tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-174065322011-08-22T10:04:34.653-04:00The thoughts of a Yankee fan in the heart of Red Sox Nation.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.comBlogger851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-499354015033402302011-05-03T20:35:00.002-04:002011-05-03T20:40:38.983-04:00

Yes, I know, I need to get over the disappointing outcome of the Canadiens - Bruins series, but the Boston sports media isn't letting it go so I'm not either. Here are a few post-mortem thoughts:It's very difficult to win a playoff series when you can't score 5 on 5. The Canadiens last scored an even strength goal in Game 5, and credit the Bruins and Tim Thomas with shutting them down in the

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-75465652920692902982011-04-26T15:08:00.001-04:002011-04-26T15:11:13.031-04:00

If you're a Vancouver Canucks fan, you can't feel good about the goaltending situation going into Game 7 versus the Chicago Blackhawks this evening at GM Place. Corey Schneider was the surprise starter in favor of Roberto Luongo in Game 6 and that decision backfired as Schneider mishandled the puck twice, both instances leading to goals, and was unable to stop a penalty shot (a play in which he

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-78020021628377781852011-04-21T20:03:00.009-04:002011-04-21T22:05:21.595-04:00

This post is a game blog of tonight's Habs - Bruins match up at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Canadiens' coach Jacques Martin said after Game 3 that he noticed in the morning skate that his team wasn't mentally ready. As someone who coaches mental performance, I find it hard to fathom that professional hockey players wouldn't be ready to compete at their best, but of course it happens. The

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-70663446424331171602011-04-15T08:57:00.002-04:002011-04-15T09:00:53.925-04:00

Coming into Game 1 of the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Carey Price had lost his last eight playoff starts and hadn't won a playoff game since the Spring of '08. Well, that was a different Carey Price than the one we've seen in 2010-11. This season, Price has relished his role as the number 1 goaltender and appears to be far more confident on and off the ice as he started 72

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-90899706013467793112011-04-09T18:42:00.003-04:002011-04-09T18:54:55.081-04:00

It's almost playoff time in the NHL, and I'm here with my 9 year-old friend who is going by the pseudonym "Johann Bulukis" so that he can maintain anonymity, and we're going to preview the playoff field. We are experimenting with a chat format just like one of our favorite blogs, The Kurtenblog.Brian: So the playoffs are starting next week. Who are you picking to win it all?Johann: Well, I

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-2152722607235243722011-04-09T08:42:00.001-04:002011-04-09T08:43:30.970-04:00

The NHL Playoffs are around the corner and the Canadiens are entering the fray with some very mixed results over the last month. They went a week without scoring and then in their next game scored two goals in 11 seconds - bizarre. But that's been the signature of this team all season - inconsistent (except in goal) and tough to figure out from game to game. Now the playoffs are here and it

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-65195960297926934852011-04-04T22:38:00.002-04:002011-04-04T22:42:07.244-04:00

I find it interesting that we as tennis fans seemingly want Roger Federer to retire and go away because he's starting to lose somewhat consistently to his two main rivals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Perhaps I'm overstating the position, but when I hear commentators discussing whether or not Roger will want to stick around now that he is losing these matches or read the comments of various

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-84239002700396023412010-04-17T21:37:00.003-04:002010-04-17T21:45:31.063-04:00

Some random thoughts after watching sports over the last week:It’s hard to believe the Canadiens team playing the Capitals this week is the same one that limped into the playoffs. After a nervous first period on Thursday night, they have consistently looked like the better team in the first two games. For the Caps, it’s deja vu as they lost the first two games to the NY Rangers in the first

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-383122680581183672007-09-03T11:06:00.000-04:002007-09-03T11:08:39.107-04:00

Here are a few random thoughts on the first week of the US Open.I remain surprised at the display of nerves from the top women's players when they are in winning situations. After winning eight games in a row and going up 2-0 in the third set in her third round match, I was shocked to hear Maria Sharapova say that she didn't like it was her day on the court.While Andy Roddick may be playing well

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-61871917287404879642007-08-20T22:07:00.000-04:002007-08-20T22:15:08.629-04:00

At what point in an athlete's career is it appropriate to have a book written about him or her? In the case of Roger Federer, one of the world's leading tennis journalists, Rene Stauffer of Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger and Sonntags-Zeitung, wanted to write a book on the Swiss genius soon after his first Wimbledon triumph in 2003, but the player and his family decided that it was too early in his

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-4400009898261919832007-08-11T18:52:00.000-04:002007-08-11T18:58:40.523-04:00

All of a sudden, the Red Sox lead over the Yankees has shrunk to a measly 5 games, and the Bombers are percentage points behind Seattle for the wild card. If the Yanks form continues, it appears a near certainty that they'll make the playoffs. The question for Yankee fans will then become, can this team win the World Series for the first time since 2000?The answer is "doubtful". I've been

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-83412940540912297702007-08-11T18:21:00.000-04:002007-08-11T19:01:07.278-04:00

The 2007 Rogers Masters in Montreal saw the return of Britain's Andy Murray to the ATP Tour after being on the sidelines since May with a wrist injury, and the results were decidedly mixed. The young Scot managed to squeak out a victory versus American underachiever Robby Ginepri in the first round before being humbled by Italian qualifier Fabio Fagnini, 6-2, 6-2. Obviously, this wasn't the

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-86084532015498175372007-07-08T21:57:00.000-04:002007-07-08T21:58:30.011-04:00

Winning tennis matches often comes down to a few key moments in a contest and the player who seizes the opportunities presented in those moments emerges victorious. In Sunday's Wimbledon Men's Singles championship match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Federer was that player and thus captured his fifth consecutive Wimbledon crown equaling the Open Era record of the great Bjorn Borg.On

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-86536950737823985762007-06-24T22:48:00.000-04:002007-06-24T22:50:39.283-04:00

The 2007 Championships at Wimbledon are upon us and the major theme of the men's event is Roger Federer's quest for a fifth consecutive title to equal the Open Era mark set by Bjorn Borg. Federer is a huge favorite to capture title number five and seemingly no one stands in his way. The Swiss' dominance on grass is well chronicled, and the lack of a competitive tune-up event shouldn't worry him

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-86059077194169285212007-06-13T23:40:00.000-04:002007-06-13T23:41:38.681-04:00

It's been a few days since Rafael Nadal won his third consecutive French Open title by defeating Roger Federer in four sets, and I can't shake this feeling of deja vu. With a few exceptions, wasn't this just about the same match that we saw in 2006? That thought prompted me to go back and re-read what I wrote about the 2006 final, and I discovered that other than a few factual updates, the

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-92208420870352349952007-06-10T00:36:00.000-04:002007-06-10T00:37:06.007-04:00

It's a good thing I don't make a living as a prognosticator of tennis matches or else I would be living in a cardboard box next to my local subway station asking passersby if they had seen Svetlana Kuznetsova's tennis game, since she clearly misplaced it in her quarterfinal match versus Ana Invanovic. Although my recent French Open predictions were of their usual low quality, even I was able to

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-13024198835803750422007-06-04T23:06:00.000-04:002007-06-04T23:09:14.810-04:00

After Monday's matches at Roland Garros, the men have reached the quarterfinal round of the French Open. Let's take a look at the match-ups from the quarters through the final on Sunday.Roger Federer (1) vs. Tommy Robredo (9)While Tommy Robredo is certainly an accomplished clay court player, he's had very little luck with Roger Federer on the surface. His career record versus the Swiss Master

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-12643430708698829722007-06-03T23:54:00.000-04:002007-06-03T23:56:19.911-04:00

The ladies have reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros so it's time to take a look at the match-ups and predict a winner for the 2007 French Open.Justine Henin (1) vs. Serena Williams (8)At the top of the draw is the marquee encounter of the tournament and it's one worthy of being a final. Serena leads the head-to-head 6-3, but they haven't played each other on clay since their infamous

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-86255890395895109202007-06-03T15:16:00.000-04:002007-06-03T23:57:00.594-04:00

American MenThe first few days of the 2007 French Open were dominated by rain and if you were an American male tennis player, you probably wished the rain had never stopped. Not a single American man was able to advance beyond the first round, including the world's number 3 player Andy Roddick, in an amazing display of incompetence on clay. American struggles at Roland Garros have been well

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-8090455114919519412007-05-23T22:35:00.000-04:002007-05-23T22:37:27.368-04:00

With less than a week to go before the French Open begins in Paris, uncertainty reigns in the women's game perhaps more than ever. Over the past 30 years, tennis fans have become accustomed to a very small number of women dominating the game at any one time. Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles owned the tour during their respective careers from the mid-70's through

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-61475099213768324772007-05-21T23:05:00.000-04:002007-05-22T10:55:29.240-04:00

Now that Roger Federer has managed to finally trip up Rafael Nadal on clay, the operative question becomes, what will happen at Roland Garros? Prior to last week's ATP Master Series Hamburg event, a third consecutive triumph in Paris for Rafael Nadal appeared to be a near certainty. Victories in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome solidified the Spaniard's standing as El Rey del Clay and quite

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-8406212223976950042007-05-15T22:37:00.000-04:002007-05-15T22:42:43.948-04:00

With his impressive performance in the semifinals of the ATP Master Series Rome event versus Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko has all of a sudden put himself on the radar screen as a potential winner at Roland Garros when it starts in a couple of weeks. The Russian, currently ranked number 4 in the world, had Nadal on the ropes, both physically and mentally, but just couldn't close the deal when

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-91127933687612466312007-05-14T21:31:00.000-04:002007-05-14T21:32:04.115-04:00

Another clay court tournament, another victory for El Rey del Clay, Rafael Nadal - that seems to be the script these days and there doesn't appear to be anything from stopping the kid on his way to his third consecutive triumph in Paris at Roland Garros. Yesterday, Rafa earned his third consecutive ATP Masters Series Rome victory, a feat which had been unachieved in the event's long history,

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-32127505998092043882007-03-31T15:47:00.000-04:002007-03-31T15:55:55.312-04:00

A few random thoughts on the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.Federer - CañasWhat's the deal with Roger Federer losing to Guillermo Cañas again in a Master Series event? At the time, Cañas' victory in Indian Wells appeared to be an anomaly with Federer playing poorly and looking disinterested. He also had an issue with a blister on his foot. One would have thought that Federer would relish the

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-45480822811172146492007-01-15T18:53:00.000-05:002007-01-15T18:56:05.975-05:00

For a while last night, it looked like Andy Roddick might go down in the first round of the Australian Open, and I can't tell you how overcome with glee I was at that prospect. That result would have destroyed my men's tournament bracket on the Tennis Channel website, but so what? I won't win that anyway and a Roddick loss would be oh so satisfying. Why do I dislike Andy so? A few reasons

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-41981422104200296692007-01-13T16:08:00.000-05:002007-01-13T16:16:02.253-05:00

The first Grand Slam Event of the 2007 tennis season, the Australian Open, begins soon, and with both the Men's and Women's draws in hand, let's play the role of prognosticator and analyze the field. As we did for our US Open preview, we'll note a player's seeding in parentheses, and we'll also refer to each quarter of the draw by the highest seeded player in that section.MenFor the men, the top

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-16099713504909029372007-01-06T10:40:00.000-05:002007-01-06T10:44:31.428-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I've read a few articles decrying Sports Illustrated's choice for 2006 Sportsman of the Year, Dwyane Wade, rather than tennis superstar Roger Federer. While I don't disagree with the premise that Federer is a more deserving candidate based on his 2006 accomplishments, and his graciousness on and off court, I'm completely unsurprised by SI's choice. Tennis is a

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-8054969873689881942006-11-25T10:53:00.000-05:002006-11-25T10:57:34.232-05:00

I've received a few queries over the last couple of months asking if Rafael Nadal has lost his winning touch. Since reaching the Wimbledon final in early July and up until the ATP Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, Nadal had not advanced beyond the quarterfinals of any event he played and his losses have not come against the true elite of the game. That's hardly the performance you would expect

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1156552940345923432006-08-25T20:35:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:14.639-05:00

The US Open draw was released a few days ago and since everyone loves previews, let’s take a look at the draw in detail. Where applicable, I will note a player's seeding in parentheses. At first blush, it appears that the toughest quarter of the draw is Ivan Ljubicic’s (3), with such contenders as Andy Roddick (9), Richard Gasquet (25), Marcos Baghdatis (8) and Lleyton Hewitt (15) lurking.

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1155327953338535092006-08-11T16:25:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:14.148-05:00

This post is a little overdue, but what the heck – here goes. I don’t know about other Yankee fans, but I was more than a little perturbed by the “managerial genius” of Cleveland Indians skipper Eric Wedge last week during the Tribe’s stay in Boston. Wedge single-handedly turned a four game sweep by his Indians into a 2-2 split with the Sox thus depriving the Yanks of a couple of extra games

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1152588861195700072006-07-10T23:31:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:13.838-05:00

As sports fans, we all have our favorite sports, favorite events, favorite teams and favorite athletes. When one of our beloved events is happening or one of our revered athletes is in action, it’s usually a special day. For me, Sunday was one of those special days that a sports fan looks forward to as I (my favorite senior tennis player) was in the final of a local tennis tournament, Rafael

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1152152712508860722006-07-05T22:13:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:13.589-05:00

To continue with our World Cup thoughts, let’s look at some of the teams that didn’t make the WC Final Four.United States – The quarterfinal finish at the 2002 World Cup most likely created unrealistic expectations for the 2006 edition of the US National Team and that may explain the reaction of the media and the fans to the first round exit in Germany. Although the US has been ranked in the top

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1152044522347178592006-07-04T16:21:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:13.326-05:00

With the first of the World Cup semifinals taking place today (Italy vs. Germany), the time seems appropriate to comment on the tournament thus far. Let’s start by reviewing the progress of the four semi-finalists.Germany – It’s been no secret in international soccer that the German national team has been in decline for several years despite their second place finish at the 2002 World Cup in

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1151891380191937032006-07-02T21:48:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:13.097-05:00

Between a busier than usual work schedule and World Cup soccer viewing, it’s been a while since I posted. Now that Wimbledon has completed its first week, it’s time to share some thoughts on the happenings of Week One of the Championships.In the spirit of full disclosure, I haven’t seen much of the tennis this past week, but I did catch the Andre Agassi – Rafael Nadal match twice yesterday (once

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1150074064117278202006-06-11T21:00:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:12.739-05:00

Coming into today’s Men’s final at Roland Garros, the two combatants, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, were pursuing their own versions of history. Federer hadn’t lost a match in a major (don’t call it a Grand Slam or Bud Collins will spank you) since last year’s semifinal defeat at the hands of Nadal. With a win in the final, Federer would hold all four majors at one time, thus completing a “

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1148759077554785702006-05-27T15:42:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:12.400-05:00

The men’s and women’s singles draws for the 2006 French Open were revealed yesterday, and it appears that the top two men’s seeds, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, avoided tricky early round encounters. Of course, with the state of men’s tennis today, there may not be a player out there who can derail the seemingly inevitable final between Federer and Nadal. The biggest surprise of this

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1148157315499006152006-05-20T16:34:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:12.104-05:00

In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, golf tournaments that did not involve world number one, Tiger Woods, suffered lower attendance, lower television ratings and less media attention. The other players on the PGA Tour appeared to play at a level a cut below Woods and thus were viewed as lesser players. Are we seeing a similar phenomenon in tennis with tournaments that don’t have Roger Federer and/

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1147663102232426232006-05-14T23:06:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:11.680-05:00

Today’s ATP Master Series Rome final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was worthy of being dubbed an “instant classic” and thus I would like to present my match notes in full rather than just the usual summary. After the notes, I’ll analyze the day’s events and what they mean for each player. On to the match …· From the outset, it appears that Federer is directing his forehand

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1147485203807376122006-05-12T21:51:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:11.424-05:00

Yankees – Red SoxThe Red Sox and Yankees hooked up for a 3 game set this week, and the boys in pinstripes not only lost two of three, they also came out of the series with some serious questions that need to be addressed if the team is to reach its potential.What’s wrong with Randy Johnson? Is it mechanics? Age? Confidence? All of these? Whatever the reason, the Big Unit hasn’t been the dominant

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1146528938703841842006-05-01T20:15:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:11.159-05:00

The Outback Champions Tour made a stop in the Boston area this weekend at the Bosse Sports Club in Sudbury, and by all accounts, the event was a big hit with both players and fans. The Champions Tour is made up of players who have participated in a Grand Slam final and/or have been ranked in the top 5 in the world. Former world number one and multiple Grand Slam winner Jim Courier is the driving

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1146266822118963592006-04-28T19:23:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:10.692-05:00

There’s been a bit of an uproar in tennis circles this week as Wimbledon announced that the total prize money for the Men’s singles winner would be larger than that for the Ladies champion, and thus would be the only tennis Grand Slam that does not offer equal prize money. The difference between the two is only $53,000, so Wimbledon’s declaration of un-equal prize money appears to be symbolic

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1145832698199777432006-04-23T18:48:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:08:10.497-05:00

It hasn’t been very often that the numbers 1 and 2 players in the world confront each other in the final of the Monte Carlo event. The last time was 1985 when Ivan Lendl defeated Mats Wilander. Twenty-one years later, the fans at the Monte Carlo Country Club were treated to an excellent final between the world’s two best players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with Nadal prevailing in 4 sets,

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1145321486746619932006-04-17T20:48:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:41.673-05:00

Last week, I was watching a local sports show and the state of professional tennis was a topic on the agenda. The discussion centered around what was wrong with the professional game in the US and what should be done about it. While many of the questions/issues put forth were legitimate, the treatment of them was superficial and, if anything, did more to promote popular misconceptions rather than

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1145138940335018622006-04-15T17:55:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:41.332-05:00

We're back for our final installment of the Canada - Soviet Series of 1972. Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't read them. This post includes the final 2 games of the Series in Moscow.Game 7 – Moscow – Soviets lead series 3-2-1· Some lineup notes for Game 7Valery Kharlamov is out with an ankle injury courtesy of Bobby Clarke.Tony Esposito is in net for Team Canada with Ed

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1144589402962418882006-04-09T09:29:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:40.979-05:00

In 1985, Providence College hired Rick Pitino to be to be the head coach for its Men’s Basketball program, replacing legendary coach Joe Mullaney. Mullaney had made Providence a New England and National hoop powerhouse, leading the Friars to NIT titles in 1961 and 1963, as well as nine 20 win seasons. Mullaney left Providence as its all-time winningest coach with 319 victories, but in the 1984-

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1144116996304188152006-04-03T22:00:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:40.398-05:00

Since there was such a positive response to my first post on the historic Canada - Soviet hockey series of 1972, I decided to expand my commentary and break up the last 4 games into 2 separate posts. This post will cover Games 5 and 6 in Moscow. The next post will cover Games 7 and 8, and some additional thoughts/observations on the series overall.If you haven't read Part 1, you can read it

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1144012923880001092006-04-02T17:18:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:39.349-05:00

The men’s and women’s finals at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida were relatively routine victories for Roger Federer and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Of course for Kuznetsova, winning a title of this magnitude is far from routine business as she’s only won one title since her 2004 US Open victory. She admitted this week that perhaps that first Grand Slam title came too early in her career

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1143687240911389942006-03-29T21:51:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:39.072-05:00

Finally, I've managed to finish the next installment of my Sports Broadcasters list. Here’s a link to Part 1 from early December, and just to refresh your memory, I’m listing the broadcasters, for better or worse, who have affected my experience as a sports fan.Keith Jackson – When I hear Keith Jackson’s voice, I automatically think College Football and I don’t believe I’m alone in that. Back in

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1143601789981611802006-03-28T22:05:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:38.761-05:00

The era of electronic line calling has arrived in tennis albeit on a selectively limited basis, and I for one, believe it is a good thing. The Nasdaq-100 open in Key Biscayne, Florida is the first official ATP and WTA tour event to employ the Hawk-Eye technology on its stadium courts which will allow players to “challenge” line calls. Players are allocated two challenges per set – sort of. If

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1142815174618439502006-03-19T19:32:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:38.424-05:00

Finals weekend at Indian Wells was on the anti-climactic side with only one truly competitive match out of the four that were played on Saturday and Sunday. Also disappointing was the fact that our reporter in California, Patrick, didn’t stick around for the last two days of the tournament, and instead returned to the frigid Northeast just in time to catch the women’s final on ESPN2. Apparently

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1142711483426441782006-03-18T14:46:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:38.115-05:00

Friday was a jam-packed day of exciting tennis at Indian Wells with the women’s semi-finals and two of the men’s quarterfinals being played. Our intrepid reporter Patrick was in IW for all of the matches and we’ll get to his view on the events of the day a little further on, but first a review of the matches.The first match of the day was a women’s semi-final encounter between Martina Hingis and

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1142547964271725332006-03-16T17:23:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:37.868-05:00

Both the WTA Tour and the ATP Tour are in Indian Wells this week for one of the two big hardcourt events of the American Spring season. Behind Enemy Lines has been following the tournament closely both on TV and via the Internet, and we also have a correspondent in California giving us first hand accounts of various matches and other happenings at the tournament site.Thus far, the tournament has

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1142192085524093702006-03-12T14:30:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:37.588-05:00

File this under “Who cares”, but in anticipation of the Olympic Hockey tournament, I recently read "Cold War" by Roy McSkimming, which is a review of the Team Canada – Soviet Hockey Series from 1972. I’ve read several books on this important chapter in Canadian Hockey history, and this one got me intrigued enough to invest in the 4 DVD set of the eight game series. I had seen some highlights of

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1141510806220020702006-03-04T17:17:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:37.233-05:00

Okay, I’ll admit it upfront – I’m a Rafael Nadal Kool-Aid drinker. That was probably obvious from my Vamos Rafael piece from last fall, but I thought it was important to disclose that fact especially in light of what transpired in Dubai today. In his first final of 2006, and in only his second event since returning from a foot injury, Nadal defeated world number 1, Roger Federer, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1141267325833810322006-03-01T21:39:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:36.935-05:00

So who out there likes the idea of the World Baseball Classic? In a perfect world, it’s a great idea. To see the best players in the world giving their all for their country in a meaningful international tournament would be a great spectacle. Who wouldn’t want to see the stars from the US play the best from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela and Japan? Unfortunately, that’s not what we’

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1140973505993802652006-02-26T12:01:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:36.557-05:00

“Yankees Suck, Yankees Suck …”. You’ve heard the chant, you’ve seen the bumper stickers, you’ve seen the t-shirts. What’s the deal with this chant? Even here in Red Sox nation, “Yankees suck” is somewhat of a polarizing issue, with some believing that it’s a sign of solidarity among Sox fans everywhere, while others believe it’s an embarrassment because of what it says about the psychology of

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1140392309061901082006-02-19T18:35:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:36.114-05:00

Fans of North American hockey have to be a little worried by the events transpiring in Torino in the Olympic Hockey tournament. Both the US and Canada are struggling mightily to score goals and both teams could finish fourth in their pools. Of course, the goal of pool play is to get to the second round and it appears that the Americans and Canadians have done that, but each club could have a

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1139368560132503812006-02-07T22:13:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:35.796-05:00

The theme of Super Bowl XL can be summed up in one word: UGLY. The game was ugly, the officiating was ugly, the Rolling Stones were ugly and even some of the celebrated commercials were ugly. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t mind being ugly and in fact, they are damn comfortable with that.We’ve all heard the phrase “Winning Ugly”, but what does it mean? For the Steelers, it means

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1138589198824833082006-01-29T21:41:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:35.349-05:00

The number 7 has always been a special one in the world of sport, from the players who have worn it (Mantle, Elway, Beckham) to the seventh inning stretch to a Game 7 finale. On Sunday evening in Australia, Roger Federer reached seventh heaven as he captured his seventh Grand Slam title, and his second Australian Open title, with a four set victory over Marcos Baghdatis. Of course, no one expects

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1138469151356185632006-01-28T12:23:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:35.060-05:00

In a conclusion reminiscent of boxer Roberto Duran’s declaration of “no más” in the 8th round of his 1980 bout with Sugar Ray Leonard, Justine Henin-Hardenne quit with a stomach ailment early in the second set of the title match for the 2006 Australian Open, thus giving Amelie Mauresmo her first Grand Slam title. However, let the record show that this title was no gift from Henin-Hardenne.

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1138126066964978112006-01-24T13:07:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:34.520-05:00

Well, that prediction of Ivan Ljubicic advancing to the final of the Australian Open isn’t looking too good right now. Not only will Ljubicic not reach the final, he didn’t even reach the semifinal encounter with David Nalbandian that we had hoped for. Instead, Sanjit Korde look-a-like Marcos Baghdatis will oppose Nalbandian for a place in the final. Dare we choose a winner?We hope that our

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1138071253242920552006-01-23T21:52:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:34.149-05:00

What do you do if you’re Andy Roddick and you just made another early exit from a Grand Slam? Fire the coach? Maybe. Work harder? That doesn’t seem to be the problem. So what is the problem?The problem for Roddick in his loss to number 54 ranked, Marcos Baghdatis, was his positioning with respect to the baseline. Patrick McEnroe on ESPN2 correctly pointed out that Roddick was playing many

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1137863246778985882006-01-21T12:05:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:33.873-05:00

Venus and SerenaNot unexpectedly, Venus and Serena Williams both lost in the first week of the Australian Open, thus making this their worst performance in a major as a tandem. While I’m not a fan of the Sisters Williams, it is hard to watch their spotty performances over the last year or two and not wonder what’s going through their heads.After Venus’ first round loss and Serena’s third round

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1137543467258459852006-01-17T19:12:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:33.110-05:00

· How about that Peyton Manning? Have you ever seen a quarterback operate better under pressure? With such leadership skills? He manages the clock so efficiently at the end of the game and everyone seems to know his blocking assignments at all times. Seriously, who is a better teammate than this guy? Wouldn’t it be great if the Patriots could somehow finagle a trade for Manning? No? Oh…· Putting

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1137355743673045382006-01-15T15:07:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:32.867-05:00

The Patriots 2005-2006 season came to an end last night in a performance that was uncharacteristic for our perception of Patriots football. However this season has been different and the Patriots’ performance in Denver was a lurking possibility in my mind. Patriots fans were justifiably buoyant about the team’s chances entering the playoffs based on their manhandling of the last few opponents,

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1136565128468832822006-01-06T11:31:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:32.641-05:00

Some random thoughts on the Rose Bowl after letting it all sink in:· The USC – Texas match up was one of the most highly anticipated college games that I can remember, and it lived up to the hype. Neither set of fans could get comfortable with their team’s lead at any point in the game – except when it was over.· Was there any doubt that Vince Young was going to drive the Texas

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1135201625300390472005-12-21T16:45:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:32.383-05:00

Here’s Johnny!The Yankees somewhat quiet off-season just became more interesting with the acquisition of Johnny Damon on Tuesday evening. It appears that the Red Sox were too complacent in their dealings with Damon and that gave the Yankees an opening to aggressively pursue the self-proclaimed “best lead-off hitter in baseball”.Overall, I like this deal for the Yankees because it is a balance of

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1134945466592908922005-12-18T17:34:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:32.157-05:00

This column isn’t sports related, but instead is an answer to a question posed on another site: Sheriff Sully. To set the context, Sheriff Sully was in the midst of a fund raising campaign last week and one of his promotions was to engage in a blogging marathon: 20 posts in 48 hours. That’s a tough assignment and the Sheriff was looking for some ideas from readers and one of the suggestions was

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1133918341932159322005-12-06T20:16:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:31.840-05:00

Since the advent of sports broadcasting, there have been a number of professional broadcasters that have influenced our thoughts, our beliefs, and our feelings about our favorite teams and favorite players. I’ve always been interested in the world of sports broadcasting; anyone who knows me realizes this. So I decided to come up with a list of broadcasters that have affected me and my enjoyment

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1132015497617734642005-11-14T19:43:00.000-05:002006-11-11T12:06:31.450-05:00

Some thoughts on the weekend happenings on a late Monday:· The Revolution lost the MLS Cup yesterday to the LA Galaxy in Overtime, 1-0. With the Patriots also in action, the Kraft family chose to watch the Revs go for their first MLS title. Typically, I don’t watch MLS, but I tried to be interested since New England was involved. However, the quality of play was very poor and that made

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1130262053603760322005-10-25T13:39:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:31.104-05:00

I didn’t have the opportunity to watch many games this weekend, but I did see the exciting final of the ATP Masters Series Madrid tournament between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia. The match lasted nearly 4 hours and it was riveting stuff the entire time. The home crowd helped Nadal come back from 2 sets to love to win the match in a 5th set tiebreaker.If you haven’t seen

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1130161162412603402005-10-24T09:37:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:30.836-05:00

Look out everyone, here come the media to bury the umpires for another bad call that led to a team losing the game. The incident occurred in the seventh inning with Jermaine Dye at bat for the White Sox with two men on base. A 3-2 pitch came high and inside, and the home plate umpire declared that the pitch hit Dye thus awarding him first base and loading the bases. Television replays showed that

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1129569930295432572005-10-17T13:24:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:30.606-05:00

Late Saturday afternoon was a sports junkie’s delight as the 4 big networks all had dramatic games. For the most part, I was riveted to USC – Notre Dame on NBC. I am not a Notre Dame fan and never have been, and the fact that they have their own TV contract with NBC only fuels my dislike. Also, I’ve become a USC fan in the last few years probably because I want to see Pete Carroll do well

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1129302233490167152005-10-14T11:03:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:30.238-05:00

MelEarlier this week, in what may be the beginning of a slew of changes, Mel Stottlemyre resigned from his position as pitching coach of the New York Yankees. Citing the difficulty of pleasing two sets of masters, New York and Tampa, the classy pitching coach felt that he had tolerated enough and just didn’t want to go through the pain any longer. I don’t blame him at all. It has to be

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1129161503743711822005-10-12T19:55:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:30.018-05:00

Some random dispatches from behind enemy lines as I listen to the Canadiens on cjad.com:· I caught about 20 minutes of the Big Show on WEEI this afternoon. Today’s guest hosts were Steve Burton and Butch Stearns who are easily the dumbest sports media members in Boston. When Burton is on the show, the only portion of the program worth listening to is the Whiner Line in the hope that he

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1129052663287612342005-10-11T13:43:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:29.710-05:00

And so it ends. The 2005 Yankee season came to an end last night amidst a series of mental errors and general futility at the plate in RBI situations. A marginal call from home plate umpire Joe West on Robinson Cano didn’t help matters either. The Angels, to their credit, played winning baseball and were the deserving winners of this series. Under manager Mike Scioscia, Angels baseball has

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128952604507877342005-10-10T09:55:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:29.284-05:00

With the Yankee season on the brink of extinction for 2005, Shawn Chacon pitched brilliantly and enabled the Bombers to come from behind and force a deciding game in California today. As I stated in an earlier post, Chacon has to be on the short list of Yankee MVP candidates this year and his performance last night solidified his worth to this team. He limited the Angels to 2 runs over 6 1/3

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128784243552301302005-10-08T11:09:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:28.808-05:00

The Red Sox season ended last night and the Yankees’ playoff run is spiraling downward as well. In the end, the vaunted Red Sox offense couldn’t sustain any momentum in this series and cover for the starting pitching woes. Chicago had the look of a team of destiny with Orlando Hernandez escaping a bases loaded, no outs jam in the sixth. I guess I can stop wondering if this team is for real as

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128690423554332662005-10-07T09:06:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:28.473-05:00

I had many discussions yesterday with Red Sox fans about the state of their team in the Division Series versus the White Sox. The predominant feeling was one of resignation that this team can’t win it this year. No one talked about winning the next 2 games and putting the pressure back on Chicago. Some people had even emotionally divested themselves from the series altogether. Granted, this

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128601759317763932005-10-06T08:28:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:28.236-05:00

Yesterday was a tough day for the Yankees and Red Sox as both teams went down to defeat in the wake of errors. I only watched the first 3 or 4 innings of the Yanks-Angels game, so I didn’t see Alex Rodriguez’s error, but from what I read this morning, it had an impact on the outcome. However, I did watch the Sox game and I feel bad for Tony Graffanino. He’s been very solid for Boston this

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128531627194843512005-10-05T12:59:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:27.928-05:00

David Ortiz or Alex Rodriguez? There’s been a lot of debate lately about who deserves the Most Valuable Player award in the American League and why each candidate should win. The nebulous criteria for selecting the recipient only fuel the debate.What does the word valuable mean in the context of baseball? Is it simply about statistics or do wins and losses matter? Writing for Boston Sports

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128515913583762982005-10-05T08:37:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:27.752-05:00

Yankee fans had to be pleased (and relieved) with the effort of Mike Mussina last night. In a rotation full of question marks, it was comforting, for one evening at least, to have one of those questions removed. Last night’s result puts the Angels in a tough spot with Randy Johnson lurking in Game 3 in New York. John Lackey pitched in some big games for the Angels in 2002, but I get the sense

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128468701678739122005-10-04T19:30:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:27.499-05:00

I didn’t catch much of today’s Sox v. Sox matchup, but here are a few tidbits:· I heard the 4th inning on the radio with Joe Castiglione and Jerry Trupiano. Both men expressed surprise that Matt Clement came out to start the bottom of the 4th. As it turned out, their surprise was justified as Clement gave back the 2 runs that Boston had scored in the top of the inning.· On ESPN, not a lot of flow

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128447253290053962005-10-04T13:33:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:27.307-05:00

With Ted Sarandis moving on from WEEI, there seems to be some momentum behind filling the position with interim fill-in Mike Adams. Personally, I don’t find Adams to be an appealing replacement. I was not a fan of his work at NECN and I absolutely detest his performances on The Big Show where 9 out of every 10 comments that he makes are totally inane. I haven’t listened to him host any shows

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17406532.post-1128359459491068102005-10-03T13:10:00.000-04:002006-11-11T12:06:27.095-05:00

The apocalyptic weekend series between the Sox and the Yankees didn’t turn out to be as momentous as anticipated, mainly due to the collapse of the Indians. Both teams were able to celebrate playoff berths in MLB’s World Series tournament courtesy of the staggering Tribe.So who wants to see Yankees – Red Sox III? Not I. I was having this discussion with my neighbor in the office, and I

Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07867255467373720325noreply@blogger.com1