Interesting piece today on several levels. Lets start at the end and work backwards. Shaughnesy has not written a piece in a week and yet he proudly acknowledges that he has been in California for a week "watching Manny take over the town". Apparently he has been so busy shopping for Manny dredlock wigs that he could not turn in a column. A wise use of Globe dollars?
Shaughnesy also makes a big revelation. The Boston Globe has learned that MLB is investigating Manny's final days with the Red Sox. This is a big scoop, right? Then why is this scoop buried halfway down the column? (By the way, is this a column or is it a hard hitting investigative report?) Is this scoop buried because the source is weak? And who at the Globe found this piece of info? Shaughnessy does not take credit for it as he employs the passive "the Globe has learned" technique. Is Shaughnessy being modest? Doubtful. Is he taking someone else's scoop? Likely. The vision of Shaughnessy burning up the phone lines doing investigative reporting is almost laughable. Maybe this big scoop is buried because Shaughnessy is embarrassed to be breaking the story because it's not his source?
Nevertheless, news of this investigation emboldens Shaughnessy. Is he taking columnistic license when he suggests that Ramirez' strikeout against Mariano Rivera several weeks ago was intentional? Or does he have some proof of this claim? Again, doubtful. (Objective Bruce's words from the other day ring in my ears: "Lesson Five: "Unsubstantiated rumors" ought not see the light of day without an examination of their source or veracity.")
No doubt, Manny's last days with the Red Sox have every sign of being sordid and there are many signs of unethical behavior. But there is a good discussion in the last thread about how people like Shaughnessy have totally neglected making the effort to examine Ramirez perspective. Is it the case that the duplicitousness of the Sox front office alienated Manny to the extent that he felt like he had to do what he did? This absolutely would not justify Ramirez' behavior but it would provide some meaningful context. Of course, Shaughnessy is either too lazy or too biased to pursue that angle. After all, he has wigs to model.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Dan goes LA LA
Before you go any further, check bruce's comment in the prior thread. It was a pre emptive post. bruce figured we would question the wisdom of the Globe sending Shaughnessy all the way cross coast to cover Manny's introductory press conference because deep down he recognizes it was a foolhearty decision.
Despite Bruce's claim to the contrary, Shaughnessy's covereage is not particularly spectacular. The Globe editors must have been reading this blog and they realized that Shaughnessy might lose his sanity since he would have no one to attack in Boston anymore. They unleashed him on LA where he could have one more slamfest taking on Manny, Nomar; Boras, and the lob ball press of LA.
Shaughnessy does not disappoint. It actually wasn't too bad of a column although I think there is much more to the claim that the Sox are masters at dissing players on their way out the door, a claim that Shaughnessy quickly dismisses because he himself feeds that monster.
I did enjoy his little musical reference at the end. Boston proved too much for the man. Gladys Knight is smiling somewhere. Now if Shaughnessy were only on the midnight train out of Beantown
(I apologize for not posting links. I have left Ma's basement and am blogging from a cell phone which is a bit tedious)
Despite Bruce's claim to the contrary, Shaughnessy's covereage is not particularly spectacular. The Globe editors must have been reading this blog and they realized that Shaughnessy might lose his sanity since he would have no one to attack in Boston anymore. They unleashed him on LA where he could have one more slamfest taking on Manny, Nomar; Boras, and the lob ball press of LA.
Shaughnessy does not disappoint. It actually wasn't too bad of a column although I think there is much more to the claim that the Sox are masters at dissing players on their way out the door, a claim that Shaughnessy quickly dismisses because he himself feeds that monster.
I did enjoy his little musical reference at the end. Boston proved too much for the man. Gladys Knight is smiling somewhere. Now if Shaughnessy were only on the midnight train out of Beantown
(I apologize for not posting links. I have left Ma's basement and am blogging from a cell phone which is a bit tedious)
Friday, August 01, 2008
A Manny Stalking Blogger..could it be CHB?
Wow, Shaughnessy is apparently stalking Manny in LA and is posting blog entries about it... :) What is the world coming to? Is this a sign of the apocalypse?
Should be an interesting read Sat AM - will probably go on about how appropriate that Manny is in la la land and they will get what they deserve
Should be an interesting read Sat AM - will probably go on about how appropriate that Manny is in la la land and they will get what they deserve
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The End of the Road
Shaughnessy reflects on the wacky and wonderful tenure of Manny Ramirez as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Lots of Shaughnessys on display
- "Blows with the Wind Shaughnessy " says we're going to miss Manny's silliness to include his goofy antics in left field...this, just days after Shaughnessy ripped his goofy antics in left field
- "Dont let the fact's get in the way Shaughnessy": Shaughnessy says Ramirez' antics in the early years, to include skipping a trip to the White House, were harmless. Ramirez did skip a White House trip in 2005 (as well as 2008) but 2005 was not exactly the early years of Ramirez' tenure with the Sox, was it?
- "Poor word choice" Shaughnessy: First Shaughnessy makes an adjective out of a noun. Says Ramirez has "savant hitting skill". Savant is a noun not an adjective. I also think his continued use of savant to describe Ramirez' skills is insulting. In my thinking, savant is synonymous with idiot savant and the implication is that Ramirez is a dim bulb who somehow magically lucked into his hitting prowess as a freak of nature. It is a subtle personality assassination. Did he ever describe Larry Bird as a savant? or Ted Williams?
- "Contradictory Dan" says in one paragraph that "the Sox should brace for early backlash from the sizable faction of Red Sox Nation that will always worship at the Altar of Manny." Fewer than five sentences later, he says, "In the end, Manny had few friends in his own clubhouse and much of the fan base had turned against him."
- "Inconsistent Shaughnessy"...In discussing the dismantling of the 2004 Red Sox, he says "One by one, those players left town and Manny was alone to carry the mantle of goofiness. He did it well and still put up the numbers." This a strange compliment, given that we are talking the 2005-2008 years--which includes 2006 in which Shaughnessy claims that Ramirez quit and 2007-2008 in which Shaughnessy recently remarked that Ramirez OPS had dropped considerably
- "One sided Dan" talks about the ungluing of Manny's tenure initiated by Manny's slapping of Youklis. If Varitek had done this to Youklis, he would have praised Varitek as a gamer and leader who doesn't put up with whining from his teammates. For Manny, it is lumped in there with the shoving of the traveling secretary
- I am not defending Ramirez here - I think he quit on the team. And I dont think the Red Sox are stupid enough to trade him unless the situation had become untenable. But I do think there is something to Ramirez' criticism of the Red Sox management...they use the press to paint the outgoing superstars as monsters (Nomar, Martinez and now Ramirez) and the press (Shaughnessy and Gammons) seem all too willing to oblige.
- Oh yeah there is "Cliche Dan"--Theo and the minions make an appearance today
It is the end of an era in more ways than one. With Schilling and Ramirez out of the picture Shaughnessy does not have an obvious whipping post for the first time in years. If JD Drew starts to fade, however, he might better watch out. Shank will lump him in with Keith Foulke and start firing away at his lack of passion for the game
- "Blows with the Wind Shaughnessy " says we're going to miss Manny's silliness to include his goofy antics in left field...this, just days after Shaughnessy ripped his goofy antics in left field
- "Dont let the fact's get in the way Shaughnessy": Shaughnessy says Ramirez' antics in the early years, to include skipping a trip to the White House, were harmless. Ramirez did skip a White House trip in 2005 (as well as 2008) but 2005 was not exactly the early years of Ramirez' tenure with the Sox, was it?
- "Poor word choice" Shaughnessy: First Shaughnessy makes an adjective out of a noun. Says Ramirez has "savant hitting skill". Savant is a noun not an adjective. I also think his continued use of savant to describe Ramirez' skills is insulting. In my thinking, savant is synonymous with idiot savant and the implication is that Ramirez is a dim bulb who somehow magically lucked into his hitting prowess as a freak of nature. It is a subtle personality assassination. Did he ever describe Larry Bird as a savant? or Ted Williams?
- "Contradictory Dan" says in one paragraph that "the Sox should brace for early backlash from the sizable faction of Red Sox Nation that will always worship at the Altar of Manny." Fewer than five sentences later, he says, "In the end, Manny had few friends in his own clubhouse and much of the fan base had turned against him."
- "Inconsistent Shaughnessy"...In discussing the dismantling of the 2004 Red Sox, he says "One by one, those players left town and Manny was alone to carry the mantle of goofiness. He did it well and still put up the numbers." This a strange compliment, given that we are talking the 2005-2008 years--which includes 2006 in which Shaughnessy claims that Ramirez quit and 2007-2008 in which Shaughnessy recently remarked that Ramirez OPS had dropped considerably
- "One sided Dan" talks about the ungluing of Manny's tenure initiated by Manny's slapping of Youklis. If Varitek had done this to Youklis, he would have praised Varitek as a gamer and leader who doesn't put up with whining from his teammates. For Manny, it is lumped in there with the shoving of the traveling secretary
- I am not defending Ramirez here - I think he quit on the team. And I dont think the Red Sox are stupid enough to trade him unless the situation had become untenable. But I do think there is something to Ramirez' criticism of the Red Sox management...they use the press to paint the outgoing superstars as monsters (Nomar, Martinez and now Ramirez) and the press (Shaughnessy and Gammons) seem all too willing to oblige.
- Oh yeah there is "Cliche Dan"--Theo and the minions make an appearance today
It is the end of an era in more ways than one. With Schilling and Ramirez out of the picture Shaughnessy does not have an obvious whipping post for the first time in years. If JD Drew starts to fade, however, he might better watch out. Shank will lump him in with Keith Foulke and start firing away at his lack of passion for the game
Monday, July 28, 2008
Marching Orders
Dan's got them.
When it is time to trash a star Red Sox player, the call goes out to Shank. Who better to stick a knife in the back of a player the organization wants to be gone?
An important note: There are knee injuries that are not detectable by MRI.
When it is time to trash a star Red Sox player, the call goes out to Shank. Who better to stick a knife in the back of a player the organization wants to be gone?
An important note: There are knee injuries that are not detectable by MRI.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Thoughts on Shank and Manny
Shaughnessy claims that Manny's latest madness is the final straw. "Manny has punched his ticket out of town," Shaughnessy breathlessly exclaims.
I'll state up front that I agree with Shaughnessy's conclusion. I doubt Ramirez will be back next year and who even knows about the rest of this year.? I do think Francona's actions are pretty revealing and signal the team's frustration.
That being said, Shaughnessy's woeful inability to craft a cogent and meaningful column continues to baffle. This story played out in the afternoon...Shaughnessy had quite a bit of time to write a meaningful piece and he delivers absolute garbage yet again. A few points:
- First, Steve Buckley pretty much writes the same column in the Herald although Buckley does scoop old Shank when he writes "Yet after taking himself out of the lineup, he stepped into the batting cage under the first base grandstand and proceeded to rake the ball. Until Manny pulled the curtain on me, I was standing there watching the Clown Prince."
- Dan's penchant for exaggeration is on display when he calls this the biggest game of the season. This statement coming just weeks after he declared the Yankees were dead and that the thrill from Yankees-Red Sox games were missing
- Dan calls Francona an enabler. That is a cheap shot. Francona deserves a lot of credit for keeping this team together. Shaughnessy's editors are more the enablers for allowing him to get away with the crap that he dishes on a regular basis
- Dan cant get any direct quotes from any Red Sox officials and so he quotes a fan (Bob Crane). Who elected Bob Crane President of Red Sox Nation?
- Dan repeats for the hundredth time (and the 101st for that matter) that Ramirez quit on the Sox in 2006. He still has yet to offer any good proof of that. In a recent column, he even couched his claim about 2006 just a little bit but now that Manny has pulled this latest business, Shaughnessy is emboldened yet again to unequivocally state (twice) that Ramirez quit in 2006 but still offers no proof.
- Dan loves to get the stat book out once a month as if to prove some point. Today, he says Manny's OPS is down the past two years. "By a lot." The fact that he is in the Top 5 of the league this year does not seem to matter much.
- I love how he fashions himself as the old school journalist ("When Theo Epstein saw this typist coming...") I know he must view himself as the hard-edged reporter...and he can't even begin to appreciate the fact of why Sox officials wont talk to him - it's not because they are scared of him (as he likely believes) but because of his history of doing hatchet jobs
This column would have been a lot more effective coming from someone like Ryan. Shaughnessy makes some valid points but given his MO of making everything personal, it's really difficult to sift the wheat from the considerable chaff.
Disclaimer: I am not a Ramirez apologist. Frankly, I dont care if he stays or goes. For that matter, I am not a Red Sox team apologist. Shaughnessy can criticize the team and player all he wants - just wish he would do it in a more meaningful cogent manner.
I'll state up front that I agree with Shaughnessy's conclusion. I doubt Ramirez will be back next year and who even knows about the rest of this year.? I do think Francona's actions are pretty revealing and signal the team's frustration.
That being said, Shaughnessy's woeful inability to craft a cogent and meaningful column continues to baffle. This story played out in the afternoon...Shaughnessy had quite a bit of time to write a meaningful piece and he delivers absolute garbage yet again. A few points:
- First, Steve Buckley pretty much writes the same column in the Herald although Buckley does scoop old Shank when he writes "Yet after taking himself out of the lineup, he stepped into the batting cage under the first base grandstand and proceeded to rake the ball. Until Manny pulled the curtain on me, I was standing there watching the Clown Prince."
- Dan's penchant for exaggeration is on display when he calls this the biggest game of the season. This statement coming just weeks after he declared the Yankees were dead and that the thrill from Yankees-Red Sox games were missing
- Dan calls Francona an enabler. That is a cheap shot. Francona deserves a lot of credit for keeping this team together. Shaughnessy's editors are more the enablers for allowing him to get away with the crap that he dishes on a regular basis
- Dan cant get any direct quotes from any Red Sox officials and so he quotes a fan (Bob Crane). Who elected Bob Crane President of Red Sox Nation?
- Dan repeats for the hundredth time (and the 101st for that matter) that Ramirez quit on the Sox in 2006. He still has yet to offer any good proof of that. In a recent column, he even couched his claim about 2006 just a little bit but now that Manny has pulled this latest business, Shaughnessy is emboldened yet again to unequivocally state (twice) that Ramirez quit in 2006 but still offers no proof.
- Dan loves to get the stat book out once a month as if to prove some point. Today, he says Manny's OPS is down the past two years. "By a lot." The fact that he is in the Top 5 of the league this year does not seem to matter much.
- I love how he fashions himself as the old school journalist ("When Theo Epstein saw this typist coming...") I know he must view himself as the hard-edged reporter...and he can't even begin to appreciate the fact of why Sox officials wont talk to him - it's not because they are scared of him (as he likely believes) but because of his history of doing hatchet jobs
This column would have been a lot more effective coming from someone like Ryan. Shaughnessy makes some valid points but given his MO of making everything personal, it's really difficult to sift the wheat from the considerable chaff.
Disclaimer: I am not a Ramirez apologist. Frankly, I dont care if he stays or goes. For that matter, I am not a Red Sox team apologist. Shaughnessy can criticize the team and player all he wants - just wish he would do it in a more meaningful cogent manner.
The Manny Acts of Shank
THis morning's dish certainly offers up a plateful, doesn't it? I have to complete a training run and will not be able to post until late morning but wanted to get an entry out there for people to comment on. Have you had enough of Manny? Dan thinks you have....Stay tuned
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It All Comes Back to Manny
The Sox sweep the Mariners and are returning to Fenway to play the Yankees. The main topic for Dan? Manny and his knee.
Dan will never give Manny a break after the end to the 2006 season so a sore knee is Manny taking a day off for no reason.
Dan will never give Manny a break after the end to the 2006 season so a sore knee is Manny taking a day off for no reason.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Lame References Abound
"Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed . . ."
And we are off. Dan writes about Jed Lowrie and anoints him the shortstop of the future. Interesting that he would be so high on Lowrie a day after he had to admit he was wrong about Pedroia. Of course, Dustin had better minor league numbers while being younger and striking out much less. So if he was to be questioned, what about Lowrie?
And we are off. Dan writes about Jed Lowrie and anoints him the shortstop of the future. Interesting that he would be so high on Lowrie a day after he had to admit he was wrong about Pedroia. Of course, Dustin had better minor league numbers while being younger and striking out much less. So if he was to be questioned, what about Lowrie?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
It Took Long Enough
Dan offers up his mea culpa for his initial impression of Dustin Pedroia. But Dan does it in typical Shank fashion, going over the top with his ironic praise, comparing Pedroia to Pete Rose.
Dan's suspicion of Pedroia's talent has been well documented and now he takes it all back. Maybe he won't be so fast to dismiss a player with a record of success at every level just so he can attack Theo. And yes, there is a "minions" sighting in the column.
Dan's suspicion of Pedroia's talent has been well documented and now he takes it all back. Maybe he won't be so fast to dismiss a player with a record of success at every level just so he can attack Theo. And yes, there is a "minions" sighting in the column.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Wow
That is the sentiment left after reading today's Shank column. There are a variety of reasons for it.
First, after a three game sweep Dan isn't ready to panic. It is usually these tough losses that Dan gets all cynical and angry, lashing out at the manager, GM, and star players. Not today, except for a gratuitous shot at Manny for a late play in an 11-3 blowout when good guy Alex Cora let in four runs.
Then there is the obligatory "immortal" reference, this time for Erick Aybar. Dan loves to parade his ignorance with his use of the term, but maybe he should know who the starting shortstop is for the MLB team with the best record.
Finally, this column comes a day after Dan gleefully wrote that the Red Sox need not worry because the Angels can never beat the Red Sox in the playoffs. No mention of that claim today. Dan may want to think it over.
First, after a three game sweep Dan isn't ready to panic. It is usually these tough losses that Dan gets all cynical and angry, lashing out at the manager, GM, and star players. Not today, except for a gratuitous shot at Manny for a late play in an 11-3 blowout when good guy Alex Cora let in four runs.
Then there is the obligatory "immortal" reference, this time for Erick Aybar. Dan loves to parade his ignorance with his use of the term, but maybe he should know who the starting shortstop is for the MLB team with the best record.
Finally, this column comes a day after Dan gleefully wrote that the Red Sox need not worry because the Angels can never beat the Red Sox in the playoffs. No mention of that claim today. Dan may want to think it over.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Reminiscing about the Back Yard
Shaughnessy has a nice column today about how he turned his backyard into a mini Fenway back in the 1990s for his kids to play wiffle ball...to include painting the fence with paint from the real Fenway. It is a nice piece that captures a slice of parenthood, growing up, looking back, and a genuine love for the game. Call me a sentimental sap but this is a nice read for a Sunday morning. (And this probably also explains why I pretty much enjoyed his book Senior Year)
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
I Wish I Had His Job
So Dan listens to sports talk radio all day and then goes to Fenway to watch the Red Sox. What a life!
The sports radio talk is all about the Captain and his epic slump and Dan has his take on it. Dan plays it straight, without really committing to any side. He does manage a shot at Schilling, though.
The sports radio talk is all about the Captain and his epic slump and Dan has his take on it. Dan plays it straight, without really committing to any side. He does manage a shot at Schilling, though.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Recycled Crap
The Globe's technical staff must have been enjoying an extended 4th of July holiday today. Here is the secret - Shaughnessy is a figment of our imagination; he doesn't really exist. As we touched on last year, the Globe has a machine they use to churn out columns with the Shaughnessy by-line. They call it the "Crank a Shank" - it cranks out column after column replete with 1980s references; corny musical references; and bitter diatribes against certain people. About once a month, the "Crank a Shank" hiccups and if it is not re-booted properly, it kicks out the same garbage two days in a row.
Today was one of those days....compare yesterday and today's efforts...in both, Shaughnessy tells about Steinbrenner's birthday; overreacts to a Yankees loss; discusses the Yankees team meeting; makes light of ARod's marital problems; tells us that Yankee Stadium is on 161st street; and calls Darryl Rasner "immortal" (what the hell is up with that anyway--this is a favorite Shankism - call some no-name "immortal"--it's not funny, particularly two days in a row). Yes, the old "Crank a Shank" is a little buggy.
So the Yankees lose two games in a row and Shaughnessy says "The situation in New York is bad." Typical Shaughnessy hyperbole. (How much will his tone change now that the Yankees beat the Red Sox today?)
I also dont particularly care for Shaughnessy's double standard. He rails against Manny and the Red and says the Red Sox are enabler of Ramirez' bad behavior. And yet, ARod's alleged extramarital affair is nothing but a silly throw-away punch line. Adultery and assault are two different crimes but why does Shaughnessy assume a self-righteous attitude on one and a casual dismissive attitude about the other? I for one, am much concerned about infidelity and broken homes and their impact on today's society and a star like Arod cheating on his wife doesn't set a very good example, does it? You can argue that it is a personal matter and perhaps it is - but Shaughnessy should then simply not discuss it. Given that he can't let it go, he is guilty of a serious double standard by making it a joke.
I hope the Globe editors enjoyed their extra long week. With any luck, someone will re-boot the "Crank a Shank" machine today so we can get something fresh Sunday AM.
Today was one of those days....compare yesterday and today's efforts...in both, Shaughnessy tells about Steinbrenner's birthday; overreacts to a Yankees loss; discusses the Yankees team meeting; makes light of ARod's marital problems; tells us that Yankee Stadium is on 161st street; and calls Darryl Rasner "immortal" (what the hell is up with that anyway--this is a favorite Shankism - call some no-name "immortal"--it's not funny, particularly two days in a row). Yes, the old "Crank a Shank" is a little buggy.
So the Yankees lose two games in a row and Shaughnessy says "The situation in New York is bad." Typical Shaughnessy hyperbole. (How much will his tone change now that the Yankees beat the Red Sox today?)
I also dont particularly care for Shaughnessy's double standard. He rails against Manny and the Red and says the Red Sox are enabler of Ramirez' bad behavior. And yet, ARod's alleged extramarital affair is nothing but a silly throw-away punch line. Adultery and assault are two different crimes but why does Shaughnessy assume a self-righteous attitude on one and a casual dismissive attitude about the other? I for one, am much concerned about infidelity and broken homes and their impact on today's society and a star like Arod cheating on his wife doesn't set a very good example, does it? You can argue that it is a personal matter and perhaps it is - but Shaughnessy should then simply not discuss it. Given that he can't let it go, he is guilty of a serious double standard by making it a joke.
I hope the Globe editors enjoyed their extra long week. With any luck, someone will re-boot the "Crank a Shank" machine today so we can get something fresh Sunday AM.
Friday, July 04, 2008
More babbling from the Village Idiot
On its face, this is an innocuous column. Shaughnessy says Joe Girardi took his team to the woodshed after last night's embarrassing loss to the Red Sox. Upon deeper reflection, this is another piece of crap from your churn it out/mail it in front page columnist of the Boston Globe.
- Shaughnessy is amazing in his ability to take one event and jump to all sorts of conclusions. After last night's loss, Shaughnessy amazingly concludes that coming to Yankee Stadium is no longer threatening. He concludes that it is a strong possibility there will be no post season baseball in Yankee Stadium. Alright, Shank, if you want to make these comments after the Red Sox sweep the Yankees and each game is a dominating shutout, that is one thing. But, after one game and the Sox are just 4 games up over the Yankees in the loss column? You're an idiot.
- Apparently, Shaughnessy thinks going 4-3 is a bad thing. He says
- Shaughnessy wont let the Manny incident die. I am not a Manny apologist but I agree with Mike to a large extent in that the Red Sox don't necessarily owe anyone an explanation. Plus, we dont really know what actions they took, do we? For all we know, this was the final straw. Maybe Theo and the brain trust have decided they will let him go after the season and for now, they want to let the season play out. I don't know. And I don't think Shaughnessy really knows either. To continually call them "enablers" without knowing is problematic and reflective of his lazy and vindictive journalism.
Happy 4th of July to our faithful readers. Enjoy the day!
- Shaughnessy is amazing in his ability to take one event and jump to all sorts of conclusions. After last night's loss, Shaughnessy amazingly concludes that coming to Yankee Stadium is no longer threatening. He concludes that it is a strong possibility there will be no post season baseball in Yankee Stadium. Alright, Shank, if you want to make these comments after the Red Sox sweep the Yankees and each game is a dominating shutout, that is one thing. But, after one game and the Sox are just 4 games up over the Yankees in the loss column? You're an idiot.
- Apparently, Shaughnessy thinks going 4-3 is a bad thing. He says
Game 1 of this four-game set was a walk in the ballpark for a Boston team that had lost five straight games and eight of 12If they have lost five straight and 8 of 12, that means they were 4-3 in the games preceding the 5 losses...and this is bad because? (Extrapolating 4-3 to an entire season translates to 92 wins which is not too shabby)
- Shaughnessy wont let the Manny incident die. I am not a Manny apologist but I agree with Mike to a large extent in that the Red Sox don't necessarily owe anyone an explanation. Plus, we dont really know what actions they took, do we? For all we know, this was the final straw. Maybe Theo and the brain trust have decided they will let him go after the season and for now, they want to let the season play out. I don't know. And I don't think Shaughnessy really knows either. To continually call them "enablers" without knowing is problematic and reflective of his lazy and vindictive journalism.
Happy 4th of July to our faithful readers. Enjoy the day!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Dan Gets Angry
With the news that Manny pushed the Red Sox traveling secretary to the ground on Saturday, we were certain that Dan would take the opportunity to get his panties in a bunch and unload on Manny.
And that is what he did. It is the same old crap from Dan, like it's from a script. Start with a Jimmie Foxx comparison and then proceed with the rip job.
- He quit in 2006 (forgetting the monster series he had against the Yankees). Dan writes "That one's difficult to prove, of course, but everyone who was there believes it. Including the manager." Dan finally admits he has been talking out of his ass the last two years.
- Manny rededicated himself last winter. Very clever. Imply that he was slacking off before that year even though he had one of the most productive stretches in the history of baseball.
- "Refusing to pinch hit, and insisting on a day off when the club needs you, are also crimes against baseball." This quotation is even cuter. He doesn't say that Manny committed those crimes (the evidence is unclear), but he leaves the reader with that impression.
And that is what he did. It is the same old crap from Dan, like it's from a script. Start with a Jimmie Foxx comparison and then proceed with the rip job.
- He quit in 2006 (forgetting the monster series he had against the Yankees). Dan writes "That one's difficult to prove, of course, but everyone who was there believes it. Including the manager." Dan finally admits he has been talking out of his ass the last two years.
- Manny rededicated himself last winter. Very clever. Imply that he was slacking off before that year even though he had one of the most productive stretches in the history of baseball.
- "Refusing to pinch hit, and insisting on a day off when the club needs you, are also crimes against baseball." This quotation is even cuter. He doesn't say that Manny committed those crimes (the evidence is unclear), but he leaves the reader with that impression.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Picked Up Pieces
Shaughnessy returns to a format that he has not invoked in months - it is a picked up pieces special. All in all, I wouldn't call it overly interesting....but at least it was not as objectionable as past picked up pieces columsn save yet another shot at Curt Schilling....
Shaughnessy says
Come on what the hell does this mean? Has Schilling ever physically attacked his general manager? How does Shaughnessy make the leap from Wade calling Schilling a horse's ass to Chacon "channeling his inner Schilling" when he physically accosted his employer? Shaughnessy saw a venue for getting yet another shot in at Schilling and it is unjustified. If there is a horse's ass in the room, it is Shaughnessy.
Shaughnessy says
Shawn Chacon must have been channeling his inner Curt Schilling when he grabbed Astros general manager Ed Wade and threw him to the floor last week. When Schilling and Wade worked in Philadelphia, it was Wade who said, "Curt's a horse every fifth day. The other four days, he's a horse's ass."
Come on what the hell does this mean? Has Schilling ever physically attacked his general manager? How does Shaughnessy make the leap from Wade calling Schilling a horse's ass to Chacon "channeling his inner Schilling" when he physically accosted his employer? Shaughnessy saw a venue for getting yet another shot in at Schilling and it is unjustified. If there is a horse's ass in the room, it is Shaughnessy.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Danny The Genius
Shaughnessy uses last night's draft to reflect on how Danny Ainge transformed the Celtics -- a transformation that was founded in large part on last year's draft. Says Danny proved all his critics wrong; made some really smart moves; and delivered a championship. It is a very nice tribute to Ainge and Shaughnessy readily eats some crow.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Update
Today on Dale & Holley, Theo mentioned that Curt underwent a full physical and MRI. Can we now stop feeling sorry for the poor Red Sox who were swindled by the scheming Curt Schilling?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Schilling's Response
Apparently Dan may have stretched the truth in order to take another poke at Schilling. The Red Sox did know that Curt in the Car was going under the knife before the WEEI interview.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Not As Bad As I Thought, But Still Bad
As commentators have pointed out, the Shilling injury piece was inevitable. It was mostly laudatory, but Dan did go out of his way, eschewing facts and reason, to bash Curt.
- "An increasingly hilarious 38pitches.com." Huh? Why Dan? It must be great to just throw a line out there and not have to back it up.
- "I hate to offend the fragile psyches of Schill-o-phants, blog-boys, and others who worship at the altar of Curt, but there are a few indelicate points that might be made about all this."
Ah yes, the only people who would defend Curt are sycophants and "bloggers", the most evil group of people ever constituted.
The only indelicate point is the contract that Schilling signed. Dan suggests that Curt wasn't fully forthcoming about the health of his shoulder/arm. Does he have any proof? Of course not! It's the typical millionaires vs. billionaires dispute, but I have a hard time believing that a business worth close to a billion dollars didn't fully investigate the health of a player to be signed.
So, the Red Sox took a risk in signing Schilling and it didn't work out. Now we are supposed to feel bad for the Red Sox? Dan must have gone through some impressive mental gymnastics to get to that conclusion. It wouldn't have anything to do with those dinners with Powder and the inside scoops from Lucchino, would it?
No link because I refuse to make it easy for people to read Shank.
- "An increasingly hilarious 38pitches.com." Huh? Why Dan? It must be great to just throw a line out there and not have to back it up.
- "I hate to offend the fragile psyches of Schill-o-phants, blog-boys, and others who worship at the altar of Curt, but there are a few indelicate points that might be made about all this."
Ah yes, the only people who would defend Curt are sycophants and "bloggers", the most evil group of people ever constituted.
The only indelicate point is the contract that Schilling signed. Dan suggests that Curt wasn't fully forthcoming about the health of his shoulder/arm. Does he have any proof? Of course not! It's the typical millionaires vs. billionaires dispute, but I have a hard time believing that a business worth close to a billion dollars didn't fully investigate the health of a player to be signed.
So, the Red Sox took a risk in signing Schilling and it didn't work out. Now we are supposed to feel bad for the Red Sox? Dan must have gone through some impressive mental gymnastics to get to that conclusion. It wouldn't have anything to do with those dinners with Powder and the inside scoops from Lucchino, would it?
No link because I refuse to make it easy for people to read Shank.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Blessed, Yet Cursed at the Same Time
As Dan points out, these are special times to be a sports fan in Boston. Then, why in God's name are we stuck with this lazy and arrogant bum? Don't click on the article, don't ever again click on his articles. Ignore him. Tell his editor (jsullivan@globe.com) what you think of Shank's condescending and spiteful attitude.
That being said, this column wasn't bad.
That being said, this column wasn't bad.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Your Front Page Columnist
He sucks.
The piece is meandering and pointless. There is no passion or excitement. It is a tepid recap with Shank mostly talking about the past. (I think he had a bet to see how many times he could get Auerbach's name into the column.) And of course there is the irrelevant Belichick reference.
Read Bob Ryan instead.
The piece is meandering and pointless. There is no passion or excitement. It is a tepid recap with Shank mostly talking about the past. (I think he had a bet to see how many times he could get Auerbach's name into the column.) And of course there is the irrelevant Belichick reference.
Read Bob Ryan instead.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Be Careful What You Wish For
Lately I have been lamenting the fact that Dan has been mailing it in with formulaic game recaps and recycled columns.
Well he certainly made up for it with today's piece.
Maybe the most obnoxious piece since Shank's lame attack on 38pitches.com. One joke ("The Celts are sure to win tonight. Just like {insert crushing Boston sports upset here}.") repeated to fill up the column. No insight or new information, just the Danny Downer act that CHB loves so much.
Well he certainly made up for it with today's piece.
Maybe the most obnoxious piece since Shank's lame attack on 38pitches.com. One joke ("The Celts are sure to win tonight. Just like {insert crushing Boston sports upset here}.") repeated to fill up the column. No insight or new information, just the Danny Downer act that CHB loves so much.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Just Read Bob Ryan
Why bother with Dan? If you want something more than a bland recap of the game with silly references, read Bob Ryan.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Savor this One
Dan looks at the 22 year drought since the Celtics' last championship. Says the 1986 Celtics were one of the best teams ever but it has been down hill ever since Len Bias died. He then goes through the familiar list of all the heinous things that have happened in the past 22 years--from the deaths of Bias and Lewis to the coaching debacles of Carr and Pittino and the bad lottery luck with no Duncan and no Durant or Oden.
He hints the good ole days are back and should be savored -- and there are no guarantees the Celts will be back in this position next year.
This is your typical Shaughnessy Sunday fare. No stunning insights - just one of his stock "keep it in perspective" columns with the typical laundry list of items that he is apt to throw out from time to time.
He hints the good ole days are back and should be savored -- and there are no guarantees the Celts will be back in this position next year.
This is your typical Shaughnessy Sunday fare. No stunning insights - just one of his stock "keep it in perspective" columns with the typical laundry list of items that he is apt to throw out from time to time.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Happy Dan
Dan was a little bitter after the Celtics had a chance to go up 3-0 and you could see the seeds of doubt creeping in to include the digs on Garnett. Today, he is Happy Dan calling last night's game one of the greatest (if not the greatest) comebacks in the team's history.
Dan must have had to work really hard last night--sure he went into "The sky is falling" mode after the first quarter and then had to throw everything out the window and start over again when the Celtics came back. Poor guy.
Dan must have had to work really hard last night--sure he went into "The sky is falling" mode after the first quarter and then had to throw everything out the window and start over again when the Celtics came back. Poor guy.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Getting More from Dan Would Be the Ticket
Dan cares for Mother Earth. I can tell because he is a devoted recycler.
Two weeks ago it was "It's Drive Time for Garnett."
Today it's "Getting More From Garnett Would Be the Ticket"
Two weeks ago it was "It's Drive Time for Garnett."
Today it's "Getting More From Garnett Would Be the Ticket"
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Secret Formula
Sorry for the delay in posting, but I had to go back and check if the Globe had reprinted Monday's column by mistake. Dan must use some Mad Libs like template to write these things. Rip at Schilling? Check. Obligatory game trivia, including celebrity roll, shoehorned into the middle of the column? Check.
The column isn't a bad recap of the game, but the columns are depressingly formulaic. Instead, read Bob Ryan.
The column isn't a bad recap of the game, but the columns are depressingly formulaic. Instead, read Bob Ryan.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Red and Dan's Conversation: What Really Took Place
An anonymous commenter asked if perhaps a security camera caught this magical exchange between Red and Dan. As it happens, there was a camera and we were able to get our hands on it. Here is how the conversation really went:
Red: I'm dead, Dan.
CHB: Oops, sorry about that Red. Good bye.
CHB: “Hiya Red, how ya doing?”
Red: Oh jeez, not you again
CHB: What do you mean “Not you again”? I thought we were buddies. Don’t you remember those cigars you gave me when my daughter was born?
Red: Oh hell, not that cigar story again. Why the hell do you feel the need to tell everyone about those damn cigars? Don’t you realize those things were stale? If I hadn’t seen you that night, I would have tossed them in the trash can.
CHB: Really, I thought we had a strong connection back in the 80’s….those were the good ole days.
Red: Hey, let me tell you a story. Back in the 1960s, Russell would invite Chamberlain over to dinner for a big game. It would soften Wilt up – make them feel like they were buds. Russell had no interest in friendship—he was trying to take advantage of the situation and made Wilt lose his edge. The Big Guy learned that trick from me. I was only trying to buddy up with you so you would give me good press. See how well it worked? 25 years later and you are still talking about those damn cigars.
CHB: Man, I really remember it differently. Thought we had a strong connection there. Boy, those 80’s were the good ole days.
Red: You know Dan…I have moved on with my life….maybe you should consider moving on as well.
CHB: You know, Red, I just love the 60s and 80s. That Larry Bird sure was a great player wasn’t he?
Red: Yes, Dan he was. But remember that point I just told you about moving on with your life? That Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, they are pretty good too you know. Did you happen to catch the game the other night?
CHB: Yeah, yeah, I was there. Can you believe that blowhard Schilling was there in a Celtics jersey no less ? I figured you would be rolling over in your grave if you saw that windbag there.
Red: I kind of like that Big Schill guy. Ever read his blog? It is pretty good.
CHB: Oh no, you read blogs?
Red: Yep, there is even one that tracks your writing. It’s pretty good too. What have you got against blogs anyway?
CHB: They get in the way and they are not relevant.
Red: Sounds like a case of the pot calling the kettle black? You know, it is kind of funny. You were talking earlier about our “connection”. Here is a good connection for you. I sit around here all day doing nothing and pigeons crap on me. You sit around all day doing nothing and bloggers crap on you..
CHB: Very funny, Red.
Red: So you know, Dan, I still read your columns from time to time. I don’t know why—kind of like when people stop to see a car wreck. Just wondering if you got any lame 1970 music lyric references up your sleeve. The ones you come up with are sort of pathetically funny.
CHB: Funny you should mention it Red, I have been working on one. Remember Don McLean’s Miss American Pie?
Red: Yep, sure do, that was a classic.
The Father, Red, and Johnny Most
They took the last train for the coast
The day that Bird retired
Red: I'm dead, Dan.
CHB: Oops, sorry about that Red. Good bye.
Oh God, No!
That was my reaction upon seeing the headline to this column.
Dan writing about Red Auerbach had to be expected. Since Red's death, Dan had honored him by tossing Red trivia into all sorts of columns, relevancy be damned. Now we have a whole column devoted to the legend of Red.
And the column is pretty good. It's original, has a consistent point of view, all the things you hope for in a column.
Dan writing about Red Auerbach had to be expected. Since Red's death, Dan had honored him by tossing Red trivia into all sorts of columns, relevancy be damned. Now we have a whole column devoted to the legend of Red.
And the column is pretty good. It's original, has a consistent point of view, all the things you hope for in a column.
Monday, June 09, 2008
The Seasons Change, Dan Stays the Same
You have to feel for Dan. With the game all but over midway through the fourth quarter, Dan probably was on cruise control. But with the Lakers' furious comeback, Dan was forced to do some work, however little it was.
Dan's game columns have taken on a depressing familiarity. About halfway through the column, Dan shoehorns some trivia from the game, including the celebrity attendance roll. Wilt Chamberlain could have risen from the dead to play for the Lakers and Dan would need to fill space with celebrity sightings and passive-aggressive shots at Curt Schilling. Don't want those bon mots to go to waste, regardless of when they were written.
Then the column concludes with an uninspired game recap, filled with statistics.
"Boorrring!"
Dan's game columns have taken on a depressing familiarity. About halfway through the column, Dan shoehorns some trivia from the game, including the celebrity attendance roll. Wilt Chamberlain could have risen from the dead to play for the Lakers and Dan would need to fill space with celebrity sightings and passive-aggressive shots at Curt Schilling. Don't want those bon mots to go to waste, regardless of when they were written.
Then the column concludes with an uninspired game recap, filled with statistics.
"Boorrring!"
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The Waltons
Shaughnessy has an excellent look at the Walton family. Bill Walton thinks the Celtics will win but is rooting for his son Luke to get a championship. It really is a very nice perspective of how fondly and passionately Bill Walton considered his life in Boston in the mid 1980s. Makes you wonder why he ever moved. Shaughnessy does a very good job with pieces like this and this is one of his better efforts.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Chris Called it
Dan writes about last night's game and focuses on Paul Pierce's heroic return to the game after suffering an injury. Said it was mildly reminiscent of Larry Bird's return in a 1991 playoff game. Chris called it here.
Dan also has a piece in which he bookmarks memorable events in his life against years in which the Lakers and Celtics played in series. I did not find it to be bad but rather self-indulgent and boring. He has a snide comment about how it would be against Globe policy now for him to receive cigars from Red Auerbach - why he can't comprehend that it is not a good idea to fraternize with the people you cover is beyond me.
Dan also has a piece in which he bookmarks memorable events in his life against years in which the Lakers and Celtics played in series. I did not find it to be bad but rather self-indulgent and boring. He has a snide comment about how it would be against Globe policy now for him to receive cigars from Red Auerbach - why he can't comprehend that it is not a good idea to fraternize with the people you cover is beyond me.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
A Look at Paul Pierce
Dan has an in-depth look at Paul Pierce. It is not a column, so there isn't much there. It reviews the struggles and development of Paul Pierce over ten tumultuous years for him and the Celtics franchise and Dan manages to tie it together nicely at the end.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
I Thought the Internet Was Evil?
Dan appears live and in living color on boston.com's Celtic Blog.
Here is Dan talking about the history of the matchup:
A few things of note:
-I guess those Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen references take time.
-He picks the Celtics. Let's see how that holds up in the next 24 hours.
-"I'll be at the gym before you"? Huh?
This is Dan talking about the 2-3-2 Finals setup:
- LARRY BIRD REFERENCE!!!!!!
So it's okay for Dan to talk to the masses via the internet, but if Curt Schilling ever deigns to talk to the fans through the medium, it is an affront to all that is good and holy.
Here is Dan talking about the history of the matchup:
A few things of note:
-I guess those Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen references take time.
-He picks the Celtics. Let's see how that holds up in the next 24 hours.
-"I'll be at the gym before you"? Huh?
This is Dan talking about the 2-3-2 Finals setup:
- LARRY BIRD REFERENCE!!!!!!
So it's okay for Dan to talk to the masses via the internet, but if Curt Schilling ever deigns to talk to the fans through the medium, it is an affront to all that is good and holy.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Lakers v. Celtics
(My regrets for being a day late in posting--it was a busy Saturday)
Dan writes about the Celtics series-clinching win in Game 6 over the Lakers. Every day is Thanksgiving, he tells us. (I think Christmas may have been the more apt metaphor).
Decent article with three comments from Ma's basement
- Shaughnessy says, "The Celtics led, 24-21, after one, a quarter dominated by a couple of former University of Connecticut Huskies." but he only discusses the effort of one (Allen) and not the other (Hamilton). I am willing to bet he may be the victim of bad editing on that one.
- Strange quote from Kevin Garnett. Talks about how he loved to watch the Celtics play the Lakers on Sunday afternoons with the "fire going". Garnett is from South Carolina--hard to imagine fires going in June in South Carolina.
- Manufactured Nickname Alert: Shaughnessy loves to dole out the nicknames - hoping something will stick perhaps so he can launch his next book with a catchy name. In this case, we have an in incomplete sentence tied with it. He discusses the Celtics return to greatness. "With the New Three."
Dan writes about the Celtics series-clinching win in Game 6 over the Lakers. Every day is Thanksgiving, he tells us. (I think Christmas may have been the more apt metaphor).
Decent article with three comments from Ma's basement
- Shaughnessy says, "The Celtics led, 24-21, after one, a quarter dominated by a couple of former University of Connecticut Huskies." but he only discusses the effort of one (Allen) and not the other (Hamilton). I am willing to bet he may be the victim of bad editing on that one.
- Strange quote from Kevin Garnett. Talks about how he loved to watch the Celtics play the Lakers on Sunday afternoons with the "fire going". Garnett is from South Carolina--hard to imagine fires going in June in South Carolina.
- Manufactured Nickname Alert: Shaughnessy loves to dole out the nicknames - hoping something will stick perhaps so he can launch his next book with a catchy name. In this case, we have an in incomplete sentence tied with it. He discusses the Celtics return to greatness. "With the New Three."
Standard fare otherwise - not bad, not great. I am grateful he spared us from calling it "David Stern's dream matchup" because that one is wearing a little thin on me.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
I don't get paid enough for this crap
We all knew that Dan would be happy after a Celts' win, as he has been alternating between joy and agony for the length of the series.
What stunned me about this column was it's sheer stupidity. A reader will know what lays in store by the third sentence:
"We didn't even have courtside fan Bill Belichick tossing a red beanbag to challenge an official's call."
What else?
He misuses the talk radio term "Long time. First Time."
He starts listing things.
And this paragraph is placed awkwardly between one regarding the temperature in the building and one about the game:
Hey Dan, just because you wrote the paragraph during or before the game, doesn't mean you have to shoehorn it into the final column.
The final few paragraphs are just a mishmash of statistics and restatements of what he wrote earlier.
What stunned me about this column was it's sheer stupidity. A reader will know what lays in store by the third sentence:
"We didn't even have courtside fan Bill Belichick tossing a red beanbag to challenge an official's call."
What else?
He misuses the talk radio term "Long time. First Time."
He starts listing things.
And this paragraph is placed awkwardly between one regarding the temperature in the building and one about the game:
The stars came out for Boston's big game. Belichick was seated next to the Pistons' bench and had a chance to visit with Tedy Bruschi and Vince Wilfork along the baseline. You didn't have to look far to see John Havlicek, Penny Marshall, and Ellen Pompeo.
Hey Dan, just because you wrote the paragraph during or before the game, doesn't mean you have to shoehorn it into the final column.
The final few paragraphs are just a mishmash of statistics and restatements of what he wrote earlier.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Crunch Time for Garnett
Dan has Kevin Garnett with something left to prove in the Playoffs.
A good straightforward piece supported by examples of times where the Celtics needed Garnett to step up.
A good straightforward piece supported by examples of times where the Celtics needed Garnett to step up.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Dan in 2008
What do you think of Dan? Let the readers of Boston Sports Media Watch know in the Dan Shaughnessy Approval Ratings.
Cancel Your Plans for a Finals Party
Today Dan tells us that we should be worried about the Pistons if they decide to play.
Dave M. called it.
Dave M. called it.
Monday, May 26, 2008
A Look Ahead
Dan takes a look at the Finals matchup that everyone is hoping for.
I think Dan hopes for the Celtics-Lakers rematch because he can trot out all his tired references and they won't seem so dated or inapt.
I think Dan hopes for the Celtics-Lakers rematch because he can trot out all his tired references and they won't seem so dated or inapt.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Shaughnessy's Commentary on Today's Athlete
Thanks to Objective Bruce for pointing out a second piece from Shaughnessy this AM - a commentary about how today's athletes have a different relationship with reporters than 20 or years ago. Our friend OB said the commentary "is an excellent look at the level of access and familiarity of journalists to and with players."
When I first read it, I thought it was intriguing on one level but problematic on several other levels. I then read the column by Pat Jordan which inspired Shaughnessy's effort and it reenforced my belief of what a shallow writer Shaughnessy has become. And I conclude that the column is problematic on pretty much all levels.
Shaughnessy quickly acknowledges that his commentary was inspired by Jordan's article and another article by Mitch Albom. If you have the time, read Jordan's piece and then read Shaughnessy. First off, Shaughnessy is nothing but a copy cat here -- there s no original thought. He jumps on Jordan's bandwagon and simply says "Hey, I feel the same way too." but his analysis is not nearly as sound as Jordan's. Whereas Shaughnessy bemoans the lack of access, he offers no insight as to why this has occurred. Jordan does and does it reasonably well.
In either case, does it not occur to Shaughnessy and Jordan that there is a line between a journalist and the people they cover? Both appear to have crossed it. Jordan admits that Seaver wanted to be portrayed in a certain light...is it possible that Jordan was a pawn as Seaver invited him in and treated him warmly? Shaughnessy meanwhile longs for the days when athletes and reporters rode to the airport together for road trips. It is subtle and perhaps not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but can a reporter really maintain objectivity when he has these buddy-buddy relationships? (Thanks to Mike B1 for hammering this point home)
On another level, I think Shaughnessy is guilty of waxing too poetic about the good ole days. Is it really that much different now? We still get stories about Dustin Pedroia and his card games with Francona. Shaughnessy talks about player's nicknames from the 80's but I am sure he could reel through the nicknames on this team as well. On his Japan trip, Shaughnessy also gave some personal glimpses into the different players as they prepared for the long road trip. Really not much different than the kinds of examples he gives from those good ole days.
On yet another level, Shaughnessy is hypocritical. In his past work, he comes across very hard against the fans who engage in hero worship of these athletes. He is sharply critical of men who wear jerseys with player's names on them. Yet he concludes this little piece with "ultimately, it erodes the connection between sports fans and their heroes." So why does he care so much about feeding this hero worship with one hand and ripping it apart with another? It is
silly.
Finally Shaughnessy does come across as a bitter and even jealous. He talks about his colleague Marc Spears who has more access than others and speculates that this is because he was a former player himself. He also hints that Spears works hard at it. Can Shaughnessy fathom the possibility that it is not the publicists to blame and that it may be case of a generational and/or racial divide? Shaughnessy can't be bothered with thinking about this because as usual, his analysis is weak. As a result, his commentary does come across as whiney on yet another level.
So Objective Bruce, I disagree that this commentary was excellent. I can call it copy cat; I can call it hypocrtitical; I can call it shallow; I can call it illustrative of an ethical breach; and I can say it is borne from jealousy but I can't call it excellent. Sorry.
When I first read it, I thought it was intriguing on one level but problematic on several other levels. I then read the column by Pat Jordan which inspired Shaughnessy's effort and it reenforced my belief of what a shallow writer Shaughnessy has become. And I conclude that the column is problematic on pretty much all levels.
Shaughnessy quickly acknowledges that his commentary was inspired by Jordan's article and another article by Mitch Albom. If you have the time, read Jordan's piece and then read Shaughnessy. First off, Shaughnessy is nothing but a copy cat here -- there s no original thought. He jumps on Jordan's bandwagon and simply says "Hey, I feel the same way too." but his analysis is not nearly as sound as Jordan's. Whereas Shaughnessy bemoans the lack of access, he offers no insight as to why this has occurred. Jordan does and does it reasonably well.
In either case, does it not occur to Shaughnessy and Jordan that there is a line between a journalist and the people they cover? Both appear to have crossed it. Jordan admits that Seaver wanted to be portrayed in a certain light...is it possible that Jordan was a pawn as Seaver invited him in and treated him warmly? Shaughnessy meanwhile longs for the days when athletes and reporters rode to the airport together for road trips. It is subtle and perhaps not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but can a reporter really maintain objectivity when he has these buddy-buddy relationships? (Thanks to Mike B1 for hammering this point home)
On another level, I think Shaughnessy is guilty of waxing too poetic about the good ole days. Is it really that much different now? We still get stories about Dustin Pedroia and his card games with Francona. Shaughnessy talks about player's nicknames from the 80's but I am sure he could reel through the nicknames on this team as well. On his Japan trip, Shaughnessy also gave some personal glimpses into the different players as they prepared for the long road trip. Really not much different than the kinds of examples he gives from those good ole days.
On yet another level, Shaughnessy is hypocritical. In his past work, he comes across very hard against the fans who engage in hero worship of these athletes. He is sharply critical of men who wear jerseys with player's names on them. Yet he concludes this little piece with "ultimately, it erodes the connection between sports fans and their heroes." So why does he care so much about feeding this hero worship with one hand and ripping it apart with another? It is
silly.
Finally Shaughnessy does come across as a bitter and even jealous. He talks about his colleague Marc Spears who has more access than others and speculates that this is because he was a former player himself. He also hints that Spears works hard at it. Can Shaughnessy fathom the possibility that it is not the publicists to blame and that it may be case of a generational and/or racial divide? Shaughnessy can't be bothered with thinking about this because as usual, his analysis is weak. As a result, his commentary does come across as whiney on yet another level.
So Objective Bruce, I disagree that this commentary was excellent. I can call it copy cat; I can call it hypocrtitical; I can call it shallow; I can call it illustrative of an ethical breach; and I can say it is borne from jealousy but I can't call it excellent. Sorry.
Maybe we can move on? Please!
Dan writes about the Celtics' decisive victory over the Pistons in Game 3 of their playoff series last night. Dan says the Celtics had their game faces on and played crisp basketball in winning their first playoff game on the road.
One thing he mentions that makes you realize how ridiculously drawn out the playoffs are is that the Celtics have not won at home since April 14--it has been a long long time. This also helps you realize about how long Shaughnessy has harped on this home-road story line - it has been a long, long time. It will be nice to finally move on. No telling what he will grab on to next.
As a game recap, Dan's account is pretty good. Where Dan always seems to falter in my opinion is when he editorializes. He says things like "There's certainly great temptation to overstate Boston's decisive win last night." in a story in which he does just that -- hinting now that the Celtics have won game 3 that their path to the finals is clear.
He also continues his rants about the peripheral -- in Cleveland, he hated the "diff board" and in Detroit, he hates the noise and pyrotechnics. Although I tend to agree with him that things like these are grating, it is not as if it is a new occurrence--NBA arenas have been packaging games like this for years (and I believe Stern has recently stated he would like to take it down a notch or two)
Bottom line: It is a decent enough read just with your typical Shaughnessy stock room side commentary.
One thing he mentions that makes you realize how ridiculously drawn out the playoffs are is that the Celtics have not won at home since April 14--it has been a long long time. This also helps you realize about how long Shaughnessy has harped on this home-road story line - it has been a long, long time. It will be nice to finally move on. No telling what he will grab on to next.
As a game recap, Dan's account is pretty good. Where Dan always seems to falter in my opinion is when he editorializes. He says things like "There's certainly great temptation to overstate Boston's decisive win last night." in a story in which he does just that -- hinting now that the Celtics have won game 3 that their path to the finals is clear.
He also continues his rants about the peripheral -- in Cleveland, he hated the "diff board" and in Detroit, he hates the noise and pyrotechnics. Although I tend to agree with him that things like these are grating, it is not as if it is a new occurrence--NBA arenas have been packaging games like this for years (and I believe Stern has recently stated he would like to take it down a notch or two)
Bottom line: It is a decent enough read just with your typical Shaughnessy stock room side commentary.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The Detroit Connection
Today Shaughnessy examines the connection between Boston and Detroit sports teams, examining the team vs team history of the Bruins v. Red Wings; Red Sox v. Tigers; and Celtics v. Pistons. (Sorry, not much there with respect to Patriots v. Lions)
If you like walks down memory lane then this one is for you. Some nice little nuggets to include discussions on how much Larry Bird hated Bill Laiimbeer.
I am not about to say this column was great but it is a pleasant enough read. Shaughnessy typically does a good job with historical retrospectives (except for when he has dead people showing up for baseball games)
If you like walks down memory lane then this one is for you. Some nice little nuggets to include discussions on how much Larry Bird hated Bill Laiimbeer.
I am not about to say this column was great but it is a pleasant enough read. Shaughnessy typically does a good job with historical retrospectives (except for when he has dead people showing up for baseball games)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Home Loss
Shaughnessy discusses the Celtics’ first playoff loss at home. He says the rules have changed and if the Celtics want to advance, they will have to finally win one on the road.
Today’s effort was predictable. Worse than that, however, it was filled with inane and idiotic commentary.
He says, “The Detroit Pistons, ladies and gents, are not the Atlanta Hawks, nor are they the Cleveland Cavaliers.” The implication being that they are a much better team than the Hawks and Cavaliers, apparently forgetting the Cavaliers bumped the Pistons from the playoffs just a year ago?
He says, “….the playoffs have officially started for the Celtics.” You know, this kind of statement would be appropriate if the Celtics had won their first two series in 4 or 5 games. Given, however, that the Celtics were taken to the seventh game in the first round by a team with a regular season losing record, I think it is safe to say the playoffs “officially” started for the Celtics much longer ago.
He talks about all the good things that have happened to Boston sports teams this weekend—Celtics previous wins and the Red Sox’ sweeps and he tops off the list of things to make us happy with this: “Bill Parcell’s best player is AWOL, “Dancing with the Stars.” This is a forced-cultural reference for the-sake of appearing “hip”. Jason Taylor has been on that show for weeks now—it’s a non story and given the respective state of the Patriots and Dolphins, I don’t think a single Patriots fan has derived pleasure from this whole Dancing with the Stars story. The Dolphins are not particularly relevant.
He says, “The Celtics ran out to an early 6-point lead, but who can trust any kind of lead in these playoffs after what the Lakers did to the Spurs at Staples Center Wednesday?” What a complete and idiotic statement. To compare a blown 6 point first half lead to a blown 20 point second half lead is ridiculous. If Belichick were to make a statement like this in a post game press conference, Shaughnessy would skewer him for saying nothing. The irony is that Shaughnessy spews out cliché-ridden statements like this all the time.
How he continues to get away with mailing it in like this continues to amaze me.
Today’s effort was predictable. Worse than that, however, it was filled with inane and idiotic commentary.
He says, “The Detroit Pistons, ladies and gents, are not the Atlanta Hawks, nor are they the Cleveland Cavaliers.” The implication being that they are a much better team than the Hawks and Cavaliers, apparently forgetting the Cavaliers bumped the Pistons from the playoffs just a year ago?
He says, “….the playoffs have officially started for the Celtics.” You know, this kind of statement would be appropriate if the Celtics had won their first two series in 4 or 5 games. Given, however, that the Celtics were taken to the seventh game in the first round by a team with a regular season losing record, I think it is safe to say the playoffs “officially” started for the Celtics much longer ago.
He talks about all the good things that have happened to Boston sports teams this weekend—Celtics previous wins and the Red Sox’ sweeps and he tops off the list of things to make us happy with this: “Bill Parcell’s best player is AWOL, “Dancing with the Stars.” This is a forced-cultural reference for the-sake of appearing “hip”. Jason Taylor has been on that show for weeks now—it’s a non story and given the respective state of the Patriots and Dolphins, I don’t think a single Patriots fan has derived pleasure from this whole Dancing with the Stars story. The Dolphins are not particularly relevant.
He says, “The Celtics ran out to an early 6-point lead, but who can trust any kind of lead in these playoffs after what the Lakers did to the Spurs at Staples Center Wednesday?” What a complete and idiotic statement. To compare a blown 6 point first half lead to a blown 20 point second half lead is ridiculous. If Belichick were to make a statement like this in a post game press conference, Shaughnessy would skewer him for saying nothing. The irony is that Shaughnessy spews out cliché-ridden statements like this all the time.
How he continues to get away with mailing it in like this continues to amaze me.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Ray Allen Watch
Dan does his best Debbie Downer impression after a big win with a look at the struggles of Ray Allen.
I think it happened like this. With a late start Dan needed/wanted to have most of his column written so he chose a general topic from over the course of the playoffs. And Allen's troubles worked perfect for Dan's needs. If Allen has an off night, then no trouble. If Allen goes off, he re-writes the article as Allen overcoming his struggles to help the Celtics. The quotations from Monday, the Rip Hamilton angle all work regardless of the outcome. You got to be pretty smart to be a lazy as Dan.
I think it happened like this. With a late start Dan needed/wanted to have most of his column written so he chose a general topic from over the course of the playoffs. And Allen's troubles worked perfect for Dan's needs. If Allen has an off night, then no trouble. If Allen goes off, he re-writes the article as Allen overcoming his struggles to help the Celtics. The quotations from Monday, the Rip Hamilton angle all work regardless of the outcome. You got to be pretty smart to be a lazy as Dan.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
A Very Special Win
Dan has the details from a special night at Fenway Park. It is a good read, worth the time for some of the details about Lester and his path to baseball history.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Huh?
Paul Pierce has the greatest playoff game of his career in Game Seven to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and Dan writes about LeBron James?
Pierce must have brushed past Dan once in the locker room. Or maybe Dan knows more about James because of the greater national attention.
Bad Joke Alert: This nugget was stashed away in the middle of the column:
Edit: Apparently, Bob Ryan was assigned the Paul Pierce angle for the Globe.
Pierce must have brushed past Dan once in the locker room. Or maybe Dan knows more about James because of the greater national attention.
Bad Joke Alert: This nugget was stashed away in the middle of the column:
Those fears were realized with a couple of minutes left in yesterday's game when the King (if he travels in a road game against the Grizzlies, do they say he's walkin' in Memphis?)
Edit: Apparently, Bob Ryan was assigned the Paul Pierce angle for the Globe.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Dan Can't Make Up His Mind
Dan does a Why the Celts/Cavs will win today's game. I apologize in advance _ short post today as I am running a race and got to go. I would suggest you run too--far away from this one.
Will try to post later
Dave M
Will try to post later
Dave M
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Another Celtics Road Loss
Shaughnessy dissects the Celtics latest road loss, a 74-69 defeat at the hands of the Cavaliers in Game 6 of their playoff series. Shaughnessy points out that the Celtics were victims of poor officiating (that call on Pierce was horrid) but that they were also outhustled. Although I have grown a little weary of Shaughnessy's constant harping on the road losses, he's right in that this does not give the Celtics a warm feeling about their playoff hopes.
Although his piece is relatively straightforward, Shaughnessy does include this one asinine line:
"The NBA should be concerned about the home-road disparity. Why even bother to play the games when we all know ahead of time which team is going to win?"
There is a Shaughnessy tendency to draw conclusions on small sample sizes. We are talking about one round of games and Shaughnessy decides to throw up his hands in exasperation and suggest there is an NBA-wide problem. One round does not an alarming trend make. Either there is a long standing pattern that has existed well before this series (and Shaughnessy should have done the homework to investigate this since he has done nothing but talk about home-road disparities for the past 2 plus weeks...but he won't because he is too lazy or busy primping for his TV appearances) or this is a statistical aberration. Either way, Shaughnessy apparently lacks the analytical capacity to figure it out.
Also, Shaughnessy dusts off a favorite old line but does so with a new twist:
Last July, he wrote
"Even Tim Donaghy thinks the Patriots are a lock."
Today, he writes, "Neither Charles Barkley nor Tim Donaghy would bet on the Celtics to beat the Pistons four times at home in the next round."
Ha, ha...that's a good one. Got to love the Barkley injection there to freshen it up a bit.
Although his piece is relatively straightforward, Shaughnessy does include this one asinine line:
"The NBA should be concerned about the home-road disparity. Why even bother to play the games when we all know ahead of time which team is going to win?"
There is a Shaughnessy tendency to draw conclusions on small sample sizes. We are talking about one round of games and Shaughnessy decides to throw up his hands in exasperation and suggest there is an NBA-wide problem. One round does not an alarming trend make. Either there is a long standing pattern that has existed well before this series (and Shaughnessy should have done the homework to investigate this since he has done nothing but talk about home-road disparities for the past 2 plus weeks...but he won't because he is too lazy or busy primping for his TV appearances) or this is a statistical aberration. Either way, Shaughnessy apparently lacks the analytical capacity to figure it out.
Also, Shaughnessy dusts off a favorite old line but does so with a new twist:
Last July, he wrote
"Even Tim Donaghy thinks the Patriots are a lock."
Today, he writes, "Neither Charles Barkley nor Tim Donaghy would bet on the Celtics to beat the Pistons four times at home in the next round."
Ha, ha...that's a good one. Got to love the Barkley injection there to freshen it up a bit.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
A Challenger to Dan's Title
I am going to lobby for this blog to be renamed Tony Massarotti Watch. His column today was the nastiest, most ignorant piece I have ever read. It tops even Shank's 38pitches parody.
With his giant poke in the readers' eyes, Tony Mazz has taken the title for Nastiest Boston Sports Columnist (Single Column). Dan, of course, retains the title for Nastiest Boston Sport Columnist (Career).
Note: No link because I refuse to facilitate the Boston Herald getting any clicks. I suggest you find a copy on the T to read.
With his giant poke in the readers' eyes, Tony Mazz has taken the title for Nastiest Boston Sports Columnist (Single Column). Dan, of course, retains the title for Nastiest Boston Sport Columnist (Career).
Note: No link because I refuse to facilitate the Boston Herald getting any clicks. I suggest you find a copy on the T to read.
Extra Special Goodiness
What did we do to be so lucky? A Cameragate reference and a shot at blogs in the first two sentences! (Do you think Dan was watching Buzz Bissinger blow up on CostasNow thinking to himself "Now that is an excellent, well reasoned argument!"?)
The rest of the piece is mostly game recap with quotations thrown in. Dan manages to capture the feel of watching the game, with Celtic's fan initial fear being replaced by awe in the third quarter.
The rest of the piece is mostly game recap with quotations thrown in. Dan manages to capture the feel of watching the game, with Celtic's fan initial fear being replaced by awe in the third quarter.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Road Woes Continue, Dan Beats Same Horse
Dan has a recap of another disappointing road loss for the Celtics. He plays it straight and even has a quotation from the Commish.
Monday, May 12, 2008
"You don't write funny."
Dan takes a lighthearted look at what Celtics management will do to make the players think they are playing in Boston tonight.
Wait, is 'lighthearted' the term people use when they want to say 'painfully unfunny', but don't want to appear mean? Either way, that is what I meant. By the end of the piece he is simply reeling off names of people who nobody reading would care about.
Update: Apparently Dan got a few facts wrong. Massachusetts Liberal provides the corrections.
Via Universal Hub
Wait, is 'lighthearted' the term people use when they want to say 'painfully unfunny', but don't want to appear mean? Either way, that is what I meant. By the end of the piece he is simply reeling off names of people who nobody reading would care about.
Update: Apparently Dan got a few facts wrong. Massachusetts Liberal provides the corrections.
Via Universal Hub
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Cavalier Attitude
Dan writes about the Celtics' continued road woes in light of a troubling 108-84 loss to the Cavaliers. It is a fair column which poses legitimate concerns. The Celtics will have a tough time competing with the elite if they keep putting up stinkers like this. Can't argue that. It was almost refreshing in that Dan doesnt make reference to a dozen other teams from the NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, ABA, WHL, etc
Friday, May 09, 2008
King James
LeBron James has another bad night and Shaughnessy writes about it...again. With Shaughnessy and the Celtics lately, it feels like we are in summer rerun season. That being said, it is a fair enough look at James' struggles in the past two games; however, I would like to address two points.
- James has two bad games in a row and Shaughnessy feels compelled to make reference to bad showings by star athletes in big venues. Pick a sport....In lazy Shaughnessy form, he ticks off a Ted Williams reference (1946 WS); a Phil Mickelson reference (2006 US Open) and an Alex Rodriguez reference (pick a series)--anything that rolls off the top of his head. For goodness sake, why can't he dig just a little deeper and keep it within the sport? All he has to do...pick any three NBA superstars; dig through the record books--did any of them have two games like this? Was it contained to two games? How did they eventually break out of their slump? How did their teams respond? Why is this so difficult? Because he is flat out lazy. What is really odd is that he has a very detailed break out by quarter of James shot sequences--and perhaps he thinks that gives the appearance that he followed the game closely. But anybody can use a game stat sheet to do that -- you would think an award winning journalist could put a little more effort into it
- Getting back to the ARod thing, Shaughnessy made a comment in his column the other day that drew my ire but I did not write about it but after thinking about it, I will surface it. When the Celtics were struggling against the Hawks, Shaughnessy started to hang the ARod label on Garnett. (i.e., great player when it doesn't count). You know if he had made that point at any time during the season based on Garnett's time with Timberwolves and a long term look at Garnett's playoff history, that would be fair enough (assuming he could back it up). But to make that point 4 or 5 games into Garnett's first playoff series when we really do not have a proper perspective of him in a Celtics uniform during the playoffs was bush. That is a label that you could start hanging on Garnett if the Celtics were to lose 2 or 3 playoff series over a few year span. But Shaughnessy ever prone to hyperbolic knee-jerk reactions played that card. (Side note to OB: I don't care if he roots for the home team or its players--I really dont. Just get sick of the crap that he spews)
- James has two bad games in a row and Shaughnessy feels compelled to make reference to bad showings by star athletes in big venues. Pick a sport....In lazy Shaughnessy form, he ticks off a Ted Williams reference (1946 WS); a Phil Mickelson reference (2006 US Open) and an Alex Rodriguez reference (pick a series)--anything that rolls off the top of his head. For goodness sake, why can't he dig just a little deeper and keep it within the sport? All he has to do...pick any three NBA superstars; dig through the record books--did any of them have two games like this? Was it contained to two games? How did they eventually break out of their slump? How did their teams respond? Why is this so difficult? Because he is flat out lazy. What is really odd is that he has a very detailed break out by quarter of James shot sequences--and perhaps he thinks that gives the appearance that he followed the game closely. But anybody can use a game stat sheet to do that -- you would think an award winning journalist could put a little more effort into it
- Getting back to the ARod thing, Shaughnessy made a comment in his column the other day that drew my ire but I did not write about it but after thinking about it, I will surface it. When the Celtics were struggling against the Hawks, Shaughnessy started to hang the ARod label on Garnett. (i.e., great player when it doesn't count). You know if he had made that point at any time during the season based on Garnett's time with Timberwolves and a long term look at Garnett's playoff history, that would be fair enough (assuming he could back it up). But to make that point 4 or 5 games into Garnett's first playoff series when we really do not have a proper perspective of him in a Celtics uniform during the playoffs was bush. That is a label that you could start hanging on Garnett if the Celtics were to lose 2 or 3 playoff series over a few year span. But Shaughnessy ever prone to hyperbolic knee-jerk reactions played that card. (Side note to OB: I don't care if he roots for the home team or its players--I really dont. Just get sick of the crap that he spews)
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Game One
Dan has a look at LeBron James's off night in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
A decent piece with some good quotations from James. Nothing spectacular.
A decent piece with some good quotations from James. Nothing spectacular.
Monday, May 05, 2008
And Exhale
Dan is relieved that the Celtics avoided any place in the "local Hall of Shame." While the Celtics made clear that they were better than the Hawks, there still are questions until "they can win a game without Gino."
Repetitive use of statistic alert: Once again Dan reminds us that the Hawks were 12-33 (including playoffs) on the road.
Repetitive use of statistic alert: Once again Dan reminds us that the Hawks were 12-33 (including playoffs) on the road.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Celtics *4
Dan writes about "your Celtics" again* today. He says historically Game 7s are supposed to be a great affair but that the fact that today's game 7 is even happening is an embarrassment to us all. The mighty Celtics are vulnerable and other teams watching will be emboldened by the success of the Hawks if the Celtics are fortunate enough to advance. (*This is a classic parenting line. When one of my kids does something bad, my wife says "Look at what YOUR daughter just did.")
This is the 4th Shaughnessy column of the past five which essentially says the same thing. The Celtics are worthy of criticism and I won't debate that (Note to OB: I dont care if Shaughnessy doesnt "root root root" for the home team.) What continues to grate on me is his journalistic laziness. This column, of and in itself, is fair enough. Yet, when it folllows three others that have attacked from the same angle, it is absolutely absurd that he can get away with it.
It is almost as if Shaughnessy takes these losses as a personal affront. Perhaps he is the one writing from Mom's basement? And yes, the Celtics are not playing well. But how about a modicum of credit for the Hawks? They have some excellent young talent that seems to be coming together at the right time. Given that, is it even conceivable that their record belies their talent to some degree? I agree wholeheartedly that the Celtics should never be in this position but giving the Hawks any credit no matter how well deserved would undermine Shaughnessy's premise and so he just can't do it.
This is the 4th Shaughnessy column of the past five which essentially says the same thing. The Celtics are worthy of criticism and I won't debate that (Note to OB: I dont care if Shaughnessy doesnt "root root root" for the home team.) What continues to grate on me is his journalistic laziness. This column, of and in itself, is fair enough. Yet, when it folllows three others that have attacked from the same angle, it is absolutely absurd that he can get away with it.
It is almost as if Shaughnessy takes these losses as a personal affront. Perhaps he is the one writing from Mom's basement? And yes, the Celtics are not playing well. But how about a modicum of credit for the Hawks? They have some excellent young talent that seems to be coming together at the right time. Given that, is it even conceivable that their record belies their talent to some degree? I agree wholeheartedly that the Celtics should never be in this position but giving the Hawks any credit no matter how well deserved would undermine Shaughnessy's premise and so he just can't do it.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Celtics Revisited
Dan's column is similar to yesterday's albeit minus the dated references. He says the Celtics need to make a statement tonight by winning on the road in Atlanta to erase the emerging doubts that they are too old to win the title.
In classic Shaughnessy "contradiction speak", he says,
and yet the whole column itself is Shaughnessy reading too much into an early playoff series. Idiot.
And my favorite line is this
Now we have the New Three and a championship-caliber team that has yet to
win a playoff series or a road playoff game.
Well, seeing how this is the first series that the "New Three" has played, of
course they have yet to win a playoff series.
Idiot.
In classic Shaughnessy "contradiction speak", he says,
It's always a mistake to read too much into an early playoff series.
and yet the whole column itself is Shaughnessy reading too much into an early playoff series. Idiot.
And my favorite line is this
Now we have the New Three and a championship-caliber team that has yet to
win a playoff series or a road playoff game.
Well, seeing how this is the first series that the "New Three" has played, of
course they have yet to win a playoff series.
Idiot.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
How Many Dated/Irrelevant References Will There Be?
Dan is still somewhat upset by the Hawks winning two games in Atlanta, but last night's convincing win has placated him somewhat.
But what was more striking was the references. It starts with a 20 year-old SNL skit, followed by a Belichick reference, and includes a 35 year-old song. Way to stay relevant.
But what was more striking was the references. It starts with a 20 year-old SNL skit, followed by a Belichick reference, and includes a 35 year-old song. Way to stay relevant.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
One Dinosaur Writes About Another Dinosaur
In circumstances that I am sure many of the readers wished were reversed, Dan writes a farewell from the Boston sports media to Bob Lobel.
And it is fitting that Shank, a master of the worn out phrase, favorably mentions Lobel's use of 'why can't we get players like that?' for "the millionth time."
It is a decent, if redundant, piece listing many of the well known highlights of Lobel's career, capturing his sense of whimsy. However, what is most interesting about the column is what it is lacking: any personal reflections. Dan offers nothing more than what we have seen watching Lobel over the decades.
And it is fitting that Shank, a master of the worn out phrase, favorably mentions Lobel's use of 'why can't we get players like that?' for "the millionth time."
It is a decent, if redundant, piece listing many of the well known highlights of Lobel's career, capturing his sense of whimsy. However, what is most interesting about the column is what it is lacking: any personal reflections. Dan offers nothing more than what we have seen watching Lobel over the decades.
Dan's Back and Boy Is He Pissed!
Dan rips into the Celtics today. He is upset at the older Celtics becoming unnerved by the younger Hawks and acting out. He makes space for three paragraphs on Paul Pierce's "menacing gesture" toward the Hawks' bench. It's a lot of talk for something Dan admittedly has little knowledge of.
Edit: Dan's colleague Bob Ryan tells everybody to relax. Thanks to Universal Hub for the link.
Edit: Dan's colleague Bob Ryan tells everybody to relax. Thanks to Universal Hub for the link.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Shaughnessy and the Bruins
Shaughnessy logs two article about the Bruins in today's paper. The first is a game recap with the angle that the Bruins are forcing fans to take notice and make a place in their busy calendars for tracking the Bruins plight through the playoffs. The second takes a look at the re-birth of Phil Kessel after being benched for half the series but then scoring a big goal last night. This is a lot of work for Shank churning out two article in one evening and you have to wonder if he will have to take another week off after this series is over to catch his journalistic breath.
Shaughnessy columns are pretty straight forward. It should be noted, however, that this is Shaughnessy's fourth straight article about the Bruins and everyone of them contains some reference to the Red Sox. Why he feels the need to do this, I don't know. There is a particularly odd one:
Yet again, he gets in a gratuitous shot at Belichick:
Turn on ESPN and you will get cliche' after cliche' from one athlete to the next but Shank feels compelled to call out Belichick as the standard-bearer for cliche'-speak? Belichick is not worse than any other coach or player but Shaughnessy can never just let it seem to go.
Shaughnessy columns are pretty straight forward. It should be noted, however, that this is Shaughnessy's fourth straight article about the Bruins and everyone of them contains some reference to the Red Sox. Why he feels the need to do this, I don't know. There is a particularly odd one:
This young man [Kessel] works inside a cone of silence. It's easier getting Bartolo Colon to talk.What? Colon has been with the Red Sox for a month and Shaughnessy is already commenting on his silence with the media? Maybe he has to bring up Colon because he has long since given up hope that any other established Red Sox will talk to him?
Yet again, he gets in a gratuitous shot at Belichick:
When he [Kessel] does speak, he slips into cliché-riddled bits right out of the Bill Belichick media playbook.
Turn on ESPN and you will get cliche' after cliche' from one athlete to the next but Shank feels compelled to call out Belichick as the standard-bearer for cliche'-speak? Belichick is not worse than any other coach or player but Shaughnessy can never just let it seem to go.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Shaughnessy Article puts Sinden in Hot Water
Apparently, Harry Sinden's job is in jeopardy because of his comments in a column by our old friend Dan Shaughnessy. One wonders if it is this kind of thing that gives Shaughnessy a reputation in some circles as a cutting edge journalist? On some level, you have to give Shaughnessy credit for stirring the pot. On another level, you have to wonder if he was a pawn for Harry Sinden's agenda or yet again, if he took Sinden's quotes out of context.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
For the Record
Because the Boston Globe won't do it.
This was the opening of Dan's March 30, 2008 column (click on image):
Unfortunately, Humphrey Bogart died in January 1957, more than year before the Dodgers played their first home game in LA. (Thanks to a poster at bostonsportsmediawatch.net for pointing this out.)
And you might think that the Boston Globe would acknowledge this error, considering that the online edition was quickly changed.
Yet neither the online nor the print edition of the Boston Globe has acknowledged Shank's egregious mistake of having a dead man at a L.A. Dodgers game.
What has the fastidious corrections department of Morrissey Boulevard addressed in the last two weeks?
April 15-
Because of a reporting error, the name of Accelerated Marketing Partners was incorrectly spelled in a Boston Sunday Globe Real Estate story on home buyers.
April 13-
Because of a reporting error, a March 23 City Weekly article about the new Parkwayboston.com website incorrectly attributed a quote saying the site appeared to be designed by an eighth-grader. The comment was made by Tammy Schuetz Cook, from the blog Bostonfoodandwhine.
April 6-
Due to incorrect information from Jonathan Bekemeier, a Globe North story on Sunday March 30 about tax abatements in Malden stated that he had never applied for an abatement. Bekemeier has applied before.
April 3-
Because of a reporting error, an obituary in yesterday's Globe of advertising executive Joseph E. Gallagher gave incorrect cities and towns where he grew up and later lived. He grew up in North Adams and was a resident of Wellesley and Dover.
April 1-
Because of a reporting error, a Bette Davis quote from the film "Cabin in the Cotton" was inaccurate in a story in Sunday's Movies section. The line was, "I'd like to kiss you, but I just washed my hair."
So, the misquotation of an 70 year old film, errors in the childhood facts of a subject of an obituary, whether someone applied for a tax abatement, the incorrect attribution of a quotation from a blog, and the misspelling of a company seeking to promote itself in the Real Estate section are all worthy of correction, yet a year-old corpse watching the L.A. Dodgers requires no correction or clarification?
I have contacted the Globe to address this issue, but I have received no response and it has not addressed the error.
Therefore, I offer my own Globe Correction:
Correction: Because of a columnist's habitual laziness and ignorance, and a cowardly editorial attitude toward said columnist, a column that ran over two weeks ago was incorrect in stating that the corpse of Humphrey Bogart watched the L.A. Dodgers in the Coliseum. Bogart was comfortably interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
This was the opening of Dan's March 30, 2008 column (click on image):
Unfortunately, Humphrey Bogart died in January 1957, more than year before the Dodgers played their first home game in LA. (Thanks to a poster at bostonsportsmediawatch.net for pointing this out.)
And you might think that the Boston Globe would acknowledge this error, considering that the online edition was quickly changed.
Yet neither the online nor the print edition of the Boston Globe has acknowledged Shank's egregious mistake of having a dead man at a L.A. Dodgers game.
What has the fastidious corrections department of Morrissey Boulevard addressed in the last two weeks?
April 15-
Because of a reporting error, the name of Accelerated Marketing Partners was incorrectly spelled in a Boston Sunday Globe Real Estate story on home buyers.
April 13-
Because of a reporting error, a March 23 City Weekly article about the new Parkwayboston.com website incorrectly attributed a quote saying the site appeared to be designed by an eighth-grader. The comment was made by Tammy Schuetz Cook, from the blog Bostonfoodandwhine.
April 6-
Due to incorrect information from Jonathan Bekemeier, a Globe North story on Sunday March 30 about tax abatements in Malden stated that he had never applied for an abatement. Bekemeier has applied before.
April 3-
Because of a reporting error, an obituary in yesterday's Globe of advertising executive Joseph E. Gallagher gave incorrect cities and towns where he grew up and later lived. He grew up in North Adams and was a resident of Wellesley and Dover.
April 1-
Because of a reporting error, a Bette Davis quote from the film "Cabin in the Cotton" was inaccurate in a story in Sunday's Movies section. The line was, "I'd like to kiss you, but I just washed my hair."
So, the misquotation of an 70 year old film, errors in the childhood facts of a subject of an obituary, whether someone applied for a tax abatement, the incorrect attribution of a quotation from a blog, and the misspelling of a company seeking to promote itself in the Real Estate section are all worthy of correction, yet a year-old corpse watching the L.A. Dodgers requires no correction or clarification?
I have contacted the Globe to address this issue, but I have received no response and it has not addressed the error.
Therefore, I offer my own Globe Correction:
For the record
February, 31, NeverCorrection: Because of a columnist's habitual laziness and ignorance, and a cowardly editorial attitude toward said columnist, a column that ran over two weeks ago was incorrect in stating that the corpse of Humphrey Bogart watched the L.A. Dodgers in the Coliseum. Bogart was comfortably interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Dan and Hockey, Part Deaux
Maybe you read Dan's column on Monday and thought that Dan hadn't been following hockey that much over the years. And then you look at today's paper and notice that Dan is again writing about hockey, maybe trying to redeem himself. Well you can forget that notion. With the very first two words of his column, Dan makes it clear he has nothing to say about the current team. Irrelevancy, thy name is Shank.
The topic of today's column is Harry Sinden, a man who has had little, if anything, to do with the on ice product for the last 18 months. A man who hasn't been the GM since 2000. The man who was complicit in Jeremy Jacobs cheapness and oversaw a criminally understaffed front office and scouting department.
As for the column, it a good interview with Sinden calling out players past and present that Dan wrote before the game and stuck in a few, brief references to last night's game. And as an extra special bonus feature, we get another Red Sox reference.
My point isn't that Harry Sinden doesn't have interesting things to say or that his opinion is irrelevant. But maybe we could get to read the opinions of someone who has been around the team a little bit more, somebody who wasn't in Florida with the owner watching Game 2 on Saturday night.
The topic of today's column is Harry Sinden, a man who has had little, if anything, to do with the on ice product for the last 18 months. A man who hasn't been the GM since 2000. The man who was complicit in Jeremy Jacobs cheapness and oversaw a criminally understaffed front office and scouting department.
As for the column, it a good interview with Sinden calling out players past and present that Dan wrote before the game and stuck in a few, brief references to last night's game. And as an extra special bonus feature, we get another Red Sox reference.
My point isn't that Harry Sinden doesn't have interesting things to say or that his opinion is irrelevant. But maybe we could get to read the opinions of someone who has been around the team a little bit more, somebody who wasn't in Florida with the owner watching Game 2 on Saturday night.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Dan and Hockey
Two tastes that don't go great together.
Dan uses all his hockey knowledge for this one, with references to Booby Orr, Cam Neely, and Patrick Roy (the last as part of a horrible joke). Part a look at Canadien fans storming the Garden, part game recap, this piece was awful. The writing was stilted as Dan abruptly shifted back and forth among themes. Some quotations from Montreal fans would have been nice instead of the obligatory Red Sox references.
Dan uses all his hockey knowledge for this one, with references to Booby Orr, Cam Neely, and Patrick Roy (the last as part of a horrible joke). Part a look at Canadien fans storming the Garden, part game recap, this piece was awful. The writing was stilted as Dan abruptly shifted back and forth among themes. Some quotations from Montreal fans would have been nice instead of the obligatory Red Sox references.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Beckett's Return to Dominance
Dan provides a Red Sox game recap (one of two in today's Globe) but with a particular focus on Josh Beckett's strong start.
Dan's starts off painting a dubious picture of doom and gloom:
I also found the following sequence odd:
He talks about the strikeout of ARod in the 8th as preserving the win and sending the game to Neil Diamond only to then recognize that Papelbon also had to pitch the 9th. Shaughnessy is trying to be cute here so he can squeeze in a pop culture reference but his timing is very bad.
From there, Shaughnessy plays it straight although he wanders between game recap and the angle on Beckett. Not sure why the Globe had to send both Edes and Shaughnessy to this one - Shaughnessy's contribution is marginal at best.
Dan's starts off painting a dubious picture of doom and gloom:
Sometimes you need a stopper because you are in last place and a chunk of your fan base is already in a lather. Your DH is carrying a baby-grand on his back, your bullpen looks old and creaky, it takes four hits to push a run across the plate, and the guys are talking about REM instead of RBIs.This is a typical Shaughnessy convention--he paints a negative picture (hyperbole and all) so as to establish a backdrop of bad news against which he can spin a positive story. It is not a bad convention per se but the above attempt rings hollow.
I also found the following sequence odd:
Two hours and 11 minutes after the stoppage, Papelbon returned and fanned A-Rod on three pitches to send the game to Neil Diamond and preserve the win for Beckett. Boston's great, goofy closer got the side in order in the ninth - two more strikeouts.
He talks about the strikeout of ARod in the 8th as preserving the win and sending the game to Neil Diamond only to then recognize that Papelbon also had to pitch the 9th. Shaughnessy is trying to be cute here so he can squeeze in a pop culture reference but his timing is very bad.
From there, Shaughnessy plays it straight although he wanders between game recap and the angle on Beckett. Not sure why the Globe had to send both Edes and Shaughnessy to this one - Shaughnessy's contribution is marginal at best.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Big Papi's Slump
Shaughnessy discusses the batting struggles of David Ortiz. He says Big Papi is struggling with injuries; he is struggling with umpires; and he is struggling with bad luck. He says Big Papi will snap out of it soon enough and all will be well.
He employs references to Murphy's Law, the Mendoza Line, Rob Lowe and Barry Manilow. He also dusts off the history books (Did you know that Ortiz used to platoon with Jeremy Giambi?)
This is your standard Shaughnessy fare...simple observations coupled with a litany of benign/mundane pop culture references. It is what it is....a snoozefest
He employs references to Murphy's Law, the Mendoza Line, Rob Lowe and Barry Manilow. He also dusts off the history books (Did you know that Ortiz used to platoon with Jeremy Giambi?)
This is your standard Shaughnessy fare...simple observations coupled with a litany of benign/mundane pop culture references. It is what it is....a snoozefest
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Opening Day Ceremonies
Classic rock reference ("Tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Lugo in the sky with Neil Diamonds.")? Check
Dig at Schill? Check
Dan manages to sneak both those staple into his detailed recap of yesterday's ceremonies and game. A pretty good piece with some original humor. I am just glad he was there to capture all the nonsense and I could change the channel.
Dig at Schill? Check
Dan manages to sneak both those staple into his detailed recap of yesterday's ceremonies and game. A pretty good piece with some original humor. I am just glad he was there to capture all the nonsense and I could change the channel.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Have you heard...
the Red Sox were on a long trip to begin the season? Because if you haven't, Dan will tell you all about it. Again.
Some items about the changes at Fenway, which players were around the ballpark. And that is about it. Nothing on the first seven games of the season or what to look forward to this year. You know, stuff that would be interesting. But, of course, that would take some thought and effort.
Some items about the changes at Fenway, which players were around the ballpark. And that is about it. Nothing on the first seven games of the season or what to look forward to this year. You know, stuff that would be interesting. But, of course, that would take some thought and effort.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Chicken Again?
Once more, Dan feels the need to tell us what an arduous undertaking it has been to cover the Red Sox as they have traveled to Japan and Los Angeles. This is the first sentence:
"Yesterday was odyssey day No. 12, the final day in southern California.
Shut the hell up. Nobody cares.
"Yesterday was odyssey day No. 12, the final day in southern California.
Shut the hell up. Nobody cares.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
LA Coliseum, Part Deux
Dan picks up where he left off yesterday, dissecting the scene at the LA Coliseum where the Dodgers and Red Sox played an exhibition game before a crowd of 115K+. The article was very similar to yesterday--a discussion of the Coliseum history and the peculiarities of the playing field and the player's reaction to it. Yesterday was good, today is too much of a good thing.
As I read it, I do wonder if Shaughnessy should just start to make his transition to the lifestyle section of the Globe - perhaps he would fare better over there? If you look at his columns from the past week or so (What is it Dan, 6 countries and 45,000 miles?), the actual game of baseball is merely a sideshow or backdrop to his writings. He seems fascinated with all the trappings of baseball but he shows no inclination/passion for the game itself and in the end, it all rings a little hollow.
As I read it, I do wonder if Shaughnessy should just start to make his transition to the lifestyle section of the Globe - perhaps he would fare better over there? If you look at his columns from the past week or so (What is it Dan, 6 countries and 45,000 miles?), the actual game of baseball is merely a sideshow or backdrop to his writings. He seems fascinated with all the trappings of baseball but he shows no inclination/passion for the game itself and in the end, it all rings a little hollow.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Playing at the LA Coliseum
I am more than happy to give credit where credit is due. Shaughnessy's article today on the LA Coliseum is excellent. The Sox and the Dodgers are playing an exhibition game there today and it will be the first game there since 1961. The column does nice a job of blending three story lines: 1) the hope that they can set an attendance record of 100K+; 2) the peculiarities of the playing field (200 feet to left field?) and 3) the history of the stadium. I enjoyed the read quite a bit.
If I am going to quibble, I could have done without the "It is what it is" Belichickian quote from Tim Wakefield. Also, Shaughnessy has been known to get his historical facts mixed up and upon a first read, I can't vouch that every fact he pitches is correct.
In the end, one of the stronger efforts from our friend Shank
If I am going to quibble, I could have done without the "It is what it is" Belichickian quote from Tim Wakefield. Also, Shaughnessy has been known to get his historical facts mixed up and upon a first read, I can't vouch that every fact he pitches is correct.
In the end, one of the stronger efforts from our friend Shank
Friday, March 28, 2008
Holy Crap - More Time Travel
For those of you who thought that Dan might finally break free from writing about the rigors and effects of time travel, think again. It's all there again and then some. Time travel has become Dan's most recent obsession, so much so that one has to wonder if it has bumped Curt Schilling down a peg on the CHB-obsession meter. (If I am counting right, there was only one dig at Schilling all week).
Should we really expect anything more than this from Dan? He did ride over and back on the airplane with these guys right? So you might think he would get a more penetrating perspective from some of the players on their thoughts on the trip but instead we are treated to a number of "We feel okay" standard stock quotes (Wakefield: "I'm ok"; Ortiz: "I felt ok"; Francona: "I feel ok") probably because none of the players care to talk to him.
Of course, we don't expect anything more than this from our friend Shank. Given that, let us count our blessings because:
- Shank didn't complain about the effects of time travel on his ability (or lack thereof) to write and meet deadline
- He didn't complain about the price of water in Japan
- He didn't complain about not receiving a $40K bonus about to travel to Japan
- He only got one shot in at Schilling (I apologize if I missed one or two - I have learned to ignore them over time)
I am sure all this writing and travel was very hard on Dan. Will be interesting to see if he has to take a week off to recover when they get back to Boston.
Should we really expect anything more than this from Dan? He did ride over and back on the airplane with these guys right? So you might think he would get a more penetrating perspective from some of the players on their thoughts on the trip but instead we are treated to a number of "We feel okay" standard stock quotes (Wakefield: "I'm ok"; Ortiz: "I felt ok"; Francona: "I feel ok") probably because none of the players care to talk to him.
Of course, we don't expect anything more than this from our friend Shank. Given that, let us count our blessings because:
- Shank didn't complain about the effects of time travel on his ability (or lack thereof) to write and meet deadline
- He didn't complain about the price of water in Japan
- He didn't complain about not receiving a $40K bonus about to travel to Japan
- He only got one shot in at Schilling (I apologize if I missed one or two - I have learned to ignore them over time)
I am sure all this writing and travel was very hard on Dan. Will be interesting to see if he has to take a week off to recover when they get back to Boston.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Time Zones and the Wonders of Intercontinental Travel
For the first quarter of Dan's column today, that is all he talks about. And if you have ever flown on a jet over a timeline, you will get the point before he even makes it.
The rest is another picked up pieces column from the trip. That's Dan for you. Boston Globe's top Sports columnist and he cannot be bothered to develop a single theme for his column.
The rest is another picked up pieces column from the trip. That's Dan for you. Boston Globe's top Sports columnist and he cannot be bothered to develop a single theme for his column.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A Look at Brandon Moss
Dan gives us a look at the player who went from great heights to the lowest depths over Boston's first two games. His first career home run was to tie the game in the ninth inning and the next day he went 0-3 with 3 K's.
Dan goes through the media guide and gives you Moss's history since being drafted in 2002. Thrown in a few quotations and an obvious "That's Life" reference and Dan has himself a column.
Dan goes through the media guide and gives you Moss's history since being drafted in 2002. Thrown in a few quotations and an obvious "That's Life" reference and Dan has himself a column.
In Case You Weren't Paying Attention...
Daisuke Matsuzaka cost a lot of money. We should be thankful that we have Dan to remind us.
Dan has the game recap, and because of the time difference, Dan can actually write about the game instead of taking the lazy route and writing some generic piece before the game then shoehorning a couple of paragraphs about the game in the column.
Even with the extra time, Dan cannot avoid his usual tired subjects and odd references. Not only does he repeat the "$103 million man" bit, but there is a Grady Little reference out of nowhere (his reception would not be lukewarm, anyways), the use of the word "homies", and Dan brings General MacArthur into it. A terribly written piece, completely without flow and filled with one or two sentence paragraphs such as this one"
"Dustin Pedroia opened the season with a single up the middle on an 0-and-1 pitch, but the Sox failed to score.
Riveting.
Dan has the game recap, and because of the time difference, Dan can actually write about the game instead of taking the lazy route and writing some generic piece before the game then shoehorning a couple of paragraphs about the game in the column.
Even with the extra time, Dan cannot avoid his usual tired subjects and odd references. Not only does he repeat the "$103 million man" bit, but there is a Grady Little reference out of nowhere (his reception would not be lukewarm, anyways), the use of the word "homies", and Dan brings General MacArthur into it. A terribly written piece, completely without flow and filled with one or two sentence paragraphs such as this one"
"Dustin Pedroia opened the season with a single up the middle on an 0-and-1 pitch, but the Sox failed to score.
Riveting.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
A Trip Through the Recycling Bin
Dan is tired. You have to give him some slack. After not working for a week he has been asked to write two columns for the baseball preview that must have taken him 30, 45 minutes in the library. And he has been writing about this long trip the Red Sox are on.
How do we know it is a long trip? Dan tells us every chance he gets.
3/25
"Tokyo is the first stop on an 18-day, three-country, 16,000-mile road trip"
3/20
"The 18-day, three-country, 31,000-mile sojourn"
(I don't know what happened to those 15,000 miles either.)
And Dan isn't done recycling material.
3/25
"closer Jonathan Papelbon was clocked at 151 (kilometers per hour)."
3/23
"Papelbon topped out at 151 k.p.h."
3/25
"there have been no Mike Mussina-esque complaints"
3/22
"I know Mike Mussina is still trying to recover from his 2004 trip to Japan"
2/18
"there are guys in New York (hello, Mike Mussina) still complaining about the Yankees' trip to Japan in 2004."
The rest of the column is similar laziness. "Matsuzaka cost a lot of money", lots of bland pronouncements about repeating. Stuff that really gets the fan excited about the upcoming season.
So, once again, the Boston Globe, in the face of declining circulation, has the lazy hack write one of the most important sports columns of the year instead of the much more talented and hard working Bob Ryan. A giant FU to the readers. That is a great business model. As the Tracing Grimace would say, "How's that working out for you?"
How do we know it is a long trip? Dan tells us every chance he gets.
3/25
"Tokyo is the first stop on an 18-day, three-country, 16,000-mile road trip"
3/20
"The 18-day, three-country, 31,000-mile sojourn"
(I don't know what happened to those 15,000 miles either.)
And Dan isn't done recycling material.
3/25
"closer Jonathan Papelbon was clocked at 151 (kilometers per hour)."
3/23
"Papelbon topped out at 151 k.p.h."
3/25
"there have been no Mike Mussina-esque complaints"
3/22
"I know Mike Mussina is still trying to recover from his 2004 trip to Japan"
2/18
"there are guys in New York (hello, Mike Mussina) still complaining about the Yankees' trip to Japan in 2004."
The rest of the column is similar laziness. "Matsuzaka cost a lot of money", lots of bland pronouncements about repeating. Stuff that really gets the fan excited about the upcoming season.
So, once again, the Boston Globe, in the face of declining circulation, has the lazy hack write one of the most important sports columns of the year instead of the much more talented and hard working Bob Ryan. A giant FU to the readers. That is a great business model. As the Tracing Grimace would say, "How's that working out for you?"
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Couple of History Lessons and a Few Observations
Apparently, Dan spent his week off before the Tokyo trip pouring through baseball history books and writing up a couple of recaps for the Baseball Preview. The first is a look through baseball history at 'colorful' baseball managers. The second is a look through the Red Sox Media Guide basically listing Red Sox managers with a few of the obvious observations thrown in.
Today, Dan has his observations from a few days in Japan. They are pretty good, if written in a stilted manner. And as an added bonus, Dan's Larry Bird reference is actually funny:
"Tipping just isn't done in Tokyo. Waiters, cab drivers, and housekeepers expect to get stiffed. It's the anti-New York experience. Larry Bird would love the place."
Today, Dan has his observations from a few days in Japan. They are pretty good, if written in a stilted manner. And as an added bonus, Dan's Larry Bird reference is actually funny:
"Tipping just isn't done in Tokyo. Waiters, cab drivers, and housekeepers expect to get stiffed. It's the anti-New York experience. Larry Bird would love the place."
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The Sights and Sounds of Tokyo
Dan covers the game between the Red Sox and Hanshin Tigers. Actually, he doesn't cover the game...instead, he describes the music and critiques the pronunciation of the PA announcers. Says the Japanese are doing everything they can to make the Red Sox feel at home--from playing Sweet Caroline to Dirty Water. I liked his bit about Javier Lopez hitting 127 on the radar gun...127K that is.
It was a respectable article. Not sure what has gotten into Dan lately. His acerbic nature has laregely been MIA. He has had a few clunkers of late to be sure but he has had a few entertaining reads as well and I would classify today's input as relatively entertaining.
Happy Easter!
It was a respectable article. Not sure what has gotten into Dan lately. His acerbic nature has laregely been MIA. He has had a few clunkers of late to be sure but he has had a few entertaining reads as well and I would classify today's input as relatively entertaining.
Happy Easter!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Jet Lags
Yesterday, Dan wrote about "the trip" and today, he writes about the aftermath of "the trip". Dan says the Red Sox are keeping mum and not complaining (except for one slip up by hometown hero Dice-K.) Fortunately, Dan follows their lead and doesn't complain either.
Oldies but Goodies alert: Dan injects references to Larry Bird and Elvis.
Otherwise, look away folks...not much to see here
Dave
Oldies but Goodies alert: Dan injects references to Larry Bird and Elvis.
Otherwise, look away folks...not much to see here
Dave
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Night Flights
After a week's hiatus, Dan is back and rested. Watch out--I imagine, we will get a steady of stream of Tokyo Dan over the next couple of weeks.
Tonight (or is it this morning?), Dan presents us a detailed-laden blow by blow account of the Sox flight to Japan. I have got to say I am torn over this one. On the one hand Dan provides a light-hearted look at the trip:
- He offers some pleasant enough anecdotes
- He spares us the bitching and moaning of the long trip
- He touches upon yesterday's near boycott without going to Jackie MacMullan extremes (She details yesterday's "extraordinary" events. I am sorry but that whole drama was incredibly self-serving on part of the Red Sox players. I am probably in the minority here but spare me this crap. Getting paid $40K on top of your salary to take a trip to Japan? )
- In general, it is an entertaining look.
On the flip side, does Dan not appreciate the irony of this column? He frequently rails against the hero worship of athletes, as personified by 50 year olds wearing Curt Schilling jerseys... Does he not realize that he is committing the journalistic equivalence of wearing a Schilling jersey? Columns like this (and he has done this before) feed the frenzy. We get that behind the scenes look - players gathering in the cockpit to see the Northern Lights...players clutching their favorite pillows, etc. While I find this interesting on some level, I frankly don't need to know all these details. And I am not suggesting that Dan is fawning over the players - he is not. Yet when he describes every nitty gritty detail, he is essentially stoking the flames of hero worship. (Not sure if I am articulating this point very well but hope you appreciate where I am coming from)
Finally, we have the strangely abrupt finish of this article with the Varitek pillow story. What is up with that? Is Dan the victim of bad editing? Or are we the victims (again) of his poor writing?
_
Tonight (or is it this morning?), Dan presents us a detailed-laden blow by blow account of the Sox flight to Japan. I have got to say I am torn over this one. On the one hand Dan provides a light-hearted look at the trip:
- He offers some pleasant enough anecdotes
- He spares us the bitching and moaning of the long trip
- He touches upon yesterday's near boycott without going to Jackie MacMullan extremes (She details yesterday's "extraordinary" events. I am sorry but that whole drama was incredibly self-serving on part of the Red Sox players. I am probably in the minority here but spare me this crap. Getting paid $40K on top of your salary to take a trip to Japan? )
- In general, it is an entertaining look.
On the flip side, does Dan not appreciate the irony of this column? He frequently rails against the hero worship of athletes, as personified by 50 year olds wearing Curt Schilling jerseys... Does he not realize that he is committing the journalistic equivalence of wearing a Schilling jersey? Columns like this (and he has done this before) feed the frenzy. We get that behind the scenes look - players gathering in the cockpit to see the Northern Lights...players clutching their favorite pillows, etc. While I find this interesting on some level, I frankly don't need to know all these details. And I am not suggesting that Dan is fawning over the players - he is not. Yet when he describes every nitty gritty detail, he is essentially stoking the flames of hero worship. (Not sure if I am articulating this point very well but hope you appreciate where I am coming from)
Finally, we have the strangely abrupt finish of this article with the Varitek pillow story. What is up with that? Is Dan the victim of bad editing? Or are we the victims (again) of his poor writing?
_
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Celts and Durant; We Will Never Know
A pretty standard look back at what might have been. Dan notes that the Celtics' starting lineup would look a lot different if they had got the seond pick in the NBA Draft that everybody was expecting. Dan plays it straight, with none of his normal distractions.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Height of Laziness
Dan's start to spring training wasn't very auspicious. And he followed with some real lazy efforts.
Today's might top them all for sheer laziness. He puts forth a premise (Lester facing off against Santana after the winter trade talks) and does absolutely nothing with it. To understand the level of Dan's laziness, you need to know only one thing: Dan used over one-third of his column to print a single, uninterrupted quotation from Theo Epstein.
I liked this bit, though:
"That's the way it is with a lot of fan/media topics. We get wound up in irony, coincidence, and ancillary issues while the people doing the job on the field rarely give it any thought."
No "we" Dan, just lazy sportswriters and sportsradio hosts who would prefer silly storylines and made up BS to actually analyzing what happens on the field.
Today's might top them all for sheer laziness. He puts forth a premise (Lester facing off against Santana after the winter trade talks) and does absolutely nothing with it. To understand the level of Dan's laziness, you need to know only one thing: Dan used over one-third of his column to print a single, uninterrupted quotation from Theo Epstein.
I liked this bit, though:
"That's the way it is with a lot of fan/media topics. We get wound up in irony, coincidence, and ancillary issues while the people doing the job on the field rarely give it any thought."
No "we" Dan, just lazy sportswriters and sportsradio hosts who would prefer silly storylines and made up BS to actually analyzing what happens on the field.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Look at Vero Beach
The Dodgers are moving out of Vero Beach, FL and Dan has a look back at the fabled spring training facility. Pretty nice article without typical Dan asides.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Expectations Management
Dan reminds Red Sox Nation to temper their expectations about the Sox this season. He says they are a good team and a deep team but points out that the season is a long grind and there are plenty of other good teams out there. He scoffs at the notion that the Red Sox are a dynasty--a notion that I believe is only perpetuated by his fellow sports writers?
Petty Dan re-emerges today. He aims his snarkiness at the nouveau Red Sox fans, the ones who joined the Nation in 2004; the ones who wear pink Red Sox caps; the ones who apparently did not know that the sport of baseball even existed prior to 2004. Why do these people bother him so?
Obvious Dan also reminds us that "Every team in major league ball averages at least one loss every three games." I wonder if he has been hanging around Bill James too long?
Contradictory Dan spends a column telling people that they are fools if they think this is the most awesome team ever but then he says,
It is not a horrible column....but in my mind, there are the typical tired elements of Shaughnessy fare: State the obvious; criticize the expectations (ones that he feeds with one hand and slaps away with the other); ridicule the fans; state the obvious again; and finally contradict himself undermining the whole premise of his column.
Petty Dan re-emerges today. He aims his snarkiness at the nouveau Red Sox fans, the ones who joined the Nation in 2004; the ones who wear pink Red Sox caps; the ones who apparently did not know that the sport of baseball even existed prior to 2004. Why do these people bother him so?
Obvious Dan also reminds us that "Every team in major league ball averages at least one loss every three games." I wonder if he has been hanging around Bill James too long?
Contradictory Dan spends a column telling people that they are fools if they think this is the most awesome team ever but then he says,
The Sox are good, and if they'd acquired Johan Santana, they could have been the best Red Sox team of all time.Santana is obviously a superb pitcher but this kind of comment smacks of everything he wails against in the rest of the column.
It is not a horrible column....but in my mind, there are the typical tired elements of Shaughnessy fare: State the obvious; criticize the expectations (ones that he feeds with one hand and slaps away with the other); ridicule the fans; state the obvious again; and finally contradict himself undermining the whole premise of his column.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Going Overboard
Dan has a piece on Jacoby Ellsbury. A balanced piece as Dan avoids all his typical whipping boys and he hits all the highlights of Ellsbury's bio. CHB nicely captures the expectations of Red Sox fans while warning all to temper their expectations.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
The Son Also Rises
Dan has a mildly entertaining look at Hank Steinbrenner (son of George) stoking the fires of Star Wars. Dan says Hank will be good for keeping the rivalry heated. Dan even has a nice reach out to ESPN where he poses the question of whether the network is dominated by Sox fans?
Dan does get on his preachy "George Mitchell is on the masthead/the steroids report is tainted" soapbox but otherwise a decent enough effort.
Dan does get on his preachy "George Mitchell is on the masthead/the steroids report is tainted" soapbox but otherwise a decent enough effort.
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