long as either Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden were components in the trade.
That sheds some light on the catching situation. Saltalamacchia was a big-time prospect in the Atlanta organization a few seasons ago, and Teagarden was one of the key cogs in the Texas Longhorns winning the College World Series in 2005.
Youth behind the plate may translate into wins for the home team, but there’s plenty of downtime until the actual season starts.
As for other moves being made, keep it tuned to NESN for all your news. With Tom Caron steering the ship on our hot stove coverage, the latest information is only a click away. Since you're already at NESN.com, go check out the most recent developments.
And I guess I will have to wait until next time to make the trip out to Las Vegas … which is probably a good thing, seeing that the holiday season is rapidly approaching.
With my luck, I would lose everything on the craps table!
Be sure to check back next week for the latest installment of my blog.
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I would like to start off this transmission with an open-ended question to Plaxico Burress: What in the world were you thinking?
The defending Super Bowl champion G-Men are playing some exceptional football, and this rocket scientist has to bring a pistol into the club and shoot, of all people, himself.
OK, now that we’ve got ol’ Plax out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff. How about the Bruins? They have been hotter than the bullet that penetrated Burress’ right leg, and with their strong play on both offense and defense, things can only get better.
The last time they hit the ice was against the defending champion Red Wings on the Garden ice, and wow, did the home team ever make quick work of the fellas from Hockeytown, USA.
One of the selling points contributing to the B’s success this season has to be the alternating goalie rotation of Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez. Not only does Boston have one great goalkeeper, it has two -- when Thomas needs a day off, Fernandez is there, on the spot, to keep things going for Boston.
The hottest team in town has a few days to rest, but when they hit the ice Thursday against the Lightning, the B's could continue their winning ways -- especially since Tampa Bay has trouble with Claude Julien and company.
Check back next week. Hopefully, the B’s, C’s, and P’s have added a few more wins to their season tallies.
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It’s the holiday season, and I’m eager to see how Boston celebrates during this festive time of year. This will be my first Thanksgiving in Boston, and something tells me that it is going to remind me a whole lot of Chicago.
It’s not too hard to get in the holiday spirit with all of the hometown teams playing great. The Bruins have a lot to be thankful for … they’ve been the hottest team in the NHL lately. What better time of year to hit a hot streak than right now? Every player, along with the coaching staff, seems to be on the same page, and their ability to score early and often has contributed to their winning ways.
Since it is the holiday season, the Red Sox may be looking for an arm or two under their Christmas tree. The free-agent market could be stronger. However, what's out there suits the Red Caps well, especially since the key components of their lineup are already set in stone.
Adding a quality starter or setup man this offseason could bode well for the Sox, but I’m still pushing for Mike Bowden to make the big club (we went to the same high school) and hopefully soon.
There are still a few weeks until the madness hits, so maybe, just maybe on Dec. 25, Boston will have a power-hitting first baseman/designated hitter to bring home another championship.
Until then, happy holidays, everyone.
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Well, it's my second week in New England, and I couldn't have picked a better time to relocate to the East Coast.
The Bruins have been playing out of control lately. They're not only the best team in the Northeast, but some may argue that they're the toughest team in all of the NHL.
It seems like the hot play all got started on Nov. 1, when the B's absolutley throttled the Dallas Stars. There were a few scraps, and in my estimation, that is what brought the home team together as one.
Since then, Boston has been on fire, winning six out of their seven contests this month. Did I mention the 6-1 blowout of the Montreal Canadiens? What a game it was for Boston fans everywhere. The Bruins had lost their previous 12 regular-season meetings with the Habs, and getting off to a quick start was a key component to victory. Three goals in the first period was just what the doctor ordered.
And how about the little big man Dustin Pedroia? He not only snagged a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award, but the 2008 AL MVP trophy found its way into No. 15's trophy case. I would like to send a sincere thanks to the Red Sox second baseman for taking time out of his hectic schedule to grant me a phone interview. Dustin has high hopes for the Red Caps in 2009, and with the way things have been going around Yawkey Way, I truly believe that the road to the Commissioner's Trophy goes through Beantown.
It's a great time to be surrounded by New England sports. Between the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox, I'm keeping very busy here at NESN.
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It's been a whirlwind month for me. Less than 30 days ago, I was in Baton Rouge, knee-deep in SEC football. Now, I'm in the best sports city in the world.
I arrived in Beantown roughly two weeks ago, and having the opportunity to work with organizations like the Red Sox and Bruins, not to mention the Patriots and Celtics, is a dream come true. There's such a rich tradition here in Boston, and the sports fans are well aware of what goes on in the day-to-day operations as far as their favorite franchise is concerned.
I've been welcomed with open arms by the people of Boston. And who says hospitality is strictly a Southern thing?
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, so I know what a passionate sports town is all about. We haven't had a championship in the Windy City since 1998 (thanks MJ and thanks a lot Rex Grossman), so if my home city can't wrangle in some hardware, it's great to be to be in a place where championships flow like water.
I eagerly await being able to get out and explore Boston. I'm happy to be the newest member of the NESN team and can't wait for my first trip to the hallowed Fenway Park.
I'll have to fight a frigid winter, but it will be well worth it. Although I'm from the Second City, I will really have to get used to the cold all over again, which will be an extreme hurdle seeing that I'm on the golf course just as often as I'm in the office.
So if you see me on the street, feel free to approach me with a tee time. Just make sure it's a few months down the road.
Once again, it's my pleasure to be here in Boston, and I look forward to great things in the near future.
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