This is it.
Well for anyone who has actually followed us here on The Comm Show Bomb Show you might have realized that we have fallen off the last 6 months. We haven't recorded a Webcast since early April and after recording 26 epsiodes in 2010 we have only recorded 4 episodes so far in 2011. Matty Dew has continued to Blog a little bit but gave up on the Webcasts a long time ago. King Whalen has been willing to record shows but hasn't Blogged since mid April and has no intentions of doing so in the near future. I went through some personal stuff this year and was limited in what I could provide to CSBS but I Blogged as much as I could and was always looking to record a webcast but it just never happened. Despite my Attempt to keep this Franchise going we have only averaged about 6 hits a day for the last couple of months. We have tried our best to add followers including starting 5 CSBS Twitter accounts to attract visitors but it just hasn't worked. To be honest it has been extremely frustrating for me to spend hours almost everyday updating the Homepage, Tweets of the Week, TOTCOTW Award, Predictions, etc. along with my Blog Page and have only a hand full of people read my content. There's been many times when I thought that I was wasting my time, which I evidently was. So with all that being said, I'm Blogging to let all 6 of our Readers know that I'm shutting down The Comm Show Bomb Show. This may come as a shock to the few of you reading this including Roache (Matty Dew) and Scuba (King Whalen) but it is what it is. I still hope to Blog moving forward cause I love to do it, at this point in my Life it's one of my biggest Hobbies but I'm gonna go to a Blogging Website in hopes to gain a bigger following. I also want to expand past Sports. I have a passion for Music, Food, Television, and Movies as well as Sports and would love to Blog about those Topics as well. Sports will always be my calling card and ultimate love but I wanna do more and I just feel like this is not the proper forum. I truely enjoyed doing what I did the Last year here with CSBS. I enjoyed every minute of recording our Webcasts with Roache and Scuba, we had some Great Laughs and moments doing those shows. I really enjoyed just writing again. It's a passion of mine and it was a while since I did anything like it. I've realized this last year that I want to do this for the rest of my Life. Maybe not as a full time profession but at least as a full time hobby. I wanna apply to write for other sports websites and try to get my content out there. I feel like my opinions and knowledge of sports is something people will want to read. I still haven't decided if I'm gonna keep the CSBS Twitter accounts going. Those have built up a little bit of a following (which for what ever reason never translated over to the site) so I think I may keep those Twitter accounts alive for a bit but likely the content will diminish over time. As for this actual site, I am due to re-up it for another year next week and I'm not gonna do it. Why bother keeping the site up if no one is using it? It will likely be shut down by the end of the month. In conclusion I want to Thank Matt Roache and Steve Whalen, it was Fun while it lasted. I guess all good things do come to an end. I also wanna Thank all the Fans and Followers we actually have, though not many I'm sure the ones we had were Dedicated. The Comm Show Bomb Show was a Great Experience that I will never forget but it's definatly time to move on. Comm Show Bomb Show....Out!
Tim Amara 8/17/11 12:40am
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Patriots TC Observations
Matty Dew and I headed out to Patriots Training Camp Last Night and here's a few Observations I took from the Practice.
1. Chad Ochocinco really struggled out there last night. I counted at least four dropped balls in various Drills from Passing Drills to 7 on 7 Drills. He seemed to mix up a few routes forcing Incomplete Passes and had to discuss it with Brady after the Play. He was seen yelling at himself a few times to "Wake Up". He spent a lot of Time Talking to Brady and Bill O'Brien in between Drills.
2. The Patriots Defense lined up in a 4-3 look the entire night. During 7 on 7 Passing Drills, 7 on 7 Running Drills, 11 on 11 Drills, it was always 4-3. Even if Belichick doesn't want to admit it right now it's pretty clear they are going with a 4-3 Defense this season. Wilfork and Haynesworth in the Middle of the four man Front looks Dominate. On a number of Running Plays in 7 on 7 Drills Haynesworth broke through the Line and made the Tackle in the Backfield. It looks like the Patriots in a 4-3 are gonna be hard to Run on.
3. The Defense won last night's Practice in my estimation. In 7 on 7 Drills the Defense Dominated. Brandon Spikes is a Beast against the Run. As the Middle Linebacker in the 4-3 Defense and with Wilfork and Hanyesworth in front of him taking up 3 or 4 Offensive Lineman Spikes was able to get into the backfield and blow up a number of running plays. In 7 on 7 Passing Drills I don't think there was a single completion against McCourty. He was Lockdown. Leigh Bodden gave up a couple but he still looked solid. The Offense came around a little bit in the 11 on 11 Drills sparked by nice Red Zone Touchdowns by Welker, Benny and Gronk. Gronkowski was making some nice catches in the 11 on 11 Drills. But too little too late, the Defense owned last night in my opnion.
4. Tom Brady, Chad Ochocinco, and Aaron Hernandez stayed late after Practice and worked on some Passing Drills. Aaron Hernandez looked like a Stud out there. He size plus speed is more amazing every time I see it. Ochocinco held on to the ball much better during these Drills then he did all day long.
5. I saw a few nice battles between Logan Mankins and Albert Haynesworth on a few different plays in the 11 on 11 Drills. Not one guy dominated the matchup either, they were going back and fourth. It's gonna be fun to watch those two battle all camp long. I'm sure each is helping the other to be a better player as well, which is great for the Patriots.
6. Scott O'Brien is a Fire Ball if I've ever seen one. The guys drops more F Bombs then all the other coaches combined. But let me tell ya he runs a Great Special Teams Unit. I think he is very underrated as a coach. Since arriving two years ago I think the Patriots Special Teams has vastily Improved.
7. Wes Welker was the best Offensive Player at Practice last night. While Ochocinco and Edelman had some Drops Welker caught everything thrown his way. Him and Brady seem to be on the same page early in Camp. Sammy Morris also looked pretty good. That's a bit surprising to me, I honestly don't think he's that good anymore so I wasn't expecting much. I still think he will have a hard time making the Roster but he looked good last night.
8. Defensively a lot of Players had good night's last night. McCourty and Spikes really stood out above the rest but Haynesworth, Chung and Bodden also played well. Like I said the Defense really looked Good and outclassed the Offense in many ways. It will be interesting to see if they can keep it up, a lot of early TC Reports have the defense Playing better but you have to figure Brady and the Offense will turn it up sooner than later.
Tim Amara 8/5/11 1:50am
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Training Camp
I'll be heading down to Patriots Training Camp later this afternoon with Matty Dew to catch my first Patriots Practice of 2011. I've heard that a lot of the guys are looking good so far in Camp so I'm excited to get down there and 
check it out. A few Players I'm most looking forward to seeing include Ochocinco, Leigh Bodden, Cunningham, Spikes, Gronkowski, Gostkowski, Brady and of course Albert Haynesworth. Mostly all for Different Reasons but they have for the most part been the most talked about Players in Camp thus far. I'm extremely intrigued to see what Defense the Patriots are Primarily running, a 3-4 or a 4-3. Reports are they have been running more 4-3, so I'm excited to watch that. I've heard Haynesworth has been a Beast, I can't wait to Witness him in action. I also wanna see what kind of comradery Brady and Ochocinco are building. I know Brady, Welker and Branch are fine in that Department but how's the new guy doing? The Runningback competition is also something to pay attention to. I know Benny and Woody are set atop the Depth Chart but how about after that? Are the Rooks moving ahead of Faulk and Morris? Lots of Story Lines in Patriots Training Camp this season so I'm ready to get down there and check it out first hand. Make sure to Follow us on Twitter at @CSBSPATRIOTS for Live Tweets as Matty Dew and I take in Camp later this Afternoon.
Tim Amara 8/4/11 1:40am
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MVP
Jacoby Ellsbury is the MVP of Major League Baseball! The guy is not only having a monster statistical season but he is coming up clutch in what seems like every other night for the Red Sox. Last Night for the second night in a row Jacoby hits a walk off Game Winner. Last Night's being a Walk off Homerun. Which is his 18th Homerun of the season which ties him with Gonzalez for the most on the Red Sox. Where did this power come from? For the Season this guys 
stats are off the charts. He has 81 runs scored which is good for 2nd in Baseball, he has 31 stolen bases which is 3rd in the American League and he's batting .318 which is Top 10 in the AL. Ellsbury is having a without question the best season of his career and with this post All Star Game surge he has surpassed Teammate Adrian Gonzalez as well as Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista and Yankees OF Curtis Granderson as the Leader of the AL MVP Race. To me it's not even all about the stats that make him the MVP, it's the way the Red Sox Offense operates with him batting Lead off. We saw last year when he wasn't playing how inconsistant this Red Sox Lineup can be. As I've heard many people say over the last few weeks, Ellsbury is the best leadoff hitter in baseball since Ricky Henderson in his Prime. Ellsbury has a set of skills that are few and far between. He has speed on the basepads, he can hit for power or average and he plays a gold glove centerfield. With almost 2 whole months left in the season he has a chance to join the rare 30-30 Club. Ellsbury has been in the MVP discussions of most people for a few weeks now but with this recent stretch in my opinion he is pulling away from the competition. Jacoby Ellsbury for many reasons is the Most Valueable Player in Major League Baseball.
Tim Amara 8/4/11 12:50am
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What's on my Mind 8/1 - Patriots Training Camp Edition
1. It looks and sounds like the Patriots Defense is really looking Good in Training Camp so far, granted it's only been 4 days but they're Playing well. I've been reading that they are making big Plays in 11 on 11 Drills, significantly out classing the Offense. Albert Haynesworth in his first Practice yesterday was a major impact blowing up the Offensive Line and getting into the Back Field on a number of plays. Let's hope he can continue in the right direction and be the Haynesworth of 2008 where he will be a Force on the Patriots Line. Reports are Brandon Spikes is playing like a Beast out there. I think Spikes is gonna be a Stud this season. Leigh Bodden is really looking good coming off the injury last season. Him opposite McCourty will be lethel duo at Cornerback. I have been extrememly high on this young Defense the last couple of seasons and it looks like they might finally put it all together and become a Dominate Defense this season. I'm really excited to watch this defense Play this season.
2. The Patriots Offense is looking a little shacky so far in Camp. It's been reported that there has been a lot of Dropped Balls by all the Receivers and timing is off between the Quarterbacks and Runningbacks on handoffs. But is anyone really worried? Not this guy, you know what this offense is gonna do this season. Tom Brady with that Recieving core is gonna light up the score board every week. On a single play it's possible that Ochocinco, Welker, Branch, Gronkowski, and Hernandez could all be on the field at the same time. What defense can stop that? This Offense is gonna shred every Defense it plays. The Offense typically starts off slow in Camp anyway so I'm not gonna read to much into it. I'm sure by Opening Night they will be ready to go.
3. Will the Patriots Play a 3-4 Defense or a 4-3 Defense? With the release of Ty Warren plus the addition of Albert Haynesworth a lot of people believe they are headed for a change in the Defensive Scheme. With more Free Agent moves likely to be made it is tough to figure out which Defense would be the Best Fit for the Patriots going forward but knowing what we know I'm thinking 4-3 might be the better choice. Here's a look at what each Defensive Lineup would look like with the roster as is:
3-4 Defense
DE: Haynesworth
DT: Wilfork
DE: Brace
OLB: Cunningham
OLB: Ninkovich
ILB: Mayo
ILB: Spikes
CB: McCourty
CB: Bodden
SS: Meriweather
FS: Chung
4-3 Defense
DT: Wilfork
DT: Haynesworth
DE: Cunningham
DE: Moore
OLB: Mayo
OLB: Ninkovich/Guyton
MLB: Spikes
CB: McCourty
CB: Bodden
SS: Meriweather
FS: Chung
4. I'm really surprised there hasn't been more Buzz surrounding Ryan Mallett in Camp thus far. The Rookie Quarterback was one of the most talked about and questioned Draft Picks of any NFL Team this past April and yet no one is talking about him in the early days of Camp. I understand Ochocinco and Haynesworth have stole the show but you'd think Mallett would get a little Buzz. I anticipate this to change once we get to the first Preseason Game on August 11th. I would expect Mallett to get plenty of Playing time and everyone will begin to talk about him.
5. Free Agency has really slowed down significantly over the last few days but I expect it to get going again over the next few days. I think it was kind of a coincidence that it was the weekend and things were quiet but at the same time it could mean something. I have a feeling Monday and Tuesday will be busy days and a lot of moves could be made. I expect to see Matt Light resigned over the next couple days as well as Benny Green-Ellis. Despite making noise with Ocho and Albert the Patriots have not really signed any Free Agents besides some of their own so look for a few Signings over the next few days as well. I still think the Patriots need to add either an Outside Linebacker of a Defensive end, it depends on what defense they wanna play, 3-4 or 4-3. The Patriots Roster is actually looking pretty solid right now but resign Light, Benny and add a Pass Rushing OLB/DE and this Team will be Stacked.
Tim Amara 8/1/11 12:05am
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What's on my Mind 7/28
1. I Absolutely Love the Chad Ochocinco Trade! How can you not love this move? It's reported that the Patriots gave up two late round Draft Picks to the Bengals for Ochocinco. That alone makes it Great, they gave up almost nothing for the guy. He is still extremely Talented and still very capable of being a Great Wide Receiver. This move has been rumored for months. I even Blogged about it back in February predicting it was gonna happen and it only took two days into the league year and the trade goes down. Ochocinco will add an outside receiving threat to the Patriots Offense they the seemingly missed in the Playoffs last year. Chad is a Player that Loves the Game of Football and Plays 100% on every Play. He want to make Big Plays and he wants to Win Games. He is gonna have the best year of his career 
because he's got the talent and he will have Tom Brady throwing him the Ball. He is gonna put up astronomical numbers and the Patriots Offense will be unstoppable. This Offense has the potential to be better then the 2007 Offense. Ochocinco will be better then Randy Moss simply because he will compete for 60 minutes, every week, even in bad weather. I excited to see what the Brady to Ochocinco Tandem is gonna put up and I'm excited to see this Offense pick apart every defense it plays.
2. The Albert Haynesworth Trade on the other hand I'm not as high on. I like it but definatly don't love it. It is a very Low risk-high reward Trade but the guy is a complete wackjob and his rap sheet is bigger then maybe any player in the NFL right now. Their is not a bigger malcontent in the league. I hate to say it but would this Trade happen if Mrs. Kraft was alive? I'm not so sure. With all the being said the reason I at least like it is because Haynesworth is a beast on the field when he wants to be. He doesn't always show up or put in the effort but when he does he's one of the best Defensive Lineman in the game. He would play DE in New England which would give the Patriots a front line of Haynesworth, Wilfork, and Warren. That's down right scary. Big question is will he show up and be comfortable in the Patriots 3-4 system? I hope it works out obviously but I don't think it's as much a guarentee as the Ochocinco Pick is but you gave up very little for him and can cut him if it doesn't work out so why not give it a shot.
3. Can we now begin to put Jacoby Ellsbury in the AL MVP Discussion? I first heard this asked on ESPN the other night and in my opinion he absolutely should be. The Guy has been the Difference in what the Red Sox have been able to do offensively this season compared to last season. This offense is better with Ellsbury leading off. By Definition he is the Most Valuable Player to his Team. His numbers speak for themself, he is the Best Offensive Player in Fantasy Baseball right now. Whether Fantasy Rankings mean anything to you or not, I think that Fantasy is one of the Best ways to determain who is the Best because the Rankings combine all the stats. He is batting .325, one of the Best averages in Baseball and he is 3rd in the league in stolen bases. He is really hitting the ball with some serious power this year with career highs in Homeruns and RBIs. I've been all over Jacoby since April, realizing early how good this guy was and finally others are giving this guy the credit and respect he deserves. Ellsbury is one of the Most Valuable Players in Baseball and it's not even debatable.
4. I'm really dissapointed and concerned about the current Clay Buchholz injury situation. He seems to be really banged up right now. What seemed like a minor injury about a month ago is now lingering into a second month and doesn't look to be getting better any time soon. Buchholz is headed for another opinion and the Red Sox are exploring Starting Pitchers on the Trade Market. When Healthy Buchholz is a Stud and an Ace on the Red Sox Staff. It's really dissapointing to me cause I've hype this guy for years and I really think he is that good but with this Injury it just makes him look like an average Injury pron Player. I think he can be Elite when Healthy but he's not healthy and people are beginning to question his durability. If he is not back and healthy for the Playoffs the Red Sx are not Winning it all. One of the Advantages the Red Sox had was they had three Aces on the Staff, well without one of them they are just like every other team in the Playoffs. This is not a good situation Buchholz is in right now, hopefully it will ultimately work out and he will be back come Playoff time to help the Red Sox Win it all.
5. Follow us on Twitter at @CSBSPATRIOTS for complete coverage of Patriots Training Camp and for Previews of the Upcoming 2011 NFL Season.
Tim Amara 7/28/11 11:52pm
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What's on my Mind 7/16
1. That was a Great MLB All Star Game we just had to endure the other night wasn't it? What a joke that game has become. Does it even matter who wins it? Home field advantage doesn't even matter in the MLB. Half the players people actually wanna see don't even show up anymore, it's turning into the NFL Pro Bowl. If your voted into the Game than you should be there. Your Voted in cause people wanna see you. Why people wanna see some of the guys that make it is beyond me but they do, so show up, that includes Derek "I need rest" Jeter. The Game itself was boring as hell. All Star Games should not be Pitchers Duels settled by a Single Three Run Homerun. Remember when that Jap served one up to Cal Ripkin like 5 years ago at the All Star Game? Well every pitch should be like that in the ASG. Just serve em up! Let's get like a 24-17 Game. People might actually enjoy it a little bit, like they enjoy a 52-45 Pro Bowl and a 148-135 NBA All Star Game. Well Enjoy might be a stretch, no one really Enjoys All Star Games but you get the point. Honestly the best part of the Night was the Stand Up to Cancer Tribute after the 6th Inning. A Great Moment that really hits home right now. Overall Definatly not the Best MLB All Star Game I've ever seen.
2. I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to disagree with Matty Dew's assessment on Steelers Linebacker James Harrison. I am Mad at ya! Your a Bitch! A lot of people are looking at what he said with the mind set of I hate Goodell and Roethlisberger too so it's alright, well think of it as his teammate. He should never be welcomed back into the Steelers Locker room. I hate Roethlisberger as much as the next guy but let's be real the guy won Harrison a Super Bowl a few years ago after Harrison's defense almost lost the Game vs. the Cardinals. He should be Praising Roethlisberger for getting him a ring not ripping him. James Harrison didn't even show up in this last Super Bowl vs. the Packers so who's he to talk anyway? A lot of people didn't realize he also ripped Patriots Legends Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison in this article calling them "Clowns". I lost all respect for Harrison with this incident, and I didn't have much respect for him to begin with but what I did have is gone. The guy is a piece of Shit in my mind and I would never want him on my Team, that's for damn sure.
3. It looks like the NFL Lockout is coming to an end and just in time, coincidence? I don't think so. Of course the Owners wanted to get this done before they started losing money due to cancelled Training Camps and Preseason Games and of course the Players didn't want to loss Game checks and a chance to Play Games. So them starting right on time in no shock to me. It looks like fans ain't gonna miss a thing this season. We're gonna see Training Camps, Preseason Games and the entire Regular Season. Actually this whole lockout thing made the NFL offseason more news worthy and exciting. Also think about how awesome the next few weeks are gonna be, usually Teams have 3 months of Free Agency now they have just 2 weeks. It's gonna be Crazy once this "Offseason" gets going. Free agent Signings, Trades, Rookie Free agent Signings all in 2 weeks, wow! Fans might have ultimately made out with this NFL Lockout.
4. Women's Soccer? Really? Really Matty Dew? Give me a Break! I never wanna hear shit from you about me watching Women's NCAA Basketball ever again. Men's Soccer is bad enough but now you wanna Blog about Women's Soccer? You love wasting your time Blogging about shit no one cares about don't you? College Basketball, Women's Soccer, College World Series, the list goes on. You'd think it would be Prime Time for you to give us some Great Blogs figuring it's Baseball Season, but nope. Give us something we care about, don't put us to sleep.
5. The Boston Red Sox Starting Rotation is a mess right now yet this Team is still chugging along just fine. A ton of credit has to go to this Lineup. This Lineup has 5 Legit All Star Caliber Hitters who are Leading this Team to Victories right now. Gonzalez, Ortiz, Ellsbury, Youkilis, and Pedroia are crushing it right now and it's a good thing with Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz all on the shelf right now. It's still amazing to think that all 3 Aces could be Banged up at the same time and the Red Sox could still be Winning. The Red Sox head into the "2nd Half" of the Season with the Best Record in the AL and expected to get the 3 Aces back soon and I expect this Team to continue to Roll even more then they are now. I expect them to pull away from the Yankees (and Rays I guess) at some point in mid August and have the Luxury to cruise come September. I think it fair to say we should be preparing for some Postseason Baseball in Boston.
6. I don't believe I've given my thoughts on the NBA Lockout yet but basically I can sum it up pretty Quick. They are worse off then the NFL and I wouldn't expect much of an NBA Season next year if we get one at all. As for the Celtics I think it is good for them all the way around. Wyk won't have to dish out the dough to players like KG and Ray Ray if there's no season and if there is a season it will be shortened which will cut those guys salaries in half. Win Win for Wyk. On the court, the "Old" Celtics will have less games to play which in return has the potential to equal fresh bodies come Playoff Time. Not much to complain about in these parts regarding an NBA Lockout.
Tim Amara 7/16/11 11:55pm
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Red Sox Mid-Season Five Up & Five Down
Five Up:
1. Adrian Gonzalez - A-Gon is playing even better then we could've expected and we expected a lot. The guy is a Legit Triple Threat Condender, he leads the AL in RBI and Avg. at the the Midway Point. His hitting has been Great but his Fielding has been equally as Great. Gonzo is without question the Leader in he AL MVP Race at this point and #2 is not even close.
2. David Ortiz - Ortiz is Back! He might be back on the Juice but who cares! The Guy is Cranking the Ball. The Man is hitting like it's 2007 again. He has been far and away the Best DH in Baseball this year. He is hitting over .300 with
Power. Him along with Gonzo are showing us something we haven't seen since 2004-2007 with Manny and Ortiz.
3. Josh Beckett - Beckett is Pitching like an Ace this year. He is 2nd in the AL with a 2.12 ERA. After a bad season last year he is having an Incredibl Bounce back season and he has established himself as the Ace of this Team again. Once the So get to the Playoffs he will be hard to beat.
4. Jacoby Ellsbury - He's Back! After an Injury plagued Season in 2010 Ellsbury is back to form. He is hitting .302 with an AL Best 26 Stolen Bases. He is also 6th in the AL with 57 Runs scored. He has been the Best Leadoff Hitter in Baseball. He is a huge factor in the Years Ortiz and Gonzo are having. He just got selected to his first All Star Game and is well Deserving.
5. Jon Lester - At times this year he hasn't seemed his dominant self but the numbers don't lie and Lester leads he Team with 10 Wins and ha a not so shabby 105 K's and a 3.45 ERA. Beckett and even Buchholz have seemed more Dominant then Lester this year but his numbers are right up there with the Best Pitchers in the AL.
Five Down:
1. J.D. Drew - What can you say, the guys been Terrible this year. I'd rather see them continue to throw out the young kids and just get rid of Drew like they did with Cameron. Drew is batting .231 with just 18 RBI and 4 HR's. It is pretty pethetic figuring he is one of the highest paid players on the Team and he's being outplayed by Minor Leaguers. 
2. Mike Cameron - The only reason Drew was Ranked Higher is because he's still on the Team. At least the Red Sox reconized they needed to cut Cameron. He was aweful as the 4th outfielder this year.
3. John Lackey - What a Bust this guy has turned out to be. He has had maybe 3 good Starts all season. He has an absolutely brutel 6.81 ERA. He maybe the next to go from this Team with such great young Talent behind him in the Red Sox organization.
4. The Bullpen - I'm not gonna try to single one guy out, the entire Bullpen has been bad this year. Sure Papelbon is doing good but his ERA is a bit high for an "Elite" Closer. And after that they are so bad it makes Paps look bad. Guys like Jenks and Albers have been Nightmares and where the hell is Bard? This Bullpen is gonna be the Death of the Sox if they don't improve it.
5. Daisuke Matsuzaka - Remember this guy? Well it's ok cause he has probably played his last Game as a Red Sox. He missed the Start of the Season due to Injury, came back and performed Awefully and then went on the 60 Day DL. I have always been a Dice K defender but I can't do it this year.
Tim Amara 7/5/11 12:37am
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I'm Coming Home
I'm sure I'm Late to the Party on this one cause it was posted on Bruins.com a couple days after they Won the Cup but I just watched it for the first time and I must say what an Absolutely Amazing Video of the Boston Bruins Winning the Stanley Cup. This Video has Terrific behind the scenes Clips of the Celebration and Plane Ride back to Boston. Plus an Amazing Song "I'm Coming Home" by Diddy Dirty Money. There is no way you can watch this video without getting Goosebumbs.
Tim Amara 6/27/11 4:18pm
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What's on my Mind 6/27 - Red Sox Edition
1. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been extremely Impressed by Andrew Miller. It looks like Theo found another young Stud. Miller is off to an Impressive start with the Red Sox after Dominating the Minors through the first couple months of the season. Miller is now 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in 2 starts. He pitched the last 3 seasons in Florida where he was average at Best but has always been considered an elite prospect even being compared to Randy Johnson. It looks like he may have finally turned the corner and will begin to live up to the Billing. With him now a staple in the rotation the Red sox have a Great Rotation lined up all under the age of 30 with Beckett, Buchholz, Lester, Miller and who ever replaces Lackey not to far from now. The Red Sox Rotation continues to get better and better.
2. The MLB All Star Voting has been going on for a while now but I just filled out my first Ballot Tonight and I figured I'd let you in on who I Voted for. We'll keep it to the AL for discussing sake. I realistically Feel like four Red Sox are worthy of an All Star Vote. Obviously I Voted for Adrian Gonzalez at 1st and David Ortiz at DH. After that the debate is on but I feel like two more Sox should make the Team. In the OF I have Jacoby Ellsbury joining Toronto's Jose Bautista and New York's Curtis Granderson. Right now Texas' Josh Hamilton is a little ahead of Ellsbury in the Voting but in my opinion Ellsbury is more deserving, he is dominating right now. At 3rd I voted for Kevin Youkilis, right now A Rod is leading the voting but in my opinion it's only because it's A Rod. Youk is putting up comparable numbers to A Rod and also Texas' Adrian Beltre. I was tempted to Vote for my Boy Saltalamacchia at catcher cause honestly there are no great catchers in the AL but I went for New York's Russell Martin. I Voted for Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera at SS and New York's Robinson Cano at 2nd with Pedroia very close, that one was a toss up for me. He should make the Team as a reserve. If we could vote Pitchers I'd vote in Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon and Clay Buchholz. So there it is I voted for four Red Sox and I got eight going to the Game. Either way I'm sure the Red Sox will be well Represented in Arizona a few weeks from now.
3. We've got a likely World Series Preview coming up this week when the Red Sox Travel to Philly to Play the Phillies in an Interleague Series starting on Tuesday. The Red Sox are the AL's Best and the Phillies are the NL's Best at this point in the Season. They have the Best and second Best Starting Rotations in Baseball as well as two of the better Lineups in MLB. This is probably the only Interleague series that means something to me for the Red Sox simply because it will show how the Red Sox stack up compared to the "Record Wise" Best Team in MLB and a potential World Series Opponent. The Game 1 Pitching matchup should set the tone for the series as Sox Ace Josh Beckett faces off against Cliff Lee. This should be a Great Series and hopefully it will only be a Preview of a Bigger Series to come.
4. I still hear a lot of people saying that the Red Sox are weak at Catcher and that they should look to improve the position at the trade Deadline. Well have you people looked at the stats? If you combine Jared Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek's Stats so far this season they have 35 Runs scored which would put them 2nd in the MLB for Catchers, they have 8 HRs which is Top 10 in MLB for Catchers and they have 35 RBI which is good for 6th amongst Catchers. Sure the Sox don't have one premire Catcher who plays the majority of games like most teams but these two guys combined put up just as good of stats as any Team's Catchers in MLB. In my opinion Salty is gonna be a Stud in the Future. Him and Tek together are just fine for now and most likely next year Salty will take over full time and be a Great Catcher in this league. The RedSox are fine at catcher!
Tim Amara 6/27/11 2:20am
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What's on my Mind 6/25
1. We're only a little over a week removed from the Bruins Stanley Cup Victory yet I'm already thinking ahead to next season and the Biggest Question is of course, can the Bruins Repeat? A lot of people believe the NHL is the Toughest League to Repeat in, no one has done it since the 1990's. While I think the Bruins have some Potential Repeat Qulities in them that a lot of the previous Teams did not I also think there are things about the Bruins that make them likely to follow suit in not repeating as Champions. I think the Youth might be the Key either way. A lot of the Previous Cup Champions have had a lot of older players and after a long Playoff Run they're not ready to go the following season. The Bruins are extremely young and should be ready to Bounce back in just three short months. The Bruins also have the Best Goalie in the World and if he slips up they have a Top 10 Goalie in the NHL backing him up and he's only 25. Defense wins Championships and the Bruins got two of the Best Goalies in the League. My concern about the Bruins is are they mature and focused enough to Repeat. All season long the Bruins seemed to play better when their backs were against the wall, now don't get me wrong thats one of the things I loved about them but when things were going well and they were favored to Win they always seemed to come up a little short. I think the Montreal 
and Tampa Bay series in the Playoffs are the Best Examples. They fell behind in both series by losing Game 1 when they were the Favorites and were forced to climb back in the series. They had a chance to close out both series in Game 6 and couldn't do it, they had to take it to a Game 7. When the Bruins were in the Drivers seat in the Playoffs they seemed to play worse than when they had their Backs against the Wall and it was Do or Die. So what that means heading into next season is can the Bruins be as determained and Focused when everyone expects them to win? They will continue to be Praised through next season for winning this year's Cup and they will be expected to be right back in the Finals in 2012. Can they live up to that? Are they mature enough? I still don't think most of the guys have sobered up yet since winning the Cup. I know it's only been a week and a half but at some point they need to move on and get focused on preparing to Repeat and I'm not sure they can. These guys might be Partying until November. While I think the Bruins good Quilities will ultimately shine through and they will have a realistic chance of Repeating I don't think we should just assume that they will play with the same Intensity as they did last season when they had something to prove. It's human nature to loss alittle bit of your determaination after winning a Championship, that's why Repeating in Sports is so hard. So Instead of continuing to give them Credit and Praise for last season I'm challanging them to show me they got what it takes to Repeat. I figure they Play better when their challanged anyway.
2. This one might hurt Matty Dew alittle bit but why do they even bother airing the College World Series on ESPN? The NBA Draft got more viewers than these College World Series Games and it was the Worst NBA Draft maybe ever. No one watches the College World Series. Put it on ESPNU or something for the few people that actually wanna watch it, like the Mothers and Girlfriends of the Players. I came up with this thought cause I went to put on Sportscenter last night at 11 and the Virginia vs. South Carolina Game went into Extras and Sportscenter was on hold. What's up with that shit? I don't care about this Game and apparently based on ratings I'm not alone yet it's over taking Sportscenter. Once Sportscenter finally came on the College World Series got about 5 Minutes out of the hour, not exactly Final Four or BCS National championship coverage is it? Point Blank, no one cares, get this shit off ESPN!
3. Speaking of the NBA Draft, what a joke that was the other night. That was the Worst Draft I've ever seen. I couldn't even watch it actually. I probably watched less then an Hour of Coverage in all. I didn't even turn it on until pick #17 and I didn't miss a damn thing. Not one Elite Player was in this Class. By the Time we got to Round 2 even the ESPN Draft Analyst didn't know anything about most of the Players. Now with all that being said I think the Celtics made the most of their 
opportunity. In a Terrible Class the best thing to do is take seniors. Take Players who can step in right away and at least give you a few minutes off the Bench from day one. I think that JaJuan Johnson can be a day one starter at Center. It's not cause he's that Great but it's because let's be honest he might be better then Jermaine O'Neal who last time I checked is the only Center on the Celtics Roster. Johnson is a very good Defensive Player and is a pretty good shooter, he actually reminds me of a younger Jermaine O'Neal based on his Build and strengths as a Player. He certainly has an impressive looking resume. He was the Big Ten Player and Defensive Player of the Year Last season at Purdue. With Defense as his strength I think he could be the next Perk. He can Fill the same role Perk did for the last five years, Play Solid Defense and be the Fifth option on offense. He has been a Target of the Celtics throughout the Draft Process so they obviously like him alot. I don't know much about E'Twaun Moore but I know he's a Defensive Swingman. Which is what I wanted the Celtics to address most in this draft. They missed Tony Allen's Defense off the Bench a lot last year in the Playoffs and hopefully Moore can become the next TA. Again these guys are not gonna be All Stars, no one from this Draft might get to an All star game actually, but Johnson and Moore can be Good Players, they are Experienced, Leaders and know how to win, they are they Winnest Boilermakers in History. In a Draft that was almost impossible to come away with a Great Player the Celtics got a couple good ones with some potential, unlike the Draft itself the Celtics weren't half bad Thursday Night.
4. I think this Adrian Gonzalez to the Outfield for Interleague Play thing has been way overblown. Everywhere you look people wanna debate this one. People are all worried about him playing a few games in the outfield cause he might get injured or he might make an error here or there and cost the Sox a run. Well first of all if he makes a couple Errors, who cares? With him and Ortiz in the Lineup they will score more runs so even if they give up a few more, it will all even out. Second of all, of course I don't want to see him get Injured. He's the MVP of the League right now but you think he's gonna go hard out there in Right field? Absolutely not, He'll Play it safe for sure. So while everyone else wants to debate this right now I say just throw him out there. Clearly the Lineup is better with Gonzo and Ortiz in it. I'm pretty sure everyone is just over analyzing this and everything will be fine.
5. It sounds to me like the NFL Lockout is nearing an end. While as recently as two weeks ago I thought there was no chance we would have Training Camps open on time now I think we will not only have camps open on time but we will get a few weeks of Free Agency before hand. I'd bet this is settled in the next two weeks and after the 4th of July we will get Free Agency and it will be awesome cause everything will be fast and furious cause teams will only have a few weeks to get players in for the start of Camp. It's great that it looks like we are gonna get Football back soon cause I'm not sure I could've handled just Baseball for the next few months.
Tim Amara 6/25/11 2:04am
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Stanley Cup Champs
I never in my Life thought I'd see the day the Boston Bruins Win a Stanley Cup Championship. Just Five Years ago they were a Non Playoff Team seemingly going nowhere. Now they are your 2011 Stanley Cup Champions! Amazing! Absolutely Amazing! The Bruins are not my Favorite Boston Sports Team, that's been well Documented, so for me this doesn't feel the same way as a Patriots or even Celtics Championship would but at the same time it doesn't mean I don't Love it. I Love Boston and I Love when any of our Teams Wins a Championship. What this Bruins' Win means most to me is that it's another Championship for Boston and it continues the Dominance of Boston Sports. It means I have seen all Four Major Boston sports Teams Win a Championship. It seems like Winning Championships is easy in Boston recently but it was never like that before. For Example neither of my Grandfathers ever saw the Patriots or Red Sox 
Win a Championship, they saw plenty of Celtics and Bruins Championships but they never saw all Four Win it all and I've now seen all Four Win it all in the Last six and a half years. We are Extrememly Lucky to be Bostonians right now. It's the Greatest Sports City in the World and I'm Proud to have the Bruins really become a part of it now. This Bruins Team captured the Hearts of all Boston Fans the Last few months and we will never Forget it. It's this Era's First Bruins Championship, it will be put up there with the likes of the 2001 Patriots, 2004 Red Sox and 2008 Celtics. The Bruins created a Legecy this year that will always be implanted into Boston Sports History. Timmy Thomas established himself as a Boston sports Icon. When People think of the 1972 Bruins it's Bobby Orr, when you think of the 1986 Celtics it's Larry Bird, in 25 Years when we think back to the 2011 Bruins it's gonna be Timmy Thomas. Guys like Bergeron, Seidenberg, Marchand, Krejci, and Horton put their names into Elite Company with the likes of Brady, Bruschi, Branch, Pierce, KG, Rondo, Manny, Beckett, Schilling, and so many more as Boston Sports Playoff Legends. This Bruins Team was Amazing, I can't say it enough! The Group of guys they had was Incredible. Led by the Veterens like Chara, Recchi, and Thornton this was a Tough, Resilient Hockey Team. Exactly the Type of Team that Boston is all about.
Sure I've followed the Bruins over the Last 15 Years but no Bruins Team has ever sucked me in like this one did, even before they got deep in the Playoffs, this team was Great all season long. They were Fun to watch! This year the Bruins made me Enjoy Hockey more then I ever have before. I'm extremely excited that the Bruins Finally Joined in on the Winning and Success here in Boston Sports. I have a Feeling this Group will be adding to the Championship Success of Boston moving forward. They have a young nucleus of Players that now have Championship Experience. This was a Special Team that will always be remembered. The Bruins have Finally Arrived to the Boston Sports Scene. Congratulations to the Boston Bruins, 2011 Stanley Cup Champions!
Tim Amara 6/17/11 3:55am
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Boston Beatdown
What a Great Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals that was Last Night! Now I haven't watched a ton of Hockey in my Life and everyone knows that but for what it's worth that was definatly one of the Best Bruins Games I have ever Seen! The Intensity was there all night long, there were Fights and Scrums, and Yappin' and Taunting, it was Fuckin' Awesome! Let me go on record and say I Loved the Finger Biting Taunts by the Bruins. It reminded me of the Patriots doing the Flying Eagle Taunts in Super Bowl XXXIX. There's nothing wrong with a little Taunting when your 
Kicking your opponents Ass! Other than the Great Intensity there was a lot of other things to love about last nights Game. Timmy Thomas absolutely stood on his Head. The Final Score won't show it but this was a 1-0 Game mid way through the second period and Timmy Thomas was not gonna let the Canucks get ahead in this Game. Timmy the Tank made at least 3 Amazing saves when this Game was still up fo Grabs. Thomas has been Great in this Series and will have to continue playing that way if the Bruins are gonna keep Winning. The Bruins defense was also a Big Help to Thomas in this Game. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Siedenberg Played Great. They smacked around the Sedin Sisters all night long, it was clear early on that the Sedin's couldn't handle the Pressure and were completely off their Game. How about the Scoring! This Team has struggled to Score all season long and last night they Exploded! It looks like they finally figured out Roberto Luongo. Sure it took them a while to get going but once they did they were off. That Third Goal scored by Brad Marchand was Incredible! That Goal actually got me out of my Seat, that was probably the most Excited I've ever got for a Hockey Game. For the First Time in this Series I thought David Krejci finally showed up. I was wondering where he was in Vancouver, It seemed like I never heard his name but in Game 3 he scored a Goal and picked up an assist. Hopefully this will be the Game that will get him going in this series. The Bruins became the First Team Ever to Score 4 Goals in both the second and third periods of a Stanley Cup Finals Game. They were out to Embarrass the 
Canucks and they did just that. Once it got to 5-1 with about 10 Minutes left in the Game the Bruins could have ran out the clock but instead they Poured it on! The one negitive aspect of this Game was the Injury to Nathan Horton on a Cheap Shot from Canucks Defenseman Aaron Rome. That was a scary moment. You never want to see a Player lay motionless on the Ice. It looks like he is gonna be ok but he will be out for the Rest of the Stanley Cup Finals. Horton has been Great for the B's all season Long and he will be missed for sure. Back to Rome and the Cheap Shot Artist Canucks. Is there a more Hateable Team in Sports right now? I don't even hate the Heat, Jets or Canadians as much as these Dirty Shit Bags! The Canucks are Arrogant, Cocky, Smug pieces of Shit! Borrows and LaPierre are the Biggest Scumbags of them all! I think the Canucks demeanor in Games 1 and 2 and the Dirty Hit on Horton gave the B's that extra motivation needed to Performance the way they did Last Night. It was definatly a Factor in that Game. The Bruins clearly don't like the Canucks and they sent a message in Game 3. I just Hope in Game 4 the Bruins will be able to replicate that Game 3 Effort and give the Canucks another Absolute Beatdown.
Tim Amara 6/8/11 12:32am
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What's on my Mind 6/4
1. I Love that the Patriots got together for a Players only Mini Camp this week. I think it will go a long way in preparing them for the upcoming season. Two things that really stuck out to me were that Tom Brady reportedly put it together and that some of the Rookies showed up. Tom Brady's Offseason Leadership has been questioned the last few years but he has done a Great Job leading the Team so far this Offseason. As for the Rookies, they are the ones who are gonna lose the most by not having an official NFL Offseason so by some of the Patriots Rookies showing up and learning things from the Vets is gonna fill the void just a bit which could ultimatly help them a lot.
2. Carl Crawford is Clutch. Matty Dew has been pumpin' the "Walkoff Crawf" adage for a while now but even beyond the walkoffs the guy has been getting big hits almost every other day since May 1st it seems. He started off the season a little shacky in April but has absolutely turned it around and his getting big hit after big hit. Just in the last week he has 2 game winning hits, not Walkoffs but Go ahead Late Inning hits.
3. In hind sight one of the Big reasons the Red Sox weren't a very good Team last season was because of the Injury and subsequent absence of Jacoby Ellsbury. This occured to me the other night after watching Ellsbury produce a Run pretty much all by himself. He got a Single, then stole 2nd base, then moved up to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on an Adrian Gonzalez ground out. A True Lead off Hitter is what the Red Sox missed last season. Ellsbury is having one of the best statistical seasons in the MLB right now. He is a Game Changer on the Base pads. He is a Difference maker in the Lineup and it's really becoming evident this year just how valueable he is to the Red Sox.
4. The Bruins will win Game 2 Tonight. Just wanted to get that out of the way for all you Panicking Bruins Fans. I could not believe how pissed and worried some Fans were after that Game 1 Lose. I know this whole thing is new to the Bruins Fans but take it from a Celtics Fan who's been through this before. A Game 1 Lose on the Road in a Seven Game Series is nothing to worry about, especially with the way the Bruins Played in the Game, from what I saw the Bruins controlled that Game most of the way and looked like the better team. It's a long series, the Bruins will take Tonight's Game and then head home for a pair and a chance to go up 3-1. I'm sticking with my original Prediction, the Bruins close this out in 6.
5. Sorry ESPNBoston.com but I have to do it. Someone got a little ahead of themselves earlier this afternoon and credit the Red Sox with an easy 7-3 Win over the A's but as I type this I'm watching an 8-8 Tie in the 14th and the Fans in attendance are gonna be cutting it close to catching the start of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals if this thing doesn't end soon. I'm sure not too many fans caught this but I did and I gotta call ya out ESPNBoston, as Matty Dew would say, get better!
Tim Amara 6/4/11 6:11pm
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Stanley Cup Finals
I'm not a Huge Hockey Guy but since CSBS Hockey Expert King Whalen has been AWOL for the last month I figured I try to give you a little preview of the Bruins vs. Canucks Stanley Cup Finals. In my opinion there are 3 Keys to the Bruins Winning the Series. The First is Goalie Timmy Thomas has to Play the Series of his Life. The Bruins have the ability to score and if Thomas can hold the Canucks to under 2 Goals a Game the Bruins should have no Problem 
winning this Series. I'm not saying Thomas has to Stand on his Head and shut down the Canucks, he just has to more consistant. He can't have games like he did in the Lightning Series where he gave up 5 and 6 Goals. The Bruins are 8-2 in the Playoffs when the opponent is held under 2 Goals. Timmy Thomas has to consistantly hold the Canucks to 2 Goals or Less in this series and the Bruins will be well on there way. The second Key is Nathan Horton needs to score the Puck. As my CSBS Colleague Matty Dew pointed out in his Blog on Saturday the Bruins are 8-0 in the Playoffs when Horty Scores a goal. I believe Nathan Horton is one of the more talented scorers on the Team and it's no coincidence he has scored two Game Winners in the Playoffs. When the other Teams Goalie is playing Great Horty still finds a way to get one by him. Horton was a huge addition to the Bruins this offseason and he has already payed major Dividends for this Team and I have a feeling he will keep it going in the Stanley Cup Finals. Before I get to the Third Key one thing that a lot of people might see as a Key to the Series that I don't is Improving the Power Play. People have said they need to Improve the PP before every series and yet they haven't and they still won. They got past Montreal, Philly, and Tampa Bay with a Terrible Power Play and so they can get past Vanouver with a Terrible Power Play too. My Third Key is the Bruins Defense. The Bruins Defense led by Zdano Chara and Dennis Seidenberg must contain the Sedin Twins. Both Henrik and Daniel Sedin are two of the Best Players in the NHL, they are Legit scoring Machines. While only meeting about once a year the Sedin Twins have struggled against the Bruins in the Past. Chara and Seidenberg play tough physical Hockey and that type of Defense usually throws off the Sedin Twins. The Bruins Defense needs to continue their great Play on the Sedin Twins and if they do the Bruins could be walking away Champions. There are a few other Keys to the Bruins Winning the Series like getting Tyler Seguin more Minutes, getting Milan Lucic going, getting to Roberto Luongo early but to me if the Bruins can just take care of the Three Main Keys then in about two weeks from now they will be Hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.
Tim Amara 5/31/11 12:26am
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Dream Team
The Boston Bruins are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals! I never thought I'd be able to say that in my Lifetime. If you asked me back in 2005 I would have told you it is gonna be a long time before the Bruins get to the Finals, probably not even in my Life. But low and behold Six years later the Bruins are preparing to play the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals. It may not have seemed significant back in 2006 but it's very evident now that the Hirings of GM Peter Chiarelli and Coach Claude Julien is what really turned around this Franchise. The Franchise was Starving for stability and talented Hockey Players. Since then Chiarelli has brought in a Group of Players that represents some of the Best Talent in the NHL. Players like Bergeron, Lucic, Horton, Seidenberg, Ryder and Krejci have become the Stars of this Team along with Veterens Chara, Thomas and Recchi and then of course there's Rookie Sensation Tyler Seguin. The Talent was put into place and despite a lot of critisism from Boston Media and Fans (including myself) Claude Julien did a Great Job developing all the young talent. Julien implimented a System that has worked terrifically with this Group. The Bruins have made the Playoffs four years in a row under Julien and improved every year. The only problem was that it seemed like every year in the 
Playoffs the Bruins would rip out the hearts of their Fans by getting knocked out of the Playoffs in some of the worst ways, blowing Series leads, losing Home Game 7's, going into scoring droughts, you name it. Their Toughness and Clutchness was questioned and rightfully so. That's where the Hiring of Former Bruins Player Cam Nelly as President this past offseason came in. This year was different, from day one to right now. Cam brought a Presence. He knew how Bruins Hockey was supposed to be Played. He tought the Team how to be Tough. The Bruins, thanks to Chiarelli, were one of the most talented Teams in the NHL. Thanks to Julien they were effective on the Ice and thanks to Cam they pulled it all together and became Clutch. They are back to Playing Boston Bruins Hockey. Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs credited Chiarelli for creating a "Dream Team", well before any of that was possible Jacobs himself had to build a Dream Team, in the Front Office and it looks like he did just that with Peter Chiarelli, Claude Julien, and Cam Neely.
Tim Amara 5/30/11 4:32am