tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39203662053567154142011-07-08T03:16:39.464-04:00A Bill Simmons-esque look at sports from the eyes of a Boston fan, focusing on MLB, NFL and NHL with some NBA and NCAA hockey thrown in. If only I were Bobby Orr's progeny and had one tenth his talent...The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-48949149253815616012009-12-15T16:39:00.003-05:002009-12-15T17:03:08.856-05:00

I know what you are thinking... how is it possible for a team to lose a tie game? Sadly it is very possible in today's NHL where officiating gaffes are quietly brushed under the rug and the officials are never held liable.In yesterday's game there was a game-altering moment in the first period when Vlad Sobotka, centering the 4th line, came down the right side and put a backhand on net which

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-64415553577725490092009-11-12T14:04:00.004-05:002009-11-12T14:22:10.450-05:00

The Bruins finally appear to have recaptured some of last season's mojo and are playing as everyone expected them to entering the season. The defense has been excellent for the past five games, as has the goaltending and the offense appears to finally be coming around. As if this wasn't enough good news, it would appear that the walking wounded are closer to returning to the ice and are

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-61906652420576380922009-10-27T16:04:00.003-04:002009-10-27T16:53:30.529-04:00

Most Americans consider the NFL to be the dominant sports league and view the NHL as a fringe organization. Unfortunately for puckheads, this is a pretty accurate assessment as hockey lacks anything close to the national television deal that the NFL enjoys. However, one area where the NHL has it all over the NFL is its financial transparency. Incidents of the past week illustrate my point

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-7334317027639795302009-10-22T13:23:00.005-04:002009-10-22T19:28:43.184-04:00

If Boston's spotty start wasn't enough to get the typical naysayers going in full force, events of the past week should ramp their cries up to full volume. Trading Kobasew for spare parts while announcing Lucic's impending absence would have been enough to bring out the boobirds but then to have Savard go down? Even otherwise sensible fans are joining the 'Chicken Little Brigade' and declaring

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-79572844981501119512009-09-21T15:17:00.005-04:002009-09-21T16:36:53.866-04:00

Thanks to my good friend Dan, I was able to get tickets to a dozen Bruins home games this year including an all-important Montreal Canadiennes game. This means that the 2009-2010 Bruins season has officially begun in my mind! Thus, I am back on here ready to go at this for a second year... hopefully I will be posting more frequently but nobody should hold their breath (blue skin just really isn't

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-70900048582670786542009-05-11T14:50:00.004-04:002009-05-11T16:48:27.122-04:00

The question is... whose quote better fits the situation after Game 5 of the Boston-Carolina series?History lesson time! Pyrrhus led a Greek kingdom named Epirus in the early 3rd century BC and was widely held as one of the greatest military minds of the Hellenistic Era. Only Alexander the Great (his ancestor) was placed ahead of him by Hannibal of Carthage. In the days of Rome's infancy, they

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-41053757153576002312009-04-19T18:48:00.004-04:002009-04-19T19:13:36.390-04:00

Milan Lucic has officially been suspended for Game 3.So let me get this straight... according to Colin Campbell players are allowed to:-- Sucker punch an opponent in the face at the drop of the puck while on the wing (Cammalleri)-- Attempt to elbow an opponent in the jaw, missing by less than an inch (Kostopoulos)-- Continually eye-gouge an opponent, drawing blood and requiring sutures (

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-91724383130659594922009-04-17T14:12:00.003-04:002009-04-17T15:33:22.866-04:00

It, of course, is referring to the general asshattery and douchebaggery we knew would come from Montreal in this series where they are clearly outgunned. I had the good fortune of being in attendance for last night's game and I am proud to report there were very few Montreal fans present and those that were remained silent. The game was nothing like the two previous Montreal games I attended this

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-86277034850149387842009-04-13T16:20:00.004-04:002009-04-14T10:55:27.123-04:00

Every spring, the sports world seems to revolve around the wonder that is 'March Madness' with ridiculous media coverage and endless bracket analysis. The media and the NCAA loves to push it as a tournament where anything can happen and upsets are de rigeur even as no #1 seed has ever lost in the first round. Since 1985, (when it expanded to 64 teams) the top 16 seeds have combined to win 90% of

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-41666614629409875102009-04-06T15:58:00.004-04:002009-04-06T16:27:29.265-04:00

Let me preface this by saying that by no means am I a Chiarelli-basher nor am I an doom-and-gloom troll as are (sadly) so common in Bruins forums. I generally agree with the moves Chiarelli makes and understand that not every move he makes will be perfect (Schaeffer, Nokelainnen) and that a GM should be judged by the total body of his work (Wheeler, Ryder, Lucic, Krejci, Savard, Chara). However,

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-59345373115591154812009-04-03T09:08:00.008-04:002009-04-03T16:44:37.708-04:00

The Boston Globe is reporting that Tim Thomas signed an extension with the Bruins for 3 years at $5.2M per (the same amount as Brodeur). Needless to say, this has some MAJOR ramifications for the future of the team, not all of which are of a positive nature. As much as I love Thomas and everything he has done for this team, I have very mixed feelings about this contract and here is why:Timing -

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-62667154503232489322009-03-26T14:26:00.005-04:002009-03-26T23:08:27.381-04:00

Believe it or not, there is something good about the Bruins playing such a ridiculously light schedule lately... it has allowed me to focus on NCAA hockey, back where the love-affair with all things hockey began!Typically, my interest in NCAA hockey is minimal this late in the season since Northeastern (the alma mater) is a perennial cellar-dweller and never makes it out of the first round of the

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-27547249914704664792009-02-25T16:07:00.017-05:002009-02-25T17:43:46.509-05:00

The question arose while watching the latest Bruins-Canadiennes tilt at Montreal. After the first period, the hit totals in the game were 27 to 10 in favor of Montreal (shocker!) which put the Canadiennes on pace for 81 (!!!!) hits, only slightly above their home-average of 28.5 hits per game. The final hit total came out to 48-25 which is still a ridiculous total with an unrealistic difference

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-82205090687180709682009-02-09T19:57:00.021-05:002009-02-09T22:37:00.032-05:00

Ten minutes til the puck drops on the 57th Beanpot Finals and I am praying NU can pull out the victory over the #1 team in the nation. If only the game could be based on best and loudest fanbases... Northeastern would win EASILY!4:00 - Quiet game thus far... some decent back and forth but really nothing to report. No surprise the NU fans have been the more vocal thus far.7:01 - NU gets the first

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-78575805196239013802009-02-05T15:49:00.005-05:002009-02-05T16:50:24.676-05:00

Ok... not really. Well, actually, not at all...I did, however, get my question answered in the latest Bruins mailbag which is quite pleasing since it has been something I have been wondering for some time but unable to get any news on. Here it is:Any word on the Glen Murray appeal? Last I remember hearing, it was scheduled for January 16th. Did something change or has the verdict simply not

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-26876768860458320772009-02-02T21:07:00.031-05:002009-02-03T11:14:58.382-05:00

Lord I hope Northeastern can claim the title. They are more than overdue... 21 years is far too long. Road won't be easy as they will have to go through #11 BC and likely #1 BU (NU is ranked #3).Harvard is the tough-luck loser to BU, 4-3. The Terriers were handed a power-play with 2:10 left in the game after a Harvard player hooks a BU forward who grabs the stick and falls on it, selling the

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-63653133229182711292009-01-27T12:12:00.005-05:002009-01-28T14:05:47.400-05:00

Fluto at the Globe has confirmed that the Bruins will be getting considerable reinforcements tonight in the form of Lucic, Bergeron and Ference.Lucic will be returning to the first line to play alongside Savard and Kobasew while Ference has been written into the second defensive pairing with Wideman (Stuart and Hnidy are the 3rd pairing). Bergeron will playing playing for the ill Michael Ryder (

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-81917781767697123792009-01-26T15:46:00.002-05:002009-01-26T15:53:36.363-05:00

Well, the 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend has come and gone with all the usual highlights and an unfortunate number of lowlights. Despite their best attempts, Montreal fans were unsuccessful in barring Boston from the festivities with all four Bruins making their presence felt. Quick recap of the Bruins’ impact upon the weekend…Blake Wheeler – Hat trick in the YoungStars game (against Carey ‘The Second

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-31675718109095086702009-01-20T17:09:00.006-05:002009-02-12T17:04:25.295-05:00

Been a whiles since I last posted... I would use the holidays or work as my excuse but its two weeks into the new year and I haven’t had any real work in months so those aren’t gonna fly. Guess I will just blame my absence on a lack of motivation (I am a complete slacker after all…) and nothing that really inspired me to write a post. Anywho, I am back now and will try to do this on a more

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-72033167410890392292008-12-04T12:31:00.005-05:002008-12-04T14:07:40.501-05:00

Well, he did it again and quite frankly, no one should be surprised by it. I am, of course, referring to Sean Avery's obviously rehearsed insults directed at Dion Phaneuf through the media and the immediate backlash that ensued. No surprise that he did this... it was actually a fairly shrewd move on his part seeing as Phaneuf and Iginla would have destroyed him had he played that night. I

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-85869135179093206222008-11-24T13:43:00.004-05:002008-11-24T14:08:21.413-05:00

Before the season began, I predicted the scoring totals for the players I expected to stick with the club. Seeing as the Bruins just played their 21st game of the season (thus passing the quarter-mark), I figured it was a good time to revisit those predictions. Not surprisingly, some of the players were sent back down (Noke, Sobotka, Schaeffer) or just sent away (Alberts... poor guy) so I will

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-76974388982835712172008-11-20T14:09:00.004-05:002008-11-20T16:54:57.434-05:00

First stop, the Fens.It was announced this past week that Dustin Pedroia won the AL MVP award (by a surprisingly large margin I might add). Certainly did not see this coming... even doubted my girlfriend when she proclaimed he would win it all the way back in July, saying medium-power balding midget two-baggers don't win MVPs. Looks like I was proved wrong and I have never been so glad!Going into

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-56112882775466093652008-11-13T16:19:00.003-05:002008-11-13T16:32:28.180-05:00

Does Detroit really deserve the title? Or is Boston more deserving?I have been mulling over this question for the past couple months as it randomly comes up in hockey conversations. Originally, I had planned to write about the NHL's policy, or lack thereof, regarding suspensions after illegal hits in the wake of the Van Ryn incident. However, I was beaten to the punch by Tom at HCtB which

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-52392232447649977672008-11-10T13:39:00.006-05:002008-11-13T16:33:45.903-05:00

History repeats itself…Watching hockey highlights over the weekend, I came across the Kostopoulos/Van Ryn incident and I couldn’t help but flashback to October 27th of last year. The date is burned into the minds of Bruins fans as day we nearly lost the face of our franchise to a dirty, illegal hit from behind into the boards. The thing that really disturbed me about the play was just the sheer

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-87564859623197284072008-11-04T15:25:00.004-05:002008-11-04T15:33:28.446-05:00

The question must be swirling through the Bruins locker room after word came down that Vladimir Sobotka has been assigned to Providence. He was reportedly told that he would return to the big club after this weekend.Now considering the move only, it makes sense for the Bruins... Kobasew is expected back for Thursday's game and Sobotka has been a healthy scratch for most of this time with the

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-10463588935503428792008-11-03T16:03:00.003-05:002008-11-03T16:41:15.640-05:00

Perhaps it stands for the ‘National Hypocrites League’? Or maybe the ‘No Headshots but everything else goes League'? (Okay, I admit that last one is a bit long, but I couldn't come up with anything better!)I am of course, referring to the uproar that has arisen in the wake of Doug Weight’s injurious open-ice hit on Brandon Sutter. There have been complaints that Weight was head-hunting and

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-6852960302567052272008-10-30T14:47:00.004-04:002008-10-30T15:53:44.839-04:00

If you go to Northeastern University, there really is not much to take pride in when it comes to athletics. The lone bright spot is the hockey team which even then is a middle of the pack team in Hockey East at the best of times. Then again, when you play in a league with annual powerhouses BC, BU, UNH and UMaine, middle of the pack does'nt seem half bad. Since I started there in 2000, the

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-6818154052020029882008-10-27T11:43:00.004-04:002008-10-27T13:49:14.403-04:00

I was fortunate enough to get free tickets to Saturday's game against Atlanta through a friend who won them but could care less about hockey. Back row loge seats in the corner aren't the best but hey, the price was right! Proved to be one entertaining game and the best part of the evening actually had nothing to do with the game. At one of the many stoppages in play, the announcer started talking

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-49324463587990790872008-10-22T15:35:00.003-04:002008-10-22T17:12:55.054-04:00

With the Red Sox losing game 7 of the ALCS, a game they had no right even playing in, there will officially be a new World Series champion. The nice thing is, the two teams vying for this honor are actually two of the losingest franchises in MLB history instead of two franchises accustomed to perennial success. Now the question becomes, who to support in tonight's game 1?First off, lets compare

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-6601295772155956772008-10-09T21:36:00.011-04:002008-10-09T22:19:43.263-04:00

So this came a little later than expected but work interefered (three weeks of travel)...Without further ado, here are my predictions for the upcoming season in terms of goals, assists and points. Have to get them up before the season commences after all... if I can get around to it, I will include some more information on here.Player........................G - A - PPatrice Bergeron...........27-

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-7684795111014432112008-09-10T15:51:00.003-04:002008-09-10T16:32:25.620-04:00

Of course, I am refering to the devastating hit to the Super Bowl chances of the New England Patriots with the loss of Tom Brady for the season. Watching it live, I saw the hit, knew Brady took a good shot and would be hurting but had no idea it would be nearly as bad as it was. Then the replays and pictures and replays from better angles came out and there was no question... we had just lost our

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-82112228990923896332008-09-05T13:14:00.003-04:002008-09-05T14:22:27.815-04:00

NHL 98 that is... on the good old Nintendo 64, my first hockey game since the epic Blades of Steel. What does this have to do with the Bruins you ask? Well, when I got the game the Bruins were of course terrible (starring Allison, Khristich, Carter, Bourque and rookies Thornton and Samsonov) so I played as the far superior Colorado Avalanche which boasted Stephane Yelle as its 3rd or 4th line

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-25332108923391051422008-08-25T13:26:00.006-04:002008-08-25T15:02:43.012-04:00

Who knew the 16th century crazy Frenchman was a Bruins fan! As I previously mentioned, I have been on something of a Bruins kick lately so I thought I would put down some predictions for the upcoming season. Start with the easy stuff... line combinations:Sturm - Savard - RyderLucic - Bergeron - KobasewSchaefer - Krejci - KesselThornton - Sobotka - AxelssonChara - WidemanWard - FerenceStuart -

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-52334132862710786362008-08-22T13:51:00.001-04:002008-08-25T14:27:50.994-04:00

It is strange... I, just like most everyone in and around Boston, have always split my fandom between the Red Sox and Patriots. It only made sense, growing up playing Little League and Babe Ruth baseball then transitioning to high school football. Both parents are also big Red Sox and Patriots fans and so they were always watched during their respective season and I had a wealth of information on

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-64926952521296400662008-08-04T16:42:00.001-04:002008-08-25T14:28:08.618-04:00

There are many rules in life... some matter, many more don't. In the real world, the following rules don't matter but this isn't the real world, it's the world of sports where they are of the utmost importance...1) No sports bigamy allowed.I cannot stress this enough... you CAN NOT be a fan of two teams in the same sport... it just doesn't work! What happens when they go head to head? A true fan

The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2