The Boys of Fall.

Football season is upon us and as I site here, with my legs up in a recliner, our Boston College Eagles marched down the field to score a touchdown on their first drive of a hopefully successful season. After their first losing season, at 4-8, since 1998 they take the field today looking to change their fortunes and get back to their winning ways. They have a new look offense, which looked great on their one drive, led by new offensive coordinator Doug Martin. The defense will look slightly different by necessity after losing linebacker Luke Kuechly who was drafted 9th overall by the Carolina Panthers. Head Coach Spazianni hopes remaining linebackers Kevin Pierre-Louis and Steele Divitto can fill that role and let’s be honest, with a name like Steele Divitto he has to be good, right?

If you take a short trip down 195 you’ll end up finding our professional fall obsession in Foxboro. The Patriots are getting ready to start up their season after a season last year that they were a game away from a Super Bowl championship. The team seems to have become stronger after drafting defensive rookies Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower and if you didn’t think they could improve their offense they went out and signed stud wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, and I’m not just saying that because he has a good name. Even the running back core seems solid after losing the Law Firm, Benjarvus Green-Ellis to free agency. Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are poised to join Danny Woodhead to form a multi-headed running attack which our Patriots have become known for. It’s safe to say this team hasn’t dropped off since last year and are still sitting atop the league and expect to still be around at the end of the season.

I think we can all agree that regardless of which level of football you like, or even if you enjoy both, we have a lot of good things to look forward to this season.

EDIT: Before I even finished this post the Eagles marched down the field to score on their second straight offensive possession. They look much improved over last year.

Until Next Time,

The Sox Are Back! and then they’re gone…

So we sit here two days into August and just two days ago many people around Boston thought we had our winning Sox back. They took 2 of 3 from the first place Yankees followed by taking the first 2 games from a very good Detroit Tigers team. We were immediately shown what our Sox have truly become when they lost the 3rd game to the Tigers, not that big of a deal, and the first game to the Twins… that’s right the second worst record in the American League Twins. Add to this that the Sox had Jon Lester on the mound and it makes it even worse. Going back to the game agains Detroit the Red Sox had Aaron Cook on the mound who, granted should not have to be heavily relied upon, started off very strong this year before fading in his recent starts. Now as fans of this team in Boston we’re left to wonder when Josh Beckett’s next golf outing is after he left a game with back spasms earlier in the week.

Every time I try to stay positive with this team they show me why I shouldn’t be. In the last calendar year they are playing as a .500 team and they do nothing to make me believe they are more than that. To me the most irritating thing about this team is they have every piece in place to be great yet they seem to be held back. People want to point to Bobby Valentine, the pitchers, bad ownership and even the teams stars that are not producing at the plate. Most people hone in on one thing and just say “That’s it, that’s the problem” but the true problem is all of those things. They all add up to an environment that a team just can’t be successful in and unless there are changes this off-season we’re in for another long season next year.

The only way I can put a positive spin on this is to finish with this question: How about those Patriots? By the way in case you haven’t heard the Pats held a Foxboro resident and season ticket holder open practice in the stadium that had an attendance of 22,000 people which is more than 5 major league baseball games that night. See that Sox ownership, the best way to make money and fans is to be professional and win.

Until Next Time,

ReIntroducing Brandon!

As mentioned a step back, we are introducing staff writers to spice up the blog and add a variety in content to cover all aspects of the city.  You met our techy Sean and now it is time to reintroduce our resident sports columnist Brandon Deneault to the interwebs.

Brandon and I have met in Kindergarten and have probably forgotten more memories than most friends ever create.  From Little League to high school to college roommates, we have been each others left hand man from the days that Starter jackets and light up sneakers were the norm.  Brandon is a Boston sports lunatic, plays more golf than absolutely anybody I know and is a photographer for the New Bedford Bay Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.  As you can see he has all bases covered and has already started his resurgence of sports talk on the blog.  Welcome back Brandon.

Best,

T Tracking

If you’re like me, and are befuddled at how unreliable the T can be sometimes you’re in luck, because there’s an app for that! With the MBTA Subway Watch app on the Google Play store, you can find out specifically where trains are and where they’re anticipated to be at what times.  This helps to make trips using the T far less stressful and much easier knowing you won’t be standing in a station waiting forever for the next train to come.

Being an owner of an android phone who feels the operating system is sometimes underrepresented, it’s easy to get carried away talking about Android apps, but don’t think that I’ve forgotten about other devices! For all of the iPhone users out there, you have control of this same information through the Excursion Boston app, for Blackberry and some other phones you have the RailBandit app, and for Windows Mobile 7 phones you have the Realtime Transit app available through the Microsoft Zune store.

Happy Travels,

The Games of the 2012 Olympiad, or 2012 Olympics… Call Them What You Wish.

So the Olympics are officially underway and with the current state of our Red Sox it’s nice to get our minds off local sports for a while. I’m the kind of person who watches when I have time regardless of sport. Even if it’s a sport I don’t understand or typically watch I tune in for the good ‘ol USA or to quote Borat Sagdiyev the U-S and A. There are many plot lines to follow between the dominance of the beach volleyball team of Keri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor and the Men’s Basektball team to local hero’s such as gymnastics captain Aly Raismain of Needham.

As it stands while I write this the US has 7 medals, 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze. The dominating teams, men’s basketball and the team of May-Trean0r and Walsh Jennings are in full swing. The men’s basketball team has not lost a game since 2006 and opened 2012 with a 98-71 win over France. In the outdoor action Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor have never lost a match in olympic play and that is mostly because they have never even dropped a set en route to 2 gold medals. This year they continued this streak while beating Australia in straight sets to begin pool play. Aly Raisman also started well as she has qualified for the next round of all-around competition as she continues to make her country proud.

Throughout these games I will try to post updates periodically so enjoy the games and GO USA!

Until Next Time,

Hyannis Summer Arts & Crafts Festival 2012

This past Saturday and Sunday we set up camp down the cape at the Hyannis Summer Arts and Crafts Festival, staking out on the Hyannis Town Greene for locals and welcomed travelers alike we showcased our offerings for all to see.  This was our first show on America’s summertime vacation destination known as Cape Cod, so this was our first experience meeting travelers from far and beyond New England.  The show went off without a hitch and we were more than well received by all.  

Just want to take a minutes to thank my fiancé Jenn and some of my best buds Sean and Brandon for holding down the fort this weekend.  Another big thanks to anyone and everyone who stopped by to check out the booth, picked something up or even just said “Hello!”.  It was a great time and we can’t wait to see you again Hyannis!

Best,

Hit the Streets

Alright, so I can’t be the only one who likes to find new areas to explore in the city, and what better ways to do that than by biking or running!  My problem most of the time is well…where to start! There are so many places to go in the city, and it becomes hard to track specifically where you have gone, and where you might want to go…until now!

I recently found these two mobile apps called Strava Run and Strava Ride which uses your phone or device’s GPS to help you track your routes, performance, and even lets you compete with your friends and locals! So you can no longer use the excuse that you don’t have anyone to ride or run with!  These two great apps are available for the iPhone, Android devices and even Garmin GPS units.

Happy Travels,

Talk About Class

Just when we thought it was all said and done, Ray Allen proved once again why he is one of the classiest athletes this city has ever seen.  In this today’s edition of the Sunday Boston Globe, Ray took out a full page tribute to thank to the Boston fans for the past five years.  Hats off to you Mr. Allen, we will see you soon.

Best,

Benedict Allen? Think Again.

If you couldn’t tell by the title this post is about Ray Allen, former sharp shooter for your Boston Celtics. He became a Celtic in a trade during what is known as one of, if not THE best draft day in team history. Teaming up with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce he got to two NBA Finals and winning one. Now, although not breaking news, he has signed with the Miami Heat. This is big, not only because he left Boston but, because he joined the team which most Celtics fan despise and as LeBron did before him decided to “take his talents to South Beach.”

The general consensus in Boston is that Allen is a traitor but I’m not as quick to make this judgement. I didn’t post or generate an opinion right away because I wanted to assess the situation and break down his choice. Once I did this it almost seemed like almost a no brainer for him to leave. At the base of it all, after this season, he seems to be more of the fourth guy on the team as opposed to part of the Big 3 like he used to be, which in Boston it seems he has been replaced by Rajon Rondo in that role. In Miami he keeps this same fourth man spot with what seems to be an overall better Big 3.

The writing seemed to be on the wall with all the Celtics moves as well. Allen had been supplanted by Avery Bradley in the starting lineup and possibly replaced on the bench with the signing of Jason Terry, also a sharp shooter off the bench. Also, as much as a class act as Allen is, and he is about as classy as they come, every athlete has an ego and you have to imagine his must have been at least slightly bruised by the attempts to trade him by Boston. With all the clean looks that players such as Mike Miller and Shane Battier got throughout the playoffs you’d have to think that factored in the decision as well.

I guess if you were to boil down my thoughts I can’t blame the guy for leaving. As a fan I’m disappointed but when I take off my green tinted glasses I see why he made that choice. We always want our athletes, as fans, to make decisions based on winning and not based on money and that’s exactly the case here. Boston offers more money but, in his eyes at least, Miami offers a better chance for a title. In the end I know Ray Allen will say all the right things and go about this as the stand up guy he is.

Until Next Time,

Not so fast, didn’t think you were really done with our rant did you? When news first broke that Ray was Miami-bound I was super bummed out. But then I put it into perspective, Mr. Allen would have been crazy to stay in Boston and here is why:

Role: Boston or Miami he is coming off the bench, that is inevitable. As Brandon mentioned with the newly acquired Jason Terry and the late return of Avery Bradley his minutes and role on the team would have slipped dramatically.

Rings: Let’s be honest, Miami is built for the future while Boston is on the tail end of the now. Granted the new drafts and signings are hopeful, the Heat are already the Vegas favorite to repeat.

Rondo: Whether either is willing to admit it or not, Allen and Rondo had a roadblock off the court. Ray mentioned the first people he told were Paul and Kevin, not even mentioning a whiff of Rajon. I have a feeling Ray will get a lot more looks this coming season than he did this past, leaving Rondo to mature with his selection.

Respect: This is a no brainer. The Celtics tried to trade Ray twice and actually succeeded once. Danny called Ray to tell him he was shipped out only for Doc to follow up twenty minutes later to tell him he was staying put after O.J. Mayo declined the deal. When you put someone out on the line multiple times it plays with their psyche and creating a feeling that they are disposable.

In addition to the four R’s of Ray’s departure his ailing injuries had to be a key factor. The Heat are a better fit for him based on this one theory alone. Ray has some of the best movement without the ball that the NBA has ever seen. He has patented coming off a screen only to catch and shoot with his effortless quick release. I’d love to see the numbers, but I’m willing to bet that LeBron and Wade draw more double teams than anyone else in the league. When the extra defender leaves Ray all alone, he no longer has to fight to get open which is a huge benefit to the ankle injury he has been fighting off. With all the time in the world to cuff the open jumper, in addition to less strain on he muscles is enough reason for me.

Best of luck to you Mr. Allen. You are the true meaning of hard work on the parquet and a true gentleman of a role model off. And for anyone still on the bandwagon of “Ray is the new Johnny Damon” or “Judas Shuttlesworth” , Ray said in his press conference that one of the greatest moments in his time in Boston came in Game 6 of the Conference Finals as the Boston faithful were chanting “Let’s Go Celtics” in the closing seconds as Miami closed out a twenty point victory. Thanks for the five amazing years Ray.

Best,