Just Checking In

A couple of quick points before I forget. I'll do a more complete update on the positions of Boston sports teams later this week:

1. Red Sox up and down at best- Barring an explosive choke-job, the Red Sox are going to be able to salvage a game against the Yankees tonight after losing 5 of their first 6 match-ups. While a win will quiet the Boston faithful a little, the Sox' Major league sellout record may be in jeopardy this week as interest continues to dwindle, pink hat fans are brought back down to Earth about this team, and the Bruins and Celtics continue to demand the spotlight. I wouldn't be surprised if an afternoon game on Wednesday saw the end of the streak. To pick this team up, the pitching needs to get better. It really is as simple as that. The offense has exceeded their expectations exponentially, hitting the 2nd most home runs in the league and driving in more than enough run support for these pitchers most games. David Ortiz's struggles may draw attention to the offense, but it is the defense that needs some work. Flip-of-the-coin players like Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Bucholz, Scott Shoenweis, Ramon Ramirez, and dare I say it, Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon, are coming up tails when the Red Sox call heads every night. Those guys need to get consistent, and quick. Otherwise, there will be a lot of nights like last night, when the Sox have a 3-2 lead early that gets blown out of the water.

2. The Bruins will win tomorrow against the Flyers, 4-1. After getting handed their first OT lost of the postseason. The B's know that they need to get back to their defense and shut down the Flyers tomorrow night. If they let the Flyers penetrate the zone like they did on Friday, they will be in big trouble. I don't think they let that happen. If they take a game off again and wind up losing a second straight, their fans will start to lose their cool, and maybe they will too. A failure to put away the Flyers tomorrow night would put the Bruins in a situation much like last season, against a team that they could clearly beat, but too high on recent success. They would find themselves back in Philly for a game six, and a loss would put them in a game seven situation that turned out horribly last season. I like the B's as underdogs (see the first round against Buffalo), and there is no reason to think that they will let being better than the Flyers ruin the series, but it has happened to teams of the past. Keep your feet under you and your head clear, Bruins, and you will be one your way to a very winnable Eastern Conference Finals (more on that in the next post).

3. The Celtics have been great. Lebron James is a premadonna. Bruised elbow my ass. Grow a pair and learn to take a loss, Lebron. As it is, no one can lay a finger on you without getting called for a foul, so you are riding the most unfair advantage a-la-Kobe that there is. You got beat because the Celtics played so well. Rajon Rondo is going to be huge, and Glen Davis and Tony Allen were excellent as well. Their creativity on offense and defense made the game exciting and refreshing in an era of awful one man teams. Keep it up C's.

4. Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against the Rays today. Ridiculous, maybe more upcoming about him and perfect games in general.

Enjoy tomorrow, sports fans. We get to see how the B's respond to their first loss in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, how Red Sox nation responds to a salvaged game against New York, and which injury Lebron James is going to say ruined his game earlier today.