Okay, I have to admit. I've been hiding out in a terrible, terrible New England sports slump. The Patriots were playing atrociously as were the Celtics. The Colts finally got the monkey off their back, but that was no surprise. Peyton came in with all guns firing and completely demolished the Pats. And the Celtics...won two of their first four or five games? We lost to the Bobcats? Hello!!! What's that about? Losing to the Spurs by twenty points is no big surprise. I knew we were going to get our butts handed to us on a platter. The only real surprise was that game against the Pistons that we should have won. I know people were saying that we shouldn't hang our heads, that we played a helluva game. That may be true, but when you don't get the W at the end to go with it, it don't mean much in the standings. And you can second guess coaches until the cows come home and I may never know why they didn't cover the inbound pass with 8/10ths of a second left on the clock. I just about kicked my TV over when I saw Rip Hamilton catch the pass after a double screen and drop the ball in...nothing but net. Well, we spanked the Knicks in OT on our opener and we spanked the Rockets tonight. Hopefully we can keep some of our momentum from tonight and bring home a win Tuesday night when we rematch with the Pistons again. Beyond that, the Patriots played a pretty good game this afternoon, despite Miami playing great ball. Bruschi made some serious big time plays like the old days and our defense actually did a pretty good job, not to mention Brady connecting with my fave Troy Brown. And what about the new kid...#44? Wow...he's got potential. I can't tell you how happy I am to see this kid when we got Cory Dillon nursing injury, Kevin Faulk out, Matt Light out...we got no good runners, or at least we didn't until tonight. So, bottom line...I'm still grumpy and nervous as hell, but I'm seeing a glimmer of hope in New England.

The Celtics are looking good so far. They show a lot of promise for this early in the season. They are young, but they definitely have talent. The second unit still needs to figure out it's chemistry and who does what, but there are flashes of it here and there and the new kids Orien Green and Ryan Gomes are doing fabulous. The regulars are doing great- Pierce really seems to be taking the leadership role seriously this season and I have yet to see him complain to a ref about a call. Perhaps there is something to this new conduct code. And what about Delonte West? This kid is amazing...making shots, passes, rebounding, blocking shots, stealing the ball. What doesn't he do? At any rate...this season opener game was worth the price of admission...and it didn't hurt that we won a hard fought game in the Garden...a knuckleballer, tight, back and forth race to the finish in OT!

So Theo is gone. Shaughnessy is a douchebag. Theo says it's not a power struggle with management. Who knows, but something stinks in the house of Sox. Manny wants a trade, half the team is already signed up for free agency and the wunderkind Manager is gone. Just like that the Red Sox have become a non-entity. Just when I thought the team couldn't get any more in disrepair than they did this season...this happens and the players are scrambling away from the team like somebody opened the dam. I'm rambling, but I really feel like there's just too much adversity for even the Red Sox to overcome. Did they flare brightly last October and now are burnt out? Am I being too fatalistic? Who knows? I just know that the Red Sox have become like the NBA's Sacramento Kings this season. No Webber, no Christie, no Jackson, no Divac, no interest in watching my once favorite team play.

I have mixed emotions as I think about this game. It was great to see Bruschi back in, making plays and trying to provide some leadership on the defensive end of things. I hope we don't burn him out, playing him on both defense and special teams like we did in this game. Patrick Pass had a decent game, but I was glad to see Corey Dillon come in, injury and all, and bust out a couple of touchdowns. Beyond that, I can't believe we actually won the game. Both the Bills and the Patriots played like crap, although the Bills played slightly less crappier. With how much they were dominating the clock and the turnovers, I was amazed they didn't blow us out. Bottom line- neither team should have won that game, but I'm glad we managed to pull it out somehow. Beyond the bottom line- next Monday night when we see the 7-0 Colts for the big game in Foxboro, I'm afraid that this time around it WILL be Peyton's Place. Let's just hope that I'm wrong.

The Celtics are playing some pretty good pre-season ball so far. They routed the Nets a few days ago and now are in the midst of the second in a back to back matchup against the Nets (with Kidd and Carter back). They are keeping the lead and playing some great ball tonight. Keep an eye on the new kids...they are starting to come into their own. Of course, having someone like my favorite Celtic on the team helps too...that fave being Ricky!!!! What a rockstar...Ricky is da man. When he's on his game, he is hot...did you see him blow past Vince and go up and under the basket for a slamdunk? Carter was still looking at the spot where Ricky used to be. Can you say "smoked"? I knew you could.

First, the good news...

The New England Patriots have issued a statement on the playing/practice status of linebacker Tedy Bruschi.

“The New England Patriots have been advised that Tedy Bruschi has received unanimous medical clearance from outside specialists in the field of stroke neurology. He has also passed multiple physical examinations by team doctors and has been cleared to resume practicing as early as this week. The Patriots organization is satisfied that Tedy Bruschi has received the best medical attention possible and has been assured that he is medically cleared to resume his playing career. Tedy Bruschi has worked very hard throughout his rehabilitation to return to full health and has been assured by all who have examined him that he has. With the necessary unanimous medical clearances to return, Tedy Bruschi and his family will make the final decision as to whether he returns to the field and begins practicing once again with the team. The Kraft family and the entire Patriots organization want only what is best for Tedy Bruschi and his family and will continue to support his decision.”

Statement from Dr. David Greer, a renowned specialist in Stroke Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“I have had the opportunity to care for Tedy Bruschi since the day of his stroke eight months ago and have closely monitored his rehabilitation and remarkably rapid rate of recovery. Physically, Tedy is completely back to normal, and is exceptionally healthy. I have no doubt that he will be able to perform physically at a very high level. Tedy’s safety, on and off the field, has always been our number one priority. At this time, I have advised him that, in my opinion, there are no medical reasons for him to delay his return to football. Tedy has asked me not to discuss these matters with the media further, and I will obviously honor that request.”

Now, the bad news.

Patriots 20, Broncos 28

No doubt about it we were outplayed in every aspect of the game. The fact that we were able to come back to within 8 after being down 25 is a testament to what the team can do, but it was too little, too late.

The injury report before the Broncos game...Chad Scott (Out/IR), Kevin Faulk (Out), Matt Light (Out), Monty Beisel (Questionable), Tully Banta-Cain (Questionable), Troy Brown (Questionable), Matt Chatham (Questionable), Corey Dillon (Questionable), Randall Gay (Questionable), Jarvis Green (Questionable), Marquise Hill (Questionable), Larry Izzo (Questionable), Willie McGinest (Questionable), Tyrone Poole (Questionable), James Sanders (Questionable), Guss Scott (Questionable), Richard Seymour (Questionable), Duane Starks (Questionable), Tom Brady (Probable)...when do I start to get worried? So, the Patriots play with injuries. They play with players out for the season. Somehow they find ways to come back, but so far this year...3-3...it's looking pretty sketchy. Just like I thought somehow the Red Sox would pull out another crazy win just because they were the Red Sox...I'm hoping that the Patriots can pull it together over the next ten games and make some magic happen. Maybe Bruschi coming back will be the spark the team needs to Cowboy Up!

I'm coming out of my depression briefly to tip my hat to probably the last time you will see the World Championship Red Sox. Next year's lineup will be vastly different. This year was already a skeleton
remnant of the championship team, but there will be a whole line of defections, including most likely Damon, Meuller, Millar, Timlin...even possibly Ramirez. I shudder to think of what magic Epstein and Francona will have to pull to put together a competitive team for next year. We definitely need to fill our pitching gaps...gaps that you could drive a mack truck through. Frankly, if Clement and Foulke never pitched again for the Sox, I would not cry. While we were losing, Foulke was off watching the Bruins
play...cruising to Bermuda, doing anything but be part of the "team". Oh yeah, and that bit about Boston fans being too tough...where's the bun because you're a weiner! Small consolation at least in the Yankees not making it out of California. Now I have to root
for the White Sox...despite dropping the first game to the Angels last night!

By the way, don't you all jump at once with your stories of being a fan and being at the games...I'm having trouble finding time to sift through all the entries pouring in...NOT!

On a lighter note...did you catch the Celtics/Cavaliers game last night? I only saw about ten minutes of it, but it looked like we had some things working for us and some decent talent to boot. It's
still a wicked young team, but at least Pierce is excited about the team and the coming season (and was it just me or did he lose some weight? He looks good!).

...back to my post season depression now...sniff, sniff...

Why, oh why, Terry? Why didn't you pull him in the first after he beaned two hitters and gave up five runs and a homer? Why did you wait even after he gave up another home run? You finally decided to pull him after he gave up eight runs off three homers and put us in a hole we could never climb out of...and it was only three and a third innings into the game. I'll never know, I can only hope that Boomer does much better tonight, but I have ten times more trust in Wells on the mound than I do Clement.

The thing of it is, I just have this feeling that we are going to get creamed tonight, too...which will send us back to Fenway down two and facing elimination. We'll have to win all three games at home to beat the White Sox and move on to the next round. Of course, that will probably be what happens. We can't not have the most drama-ridden series in the league after all. So, we wait and we see...

Hey sports fans...email me your stories at aqbguy[at]gmail.com*. If you were at a Sox game last year during the playoffs or the World Series...or if you were at a game during a Yankees series...or are going to the two games in Chicago or will be at any of the three game series back at Fenway this weekend (if that many games are needed!)...let me know what your experience was like. I'd like to hear stories from not only Red Sox Nation, but people who have gone or are going to Celtics games or Patriots games. I'd love to hear the inside story from the fan's perspective.

Also, if you're interested in being profiled as a "hometown fan" on the AQB, send me an email at aqbguy[at]gmail.com and I'll send you a few short questions to answer and you could see your story posted here. I'll put stories up once or twice a week or month, depending on what kind of entries and response I get. This forum is not only for me to bitch, moan, complain and compliment, but it's also for you...the community. This could become a regular feature here if there's enough response. Thanks!

Cheers,
Tai Freligh AKA The Armchair Quarterback

*The brackets in the email address are to prevent spambots from harvesting my email. Sounds nasty, doesn't it?

Wow. Talk about a wild ride all season long, only to end with the ultimate showdown at Fenway. Despite taking two of three against the Yankees and tying for first place in the AL East division, the Yankees get the tie breaker by virtue of having won the season against us by two games! At least we played a hell of a third game, with Schilling only giving up one run! Sure, they had their third string pitching in (and we owned them!), but they had their first string hitters in and we shut them down. We pummeled our way into the wild card and didn't win it by coming in the back door. Now is the one day breather before we hit up Chicago for game one on Tuesday afternoon. One small moment in time...the quiet before the storm. All things are equal...the season starts over at ground zero and the battle is on (why do I hear Rocky music in the background and a deep announcer voice saying "because it's 90 feet to home no matter where you are"?).

Win or lose tonight, it will come down to the three game set this weekend at Fenway. The Yankees have been playing great and we have been playing crappy. My hope is that we get on a streak and the evil empire peters out. No matter what, this series will be the stuff of legends...you can't help but feel something in the air when Boston and New York play. With Wells, Wakefield and Schilling pitching, I feel pretty good about our chances. The last great game Schilling played was against the Yankees, so I'm hopeful. Go Sox!!

Lest you think I care only about all things Red...here's some updates on the Boston Celtics...

NBA Fantasy Basketball handicaps the 2005 season...very interesting...

Head Coach Doc Rivers stopped by Celtics.com to have an online chat last week...check out the transcript here.

On a bright note, here's the top twenty moments of the dream team Celtics' 1985-86 season (you know, with Bird, McHale, Parish).

I'm looking forward to the pre-season starting in a few weeks!

Yesterday we whip Tampa Bay so bad they needed fresh diapers and tonight they whip it out in the eighth inning to win the game and drop us out of first place for the first time in MONTHS! Yuck...we'll see how long this lasts. The last time the Yankees took over the first place spot, it only lasted ONE DAY. Perhaps this will be just as short? I'm not so sure...the Yankess have been HOT as of late and the Red Sox have been wicked spotty. I just don't know...

I'm humbled, really...all this just for me because I was feeling a little burning sensation in my stomach over our performance the last few weeks. Pepto Bismol would have done the trick, but I suppose this works just as well. Two homers by Ortiz, two homers by Manny, a homer by Trot...Tek hitting at every up...Schilling going seven innings and only giving up two runs...it was almost ordained as if on high and actually got boring after awhile. I can only hope that the momentum keeps up through the next eleven games. We got Wake on the mound tomorrow and I feel good about that. He's been our most dependable pitcher all season. I guess you really do have to get it as close as half a game away to wake up the bats and put some energy into those tired Sox bones as they creak out onto the ballfield.

WTF Red Sox? .5? .5!!??##?? Clement giving up a million runs in what, less than two innings? Wells giving up a bunch of runs in what less than three innings? You're supposed to be starters, but that doesn't mean you start the first few innings and then give it up to some second round draft pick from the minor leagues!!! Tek, where hitteth thou? Millar, where fieldeth thou? Renteria, why are you still on our team? Are you trying to go for the error record? Wait, you just got a season high tonight on errors, so can you please start playing again? Terry, why in god's name are you trying out players nobody has ever heard of when we only have a dozen games to play before we can kiss our playoff hopes goodbye? Maybe you want to make it interesting and let the Yankees have first place for a while? Is it because we only play good when our backs are to the wall? Please enlighten me....please...I need something, some small sign that things are going to be O.K. After all, Big Papi may be big (how about that meaningless homer in the ninth tonight?), but his shoulders aren't that big.

Sigh. I think I have an ulcer...

P.S. Okay, so sometimes these players Francona tries out do good. How about Hansen? Sure, he only played one inning- three outs worth, but he threw some heat over that plate and blew away those three batters. Not bad for 21, eh?

W, L, W, L, W, L??? What's that all about? It's too late in the season to not start stringing some wins together. We only have what, like fifteen games left and a one game lead over the Yankees? Tek is in a major hitting slump, Manny's bat has cooled (it was soooo nice to see that homer tonight finally!), Schilling disappeared in Toronto (after a great outing against the Evil Empire), Kapler is gone for the season on that second base blowout (ouch!) and Keith Foulke is whining about all the pressure (you weren't whining when you took a few extra million to leave the A's and come play for us!). Thank god for the small things...like Big Papi cranking homers, Mike Timlin doing a good job closing, and some of our pitching staff putting together some great runs (Wake is probably having the best season of his career this year)...and my sleeper hit Olerud is still managing to crank a few homers and hits and keep things hot for us.

Come on guys...don't give me a heart attack...pull something together and get it going. The Yankees are starting to creep up on us and before we know it- they could be sitting in first and we could be looking at the view from the rear!

Who's the man?

Photo Courtesy the Boston Herald

Okay, with two home runs tonight...the second coming in the top half of the 11th inning against Toronto...who's the big ticket? You better watch your back A-Rod...Ortiz is gonna pass you in home runs for the lead in the league...40 and counting.

...and after 11 innings, the Ortiz HR and Papelbon shutting down Toronto's bats...the Red Sox clean house for the win! Whoohoo!!!

Wow, that was an interesting first game of the season last Thursday night. I thought the first half we were not getting it done. We were allowing more runs than somebody loaded with Beano. Corey Dillon was getting nothing and thankfully Tom Brady got enough blocking to throw a few sweet passes. I can only imagine what the half time locker room talk was like because when the Patriots came out in the second half it was business as usual. Defensive adjustments were made and suddenly the run dried up for Oakland. As usual, Brady shared the love with multiple receivers and multiple runningbacks. The second half was largely academic.

Photo courtesy Absolute Brady

I'm pretty hopeful for all the new players we have and how quickly they can fit into the Patriots scheme and way of life. We have an interesting game next against the Carolina Panthers, who have already been crowned by all the media as not only going to the Super Bowl, but winning it all. Aren't you forgetting a little threepeat team from New England? Sure, go ahead and paint us as the underdog again...you saw how well that worked for us last year. I say, bring it...the season is on and we are off and running!

That three game stint against the Yankees was like a microcosm of how we play each other- the first game they blow us out, the second game we blow them out and the third game we go an entire game only allowing one run between two teams. I definitely saw some good signs for us- Wake pitching a great game, David Wells pitching great, Curt Schilling back in his dominant form for at least one game so far, the rest of our pitching staff stepping up and pitching deep into games and not allowing much...and the cameo appearance of Keith Foulke to pitch part of an inning. All in all, I'm pretty happy with what I'm seeing and think we have a good chance of heating up in September and Rocktober! Two quick notes on the Yankees series- is it just me or did I see Rivera start to sweat, just a little? And Jason, buddy...nice home run, but I'm watching you...it sure would stink if it turns out your home run to give the Yankees the lead for good in game three was powered by the roids.

Photo Courtesy Yankees.com
Note to Giambi- as the folks over at Touching All The Bases say- we're officially suspicious!

Awesome interview with Doc Rivers, the Celtics coach about the coming season, including addressing key issues like the point guard situation and the number of young players on the team.

I am so stoked that the regular football season is starting Thursday night...at home...with the Patriots. Enough messing around with third and fourth string guys, enough trying out backup quarterbacks. I want to see the golden boy out there throwing the ball to Givens and Brown and handing off to Faulk and Dillon. It's on!

As for the Red Sox...wow! Was this a playoff game tonight? It sure felt like it...watching Ortiz round the bases after hitting that game winning homer and jumping into a crowd of 25+ players and jumping up and down like they'd just won the World Series all over again. I have to say that our pitching has gotten better- Wells pitching a complete game the other night, Wakefield pitching a complete game tonight. Meanwhile, my sleeper player Olerud is still making plays (How about that three run homer the other night to give us the lead for good?). I can't wait until Friday when we start our series against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. It seems like last year around this time we hit our stride and really boosted our record. Could this be the start of another Sweet September?

They're dropping like flies over at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots make roster cuts to meet the 65 man limit. My favorite cut so far: Rohan Davey. It's not like Doug Flutie or Matt Cassell are going to see any playing time during the regular season, but it's nice to know we definitely won't be seeing this yuckel again.

Lest you think I'm only a complainer when it comes to the Red Sox...here's some positives I see after tonight's game...

1) We've won four in a row
2) Mike Timlin makes a pretty good closer
3) Matt Clement makes a pretty good starter
4) So Does David Wells
5) Trot Nixon is STILL contributing since coming off the DL
6) Despite both Schilling and Wakefield giving up five runs each early in their respective games, the Sox bats have come alive to back up the pitching
7) Was that really Kevin Millar hitting TWO home runs in the same game after a major hitting drought this season?
8) Keith Foulke is waiting in the wings to rejoin the Red Sox, possibly this Thursday night against the Devil Rays
9) Players outside the usual suspects are making solid plays for us (Olerud is my sleeper- making hits when needed, but never really getting the kind of attention of an Ortiz or a Manny)
10) After dropping as close as 1 1/2 games over the Yankees, we are back up to a solid 3 game lead and hope to build more

While well on our way to losing tonight, after having a 6-0 lead early on, I have some thoughts about the Red Sox.

We've won five of our last ten games...but it feels like we're rolling downhill fast. The Yankees have won seven of their last ten and seem to be on the uptick. Our once heady lead of five games is now down to two and could drop even lower with a loss tonight. Our pitching staff is miserable. Arroyo has been spotty...so has Papelbon and Gonzalez, and now we have homeless guy in (my less than affectionate name for Remlinger). How quickly we dropped from a 6-0 lead to a 8-12 deficit. The jury is still out on Schilling, who's start on Thursday night produced six runs for the other team. He did go five or six innings, but I'm really starting to feel like the magic is gone.

I am seeing some hopeful things- Trot Nixon off the DL and making plays (a nice catch to end an inning tonight) as well as being hot with the bat (homers tonight and the other night), Manny putting in 110% (turning singles into doubles, diving for extra bases, jumping to catch balls out in left) and some good pitching, but not much.

I hope this is just a slump, because we are losing games against teams that, frankly, suck. We need a spark somewhere to get us going again, get a drive going...get the bats hot and the pitchers hotter, but what that spark is, I don't know...maybe Foulke coming back?

Okay, so maybe not that great, but the news that Curt Schilling will be starting Thursday night against the Kansas City Royals is fabulous news.

Image Courtesy MLB.com

Trot Nixon is off the DL and cranking homers. Now we just need to get Keith Foulke back in action to help us down the stretch. It's small moves, but it's definitely a start. Now if we can just get six innings out of Curt than I'll be happy...well, I'm never really happy, but that's my nature. Baby steps for the incredibly hard to please Armchair Quarterback.

I'm a little nervous about the upcoming Celtics season. Something we suffered from last season was having a lot of young guys who maybe had some raw talent, but didn't have the experience. Some of the guys that have been on the team for a year or two made big contributions, but many made big mistakes too. I'm a big fan of Tony Allen and Al Jefferson. Delonte is a little sketchy and Kendrick Perkins has some control issues to work on. Ricky is the man, though. I like these guys, but we really need some veteran leadership on the team.


Image Courtesy NBA.com

Paul Pierce was very erratic last year (almost costing us that game against Indiana), Gary Payton is probably not coming back, Antoine is gone, we have that red-headed SOB from the Nets, Scalabrine now (can you tell I don't like him?)...and Raef LaFrentz. By the end of the season we were just starting to get some cohesion...not much, but some with the starting unit and the bench. This year we added a few new rookies and high school kids and despite the talent of Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes, we are a really green team. Who's going to pull the team together? Who's going to lead? Will it be Paul this year? Will somebody else step up the plate? Who knows, but in the short term, I'm nervous as hell.

Sigh. 27-37. I know it's pre-season. I know we aren't playing a lot of our good guys. I know we are trying out a ton of new people to see how they fit into our system. Still, a loss is a loss and I can't help but take it personally.

Oh, and by the way, welcome to the NFL Matt Cassell. The picture looks a little different than it did against the Bengals, eh?

Did anyone else notice that my least favorite third string backup quarterback didn't play at all tonight? They need to dump his sorry ass...hit the Rohan, Davey...heh heh...

I love Curt Schilling to death, but he is not a closer. I loved what he did last year, bloody sock and all, but it feels like maybe, just maybe, we sucked the great out of him for that championship. If that's the case, it was totally worth it. But...and this is a big but...if he's going to be a difference maker this year, he needs to be a starter. Curt is the man, but I can't help but cringe when I see him warming up in the bullpen at the end of the eight inning. I yell at my tv...please, somebody, anybody...but him. I found myself watching the game against Detroit Tuesday night (still fuming about Schilling blowing the save in Game 1) and even though we were up by seven runs going into the ninth, I just knew that if he went in, we'd cough up a few homers. Now, it's not his fault the organization has him closing. He's a team player who will do anything you ask him to (unlike other unnamed football players of late who shall remain unnamed). But they have to get him starting cuz the closing ain't working.

Does anyone else find themselves getting a little worried about our defense heading towards playoff season? We're doing okay as long as our bats are hot and we can put runs on the board, but our pitching situation is abysmal and if it doesn't improve sometime soon, we'll be watching the World Series from home.

So, anyone want to send some good juju Keith Foulke's way so we can get our starters starting and our closers closing?

I'm not a stats guy, but I know enough to be dangerous. I follow a lot of sports and have for a long time. Since coming to New England I have picked up a love/hate relationship with my sports teams and I'm not afraid to voice my opinion.

I see all the banners hanging in The Garden and wonder why the Celtics can't get it together to become champions again. I watch the Red Sox roster change almost daily and one day I'm calling Theo a genius, the next day a moron. I watch the Patriots with my nails chewed down to nothing wondering how they will pull it all together with injuries, coaching losses and all kinds of adversity as they try to get another Superbowl ring.

Beyond bitching about the hometown teams, nobody is safe. East Coast, West Coast...NFL, MLB, NBA, even the occasional Olympic curling team will suffer the wrath of the Recliner Whiner, the Couch Coach, the dreaded...Armchair Quarterback!

Comments, critiques and opinions are welcomed at aqbguy@gmail.com...as long as they are not lewd, foul or just plain asinine. On second thought...asinine comments welcome- I'll just make fun of you until you take your ball and go home.

Tai Freligh grew up on the West Coast following the Kings/Lakers rivalry and is currently a supporter of both "anybody but the Lakers" and "anybody but the Yankees". You can check out some of his other writings and interests here.