Chowdaheads - Sitting on Frog One: June 2006

Friday, June 30, 2006

Basketball, it's worth fighting for

Normally basketball fights are the worst of all the sports fights, unless the guy is completely blindsided like this:

Then you have the bitch-slap fights of the NBA:

Larry: Julius, get your f*cking arm off me...

Transformers trailer

The cartoon that used to park your Uncle Buck in front of the Sony every afternoon is going to be a live action movie in 2007

Here is an example of the special effects for the film:

You know when UB was just a small child in elementary school he received the bad guy Transformer leader Megatron (above) as a gift. Megatron turned into a hand gun.

The next day UB brought the Transformer into school and while showing it off on the playground was told by a teacher not to bring it in ever again. The teacher took the Transformer until the end of the day. Imagine if that happened now, it would be national news: "3rd Grader brings gun to school." Man how times have changed. Anyway here is the opening of the 80s cartoon:

Friday fwds: Got wood?

You'd believe a man can fly

If you watched the Red Sox game last night you might be under the impression that Coco Crisp, not Brandon Routh, is the new Superman. Coco's all out diving catch was the game changing highlight of the night...and what kind of blogger would your Uncle Buck be if he didn't provide some video as proof:

At the time of the catch of David Wright's line drive (top of the 8th), the Red Sox held a slim 3-2 lead, with the Mets threatening with a man at 2nd. Had the ball gotten through there is a chance Wright may have scored as well.

The pitching matchup between Curt Schilling and Tom Glavine lived up to it's billing (Like Glavine said after the game, so many high profile pitching duels don't live up to it. Was that a dig a Pedro being rocked the night before?) until about the 6th inning where Schilling allowed a 2 run homer (1st homer at Fenway this year) and Glavine was pulled after giving up a solo home run to Mark Loretta and getting into further trouble with a single to Big Papi David Ortiz and walking Manny. From there base running allowed the Sox to tie it up, as a sac fly allowed Ortiz to get to 3rd and a 2nd sac fly allowed him to score the tying run.

Big time defense also saved the Sox as they tied the major league record for consecutive games without an error...Amazing.

Ortiz's solo homer in the 8th gave the Sox a nice 4-2 cushion and Jonathan Papelbon produced his 24th save of the year with a 1-2-3 9th.

The win is 12th in a row and 4th strait series sweep *(All NL teams, including NL leading Mets) for the Sox, the most since a 12 game winning stretch in 1995. Schilling collected his 10th win of the year, tying him for the team lead with Josh Beckett. The last two time the Sox had 2 10 game winners at this point in the season was 1990 and 1995. Both years they won the AL East...

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Today's fun lists

Here are a couple of funny lists that are making the rounds today:

First a list of the top 10 people who can really mess up your bathroom (how is UB not on this list?)

And speaking of number 2, his power from Austin Powers is one of the Greatest Superhero Powers of all time...(The #1 made UB laugh out loud, which was kind of embarrassing)

Stephen A. Smith loves cheetos

Just watch these guys bust on him for it at the NBA Draft last night...

Pirates of the Caribbean Ride changed

Your Uncle Buck is just as excited to see Pirates of the Caribbean Ride: Dead Man's Chest, but why did they have to screw with the original ride just to promote the movie:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest trailer:

McNeeley nabbed

Former Mike Tyson punching bag and godfather of Tiny Tick, Peter McNeeley is in trouble with the law, after reportedly being arrested as the driver of a get away car:

STOUGHTON, Mass. (AP) Former heavyweight boxer Peter McNeeley is in trouble with the law again.
Police in Stoughton say McNeeley has been charged as an accessory in the early-morning robbery of a Walgreen's drug store.
Another man, identified as Robert Perry of Norwood, has been charged with armed robbery.
After the robbery, Canton police pulled over Perry and McNeeley in a vehicle driven by McNeeley. Both men face arraignment today in Stoughton District Court.
Police recovered 180 dollars in cash, but say no weapon was found.
McNeeley's biggest claim to fame as a boxer was his 1995 bout with Mike Tyson, which lasted only 89 seconds.
McNeeley would later acknowledge drug and alcohol abuse. In March, he was arrested for allegedly punching a man and stealing his wallet outside a Norwood bar. ^

Telfair play

For those not aware of Sebastian Telfair's ability, this video from his high school exploits should at least shed some light on his talent:

Draft dodge, Celtics do their work before picks

The Boston Celtics are being praised Thursday for successfully trading for a point guard that is supposedly better than any point guard that would have been available to them at the #7 spot and unloading the untradable Raef LaFrentz and his 3 year, 35 million dollar contract. The rest of Celtic Nation waits to see if they are going to land Allen Iverson.

The Celtics sent the #7 pick to Portland Sebastian Telfair (above with Lebron James), who while praised as a better point guard than any in the draft after #7, and also got shot blocking center Theo Ratliff and a 2008 second-round pick, while also unloading LaFrentz and Dan Dickau.

From there the Celts made a deal with Phoenix getting the rights to No. 21 pick Rajon Rondo from Kentucky for Cleveland’s first-round pick next season. They C's also get Brian Grant and cash to pay the last year of his deal. The Celts currently plan to release him.

For full draft coverage check out:

The Boston Herald

The Boston Globe

Celtics Blog

Your Uncle Buck's favorite draft...

Ding-Dong Daddy: Sox step-father all over Pedro in return

The former Red Sox pitcher came into the game and pitched well, giving up only one earned run and striking out three. His name is Darren Oliver. The other former Red Sox pitcher was even better, not allowing a hit and only walking one. His name is Chad Bradford. Then there is the other other Red Sox pitcher...he didn't do so hot. Pedro Martinez's heavily (that's an understatement) anticipated return to Fenway Park fell flat like many larger than life events often do, in an 10-2 Red Sox win over the New York Mets. In 3 innings Petey gave up 6 earned runs and 7 hits and only struck out 1 as the Red Sox put 4 on the board (2 thanks to error) in the 1st and 4 more in the 3rd.

Facing a much different line up than he left in 2004, Pedro started the game allowing a single to Kevin Youkilis then another to Mark Loretta. When Big Papi grounded a ball back to Pedro, the three time Cy Young award winner looked completely lost in the moment. Pedro looked at 3rd then looked at 2nd and finally decided to go to 1st to get out Papi. From there the wheels fell off the wagon. Manny walked, Nixon hit a sac fly for a RBI and 1-0 lead, then Varitek singled home a run. The Next batter Mike Lowell popped to left, apparently getting Petey out of trouble with only two runs scored, instead Lastings Milledge made an error in left for the 2nd strait game. Two more runs scored.

Pedro got through the 2nd, but was rocked for a 4 run 3rd that was capped off by a 2 run homer by Alex Gonzalez. After 75 pitches Pedro was done after only 3 innings.

It was amazing...All of those fears that the Red Sox and their fans had about signing up Pedro for 4 more years became so visible, even if only for one night. Although it was clear that Pedro was effected by the circus atmosphere and his return to Fenway, it was his lack of a fastball (topping off at 91) and his in ability to make quality pitches and make adjustments that were his undoing.

Pedro did hit one batter, coming inside to Mark Loretta in the 3rd.

After the game Pedro called the whole situation a win, talking more about his triumphant return to a crowd that loved him than his failed start for his new employer.

On the other side of the coin, Josh Beckett had his 2nd strait masterful performance. With probably the least amount of media attention in any start this year, Beckett went 7 2/3 innings allowing only 2 runs on solo home runs and struck out 7.

Nearly missed in all the craziness was that it was the Sox 11th strait win, their most since 1995.

The Sox, who are averaging 7.9 runs a game during this streak, have won 13 of 14 games against National League teams, including consecutive routs of the NL's purported best, while climbing a season-best 19 games over .500.