Repping Beantown » Sports

Au Revoir Randy

www.reppingbeantown.com — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:10:01 +0000

After years of unprecedented success at Gilette Field, it’s hard to second guess Bill Belicheck, so why start now, but perhaps Tom Brady shed a few private tears in the comfort of his own home after hearing the Patriots traded WR Randy Moss to Minnesota, after 47 touchdown receptions in 3 years. Randy Moss was an integral part in the Patriots’ passing attack over the past 3 years, but he will return to where he began his NFL career just 4 games into the 2010 regular season.For the first time in his tenure with the Patriots, in what ironically was his last game in silver and blue, Moss was held without a reception. Of course, for a guy who has come into question over the years in terms of effort, one has to wonder how lockdown the Dolphins’ corners truly were on Sunday. No one is suggesting Randy was actively trying not to catch passes, but perhaps not trying his hardest to haul in slightly off the mark balls thrown his way. Moss had already gone on record saying he felt underappreciated in the Boston area, as if the local media and fan base wanted him to fail. So the feeling here is good riddance. The Patriots won Super Bowls with Deon Branch and David Patten leading the receiving corps, having an All-Pro receiver for Brady is more of a luxury than a necessity.There is a reason Wes Welker has always been the more popular receiver among Pats fans than the more prolific Moss. Work ethic. Boston is a blue collar town, not a place that easily identifies with athletes who are given so much while working so little. Would Moss have made his way back from an ACL injury in little more than an off season, doubtful, yet Welker has been catching passes and cutting over the middle since the opening week. While Randy whines, Wes works, so with tempered appreciation for the lofty stats over the past 3 full-seasons, it’s so long, not go long.

Adding to the City’s Skyline

admin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:34:26 +0000

Move over Hancock Place, your days as Boston’s largest immovable structure may be numbered as Shaquille O’Neal is expected to sign with the Celtics in the very near future. Though certainly no match for the towering 60-floor skyscraper in terms of sheer height, Shaq’s larger than life personality will surely make the already massive 325 lbs. center Boston’s most prominent asset over 7 feet tall. Not to mention, Shaq actually predates Boston’s tallest building, born in 1972, 4 years before construction on Hancock Place was complete. While his production on the court recently has declined relative to his peak performance years, Shaq is still a beloved superstar from coast to coast. Countless media appearances highlighted by his own reality show, Shaq Vs. (during which he takes on other celebrities at their chosen profession), has kept him relevant off the court as his on-court minutes wane.Still, if utilized effectively, Shaq can be a very effective player for the Celtics. Admittedly, a 38-year-old basketball player is well past his prime, but in sparing minutes he can still provide a valuable contribution. Kendrick Perkins is coming off an injury at the center position, while Rasheed Wallace, who came off the bench last year to spell Perkins, announced his retirement earlier this off-season. With an imposing Dwight Howard still dominating the interior down in Orlando, Bosh and Ilgauskas making their way to Miami, the Bulls bringing in Boozer to complement Noah and the Knicks signing Amare Stoudemire, the Celtics obviously feel the need to keep pace with their fellow Eastern Conference contenders in the big man arms race.Shaq played with the Cavaliers in 09-10, but became a free agent this off-season, eligible to sign with any team of his choosing. Last season, he averaged 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds over the course of 23.4 minutes, while appearing in 53 games (all as a starter).

Fenway Park

mrice — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:37:00 +0000

While the Japanese have Godzilla, Boston is home to its own “Green Monster,” predating even the release of the original black and white film. Standing 37 ft. and 2 inches high, the sky-reaching faade has stood guard to Landsdowne St. since Fenway Park was originally constructed in 1912. The left field shadow of the Green Monster has been home to some of the game’s most decorated players including Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice, not to mention modern day big league all-stars Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay and Jacoby Ellsbury.Since the retirement of Tiger Stadium (Detroit, MI) in 1999, Fenway Park has been reigning as the single oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. Now one of only two remaining classic parks, the other being Wrigley Field in Chicago, the old structure is both plagued and graced by (depending on your seat location) engineering oddities one would only find in an outdated venue, such as obstructed view seating behind pillars and support rails. While the Green Monster might be its most famous feature, the home of the Red Sox is filled quirky anecdotes canonized in baseball legend and has served as the backdrop for some of the sport’s most iconic moments. The “triangle,” located in right-centerfield, takes long fly balls on a 420 foot journey before they clear the warning track, one of the deepest points in any baseball park. Down the right field line sits “Pesky’s pole,” the foul pole that represents the shortest right field porch in Major League Baseball, a mere 302 feet from home plate. The pole takes its name from former Red Sox player Johnny Pesky, a bloop-hitting second baseman who benefitted from the easy to reach fence in right in one of his rare game winning home runs. The other foul pole takes its name from Carlton Fisk, still seen in classic replays of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, animatedly willing his long ball to stay fair down the left field line.The 2012 season will mark the Red Sox 100^th year in the friendly confines of Fenway Park, and with no relocation plan in sight, fans and tourists alike should continue to enjoy one of baseball’s most historic landmarks for years to come.

Another Chapter in a Storied Rivalry

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:17:42 +0000

The hometown Celtics, one of the NBA’s most historic franchises, came up short in a bid for what would have been a league record 18^th championship as they lost a hotly contested game 7 to the arch rival Los Angeles Lakers. Still, with the Lakers hoisting only their 16^th NBA title, the Celtics remain the league’s “winning-est” team for at least one more season. Well over half of the league’s champions have come from either Boston or Los Angeles, with the Celtics and Lakers combining to take home a remarkable 33 of the 64 championships in NBA history. The two teams have met 12 times in the NBA Finals with the Celtics winning 9 of those 12 times, most recently in 2008 behind the leadership of the current star trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.Over the years both squads have been fortunate enough to feature all-time NBA greats. The Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry came to epitomize the greater rivalry between the two franchises as the Johnson-led Lakers clashed with the Bird-led Celtics 3 times in the mid 80s alone, with the Lakers taking 2 of 3 in the subseries. The intense Celtics vs. Lakers rivalry of the 1980s came to symbolize more than just basketball in some circles, taking on both cultural and racial significance as well. The Celtics featured an unusually high percentage of Caucasian athletes, while the Lakers were constituted of primarily African American players. The two cities also differed in their reputation as well, with Boston taking pride in its blue collar heritage and Los Angeles representing Hollywood luxury and glamour. The two teams came from virtually opposite ends of America’s social spectrum, fueling the fire to what was already one of the most heated feuds in professional sports.In more recent history, 2010 marked the 2^nd time in 3 years the teams have met in the finals, with each club hoisting the championship trophy once at the expense of the other.