It has been a long and winding road, this 2008 MLB season.  Who would have thought that today, the day the Red Sox clinched a berth in the 2008 playoffs, we would be seeing Manny being Manny in the Pacific Time Zone and the Red Sox not be on a West Coast swing at the same time?   Who would have thought that the American League MVP race would be all but sewn up by a true ballplayer, gritty and determined, in Dustin Pedroia?  Who would have thought that the Sox would be in a battle for tops in the American League East, and that battle would be observed nonchalantly from the sidelines by the New York Yankees, who fail to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years?  And for that matter, who would have thought that the once-lowly Tampa Bay Rays (insert “Devil” as you see fit) would not only challenge for the wild card, but the division as well…and be successful?

It has truly been an interesting journey through the ups and downs of the 2008 season.  But that was the 2008 season…we now enter the 2008 postseason, which, for all intensive purposes, truly is a new season altogether.

Well Red Sox fans, savor this moment for just that…the moment.  The season within a season begins now.  Boston should and most likely will concede the division to the Rays, which is still at arm’s reach.  It now is more important to get the team healthy for what hopes to be a long postseason run.  Starters will certainly savor a few days off in the coming days.  J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, and the rest of the roster have pained through bumps, bruises, sprains, strains and champagne-burned eyes…it’s time to kick it into that extra gear for what will surely be a battle against the best in the American League.

The Boston Red Sox are back in the postseason for the fifth time in six years…congratulations Boston.  I hope this will help to mend the wounds of what may soon prove to be a dismal football campaign.  But that’s a different story for a different day.

And who thinks that the retirement of Johnny Pesky’s number is well-deserved for such an integral part of the organization for over half a century?  I certainly do.  Congrats Johnny!

This one is called “The 1st Annual 2008 Unofficial Bonehead Moves in Football History” Team. Things will work the same as the last, in which participants will attempt to fill an entire NFL roster with all their beloved players and coaches who committed the dumbest of the dumb moves in football (NFL, USFL, CFL, and, why not — XFL included!) I know you might think this task is tough, but believe me, when we’re finished, we can all have a jolly ol’ belly laugh…really.

I’ll even spot everyone Duh-Sean, just because I MADE UP THE GAME!:

DeSean Jackson (WR) - Premature footballian ejaculation x2 (yup, once in the Senior Bowl too!)

Ready…set….GO!!!

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In other news…

Today I saw a picture online of Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen doing the nasty to a skeleton model while in some sort of science class. I immediately dropped WR Dwayne Bowe from my fantasy lineup, as the Apocalypse has officially made its way to Kansas City and I want no part of it.

In related news, remember Yancy Thigpen?  I’ll put money down that he is pumping gas at a Getty station somewhere in the mid-Atlantic region of the US.

In unrelated news, I type out WAY too much of what I’m thinking, when it should stay firmly planted on the interior of my skull…I apologize in advance for causing stampedes and/or riots throughout Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Chicago (in case Bobby Thigpen fans get angry that I haven’t included him as well in the name-game discussion).

That’s all from me!

Am I right?  Am I?  That’s what I thought…SUPERB!  I’m sure his mouth is forever thankful for the very effective sunshade due north.

Enjoy more sinister upper lips here.

Thanks to Deadspin for my daily enlightenment into all things AWESOME.

Read More at ESPN.com

Read more at Chi-ball.com

Today, during the 2nd quarter of Notre Dame’s game against the Michigan Wolverines, coach Charlie Weis was injured when a Notre Dame player fell against the back of his left knee during a play along the Irish’s sideline.  He returned a short while later with his leg immobilized, as he had torn both his ACL and MCL.

The mere fact that Weis been Brady’s mentor and offensive coordinator for 6 years with the Patriots, combined with the fact that Weis’ Irish were battling Brady’s alma mater Michigan as well gave me chills when they notified the viewing audience of the extent of the injury.  Two people, so close during their professional careers, suffering such uncommon of injuries in the unlikeliest of circumstances less than a week apart left me shocked.  Perhaps the two of them can catch up while they embark on what will be a long road to recovery for both Weis and Brady.

Complete silence overcame the stadium (as well as my family room) as Brady lay there, in obvious discomfort, gripping his left knee.  Later we would find out that surrounding players heard him scream in pain, but as those present and others watching the broadcast looked on, the extent of the injury wasn’t truly known.  This fact was especially deceiving as Brady stood up, walked off the field under his own power, and even took a flight of stairs down to the Patriots’ locker room.  I’m sure many were thinking, “OK, he walked off, it shouldn’t be that bad”, and believe me, I was one of them.  That was until the realization set in a short time later that I distinctly remember last year, when Ronnie Brown tore his ACL mid-season, ending his season and my chances for a Fantasy Football championship.  He too walked off the field.

I remember sitting around listening to WEEI, Boston’s flagship sports station the following day, as Brady was undergoing his MRI while at the same time coach Bill Belichick was preparing his press conference.  Right around 3pm, even before we knew the MRI results, before Bill’s conference, it was announced that Tom Brady was placed on injured reserve, ending his 2008 season.  All of New England was crushed, heartbroken, and lost, and these were exemplified through that afternoon’s callers, as the “Big Show” began to take one after another.  “What do we do now?” was as expected the general consensus.  After all, 128 consecutive games ago, Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe after a hard hit and never looked back.  Patriot fans hadn’t had to worry about anyone else leading this team since the beginning of 2001!  We then found out on Wednesday that Brady in fact suffered a torn ACL and MCL, and is facing surgery and a 6 to 9 month rehabilitation schedule before potentially returning to lead the Patriots in 2009.

Well, Patriot fans (of which I am one, but I am as objective as it gets!), this is a team, and though they were led through wins, losses, playoffs, 3 Super Bowl wins, and an undefeated season, by a gifted and talented future Hall of Famer in Tom Brady, the New England Patriots now must find out if they can win a different way.  After all, Matt Cassel is not, and might not ever be, of Tom Brady’s caliber.  The Pats will not be dominating teams like the 2007 campaign, there most likely won’t be any 3 or 4-touchdown victories, Cassel probably won’t toss 53 TD passes, and more likely than not, Randy Moss will not catch over 20 for scores, similar to last year.  Solid defense, limiting their opponents in the red zone and causing turnovers, will keep the Patriots in games, allowing Cassel to manage while at the same time gain his confidence.  He will then be able to effectively utilize his weapons to make potential scoring opportunities (which certainly will become more valuable as they may not occur as liberally as in 2007) successful ones.

In 3 days, Matt Cassel will start a football game for the first time since 1999, and the hopes of an entire region of the country will be on his shoulders with such weight that he may find himself knee deep in the turf before he even takes his first snap.  But the most important piece of information that I hope you gain from reading this small bit of insight is that New England Patriots fans have had it relatively easy for some time now.  The going may and most likely will get rough, as many around the league have written off the 2008 club, unable to say with confidence that they can even win 6 or 7 more games.  This, Patriot fans, is where the real fans are tested, where adversity helps teams realize that stepping up is not an option, it’s a necessity, to prove that a single superstar cannot and will not decide the fate of the entire team.

I humbly ask all Patriot fans around New England and around the
country, have patience with our 2008 club.  The prospects for the 2008
season have changed dramatically since last Sunday, but I urge you, all
is not lost.  I suspect that this season will show what a team, the sum
of its parts, really means.

I forward best wishes to Tom Brady the speediest of recoveries and Matt Cassel the best of luck in his opportunity to prove that he has what it takes to lead New England’s potent offense.

Another chapter in the Patriots quarterback saga goes a little something like this:

Chris Simms and Tim Rattay arrive at Gillette Stadium to work out.  As soon as they arrive, they are told that the situation has changed and they are no longer necessary…without even a workout!  I’m not sure exactly what the Patriots are thinking, and don’t they realize the price of gas nowadays?

What is in the works for the Patriots?  Are they sticking with Cassel and O’Connell?  Is there a trade to come?   Do they want different quarterbacks to come in to work out?  Has Brady’s ACL been surgically replaced with Tony Eason’s and he’s ready to play next week!?  Your guess is as good as mine!  More to come…

The fact of the matter is, the New England Patriots must move on this season and show that their team is just that…a TEAM, not a singular person.