I have started up another blog off the Fox Sports site that I'll be using a lot in the future.  My other blog will feature my thoughts on areas outside the realm of sports.  I'll also be doing some sports blogging as well, and all sports posts will appear on both this blog and my new blog, starting today.  I had the desire to venture out beyond sports, and I hope some of you check it out.  (The venturing beyond sports thing starts in the near future, the only post on the new blog is the exact same one you'll find below.)  You can find my new blog at manrub.blogspot.com

When it comes to certain aspects of life, I am a bit of a masochist. I love eating incredibly spicy foods, having a nasty hangover, and subjecting myself to painfully bad television. I indulged my masochistic side last night, but it wasn't through food (my dinner was a delicious meatball sandwich), nor was it via a hangover (who has time to drink when you've been stuck at work until 7:00 all week?). My self-inflicted pain came from the television set, specifically Fox Sports New England's broadcast of the Boston Celtics taking on the Los Angeles Lakers. Any New Englander will tell you that enduring a full Celtics game these days is worse than a thousand kicks to the crotch.

This year's Celtics team is as awful as I can remember in my (short) lifetime. The C's have lost 13 in a row, tying a franchise record that was last tied in the woeful M.L. Carr era. They suck at home and on the road. The team is 2-19 since Paul Pierce was injured back in December. I don't have any basketball experience, but even I'm questioning some of the coaching moves by Doc Rivers. Sebastian Telfair, supposedly the point guard of the future, is horrendous. Tony Allen, who put together some promising performances during this slide, blew out his knee on an unnecessary dunk and is out of action for the rest of the season. One of the few bright spots has been the play of young forward Al Jefferson, who is averaging a double-double this season.

Outside of Jefferson's play, the Celtics are a team that is nearly devoid of reasons for optimism for the near future. Young players like Kendrick Perkins, Ryan Gomes, Delonte West, and Rajon Rondo have all shown flashes of brilliance this season, but none looks to be more than a solid, but not spectacular, player going forward. Gerald Green has the potential to be great, but his game needs to mature a lot before he can carry the team. Many people (myself included) are already writing off Sebastian Telfair as a total bust. Peering five years into the future, it is conceivable that a team led by Green and Jefferson, and aided by a then-aging Paul Pierce, could make a decent playoff run. Any dreams of success in the next two years, however, are nonsense.

What can the Celtics accomplish from now until the season's conclusion? Some may say that they should cut their losses and tank the season, hoping for one of the first few picks in the draft. Others may say that wins and losses don't matter at this point, so the team should play their younger guys as much as possible. I don't subscribe to either course of action. The Celtics should play to win every game for the rest of the season. More than anything else, the young players need to learn what it takes to win games. If using veterans like Wally Sczcerbiak and Brian Scalabrine is what it takes to achieve maximum victories, then that's the course the Celtics should take. Losing games won't guarantee that the ping pong balls fall in place in the draft. Even if the Celtics make a strong run to close out the season, they'll still likely miss the playoffs and have at least a fighting chance to get Greg Oden (who could be great) or Kevin Durant (who could be greater).

The future may be bright for the Celtics, but the present is pathetic. I'll keep watching, however. After all, I am a masochist.

Imagine a world where you could lecture any person for their stupidity, and they would have to sit there and take it.  Just think about pulling aside any idiot, dumbass, ignoramous, or what have you from any walk of life and just letting them hear about the wrongs they have committed.  It would be just like the airing of the grivences at Festivus, except airing them at people you don't even know.  How freaking awesome would that be?  Sadly, that world doesn't exist, so I'll have to utilize my imagination and pretend I'm verbally tearing Ron Mexico a new one.  The powers of imagination can be compelling...

What in the world were you thinking, Michael Vick? 

Did you really think you could get away with carrying a water bottle that smelled like reefer and had an "unknown substance" in a hidden compartment onto an airplane?  A few months ago you couldn't even bring anything that was liquid or gelatinous onto an airplane.  And now, you expect to be able to board an airplane with a bottle of water without it being inspected?  Worst of all, the whole "hidden compartment" thing never works.  You can ask any parent that has ever snooped in their 10th grader's bedroom (my own parents included) how well hidden compartments conceal certain objects.  (Hey, at least it wasn't pot in my case, it was pornography, but that's a story for a different day.)  Besides, did you ever think about  scoring the pot when you landed in Atlanta, rather than carrying it with you on a flight?  I'm sure Atlanta, just like every other American city, has scores of people that would be more than willing to shill a dime bag to you. 

What made you think you could get away with it, Michael?  Rarely does a day pass where you don't see a story on SportsCenter about Athlete XYZ getting arrested for some misdemeanor.  Fame and privilege do not bring guaranteed exemptions from the laws of society.  Sure, you haven't gotten arrested yet, but you damn well may when the test results come back from the crime lab.  In my experience, if it smells like marijuana, it probably is marijuana.  I'm guessing that you would really like those test results to get destroyed somehow, perhaps by a unscrupulous lab tech that happens to be a huge Vick fan.  Legally, and perhaps in the public's eye, that would get you off the hook.  But you'll still have to with the fact that you took a hugely unneccessary risk that could have jeopardized your own future, as well as the futures of all your teammates.

I know a lot of people have enjoyed the Mary Jane from time to time.  Hell, when I was younger, I experimented a time or two...or fifty.  But there comes a time in your life where the risks involved with getting high far outweighs the benefits.  It would be foolish for me, a mindless lackey at a finance company, to risk my future going up in smoke.  When you're an NFL superstar, the foolishness of such a transgression is mulitplied at least tenfold.  Just watch as the endorsement deals start slipping away.  After all, who would buy their 8 year-old a Nerf football on the endorsement of a pothead?  Thousands, if not millions of children want to be like you, Michael.  They scramble around the backyard looking for the open receiver, then take off if they don't find one.  A child's mind is easily influenced.  What kind of influence are you imparting?

I used to be one of your staunchest defenders.  Not anymore.  How can I defend a man whose actions clearly state "I am a moron with no grasp on reality"?  I still hold out a small glimmer of hope that maybe, one day, you will be an average NFL passer.  When that day comes I'll be the first to congratulate you, but you won't hear a peep from me about Michael Vick until then.  Some may be willing to separate the player from the human being, but that's a distinction that I'm not willing to make.  Everything you do in your life affects how you perform as a football player.  I'm not merely speaking about the potential for a suspension if you are one day charged and convicted.  Having a clear mind can certainly help when it comes to learning the playbook and studying film.  It's your responsibility to keep your mind clear and minimize distractions.

You are a responsible adult, Mike Vick.  It's time you start behaving like one.    

Not again.  Not two weeks in a row.

It isn't fair.  It's simply not fair to NASCAR Nation for two of its greatest ambassadors, Bobby Hamilton and Benny Parsons, to shuffle off their respective mortal coils so close to one another.  Complications from lung cancer treatments ended the life of NASCAR legend Benny Parsons this morning, just nine days after the same disease took the life of Bobby Hamilton.  It has been a tragic beginning to the year for NASCAR, with the loss of Parsons overshadowing, on a national scale, the loss of Hamilton.

I am too young to remember Benny's heyday as a racer.  I wasn't born yet when Parson won the Winston Cup in 1973, and wasn't even two years old when he earned the final of his 21 career victories in 1984.  Still, the tales of the taxi driver turned NASCAR racer from Detroit, Michigan have impacted many fans from my generation by allowing us to see Parsons as more than an average talking head.  Benny Parsons knew that the key to winning championships is finishing races, and his strategy of points-racing has become the dominant strategy in the Nextel Cup today.

I will remember Parsons most for his excellent TV work for ESPN/ABC, and later NBC/TNT.  There was nothing better than turning on the TV on a lazy Sunday afternoon and hearing the voices of Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons call the action of a Winston Cup race.  The chemistry between these three men was incredible, with the trio giving the impression of a genuine friendship.  I was greatly saddened when ESPN stopped covering NASCAR races in 2001, for the greatest broadcast booth in the sport was broken up.  Thankfully, Benny brought his insightful and informative brand of commentary over to NBC and TNT, and he was always welcome in my living room.  I always found Benny Parsons to be the perfect color commentator: he gave remedial information for the newcomers, more in-depth analysis for the hardcore fans, and always did so in an unbiased manner while displaying boatloads of both passion and class.  Too often it seems that today's sports commentators aren't even fans of the sports they broadcast.  Benny Parsons had great enthusiasm for the sport of NASCAR, and that enthusiasm made it easier for him to do an exceptional job of commentary.

NASCAR has lost another member of the old guard, another throwback to a bygone era.  It will be hard to replace Benny Parsons in the broadcast booth, even harder in NASCAR Nation, and impossible in the grand scheme of humanity.  As I did with Bobby Hamilton, I would like to conclude with a summary of Benny's greatest career accomplishments, courtesy bennyparsons.com:

• AUTOMOBILE RACING CLUB OF AMERICA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR in 1965 (ARCA)
• ARCA Champion 1968 and 1969
• First ARCA Champion inducted into The International Sports Hall of Fame
• Joined NASCAR in 1970
• First Winston Cup victory was at South Boston Virginia Speedway in 1971
• Winston Cup Champion in 1973
• Winner of Daytona 500 in 1975
• Joined ESPN as a RACE ANALYST in 1989
• ACE AWARD winner
• Inducted into The International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in December of 1994
• 1996 ESPN Emmy Award Winner
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Drivers in NASCAR History
• 21 Victories
• $3.9 million in Career Earnings
• Inducted into The Motor Sports Hall of Fame of America August 2006

Benny Parsons

July 12, 1941 - January 16, 2007

Ever have one of those days when there's about 400 thoughts going through your head, but you can't concentrate on one for long enough to form a coherent paragraph?  That's me today.  I've got diarrhoea of the mouth and constipation of the brain.  In other words, I feel like a kinder, cuddlier version of this guy:

Ladies and gentlemen, you have left the No Spin Zone.  Now, on with the show...

~ It seems to me that college football was more fun before there was even an inkling of a true national champion.  I was in favor of a playoff system, but now I want to revert back to the chaos system that existed prior to the BCS.  Number 1 rarely played Number 2 to determine a national champion.  Everybody knew the national championship was a meaningless, paper crown.  Instead of arguing over who the champion is, why can't we go back to the days when the championship was meaningless and simply have the national championship become a popularity contest like it was in the past?

~ This only applies to fellow New Englanders: Has there ever been a sports commentator that you have agreed with less than Gary Tanguay?  Ever time I see his mug of FSN I want to throw a toaster through the TV.  Last night, he attempted to take Scott Pioli's not-leaving-the-Patriots statement and use it as evidence that Pioli is leaving the team.  What kind of backwards logic is that?  Thankfully Greg Dickerson and Michael Felger shot down his nonsense before it gained any momentum.

~  As a NASCAR fan, I couldn't be more excited about Jackson Hewitt preseason testing at Daytona (yes, even the test sessions have corporate sponsorship in NASCAR).  The start of testing is like driving by the first house in your neighborhood with Christmas decorations.  You know the big day is still a bit in the distance, but man, does it get you in the spirit.

~  Anybody else find it odd that The Disney Store and Victoria's Secret have their Semi-Annual Sale at the same time of year?  This has to be the greatest time of the year for soccer moms that want to keep the kids busy while mommy and daddy are busy rockin' the casbah.

~  Boy, the Diasuke Matsuzaka bandwagon sure is getting crowded.  Even rational Red Sox fans are all over D-Mat like he's the second coming of Christ.  Like most Red Sox fans, I have never seen the guy pitch.  I refuse to pass any sort of judgement on D-Mat until I've seen him face a Major League lineup.  I might be the only Sox fan not disappointed if the goes 12-10 with a 4.25 ERA.

~  If you haven't seen Rob & Big yet, stop reading this right now and watch it.  This show has been on constant rotation on the MTV networks for the last few days, and with good reason.  Rob & Big may be the most entertaining reality show to TV right now.  The main characters (Rob Dyrdek and Christopher "Big Black" Boykin) do nothing but lead their normal life, yet do so with a sense of humor that is nearly unrivialed.  Do work!

~  I can't see where Bobby Petrino was possibly the best candidate available to coach the Atlanta Falcons.  His offense may work well in the college ranks, but I don't recall Louisville ever having much to brag about defensively.  You have to succeed on both sides of the ball to win in the NFL.  Steve Spurrier learned this the hard way with the Redskins, and I'm betting Petrino will struggle in a similar fashion with the Falcons. 

~  The selection process for the Baseball Hall of Fame really bugs me.  How is it that a writer can deem a player worthy of induction on the second ballot, but not the first?  Doesn't everybody that gets inducted get the same plaque in Cooperstown?  Is there some sort of sexy party that only first-ballot inductees are invited to, complete with hookers and beer?  Most of all, does a player that's been retired for at least five years improve his contribution to the game, despite being on the sidelines?  Makes no sense to me.

~ Why do blogs that are written in all capital letters get more comments than ones that use proper English?  I COULD WRITE EVERY ENTRY LIKE THIS, BUT I PERSONALLY FIND IT TO BE VERY ANNOYING.  IT'S HARDER TO TELL WHERE SENTENCES BEGIN AND END, AND NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PICK UP ON PROPER NAMES.  SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY THAT THEY "ACCIDENTLY" LEFT THE CAPS LOCK ON, BUT THAT THEORY HOLDS NO WATER, FOR THERE IS NO PRACTICAL APPLICATION THAT REQUIRES CAPS LOCK IN THE FIRST PLACE.  I THINK PEOPLE WRITE LIKE THIS TO GET ATTENTION.  YOU KNOW WHAT?  IT WORKS.  IT MAY NOT GARNER ATTENTION FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, BUT IF IT'S COMMENTS YOU SEEK, MORE POWER TO YOU.

~  If you made an All-Star team of players from the NBA Atlantic Division, they would struggle against a team of All-Stars from the ACC.

~  In closing, I'm getting really jazzed about the play of both the Rhode Island Rams and Providence College Friars in men's basketball this far this season.  Rhode Island (my alma mater) has won their first two Atlantic 10 games of the season, and boast a young squad that seems to be improving by the week.  Meanwhile, Providence (which is supposed to be my mortal enemy, but I don't have the heart to root against them) has also won two consecutive conference games, with runaway victories over Marquette and Seton Hall under their belt.  It would be incredible to see both squads make postseason play this year.  I'm not counting on that happening (especially in URI's case), but having two teams to root for will make things far more fun.

 (Author's note: I have no idea why this showed up as an NFL post, saying as how I didn't categorize it as one.)
 

This morning started out just like any other morning. I woke up, got out of bed, and poured a bowl of Frosted Flakes. Before getting the milk for my cereal, I always stop and briefly check the headlines of the sports section in my local paper, just to see if there's any articles worthy of reading while I eat. I skimmed past the headlines on the Patriots' trouncing of the Jets yesterday, continued beyond the Univeristy of Rhode Island men's basketball team's narrow victory over Dayton, and saw a headline that absolutely made my heart sink. Bobby Hamilton, Sr., a successful NASCAR driver, had passed away after losing his battle with cancer. He was only 49 years old.

It's difficult to explain why I consider myself a fan of Bobby Hamilton. He had some success, but not a great deal of it, in the Winston/Nextel Cup Series. He's was not particularly young or flashy. For the most part, Bobby Hamilton was the type of old-school southern racer that time had left behind, the very type of racer that young New Englanders like myself supposedly have no interest in following. There were no frills with Bobby Hamilton. He would do his talking on the race track, rather than with the media. He made a far better race car driver than spokesmodel. I don't recall ever seeing Bobby Hamilton in a major national marketing campaign. When Hamilton did speak (oftentimes in victory lane in the Craftsman Truck Series), he lacked the polish and saavy of a man groomed for the public spotlight, making him seem like more of a real, approachable person than many of today's drivers.

It was the personability of Hamilton that made me a fan of his. Bobby Hamilton, Sr. never lost the aura of an average, regular guy that was absolutely thrilled at having the opportunity to live a dream. He was the average, blue-collar American that worked hard at his craft so he could reach the top. Bobby Hamilton wasn't some rich kid that was groomed for success at an early age. He was a guy that had a race car and a dream, and, through hard work and dedication, that dream became a reality.

Goodbye, Bobby Hamilton. You were one of the last of a dying breed, and I will certainly never forget you. In closing, here is a look at some of the career highlights of Bobby Hamilton, courtesy of bobbyhamiltonracing.com:

• 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion.

• Became full-time driver/owner in 2003, winning at Darlington and Homestead to rank sixth in the points standings with 10 top fives and 18 top 10s.

• First Truck Series victory at Martinsville Speedway in 2000.

• First Truck Series pole position at Martinsville Speedway in 1996.

• Has four career victories in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and eight in Craftsman Truck Series.

• Won Talladega 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race for car owner Andy Petree in 2001.

• Won Nextel Cup race at Martinsville for car owner Larry McClure and finished 10th in final 1998 standings.

• Scored a career-best ninth place finish in 1996 points standings and won first career Cup Series race driving for car owners Richard Petty at Phoenix.

• Qualified fifth in first career Cup Series start in "Days of Thunder" movie car at Phoenix in 1989.

Bobby Hamilton, Sr.

May 29, 1957 - January 7, 2007