Dan heard through the grapevine that the Bruins are doing well so he thought it might be a good idea to get back to the Garden, Joni Mitchell references in hand. (The song was written by Mitchell but sung by CSN&Y). What a week…Jethro Tull followed by Joni Mitchell. Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison must be pining for some Shank love. He ups his hipness quotient however with a Five for Fighting reference.
It is quite a statement that we are this far into the season before the Shank took notice of the Bruins' success. Must be too busy sucking money from the Globe’s travel accounts traveling with the Patriots. In a part game recap/part reflection of the glory days of the early 1970s, Dan looks at last night Bruins' game. For those of you who only follow the Red Sox, he compares Vesa Toskala stint in goal last night to a Time Wakefield start. Gee, thanks Dan. It is amazing that he was able to get through the column without comparing Julien to Belichick. I wonder if Julien ever utters the phrase “C’est que c’est”?
Obviously he came looking for a Celtics game and showed up on the wrong night. Which is what happens when you go to The Fours on weeknights.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the Joni Mitchell lyrics. At least they can be put into the column so that someone under the age of 40 makes the connection. Jethro Tull album covers aren't so connectable.
ReplyDeleteThis past week has made me realize that Dan has simply started writing for only his generation. I don't know that he consciously arrived at this decision, but it makes sense, in a way, for him to do so. People under the age of 40 or so are no longer reading papers and they are the people who don't get the majority of their sports info from the internet and ESPN.
Everything points to the fact that Dan has reached the conclusion. His repeated dated references are only for people around his age. The "picked up pieces" BS is for only people who are not on the internet and watching ESPN. What clinched it for me was a reference today:
OK, we'll never return to the glory days when we fixed the rabbit ears on our black and white Philcos and found a way to see snowy games on Channel 38.
It's all about the past and his memories and reference points. Forget trying to talk about what is going on; he is just talking to his fellow boomers.
Yeah, or maybe he's just getting senile
ReplyDeleteEureka! Dan can waltz into the Bruins locker room after a game and not have to worry about players completely dissing him like the other three teams do. Of course with hockey, Dan would have to whisper to a colleague, 'Who's that?' before chatting up a player. But in fairness, the players would look at Shaughnessy and say the same thing.
ReplyDeleteActually, Shaughnessy blew the TV reference. Anyone who was there knows that to get UHF properly, you fiddled with the loop antenna, not the rabbit ears.
ReplyDeleteBut it's an apt reference. Da Broons haven't been Da Broons since the Ch. 38 heyday of 35 or so winters ago. Then they went the way of Don Earle's liver (look him up)
Saw Bob Ryan on PTI today, and he's the only sports media personality that has managed to successfully navigate two facets of the business...TV and newspaper. And as impressed as I am with Bob, he immediately makes me realize why I despise Dan Shaughnessy. Ryan is to Shaughnessy what gold bullion is to dog poop.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who was there knows that to get UHF properly, you fiddled with the loop antenna, not the rabbit ears.
ReplyDeleteYou and Dan can discuss it while watching Matlock at the Old Folks Home tomorrow.
""You and Dan can discuss it while watching Matlock at the Old Folks Home tomorrow.""
ReplyDeleteHow precocious. Maturity will come some day, young man. Just keep waiting.
Merry Christmas, Globies!
ReplyDeleteThe New York Times [NYT] Co. is “actively” seeking a buyer for its stake in the Boston Red Sox [team stats], The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, citing two unidentified people familiar with the discussions.
The Times-owned Boston Globe could be sold along with the sports assets, the newspaper said.
Analysts and sports bankers say the Times’ 17.5 percent stake in New England Sports Ventures, the holding company for the Hub baseball club, is worth about $200 million.
The Globe is now worth $20-$27m now, according to people who ought to know. "Oh Jack Welch...won't you PLEASE come back? We really didn't mean it when we tried to stiff you for more than you offered a few years ago! Pleeeeaaaassse come back!"
ReplyDeleteIt's been 11 days since Shank's last column. I'm pretty sure he doesn't get paid by the word / column, as Bob Ryan has at least five columns over the same time span.
ReplyDeleteSuggestion - let's start a new thread where posters predict when Shank comes out with a new column. Bonus points for correctly guessing the subject of said column. The winner gets OB's white gloves.
I think we are due for the year end ""stream of consciousness" piece.
ReplyDeleteShank will tell us how he predicted all the 2008 sport stories.
g
Just consider Dan's hiatus as a Christmas present to all of us.
ReplyDeleteOn the 12th day of Christmas my Globies gave to me:
ReplyDeleteNo new column from Shaughnessy...
my prediction was the shankster talking about the celtics troubles
ReplyDelete