Red Sawx shirt a part of New Yankee Stadium?

According to this report on ESPN.com a constuction worker and Boston fan working on the concrete crew at the $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium buried a Red Sox shirt in with the concrete foundation under what will become the visitors' clubhouse, in the hopes of jinxing the Yankees new home, the New York Post reported.

Two construction workers told the newspaper about the stunt on conditon of anonymity.

"In August, a Red Sox T-shirt was poured in a slab in the visitor's clubhouse. It's the curse of the Yankees," one worker told the Post.

"Nobody knows about it. It's in the floors, it's buried." The workers say they're now afraid that they've jinxed the Yankees.

"I don't want to be responsible for sinking the franchise," said a second worker, who witnessed the burial. "I respect the stadium."

Pretty ridiculous stuff, if it's true.

Now, I don't particularly believe in curses- but I also don't want to mess around with the Baseball Gods either. It just goes to show that Boston fans still don't quite know how to deal with winning. Last time I checked, the Sox have won two of the last four World Series and they still walk around with that put-upon chip on their shoulders. I know this is just one jackass's manuever, but it pretty much sums it up for me. A Red Sox shirt right now represents a winning franchise; and with this you are somehow putting a curse on the Yankees?

For me the most puzzling/ amusing part of it all is that it was put into the floor of the visitors clubhouse. Not the Yankees clubhouse. Not under home plate, or where Monument Park is going to be. Perhaps this construction worker has put his curse on the visitors to the new Stadium?

Only time will tell if it's hex or hoax.

Juiced Story

It must be nice to be Joe Canseco; to be Vindicated, as the title of his new book claims. Well, I've got a news flash for you Jose: a lot of people still think you're a self-serving moron- this blogger included. Just because some of the stuff in your first book came to light as actual events, doesn't make you a boy scout.

Now he has turned his attentions to the arguably the biggest star in the game of baseball, Alex Rodriguez, stating he introduced A-Rod to a steroid dealer. Now this is news. The reigning AL MVP, the heir apparent to the home run record, the owner of the two largest contacts in the history of professional sports- a steroid user? Big news indeed. News that would be worthy of putting in tell-all book... like maybe Canseco's first book.

The fact that Canseco sat on this information for as long as he did, really makes me question its validity. Especially since it is widely known that Canseco has no love for A-Rod. Couple that with his claim that A-Rod tried to put the moves on his [Canseco's] wife, this sounds to me more like a guy with a personal ax to grind.

For me the bottom line is this: at this point, whether or not the claim of A-Rod's steroid use is true- matters not. The way it is being portrayed by Canseco, and the timing and characterization of this portrayal seems to to be counter-productive. Canseco is really not doing himself any service by throwing in the bit about his wife.

I would like to personally, and cordially, invite Jose Canseco to take a hike. We're all very happy that you helped spread this cancer throughout the game of baseball, and soooo impressed that you now want to take the moral high ground and help "clean up" the game... but give it a rest already. If you felt so vindicated after your first book, you should have known when to leave good enough alone.

It's here!

Baseball season is officially here. It's not even spring on the calendar yet, I haven't even had my fantasy draft yet, and the regular season doesn't actually start for another two weeks- but baseball season started for me tonight. Why? I had my annual viewing of Field of Dreams tonight.

It is hands down my favorite baseball movie. And I defy anyone true fan of baseball to watch it and not get chills at least once during the movie. I myself get them throughout the movie, everytime I watch it. It's the truth.

It used to be something I did before opening day every year, on my own. Now that I'm married, I make my wife watch it with me- as she notes in her blog. It is more than a baseball movie. It's about dreams. And that's what this time of the baseball season is all about- dreaming of a World Series victory, dreaming that you'll be there at the ballpark when that historic game happens.

If this makes me a sap- then I'm guilty as charged. I love baseball, and I am anxious for this season to start- as I am every year around this time. And if dreams really do come true- then somebody other the the Red Sox needs to win the frickin' Series this year.

Incidentally, my top five baseball movies of all time:
1. Field of Dreams (1989)
2. The Natural (1984)
3. Bull Durham (1988)
4. Eight Men Out (1988)
5. Bad News Bears (1976)

Don't quit your Knight job

As a fan, I have always loved Bobby Knight. His intensity, his biting sarcasm, and his passion for college basketball are unsurpassed in the coaching ranks. After resigning a few weeks back from his job as Head Coach at Texas Tech, Knight has joined ESPN as a studio analyst for their college basketball programming. And as analyst, he is one hell of a coach. Get back on the floor Bob, soon!

I would have thought he'd be a natural for the analyst's job. His press conferences are stuff of legend- his commanding presence and quick wit have always made for good TV. He obvious knows what he's talking about, and has a lot of good stuff to say, but he seems uncomfortable-directing much of his analysis downward to the desk, never connecting the with the camera. Any colorful phrases he does come out with are understated, and it makes me wonder where the real Bobby Knight is.

And I'm not sure whose idea this was, but they have him dressed in his signature v-neck sweater, with the collared shirt peaking out from underneath- what he has worn the past couple of decades on the sideline. Problem is, he's not surrouned by guys in uniforms and warm-ups. The sharply dressed, suit and tie-clad co-hosts that appear with him make him look like a schlep, to say the least, and doesn't help him in the overall polish department.

I say keep the sweater Bobby- ditch the analyst gig. Get back on the court, and get back behind the post-game press conference microphones where you shine.

The most wonderful time...?

On his radio show today, Dan Patrick's poll question was: What is the best time of the sports year? The two options were March/April and September/October. And while the callers and guests on the show weighed the options, it's never really been a question for me.

Right now is a great time of year for sports, no question about it. Spring training rolls around and that means Major League Baseball is back, and hope springs eternal. And as we get deeper into March, March madness takes hold with the conference tourneys followed by the NCAA Tournament- exciting basketball in its purest form. Then April comes, the excitement of the NCAAs pass, and the baseball season begins at last- which is fantastic, and I love watching those first few games of the season-because it is always great to be watching a ballgame- but it always leaves me longing for the time where the games become more meaningful. And then at the end of April comes the NFL draft, which is over in two days after months of hype- and it just makes me impatient for football season to start.

And start it does- in September, both college and pro football, and with its short schedule every game is meaningful- even crucial. And September means the pennant races are heating up in MLB and everyday is filled with scoreboard watching and hanging on every pitch, every at bat. And as the football season grinds in to October, baseball's playoffs begin and it is sports heaven. The growing weekly intensity of football, combined with the anxiety-laced excitement of the MLB playoff run make for the best month of the sports year, period.

The majority of the voters in poll agreed with me, to the tune of 58% to 42%. And I am not selling the early spring sports season short- but for me it falls short. September/October is the best time of the year for sports.

Spring comes none too soon...

With full squads starting to report across Florida and Arizona, 2008 Spring Training is finally upon us. After a winter of discontent for the game of baseball off the field, we get back to playing games on the field. As the press conferences and apologies for offending parties subside, the talk will shift from performance enhancers to performances on the mound, in the batters box, etc. Not to say that the steroids subject will go away- it just won't be all that is discussed when the subject of baseball comes up.

And maybe, just maybe congress can get back to trying to fix the economy or health care or social security, and stop worrying about trying to fix baseball. I understand that there may be a moral obligation for these lawmakers to show that they won't stand for such activities. And what better way to do that than take the power away from these athletes, sunpeona and make examples of them- and broadcast it simultaneously on multiple networks. It all just reeks of grandstanding, and it accomplishes very little. How about introducing new legislature- harsher penalties for steroid dealers and traffickers? Because when all the dust settles, and all the camera crews pack up and head home, we are back square one. The Clemens-McNamee hearing isn't the first of its kind, and probably won't be the last. And the only thing that ever changes is Major League Baseball tightening its rules a bit. Congress basically doing the work that MLB should be doing itself. And don't get me wrong, most of the blame on this one falls on MLB- but I can't shake the fact that if all that is accomplished is baseball changing its business practices a bit here and there, then this is a sorrowful waste of time on the part of these congressmen and women. There are other, more pressing matters at hand. I am talking in circles, but that's how this topic always seems to go.

So baseball then. Hot dogs and home runs and sacrifice bunts. Beats the hell out of hearings and reports and depositions any day of the week in my book. Play frickin' ball already.

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Oh, and unrelated yet so related- Senator Arlen Spector (R- PA), has taken this congressional oversight nonsense a step further in his desire to further the investigation into "Spygate"- the New England Patriots' video taping scandal. Now, while I am willing to give congress a little leeway in regards to the steroid issue- there is valid concern to the public in that regard- I don't understand what Spygate has anything to do with anybody other than parties invloved. Is the distinguished Senator from PA worried that the children of the nation are going run out and purchase video cameras, to record the movemens of their upcoming Pop-Warner opponents? Give me a break already.

There is a Sports God...

Or gods, higher-power, infinite-ubiquitous presence, or what have you...

It had to happen sooner or later. Now, I can't actually speak for this- we'll call it- SportsGod, but I gotta think he (and yes, we'll call it he, to save on keystrokes.. cut me some slack) was getting pretty tired of opening the sports pages everyday and hearing nothing but good news out of Boston. Red Sox win the World Series, Celtics aquire Ray Allen & Kevin Garnett and go on to dominate the first half of the NBA season, the Patriots become the first NFL team to finish the regular season undefeated in 35 years... you get the point. The sun's out. The town that once made a habit of hanging their heads and believing in curses, is now feeling pretty darn good about themselves and their teams.

But into every life, or season, a little rain must fall. And one morning, (figuratively speaking of course because time of day is irrelevant to SportsGod), SportsGod woke up (also figurative because S.G. does not in fact sleep) and realized he could do something about this: So the Patriots lose, in dramatic fashion, ending their bid to end their season perfectly. They lose to one of the biggest underdogs in recent memory. And they lose in the Super Bowl- one of the, if not the most watched games in all of sports history.

Then, Curt Shilling, once an ace (now just an ass) for the Sox, continues his grand spiral into irrelevance- as it is announced he has a shoulder injury and may miss most if not all of the 2008 season. This one's not the end of the world for the Red Sox, but it is a gray cloud as the sun of spring training fast approaches.

Oh and those Boston Celtics, who started the season 30-3, have gone a mere 7-6 since January 9th... Okay that last one is reeeeally stretching it; I mean they are still 37-9 and sitting atop the Eastern Conference... Geez SportsGod or whoever you are, you are starting to slack off, making me look pretty pathetic here... I mean really, SportsGoddammit!

That said, SportsGod, thank you for having the Patriots lose. I know you can't please everyone, but in this case- and I am sure you know this, as S.G. is all knowing- you did please the correct people. And here's to 2008! And don't screw this one up.... honestly.