Report: Craig Breslow In, Matt Albers, Scott Podsednik Out

Jack Macgruder from FOXSportsArizona.com is reporting that the Red Sox have reached an agreement with the Diamondbacks to send reliever Matt Albers and outfielder Scott Podsednik to Arizona for reliever Craig Breslow.

Breslow made his Major League debut in 2005, and has already donned a Sox uniform in the past, appearing in 13 games in the 2008 campaign.  The left-hander has a career 3.02 ERA and could bolster the bullpen in case an arm like Franklin Morales is needed back in the rotation.

More details to come.  Deadline is forty-five minutes away.

Tuesday Afternoon Medal Count

Well, not a whole lot has changed since yesterday.  Oh, except the United States is in first place in total medals.  BOOM!

China has dominating Diving, winning three golds, and the United States has performed even better in the 50-meter pool, winning five gold, six silver and three bronze medals in Swimming competitions.

Oh, and Kazakhstan has won a gold medal in Road Cycling and two in Weightlifting.  I assume you were wondering that just like I was.

Olympics and Twitter Go Together Like Spaghetti and a White Shirt

Because of a tweet, a player from the Swiss Men's Soccer team, Michel Morganella, has been dismissed from the 30th Olympic Games.  When his team was beaten by South Korea 2-1, he posted a tweet saying that the South Koreans were "a bunch of mongoloids" who "can go burn."  Yikes.

After packing up his bags, Morganella did offer an apology.

"I am sincerely sorry for the people of South Korea, for the players, but equally for the Swiss delegation and Swiss football in general. It's clear that I'm accepting the consequences. After the disappointing result and the reaction from Korea that followed, I made a huge error," Morganella said.

The Swiss player isn't the first Olympian asked to catch the next flight out of London, however.  Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou was dismissed for tweeting, "With so many Africans in Greece, the West Nile mosquitoes will be getting home food!!!

I don't get it.

Social media is taking over the planet.  Watching NBC's Olympic coverage today, I sat through "Social Download" during which Michelle Beadle (absolutely no complaints there, but don't belittle her like this, NBC) explained what parts of the United States were tweeting the most about athletes like Michael Phelps.

While I agree it's cool to see what the athletes are saying during their time in London and during their events, I don't think this much scrutiny needs to be placed on Twitter.  Like when Lolo Jones was criticized for asking when the shooting events take place.  Anyone with a little common sense understood she was talking about the actual Olympic shooting events, and not hinting at any recent violence that has broken out in the United States.

It is unfortunate that these athletes are put under and even finer microscope when they use Twitter, but that's how the world turns these days.

Tune for Thought: Dan & The Wildfire

Abrasive folk like you've never seen it before!  Formerly known as Dan HL, Dan & The Wildfire has hit the stage, as well as the studio, with a new and improved sound that I think you're going to dig.

Dan, Thom, Matt, Sam and Kyle have played from Boston to D.C., and after being lucky enough to spend some time with them in studio while they recorded their second album, expected to release sometime this Fall, I have to say that with their talent and their unique sound, they are one of the best local acts in the Boston area.

Keep an eye out for their new album, and don't forget to check them out on Spotify (under Dan HL) or on their new Facebook page.

Trades Happening Left and Right, Cherington, Red Sox, Still Sleeping

With the trade deadline fast approaching (4pm, Tuesday) trade talk is dominating the Major League Baseball scene.  If you've been following along, you've undoubtedly noticed not only the number of deals, but the size of them.  And if you are a Red Sox fan, then that will make those deals seem that much bigger.

When the rumor mill got going, starting pitcher Josh Beckett was on the block, with GM Ben Cherington reportedly looking for a trade partner.  As quickly as it started, the rumor was snuffed out.  The Sox were reportedly interested in Marlins starting pitcher, Josh Johnson, but that news has all but completely died.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, in a very good position for a postseason run, have already acquired Hanley Ramirez, Randy Choate, Brandon League and now Shane Victorino from the Phillies in a deal made on Deadline day.

Former Sox GM Theo Epstein, with a next-to-last place Chicago Cubs team has been a seller at the Deadline, gathering prospects for Paul Malholm and Reed Johnson, as well as a separate deal dispatching Geovany Soto.  Not in the same position as the Sox, but still, the moves are getting done.

The Blue Jays, just a half game behind Boston, have dealt Travis Snyder and Eric Thames to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Brad Lincoln.  Another seller, but again, moves are made.

There is clear need for something to change in Boston.  Clay Buchholz is finally coming around, with another win last night to move to 9-3 on the season.  Other than that, their best starter is probably Felix Doubront.  If pitching wins championships, the Red Sox won't be winning any championships.

Injuries are always tough to deal with, especially the latest one to Ryan Sweeney, who will miss eight weeks after punching a door.

Offense hasn't really been a problem, I just think to give this team the motivation and to give its fans the confidence in them, some sort of deal needs to be made by 4pm.  .500 is unacceptable at this stage in Boston.  I have said it before and I will continue to say it, a $171 million payroll owes more to its fans and to itself.

Monday Afternoon Medal Count

Where the hell is China getting all these golds?  Maybe they should try to compete in some real events once in a while...

Either way, the United States sits just one medal behind the leaders, with both countries pulling away from the pack.  Twelve events will be handing out medals today, so we could see some shake-ups in the top 10, but stay tuned and we'll let you know if anything interesting happens.

What Do the Red Sox Need to Do?

The Red Sox need to play baseball.  They need to play the type of baseball that a team who started the year with a $171 million payroll needs to play.

If you've been following the blog, you'll notice that a few of my Red Sox posts could not have been more off the mark.  I assumed Franklin Morales would fold as a starter, then he went into Chicago and only gave up two runs while striking out nine through five innings.  When the Red Sox recently crushed the White Sox 10-1, then won with a Cody Ross walk-off (his third three-run home run in two days), I posted saying this could be the turning point for the team.

They were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays the next three games, and losing six of the next seven.

But this weekend in New York, the Red Sox stole two games from New York in a huge series.  What they need to start doing is winning at home.  This huge 100 Year Anniversary celebration has been marred by poor play and rumors about the Red Sox ownership trying to make this year a spectacle rather than focusing on the team itself.  With a 25-28 record at home, its 'do or die' time inside Fenway Park Monday night as the Sox open up a three game series with the Detroit Tigers.

The other issue swirling around has been what the Red Sox intend to do at the trade deadline.  In need of starting pitching, the Red Sox have already seen Zack Greinke and Anibal Sanchez change teams, and Roy Oswalt come back into the league -- with no offers made to any of them.  Josh Johnson's name has been thrown around the rumor mill as well, but with his lingering shoulder problems, his value is decreasing.  But if I ruled the world, a Johnson for Josh Beckett deal would be pretty enticing...

Another name floating around has been Matt Garza from the Chicago Cubs.  Given the Red Sox familiarity with the Cubs, thanks to former GM Theo Epstein, could we see another Boston-Chicago deal?  Would we necessarily want another former Rays star who continued to kill the Red Sox even after they put on the red and white?

When you look at the Red Sox, you can't help but ignore those worry areas.  Where has Adrian Gonzalez's power gone?  Why has Jon Lester's season been an absolute roller coaster?  What is really wrong with Carl Crawford?  The team just needs to keep their heads down and play strong, focused baseball.  They have the offense to blow teams out, and they have the resolve to play small ball and steal a low-scoring game in extra innings.

August will be a big month for Boston, playing the Twins, Royals and Indians, all of whom are under .500, as well as big games against the Orioles and Yankees.

Mike Tyson On Broadway

I have never liked Spike Lee, but I have always liked Mike Tyson. I don't think there is anyone out there who doesn't.

This conversation with Jeremy Schapp doesn't really get going until the end when they talk about Tyson's lawyer in a 1992 case in which Tyson was accused of raping an 18-year-old.  What seems to be a pretty tame conversation turns for the better when Tyson adds his two cents on how he thinks the case went.

The Voice of an Angel...?

All the kudos in the world if you can sit through this entire video. I chalk this embarrassingly sad and pathetic performance up the parents.

Look, I understand as a parent, you should always encourage your child and tell them there's nothing they can't do when they set their mind to it.  But at some point, you got to snuff something like this out.  I mean, you can't honestly listen to this and not make some sort of face showing complete and utter anguish.

Sex.com Wants Australian Hurdler to Pose Nude

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Eargasms for everyone!

While their name might sound biblebelty there's nothing prudish about the sehhexy electro-pop tracks Montreal duo Purity Ring has assembled for their first album, "Shrines."   I saw these guys open for Neon Indian in the fall and I've gotta say, get in on the ground floor with this band; they're gonna blow up in a big way.  Creepy and catchy with haunting lyrics sung by a pretty lady, you're gonna wanna Spotify the album over and over.

That Just Happened

Classic baseball in the beer trick, seen it a million times before. But the addition of the bank off the forehead was a really nice touch, job well done.

Could Thursday's Walk-Off Win Be the Turning Point for the Red Sox?

Trailing 1-0 almost the entire game against the White Sox, the Red Sox bats looked tired and over-anxious, making opposing pitcher Jose Quintana only throw 56 pitches through six innings.  But in the bottom of the ninth, with two men on, Cody Ross stepped up again and hit his third 3-run blast in two nights.  Could this win be the turning point for Boston?

Obviously it's extremely hard to predict if one game will turn a team around, but the way in which the Sox pulled this one off, just a week after returning from the All-Star break, gives me some confidence for the remainder of the season.

The ultimate goal for a team is to win the World Series, but first they have to make the playoffs.  The Red Sox are only one game back for a Wild Card spot.  Several key players, like Adrian Gonzalez, Clay Buchholz and Alfredo Aceves are really stepping up recently, and even though its still July, seem to be making their playoff pushes. 

Gonzalez's average is getting back to around .300, but his power is still in need of a little boost.  Buchholz, still dealing with a miserable ERA, gave up just one run last night, and looks like he is getting back to form.  Aceves got his first win of the year (1-6) and has been pitching really well lately, throwing 17 strikes in a row to open his ninth inning.

When Ross stepped up for that final at-bat, I took a look around the stadium.  It was as full in the ninth inning as I have seen it all season.  The crowd was into it, which seems to be a rarity this season, and it was a wicked fun game to be at.  The ball sailed into the Monster seats, sending Fenway into a frenzy, and as Ross came across home plate, Aceves came running out of the dugout with a cooler full of Powerade to dump all over the celebration at home plate.  Nick Punto, A.K.A. Shredder, did his job depriving Ross of his jersey, and the team seemed to be genuinely having fun.

Look at the 2004 World Series team.  Cowboy Up, the Idiots.  That team had fun, they had chemistry.  The Bobby Valentine issues seems to be falling by the wayside, and the team seems focused on playing good baseball.  The only question mark is what Ben Cherington and the Sox will do at the trade deadline, but for now, I believe the Red Sox are in a good place moving forward.

Call Me Maybe Done the Right Way

Look, as much as I hate having two versions of "Call Me Maybe" in this blog now, I gotta admit this one is pretty awesome.  Enjoy it fast, who knows when it'll be taken down from a million different copyright infringements.

Any time they show Anakin, its even more noticeable how horrible Hayden Christensen's acting is.  Also, every time Han Solo says 'hey,' I nearly die laughing.  He does it about six different ways.

Dream Team My Ass

Is anyone else mad about this year's Olympic basketball team calling themselves the Dream Team?  Everyone knows that there was only one real Dream Team, back in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic Games.

This year's team, led by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant will be the most flashy at the games for sure, but flash doesn't win ballgames.  When it comes down to it, whoever has the ball is always going to want to shoot it, and when they encounter real defense, who knows what'll actually happen.

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, and David Robinson?  Should I keep going?  Karl Malone, John Stockton, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen and Christian Laettner.

They won every game by an average of 44 points, and scored over 100 points in every contest in the Games.  There is something to be said for the level of competition going up all around the world, but even though that would most likely help the 2012 at least look better, they never will hold a candle to the Dream Team.  Eleven Hall of Famers.  Eleven.

NASCAR is So Boring, Not Even Dead People Like It

For 18 months, Charles Zigler watched nothing but NASCAR.  Well, let me rephrase that.  For 18 months, Charles Zigler didn't watch anything but was put in front of a TV for NASCAR events.  Its not that he didn't like to watch the sport, its just that he was dead.

A woman from Michigan, Linda Chase, decided to keep her husband around to watch NASCAR.  I mean, he wasn't doing much else for her.  Conversations must have been pretty one-sided.  But all joking aside, she kept him around because she has had several people in her life die, and was not ready to let go.

It is a really sad story, but one of the strangest I've ever heard. 

And then he finished...thanks Boston

Warning! Most of this post is NSFW

On my way home today I made the mistake of being curious at the exact wrong moment and now what has been seen can't be unseen.  Please refer to the Always Sunny video posted above as it's a surprisingly accurate account of what happened.

Here's me walking along, looking forward to grilling chicken wrapped in bacon and yelling at my Super Nintendo all night.  I glance left for one second and there he is, lower half behind a wall, upper half hard at work. Before I can turn away, he hits his vinegar strokes. By the time he bends to pick up pants my last scrap innocence of has been lost, left behind on that wall with the remains of Hobo Jones' genetic material.

I saw into his soul and I could've done without it. Learn more about vinegar strokes from the guys of The League. They sing a song about it too.Thanks for another Hallmark moment Boston. I'm upset.

New Zac Brown Band CD, Buy It

New Zac Brown Band CD came out Tuesday, aaaand it's absolutely awesome. Three CDs in a row that have each been better than the last. They are one of the few bands capable of keeping up that streak as well.

If you're not a country music fan, you're not listening to the right stuff.  ZBB is a good mix of rock and country, and since nobody can't like how a violin sounds, that makes it this stuff just that much better.

Above is one of their singles, "The Wind," more of an old school country feel, but the video if awesome, and it showcases how musically talented this band is.  The CD is called "Uncaged" and is in stores or on iTunes.

Padilla, Everyone Hates Teixeira

Mark Teixeira and Vicente Padilla don't get along.  Texas teammates in 2006 and 2007, they had their fair share of issues in the same clubhouse, when Padilla claims Teixeira threatened to hit him with a bat, and the battle rages on through this weekend series with the Red Sox and Yankees.

"I think he's just scared to face me.  I don't throw at people to hit them on purpose," Padilla said.  "I throw inside, I've always thrown inside.  Its not my problem if the ball hits someone.  I'm worried about throwing strikes and I'm going to keep playing my game."

Then pitching for the Phillies, Padilla hit Teixeira after he homered in 2005, which may have started this whole ordeal because once they were teammates, Teixeira took it upon himself to ask Padilla to change his aggressive nature.

"In this sport, as competitive ballplayers, we get pretty fired up," Padilla said.  "So I think maybe he picked the wrong profession.  I think he'd be better off playing a women's sport."

I love these comments by Padilla.  Was Teixeira serious when he came up and asked Padilla to pitch differently?  One, you're on the same team now, you can relax, and two, Padilla isn't going to tell you to stop hitting home runs because you're making the pitchers feel bad.  Just another reason why Teixeira is one of the douchiest players in recent memory.

"I just think he's scared to face me," Padilla said. "I don't throw at people to hit them on purpose. I throw inside, and I've always thrown inside. It's not my problem if the ball hits someone. I'm worried about throwing strikes, and I'm going to keep playing my game."

Read more at: http://www.nesn.com/2012/07/vicente-padilla-accuses-mark-teixeira-of-bad-behavior-in-texas-contends-slugger-should-play-a-womens.html"

"I just think he's scared to face me," Padilla said. "I don't throw at people to hit them on purpose. I throw inside, and I've always thrown inside. It's not my problem if the ball hits someone. I'm worried about throwing strikes, and I'm going to keep playing my game."

Read more at: http://www.nesn.com/2012/07/vicente-padilla-accuses-mark-teixeira-of-bad-behavior-in-texas-contends-slugger-should-play-a-womens.html

Van Persie Should Just Stay Put

Normally if a video is longer than three minutes, I'll walk.  But I could not stop watching this guy.  Arsenal captain Robin van Persie announced earlier in the week that he will not renew his contract with the team over differences of opinions within the club.

Yeah, maybe you should've consulted this guy before you made your decision.  I mean, I'm sure a lot of fans will be mad, but I can't imagine anyone would go to these lengths.  Playing Ultimate Team in FIFA 12, and dropping van Persie not once, not twice but three times, is classic.  Hope van Persie actually watched this.  And he's exactly right - Nicklas Bendtner did score two goals...

Greatest Game Ever? Really? Yes.

So my blogging has become a little more spaced out of late, but for very good reason.  Yesterday was a holiday, I didn't open the office, and the other night I stumbled upon a game I have no played since before high school.  Rollercoaster Tycoon.  If you haven't played Rollercoaster Tycoon, there might be something seriously wrong with you, get to a doctor immediately.

For those of you that have, you know its easily the greatest game on the face of the planet.  At a time before Xbox and Playstation dominated the gaming world, but rose to success even during the Nintendo 64 days.  I have never been much of a computer gamer, I played King's Quest a few times, and a few other random games like Full Throttle, but never anything seriously like RCT.

For those of you who need to be brought up to speed, the object of the game is to put yourself into different theme park scenarios the game gives you, and reach goals by the end of certain time limits by building rides and shops and attracting guests to your park.  For instance, the first level, but the end of October, Year 1, you need to have 250 guests in your park with a park rating of 600.  Easy money.

I own a new MacBook, so finding this game literally took a few hours, but I hunted it down.  It cost 6 dollars, and 10 extra minutes of watching a video, but now that it's over, I have been playing nonstop.  If you're like to get down with it, thank this guy, Paul the Tall, and his blog that helped me figure it all out.

Darnell McDonald Signs with Yankees

 Hopefully everyone has had time to digest the insane amount of grilled whatever they had yesterday (and time to dry off if you went to see the fireworks in Boston), so we can get back to some good old fashioned blogging. 

The Red Sox were swept yesterday by the Oakland A's, who are still a game under .500 while the Sox move to just two games over.  But the more shocking news of the day?  Darnell McDonald, Red Sox back-up outfielder who was kicked around between Boston and Triple-A Pawtucket, was designated for assignment.  But the team he went to - seriously, man?

Blessed?  You're going to get even less playing time over there with Dewayne Wise heating up and Brett Gardner on the way back from injury, very similar to the Red Sox situation right now, and why they let him go.

With Jacoby Ellsbury rehabbing in Double-A Portland, and call-ups Ryan Kalish and Daniel Nava out-performing McDonald, his departure was no surprise.  But the team he went to - seriously, man?

Well this will make that miserable show "Red Sox Small Talk" even worse without his daughter, Jiana, to ask the tough questions...

What a Grab!

Now there are going to be some people who freak out saying this guy is irresponsible, trying to go for a baseball while holding a baby. That just makes it that much more impressive, and nothing else. Best part is the baby has no idea what's going on, completely unfazed by the ordeal.

Spain Won the Euro Cup - Now What?

Spain embarrassed Italy in the Euro Cup Final, 4-0.  Good for them.  Now that the Euro Cup is over, when will people care about soccer again?

Possibly this month?  The Olympic Games have had soccer as a discipline since 1900 for men, and since 1996 for women.  The U.S. men's team failed to even qualify for the tournament, so will anyone watch the men's U23 tournament?  Spain's probably going to win, considering their U21 team won the European Championship last season, and three players - Jordi Alba, Juan Mata and Javi Martinez - are coming off the Euro Cup Championship team.

So who else is there to care about?  Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy are two of the exemptions on Great Britain's team, and other than that... Senegal?  United Arab Emirates? Brazil?  Well yeah, maybe Brazil.

On the women's side, Team USA are going for their third straight gold medal.  Women's sports usually fall by the wayside, but I think there's plenty to watch with this team.

Three Random Pictures

I didn't really have any context to include these pictures, so I figured I'd just get them out like this, because I think they're funny.

American League Already Won, Erin Andrews Will Report From AL Dugout During All-Star Game

Erin Andrews has left ESPN for FOX Sports, and is set to appear back on camera for the MLB All-Star Game, July 10th.  As a Red Sox/Andrews fan, this now gives me two people to watch in the game.

This is the first time since 2001 that the Red Sox have only sent one player to the Mid-Summer Classic, that player being starting DH David Ortiz.  But did anyone else deserve the nod?

Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Starting catcher Mike Napoli, one of seven Rangers, made it in from fan voting, and back-ups Matt Wieters and Joe Mauer made it with the players' vote and the selection of AL coach Ron Washington respectively.  Salty has the highest batting average next to Mauer, more home runs than all three, and one less RBI than Wieters.  What went wrong?

And Mike Aviles is third among shortstops in home runs and first in RBI, but his name wasn't even mentioned.  Another name that wasn't mentioned?  Thirty-six year old Scott Atchison - 41 innings, ERA below 1.50 with a batting average against of .200. 

New Music-Kendrick Lamar

I've mentioned Kendrick Lamar on here before but this new track just blew my mind and needs to get out.  This kid's something special, like "I just heard Tha Carter III for the first time" special.  Coming up out of south central CA and being produced/groomed by Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar has a ton of promise to become the next big thing.  This model has been seen before, legends bring up the young bucks and the game can't help but be changed forever. Biggie mentored Jay-Z----->Hova schooled Kayne-----> Yeezy developed Kid Cudi and Lil Wayne runs all over picking up people for Cash Money Records including one soft Canadian who can't seem to be forgotten.

Besides Drake,  great things usually happen.  Remember the last rapper D.R.E. brought up?  He's from Detroit and not even an addiction to pills could stop him.   Keep an eye out for Kendrick Lamar and his collective Black Hippy which also reps heavyweights Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock as they're sure to come out with some of the best hiphop to be seen in the next few years. Drake sucks.

Can't Decide if This is Cool or Not

I guess the X Games are going on...

Tanner Foust and Greg Tracy, a rally car driver and a Hollywood stuntman, set a World Record by driving two Hot Wheels style rally cars through 66-foot tall loops.  But I just can't figure out if this is cool or even impressive.

I mean, I absolutely wouldn't drive a car upside down, but that's because I'm not an idiot.  And how is this a world record?  Because no one has built giant orange Hot Wheels loops before to do this?  I assume you would consider this a sports world record, since it technically falls under the umbrella of racing, but usually sports records are things you care about or actually are impressive. 

Like Olympic records.  That takes years of training, a strong mind and a perfect race day.  I'll say its impressive solely based on that fact that I can't do it, otherwise, you can keep it.

David Beckham Plays Hardball

So what we're looking at in this video is the San Jose Earthquakes versus the LA Galaxy in the MLS Game of the Week (very exciting).   Earthquakes player Sam Cronin flops near the penalty area, hoping to draw some sort of penalty from the referee.  One of his teammates boots the ball downfield instead of clearing it to the side where David Beckham is waiting for a throw-in.

Beckham didn't like the move, and decided to show off his precision skills by booting a homing missile right at Cronin on the ground.  Here's the best part of the video.  The idiot rolling around on the ground in "pain" all of a sudden, stands up and starts running towards Beckham, still bitching at the ref.  Either way, sweet move by Beckham.

Birthday Shout-Outs

Happy 182nd day of the year, and some extra happy to these fine people born July 1st.

Liv Tyler
Greg Pattillo
Jarome Iginla
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Sufjan Stevens
Missy Elliot
Princess Diana
Carl Lewis
Dan Aykroyd
Terrence Mann - but not James Earl Jones from 'Field of Dreams'
Sydney Pollack
Estee Lauder

Jim Thome Traded to Orioles, Everybody Wins

Jim Thome, eighth best home run hitter in baseball history, was just traded to the Orioles from the Phillies for two minor leaguers.  Thome had signed with the Phillies as a free agent, hoping to platoon first base while Ryan Howard was on the DL this season.

As recently as last month, Thome has been as good as ever, batting .333 with four home runs, 14 RBI and a 1.137 OPS.  He now takes his talents to Eutaw Street, where the O's are still hanging on, sitting in second place.

The 41-year-old should see regular DH time now that he is with an American League team.  When Thome gets into a rhythm, its hard to stop him, and with just one more home run to officially make him the seventh best home run hitter of all time, we could see him make the jump by the end of the week.