JARVIS GREEN OUT TIL DECEMBER

It's being reported that pass rushing defensive end Jarvis Green had surgery on his knee, and will be out until at least December. There couldn't be worse timing for the injury, as the Pats are about to embark on a key stretch of games. In the next 5 weeks, they play 3 divisional contests (against the real teams in their division, not the Bills), and also play the 7-0 Colts and 7-0 Saints on the road.

Fellow D-lineman Ty Warren left the Buccaneers game early with an ankle problem and is "hopeful" to play Sunday. Losing Green for this stretch of games could prove to be very very painful.

Source:
Boston Herald

PEDRO GETS ONE MORE CHANCE

Pedro Martinez, a.k.a. God's chosen vessel on Earth, the radiant one who shines his light on all of us, will get another chance to pitch on the biggest stage in baseball. The Phillies extended the World Series with their 8-6 win last night. Pedro will take the mound for them in Game 6.

It'll be cold in New York, mid 40's around game time. Pedro pitched decently in his Game 2 start, but wasn't able to go very deep into the game. The Phillies' offense was shut down by AJ Burnett.

Pedro will be up against Andy Pettitte, who'll be on 3 days rest. We just saw AJ Burnett on 3 days rest, and it wasn't too pretty. Maybe the 37 year old Pettitte will also struggle. Pedro will be going on full rest.

Go Phillies!

BC ATTAINS BOWL ELIGIBLITY

I know what the haters will say. "Bowl Eligibility isn't a big deal, not for a big program, and BC thinks they have a big program." Well i'm a BC fan, and we most certainly DO NOT have a big program. We have a solid, middle class kind of program. And BC wasn't supposed to reach bowl eligibility this year, not according to many ACC predictors. But they're 6-3, with 3 not-so-tough conference games left to play (@ Virginia, vs. UNC, @ Maryland). If they win those 3, and Clemson loses an ACC game, then the Eagles go to the ACC Championship for the 3rd straight year.

Against CMU, Montel Harris returned with a vengeance. He was stifled in the Notre Dame game, but against the Chippewas he put up 136 yards and scored 2 TDs. He's already surpassed his numbers from last year. He's got 930 yards with 3 games left to play. And he's got 13 TDs, compared to just 5 last season.

The Eagles travel to Charlottesville to take on the 3-5 Virginia Cavaliers.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

BRUINS STILL LACK TRACTION

You get a decent effort with an unfortunate loss to the Devils. Then a great, high-flying game against Edmonton, then get shutout by Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers.

I guess treading water until guys like Savard and Lucic return isn't so bad. I suppose losing by 1 goal to good teams isn't so bad.

But a 13.6% power play is bad. It's worse than bad. It's flat-out inexcusable. That's 28th in the League. Only the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators are worse. A team with plenty of forward depth should not be below 15% this deep into the season. They should be 20% or better.

And having the 21st best PK unit isn't too good either, but at least that's shown some signs of improvement lately.

It's a long season, but it gets shorter every day. And if the season ended right now, the Bruins would be 9th in the Eastern Conference.

Big stretch of games coming up for the B's. They play Western Conference Champion Detroit on the road Tuesday night. That game's on Versus. Then they host Montreal and Buffalo on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Stephen Chernin

RONDO EXTENDED

In a bit of a surprise, the Celtics and point guard Rajon Rondo agreed to terms on a 5 year, $55 million extension. The NBA had extended the deadline to come to contract extensions until 6:30 tonight.

Rondo's improved every year he's been in green and white. And while I still don't think he's in the "top 5" of point guards, I think such questions like that are irrelevant. Whether he's in the "top 5" is sports radio fodder, and has nothing to do with winning basketball games.

Rondo is a key element to the Celtics' success, both now and in the future. Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG can't play forever, but Rondo is not only a key cog to the Celtics' current championship hopes. He's the potential center-piece in the c's long-term plans.

Source:
Boston Herald

PEDRO IS STILL GOD

The Phillies didn't get the win in Game 2. And if you look at his line score, (6+ IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 2 HR), you wouldn't think anything more than "Pedro was decent, maybe good, nowhere near great."

But if not for Charlie Manuel, likely inspired by his lack of bullpen quality (the pen blew a would-have-been Pedro win in the NLCS), Pedro would have finished with a line score of:

6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 2 HR

A much much more attractive sequence of numbers.

Pedro wasn't lights out. He wasn't "the same guy we saw 10 years ago." Not even close. But he was good. World Series calibre, for sure. Had AJ Burnett not pitched the game of his life, Pedro could have left the Bronx with his 7th career playoff 'W.'

It might have been Pedro's last game. Probably not, but he barely pitched half a season this year, and will be another year older in 2010. It wasn't a John Elway type of exit, but if this proves to be Pedro's last stand, it was a pretty good one.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

TRUST ME, THE B'S ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK

It's not easy to celebrate a 2-1 loss to New Jersey. But compared to the kind of efforts the Bruins have put forth this season, this wasn't so bad. This was a playoff-type game. Tight defensive play (but no trapping, thank God), and the Devils came out on top. But in the long run, the Bruins will win these kinds of games more than they lose them.

Scoring. The Bruins couldn't slap home any loose pucks in front of the net. On most nights, they'd build a 2-0 cushion, but they just couldn't get the blades of their sticks on the puck. And that was their ultimate undoing.

But the Bruins are building good habits. They're playing good games. They're going to be alright.

Bruins host the Oilers Saturday afternoon.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

¡¡¡HAY SOLAMENTE UN PEDRO!!!

There's only one Pedro.

And he pitches tonight in the World Series. His second career World Series start. As much publicity as Curt Schilling gets for his playoff record, Pedro's isn't exactly shabby. He's 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.054 WHIP. In 86.1 postseason innings, he's struck out 83 batters.

Schilling had the bloody sock, Pedro had a less visible but more impressive effort in Game 5 of the '99 ALDS. With a bad back and an 88 MPH fastball, he mowed through a murderous Indians lineup (Lofton-Vizquel-Alomar-Ramirez-Thome, etc. The Indians scored 1,009 runs in 1999), pitching 6 innings of NO-HIT relief to win Game 5.



Later in the '99 ALCS, Pedro was the only pitcher to record a postseason win against the New York Yankees that year. That's right, the Yankees went 11-1 in the 1999 playoffs, and that 1 loss was thanks to Pedro (and Roooooooooooooooooooger).

In the latest NLCS, he was once again brilliant. 7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs. He was lifted after 87 pitches because the NL sucks and makes pitchers get pinch hit for. Then the Phillies' bullpen blew the 1-0 lead.

Pedro is my favorite player in all sports. People think the Yankees will rock him tonight. Maybe. Maybe not. I just think it's fun to watch him pitch. He doesn't have the same blistering fastball, and his changeup is less effective, but now he's a crafty veteran who can outwit hitters and still make them look like fools.

I just wish Nelson were still alive to be his good luck charm.