mstar1

I was driving on the road mentioned in this song. "the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston" and thought of it for the first time in a very long time Today "The Berkshires seemed dreamlike on account of that frosting"

You know i dont follow football like I follow baseball. i suppose I can see why others dont like Belichick. To me he is the guy who hardly says anything ( and to me the understatements have an element of humor in them ) and does his job brilliantly. If there is such a thing as a coaching genuis he falls right in the category--but I do see how he rubs others the wrong way.. I really dont get the Arlen Spector thing, afaik no actual laws were broken, like in the steroid case where illegal drug trafficking was involved. Will every runner who ever reached second and stole a pitch sign get a Senate subpoena as well? Will Bobby Thompsons HR be rescinded because the sign was stolen in CF and relayed from the bullpen? I dont know what Spector's angle is, but I do know that Belichick and the Patriots are the popular team to hate these days. It wouldn't surprise me if he was out to capitalize on that for his own advantage.

There are a lot of black bears where I am from, other than knocking down birdfeeders or some occasional mischief like tipping over someones trashcan they dont cause any problems. There has never been an incident where a human has been harmed in this region. Ever-- Still, Once every few years someone shoots one for some lame reason or another. It's generally not looked on too favorably around here, but it is not illegal.

34 seconds They were 18-0 and ahead in the 19th game until the final 34 seconds. 34 seconds Im not complaining. The Giants totally outplayed them and earned it but yes it is dissappointing to get that incredibly close to something, in this case alltime football immortality and to see it not happen..

Leave it to Simon to come up with a really good question.... i havent got the answer to that--other than guessing that 12 men is an indisputable penalty (there either are 12 men or there isnt) and not a matter of interpretation as interference, holding etc often are....----hopefully someone who knows the rules clearer will come along and give a real answer--but thats my guess Good to see you btw

VOTE WISELY!

Heres a closeup of the helmet catch

As always The advertisers and the beer sellers <_< Im thinking there will be alot of NYers who will be waiting to see THIS BET from Tom Brady's supermodel girlfriend paid off

Its over in the open forum--

I missed the 'hissyfit' . What did he do?

Giants totally outplayed and outcoached the Patriots. They owned the line and played tenacious defense --that was the key to me. Its beyond me that it took the Patriots until late in the fourth quarter to lineup with 4 wideouts which produced the go ahead drive and TD with 3 minutes left...What took them so long to figure that out? that will be questioned for along time in these parts. The final drive was disheartening but I have to hand it to Eli manning who was grace under pressure, The third down 35 yard completion that Manning somehow got off after seemingly being down then and was caught with one hand and the ball jammed to the receivers helmet should live in Giants lore. Im sure it will live in Patriot nightmares as well as two dropped interceptions on the final drive. It was a great game to watch going down to the wire but from my perspective as a New Englander --disappointing ---18-0. :34 seconds from being the greatest team ever--- and nothing to show for it. outplayed and outcoached -Congratulations to the Giants --they earned it. 10 days until Pitchers and Catchers report to spring training

Kickoff time LETS GO PATS!!!!!!!!!!

In afew hours Giants fans may be proclaiming Eli Eli why has thou forsaken us? :) mwah mwah mwah back atcha this was last time;

Yea I know its very special thing on ots own. (although I do know of quite a few sox fans making the trip (and Im sure clogging the ticket lines a little). I was just pointing out the way it always is around here. I hope they do the 50th anniversary year up right and it is memorable for you. It really could be....and should be Dr. Steinberg, the PR guy who the Dodgers hired from the Sox walked a fine line, sometimes doing really great things and sometimes going too overboard. i hope its good there is a heckuva lot of great history to the Dodgers that could be woven into the year.

The town is Foxboro, Mass, which is a tiny town about midway between Boston and Providence. The Boston Patriots had been 'homeless' for several years bouncing between very low quality college and baseball stadiums until a stadium was finally built for them in Foxboro in 1973 when they became the New England Patriots. the Giants play in the Meadowlands in New Jersey ( Jimmy Hoffa may or may not be buried in the endzone depending on who you talk to..) but still go by the name NY Giants. the Patriots havent lost a single game this year-which is an NFL record...their closest game was agame against the Giants amonth or so ago. If you watch the game ----Brady--just remember Brady for the Patriots--- thats about all you have to really know----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These guys--the front line--look ready to me Patriots 38-17 History will be made today In November 2008 a gaggle of babies will be born in New England and be named Brady

Yea of course ex that'll work I'll pop over there in a second I just caught this and wanted to welcome Hiway to the wonderful world of getting Sox tickets. I know this a special event but it is an exhibition game. Its insane good luck on getting tickets (I have to wonder how many of those tickets found there way to the ticket brokers who will jack the prices about 10 times face value) of course sitting home listening to Vin could be just as memorable

You got it right, id have said about the same thing..'The greatest' is a tough term (...its Muhammed Ali)..I have guys that I like to watch throughout the season, that in my estimation are near the top or will be there very soon that turn pitching into an art. Im not sure if Santana is 'The greatest" but if not he will always be right near the very top..The only thing I know for sure is that I am glad he is in the other league and the Red Sox dont have to face him 5 times a year I have no predictions for the Super Bowl ((Love you too excie)) HERES some Joe for you (now picture him times a thousand

The Red Sox picked up Sean Casey today as a backup first baseman--I really like this move in a lot of ways. The pieces for 08 are all starting to fillout. He is still a pretty good hitter, decent fielder and by all accounts a great guy in the clubhouse and in the community. Just last year he was voted the Friendliest Guy In Baseball by a very wide margin He is a bargain at $700,000 a year and just the type of utility guy and uplifting soul a team needs. He seemes like the type of guy you really feel good cheering for... Good choice Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe wrote a fantastic piece on him a few years ago CASEY AT THE BAT

Joe Cocker -national anthem I was at a folk festival a few years a go and saw hundreds of people maybe a thousand, imitating Joe Cocker during a Joe Cocker imitation contest. It is still one of the more surreal and bizzarre things I have ever witnessed. Maybe everyone in the stadium should do it after they get stoned watching Tom Petty at The Super Bowl.--that would be a halftime show Id watch Why dont you do the SuperBowl thread excie? I know Im not worthy--the Pats could be the best team since forever and Im more concerned about spring training

Im glad the impassioned plea worked... it provided agood mind picture over here as I know what my impassioned pleas can look like. :) Its good to have tickets--I genuflected to my tickets and basked in their glow when I came home today.... ....O speaking of Cooperstown it was sort of dismaying to hear today that the Hall of Fame game this year will be the last one, Its apparently getting too complicated to schedule an exhibition game in midseason...too bad. I do like Doubleday Field even though Ive never been in those screened seats, last time I was there there were some college teams playing and I was in the first base bleachers... as far as those other parks---think about it--if there is any real interest we could start checking and figuring schedules out--They're not all that far apart--we could probably even fit in Milwaukee without that much extra effort The Greasespot Grand Baseball Tour of 2008

You dont see a correlation between the doctrine and the subsequent bad things? This is an honest question To me (and to many others here over the years) they are directly related, as sure as gas and matches will lead to fire

thanks for the invite--i might be game..since we are all scattered why dont we meet someplace in the Middle someday --like say Wrigley? As much as I have always looked forward to burning myself to a cinder in Texas ( ), ive yet to see a game at Wrigley which really is somewhere on my life list..I could see me driving across stopping at Cooperstown, Cleveland, Detroit and then spending a weekend in Chicago, meet whoever would want to be there have agood weekend, then maybe hitting Pittsburg on the way back. thats doable a mini baseball tour I could call it a tourlet

Im hoping that that long nightmare is finally over... Santana needs to pass a physical, and then come to terms on a contract extension with the Mets, and the deal will (reportedly) be done. The Mets have 48-72 hours to get this all wrapped up, and then we can FINALLY quit hearing about this after 3 solid months of "will they or won't they?" As a Sox fan Im relieved, he is going to the Mets, Yank fans probably feel the same way. I think the two stayed in the running primarily so he wouldnt land with the other one. The cost was too high in young talent for both teams. The Mets should be a good fit-- besides Omar Minaya owes Mets fans something big and hopeful this spring after last years catastrophic finish we're almost there, we just gotta get by The RedSox and Yankee juniors in the Superbowl------ and we are almost there. It will be a good prequel and set an undertone to the AL East

I let it ride yesterday-- I went to the post office a few minutes ago and tickets to the first five games arrived. Yours truly made quite a scene in the Post Office yippying and yahooing I came home and called the ticket office ( I was surprised when a very convincing recording of Terry Francona answered the phone...) long story short everything is ok, there will be a delay until all the tickets are printed from the high volume sales on saturday ---but everything is kosher! Im in ...Pitchers and catchers report: 15 days 18h 58m 40s

I really like this picture. Being a different type of 'cathedral builder' I love this moment when you are getting ready to put something important in place that you know will be there for a very very long time. Those guys standing there have one pretty cool job and something that they can remember forever in this photo Its up now, and the new place is taking shape fast. I think the replication of the old victorian like facade on the inside upper deck looks really good (if anyone wants more pics i can post them I have abunch ). Ive said all this before but If any of you (especially you Hiway) hold any attachment , reverence, respect or curiosity for the old cathedral Yankee Stadium- nows the time to think seriously about the pilgramage--Its hard to believe it but it will be gone by this time next year Getting Close